This week, we continue to focus on verbs since they express the action of any sentence. Using the proper verbs ensures that ideas have vitality. The sentences in the the writing tip below show how minor adjustments can help achieve conciseness in expression by composing and sticking to one vibrant verb!
Sentence: As a school, they are different in many ways from their charter-based counterparts.
Edited Sentence: As a school, they differ in many ways from their charter-based counterparts.
Explanation: In the initial sentence, the verb in the sentence is “are” while “different" functions as an adjective. However, in the edited sentence, the adjective “different” is changed to a verb form (“differ”) so that the "to be" verb (“are”) can be deleted. "To be" verbs are considered passive since they do not express any action, even when they function as helping verbs.
Notice the change makes the sentence more vibrant by giving it an active verb while eliminating a word. When finalizing your documents, look to vitalize your writing by deleting unnecessary forms of the verb “to be” and incorporating action verbs.
Cultivating writers...one tip at a time!
