ACTIVE VERBS vs. DEAD VERBS
NOTES KEY
Use ACTIVE VERBS in your writing to:
a) capture the readers’ attention and to
b) create vivid & powerful images in his or her
mind.
1. Dead/Dying Verbs “tell” something about the
subject.
Example “dead” sentence:
The puppy is cute.
2. Active Verbs “show” specific
actions/characteristics of the subject. We want to
SHOW rather than tell in our writing!
Example “active” sentence: The cute puppy
wriggles in excitement whenever someone approaches
the door.
EXAMPLES FROM LITERATURE:
* The Weasley twins weren’t “looking” at Harry and
his scar, they “gawked” at him. They weren’t
“walking” into the room, they “bounded” in.
* Maya Angelou, didn’t say that she “told a lie,”
she said that the “lie lumped in her throat.”
IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE VERBS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD:
“Verbs make or break a resume. Active verbs grab readers'
attention and resumes with active verbs communicate
purpose and confidence, while elevating your resume above
the ordinary. The extra effort made to activate the
sentences in your resume can make the difference between
nabbing an interview and being forgotten!” – ehow.com
1.
She was angry.
2.
The boy in the corner is lonely.
3.
The vampire is evil.
4.
The teacher is totally crazy.
5.
There are bugs in my backpack.
6.
The roller coaster made me nervous.
ACTIVE VERBS vs. DEAD VERBS NOTES
Use ____________________________ in your writing to:
a)
capture
the
readers’
_____________________________________ and to
b)
create
_______________________________________________________.
1. __________________________ “tell” something about the
subject.
Example “dead” sentence:
The puppy __________ cute.
“Dead” Verbs (linking verbs):
am, is, are, was, were, have, has, had, do, does,
did, may, must,
might, can, could, shall,
should, will, would, taste, feel, sound, look,
smell, appear, become, -ing verbs
“Dying” Verbs:
resemble
become, act, make, seem, exist,
2. __________________________ “show” specific
actions/characteristics of the
subject. We want to SHOW rather than tell in our
writing!
Example “active” sentence: The cute puppy
_________________ in
excitement whenever someone
_________________ the door.
EXAMPLES FROM LITERATURE:
* The Weasley twins weren’t “looking” at Harry and his
scar, they
“____________________” at him. They weren’t “walking” into
the room,
they “_______________________” in.
* Maya Angelou, didn’t say that she “told a lie”, she said
that the “lie ____________________ in her throat.”
IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE VERBS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD:
”Verbs make or break a resume. Active verbs grab readers'
attention and resumes with active verbs communicate
purpose and confidence, while elevating your resume above
the ordinary. The extra effort made to activate the
sentences in your resume can make the difference between
nabbing an interview and being forgotten!” – ehow.com
PRACTICE:
Change the following “dead verb” sentences into strong ones that
create vivid images you can see. You must include all the
information in the original sentence. You may add more information
if you wish. Note the verb tense of the “telling” sentence and
keep the tense the same in your “showing” sentence.
1.
She was angry.
2.
The boy in the corner is lonely.
3.
The vampire is evil.
4.
The teacher is totally crazy.
5.
There are bugs in my backpack.
6.
The roller coaster made me nervous.
ACTIVE VOICE vs. PASSIVE VOICE
VERB NOTES KEY
*** Use ACTIVE VOICE rather than passive voice.
*** Active voice grabs readers' attention; passive voice
weakens your writing.
Active voice- the subject is performing the action
Ex: Kim broke the jar.
Passive voice- the subject is receiving the action
Ex: The jar was broken by Kim.
PRACTICE: Revise the following sentences by changing all the passive
verbs to active verbs!
1. Sheila was the winner of the marathon.
2. The computer was destroyed by a lightning bolt.
3. The entire book was read by only two students in class.
4. My essay was graded by Dr. Black.
5. Action on the proposal is being considered by the committee.
6. We were eating pumpkin pie.
ACTIVE VOICE vs. PASSIVE VOICE VERB NOTES
*** Use ________________________ rather than
________________________. Active voice grabs readers' attention;
passive voice weakens your writing.
Active voice- ________________________________
Ex: Kim broke the jar.
Passive voice- ________________________________
Ex: The jar was broken by Kim.
PRACTICE: Revise the following sentences by changing all the
passive verbs to active verbs!
1. Sheila was the winner of the marathon.
2. The computer was destroyed by a lightning bolt.
3. The entire book was read by only two students in class.
4. My essay was graded by Dr. Black.
5. Action on the proposal is being considered by the committee.
6.
We were eating pumpkin pie.