Make your writing more lively and vivid with strong verbs!!!

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A strong verb is a verb that is a very descriptive action verb which can be used instead of dull, common verbs or forms of the verb “to be.” Forms of “to be” should be eliminated as much as possible from your writing in order to make your writing more powerful and engaging to your audience.

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Examples: John ran to the corner store. John jogged to the corner store.

Rex is on the leash. Rex tugs on the leash.

Present TenseI am We areYou are He/She/It is They are

Past TenseI was We wereYou were He/She/It was They were

Perfect Form (past participle)I have been, etc.Progressive Form (present participle)I am being, etc.

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Remove these words as often as you can, and replace them with strong verbs instead.

The cat _____ in the chair.

A big brown dog _____ at the little cat.

The big dog then _____ the cat around the house.

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A yellow ball _____ down the stairs.

I _____ my best friend.

My friend _____ to school with me.

When the teacher _____, I ______.

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1) My teacher _____ when the class talks too much.

2) Rabbits _____ when they smell danger.

3) The smelly, black and white skunk _____ on the dog when the dog _____ it.

4) Our teacher _____ us how to write.

5) Jessica _______weights to keep in shape.

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Aimed Anticipated Arranged Ballooned Blasted Blotted Boiled Botched Bullied Bulldozed

Chastised Chattered Devoured Doused Drained Dreaded Eased Ejected Evaporated Fired

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Flattered Flipped Flirted Focused Glowed Goofed Gloated Grilled

Hammered Howled Humiliated Iced Irritated Jabbed Juggled Kidded

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Lumbered Magnified Manipulated Meandered Oozed Patted Peered Praised

Raged Ransacked Rejoiced Sauntered Scoured Scribbled Snooped Throttled

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Thundered Tickled Twisted Undertook Undermined Viewed Volunteered

Waltzed Weighed Wiggled Wiped Wrangled Wrenched Yelped

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Write 5 sentences of your own, making sure you use good, strong, vivid verbs in each one.

Decide which one is your best effort.

We will compile a class list of the best strong verb sentences from all the sentences in this activity. Everyone will submit at least one sentence to the list.

Next, we will work on strong verb paragraphs.

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How do you write a paragraph with strong Verbs?

Start with a simple idea. Here is a sentence you could make into a paragraph by using strong verbs to show, not tell.

Mary is happy.Now, we will describe how Mary is happy using strong verbs in a paragraph.

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Mary always seems to be a joyful little girl. She chortles at almost every situation she stumbles upon. She quietly and contentedly amuses herself with toys all day long. However, when she bathes, she sloshes water all over the place and chuckles uncontrollably when she drenches everyone and everything within her range. Mary croons and boogies along with the songs on the radio. Sometimes she even erupts into her favorite rendition of The ABC Song right at the dinner table! Her antics enchant her family. She brightens up any day like a Fourth of July sparkler. Yes, my little sister is the joy of our family life!

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The first sentence of a strong verb paragraph is a “telling” one; a topic sentence that might have a “dead” verb. (Dead verbs are helping verbs and linking verbs.)

You should then add 7 vivid verb sentences that support the topic sentence. None of verbs in these sentences can be used more than once.

The last sentence is a conclusion. It cannot be a repeat of the first sentence, but it can be similar. It may also contain a “dead” verb, since it wraps things up.

Your strong verb paragraph will have a total of 9 sentences.

Guidelines for writing strong verb paragraphs

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Choose one of the following topic sentences to start your own strong verb paragraph.

1. The students in the cafeteria were wild.

2. That girl/boy looks weird.

3. My little sister (brother, cousin, etc.) is such a pain!

4. My room is so messy (neat)!

5. The old man (lady) was lonely.©2014HappyEdugato

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Memorize the helping verbs and linking verbs, and then STOP using them! Limit the use of dead verbs to your topic and concluding sentence. Try to write without using “dead” verbs, and you will find your writing will be more lively and interesting to your reader!

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Prewrite – Decide on your topic sentence.

Draft - Write your paragraph with details supporting the topic sentence. (Let the story come out.)

Revise - Go back through your paragraph and look for forms of the verb “to be” and circle them. Then replace them with strong verbs. A dictionary and thesaurus are useful tools.

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I am You are He/ She/It is They are

REPLACE ALL FORMS OF “TO BE” EXCEPT IN YOUR TOPIC AND CONCLUDING SENTENCE.

I was You were He/ She/It was They were

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Edit - Have a friend proofread and edit your paragraph. Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.

Publish - Write your final copy and share.

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Thank you for downloading my Strong Verb Sentences and Paragraphs PowerPoint. I hope that you enjoy the resource and get a lot of use out of it. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. My email address is happyedug8r@msn.com

Commercial Graphics used with permission from the following: Microsoft Design, Graphicstock.com

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Thank you and happy teaching!

Deborah HayesAka HappyEdugator

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