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Omitting To Be Verbs

Omitting To Be Verbs . Problem: Weak verbs-- Verbs such as "to be" verbs and "have" verbs can often be replaced by "strong" verbs, verbs that carry specific meaning. Concentrate on what the subject of your sentence does and make that the verb in the sentence.

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Omitting To Be Verbs

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  1. Omitting To Be Verbs • Problem: Weak verbs--Verbs such as "to be" verbs and "have" verbs can often be replaced by "strong" verbs, verbs that carry specific meaning. Concentrate on what the subject of your sentence does and make that the verb in the sentence. • Example: Macbeth was strong in the last battle • How to locate and correct this problem: Locate weak verbs by circling all of the "to be" and "have" verbs in your paper. Correct weak verbs by omitting them and replacing them with a more meaningful verb. Notice that you will need to add information as you specify the nature of the action. Answer the question: "What does the subject really do?" • Better example: Macbeth displays/shows/demonstrates strength in the final battle To Be Verbs: Is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been

  2. More Examples • Weak: The girl is trying to study for the test • Better: Trying to study for the test, the girl finds a quiet room. • Weak: Hamlet was going to leave Denmark to return to college. • Better: Hamlet desires to leave Denmark and return to college. • Weak: Macbeth has to consult with his wife before making decisions. • Better: Macbeth, indecisive and insecure, must consult with his wife before crucial decisions. • Weak: Macduff is questioning Macbeth’s murder of the guards. • Better: Macduff questions Macbeth’s murder of the guards. • Weak: Siddhartha has faced many obstacles on his path to enlightenment. • Better: Faced with many obstacles on his path to enlightenment, Siddhartha at the end understands obstacles shaped his character.

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