Using Verbs (cont.)

Try some other verbs . . .danced, stalked, meandered, slumped. Each one gives you an entirely different picture of the boy entering the room. Can you think of other choices that will give a clear picture?

Let’s leave the boy and the room behind and consider something else. Trees, for instance. Now, trees pretty much just stand there, not doing much. But are there verbs you might choose that would let us see a particular tree? It could bow in the wind. If it’s a weeping willow, it could droop. If it’s a poplar, it could stretch toward the sky. What about sounds a tree might make? It could whisper. It could sigh. It could even rattle if the wind is blowing hard enough.

When you are thinking about verbs, don’t automatically take the first one that pops into your head. The robin sang. All birds sing. That’s a pretty bland verb. Can you think of a better one to describe a robin’s song?

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