STRONG VERBS/

PURPOSES OF WRITING

Marielle Alejo Melendez

Lean Emgil Ramos Galsim
 What is a strong verb?

A strong verb is a better and more descriptive version of a

basic verb that creates a stronger visual and can help create a
mood (or vibe) for the scene (Pope, 2021).

“Good writing is about well-chosen nouns and strong

verbs, not adjectives and adverbs.”
- Jenkins,
2021
Strong Verbs Vs. Weak
Verbs
 Strong Verbs Vs. Weak Verbs

Weak verbs are the “basic” forms of a specific action.

Strong verbs are the “specified” forms of a broader action.

The biggest difference between a strong verb form

and a weak one in writing is in the clarity of
purpose and descriptive ability.
Weak Verb Strong Verb Variations
Run Bolt, sprint, jog, race, dart, rush, dash, hasten, scurries, scamper, hare,
career, charge

Walk Slink, trot, mope, stroll, amble, trudge, plod, tramp, march, troop,
wander, prowl, footslog

Make Create, forge, foster, brew

Say Speak, voice, purr, mutter, scream, utter, mumble, mutter, shout, sob,
whisper, insist, plead

See glance, admire, glimpse, spy, examine, peek, behold, spot, distinguish,
sight, view, observe

Eat devour, ingest, gobble, gulp, swallow, munch, chomp, feast, dine
 Weak Verbs with the Adverbs Strong Verbs

He walked casually into the bar. He ambled into the bar.

She walked gingerly towards the car. She limped towards the car.

Tom drove home as fast as possible. Tom sped home.

Ralph gleefully accepted the chance to enter Ralph jumped at the chance to enter the

the cooking competition. cooking competition.

 Weak Verbs to replace in writing

To Be Verbs- these are the weakest verbs you can replace in
writing. These verbs can pull down the quality of your writing.

am, are, be, been, being, can, could, did, do, does, had, has, have, is, may,
might, must, shall, should, was, were, will, would

Basic Form of Verbs- these verbs do not give a specific

description of what’s happening like run, walk, say, sit.
 Replacing Weak Verb with
"To Be" Verbs Sentence Replacing "To Be" Verbs
Strong Verb

She was walking through the She walked through the She slinked through the

corridor. corridor. corridor.

Conrad is afraid of the dark. Conrad fears the dark. Conrad cowers from the

darkness.

I was being chased by I was chased by someone I Someone I didn't know

someone I didn't know. didn't know. chased after me.

I was wanting to visit this I wanted to visit this forest for I longed to visit this forest for
forest for as long as I can as long as I can remember. as long as I can remember.
remember.
 How do strong verbs
improve your writing?
 1. Stronger Visuals

Strong verbs take a basic sentence and 

form a very specific image in the reader’
s mind.

Take these strong verb descriptions for example:

She walked into the room, her cape trailing after her.


She charged into the room, her cape billowing after her.


She strutted into the room, her cape flowing after her.

 2. More impactful emotions

One of the main reasons to use strong

verbs in writing is to create a more
emotional impact.

Here’s an example of creating more anxiety or

anticipation in your readers:
My heart was beating so fast I could hear it.


My heart crashed against my ribs, echoing in my head.



Which sentence gives a clearer picture?

 3. Helps you show, not tell

One powerful way to show more

and tell less is to use strong verbs. It
forces you to think more about the
visual you’re trying to show the
reader instead of just telling them
what happened.
 4. They reduce weak adverbs

Whenever you have an adverb, you should

replace it with a stronger verb. That’s all an
adverb is. It gives your weak verb a boost but it
doesn’t actually make your sentence any
stronger.

Example:

I gripped the steering wheel firmly.

I clenched the steering wheel.
 5. They make more concise writing.

When you replace weak verbs and

adverbs with a single stronger verb,
you get rid of the excess writing
that can make reading harder.

This also allows for easier, more fluid

writing and reading.
 Strong Verbs List (A-Z)
 Absorb  Blab  Charge  Crave  Dismantle  Escort

Advance  Blast  Crush  Expand

  Chap  Download
 Dangle  Explode
 Advise  Bolt  Chip  Drag
 Dash  Explore
 Alter  Boost  Clasp  Drain
 Demolish  Expose
 Amend  Brief  Climb  Drip
 Depart  Extend
 Amplify  Broadcast  Clutch  Drop
 Deposit  Extract
 Attack Brood  Eavesdrop
  Collide
 Detect  Eyeball
 Balloon  Engage
 Burst  Command  Fight
 Deviate
 Bash  Engulf
 Bus  Commune  Fish
 Devour
 Batter  Enlarge
 Bust  Cower  Direct  Fling
 Beam  Ensnare
 Capture  Crackle  Fly
 Discern
 Envelop
 Beef  Frown
 Catch  Crash  Discover
Erase
 Strong Verbs List (A-Z)
 Fuse  Grope  Instruct  Magnify  Order  Pluck

 Garble  Growl  Intensify  Mimic  Paint  Plunge

 Gaze  Guide  Intertwine  Mint  Park  Poison

 Glare  Gush  Impart  Moan  Peck  Pop

 Gleam  Hack  Jostle  Modify  Peek  Position

 Glisten  Hail  Journey  Multiply  Peer  Power

 Glitter  Heighten  Lash  Muse  Perceive  Prickle

 Gobble  Hobble  Launch  Mushroom  Picture  Probe

 Govern  Hover  Lead  Mystify  Pilot  Prune

 Grasp  Hurry  Leap  Notice  Pinpoint  Realize

 Gravitate  Ignite  Locate  Notify  Place  Recite

 Grip  Illuminate  Lurch  Obtain  Plant  Recoil

 Groan  Inspect  Lurk  Oppress  Plop  Refashion

 Strong Verbs List (A-Z)
 Rust  Shine  Smite  Steer  Swipe  Tussle  Wrench
 Saunter  Shock  Snag  Storm  Swoon  Uncover  Wrest
 Scamper  Shrivel  Snarl  Strain  Tail  Unearth  Wrestle
 Scan  Sizzle  Sneak  Stretch
 Tattle  Untangle  Wring
 Scorch  Skip  Snowball  Strip
 Toddle  Unveil
 Yank
 Scrape  Skulk  Soar  Stroll
 Transfigure  Usher
 Scratch  Slash  Spam  Struggle  Zing
 Transform  Veil
 Scrawl  Slide  Sparkle  Stumble Zap
 Travel  Wail
 Seize  Slink  Sport  Supercharge
 Treat  Weave
 Serve  Slip  Sprinkle  Supersize

 Shatter  Slump  Stare  Trim  Wind

 Surge
 Shepherd  Slurp  Starve  Trip  Withdraw
 Survey
 Shimmer  Smash  Steal  Swell  Trudge  Wreck
 Replacing Weak Verbs with Strong
Verbs
Without another sound, she moped across the kitchen and plopped down
at the table. She took out her folder, opened it with a sigh, and gave me the
note her teacher sent home.

She was upset. I thought she’d be excited because she finally completed a
math assignment correctly.

But then I understood.

I read the note over and was shocked! I set the sheet of paper down and
left the room.
 Replacing Weak Verbs with Strong
Verbs
Without another sound, she moped across the kitchen and plopped down
at the table. She yanked out her folder, opened it with a sigh, and handed
me the note her teacher sent home.

She was upset. I thought she’d be excited because she finally completed a
math assignment correctly.

But then I understood.

I scanned the note over and my eyes grew wide! I slammed the sheet of
paper down and charged from the room.
 “If you want to write something that
leaves a lasting impact, you must use
strong verbs.”
PURPOSES OF WRITING
 “When a person writes something, he or she
has purposes for writing. The writer may have
motivations of which he or she is unaware. The
writer may also have mixed, and even
contradictory, motivations for writing.”

-Anonymous
 EXPRESSIVE PURPOSE

The focus of the expressive purpose is on

the writer. The expressive purpose is used to
communicate, or express, the personal feelings
or thoughts of the writer.
Kinds of Expressive Writing

• Diaries and journals

• Autobiographies or memoirs
• Personal writings and observations
• Personal values and beliefs
• Personal songs and poems
• Opinion or thought pieces
Features and Characteristics

• Focus is on the writer.

• Purpose: to express personal feelings or thoughts
• Uses subjective language (first-person pronouns)
• Style:
• informal (standard grammar and usage; typical in college
writing)
• colloquial (conversational, cliche, common language)
• vulgar (off-color, profane, crude)
Main Characteristics:
• use of first-person pronouns
• personal emotions
• personal experiences or autobiography Minor Characteristics:
• personal values • slang
• self-definition or self-discovery • humor
• vulgarity
• figurative language
• substandard grammar
When You Use the Expressive Purpose to Write

• Keep the focus of the writing on yourself.

• Use first-person pronouns: I, me, my, we, etc.
• Express your feelings, ideas, or opinions. Tell how you feel
or think about something.
• Give a sense of your personal values.
• Include personal experiences or autobiography.
• Define or label yourself.
Example

Bad Ads Make Me Mad

by R.U. Goofie
  You know, boys and girls, I hate commercials. Stupid fake people
saying stupid things to make you want to buy something you don't need.
Half the time, I can't even figure out what they are advertising. In this
matter, I agree with my old daddy, who says, "Why can't they just talk about
the damn product?" How can I tell if I want to buy something--a car, for
example--if all the ad shows me is that people who ride in it act kinda
stupid? Why do they try to be so cute or clever? That crap really irks me.  
 POETIC PURPOSE

Poetic (or literary or stylistic) purposes

focus on the message itself—on its language, on
the way the elements of language are used, on
structure and pattern both on the level of
phrase and of the overall composition.
How to Find Purpose and Meaning

According to Dean (2017),” simply put, the

poem's purpose is the reason why the author picked
up the quill, pencil or pen or sat down at the
keyboard in the first place.
Example:

A wonderful bird is the pelican,

His bill can hold more than his beli-can.
He can take in his beak
Food enough for a week
But I’m damned if I see how the heli-can.

—Dixon Lanier Merritt

 CONATIVE PURPOSE

Conative writing seeks to affect the reader.

Persuasive writing is conative; so is writing
intended to entertain the reader.
 Persuasive Essay

School is not only for learning from books, it’s about

learning about yourself. As you grow and change, throughout
your formative years, you learn so much about your own style
and personality. But that freedom of expression is taken away
when uniforms are instilled in schools. According to a study by
Pearson in Time magazine, school uniforms stunted the
personal growth of more than 70% of youth. When freedom of
expression is taken away, it’s hard for adolescents to truly
develop a sense of self.
 INFORMATIVE PURPOSE

The primary purpose of

informative/explanatory writing is to increase
the understanding of the reader.
•Providing new knowledge
•Explaining a process
•Developing a concept
FOCUS
• Enumerating and clarifying different types
• Defining
• Detailing components
• Explaining behavior or function
• Providing explanations of why
Example:

Ireland is a country steeped in history. In fact, its

history dates beyond 3,000 B.C, when the megalithic
tombs were constructed in Newgrange. Throughout the
country's expansive evolution, the Irish fought time and
again to maintain their independence as a sovereign
nation. Evidence of the rich history is clearly visible
through its many castles, including Leighlinbridge Castle
and Carlow Castle, two of Ireland's oldest establishments.
 METALINGUISTIC PURPOSE

Metalinguistic purposes. Comments on a piece

of writing are metalinguistic. If a student
attaches a note to an essay to explain why the
essay is late, the note is metalinguistic in
relation to the essay.
 Example:

Preface
In order to understand what it means to communicate successfully in groups,
students must develop both a foundation of communication skills and an understanding of
the key elements critical to achieving group success. I wrote this book to provide a
framework for learning these necessary skills in a way that emphasizes the uniqueness of
each group and each individual within the group. Successful group communication starts with
strong relationships. This text emphasizes the necessary skills in building and maintaining
these relationships in order to make decisions and complete group tasks and activities—that
is the essence of group work.
When we look at the dynamics of group communication, it is easy to see why it can
be a challenging topic to teach. Experience in groups is what students need, yet this takes
time. Until they get this experience, it is up to the teacher to provide them with the
conceptual foundation and introduce them to the skills necessary for understanding and
implementing successful group communication. This text will help with these teaching
challenges.
Conclusion

A poem may be intended to arouse the feeling of

sadness in the reader (conative), express the poet's
feelings (expressive), and use the language
imaginatively and forcefully (poetic).
Thank you!