The "Engine" of Your Sentence

Think of your sentence like a car. The nouns are the shiny body and the seats, but the verbs? They are the engine. If you use weak verbs, your car just sits in the driveway looking pretty. If you use powerful action verbs, you’re hitting 100 mph on the highway.

Action verbs tell the reader exactly what is happening. Instead of saying something "was" or "is" (which are like idling in neutral), we want words that sprint, leap, and explode off the page.

Show, Don't Just Tell

When we use descriptive action verbs, we paint a movie in the reader's mind. It's the difference between a blurry photo and a high-definition video.

Want to see more examples of how to level up your English? You can download my study notes for a full list of descriptive verbs.

Cut the Adverbs

Adverbs (words ending in -ly) are often just bandages for weak verbs. If you find yourself using an adverb, there is usually a single, stronger verb waiting to take its place.

• Instead of "ran quickly," use "sprinted."
• Instead of "shouted loudly," use "bellowed."
• Instead of "ate hungrily," use "devoured."

By using one strong word instead of two weak ones, your writing becomes punchy and professional.