Spoonful #72: POWERFUL VERBS

A well-chosen VERB can convey a wealth of description, making them the perfect addition to your descriptive writing toolbox. 

Are you battling with word count, as with picture books or college essays? Or is your writing style without extra fluff? If so, join me in celebrating the descriptive power of VERBS.  

Consider this simple sentence: Maria walked to the store.

What do we know about that walk? Maria arrived. Period.

Now let's substitute four jazzier VERBS. How has our belief about Maria's trip to the store changed?  

Maria skipped to the store.
Maria is happy, youthful, and carefree. This trip to the store is a treat for her. 

Maria trudged to the store. 
Going to the store is a chore for Maria. Shoulders slumped, it's a struggle for Maria to place one foot in front of the other. 

Maria marched to the store.
Maria is a woman on a mission, walking with great purpose and precision. She did not stop and smell the roses on the way. 

Maria limped to the store.
Oh no, poor Maria. This trip can't be easy at all. She must really need something at that store: crutches, medicine, or cat food perhaps. 

A thesaurus has forever been my faithful writing partner. Just make sure you understand the nuances between each given synonym. If in doubt, check your dictionary. Fortunately, we now have online sources to augment the physical standards: Dictionary.com/Thesaurus.com is my current go-to source. So go ahead and find some powerful VERBS to spice up your writing! 

I hope you enjoyed this spoonful. Happy writing! I'll return with a new post next Sunday.

Be well,

Laura Fineberg Cooper
A Spoonful of Grammar

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