To be or not to be

1
To be or not to be

• The power of words

2
Eliminating be verbs

• To utilize active voice
• To avoid repetition
• To avoid confusing sentence construction
• Being that she is . . . .
• It is . . . .

3
Using Strong Verbs

• One of the quickest ways to add excitement and
  forcefulness to your writing is to replace limp
  verbs with strong ones. Three simple guidelines
  can help you to do so.
• Replace passive verbs with active verbs
• Get rid of being verbs
• Choose dynamic verbs

4
Dont be passive

• Passive voice
• An inspiring talk was given by the president of
  the college.
• How can you make the sentence active?
• Begin by isolating the action in the sentence.
  Next, ask who or what performs the action.
• Revision The president of the college gave an
  inspiring talk.

5
Passive to Active

• Passive Several safety precautions should be
  taken before attempting to rock climb.
• Active Rock climbers should take several safety
  precautions.

6
Why use passive

• People often use passive verbs when they do not
  want to name the person who did the action. The
  passive construction is less direct and therefore
  less revealing
• Ex A pedestrian was struck down at the
  intersection. (The writer may not know who did
  the action.)
• More often than not, you can put energy into your
  writing by converting passive verbs into active
  ones.

7
Being Verbs

• Being verbs, like is and are, sap the energy from
  your writing. The verb to be comes in eight
  forms
• am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been

8
Dynamic Writing

• Often you can replace being verbs with forceful
  verbs. Go through your writing, circle every
  form of be, and then do your best to replace each
  one with a dynamic verba verb that communicates
  specific action or creates a picture.

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Revision

• Example The audience was irate. People were
  jumping out of their seats and were coming into
  the aisles.
• The example has three being forms. Eliminating
  the three makes the sentence tighter and more
  dynamic.
• Revision The irate audience jumped out of their
  seats and flooded the aisles.

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Ration the be Verbs

• Save being verbs for times when you actually mean
  a state of being
• I am totally exhausted.
• She was born on Bastille Day.

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Choose Dynamic Verbs

• Verbs, because they show action, are usually the
  strongest words in a sentence, the words that
  give life to your writing. Keep an eye out for
  verbs that make a picture
• The whole team came roaring down on the umpire
  when he stumbled over second base and tripped the
  base runner.

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Sentence Construction

• Use of be verbs also indicate weak and indirect
  sentence structure.
• Use clear subjects as well as dynamic verbs to
  make your sentences more powerful.

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Expletives

• There followed by a form of to be is an
  expletivea word that signals that the subject
  will follow the verb, causing a weak and indirect
  sentence structure.
• Because expletives shift emphasis away from the
  subject with a vague or unclear pronoun, they can
  result in the use of unnecessary words.

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Examples

• Revise the following sentence
• There are three children playing in the yard
  every afternoon.
• What is the subject and verb?
• Three children play in the yard every afternoon.

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Revise

• There are three possible dates that they might
  release the film on.
• They might release the film on one of three
  possible dates.

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It is

• It also signals an expletive when it lacks an
  antecedent and is followed by a form of be.

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It

• When you use it, make sure the reader knows what
  it is. It is often weak at the start of a
  sentence when it refers to nothing.
• Imprecise Eleanore ate a big Chinese dinner and
  then had a chocolate milk shake for dessert. It
  made her sick.
• Precise The combination made her sick.

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Revise

• It is easy to learn to ski.
• Learning to ski is easy

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Exceptions

• The it construction is necessary only when no
  logical subject exists.
• For example It is going to snow.

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Antecedents

• Make the antecedent explicit rather than
  implicit
• My father is a music teacher. It is a profession
  that requires much patience. (It has no
  expressed antecedent, so what does it refer to?)
• Replace it with teaching music.

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More ways to abuse it

• Awkward It was no use trying.
• Slightly better There was no use trying.
• Because this sentence does not sound awkward you
  may be lulled into its use.
• Even better Trying was useless.
• Best Trying proved useless. (vivid verb)

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More of it

• Awkward placement of it near another it
• It would be unwise to buy the new model now, but
  it is a superior machine.
• (The first it is an expletive. What about the
  second it?)
• Revision Buying the new model now would be
  unwise, but it is a superior machine.
• Or Buying the new model now defies wisdom

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Using a clear subject and a vivid verb makes a
sentence more powerful, contributing to the power
of your essay.
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This and That

• Other pronouns, such as this, that, which,
  and such may refer to a specific word or phrase
  or to the sense of a whole clause, sentence, or
  paragraph.
• When used carelessly, broad references can make
  writing unclear. Therefore, avoid broad
  references to an expressed idea.

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Examples

• Some students feel that education is being forced
  on them. This is not true.
• What is the antecedent of this?

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Explicit Language

• Make the antecedent explicit rather than
  implicit
• This cannot refer to a whole situation or a group
  of things, so insert a word after this to sum up
  what this refers to.

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This

• Lois said that she would stay in Yuma for at
  least a year. This suggests that she is happy
  there. (This has no expressed antecedent.
  Insert a word to sum up what this refers to.)
• Revision This remark suggests that she is happy
  there.
• Or This remark suggests her happiness there.

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What is this?

• Imprecise She never calls me and she forgot my
  birthday. This makes me angry.
• Precise She never calls me and she forgot my
  birthday. This behavior makes me angry.

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That

• Like this, that cannot refer to a whole situation
  or a group of things. When that seems unclear,
  replace it with what it stands for.

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Example

• Imprecise We are not paid well and receive
  inadequate benefits, but I dont think we should
  discuss that yet.
• The reader might ask, Discuss what yet?
• Precise We are not paid well and receive
  inadequate benefits, but I dont think we should
  discuss benefits yet.

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Where to look for it

• Avoid expletives and passive verbs to add
  vitality to your essays.
• As we practice our editing skills in the essay
  workshops, look for examples of expletives and
  broad or vague pronoun references.

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Resources

• A Writers Resource
• Expletives sections 9d.3 and 38d.3
• Active verbs section 46
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar
• Rules of Thumb A Guide for Writers
• Jay Silverman, Elaine Hughes, and Diana Roberts
  Wienbroer--5th ed.