Transcript verb

Show Don’t Tell
Verb Usage
Writing Handbook Page 12
Linking verb
Jackie ran a race last weekend
– Passive
We are running in a race.
What is the action verb here?
– Connect the subject of the verb to additional
Notice
action
verbs
information about
theisthat
subject
(see
pg.help
11) you be
What
the helping
verb
here?
more concise
Helping verb Notice that many helping verbs can
also be linking verbs…
– Passive
– help the main verb in a sentence by extending
is a shopaholic.
the meaning of Keila
the verb
Action verb
Ising isn't something that Keila can
– Active!
do. Is connects the subject, Keila, to
– Show that the subject
is doing
something,
not that
additional
information
about her,
just existing. she will soon have a huge credit
card bill to pay.
Action verbs SHOW rather than
TELL.
The man is a monster.
Does this show or tell?
– Not very vivid…in fact it’s dull.
– So…change it to action to show he is a
monster.
Page 14 of
your writing
handbook
The man ripped off the sheep’s
head and ate the eyeballs with
a sickening squishy crunch.
Be precise; use words that convey
a better sense of the action
(a) The goalie crouched low, swept
out his stick, and hooked the rebound
away from the net.
(b) The goalie crouched low,
reached out his stick, and sent the
rebound away from the net.
Be Specific: Concrete language
is always better than abstract
a) The senator spoke about the
challenges of the future: problems of
famine, global warming, and arms
control.
(b) The senator spoke about the
challenges of the future: problems
concerning the environment and
global peace.
Page 19 of your writing
handbook
Be specific
Use definite, specific and
concrete language
(a) In proportion as men delight in
battles, bullfights, and combats of
gladiators, will they punish by
hanging, burning, and the rack.
(b) In proportion as the manners,
customs, and amusements of a nation
are cruel and barbarous, the
regulations of the penal code will be
severe.
Active Voice = A+
Active voice: When the subject
performs the action
Passive voice: When the action is
performed on the subject. In other
words, you’ve made the object into
the subject.
– Weak: The truck was loaded with
crates of bananas by the workers.
– Better: The workers loaded the truck
with crates of bananas.
Cinderella
lost lost
the by
shoe.
11. The
shoe was
Cinderella.
12.
White
ateeaten
the apple.
12. Snow
The apple
was
by Snow White.
13.
Mary Poppins sang"
13.“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
was sung by
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
”.
Mary Poppins.
14. The housekeeper cleaned the mirror
14. The mirror was cleaned by the housekeeper.
15. The mother fed the baby.
15. The baby was fed by the mother.
16. The gardener pruned the trees.
16.
trees were
pruned
by the gardener.
17. The
JK Rowling
wrote
the book.
17.
waswith
written
by JK
Rowling.
18. The
The book
little girl
blonde
curls
picked the
18.
flowers.
The flowers were picked by the little girl with
blonde
curls.with one eye loaded the canon.
19.
The pirate
20. The canon
19.
polite teenager
was loaded
vacuumed
by the pirate
the living
with room.
one eye.
20. The living room was vacuumed by the polite
Passive voice is NOT
Grammatically incorrect!
It’s a style issue. Active voice
makes the writing more concise
and thus more enjoyable for the
reader.
The Holy Matrimony of Verbs &
Subjects
Strongest verbs SHOW rather
than_______.
Subjects are _____ and
________ that PERFORM the
action of the verb
Subject (Noun/Pronoun) & Verb
Agreement
A SUBJECT is either ________ (one)
or ______ (many)
The VERB must always AGREE
(change form to match) with the
SUBJECT
SINGLE subject = ________ verb;
PLURAL subject = ________ verb
Collective Nouns
Nouns that SEEM like they are plural, but
they are in a group and that group acts as
one UNIT.
– A swarm of bees = 1 swarm, containing many
bees (The swarm attacks my friend. [not
attack])
– A pack of cards = 1 pack, containing many
cards (The pack of cards sits on the chair. [not
sit])
– A family of 5 = 1 family, containing multiple
members (The family goes on vacation. [not
go])
Compound Subjects
SUBJECTS joined by OR or NOR then the
verb takes the form of the CLOSEST
subject
– Either the actors or the director is at fault.
– Either the director or the actors are at fault.
SUBJECT is MORE THAN ONE thing/person
(Joined by AND)
– My colleague and manager were promoted.
(THEY were promoted)
– Rupert and Jane are football fans, but Colin
prefers shopping. (They are football fans, but
he prefers shopping)
Practice subject/verb
agreement
handout
Pronouns and Antecedents
Must also agree
Pronouns pg 21
Replace nouns
Should agree with and HAVE an
antecedent (a noun that precedes it)
– Suzy loves her new bag. (underline the
pronoun and circle the antecedent)
Possessive pronouns show ownership
– John’s bag is on the counter = His bag is on
the counter
Singular/plural
A singular personal pronoun should be used with
2 or more singular antecedents joined by or or
nor
– Neither Tom nor Ken brought his equipment. (circle the
pronoun; underline the antecedent)
A plural personal pronoun should be used with 2
or more antecedents joined by and.
– Sue and Stan have chosen their instruments. (circle the
pronoun; underline the antecedent)
EXCEPT when distinguishing between joint and individual
ownership.
– Neither Linda nor Maria let me play her guitar (they both have
a guitar)
– Neither Linda nor Maria let me play their guitar (the guitar
belongs to both of them)
Indefinite pronouns
anyone, anybody, everyone,
everybody, someone, somebody, no
one, and nobody are always
singular. Circle the grammatically
correct sentence.
– Somebody left his or her bag at the
station.
– Somebody left their bag at the station.
Compound pronouns
Form should stay the same when
something is compounded.
– This bag is for me.
– This bag is for Fred and me/I. (circle the
correct pronoun)
Who, whom, whose
To choose correctly among the forms
of who, rephrase to choose between
he and him.
– Whom/Who do you think is responsible?
(Do you think he/him is responsible?)
– Whom/Who should we ask to the club?
(Should we ask he/him to the party?)
Use the chart to help you circle the
correct pronouns in the sentence
above.
Practice page 22
Pronouns and antecedents
Parallelism passage B on page 18 of
your writing handbook
Review