{VERBS

Duane Theobalddtheobal@westga.edu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US8mGU1MzYw&noredirect=1

Throwback to Childhood…

Know what a verb is! Make subjects and verbs agree! Use interesting verbs! Use verbs you know! Don’t use the passive voice to obscure

your ideas! Use the literary present tense for literary

analysis!

What your Professors (and Readers) want you to do:

Before we discuss verbs, let’s address some questions…

Which of the aspects ( from the previous slide) is tricky for you? Any other verb-trickiness not listed here?

Why? What do you do when verbs give you

trouble?

Consider using A Writer’s Resource with these issues: pgs. 486-504 can help!Questions to

Consider…

The action of the subject…but not always an active-sounding word. Is-are-might-should-will-may and many other inactive-sounding words are verbs, too.

What the subject does or is. Examples include:

Pickles come in several varieties. Dill pickles taste better than sweet

pickles. The day you graduate will be joyful. The book on the shelf wants me to

read it.

1. Know what a verb is!

First, find the subject. Then ask… What about it? OR What about them? Example: Cupcakes delight most people

who like sweets. Subject: Cupcakes. What about them? They

delight most people who like sweets. (note that “like” is a verb but it’s not the action of the subject (cupcakes).

Find the Verb/Verb Phrase:

Look at the sentences provided on the handout (pg. 2) and locate the verb/verb phrase. You can underline, circle, or highlight what you find.

Find the Verb/Verb Phrase:

Singular subjects need singular verbs (which end in “s” in the present)-The dog barks.

Plural subjects (which often end in “s” need plural verbs)-The dogs bark.

Think of there being one “s” to go around: either on the subject or the verb (this doesn’t work with irregular plurals like “children”)

Consult A Writer’s Resource for more information: pgs. 491-493

2. Make Subjects and Verbs Agree!

Examples: Incorrect: Sharon Old’s poem “Saturn” also maintain

the theme of the ill effects of the father-dominated family.

Correct: Sharon Old’s poem “Saturn also maintains the theme of the ill effects of the father-dominated family.

Incorrect: Because such conjecture becomes a part of the process of translating, the translator’s own understanding of the text’s content and context nearly always enter the equation…

Correct: Because such conjecture becomes a part of the process of translating, the translator’s own understanding of the text’s content and context nearly always enters the equation…

2. Make Subjects and Verbs Agree!

NOT: is, was, are, were, shows, states, says, uses, seems, appears (very BORING!)

Examples: Incorrect: In Something to Declare, Julia Alvarez

shows that there is a connection between her writing and society by writing about her experiences with competing cultural expectations.

Correct: In this case, in Something to Declare, Julia Alvarez explores her experiences with competing cultural expectations in order to construct a connection between her writing and society.

3. Use Interesting Verbs!

A thesaurus can make you sound ridiculous if you choose words that don’t fit in the context of your sentence. Use your online access to the Oxford English Dictionary to see a word in a zillion contexts, or “Google” the word to see how it is used, just for a definition.

Example: Incorrect: Although Alvarez’s poems and essays

commence from a particularly American-Hispanic perspective, she thoroughly reconnoiters basic human characteristics.

Correct: Although Alvarez’s poems and essays stem from a particularly American-Hispanic perspective, she thoroughly scrutinizes basic human characteristics.

4. Use Verb you Know!

It is sometimes okay! You just need to be careful not to overuse it, or use it because you don’t want to claim your own ideas.

Examples #1: Incorrect: In the novel In the Time of the

Butterflies, a poly-vocal narrative is used so the world view of each Maribal sister is illustrated.

Correct: In her novel In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez utilizes a poly-vocal narrative which illustrates the worldview of each Maribal sister.

5. Don’t use the Passive Voice to Obscure your Ideas!

Example #2: Incorrect: It is thought that history is not

an absolute truth, but is instead written by those who assume power.

Correct (sort of): History is not an absolute truth, but is instead written by those who assume power.

5. Don’t use the Passive Voice to Obscure your Ideas!

Note: Treat the book as your present time. ANYTHING that happens in the book-including what the author writes, scrutinizes, dissects, etc.-is discussed in the present tense.

This means that anything that the book treats as in the past-what happened before the present time of the book=is discussed in past tense.

6. Use the Literary Present Tense when Writing Literary Analysis!

Example: Incorrect: Trujillo’s regime capitalized on

these circumstances and spun the story to promote his interests. Alvarez illustrates this through the newspaper article published after Nelson was released: “next day, we were famous…”…

Correct: Trujillo’s regime capitalizes on these circumstances and spins the story to promote his interests. Alvarez illustrates this though the newspaper article published after Nelson is released: “next day, we were famous…”…

6. Use the Literary Present Tense when Writing Literary Analysis!

Example: A book that takes place in 2011 but features a character who served in World War II, and his war experiences are referred to in the book but treated as part of the past.

Incorrect: The character spends his birthday [in 2011] remembering how he feels the first time he smells a dead body.

Incorrect: The character spent his birthday [in 2011] remembering how he felt the first time he smelled a dead body

Correct: The character spends his birthday [in 2011] remembering how he felt the first time he smelled a dead body.6. Use the Literary Present

Tense when Writing Literary Analysis!

Always remember what a verb is! Make sure that your subjects and verbs

ALWAYS agree! Try to use more interesting verbs (AVOID

is, am, are, was, were, etc.)! ONLY use verbs you know (the thesaurus

can be your friend, but be wary!) Don’t use passive voice if you can avoid it-

claim your ideas! Use the literary present tense when

writing about literature!

To Sum it Up…

678-839-6513 writing@westga.edu TLC 1201 (First floor, past the snacks) www.westga.edu/writing Like us on Facebook:

University Writing Center (UWG)

Duane Theobald (Manager of the UWC) 678-839-5312

Need help? Visit the UWC!