ABSTRACT
Verbs wield power in the English language, and your choice of verbs can make significant differences in your messages. Consider the verb “show.” It is akin to “demonstrate,” “delineate,” and “prove.” Which verb you choose to use depends on the precision of your message and your role as a writer. Further, how you use verbs also impacts messages because verbs can take many roles. All verbs provide action or identify a state of being, regardless of their function in a sentence. When you build sentences, each clause must have a main subject and verb, and that coupling should be the most important part of the construction. Verbs can control subordinate clauses, serve as adjectives or adverbs, act as nouns, or steer supporting phrases.
