Chapter 15
Going for the Gold: The Finer Points of Verb Usage
IN THIS CHAPTER
Selecting active or passive verbs
Getting a handle on verb moods for facts, commands, and condition-contrary-to-fact sentences
Choosing strong verbs
If a grammar Olympics took place every four years, mastering the material in this chapter would give you a shot at a gold medal in verb usage. You can speak and write reasonably well without this knowledge, but you’ll be on a much higher level if you have it. Think of the difference between the track times of a high-school champ and those of an Olympic sprinter. Which would you rather have? In this chapter I explain voice (active or passive), mood (yes, verbs have moods), and strength (finding verbs that give much more information than, for example, be or have).
Voicing an Opinion: Active and Passive Verbs
In the world of grammar, verbs have a voice — either active or passive. With active voice, the subject performs the action or is in the state of being expressed by the verb: “Millie cracked the priceless vase.” (cracked = active-voice verb) With passive voice, the subject receives the action: “The priceless vase was cracked.” (was cracked = passive-voice ...
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