Revising Your Prose For Power And Punch Pdf [ Top-Rated ● ]

If a sentence uses make, do, have, give, take + an abstract noun, change the noun into a verb. 2.2 Destroy the Passive Voice (Most of the Time) Passive hides the actor. Active drives the sentence.

| Passive | Active | |---------|--------| | The ball was hit by John. | John hit the ball. | | Mistakes were made. | I/We/They made mistakes. | revising your prose for power and punch pdf

Use passive when the actor is unknown or unimportant (“The bank was robbed at midnight”). 2.3 Execute Adverbs – Especially After Dialog Adverbs tell. Strong verbs show. If a sentence uses make, do, have, give,

Delete every -ly word. Then see if the sentence loses meaning. If yes, replace the verb. 2.4 Hunt Down These Empty Phrases Cut these automatically: | Passive | Active | |---------|--------| | The

| Weak | Punchy | |------|--------| | At the end of the long road, a house stood. | A house stood at the end of the long road. | | After much deliberation, the jury reached a verdict. | The jury reached a verdict after much deliberation. | The last few words of a sentence resonate most. End on a strong, concrete word—not a preposition or weak adjective.

| Weak (Nominalization) | Punchy (Verb) | |----------------------|---------------| | He made an accusation. | He accused. | | The committee conducted an investigation. | The committee investigated. | | She had a realization. | She realized. |

This guide provides a systematic revision process. Follow it to transform limp, wordy sentences into crisp, forceful ones. 1.1 The Energy Principle Strong verb + specific noun = power. Weak verb + vague noun + adverb = fluff. 1.2 The Economy Principle Cut every word that does not earn its place. If a sentence works without a word, delete it. 1.3 The Rhythm Principle Vary sentence length. Short sentences punch. Long sentences flow. Use both. PART 2: THE SURGICAL CUT – ELIMINATE WEAKNESS 2.1 Kill the “Zombie Nouns” (Nominalizations) Turn abstract nouns back into verbs.