Verbs are the most important part of speech, without which it is impossible to imagine any language, including English. Expressing actions, they are found in almost every sentence, making the language truly alive and dynamic. In this article, you will get acquainted with the powerful verbs that are used in academic writing and why they are important.
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What you need to know about basic verbs
As in any other type of writing, in academic writing, the verb, in most cases, plays the role of the central, basic element of a sentence. According to their purpose, verbs are conventionally divided into several groups.
- Semantic verbs
Have their own lexical meaning and express a certain action. These are independent parts of speech that do not need any additional or auxiliary words.
- Phrasal verbs
There are numerous verbs that are actively used in colloquial speech and have a compound structure. To express a particular action, they use additional words – prepositions or short adverbs.
- Modal verbs
It is a special group of verbs used to express the possibility, necessity, probability, or ability to perform a certain action. Among the most common ones, we can mention can, may, must, might, would, and some others. Their peculiarity is that they are not used in a sentence by themselves and are always used in conjunction with semantic ones (in some cases, they cannot be translated separately at all without being combined with the main word denoting a certain action).
- Auxiliary verbs
They are used together with semantic verbs and are necessary to convey additional information about the action being performed. In English, three such verbs are most often used – to be, to do, and to have (as well as their grammatical forms, of which there are quite a lot, given the fact that they belong to the group of irregular ones). Moreover, each of them can be either semantic or auxiliary – depending on the context of the sentence.
The importance of verbs in academic writing
Creating a paper that is easy for the readers to understand is an important skill. Structured and clear text helps to better perceive information. Using powerful verbs will help you write so that your paper is as clear and easy for readers as possible.
Simplicity
The simpler your academic writing, the easier it will be to understand your message. Avoid complex wording, jargon, and long sentences. Start with simple phrases and gradually introduce details with powerful verbs, always taking the level of knowledge of your readers into account. For example, instead of “conducted an analysis,” use “analyzed.”
Brevity is the soul of wit
Long sentences can bore the reader and reduce interest in the text. Break them into shorter fragments. Avoid words that do not add meaning and use powerful verbs. The more specific and clear your message, the better.
Example:
Ineffective: “We are really excited to have you on our platform and have a lot of exciting opportunities for you.”
Effective: “We are excited to have you on our platform and offer a lot of opportunities.”
Writing dynamics using active voice
Active voice makes the text more lively and dynamic, which makes it easier to understand. In active voice, it is clear who is performing the action, which helps make the message specific and understandable.
Examples:
Passive: “Errors were found in the report.”
Active: “The analyst found errors in the report.”
Strengthening arguments
The right verbs enhance the tone and authority of your writing. Think about the difference between “says” and “states” or “declares” and “demonstrates.” Powerful verbs lend confidence to your statements.
Captivating the reader
Use the “Tour Guide” technique. Remember the last time you were in a museum and used the services of a tour guide. Agree, the cooler the tour guide, the more exciting the excursions. The task of a smart tour guide is not only to show and tell but also to hold the audience’s attention. Tour guides have special verbs in their arsenal that engage the audience in the subsequent action:
- Look closely
- Imagine
- Pay attention
- Remember
In order for you to hold the attention of readers throughout the text, include similar verbs at the very beginning of the sentence, inviting the reader to do something or imagine this action.
This is a beautiful dress = Imagine how you will look in this dress!
You spend an average of 3 hours a day on the road = Let’s calculate together how much time you spend on the road every day.
You are overpaying = Now think about how much longer you can continue to overpay when other people are already saving.
In addition, with the “Tour Guide” technique we:
- Help to be more attentive to the text
- Place accents in the text
- Create a sense of conversation and interest in the reader.
Of course, you don’t need to overdo it either.
As you can see, using powerful verbs in academic writing is important and can make your papers enjoyable.
