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 verb) Many writers, including me, hold the opinion that active voice is often better than passive. Why? Sometimes active voice gives you more information. If your company insured the priceless vase mentioned in the example sentence, you probably want to know who did the cracking, and the active-voice sentence tells you. True, you could tack on by Millie after the passive-voice verb, but the resulting sentence sounds a bit awkward.
Although I’m in favor of active voice, passive does have its uses. Sometimes you don’t know who performed the action, and sometimes you don’t care: “The winning lottery numbers were drawn last night.” In that sentence, the focus is on the lottery, not on the person pulling numbered balls out of a container.
Q. Label the underlined verb forms as active voice (AV) or passive voice (PV).
Charles arrived three hours after curfew. He was grounded for three weeks.
A. arrived (AV), was grounded (PV). Charles is the subject. Because he performs the action in the first sentence (Charles arrived), that verb is in active voice. In the second sentence, someone else grounded him. The subject, Charles, receives the action. Was grounded is in passive voice.
1 The job opening was posted on a networking site.
2 About a thousand resumes were emailed within an hour.
3 When Pete first heard about the position the day after it was announced, he was already too late.
4 The job had been given to someone else.
5 Pete set an alert on his computer. Now, when resumes are requested for someone with a degree in philosophy, Pete is informed immediately.
6 Philosophers have a high unemployment rate, and Pete must apply for every position he can find.
7 “Only so many burgers can be flipped before boredom sets in,” explained Pete.
8 Pete has been given free room and board by friends and relatives for the last year, but they are losing patience with him.
9 Lola offered free tattoo-training, but Pete refused.
10 “I think for a living,” he declared.
Now try your hand at changing these passive-voice sentences to active voice. To keep you on your toes, I tucked in a couple where no change is possible.
Q. The score was kept by Roger throughout the season.
A. Roger kept score throughout the season. In the original, score receives the action of the verb, was kept. In the new version, Roger performs the action of scoring.
11 The ball was hit out of the park by the home team 562 times.
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12 Most balls were retrieved by fans and kept as cherished souvenirs.
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13 One baseball, though, wasn't found until more than a year after it was hit.
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14 It was placed by the team groundskeeper in a glass case in the locker room and labeled “the one that almost got away.”
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15 According to Joe Smokey, the owner, fans are allowed to see the display only during the off-season.
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16 When outsiders were first invited to the locker room, objections were filed with the players' union.
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17 After the union's complaint was read by the owner, visits were strictly limited.
___________________________________________________
18 The coach told the attendant to lock the locker room when players were inside.
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19 Some players were not pleased by the new policy.
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20 Their friends and family were barred also!
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In the Mood: Selecting the Right Verb for All Sorts of Sentences
Verbs have mood swings. One minute they’re indicative, the just-the-facts sort of verb. (“The dishes are dirty. No one has washed them. Little colonies of mold grew all over the sink.”) Then they’re issuing orders in imperative mood. (“Load the dishwasher. Stop whining. Don’t think your allowance is off limits!”) Sometimes, a subjunctive mood pops up. (“If I were rich enough to hire a maid, I wouldn’t ask for help. I’m not a millionaire, so get moving now!”)
You don’t need to know the grammatical terms; you just need to understand what mood is correct in a particular sentence. Never fear. In this section, I take you through all three moods, with a little extra attention on the subjunctive, which is the one most likely to trip you up and also to appear on standardized exams.
Indicating facts: Indicative mood
Just about everything I say about verbs in this book actually applies to indicative verbs, which, as the name implies, indicate facts. Indicative mood is the one you use automatically, stating action or being in any tense and for any person. Do you want to see some samples of indicative verbs? No problem. Every verb in this paragraph is in indicative mood. I have placed all the verbs in italics so you can locate them easily.
Indicative verbs change according to the time period you’re talking about (the tense) and, at times, according to the person doing the action. I cover the basics of verb use in Chapters 4 and 5.
If you’re in the mood, circle the indicative verb that works best in each of the following sentences. The verb choices are in parentheses.
Q. Mr. Adams (holds/held) a performance review every June.
A. holds. Both choices are indicative, but the present tense works better. The clue is the expression every June.
21 Each employee (is/was) summoned annually to Adams’ office for what he calls “a little chat.”
22 All the workers (know/will know) that the “chat” is all on Adams’ side.
23 Adams (likes/like) to discuss baseball, the economy, and the reasons no one (will/would) receive a raise.
24 “(Is/Was) business good these days?” he always says.
25 He always (mentions/will mention) that he may have to make personal sacrifices to save the company.
26 Sacrifices! He (means/meant) that he (earns/will earn) only a million instead of two million next year!
Issuing commands: Imperative mood
The command, also known as the imperative mood, is fairly easy to work with because an imperative verb is the same whether you’re talking to one person or 20, to a peasant or to a queen. The command form is simply the infinitive minus the to. In other words, the unchanged, plain form of the verb. (“Stop sniveling, Henry. Pull yourself together and meet your new in-laws.” The command-form verbs are stop, pull, and meet.) Negative commands are slightly different. They take the infinitive-minus-to and add do not. (“Do not mention our engagement. Do not let them find out we’re getting married!” Do not mention and do not let are negative commands.)
Fill in the blanks with commands for poor Henry, who is meeting his prospective in-laws. The base verb you’re working with appears in parentheses at the end of each sentence.
Q. __________________ quietly on the couch, Henry, while I fetch Daddy. (to sit)
A. Sit. The command is formed by dropping the to from the infinitive.
27 Henry, __________________ my lead during the conversation. (to follow)
28 If Mom talks about Paris, __________________ your head and __________________ interested. (to nod, to look)
29 Dad hates fake accents, so __________________ French. (to speak, negative command)
30 __________________ them to show you slides of last year’s trip to Normandy. (to ask)
31 __________________ asleep during the slide show, if you can help it! (to fall, negative command)
32 __________________ some of Mom’s potato salad, even if it’s warm. (to eat)
33 __________________ about unrefrigerated mayonnaise and the risk of food poisoning. (to talk, negative command)
34 When she ignores you and serves the potato salad anyway, just ______________ an appointment with your doctor and __________________ quiet. (to make, to keep)
Telling lies: Subjunctive mood
The subjunctive is a very big deal in some languages; whole months were devoted to it in my college Spanish class. Fortunately for you, in English the subjunctive pops up only rarely, mostly in “condition-contrary-to-fact” sentences. Condition-contrary-to-fact means that you’re talking about something that isn’t true. (“If I were famous, I would wear sunglasses to hide my identity.” The verb were is subjunctive. “Had I known the secret password, I would have passed the bouncer’s test and entered the club.” The verb had known is subjunctive.)
Notice that the subjunctive changes some of the usual forms. In indicative, the pronoun I is paired with was. The switch to were in the first sample sentence tells you that you’re in contrary-to-fact land. In the second sample sentence, the had doesn’t do its usual indicative job, which is to place events earlier in the past than other past-tense events. (See Chapter 4 for more details on this use of had.) Instead, in a subjunctive sentence the had means that I didn’t know the secret password, and I didn’t socialize with sports stars and supermodels.
Condition-contrary-to-fact sentences always feature a would form of the verb. In Standard English, the would form never appears in the part of the sentence that is untrue. Don’t say, “If I would have known …” when you didn’t know. Say, “If I had known, I would have …”
Write the correct verb in the blank for each exercise in this section. The verb you’re working with appears in parentheses after each sentence. Just to keep you honest, I tucked in a few sentences that don’t require subjunctive. Keep your eyes open.
Q. If Ellen __________________ for her turn at the wheel, she wouldn’t have wrapped her car around that telephone pole. (to prepare)
A. had prepared. The had creates a subjunctive here, because Ellen didn’t prepare for her road test. Instead, she went to a drive-in movie, as a passenger.
35 If the examiner ________________an appointment available in late afternoon, Ellen would have signed up for that slot immediately. (to make)
36 The test would have gone better if Ellen __________________ a morning person. (to be)
37 “If it __________________,” explained the instructor, “you will be required to take the test as soon as the roads are plowed.” (to snow)
38 If the snow plow __________________ the entire route, Ellen would have passed. (to cover)
39 Unfortunately, the supervisor of the snow-removal crew __________ the highways cleaned first. (to want)
40 Terrified of ice, Ellen __________________ to postpone her test. (to try)
41 If he __________________, Ellen would have taken the test on a sunny, dry day. (to refuse, negative form)
42 If Ellen __________________ about the examiner, the motor vehicle department would have investigated. (to complain)
43 If an examiner __________________ unfair, the motor vehicle department schedules another test. (to be)
44 The department policy is that if there __________________ a valid complaint, they dismiss the examiner promptly. (to be)
45 If Ellen __________________ the test five times already, she would have been more cheerful about her grade. (to take, negative form)
Spicing Up Sentences by Adding Interesting Verbs
Say, walk, be, have — nothing is wrong with these verbs except that (excuse me for a moment while I yawn) they’re a bit boring. So are many other, used-all-the-time verbs. Wouldn’t it be more fun to spice up a sentence occasionally with a more specific or unusual verb? Take a look:
- BORING VERSION: Nina said, “I walked out when the argument started.”
- INTERESTING VERSION 1: Nina sighed, “I stomped out when the argument started.”
- INTERESTING VERSION 2: Nina confided, “I slipped out when the argument started.”
As you see, the new verbs (sighed and stomped in 1, confided and slipped in 2) add shades of meaning to the original.
Try adding a little spice to these sentences. After each sentence, a number of verbs appear. Choose any that could substitute for the underlined verb in the original. Be sure that your choice fits the context of the sentence.
Q. Max was angry when he walked into the store.
- strolled
- ambled
- charged
A. III. If Max is angry, he's not going to “move slowly without purpose,” the definition of stroll and amble. Charge (to move quickly and agressively) fits here.
46 “I want my money back,” said Max, his temper rising by the minute.
- screamed
- declared
- whispered
47 He defiantly sat in the chair in front of the information desk.
- plopped on
- eased into
- sank into
48 With menace in his eyes, Max looked at the clerk.
- glanced
- glared
- smiled
49 The clerk was nervous.
- trembled
- contemplated
- quivered
50 Max looked at the clerk for two minutes.
- examined
- visualized
- scrutinized
51 Ashamed at his tantrum, Max said, “I'm sorry I scared you.”
- mentioned
- commented
- whispered
52 “That's all right, sir,” the clerk said to Max.
- commanded
- directed
- reassured
Calling All Overachievers: Extra Practice with Voice and Mood
If you’re a master at voice (not opera or yodeling, but passive or active) and mood (not cranky or ready to drop an atomic bomb but indicative, imperative, and subjunctive), this memo will be easy to correct. Check the underlined portions of the following memo. If they’re correct, write “C.” If they’re incorrect, reword them. Note: You may have to change more than the underlined words, or rearrange some words, when you make a correction.
Answers to Voice and Mood Problems
Feeling active? Moody? However you feel, it’s time to check your answers.
1 was posted (PV). The job opening didn’t do the posting. It received the action of the verb, was posted, so it’s passive.
2 were emailed (PV). The resumes (subject) didn’t do the emailing. Whoever sent them did. Were emailed is a passive-voice verb.
3 heard (AV), was announced (PV), was (AV). The subject of heard is Pete, who performs the action. Heard is in active voice. It is the subject of was announced, but it didn’t do any announcing. It receives the action and is a passive-voice verb. He is the subject of was, an active-voice verb.
4 had been given (PV). The subject is job, which didn’t perform the action of giving. The verb is in passive voice.
5 set (AV), are requested (PV), is informed (PV). Pete is the subject in the first sentence, and Pete set. Therefore, set is an active-voice verb. In the second sentence, the subject is resumes and the verb is are requested. The resumes don’t perform the action, so the verb is passive. Next up, in the same sentence, is the subject-verb combo Pete is informed. Because the action happens to the subject, the verb is informed is passive too.
6 have (AV), must apply (AV), can find (AV). The first subject-verb pair is Philosophers have. Philosophers are the ones who have, so this is an active-voice verb. Next you have Pete must apply. Pete is doing the applying, so the verb is in active voice. Finally, he can find creates another active-voice situation because he does the action expressed by can find.
7 can be flipped (PV), sets(AV), explained (AV). Three subject-verb pairs appear here: burgers can be flipped, boredom sets, and explained Pete. The first is passive because the flipping happens to the burgers. The next pair contains an active-voice verb because the boredom does the setting. The last pair reverses the usual subject-verb order, but that doesn’t matter. This is an active-voice verb because the subject, Pete, does the action, explained.
8 has been given (PV), are losing (AV). The subject, Pete, isn’t giving. Instead, he’s receiving, so has been given is in passive voice. The second pair has an active-voice verb because they are doing the action (losing).
9 offered (AV), refused (AV). Two active-voice verbs here, because Lola did the offering and Pete did the refusing.
10 think (AV), declared (AV). You may have a had time thinking that think is in active voice, but it is because the subject, I, does the thinking. The subject of declared, he, also does the action, so declared is also an active-voice verb.
11 The home team hit the ball out of the park 562 times. Instead of the passive verb was hit, this revised sentence has an active-voice verb, hit.
12 Fans retrieved and kept most balls as cherished souvenirs. Instead of the passive verbs were retrieved and [were] kept, you have the active verbs retrieved and kept.
13 No change. You don’t know who found the baseball, and the identity of the finder isn’t important. Nor do you know who hit the ball. The passive verbs wasn’t found and was hit work fine here.
14 The team groundskeeper placed it in a glass case in the locker room and labeled it “the one that almost got away.” The groundskeeper did the work (placed, labeled), and this active-voice sentence gives him the credit.
15 Joe Smokey, the owner, allows fans to see the display only during the off-season. Instead of the passive are allowed, you have the active Joe Smokey allows.
16 When the owner first invited outsiders to the locker room, players filed objections with their union. Strictly speaking, the original sentence doesn’t tell you who invited outsiders, but the owner is a good guess. (You could also write Joe first invited.) If you left that part of the sentence unchanged, though, count yourself right. The second part is easier because who else would file an objection with the players’ union but the players? The active-voice verbs in the new sentence are invited and filed.
17 After the owner read the union's complaint, he strictly limited visits. Passive verbs (was read, were limited) change to active (read, limited). Joe could easily substitute for the owner, if you wish.
18 No change. The verbs told and were are in active voice already.
19 The new policy did not please some players. The passive were pleased changes to the active policy did not please. Notice that the helping verb did helps create this negative statement. For more on helping verbs, turn to Chapter 2.
20 The policy barred their friends and family also! I wrote the policy, but if you substituted Joe or the owner, count yourself correct.
21 is. The sentence speaks of an ongoing situation, so present tense is best.
22 know. The workers have been through this “chat” many times, so the act of knowing isn’t in the future but in the present.
23 likes, will. The present-tense form for talking about someone (Adams, in this sentence) is likes. The future-tense verb will explains that in the coming year, as always, employees will be shopping for bargains.
24 Is. The expression these days is a clue that you want a present-tense verb that talks about something or someone.
25 mentions. If an action always occurs, present tense is the best choice.
26 means, will earn. The boss is talking about the future (the clue is next year). The talking takes place in the present (so you want means), but the earning is in the future (hence, will earn).
27 follow. The command is formed by stripping the to from the infinitive.
28 nod, look. Drop the to and you’re in charge, commanding poor Henry to act interested even if he’s ready to call off the engagement rather than listen to one more story about French wine.
29 don’t speak or do not speak. The negative command relies on do and not, as two words or as the contraction don’t.
30 Ask. Poor Henry! He has to request boredom by dropping the to from the infinitive to ask.
31 Do not fall. Take to from the infinitive and add one do and not and you have a negative command.
32 Eat. Henry’s in for a long evening, given the command eat, which is created by dropping to from the infinitive.
33 Don’t talk or Do not talk. The negative command needs do or it dies. You also have to add not, either separately or as part of don’t.
34 make, keep. Drop the to from each infinitive and you’re in imperative mood.
35 had made. The subjunctive had made is needed for this statement about available time slots because it’s contrary to fact. No time slot was available in the afternoon.
36 were. Ellen likes to sleep until midafternoon. As she’s not a morning person, the subjunctive verb were expresses condition-contrary-to-fact. The verb were is better than had been because Ellen still is not a morning person, and had been implies that her grouchiness is in the past.
37 snows. Surprise! This one isn’t subjunctive. The instructor is talking about a possibility, not a condition that didn’t occur. The normal indicative form, snows, is what you want.
38 had covered. The plow didn’t finish (the clue here is would have passed), so subjunctive is needed.
39 wanted. No subjunctive is needed here. This is a factual statement that I threw in to see whether you were paying attention.
40 tried. The indicative (the normal, everyday form) of to try in the past tense is tried, and is right for this simple statement.
41 had not refused. The examiner stood firm: Take the test or die. Thus the first part of this sentence is condition-contrary-to-fact and calls for the subjunctive.
42 had complained. Ellen said nothing, as revealed by the conditional would have investigated in the second part of the sentence. Subjunctive is the way to go!
43 is. Did I get you here? The possibility expressed in the if portion of the sentence calls for a normal, indicative verb (is). Stay away from subjunctive if the statement may be true.
44 is. The first part of this sentence is not condition-contrary-to-fact. It expresses a possibility and thus calls for the normal, indicative verb (is).
45 had not taken. She has taken it five times, so the statement isn’t true and needs a subjunctive verb.
46 I, II. You know Max is angry, so whispered, option III, doesn’t fit. The other two choices add an edge to Max’s voice. The first (screamed) is more angry. The second, declared, is firm and powerful but less aggressive.
47 I. If there’s defiance, you don’t want options II or III, which are somewhat timid synonyms for sat. Plopped can show physical exhaustion, but it also has an element of force in it, so it’s a good fit.
48 II. You’ve got menace, so glared works well here. Smiled is the opposite of what you want, and glimpsed is too casual.
49 I, III. To show fear, you can select trembled or quivered, because both indicate that the clerk is shaking. Contemplated (looked thoughtfully) doesn’t fit.
50 I, III. Max doesn’t have to visualize (see with his imagination) the clerk because he’s actually looking at the clerk for two minutes. That’s a long time, so options I and III, which both mean “analyze,” are good substitutes.
51 III. Max is ashamed, so whispered is the best choice. Mentioned is too casual, as is commented.
52 III. The clerk has just told Max not to worry about the tantrum, so option III works best here.
Here are the answers to the “Overachievers” section:
1 you know. The passive verb in the original becomes active in the revised memo.
2 am. No need for subjunctive here. The indicative works fine for a statement of fact.
3 will give. The passive verb changes to active.
4 is not authorized. No need for subjunctive mood here, because there’s no condition contrary to fact. Nor can you easily change this passive verb to active. If you tried with something like “you did not authorize,” that’s fine.
5 tests. A positive test is a real possibility, not a condition contrary to fact, so plain indicative mood works here.
6 has reported. Here, with a little rewording, the sentence becomes active, not passive.
7 correct. They clearly aren’t happy, so a condition contrary to fact exists, and a subjunctive verb is appropriate.
8 sent. Active voice substitutes for passive here.
9 had you known. The correct subjunctive form is had you known.
10 you will cover. The passive voice changes to active in this correction.