Liesl's Blog > Top 9 Simple Verbs for Grace & Concision

I love fancy verbs as much as the next girl: Vacillate. Rabble-rouse. Obfuscate.
(Join Make Your Point if words like these float your boat, too.)

But verbs exert the most power when they're simple and clear. Here are some favorites, the ones I rely on most when helping students edit their writing.

My Top 9 Simple Verbs for Grace & Concision in Writing: 1. Meet Their ideas met with praise. Though I met opposition, I continued. 2. Invite Inattention while using power tools invites injury. Very unusual clothes invite ridicule. 3. Fuel This latest injustice fueled their rage. Resistance only fuels her determination. 4. Lack Her argument lacks subtlety. The decision lacked foresight. 5. Feign They avoided punishment by feigning ignorance. Out of politeness, I feigned interest. 6. Plague Worries plagued him. The final product is plagued by pervasive errors. 7. Ensue When discussion opened, chaos ensued. Confusion ensued as the rules changed. 8. Render The flood rendered the home unlivable. The sudden attack rendered us speechless. 9. Deter So many rules deter creativity. Despite many failures, they remained undeterred.

Let me know if you think of the perfect verb to add to this list.

Share this list on Facebook.

Subscribe to "Make Your Point" for a daily vocabulary boost.