#note/sourcereview/article | #note/sourcereview/book ## What is the thesis? Verbs power English through [[subject-verb coherence]]. The author must actively titrate the verb to manage the forward movement of the story or study. ## Am I convinced and why? I became convinced that as a writer a pause to focus on the subject-verb start to a sentence will clarify my writing, drive the story, and motivate the reader by [[smoothing the path]] and [[motivating the elephant]] ## Chapter Outline ### Introduction: The Power and Pizzazz of Verbs ### Chapter 1: Me Tarzan, You Jane _The world before verbs_ ### Chapter 2: Up! Cup! Tadatz! _Our First Sentences_ ### Chapter 3: Bastard Verbs _A new angle on the Angles_ ### Chapter 4: Grammar Wars _The tension between chaos and control_ ### Chapter 5: I Came, I Saw, I Conquered _The dynamics of verbs_ [[I think of myself as a verb]] Verbs are more than action, a taxonomy #### Finite: Connected to a specific time -> Dynamic - > Static -> Linking - > Helping ##### Dynamic: ##### Static: Linking: Signify some form of connection a) Existential "I _am_ old" means I=old b) Wimpy Appear, seem, become, keep, prove, remain, stay c) Sensing Taste, smell, feel, look, sound "It smells bad" #### Non-finite: not connected to a specific time ### Chapter 6: Verb Tenses _A rose is a rose. Until it dies. Then it was a rose._ ### Chapter 7: Passive Restraint _Understanding the voice of verbs_ ### Chapter 8: Be There or Be Square _Time to master moods_ ### Chapter 9: Predicate Ettiquette _Making the back end of a sentence behave_ ### Chapter 10: Verbal Dexterity _Playing with principles and other cross-dressers_ ### Chapter 11: Two-Stroke Engines _Pair a verb with a particle and - presto!_ ### Chapter 12: Headache Verbs _Odd usages and other sources of confusion_ ### Epilogue: Got Style #### Appendix One: Chomp - or, um Chompsky - on this #### Appendix Two: Each of these cases are complicated. Is complicated? #### Appendix Three: When it comes to dictionaries, be polygamous #### Appendix Four: Those sneaky irregular verbs #### Appendix Five: Phrasal verbs: What's up, what's down #### Appendix Six: More Migraines ### Conclusion: The Verb That Sets You Free - Recap of Key Principles - Encouragement to Experiment and Play with Verbs ### Appendices - Verb Lists for Inspiration - Exercises and Practice for Mastering Verbs - Recommended Resources for Further Reading ## What is the other side of the argument? ## What else do I wonder about? ## Action ## When do I want to stumble across this? ## Source: Hale, C. (2012). _Vex, hex, smash, smooch: Let verbs power your writing_ (1st ed). W.W. Norton & Co. ## References, Quotes, Ideas ```dataview table file.mtime.year + "-" + file.mtime.month + "-" + file.mtime.day as Modified from [[ ]] and !outgoing([[ ]]) sort file.mtime desc ```