Writing Tips

Muscular Verbs

You may not be old enough to remember the Charles Atlas ads in the back of comic books; nevertheless, you are probably quite familiar with the enduringly popular "before" image of the 98-pound weakling who gets sand kicked in his face. At NIVA, we like to use that image to explain the problem of "weak" versus "muscular" verbs in technical manuals.

The verbs most commonly in need of "building up" (replacement, actually) are the verbs to be, to have, to get, to do, and to make. Many writers rely too heavily on these colourless verbs, when, with a little thought, a more muscular, vivid alternative can easily be found. Furthermore, using a muscular verb often reduces a publication's word count.

Here are some examples drawn from a recent project.

The 98-pound weaklings:

• If you choose 45, the shadows are at a 45-degree angle.
• The Language dialog is similar to the Database dialog.
• Use the —- button if you want to have more space for labels.
• Get the information into the report.
• Click the box to see how Fragrances are doing this year.
• Select <icon> to make the display smaller.

The Charles Atlas alternatives:

• If you choose 45, the shadows appear at a 45-degree angle.
• The Language dialog resembles the Database dialog.
• Use the —- button to create more space for your labels.
• Add the information to the report.
• Click the box to see how Fragrances are selling this year.
• Select <icon> to shrink the display.