Discuss the value of active verbs in creating strong images.
Note that the Haitian American author Edwidge Danticat capitalizes
on the strength of the verb "crawled" to paint a picture of the scene
and the contrasting verb "sped" to tap into the hustle and bustle of
Ask students to brainstorm a list of the verbs most frequently used in adolescent conversation. Write them on the board. (to be, to get, to have, to do, etc.)
In small groups, students will have one minute to generate more active verbs that might express the same meaning. They will write these verbs on the board. (alternatives to "be" include to live, to breathe, to exist, to occupy, to think, to believe, etc.)
The class will discuss the merits of using one verb over the other and generate sentences that would feature the strength of the verbs.