Aovid Overuse of "Be" Verbs
While not a strict rule, a common guideline in English writing is to minimize the use of “be” verbs (such as “is,” “are,” “was,” “were”) to enhance clarity, engagement, and conciseness.
While not a strict rule, a common guideline in English writing is to minimize the use of “be” verbs (such as “is,” “are,” “was,” “were”) to enhance clarity, engagement, and conciseness. Here are some key reasons for avoiding the overuse of “be” verbs:
1. Promotes Active Voice
Overusing “be” verbs often results in passive constructions, which can make sentences less direct and harder to understand. Active voice, on the other hand, is usually more straightforward and dynamic.
Passive: To access the results that are returned by the query, use standard JDBC syntax. (14 words)
Active: To access the results that the query returns, use standard JDBC syntax. (12 words)
Passive: My first visit to Boston will always be remembered by me. (11 words)
Active: I shall always remember my first visit to Boston. (19 words)
2. Improves Clarity and Conciseness
“Be” verbs can make sentences wordier and less specific. Replacing them with more dynamic verbs helps convey the message more clearly and concisely:
Less concise: English rhetoric is interesting to me.
More concise: English rhetoric interests me.
Less concise: My essay is an examination of gender equality.
More concise: My essay examines gender equality.
Similarly, phrases that use “it is” and “there are” can often be condensed:
Less concise: It is the governor who signs or vetoes bills. (9 words)
More concise: The governor signs or vetoes bills. (6 words)
Less concise: There are four rules that should be observed. (8 words)
More concise: Four rules should be observed. (5 words)
Less concise: There was a big explosion, which shook the windows, and people ran into the street. (15 words)
More concise: A big explosion shook the windows, and people ran into the street. (12 words)
As Garner (2016: 113) notes, “Verb phrases containing ‘be’ verbs are often merely roundabout ways of saying something better said with a simple verb.”
be abusive of (abuse)
be applicable to (apply to)
be influential on (influence)
be in possession of (possess)
be productive of (produce)
be supportive of (support)
Less concise: My parents have always been very supportive of me. (9 words)
More concise: My parents have always supported me. (6 words)
3. Enhances Reader Engagement
Writing that relies heavily on “be” verbs can appear dull or lifeless because it lacks strong action verbs. Using more descriptive verbs can create a more engaging narrative that captures the reader’s attention.
As Strunk and White (2005: 34) explain, “The habitual use of the active voice, however, makes for forcible writing. This is true not only in narrative concerned principally with action but in writing of any kind. Many a tame sentence of description or exposition can be made lively and emphatic by substituting a transitive in the active voice for some such perfunctory expression as there is or could be heard.”
Less engaging: There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground. (12 words)
More engaging: Dead leaves covered the ground. (5 words)
Less engaging: At dawn the crowing of a rooster could be heard. (10 words)
More engaging: The cock’s crow came with dawn. (6 words)
Less engaging: The reason he left college was that his health became impaired. (11 words)
More engaging: Failing health compelled him to leave college. (7 words)
Less engaging: It was not long before he was very sorry that he had said what he had. (16 words)
More engaging: She soon repented her words. (5 words)
Tips:
When editing your writing, identify “be” verbs and consider whether they are necessary. Focus on the key actor and the key action of your sentence. For example:
Less concise: The function of this department is the collection of accounts. (10 words)
Key actor: The department
Key action: Collection (as a noun)
Convert the noun form to its verb form to create a more concise sentence:
More concise: This department collects accounts. (4 words)
Less concise: The earth’s axis has a tilt as the planet is in orbit around the sun so that the northern and southern hemispheres are alternately in alignment toward the sun. (29 words)
Key actor: The earth’s axis; the planet; the northern and southern hemispheres
Key action: tilt (noun); orbit (noun); alignment (noun)
More concise: The earth’s axis tilts as the planet orbits around the sun so that the northern and southern hemispheres alternately align toward the sun. (23 words)
References:
Bryan A. Garner. Garner’s Modern English Usage [M]. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
Joseph M. Williams and Joseph Bizup. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace [M]. 13th ed. Hoboken: Pearson Education, Inc., 2021.
William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White. The Elements of Style [M]. New York: Penguin Books, 2005.