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Grammar
Verbs and Adverbs
Present Tense vs. Past Tense
 | There are two major tenses or verbs. Present tense is used when
describing things that happen at the same time the store unfolds.
Example: Susie walks by me and I hear the sloshes of water in her rubber
boots. |
| Past tense is when the action already
happened in the story. Example: Susie walked by me and I
heard the sloshing of water in her rubber boots. |
| Stay with one tense throughout the entire
story, otherwise it is too confusing! |
Active Verbs vs. Passive Verbs
| The active voice is most commonly used.
It is more direct and punchy. It promotes more lively writing. |
| Passive voice sometimes cannot be
avoided. It is usually used to emphasize the action or if you are
showing a flash-back scene. |
Examples:
Active:
| Jessica gunned the car. |
| Werewolves growled at the cat. |
| I saw her shadow in the hallway. |
Passive:
| The car was gunned by Jessica. |
| The cat was growled at by the werewolves. |
| Her shadow was seen in the hallway. |
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Using strong vivid verbs will
help make your writing come alive. |
Nouns and Adjectives
Noun Choice
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Choose a word that most precisely
names the sentence's subjects. |
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When writing, be specific. |
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As you write, use the word that
best names the picture in you mind. |
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Accurate nouns help the reader
imagine the scene. |
Adjectives
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Adjectives help paint your
scene. |
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They usually support weak
nouns. |
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They need to be chosen
carefully. |
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