“She Went Missing”
Sucking the Life Out of Strong Verbs
Almost daily TV broadcasters make announcements like these: Sydney Lancaster went missing yesterday after leaving work at 6:00 in his red Toyota. Went missing? Is this like gone fishing or gone to the movies? Whatever happened to Sydney IS missing. We don’t know that he went anywhere. In fact, he may have been dragged kicking and screaming by an ax murderer.
How many times a week do reporters tell you to “take a listen”? Is this like walking into a department store and taking a number?
Okay, okay, I’ll lay off reporters and broadcasters. But these phrases from the emails of your colleagues may sound just as familiar. The following are not errors; they just create wimpy writing.
Call and make a reservation. (Call and reserve …?)
Run a test to see if… (Test to see if?)
Carry out experiments to… (Experiment?)
Perform an analysis… (Analyze?)
Provide for the elimination of… (Eliminate?)
They experienced a reduction in… (They reduced…?)
Make a visual examination of… (Investigate?)
Strong verbs deserve a life of their own. Why sap their strength by turning them into nouns? The next time you hear “she went missing,” think voluntarily? AWOL? Hear that phrase as a reminder for strong verbs of your own.
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