Since English is my second language, I am very careful when I write my phrases, clauses, and sentences. In much of my writing I use ‘verbal’. Because I strive to make my prose strong and athletic, I want to share what I’ve learned on this topic.

If a reader finds the following sentence beginning:
Zigzagging and weaving…

Without even mentioning a theme, the author forms an image in the mind of the reader, who has no choice but to run to see what it is that moves that way. Participatory forms of verbs ending in -ing (zigzag and weave) not only reflect movement, but also create an expectation and incentive to satisfy curiosity. And that’s what all authors strive for; that is, keep the reader busy, curious, guessing what’s next.

Scott Fitzgerald in a letter to his daughter quoted a line from Keat’s poem Eve of Saint Agnes, to point out how the participating verbs move and carry the sentence:
The hare limped shivering through the frozen grass.

Participle forms also end in -ed and -t, or -en (in some irregular verbs).

When you hear an imperative, pay attention, like when you hear: “Don’t do that!” Even when the command is soft and conversational, the reader pays attention, as when Herman Melville draws the reader into his monumental Moby Dick with the imperative: “Call me Ishmael.”

Verbs and verbal expressions pack and release a unique kind of energy that other parts of speech don’t have; that is why master writers learn and master its use. Have you ever wondered what makes typing fast, galloping, and breathless? The answer is: express yourself with verbs and verbals.

Let’s define Verbals:

Verbs are verb forms that are not used as verbs, but as:
Nouns: The General was fired for retiring. [Where ‘retreating’ is a gerund noun].

subjects: Cooking was a pain. [Where ‘To cook’ is an infinitive acting as subject].

Adjectives: Flying planes can be dangerous. [Where ‘flying’ is an adjective that modifies ‘planes.’].

adverbs: The senator had no reason to lie. [Where ‘to lie’ is an infinitive functioning as an adverb].

That verbals are powerful in opening sentences, there is no doubt. However, many writers, even successful writers, prefer to pepper their writing with suitable adjectives and adverbs; For example: Without a doubt, the weak General was fired as a coward.

Let us admit that the verb, in the English language, is king; and as in the game of Chess all the other pieces (including the queen), although important and powerful, are so only in relation to the king.

Careless writers use the verb ‘to be’ continuously, which is a sign of weak writing. So to keep your writing strong, follow this simple guideline: Prefer strong verbs and verbs; Avoid weak verbs. And even when using ‘to be’ as a copula, find a way to reinforce it with verbals.

Scott Fitzgerald made a note in a notebook, demonstrating his preoccupation — or obsession, one might say — with verbs: Forgetting is forgiven.

Verbs come in different forms and they are all effective because they include a verb form. These verbals are so strong that master writers use them not only to open sentences, but also to open paragraphs, even books.