Does your writing seem flat? Does your writing receive a lukewarm response, despite your best efforts to put as much life and material into your work as possible?

You can do one simple thing in editing to improve any of your existing pieces, and subsequent pieces that you write: Reduce your usage of the verb 'to be' and its linking variants.

We use the verb 'to be' in its various forms more than any verb in the English language: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been. In fact, we overuse it in writing, in place of other, more telling verbs.

For example, consider the insult, "You are stupid." Such a pointed phrase provides little insight to the speaker's message. However, saying, "You lack intelligence," gives more detail to what the speaker means, while using just as many words. Also, the statement, "You act stupid," also provides more detail, in that the verb 'to act' tells us more about the motivation behind the phrase than the verb 'to be' does. This usage shows one example of how using different verbs than 'to be' can improve a sentence.

Lazy overuse can also needlessly lengthen sentences while saying less. "I have been thinking about my plans," is vague. "I spent today thinking about my plans," gives a sentence more texture while telling us more (the time frame where the speaker thought about his plans).

The following examples illustrate ways to improve writing by swapping out the verb 'to be':

Before: Good times were had.

After: We enjoyed ourselves.

Before: John is hungry.

After: John wants to eat.

Before: I am going out for dinner tonight.

After: I plan to go out for dinner tonight.

Notice how, once we switched out 'to be' with another verb (and altered the sentence structure when needed), the sentences all became more active and engaging. The verb 'to be' is broad and says little other than making a simple statement of existence. However, using a more telling verb that has a more direct context strengthens the writing, and will help better engage your readers.

Your writing presents multiple instances where you use the verb 'to be', and in turn, multiple editing opportunities to improve it.