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Name:______________________POEM REVISING choosing more descriptive VERBS

Look through the current draft of your poem. Circle any of the words listedbelow. After you have looked through your poem, have a partner also lookthrough your poem for these words as well. Make sure you take your time andlook carefully.

TO HAVE verbshavehashaving

TO GO verbsgogoesgoingwent

TO GET verbsgetgetsgotgetting

TO BE verbsamisarewaswerebeing

TO DO verbsdodoesdoingdid

OTHERS: (usually very small words)_________ _________ __________________ _________ __________________ _________ _________

Often times, if these verbs are all by themselves and not paired with otherverbs, they are very flat, meaning they do not give a clear, vividdescription for the readerthe reader cannot picture the writersscene with much detail.

For example:

She was being naughty.

You can improve this sentence by changing the verb.She was acting naughty.

The best improvement would be to write something very specific, like:The naughty toddler poked, pinched and plucked her neighborduring story time.

Pick at least two places in your poem where you can revise to include more

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descriptive verbs.

Try to enhance the line further by also making sure you have descriptive wordsthat put an image in your readers mind.

For example:

1. really prettycan be improved to

2. remarkably prettywhich can change to

3. remarkably brilliant colorswhich can be enhanced by

4. remarkably brilliant array of bright greens, blues, and purpleswhich can be even more descriptive by saying

5. brilliant display of grass green, turquoise blue, and deep purple

The more specific your words are, the better you are at helping the readerunderstand exactly what your poems means to be telling them.