Actions

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Lesson 3: Actions

This chapter takes a closer look at what is in a sentence that can make it unclear. The two principles are make the main characters subjects and make their actions verbs. The chapter goes more in depth with verbs. It explains that if important actions are verbs, a sentence will seem clearer. When you don't use verbs as actions it creates abstract nouns which make your writing seem dense. Keeping these principles in mind the book describes a 3 step process for revising your sentences. The first is diagnose by underlining the first few words of a sentence, ignoring four or five word introduction sentences, then note abstract nouns as simple subjects and make sure you reach a verb with seven to eight words of the sentence. The next step is analyze by deciding on your main characters and looking for their actions. The last step is to re-write if neccisary.

One important point I think this chapter touched on that I've never really thought of before is that writing styles for academic writing and fairy tails aren't very different. In a fairy tail the author must avoid using complex sentences at all costs or the reader will not be able to understand. They do this by simply making sure their sentences are set up to have the subject as the main characters and their actions as verbs. Our academic writing may use larger words than a fairy tail would, but the sentence structure should be the same.

I know I've read complex writing, and I'm sure I've written some of it too, but it was nice to break down what exactally in a sentence makes it unclear. I'm actually surprised how simple it is to turn an unclear sentence into a clear one. It's nothing more than switching a few words and changing a few suffixes.