Style: Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs (be, exist, become) cannot cross over and take objects. Used too often, they flatten a sentence by announcing ideas rather than using them. Transitive verbs like have, get, go, used too often, dull the prose:

There are many reasons why I came to Amherst, and one of them is that at Amherst there are more kinds of people than there were in my home town. In my home town of Gravel Switch there were mostly farmers and small businesspeople. Hardly any young people went to college, so when I had the chance to come to Amherst, I thought it was a good idea.

Rewritten with more active verbs, the passage shows more of the author's interest in his subject:

Amherst appeals to me because it offers me the chance to meet different people from those in my home town. In Gravel Switch I knew mostly farmers and small businesspeople. Hardly any young people went to college. So when Amherst accepted me, I felt great.

Replacing there is, there are, etc. with active verbs also saves words: saving words makes the writing leaner and more muscular.

   Passive Voice
   Intransitive Verbs
   Too Many Little Words
   Adverbitis
   Hitchhikers, Babblers, and Jaw-Flappers
   Windy and Pretentious Language
   Balance and Consistency