Verbs Add Power! by Stephanie Whetstone As writers, we want to sound smart and savvy on the page, to fit into the lofty academic world at places like Princeton, or simply to stand out in our communities. Many writers go about this by adding excessive adverbs and adjectives or obscure language to their prose. The theory might be, "If it's difficult to understand, it must sound intelligent!" I wholeheartedly disagree. The best writing is clear, concise, and logically structured. It conveys ideas in a way that invites thought and collaboration, not exclusivity. It educates, enlivens, and elucidates. It does not rely [...]