A masterful and elegant guide to the promise, power, and poetry of verbs, from Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Sarah L. Kaufman

Verbs are the underrated stars of the English language. They hold it all together: sentences, imagery, meaning. A complete sentence cannot exist without one, yet a single verb can create complete meaning. (See?) In this brilliant and incisive exploration of language, grammar, and style, Sarah L. Kaufman illuminates how all of us, professional writers and novices alike, can master the art of the verb and unlock the infinite potential of written expression.

When she was the dance critic at The Washington Post, Kaufman was challenged to translate the dynamic language of movement into words. Verbs showed her the way. Good verbs power great storytelling; they leap off the page, fire our senses, and transform our perceptions. But it’s far too easy to clutter our writing with dull and imprecise verbs, wasting the opportunity to intensify what we want to say. In Verb Your Enthusiasm, Kaufman leads us away from the perils and pitfalls of the passive voice, static verbs, and inessential adverbs to prove how strong, clear verbs can make your writing—be it an email, a text, a report, or an ad—more efficient and effective. If you want people to know what you mean, you need the right verbs.

Verb Your Enthusiasm is a clarion call for all of us to get back to basics: to mean what we say, and say what we mean. Across eleven chapters, Kaufman teaches us how to pick precise and powerful verbs, while also investigating theories of language that suggest we understand verbs by simulating them mentally. But this isn’t a grammar guide, and it surely isn’t a set of rules. Great writing comes from a mix of inspiration, passion, and intelligence—from your unique discernment and imagination. Searching for the right verb might even reveal something true about yourself. All that in a word. So go. Write. Verb.