Do you make a decision before using litigation? Or do you just decide to litigate?
“Make” and “use” are prime targets for revision as you edit your professional writing. These are transitive verbs. You’re going to make something, use something. The verbs take a direct object. In contrast, intransitive verbs (like the proverbial cheese) can stand alone. Just to be confusing, some verbs can be both.
Here are some examples:
- “When the witness arrived [intransitive], the suspect ran [intransitive].”
- “The partners ran the business [transitive].”
- ”I wanted a raise [transitive], but the managing partner laughed [intransitive].”
As you edit your work product, pay special attention to instances where a stronger verb could replace a verb and its direct object. Besides being less persuasive, weak verbs plus explanatory words lengthen your writing [not “make your writing longer”]. “Mediating” a case is good; “using mediation” is wordy.
First Drafts Are Just That — Drafts
When you review your work before hitting Send or otherwise finalizing, pay attention to whether you can use strong verbs instead of “make” and “use.”
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