Nouns are like the building blocks of your writing. Just as your home would crumble if it were built of poor bricks, so too nouns can make or break your writing.

名詞好比是寫作中的建材，就像房屋若用劣質的磚頭建造就會崩塌，而名詞也一樣會讓你的作品堅實或是塌陷。

This is where a good vocabulary comes in. Think of one strong noun that can do the work of two or three weaklings.

好的詞彙用法就是以一個強有力的名詞來取代兩三個虛浮的字眼。

The small child wobbled. → The toddler wobbled.

Robert is an extremely smart boy. → Robert is a genius.

Myrtle was such a godly woman. → Myrtle was a saint.

Billy, your paper is a true work of art! → Billy, your paper is a masterpiece!

Fincastle, Virginia is a quaint little town. → Fincastle, Virginia is a quaint hamlet.

Maybe you have noticed by now, and I do not want to sound too violent, but part of your job is to kill adjectives. In other words, replace an adjective (or two) and a weak noun with one strong, specific noun, i.e.:

你可能已經注意到，而且我實在不想形容得過於暴力，但寫作時有一部分的工作就是要消滅形容詞。換句話說，就是要用一個強有力的特定名詞來取代形容詞和虛空的名詞。例如：

Rebecca ordered a prime steak. → Rebecca ordered a rib-eye.

He drove an expensive sports car. → He drove a Jaguar.

Turn right at the small, wooden house. → Turn right at the cabin.

Wow, that girl is really pretty! → Wow, that girl is a beauty!

The storm was very destructive. → The storm was a nightmare.

Thanks for the dinner. It was really delicious. → Thanks for the dinner; it was a treat.

She carried an expensive designer bag. → She carried a Gucci bag.

As you cut adjectives, try especially to get rid of weak adjectives like good, bad, nice, etc.

刪除形容詞時，特別要去除掉虛浮的形容詞例如good, bad, nice等字。

Employ Vivid Verbs 使用生動的動詞

If nouns are the building blocks of writing, verbs are the jet fuel because they propel your language. And as with nouns, avoid the common, dull verbs when you can; instead, employ vivid, colorful ones. In particular, cut be verbs (am, is, was, will be, etc.) when possible.

若把名詞喻為寫作的建材，那動詞就是噴射機的燃油，因為動詞可以驅動你的文字。而與使用名詞一樣，儘量避免使用平淡無奇的動詞，而改用生動富有色彩的動詞。特別盡可能少用be動詞（如am, is, was, will be等）。

Emily was nervous before the interview. → Emily trembled and bit her nails before the interview.

The car came to a halt. → The car screeched to a halt.

“Are we there yet?” Meghan asked. → “Are we there yet?” Meghan whined.

The lawnmower made noises and stopped running. → The lawnmower sputtered and died.

“I hate this!” she said unthinkingly. → “I hate this!” she blurted out.

Robbie walked quickly up the stairs to see his date. → Robbie sprinted up the stairs to see his date.

Verbs not only make your sentences stronger, but they tell the reader of the action. Look at how different verbs change the whole tone of these sentences.

動詞不僅讓你的句子更有力，也能告訴讀者文章中的動作。看看以下的句子，不同的動詞如何改變整句的語氣。

●The soldiers went up the mountain.

Boring, right? And we do not know how or why the soldiers “went up the mountain.”

以上的句子很乏味，而且我們也不知道士兵為何以及如何went up the mountain。Now, have a look:

再看看下面的句子：

1. The soldiers trudged up the mountain.

2. The soldiers clawed their way up the mountain.

3. The soldiers inched their way up the mountain.

4. The soldiers fought their way up the mountain.

5. The soldiers charged up the mountain.

6. The soldiers advanced up the mountain.

Note how each sentence is different, depending on the verb. Numbers 1-4 imply the soldiers worked hard to climb the mountain, slowly, while 5 shows they moved quickly, and 6 is more vague.

因為使用不同的動詞，使每個句子的意義都不一樣。第一到第四句的動詞意謂士兵上山的過程既艱苦又漫長，第五句就感覺行動快多了，而第六句的意義則比較模糊。

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