Word Choice & Economy
Verb Strength
Flag weak, vague verbs and suggest vivid alternatives.
What It Does
Detects weak verbs — generic, low-energy words like went, got, made, looked — that fail to create a vivid image. Each flagged verb comes with a list of more specific alternatives.
Uses NLP part-of-speech tagging to verify that flagged words are actually functioning as verbs in context, reducing false positives.
Why It Matters
Weak verbs are the single fastest way to flatten prose. Compare:
- Weak: "She went to the store."
- Strong: "She hurried to the store."
The strong version conveys urgency, character, and movement — all in one word. Choosing precise verbs eliminates the need for adverbs and keeps sentences tight.
What Gets Flagged
Weak Verb Usage
Severity: Hint
Example (flagged):
He got the answer wrong.
Why: "Got" is vague — it could mean received, obtained, earned, or achieved. A precise verb tells the reader exactly what happened.
Suggested revision:
He botched the answer.
Common weak verbs detected:
| Weak Verb | Stronger Alternatives |
|---|---|
| went | hurried, trudged, marched, wandered |
| got | grabbed, snatched, received, seized |
| made | crafted, built, forged, constructed |
| looked | glanced, peered, squinted, scrutinized |
| said | whispered, muttered, declared, snapped |
| walked | trudged, strode, ambled, shuffled |
| moved | shifted, slid, crept, lunged, darted |
Dialogue Awareness
The analyzer skips lines that begin with dialogue (quoted text), since word choice in speech reflects character voice.
Configuration
No configuration options.
Technical Details
- Source:
prose-craft - Scope: Line-level (skips dialogue lines)
- Method: Regex matching + NLP verb verification