Vivid Verbs

Perhaps you already practice correct grammar and punctuation. You want to escalate your verbal skills. May I suggest you enlarge your active vocabulary of verbs?

We all tend to re-use the words that we read or used recently; thus our vocabulary narrows.

If we multiply nouns and adjectives, we risk confusing readers. (For example, if I mention a “system,” I might be tempted to call it a “network.”) Multiplying adjectives may be useful. After all, my writing benefits if I know the nuances that separate thrifty, economical, frugal, sparing, and cheap. But each adjective entails a noun, and noun-heavy writing burdens the reader. (I explain noun-heavy burdens in my Clear Sentence workshop.)

I myself try to enrich my vocabulary by adding verbs. I don’t add them randomly. Rather, in what I must read anyway, I notice verbs I would not readily use. I jot them down. By learning them in context, I absorb their usage and nuances.
Recent examples:

Employee Ann Dann violated the policy that prohibits X. Manager Tania Jones reprimanded Ms. Dann. Ms. Dann redeemed herself: later that same day, she resolved a customer’s problem creatively, and the customer commended her to Ms. Jones.

The most precise verb is the best:
Not great: Joe Bloggs will focus on late arrival policy.
Better: Joe Bloggs will specify how the new policy will penalize employees who arrive late.

Words that Impress

Perhaps you want a vocabulary that will impress academics, such as SAT essay-scorers. May I suggest that you purchase the Jeeves and Wooster series?

These British comedies, produced by Granada for ITV, are marketed in the US by A&E. Each boxed set costs about $25 used and offers five hours of entertainment. Much of the dialogue showcases the speech of the polymath butler, Mr. Jeeves. Repeat after Jeeves, and you will practice impeccable usage of impecunious, mitigate, and Thespian.

Education was never more fun.
Flesch Reading Ease: 59.2 Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 7.6