Editing out the imperative verbs when possible will make your writing more reader-friendly by changing the tone from ‘a command’ to ‘a suggestion’.
Editing out imperative verbs often changes the sense of the sentence from a command to an ‘action to take’.
This is a powerful writing tool for being persuasive, and this is especially so when providing a list of things you would like your reader to follow – or, to take action!
Examples of how to remove imperative verbs:
- “You must make use of your headline by using good keywords referring to your field or interests so employers can find your profile when they are searching for candidates. Please fill in your headline.
REWRITE:
Filling in the headline and using good keywords that refer to your field of interest will assist potential employers who are searching for your talents.
Example:
- Thoroughly complete your profile – Fill out every section and include a professional photo of yourself.
- Keep your profile up to date.
- Capitalize on SEO – Use descriptive terms and phrases for your experience that are more likely to be caught by search engine optimization.
- Join relevant groups – LinkedIn has many professional groups; finding ones relevant to you will provide you with salient new contacts.
REWRITE:
- Ensuring the profile is complete with a professional photo is important
- Keeping your profile up to date will attract more attention
- Capitalizing on SEO by using descriptive terms and phrases will attract search engine optimization
- Joining relevant groups will provide salient new contacts
NOTE: “ing’ verbs are so valuable for writing concisely and professionally.
STAYING IN PRESENT TENSE whenever possible improves the tone of your writing.
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