Word list
Verb list: replacing “shows” and “uses”
Precise verbs for what a writer actually does to the reader.
“Shows” and “uses” are placeholders — they describe that something happened, not what it did. Swap them for a verb that names the actual move.
To reveal or expose
revealsexposesunveilslays barebetraysilluminates
To argue or assert
contendspositsassertsmaintainsinsistsadvocates
To emphasise
underscoresaccentuatesforegroundsamplifiesheightensmagnifies
To criticise or undermine
condemnsdiscreditsundercutsdestabilisessatirisessubverts
To appeal to emotion
appeals toprovokeselicitsstirsmanipulatesunsettles
To build or construct
constructsframespositionsestablishescraftsshapes
How to use this list
Pick the verb that matches the actual effect, not the most impressive-sounding one. “The image unsettles the reader” only works if the passage genuinely does — forcing a fancier verb onto the wrong effect reads as vague as “shows.”
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