: Re: Techniques to get rid of "was" and make one's writing more engaging These are my techniques: Changing the order of the sentence: I was happy because of what she did. What she did made me
What most people mean when they're talking about passive voice is really lazy, static verbs. Passive voice can be a useful tool, but lazy verbs put your text to sleep.
That said, I'm hardly an expert, but here's my opinion about your techniques:
Changing the order of the sentence: Looks good
Using "in" and "on": Looks good
Inverting the order of the sentence: Looks good
Applying repetition: I don't think so. I think the other sentences are far worse than the passive voice.
Replacing "was" with a more "interesting" verb: This is the one I had in mind when talking about lazy verbs. You have replaced the link verb, but the verb is still pretty lazy. Possibilities:
The old Victorian haunted the corner
The thick stone walls of the Bastille like dwelling guarded the corner
Replacing "there wasn't/it wasn't" with "not": Interesting. Your changes here twist the entire mood of the sentence. Will think about this one.
Removing "it/he/she was": The problem is that you're using a whole sentence as an adjective. Possibilities:
We reached the cozy lodging house. I liked it.
We reached the cozy inn. I immediately felt at home.
Anyway, you asked, so my $.02 worth.
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