can anyone tell me what a 'powerful verb' is - or tell me any examples? thanks?

Answer 1

Powerful verbs are used to add drama or intensity to your piece.

It can be used like a swear word, maybe once in an entire story in order to thrust the nature of the situation into the readers heart, or else a series of powerful verbs may be used in a small sopace to show dramatic action in a shorter scene.

The trick is to not overuse powerful verbs, because then they lose their strength (because they become common), and they can also make your piece read very awkwardly.

An example of a powerful verb would be when I used the word "thrust" in my previous paragraph. A weak verb would be "put."

Thrust into the readers heart.
Put into the readers heart.

Obviously, "thrust" is stronger. It sounds like somebody was gored by a spear. "Put" sounds like you're stocking a bookshelf.

Answer 2

http://www.ultrawebaward.com/writingforwebG.htm

A powerful verb seizes the subject of the sentence, and shakes it around a little bit. It's not a wimpy verb that just sits there like "to be" or "to have." It adds a little more information to the sentence.

But it can be overused. A reader can get awfully tired being tossed and turned by the powerful verbs in a paragraph. OTOH, wimpy verbs can put people to sleep.

Answer 3

http://homeworktips.about.com/od/buildingyourvocabulary/a/verbs.htm