Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch: Let Verbs Power Your Writing

Writers know itinstinctively: Verbs make a sentence zing. Grammar gurus agree: Drama inwriting emerges from the interplay of a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb).Constance Hale, the best-selling author of Sin and Syntax, zooms in on the colorful world of verbs.Synthesizing the pedagogical and the popular, the scholarly and the scandalous,Hale combines the wit of Bill Bryson with the practical wisdom of WilliamZinsser. She marches through linguistic history to paint a layered picture ofour language-from before it really existed to the quirky usages we see onlinetoday. She warns about habits to avoid and inspires with samples of brilliantwriting. A veteran teacher, Hale gives writing prompts along the way, helpingreaders "try, do, write, play." Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch guides us to more powerful writing by demonstratinghow to use great verbs with style.