Closely Related Verbs

"Pip, tell Bertha the story!" "We’re sitting by the campfire telling stories, just like this, when I see something in the bushes. I say to Koko that we must run to the car! But, she doesn’t believe me and says I’m just making up stories again.” "Hmmm, that doesn't sound quite right." Let's improve Pip's story telling by looking at closely related verbs. Synonyms are words that are closely related in meaning, but they have little differences between them. A verb, or action word, can also have synonyms! Weaker or stronger verbs can help us show what we want to explain. The differences between the weaker and stronger verbs can be called shades of meaning. This is because some words may be more powerful than the others when describing actions. Let's look at some examples of shades of meaning using verbs from Pip's story. Pip says he sees something in the bushes. Spot and notice are synonyms for see. Even though these verbs are all closely related to the same action, let’s think about putting them in order from weakest action to strongest. See is the weakest verb, since it is just a general way of describing the action that is used most often. The next verb, is notice. When we notice something, we see it and it gets our attention. Spot would be the strongest verb because it means you see something that isn't easy to find. Let's look at another example. Next, Pip says something to Koko. Mumble and whisper are synonyms for say. Think about these actions. Whisper, say and mumble. Which is the weakest action? Mumble. If we mumble, then our words are so soft that others may not hear them. Which action would come next? Whisper, because whispering is talking softly but loud enough for others to hear. And say would be the strongest action in this group because it means to speak in a normal voice. Although say is the strongest verb, it doesn't mean we always choose it. Sometimes we may need to choose a weaker action to match the situation. Here's one to try on our own. Pip tells Koko to run to the car. Rush, sprint and hurry are all synonyms used to describe running. Put these closely related verbs in order from weakest to strongest. Press pause if you need more time, and press play when you are ready. Hurry would be the weakest action because hurry means to move quickly but not necessarily run. The next verb would be rush, because it describes the action of moving at a fast pace. Run would be the next quickest action. And sprint would be the strongest action. When we sprint, we are running at full speed. Whilst Pip gets ready to retell the story, let's review. Remember verbs can have synonyms to describe an action. We can use weaker or stronger verbs to help show what we want to explain. The differences between the weaker and stronger verbs can be called shades of meaning. This is because some words may be more powerful than the others when describing actions. The story will determine whether you use weaker or stronger shades of meaning for verbs! "We’re sitting by the campfire telling stories, just like this, when I spot something in the bushes. I whisper to Koko that we must sprint to the car! But, she doesn’t believe me and says I’m just making up stories.” "Better, but I still don't believe you." "I spy something in the bushes and we need to bolt to the car!"