Creative Writing: E-Prime: 'to be' as the main verb

Overused forms of "to be" (is, are, was, were, am) often carry the main meaning in a clause and leave prose flat or vague. Swapping them for active, sensory, or causal verbs quickly sharpens clarity, tone, and agency.

Quick answer: Replace "to be" when it acts as the main verb

If a clause's primary meaning rests on a form of "to be", try an action verb, a perceptual verb (looks, sounds, feels), a participial phrase, or a cause/result construction. Keep "to be" for identity, progressive/auxiliary uses, or unavoidable stative claims.

Scan for clauses whose only verb is is/are/was/were/am.
Ask: what does the subject do or cause? Turn that into the verb.
Try three rewrites: action, sensory/perceptual, participial/cause; choose the most natural.

Core idea: What E-Prime asks you to do

E-Prime encourages avoiding "to be" as the sentence's primary verb so you must choose specific actions, perceptions, or causal relationships. The result: clearer agency, sharper images, and fewer blanket statements.

Makes descriptions show rather than tell.
Clarifies who does what and when.
Cuts filler and tightens prose.
Example: Wrong: The city is noisy.
Right: Traffic roars through the streets at night.

Why "to be" weakens many sentences

Forms of "to be" often act as placeholders that hide actions, agents, or causes. Spot these common patterns and replace them with verbs that do the work.

Pattern A - X is [adj]: replace with X seems/looks/feels [adj] or X [verb]s (sensory or action).
Pattern B - X is a Y: replace with X serves as/acts as/hosts Y or X [verb]s Y.
Pattern C - Passive/abstract result: The plan is complete → The team completed the plan.

Wrong → Right: The report is complete. → The team completed the report.
Wrong → Right: She is confident. → Confidence steadied her voice.
Wrong → Right: The idea was interesting. → The idea sparked a debate.

Real usage and tone: work, school, and casual examples

Match verbs to context: at work favor responsibility and outcomes, in academic writing favor methods and evidence, and in casual or creative contexts favor sensory and emotional verbs.

Work: emphasize responsibility, deadlines, outcomes.
School: emphasize evidence, methods, results.
Casual: emphasize sensation, behavior, narrative.

Work:
Wrong: The plan is ready. →
Right: The team finalized the plan.
Work:
Wrong: The issue is important. →
Right: This issue demands immediate attention.
Work:
Wrong: The server is slow. →
Right: The server struggles under peak load.
School:
Wrong: The hypothesis is plausible. →
Right: The data support the hypothesis.
School:
Wrong: The experiment was successful. →
Right: The experiment produced consistent, replicable results.
Casual:
Wrong: Dinner is amazing. →
Right: The pasta melts on your fork.
Casual:
Wrong: The movie was boring. →
Right: The movie dragged on without a single surprise.
Casual:
Wrong: He is annoying. →
Right: He keeps interrupting everyone.

How to fix your own sentence (step-by-step with rewrites)

1) Identify clauses where "to be" is the main verb. 2) Ask: who does what? what causes this state? how does it appear? 3) Produce three quick rewrites: active verb, sensory/perception, participial/causal. Pick the tone that fits.

If none work, the sentence may express identity or an inevitable state - keep "to be" but tighten surrounding words.

Checklist: Locate "to be" → decide if actor/process exists → test action, sensory, participial rewrites → choose and trim.

Original: The data are significant. Rewrite A: Analysis shows significant differences. Rewrite B: The results look significant. Rewrite C: Showing significant differences, the dataset alters our prediction.
Original: The room is cold. Rewrite A: A draft chills the room. Rewrite B: The room feels icy. Rewrite C: Chilled by the draft, the room needs a heater.
Original: She was angry. Rewrite A: She slammed the door in anger. Rewrite B: Anger colored her voice. Rewrite C: Her face, flushed with anger, showed how upset she felt.
Original: The policy is unfair. Rewrite A: The policy penalizes part-time workers. Rewrite B: The policy appears biased against part-time staff. Rewrite C: Penalizing part-time workers, the policy reduces income for many.
Original: The software is unstable. Rewrite A: The software crashes under heavy load. Rewrite B: The app feels jittery after the update. Rewrite C: Crashing intermittently, the app frustrates users.

Examples and patterns you can copy (40+ wrong/right pairs and templates)

Most swaps follow templates: X is [adj] → X seems/looks/feels [adj] OR X [verb]s; X is a [role] → X serves as/acts as [role]; The [noun] is [result] → [Actor] [verb]ed the [noun]. Practice these patterns until they become automatic.

Template: X is [adj] → X seems/looks/feels [adj] OR X [verb]s.
Template: X is a [role] → X serves as/acts as [role].
Wrong → Right: He is a good leader. → He leads by example.
Wrong → Right: The meeting is boring. → The meeting drags on with no clear agenda.
Wrong → Right: The cake is delicious. → The cake melts on the tongue.
Wrong → Right: The mountain is tall. → The mountain towers above the clouds.
Wrong → Right: The product is innovative. → The product introduces a new touchscreen gesture.
Wrong → Right: The service is slow. → Customer service responds after three days.
Wrong → Right: The instructions are clear. → The instructions guide you through each step.
Wrong → Right: The app is intuitive. → The app guides first-time users with prompts.
Wrong → Right: The garden is beautiful. → Roses spill over the stone wall.
Wrong → Right: The lights are bright. → Bright LEDs flood the stage.
Wrong → Right: The risk is high. → The plan exposes us to high financial risk.
Wrong → Right: The plan is ambitious. → The plan targets three markets in one year.
Wrong → Right: The system is fragile. → A single node failure collapses the system.
Wrong → Right: The patient is stable. → Vital signs remain within normal ranges.
Wrong → Right: The claim is doubtful. → Lack of corroborating evidence casts doubt on the claim.
Wrong → Right: The app was useless. → The app failed to save user settings.
Wrong → Right: The results are surprising. → The results contradict our hypothesis.
Wrong → Right: The street is empty. → Only a few taxis cruise the street at dawn.
Wrong → Right: The patient is unconscious. → The patient lost consciousness after the fall.
Wrong → Right: Their argument is weak. → Their argument relies on outdated data.
Wrong → Right: The device is portable. → The device fits easily in a laptop bag.
Wrong → Right: The policy is confusing. → The policy fails to define eligible expenses clearly.
Wrong → Right: The coffee shop is crowded. → People queue past the door at rush hour.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just a phrase. Context usually shows the best substitute. Paste a sentence into a grammar tool for suggestions, then adjust for tone and specificity.

Memory tricks and quick fixes to train your eye

Two fast heuristics: Actor-Ask and Sense-Test. Actor-Ask: underline the subject and ask "what does it do?". If the sentence answers only with "is", flag it. Sense-Test: if "looks/feels/sounds" fits naturally, try a sensory verb.

Micro-fix: is + adjective → seems/looks/feels OR replace with a verb that names the effect.
For nouns: is a/an → serves as / acts as / functions as OR convert to an active verb.
Example: The system is slow → The system crawls under heavy load.
Example: The tool is useful → The tool automates repetitive tasks.

Hyphenation and punctuation quick notes

Rewriting rarely changes hyphenation rules, but watch compound modifiers and participial openings. Place commas after participial phrases that introduce the main clause.

Compound before a noun: well-known author (hyphen). After a noun: the author is well known (no hyphen).
Participial opening: "Towering above the town, the mountain..." - add a comma.
Usage: Original: A well known author is generous. →
Rewrite: The well-known author donates to local libraries.

Spacing, contractions and small style checks

After changing verbs or adding participial phrases, recheck spacing, em dashes, parentheses, and contractions. Rewrites can introduce punctuation changes that affect rhythm.

Contractions: keep or remove based on tone (don't → do not for formal).
Use single spaces after periods in modern digital style; avoid double spaces.
Ensure commas around participial phrases don't break sentence flow.
Usage: Original: She is angry, and she left. →
Rewrite: Angry, she left.

Quick grammar checklist: when to keep "to be" and related traps

Keep "to be" when it functions as an auxiliary (progressive, perfect, passive) or when stating identity or definitions. Avoid replacing it when doing so removes necessary nuance.

Keep "to be" for: identity (Two plus two is four), progressive (I am running), and required passive that highlights the patient (The treaty was signed).
Watch related traps: vague verbs (have/get/make) can also obscure action - name the actor and verb.
Usage: Passive: The memo was written. → Active: Maria wrote the memo.
Usage: Keep "to be" (progressive): I am working on the draft.

Similar mistakes and when not to force E-Prime

Don't flip every "is" mechanically. Overusing E-Prime can produce awkward or overdramatic prose. Apply the technique where it improves clarity, tone, or precision.

If a sentence still feels weak after removing "to be", look for vague nouns (thing, stuff) or empty modifiers (very, really) and replace them.

Don't replace "is" when it denotes identity, necessary existence, or an essential auxiliary meaning.
If a rewrite still feels weak: Limited resources force us to prioritize (better than The problem seems urgent because resources are limited).

FAQ

Is it wrong to use "is" sometimes?

No. Keep "is" for identity statements, progressive/auxiliary uses, and cases where replacing it removes necessary meaning. Replace it only when an active or more precise construction improves clarity.

How do I spot every instance of "to be" in a long document?

Search for is/are/was/were/am and inspect each clause. Highlight cases where that form carries the main meaning. Grammar tools speed this by flagging candidate sentences for review.

Can avoiding "to be" make my writing sound unnatural?

Yes, if you overapply it. Use E-Prime selectively: aim for clarity and natural rhythm. In dialogue or casual prose, standard "to be" usage often reads better.

What verbs commonly replace "is" in descriptions?

Good replacements: sensory verbs (looks, sounds, feels), action verbs (produce, cause, lead, host), change/process verbs (becomes, grows), and participial phrases (towering, glowing, dripping).

How can I practice this skill quickly?

Rewrite one paragraph each day: change every "to be" main verb into two alternative forms (active and sensory). Track which fixes feel natural for work, school, and casual contexts.

Try it with one sentence now

Pick a sentence that uses "is" as the main verb and run the three-step checklist: identify, name the actor/process, and try three rewrites (action, sensory, participial). Use suggestions from tools as starting points and adjust for tone.