When to replace BE verbs
Not every be verb needs replacing. The forms of be (be,
am, is, are, was, were, being, been) work well when you want to link a
subject to a noun that clearly renames it or to a vivid adjective that
describes it:
Advertising is legalized lying.
Great intellects are skeptical.
If a be verb makes a sentence needlessly wordy, however, consider replacing it.
Often a phrase following the verb will contain a word (such as destruction) that suggests a more vigorous, active alternative (destroyed).
Burying nuclear waste in Antarctica would be in violation of an international treaty.
Burying nuclear waste in Antarctica would violate an international treaty.
When Rosa Parks was resistant to giving up her seat on the bus, she became a civil rights hero.
When Rosa Parks resisted giving up her seat on the
bus, she became a civil rights hero.
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