Use precise verbs to describe changing form without losing meaning.
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Hook introducing words for changing and rearranging.
Have you ever written a paragraph that has all the right ideas, but just feels... clunky? Often, your writing doesn't need new facts, research, or arguments. It just needs to be arranged differently.
Explanation of focus words related to modifying.
When editing a draft, you will often need to modify (make minor changes) or adjust (tweak slightly for a better fit) your sentences. If a sentence feels out of place for your new audience, you might adapt it to suit the new context.
Visual showing sentence blocks being moved and replaced.
Restructuring changes the order of ideas, while substituting replaces the parts entirely.
These images break down the different ways we can alter, tweak, or fully transform something. They teach us the exact words to use when we change the structure, look, or content of an object or idea.
Modify: To modify means to make a small change to a specific part of something. The man changes the back wheel of his bicycle into a square shape.
Adapt: To adapt means to change your behavior to fit into a brand new environment. The man sits calmly inside a fishbowl and breathes underwater while reading a newspaper.
Adjust: To adjust means to shift something slightly so it sits correctly. The man strains and sweats as he uses both hands to straighten a crooked picture frame on the wall.
Restructure: To restructure means to completely change the layout or organization of an object. The man takes apart a house and rearranges the walls, roof, and door into a new setup.
Reword: To reword means to express an idea using a completely different set of letters or words. The man pulls a long string of black letters from his mouth while throwing orange letters over his shoulder.
Replace: To replace means to take one thing out completely and put a new one in its place. The man detaches his own head and picks out a brand new face from a shelf of options.
Substitute: To substitute means to use an unusual item instead of the correct one. The man does not have a spoon, so he dips the tip of a leather shoe into his soup bowl to eat.
Amend: To amend means to change a written law or text to fix an error. A tiny construction worker uses a hammer to knock a patch directly into the page of a giant book.
Practice arranging sentence parts for better flow.
Here is a clunky sentence: 'The results were very good, and we didn't expect them to be, because the test was hard.' Drag and drop the sentence blocks below to 'restructure' it into a more academic, flowing format.
Faded example for choosing between modify and substitute.
Imagine you are revising an essay and receive this feedback: "Please swap out the weak evidence for stronger data." You need to replace the informal phrase "swap out" with a precise academic verb. The two candidate words for this revision are "modify" and "substitute". The expert chooses the word . This is the correct decision because to substitute means to the evidence entirely with something new. If we chose the other option, "modify", it would incorrectly imply that we only need to the existing evidence slightly. Selecting the exact academic verb ensures you follow the teacher's instructions perfectly.