Craft Compelling Aims with Strong Verbs

Successful grant proposals have compelling aims. And the titles of those aims spark reviewers’ curiosity and excitement about the proposed work.

How do you spark curiosity and excitement? With the most powerful writing tools: verbs.

Verbs energize. They add action, vigor, clarity, meaning, and imagery to your writing. These features ignite emotions, such as curiosity and excitement, that engage readers.

But not all verbs are created equal. Some verbs are stronger than others.

Strong verbs show action by describing what happened. On the other hand, weak verbs say that something happened.

In aims titles, strong verbs are clear and compelling. They describe what you will do. Some common strong verbs in aims titles include identify, distinguish, create, calculate, establish, catalyze, and determine.

Aims titles with weak verbs are vague and listless. They say that you will do something, but not exactly what you will do.

What does a weak verb look like? Weak verbs occur in two main forms: To be verbs and vague verbs.

To be verbs

To be verbs include the words is, are, was, were, and been.

These verbs can be helpful for definitions:

Example 1.1

Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles.

 They can also be helpful for declarative statements:

Example 2.1

Smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer.

But, in general, to be verbs are the weakest verbs because they only show the action of simply being. In this way, to be verbs weaken aims.

Example 3.1

Determine whether cell proliferation is inhibited by catechin.

This aim title includes the verb is (and is written in passive voice). This aim could be stronger if rewritten.

Example 3.2

Determine whether catechin inhibits cell proliferation.

This version strengthens (and shortens) the aim by using a stronger verb (inhibits) and active voice.

Vague verbs

Vague verbs include words such as evaluate, assess, perform, conduct, and compare. These verbs show that something happened, but not specifically what happened.

In this way, vague verbs are weak. They are unclear, unfocused, and unenthusiastic.

Example 4.1

Assess metabolic pathways that promote the intracellular growth of E. coli.

In this example, assess is a vague verb that weakens the aim. A reviewer may question what exactly will be assessed.

With a stronger verb, you can strengthen the aim.

Example 4.2

Define metabolic pathways that promote the intracellular growth of E. coli.

Define is a stronger, more concrete verb that describes what you will assess. With this specificity, your reviewers will perceive your aim as more focused—you will define a pathway rather than assess something about it. Define also has more energy that will excite reviewers. And the combination of clarity (focus) and excitement (vigor) creates a compelling tone that gives your reviewers confidence in your proposed aim—and you.

Main Verbs and Derived Verbs

When crafting aims titles, you want to consider both the main verb and any derived verbs.

Example 5.1

Evaluate the effects of the compound on cell permeability.

In this aim title, the verb evaluate is vague. And the abstract noun effects (derived from the weak verb effect) is also vague. How will permeability be evaluated? What effects will be measured? And how will they be measured? The details are unclear.

With stronger verbs, you can enhance the clarity and energy of this aim title.

Example 5.2

Identify whether the compound disrupts cell permeability.

In this revised example, identify and disrupt are strong verbs that add energy and imagery to the aim title, giving the aim a more compelling tone.

Choose Strong Verbs for Compelling Aims

Strong verbs add clarity and energy to your aims that spark your reviewer’s curiosity and fuel their excitement. These emotions boost your reviewers’ confidence in your proposed project—enticing them to fund your proposal.