Creating a plot made easy

 

The 4 elements needed to create a dynamic plot are:

1.     The hero/heroine’s goal (what he/she wants)

2.     The hero/heroine’s issue (the internal conflict that’s keeping him/her from her goal)

3.     Obstacles in the hero/heroine’s path (the external conflict that’s keeping him/her from his/her goal)

4.     The results of dealing with his/her internal issue (change)

 

In summary then, every plot needs a goal, conflict, overcoming obstacles, resolution. Looking close at this list should remind you of the story arc: Introduction, build, climax, resolution. The story arc is the chain on which the pearls of your novel are strung. You can think of story arc as the things that happen—the scenes or episodes—from the beginning of the novel to its conclusion. The story arc—also called a narrative arc—is the same thing as plot.

 

Impersonal Verbs

 https://www.grammarly.com/blog/impersonal-verbs/

Have you ever used an impersonal verb? Of course you have, you just didn’t know it.

Impersonal verbs are verbs that do not use a specific subject, but instead use the generic subject it. They’re often called “weather verbs” or “meteorological verbs” because they’re commonly used to describe the weather, like in the impersonal verb examples “it’s raining” or “it’s snowing.” 

Although they’re fairly straightforward, impersonal verbs can be confusing if you don’t know how they work. Below we explain what they are and how to use them, plus we provide an impersonal verbs list so you can learn to recognize them. 

Unlike other verbs, impersonal verbs don’t use what’s called a “determinate subject,” which is a subject that describes something specific, like the person or thing doing an action. Instead, they mostly use the impersonal pronoun it, which does not represent anything in particular. In other words, impersonal pronouns don’t specify who or what does the action, the action just happens on its own. 

Impersonal verbs usually refer to the weather or other general conditions, like light and dark, but they can also be used with certain idioms or common phrases, which we will explain later. 

In other languages, stating the subject of a verb is sometimes optional, but English requires the subject be stated for all sentences except imperatives (commands), which use the “understood” second-person subject. So while in Spanish you can say that it’s raining by shouting “llueve!” in English it’s incorrect to shout only “is raining!” because that’s not a complete sentence. You need to add the impersonal pronoun it as the subject. 

With impersonal verbs, the subject it doesn’t actually mean anything; it’s more like a placeholder because the sentence needs a subject. When we say things like “it’s storming” or “it occurred to me,” the subject it doesn’t represent anything in particular. For this reason, the subject of an impersonal verb is sometimes called a “dummy subject.” 

Some verbs are always impersonal, but sometimes normal verbs can act like impersonal verbs depending on how they’re used. For example, the verbs be and happen can act as impersonal verbs when used to talk about the weather or certain general conditions. 

Why is it so hot today?

It’s darker in here than it is outside. 

It happened to rain during our camping trip. 

The majority of impersonal verbs relate to the weather, but not all. Certain idioms and phrases use otherwise normal verbs as impersonal verbs. 

So it’s come to this. 

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to war. 

Likewise, the verb phrase looks like can act as an impersonal verb when used in a generic sense or when used to talk about the weather. 

It looks like a win for San Lorenzo. 

It looks like a storm is coming. 

The verb occur has one particular meaning that causes it to act as an impersonal noun: when something comes to mind. 

It occurred to them too late that the whole thing was a scam. 

Be careful not to confuse impersonal verbs with their noun forms. For example, the impersonal verb snow can also be used as a noun, in this case the mass noun snow. Although spelled the same, the verb snow functions very differently than the noun snow, so you’ll have to consider the context to tell the difference.  

Why are they called weather verbs?

Impersonal verbs are often called “weather verbs” or “meteorological verbs” because, simply, we use them to talk about the weather. Most impersonal verbs are directly linked to weather, such as rain, storm, snow, and thunder. 

Some weather verbs are not always impersonal and have other meanings unrelated to the weather. For example, pour can be used to talk about moving liquids, and in this case it is not impersonal and requires a standard subject. 

The scientist poured the acid into a safe container. 

However, when the meaning of pour is “to rain heavily,” pour becomes an impersonal verb. 

It’s pouring outside, so I’m taking an umbrella. 

What is valency?

In grammar, the valency or valence of a verb refers to how many elements in a sentence depend on that verb. Let’s look at transitive and intransitive verbs as an example. With an intransitive verb like sleep, only the subject is connected to the verb, so the verb has a valency of one. With a transitive verb like give, both the subject and the direct object are connected to the verb, so the verb has a valency of two, and when there’s also an indirect object, it has a valency of three. 

Impersonal verbs, however, have a valency of zero. That’s what makes them special. The only reason they take a subject at all is because English grammar rules require it.

Writing with impersonal verbs

Aside from their subject, impersonal verbs work like every other verb. You can still use impersonal verbs in different tenses, like the present perfect or future continuous, and you can use them with modal verbs, like can or might. Just look at these impersonal verbs examples below: 

It snows all the time here. 

It has snowed every day this week.

It will be snowing all month. 

It can snow as long as the temperature stays cold.  

As you can see from these examples, impersonal verbs use the third-person singular conjugation to match the subject it, no matter the tense, even when used with the contraction it’s. 

It’s snowing outside. (It is snowing outside.) 

There is only one exception to this rule, which we will address below. 

As mentioned above, some normal verbs can act impersonal depending on their usage. These include some irregular verbs or expressions that use irregular verbs, such as the idiom go without saying or the verb get when used to describe the weather or general conditions. Even when acting as impersonal verbs, irregular verbs still use their same unique conjugations. 

It goes without saying that smoking is dangerous. 

I thought it went without saying, but I guess not. 

In summer it gets dark in the late evening. 

Why has it gotten dark already?

While nearly all impersonal verbs use the impersonal pronoun it as their subject, there’s one common impersonal verb phrase that doesn’t. The impersonal verb phrase they say uses the impersonal pronoun they instead of it. This phrase refers to common knowledge or popular adages, so in this case, they doesn’t actually refer to anyone or any group in particular. 

They say all that glitters is not gold. 

They say spring is a time of new beginnings. 

Note that with the impersonal pronoun they, the verb takes the third-person plural conjugation rather than the third-person singular conjugation that all other impersonal verbs take.

Impersonal verbs examples

Luckily, there aren’t many impersonal verbs, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble using them. Here’s an impersonal verbs list, featuring the most common ones in English. Words and phrases with asterisks mean that they are not always impersonal, depending on the meaning. 

• be*
• blizzard
• come to*
• darken*
• drizzle*
• get*
• go without saying*
• hail*
• happen*
• look like*
• occur*
• pour*
• rain
• say*
• sleet
• snow
• storm
• thunder

Impersonal verbs FAQs 

What are impersonal verbs?

Impersonal verbs are verbs that do not use a specific subject, but instead use the impersonal pronoun it as a generic subject. 

How do impersonal verbs work in English vs. other languages?

Because English sentences almost always require a subject, impersonal verbs must use a generic subject, like the impersonal pronoun it. In some other languages, subjects are optional, so this rule does not apply. 

Why are they sometimes called weather verbs? 

Impersonal verbs are often called “weather verbs” or “meteorological verbs” because they are used to describe the weather, such as the verbs rain, snow, storm, and thunder. Even other verbs can temporarily act as impersonal verbs when discussing the weather, such as the verb be, as in, “It is cold today.”

 

What is a participle?

 

Grammarly to the rescue (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/participle/)

A participle is a form of a verb used as either an adjective (“the hidden treasure”) or a part of certain tenses (“we are hiding the treasure”). Participles have two different types, the present participle and past participle, and participles used as adjectives can form a longer participle phrase (“Hidden in the bushes, the treasure was hard to see”). 

Participles are common in English, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to understand. In this guide, we explain the different types of participles, how to use them properly, and how to avoid the infamous dangling participle, a common grammatical mistake. 

Using a participle 

Participles are a particular form of verb that has two main purposes: 

1 Turn the verb into an adjective to modify nouns.

2 Connect with auxiliary verbs to create different tenses, such as the present perfect tense.

Here’s an example of participles used as adjectives: Let’s say you’re at a zoo looking at otters. One otter is eating, and another is swimming. You could distinguish them by saying, “Look at the eating otter” or “Look at the swimming otter.” In these examples, the verbs eat and swim are not acting as verbs; they’re acting as adjectives because they modify the noun otter. 

Be careful not to confuse participles with infinitives, another form of verb that can modify nouns. Infinitives usually have the word to at the beginning, whereas participles do not. 

[participle] a refreshing drink

[infinitive] a drink to refresh 

The second purpose of participles is to create different verb tenses, specifically the perfect tenses and continuous tenses. For example, if you are doing something now or in the near future, you use the present continuous tense, which is formed with the verb be and a present participle, or -ing form, of the verb. 

I am eating lunch right now. 

Every verb has participle forms, even impersonal verbs. Moreover, there are two different types of participles—the present participle and the past participle—so each verb has a couple of different participles you can choose from. 

Let’s look at each type individually. 

What is a present participle?

The present participle is used in the continuous tenses or as an adjective describing an action that is currently taking place. 

The bird is singing outside my window. 

The singing bird is outside my window. 

For most verbs, you form the present participle by adding –ing to the end. 

[main verb] go

[present participle] going

However, there are some special rules for words ending in -c, –ie, or a silent –e, as well as for words ending in one vowel and one consonant. 

For verbs ending in –c, just add a -k before –ing. 

panic

panicking

For verbs ending in -ie, change the –ie into a –y before adding –ing. 

tie

tying

For verbs ending in a silent -e, simply drop the -e and then add –ing. 

change

changing

Please note that this does not include words ending in a double –e. Verbs that end in –ee follow the standard rules. 

see

seeing

For verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant before adding –ing. 

run

running

admit

admitting

There are exceptions to this rule, however. If a word ending in a single vowel and a single consonant has two syllables but the second syllable is not stressed, you can add –ing without changing anything. 

visit

visiting

(In UK English, if a word ends in a single vowel and an l, like cancel, you double the l before –ing, as in cancelling. In American English, you would use canceling because the second syllable is not stressed.)

How to use the present participle in the continuous tenses

The present participle, along with a conjugated form of the verb be, is an essential part of the continuous tenses. When using a continuous tense, only the main verb is conjugated—the present participle always uses the same –ing form in the present continuous, past continuous, and future continuous tenses. 

Present continuous

[present form of be] + [present participle]

She is going to the game tonight. 

Past continuous

[past form of be] + [present participle]

I was sleeping when my cat jumped on my head. 

Future continuous

[will] + [be] + [present participle]

They will be running for mayor in the next election. 

How to use the present participle in the perfect continuous tenses

Just like the standard continuous tenses, the present participle is also used for the perfect continuous tenses: the present perfect continuous, past perfect continuous, and future perfect continuous. Again, the same form of the present participle is used in all three. 

Present perfect continuous

[has/have] + [been] + [present participle]

I couldn’t see the film because I have been working late all week. 

Past perfect continuous

[had] + [been] + [present participle]

The plane had been flying normally before lightning struck the wing. 

Future perfect continuous

[will] + [have] + [been] + [present participle]

In September, we will have been dating for two years. 

What is a past participle?

The past participle is used in the perfect tenses or as an adjective describing an action that has already been completed. It’s also a key component in using the passive voice, which we explain further down. 

I have completed my paper already. 

I turned in my completed paper. 

For regular verbs, the past participle is the same as the simple past tense. That means you simply add –ed to the end. 

[main verb] walk

[past participle] walked

Just like with the present participle, there are special rules for verbs that end in -c, -e, or a consonant and –y, as well as for words ending in one vowel and one consonant. 

For verbs ending in -c, you first add a –k before –ed. 

picnic

picnicked

For verbs ending in –e, add only –d. 

hope

hoped

For verbs ending in a consonant and –y, replace the –y with an –i before adding –ed. 

study

studied

For verbs ending in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant before adding –ed. 

stop

stopped

prefer

preferred

Just like with present participles, if a word ending in a single vowel and single consonant has two syllables but the second syllable is not stressed, you add –ed without changing anything.

listen

listened

The hardest part about past participles is irregular verbs. Many irregular verbs have unique past participles that don’t follow the normal rules. Unfortunately, you just have to memorize each irregular verb and its special past participle. 

[irregular verb] see

[past participle] seen

[irregular verb] do

[past participle] done

Feel free to review our complete list of irregular verbs, which includes their correct past participles. 

How to use the past participle in the perfect tenses

The past participle is a necessary part of the perfect tenses: the present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect. Although the auxiliary verbs may change, the past participle remains the same in each perfect tense. 

Present perfect

[has/have] + [past participle]

They have practiced for this moment their whole life.  

Past perfect

[had] + [past participle]

By the time the cops arrived, the thief had left. 

Future perfect

[will] + [have] + [past participle]

I will have gone home already when the pizza comes. 

How to use the past participle in the passive voice

In the debate of active vs. passive voice, we recommend using the active voice whenever possible. However, in certain circumstances the passive voice is unavoidable. In these cases, use the conjugated form of the verb be together with the past participle. 

[conjugated form of be] + [past participle]

I am known for my anonymity. 

The gunslinger was followed through the desert. 

What is a participial phrase?

Because a participle can act as an adjective, it can also create an adjective phrase, which in this case is known as a “participial phrase.” Similar to other adjective phrases, participial phrases are groups of words starting with a participle that work together to describe a noun. 

We tried to avoid the person wearing a clown costume. 

The other words in a participial phrase relate to how the action in the participle is performed. In the example above, wearing is the participle and a clown costume explains what was being worn, but the entire phrase works together to describe the person. 

Likewise, participial phrases can involve prepositional phrases that describe the participle’s action, such as when or where it is performed. 

Walking on the beach, we saw the clown again. 

Use a comma after a participial phrase if it comes at the beginning of a sentence. However, if the participial phrase comes after the noun it’s modifying, no comma is necessary. 

The scary clown saw us walking on the beach. 

Always place a participial phrase directly next to the noun it’s modifying, or else you risk creating a grammatical mistake known as the dangling participle, explained below. 

What are perfect participles?

Perfect participles are a type of participial phrase that starts with having because they use the perfect tense. They are quite useful in communicating the order in which things happen, such as showing an event or situation that existed before a second event or situation. 

Having visited Rome before, I became the unofficial tour guide. 

Technically, there are two participles in a perfect participle. The first is the adjective participle form of the word have, in this example having, and the second is the past participle used in the present perfect tense, in this example visited.

If you get confused, try breaking the sentence into two new sentences. 

I have visited Rome before. I became the unofficial tour guide.  

What is a dangling participle? 

A dangling participle, also known as a dangling modifier, is when a participial phrase modifies the wrong noun because it is placed incorrectly. Remember that participial phrases modify the noun directly next to them, so if they’re placed in the wrong spot, their meaning changes. 

Driving down the highway, my dog stuck her head out the window.

In this example of a dangling participle, the participial phrase driving down the highway relates to the noun next to it, in this case the noun phrase my dog. That means this sentence is correct only if the dog was actually driving! 

When starting a sentence with a participial phrase, always be careful about what noun comes after it. You may need to reword your sentence to make it correct. 

While I was driving down the highway, my dog stuck her head out the window.

Participle Review

What is a participle?

A participle is the form of a verb that’s used as either an adjective or a part of another verb tense like the perfect or continuous tenses. 

What are the different kinds of participles?

There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles. The present participle is used for the continuous tenses, and the past participle is used for the perfect tenses. Both can be used as adjectives.

What are participial phrases?

Participial phrases are a type of adjective phrase that begins with a participle. In the example “A man wearing a cowboy hat,” the participial phrase is wearing a cowboy hat.