“Was” Usage Replacement

Samples of how to rewrite sentences that use the passive “was”.

By Eugene Orlando

1. All Regina wanted to do was cry. = Regina only wanted to cry.

2. She was laughing. = She laughed.

3. …because so much hope was embedded in her dreams. = … because so much hope lay embedded in her dreams.

4. Regina was left alone (Whoever left Regina provided the action). = Regina faced her loneliness (Regina provided the action).

5. On the periphery was a deep canal. = A deep canal loomed on the periphery.

6. It was awkward to see him walk with a limp. = She found it awkward watching him walk with a limp.

7. Her body was all clean. = Her body sparkled with cleanliness.

8. The one thing about it was that it was morbid. = Its morbidity became apparent right away.

9. What troubled her the most was how far past Thursday midnight they were. = Being far past Thursday midnight troubled her.

10. It was in the design of a pentagon. = The design resembled a pentagon.

11. It was like watching a circus of wild humans. = Its appearance resembled a circus of wild humans.

12. When she was close enough to them, she reached out. = As she drew nearer to them, she reached out.

13. That kind of behavior was prevented by DNA manipulation. = DNA manipulation prevented that kind of behavior.

14. When she was at Harvard, she succeeded quite well. = She succeeded quite well at Harvard.

15. She picked her nose when no one was looking. = She picked her nose without anyone spying her.

16. The foundling hospital was a disheartening result of a monstrous problem. = A disheartening result of a monstrous problem defined the foundling hospital.

17. It was a pink dress with a long-waisted, figure-hugging bodice boned in the front. = The pink dress featured a long-waisted, figure-hugging bodice boned in the front.

18. I thought John was still mad at me for the evening I blew up. = I suspected anger still fumed inside John over the evening I blew up.

19. I knew he was a pushover. = I knew of his soft reputation.

20. Though he was going away soon, I refused to thank him. = Though he would soon leave, I refused to thank him.

21. I was determined that nothing should ruin our wonderful evening. = My determination demanded that nothing should ruin our wonderful evening.

22. The bedcovers were thrown on the floor. = The bedcovers lay strewn on the floor.

23. I was greeted by everyone except Miss Baker. = Everyone greeted me except Miss Baker.

24. Edie’s happiness was short lived. = Edie’s happiness died quickly.