Vary Up Your Vocabulary

Take a look at the following paragraph describing a morning routine.

I got up out of bed at 6am and got my weary body into the shower. Sleepily humming to myself, I got a surprise when there was a knock on the bathroom door. I quickly got my towel and opened the door. It was my youngest daughter. She got awoken by my sleepy stumbling around and got out of bed herself. We went downstairs and I got breakfast for her and her sister. I got the toothpaste out and we all brushed our teeth. We got into our clothes after finishing breakfast and got into the car. On the way we got stuck in traffic (and got caught in a rain shower at the gates) but got to school just in time for the register.

What do you notice? That`s right - far too much use of the dreaded verb `got`! When we speak, this verb can be substituted as an informal replacement for a whole host of other - infinitely more descri ptive - words. Have a try at replacing `got` in each example. This is a great activity to try out before writing longer essays or stories because it encourages us to consider our choice of vocabulary and make careful, considered choices which enrich our work for the reader.