Highlight all the static verbs in your sample. Remember, they can exist in different forms and tenses, such as: "is," "are," "were," "was" or "will be." Examples of common static verbs are forms of: "to be," "to do," "to seem," "to appear" or any verb that describes one of the five senses.
Transfer a simple sentence containing a static verb to a blank sheet of paper. For instance, "I am a fierce advocate for the rights of the homeless in my work as a public defender."
Cross out the static verb and underline the next noun or noun phrase that appears in the sentence. For instance, "fierce advocate" follows "am" in the first example.
Translate the noun, if possible, into an active verb. For example, the noun phrase "fierce advocate" can become "fiercely advocate."
Rewrite the sentence to account for changes in verb form, tense or content. One version of the revised sentence may read: "I fiercely advocate for the rights of the homeless in my work as a public defender."
Practice replacing the static verbs in at least three other sentences.
Find and replace as many static verbs as you can in your writing.