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The 10 Most Common ChatGPT Verbs

There’s no question that verbs are invaluable for making your writing more clearer and precise, but ChatGPT favors them for different reasons.

This AI chatbot seems hellbent on using one too many verbs to evoke emotions and conjure up vivid images.

It prioritizes reader engagement above everything else, to the point where it outputs texts which are anything but engaging.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, ChatGPT reaches for the same verbs time and time again! This limitation is really disappointing when you consider that it can browse the internet.

We’ve compiled a list of the most commonly used verbs and we implore you to instruct ChatGPT to abide by this ‘blacklist’ so that your AI-generated texts benefit from a more expansive vocabulary.

1. Reshape

This verb is much-loved by real humans too, so it was inevitable that ChatGPT—which is trained on the patterns of human writing—would give it pride of place in its exclusive club of favorite verbs.

It looks like we only have ourselves to blame for this one.

2. Explore

You know ChatGPT is in a good mood when it mentions ‘explore’ in its responses.

It’s the kind of verb you’d use when you’re about to embark on an adventure, and wading through tons of information to gain an understanding of a complex topic is certainly ChatGPT’s version of an adventure.

3. Harness

This is definitely the chatbot’s go-to verb when conveying the idea of controlling or utilizing something.

Its obsession with ‘harness’ is even more pronounced when it comes to metaphorical usages, such as “The organization aimed to harness the creativity of its employees to drive innovation.”

4. Catalyze

ChatGPT absolutely adores language that describes a rapid increase in pace—we live in a fast-changing world, after all.

It has probably recognized a correlation between increased reader engagement and the use of powerful verbs like ‘catalyze’ to denote an accelerating change or process.

5. Weave

Whenever ChatGPT is tasked with breaking down highly complex topics and concepts for its users, it nearly always says something along the lines of “weaving together” various elements.

To be honest, it says the same thing when dealing with simple topics as well.

6. Emphasize

Although ’emphasize’ is a common ChatGPT verb, the high usage is mostly warranted.

If each and every point made was given equal weight, I think that would overwhelm the user—ChatGPT likes to emphasize certain points that it believes to be of utmost importance to the user, and this is commendable.

7. Elevate

Not only is this one of ChatGPT’s favorite verbs, it’s one of the most common AI words! Indeed, you can’t escape elevate in AI-generated texts whatever chatbot you use.

Worse still, if you use ChatGPT to write articles, then you can expect this word to pop up multiple times in the same piece of text.

8. Navigate

ChatGPT has an awful habit of introducing a topic as being totally mysterious, inexplicable, an unknown quantity, which sets the stage perfectly for using the verb ‘navigate’.

For example, “In times of uncertainty, it’s essential to navigate through challenges with a clear strategy.”

9. Leverage

It’s not enough to gain an understanding of something. Everyone wants to know how to take advantage of it to achieve a desired outcome, hence why ‘leverage’ gets as much use as it does.

Also note that this word is overused in the real world too, especially in the realm of business, and it appears the chatbot has picked up on this.

10. Seek

When you ask ChatGPT to write articles and guides and so forth (content creation is a very common prompt) it often announces its intentions in the introduction e.g. “This article seeks to”.

I think what has happened here is the makers of ChatGPT gave it extensive training on academic writing.