452 / Glossary
verse 1. poetry in general, sometimes more specifically poetry of a light or amus-
ing nature. 2. a stanza or short subdivision of a poem.
vertical file in a library, a file that contains bulletins, pamphlets, and other mis-
cellaneous publications, usually located in the reference section.
voice a verb form showing the connection between the subject and the verb, either
as performing (active voice) or receiving (passive voice) the action. [See active
voice, passive voice, and Parts of Speech in Chapter 42, Classification of Words.]
whole-by-whole organization in a comparison-and-contrast paragraph or
multi-paragraph paper, a method of organization that treats all subpoints of one
topic before moving on to treat all subpoints of the second topic. Compare with
part-by-part organization. [See Chapter 8, Comparison and Contrast, for a detailed
explanation and examples.]
wordiness the excessive use of words. [See Chapter 3, Revising, for an example of
wordiness and an explanation of methods for eliminating it.]