Land and Power

Eight words for who holds the ground, and who reaches for it.

Meet each word one at a time, then take the quiz to lock them in.

1. 1 boundary noun
2. 2 strategy noun
3. 3 dominate verb
4. 4 conquer verb
5. 5 fertile adjective
6. 6 hostile adjective
7. 7 intensely adverb
8. 8 utterly adverb

Nelson's word

noun

Boundary. A noun, and one I file with care, because a boundary is a line that marks the edge of an area. It is the fence between two yards, the river between two farms, the drawn line where one country stops and the next begins. Nations have fought whole wars over a single boundary moved a mile. On a map I file it as a thin ink line; in the world it decides who owns what. State it precisely: a boundary is the edge, the exact place where one thing ends and another starts. Knowing the word means knowing where you stand.

The river forms the boundary between the two farms.

Nelson's word

noun

Strategy. A noun, and I file it under the careful plan you make for reaching a goal. It is not a single action; it is the whole plan behind the actions, thought out in advance. A general has a strategy for the campaign, a coach has a strategy for the game, a business has a strategy for the year. Anyone can react in the moment, but a strategy is decided before the moment arrives. File it near plan and design. When you read that a leader outlined a strategy, picture a plan drawn up ahead of time, aimed at one clear goal.

The coach explained the team's strategy before the final game.

Vinny's word

verb

Dominate! To control, to rule, to command a thing so completely that nothing else gets a say! When the champions dominate the match, they do not merely win; they run the whole field from the first whistle to the last. That is the verb, and it is mine, a verb of pure command. Feel the power in it. To dominate a game, a debate, a market is to stand over it and control every part. But hold onto the word, because right beside it stands its cousin conquer, and the two are not the same. To dominate is to hold power over. To conquer is to take it by force. We sort the difference in Practice.

The champions dominate every match from the opening whistle.

Vinny's word

verb

Conquer! To take control of a thing by force, to seize it, to win it in a fight! When an army conquers a city, it takes that city by strength. When the explorers conquer the mountain, they beat it with effort and will. That is the verb, and it is mine, a verb of victory won the hard way. Here is the secret that keeps it from its cousin dominate. To conquer is the moment of taking; to dominate is the long stretch of holding. First you conquer the peak, then you dominate the view. Learn the difference once, and you will never trade one for the other.

The explorers conquer the mountain after three hard days of climbing.

Jake's word

adjective

Fertile. Ah, a generous word, and it is mine. As an adjective, fertile describes land or life that produces plants, crops, or offspring in rich abundance. Fertile soil grows corn taller than a person; a fertile valley feeds a whole city. Its Frown is barren, the land where nothing will grow at all. Could we be more specific than saying the soil was good? We could say it was fertile, which tells the reader exactly why it was good: it produces, and it produces plenty. Same picture, sharper edges. Magnifique.

The fertile soil along the river grew corn taller than a person.

Jake's word

adjective

Hostile. A sharp word, and a useful one, and it is mine. As an adjective, hostile describes someone or something unfriendly and ready for conflict, leaning toward a fight. A hostile crowd, a hostile glare, two nations grown hostile over a crossed boundary. Its Frown is friendly, the opposite in every way. Could we be more specific than saying the two sides did not get along? We could say they were hostile, which tells the reader they were not merely cool toward each other; they were ready to clash. Choose the word that carries the tension.

The two nations grew hostile after the boundary was crossed.

Benny's word

adverb

Intensely. An adverb, and I own it the way Nelson owns his nouns. It tells you how strongly, how forcefully an action happens. The rivals do not just compete; they compete intensely, giving it everything they have. A fire does not just burn; it burns intensely. Here is your coaching: a plain verb tells the reader what happened, but intensely tells them how much force went into it. When you write that a team trained hard, make it sharper, and say the team trained intensely. You can always show the reader the strength, and intensely is how you do it.

The rivals competed intensely for the final spot on the team.

Benny's word

adverb

Utterly. An adverb, and mine, and a strong one. It means completely, absolutely, with nothing left over. A plan is not just wrong; it is utterly wrong. A room is not just quiet; it is utterly silent. Here is the coaching that makes it land: save utterly for when you truly mean all the way, because it leaves no room at all. If the old maps were utterly useless after the boundary shifted, then they were of no use whatsoever, not a scrap. You can push a word to its limit, and utterly is the word that takes it there. Use it when nothing less will do.

The old maps were utterly useless once the boundary shifted.