Don’t write like this:

Hillel, an important Jewish religious leader who was alive in the first century BCE, is the author of the famous question “If I am not for myself, who is for me?”

Many people are “for” us, or on our side. Our family is, of course, and so are our friends. And in modern life, if we find ourselves in trouble, there are lawyers we can hire, or if we are unable to pay a lawyer, there are public defenders. There are advocates for us if we are victims of discrimination, doctors for us if we are experiencing medical or psychological problems, and federal agencies to help if we are in distress after a natural disaster. There are lobbyists, publicists, ghostwriters, tutors, career coaches, life coaches, real estate agents, personal shoppers, and countless other kinds of professionals. All these people can be “for” us if we need or want them to be.

Instead, find some verbs that will work harder for you. In the following passage, many of the be verbs have been replaced by stronger verbs:

Hillel, an important Jewish religious leader who lived in the first century BCE, wrote the famous question “If I am not for myself, who is for me?”

Many people are “for” us, or on our side. Our family is, of course, and so are our friends. And in modern life, if we find ourselves in trouble, we can retain a lawyer or, if we cannot afford one, petition to have a public defender represent us. Advocates will speak out on our behalf if others discriminate against us, doctors will strive to cure or manage our medical or psychological problems, and federal agencies will step in if a natural disaster threatens to ruin us. We can hire lobbyists, publicists, ghostwriters, tutors, career coaches, life coaches, real estate agents, personal shoppers, and countless other kinds of specialists. All these people can be “for” us if we need or want them to be.

Although the verb be in its various forms — am, are, is, was, were — is versatile, and sometimes even irreplaceable, often it does only part of the job that a more substantial verb could do. For example, lived is a stronger, more direct way of saying was alive, and wrote is more concise than is the author of. Furthermore, placeholders such as there is and there are are notoriously weak ways to begin a sentence or a clause.