CC3 works the way you think, in a verb-object orientation. That is, if you want to "erase a circle," you first choose the ERASE command, then select the circle. We have found that for all but CC3 novices, this way is significantly simpler. However, you have the option to select entities first, first, and then select an editing command.
Activate this feature by choosing the Enable Left-button Preselecting option in the Preferences dialog box [Options > Preferences].
When ledt button preselect is enabled, CC3’s ready state displays the pick box cursor
The prompt reads "Command:". Using the pick box, select the entities you wish to edit. Hold down the CTRL key to de-select any entity that has been selected. If you fail to pick a valid entity, then the pick cursor transforms into a selection window cursor. Select two corners to draw a box; any entities that intersect or are inside the box are selected.
The prompt reads "Preselect entities (n picked)", where n is the number of entities selected. If you wish to cancel the intended edit, hit the ESC key. All entities will de-select and the "Command:" prompt will appear. If you wish to continue selecting more entities, you may. When you are done selecting entities, right-click.
The prompt reads "Command:". You can now click an edit button that will affect the selected entities.
Note that pre-selecting entities does not allow CC3 to verify for applicability. For instance, there is nothing to prevent you from selecting text, and then selecting [Edit > Change > Line Style]. Any unsuitable edit is simply ignored.