Image Grammar The Five Brushstrokes

Compare the following images, the first written by a high school student… It was winter. Everything was frozen and white. Snow had fallen from the sky for days. The weather was horrible.

The second by well-known novelist Brian Jacques… Mossflower lay deep in the grip of midwinter beneath a sky of leaden gray that showed tinges of scarlet and orange on the horizon. A cold mantle of snow draped the landscape, covering the flatlands to the west. Snow was everywhere, filling the ditches, drifting high against the hedgerows, making paths invisible, smoothing the contours of earth in its white embrace.

Brushstroke 1 Participles: Verb ending in –ing or –ed that acts as an adjective. Adds more action to a description.

The diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey. Hissing, slithering, and coiling, the diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey.

Source: http://photography. nationalgeographic

Brushstroke 2 Absolute: A two-word combination—a noun and a participle added NEXT TO the item it is describing.

The cat climbed the tree. Claws digging, the cat climbed the tree.

Brushstroke 3 Appositives: A noun or noun phrase that adds a second image to a preceding noun. It expands details in the imagination.

The raccoon enjoys eating turtle eggs The raccoon enjoys eating turtle eggs. The raccoon, a midnight scavenger, enjoys eating turtle eggs.

Brushstroke 4 Adjectives out of order: Placing adjectives in a different order can be effective. Do not use too many “lists” of adjectives.

The large, red-eyed, angry moose charged the intruder The large, red-eyed, angry moose charged the intruder. The large moose, red-eyed and angry, charged the intruder.

Brushstroke 5 Active Action Verbs Eliminate the passive voice (using be + past participle—is taken, was written). Reduce being verbs.

Passive: The runaway horse was ridden into town by an old, white-whiskered rancher. Active: The old, white-whiskered rancher rode the runaway horse into town.

Add these to the back of your hwk 12. appositive 13. simile 14 Add these to the back of your hwk 12. appositive 13. simile 14. metaphor 15. personification 16. active voice verb