Painting Pictures with Words 5 Basic Brush Strokes

Participle Definition: Verbs ending in –ing or –ed used to create precise description. Function--- Used as adjectives, participles should be placed as close to the noun they describe in order to engage the reader’s senses and bring the picture to life.

Participle Example: The diamond-scaled snakes attacked the prey. Hissing, slithering, and coiling, the diamond scaled snakes attacked the prey. The diamond-scaled snakes attacked the injured prey. Hissing their forked-red tongues, the diamond-scaled snakes attacked the prey. (participle phrase)

Participle and Participle Phrases Panting and stretching, the player kicked the deflated ball. Paralyzed with fear and shaking in her shoes, Melody froze when she saw the slumping shadow. Laughing and splashing, he washed his hands in the ocean. Chuckling and playing, the clown smiled at the surprised audience. Stretching and twisting, the frightened kitten yawned.

Participle Practice sentences: Think of actions that are taking place in each sentence. He took his dog for a walk Mary was tired The car went into the parking lot

Participle Application: Yelling, and sweating, he took his dog for a walk. Defeated and recovering, Mary was tired. Turning, spinning, and sliding on the ice, the car went into the parking lot.

Practice Time Rewrite each of the following and add participles to each. The player kicked the ball. Melody froze when she saw the shadow. He washed his hands in the ocean. The clown smiled at the audience. The kitten yawned.

Absolute A two-word combination consisting of a noun and an -ing or –ed verb added onto a sentence. The absolute is always set off by a comma. Adds to the action of the image.

Absolute Practice sentences: The car went into the parking lot. The cat climbed the tree. Application: Engine smoking, gears grinding, the car went into the parking lot. “Claws digging, feet kicking, the calico cat climbed the tree.”

Absolute Application: Close your eyes and picture a mountain climber moving along a steep cliff. Visualize: “The mountain climber edged along the cliff.”

Absolute Adding two absolutes: “The mountain climber edged along the cliff, hands shaking, feet trembling.” Or… “Hands shaking, feet trembling, the mountain climber edged along the cliff”

Appositive When you add a secondary image to a noun, or previous image. An added description that is always set off by a comma.

Appositive Example: Instead of saying ”The raccoon enjoys eating turtle eggs,” it can be enhanced with an appositive: “The raccoon, a midnight scavenger, enjoys eating turtle eggs.

Appositive Practice sentences: Ms. Lark enjoys tormenting kids. Michael Phelps swam with precision. My brother’s car is the envy of all my friends.

Appositive Application: Mean old Ms. Lark, the red-headed Language Arts teacher, enjoys tormenting students. Michael Phelps, a U.S. gold medalist, swam with precision. My brother’s car, a sporty red convertible, is the envy of all my friends.

Shifted Adjectives Instead of placing three adjectives in front of a noun, a good writer will place one in front and put the other two behind the noun. Examples: ---Weak: The large, red-eyed, angry bull moose charged the intruder. ---Strong: The large bull moose, red-eyed and angry, charged the intruder.

Shifting Adjectives Application: --Weak: The trembling and frightened young pup scooted under the bed during the thunderstorm. --Strong: The young pup, trembling and frightened, scooted under the bed during the thunderstorm.

Action Verbs Go from passive voice to active voice by deleting the “Be” verbs. By using action verbs, writers cut down on the use of the passive voice and reduce being verbs thus energizing their imagery.

Action Verbs Passive example: The runaway horse was ridden into town by an old, white- whiskered rancher. Active example: The old, white-whiskered rancher rode the runaway horse into town. Passive example: Around the left side of the barn was a gravel road. Active example: The gravel road curled around the left side of the barn.