Using Brush Strokes in Writing
Writers can paint images for the reader using a writer’s brush
strokes
Adding Absolute Brush Strokes
– an absolute consists of a noun and an –ing verb
D1
Example of Absolute Brush Strokes
Jaws snapping, teeth grinding, the alligator lunged at the dog.
D1
Absolute Brush Strokes Painted by the author, Anne Rice
The mummy was moving. The mummy’s right arm was outstretched, the torn wrappings hanging from it, as the being stepped out of its gilded box! The scream froze in her throat. The thing was coming towards her---towards Henry, who stood with his back to it-- moving with a weak, shuffling gait, that arm outstretched before it, the dust rising from the rotting linen that covered it, a great smell of dust and decay filling the room.
• --- The Mummy by Anne Rice
D1
Can You Identify the Absolute Brush Strokes?
• Mind racing, anxiety overtaking, the diver peered once more at the specimen.
D1
Absolute Brush Strokes
• Mind racing, anxiety overtaking, the diver peered once more at the specimen.
D1
Identify Absolute Brush Strokes
• Jaws cracking, tongue curling, the kitten yawned tiredly, awaking from her nap.
D1
Absolute Brush Strokes
• Jaws cracking, tongue curling, the kitten yawned tiredly, awaking from her nap.
D1
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes before you write, zoom in close with your visual
and imaginative eye.
________________, ________________, the puppy sprinted across the yard.
D1
Identify the Absolute Brush StrokeReview
I glanced at my clock, digits glowing florescent blue in the darkness of night.
D2
Identify the Absolute Brush Stroke Review
I glanced at my clock, digits glowing florescent blue in the darkness of night.
D2
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes – before you write, zoom in close with your visual and
imaginative eye.
______________, ___________, the skate boarder performed a stunt.
D2
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes
Nerves wrenching, knees pulsating, the skate boarder performed a stunt
D2
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes
_____________, _____________, the father yelled at his son.
D2
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes
Finger pointing, nerves shattering, the father yelled at his son.
D2
Add two absolute brush strokes
_____________, ________________, the mountain climberedged along the cliff.
D3
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes
Lips quivering,hands shaking,the mountain climberedged along the cliff.
D3
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes – before you write, zoom in close with your visual and
imaginative eye.
______________, ___________, the skier raced down the steep slopes.
D3
Add two Absolute Brush Strokes
Legs shaking, heart pumping, the skier raced down the steep slopes.
D3
Cloze Activity – Absolute Brush Stroke
What is an absolute brush stroke?
– an absolute consists of a noun and an –ing verb
D4
Cloze Activity – Absolute Brush Stroke
Write an example of an absolute brush stroke, using one of the following two images.
D4
Appositive Brush Strokes
– after a noun in a basic sentence, you can add another noun phrase, set if off with commas, and paint a second image in the mind of the
reader.
D1
Appositive Brush Strokes
The race car driver, an exhausted father who feared crashing, was relieved when the race was over.
D1
Appositive Brush Strokes by the author, Cornelius Ryan
Plowing through the choppy gray waters, a phalanx of ships, fast new attack transports, slow rust-scarred freighters, small ocean liners, channel steamers, hospital ships, weather-beaten tankers, and swarms of fussing tugs, bore down on Hitler’s Europe.
June 6, 1944: The Longest Day
D1
Identify the Appositive Brush Stroke
The volcano, a ravenous god of fire, spewed forth lava and ash across the mountain.
D1
Appositive Brush Strokes
The volcano, a ravenous god of fire, spewed forth lava and ash across the mountain.
D1
Identify the Appositive Brush Stroke
The old Navajo woman, a weak and withered lady, stared blankly.
D1
Appositive Brush Stroke
The old Navajo woman, a weak and withered lady, stared blankly.
D1
Identify the Appositive Brush Stroke
The waterfall, a tilted pitcher, poured the fresh, pure spray into the creek.
D1
Appositive Brush Strokes
The waterfall, a tilted pitcher, poured the fresh, pure spray into the creek.
D1
Add Your Own Appositive Brush Stroke
The runner, _________________________________, couldn’t help but feel that he was too old for this type of activity.
D1
Add Your Own Appositive Brush Stroke
The runner, a retired basketball player who panted heavily , couldn’t help but feel that he was too old for this type of activity.
D1
Identify the Appositive Brush Stroke
The fish, a slimy mass of flesh, felt the alligator’s giant teeth sink into its scales as it struggled to get away.
D2
Appositive Brush Strokes
The fish, a slimy mass of flesh, felt the alligator’s giant teeth sink into its scales as it struggled to get away.
D2
Add Your Own Appositive Brush Stroke
The model,______, sashayed down the runway.
D2
Add Your Own Appositive Brush Stroke
The model, a tall girl at 5’10” who just graduated from modeling school, sashayed down the runway.
D2
Appositive Brush Stroke
The car,_________________, drove into the parking lot.
D2
Appositive Brush Stroke
The car, a flashy speeding machine, drove into the parking lot.
D2
Appositive Brush Stroke
The soldier, ______________________________________________, returned from the war a changed man.
D2
Create two sentences with Appositive Brush Strokes using the
following images
D3
Create two sentences with Appositive Brush Strokes using the
following images
D4
Cloze Activity – Appositive Brush Stroke
What is an appositive brush stroke?
– after a noun in a basic sentence, you can add another noun phrase, set if off with commas, and paint a second image in the mind of the reader.
D5
Adding a Participle Brush Stroke
A participle is similar to an absolute brush stroke, but without the noun. It can be
defined as an –ing word (or an –ing phrase) tagged onto the beginning, middle, or the end
of a sentence.
D1
An Example of a Participle Phrase Brush Stroke
Swinging from limb to limb, Tarzan believed he was the king of the jungle.
D1
An Example of a Participle Brush Strokes
Drooling, yapping, and pacing, the dog hoped its owner would give it the treat he had just removed from the plastic container.
D1
Participle Brush Strokes Painted by the author, Ernest Hemingway
• Shifting the weight of the line to his left shoulder and kneeling carefully, he washed his hand in the ocean and held it there, submerged, for more than a minute, watching the blood trail away and the steady movement of the water against his hand as the boat moved.
• --- Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
D1
Identify the Participle Brush Strokes
Melody froze, dripping with sweat, hoping with all her might that they wouldn’t hear the noise. A beam of light swung out into the darkness, searching.
D1
Participle Brush Strokes
Melody froze, dripping with sweat, hoping with all her might that they wouldn’t hear the noise. A beam of light swung out into the darkness, searching.
D1
Identify the Participle Brush Stroke
Flying through the air on the wings of a dream, the Olympic long jumper thrust the weight of his whole body forward.
D1
The Participle Brush Stroke
Flying through the air on the wings of a dream, the Olympic long jumper thrust the weight of his whole body forward.
D1
Add Your Own Participle Brush Stroke
-ing, -ing, -ing, __________________________________, the young boy wailed in fear.
D1
Identify the Participle Brush Stroke
The clown, appearing bright and cheerful, smiled and did his act with unusual certainty for someone who had just injured a man.
D2
Find the Participle Brush Stroke
The clown, appearing bright and cheerful, smiled and did his act with unusual certainty for someone who had just injured a man.
D2
Add Your Own Participle Phrase Brushstroke
The car, __________________________
landed between the trees.
D2
Add Your Own Participle Phrase Brushstroke
The car, flying gracefully through the air, landed between the trees.
D2
Add Your Own Participle Phrase Brushstroke
__________________________,
the python chewed the electric fence.
D2
Gnawing and writhing in agony, the python chewed the electric fence.
D2
Add Your Own Participle Phrase Brushstroke
__________________________,
the surfer tackled the mighty wave.
D3
Knees locking on the short board, the surfer tackled the mighty wave.
D3
Add Your Own Participle Phrase Brushstroke
The Olympic
diver,___________________________________, made the perfect dive.
D3
The Olympic diver, entering the ocean triumphantly , made the perfect dive.
D3
Create two sentences with Participle phrases using the
following images
D4
What is a participle phrase?
Cloze Activity – Participle Phrase brush Stroke
an –ing word (or an –ing phrase) tagged onto the beginning, middle, or the end of a sentence.
D5
Cloze Activity – Participle Phrase Brush Stroke
Write an example of a participle phrase
brush stroke, using one of the following two images in the MIDDLE of the sentence.
D5
Adding “Adjectives Out-of-Order” Brush Strokes
(Two consecutive adjectives are positioned AFTER the noun)
D1
D5
Review: What is an adjective?
an adjective is a word that describes a noun
D1
Tall womanScared childDirty pond
How can we use an Adjectives Out-of-Order brush stroke to improve this sentence?
His soiled, wrinkled, and calloused hands portrayed a life of hard labor.
D1
Use an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke!
His wrinkled hands, soiled and calloused, portrayed a life of hard labor.
D1
Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Strokes written by the author, Sir Arthur Conan
DoyleAnd then, suddenly, in the very dead of the night, there came a sound to my ears, clear, resonant, and unmistakable. ---
The Hound of the Baskervilles
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle D1
Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Strokes written by the author, Robert Newton Peck
I could smell Mama, crisp and starched, plumping my pillow, and the cool muslin pillowcase touched both my ears as the back of my head sank into all those feathers.
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
D1
Another Example of an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke
The cheetah, determined and hungry, chased the gazelle, which would soon become his dinner.
D1
Another example of an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke
• Matilda Smith, exhilarated, proud, and speechless, held her newborn great-grandson.
D1
Use an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke to enliven this sentence.
Sad-eyed, goofy Jim couldn’t get a date to the prom.
D1
Using an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke
Jim, sad-eyed and goofy, couldn’t get a date to the prom.
D1
Use an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke to enliven this sentence.
The young, nimble, and well-trained gymnast clearly outclassed her amateurish opponents.
D2
Using an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke
The gymnast, young, nimble, and well-trained, clearly outclassed her amateurish opponents.
D2
Use an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke to enliven the sentence.
The twisted and tormented boxer felt no compassion for his contender.
D2
Using an Adjectives-Out-of-Order Brush Stroke
The boxer, twisted and tormented, felt no compassion for his contender.
D2
Write an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke sentence by filling in the blanks with adjectives that create a visual
image.
The ______ student, ___________ and _____________, cried on her way home from school.
D3
Write an Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke sentence by filling in the blanks with adjectives that create a visual
image.
The ______ student, ___________ and _____________, gnawed the spine of his ancient history book.
D3
Write 3 of Your Own “Adjectives Out-of-Order” Sentences.
D4
Cloze Activity – Adjectives Out-of-Order Brush Stroke
What is an “Adjectives Out-of-Order” Brush Strokes?
When two consecutive adjectives are positioned AFTER the noun.
D5
Review
Cloze ActivityThe following excerpt, taken from Ray Bradbury’s novel, The Sound of Thunder, contains FOUR of the five brush strokes.
On your paper write the following colors:BluePurpleRedOrange
And next to each color write which of the following brush strokes is being used:
Action VerbAbsoluteAdjectives out of orderParticiple phraseAppositive Phrase
Example of all five brush strokes in one paragraph
Use this image for the closing paragraph on the next page
Cloze Activity
Copy the following paragraph and fill in each brush stroke.
Recommended
