Transcript being verbs

Brushstrokes
*When painting: different styles of
brushstrokes are used to create a
masterpiece for the eyes to view.
*When writing: similarly, different styles of
brushstrokes are used to create a
masterpiece within the reader’s mind as they
read.
Participle
• A participle brush stroke can be
defined as an “ing” word or phrase
tagged onto the beginning or end of a
sentence.
• Racing to her car, the young lady
gathered her things and left.
Examples of Participles
Shivering
Crying
Snarling and growling
sinking his teeth into it
Flipping through the air
surging and wrestling with it
Living life to the fullest
Participles continued:
The young girl began to choke up
the sea water she had swallowed.
• Coughing, gasping, and wheezing, the young
girl began to choke up the sea water she
had swallowed.
• The participles evoke action. Now, we can
see the girl coughing, and gasping, and the
wheezing sound make us feel we are part
of the experience.
participial phrases = a participle
along with any modifiers that
complete the image.
• EXAMPLE:
– Coughing with all of her might and
gasping for air, the young girl began to
choke up the sea water she had
swallowed.
Participles can end in –ed
as well
• Rugged and scarred, his hands were
anxiously locked together awaiting
the news of the new arrival.
• Crying from the suspense, angered by
the fact that it was her fault,
Christina managed to remove herself
from the wrecked car and check the
other driver.
Your Turn – Get your paper and pencil/pen, and
add participles or participial phrases to the
following sentences.
• He sprinted into action.
• Rock climbing had become more than
a pass time to him.
• The children began to cheer at the
sight of the birthday cake.
• The eagle searched for his freedom.
Absolutes
Can be described as a
noun followed by a
participle.
Examples of Absolutes
• Hair styling
• mouth foaming
• Lips writhing and snarling
Ears laid back
Jaws clipping together
chest panting futilely
Body flashing forward
Muscles writhing and knotting like live
things under his silky fur (simile)
Core sentence:
The car went into the parking lot.
Adding an Absolute Brush Stroke
Engine smoking, gears
grinding, the car went into
the parking lot.
An absolute consists of a noun + an
“ing” word. You can add one or two
absolutes to the beginning or end
of the sentence.
• Engine smoking, gears grinding, the
car went into the parking lot.
• The car went into the parking lot,
wheels squeaking, bumper dragging.
• Absolutes are best used in
pairs.
• If you add three, or if you place
absolutes into the middle of a
sentence, they lose some of
their power to be effective.
= big no no!
The scuba diver made his
way along the ocean floor.
• Example: absolute
– Flippers kicking, bubbles releasing, The scuba
diver made his way along the ocean floor.
• Example: absolute phrase
– The scuba diver made his way along the ocean
floor, hands gliding across the bottom, eyes
searching for hidden treasures.
Absolutes:
• Now it is your turn. Take out your paper,
and add absolutes/absolute phrases
either at the beginning or at the end of
the following sentence.
• ARE YOU READY?
Add Absolutes/or absolute phrases:
• The spider was moving.
• The scientist viewed the specimen once
more.
• I glanced at my phone.
• The kitten pawed at the feather.
• The quarterback threw the pass.
• He squirmed out of the nest.
Appositives
Can be described as a
noun that describes
another noun.
Examples of Appositives:
• Angela Hudman, our English teacher,
wished us all a great weekend.
• Several students, both male and
female, kept track of their test
scores.
More examples of
Appositives:
• Christmas, my favorite holiday, keeps
me in the giving spirit.
• Living in another country, like Spain
or Germany, could be an exciting
experience.
Your turn:
Add appositives to the following
sentences.
• The tree swayed in the wind.
• Ocean waves tickled my feet.
• The diver peered under the rock and
found a shell.
• Life as a student is rough sometimes.
• The circus was so exciting to watch.
My examples:
The tree, a southern maple, swayed
in the wind
Ocean waves, with their tiny hands
of foam, tickled my feet.
The diver, an undersea expert,
peered under the rock and found a
shell.
Life as a student, living beneath
every other living thing, is rough
sometimes.
The circus, a show like no other, was
exciting to watch.
Adjectives-out-oforder
Can be described as 2 or 3 adjectives that
enhance a given noun in a sentence.
2 adjectives: after the noun it describes
3 adjectives: 1 before the noun, 2 after the noun
it describes
Adjectives out-of-order
• Adjectives out of order amplify the
details of an image.
• Professional writers avoid a three in
a row string of adjectives by leaving
one adjective in its original place and
shifts the other two after the noun.
Examples of Adjectives
Out-of-Order
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Ruthless
Swarthy
Sour and introspective
Mushy
Limp and draggled
parched and swollen
Calm and impartial
• ragged and unkempt
The snake slithered
across the desert.
• Add more description:
• The wise, rugged, stealthy snake
slithered across the desert.
• What is the effect? MORE DETAIL
paints a picture for you.
Adj. o-o-o:
Let’s enhance the image
• The wise snake, rugged and stealthy,
slithered across the desert.
• This sentence spotlights two of the
adjectives giving them more power
and sophisticated feel.
The large, red-eyed, angry bull moose
charged the intruder.
• The large bull moose, red-eyed and
angry, charged the intruder.
• The Pavilion was a simple building,
large and rectangular.
• I could smell my pillow, crisp and
starched, plumped by my momma.
Adj. out of order. Now it is your turn.
Place them correctly in each sentence:
• Her fragile, little, delicate fingers grasped
my hand
• His soiled, wrinkled, calloused hands
portrayed a life of hard labor.
• The careful, cautious, watchful mother
guarded her young .
Add adjectives out-of-order to the
following sentences. Come up with at
least 2 or 3 for the following
sentences:
• The woman smiled upon her grandson
with pride.
• The boxer felt no compassion for his
contender.
• The cheetah stared at the gazelle,
which would soon become his dinner.
ACTION verbs
Action verbs take the place of “passive” verbs
or “being” verbs.
Examples of Action
Verbs
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Sprang for his throat
sniffed
Wagged his tail
taunted him
Bristled his neck-hair and snarled
Whirled over
shrieked
Choked him
flung
throbbed
Crawled to his feet growled
BEING VERBS:
REPLACE THESE WITH ACTION VERBS!!!!
Am
Are
Were
Being
Is
Was
Be
Been
Example sentences
changing “being” verbs to
action verbs
• Being verb: The gravel road was on
the left side of the barn.
• Action verb: The gravel road curled
around the left side of the barn.
Action Verbs
• Writers can energize images with
action verbs.
• Verbs with a passive voice
communicate no action to the reader
(this makes the writing boring).
The image can be compared to a still
photograph with the subject of the action
frozen with the prepositions by or with.
• The horse was ridden into town by an
old rancher.
• The grocery store was robbed by
two young men.
Change the passive verb phrase with an
action verb.
• The old rancher rode the runaway
horse into town.
• Two young men robbed the grocery
store.
Action verbs replace still photos with motion
pictures. Read the following two paragraphs.
• Rockwell was a beautiful lake. Canada
geese could be heard across the water
bugling like tuneless trumpets. Near the
shore, two children were hidden behind a
massive maple tree. Watching quietly, they
hoped to see the first gosling begin to
hatch. Tiny giggles escaped their whispers
of excitement.
Final Draft
• Rockwell Lake echoed with the sounds of
Canada geese. Their honking bugled across
the water like tuneless trumpets. Two
children hid behind a massive maple tree.
They silently watched, hoping to see the
first gosling hatch. Tiny giggles escaped
their whispers of excitement.
Now it is your turn. Change the
passive verb or being verb to action.
• I went to the game with my friend.
• The little girl is sad.
• They were very grateful for my
contribution.
• The new car was totaled after only
a week!
• The tree is taller than I thought.
The Five Basic Brush Strokes
Core Sentence:
The car went into the parking lot.
• 1. Absolute: Engine smoking, gears grinding,
the car went into the parking lot.
• 2. Appositive: The car, a 1936 Ford, went
into the parking lot.
• 3. Participle: Sliding on the loose gravel, the
car went into the parking lot.
• 4. Adjectives Out-of-order: The car, dented
and rusty, went into the parking lot.
• 5. Action verb: The car chugged into the
parking lot.
All Brush strokes:
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PARTICIPLE
ACTION VERB
ADJECTIVES OUT-OF-ORDER
ABSOLUTE
APPOSITIVE
• Engine smoking, gears grinding, the car,
a 1936 Ford, dented and rusty, chugged
into the parking lot sliding on the loose
gravel.
Combining brushstrokes
• Rushing to her side, I calmly helped the
poor girl to her feet. The young lady,
sweet and innocent, had fallen a few
feet down the stairs before I reached
her. Breathless and confused, she stood
and awkwardly strolled to a nearby
bench. The young girl, known by her
friends as Alicia, had been hurt more
than I had first assumed.
Now it is your turn! Write a paragraph using
the brushstrokes.
• Remember:
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Participle = “ing” verb
Absolute = noun + “ing” verb
Appositives = noun + noun
Adj. out of order = 2 or 3 adj + noun
Action Verbs = replace existing verbs