Transcript Image Grammar

Using Grammatical Structures to Teach Writing
For Teachers
Based on the book Image Grammar by Harry Noden
 Participles
 Absolutes
 Appositives
 Action
Verbs
 Adjectives Shifted Out of Order
http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumb
view_approve/2296341/2/istockphoto_22
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◦Definition:
 “-ing” words or phrases tagged on the
beginning or the end of a sentence
 Example: “-ing” = present participle;
“-ed”= past participle
◦What they can do:
 Add description to an otherwise bland
sentence or string of sentences. Specifically,
they give motion to a sentence.
The soccer player kicked the ball.
Grunting and arching with effort,
the soccer player kicked the ball,
The fish was caught on the line.
Rising from the water, the fish,
caught on the line, thrashed
violently.
www.floridasportsman.com/.../cobia/9904-56.jpg
◦Definition:
 Simply put, they are nouns + an “-ing”
participle.
◦What they can do:
 Add description to a noun, a subject, or
a phrase acting as a noun.
The mountain climber edged along
the cliff.
The mountain climber edged along
the cliff, hands shaking, feet
trembling.
www.freesoloist.com/page14.html
I ran to catch the bus.
◦Definition:
 A noun phrase that adds a second
description, image, or idea to a previous
noun.
 Simply, it means that you ‘re-name’ a
noun with a word or a phrase.
◦What they can do:
 Add more description to the subject
(person, place, thing, idea) of sentences.
The boat bobbed lifelessly in the
Lake Michigan swells.
The boat, a small weathered trawler
with a faded inscription -- “Lucky
Lady” --on the stern, bobbed
lifelessly in the Lake Michigan
swells.
www.aquafind.com/wholesalefish.php
www.aquafind.com/wholesalefish.php
I ran to catch the bus.
◦Definition:
 Avoid “passive” voice: It was raining. I
had been reading. The cookies were
taken. (Watch out for “be” verbs.)
 Use a verb that does something!
◦What they can do:
 Give a sentence ACTION and movement.
The snake was under the porch.
The snake waited under the porch.
http://thinkinginvain.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
I ran to catch the bus.
Shifted Out
of Order
◦Definition:
 Adjectives are descriptive words that
help color and enhance pictures in
reader’s minds.
◦What they can do:
 Give a “safe” and “ordinary” sentence
more sophistication.
Shifted Out
of Order
The young, nimble, and well-trained
gymnast clearly outclassed her
amateurish opponents.
The gymnast, young, nimble, and welltrained, clearly outclassed her
amateurish opponents.
http://photo.kstaken.com/pictures/gymnast1.jpg
http://photo.kstaken.com/pictures/gymnast1.jpg
I ran to catch the bus.
Look back over your practice sentences. Pick
and choose parts (brush strokes) that you
thought were particularly effective, and see
what you can come up with for a final
sentence.
Just like in art, the basic brush strokes are
meant to be combined and to work
together.
This slide presentation is meant to
be a GUIDED tutorial and is meant to
be shown as a slide show to
illustrate the brush strokes.
See speaker’s notes for ideas on how
to use the slides.
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This is a brief introduction and overview of
Harry Noden’s 5 Basic Brush Strokes from his
book Image Grammar.
They are basic grammatical structures that give
movement and “picture” to text.
This is only intended to give the big picture,
with practice and further examples to follow.
Book Information:
Noden, Harry. Image Grammar: Using Grammatical Structures to
Teach Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook, 1999.
ISBN 978-0-86709-466-4 / 0-86709-466-4 / 1999 / 224pp /
Paperback (Grade level 6-10)
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