Brush+Stroke+Definitions+and+Examples



1) __Absolutes:__

An absolute is a noun plus an -ing word. It is often placed at the beginning of a sentence before the noun it describes.

Example: Heart pounding, arms stretching, the skydiver glided toward the earth at 20,000 feet. Example with a prepositional phrase: Arms stroking against the current, body twisting for balance, the man struggled to keep the kayak upright in the white-water rapids.

2) __Action Verbs:__

Example: The glinting surface shuttered, splitting along a crack. Out flowed a long,writhing tentacle of mist that reached toward the boy. The vapors brushed his chin, curled around his ear, then drew back. All at once, the Mirror snapped completely flat. Our reflections, clearer than before but more deeply shadowed, confronted us. At the same time, the sound of a distant chime rolled out of the depths, rising from somewhere beneath the surface. --From //The Mirror of Merlin// by T.A. Barron

23 Verb Study Guide (weak verbs to avoid whenever possible)

Noun-verb cluster t-chart.doc The Ghost Eye Tree Model Paragraph.doc

3) __Appositives:__

An appositive is a noun that refers to the same object or thing as another noun. The words you add to an appositive enhance your image. Example: The elephant, an angry 1200-pound beast, charged the lions.

4) __Adjectives Out-of-Order:__

When professional authors feel a need to pack three adjectives into an image, they use a trick called “adjectives out-of-order” and shift two of the adjectives after their normal location before the noun.

Example: The angry elephant, monstrous and fierce, charged the lions. Example: The tiny kitten, puzzled and annoyed, suddenly realized that he wasn’t cuddled next to his mother. Example: Monstrous and powerful, the 120-foot tidal wave tossed the fishing boat like a toy.

5) __ Participles: __ A participle brush stroke is an -ing word or phrase added on to a sentence. With phrases, use one or sometimes two participles only. If you use single -ing words, add as many as three to create a rhythm in your sentence.

Example: Roaring a loud warning screech, the elephant charged the lions. (one participle phrase) Example: Roaring, stomping, swaying, the elephant charged the lions. (three participle words)

Source: Brush Strokes from __Image Grammar__ by Harry R. Noden