1. Using Grammatical Structures to Teach Writing
Image Grammar
Using Grammatical Structures to Teach Writing
For Teachers
Based on the book Image Grammar by Harry Noden

2. The 5 Basic Brush Strokes
Participles
Absolutes
Appositives
Action Verbs
Adjectives Shifted Out of Order

3. Basic sentences Pick one for your example:
The elephant charged the lions.
The car went into the parking lot

4. Participles Definition: What they can do:
“-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.
Give examples of –ing words (verbs): listening, singing, waving, screaming, running, etc.

5. Roaring a loud warning screech, the elephant charged the lions.

6. Absolutes Definition: What they can do:
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.

7. Feet stomping, ears flapping, the elephant attacked the lions.

8. Now YOU Try It Add an ABSOLUTE (noun + -ing word).
I ran to catch the bus.
Some independent practice here. Do it alone or with a partner.

9. Appositives Definition: What they can do:
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.

10. The elephant, an angry 1,200 pound beast, charged the lions.

11. Appositive “Makeover”
Appositive “Makeover”
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.

12. Now YOU Try It Add an APPOSITIVE (rename the bus or I)
I ran to catch the bus.
You can use appositives to add figurative language.
A rocket running on low fuel, I ran to catch the bus.

13. Action Verbs Definition: What they can do:
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 goal here is to get verbs that do WORK in your sentences.

14. The elephant attacked the lions.

15. Now YOU Try It Add an ACTION VERB (think of another word for ‘run’ to show more OR less urgency).
I ran to catch the bus.

16. Adjectives Definition: What they can do: Shifted Out of Order
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.
The goal with adjectives is to move them around from where they typically appear in a sentence, particularly if you are using more than one. It helps with sentence variety.

17. The elephant, monstrous and fierce, charged the lions.

18. Now YOU Try It Add some ADJECTIVES (out of order).
I ran to catch the bus.

19. Put It All Together
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.
You might be able to use a “plug-n-play” analogy. With electronics, many components are interchangeable. Plug them in and play them. The same can be true with these brush strokes. The “strokes” can be moved around: try one at the beginning and then move it to the end. Which works better?

20. .
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21. The storm woke me in the middle of the night.
The road went around the left side of the barn.

22. 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 / / 1999 / 224pp / Paperback (Grade level 6-10)
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