Brush Strokes in Writing: Enhancing Your Skills with Absolutes
Learn how to infuse your writing with action using absolute phrases, along with examples and techniques to master this skill. Discover the power of absolutes in painting vivid imagery in your compositions.
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Brush strokes in Writing: Painting with Absolutes Please grab a pink warm up and glue it of the way down page 9 of your Composition Book. (We will write above it). If the model short answer went on to page 9, rename that page 8B and create a new page 9! How do I bring forth action in my writing with absolutes?
Brush strokes in Writing: Painting with Absolutes What Skills are we practicing? 1. using a variety of correctly structured sentences (e.g., compound, complex, compound-complex). 2. Use and understand complex grammatical structures in writing (an absolute phrase is a complex structure)
Painting with Absolutes What is an absolute phrase? An ABSOLUTE PHRASE is a NOUN combined with an ing Verb
Imagine this sentence: The cat walked into the room. To add an absolute phrase, we need to focus in on a SPECIFIC PART of the cat.
Imagine this sentence: The cat walked into the room. Now, for each part, write an associated action verb (Remember to put it into ING form)
Imagine this sentence: The cat walked into the room. The combination of these nouns and ing-verbs (into absolute phrases), when added to the original sentence, creates more vivid imagry.
Imagine this sentence: The cat walked into the room.
Painting with Absolutes Where do I see Absolutes in writing? Absolutes can be found at the beginning of a sentence (separated from the main sentence with a comma), in the middle of the sentence between two commas, or sometimes even at the end (again, separated from the main sentence with a comma).
Painting with Absolutes An Absolute Phrase is ALWAYS separated from the rest of the sentence with a Comma, or more than 1 COMMAS.
For example, look at this sentence: The mountain climber edged along the cliff. The above sentence gives an idea of the scene, but lacks DESCRIPTION
Now, watch the effect when we add an ABSOLUTE to the sentence: The mountain climber, hands shaking, edged along the cliff. Now we have a word picture that includes detailed description!
We can choose where to place the absolute phrase. Here is the same sentence with the absolute moved to the beginning of the sentence Hands shaking, the mountain climber edged along the cliff. (Sometimes it also works to put the absolute at the end as well!)
Can I use more than one Absolute? You can add more than one absolute to a sentence: Hands shaking and feet trembling, the mountain climber edged along the cliff.
More Examples of Absolutes Mind racing with excitement, the diver peered once more at the specimen as he glanced upward and swam for the surface. I glanced at my clock, digits glowing florescent blue in the darkness of my room, then rolled over to return to my slumber. The kitten, jaws cracking, tongue curling, yawned tiredly as she awakened from her nap.
Your Turn Now that you know what ABSOLUTES are and how they are used correctly, it s your turn to try adding them to your writing. Don t forget to separate absolutes from the rest of the sentence by using commas
Copy this into your journal, adding an ABSOLUTE: 1. The car sped through the intersection.
2. The dog barked loudly. 3. The door opened.
Absolutes Review An ABSOLUTE is a NOUN combined with an ing PARTICIPLE Formula: noun + participle = absolute Examples: Mind racing with excitement, the diver, peered once more at the specimen as he glanced upward and swam for the surface. The kitten, jaws cracking, tongue curling, yawned tiredly as she awakened from her nap.
