Image Grammar

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Image Grammar

• Adjectives Shifted Out of Order

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Adjectives shifted out of order

• Grammatical Definition An adjective is a word
  that describes a noun.

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Adjectives shifted out of order

• In English, adjectives often are placed before
  the noun they modify
• The large, angry, red-eyed, bull moose charged
  the intruder.
• Good writers often place adjectives after the
  noun they modify for effect
• The large bull moose, angry and red-eyed, charged
  the intruder.

angry, red-eyed,
angry, and red-eyed,
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Examples (taken from Image Grammar by Harry
Noden)
And then, suddenly, in the very dead of the
night, there came a sound to my ears, clear,
resonant, and unmistakable. --- The Hound of the
Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
clear,
resonant, and unmistakable
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Examples (taken from Image Grammar by Harry Noden)
The Pavilion was a simple city, long and
rectangular. --- Alienist by Caleb Carr
long and
rectangular
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Examples (taken from Image Grammar by Harry
Noden)
I could smell Mama, crisp and starched, plumping
my pillow, and the cool muslin pillowcase touched
both my ears as the back of my head sank into all
those feathers. --- A Day No Pigs Would Die by
Robert Newton Peck
crisp and starched
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Examples (Painted by students)
The woman, old and wrinkled, smiled upon her
newborn great-grandson with pride. --- Stephanie
Schwallie
old and wrinkled
The boxer, twisted and tormented, felt no
compassion for his contender. --- Chris Hloros
twisted and tormented
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Examples (Painted by students)
The cheetah, tired and hungry, stared at the
gazelle, which would soon become his dinner. ---
Zach Vesoulis
tired and hungry
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Guided Practice

• For each of the sentences below, add adjectives
  after the underlined noun for effect (as in the
  examples).
• 1. The golden retriever ran after the tennis
  ball.
• The golden retriever, swift and beautiful, ran
  after the tennis ball.
• 2. The old station wagon sat in the parking lot.
• The old station wagon, brown and rusty, sat in
  the parking lot.

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Guided Practice

• 3. The last slice of pizza was left in the box.
• The last slice of pizza, cold and crusty, was
  left in the box.
• 4. The sprinter leaned across the finish line.
• The sprinter, tired yet triumphant, leaned
  across the finish line.
• 5. The apple fell from the tree.
• The apple, golden and ready, fell from the
  tree.

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Assignment

• Write five sentences similar to those weve
  looked at. Include in each sentence adjectives
  shifted out of order for effect.
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.
• 4.
• 5.