Download painting with participles mini

Mini-Lesson
Image Grammar: Painting with Participles
Definition: “An ing verb added on the beginning
or ending of a sentence.”
Creates a sense of action or direct experience.
Example of description
without participles:
“The diamond-scaled snakes
attacked their prey.”
Example of description
WITH participles:
“Hissing, slithering, and coiling, the diamond-scaled
snakes attacked their prey.”
Advanced: Use a participial phrase!
“Hissing their forked red tounges and coiling their cold
bodies, the diamond-scaled snakes attacked their prey.”
From The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway:
Shifting the weight of the line to his left shoulder and
kneeling carefully, he washed his hand in the ocean and
held it there, submerged, for more than a minute, watching
the blood trail away and the steady movement of the water
against his hand as the boat moved.
Your turn:
1. Create a list of participles:
My List of Participles
Examples: dripping, screaming, laughing, appearing,
digging, struggling, reaching…
Now add 8-10 more participles to your list.
Leave room when you’re finished in case you want to
Add more later.
2. Choose two or three of these participles from your list
and write a descriptive sentence to create an image. You
may use participial phrases if you want.
Example: “Sweating, panting, and grunting, the runner approached
the finish line.” (example with 3 participles)
Example: “Dripping with sweat, the mountain climber approached
the summit. Screaming with triumph, she raised her arms to the
heavens.” (example with 2 participial phrases.)
3. On a sheet of notebook paper or an index card (teacher will
decide), write your descriptive sentence neatly. Trade with
someone near you. Read the other person’s image sentence. Draw
a picture that shows what’s being described. Give this back to your
partner and discuss what you each drew and why. You can paste
this picture in your notebook if you like it!