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Writing Practice
Precision, Elaboration, and Verb
Empowerment
Writing Warm-Up
• You’ve been jumped by that guy!
• It’s your job to write a description of the guy
that jumped you to give to the police
• You must be as detailed and descriptive as
possible
• Be creative; think outside the box…
– What did his voice sound like? What did he
smell like? Did he have any scars? Etc.
• If you can’t remember a detail, make it up!
Back to our mugger…
• Select one of your details and elaborate.
For example:
If you wrote that the mugger has green eyes, add what
shade of green:
The mugger has hazel green eyes with specks of gold
around the dark, black pupils; the type of eyes often
seen on a wild cat prowling for a mouse.
Elaboration
Be precise!
• Pick one of the details from your writing
that is too general or vague.
• Make it more PRECISE!
– Ex: The mugger had a tattoo.The mugger
had a tattoo of a vicious lion with fierce eyes
and a mane that flowed in the breeze.
PRECISION
Word Precision Practice : mini-lesson
1. Can one THING hold all seven of the sophomores?
2. Did you taste that THING that she cooked in her Culinary I
class?
3. Have you memorized that THING you need to know for the
math test yet?
4. Will you read that THING aloud for me?
5. When will that THING be ready for use?
Pick out your precise “THINGS”
and elaborate…
1. Can one THING hold all seven of the
sophomores?
2. Did you taste that THING that she cooked
in her Culinary I class?
3. Have you memorized that THING you
need to know for the math test yet?
4. Will you read that THING aloud for me?
5. When will that THING be ready for use?
Verb Empowerment (DEATH to Adverbs)
• You must KILL all adverbs
– Give the power to the verb of your sentence
– Ex: I ran quickly.  I sprinted.
Practice Empowering Your Verbs!
1. I shouted loudly at my brother.
2. Sara walked slowly down the hall.
More Word Precision Practice
Extended and elaborated examples
Example: dessert: warm dark chocolate
brownie loaded with walnuts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
pizza
t-shirt
chore
song
room
Graveyard Words
• Let’s make a list of words to send to the
“graveyard”
– Words that are overused
– Words that are not precise
Ex: Thing(s), good, …
How do you write well?
• Teach a group of 1st graders how to write
Image Grammar Review
Brushstroke
Definition
Example
Action (Power) Verbs
Verbs that do action
Shook, glistened, slid
Adjectives (Out-ofOrder)
Participles
Shift 2-3 adjectives
after noun
-ing or -ed
Verb or phrase that
acts as an adj.
Noun + Participle
The old man, wrinkled
and weary…
Shifting, submerged
Absolutes
Appositives
A noun that adds a
second image
Gears grinding, heart
stopping
The student, an angry
senior, …
Practice using action verbs
Practice using out-of-order adjectives
Practice using participles
Practice using absolutes
Practice using appositives