Grammar Brushstrokes

“The writer is an artist, painting images of life with specific and identifiable brush strokes.” -Harry Noden

What are grammar brushstrokes? Just as visual artists use different tools and techniques to create effects in their artwork, writers use different types of wording techniques to “paint” vivid pictures for their readers. These techniques can be thought of as different types of grammar brushstrokes that a writer might use. The most common types of grammar brushstrokes are absolutes, active verbs, adjectives out of order, appositives, and participles.

For more information about Grammar Brushstrokes see Harry Noden's Image Grammar: Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process.

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