Write Like a Pro – Skill Builder Directions: Complete each of the following tasks for the six skills

e each of the following tasks for the six skills mentioned in the lecture.
Participles/Participial Phrases Absolutes/Absolute Phrases Appositives/Appositive Phrases
1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works:

2. In these two examples, underline the participles and/or 2. In these two examples, underline the absolutes and/or 2. In these two examples, underline the appositives and/or
absolute phrases: appositive phrases:
participial phrases:
“Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid “So Cherry Valance, the cheerleader, Bob’s girl, the Soc, was
“Now he was on the bridge, hunched over on the bicycle,
puffing along behind her.” trying to help us.” – S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders
pedaling steadily.” – Lois Lowry, The Giver
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets “Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was
“The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless
“The raptor struck out with its hind claws, and with a single swift exempt from my reaction. “– F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
chest.” – Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
movement ripped open the belly of the fallen animal, coils of
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this
intestine falling out like fat snakes.” example: “His target, a small doe with a pronounced limp in her
example: “Narrowing his beady eyes, he read the title of one of
left forefoot, was still with the herd.” – Christopher Paolini, Eragon
the books.” – Lemony Snicket, The Bad Beginning – Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this

example: “He’s still two feet from the water, lying there, teeth
gritted, tears cutting trails in the dirt on his face.”
– Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

4. Write your own unique sentence using an appositive or

appositive phrase:
4. Write your own unique sentence using a participle or
participial phrase:

4. Write your own unique sentence using an absolute or

absolute phrase:
Write Like a Pro – Page 2
Adjectives Shifted Out of Order Vivid Verbs Similes and Metaphors
1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works:

2. In these two examples, underline the adjectives shifted out of 2. In these two examples, underline the vivid verbs: 2. In these two examples, underline the simile in the first one and
order: the metaphor in the second one:
“Wind whips through my clothes, making the fabric snap.”
“He ceased, but at once Boromir stood up, tall and proud, before “The tray falls on the floor and the cake breaks apart, like soil
– Veronica Roth, Divergent
them.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring falling from roots.” – Ally Condie, Matched
“He craned his neck, scanning the mob.”– Jerry Spinelli, Stargirl
“As the light faded, deep blue gaps of night peered through like “Zero was a mole as he dug his five-foot deep hole.”
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this – Louis Sachar, Holes
an upside-down ocean, bottomless and cold.”
example: “In December, the wind wraps itself around bare trees
– Scott Westerfeld, Uglies and twists in between husbands and wives asleep in their beds. 3. Write your own sentence modeled after the simile usage in this
It shakes the shingles from the roofs and sifts rough cracks in the example: “The rain came all at once and in a furious torrent, like
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this plaster.” – Alice Hoffman, Here on Earth God was mad and wanted to flood us out.”
example: “It was something he had never tasted before, very
– John Green, Looking for Alaska
sweet and foamy and creamy, and it warmed him right down to
his toes.” – C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

4. Write two unique sentences. One needs to use a simile; the

4. Write your own unique sentence using vivid verbs: other needs to include a metaphor.
4. Write your own unique sentence using adjectives shifted out of
their usual order:
Write Like a Pro – Skill Builder Directions: Complete each of the following tasks for the six skills mentioned in the lecture.
KEY
Participles/Participial Phrases Absolutes/Absolute Phrases Appositives/Appositive Phrases
1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works:

A participle is an -ed or -ing verb that’s used An appositive is a second noun, presented
An absolute is when a noun and a participle
as an adjective to describe a noun. as a non-essential element, that gives more
are put together, with the noun coming first.
description/information about the first noun.
2. In these two examples, underline the participles and/or 2. In these two examples, underline the absolutes and/or 2. In these two examples, underline the appositives and/or
absolute phrases: appositive phrases:
participial phrases:
“Hermione was running toward them down the path, Hagrid “So Cherry Valance, the cheerleader, Bob’s girl, the Soc, was
“Now he was on the bridge, hunched over on the bicycle,
puffing along behind her.” trying to help us.” – S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders
pedaling steadily.” – Lois Lowry, The Giver
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets “Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was
“The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless
“The raptor struck out with its hind claws, and with a single swift exempt from my reaction. “– F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
chest.” – Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
movement ripped open the belly of the fallen animal, coils of
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this
intestine falling out like fat snakes.” example: “His target, a small doe with a pronounced limp in her
example: “Narrowing his beady eyes, he read the title of one of
left forefoot, was still with the herd.” – Christopher Paolini, Eragon
the books.” – Lemony Snicket, The Bad Beginning – Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this

example: “He’s still two feet from the water, lying there, teeth
gritted, tears cutting trails in the dirt on his face.”
– Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

4. Write your own unique sentence using an appositive or

appositive phrase:
4. Write your own unique sentence using a participle or
participial phrase:

4. Write your own unique sentence using an absolute or

absolute phrase:
Write Like a Pro – Page 2
Adjectives Shifted Out of Order Vivid Verbs Similes and Metaphors
1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works: 1. In your own words, explain how this technique works:

Both are a way to compare things, but a

The words describing the noun (adjectives)
Vivid verbs do a better-than-average job of simile does this by using connective wording,
are placed in unconventional locations in the
helping the reader see, hear, or feel a scene. such as “like” or “as,” while a metaphor does
sentence to create an interesting flow.
not use such wording.
2. In these two examples, underline the adjectives shifted out of 2. In these two examples, underline the vivid verbs: 2. In these two examples, underline the simile in the first one and
order: the metaphor in the second one:
“Wind whips through my clothes, making the fabric snap.”
“He ceased, but at once Boromir stood up, tall and proud, before “The tray falls on the floor and the cake breaks apart, like soil
– Veronica Roth, Divergent
them.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring falling from roots.” – Ally Condie, Matched
“He craned his neck, scanning the mob.”– Jerry Spinelli, Stargirl
“As the light faded, deep blue gaps of night peered through like “Zero was a mole as he dug his five-foot deep hole.”
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this – Louis Sachar, Holes
an upside-down ocean, bottomless and cold.”
example: “In December, the wind wraps itself around bare trees
– Scott Westerfeld, Uglies and twists in between husbands and wives asleep in their beds. 3. Write your own sentence modeled after the simile usage in this
It shakes the shingles from the roofs and sifts rough cracks in the example: “The rain came all at once and in a furious torrent, like
3. Write your own sentence modeled after the pattern in this plaster.” – Alice Hoffman, Here on Earth God was mad and wanted to flood us out.”
example: “It was something he had never tasted before, very
– John Green, Looking for Alaska
sweet and foamy and creamy, and it warmed him right down to
his toes.” – C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

4. Write two unique sentences. One needs to use a simile; the

4. Write your own unique sentence using vivid verbs: other needs to include a metaphor.
4. Write your own unique sentence using adjectives shifted out of
their usual order: