English II - Verbs and Pitchforking in Writing

Poll

What genre of reading do you prefer?

• nonfiction

• historical fiction

• realistic fiction

• science fiction/fantasy

Word Cloud

Imagine you are Sherlock Holmes, listening to a witness describe a mysterious event. How do you figure out what actions took place, just from the words they use?

Word Cloud

Video Follow-Up: How do linking verbs differ from action verbs in the way they function in a sentence?

Multiple Select

Which sentences contain linking verbs?

• “To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman.”

• “Then there was a loud and authoritative tap."

• “The photograph becomes a double-edged weapon now.”

• “l am still in the dark.”

Multiple Choice

Select the action verb: “The Count shrugged his broad shoulders.”

• Count

• shrugged

• broad

• shoulders

Multiple Select

Select the sentence or sentences below that contain action verbs.

• “I rose and escaped from the house.”

• “She responded beautifully.”

• Sherlock Holmes is a detective.

• “Well, really!" he cried, and then he choked and laughed again.

Multiple Select

Select all the quotes that describe Holmes's physical actions during an investigation.

• He curled himself up in his chair, with his thick knees drawn up to his hawk-like nose...

• Holmes dashed into the crowd to protect the lady...

• A married woman grabs at her baby; an unmarried one reaches for her jewel box.

• Putting his hands into his pockets, he stretched out his legs in front of the fire and laughed heartily for some minutes.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences contains both an action verb and a linking verb?

• He is dead, cried several loud voices.

• I rushed forward, fell down, clapped my hand to my face, and became a piteous spectacle.

• To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman.

• It is an old trick.

Word Cloud

Check out this list of vivid verbs: Type up to five vivid verbs that are your favorite.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A324RClTKfQlPFLq8vec6OYzKoVbDLWj/view?usp=sharing

Multiple Select

Select all the actions that indicate agitation or excitement from the following quotes:

• Pacing up and down

• Shrugging shoulders

• Waving arms

• Sitting quietly

Multiple Select

Identify the action verbs: “He stepped swiftly, noiselessly, and cautiously down the corridor, peered about, and, seeing all was safe, returned.”

• stepped

• peered

• returned

• noiselessly

Multiple Choice

Why are action verbs important in storytelling or descriptive writing?

• They make sentences more vivid and engaging.

• They help to identify the subject of the sentence.

• They are always in the past tense.

• They are used only in poetry.

Open Ended

Give me one sentence that summarizes something you did this summer.

Open Ended

Make a prediction: Why do you think this quote contains pitchforking verbs?

“I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, at infrequently, and devoted a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.”

–From The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Open Ended

Revise your sentence to elaborate what you did this summer using the pitchforking technique.

Open Ended

Reflecting on today's lesson, how do you think understanding the difference between action verbs and linking verbs can help you improve your writing?