Brushstroke #1: Participles and Participle Phrases

Multiple Choice

Which of the following sentences contains a participle at the beginning or end?

• Running quickly, the boy reached the bus.

• The diamond-back snake attacked its prey.

• She is reading a book.

• The cat sleeps on the mat.

Multiple Choice

What unique ability does the 'zoom lens' described in Step 3 give to writers when describing a scene?

• It allows writers to only describe what they see.

• It helps writers ignore imaginary details.

• It lets writers include both visual and imaginary details in their descriptions.

• It restricts writers to factual information only.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of a participle brush stroke as described in Step 4?

• The diamond-back snake attacked its prey.

• The snake was dangerous and fast.

• Hissing, slithering, and coiling, the diamond-back snake attacked its prey.

• The rattlesnake is brown and patterned.

Multiple Select

Select all the correct participial phrases from the following options:

• Hissing its forked red tongue

• The diamond-back snake attacked its prey

• Coiling its cold body

• Ready to strike

Fill in the Blanks

Adding one or two participial phrases at the beginning or end of a sentence can

an image.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct placement of a participle in a sentence according to the instructions in the lesson?

• At the beginning or end of a complete sentence

• In the middle of the sentence

• Only at the end of the sentence

• Anywhere in the sentence

Multiple Choice

Which sentence best demonstrates the use of participial brush strokes?

• The cowboy needed to stay on another fifteen seconds to win.

• Struggling, holding, hoping, the cowboy fought to stay on long enough to win.

• The man got out of the chair with difficulty.

• The bull was strong and wild.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are steps involved in describing an image using participles, as shown in the lesson?

• Create a simple sentence about the image

• Look for specific details in the image

• Add one to three ing participle brush strokes

• Write only questions about the image

Open Ended

How does adding participial phrases enhance the description of an action scene, such as the cowboy riding the bull?

Fill in the Blanks

A participial phrase is a participle (

word) with other modifying words attached to it.

Open Ended

Based on the example from Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity, explain how participles are used to add detail to a sentence.

Multiple Choice

What is a participle brush stroke, and where should it be placed in a sentence?

• An ing word placed at the beginning or end of a sentence

• A noun describing an action

• A verb in the middle of a sentence

• A type of punctuation

Open Ended

How do the participial phrases in the excerpt from Old Man and the Sea contribute to the sense of tension and action?