DRESS UPs
w/w (who or which clause)
ly (ly adverb opener)
bc (because clause)
asia (www.asia clause)
QA (quality adjective)
SV (strong
verb)
OPENERs
#1 because opener
#2 prepositional opener
#3 adverbial opener
#4 “ing” opener
#5 “asia’ opener
#6 vss (very short sentence 5wds or less)
#7 “ed” opener
DECs
MET metaphor
SIM simile
ALLIT alliteration-3 consonant or consonant blends
ASON assonance-3 matching vowel sounds
DEC 1 Question or Quotation
DEC 2 Dramatic Opening & Closing using VSS
DEC 3 Foreign language phrase
DEC 4 Literary Reference
DEC 5 Idiom
MAGIC 3s
M3-adj Repeating adjectives
M3-ing Repeating ing(s)
M3-ly Repeating ly(s)
M3-vb Repeating verbs
M3-n Repeating nouns
M3-vss Short staccato sentence
ARDs
Anaphora
Anthimeria
Antiphrasis
Appositive
Chiasmus & Antimetabole
Epanalepsis
Epistrophe (AKA: Epiphora)
Epizeuxis
Hyperbole
Metanoia
Personification
“DRESS UPs” DETAILS & EXAMPLES:
w/w (who / which clause)
A who/which clause is an adjectival clause found in the middle of a sentence. The entire w/w clause acts like an adjective, which modifies a noun or pronoun. A w/w clause should come immediately after the noun or pronoun it modifies.
(w/w) who clause
The student, who is intelligent, likes to read.
The boy, who has a blue jacket, is cold.
The cat, who is sneaky, hides in the shadows.
(w/w) which clause
The lamp, which is bright, lights up the room.
The table, which is white, has books on it.
The umbrella, which is green, has stripes on it.
(ly) ly adverbs (beware of “ly imposters“ AKA ”adverbial imposters“: Sally, lovely, family)
The moon shines brightly in the sky.
The river flowed swiftly into the harbor.
The fox raced rapidly over the bridge.
bc (because clause)
BECAUSE + REASON CLAUSE. Because is followed by a clause expressing a reason for the effect in the other (main) clause. In other words, because is followed by a full (finite clause) clause. Because and its reason clause can be placed before the main clause for emphasis on the cause.
He wore a jacket because it was cold.
She was happy because she had scored well on the test.
(www.asia) when, while, where, as, since, if, although
www.asia - an acronym = 7 words to introduce adverbial clauses: when, while, where, as, since, if, although. Some IEW teachers add “wub” (whereas, unless, because) to the end of this acronym. The www.asia word attaches the clause to a complete sentence—a main clause. More help here: https://iew.com/help-support/blog/sentence-openers-2-or-5
I know a bank where wild thyme grows.
Meet me at the fence where the bluebonnets meet the Indian paintbrushes.
There will always be greater crime where respect for authority is mocked.
He preferred vanilla ice cream, while his sister favored chocolate.
I will write in my journal while my brother practices his tennis serve.
She will read her speech when the judges call her name.
It is too late to trick-or-treat when the fireflies have flown home.
He only stops spending when there is no more money in his account.
He listened intently as she shared her new theory.
It was hard to concentrate as the rain outside her window grew steadily louder.
She enjoyed comedy movies, since they were entertaining.
He had not been back on a horse since he was bucked off at the rodeo.
They would not go to the park if it was cold.
The students will do well in their tests if they study diligently.
The girl was frightened although she knew it was silly.
The television continued to work although the picture was fuzzy at times.
(QA) quality adjectives
The air was frigid and cold.
The movie was enthralling.
The boy was sullen.
(SV) Strong Verbs
She despised blueberries.
The dog trotted over the sidewalk.
He persisted through difficult problems.
“OPENERs” DETAILS & EXAMPLES:
#1 BECAUSE OPENER
Because it was cold, he wore a jacket.
Because she had scored well on her test, she was happy.
#2 PREPOSITIONAL OPENER (PREP)
A prepositional phrase is a group of words consisting of a preposition, its object, and any words that modify the object. ... At a minimum, a prepositional phrase consists of one preposition and the object it governs. The object can be a noun, a gerund (a verb form ending in “-ing” that acts as a noun), or a clause. A prepositional phrase can function as an adjective or adverb.
Prepositional phrases can act as adjectives, providing additional detail about nouns.
(indicated in italics).
(2) On the road, there is a dead squirrel.
(2) Near from the school is a post office.
(2) Within the first few chapters, the clues will lead to the murderer.
(2) Below deck all the rooms are for sleeping.
(2) Unlike many others, Saul will remain here.
Prepositional phrases can also act as adverbs, providing additional detail about verbs (indicated in italics).
(2) Up the stairs the balloon drifted.
(2) In the autumn season, birds begin to migrate.
(2) During halftime we will order pizza.
(2) With a reusable tote in hand, Matthew walked to the farmer's market.
#3 LY ADVERB OPENER
(3) Happily, the birds chirped in the trees.
(3) Sternly, the teacher yelled at his students.
(3) Hesitantly, she opened the door.
#4 -ING OPENER
This is a participial phrase. In an “-ing opener,” the action is happening in the present. In an “-ed opener,” participial phrases happen in the past.
(4) Gazing at the obedient children, the teacher was glad.
(4) Soaring through the sky, the bird was happy.
(4) Tearing the paper into tiny shreds, she vowed never to procrastinate again.
(4) Racing toward the finish line, Sarah realized she just might win.
#5 WWW.ASIA OPENER (when. while, where, as, since, if, although)
(5) When the water starts boiling, he gradually adds noodles into the pot.
(5) While the sun is high in the sky, hikers should make haste.
(5) Where there is smoke, there is fire.
(5) As the sun made its way across the sky, dew began to melt from the grass fronds.
(5) As the young woman entered the church, she donned her veil.
(5) Since the dawn of civilization, there have been men vying for power.
(5) Since the outbreak of the flu, I have avoided large crowds.
(5) If you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll ask for a glass of milk.
(5) If the shoe fits, wear it.
(5) Although it is warm outside, many decided to wear jackets.
vss = very short sentence (5 words or less)
(6) He died.
(6) I told you so.
(6) The teacher is exasperated.
(6) A bird chirps noisily.
(6) Outside, it is peaceful.
#7 = “ed” opener
This is a participial phrase. In an “-ing opener,” the action is happening in the present. In an “-ed opener,” participial phrases happen in the past.
(7) Annoyed, she hung up on her friend.
(7) Angered, he threw a chair out the window.
(7) Saddened, she turned off the lights and tried to sleep.
(7) Preoccupied by work, Jane failed to notice how late it was.
(7) Concerned by her student’s erratic behavior, the teacher called for a parent conference.
Let's step back and look at the purpose of sentence openers in the first place: to vary sentence patterns. The list of 6 openers give a student a quick summary of options: start with a preposition, a clausal starter, a subject, etc. Some of the openers overlap. Sometimes an “ly word” also starts an “ing phrase” (Nervously eating the petals, the flower girl shuffled down the aisle) permitting the writer to choose a #3 or #4, depending on what they need for the checklist.
In this light, modifiers do not spoil a sentence opener. "The mangy lion" counts as a #1 Subject opener despite the article/adjective. Another example: "Just outside" is a perfectly legitimate #2 opener despite the modifier "just."
The only time that it really matters is when we consider the comma rules. Since long #2s and “ing openers” both take commas, it all comes out in the wash.
Remember that we require sentence openers to help our students move beyond the subject/predicate/object pattern we predominantly use in our daily conversations.
“DECORATION” (DECs) DETAILS & EXAMPLE
(MET) Metaphor: A word or phrase used to describe something as if it was something else.
Simple metaphors make a direct comparison between two things, saying that one thing is the other.
Implied metaphors don't directly state one of the objects being compared. It compares two unlike things without mentioning one of them. Implied metaphors describe one item with the words you would typically use to describe another. For example:
Elise finally lured Adam into her web. ( Elise is being compared to a spider, but it isn't expressly stated.)
Love can have dangerous thorns. (Compares love to a rose)
Alex was chomping at the bit to have his turn. (Compares Alex to a horse)
The girl stalked her brother before finally pouncing on her prey.
(SIM) Simile: Two things compared using “like” or “as”.
.
(ALLIT) Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words or accented syllables.
"Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, He bravely breach'd his boiling bloody breast." from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
All the lovely ladies danced.
(ASON) Assonance: The repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in non-rhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible (e.g., penitence, reticence ). Assonance examples are sometimes hard to find, because they work subconsciously sometimes and are subtle. The long vowel sounds will slow down the energy and make the mood more somber, while high sounds can increase the energy level of the piece.
She stepped softly into the glade with a frail agony of grace as she trailed her rags behind her.
The words "glade," "frail," "grace," and "trailed" help set a chilling mood by using the long "A" sound. ~ Outer Dark by, Cormac McCarthy (Paraphrased!)
DEC 1 - Question (often rhetorical) or Quote
(DEC 1) Will it snow today?
(DEC 1) How much longer will the injustice continue?
(DEC 1) According to the news reporter, “There is a 50% chance of rain.”
(DEC 1) Hunters have arrived!
DEC 2 - dramatic vss -first and last sentence of essay
(DEC 2) The day began at 6:00. blah blah blah blah blah The day ended at midnight.
(DEC 2) She could only feel fear. blah blah blah blah blah The fear had disappeared.
(DEC 2) She could smell the jasmine. blah blah blah blah blah She could smell the jasmine.
(DEC 2) Rain pounded on the windows. Thunder violently boomed and crashed. Lightning streaked the sky. blah blah blah blah blah The bees buzzed. Flowers bloomed on the hill. The sun brought new promise.
DEC 3 - foreign language phrase
(DEC 3) Hasta la vista!
Que sera, sera!
Carpe diem!
Verso l’alto!
DEC 4 - literary reference
(DEC 4) Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33)
(DEC 4) In the classic children’s tale, Horton Hears A Who, Horton tells us, “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
(DEC 4) “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
(DEC 4) If only everyone could be as kind and clever as Charlotte, from E.B. White’s story, Charlotte’s Web.
DEC 5 - idiom
(DEC 5) If the shoe fits, wear it.
(DEC 5) It is a blessing in disguise.
(DEC 5) Do not judge a book by its cover.
(DEC 5) He hit the nail on the head!
(DEC 5) Do it by the book.
(DEC 5) Every cloud has a silver lining.
“MAGICAL 3s” DETAILS & EXAMPLES:
THE POWERFUL 2s & MAGICAL 3s! 2 for novice students and 3 for JV and Varsity
M3-adj
novice (M3-adj) The gown of the princess was shimmering and sparkling in the moonlight as she gracefully walked to her carriage.
(M3-adj) The rolling, tumbling, cascading river took him, and he worked hard to stay afloat.
(M3-adj) As we glared at him through the tobacco haze, the short, stubby, bald man reached for yet another cigar.
(M3-adj) The sky was blue, bright, and beautiful.
(M3-adj) The eldest daughter was a joy to her parents for she had a cheerful countenance, was obedient in her conduct, and exceedingly kind to her baby sister. (adjective phrases)
M3-ing
novice (M3-ing) The nagging and bickering continued until the threat of a spanking shocked the brothers into a sullen silence.
(M3-ing) The horses were gleefully neighing, leaping, and frolicking in the freshly fallen snow.
(M3-ing) The rolling, tumbling, cascading river took him, and he worked hard to stay afloat.
(M3-ing) Standing, balancing, and grinning, my ten month old brother gleefully reached for my outstretched hands.
M3-ly
novice (M3-ly) She quietly and carefully opened the door to the nursery.
(M3-ly) Slowly, lazily, languidly, she reached for her lace handkerchief in an attempt to draw the attention of the handsome young man.
(M3-ly) My dance teacher told me to move gracefully, confidently, and joyfully.
(M3-ly) The bully loudly yelled at the new student, rudely jostled the poor kid, and then deliberately tried to trip him.
M3-vb
novice (M3-vb) She chewed and swallowed the broccoli with a great deal of theatrics because she hated the taste.
(M3-vb) The triumphant team could be heard cheering, shouting, and laughing as the bus passed the school.
(M3-vb) He walked across the bridge, looked out over the edge, and smiled with happiness.
(M3-vb) She could not sleep unless she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and said her prayers.
(M3-vb) Santa has to bundle up in warm clothes, harness the reindeer, and deliver an untold number of presents on Christmas Eve.
(M3-vb) If we adopt this puppy, remember that you must feed him, walk him, and clean up after him.
M3-n
novice (M3-n) When the headmaster rings the school bell, it is time for all boys and girls to be seated at their desks.
(M3-n) The boys visited shelters, orphanages, and retirement homes in their mission to bring Christmas joy to those who might be lonely.
(M3-n) Nothing beats starting the morning with coffee, eggs, and bacon.
(M3-n) The house was in foreclosure, his car had been repossessed, and his money was gone. (noun phrases)
(M3-n) She won the accolades of her peers, the admiration of her siblings, and the approval of her parents when her book hit the bestseller list. (noun phrases)
M3-vss
(M3 vss) Birds chirp in the trees. The sun is rising. It’s a new day.
(M3 vss) The children are sleeping. The sun has set. Day is done.
(M3 vss) Jesus, I trust in you. I am not afraid. You sustain me.
(M3 vss) Rain pounded on the windows. Thunder violently boomed and crashed. Lightning streaked the sky.
(M3 vss) The bees buzzed. Flowers bloomed on the hill. The sun brought new promise.
ARDs (Advanced Rhetorical Devices) DETAILS & EXAMPLES:
Anaphora Repeats a word or phrase at the start of every line or passage. The use of anaphora creates parallelism and rhythm, which is why this technique is often associated with music and poetry. However, any form of written work can benefit from this rhetorical device.
EXAMPLES:
I Have a Dream MLK’s speech (last line = greatest idea)
"It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place." The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!
The Tyger, William Blake (Lines 13 - 16)
"If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?" ~Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
Anthimeria Using one part of speech in place of another. BEWARE! It can easily become silly and is often overused. It is definitely (over)used in advertising.
Noun Into Verb
''My sea-gown scarf'd about me.'' Shakespeare - 'To scarf,' the verbed word in Hamlet's speech.
Did you just verb that word? That means making a word that is NOT a verb, act as a verb. When I was on crutches I would sometimes exclaim, “I will crutch on over to you!” That turned the noun crutch into a verb.
The “oh-so-posh often ask, “Where do you winter?” Or, they might explain that they “summer in the south of France.”
In advertising:
Come TV With Us — Hulu
How to Television — Amazon
Let’s Movie — Turner Classic Movies
Go Krogering — Kroger Grocery Store
Adjective Into Noun
Where Awesome Happens — Xfinity
We Put the Good in Morning — Tropicana
Spread the Happy — Nutella
Interjection Into Noun More Aaah — Canada Dry
Antiphrasis uses a word with an opposite meaning for ironic or humorous effect. "We named our chihuahua Goliath."
Appositive places a noun or noun phrase next to another noun for descriptive purposes.
"Mary, queen of this land, hosted the ball." In this phrase, "queen of this land" is the appositive noun that describes Mary's role.
Chiasmus - the reversing of the order of words in the second of two parallel phrases or sentences. A chiasmus will reverse grammatical structure, not necessarily with the exact same words.
This rhetorical device is also referred to as reverse parallelism or syntactical inversion. An important subtype of chiasmus is antimetabole. The main difference between the two is that antimetabole will reverse the EXACT SAME words in the sentence, while chiasmus will reverse grammatical structure, not necessarily with the same words.
This literary device was used in Hebrew scripture and ancient Greek writings.
EXAMPLES:
"By day the frolic, and the dance by night." ~Samuel Johnson, "The Vanity of Human Wishes"
"His time a moment, and a point his space." ~Alexander Pope, "An Essay on Man"
"You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'" ~George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuselah
"I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees." ~Attributed to Emiliano Zapata
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." ~Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail
"Those who have been left out, we will try to bring in. Those left behind, we will help to catch up." ~ Richard Nixon, "1969 First Inaugural Address"
Antimetabole (a type of chiasmus) repeats words or phrases in reverse order. Reverses the EXACT SAME words in the sentence
"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” ~JFK
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
"But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first." ~Matthew 19:30
"Do I love you because you're beautiful? Or are you beautiful because I love you?" ~Oscar Hammerstein, "Cinderella"
Epistrophe (AKA: Epiphora) repeats ending words
EXAMPLES:
And that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. ~Abraham Lincoln
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. ~ Corinthians 13:11
Epanalepsis (ep-uh-nuh-lep-sis) bookends
Repeats a similar grouping of words at the beginning of a sentence and at the end.
The repeated words act as "bookends.
"Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Rake, blow!" King Lear, William Shakespeare
"Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice." Phillippians 4:4
The king is dead, long live the king!
Always Low Prices. Always" ~ WalMart slogan
Run, Forrest, run!
The repeated words act as bookends, driving the point home.
Does not have to identical: No matter where I end up, I never seem to feel any different or any better—no matter where I land. In fact, epanalepsis often benefits from having slightly different wording, as the slight change can make it feel more natural and less calculated.
Can be within a longer sentence.
He smiled the most exquisite smile, veiled by memory, tinged by dreams. ~To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
A good mnemonic for epanalepsis is to remember that "p" appears toward the beginning of the word, and is repeated again at the end (epanalepsis).
Epizeuxis Repeats one word for emphasis.
The amusement park was fun, fun, fun!”
“Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!” ~Lady McBeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth Act 5, scene 1
“Everybody Happy, happy, happy!” ~Duck Dynasty
Give me a break! Give me a break! Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar! (advertising jingle)
Hyperbole An exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. Hyperbole is an unreal exaggeration used to emphasize a real situation. This figure of speech is common in day-to-day speech. (derived from a Greek word meaning “over-casting”)
My great-aunt is as old as the hills. (also a SIM)
Your suitcase weighs a ton!
I am dying of shame. (also a MET)
I am trying to solve a million issues these days.
In our everyday conversations, hyperbole is a common way to create humor, or to emphasize our stories. In literature hyperbole has a serious job. By using hyperbole, a writer or a poet can make ordinary human feelings remarkable. Hyperbole intensifies dialogue, narration, and description so that things and ideas grow beyond being ordinary. In literature, the use of hyperbole can also develop contrasts. When one thing is described with exaggeration, and the other thing is presented normally, a striking contrast is developed. This technique is employed to hook the reader’s attention.
Hyperbole Example in Literature
Babe the Blue Ox (American Folklore)
In American folklore, Paul Bunyan’s stories are full of hyperboles. In one instance, he exaggerates winter by saying:
“Well now, one winter it was so cold that all the geese flew backward and all the fish moved south and even the snow turned blue. Late at night, it got so frigid that all spoken words froze solid afore they could be heard. People had to wait until sunup to find out what folks were talking about the night before.”
Metanoia corrects or qualifies a statement to strengthen it or soften it in some way.
"You are the most beautiful woman in this town, nay the entire world."
“To help or, at least, to do no harm.” The Hippocratic Oath
“And they lived, if not happily ever after, then at least reasonably so.” The Dot and the Line
Personification (& Anthropomorphism) the projection of characteristics that normally belong only to humans onto inanimate objects, animals, deities, or forces of nature.
Personification is figurative. Do you sometimes feel like your computer hates you, especially when it’s not working right? Well, it can’t literally hate you because it’s not human. Anytime someone refers to the wind howling or a premonition like cold fingers up your spine, it’s personification. When you feel like chocolate is calling your name or your bed is looking at you invitingly, that’s personification. Do you call your car a "she" or "he"? That’s personification. You can also represent abstract concepts through personification. We all want justice to be blind because people deserve equal treatment under the law, right? We refer to Father Time and Death with human-like characteristics.
Justice is blind.
The sun smiled down on them.
The stars winked.
The party died down.
The city never sleeps
The wind howled.
The car sputtered and coughed before starting.
Her heart was divided between concern for her sister, and resentment against all the others. ~Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The rain poured down on the wedding guests, indifferent to their plans.
Anthropomorphism is literal. This literary technique usually needs some developing to become truly anthropomorphic. Speaking animals or objects who talk, think, or behave like humans are all anthropomorphic. Think of Thomas the Tank Engine, Winnie the Pooh, or Peter Rabbit. They literally act as if they are human. With anthropomorphism the non-human entities actually do human things like talking, falling in love, wiggling their eyebrows, and generally behaving like people behave. 
