1. Hyphenated Adjectives

A hyphenated adjective can take the place of a boring adjective. (Don’t use a hyphen between the last word of the adjective and the noun being modified.)

To practice using hyphenated adjectives, try completing the following:

My mom/dad gave me one of her/his ____________________________ lectures.

I was so angry that I had a(n) __________________________expression on my face.

My best friend gave me one of his/her __________________________ looks.

My coach gave me one of his/her _____________________________ talks.

Examples:

My mom gave me one of her don’t-talk-I-am-on-a-roll lectures.

I was so angry that I had a talk-to-me-and-I’ll-use-my-laser-vision-to-burn-you-to-a-crisp expression on my face.

My best friend gave me one of her why-would-you-wear-those-shoes-with-that-outfit looks.

My coach gave me one of her get-with-the-program-or-sit-on-the-bench talks.

2. Alliteration and Assonance

Writers use alliteration (repetition of the same consonant sound near the beginning of words) and assonance (repetition of vowel sounds in words) to make their writing have poetic flow.

To practice, search the newspaper or magazines and find 2 examples of alliteration or 2 examples of assonance or 1 example of each. Moreover try to tanslate given examples using alliteration in your mother tongue.

Examples:

Alliteration-

Storms sock state’s middle (“s” sound is repeated)

Fall full of feelings (“f” sound is repeated)

Assonance-

Rich diet may pave way for a bout with gout

(may/pave/way is the long “a” sound)

(bout/gout is the “ow” sound)

3. Magic 3

Three examples in a series can create support for a point. Always try to use modifiers with nouns or to use phrases so they are truly “magical” and not just a list of three words. It is best to use the Magic 3 in the same sentence, but you can use three sentences in a row that create a Magic 3.

To practice, write a paragraph about a favorite pastime. Use a Magic 3 to describe your pastime. For added skill, include a hyphenated adjective and alliteration or assonance. Underline the Magic 3 and number each one where it begins.

Before that read an example and find the cases of Magic 3, hyphenated adjectives, alliteration and assonance.

Example:

Chopping vegetables into bit-size pieces, adding herbs and spices to “kick it up a notch”, and sautéing until the tidbits are juicy, make cooking an enjoyable pastime for me. Cooking provides me with relaxation and a sense of accomplishment. The reward of watching my daughter eat something new and seeing her with that wow-what-is-this face pushes me to experiment with epicurean edibles.

4. Figurative Language

Non-literal comparisons (similes, metaphors, and personification) add “spice” to writing and paint more vivid pictures for readers and surprise them with unique comparisons.

Simile-Compares two unlike things using “like” or “as”.

Metaphor-States a comparison between two unlike things without using any special words.

Personification-Gives a non-human thing, human characteristics or human actions.

To practice, try writing some similes of your own. Using the sentence starters below, finish them with a unique simile.

Remember to brainstorm the easiest comparisons (She was as beautiful as a rose. She was as beautiful as a freshly bloomed flower. She was as beautiful as a model on the cover of a magazine. She was as beautiful as a star in the sky.), then throw those clichés away and use something fresh for your simile.

He had been shot in the arm, and it hurt like . . .

She was so scared; it was like . . .

She was so beautiful; she looked like . . .

5. To practice personification, personify your favorite season. Write about the season as if it were a person so capitalize the name of the season just as you would a person’s name. In your paragraph make sure you talk about what that season does to make it different from the other three. Make sure to include one original metaphor or one original simile in your paragraph. Include a Magic 3, a hyphenated adjective, and alliteration or assonance.

Before that read an example and find the cases of Magic 3, hyphenated adjectives, alliteration and assonance.

Example:

Moving briskly, Autumn paints the green trees of summer persimmon, burnt orange, and goldenrod. His paint palette provides the tools that dot the countryside with plump pumpkins, colorful Indian corn, and MacIntosh apples. Autumn breathes cool air to hasten the birds’ departure for the South. The cool air provides respite from his brother Summer’s I’m-angry-and-I’m-going-to-make-you-sweat-and-suffer persona. As Autumn sits back on a porch swing to admire his artistry, he congratulates himself on yet another landscape masterpiece.