Magic 3 Sentences & Figurative Language
Specific Details
When you are writing, it is good to give details:
I wore a sweater today.
It’s better to give more details (concentrate on the noun):
I wore a green sweater today.
Specific details are best. Ask yourself questions to come up with them. How does the
sweater feel? What is it made of? Any other details?
I wore a green, soft, comfy, cashmere sweater today.
One more! Where did you get it?
I wore a green, soft, comfy, cashmere sweater that was I got on sale at Old Navy.
The Magic 3
Magically improve your writing!
I searched for something warm to wear today. I found something I had completely
forgotten about. I wore a soft, cashmere green sweater today.
Concentrate on the verbs.
I searched my closet for something warm, found something I had completely forgotten
about, and wore my soft, cashmere green sweater today.
So instead of three short sentences, you now have one glorious, detailed sentence! You
are expanding using the verbs searched, found and wore. You don’t have to repeat the
subject (bonus points for who can tell what the subject is!).
Remember: comma comma and!
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Figurative Language
I hope you’re not sick of my green sweater yet!
I wore a green sweater today.
1. Simile – compare the sweater with something that makes sense and isn’t forced,
using like or as.
Today I wore my favorite sweater, as green as the Christmas tree in my living room.
Or …as green as the grass on the front lawn.
Or …as green as moss on the north side of a tree!
2. Metaphor – compare the sweater w/o using like or as – a little trickier.
When I wear my green sweater I am the brightest ornament in the room.
3. Hyperbole – exaggerate the sweater.
Today I wore a green sweater that I got practically for free!
Today I wore a green sweater that is so big it could stretch to St. Louis.
4. Personification – give the sweater human traits.
I wore my green sweater today because it screamed from my closet, “Wear me! Wear
me! Wear me!”
5. Hyphenated Modifier – works as one adjective strung together with hyphens.
Today I wore a green, look-at-me sweater.
My mom had this you’d-better-wear-that-sweater-your-Grandma-knitted-you-or-else
look on her face when I came downstairs.
Notice that all the hyphenated adjectives modify the noun “look.”