Eyes wide, mouth open, the troll stared at the third billy goat.

Body quaking, hands trembling, Snow White dropped the apple.

Radiator rattling, engine coughing, Cinderella’s car came to a stop.

Head back, hands raised, Jack stared in amazement at the huge beanstalk.

A group of words (not a complete sentence) that usually gives more information about a noun or a pronoun.

Eyes wide, mouth open= noun + adjectiveBody quaking, hands trembling=noun + pres. ParticipleHead back, hands raised=noun+adj, noun+past participle

This type of absolute phrase describes parts of a person, place, or thing

The sun having risen, the ogre dragged himself into the cave.

The night being full of strange sounds, Red Riding Hood decided to stay home.

The apple having been poisoned, Snow White fell asleep.

The road having been blocked, Hercules rolled up his sleeves and started moving trees and boulders out of the way.

The sun having risen= noun+linking verb+past participle

The night being filled with strange sounds= noun+linking verb+past participle+prepositional phrase

The apple having been poisoned= noun+linking verb+past participle

The road having been blocked= noun+linking verb+past participle

First, make a list of nouns that have moving parts in them: people, characters, animals, things that move or have moving parts.

EX: The Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, J.K.

RowlingHercules, Cinderella, RepunzelDragon, bat, goat, wolf, pigCars, computer, house, carriage, bridge,

castle

Second, choose one person, character, animal, or thing. Make a brief list of things that move on the person, character, animal, or thing.

EX: DragonMouth opens nostrils flare head tilts

downWings flap feet shuffle tail whips

Third, choose one or several parts of the person, character, animal, or thing that moves and add a present or past participle (-ing, -ed) to it (separate absolute phrases with commas)

EX:Head raised, nostrils flaring, wings flapping,

feet shuffling, the dragon roared.

Example: Albert’s eyes were wide as saucers. Albert’s nostrils were flared. Albert’s fists were clenched. Albert stared at his telephone bill.Eyes wide as saucers, nostrils flared, fists

clenched, Albert stared at his telephone bill.

1. The hurricane’s clouds were churning. The hurricane’s winds were building. The hurricane approached the coast.2. The car’s engine was sputtering. The car’s lights were flickering. The car’s breaks were squeaking. The car lurched to a halt.3. The penguin’s head was bobbing. The penguin’s wings were flapping. The penguin eyed the flopping fish.

To race rabbits was the turtle’s burning wish.

To escape from her tower of isolation was what Rapunzel wanted the most.

To sing jazz tunes was something the ogre longed to do.

The troll hates to eat tofu. The genie loves to live out of the bottle. Jason was driven to search for the golden fleece.______________________________________________ The princess wanted to upset the king, so she

used his credit card. The frog leapt into the air to impress the

princess. Pegasus was surprised to see a flock of winged

goats.

A group of words (not a complete sentence) that acts like a noun. Infinitives begin with the word to followed by a verb. They can be the subject of the sentence or a complement.

Ex: To go home again was what Dorothy wanted most.

Ex: Dorothy’s utmost desire was to return to Kansas.

Ex: Dorothy hoped to see the flatlands of Kansas again.

Infinitive phrases can also act like adjectives and adverbs.

Ex: Dorothy had an important question to ask the Wizard of Oz.

Ex: Dorothy patiently listened to the Munchkins to mollify them.

Infinitive + adverb: to eat voraciously Infinitive + noun: to eat apples Infinitive + gerund phrase: to disdain eating

peaches Infinitive + noun + prep phrase: to eat

apples in the orchard; to sail into the sunset Infinitive + adverbial clause: to sob because

the troll destroyed the bridge.

To spin straw into golden thread ____________.

Ex: To spin straw into golden thread was what the weaver’s daughter wanted.

To hoard gold ________________. To get to grandmother’s house

________________. To be the fairest in the land

________________.

First, think of characters from books you have read:

Ex: Rumplestiltskin, Rapunzel, Dorothy, Harry Potter

Second, choose one and circle it.Ex: the wolf (from “The Three Little Pigs”) Third, think of five things the character

wanted and five things the character did NOT want.

Wanted Did NOT Want

To go hungry To build a house To eat just one pig To be foiled by brick

walls To become wolf stew

To blow down house To play tricks To eat three pigs To get into the brick

house To dream of bacon

sandwiches

Fourth, choose three or four infinitive phrases from each list.

Use them in a poem. The first stanza might

begin with the line: All I wanted was… Begin the second

stanza with the line: But I didn’t want…

Example:All I wanted was…

to blow down housesto eat three pigsto dream of bacon sandwiches.

But I didn’t want…to build a houseto go hungryto be foiled by brick walls.

Fifth, add adjectives to the phrases; change words; add additional phrases.

Ex:All I longed for was…

to blow down flimsy, pork-hiding housesto lunch and munch on three plump pigsto dream a delicious dream, of succulent bacon sandwiches.

Phrases that act like adjectives

Phrases that act like adverbs

The wolf in the next room wants to become a vegetarian.

The snorting dragon in the cave has a toothache.

The troll beneath the bridge is green.

The city beyond the horizon is called Oz.

The ranting ogre flung the mug across the room.

The dimples dragon blew smoke through his teeth.

The dwarfs looked to the sky.

The frog flipped into the pond.

Beneath the bridge is the place where the troll lives. (subject)

In the giant’s fisted hand was the key to the treasure chamber.

In the dark, dark cave is where Hansel’s cousin got lost.

The giant winking his one eye is a cyclops. The rotund egg teetering on the wall

tumbles to the ground. The girl eating a tainted apple will soon fall

asleep. Puffing smoke and flaring nostrils, the

dragon groaned with indigestion.

Startled by a flock of goats with wings, Pegasus headed for home.

Fueled with a sense of injustice, Jack climbed the beanstalk.

Inflamed with anger, the giant yelled back. The elf, intoxicated with joy, swung from

tree to tree.

Present Participles Past Participles

The wolf reading a nonmeat cookbook wants to become a vegetarian.

Groaning and moaning, the dragon complained about a toothache.

The troll fuming beneath the bridge is a green, greedy fellow.

The ranting ogre, disgusted with the taste of his drink, flung the mug of mud across the room.

Banished from Mount Olympus, Hercules found a job as a rodeo clown.

The frog, fixated by his reflection, flipped into the pond.

Participle + noun: laughing a laugh Participle + adverb: laughing uncontrollably Participle + prepositional phrase: laughing

like a loon Participle + infinitive phrase: laughing to

show her sense of humor Participle + adverbial clause: laughing

because she could not contain herself.

1. __________________________, the giant fell asleep.

Yawning widely, strethcing his arms grotesquely, and sighing deeply, the giant fell asleep.

______________, the queen stepped into the room.

______________, the princess looked at her broken crown.

______________, Rapunzel ran to the window.

Humming like a hive of bees

Gazing into the magic mirror

Wringing her hands Glued to the spot Hidden in the attic Moping morosely Looking like a

faded flower

Lost forever Dancing like

lightning Dangling from a

castle ledge Groaking and

crooning Perched on an oak

branch Filled with fear

Incorrect Corrected

Bellowing, fuming, and snorting smoke, the forest was burned. (Was the forest bellowing, fuming, and snorting?)

Checking the weather, the gray clouds moved east. (Are the clouds checking the weather?)

Bellowing, fuming, and snorting smoke, the dragon watched the forest burn.

Checking the weather, the Oz meteorologist said the gray clouds were moving east.

1. Shattered beyond repair, the ogre spotted his favorite mug on the floor.

2. Bolted with a padlock, the prince could not open the castle door.

3. Smiling a smile as large as the moon, the music played while the princess danced.

4. Shaking and sweating with fear, the wolf approached as the first pig watched with wide eyes.

Snow White, the innocent girl, loved apples. Cinderella, the unlucky lass, was mistreated

by her stepmother. Rumpelstiltskin, that mysterious and

magical being, spun straw into gold. The wolf, that ever-hungry creature

prowling the edge of the forest, preyed upon lazy pigs.

A group of words(not a complete sentence) that follows a noun that is often subject of the sentence. An appositive phrase restates the noun giving more precise information.

Ex: Jack, the bold thief, absconded with the giant’s bag of gold. (adjective + noun)

Jack, the stealthy thief creeping through the doorway, absconded with the giant’s bag of gold.

1. Rapunzel languished in her tower.2. Cinderella loved her glass shoes.3. Snow White loved applesauce.4. Gretel dropped bread crumbs in the forest.5. The wolf munched on the pigs.