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Image Grammar: Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process
"With Image Grammar , visual images are everything," says author Harry Noden . "This is why both teachers with struggling students and those with AP students have embraced the book through 15 printings."
Each chapter is divided into two concepts that show how professional writers develop their art and lesson strategies to implement these concepts in the classroom. New and expanded concepts in the second edition Plus, the updated and expanded CD includes customizable files of the 60+ strategies; reproducible handouts; images and quotes for projection in the classroom; and dozens of weblinks.
Each chapter is divided into two concepts that show how professional writers develop their art and lesson strategies to implement these concepts in the classroom. New and expanded concepts in the second edition Plus, the updated and expanded CD includes customizable files of the 60+ strategies; reproducible handouts; images and quotes for projection in the classroom; and dozens of weblinks.
296 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 24, 2011
I liked the first edition quite a lot. And I liked this new edition even more. It still keeps the 'brush strokes' for which Noden is famous, but it adds more context and some interesting online activities.
May 15, 2025
Um, where has this book been my whole life? I absolutely adored this book - as a teacher, the models for how to layer writing, the recommendations for focused feedback, and the explanation of imitating versus plagiarism are just wonderful. I can see using this with the Killgallon emulation methodology. I am truly excited to start using this in the classroom.
June 30, 2023
This book reminded me of observing an improve class. The activities are fun and engaging, a chance to be creative while learning how to manipulate grammar. It comes with a cd that is packed with easy-to-follow ideas. This book will make you want to teach a creative writing class.
December 1, 2016
The concepts and activities in the book are great, but I can't stand the "brushstrokes" metaphor. Call me a party pooper, I don't care.
June 30, 2017
Thought-provoking. I read it a while ago, but I love the ideas.
October 31, 2017
Great for high school but not for middle school
April 23, 2023
Another good one that all English teachers should read. Ideas are fresh and engaging.
December 2, 2019
As an exercise during my last year teaching freshman college they-comp, I copied as an unbroken block paragraph a multi-paragraph passage from the Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing, and had my students work in pairs to figure out where the authors' paragraph breaks would fall, using their knowledge of point-to-particular paragraph development to guide them. Find the topic sentence, and everything would fall into place, right? Wrong.
According to Noden and other studies he cites (Stern 1976, Irmscher 1979, Braddock 1974, Meade & Ellis 1970), the monolithic "truth" of formal paragraph structure, beginning with an organizing topic sentence, is a fantasy. Stern found that only 5 in 100 postgrad English teachers in his course at Columbia U succeeded in his assigned paragraphing exercise; Irmscher found 50-80% of paragraphs written by pros didn't have topic sentences at all; Braddock found less than half of the samples he read had topic sentences, with only 13% of those at the beginning of the paragraph. Meade and Ellis analyzed paragraphs from the Saturday Review, English Journal, and Richmond Times-Dispatch, and found 56% of the paragraphs didn't follow the models that rhet-comp instructors expect their students to follow.
So where did the still-gospel point-to-particular paragraph structure come from? Alexander Bain, a control freak of a Scottish logician, back in 1866 (placing Aristotle in a straitjacket). The problem was that Bain didn't test his hypothesis against a sample. If he had, his approach would have been invalidated, and generations of students --and students who later became instructors--would have been spared untold confusion, fear, and loathing. (Myself included.)
Noden also had me nodding when he broke down all the failings of the 5-paragraph essay structure that is hammered into students' heads before they ever enter the university. So yes, I'm simpatico. Breaking students of habits they didn't need to cultivate should be easier now, thanks to Noden's text. (I've certainly spent enough time banging my head against my desk.)
The chapters are broken down into concepts, and lesson strategies. Much of the text is dedicated to fiction writing, but many of the exercises are easily adaptable, and Noden also includes substantial chapters on thesis-based nonfiction and avoiding plagiarism, with extensive use of sample passages from dozens of top-notch authors. As a bonus, the text includes a CD-ROM packed with material for use in the classroom.
I'm sure you're yawning by now, but Noden is that rare bird who sincerely loves grammar for its own, organic, unfettered sake. Unlike my spouse, who wonders why I fiddle about for the right turn of phrase or the clearest expression, Noden gets it. He tells us that "Grammar is the soul of humankind. Its intricacies trigger our laughter, our tears, our dreams. Grammar is the secret muse of all expression, the portrait painter of life's emotions." How can you not want to learn from someone who writes with such passion and enthusiasm after 30 years in the field?
Well worth the $25 investment.
According to Noden and other studies he cites (Stern 1976, Irmscher 1979, Braddock 1974, Meade & Ellis 1970), the monolithic "truth" of formal paragraph structure, beginning with an organizing topic sentence, is a fantasy. Stern found that only 5 in 100 postgrad English teachers in his course at Columbia U succeeded in his assigned paragraphing exercise; Irmscher found 50-80% of paragraphs written by pros didn't have topic sentences at all; Braddock found less than half of the samples he read had topic sentences, with only 13% of those at the beginning of the paragraph. Meade and Ellis analyzed paragraphs from the Saturday Review, English Journal, and Richmond Times-Dispatch, and found 56% of the paragraphs didn't follow the models that rhet-comp instructors expect their students to follow.
So where did the still-gospel point-to-particular paragraph structure come from? Alexander Bain, a control freak of a Scottish logician, back in 1866 (placing Aristotle in a straitjacket). The problem was that Bain didn't test his hypothesis against a sample. If he had, his approach would have been invalidated, and generations of students --and students who later became instructors--would have been spared untold confusion, fear, and loathing. (Myself included.)
Noden also had me nodding when he broke down all the failings of the 5-paragraph essay structure that is hammered into students' heads before they ever enter the university. So yes, I'm simpatico. Breaking students of habits they didn't need to cultivate should be easier now, thanks to Noden's text. (I've certainly spent enough time banging my head against my desk.)
The chapters are broken down into concepts, and lesson strategies. Much of the text is dedicated to fiction writing, but many of the exercises are easily adaptable, and Noden also includes substantial chapters on thesis-based nonfiction and avoiding plagiarism, with extensive use of sample passages from dozens of top-notch authors. As a bonus, the text includes a CD-ROM packed with material for use in the classroom.
I'm sure you're yawning by now, but Noden is that rare bird who sincerely loves grammar for its own, organic, unfettered sake. Unlike my spouse, who wonders why I fiddle about for the right turn of phrase or the clearest expression, Noden gets it. He tells us that "Grammar is the soul of humankind. Its intricacies trigger our laughter, our tears, our dreams. Grammar is the secret muse of all expression, the portrait painter of life's emotions." How can you not want to learn from someone who writes with such passion and enthusiasm after 30 years in the field?
Well worth the $25 investment.
June 29, 2021
Image Grammar: Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process
By Harry R. Noden
I am not in the habit of reading to learn. I believe I learn best by doing, but when given a choice of books to read and review for a college class, I chose Image Grammar. Why? Because I frequently judge books by their covers, and this book has the detail of a watercolor image. This is appropriate because, throughout, the text is written as a metaphor for painting. We begin with a discussion of grammar being used like brushstrokes to turn boring "telling" sentences into more vibrant "showing" sentences. We then see these brushstrokes used in "chunks" to create larger passages. We see them being used to develop visual scenes and compelling characters.
Brushstroke 1 adds verbs to describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. For example, if the original sentence was, "The young man studied for his final exam," then brushstroke 1 might change it to, "Yawning, scratching his cheek, the young man studied for his final exam."
Brushstroke 2 adds specific nouns to the verbs describing the subject's actions. "His mouth agape with a yawn and his fingers running through the stubble on his cheek, the young man studied for his final exam."
Brushstroke 3 further describes the subject of the sentence, using an appositive. "His mouth agape with a yawn and his fingers running through the stubble on his cheek, the young man, a chronic procrastinator, studied for his final exam.
Brushstroke 4 changes the order of the subject and its descriptors. "A chronic procrastinator, the young man studied for his final exam with his mouth agape with a yawn and his fingers scratching his stubbly cheek."
Brushstroke 5 changes verbs from passive to active, if you use those.
Take these types of miniature lessons (the differences between the original sentence and the final edited sentence), apply them to the rest of the chapters, and you'll get a good idea of how this book helps someone become a better writer. Could you imagine your writing if you purposely approached your rough drafts using these techniques?
I'm not going to say this is the most prolific book in the history of the written word, but it's well-done and useful in the right hands. I could see a creative writing course really benefitting from this material.
By Harry R. Noden
I am not in the habit of reading to learn. I believe I learn best by doing, but when given a choice of books to read and review for a college class, I chose Image Grammar. Why? Because I frequently judge books by their covers, and this book has the detail of a watercolor image. This is appropriate because, throughout, the text is written as a metaphor for painting. We begin with a discussion of grammar being used like brushstrokes to turn boring "telling" sentences into more vibrant "showing" sentences. We then see these brushstrokes used in "chunks" to create larger passages. We see them being used to develop visual scenes and compelling characters.
Brushstroke 1 adds verbs to describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. For example, if the original sentence was, "The young man studied for his final exam," then brushstroke 1 might change it to, "Yawning, scratching his cheek, the young man studied for his final exam."
Brushstroke 2 adds specific nouns to the verbs describing the subject's actions. "His mouth agape with a yawn and his fingers running through the stubble on his cheek, the young man studied for his final exam."
Brushstroke 3 further describes the subject of the sentence, using an appositive. "His mouth agape with a yawn and his fingers running through the stubble on his cheek, the young man, a chronic procrastinator, studied for his final exam.
Brushstroke 4 changes the order of the subject and its descriptors. "A chronic procrastinator, the young man studied for his final exam with his mouth agape with a yawn and his fingers scratching his stubbly cheek."
Brushstroke 5 changes verbs from passive to active, if you use those.
Take these types of miniature lessons (the differences between the original sentence and the final edited sentence), apply them to the rest of the chapters, and you'll get a good idea of how this book helps someone become a better writer. Could you imagine your writing if you purposely approached your rough drafts using these techniques?
I'm not going to say this is the most prolific book in the history of the written word, but it's well-done and useful in the right hands. I could see a creative writing course really benefitting from this material.
December 11, 2013
Great resource. An effective way to teach grammatical concepts, making them useful and practical. The book comes with disc chock-full of powerpoints and handouts, so you don't have to recreate all the ideas from the book. I haven't been able to work through all the lessons in the book yet, but I can certainly see how this can improve writing as well as analysis. Now, if I could only have more class time!
October 31, 2011
EXCELLENT BOOK! I do not like grammar but I like this book. It's the new age of teaching grammar through a series of brushstrokes. I learned a lot about the art of teaching grammar while reading this book. It also comes with a CD. I highly recommend this to English teachers of all grades, levels, etc.
March 9, 2013
Within the first few pages I knew this was the book I've been looking for. When you can't put a book down, when you're overcome with giddiness while reading, when it's Saturday and you're reading a book on grammar, that's when you know for sure... Wow, I don't want to finish that sentence. I love this book; it will be indispensable in my quest to be a better teacher of writers and writing.
June 15, 2011
I get much more vivid and engaging writing from students as a direct result of some of the lessons in Nodin's book. The brushstrokes are a mainstay in my ELA classes.
October 25, 2011
This is a great book for teaching composition and grammar. This is one to hold on to and never let go.
May 25, 2014
amazing. using it for a new course on ELA methods.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews