Transcript Slide 1 - TurpinEnglishClass

Diction, Imagery, Syntax, Tone and Voice
Diction
 Choice and use of words in speech or writing
 A way of speaking, usually judged in terms of
prevailing standards of pronunciation and
elocution
 Diction Word choice, or general character of
the language used by the author. Words have
three levels, and are selected based on their
efficiency in these three areas:
 Appearance
 Sound
 Meaning
Syntax
 the study of the rules for the formation of
grammatical sentences in a language.
 the study of the patterns of formation of
sentences and phrases from words.
 Syntax is the order in which you place words, to make a
sentence either sound good or convey a certain meaning.
"To your house we are going" would be an example of
awkward syntax. You understand it, but it sounds odd.
 People who are learning a language might have problems
with syntax.
 If you mess with syntax, you can change the meaning:
The young man carries the lady.
The lady carries the young man.
Syntax matters!
Tone
 The way in which an author expresses his or her
attitude; the intonation of the voice that
expresses meaning.
 Tone is described by adjectives, and the
possibilities are nearly endless.
 Often a single adjective will not be enough,
and tone may change from chapter to
chapter or even line to line.
 Tone is the result of allusion, diction,
figurative language, imagery, irony, symbol,
syntax, style, and so on
Imagery
 The formation of mental images, figures or
likenesses of things, or of such images
collectively.
Voice
 Your "voice" is the way that you "speak" on paper.
 It is how your words come across to the reader, and
it will be different for every writer.
 Voice depends on the style you choose - formal,
informal, technical, chatty, poetic - and the words
you choose to express this style - simple words,
scientific words, complex words, slang words.
 You also use different voices for your characters. A
college-educated businessman speaks in a different
voice than someone who is in fourth grade, and
someone from a different country speaks in a
different voice than a world traveler.
 Grandma's hugs burn my skin.
 The pitter-patter of the rain against the
window.
 The gurgling sound of my brother slurping