Transcript 3. Language_features and what they add - Copy

Language features
in prose
And the effect they have on the
reader!
The writer’s craft
“Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting
struggle, like a long bout with some painful
illness. One would never undertake such a
thing if one were not driven on by some
demon whom one can neither resist nor
understand.”
George Orwell
“Always be a poet, even in prose.”
Charles Baudelaire
• Remember: A writer does nothing by accident.
• When studying prose (e.g. a novel) you must look
at how the writer crafted his novel.
• Ask yourself:
What features of language has he/she used?
What effect do these features have on the reader?
How do these features help to convey meaning?
We look for the following:
• adverbs
• adjectives
• use of colour to describe
• metaphor and simile
• dialogue and dialect
• verbs
• imagery
“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
Stephen King
• An adverb describes the action taken (verb).
• Examples:
 The seamstress quickly made the mourning clothes.
 The boldly spoken words would return to haunt the rebel.
 The midwives waited patiently through a long labour.
Can you highlight the adverbs?
Adjectives
• An adjective is a word that describes a
noun.
• Example:
‘A little stocky man’
‘a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the
California civil code.’
Task
• Can you highlight the adjectives?
Use of colour
• The use of colour in descriptions adds more depth.
It helps you to picture what the writer is talking
about.
• Example:
‘Red and blue and green rabbits, Lennie.’
‘rouged cheeks and reddened lips’
?????
• How does the use of colour add to your
understanding of the text?
Alliteration
• Like in poetry, alliteration means the
repetition of the initial letter. Why does a
writer do this?
makes it more poetic, catches your
attention, adds interesting description
• Examples:
• ‘sharp, strong features’
• ‘heavy hands’
• ‘sloping shoulders were bent forward’
Verb
• A verb is a ‘doing’ word; it is an action taken by a
character. The author chooses variations of a word
to create meaning.
• Example:
• Instead of ‘said’: whispered, yelled, exclaimed, cried
• Instead of ‘pointed to’: motioned towards, indicated
• Instead of ‘had’ (belonging): possessed, owned
•
Ask
yourself
Why are these words better? Why does the author
choose these instead? What effect do they have on the
reader?
Dialogue and dialect
• An author uses dialogue to give the character a
voice. Dialect is a way of speaking that is unique
to a particular region.
• Dialect is not just the pronunciation of words (that
is accent) but it is the structure of their sentences
and the words they use.
• Example:
‘I shouldn’t have did that’
Helluva nice fella, but he ain’t bright’
Comparisons – simile and metaphor
• A writer uses comparisons to give you a
clearer picture of what they mean.
• Examples:
‘dragging his feet a little, the way a bear
drags his paws’ simile
‘The heavy hands were a pendula’ metaphor
A writer chooses words
Word
choice
“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is
the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
Mark Twain
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
Jack Kerouac
“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on
broken glass.”
Anton Chekhov
“Writers fish for the right words like fishermen fish for, um, whatever
those aquatic creatures with fins and gills are called. ”
Jarod Kintz