Diction Power Point Project

Louis D’Angello Atta GhassemiChris RobbinsSteven Wing

Jay Wu

Mr. Mooney

Period 3

IDEA ENGLISH II ACC

Diction:• word choice general character of

the language used by the author.

Levels of diction:Appearance

SoundMeaning

Mono vs. Poly SyllabicOne Syllable vs. Multi-Syllable

The higher the ratio of the polysyllabic; the more sophisticated and complex the content.

Monosyllabic

The small bird flew fast.

Polysyllabic:

The minute robin would soar rapidly in an

elegant and sophisticated manner across the

setting horizon.

Euphonious vs. Cacophonous

Pleasant sounding vs. Harsh sounding.

Euphonious diction:

a. His eyes flowed with tears of joy.

Cacophonous diction:

a. I was in shock when I learned of his death.

Literal vs. Figurative (cliché)

Accurate without embellishment vs. Comparison creating

pictorial effect.Literal:

a. During rush hour, traffic moves exceptionally slowly and leisurely.

b. Brad Rubyns is a tall man with height of six foot eleven inches.

Figurative:

a. During Rush hour, traffic moves as slow as a snail on concrete.

b. Brad Rubyns is as tall as a fully-developed giraffe.

Literature (Figurative):

“… shocked him as if they had been children playing in a Grave-yard.”  The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton pg 208

 

Denotative vs. Connotative

Exact meaning vs. Suggested emotional meaning.

Denotative:a. He had a hideous tie.b. The fat girl stomped up the stairs.

Connotative:a. His tie was not in good taste.

b. The plump woman glided upstairs.

Objective vs. SubjectiveImpersonal /

Unemotional vs. Personal / Emotional

Objective:a. “Hey, what’s up?”

Subjective:a. She cried for hours after I told her my dark secret.

Literature (Subjective)…was a blurry, roaring, roistering blade by the name of

Abraham…”  The legend of Sleepy Hallow, by Washington Irving pg 340

Active vs. PassiveStates action vs. States Being

Active:

a. I walked down the street to the star bucks.

Passive:

a. The piano was played by three grand masters.

 

Concrete vs. Abstract

Specific, tangible (practical, details, facts) vs. conceptual,

philosophical.

Concrete Diction:

a. The sky was a dark blue with hints of grey clouds.

Abstract Diction:

a. The stack of books leered over the edge, like a skyscraper during an earthquake.

Literature (Abstract):

“..a black cockerel who marched in front of him acted as a kind of trumpeter…” Animal Farm, by George Orwell pg 77

Hyperbole (overstated) vs. Understated

Deliberate Exaggeration of Facts (impress) vs. Deliberate

misrepresentation of less.Overstatement:

a. My Coach’s eloquence and articulate manner in motivating my team could split rocks.

Understatement: a. Running in a marathon under two hours is a very minute accomplishment and is not a worthy achievement.b. A brain tumor is nothing serious and can be easily removed.

Pedestrian vs. Pedantic

Layman’s terms vs. Boorish, inflated language (attempting to display

importance)Pedestrian:

a. I am not allowed to go to the party.b. We lost our game.

Pedantic:a. My Father and Mother forbade me from attending such a festivity and socialgathering at this moment in time. b. We were supremely defeated and conquered by the opposing team in our competitive sports match.

Non-Standard: Vulgarity

Language deficient in taste or refinement.

Vulgarity:

a. You better damn well know how to do your homework!

b. Just Shut your mouth!

Non-Standard: Slang

Vernacular speech, sometimes humorous (exaggerated), shortened for effect.

Slang:

a. Yo bro sicky sicky gnar hallas sick waves today bra.

b. I ain’t got no money right now.

Non-Standard: ColloquialRegional, provincial, differs from formal

language in connotation, pronunciation, usage, accepted in informal conversations.

Colloquial:

a. He had spent years honing his soccer skills.

b. Jay’s rubbers were worn out and was obligated

to purchase new ones.

Non-Standard: Jargon

Specific to a field or profession.Jargon:

a. My new laptop PC has a 80 Gigabyte hard drive, 512 megabyte ram, and a 1.6 Ghz Intel Pentium Processor. (Computer)

b. During the game, the ball was passed from the point guard to the shooting guard who shot a three-pointer in the final seconds of the game. (basketball)

Non-Standard: Cliché

Language used so often it has lost its freshness or clarity.

Cliché:

a. Stopped dead in my tracks

b. Goose bumps all over

c. Lost track of time

Informal/StandardCorrect, but conversational

Informal/Standard:

a. Hello, How are you doing today?

b. I saw about three movies yesterday with Michael.

Formal (literate)Appropriate for more formal occasions (often more abstract)

Formal:

a. The exquisiteness and elegance of this particular day has gained my admiration and enjoyment.

b. The refined and elegant automobile accelerated with maximum velocity and alacrity, but with gracefulness.

Devices of Sound: Assonance

Repetition of similar vowel sounds in closely associated words.

Assonance:

a. Try to light the fire

b. Mankind can handle most problems.

c. Lock and Load

Devices of Sound: Consonance

Repetition of similar consonant sounds in closely

associated words (half rhyme).

Consonance:

a. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each

purple curtain,"

Devices of Sound: Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely associated words.

Alliteration:

a. They twirl through the trek tumbling towards the tide.

b. Sandy sold Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

c. Friends forever

d. Fine Fast Food

e. Tesoro Titans Tennis Team

Devices of Sound: Onomatopoeia

Words whose pronunciation suggests meaning.

• Onomatopoeia:

a. The sudden slam of the door in the face of the boy by his ex-girlfriend signified the end of their prickly relationship.

b. The buzzing of the fly heavily annoyed the exasperated boy.

ReferenceIrving, Washington. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” New American Library, a division of Peguin Group Inc. New York City, New York, 1961. 340.

Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence. Maxwell publishing company. New York City, New York,1968. 208. 

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Harcourt, Braceand Company Inc. New York City, New York. 1946. 77.--