Post on 22-Dec-2015
Voice and Style
Diction, Syntax, and Tone
Elements of Voice
• Diction or Choice of Words• Syntax or Grammatical
Structure• Tone or Attitude (Mood)
Diction (Choice of Words)
• Describe diction by considering the following words:– Colloquial expressions---nonstandard,
often regional, language use for informal or conversational speech and writing
– Example: Coca cola, coke, pop, or soda?
– Slang – Example: Frenemy, Supersize
Diction
– Jargon—words and expressions characteristic of a particular trade, profession, or pursuit
– Example: Think of one from the Business world:
– Dialect—nonstandard subgroup of language with its own vocabulary and grammatical features
– Example:
Diction
• Concrete Diction—specific words that describe physical qualities or conditions
• Example: • Abstract Diction—language that
denotes ideas, emotions, conditions, or concepts that are intangible.
• Example:
Diction
• Denotation—exact, literal definition of a word
• Example: • Connotation—implicit rather than
explicit meaning of a word and consists of suggestions, associations, and emotional overtones
• Example:
Diction
• Words may be:– Euphonious (pleasant
sounding)– Example:– Cacophonous (harsh
sounding)– Example:
Diction
– Monosyllabic—one syllable– Example: earth
– Polysyllabic---two or more syllables
– Example: planet
Syntax (grammatical structure)
• Sentence Types and Kinds• Simple (one independent clause)• Example: John loves his math
class.• Compound (2 or more IC)• Example: John loves his math
class, but Sally adores Accounting I.
Syntax (grammatical structure)
• Complex (one IC, one or more dependent clauses)
• Example: Although John loves his math class, his highest grade is in history.
Syntax (grammatical structure)
• Compound-Complex• Example: Although John
loves his math class, his highest grade is in history; however, all of his grades are above average.
Syntax
• Sentences may be:– Declarative ***fact
• Example :– Interrogative ****questions
• Example: – Imperative ****command
• Example: – Exclamatory
• Example:
Syntax
• Sentence Length and EmphasisLengthTelegraphic—shorter than five words in lengthMedium ---approximately 18 words in lengthLong and Involved (30 plus words)
Syntax
• Emphasis—– Loose or cumulative sentence---makes
complete sense if brought to a close before the actual ending
– Example: He resigned after denouncing his accusers and asserting his own innocence time and time again.
– (notice the first part of the sentence).
Syntax
– Periodic Sentence---makes sense only when the end of the sentence is reached.
– Example: After denouncing his accusers and asserting his own innocence time and time again, the State Department Official resigned.
– (The most important part of the sentence is the information at the end).
Syntax---Emphasis
• Balanced Sentence---phrases or clauses balance each other by likeness of structure, meaning, or length
• Example: John loves math class, and Sally prefers Accounting I.
Syntax---Emphasis
• Natural order of sentence---subject before the predicate
• Example: • Inverted order of a sentence---
predicate before the subject• Example: Tears were shed by
the defeated team.
Syntax---Emphasis
• Juxtaposition---poetic and rhetorical device placing normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases next to one another.
• Example: The spring in his step, like the spring of the year, brought together the two families.
Syntax---Emphasis
• Parallel structure---grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of sentences
• Example: • Repetition---words, sounds, and
ideas are used more than once• Example:
Syntax---Emphasis
• Rhetorical question---question that requires no answer
• Example:• Rhetorical fragment---
fragment used deliberately for persuasive purpose
• Example:
Tone---
• Remember that tone is an effect. A sentence stem to use in writing would be:
• Establishing a tone of ---------------through the use of -----------------, ---------------------, and --------------. Or
• Establishing a mocking tone through the use of dialogue, monosyllabic words, and repeated phrases, the writer…