3/23/2015

Mr. Pettine

George Washington Carver Freshman Campus

This is the author’s use of words. Some

writer’s use a simple, informal version of

this; whereas others use an official, ornate

version of this

Diction

This is the particular way an author uses

language. This is create through diction, use

of figurative language, and sentence

patterns. May be described as plain, ornate,

formal, ironic, conversational.

Style

The author’s attitude toward a subject,

character, or audience.

Tone

These are all the meanings, associations, or

emotions that have come to be attached to

some words. These meanings are in addition

to their literal dictionary definitions.

Husky or overweight

Petite or Short

Connotation

The literal dictionary definition of a word

Denotation

This is a writer’s or speaker’s distinctive use

of language in a text. This is created by a

writer’s tone and choice of words. Skilled

writers can develop such a distinctive version

of this that they can be recognized by it

alone.

Voice

This uses an ornate, flowery, literary

vocabulary – or is straight forward and

matter of fact, disdaining slang. It is

appropriate for school papers and literary

works.

Formal Writing

This is the atmosphere or overall feeling a

story evokes.

Mood

What is this review referring to: “The writer

makes frequent use of similes and

personification. He writes in an ornate way

which recalls Victorian novelists of the 19th

century.”

Diction

What is the tone of this selection: “I

observed that he had not such a thing as a

smile about him, and that he could only

widen his mouth and make two hard creases

down his cheeks, one on each side, to stand

for one.” – Charles Dickens

a.) admiring b.) comic c.) forgiving d.)

disapproving e.) sarcastic

Disapproving

What is the mood of this selection: “During the whole of a dark, dull, soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at a length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.

a.) peaceful b.) mysterious c.) suspenseful d.) bleak / dreary

Bleak / Dreary

Pick the selection which best matches the author’s style: “The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain,” – Ernest Hemingway.

a.) spare and literal descriptive style b.) ornate and flowery style c.) archaic (old-sounding) and vivid style

Spare and literal descriptive style

“Out of chars and ashes, out of dust and

coals, like golden salamanders, the old

years, the green years, might leap; roses

sweeten the air, white hair turn Irish-black,

wrinkles vanish…” – Ray Bradbury

a.) Descriptive, non-subjective style b.)

stream-of-consciousness style c.) objective,

formal style

Stream of consciousness style