Diction and Syntax

Diction and Syntax

English 3

Objective

• We will evaluate how the author's diction and syntax contribute to the mood, voice, and tone. We will make connections between texts.

Vocabulary

• Diction - word choice, or the type of language an author uses

• Mood - the emotional atmosphere of a piece of writing, created through diction, figurative language, and other choices

• Syntax - word order, or the way in which the elements of language (words, phrases, clauses, etc.) are arranged to create well-formed sentences

• Tone - the author’s, speaker’s, or narrator’s attitude toward a subject, evident through diction and other style elements

• Voice - the use of language that conveys the distinctive personality of the writer or speaker, the narrator, or a particular character

Multiple Choice

Define DICTION

• word order, or the way in which the elements of language (words, phrases, clauses, etc.) are arranged to create well-formed sentences

• the emotional atmosphere of a piece of writing, created through diction, figurative language, and other choices

• word choice, or the type of language an author uses

Multiple Choice

Define SYNTAX

• the author’s, speaker’s, or narrator’s attitude toward a subject, evident through diction and other style elements

• word order, or the way in which the elements of language (words, phrases, clauses, etc.) are arranged to create well-formed sentences

• word choice, or the type of language an author uses

In order to evaluate how the author's diction and syntax contribute to the mood, voice, and tone of text note the following:

• the author’s purpose for writing

• the mood, voice, and tone of a text

• the type of language and vocabulary that is used

• the types of sentence structures that are used

Guide Questions for Diction

• Are the words simple and easy to understand or complex and technical?

• Does the author use vague or abstract wording or is the writing precise and concrete?

• Is the language used formal or informal? Academic or nonacademic?

• What are the effects of the words that the author chooses on the mood, voice, and tone of the text?

• Is the diction that the author uses effective in conveying the mood, voice, and tone of the text?

Multiple Select

Which of the following are questions you can use as a guide to help evaluate the author's DICTION? Check all that apply.

• Does the author ask many questions within the text?

• Are the words simple and easy to understand or complex and technical?

• Does the author use nontraditional syntax?

• What are the effects of the syntax that the author chooses on the mood, voice, and tone of the text?

• What are the effects of the words that the author chooses on the mood, voice, and tone of the text?

Guide Questions for Syntax

• Does the author ask many questions within the text?

• Does the author use nontraditional syntax?

• Are most of the sentences simple and easily understood?

• Does the author repeat certain words or sentence structures?

• What are the effects of the syntax that the author chooses on the mood, voice, and tone of the text?

• Is the syntax that the author uses effective in conveying the mood, voice, and tone of the text?

Multiple Select

Which of the following are questions you can use as a guide to help find SYNTAX? Check all that apply.

• Does the author repeat certain words or sentence structures?

• Is the language used formal or informal? Academic or nonacademic?

• What are the effects of the syntax that the author chooses on the mood, voice, and tone of the text?

PRACTICE THE SKILLS

We will look at The Miracle of Morning by Amanda Gorman and answer questions about diction and syntax to check for understanding.

See poem posted in Google Classroom. Go to next slides to view video of poem.

Open Ended

Tone is the author’s, speaker’s, or narrator’s attitude toward a subject, evident through diction and other style elements.

What would you identify as the tone of the poem and why?

Make sure to use text evidence.

Open Ended

Mood is the emotional atmosphere of a piece of writing, created through diction, figurative language, and other choices.

What would you identify as the mood of the poem and why?

Make sure to use text evidence.

Open Ended

In The Miracle of Morning by Amanda Gorman, are the words simple and easy to understand or complex and technical?

Provide an example from the text.

Open Ended

In The Miracle of Morning by Amanda Gorman, Does the author repeat certain words or sentence structures?

Use evidence from the text.

Diction & Syntax Conclusion 1

Diction refers to word choice, or the type of language an author uses. For example, a text using straightforward diction would contain short, easy-to-understand words. In contrast, a text with high-level vocabulary may be described as having elevated diction.

Diction & Syntax Conclusion 2

Syntax refers to word order, or the arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses to create well-formed sentences. Texts with sentences containing a single subject and a single predicate have simple syntax; whereas, sentences containing multiple phrases or clauses have complex syntax.

Diction & Syntax Conclusion 3

Proper use of diction and syntax enhances the effectiveness of a text and is very important in determining its mood (the emotional quality or atmosphere of a story or poem), voice (the use of language to convey the writer’s personality), and tone (the writer’s attitude toward his or her subject matter).