Diction

Diction

DICTION - AUTHOR'S CHOICE OF WORDS

• creates color and texture

• reflect a level of formality

• shape the reader’s perceptions

https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/diction.htm

EXAMPLES

• The coat is torn/tattered.

• The army wants revenge.

• The army is thirsty for revenge.

• The door thuds/shut.

Diction Meaning "Choice of Words"

To get it sorted (to friends)

To solve the problem (to colleagues)

To overcome the challenge (to bosses)

It was a mistake (to a close friend)

It was an accident (to a work colleague)

It was an oversight (to a senior at work)

Word Style/Choice of Words

• Formal - serious; scholarly/literary

   ex. My Wife

• Informal - conversational; fiction writing

   ex. The Mrs.

• Colloquial - slang; regional dialect

  ex. My Old Lady

Multiple Choice

True or false? Diction can refer to a person's choice of words

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of poor diction

• Slurring words

• Occasionally shouting

• Constantly arguing

Multiple Choice

True or false? Diction always relates to the spoken word, never the written word

• True

• False

Pay attention to 

• Denotation - the DICTIONARY definition

• Connotation - the emotions, thoughts, or feelings the word invokes (connection)

Multiple Choice

What is the DENOTATION for the word "immature"?

• irresponsible

• not fully grown

• childish

Questions to ask when looking for Diction

• What are the important words of the piece?

• Why does the author choose certain kinds of words?

• What kinds of words can be grouped together?

• What words create contrast?
  

• What words could be substituted into the writing instead of the key words and how would that change the meaning?

Sample from The Feather Pillow

The house in which they lived influenced her chills and shuddering to no small degree. The whiteness of the silent patio - friezes, columns, and marble statues - produced the wintry impression of an enchanted palace. Inside, the glacial brilliance of stucco, the completely bare walls, affirmed the sensation of unpleasant coldness. As one crossed from one room to another, the echo of his steps reverberated throughout the house, as if long abandonment had sensitized its resonance. 

Poll

How did the passage make you feel?

• Warm, Happy, Playful,

• Cold, Sad, Gloomy

Open Ended

What word or words were specific to creating that feeling.

Multiple Select

Which word has a more positive connotation?

• thrify

• penny-pinching

Multiple Select

Which word has a more positive connotation?

• pushy

• aggressive

Multiple Select

Which word has a more positive connotation?

• politician

• statesman

Types of Diction

• Formal - what you wold publish or see in a textbook

• Informal - how you speak with people with authority (respect)

• Colloquial - slang you would use with close frinds and family

Open Ended

Rewrite the sentence using formal diction:

After the game, my friends ate pizza.