Word Choice Impacts Meaning and Tone

What is the definition of "diction?"

• how writing makes you feel

• word choice and it's impact on tone

• a comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as"

• using the five senses in writing

What is formal diction?

• long sentences, with very descriptive and precise writing.

• short sentences, with general ideas.

• casual writing that has a happy tone.

• writing that has a serious tone.

Why is diction important?

• because the word choice that a poem uses impacts how we read something or how we understand it.

• because formal word choice makes everything sound more important.

• because informal language is not appropriate for school.

• because Mrs. Kuntz said so (don't pick this one, PLEASE).

Tone can best be described as :

• author's opinion

• author's mood

• author's attitude

• author's life

Enchantia has become my refuge from the world, a place where I can roam among lavender unicorns. These unicorns speak to me with their mystical gray eyes. They embrace me with their thick layered fur. The unicorns have welcomed me into Enchantia as though I am a magical creature as well and not a regular boy from an ordinary town.

What tone is connoted by the word “refuge” in the text?

• Danger and peril

• Humor and lightness

• Boredom and restlessness

• Safety and security

Ling was chewing the gum. When her teacher told her to spit it out and throw it in the trash, she talked back.

What tone did Ling use with her teacher?

• apologetic

• sarcastic

• disrespectful

• uncertain

Struggling to depict the facial features, Liza threw down her paintbrush. She sighed in frustration. She was a landscape painter and not a portrait artist. Liza preferred to paint broad strokes of lakeside scenes and blue skies. Reproducing every aspect of a person’s face was a painful exercise class with a boot camp instructor. She needed to express her art without worrying about tiny details, like the cleft in someone’s chin.

What does the word “sighed” contribute to the tone of the text?

• It makes Liza seem enthusiastic.

• It makes Liza seem defeated.

• It makes Liza seem incompetent.

• It makes Liza seem educated.

What meaning is added to the text by the connotation of the word “solitary”?

• The author is performing a monologue in prison.

• The author enjoys monologues more than dialogues.

• The author finds monologues to be lonely.

• The author has never performed a monologue.

How could you describe the author’s diction in this excerpt?

• passionate-carrying strong feelings or beliefs

• simple- clear, short, and easy

• euphemistic- polite substitute for a less polite word; sometimes insincere

• ambiguous- open to interpretation; lacking obvious meaning

How could you describe the author’s diction in this excerpt? It was then that he saw the dark mist and heard the sound of the wave coming. He rushed back inside, shouting, “Run for your lives. Follow me straight to the hill.”

• single-minded

• simple

• elegant

• elevated