Rhetorical strategies (syntax,diction)
by gabrielle Bingemann
How to Properly Use Syntax and Diction
Diction: “The difference between the right word and almost the right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” (Mark Twain)
Diction is how a writer uses language for a distinct purpose and effect by using strong word choices and a variety of figures of speech.
Concrete Diction-
Concrete diction refers to words that stimulate some kind of sensory response in the reader: as we read the words, we can imaginatively use our senses to experience what the words represent.
Specific Diction- Use specific word choices to ensure the readers can "see" exactly what you want them to "see".
For example: Consider the following sentence: "Mary walked into the restaurant." The diction in this sentence may at first seem specific, but it is not. Aren't there different ways to "walk"? And what restaurant did Mary enter? Because the sentences below uses more specific diction, they answer both of these questions.
Mary staggered into Denny's.
Mary paraded into Red Lobster.
Mary shuffled into McDonald's.
Mary sashayed into Oogies.
Mary strutted into The Red Door.
Mary limped into Burger King
Mary waddled into Oink's Gourmet Bar-B-Que.
Mary sauntered into Subway.
Mary crept into Monari's 101.
Mary marched into Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Mary tiptoed into Pizza Hut.
Mary strolled into Hardee's.
Mary slinked into Uptown Bar & Grill.
Mary swaggered into Verucchi's Ristorante.
Mary trudged into Wendy's.
Mary pranced into Taco Bell.
http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/eng1001_diction.htm
Types of Diction:
Example of Diction:
Writers’ skillfully choose words to develop a certain tone and atmosphere in their works. Read the following excerpt from a short story “The School” by Donald Barthelme:
“And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don’t know why they died, they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn’t the best. We complained about it. So we’ve got thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and we’ve got these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks, it was depressing.”
The use of the words “died”, “dead”, “brown sticks” and “depressing” gives a gloomy tone to the passage
"Diction - Examples and Definition of Diction." Literary Devices. 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 8 June 2015.
Syntax: The arrangement of words in a sentence that also provides meaning and vibrancy to your essay.
To convey meaning is one of the main functions of syntax. In literature, writers utilize syntax and diction to achieve certain artistic effects like mood, tone etc. Like diction, syntax aims to affect the readers as well as express the writer’s attitude.
Diction is how a writer uses language for a distinct purpose and effect by using strong word choices and a variety of figures of speech.
- Diction must be concise
- Use varied sentence structure
- Avoid phrase-stretching
- Avoid cliche and redundant phrases
- Use more active verbs instead of passive verbs
Concrete Diction-
Concrete diction refers to words that stimulate some kind of sensory response in the reader: as we read the words, we can imaginatively use our senses to experience what the words represent.
Specific Diction- Use specific word choices to ensure the readers can "see" exactly what you want them to "see".
For example: Consider the following sentence: "Mary walked into the restaurant." The diction in this sentence may at first seem specific, but it is not. Aren't there different ways to "walk"? And what restaurant did Mary enter? Because the sentences below uses more specific diction, they answer both of these questions.
Mary staggered into Denny's.
Mary paraded into Red Lobster.
Mary shuffled into McDonald's.
Mary sashayed into Oogies.
Mary strutted into The Red Door.
Mary limped into Burger King
Mary waddled into Oink's Gourmet Bar-B-Que.
Mary sauntered into Subway.
Mary crept into Monari's 101.
Mary marched into Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Mary tiptoed into Pizza Hut.
Mary strolled into Hardee's.
Mary slinked into Uptown Bar & Grill.
Mary swaggered into Verucchi's Ristorante.
Mary trudged into Wendy's.
Mary pranced into Taco Bell.
http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/eng1001_diction.htm
Types of Diction:
- Colloquial words
- conversational language
- dialect
- Slang
- Jargon
Example of Diction:
Writers’ skillfully choose words to develop a certain tone and atmosphere in their works. Read the following excerpt from a short story “The School” by Donald Barthelme:
“And the trees all died. They were orange trees. I don’t know why they died, they just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn’t the best. We complained about it. So we’ve got thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own little tree to plant and we’ve got these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking at these little brown sticks, it was depressing.”
The use of the words “died”, “dead”, “brown sticks” and “depressing” gives a gloomy tone to the passage
"Diction - Examples and Definition of Diction." Literary Devices. 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 8 June 2015.
Syntax: The arrangement of words in a sentence that also provides meaning and vibrancy to your essay.
To convey meaning is one of the main functions of syntax. In literature, writers utilize syntax and diction to achieve certain artistic effects like mood, tone etc. Like diction, syntax aims to affect the readers as well as express the writer’s attitude.
Diction and Syntax Examples:
Diction:
"Diction - Examples and Definition of Diction." Literary Devices. 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 8 June 2015. |
Syntax:
Explains when they text, and the modifier should follow the noun in the sentence.
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