Diction and Syntax

Classroom ExperimentImagine you are describing the same event to

the following people:Your childYour bossThe policeYour friend

Decide which word choice to use for each person by matching a phrasing below to a

audience above.

a screw up---- an oversight-----a mistake----an accident

What’s the Point?All speakers (and particularly authors) use different

words or phrases depending on the situation.

If you were speaking to a friend, you might say "screw-up.”If you were correcting a child, you'd probably say "mistake.”If you were making a police report, you'd describe "an

accident.”If you were explaining yourself to your boss, you might

downplay what happened by calling it "an oversight.“

How does the phrasing (or language) change the meaning in each scenario?

Classroom Experiment #2Let’s experiment a bit with word choice, shall we?

Examine the stanza on the next slide.

In your notebook, complete the blanks in the poem.

I’ll need one volunteer to copy their work onto the SMART Board.

The “__________” LandApril is the _____________ month, breeding

Lilacs out of the ____________ land, mixing

Memory and _____________, stirring

______________ roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us _______________, covering

Earth in _____________ snow, feeding

A little life with _______________ tubers.

The Waste LandApril is the cruelest month, breedingLilacs out of the dead land, mixingMemory and desire, stirringDull roots with spring rain.Winter kept us warm, coveringEarth in forgetful snow, feedingA little life with dried tubers.

In a Nutshell…Narrowly defined, diction refers to a speaker’s (or author’s) word choice.

In a broader sense, diction is typically divided into two components:Vocabulary (complexity of words)Syntax

Let’s Give it a Shot…Examine the words in each group. While each word in the group has basically

the same denotation (dictionary definition), some words have different connotations (implications/associations) than others.

For each group of three (3) words, circle one (1) word in the group that you feel has a different usage or implication for the others.

For example, if the words were “thin, skinny, and gaunt,” you may say that “gaunt” suggests excessively thin, almost to the point of unhealthiness.

Warm Upstudent, disciple, scholarskinny, malnourished, slendervacation, intermission, layoffbusy, unavailable, employedfear, panic, terrorfriend, buddy, acquaintance

AP ImplicationsFor the AP exam, you should be able

to describe an author’s diction and understand the ways in which diction can complement the author’s purpose.

An author’s style is comprised of diction, syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc.

SyntaxSyntax refers to the arrangement -- the ordering, grouping, and placement -- of words within a sentence.

Syntax is a component of grammar, though it is often used --incorrectly-- as a synonym for grammar.

Syntax Examples“I rode across the

ocean.”Rearrange the syntax of the sentence above

but keep identical vocabulary. In other words, create two new sentences by

reordering the words.1. _____ _____ _____ _____ _____2. _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Syntax Examples“I rode across the ocean.”

“Across the ocean rode I,” or “The ocean I rode across.”

Different syntax but identical vocabulary

To replace “ocean” with “sea” is to alter the vocabulary but not the syntax.

“Rode I across the sea” is to use diction and syntax very different from “I rode across the ocean.”

Things to Consider…Punctuation: How does the author punctuate

the sentence and to what extent does the punctuation affect the meaning?

Structure: How are words and phrases arranged within the sentence? What is the author trying to accomplish through this arrangement?

Changes: Are there places where the syntax clearly changes? If so, where, how, and why?

AP ImplicationsIn the multiple- choice section of the

AP exam, expect to be asked some questions about how an author manipulates syntax.

In the essay section, you will need to analyze how syntax produces effects.

Research PaperYou must remember that your paper is on

Heart of Darkness or The Awakening, not Victorian culture, historical imperialism, or feminist developments during the 1890’s. These things will help inform your argument, but your analysis is of the text and its language.

Your goal should be to prove any argument put forth by your theory with a close examination of Heart of Darkness or The Awakening..

If you think Conrad deplores imperialism, find the exact passages that bear it out. If you think Chopin views Edna as a feminist hero, find the passage that supports this reading and analyze word choice.

Class ExerciseThink of a tone word (i.e., happy, bored,

depressed, confused, etc.)When you have a tone word in mind, rewrite the

sentence below with your tone word in mind. You may use any diction or syntax you wish.

Remember, you are not to say what the tone word is in the sentence. You are simply writing with that word in mind. The class will try to guess your word based on your diction and syntax. Got it?

I really can’t believe he asked her to the dance.