Diction & Tone

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Diction Tone
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Diction refers to the authors choice of
words.Tone is the attitude or feeling that the
writers words express.
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When analyzing diction, consider such questions
as

• Is the language concrete or abstract?
• Are the words monosyllabic or polysyllabic?
• Do the words have interesting connotations?
• Is the diction formal or colloquial?
• Is there any change in the level of diction in
  the passage?
• What can the reader infer about the speaker or
  the speakers attitude from the word choice?

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What are some of the conclusions we can draw from
these answers?

• Concrete?
• Abstract?
• Monosyllabic words
• Polysyllabic words
• Formal
• Colloquial
• Change in type of diction?

• Childlike
• Mature thinking
• Intellectually inferior
• Sophisticated
• Educated
• Illiterate
• Does this indicate an epiphany?

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Denotation means the literal, dictionary
definition of the word plump and obese both
mean caloricly challengedConnotation means the
implied or suggested meaning attached to a word,
or the emotional tag that goes along with the
word.Corpulent, plump, obese, heavy set,
fleshy, fat, paunchy, burly, over-weight, roly
poly, bulky, portly, weighty, pudgyWhich word
do we use to insult someone?Which one do we use
to describe someone we like?Which one do we use
to describe a cute little baby?
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The choice of diction contributes to the
toneWhen discussing tone, consider such
questions as

• What seems to be the speakers attitude in the
  passage?
• Is more than one attitude or point of view
  expressed?
• Does the passage have a noticeable emotional mood
  or atmosphere?
• Can anything in the passage be described as irony?

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ALWAYS use an adjective when describing diction
and tone.____ diction contributes to the ____
tone.
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Now --- lets try it
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Bouncing into the room, she lit up the
vicinity with a joyous glow on her face as she
told about her fiancé and their wedding
plans.What are the specific words that create
the feeling of the sentence? What words did the
author use to create the feeling of the sentence?
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Bouncing into the room, she lit up the
vicinity with a joyous glow on her face as she
told about her fiancé and their wedding
plans.Bouncing lit joyous glow fiancé
- weddingWhat kind of words are these?
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Bouncing into the room, she lit up the vicinity
with a joyous glow on her face as she told about
her fiancé and their wedding plans. ____
diction contributes to the ____ tone. Cheerful
diction contributes to the euphoric tone.Or
uplifting diction contributes to the joyful tone.
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She huddled in the corner, clutching her
tattered blanket and shaking convulsively, as she
feverishly searched the room for the unknown
dangers that awaited her. ____ diction
contributes to the ____ tone. frightening
diction contributes to the alarming tone.
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She lay on the couch in a white evening dress,
whispering softly in the ear of her fiancé,
running her fingers through his hair and gently
nibbling his earlobe. ____ diction contributes
to the ____ tone. suggestive diction
contributes to the seductive tone.
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Harvard accepted her, allowing this child the
opportunity to study in the same halls as the
many famous scholars before her, giving her the
chance to excel in her field in the best college
in the United States. ____ diction contributes
to the ____ tone. lofty diction contributes to
the elevated tone.
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Bursting through the door, the flustered mother
hollered uncontrollably at the innocent teacher
who gave her child an F. ____ diction
contributes to the ____ tone. fierce diction
contributes to the antagonistic tone.
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Drawing the attention of his classmates, as well
as his teacher, the student dared to experiment
with his professors intelligence by
interrogating him about the Bible. ____ diction
contributes to the ____ tone. challenging
diction contributes to the confrontational tone.
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He furtively glanced behind him, for fear of his
imagined pursuers, then hurriedly walked on,
jumping at the slightest sound, even of a leaf
crackling under his own foot. ____ diction
contributes to the ____ tone. threatening
diction contributes to the frantic tone.
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Gently smiling, her mother tenderly tucked the
covers up around the childs neck, and carefully,
quietly, left the room, making sure to leave a
comforting ray of light shining through the
opened door should the child awake. ____
diction contributes to the ____ tone. loving
diction contributes to the serene tone.
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The laughing wind skipped through the village,
teasing the trees until they danced with anger
and cajoling the grass into fighting itself,
blade slapping blade, as the silly dog with
golfball eyes and flopping, tongue bounded across
the lawn. ____ diction contributes to the ____
tone. humorous diction contributes to the
happy-go-lucky tone.
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RememberWhat kind of words are
there?And how do they make you feel?
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Abhorrent abrupt accusing accusatory admonitory
bantering bitter boring brash bucolic calm cautiou
s childish coarse cold colloquial concerned despai
ring desperate disdainful disgusted ecstatic effus
ive elated elegiac eloquent embittered erudite ex
uberant foreboding gloomy harsh haughty hopeful h
umbleindignant inflammatory irreverent irritated
ironicjoking joyful light loving miserable melanc
holicnervous nostalgic optimistic outraged pa
ranoid passionate patronizing pedantic
peaceful pessimistic pitiful pleasant playful prou
d pompous pretentious questioning
reflective reminiscent resigned romantic
sadsanctimonious sarcastic
sardonic scornful sentimentalserene serious sh
arp shocked silly solemn somber soothing
snobbish snooty sympathetic taunting
turgid vexedvibrant whimsical angry anxious appre
ciative apologetic arrogant audacious condemnin
g dark condescending contemptuous
dreamy mocking moralistic mournful
persuasive piquant cynical compassionate confidant

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See

• The more words you know to describe passages, the
  more sophisticated your descriptions will be when
  you analyze authors writing

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And one last tip..Never, never, never, never,
never saythe author uses dictiondo you mean
the author chooses words?Well,
duh!!!!!!Always saythe author uses
______(what kind of) dictionindignant? dark?
euphoric?Describe it!!!!!!