Transcript Diction & Tone

Diction & Tone
Diction refers to the author’s choice
of words.
Tone is the attitude or feeling that
the writer’s words express.
Denotation means the literal, dictionary definition of
the word – plump and obese both mean calorically
challenged.
Connotation 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,
tubby, burly, over-weight, roly poly, bulky, stocky,
weighty, pudgy
Which 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?
The choice of diction contributes
to the tone
When discussing tone, consider
such questions as:
What seems to be the speaker’s
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?
ALWAYS use an adjective when
describing diction and tone.
____ diction contributes to the ____
tone.
Now --- let’s try it
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?
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 - wedding
What kind of words are these?
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.
Jovial diction contributes to the euphoric
tone.
Or uplifting diction contributes to the
elated tone.
Bursting through the door, the
flustered mother hollered
uncontrollably at the innocent teacher
who gave her child an F.
____ diction contributes to the ____
tone.
Aggressive diction contributes to the
antagonistic tone.
Abhorrent abrupt accusing
accusatory admonitory
bantering bitter boring brash bucolic calm
cautious
childish coarse cold
colloquial concerned despairing
desperate disdainful disgusted ecstatic effusive elated elegiac
eloquent
embittered erudite exuberant foreboding
gloomy harsh haughty
hopeful humble
indignant inflammatory irreverent irritated
ironic
joking joyful light
loving miserable melancholic
nervousnostalgic optimistic outraged
paranoid
passionate patronizing pedantic
peaceful pessimistic pitiful
pleasant
playful proud pompous pretentious questioning
reflective reminiscent resigned
romantic
sad
sanctimonious sarcastic
sardonic scornful sentimental
serene serious sharp shocked
sillysolemn somber soothing
snobbish
snooty sympathetic
taunting
turgid
vexed
vibrant whimsical angry anxious appreciative
apologetic
arrogant
audacious
condemning
dark
condescending
contemptuous dreamymocking
moralistic mournful
persuasive piquant cynical compassionate confidant
See…………
The more words you know to describe
passages, the more sophisticated your
descriptions will be when you analyze
authors’ writing
And remember………………………
What kind of words are being used?
And how do they make you feel?
And one last tip………..
Never, never, never, never, never say:
“the author uses diction”
do you mean – the author chooses
words?
Well, duh!!!!!!
Always say:
the author uses ______(what kind of)
diction
indignant? dark? euphoric?
Describe it!!!!!!
Your Assignment
Directions: You are to complete this assignment individually based
on your INP book for this quarter.
1. Pick 5 consecutive sentences from this section of your reading.
Write this passage down on your paper.
2. Highlight or underline all words that you believe contribute to the
tone of the passage.
3. Now determine the tone and diction by completing the following
statement: ____________ diction contributes to the
______________ tone of the passage.
4. Significantly change two of your key tone determining words in
your paragraph. How does it change the tone (“It doesn’t” is not
an acceptable answer)?
5. Paraphrase this passage legitimately.
6. Look at another passage from the first or second section of your
novel. Is the diction different? Why or why not? Explain in at
least two sentences.