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DICTION Handout

The document discusses various types of diction used in writing including formal, informal, colloquial, slang, technical terms, and dialects. It also provides tips to avoid wordiness in sentences such as eliminating redundancies, being concise, using strong verbs, and choosing specific words. Some examples are given to illustrate the different types of diction as well as revisions to wordy sentences.

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Aiza San Pedro Santos
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399 views3 pages

DICTION Handout

The document discusses various types of diction used in writing including formal, informal, colloquial, slang, technical terms, and dialects. It also provides tips to avoid wordiness in sentences such as eliminating redundancies, being concise, using strong verbs, and choosing specific words. Some examples are given to illustrate the different types of diction as well as revisions to wordy sentences.

Uploaded by

Aiza San Pedro Santos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DICTION

 refers to the author’s choice of words.


 Words chosen to impart a particular effect on the reader reflect and sustain a writer’s purpose.
 FORMAL DICTION- is largely reserved for scholarly writings and serious prose and poetry.
 INFORMAL DICTION- is the norm in expository essays, newspaper editorials, and works of fiction.
 COLLOQUIAL DICTION and slang borrow from informal speech and are typically used to create mood or
capture a particular historic or regional language.
Words can be…
 Monosyllabic (one syllable in length) or polysyllabic (more than one syllable in length. The higher the ratio of
polysyllabic words, the more difficult the content. Monosyllabic words can add emphasis to the point you
are making.
 Colloquial (slang)
 Informal (conversational)
 Formal (literary or old-fashioned)
 Denotative (containing an exact meaning)
 Connotative (containing suggested meaning)
 Concrete (specific)
 Abstract (general or conceptual)
 Euphonious (pleasant sounding)
 Cacophonous (harsh sound)

There is a common misconception that long sentences are wordy while short sentences are concise. If you can
“shrink” the sentence without losing its meaning, then the sentence is classified as wordy.

Avoiding sentence wordiness


1. Eliminate redundancies (repeating ideas)
× He couldn’t get into the house because the key he used was too small in size.
Consider this revision:
× He couldn’t get into the house because the key he used was too small.
× Ron went to the farm to tend the farm animals.
Consider this revision:
× Ron went to the farm to tend the animals.
(Since he is going to the farm, it is inferred as to what type of animal he is working with.}
× My cousin loves extreme outdoor sports, enjoys mountain climbing, parasailing and bungee jumping.
Consider this revision:
× My cousin loves extreme outdoor sports such as mountain climbing, parasailing and bungee jumping.

2. Be Concise
× To reach our goals, we need suggestions that are fresh and at the same time effective.
To reach our goal, we need fresh and effective ideas.
× His mother is an actress, and she is a former beauty queen.
His mother is both an actress and a former beauty queen.
× At the front gate, there was a man who was begging for alms.
At the front gate was a man begging for alms.
3. Use adjectives and adverbs appropriately
o The lifeless cadaver was found in the river.
Cadaver was a dead body, therefore it is obvious that it is lifeless.
o She whispered silently and carefully to her seatmate.
She whispered to her seatmate.
4. Avoid verbal deadwood
o Actually, I’m kind of disappointed to the extent that I no longer sort of care who wins because my team was
basically eliminated.
I am disappointed and I no longer care who wins because my team was eliminated.
5. Avoid unnecessarily repeating words
× Dr, Gideon, who has been a doctor for five years, is the best doctor in the Metropolitan area.
Dr. Gideon is the longest-tenured medical surgeon in Metropolitan area.
(Here, “five years” was replaced with “longest-tenured” and seek to properly define what type of doctor he
is.)
6. Phrasing
× Cut empty or inflated phrases such as in my opinion, I think that, it seems that, one must admit that, etc.
× I think Mr. Duterte is the best president ever.
× In my opinion, wearing school uniform is better than wearing casual clothes in school.
(These phrases are not necessary because your writing comes with an unwritten agreement- that what you
say is your opinion or what you think.)
7. Avoid slang
× The contents of most genetically modified foods would gross you out.
The contents of most genetically modified foods would disgust you.
× The black cat freaked me out.
The black cat frightened me.
8. select words with right connotations
× When American soldiers returned home after World War II, many women abandoned their jobs in favor of
marriage.
(The word abandoned is far too negative for the statement)
× When American soldiers returned home after World War II, many women left their jobs in favor of
marriage.
× Genetically modified foods are considered unhealthy, as they’ve been known to cause weight loss, cancer,
and even death in some cases.
(The word unhealthy is far too weak for the statement)
× Genetically modified foods are considered dangerous, as they’ve been known to cause weight loss, cancer,
and even death in some cases.
9. Be careful with word usage
× The lawyer quarrels that the accused only defended himself from the attacker.
The lawyer argues that the accused only defended himself from the attacker.
× The moviegoers were migrating towards the left side to find their seats.
The moviegoers were moving towards the left side to find their seats.
10. Use strong and exact verbs
 The members of the committee were sure that Gino was the winner of the contest.
The members of the committee confirmed that Gino won the contest.
× Typhoon Ondoy caused the flood in many areas in Manila.
Typhoon Ondoy flooded many areas in Manila.
× This year’s bar exam were failed by nine thousand out of ten thousand examinees.
Nine thousand out of ten thousand examinees failed this year’s bar exam.
× The sun was covered by big, lonely clouds.
Big, lonely clouds covered the sun.

11. Use specific words

× The word look is too general. Use shades of meaning in order to distinguish your ideas.
× Look, watch, stare, ogle, squint, observe, glare, glance, gape, scrutinize
 The man stared at the woman walking down the street. (to look intently and with malice)
 The child squinted at the sun which was shining brightly at midday. (to look with difficulty)
 Tourists ogled at the majestic Mayon Volcano in Albay. (to look with wonder and amazement)
 The Principal observed the newly-hired teachers in their classroom demonstrations.(to look as to
examine)
 I glanced at the small table clock beside my bed. (to look hurriedly)
 The mother watched her little girl played in the garden.(to look at someone or something for an amount of
time and pay attention to what is happening)
 In my perusal of the morning paper, I often paused to take a gander at my horoscope. This stuff is
supposed to be figured out on a chart of the heavens which manifests the positions of the sun, moon, and
the signs of the zodiac at the honest to goodness time and location of your birth. The signs are presumed to
hold sway over certain parts of the body, and supposed to tell you what’s happening in the various
conditions of life. Sometimes, my horoscope predicts the orb of my daily activity with confounding accuracy.
But most of the time it’s just hogwash.
 As I read the morning paper, I often pause to read my horoscope. Horoscopes are determined by the
positions of the sun, moon, and zodiac signs at the time and location of your birth. Astrologers claim that the
signs of the zodiac influence certain parts of the body and the houses hold sway over various conditions of
life. Sometimes my horoscope predicts my daily activities with surprising accuracy, but most of the time, it
seems to be nonsense.

Types of diction

Slang
× refers to a group of recently coined or invented words often used in informal situations
× Slang words often come and go quickly, passing in and out of usage within months or years.
Ex. : Emo, frenemy, my bad, bromance

Colloquial expressions
× are nonstandard, often regional, ways of using language appropriate to informal or conversational speech
and writing.
× Examples:
anyhow, gotcha, gramps, stats, info, guys, kid

Jargon/ technical terms


× consists of words and expressions characteristic of a particular trade, profession or pursuit
× Examples:
gigabyte, CPU, existentialist, Cartesian Plane, stethoscope

Dialect
× is a nonstandard subgroup of a language with its own vocabulary and grammatical features
× Examples:
Philippine English as a dialect of English language
PHILIPPINE ENGLISH
× “I cooked delicious adobong manok,” Gino said proudly.
× “I cooked delicious chicken,” Gino said proudly.

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