ch. 12 Achieving Style Through Language Flashcards
what is style?
the pattern of choices attributed to a person by others to characterize or distinguish him or her
what is reflexive?
making self-reference to the speaker or situation
what are the basic requirements for effective style?
- accuracy
- appropriateness to the audience and situation
what is malapropism?
unintentional but possibly meaningful confusion of words or usages
what are 3 guidelines for appropriateness?
1) avoid sounding self-important or pretentious
2) avoid signs of disrespect
3) avoid inappropriate emotion
what is a definition?
the process of establishing meaning for a word or phrase
what are the types of definitions?
neutral definitions and persuasive definitions
what are neutral definitions?
when a speaker defines words in a fairly neutral way, with no goal other than being precise and clear
what are persuasive definitions?
a shift in connotation applied to the same denotation or a shift in denotation applied to the same connotation
what is clarity?
making something easy to comprehend
what are ways to achieving clarity?
- concrete words
- maxims
- limiting jargon and defining technical terms
- word economy
- active voice
- careful use of irony
- purposeful ambiguity
what are ways to achieving rhythm?
- repetition
- parallel wording
- antithesis
- inversions of word order
what are the ways to achieving vividness?
- description
- stories
- comparisons: simile and metaphor
- vivid sounds: alliteration and onomatopoeia
- personification
- reference to hypothetical people; dialogue and rhetorical questions
