Syntax/Diction Flashcards
What is syntax?
The way words and clauses are arranged to form sentences
How do authors quicken the pace?
They will use shorter, simpler sentences
How do authors slow down the pace?
They will use longer, more complex and convoluted sentences
Loose sentence
The main point is at the beginning
Periodic sentence
The main point is at the end (near the period)
Parallel Structure
Grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence
Natural order sentence
A sentence that follow the order: Subject - Verb - Object
Inverted order sentence
A sentence where the predicate (main verb) comes before the subject
Slightly inverted sentence
May simply move the object in front of the subject and verb
Simple sentence
One independent clause
Simple sentence example
The singer bowed to her adoring audience
Compound sentence
Two or more independent clauses (joined by a comma with a coordinating conjuction - and, but, for, or, nor, yet, so - or a semicolon)
Compound sentence example
The singer bowed gratefully to the audience, but/however she sang no encores.
Complex sentence
One independent clause and one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses
Complex sentence example
Although the singer bowed gratefully to the audience, she sang no encores
Compound-complex sentence
Two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent (subordinate) clause
Compound-complex sentence example
The singer bowed gratefully while the audience applauded, but she sang no encores
Dependent (subordinate) clause
Has a subject and a verb; however, it cannot stand alone because it does not have a complete thought
Independent clause
Has a subject and a verb, and can stand alone because it has a complete thought
How do authors syntactically create emphasis?
Position, isolation, repetition, and isolation
Position
Where you put something in the sentence
Isolation
Setting it off by itself (dash, quotation marks, parenthesis, etc.)
Repetition
The number of times something is repeated
Proportion
The size of the idea and how much of the piece the idea takes up
Diction
The author’s choice of words
Informal diction
The norm in newspaper editorials, works of fiction, and friendly writing. Language of everyday use. Relaxed and controversial
Formal diction
Largely reserved for scholarly writing and serious prose or poetry, and business writing, and essays. Creates an elevated tone.
ex. “The Scarlet Letter”
Colloquial diction
Borrows from informal speech and typically used to create a mood or capture a particular historic or regional dialect, found in song lyrics
Neutral diction
Everday vocabulary
Slang
Recently coined words (LOL, BRB)
Colloquial expressions
Nonstandard, regional, ways of using language appropriate to informal or conversational speech and writing
Colloquial expression example
Y’all, fixin, pop, wanna, etc.
Jargon
Consists of words and expressions characteristic of a particular trade, profession, or pusuit (profession related)
Jargon example
HR, “pirate talk,” self-assesment, etc.
Idiom
Language that is peculiar; it’s meaning is other than the literal meaning of the words that compromise the idiom
Idiom example
Bad egg, back burner, in a pickle, in hot water, no-brainer
Connotation and denotation
When studying diction, you must understand both ____ (meaning by the word) and ____ (literal meaning)
Connotation
Meaning by the word
Denotation
Literal meaning
Apostrophe
A discretion in the form of an address to someone not present or to a personified object. A figure of speech sometimes represented by the exclamation “O”
Apostrophe example
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star” - An imaginary personified object
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole is used for a part
Synedoche example
wheels/cars
graybeard/old man
sails/ship or boat
Metonymy
A word that describes another thing that’s closely linked but not a part of it
Metonymy example
The pen is mightier than the sword or let me give you a hand
Oxymoron
Two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect
Oxymoron example
Cruel kindness, living death, awfully pretty
Paradox
A sentence or even a group of sentences that will seem contradictory but will ultimately hold some truth
Paradox example
Your enemy’s friend is your enemy, I am nobody, truth is honey which is bitter
Pun
A play on words in which a humorous effect is produced by using a word that suggests two or more meanings or by exploiting similar sounding words having different meanings
Pun example
A horse is a very stable animal, I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, then is struck me
Cacophonous
Harsh sounding words; “bad or evil voice”
Euphonious
Sweet voiced; a noteworthy melody of loveliness in the sounds they create
