Diction and Tone ELA 2

Definitions Diction refers to the author’s choice of words. Tone is the attitude or feeling that the writer’s words express. The author’s choice of words express the tone of a story.

When analyzing diction, consider such questions as: Are the words monosyllabic or polysyllabic? Do the words have interesting connotations (hidden meanings)? Is the diction formal or casual? Is there any change in the level of diction in the passage? What can the reader infer about the speaker or the speaker’s attitude from the word choice?

The choice of diction contributes to the tone. QUESTIONS to CONSIDER: 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?

“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?

________ diction contributes to the ________ tone ________ diction contributes to the ________ tone. Uplifting diction contributes to the joyful tone.

Your Turn!

Write. On the next few slides are some images that convey a certain feeling. Write a few lines describing the images, and try to use diction to create a specific tone.