Diction # 5 Last one!

Diction # 5 There was a scurrying around and then eight of them snatched up their guns, formed into twos, and marched out behind the office. He wheeled his horse about and trotted towards me. I jumped back and plunged for the tavern doorway. James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier, My Brother Sam is Dead 1. Look at the boldfaced word in the first sentence. Notice how clearly you can “see” the action because of that strong verb. How would it change the meaning of the sentence, if it read …. “eight of them picked up their guns”?

Diction # 5 2. What does the use of the world plunged in the third sentence tell you about the narrator’s attitude toward the other character’s in this passage?

Now You Try It Use the word plunged in a sentence, but instead of having the word express fear and desperation, have it express excitement and happiness. Remember that in many cases the context of the word determines its deeper meaning.

Next Class –Quiz! There will be a quiz on Diction. Know the meaning of the word diction Why is diction important? How to change your sentences to make them stronger Denotation and connotation – what is the difference? What is a perfect word? Be able to identify good diction in sentence Hint: Look at your creating diction handout!

Bibliography Adapted from Discovering Voice by Nancy Dean