{"id":2148,"date":"2019-09-10T20:06:07","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T19:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transfer.writingcommons.org\/?page_id=2148"},"modified":"2023-10-18T16:30:01","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:30:01","slug":"diction","status":"publish","type":"section","link":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/","title":{"rendered":"Diction"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tts_content_wrapper_2\" >\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_69_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#What_is_Diction\" title=\"What is Diction?\">What is Diction?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#Why_Does_Diction_Matter\" title=\"Why Does Diction Matter?\">Why Does Diction Matter?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#Types_of_Diction\" title=\"Types of Diction\">Types of Diction<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#1_Level_of_Formality\" title=\"1. Level of Formality\">1. Level of Formality<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#Formal_Diction\" title=\"Formal Diction\">Formal Diction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#Standard_Diction\" title=\"Standard Diction\">Standard Diction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#Informal_Diction\" title=\"Informal Diction\">Informal Diction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#2_Levels_of_Abstraction\" title=\"2. Levels of Abstraction\">2. Levels of Abstraction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#Denotation_Connotation\" title=\"Denotation &amp; Connotation\">Denotation &amp; Connotation<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#How_Should_I_Revise_and_Edit_My_Work_for_Diction\" title=\"How Should I Revise and Edit My Work for Diction?\">How Should I Revise and Edit My Work for Diction?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/diction\/#Strategies_for_Revising_Diction\" title=\"Strategies for Revising Diction\">Strategies for Revising Diction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_Diction\"><\/span>What is Diction? <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Diction<\/em> is<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>a writer or speaker&#8217;s <em>choice of words<\/em><ul><li>the appropriateness of words given the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">rhetorical situation<\/a>, especially <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">audience<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/topic\/\">topic<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>a scale, a measure, of the formality of the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/occasion-exigency\/\">occasion<\/a>: <ul><li>It&#8217;s commonplace to categorize discourse into three measures of formality: <em>formal<\/em>, <em>standard,<\/em> <em>informal<\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>the accent, pronunciation, or speech-sound quality of a speaker.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditionally <em>diction<\/em> solely concerns <em>word choice<\/em>; yet many people mix discussions of <em>diction<\/em> with discussions of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/writing-styles\/\">writing style<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/mechanics\/\">mechanics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/citation\/\">citation style<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/sentence-patterns\/\">syntax<\/a>, &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/voice\/\">voice<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/tone\/\">tone<\/a>, or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/persona\/\">persona<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Diction<\/em> may be referenced as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_English\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Standard English<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/British_English\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">British English<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Key Concepts: <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/editing\/edit-for-diction\/\">Edit for Diction<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/register\/\">Register<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">Rhetorical Situation<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/persona\/\">Persona<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-reasoning\/\">Rhetorical Reasoning<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/tone\/\">Tone<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/persona\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/voice\/\">Voice<\/a>;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Does_Diction_Matter\"><\/span>Why Does Diction Matter?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your <em>diction<\/em> has a profound influence on whether your readers will read, understand and value your message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Diction<\/em> plays a substantive role in the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/elements-of-style\/clarity\/\">clarity<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/genre\/argument\/\">persuasiveness<\/a> of communications. In fact, ETS (Educational Testing Services), Pearson Education, and other assessment companies use <em>diction<\/em> and <em>sentence length<\/em> as the chief linguistic markers to determine scoring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/textual-methods\/text\/\">Texts<\/a> that have a varied and sophisticated vocabulary score higher than texts that repeat dull words endlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also plays a major role in establishing a&nbsp;<a style=\"font-size: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/voice\/\">voice<\/a><span style=\"font-size: revert; color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">,&nbsp;<\/span><a style=\"font-size: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/tone\/\">tone<\/a><span style=\"font-size: revert; color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">, and&nbsp;<\/span><a style=\"font-size: revert; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/persona\/\">persona<\/a>. The character&#8217;s <em>word choice<\/em> in fiction defines the character, <em>showing<\/em> readers who is the character is rather than telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-types-of-diction\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_Diction\"><\/span>Types of Diction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are multiple ways to define <em>diction<\/em>, depending on perspective and point of view. Below are three <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/invention-prewriting\/prewriting\/commonplaces\/\">commonplace<\/a> perspectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Level of Formality<\/li><li>Level of Abstraction<\/li><li>Connotation and Denotation.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Level_of_Formality\"><\/span>1. Level of Formality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditionally, <em>diction<\/em> is defined as <em>formal, standard, <\/em>or<em> informal<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Formal_Diction\"><\/span>Formal Diction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>vocabulary suitable for professional and college-educated audiences <\/li><li>the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/text-composition\/\">discourse<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/collaboration\/peer-review\/\">peer-reviewed<\/a> journals and literature<ul><li>sparse use of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/article\/the-first-person\/\">1st person point of view<\/a> <\/li><li>no use of colloquialisms, contractions, idioms, slang<\/li><li>use of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction-word-choice-writing-speech\/abstract-language\/\">abstract language<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction-word-choice-writing-speech\/jargon\/\">jargon<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>complex syntax<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/grammar\/sentences\/sentence-types\/\">complex sentence structure &amp; compound-complex sentence structures<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Standard_Diction\"><\/span>Standard Diction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>college-level discourse<ul><li>texts produced at college level, from the chemistry lab to the humanities paper on cultural change<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>vocabulary suitable for well-educated audiences and mass media publications yet not pitched at level of expert to expert<ul><li>use of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/article\/the-first-person\/\">1st person point of view<\/a><\/li><li>use of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction-word-choice-writing-speech\/abstract-language\/\">abstract language<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction-word-choice-writing-speech\/jargon\/\">jargon<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/figurative-language\/\">figurative language<\/a><\/li><li>some use of contractions, colloquialisms, contractions, idioms, slang<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Informal_Diction\"><\/span>Informal Diction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>simple vocabulary and abbreviated, self-centered <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/text-composition\/\">discourse<\/a><\/li><li>vulgarities, colloquialisms, contractions, idioms, slang <\/li><li>simple syntax and problems with <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/mechanics\/\">mechanics<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/grammar\/\">grammar<\/a><ul><li>simple-sentence structure, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/sentence-errors\/comma-splice\/\">comma splice<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/sentence-errors\/avoid-run-on-sentences\/\">run-on sentences<\/a>, <\/li><li>frequent use of <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/sentence-errors\/sentence-fragment\/\">sentence Fragments<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Levels_of_Abstraction\"><\/span>2. Levels of Abstraction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Diction may be defined by the <em>level of abstraction <\/em>of the words used in a text:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction-word-choice-writing-speech\/abstract-language\/\">Abstract Language<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/concrete-language-sensory-language\/\">Concrete, Sensory Language<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/figurative-language\/\">Figurative Language<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Denotation_Connotation\"><\/span>Denotation &amp; Connotation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Analyzing the <em>denotation<\/em> and <em>connotation<\/em> of a word is a third way to conceptualize <em>diction<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Words convey meaning at two levels: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>the denotative level<\/em> (aka <em>the literal <\/em>meaning) <ol><li>This is the meaning of the word that you&#8217;ll find in a dictionary, encyclopedia, or reference source. <\/li><\/ol><\/li><li><em>the connotative level (aka Implied <\/em>meaning)<ol><li>Words convey emotional and cultural resonance. Over time, as we learn new words, we associate those words with emotions and the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">context<\/a> in which we learned them. Words, at the connotative level, can imply values, judgments, and feelings.<\/li><\/ol><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Words can have similar <em>denotations<\/em> and yet remarkably different <em>connotations<\/em>, as suggested by the table below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Positive Connotation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Neutral Connotation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Negative Connotation<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Generous<\/td><td>Helpful<\/td><td>Extravagant<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Thrifty<\/td><td>Fiscally Conservative<\/td><td>Cheap<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Childlike<\/td><td>Young<\/td><td>Childish<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Strong Willed<\/td><td>Determined<\/td><td>Pushy, bossy, stubbborn<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, when you have a range of words available to you, you need to consider both the denotation and connotation of those words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, as well, that <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/article\/pathos\/\">emotion<\/a> can filter <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/information-literacy\/interpretation\/\">interpretation<\/a>. There&#8217;s a lot of spin on the ball when audiences are reading from an emotional as opposed to a <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/information-literacy\/literacy\/critical-literacy\/\">critical perspective.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Should_I_Revise_and_Edit_My_Work_for_Diction\"><\/span>How Should I Revise and Edit My Work for Diction?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Key Concepts: <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/register\/\">Register<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-reasoning\/\">Rhetorical Reasoning<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/\">A diction problem<\/a> happens when you use a word in the wrong <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">context<\/a> or use a word that does not mean what you intended it to mean in that situation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/writer-speaker-author-rhetor-sender\/\">Writers, speakers, knowledge workers . . . <\/a> are wise to engage in self <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/collaboration\/critique\/\">critique<\/a> of their writing. It&#8217;s particularly important for writers to consider the appropriateness of their <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/\">diction<\/a>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/research\/research-methods\/textual-methods\/text\/\">Texts<\/a>, at least alphabetical texts, are a flow of words, a waterfall. During the early stages of the composing process, you cannot stop and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/collaboration\/critique\/\">critique<\/a> each word you say or write it without being reduced to silence. When drafting you need to think about the big picture and not fret every word or comma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet at some point. you&#8217;ve got to check your diction. Not checking diction is the equivalent of going into a gun fight without bullets. You&#8217;re going to get slaughtered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your first step toward eliminating diction problems is to engage in <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">rhetorical analysis<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-reasoning\/\">rhetorical reasoning<\/a>. More specifically, you want to assess the language register appropriate for your <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">rhetorical situation<\/a>. Ultimately, <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/register\/\">register<\/a> is your North Star when it comes to establishing an appropriate diction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key aspect of understanding register is <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/audience\/\">audience awareness<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>How will my audience respond to my diction? <ul><li>Have I carefully considered the denotation and connotation of all of the words I&#8217;ve used?<\/li><li>Have I ensured my language is <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction-word-choice-writing-speech\/inclusive-language\/\">inclusive<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/\">bias free<\/a>?<br><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li>Does my diction invoke the <a style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/voice\/\">voice<\/a><span style=\"color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">,&nbsp;<\/span><a style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/tone\/\">tone<\/a><span style=\"color: initial; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\">, and&nbsp;<\/span><a style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-stance\/persona\/\">persona<\/a> that is appropriate for the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/rhetoric\/rhetorical-situation\/\">rhetorical situation<\/a> being addressed?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you know the <a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/register\/\">register<\/a>, you&#8217;ll have a sense of how formal you need to be. Subsequently, you can read through your text word-by-word and question if the word is sufficiently formal or informal. When you&#8217;ve used a word that you&#8217;ve heard rather than read, you should take a moment to look it up in a dictionary. To get a sense of the connotations associated with the word&#8211;or even just for fun&#8211;you might ask someone to peer review your text as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are going to use a thesaurus on a regular basis, spend some time familiarizing yourself with the way the thesaurus works. Some online programs will show closely related words in a specific color, with words shifting colors as they move away from the original meaning. Others use different systems&#8211;learn how your chosen thesaurus works before you rely on it too heavily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-strategies-for-revising-diction\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strategies_for_Revising_Diction\"><\/span>Strategies for Revising Diction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Look for missing words or phrases<\/strong>: Words that are missing, misplaced, or out of order reduce readability.A missing word or phrase can obscure meaning and cause confusion. Insert missing words or phrases to complete the intended thought.<\/li><li><strong>Look at word order after revising<\/strong>: Minor revision of a portion of a sentence can cause a major problem with word order. Reread each sentence after it has been revised to ensure that it still makes sense.<\/li><li><strong>Look for misplaced or dangling modifiers<\/strong>: If a modifier is misplaced or is modifying a subject not mentioned in the sentence, the message could be misleading or confusing to the reader. Place modifiers as close as possible to the object being modified.<\/li><li><strong>Look at subject-verb order<\/strong>: The English language usually follows the pattern <em>subject-verb-object<\/em> (SVO), but other languages may follow different patterns. Non-native English speakers may need to check their sentences for appropriate syntactical construction.<ul><li><strong>Example of SVO<\/strong>: The scholarly article explains theories on global warming. Subject = <em>article<\/em>; Verb = <em>explains<\/em>; Object = <em>theories<\/em><\/li><li><strong>Example of OSV<\/strong>: Theories on global warming the scholarly article explains. (awkward)<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Look for words that can be deleted<\/strong><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/archaism\/\">archaism<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/section\/style\/diction\/cliche\/\">clich\u00e9<\/a><\/li><li>overgeneralization<\/li><li>vague Language<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":39156,"parent":10614,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"chapters":[1981,2176],"class_list":["post-2148","section","type-section","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","chapters-diction","chapters-elements-of-style"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/2148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/section"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/2148\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57128,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/2148\/revisions\/57128"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/section\/10614"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2148"},{"taxonomy":"chapters","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapters?post=2148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}