English 11 / Unit 7: Rhetorical Analysis
7.5 Diction, Syntax and Tone
Notes
Word choice and sentence structure shape tone.
- Diction: the writer's word choice, including connotation (the feeling a word carries). "Slender" and "scrawny" both mean thin but differ in connotation.
- Syntax: sentence structure and length. Short sentences can sound urgent; long, flowing sentences can sound reflective.
- A periodic sentence saves its main point until the end; a cumulative sentence begins with the main point and adds details.
- Tone words: urgent, solemn, ironic, defiant, hopeful, sarcastic, reverent.
- Worked example: "We must act. Now. Not tomorrow." Short, blunt sentences create urgency.
Practice
Which word has the most negative connotation?
All suggest low spending, but "stingy" is a criticism.
A speaker uses a string of short, forceful sentences. The effect is most likely:
Short sentences create punch and urgency.
"Because she had practiced every morning for a year, because she refused to quit when she failed, she finally won." This sentence is:
The main clause arrives at the end.
Ready for more? Take the Unit 7 test.