Reading comprehension success - LearningExpress 2005
Lesson 12 Diction: What’s in a Word?
Language and Style
Lesson summary
Today’s lesson focuses on diction, the words writers choose to convey their meaning. The smallest change in choice of words can significantly change the tone and meaning of a passage. Today’s lesson shows you how to pick up on the clues to meaning writers give through their choice of words.
What made Sherlock Holmes such a good detective? Was he just much smarter than everyone else? Did he have some sort of magical powers? Could he somehow see into the future or into the past? No, Sherlock Holmes was no medium or magician. So what was his secret?
His powers of observation.
You may recall that the introduction to this book talked about active reading. As an active reader, you should have been marking up the passages you’ve read in this book: identifying unfamiliar vocabulary, underlining key words and ideas, and recording your reactions and questions in the margin. But there’s another part of active reading we haven’t talked about: making observations.
► Making Observations
Making observations means looking carefully at the text and noticing specific things about how it is written. You might notice, for example, the point of view the author has chosen. You could also notice:
■ Particular words and phrases the writer uses
■ The way those words and phrases are arranged in sentences and paragraphs
■ Repeated word or sentence patterns
■ Important details about people, places, and things
When you make observations, you can then make valid inferences. As a matter of fact, you did this in Lesson 11 when you made assumptions about how the writer wanted to be perceived based on the point of view he or she used.
Observations and Inferences
Inferences, as you may recall, are conclusions based on reason, fact, or evidence. Good inferences come from good observations. The observations are the evidence for the inferences. Good inferences—ones based on careful observation—can help you determine meaning, as they helped Sherlock Holmes solve crimes.
To be better readers, then, we need to be more like Sherlock Holmes: We need to be better observers. In the story “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier,” Sherlock Holmes tells a client: “I see no more than you, but I have trained myself to notice what I see’’ You don’t have to be Einstein to be a good reader; you just have to train yourself to notice what you see.
► Observing Diction
Test your observation skills on these two sentences:
A. The town’s new parking policy, which goes into effect on Monday, should significantly reduce traffic congestion on Main Street.
B. The town’s draconian new parking policy, which goes into effect on Monday, should significantly reduce traffic congestion on Main Street.
You don’t need Sherlock Holmes’s magnifying glass to see the difference between sentence A and sentence B: B uses the words draconian and new to describe the parking policy, while A uses only new. (Go back to Lesson 3 if you’ve forgotten what draconian means.) Now that you have noticed this, why is it important?
1. What does sentence B tell you that sentence A doesn’t?
a. what type of policy is being discussed
b. how the writer feels about the policy c. when the policy begins
The answer is b. Both sentences tell you that the policy is a new parking policy, and both say that the policy goes into effect on Monday. But sentence B, because it adds the word draconian, tells you how the writer feels about the new policy: He doesn’t like it. His opinion is implied through his choice of the word draconian. Rather than directly saying, “I think the policy is very severe,” the writer suggests or implies that this is the way he feels.
Denotation and Connotation
Now, suppose sentence A also had another adjective to describe the new policy:
A. The town’s firm new parking policy, which goes into effect on Monday, should significantly reduce traffic congestion on Main Street.
B. The town’s draconian new parking policy, which goes into effect on Monday, should significantly reduce traffic congestion on Main Street.
Do the two sentences now mean the same thing? Yes and no. Both firm and draconian suggest that the policy is strict, but each word has a specific implication or suggested meaning about how strict that policy is. A firm policy is not as strict as a draconian policy. Furthermore, draconian suggests that the policy is not only strict but unfairly or unreasonably so.
So, the words writers choose, even though they may mean the same thing when you look them up in the dictionary, actually have another level of meaning. This is called their connotation. Connotation is the implied meaning, the meaning that evolves when the dictionary definition (denotation) develops an emotional or social register or a suggestion of degree. The specific words writers choose—their diction or word choice—can therefore reveal a great deal about how authors feel about their subjects.
Diction: the particular words chosen and used by the author
Denotation: exact or dictionary meaning
Connotation: implied or suggested meaning
► How Diction Influences Meaning
Put your powers of observation to work on the following sentences. Read them carefully and then write down what you notice about each writer’s specific choice of words. See if you can use the writers’ diction to determine what they are inferring about the seriousness of the situation they are describing:
A. The political parties are meeting with the hopes of clearing up their differences.
B. The political parties have entered into negotiations in an attempt to resolve their conflict.
Both sentences convey the same information: Two parties are meeting because they have a disagreement of some sort to address. But the differences in the diction of each sentence tell us that these two situations aren’t exactly the same—or at least that the two writers have different perceptions about the situations. What differences did you notice between these two sentences? List them below (an example has been provided to get you started):
Your Observations:
Example: I noticed that sentence A says the political parties are “meeting” whereas sentence B says they “have entered into negotiations.”
Now that you’ve listed your observations, answer this question: In which sentence do you think the situation is more serious, and why do you think so? (The why is especially important.)
The difference in word choice should tell you that sentence B describes the more serious situation. Here are some of the observations you might have made about the writers’ diction that would have told you so:
■ The political parties in sentence B are not just “meeting,” they’ve “entered into negotiations.” This phrase is often used to describe disagreements between warring parties. And “negotiations” are much more formal than “meetings,” suggesting that there is a serious difference to be resolved in sentence B.
■ Whereas in sentence A they are ironing things out, the parties in sentence B only “attempt to” resolve the problems. This important difference suggests that the problem between the parties in sentence A is not that serious—the problem is likely to be resolved. In sentence B, on the other hand, “in an attempt” suggests that the problem is quite serious and that it will be difficult to resolve; the outlook is doubtful rather than hopeful.
■ In sentence A, the parties are seeking to “clear up their differences,” whereas in sentence B, the parties want to “resolve their conflict.” The phrase “clear up” suggests that there is merely some sort of confusion between the two. However, “resolve” suggests that there is a matter that must be solved or settled. And, of course, “conflict” indicates a more serious problem than “differences.”
Reading between the Lines
Looking at diction can be especially helpful when the writer’s main idea isn’t quite clear. For example, in the following paragraph—an excerpt from a letter of recommendation—the author doesn’t provide a topic sentence that expresses the main idea. Instead, you must use your powers of observation to answer the question about how the author feels about the described employee.
Paragraph A
Nicole Bryan usually completes her work on time and checks it carefully. She is a competent lab technician and is familiar with several ways to evaluate test results. She has some knowledge of the latest medical research, which has been helpful.
2. What message does the writer of paragraph A convey about Nicole Bryan?
a. Nicole Bryan is an exceptional employee. Hire her immediately!
b. Nicole Bryan is an average employee. She doesn’t do outstanding work, but she won’t give you any trouble.
c. Nicole Bryan is a lousy worker. Don’t even think about hiring her.
To answer this question, you made an inference. Now, support your inference with specific observations about the language in this paragraph. Why do you think your answer is correct? (An example has been provided to get you started.)
Your Observations and Inferences:
Example: I noticed that the writer says Nicole Bryan “usually” completes her work on time (observation), which suggests that Nicole Bryan is good but not perfect; she doesn’t always get her work done on schedule (inference).
The diction of the paragraph best supports answer b: The writer feels that “Nicole Bryan is an average employee. She doesn’t do outstanding work, but she won’t give you any trouble” You might have supported this inference with observations like these:
■ The writer uses the word usually in the first sentence, which means that Nicole Bryan is good, but not great; she doesn’t always meet deadlines.
■ The writer describes Nicole Bryan as a “competent” lab technician. This tells us that Nicole Bryan does her work well enough for the position, but she is not exceptional. She could be better.
■ The writer tells us that Nicole Bryan is “familiar with” several ways to evaluate test results. This means that she can do her work using those evaluation techniques, but she is no expert and does not know all there is to know about evaluating test results.
■ The writer tells us that Nicole Bryan has “some knowledge of the latest medical research,” which tells us that Nicole Bryan knows a little, but not a lot; again, she’s better than someone who knows nothing, but she’s no expert.
Now, take a look at a revised letter of recommendation. The diction (the word choice) has been changed so that the paragraph sends a different message. Read the paragraph carefully and determine how the writer feels about Nicole Bryan:
Paragraph B
Nicole Bryan always submits her work promptly and checks it judiciously. She is an excellent lab technician and has mastered several ways to evaluate test results. She has an extensive knowledge of the latest medical research, which has been invaluable.
3. What message does the writer of paragraph B convey about Nicole Bryan?
a. Nicole Bryan is an exceptional employee. Hire her immediately!
b. Nicole Bryan is an average employee. She doesn’t do outstanding work, but she won’t give you any trouble.
c. Nicole Bryan is a lousy worker. Don’t even think about hiring her.
This time you should have chosen answer a. The change in diction tells you that this writer thinks Nicole Bryan is a fantastic employee. To ensure the difference in word choice is clear, write the words used in paragraph B to replace the words in paragraph A. The first replacement has been filled in to get you started.
► Summary
Just as Sherlock Holmes learned to notice what he saw when he arrived at the scene of a crime, you can also
learn to notice what you see when you look carefully at a piece of writing. By noticing the specific words a writer has chosen to use, you can help ensure that you fully comprehend the writer’s message.
Skill Building until Next Time
■ Think about how you choose the words you use when you speak to people. Do you use different types of words for different people? Do you think carefully about what you say and which words you will use? How much are you aware of your own diction?
■ Notice how much the meaning of a sentence can change when a single word is altered. Form a simple sentence, like: “Experts say the economy is unhealthy.” Now, replace “unhealthy” with synonyms that have slightly different connotations, like: sick, feeble, ill, dying, under the weather, feverish, infected. Each word will express a slightly different attitude about your subject to the reader. Insert each of these words into your sentence and see how much the meaning is altered. (This exercise will work well if you choose words, like rich, tired, happy, or sad, that have many synonyms with a wide range of connotations.)