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Diction

By 陈烽

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Levels of WordsThe Meaning of WordsGeneral and specific wordsIdiomsDictionary

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Levels of Words

Standard Englishformal commoncolloquial

Non-standard

slang words

dialectal words

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Formal words (examples in the book)

learned wordswords used in encyclopedias,

political and legal documentswords used by educated people and

scholarly or professional communities

long, difficult

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Common words (examples in the book)

the word people know from everyday communication

words most often used

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Colloquial words (examples in the book)

the word used by people in informal conversations

oralcontractions

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The Meaning of Words

DenotativeConnotative

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Denotative meaning

the meaning you can find in the dictionary

The dictionary gives information about where the word comes from and how to know the difference between the word and other words.

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Connotative meaning

the feeling or idea suggested by the word

the meaning you can know from popular TV shows, movies, music, magazines and website content

not an “exact” meaning—the hearer must look at the context to understand the meaning

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Politician (denotative)

someone who has power and uses it to do things;

usually a person who has a position in government

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Politician (Connotative)

someone who likes power and will do wrongful things to gain power (wrongful things like tricks, lies, maneuvers, and pandering);

someone who doesn’t care about what is good, and just tries to get as much power as they can

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Rock ‘n Roll (denotative)

A kind of musicStarted from jazz in the 1950sElvis Presley, the BeatlesGuitars, drums, singingFastStarted today’s genres like punk, heavy

metal, soft rock, hard rock, rockabilly, grunge, etc.

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Rock ‘n Roll (Connotative)

A way of livingMy body is art; my clothes are art; my

lifestyle is art; and my music is art.Express oneself; don’t worry about

the resultsParties, drinking, music for pleasure,

free love, no worries, avoid responsibility

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Pessimist (denotative)

someone who views some part of life as unworthy; Christian pessimism asserts that this world

will be destroyed and all of life’s riches and pleasures will disappear; so people had better store up “treasures in heaven” or they will have nothing—a Christian pessimist will avoid success.

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Pessimist (Connotative)

someone who sees the “bad side” of things; An optimist sees the glass as

‘half full’; a pessimist sees the glass as ‘half empty’;

someone who has a bad attitudesomeone who expects bad things to

happen, doesn’t hope for good things, and doesn’t put their faith in goodness

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Cynic (denotative)

The cynical tradition of Ancient Greece

The cynics: a group of people who helped people to question their beliefs and find new truths.

Cynicism: a kind of critical thinking

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Cynic (Connotative)

Someone who thinks people deserve to be cheated.

Someone who thinks that someone who does something good really has bad reason for doing it.

Someone who has no hope or faith.

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Epicurean (denotative)

A person from a group of people in Ancient Greece who believed that one person should take care of themselves before they serve others

Epicureanism: the belief that people should know their own interests, fulfill those interests, and by doing so benefit society

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Epicurean (Connotative)

Someone who loves delicious foodSomeone who loves pleasureSomeone who greatly fears pain and

will do immoral things in order to avoid it

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No words are exactly the same.

1. Stylistic level: Informal and formal ask time rise question age mount interrogate epoch ascend2. Emphatic a big/large city a big/large house The team has got a huge man over two meters tall.3. Emotional Coloring small/ little4. Tone modest /humble (laudatory and derogatory)5. Different Collocations large amount/number/quantity great courage/ confidence/ ability/ wisdom

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General and Specific Words

good niceThe students went out of the classroom.

The more specific, the better.

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Colorful words and phrases

walk slowly

fall downpoorhungry

redeat a lotweak

strollcrash Impoverishedstarving

scarletdebauchlame

meanderface-plantdestitutefamishedcrimsonstufffeeble

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Colorful words and phrases

drink wet give up bad smelling cheat bad manners forget fast (get) cheated angry

gulp soakingabandonstinkypull a fast oneact rudespace(in) a flash (get) burnedfurious

down guzzlewringing wet, water-loggedfoulbamboozleget surlyhave a brain fartbreak-neck speed(get) screwedboiling with rage

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Idioms

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English is rich in idioms.

1. Phrasal verbs put up with / turn out / look forward to / carry on 2. N+prep. +n. the apple of one’s eye; like a fish out of water3. Prep. +n. on the air; at length4. V. +n. Kill two birds with one stone; go to the dogs 5. As…as as easy as a pie; as poor as a church mouse6. Sayings One man’s meat is another man’s poison. A stitch in time saves nine.

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Dictionary

—Your Lifetime Teachers How to use a dictionary

Some dictionaries

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1. “common”

Common refers to that which is met with most frequently or is shared by all or most individuals in a group, body, etc, and may imply prevalence , usualness, or, in a depreciatory sense , inferiority a common belief a common hussy

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Any synonyms?

General implies connection with all or nearly all of a kind, class, or group and stresses extensiveness general unrest among the people

Ordinary implies accordance with the regular or customary pattern, stressing commonplaceness and lack of special distinctionan ordinary work day

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More?

Familiar applies to that which is widely known and readily recognizeda familiar feeling

Popular implies widespread currency , acceptance, or favor among the general public or the common peoplea popular song

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2. “obstinate”

Stubbornly adhering to an attitude, opinion, or course of action; obdurate.

Difficult to manage, control, or subdue; refractory.

Difficult to alleviate or cure: an obstinate headache.

[Middle English obstinat, from Latin obstin tus, past participle of obstin re, to persist; see st - in Indo-European roots.]

ob sti·nate·ly adv. ob sti·nate·ness n.

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Stubborn refers to innate, often perverse resoluteness or unyieldingness She was very stubborn when her mind was

made up. One who is headstrong is stubbornly,

often recklessly willful The headstrong teenager ignored school

policy. Stiff-necked implies stubbornness combined

with arrogance or aloofness The stiff-necked customer blamed the cashier.

Any synonyms?

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Bullheaded suggests foolish or irrational obstinacy, and pigheaded, stupid obstinacy Don't be bullheaded; see a doctor.

Mulish implies the obstinacy and intractability associated with a mule Obstinate is no word for it, for she is mulish.

Dogged emphasizes stubborn perseverance: dogged persistence; The dogged strength in him keeps himself from

giving up.

More?

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 3. “but”

But is very frequent used in spoken English , where it is often used at the beginning of a sentence “I read it in a newspaper .” ” But newsp

apers aren’t always right!”But is also used in writing, though n

ot usually at the beginning of a sentence.

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Any synonyms?

However is used especially in more formal writing , often with commas before and after it in the middle of a sentenceThis has been reported in a newspaper .

One must remember, however, that newspapers are not always accurate.

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What can we learn from a dictionary? cau•tion (ko:shn)

n. warning against danger: by way of ~ attention to safety: with ~ (informal) an alarming or amusing pers

on v.

to warn or reprimand. [from Old French caution.]

The policeman ~ed the driver about his speed / for speeding.

The teacher ~ed him against being late / not to be late.

I ~ the children that it is risky.

Spelling Syllables Pronunciation Parts of

speech Meanings Usage History of the

word

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the exact meaning

Respectful: showing respect to others Be ~ to your seniors.

Respectable: considered socially acceptable The ex-prisoner is now a ~ citizen.

Respected: admired by many people for one’s qualities or achievements Professor Yang is a ~ teacher.

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what patterns to use

to informPlease ~us of his arrival.Our teacher ~ed that the class was move

d to next Friday.

inform sb about/of somethinginform sb that …

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collocations

learn knowledge?acquire / gain knowledge

drop tears?shed / weep (tears) tears well up in one’s eyes

to make achievement? to do well in … to achieve considerable success to achieve good exam results

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to lovedearlydeeplypassionately tenderlyunconditionallywholeheartedly

Not entirely, fully, completely

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Anything else?

He kept me waiting.I found him working at his desk.They left me standing outside.I heard him giving orders.

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Dictionaries are lifetime teachers.

They are available any time you want to consult them.

They are knowledgeable and are capable of helping you solve many of your problems.

They are patient and tireless and able to work with you as long as you like.

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Some dictionaries

English-English dictionary

www.yourdictionary.com

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Word games

What do they mean?POSITIVENEGATIVE

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What do they mean?

(Feeling)

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

---good

---bad

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What do they mean?

(ELECTRONICS)

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

(+)Gives electric current

(-)Receives electric current

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What do they mean?

(MAGNETICS)

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

---Attracts objects

---Repels objects

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In communication

Positive: Posit an idea

Suggest an idea

Explain an idea

Say something that will help someone to feel good

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In communication

Negative: Negate an idea

Disagree with a suggestion

Explain why something is bad or wrong

Say something that might make someone feel bad right now, usually in hopes for good later

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Back to feelings---good about “positive”

What’s good about “positive”?

Gives people a good feeling

Gives people confidence

Suggests something people can do

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Back to feelings---bad about “negative”

What’s bad about “negative”?

Gives people a bad feeling

Makes people feel weak, or feel like they are fighting

Can stop people from taking any action

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Back to feelings---good about “negative”

What’s good about “negative”?

Helps people to be sober

Helps people to be intelligent

Suggests that people avoid action, if they don’t know about something

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Back to feelings---bad about “positive”

What’s bad about “positive”?

Makes people feel high and avoid reality

Gives people false confidence

Sometimes leads to careless action

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Practice makes perfect.

Page 36

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January Wind

Hal Borland (1900-1978)

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The January wind has hundred voices.

It can scream, it can bellow, it can whisper, and it can sing a lullaby.

It can roar through the leafless oaks and shout down the hillside, and it can murmur in the white pines rooted among the granite ledges where lichen makes strange hieroglyphics.

It can whistle down a chimney and set the hearth-flames to dancing.

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On a sunny day it can pause in a sheltered spot and breathe a promise of spring and violets.

In the cold of a lonely night it can rattle the sash and stay there muttering of ice and snow banks and deep-frozen pond.

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Sometimes the January wind seems to come from the farthest star in the outer darkness, so remote and so impersonal is its voice.

That is the wind of a January dawn, in the half-light that trembles between day and night.

It is a wind that merely quivers the trees, its force sensed but not seen, a force that might almost hold back the day if it were so directed.

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Then the east brightens, and the wind relaxes—the stars, its source, grown dim.

And sometimes the January wind is so intimate that you know it came only from the next hill, a little wind that plays with leaves and puffs at chimney smoke and whistles like a little boy with puckered lips.

 

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It makes the little cedar trees quiver, as with delight.

It shadow-boxes with the weather-vane.

It tweaks an ear, and whispers laughing words about crocuses and daffodils, and nips the nose and dances off.

But you never know, until you hear its voice, which wind is here today.

Or, more important, which will be here tomorrow.