Words to Know

A Speaker’s Tools

A KIND OF LANGUAGE OCCURRING MOSTLY IN CASUAL AND PLAYFUL

SPEECH

MADE UP OF SHORT-LIVED COINAGES AND FIGURES OF SPEECH THAT ARE

USED IN PLACE OF STANDARD TERMS FOR ADDED RACINESS, HUMOR,

IRREVERENCE, OR OTHER EFFECT

Slang

MOSTLY USED WHEN SPEAKING TO AN AUDIENCE OF PEERS; SHOULD NOT BE USED WHEN SPEAKING TO A FORMAL

AUDIENCE

SHOULD BE USED TO RELATE TO THE AUDIENCE AND HAVE AN IMPACT

When/How to use Slang

“FLIPPING OUT” IS SLANG FOR “LOSING ONE'S MIND”

Example of Slang

WRITING IN WHICH THE TONE, VOCABULARY, AND SYNTAX IS WRITTEN

IN A WAY THAT IS SCHOLARLY AND ACADEMIC; BE CONFIDENT AND OFFER

SUPPORT

THINGS TO AVOID: CONTRACTIONS, CASUAL EXPRESSIONS/SLANG, AND

ABBREVIATED WORDS

Formal Writing

FORMAL WRITING IS MOSTLY USED WHEN SPEAKING WHEN IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY, IN ACADEMICS, WHEN WRITING LETTERS IN A BUSINESSLIKE

MANNER AND WHEN TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERED TO BE

OVER YOU

When/How to use Formal Writing

THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR BOOK HAS BEEN REJECTED BY OUR

PUBLISHING COMPANY AS IT WAS NOT UP TO THE REQUIRED STANDARD. IN

CASE YOU WOULD LIKE US TO RECONSIDER IT, WE WOULD SUGGEST

THAT YOU GO OVER IT AND MAKE SOME NECESSARY CHANGES.

Example of Formal Writing

WRITING IN WHICH THE TONE, VOCABULARY, AND SYNTAX IS WRITTEN IN A WAY THAT IS RELAXED AND USES

MORE OF A REGULAR VERNACULAR

Informal Writing

INFORMAL WRITING IS MOSTLY USED WHEN SPEAKING TO SOMEONE YOU

KNOW OR TO REACH AN AUDIENCE BY SPEAKING ON THEIR LEVEL AND USING

THEIR WORDS

When/How to use Informal Writing

YOU KNOW THAT BOOK I WROTE? WELL, THE PUBLISHING COMPANY

REJECTED IT. THEY THOUGHT IT WAS AWFUL. BUT HEY, I DID THE BEST I

COULD, AND I THINK IT WAS GREAT. I’M NOT GONNA REDO IT THE WAY THEY

SAID I SHOULD.

Example of Informal Writing

REPEATING OR REITERATING IDEAS OR WORDS

Repetition

USED TO REINFORCE IMPORTANT IDEAS OR WORDS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE

When/How to use Repetition

“BUT ONE HUNDRED YEARS LATER, THE NEGRO STILL IS NOT FREE.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS LATER, THE LIFE OF THE NEGRO IS STILL SADLY CRIPPLED BY THE MANACLES OF

SEGREGATION AND THE CHAINS OF DISCRIMINATION.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS LATER, THE NEGRO LIVES ON A LONELY ISLAND OF POVERTY IN THE MIDST OF A VAST

OCEAN OF MATERIAL PROSPERITY.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS LATER, THE NEGRO IS STILL LANGUISHED IN THE CORNERS OF AMERICAN SOCIETY

AND FINDS HIMSELF IN EXILE IN HIS OWN LAND.”

Example of Repetition

THE REPETITION OF CONSONANT SOUNDS AT THE BEGINNING OF WORDS

Alliteration

USED TO APPEAL TO LISTENERS AND MAKE THE MESSAGE EASY TO

REMEMBER

When/How to use Alliteration

"SOMEWHERE AT THIS VERY MOMENT A CHILD IS BEING BORN IN AMERICA. LET IT BE OUR CAUSE TO GIVE THAT CHILD A HAPPY HOME, A HEALTHY FAMILY, AND A HOPEFUL FUTURE."

-- BILL CLINTON, 1992 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION ACCEPTANCE

ADDRESS

Example of Alliteration

A FIGURE OF SPEECH CONCISELY EXPRESSED BY COMPARING TWO

THINGS, SAYING THAT ONE IS THE OTHER

Metaphor

USED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON THE LISTENERS BY COMPARING TWO

THINGS OR ASSOCIATING TWO THINGS THAT THE AUDIENCE CAN RELATE TO OR WILL HAVE A DESIRED EFFECT ON

AN AUDIENCE

When/How to use Metaphor

"THE STREETS WERE A FURNACE, THE SUN AN EXECUTIONER."

CYNTHIA OZICK, "ROSA"

Example of a Metaphor

CREATING MENTAL IMAGES OF A SITUATION BY CHOOSING VIVID VERBS

AND DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

Imagery

IT IS GOOD TO USE IMAGERY WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO GET YOUR AUDIENCE TO RELATE TO THE

SITUATION YOU ARE DESCRIBING OR WHEN YOU WANT THEM TO GET A

MENTAL IMAGE

When/How to use Imagery

A COMPARISON BASED ON SIMILARITIES

Analogy

TO SHOW HOW TWO THINGS ARE SIMILAR. THIS IS GOOD TO USE TO

LINK TWO IDEAS LISTENERS MAY NOT LINK OTHERWISE. PLAYS ON WHAT THE AUDIENCE KNOWS AS FAMILIAR

AND ASSOCIATES IT WITH SOMETHING LARGER.

When/How to use an Analogy

SHOWING HOW A SITUATION IS SIMILAR OR DIFFERENT TO ANOTHER

Compare and Contrast

MANY TIMES USING COMPARE AND CONTRAST BUILDS CREDIT FOR YOUR ARGUMENT BECAUSE YOU SHOW THE

SIMILARITIES IN YOUR ARGUMENT USING EXAMPLES FROM OTHER

CREDIBLE SOURCES

When/How to use Compare and Contrast

JOHN F KENNEDY WANTED TO ENCOURAGE AMERICAN CITIZENS TO BECOME MORE ACTIVE IN HELPING THE

COUNTRY.

HE COULD HAVE SAID “ WE ALL NEED YOUR HELP” AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FORGOTTEN TWO DAYS LATER.

INSTEAD HE USED A CONTRAST AND SAID –

“ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY”

Examples of Compare and Contrast