words to know a speaker’s tools. a kind of language occurring mostly in casual and playful speech...
TRANSCRIPT
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
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
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
"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
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
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
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