ST.

ANTHONY COLLEGE Creative Writing

CALAPANCITY INC.

INFORMATION SHEET 1.1-3

Language used in Creative Writing (Diction)

Learning Objectives

After reading this information sheet, you must be able to:

1. identify the quality of effective diction in the listed words or phrases,
2. determine the appropriate word in a given meaning,
3. demonstrate Qualities of Effective Diction us,
4. classify the diction according to classification, and
5. construct 10 sentences with diction.

PRE-TEST: “WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS”

Direction: Answer the following activity without looking in any reference and try to determine the
meaning of the words in the box. Write your answer in the space provided before the number.

A. Futile B. haste C. Nude D. Obstinate E. Jesting

_____1. speed of motion or action; quickness or eagerness that can result in mistakes
_____ 2. something said or done to cause laughter
_____3. having no result or effect: pointless or useless
_____ 4. lacking something essential especially to legal validity
_____5. refusing to change your behavior or your ideas.

DICTION
The Choice of Words

`words that are weird, words that pack a punch`

Diction is a choice of words, especially with regard to correctness, clarity, and effectiveness. When
analyzing diction, look at individual words and ask
 What feeling do these words create?
 Does this feeling fit the speaker’s purpose, audience, and occasion?
 Why is the author using these specific words?
Pay attention to:
• The weird words—the uncommon words, or the familiar words that are used in a surprising way.
• Words that hit—that pack a lot of emotional punch because they are unexpected or blunt.

When writing, what are you trying to do? What is your purpose?
As we write, we try to find the exact word that produces the exact effect that a writer intends. This is what we
call diction.

THE QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE DICTION

1. Appropriateness
This is considered when writers care about who will be reading their words and how the
reader may react or when writers write for someone other than themselves.
SCALE
MOST FORMAL LEAST FORMAL

LEARNED POPULAR COLLOQUIAL SLANG

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 ST. ANTHONY COLLEGE Creative Writing
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THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION

POPULAR LEARNED

Common to the speech of the educated and Used more widely by the educated and in more
uneducated alike formal occasions

 Agree  Concur
 Begin  Commence
 Clear  Lucid
 Disagree  Remonstrate
 End  Terminate
 Help  Succor
 Make easy  Facilitate
 Secret  Esoteric
 Think  Cogitate
 Wordy  Verbose

COLLOQUIALISMS
 Writing as a friendly conversation
 Highly informal
 What audience is appropriate for using such diction?
Examples:
Any contractions or any shortened words
“kind of”
“like”
“mad” (angry)
“yeah”
“sure” (certainly)

SLANG
 Least formal – its use is determined by the audience/occasion
 Satisfies a desire for novelty of expression
 Used by everyone at one time or another
 Shifting the diction to slang may create a humorous effect of the impression of a lack
of control over the writing (usually the latter)

2. Specificity - specific words refer to uniquely individual persons, events, or objects. There are two
types of specific words: concrete and abstract.
 Concrete Specific Words attract our senses. “We must rely on our hands and
muscles.”

 Abstract Specific Words relate to concepts that are mostly inferred. “We must rely
on hope and love.”

3. Imagery - one meaning of this term suggests the pictures (images) that occur in our minds when
specific diction is employed. In another sense, imagery refers to tropes.

REVISING DICTION

 What is your purpose?

 Who is your audience?

 Does the diction used consider each of the above?

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 ST. ANTHONY COLLEGE Creative Writing
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VAGUENESS
TRITENESS

Watch for
JARGON

INEFFECTIVE IMAGERY

INEFFECTIVE IMAGERY

 Test every metaphor and every figure of speech by seeing the image – if no image appears in
your mind… well you know why.
 Mixed metaphors sometimes confuse the mental image:
“The bill is mainly a stew of spending on existing programs, whatever their warts may be.”
(New York Times)

“so now what we are dealing with is the rubber meeting the road, and instead of biting the
bullet on these issues, we just want to punt.” (Chicago Tribune)

“This is awfully weak tea to hang your hat on.” (New York Times)

JARGON

 The specialized language of a particular group or profession.

 Characteristics of jargon include:
o Abstract, technical words (learned instead of popular)
o Excessive use of passive voice
o Wordiness
 Examples of jargon:
o Computer Field: RAM, BACKUP, LOL, GR8, GB
o Military: AWOL, SOP, IED
o Law Enforcement: ABP, CSI, PRP, CLEAN SKIN
o Common Examples: POKER FACE, UFO, SHRINK, BALLPARK FIGURE,
ON CLOUD NINE

VAGUENESS
 Similar to ambiguity, a word is vague when, in context, it conveys more than one meaning
 Vague words belong to a group called “utility words”
 Specify, name, clarify the general

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 ST. ANTHONY COLLEGE Creative Writing
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TRITENESS
 Once upon a time, a metaphor was new, fresh, colorful, and apt.
 Used countless times over the years by everyone, the sheen is dulled.
 Examples of triteness
o The crack of dawn o Lost to be seen
o Do your own thing o It is what it is
o Crystal clear o Don’t go there
o Good as gold o Diamond
o Sly as a fox
o in the rough

Activity: Create a comic strip showing the Qualities of Effective Diction as Most Formal and Formal way of
Communication. Choose among Popular, Learned, Colloquial, Jargon, Slang

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 ST. ANTHONY COLLEGE Creative Writing
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SELF CHECK 1.1-3

I. IDENTIFICATION
Instructions: Identify the quality of effective diction in the listed words/phrases below.
_______________1. Concrete specific words
_______________2. Esoteric
_______________3. Wordy
_______________4. Cool breeze of wind
_______________5. Make easy
_______________6. Kind of
_______________7. Abstract specific words
_______________8. Faithfulness
_______________9. Sure
_______________10. Yellowish tail

II. CLASSIFICATION

Instructions: Classify the diction in the box below according to its classification.

Lost to be seen RAM IED kind of

Like It is what it is Clear Remonstrate
ABP Don’t go there SOP yeah
Diamond in the rough mad Disagree Concur

Jargon Colloquialism Popular Learned Triteness

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 ST. ANTHONY COLLEGE Creative Writing
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Task Sheet 1.1-3

Title: Journal Entry No. 3

Performance Objectives:

Given all the information about diction of languages used in creative writing, you should
be able to construct 10 sentences with diction. Underline the diction.

Supplies: Bond paper, Pen

Equipment: Laptop/PC, printer with ink (optional)

Steps/Procedure:

1. Read sample sentences/paragraphs/passages with diction online or in any reading book

with creative writings.

2. List down dictions, familiarize yourself with its meaning and think of sentences where you
can use the diction you’ve listed.

3. Start writing your sentences. Underline the dictions used.

4. On a separate bond paper, list down the underlined dictions in your sentences and identify
its classification.

5. Finalize your work.

Assessment Method:

Performance Criteria

Performance Criteria 1.1-3

CRITERIA 5 4 3 2
Accuracy All the 10 Most of the 10 Some of the 10 The diction
sentences with sentences with sentences with within the
diction are highly diction are highly diction are sentences
accurate with accurate with accurate. There are
appropriate appropriate are only few inaccurate
chosen words to chosen words to appropriate with
suffice the suffice the chosen words to inappropriate
thought of the thought of the suffice the chosen words
sentences. sentences. thought of the which did not
sentences. suffice the
thought of the
sentences.
Originality The sentences The sentences The sentences There is no
with diction are with diction are with diction are hint of
unique and novel unique, but with not very unique. originality in

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little creativity the submitted

work.
Mechanics Most words are Some words are Words are Words are
carefully chosen; carefully chosen; chosen with less chosen with
writing is clear writing is clear care; writing is less care;
and legible. Most and legible. Most sometimes writing is
words are spelled words are spelled unclear; most sometimes
correctly and correctly and words are unclear;
proper proper spelled correctly some words
punctuation is punctuation is and is are spelled
employed. employed. grammatically incorrectly
correct. and proper
punctuation is
not
employed.
Completion The project was The project was The project was The project
submitted with all submitted but had submitted but was
the requirements a few lacking seems to be submitted
satisfied. components. slightly largely
uncompleted. unfinished.

18-20 pts. 14-17 pts. 10-13 pts. 6-9 pts. 5 and below
Excellent! Very Good Good Fair Try Again
The output The output The output The output The output
presented is presented is presented is done presented is presented is not
done done agreeably well satisfying hardly done finished and
pleasingly satisfying some of the satisfying few of none of
satisfying all almost all of the enumerated the enumerated enumerated
the enumerated standard criteria. standard criteria is
enumerated standard criteria. satisfied.
standard criteria.
criteria.
Continue Extra effort is
doing a good needed. Try to No need to
Well done! job. Improve improve other repeat the Need to repeat
Continue other skills on skills on the activity. the activity and
doing a great the criteria criteria Improvement is accomplish
job. Challenge enumerated. enumerated. expected on equal task.
yourself by the next
doing much outputs.
greater.

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