UNIT 1: ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE WRITING

Module 3: Diction and Syntax

In the previous lessons, it was discussed that with the use of

imagery and figurative language, the authors were able to provide us
colourful description of scenes and characters, allowing us to
imagine them and transport us in a new world that they have
created. In this lesson, we will learn how the sentence structure and
word choice of the author can affect how the readers perceived a
literary composition.

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this module, the learners will be able to:

1. Define syntax and diction

2. Choose and use appropriate words that evoke emotions from the readers
3. Discover the importance of proper choice of words and sentence structure in
a composition.

Direction: Pair with one of your classmates. Here are some dialogues from
famous movies. Try to paraphrase each line. Read the dialogues in the class using
the paraphrased version.

1. Brooke: It’s possible, isn’t it? It’s possible you could meet somebody who’s
perfect for you, even though you’re committed to somebody else?
Nick: No. I think if you’re committed to somebody else, you don’t allow
yourself to find perfection on someone else.
-Before You Go
2. Jamie: I’m so sorry; I really should have told you sooner.
Landon: No, I made you do too many things.
Jamie: No, no, no…If anything, you kept me healthy longer.
Landon: Are you scared?
Jamie: To death? Lighten up!
Landon: It’s not funny.
-A Walk to Remember

3. Katniss: It must be a fragile system if it can be brought down by just a few

berries.
President Snow: It is indeed – but not in a way you imagine.
Katniss: How should I imagine?
President Snow: You should imagine thousands upon thousands of your
people dead. You fought very hard in the games Miss Everdeen. But they
were games… would you like to be in a real war?
- The Hunger Games
 .
DISCUSSION

Diction is a style of writing, determined by the choice of words

by a writer. These are the words used by the author to convey ideas
to a reader. A good diction must possess the following criteria:
accuracy, precision, concreteness and appropriateness.

1. Accuracy  It is using a word and being certain of its intended

meaning. It
is ensuring that what you want to communicate is correct
and
free from errors. Some of the common mistakes that
writers often commit are using words that are sounds like
but are different in
spelling and meaning. These words are called
homonyms.

Example:

Here are some of the commonly confused words according to

the Oxford Dictionary.

accept vs. except ensure vs. insure

advice vs. advise affect vs. effect
lay vs. lie principal vs. principle
complement vs. compliment elicit vs. illicit
there vs. their vs. they’re

2.  It means that the words must be specific and

Precision
appropriate.
It must be appropriate to the cultural, temporal, or
Geographical context you are working with.
Example:

If you wish to have a four-year old girl as a narrator, and she has to say
this line: “I picked some chrysanthemums for you, Mama,” it would sound
unnatural because someone her age might not be acquainted with that word
yet. Or if you are using Philippines as your setting, then chrysanthemums
might not be the best flower to use, as these cannot be just picked anywhere
in the country.
3. Concretenes  It allows the readers to be immersed in an
imaginary
s world and even experience what the characters
are
going through by using words that evoke images
and
appeal to the senses.

Example:
Compare the two texts that have the same basic idea but have different
wordings.

Abstract “Telling”
Even a large male gorilla, unaccustomed to tourists, is frightened by
people.

Concrete “Showing”
A four hundred-pound male gorilla, unaccustomed to tourists, will bolt
into the forest, trailing a stream of diarrhea, at the mere sight of a
person.

4.
Appropriatenes  A writer’s choice of words is also anchored on
the first s
Two questions one asks before setting out to
write:
What is my purpose and who is my audience?
Depending on the answers of these two, diction
will
be considered appropriate if both are kept in
mind.
Example:

When writing a report on the effects of facebook consumption on

your generation, maintain an objective and formal stance. If you will write
a love story about a young heroine who is so in love, the diction should be
more conversational and light.
 Types of Diction
Different styles of diction impact how different ideas are
expressed. Thus, it is important for a writer to know what type of
diction he/she is going to use because it will set the tone and mood
of the whole composition. There are several types of diction, but in
this module, only five will be discussed: Formal, informal,
colloquial, abstract and concrete.
1. Formal Diction  It is the use of sophisticated language without
slang
or colloquialisms. It sticks with grammar rules
and
structures. It is often found in professional
texts,
business documents, and legal papers.

2. Informal  it is more conversational and often used in

narrativeDiction
literature. It shows how people communicate in
real
life. Most short stories and novels use this type
of
diction.

3. Colloquial  It is informal in nature and generally represent

a Diction
certain region or time. Words such as “ain’t”
and “y’all”
are examples of this diction.

4. Abstract  This is when writer uses words to express

something
Diction intangible, like an idea or an emotion. Abstract
phrases lack physical detail and specificity
because
they are things the reader cannot experience
using their five senses.

Concrete
Diction
5.  It is the use of words for their literal meanings
and
Often refer to things that appeal to the senses.

Syntax
Syntax and diction are closely related. Diction refers to the
choice of words of in a particular situation while syntax determines
how the chosen words are used to form a sentence.

Syntax is a set of rules in a language. It dictates how words

from different parts of speech are put together in order to convey a
complete thought.

1. Syntax in Poetry  The general order of an English sentence is Subject +

Verb + Object. In poetry, the word may be shifted to
achieve certain artistic effects, such as producing rhythm
or melody in the lines.

Example:

In a casual conversation, we can simply say, “I cannot

go out” to convey our inability to go out.

But in the poem of P.J Kavanagh, which is entitled

Beyond Decoration, he shifts the syntax and says, “Go
out I cannot.” This gives more emphasis on the inability

Syntax enhances the meaning and contributes towards

2. Syntax in Prose 
the tone of a prose. Quickness, decisiveness and speed
are added to a text by using short phrases, clauses and
sentences. Whereas, in a text where the subject is
serious, requiring contemplation, long sentences are
used to slow down the pace of a prose.

Example:

“That night I sat on Tyan-yu’s bed and waited for him to

touch me. But he didn’t. I was relieved.”

Here, Amy Tan, uses short sentences to communicate in

a concise and powerful manner.
 SUMMARY

 Diction and syntax are related. While diction is about the proper choice
of words, syntax is the structure on how these words, when put together
can form a meaning.
 Diction has four criteria: Accuracy, preciseness, appropriateness, and
concreteness. It also has five types: Formal, informal, colloquial,
abstract, concrete.
 Syntax in poetry may not follow the usual subject-verb agreement in
language. While length of sentences in prose plays an important role in
determining the tone or message of the text.

ASSESSMENT

Direction: Define the following terms on your own understanding. Explain

their importance to a composition or literary piece.

1. Accuracy
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. Preciseness
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. Appropriateness
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
4. Diction
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5. Syntax
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
6. Formal Diction
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
 7. Syntax in Poetry
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY
Direction: It has been said that a poem cannot be paraphrased for the text
itself resists interpretation and that the actual work is the only way to say it. Think
along those lines when you engage in this activity. Below is a poem by Robert Frost
titled “The Most of It. Replace each boldfaced word with a synonym. Then, in a
group of four members, answer the questions that follow.

The Most of It
Robert Frost

He thought he kept the universe alone;

For all the voice in answer he could wake
Was but the mocking echo of his own
From some tree-hidden cliff across the lake.
Some morning from the boulder-broken beach
He would cry out in life, that what it wants
Is not its own love back in copy speech,
But counter-love, original response.
And nothing ever came of what he cried
Unless it was the embodiment that crashed
In the cliff’s talus on the other side,
And then in the far distant water splashed,
But after a time allowed for it to swim,
Instead of proving human when it neared
And someone else additional to him,
 As a great buck it powerfully appeared,
Pushing the crumpled water up ahead,
And landed pouring like a waterfall,
And stumbled through the rocks with horny tread,
And forced the underbrush – and that was all.

Questions:

1. Were there words that did not have synonyms. List them down.
2. Did the substitution feel right to you? Give at least two examples where you
felt the meaning of the line has changed because of the synonym.
3. Do you see parallels with the choice of words made by the poet? What are
these? Is there a common theme?
4. Is there a noun,verb, or adjective which came to you unexpectedly such as
“crumpled water”? What is the effect of that word to you and were you able
to visualize it when you first read it?
5. Do you subscribe to the idea that a poem cannot be paraphrased? Why or
why not?