English Writing / Lesson 2

DICTION

Lecturer: Olga Predushchenko

Department of Foreign Languages

Jiujiang University, China

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.1

WRITING VS SPEAKING

• Writing: • Speaking:
1. more regulated 1. less regulated
2. has standard forms of grammar, 2. often spontaneous
syntax, and vocabulary 3. unplanned
3. planned 4. nodding, interrupting, questioning
4. can be modified through editing and commenting by the listeners
and revision 5. a response is immediate
5. a response is delayed 6. repetition
6. does not tolerate repetition 7. pauses, hesitations, para-language
7. cohesive devices that contribute to gestures, facial expressions, and
the coherence of the text fillers of the speaker

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.2

DICTION [ˈdɪkʃ(ə)n]

• Diction is the choice and use of words.

 The English language has a very large vocabulary: 400,000 words are
collected in the Oxford English Dictionary.
 No one knows or uses so many words.
 Only a small part of words are used for ordinary purposes.
 University students learn to use the words that are most useful and most often
used to express themselves.
 Sometimes we use the wrong words, but more often the words are not entirely
wrong, but inappropriate, inexact, unidiomatic or just uninteresting.
 A basic knowledge of diction may be of help.

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.3

LEVELS OF WORDS

1. Formal words (learned words, literary words, “big” words;

appear in theoretical works, legal documents, or formal lectures)

2. Common words (used every day; appear in all kinds of writing)

3. Informal words (used to record people’s thoughts and

dialogues; appear in conversations)

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.4

FORMAL WORDS

 used by people of special professions or fields, on special occasions or

for special purposes

 political, legal, scientific, technical, business and literary words

 often contain three or more than three syllables

 most of them are of Greek or Latin origin

 seldom used in daily conversations

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.5

COMMON WORDS

 most of the words that people use every day in conversations

 appear in all kind of writing, including informal writing like personal

messages, diaries and stories

 form the core of the English vocabulary

 the words that we learn and remember

 also called colloquial

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.6

INFORMAL WORDS

 mainly used in familiar conversations

 seldom appear in formal writing

 in literary works their main use is to record people’s thoughts and

dialogues

 usually short words of one or two syllables

 most of them are of Saxon origin

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.7

NONSTANDARD WORDS

 used only by special groups of people

 used for special effect

 slang, jargon, dialectal and obsolete words

 often used by uneducated speakers

 slang words are highly informal; they may be vivid and interesting, but
they make the writer or speaker sound offensive or funny

 foreign students of English need to understand, but should not use

them.

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.8

CHOICE OF WORDS

Guidelines to achieve accuracy and appropriateness:

1. Use common or informal words for general purposes; use formal or
nonstandard words only on special occasions or for special purposes;
2. Use specific and concrete words when giving details; use general or abstract
words when making summaries;
3. Use idiomatic expressions and words in acceptable collocations; avoid
combinations that are unidiomatic;
4. When there are synonyms, choose the word that expresses the meaning most
exactly and suits the content and style.

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.9

MEANING OF WORDS

The meaning of a word has two aspects: denotative and connotative.

1. A word’s denotation is what it literally means, as defined by the dictionary.
2. Its connotation is the feeling or idea suggested by it.

Some words may be synonyms different in:

 stylistic level
 degree of emphasis
 emotional coloring
 tone
 collocation

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.10

COLLOCATION [ˌkɑːləˈkeɪʃn]

o Some synonyms have different collocations: they are habitually used

with certain words.
o Collocation refers to how words go together or form fixed
relationships.

o Collocations may be strong or weak.

o Strong collocations are where the link between the two words is quite
fixed and restricted.
o Weak collocations are where a word can collocate with many other
words.

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.11

CHINESE EQUIVALENT
OF ENGLISH WORDS

o The Chinese versions of many English words express their true

meaning, but very often an English word has no exact Chinese word and
it has to be translated in different ways in different contexts.
o To understand the meaning of an English word you can find out how it
is defined in an English dictionary with English explanations.
o Translations are not always reliable, and sometimes they are misleading.

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.12

SPECIFIC AND GENERAL WORDS

Some words are more general or more specific in meaning than others.
For effective and impressive writing use specific words wherever possible
because they:
1. make writing clear, exact, vivid, and striking
2. are more informative and expressive
3. are much more concrete and colorful
4. make the reader see, hear, or feel what the writer wishes to describe
5. provide details

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 English Writing, Lesson 2.13

IDIOM

An idiom is a fixed group of words with a special meaning which is

different from the meanings of the words that form it.
o Idioms are frequently used in speech and writing.
o They make your language sound natural and idiomatic.

But remember:
1.Most idioms are informal or colloquial in style and can be used in
conversation; but a few are slang and should be used with care.
2.Many idioms have become clishés and are no longer fresh or interesting.

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China

 Thank you for your attention!

All feedbacks, comments, questions, suggestions

are most welcome!

Room 221, Department of Foreign Languages

Jiujiang University

6050196@jju.edu.cn
pred-olga@mail.ru

© Predushchenko, Olga, 2020 pred-olga@mail.ru Jiujiang University, China