Unit 1 Word Choice.docx
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Unit 1 Word Choice.docx
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Unit1WordChoice
Unit1WordChoice
Objectives:
1)toknowthelevelsofdiction;
2)toknowhowtochoosetherightwordsinEnglishwriting.
Wordchoiceisveryimportantforthedevelopmentofamatureprosestyle.Indeed,tocommunicateeffectively,youneedtounderstandthedifferentlevelsofdiction:
formalandinformal,abstractandconcrete,andgeneralandspecific.Youneedtobeabletoappreciatetheconnotativeaswellasthedenotativemeaningsofwords,toprunetheproseofwordinessandredundancy,andtowatchoutforslang,jargon,andcliché.
1.LevelsofDiction
1.1FormalandInformal
Intermsofformality,Englishwordscanbecategorizedasformalandinformal.Formaldictionisusedinthestandarddiscoursesuitableforacademicorbusinesswriting.Ratherformaldictionisusedinthefollowing“thank-you”lettertotheCEOofacompanyafterajobinterview:
Thankyouverymuchforgivingmeanopportunitytodiscussmyapplicationandcredentialswithyou.IenjoyedmeetingyouandotherseniorexecutiveofficersandItrustthatmyexperienceinmarketanalysiswillproveusefulinhelpingyourcompanyexpandyourmarketshareamongthecompetitors.Ilookforwardtohearingfromyousoon.
Informaldictionismoreconversationalandreflectsamorecasualrelationshipbetweenwriterandaudience,asshowninthefollowing“thank-you”notetosomeonethewriterknows:
Thanksmuchforwritingthatbigreferenceletterforme.Itmeanssomuchtome.IbelievemyworkinmarketanalysiswillbequiteusefulforATMSouth.Ihopetheywillconsidermyapplicationseriouslyandofferthepositiontome.
Ifthesamejobapplicantwritestoapersonalfriendaboutthesametopic,thedictionusedcouldbeevenmoreinformal,orcolloquial:
I’vegotalltherightstuffforthematATMSouth,Bob,andIwouldn’tbesurprisedifIgetanothercallformthemsoon.Theymustbenutsiftheypassmeup.Oh,Ineedthisjobbadly.Wishmeluck!
Infact,colloquialexpressionsarequitepopularoncollegecampusesintheUnitedStates.Forexample,youmayoftenoverhearconversationsbetweenaprofessorandastudentsomewhatliketheoneinthefollowing:
Student:
Hi,prof,doyouhaveasec?
Professor:
Hey,Jimmy,what’sup?
Student:
Well,IwaswonderingifI’dflunkbiothissem.
Professor:
Whatmadeyouworried?
Student:
I’mhavingaroughtime,youknow,witheverythinggoingon,andallthecoursesI’mtaking,likepsych,lit,stats,phys,ed,andallthatstuff.
Inthisconversation,profstandforprofessor,secforsecond,bioforbiology,semforsemester,psychforpsychology,litforliterature,statsforstatistics,andphys.edforphysicaleducation.
Evenmoreinformalthancolloquialismisslang,avocabularyofplayfulbutoftenshort-lived“substandard”wordsandphraseswhichsometimescarrywiththemintensevividnessanddeliberateirreverence(seefullerdiscussiononthetopicinthefollowing).
Abbreviationsareusuallyconsideredaslessformalthanfullforms.Thussec.isinformal,whilesectionisformal;vol.informalandvolumeformal.Informalstylemayrelypartlyonabbreviations,othersbeingcontractionsandshortsentences.
Theformalityorinformalityofdictionorlanguageisnotabsolute,butrelative.Muchwritingyoudoeverydayisneitherexclusivelyformalnorcompletelyinformal.However,youshouldbeawareofandbesensitivetothedifferentlevelsofformality,choosewordsthatareappropriatetoyourrhetoricalcontext(subject,audience,andpurpose),andtrytomaintainaconsistentlevelofformality.Checkyouracademicwritingforanyexcessivelyinformalwordsorphrases.Similarly,checkforexcessiveformalityinyourinformalwriting.Strivetokeepthelevelofformalityappropriatetothecontextandconsistentineachpieceofwriting.Touseoverlyformalexpressionsonaveryinformaloccasionwouldbenodifferentfromwearingsuitandtieandshinyleathershoesataget-togetherofoldfriends.Conversely,touseextremelyinformalorslangexpressionsonaveryformaloccasionwouldbelikewearingT-shirts,baggyjeans,anddirtysneakersataratherfancyweedingpartyinafive-starhotel.Anessaywrittenwithamixtureofformal,informal,colloquial,andslangexpressionswouldtastelikeadrinkmixedwithexpensiveFrenchwineandcheaplocallybrewedbeer.
Thefollowingexamplemaygiveyouafeelofwhatitwouldtastelikeifyoumixdifferentlevelsofdictiontogether:
Mr.JohnSmithproclaimsthatheisconcernedwithecologyandthepreservationofnaturalbeauty.Buthedoesn’tgiveaflipaboutlitteringpublicplaces.Johnnypurchasesclothesfromthemostextravagantstoreintownyetheisahappybrownbaggerwhenitcomestolunch.Iamcluelessaboutthisdude;heisfullofcontradictions.
Inthisshortparagraph,themixtureofformalandinformalexpressions(Mr.JohnSmith/Johnny/thisdude;isconcernedwith/doesn’tgiveaflip)givesitaneither-fish-nor-fowlflavor.
Tryingtomaintainaconsistentlevelofformalitymayproveparticularlychallengingfornon-nativespeakers.Ifyouarenotsureoftheusageofawordorexpression,besuretolookitupinanun-to-dateEnglish-Englishdictionary.Mostdecentdeskdictionarieshaveusagelabelssuchasobsolete(wordsnolongerused–forexample,coxcomb,meaning“ajester’scap”);archaic(wordsrarelyused–yestereve,meaning“yesterdayevening”);colloquial(informalwords–doc.fordoctor),slang(extremelyinformalwords–cancerstickforcigarette);anddialect(wordsusedorpronouncedinamannerpeculiartoageographicalregionorsocioeconomicgroup).
Moreexamples:
1.1)Mybelovedparenthasjustperishedfromtheearthtohisheavenlyreward.
(吾之先考猝然逾越红尘往受上苍之嘉奖。
)
1a)Mydearfatherhasjustexpired.(先父适才气绝。
)
1b)Mydearfatherhasjustpassedaway.(我亲爱的父亲刚刚离去。
)
1c)Mydadhasjustdied.(我爸爸刚死。
)
1d)Myoldmanhasjustkeckedthebucket.(我那老子刚才蹬腿了。
)
这5个句子讲的都是“父亲之死”这样一个事实。
但由于对“父亲”和“死”两个概念选择了不同的词语便产生了文雅和粗俗各种不同的文体。
1)为超正式问题,或称古雅文体,表达浮华自负,故作庄重之意,但有时有矫饰做作、小题大做之嫌。
1a)正式规范,但缺乏感情。
1b)属中性或普通文体,选用passedaway这一委婉表达法,避开令人不快的字眼“死”(die),既简朴无华,又颇具感情色彩,表现出一种温文平静的伤感语气。
1c)为口语体或非正式文体,简洁平易,但作者的感情没有直接表露出来。
1d)使用的是俚俗文体,或超非正式文体,把“父亲”称作“oldman”(老子或老头子),把“死”说成“kickedthebucket”(蹬腿),含有对父亲缺乏感情、不尊敬的意味。
2.2)AsregardsthemanIdeemhimanincredibleone.(论及此人,鄙人以为难以信赖。
)
2a)Inmyopinionheisnotoftheindividualwhowedesire.(以我之见,他并非我们期望之人。
)
2b)Ibelievethatheisnotthemanwewant.(我认为他不是我们所要的人。
)
2c)Idon’tthinkhe’sthemanwe’relookingfor.(我看他不是我们要找的人。
)
2d)’Fraidhe’snotourman.(恐怕他不是我们要的那号人。
)
以上五句句意相差无几,但它们文体的正式程度不同,自上而下由正式到非正式依次递降。
Task1
1.Distinguishbetweentheinformalandtheformalwordsinthefollowingpairs:
boss,superior;brainy,intelligent;friend,pal;fail,flunk;relatives,folks;position,job;kid,child;knockoff,stopworking;mean,ill-natured;meagre,skimpy;sloppy,untidy;nap,snooze;bike,bicycle;laboratory,lab;exam,examination;man,guy.
2.Classifythefollowingasformal,informal,slang,etc.
1)cash,currency,dough,legaltender,lucre,money,sugar;
2)allin,exhausted,faggedout,fatigued,tired,weary;
3)apparel,clothes,garments,rags,raiment,clothing;
4)cinema,films,flickers,motionpictures,movies,photoplays,pictures;
5)job,place,position,post,situation,station.
3.Canyouthinkofaninformalwayofsayingthefollowingwordsorphrases?
Grandmother;annually;child;handinnotice;agreatdealof;correspondence.
4.Canyouthinkofaformalwayofsayingthefollowingwordsorphrases?
change;phoneyouback;binman;getyourmoneyback;payyourbill;sendonallletters.
5.Thefollowingisastudent’sessayinwhichtheauthorusesamixedstyle.Revisetheessay,makingitconsistentinstyle.
PracticeMakesPerfect
Afamoussayinggoesthat“practicemakesperfect”.Itmeansthatwhenpeoplearelearningtodosomethingnew,theywillbegoodatitonlyafterhavinglotsofpracticeoverandoveragain.
Ihavehadsuchexperiencesformanytimes.InlearningEnglishit’sespeciallytrue.TolearnEnglishwell,wemustreadmore,speakmore,listenmoreandwritemore.Atthebeginning,Icouldn’tspeakEnglishfluently,soItookeverychancetopractice,suchasgoingtotheEnglishcorner,talkingtoforeigners,readingEnglishaloudinthemorning,andevenspeakingtomyself,fromtimetotime.Ikeptthepracticeforalongtimeandtomydelight,myspokenEnglishwasmuchbetterthanbefore.It’salsothesameinEnglishlisteningandwriting.
Anotherexample,whenpeoplefirstlearntotype,theyarenotfamiliarwiththekeyboardandcan’ttypeveryfast.Aslongastheykeeponpracticing,theyaresuretolearntheskillandtypefastenough.
Ilikethesaying–practicemakesperfect,whichencouragesmetopracticemoretillIreachperfectness.
1.2General/AbstractandSpecific/Concrete
Generalwordsidentifybroadcategories(people,place,andfruit)whilespecificwordsidentifyindividualmembersofbroadcategories(John,Shanghai,andapple).Abstractwordsidentifyideasandidealsthatcannotbeperceivedbythesenses(love,patriotism,andhonesty)whileconcretewordsidentifythingstangibletothesenses(rose,battlewound,andreturnedmoney).Successfulwritersemployabroadspectrumofwords,usingabstractandgeneraltermstorepresentideas,explainattitudes,andexplorerelationshipssuchascontingency(ifsomethingwillhappen),causality(whyitoccurs),andpriority(whatisfirstintimeorimportance);usingconcreteandspecificwordstoclarifyandillustrategeneralideasandabstractconcepts.
General/Abstract
TechnologyhasimpactedeveryaspectoflifeinChinesesocietytoday.
Specific/Concrete
Millions
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