English Writing_(part1)diction
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'The consumption of any nutriments whatsoever is categorically prohibited in this establishment商业机构.' Official 官方— 'The consumption of nutriments is 官方 prohibited.' Formal — 'You are required not to consume food in this establishment.' ' Neutral — 'Eating is not allowed here.' Informal — 'Please don't eat here.' Colloquial — 'You can't feed your face here.' Slang — 'Lay off the nosh 小吃 小吃.' Taboo — 'Lay off the fucking nosh.'
In each group, the first word is from Anglo-Saxon and the second and third from French or Latin. The first one is clearly more informal or colloquial than the other two.
English is particularly rich in synonyms as a result of incorporating words from other language over the centuries. But we should remember that it is difficult to find two words that are exactly the same in meaning and use. They may be different in stylistic level, in the degree of emphasis, in emotional coloring, in tone语气, and in collocation.
Use specific words should go along with providing details, and then there will be effective and impressive writing. Study the following examples:
General It is often windy and dusty here in spring. Specific In spring there is often a very strong northwest wind. It carries so much fine dust with it that sometimes the sun becomes obscure. There is no escape from the fine dust; it gets into your eyes, your ears, your nostrils, and your hair. It goes through the cracks of closed windows and covers your desks and chairs.
Contents
1. Levels of words 2. The meaning of words 3. General and Specific Words 4. Idioms 5. Figures of speech 英文写作中怎样避免用词的重复 中英语言中用来喻人的植物的差异
1. Levels of words
different in stylistic level
Generally speaking, words of Anglo-Saxon origin are more informal than those of Latin or French origin. Look at these words: ask time rise question age mount interrogate epoch ascend
词汇选择得是否准确,贴切,对文章是否能收到预期 的效果致关重要.在锤炼和选择词语时,除了文章的 主题,思想内容,写作目的和读者对象等以外,还必 须考虑与之相适应的语言层次( levels of language ). 所谓语言层次,一般可归结为规范英语( standard English)和非规范英语( sub-standard English). 规范英语又可分为口语( spoken language )和书面语 ( written language), 非正式语( informal language)和 正式语( formal language).例如:
a good man: kind, honest, just, generous, sympathetic, warm-hearted, selfless, brave, honorable good food: tasty, delicious, nourishing, rich, wholesome, fresh, appetizing, abundant house: mansion, villa, chateau, cottage, bungalow带 bungalow带 走廊的平房, 小室, 棚屋, 走廊的平房 cabin, hut, shack小室 shanty棚屋 shed 小室 棚屋 货棚, 货棚 barn laugh: smile, grin, beam微笑示意 giggle咯咯地笑 微笑示意, 咯咯地笑, 微笑示意 咯咯地笑 titter嗤笑 snigger窃笑 chuckle吃吃地笑 guffaw狂笑 嗤笑, 窃笑, 吃吃地笑, 狂笑, 嗤笑 窃笑 吃吃地笑 狂笑 chortle得意的高笑 得意的高笑
different in tone
"Modest" and "humble" both indicate a lack of pride, but "modesty" is a virtue and "humbleness" is not. "Humble" often connotes undue self-depreciation 自我贬低. So they are different in tone: one is laudatory and the other is derogatory.
Although both general and specific words are useful, a student learning to write should make an effort to master and use specific words wherever possible. Specific words help to make writing clear, exact, vivid, and striking, for they are more informative and expressive than general words. Compare:
For instance country, nation, state and land have more or less the same denotation and may all be translated into "国家" in Chinese, but their connotation are quite different.
3. General and Specific Words
Comparatively speaking, some words are more general or more specific in meaning rather than others. "Professionals", for instance, is more general in meaning than "scientists, doctors, teachers, lawyers, journalists", etc., all of which are more specific. But "scientists" may be called a general word when compared with "physicists or chemists", which, in turn, is more general than "biochemists".
It is easy to see that the specific words on the right are much more concrete and colorful than the general ones on the left; they seem to make the reader see, hear, or feel what the writer wishes to describe.
English Writing
Diction
Diction is the choice and use of words. The English language has a big vocabulary: as many as 400,000 words are collected in the Oxford English Dictionary. Of course no one knows or uses so many words. Only a small amount of them are used by ordinary people for ordinary purposes. A student learning to write should learn to use the words that are most useful and most often used to express him.
2. The meaning of words
The meaning of a word has two aspects: denotative and connotative 外延和内涵 外延和内涵. A word's denotation is what it literally means, as defined by the dictionary; its connotation is the feeling or idea suggested by it.
different in emphasis
"Big" and "large" are both commonly used words, but "large" is slightly more formal and may be used to describe things that are usually big, so it is more emphatic than "big". "Huge", which is more literary than those two words, means extremely large, and is more emphatic than "large".
denotative and connotative
Country means an area of land and its population and its government, nation emphasizes the people of a country, state refers to the government or political organization of a country, and land is less precise but more literary and emotive than country.
In each group, the first word is from Anglo-Saxon and the second and third from French or Latin. The first one is clearly more informal or colloquial than the other two.
English is particularly rich in synonyms as a result of incorporating words from other language over the centuries. But we should remember that it is difficult to find two words that are exactly the same in meaning and use. They may be different in stylistic level, in the degree of emphasis, in emotional coloring, in tone语气, and in collocation.
Use specific words should go along with providing details, and then there will be effective and impressive writing. Study the following examples:
General It is often windy and dusty here in spring. Specific In spring there is often a very strong northwest wind. It carries so much fine dust with it that sometimes the sun becomes obscure. There is no escape from the fine dust; it gets into your eyes, your ears, your nostrils, and your hair. It goes through the cracks of closed windows and covers your desks and chairs.
Contents
1. Levels of words 2. The meaning of words 3. General and Specific Words 4. Idioms 5. Figures of speech 英文写作中怎样避免用词的重复 中英语言中用来喻人的植物的差异
1. Levels of words
different in stylistic level
Generally speaking, words of Anglo-Saxon origin are more informal than those of Latin or French origin. Look at these words: ask time rise question age mount interrogate epoch ascend
词汇选择得是否准确,贴切,对文章是否能收到预期 的效果致关重要.在锤炼和选择词语时,除了文章的 主题,思想内容,写作目的和读者对象等以外,还必 须考虑与之相适应的语言层次( levels of language ). 所谓语言层次,一般可归结为规范英语( standard English)和非规范英语( sub-standard English). 规范英语又可分为口语( spoken language )和书面语 ( written language), 非正式语( informal language)和 正式语( formal language).例如:
a good man: kind, honest, just, generous, sympathetic, warm-hearted, selfless, brave, honorable good food: tasty, delicious, nourishing, rich, wholesome, fresh, appetizing, abundant house: mansion, villa, chateau, cottage, bungalow带 bungalow带 走廊的平房, 小室, 棚屋, 走廊的平房 cabin, hut, shack小室 shanty棚屋 shed 小室 棚屋 货棚, 货棚 barn laugh: smile, grin, beam微笑示意 giggle咯咯地笑 微笑示意, 咯咯地笑, 微笑示意 咯咯地笑 titter嗤笑 snigger窃笑 chuckle吃吃地笑 guffaw狂笑 嗤笑, 窃笑, 吃吃地笑, 狂笑, 嗤笑 窃笑 吃吃地笑 狂笑 chortle得意的高笑 得意的高笑
different in tone
"Modest" and "humble" both indicate a lack of pride, but "modesty" is a virtue and "humbleness" is not. "Humble" often connotes undue self-depreciation 自我贬低. So they are different in tone: one is laudatory and the other is derogatory.
Although both general and specific words are useful, a student learning to write should make an effort to master and use specific words wherever possible. Specific words help to make writing clear, exact, vivid, and striking, for they are more informative and expressive than general words. Compare:
For instance country, nation, state and land have more or less the same denotation and may all be translated into "国家" in Chinese, but their connotation are quite different.
3. General and Specific Words
Comparatively speaking, some words are more general or more specific in meaning rather than others. "Professionals", for instance, is more general in meaning than "scientists, doctors, teachers, lawyers, journalists", etc., all of which are more specific. But "scientists" may be called a general word when compared with "physicists or chemists", which, in turn, is more general than "biochemists".
It is easy to see that the specific words on the right are much more concrete and colorful than the general ones on the left; they seem to make the reader see, hear, or feel what the writer wishes to describe.
English Writing
Diction
Diction is the choice and use of words. The English language has a big vocabulary: as many as 400,000 words are collected in the Oxford English Dictionary. Of course no one knows or uses so many words. Only a small amount of them are used by ordinary people for ordinary purposes. A student learning to write should learn to use the words that are most useful and most often used to express him.
2. The meaning of words
The meaning of a word has two aspects: denotative and connotative 外延和内涵 外延和内涵. A word's denotation is what it literally means, as defined by the dictionary; its connotation is the feeling or idea suggested by it.
different in emphasis
"Big" and "large" are both commonly used words, but "large" is slightly more formal and may be used to describe things that are usually big, so it is more emphatic than "big". "Huge", which is more literary than those two words, means extremely large, and is more emphatic than "large".
denotative and connotative
Country means an area of land and its population and its government, nation emphasizes the people of a country, state refers to the government or political organization of a country, and land is less precise but more literary and emotive than country.