Diction refers to the words someone chooses to use. In many instances there are different words you can use in the same situation, but they can have different meanings to the audience. The word could be taken literally (denotation) or refer to what the word implies or is associated with(connotation).
For example you could say "Did you see those guns?!" You may be referring to the fact that someone had big muscles. Yet someone might really think you saw some large weapons. A silly example, but words can have quite different impacts on the audience.
In one of the MAC commercials the charcter representing PC says that he needs a 'backup'. He could have said something else, such as 'an extra pair', but he says 'backup' because it has a double meaning with a computer's backup. A different word usage would have changed the commercial quite a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya_Z5OAqOnQ
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Words can change everything, especially the meaning and the tone/style. Remember when we had to rewrite one sentence seven times? The way that we ued different words changed the tone/style of the writing and in some cases slightly changed the meaning
ReplyDeleteDiction really is a useful tool. It's amazing how telling someone something in one way will incite a completely different reaction than if it was said in a different way.
ReplyDeleteWords really are so powerul Chelsea! It makes me think of that movie clip we watched today. Even just one slight word can change the mood so much!
ReplyDeleteI like the way you put that Heidi! There are so many different ways people can take things and it's easy to forget that when speaking or writing.
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