Word Choice
Formal: Elevated
Language
 Please cease
conversing.
 The young man
ruminated upon his
breakfast options.
Neutral: A hybrid of
formal or informal.
Informal: What you
write and speak to
friends and family
members
 Be quiet.
 Shut up.
 The boy wondered what
 The boy thought about
he was going to eat for
breakfast.
what he was gonna
munch on for breakfast.
Connotative: Other meanings or
feelings are associated with the word
Denotative: The definition of the word
(very ambiguity in meaning)
 Home
 House, Apartment, Flat, Trailer, etc
 A Ride
 Taxi, Car, Bus, etc
 Book
 Novel, Textbook, Biography
Monosyllabic: 1-2 syllables
Polysyllabic: 3+ syllables
 Glad, Happy
 Ecstatic, Blithesome, Overjoyed
 Smart, Brainy
 Erudite, Ingenious
 Sad, Dismal
 Disconsolate, Pessimistic
Concrete: tangible
Abstract: intangible
 Desk, Room, Teacher, Student
 Class
 Essay, Website, Lecture
 Information
 Kiss, Hug…
 Love
Euphonious: Pleasant Sounding
Cacophonous: Hard or Abrupt to the
Ear
 Caress, embrace
 Grope, Contact, Pat
 Slither, glissade
 Sneak, snake, slink
 Dialect: How individual groups speak.
 Jones’ on me
 Colloquial: Language dependent on region
 Ya’ll v. Youse v. You Guys
 Slang: Specific and momentary
 Thot v. NatNat v. Swoop v. Hoe
 Jargon: trade, job or pursuit specific
 Assessment, Benchmark, Kinesthetic Learner, Objective, SWAT
 Gigabyte, Logic Board, CPU, JPG, Mother Board
 These are the bane of my existence. You must be dumb as a rock to use them. They
are tired, lame, and dull phrases that are constantly used in student papers and bad
pop music. Here is a good list:
 Rock-hard
 Thin-skinned
 Cold as ice (ice-cold)
 Skin color described as chocolate, peach, caramel, or rosey
 Stone-cold