Style & Structure
a presentation on improving writing skills
A Few Stylistic Words of
Wisdom
• “You have none.” (Sheanne Cox)
• “Fashions fade - style is eternal.” (Yves St.
Laurent)
• “Style is a simple way of saying complicated
things.” (Jean Cocteau)
• “Proper words in proper places, make
the true definition of style.” (Jonathan Swift)
The Power of Language
Shrieking with joy,
Excellent!
Average
Better
she drove over the cat.
Calmly,
So How Do We Get From
This…
THE POLAR BEAR
The Polar Bear lives in the Arctic. It is
big and white and can grow up to three
metres long. It eats seals and dead
animals. It sleeps in a den with its cubs.
Polar Bears hibernate in the winter.
The Polar Bear is a neat animal.
…To This?
THE WHITE KING OF THE NORTH
Lurking in the vast hinterland of the Arctic wastes is
one of nature’s most commanding creatures: the
Polar Bear. This savage and unpredictable species
of Ursis Major, which resides solely in the far reaches
of the North, is characterized by white fur and can
measure up to three metres in length. Dependent
upon seals, small game, and occasionally even
carrion, the bear also forages for fruits and berries in
the summer months….
The Answer is Simple!
WRITING STYLE
Sentence
Openers
Dressups
Decorations
Triple Extensions
Outlining Rules
1) Left side of page
2) Header
3) Topic sentence with Roman Numeral
4) Number supporting ideas
5) Clincher statement
John Smith
Language Arts 9
October 13, 2005
THE EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHY ON INDIAN CIVILIZATION
I.
The Himalayan Mountains
1. Description:
a) tallest mountains in world
b) protective arch, India northern border
c) rugged terrain, difficult crossing
CLINCHER: formidable wall of protection
2. Effects on civilization:
a) barrier to invasions
b) isolates India, trade, progress
c) slows onset of industrialization
CLINCHER: unique, independent culture
I. Sentence Openers
The six basic methods of beginning a sentence
can be classified as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Subject opener
Prepositional opener
Adverb opener (“-ly)
Verbal opener (“-ing/-ed”)
Clausal opener
VSS (very short sentence)
Sentence Openers
#1 - Subject
follows
PREDICATE
A subject opener sentence
the SUBJECT +
sentence pattern.
E.g. Frodo traveled through the
treacherous lands of Middle Earth
on his mission to destroy Sauron’s
ring.
Sentence Openers
#2 - Prepositional
that
of a
some
sentence.
A preposition is a word
shows the relationship
noun or pronoun to
other word in the
(E.g., in, on, under,
between)
the
Atticus
E.g. In the stifling heat of
Maycomb courtroom,
Finch rose to present
Sentence Openers
#3 - Adverb
An adverb modifies a verb, an
adjective, or another adverb.
They typically answer the
questions when or how
something is done.
E.g. Hideously absorbed in her own hate, the
witch plotted young Dorothy’s demise.
Sentence Openers
#4 - Verbal (“-ing/-ed” & “To ___”)
A verbal is a form of a verb used
used as another part of speech. Participles,
gerunds, and infinitives are three
verbal types. (See the WALL CHART)
E.g. To find his lost son, Nemo’s father has to recruit
the help of the absent-minded Dory. Working
together, they eventually find the wayward clown
fish.
Sentence Openers
#5 - Clausal
A subordinate (dependent) clause
has both a subject and verb, but
does not express a complete
thought, and cannot stand alone.
Clausal openers typically begin with when, while,
where, as, if, although, or because. (www.asia + b)
E.g. Although Buttercup repeatedly mistreats him,
Westley continues to express his love, declaring “As
you wish,” to each of her commands.
Sentence Openers
#6 - VSS
VSS stands for “very short
sentence”. Such sentences are
like an extreme close-up in film:
they highlight an idea, emotion, etc.
E.g. Spider-man winced. Could he save the girl in
time?
Sentence Openers
- Problem Areas?
Some final words of advice:
Confusion
with
“-ing”openers.
Watch
use
of occurs
adverb
openers.
A common
Ensure
students
properly
the
Alsosometimes
remember
that
not
allnumber
words
that
problem
is beginning
with
anadjectives.
awkward
sentences
in
their
drafts
in
the
left-hand
end
in
“-ly”
are
adverbs,
but
Students
might
begin
with
a
such
a
word,
it margin.
could
Students seem to have thebut
most
adverb
selection.
function
as
a subject
opener. exists in one line,
If more
than
one
sentence
trouble
with
learning
openers.
E.g., early,
lovely,
shapely,
etc.
recordE.g.,
bothSkiing
numbers,
separating
is my favourite
sport.
(#1)
E.g.,
Delightfully
the Polar
Bear
lives in
with athe
comma.
Arctic.
Skiing down the mountain, I passed
a grazing deer. (#4)
II. Dressups
The six basic methods of dressing up a
sentence can be classified as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Adverb (“-ly”)
Quality adjectives (dual)
Quality verbs (dual)
Because clause
Who/which clause
www.asia (when, while, where,
as, since, if, although)
Dressups
#1 - Adverb (“-ly”)
Motioning with an
outstretched finger, E.T.
laconically proclaimed,
“E.T. phone home!”
Dressups
#2 - Quality Adjectives
Looking ever suave
and debonair, Humphrey
Bogart exclaimed, “Here’s
looking at you, kid.”
Dressups
#3 - Quality Verbs
brow
as
Q furrowed his
in mock anger
007 requisitioned yet
another Aston Martin
automobile.
Dressups
#4 - Because Clause
Shrek demanded the
fairy
tale squatters
remove
themselves from
his
swamp
because of
deep-seated
insecurities
and
intense agoraphobia.
Dressups
#5 - Who/Which Clause
The new hotel and casino
deal,
which had been
engineered by
Michael
Corleone, was in
danger of
collapse. “I’ll make
him an
offer he can’t refuse,”
said the
bemused mafia don.
Dressups
#6 - www.asia
www.asia is an acronym
for adverbial clauses
beginning with “when, while,
where, as, since, if, although”.
E.g. Windex is excellent for
cleaning windows, although
others use it to cure all ails.
Dressups
Create
adjectival
“teeter-totters”.
Some
final
words“teeter-totters”.
of advice:
adverbial
In dressup
#5 adverbs
(the
who/which)
clause,
I with
(Adjectival:
dual
adjectives
before
a noun
(Adverbial:
dual
“-ly”
before
the verb
recommend
students
drop
the “who” or “which”
an
adjective
clause
following).
with
an
adverbial
clause
following).
Ensure
students underline their
once they understand the technique.
dual
adjectives
clause
“-lys”
when,
where,
as, if
sentence
dressups who/which
in rough
drafts
E.g., John Smith, who
is or
a resident
of Stirling,
since,
although
of
writing. In typewritten drafts,
witnessed the accident.
indicate by bold-facing the dressup.
Smith,
a resident
of Stirling, witnessed
the
IJohn
do not
have
my
students
label
their
noun
verb
accident.
choices
in final
draft
writing.
Thestylistic
hare
scoffedand
at the
humble
and
lethargic
tortoise
who
had
E.g., The
fox
secretly
silently
laughed
as the crow
began
to sing.
challenged him.
III. Decorations
The six basic types of decorations can be
classified as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Question
Dialogue
3sss (short staccato sentences)
Dramatic opening & closing
Simile, metaphor, allusion
Alliteration
Decorations
#1 - Question
What can one learn from his parents?
When
I was
a boy of
fourteen,
mythird
father
What
is human
life?
The first
a
wasgood
so ignorant
hardly stand
time; theI could
rest remembering
him.about
But it.
when I turned twenty-one, I
was astonished by how much he had
learned in seven years.
Decorations
#2 - Dialogue/Conversation
Carlyle once said, “A lie cannot
live.” It shows he didn’t know how
to tell them.
Decorations
#3 - 3sss
4:3:2
3:3:3
2:2:2
Killer bees invaded America.
Viciously they attacked. Humans
perished.
Savage bees attacked. Violently
they killed. Nobody was spared.
Bees invaded. They marauded.
Humans died.
Decorations
#4 - Dramatic Opening/Closing
- a short dramatic sentence
(vss) before the topic
sentence,
combined with another
dramatic
vss after the clincher
sentence.
E.g., Familiarity
Clothes
the man.
contempt--and
Such is make
thebreeds
human
race.Naked
Oftenpeople
it children.
doeshave
seemlittle
such
orpity
no influence
society.
Twain)
a
that Noahindidn’t
miss(Mark
the boat
.
Decorations
#5 - Figures of Speech
Simile:
You are as a candle, the better part
burnt out.
Metaphor:
Training is everything… cauliflower is
nothing but cabbage with a college
education.
Allusion:
The friendly bank managers of today
make Shylock seem like a
generous
fellow.
Personification: The pencil groaned in my fingertips as
I finished the last sentence on my
test.
Decorations
#6 - Alliteration
Alliteration involves two or more words
(preferably three) beginning with the
same letter or sound. Alliteratives may
be occasionally separated by one or
more words.
E.g., big, beautiful butterflies…
Clumsily he clawed and clambered up the cliff.
Pregnant pauses can be used for dramatic effect.
Decorations
- Problem Areas?
Some final words of advice:
Students will often overuse decorations in
their writing, creating cumbersome and
sometimes bizarre style. Once they have
learned the techniques, suggest they pare
back decorations to more than 2 per
paragraph. Think of them as a “dash of salt
or pepper” to be used to occasionally “spice
things up”.
Conclusion
- Teach
And
finally:and drill the techniques,
-
eventually moving away from the
6-6-6 paragraph requirements.
Initially mark written
assignments
Remember
that style
isn’t
solely
for stylistic choices, then add
everything…
content, organization, spelling &
grammar,
to the
rubric.
IT’S THEetc.
ONLY
THING!