Style Analysis:
Features to identify when analyzing prose style:
A.
Kind of diction
1.
General or specific
2.
Abstract or concrete
3.
Formal or informal
4.
Latinate (usually polysyllabic or Angl0-Saxon (usually monosyllabic)
5.
Common words or jargon
6.
Referential (denotative or emotive (connotative)
B.
Length of sentences (measured in number of words)
C.
Kind of sentences
1.
Grammatical;: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex
2.
Rhetorical: loose, periodic, balanced, antithetical
3.
Functional: statement, question, command, exclamation
D.
Variety of sentence patterns
1.
Inversions
2.
Sentence openers
3.
Method of location of expansion
E.
Means of articulating sentences (coherence devices)
F.
Use of figures of speech
G.
Paragraphing
1.
Length (measured in number of words and number of sentences)
2.
Kind of movement or development in paragraphs
3.
Use of transitional devices
Choose eight paragraphs from your research essay. Do not include sentences that include quoted material.
Evaluation
1.
Total number of words in the section studied:_______________
2.
Total number of sentences in the section studied:__________
3.
Longest sentence (number of words):________________
4.
Shortest sentence (number of words):_______________
5.
Average sentence (number of words):_______________
6.
Number of sentences that contain more than 10 words over the average sentence:________
7.
Percentage of sentences that contain more than 10 words over the average:________
8.
Number of sentences that contain 5 words or more below the average:_______
9.
Paragraph length a.
Longest paragraph (in number of sentences):___________ b.
Shortest paragraph (in number of sentences):__________ c.
Average paragraph (in number of sentences):__________
Sequence of Grammatical Types
10.
Total number of sentences in section studied:______________
11.
Total number of simple sentences:______________
12.
Percentage of simple sentences:______________
13.
Total number of compound sentences:___________
14.
Percentage of compound sentences:____________

15.
Total number of complex sentences:___________
16.
Percentage of complex sentences:____________
17.
Total number of compound-complex sentences:___________
18.
Percentage of compound-complex sentences:____________
Sequence of Grammatical Types
19.
Set down the sequence of grammatical types in paragraphs of section studied using these abbreviations: S, Cp,
Cx, Cp-Cx. a.
In _____ paragraph:________________________________________________ b.
In_____paragraph:_________________________________________________ c.
In_____paragraph:_________________________________________________ d.
In _____ paragraph:________________________________________________ e.
In_____paragraph:_________________________________________________ f.
In_____paragraph:_________________________________________________ g.
In _____ paragraph:________________________________________________ h.
In_____paragraph:_________________________________________________
Stylistic Study (Sentence Openers) Use only declarative sentences.
20.
Total number of declarative sentences:___________________ a.
Subject (e.g., John broke the window. The high cost of living will offset . . .:_________ b.
Expletive (e.g., It is plain . . .There are ten Indians. Exclamation: Alas, Oh):__________ c.
Coordinating conjunction (e.g., fanboys):______________ d.
Adverb word(e.g., first, thus, moreover, nevertheless, namely):____________ e.
Conjunctive phrase (e.g., on the other hand, as a consequence):___________ f.
Prepositional phrase (e.g. after the game, in the morning):_________ g.
Verbal phrase (e.g., tired but happy, We . . .):________ h.
Absolute phrase (e.g., The ship having arrived safely, we . . .):_______ i.
Adverb clause (e.g., When the ship arrived safely, we . . .):_______ j.
Front-Shift (e.g., inverted word order: The expense we could not bear. Gone was the wind, Happy were they to be alive.):_________
Stylistic Study (Diction)
21.
For this study choose the first two paragraphs.
In the following count only substantive words—nouns, pronouns, verbs, verbals, adjectives, and adverbs. a.
Total number of substantive words in the passage:___________ b.
Total number of monosyllabic substantive words:__________ c.
Percentage of monosyllabic substantive words:___________ d.
Total number of nouns and pronouns in the passage:_________ e.
Total number of concrete nouns and pronouns:________ f.
Percentage of concrete nouns and pronouns:_______ g.
Total of finite verbs in all dependent and independent clauses in the passage:_______ h.
What percentage does G represent of A?:_______________ i.
Total number of linking verbs:________________ j.
Percentage of linking verbs:_________(using A) k.
Total number of active verbs (do not count linking verbs):_____ l.
Percentage of active verbs (using A):__________ m.
Total number of passive verbs (do not count linking verbs):_____ n.
Percentage of passive verbs (using A):_____

o.
Total number of adjectives in the passage (do not count participles or articles):_____ p.
Average number of adjectives per sentence (divide by the total number of sentences in the passage):__________________
Figures of Speech:
Schemes of Construction
22.
Schemes of Balance a.
Parallelism b.
Antithesis
23.
Schemes of unusual or inverted word order (hyperbaton) a.
Anastrophe b.
Parenthesis (parenthetical) c.
Apposition
24.
Schemes of Omission a.
Ellipsis b.
Asyndeton
25.
Schemes of Repetition a.
Alliteration b.
Assonance c.
Anaphora d.
Epistrophe e.
Epanalepsis f.
Anadiplosis g.
Climax h.
Antimetabole i.
Chiasmus
26.
The Tropes a.
Metaphor b.
Simile c.
Synecdoche d.
Metonymy e.
Puns—Antanaclasis, Paronomasia f.
Syllepsis/Zeugma g.
Personification h.
Hyperbole i.
Litotes j.
Rhetorical Questions k.
Irony l.
Onomatopoeia m.
Oxymoron n.
Paradox