Effective Choices

Writers/Artists select words for very specific reasons.

Word selection (or diction) is not an accident. Writer’s want their work to convey a powerful

message or main idea to their readers. In order to truly comprehend a piece of

writing a reader should get inside the writer’s head to understand why the author selected the words they did.

Importance of this word… You will hear the word “effective” over

and over again this year. It will appear on your grade 11 exam at

least 4 times. It will appear on your grade 12 provincial

exam at least 6 times. It is extremely important that you

understand what “effective” means. In order to answer the question you need

to get inside the creator’s head.

Definition of effective Effective Having an intended or expected effect. Producing a strong impression or

response; striking

Effect The power to produce an outcome or

achieve a result; influence

EffectiveEASY PART = Most people know when something is

effective. They either like it or they don’t. It fits or it doesn’t. It is awesome or it sucks. You remember it or you forget it quickly.

Think of examples…. Short stories/movies/power points/videos/pictures

HARD PART = Putting your thoughts into words and explaining why it is effective.

You must remember that in writing/advertising/art nothing occurs by accident. Creators choose their words and images very carefully.

Example Questions

The following are examples of questions using the word effective.

Questions you will come across…1.On line 17, the author used the word “feces”. Why is this a more effective word choice than the word “poop”?In order to answer this question you need to understand what the word feces means. Waste matter eliminated from the bowels; excrement. Then you need to go back and look at line 17 to decide why feces is a better word than the word poop. You must take into consideration the type of text the quote comes from. In this case it is a science article about the bathroom habits of chimpanzees.

Questions you will come across…1. In the ad for Huggies Diapers why is the

placement of the feces on the nose of the father effective?

You will need to put yourself in the shoes of the creator of the ad.

Why did the creators put the feces where they did?

Hints to help you… Do not be vague. If your answer can

apply to any question about effectiveness then it is to vague.

For example: The author selected the word feces because

it is a stronger word choice and is more effective.

This answer is too vague. It could be applied to almost any word or question.

Hints to help you…A better answer would be…

The author chose the word feces instead of poop because it sounds more appropriate to the text. This quote comes from a scientific journal and it would be ridicules to use the word poop. Poop is more appropriate to a children’s book or poem. Using the proper word for excrement adds validity to the text.

Hints to help you… Use a dictionary. The importance of this

cannot be understated! You must understand all the words in a question in order to answer it. Often times an “official” definition will help you answer the question and the answer will become clear to you when you see the definition.

Words to Help…Powerful Convincing Symbolic

Meaningful Inspirational

Influential Forceful Striking

Moving Potent Efficient Compelling

Persuasive *Do not just use these word alone but add a because…*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU

Question (to be passed in) In the video “The Power of Words” why is the phrase “it is a beautiful day and I can’t see it” more effective than “I’m blind. Please help”?

Think about your immediate reaction to this video and try to put into words what you felt. Answer this question in two to three sentences. Please use blue or black ink and double space.

Examples Good starts…needs more details.“…because instead of ‘I need help’ you are

making people understand better that you can’t see the beautiful day like everyone else.”

“..is more effective because it opens up the eyes of all the people walking by and (they) have a change of heart.” (about what? Add more details)

Examples Good “…because it connects emotionally with

people. People do no realize how fortunate they are that they can see. Also, ‘I’m blind. Please help!’ is to forward. It is just asking for money and may turn people off. ‘It is a beautiful day and I can’t see it’ doesn’t ask for money directly so people may feel more compelled to donate.

Examples Good “…because the new phrase is describing the

day and how lovely it is to see, which makes more of an impact on the people passing by (and would stir sympathy and empathy). The new phrase is also more creative and positive then the original phrase….(add more here)

Examples…Good..“…is more effective in helping the blind man

get money because it is inducing a feeling of sympathy over the reader. (add more detail)

Examples Good “…is more effective because it taps into

people’s emotions, also telling them what and why he needs help and he is missing out on. ‘I’m blind. Please help.’ is vague and looks like any other sign homeless people will use and it doesn’t connect to the emotions of people. (add more)

Example Vague: Could be applied to any piece

of poetry. “…is more moving because it is more

powerful and is meaningful. It is also unique and interesting compared to ‘I’m blind. Please help.’ When you are more descriptive in what you are writing, you will paint a better picture in the readers head.”

Examples Good “…not only is it more poetic but the different

words made people think about something that they can experience but he cannot. This gets people to think of him more than just some one begging but as someone who is missing out on the beauty of the world. (add something about empathy)

Examples Good “…because it makes people feel bad and

guilty if they get to enjoy the day and he doesn’t. Also, I feel like people are more likely to help others when they aren’t asked for help. (add more)

Examples Good “The words ‘I’m blind. Please help’ sounds

very blunt and hurried, almost like a command to people passing by. ‘It’s a beautiful day and I can’t see it’ invokes emotions from people, by giving them an idea of what it would be like to be a blind man on a nice day. Reaching out to emotions of people is much more effective than simply stating that the man is blind (and demanding money.)

Example “I’m blind, please help” almost sounds demanding, instructingpassersby to give money to the blind man rather than asking politely if they could spare change to help someone in need. “It is a beautiful day and I cannot see it” brings out the emotion the man is feeling, creating empathy in the people walking in the streets; the powerful emotional imagery portrayed in this sentence instills the blind man’s sadness and frustration into others. As well, it does not demand for money, nor does it even mention it. This gives the man not the image of a beggar, but of someone who needs help, thus making it more likely for others to spare him some change as they would feel sympathy for him rather than annoyance.