WRITING THAT LOOKS GOOD AND IS

GOOD!

Using Be’s and LV’s

HW:

Final Maya Angelou Influence essay is due by

tomorrow, 2.28.14

Extra credit will be given to those who turn it in

today! (5 pts)

WARM UP

Study for your Gothic Literature and Fall of the

House of Usher Quiz!

WARM UP:

What do all of these words have in

common? • Diction- • Tone-• Voice (in writing or literature)-• Clarity-

DICTION

(n) The choice and use

of words and phrases in

speech or writing.

DICTION

TONE

(n) The attitude of the

author on the subject in

which they are writing.

TONE

Media reports have likely made you aware of

this problem, but they have neglected the

implications. Your brother catches a cold that

turns into a sinus infection. His doctor treats

him with antibiotics, but the bacteria are

resistant to all of them. The infection enters his

bloodstream — a condition known as septicemia

— and a few days later, your brother dies.

(Septicemia is what killed Muppets creator Jim

Henson several years ago.) Or instead of a cold,

he has an infected cut that won't heal, or any

other common bacterial disease, such as an ear

or prostate infection.

Governments everywhere are at a loss

regarding the best policy for regulating the

dwindling forest reserves of the world. Few

ethical guidelines have been established from

which agreement might be reached, and those

are based on an insufficient knowledge of

ecology. Even if adequate scientific knowledge

were available, we would have little basis for

the long-term valuation of forests. The

economics of sustainable yield is still a primitive

art, and the psychological benefits of natural

ecosystems are almost wholly unexplored.

WHICH HAS A MORE FORMAL TONE?

Example A Example B

VOICE

(n) Voice is the author's style, the quality

that makes his or her writing unique, and

which conveys the author's attitude and

personality. Voice is made up of syntax,

diction, punctuation, character development,

and dialogue.

It shows the writer's personality

It sounds different from everyone

else's

It contains feelings and emotions

The words come to life

It comes from the heart

Uses “active” voice where subject

is performing the action of the

sentence

It is vague

It is bland and does not have much

distinction

Descriptions are not colorful and

diction is poor

There is a lack of emotion

It does not seem genuine

Uses “passive voice” where the action

is being performed to the subject

STRONG VS. WEAK

Strong Voice Weak voice

The burglar stole the

silver. (active voice

declarative)

Did the burglar steal

the silver? (active voice

interrogative)

Steal the silver! (active

voice imperative)

The silver was stolen

by the burglar. (passive

voice declarative)

Was the silver stolen

by the burglar? (passive

voice interrogative)

ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE VOICE

CLARITY

(n) The quality in writing to

be clear and easily

understood or visualized.

CLARITY

"The 'successful communication' that 'clarity'

points to is finally our success in getting someone

else to share our view of the world, a view we have

composed by perceiving it. And if this is true of

perception it must hold true for prose too. To write is

to compose a world as well as view one."

(Richard Lanham, Analyzing Prose. Continuum,

2003)

WHICH IS CLEARER?

Every semester after final exams are over, I'm faced with the problem

of what to do with books of lecture notes (new information). They (old)

might be useful some day, but they just keep piling up on my bookcase

(new). Someday, it (old) will collapse under the weight of information I

might never need.

Lately, most movies I've seen have been merely second-rate

entertainment, but occasionally there are some with worthwhile themes.

The rapid disappearance of the Indian culture (new) is the topic of a

recent movie (old) I saw.

REVIEW!

II• NP be ADJ

III • NP be NP

IV• NP linking verb (other than be) ADJ

V• NP linking verb (other than be ) NP

WHICH PATTERN IS IT?

“Although as boys, we

had been even intimate

associates, yet I really

knew little of my friend.”

p. 2

WHICH PATTERN IS IT?

This tastes awfully

disgusting!

WHICH PATTERN IS IT?

“The general furniture

was profuse, comfortless,

antique, and tattered.” p. 4

WHICH PATTERN IS IT?

“His action was alternately vivacious and sullen.” p. 4

“The room in which I found myself was very large and

lofty.” p. 3

“It was perhaps the narrow limits to which he thus

confined himself upon the guitar, which gave birth, in

great measure, to the fantastic character of his

performances.” p. 7

WRITING SUBJECT IDEAS

MUST BE SOMETHING WITH GOTHIC CHARACTERISTICS

(SCARY!)

Edgar Allan Poe

The House of Usher

Madeline Usher

Roderick Usher

The short story itself, “The Fall of the House of Usher”

The narrator in “The Fall of the House of Usher”