Diction and Tone Flashcards

A passage shifts from second-person ('you') to third-person ('one') mid-paragraph. The most likely rhetorical effect is:

Answer: Increased formality and distance

Shifting from 'you' to 'one' moves the register from conversational to formal, creating rhetorical distance.

A writer uses short, simple sentences after a long, complex one to describe an act of violence. This variation in sentence structure contributes to:

Answer: A tonal jolt that mimics the abruptness of the event

A short sentence after a long one creates a jarring pause, mirroring the sudden, blunt reality of the described event.

Which of the following is an example of a formal, Latinate diction choice that a writer might replace with a simpler Anglo-Saxon word for a more direct tone?

Answer: 'Utilize' instead of 'use'

'Utilize' is a Latinate word that can be replaced with 'use' to create a more direct, less inflated tone.

An AP Lang student identifies an 'elegiac' tone in a passage. This tone is best described as:

Answer: Mournful and expressing grief or loss

An elegiac tone expresses sorrow and lamentation, often for something or someone lost.

When a writer uses highly specific, technical jargon in a piece aimed at a general audience, the likely effect is:

Answer: Alienation of readers unfamiliar with the terminology

Technical jargon creates barriers for general audiences, reducing accessibility and potentially undermining the argument's reach.

Which AP Lang skill involves identifying how an author's word choices work together to convey attitude toward the subject?

Answer: Tonal analysis

Tonal analysis is the skill of identifying how cumulative diction choices reveal the author's attitude toward the subject.