What you'll learn
How stylistic choices — word choice and sentence construction — create tone, emphasis, and effect.
Diction
Word choice: formal/informal, concrete/abstract, connotation vs denotation. Diction shapes tone and reveals attitude.
Syntax
Sentence structure: length and variety (short for emphasis, long for complexity), parallelism, anaphora (repetition at clause starts), antithesis, and sentence type (declarative, interrogative, imperative). Syntax controls rhythm and emphasis.
Tone
The writer's attitude toward the subject/audience (e.g. ironic, earnest, critical), created through diction and syntax.
Figurative language
Metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, understatement, irony — used to clarify, persuade, or evoke emotion.
Analyzing style
Don't just label a device — explain its effect and how it serves the writer's purpose and audience. Strong essays connect specific stylistic choices to meaning.
Exam tips
- Quote a precise word/phrase and analyze its effect.
- Vary your own syntax and choose precise diction (this earns the sophistication point).
Common mistakes
- Naming devices without explaining their effect.
- Confusing diction (word choice) with syntax (sentence structure).