Author's Use of Language
When writing, authors choose their words carefully to convey different meanings and ideas.
Figurative language can make a text more descriptive and appealing. Authors may use literary devices, such as
point of view, to show different aspects of a story. The words that an author uses also influences the
mood,
tone, and
voice of a text.
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Figurative language refers to language that does not use the literal, or real, meanings of words. Figurative language can make a text more interesting, persuasive, or powerful.
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A metaphor is used to make a comparison by saying that one thing is another, despite it not being literally true. An extended metaphor expands this comparison across several sentences or paragraphs.
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Clary was absentminded and forgetful. If you took a look into her mind, you would see a cluttered attic with boxes stacked on high and none of them labeled. When she tried to match a name to a face quickly, she had to dig and dig through the boxes with only the barest idea of what she was looking for. When she learned something new, such as an address or a recipe, she would carefully place the information into one of her endless boxes. There, it would quickly be swallowed up by all the other things cluttering the attic up, never to be seen again.
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Point of view refers to the perspective from which a story is told. Different points of view will reveal different parts of a story to readers. It can greatly affect how a story is told.
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When there are multiple points of view, authors write using the perspectives of several different characters. Only the thoughts and feelings of the perspective character are known. When the point of view changes to another character, only what that specific character thinks and feels will be known. Using multiple points of view can allow readers to see the same situations in different lights.
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Marianne stared down the man across the table from her. His name was Luke Arsene, and she just knew that he was the thief behind last month's diamond heist. She watched his eyes rapidly dart to the door of the interrogation room and back to her face several times. It was just a matter of time before he broke and confessed everything.
Luke wasn't quite sure why he was in this room. He had come down to the police station to ask about his missing wallet, and then before he knew it, he had been dragged into this room. He glanced at the door before looking back at the face of the stoic detective sitting before him. He hoped that she would let him out soon; he needed to walk his dog.
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The mood of a work refers to its atmosphere, which affects readers' feelings and emotional responses towards the work.
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How is mood created or influenced in a text?
The setting of a story is when and where it takes place. If a story takes place on a sunny day in a meadow, it will have a different mood than a story that takes place in the middle of the night in a haunted house.
Word choice is also referred to as diction. How an author describes a character, place, or situation can affect how someone feels when reading through a text. Words with strong emotional connotations are likely to be used to set the mood of a work.
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The tone of a work is an author's attitude, or feelings, towards a topic or idea. Tone conveys the author's viewpoint on something.
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How do writers change their tone?
The words that authors use to describe a situation or idea can reveal their feelings on it. If an author has a positive opinion, more positive words will be used, and vice versa. The formality of the language used can also influence tone. A more formal tone may be used to discuss more serious topics.
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Voice is the style in which an author writes his or her work. It can show an author's personality and feelings about a topic. Voice can also be applied to characters in a story. A character's voice can refer to his or her personality and attitude.
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How can you recognize voice in a text?
What kind of language does the author use? Is it formal or informal? Does the author try to be funny? Or is he or she serious when writing? Recognizing the kinds of words that an author uses will give you insight into his or her personality and feelings.
How do characters interact with one another? Do they like or dislike each other. How does a character feel about a certain situation? How do characters choose to express themselves? Are they loud or quiet? Happy or sad?
All of these things can give readers insight into a character and his or her unique voice.
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Go to the next page to answer questions about an author's use of language.
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8th Grade Reading - Interpreting Figurative Language Lesson