ELA 9 Holy Trinity High EMPHASISEMPHATIC DEVICES Rhetorical

ELA 9 – Holy Trinity High EMPHASISEMPHATIC DEVICES

Rhetorical Questions � Often used in the introduction, it is a question that is not meant to be answered. For example: � What is the meaning of life?

Purposeful Repetition � It is important that you study for your test. If you do not study, you will not get the marks you deserve. So not studying could cost you valuable marks.

Parallelism � Parallel structure in a sentence naturally emphasizes paired ideas or ideas listed in a series. Constructions that compare or contrast paired ideas naturally draw attention to the words that emphasize those pairs. � Examples: They resolved never to talk about each other but always to talk with each other. � These mountains to the west are beautiful, yet the mountains to the east are even more lovely. �

Text devices Italics � Gives light emphasis. Use for subtle stressing of words.

Text devices Boldface � Is clearly visible when you first look at the whole page. Can create tension as they read towards it. This can be useful if done deliberately.

Text devices Underline � More insistent. Works well for emphasis of a complete phrase. Some people only use italic and bold, in which case the difference will cause attention.

Text devices size � Bigger fonts stand out more and small fonts recede. But beware of reducing readability by mixing font sizes too much.

Text devices Punctuation! � In particular the exclamation mark, gives a strong emphasis. Use sparingly. Be very careful when using multiple marks!!! It can be interpreted as either enthusiasm or attempted manipulation.

Text devices UPPERCASE � Is the written equivalent of shouting. Avoid where possible, including use in headings.

Text devices Color � There are many colors you can use. Brighter colors and those towards the red end of the spectrum stand out more. Blues and dark colors are more subtle. A neat usage is in headings (which often include the key message).

Text devices COMBINATIONS � And you can combine any of the above, shouting in a deafening way.

A dash or colon has more emphatic force than a comma. � The employees were surprised by the decision, which was not to change company policy. � The employees were surprised by the decision—no change in company policy. � The employees were surprised by the decision: no change in company policy.

Sentence Fragments � A sentence fragment is a piece of information that is punctuated as a sentence, but lacks some of the characteristics of a complete sentence, such as being a complete thought. For example: � A story with deep thoughts and emotions. This begs the question, what about the story?

Sentence Brevity � Short sentences. For example: � He jumped. There was silence.