Question

Which of the following offers the best example of formal diction?

"… If you will but let me go free for one short hour this night."

"A remarkable nose, if I may say so, a most remarkable nose."

"I am as a dead man, without value to the Government, to Your Excellency, …"

"…And you shall come at length to the directorship of all the prisons of Cho-sen."

Answer 1

So what part of the question are you having trouble with?

Answer 2

They all seem kinda like formal diction to me except the first one. @e.mccormick

Answer 3

Yah, the first seems more archaic.

Answer 4

I know what formal diction is but I cant seem to break it down to one answer. Do you have any idea what it might be?

Answer 5

"A remarkable nose, if I may say so, a most remarkable nose." Seems to be a person talking about wine, which would be some sort of formal situation, but why would the line be more formal?

"I am as a dead man, without value to the Government, to Your Excellency, …" And here, what do you see as being formal?

"…And you shall come at length to the directorship of all the prisons of Cho-sen." And here?

The goal being this: Find which has more formal attributes.

Answer 6

So the second choice? about the nose? that's what I think it is

Answer 7

I'm asking why do you think each of these is formal.

Answer 8

Well my teacher says you would use formal diction when youre talking to an elder or at a job interview. The type of writing is more sophisticated and proper. And they all seem that way.

Answer 9

It is more than that. The word use is certainly more sophisticated, but there is also the things like titles and tone. "My dear sir," or "To the exhaled officer of the court..." both are formal, but one is more formal than the other.

Answer 10

So the last one?

Answer 11

I am also on a bit of a toss up. I like the last two better than the first two. The first we agree is just archaic. The last three use a formal tone, but the second just seems to be in a formal situation and not really formal language.

Answer 12

In the last two, it does sound like a subordinate speaking formally to someone above them.

Answer 13

Yes I am also pretty confused on which one best represents it. I like the last one better because the 3rd one kinda mixes the words arounds kinda like poetry

Answer 14

A couple references might help:

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-formal-diction.htm
http://english.byu.edu/writingcenter/handouts/Style/diction.htm

Answer 15

It says its raely used for conversations. could it be the 3rd one then?

Answer 16

That helps eliminate two. But 3 and 4 are both things that could be in a letter... which is what makes it hard for me to pick one as more formal than the other.

Answer 17

hmmm.

Answer 18

Huh... turns out they are all quotes from the same thing!
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/cgi-bin/version_printable.pl?story_id=NosKin.shtml

Answer 19

oh funny! if only I knew which one was the right answer lol

Answer 20

Well, it gibes more context.

Answer 21

true. which answer should o go for?

Answer 22

Well, the nose part is him talking to a jailer.

Answer 23

In fact, most of those are. Only one is not. Hmmm....

Answer 24

yeah I don't know why this one is so difficult..

Answer 25

Personally, I would go with the one line that is not him talking to a jailer.

Answer 26

Which one is that?

Answer 27

It is in the first 12 paragraphs... heck, within the first 6 or so you see all but one of them!

Answer 28

I saw everyone as a conversation...?

Answer 29

oh wait, is it the dead man one?

Answer 30

Yah, because there is is talking to the Gov. and being more obsequious.

Answer 31

Okay thank you!

Answer 32

Whoever looks at this question, please note that "I am as a dead man, without value to the Government, to Your Excellency, …" is NOT THE ANSWER. I suggest doing this question on your own, so you won't get caught cheating.

Answer 33

A lot of these questions also rely on people using the references from their class, which I don't have access to. Makes it hard to help at times.