Ms Teo's Treasure Cove

Using Rhetorical Devices

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Using Rhetorical Devices
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Crime and Its Penalties
Pace Action Fast

Strategies to better composition writing...

(1) Put life into characters

“Dare to race with me?” Ryan threw me a challenge.

“No sweat!” I replied as I hopped on my bicycle.

 

(2) Add sound effects

"Screech!...!"

"Crash!"

"Thud!"

"Snap!"

"Splash!"

"Sh…h…h…"

"Plop!"

"Phew!"

"Splat!"

"Ring!"

"Wow-wow!"

"Bang!

 

(3) Pace action fast

The woman picked herself up in a flash and flew to her child. She scooped the little girl up, twirled around and strode towards me menacingly.

 

He ran across the chicken yard, jumped over the fence and dashed towards his sister.

 

(4) Create suspense

a) Use of one-liner paragraphs:

I checked the boys’ toilet.

No sign of him.

I checked the other classrooms.

Not a trace.

I checked the foyer.

No.

I checked the printing room.

SUCCESS!

I found him!

 

b) Use of repeated sentence structures

A hundred metres. I leapt but missed again. I scraped my chin. Fifty metres. Again I missed. A grazed elbow was added to the list of injuries I had sustained. Twenty metres. I leapt. Success!

 

(5) Use of said substitutes

added

grumbled

roared

begged

muttered

scolded

called out

pleaded

shouted

chorused

protested

thundered

cried

repeated

urged

exclaimed

related

whispered

grunted

replied

yelled

jeered

cheered

hollered

bellowed

groaned

growled

barked

quoted

gloated

 

(6) Use of extensions to said

… said hastily.

… said suddenly.

… said excitedly.

… said dejectedly.

… said with a frown.

… said sarcastically.

… said the cunning shopkeeper.

… said Ben, thumping Muthu’s back.

… said Ken, his mouth watering at the thought.

 

(7) Use of BLOCK letters and exclamation marks

“CRASH!”

“BANG!”

BOOM!”

“THUD!”

“OUCH!”

“GO!”

“STOP!”

RUN!”

“WATCH OUT!”

“HELP!”

“YES!”

“NO!”

“QUICK!”

 

(8) Use of BLOCK letters only

ALONE.

DEAD…

GONE.

NOTHING!

ALL ALONE!

 

(9) Use of question marks and exclamation marks

“Really?!”

“Is that so?!”

“What?!”

“You mean?!”

“Oh?!”

(injects suspicion and/or sarcasm)

 

(10) Use of dots in threes

I recalled … … … .

“Oh…,”

“H…e…l…p,”

“I …can’t …go… any… … further…”

“Z… z… z… z…”