Unit 8 Overview: Stylistic Choices

2 min read•january 18, 2023

ChristineLing

AP English Language ✍🏽

224 resources

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Introduction

Welcome to Unit 8! Here, we’ll discuss how stylistic writing choices affect how readers perceive your writing. From comparisons to sentence development (recall study guide 7.4!), you have a multitude of options when it comes to developing your writing.

By the end of this unit, you should have a better understanding of how stylistic choices influence reader perception, and be equipped with the tools to improve your own writing. Let’s look at a "table of contents" style overview of the unit before diving deeper.

8.1 Choosing comparisons based on an audience

Relevant skills

Identify the four kinds of comparisons that can be made in writing.

Know how to apply comparisons to advance the writer's purpose/argument.

Identify when a comparison is relevant and useful.

In this guide, we’ll look at how comparisons, such as similes and analogies, can be used to relate to the audience (i.e. the person reading your writing). How can you make sure that your comparisons are understandable, effective, and relevant?

8.2 Considering how sentence development and word choice affect how the writer is perceived by an audience

Relevant skills

Identify how sentence development affects audience perception of an argument.

Identify how word choice affects audience perception of an argument.

Know how to apply sentence development and diction in writing.

Next, we’ll think back to Unit 7 and consider how sentence development (syntax) and word choice (diction) affect the audience. Why are some sentence structures better than others? Does word choice affect my credibility as it appears to the reader? This guide will provide answers to questions such as these.

8.3 Considering how all choices made in an argument affect the audience

Relevant skills

Identify who your audience is.

Understand the importance of audience perception.

Adapt writing based on audience context.

After that, we’ll look into how and why the audience should play a role in your stylistic choices. For instance, you wouldn’t speak to an elementary school child the same way you speak to a college student.

8.4 Considering how style affects an argument

Relevant skills

Identify various types of writing styles.

Understand how writing style can be developed.

Know how to apply a particular writing style when relevant.

Lastly, you’ll learn about what writing style is, how you can develop specific styles through your choice of diction and syntax, and how you can change it depending on the context of your writing.