As a teacher, I found the chapter on style to be informative; although, I almost felt as if I was preparing to take the English Praxis exam for a second time with all of those terms. I definitely learned a lot about the history of sentence structure. For instance, I did not know where the period and various punctuation originated.

When I first read the title of the chapter, I could not help but think about teaching style in writing. I also teach style in speaking, especially in speech class. The way that the speaker addresses the audience should obviously vary depending on the topic and background knowledge of the those listening. Unfortunately, we are living in a world where testing is overtaking education. However, one positive area of the writing portion of the PSSA is that style is one of the domains that is scored. Style is important in writing and is often the most difficult area to teach and successfully accomplish. When I grade an essay, style is often the lowest grade on the rubric because I do feel that style is an area that can always be improved. According to the PSSA Narrative Scoring Guidelines, which can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website, there are various areas that attribute to style. In order to receive the top score in style, the rubric is defined as, “precise control of language, literary devices, and sentence structures that creates a consistent and effective point of view and tone.” All of these areas are addressed within the chapter on style.

Another section that I found to be valuable, was the section on repetition. The authors discuss how we are often taught not to repeat ourselves, but that it sometimes is an effective way to make a point. I agree with the authors to a certain extent. An established writer may use repetition successfully; however, many people simply sound as if they are repeating themselves. I teach students to avoid repetition but provide key words and phrases that support the thesis. Then, restate the thesis at the beginning of the concluding paragraph to draw the audience back to the originally stated argument.

Figurative language is introduced in elementary schools as figurative language. However, children are exposed to figurative language and tropes at a much earlier age, through nursery rhymes and books. I have mixed feelings about figurative language. I definitely think that it makes writing more interesting and can be quite witty and fun. But, outside of school, when are people asked to find the hyperbole in a sentence? Shakespeare uses a lot of figurative language in his writing, which often confuses people as well. Not only do they have to decipher the Elizabethean language, but they have to realize that he may not mean exactly what is written.

Overall, this blog was somewhat all over the place because there were multiple areas that I wanted to comment on. I am interested to see what we do with this chapter tonight. See you then.