In a speech on college life, Jerome wants to distinguish his presentation with distinctive language. Name the three techniques that Jerome can use to increase the distinctiveness of his speech and give an example of each. (Examples will vary.)

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Sample student response:

Appeal to the senses—using language that appeals to sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch are included.
Example: "Walking into the cafeteria after a long day of classes, I sniffed the pungent smell of garlic and onions, which reminded me of my grandma's homemade spaghetti sauce." (smell)

Embellish language—Similes, metaphors, personification, oxymorons, and rhetorical questions are common techniques, or tropes to enhance ordinary words.
Example: "On New Year's Eve at Times Square, I was drowning in a sea of humanity." (metaphor)

Use speech devices—The technique of manipulating word order, also called schemes, can help you create distinctive language. Some common speech devices are: repetition, assonance, alliteration, and parallelism.
Example: "If there's one bit of advice for class work, it would be study, study, study. There's no substitute for studying to achieve success in the classroom." (repetition)