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Figures of Speech: 40 Ways to Improve your Writing Posted: 30 Apr 2021 03:16 PM PDT View the full-size version of this infographic. Figures of Speech: 40 Ways to Improve your Writing View the high resolution of this infographic by clicking here. Figurative speech plays an important role in our ability to communicate with one another. It helps create compelling narratives, and evoke emotion in readers. With this in mind, this periodic table graphic by Visual Communication Guy groups the 40 different figures of speech into two distinct categories—schemes and tropes. What’s the difference between the two, and how can they help improve your writing? Types of Schemes In linguistics, a scheme is language that plays with sentence structure to make a sentence smoother, or even more persuasive, using syntax, word order, or sounds. Here are four different ways that schemes fiddle with sentence structure. Balance This is especially important when trying to make a sentence smoother. A good example of balance is parallelism, which is when you use the same grammatical form in at least two parts of a sentence. Not parallelism: "She likes reading, writing, and to paint on the weekends." Parallelism: "She likes reading, writing, and painting on the weekends." Word Order Changing the position of words can have an impact on the way a sentence is understood. For instance, anastrophe is the deliberate reordering of words in a sentence to either emphasize a certain point, or distinguish a character as different. An example of anastrophe: "The greatest teacher, failure is." -Yoda Omission and/or Inclusion Omissions and inclusions are useful in order to build suspense or add emotional expression to text. For example, an ellipsis is a form of punctuation that uses three dots (…) to either replace a word in a sentence or indicate a break in speech or an incomplete thought. Example of an ellipsis: "I was thinking of calling her Susie. Well, at least I was until…never mind. Forget I said anything." Repetition Similar to the other types of schemes, repetition allows you to emphasize a certain point you want the reader to pay attention to, but it's also used to create rhymes and poetry. A well-known literary device, alliteration uses the same consonant sound at the start of each word in a sentence. It doesn't necessarily have to be the same letter, so long as the sound is the same. A popular example is this nursery rhyme: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." Another example: Phillip's feet. (different letter, but same sound) Types of Tropes While schemes play around with the mechanics of a sentence, tropes stray from the literal or typical meanings to evoke emotion, and keep a reader engaged and interested. Tropes help create an alternative sense of reality, using these five strategies. Reference These are literary devices that help paint a deeper picture of a concept, using a reference to something related, but different. Metaphors and similes are common examples of references, but a lesser-known type of reference is a synecdoche, which is when a small part of something is used in reference to the thing as a whole. An example of a synecdoche: "Check out my new wheels." (where wheels refer to a car) Wordplay & Puns This type of literary device plays with sounds or meaning to add depth to a sentence. For instance, a syllepsis uses one word to create parallels between two separate thoughts, while an onomatopoeia is a figure of speech that uses words (either real or made-up) or even letters to describe a sound. An example of a syllepsis: "When I address Fred I never have to raise either my voice or my hopes." – E.B. White An example of an onomatopoeia: "Ding-dong" (the sound of a doorbell) Substitutions This is when someone replaces a word or thought with something else. For instance, anthimeria is the use of a word in a grammatical form it's not generally used in, while periphrasis is when someone intentionally elaborates on a point, instead of expressing it succinctly. An anthimeria: "I could use a good sleep." (Sleep is normally a verb, but here it's used as a noun) Example of a periphrasis: Instead of saying, "It's cold outside." you say, "The temperature of the atmosphere when I exited my home this morning was quite chilly and exceptionally uncomfortable." Overstatement and/or Understatement These are intentionally exaggerated, or downplayed situations that aren't meant to be taken literally. A hyperbole is an example of an overstatement, while litotes are the opposite—deliberate understatements. An example of a hyperbole: I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse. While a litotes looks like this: It's not rocket science. Inversions This type of literary technique uses contradictory ideas and indirect questions for dramatic effect, or to emphasize a point. For instance, an oxymoron is when two contradictory words are used back-to-back. An example of an oxymoron: Act natural Using Figures of Speech to Craft Content First, let's just address it…Yes, I did use alliteration in the above header, and yes, now I'm using an ellipsis in this sentence. Because let's face it—in the age of information overload, writing articles that are interesting and compelling to readers is a top priority for online content creators. And using figurative language is a good way to keep readers attention. So, if you're a content creator yourself (or simply looking to beef up your knowledge on linguistics), hopefully this graphic has helped you on that journey. Get your mind blown on a daily basis: Thank you! Given email address is already subscribed, thank you! Please provide a valid email address. Please complete the CAPTCHA. Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. The post Figures of Speech: 40 Ways to Improve your Writing appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

How Accountable Teams Drive Performance in Challenging Times Posted: 30 Apr 2021 12:34 PM PDT The future of work is changing, and new rules are being written before our very eyes. Teams are more important now than ever before, but many of them are struggling to step up and drive high performance when it matters most. Creating a Culture of Accountability Today's infographic from the bestselling author Dr. Vince Molinaro demonstrates how leaders can create an environment where truly accountable teams can flourish, and employees are inspired to do their best work. >> Download Dr.Vince Molinaro's How to Build an Accountable Team Accountable Leaders Build Accountable Teams Weak, mediocre teams demonstrate behaviors that can breed a toxic work environment, such as working in isolation or not demonstrating trust among other team members. In order to combat mediocre teams, leaders must create a culture of accountability in their organization where individuals can step up and be accountable. "No group ever becomes a team until they can hold themselves accountable as a team." —The Discipline of Teams, Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith When teams take full responsibility for their actions, they manage most issues themselves rather than looking to leadership to solve problems. Overall, accountable teams demonstrate two critical dimensions: team clarity and team commitment. 1. Team Clarity Accountable teams should have full clarity about the business they operate in by having the ability to: Anticipate external trends both in and outside of their industry. Have clarity on the strategy and purpose of their organization. Understand the expectations of their stakeholders and the interdependencies that exist with other parts of the company. Know what needs to get done and how it needs to be done. 2. Team Commitment Accountable teams also demonstrate a high degree of commitment needed to deliver results. They do so in the following ways: Have a deep sense of commitment to driving success. Invest time in working across the organization. Work to make their team as strong as it can be. Show a deep commitment to one another. As a leader, these two dimensions are invaluable as a way of thinking about driving mutual accountability and sustaining high performance for their organization over the long-term. Accountable Teams Drive Extraordinary Performance Leaders who invest in leveling up their team and promote a culture of accountability can experience transformational benefits, such as: Everyone is clear and aligned on what needs to get done. Each team member is accountable, pulls their weight, and goes to great lengths to support one another. Everyone feels safe challenging one another and confronting issues head-on without fear. Team members leverage the unique capabilities of others. Everyone works hard but also manages to have fun and celebrate success. These benefits translate to strong results within organizations. In fact, research shows that high- performing companies have more accountable teams compared to average or poorly performing companies. The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts Whether it's an executive team, a departmental team, a cross-functional team, or even a team made up of external partners, organizations have become increasingly reliant on teams to achieve success and guide them through uncertainty. Given the importance of teams in today’s ever-changing world, it is clear we need to increase our efforts when it comes to building truly accountable teams. As a leader, you are being counted on to demonstrate accountability and create high-performing teams. Are you stepping up? Get your mind blown on a daily basis: Thank you! Given email address is already subscribed, thank you! Please provide a valid email address. Please complete the CAPTCHA. Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later. The post How Accountable Teams Drive Performance in Challenging Times appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

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