Microsoft Word Seminars on stylistics

Particular Ways of Combining Parts of the Utterance 
 
The arrangement of sentence members, the completeness of sentence 
structure necessarily involve various 
types of connection 
used within the sentence 
or between sentences. Repeated use of conjunctions is called 
polysyndeton; 
deliberate omission of them is, correspondingly, named 
asyndeton. 
Both 
polysyndeton and asyndeton have a strong rhythmic impact.
These two types of connection are more characteristic of the author's speech. 
 
Asyndeton 
 
e. g.: 
She watched them go; she said nothing; it was not to begin then. 
e.g.:
I insist: it will give me the greatest pleasure, I assure you. My car is in 
the stable: I can get it round in five minutes. (B. Shaw) 
 
Stylistic functions of asyndeton
 
 
to cut off connecting words 
to create the effect of terse, energetic, 
active prose. 
 Asyndeton 
The connection of sentences, phrases or 
words without any conjunctions

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Task 1. Define the stylistic devise of asyndeton in the following 
sentences: 
 
1.
The pulsating motion of Malay Camp at night was everywhere. People 
sang. People cried. People fought. People loved. People hated. Others were sad. 
Others gay. Others with friends. Others lonely. Some died. Some were born. (P. 
Abrahams) 
2.
He yawned, went out to look at the thermometer, slammed the door, patted 
her head, unbuttoned his waistcoat, yawned, wound the clock, went to look at the 
furnace, yawned, and clumped upstairs to bed, casually scratching his thick 
woolen undershirt. (S. Lewis) 
3.
Through his brain, slowly, sifted the things they had done together. 
Walking together. Dancing together. Sitting silent together. Watching people 
together. (P. Abrahams) 
4.
With these hurried words, Mr. Bob Sawyer pushed the postboy on one 
side, jerked his friend into the vehicle, slammed the door, put up the steps, 
wafered the bill on the street-door, locked it, put the key in his pocket, jumped 
into the dickey, gave the word for starting… (Dickens)