Close Reading Skills Word Choice Analysis Questions Ask
- Slides: 8
Close Reading Skills Word Choice
Analysis Questions � Ask you to identify and analyse features of the writer’s style. � This may be word choice, sentence structure, tone, imagery or more. � If your asked to comment on a writer’s use of language or style, this is what you are being asked to discuss.
Word choice � Identify and highlight effective word choice � Quote the word(s) � Discuss their connotations � Explain how these connotations help convey the writer’s point.
Question Categories � Understanding � Analysis � Evaluation (In your own words)
Denotation � This is a word’s meaning. � This is not what you should comment on.
Connotation � This is a word or phrase’s associations. � These are what you should focus on. � ‘Pre-natal mortality’ and ‘baby deaths’ have the same meaning or denotation. � However, the first has very medical, scientific connotations, suggesting categorisation and a lack of emotion. � The latter has more emotive connotations.
Add to the table � Posse (p 1) � Ambling (p 1) � Looting (p 2) � Trashed (p 3) � Bray (p 4) � Slaughter (p 5) � Glee (p 6)
Exemplar � ‘Posse’ has negative connotations, suggesting an aggressive and perhaps unlawful group. This conveys the sense that the writer believes that the police have often acted in a manner more akin to criminals.
