The Meanings of Words Denotation and Connotation Denotation

The Meanings of Words Denotation and Connotation

Denotation The strict dictionary meaning of a word

Connotation The emotional and imaginative association surrounding a word

Purpose of Words To label things I live in a house.

Purpose of Words To express a point of view You may live in a house, but we live in a home.

Point of View b. Positive We bought inexpensive souvenirs at the amusement park. b. Negative We bought cheap souvenirs at the amusement park.

Point of View: Positive b Everyone had a (smile, smirk) on his/her face on the ride home. b Everyone had a smile on his/her face on the way home.

Point of View: Negative I ate a (soggy, moist) sandwich. I ate a soggy sandwich

Positive? You Decide! average mediocre childish childlike spit saliva antique old-fashioned

Context Clues Words or phrases that help the reader understand a difficult word

Using Context Clues b The parrot was able to (mimic, mock) human voices. b The parrot was able to mimic human voices.

Context Clues: You Decide! 1. The (odor, fragrance) of apple blossoms filled the entire valley. 2. A (swarm, bunch) of bees filled the air near the hive. 3. Tammy (delayed, hesitated) for a moment, then went on speaking.

Let’s Play. . . Word Jeopardy

Word Jeopardy Positive Viewpoint Negative Viewpoint Context Clues 100 100 200 200 300 300

Positive Viewpoint b immature b youthful b Back to Game

Positive Viewpoint b limit b restrict b Back to Game

Positive Viewpoint b filthy b dirty b Back to Game

Negative Viewpoint b stingy b thrifty b Back to Game

Negative Viewpoint b cluttered b messy b Back to Game

Negative Viewpoint b unusual b weird b Back to Game

Context Clues After the big test, Rich felt relaxed and ( carefree, irresponsible ). b Back to Game

Context Clues The empty streets looked lonely and ( deserted, barren ). b Back to Game

Context Clues The employees tried to ( haggle, bargain ) with their employer over pay raises. b Back to Game

Well Done!

Connotation Practice Assignment There are 24 adjectives. Each adjective has a similar meaning to another adjective. Write the pair on the same line, but be sure to write the positive connotation and the negative connotation under the correct column. Use a dictionary if you don’t know the meaning of a word. POSITIVE NEGATIVE Stylish Faddish