Connotation and Denotation
This term refers to the strict, literal dictionary definition of a word, without any attached feelings or emotions.
What is denotation?
"Her smile was as bright as the sun." This sentence uses this type of figurative language to compare two things using like or as.
What is a simile?
Imagery is descriptive language that appeals to these human capabilities.
What are the five senses? (Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch)
Read the opening line: "The siren blared, and the floor beneath Sam began to collapse." Name the narrative technique used here to immediately grab the reader's attention.
What is a hook?
Read the passage: "Leo saw a classmate drop his books in the hallway. Even though Leo was late for lunch, he stopped to help pick them up. The next week, when Leo dropped his art project, that same classmate rushed over to help him."
What is "Kindness given is kindness returned" or "Treating others well comes back to help you"?
Between the words cheap and thrifty, this is the word with the negative connotation.
What is cheap?
"The leaves danced across the lawn in the autumn breeze." Giving human qualities to non-human objects is known as this device.
What is personification?
"The bacon sizzled and popped violently in the hot skillet." This sensory image appeals primarily to this sense.
What is hearing (auditory)?
Read the passage: "As Maya held the shiny gold medal, the noise of the cheering crowd faded. Suddenly, she was ten years old again, running barefoot in the rain and listening to her grandfather tell her never to give up." Name the technique used to jump back in time.
What is a flashback?
Read the passage: "Sarah wanted to join the track team, but she finished last in every trial. Instead of quitting, she ran three miles every evening. By the end of the season, she won third place in the regional meet."
What is "Perseverance and hard work lead to success"?
The words house and home share the same dictionary definition (a dwelling place), but this word carries a warmer, more positive emotional connection.
What is home?
My backpack weighs a million pounds today!" This literary term describes an extreme exaggeration used for emphasis.
What is hyperbole?
"The sharp, bitter taste of lemon peel lingered on her tongue." This line appeals to this specific sense.
What is taste (gustatory)?
Read the passage: "Without being asked, Daniel stayed after class to sweep the floor, stacked all the heavy chairs, and handed the teacher her missing keys." Based on his actions, name one character trait that describes Daniel.
What is helpful, responsible, thoughtful, or considerate?
Read the passage: "Jonah took credit for Maya’s science project idea to win the contest. When the teacher asked Jonah detailed questions about how he built it, he couldn't answer any of them and felt deeply ashamed."
What is "Dishonesty leads to guilt and failure" or "Honesty is always better than taking credit for others' work"?
Identify whether the bolded word has a positive, neutral, or negative connotation in this sentence: "The curious student asked great questions after class."
What is positive (or neutral)?
"Time is a thief that steals our afternoon." This direct comparison states that one thing is another without using like or as.
What is a metaphor?
Identify the two distinct senses appealed to in this line: "The damp, freezing rain fell quietly on the dark, empty street."
What are touch (damp/freezing), sight (dark/empty), or hearing (quietly)?
Read the passage: "Gasp. Step. Heart pounding. Shadow looming. Run!" Identify how the author creates a fast pace in this action scene.
What is by using short, choppy sentences and fragmented phrases?
"The shiny, expensive new phone seemed like it would make Marcus happy, but after a week, it sat on his desk. What truly made his weekend great was laughing with his friends at the park."
What is "Material possessions don't bring true happiness" or "Relationships are more valuable than things"?
Rewrite the following sentence by changing the word gazed to a word with a creepy or negative connotation: "He gazed out the window at the park."
What is stared, glared, or leered.
"Peter Parker picked purple peppers." This sound device is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
What is alliteration?
This term describes sensory language that specifically appeals to a reader's sense of physical touch or temperature.
What is tactile imagery?
Read the passage: "Lila glared at the broken vase on the floor. 'I suppose the wind came inside and knocked it over all by itself,' she sneered, crossing her arms." Identify the character trait Lila shows through her dialogue and body language.
What is sarcastic (or dishonest/suspicious)?
Read the passage: "Everyone told Elena that moving to a new school would be terrible. She spent her first morning terrified to speak. But when she finally sat next to a classmate at lunch, she made a best friend who shared all her hobbies."
What is "Fear of the unknown can hold us back from good experiences" or "Don't judge a new situation before giving it a chance"?