Vocabulary
What is a nuance?
A small difference in meaning between words.
A story about a family celebrating a birthday most likely has what tone?
Happy, cheerful, or joyful.
Which word creates a stronger image?
A. Walked
B. Marched
Marched.
What connotation does the word glared have?
Anger, annoyance, or disapproval.
Replace the word happy with a stronger word.
Delighted, thrilled, joyful, overjoyed, ecstatic.
What is a denotation?
A word's dictionary definition.
If readers feel nervous while reading a story, what is the mood?
Suspenseful, tense, or uneasy.
Which word sounds more mysterious?
A. House
B. Mansion
B. Mansion
What feeling does the word sparkled suggest?
Beauty, happiness, excitement, or wonder.
Replace walked with a word that shows someone is scared.
Crept, tiptoed, shuffled, inched.
What is a connotation?
The feelings or ideas connected to a word.
"The thunder cracked as lightning split the sky."
What tone does this sentence create?
Serious, dramatic, suspenseful, or ominous.
Which sentence creates more suspense?
A. She looked around.
B. She cautiously glanced over her shoulder.
B. She cautiously glanced over her shoulder.
Which word best replaces said to show excitement?
Shouted, exclaimed, or cheered.
Which word creates the happiest mood?
A. Smiled
B. Grinned
C. Beamed
Beamed.
What is tone?
The author's attitude toward the subject or audience.
"The puppy bounced across the yard chasing butterflies."
What mood does this create?
Happy, playful, cheerful, or lighthearted.
Which verb is the strongest?
A. Said
B. Whispered
C. Mumbled
Whispered (or Mumbled if students justify it based on context). Accept either with reasoning.
Which word has the strongest negative connotation?
A. Smell
B. Odor
C. Stench
Stench.
Read this sentence:
"The old bridge groaned as the wind howled through the trees."
Name one word with a strong connotation.
Groaned or howled.
What is mood?
The feeling the reader experiences while reading.
Can two readers experience slightly different moods while reading the same passage?
Yes, because readers may react differently, even though the author's tone stays the same.
Which adjective creates the strongest image?
A. Big
B. Huge
C. Gigantic
Answer:
Gigantic.
What does the word loomed suggest?
Something large, threatening, or intimidating.
Rewrite this sentence to make it more suspenseful:
"The man walked into the building."
Possible Answer:
"The man cautiously crept into the dark, silent building."
(Any revision using stronger word choice that creates suspense earns full credit.)