Connotation
Which of the following words has a more positive connotation?
Limit Restrict
Limit
Ginny was a nosy child. She wanted to know about everything that happened in the little town of Darington.
What is the dictionary meaning of nosy in the sentence above?
A. Interesting, unusual
B. Intelligent, smart
C. Similar, identical
D. Curious, inquisitive
D. Curious, inquisitive
When students walked into their history class yesterday, they were shocked to find Mr. Worthington dressed like President Washington. The students were baffled at why their social studies teacher had dressed up in old clothes.
In the context of this sentence, what is the denotation of the word baffled?
A.) Amused
B.) Confused
C.) Embarrassed
D.) Shocked
B. Confused
Scattered across the room was a downpour of paper that seemed to grow larger every day. Stella couldn't take it any longer. She was drowning in homework and projects. Life as a student at Englewood Middle School definitely required willpower that she seemed to no longer have. Stella stared at the papers until they blurred together to make a larger mound; she gasped in fear. After a while, with trembling hands, she lifted a sheet from the very top of the stack. The entire heap of papers collapsed on top of her.
In the context of the story, what does the word drowning connote?
A. Completely overrun
B. Poorly organized
C. Emotionally sad
D. Drenched in sweat
A. Completely overrun
I need to construct a new house. It might take a while to build. Construct means:
to build
Identify which word has a more negative connotation.
Slender Gaunt
Gaunt
Mark was sick of receiving a dozen annoying emails with jokes from Sally every day. He dashed off a sloppy reply letting her know that he wasn't allowed to receive silly emails at school.
What is the dictionary meaning of the phrase dashed off?
A. Hurriedly wrote
B. Effortlessly executed
C. Casually finished
D. Thoughtfully completed
A. Hurriedly wrote
Define the word denotation.
A.) The strict dictionary meaning of a word.
B.) The origins of a word.
C.) The emotional and imaginative association surrounding a word.
D.) The way to pronounce a word.
A. The strict dictionary meaning of the word
When Brady James walked out of school on Friday, he knew he had two days free from teachers and bells, he knew his English teacher was going to be crazy about the amazing paper he'd just turned in, and he knew he only had to wait a few hours for his birthday party. Yes, Brady James was tickled.
He saw his mother's car in the parking lot and ran over. He jumped in the passenger seat and slammed the door, singing a little tune as he fastened his seat belt and threw his book bag into the back seat. "Hey there, birthday boy," his mom said. "Don't you look pleased?"
"Oh, Mom, my party is so close, I can barely sit still. I am so pumped!"
"Well," his mom said, "we're going to go watch your little sister in her piano recital first, you know. Then we have to go pick up the ice cream, get some drinks, pick up your brother after football practice, and clean up the living room before we even begin to get ready for that party. Better save some of that energy for later!"
What does the word crazy most likely connote as it is used in the first sentence of the story?
A. Impressed
B. Bored
C. Tired
D. Insane
A. Impressed
There is a big contrast between me and my sister. We are very different.
Contrast means:
Different
Identify the word that has the more positive connotation.
Immature Youthful
Youthful
Buster was a puny dog. He could not even scare the cat that lived next door.
What is the dictionary meaning of the word puny in the sentence above?
A. Noisy or loud
B. Large in actions or words
C. Undersized or small
D. Heavy or overweight
C. Undersized or small
Define the word connotation.
A.) The point of view for a word.
B.) The strict dictionary meaning of a word.
C.) The way that you spell a word.
D.) The emotional and imaginative association surrounding a word.
D. The emotional and imaginative association surrounding a word
The Harrison boys were very boisterous. Their mother could not keep them in the house for five minutes. The whole neighborhood knew when those boys were outside playing cowboys or wrestling.
What does the use of the word boisterous suggest about the Harrison boys?
A. They are happily calm.
B. They are quietly boring.
C. They are boldly smart.
D. They are happily noisy.
D. They were happily noisy
Love of the Patriots is very prevalent in New England. Everyone roots for them.
Prevalent means:
Widespread
Select which word has a more negative connotation.
Unusual Weird
Weird
How many denotations can one word have?
One.
In questions relating to denotation, which of the following words might you see and focus on?
A.) Connote
B.) Action word
C.) Denote
D.) Residence
C. Denote
Penelope McCampbell did not really get along with many students at school. In fact, she did not get along with anyone, but that did not stop her from bothering people. She was a gnat that was always in the way. The kids in her class avoided her as best as they could. They would scramble out of Penelope McCampbell's path when she walked down the hall.
In the context of the story, what does the word gnat connote?
A. Penelope McCampbell is an interesting person.
B. Penelope McCampbell is a very small person.
C. Penelope McCampbell is an annoying person.
D. Penelope McCampbell is a productive person.
C. Penelope McCampbell is an annoying person
I like to have clean, precise lines. If they're messy at all, I have to re-draw.
Precise means:
Neat and exact
Identify which of the following two words has a more negative connotation.
Stingy Thrifty
Stingy
Denotation is
The dictionary definition of a word
The employees tried to (haggle, bargain ) with their employer over pay raises.
To determine which word best fits in this sentence, you could use which strategy below?
A.) Use context clues.
B.) Use graphic organizers.
C.) Use a dictionary.
D.) Use a thesaurus.
A. Use context clues
There was no turning back now. Steven had said what he had said, and it was out there now. He could see the tears well up in Valerie's eyes once she had felt the full impact of his words. They were cruel but honest. However, Steven was still surprised by Valerie's reaction. She was never this delicate. She was typically a very tough person; nothing ever bothered her. Valerie choked back some of her tears and stared directly into Steven's eyes. Valerie's eyes were fiery, and now, Steven was aware he was in trouble.
What does the word delicate connote as it is used in the story?
A. Graceful
B. Flimsy
C. Detailed
D. Sensitive
D. Sensitive
I abhor the Patriots! When they won the Superbowl, I was so angry because I dislike them so much!
Abhor means:
To hate or strongly dislike