RL.9-10.4 / RI.9-10.4

Determine the meaning of words & phrases as they are used in a text.

Analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning & tone.

RL.9-10.4 / RI.9-10.4

Figurative Language

• language that is used imaginatively rather than literally

  • idioms, personification, pun, imagery

• figures of speech that make unexpected comparisons

  • similes, metaphors

• can evoke a clear sense of time and place

• can convey a writer's TONE, the author's overall attitude or feeling toward the subject of a literary work

Connotation + -/

• the positive or negative feelings associated with a word

• Some words share similar dictionary definitions (DENOTATIONS) but have different emotional impacts (CONNOTATIONS)

• Understanding connotations helps readers figure out how a writer feels about a person, a place, or an idea (TONE).

Technical Terms

• words that have a special meaning in a particular field of study

• Informational texts often include words with technical meanings.

Tone

• the overall attitude, or feeling, that a writer expresses about a subject

• formal/informal; serious/playful; admiring/harsh

TIP:

To determine the MEANING and TONE of a text, readers have to analyze the words and phrases the author uses, paying special attention to FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE and CONNOTATION.

TIP: Synonyms as Context Clues

SYNONYMS are words with the same, or nearly the same, meaning.

• When you encounter unfamiliar words, you can use synonyms as context clues to help determine the words' meanings.

EXAMPLE:

Widespread adoption of personal computers and laptops has helped make Internet connectivity in the United States ubiquitous.

• Here, the synonym widespread can help you figure out that ubiquitous means frequently encountered or found everywhere.

TIP: Antonyms as Context Clues

ANTONYMS are words with the opposite, or nearly the opposite, meaning.

• When you encounter unfamiliar words, you can use antonyms as context clues to help determine the words' meanings.

EXAMPLE:

Although the bank's employees thought that the currency looked real, the federal investigator easily determined that the bills were counterfeit.

• Here the antonym real can help readers figure out that counterfeit means fake or forged.

Multiple Choice

"the negative or positive feelings associated with a word" is ...

• connotation

• denotation

• figurative language

• tone

• technical term

Multiple Choice

"the author's overall attitude, or feeling, toward the subject of a literary work" is ...

• connotation

• denotation

• figurative language

• tone

• technical term

Multiple Choice

a word with the same, or nearly the same, meaning as another word

• connotation

• denotation

• figurative language

• synonym

• tone

Multiple Choice

"the literal meaning of a word; its dictionary definition" is ...

• connotation

• denotation

• figurative language

• tone

• technical term

Multiple Choice

"language that is not meant to be taken literally" is ...

• connotation

• denotation

• figurative language

• tone

• technical term

Multiple Choice

a word with the opposite, or nearly the opposite, meaning as another word

• connotation

• denotation

• antonym

• tone

• figurative language

Multiple Choice

"a word that has a specialized meaning in a particular career or field of study" is ...

• connotation

• denotation

• figurative language

• tone

• technical term

Apply this standard while you read.

• I can understand CONNOTATIONS and FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.

• I can analyze an author's word choice to determine MEANING and TONE.

Understanding Connotations and Figurative Language

RL.9-10.4

Analyzing Word Choices: Meaning & Tone

RL.9-10.4

Analyzing Word Choice

RI.9-10.4

Understanding Connotations, Figurative Language, & Technical Terms

RI.9-10.4