Conover--Connotations

Word Choice:

Positive and Negative Connotations

Thinking Job: "How does that word make me feel?"

Multiple Choice

I recognized the familiar smell of my roommate's cooking. If you change the word smell to stench, the word now has a ____________ connotation.

• positive
• negative

Multiple Select

Which sentence has a MORE positive connotation?

• The baby was fussy because she didn't like peaches.

• The child was choosy because she knew what she wanted.

Multiple Choice

The patient sounded like he was hacking up a lung. 
What is the onomatopoeia?

• lung
• hacking
• patient

Multiple Choice

The dog yipped like a parrot, snored like a human, and whined like a middle schooler. What words are onomatopoeia?

• parrot, snored, schooler

• yipped, snored, middle

• dog, whined, snored

• yipped, whined, snored

Multiple Select

Which connotation is MORE positive?

The man was very ___________ when he took off his shirt to go in the water.

• skinny

• slender

Multiple Choice

The stars were cold rocks glaring down upon our shoulders. The language in this sentence creates a sense of ___

• urgency

• ridiculousness

• determination

• blame

Multiple Choice

The volcano erupted with a fiery bang sending ash and lava into the sky. Which shows the connotative meaning of erupted?

• to eject lava

• to become active

• to make a sound

• to explode

Multiple Select

Which word works BEST in this sentence:

The 8th graders seemed very ____________ when they started throwing paper around the room and making animal sounds during the presentation.

• childlike

• childish

Multiple Choice

Mrs. Peace's eyes welled up with an ocean of feeling when all of her students passed the Reading SOL. What type of figurative language is in this sentence?

• simile

• metaphor

• personification

• hyperbole

Multiple Choice

The teacher futilely asked the students to be quiet as she reviewed. The students simply would not listen. Which of the following is a synonym for futilely?

• patiently

• carefully

• forcefully

• unsuccessfully

Multiple Select

Which word has the more POSITIVE connotation?

• cheap

• inexpensive

Multiple Choice

The teacher seemed to materialize out of thin air when the girls were about to fight. Had they seen her, they may have walked away and avoided a referral. Which of the following is an antonym for materialize?

• appear

• approach

• shrink

• vanish

Multiple Choice

The school dispatched a team to pick up Gerhana. Which word has a connotation more negative than dispatched?

• sent

• directed

• forced

Multiple Choice

Gerhana is now a thriving 2 year old with a voracious appetite. What is a more negative connotation for the word voracious?

• hungry

• piggish

• revenous

Multiple Select

Which use of the word BARKED could be considered a NEUTRAL connotation (neither positive or negative)?

• The dog BARKED when the jogger trotted by the house.

• My boss BARKED at me when I showed up late and forgot to clean the counter.

Multiple Choice

Gerhana lay in the dirt-- sick, starving, and alone. Death was closing in. The personification in the sentences create a tone of --

• desperation

• hope

• anxiety

Multiple Choice

Which sentence has a more NEGATIVE connotation?

• The company cut over 100 positions in order to save money.

• The company removed over 100 positions in order to save money.

Multiple Select

Which sentence has a MORE positive connotation?

• Jimmy could not stand the stench of the Yankee Candle his mother constantly burned during autumn.

• The scent of the candle pleased all who could smell its pleasant aroma.

Multiple Select

Which has the MORE negative connotation?

• lazy

• inactive

Multiple Choice

A moon-sized meteor strikes the Earth, leaving in its wake dust, debris and fire. What is the best way to describe this cataclysmic event?

• Earth has major ISSUES

• We seem to have a PROBLEM on Earth, folks

• This is a DISASTER of epic proportion

• There's a SITUATION on the planet

Multiple Choice

A word’s denotation is its dictionary definition. But a word can also evoke certain thoughts and feelings. The thoughts and feelings associated with a certain word are called the connotation of the word. Words with the same denotation can have different connotations. Connotations can be positive, negative or neutral.
Which of the following has a positive connotation?

• A strong reek 
• A strong aroma 

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has a negative connotation?

• A bold plan
• A reckless plan

Multiple Select

Q: Which connotation is MORE positive?

The students were _______ when the substitute was in class.

• chatty

• talkative

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has a positive connotation?

• Spoke with arrogance 
• Spoke with confidence 

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has a positive connotation? 

• Squandered his time 
• Invested his time 

Multiple Select

Which product would you rather buy?

• something out-of-date

• an antique

• something old

• a discontinued item

Multiple Choice

Choose the word that has a positive connotation to complete the sentence.
"Well," said Curtis with an embarrassed smile, "I'm looking for _________ car."

• an inexpensive
• a cheaper
• a more economical