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Connotations, Irony, and other terms

Total questions: 14

Worksheet time: 12mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which word for convince has a negative connotation?

a)

brainwash

b)

persuade

c)

influence

d)

disagree

2.

Which synonym for beam has a negative connotation?

a)

smile

b)

smirk

c)

frown

d)

grin

3.

Which synonym for bossy has a positive connotation?

a)

pushy

b)

weak-willed

c)

assertive

d)

domineering

4.

Which word with a negative connotation means the same thing as prone to questioning?

a)

nosy

b)

curious

c)

uninterested

d)

inquisitive

5.

Which synonym for careful has a positive connotation?

a)

fearful

b)

indecisive

c)

wary

d)

cautious

6.

Which synonym for economical has the most positive connotation?

a)

costly

b)

cheap

c)

affordable

d)

inexpensive

7.

Which synonym for slim has the most negative connotation?

a)

slender

b)

thin

c)

portly

d)

emaciated

8.

What is the definition of connotation?

a)

The dictionary definition of a word

b)

A brief reference to a cultural or historical person or event

c)

The persuasive part of an argument

d)

The emotions or ideas we attach to a word, in addition to its dictionary definition

9.

Which word for elderly has the most positive connotation?

a)

novice

b)

ancient

c)

wise

d)

old

10.

This statement presents the main claim of an essay:

a)

analysis

b)

allusion

c)

connotation

d)

thesis

11.

What's Hawkeye Pierce's tone here, in this dialogue from M*A*S*H, about medics serving during the Korean War?


Henry: Pierce, are you scared?

Hawkeye: Don't be silly. I'm too frightened to be scared.

a)

Hawkeye is being ironic when he says "Don't be silly," as if to say of course he is scared. So scared he is frightened.

b)

Henry is a brave soldier, so Hawkeye doesn't want to show fear in front of him, so he acts brave too.

c)

Hawkeye is a brave soldier, who has served at the front for long enough that he is no longer scared.

d)

Henry is being ironic when he asks Hawkeye if he is scared, because he already knows that Hawkeye isn't scared.

12.

Early in the movie Titanic, about a luxury cruise ship that strikes an iceberg and sinks, killing over 1500 people, two characters discuss the fact that there aren't enough lifeboats on board. What is this an example of, in literary terms?

a)

Situational Irony. Despite their conversation, we know that there are enough lifeboats on the Titanic, which is why over a thousand people met a watery death on that voyage.

b)

Allusion. This is a brief reference to the movie Frozen, which was made much later, doesn't mention the Titanic or anything about lifeboats, but also involves a cold climate.

c)

Theme. The moral of the story is famous, "always have enough lifeboats."

d)

Foreshadowing. This conversation is an early omen or warning of what is to come later, when over 1500 people drowned due to a lack of lifeboats.

13.

What's the tone of this passage? "I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout." Jonathan Swift

a)

Creepy, the speaker is talking about cooking babies!

b)

Confusing, is he really talking about cooking babies?

c)

Confident, the speaker trusts his American friend's expertise on the subject of cooking babies.

d)

Ironic, the speaker is going on and on about cooking babies, but expects us to recognize that he is using hyperbole, and that he means something else.

14.

This sign ("Safety begins with you") printed on a bus that has hit a car is an example of ________________.

a)

Allusion. The sign refers to a famous quote by Sir Isaac Newton, on the subject of safety.

b)

Nonlinear plot. August 20, 2019, emergency personnel respond to a call that a bus has struck an automobile. March 15, 2019, Mario Andretti, eager to move out of his mama's apartment, double-doused himself in Axe body spray in preparation for his interview with Metro.

c)

Verbal irony. The speaker was being sarcastic when they designed that saying to be printed on the side of the bus, as they knew the bus was predestined to crash.

d)

Situational irony. If safety begins this way, where will it end?