They go together like peas and carrots. --Forrest Gump

Denotation What a word “is” What it “describes”

Examples Student – IS describing someone who attends school. Boy – IS describing a male. Job – IS describing a profession / what someone does for a living.

Clarification The denotation of a word IS what it is. There is NO “emotional loading” in the word. It is NEUTRAL. The word doesn’t make you feel any particular way.

Connotation The “emotional” level of a word Many ways to describe connotation of certain words – Positive – Negative – Ways we usually describe words’ connotations…emotional loading

For example Pleasant words: calm, friend, truth, clean, togetherness, honest, complete Unpleasant words: stormy, opponent, falsehood, dirty, loneliness, dishonest, unfinished

Why Do I Need to Know This? When reading…. Pick up writer’s bias (point of view) Miss writer’s message if you miss his or her perspective! When writing…. Finding the perfect word for the situation. Adding greater word choice to writing Getting past….good…nice….things….stuff

For example Positive connotation: generous, wisdom, justice, patriot, happiness, heroic Negative connotation: stingy, stupidity, injustice, traitor, sadness, cowardly

And… Positive: red-blooded, mouth-watering, true-blue, exquisite, saintly, magnificent Negative: cold-blooded, two-faced, heartrending, rotten, sadistic, poverty-stricken

We can combine words…. Positive: complete honesty, sweet friend, cheerful grin, American cooperation Negative: uncontrolled dishonesty, dirty opponent, sullen sneer, foreign interference

What is the connotation of the underlined phrase? She walked up to him and smilingly killed him. Money rained down from above.

Think about context…. 1) That's a lazy cat. 2) That's a lazy man. What’s the difference in the connotation of “lazy” in each?

1) I made noise taking the dishes out of the cupboard. 2) I couldn't hear the speaker, because everybody around me was making noise. 3) That isn't music! That's noise! What is the difference in the connotation of the word “noise” in each?

What is the Subtle Difference Between… Joy And…. Pride

Anger And…. Rage

Boredom And… Despair

You Try… Stress and…. Tension Calm and…. Relaxed Friendliness and….. Love

Exercise #1 Separate the words below into three categories Positive, negative, or neutral (It is all right if you don't use all three categories.) Use your first reaction to the word to decide which category to use for it. Here are the words:

True Boring Sloppy Dependable Honor Paramedic Tidy Interesting Awkward Nasty Disorganized Champion Disloyal Clumsy Physician Talent Mismanage Failure Friendship Messy

Exercise #2 Combine 5 positive words with 5 negative words to make 5 positive phrases. You MAY change word forms, plural, etc. reformed patience honesty playful criminal strength unrelenting ghost stubborn unbending