Many words share a similar dictionary meaning (denotation) but carry a different feeling, or connotation. "Slim" and "skinny" both mean thin, but "slim" often feels like a compliment while "skinny" can feel more negative. "Confident" and "arrogant" both describe someone sure of themselves, but "confident" sounds positive and "arrogant" sounds negative. Writers choose words carefully based on the feeling they want to create.
Example
A journalist could describe a protest as "passionate demonstrators" (positive connotation) or "an angry mob" (negative connotation) — same event, very different feeling created by word choice.
Key terms
Connotation:
The feeling or association a word carries, beyond its literal meaning.
Denotation:
The literal, dictionary meaning of a word.
Questions
1. Connotation refers to:
A word's literal dictionary meaning
The feeling or association a word carries
A type of punctuation
A grammar rule
2. Denotation refers to:
A word's literal dictionary meaning
A word's emotional feeling
A type of comma
A rhetorical question
3. Which word has a more positive connotation?
Skinny
Slim
Scrawny
Bony
4. Which word has a more negative connotation?
Confident
Arrogant
Assured
Capable
5. Words with similar dictionary meanings can carry:
Identical feelings always
Different feelings or associations
No feeling at all
Only positive feelings
6. Writers choose words carefully mainly to:
Create a specific feeling or impression
Avoid all meaning
Remove connotation entirely
Confuse the reader
7. "Passionate demonstrators" versus "an angry mob" shows a difference in:
Denotation only
Connotation
Punctuation
Grammar
8. Which pair of words share a similar denotation but different connotations?
Chair, table
Slim, skinny
Run, jump
Blue, green
9. Describing someone as "frugal" versus "cheap" mainly changes the:
Facts about the person
Connotation, or feeling, associated with the description
Grammar of the sentence
Denotation only
10. A news report describing a change as "bold" rather than "reckless" is likely trying to create a:
Negative impression
Positive impression
Completely neutral impression
No impression at all
11. Which word would most likely be chosen in a positive product review?
Cheap-looking
Affordable
Flimsy
Tacky
12. Recognising connotation mainly helps a reader:
Notice how word choice shapes their impression of something
Ignore all word choice
Focus only on grammar
Avoid understanding tone
13. Which sentence uses a word with a negative connotation to describe stubbornness?
She is determined.
She is strong-willed.
She is pig-headed.
She is persistent.
14. A writer wanting to describe a small house positively might use the word:
Cramped
Cosy
Tiny
Poky
15. Two articles describe the same event: one calls protesters "activists standing up for their rights", the other calls them "troublemakers causing chaos." This difference mainly reflects:
Different facts about the event
Different connotations chosen to shape the reader's opinion
A grammar error in one article
Random word choice with no effect
16. Why might a persuasive writer prefer "invest" over "spend" when describing government funding?
'Invest' has a more positive connotation, suggesting future benefit
'Spend' is grammatically incorrect
They mean completely different things
'Invest' is more neutral than 'spend'
17. Which best explains why connotation matters in persuasive and informative writing?
It has no real effect on how readers perceive information
Word choice can subtly shape a reader's attitude even when the facts are the same
Only denotation matters in effective writing
Connotation only appears in poetry
18. A politician describing a tax as a "contribution" rather than a "charge" is likely aiming for:
A more negative connotation
A more positive or neutral connotation
No effect at all
A change in denotation
19. Comparing "the crowd was large" to "the mob was huge" reveals a shift in:
Denotation only
Connotation, suggesting a more negative, threatening feeling
Grammar
Sentence type
20. Understanding connotation is a valuable critical reading skill mainly because it helps readers:
Notice when word choice is being used to influence their opinion
Avoid understanding any texts
Replace fact-checking entirely
Ignore an author's intent
Answer key (parent copy)
1. The feeling or association a word carries
2. A word's literal dictionary meaning
3. Slim
4. Arrogant
5. Different feelings or associations
6. Create a specific feeling or impression
7. Connotation
8. Slim, skinny
9. Connotation, or feeling, associated with the description
10. Positive impression
11. Affordable
12. Notice how word choice shapes their impression of something
13. She is pig-headed.
14. Cosy
15. Different connotations chosen to shape the reader's opinion
16. 'Invest' has a more positive connotation, suggesting future benefit
17. Word choice can subtly shape a reader's attitude even when the facts are the same
18. A more positive or neutral connotation
19. Connotation, suggesting a more negative, threatening feeling
20. Notice when word choice is being used to influence their opinion