Page 87 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook

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CTIvITy .11
The Nuance of Tone
LearNING STraTeGIeS:
Note-taking, Graphic Organizer, Discussion Groups
Literary Terms
Tone is a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject. Diction is a writer’s or speaker’s choice of words. Denotation is the direct meaning of a word or
expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it. Connotation is the implied associations, meanings, or emotions associated with
a word.
aCademIC voCabULary
Nuance refers to a subtle
difference or distinction in
meaning.
my Notes
Learning Target
• Explain how nuances in tone words arise from connotation.
Understanding Tone
In literature, being able to recognize the tone of a story or poem or essay is an important skill in understanding the author’s purpose. An author who is trying to create a comedy skit needs to choose content and language that communicates humor rather than sadness. Writers purposefully select diction to create an appropriate tone.
1. What is the connection between tone and diction? Many words have a similar denotation, but one must learn to distinguish among the connotations of these words in order to accurately identify meaning and tone. Careful readers and writers understand nuances (subtle differences) in word meanings. This means that they recognize that words have varying levels of meaning.
Examples: house, home, abode, estate, shack, mansion, and hut all describe or denotate a place to live, but each has a different connotation that determines meaning and tone.
2. Create examples like the one above illustrating ranges of words that have the same denotation but different connotations. Independently, write your examples below, and then pair with another student to share your words.
3. Use one of the examples you just created to discuss how connotation connects to tone.
Identifying Nuances in Diction
4. On the following page are some common tone words and their synonyms. Use a dictionary to determine or clarify each synonym’s precise meaning. After taking notes on the denotation of each word, number the words to indicate the various levels of meaning, from least intense to most intense (1 = least intense). If your group feels that two words have the same connotation and level of meaning, give them the same ranking.
60 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 8
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