tailieunhanh - scienten_practise_english 6

Tham khảo tài liệu 'scienten_practise_english 6', ngoại ngữ, anh ngữ phổ thông phục vụ nhu cầu học tập, nghiên cứu và làm việc hiệu quả | READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES Word Choice Often the best clues to meaning come from the specific words a writer chooses to describe people places and things. The writer s word choice also called diction can reveal a great deal about how he or she or a character feels about the subject. To see how word choice reveals the writer s attitude read the two sentences below A Myra stared at Bill as he talked to his ex-wife Irene. B Myra glared at Bill as he talked to his ex-wife Irene. It s not hard to see the difference between these sentences. In sentence A the writer says that Myra stared at Bill while he talked to his ex-wife. Sentence B on the other hand uses the word glared. Both sentences say that Myra was looking steadily at Bill. But there is a difference. One sentence is much stronger than the other because one word is much stronger than the other. To stare is to look directly and fixedly at someone or something. To glare is to stare fixedly and angrily. Thus the writer of sentence B is able to tell us not only what is happening that Myra is staring at Bill but also what she is feeling anger by using effective word choice. Denotation and Connotation Even words that seem to mean the same thing have subtly different meanings and sometimes not-so-subtle effects. For example look at the words slim and thin. If you say your aunt is thin that means one thing. If you say she is slim that means something a little bit different. That s because slim has a different connotation than thin. Connotation is a word s suggested or implied meaning it s what the word makes you think or feel. Slim and thin have almost the same denotation their dictionary definition but slim suggests more grace and class than thin. Slim is a very positive word. It suggests that your aunt is healthy and fit. Thin however does not. Thin suggests that your aunt may be a little bit too skinny for her health. Thin and slim then have different connotations. So the word you choose to describe your aunt .