Word Choice Lessons
Shades of Meaning
Focus of Instruction
• Selecting the right synonym to create
precise meaning
• Identifying specific, descriptive language
• Revising to make vague language more
precise
A Definition…
• Good word choice includes the use of
powerful verbs, sensory detail, and,
variety – which comes from an expanded
vocabulary.
– Poem or personal narrative: use freedom of
expression, use words in creative and
expressive ways.
Objectives and
Skill Focus
• Students will be able to understand the
nature of synonyms and gain skill in
selecting the right word for the task.
– Skill Focus:
• understanding what a synonym is
• locating synonyms for a given word
• distinguishing among synonyms by identifying nuances
of meaning
• recognizing the ways in which synonyms affect
reader interpretation
Anticipatory Set
Imagine if you carried all of your
money – bills and coins – in a jar.
Imagine also that you just plunged your
hand in the jar to pay for things, not
caring what you pulled out.
What is a ‘Synonym?’
• What is your definition of ‘synonym?’
• Are synonyms exactly the same?
– Does ‘vast’ = ‘large’
• Similar words have different
‘connotations’ (an implied or
understood meaning)
• How many synonyms can you think of
for the word ‘great?’
• Look up the word in the thesaurus
and add it to your pocket thesaurus
Reading from Hope Was
Here
I took out my Roget’s thesaurus, which lists words that have the same meaning. If you’re
a word person like me, you can’t live without one. Say you’re trying to get an idea
across, like Gleason Beal is a thief. You can look up the word “thief” in the thesaurus
and come up with a slew of better slams to help you work out your intense feelings.
Gleason Beal is a…
…robber
…larcenist
…stealer
…pilferer
…purloiner
…poacher
…swindler
I flipped to the H section.
Hope is…
…belief
…credence
…faith
…trust
…confidence
…assurance
• Assign synonyms to groups.
• Record what you find.
• What are the subtle differences in
connotations in your synonyms? (use
dictionary if needed)
Do Parts of Speech
change synonyms?
• You looked up “Hope” as a noun.
What happens when you look at
“Hope” as a verb?
• List 3 synonyms for ‘hope’ (as a verb)
in your pocket thesaurus
Shades of Meaning
She ran down the trail of messy footprints,
past buildings that were shedding snow
from their steep roofs, then round the
bend at the edge of the town.
-- Iain Lawrence.
• Take the 4 words in blue
–
–
What part of speech are they?
Find at least 3 synonyms for the word.
Shades of Meaning
(continued…)
• Which of the synonyms you found would fit best
with the author’s original meaning if you placed
them where the old word was?
• “She ran down the _footpath___ (trail) of
___muddled__ (messy) footprints, past buildings
that were _spilling__ (shedding) snow from their
steep roofs, then round the bend at the edge of
the town”
• Read the original and then read your version.
What has happened to the original?
A shade too dark
• Do the same exercise, but this time plug in the
synonyms that make the least sense with the
author’s meaning.
• “She _hastened___ (ran) down the trail of
_disorganization_ (messy) footprints, past
buildings that were _structure__ (shedding) snow
from their steep roofs, then round the bend at
the edge of the town.”
• Now what has happened to the author’s original?
Closing Question
• Hope says that a thesaurus is a must-have
if you’re going to be a ‘word person.’
Nevertheless, teachers have been known
to say,
– “A thesaurus can be dangerous in the wrong
hands.”
• What do you suppose the teacher meant
by this?
Acknowledgements
• The preceding presentation was
based from a lesson printed in
WriteTraits: Teacher’s Guide by
Vicki Spandel, Grade 7.