CurriculumGrade 8English Language Arts

Figures of Speech & Connotation

Aligned to L.8.5 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Interpret figures of speech like metaphors and idioms, use word relationships to deepen understanding, and tell apart words that share a denotation but differ in connotation.

Worked example

'Thrifty,' 'frugal,' and 'stingy' all mean careful with money, yet 'thrifty' sounds like praise while 'stingy' sounds like an insult, a difference of connotation.

Practice questions

  1. Explain the meaning of one common idiom.
  2. List three words with the same denotation but different feelings.
  3. Rank those words from most positive to most negative.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Figuras Retóricas y Connotación

Interpreta figuras retóricas como metáforas y modismos, usa las relaciones entre palabras para profundizar tu comprensión y distingue palabras que comparten una denotación pero difieren en connotación.

Ejemplo: 'Ahorrador,' 'frugal' y 'tacaño' significan cuidadoso con el dinero, pero 'ahorrador' suena a elogio mientras 'tacaño' suena a insulto, una diferencia de connotación.

More Language lessons

Active vs. Passive Voice & VerbalsL.8.1Commas, Dashes & EllipsesL.8.2Voice, Conditional & SubjunctiveL.8.3Unlocking Words with RootsL.8.4Academic & Domain VocabularyL.8.6

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