AP English Language AMSCO Guided Notes
5.3: The Many Meanings of Language
AP English Language Guided Notes
AMSCO 5.3 - The Many Meanings of Language
Essential Questions
- How do word choice, comparisons, and the arrangement of words convey a writer's attitudes toward readers and the chosen subject?
I. The Many Meanings of Language
1. How do the language choices you make reflect your mood, audience, and perspective?
2. Why is precise word choice essential to effective communication?
A. The Meaning of Words
1. What is the difference between a word's denotative meaning and its connotative meaning?
2. How can context, punctuation, and surrounding words change the meaning of a single word?
3. Why does Mark Twain's comparison of the 'almost right word' to a lightning bug versus lightning matter to writers?
B. Word Choice and Perspective
1. What is the difference between adjectives and adverbs, and what questions does each type answer?
2. How do adjectives and adverbs convey a writer's perspective or tone toward a subject?
3. How does precise descriptive language help readers understand a writer's meaning and perspective?
Key Terms
adjective (adjectival)
connotative meaning
perspective
adverb (adverbial)
denotative meaning
precise word choice