1. What determines the definition of a word?

2. Is there more to a word than how it is defined in the dictionary?

3. Yes, there is more. In fact, every word has at least two definitions: connotative and denotative So, what’s the difference?

4. The denotative definition is based on the________definition of a word. The connotative definition is the________________________ meaning of a word. literal figurative or emotional

5. Let’s try giving the connotative definition for some common words.

6. Love Denotative definition: a warmth and tender liking; a deep feeling of fondness and friendship. Connotative definition: a word which describes . . . . . . .

7. Anger Denotative definition : the feeling one has toward something that hurts, opposes, offends, or annoys. Connotative definition: When I feel . . .

8. Patriotism Denotative definition: love or loyal support for one’s country Connotative definition: The act of . . .

9. Christmas Denotative definition: a holiday celebrated on December 25 Connotative definition : A time of year when . . .

10. Your assignment Define the word “gift.” Give both a denotative and a connotative definition. Turn these definitions into a five paragraph essay. Follow the structure of a well organized essay.

11. Introductory paragraph Broad to _______ Specific Thesis statement

12. Each of the three supporting paragraphs must contain • A topic sentence • Supporting examples • A concluding sentence which ties the paragraph to the topic sentence

13. Concluding paragraph Specific To __________ Broad Be careful not to begin a new idea.

14. Consider your audience It will be O.K. to use personal pronouns like I, me, my, we, our, and us . It will be okay to use the pronoun you.

15. Remember to check the important stuff. • What about the word this? • What about contractions? • What about slang terms? • What about tense consistency? • What about parallelism?