CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5c
The Standard
Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
What This Standard Means
Students need to tell the difference between words that mean nearly the same thing but feel different. They should notice whether a word sounds positive, negative, formal, casual, gentle, harsh, respectful, or insulting. They also need to choose the word that best fits a speaker, audience, and situation.
Mastery looks like explaining why “confident” fits better than “cocky” in a character description, or why “slim” changes the tone compared with “skinny.” Students often get stuck by using dictionary meanings only. They may also think synonyms can always be swapped without changing tone.
Ways to Teach It
- Give pairs synonym cards like curious, nosy, interested, intrusive, and have students sort them from positive to negative on a desk scale.
- Ask students to revise this sentence three ways: “The leader was firm,” making the leader sound fair, harsh, then uncertain.
- Show five near-synonyms for “said,” and have students circle the one that best matches a short dialogue line.
- Bring in restaurant reviews and have students replace bland adjectives with words that create a clearly positive or negative impression.
Before This Standard
If students are struggling here, check these first.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5c
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.