CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.4

ELAGrades 11–12Craft and Structure

The Standard

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text

What This Standard Means

Students need to figure out word and phrase meanings from context, not just look them up. They should notice when a word is technical, loaded with feeling, or used figuratively. They also need to track how an author builds or shifts the meaning of a key term across a whole text.

Mastery looks like citing nearby clues, explaining tone and connotation, and showing how a term changes as the argument develops. Students often get stuck by choosing the first dictionary meaning, ignoring context, or treating repeated key words as if they mean the same thing every time.

Ways to Teach It

  • Give pairs a short editorial and sticky notes to tag one technical term, one loaded word, and one phrase with context clues.
  • Ask students to write: How does the author’s meaning of freedom change from the opening to the closing paragraph?
  • Use a 5-minute exit ticket asking students to define one key term from the text and cite two context clues.
  • Bring in a court opinion excerpt, policy memo, or product review and have students track how one repeated term shapes the message.

Before This Standard

If students are struggling here, check these first.

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Related Standards

Standard text verified against corestandards.org on July 10, 2026.

Page updated July 10, 2026.

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