CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4
The Standard
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use nearby details to work out what unfamiliar or multiple-meaning language means in an informational passage. They explain how a writer’s exact wording affects tone and meaning.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students select the meaning that fits the passage and cite context clues that support it. They explain how replacing a key word would change the tone or message.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may choose the first dictionary definition without checking the surrounding sentences. They may also confuse connotation with literal meaning or identify tone without linking it to a specific word.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short news paragraph with one bold word. Ask them to define it from context, name its connotation, and explain how it shapes the tone.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs word cards and short passages, then have them place each word beside the context that matches its intended meaning.
Ask students to compare “confident” and “arrogant” in the same sentence, then explain how each choice changes the writer’s attitude.
Play a tone swap game where teams replace one key word in a sentence to make it sound approving, doubtful, or critical.
Compare wording in two advertisements for similar products, and have students mark technical terms and words chosen to create positive feelings.
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Printable RI.7.4 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.4, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetLearning progression
Where This Standard Sits
See the whole path on the Reading: Informational Text progression map.
Before This Standard
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What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choi...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choice...
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