CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.4

ELAGrades 9–10Craft 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 the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

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

What This Standard Means

Students need to figure out what words and phrases mean in context, not just from a dictionary. They should notice technical terms, loaded words, figurative language, and shifts in tone. They also need to explain how repeated word choices shape the reader’s understanding of the topic or speaker.

Mastery looks like a student pointing to exact words, explaining their meaning in the passage, and connecting those choices to tone or purpose. Students often get stuck by giving vague labels like “negative tone,” ignoring context, or treating every word as equally meaningful.

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs a court excerpt and news article on the same issue, then highlight words that make each text sound formal, neutral, or emotional.
Ask students to write: Which three words most shape the author’s attitude, and what would change if they were replaced?
Use a four-column exit slip: word, context clue, meaning, effect on tone.
Bring in a product warning label and an advertisement, then compare how technical and persuasive word choices affect trust.