Georgia 11.T.SS.2.a
The Standard
Analyze and evaluate how the use of figurative, connotative, and/or rhetorical language contributes to the development of meaning, tone, or mood in line with the intended purpose. (I)
Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards · Texts (T) · Structure & Style
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students examine specific word choices and techniques, then explain how they shape meaning and reader response. They also judge how well those choices serve the writer’s purpose.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students select precise words or phrases as evidence and explain how each choice shapes a reader’s response. They judge whether the language suits the writer’s purpose and support that judgment with clear reasoning.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may label a metaphor, loaded word, or repetition without explaining its effect. They may confuse tone with mood or claim a device is effective without linking it to purpose and audience.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short speech excerpt and ask: “Choose one phrase, name the language choice, and explain how it supports the speaker’s purpose.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs phrase cards from one passage to sort by literal meaning, implied meaning, emotional effect, and rhetorical function.
Ask students to rewrite one paragraph for a hopeful tone, then explain which word choices changed the effect.
Play an evidence match game where teams pair quoted phrases with claims about tone, mood, meaning, or purpose.
Compare language from two advertisements for the same product and decide which better persuades its target audience.
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Printable 11.T.SS.2.a Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 12.T.SS.2.a
The 12th Grade version of this standard.
- 6.T.SS.2.a
Determine how figurative and connotative language choices contribute to meaning, mood, or tone in a wide variety of texts. (I)
- 10.T.SS.2.a
Analyze how the use of figurative, connotative, and/or rhetorical language contributes to the development of meaning, tone, or mood in a wide variety of texts. ...
- 9.T.SS.2.a
Analyze how the use of figurative, connotative, and/or rhetorical language contributes to the development of meaning, tone, or mood in a wide variety of texts. ...
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