Post by The Thought Police (admin) on Nov 24, 2012 7:09:22 GMT -5
Good,
You have come here searching for the formulas and road maps to unravel the mysteries of word choice!
Look no further - here you will find all the help you need!
Let's begin...
I personally find word choice one of the easier things to discuss as there's a clear formula.
Step 1 - Quote the word
Step 2 - list the connotations
Step 3 - relate these connotations back to the question and most likely to the point the writer is making.
Let's do some basic examples
Basic Example
Steve gazed into the distance. He let out a long sigh. He looked longingly at the clock.
Question
How effective is the writer's word choice in showing Steve's state of mind.
Answer
"Gazed" has connotations of staring, being unfocussed and not thinking. It suggests Steve is very bored.
"Longingly" has connotations of wanting something deeply and with your whole being. Again Steve seems to be so bored he badly wants time to move on.
Analysis of my answer
Here you can see the very first thing I've done is to quote the word. Then I've explained what ideas you associate with the word - moving beyond what it actually means, but also other ideas it suggests. It's important to not just let your connotations get out of control and listing everything the word is connected with, but to keep int in the context of the question. The final part of each part brings it back to the question, making sure you've answered it.
Higher Examples
Extract from a BBC Blog on 4G Mobile Network
The launch of the UK’s first 4G mobile network was greeted with cautious optimism in many quarters today, but not in the headquarters of the Labour Party.
The superfast broadband technology could revolutionise the way we work and play, promising download speeds many times faster than current limits. But it will only be available initially to customers of the operator EE who live in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Sheffield or Southampton.
Labour says this piecemeal introduction of 4G years after its arrival in other countries is a damning indictment of the government.
Question
How does the writer's word choice suggest her attitude to the benefits of 4g?
Answer
"Revolutionise" has the connotations of completely changing something, throwing away all the old things and bringing in something completely new, bringing in something that will change everyone's lives for the better like a new way of doing things completely. Therefore, she thinks that 4G will be something much better and will lead to a complete and positive change in people's everyday lives and way of doing things.
"Promising" has connotations of possibilities and benefits in the future that will definitely come true. It suggests she thinks the new 4G has much potential and is in favour of it.
Answer analysed
You can see how I have followed the three steps here. I have shown what ideas are attached to the word before relating it all to the writer's 'attitude', which was the question.
You have come here searching for the formulas and road maps to unravel the mysteries of word choice!
Look no further - here you will find all the help you need!
Let's begin...
I personally find word choice one of the easier things to discuss as there's a clear formula.
Step 1 - Quote the word
Step 2 - list the connotations
Step 3 - relate these connotations back to the question and most likely to the point the writer is making.
Let's do some basic examples
Basic Example
Steve gazed into the distance. He let out a long sigh. He looked longingly at the clock.
Question
How effective is the writer's word choice in showing Steve's state of mind.
Answer
"Gazed" has connotations of staring, being unfocussed and not thinking. It suggests Steve is very bored.
"Longingly" has connotations of wanting something deeply and with your whole being. Again Steve seems to be so bored he badly wants time to move on.
Analysis of my answer
Here you can see the very first thing I've done is to quote the word. Then I've explained what ideas you associate with the word - moving beyond what it actually means, but also other ideas it suggests. It's important to not just let your connotations get out of control and listing everything the word is connected with, but to keep int in the context of the question. The final part of each part brings it back to the question, making sure you've answered it.
Higher Examples
Extract from a BBC Blog on 4G Mobile Network
The launch of the UK’s first 4G mobile network was greeted with cautious optimism in many quarters today, but not in the headquarters of the Labour Party.
The superfast broadband technology could revolutionise the way we work and play, promising download speeds many times faster than current limits. But it will only be available initially to customers of the operator EE who live in Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Sheffield or Southampton.
Labour says this piecemeal introduction of 4G years after its arrival in other countries is a damning indictment of the government.
Question
How does the writer's word choice suggest her attitude to the benefits of 4g?
Answer
"Revolutionise" has the connotations of completely changing something, throwing away all the old things and bringing in something completely new, bringing in something that will change everyone's lives for the better like a new way of doing things completely. Therefore, she thinks that 4G will be something much better and will lead to a complete and positive change in people's everyday lives and way of doing things.
"Promising" has connotations of possibilities and benefits in the future that will definitely come true. It suggests she thinks the new 4G has much potential and is in favour of it.
Answer analysed
You can see how I have followed the three steps here. I have shown what ideas are attached to the word before relating it all to the writer's 'attitude', which was the question.