Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can explain the difference between denotation and connotation. (Guide: “Why this word and not another?”; Practice Question 3)
- I can explain what ambiguity is and why it is different from vagueness. (Guide: “Why this word and not another?”; Practice Question 4)
- I can explain how coined or fused words (compounds, inventions) contribute to meaning. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Question 1)
- I can explain what a word choice reveals about the speaker’s attitude. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Question 7)
Skills
- I can compare a poet’s word with a plainer alternative and say what changes. (Guide: Figure 1; Practice Question 3)
- I can set out two readings of an ambiguous word, each supported by context. (Guide: “When evidence is ambiguous”; Practice Question 4)
- I can use the Reading A, Reading B, tension, revised claim template. (Guide: “When evidence is ambiguous”; Practice Questions 6 and 8)
- I can quote a word or phrase accurately and embed it in my own sentence. (Practice Questions 7 and 8)
Reasoning
- I can show how a connotation links one word to the poem’s whole meaning. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Question 5)
- I can revise my claim in response to ambiguous evidence, not only acknowledge an alternative. (Guide: “When evidence is ambiguous”; Practice Question 6)
- I can explain why a polite or calm tone can be unsettling when the diction has a second reading. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Question 2)
- I can write a paragraph on diction with a claim, quoted evidence and commentary. (Practice Questions 7 and 8)
When every box is ticked, move on to the 8.3 study guide.