Grade 8 Reading | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.8.V.1.3
Every word choice matters! Authors carefully select words not just for their meaning, but for their emotional impact. In 8th grade, you'll analyze how word choice affects tone and meaning, interpret figurative language, and understand how the same word can have different meanings in different contexts. These skills help you become a more sophisticated reader AND writer!
The Dictionary Definition
"Just the facts" - the literal meaning
Example: "Home" = a place where one lives
The Emotional Meaning
The feelings and associations a word carries
Example: "Home" = warmth, safety, family, belonging
Key Insight: Words with the same denotation can have very different connotations!
All these words mean "thin" but feel very different:
"Slender" sounds elegant. "Scrawny" sounds weak. Same basic meaning, HUGE difference in impact!
TONE is the author's attitude toward the subject. Word choice CREATES tone.
Positive Tone: "The spirited crowd cheered enthusiastically as the team triumphed in an exhilarating victory."
Negative Tone: "The rowdy mob screamed as the team barely scraped by with a lucky win."
Same event! The underlined words create completely different impressions.
Direct comparison: "Time is money." (Says one thing IS another)
Comparison using "like" or "as": "Her voice was like honey." (Says one thing is LIKE another)
Giving human qualities to non-human things: "The wind whispered secrets."
Extreme exaggeration: "I've told you a million times!"
Why use figurative language? It creates vivid images, makes abstract ideas concrete, and adds emotional depth that literal language can't achieve.
The same word can mean different things in different subjects!
| Word | Everyday Meaning | Technical Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cell | Phone or prison room | Biology: Basic unit of life |
| Culture | Arts, traditions, beliefs | Science: Growing bacteria in a lab |
| Plot | Story events | Math: Points on a graph |