Edexcel GCSE English Language

A writer picks every word from a set of alternatives, and the one chosen carries meaning beyond its dictionary definition. Reading closely means asking why this word was used and what another word would have changed. Writing well means making the same choices on purpose. ## Denotation and connotation The **denotation** of a word is its literal meaning. The **connotation** is the set of ideas and feelings that attach to it. "Thin", "slim", "slender" and "scrawny" all describe a lack of bulk, but "slender" suggests grace, and "scrawny" suggests weakness or neglect. | Neutral idea | Positive connotation | Negative connotation | |---|---|---| | walked | strolled | trudged | | old | experienced | decrepit | | determined | resolute | stubborn | | cheap | economical | shoddy | A writer who describes a crowd as "gathering" creates a different picture from one who says it is "swarming" or "gathered peacefully". When you analyse a word, name the connotation and then say what it does to the reader's view of the person, place or idea. ## Semantic fields A **semantic field** is a group of words linked by a shared area of meaning. If a description of a room uses "frozen", "brittle", "hollow" and "silent", the field of coldness and emptiness builds a mood that no single word would. Look for a pattern across a passage and say what the pattern adds up to. A text about a town that uses the vocabulary of war ("defend", "siege", "casualties") for a planning dispute is asking the reader to see…