1 Read this sentence from the story.

It was quite by accident i discovered this incredible invasion of Earth by life-forms from

another planet.

Which statement best describes the intended effect of the author's word choice?

A it instills terror in the reader.

B It provokes a feeling of amusement.

С It hints at the narrator's madness.

D

It creates a sense of amazement.

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L14: Analyzing Word Choice 137

Part 1: Introduction

Have you ever heard someone say “It’s the little things that matter”? In everyday life, little

things can make you happy, sad, annoyed, or excited. In literature and poetry, the little

things that matter are words, chosen carefully by the author. Words affect meaning and

establish the tone, or the attitude of the narrator or speaker. Word choice also is

important because it can create the mood, or atmosphere, in a story or poem.

Read the poem below, paying close attention to poet’s choice of action verbs and

descriptive words.

Murky Monday. Lockers slam,

Doorways clog and hallways jam.

Sweetest Ruby smiles so wide—

She can’t see me shyly hide . . .

Wondrous Monday. Lockers shine.

Ruby smiled at me in line.

Circle words in each line that help you understand the speaker’s feelings.

Read the chart below to help you analyze the poet’s word choices in each line.

Lines Words with Positive Meaning Words with Negative Meaning

1–2 murky, slam, clog, jam

3–4 sweetest, smiles shyly, hide

5–6 wondrous, shine, smiled

Just as movie directors pay attention to the smallest details when setting up each scene,

authors pay attention to each word when they create poems and stories. In this poem, the

poet uses words to show how the speaker’s whole attitude changes after Ruby smiles at

him. Analyzing an author’s choice of words will help you understand a text’s meaning,

mood, and tone.

Surprise Endings

Analyzing Word Choice

Lesson 14 CCLS

RL.6.4: . . . analyze the impact of a specific

word choice on meaning and tone.

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