Here are the answers to the worksheet questions, broken down by section.
A. Fill in the word that has the more positive connotation.
1.
wonderful (This sounds much better than just "fine.")
2.
Brave ("Foolhardy" means being brave in a stupid or dangerous way.)
3.
fascinating ("Weird" can sound strange or creepy; fascinating means interesting.)
4.
hilarious (Hilarious means very funny; amusing just means okay-funny.)
5.
smile (A smirk is an arrogant or mean smile.)
B. Fill in the word that has the more negative connotation.
6.
cheap (Inexpensive just means low cost; cheap often means bad quality.)
7.
soggy (Moist is neutral; soggy means wet and gross.)
8.
nagged (Reminding is helpful; nagging is annoying.)
9.
idiotic (Silly is playful; idiotic means very stupid.)
10.
smirk (A grin is happy; a smirk is rude.)
11.
frightened (Uneasy is just nervous; frightened is scared.)
C. Answer the following questions.
12.
antique (Antique implies value and age; old just implies age.)
13.
slender (Slender is a compliment; skinny can sound unhealthy.)
14.
thrifty (Thrifty means smart with money; cheap sounds stingy.)
15.
parade (Parading is showing off; strolling is just walking.)
16.
disaster (A problem can be fixed; a disaster is a huge mess.)
17.
sip (Sipping is polite; gulping is messy.)
18.
starving (Starving is extreme; hungry is normal.)
19.
filthy (Filthy is much dirtier than just dirty.)
Right Column: Select the description that has a more negative connotation.
* The detective was
tricky. (Clever is smart; tricky is deceitful.)
* The baby's
piercing screams. (Loud is just volume; piercing hurts your ears.)
* Jill wore an
ancient dress. (Vintage is stylishly old; ancient is just really old.)
* Mark swept the
filthy floor. (Dirty is standard; filthy is gross.)
* Flossy was an
obese but friendly cow. (Overweight is medical; obese is often used negatively.)
Final Answer:
Section A:
1. wonderful
2. Brave
3. fascinating
4. hilarious
5. smile
Section B:
6. cheap
7. soggy
8. nagged
9. idiotic
10. smirk
11. frightened
Section C:
12. antique
13. slender
14. thrifty
15. parade
16. disaster
17. sip
18. starving
19. filthy
Right Column Boxes:
1. tricky
2. piercing
3. ancient
4. filthy
5. obese
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of denotation connotation worksheet.
