Reading Comprehension Success in 20 Minutes a Day, 3rd Edition

1. What does sentence B tell you that sentence A
doesn’t?
a. what type of policy is being discussed
b. how the writer feels about the policy
c. when the policy begins
The answer is b. Both sentences tell you that the
policy is a new parking policy, and both say that the
policy goes into effect on Monday. But sentence B,
because it adds the word draconian, tells you how the
writer feels about the new policy: He doesn’t like it. His
opinion is implied through his choice of the word dra-
conian. Rather than directly saying, “I think the policy
is very severe,” the writer suggests or implies that this is
the way he feels.
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D I C T I O N : W H AT ’ S I N A W O R D ?
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9 6

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Denotation and Connotation
Now, suppose sentence A also had another adjective to
describe the new policy:
A. The town’s firm new parking policy, which goes
into effect on Monday, should significantly
reduce traffic congestion on Main Street.
B. The town’s draconian new parking policy, which
goes into effect on Monday, should significantly
reduce traffic congestion on Main Street.
Do the two sentences now mean the same thing?
Yes and no. Both firm and draconian suggest that the
policy is strict, but each word has a specific implication
or suggested meaning about how strict that policy is. A
firm policy is not as strict as a draconian policy. Fur-
thermore, draconian suggests that the policy is not only
strict but unfairly or unreasonably so.
So, the words writers choose, even though they
may mean the same thing when you look them up in
the dictionary, actually have another level of meaning.
This is called their connotation. Connotation is the
implied meaning, the meaning that evolves when the
dictionary definition (denotation) develops an emo-
tional or social register or a suggestion of degree. The
specific words writers choose—their diction or word
choice—can therefore reveal a great deal about how
authors feel about their subjects.