PEFreePrintable

Connotation and Denotation Analysis

A free pe worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Connotation and Denotation Analysis

Read both passages. For each question, use evidence from the passage named. Denotation is a word’s literal meaning; connotation is the feeling or idea it suggests.

Passage A: A new school sports centre

The school’s new sports centre is a welcoming place to move, learn and play. Sunlight streams across the court as students practise skills and cheer one another on. Supportive coaches turn each session into an opportunity to grow in confidence and enjoy being active.

1.In Passage A, choose one word or short phrase that creates a positive feeling. Write the exact word or phrase.

2.Give the denotation (literal meaning) of the word or phrase you chose from Passage A.

3.What connotation does your chosen word or phrase from Passage A have? Explain the feeling or idea it suggests.

4.How might the positive language in Passage A encourage a student to feel about the new sports centre? Use one detail from the passage.

Passage B: Give a new activity a go

Ready to try something different at PE? Join the lunchtime handball sessions and discover how a quick pass can spark a brilliant team play. Every practice helps you sharpen your skills, meet new teammates and celebrate progress. Have a go—you could surprise yourself.

5.In Passage B, choose one word or short phrase that gives the activity an appealing feeling. Write the exact word or phrase.

6.Write the denotation (literal meaning) of the word or phrase you chose from Passage B.

7.Explain the connotation of your chosen word or phrase from Passage B. What feeling or idea does it suggest to a reader?

8.How does one phrase in Passage B try to persuade students to attend the handball sessions? Name the phrase and describe its likely effect.

Compare and create

Use the two passages above to answer the final questions.

9.Which passage is more persuasive to you: Passage A about the sports centre or Passage B about handball? Support your view with two examples from the passages. For each example, say whether it relies on connotation or gives mostly literal information, and explain its effect.

10.Rewrite this sentence from Passage B to make it more persuasive by replacing the neutral word “different” with a stronger word or phrase: “Ready to try something different at PE?” Then explain how your replacement changes the feeling.