Grade 9 · English Language Arts · Unit 5 of 6
Language & Style
Connotation, register and rhetorical devices
What your child practises
How word choice shapes feeling (connotation and denotation), how English changes and borrows words, formal and informal register, concise and varied sentences, and devices such as anaphora and rhetorical questions.
BC Curriculum learning standard: Language change, connotation and denotation, elements of style, register and rhetorical devices
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Why do English words change over time?
- Dictionaries forbid change.
- Words never change.
- People borrow words, invent new ones and use old ones differently.
- Only teachers change them.
Show answer
People borrow words, invent new ones and use old ones differently.
Hint: Language change is natural. For example, “awful” once meant “full of awe.”
Question 2
Formal or informal language? Sort each phrase.
Sort into: 👔 Formal · 🧢 Informal
- ✌️Totally! See ya later!
- 🍔Gonna grab some food, brb.
- 📣We regret to inform you that the event is cancelled.
- ✉️I am writing to request an extension.
- 📊The results indicate a significant increase.
- 😅That test was super hard, no cap.
- 🤝Thank you for your consideration.
- 👋Hey, what's up?
Show answer
👔 Formal: We regret to inform you that the event is cancelled., I am writing to request an extension., The results indicate a significant increase., Thank you for your consideration. · 🧢 Informal: Totally! See ya later!, Gonna grab some food, brb., That test was super hard, no cap., Hey, what's up?
Hint: Formal language is polite and complete, used in essays, letters and presentations. Informal language is casual, used with friends.
Question 3
Many English words, like “moccasin” and “moose,” came from…
- Latin only
- Indigenous languages of North America
- Chinese only
- French only
Show answer
Indigenous languages of North America
Hint: English has borrowed words from languages all over the world, including Indigenous languages of Canada.
Question 4
Which word has the most negative connotation?
- thrifty
- cheap
- frugal
- economical
Show answer
cheap
Hint: “Cheap” can suggest poor quality or stinginess. The others sound careful and positive.
Question 5
What is the connotation of a word?
- Its spelling
- Its pronunciation
- Its part of speech
- The feelings or ideas it suggests beyond its dictionary meaning
Show answer
The feelings or ideas it suggests beyond its dictionary meaning
Hint: “Home” and “house” both name a building, but “home” suggests warmth and belonging.
Question 6
Which sentence uses a formal register?
- We would like to request your assistance with this matter.
- Gimme a hand here.
- Hey, can you help out?
- We need you to chip in, ok?
Show answer
We would like to request your assistance with this matter.
Hint: Formal writing uses complete, polite wording without slang.