Tham khảo tài liệu 'gre verbal section 6', ngoại ngữ, anh ngữ phổ thông phục vụ nhu cầu học tập, nghiên cứu và làm việc hiệu quả | ---------------------------- THE GRE VERBAL SECTION ------------------------------------ something unusual different from the norm. But the way in which it is unusual differs significantly between sentences. A revolutionary idea is unusual in that it is new and unlike ideas that came before it changes things dramatically. A radical idea however is unusual because it is extreme. From the word choice we can infer that the writer of sentence a feels very positive about Higgins s proposal while the writer of sentence b may feel concerned about the extreme nature of Higgins s plan. The writer doesn t need to spell out his or her feelings because the word choice makes his or her position clear. Denotation and Connotation Even words that seem to mean the same thing have subtly different meanings and sometimes not-so-subtle effects. For example look at the words dangerous and perilous. If you say The situation is dangerous that means one thing. If you say The situation is perilous that means something slightly different. That s because dangerous has a different connotation than perilous. Connotation is a word s suggested or implied meaning it s what the word makes you think or feel. Dangerous and perilous have nearly the same denotation or dictionary definition in fact each word is used in the definition of the other. But perilous suggests more threat of harm than dangerous suggests. Peril has a more ominous ring to it than danger has and suggests a more life-threatening situation. Perilous and dangerous then have different connotations and the word you choose to describe the situation can tell others a lot. Euphemisms and Dysphemisms Another way writers use word choice to reveal their feelings is through the use of euphemisms and dysphemisms. A euphemism is a neutral or positive word used in place of something negative. A common example is to substitute the phrase passed on or departed for died. A dysphemism on the other hand uses a negative word or phrase instead of .
