Transcript Evaluative Vocabulary Modality

EVALUATIVE
VOCABULARY
R E F E R E N C E
HUMPHREY, S., LOVE, K. & DROGA, L. (2011). WORKING GRAMMAR: AN
INTRODUCTION FOR SECONDARY ENGLISH TEACHERS . VI CTORIA: PEARSON
EVALUATIVE VOCABULARY
Evaluative vocabulary is used to express positive and
negative feelings and judgements.
Writers use evaluative vocabulary to:
• Influence the ways in which a reader responds to the
text
• Influence reader opinions on issues or the facts
expressed through the text
• Get the reader to empathise with characters
• Persuade the reader to take up a particular viewpoint.
• Create an emotional and empathetic connection with
the reader
The use of evaluative vocabulary can significantly
increase the power and emotional impact of a text.
ATTITUDINAL ADJECTIVES
(HUMPHREY ET AL., 2011, PP. 70-71)
Attitudinal adjectives are adjectives which evaluate nouns explicitly.
Noun groups often use a combination of classifiers, factual and
attitudinal adjectives as in the examples below.
e.g. beautiful (attitudinal adjective) polished (factual adjective) marble
(classifier) statues
a terrific (attitudinal adjective) little (factual adjective) road movie
(classifer)of a book
Sometimes a number of attitudinal adjectives are used in the one noun
group. This tends to build up the intensity of the judgement or emotion
surrounding the noun being evaluated.
e.g. a clever, moving and thoroughly engrossing story
an elegant, eloquent and wonderful woman in her eighties
a stony and stubborn and deafening silence
EXERCISE (VERBAL)
(HUMPHREY ET AL., 2011, P. 71)
Identify the explicit attitudinal adjectives which function as pre-modifiers in the
noun groups below:
Extract from Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address delivered on 20 January 2009
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false
promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have
strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture,
the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm
our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious
gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation…
(Answers on next slide)
What purposes are achieved/effects created by the use of all of these
attitudinal adjectives in the speech extract?
ANSWERS
Extract from Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address
delivered on 20 January 2009
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the
petty grievances and false promises, the
recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too
long have strangled our politics. We remain a young
nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has
come to set aside childish things. The time has come
to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better
history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble
idea, passed on from generation to generation…
EVALUATIVE VOCABULARY ACROSS
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORIES
(HUMPHREY ET AL., 2011, P. 72)
Evaluative vocabulary can be expressed across all grammatical categories – not
just adjectives.
Effective writers use resources from a range of grammatical categories to
accumulate positive and negative evaluations of characters, issues or settings.
e.g.
After she left the mission, her brother let her know that her mum had died
years before, a broken woman fretting for the children…
From Kevin Rudd’s Apology Speech – Rudd uses adjectives and verbs to
evaluate the feelings of Nanna Fejo’s mother when her children were
taken away.
(broken = adjective, fretting = verb)
On the next slide is a table of evaluative vocabulary across some different
grammatical categories.
TABLE OF EVALUATIVE VOCABULARY
(HUMPHREY ET AL., 2011, P. 72)
Grammatical
Structures
Examples of Evaluative Vocabulary
Adjectives
miserable, safe, confident, wary, satisfied, mightiest,
evil, normal, unfriendly, eloquent, dark, grimy, brokendown, terrible, stuffy
Verbs
screaming, crying, grown fond, crave, strike terror,
cursed, (the sky) darkened
Adverbials
bitterly, safely, calmly, tenaciously, greedily, graphically
Nouns
fear, hope, terror, horror, sadness, honesty, beauty,
destruction
EXERCISE
1. Think of a noun. Using three evaluative adjectives (you
can use ideas from the previous table if you like), write
a sentence describing that noun.
2. Now write a sentence describing that noun using a
combination of evaluative adjectives, verbs and
adverbials.
What are some different effects you can achieve through
the varied use of evaluative vocabulary?
Reflection:
How could the use of evaluative vocabulary change or
improve your writing?
EXTENSION EXERCISE (OR HOMEWORK)
• Identify a topic or object you are passionate about.
• Write a paragraph using evaluative vocabulary
across all grammatical categories to convince the
reader of your feelings about that object or topic.
• Read your paragraph to the class or a small group.
Are you convinced or moved by each others’
writing? Why/ why not?