Paper 2: Reading - Emotive Language
English Language: AQA GCSE, topic 5.1.9
Emotive Language
Emotive language is when language is used to create a strong emotional response – this could be any emotion, such as anger, excitement, happiness, sadness, etc.
Plastic waste murders
- Plastic waste murders millions of helpless turtles every year.
- In this phrase, the vocabulary has been carefully selected to emphasise the helplessness and innocence of the turtles.
- We could have just said ‘turtles die because of plastic waste’, but by using emotive words like ‘murder’, you draw the reader’s attention immediately.
- Combined with another emotive word like ‘helpless’, and you evoke feelings of sympathy in your audience.
Evil abuser
- An evil monster abused the young victim.
- In this phrase, the vocabulary has been carefully selected to emphasise the helplessness and innocence of the abused child.
- We could have just said ‘child hurt by adult’, but by using emotive words like ‘evil’ and ‘monster’, you draw the reader’s attention immediately.
- Combined with another emotive phrase like ‘young victim’, you evoke feelings of sympathy as the horrid nature of the adult is contrasted with the innocence of the child.
Poor starving children
- These children are poor, starving and orphaned. They have nothing and no one.
- In this phrase, the vocabulary has been carefully selected to emphasise the helplessness of the children.
- We could have just said ‘children have no parents or food’, but by using emotive words like ‘starving’ and ‘orphaned’, you draw the reader’s attention immediately.
- Combined with another emotive phrase like ‘nothing and no one’, you evoke feelings of sympathy as the vulnerability of the children is emphasised.
Test yourself on Paper 2: Reading - Emotive Language
Which phrase uses emotive language?
What is the emotive word in this sentence?
Timmy had a stick-like frame.