Evaluative language
Identifying emotive and evaluative language in texts
Affect table
Positive Negative
Happiness Unhappiness
relieved, contented, fulfilled, ecstatic, happy, laugh, sad, despondent, heavy hearted, dejected, downcast,
embrace, to love, understanding, compassionate, depressed, anguished, grief stricken, distressed,
yearning, longing, cheer, rejoice, adore pessimistic, alienated, rejected, isolated, misery, dislike,
abuse, cry, wail
Security Insecurity
confident, comfortable, trusting, assured, reassure, uneasy, restless, nervous, anxious, startled, fearful,
together, assert, commit terrified, surprise, frighten, tremble, shocked
Satisfaction Dissatisfaction
interested, involved, absorbed, pleased, impressed, flat, jaded, bored, frustrated, disillusioned, irritated, angry,
thrilled, engaged, attentive, busy, compliment, reward, furious, embittered, jealous, spiteful, disgusted, vengeful,
chuffed resentful, empty, embarrassed, caution
A framework for analysing judgment
SOCIAL ESTEEM
(personal/psychological) Positive (admire) Negative (criticise)
lucky, fashionable, normal, fortunate, stable, unfortunate, odd, weird, unlucky, peculiar,
Is s/he special?
cool, predictable, celebrated erratic, dated, daggy, obscure
powerful, intelligent, skilled, robust, healthy, weak, insane, silly, mild, wimpy, sickly,
fit, mature, experienced, witty, humorous, immature, childish, helpless, dull, dreary,
Is s/he capable? insightful, clever, gifted, balanced, together, flaky, neurotic, insane, nave, foolish,
sane, expert, educated, competent, ignorant, incompetent, unsuccessful,
successful, productive unproductive
brave, tireless, heroic, cautious, wary,
rash, cowardly, impulsive, erratic, timid,
patient, careful, thorough, meticulous,
gutless, impatient, impetuous, hasty,
Is s/he dependable? tireless, persevering, resolute, reliable,
reckless, weak, distracted, despondent,
dependable, faithful, loyal, adaptable,
unreliable, unfaithful, stubborn, obstinate
flexible, accommodating
SOCIAL SANCTION
(moral and legal) Positive (praise) Negative (condemn)
truthful, genuine, frank, honest, credible, dishonest, manipulative, deceitful, lying,
Is s/he honest?
candid, direct, discreet, tactful deceptive, devious, blunt, blabbermouth
good, just, kind, noble, moral, ethical, law bad, corrupt, cruel, evil, unfair, unjust,
abiding, fair, just, sensitive, caring, modest, insensitive, mean, vain, snobby, arrogant,
Is s/he good?
humble, polite, respectful, altruistic, rude, discourteous, cheeky, flippant,
generous, charitable selfish, greedy
Types of Appreciation
Positive Negative
Reaction arresting, captivating, engaging, dull, boring, tedious, dry, ascetic, uninviting,
Impact fascinating, exciting, moving, lively, flat, predictable, monotonous, unremarkable
Did it grab me? dramatic, intense, remarkable, notable,
sensational
Reaction okay, fine, good, entertaining, lovely, bad, nasty, plain, ugly, grotesque, repulsive,
Quality beautiful, splendid, appealing, enchanting, revolting, off-putting
Did I like it? welcome
Composition balanced, harmonious, unified, unbalanced, discordant, irregular, uneven,
Balance symmetrical, proportioned, imaginative, flawed, contradictory, disorganised, shapeless,
Was it well effective, consistent, considered, logical, amorphous, distorted
constructed? shapely, curvaceous, willowy
Composition simple, pure, elegant, lucid, clear, precise, ornate, extravagant, arcane, unclean, woolly,
Complexity intricate, rich, detailed plain, monolithic, simplistic
Was it hard to
follow?
Valuation penetrating, profound, deep, innovative, shallow, reductive, insignificant, derivative,
Was it original, creative, timely, long awaited, conventional, dated, overdue, untimely, dime-
worthwhile/innovative/ landmark, exceptional, unique, challenging, a-dozen, everyday, common, fake, bogus,
authentic/timely? meaningful, valuable, priceless, worthwhile, glitzy, worthless, shoddy, pricey, ineffective,
appropriate, helpful, effective useless, write-off
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Eng_Y07_U4_SLR_EvaluativeLanguage
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