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,
Is s/he special?
cool, predictable, celebrated
powerful, intelligent, skilled, robust, healthy,
fit, mature, experienced, witty, humorous,
Is s/he capable? insightful, clever, gifted, balanced, together,
sane, expert, educated, competent,
successful, productive
brave, tireless, heroic, cautious, wary,
patient, careful, thorough, meticulous,
Is s/he dependable? tireless, persevering, resolute, reliable,
dependable, faithful, loyal, adaptable,
flexible, accommodating
SOCIAL SANCTION
(moral and legal) Positive (praise)
unfortunate, odd, weird, unlucky, peculiar,
erratic, dated, daggy, obscure
weak, insane, silly, mild, wimpy, sickly,
immature, childish, helpless, dull, dreary,
flaky, neurotic, insane, nave, foolish,
ignorant, incompetent, unsuccessful,
unproductive
rash, cowardly, impulsive, erratic, timid,
gutless, impatient, impetuous, hasty,
reckless, weak, distracted, despondent,
unreliable, unfaithful, stubborn, obstinate
Negative (condemn)

truthful, genuine, frank, honest, credible, dishonest, manipulative, deceitful, lying,

Is s/he honest?
candid, direct, discreet, tactful
good, just, kind, noble, moral, ethical, law
abiding, fair, just, sensitive, caring, modest,
Is s/he good?
humble, polite, respectful, altruistic,
generous, charitable
deceptive, devious, blunt, blabbermouth
bad, corrupt, cruel, evil, unfair, unjust,
insensitive, mean, vain, snobby, arrogant,
rude, discourteous, cheeky, flippant,
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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