Analyzing and Interpreting Literature / Unit 2 AIL 0123 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Words That Have Shifted Meaning
Captions available
The idea
Wit once meant intelligence, nice meant precise, presently meant immediately, and want meant lack. A line built on the modern sense will read as nonsense or as something the writer never said. The surrounding sentence settles which meaning applies.
In practice
Let the sentence settle the sense.
Where people slip
The modern meaning is often wrong.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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