Shades of Meaning

Put toss, throw, hurl and thin, slender, skinny, scrawny in order, and choose the most precise word for a sentence.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 24

Some words mean almost the same thing, but one is stronger. These are shades of meaning, like light blue, blue, and dark blue.
Toss, throw, and hurl all mean to send something through the air. Toss is gentle, throw is in the middle, and hurl is with all your might!
Good writers choose the most precise word. The sun was so hot the sand burned our feet. Scorching shows it better than warm!
Some words also feel different. Thin, slender, skinny, and scrawny all mean not heavy, but slender sounds like a compliment, and scrawny doesn't.
Your turn! Put these from weakest to strongest.

Georgia's K-12 English Language Arts Standards:

3.L.V.3.c — Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny). (I)
3.L.V.3.e — Use knowledge of word relationships and learned vocabulary words and phrases to make precise word choices when speaking and writing. (C)