What word in the sentence is most clearly a loaded word? Suppose the following sentence appears in the sports section of the newspaper: Lorton's experienced linemen performed well in handing Jefferson High's Eagles a crushing defeat.
I'll be glad to comment on your answer.
To identify the loaded word in the given sentence, we need to look for a word that carries a strong emotional meaning or bias. In this context, the word "crushing" can be seen as the most clearly loaded word.
To determine this, we can break down the sentence and focus on the words that might have a significant impact on the reader:
"Lorton's experienced linemen performed well in handing Jefferson High's Eagles a crushing defeat."
- "Lorton's experienced linemen" - This is a straightforward description and does not appear to carry any bias.
- "performed well" - Again, a neutral phrase indicating success without any particular bias.
- "handing Jefferson High's Eagles" - The use of "handing" suggests a one-sided action, but it does not necessarily convey bias. It could be interpreted as a neutral description of the game result.
- "a crushing defeat" - The word "crushing" stands out as a loaded term because it implies an overwhelming and emotionally impactful loss. It adds a negative and exaggerated connotation to the defeat, potentially influencing the reader's perception.
Therefore, in the sentence "Lorton's experienced linemen performed well in handing Jefferson High's Eagles a crushing defeat," the word "crushing" is the most clearly a loaded word.