Final answer:
The incorrect statement in relation to connotation and denotation is that words with the same literal meaning can't have different connotations. Words with similar denotations can have a range of positive or negative connotations that influence the tone and meaning in communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
In relation to connotation & denotation, the statement that is incorrect is: B. Words with much the same literal meaning cannot have positive and negative connotations. This statement is not accurate because words with similar denotations can indeed have quite different connotations, which may be positive or negative based on cultural or personal associations.
The denotation of a word is its literal or dictionary meaning. When you read the word 'cow', the denotation you think of is a four-legged herbivorous mammal. On the other hand, the connotation of a word encompasses the associations, feelings, and additional meanings that it evokes. For example, the connotation of 'cow' might involve thoughts of farm life, the countryside, or a glass of fresh milk.
Connotations can greatly influence the tone and implication of language in both spoken and written contexts. Writers and speakers often utilize the connotative meanings of words to convey subtleties, to create imagery, or to evoke emotional responses from their audience. For instance, while 'house' and 'home' have the same denotation as places where one lives, 'home' connotes warmth and family, whereas 'house' is a more neutral term.
It's important to note that connotations can differ across different cultures or periods. Also, they can change over time as societies evolve and as the experiences that shape people's understanding of words shift. Therefore, words that have certain connotations today might have had different connotations in the past or may develop new ones in the future.