I’m going to start this article with a personal confession. I’ve not always been the sharpest knife in the drawer! So, what am I saying in that opening sentence? Do the words “I’ve not always been . . .” suggest that I am sharper now?
Bear with me with my emotive opening! Let me open with a confession instead. As a child, I was not encouraged to take education seriously. I was immature and made loads of mistakes in my early life. Was it all my parents’ fault or was it mine alone? My belief is that it was largely because of my parents, but that is only my emotive opinion.
Until a couple of years ago I had no idea what the word “emotive” meant, yet already I have used the word three times in this opening! Like so many other big words, until I took the time to learn the meaning of emotive it was just another fancy word that was used by others that understood its meaning. But like so many other aspects of my education, one day, I took the time to find out what the meaning was. And what a powerful and rich word it is.