John Ruskin once said, “You must get in the habit of looking intensely at words. You must learn to read syllable by syllable, nay, letter by letter. ” By this, he means that as readers and writers, you need to look at the deeper meaning of the words instead of just what you think it means. I agree with this quote because without understanding what you’re reading or writing, you aren’t getting the deeper meaning of what’s in front of you. You are just simply reading, without comprehending what lies underneath the word. Many people believe that there is not a difference between the words “recreation” and play. However, there are many distinctions that people don’t recognize between the words.
The word “recreation” simply means an activity done for enjoyment when one is not working. “Play” means activities, which are voluntarily done for amusement or fun. The denotations of these words are very similar, but the connotations are different. When people hear the word “recreation,” they often think of the terms relaxation, enjoyment, exercise or leisure. When they hear the word “play,” they think of the terms games, toys, sports, or amusement.
The difference between these words are that recreation is an activity you do to pass time or to have fun, while play is an activity that could be fun, but could also consist of harsh and foul activities, such as sports. The word play is associated with either board games or sports, which are usually competitive, unlike recreational activities. The word “play” would be used to tell children to play a game, with their toys or a sport. “Play” would be used during a game, either sport or a board game, or to tell children to do an activity outside or in another area.
This word would be used in a sports arena, in a classroom, outside or in a house. This word will be used to tell children to do their activities and get exercise somewhere, or to tell kids to work harder when they’re playing a sport. People who might use the world play are parents who are telling their children to play a game, sport or with their toys, teachers who would tell their students to go play on the playground or coaches who would tell their players to play the game. The word “play” is a harsher word than “recreation” because playing could be a competition, while recreation is simply an activity for leisure.
The word “recreation” would be used to describe an activity that someone is doing for fun, instead of a competition. This word would be used when someone is describing an activity that doesn’t involve a lot of exercise, or movement. This word could be used in a nursing home for old people because they do a lot of recreational activities such as, bingo, shuffle board, reading, and knitting. This word could also be used in a classroom because students do a lot of recreational activities to learn such as coloring, reading, or doing a project.
The word “recreation” would be used to describe an activity that someone has fun doing, that doesn’t involve much energy, and passes time. Teachers and elderly could use this word. Sometimes parents who let their children do recreational activities could use this word as well. The connotation of the word “recreation” differs from the connotation of the word “play” because playing could be harsh and not fun, like a competition, but recreation is a leisure activity that you have fun doing.
The word “recreation” and the word “play” have very similar definitions. However, the connotations of the two words are different. The word “recreation” has to do with relaxing, enjoying your time and having fun. But the word “play” could mean doing something harsh or foul, or not having as much fun. When readers are reading, they need to not just look at the denotations of words, but at the connotations too, because the connotations show you the deeper meaning of the word and can help you understand what you’re reading better.
