Language writers use to say something other than what is literally meant for an effect on the reader.

Simile: Whe n two unlike things are compared using ‘like’ or ‘as’ This pizza is as cold as ice. The sun is like a big, round pizza pie.

Metaphor: W hen two unlike things are compared not using like or as Karen was a ray of sunshine. This pizza is ice. The sun is a big, round pizza pie.

Simile or metaphor? Barbara is as hungry as a horse. His stomach was a bottomless pit. The grass is a green carpet for golfers. The car was a jet when it passed us. The inside of the car was like a refrigerator. Adam is a chef when he is in the kitchen. The pillow is as soft as a cloud. S M S M M M S

Similes and Metaphors are used all over pop culture; in movies and music…….

Personification: Describing nonhuman animals, objects, or ideas as though they have human qualities or emotions. Ex: -My car’s headlights winked at me. - Lightning danced across the sky -The moon played hide and seek with the clouds.

Our house is an old friend of ours. Although he creeks and groans with every gust of wind, he never fails to protect us from the elements. He wraps his arms of bricks and mortar around us and keeps us safe. He’s always been a good friend to us and we would never leave him.

Onomonpeia- The use of words whose sounds imitate the sounds of what they describe. Ex: hiss, buzz, growl, honk, woof, etc.

Alliteration: When two or more words in the group begin with the same sound (usually the same letter or group of letters): Ex: crawl like a creepy, crawly caterpillar, Anne’s awesome apple, Fred’s frozen French fries

Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis that is not meant to be taken literally. Ex: I almost died of boredom. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. My backpack weighs a ton.

Idiom: an expression that cannot be understood from the meaning of its individual words. Ex: It’s raining cats and dogs! Something fishy is going on here. Two heads are better than one.

Allusion: When the writer makes a reference to a person, place, thing, or idea to culture, religion, or history. Ex: I was surprised his nose had not grown like Pinocchio’s! He was a real Romeo with the ladies. This place is like the Garden of Eden. She acted like a Scrooge.