Figurative Language Miss L. S. Wallis Berry Shoals Intermediate School Spring, 2003

Figurative Language There are many different types. It is used in stories and reports. It adds interest and details.

Common Types of Figurative Language Hyperbole: Extreme exaggeration Idiom: Using words different from their meaning meaning Metaphor: Comparing two things without using “like” or “as” using “like” or “as” Simile: Comparing two things using “like” or “as” “like” or “as”

Hyperbole The key to this exaggeration is that it is an EXTREME EXAGGERATION! It is used to emphasize your point. Examples: My mother exploded when she saw the mess. Her face turned blood red. She told me a million times to clean up my room.

Idioms An idiom is a word(s) used in a different way from its usual or dictionary meaning. Examples: 1. Sarah and Emeshia ironed out their problems. 2. You’re pulling my leg. 3. She had the audience in the palm of her hand.

Metaphors To begin this comparison, think of two things that have something in common such as their color, size, shape, or behavior. Examples: 1. A speed skater and a roadrunner 2. Blue eyes and the ocean 3. Springtime air and light perfume

Metaphors cont. Then create your sentence… The skater in the red shirt is a real roadrunner. Her angry blue eyes were oceans about to storm. The light perfume was the green springtime air swirling around our heads.

Simile Now, you may use the words “like” or “as” when comparing two things! Examples: 1. Mother heard sounds like a ghost rattling chains. 2. Mother is as jumpy as a black long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. 3. She ran like the wind when she saw the drapes move.

Colorful Language Figurative language adds color to your writing by putting pictures in the minds of your readers to help them understand the written word. Using different types can help to make your writing more interesting to your reader. It adds details beyond basic understanding.

After a gazillion slides the show is over. (Hyperbole, Idiom, Metaphor, or Simile) The show stopped short of boring. (Hyperbole, Idiom, Metaphor, or Simile) The end was a sunset readying our written world for bright tomorrow. (Hyperbole, Idiom, Metaphor, or Simile) The end came like a door slamming shut. (Hyperbole, Idiom, Metaphor, or Simile) ….The End