Language Types
We’re going to look at
two types of language:
figurative language
and literal language
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Figurative vs. Literal
To understand what
figurative language is,one
needs to understand the
difference between
figurative and literal
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LET’S START WITH
LITERAL
To be literal is to state what you mean or mean
what you say.
For example:
If I tell you to, “Stop whining!”
I mean it literally, “Stop whining.” as in “Stop whining and
put a smile on your face, please.”
I am directly stating what I mean.
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Here’s another example:
I’m tired and going home.
This means “I’m tired and I’m going
home.” There is no other meaning
other than what is said.
I mean exactly what I stated.
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FIGURATIVE
To be figurative is to not mean what
you say but to imply something else.
For example: If I tell you, “Let’s go chill,”
I’m not suggesting we get into the freezer.
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“Let’s go chill.”
… means let’s relax together and do
something fun.
It has nothing to do with temperature.
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Literal vs. Figurative
Confused?
Think of it this way:
Literal is stated directly
Figurative is imaginary
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Why Use Figurative Language?
Also known as
descriptive
language, or
poetic language,
figurative
language helps
the writer paint a
picture in the
reader’s mind.
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Figurative Language makes reading more interesting.
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LET’S PRACTICE!
Brian was a wall, bouncing every
tennis ball back over the net.
This figurative phrase compares Brian to a
wall because __________.
a. He was a strong tennis player.
b. He was very tall.
c. He kept missing the balls.
d. His body was made of cells.
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We would have had more pizza to eat if
Tammy hadn’t been such a hog.
Tammy was being compared to a hog
because she __________.
a. looked like a hog
b. ate like a hog
c. smelled like a hog
d. was as smart as a hog
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Cindy was such a mule. We couldn’t
get her to change her mind.
This figurative phrase compares
Cindy to a mule because she was
__________.
a. always eating oats
b. able to do hard work
c. raised on a farm
d. very stubborn
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The poor rat didn’t have a chance. Our old
cat, a bolt of lightning, caught his prey.
The cat was compared to a bolt of
lightning because he was _______.
a. very fast
b. very bright
c. not fond of fleas
d. very old
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The leaves danced in the wind.



Do leaves really dance? Of course not!
Close your eyes and picture leaves
“dancing in the wind.” What do you see?
Why do you think an author would
choose to use “dancing” to show what
the leaves were doing?
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He never listens to his mom.”
Never? That is a very long time. His
mom might want to have his hearing
checked. Never is an exaggeration.
It is figurative language, not literal.
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We have a ton of homework.
Oh really? A ton is a thousand pounds. You
would need to have big muscles and a HUGE
backpack! This is figurative language.
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LET’S REVIEW
Literal vs. Figurative
Remember:
Real vs. Imaginary
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