Figurative Language
•Whenever you describe something by
comparing it with something else.
•Words that goes beyond their literal
meaning in order to bring a fresh insight
into an idea or subject.
•The most common figures of speech
are simile, metaphor, personification,
alliteration, and idioms.
A simile compares two unlike
things always using the key
words “like” or “as”.
Playing chess with Ashley is like
trying to outsmart a computer.
The activity “playing chess with
Ashley” is being compared to “trying
to outsmart a computer.” The point is
that Ashley can think in a powerful
manner that resembles the way a
computer operates, not that she is
like a computer in any other way.
His
feet were as
big as boats.
What is being
compared?
How are they
alike?
His temper was as explosive as a
volcano.
His temper is being compared to a
volcano in that it can be sudden and
violent.
A metaphor states
that one thing is
something else. It is
a comparison, but it
does NOT use like or
as to make the
comparison.
Open the window. This room is
an oven!!
The oven and the room are being
compared. Both an oven and a
room are square, can get
extremely hot, and have an
opening. The point is the oven
gets hot and so can a room. Not
that we are in an actually oven.
The shop was a little gold mine.
•What is being compared?
•How are they alike?
•How are they different?
Directions: below are some sentences for you to
figure out which is which. Tell whether the following
sentences have a simile or metaphor.
1. The baby was like an octopus, grabbing at all the cans
on the grocery store shelves.
2. As the teacher entered the room she muttered under
her breath, "This class is like a three-ring circus!“
3. The giant’s steps were thunder as he ran toward Jack.
4. The pillow was a cloud when I put my head upon it
after a long day.
Giving human characteristics to
an animal, object, or idea.
“The wind yells while blowing."
The wind cannot yell. Only a living
thing can yell.
The flowers danced in the wind.
The friendly gates
welcomed us.
The Earth coughed and choked in all
of the pollution.
ASK YOURSELF:
What is the object ? What are the human
characteristics is it given? What is the
author trying to portray?
Sally sells
seashells by
the seashore on
Saturdays.
Stan the strong surfer saved
several swimmers on Saturday.
Tiny Tommy Thomson takes toy
trucks to Timmy’s on Tuesday.
An idiom is an
expression that has a
meaning apart from the
meanings of its
individual words.
It’s raining cats and dogs.
Its literal meaning suggests that
cats and dogs are falling from the sky.
We interpret it to mean that it is
raining hard.
When mom and dad see my
report card, I am going to be in
the doghouse!
Has the cat got your tongue?
He was down in the dumps
because he lost his ring.
ASK: What is the LITERAL meaning?
What do we interpret it to mean?
Figurative langauage
worksheet:http://www.ereadingworksheets.com
/figurative-language-worksheets/identifyingfigurative-language-1.pdf
 Online activity:
http://www.spellingcity.com/figurativelanguage.html
 Free worksheets to print online:
http://www.k12reader.com/subject/figurativelanguage-worksheets/
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