Figurative Language
There are seven types of figurative language which students commonly use. These include simile, hyperbole, alliteration, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, and idiom. Here are some examples:
Simile: She is as sweet as sugar. Simile is a comparison using "like" or "as."
Metaphor: The little boy was a tank, rolling over everything in his path. A metaphor is a comparison in which we compare two things that are obviously not alike.
Hyperbole: The kitchen was hotter than blue blazes. Hyperbole (pronounced, hy-PER-bo-lee), is intentional exaggeration.
Alliteration: She sells seashells by the seashore. In alliteration, the beginning sound of words in a sentence or phrase are the same.
Personification: Darkness crept into the room like a thief. Personification involves giving human characteristics to things that are not human. Another example, The javelin screamed through the inky black sky.
Idiom: It's raining cats and dogs outside. An idiom is a phrase or expression with a secret meaning. Dogs and cats are obviously not falling from the sky. This idiom means it is raining really hard outside.
Onomatopoeia: Both bees and buzzers buzz. Onomatopoeia is a way you can create sounds in your writing. An onomatopoeia is a word that spells the sound it makes. Here are some examples of onomatopoeia: slam, splash, bam, babble, warble, gurgle, mumble and belch.
Simile: She is as sweet as sugar. Simile is a comparison using "like" or "as."
Metaphor: The little boy was a tank, rolling over everything in his path. A metaphor is a comparison in which we compare two things that are obviously not alike.
Hyperbole: The kitchen was hotter than blue blazes. Hyperbole (pronounced, hy-PER-bo-lee), is intentional exaggeration.
Alliteration: She sells seashells by the seashore. In alliteration, the beginning sound of words in a sentence or phrase are the same.
Personification: Darkness crept into the room like a thief. Personification involves giving human characteristics to things that are not human. Another example, The javelin screamed through the inky black sky.
Idiom: It's raining cats and dogs outside. An idiom is a phrase or expression with a secret meaning. Dogs and cats are obviously not falling from the sky. This idiom means it is raining really hard outside.
Onomatopoeia: Both bees and buzzers buzz. Onomatopoeia is a way you can create sounds in your writing. An onomatopoeia is a word that spells the sound it makes. Here are some examples of onomatopoeia: slam, splash, bam, babble, warble, gurgle, mumble and belch.
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