Language Types

Were 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, you
need to understand the difference between:

figurative and literal

2

LETS START WITH

LITERAL
Im tired and Im going home.

This means Im tired and Im going home. There is

no other meaning other than what is said.

I mean exactly what I

stated.

FIGURATIVE
To be figurative is to not mean what
you say but to imply something else.
For example: If I tell you, Youre the apple of my eye

Im not saying that

you are a piece of
fruit in my eye.
4

Literal vs. Figurative

Confused?
Think of it this way:
Literal is stated directly.
Figurative is imaginary.
5

Why Use Figurative Language?

Also known as
descriptive
language,
figurative
language helps
the writer paint
a picture in the
readers mind.
6

This test is a piece of

cake.
Liter
al

TEST

Figurative

My cat is a bolt of
lightning.
Literal
Figurative

MEOW!

Figurative Language
makes reading more interesting.

It is raining cats and dogs!

What would it
LITERALLY mean if it
rained cats and dogs?

What does it
FIGURATIVELY mean if
someone says it rained
cats and dogs?

Practice your own drawing!

On one side of the paper draw the LITERAL
meaning and on the other side draw the
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FIGURATIVE
meaning.

LETS PRACTICE!
Brian was a wall, bouncing every
tennis ball back over the net.
Brian was NOT LITERALLY a wall!
This metaphor compares Brian to a wall
because__________.
a. He was a strong tennis player.
b. He was very tall.
c. He kept missing 11the balls.
d. His body was made of cells.

LETS PRACTICE!
We would have had more pizza to
eat if Tammy hadnt been such a pig.
Tammy was NOT LITERALLY a pig!
Tammy was being compared to a pig because she __________.
a. looked like a pig
b. ate like a pig
c. smelled like a pig
d. was as smart as a pig

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LETS PRACTICE!
Cindy was such a mule. We could not
get her to change her mind.
Cindy was NOT LITERALLY a mule!
The metaphor Cindy was such a mule 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 13