LANGUAGE TYPES

FIGURATIVE & LITERAL

FIGURATIVE VS.
LITERAL
To understand what figurative
language is, you need to
understand the difference between:

figurative and literal

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LITERAL LANGUAGE
Im tired and Im going
This means Im tired and Im going home.
home.
There is no other meaning other than what is
said.

I mean exactly what I stated.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
To be figurative is to not
mean what you say but to
imply something else.

For example: If I tell you, Youre the apple

my eye

Im not saying that

you are a piece of
fruit in my eye.
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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,
figurative
language helps
the writer paint
a picture in the
readers mind.
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THIS TEST IS A PIECE OF

CAKE.
Literal

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?

See for yourself!

On one side of a piece of paper draw the
LITERAL meaning and on the other side
draw the FIGURATIVE meaning.
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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 the balls.
d. His body was made of cells.

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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

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