ENGLISH 7

QUARTER 2–MODULE 5: WEEK 5

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN LITERAL
AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
OBJECTIVES
AT THE END OF THIS MODULE, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO:
•DISTINGUISH BETWEEN LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE
LANGUAGE
DISCUSSION
ONE IMPORTANT SKILL WHICH STUDENTS LIKE YOU NEED TO DEVELOP IS
DISTINGUISHING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LITERAL AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.
YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THE CONTEXT BY WHICH YOU USE OR ENCOUNTER WORDS.
FOR INSTANCE HAVING A DOG ESCAPE IS NOT THE BEST TIME TO BET ON YOUR
FRIENDS LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF “OFF THE CHAIN” SINCE HE WON’T PROBABLY
TAKE THESE WORDS IN THEIR PRIMARY, NON-FIGURATIVE SENSES. SO AS A RULE OF
THUMB, SHOULD ALWAYS AVOID FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE WHEN THERE’S A CHANCE
THAT WE’RE NOT GETTING ACROSS EXACTLY WHAT WE MEAN.
HOWEVER, USING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF
COMMUNICATING AN IDEA THAT IS NOT EASILY UNDERSTOOD BECAUSE OF ITS
ABSTRACT NATURE OR COMPLEXITY. ALTHOUGH FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE DOES NOT
OFFER A LITERAL EXPLANATION, IT CAN BE USED TO COMPARE ONE IDEA TO A SECOND
IDEA TO MAKE THE FIRST IDEA EASIER TO VISUALIZE. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE ALSO IS
USED TO LINK TWO IDEAS WITH THE GOAL OF INFLUENCING AN AUDIENCE TO SEE A
CONNECTION EVEN IF ONE DOES NOT ACTUALLY EXIST. WRITERS OF PROSE AND
POETRY USE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE TO ELICIT EMOTION, HELP READERS FORM
MENTAL IMAGES AND DRAW READERS INTO THE WORK.
IN THE FIRST SENTENCE “JAYDEE TALKS A MILE A MINUTE,” THIS
FIGURATIVELY STATES THAT BRENT TALKS VERY QUICKLY. IT USES THE
FIGURE OF SPEECH ‘HYPERBOLE’ WHICH MEANS EXAGGERATING A
STATEMENT.
IN THE SECOND SENTENCE “JEFF CARLO WAS LATE IN HIS FIRST DAY,”
THERE IS NO HIDDEN MEANING. WHAT YOU HAVE READ IS WHAT IT MEANS.
HE IS REALLY LATE IN HIS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
LITERAL LANGUAGE MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS.
LITERAL LANGUAGE IS A CONVENTIONAL MEANING OR
DENOTATIVE MEANING OF A WORD OR STATEMENT. IT IS
USED TO POINT DIRECTLY ON YOUR THOUGHT WITHOUT
USING WORDS WITH DEEP MEANING. SIMPLER WORDS ARE
MORE PREFERRED TO USE IN A LITERAL KIND OF LANGUAGE.
 MEANWHILE FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE USES SIMILES, METAPHORS,
HYPERBOLE, AND PERSONIFICATION TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING OFTEN
THROUGH COMPARISON WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT
FIGURES OF SPEECH ARE USUALLY USED IN A FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE OR
STATEMENT TO BUILD IMAGERY, TO GIVE MORE POWER, AND TO
ACCOMPLISH A UNIQUE CONSTELLATION OF COMMUNICATIVE GOALS.
STUDY THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLES:
ACTIVITIES TO ANSWER
ENGLISH 7 MODULE 5
•INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT 2
•INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT 3
•WHAT I CAN DO
•ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT 2
INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT 3
WHAT I CAN DO
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES