Language Types

We’re 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

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 LET’S START WITH
LITERAL
I’m tired and I’m going home.
This means “I’m tired and I’m going home.” There
is no other meaning other than what is said.

I mean exactly what I stated.

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 FIGURATIVE

To be figurative is to not mean what

you say but to imply something else.
For example: If I tell you, “You’re the apple of my eye…”

…I’m 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
reader’s mind.
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“This test is a piece of cake.”

Literal
Figurative

TEST 7
 “My cat is a bolt of lightning.”

Literal

MEOW! Figurative

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 Figurative Language
makes reading more interesting.

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 LET’S 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 10of cells.
 LET’S PRACTICE!
We would have had more pizza to
eat if Tammy hadn’t 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 pig11
 LET’S 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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