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Figurative Language

English (Year 12) - Fiction Language Features

Ben Whitten

Figurative Language

  • Hyperbole: Hyperbole is a type of figurative language that involves exaggeration for effect. It is used to emphasize a point or create a humorous or dramatic effect. For example, "I've told you a million times" is a hyperbole that exaggerates the number of times something has been said.


  • Personification: Personification is a type of figurative language that involves giving human qualities or characteristics to non-human objects or concepts. It is used to make the object or concept more relatable or to create a more vivid image. For example, "the wind whispered through the trees" is personification because the wind, a non-human object, is given the human quality of whispering.


  • Simile: A simile is a type of figurative language that involves comparing two things using the words "like" or "as". It is used to create a visual image or make a comparison more vivid. For example, "her eyes sparkled like diamonds" is a simile that compares the brightness of the eyes to the brightness of diamonds.


  • Metaphor: A metaphor is a type of figurative language that involves comparing two things by saying that one thing is another. It is used to create a stronger image or make a comparison more impactful. For example, "her heart was a stone" is a metaphor that compares the heart to a stone to show how hard and unfeeling it is.


  • Idiom: An idiom is a type of figurative language that involves a phrase or expression that has a meaning that cannot be understood by the literal definition of the words. It is used to create a cultural reference or express a common idea in a unique way. For example, "break a leg" is an idiom that means "good luck" and has nothing to do with actually breaking a leg.

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