Figurative Language: Interpreting Non-Literal Word Usage

What is the main purpose of figurative language?

• To confuse the reader

• To add rhythm and rhyme

• To make writing clearer

• To create feeling or image

Which of these is an example of a simile?

• Her voice was a sword

• He ran like the wind

• Grief was his shadow

• The tree danced in joy

"He passed the baton to the next leader with pride." What does “passed the baton” suggest?

• He gave someone a trophy

• He finished a relay race

• He transferred responsibility

• He changed careers

"My thoughts were traffic on a jammed freeway." What does the metaphor imply?

• His thoughts were calm

• His thoughts were chaotic

• His thoughts were organized

• His thoughts were poetic

What’s the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

• Similes and metaphors both describe things literally

• Similes state one thing is another; metaphors use “like” or “as”

• Similes use “like” or “as”; metaphors make direct comparisons

• Similes describe actions; metaphors describe emotions

"The deadline loomed over us like a storm cloud." What's the meaning of this simile?

• The deadline was exciting

• The deadline was far away

• The deadline felt threatening

• The deadline passed silently

What type of figurative language is “He hit the roof”?

• Imagery

• Metaphor

• Symbol

• Idiom

"The thunder grumbled low in the distance." What is this an example of?

• Simile

• Personification

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

"Her words were a lighthouse in a storm." What do her words represent?

• Confusion

• Anger

• Comfort

• Repetition

What's the first step in interpreting figurative language?

• Find the author’s tone

• Rewrite the entire sentence

• Identify the non-literal phrase

• Check if it’s in quotation marks