Page 15 - The Vocabulary Expander US Grades 6-8

Figurative Language | RL4 Craft and Structure: Words, Meaning and Tone

F igur a tiv e L anguage
Figurative Language

Figurative language is an umbrella term for ‘figures of speech’ which is when we use words
and phrases in a non-literal way. They do not mean exactly what they say but are used to
create emphasis, or to compare someone or something, or to appeal to the senses. The key
terms which come under the ‘umbrella’ of figurative language are:
• simile • metaphor • personification • hyperbole

A Similes are the easiest type of figurative language to identify, as these comparisons use
‘like’ or ‘as’ to compare people, places and things. For the comparison to be effective, the
2 compared things need to share qualities, like size, shape and other traits. Pair up these to
complete the similes, thinking about which objects best match the qualities.

as tall as a. a January morning
as rough as b. the 3am cockerel

as sad as c. a feral cat disturbed
as fresh as d. a mirror catching sunlight

as loud as e. the tide sweeping away sandcastles

as bright as f. sandpaper
as fierce as g. new-mown grass

as cold as h. a lighthouse

B Highlight, underline or write out the 2 things which are being compared in these
metaphor sentences.

1. He sat motionless in the classroom, his prison. ____________ and ____________
2. To Jake, life was a journey with no destination. ____________ and ____________

3. All the possibilities were sweets lined up. ____________ and ____________

4. Music was a cure for his soul. ____________ and ____________

5. Gina was an angel in disguise. ____________ and ____________
6. In the blue-black sky, the milky moon glowed softly. ____________ and ____________

7. Freya’s new car was an absolute beast. ____________ and ____________

8. His raven-hair fell in long, dark locks over his eyes. ____________ and ____________

C Personification is when we give human qualities to animals or inanimate objects. It can be
created through different word classes, like verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs. Find the
word/s which personify animals or objects. Identify the word class ((e.g. verb, adjective) if
you can.

1. The trees shared their secrets only with each other.
2. Her cat stared at her with obvious scorn.

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