You are on page 1of 51

Figures of speech mean exactly

what the words say.

TRUE OR FALSE
FALSE
Many are called,
but few are
chosen.
• Antithesis - The juxtaposition of
contrasting ideas in balanced
phrases.

Example:
Many are called, but few are
chosen.
He fights like a
lion.
• Simile - A stated comparison (usually
formed with "like" or "as") between
two fundamentally dissimilar things that
have certain qualities in common.

• Example:
He fights like a lion.
A hundred head
of cattle
• Synecdoche - A figure of speech in
which a part is used to represent the
whole (for example, ABCs for alphabet)
or the whole for a part ("England won
the World Cup in 1966″).

• Example:
A hundred head of cattle (using the part
head to refer to the whole animal)
I'm so hungry I
could eat a
horse!
• Hyperbole - An extravagant statement; the
use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of
emphasis or heightened effect.

Example:
• The bag weighed a ton.
• He cried so long that he made a lake!
• I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!
• You have a million toys at your house!
You are my
guardian angel!
• Metaphor - An implied comparison between
two unlike things that actually have
something important in common.

Metaphors Examples
• You are my guardian angel!
• I wish you weren't always such a chicken!
• Johnny's mouth is one huge metal factory.
Small
Crowd
Oxymoron - A figure of speech in which incongruous
or contradictory terms appear side by side.
Example:
Dark light
Living dead

Here are some funny oxymorons :


Small Crowd
Act Naturally
Found Missing
Fully Empty
Pretty Ugly
Seriously Funny
Buzz, Splat, drip,
beep, ring
• Onomatopoeia - The use of words
that imitate the sounds associated
with the objects or actions they
refer to.

• Example:
clap
murmur
Walter wondered
where Winnie was.
• Alliteration is the repetition of the
beginning sounds of neighboring words.

Examples are:
• She sells seashells.
• Walter wondered where Winnie was.
• Blue baby bonnets
• Nick needed new notebooks.
• Fred fried frogs.
You were right, so I
left.
Pun
A pun is a joke that plays on the multiple meanings
of a word, or on two words that sound the same.
Authors make use of pun to add humor, or
sometimes, the author exploits the double meaning
of words in order to add ambiguity or make a
statement.
Examples of Pun:
1. You were right, so I left.
2. Geometry is so pointless.
3. It's hard to beat scrambled eggs for breakfast!
Mad world! Mad kings!
Mad composition! - King
John II, William
Shakespeare
• Anaphora is a technique where several
phrases (or verses in a poem) begin with
the same word or words.
Examples are:
• I came, I saw, I conquered - Julius Caesar
• Mad world! Mad kings! Mad composition! - King
John II, William Shakespeare
• It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age
of foolishness - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles
Dickens
'Economical with
the truth' instead
of 'liar'
• Euphemism is a mild, indirect, or
vague term substituting for a harsh,
blunt, or offensive term.
Examples are:
• 'A little thin on top' instead of 'going
bald'
• 'Homeless' instead of 'bum'
• 'Letting him go' instead of 'firing him'
• 'Passed away' instead of 'died'
“How nice!” she said,
when I told her I had to
work all weekend.
• Irony is when there is a contrast between what is
said and what is meant, or between appearance
and reality.

Irony is when a word or phrase’s literal meaning is the


opposite of its figurative meaning. Many times (but
not always), irony is expressed with sarcasm.
For example, maybe you eat a really bad cookie, and
then say
“Wow, that was the best cookie I ever had”
—of course, what you really mean is that it’s the worst
cookie you ever had, but being ironic actually
emphasizes just how bad it was!
Tongue twisters usually involve ...

A. irony
B. metaphors
C. alliteration
D. onomatopoeia
C. alliteration
If a poet speaks of "the departed"
instead of harshly saying "the dead"
he is using which literary device?
Euphemism
He is a lion.

A. Simile
B. Metaphor
C. Personification
B. Metaphor
When words are literal, they
mean exactly what they say.

TRUE or FALSE
TRUE
What is the difference between a
conductor and a teacher? The
conductor minds the train and a
teacher trains the mind.
Pun Definition
• A pun is a play on words that produces a
humorous effect by using a word that suggests
two or more meanings, or by exploiting similar
sounding words that have different meanings.
His parents bought him a
new set of wheels. (new car)
Synecdoche is a figure of speech in
which a whole is represented by a part
of it.
Examples of Synecdoche:
• 1. Referring to a car as "wheels".
• 2. Referring to a helper as a "hand."
• 3. Referring to the alphabet as the
"ABCs."
Truth is honey, which is
bitter.
Paradox Definition
• The term paradox is from the Greek
word paradoxon, which means “contrary to
expectations, existing belief, or perceived
opinion.”
• It is a statement that appears to be self-
contradictory or silly, but which may include a
latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an
opinion or statement contrary to accepted
traditional ideas. A paradox is often used to
make a reader think over an idea in innovative
way.
The cactus saluted those
who drove past.
Personification is when you give human qualities
or abilities to an object or animal. It is a literary
tool that adds interest and fun to a poem or
story. When a writer brings a non-human object
to life it can help us understand better what
they're trying to say.
Common Personification Examples
• Lightning danced across the sky.
• The wind howled in the night.
• The car complained as the key was turned.
It was as easy as shooting
fish in a barrel.
Simile
• A simile also compares two things. However,
similes use the words “like” or “as.”

Examples include:
• Busy as a bee.
• Clean as a whistle.
After wrecking your car:
"There's a little scratch.“

a. Hyperbole
b. Understatement
c. Irony
B. Understatement is the deliberate description of
something in a way that makes it seem less
important than it actually is.
Examples of Understatement:
• 1. In the middle of an intense thunderstorm:
"We're having a little rain."
• 2. After wrecking your car: "There's a little
scratch."
• 3. After coming home to find that your dog has
torn apart couch cushions and strewn stuffing all
over the floor: "Well, you had a little fun while I
was gone."
That joke is so old, the
last time I heard it I was
riding a dinosaur.
Hyperbole, from a Greek word meaning
“excess,” is a figure of speech that uses
extreme exaggeration to make a point or show
emphasis. It is the opposite of understatement.

• She’s so dumb, she thinks Taco Bell is a


Mexican phone company.
• I am so hungry I could eat a horse.
• I have a million things to do today.
Go and mow the
lawn.
Assonance Definition
• Assonance takes place when two or more
words, close to one another repeat the same
vowel sound, but start with different
consonant sounds.

Common Assonance Examples


• We light fire on the mountain.
• I feel depressed and restle
• Go and mow the lawn.

You might also like