Study sheet: Figurative Language

📋 Course Outline

1. Meaning of Figurative Language
2. Similes and Comparisons
3. Metaphors and Identity
4. Idioms and Special Meanings

📖 1. Meaning of Figurative Language

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Figurative language : expresses something in a creative way that is not always literal

💡 Memory Hook

Figurative language is creative rather than always literal.

📖 2. Similes and Comparisons

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Simile : a type of figurative language that compares two things using like or as

📝 Essential Points

• The simile “She’s as busy as a bee” means that she is very busy.

• The simile “Drew put on his snow boots as fast as lightning” means that Drew put his boots on fast.

💡 Memory Hook

L-A: similes use Like or As.

📖 3. Metaphors and Identity

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Metaphor : says that one thing is another and does not use like or as

📝 Essential Points

• The metaphor “His mind is a computer” means that he thinks very quickly.

• The metaphor “My brother is a night owl” means that he stays up late reading books past bedtime.

💡 Memory Hook

A metaphor says one thing is another, unlike a simile, which uses like or as.

📖 4. Idioms and Special Meanings

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Idiom : a phrase that means something different from its literal meaning

📝 Essential Points

• The idiom “It’s raining cats and dogs” means that it is raining a lot.

• The idiom “He has a heart of gold” means that Ben is very kind.

💡 Memory Hook

Imagine cats and dogs falling from the sky to remember that the phrase means heavy rain, not literal animals.

📊 Synthesis Tables

Types of Figurative Language

Type	How it works	Example meaning
Simile	Compares two things using like or as.	“As busy as a bee” means very busy.
Metaphor	Says one thing is another without like or as.	“His mind is a computer” means he thinks very quickly.
Idiom	Uses a phrase with a special nonliteral meaning.	“Raining cats and dogs” means raining a lot.