Figurative Language

Creating a simile

A comparison between two unlike things for effect

*look for a comparison between two unlike things, and using “like” or “as”

Creating a metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things for effect

*look for a comparison between two unlike things

Creating a hyperbole

An exaggerated statement

*look for superlative language (best, most, “-est,” worst, least, etc.)

Using personification

Giving human characteristics to something non-human

*look for human verbs by objects/ideas

Using irony

Language that means the opposite

*look for opposing ideas in close proximity

Using a specific type of diction

Some words connote strong emotions within the audience

*look for powerful words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs), especially in close proximity to one another

Repeating a word or phrase

Look for a word (or variations of a word) repeated in close proximity

Juxtaposing

Intentionally putting two contrasting words/ideas together

*look for opposing ideas next to one another

Using parallelism or parallel structure

Using a repeated sentence structure

*look for patterns of repeated sentence structure

Comparing

Two ideas, people, or events that are coupled to show similarities

*look for “similar(ly)”

Contrasting

Ideas, people, or events that are paired to highlight their differences

*look for the words “but,” “yet,” “except,” or however

Lisiting

Sharing a list/sequence of words or ideas

*look for a series of commas or semicolons

Varying sentence structure: syntactic variations

Varying the sentence structure throughout a text

*look for a sudden change or deviation in the length of the sentences

Showing cause and effect

Shows how one thing leads to another

*look for “causes,” “because,” or “as a result”

*a guess or hypotheis about a potential outcome

*look for “if,” “then” statements, “would,” “could,” “might”