English Figurative languages

• Literal Language


  Means exactly what it says. There is no other meaning.
• Literal Language


  • "The sky is color blue."
• Figurative Language


  Uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation.
• Figurative Language


  • "He was as brave as a lion."
• Types of Figurative Language

  • Simile
  • Metaphor
  • Personification
  • Irony
  • Oxymoron
  • Paradox
  • Hyperbole
  • Onomatopoeia
  • Alliteration
  • Assonance
  • Consonance
  • Euphemism
  • Litotes
  • Apostrophe
• Simile


  A comparison between two things using "like" or "as."
• Simile


  • Brave as a lion.
  • Scared like a cat.
• Metaphor


  A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as."
• Metaphor


  • Time is a thief.
  • His tongue is a knife.
• Personification


  Giving human qualities to non-human things.
• Personification


  • The wind howled.
  • The sea sings.
• Irony


  A contrast between expectation and reality.
• Irony


  • "The fire station burned down."
• Oxymoron


  A combination of contradictory or opposite words.
• Oxymoron


  • "Bittersweet," "jumbo shrimp."
• Paradox


  A statement that seems contradictory but may be true.
• Paradox


  • "Less is more."
• Hyperbole


  Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
• Hyperbole


  • I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. I can move the mountains.
• Onomatopoeia


  Words that imitate sounds.
• Onomatopoeia


  • "Buzz," "clang," "hiss."
• Alliteration


  Repetition of initial consonant sounds.
• Alliteration


  • "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
• Assonance


  Repetition of vowel sounds.
• Assonance


  • "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain."
• Consonance


  Repetition of consonant sounds.
• Consonance


  • "Mike likes his bike."
• Euphemism


  Substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be harsh or blunt.
• Euphemism


  • "Passed away" instead of "died."
• Litotes


  A form of understatement in which a statement is expressed by negating its opposite.
• Litotes


  • "Not bad" instead of "good."
• Apostrophe


  When a character addresses someone or something that isn't present or cannot respond.
• Apostrophe

  • "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo."
• Intrapersonal Communication

  Communication within oneself, and that may include self-talk, acts of imagination and visualization, and even recall and memory.
• Interpersonal Communication

  The process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.
• Dyadic communication

  Exchange of information between two people.
• Types of Interpersonal Communication

  • Verbal
  • Nonverbal
  • Written
  • Listening
• Conversation


  The most common form of dyadic communication, a friendly and usual informal talk between two people.
• Guidelines in Engaging an Effective Conversation


  • Do not interrupt while the person is speaking.
  • Do not do all the talking.
  • Be a good listener.
  • Do not exaggerate.
  • Do not misquote
  • Be polite.
• Dialog


  The most personal and intimate form of dyadic communication.