Definition of Figures of Speech II – JSS1 Literature-in-English Lesson Note (Third Term)

Figures of speech are special ways of using words that go beyond their normal, everyday meanings.

Lesson details

• Subject: Literature in English
• Class: JSS 1
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Topic: Definition of Figures of Speech

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Explain what figures of speech are.
2. Explain why writers and speakers use figures of speech.
3. Identify simple figures of speech in sentences.
4. Give basic examples of common figures of speech.
5. Appreciate how figures of speech make language interesting.

What should students already know?

Students should be able to read simple sentences and tell literal meaning from non-literal meaning.

• Reading: they can read and understand simple sentences.
• Vocabulary: they know basic words and can pick out nouns, verbs and adjectives.
• Meaning: they know the difference between literal meaning (the actual meaning) and non-literal meaning (not exactly what the words say).

What teaching aids are needed?

• Board: whiteboard and markers.
• Chart: examples of figures of speech.
• Pictures: pictures showing literal and figurative meanings.
• Flashcards: cards with sample sentences.

Introduction (5 minutes)

The teacher starts with two sentences that students compare.

1. The teacher writes two sentences on the board: “I am very hungry.” and “I am so hungry I could eat a horse.”
2. The teacher asks: What is the difference between the two sentences?
3. The teacher asks: In sentence 2, will the person really eat a horse?
4. The teacher asks: Why do people say things like this?
5. Students share their ideas.
6. The teacher explains: “The second sentence uses a special way of speaking called a figure of speech. Today we will learn what this means and why it makes our language more interesting.”

What are figures of speech? (10 minutes)

Figures of speech are expressions that say one thing but mean something different, often by making a comparison or creating a picture in the mind.

• Effect: they make language more colourful and interesting.
• Users: writers and speakers use them to express strong feelings and explain ideas clearly.
• Simple picture: think of them as “special effects” in language, as special effects make film scenes more exciting.

What is the difference between literal and figurative language?

Literal language says exactly what it means, while figurative language says one thing and means another.

• Literal language: the words mean their normal, dictionary meanings.
• Figurative language: the words create a picture or comparison to express an idea in an interesting way.

Why can we not take figures of speech literally?

Taken literally, figures of speech would be silly or impossible.

Class activity: literal or figurative picture?

1. The teacher shows Picture 1: a person literally eating a horse.
2. The teacher shows Picture 2: a person eating a big meal.
3. Students say which picture shows the literal meaning.
4. Students say which picture shows what “I could eat a horse” really means.

Why do we use figures of speech? (8 minutes)

We use figures of speech to make language more interesting, clearer and more expressive.

• To make language more interesting: plain language can be boring. Plain: “The food was good.” With a figure of speech: “The food was heavenly!”
• To create pictures in our minds: they help us see, hear, smell, taste or feel things in our imagination. “The classroom was a zoo” is more vivid than “The classroom was noisy.”
• To express strong feelings: plain words are often not enough. Instead of “I am very sad”, we say “My heart is broken”. Instead of “I am very angry”, we say “I am boiling with rage”.
• To make ideas clearer: they explain a new idea by comparing it to a familiar thing. “The internet is a highway of information” shows that it carries us to a lot of information.
• To make language beautiful: poems, songs and stories use them to sound artistic. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine” shows deep love.
• To say more with fewer words: “He kicked the bucket” means “He died” and sounds less harsh.
• To be creative and original: Ordinary: “My teacher is very knowledgeable.” Creative: “My teacher is a walking encyclopaedia.”
• To add humour: “I’m so hungry I could eat an elephant” makes us smile, yet we still understand the person is very hungry.

Where do we meet figures of speech in real life?

We use figures of speech every day, often without thinking.

• In conversation: “I’m dead tired” (very tired), “That test was a piece of cake” (very easy), “I’ve told you a million times” (many times).
• In songs: “You light up my life”, “Love is a battlefield”, “I’m walking on sunshine”.
• In advertisements: “Finger-lickin’ good” (Kentucky Fried Chicken), “Red Bull gives you wings”, “Have a break, have a Kit Kat”.
• In proverbs: “A bird in hand is worth two in the bush”, “Don’t cry over spilled milk”, “Actions speak louder than words”.

Class discussion

1. The teacher asks: “Can you think of any special sayings your parents or grandparents use that do not mean exactly what the words say?”
2. Students share examples from home.
3. The class discusses what each saying really means.

What are the basic types of figures of speech? (12 minutes)

There are six common figures of speech at this level: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia and alliteration.

1. What is a simile?

A simile is a comparison that uses “like” or “as”.

• Examples: She is as brave as a lion. He swims like a fish. The baby’s skin is as soft as silk.
• More examples: Your room is like a pigsty. My brother eats like a pig.
• How to spot it: look for “like” or “as” joining two things in a comparison.

2. What is a metaphor?

A metaphor is a comparison that says one thing is another thing, without using “like” or “as”.

• Examples: Life is a road. Time is money. She is a star. He is a snake. The classroom is a zoo.
• How to spot it: one thing is called another thing directly, often with “is” or “are”.

3. What is personification?

Personification is giving human qualities or actions to non-human things.

• The sun smiled down on us: the sun cannot smile.
• The wind whispered through the trees: wind cannot whisper.
• Time marches on: time cannot march.
• The flowers danced in the breeze: flowers cannot dance.
• My alarm clock screams at me every morning: clocks cannot scream.
• How to spot it: an object, animal or idea acts like a human or has human feelings.

4. What is hyperbole?

Hyperbole is extreme exaggeration that makes something sound bigger, more or worse than it really is.

• I’m so hungry I could eat a horse: nobody can eat a whole horse.
• I’ve told you a million times: not really a million.
• This bag weighs a ton: bags do not weigh a ton.
• I’m dying of thirst: the person is not actually dying.
• I waited forever: not literally forever.
• How to spot it: the statement is an obvious, impossible exaggeration.

5. What is onomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sound they describe.

• Buzz: the sound a bee makes.
• Bang: the sound of an explosion.
• Splash: the sound of water.
• Meow: the sound a cat makes.
• Crash: the sound of a collision.
• Sizzle: the sound of frying.
• How to spot it: the word sounds like the real sound.

6. What is alliteration?

Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the beginning of nearby words.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers: the P sound repeats.
• She sells seashells by the seashore: the S sound repeats.
• Big brown bears: the B sound repeats.
• Tiny timid tortoise: the T sound repeats.
• How to spot it: the same consonant sound starts several words close together.

Simple practice

The teacher writes these sentences on the board. Students name the figure of speech in each.

1. “The stars danced in the sky”: Personification
2. “He is as tall as a tree”: Simile
3. “I’m so tired I could sleep for a year”: Hyperbole
4. “The bee buzzed around the flower”: Onomatopoeia
5. “My teacher is a walking encyclopaedia”: Metaphor

How do we identify figures of speech? (5 minutes)

We identify a figure of speech by checking whether the words mean something different from what they say.

What are the steps?

1. Read the sentence carefully.
2. Ask: does it mean exactly what it says, or something different? If different, it is probably a figure of speech.
3. Look for clues, using the table below.
4. Think about what the sentence really means.

Worked example

The sentence is: “The thunder roared angrily.”

1. Read it: “The thunder roared angrily.”
2. Ask: does thunder really roar or feel anger? No, these are human or animal actions and feelings.
3. Look for clues: thunder (non-human) does something human (feels angry).
4. Name it: this is personification.
5. Real meaning: the thunder was very loud and frightening.

What should students remember?

Students do not need to memorise every name yet, but they must remember four ideas.

1. Figures of speech say things in special, non-literal ways.
2. They make language more interesting.
3. They create pictures in our minds.
4. They help express ideas and feelings powerfully.

Class activity: improve the sentence

Students work in pairs to make a plain sentence more interesting.

1. The teacher gives each pair a simple sentence.
2. Each pair writes a better version using any figure of speech.
3. Pairs read their sentences and name the figure used.

• Plain: The car is fast. Improved: The car runs like lightning (simile).
• Plain: She is beautiful. Improved: She is a rose (metaphor).
• Plain: The rain was heavy. Improved: The rain poured down like a waterfall (simile).

Evaluation (2 minutes)

1. What are figures of speech?
2. What is the difference between literal and figurative language?
3. Give two reasons why we use figures of speech.
4. Which figure of speech uses “like” or “as”, and which gives human qualities to non-human things?
5. Is “The classroom is a zoo” literal or figurative? Say why, and give its real meaning.

Assignment

Copy each sentence below. Write whether it is literal or figurative. For each figurative one, write what it really means.

1. The dog is sleeping under the table.
2. Time flies when you are having fun.
3. She drank a glass of water.
4. He has a heart of gold.
5. It’s raining cats and dogs.