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Figurative language: similes, metaphors and more
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Figurative language means words used in an imaginative way, not literally. It helps readers picture things and feel things. You will need these terms in every English lesson from now to GCSE.
The key techniques
Practice extract
Do not just spot it: explain it
Weak: 'This is personification.'
Strong: 'The wind "clawed" like an animal, which makes the storm seem violent and dangerous, as if it wants to get in.'
Explain the simile 'Rain hammered on the roof like a thousand impatient fists'.
- It compares the rain to fists, using 'like'.
- 'Hammered' and 'fists' suggest loud, heavy, violent blows.
- 'Impatient' makes the storm sound as if it is demanding to come in.
Answer: The simile makes the rain sound loud and aggressive, as if the storm is trying to force its way into the house.
Simile (like/as), metaphor (is), personification (human qualities), alliteration (same starting sound), onomatopoeia (sounds like its meaning). Always explain the effect, not just the name.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
Check you have got it
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