Identify 1
“I wished the floor would swallow me whole as I stepped into the classroom.”
Hyperbole
“The classroom smelled of chalk and cleaning spray, making my stomach twist with nerves.”
Sensory language / Imagery
“The shiny floors reflected my nervous face back at me, reminding me I was different.”
Imagery / Juxtaposition
“I could feel every pair of eyes on me as I walked into the classroom.”
Pressure, anxiety, sympathises with the narrator
“I wished the floor would swallow me whole.”
Highlights extreme embarrassment; reader feels sympathy
“The shiny floors reflected my nervous face back at me, reminding me I was different.”
Shows self-consciousness and outsider status; evokes sympathy
“The cafeteria smelled of burnt toast and spilled juice, making me gag.”
Immerses reader in setting; evokes discomfort
“The new school, with its polished floors and bright fluorescent lights, was a world I didn’t belong in.”
Juxtaposition, imagery
“I wanted to shrink into my chair, wished I could disappear, wished I could rewind the last ten minutes of my life.”
Hyperbole
“Every whisper felt like a secret mocking me.”
Simile, imagery
“By the time the bell rang, I felt like a deflated balloon, drained and invisible.”
Reader feels sympathy; understands exhaustion and exclusion
Explain the effect: “Every whisper felt like a secret mocking me.”
Highlights social isolation; reader empathises
“I sank into the chair, hoping no one would notice me.”
Conveys shame and discomfort; reader feels sympathy
“Every eye seemed to linger on me as I opened my notebook.”
Heightens self-consciousness; reader empathises
“I survived, but the embarrassment of everyone watching me would haunt me for days.”
Emotive language / Internal monologue
“I could feel sweat sliding down my back under the bright lights of the stage.”
Imagery, sensory language
“By the end, my voice shook, my cheeks burned, and the applause felt distant.”
Sensory / Emotive language
“My stomach churned, and my throat felt tight as I tried to speak.”
Conveys anxiety; reader empathises
“Some students smirked, others whispered, their eyes flicking to me constantly.”
Highlights social judgement; evokes sympathy
“I survived, but the embarrassment of everyone watching me would haunt me for days.”
Shows lingering shame; reader sympathises
“I could feel sweat sliding down my back under the bright lights of the stage.”
Creates immediacy; reader feels tension and anxiety
“I tried to look calm, but my hands knocked everything off my desk.”
Sensory language / Imagery
“The auditorium was packed, every face staring, every eye burning into me.”
Hyperbole / Imagery
“Even my friends’ smiles seemed fake, and I felt utterly exposed.”
Juxtaposition / Emotive language
“I wished time could pause, just for me to escape this moment.”
Emphasises desperation; reader sympathises
“I tried to look calm, but my hands knocked everything off my desk.”
Shows awkwardness; reader sympathises
“The auditorium was packed, every face staring, every eye burning into me.”
Heightens anxiety; evokes tension
“The auditorium was packed, every face staring, every eye burning into me.”
Heightens anxiety; evokes tension
“My heart thumped so hard it felt like it would explode.”
Hyperbole, simile
“The hall echoed with each step I took, spotlighting my uncertainty.”
Personification, imagery, metaphor
“I watched them laughing and joking, while I felt invisible.”
Juxtaposition / Observational language
“My heart was pounding so violently I thought it might leap out of my chest.”
Heightens tension and anxiety; sympathy
“Whispers circled around me, slicing through the air like knives.”
Evokes fear and isolation; reader sympathises
“The fluorescent lights seemed to glare directly at me.”
Conveys pressure; reader feels tension
By the end, my voice shook, my cheeks burned, and the applause felt distant.”
Conveys vulnerability and embarrassment; evokes sympathy