Figurative Language
“Her words were daggers, cutting deeper than she realized.” What is being compared, and what does this metaphor help the reader understand?
What is metaphor? Her words are compared to daggers. It shows that what she said was deeply hurtful or emotionally painful to someone.
Correct the formatting: “where have you been” asked Rachel.
What is: "Where have you been?" asked Rachel.
“The children laughed as sunlight poured through the windows.” What mood is created?
What is happy/joyful?
“Lena stared at the test. She couldn't remember the answer to the final question.”
What point of view is this?
What is third-person limited?
Is “friendship” a theme or a topic?
What is topic?
“The old truck coughed and wheezed as it climbed the hill.” Identify the figurative language and explain what it helps the reader imagine.
What is personification? It makes the truck seem alive and emphasizes how hard it is struggling.
Correct the sentence: Sarah said “I finished my project last night,”.
What is: Sarah said, "I finished my project last night."
The author describes the character as "reckless," "careless," and "foolish." What does this word choice suggest about the author's tone?
What is critical/negative/disapproving?
What point of view allows the narrator to reveal the thoughts of multiple characters?
What is third-person omniscient?
What is the difference between theme and moral?
What is: Theme is a universal message, while a moral provides advice or a lesson.
“My little brother eats like a vacuum cleaner.” Identify the figurative language. What comparison is being made?
What is a simile? The brother eats very quickly or messily, like a vacuum sucking things up.
Correctly format this exchange: Jay asked, “are you coming with us”? “No,” said Alice. “I have to stay here.”
What is: Jay asked, "Are you coming with us?"
"No," said Alice. "I have to stay here."
Two writers describe rain:
Writer A: “Gentle rain whispered against the windows.”
Writer B: “Cold rain pounded against the glass.”
How does the word choice create a different mood in each passage?
What is: A creates a peaceful/calm mood. B creates a harsher, more intense, possibly threatening mood.
Should you ever use second person in an academic setting?
What is NO?
A character fails an important competition. Instead of quitting, she studies her mistakes, practices, and eventually succeeds.
What theme is suggested by the character's experience?
What is:
Possible answers: Failure can help people grow, or perseverance can lead to success.
“The hallway was deafeningly quiet after the principal announced the cancellation.” Identify the figurative language. Why is this an effective choice instead of simply saying “The hallway was quiet”?
What is oxymoron? It emphasizes an unusual, uncomfortable silence by combining contradictory ideas.
“I'm not going,” Sarah said.
“Why not?” Elena asked.
“Because I don't trust him,” Sarah replied. “He lied to us yesterday.”
Is this dialogue formatted correctly? Explain why or why not.
What is: Yes. Each new speaker begins a new paragraph, quotation marks surround spoken words, punctuation is correctly placed, and the dialogue tag is properly punctuated.
Read the passage:
“‘Great,’ Aaron muttered, rolling his eyes as he stared at the broken-down car. ‘This is exactly how I wanted my Saturday to go.’”
What is the tone of this passage, and what specific words or details help establish it?
What is: Sarcastic, annoyed, or frustrated. Words and details such as “Great” (in context), “muttered,” “rolling his eyes,” and “exactly how I wanted” reveal Aaron’s negative attitude.
“Greg watched Laura walk away. He wanted to call after her, but he was afraid she would ignore him.”
Change this sentence to third-person omniscient.
What is:
Possible answer: Greg watched Laura walk away. He wanted to call after her, but he was afraid she would ignore him. Laura fought the urge to turn around and tell him how she really felt.
A character spends an entire story changing herself to impress a popular group. Eventually, she realizes that her true friends liked her before she changed.
What theme is best supported by the concept?
What is:
Possible answer: Staying true to oneself is more valuable than changing for acceptance.
“He was determined to succeed, saying, ‘I’m going to be like David facing Goliath.’” What type of figurative language is being used, and what does the reference mean?
What is allusion or simile? It refers to the Biblical story of David defeating Goliath despite being much smaller/weaker.
Rewrite this passage using correct dialogue formatting:
“Did you hear that?” whispered Ava “Hear what?” asked Ben “That noise upstairs.” Ava pointed toward the ceiling “We should leave.”
What is:
“Did you hear that?” whispered Ava.
“Hear what?” asked Ben.
“That noise upstairs.” Ava pointed toward the ceiling. “We should leave.”
Rewrite “The door opened” in a way that creates a suspenseful mood. You must use at least two narrative techniques.
What is:
Possible answer:
The door creaked slowly open. I held my breath as a cold draft slipped across my skin.
Techniques: sensory details, pacing, description, first-person narration, precise word choice.
A writer changes a story from third-person omniscient to first person.
How would this change affect the reader's experience?
What is: The reader would have more direct access to that character's thoughts and experiences but would lose direct access to the private thoughts of other characters. The change limits what the reader knows.
Two characters experience the same failure.
Character A: Gives up immediately.
Character B: Studies what went wrong and tries again.
How does the contrast between the characters help develop the theme?
What is:
Possible answer: The contrast emphasizes that people can respond differently to failure and supports a theme about perseverance, learning from mistakes, or choosing not to give up.