GRAMMAR

FIGURES OF SPEECH
 What are Figures of Speech?

■ A Figure of speech is the speech that goes beyond

the original literal meaning of words in order
to express ideas in different manner.

■ Figurative meaning is different than dictionary

meaning (literal meaning).

■ Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of

expression, or clarity to our expressions. And different
shades of meanings…….
 Words
or phrases

LITERAL FIGURATIVE

MEANING MEANING

DICTIONARY MEANING OF HIDDEN MEANING, OR

THE WORDS NOT USED WITH ITS
EXACT MEANING.
E.g. – He ran very fast in the race. E.g. – He ran like a Cheetah in the race..
 TYPES OF FIGURE OF SPEECH

PERSONIFICATIO
SIMILE METAPOHOR N ALLITERATION REREPETITION

HYPERBOLE APOSTROPHE ONOMATOPOEIA TAUTOLOGY

SIMILE
• A SIMILE IS A FIGURE OF SPEECH THAT USES COMPARISON BETWEEN TWO UNLIKE THINGS.

• HOW CAN YOU GUESS IT IS A SIMILE FIGURE OF SPEECH?

• KEY WORDS TO GUESS SIMILE FIGURE OF SPEECH --------

AS LIKE
EXAMPLES

OUR SOLDIERS ARE AS

BRAVE AS A LION.

SHE IS AS LIGHT AS A
FEATHER.
HE CRIED LIKE A BABY.

HER SMILE IS BRIGHT LIKE THE

SUN.

THE STUDENTS WERE BUSY AS BEES.

2] Metaphor.

❑ A metaphor and a simile are quite similar. A

metaphor also uses comparison.

o Many common figures of speech are

metaphors. That is, they use words in a
manner other than their literal meaning.
However, metaphors use figurative language
to make comparisons between unrelated
things or ideas.
 THE CAMEL IS THE SHIP OF
THE DESERT.

• LIFE IS A DREAM.

• I AM THE KING OF UNIVERSE.

• YOU ARE GOD.

• OUR SOLDIERS ARE LION.

• TIME IS MONEY.
PERSONIFICATION
Personification gives human qualities to
non-living things or ideas.

It is when you assign the qualities of a

person to something that isn't human or
that isn't even alive, such as nature or
household items.
Personification gives human traits and qualities,
such as emotions, desires, sensations, gestures and
speech, often by way of a
metaphor. Personification is much used in visual
arts.
➢ THE SUN SMILE AT US.
➢ TREES ARE DANCING.
➢ THE TREE INVITED US TO PLAY.
➢ CLOCK WAS RUNNING SO FAST.
 Onomatopoeia
❑ Onomatopoeia is a word that mimics the sound of the object
or action it refers to.

o Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word

that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests
the sound that it describes. Such words are
themselves also called onomatopoeias.

• Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such

as "oink", "meow" , "roar" and "chirp“ and many more-
---
1. Whoosh
2. Buzz
3. Click
EXAMPLES

THE CORN WENT POP IN THE MICROWAVE.

THE OWL IS HOOTED IN THE TREE.

Hyperbole
Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
• I've told you to stop a thousand times.

• Everybody knows that.

• The river of blood, flooded in the battle field.

❑ Oxymoron
• In an oxymoron two contradictory terms used
together. An oxymoron is when you use two
words together that have contradictory
meanings. Some common examples include small
crowd, definitely possible, old news, little giant,
and so on.
Oxymoron is useful in writing skills because they
can make:
• Effective titles
• Add dramatic effects
• Add flavour to speech, and
• Can sometimes be used to achieve a comedic effect.
EXAMPLES
• It is an open secret.

• All the politicians agreed to disagree.

• He is the wisest fool.

• Sweet sorrow

• Free market

• Ups and down

ALLITERATION
Alliteration is a term to describe a literary device in which
a series of words begin with the same consonant sound.

Repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or

more neighbouring words or syllables (such as wild and
woolly, threatening throngs) — called also head rhyme,

Alliteration is the repetition of sounds, not just letters.

EXAMPLES
Twinkle twinkle little stars.

The boy buzzed around as busy as

a bee.
 REPETITION

■ Meaning : The action of repeating something that

has already been said or written.

■ Repetition is a literary device that repeats the

same words or phrases a few times to make an
idea clearer and more memorable. There are
several types of repetition commonly used in
both prose and poetry.
 Quick test
■ 1) My love is like a red rose.
■ a) Hyperbole b) Metaphor
■ c) Simile d) Oxymoron.
■ 2) A reeling road, a rolling road, that rambles round the
road.
■ a) Personification b) Alliteration
■ c) Oxymoron d). Metaphor
■ 3) Which figure of speech is used when a statement is
made emphatic by over statement.
■ a) Apostrophe b) Personification
■ c) Climax d) Hyperbole
4) Variety is the spice of life.
a) Simile b) Metaphor
c) Personification d) Oxymoron.

5) My dear don’t worry. If the river were dry, I am able

to fill it with tears.
a) Personification b) Apostrophe
c) Hyperbole d). Metaphor

6)The phrase ‘the humming bee’, ‘the cackling hen’ and

‘the hooting owl’ are examples of -------
a) Personification b)onomatopoeia
c) sound d) animalonomotopoeia
■ 7) ‘I am so hungry I could eat a horse!.
■ a) Hyperbole b) Metaphor
■ c) Simile d) Oxymoron.
■ 8) Anita cooked the candy too long. When she took it out of the oven
it was hard as a rock.
■ a) Simile b) Alliteration
■ c) Personification d). Metaphor
■ 9) After Marshall climbed three flights of stairs, he had to sit down.
He was a puffing steam engine.
■ a) Apostrophe b) Personification
■ c) Simile d) Metaphor
• 10) Small fires raced through the forest.
■ a) Simile b) Alliteration
■ c) Personification d). Metaphor