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Quarter 2 Module 3:

Vocabulary Development
ENGLISH – Grade 8
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 3 Vocabulary Development
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education – Division of Gingoog City


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Development Team of the Module

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Schools Division Superintendent

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Table of Contents

What I Need to Know ………………………………………………………………………….i

What I Know ……………………………………………………………………………………ii-iii

Lesson 1: Distinguishing Between and Among Verbal, Situational,

and Dramatic Types of Irony and Give Examples of Each……………………… 1

What‘s New ……………………….………………………………………………… 1

Activity 1: See the Difference ……………………………………………….. 1

What Is It ……………………….…………………………………………………… 2

Activity 2: Lend Me Your Ears …………………………………………….. 2

What I Have Learned ..………………………………………………………………. 3

Activity 3: Let Me Apply… …………………………………………………… 3

Activity 4: Pick Me Up ……………………………………………………. .. 4

What I Can Do ……………………………………………………………………… 7

Activity 5: Short Glimpse ………………………………………………. …… 7

Lesson 2. Discriminating Between Literal and Figurative Language ………………. 8

What‘s New …………………………………………………………………………… 8

Activity 1: Expand Me More .…………………………………………… 8

Activity 2: I Know You ………………………………………………… 8

What Is It………………………………………………………………………….. 9

Activity 3: Learn It By Heart ……………………………………………… 9

What I Have Learned ………………………………………………………… 9

Activity 4: Read Me and Get Me ………………………………………. ………. 10

What I Can Do ……………………………………………………………………. 12

Activity 5: My Home …………………………………………………….. 12


Lesson 3: Identifying Figure of Speech That Show Emphasis

(Hyperbole and Litotes)……………………………………………………… 13

What‘s New ………………………………………………………………………….

Activity 1: Who‘s With Me ………………………………………………… 13

What Is It ……………………………………………………………………………. 14

Activity 2: Learn More ……………………………………………………... ……. 14

What I Have Learned …………………………………………………………….. 17

Activity 3: Ready to Get ……………………………………………… 17

What I Can Do ……………………………………………………………………. 18

Activity 4: Put In My List…………………………………………………. 18

Assessment: (Post-Test)……………………………………………………………………. 21

Key to Answers……………………………………………………………………………….. 23

References ……………………………………………………………………………………. 25
What I Need To Know

In this module, you will learn how to:

Lesson 17: EN8V-IIa-24.1 Distinguish between and among verbal,

situational, and dramatic types of irony

and give examples of each.

Lesson 18: EN8V-IIe-24 Discriminate between literal and

figurative language.

Lesson 19: EN8V-IIf-10.1.4 Identify figures of speech that show

emphasis (hyperbole and litotes)

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What I Know

Let‘s check how far you‘ve gone in this module. Write the letter of your answer on the
space provided before each number. Kindly answer all items. After taking this test, you
will see your score. Take note of the items that you were not able to correctly answer and
look for the right answer as you go through this module.

_____1. It one of the most widely-known literary devices, which is used to specified feelings

and heightened the details.

A. Metaphor B. Irony C. Litotes D. Hyperbole

_____2. It has a hidden meaning and it uses different figures of speech to make the

message more meaningful.

A. Literal Language B. Figurative Language C. Hyperbole D. Litotes

_____3. It is a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of

emphasis.

A. Literal Language B. Figurative Language C. Hyperbole D. Litotes

_____4. The son tastes his mother‘s delicious avocado shake and exclaims, ―I shall

never taste this avocado shake ever again.‖

_____5. Mark is so concerned of Eva that he just left her there standing in the rain.

A. Verbal Irony B. Situational Irony C. Dramatic Irony D. Litotes

_____6. That shirt is so old, the last time I wore it I was riding a dinosaur.

A. Irony B. Metaphor C. Hyperbole D. Litotes

_____7. What is the best example of Dramatic Irony?

A. The lady in a horror film hides in a room where the ghost just went (the

audience knows the ghost is there, but the lady does not.)

B. After looking at a child‘s failing grades, the father says, ―You will

surely receive award on recognition day.‖

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C. The water vendor is thirsty.

D. My uncle, the well-known carpenter in our town, cannot fix his house‘s

broken ceiling.

_____8. Which of the following sentences is the best example of Litotes?

A. The shopping cost me a million dollars.

B. She‘s not exactly a pauper.

C. Venus had a ton of office work.

D. Her belief is the size of a mustard seed.

_____9. Which is not an example of figurative language?

A. I am not as young as I used to be. B. Time is a thief.

C. The street was still quiet. D. She was heavier than a cow.

_____10. Which of the following sentences is an example of hyperbole?

A. The deafening silence in the room kills me.

B. These classes don‘t excel at Math.

C. I cannot say that you are very generous.

D. The sword wasn‘t useless.

iv
Lesson Distinguishing Between and Among Verbal,
1 Situational and Dramatic Types of Irony and
Give Examples of Each

What’s New?
Activity 1: See the Difference!

Directions: Spot the difference between the two given sentences.

1. A pilot has a fear of heights.

2. The defense lawyer failed to acquit his daughter in a case.

 What are the similarities and differences of these sentences?

________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________.

 How do you call these sentences?

________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________.

What is it?
Activity 2: Lend Me Your Ears!

Aside from the given commonly used figures of speech, there are still other
figures of speech that we have to learn and be familiar with. One of these is what we called
irony.

Irony is a figure of speech and it is one of the most widely used literary devices
that specified feelings and heightened the details or idea. It is the use of words to impart a
meaning that is opposite of what is actually said.

For example, the teacher gets inside the classroom and she finds out that the
room was messy and she says ―Thank you class, for making our room tidy, now you can

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leave the room peacefully.‖ In this situation, the teacher was mad and irritated of what had
happened. But instead of directly expressing her anger, the teacher used irony i.e. thanking
the students for making the room untidy.

There are three kinds of irony that we are going to learn from this module:

a. Verbal Irony

b. Situational Irony

c. Dramatic Irony.

Verbal Irony

- It is the use of words to give a meaning that is opposite from what the speaker
says. What the person says is different to what she/he meant. The speaker acts
differently to what he/she says.

Examples:

1. After looking at his child‘s failing grades, the father says, ―You will surely receive an award
on recognition day.‖

2. Almar tastes his mother‘s delicious fruit shake and exclaims, ―I shall never taste this shake
ever again.‖

Situational Irony

- Situational Irony is when the things you have expected and considered to
happen doesn‘t come about. Instead, the exact opposite happens. It could have
serious or funny results. This type of irony is used to add more meaning to a situation
making it more interesting and thought-provoking.

Examples:

1. Mr. Lopez, the nutritionist, was diagnosed as diabetic.

2. Our neighbour, the well-known carpenter in town, cannot fix his house‘s broken ceiling.

Dramatic Irony

It happens when the audience knows the information while the characters do
not know. It is just like watching a movie where the audience knows what‘s in there
but the character in the movie doesn‘t know. This is the type of irony that makes us
yell because we know that the character is working under false beliefs. This can lead
to humorous or distressful situations.

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Examples:

1. The boy in a horror film hides in a closet where the ghost just went (the audience knows

the ghost is there, but the boy does not.)

2. In a love story movie, the audience knew that the leading man was only asleep-not dead-

but the leading lady thought he is dead, so she killed herself.

(https://rb.gy/pelqdt & https://rb.gy/lcwent)

What I Have Learned


Activity 3: Let Me Apply!

Directions: A. Identify the type of irony in the following statements, then, explain why you

come up with that answer.

__________________1. Alecia has a phobia of long words, she tells everyone

that she is Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobic.

__________________2. There is a rat infestation at the Department of Sanitation.

__________________3. Margienifie : ―I see you washed your skirt.‖

Sussanamie: ―But I just got it out of the bottom of the laundry basket.‖

__________________4. A man smokes cigarettes under the big placard that says ―Smoking

is dangerous to your health.‖

__________________5. Charyne is very thankful after typhoon Yolanda hit her house.

( https://rb.gy/mgo7nx )

Directions: B. Write the type of figure of speech shown in the following sentences.

________________1. She named her black dog ―Whitey.‖

________________2. Their checks were like Apple Mango.

________________3. The silent, peaceful and quiet place was a cemetery.

________________4. Like a silent thief, the cat eats the foods on the table.

________________5. Tessa‘s parents look at her watching ―teleserye‖ and said ―We‘re

glad you‘re doing your assigned household chores very well.‖

( https://rb.gy/mgo7nx )

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Directions: C. Write 3 examples sentences for verbal irony and 2 for situational irony.

Verbal irony:

a. ___________________________________________________________________

b. ___________________________________________________________________

c. ___________________________________________________________________

Situational Irony:

a. __________________________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________________________

Activity 4: Pick Me Up!

Directions: Read the story. Pick line/s or parts from the story and identify what
types of irony does it belong.

The Taximan’s Story


by Catherine Lim
―Little Ironies‖ – Stories Of Singapore

Take me to National University of Singapore, please make it fast coz I got a meeting
to attend and I need to be there on time. Very good, Madam. Sure, I will take you there. In
plenty good time for your meeting, Madam. This way better, less traffic, less car jams. Half
hour should make it, Madam, so not to worry. Have you been taxi man for a long time? What
did you say, Madam? I said have you been taxi man for a long time? Ha, ha, Yes, yes, I‘ve
been taxi man for 20 years now, Madam. A long time ago, Singapore not like this—so
crowded, so busy. Last time, more peaceful, not so much taxi men or so much cars and
buses. Oh, you must been working so hard! Yes Madam, I can make a living. So, so. What
do? I must work hard if wants to success in Singapore. People like us, no read, no write, we
must sweat to earn money for wife and children.

Do you have a big family? Yes, Madam, quite big family—eight children, six sons,
and two daughters. Big family! Haha! No good, Madam. In those days where got Family
Planning in Singapore? People born many, many children, every year, one child is no good
at all. Two children, three children, enough, stop. Our government say stop! Lucky for me, all
my children big now. Four of my sons working—one A businessman, two clerks, a teacher in
Primary School, one in National Service one still schooling. My eldest daughter, she is

twenty plus, stay at home, help the mother.

Is your daughter already married? No, not married yet – very shy, and her health not
so good, but a good, obedient girl. My other girl—Oh, Madam! Very hard for father when
daughter is no good and go against her parents. Very sad like punishment from God.

Today, young people not like us when we are young. We obey. Our parents say don‘t
do this, we never do. Otherwise, the cane. My father cane me, I was big enough to be
married, and still got caning. My father he was very strict, and that is good thing for parents
to be strict. If not, young boys and girls become very useless. Do not want to study, but run

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to be strict. If not, young boys and girls become very useless. Do not want to study, but run
away, and go to night clubs and take drugs and make love. You agree with me, Madam?

Yes! I absolutely agree with you. Today, young people they are very trouble to their
parents. Madam, you see this young girl over there, outside the coffee house? See what I
mean, Madam? Yes. They are only schoolboys and schoolgirls, but they act as big shots,
spending money, smoking, wearing latest fashion, and making love. Yes, that‘s true. Even
though you‘re just a taxi man you are aware about the behavior of the teenagers today. Ah,
madam, I know! I know! As taxi man, I know them and their habits.

Madam, you are a teacher, you say? Yes .You know or not that young schoolgirls,
fifteen, sixteen year old, they go to school in the morning in their uniforms and then
afterschool, they don‘t go home, they have clothes in their schoolbag, and they go to public
lavatory or hotel and change into these clothes, and they put make-up on their face. Their
parents never know. They tell their Mom go school meeting, got sports and games, this, that,
but they really come out and play the fool. .

Ah, Madam, I see you surprise but I know, I know all their tricks a lot As I take them
in my taxi. They usual is wait in bowling alley or coffee house or hotel, and they walk up, and
friend, the European and American tourists, and this is how they make fun and also extra
money. Madam, you believe or not when I tell you how much money they got? I say! Last
night, Madam, this young girl, very pretty and make-up and wear sexy dress, She told me
take her to orchid mansions--this place famous, Madam, fourth floor flat--and she open her
purse to pay me, and I say! All American notes--ten dollar notes all, and she pull one out and
say keep change! As she has no time already

Madam, I tell you this, every month, I got more money from these young girls and
their American and European boyfriends in my taxi, more than I get from other people who
bargain and say dont want go by meter and wait even for ten cents change. Phui!!Some of
them really make me mad. But these young girls and their boyfriends dont bargain, they just
pay, pay, and they make love in taxi so much they dont know if you go round and round and
charge them by meter!

I tell you, Madam, some of them don‘t care how much they spend on taxi. It is like
this: after 1 a.m. taxi fare double, and I prefer working this time, because naturally, much
more money. I go and wait outside Elroy Hotel or Tung Court or Orchid Mansions, and such
enough, Madam, will have plenty business. Last Saturday, Madam, no joking, on one day
alone I make nearly one hundred and fifty dollars! Some of its for services. Some of tourists
dont know where, so I tell them and take them there, and that‘s extra money.

You surely know a lot of things. Ah Madam, if I tell you all, no end to the story. But I
will tell you this, Madam. If you have young daughter and she say Mummy I got meeting
today in school and will not come home, you must not say, Yes, yes, but you must go and

ask her where and why and who, and you find out. Today young people not to trust, like
young people in many years ago.

Why are you telling this? Oh, Madam, I tell you because I myself have a daughter--oh,
Madam, a daughter I love very much, and she is so good and study hard. And I see her
report cards and her teacher write ‗Good work‗ and Excellent‗ so on, so on. Oh, Madam, she

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my favorite child, and I ask her what she want to be after left school, and she says go to
University.

None of my other children could go to University, but this one, she is very smart and
intelligent--no boasting, Madam--her teachers write Good‗ and Excellent, and so on, so on,
in her report cards. She study at home, and help the mother, but sometimes a little lazy, and
she say teacher want her to go back to school to do extra work, extra coaching, in her weak
subject, which is math, Madam. So I let her stay back in school and day after day she come
home in evening, then she do her studies and go to sleep. Then one day, oh Madam, it
make me so angry even now-- one day, I in my taxi driving, driving along and hey! I see a
girl looking like my Lay Choo, with other girls and some Europeans outside a coffee-house
but I think, it cannot be Lay Choo, how can, Lay Choo is in school, and this girl is all dressed
up and make-up, and very bold in her behavior, and this is not like my daughter at all.

Then they go inside the coffee-house, and my heart is very, very--how you describe
it, Madam, My heart is very susah hati‗ and I say to myself, I will watch that Lay Choo and
see her monkey tricks. The very next day she is there again I stop my taxi, Madam, and I am
so angry. I rush up to this wicked daughter and I catch her by the shoulders and neck, and
slap her and she scream, but I don‘t care. Then I drag her to my taxi and drive all the way
home, and at home I thrash the stupid food and I beat her and slap her till like hell. My wife
and some neighbors they pull me away, and I think if they not pull me away, I sure to kill that
girl.

I lock her up in her room for three days, and I ashamed to tell her teacher, so I just
tell the teacher that Lay Choo is sick, so please to excuse her. Oh, Madam, how you feel in
my place? Make herself so cheap, when her father drive taxi all day to save money for her
University.

Is everything between you and your daughter okay now? What is it, Madam? I said
is everything between you and your daughter okay now? Yes, yes, everything okay now,
thank you. She cannot leave the house except to go to school, and I tell her mother always
check, check in everything she do, and her friends--what sort of people they are...

Can you wait for me until my meeting is done? What, Madam? Oh, so sorry, Madam,
cannot wait for you to finish your meeting. Must go off, please to excuse me. In a hurry,
Madam. Must go off to Hotel Elroy--there plenty people to pick up. So very sorry, Madam,
and thank you very much. Oh, that‘s ok. Here‘s the payment. Thank you for sharing your
story to me.

My youngest daughter have a similar behavior Similar like the other schoolgirls that
act like gangsters Since you‘re a teacher, did you know something strange about the girls
After school time, they don‘t really go home but they go to hotels and other places for sure.

If you have a daughter, don‘t accept her trust. But you only do that when she wants
to go out Just like my naughty daughter who really got caught. For that, I scolded her so loud
that I don‘t even care so I just shout.

A taxi driver rides with a female teacher passenger.• He talks about the changes
in Singapore.• He talks about his family.• He talks about his observations about youth and
prostitution.• He talks about his problem with his daughter• The passenger got off the taxi
and the taxi driver went to Hotel Elory hurriedly.https://rb.gy/ed6kt6

6
LINE/S or PARTS FROM THE STORY TYPES OF IRONY

What I Can Do
Activity 5: Short Glimpse!

Write your most memorable experiences in life where you have seen it as ironic
and it can be used as an example for each type of irony: the verbal, situational, and
dramatic.

My Most Memorable Experiences in Life

Verbal Irony

Dramatic Irony

Situational Irony

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Lesson Discriminating Between Literal and Figurative
2 Language

What’s New?
Activity 1: Expand Me More!

Directions: Elaborate your answer to the following questions:

 A mirror defines you of who you are. Explain.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________.

 What about this one, ―One word is worth a thousand pictures.‖? Explain.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________.

Activity 2: I Know You!

Directions: Identify if the sentence is Literal or Figurative.

_____________________1. I‘m so hungry, I could eat a horse.

_____________________2. She is as fast as a cheetah!

_____________________3. That cat is a clown; it makes us laugh all the time.

_____________________4. He was late to dinner.

_____________________5. I stayed up late last night, I‘m so tired!

 How would you differentiate literal language from figurative language?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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What is it?
Activity 3: Learn It By Heart!

Looking for the meaning of unfamiliar word is not an easy thing to do unless you
always bring a dictionary with you. But what if you don‘t have dictionary, what are you going
to do?

Dictionary is not always the answer in finding meaning. Sometimes, the meaning
depends on how the word is used in the sentence. You may understand the word through
your experiences. That‘s why the English language has so many different words for the
same thing.

The words you use in both written and oral communication are a form of expression.
The types of language you used often depend on what you are trying to impart. Sometimes,
we want to be direct to the point to tell exactly what we mean. Other times, the purpose is to
let the reader conceive or make a conclusion. So, it is important to understand the difference
between literal and figurative language.

Literal language uses the real meanings of words or phrases in a very careful and
accurate sense. It does not use figures of speech. It is refined and direct to the point. The
reader or listener does not have to find a meaning because it does not use confusing words
or it does not encourage the reader to think beyond what is being said. It is often used within
the fields of science and research because the goal is to give and explicit explanation.

Example: She was upset.

The snow covered the field.

The rain fell on my face.

In contrast, figurative language has hidden or underlying meaning. It uses different


figures of speech to make the message more meaningful. It can create more interesting and
often colourful content. This language tends to be more complex. It often uses symbolism,
requiring the reader or listener to think beyond the words that are written. It is often used in
poetry or narrative fiction.

Example: She cried like a baby.

The cotton was a soft white blanket.

The rain caressed my face.

( https://rb.gy/gpi0em )

9
What I Have Learned
Activity 4: Read Me and Get Me!

Directions: Read the story below. Get 5 literal languages and 5 figurative languages from it.

A Little Incident
by Lu Hsun
Six years have gone by, as so many winks, since I came to the capital from the
village. During all that time there have occurred many of those events known as ―affairs of
the state‖, a great number of which I have seen or heard about. My heart does not seem to
have been in the least affected by any of them, and recollection now only tends to increase
my ill temper and cause me to like people less as the day wears on. But one little incident
alone is deep with meaning to me, and I am unable to forget it even now.

It was a winter day in the sixth year of the Republic, and a strong northernly wind
blew furiously. To make a living, I had to be up early, and on the way to my duties I
encountered scarcely anyone. After much difficulty, I finally succeeded in hiring a rickshaw. I
told the puller to take to me to the South Gate.

After a while, the wind moderated its fury, and in its wake the streets were left clean
of the loose dust. The puller ran quickly. Just as we approached the South Gate, somebody
ran in front of us, got entangled in the rickshaw, and tumbled to the ground.

It was a woman with streaks of white in her hair, and she wore ragged clothes. She
had darted suddenly from the side of the street, and directly crossed in front of us. My puller
tried to swerve aside, but her tattered jacket, unbuttoned and fluttering in the wind, caught in
the shafts. Fortunately, the puller had slowed his pace, otherwise she would have been
thrown head over heels, and probably injured. After we halted, the woman still knelt on all
fours. I did not think she was hurt. No one else had seen the collision. And it irritated me that
the puller had stopped and was apparently prepared to get himself involved in some foolish
complication. It might delay and trouble my journey.

―It‘s nothing,‖ I told him. ―Move on!‖

But either he did not hear me or did not care, for he put down the shafts and gently helped
the old woman to her feet. He held her arms, supporting her, and asked:

―Are you alright?‖

―I am hurt.‖

I thought, ―I saw you fall and it was not all rough. How can you be hurt? You are
pretending. The whole business is distasteful, and the rickshaw man is merely making
difficulties for himself. Now let him find his own way out of the mess.‖

But the puller did not hesitate for a moment after the old woman said she was
injured. Still holding her arm, he walked carefully ahead with her. Then I was surprised as,
looking ahead, I suddenly noticed a police station, and saw that he was taking her there. No
one was outside, so he guided her in through the gate.

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As they passed in, I experienced a curious sensation. I do not know why, but at the
moment, it suddenly seemed to me that his dust-covered figure loomed enormous, and as
he walked farther he continued to grow, until finally I had to lift my head to follow him. At the
same time, I felt a bodily pressure all over me, which came from his direction. It seemed
almost to push out from me all the littleness that hid under my fur-lined gown. I grew week,
as though my vitality had been spent, as though the blood had frozen in me. I sat
motionless, stunned and thoughtless, until I saw an officer emerge from the station. Then, I
got off from the rickshaw as he approached me.

―Get another rickshaw,‖ he advised. ―This man can‘t pull you anymore.‖

Without thinking, I thrust my hand into my pocket and pulled forth a big fistful of
coppers. ―Give the fellow these,‖ I said.

The wind had ceased entirely, but the street was still quiet. I mused as I walked, but I
was almost afraid to think about myself. Leaving aside what had happened before, I sought
an explanation for a fistful of coppers. Why had I given them? As a reward? And did I think of
myself, after my conduct, fit to pass judgment upon the rickshaw puller? I could not answer
my own conscience.

Till now that experience burns in my memory. I think of it, and introspect with pain
and effort. The political and military drama of these years is to me like the classics I read in
childhood: I cannot recite half a line of it. But always before my eyes, purging me with
shame, impelling me to better myself, invigorating my hope and courage, this little incident is
reenacted. I see it in every detail as distinctly as on the day it happened.
(Grade 8 Quarter 2 East Asian Literature: Communing with Nature pp.14-15)

Five Literal Languages

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________

Five Figurative Languages

1. _____________________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________________________________

4. _____________________________________________________________________

5. _____________________________________________________________________

11
What I Can Do
Activity 5: My Home!

A. Write five examples of literal language and 5 example of figurative language that you
commonly heard from your home.

Literal Language:

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

Figurative Language:

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________

B. Write a thank you letter to your mother and father thanking them for everything they
have done for you. Use literal and figurative language in writing your letter.

12
Lesson Identifying Figures of Speech That Show
3 Emphasis (Hyperbole and Litotes)

What’s New?
Activity 1: Who’s With Me!

Directions: Using the table, group the sentences which you think has similarities in
composition.

Sentence A Sentence B

1. He had the strength of ten men.

2. That dog was heavier than a cow!

3. Rap videos with dancers in them are not uncommon.

4. His mouth could drink the entire river.

5. Today is the worst day of my life.

6. He ran as fast as the speed of light.

7. He‘s not the friendliest person.

8. The two concepts are not unlike each other.

9. She‘s no spring chicken.

10. She‘s as skinny as a toothpick.

https://rb.gy/ptvibq

13
 How you come up with that answer?

_________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________.

 What have you observed with the sentences belong to column A? What about
column B?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________.

 How do you call these two groups of sentences?

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________.

What is it?
Activity 2: Learn More!

Another figures of speech that we are going to study today are those figures
of speech that shows emphasis, and these are: Litotes and Hyperbole.

Hyperbole and Litotes are two contrasting literary devices. Hyperbole, is a figure of
speech that involves exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. It is derived from a
Greek word meaning ―over-casting.‖ It is a device that we imply in our day-to-day speech.
For instance, you saw an encyclopedia in the library that has been used for a long time, you
say, ―This encyclopedia was printed before Jesus Christ was born.‖ The date of publication
was already written in the book, but the use of the word ―before Jesus Christ was born‖
exaggerates this statement. This adds emphasis that the encyclopedia is venerable.
Therefore, a hyperbole is an artificial overstatement to emphasize the reality in every
situation.

Examples:

 My favourite toy is as old as the cliff.


 She is as heavy as a refrigerator!
 I am dying of shame.

It is important not to confuse hyperbole with simile and metaphor, though, it does
make a comparison.

14
Examples of Hyperbole in Literature:

Example #1: As I Walked One Evening (By W.H. Auden)

―I‘ll love you, dear, I‘ll love you

Till China and Africa meet,

And the river jumps over the mountain

And the salmon sing in the street,

I‘ll love you till the ocean

Is folded and hung up to dry.‖

The use of hyperbole had been shown in the above lines because it shows
exaggerations and it‘s not possible in real life situations.

Example #2: The Heart of Darkness (By Joseph Conrad)

―I had to wait in the station for ten days – an eternity.‖

The above examples make clear the use of hyperbole. Sometimes, when we talk to
someone, we use hyperbole just to impress him or her, or to stress out what we really meant
to say. However, in literature it has very serious possible future effects or results. Using
hyperbole as a writer or a poet, we can make natural human feelings unusual or surprising to
such an extent that they will not stay as ordinary or common. In literature, the use of
hyperbole develops disparateness. When one thing is defined with an exaggerations, and
the other thing is shown in an ordinary way, a striking distinctiveness is evolved. This
strategy is used to catch the attention of the readers. ( https://rb.gy/3tgsuh )

Litotes is opposite to hyperbole. It is an understatement in which a positive


statement is expressed into negative statement.

Example 1:

After someone bought your product, you might say, ―Thank you, sir,
you won’t regret it.‖ The negation is an understatement, of course – what you really
mean is that your costumer will be happy with the product he bought from you.

15
Litotes gives the expression a biting and ironic tone, for example in an ironic
comparison.

Example 2:

If you don‘t like someone‘s singing in the videoki, you might say ―He‘s
hardly a Mariah Carey.‖ Similarly, there‘s a whole family of litotes-infused metaphors
for saying that someone is dumb: not the sharpest tool in the shed; not the brightest
crayon in the box; not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Example of Litotes in Literature:

Example 3:

I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them
honoured, and they shall not be small. (Jeremiah 30:19)

In this line, God is saying that he will restore the tribe of Jacob to greatness, using
litotes to understate the effect of his divine intervention.

Example 4:

I cannot say that I think you are very generous to the ladies; for, whilst
you are proclaiming peace and good-will to men, emancipating all nations, you insist
upon retaining an absolute power over wives. (Abegail Adams, letter to John Adams)

John Adams, one of the founding fathers, had a wife who was a strong believer in
women‘s rights. In one of her letters, she condemns her husband‘s hypocrisy in touting
liberty while opposing women‘s liberation at home. The litotes in her letter thinly veils the
sharpness of her critique – which is pretty biting for a woman of that time! ( https://rb.gy/gsvstj )

16
What I Have Learned

Activity 3: Ready to Get!

Directions: Read the story. Copy lines from the story that shows Hyperbole and lines that
shows Litotes.

The Wonderful Pear Tree


(A Chinese Folktale)
Translated by Herbert A Giles

Once upon a time a countryman came into the town on market-day, and brought a
load of very special pears with him to sell. He set up his barrow in a good corner, and soon
had a great crowd round him; for everyone knew he always sold extra fine pears, though he
did also ask an extra high price. Now, while he was crying up his fruit, a poor, old, ragged,
hungry-looking priest stopped just in front of the barrow, and very humbly begged him to give
him one of the pears. But the countryman, who was very mean and very nasty-tempered,
wouldn't hear of giving him any, and as the priest didn't seem inclined to move on, he began
calling him all the bad names he could think of. ―Good sir," said the priest, ―you have got
hundreds of pears on your barrow. I only ask you for one. You would never even know you
had lost one. Really, you needn't get angry."

"Give him a pear that is going bad; that will make him happy," said one of the crowds.
"The old man is quite right; you'd never miss it."

"I've said I won't, and I won't!" cried the countryman; and all the people close by
began shouting, first one thing, and then another, until the constable of the market, hearing
the hubbub, hurried up; and when he had made out what was the matter, pulled some cash
out of his purse, bought a pear, and gave it to the priest. For he was afraid that the noise
would come to the ears of the mandarin who was just being carried down the street.

The old priest took the pear with a low bow, and held it up in front of the crowd, saying, " You
all know that I have no home, no parents, no children, no clothes of my own, no food,
because I gave everything up when I became a priest. So it puzzles me how anyone can be
so selfish and so stingy as to refuse to give me one single pear. Now I am quite a different
sort of man from this countryman. I have got here some perfectly exquisite pears, and I shall
feel most deeply honored if you will accept them from me." ―Why on earth didn't you eat
them yourself, instead of begging for one?" asked a man in the crowd. "Ah," answered the
priest, ―I must grow them first." So he ate up the pear, only leaving a single pip. Then he took
a pick which was fastened across his back, dug a deep hole in the ground at his feet, and
planted the pip, which he covered all over with earth. " Will someone fetch me some hot
water to water this ? " he asked. The people, who were crowding round, thought he was only
joking, but one of them ran and fetched a kettle of boiling water and gave it to the priest, who
very carefully poured it over the place where he had sowed the pip.

17
Then, almost while he was pouring, they saw, first a tiny green sprout, and then
another, come pushing their heads above the ground; then one leaf uncurled, and then
another, while the shoots kept growing taller and taller; then there stood before them a
young tree with a few branches with a few leaves; then more leaves; then flowers; and last
of all clusters of huge, ripe, sweet-smelling pears weighing the branches down to the ground!
Now the priest's face shone with pleasure, and the crowd roared with delight when he picked
the pears one by one until they were all gone, handing them round with a bow to each man
present. Then the old man took the pick again, hacked at the tree until it fell with a crash,
when he shouldered it, leaves and all, and with a final bow, walked away.

All the time this had been going on, the countryman, quite forgetting his barrow and
pears, had been in the midst of the crowd, standing on the tips of his toes, and straining his
eyes to try to make out what was happening. But when the old priest had gone, and the
crowd was getting thin, he turned round to his barrow, and saw with horror that it was quite
empty. Every single pear had gone! In a moment he understood what had happened. The
pears the old priest had been so generous in giving away were not his own; they were the
countryman‘s! What was more, one of the handles of his barrow was missing, and there was
no doubt that he had started from home with two! He was in a towering rage, and rushed as
hard as he could after the priest ; but just as he turned the corner he saw, lying close to the
wall, the barrow-handle itself, which without any doubt was the very pear-tree which the
priest had cut down. All the people in the market were simply splitting their sides with
laughter; but as for the priest, no one saw him anymore.
(Ribo, L., Galvez, N., & Malicsi, M. (2013). Language in literature II Afro-Asian literature. Philippines: Vibal Publishing House,
Inc.)

Directions: Copy the lines from the story that shows Hyperbole and Litotes. Write it on the
box provided.

Hyperbole Litotes

18
What I Can Do
Activity 4: Put In My List!

A. List at least 5 hyperbole and 5 litotes you commonly heard from your daily
conversations to your friends and family members.

Hyperbole:

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________

Litotes:

1. _______________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________________________

5. _______________________________________________________________________

B. Rewrite each sentence to make it either hyperbolic or understated (your choice). Change
words, phrases, or punctuation as needed.

1. I enjoy playing basketball.

Revision: _________________________________________________________________

2. Dave‘s sand castle was big.

Revision: _________________________________________________________________

3. Video games can be time-consuming.

Revision: _________________________________________________________________

4. Lilacs smell sweet.

Revision: _________________________________________________________________

5. For me, cleaning house is an unpleasant activity.

Revision: _______________________________________________________________

( https://rb.gy/mgo7nx ) 19
Assessment: (Post-Test)

Let‘s find out how much you learned from this this module. Write the letter that you think
best answers the question on the space provided before each number. Please answer all
items. After taking this short test, you will see your score.

_____1. It often uses symbolism, requiring the reader or listener to think beyond the words

that are written.

A. Literal Language B. Figurative Language C. Hyperbole D. Litotes

_____2. It generally gives the expression a biting and ironic tone.

A. Literal Language B. Figurative Language C. Hyperbole D. Litotes

_____3. It is very straightforward and to the point.

A. Literal Language B. Figurative Language C. Hyperbole D. Litotes

For items 4-10, choose the letter of your answer and write it on the space provided before
each number.

_____4. After a hard day at work, we might say the day was, ―Really, really, spectacular!‖

A. Verbal Irony B. Situational Irony C. Dramatic Irony D. Litotes

_____5. That shirt is so old, the last time I wore it I was riding a dinosaur.

A. Irony B. Metaphor C. Hyperbole D. Litotes

_____6. What is the best example of Dramatic Irony?

A. The lady in a horror film hides in a room where the ghost just went (the

audience knows the ghost is there, but the lady does not.)

B. After looking at a student‘s poor test score, the teacher says, ―You will

surely finis the year with highest honors.‖

C. The water vendor is thirsty.

D. Our boss, the owner of a big construction firm, cannot fix his house‘s

broken ceiling.

20
_____7. Which is not an example of Verbal Irony?

A. A man standing under the heat of the sun and said, ―It’s so cold in here!‖

B. After looking at a child‘s failing grades, the father says, ―You will

surely receive an award on recognition day.‖

C. A fire station burns down.

D. A teacher entering a messy classroom and said to her students,

―Thank you for cleaning our classroom.‖

_____8. Which of the following sentences is the best example of Litotes?

A. The shopping cost me a million dollars. B. She‘s not exactly a pauper.

C. I had a ton of homework. D. Her brain is the size of pea.

_____9. Which is not an example of figurative language?

A. I am not as young as I used to be. B. Time is a thief.

C. The street was still quiet. D. She was heavier than a cow.

_____10. Which of the following sentences is an example of hyperbole?

A. I am dying of shame. B. She‘s not the smartest person.

C. The two concepts are unlike each other. D. The sword wasn‘t useless.

21
References:
(n.d). Retrieved June 27, 2020. from https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-
hyperboles.html

Dubin, B. (2019, November 28). Hyperbole And Litotes – Poetic Language. Retrieved June
27, 2020, from https://www.studentwritingcenter.us/poetic-language/hyperbole-and-
litotes.html

Figurative Language – Worksheets & Resources: K12Reader. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27,
2020, from https://www.k12reader.com/subject/figurative-language-worksheets/

Figurative Language Worksheets, Tests, and Activities, (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2020, from
https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/figurative -language/figurative-language-worksheets/

Figurative Language Worksheets: Definition & Examples. (2019,August 15). Retrieved June
27, 2020 from https://kidskonnect.com/language/figurative-language/

Gerlivat. (1970, January 01). AFRO ASIAN STORIES WITH ANALYSIS. Retrieved June 27,
2020 from http://studentsjournal-jing-jing.blogspot.com/2011/08/afro-asian-stories-with-
analysis.html?m=1

Hyperbole Definition and Examples. Retrieved June 27, 2020 from


https://literarydevices.net/hyperbole/

Hyperbole – Examples and Definition of Hyperbole. (2019, February 27). Retrieved June 27,
2020 from https://literarydevices.net/hyperbole/

Hyperbole and Litotes: Definition and Examples, (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2020 from
https://essayscam.org/forum/rt/hyperbole-litotes-language-4015/

Hyperbole Worksheets: Figurative Language Practice. (n.d). Retrieved June 27, 2020, from
https://www.k12reader.com/subject/figurative-language-worksheets/hyperbole/

Kat. (2016, April 18). Definitions and Examples of Irony in Literature. Retrieved June 27,
2020, from http://blog.flocabulary.com/definitions-and-examples-of-irony-in-literature/

Litotes: Definition and Examples. (2017, September 16). Retrieved June 27, 2020 from
https://literaryterms.net/litotes/

Miraflorredula. (2012, November 18). The Taximan‘s Story by Catherine Lim. Retrieved June
27, 2020 from https://miraflorredula.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/the-taximans-story-by-
catherine-lim/

The Classroom: Empowering Students in Their College Journey. (n.d). Retrieved June 27,
2020, from https://www.theclassroom.com

Books:

Grade 8 Quarter 2 East Asian Literature: Communing with Nature pp.14-15, & pp. 30-32
Steck-Vaughn PRE-GED. (2000). Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn, page 41
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