Chapter 9. Figurative Language and Style
Figures of speech [14]:
| Device | Meaning | Example |
| Simile | Comparison using like or as | brave as a lion |
| Metaphor | Direct comparison | Time is a thief. |
| Personification | Human traits given to non-human things | The wind whispered. |
| Hyperbole | Deliberate exaggeration | I’ve told you a million times. |
| Irony | Meaning differs from the literal | “What lovely weather,” said during a storm. |
| Alliteration | Repeated initial consonant sounds | Peter Piper picked… |
| Onomatopoeia | Words that imitate sounds | buzz, crash |
| Oxymoron | Contradictory terms combined | deafening silence |
| Idiom | Fixed expression with non-literal meaning | under the weather |
Tone and register. Tone is the writer’s attitude (serious, humorous, formal). Register is the level of formality. Match both to purpose and audience.
Clear style. Prefer concrete subjects and strong verbs, avoid unnecessary words, vary sentence length, and avoid clichés [9][10].
Review: Identify the device: “The classroom was a zoo.” (Answer: metaphor.)