Reading: Reading for Inference & Implied Meaning (Introduction): B1 Lesson 3: Understanding Basic Figurative Language

Reading: Reading for Inference & Implied Meaning (Introduction)

B1 Lesson 3: Understanding Basic Figurative Language

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When Words Paint Pictures

Good writers often use words in creative ways to paint a picture in the reader's mind. This is called Figurative Language¹. It's when words have a meaning that is different from their normal, literal meaning⁵.

For example, if we say "My brother is a pig," we don't mean he is an animal. We are using figurative language to imply that he is messy! Today, we will learn to understand three common types: Simile, Metaphor, and Personification.

Part 1: The Simile

A Simile² compares two different things using the words like or as. It helps make descriptions more vivid.

Example 1: "After the heavy rain, the river water was brown like strong coffee."
(This compares the color of the river to the color of coffee.)

Example 2: "The student is as quiet as a mouse."
(This compares the student's quietness to the quietness of a mouse.)

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Part 2: The Metaphor

A Metaphor³ also compares two different things, but it does so directly by saying one thing is another thing. It does NOT use 'like' or 'as'.

Example 1: "The winding dirt road through the rice paddies was a ribbon."
(This compares the road to a ribbon to show it was long and curvy.)

Example 2: "Her smile is sunshine on a cloudy day."
(This compares her smile to sunshine to show it is bright and makes people feel happy.)

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Part 3: Personification

Personification⁴ gives human qualities, actions, or feelings to non-human things like objects or animals.

Example 1: "The old colonial building in Kampot looked tired under the hot sun."
(A building cannot feel tired; this gives it a human feeling.)

Example 2: "The wind whispered through the palm trees."
(The wind cannot actually whisper; this makes the sound seem soft and secret.)

Your Turn! Identify the Figurative Language

Practice Quiz

Read the sentences and answer the questions.

1. "The full moon was a bright lamp in the night sky."
What type of figurative language is this?

• A. Simile
• B. Metaphor
• C. Personification

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Answer: B. Metaphor. It directly compares the moon to a lamp without using 'like' or 'as'.

2. "The old moto coughed and complained before it finally started."
What does this sentence mean?

• A. The moto can actually talk.
• B. The moto made strange, unhealthy sounds when it started.
• C. The driver was coughing.

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Answer: B. This is personification. The human actions "coughed and complained" are used to describe the sound of an old engine struggling to start.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Figurative Language (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ភាសាន័យធៀប
   Creative language where words have a meaning that is different from their literal, dictionary definition. ↩ back to text
2. Simile (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ភាពស្រដៀងគ្នា
   A comparison of two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. ↩ back to text
3. Metaphor (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការប្រៀបធៀបបែបប្រដូច
   A direct comparison stating that one thing is another thing (without using 'like' or 'as'). ↩ back to text
4. Personification (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការប្រៀបធៀបលក្ខណៈមនុស្ស
   Giving human actions, feelings, or qualities to an animal, object, or idea. ↩ back to text
5. Literal Meaning (noun)
   ភាសាខ្មែរ: អត្ថន័យត្រង់
   The exact, dictionary definition of a word or phrase. ↩ back to text

Homework Task

Be a Creative Writer!

Complete the following sentences to create your own examples of figurative language.

1. Create a Simile: The stars in the sky shine like __________.
2. Create a Metaphor: The loud thunder was __________.
3. Create Personification: The old tree __________.

Share your creative sentences with the class!