Language Features

Metaphors Repetition Verbs Language Features Dialogue Personification Adverbs Let’s make a concerted effort to learn them!!! Symbolism Adjectives Similes Dialect Personal Pronouns

Verbs Action Words Doing Words The choice of verb used helps to give more information about how the person/thing behaves. E.g. He walked into a room Does not tell us as much as: He crept into the room Or He stormed into the room

Test Which of these words are verbs? threw heavenly deny joy consider sturdy sorry consideration happiness sailing think forbid

Adverbs Adverbs are descriptive words that add information to a verb. They give information about how something happens. E.g. She read the letter. does not tell us as much as: She read the letter slowly Or She read the letter anxiously. Most adverbs end in ‘ly’

Adjectives These are also descriptive words. This time, they give more information about a noun. (Person, place, thing). Remember Ad – verb: Add to verb So Adjectives – must add to noun If it makes sense in front of “man” or “dog”, then it is an adjective!!! E.g. smelly man/smelly dog cautious man/cautious dog Silky man/silky dog It only has to make grammatical sense not actual sense!

Test Pick out the Adverbs and the Adjectives amongst these words. foolish thoughtfully mighty determined gasp fortune dream usefully foolishly clearly intentionally suddenly friendly irrational happy

Simile A comparison using the words “like” or “as” The word simile sounds like Similar Which means the same as like That’s how you can remember the difference between a simile and a metaphor! Simile = similar = like = comparison using like or as.

Examples He flopped like a fish. Her skin was as soft as downy feathers. With a face like thunder. He had a tongue as sharp as a murderer’s dagger.

Metaphor A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that usually describes one thing is used to describe another. E.g. "a sea of troubles” – The sea is made of water but this metaphor helps to emphasise how many troubles there are. E.g. “the smell of fear” It can also imply a comparison between two usually unconnected things. E.g. “Her love was a fragile rose” – suggests that her love can easily be destroyed. This is like a simile but does not use “like” or “as” in the comparison. E.g. “her words were bullets in his heart”

Test Identify the similes and metaphors in the following phrases…. the house was shrouded in mystery….. Cold and calculating, he shrugged his shoulders…. Moving like tortoise on valium…. Intensely angry….. My hate is deeper than the sea… He snuck in like a furtive criminal…. with a head like an encyclopaedia… tore her heart to shreds… as rough as an athlete’s foot… Completely and utterly dependent on the truth… Wrapped in a blanket of snow…. The serpent twisted its periscope head….

Personification A figure of speech in which inanimate objects are described as having human qualities. E.g. The sun smiled sown on the townsfolk. It waved its branches furiously as the angry wind roared. She cruised contentedly at top speed, her engine purring with little effort.

Test Come up with some of your own examples of personification to describe… • A plant that is dehydrated and dying • A very high and rocky mountain • Hailstones • Bowling pins

Repetition Repetition This is where words or phrases or sentence structures are used more than once in a small space of time. • It can be used to add emphasis to something • It can help to foreground an important idea or theme. • If it is within dialogue, it can help to show how a character is feeling.

Dialogue This is an important technique to mention. Look at what the characters say, what does this tell us about their feelings and relationships? Questions to ask yourself: • Does the character ask a lot of questions? Does this show that they are a good listener? Does it show that they are easily confused and need reassurance? • Does the character use simple vocabulary and or simple sentences? – does this tell us something about the speaker or the person he/she is speaking to? • Does the character curse? Why?

Dialect • This is language that is particular to a regional area or group of people. • Steinbeck’s characters in “Of Mice and Men” speak in American dialect.

Personal pronouns These are the words that we use instead of proper nouns (names). E.g. He, she, it, hers, his, we, our, you, yours etc. • Look out for where these are used to help show relationships between characters. • Within dialogue are they used to show how one character feels about another?

Symbolism The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of giving symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships. E.g. • Darkness can symbolise death • Red can symbolise danger • Etc….

Language Features