FIGURES OF SPEECH FOR GRADE 7

 Originally published in

July 13, 2020

@ jeanillec.blogspot.com

The use of figures of speech in communication is a confirmation of the notion that "Language is an art". Hence, the varied forms of figures of speech shall serve as color palette. Such language gives a streak of importance to a supposed plain and dull expression. Furthermore, it could also lessen the gravity of an already difficult situation. Therefore, figures of speech makes communication colorful and interesting.

Here are some of the figures of speech there is. 

Simile is an indirect comparison however, not all that uses "as" and "like" to compare are called simile. Bear in mind that it is only simile when two unlike things, persons or ideas are compare.

You are so like your father.

            

           "You" which refers to a person is compared to another person "father" therefore this does not qualify for a figure of speech.

You tend to these plants like their father.

The attributes of care given by a father is compared to how a man takes care of the plants. They are two unlike ideas: fatherhood and gardening. Therefore this is a simile.

Furthermore, the statement "Fear not! We are protected by soldiers as brave as lions.", shows how the courage and fierceness of the soldiers is indirectly compared to that of lions. 

Metaphor is direct comparison therefore it makes comparison with the absence of "as" and "like". In the statement, "He was boiling mad!", a person's anger is compared to that of a boiling pot which gives off steam, overflows and is very hot. 

Thus, this means the person is very angry.

To personify a thing, an idea or even an animal is to give it an attribute - skill, personality, behavior, etc. - of a human being. In the statement, "The moon's shadow danced on the lake.", shows a picture of the moon's shadow on the surface of the lake moving in the direction the wind moves the water to. 

This gives the seemingly dancing motion of the moon's shadow. A person's ability to dance is compared to how the moon's shadow moves on the surface of the lake.

Hyperbole is plainly exaggerating an event, condition or circumstance. In the statement, "I am so hungry I could eat a horse.", the speaker simply means he is very hungry but it doesn't mean he'd eat a horse. 

The horse only symbolizes how huge his craving for food could be that he could eat almost anything.

Like the allusion, you could make an effective apostrophe if you are well-versed in history, culture and literature. However, this one is simpler than apostrophe because you only need to address that historically or culturally significant someone as if he/she is in front of you. 

In the statement, "Not yet Rizal, not yet!", the speaker speaks to Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero, as if he is in front of him. The statement denotes the speakers grave need for Rizal to continue his works and not die yet.

Irony usually says the opposite of what it actually means. In the statement, "Your family doctor was as kind-hearted as a wolf.", the speaker actually means the doctor was rude. That is actually sarcasm, a style mostly found in ironic statements. 

A wolf does not symbolize kindness, it is wild and ruthless; therefore saying that the doctor is a kind-hearted wolf simply states the absence of kindness in the doctor.

Onomatopoeia is perhaps the easiest to recognize, that of course if you are familiar with the sounds around you. In the statement, "He went on buzzing so I left." The word "buzzing" refers to the sound bees make. The speaker expresses annoyance of such sound that made him leave but this doesn't mean there are bees in the vicinity where he was. 

It means that the person he/she was in contact with kept on nagging or he may maybe yapping things the listener was not interested with, or it could be that he continuously speaks of things someone maybe tired of hearing.

You can also check out 13 figures of speech I discussed in this video: