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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
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Welcome to GattPrep, your Guide for Life and Learning
Imagine someone says, “My heart is a drum.” Do they mean their chest is full of musical instruments? Not really. They’re using figurative language — words that go beyond their usual meanings to create vivid images, comparisons, or effects.
Figurative language makes writing richer and more expressive. It appears often in poetry, storytelling, and comprehension passages, and WASSCE may test your ability to identify and interpret it.
It refers to non-literal use of words — saying something in a creative or symbolic way, rather than directly.
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | A direct comparison using like or as | Her smile was as bright as the sun. |
| Metaphor | An indirect comparison — saying one thing is another | He is a lion in battle. |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to non-human things | The wind whispered through the trees. |
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration for effect | I’ve told you a million times! |
| Irony | Saying the opposite of what you mean (often sarcastically) | Oh great, another homework assignment… |
Match each sentence to the correct figure of speech.
She sang like a nightingale.
Time crawled during the boring lecture.
The road was a snake winding through the hills.
I’m so hungry I could eat a whole cow.
“Lovely weather,” he said, as it poured rain.
A. Simile
B. Personification
C. Metaphor
D. Hyperbole
E. Irony
What do these expressions mean?
The classroom was a zoo.
He has a heart of stone.
The stars danced in the night sky.
Life is a journey.
Her voice was music to my ears.
Exercise 1: Identify the Figure of Speech
A. Simile – “like a nightingale” is a direct comparison
B. Personification – time can’t crawl, but it’s given human action
C. Metaphor – the road is called a snake
D. Hyperbole – extreme exaggeration for hunger
E. Irony – sarcastic praise during bad weather
Exercise 2: Interpretation
6. The classroom was loud, chaotic (not filled with animals).
7. He is unkind or emotionally cold.
8. Stars twinkled in a lively way — personified.
9. Life is full of stages, movement, and goals.
10. Her voice was soothing and pleasant.
You’ve explored:
The power of figurative expressions
How to recognize simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and irony
How figurative language brings writing to life
Choose one of the five figures of speech. Write your own original sentence using it. Then explain what it means in plain language.
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