Figurative Language Reference, Puns, Irony and More

Hand out the reference chart first and keep it on desks. Use the pun and irony sheets as short warm ups, then assign one passage sheet so students practice naming devices in context.

Use a chart of verbal irony, puns, paradox, euphemism and synecdoche, each with an example and its effect.

Yes. We made it for 8th Grade figurative language, and it works the same at home or at school. At home a student can print it and keep it with their school work. Teachers print a copy per student or one for the whole room, whichever the day needs.

Verbal irony is when a speaker says the opposite of what is really meant, often to joke or complain. Saying perfect day for a picnic during a thunderstorm is an example. Verbal Irony in Dialogue asks students to explain what each speaker really means.

Find the word with two meanings and show that both fit the sentence. In the headline Calendar Makers Fear Their Days Are Numbered, numbered means both printed with numbers and coming to an end.

Hyperbole exaggerates far beyond the truth, like a backpack that weighs as much as a school bus. Understatement makes something sound smaller, like calling a hurricane breezy. Hyperbole or Understatement Path Puzzle sorts examples of both.