Figurative Language & Word Origins
The Spark
Concept
Figurative language uses words in a non-literal way — including idioms (the ball is in your court), hyperbole (I've told you a million times) and personification (the wind whispered). Etymology is the study of word origins. Many English words come from Latin, Greek and French roots, and knowing a root helps you unlock the meaning of dozens of related words.
Activity
Ask your child: What do you think the word 'telephone' means if 'tele' means far and 'phone' means voice? Then brainstorm other tele- words together — telescope, television, teleport.
Check
After the worksheet, ask your child to find one idiom and one piece of hyperbole in a book or TV show they enjoy this week.
Match the Figurative Language Type
Draw a line to match each example with the correct type of figurative language.
Name That Figurative Language (Set A)
Read each sentence. Circle the correct type of figurative language.
The thunder clapped its hands with delight.
I am so tired I could sleep for a thousand years.
Her laughter was music to his ears.
The new student was a fish out of water.
His voice was as rough as gravel.
The stars winked at us through the clouds.
Sort by Figurative Language Type (Set A)
Sort each phrase into the correct column.
Crack the Root Word Code (Set A)
Use the root word meaning to work out the meaning of each English word. Write one more word that uses the same root.
Root: PORT (to carry) Word: transport Meaning: _______________ Another port word: _______________
Root: AUD (to hear) Word: auditorium Meaning: _______________ Another aud word: _______________
Root: GRAPH (to write) Word: biography Meaning: _______________ Another graph word: _______________
Root: DICT (to say or tell) Word: predict Meaning: _______________ Another dict word: _______________
Match the Root to Its Meaning
Draw a line from each Latin or Greek root to its meaning.
Sort the Root Word Families
Sort each word into the column that matches its Latin or Greek root.
Simile or Metaphor?
Circle whether each sentence is a simile or a metaphor.
Life is a rollercoaster.
She ran like the wind.
The classroom was a zoo.
His eyes were as blue as the ocean.
Time is a thief.
The baby's skin was like velvet.
Write Your Own Figurative Language
Write one original example of each type of figurative language. Make each one vivid and interesting.
Simile (comparing using 'like' or 'as'):
Metaphor (direct comparison):
Personification (giving human qualities to a non-human thing):
Hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration):
Idiom (a phrase with a non-literal meaning):
Build a Word Family from a Root
Each row shows a root growing into a word family. Read the sequence from simplest to most complex.
Sort: Literal or Figurative?
Sort each phrase into the correct column.
Figurative Language Spotter
Try these activities over the next few days to practise finding figurative language in the real world.
- 1Read a chapter of any novel and use sticky notes to mark every example of figurative language you find. Count how many of each type the author uses.
- 2Listen to a song and write down all the figurative language in the lyrics. Identify the technique used for each one.
- 3Look at three advertisements — on TV, in a magazine or online. Write down any figurative language used and explain the effect it has on the audience.
Sort Words by Root: TERR, BIO, AQUA, TELE
Sort each word into the column that matches its root.
Choose the More Effective Figurative Language
Read each pair of sentences. Circle the one that uses figurative language more effectively.
Which is more vivid?
Which is more effective?
Which is more powerful?
Which is stronger?
Explain the Figurative Language
For each sentence, explain what the figurative language means and what effect it creates for the reader.
Sentence: 'The deadline was a ticking time bomb.' Type: _______________ Meaning and effect:
Sentence: 'She had butterflies in her stomach.' Type: _______________ Meaning and effect:
Sentence: 'The ancient oak stood like a silent guardian.' Type: _______________ Meaning and effect:
Match the Advanced Figurative Technique
Draw a line to match each technique with its correct definition.
Root Word Spidergram
Choose one root from the box: VIS, SCRIB, TERR, BIO. Write the root in the centre, then add six words that contain that root around it. Write a brief meaning for each word.
My chosen root: _______________
My spidergram (draw it in the box and label each word with its meaning):
Name That Technique (Set B — Advanced)
Circle the correct literary technique used in each example.
The silver snake of the river wound through the valley.
Sizzling sausages filled the still summer air.
The dark clouds gathered as she opened the letter.
He was a living legend.
The thunder crashed and the rain hissed on the roof.
Sort by Language Technique (Set B)
Sort each example into the correct column.
Write with Figurative Language (Set A)
Write a short paragraph (4 to 5 sentences) about a storm, a sporting event or a busy day. Include at least one idiom, one example of hyperbole and one example of personification. Label each in the margin.
My topic:
My paragraph:
Sort: Prefix, Root or Suffix?
Sort each word part into the correct column.
Analyse Figurative Language in a Text
Find a paragraph in your current reading book that contains at least two examples of figurative language. Copy the paragraph, underline the figurative language, and explain the effect of each example.
Source (book title and page number):
Paragraph (copy here):
Example 1 — technique and effect:
Example 2 — technique and effect:
Write an Extended Metaphor
Choose one of the metaphors below and extend it across a full paragraph (5 to 7 sentences). Every sentence should develop the comparison in a new way.
Choose a starting metaphor: A) Reading is a journey. B) The mind is a garden. C) Learning is climbing a mountain. D) My own idea: _______________
My extended metaphor paragraph:
Sort by Level of Formality
Idioms and figurative language vary in formality. Sort these expressions from most informal to most formal.
Identify the Effect
Read each sentence. Circle the most accurate description of the effect created by the figurative language.
The abandoned house crouched at the end of the street, watching.
She was a ray of sunshine in the darkest room.
His words were daggers, each one perfectly aimed.
I have told you a million times not to do that.
Analyse an Idiom's History
Choose one idiom from the box and research its origin. Explain where it came from and how its meaning has changed over time.
Idiom choices: 'Bite the bullet' / 'Under the weather' / 'Kick the bucket' / 'Spill the beans' My chosen idiom:
Its origin story (where and when did it come from?):
How is it used today?
Write a Figurative Language Poem
Write a short poem (8 to 10 lines) on any topic you choose. You must include at least four different figurative language techniques. Label each technique in the margin using abbreviations: S (simile), M (metaphor), P (personification), H (hyperbole), A (alliteration), O (onomatopoeia).
My topic:
My poem:
Techniques I used (list each one):
Sort: Figurative Technique by Purpose
Sort each technique into the column that best describes its primary purpose in writing.
Rewrite Using Better Figurative Language
Each sentence below is flat and literal. Rewrite it using vivid figurative language to make it more engaging. Try to use a different technique for each.
Original: The forest was dark and quiet. Rewrite:
Original: She was very nervous before the performance. Rewrite:
Original: The market was very busy. Rewrite:
Original: He was very happy when he won. Rewrite:
Which Root Is in This Word?
Circle the root that each word contains.
chronological
thermometer
circumference
psychology
hydrophobic
Sort: Cliche or Fresh Figurative Language?
Some figurative language has been used so often it has become a cliche. Sort each example.
Figurative Language Revision: Label and Explain
Read the passage below. Find and label five examples of figurative language. Explain the technique and its effect for each one.
PASSAGE: The river was an old man, slow and deliberate, winding through the valley as if it had all the time in the world. On its banks, willow trees wept silently into the water. The summer heat was a heavy blanket draped over everything, stifling and still. Even the birds had given up their singing — the sky was as empty as a forgotten promise. Example 1 — quote, technique, effect:
Example 2 — quote, technique, effect:
Example 3 — quote, technique, effect:
Example 4 — quote, technique, effect:
Example 5 — quote, technique, effect:
Tone and Figurative Language
Figurative language shapes the tone of a text. Circle the tone each example creates.
The sun beamed down on the laughing children, and the world was golden.
The house stood like a broken tooth against the grey sky, hollow and rotting.
She bounced into the room, her laughter fizzing like a shaken bottle of lemonade.
Time crawled. Every second stretched into a minute; every minute into an hour.
Design a Root Word Reference Card
Create a reference card for five roots of your choice. For each root write: the root, its language of origin, its meaning, three English words that contain it, and a memory trick to help you remember it.
Root 1:
Root 2:
Root 3:
Sort: Which Subject Uses This Root Most?
Sort each root word into the subject area where it appears most often. Some may fit more than one — choose the most common.
Word Origins: English from Around the World
Research five words that came into English from other languages. For each, record the word, its origin language and original meaning, and how we use it today.
Word 1 (word, origin language, original meaning, current use):
Word 2:
Word 3:
Word 4:
Word 5:
Figurative Language in the World Around You
Try these activities this week to practise figurative language beyond the worksheet.
- 1Watch the news or a documentary and write down three examples of figurative language used by journalists or commentators. Explain the technique and effect of each.
- 2Read the headlines of a newspaper or news website. Identify any idioms, metaphors or hyperbole. Rewrite three headlines using literal language and compare the effect.
- 3Play 'Figurative Language Swap': take turns choosing a sentence and challenging each other to replace any literal language with a figurative version using a different technique each time.
Literary Analysis: Figurative Language Essay Paragraph
Write a formal analytical paragraph about how an author uses figurative language in a text of your choice. Use this structure: Point (make a claim) → Evidence (quote from the text) → Explanation (explain the technique) → Effect (describe the impact on the reader).
Text title and author:
My analytical paragraph (use Point → Evidence → Explanation → Effect):
Sort: Etymology Across Disciplines
Sort each word into the academic discipline where its root appears most prominently.
Create a Figurative Language Mentor Text
Write a descriptive passage of 8 to 12 sentences on any topic. Deliberately include at least six different figurative language techniques. Then create an answer key listing every technique you used, where it appears, and the effect you intended.
My descriptive passage:
Answer key (technique, quote, intended effect):
Strong Analysis or Weak Analysis?
Read each analytical statement. Circle whether it is a strong analysis (clear point + evidence + effect) or a weak analysis (just identification with no explanation).
The author uses personification.
The metaphor 'the city was a beast' creates a sense of overwhelming, inhuman power, suggesting the character feels consumed by urban life.
There is alliteration in 'silent, silver stars'.
The alliteration 'silent, silver stars' creates a soft, hushed sound effect that mirrors the peaceful, still atmosphere of the scene.
Figurative Language Critique: Compare Two Texts
Find two short passages on the same topic — one from a novel or poem and one from a newspaper or non-fiction article. Analyse how each text uses figurative language differently and explain why the differences suit each text's purpose.
Text 1 title, type and source:
Figurative language techniques found in Text 1 (quote + technique + effect):
Text 2 title, type and source:
Figurative language techniques found in Text 2 (quote + technique + effect):
How and why does the use of figurative language differ between the two texts?
Sort: Register and Figurative Language
Match each piece of writing to the type of figurative language most suited to it.
Write a Persuasive Text Using Figurative Language
Write a persuasive letter (3 paragraphs) to your school council arguing for a change you believe in. Deliberately use at least five figurative language techniques to strengthen your arguments. Label each technique in the margin.
My argument (what change am I arguing for?):
My persuasive letter:
Figurative language techniques I used (label and quote each):
Which Technique Serves This Purpose Best?
A writer wants to achieve a specific effect. Circle the technique that would work best.
The writer wants the reader to feel the beauty and loneliness of an empty landscape.
The writer wants to create a sense of danger and speed in an action scene.
The writer wants to make a scientific concept accessible to a general audience.
The writer wants to show a character is pretending to be calm but is deeply afraid.
Glossary of Figurative Language Techniques
Create a personal glossary of figurative language techniques. For each term, write: the definition, an example from a text you have read, and your own original example.
Simile — definition, text example, my own example:
Metaphor — definition, text example, my own example:
Extended metaphor — definition, text example, my own example:
Pathetic fallacy — definition, text example, my own example:
Oxymoron — definition, text example, my own example:
Sort: Etymology Strategy — Which Clue Helps Most?
When encountering an unknown word, different strategies help in different ways. Sort each strategy into the column that best describes when to use it.
Independent Research: Australian English Idioms
Australian English has many unique idioms and expressions. Research five Australian English idioms that are not common in British or American English. For each one: write the idiom, explain its meaning, and explain its likely origin.
Idiom 1 (expression, meaning, origin):
Idiom 2:
Idiom 3:
Idiom 4:
Idiom 5:
Evaluate the Quality of the Writing
Read each pair of sentences. Circle the one that uses figurative language more skilfully — with a specific, fresh image and clear effect.
Which is more skilfully written?
Which is more effective?
Which shows better control of figurative language?
Which is the stronger descriptive sentence?
Figurative Language in a Science Context
Figurative language is used in science to explain complex concepts. Read each scientific explanation and then write your own figurative explanation of the same concept using a different technique.
Scientific explanation: The nucleus of an atom is at the centre, surrounded by electrons at great distances, like a tiny solar system. Your own figurative explanation using a different image:
Scientific explanation: DNA is a set of instructions coded in chemical letters that tells cells how to function. Your own figurative explanation:
Scientific explanation: The immune system detects and destroys foreign invaders in the body. Your own figurative explanation:
Extended Project: Language Detectives
Over the next two weeks, complete this extended language detective project.
- 1Week 1 — Etymology: Choose a theme (sport, food, technology, or your favourite subject area). Find 10 words on that theme and research the etymology of each. Create a visual display showing each word's journey into English.
- 2Week 2 — Figurative Language Anthology: Collect 10 examples of figurative language from different text types (novel, poem, newspaper, advertisement, speech, non-fiction book). Annotate each one with the technique and its effect. Write a one-page reflection on what you noticed about how different text types use figurative language.
- 3Final step: Choose your three favourite figurative language examples from your anthology and use them as inspiration to write an original descriptive paragraph. Share it with a family member and discuss the choices you made.
Reflection: My Growth as a Word Learner
Reflect on what you have learned about figurative language and etymology throughout this worksheet. Answer each question thoughtfully.
Which figurative language technique do you find most powerful in writing, and why?
Which root word has been most useful for understanding unfamiliar words? Give three examples of words it helped you with.
How has learning about word origins changed the way you read or write?
Set yourself a vocabulary goal for next month. What will you do to reach it?