English Language · Lesson 19

Literary terms & figures of speech; reading the JAMB prescribed text

JAMBWAECNECO

What the syllabus asks

JAMB: literary terms and figures of speech in context; comprehension questions on the prescribed novel (title changes; check the current JAMB syllabus/brochure)

WAEC: figurative and idiomatic use of language; interpretation of literal and figurative expressions; comprehension of literary passages

NECO: figurative and idiomatic use of language; interpretation of literal and figurative expressions; comprehension of literary passages

What you will learn

Define and identify the main figures of speech in sentences and passages.
Explain the effect of a figure of speech in context.
Distinguish easily confused pairs: simile/metaphor, irony/sarcasm, oxymoron/paradox, hyperbole/litotes.
Use basic literary terms: plot, setting, character, theme, point of view, conflict, climax.
Apply a systematic method to study any prescribed novel.
Answer JAMB-style questions on a prescribed text accurately.

Key points

Figures of speech use language non-literally for effect.
Simile (like/as) and metaphor (direct) compare unlike things.
Personification gives human traits; apostrophe addresses the absent or non-living; allusion refers to known stories.
Hyperbole exaggerates; litotes understates with a negative; euphemism softens.
Irony reverses meaning or expectation; oxymoron joins opposite words; paradox is a true-seeming contradiction; antithesis balances contrasts.
Sound devices: alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, rhyme, repetition.
Metonymy uses an associated thing; synecdoche a part for the whole.
Prose terms: plot, conflict, climax, setting, character, theme, point of view, flashback, foreshadowing.
Confirm the current JAMB prescribed novel from the official syllabus; read it fully at least three times.
Study the novel through plot, characters, setting, themes, narrative technique and language, with evidence.

Start here: Literal and figurative language

When your mother says "Close the window," she means exactly that: this is literal language. When she says "This house is an oven," she does not mean the house cooks food; she means it is very hot. This is figurative language.

A figure of speech is an expression that uses words in a way different from their ordinary meaning, to create a vivid picture, emphasis, humour or emotion.

Writers use figures of speech because they make writing memorable and powerful. Compare "The market was busy" with "The market was an ant hill, swarming with buyers and sellers." The second gives a picture of countless people moving in every direction.

Figures of speech are tested in three places:

JAMB Use of English: "Identify the figure of speech" and interpretation questions, including questions on the prescribed novel.
WAEC/NECO Paper 1: interpretation of figurative expressions ("The statement means that…").
WAEC Paper 2 comprehension: "What figure of speech is used in …?" and "What does the expression … mean as used in the passage?"

In this lesson we learn the figures in families: comparison, exaggeration and contrast, sound, and others. Then we learn the literary terms used to study a novel and a full method for the JAMB prescribed text.

💡 Exam tip: when asked to identify a figure of speech, first ask "Is something being compared? Exaggerated? Contrasted? Is a sound being imitated?" That narrows it to one family.

Try it yourself. Literal or figurative? (a) "The boy broke his arm." (b) "The news broke her heart."

Show solution

(a) literal; (b) figurative (metaphor: great sorrow).

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Practice questions

1. A comparison using "like" or "as" is a

simile
metaphor
personification
hyperbole

Show answer

A: simile
For example, "as brave as a lion".

2. "The wind whispered through the trees" is an example of

simile
alliteration
irony
personification

Show answer

D: personification
Human qualities given to the wind.

3. "I have told you a million times" is an example of

simile
onomatopoeia
hyperbole
understatement

Show answer

C: hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration.

4. "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" shows

metaphor
alliteration
assonance
rhyme

Show answer

B: alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds.

5. Words like "buzz", "bang" and "hiss" are examples of

onomatopoeia
hyperbole
irony
oxymoron

Show answer

A: onomatopoeia
The sound suggests the meaning.

Key words

Figure of speech: An expression that uses words in a non-literal way to create an effect.
Simile: A comparison using "like" or "as".
Metaphor: A direct comparison that says one thing is another.
Personification: Giving human qualities to animals, objects or ideas.
Hyperbole: Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.
Litotes: Understatement using a negative, e.g. "not bad".
Euphemism: A mild expression in place of a harsh one.
Irony: A contrast between what is said or expected and what is meant or happens.
Oxymoron: Two contradictory words placed together.
Paradox: A statement that seems contradictory but contains a truth.
Alliteration: Repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of nearby words.
Onomatopoeia: A word that imitates a sound.

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