We found out in the previous checkpoint what a narrative is and what its parts are made of.

This checkpoint will talk about figurative language in a narrative text.

Why?

Narrative text contains figurative language and that is different from literal language. Figurative language usually means something else than what is said so it's important we don't treat it as literal as doing so would lead to the wrong answer.

There are different types of figurative language that occur in narratives (and why they cannot be interpreted as literal!) such as:

• Similes – relating something 'like' something else. For example: As soon as the school bell rung, the students swarmed out like a school of fish.
• Metaphors – relating something as something else. For example: The path home was a treacherous battlefield with the worst school bullies waiting for me to arrive.
• Hyperbole – over exaggeration. For example: Jessica's closet was endless with shoes, bags and extravagant dresses that must have been worn by movie stars.
• Personification – giving 'things' characteristics of humans. For example: The doll beckoned me towards her with her fancy clothes and well brushed hair, demanding that she be bought and taken home! OR The past came back to haunt me.
  

In narrative texts, it is likely that the types of figurative questions that will be tested are:

• Detail questions on meaning/tone/atmosphere/feeling – find the details by looking at information provided in the located paragraph.

Scan for the answer – remember, the answer will not be literal.

You need to think about:

• The metaphor and its meaning
• When it links to the subject in question, how does it transform it overall.
• Let's look at 'As soon as the school bell rung, the students swarmed out like a school of fish'.

Example Question/s

Watch video for explanation of the following question/s:

Toby

This is part of a short story about a child's first knowledge of death when his best friend Mr. Sawcombe dies.

After tea Toby's father came home from the office, and they watched football together on television, and then Toby went upstairs to have a bath.

He got out of the bath, put on his pyjamas and dressing gown, and went down the passage that led to her flat. He knocked at the door and she called "Come in," and it was like going into another world, because her furniture and curtains and things were so different to those in the rest of the house. No other person had so many photographs and ornaments, he found his Granny, knitting. As well, she had a book on her knee. She had a television but she didn't enjoy it too much. She preferred to read, and Toby always thought of her deep in some book or other. But whenever he interrupted her, she would place a leather bookmark between the pages, close the book, and lay it aside so as to give him her undivided attention.

"Hello, Toby."

"What have you been doing today?"

He pulled up a stool and sat down to tell her. He told her about Mr. Sawcombe, but she already knew. He told her about Willie making a coffin for Mr. Sawcombe.

"Were you in love when you married Grandpa?"

"I think I was. It's so long ago that sometimes I forget."

"Did you …" He hesitated, but he had to know, and Granny was a person who never minded awkward questions. "When he died … did you miss him very much?"

"Why do you ask that? Are you missing Mr. Sawcombe?"

"Yes. All day. All day I've been missing him."

"It'll get better. The missing bit will get better and then you'll only remember the good times."

"Is that how it was with you and Grandpa?"

"I think so. Yes."

"Is it very frightening to die?"

"I don't know." She smiled, her familiar smile, amused and gamine, that was so surprising in that old and wrinkled face. "I've never done it."

"But…" He looked intently into her eyes. Nobody could live forever. "But aren't you frightened?"

Granny leaned forward to take Toby's hand into her own. "You know," she said, "I've always thought that each person's life is like a mountain. And each person has to climb that mountain alone. To begin with, you start in the valley, and it's warm and sunny, and there are lots of meadows and little streams, and buttercups and things. That's when you're a child. And then you start to climb. Slowly, the mountain becomes a little steeper and the going isn't so easy, but if you stop every now and then and look about you, then the wonderful views are worth every bit of effort. And the very top of the mountain, the peak, where the snow and the ice glitter in the sunshine and it is all beautiful beyond belief, why, that is the summit, the great achievement, the end of the long journey." She made it sound magnificent. He said, full of love for her, "I don't want you to die."

Granny laughed. "Oh, my darling, don't worry about that. I'm going to be around, being a nuisance to you all, for a long time yet. And now, why don't we each have a peppermint cream, and then a game of clock patience? How nice that you came to see me I was beginning to be a little tired of my own company…."

Source: Rosamunde Pilcher: "Toby" in The Blue Bedroom & Other Stories, St. Martin's Paperbacks, 1990

Questions

When Toby gets into his grandmother's room, he notices that

A it has different decorations and it is full of memories.
B her furniture and curtains are old.
C it is in a distant part of the house.
D he does not visit her often.

The passage suggests that Toby's grandmother has a book on her knee because she is

A a talkative person.
B busy with her weave.
C usually reading a book.
D collecting things.

Toby's grandmother suggests that Toby will relieve his pain by

A recalling good times.
B letting time go by.
C clearing his mind.
D being satisfied with good memories.

The second last paragraph describes the similitude between a journey to the top of a mountain and

A the troubles a person faces in life.
B the advantages of being young.
C the remembrance of an aged person.
D the process of growing up, aging and die.

The passage suggests that Toby and his grandmother

A have a very close relationship.
B do not talk often.
C talk about the same topic frequently.
D read books together.

Key Rules to remember

• The main types of questions testing figurative language relate to detail question on figurative statements which test your ability to 'read through the lines'.
• 4 types of figurative language: similes, metaphors, hyperboles, personification.

Practice time!

Now, it's your turn to practice.

Click on the button below and start your practice questions. We recommend doing untimed mode first, and then, when you're ready, do timed mode.

Every question has two solutions videos after you complete the question. The first is a quick 60 second video that shows you how our expert answers the question quickly. The second video is a more in-depth 5-steps or less explainer video that shows you the steps to take to answer the question. It's really important that you review the second video because that's where you'll learn additional tips and tricks.

Once you're done with the practice questions, move on to the next checkpoint.

Now, let’s get started on your practice questions.

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