Grade 7 Spring — Analytical Essay, Syntactic Variety, and the Craft of Sentence Rhythm
English · VOC G7 eng.g7.s.voc.literal_vs_figurative_meaning

Distinguish literal vs. figurative meanings of words and phrases in context (CCSS L.7.5.a)

Apply the 2-check routine to any candidate-figurative phrase: does it work read literally? does it work read figuratively? Both = layered meaning. Only figuratively = name the figure (metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, symbol). Only literally = not figurative. Recognize that misreading literally vs. figuratively is the most common interpretive error.

Mastery threshold
85%
Min instances
10
Typical minutes
40
Spaced intervals (days)
1, 3, 7, 14, 30, 60
Prereqs
Successors
Common misconceptions
  • Reads metaphor literally ('my homework is going to kill me' interpreted as physical threat).
  • Reads literal description as figurative when the writer intends straightforward sensory detail.

Exercise pool (2)

Diff Stem Type
1 For each sentence, mark whether the bold phrase is LITERAL or FIGURATIVE. (1) 'It was raining cats and dogs.' (2) 'The cats were... literal figurative sort
3 Cisneros writes: 'My name. In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting.'... figurative interpretation