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Discover how giving human traits to objects and using exaggeration can make writing more exciting.
Have you ever felt like your alarm clock was actually yelling at you to get out of bed, or that your backpack weighed as much as a literal elephant? You're already using the secrets of great writers!
Personification is a special type of figurative language where we give human qualities—like emotions, actions, or speech—to objects, animals, or ideas. Think of it as 'person-ifying' something that isn't a person. For example, saying 'the wind whispered through the trees' doesn't mean the wind has a mouth; it describes the soft sound in a way we can easily imagine. This technique helps readers connect emotionally to the setting of a story.
1. Look at the object: The old car. 2. Add a human action: Grumbling. 3. Combine them: 'The old car grumbled as it struggled to start on the cold morning.' 4. Why it works: Cars don't actually feel grumpy, but 'grumbling' helps us hear the engine noise and feel the car's 'struggle.'
Quick Check
In the sentence 'The stars winked at us from the night sky,' what is the human trait being given to the stars?
Answer
The human trait is 'winking.'
Hyperbole (pronounced hy-PER-bo-lee) is an extreme exaggeration used to make a point or show deep emotion. It is not meant to be taken literally. If you say, 'I've been waiting for years,' you don't actually mean a century has passed! You are using a huge number to emphasize your impatience. Hyperbole adds humor and energy to writing, making a character's feelings feel 'larger than life.'
1. Start with a basic fact: 'I am very hungry.' 2. Use exaggeration: 'I could eat a whole cow.' 3. Final Hyperbole: 'I'm so hungry, I could eat an entire farm and still have room for dessert!' 4. Why it works: It emphasizes the intensity of the hunger more than just saying 'very.'
Quick Check
Is the sentence 'This suitcase weighs a ton!' an example of personification or hyperbole?
Answer
It is hyperbole because it is an extreme exaggeration of weight.
When you combine personification and hyperbole, your writing becomes incredibly vivid. Imagine a storm: you could say 'The lightning danced across the sky (personification) and the thunder was loud enough to wake the dead (hyperbole).' By using both, you create a scene that is more engaging for your reader. You aren't just telling them what happened; you are showing them how it felt.
Scenario: A student walking into a messy room. 1. Use Personification: 'The dirty laundry swallowed the floor whole.' 2. Use Hyperbole: 'There were at least a billion socks scattered everywhere.' 3. Combined: 'As I walked in, the messy room screamed for help; I'm certain it would take me ten lifetimes to find the floor again!'
Which of these is an example of personification?
Why do writers use hyperbole?
The sentence 'My phone died' is a common example of personification.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, look around your room and try to find one object. Can you think of one human action it could do (personification) and one way to exaggerate its size or age (hyperbole)?
Practice Activity
Write a 3-sentence story about a 'Grumpy Toaster' using at least one hyperbole about how hot it gets!