2.  Literal language
Means exactly what it says, at the simplest level. For example:
Sirius is the brightest star in the sky. Here a star is used literally
as a noun, which means a heavenly body in the
universe, called a star.
 Figurative Language
Has a more imaginative meaning. For an example: The star
posed for photographs as she arrived at the Oscar.
In the figurative language the word star does not refer to a
shinning object in the sky. It is a metaphor. A film actor has
been given the qualities of a star as she is seen as being a
glamorous celebrity. Her fame makes her stand out , or shine
like a star. This is an example of figurative language

3. A simile is a comparison between two things,
using like or as to point out what is similar.
Read the sentence below to see how it similes
work.
Phindi’s eyes were shinning like stars because she
was so excited.
Eyes and stars are b The same thing are being
compared- Phindi’s eyes and stars – but we
have used as instead of like . The simile in this
sentence is as brightly as stars being compared.

4.  A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is
given the qualities of another. We don’t say the one
thing is like another, but we say it is the thing to which it
is being compared. Read this sentence: Phindi is the
star of the soap opera.
 Personification is a special kind of metaphor in which an
animal or a thing is given human qualities. For an
example: The moon poured her friendly light on the
sleeping earth.
 In this sentence, both moon and the earth are
personified, because they are described as if they are
people. The moon is said to be friendly, and the earth is
compared to a sleeping person.

5. The World Is Too Much With Us
By William Wordsworth 1770–1850 William Wordsworth
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;—
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I’d rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

6.  A fact is something that we can prove. There is evidence
for it that is not based on how we personally think or feel.
Facts are the result of research.
 However certain things that are accepted as part of our
general knowledge , are accepted as facts, even if they
have not been absolutely proven. For example. South
Africa's national road network is as extensive as any such
system in the world,
 Without having any absolute proof of this, we can accept
as fact, as a glance at a road atlas tells us that South
Africa have an intensive network of roads.
 An opinion may seem true to us, but we cannot really
prove it. It is based on our own thoughts and experiences.
If we agree with an opinion, we often think that is fact!

7.  An emotion is another word for a feeling, and so
emotive language is used to make us respond by
feeling an emotion.
 It tells us how the writer is feeling.
 It makes the reader feel a certain motion in response
to the words that have been used.
 Read this example
 I watched in horror as the child was swept away from
the outstretched arms of her mother.
 The words in horror tells us how upset the writer was,
and the words child, swept away, outstretched arms
and mother, makes us feel pity for both the mother
and the child.

8.  We call the main IDEA OR ideas in a text the message or the theme.
T6he theme is what a passage is really about.
 However the themes of text differs, as each writer has a different
attitude towards their writing. Writers may use stories to develop their
themes . An example is a film such as the romantic comedy As Good As
It Gets. The story tells us how two people , each with serious personal
problem, falls in lone. However, the theme of the film goes much deeper
than this is. It shows how love is powerful enough to alter our views on
the world, and the way in which we behave.
 To recognize the theme of a passage, follow this method,
 First read the text so that you understand what the passage is about.
Then ask yourselves these questions:
 -What are the issues that concern the writer of the passage?
 -What comment do the events or situations in the passage make about
the subject matter.
 The answers to these questions are the main ideas, or themes of the
passage.

9.  Implied meaning
 This is the meaning that is not clearly stated in the
passage, but is hinted at, or suggested indirectly.
Read the following example:
 If I lost my shoes at the beginning of the month , in
the middle of winter, I would have to hop, skip and
jump my way to school for more than 20 days over
icy dew, barefoot because my parents could not do
much about it until the end of the month. I was lucky.
Many of my school mate would be freezing right
through the winter.
 Although we are not specifically told so, we
understand from this paragraph that most children
owned only one pair of shoes.

10.  Advertisement
Advertisement manipulate us into spending our money! They use words and
pictures to send a strong message to persuade us to buy a service or a product.
Learn the vocabulary below so that you will understand the questions on
advertisement:
 Copy – the writing in the advertisement
 Consumers – the people who buy the products or services for sale.
 Font – the type of lettering used
 Layout of design – the way in which the pictures and the words are arranged
on the page,
 Slogans – easy to remember sayings, associated with certain products, such
as MTN everywhere you go.
 Stereotypes – generalized images of people such as the sexy blon, the loving
mother and untidy teenager.
 Target audience – people at whom the advertisement aimed
 Visuals – the picture in an advertisement

11.  An important news item may be presented as a
cartoon. This is a picture, which is drawn sa that a
great deal of information is given in a small space on
the page. A cleverer cartoon can sum up the
content of a long article.
 Comic strips are stories shown in pictures about
characters, such as madam and eve, or
animals, such as Garfield the cat. The public
becomes familiar with these characters because the
comic strips are printed regularly on newspapers and
magazines.
 Cartoons often comment on a political or social
event , so the provide satire; comic strips nay be
satirical or merely amusing.

12.  A technique call caricature is used in cartoons to make important public
figures. These drawings are not realistic. They exaggerate certain
features of people being drawn, so that we recognise the people , but
find them funny.
 A caption is the writing that explains the message of a cartoon.
Sometimes the picture is so clear that a caption is unnecessary.
 Speech bubbles may be used for the words spoken by the cartoon
character
 Straight or wavy lines are used to show movement
 Cartoons also use symbols, which are pictures that represent abstract
qualities. For an example, a picture of a heart can be used to symbolize
love. Symbols such as @#!!! Are used to show swearing.
 The meaning of words in a cartoon may be ambiguous, which means
that the words can be interpreted more than one way.
 Cartoon may also use anticlimax to create humor. This happens when
tension is created and we expecting something exciting or important to
happen but instead, the ending is very ordinary.