8th Grade Summer Reading Project Reference Sheet
Figurative Language
1. Metaphor- a comparison of two unlike things that does not use “like” or “as”
Example: She is a cheetah because she runs so fast.
2. Simile- a comparison that uses “like” or “as”
Example: He is as tall as a giraffe.
3. Alliteration- the repetition of initial, beginning sounds in two or more neighboring words
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
4. Hyperbole- an exaggeration for effect.
Example: I am so hungry; I could eat a horse.
5. Onomatopoeia- words that imitate sounds
Example: Boom! Crash! Bang!
6. Oxymoron- two words with opposite meanings written together to create a new meaning
Examples: student teacher, jumbo shrimp
7. Pun- the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings
or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in
meaning; a play on words
Example: I read a book about gravity; it was a heavy subject.
8. Personification- giving human characteristics to a nonhuman subject
Examples:
The sun smiled at me.
The trees danced in the wind.
9. Idiom- An expression not meant to be taken literally.
Example: It’s raining cats and dogs!
Literary Devices
1. Foreshadowing- the use of clues to give readers a hint of events that will occur later on
Example: It was a dark, stormy night.
2. Irony- a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is
different from the actual meaning of the words. It may also be a situation that may end up in quite a
different way than what is generally anticipated. In simple words, it is a difference between the
appearance and the reality
Example: When a tiny dog is named Giant
If a police officer gets a ticket for driving too quickly
3. Suspense- a state or feeling of anxious uncertainty about what may happen
Example: The loud noise outside the window stopped, and then, the lights went out.
4. Characterization- the method used by the author to give readers information about a character; a
description or representation of a person’s qualities.
Example: Harry Potter, a wizard with dark brown hair and glasses, attends Hogwart’s Academy.
5. Symbolism- the use of a thing, character, object, or idea to represent something else
Example: The American flag symbolizes freedom.
6. Theme- the main idea of a literary work; the message the author wants to communicate, a universal
truth about life
Examples: love, friendship, war
7. Setting - where and when the story takes place
Example: It was September 10, 2015 in D.H.H. Lengel Middle School.
8. Tone: the author’s attitude toward the subject
Example: The author uses a sympathetic tone in the story to show that he feels sorry for the
main character.
9. Mood-the feeling that the author creates for the reader
Example: The story puts the reader in a sad mood because of the gloomy setting and character
descriptions.