How should you handle literal vs. figurative language in questions?

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Multiple Choice

How should you handle literal vs. figurative language in questions?

Approach literal versus figurative language by first determining the literal meaning of the text, then recognizing phrases that are not meant to be taken at face value and interpreting them using the surrounding context. Figurative language—metaphor, simile, exaggeration, personification—usually serves to convey ideas, tone, or emphasis that literal wording alone wouldn’t achieve. Consider how the figurative language affects meaning, mood, or the author’s purpose in the passage, and explain that impact. This combination—literal interpretation, contextual figurative understanding, and clear explanation of impact—best captures what the writer is doing. Merely reading figurative language literally or ignoring it, or assuming sarcasm in all figurative expressions, misses the author's intent and the text's deeper meaning.

Approach literal versus figurative language by first determining the literal meaning of the text, then recognizing phrases that are not meant to be taken at face value and interpreting them using the surrounding context. Figurative language—metaphor, simile, exaggeration, personification—usually serves to convey ideas, tone, or emphasis that literal wording alone wouldn’t achieve. Consider how the figurative language affects meaning, mood, or the author’s purpose in the passage, and explain that impact. This combination—literal interpretation, contextual figurative understanding, and clear explanation of impact—best captures what the writer is doing. Merely reading figurative language literally or ignoring it, or assuming sarcasm in all figurative expressions, misses the author's intent and the text's deeper meaning.

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