Metaphor
Activity 1
Check your learners' prior knowledge by asking them to discuss the meaning of the term metaphor and to give examples. This can be done individually, and then check in small groups and/or whole class.
Use the next slide to confirm the learners' answers. Next, ask if the learners can think of any other animal metaphors such as sly fox. Ask learners to share their ideas with each other and the whole class.
Activity 2
Ask learners to copy down the list of common animals, and to make notes on their common characteristics. Next learners try to come up with a metaphor for each animal.
Make sure the learners have the whole list of animals copied down before the next slide. In the following acitivity, learners need to match the animal to the correct metaphor.
Activity 3
Next, introduce the learners to the idea of body part metaphors. Show them the example, and ask if they can think of any others.
In the next activity, they will fill the gaps in seven sentences with the appropriate body part to complete the metaphor. Ask learners to attempt individually, before sharing with pairs/small groups and checking as a whole class.
Activity 4
In the final activity, learners will see how many metaphors they can come up with independently. Ask learners to create a mind-map with vocabulary related to plants and trees. Then, ask them to see how many metaphors they can make using these words. Finally, share answers as a whole class.
This lesson is adapted (with permission) from Words and Meanings: A Systematic Guide for the Teaching of English Vocabulary, by Gabriele Stein.
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Metaphor
Activity 1
What does the term metaphor mean?
Can you think of an example?
A metaphor is when a word or phrase is used to suggest a resemblance to a another thing or action.
A metaphor uses language in a figurative sense.
When we call someone a sly fox we are implying that their behaviour is similar to a fox i.e. sneaky or crafty.
What other animal metaphors can you think of?
Activity 2
Copy down this list of common animals: bird, duck, fish, hog, horse, owl, pig
- What are their well-known characteristics?
- Can you think of any metaphors or sayings about each one?
Look at the following eight metaphors.
Guess the missing animal from the list you copied down to complete each phrase!
1. A cold fish
a person who seems to be unfeeling
2. A dark horse
a person who surprises everyone due to their unexpected abilities
3. A guinea pig
a volunteer for medical experiments
4. A lame duck
someone who has lost their power and authority
5. A night owl
a person who enjoys staying up at night
6. An odd fish
an eccentric person
7. A rare bird
an exceptional person
8. A road hog
an inconsiderate driver who monopolises the road
Activity 3
Another set of examples used in metaphors are body parts.
Can you think of any examples?
For example: Their car broke down, so they pulled over on the hard shoulder.
Here's another list of seven sentences that all use body part metaphors. This time you haven't been given the metaphor words in advance.
See how many you can complete before checking the answers on the following slide.
- They decided to park the car at the ______ of the hill and walk up.
- One of the table ______ is broken.
- Mark tried the t-shirt on but the ______ was too wide.
- Why aren't you talking? Have you lost your ______?
- Jenny's favourite tea is chips, baked beans and fish ______.
- He kept his eye on the stopwatch and follwed the second ______ keenly.
- The ______ of the cave was overgrown with gorse and brambles.
- They decided to park the car at the foot of the hill and walk up.
- One of the table legs is broken.
- Mark tried the t-shirt on but the neck was too wide.
- Why aren't you talking? Have you lost your tongue?
- Jenny's favourite tea is chips, baked beans and fish fingers.
- He kept his eye on the stopwatch and follwed the second hand keenly.
- The mouth of the cave was overgrown with gorse and brambles.
With a partner, discuss how the body part word is used metaphorically in each sentence.
Activity 4
Another well-known set of words used in metaphors is plants and trees.
Make a mindmap of as many words related to plants and tress as you can think of. Then, choose at least four words and write a sentence using a well-known metaphor.
Compare your answers with a partner - do you understand the meaning of all the metaphors?
Hyponymy
Activity 1
Show the learners the list of three nouns. Ask them to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.
After a couple of minutes, reveal the focus of the lesson in the next slide: how nouns can relate to each other by being more general or specific. Use the example to demonstrate. Ask learners if they can think of any other examples. Don't worry if they struggle at this point, as they will see more throughout the lesson.
Ask learners to make notes on the new terminology, beacuse they will need it for the other activities.
Activity 2
Ask learners to read the list of nouns. For each noun, they need to supply the superordinate (or more general) word as in the example. After the learners have tried independently, use the 'Answer' buttons to share the solutions.
In the next task, learners use the drag-and-drop activity to match the subordianate to the superordinate term. Make sure they put them in this order, or they will be marked as 'incorrect'. Place the cards side-by-side to connect them and double-click to break apart.
Activity 3
Talk the learners through the next slide. We can represent the relationship of hyponymy between words graphically by drawing a hierarchy. Ask learners to copy down the example.
Next, guide learners through the instructions for the next activity. They need to create their own hierarchy using the words that will be shown in the next slide. After the leaners have tried individually, drag and drop the words to create the logically ordered hierarchy.
Solution:
material
metal (copper, steel, gold)
fabric (cotton, wool, silk)
Activity 4
Next, move on to the final activity. Explain how sometimes the pattern of hyponymy is obvious from word formation. Ask learners to think of examples of subordinate words that use the word knife. In the next slide, reveal the answers and accept any other suitbale responses. Complete the same activity for the word spoon.
Finally, ask learners to create their own hierarchies, using the words given in the list. Use the questions at the end to discuss their work in pairs.
This lesson is adapted (with permission) from Words and Meanings: A Systematic Guide for the Teaching of English Vocabulary, by Gabriele Stein.
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Hyponymy
Activity 1
Look at these three nouns.
What is the relationship between them? Can they be arranged into a logical order?
- dog
- poodle
- animal
We can label nouns as general or specific. The specific noun is included in the general noun.
- The word animal is general while the word dog is more specific
- The word dog itself is more general than breeds of dog such as poodle or spaniel.
Can you think of more examples of this relationship between words?
We call this kind of relationship between words hyponymy.
- The general word is known as the superordinate term or hypernym.
- The specific word is known as the subordinate term or hyponym.
Let's try some activities to show you understand this idea.
Activity 2
Supply the superordinate (general) term for the list of six nouns:
For example: A dog is an animal.
- A cherry is a fruit
- A daffodil is a flower
- A hammer is a tool
- A carrot is a vegetable
- A castle is a building
- A car is a vehicle
In the next activity, match the appropriate superordinate (general) with subordinate (specific) terms.
- Place the cards side-by-side to connect them and double-click to break apart.
- Make sure to put the subordinate word first, followed by the superordinate. For example: A car is a vehicle.
Activity 3
What do the words flower and tree have in common?
They are both subordinate to the word plant. They also each have their own subordinate words. We can show this relationship in a diagram called a hierarchy:
In the next slide, you will see a new set of words arranged at random. Copy them and re-arrange them into a hierarchy with the superordinate words at the top and the subordinate words at the bottom.
There should be three levels: one word at the top, two words in the middle, and six at the lowest.
Activity 4
Sometimes the pattern of hyponymy is obvious from the word formation.
Let's take the word knife for example.
How many subordinate words can you think of which use the word knife?
How many did you think of? Here are three examples:
- carving knife
- pocket knife
- steak knife
- table knife
How many can you think of for the word spoon?
How many did you think of? Here are four examples:
- soup spoon
- desert spoon
- teaspoon
Can you think of any others?
Choose one of these words, and write your own hierachy. Include at least two superordinate words, and three subordinates words for each.
- animals
- food
- buildings
- vehicles
Compare your hierarchy with a partner's. Does it make sense? Are there any words that use the same word formation?