Figurative Language Versus Literal Language"

effects does such terminology have on those around us? Can what we casually toss around in

It may not be used as often or meant the same way it was in the past, but it still is considered a derogatory term. Many people still use this term without prior knowledge of its definition. This only contributes to the discrimination and disrespect that the word has. By simply saying a word that is hurtful, without knowing what it can cause of what it means, reveals the unfamiliarity of respect for others. The people that use these terms are often uneducated, racist, and stereotypical. In the midst of these people, however, there are other people, such as Randal Graves, in the movie “Clerks 2,” where he says the term, and is surprised to hear that is a racial slur. He believed that it was a commonly used insult that was universally accepted, however, it is not.

2. Hyperbole is the use of over-exaggeration to make a point. Find and write down the quote from Jilly Dos Santos that employs hyperbole. Does this line effectively communicate her feelings about the situation she faced? Why or why not?

Dialect is when people use different words for everyday objects or feelings depending on the area of a country they come from. In some areas of England people say “Innit” instead of “Isn’t it” or “summit” instead of “something”. It may cause confusion if someone says “ave got a pain in my head” instead of, “I’ve got a headache”.

So for instance, when Mark Twain uses the word in Huckleberry Finn , by the standards of his day he is not being especially offensive (although even then it was a term that would not be used in polite society), but is using the term as a marker of class and socio-economic status of the characters who utter it.

1. Figurative Language: As Eric Schlosser is introducing Carl N. Karcher in the opening pages of the novel; he refers to his life as a tale by Horatio Alger, growing from modest upbringings, to establish a fast food empire. This quote uses an allusion to the talented author of Horatio Alger whose works often revolve around working middle class fighting adversity to become wealthy, which is the fulfillment of the American dream. Karcher’s life resembles a real life story that can be illustrated by Alger in one of his works comparing his upscale to greatness by pioneering ideas changing the way Americans eat and live.

16. Hyperbole is a rhetorical device that expresses extreme exaggeration on a given subject in which cannot be taken literally.

A figure of speech making a statement less or more important than it really is.

Learning any language takes time, practice and comprehension to communicate effectively. As children, we develop a list of basic words, their definitions, as well as develop the ability to properly conform simple sentences. We acquire this knowledge simply by focusing on our surroundings. As we grow and embrace our personal surroundings of education, we expand the familiarity and information needed for communication. However, to further enhance our knowledge of correct language, it is necessary to have education centers and schools that teach us the proper guidelines to write and speak effectively. Nonetheless, on the other hand, as we obtain a sense of when, how, and why in certain phrases, at that point, we have the potential to bend the rules a little bit and inaccurately expand our horizons of communication. This is when doublespeak originates and has the ability to destroy the proper function of language.

Weasel words are modifying words that undermine, contradict or weaken a direct message contained in the word, phrase or clause they accompany. These commonly overused words are ambiguous, unnecessary and should be avoided.

Idioms are words or phrases that are taken for its literal term when instead it means something completely

Example: the most common Jargon we all refer to when thinking about a normal standard working job is the famous “9-to-5”; which stands for the standard work day. • Slang is a different way than the usual to say or express words. It´s close to jargon; it may be a freshly invented word or a traditional one with various intent or effect. Example:

Jargon – Terms specific to a particular field, trade or group. This is the example of a barrier to effective business communication that hampers my ability to communicate effectively. There are so many uses of jargon in engineering, construction and project management that I couldn’t begin to list them all. Some examples are, “Abatement” Defined by Dictionary.com as: the act or state of abating or the state of being abated; reduction; decrease; alleviation; mitigation. In my field of construction management, 99% of the time the word is used to describe “asbestos” abatement but those of us in the field neglect to include the word asbestos. Often, when I fail to include

Language can be misused unintentionally. While using a particular expression, the intentions of the translator could be innocent, but the actual meaning of the expression in the targeted language could be offensive or sordid.

A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound “right” to native English speakers, who use them all the time. On the other hand, other combinations may be unnatural and just sound “wrong”. Look at these examples: the fast train – the quick train; fast food