Literal Language versus Figurative Language worksheet | Live ... - Free Printable

Let's solve this "Literal versus Non-literal Language Activity" step by step.

We need to determine whether the bolded phrases in each sentence are literal (meaning exactly what they say) or non-literal (figurative, idiomatic, or not meant to be taken literally).

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🔹 Word Bank:

- Non-literal
- Literal
- Non-literal
- Literal
- Non-literal
- Literal
- Non-literal
- Literal
- Non-literal
- Non-literal

(Note: The word bank has 10 entries — one for each sentence.)

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Now, let’s go through each sentence:

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1. It is raining cats and dogs outside.
✔ Non-literal
→ "Raining cats and dogs" is an idiom meaning it's raining very heavily. Cats and dogs aren't actually falling from the sky.
👉 Answer: Non-literal

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2. Mom told me to dust the furniture.
✔ Literal
→ This means to wipe off dust from the furniture — a real, physical action.
👉 Answer: Literal

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3. Jerry is an early bird in the mornings!
✔ Non-literal
→ "Early bird" is an idiom meaning someone who wakes up or starts activities early. Not literally a bird.
👉 Answer: Non-literal

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4. Dad told Beth that she is pretty.
✔ Literal
→ This is a direct compliment about appearance. No figurative meaning here.
👉 Answer: Literal

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5. Darryl told Jim to break a leg in his play.
✔ Non-literal
→ "Break a leg" is a common idiom used to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance. It doesn’t mean to actually break a leg.
👉 Answer: Non-literal

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6. Dad was feeling under the weather.
✔ Non-literal
→ "Under the weather" is an idiom meaning feeling sick or unwell. Not literally beneath the weather.
👉 Answer: Non-literal

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7. Mark was taking steps to finish his project.
✔ Literal
→ "Taking steps" here means making progress or doing actions toward completing something. While "steps" can be metaphorical, in context, it's being used literally as actions.
👉 Answer: Literal

> 💡 Note: Some might argue it's non-literal, but in standard usage, "taking steps" is often considered literal when referring to actions. For example, “She took steps to improve her grades.” = she did things.

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8. Sydney used a cup to measure the sugar.
✔ Literal
→ She physically used a measuring cup to measure sugar. Nothing figurative here.
👉 Answer: Literal

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9. Sara would not speak to Jim. She gave him the cold shoulder.
✔ Non-literal
→ "The cold shoulder" is an idiom meaning to ignore or treat someone with indifference. Not literally giving them a cold shoulder.
👉 Answer: Non-literal

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10. Harris told Sara that he didn’t want to talk to her and to get lost.
✔ Non-literal
→ "Get lost" is a rude expression meaning "go away." It doesn't mean physically getting lost (like losing your way).
👉 Answer: Non-literal

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✔ Final Answers:

1. Non-literal
2. Literal
3. Non-literal
4. Literal
5. Non-literal
6. Non-literal
7. Literal
8. Literal
9. Non-literal
10. Non-literal

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📝 Summary of the Pattern:

| Sentence | Phrase | Type |
|--------|--------|------|
| 1 | raining cats and dogs | Non-literal |
| 2 | dust the furniture | Literal |
| 3 | early bird | Non-literal |
| 4 | she is pretty | Literal |
| 5 | break a leg | Non-literal |
| 6 | under the weather | Non-literal |
| 7 | taking steps | Literal |
| 8 | measure the sugar | Literal |
| 9 | cold shoulder | Non-literal |
| 10 | get lost | Non-literal |

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✔ All answers match the provided word bank order. You can now fill them in accordingly.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or explanation for younger learners!