Extended metaphors

Extended metaphors

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about adding additional ideas to a metaphor.
A metaphor is a phrase or sentence that compares two things by saying something is something else. An extended metaphor develops that idea.
 
Below are two examples of food used as metaphors for life. Both metaphors have been extended with additional ideas.
 
Life is a donut. It's delicious when fresh but can get stale if left.
The hole in the middle is a mystery.
 
or
 doughnut-small.png
Life is a banana. You start out green and get soft and mushy with age.
Some people want to be one of the bunch while others want to be top banana. Sometimes you can slip up.
 banana-small.png

Question 1Change answer

Now write your example. You can compare life to anything you wish, then extend it with additional ideas.
You may use the planning space below to plan in, before beginning on the lines below.
Planning space
 
a)  Life is a 

Question 1Change answer

b)  Give a reason why writers use metaphors or extended metaphors.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Writing
Key Competencies: 
Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
metaphor, vocabulary
Description of task: 
Students read some examples of metaphors that have been extended then write their own. They also reflect on why writers use metaphors.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students’ ability to create texts to meet the writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum.
 

Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:
  • create content that conveys ideas relating to the topic with some details
as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Creating texts for literary purposes, sets 5-7
Creating texts to communicate knowledge and understanding, sets 5-6
within the Writing Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
  
Y10 (11/2000)
a)
A metaphor.
Up to 3 extensions of the metaphor.
very easy
3 marks – very difficult
2 marks – difficult
1 mark – easy
b) Any 1 of:

  • To make the reader think.
  • To draw attention to like elements in different things.
  • To bring imagination into their writing.
 easy