RIC-20229 Primary Grammar and Word Study Year 1 – Figures of Speech

Figures of speech
Onomatopoeia
Focus
Onomatopoeia
Definition
• Onomatopoeia is a word which imitates the sound
of what it describes.
Example:
plop or zoom
Explanation
• Figures of speech are used to make language more
interesting, memorable or surprising. There are
three distinct groups: phonological figures of speech
(based on sound effects); lexical figures of speech
(depending for their effect on the use of words);
and syntactic figures of speech (depending for their
effect on sentence structure).
• Phonological figures of speech include:
alliteration – The use of the same sound at the
beginning of words.
Example:
The slimy snake silently slithered.
assonance – The use of internal rhyme by using
the same vowel or consonant sounds within words
which follow each other or are close together.
Example:
double trouble
onomatopoeia – The use of a word that imitates
what it describes.
Example:
the babbling of a stream
Worksheet information:
• Read stories such as Where does Thursday go? by
Janeen Brian, Night noises by Mem Fox or any other
texts which use onomatopoeia. Identify and discuss
the use of words such as ‘knick, knack, kock’ and
‘oogle, gurgle’. Ask the students why they think the
author has used these types of words in the story.
• Introduce the students to the term ‘onomatopoeia’
and explain that it means a word whose sound
imitates its meaning. Use the books you have read
to provide students with examples of these types of
words.
• Ask students to brainstorm to list any other words
they think belong in this group of words.
• The worksheet identifies some words which are
used to represent the sounds of things around the
home. This is a basic introduction to onomatopoeia,
using familiar and common words and sounds.
Ideas for further practice
• Students may use the word lists developed during
the brainstorm to write a simple poem which uses
onomatopoeia. Add appropriate artwork and display.
• Create labels for display around the classroom, using
onomatopoeia for everyday objects.
Example:
The cupboard door opens
with a screech.
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Answers:
1. (a) balloon (b) clock (c) telephone
(d) soft-drink (e) doorbell
2. (a) drip (b) tinkle (c) boing
(d) splash
Primary grammar and word study 80
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