Nonliteral Language

It was Carl’s first day of work at the zoo. He was to work with camels. James, who has worked at the zoo for ten years, greeted Carl and said, “There’s no need to be nervous. I’ll show you the ropes.”

• bring out ropes for Carl to see

• explain how to do a job

A class was on a field trip at the zoo. They were getting ready to visit the camel exhibit, but one child was moving slowly in the heat. “Shake a leg, friend!” the teacher directed. “We don’t want to miss feeding time!”

• get moving

• make a leg twitch

A boy was having trouble seeing the camels. He tried standing on his toes to see, but it didn’t work. A little girl, who was standing nearby, looked at the boy and said, “We’re in the same boat. I can’t see the camels either.”

• riding in one water vessel

• having the same problem

A mom was planning a surprise for her children. Before she went to chat with the zookeeper, she told her son she needed a minute to herself. She said, “Keep an eye on your sister for me.”

• watch closely

• put an eyeball on

A dad was trying to manage five children while reading a map. After answering ten questions in a row, he said to the children, “I am drawing a blank. What was I looking for on the map?”

• having trouble remembering

• writing a line on paper

A grandma couldn’t find her hat. She looked everywhere for it. Then she saw her grandchildren giggling. Just as she said, “There’s something fishy going on here,” she saw a camel resting in the shade with her hat on its hump.

• strange or unusual

• like a fish

A bride and a groom were standing near the camels, posing for a picture. A teenage girl saw them, turned to her friends, and said, “What a fun place to tie the knot!”

• fasten a string into a lump

• get married

A teacher was trying to get her excited first graders onto the bus. “If we don’t hit the road now, we won’t make it back to school in time for lunch,” she told them.

• pound on the street

• start a journey