Exaggeration/Hyperbole
Definition:
Exaggerating or overstating an
idea’s or product’s value.
Examples:
“Kids love it!”
“There’s no better
tool on the market.”
“Erase years from your
face, almost instantly.”
“Our schools today are
turning out nothing but hoodlums and punks who are
not equipped to work in the
modern world.”
-
Do
these exaggerations work? What particular quality must
they have to be successful? When are they ineffective?
-
You
have been assigned a poster campaign against allowing students
to have cell phones at all times. What hyperbole
can you use?
-
Many Internet advertisements
ask the viewer to “roll
over” the photo to see the change. The differences
are obviously and ridiculously exaggerated, so why
is the technique successful in selling?
-
You’re
joining a campaign to ban homework. What hyperbole
will you use on posters and in your writings?
-
Parents
are famous for using hyperbole in their arguments. Name
several and tell whether or not they were effective.
Download
a PDF file of the student handout, Exaggeration/Hyperbole. |
