Years 5 and 6 English · Key Stage 2 · Reading – comprehension

Years 5 and 6 reading: figurative language, fact and opinion

In Years 5 and 6 children read more critically. They discuss how authors use language, including figurative language such as similes and metaphors, and what effect it has on the reader. They learn to tell statements of fact from statements of opinion, and to find, record and present information from non-fiction books and other real-world texts. These are the skills behind reading a news story, a leaflet or a textbook and deciding what to believe.

Figurative language, fact and opinion, explained

Figurative language means words used to create a picture or feeling rather than to be taken literally. A simile compares two things using “like” or “as”: “the moon hung like a lantern”. A metaphor says one thing is another: “the wind was a knife”. An analogy compares two things to explain one of them, such as saying the heart works like a pump. Children also learn the word imagery, which describes the pictures that language puts into a reader’s mind. The key question is never simply “what is it?” but “what effect does it have on the reader, and why did the author choose it?”

Alongside this, children discuss an author’s style, the overall way someone writes, from word choice and sentence length to tone. They learn that a writer who uses short, blunt sentences feels different from one who uses long, flowing ones. Children are asked to explain their ideas with evidence, quoting a word or phrase and saying what it suggests, for example that “knife” suggests the wind is cold, sharp and painful.

The second skill is distinguishing statements of fact from statements of opinion. A fact is a statement that can be checked and shown to be true or false, such as “Cheetahs can run faster than any other land animal”. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels, such as “Cheetahs are the most exciting animals to watch”. Words like “best”, “worst”, “beautiful”, “should” and “I think” often signal opinion, though not always, and writers sometimes dress an opinion up as a fact. This is a first step towards the critical reading of advertisements, reviews and news.

The third skill is retrieving, recording and presenting information from non-fiction. Children use the contents page and the index to find the right part of a book quickly, skim headings and captions, and pick out the key facts to note down in their own words, perhaps in a table, a list or a short paragraph. The curriculum expects them to use these skills in history, geography and science books, and in real situations such as museum leaflets and theatre programmes.

Words your child will hear

Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as”: “as brave as a lion”.
Metaphor: A comparison that says one thing is another: “the classroom was a zoo”.
Analogy: A comparison used to explain something, such as comparing the heart to a pump.
Imagery: Language that creates pictures or sensations in the reader’s mind.
Style: The particular way a writer uses words and sentences.
Fact: A statement that can be checked and shown to be true or false.
Opinion: What someone thinks or feels, which cannot simply be proved right or wrong.

What the National Curriculum says

In Years 5 and 6, pupils should be taught to:

Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader
Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

A worked example: fact, opinion and effect

Which of statements 1 and 2 is a fact and which is an opinion? What kind of comparison is used in statements 3 and 4, and what effect does each have? 1. The River Thames flows through London. 2. The Thames is the most beautiful river in Britain. 3. The moon hung in the sky like a lantern. 4. The wind was a knife slicing through my coat.

Test each statement: could you check it with a map, a book or a measurement? Statement 1 can be checked, so it is a fact.
Statement 2 uses “most beautiful”, which depends on who is looking. Two people can disagree and neither is simply wrong, so it is an opinion.
Statements 3 and 4 are figurative, so ask what kind of comparison each is. Statement 3 uses the word “like”, so it is a simile. Statement 4 says the wind was a knife, so it is a metaphor.
```
3  moon ... like a lantern   simile
4  wind was a knife          metaphor
```
Say the effect. The lantern suggests the moon gave a warm, steady glow, making the night feel calm and almost friendly. The knife suggests the wind was sharp, cold and painful, making the reader feel the discomfort and danger.

1 is a fact. 2 is an opinion. 3 is a simile and gives a warm, calm picture of the moon. 4 is a metaphor and makes the wind feel sharp, cold and painful.

Common mistakes and how to help

Thinking that a fact is always true and an opinion is always wrong

In everyday talk “fact” means “true”. But in this topic a fact is a statement that can be checked, which might turn out to be false, and an opinion can be reasonable.

What helps: Ask “could we check this?” “Humans only use 10 per cent of their brains” is worded as a fact and can be checked, but when it is checked it turns out to be false. Opinions can be well supported or poorly supported.

Believing that a statement is a fact because it sounds confident

Writers can state opinions as if they were certain, as in “everyone knows this is the best phone”. Confident, official-sounding words are easy to mistake for evidence.

What helps: Look out for words of judgement such as “best”, “worst”, “amazing” and “should”. Ask who is saying it and what they might want you to think.

Naming the technique but not explaining its effect

Children can often spot a simile or metaphor, because the labels are easy to learn. Saying why the author chose it takes more thought.

What helps: Use the pattern: “The author compares X to Y. This makes the reader feel or picture …” Ask which one detail of Y fits X.

Copying large chunks of a non-fiction text instead of recording information

Copying feels safe and quick, and children may not yet have strategies for picking out key points and rewording them.

What helps: Use the contents page and index to locate the right page, read a section, cover it, then write down three key facts from memory in your own words.

How to help at home

Fact or opinion? Take turns saying a statement and asking whether it is a fact or an opinion. “It rained yesterday” can be checked, while “rainy days are the best” cannot. Look for the hidden opinions in adverts and reviews you see.
Spot the picture. When reading together, notice a vivid line and ask “what is being compared to what, and what picture does it put in your head?” Then make up a new simile or metaphor for something in the room.
Use the index. Pick a question, such as “how tall can a giraffe grow?”, and race to find the answer in an information book using only the contents page and the index. Then write a short note in your own words.
Real-world leaflets. Look at a leaflet or programme from a museum, a theatre, a swimming pool or a day out. Ask your child to find opening times, a price and one thing the writer wants you to feel, and to say which words suggest it.

Builds on

Years 3 and 4: Reading widely, myths and legends
Years 3 and 4: Performing poems and plays
Years 3 and 4: Inference, questioning and prediction
Years 3 and 4: Main ideas and non-fiction

Leads on to

Key Stage 3: Reading widely: Shakespeare and beyond
Key Stage 3: Understanding challenging texts
Key Stage 3: Reading critically: language and structure
Key Stage 3: Drama, comparison and authors