Hyperbole - speaker intent

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Susan Quigley 2017-05-17 17:36:17 +00:00
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### Description
Many statements can be understood as completely true, as generalizations, or as examples of hyperbole. This is because the wording is often exactly the same.
A speaker or writer can use exactly the same words to say something he means as completely true, as generally true, or as a hyperbole. This is why it can be hard to decide how to understand a statement.
* It rains here every night.
1. This is completely true if it really does rain here every night.
2. It is a generalization if it is mostly true because it rains here most nights.
3. It is a hyperbole if it is not nearly true, but the speaker said it because it rains here more often than he likes.
1. The speaker means this as literally true if he means that it really does rain here every night.
2. The speaker means this as a generalization if he means that it rains here most nights.
3. The speaker means this as a hyperbole if he wants to say it rains more than it actually does, usually in order to express a strong attitude toward the amount of rain, such as being annoyed or being happy.
**Hyperbole**: This is a figure of speech that uses **exaggeration**. A speaker deliberately describes something by an extreme or even unreal statement, usually to show his strong feeling or opinion about it. He expects people to understand that he is exaggerating.