52 Understanding literal and implied meaning In many texts, authors give their opinions about the topic they are writing about. The opinion may be stated directly, or literally, or it may be implied – the author may ‘hint at’ what they think rather than say it directly by using certain verbs (appears, seems), adverbs (unfortunately, luckily) and adjectives (unexpected, delighted). Understanding what the author really means or is trying to say is an important reading skill; it’s like discovering the hidden message in a text. The ‘literal’ meaning of this statement is that Billy didn’t go to the cinema every week when he was younger – the speaker says this. The ‘implied’ meaning is that when Billy was younger, he didn’t have a lot of money/was poor/thought going to the cinema was quite a special event, or that people nowadays often go to the cinema. The words “a real luxury” and “certainly couldn’t” hint at what Billy thinks about going to the cinema. We understand the implied meaning by ‘reading between the lines’. All of the following statements show the writer’s opinion. Which statements have a literal meaning and which have an implied meaning? Write L or I. 1 “We thought the New Year fireworks display this year was really disappointing. I wish we hadn’t bothered going.” 2 “Luckily the film director told the two lead actors to settle their differences before coming on the film set again. Everyone’s sure to benefit from that.” 3 “How many people will be able to understand the plot of the New James Bond movie, I wonder?” 4 “Little Red Riding Hood’s one of the best fairy tales ever written. I think it teaches us a valuable lesson.” Read the following text messages. What is the writer’s implied meaning? 2 Look at the statement and read the information below. Then do the task. 1 “Billy says that when he was young, going to the cinema was a real luxury. He certainly couldn’t afford to go every week.” Have you started reading the new Ana Collins novel? I have and can’t put it down. The plot’s quite sophisticated, and so far there’s a lot of tension. I have no idea yet what the climax is going to be! I just love the setting too – so authentic. Let me know how you’re getting on. Jedrick 1 Traditions, trends and lifestyles | Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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