Short answer
Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration used for effect, not a statement the speaker expects the listener to take literally. In S06E08, Em uses “I’ve asked her a million times” to make a repeated request sound more dramatic.
English speakers also say things such as “I’ve been waiting forever” or “I could eat a horse” to express a strong feeling. Learners need context and tone to recognise that the speaker is exaggerating.
Try this in your next lesson
Compare I waited a long time with I waited forever. Ask what changed in meaning and tone, then let learners exaggerate one ordinary situation.
👇 Scroll down for our practical checklist or activity and download.
Listen to the whole S06E08 discussion in our podcast episode guide here🔊.
Recognise the exaggeration
A million requests or waiting forever usually means “many times” or “a very long time”, not a literal count. Hyperbole makes a story more vivid by stretching an idea beyond what is true.
Use it to add emphasis
Try a familiar situation and exaggerate one detail: “The queue was a mile long” or “I was so hungry I could eat a horse.” These expressions can make a story lively, but listeners need to understand the intended meaning.
Check tone and context
Some hyperbole is playful; some can sound dramatic or sarcastic. Help learners notice the relationship, setting and delivery before they use an expression themselves. In the episode, Gav and Em compare several exaggerated phrases and discuss why they make a story more engaging.
Separate the feeling from the literal event
Use a new pair such as The bag is heavy and This bag weighs a ton. Ask whether the second speaker is giving a measured weight or emphasising difficulty. In an ordinary casual context, it is an exaggeration. The listener still needs enough shared context to recognise that.
Our suggested activity is to give pairs an ordinary situation, such as a long queue or a large meal. One learner gives a literal account and the other adds a playful exaggeration. Ask which version fits a friendly story and which fits an accurate report. Accept an invented situation so nobody has to tell a personal story. The language choice should serve the audience, not just make every sentence louder.
Our suggested classroom adaptation of the episode discussion.
Gav and Em suggest: spot the exaggeration
- ☐ Give one literal sentence and one exaggerated version.
- ☐ Ask which one the speaker probably does not mean literally.
- ☐ Discuss the feeling the hyperbole adds.
- ☐ Notice tone and relationship before copying the expression.
- ☐ Let learners create one playful example of their own.
📥 Download the free teacher practice card (PDF)
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