Answer key for figurative worksheets! 24.6.2025.

1. Simile – Figurative language that uses the words “like” or “as” to compare two

things

2. Figurative Language – Speech or writing that departs from literal meaning in

order to achieve a special effect

3. Literal Language – Language that is plain and direct

4. Idiom – Figurative language that just means what it means, even though it

doesn’t make sense

5. Hyperbole – Figurative language that exaggerates

6. Personification – Figurative language that gives human traits to a non-human

thing

7. Metaphor – Figurative language that implies that two things being compared

are the same thing, even though they are not

8. Describe figurative language in your own words:

Figurative language is when writers use creative comparisons, exaggerations, or

expressions to make their writing more interesting or to help readers imagine

things better. It often doesn’t mean exactly what the words say.

9. Two types of figurative language are very similar. What are they?

Simile and Metaphor

(Both compare two things — similes use "like" or "as," while metaphors say one

thing is another.)

10. What is the opposite of figurative language?

Literal Language

11. What type of figurative language is represented by this picture?

P) Personification – Because it gives human traits (feeling hot and tired) to the

Earth, which is not human.

Figurative Language – Identify It

P) Personification S) Simile H) Hyperbole M) Metaphor L) Literal

I) Idiom

1. P – The traffic crawled along the congested highway.

2. P – The city slept well the night the murderer was captured.

3. I – He is a doubting Thomas.

4. L – The house was small.

5. L – She wore a lively outfit.

6. M – The sky of love opened the day she met Tom.

7. S – Her soft skin was like silk under his fingers.

8. P – The messy room seemed depressed.

9. H – I was starving!

10. P – The branches of the tree reached for the sky.

11. H – It takes my girlfriend an eternity to get dressed.

12. I – I have an axe to grind with my old enemy.

13. H – He must have weighed a ton.

14. H – We baked in the hot sun.

15. H – I am sick to death of greedy politicians.

16. I – The apple of my eye.

17. H – My new shoes cost a fortune.

18. I – “Break a leg!”

19. H – Walked a hundred miles.

20. H – Hole went all the way to the other side of the world!

21. I – Beating around the bush.

22. H – Traveled to the moon and back.

23. P – Village opened its arms.

24. H – Beyond measure.

25. H – Greatest invention of all time.

26. H – This assignment is impossible.

27. M – Desert of loneliness and regret.

28. L – Thomas Edison believed…

29. S – Like a tall drink of water.

30. H – It takes a million years.

31. L – The Lakers played a good game.

32. H – Talked until her tongue fell out.

33. H – Knocked me over with a feather.

34. H – So hungry I thought I was going to die.

35. P – Stomach complained and moaned.

36. I – Dogs and cats enemies since the beginning of time.

37. M – Ocean of useful information.

38. L – Sparrow landed on roof.

39. H – In power for an eternity.

40. P – House screamed for attention.

41. P – Neighborhood breathed a sigh of relief.

42. P – Engine sprang to life, happy again.

43. P – Door squeaked in protest.

44. H – Complained until my ears bled.

45. L – Hitler is the most despised…

46. M – FBI is a fortress of secrecy.

47. P – Alarm clock sprang to life.

48. M – Racism is a cancer on society.

49. L – Butterfly’s life cycle…

50. M – Heart in a drawer.

51. P – Hinges groaned in pain.

52. M – Trophy on his shelf.

53. P – Trees undress themselves.

54. S – Spread like wildfire.

55. L – Science is the classification of experience.

56. P – War gobbled up lives.

57. M – Swallow your tears.

58. M – Joy is a net of love…

59. P – Grass played in the wind.

60. L – Small eyes, puffy face.

61. S – Looked like a polar bear.

62. S – Walk like an infant in diapers.

63. S – Rose like one of Tarzan’s haunts.

64. L – Tiger ready to pounce.

65. S – As if welded.

66. P – Spring stretched and yawned.

67. P – Air flirted with snow.

68. M – Memories are footprints in sand.

69. S – As skinny as a toothpick.

70. M – City would welcome him.

71. S – Sat still, like an owl.

72. S – As if caught in a tornado.

73. L – Tails help them climb.

74. H – I will die.

75. H – Tons of money.

76. P – Salt air stung her eyes.

77. M – Milk’s favorite cookie.

78. H – Without end!

79. I – If the shoe fits, wear it.

80. M – Started a new chapter.

Identify and Justify

Identify what type of figurative language is being used in each sentence. Justify

your answer. (Some of the sentences have no figurative language at all, so stay on

your toes!)
1. The swans were graceful as ballerinas.

Type of language: Simile

Justification: This sentence compares swans to ballerinas using the word "as", which is a clear

indicator of a simile. It draws a vivid comparison based on their graceful movements.

2. The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.

Type of language: Metaphor

Justification: The moon is being described as if it were a ghostly ship sailing on a sea of clouds.

This is a metaphor because it directly compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as.”

3. The sun was shining with all his might.

Type of language: Personification

Justification: The sun is given human qualities — "shining with all his might" suggests effort or

determination, which only people (not the sun) can possess.

4. Don’t be scared of James. He’s all bark and no bite.

Type of language: Idiom

Justification: This is a common idiom meaning someone seems threatening but isn’t actually

harmful. It’s not meant to be taken literally.

5. The average distance from the moon to the Earth is 238,857 miles (384,392 kilometers).

Type of language: Literal

Justification: This is a factual, scientific statement with no figurative meaning. It simply

provides information.

6. I am Super Samson / I’m super strong / I like to carry elephants / I do it all day long.

Type of language: Hyperbole

Justification: The speaker exaggerates their strength by claiming they can carry elephants all

day. This is an obvious overstatement, which is characteristic of hyperbole.

Apply!

Now it’s time to write some sentences that use figurative language.

1. Hyperbole
I’m so hungry I could eat an entire elephant.
She cried a river after losing her favorite necklace.

2. Simile (like)
The baby’s skin was soft like a cloud.
His temper exploded like a volcano.

3. Simile (as)
She was as fast as lightning on the track.
The classroom was as quiet as a graveyard during the test.

4. Metaphor
Her voice is music to my ears.
Time is a thief that steals our moments.

5. Personification
The wind whispered secrets through the trees.
The angry storm pounded on the roof all night.

6. Literal
The book is 300 pages long.
He walked his dog in the park every morning.

7. Write an idiom and describe what it means

Idiom: “He spilled the beans.”
Meaning: He told a secret or revealed information that was supposed to be kept quiet.

8. Combine two types in one sentence (Personification + Simile)

The moon smiled down on us like a gentle friend.
The tired car coughed to life as if waking from a long nap.
Identify and Interpret

1. My friends were just pulling my leg.

 What type of language? Idiom

 Rewrite in literal language: My friends were just joking with me or teasing me.

2. Your explanation is as clear as mud.

 What type of language? Simile

 Rewrite in literal language: Your explanation is very confusing.

3. The city opened its arms to the liberators.

 What type of language? Personification

 Rewrite in literal language: The people in the city warmly welcomed the liberators.

4. There is a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out.

 What type of language? Metaphor

 Rewrite in literal language: I have feelings or emotions inside me that I want to express
but am holding back.

Reflect

What, in your opinion, is the easiest type of figurative language to write? Why?
The easiest type of figurative language to write is a simile, because it only requires a simple
comparison using "like" or "as" and helps describe something clearly and quickly.

What is the most difficult?

Metaphor

Why?
Because metaphors require deeper thinking and creativity. You have to compare two unlike
things in a way that makes sense and adds meaning without using "like" or "as."

Why is figurative language useful?

Figurative language is useful because it adds depth, emotion, and creativity to writing. It helps
readers visualize ideas, feel emotions, and connect more deeply with what the writer is trying to
express.
1 The city is being compared to a monstrous creature: a
predator with glowing red eyes, a threatening growl and
tentacles.

2 The extended metaphor creates the impression that

the city is an unpleasant and hostile environment. It is
clearly a big city, as the head of smoke implies pollution
and the two towers show there are tall buildings. The
writer describes the city as if it is alive: the noise of the
city is described as a threatening growl and the streets
pounded like a heartbeat. The narrator seems to feel
threatened, as he says, this city was dangerous and he
had to escape. He describes himself as prey and says
Dhaka had me in its sights; it is as if he feels he is being
hunted by a predator.

3 Example answer: The skyline rose ahead of us like a

mountain range. Its peaks almost reached the sky and
called out to us to conquer them. As we drove closer it
was clear that this was a place for fun, adventure and
discovery. We had the knowledge and all the right
equipment: we were prepared to get to the summit.
The main message of this text is that we should
not make assumptions or judge others for living
differently to us, or assume one way of living is
better than another. The writer went to
Matmata with a slightly patronising attitude,
expecting to find the people very different to
her, but instead she found she had much in
common with them in terms of priorities and
ambitions, such as wanting to be happy and
healthy.

Analyze and Evaluate Evaluate this poem and write a paragraph that discusses these questions. • What
type of figurative language is being used? Justify your answer. • What is the overall effect of the
figurative language? • Why do you think the author chose that type of figurative language? • Would
another type of figurative language have been as effective? Why or why not? From The Walrus and the
Carpenter By Lewis Carroll The sun was shining on the sea, Shining with all his might: He did his very best
to make The billows smooth and bright - And this was odd, because it was The middle of the night.
_______________________

Ans: In this poem, the writer uses

personification, which means giving human
actions or feelings to something that isn’t
human. The sun is described as trying “with all
his might” to shine and smooth out the waves,
like he’s working hard. This is something people
do, not the sun. This makes the poem fun and
silly, which is what the author probably wanted.
It’s also funny because the sun is shining in the
middle of the night, which can’t really happen.
The author used personification to make the
poem more creative and strange. If he had used
something like a simile or metaphor, it
wouldn’t be as playful or surprising. That’s why
personification works best here.

Analyze and Evaluate

Evaluate this poem and write a paragraph that discusses these questions. • What type of figurative
language is being used? Justify your answer. • What is the overall effect of the figurative language? •
Why do you think the author chose that type of figurative language? • Would another type of figurative
language have been as effective? Why or why not? A Soldier By Robert Lee Frost He is that fallen lance
that lies as hurled, That lies unlifted now, come dew, come rust, But still lies pointed as it ploughed the
dust. If we who sight along it round the world, See nothing worthy to have been its mark, It is because
like men we look too near, Forgetting that as fitted to the sphere, Our missiles always make too short an
arc. They fall, they rip the grass, they intersect The curve of earth, and striking, break their own; They
make us cringe for metal-point on stone. But this we know, the obstacle that checked And tripped the
body, shot the spirit on Further than target ever showed or shone.

Ans: In the poem A Soldier, Robert Frost uses a metaphor to compare a fallen soldier to a
“fallen lance” or spear. This is a metaphor because the soldier is not actually a lance, but the poet
is saying he is like one to show how brave and powerful he was. The overall effect of this
figurative language is to honor the soldier and show that even though his body has fallen, his
spirit continues to go farther, just like a weapon that flies beyond its target. Frost probably chose
a metaphor to create a strong and emotional image that helps readers understand the deeper
meaning of sacrifice. Using a metaphor instead of another type of figurative language, like a
simile, makes the comparison stronger and more serious. A simile might not have been as
powerful because it would sound less direct. The metaphor helps readers feel respect and sadness
for the soldier, and it makes the message of the poem more meaningful.

Analyze and Evaluate

Evaluate this poem and write a paragraph that discusses these questions.
• What type of figurative language is being used? Justify your answer.
• What is the overall effect of the figurative language?
• Why do you think the author chose that type of figurative language?
• Would another type of figurative language have been as effective? Why or why not?
Mowing
By Robert Lee Frost
There was never a sound beside the wood but one, And that was my long scythe whispering to the
ground. What was it it whispered? I knew not well myself; Perhaps it was something about the heat of
the sun, Something, perhaps, about the lack of sound, And that was why it whispered and did not speak.
It was no dream of the gift of idle hours, Or easy gold at the hand of fay or elf: Anything more than the
truth would have seemed too weak To the earnest love that laid the swale in rows, Not without feeble-
pointed spikes of flowers (Pale orchises), and scared a bright green snake. The fact is the sweetest
dream that labour knows. My long scythe whispered and left the hay to make.

Ans: In Robert Frost’s poem Mowing, the primary figurative language used is personification,
particularly in the way the scythe is described as "whispering" to the ground. This choice gives the tool a
voice and a kind of consciousness, transforming a simple act of manual labor into something thoughtful
and almost spiritual. The effect of this personification is to highlight the intimate relationship between
the speaker and his work, emphasizing a deep respect for honest, physical labor. The whispering scythe
suggests a quiet wisdom in work, a truth that doesn’t need embellishment or fantasy. Frost intentionally
avoids more fantastical language—rejecting “the gift of idle hours” or “easy gold at the hand of fay or
elf”—to reinforce the idea that the truth found in labor is more meaningful than any romanticized
dream. Another type of figurative language, such as simile or metaphor, could have been used, but it
likely would not have been as effective. Personification subtly animates the scene without distracting
from the grounded, real-world setting, while still evoking emotion and depth. It perfectly suits Frost’s
theme: the quiet, dignified beauty in honest work.