Year 7 English — Simile, metaphor and personification

Tell a simile, a metaphor and personification apart, and explain what each one means.

Name: ________________________

1.Which sentence uses personification?
- a) The fire danced in the grate.
- b) The fire burned all night.
- c) The fire was like a red flower.
- d) The fire was very hot.
2.What figure of speech is "as brave as a lion"? Write one word.
3.What figure of speech is "The sun greeted us at dawn"? Write one word.
4.Match each simile to what it means.
- as light as a feather
- as cold as ice
- as busy as a bee
- as good as gold
- as clear as crystal
- as quick as lightning
- weighing very little
- working without a pause
- very easy to understand
- extremely cold
- behaving very well
- moving extremely fast
5."He has a heart of gold." What does it mean?
- a) He is very rich.
- b) He is very kind.
- c) He wears a gold chain.
- d) He has a heart problem.
6.Complete the simile with the animal it usually names: as stubborn as a ____.
7.Which of these is NOT a simile?
- a) as sharp as a needle
- b) a heart of stone
- c) like a shadow
- d) as white as snow
8.Which sentence is a metaphor?
- a) My brother walked through the door.
- b) My brother grew very quickly.
- c) My brother is as tall as a door.
- d) My brother is a giant.

Answer key — Year 7 English — Simile, metaphor and personification

1. a) The fire danced in the grate.
2. simile
3. personification
4. as light as a feather → weighing very little; as cold as ice → extremely cold; as busy as a bee → working without a pause; as good as gold → behaving very well; as clear as crystal → very easy to understand; as quick as lightning → moving extremely fast
5. b) He is very kind.
6.
- mule
- donkey
7. b) a heart of stone
8. d) My brother is a giant.