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Grade 4 English Language Arts — Simile, metaphor and personification

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

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Which sentence uses personification?

    • a) The fire was like a red flower.
    • b) The fire burned all night.
    • c) The fire danced in the grate.
    • d) The fire was very hot.

  2. 2.Which sentence is a metaphor?

    • a) My brother is a giant.
    • b) My brother is as tall as a door.
    • c) My brother walked through the door.
    • d) My brother grew very quickly.

  3. 3.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
    • moving extremely fast
    • working without a pause
    • extremely cold
    • behaving very well
    • weighing very little
    • very easy to understand

  4. 4."The exam was a mountain to climb." What does this mean?

    • a) The exam was about mountains.
    • b) The exam was long and difficult.
    • c) The exam was held on a hill.
    • d) The exam was easy.

  5. 5.Which sentence is a simile?

    • a) The moon is a silver coin.
    • b) The moon smiled at the sleeping village.
    • c) The moon rose at eight o'clock.
    • d) The moon shone like a silver coin.

  6. 6.Complete the simile with the animal it usually names: as stubborn as a ____.

  7. 7."The waves whispered to the sand." Which figure of speech is this?

    • a) none of these
    • b) simile
    • c) personification
    • d) metaphor

  8. 8.Sort each phrase by how it makes its comparison.

    Groups: Compares using "like" or "as" · Compares by saying one thing IS another

    • as cold as ice
    • as light as air
    • her smile is sunshine
    • like a bolt of lightning
    • the world is a stage
    • a sea of troubles

Answer key — Grade 4 English Language Arts — Simile, metaphor and personification

  1. 1. c) The fire danced in the grate.
  2. 2. a) My brother is a giant.
  3. 3. 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
  4. 4. b) The exam was long and difficult.
  5. 5. d) The moon shone like a silver coin.
  6. 6.
    • mule
    • donkey
  7. 7. c) personification
  8. 8. as cold as ice → Compares using "like" or "as"; a sea of troubles → Compares by saying one thing IS another; like a bolt of lightning → Compares using "like" or "as"; the world is a stage → Compares by saying one thing IS another; as light as air → Compares using "like" or "as"; her smile is sunshine → Compares by saying one thing IS another