Figurative Language

Figurative Language

Multiple Choice

Which of these sentences includes a simile?

• The kitchen was sparkling clean

• His room was as dirty as a pigsty

• His room was a junk pile

• It was so cold there, the entire kitchen was a freezer.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following does not contain a simile?

• When the siblings started arguing, as was as though war was breaking out within the house.

• Sara tried to stay as still as a statue until they had left.

• He looked at me as if I were speaking a made up language.

• He'd always been a night owl, he just seemed to work better after 9 pm.

Multiple Choice

“The water made a sound like kittens lapping.” ('The Yearling', Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings.)

• The author compares the sound of the water to "kittens lapping" to demonstrate that there was very little water. Kittens have a dry mouth and so it shows that the water was very dry.

• The author compares the sound of the water to "kittens lapping" to show the reader that the water was playful like a kitten.

• The author compares the sound of the water to "kittens lapping" to demonstrate how gentle and calm the sound is, as kittens are generally calm and gentle in their movements.

• The author compares kittens to water to show that kittens move very quickly like kittens move.

Multiple Choice

Which is the best analysis of the simile in the passage below?

“Her forefathers had been Vikings, savage chieftains who bore no cross and brooked no hindrance to their will. Her father had inherited that temper; and at times, like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope, his people fled from his red rages.”

— Riders of the Purple Sage, by Zane Grey

• The simile "like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope" to describe her father shows that he would run in fear of the "red rages" of his forefathers.

• ^{Her father's people are described using the simile, "like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope" to show that he would often hunt them like prey and they lived in constant fear of his temper that would cause them to have sad and unhappy lives.}

• The description "like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope" to describe the people's reaction to her father's temper portrays her father's people as prey running in fear from his fiery temper.

• ^{Her father's people are described using the simile, "like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope" to show that they were fearful of his temper. As an antelope would run chaotically from a wall of fire, they would be keen to escape as quickly as possible from his "red rages".}

Multiple Choice

Which is the best analysis of the simile in the passage below?

"At midday the illusions merged into the sky and there the sun gazed down like an angry eye." ('Lord of the Flies', William Golding).

• The simile comparing the illusions to an angry eye is used by Golding to help to create vivid imagery of the setting and to set the mood, as the 'angry' suggests that it is not an enjoyable place to be and that there may be a tense atmosphere.

• The description 'like an angry eye' is used by Golding to describe how hot the weather is, and to show that it is not an enjoyable level of heat.

• The simile comparing the sun to an 'angry eye' is used to show that the weather is too hot to survive in, suggesting that it is on a hot island somewhere. It also sets the mood, suggesting that the characters are about to burst into a fight or something dramatic is about to happen.

• The sun gazing down "like an angry eye" is a simile used by Golding to suggest both that the heat is unpleasant and to give the suggestion that the characters feel that they are being watched. The 'angry eye' also helps both to provide imagery and to set the mood of the piece, as it is not a positive description.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following contains a metaphor?

• Tori was a few years younger than her sister, but they look just like one another.

• The siblings used to fight like cats and dogs, but as they've gotten older, they've both become more calm.

• When they were very young, Rob was like a little puppy to his older brother, Oliver - he'd follow him around constantly.

• Although Bethan is nearly five years older than Rachael, the sisters truly are two peas in a pod.

Multiple Choice

Which one of these statements is not a metaphor?

• His friends had always thought that she was a bad apple.

• It wasn't easy, but she had been as brave as a lion.

• You simply have no leg to stand on.

• You really need to pull your socks up.

Multiple Choice

A white blanket of snow covered the fields.

Which answer analyses this metaphor best?

• The metaphor, comparing the snow to a "blanket", creates the impression that the snow is thick and covers the field completely.

• The metaphor, comparing the snow to "white", gives the reader a clear image in their mind of the bright, light snow.

• The metaphor, describing how the snow "covered the fields", gives the reader a clear image in their mind of snow lying everywhere - you can't see any of the grass in the field.

• The metaphor, comparing the snow to a "field", creates the impression that there is lots of snow and it covers a vast area.

Multiple Choice

The radio was a monster, creating a horrible noise like a screeching bird.

Which answer analyses the metaphor in this sentence best?

• The metaphor, comparing the radio to a "monster", suggests that the radio is from outer space.

• The metaphor, comparing the radio to a "screeching bird", suggests that the radio can fly.

• The metaphor, comparing the radio to a "monster", suggests that the radio is producing an intimidating, scary and loud noise.

• The metaphor, comparing the radio to a "screeching bird", suggests that the radio is creating an uncontrolled and animalistic noise.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following includes an example of alliteration?

• He was actually kind at heart, though everyone was scared of him.

• The teacher was as tall as a giant and as pale as snow.

• I never knew why they were scared stiff of him - he was a gentle giant.

• He looked like a ghoulish giant, and it was no wonder they stayed away.

Multiple Choice

Read the passage below.

"Their holiday had not gotten off to the best start - their train had been delayed, and it had taken longer to walk from the station than they had expected, but they had finally reached the beach. It was paradise: the sun was smiling down on them, there was not a single cloud in the sky and the water was a beautiful crystal blue."

Where has personification been used in this passage?

• "There was not a single cloud in the sky."

• "The water was a beautiful crystal blue."

• "The sun was smiling down on them."

• "It was paradise."

Multiple Choice

Which one of the following statements includes personification?

• He felt as though he had been waiting in that traffic jam for an eternity.

• The traffic was crawling along, but only just. He was going to be late to work.

• There had been a traffic jam yesterday morning, then there had been a traffic jam when she'd come home from work and there was a traffic jam today too. She was fed up.

• The traffic jam had turned the motorway into a massive car park.

Multiple Choice

Choose the sentence which includes an example of pathetic fallacy.

• It was such an awfully windy and cold day that the pair decided to end their walk early.

• When they left their hotel, the heat immediately hit them and it felt like stepping into the centre of the desert.

• The wind whispered fearfully through the forest as the terrified boy hid as best as he could.

• It was such a scorching hot day on the beach that she felt as though she were melting into the sand.

Multiple Choice

Choose the quote below which contains an example of pathetic fallacy.

• The flowers were dancing in the breeze as the family enjoyed their picnic on a beautiful summer's day.

• Although it was a beautiful day, they decided that it may actually be too hot to go on the hike that they had planned.

• The air felt thick, dense and almost sticky, making it difficult to breathe and prompting sweat to pour from every pore.

• The sun was shining so brightly that I kept my gaze fixed on the tarmac below, which was slowly sinking beneath my feet.

Multiple Choice

'The furious waves hit relentlessly against the shore'.

Which mood do you think that the author wishes to create with this use of pathetic fallacy?

• Cheerful.

• Sad.

• Humorous.

• Angry.

Multiple Choice

The man stood, confused and alone, as the fog descended on the city.

Choose the answer which best analyses this passage.

• The writer creates a vivid image of the fog descending on the city: this creates a gloomy atmosphere and reflects how the man feels "confused and alone".

• The writer creates a vivid image of the fog descending, which reflects how the man is "confused and alone".

• The writer creates a vivid description of the weather. It is so intense, that the reader can almost feel the fog slipping down towards them.

• The writer creates a vivid description of the fog slowly descending on the city, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

Multiple Choice

“So furious had been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death. Violent blasts of rain had accompanied these rages of wind, and the day just closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all.” ('Great Expectations', Charles Dickens).

What effect does pathetic fallacy create in this passage? Choose the best answer.

• In this passage, pathetic fallacy is used as a literary device where the narrator describes the weather or the setting, in this case the weather, to reveal information about a character, such as how they are feeling, or to create a certain mood or atmosphere.

• Pathetic fallacy is used in this paragraph to describe the weather, which is, for example, described as 'furious' and 'violent' with 'rages of wind'. This suggests that the weather is extremely bad.

• In this passage, the 'furious' gusts, 'violent blasts of rain' and 'rages of wind' are examples of pathetic fallacy which use a description of the weather to represent the poor mood of the narrator. Both the adjectives 'furious' and 'violent' suggest that something awful has happened or is happening, which is supported by the closing line that 'the day just closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all'.

• The adjectives 'furious' and 'violent' are similes which are used to reveal the mood of the narrator, which is equally poor, as he claims that the day which had just ended 'had been the worst of all'.

Multiple Choice

All four quotes below have been taken from act 2 of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'.

Which one includes an example of pathetic fallacy?

• "O horror, horror, horror!"

• "There's daggers in men's smiles."

• "The night has been unruly."

• "Our chimneys were blown down."

Multiple Choice

Read the text below.

'The fact that politicians do not lower the voting age reveals the contempt that they have for teenagers. I know that we are all smart and sensible young adults, who would take time to research the issues and make informed decisions. We are making reasonable demands to deaf ears - we need to be more forceful!'

Choose the best analysis of the text.

• The author uses emotive language to argue that young people should replace politicians. The use of 'deaf' highlights the inadequacy of politicians in comparison to 'smart and sensible' young people who would make 'informed decisions'.

• The author argues to lower the voting age for young people and uses emotive language to provoke an angry reaction in the reader and persuade them to support the author.

• The author argues that the voting age should be lowered and uses forceful words to highlight their anger at the politicians who disagree. They compare 'smart and sensible' young people to 'deaf' politicians, persuading the reader to feel angry at the latter and support the author's argument.

• In this text, the author argues that the voting age should be lowered and tries to persuade their readers to take action. They use emotive language to contrast the 'reasonable' nature of their argument to the 'deaf' politicians, who show 'contempt' to young people. This helps to make the readers angry at the politicians. Furthermore, the author uses flattery to reinforce the idea that young people would be responsible voters.