Personification

What is the main purpose of using personification in writing?

• To compare two unlike things using "like" or "as".

• To give human qualities or actions to non-human things.

• To exaggerate a statement for emphasis.

• To use a word that imitates a sound.

Answer explanation

Personification is a type of figurative language where an object, animal, or idea is given human attributes. The other options describe a simile, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

Match each sentence to the object or idea that is being personified.

• Opportunity

• The wind whispered secrets through the rustling leaves.

• The computer

• My computer threw a fit and refused to turn on this morning.

• The piece of pizza

• Opportunity knocked on the door, but I was too slow to answer.

• The wind

• The last piece of pizza was calling my name from the kitchen.

Answer explanation

Each sentence gives a human action (calling, throwing a fit, whispering, knocking) to a non-human thing. The match correctly identifies the non-human thing receiving the action.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

In the sentence, "The rusty gate complained loudly as I pushed it open," what is being personified?

• The person pushing

• The sound it made

• The rusty gate

• The act of opening

Answer explanation

The gate, a non-human object, is given the human action of "complaining." The other options are either the person acting, the result of the action, or the action itself.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

Sort the sentences into two categories: "Uses Personification" or "Does Not Use Personification".

Groups:

(a) Uses Personification

,

(b) Does Not Use Personification

• The old house groaned under the weight of the snow.

• The car's engine sputtered and coughed before it finally died.

• I heard a dog barking in the distance.

• My shadow danced with me on the sidewalk.

• The sun was very bright today.

• The angry storm clouds marched across the sky.

Answer explanation

Sentences in the "Uses Personification" category give human qualities (anger, marching, dancing, coughing, groaning) to non-human things. The other sentences are literal descriptions.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

A writer says, "The lonely lighthouse stood watch over the stormy sea." What feeling does this personification create?

• A feeling of excitement and adventure.

• A feeling of anger and danger.

• A feeling of isolation and duty.

• A feeling of happiness and celebration.

Answer explanation

Describing the lighthouse as "lonely" and having it "stand watch" gives it a sense of solitary responsibility, creating a mood of isolation and duty. The other feelings don't match the word choices.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

Match each sentence to the type of figurative language it uses.

• Personification

• The runner was a cheetah, blurring past the finish line.

• Simile

• His backpack was as heavy as a bag of rocks.

• Metaphor

• The moon played hide-and-seek with the clouds.

Answer explanation

"The moon played" is personification. "The runner was a cheetah" is a metaphor (direct comparison). "Heavy as a bag of rocks" is a simile (comparison using "as").

Which sentence does NOT contain an example of personification?

• The tall grass whispered as the breeze passed through.

• The old wooden floorboards groaned under my feet.

• The cat stretched lazily in the warm patch of sun.

• My alarm clock yells at me every morning.

Answer explanation

A cat stretching is a normal, literal animal action, not a human quality given to it. The grass "whispering," floorboards "groaning," and an alarm clock "yelling" are all examples of personification.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

Sort these sentences by the type of figurative language used: Personification, Simile, or Metaphor.

Groups:

(a) Personification

,

(b) Simile

,

(c) Metaphor

• The classroom was as quiet as a library.

• The wind sang a sad song through the trees.

• Her smile was a ray of sunshine.

• The stars winked at me from the night sky.

• He is a walking encyclopedia of sports facts.

Answer explanation

Personification gives human traits to non-human things (stars winking, wind singing). Similes compare using "like" or "as." Metaphors make a direct comparison by stating one thing *is* another.

Which sentence best uses personification to show that a car is old and unreliable?

• The brand new sports car zoomed down the highway.

• The old car coughed, sputtered, and then sighed to a stop.

• The car was painted a bright, cheerful yellow.

• The car's tires were as bald as my grandpa's head.

Answer explanation

This sentence gives the car human-like actions associated with illness or old age ("coughed," "sputtered," "sighed"), effectively showing it's unreliable. Option 4 is a simile, not personification.

Tags

CCSS.L.6.5A

Match each term to its correct description in the context of personification.

• The action or feeling only a person can have.

• Human quality

• Giving human traits to something not human.

• Non-human thing

• The object, animal, or idea being described.

• Personification

Answer explanation

This question breaks down the definition of personification into its key components, testing the student's understanding of the concept's structure.