Simile
Describe the meaning of this simile:
"Her cheeks are red like a rose."
Bonus: What are they comparing?
She is embarrassed.
Bonus: They're comparing the redness of her cheeks to a red rose.
Describe the meaning of the underlined phrase:
"The wind whispered through the trees in the forest."
Bonus: What is being personified/ what is the human trait?
The wind blew.
It was breezy.
Bonus: Wind is being personified. It was given the human trait of whispering.
Describe the meaning of the metaphor:
"My brother was boiling mad."
Bonus: What are they comparing?
My brother was extremely mad/angry.
Bonus: They're comparing the brother's emotional state to that of something that is boiling (when water boils it gets very hot and agitated.)
Describe the idiom in the sentence:
"Kyle had been bullied every day until Carter, the captain of the wrestling team, took him under his wing."
Carter took care of Kyle.
He looked after him/protected him.
Describe what this statement means:
"I can smell pizza from a mile away."
I can smell pizza from really far away.
(Hyperbole-Exaggeration)
Describe the meaning of this simile:
"At exam time, the high school student was as busy as a bee."
Bonus: What are they comparing?
The high school student was very busy.
Bonus: They're comparing the high school student to a bee.
Describe the meaning of the underlined phrase:
"The engine hacked and coughed as Jerome turned the key, but the old car wouldn’t start."
Bonus: What is being personified/ what is the human trait?
The engine made loud noises when Jerome tried to start the car.
The engine sputtered when Jerome tried to start the car.
Bonus: The engine is being personified. It was given the human traits, 'hacked and coughed'.
Describe the meaning of the metaphor:
"Laughter is the best medicine."
Bonus: What are they comparing?
Laughter can make people feel better.
Bonus: They're comparing laughter to the purpose of medicine (makes people better)
Describe the definition of the idiom:
"Tim jumped on the bandwagon and got his ear pierced after all of the other guys pierced their ears."
Tim followed what the other guys did.
Tim did the same thing as the other guys because they all did it.
Describe the meaning of this sentence:
"She looked at me like I was speaking in some strange alien language."
Bonus: is this a simile or a metaphor?
She looked at me in a strange way.
Bonus: This is a simile because they used 'like' to compare how she looked at them to a strange language.
Describe the meaning of this simile:
"When the teacher entered the class, the students were fighting like cats and dogs."
Bonus: What are they comparing?The students were not getting along with each other.
Bonus: They're comparing the students (behavior) to cats and dogs (fighting).
Describe the meaning of the underlined phrase:
"Though Dante tried to not to break the rules of his diet, the donut shop called to him at night."
Bonus: What is being personified/ what is the human trait?
Bonus: The donut shop is being personified. It is given the human trait of calling to someone.
Describe the meaning of the metaphor:
"Words are knives when spoken in anger."
Bonus: What are they comparing?
Words spoken in anger can hurt.
Words can hurt like a knife.
Bonus: They're comparing the sharp quality of knives to the harshness of angry words. (words to knives)
Describe the definition of the idiom:
"When Mr. Lewis asked Jimmy to answer the question, Jimmy wanted to explain it and impress the class with his knowledge, but he was drawing a blank. "
He couldn't think of the answer.
Describe the meaning of the sentence:
"The computer in the classroom was an old dinosaur."
Bonus: Is this a simile or a metaphor?
The computer was extremely old.
Bonus: This is a metaphor because they are making a comparison without using like or as. They are comparing the computer's age to that of an old dinosaur.
Describe the meaning of this simile:
"His sister was trying to make him mad, but he stayed as cool as a cucumber."
Bonus: What are they comparing?
He stayed calm when his sister tried to make him mad.
Bonus: They're comparing him (emotional state) to a cucumber (cool in temperature).
Describe the meaning of the underlined phrase:
"Callie was tiptoeing across the kitchen floor toward the backdoor, but the creaky floor boards and her squeaky shoes told her parents she was leaving."
Bonus: What is being personified/ what is the human trait?
The creaky floor and her squeaky shoes alerted her parents.
The creaky floor and her squeaky shoes gave her away to her parents.
Bonus: The floorboards and her shoes are being personified. They were given the human trait of 'telling' (floors and shoes can't really tell the parents)
Describe the meaning of the metaphor:
"Her hope was a fragile seed."
Bonus: What are they comparing?
Her hope was fragile.
Her hope was easily broken.
It was easy for her to lose hope.
Bonus: They're comparing her hope to a seed.
Describe the idiom in the sentence:
"Mom sighed, 'No, Rachel, your hamster is not a zombie. Your brother is just pulling your leg.'"
Just kidding.
Just messing with you.
Rachel's brother was joking with her about her hamster.
Are these examples of an overstatement or an understatement?
"So maybe jumping out of an airplane without a parachute wasn’t the best idea."
"The ocean has a decent amount of water in it."
Understatement. It is definitely not a good idea to jump out of an airplane without a parachute. The ocean has a very large amount of water in it.
What is a simile?
A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as' to make a direct comparison.
What is personification?
A figurative language technique where an object or idea is given human traits or characteristics.
What is a Metaphor?
An expression that makes a comparison between two unrelated things that share a common characteristic without using like or as.
What is an idiom?
A common expression understood figuratively, as the literal definition makes no sense.
(Very common in everyday conversations.)
Describe the meaning of the sentence:
"I’d move mountains for her."
I would do anything for her.
(Hyperbole-Exaggeration)