1. Figurative Language © Brent Coley 2008 | www.mrcoley.com

2. Figurative language is a great way to make your writing more descriptive.

3. Four types of figurative language: similes metaphors personification hyperbole

4. Simile A comparison using the word “like” or “as.” Her sunburned face looked like a strawberry.

5. Metaphor A comparison saying one thing is another thing. He was so embarrassed his face was a strawberry.

6. Personification Giving human qualities to an object, animal, or idea. The angry sea swallowed up the tiny boat.

7. Hyperbole An exaggeration used to make a point. My backpack weighed a ton.

8. Practice Time See if you can correctly identify the following types of figurative language.

9. What kind of figurative language is this? My stomach growled.

10. Personification The sentence gives a stomach human qualities (growling).

11. What kind of figurative language is this? Bob was so scared he turned white as a ghost.

12. Simile The sentence compares Bob to a ghost using the word “as.”

13. What kind of figurative language is this? She nearly died laughing.

14. Hyperbole The sentence exaggerates to prove a point (she didn’t really almost die).

15. What kind of figurative language is this? My stomach is a bottomless pit.

16. Metaphor The sentence compares two things by saying my stomach is a bottomless pit.

17. What kind of figurative language is this? This couch is as hard as a rock.

18. Simile The sentence compares the couch to a rock using the word “as.”

19. What kind of figurative language is this? I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.

20. Hyperbole The sentence exaggerates to prove a point (I couldn’t really eat a horse).

21. What kind of figurative language is this? Mary is an angel.

22. Metaphor The sentence compares two things by saying Mary is an angel.

23. What kind of figurative language is this? The two large oak trees guarded the path.

24. Personification The sentence gives the trees human qualities (guarding the path).

25. What kind of figurative language is this? The cabin was a freezer during the winter.

26. Metaphor The sentence compares two things by saying the cabin was a freezer.

27. What kind of figurative language is this? The wind howled through the trees.

28. Personification The sentence gives the wind human qualities (howled).

29. What kind of figurative language is this? I tried calling him a million times.

30. Hyperbole The sentence exaggerates to prove a point (I didn’t really call a million times).

31. What kind of figurative language is this? Jason ran like a cheetah.

32. Simile The sentence compares Jason to a cheetah using the word “like.”

33. What kind of figurative language is this? That poem really spoke to me.

34. Personification The sentence gives the poem human qualities (the poem speaking).

35. What kind of figurative language is this? The test was a piece of cake.

36. Metaphor The sentence compares two things by saying the test was a piece of cake.

37. What kind of figurative language is this? Her hair flowed over her shoulders like a golden river.

38. Simile The sentence compares her hair to a golden river using the word “like.”

39. What kind of figurative language is this? “I’ve been waiting forever!” she exclaimed.

40. Hyperbole The sentence exaggerates to prove a point (she didn’t really wait forever).

41. Title image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Used with permission under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation license.