Success Homeschool

Year 8 English · Figurative language and imagery

Name: ______________________

Date: ____________

1. Which sentence contains a simile?
- ☐ (a) The classroom was a zoo.
- ☐ (b) Her laugh was like a bell ringing across the oval.
- ☐ (c) The thunder boomed.
- ☐ (d) Six slippery snakes slid south.
2. 'The old gate complained every time we pushed it open.' What device is used?
- ☐ (a) Alliteration
- ☐ (b) Simile
- ☐ (c) Personification
- ☐ (d) Onomatopoeia
3. Which word is an example of onomatopoeia?
- ☐ (a) Sizzle
- ☐ (b) Gentle
- ☐ (c) Bright
- ☐ (d) Enormous
4. Why might a writer choose a metaphor instead of a simile?
- ☐ (a) Metaphors are always shorter.
- ☐ (b) A metaphor states the comparison directly, so it can feel stronger.
- ☐ (c) Similes are not allowed in stories.
- ☐ (d) Metaphors do not compare anything.
5. Which is the best explanation of effect for 'The wind howled all night'?
- ☐ (a) This is personification.
- ☐ (b) The word 'howled' has six letters.
- ☐ (c) The wind is described.
- ☐ (d) 'Howled' makes the wind sound wild and distressed, creating an uneasy mood.
6. Name the device: 'Big brown bilbies bounced beside the burrow.' (one word)
7. Name the device: 'My brother is a bulldozer at the dinner table.' (one word)
8. What is the general term for descriptive language that appeals to the senses? (one word)

Answer sheet

1. Her laugh was like a bell ringing across the oval. — Only this sentence makes a comparison using 'like'.
2. Personification — A gate cannot really complain; it has been given a human action.
3. Sizzle — 'Sizzle' imitates the sound of something frying.
4. A metaphor states the comparison directly, so it can feel stronger. — A metaphor presents the comparison as if it were true, which often creates a bolder image.
5. 'Howled' makes the wind sound wild and distressed, creating an uneasy mood. — An explanation of effect says what the reader feels or imagines, not just the name of the device.
6. Alliteration — The 'b' sound is repeated at the start of nearby words.
7. Metaphor — The brother is directly called a bulldozer, with no 'like' or 'as'.
8. Imagery — Imagery helps readers see, hear, smell, taste or feel what is described.