Figurative Language Quiz

Now that you have learned about all the different types of figurative language in the English language, it is time to review and practice.

Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses

You can quickly review each type of figurative language by reading:

Types of Figurative Language

Here are some definitions to help you.

• simile = a comparison of two things using "like" or "as"
  
  
• metaphor = a comparison of two things
  
  
• idiom = a phrase that cannot be taken literally
  
  
• hyperbole = an obvious exaggeration
  
  
• onomatopoeia = a sound word
  
  
• alliteration = repetition of a sound in a group of words
  
  
• personification = giving an object or animal a human
  characteristic
  
  
• cliché = an overused phrase (can be other types of figurative language)
  
  
• pun = a joke that is a "play on words"

Choose the correct type of figurative language for each sentence below. Answers and explanations are listed at the bottom of the page.

Grab a pencil and piece of paper to record your answers. Then check your answers at the bottom of the page.


1. The kitten is as soft as silk.



2. Nick's head exploded when he heard the bad news!



3. Silly Sally sings sixty songs on Sunday.



4. That test was as easy as pie.



5. The bees were busy buzzing.



6. The bees were busy buzzing.



7. She jumped so high she could touch the moon!



8. My car died on the way to work.


9. The baby was a screaming alarm that woke the neighbors.



10. When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

Answers and explanations

1. The kitten is as soft as silk.


This sentence is an example of simile because it compares a kitten's fur to silk using the word "as".



2. Nick's head exploded when he heard the bad news!


This is an example of an idiom because it cannot be taken literally. His head did not really explode. This is figurative language meaning he was very angry.



3. Silly Sally sings sixty songs on Sunday.


This is an example of alliteration. Notice the repeating "s" sound.



4. That test was as easy as pie.


This is a simile but is also an example of a cliché. Easy as pie is a common expression and is an overused simile.



5. The Bumblebees were busy buzzing.


This sentence is an example of alliteration because it has repeating sounds. Notice the repeating "B" and "Z" sounds.



6. The Bumblebees were busy buzzing.


Buzzing is an example of an onomatopoeia because it is the sound a bee makes.



7. She jumped so high she could touch the moon!


This sentence is an example of a hyperbole because it is an obvious exaggeration. Nobody can actually jump high enough to touch the moon. It is figurative language meaning she jumped very high.



8. My car died on the way to work.


"Car died" is an example of personification. Cars cannot really die like people or animals do because they are not alive. It is figurative language meaning that the car stopped working.



9. The baby was a screaming alarm that woke the neighbors.


This is an example of a metaphor. It compares a crying baby to a loud alarm that wakes people up.



10. When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.


This is an example of a pun. It is a play on words.

• goes back four seconds = loses time; four individual seconds (There are 60 seconds in a minute.)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• goes back for seconds = returns for a second helping of food at meal time

This was a figurative language quiz. Get our ESL Books for more practice!

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