Similes and Metaphors — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which sentence is the BEST original simile for a sunset?
A) The sunset spread across the sky like a fiery painting
B) The sunset was at six o'clock today
C) The sunset is sunset
D) The sunset, sunset, sunset glowed
Grade 4 writers craft strong similes by using 'like' or 'as' with a vivid, original comparison.
2. Which is the BEST original metaphor for a difficult math test?
A) The math test was a steep mountain we had to climb
B) The math test was a math test indeed
C) The math test had numbers and questions
D) The math test happened in the morning
Grade 4 writers craft strong metaphors by directly calling the subject something else with vivid imagery.
3. Which sentence is the BEST original simile for a best friend?
A) My best friend is like a warm blanket on a cold night
B) My best friend has hair and eyes
C) My best friend goes to school here
D) My best friend is named after a relative
Grade 4 writers create powerful similes by connecting the subject to an image that captures a shared feeling.
4. Which sentence is the BEST original metaphor for a thunderstorm?
A) The thunderstorm was an angry drummer pounding the rooftops
B) The thunderstorm came at three o'clock
C) The thunderstorm was wet and loud and there
D) The thunderstorm thunderstorm rumbled
Grade 4 writers strengthen metaphors by renaming the subject with a vivid, action-filled image.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. To write a simile, connect two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.
Grade 4 writers remember 'like' and 'as' as the two connector words that signal a simile.
2. To write a metaphor, state directly that one thing is another.
Grade 4 writers use 'is' to build metaphors that rename one thing as another.
3. Strong figurative writing creates vivid mental pictures called imagery.
Grade 4 writers aim for imagery to make their similes and metaphors memorable.
4. When we write similes and metaphors, our language is figurative, not literal.
Grade 4 writers label similes and metaphors as figurative language because they go beyond literal meaning.
5. Verses that often use similes and metaphors to share feelings are called poetry.
Grade 4 students recognize poetry as a form that frequently uses similes and metaphors for expression.