Literary Devices — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
"The lake was like a mirror" is a metaphor.
Corrected: "The lake was like a mirror" is a simile.
The corrected sentence is: ""The lake was like a mirror" is a simile.". The original sentence ""The lake was like a mirror" is a metaphor." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
2. Fix the sentence:
"Her voice is music to my ears" uses the word like, so it is a simile.
Corrected: "Her voice is music to my ears" does not use like or as, so it is a metaphor.
The corrected sentence is: ""Her voice is music to my ears" does not use like or as, so it is a metaphor.". The original sentence ""Her voice is music to my ears" uses the word like, so it is a simile." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
3. Fix the sentence:
A metaphor compares two things using the words like or as.
Corrected: A simile compares two things using the words like or as.
The corrected sentence is: "A simile compares two things using the words like or as.". The original sentence "A metaphor compares two things using the words like or as." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. "The stars were like diamonds in the sky" is an example of a simile.
A simile uses 'like' or 'as' to compare two unlike things, such as 'brave as a lion.'
2. "Time is money" is an example of a metaphor.
A metaphor makes a direct comparison, such as 'Life is a rollercoaster,' without using 'like' or 'as.'
3. A simile uses the words like or as to compare two things.
The word 'like' (or 'as') is the key signal that a comparison is a simile rather than a metaphor.
4. A metaphor makes a direct comparison without using like or as.
A metaphor makes a direct comparison without signal words. 'The moon is a silver coin' directly equates the moon to a coin.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Read: "The classroom was as quiet as a graveyard." Is this a simile or a metaphor? Explain how you know.
Sample answer: This is a simile because it uses the word "as" to compare the classroom to a graveyard. Both share the quality of being very quiet.
This is a simile. The comparison uses 'as...as' to link two unlike things — a classroom and a graveyard — to emphasize extreme quietness.
2. Read: "Her laughter is a bubbling brook." Explain what two things are being compared and what the metaphor means.
Sample answer: The metaphor compares her laughter to a bubbling brook. It means her laughter sounds light, happy, and flowing, like water moving over rocks in a stream.
This is a metaphor that directly equates laughter to a babbling brook. It describes laughter as gentle, musical, and continuous without using 'like' or 'as.'