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 thunder roared angrily" is an example of onomatopoeia.
Corrected: "The thunder roared angrily" is an example of personification.
The corrected sentence is: ""The thunder roared angrily" is an example of personification.". The original sentence ""The thunder roared angrily" is an example of onomatopoeia." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
2. Fix the sentence:
"Silly Sally sang seven songs" repeats vowel sounds, so it is onomatopoeia.
Corrected: "Silly Sally sang seven songs" repeats consonant sounds, so it is alliteration.
The corrected sentence is: ""Silly Sally sang seven songs" repeats consonant sounds, so it is alliteration.". The original sentence ""Silly Sally sang seven songs" repeats vowel sounds, so it is onomatopoeia." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
3. Fix the sentence:
Onomatopoeia gives human qualities to animals or objects.
Corrected: Personification gives human qualities to animals or objects.
The corrected sentence is: "Personification gives human qualities to animals or objects.". The original sentence "Onomatopoeia gives human qualities to animals or objects." 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 flowers danced in the breeze" is an example of personification because flowers cannot actually dance.
Personification assigns human traits or actions to animals, objects, or ideas. Example: 'The wind whispered secrets.'
2. "The bees buzzed around the garden" contains the onomatopoeia word buzzed.
'Buzzed' is an onomatopoeia — a word whose sound imitates the thing it describes, in this case the sound bees make.
3. "Big brown bears bathed by the bay" is an example of alliteration because the words start with the same sound.
Alliteration repeats the same consonant sound at the beginning of nearby words, as in 'Peter Piper picked a peck.'
4. Words like crash, sizzle, and pop are examples of onomatopoeia.
Onomatopoeia refers to words that phonetically imitate the sound they represent, making writing more vivid and sensory.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Read: "The old house groaned and creaked in the storm." Which literary device is used? Explain why the author might have chosen it.
Sample answer: This is personification because it gives the house human actions like groaning. The author used it to make the house feel alive and spooky during the storm.
Personification is used here. By making the house 'groan' like a person in pain, the author creates a mood of unease and makes the setting feel threatening.
2. Write your own sentence using alliteration. Identify the repeated consonant sound.
Sample answer: Graceful giraffes galloped across the golden grasslands. The repeated "g" sound is the alliteration.
Alliteration repeats an initial consonant sound across nearby words. Any sentence with three or more 'S' words at the start demonstrates alliteration.