Figurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Personification and Sound Devices — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the 7th Grade reading comprehension worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheet7th Grade · English · Reading ComprehensionFigurative Language: Simile, Metaphor, Personification and Sound Devices — Answers
Part A: Know the devices
- simile
- metaphor
- personification
- alliteration
- onomatopoeia
- says one thing is another to compare them
- repeats the same consonant sound at the start of nearby words
- compares two things using "like" or "as"
- a word that imitates the sound it describes
- gives human qualities or actions to something that is not human
Answer: simile → compares two things using "like" or "as"; metaphor → says one thing is another to compare them; personification → gives human qualities or actions to something that is not human; alliteration → repeats the same consonant sound at the start of nearby words; onomatopoeia → a word that imitates the sound it describes
Part B: Name the device
Circle the device used in each sentence.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: simile
The comparison uses "as ... as", so it is a simile.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: metaphor
The classroom is said to be a zoo (noisy and wild). There is no "like" or "as", so it is a metaphor.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: personification
Houses cannot feel tired or lean on purpose; these are human qualities, so this is personification.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: alliteration
The "s" sound is repeated at the start of the words: alliteration.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: onomatopoeia
"Sizzled" imitates the sound of food frying, so it is onomatopoeia.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: metaphor
The moon is said to be a coin, with no "like" or "as": a metaphor.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: personification
Leaves cannot dance; giving them a human action is personification.
- Asimile
- Bmetaphor
- Cpersonification
- Dalliteration
- Eonomatopoeia
Answer: simile
"Like a log" makes a comparison with "like": a simile. (It is also a well-known idiom.)
Part C: Find the devices
Read the passage twice, then copy the words from the passage that answer each question.
The storm arrived late in the afternoon. First came the wind, wild and wicked, shoving at the windows and rattling the gate like an impatient visitor. The sky was a bruise, purple and swollen.
Then the rain began: a gentle pitter-patter on the roof, and then a roar. Lightning split the sky, and for a moment the whole street was as bright as noon.
In the kitchen, the kettle whistled, the dog whimpered under the table, and Gran calmly cut another slice of cake. "Don't fuss," she said, passing a plate across the table. "That's just the sky clearing its throat."
(Original passage written for this worksheet.)
Answer: "rattling the gate like an impatient visitor" or "the whole street was as bright as noon".
Answer: "The sky was a bruise".
Answer: Any two of: the wind "shoving at the windows"; the wind rattling the gate "like an impatient visitor" (the wind is given a person's impatience); the sky "clearing its throat".
Answer: "wind, wild and wicked" (repeated "w" sound; "windows" continues it).
Answer: Any three of: "pitter-patter", "roar", "whistled", "whimpered" ("rattling" is also accepted).
Part D: Explain the effect
Naming a device is only the first step. Explain what it makes the reader see, hear or feel.
- AIt shows that the storm is over
- BIt makes the sky seem dark, sore and threatening, as if it has been hurt
- CIt tells us what time of day it is
- DIt makes the storm sound funny
Answer: It makes the sky seem dark, sore and threatening, as if it has been hurt
A bruise is dark purple and painful. The metaphor helps us picture the color of the clouds and suggests something violent has happened or is about to happen.
- ATo show the rain getting quickly heavier and louder
- BTo show that the rain stopped
- CTo describe the color of the rain
- DTo show the dog is frightened
Answer: To show the rain getting quickly heavier and louder
The two sound words move from soft to loud, so the reader "hears" the storm build.
Answer: It makes the wind seem like a person who wants to be let in and will not stop knocking. This makes the wind feel pushy and a little unsettling, as if the storm is trying to get inside.
Answer: It uses personification to make the frightening storm sound ordinary and harmless, like someone coughing. Her calm, humorous comparison contrasts with the dog's fear and makes the mood feel safe and cozy.
Answer: It is more vivid: the alliteration adds force and rhythm, and "shoving" and "wicked" make the wind sound alive and deliberately aggressive. The reader can picture and feel the wind instead of simply being told it is strong.
Part E: Analyze and create
Model answer: The writer makes the storm seem alive and powerful by describing it as if it were a person or creature. The wind is personified as "shoving at the windows", which makes it sound deliberately aggressive, and the alliteration in "wild and wicked" adds force to the description. The simile "like an impatient visitor" suggests the storm is trying to get inside the house. The metaphor "The sky was a bruise, purple and swollen" makes the sky look dark and sore, as though it has been hurt. Onomatopoeia such as "pitter-patter" and "roar" lets the reader hear the rain grow heavier. Together, these devices make the storm feel like a living force rather than just bad weather.
Success criteria:
- Opening sentence answers the question directly
- Refers to at least three different devices by their correct names
- Quotes the passage accurately
- Explains the effect of each device on the reader, not just its name
- Finishes with a sentence that sums up the overall effect
Model answer: The market was a beehive of noise and color. Stallholders shouted prices like auctioneers racing the clock, while fresh fruit glowed in neat pyramids. Plump purple plums sat beside baskets of bright bananas. Somewhere, a coffee machine hissed and a bell clanged. The breeze tugged at the striped awnings, impatient to join the crowd. [Devices: metaphor "beehive"; simile "like auctioneers"; alliteration "plump purple plums", "bright bananas"; onomatopoeia "hissed", "clanged"; personification "the breeze tugged ... impatient".]
Success criteria:
- At least four different devices used correctly
- Each device is underlined and labeled accurately
- Devices suit the place and help the reader see, hear or feel it
- Writing is a connected description, not a list of separate sentences
- Accurate spelling and punctuation
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.