Similes & Metaphors

Question 1

Read the following excerpt: "The rain fell like silver needles, pattering on the roof. The sky was a blanket of gray. The wind whispered through the night. The trees were tired after the storm's wild dance." Which phrase from the passage is a simile?

Accepted Answer

like silver needles

Answer

were tired after the storm's wild dance

Answer

whispered through the night

Answer

a blanket of gray

Question 2

Read the sentence: "The old house groaned like a tired giant settling into a chair." How does this simile create a picture or feeling for the reader that a literal description would not?

Accepted Answer

It compares the house’s creaking to a tired giant resting, letting readers picture a huge, weary creature and feel the house’s age and heaviness—something a simple statement like “the house made a noise” would not show.

Answer

It means the house is actually a giant that can sit in a chair, so the house is alive like a person.

Answer

It only tells us that the house is old because “tired” means old.

Answer

It shows that the house is moving into a chair, describing the house’s location.

Question 3

Read the sentence: “The hallway turned into a river of rushing students, and the lockers were mountains of metal.” Which answer best explains the metaphor that describes the hallway?

Accepted Answer

It compares the hallway to a river, showing that the students move quickly and continuously like flowing water.

Answer

It says the hallway is literally filled with water, because a river is made of water.

Answer

It compares the hallway to a mountain, suggesting the hallway is tall and solid.

Answer

It interprets the phrase as a simile because it uses the word ‘like’ to make the comparison.

Try three questions

Read the following excerpt: "The rain fell like silver needles, pattering on the roof. The sky was a blanket of gray. The wind whispered through the night. The trees were tired after the storm's wild dance." Which phrase from the passage is a simile?

Read the sentence: "The old house groaned like a tired giant settling into a chair." How does this simile create a picture or feeling for the reader that a literal description would not?

Read the sentence: “The hallway turned into a river of rushing students, and the lockers were mountains of metal.” Which answer best explains the metaphor that describes the hallway?

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