Let’s go through each sentence one by one and pick the best literary device from the list.
First, let’s remember what each device means:
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Simile: Comparing two things using “like” or “as” → e.g., “She runs like a cheetah.”
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Metaphor: Saying one thing *is* another (without “like” or “as”) → e.g., “He is a lion in battle.”
-
Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things → e.g., “The wind whispered.”
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Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like what they mean → e.g., “Buzz,” “Crash,” “Bark.”
-
Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect → e.g., “I’ve told you a million times!”
Now, let’s match each sentence:
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1. Books are the keys to your imagination.
→ This says books *are* keys — not “like” keys. So it’s a
Metaphor.
2. Gah! Her voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard!
→ Uses “like” →
Simile
3. He is a walking dictionary.
→ Says he *is* a dictionary →
Metaphor
4. I think my grandfather is as old as these hills.
→ Uses “as...as” →
Simile
5. In our sixth grade concert, we shone like stars.
→ Uses “like” →
Simile
6. Bark-Bark! Bark! The dog woke me up.
→ “Bark” is the sound a dog makes →
Onomatopoeia
7. I ate a ton of food for dinner.
→ “A ton” is an exaggeration →
Hyperbole
8. Buzz-The bee buzzed in my ear.
→ “Buzz” is the sound →
Onomatopoeia
9. He runs like a horse.
→ Uses “like” →
Simile
10. That child is a bear when he is sleepy.
→ Says child *is* a bear →
Metaphor
11. That little girl is as sweet as sugar.
→ Uses “as...as” →
Simile
12. The curtains danced in the breeze.
→ Curtains can’t dance — giving them human action →
Personification
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Final Answer:
1. Metaphor
2. Simile
3. Metaphor
4. Simile
5. Simile
6. Onomatopoeia
7. Hyperbole
8. Onomatopoeia
9. Simile
10. Metaphor
11. Simile
12. Personification
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of literary devices worksheet middle school.
