Figures of speech interactive exercise - Free Printable

The image you've uploaded contains a list of phrases, each followed by the name of a figurative language device used in that phrase. The task appears to be identifying or verifying whether the correct literary device is matched with each sentence.

Let’s go through each item one by one, explain the figurative language, and confirm if the label is accurate.

---

1. She Is Like A Fairy. (Simile)

✔ Correct
- A simile compares two things using "like" or "as".
- Here, "like" directly compares her to a fairy → simile.

---

2. She Is Now In The Sunset Of Her Days. (Metaphor)

✔ Correct
- A metaphor makes a direct comparison without "like" or "as".
- "Sunset of her days" metaphorically means the end of her life.

---

3. Little Sorrows Sit And Weep. (Personification)

✔ Correct
- Personification gives human qualities to non-human things.
- "Sorrows" are given the ability to sit and weep → personification.

---

4. The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword. (Metonymy)

✔ Correct
- Metonymy uses a related term to represent something else.
- "Pen" represents writing/ideas; "sword" represents military force.
- So, it's a metonymic comparison.

---

5. I Have Never Read Milton. (Metonymy)

⚠️ Incorrect / Ambiguous
- This seems to use metonymy only if "Milton" refers to his works.
- But the phrase is literally saying the speaker hasn't read the author Milton.
- However, "Milton" could stand for *his writings* — so this is possible metonymy, but weak.
- More accurately, this might be a simple statement, not a figure of speech.
- Better interpretation: It's not clearly metonymy unless context implies "Milton's works".

> ✔ But many teachers accept this as metonymy, since "Milton" stands for his writings.

---

6. Boy's Mother Loved Him Very Much. (Apostrophe)

✘ Incorrect
- Apostrophe is when someone speaks to an absent or non-living thing as if it can respond.
- Example: "O Death, where is thy sting?"
- This sentence is just a statement of fact, not addressing anyone.
- No apostrophe here.

> ✘ Wrong label. Should be none or possibly simple declarative sentence.

---

7. Virtues As The Sands Of The Shore. (Hyperbole)

✘ Incorrect
- Hyperbole is exaggeration for effect.
- "Virtues as the sands of the shore" is a simile, comparing virtues to countless grains of sand.
- It's not necessarily exaggerated — it's a simile.
- If it said "I have a million virtues", that would be hyperbole.

> ✔ Correct label should be: Simile (or Metaphor if no "as") — but here it's "as", so simile.

---

8. I Have The Viceroy, Love The Man. (Synecdoche)

✔ Correct
- Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or vice versa.
- "The Viceroy" may refer to a specific person (e.g., a king), but here it's likely referring to the man himself — a part (title) representing the whole (person).
- So yes, synecdoche.

---

9. All Hands (Crew) At Work. (Synecdoche)

✔ Correct
- "Hands" refers to people (workers).
- Part (hands) represents the whole (people) → Synecdoche.

---

10. He Is Telling Us A Fairy Tale. (A Lie) (Euphemism)

✘ Incorrect
- Euphemism is a mild or indirect word for something harsh.
- Saying "fairy tale" when meaning "lie" is actually irony or understatement, not euphemism.
- A euphemism would be like calling death "passed away".

> ✔ This is irony or sarcasm, not euphemism.

---

11. He Has Fallen Asleep. (He Is Dead) (Euphemism)

✔ Correct
- "Fallen asleep" is a soft way to say 'died' → classic euphemism.

---

12. The Child Of Cobbler Has No Shoe. (Irony)

✔ Correct
- Irony occurs when there's a contrast between expectation and reality.
- A cobbler (shoe-maker) has a child without shoes — ironic because you'd expect the opposite.

---

13. Is Life Worth Living? It Depends Upon The Liver. (Pun)

✔ Correct
- "Liver" = liver (organ) vs. live (to live)
- Wordplay on homophones → pun.

---

14. Congress Is Against Progress. (Pun)

✘ Incorrect
- This is not a pun.
- "Against progress" is a political statement.
- There’s no wordplay or double meaning here.
- Possibly satire or irony, but not a pun.

> ✘ Wrong label. Probably meant to be irony or sarcasm.

---

15. To Err Is Human, To Forgive Divine. (Antithesis)

✔ Correct
- Antithesis contrasts two opposing ideas:
- "To err" vs. "to forgive"
- "Human" vs. "Divine"
- Clear contrast → antithesis.

---

16. Give Every Man Thy Ear, But Few Thy Voice. (Antithesis)

✔ Correct
- Contrast between giving everyone attention ("ear") but not giving everyone power to speak ("voice").
- Parallel structure with contrast → antithesis.

---

17. Make Haste Slowly. (Oxymoron)

✔ Correct
- Oxymoron = contradictory terms together.
- "Haste" (speed) + "slowly" (slowness) → contradiction → oxymoron.

---

18. He Is No Dullard. (Litotes)

✔ Correct
- Litotes = understatement using negation to emphasize positivity.
- "No dullard" = he is smart (but said negatively).
- Classic litotes.

---

19. I Am Not A Little. (Litotes)

✔ Correct
- "Not a little" = I am very much (strongly).
- Understatement with negation → litotes.

---

20. He Is Not A Bad Sort. (Litotes)

✔ Correct
- "Not a bad sort" = he is a good person.
- Again, understatement → litotes.

---

21. Glittering Through The Gloomy Night. (Alliteration)

✔ Correct
- Repetition of the 'g' sound in "glittering", "gloomy", "night"?
Wait: "Glittering" starts with g, "gloomy" with g, "night" with n → only two g's.
But "glittering" and "gloomy" both start with g → alliteration.

> ✔ Yes, alliteration of 'g' sound.

---

## ✔ Summary of Corrections:

| Sentence | Given Label | Correct? | Correction |
|--------|-------------|---------|------------|
| 1 | Simile | ✔ | Correct |
| 2 | Metaphor | ✔ | Correct |
| 3 | Personification | ✔ | Correct |
| 4 | Metonymy | ✔ | Correct |
| 5 | Metonymy | ⚠️ | Acceptable, though debatable |
| 6 | Apostrophe | ✘ | Incorrect – should be none or not a figure of speech |
| 7 | Hyperbole | ✘ | Should be Simile |
| 8 | Synecdoche | ✔ | Correct |
| 9 | Synecdoche | ✔ | Correct |
| 10 | Euphemism | ✘ | Should be Irony/Sarcasm |
| 11 | Euphemism | ✔ | Correct |
| 12 | Irony | ✔ | Correct |
| 13 | Pun | ✔ | Correct |
| 14 | Pun | ✘ | Should be Irony or Satire |
| 15 | Antithesis | ✔ | Correct |
| 16 | Antithesis | ✔ | Correct |
| 17 | Oxymoron | ✔ | Correct |
| 18 | Litotes | ✔ | Correct |
| 19 | Litotes | ✔ | Correct |
| 20 | Litotes | ✔ | Correct |
| 21 | Alliteration | ✔ | Correct |

---

## 🔍 Final Answer:
The task was to identify or verify the figurative language in each sentence. Most labels are correct, but some need correction:

✘ Incorrect Labels:

- #6: "Boy's Mother Loved Him Very Much" → Not apostrophe
- #7: "Virtues As The Sands Of The Shore" → Simile, not hyperbole
- #10: "He Is Telling Us A Fairy Tale" → Irony, not euphemism
- #14: "Congress Is Against Progress" → Not a pun (likely irony)

✔ Corrected Version:

Replace these with:
- #6 → (None / Simple Statement)
- #7 → (Simile)
- #10 → (Irony)
- #14 → (Irony)

---

Let me know if you'd like this formatted into a corrected worksheet!