Personification | CadyMejia - Free Printable

Let's solve this personification worksheet step by step.

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🔹 What is Personification?

Personification is a figure of speech where human qualities or actions are given to non-human things (like objects, animals, or natural forces). For example:
> "The wind *whispered* through the trees."
Here, "whispered" is a human action given to the wind.

We need to choose the best word from the list to complete each sentence so that it uses personification.

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🔹 Word Bank:

- insulted
- danced
- works
- cried
- running
- sprang
- wailing
- kissed
- yelled
- trampled

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Now let’s go through each sentence and pick the most appropriate word:

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1. My alarm ________ at me this morning.
→ Alarms make loud sounds when they go off. A human-like action would be yelling.
✔ Answer: yelled

2. My computer ________ very hard.
→ Computers process tasks; we say they “work” like people do.
✔ Answer: works

3. The storm ________ the town.
→ Storms can destroy things. “Trampled” gives the storm a physical, aggressive human-like action.
✔ Answer: trampled

4. The sign on the door ________ my intelligence.
→ A sign can’t really insult someone, but in personification, we imagine it doing so.
✔ Answer: insulted

5. The mail is ________ slow this week.
→ Mail delivery can be described as moving slowly. “Running” could work, but “running slow” is odd. Wait — maybe danced? No. Let’s think:
- “The mail is *running* slow” doesn't sound right.
- But “The mail is *wailing* slow”? No.
- How about “sprang”? No.
Hmm… Maybe “running” is meant here as an idiom? But actually, the best fit might be “danced”? Not quite.
Wait — perhaps “running” is not correct.
Let's reconsider:
- The mail isn't moving fast. So maybe “cried”? “The mail is crying slow”? No.
Actually, “running” is the only verb that makes sense with “slow.”
But “running slow” is awkward.
Alternatively, maybe “worked”? But “mail worked slow” is wrong.
Wait — perhaps “danced”? No.
Let’s look again:
The word “running” might be intended for #7, which is “The wind is ________ outside.”
But here, for #5, “running” seems out of place.
Wait — maybe “works”? “The mail is working slow”? That could work.
But “works” is already used in #2.
Can we reuse words? Probably not — since it's a fill-in-the-blank with a word bank.
Let’s check if any other word fits:
- “insulted” – no
- “danced” – no
- “cried” – “the mail is crying slow” – no
- “wailing” – same issue
- “kissed” – no
- “sprang” – “sprang slow” – no
- “trampled” – no
Hmm. This one is tricky.
Wait — perhaps “running” is the answer, even though it's awkward?
But “The mail is running slow” is grammatically incorrect. It should be “The mail is running *slowly*.”
Alternatively, maybe the intended word is “dancing”? But “dancing slow” doesn’t make sense.
Wait — what if the sentence is:
“The mail is running slow this week.”
That could be interpreted as “The mail service is operating slowly.”
But “running” is a noun here? No.
Perhaps it’s “working”? But “works” is already used.
Let’s skip and come back.

⚠️ Let’s try another approach:
Look at the image — there’s a sign next to #4, and a heart for #6, etc.
But no clue for #5.

Wait — maybe the word is “danced”? No.
Or “cried”? “The mail is crying slow”? No.
Actually, none of the words seem to fit perfectly.
But wait — “running” might be used as a verb meaning “operating” — like “the system is running slow.”
So “The mail is running slow” = the postal service is moving slowly.
That’s acceptable in informal English.
And “running” is in the list.
✔ So, Answer: running

But note: “running” is usually used with “slowly,” but here it’s “slow,” which is a bit off. Still, it's the best fit.

6. His heart ________ when she walked in the room.
→ Hearts don’t literally dance, but in poetry, we say hearts “dance” with joy.
Also, “kissed” or “cried” could work, but “danced” is common.
✔ Answer: danced

7. The wind is ________ outside.
→ Wind can “howl,” “sing,” “whistle,” but here the options include “wailing.”
“Wailing” means crying loudly — perfect for wind.
✔ Answer: wailing

8. The sun ________ my cheeks.
→ Sun warms your face — like a gentle touch. “Kissed” is a classic personification.
✔ Answer: kissed

9. When she stepped on the Lego, her foot ________.
→ Stepping on a Lego hurts. “Yelled” or “cried” could work, but “cried” is better.
“Foot” can’t yell, but “cried” is more poetic.
✔ Answer: cried

10. The burnt toast ________ out of the toaster.
→ Toast pops up. “Sprang” means jumped suddenly — perfect!
✔ Answer: sprang

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🔍 Rechecking #5:

> 5. The mail is ________ slow this week.
We chose running, but let’s confirm.

Alternative: Could it be “works”? “The mail is works slow” — grammar error.
No.
Could it be “danced”? No.
Wait — maybe “trampled”? No.
Or “insulted”? No.
Only possibility left is “running”.

But “The mail is running slow” is awkward.
Wait — maybe the sentence is meant to be:
“The mail is running slow this week.”
Yes, that’s acceptable in casual language, meaning “the mail service is operating slowly.”

✔ So, running is the best choice.

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✔ Final Answers:

1. yelled
2. works
3. trampled
4. insulted
5. running
6. danced
7. wailing
8. kissed
9. cried
10. sprang

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📌 Summary Table:

| # | Sentence | Answer |
|---|--------|--------|
| 1 | My alarm ________ at me this morning. | yelled |
| 2 | My computer ________ very hard. | works |
| 3 | The storm ________ the town. | trampled |
| 4 | The sign on the door ________ my intelligence. | insulted |
| 5 | The mail is ________ slow this week. | running |
| 6 | His heart ________ when she walked in the room. | danced |
| 7 | The wind is ________ outside. | wailing |
| 8 | The sun ________ my cheeks. | kissed |
| 9 | When she stepped on the Lego, her foot ________. | cried |
| 10 | The burnt toast ________ out of the toaster. | sprang |

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✔ Explanation of Personification in Each:

- Alarm yelled → sounds loud and angry
- Computer works → acts like a person laboring
- Storm trampled → destroys like a giant stepping on things
- Sign insulted → implies it judged you
- Mail running → personifies the postal system as a living thing
- Heart danced → expresses joy like a person
- Wind wailing → sounds like crying
- Sun kissed → warm touch like affection
- Foot cried → pain expressed like a person
- Toast sprang → popped up suddenly, like a jump

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