Language Arts Grade Four

Unit Eighteen, Lesson Three: Figurative Language

Here are the answers and explanations for the last exercise:

1. Jill was like a sponge when it came to learning. - This is a simile because two things (Jill and a sponge) are being compared and the word like is used to compare them. Remember that as can be used instead of like in a simile.
2. Jill was a sponge when it came to learning. - This is a metaphor because two things (Jill and a sponge) are being compared and one is said to actually be the other.
3. Jill had more room in her brain than there was information to fill it. - This is an exaggeration since the claim is being made that Jill could somehow manage to learn (and remember) everything that there is to know. Some people may claim that this is possible, but it is unlikely that a person could actually learn (and be able to recall) everything that there is to know.
4. Jill liked to learn new things. - This is a literal statement about Jill and the fact that she likes to learn. We assume that this is a true statement in this case. Some forms of sarcasm take the form of obviously untrue statements about people or things, but sarcasm is not part of this lesson and so we will ignore this possibility for now.
5. Information wanted to be stored in Jill's brain. - This is personification since information is said to "want" something. Information cannot want. People can want and as you remember personification is giving human qualities to nouns that aren't human.

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