Language Arts: Literary Devices Worksheet

Question 1

Read the sentence: "The wind whispered through the trees." What literary device is used, and how do you know?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses personification because it gives the wind a human action, whispering.

Question 2

Read the sentence: "Her smile was as bright as the sun." What literary device is used in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses a simile because it compares her smile to the sun using the word "as."

Question 3

Read the sentence: "The classroom was a zoo after the bell rang." What literary device is used, and what does it mean?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses a metaphor because it says the classroom was a zoo without using "like" or "as." It means the classroom was noisy, wild, and hard to control.

Question 4

Read the sentence: "Boom. Bang. Crash." What literary device is shown by these words?

Accepted Answer

These words show onomatopoeia because the words sound like the noises they describe.

Question 5

Read the sentence: "I have told you a million times to clean your room." What literary device is used, and why is it effective?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses hyperbole because it exaggerates for emphasis. It is effective because it shows strong frustration and makes the feeling more dramatic.

Question 6

Read the sentence: "The cold wind cut through my jacket." Which literary device is used, and what feeling does it create?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses personification because it gives the wind the human-like action of cutting. It creates a harsh and uncomfortable feeling.

Question 7

Read the sentence: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." What literary device is used in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses alliteration because several nearby words begin with the same consonant sound.

Question 8

Read the line: "The stars danced across the sky." Identify the literary device and explain the image it creates.

Accepted Answer

The line uses personification because stars are described as dancing. It creates an image of a lively, beautiful night sky.

Question 9

Read the sentence: "He was so hungry he could eat a mountain of food." What literary device is used?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses hyperbole because it exaggerates how hungry he is.

Question 10

Read the sentence: "The river was a silver ribbon winding through the valley." What literary device is used, and what two things are being compared?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses a metaphor. It compares the river to a silver ribbon.

Question 11

Read the sentence: "Sally sells seashells by the seashore." What literary device is used, and how does it affect the sound of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses alliteration because the repeated "s" sound appears at the beginning of many words. This gives the sentence a catchy, musical sound.

Question 12

Read the sentence: "The alarm clock screamed at me to wake up." What literary device is used?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses personification because it gives the alarm clock the human action of screaming.

Question 13

Read the sentence: "Her backpack weighed a ton." What literary device is used, and what does the sentence really mean?

Accepted Answer

The sentence uses hyperbole because it exaggerates the backpack's weight. It really means the backpack felt very heavy.

Question 14

Read the sentence: "The leaves rustled and hissed in the dark." Which literary device is shown most clearly by the word "hissed"?

Accepted Answer

The word "hissed" shows onomatopoeia because it sounds like the noise the leaves make.

Question 15

Write your own sentence that uses either a simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, alliteration, or onomatopoeia. Then name the device you used.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary. A correct response includes an original sentence and a correct identification of the literary device used, such as "The moon was a lantern in the sky," which is a metaphor.

Language Arts: Literary Devices

Language Arts: Literary Devices

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