Mastering Figures of Speech: Complete Crash Course & Practice Workbook
For Grade 7–10 English Students
Introduction
Figures of speech are words or phrases used in a non-literal sense to create strong imagery,
emotion, or emphasis. They are commonly found in poems, stories, songs, and everyday
language. Understanding these will not only improve your English skills but also help you write
creatively and analyze literature effectively.
10 Common Figures of Speech
1. Simile – compares two things using "like" or "as"
Example: Her smile is like sunshine.
2. Metaphor – directly compares two unlike things
Example: Time is a thief.
3. Personification – gives human qualities to non-human things
Example: The leaves danced in the wind.
4. Hyperbole – exaggeration for emphasis or effect
Example: I waited for a thousand years.
5. Irony – the opposite of what is expected happens
Example: A fire station burned down.
6. Alliteration – repetition of the same initial sound
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
7. Onomatopoeia – words that imitate sound
, Example: Boom! Splash! Whirr!
8. Oxymoron – two contradictory terms together
Example: Bittersweet; deafening silence
9. Idiom – a phrase that means something different from the literal words
Example: It’s raining cats and dogs.
10. Pun – a humorous play on words
Example: I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.
Quiz: Identify the Figure of Speech
Directions: Identify the figure of speech in each sentence.
1. Her smile is like sunshine.
2. Boom! The fireworks exploded in the sky.
3. The leaves danced in the wind.
4. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
5. The car coughed as it struggled to start.
6. Love is a battlefield.
7. He’s as brave as a lion.
For Grade 7–10 English Students
Introduction
Figures of speech are words or phrases used in a non-literal sense to create strong imagery,
emotion, or emphasis. They are commonly found in poems, stories, songs, and everyday
language. Understanding these will not only improve your English skills but also help you write
creatively and analyze literature effectively.
10 Common Figures of Speech
1. Simile – compares two things using "like" or "as"
Example: Her smile is like sunshine.
2. Metaphor – directly compares two unlike things
Example: Time is a thief.
3. Personification – gives human qualities to non-human things
Example: The leaves danced in the wind.
4. Hyperbole – exaggeration for emphasis or effect
Example: I waited for a thousand years.
5. Irony – the opposite of what is expected happens
Example: A fire station burned down.
6. Alliteration – repetition of the same initial sound
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
7. Onomatopoeia – words that imitate sound
, Example: Boom! Splash! Whirr!
8. Oxymoron – two contradictory terms together
Example: Bittersweet; deafening silence
9. Idiom – a phrase that means something different from the literal words
Example: It’s raining cats and dogs.
10. Pun – a humorous play on words
Example: I used to be a banker, but I lost interest.
Quiz: Identify the Figure of Speech
Directions: Identify the figure of speech in each sentence.
1. Her smile is like sunshine.
2. Boom! The fireworks exploded in the sky.
3. The leaves danced in the wind.
4. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
5. The car coughed as it struggled to start.
6. Love is a battlefield.
7. He’s as brave as a lion.
