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SKILL CLINIC

Word Choice & Figurative Language

Examiners love figurative language questions because they have right answers AND deeper answers. Naming the technique gets you a mark; explaining the effect gets you the top band. This clinic teaches both — naming first, then the effect.

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Lesson 1 — Simile vs metaphor

A simile compares two things using "like" or "as". "Her hair was like a waterfall." A metaphor compares two things directly, without "like" or "as". "Her hair was a waterfall." Same image, different technique. If you see "like" or "as" — simile. Otherwise, metaphor.

WORKED EXAMPLE

The classroom was a beehive: every desk humming, every child busy, no one sitting still.

Tap the sentence in the passage that best proves your answer.

Which technique is the writer using here?

A. Simile

B. Metaphor

C. Onomatopoeia

D. Hyperbole