SHSAT English Language Arts Quiz: Identifying Figurative Language

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Identifying Figurative LanguageQuestion 1 of 20

(1) Mr. Anya was a man carved from sea-salt and patience. He taught sailing not by lecturing from the dock, but by putting you at the tiller of his small, weathered boat, the Sea Lark, and letting the wind do the talking. My first lesson was on a blustery afternoon. The sail cracked and popped like a whip, and the boat heeled over so far I was certain we would capsize. My knuckles were white on the tiller. "Feel the boat," was all he said, his voice calm as the deep water beneath us. "She's telling you what she wants."

(2) I didn't understand. The boat was telling me it wanted to throw me into the churning grey waves. I wrestled with the tiller, trying to force the boat upright, to impose my will on the wind. The more I fought, the more stubborn the Sea Lark became, her sail luffing uselessly, her momentum lost. We sat dead in the water, rocking in the chop. Mr. Anya didn't sigh or correct me. He simply waited, letting me feel the full, frustrating weight of my failure.

(3) "You are fighting the wind," he said at last. "You cannot win that fight. You must listen to it. Use it." He placed his hand gently over mine on the tiller. He didn't push or pull. Instead, he seemed to just relax, and through his hand, I felt a subtle vibration. It was a slight pressure, a hum. He made a minuscule adjustment, and instantly, the sail filled with a satisfying whoomp, the boat leaned into a graceful angle, and we were moving again, slicing cleanly through the water. It felt like magic.

(4) "There," he said. "You feel that? That is the conversation. The wind pushes the sail, the sail pushes the boat, the water pushes back. And you, at the tiller, are the interpreter. Not the dictator." For the rest of the afternoon, I tried to stop dictating and start interpreting. I focused on that hum, that subtle pressure. It was a new language, spoken not in words, but in forces. By the time we sailed back into the harbor, my knuckles were no longer white. I was holding the tiller lightly, feeling the story the boat was telling me, and for the first time, I felt like I was beginning to understand.

Which of the following phrases from the passage contains a simile?

"his voice calm as the deep water beneath us"

"I felt like I was beginning to understand"

"letting the wind do the talking"

"you, at the tiller, are the interpreter"

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SHSAT English Language Arts Quiz

SHSAT English Language Arts Quiz: Identifying Figurative Language

Practice Identifying Figurative Language in SHSAT English Language Arts with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Identifying Figurative Language, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for SHSAT English Language Arts.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Which of the following phrases from the passage contains a simile?

"his voice calm as the deep water beneath us" (correct answer)
"I felt like I was beginning to understand"
"letting the wind do the talking"
"you, at the tiller, are the interpreter"

Explanation: This question asks you to find a simile, an explicit comparison between two unlike things that uses "like" or "as". In paragraph 1, Mr. Anya speaks with "his voice calm as the deep water beneath us." The word "as" directly compares the calmness of his voice to the stillness of deep water, two very different things. That explicit comparison makes it a simile, even though the word "like" never appears. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B, "I felt like I was beginning to understand", uses "like" only to mean "that"; the narrator really is beginning to understand, so nothing is being compared. Choice C, "letting the wind do the talking", gives the wind the human action of talking, so it is personification. Choice D, "you, at the tiller, are the interpreter", states that the sailor is an interpreter without "like" or "as", so it is a metaphor. The correct answer is A because it is the only choice that uses a comparison word to link two unlike things, a voice and deep water. Strategy tip: On SHSAT simile questions, do not grab the first "like" you see; check that the word actually links two different things, and remember that "as" can signal a simile too.

Question 2

(1) The city air tasted like metal and exhaust, a stark contrast to the scent of pine and damp earth that had been the backdrop to my entire life. My new school was a fortress of red brick, three stories high, looming over a street crowded with cars and unfamiliar faces. Inside, the hallways were a roaring river of people, and I was a stone, motionless and silent, getting battered by the current. Everyone seemed to have a place to be, a friend to greet, a locker to slam. I clutched the wrinkled schedule in my hand, its crisp corners now softened by my nervous grip. Room 204: English. It felt a world away.

(2) I had imagined this moment for weeks. In my daydreams, I was confident, striding through the halls with a purpose. Someone would recognize a book I was carrying or a pin on my bag, and a friendship would spark. Reality was a cold splash of water. The book in my bag felt heavy and pretentious, and the pin, a small silver bird my grandmother had given me, seemed childish. I was an outsider, marked by my new shoes that squeaked on the polished floor and my bewildered expression that was a magnet for fleeting, curious glances.

(3) I found Room 204 and slipped into a desk at the back, hoping to become part of the wallpaper. The teacher, Mr. Harrison, had a kind face, but his welcoming speech about "new beginnings" and "finding your voice" felt like it was broadcast from another galaxy. My voice was trapped somewhere in my throat, tangled in a knot of anxiety. He asked us to write a short paragraph about a meaningful memory. My mind, which usually overflowed with stories from my summers by the lake, went completely blank. The page stared back at me, a vast, white desert.

(4) A girl with bright green hair and a cascade of silver bracelets sat down in the desk next to mine. She didn't look at me, but I heard her pen scratching furiously against her paper. After a few minutes, she paused, sighed dramatically, and then turned to me. "Mind if I borrow your brain? Mine seems to have gone on vacation." Her smile was wide and genuine. I was so startled that a small laugh escaped me. "I think mine went with it," I managed to say. The knot in my throat loosened, just a little. Maybe this new world wasn't a world away, but just a few words.

Which phrase from paragraph 3 uses personification?

"The page stared back at me" (correct answer)
"My voice was trapped somewhere in my throat"
"hoping to become part of the wallpaper"
"usually overflowed with stories from my summers by the lake"

Explanation: This question asks you to find personification, which gives a human action or quality to something that is not human. In paragraph 3, the narrator says, "The page stared back at me". A sheet of paper has no eyes and cannot stare; staring is something a person does. Giving the blank page that action is personification, and it makes the page seem to challenge the narrator. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B, "My voice was trapped somewhere in my throat", is a metaphor for being too anxious to speak; a voice belongs to a person, and being trapped is not a human-only action. Choice C, "hoping to become part of the wallpaper", is a metaphor for wanting to go unnoticed, and the narrator is already human. Choice D, "usually overflowed with stories from my summers by the lake", treats the narrator's mind as a container that spills over, which is a metaphor, not a human action given to an object. The correct answer is A because only the page, a non-human object, is shown doing something only a person can do. Strategy tip: On SHSAT personification questions, remember that personification gives human actions or qualities to something non-human; for each choice, check whether the subject could literally do the action, and if it could not, ask whether the action is one only a person could do.

Question 3

In paragraph 4, the girl asks to borrow the narrator's brain because hers "seems to have gone on vacation." The narrator answers, "I think mine went with it." Through this figurative reply, what is the narrator saying?

The narrator has stopped feeling nervous now that someone is talking.
The narrator has also been unable to think of anything to write. (correct answer)
The narrator would rather be back at the lake than sitting in class.
The narrator is willing to share ideas with the girl.

Explanation: This question asks you to interpret a figure of speech whose subject is not named in the phrase itself, so you must work out what "mine" and "it" stand for. The girl says, "Mine seems to have gone on vacation", giving her brain a human action to say it has stopped producing ideas. The narrator's reply, "I think mine went with it", extends the figure: the narrator's brain left along with the girl's. Paragraph 3 confirms what this means for the narrator, whose mind "went completely blank" when the class was asked to write. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A is wrong because the reply describes the narrator's mind, and only afterward does the knot in the narrator's throat loosen "just a little." Choice C is wrong because it treats "vacation" as a real trip, while the figure is about a brain that is not working. Choice D is wrong because the reply says the narrator's own brain is gone too, leaving no ideas to lend. The correct answer is B because the reply says the narrator's brain is also gone, matching paragraph 3, where the narrator's mind "went completely blank." Strategy tip: On SHSAT, when a figure uses a pronoun such as "mine" or "it", first identify what each pronoun stands for, then translate the image into plain words.

Question 4

(1) The old suitcase sat open on my bed, a hollow mouth waiting to be filled. For a week, I had circled it, picking up a book only to put it down, folding a shirt and then unfolding it. Moving to the city was supposed to be an adventure, the thrilling next chapter Liam had so enthusiastically described. He spoke of bustling streets, endless opportunities, and a life vibrant with energy. He couldn't understand my hesitation. "It's just a place, Elara," he'd said, his voice laced with a gentle impatience that was becoming all too familiar. (2) But for me, it wasn't "just a place." It was the absence of this place: the scent of rain on dry soil, the silhouette of the oak tree against the sunset, the low hum of the cicadas that had been the soundtrack to every summer of my life. These were the things I was packing away, not just my clothes and books. I walked to the window and looked out at the rolling fields, now washed in the soft gold of late afternoon. Mrs. Gable's dog, Buster, was chasing a butterfly in her yard, a small, familiar drama. (3) Liam saw a dead-end town; I saw a tapestry of moments. He saw quiet; I heard peace. He saw a beginning in the city, but all I could feel was the weight of this ending. I picked up a small, smooth stone from my windowsill, one I had found by the creek when I was ten. Its cool weight was a comfort in my palm. How could I explain that leaving felt like tearing a page out of my own story? I placed the stone carefully in a side pocket of the suitcase. It was a small, silent rebellion, a piece of home I refused to leave behind.

In paragraph 2, the narrator describes "the low hum of the cicadas that had been the soundtrack to every summer of my life." This phrase is best classified as

a simile, because it compares the hum of the cicadas to the soundtrack of a film.
a metaphor, because it says the hum of the cicadas had been a soundtrack itself. (correct answer)
personification, because it gives the cicadas the human skill of writing music.
a literal description, because a recording of cicadas played during each summer.

Explanation: This question asks you to classify a figurative phrase by the way it makes its comparison. In paragraph 2, the narrator recalls "the low hum of the cicadas that had been the soundtrack to every summer of my life." The phrase says the hum "had been the soundtrack", naming it as background music without "like" or "as". Because it states that one thing is another, it is a metaphor. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A is wrong because, although the phrase does compare the hum to a soundtrack, it uses no "like" or "as", and a simile needs one of those words. Choice C is wrong because cicadas really do hum, so the phrase describes a natural insect sound, not a human skill such as composing. Choice D is wrong because nothing in the passage mentions a recording; the cicadas themselves are the sound of the narrator's summers. The correct answer is B because the phrase identifies the cicadas' hum as a soundtrack directly, which is how a metaphor works. Strategy tip: On SHSAT, both similes and metaphors compare; the only difference is the comparison word, so check for "like" or "as" before you label a comparison a simile.

Question 5

(1) The attic was Elara's sanctuary, a dusty, sun-drenched kingdom smelling of cedar and old paper. Up here, under the steep-sloping roof, the world outside—the drone of her parents' arguments, the relentless ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall—seemed to fade into a distant hum. A single round window, like a ship's porthole, looked out over the tangle of oak branches in the backyard, framing a small, perfect circle of sky.

(2) It was her grandmother who had first shown her the way, unlocking the small, stiff door at the top of the narrow stairs. "Every house has a heart," she'd whispered, her voice raspy like dry leaves, "and this is ours." She had left Elara there with a carton of her old books, their pages brittle and yellowed, filled with tales of forgotten queens and star-faring adventurers. The books became Elara's companions, their stories weaving themselves into the dust motes dancing in the shafts of light.

(3) Today, however, the usual comfort of the space felt elusive. A letter lay on the rough-hewn floorboards beside her, its crisp, official-looking paper a stark intruder in her haven of aged things. It was an acceptance letter from a music conservatory three states away, a place she had only dreamed of. It represented a future, a path leading far away from the familiar scent of cedar and the comfort of her books. The very weight of it felt immense, a promise and a burden all at once.

(4) She picked it up, tracing the embossed seal with her fingertip. Downstairs, a door slammed, and the muffled sound of a raised voice reached her. It was the same argument, the same tired words circling each other like weary vultures. The conservatory would be an escape, a chance to build something of her own, separate from the crumbling foundation of her family's home. Yet, the thought of leaving the attic, of closing the door on this quiet, dusty heart of the house, felt like a betrayal.

(5) Looking out the porthole window, she watched a lone crow land on an oak limb, its dark eye seeming to stare right at her. The world beyond the window was vast and unknown, just like the future the letter offered. For the first time, the attic felt less like a sanctuary and more like a cage, its comforting familiarity now a barrier to the person she might become.

In paragraph 2, the grandmother whispers, "Every house has a heart," and then adds, "and this is ours." Based on paragraph 4, what does the metaphor of the house's "heart" refer to?

the attic, set apart from the rest of the house (correct answer)
the carton of old books that became her companions
the grandmother who first unlocked the attic door
the family whose arguments rise from downstairs

Explanation: This question asks you to work out what a metaphor stands for by connecting it to a later part of the passage. In paragraph 2, the grandmother unlocks the door "at the top of the narrow stairs" and says, "Every house has a heart," followed by "and this is ours." Paragraph 4 confirms the meaning when Elara thinks of "leaving the attic, of closing the door on this quiet, dusty heart of the house". The metaphor names the attic, the quiet room set apart from the rest of the house, as the house's heart. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B is wrong because the books are called Elara's "companions," a separate image, and paragraph 4 never calls them the heart. Choice C is wrong because the grandmother is the person who reveals the heart, not the heart itself. Choice D is wrong because the family is linked to "the crumbling foundation" of the home, the opposite of a living center. The correct answer is A because paragraph 4 directly calls the attic "this quiet, dusty heart of the house". Strategy tip: On SHSAT metaphor questions, scan the rest of the passage for the same key word; authors often repeat a metaphor later and make its meaning clear.

Question 6

Excerpt from "Winter Wheat" by Mildred Walker

(1) I love Dad's way of talking that makes him seem different from other ranchers. He's lived here twenty-three years, but he still says "back East where I come from." He's the one who gets excited when I do about spring coming or a serial running in the magazine we're both reading, but it's what Mom says that I depend on. When Mom used to say "Don't worry" about my pet chicken or dog or new calf, it always got well. Dad is always talking of going some place, not now, but next year, maybe. Mom seems to think of nothing farther away than today or perhaps yesterday or tomorrow morning.

(2) Mom folded the ironing board and put it inside their bedroom that was just off the kitchen. She carried in the freshly ironed clothes. Dad went back to his paper. When Mom came back she took beans from the cupboard to soak for tomorrow. Dad always said Mom could make all the dishes he'd had back in Vermont as well as though she were a New Englander herself, instead of a Russian. All of a sudden, I realized that tomorrow when those beans would be ready to eat I'd be going away. It gave me a funny feeling.

(3) "I'll be taking the train tomorrow night," I said aloud, more to hear it myself.

(4) "We can drive you into town in the afternoon," Dad said, dropping his paper on the floor.

(5) "There's no need to go to town; she can catch the train at Gotham just as well. We haven't nothing to take us into town for," Mom said.

(6) "Well, we don't have to decide tonight," Dad said, but I knew he wanted to go into Clark City. It wouldn't be so flat as just seeing me go off on the train from Gotham. My going away was hard on both of them; they were so different—and I was part of them both. It made me uncomfortable to think of leaving them.

(7) While I was getting ready for bed in my room that's off the front room, I saw how it would be if I left from town. We'd go in right after dinner and go around to the stores, Dad going one way and Mom and I another. Dad would probably have his hair cut at the barbershop and stop in the bank and meet someone he knew to talk to. Then we'd meet at the big store on the corner and go to the cafeteria for supper. The train stops ten minutes or so at the station in town and there are other people and excitement and you have time to wave from the platform and then again from your window by your seat. We went to the station in Clark City to see the Goodals off when they went back to Iowa.

(8) If I left from Gotham, we'd just drive down in the truck and wait till the train came. It only stops long enough for you to get on and you hardly have time to taste the flavor of going away.

(9) I sat on the bed in my pyjamas with my arms around my knees. I couldn't keep from thinking of that time Dad went back East. I tried to, and then I just sat still and looked straight at it. Sometimes that's better than working so hard to keep from looking at what's in your mind.

(10) Dad went all the way back to Vermont. ... It was in November and it was already dark when the train came through Gotham. Even now, I could feel how cold and dark it was. I held Mom's hand. Dad was so dressed-up he seemed strange.... We stood there without saying anything until Dad told Mom to remember to call Mr. Bardich, our neighbor, if the cow didn't calve tomorrow.

(11) "I'll manage," Mom snapped back.

(12) "I wish you could go, Anna," Dad said to Mom, "and we could take Ellen." ...

(13) "Good-by, Anna Petrovna," he said, looking at Mom. I had never heard him call her by two names before.

(14) "Good-by," Mom said, standing still, without smiling.

(15) Then he was gone and the crossroads were darker than ever. The train light shone on the high window in the top of the grain elevator for a moment and then that too was dark. We got into our old Ford and Mom drove back to the house. My throat ached all the way. The name Dad had called Mom kept saying itself in my ears: "Anna Petrovna, Anna Petrovna." ...

(16) Our house seemed lonely when we came back to it. It seemed to be hiding under the coulee. I went with Mom to put the truck in the barn that was bigger than the house. I think Mom was prouder of our barn than the house, anyway. We walked back to look at the cow that was going to calve. She was just a big light blob in the dark, waiting. I had thought she was exciting this morning, but now she seemed sad, too.

(17) The wind blew when we walked across the open space to the house and I couldn't help shivering with the cold. Inside the house it was warm, but empty.

(18) "Bring your nightgown in here and I heat you some milk," Mom said.

(19) I drank the milk sitting on a stool in front of the stove. It tasted good, but the lonely ache in my throat was still there. I picked up my clothes and hung them neatly behind the stove and put my cup on the sink board. Mom was fixing oatmeal for tomorrow morning.

(20) "Good night, Mom," I said almost timidly, standing beside her. She seemed wrapped around in a kind of strangeness. Then she turned around and drew me to her. The front of her dress was warm from the stove. I felt the comfortable heat through my gown. She laid her hand against my face and it felt rough and hard but firm. I dared ask her something I wanted to know.

(21) "Mom, was that really your name—what Dad called you?"

(22) Her voice sounded surprised. "Why, Yelena, you know that; Anna Petrovna. You know I am born in Russia, in Seletskoe."

(23) "Yes, but I didn't know your other name," I said.

(24) "Anna Petrovna Webb." She pronounced it slowly. "Once I think what a funny name Ben Webb is!" She laughed. Her laugh was warm and low like our kitchen, and comfortable. The house seemed natural and right again....

(25) But now that I am grown, I feel the wall of strangeness between them, more than when I was a child. I wondered how they would get along without me.

Of the following quotations from paragraphs 20 through 25, which one is a metaphor?

"Her laugh was warm and low like our kitchen, and comfortable."
"The front of her dress was warm from the stove."
"I feel the wall of strangeness between them" (correct answer)
"She laid her hand against my face and it felt rough and hard but firm."

Explanation: This question asks you to identify a metaphor, a comparison that says one thing is another without using "like" or "as." In paragraph 25, the narrator says, "I feel the wall of strangeness between them". There is no real wall between her parents; she presents the distance between them as a solid barrier. That implied comparison, with no comparison word, is a metaphor. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A, "Her laugh was warm and low like our kitchen, and comfortable.", uses "like" to compare Mom's laugh to the kitchen, so it is a simile. Choice B, "The front of her dress was warm from the stove.", is literal because Mom has been standing by the stove making oatmeal. Choice D, "She laid her hand against my face and it felt rough and hard but firm.", literally describes the feel of Mom's work-worn hand. The correct answer is C because it is the only quotation that presents something abstract, the distance between the parents, as a physical object without "like" or "as." Strategy tip: On SHSAT, warm sensory details are often literal; ask whether the thing described could really be that way, and pick the choice that could not be true literally.

Question 7

Read the sentences from paragraph 4.

"And you, at the tiller, are the interpreter. Not the dictator."

Which statement best describes the figurative language in these sentences?

It is a simile comparing the sailor to an interpreter, showing that sailing resembles studying a foreign language.
It is personification giving the tiller a human job, since the tiller translates between the wind and the boat.
It is a metaphor naming the sailor an interpreter, continuing the idea that wind, sail, and water hold a conversation. (correct answer)
It is hyperbole exaggerating the sailor's power, suggesting that a skilled sailor can command the wind itself.

Explanation: This question asks you to identify which device a sentence uses and what that device does in context. In paragraph 4, Mr. Anya first says, "That is the conversation. The wind pushes the sail, the sail pushes the boat, the water pushes back." He then tells the narrator, "And you, at the tiller, are the interpreter. Not the dictator." He states that the sailor is an interpreter without using "like" or "as", which is a metaphor, and it extends his image of forces holding a "conversation." Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A is wrong because the sentence contains no "like" or "as", so it is not a simile. Choice B is wrong because the word "you" refers to the sailor, a person, not to the tiller, which is only where the sailor sits. Choice D is wrong because the sentence rejects the role of "the dictator", so it limits the sailor's power instead of exaggerating it. The correct answer is C because the sentence directly identifies the sailor as an interpreter, building on the conversation metaphor. Strategy tip: On SHSAT questions about a quoted sentence, reread the sentences just before it; an extended metaphor often depends on an image the author set up earlier.

Question 8

Excerpt from "Winter Wheat" by Mildred Walker

(3) "I'll be taking the train tomorrow night," I said aloud, more to hear it myself.

(4) "We can drive you into town in the afternoon," Dad said, dropping his paper on the floor.

(5) "There's no need to go to town; she can catch the train at Gotham just as well. We haven't nothing to take us into town for," Mom said.

(8) If I left from Gotham, we'd just drive down in the truck and wait till the train came. It only stops long enough for you to get on and you hardly have time to taste the flavor of going away.

(11) "I'll manage," Mom snapped back.

(12) "I wish you could go, Anna," Dad said to Mom, "and we could take Ellen." ...

(13) "Good-by, Anna Petrovna," he said, looking at Mom. I had never heard him call her by two names before.

(14) "Good-by," Mom said, standing still, without smiling.

(17) The wind blew when we walked across the open space to the house and I couldn't help shivering with the cold. Inside the house it was warm, but empty.

(18) "Bring your nightgown in here and I heat you some milk," Mom said.

(21) "Mom, was that really your name—what Dad called you?"

(22) Her voice sounded surprised. "Why, Yelena, you know that; Anna Petrovna. You know I am born in Russia, in Seletskoe."

(23) "Yes, but I didn't know your other name," I said.

(25) But now that I am grown, I feel the wall of strangeness between them, more than when I was a child. I wondered how they would get along without me.

Which quotation from the passage gives a non-human thing a human action?

"She was just a big light blob in the dark, waiting."
"It seemed to be hiding under the coulee." (correct answer)
"the barn that was bigger than the house"
"you hardly have time to taste the flavor of going away"

Explanation: This question asks you to find personification, in which something non-human is given a human action or quality. In paragraph 16, the narrator says of the house, "It seemed to be hiding under the coulee." A house cannot choose to hide; hiding is a deliberate act that people do. By giving the house that action, the narrator makes it seem as lonely and fearful as she feels after Dad leaves. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A, "She was just a big light blob in the dark, waiting.", describes the cow, and a cow about to calve really does wait, so this is a literal detail. Choice C, "the barn that was bigger than the house", is a literal comparison of size between two buildings, not a figure of speech. Choice D, "you hardly have time to taste the flavor of going away", treats leaving as something with a flavor, which is a metaphor rather than a human action given to an object. The correct answer is B because only the house, a non-human thing, is shown doing something people do on purpose. Strategy tip: On SHSAT personification questions, check whether the action is natural for the subject; an animal waiting is literal, but a building hiding is personification.

Question 9

Which phrase from paragraph 1 uses personification?

"The sail cracked and popped like a whip"
"My knuckles were white on the tiller."
"Mr. Anya was a man carved from sea-salt and patience."
"She's telling you what she wants." (correct answer)

Explanation: This question asks you to find personification, which gives human qualities or actions to something that is not human. In paragraph 1, Mr. Anya says of his boat, "She's telling you what she wants." A boat cannot speak or want anything, so the sentence gives the boat two human actions: telling and wanting. That is personification. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A, "The sail cracked and popped like a whip", uses "like" to compare the sail's sound to a whip, so it is a simile. Choice B, "My knuckles were white on the tiller.", is a literal detail showing how hard the narrator gripped the tiller in fear. Choice C, "Mr. Anya was a man carved from sea-salt and patience.", is a metaphor; Mr. Anya is already human, so calling him "carved" from sea-salt does not give human traits to a non-human thing. The correct answer is D because it is the only choice in which a non-human object, the boat, is given the human abilities to speak and to want. Strategy tip: On SHSAT figurative language questions, first ask who or what is doing the action; personification requires the subject to be non-human, so a figurative description of a person is a metaphor, not personification.

Question 10

Which phrase from paragraphs 1 and 2 uses personification?

"her voice raspy like dry leaves"
"the dust motes dancing in the shafts of light" (correct answer)
"seemed to fade into a distant hum"
"a dusty, sun-drenched kingdom"

Explanation: This question asks you to find personification, which gives a human action or quality to something that is not human. In paragraph 2, the books' stories weave "themselves into the dust motes dancing in the shafts of light." Dust motes are tiny specks of dust; they cannot dance, because dancing is a human action. Giving them that action is personification. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A, "her voice raspy like dry leaves", uses "like" to compare the grandmother's voice to leaves, so it is a simile, and the grandmother is already human. Choice C, "seemed to fade into a distant hum", describes how the sounds of the house grow faint, which is sensory description, not a human action given to an object. Choice D, "a dusty, sun-drenched kingdom", is a metaphor; it calls the attic a kingdom but does not give the attic any human action. The correct answer is B because it is the only phrase in which a non-human thing, the dust, performs a human action. Strategy tip: On SHSAT personification questions, look for the verb; if a non-human subject is doing something only people do, such as dancing, you have found personification, while a noun renaming the thing signals metaphor.

Question 11

Which statement describes how the figurative language about the attic changes from paragraph 1 to paragraph 5?

Paragraph 1 compares the attic to a sanctuary using "like," while paragraph 5 states outright that the attic is a cage.
Both paragraphs use personification, first giving the attic a welcoming spirit and later giving it a cruel one.
Both paragraphs use metaphors that present the attic as a safe hiding place from the arguments below it.
Paragraph 1 states outright that the attic is a sanctuary, while paragraph 5 uses "like" to compare it to a cage. (correct answer)

Explanation: This question asks you to tell a metaphor from a simile and to track how an author's comparison changes. Paragraph 1 opens, "The attic was Elara's sanctuary," which says the attic is a sanctuary with no comparison word, so it is a metaphor. Paragraph 5 says, "the attic felt less like a sanctuary and more like a cage," which uses "like" to make the comparison, so it is a simile, and the image shifts from a refuge to a trap. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A reverses the devices; the "like" in paragraph 1 describes the window, "like a ship's porthole," not the attic. Choice B is wrong because neither sentence gives the attic a human action or feeling; they compare it to places. Choice C is wrong because a "cage" is not a safe hiding place, so paragraph 5 does not repeat the safe image. The correct answer is D because paragraph 1 uses a metaphor ("was") and paragraph 5 uses a simile ("like") that changes the attic into a cage. Strategy tip: On SHSAT, when a question names two paragraphs, find the exact words describing the same subject in each; a "like" elsewhere in the paragraph can describe a different thing.

Question 12

Read the sentence from paragraph 1.

"Inside, the hallways were a roaring river of people, and I was a stone, motionless and silent, getting battered by the current."

How is figurative language used in this sentence?

It uses a simile to compare the crowded hallways to a river and the narrator to a stone.
It uses personification to show the river deliberately attacking the helpless narrator.
It uses an extended metaphor in which the crowd becomes a river and the narrator a stone in it. (correct answer)
It uses a metaphor to compare the school building to a fortress looming over the street.

Explanation: This question asks you to identify the device in a sentence and explain how it works. In paragraph 1, the narrator says "the hallways were a roaring river of people, and I was a stone". Neither comparison uses "like" or "as", so both are metaphors. The sentence then carries the image further with "getting battered by the current", so the moving crowd stays a river and the narrator stays a stone throughout. That makes it an extended metaphor. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A is wrong because the sentence uses "were" and "was", not "like" or "as", so it is not a simile. Choice B is wrong because a current battering a stone is ordinary river behavior, so the river is not given a human motive or action. Choice D is wrong because "a fortress of red brick" comes from the sentence before, not this one. The correct answer is C because the sentence directly identifies the crowd as a river and the narrator as a stone and keeps developing that one image. Strategy tip: On SHSAT, a comparison without "like" or "as" is a metaphor even when the two things are clearly being compared; check the exact sentence quoted before matching it to a choice.

Question 13

(1) The city hummed with a rhythm Leo was still trying to learn. Back home, the loudest sounds were the wind in the pines and the distant lowing of cattle. Here, the symphony was one of sirens, the rumble of subway trains beneath his feet, and a thousand overlapping conversations in languages he didn't recognize. His uncle, Mark, navigated the crowded sidewalks with an effortless grace, weaving through pedestrians as if he were part of the current. "You'll get used to it," Mark had promised, clapping him on the shoulder. "Give it a week, and you won't even notice the noise." (2) Leo wasn't so sure. He felt like a ship in a bottle, carefully placed in a scene where he didn't quite fit. Everything was vertical—the buildings scraping the sky, the impossibly tall cranes, even the ambitions of the people who rushed past him, their eyes fixed on some unseen destination. At a street corner, a vendor was roasting chestnuts, and the smoky, sweet smell was a sudden, welcome anchor in the sensory overload. It was a scent he knew, a small piece of familiarity in the vast, overwhelming newness. (3) Mark pointed to a towering glass structure. "That's my office building. We're almost there." Leo tilted his head back, his neck craning to see the top, which seemed to disappear into the low-hanging clouds. He thought of his father's workshop, a low-slung wooden building with wide-open doors and the scent of sawdust. The contrast was dizzying. Mark was offering him an opportunity, a summer internship that everyone said he'd be foolish to refuse. But as he stood there, dwarfed by the sheer scale of it all, Leo wondered if he was built for a world of such heights.

Which phrase in paragraph 1 is a simile?

"The city hummed with a rhythm Leo was still trying to learn"
"the symphony was one of sirens"
"a thousand overlapping conversations in languages he didn't recognize"
"weaving through pedestrians as if he were part of the current" (correct answer)

Explanation: This question asks you to find a simile, an explicit comparison between unlike things using "like", "as", or "as if". In paragraph 1, Uncle Mark moves "weaving through pedestrians as if he were part of the current." The phrase "as if" openly compares Mark's movement through the crowd to something carried along in moving water. Because the comparison word is stated, this is a simile. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A, "The city hummed with a rhythm Leo was still trying to learn", describes the city's sound as a rhythm but uses no comparison word, so it is not a simile. Choice B, "the symphony was one of sirens", names the city's noise a symphony directly, which makes it a metaphor. Choice C, "a thousand overlapping conversations in languages he didn't recognize", is a literal description of the crowd's voices, exaggerated with a round number but not a comparison. The correct answer is D because it is the only choice that uses a comparison phrase, "as if", to link two unlike things. Strategy tip: On SHSAT, remember that "as if" can introduce a simile; when no choice contains "like", look for these longer comparison phrases.

Question 14

Which sentence from paragraph 3 contains a metaphor rather than a simile or a literal statement?

"Liam saw a dead-end town; I saw a tapestry of moments." (correct answer)
"Its cool weight was a comfort in my palm."
"He saw a beginning in the city"
"How could I explain that leaving felt like tearing a page out of my own story?"

Explanation: This question asks you to separate a metaphor from a simile and from a literal statement that only looks figurative. In paragraph 3, the narrator writes, "Liam saw a dead-end town; I saw a tapestry of moments." The narrator treats the hometown as a tapestry, a woven cloth, without using "like" or "as". Calling the town something it is not is a metaphor. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice B, "Its cool weight was a comfort in my palm.", follows the "was a" pattern, but the stone really does comfort the narrator, so the sentence is literal. Choice C, "He saw a beginning in the city", is a literal summary of Liam's view that the move starts a new stage of life. Choice D, "How could I explain that leaving felt like tearing a page out of my own story?", uses "like" to compare leaving to tearing a page, so it is a simile. The correct answer is A because it is the only choice that states that one thing is another unlike thing without a comparison word. Strategy tip: On SHSAT metaphor questions, do not trust the "was a" pattern alone; check whether the second thing is truly different from the first, or whether the sentence is simply literal.

Question 15

In paragraph 2, the smell of roasting chestnuts is called "a sudden, welcome anchor in the sensory overload." What does this metaphor suggest the smell does for Leo?

It weighs him down, adding to the burden of the busy city.
It holds him in place, keeping him from moving on with Mark.
It steadies him by connecting him to something he knows. (correct answer)
It guides him toward the place he is trying to reach.

Explanation: This question asks you to decide which quality of a metaphor's image the author means to carry over to the subject. An anchor can weigh, hold, steady, or mark a spot, so the context must decide. In paragraph 2, the smell is "welcome", and the next sentence explains its effect: "It was a scent he knew, a small piece of familiarity in the vast, overwhelming newness." Like an anchor keeping a boat from drifting, the familiar smell steadies Leo amid the noise and crowds of paragraph 1. Looking at the incorrect options: Choice A is wrong because the smell is called "welcome", so it eases the overload rather than adding to it. Choice B is wrong because nothing in the passage stops Leo; in paragraph 3 Mark says, "We're almost there", and they keep going. Choice D is wrong because Mark, not the smell, leads Leo to the office building, and the "unseen destination" belongs to the people rushing past. The correct answer is C because the next sentence calls the smell "a scent he knew," something familiar that steadies him. Strategy tip: On SHSAT, when an image has several possible meanings, use the words around it, such as "welcome", to pick the one quality the author intends.

Question 16

The rumor spread through the school like wildfire, reaching every classroom by lunchtime.

The simile "spread through the school like wildfire" emphasizes the...

damaging and harmful nature of the rumor's content.
extreme speed and uncontrollability of the rumor's transmission. (correct answer)
colorful and exaggerated details contained within the story.
heat and intensity of the discussions about the rumor.

Explanation: When analyzing similes on the SHSAT, focus on what specific quality the comparison highlights rather than getting distracted by surface-level connections to the comparison object. The simile "like wildfire" emphasizes how quickly and uncontrollably the rumor moved through the school. Wildfires are notorious for their rapid spread and the difficulty in stopping them once they begin. The phrase "reaching every classroom by lunchtime" reinforces this idea of swift, comprehensive distribution. This matches answer choice B perfectly—the comparison highlights the extreme speed and uncontrollability of transmission. Let's examine why the other choices miss the mark. Choice A focuses on the damaging nature of the content, but "wildfire" here isn't comparing the harm caused by the rumor's subject matter—it's comparing how the rumor moved. Choice C suggests the simile relates to colorful details, but wildfires aren't known for being colorful or exaggerated; they're known for spreading rapidly. Choice D connects to heat and intensity of discussions, which might seem logical since wildfires are hot, but the sentence structure shows the simile describes how the rumor "spread," not how people discussed it. Remember this pattern: similes on the SHSAT often test whether you can identify the specific quality being compared rather than just any quality the two things might share. Ask yourself "What aspect of X makes it a good comparison for Y in this specific context?" Focus on the most relevant, dominant characteristic of the comparison object.

Question 17

The politician's promises were a fragile house of cards, ready to collapse with the slightest breath of public scrutiny.

The metaphor in this sentence suggests that the politician's promises were...

well-constructed but old-fashioned and out of touch with voters' needs.
fundamentally unstable and easily destroyed when examined closely. (correct answer)
intricate and impressive on the surface to anyone who saw them.
very popular with people who enjoy playing card games and gambling.

Explanation: When you encounter metaphor questions on the SHSAT, focus on what the comparison reveals about the subject's essential qualities, not just surface similarities. The metaphor "fragile house of cards" creates a vivid comparison between the politician's promises and a delicate structure made of playing cards. Houses of cards are notoriously unstable—they require perfect balance and can collapse instantly with the smallest disturbance. The phrase "ready to collapse with the slightest breath of public scrutiny" reinforces this idea: just as a gentle breath can topple cards, even minimal examination will destroy these promises. This suggests the promises lack substance and cannot withstand investigation. Choice B correctly captures this meaning—the promises are "fundamentally unstable and easily destroyed when examined closely." Choice A misses the metaphor's emphasis on instability, focusing instead on age and relevance, which aren't suggested by houses of cards. Choice C identifies only the "impressive on the surface" aspect but ignores the crucial instability—the whole point of the metaphor. Choice D makes a literal connection to card games, completely missing the metaphorical meaning; the comparison isn't about gambling popularity but about structural weakness. When analyzing metaphors, always ask: "What key characteristic does the comparison highlight?" Don't get distracted by literal connections or minor similarities. The SHSAT tests whether you can identify the essential quality being emphasized through the figurative language.

Question 18

The car engine coughed once, sputtered, and then fell silent, refusing to cooperate any further.

Which words in the sentence most clearly represent an example of personification?

"refusing to cooperate" (correct answer)
"coughed once, sputtered"
"fell silent"
"car engine"

Explanation: When you encounter questions about literary devices like personification, you're looking for instances where non-human things are given human characteristics or abilities. Personification goes beyond simple action words to attribute distinctly human behaviors, emotions, or intentions to objects. The phrase "refusing to cooperate" is the clearest example of personification because it gives the car engine human-like willfulness and decision-making ability. The word "refusing" implies conscious choice and stubborn behavior—distinctly human traits. An engine cannot literally refuse or choose to cooperate; these are intentional human actions that require thought and will. Let's examine why the other options are less clear examples: Option B, "coughed once, sputtered," uses words that describe sounds the engine actually makes, even though "coughed" is borrowed from human vocabulary. These are more like onomatopoeia or metaphorical descriptions of mechanical sounds. Option C, "fell silent," is a common expression that doesn't strongly suggest human characteristics—many things can fall silent without implying human behavior. Option D, "car engine," is simply a noun phrase with no personification at all. The key distinction is that while several phrases use human-associated words, only "refusing to cooperate" attributes complex human psychology and decision-making to the engine. When identifying personification on the SHSAT, look for phrases that give objects human emotions, thoughts, or intentional behaviors, not just human-like sounds or simple actions.

Question 19

The lawyer's argument was a fortress, carefully constructed and impervious to the attacks of the opposing counsel.

The metaphor "The lawyer's argument was a fortress" suggests that the argument was...

large and complex, making it difficult for the jury to understand.
strong, well-supported, and very difficult to challenge successfully. (correct answer)
primarily defensive and designed to conceal the actual truth of the case.
old-fashioned and no longer relevant in a modern courtroom.

Explanation: When you encounter metaphor questions on the SHSAT, focus on the literal qualities of the comparison object and how they relate to the context. Here, you need to understand what makes a fortress distinctive and how those qualities apply to a legal argument. A fortress is primarily known for being a strong, well-built defensive structure that's extremely difficult to attack or penetrate. The passage reinforces this interpretation by describing the argument as "carefully constructed and impervious to the attacks of the opposing counsel." The word "impervious" means unable to be affected or damaged, which directly supports the idea of strength and resistance to challenge. Answer choice A misinterprets the metaphor by focusing on size and complexity rather than strength. While fortresses can be large, that's not their defining characteristic in this context. The passage doesn't suggest the argument was confusing to anyone. Answer choice C incorrectly emphasizes deception. Though fortresses are defensive, they're not designed to hide truth—they're built to protect what's inside through strength, not concealment. The metaphor celebrates the argument's power, not its secretiveness. Answer choice D has no basis in the text. Nothing about a fortress suggests being outdated, and the passage presents the argument positively as effective against current opposition. The correct answer is B because it captures the fortress's essential qualities: strength, solid construction, and resistance to attack—exactly what the passage describes about the lawyer's argument. Strategy tip: In metaphor questions, always connect the literal qualities of the comparison object to the specific context provided in the passage, rather than considering every possible association.

Question 20

The angry clouds gathered on the horizon, preparing to unleash their fury on the landscape below.

The phrase "unleash their fury" is an example of personification used to suggest that the coming storm will be...

brief and ultimately insignificant.
exceptionally intense and violent. (correct answer)
loud but not physically destructive.
beneficial for the dry and parched land.

Explanation: When you encounter questions about figurative language like personification, focus on how the author uses human characteristics to create a specific mood or meaning. Personification gives non-human things human qualities to help readers visualize and feel what's happening. In this passage, the clouds are described as "angry" and ready to "unleash their fury." These are human emotions and actions applied to weather. The word "fury" specifically suggests intense, violent anger—not mild irritation or disappointment. When someone unleashes fury, they're releasing powerful, destructive force. Combined with "angry clouds," this language paints a picture of a severe, potentially dangerous storm. Choice B correctly identifies that this personification suggests an exceptionally intense and violent storm. The emotional language of anger and fury emphasizes the storm's powerful, threatening nature. Choice A is wrong because "fury" suggests significant impact, not something brief or insignificant. Choice C misses the full implication—while storms can be loud, "unleash their fury" implies much more than just noise; it suggests destructive power and violence. Choice D completely contradicts the tone. "Angry" clouds unleashing "fury" creates a threatening mood, not one suggesting beneficial rainfall for parched land. Study tip: When analyzing personification, pay close attention to the specific human emotions or actions the author chooses. Words like "fury," "rage," or "anger" signal intensity and potential destruction, while words like "gentle" or "caressing" suggest peaceful, beneficial conditions. The emotional connotation drives the meaning.