Literary and Language Terminology · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
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The Language for Talking About Language

English · Grammar & Punctuation · ages 11-14
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which word keeps the alliteration going? 'The sneaky snake slithered ___.'

    • quickly
    • away
    • silently

  2. Which sentence is a metaphor?

    • The playground was an oven by noon.
    • The playground was as hot as an oven.
    • The playground had two long slides.

  3. Which relative pronoun completes the sentence? 'The coach ___ trained us cheered the loudest.'

    • which
    • where
    • who

  4. Which sentence is a simile, not a metaphor?

    • The exam was a nightmare.
    • The exam felt as long as a marathon.
    • The exam crushed her confidence.

  5. In the sentence 'Although the film was long, Amara loved every minute,' which part is the main clause?

    • Amara loved every minute
    • the film was long
    • Although the film was long

  6. 'Although it rained' can stand alone as a complete sentence.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Which comment about a poem uses precise literary metalanguage?

    • The poet uses enjambment to rush the reader into the next line.
    • I like this line a lot.
    • This bit sounds nice.

  8. Which pair of lines uses enjambment?

    • I like poems. / They are fun.
    • The river runs / down to the sea.
    • The cat sat. / The dog ran.

  9. Mia writes about a story: 'This line is really powerful.' Which rewrite uses metalanguage?

    • I love how powerful this line is.
    • The short sentence 'I stopped.' lands hard after three long ones.
    • This line is really, really powerful and amazing.

  10. What is the difference between 'The runner was a cheetah' and 'The runner moved like a cheetah'?

    • The first is a metaphor and the second is a simile
    • Both are similes, because both mention a cheetah
    • Both are metaphors, because both compare
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

The Language for Talking About Language W1-mt_HCweOHWSiu-s1

  1. silently · Alliteration repeats the starting sound. 'Silently' starts with 's' like sneaky, snake, and slithered. The other words fit the meaning but break the sound pattern.
  2. The playground was an oven by noon. · It says the playground IS an oven, with no comparing word. The 'as hot as' sentence is a simile, and the slides sentence compares nothing.
  3. who · The clause adds extra information about a person, the coach, so the relative pronoun is 'who'. 'Which' fits things and 'where' fits places.
  4. The exam felt as long as a marathon. · It compares using 'as ... as'. A metaphor would say the exam IS a marathon, with no comparing word.
  5. Amara loved every minute · The main clause is the part that stands alone as a full sentence: 'Amara loved every minute.' The 'although' part depends on it.
  6. False · It leaves you waiting for the rest of the thought, so it is a subordinate clause. A complete sentence can stand alone.
  7. The poet uses enjambment to rush the reader into the next line. · Naming the technique, enjambment, and explaining its effect is precise metalanguage. The other comments are vague opinions.
  8. The river runs / down to the sea. · Enjambment means one sentence runs past the line end with no pause. Only the river lines do that. The others stop with a full stop.
  9. The short sentence 'I stopped.' lands hard after three long ones. · The second rewrite names the technique, a short sentence after long ones, and says what it does. The others only repeat the feeling.
  10. The first is a metaphor and the second is a simile · The first says the runner IS a cheetah, with no comparing word, so it is a metaphor. The second uses 'like', so it is a simile.
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