Lexicology

Week 10: Metaphor, Metonymy, Simile

Metaphors

1. Use a word from the box in the correct form to complete each collocation, use each word
once only.
shine dark light up sunny lighten darken

1. I could tell Maria was in a good mood by the ___________ smile on her face.
2. The little boy's eyes ___________ when he saw his daddy approaching.
3. Let's put some happy music on to ___________ the atmosphere. Everyone's too serious.
4. My grandparents lived through the ___________ days of civil war from 1936 to 1939.
5. The girl's eyes ___________ with excitement as she prepared for the party.
6. Mr Garnham's expression ___________ as he was told the terrible news.

2. Read these remarks by different people, then answer the questions.

Jason: I was in floods of tears. It was such a sad film.

Thomas: An hour before the match there was already a trickle of vehicles entering the car park.
Emma: I had a heated conversation with Helena the other day.
Paula: I didn't think there'd be much traffic today but there was a steady stream of vehicles on
the main highway.
Rob: Tempers flared, I'm afraid, and mine was one of them
Yvonne: Everyone was pouring out at the stadium as I drove past.

1. Who saw a lot of cars?

2. Who got very angry indeed?
3. Who saw a lot of people all at once?
4. Who had a disagreement or argument?
5. Who saw a small number of cars?
6. Who cried over something?

3. Put these words in order to make sentences.

1. with / cheeks / embarrassment / burning / were / My

2. city / up / has / in / capital / flared / the / Violence

3. flowed / The / during / discussion / ideas / the

4. divorce / was / footballer's / The / publicity / surrounded / famous / a / by / blaze / of

4. Answer the questions.

1. What is most likely to be fiery: (a) someone's intelligence (b) someone's temper?
2. Which is the most typical collocation: a blaze of (a) temper (b) glory (c) joy?
3. What is most likely to be heated: (a) discussions (b) cheeks (c) troubles?
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4. What is most likely to flare up: (a) love (b) interest (c) violence?

Simile

5. Put the following words into the correct spaces in the sentences below.
sandboy hills sheet new pin
feather knife dust flash
a. I've heard that story a hundred times before. It's as old as the ___________.
b. Her children are always beautifully dressed and as clean as a ___________.
c. I'm afraid I find ancient history as dry as ___________.
d. What's wrong ? Are you ill ? You're as white as a ___________.
e. She went on a diet, lost several kilos and now she's as light as a___________.
f. The schoolchildren were very bright. They answered my questions as quickly as a
___________.
g. He loves cars. When he's repairing his car, he's as happy as a ___________.
h. He's very intelligent and quick-thinking. He's as sharp as a ___________.

6. Put the correct adjectives from the following list into the sentences below.
cool sober good poor
thin deaf drunk fit
a. He was as ___________ as a lord.
b. I was as ___________ as a judge.
c. He’s as ___________ as a church mouse.
d. She remained as ___________ as a cucumber.
e. The children were as ___________ as gold.
f. He’s as ___________ as a rake.
g. I’m as ___________ as a fiddle
h. He’s as ___________ as a post.

Metaphor, Metonymy, Simile

7. Working with a partner, read the following paragraph and 1) underline the figures of speech.
2) label them as simile, metaphor or metonymy.

1. “Wiley was very good at chess. You have to watch him" his father said. "He's a real fox."
2. The ball was thrown like a bullet.
3. My new car is a lemon.
4. Jack was a lion in the battle.
5. Laura sang like an old cat.
6. One can't predict what Wall Street will do.
7. I stopped at a bar and had a couple of double Scotches.
8. The general was a tower of strength.
9. The suits on Wall Street walked off with most of our savings.
10. The night has a thousand eyes.
11. Boyle was the father of chemistry.
12. He’s drunk two bottles so far.
13. The company needs a strong hand that can redirect it for the better.
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14. Louis is as strong and tall as a redwood.
15. The White House asked the television networks for air time on Monday night.

8. Identify the figure of speech.

1. Education is our passport to the future, and tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." —
Malcolm X, civil rights activist and writer

A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

2. Education is our passport to the future, and tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." —
Malcolm X, civil rights activist and writer
A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

3. "The computer had become like the most miraculous sort of technological Swiss Army knife: each
time you thought you knew what it could do, it turned out that it could do more, faster, and more
accurately." —Anna Quindlen, author

A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

4. "Modern English is the Wal-Mart of languages: convenient, huge, hard to avoid, superficially
friendly, and devouring all rivals in its eagerness to expand." —Mark Abley, journalist (1955)

A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

5. "A good example is the best sermon." —Ben Franklin, Founding Father, statesman, author,
inventor
A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

6. English is unrivaled as the most widely-spoken language in the world. It is the sole or joint language
of more nations and territories than any other tongue.

A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

7. “I slept and dreamt that life was joy.

I awoke and saw that life was service.
I acted, and behold, service was joy."
—Rabindranath Tagore, philosopher, author, Nobel laureate (1861-1941)
A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

8. "Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for it to kill your enemy." —Nelson Mandela, former
South African president, who was previously imprisoned for 30 years for his anti-apartheid activities.

A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile

9. 'When Detroit increased auto production recently, Wall Street applauded and the White
House took credit.'
A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile
10. Christianity shone like a beacon in the black night of paganism.
A. Metaphor B. Metonymy C. Simile