Here are few exercises to test your understanding of metaphors. Give it a try, and then look at the answers.
To understand metaphors and how they’re used, refer to these resources:
- What are metaphors? How to write them?
- 100+ examples of explicit and implied metaphors
- Metaphor examples for children
Exercise 1
Match the options with the sentences to complete the metaphor.
a breath of fresh air/ a giraffe/ a cowshed/ an anthill/ a bronze bust
1. Your room is _____. It’s so filthy and cluttered.
2. He is _____. He can surely get into the basketball team if he works hard.
3. That locality is _____: buzzing with people.
4. His face was _____: blank and non-committal.
5. The new employee is _____. She has established quite a few systems from scratch.
1. a cowshed 2. a giraffe 3. an anthill 4. a bronze bust 5. a breath of fresh air
Exercise 2
Some of the sentences below have metaphors and some don’t. Identify the ones that have.
1. Showbiz is not an easy industry to navigate. It’s glamourous but has several pitfalls.
2. Showbiz is not an easy industry to navigate. It’s a river full of monsters.
3. Showbiz is not an easy industry to navigate. It’s an unforgiving industry for the outsiders.
4. Showbiz is not an easy industry to navigate. It’s bed of roses as well as thorns.
5. Winter is a marauder for old people.
6. Winter is a killer of old and weak animals.
7. Winter is more furious this year.
8. Winter is a blanket that has covered the entire region.
9. The principal is a disciplinarian. No student wants to face him.
10. The principal is a strict person. No student wants to face him.
11. The principal is a policeman. No student wants to face him.
12. The principal is a dragon. No student wants to face him.
2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 12 are metaphors.
Exercise 3
What metaphors would you use to describe the surfer in the picture? Write as many as you can.
1. He is a gladiator scything through furious waves.
2. He is a glider moving effortlessly on the waves.
3. He is an adventurer seeking new vistas of thrill, this time in the ocean.
Well, the first two comparisons look more striking than the third.
Exercise 4
What metaphors would you use to describe the ocean in the picture? Write as many as you can.
1. The ocean is a cobweb of electric current flashing brightly in the sun.
2. The ocean is an infinite pool of turquoise water.
