Prepare for the NES Elementary Reading Instruction 104 Exam using quizzes, flashcards, and in-depth explanations to boost your readiness and confidence.

Multiple Choice

Which figure of speech gives human characteristics to non-human things?

Giving human characteristics to non-human things is personification. It makes objects or animals feel like they have thoughts, feelings, or abilities just like people. You might picture the wind whispering through the trees or a car coughing as it starts to show how personification works. In this question, that idea is the best match because it describes giving human traits to non-human things. The other options refer to different figures of speech: a direct comparison using like or as is a simile; an exaggerated claim is hyperbole; and an indirect reference to a famous person is allusion. These don’t fit the idea of making non-human things act or feel like humans.

Giving human characteristics to non-human things is personification. It makes objects or animals feel like they have thoughts, feelings, or abilities just like people. You might picture the wind whispering through the trees or a car coughing as it starts to show how personification works. In this question, that idea is the best match because it describes giving human traits to non-human things.

The other options refer to different figures of speech: a direct comparison using like or as is a simile; an exaggerated claim is hyperbole; and an indirect reference to a famous person is allusion. These don’t fit the idea of making non-human things act or feel like humans.