Identify the figure of speech used in the following sentence:
For the nervous new student, the first week of hostel life was a maze of strange rules, unknown faces and long corridors.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Metaphor
The first week of hostel life is called “a maze”. A maze is a set of paths in which people easily get lost. The new student felt just as lost among the rules, faces and corridors.
| Figure | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Simile | compares two different things using “like” or “as” | The baby’s cheeks were as red as a tomato. |
| (2) Personification | gives human qualities or actions to a thing or an idea | The wind whispered through the open window. |
| (3) Hyperbole | a big exaggeration made for effect | My school bag weighs a ton on exam days. |
| (4) Metaphor (answer) | says that one thing is another, without “like” or “as” | For the tired farmer, the June sun was a furnace. |