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Figurative language lessons

Similes, metaphors, idioms and other figures of speech.

Figurative language

Common English Idioms and How to Use Them

16 everyday English idioms with clear meanings and examples, why idioms don't translate word for word, and how to use them well. With flashcards and a quiz.

Intermediate 3 min 7-question quiz 16 cards

Figurative language

Similes, Metaphors and Figurative Language

Learn the figures of speech you meet every day (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, idiom, alliteration and onomatopoeia), with examples and a quiz.

All levels 3 min 6-question quiz

How to get the most out of these lessons

Read the lesson once straight through, then do the quiz without scrolling back up. The questions are written to catch the most common slip-ups, so a wrong answer usually points straight at the rule that needs another look. Each explanation tells you why the right answer is right.

Grammar sticks best when you use it. After a lesson, find three sentences in something you wrote recently and check them against the rule. The word counter is handy for editing, and the misspellings library covers the spelling side of the same problems.

Grammar for word-game players

Knowing your parts of speech pays off on the board, too. Plurals, past tenses and comparatives (-S, -ED, -ER, -EST) are the hooks that turn a one-word play into two. Our blog post on anagrams shows how strong players use word families to find more moves.

Frequently asked questions

Who are these grammar lessons for?
Anyone who writes in English: students, people learning English as an additional language and native speakers who want a quick refresher. Each lesson lists its level, and the examples avoid jargon wherever possible.
How do the quizzes work?
Every lesson ends with a short multiple-choice quiz. Pick an answer and press Check answer to see whether you were right and why. Your score appears once you have answered every question, and you can try again as often as you like. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
What are the flashcards for?
Some lessons include a deck of flip cards for things that are easiest to learn by repetition, such as irregular verb forms, irregular plurals, prefixes and idioms. Tap a card to see the answer, use Shuffle to test yourself in a new order, and Show all when you want to review the whole deck at once.
Do the lessons follow American or British English?
The rules are the same in both for almost everything we cover. Where usage differs, such as the serial comma or punctuation inside quotation marks, the lesson explains both conventions.
Can I use these lessons in a classroom?
Yes. The lessons and quizzes are free to use with students. Linking to the page is the easiest way to share them, since the quizzes work in any browser without an account.