Which figure of speech directly asserts that something is something else without 'like' or 'as'?

Which figure of speech directly asserts that something is something else without 'like' or 'as'?

• A. Mood
• B. Simile
• C. Personification
• D. Metaphor

Answer: (D)

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly asserts that something is something else, without using like or as. It makes an identity claim, not a comparison. For example, saying “Time is a thief” treats time as if it were a thief, highlighting how it takes moments from our lives. That direct linking is the hallmark of a metaphor. Other options don’t fit this exact pattern. Mood describes the emotional atmosphere a text creates. A simile makes a comparison using like or as. Personification gives human traits to nonhuman things.

A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly asserts that something is something else, without using like or as. It makes an identity claim, not a comparison. For example, saying “Time is a thief” treats time as if it were a thief, highlighting how it takes moments from our lives. That direct linking is the hallmark of a metaphor.

Other options don’t fit this exact pattern. Mood describes the emotional atmosphere a text creates. A simile makes a comparison using like or as. Personification gives human traits to nonhuman things.