Literal and Nonliteral Language

Answer Key - Grade 3 Grammar Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the answer, or write your answer on the lines.

1. 1.

   What does “a piece of cake” mean? “The spelling test was a piece of cake for Lily.”

   • It was very easy.
   • It was a dessert.
   • It was very hard.
2. 2.

   What does “raining cats and dogs” mean? “We stayed inside because it was raining cats and dogs.”

   • It was a little cloudy.
   • It was raining very hard.
   • Pets were falling from the sky.
3. 3.

   Which sentence is literal?

   • The cat slept on the rug.
   • Ben has a heart of gold.
   • My backpack weighs a ton.
4. 4.

   What does “under the weather” mean? “Kofi stayed home because he felt under the weather.”

   • He felt very happy.
   • He felt sick.
   • He stood under a cloud.
5. 5.

   What does “butterflies in her stomach” mean? “Before the play, Ava had butterflies in her stomach.”

   • She felt nervous.
   • Butterflies flew around her.
   • She felt sleepy.
6. 6.

   Which sentence is nonliteral?

   • My little brother is six years old.
   • My little brother likes to talk.
   • My little brother is a chatterbox.
7. 7.

   What does “zip your lip” mean? “Zip your lip during the movie, please.”

   • Close your jacket.
   • Eat your snack.
   • Be quiet.
8. 8.

   What does “in hot water” mean? “Sam was in hot water for leaving his bike in the rain.”

   • He took a warm bath.
   • He was very thirsty.
   • He was in trouble.
9. 9.

   What does “keep an eye on” mean? “Please keep an eye on your little sister.”

   • Watch her carefully.
   • Give her a toy.
   • Put your eye near her.
10. 10.

    Rewrite the sentence with an idiom that means very easy. Then tell what it means. Draft: The math game was very easy.

    Example: The math game was a piece of cake. It means it was very easy.