Which figure of speech directly asserts one thing is another, without using like or as?

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

Answer: (D)

The idea being tested is distinguishing a direct equivalence between two things, which is the defining feature of a metaphor. A metaphor asserts that one thing is another, using forms of "is" to link them, without saying they are merely similar. This creates a powerful, compact image or idea, like saying "Time is a thief" or "The classroom was a zoo." Here, time or the classroom is presented as being exactly what the other thing is, not just like it.

That’s different from a simile, which makes a comparison using like or as (for example, "as brave as a lion"). It’s also different from alliteration, which is about repeating initial sounds (like "wild and wonderful"). And it’s different from personification, which gives human traits to nonhuman things (for example, "the wind whispered").