English

Language
Guide

1
 Index

Adjectives Page 3
Adverbs Page 3 - 4
Nouns Page 4 - 5
Collective Nouns Page 6
Interjections Page 7
Conjunctions Page 7 - 8
Pronouns Page 8
Prepositions Page 8 - 9
Verbs Page 9
Synonyms Page 10
Antonyms Page 11
Homonyms Page 12 - 13
Homophones Page 14 - 15
Degrees of Comparison Page 16 - 17
Diminutives Page 18
Plurals Page 18 - 20
Articles Page 21
Idioms Page 22 - 24
Abbreviations Page 25
Acronyms Page 26
Gender Page 27
Simile Page 28
Metaphors Page 29

2
 Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes or gives more information about a
noun (a person, place, thing, or idea).
Adjectives can tell us about the size, shape, colour, age, origin, or
condition of the noun they are describing.
An adjective may come before a noun, follow a linked verb.

Descriptive adjectives: big, short, beautiful, intelligent, handsome,

young, etc.
Proper adjectives: African, American, September, etc.
Adjectives of quantity: many, few, several, all, some, none, plenty,
etc.
Adjectives of order: second, last, final, previous, primary, next,
etc.
Demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, those
Possessive adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, out, your, their
Interrogative adjectives: which, whose, what
Compound adjectives: well-known, high-quality, one-way, long-
term, etc.

Adverbs
An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.
It often provides information about how, when, where, or to what
extent something happens or is done.
Adverbs of manner Adverbs of place

quickly slowly here there

carefully loudly everywhere nowhere
quietly happily above below
sadly bravely inside outside
nervously confidently near far
efficiently gracefully behind ahead
clumsily smoothly underneath beyond
roughly politely within abroad 3
 Adverbs of time Adverbs of degree

now yesterday very extremely

tomorrow today quite rather
later soon fairly somewhat
early late pretty slightly
always never absolutely totally
often rarely completely partially
sometimes periodically entirely perfectly
frequently occasionally utterly fully

Adverbs of frequency

always often
usually sometimes
occasionally 0 rarely
seldom frequently
regularly periodically
daily weekly
monthly yearly
hourly biweekly

Nouns
A noun is a word used to identify people, places, things, or ideas.
Essentially, nouns are the names of things.

Common Nouns

Refer to general, non-specific entities: dog, house, car, book, table, city,
tree, friend, school, computer, etc.

4
Proper Nouns

A proper noun is a specific name used to identify a

particular person, place, organization, or thing.
Proper nouns are always capitalized, regardless of
where they appear in a sentence: Wendy,
Johannesburg, Wednesday, September, etc.

Abstract Nouns

An abstract noun refers to a concept, idea, quality, or state that

cannot be perceived through the five senses: love, courage, knowledge,
hope, wisdom, etc.

Collective Nouns

A collective noun is a single word used to refer to

a group of people, animals, or things as a single
entity.
Instead of naming individual members of the
group, collective nouns represent the group as a
whole: a school of fish, a swarm of bees, etc.

5
 Collective Nouns
A nest of eggs A choir of singers
A queue of people A pocket of potatoes
A brood of chickens A leap of leopards
A crew of sailors A batch of bread
A pack of wolves A mob of kangaroos
A chest of drawers A host of angles
A field of crops An array of colours
A series of events A canteen of cutlery
A suit of armour A string of pearls
A circle of friends A muster of peacocks
A range of mountains A mint of money
A swarm of bees A hoard of gold
A block of flats A flock of birds
A convoy of trucks A cast of actors
A class of students A bench of judges
A bunch of keys An audience of spectators
A pride of lions A collection of pictures
A school of fish A shock of hair
An empire of kings and queens A monastery of monks
A flock of birds A convent of nuns
A gang of thieves A shush of librarians
A troop of monkeys A cluster of diamonds
A plague of locust A board of directors
A bundle of washing A bunting of flags
A suite of rooms A haggle of vendors
A nest of eggs A gathering of friends
A bale of wool A set of tools
A cloud of smoke An army of troops
A constellation of stars A congregation of worshippers
A staff of workers A plantation of trees
An orchestra of musicians A cast of hawks

6
 Interjections
An interjection is a part of speech that expresses sudden emotion or
feeling. It is a word or phrase that is used to convey emotions such as
surprise, joy, pain, anger, or excitement.
Wow!
Ouch!
Yay!
Oops!
On no!
Hurray!
Phew!

Conjunctions
A conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or
clauses within a sentence.
Conjunctions are used to join elements together and to indicate the
relationship between them.
They help to create complex sentences by linking related ideas, actions,
or concepts.

Coordinating Conjunctions:
These conjunctions connect words, phrases, or independent clauses
that are of equal grammatical importance: and, but, or, nor, for, yet

Subordinating Conjunctions:
These conjunctions connect an independent clause (a complete
sentence) with a dependent clause (a sentence fragment that cannot
stand alone).
Subordinating conjunctions indicate the relationship between the two
clauses, such as cause and effect, time, condition, or contrast: because,
since, although, while, when, if, unless, where

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Correlative Conjunctions:

These conjunctions work in pairs to connect elements that are parallel

in structure, such as words, phrases, or clauses: both...and, either...or,
neither...nor, not only...but also, whether...or

Pronouns
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.
Instead of repeating a noun multiple times, pronouns allow for more
concise and fluent communication by referring back to previously
mentioned nouns or representing them without explicitly stating them
again.

Personal Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they

Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
Reflexive Pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves,
themselves
Demonstrative Pronouns: this, that, these, those
Interrogative Pronouns: who, whom, whose, what, which
Relative Pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that
Indefinite Pronouns: some, any, all, none, most, several, few, many,
every, someone, anyone, no one, everybody, nobody, nothing

Prepositions
A preposition is a word that typically comes before a noun or pronoun
and shows the relationship between that noun or pronoun and other
words in a sentence.
Prepositions indicate location, direction, time, manner, or relationships
between different elements in a sentence.

Prepositions that show position: on, in, at, under, above, below, beside,
between, behind, in front of, next to, opposite, inside, outside, near
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Prepositions that show movement: to, into, onto, from, out of, off, towards,
across, through, along, up, down, around, over, past

Verbs
A verb is a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being
in a sentence.
Verbs are essential components of sentences as they convey the main
idea or action and indicate what the subject of the sentence is doing or
what is happening to it.

Action Verbs: run, jump, swim, dance, sing, eat, sleep, walk, talk, write,
read, study, think, create, build, play, climb, fly, drive, ride

Linking Verbs: am, is, are, was, where, be, being, been, become, became

Auxiliary Verbs: be, have, do, will, shall, would, should, may, might, must,
can, could

Finite Verbs: Finite verbs are verbs that are limited by the tense, mood,
or agreement with the subject in a sentence. They indicate a specific
action or state of being that is performed by the subject and are
conjugated according to the person (first person, second person, third
person), number (singular or plural), and tense (past, present, future).

Infinitive Verbs: Infinite verbs, also known as non-finite verbs, are verb
forms that are not limited by tense, mood, or agreement with the
subject in a sentence. They do not indicate a specific time frame or
subject-verb agreement and cannot function as the main verb in a
sentence. Instead, they serve various functions within a sentence, such
as complementing other verbs, expressing infinitive or gerund forms, or
functioning as verbal nouns or adjectives.

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 Synonyms
A synonym is a word or phrase that has a similar or identical meaning
to another word in the same language.

big huge small tiny happy joyful

sad unhappy fast quick slow sluggish
good excellent beautiful lovely ugly hideous
funny hilarious serious grave smart intelligent
brave courageous scared afraid kind friendly
mean cruel tired exhausted boring dull
interesting captivating angry furious calm peaceful
rough coarse smooth sleek hot warm
cold chilly hard firm soft tender
bright radiant dark dim loud noisy
quiet silent proud confident shy timid
hungry starving full satisfied dirty filthy
clean spotless sick unwell healthy fit
tasty delicious high elevated see observe
choice option edge border end conclusion
forbid prohibit height altitude speed velocity
short brief inside interior old elderly
mad insane sign symbol priceless invaluable
escape evade disaster catastrophe join connect
least minimum most maximum polite courteous
scarce rare sudden abrupt top peak
yearly annually stop cease smell odour
mistake error part piece obtain acquire
correct right active energetic show demonstrate
try attempt rich wealthy round circular
odd weird drinks beverages friendly amiable
room space stormy turbulent young youthful
oil lubricate empty vacant careful cautious
huge enormous mock ridicule rash reckless
sleepy drowsy scatter disperse weak powerless
scorn despise horrible terrible kind generous

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 Antonyms
An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning of another word
in the same language.

alike different ask answer loose tight

fail succeed big small clean dirty
dry wet buy sell open closed
pretty ugly quick slow smooth rough
sink float healthy sick clever stupid
huge tiny save waste late early
rare common thin fat lose find
cool warm play fight laugh cry
easy difficult neat untidy strong weak
borrow lend pass fail tall short
war peace joy sorrow truth lies
blunt sharp positive negative several few
written oral full empty create destroy
adult child accept reject restore destroy
forget remember damage repair above below
asleep awake busy idle wide narrow
order chaos young old arrival departure
include exclude cold hot dwarf giant
innocent guilty raise lower allow forbid
humane cruel simple complicated succeed fail
add subtract brave cowardly false true
light dark noise silent poverty wealth
real imaginary tame wild deep shallow
friend enemy cause result rebel comply
present absent remember forget proud ashamed
clumsy agile everything nothing often seldom
safe dangerous begin end strong weak
interesting boring colourful dull flexible rigid
like dislike asset liability pleasure pain
many few love hate familiar strange
frown smile calm agitated polite rude

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 Homonyms
A homonym is a word that has the same spelling and pronunciation as
another word, but with a different meaning.

bat – A flying mammal with wings.

bat – To strike or hit something with a bat.

fair – Just and equitable; free from bias or favouritism.

fair – A public event where goods are bought and sold, often with
amusements and activities.

bank – A financial institution that accepts deposits and lends money.

bank – The land alongside or sloping down to a river or lake.

crane – A large bird with a long neck and legs.

crane – A machine used to lift and move heavy objects.

bark – The outer covering of a tree.

bark – The sound made by a dog.

date – A particular day or year, especially with reference to the

calendar.
date – The sweet, edible fruit of the date palm.

scale – A system of ordered marks at fixed intervals used as a

reference standard in measurement.
scale – Thin, flat plates covering the skin of certain animals, such as fish
or snakes.

tie – To fasten or secure with a band or cord.

tie – A strip of material worn around the neck and tied in a knot.

match – A contest or competition.

match – A small stick with a head coated in a combustible substance,
used for lighting fires.

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light – Having a considerable or sufficient amount of natural or artificial
light.
light – The natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things
visible.

rose – A flower with fragrant petals.

rose – Past tense of the verb "to rise."

bow – A weapon for shooting arrows, typically made of curved wood.

bow – To bend the upper part of the body forward as a sign of respect
or greeting.

ring – A small circular band, typically made of metal, worn on a finger

as an ornament or token of marriage.
ring – To make or produce a clear, resonant sound.

lead – A heavy metal element (Pb) with the atomic number 82.
lead – To guide or show the way to a destination.

pole – A long, slender, rounded piece of wood or metal, typically used as

a support or marker.
pole – A person from Poland.

draft – A preliminary version of a piece of writing.

draft – To draw up a plan or outline.

foot – The lower extremity of the leg below the ankle, on which a
person stands or walks.
foot – A unit of linear measurement equal to 12 inches.

well – In a good or satisfactory manner.

well – A deep hole or shaft dug to obtain water or oil.

close – Near in distance or time.

close – To shut something.

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 Homophones
A homophone is a word that has the same pronunciation as another
word but differs in meaning, origin, and spelling.

pair – A set of two similar or matching things.

pear – A sweet, juicy fruit that is narrow at the top and wider at the
bottom.

sun – The star at the centre of the solar system, around which the
Earth and other planets revolve.
son – A male child or offspring of a parent or parents.

flour – A powder obtained by grinding grains, typically wheat, used to

make bread, cakes, and pastry.
flower – The reproductive part of a plant, typically consisting of petals
and stamens, which is often brightly coloured and attracts insects for
pollination.

night – The period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

knight – A medieval warrior, usually mounted on horseback, who
pledged allegiance to a lord and fought for honour and glory.

hour – A period of time equal to sixty minutes.

our – Belonging to us.

meet – To come into the presence or company of someone by chance

or arrangement.
meat – The flesh of animals used as food.

write – To form letters or words on a surface with a pen, pencil, or

typewriter.
right – Morally or socially correct; in accordance with fact, reason, or
truth.

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sail – To travel on water in a boat or ship.
sale – The exchange of goods for money; an event at which goods are
sold.

there – In, at, or to that place or position.

their – Belonging to or associated with the people or things previously
mentioned or easily identified.

to – In the direction of; toward.

too – In addition; also.

be – To exist or live.
bee – A flying insect that collects nectar and pollen, produces honey,
and lives in colonies.

flare – A sudden burst of bright flame or light.

flair – A special or instinctive aptitude or ability for doing something
well.

eye – The organ of sight in humans and animals.

I – The first-person singular pronoun, referring to oneself.

here – In or at this place.

hear – To perceive sound through the ears.

peace – Freedom from disturbance; tranquillity.

piece – A portion of an object or substance; a part of something larger.

hole – A hollow space in a solid surface.

whole – Entire; complete; not divided or broken.

bare – Not covered or clothed; naked.

bear – To carry; to support the weight of something.

mail – Letters, packages, or parcels sent by post.

male – Of or denoting the sex that produces small, typically motile
gametes, especially spermatozoa.
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 Degrees of Comparison
angry angrier angriest
bad worse worst
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
big bigger biggest
blue bluer bluest
bold bolder boldest
brave braver bravest
busy busier busiest
calm calmer calmest
cheap cheaper cheapest
clever cleverer cleverest
clean cleaner cleanest
close closer closest
clumsy clumsier clumsiest
cold colder coldest
cool cooler coolest
crazy crazier craziest
crispy crispier crispiest
curly curly curliest
cute cuter cutest
curvy curvier curviest
dark darker darkest
deep deeper deepest
difficult more difficult most difficult
dirty dirtier dirtiest
dry drier driest
early earlier earliest
fancy fancier fanciest
fast faster fastest
firm firmer firmest
friendly friendlier friendliest
funny funnier funniest
gentle gentler gentlest

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 good better best
great greater greatest
happy happier happiest
heavy heavier heaviest
hot hotter hottest
kind kinder kindest
late later latest
light lighter lightest
lonely lonelier loneliest
many more most
mild milder mildest
nice nicer nicest
odd odder oddest
popular more popular most popular
pretty prettier prettiest
quick quicker quickest
rough rougher roughest
salty saltier saltiest
simple simpler simplest
small smaller smallest
soon sooner soonest
steep steeper steepest
sunny sunnier sunniest
tall taller tallest
tasty tastier tastiest
thick thicker thickest
thirsty thirstier thirstiest
tough tougher toughest
wealthy wealthier wealthiest
warm warmer warmest
weak weaker weakest
wide wider widest
windy windier windiest
worldly worldlier worldliest
worthy worthier worthiest
young younger youngest
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 Diminutives
A diminutive is a word or affix (a group of letters added to the
beginning or end of a word to change its meaning) that indicates
smallness, youth, or endearment.
Diminutives are commonly used in language to modify nouns,
adjectives, or occasionally verbs to convey a sense of small size,
affection, or familiarity.

owl – owlet frog – tadpole

fish – fry mare – filly
horse – foal goose – gosling
dog – puppy swan – cygnet
cat – kitten lion – cub
whale – calf dear – fawn
moth – caterpillar hare – leveret
eel – elver goat – kid
bird – fledgeling pig – piglet
hen – chicken sheep – lamb

Plurals
In grammar, a plural is a form of a word that indicates that there are
more than one of something. Plural forms are used when referring to
multiple items, people, animals, or concepts.

Words that receive ‘s’:

cat cats dog dogs
book books table tables
chair chairs car cars
house houses bird birds

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Words that end in -ch, -sh, -s, -ss, -x receive ‘es’
church churches brush brushes
glass glasses box boxes
wish wishes fish fishes
fox foxes bus buses

Words that end in a vowel + y receive a ‘s’

boy boys day days
toy toys key keys
valley valleys monkey monkeys
donkey donkeys turkey turkeys

Words that end in a consonant + y drops the y and receive ‘ies’

baby babies city cities
lady ladies party parties
country countries pony ponies
supply supplies story stories

Words that ends in a f or fe drops the f and receive ‘ves’

leaf leaves wolf wolves
life lives thief thieves
wife wives knife knives
half halves calf calves

Words that end in o receive a ‘s’

piano pianos photo photos
radio radios mango mangos
echo echos video videos
studio studios kangaroo kangaroos

Words that end in o receive a ‘es’

potato potatoes tomato tomatoes
echo echoes hero heroes
torpedo torpedoes embargo embargoes
mosquito mosquitoes volcano volcanoes

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Words that end in oo receive ‘s’
zoo zoos taboo taboos
tattoo tattoos bamboo bamboos
shampoo shampoos cuckoo cuckoos
yahoo yahoos boohoo boogoos

Words that end in eau receive ‘x’ or ‘s’

beau beaux bureau bureaux
château châteaux plateau plateaux
gateau gateaux eau eaux
tableau tableaux cadeau cadeaux

Words that end in us receive ‘es’ or ‘i’

octopus octopuses / cactus cactuses / cacti
octopi
focus focuses / foci alumnus alumni
nucleus nucleuses / nuclei fungus funguses / fungi
virus viruses radius radiuses / radii

Words that remain the same

sheep sheep deer deer
fish fish species species
moose moose salmon salmon
trout trout swine swine

Words that only appear in plural form

scissors trousers pants glasses
goggles pliers shorts shears
shambles savings riches earnings
proceeds credentials spectacles goods

Words that change in the plural form

man men woman women
child children foot feet
tooth teeth goose geese
mouse mice louse lice
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 Articles
In language, an article is a type of determiner that precedes and
provides context for a noun.
Articles are used to specify whether the noun is definite or indefinite,
and they indicate the noun's grammatical number (singular or plural).
In English, there are three articles: "the," "a," and "an."

Definite Article: "The" is the definite article in English. It is used to refer to a

specific or particular noun that is already known to the reader or listener, or
that is unique in context. Example: "Please pass me the book on the table."

Indefinite Article: "A" and "an" are the indefinite articles in English. They are
used to refer to a non-specific or generic noun that is not specifically
identified.
"A" is used before words that begin with consonant sounds.
Example: "I saw a cat in the garden."
"An" is used before words that begin with vowel sounds.
Example: "She bought an apple from the market."

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 Idioms
Break the ice To initiate conversation in a social
setting, especially when meeting
someone new.
Hit the nail on the head To describe exactly what is causing a
situation or problem.
Bite the bullet To endure a painful or difficult
situation with courage.
Barking up the wrong tree To pursue the wrong course of action
or make a mistake in judgment.
Cutting corners Doing something in the easiest or
quickest way, often sacrificing
quality.
Once in a blue moon Happening very rarely or
infrequently.
Piece of cake Something very easy or simple to do.
Cost an arm and a leg To be very expensive.
Break a leg A superstitious way to wish
someone good luck, especially before
a performance.
Under the weather Feeling ill or unwell.
Spill the beans To disclose a secret or private
information.
Jump on the bandwagon To join or support something that
has become popular or successful.
Let the cat out of the bag To reveal a secret or disclose
something that was meant to be
kept confidential.
Kick the bucket To die.
Curiosity killed the cat Being too inquisitive or nosy may
lead to trouble or harm.
Cat's out of the bag A secret has been revealed.
Don't cry over spilled milk Don't worry about things that have
already happened and cannot be
changed.
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A penny for your thoughts A polite way of asking someone
what they are thinking.
Kill two birds with one stone To accomplish two tasks with a
single action.
Let sleeping dogs lie To avoid stirring up old conflicts or
problems.
Actions speak louder than words What you do is more significant than
what you say.
Burn the midnight oil To work late into the night.
Fish out of water Feeling uncomfortable or out of
place in a particular situation.
Raining cats and dogs Raining heavily.
Better late than never It's better to do something late
than not at all.
Take the bull by the horns To confront a difficult situation
directly and courageously.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket Don't risk everything on a single
opportunity.
Grasping at straws Making a desperate attempt to find
a solution or explanation when none
seem available.
Give the benefit of the doubt To believe someone's statement
without being critical or sceptical.
Go the extra mile To make an extra effort beyond
what is required.
Beat around the bush To avoid addressing a topic directly
or to delay getting to the point.
Make a long story short To summarize a lengthy explanation.
Miss the boat To miss an opportunity.
On thin ice In a risky or precarious situation.
Take it with a grain of salt To be skeptical about something or
not fully believe it.
The ball is in your court It's your turn to take action or make
a decision.
Turn over a new leaf To make a fresh start or change
one's behavior for the better.

23
Spill the beans To reveal a secret or disclose private
information.
Hit the hay To go to bed or go to sleep.
Put all your eggs in one basket To risk everything on a single venture
or plan.
A piece of cake Something very easy to do.
A taste of your own medicine Experiencing something unpleasant
that you have inflicted on others.
A penny saved is a penny earned It's wise to save money rather than
spend it foolishly.
A chip on your shoulder Holding a grudge or feeling resentful.
Actions speak louder than words What you do is more important
than what you say.
Back to the drawing board To start over because a previous
attempt has failed.
Bite off more than you can chew To take on more responsibility or
commitments than one can handle.
Break a leg A theatrical expression used to wish
someone good luck.
Burn bridges To damage relationships or make it
impossible to go back to a previous
situation.
By the skin of your teeth Narrowly; barely managing to
succeed.
Cost an arm and a leg To be very expensive.
Cry over spilled milk To waste time worrying about
something that cannot be changed.
Cut to the chase To get to the point without wasting
time.
Don't count your chickens before Don't assume success before it
they hatch happens.
Don't judge a book by its cover Don't form an opinion based on
appearances.
Every cloud has a silver lining There is something positive to be
found in every negative situation.

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 Abbreviations
Days of the Week Months of the Year Months of the Year

Mon. – Monday Jan. – January mm - millimeters

Tues. – Tuesday Feb. – February cm – centimeters
Wed. – Wednesday Mar. – March m – meter
Thurs. – Thursday Apr. – April km – kilometer
Fri. – Friday May – May mg – milligram
Sat. – Saturday Jun. – June g – grams
Sun. – Sunday Jul. – July kg – kilogram
Aug. – August ml – milliliters
Sept. – September l – liter
Directions Oct. – October tsp. – teaspoon
Nov. – November tbsp. – tablespoon
N – North Dec. – December c – cent
E – East R – edge
S – South m. – million
W – West sec – second
NE – Northeast min. – minute
SE – Southeast km/h – kilometers
SW – Southwest per hour
NW - Northwest °C – degrees Celsius

More Abbreviations

Mr – Mister abbr. - abbreviation

Mrs – Missus c/o – care of
Miss – Mistress e.g. – example
Pres. – President ie. – that is
Dr – Doctor ref. – reference
Jnr – Junior pc – personal computer
Col. – Colonel cell – cellular
Prof. – Professor deg. – degree
Sgt – Sergeant p.t.o. – please turn over
pg. – page etc. – etcetera 25
Acronyms

SAPS – South African Police Service

ID – Identity document
SPCA – Animal Protection Society
HAT – Handbook of the Afrikaans Language
NB – Note
RSA – Republic of South Africa
CV – Curriculum Vitae
ISBN – International Standard Book Number
RSVP – Please RSVP
NB – Notes
USA – United States of America
TV – Television
MEC – Member of the Executive Council
PIN – Personal Identification Number
ABSA – Amalgamated Banks of South Africa
AFBOB – Afrikaans Verbond Grafannisonderneming Limited
ESKOM - formerly EVKOM: Electricity Supply Commission
FICA – Financial Intelligence Center Act
FIFA – Fédération Internationale de Football Association –
International Football Federation
NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
RICA – Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of
Communication-related Information Act
SANOK – South African National Olympic Committee
SARS – South African Revenue Service
SASOL – South African Coal, Oil and Gas Corporation
UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization

26
 Gender: Male and Female
Family Members
father mother son daughter
brother sister grandfather grandmother
grandson granddaughter uncle aunt
nephew niece husband wife
father-in-law mother-in-law son-in-law daughter-in-law
brother-in-law sister-in-law stepfather stepmother
stepson stepdaughter stepbrother stepsister

Titles
Mr. Mrs. Dr. Dr.
Sir Madam Master Mistress
Lord Lady Professor Professor
Baron Baroness Duke Duchess
Prince Princess King Queen
Emperor Empress Count Countess

Animals
Lion (male) Lioness (female) Tiger (male) Tigress (female)
Elephant bull Elephant cow Stallion Mare
Elephant Elephant Horse Horse
(bull/male) (cow/female) (stallion/male) (mare/female)
Dog (dog/male) Dog Cat Cat
(bitch/female) (tomcat/male) (queen/female)
Goose Goose Duck Duck
(gander/male) (goose/female) (drake/male) (hen/female)
Swan (cob/male) Swan Bear (boar/male) Bear
(pen/female) (sow/female)
Deer (buck/male) Deer Rabbit Rabbit
(doe/female) (buck/male) (doe/female)
Fox (dog/male) Fox Wolf (dog/male) Wolf
(vixen/female) (bitch/female)

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 Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the
words "like" or "as" to highlight a similarity between them.

She's as busy as a bee. His mind worked like a well-oiled

He's as brave as a lion. machine.
The water was as cold as ice. The rain poured like a waterfall.
She's as quick as lightning. She's as light as a feather.
His voice was as smooth as silk. He's as cool as a cucumber.
She danced like a feather in the The situation was as clear as mud.
wind. She's as fierce as a tiger.
He's as sly as a fox. The forest whispered like a secret.
The night was as dark as coal. His smile shone like the sun.
He's as strong as an ox. She's as busy as a one-armed
She's as pure as snow. paperhanger.
The flowers bloomed like fireworks. He's as fit as a fiddle.
His laughter was as contagious as a The silence hung heavy like a blanket.
yawn. She's as slippery as an eel.
The wind howled like a banshee. His anger boiled like a volcano.
The room was as bright as day. She's as radiant as the morning sun.
He's as hungry as a wolf. He's as straight as an arrow.
She's as stubborn as a mule. The room was as quiet as a tomb.
The child ran as fast as a cheetah. She's as delicate as a flower.
The sun blazed like a furnace. His heart sank like a stone.
He's as quiet as a mouse. The city buzzed like a beehive.
She's as pretty as a picture. She's as mad as a hornet.
His heart raced like a speeding His curiosity burned like a fire.
train. The road stretched out like a ribbon.
The old house creaked like a ship at She's as fierce as a lioness.
sea.
She sang like an angel.
The snow fell like confetti.
He's as wise as an owl.
The stars twinkled like diamonds in
the sky.
She's as graceful as a swan.
28
 Metaphors
A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things
by stating that one thing is another. Unlike similes, which use words such as
"like" or "as" to make comparisons, metaphors assert a direct resemblance or
identity between the two subjects.

Love is a battlefield.
Time is money.
Life is a journey.
The world is a stage.
Knowledge is power.
Laughter is music to the soul.
The sky is a blank canvas.
The sun is a golden ball in the sky.
Words are swords.
Hope is a beacon in the darkness.
Dreams are wings that let us fly.
Happiness is a warm blanket.
The heart is a fragile glass vase.
Silence is a blanket of snow.
Tears are pearls from the soul.
Friendship is a ship that sails through storms.
Memory is a tapestry woven with threads of time.
Fear is a monster lurking in the shadows.
Success is a mountain waiting to be climbed.
Failure is a dark cloud hanging overhead.
Pain is a relentless wave crashing against the shore.
Change is a winding road with many twists and turns.
Ideas are seeds waiting to be planted.
Creativity is a fountain that never runs dry.
Forgiveness is a key that unlocks the door to peace.
Trust is a fragile glass sculpture.
Faith is a guiding light in the darkness.
Ambition is a fire burning in the soul.
Opportunity is a door waiting to be opened.
Courage is a lion roaring in the heart.
Patience is a gentle stream flowing through time. 29
Anger is a volcano waiting to erupt.
Loneliness is a cold, empty room.