Which sentence is an example of figurative language?

• A. An imaginary story
• B. Her face was as red as a tomato after she ran the mile.
• C. A type of category of literature
• D. Fiction

Answer: (B)

Figurative language uses expressive, nonliteral comparisons to create a vivid image. The sentence “Her face was as red as a tomato after she ran the mile” is a simile, a direct comparison that uses as to link two unlike things. This makes the redness feel more vivid than a literal statement would. The other options describe literal concepts: an imaginary story, a broad literary category, or fiction as a genre, none of which employ a figure of speech to convey meaning. So the sentence with the “as red as a tomato” is the example of figurative language because it uses a simile.