Which statement correctly assigns each phrase to its category: idiom, metaphor, literal?

Which statement correctly assigns each phrase to its category: idiom, metaphor, literal?

• A. 'It's raining cats and dogs' is literal; 'Time is a thief' is an idiom; 'It is raining heavily' is a metaphor.
• B. 'It's raining cats and dogs' is an idiom; 'Time is a thief' is a metaphor; 'It is raining heavily' is literal.
• C. 'It's raining cats and dogs' is a metaphor; 'Time is a thief' is literal; 'It is raining heavily' is an idiom.
• D. 'It's raining cats and dogs' is literal; 'Time is a thief' is an idiom; 'It is raining heavily' is a metaphor.

Answer: (B)

Distinguishing idioms, metaphors, and literal language comes down to how the words convey meaning. An idiom is a fixed expression whose overall meaning isn’t the sum of its parts; a metaphor makes a direct comparison by saying one thing is another; literal language describes reality exactly as it is. For the phrases here: “It’s raining cats and dogs” is an idiom because it means heavy rain, not actual cats and dogs. “Time is a thief” is a metaphor, directly comparing time to a thief to suggest it steals moments. “It is raining heavily” is literal, describing actual weather. That combination matches the second statement. The other options mislabel one or more phrases, which is why they’re not correct.

Distinguishing idioms, metaphors, and literal language comes down to how the words convey meaning. An idiom is a fixed expression whose overall meaning isn’t the sum of its parts; a metaphor makes a direct comparison by saying one thing is another; literal language describes reality exactly as it is.

For the phrases here: “It’s raining cats and dogs” is an idiom because it means heavy rain, not actual cats and dogs. “Time is a thief” is a metaphor, directly comparing time to a thief to suggest it steals moments. “It is raining heavily” is literal, describing actual weather.

That combination matches the second statement. The other options mislabel one or more phrases, which is why they’re not correct.