Similes and metaphors are two of the most popular ways that writers can create a mental image for their reader. They help make a text more interesting.
Similes
You can use similes to compare two seemingly unlike things by using the words “like” or “as”.
For example:
- He is as tall as a giant!
- It is like the North Pole in this room.
- Your skin is white as snow.
- I slept like a baby.
- You have eyes as black as midnight.
- You are walking as slow as a snail! Hurry up!
- She has reflexes like a cat.
- Your smile brightens the room like the sun.
- Run like the wind!
Metaphors
You can use metaphors to compare two seemingly unlike things. However, unlike a simile you don’t use “like” or “as”. Rather, you say that something ‘is’ something else.[1]https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/marvellous-metaphors
This helps make the image much stronger than a simile.
For example:
- You are a giant!
- It is the North Pole in this room.
- Thanks for helping! You’re an angel.
- That computer is an old dinosaur.
Practice Exercise
Read each of the following sentences. Identify the two subjects being compared and state whether the sentence is a simile or a metaphor.
References