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Similes and Metaphors

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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

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.

 10%

Question 1 of 10

1. Their voice is as tiny as a mouse.

Question 1 of 10

Question 2 of 10

2. He has abs as hard as a rock.

Question 2 of 10

Question 3 of 10

3. She is as smart as a fox.

Question 3 of 10

Question 4 of 10

4. She has the heart of a lion.

Question 4 of 10

Question 5 of 10

5. Our neighbors are angels. They help us all the time.

Question 5 of 10

Question 6 of 10

6. That man is a pig.

Question 6 of 10

Question 7 of 10

7. You are as sharp as a tack.

Question 7 of 10

Question 8 of 10

8. My hands are as cold as ice.

Question 8 of 10

Question 9 of 10

9. The situation is a volcano ready to explode.

Question 9 of 10

Question 10 of 10

10. She has hair as white as snow.

Question 10 of 10


 

References[+]

Reflexive Pronouns

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Reflexive pronouns are pronouns ending in –self or –selves that are used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same.[1]https://www.grammarly.com/blog/reflexive-pronouns/

reflexive pronouns

Direct Objects

Reflexive pronouns can be a direct object in the sentence.

For example:

  • I hurt myself playing hockey.
  • The girl kicked herself.
  • I am teaching myself to speak English.

Indirect Objects

They can be an indirect object in the sentence.

For example:

  • We made ourselves some coffee.
  • She made herself a sandwich for lunch.
  • They can teach themselves the lesson.

Intensive Pronouns

Intensive pronouns are a type of reflexive pronoun that is used to emphasize the subject.[2]https://slideplayer.com/slide/9013049/

For example:

  • She herself did all the work.
  • He himself paid for the meal.
  • I myself did all of the work.

Common Reflexive Pronoun Errors

Reflexive pronouns are commonly misused in the following grammatical areas:

Compound Subjects

For example:

Incorrect: Susie and myself will study.

The easiest way to understand that this is incorrect is by splitting up the subjects.

You can’t say

Myself will study.

Rather you would say

I will study.

Therefore, the correct sentence becomes

Correct: Susie and I will study.

Compound Objects

For example:

Incorrect: You can hand in the project to Frank and myself.

The easiest way to understand that this is incorrect is by splitting up the objects.

You can’t say

You can hand in the project to myself.

Rather you would say

You can hand in the project to me.

Therefore, the correct sentence becomes

Correct: You can hand in the project to Frank and me.

References[+]

Inversion

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In English, an inversion is the reversal of the normal word order, putting the verb before the subject.[1]https://www.thoughtco.com/inversion-grammar-term-1691193

So when do we use inversions?

Questions

The most well-known case to use an inversion is in a question.

For example:

Phrase: You are hungry.

Question: Are you hungry?

In this case, the verb goes before the subject. However, there are cases where an auxiliary verb is used. In those cases, only the auxiliary verb goes before the subject.

For example:

Phrase: She is going to go to the store.

Question: Is she going to go to the store.

Negative Adverbs

You can use a inversions when a negative adverb or adverb phrase is at the beginning of a sentence.

For example:

  • Never had I seen such a beautiful sunset in my whole life.
  • Seldom do we eat so well.
  • Nowhere have I had such bad service.

Conditionals

You can replace the “if” in a conditional with a inversions when using words such as had, were, and should.

This is a more formal way of speaking.

For example:

Normal conditional: If I had studied, I would have done well on the test.

Inversion: Had I studied, I would have done well on the test.

Adverbial Expression of Place

You can use an inversion to replace an adverbial expression of place. Similar to the previous example this is quite formal.

For example:

Adverbial Expression of Place: All the candy that we had received for trick-or-treating on Halloween was on the table.

Inversion: On the table was all the candy we had received for trick-or-treating on Halloween.

So + Adjective…that

You can use an inversion after the phrase “so + adjective…that”.

For example:

Original sentence: The turkey was so big that we couldn’t fit it in the oven.

Inversion: So big was the turkey that we couldn’t fit it in the oven.

Practice Exercises

Restructure the following phrases to form an inversion.

Please go to Inversion to view this quiz

References[+]

Prepositions in Relative Clauses

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In English, we often use prepositions in relative clauses. These include words such as at, on, in, before, and after.[1]https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/preposition-placement-relative-clauses/

Formal Speech

In formal speech, we place the preposition before the relative pronoun.

For example:

  • Is that the person with whom she talked?
  • The lawyer with whom we are arguing against is known as the best.
  • She liked the roommates with whom she lived.
  • The chapel in which they had their wedding was very beautiful.
  • That is the car in which he prefers to drive.
  • The neighborhood in which we lived was full of mansions.
  • The classroom in which we studied was freezing!

As you can see, this sounds rather formal. As such, in informal speech we tend to follow a different pattern.

Informal Speech

In informal speech, prepositions in relative clauses go after the relative clause.

For example:

  • Is that the person (who) she talked with?
  • The lawyer (who) we are arguing with is known as the best.
  • She liked the roommates (that) she lived with.
  • The chapel (that) that they had their wedding in was very beautiful.
  • That is the car (that) he prefers to drive in.
  • The neighborhood (that) we lived in was full of mansions.
  • The classroom (that) we studied in was freezing!

References[+]

Connotations

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Connotations are ideas or feelings which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning. This is in contrast to a denotation, which is the literal meaning of a word.

Examples of Connotations

In English, connotations can have negative, neutral, or positive meanings.

The best way to understand this is by looking at a few examples.

  • skinny/thin/slender

He is too skinny. The connotation is that the person is underweight and unhealthy.

He is thin. There is no connotation.

He is slender. The connotation is that the person looks good.

  • bizarre/unusual/extraordinary

This is a bizarre situation. The connotation is that situation is strange.

This is an unusual situation. There is no additional connotation.

This is an extraordinary situation. The connotation is that this situation is unique in a good way.

  • domineering/forceful/assertive

My boss is domineering. The connotation is that my boss is very bossy in a bad way.

My boss is forceful. No additional connotation.

My boss is assertive. The connotation is that my boss is a good leader and can get their points across.

Why do we use connotations?

To influence people

One of the best reasons to use connotation is to influence your reader. By carefully picking the words that you use, you can bias or not bias people into thinking what you want.

For example, I can say:

My parents are stingy.

I could use many different words instead such as prudent, careful with their money, thrifty, frugal, ect…[1]https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/connotation.htm#exam

However, I carefully chose the word stingy. Stingy gives the connotation that my parents don’t care about me and only care about themselves, especially with regards to money.

To be concise and precise

The best writers and speakers are concise and precise with their words. This means that they are able to use the least amount of words to fully convey their meaning.[2]https://literaryterms.net/when-and-how-to-use-connotation/ This is where connotation comes into play.

For example, I can say

My boss is very thorough with his work.

Or I can say

My boss is very nitpicky with his work.

This is much stronger than the previous word as it gets to the connotation that my boss is overly concerned with insignificant details.

Example Exercises

Read each sentence and choose the word that has a positive connotation.

Please go to Connotations to view this quiz

References[+]

Word Pairs

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In English, there are certain word pairs that always go together. If you try to reverse their order it sounds weird to a native speaker.[1]https://www.sightwordsgame.com/vocabulary-words/word-pairs/

Below are a few popular examples of English word pairs.[2]https://www.thoughtco.com/nonreversible-word-pairs-1209931

Bacon and Eggs

Would you like some bacon and eggs for breakfast?

Back and Forth

They kept on arguing back and forth.

Bed and Breakfast

We stayed in a beautiful little bed and breakfast by the beach.

Brick and Mortar

It is an online only store. It doesn’t have any brick and mortar locations.

Bride and Groom

The bride and groom looked so happy walking down the aisle together.

Business and Pleasure

I try to not mix business and pleasure.

Cause and Effect

There is a clear cause and effect to the situation that you find yourself in.

Coffee and Donuts

Would you like to get some coffee and donuts for breakfast?

Cream and Sugar

Do you take cream and sugar with your coffee?

Dead or Alive

The wanted poster said that they wanted the criminal dead or alive.

Fun and Games

It is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Front and Center

The teacher told me to stand front and center to give my presentation.

Hammer and Nail

This job requires a hammer and nail to complete.

Knife and Fork

Can you set knives and forks on the table?

Ladies and Gentlemen

Ladies and Gentlemen can I have your attention please?

Law and Order

Law and order is the rule of the land.

Life or Death

The people in the sinking boat are in a life or death situation.

Lost and Found

Check the lost and found to see if you can find your lost cellphone.

Pots and Pans

I had to clean all the pots and pans.

Rain or Shine

We will be there rain or shine.

Salt and Pepper

Can you pass me the salt and pepper please?

Sooner or Later

Sooner or later you will need to study if you want to do well in the class.

Sweet and Sour

I really like sweet and sour chicken.

References[+]

Common English Euphemism Examples

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In English, a “euphemism” is a nicer way to say something that could be offensive or unpleasant.[1]https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/euphemism.htm

We might use them to not be as direct in how we talk or not to offend someone.

Euphemisms Describing People

He is big boned. – He is fat.[2]https://www.clarkandmiller.com/25-english-euphemisms-for-delicate-situations/

  • She is vertically challenged. – She is short.
  • Frank is between jobs. – Frank is unemployed.
  • Susie is not the sharpest tool in the shed. – Susie is not the smartest.
  • They are on the streets. – They are homeless.

Euphemisms about Getting Fired

  • My boss let me go. – My boss fired me.
  • You have been made redundant. – You are not needed anymore. (you have been replaced at your job)

Euphemisms about Death

  • My mother passed away/passed on/met her maker last year. – My mother died last year.
  • My father lost his battle with cancer. – My father died due to cancer.[3]https://www.verywellhealth.com/euphemisms-for-dead-death-or-dying-1131903

Euphemisms about Bad

  • Your work just isn’t up to scratch. – Your work just isn’t good enough.
  • The repairman’s work left a lot to be desired. – The repairman’s work was bad and unsatisfying.

Other Euphemisms

  • My wife is expecting. – My wife is pregnant.
  • They come from an underprivileged family. – They come from a poor family.[4]https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/euphemism.htm
  • I need a bit of peace and quiet. – Go away![5]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/9d/49/919d49e43bb8152657a1a2680c3a7dcd.jpg
  • My parents gave me the birds and the bees talk when I was young. – My parents told me about sex when I was young.[6]https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-euphemism.html
  • They are chronologically challenged. – They are late.
  • It has been a long week, I really need some adult beverages. – It has been a long week, I really need some alcohol.[7]https://peptalkindia.com/100-popular-euphemisms-in-english-language/
  • I need to go to the little boy’s room/little girl’s room. – I need to go to the restroom.
  • My cousin had to stay in a correctional facility for a few months. – My cousin had to stay in jail for a few months.

References[+]

Passive Causative

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In English, the passive causative is used for services.[1]https://blog.esllibrary.com/2014/02/20/the-passive-causative/

It is a mix of the causative-verbs and passive voice. The easiest way to understand it is by looking at each part separately and then combining the two.

passive causative

Passive Voice

In English there are two voices, active and passive.

The active voice is when the subject does the action. This is the easiest to understand and generally used in spoken speech.[2]https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/causative-verbs-active-and-passive/

The passive voice is when the subject receives the action. This can be a bit more difficult to understand; however, it is commonly used in technology, science, textbooks, and reports.

If you would like to learn more about the passive voice check out this article!

Causative Verbs

A causative verb is when we talk about an action that someone else did for us.

In other words, we “caused” the action to happen. This could be through persuasion or even paying a person.[3]https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/causatives-have-get.html

The common causative verbs are:

  • have
  • let
  • make

Passive Causative

The easiest way to understand the this is through taking the same sentence and transforming to each of the 3 grammar forms.

For example:

Passive: The test was taken by the student.

Causative: The teacher had the student take the test.

Passive/Causative: The teacher had the test taken by the student.

References[+]

Cleft Sentence

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A cleft sentence is a phrase that takes a simple sentence and divides it into to part in order place emphasis on one of the parts.[1]https://www.slideserve.com/nusa/what-is-a-cleft-sentence

It Cleft Sentence

This type of cleft uses the word “it” to identify what it is placing emphasis on.

The pattern is:

it + be + “highlighted word or phrase” + that/who clause[2]https://www.slideshare.net/caticah/cleft-sentences-72374267

For example, if the original sentence is “Susie bought a movie from the store last month.”

We can make the…

Subject the focus

It was Susie who/that bought a movie from the store last month.

Object the focus

It was a movie that Susie bought from the store last month.

Time the focus

It was last month that Susie bought a movie from the store.

Place the focus

It was from the store that Susie bought a movie last month.

What Cleft Sentence

This type of cleft uses the word “what” to identify what it is placing emphasis on.

The pattern is:

what + be + “highlighted word or phrase”

For example, if the same original sentence as before “Susie bought a movie from the store last month.”

We can make the…

Word/phrase the focus

What Susie bought at the store last month was a movie.

Action the focus

What Susie did last month was buy a movie from the store.

Whole sentence the focus

What happened was Susie bough a movie from the store last month.

Other Types of Cleft Sentence

There are a few other types of cleft sentence structures you can use.

For example:

  • The person who said it was Fred.
  • The thing she wants is a hamburger.
  • The place I used to work at is closed.
  • The time I went to university was the best time of my life.
  • The reason she didn’t say anything was due to her shyness.

Practice Exercises

Rewrite the following sentences to put emphasis on the underlined part. Use “it” cleft sentences.

Please go to Cleft Sentence to view this quiz

References[+]