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Learn how to use 'like' or 'as' to make interesting comparisons between two different things.
Have you ever tried to describe a runner so fast that 'fast' just wasn't enough? What if you said they ran 'like a bolt of lightning'?
Quick Check
Which of these sentences contains a simile: 'The dog is brown' or 'The dog is as brown as a chocolate bar'?
Answer
The dog is as brown as a chocolate bar.
For a comparison to be a true simile, the two things must be different types of things. If you say, 'That girl looks like her sister,' that is just a regular comparison because they are both people. But, if you say, 'That girl runs like a cheetah,' you have a simile! You are comparing a human to a wild cat. This works because even though a girl and a cheetah are different, they share the quality of speed. Using similes makes your writing 'pop' because it creates a movie in the reader's mind.
Let's turn a boring sentence into a simile. 1. Start with a basic idea: 'The pizza was hot.' 2. Choose a keyword: 'as'. 3. Think of something else that is very hot: 'the sun' or 'fire'. 4. Combine them: 'The pizza was as hot as fire.'
Quick Check
Why is 'The car is like a blue boat' a simile, but 'The car is like a van' is not?
Answer
Because a car and a boat are very different types of things, while a car and a van are too similar.
Similes don't just describe things; they tell the reader how to feel. Imagine you are describing a quiet room. If you say, 'The room was as quiet as a library,' the reader feels calm. But if you say, 'The room was as quiet as a graveyard,' the reader might feel scared! The second thing you choose in your simile () carries a 'mood' or 'vibe' that moves over to your first thing ().
Scenario: You are describing a very strong person. 1. Friendly mood: 'He is as strong as an ox.' (Oxen are helpful farm animals). 2. Scary mood: 'He is as strong as a crashing wave.' (Waves can be dangerous and powerful). 3. Funny mood: 'He is as strong as a giant gorilla eating a protein bar.'
Try to describe an emotion using a simile. Emotions are hard to see, so similes help make them 'real'. 1. Emotion: Nervousness. 2. Comparison: 'My stomach felt like it was full of jumping beans.' 3. Explanation: This helps the reader 'feel' the wiggly, jumpy sensation of being nervous.
Which of the following is a simile?
In the simile 'The toddler was as busy as a bee,' what quality do the toddler and the bee share?
The sentence 'The orange is as round as a ball' is a simile.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, look at three objects in your room and try to describe each one using 'like' or 'as'.
Practice Activity
Write a short paragraph about a storm. Use at least three similes to describe the wind, the rain, and the thunder.