Myriora English › Words › Chapter 3: Word collections
Similes and metaphors
Ages 9–11Chapter 3 · Lesson 11✓ Watched
Practise
Ten new questions every time. Answer them all, then check: you get your score, and the working for anything you missed.
In this lesson
- Similes and metaphors compare one thing with another.
- A simile uses like or as.
- A metaphor says one thing is another.
- And like only makes a simile when it compares.
Your turn
The snow was a white blanket over the town. Is it a simile, or a metaphor?
Show the answer
A metaphor! It says the snow was a blanket, without like or as.
The common mistake
Here's a common mistake. Thinking every sentence with like in it is a simile. I like apples. There's no comparison here, so it isn't a simile.
Try it at home
Compare it: pick an object in the room and describe it with a simile (as soft as...) and then a metaphor (the cushion was a cloud).
Read the whole lesson
Hello, and welcome to Myriora English! Writers often compare one thing with another, to help us picture it. There are two ways to do it: similes and metaphors.
A simile says something is like something else. It uses the words like or as. She was as brave as a lion. He ran like the wind.
A metaphor says something is something else. She was a lion in the battle. She isn't really a lion, but we know she was brave and fierce. The classroom was a zoo! It was noisy and wild.
Let's try one together. Her eyes sparkled like diamonds. Is it a simile, or a metaphor? Say it out loud!
A simile! It uses the word like to compare her eyes with diamonds. Well done if you said a simile!
Here's a common mistake. Thinking every sentence with like in it is a simile. I like apples. There's no comparison here, so it isn't a simile.
Your turn! The snow was a white blanket over the town. Is it a simile, or a metaphor? Pick the right card. You've got eight seconds, or pause the video. Go!
Time's up! A metaphor! It says the snow was a blanket, without like or as.
Quick review. Similes and metaphors compare one thing with another. A simile uses like or as. A metaphor says one thing is another. And like only makes a simile when it compares. See you next time!