Understanding Similes

Understanding Similes — page 1 — WHAT IS A SIMILE Are you as cool as a cucumber Are you and your best friend like two peas in a pod These sentences both contain similes Similes are figures of speech that compare two unlike things A simile uses the words like or as to compare one thing to another Are you calm and cool under pressure Cucumbers feel cool to the touch You don t look much like a cucumber But you and the cucumber have something in common being cool You are not round and green like a pea Peas that grow in the same pod or case all look the same If you and your friend dress or act alike then you have something in common with peas in a pod You could say that similes are like vegetables Vegetables help your body grow Similes help your stories grow Vegetables are good for your health and similes are good for your writing Similes are found in all kinds of writing from nursery rhymes to poems to novels They are also I used in everyday

Understanding Similes — page 2 — FIGURATIVE OR LITERALP We use two types of language to tell stories We use literal language to state facts or describe things as they really are We say Hannah was really hungry She ate three cheeseburgers That is a true statement She literally ate three burgers Figurative language uses words or sayings with meanings that are different from their usual literal meanings We say Hannah ate like a horse She had a pizza as big as the moon Hannah did not really eat like a horse She did not stand in a field and eat grass But she did eat a lot of food so she was similar to a horse in that way Her pizza was not actually the size of the moon But the simile tells us the pizza was big and round We use the words like and as in both literal and figurative language But not every sentence with like and as includes a simile It must also compare two unlike things LYTERAL FIGURATIVE I like to eat bacon for breakfast The sentence on the left does not have a simile because it does not make a comparison The sentence on the right includes a simile The kids ate their breakfast like pigs LITERAL FIGURATIVE My cherry pie tastes as good as your pumpkin pie The sentence on the left does not have a simile because it compares two things that are alike The sentence on the right includes a simile Learning about similes is as easy as

Understanding Similes — page 3 — WHTY USE SMILES We use similes to paint pictures with words Similes make your writing more colorful and your stories more interesting Similes also help writers explain and describe things They help readers understand what writers are feeling Similes also help you picture the characters and setting in a story Read the sentences below Some have similes and some do not Spot the similes Then compare the sentences How do the similes help you imagine the characters and setting The house was really messy The house looked like a dump Peter s head was as big and round as a pumpkin Peter had a big round head Ashley was very tall Ashley was as tall as a giraffe SUPERSIZED SIMILES The similes on this page use hyperbole Hyperbole is a figure of speech that exaggerates or describes a thing as much better or worse than it really is Hyperbole is used to make a point or to add humor to writing

Understanding Similes — page 4 — ABOUT THIS BOOK This book is divided into four sections to help you make sense of similes as fast as lightning FIGURE Studies similes in different sorts of writing IT OUT TALK Shows you how to brainstorm and use graphic organizers to start the writing process ABOUT IT WRITE Includes samples and tips to help you create original work ABOUT IT Now IT's YoUR Gets you making your own super similes in poems and stories TURN FIVE STEPS TO WRITING PRE WRITING Brainstorm new EDITING Read over your work ideas Write them all down even Correct any spelling or grammar if they seem as dull as dishwater mistakes Make your work as neat as a pin DRAFTING Your first draft can be as messy as a dog s breakfast PUBLISHING Share your finished as long as you can read it work with your friends and family or publish it online REVISING Take advice from It s as easy as ABC other writers They are like wise old owls Then revise your work to make it even better Y

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