Practice
Similes exercise: understand comparisons in context
Sign in to saveAfter a long walk, Noor says, "My legs feel like jelly." Her legs have not become food. She uses a familiar comparison to make the unsteady feeling easy to picture.
Recognise a simile, explain the comparison it makes, and choose a suitable simile for a sentence without treating the comparison as a literal fact.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
like glass, as fast as a rabbit, as hot as an oven /laɪk ɡlɑːs/, /əz fɑːst əz ə ˈræb.ɪt/, /əz hɒt əz ən ˈʌv.ən/
The short answer
A simile is a comparison that helps you imagine a quality. It commonly uses like or as. In The suitcase was as heavy as a rock, the suitcase is not a rock; the comparison suggests that it was very heavy.
The old floorboard creaked like a tired door.
Why it works: Like connects the sound of the floorboard with the familiar sound of a door that needs oiling.
5 more examples
-
The pavement shone like glass after the rain.
The comparison suggests a bright, smooth surface after rain.
Not this:The pavement was
made of glass. What changes: This sentence makes a literal claim about the material. The simile only creates an image. -
The toddler ran as fast as a rabbit toward the gate.
The comparison focuses on speed, not on the child becoming an animal.
Not this:The toddler ran
faster than his brother. What changes: This is an ordinary comparison between two people, with no figurative image. -
Her reply was as sharp as a pin.
Sharp suggests that the reply felt sudden or cutting.
Not this:She carried a
sharp pinfor sewing. What changes: Here sharp describes the real point of a pin, so the meaning is literal. -
The baby slept like a log during the storm.
The comparison suggests deep, still sleep despite the noise.
Not this:A log
lay stillbeside the fireplace. What changes: The log is described directly. In the simile, its stillness helps describe sleep. -
By noon, the classroom felt as hot as an oven.
The comparison gives a strong image of uncomfortable heat.
Not this:The oven
was hotenough to bake bread. What changes: This sentence refers to the real heat of an oven rather than comparing another place to it.
Read the full guide
Do not stop at the word like or as. Some sentences use those words for an ordinary factual comparison, while a simile creates an image. Read the full sentence, decide whether the comparison is literal, and name the quality the writer wants you to notice.
Find the two parts of a simile
A simile has something being described and an image used for comparison. In The lake was as smooth as a mirror, the lake is the subject and a mirror supplies the image. The shared quality is smoothness. Naming all three parts makes the meaning easier to explain.
The lake was as smooth as a mirror at sunrise.
The lake reflected the hills clearly gives the result directly. The simile adds an image for the same smooth surface.
Notice the patterns with like and as
Use like after a verb or noun phrase when it introduces the image: The lanterns floated like stars. Use as plus an adjective plus as when the adjective is the main quality: The path was as narrow as a ribbon. Both patterns compare; neither says that the two things are identical.
The lanterns floated like stars above the street. The path was as narrow as a ribbon.
Which pattern completes the image: The new blanket was ___ soft ___ a cloud?
Use as soft as: The new blanket was as soft as a cloud. The adjective soft sits between the two uses of as.
Separate an image from a literal comparison
Read beyond like or as before you decide. In Leo is as tall as his father, both people have real heights, so the sentence compares them directly. In Leo stood as still as a statue, a statue supplies an image of stillness. The second sentence is a simile.
Leo stood as still as a statue while the photographer adjusted the camera.
Leo is as tall as his father compares two measurable heights. It does not use one thing to create an image of another.
Use the setting to choose the intended quality
The same image can suggest different details in different sentences. A mouse may suggest small size, quiet movement, or fear. The nearby words decide which detail matters. In the sentence The witness was as quiet as a mouse, quiet is the useful quality, not the animal's size.
During the surprise, the witness was as quiet as a mouse.
The mouse was small enough to fit through the gap describes a real animal. The simile borrows a quality for a person.
Choose a simile that fits the sentence
Start with the quality you need to express. If a room is extremely quiet, a comparison with a library may fit. If a runner moves quickly, choose an image linked to speed. Check whether the image is familiar enough for your reader and whether it suits the tone of the sentence.
After the concert ended, the hall was as quiet as a library.
Choose the image for speed: The cyclist moved like a ___.
A common choice is arrow: The cyclist moved like an arrow. An arrow suggests quick, direct movement.
Explain a simile in your own words
When an exercise asks for meaning, do not repeat the image only. Turn it into a plain description. The queue moved like a snail means that the queue moved very slowly. This step checks that you understand the intended quality rather than only recognising the pattern.
The queue moved like a snail after the computer stopped working.
The queue moved slowly says the meaning plainly. Like a snail adds a more memorable picture of the slow movement.
Before you go
Remember this
Find the two things being compared, then name the quality that connects them. A simile with like or as usually creates an image, while a literal comparison states a real fact. Use the surrounding sentence to decide which meaning is intended.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Similes exercise: understand comparisons in context"
What is a simile?
A simile compares one thing with another to suggest a quality or create an image. The pavement shone like glass after the rain suggests a bright, smooth surface. It does not claim that the pavement was made of glass.
The pavement shone like glass after the rain.
How can I recognise a simile?
Look for a comparison that often uses like or the pattern as plus an adjective plus as. In The toddler ran as fast as a rabbit, the comparison points to speed. Then read the full sentence to check that the image is figurative.
The pavement was made of glass.
Are all sentences with like similes?
No. Like can be a verb, as in I like this song, or it can introduce another kind of comparison. A simile uses the comparison to help a reader imagine a quality, as in The baby slept like a log.
The toddler ran as fast as a rabbit toward the gate.
What is the difference between a simile and a literal comparison?
A literal comparison states a real relationship, such as The toddler ran faster than his brother. A simile uses an image, such as Her reply was as sharp as a pin, to suggest a quality without saying that the two things are the same.
The toddler ran faster than his brother.
How do I explain the meaning of a simile?
Name the quality that links the two things, then say it in plain language. By noon, the classroom felt as hot as an oven means that the classroom felt extremely hot. The surrounding sentence helps you choose the intended quality.
Her reply was as sharp as a pin.