Similes and metaphors are figures of speech used to compare two different things. Similes use words like “like,” “as,” or “than” to show similarities between two dissimilar nouns, while metaphors state that one thing “is” another. Look for phrases that compare two different things, including abstract concepts like thoughts and behaviors.
Before you can identify sentences with similitudes, it is important to fully understand the definition of similitude. A simile is a figure of speech often used in poetry and other types of literature, often to compare two essentially different things. Sentences with similarities often include the words “like,” “like,” or “that” somewhere within the comparing part of the sentence. Similarly, a metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between different things. Readers should not confuse similes and metaphors, however, as a simile indicates how two things are similar while a metaphor says one thing is another.
When looking for phrases with similarities, look for phrases that compare two things that are normally different from each other. Usually, these two things are nouns, which means they are people, places, or things. Common examples of two different things being compared to each other include comparing a human and an animal, a human and an inanimate object, and an animal and an inanimate object. Note that some sentences with similes might be comparing more abstract and intangible things, such as thoughts, behaviors, and other actions. To say that a person’s character is like a tornado, for example, is a simile involving an intangible object or behavior.
Perhaps the most common trick that can help you identify sentences with similarities is to look for the words “like”, “as”, or “than” in the sentence. Keep in mind that these words can’t be anywhere in the sentence. Usually, for one of these words to score a similarity, it must be used between the two dissimilar nouns being compared. For example, in the sentence “Life is like an onion”, “like” is between “life” and “onion”, which are seemingly different from each other but are involved in a comparison. Similarly, in the simile “He is as strong as an ox,” “like” is between the two nouns being compared, which are human and ox.
Similarities are often confused with metaphors and vice versa. Most likely, the confusion comes from the fact that both of these types of figures of speech make comparisons between two different names. Readers should understand that these comparisons are different, though. Similes state that something is “like” something else, while metaphors state that something “is” something else. For example, saying that “the sun is like a morning kiss” is a simile, and saying that “the sun is a morning kiss” is a metaphor.
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