Similes

Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know which one you’re going to get.

Let’s use this example to understand what a simile is:

• A simile is a phrase that uses a comparison to describe. For example, “life” can be described as similar to “a box of chocolates.”
• You know you’ve spotted one when you see the words like or as in a comparison.
• Similes are like metaphors. But metaphors aren’t the same as similes.
• Similes are great for famous authors, public speakers, and folks who want to make their writing as exciting as a spontaneous show of fireworks.

---

What is a Simile?

Here’s a tip: A simile (SIM-uh-lee) is a type of figurative language that describes something by comparing it to something else with the words like or as.

Even if you don’t know the definition like the back of your hand, you’ve probably seen plenty of similes. For example:

I know that definition like the back of my hand. Those two are as different as night and day. He stood out like a sore thumb. That answer is as clear as mud. Grandpa has a memory like a sieve. The mouse is as dead as a doornail.

Here’s a tip: Need a trick to remember? Simile sounds a lot like similar. Similes compare similar things, with help from the words like or as.

More Simile Examples

Similes can make writing more colorful and interesting. If you don’t believe us, ask these famous writers.

William Shakespeare

O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night, Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear…”

Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 5

As a side note, the word “Ethiop” isn’t exactly politically correct. But Shakespeare didn’t know that when he used it to evoke Juliet’s jeweliness.

William Woodsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills.

“Daffodils”

That’s pretty lonely.

Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run?

“Harlem, 2”

Don’t defer your dreams, folks. You don’t know what could happen to them.

Similes in Writing

The above examples represent the height of poetic creation. But similes also boost everyday writing by painting a vivid image in just a few words. Compare these sentences:

Lois walked across the room with purpose. Lois moved across the room like a warship sailing into battle.

The first sentence is relatively bland. But the simile in the second sentence invites the reader to imagine an old-fashioned warship sailing to battle: stately, determined, proud, perhaps with a hint of danger. It characterizes Lois as an imposing figure and hints that she’s planning something big once she gets to the other side of the room.

Simile vs. Metaphor

Here’s a tip: Similes and metaphors are both used to make comparisons or elucidate concepts, but they aren’t the same.

While a simile makes comparisons with help from like or as, a metaphor states outright that one thing is another thing. It’s important to undersatnd the difference between a metaphor and simile.

To compare these forms of comparisons, here are some examples:

Life is like a box of chocolates. (Simile)

My life is an open book. (Metaphor)

That baby is as cute as a button! (Simile)

Baby, you’re a firework. (Metaphor)

Fun fact: Because they both make figurative comparisons, all similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes. For the most part, keep like and as in mind if you’re on the hunt for similes, and you’ll be set.

Test your knowledge of simile and metaphor with our quiz.

Similes and Exaggeration

Similes often make use of hyperbole, or exaggeration:

He runs as fast as lightning.

She’s as sweet as honey.

You sing like an angel.

Similes focus on a particular aspect of a comparison, so they keep hyperbolic statements from seeming over-the-top. Contrast these sentences:

Dirk’s a mean snake.

Dirk’s as mean as a snake.

The first version is a metaphor, but it’s so blunt that it risks seeming clumsy or childish. The second version, a simile, more clearly emphasizes the quality that Dirk shares with snakes: meanness.

Figurative language is an excellent way to add interest and imagery to your writing. So next time you’re struggling to find exactly the right words for a description, try to come up with a simile that’s as perfect as a flawless diamond.

Metaphor vs. Simile Quiz

Similes are often confused with metaphors because the serve similar functions. Take our short simile-metaphor quiz to check your understanding of these rhetorical tools.

How to Use the Passive Voice Correctly

The passive voice is a misunderstood entity in the world of writing. It is unfairly judged by many authors. Some writers, without taking the time to get to know this grammatical structure, avoid it at all costs. Others use it ineffectively because they do not understand how it works. How can you get to know this mysterious literary device?

First, let’s start with an explanation of what passive voice is. Passive voice sentences mention the thing or person receiving an action before mentioning the action itself, and may omit the actor altogether. For example, consider this sentence:

The leaves were blown by the wind.

The leaves receive the action of being blown. In the example, the agent is specified with the preposition by. However, the agent could have been left out of the sentence: The leaves were blown.

When is it proper to use passive voice? Consider these instances. Why do you suppose passive voice is appropriate? Check your answers below.

• My camera was stolen from my locker at school.
• A candle will be lit at the memorial service for the fallen soldier.
• Diets are made to be broken.
• The sodium hydroxide solution was heated to 200 degrees.

Answers:

• Who stole the camera? The agent is unknown. If you do not know who committed an action, it is appropriate to use passive voice.
• Who do you want to receive the attention? If you prefer the attention to be on the action itself (the candle being lit) and not the person doing the lighting, you may omit the agent.
• You are expressing a general truth that is applicable to many. Using active voice to express this idea would be awkward: People who make diets make them to be broken.
• Researchers often use passive voice in scientific reports. It is assumed that the reader knows that the experimenters are performing the actions without stating this fact explicitly. But, according to the University of Toronto, this trend is on the decline. Recent papers tend to contain more examples of active voice.

What questions do you have about using passive voice?

How to Stay Focused on All Your Tasks

We’ve all found ourselves distracted from things we should be doing. A 2014 study found that a whopping 87 percent of high school and college students are self-professed procrastinators. Odds are good that you’ve found yourself distracted when you know you should be focused on a task. Is there a cure? Let’s take a look at how to avoid the pitfalls of common distractions.

When the Internet Interferes with Your Productivity

Distractions are everywhere, and the Internet doesn’t help. My article deadline is approaching and I still have a long way to go. I’m a perfectionist—I wouldn’t dare slap something together just to have it done—so that means either finishing soon or facing the indignity of asking for an extension. Ugh.

I stare at the cursor. Blink. Blink. Blink.

Maybe I’ll scroll through my Facebook feed. (Hush, conscience! There may be inspiration there. You never know.) Is that an ad for a meal delivery service? Sounds interesting. I like cooking. Cooking requires electricity. I wonder if I paid the electric bill. Maybe I’ll check my personal email account for the receipt. Hmm, Amazon emailed to see if I’d be interested in a panini maker. Would I use that? I’d like a panini for lunch. Ugh! This article won’t write itself. I need to get my ducks in a row.

I don’t have ducks. There is no row. I think what I have is more like over-caffeinated squirrels run amok.

via GIPHY

3 Internet-Blocking Productivity Apps

Fortunately, there are apps for that. If you have the self-discipline to use them, they can help you keep your eyes off social media and other time-wasting sites that lure you away when you’re trying to work. Here are a few:

• Self Control is an open-source Mac app that blocks time-waster sites that you specify. Simply add your most frequent offenders to the blacklist, set a timer, and run the app to keep distractions at bay, even if you restart your computer.
• Freedom helps over 100,000 users block out Internet distractions (and even the entire Internet for those who want to get some reading or other non-digital work done). Although it costs $29 for a one-year plan, the program is robust and works across Mac, Windows, and iOS platforms. The downside? They don’t have an Android app and currently have browser plugins for Chrome only.
• Forest helps you keep your hands off your Android or iOS device by gamifying the process. Start the app to plant a virtual tree. As long as you keep your paws off, the tree grows. When the tree matures (which takes a half hour) you can add it to a grove that eventually becomes a forest. Bonus: users can spend virtual coins they earn in Forest to plant real world trees.

When the Real World Gets You Off-Task

The Internet is a significant distraction, but it’s not the whole picture. The Internet has been with us for only a short span of human history, but distractibility has probably been a thing since that one guy, we’ll call him Trogg, first wandered away from his tribe of hunter/gatherers in search of something shiny he spotted on a distant hillside.

Sometimes, a little structured procrastination can actually help you regain your focus. But more often, it represents the things you do when you really should be doing something else. The more focused I’m supposed to be on an article, the more inclined I am to get up and make a cup of tea or decide that the dog needs walking. Office environments pose a different problem, because workplace distractions abound. What to do?

4 Ways to Increase Your Focus

• Focus on habits over goals. Think of goals as the overarching theme. (I want to stay focused and finish my articles before their deadline.) Goals are fine, but failing to reach them is a recipe for feeling bad about yourself. That’s where habits come in. By creating habits, you break your goals down into manageable steps. (I’ll research and outline in the morning, write in the afternoon, and finalize and edit in the evening.) Plus, those good habits become ingrained and, hopefully, stay with you for life. Win!
• Allocate time to plan your day. As you can see above, I have a strategy for researching and writing articles that works with my own schedule. If you spend a few moments in the morning allocating your time, you’ll be less likely to let the day slip away before you’ve finished your tasks. My schedule might look like this: 9-11 a.m. research and outlining; 1-2 p.m. answer email; 2-4 p.m. write 800 words; 9-11 p.m. finish writing and editing.
• Take a stand against pesky coworkers. When I work in an office setting, I tend to become the office “social worker.” Everyone comes to me with their problems, or their desire to share their life story. (It’s a gift, albeit a questionable one.) I once had a boss who was the worst offender. She’d sit in my office for hours talking about her personal life, and then complain when I wasn’t finished with my tasks at the end of the day. If you find yourself constantly subjected to office chatter, disengaging can be as simple as standing up when an eager-to-talk coworker enters your workspace. Your unwelcome guest will find the idea of sitting down while you’re standing awkward and will be less likely to overstay their welcome. Voila!
• Make to-do lists. Start your morning (or end your day) by creating a to-do list. We tend to stay more focused on tasks when they’re laid out for us and we can prioritize. Posting a written list can provide a useful bit of visual incentive as you gleefully cross off the tasks you’ve accomplished. It really is that simple!

We’re distractible people, and the world is a distracting place. To make matters worse, technology is all up in our business 24/7. But with a little planning, and maybe even some help from technology itself via productivity apps, we can shut out the noisy world and get things done.

Do you have trouble staying focused? Share a story and your favorite way to stay on task in the comments.

What Are Personal Pronouns?

A personal pronoun is a short word we use as a simple substitute for the proper name of a person. Each of the English personal pronouns shows us the grammatical person, gender, number, and case of the noun it replaces. I, you, he, she, it, we they, me, him, her, us, and them are all personal pronouns.

Personal pronouns are the stunt doubles of grammar; they stand in for the people (and perhaps animals) who star in our sentences. They allow us to speak and write with economy because they enable us to avoid repeating cumbersome proper nouns all the live-long day.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 in South Africa and Bishop Desmond Tutu rose to international fame in the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Bishop Desmond Tutu in 1984. Bishop Desmond Tutu has written seven books and has cowritten or contributed to many others.

With personal pronouns, this paragraph becomes much easier, and much less annoying, to read.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was born in 1931 in South Africa and he rose to international fame in the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to him in 1984. He has written seven books and has cowritten or contributed to many others.

First-, Second-, and Third-Person Pronouns

A personal pronoun can be in one of three “persons.” A first-person pronoun refers to the speaker, a second-person pronoun refers to the person being spoken to, and a third-person pronoun refers to the person being spoken of. For each of these three grammatical persons, there is a plural as well.

Subject and Object Pronouns

Personal pronouns can be either subjects or objects in a sentence. Subject pronouns are said to be in the nominative case, whereas object pronouns are said to be in the objective case.

Person	Nominative	Objective
First singular	I	me
Second singular	you	you
Third singular	he, she, it	him, her, it
First plural	we	us
Second plural	you	you
Third plural	they	them

The interrogative pronouns for all three persons are the same: who (nominative) and whom (objective). Many people get confused about when to use the interrogative objective pronoun whom, but it is quite easy to learn.

Mrs. Khan asked that the package be delivered to her at the office. (her = third person singular objective)

To whom should I address my letter? (whom = interrogative objective; I = first person singular nominative)

We would like to invite Stacy to join us for dinner. (we = first person plural nominative; us = first person plural objective)

Y’all Got a Problem? Second Person Singular vs. Plural

One pitfall of English is that it uses the same word, you, for both the second person singular and plural. Many other languages do not have this problem, because they use distinct words for each. But in English, we need a context to determine whether you is singular or plural.

Would you like to come over for dinner?

From this sentence alone, we can’t determine whether one person, or two, or five hundred people are being invited to share a meal. This is why in some parts of the world, we hear additions to you when a plural is indicated, like you lot in the UK or you all (or y’all) in America. It probably goes without saying that you should keep this out of your formal writing.

The Latest in Grammatical Debates: The Singular “They”

While the second person has a number issue, the third person has a gender issue that is hotly debated by editors around the globe. The problem occurs in cases when the gender of the third-person singular pronoun is indeterminate.

Using he or she and him or her is preferred by most style guides, but informally, a singular they is often used.

If a customer wants to speak to a manger, they can phone after 10 o’clock.

While your English teacher might lose his or her mind over this sentence, the singular they was recently deemed acceptable usage by the Associated Press. That said, until it becomes more widely accepted, you should avoid it in formal writing.

Grammar Shaming: “Who’s” Fault Is It?

There are very few things more annoying than a glaring grammar error in an otherwise acceptable piece of writing.

As lovers of language, you and I have a natural instinct to fix these errors. How do we deal, for example, with declarations that tweak our nose?

“I like her to.”

“Its a cold day.”

Seriously, people?!

Sometimes these grammar hiccups seem engineered to drive us up a wall, and they begin to take on a sinister quality. We encounter them over and over, and start to wonder if the writers are purposefully taunting us. Do they not understand that there are specific rules applied to how one writes? Have they never attended an English class? Do they not see that the very fabric of the Universe is at stake?

And from this rift, the troll inside of us emerges.

We find ourselves scouring Facebook posts, text messages, comment boards, and blogs. We find each typo, each error, and drag it out of the narrative like some slimy thing. We expose these abominations to the holy, cleansing light of Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. Then, for each infraction, we admonish the offender with an online version of a ruler crack across the knuckles.

Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But it’s surprising how many of these enforcers stalk the Internet. Whenever they pop up to scold someone’s grammar in chat, or Facebook, they evoke a high school, “Mean Girls” atmosphere. The correction becomes a tacit, “I’m smarter than you.” The conversation quickly degenerates into a digital tarring and feathering that echoes a pseudo-erudite desire to anger or shame the “offender.” It rarely ends well, even in the best of circumstances, and the original point becomes lost in the absurd volley of angry posts.

Other grammarians take a different tack. They choose to say nothing, and sail blithely through the chaotic sea of mangled spelling and misused phrases. This alternative isn’t much better. If we love language, shouldn’t we try to preserve it? Is it not our duty to stamp out the weed-like errors we find before they spread? Is there no middle ground here?

My grandmother always said, “Show them what you want, don’t tell ‘em.” Envision the magic that can happen when one brave soul quietly sits down and types a beautiful sentence. If this is a battle you want to fight and win, I suggest the path of the quiet good example. Write well. Respond correctly. Use the correct capital letters in your posts, place commas appropriately in your texts, and think twice about the apostrophes in your blogs.

Remember that shame is a weapon, not a teaching tool. Using shame in the context of “helping” another writer creates a breakdown in communication. That’s the very thing we’re trying to avoid.

Most issues can be resolved with good proofreading. Online writers are often in a hurry and are unaware that they have broken a grammar rule. So show them how it’s done in your own writing. When you lead by example, you might be surprised how many people begin to replace a misplaced “to” with a “too.”

You’ve hurt no one in the process, and your karma’s clean.

3 Quick Tips to Make Your Cover Letters Better

Guest post from Brie Weiler Reynolds

For job seekers, making a strong first impression is crucial. With employers spending so little time screening cover letters and resumes before deciding if your application will make it to the next round, it’s imperative to use that precious space well. Your cover letter acts as an introduction between yourself and the employer. That’s why it’s so important to take the time to make customized, quality cover letters to help your application stand out.

Employers and recruiters have spent countless hours screening job applicants in their industry, so they will quickly spot a poorly written or generic cover letter. Start off on the right foot with potential employers by making sure your cover letters are as perfect as possible. These three easy tips will help you ensure your cover letters introduce you to an employer in the best possible light.

Don’t start every sentence with “I.”

Because so much of a cover letter is focused on you, it’s very easy to inadvertently start every sentence with “I.” “I have a degree in physics,” “I’ve worked for 10 years in accounting,” “I’ve been working from home for five years.” But when someone else is reading your letter, this approach starts to sound very self-centered and can easily throw their attention off your qualifications and onto your grammatical choices. After you write the first draft of your cover letter, proofread and change most of your sentences to start with something other than “I.”

Avoid cliches and over-used phrasing.

Phrases like “Please find my resume attached,” “To whom it may concern,” “think outside the box,” and keywords like “organized,” “computer proficient,” “passionate,” “team player,” and “dynamic” add absolutely nothing to your cover letter. They’re so overused that employers read right past them, looking for any hint of originality in your writing. Use that valuable space to say something meaningful, rather than something everyone else is saying, too.

Stop run-on sentences in their tracks.

Make sure your sentences are short and to-the-point by eliminating any run-on sentences. You should have two to three sentences per paragraph, and three to four paragraphs for one cover letter. An easy way to spot run-ons is to read your cover letter out loud. How many times did you have to stop to take a breath? If you find yourself reading a sentence that turns into a paragraph all by itself, you’ve just found a run-on. Try breaking up those long sentences where you see “and” or “but,” as those are natural stopping points.

Small mistakes like these force the employer to pay attention not to your qualifications as a job applicant, but to your poor writing skills. Whether deserved or not, a recruiter may see these mistakes as evidence of a poor work ethic or an inability to perform the job. Be sure an employer has nothing to focus on except what a qualified candidate you are by writing cover letters that are well-proofed and grammatically correct.

Brie Weiler Reynolds is the Director of Online Content at FlexJobs, the award-winning site for telecommuting and flexible job listings. FlexJobs lists thousands of pre-screened, legitimate, and professional-level work-from-home jobs and other types of flexibility like part-time positions, freelancing, and flexible schedules. Brie provides career and job search advice through the FlexJobs Blog and social media.