Similes · Grade 4

In Grade 4 you learn: similes with like and as … as; what two things are compared.

A simile compares one thing with another, using like or as … as, to help the reader picture it: as brave as a lion, She ran like the wind. Ask what two things are compared and what they have in common.

Key facts

  • Simile with like: She ran like the wind. With as … as: as cold as ice, as light as a feather.
  • Ask: what two things are compared, and what do they have in common? The lake was as smooth as glass.: the lake and glass, both smooth and shiny.
  • Not every like is a simile: I like apples. is not a comparison.

Worked examples

Example 1

Simile or metaphor? His hands were as cold as ice.

Answer: simile

Example 2

Complete the simile: as busy as a ___

Answer: bee

Example 3

Find the simile: The baby's skin was as soft as silk.

Answer: as soft as silk

Example 4

What two things are compared? Her eyes sparkled like diamonds.

Answer: her eyes and diamonds: both sparkle and shine

Other years