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Get a quick crash course on the four sentence types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

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This short example from Gary Provost demonstrates what happens when a writer experiments with sentences of different lengths, as quoted in Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark.

Gary Provost was born in 1944 and died in 1995. He was the author of many books across a range of genres including four award-winning young adult novels. Provost was also a highly sought after writing instructor and published a number of writing advice books including (Writers Digest Books, 1980). Read more about Gary Provost at garyprovost.com , a site established and maintained by his wife Gail.

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This Sentence Has Five Words: A Lesson from Gary Provost on Varying Sentence Length

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This short example from Gary Provost demonstrates what happens when a writer experiments with sentences of different lengths, as quoted in Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark. Gary Provost was born in 1944 and died in 1995.

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Using Expanded detail to "Explode" a moment

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Using Expanded detail to "Explode" a moment

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Punctuation Rules for Dialogue and Practice

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Punctuation Rules for Dialogue and Practice

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Quia Quiz-Dialogue Practice Quia Quiz- Punctuating Dialogue -Add the correct punctuation to the dialogue and print answer paper.

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How to enhance your writing Sentence Variety in Writing

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Hyperbole is an exaggeration used for emphasis or humor. This literary tool is often used to make a certain element of a story seem more interesting. To say you were bored to tears (even when you were never on the verge of crying) packs a bit more of a punch than, "I was bored."

These literary tools are meant to be taken with a grain of salt because, while lying isn't encouraged, stretching the truth is the name of the game.

Let's have some fun with entertaining examples of hyperbole for kids that'll acquaint them with a new element of fiction and hopefully spark a lifelong friendship.

Hyperbole to Express Size

She's as thin as a toothpick.

Her brain is the size of a pea.

He was skinny enough to jump through a keyhole.

That mall is large enough to have its own zip code.

I ate so much on Thanksgiving, I weigh more than a whale.

Her smile was a mile wide.

His stomach is a bottomless pit.

Hyperbole to Express Desperation

If I can't get a smartphone, I will die.

My mom is going to kill me.

These dress shoes are killing me.

This is so boring, just kill me now!

It was so cold I saw polar bears wearing jackets.

My mom works her fingers to the bone.

It feels like my birthday will never come.

I had a ton of chores to do.

I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.

It's so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.

We used to walk 15 miles to school in the snow, uphill.

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Hyperbole to Exaggerate Expense

Our new house cost a bazillion dollars.

We don't have two cents to rub together.

The church was decorated with a million flowers.

He's got tons of video games.

Hyperbole to Exaggerate Time

Grandpa is older than dirt.

Old Mr. Smith has been teaching here since the Stone Age.

My dad is always working.

I've told you a million times not to do that.

We waited for centuries for the latest game to be released.

It will only take me two seconds to get there.

You're walking slower than a snail.

Carrie never stops talking.

I'm going to stay awake all night to catch Santa Claus.

Hyperboles in Ads

Kids see advertisements all the time and many contain hyperboles. Here of some examples of hyperboles in advertising:

AT&T - Reach out and touch someone.

Citgo - There at every turn.

Citi - Citi never sleeps.

Disneyland - The happiest place on earth.

Esso - Put a tiger in your tank.

Energizer - Keeps going and going and going.

Geico - It's so easy, a caveman can do it.

Oscar Meyer - It doesn't get better than this.

Redbull - It gives you wings!

Sherwin Williams - Cover the earth.

Visa - It's everywhere you want to be.

Now that the kids are hooked on hyperbole, we hope you'll continue the fun with more Examples of Hyperbole. And, when the time's right, why not expand their horizons into personification or alliteration? These Figure of Speech Examples provides a nice starting point for all the fictional fun you're about to ensconce them in.

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Hyperbole is an exaggeration used for emphasis or humor. This literary tool is often used to make a certain element of a story seem more interesting. To say you were bored to tears (even when you were never on the verge of crying) packs a bit more of a punch than, "I was bored."

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and their meanings

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Personification is when you give human qualities or abilities to an object or animal. It is a literary tool that adds interest and fun to a poem or story. When a writer brings a non-human object to life it can help us understand better what they're trying to say.

Common Personification Examples

Lightning danced across the sky.

The wind howled in the night.

The car complained as the key was turned.

Rita heard the last piece of pie calling her name.

My alarm clock yells at me every morning.

The avalanche devoured anything standing in its way.

Traffic slowed to a crawl.

The door protested as it opened slowly.

My house is a friend who protects me.

The moon played hide and seek with the clouds.

That book was so popular, it flew off the shelves.

My car's headlights winked at me.

She is so beautiful the camera loves her.

The stairs groaned as we walked on them.

Winter's icy grip caused people to shudder.

Our vacuum hums a happy tune while it cleans.

You need to cross over at the mouth of the river.

Time flies and waits for no one.

My flowers were begging for water.

The ivy wove its fingers around the fence.

The thunder was grumbling like it was angry.

Hail pounded the houses and streets.

The cactus saluted those who drove past.

The wildfire ran through the forest at an amazing speed.

When I didn't make the team, my dream of being a star died.

Personification in Literature

"Ah, William, we're weary of weather," / said the sunflowers, shining with dew. / "Our traveling habits have tired us. / Can you give us a room with a view?" - "Two Sunflowers Move into the Yellow Room", Nancy Willard

Ten thousand (daffodils) saw I at a glance, / Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. / The waves beside them danced; but they / Out-did the sparkling waves in glee - "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", William Wordsworth

The fog comes / on little cat feet. / It sits looking / over harbor and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on. - "The Fog", Carl Sandburg

The little dog laughed / To see such sport, / And the dish ran away with the spoon. - Nursery Rhyme

The night was creeping on the ground! / She crept and did not make a sound - "Check", James Stephens

"And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy." - The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein

Personification in Advertising

Oreo: Milk's favorite cookie - Oreo

Nothing hugs like Huggies - Huggies diapers

Goldfish: The snack that smiles back - Goldfish snack crackers

Kleenex says bless you - Kleenex facial tissues

The car that cares - Kia

Unwrap a smile - Little Debbie snack cakes

Carvel: It's what happy tastes like - Carvel ice cream

What do you feed a machine with an appetite this big? - Indesit washing machine and Ariel Liquitabs, laundry detergent (UK)

If you are still interested in the topic we have more examples of personification.

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Personification is when you give human qualities or abilities to an object or animal. It is a literary tool that adds interest and fun to a poem or story. When a writer brings a non-human object to life it can help us understand better what they're trying to say.

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two things that aren't alike but do have something in common. Unlike a simile, where two things are compared directly using like or as, a metaphor's comparison is more indirect by stating something is something else. A metaphor is very expressive; it is not meant to be taken literally.You may have to work a little to find the meaning in a metaphor.

Metaphors can be very helpful for kids who are learning the meaning of specific words because they provide a more visual description of the word or thought.

Kid-Friendly Metaphors

Check out these examples of metaphors. Look for the comparison being made:

The snow is a white blanket.

The hospital was a refrigerator.

The classroom was a zoo.

America is a melting pot.

Her lovely voice was music to his ears.

Life is a rollercoaster.

The alligator's teeth are white daggers.

Their home was a prison.

The slide on the playground was a hot stove.

His heart is a cold iron.

She is a peacock.

He is a shining star.

Time is money.

My teacher is a dragon.

Tom's eyes were icy.

The detective's face was wooden as he listened to her story.

She feels that life is a fashion show.

The world is a stage.

My kid's room is a disaster area.

The children were flowers grown in concrete gardens.

Kisses are the flowers of affection.

His words were cotton candy.

Mary's eyes were fireflies.

John's suggestion was just a Band-Aid.

The cast on his broken leg was a plaster shackle.

Her long hair was a flowing golden river.

The computers at school are old dinosaurs.

Laughter is the music of the soul.

He is a night owl.

Maria is a chicken.

The falling snowflakes are dancers.

At five o'clock, the interstate was a parking lot.

Books are keys to your imagination.

Her teddy bear was her best friend, never sharing her secrets.

The peaceful lake was a mirror.

Terry was blue when his goldfish died.

The wind was an angry witch.

The ballerina was a swan, gliding across the stage.

Her angry words were bullets to him.

Your brain is a computer.

Jamal was a pig at dinner.

You are my sunshine.

The car was a furnace in the sun.

Thank you so much. You are an angel.

That coach is an ogre.

Ben's temper was a volcano, ready to explode.

The kids were monkeys on the jungle gym.

The sun is a golden ball.

The clouds are balls of cotton.

Sue's room is a zoo with fish, a gerbil and a parakeet.

The park was a lake after the rain.

The lightning was fireworks in the sky.

Gary is a mule.

That lawn is a green carpet.

My dad is a road hog.

The stars are sparkling diamonds.

Those two best friends are two peas in a pod.

He is a walking dictionary.

Donations for the popular charity were a tsunami.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

My big brother is a couch potato.

The road was a ribbon stretching across the desert.

The teenager's stomach was a bottomless pit.

The thunder was a mighty lion.

I am so excited. My pulse is a race car.

The moon is a white balloon.

Toddlers are rug rats.

The stormy ocean was a raging bull.

Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.

These examples will help children understand that metaphors make writing more interesting and can bring a subject alive for a reader. Now that you know some good metaphors for kids, take a look at these other Metaphor Examples.

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make a comparison between two things that aren't alike but do have something in common. Unlike a simile, where two things are compared directly using like or as, a metaphor's comparison is more indirect by stating something is something else.

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A simile is a comparison between two different things using the word "like" or "as" to make the comparison. Similes are generally easier to identify than metaphors, but not always. Sometimes a speaker or writer may use the word "like" or "as" and not make any comparison. These are not similes. For example if I said, "I like pizza." I am expressing a preference for pizza not making a comparison.

By the time you finish working through these 100 examples of simile, you should have the hang of it. I have attempted to separate these similes into an "easy" and "hard" list. Here is the list of fifty easy similes:

Slashes indicate line-breaks.

1. "Food?" Chris inquired, popping out of his seat like a toaster strudel.

2. Grandpa lounged on the raft in the middle of the pool like an old battleship.

3. If seen from above the factory, the workers would have looked like clock parts.

4. The truth was like a bad taste on his tongue.

5. The people who still lived in the town were stuck in place like wax statues.

6. Cassie talked to her son about girls as though she were giving him tax advice.

7. Alan's jokes were like flat soda to the children, surprisingly unpleasant.

8. My mother's kitchen was like a holy place: you couldn't wear your shoes, you had to sit there at a certain time, and occasionally we'd pray.

9. The bottle rolled off the table like a teardrop.

10. The handshake felt like warm laundry.

11. She hung her head like a dying flower.

12. Arguing with her was like dueling with hand grenades.

13. The classroom was as quiet as a tongue-tied librarian in a hybrid car.

14. Janie's boyfriend appreciated her as an ape might appreciate an algebra book.

15. The clouds were like ice-cream castles in the sky.

16. The shingles on the shack shook in the storm winds like scared children.

17. When he reached the top of the hill, he felt as strong as a steel gate.

18. When the tree branch broke, Millie fell from the limb like a robin's egg.

19. She swam through the waters like she was falling through a warm dream.

20. They children ran like ripples through water.

21. Mikhail scattered his pocket change in front of the beggars like crumbs of bread.

22. Her hair was as soft as a spider web.

23. Each dollar bill was a like a magic wand to cast away problems.

24. The man held the blanket like a memory.

25. The ice sculptor's hands fluttered like hummingbird wings.

26. I'm about as awesome as a flying giraffe.

27. You are soft as the nesting dove.

28. Andre charged down the football field like it was the War of 1812.

29. The stars looked like stupid little fish.

30. Her laughter was like a warm blanket or a familiar song.

31. The river flows like a stream of glass

32. Blood seeped out of the wound like red teardrops.

33. Paul carried his science project to school like he was transporting explosive glass.

34. She looked at me like I was speaking in some strange alien tongue.

35. The town square was buzzing like a beehive.

36. Kelsey followed her dreams like most kids would follow a big sister.

37. Kyle looked at the test with a stare as blank as his notebook.

38. The robins are as thick today as flakes of snow were yesterday,

39. Her eyes are like the eyes of statues.

40. The gray moss drapes us like sages.

41. The music burst like a bent-up flood.

42. The curtains stir as with an ancient pain.

43. But now her hands like moonlight brush the keys with velvet grace.

44. I flitted like a dizzy moth.

45. The flowers were as soft as thoughts of budding love.

46. The gray of the sea, and the gray of the sky, / A glimpse of the moon like a half-closed eye.

47. Yes, the doors are locked and the ashes are white as the frost.

48. A mist about your beauty clings like a thin cloud before a star.

49. She went like snow in the springtime on a sunny hill.

50. Then I knew those tiny voices, clear as drops of dew.

Here are fifty examples of similes for advanced readers. Remember: a simile is a comparison between two different things using like or as to make the comparison.

1. I dream of silent verses where the rhyme glides noiseless as an oar.

2. Though they knew it not, their baby's cries were lovely as jeweled butterflies.

3. He kissed her as though he were trying to win a sword fight.

4. The paparazzi circled like vultures above a tottering camel.

5. She was as distant as a remote tropical island, uncivilized, unspoiled.

6. Our hearts, though stout and brave, still, like muffled drums, are beating funeral marches to the grave.

7. He had hidden his wealth, heaped and hoarded and piled on high like sacks of wheat in a granary.

8. Pieces of silver and of gold / Into the tinkling strong-box fell / Like pebbles dropped into a well;

9. The cabin windows have grown blank as eyeballs of the dead.

10. What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

11. Each face was like the setting sun, / As, broad and red.

12. Barefooted, ragged, with neglected hair, she was a thin slip of a girl, like a new moon.

13. A fatal letter wings its way across the sea, like a bird of prey.

14. I will sing a slumberous refrain, and you shall murmur like a child appeased.

15. For she knows me! My heart, clear as a crystal beam / To her alone, ceases to be inscrutable.

16. Leaf-strewing gales utter low wails like violins,

17. He spit out his teeth like stones.

18. Talk of your cold: through the parka's fold it stabbed like a driven nail.

19. Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.

20. Like winged stars the fire-flies flash and glance, / Pale in the open moonshine.

21. The breath of her false mouth was like faint flowers, / Her touch was as electric poison.

22. Then, as a hunted deer that could not flee, I turned upon my thoughts and stood at bay, wounded and weak and panting;

23. There are thick woods where many a fountain, rivulet, and pond are as clear as elemental diamond.

24. Years heap their withered hours, like leaves, on our decay.

25. The ripples wimple on the rills, like sparkling little lasses.

26. She was like a modest flower blown in sunny June and warm as sun at noon's high hour.

27. And the face of the waters that spread away / Was as gray as the face of the dead.

28. As in depths of many seas, my heart was drowned in memories.

29. Then like a cold wave on a shore, comes silence and she sings no more.

30. And shout thy loud battle-cry, cleaving the silence like a sword.

31. My soul is lost and tossed like a ship unruddered in a shoreless sea.

32. The clouds like crowds of snowy-hued and white-robed maidens pass

33. Dreams, like ghosts, must hide away; / 'Tis the day.

34. The evening stretches before me like a road.

35. I would have hours that move like a glitter of dancers.

36. Toby manipulated the people in his life as though they were chess pieces.

37. And only to think that my soul could not react, but turned on itself like a tortured snake.

38. There are strange birds like blots against a sky.

39. She goes all so softly like a shadow on the hill, a faint wind at twilight.

40. The horse-chestnuts dropped their buds like tears.

41. They walk in awful splendor, regal yet, wearing their crimes like rich and kingly capes.

42. Death is like moonlight in a lofty wood that pours pale magic through the shadowy leaves.

43. I was sick of all the sorrow and distress that flourished in the City like foul weeds.

44. As I read it in the white, morning sunlight, the letters squirmed like snakes.

45. Oh, praise me not the silent folk; / To me they only seem / Like leafless, bird-abandoned oak.

46. The windflowers and the lilies were yellow striped as adder's tongue.

47. I have seen old ships sail like swans asleep.

48. For the world's events have rumbled on since those days like traffic.

49. And dance as dust before the sun, light of foot and unconfined.

50. The fishes skim like umber shades through the undulating weeds.

51. Gather up the undiscovered universe like jewels in a jasper cup.

Common Core State Standards Related to Simile

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.5 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Expand to View All Common Core State Standards Related to Simile

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.5 - Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5a - Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5b - Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5a - Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.5b - Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.5a - Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.5a - Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.5a - Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.5a - Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.5a - Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text.

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100 Similes | Easy and Hard Simile Examples | Ereading Worksheets

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A simile is a comparison between two different things using the word "like" or "as" to make the comparison. Similes are generally easier to identify than metaphors, but not always. Sometimes a speaker or writer may use the word "like" or "as" and not make any comparison. These are not similes.

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Simile (pronounced sim--uh-lee) is a literary term where you use "like" or "as" to compare two different things and show a common quality between them. A simile is different from a simple comparison in that it usually compares two unrelated things. For example, "She looks you" is a comparison but not a simile. On the other hand, "She smiles like the sun" is a simile, as it compares a woman with something of a different kind- the sun.

II. Examples of Similes

Similes find, or perhaps create, similarities in typically different things. In fact, there may be no real similarity between the things compared, such a woman and the sun.

Example #1

The image below describes a girl's smile.

Using the sun to describe a girl's smile gives you an idea of how bright her smile seems, you can just picture its radiance.

Example #2

Consider this description of a thin man:
He's as thin as a rail!
There can be no real similarity between a man and a rail. But, describing a man as "as thin as a rail" evokes the image of a remarkably thin man, as a rail is a very thin pole.

Example #3

Consider a description of a graceful woman:
She moved like a deer.
In this case, the comparison is much closer; a deer and a person are at least both living creatures. But they are still different enough for it to be a simile. After all, if she literally moved just like a deer, she might be graceful, but we would also worry about her sanity. The simile is still figurative, because we're just saying that she moves with some of the qualities of a deer, not just like one!

III. The importance of using Similes

Similes are an important tool that make language more creative, descriptive, and entertaining. The mind thinks in images and associations, so similes are used to make stronger and more effective descriptions than if only adjectives or literal descriptions were used; they can stir up associated emotions, create new connections in the mind, and emphasize certain characteristics. Similes are almost essential to creative expression from everyday speech to poetry.

IV. Examples of Similes in Literature

Similes give the reader a more vivid experience of the story, calling powerful images to mind.

Example #1

For an example of simile in prose, read this excerpt from George Orwell's novel 1984:

He sat as still as a mouse, in the futile hope that whoever it was might go away after a single attempt. But no, the knocking was repeated. The worst thing of all would be to delay. His heart was thumping like a drum, but his face, from long habit, was probably expressionless.

This passage uses two similes: "as still as a mouse" and "thumping like a drum." Comparing the fearful man to a mouse emphasizes both his stillness and his helplessness. Comparing a heartbeat to a drumbeat emphasizes its pounding due to fear. Similes create a much more evocative passage than literal alternatives such as "He was afraid" and "His heart beat hard."

For a poetic example of simile, read an excerpt from Christina Rossetti's poem "A Birthday":

My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a water'd shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me.

Rossetti uses simile three times in this section of the poem: her heart is "like a singing bird," "like an apple-tree," and "like a rainbow shell." Rossetti compares the heart to a joyful bird in a full nest, an apple tree full of fruit, and a beautiful shell in a peaceful sea in order to poetically describe its joy, fullness, and peacefulness.

V. Examples of Similes in Pop Culture

Similes are just as prevalent in pop culture as they are in art, from movies and television to song.

Lenka's Everything at Once:

As sly as a fox

As strong as an ox

As fast as a hare

As brave as a bear

Lenka performing the song:

This video uses Lenka's song "Everything at Once" which is full of similes. Lenka describes many character traits that she wishes to have, including shyness, strength, quickness, and bravery, by using animals or objects that symbolize those traits.
I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast, but we like hot butter on the breakfast toast.
This example is an excerpt from Sugarhill Gang's song "Rappers Delight." Comparing themselves to hot butter on toast is a way of saying just how 'hot,' or popular, the group is.

The next example of Simile even became a popular catch-phrase:
Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
This example is from Outkast's hit song "Hey Ya!" Comparing the body to a Polaroid picture encourages the audience to get up, dance, and shake the same way people used to shake a polaroid picture to dry it out more quickly.

VI. Related Terms: Simile vs. Metaphor

Both similes and metaphors compare two different types of things. Unlike simile, though, metaphor makes a direct comparison without using "like" or "as." For example, consider the following descriptions:

Metaphor:

In this metaphor, the comparison made is that a person is equal to a wolf, not like a wolf. Since this cannot be literal, we know that it must mean that he is like a wolf in some way, probably that he is predatory, wild, or hungry. In order to express the same idea, simile is slightly different:

Simile:

He's like a wolf. Or
He's as hungry as a wolf.
As you can see, both metaphors and similes make the same kinds of vivid comparisons, just in different words. Which one you use may just depend on what kind of wording sounds or feels best in context.

VI. In Closing

Similes are a powerful and creative form of description that uses comparison to evoke images or symbols of whatever you are trying to describe. The simile can make a woman's smile beautiful by comparing it to a rose, or it can make her sly by comparing her to a fox. Similes use comparison to create connections between very different things, creating strong feelings and images.

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Simile: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net

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Clear Simile examples and definition. This article will show you the importance of Simile and how to use it. Simile is a literary term that uses "like" or "as" to compare two different things

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Tons of words!!!

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Sweet piney briny rancid Scented minty acidic sickly Fragrant odorous acrid stagnant Aromatic pungent burnt moldy Perfumed tempting gaseous musty Flowery spicy reeking mildewed Heady savory putrid damp Fresh sharp rotten dank Balmy gamey spoiled stench Earthy fishy sour stale ________ ________ _________ ________ ________ ________ _________ ________

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Word List to Describe Character Voices (SOUND)

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Word List to Describe Character Voices (SOUND)

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As I have been pecking away at the keys working on my new projects, I've been compiling a little list for myself. I thought I would make it pretty and share it with all of you. I do like to share. Is that weird? Well, not everything-my toothbrush is off limits. Now that I have made that clear, here is my latest infographic.

Are there words that you like to use to describe be voice? Please post them in the comments. Happy writing!

Here is printer friendly version-it is free for personal or classroom use.
words-to-describe-voice-printable

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Writing Resource: Words to Describe Voice Infographic

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As I have been pecking away at the keys working on my new projects, I've been compiling a little list for myself. I thought I would make it pretty and share it with all of you. I do like to s...

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Short exercises to practice using sensory details

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Lists of descriptive words for each of the 5 senses

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A video lesson on using sensory detail

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Sensory Details Definition

Sensory details include sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Writers employ the five senses to engage a reader's interest. If you want your writing to jump off the page, then bring your reader into the world you are creating. When describing a past event, try and remember what you saw, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted, then incorporate that into your writing.

Sensory details are used in any great story, literary or not. Think about your favorite movie or video game. What types of sounds and images are used? What do your favorite characters taste, smell, and touch? Without sensory details, stories would fail to come to life.

When sensory details are used, your readers can personally experience whatever you're trying to describe, reminding them of their own experiences, giving your writing a universal feel. A universal quality is conveyed when the writer is able to personally connect with the readers.

Another note about sensory details: there is no one sense that's more important than another. It all depends on the scene you're trying to create. However, imagery, the sight sense, is a common feature in vivid writing.

Examples of Sensory Details

Let's look at sensory details in action. Compare the following two passages describing a trip to the grocery store.

Here's a passage without sensory details:

'I went to the store and bought some flowers. Then I headed to the meat department. Later I realized I forgot to buy bread.'

Now, does this pull you in? Of course it doesn't. There's nothing to bring you into the writer's world. Read this revised version with the addition of sensory details:

'Upon entering the grocery store, I headed directly for the flower department, where I spotted yellow tulips. As I tenderly rested the tulips in my rusty shopping cart, I caught a whiff of minty dried eucalyptus, so I added the fragrant forest green bouquet of eucalyptus to my cart. While heading for the meat department, I smelled the stench of seafood, which made my appetite disappear. I absently grabbed a bloody red hunk of NY Strip and tossed it into my cart. Pushing my creaky shopping cart to the checkout line, I heard an employee announce over the PA that there was a special on shrimp. On the ride home, I realized I had forgotten to buy the crusty wheat bread I like so much.'

See how the extra details made the scene come to life? It takes time and effort to incorporate sensory details, but once you get the hang of it, your writing will pop.

Pay close attention to how sensory details, in particular imagery, contribute to this passage from Maya Angelou's vividly powerful short story 'My First Life Line.' Here, Angelou's young narrator (the speaker who tells the story) is describing her impression of Mrs. Flowers:

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sensory details in writing: definition & examples - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Sensory Details in Writing: Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Sensory details include sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Writers employ the five senses to engage a reader's interest. If you want your writing to jump off the page, then bring your reader into the world you are creating. When describing a past event, try and remember what you saw, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted, then incorporate that into your writing.

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Lists of phrases

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Paragraphs using sensory description