11+ Creative writing · Topic explained
Similes and metaphors in your writing
How do you make a reader see something in a brand-new way?
The big idea
A good simile or metaphor is fresh, fits the picture and suits the mood.
Picture it
Swap a worn-out comparison for one nobody has heard before.
Key words
- Simile
- A comparison using "like" or "as".
- Metaphor
- Saying something IS something else.
- Cliché
- A phrase used so often it has lost its power.
Worked examples
- 1Warm-up
"The snow was white." → "Snow lay over the field like a clean white sheet."
- A simile helps us picture it: smooth and spotless.
- 211+ standard
"As quick as lightning" → "as quick as a rumour in the playground"
- Swap the cliché for something fresh, from a child's world.
- 311+ standard
"The motorway was a river of red tail lights."
- A metaphor: no like or as.
- We see the long, slow flow of traffic.
- 411+ standard
Scary scene: Doesn't fit: "The moon was a smiling lantern." Fits: "The moon was a thin white scar in the sky."
- Match the comparison to the mood.
- A scar feels uneasy; a smiling lantern feels cosy.
The common mistake
The mistake
The more similes, the better the writing.
Instead
One or two fresh, fitting comparisons beat a pile of clichés.
Why: Too many comparisons crowd the writing and the reader stops noticing them.
Where it comes up in the 11+
Story and description tasks: markers reward original imagery.
The video
Video coming soon
We're making a short video that explains similes and metaphors in your writing step by step. Until then, everything it covers is on this page.
Free printable
Similes and metaphors in your writing worksheet
Practice questions on this topic to print and try on paper, at home or on the way to school.
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Quick quiz
Have a go first, then tap to see the answer.
1. Which is a cliché?
- As busy as a bee
- As busy as a lunch queue on pizza day
- Her mind was a crowded station
- The wind chewed at the tent
Show the answerHide the answer
As busy as a bee
It has been used so often it has lost its power.
2. "His voice was gravel." This is…
- A metaphor
- A simile
- A cliché
- A fact
Show the answerHide the answer
A metaphor
It says his voice IS gravel, with no like or as.
3. For a happy picnic scene, which fits best?
- The sun was a warm, golden blanket
- The sun was a glaring, angry eye
- The sky was a bruise
- The trees were claws
Show the answerHide the answer
The sun was a warm, golden blanket
It matches the happy, cosy mood.