Identify Similes and Metaphors

A literary device is a tool used by writers to enhance the meaning of a text. 

Being able to recognise different literary devices is a key skill in English. You will also need to be able to use them yourself.

Two common devices are similes and metaphors and no doubt you have come across these before. The trick to developing your skills with both identifying and using these devices is to be as sophisticated as possible. This takes practice.

In this activity, we will develop these skills using a descriptive text.

Read it through and then get ready to start the questions.

The beach stretches out like a golden ribbon, its sand as fine and soft as powdered sugar, inviting you to sink your toes into its warm embrace. The grains, like a multitude of tiny gems, glisten under the radiant sun, creating a shimmering tapestry that seems to stretch endlessly.

Rock pools pepper the shore like nature's hidden treasures, resembling crystal-clear windows into an underwater world. They're like nature's own jewellery boxes, each containing a kaleidoscope of marine life, like pearls in an oyster, waiting to be discovered. The pools are mirrors reflecting the azure sky above, like tiny pieces of the heavens carved into the rugged coastline.

As you walk along this coastal paradise, the sand feels as smooth as silk beneath your feet, while the waves caress the shore like a gentle lover's touch. The seagulls overhead dance in the breeze, their wings as graceful as a ballet, creating a symphony of freedom.

The beach is a canvas of tranquillity, a masterpiece painted by the elements, where the sand is a warm embrace, the rock pools are nature's jewels, and the sea and sky are boundless, like an endless love affair between land and water.