Simile or Metaphor?

Year 4 EnglishSimiles3 pages

About this worksheet

A Year 4 sheet that separates similes from metaphors, over three pages. A shaded box defines both, with The cat's fur was as soft as a cloud and The snow is a thick white blanket as examples. Pupils write S or M beside twelve comparisons, six of each, from The classroom was a zoo to The autumn leaves fell like confetti from the trees. Page two turns three metaphors into similes and asks which is stronger and why. The key lists every S and M with sample rewrites. It follows England National Curriculum for years 3 and 4.

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Curriculum objectives covered

Reading - comprehension

โ€œDiscussing words and phrases that capture the reader's interest and imaginationโ€

Part 1 sorts twelve comparisons by how they are built, and Part 3 asks pupils which version they find stronger and why.

Reading - comprehension

โ€œIdentifying how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaningโ€

In Part 2 pupils see how adding like or as changes the shape of a comparison, for example The old loaf of bread was a rock becomes was like a rock.

What's inside this worksheet

Simile and metaphor box

A definition and one example of each, with like, as and is in bold.

Sort the Comparisons

Twelve comparisons in a two-column grid, each with a box for S or M, such as He was as stubborn as a mule and The stars were diamonds in the sky.

Turn Metaphors into Similes

Three metaphors to rewrite with like or as: The runner was a rocket on the track, The toddler is a whirlwind in the playroom and The old loaf of bread was a rock.

Think and Explain

One question asking which is stronger, a simile or a metaphor, with five lines for a reason.

Answers

S or M for all twelve, sample rewrites for Part 2 and two model answers to question 4.

How teachers use it

Sorting race

Read the twelve comparisons aloud and let pupils show S or M on whiteboards before they write. Sentence 7, my brother is a night owl, usually splits the room.

Follow-up writing

Ask pupils to take one of their own Part 2 similes and turn it back into a metaphor in a new sentence.

Two-corner debate

Use question 4 as a debate, simile in one corner and metaphor in the other, before anyone writes.

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