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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780547346274 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Publication date: | 04/17/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 67 |
| File size: | 50 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
| Age Range: | 10 - 11 Years |
About the Author
Giulio Maestro is an author and artist who has illustrated more than 100 books for young readers, including Marvin Terban's GUPPIES IN TUXEDOS: FUNNY EPONYMS and IT FIGURES! FUN FIGURES OF SPEECH. He lives with his wife, Betsy, in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
SIMILES
Are Like ...
Let's say you're writing a story and you want to describe your bedroom the night the heat went off. You might write, "My room was cold." That's a perfectly good sentence. Or you might want to try to express yourself a little more creatively by writing, "My room was as cold as ice." This is a simile (SIM-uh-lee). It's a comparison between the coldness of your room and the coldness of ice. It helps your readers really get the feel of just how cold your room was. Notice that the word as is in the simile.
In your story, the lady next door is wearing a new hat with fake fruit on it. You could write, "Her hat had a lot of fake fruit on it," or you could express yourself more figuratively by writing "Her hat looked like a fruit bowl," another simile. You are comparing your neighbor's hat with a bowl of fruit. That simile helps your readers get a good image of just what the hat looked like. Notice that the word like is in the simile.
Similes are lively comparisons used to enrich descriptions of people, places, things, emotions, and actions. A simile links two different elements by comparing one with the other in a way that shows how they are actually alike. Readers and listeners know what the two things are (a bedroom and ice; a hat and a fruit bowl), even though they don't usually think of them together. When you use a simile, you are pointing out some quality or characteristic (color, size, shape, movement, texture, smell, action, emotion, taste, etc.) that the two different things have in common.
A simile always contains either the word like or the word as, because the writer is saying that something is like or the same as something else.
Although you probably didn't realize it before, you already know some similes very well.
Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow ...
Sarah Josepha Hale, "Mary's Lamb"
Here the poet used a simile to say that the lamb's wool was the same color as snow.
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes, how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry; His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
Clement Clarke Moore, "A Visit from St. Nicholas"
In this one stanza above, the writer used five similes (four with like and one with as) to tell you that Santa Claus's actions were like those of a peddler, that his cheeks and nose had the same red color as roses and a cherry, that his mouth had the same shape as a bow, and that, like the fleece on Mary's lamb, Santa's beard was the same color as snow.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are, Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky!
Jane Taylor, "The Star"
This poet said that a star in the sky shines and sparkles like a diamond that catches the light.
... as snug as a bug in a rug.
Benjamin Franklin
The noted American statesman and inventor made up this famous simile. He was comparing being comfy and cozy to being a tiny insect, safe and secure in a soft, thick carpet or blanket. (In Ben Franklin's time, rug meant both.)
Neatly upon his left ear on the callous pavement two waiters pitched Soapy. He arose joint by joint, as a carpenter's rule opens ...
O. Henry, "The Cop and the Anthem"
In the last sentence above, the great American short story writer O. Henry compared the actions of a man getting up from the sidewalk, limb by limb, to a carpenter's hinged ruler opening section by section.
Because people have been using effective similes for centuries, there are many similes that have become well known. Here are examples of some of these popular and expressive comparisons. You'll notice that people are sometimes compared to animals. That's because writers often think that people act or look the way animals act or look. And people really are animals, after all.
In the morning, he moves like a snail. No wonder he's always late.
As quick as a wink, he grabbed the cookie and was out the door.
Don't stand there like a statue. Do something.
To support her family, she works like a horse.
Even in the face of danger, she's as cool as a cucumber.
About Clichés
An often-used and familiar expression is called a cliché (klee-SHAY). Creative people usually try to avoid clichés because these expressions are not new. They try to think up their own original images instead. In your writing, you may not always want to repeat a simile that someone else made up a long time ago and that most people know today.
You can turn an overused saying into something newer and fresher by adding to or changing the word picture. Try to express the comparison in an inventive way that you think your readers will understand and enjoy. Just make sure your new simile works and fits in with what you're writing.
For instance, "cold as ice" is a cliché. You might describe the coldness of your room a little more imaginatively by saying, "My room was as cold as a North Pole iceberg," or "My room was as cold as a witch's heart," or "My room was as cold as an airconditioned igloo," or "My room was as cold as a snowman's toes." Instead of writing "as cool as a cucumber," which is another cliché, try to think of something else that's cool. How about, "as cool as an autumn breeze," or "as cool as a forgotten cup of tea"?
Here are some familiar clichés changed into new similes.
Shhh! Try to be as quiet as a mouse. ... as quiet as a crater on the moon.
Come on! Move your feet. You're as slow as molasses. ... as slow as new ketchup.
On this new mattress, you'll sleep like a baby. ... sleep like a moving man on vacation.
This professor is as dull as dishwater. ... as dull as dust.
Be creative. Surprise your readers by making them see everyday things in new and unusual ways. Maybe some of the similes you make up today will be so terrific that years from now, other people will be using them and they will be clichés!
Here are three new similes that compare a place, an action, and people to other things.
Pick up your dirty laundry. Your room smells like a skunks' hotel.
Going into the principal's office when she's angry is as dangerous as walking a tightrope over a volcano.
The restless children were hopping about like kernels in a corn popper.
Now, try your hand at making up some similes of your own. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Try your best to avoid clichés. If you've heard or read an expression before, think about how you could change it to make it your own. Some suggestions are in the next section.
1. He can flip a pizza as fast as ...
2. This new feather pillow is as fluffy as ...
3. It was so hectic at the mall, people were running around like ...
4. Sometimes I think my brother's brain is as tiny as ...
5. The children rushed to Grandma's newly baked cookies like ...
Clowning Around with Figures of Speech
Suppose your teacher gives the class an assignment to write a paper describing a favorite character. You choose a clown you saw at the circus. You start by writing:
The clown was nice. She looked and acted funny. She made everyone at the circus laugh.
That's an OK beginning, but wouldn't your paper be livelier if you added some figures of speech? You could start with a few similes.
The clown's smile could make your face light up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Her hair was like green spaghetti, her nose was like a red lightbulb, her feet were like large pancakes with toes, and her stomach was like a laundry sack full of doorknobs. She acted funny and made everyone at the circus laugh.
These are the author's ideas for finishing the similes in the previous section, but yours are just as good.
1. a kid can spend a dollar.
2. a cloud rinsed in fabric softener.
3. mechanical toys with overcharged batteries.
4. the period at the end of this sentence.
5. bits of iron to a magnet.
CHAPTER 2METAPHORS
Are ...
Metaphors (MET-uh-forz) are like similes, but with one big difference.
Like a simile, a metaphor describes a person, place, thing, feeling, idea, or action by comparing it to something else. But a metaphor does not have the word like or the word as in it.
For instance, Rachel is very smart. She's positively brilliant. If you wanted to describe Rachel with a simile, you could say, "Rachel is like a talking encyclopedia." To use a metaphor, you could say, "Rachel is a talking encyclopedia." You're still comparing Rachel to an encyclopedia. The word picture is just as vivid. But you've left out the word like.
A simile says that one thing is like another thing. A metaphor says one thing is another thing (figuratively speaking, of course). A metaphor is more direct than a simile.
Simile: Eddie eats like a hog.
Metaphor: Eddie is a hog.
Remember the cold room from the last chapter? Well, instead of writing, "My room was as cold as ice" (simile), you could write, "My room was an icebox" (metaphor). You don't even have to use is or was. You could write, "My sister sleeps in a toaster oven and I sleep in an icebox!" Your readers will get the metaphorical picture.
Avoiding Mixed Metaphors or, How Not to Swim a Mountain
Let's say you're writing a letter to your pen pal. You want to tell him or her how tough your school is and how much work your teachers give you. You're feeling creative, so you write:
Every day, I have to swim a mountain of schoolwork. Every night, I have to climb a sea of homework.
Something's wrong with those two metaphors. Can you figure out what it is? (Hint: Try to make real pictures in your mind out of the exact words and you'll probably spot the errors quickly. Can you swim a mountain? Can you climb a sea?)
Metaphors like those above, that combine things that don't make sense together, are called mixed metaphors. Mixing up parts of a metaphor is a common mistake. Even experienced writers and speakers do it sometimes. But they (and you) should try to avoid it.
Here are corrected versions of the mixed-up homework metaphors:
Every day, I have to swim a sea of schoolwork. (Swim and sea make sense together.)
Every night, I have to climb a mountain of homework. (Climb and mountain make sense together.)
When you decide to use a metaphor in your writing, analyze it carefully. Ask yourself if all parts of the figurative word picture you are trying to paint really make sense together and belong in the same picture. If not, you've probably written a mixed metaphor. That can confuse your readers. Try to rethink your metaphor and unmix it.
Here are more examples of mixed metaphors. Think about how you could correct them. Then turn to the next section for the unmixed-up versions.
1. She worked hard and rode up the ladder of success. (Hint: How do you get up a ladder?)
2. The governor is a captain who steers the ship of state, sometimes through turbulent air pockets. (Hint: When you steer a ship on water, do you hit air pockets?)
3. This algebra problem is really complicated, and every time I think I'm out of the maze, I sink to the bottom. (Hint: Can you sink in a maze?)
Many writers and poets have used metaphors. William Shakespeare, probably the best-known writer in the world, used them all the time.
I will not change my horse with any that treads ... When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk.
King Henry V
Here Shakespeare wrote that when the rider is on top of the horse, he feels that he is a bird, a hawk, high up and moving fast.
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.
As You Like It
In these famous lines Shakespeare compared the world to a stage in a theater and wrote that every person in the world is an actor performing on that stage.
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East and Juliet is the sun!
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo, Juliet's boyfriend, was saying that his beloved Juliet, coming to her window, was as beautiful to him as the sun rising in the east.
Here are other examples of metaphors from great authors.
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding — Riding — riding — The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
Alfred Noyes, "The Highwayman"
A good laugh is sunshine in a house.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Just like similes, well-known metaphors can become clichés, too. For instance, many writers have used metaphors to compare life to a road ("As they traveled down the path of life together ..."), or to a day ("In the twilight of his life, when he was old ..."), or to a year ("In the springtime of her youth ..."), or to flowing water ("As I sailed the sea of life ..."). Those are good metaphors that got a little overused.
Here are some other popular metaphors that people have enjoyed for a long time. Remember, however, that because they've been used so often before, they're clichés. Try your best to think up your own metaphors when you write so your writing will be original and fresh.
A blanket of snow covered the village.
On the day of the fair, the schoolyard was a beehive of activity.
We're all in the same boat, so let's row together.
The way he eats, you'd think his stomach was a bottomless pit.
Here are some sentences with metaphors that are not clichés (yet).
"My dog's fur is a shag rug."
"You think that's bad? My dog's fur is an overgrown lawn. I don't know whether to get out the scissors or the lawn mower!"
During the storm, the roaring wind choreographed a ballet of old newspapers on the street.
When it comes to describing something, which figurative comparison should you use — a simile or a metaphor? Both figures of speech can help your readers see common objects, feelings, and actions in creative and fresh ways. Try both kinds in the story or poem you're trying to write and see which one you like better. You could use a simile in one part and a metaphor in the next.
It's time to try creating a few new metaphors of your own. Below are some situations you might want to write about. Think about how you could describe them figuratively using metaphors. Compare each of the objects, scenes, and actions below to something else that's unexpected but still similar in some way. Some metaphorical suggestions are given in the next section.
1. Clouds
2. A book whose stories introduce the reader to new subjects
3. A bell in a tower that wakes you up every morning
4. An angry revolution that starts small and becomes big
5. A snowstorm
Clowning Around (continued)
Remember the story you were writing about the clown? Now you could add a metaphor to it.
The clown was a one-woman laughter machine. Her smile could make your face light up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Her hair was like green spaghetti, her nose was like a red lightbulb, her feet were like large pancakes with toes, and her stomach was like a laundry sack full of doorknobs. She acted funny and made everyone at the circus laugh.
Unmixed-up metaphors from the previous section:
1. She worked hard and climbed up the ladder of success.
2. The governor is a captain who steers the ship of state, sometimes through rough waters.
3. This algebra problem is really complicated, and every time I think I'm out of the maze, I bump into a wall.
Suggestions for new metaphors from the end of the previous section, but your ideas are just as good.
1. The lost plane flew into clouds of gray wool and vanished.
2. The book was a spaceship that transported him to strange worlds.
3. The town hall bell is my morning alarm clock.
4. The flames of revolution started out as small brushfires but turned into raging infernos that spread throughout the country.
5. When the snowstorm started, the little girl imagined that some giant had tipped a big bowl of white cornflakes upside down on her.
CHAPTER 3ONOMATOPOEIA
Sound Effects in Your Writing
Shh! Just for a moment, freeze. Close your eyes if you can. Concentrate only on the sounds you hear — a pencil sharpener, kitchen appliances, a fan, people.
Go outside. Listen to all the sounds of traffic and nature — trucks, crowds, animals, the wind.
Now here comes the challenge for you, the writer: to think of words that capture the sounds of sounds.
Drop a stone into water. Hear that sound? Is it plop? Splish? Splash? Step into snow. What word imitates that exact sound your boots make? Is it crunch? Squish? Chew your cereal. What words recreate those sounds in your mouth? Are they snap, crackle, and pop? Or bang, gurgle, and whizz? Touch things together. Do you hear clink, clank, clunk, or some other sound?
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "It Figures!"
by .
Copyright © 1993 Marvin Terban.
Excerpted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Title Page,
Contents,
Copyright,
Dedication,
Figuring It Out,
Similes,
Metaphors,
Onomatopoeia,
Alliteration,
Hyperbole,
Personification,
It Figures!,
Bibliography,
About the Author and Illustrator,
Connect with HMH on Social Media,
What People are Saying About This
"Upon using this humorously presented book, children will truly improve their styles of writing." School Library Journal