Mastering Analogies, Metaphors, and Similes: The Story of Jim and KimPAYTON BROCK

About The Author...

1

Payton BrockMy name is Payton Brock, and I am currently a freshman student at Indiana University Bloomington.  I was born in Texas into a military family, blessed beyond measure from day one by being granted the two most amazing parents and the best older brother and

older sister a girl could ask for.  After a couple years down in Texas, a job opportunity for my father brought our family to Michigan, where we settled down in St. Joseph.  During my high school career, I played varsity volleyball, club volleyball, and--because of the lux-ury of living in St. Joseph on Lake Michigan--beach volleyball in the Summer.  I also en-joyed being involved in other school activities, such as being the Student Senate Presi-

dent, being a Peer-to-Peer Mentor, and a member of the National Honor Society.  After graduating from St. Joseph High School, I decided to further my education at Indiana

University. I am currently pursuing a degree in Secondary English Education.  I have al-ways had a passion for writing and all that is English Language Arts.  Along with these

passions of mine, I truly love working with people and cannot wait to become a teacher.  As far as my future teaching style, I personally believe that we need to be challenged to

stretch us to our highest potential.  This is why I will someday challenge my students and push them to give their very best.  I want them to realize that they are all capable of amazing things...even if English may not be their favorite subject.  However, I also am a big believer that the best way to learn is when you are enjoying doing it.  I will someday

strive to keep the learning environment in my classroom engaging, fun, and exciting, but also productive.  I will be looking to present to the students innovative approaches to

learning.  I will do this by consistently integrating technology into my teaching, and also having my students use technology as a learning tool for themselves.  I believe that dis-

cussion is hugely important when it comes to English as well, so I will be incorporating a variety of discussion methods into my teaching as well.  My goals as a teacher in the fu-

ture will be to foster a positive setting for effective learning, to teach my learners to think outside of the box, and to encourage them to be the best individuals they can be, each

and every day.

How to Use Book Guide:

Read along with the interactive story to gain knowledge about analogies, meta-phors, and similes. You will be guided to different knowledge checks and quiz-zes along the way...enjoy the story, but also do your best to learn from it. The interactive quizzes, word search, and

video are all there to help!

Enjoy!

Analogies, Metaphors, And Similes

3

Grammar in English can be difficult to master, considering it is an incredibly vast concentration.  However, mastering English

grammar is vital to our speech, writing, and overall professionalism in our daily lives.  

On top of that importance, your knowledge of grammar and usage will be tested on the ACT this year, so it is additionally

important that you understand these crucial concepts and are prepared for testing.  Within the pages of this eBook, you will encounter a love story, but you will also be sharpening your

English grammar skills by reviewing analogies, metaphors, and similes, as well as thinking critically about what these

comparisons mean.  

Once upon a time, a young man named Jim wanted a muffin.  A-round this same time, a young lady named Kim wanted a coffee.  It was an ideal Spring day.  The sun was shining bright, and the

clouds were cotton balls in the sky.  The two of them, in their separate lives, without the slightest clue about one another, de-cided, “I think I’ll walk to the coffee shop on the corner.”  The

quaint coffee shop they both had decided to walk to was nestled on the corner of two busy streets.  A sign hung in the window that read, “Good coffee is like friendship: rich and warm and

strong.”  Jim and Kim both loved that sign.

Let’s break down some of the comparisons used… “The clouds were cotton balls in the sky.”  This is a metaphor.  A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things by asserting that one

thing is something that it literally is not.  The two things being compared in this metaphor are clouds and cotton balls.  Because the sentence uses “were” to compare the two things it makes it a

metaphor.  If, instead, the sentence was “The clouds were like cotton balls in the sky,” it would be a simile.  A simile is a com-

parison using “like” or “as” to compare two different things.

4

Kim walked through the door of the coffee shop and got in line.  Little did she know, she was in line behind Jim.  Although she didn’t know Jim yet, she immediately noticed him.  He was tall, handsome, and as strong as an ox...or

at least he appeared to be.MINI QUIZ

Check Answer

“as strong as an ox” is a...

A. Simile

B. Metaphor

Jim heard someone walk through the door, turned his head, and there she was: she was beaming with joy like a sunny day.  She was

as beautiful as a newly blossomed flower.  She was an angel.  She was Kim, and she

was now standing in line behind him at the coffee shop.

MINI QUIZ

Check Answer

Which one of these comparisons doesn’t belong?

A. She was beaming with joy like a sunny day.

B. She was as beautiful as a newly blossomed flower.

C. She was an angel.  

Now before we hear any more about Jim and Kim...let’s review what we know and go over what analogies are.  An analogy is simply another way to compare objects.  You will definitely be

tested on analogies on the ACT so it is beneficial to have a good grasp on what they are.  Watch the video below, and then go over what we already know about Jim and Kim’s love story.

Fill in the blanks and find the words that fit the blanks in the word search below.

Muffin is to Jim as ______________ is to Kim.

________________ is to ox as beautiful is to flower.

Jim is to handsome as Kim is to ________________.

Find the words that fit the blanks above in the word search below.

Kim couldn’t help but stare at Jim.  Whenever he looked her way, she’d turn away as quickly as she could so he wouldn’t

catch her staring.  Kim had never believed in love at first sight, but in that very moment, she became quite a believer.  The line grew shorter and she realized she should decide what she wanted to order.  She glanced at the monstrous chalkboard that hung on the wall looking as big as a bill-

board.  She wondered what Jim would order, and contem-plated what kind of man Jim might be.  She finally decided to herself that she would order a medium vanilla latte and that if Jim ordered more than one thing, he was probably picking it up for his significant other.  She decided that if he ordered

multiple things, it would be fates way of telling her “no.”

Self-check:Find the simile in the text above. The answer will be found

on the next page of this eBook.

Self-check answer:“as big as a billboard”

Jim kept peeking over his shoulder at Kim.  He couldn’t resist.  Jim was as nervous as a middle school kid asking a girl to a dance for the very first time...and he hadn’t even asked her

out yet!  But boy did he want to.  He watched her glance over the chalkboard menu, and he wondered what he should say to her.  He finally decided what he wanted to say.  But would he

work up the courage to say it?

*Quick review: A simile compares two different things by us-ing the words LIKE or AS. A metaphor compares two differ-ent things but does not use the words LIKE or AS. Analogies

are pairs of words grouped together by means of relation and comparison.

“Excuse me, but what do you like to get here?”  Kim was shocked when she heard the man in line ask her the question, but she mumbled “Medium, vanilla latte,” as she

stared at him in awe.  “Thank you,” he replied with a grin.  He’s Prince Charming, she thought to herself, and here I am, a bump on a log.  It was his turn in line and she lis-

tened intently to his order.  “Can I get two medium vanilla lattes?”  Dang it, she thought to herself.  I should’ve known a guy like him would already be taken.  “Any-thing else for you, sir?” the young barista at the register asked.  “Yes, I’ll have a blue-berry muffin.”  Although she was bummed about the handsome man in front of her, Kim thought, a blueberry muffin does sound quite tasty.  Then she realized that the man was looking at her again.  Ugh what does he want now?  “What kind of muffin would you like?” he grinned at her again.  At first Kim was confused, but then it hit

her.  The other latte was for her!  “That is, if you want one...” Jim added.  “I’m Kim,” she smiled, “and I’ll have blueberry as well, please.  Thank you so much.”  Kim was as

happy as a little kid on Christmas, and Jim couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear.  “Well I’m Jim.  Looks like our names rhyme.” He laughed a bit.  It must be fate, Jim

thought to himself.  Good thing “fate” was wrong about the second order, Kim thought to herself.

Find any metaphors or similes in the text above.Then watch the following video...

How to Ace Analogies on Tests

The two sat down in a corner booth, their own cozy hideaway.  They sipped their medium, vanilla lattes, ate their blueberry muf-

fins, and talked about what a beautiful day it was.  The two of them, Kim and Jim, no longer had to walk to the coffee shop

alone on ideal Spring days, or any day for that matter.  Kim was to Jim as Jim was to Kim, and there is no better analogy to sum

up the story than that.

ACT PRACTICEChoose the analogy that best matches the example pro-vided.

Check Answer

Question 5 of 5AUTHOR : LITERATE

A. CYNIC : GULLIBLE

B. HOTHEAD : PRUDENT

C. JUDGE : IMPARTIAL

D. SAINT : NOTORIOUS

Citations Page:

http://www.testprepreview.com/modules/analogies1.htm

http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/analogy.htm

http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/analogies/analogiesx.htm

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com/royalty-free/coffee-pictures