List of Metaphors

The snow is a white blanket. 

The hospital was a refrigerator.

The classroom was a zoo.

America is a melting pot.  

Her lovely voice was music to his ears. 

Life is a rollercoaster.  

The alligator’s teeth are white daggers.  

Their home was a prison. 

The slide on the playground was a hot stove.

His heart is a cold iron.

She is a peacock.

He is a shining star. 

Time is money.

My teacher is a dragon.

Tom’s eyes were icy.

The detective’s face was wooden as he listened to her story.

She feels that life is a fashion show.

The world is a stage.

My kid’s room is a disaster area.

The children were flowers grown in concrete gardens.

Kisses are the flowers of affection.

His words were cotton candy.

Mary’s eyes were fireflies.

John’s suggestion was just a Band-Aid.

The cast on his broken leg was a plaster shackle.

Her long hair was a flowing golden river.

The computers at school are old dinosaurs.

Laughter is the music of the soul.

He is a night owl.

Maria is a chicken.

The falling snowflakes are dancers.

At five o’clock, the interstate was a parking lot.

Books are keys to your imagination.

Her teddy bear was her best friend, never sharing her secrets.

The peaceful lake was a mirror.

Terry was blue when his goldfish died.

The wind was an angry witch.

The ballerina was a swan, gliding across the stage.

Her angry words were bullets to him.

Your brain is a computer.

Jamal was a pig at dinner.

You are my sunshine.

The car was a furnace in the sun.

Thank you so much. You are an angel.

That coach is an ogre.

Ben’s temper was a volcano, ready to explode.

The kids were monkeys on the jungle gym.

The sun is a golden ball.

The clouds are balls of cotton.

Sue’s room is a zoo with fish, a gerbil and a parakeet.

The park was a lake after the rain.

The lightning was fireworks in the sky.

Gary is a mule.

That lawn is a green carpet.

My dad is a road hog.

The stars are sparkling diamonds.

Those two best friends are two peas in a pod.

He is a walking dictionary.

Donations for the popular charity were a tsunami.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

My big brother is a couch potato.

The road was a ribbon stretching across the desert.

The teenager’s stomach was a bottomless pit.

The thunder was a mighty lion.

I am so excited. My pulse is a race car.

The moon is a white balloon.

Toddlers are rug rats.

The stormy ocean was a raging bull.

Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks.

Lists of Similes and Metaphors

 List of Common Similes

~ As quiet as a mouse
~ As quick as a flash
~ As white as a sheet
~ As brown as a berry
~ As red as a beetroot
~ As black as night
~ As sick as a dog
~ To sleep like a log
~ As sick as a parrot
~ As blind as a bat
~ As alike as two peas in a pod
~ As big as an elephant
~ As black as coal
~ As bright as a button
~ As brave as a lion
~ As bold as brass
~ As busy as a bee
~ As clean as a whistle
~ As clear as crystal
~ As clear as a bell
~ As cold as ice
~ As common as dirt
~ As blue as the deepest ocean
~ As stubborn as a mule
~ As soft as silk
~ As cool as a cucumber
~ As cunning as a fox
~ As dead as the dodo
~ As deaf as a post
~ As dead as a doornail
~ As different as chalk from cheese
~ As dry as a bone
~ As drunk as a lord
~ As dull as dishwater
~ As dry as dust
~ As easy as A.B.C.
~ As flat as a pancake
~ As easy as apple-pie
~ As fresh as a daisy
~ As free as a bird
~ As gentle as a lamb
~ As hot as hell
~ As hungry as a wolf
~ As light as a feather
~ As innocent as a lamb
~ As mad as a hatter
~ As pale as death
~ As obstinate as a mule
~ As mad as a hornet
~ As old as the hills
~ As proud as a peacock
~ As poor as a church mouse
~ As quick as a wink
~ As plain as day
~ As sharp as a razor
~ As silent as the dead
~ As slippery as an eel
~ As slow as a snail
~ As smooth as silk
~ As sour as vinegar
~ As stiff as a board
~ As steady as a rock
~ As straight as an arrow
~ As strong as an ox
~ As stubborn as a mule
~ As sturdy as an oak
~ As thin as a rake
~ As timid as a rabbit
~ As sure as death and taxes
~ As tough as old boots
~ As wise as an owl
~ To drink like a fish
~ As white as snow
~ To have a memory like a sieve
~ To sleep like a log
~ To have eyes like a hawk
~ To work like a dream
~ As cute as a bug's ear
~ As clear as mud
~ As fit as a fiddle
~ As playful as a kitten
~ As loose as a goose
~ As nutty as a fruitcake
~ As hard as nails
~ As hot as blue blazes
~ As silent as the grave
~ As smooth as glass
~ As thorny as a rose bush
~ As smooth as a baby's bottom
~ As tight as a drum
~ As bright as the moon

List of Metaphors

~ A laugh in a sea of sadness
~ He has a voice of a crow
~ He has a voice of a wolf
~ He has the heart of a lion
~ He is the sun of my sky
~ He swam in the sea of diamonds
~ He tried to help but his legs were rubber
~ Her hair was bone white
~ Her lips were butterflies
~ Her positive attitude is a lighthouse for the hopeful
~ His belt was a snake curling around his waist
~ His plans were rock solid and so were his aims
~ Ideas are wings
~ It's raining men
~ Life is a mere dream, a fleeting shadow on a cloudy day
~ Light of their life
~ Love is fire
~ She is a dog when she eats
~ Spiritual seeking is treasure hunting
~ Thoughts are a storm, unexpected
~ Truth is food for him
~ You are the light in my life
~ They were eaten up with hatred
~ Mistrust had poisoned their relationship
~ I've been caught between a rock and a hard place
~ The weeks crawled by until we could meet again
~ Anger bottled up inside her
~ His words were cotton candy
~ He was a lion on the battlefield
~ The computers at school are old dinosaurs
~ The ballerina was a swan, gliding across the stage
~ The stars are sparkling diamonds
~ My big brother is a couch potato
~ They had entered their autumn years
~ Her tears were a river flowing down her cheeks

Tips for Reading for Meaning

• Read the passage once only to get the general idea of the main topic/theme.
• Read every question twice to identify its type and then locate the answer in the relevant paragraph.
• Your answers should be two the point. They can be given in one word for particular questions and in 1 or maximum 2 sentences for all other questions.
• ‘Answer in your own words’ questions are to be very carefully dealt with. Find two key words in the text which are the exact answer of the question. Replace the key words with the correct synonyms and write your answer in a complete sentence.
• Inferential questions would be more challenging than others which would require you to read between the lines and extract implicitly given information. The answer is not explicitly available. They usually start ‘What do you think/What can you tell/How do you know/What evidence is there’ etc.
• If the question requires you to give one reason or find one word from the passage, writing more than one reason/word will get you zero marks, even if the answer is otherwise correct.
• Vocabulary question requires you to provide meanings in context and using a single word or a phrase of maximum 7 words.
• Do not attempt extra words or give extra meaning, as only the first one will be checked.

Tips for Reading for Ideas

• You have to write 12 content points from the given passage, on two aspects: advantages/disadvantage, causes/effects, comparison of past and present etc. The points on both sides should be balanced (6+6, 7+5 or 5+7).
• The points should be brief, precise and concise. You don’t need to write them in your own words. Review the marking scheme to find out how the point should be written.
• Avoid repeating a point in different words. Examples of a point do not count as separate points.
• Each point should be written on separated line in a numbered or bullet list.
• Example points given by the examiner in the boxes are not included in your 12 content points.
• Write 2/3 extra points, whenever possible. You will get marks for the extra points in case some of your points are incorrect.
• Write a paragraph summary of 180 words, including the 10 words given in the question. Use your own words as far as possible and use conjunctions to make your paragraph cohesive and fluent to read.
• You should know the difference between facts and opinions. Google it and you will find plenty of resources. Practice solving the past paper questions on finding fact/opinion.

Tips for Creative Writing

• Read all the given topics at least twice, before choosing the topic you want to respond to.
• Choose the topic according to your strengths and preparation, and whether you have enough ideas to write between 350 – 500 words.
• Avoid  writing an argumentative essay, unless you have thoroughly practiced this type of writing.
• Plan before you start wiring and always recheck your work before you hand it in. You can divide the examination time in the following way:
• 1. Planning your response: 7/8 minutes.
• 2. Writing: 45 minutes.
• 3. Editing: 5 – 6 minutes. 
• Descriptive and Argumentative essays should have a proper introduction (1 paragraph), a detailed body (3 – 6 paragraphs) and a logical conclusion (1 paragraph).
• Stories should have an engaging opening, with an intriguing middle to sustain readers’ interest and a logical ending to bring a proper resolution to the plot.
• Use similes, metaphors and effective descriptive words to create verbal pictures in a descriptive essay.
• Keep your stories believable and realistic. Use flashback, dialogues and description of setting to make your narrative composition engaging for the reader.
• Avoid writing stories which end up as a ‘bad dream.’ Avoid copying the plots from popular movies you have watched. Also refrain from showing violence, racism or glorifying crime in your stories.
• Editing your essay is immensely important before handing it in. You should know what your common errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling are. Also keep an eye out for commonly committed slips in English writing: its/it’s, there/their, ‘i’ instead of ‘I’, use of articles (a, an and the), subject-verb agreement (He don’t/doesn’t etc), run-on sentences etc.
• Don’t try to use ambitious vocabulary unless you are sure about its meaning and use. Using a simple word correctly is going to gain you more marks than using an unfamiliar word incorrectly, while trying to impress the examiner.

Tips for Directed Writing

• Read the question thoroughly.
• Follow the given instructions.
• Begin and end properly.
• The given situation should be reiterated in the introduction and description o content points should be started from second paragraph.
• Justify each and every content point. Make separate paragraph for every content point.
• Use wide vocabulary.
• Do mention date.
• Use appropriate tone and register.

Inference Questions

Inference

Inference can be used in several ways to help you respond fully to a piece of reading.

• You can infer a general fact or a precise piece of information.
• You can infer emotions and feelings of characters in passage.
• You can infer information about the author - his/her opinions, feelings, point of view.

To infer successfully you can-

• Work out answer from clues or references in the text.
• Work out answer from the connotations of words used in text.
• Match something in the text to your own understanding or experience or knowledge to come up with the correct answer.

• Examples

  Have a look at the following extract and questions and spot how the clues help you come up with the answer.

  "Rain lashed against the windows as Jane stamped up and down the room stopping only to check the time on the mantle clock every five minutes. Her book, bought with such enthusiasm the day before, was flung carelessly in the corner beside the abandoned picnic basket.

  Jane stamped her feet and began to repeat her earlier tedious complaints against nature. Emily merely smiled to herself and carried on reading the newspaper without as much as a nod of the head".

  
  

  Question

  (question to infer information)

  What plans had Janehad for the day?

  Hint -

  the abandoned picnic basket

  Answer

  A picnic

  Question

  (question to infer emotion)

  How would you describe Jane's mood?

  Hint -

  Unable to sit still, watching the clock, fed-up with reading, complaining

  Answer

  Angry, frustrated, bad-tempered and disappointed

  Question

  (question to infer author's opinion or point of view)

  What expression does the author use to suggest her disapproval of the main character?

  Hint -

  The word tedious has negative connotations and suggests disapproval of Jane's tiresome behaviour.

  Answer

  "tedious complaints"

Answering Writer's Craft Questions (Narrative Passage)

The candidate should concentrate on the purpose of reading - understanding and appreciating a writer's use of language.

The reader is expected to identify and comment on how the writer has presented information in the text, how the writer has used language to make points or for effect.

In particular, this means that the reader should be familiar with a few language ideas.

Extracts and answers

Extract 1

This short extract is from a story called 'Tunes for Bears to Dance To', by Robert Cormier. In the story, Henry works for a Mr. Hairston, who runs a shop.

"Potatoes to bag up," he called over the shoulder of a customer, and Henry made his way down to the cellar, where a bin of potatoes awaited him. He always tried to hurry the job because the cellar was dark and damp and he often heard rats scurrying across the floor. One day, a grey rat squirted out of a bag of potatoes and Henry had leapt with fright, his heart exploding in his chest. He was afraid of a lot of things - the closet door that never stayed closed in his bedroom, spooky movies about vampires - but most of all, the rats.

The question is in two parts, with a quotation used as an introduction.

Question

"...a grey rat squirted out of a bag of potatoes..."

(a) What is unusual about the writer's use of the word 'squirted' in this sentence? 2 - 0

(b) Why is it a particularly suitable word to use here? 2 - 0

 (a) The word 'squirted' is usually associated with liquids and the rat's movement is being compared to liquid being forced out of a container, like a tube or a bottle.

Explanation:

This means that the word is being used figuratively, that an unusual comparison has been made to make the picture more interesting, more colourful, easier to understand, and so on. This means that a figure of speech has been used by the author, such as metaphor, simile, personification, and so on.

(b) The word is suitable (i.e. effective) to use here because it successfully suggests that the rat moved quickly, it was small, it moved suddenly, it appeared as something nasty. It is also onomatopoeic and the word is alliterative (i.e. from the figure of speech called alliteration) when seen with the word 'scurrying' used earlier in the same line of the paragraph.

Narrative Essay Writing Sample II

Write a story starting with: “The widow had to work hard to bring up her little son alone...”

The widow had to work hard to bring up her little son alone. This was after her husband’s early death. She and her son lived in a wooden house. It was a small house with only one bedroom and a kitchen.

Mariam wanted Sam to study hard to get good result. So she would not let Sam help her do any household chores or wash his own clothes. The years flew by. Sam sat for his SPM examination and pass with flying colours.

His mother was very happy. She went round telling her friends, “My Sam will be leaving for the city to study in a college. He will become a Manager one day. I’ll move to live with him in the city. Then, my struggle is worth it.”

So Mariam continued to work hard to send money to Sam who was studying a business degree. For Mariam, it was a tough life. Meanwhile, Sam kept on phoning home to ask for more money. Mariam even had to borrow from her neighbours and friends to send her son the money.

Three years Sam stopped calling home. He did not even let his mother where he was. When she phoned the faculty, they told her that he had graduated and left for job. However, they could not her more. Mariam was baffled. Where was Sam? She was so sure he would come back and fetch her for city. So, she started to pack some of her bags and boxes.

Three months later, there was still no news or call from Sam. One day, Mariam’s niece, Kate, came to talk to her about Sam. She told her aunt, “Auntie, a friend of mine met Sam in a bank. He’s the branch manager. This is his address.”

Early in the morning, Mariam took the first bus to the city. At the bus station, she took a taxi and showed the taxi driver the bank address. On the way there, she told the driver about Sam and what a filial son he was.

The driver stopped his taxi in front of a tall building. She got out of the taxi and smiled at him happily. This was the moment she was going to meet Sam. She imagined him showing surprise and delight at meeting his mother. Inside the building, a security guard asked her who she was looking for. She told the guard Sam’s name.

The bank staff saw an old lady holding a worn-out handbag. They were wondering, “Who is this woman? Why is she asking for our manager?”

Meanwhile, Sam pretended he did not know his mother. Feeling disgusted and ashamed, he asked the security guard to ask her to leave. Mariam was shocked to hear that! She looked Sam in a disappointed feeling ever, and ran out of the bank.

Back in her house, Mariam cried the whole night. She cried and cried till she had no more tears. The next morning, she was sitting by the window with Sam’s photo on her lap. She saw him walking towards their house. Soon she was shouting and crying, “My Sam is back! My Sam is back!”

Sam ran towards her and hugged Mariam as he never let go. He was so sorry and regretted the way he behaved. His colleagues were the one who made him realized his big mistakes neglected his mother.

The neighbours heard her. They too shouted and cheered, feeling happy for her.

Narrative Essay Writing Sample I

Write a story based on the following: “The owner of a local business takes strong action when threatened by outside competition.”

Mr. Johnson, the owner of the only general store in our neighborhood, was a very rude and mean person. He used to charge very high prices because of his monopoly. Despite his goods being very expensive and of very low quality, the residents of our area, including me, bought from his store as we had no other alternatives. Many a times the items I bought from his store were expired but I had to go on buying from his store.

After many years of misery, a handful of the residents opened a consumer co-operative with much effort and investment. They offered discounts along with good quality products. The staff employed in their general store was also nice, polite and soft-spoken.

The immediate impact on Mr. Johnson’s business was that his sales fell rapidly and he started incurring losses. To cope up with the new threat, he started advertising extensively. He also brought in new merchandise and diversified his product range but even then his market share kept on declining at a great pace. Mr. Johnson was much aggrieved at this and started planning other ways to gain back his lost market share and customers likewise.

Another strategy he used was to sell his goods at extremely lower prices, even lower than his rivals, but for no avail and his rivals kept on gaining more ground. The result of this pricing strategy was even more losses to Mr. Johnson who had no other choice than to sell off his assets and close down the business as he was unable to fend off competition due to his bad behavior and indifference to others’ problems.

Mr. Johnson tried another tactic for the last time. He accosted the members of the consumer co-operative and plead to them about his problems. He told them that he had no alternative bread and butter as nobody would employ him due to his selfish behavior. If the consumer co-operative continues, he will have to move away. The members of the co-operative felt piety for him and told him that they would stop if he discards his previous attitude. Mr. Johnson promised that he would do as they said. Seeing this, the members of the co-operative closed down their store.

Mr. Johnson was back in business but he did not continue his acts but started off in a new manner with the main aim of public welfare with a reasonable profit. Ten years have passed by but Mr. Johnson has abided by his promise and his business is currently a very prosperous one. This is how he was able to fend off competition with much effort. 

Formats for Directed Writing

Formal Letter

Dear _________,

Subject:

Introduction

Body (Three content points)

Make three Paragraphs

Conclusion

Yours truly,

Sign

Full Name

Informal Letter

Dear _________,

Introduction

Body (Three content points)

Make three Paragraphs

Conclusion

Yours truly,

Name

Report Writing

To: [Name of Recipient]
       [Position/ Title]

From: [Name of Writer]
            [Position/ Title/ Class]

[Date]

[Title]: Underline the title

Introduction

Body (Three content points)

Make three Paragraphs

Conclusion: Provide a clear conclusion and finish off strongly

[Signature]

Account

Heading (optional)

Introduction

Body (Three content points)

Make three Paragraphs

Conclusion

Written by,

Name

Date

Speech

Dear Friends/ teachers/ classmates,

Good morning/ evening

Introduction

Body (Three content points)

Make three Paragraphs

Conclusion

Newspaper Report

Headline

By Line (Name of writer)

Dateline( City, Date:)

E.g. Karachi, 28^th March: Introduction

Body (Three content points)

Make three Paragraphs

Conclusion

------------------------------------------------------------

If you are asked to end properly, then end like this:

Written by,

Sign

Date

Newspaper Article

Headline

By Line (Name of writer)

Introduction

Body (Three content points)

Make three Paragraphs

Conclusion

--------------------------------------------------------------

If you are asked to end properly, then end like this:

Written by,

Sign

Full name

Date

Leaflet

Heading

Introduction

Sub Headings 1

Body (1st content point)

Sub Headings 2

Body (2^nd content point)

Sub Headings 3

Body (3^rd content point)

Conclusion

Contact Details:

Cell number

Email address

.....................................................................................................

Common Errors in English Language Paper 1 (Writing)

Section 1 (Directed Writing)

· The questions are not read properly and answered inappropriately.

· Improper formats are used.

· Improper beginning. (In letter despite the given instructions to start from ‘ Dear

      Principal’, the address is given.)

· Improper beginning or ending. (Despite the given instructions to end properly, the directed

      writing is not ending with the sign, full name and date.)

· Subject or Headline is not written.

· Introduction is missing and composition has started directly from description of content  

    points. Though the given situation should be reiterated in the introduction.

· Yours faithfully is used to end a letter to Principal. Though it is used for the recipient who    

         is not known.

· Use of informal tone in formal essay.

· Content points are not justified

· Only one or two content points are focused and elaborated properly.

· Pronoun ‘I’ is used when the whole class was to be represented.

· The given options are misunderstood and missed out in elaboration. For instance, barbeque   

         and movie was a single option yet in some cases, one of it was discussed only.

Section 2 (Creative Writing)

· Rubrics are not followed and question has not been started from a fresh page.

· Topic number is not mentioned or wrongly written.

· Plan is not made or is too brief.

· Rough work or plan is not cross out.

· Topics are not addressed properly. Relevance to the theme is not maintained.

· Coherence is missing.

· The given sentence/ dialogue is not used in the story.

· The given beginning is not used or used in the middle or end.

· In some of the cases own titles are given for the essays.

· Selection of lexis is inappropriate for the topic.

· Ambitious vocabulary is aimed with out understanding its correct usage or are spelt   

    wrongly.

· Weak plot is crafted, with no action or adventure.

· Lack of imagery or expressions in descriptive and narrative essay.

· Lack of supportive arguments in argumentative essay.

· Facts and figures missing to justify the given case in argumentative essay.

· Beginning and Endings are quite stereotype and in some cases irrelevant. For instance, most

    of the narratives start from description of morning scene.

· Traces of copied material in the composition or plots of movies or famous novels are used.

· Illegible Writing or untidy presentation.

· No paragraphs are made.

· Less use of linking words.

· Dialogues are not written separately or in inverted commas.

· Tenses consistency is not maintained. For instance: Narrative essay should be written in 

      past tense.

· Word limit has been exceeded, resulting in monotony and recurrent grammatical and          

    spelling errors.

· The difference between ‘there’ and ‘their’ is not understood.

· There is no expression like ‘according to me’. As far as I am concerned can be used.

· With the expression “one of the” plural noun should be used. One of my

      friends/ family members.

· Object is used in place of subject. For instance: Me entered the room in hurry. Here ‘I’   

    should be written.

· Preference should be given to others. For Instance: Instead of writing, ‘I and my class’  

      mates, ‘My classmates and I’ should be used.