Metaphors and Similes — English Bac Lettres

ضمن برنامج بكالوريا Lettres

English is a major subject in the Bac Lettres stream, with a coefficient of 4 — second only to Arabic Language (coefficient 7) and ahead of History-Geography and Philosophy (coefficient 3). There is no Mathematics in the stream. The high coefficient raises the bar: richer vocabulary, more developed argumentative writing, and firmer control of register and style are expected, and the English mark genuinely shapes the average.

في الامتحان

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing. In the Lettres stream the Writing task is longer and more demanding — a structured essay with a clear thesis, developed arguments on both sides, illustrative examples and a personal conclusion — and language accuracy and range are scored throughout.

أهداف التعلم

Build this into a clear paragraph plan for the Bac Lettres English essay (coefficient 4)
Define a simile: an explicit comparison using like or as … as
Define a metaphor: a direct identification of one thing with another, with no like or as
Spot metaphors and similes in a reading text and explain their effect
Use a simple metaphor or simile appropriately in your own writing

المفاهيم الأساسية

The simile: an explicit comparison

A simile compares two things openly with like or as … as: “She is as brave as a lion.”, “He ran like the wind.” The comparison word (like / as) is always present.

The metaphor: a direct identification

A metaphor states that one thing IS another, with no comparison word: “Time is money.”, “The classroom was a zoo.” It is stronger and more compact than a simile.

Spotting and using figures of speech

In a reading text, identify the two things being linked and explain what the image suggests (“describing the city as a jungle suggests danger and lawlessness”). In your own writing, one clear image is more effective than several strained ones.

الأخطاء الشائعة

Calling every comparison a metaphor: if like or as is present, it is a simile, not a metaphor.

Explaining a metaphor by just restating it: say what it suggests (“a heart of stone” = an unfeeling, hard character), not simply “it means his heart is stone”.

Overloading a paragraph with images: in an argumentative essay, one well-chosen figure of speech is enough; too many weaken the point.

مثال محلول

نص السؤال

Say whether each sentence is a metaphor or a simile, and explain the second one's effect: (1) “The news hit him like a hammer.” (2) “Her words were daggers.”

التصحيح

Sentence (1). It uses like, so it is a simile: the news is compared to a hammer.

Sentence (2). It states that the words WERE daggers, with no comparison word, so it is a metaphor.

Effect of (2). Identifying the words directly with daggers suggests they were sharp, deliberate and deeply hurtful — more forceful than saying “her words were like daggers”.

افهم الدرس، ثم تدرب.

ينشئ Orka تمارين غير محدودة وامتحانات تجريبية مصححة تغطي برنامج اللغة الإنجليزية في بكالوريا Lettres، مع تتبع تقدمك درساً بعد درس.

تابع مجاناً مع Orka

3 تمارين للتدرب

التمرين 1

Easy

Metaphor or simile? “He is as stubborn as a mule.”

عرض التصحيح

Simile — it uses “as … as” to make the comparison explicit.

التمرين 2

Medium

Turn this simile into a metaphor: “My brother's room is like a battlefield.”

عرض التصحيح

“My brother's room is a battlefield.” — removing “like” turns the explicit comparison into a direct metaphor.

التمرين 3

Hard

Explain in one sentence what the metaphor “the ship ploughed the sea” suggests about the ship's movement.

عرض التصحيح

Comparing the ship's motion to a plough cutting through soil suggests slow, forceful, effortful progress that leaves a visible track behind it, rather than light or rapid movement.

تعمق أكثر في هذا الدرس

أكثر من 50 تمريناً تفاعلياً في هذا الدرس

تمارين يولدها الذكاء الاصطناعي ويصححها خطوة بخطوة حسب مستواك.

تسجيل الدخول مطلوب

اختبار ذكي متكيف

أسئلة تتكيف تلقائياً مع إجاباتك الصحيحة وأخطائك.

تسجيل الدخول مطلوب

تصحيح امتحانات سابقة مرتبطة بالدرس

مواضيع من الامتحانات الوطنية والجهوية السابقة.

تسجيل الدخول مطلوب

خطة مراجعة شخصية

ترتب أولوية هذا الدرس حسب تقدمك الحقيقي في الشعبة.

Premium

بطاقات مراجعة الدرس

الصيغ والتعريفات الأساسية لمراجعة سريعة.

Premium

مدرس ذكي بالدارجة

اطرح أسئلتك حول الدرس واحصل على شرح فوري.

Premium

الأسئلة الشائعة

What is the quickest way to tell a metaphor from a simile?

Look for like or as … as. If it is there, it is a simile. If one thing is simply said to BE another, it is a metaphor.

Are metaphors and similes only tested in literature texts?

Mostly, but they also appear in journalistic and persuasive texts, and being able to name and explain them helps in reading-comprehension questions about the writer's style or tone.

Should I use figures of speech in a Bac essay?

A single, clear image can make a point memorable, but an argumentative essay is judged on reasoning and accuracy first — do not force imagery where a plain sentence works better.

English is coefficient 4 in the Lettres stream — how do I revise it seriously?

Treat it as a core subject. For each of the 31 chapters, fix the rule or the word field with two solid examples, and write at least one full essay a fortnight under timed conditions. Read short English articles to build argumentative vocabulary and sentence variety, since range and accuracy are marked directly.

How does this skill affect the Bac Lettres Writing mark?

Organisation and connective range are explicit scoring criteria. A paragraph that states an idea, links it clearly to a cause or a consequence, and closes it earns marks that a list of unconnected sentences does not.