Metaphors and Similes — English Bac Sciences Humaines

ضمن برنامج بكالوريا Sciences Humaines

English carries a coefficient of 3 in the Bac Sciences Humaines stream — level with Arabic Language, just behind History-Geography, Philosophy and French (coefficient 4). It is a genuine average-mover, and the humanities focus of the stream makes its themes on society, citizenship, culture and development especially familiar territory.

في الامتحان

Three parts: Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing (a guided text of about 180 words, longer at the top of the mark range). Sciences Humaines candidates, used to handling ideas and social questions, can bring real substance to essay prompts on culture, citizenship and development — the discipline needed is to keep the writing in clear, accurate English.

أهداف التعلم

Build this into a clear paragraph plan for the Bac Sciences Humaines English essay (coefficient 3)
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 Sciences Humaines، 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.

How much English revision does a coefficient-3 subject deserve in my stream?

A regular slot, not an afterthought. Fix each chapter's rule or vocabulary with two examples, write a short essay every week, and use the society themes — where your stream gives you ideas — as your strongest material. Keep a reusable introduction and conclusion, and check accuracy as you go.

How does this skill affect the Bac Sciences Humaines 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.