Page 209 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

When you make a comparison, it is usually more useful to compare
unlike things than like things. If you say, for instance, “When Billy

opened the presents at his eighth birthday party, he looked like a kid

at Christmas,” the comparison is not very useful. After all, Billy is a

child and he is opening presents, just as he might at Christmas.

However, look at what happens if you compare two unlike things:

“When Smitty dealt the hand, Jack picked his cards up one by one
and arranged them carefully, looking like a kid at Christmas.” The

comparison reveals two things about Jack that a reader would not

know from the rest of the sentence: He has been dealt a good hand,

and he is probably not a very good poker player—his face reveals too

much.

Examples of Ineffective and Effective

Comparisons

Vincenzo’s old Ford truck is as dependable as a Chevrolet
pickup.

Vincenzo’s old Ford truck is as dependable as sunrise in the

morning.

The car was dented only slightly, but Sam reacted like a typical

car enthusiast.

The car was dented only slightly, but Sam squawked like a bird

whose baby had fallen from the nest.