明喻
明喻（simile）俗称直喻，是依据比喻和被比喻两种不同事物的相似关系而构成的修辞格。 如：
The country, covered with cherry tree flowers, looks as though it is covered with pink snow.
开满樱花的乡村，看起来有如粉红雪铺满地。
The smile on her face shone like a diamond.
她的笑容像宝石一样闪闪发光。
The scenery along the Lijiang River in Guilin is just like a beautiful landscape painting.
桂林漓江的沿途风景就像一幅美丽的山水画。
His heart is as hard as a stone.
他铁石心肠。
Her soul is as pure as snow.
她的心灵纯洁无比。
认真观察以上各例，我们会发现它们的特点，由(as) ... as, like等引导，这些引导词被称作比喻词（acknowledging word），它们是辨别明喻的最显著的特征，明喻较为直白，比喻物和被比喻物之间相似点较为明显，所以明喻是一种比较好判断的修辞手法。
和as … as … 相关的词块积累：
as soft as water 柔情似水
as pure as snow 纯净如雪
as clear as crystal 清如水晶
as weak as water 软弱无力，弱不禁风
as unique as a fingerprint 独一无二
as drunk as a mouse 烂醉如泥
和like相关的词块积累：
like a duck to water 如鱼得水
like a drowned cat 落汤鸡
like a cat on hot bricks 热锅上的蚂蚁
like a rat in a hole 如瓮中之鳖
暗喻
暗喻（metaphor）：也称隐喻，是依据比喻和被比喻两种不同事物的相似或相关关系而构成的修辞格。无需借助比喻词，直接将甲事物当作乙事物来描写。例如：
Life is a ship on the ocean meeting both sunny days and stormy days.
生活是一艘在海上航行的船，既会遇到晴天，也会遇到暴风雨天。
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
笑是驱走人们脸上寒意的太阳。
She is going through a roller coaster of emotions.
她正经历着情感的过山车。
At once, the Eastern and Western Chang’an Roads became roaring oceans.
霎时间，东西长安街成了喧腾的大海。
由以上各例可知，暗喻没有引导词，这是明喻和暗喻在形式上的最大区别。换句话说，有为明喻，没有为暗喻。如：He has a heart of stone. He has a heart like stone.很显然，前句是暗喻，后句是明喻。暗喻时，比喻物和被比喻物之间的相似点较为含蓄，猛一看它们毫无关系，实际却有着某种内在联系。
词块积累：
a bed of roses 安乐窝
clean hands 两袖清风
curtain-lecture 枕头风
like mushroom 雨后春笋
mushroom fame 一夜成名
a mushroom millionaire 暴发户
夸张
夸张（hyperbole）：夸张手法是人们从主观出发，有意识地把事实夸大，故意言过其实，以达到强调或突出的一种修辞手法。它偏重于情感，而不太注重事实，表达得比实际事情更高、更强烈、更有集中性，具有诙谐、讥讽、褒贬等功用。一般说来，凡事物，都可适当地利用夸张去修饰。
My gray hair can make a long long rope.
白发三千丈。
When she heard the bad news, a river of tears poured out.
听到这个坏消息时，她泪流成河。
Her appearance fairly took my breath away.
她的美貌令我神魂颠倒。
拟人
拟人（personification）：拟人手法是把物（诸如动物、植物、物体、思想或抽象概念等）比作人，赋予它们人的特性、外表、思维、动作，即把本来适用于人的词汇用于物，使之人格化。如：
The thunder clapped angrily in the distance.
雷声在远处怒吼着。
The sun looks over the mountain’s rim.
太阳挂在山边。
The city gradually began to breathe again.
城市渐渐开始恢复生机。
The wind howled in the night.
夜里狂风怒吼。
The flowers / The curtains danced in the gentle breeze.
花儿/窗帘在微风中翩翩起舞。
The candle flame danced in the dark.
蜡烛的火焰在黑暗中跳动。
排比
排比（parallelism）：是由两个或两个以上短语或句子构成，其并列的结构相同或类似，意思相关，语气连贯，使得句子读起来流畅，富有节奏感。
Reading makes us wise and exercises make us strong.
读书使我们睿智，锻炼使我们强健。
To succeed in life, you need to take advantage of opportunities and to follow your dreams.
要想在生活中获得成功，你需要抓住机会，追随你的梦想。
This is not only just what I wanted, but also what I needed.
这不仅是我想要的，也是我需要的。
对比
对比（contrast）：巧妙地运用对比，可以突出作者想要强调的内容或情感。
Many people will soon find themselves rich in goods, but ragged in spirit.
很多人很快就会发现，他们在物质上很富裕，但精神上却很贫乏。
Everyone in the classroom was chatting happily while Refael sat alone, at a loss.
教室里的每个人都在开心地聊天，而拉斐尔却一个人坐在那里不知所措.
Never before in history has a city been so completely destroyed. Never in all San Francisco’s history were her people so kind as on that terrible night.
历史上，从来没有一个城市被如此彻底摧毁过。历史上，旧金山人民从来没有像在那个可怕的夜晚中那样宽容善良过。
Out at sea it was calm. No wind came up. Yet from every direction — east, west, north and south, strong winds blew upon the unlucky city.
海上风平浪静，没有风。然而，从四面八方——东南西北来的强风都吹向这座不幸的城市。
反复
反复（repetition）：反复是把词、词组、从句等进行有意识的重复，以达到强调的效果。例如：
For three days the water in the village wells rose and fell, rose and fell.
三天来，村子里的井水升升降降，起起伏伏。
The trees were blown down, the billboards were blown down and the houses were blown down, some of which even lay in pieces.
树木被吹倒了，广告牌被吹倒了，房子被吹倒了，甚至有些摔成碎片。
Now is the time to forget everything in the past. Now is the time to get down to the business. Now it is the time to work hard for the future.
现在是忘掉过去一切的时候了。现在是言归正传的时候了。现在是为未来而奋斗的时候了。
Watch your thoughts, for they become your words;
Watch your words, for they become your actions;
Watch your actions, for they become your habits;
Watch your habits, for they become your character;
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
注意你的思想，因为他们变成你所说的话；
注意你的言语，因为他们变成你的行动；
注意你的行动，因为他们变成你的习惯；
注意你的习惯，因为他们变成你的个性；
注意你的个性，因为它变成你的命运。