Comparisons and Descriptions/Things to Avoid

Things to Avoid

Firstly, the overuse of descriptions and comparisons typically makes things more confusing and (almost certainly) less concise, so try not to use too many in your writing.

Secondly, "dead" descriptions and comparisons are of little use because they have become so common in our language (and thus, they have lost their impact), and because their original meaning has been lost. For example, telling the audience that the alpha male gorilla in your study is "as bold as brass," could be problematic. Scholars believe that the simile comes from the 18th century, and that it was used then to describe people that had been executed publicly after being found guilty of serious crimes; brass was deemed to be a cheap, vulgar metal, so the simile was used to suggest the executions had happened cheaply, and violently. This is almost certainly not what you want to say about your confident gorilla looking after his tribe in the beautiful misty mountains.

Thirdly, comparisons can be inappropriate for a whole variety of reasons. For example, they might be offensive in some way (too graphic, rude, racist, and/or sexist). Misleading comparisons can be "exploited to further social and political agendas" (Taylor and Dewsbury 2018, p. 3). Taylor and Dewsbury (2018, p. 3) note, for example that: “war on invasive species is another example that demonstrates how certain sociopolitical ideologies become entangled with scientific discourse."

Finally, mixed comparisons should be avoided at all costs. These include two or more unlinked descriptors in the same sentence, which makes the meaning very difficult to interpret. For example, it is difficult to understand the statement "time flies when the weight is lifted off your shoulders" because it contains two unrelated descriptors.