Expression: "Her eyes are deep like an ocean."

[Tom]

Hi

Could you please tell me if an is required or the here?

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

I'd probably go with 'the', but I suppose either would be possible. I guess I like 'the' because most people are familiar with one particular ocean and that particular one would be what her eyes were being compared to.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[Alan]

Hi Tom,

In all honesty I find Her eyes are deep like an/ the ocean.
a bit wacky. I would suggest: Her eyes are as deep as the ocean.

Alan
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[glitterfairy25]

it depends if your want to talk about Oceans in general or a particular ocean. Using 'an' means any ocean, and using 'the' means a particular ocean. It doesn't matter all that much, but "Her eyes are deep like an ocean." sounds a little better.

[Belles1654]

I agree with Glitterfairy, if you say "the ocean" I would wonder which ocean you meant, ocean 1 is not ocean 2,ect...but that may be because I don't live near an ocean.

[Torsten]

As Alan said "her eyes are keep like an ocean" sounds pretty strange. "Her eyes are as deep as the ocean" simply seems to be more commonly used.
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