Question

which sentences contain similes? check all that apply.

when jill opened the door, the cat bolted out, a furry ball of pent-up energy.
sanjay, in his suit and tie, stood out like a sore thumb.
the moon was a sliver of light against the blackness of the sky.
anikas hands were shaking like leaves as she got up to give her presentation.
the finch was as busy as a bee, building her nest.
the cabin stood as a solemn sentinel on the shore of the lake.

Explanation:

Define a simile

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things using comparison words such as "like" or "as".

Analyze each sentence

• Sentence 1: "When Jill opened the door, the cat bolted out, a furry ball of pent-up energy."
• This compares the cat to a "furry ball" directly without using "like" or "as". This is a metaphor, not a simile.
• Sentence 2: "Sanjay, in his suit and tie, stood out like a sore thumb."
• This compares Sanjay's appearance to a "sore thumb" using the comparison word "like". This is a simile.
• Sentence 3: "The moon was a sliver of light against the blackness of the sky."
• This compares the moon to a "sliver of light" directly without "like" or "as". This is a metaphor, not a simile.
• Sentence 4: "Anika's hands were shaking like leaves as she got up to give her presentation."
• This compares the shaking of her hands to "leaves" using the comparison word "like". This is a simile.
• Sentence 5: "The finch was as busy as a bee, building her nest."
• This compares the finch's busyness to a "bee" using the comparison structure "as... as". This is a simile.
• Sentence 6: "The cabin stood as a solemn sentinel on the shore of the lake."
• Here, "as" is used to mean "in the role of" or "functioning as" rather than making a figurative comparison between two distinct things using "as [adjective] as". The cabin is described as a sentinel, which is personification/metaphor, not a simile.

Identify correct options

The sentences containing similes are:

• "Sanjay, in his suit and tie, stood out like a sore thumb."
• "Anika's hands were shaking like leaves as she got up to give her presentation."
• "The finch was as busy as a bee, building her nest."

Answer:

• When Jill opened the door, the cat bolted out, a furry ball of pent-up energy.
• Sanjay, in his suit and tie, stood out like a sore thumb. (Correct answer)
• The moon was a sliver of light against the blackness of the sky.
• Anika's hands were shaking like leaves as she got up to give her presentation. (Correct answer)
• The finch was as busy as a bee, building her nest. (Correct answer)
• The cabin stood as a solemn sentinel on the shore of the lake.