ELA Bell Ringers for Grades 6–8
This page collects every ELA bell ringer we have posted for grades 6–8: 2 bell ringers so far, newest first, with a new one added each school day. Each is a 3–5 minute warm-up for middle school students covering grammar fixes, word choice, short writing and reading skills. The answer and teacher notes sit in the collapsed box under each prompt, so you can project the page without giving anything away.
Similes versus metaphors
Label each sentence as a simile or a metaphor. Then write one of your own about your morning.
- After the bell, the hallway was a river of backpacks.
- My little brother eats cereal like a vacuum cleaner.
- The full moon looked like a shiny coin in the sky.
Answer and teacher notes
1. Metaphor. 2. Simile. 3. Simile.
A simile compares two things using "like" or "as." A metaphor says one thing is another. Quick check: if you can spot "like" or "as" doing the comparing, it's a simile. For the student sentences, ask what the comparison helps the reader picture.
Their, there, and they're
Fix the two mistakes in this sentence:
Their going to the library after school, but they left there backpacks in the classroom.
Answer and teacher notes
Corrected: They're going to the library after school, but they left their backpacks in the classroom.
They're = they are. Their = belongs to them. There = a place. Quick test: if "they are" fits, use they're.
Free to use. Copy, print, project or adapt any of these for your students. If you share them online, please credit Daily Bell Ringers with a link. Not for resale. License: CC BY-NC 4.0.
Download this set: spreadsheet (CSV) · JSON
Want more? See our ready-made list of grammar bell ringers and how to run bell ringers in middle school, or make a custom one with the free bell ringer generator.