Meaning: This sentence describes the moonlight reflecting on the water.
Choice of Words: The verb "paint" and the noun "trails" create a vivid image of the moon's light reflecting on the water, creating shimmering pathways.
Alternative Expressions
The moon's light creates shimmering pathways across the lake.
Meaning: This sentence also describes the effect of the moonlight on the water, but it uses different words to create a similar image.
Choice of Words:Moon's light refers to the light coming from the moon. Creates means to make or bring something into existence. Shimmering means to shine with a soft, wavering light. Pathways are paths or roads. Across means from one side to the other. Lake is a large body of water. When you put them together, the sentence means that the moonlight is making shiny, wavering paths across the lake.
The moonlight dances upon the water's surface, leaving behind trails of silvery brilliance.
Meaning: This sentence uses more figurative language to describe the effect of the moonlight on the water, creating a more poetic and imaginative image.
Choice of Words:Moonlight refers to the light coming from the moon. Dances means to move in a graceful and lively way. Upon means on or above. Water's surface refers to the top of the water. Leaving behind means to abandon or deposit something. Trails are paths or marks left behind. Silvery brilliance refers to the shiny, white light of the moon. When you put them together, the sentence means that the moonlight is moving gracefully and lively on the surface of the water, leaving behind paths of shiny, white light.