A. The electrons in metals are shared so that the bond between them is too strong to be broken by pounding.

B. The electrons in metals allow the cations to slide past and thereby reduce the repulsive force between them.

C. The electrons in metals are either given up or taken up while bonding, creating a bond too strong to be broken by pounding.

D. They form molecules in which each atom is bonded to many other atoms, forming a sturdy structure which doesn’t break on pounding.

E. They form molecules which have a very high boiling and melting point, which makes them resistant to breaking.