Children built sandcastles at the beach, laughing.

Meaning: Young people constructed or formed structures made of sand beside a body of water, making sounds expressing amusement or joy.

Choice of Words: Children are young people, and built means constructed or formed something by putting parts together. Sandcastles are structures made of sand, and beach is a sandy shore beside a body of water. Laughing is the act of making sounds expressing amusement or joy.

Alternative Expressions

The children were building sandcastles at the beach, laughing happily.

Meaning: This sentence is similar to the first one, but it adds the word happily to describe how the children are laughing. This suggests that they are having a lot of fun.

Choice of Words: The is a definite article that refers to a specific group of children. Were is the past tense of the verb to be. Building means to put something together or create something. Sandcastles are structures made of sand, usually built by children at the beach. At means in a particular place or location. The is a definite article that refers to a specific beach. Laughing means to make a sound that shows you are amused or happy. Happily means in a happy way.

The children were having a blast building sandcastles at the beach, laughing and playing together.

Meaning: This sentence is the most detailed of the three. It describes how the children are having a lot of fun building sandcastles, laughing, and playing together at the beach.

Choice of Words: The is a definite article that refers to a specific group of children. Were is the past tense of the verb to be. Having is the present participle of the verb to have. A is an indefinite article that refers to an unspecified amount or quantity. Blast is a slang term that means a lot of fun or enjoyment. Building means to put something together or create something. Sandcastles are structures made of sand, usually built by children at the beach. At means in a particular place or location. The is a definite article that refers to a specific beach. Laughing means to make a sound that shows you are amused or happy. Playing means to engage in an activity for enjoyment or recreation. Together means in the company of others.

Related Expressions