She opened the book and began to read its tales.

Meaning: She started to look at and understand the stories that were written in the book.

Choice of Words: Opened means to move something apart to create a space or passage. Book is a written or printed work consisting of pages glued together along one side and bound in covers. Read means to look at and understand the meaning of written or printed words.

Alternative Expressions

The girl flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the words.

Meaning: This sentence describes a girl who is quickly turning the pages of a book and reading the words on them.

Choice of Words: Girl is a noun that refers to a young female. Flipped is the past tense of the verb flip, which means to turn something over or through quickly. Through is a preposition that means from one side to the other. Pages are the sheets of paper in a book. Her is a possessive pronoun that refers to the girl. Eyes are the organs of sight. Scanning is a verb that means to look at something quickly and carefully. Words are the units of language that make up sentences.

The boy sat down on the couch, a book in his lap.

Meaning: This sentence describes a boy who is sitting on a couch with a book on his lap.

Choice of Words: Boy is a noun that refers to a young male. Sat is the past tense of the verb sit, which means to rest in a seated position. Down is an adverb that means to move to a lower position. Couch is a piece of furniture that you can sit on. A is an indefinite article that means one. Book is an object that contains written or printed information. In is a preposition that means inside. His is a possessive pronoun that refers to the boy. Lap is the part of your body where your legs meet your torso.

Related Expressions