She opened the door quietly to avoid disturbing others.

Meaning: This sentence depicts someone being considerate by opening a door cautiously to avoid causing disruption.

Choice of Words: Opened means to move something, such as a door, so that there is a space or passage. Quietly means in a way that makes little or no noise. Avoid means to keep away from or prevent something from happening. Disturbing means causing someone to feel upset or uncomfortable. When you put them together, the sentence describes someone carefully opening a door to prevent making noise and potentially disturbing others.

Alternative Expressions

She carefully turned the doorknob, making sure not to make a sound.

Meaning: This sentence describes a person who opened a door very cautiously, being mindful not to make any noise that might be heard by others.

Choice of Words: She is a pronoun that refers to a specific female person. Carefully is an adverb that means to do something with great care or attention. Turned is a verb that means to move something around an axis or pivot point. The doorknob is a noun that refers to the handle of a door that is used to open or close it. Making sure is a verb phrase that means to take steps to ensure that something happens or doesn't happen. Not to make is a verb phrase that means to prevent something from happening. A sound is a noun that refers to a vibration that travels through a medium such as air or water, and can be heard by the human ear.

She eased the door open, being mindful of the sleeping occupants in the next room.

Meaning: This sentence describes a person who opened a door very gently, being careful not to wake up the people who are sleeping in the next room.

Choice of Words: She is a pronoun that refers to a specific female person. Eased is a verb that means to move something gently or slowly. The door is a noun that refers to a hinged or sliding barrier that is used to block an entrance or passageway. Open is a verb that means to move something to create an opening. Being mindful is a verb phrase that means to be aware of or attentive to something. The sleeping occupants is a noun phrase that refers to the people who are sleeping in the next room. In is a preposition that indicates a location or position. The next room is a noun phrase that refers to the room that is adjacent to the one where the speaker is.

Related Expressions