Meaning: The smell of baking bread spread through the air.
Choice of Words: Smell: A sensation perceived by the nose. Filled: Made full or occupied. Air: The mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth.
Alternative Expressions
The smell was in the air.
Meaning: This sentence means that a particular scent or odor is present in the air, and it can be detected by our sense of smell.
Choice of Words: **Smell** is a noun that refers to the sensation of detecting odors or scents through the nose. **Air** is a noun that refers to the invisible, odorless gas that surrounds us and fills the atmosphere. When you put these two words together, you get a clear description of the presence of a scent in the surrounding atmosphere.
The air was filled with a smell.
Meaning: This sentence means that the surrounding atmosphere has been permeated by an unspecified scent or odor, making it noticeable to our sense of smell.
Choice of Words: **The air** is a definite article that refers to the specific surrounding atmosphere. **Was filled** is a passive voice construction that indicates that the action of filling was done to the air. **A smell** is an indefinite article that refers to any unspecified scent or odor. When you put these words together, you get a description of the surrounding atmosphere being occupied or taken up by an unspecified scent or odor.