Meaning: Squirrels were making noises and collecting nuts.
Choice of Words: Squirrels: Small, furry animals with bushy tails. Chattered: To make a series of short, sharp sounds. Gathered: To collect something together.
Alternative Expressions
The squirrels chattered excitedly, gathering nuts for the winter.
Meaning: This sentence gives us more information about why the squirrels are chattering and gathering nuts.
Choice of Words: Adding the word excitedly tells us that the squirrels are making these sounds because they are feeling excited. For the winter tells us that they are collecting the nuts to store them for the winter months when food is scarce.
As the sun began to set, the squirrels chattered and gathered nuts with a sense of urgency.
Meaning: This sentence gives us a sense of the time of day and the importance of the squirrels' task.
Choice of Words: Adding the phrase As the sun began to set tells us that the squirrels are gathering nuts as the day is ending. With a sense of urgency tells us that they are doing this quickly, as if they know they need to get the nuts before nightfall.