Students listened attentively and took notes.

Meaning: People who are learning paid attention to with close attention and obtained or accepted written or recorded information.

Choice of Words: Students: people who are learning; listened: paid attention to; attentively: with close attention; took: obtained or accepted; notes: written or recorded information.

Alternative Expressions

The students were all ears and scribbled furiously.

Meaning: This means that the students were paying very close attention and writing down notes very quickly.

Choice of Words: Students refers to young people who are studying. Were all ears is an idiom that means to listen very carefully. Scribbled means to write quickly and untidily. Furiously means to do something with great energy or anger. When you put them together, "The students were all ears and scribbled furiously" means that the students were listening very carefully and writing down notes very quickly.

The young scholars hung on every word and jotted down every detail.

Meaning: This means that the students were paying very close attention and writing down all of the important information.

Choice of Words: Young scholars is a more formal way of saying students. Hung on every word is an idiom that means to listen very carefully. Jotted down means to write something down quickly. Every detail means all of the small pieces of information. When you put them together, "The young scholars hung on every word and jotted down every detail" means that the students were listening very carefully and writing down all of the important information.

Related Expressions