Sweet candy can give you a toothache.

Meaning: Eating too much candy can cause pain in your teeth.

Choice of Words: Sweet is an adjective used to describe a taste that is pleasing and sugary, while toothache is a painful condition in which your tooth hurts. Together, "sweet candy" is a treat that has a sugary taste, and "toothache" is the result of eating too much of it.

Alternative Expressions

Candy that is sweet can cause a toothache.

Meaning: This means the same as the first sentence. It says that eating candy that is sweet can cause a toothache, which is a pain in your teeth.

Choice of Words: Candy is a type of sweet food that is often made with sugar. That is a relative pronoun that introduces a dependent clause. Is is a linking verb that connects the subject to a complement. Sweet means something tastes good, like sugar or honey. Can is a modal verb that expresses possibility or ability. Cause means to make something happen. Toothache is a pain in one or more teeth.

Eating candy that is sweet could lead to a toothache.

Meaning: This means the same as the first two sentences. It says that eating candy that is sweet could lead to a toothache, which is a pain in your teeth.

Choice of Words: Eating is the present participle of the verb eat, which means to consume food. Candy is a type of sweet food that is often made with sugar. That is a relative pronoun that introduces a dependent clause. Is is a linking verb that connects the subject to a complement. Sweet means something tastes good, like sugar or honey. Could is a modal verb that expresses possibility or ability. Lead means to cause or result in something. Toothache is a pain in one or more teeth.

Related Expressions