The child finished lunch quickly.

Meaning: The young person completed eating their midday meal in a short amount of time.

Choice of Words: Child is a noun that refers to a young person. Finished is a verb that means to complete a task. Lunch is a noun that refers to the meal eaten in the middle of the day. Quickly is an adverb that means in a short amount of time.

Alternative Expressions

The young boy ate his midday meal rapidly.

Meaning: This means the same thing as the first example, but it uses more specific and formal words. It's like saying, The young boy ate all of his lunch and he did it very quickly.

Choice of Words: The young boy is a more specific subject, indicating the age and gender of the child. Ate is a more specific verb, describing the specific action of consuming food. His midday meal is a more specific direct object, indicating the type of meal that was completed. Rapidly is a more formal adverb, describing the speed at which the action was performed.

In a short amount of time, the little girl had consumed her noontime sustenance.

Meaning: This means the same thing as the first two examples, but it uses more complex and formal words. It's like saying, The little girl ate all of her lunch and she did it in a very short amount of time.

Choice of Words: In a short amount of time is a more complex adverbial phrase, describing the duration of the action. The little girl is a more specific subject, indicating the age and gender of the child. Had consumed is a more formal verb, describing the action of eating. Her noontime sustenance is a more formal direct object, indicating the type of meal that was completed.

Related Expressions