The children played happily in the garden.

Meaning: This means that the young people engaged in an enjoyable activity in the outdoor area with plants and flowers.

Choice of Words: Children are young people. Played means to engage in an activity for enjoyment. Happily means with joy and contentment. Garden is an outdoor area with plants and flowers.

Alternative Expressions

The kids had fun playing in the backyard.

Meaning: This sentence is similar to the first one, but it uses different words to describe the same situation.

Choice of Words: The word kids is a synonym for children. Had is a past tense verb that shows that the playing happened in the past. Fun is a noun that describes the enjoyment that the kids are experiencing. Playing is a gerund that describes the activity that the kids are engaged in. In is a preposition that shows the location where the kids are playing. The is an article that specifies that we are talking about a particular backyard. Backyard is a noun that refers to an outdoor area behind a house.

The little ones were enjoying themselves as they played in the park.

Meaning: This sentence is similar to the first two, but it uses different words to describe the same situation.

Choice of Words: The phrase little ones is a way to refer to young children. Were enjoying themselves is a verb phrase that describes the state of mind of the children. As is a conjunction that connects the two clauses in the sentence. Played is a verb that describes the activity that the children are engaged in. In is a preposition that shows the location where the children are playing. The is an article that specifies that we are talking about a particular park. Park is a noun that refers to a public outdoor area with trees, grass, and other amenities.

Related Expressions