The girl smiled happily when she saw her friend.

Meaning: This means that the girl was very pleased and delighted when she met her friend.

Choice of Words: Smiled is a verb that describes the expression of happiness or pleasure on someone's face. Happily is an adverb that describes how the girl felt when she saw her friend. Saw is a verb that means to perceive something with your eyes.

Alternative Expressions

A smile spread across the girl's face as she spotted her companion.

Meaning: This sentence describes a girl who is happy to see her friend. Her happiness is expressed by a smile that spreads across her face.

Choice of Words: A smile is a noun that refers to the expression of happiness or amusement with the mouth. Spread is a verb that describes the action of moving or extending something over a surface. Across is a preposition that describes the direction of the movement. The girl's face is a noun phrase that refers to the front of the girl's head. As is a conjunction that connects two clauses. She spotted is a verb phrase that describes the action of seeing something suddenly or unexpectedly. Her companion is a noun phrase that refers to a person who the girl is with.

The girl's countenance beamed with joy upon encountering her acquaintance.

Meaning: This sentence describes a girl who is very happy to see her friend. Her happiness is expressed by her face, which is beaming with joy.

Choice of Words: The girl's countenance is a noun phrase that refers to the girl's face or expression. Beamed is a verb that describes the action of shining or emitting light. With joy is a prepositional phrase that describes the feeling that the girl is experiencing. Upon encountering is a verb phrase that describes the action of meeting someone or something. Her acquaintance is a noun phrase that refers to a person who the girl knows but is not particularly close to.

Related Expressions