The happy dog ran quickly, his paws hitting the dirt.

Meaning: The dog was very pleased and was moving very fast. His feet were striking the ground with force.

Choice of Words: Happy is an adjective that means feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. Quickly is an adverb that means with great speed or in a short amount of time. Paws are the feet of an animal, especially a dog or cat. Hitting means to strike or collide with something. Dirt is a loose, dry soil.

Alternative Expressions

The joyous canine sprinted with great speed, its pads striking the earth.

Meaning: This sentence describes a dog that is running extremely fast and happily, with its paws hitting the ground with great force.

Choice of Words: Joyous is a more formal way to say happy, emphasizing the dog's extreme happiness. Canine is a fancy word for dog. Sprinted means to run very fast, even faster than ran. Great means very big or significant, in this case, the speed is significant. Pads are the soft part of the dog's paws that hit the ground when it runs. Striking is a more dramatic way to say hitting, emphasizing the force with which the paws hit the earth. Earth is a more poetic way to say dirt.

The delighted pooch raced with lightning speed, its feet pounding the ground.

Meaning: This sentence describes a dog that is running incredibly fast and happily, with its feet hitting the ground with a loud and forceful sound.

Choice of Words: Delighted is another way to say happy, suggesting that the dog is very pleased and excited. Pooch is a slang word for dog, often used in a playful or affectionate way. Raced means to run very fast, like in a race. Lightning is very fast, so lightning speed means incredibly fast. Feet are the same as paws, but pounding emphasizes the heavy and loud way in which the feet hit the ground.

Related Expressions