The leaves rustled softly as the wind blew through them.

Meaning: This sentence describes the sound of leaves moving in the wind.

Choice of Words: Rustled is a verb that describes the sound made by leaves when they are moved by the wind. Softly is an adverb that means in a quiet or gentle manner. Blew is a simple past tense verb that describes the movement of air.

Alternative Expressions

The wind whistled through the trees, making the leaves dance.

Meaning: This means that the wind was blowing through the trees and causing the leaves to move in a rhythmic way.

Choice of Words: Whistled means to make a high-pitched sound, like when you blow across the top of a bottle. Trees are tall plants with woody stems and branches. Making means causing something to happen. Dance means to move rhythmically, like when you listen to music. When you put them together, "The wind whistled through the trees, making the leaves dance" means that the wind was making a high-pitched sound as it moved through the trees, causing the leaves to move rhythmically.

The birds sang sweetly in the branches, filling the air with music.

Meaning: This means that the birds were singing in the trees and their singing was filling the air with a pleasant sound.

Choice of Words: Birds are animals with feathers and wings that can fly. Sang means to make musical sounds with your voice. Sweetly means pleasantly or pleasingly. Branches are the woody parts of trees that grow out from the trunk. Filling means to make something full. Air is the invisible gas that we breathe. Music is a combination of sounds that is pleasing to the ear. When you put them together, "The birds sang sweetly in the branches, filling the air with music" means that the birds were making pleasant musical sounds in the branches of the trees, causing the air to be filled with music.

Related Expressions