They counted coins and smiled.

Meaning: This means they added up the coins they had saved and were pleased with the amount they had.

Choice of Words: Counted means to determine the number of something by adding them up. Coins are small, round pieces of metal used as money. Smiled means to show happiness by turning up the corners of the mouth. So, "They counted coins and smiled" means they added up the coins they had saved and were happy about the amount.

Alternative Expressions

The people counted coins and smiled.

Meaning: This means the same as the first sentence. It's like saying, The people were adding up coins and were happy because they had a lot of money.

Choice of Words: The people is a noun phrase that refers to the people in the sentence. Counted is a verb that means to add up numbers or items. Coins are small, round pieces of metal used as money. And is a conjunction that joins two words or phrases. Smiled is a verb that means to show happiness by turning up the corners of your mouth.

They were counting coins and smiling.

Meaning: This means the same as the first two sentences. It's like saying, The people were adding up coins and were happy because they had a lot of money.

Choice of Words: They is a pronoun used to refer to the people in the sentence. Were counting is a verb phrase that means to be adding up numbers or items. Coins are small, round pieces of metal used as money. And is a conjunction that joins two words or phrases. Smiling is a verb that means to show happiness by turning up the corners of your mouth.

Related Expressions