They played basketball.

Meaning: This means that a group of people engaged in the sport of basketball. It's like saying, A group of people participated in a game of basketball.

Choice of Words: They is a third-person pronoun that refers to a group of people or things. Played is the past tense of the verb play, which means to engage in an activity for enjoyment or recreation. Basketball is a common noun that refers to a sport played with a ball and a hoop, in which players score points by throwing the ball through the hoop.

Alternative Expressions

The kids shot hoops.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that the young people were playing basketball by shooting the ball into the hoops.

Choice of Words: Kids is a noun that refers to young people. Shot is a verb that means to throw or launch something. Hoops are the circular baskets that the ball is thrown into in basketball. When you put them together, "The kids shot hoops" means that the young people were throwing the ball into the baskets in basketball.

They dribbled the ball down the court.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that the group of people were playing basketball by dribbling the ball down the court.

Choice of Words: They is a pronoun that refers to a group of people. Dribbled is a verb that means to bounce the ball while running or walking. Ball is the object that is being bounced. Court is the area where the game of basketball is played. When you put them together, "They dribbled the ball down the court" means that the group of people were bouncing the ball while running or walking down the area where the game of basketball is played.

Related Expressions