They ran through the woods.

Meaning: This means they moved quickly using their feet from one side of the area covered with trees to the other side.

Choice of Words: Ran is the past tense of run, which means to move quickly using your feet. Through means to go from one side of something to the other. Woods are a large area of land covered with trees.

Alternative Expressions

The children sprinted through the forest.

Meaning: This means that a group of young people ran very fast from one side of a wooded area to the other. It's like saying, The young people moved very quickly on foot from one side of the trees to the other side.

Choice of Words: The children is a noun phrase that refers to a group of young people. Sprintet is a verb that means to run very fast. Through means to move from one side of something to the other. Forest is a noun that refers to a large area of trees. When you put them together, "The children sprinted through the forest" means that a group of young people ran very fast from one side of a wooded area to the other.

The group of friends dashed across the park.

Meaning: This means that a group of people who know each other ran very quickly from one side of a park to the other. It's like saying, The people who know each other moved very quickly on foot from one side of the park to the other side.

Choice of Words: The group of friends is a noun phrase that refers to a group of people who know each other. Dashed is a verb that means to run very quickly. Across means to move from one side of something to the other. Park is a noun that refers to a public area with trees and grass. When you put them together, "The group of friends dashed across the park" means that a group of people who know each other ran very quickly from one side of a park to the other.

Related Expressions