We ate pizza for dinner.

Meaning: This means we had pizza as our main meal in the evening.

Choice of Words: Ate means to put food into your mouth and chew and swallow it. Pizza is a popular food made with a flat, round base of dough topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and often other toppings. Dinner is the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening. When you put them together, "We ate pizza for dinner" means that we put pizza into our mouths and chewed and swallowed it as the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening.

Alternative Expressions

The children played in the park.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that a group of young people engaged in activities for enjoyment or recreation in a public area with open space and often trees.

Choice of Words: The is a definite article that refers to a specific group of people or things. Children are young people, usually under the age of 18. Played is a verb that means to engage in an activity for enjoyment or recreation. Park is a public area with open space and often trees, where people can relax and play. When you put these words together, "The children played in the park" tells us that a group of young people engaged in activities for enjoyment or recreation in a public area with open space and often trees.

The dog barked at the mailman.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that a specific domesticated carnivorous mammal made a short, sharp sound, typically as a warning or to attract attention, at a person who delivers mail.

Choice of Words: The is a definite article that refers to a specific person or thing. Dog is a domesticated carnivorous mammal that is often kept as a pet. Barked is a verb that means to make a short, sharp sound, typically as a warning or to attract attention. Mailman is a person who delivers mail. When you put these words together, "The dog barked at the mailman" tells us that a specific domesticated carnivorous mammal made a short, sharp sound, typically as a warning or to attract attention, at a person who delivers mail.

Related Expressions