Meaning: Butterflies' wings move gently in the wind.
Choice of Words: Wings - the parts of a bird or insect that allow it to fly, flutter - to move quickly and lightly, gentle - not strong or rough, breeze - a light wind.
Alternative Expressions
The bird's wings fluttered in the gentle breeze.
Meaning: This sentence is similar to the first one, but it specifies that the wings belong to a bird. It's like saying, The bird's wings were moving quickly and lightly in the gentle wind.
Choice of Words:The bird's tells us that the wings belong to a bird. Fluttered is the past tense of flutter, which means to move quickly and lightly with short, irregular movements. Gentle means kind and not harsh or forceful. Breeze is a light wind. When you put these words together, you get a picture of a bird's wings moving quickly and lightly in a gentle wind.
The wings of the bird fluttered gently in the breeze.
Meaning: This sentence is the most specific of the three. It tells us that the wings belong to a bird and that they are moving in a gentle wind. It's like saying, The wings of the bird were moving quickly and lightly in the gentle wind.
Choice of Words:The wings tells us that we are talking about the wings of something. Of is a preposition that means belonging to. The bird tells us that the wings belong to a bird. Fluttered is the past tense of flutter, which means to move quickly and lightly with short, irregular movements. Gently means kind and not harsh or forceful. In is a preposition that means within or surrounded by. The breeze is a light wind. When you put these words together, you get a picture of the wings of a bird moving quickly and lightly in a gentle wind.