Do away with dull openings
like “One day ”. Instead try one of these for an early morning.
1.
The radiant rays of the morning sun filtered through
the canopy of leaves.
2. The early morning sun shone upon his weather-beaten face. There was a hive
of activity in the block as housewives went about their morning errands.
3. The bright morning sun brought light and life to the city/ village.
4. The early morning sun peeped through/ between the mountains/ hills as it left
the horizon.
5. The brilliant rays of the morning sun shone right through the curtains.
6. The shimmering blue sea was like myriads of diamonds as the morning sun shone/
played on it.
7. The sky was a delightful expanse of blue, dotted with magnolia white clouds.
8. The sky was a delightful expanse of azure blue. The clouds had no place in
the morning sun where the majestic sun reigned supreme.
9. The pearly/ white light of pre-dawn was peeping through the grey clouds. It
was a sunrise to behold as the orange hues merged with the pale pink shades.
10. The warm rays of the morning sun caressed the chubby cheeks of the cheerful
children as the morning breeze tossed their raven-black hair.
11. The warm beams of the morning sun filtered through the heavily-barred window
of the cold prison cell to greet the occupant who stood up to rush into their embrace.
12.
Come weal or woe, it was the start of another new
day.
Do away with dull openings like
“One afternoon ”. Instead try one of these for noon.
1. The scorching/ merciless sun at noon beat upon the backs of the pedestrians
as they braved the heat to get to a cool spot to eat their midday meal.
2. The sun at noon was high in the sky, casting my shrunken shadow on the hard ground.
3. The midday sun beat upon the weather-beaten face and time-ravaged body of the poor farmer.
4. The mind-numbing heat of the afternoon sun made its lazy way into the drowsy, sleep-filled atmosphere of
the classroom. I struggled to keep my mind awake and not succumb to the hypnotic, sleep-inducing tones of my history teacher.
5.
The vicious sun shone relentlessly on its victims below, scorching both the earth and the exposed backs of the labourers.
Do away with dull openings
like “One evening/ night ”. Instead try one of these for evenings and nights.
1. The evening sun beckoned me home after a brain-storming session in school/ at work.
2. The splendid sunset had us spellbound as we watching the sinking of the huge ball of
fire amidst the splashes of warm hues of red, orange and yellow. Such was the splendour and grandeur of the sunset.
3. Glorious Sun dimmed his light to let shy Lady Moon step out to take his place. His golden
robe faded into the distance to make way for her glowing gown.
4. The moon was high in the sky, shrouded by misty grey clouds.
5. Beneath the silvery moon, the distant owl hooted hauntingly. The silhouettes of the branches
resembled ghostly limbs.
6. The ominous moon seemed to be in cahoots with the nocturnal creatures.
7. The moon lost its place in the night sky as the blanket of darkness descended on the town.
8. Darkness had earlier descended like a big blanket, as though the stage was being set after the curtains closed.
The country was swathed in utter darkness save for the twinkling of a few stars scattered in the wide expanse of the night
sky.
9. The moon had no place in the night sky which was studded with stars.
10. Lady Moon dimmed her light in much the same way as Florence Nightingale did, with the assurance that she
would pass that way again. How comforting the thought !
11. The swirling wind picked up some loose dirt and scattered it all over the stone pavement
and my feet. I quickened my pace and wrapped my hands around my shoulders. It was nearing midnight.
Instead of the so-boring word
“said”, try these words as substitutes in your writing.
Added |
Disapproved |
Interrupted |
Questioned |
Admitted |
Discussed |
Jeered |
Quoted |
Admonished |
Echoed |
Lamented |
Rebuked |
Agreed |
Elaborated |
Lied |
Reported |
Announced |
Enthused |
Mentioned |
Reprimanded |
Apologized |
Exclaimed |
Moaned |
Requested |
Argued |
Explained |
Mocked |
Responded |
Barked |
Expressed |
Mumbled |
Retorted |
Bawled |
Greeted |
Mused |
Scoffed |
Bellowed |
Grizzled |
Muttered |
Shrieked |
Blared |
Groaned |
Narrated |
Sighed |
Blurted |
Groused |
Noted |
Snapped |
Boasted |
Growled |
Objected |
Sneered |
Bristled |
Grunted |
Observed |
Snorted |
Cackled |
Guessed |
Offered |
Stammered |
Cajoled |
Hinted |
Opined |
Stated |
Cautioned |
Hissed |
Ordered |
Surmised |
Chided |
Hollered |
Panted |
Suggested |
Chuckled |
Hooted |
Persuaded |
Teased |
Complained |
Howled |
Pleaded |
Testified |
Concluded |
Informed |
Proclaimed |
Told |
Declared |
Inquired |
Professed |
Urged |
Deduced |
Insinuated |
Promised |
Uttered |
Demanded |
Insisted |
Protested |
Volleyed |
Denied |
Instructed |
Purred |
Warned |
Whimpered |
Whispered |
Wished |
Wondered |
Yelled |
Yelped |
Confessed |
entreated |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Sad Feelings & Actions |
1. |
Rubbed her eyes till they became red |
2. |
Said in between her sobs |
3. |
Another sob escaped her throat |
4. |
She could not keep her tears back |
5. |
Tears streamed/ rolled down her cheeks |
6. |
Her heart was filled with sadness/ sorrow/ despair |
7. |
he closed his
eyes and dwelled in disappointment |
8. |
Said in a sad and pitiful tone |
9. |
She could no longer control her own emotions |
10. |
Her heart felt as if a sharp knife had slashed it into pieces |
11. |
I took one look at her tear-streaked face and knew at once something was terribly wrong |
12. |
She was on the verge of tears/ on the verge of breaking down soon |
13. |
a look of pain
seared across his wrinkled face as a lone tear trickled down his cheeks |
14. |
He cried until his voice was hoarse |
15. |
Her cheerful mood changed when she received the bad news |
16. |
With a heavy heart, he disclosed the bad news to the family |
17. |
I closed my eyes and prayed hard for a miracle to happen |
18. |
Her heart went out to the pitiful boy |
19. |
After the tragedy, he decided to face up to reality and dragged himself to work |
20. |
Cold sweat formed on her forehead |
21. |
tears welled up
in his soft brown eyes, forming a blanket over them |
22. |
Tears welled up
in her eyes as she related how the tragedy happened |
23. |
no words could describe the hurt and anguish that had been inflicted upon him |
24. |
his watery blue eyes were puffy and bloodshot from previous nights of crying himself to sleep |
25. |
blinked away the
tears that stung my eyes |
26. |
broke down and
cried, releasing the torrents of tears that I had tried so much to keep back |
27. |
a mist of tears
blurred my eyes |
28. |
heart welled up
like a tight balloon with guilt and sorrow |
29. |
buried his face
in his hands, and soft sobbing sounds began to emerge from him |
30. |
deep pools of
emerald eyes, usually dancing with life and vivacity now lay dull and empty as she gazed off at the night sky |
31. |
I could hold back
no longer, the dam that kept my tears back sprang a leak |
32. |
tears scalded
my eyelids, so much that blinking became an agony |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Happy Feelings & Actions |
1. |
Her face was beaming with delight |
2. |
She has a sunny smile across her face |
3. |
He was as happy as a lark |
4. |
No words could describe his happiness/ joy |
5. |
Her happiness/ elation knew no bounds |
6. |
She was crying tears of happiness/ joy |
7. |
He was grinning from ear to ear |
8. |
She chorused as she danced around the room |
9. |
On hearing the good news, everyone crowded around him to offer their congratulations |
10. |
He felt as if a heavy load had been lifted off his back |
11. |
Then reality set in and he gave an enormous whoop of joy |
12. |
A sense of exhilaration overcame him as he pranced about exclaiming wildly |
13. |
He made no effort to hide his joy |
14. |
The ecstatic boy was a happy sight to behold, with his sparkling eyes and bubbly enthusiasm |
15. |
I was so jubilant
that I could not stay still, but kept prancing about in the room |
16. |
Her eyes glittered with joyful expectation as she opened the gift |
17. |
experiencing sensations of pleasure |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Fear, Despair & Worry |
1. |
worry wrapped
itself around him like a heavy blanket |
2. |
icy hand clutching
his heart |
3. |
tried to swallow
the cries that sought to emerge from his throbbing throat |
4. |
a stab of fear
pierced through his body |
5. |
stood immobile
as her body was seized by fear |
6. |
eyes dilated in
terror |
7. |
fear gripped his
heart |
8. |
a monstrous terror
seized him and his pulse pulsated, pumping ice-cold dread into every capillary of his body |
9. |
streams of perspiration
outlined his trembling jaw |
10. |
intense and immense
fear gripped me as terrible thoughts raced through my mind |
11. |
fear coursed through
my veins |
12. |
muscles shivered
periodically with beads of perspiration trickling down the nape of her neck |
13. |
fear sizzled and
spread around my body like a powerful potion |
14. |
my heart pounded
loudly, in fact, it sounded like a thousand drummers in unison, starting a funeral march |
15. |
terror was mounting
rapidly within me |
16. |
a mixture of anxiety
and terror |
17. |
pale and shaken |
18. |
her voice trembled
with the pain of vexation and chagrin |
19. |
his face began
to take on the pallor of nausea |
20. |
his eyebrows were
deeply knit and his mouth slightly ajar in his agony |
21. |
She held her breath in trepidation |
22. |
She sank into her chair in despair |
23. |
Her knees were shaking slightly and her fingers were trembling uncontrollably |
24. |
Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Anger |
1. |
mouth dropped
open in soundless shock |
2. |
veins protruding
and his heart palpitating very fast |
3. |
angry words fell
from his quivering lips |
4. |
vexed with him |
5. |
the fire in him
raged, spreading from his heart all the way down to his limbs |
6. |
eyes flashed scarlet
and his face was apoplectic with fury and there was a bright redness on the tips of his ears |
7. |
thoughts of revenge
blazed through his mind |
8. |
narrowing his
eyes into slits |
9. |
snarled through
gritted teeth |
10. |
steam escaped
from my nostrils, sending a tinge of anger knotting in the pit of my stomach |
11. |
vehement argument |
12. |
quivered with
fury |
13. |
while the muscles
on her body were tensed for an onslaught of blows |
14. |
they stared up
at her, in forceful testimony |
15. |
sharpness in her
voice |
16. |
her heart swelled
in anger |
17. |
She muttered something rude under her breath |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Fatigue |
1. |
As he felt fatigue
set into his body, he closed his weary eyes, releasing himself to a deep sleep that a waited him |
2. |
was sweating and
panting apparently from having just come in from the hot sun, his forehead beaded with perspiration |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Embarrassment |
1. |
went a deep shade
of pink/ red |
2. |
Her relief was mingled with embarrassment |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Malice, Hatred & Spite |
1. |
yelled with spiteful
glee |
2. |
watched with mirthful
malice |
3. |
her pinched face
took an expression of concentrated loathing as her hand shot out to pick up the plate and bring it down resoundingly |
4. |
with tight smiles
of vindictive triumph |
5. |
looked at him
with predatory intensity |
6. |
watching him with
the lust of vengeance |
No. |
Words & Phrases Describing Other Actions |
1. |
On hearing the fire alarm, the pupils dashed out like a swarm of bees |
2. |
He thrust out his hand and demanded for protection money |
3. |
He plucked up courage and determination |
4. |
Without hesitation, he confessed to being the mastermind of the whole scheme |
5. |
On hearing that he was responding to the treatment, everyone heaved a sigh of relief |
6. |
He was a wreck
of a man, a skeleton, thin and dry as a stick |
7. |
Minutes turned into hours/ Minutes passed quickly |
8. |
At this juncture/ At this point in time/ At this moment |
9. |
Her high-heeled shoes could be heard from a distance |
10. |
The teacher’s voice boomed across the room |
11. |
the aroma invaded
his nostrils and made him salivate with desire |
12. |
I was left incredulous
that so audacious an act had deserved so slight a punishment |
13. |
threads of blood
spat over his knee |
14. |
The teacher shoved
the paper into the face of the lazy pupil |
15. |
He was staring
into the blank space, building castles in the air as usual |
16. |
He rattled on
and on, unaware of the boredom of the people around him |
17. |
At the ring of
the dismissal bell, the pupils hurriedly shoved their books into their bags and bolted out of the classroom |
18. |
His hair was unkempt,
his face unshaven and he looked as if he had not slept for days |
19. |
Silence filled
the room as no one knew the answer to the question posed by the teacher. Then the silence was broken by Tom |
20. |
There was concern
in her voice |
21. |
The peace of the
morning was spoilt by the noisy traffic |
22. |
She was ready
to go in a jiffy |
23. |
He paced up and
down the corridor while waiting for his wife to deliver their first-born |
24. |
All her efforts
to make friends with the new pupil went down the drain |
25. |
The rays of the afternoon sun streaked into the classroom/
The rays of the morning sun streaked into my bedroom |
26. |
No one dared to defy the principal’s orders |
27. |
Her eyebrows were narrowed in concentration and her lips were pressed together as she was busy pondering
over the knotty problem |
28. |
He glanced at his watch and realised that it was already late |
29. |
She beckoned me over mysteriously |
30. |
The gang materialised in front of her |
31. |
Her heavy eyelids weighed down heavily on her and she struggled to keep them open |
32. |
After coming home from school, I decided to take forty winks before starting on my homework |