Good phrases for composition

A plain sentence tells the reader the feeling. A better phrase lets them see it.

“I was sad” can become “My heart sank.”

“She ran out” can become “She dashed out of the room.”

Use the first column when you notice a plain word in your story. Borrow the phrase, then change the sentence so it fits your own characters. You do not need every phrase in one composition. Two or three well-chosen ones are enough.

1. Describing Feelings & Emotions (1–20)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
1	very happy	over the moon	Extremely happy	I was over the moon when I won the prize.	She was over the moon after receiving the good news.
2	felt sad	heart sank	Felt very disappointed or sad	My heart sank when I saw the heavy rain.	Her heart sank when she lost her favourite toy.
3	very excited	on cloud nine	Very happy and excited	He was on cloud nine when he got a new bicycle.	She was on cloud nine after the concert.
4	nervous	butterflies in my stomach	Feeling nervous or excited	I had butterflies in my stomach before the test.	She had butterflies in her stomach on stage.
5	started crying	burst into tears	Suddenly started crying	The girl burst into tears when she fell.	He burst into tears after hearing the sad news.
6	smiled widely	grinned from ear to ear	Smiled very widely	He grinned from ear to ear when he opened his present.	She grinned from ear to ear after scoring full marks.
7	looked happy	eyes lit up	Showed excitement or happiness	Her eyes lit up when she saw the cake.	His eyes lit up when he saw his grandmother.
8	felt scared	blood ran cold	Felt very scared	My blood ran cold when I saw the snake.	Her blood ran cold when she heard the loud noise.
9	felt nervous	heart was pounding	Feeling very nervous	My heart was pounding before the performance.	His heart was pounding as he opened the results.
10	felt very happy	walked on air	Felt extremely happy	I walked on air after winning the competition.	She walked on air when she met her favourite singer.
11	felt sad	down in the dumps	Feeling sad or depressed	He was down in the dumps after losing his pet.	I felt down in the dumps when my friend moved away.
12	felt jealous	green with envy	Feeling very jealous	I was green with envy when I saw her new phone.	He was green with envy when his brother got a new toy.
13	felt like crying	lump in my throat	Felt emotional and wanted to cry	I had a lump in my throat during the sad movie.	She had a lump in her throat when she said goodbye.
14	jumped happily	jumped for joy	Showed great happiness	The children jumped for joy when school was cancelled.	He jumped for joy when he saw the ice cream man.
15	felt relieved	felt a wave of relief	Felt suddenly relaxed	I felt a wave of relief when the test ended.	She felt a wave of relief after finding her wallet.
16	shaking because of fear	trembling with fear	Shaking due to fear	She stood there, trembling with fear.	The boy was trembling with fear when he saw the dog.
17	started to cry	eyes filled with tears	About to cry	His eyes filled with tears as he said goodbye.	Her eyes filled with tears when she heard the bad news.
18	looked proud	beaming with pride	Looking very proud	My mother was beaming with pride.	The teacher was beaming with pride at our results.
19	felt angry suddenly	felt a surge of anger	Suddenly felt angry	I felt a surge of anger when I was blamed.	He felt a surge of anger when his toy was broken.
20	felt shocked	heart skipped a beat	Felt shocked or surprised	My heart skipped a beat when I saw the surprise.	Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the loud noise.

2. Describing Actions & Movements (21–35)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
21	ran out quickly	dashed out of the room	Ran out very quickly	He dashed out of the room when he heard the bell.	She dashed out of the room in a panic.
22	walked quietly	tiptoed quietly	Walked slowly and quietly	She tiptoed quietly into the dark room.	I tiptoed quietly so I wouldn’t wake my sister.
23	ran very fast	sprinted towards	Ran very fast	The boy sprinted towards the finishing line.	She sprinted towards the bus stop.
24	left angrily	stormed out angrily	Left in anger	He stormed out angrily after the argument.	She stormed out angrily when she was scolded.
25	walked slowly	dragged his feet	Walked slowly due to tiredness	The tired boy dragged his feet home.	She dragged her feet as she walked to school.
26	jumped happily	leapt with excitement	Jumped with happiness	The children leapt with excitement.	He leapt with excitement when he saw the gift.
27	stopped moving (scared)	froze in fear	Stopped moving because of fear	I froze in fear when I saw the snake.	She froze in fear when she heard the loud noise.
28	entered rudely	barged into the room	Entered suddenly and rudely	He barged into the room without knocking.	The boy barged into the classroom noisily.
29	went quickly	rushed to the scene	Went quickly to a place	The neighbours rushed to the scene.	The police rushed to the scene of the accident.
30	walked with anger	marched angrily	Walked with anger	He marched angrily towards the office.	She marched angrily out of the room.
31	fell while walking	stumbled and fell	Tripped and fell	She stumbled and fell while running.	The boy stumbled and fell on the wet floor.
32	left without anyone noticing	slipped away quietly	Left quietly without being noticed	She slipped away quietly during the party.	He slipped away quietly when no one was looking.
33	moved through crowd	pushed his way through	Moved through a crowd forcefully	He pushed his way through the crowd.	She pushed her way through the busy market.
34	fell down due to tiredness	collapsed onto the sofa	Fell due to extreme tiredness	I collapsed onto the sofa after a long day.	She collapsed onto the bed after playing the whole day.
35	moved slowly and carefully	crept into the room	Moved slowly and carefully	He crept into the room quietly.	The cat crept into the room looking for food.

3. Describing People & Characters (36–50)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
36	kind old man	kind-hearted old man	A very kind elderly person	A kind-hearted old man helped me cross the road.	The kind-hearted old man fed the stray cat.
37	naughty boy	mischievous little boy	A naughty young boy	The mischievous little boy hid my pencil case.	The mischievous little boy played a prank.
38	caring mother	gentle and caring mother	A loving and kind mother	My gentle and caring mother stayed up to take care of me.	The gentle and caring mother helped the injured bird.
39	strict teacher	strict but fair teacher	A firm but just teacher	Our strict but fair teacher never played favourites.	The strict but fair teacher gave everyone a chance.
40	happy girl	cheerful and bubbly girl	A happy and lively girl	The cheerful and bubbly girl made everyone laugh.	The cheerful and bubbly girl greeted everyone with a smile.
41	tall thin teenager	tall and lanky teenager	A tall and thin teenager	A tall and lanky teenager helped carry the boxes.	The tall and lanky teenager played basketball very well.
42	unfriendly old man	grumpy old neighbour	An unfriendly elderly person	The grumpy old neighbour shouted at us.	The grumpy old neighbour complained about the noise.
43	good friend	thoughtful and considerate friend	A caring and understanding friend	My thoughtful and considerate friend remembered my birthday.	The thoughtful and considerate friend helped me with homework.
44	brave girl	brave and courageous girl	A girl who shows courage	The brave and courageous girl stood up to the bully.	The brave and courageous girl saved the kitten.
45	quiet boy	shy and soft-spoken boy	A quiet and timid boy	The shy and soft-spoken boy rarely spoke in class.	The shy and soft-spoken boy hid behind his mother.
46	hardworking student	hardworking and diligent student	A student who works very hard	She is a hardworking and diligent student.	The hardworking and diligent student always completes his work on time.
47	interfering aunt	nosy and interfering aunt	An aunt who likes to interfere	My nosy and interfering aunt always asks too many questions.	The nosy and interfering aunt liked to gossip.
48	wise grandfather	wise and knowledgeable grandfather	A grandfather full of wisdom	My wise and knowledgeable grandfather always gives good advice.	The wise and knowledgeable grandfather told us many stories.
49	awkward but nice boy	clumsy but good-natured boy	A boy who is awkward but kind	The clumsy but good-natured boy kept dropping things.	The clumsy but good-natured boy always made us laugh.
50	confident girl	confident and outspoken girl	A girl who speaks her mind confidently	The confident and outspoken girl gave a great speech.	The confident and outspoken girl was not afraid to share her opinions.

4. Describing Places & Settings (51–65)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
51	busy shopping mall	bustling shopping mall	A busy shopping centre	We went to a bustling shopping mall.	The bustling shopping mall was full of people.
52	quiet park	peaceful and serene park	A calm and quiet park	We relaxed in a peaceful and serene park.	The peaceful and serene park was perfect for reading.
53	busy food centre	crowded and noisy hawker centre	A busy food centre	We ate at a crowded and noisy hawker centre.	The crowded and noisy hawker centre was full of delicious smells.
54	scary forest	dark and eerie forest	A scary and mysterious forest	They got lost in a dark and eerie forest.	The dark and eerie forest made us feel scared.
55	comfortable room	warm and cosy living room	A comfortable room	We sat in the warm and cosy living room.	The warm and cosy living room was perfect for family time.
56	untidy room	messy and cluttered bedroom	An untidy room	His messy and cluttered bedroom was full of toys.	I cleaned my messy and cluttered bedroom.
57	nice beach	beautiful and scenic beach	A pretty beach with nice views	We visited a beautiful and scenic beach.	The beautiful and scenic beach had clear blue water.
58	empty street	quiet and deserted street	An empty street	The quiet and deserted street gave me the chills.	We walked along the quiet and deserted street at night.
59	busy night market	lively and vibrant night market	A busy and exciting night market	We explored a lively and vibrant night market.	The lively and vibrant night market was full of lights.
60	big building	grand and magnificent building	A large and impressive building	The school was held in a grand and magnificent building.	The grand and magnificent building stood tall.
61	cold basement	cold and damp basement	A chilly and wet underground room	We found an old box in the cold and damp basement.	The cold and damp basement was dark and scary.
62	bright classroom	sunny and spacious classroom	A bright and big classroom	Our sunny and spacious classroom made learning enjoyable.	The sunny and spacious classroom had big windows.
63	small path	narrow and winding path	A small and twisting path	We followed a narrow and winding path.	The narrow and winding path led us to a village.
64	rich house	luxurious and well-furnished house	A rich and nicely decorated house	They lived in a luxurious and well-furnished house.	The luxurious and well-furnished house had a big garden.
65	old scary house	run-down and abandoned house	An old and neglected house	The children were scared to enter the run-down and abandoned house.	The run-down and abandoned house looked spooky at night.

5. Describing Weather & Atmosphere (66–75)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
66	sky was cloudy	the sky was overcast	The sky was cloudy and grey	The sky was overcast, and it looked like it would rain.	The sky was overcast, so we stayed indoors.
67	light wind was blowing	a gentle breeze was blowing	Light wind	A gentle breeze was blowing as we walked along the beach.	A gentle breeze was blowing, making the weather pleasant.
68	sun was very hot	the sun was blazing hot	Very strong and hot sunlight	The sun was blazing hot, so we stayed indoors.	The sun was blazing hot during the afternoon.
69	dark clouds appeared	dark clouds gathered	Storm was coming	Dark clouds gathered in the sky as we hurried home.	Dark clouds gathered, and it soon started to rain.
70	raining very heavily	it was pouring heavily	Raining very hard	It was pouring heavily, and we got completely wet.	It was pouring heavily, so the match was cancelled.
71	strong wind blew suddenly	a sudden gust of wind	A strong and quick wind	A sudden gust of wind blew my hat away.	A sudden gust of wind made the trees sway.
72	weather was cool and fresh	the air was crisp and cool	Fresh and cool weather	The air was crisp and cool in the early morning.	The air was crisp and cool after the rain.
73	thunder could be heard far	thunder rumbled in the distance	Thunder could be heard far away	Thunder rumbled in the distance as we hurried home.	Thunder rumbled in the distance, warning us of the storm.
74	fog covered the place	a thick fog had descended	Fog covered the area	A thick fog had descended, making it hard to see.	A thick fog had descended over the city.
75	weather was hot and wet	the weather was humid and sticky	Hot and damp weather	The weather was humid and sticky, so we turned on the fan.	The weather was humid and sticky during the afternoon.

6. Describing Sounds (76–85)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
76	complete silence	a deafening silence	Complete silence	There was a deafening silence after the announcement.	A deafening silence filled the room.
77	everyone was laughing	the sound of laughter filled the air	Everyone was laughing happily	The sound of laughter filled the air at the party.	The sound of laughter filled the air as the children played.
78	loud noise was heard	a loud crash was heard	A sudden loud noise	A loud crash was heard from the kitchen.	A loud crash was heard when the vase fell.
79	birds were singing happily	birds chirped merrily	Birds sang happily	Birds chirped merrily in the trees.	Birds chirped merrily as the sun rose.
80	wind made loud sound	the wind howled loudly	Strong wind making a loud sound	The wind howled loudly outside the window.	The wind howled loudly during the storm.
81	high-pitched scream	a piercing scream	A high-pitched scream	A piercing scream came from the next room.	She let out a piercing scream when she saw the spider.
82	clock made regular sound	the clock ticked steadily	Clock making a regular sound	The clock ticked steadily in the quiet room.	The clock ticked steadily as I tried to sleep.
83	children talked happily	children chattered excitedly	Children talking happily and loudly	The children chattered excitedly about the trip.	The children chattered excitedly on the bus.
84	spoke very softly	a soft whisper	Speaking very softly	She spoke in a soft whisper so no one could hear.	He heard a soft whisper behind him.
85	rain made soft sound	the rain pattered on the roof	Rain making a gentle sound	The rain pattered gently on the roof.	We listened to the rain pattered on the roof.

7. Time-related Phrases (86–95)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
86	very quickly	in the blink of an eye	Very quickly	The weekend passed in the blink of an eye.	In the blink of an eye, the holidays were over.
87	time passed quickly	time flies when you’re having fun	Time passes quickly when enjoying something	Time flies when you’re having fun.	Time really flies when we are playing with friends.
88	at the last moment	at the last minute	Very close to the deadline	He finished his homework at the last minute.	She submitted her project at the last minute.
89	sometimes	from time to time	Occasionally	We visit our grandparents from time to time.	From time to time, we go to the beach.
90	very fast	in no time	Very quickly	The ice cream melted in no time.	He finished his homework in no time.
91	it is better to be late than not do it	better late than never	It is better to do something late than not at all	Better late than never, I finally apologised.	Better late than never, she completed her project.
92	very rarely	once in a blue moon	Very rarely	We go overseas once in a blue moon.	I see my cousins once in a blue moon.
93	suddenly	all of a sudden	Suddenly	All of a sudden, it started to rain heavily.	All of a sudden, the lights went out.
94	every day	day in and day out	Every day without fail	She practised the piano day in and day out.	He worked hard day in and day out to achieve his goal.
95	just in time	in the nick of time	Just in time	We arrived in the nick of time before the show started.	He finished his work in the nick of time.

8. Useful Story Phrases (96–100)

No.	Basic Expression	Good Phrase	Meaning / Usage	Example 1	Example 2
96	immediately without thinking	without a second thought	Immediately and without hesitation	She helped the old man without a second thought.	He agreed to help without a second thought.
97	made the situation worse	to make matters worse	To make a bad situation even worse	To make matters worse, it started to rain.	To make matters worse, I lost my wallet.
98	surprisingly	much to my surprise	Surprisingly	Much to my surprise, I won the competition.	Much to my surprise, my friend came to visit.
99	I did not know at that time	little did I know	I did not know at that time	Little did I know that it was going to be the best day of my life.	Little did I know that my life was about to change.
100	luckily or unluckily	as luck would have it	Fortunately or unfortunately	As luck would have it, I found my lost wallet.	As luck would have it, it started raining just as we left the house.