How You Feel

Eight words for the feelings that cross your face.

Meet each word one at a time, then take the quiz to lock them in.

1. 1 grin noun
2. 2 fright noun
3. 3 giggle verb
4. 4 sob verb
5. 5 joyful adjective
6. 6 crabby adjective
7. 7 gladly adverb
8. 8 calmly adverb

Nelson's word

noun

Grin. A noun. I file it under a wide, happy smile, the kind that stretches all the way across a face. When a friend opens a gift and a grin appears, you can see the joy from across the room. But I must warn you, this word keeps a second job in a drawer of its own. Sometimes grin is not a smile you have; it is a thing you do. The whole class grins at once, and now it is an action. Same word, two hats. Nelson files the noun, Vinny handles the verb, and we sort the two of them in Practice.

A big grin spread across her face when she saw the puppy.

Nelson's word

noun

Fright. A noun. I file it under a sudden feeling of fear, the quick jump you feel when something surprises you. A door slams, a shadow moves, and a fright runs through you in a flash. It does not last long, but while it lasts, it is sharp. State it precisely: a fright is fear that arrives all at once. Keep this word near scare and surprise in your collection, and you will always have a name for that sudden jump.

The loud thunder gave the little dog a fright.

Vinny's word

verb

Giggle! To laugh in a light, silly, bubbly way that you cannot quite hold in! When the kids giggle at the clown, the laughs pop out one after another, small and quick and happy. That is the verb, and it is mine. A giggle is not a big roar of a laugh; it is the little one that sneaks up on you in class when you are supposed to be quiet. Say it and you can almost hear it: giggle, giggle, giggle. That is the verb, and it is mine!

The kids giggle at the clown's floppy shoes.

Vinny's word

verb

Sob! To cry hard, so hard that you gasp for breath between the tears! When the children sob at the sad movie, this is not a small sniffle; this is the big cry, the shoulders shaking, the breath catching. That is the verb, and it is mine. A sob is what a feeling does when it grows too big to hold inside. It is a strong word for a strong feeling, and you should save it for when the crying is real and deep. That is the verb, and it is mine!

The children sob when the movie's dog gets lost.

Jake's word

adjective

Joyful. Oh, this is a bright one, and it is mine. As an adjective, joyful describes a person or a thing that is full of joy, packed with happiness right up to the top. A joyful crowd, a joyful song, a joyful morning: all of them glowing. Its Frown is gloomy, the sad and heavy feeling. Could we be more specific than saying someone was happy? We could say they were joyful, which tells the reader the joy was spilling over. Same picture, sharper edges. Magnifique.

The joyful crowd cheered when the team scored.

Jake's word

adjective

Crabby. An adjective, and mine, describing someone in a cross, unhappy mood, the kind who frowns and grumbles and wants to be left alone. A crabby morning, a crabby old cat, a crabby face before breakfast: none of them cheerful. Its Frown is cheerful, the bright and friendly mood. Could we be more specific than saying someone was in a bad mood? We could say they were crabby, and let the reader picture the frown and hear the grumble. Same feeling, a sharper word.

Grandpa was crabby before he had his morning coffee.

Benny's word

adverb

Gladly. An adverb, and I own it the way Nelson owns the noun. It tells you how something is done, and it means done in a happy, willing way, with no fuss and no complaining. When she gladly helps her brother, she is happy to do it. Here is the coach's tip: take the adjective glad, add the ending -ly, and you get gladly, the how-word. That little -ly is your best friend; it turns a feeling into a way of doing things. Make your writing sharper, and tell us not just what someone did but how. Gladly says they did it with a full and happy heart.

She gladly helped her little brother tie his shoes.

Benny's word

adverb

Calmly. An adverb, and it is mine. It tells you how something is done, and it means done in a peaceful, steady way, with no rushing and no panic. When the teacher calmly walks the class outside, everyone stays quiet and safe because she is not in a hurry. Coach's tip: take calm, add -ly, and you get calmly, the how-word. Calmly is the opposite of wildly. When you write, do not just tell us what happened; tell us how. A person who speaks calmly sounds very different from one who shouts, and calmly paints the peaceful picture.

The teacher calmly walked the class outside during the drill.