Describing Feelings
Feelings tell readers a lot about the characters in your composition. These feelings can be expressed through their actions and reactions to events. Being able to write about feelings would also give your writing a sense of maturity.
Eg. Old Mrs Khan beamed with pride as she clapped. That was her son on stage shaking the minister’s hand and collecting the certificate. All her hard work through the years suddenly seemed insignificant. All her sweat and toil was worth this one shining moment of happiness.
Describing Thoughts
People think and have thoughts at every situation. Hence, when you show that your characters are thinking, it makes them seem real to the readers. A short spoken sentence to show the thoughts of a character goes a long way in telling the reader how the character feels.
Eg. Fiona alighted from the bus and walked slowly from the bus stop. She thought the little boy was right. The passengers in the bus were a selfish lot. Fiona tried to imagine herself frail and feeble like that old man. She suddenly felt ashamed at her refusal to give up her seat earlier.
FEELINGS
1. ANGRY
§ Tom turned red with fury.
§ Peter was boiling with rage.
§ He stamped his foot in anger.
§ Sally gritted her teeth in anger.
§ They were too angry for words.
§ Her voice crackled with anger.
§ Jake stormed off towards the exit.
§ His anger turned into violence.
§ He drew in his breath with a long hiss.
§ He was like a bull in a china shop.
§ A wave of futile rage swept over him.
§ An angry frown creased her forehead.
§ I could see her eyes glowing in fury.
§ He was so angry that his blood boiled.
§ She stormed out of the room in anger.
§ His fist came down on the table with a loud bang.
§ In a fit of rage, he stabbed her to death.
§ His eyes flashed with anger and resentment.
§ His face was contorted with rage and fury.
§ He clenched his fist and shook with fury.
§ He was fuming but he contained his anger.
§ Seething with anger, he approached me menacingly.
§ In a blind fury, he smashed the chair against the television set.
§ With hands trembling from anger, the man slapped the boy hard.
§ She was hopping mad when she heard the slanderous accusations.
§ His hands were shaking uncontrollably and his face turned an ominous red.
§ His face had turned to the colour of molten lava and his eyes flashed angrily.
§ She stared with eyes filled with anger and hatred that were beyond description.
2. SAD
§ Sue broke into tears.
§ A dark mood came over Jane.
§ Tears welled up in Nancy’s eyes.
§ She was on the verge of tears.
§ Tears rolled down her rosy cheeks.
§ No words could express his agony.
§ The poor child sobbed sorrowfully.
§ With a heavy heart, he left the hospital.
§ My heart sank when I heard the sad news.
§ Her eyes were puffy and red after all the crying.
§ She cried her heart out on hearing the tragic news.
§ The frightened child was on the brink of tears.
3. SLEEPY / TIRED
§ I felt run down after a hard day’s work.
§ She felt drowsy and weary after the night shift.
§ He fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow.
§ She was dog-tired and kept yawning.
§ His eyes were red from the lack of sleep.
§ He was snoring loudly after a few minutes.
§ He was curled up in bed, fast asleep.
§ He was overcome with fatigue and soon fell asleep.
§ The minutes ticked by and soon his eyes started to droop sleepily.
§ He complained sleepily at the endless homework he had to do.
§ His whole body ached in protest as he forced himself to continue.
4. HAPPY
§ She was as happy as a lark.
§ He laughed heartily.
§ He laughed till his sides hurt.
§ He burst into fits of laughter.
§ The winner jumped for joy.
§ They were filled with happiness.
§ He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
§ Her eyes glittered with tears of joy.
§ They were saturated with happiness.
§ He was smiling like a contented old man.
§ He poured out his gratitude profusely.
§ He was all smiles when he saw the results.
§ They roared with laughter on hearing the joke.
§ She kept a straight face but inside she was giggling like mad.
§ Our hearts were full of joy when we heard the good news.
§ My father, coughing hard to suppress a laugh, turned his face away.
§ We were in high spirits and the mood was set for an enjoyable day.
§ Her eyes widened with pleasure when she saw the new gleaming bicycle.
§ He was so happy that he could not help thinking that he was the luckiest man in the world.
5. FRIGHTENED / EXCITED
§ His knees went soft.
§ Terror seized us all.
§ Panic started to engulf him.
§ She was at a loss for words.
§ He froze for a few seconds.
§ I rose shakily to my feet.
§ A rude shock awaited them.
§ A chill went down her spine.
§ She felt a shiver run down her spine.
§ The sight of the ghost sent shudders down her spine.
§ A loud voice boomed, sending shivers down their spines.
§ I was powerless and frantic with terror.
§ She screamed at the top of her voice.
§ She screamed her head off when she saw the corpse.
§ She jumped in fright when her mother suddenly shouted at her.
§ His face turned pale and his skin felt cold and clammy.
§ Overcome with fright, she lost her balance and fell down in a swoon.
§ She experienced a feeling of weakness and then she blacked out.
§ She stood rooted to the ground.
§ The shock robbed him of speech.
§ I was too afraid to utter a word.
§ A haze of fear surrounded him.
§ The timid girl shrank back in fear.
§ Gary stood motionless with horror.
§ She was panic-stricken when she realized she as trapped.
§ Frightening thoughts raced through his mind.
§ They fled in panic when they saw the charging dog.
§ It took him several days to overcome his nervousness.
§ Our hairs stood on ends as a cry rang high into the night.
§ Fighting back tears of fear, he stared motionless at the approaching danger.
§ With his sense of direction gone, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.
§ The frightened child was screaming incoherently.
§ Paralyzed with fear, he was speechless.
§ I woke up sobbing, drenched in sweat and paralyzed with fear.
§ I was awakened by a sound, which brought my heart into my mouth.
§ They huddled together and stared apprehensively into the darkness.
§ Terror gripped his whole being and perspiration started dripping from his forehead.
§ A chill ran swiftly up his back, causing the nape of his neck to tingle.
§ I was sick to my stomach at the horrendous sight.
§ Suddenly, he heard his children’s shouts from the garden, shrill with excitement.
§ Back in the room, Tom was simply quivering all over with excitement.
§ The crowd let out a stupendous cheer as the team scored a home goal.
§ Their pulses raced as they neared their final goal.
§ Henry’ skin tingled with excitement as he watched the hair-raising race.
§ They stared at him in blank amazement.
§ She rummaged frantically in her handbag for the revolver.
