What’s the difference between Tremble, Shiver, Shudder and Shake? These four words are very similar but not identical. In all three cases the body (or a part of it) ‘vibrates’ but for different reasons. Let’s have a look at these examples from my Reading/Activity book, ‘Aethelflaed and the Rock Star’ (available on Amazon as e-book and paperback):
- On her first day of work in the restaurant, as Aethelflaed went up to welcome her first diners, she held her hands together to keep them from trembling.
- Aethelflaed (accidentally) offended her Italian customers. They thought she had called them donkeys, so they walked out of the restaurant. The owner of the restaurant saw this , and shook her head.
- Later Aethelflaed remembered the scene from the restaurant, and shuddered.
- Aethelflaed noticed that the boy’s shoulders were shaking. He was crying.
- After being in the water, Aethelflaed was shivering, although it was a bright sunny day.
- Which of the three match these definitions:
- ________ implies nervousness or fear.
- . ________ implies cold.
- ________ is when you move one part of your body, of another person’s body (their hand, for example) or an object (the wind ______ the trees). You can also use it to replace tremble, but in extreme situations: ‘He was _______ with fear’.
- ________ very short body vibration because of horror or disgust, when you see a snake or spider, for example.
This is one of many exercises and explanations in the ‘Aethelflaed’ book series. You can get them on Amazon for just 0,99€ / 0,99$ / etc…, or get the first chapters free if you subscribe to my monthly newsletter.
