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Vocabulary: moving one's body

For our body to be healthy, but also because we have to, out of obligation or pleasure, we move our bodies. When we awake and even sometimes when we are asleep, our body makes many movements.

These movements are numerous and varied. They may be spontaneous reflexes or, on the contrary, very voluntary and requiring effort.  They're often made in answer to some emotions or feelings, but are also a means to express oneself or to change places. Almost every part of our bodies can move.

Our bodies are moving, or our bodies are at rest...

To get up (from one's bed)	To lie down => lying	To sprawl
To sit up	To stand up	To stand = to be standing
To lose one's balance= to fall	To bend	To crouch            (the woman is crouching)
To shrug	To turn around	To hop

Pay attention to two verbs (and to two movements) that learners tend to mix up regularly:

- to NOD implies a vertical movement of your head and means «yes ».

On the contrary, to SHAKE ONE'S HEAD conjures up a horizontal movement  from left to right and means « no».

Your head may, sometimes, replace words, and so may other parts of your bodies: if you  shrug, you may either express your ignorance, but your indifference too, which is very rude. Therefore, do try to avoid this gesture or if you can't refrain, say a few words to make the gesture more explicit and less rude. 

As we're going to see in the following table, our arms and hands express many varied reactions and feelings or may replace or accompany many different words and shouts.

To turn one's head= yuk!	To wave	To jump
To dance	To sway one's hips	To hug
To raise one's  hand	To fold one's arms	To shake hands
To point at someone	To click one's fingers	To clench one's fists
To clap one's hands	To shudder in horror	To shiver

Thanks to all those gestures, and to all those words, you may communicate better, which is the aim of a language.

Let's do the test, now... You'll see it's quite easy! Good luck!

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1. ' Come on, Tommy! Be sensible! If you don’t shruglie downsit upjumphopI don't know when you drink your chocolate, you’ll spill it in your bed.”

2. No need to clench your fistsbend downraise you handsI don't know … I can see that you’re angry but I want you to calm down right now!

3. Megan, shrughopjumpbend downI don't know and try to touch your toes. It should be easy for you…

4. Lucy, it’s time for you to bendstandget updanceI don't know now… If you don’t, you’ll be late for school.

5. Children, quiet please! FoldShrugHugHopI don't know your arms and be still while Pat’s explaining to you what you’ll have to do.

Then, you’ll jumphopraisebendI don't know your hands to speak in turns…

6. In the underground, there were so many people that I noddedlost my balanceclap my handsshook my headI don't know and almost fell down when the train stopped.

7. I’m really depressed and would need a noddanceshudderhugI don't know now…

8. PointingHuggingShiveringRaisingI don't know at people is rude and you shouldn’t do it.

9. When I saw that horror movie, I kept shudderingshruggingpointingbendingI don't know and my hair was standing on ends on my arms.

10. If you’ve liked the show, you may shake your headsfold your armsnod your headsclap your handsI don't know now!

11. He didn’t really say he didn’t agree, but he simply nodded his headclapped his handsshook his headshrigged his shouldersI don't know.