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Vocabulary: moving/ gestures - English lesson
From our birth to our death, we never stop moving - We move ourselves, of course to go from one place to another one, but also because we try to communicate in a lot of ways. The different parts of the body are ready to obey our brains in order to communicate in expressive ways. The vocabulary in relation to movements is extremely varied and precise. Therefore, remember the words you need and ... a few more, ... just for the fun of it!


To sit astride To crouch
A movement | To move |
A gesture | To gesticulate |
To stand up | To get up |
To stand To be standing | To sit down |
To sit up | To sit/ to be sitting |
To sit up straight | To sit astride |
To straighten one's back | To be erect |
To have a stoop | To have an arched back |
To bend down | To bend one's knees |
To bend one's head To bow one's head | To kneel down |
To be kneeling To be on one's knees | To crouch To squat down |
To be on all fours | To bend (bent, bent) |
To stretch To shake one's head (to refuse)
BE CAREFUL! You should remember that verbs of motion may have different meanings depending on the presence (or absence) of particles attached to them. Without a particle, the verb is static: it indicates a position. The particle gives a meaning to the movement which is then added.
To SIT, SAT, SAT=> To be sitting: the static position. //// TO SIT DOWN : movement (from the standing position to the sitting one) //// to SIT UP : movement: (from lying to sitting)
To KNEEL, KNELT, KNELT=> To be kneeling: static position /// TO KNEEL DOWN: movement.
TO LIE, LAY, LAIN=> To be lying /// TO LIE DOWN: movement
TO STAND, STOOD, STOOD=> to be standing /// TO STAND UP:movement
- To be sitting in the wrong position
- To turn one's back on somebody
- His back was turned towards the door
- To sink back into a chair
- To sprawl in the grass
- In a sitting/ lying position
- To hold oneself well/ badly
- With arms folded/ with folded arms
- With legs crossed/ crossed legs
- With arms dangling
- With arms akimbo
- To keep/ lose one's balance
- To lean forward/ back(ward)
- To shake one's fist at somebody
- To raise one's hand
- To swing one's arms
- To shrug one's shoulders
with arms akimbo leaning against the wall
To stretch | The gait |
To turn round | To turn toward sb |
To spin round To swing round | To fold one's arms |
To cross one's legs | To sway one's hips |
To lean against sth | To lean over sth |
To shake one's head | To nod |
To be restless | To be fidgety |
A nervous twitch/ a tic | To wave to sb |
To point at sb | To beckon to sb |
To clench one's fist | To click one's fingers To snap one's fingers |
To twiddle one's thumbs | To shake/ tremble |
To shiver | To shake/ quake with fear |
To shudder | To quiver |
Graceful/ elegant | Clumsy/ awkward |
Arms folded... He's shivering...
As I had warned you, there was a lot of vocabulary with very varied meanings and nuances...
The test is quite easy, but you can learn more if you fancy it! I give you the FORCE!

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