Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[chianghsiehlulu]

Dear teachers:
Hello, my name is lulu.
I have a question, I read a sentence from an novel. ''Suddenly his stomach was tight.''
I guess that mean he felt nervous and uncomfortable, is it? And I want to know is there have another way to say?

Best wishes,

lulu.

[redset]

Hey Lulu

You're right, when people are stressed or nervous they often feel like their stomach is clenching tight, maybe as though they're trying not to be sick! You could also say there was a knot in his stomach, his stomach clenched, there was a sinking feeling in his stomach etc. (you can often say gut instead of stomach in these phrases). You could also say he felt sick, or nauseated, or he suddenly went pale - these phrases are all about the physical reaction.

Think about how you feel if you suddenly hear bad news, any description like that will work! You can talk about other things too, like how the world seems to change - time suddenly stopped or everything seemed to go quiet. You probably have some similar expressions in your own language!

[chianghsiehlulu]

Dear teacher

I learn a lot from your reply,
thank you so much

Have a good day!