* Simple and direct: The sudden commotion in the hallway made everyone stop talking.
* Descriptive: A wave of excited commotion rippled through the crowd as the band took the stage.
* Figurative: His arrival caused a commotion in the quiet library, like a pebble dropped in a still pond.
* Cause and effect: The commotion outside the school was caused by a fire alarm.
* Contrast: Despite the commotion in the marketplace, the old woman sat calmly knitting.