Hey! Non-native english speaker here! Thanks for answering my ask! I'll use the tips! They can be very helpful! However, I'm bilingual and use English all the time! I read in English and I have most of my study courses in English, so my question wasn't much about grammar or punctuation but mostly about how to use the language in a way that seems natural! Like figures of speech etc and how to expand my vocabulary ? But thank you very much for your answer! Sending you love and good vibes!
Oh, okay, sorry!! And thank you!
How to Expand Your Vocabulary
Vocabulary is important. The more expanded your vocabulary, the better the flow of the story and the more professional you will sound.
1. Make Use of the Thesaurus
This only really helps if you write in Microsoft Word.
If you think you need to make a word stronger, you can right-click it and select the “Synonym” option, which will bring you to a whole list of words that can be used as substitute.
Just by seeing the other options, your brain is storing the words away for later.
2. Take Notes While You Read
Many people utilize expanded vocabulary in their writing, so whenever you stumble across a word that you like, is interesting, or just plain sounds cool, jot it down and look up the definition! It can only help.
If you’re willing for a challenge, pick up some of the old writers like Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde. Their books are very, very challenging, and even though the vocabulary is a bit dated, there are a few gem words that I’ve found that have stuck with me through all of my writing to this day.
3. Use A Vocabulary Website
Not to sound like I’m promoting anything, but the way that I personally expand my vocabulary is this amazing website that I’ve been obsessed with ever since I was forced to use it to study for vocab quizzes in tenth grade.
It’s called Vocabulary.com (brilliant and original name, I know) and it helps you learn vocab in quiz-format.
The more questions you get right and words you learn, the more points you get! The more points you get, the more badges you earn!
It’s really fun, and it feels more like a game than research!
How to Use Figures of Speech
Figures of speech in idioms can also be called “idioms” and they’re basically phrases that no one else from other cultures understands but make perfect sense to native speakers. Every culture has them, but English has a ton, to the point where I could never write down all of them/
Here are a few common idioms (in English) that everyone should know:
A blessing in disguise: a good thing that seemed bad at first.
A dime a dozen: Something common
Beat around the bush: Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable
Better late than never: Better to arrive late than not to come at all.
Bite the bullet: To get something over with because it is inevitable
Break a leg: Good luck
Call it a day: Stop working on something
Cut somebody some slack: Don’t be so critical
Cutting corners: Doing something poorly in order to save time or money
Easy does it: Slow down
Get out of hand: Get out of control
Get something out of your system: Do the thing you’ve been wanting to do so you can move on
Get your act together: Work better or leave
Give someone the benefit of the doubt: Trust what someone says
Go back to the drawing board: Start over
Hang in there: Don’t give up
Hit the sack: Go to sleep
It’s not rocket science: It’s not complicated
Let someone off the hook: To not hold someone responsible for something
Make a long story short: Tell something briefly
No pain, no gain: You have to work for what you want
On the ball: Doing a good job
Pull someone’s leg: To joke with someone
Pull yourself together: Calm down
So far so good: Things are going well so far
Speak of the devil: The person we were just talking about showed up!
That’s the last straw: My patience has run out
The best of both worlds: An ideal situation
Time flies when you’re having fun: You don’t notice how long something lasts when it’s fun by itself
To get bent out of shape: To get upset
To make matters worse: Make a problem worse
Under the weather: Sick
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it: Let’s not talk about that problem right now
Wrap your head around something: Understand something complicated
You can say that again: That’s true, I agree
Your guess is as good as mine: I have no idea
There’s more here.
Good Luck and Happy Writing!
