Hi everyone. I'm Jennifer from English with Jennifer. It's nice to study with you again,
and in this lesson, I plan to share some very good tips.
Let me try that again. It's a true delight to study with you again, and in this lesson, I plan
to share some highly useful tips. Practical tips. Valuable tips. Well, you get the point. Let's
talk about ways we can avoid overused words like "nice" and "good." Time to boost your vocabulary.
"Good' is not a bad word. No one can argue otherwise.
However, we tend to overuse it when we could make the effort to be more accurate.
Consider these alternatives. The weather's been pleasant. Can't complain.
She's a diligent student, a hard-working student, a talented student,
a student with a lot of potential.
He's a dedicated employee, a loyal employee, a highly-skilled staff member, a competent worker.
Can you come up with alternatives for these phrases? Take a look.
I'll help. Choose from these words.
I'd say a wise decision, a clear plan, a valuable opportunity.
"Bad" is naturally bad, but could we be more precise?
What other words can we use in these phrases?
Again, let me help. Choose from these words.
I'd say poor judgment, weak grammar, ill timing.
Partly, I'm being influenced by collocations, common word combinations.
We could also say "poor grammar," "poor timing." I wouldn't say "ill grammar," though.
"Ill timing" is a collocation. It's a common combination of words. You can learn collocations
by giving yourself regular exposure to natural English. Listen to podcasts, watch movies,
read news articles and books on subjects you find interesting. Pay attention to how words are used.
Okay. Let's talk about nice things. It's surely nice to get a compliment,
isn't it? When people say something nice, we should say, "Thank you." They can say,
"You have a nice smile. A nice voice. You do nice work." It all feels nice to hear, doesn't it?
But imagine how much more precious a compliment can be if you choose more precise,
more colorful words. And imagine how much more helpful your feedback could be
if you focus on what exactly someone is doing well. So, let's try to rewrite these statements.
Any ideas? Here are mine. That was a strong presentation. It was clear and informative.
That was incredibly helpful. Thank you.
I have friendly neighbors. They always say hi.
Peter does quality work, and he's consistent. He gives attention to detail.
Let's practice replacing "good," "bad," and "nice."
Here are my matches: a solid foundation, a disappointing performance, a refreshing change,
sloppy handwriting,
a secure job.
What are some other overused words? "Very" is one, along with "really."
Have you seen my lesson on intensifiers? I'll put the link in the video description.
Right now, replace "really" and "very" in these sentences.
You can say, "They have an incredibly beautiful home, an absolutely beautiful home."
And we could say, "He's terribly lonely. He's awfully lonely.
And actually "beautiful" is another word we can often replace. What are some alternatives?
a gorgeous sunset
a stunning dress
a dazzling smile
an elegant restaurant
a magnificent voice
Can you describe this photo without using the word "beautiful"?
Since we're talking about overused words, I should mention overused structures,
ones that sound rather flat. If you want your English, particularly your writing,
to sound more dynamic, I suggest limiting your use of "there
is/there are." Look at these statements. Let's consider how we can reword them.
There are too many people in the city.
The city is crowded. The city is overcrowded. It's overflowing with people.
There is a need for change.
We need change. It's time for change. Change is needed.
Can you reword these sentences?
Here are my suggestions. Some chairs were blocking the door. The door was blocked by some chairs.
Some chairs stood in the way.
More severe weather is expected. We can expect to see more severe weather.
More severe weather is on its way.
Here a few more words you can try to avoid. Do you say "great" too much? Consider these alternatives.
Wonderful. Amazing. Fabulous.
Find a different way to tell me you had a great time.
Did you think of one? How about using an idiom? You can say, "I had a blast."
That means, "I had fun."
Do you need alternatives to "important"? Study these phrases.
a significant change
a life-changing decision, a crucial step
a valuable tip
a critical point in a process
Find a different way to say that you have something important to tell me right away.
Can you think of an alternative? How about just saying it's urgent?
How about some alternatives to "happy"?
If you're happy with a product or a service, say that you're satisfied or pleased.
If you're happy to receive an opportunity, say you're thrilled.
That's a mixture of happiness and excitement.
Let's consider other alternatives other synonyms for "happy." Where do these synonyms work best?
Here's how I'd replace the word "happy" in each sentence.
I was so relieved to hear the news. Thank goodness everything is okay.
They were delighted to be invited.
The new parents were overjoyed.
Children's movies use upbeat music.
Note that it's okay to use all the words we talked about in this lesson.
Just try not to overuse them. In some cases, these words are very natural
and expected. Everyday wishes include, "Have a nice day! Have a good time!
Happy birthday!" And everyday greetings use "good." "Good morning! Good evening."
Sincere compliments are always welcome, even with commonly used words: Great job! Nice work.
Not bad! Not bad at all. You did really well. You look great! You look beautiful.
But when you find yourself using the same words a bit too often,
especially in your writing, challenge yourself to express your ideas more accurately.
Hopefully, you now have ways to avoid these overused words. Make the effort to be more
accurate, more precise, more colorful, and more dynamic with your word choices.
Let's end here. I think I gave you enough to think about for now. Please remember to like and share
the video if you found the lesson useful. As always, thanks for watching and happy studies!
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