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Eliminating Clichés In English

Eliminating Clichés In English


Over the years, many developing writers have learned that using clichés is the primary mark of an unskilled writer. While clichés may sound impressive or clever, they are also so common that they do very little to convey the original nature of your thoughts about a particular subject. Unfortunately, when people are learning English as a second language, there can be a strong tendency to rely on clichés. Whether this comes from studying phrase books or from pop-culture references, you’ll want to be aware of this phenomenon to help eliminate unnecessary clichés from your vocabulary. In order to curtail their usage, we must first define what a “cliché” is. Dictionary.com defines the word as “a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse.” Cliché’s can be found throughout the English language and include such phrases as “stronger than an ox” or “sadder but wiser.”

Clichés as a Security Mechanism: When you’re trying to communicate in a foreign language, you’ll want to do everything possible to make sure that you’re understood. When you hear clichés and understand them, it’s easy to assume that native English speakers will be able to understand you clearly. In addition, because clichés often convey a sense of fun, humor, or other emotional content, you might feel that they are way to express or gain empathy. Unfortunately, because we tend to be desensitized to clichés, they are almost useless in this capacity.

It’s best to concentrate on developing your own mode of expression, so that others can recognize that you are trying to convey something unique. While this may take some extra effort, it’s well worth it. Each time you use a cliché to make sure you are understood, go back and look for a more unique sentence to express your meaning. This is especially easy to do when you’re writing, since you can go back and read what you wrote and systematically eliminate clichés. If you find yourself using clichés often during a conversation, spend some time looking in a dictionary or thesaurus for more appropriate words.

Clichés and Language Rhythm

Without question, clichés catch on because they sound interesting – whether a cliché carries a rhyming pattern or conveys a sense of humor, people just seem to want to repeat them. However, it’s important to realize that simple, direct sentences will go much further to convey sincerity and clarity than clichés. Even if you want to write or convey something humorous, it’s best to take the time to develop your own unique means of expression.
Unfortunately, the habit of using clichés can become fixed fairy quickly in non-native speakers. Even people that learned English as a primary language may use clichés too often in their writing and verbal conversations. The sooner you eliminate clichés from your vocabulary, the sooner you’ll be on the way to speaking and writing English in a clearer, more professional manner. You may even notice that finding your own method of expression makes adapting to English an enjoyable and rewarding process.

VOCABULARY

To curtail: reducir

To convey: trasmitir

Trite: trillado

Overuse: uso excesivo

To Rely: confiar

Wiser: más sabio

Notice: aviso


EMAIL WRITING


EMAIL WRITING

How many emails do you write each day?

How much time do you spend ploughing through your inbox?


Nowadays, email is an important communication tool both for personal and business use. We constantly communicate by email with colleagues, superiors,suppliers, customers, etc. and due to the fact that it's so easy to forward an email to an endless list of people, you never know in whose hands your email might end up in. So, if you think about it, it wouldn't shock you if I say that your email is a powerful personal PR tool and that how you write your email will influence the image people have about you.

Now, are you paying enough attention to the quality of your email? Here are a few tips to take into account:
1. Informative Subject Line. Be concise but informative, this helps your recipient to understand the content and they can prioritize. Never send it blank.
2. Use the spell check. Mistakes look bad, they give an awfulimpression. You must also re-read the text and make sure you don't make any other grammatical mistakes, this just causes confusion and your email more difficult to understand.
3. Pay attention to your tone. People too often reply rapidly to emails and this means they transmit their emotions with much more ease than with traditional letters. Take your time and calm downbefore replying. DON'T WRITE IN CAPS, THERE'S NO NEED TO SHOUT!
4. Be conservative. In day-to-day business it's best to be concise, brief and to the point, while also being polite.
5. Use the "reply" button. How many times have you received an email that just said OK! OK to what??? People are busy - and if like me also forget with ease - so help to jog their memories by including their message.
6. Urgent tag. If you're one of those who always send their email with the urgent label, I would just like to let you know that NO-ONE TAKES ANY NOTICE (sorry for shouting).
7. Organise the information. If you are asking various questions - or even answering them - be schematic and help your reader follow you. When answering questions it's also best to summarise each question before your answer.
8. Be careful what you forward. Someone else's email could be offensive depending on who receives it, edit it if necessary.
9. I believe it's best to leave the graphics and emoticons for friends and family.
10. Sign off professionally. Work on a signature that looks smartand professional, it's good for your image.

Here are just a few tips that I hope will help you to reflect on the importance of email writing. Although emails are normally shorter, they should be written with the same care and caution than traditional letters, it's your professional imagethat's at stake.

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