There are some simple ways that you can add interest and impact to your English. I call these “easy but elegant” because you don’t need to learn a lot of complicated English to use the tips.
Here are three ways to sound advanced (without the hours of study!)
Add ‘drama’ to your voice
We focus a lot on vocabulary, but often ignore one of the most powerful ways to add interest – your voice. You can use your voice to add meaning and you can also use it to add emphasis.
Normally we stress “information” words in sentences, but you can also stress “grammar” words to sound angry, frustrated, or even passionate!
“I do NOT want to change my internet provider, thank you!” (You could say this to a persistent sales person on the phone.)
“I canNOT concentrate with all this noise!” (Say this to your noisy family if you’re working from home.)
“You ARE fabulous!” (Say this to someone you love!)
Listen to the audio for the emphasised words.
Alliteration. Always.
Alliteration is when you repeat the same letter or sound in words. When you do this, you create a poetic effect.
For example, “Good grief!” (an exclamation) or “Love you and leave you” (a way to say goodbye).
You also find alliteration within words, such as “crisscross” (= where lines intersect) or “hip-hop” (= the style of music).
When you discover these words and phrases, make a note of them and use them when you speak. They’ll add interest and impact to your English.
Use synonyms
Synonyms are an easy way to extend your English and to add variety when you speak. One way to do this is to think of an easy adjective in English, then double (or triple) it by adding two extra synonyms. (I show you my Triple ‘A’ technique for doubling your vocabulary in my Advanced English Vocabulary In 30 Days program.)
Here’s an example of what you can do with five common adjectives. These might not be exact synonyms, and you can also include superlative-type adjectives to add more drama and emphasis when you speak:
cold, chilly, freezing (weather)
hot, baking, boiling (weather)
nice, pleasant, gorgeous (day, person)
kind, thoughtful, a real friend
difficult, tough, challenging (problem, situation, etc)
Get more “easy but elegant” speaking tips!
These tips all come from my new program Advanced English Speaking In 100 Steps. These steps give you speaking phrases, conversation skills, grammar & vocabulary and pronunciation tips to get to advanced speaking level, so that you can navigate English conversations easily and speak with authority and influence.
You also get two study plans which give you the exact sequence of steps and follow-up activities.
Click below to get started!