a young woman seen from behind looking at empty supermarket shelves, illustrating the concept of not having enough of something

Scarce, scant and sparse (Ways of saying ‘not enough’)

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a young woman seen from behind looking at empty supermarket shelves, illustrating the concept of not having enough of something
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by Kate Woodford

I recently wrote a post on expressions that we use to convey that there is enough of something. Today I’m looking at the opposite – the way we talk about too little or too few of something. Continue reading “Scarce, scant and sparse (Ways of saying ‘not enough’)”

colourful illustration of three cartoon snails, illustrating the concept of talking about speed: two are looking surprised as one speeds ahead of them on a skateboard

Flat out or at a snail’s pace? Talking about speed

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colourful illustration of three cartoon snails, illustrating the concept of talking about speed: two are looking surprised as one speeds ahead of them on a skateboard
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by Liz Walter

Today’s post looks at ways of talking about the speed at which people, vehicles, or other things move. Many of the items in this post can also be used figuratively, for instance to describe the speed of change or progress. Continue reading “Flat out or at a snail’s pace? Talking about speed”

a tired-looking man sitting at a desk is pouring coffee from a jug into a coffee cup that is overflowing and spilling onto the table

Ample and adequate (Other ways of saying ‘enough’)

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a tired-looking man sitting at a desk is pouring coffee from a jug into a coffee cup that is overflowing and spilling onto the table
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by Kate Woodford

One of various things that we like to do on this blog is consider the many different ways we express the same thing in English. (Of course, we are rarely expressing exactly the same thing and it’s the differences – sometimes very subtle – that make language interesting.) In today’s post, I’m looking at words and phrases we use to convey the basic meaning of ‘enough’. Continue reading “Ample and adequate (Other ways of saying ‘enough’)”

a young child looking with wide eyes at two chocolate doughnuts in a clear plastic container, illustrating the concept of ways of saying want

I’d give my right arm for it: ways of saying ‘want’

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a young child looking with wide eyes at two chocolate doughnuts in a clear plastic container, illustrating the concept of ways of saying want
Anna Bizon / Gallo Images ROOTS RF collection / Getty Images

by Liz Walter

This post is one of an occasional series on alternatives for very common words (see, for example, my post on different ways of saying ‘get’). Continue reading “I’d give my right arm for it: ways of saying ‘want’”

a woman lying in bed with her eyes wide open, holding her temples as she is unable to sleep

Tossing and turning (Talking about sleep, Part 3)

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a woman lying in bed with her eyes wide open, holding her temples as she is unable to sleep
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by Kate Woodford

In my last couple of posts, I’ve looked at the language we use to describe how and when we sleep (Part 1 and Part 2). In this, the third of my ‘sleep’ posts, I look at the language of not sleeping and stopping sleeping. Continue reading “Tossing and turning (Talking about sleep, Part 3)”

a young man and woman sitting together in a living room smiling as they speak to each other

You’re speaking my language! Phrases with the verbs ‘speak’ and ‘say’

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a young man and woman sitting together in a living room smiling as they speak to each other
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by Liz Walter

My last post was on phrases containing the verb ‘talk’. This one looks at some phrases with the related words ‘speak’ and ‘say’. Continue reading “You’re speaking my language! Phrases with the verbs ‘speak’ and ‘say’”

three people sitting outside in a city drinking coffee and having an enthusiastic conversation

Now you’re talking! Phrases with the verb ‘talk’

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three people sitting outside in a city drinking coffee and having an enthusiastic conversation
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by Liz Walter

My last two posts (Verbs to use instead of ‘say’ and Using animal noises to show human emotions) have been about verbs that describe the way people speak. In this post and the next one, I’ll be looking at some useful phrases that actually contain the verbs talk, speak, and say. Continue reading “Now you’re talking! Phrases with the verb ‘talk’”

a young man asleep in bed holding a pillow

How did you sleep? (Talking about sleep, Part 1)

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a young man asleep in bed holding a pillow
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by Kate Woodford

Sleep is a necessary activity that allows us to rest and recuperate. Although it’s essential, we sometimes find it surprisingly difficult. Perhaps for this reason, we often talk about sleep. This post – in two parts – will give you lots of useful vocabulary for speaking about this subject. Continue reading “How did you sleep? (Talking about sleep, Part 1)”

close-up photograph of a young girl holding a small green frog

Growling, hissing and croaking: using animal noises to show human emotions

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close-up photograph of a young girl holding a small green frog
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by Liz Walter

My last post looked at replacing the common verb ‘say’ with more interesting verbs that can convey information about a speaker’s emotions or personality. This post continues that theme, this time concentrating on verbs that are used for animal noises. Continue reading “Growling, hissing and croaking: using animal noises to show human emotions”

black-and-white photograph of a young woman with her head tipped back and mouth open as though laughing or shouting, with brightly coloured abstract shapes coming from her mouth to represent speech

Spluttering, cackling and drawling: verbs to use instead of ‘say’

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black-and-white photograph of a young woman with her head tipped back and mouth open as though laughing or shouting, with brightly coloured abstract shapes coming from her mouth to represent speech
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by Liz Walter

This post looks at ways of conveying personality or emotions by choosing a more interesting verb than ‘say’ when you report someone’s speech. Anyone who has been on a creative writing course will be familiar with the maxim ‘Show, don’t tell,’ and choosing a specific synonym for ‘say’ can help you to do this. Continue reading “Spluttering, cackling and drawling: verbs to use instead of ‘say’”