LIVE Masterclass: How to speak *real* English

Improve a skill or move to a higher level of ability.

Tone and use: Informal, energetic, and often motivational. Use it for progress in a skill, game, or performance.

May not fit: For formal reports, state the specific improvement instead.

Communicate your thoughts, feelings, or ideas in your own way.

Tone and use: Neutral and encouraging. Use it when talking about sharing ideas clearly, verbally or creatively.

May not fit: It does not necessarily mean speaking perfectly or without an accent.

Like something else in one or more ways, though not necessarily identical.

Tone and use: Neutral and widely used. Use it to compare people, experiences, or things that share features.

May not fit: Use “the same as” only when they are identical in the relevant respect.

Suddenly, without much warning or after a quick change.

Tone and use: Conversational and story-friendly. Use it to introduce an unexpected event or change.

May not fit: Do not use it for a gradual process that happens over a long period.

Continue to feel willing and encouraged to work toward a goal.

Tone and use: Neutral and supportive. Use it when discussing habits, learning, exercise, or long projects.

May not fit: It can sound like motivation alone solves every obstacle; practical supports matter too.

Examine or study a topic in greater detail.

Tone and use: Conversational and vivid. Use it when moving from an overview to more detailed learning or discussion.

May not fit: In formal writing, “examine in more detail” may be more precise.

Used to mark an idea as the speaker’s personal view rather than an established fact.

Tone and use: Neutral and explicit. Use it before a judgment or viewpoint, especially when others may disagree.

May not fit: Do not use it to make a factual claim sound subjective when evidence is needed.

Spend time on something that produces little value or does not help reach a goal.

Tone and use: Critical and direct. Use it when warning that an activity is inefficient for a particular purpose.

May not fit: It can sound judgmental; explain the specific mismatch or outcome.

Continue doing or using something rather than stopping or switching.

Tone and use: Conversational and encouraging. Use it for a habit, plan, method, or choice someone continues over time.

May not fit: Continuing is not always best; it is fine to change an ineffective plan.

As part of the surrounding situation, sentence, story, or conversation that helps explain meaning.

Tone and use: Neutral and especially common in teaching or analysis. Use it when explaining a phrase through an example rather than in isolation.

May not fit: A context does not remove the need to verify a phrase’s meaning and usage.

So familiar through practice that it feels automatic.

Tone and use: Neutral and common in learning and skill contexts. Use it for a practiced skill or routine that no longer requires much conscious effort.

May not fit: It describes familiarity, not necessarily natural talent present from birth.

Find something very difficult to do or experience.

Tone and use: Neutral and common; “really” adds emphasis. Use it before an -ing verb or with “with” to describe a substantial challenge.

May not fit: It describes difficulty, not inability; specify the task if useful.