DONT USE These Words in Casual English Conversations
Hey there I’m Emma from mmmEnglish!
I’ve got an interesting lesson for you today
especially if you’re an intermediate English learner
and you’re transitioning
to being an advanced English learner or English user.
That leap is one that requires more than just
detailed knowledge about the words and the
grammar structures that we use in English.
It also requires an awareness of tone and register
so that you can choose the most appropriate words
for the context. So here’s the thing,
if you’ve been trained in academic
or in business English,
well, the chances are that you’ve become
quite used to expressing yourself with formal language.
Well this lesson is one that you really need to watch
because I’m going to share four words
that are not appropriate for relaxed
and informal conversations.
But they’re words that my English students use
all the time in everyday conversation.
So stay tuned!
Every time that you speak with someone,
you’re using language to create and to build
relationships, social relationships
with your neighbours, professor, with your clients
or customers, anyone.
Communicating information
is an important part of speaking, obviously,
but you can do so much more than that
and you really should
because it’s this extra stuff that helps you to become
a friendly and memorable person
in English conversations.
If the language that you use
is not appropriate to the context,
then your meaning and even your character
can be a little misunderstood.
If you’re too formal, well you can accidentally make
people feel uncomfortable. Perhaps they might even
think you’re being a little rude. And equally,
if you use informal language in a situation
where you really need to use formal language,
well, you might not be taken seriously
and perhaps you might even be overlooked.
So recognising the context in which you’re speaking
and choosing the appropriate language
for that context
is an important skill for advanced English users.
So what is context?
You probably hear your English teachers using this word
all the time.
Context refers to whatever is going on around you
at that moment:
where are you, what’s happening,
who are you talking to.
All of these things help to create the context
and the context helps us to know what type of words
and what type of grammar structures are relevant
and appropriate for that situation.
Now you might assume that your workplace
is a professional context, right?
So formal language is always required
but it’s not as simple as that.
If you work in an office,
then yes, using formal language with customers
and clients is essential.
If you’re talking to your boss or someone
high up in the company, well,
again, you want to be using more formal language
to sound more impressive and more intelligent.
However
using formal language all the time doesn’t make you
very approachable or relatable
and it can make you seem a little stiff or a little dull
and over time, you’ll want to build relationships
with your colleagues, the people you work with, right?
So you’ll want to relax your tone a little,
make a joke, don’t take yourself so seriously.
Even if you get along well with your boss
or some clients,
then using informal language
can also help you to build relationships with them.
It helps them to feel more comfortable with you
and want to speak with you more.
This is definitely how many professional working
environments operate in English-speaking countries
like Australia and the US and the UK.
It’s really important to have these informal
conversations with your colleagues
to help them feel relaxed and really comfortable
around you, to enjoy their time with you.
So I’ve made my case. Now let’s focus on the four
common words that are not appropriate
for casual, relaxed conversations.
I’ll talk about when they’re appropriate
but I’ll also give you some alternatives to use
to help you sound more relaxed and less formal
in other situations.
When you want to add more information,
well you’ve been taught to use words like ‘furthermore’
and ‘moreover’ right?
Now these words are great to use
when you’re writing an essay
or if you’re giving a presentation
or you’re trying to support your argument in a debate.
They’re brilliant words
but you will rarely hear native English speakers
using them in everyday conversation
because they’re just too formal
for conversational English.
I was at my favourite Indian restaurant a few days ago
and they have a few new things on the menu
and I wanted to find out a little more about the dishes.
So when I asked the waiter and she’s absolutely
gorgeous, she was telling me
“We have some new vegetable dishes
moreover the lamb curry is really delicious.”
This is a really formal way to add more information.
It sounds really odd.
Given the context, it’s much better to use
informal language.
We have some new vegetable dishes
and the lamb curry is really delicious as well!
Although you might think that using more
intelligent words is always better, it’s just not as
simple as that. There are times when simpler
and less formal words are much more appropriate.
So let’s talk about some alternatives
that you can use instead of ‘moreover’ and ‘furthermore’.
Now these words add extra information
or more important information, right?
So instead you could use words like:
besides, or in addition to,
as well, also or too.
plus,
what’s more
and on top of that.
I think it will make a lot more sense
with some examples.
We had a great conversation.
Furthermore, we’ve decided to meet later in the week.
We had a great conversation.
We decided we’d meet later in the week too.
Much more relaxed, much better!
Texting while driving is really dangerous;
moreover, it’s illegal in Australia.
Texting while driving is really dangerous;
what’s more, it’s illegal in Australia.
We have enough time to get something to eat
before the show.
Moreover, I’m hungry!
We have enough time to get something to eat
before the show. Besides, I’m hungry!
My friend was late for the movie.
Furthermore, he forgot his wallet and I had to pay!
My friend was late for the movie
and on top of that, he forgot his wallet and I had to pay!
Learning how to use these less formal alternatives
is a little tricky because not all of them work well
in every situation.
You do need to get a little bit of feedback
from the native English speaker to learn
when it’s appropriate to use them correctly.
You could take classes with an online language school
like Lingoda, all their teachers are native teachers
so they can definitely help you with some of these
little nuances in language.
Any native teacher or native speaker will be able
to tell you when it’s appropriate to use
‘moreover’ and ‘furthermore’
and also when it’s not.
But we can practise together here too.
Take a look at this sentence right here.
So what I want you to do is pause the lesson
for a moment
and try to rewrite that sentence in a more casual way
as if you were just chatting with a friend.
Write your sentence down in the comments below.
I’ll try to check it
and make sure that you’re using it correctly.
We use this word to introduce a consequence
or result and again, this is a brilliant word
when you’re structuring an essay
or you’re making an argument.
It’s also brilliant in presentations or in formal speeches
but it usually sounds a little weird if you use it in
everyday conversation, it’s just too formal.
Let’s look at an example.
We’re visiting a cathedral therefore,
you’ll need to make sure your shoulders are covered.
We’re visiting a cathedral
so you’ll need to make sure your shoulders are covered.
Quite a few people haven’t replied yet and their names
therefore will be removed from the guest list.
Quite formal.
Quite a few people haven’t replied yet
so their names have been removed from the guest list.
It’s that simple.
When you’re trying to be a little less formal,
simply use ‘so’ instead of ‘therefore’.
Now I want you to try.
Pause the video for a minute
and write your sentence below in the comments.
We use this word to contrast.
Now ‘however’ is used a little more often
in spoken English but again it’s quite formal,
so it can make you sound a little stiff
in a relaxed and casual conversation.
Can you guess what the less formal alternative might be
I think you’ll be able to guess this one
especially if you have an example.
There’s an awesome Italian restaurant
around the corner.
However, there are many other restaurants nearby.
So if you’re talking to a friend or a colleague,
especially one that you know well,
‘however’ can feel a little jarring in this sentence.
It’s unnecessarily formal.
So can you guess what the informal word might be?
It’s ‘but’.
There’s an awesome Italian restaurant
around the corner
but there are many other restaurants nearby.
The cost of fuel has been rising.
It’s unlikely however, that it will go much higher.
The cost of fuel has been rising
but it’s unlikely that it’ll go much higher.
So there you have it.
I’m often talking about expanding and broadening
your English vocabulary and of course,
this is absolutely necessary to move from
an intermediate to advanced English user.
But I hope that this lesson made it clear that
more formal and more complex advanced words
are not always better.
If you’ve got any questions about this lesson
or you want to practise some sentences with me
down below, go ahead,
add them to the comments down there.
And I think we’re done. You can connect with me
on my socials down here, Facebook and Instagram
and if you want to keep practising with me,
well check out this one right here.
I’ll see you in there!