2014.10.06
這是我們最常問學生的問題。最常聽到的答案，是「精準」。什麼是精準呢？其實就是選對字。不要談到「大」，就用big；想表達「強烈」，只想到very；所有「美好」的事物都是good，找不到字就是thing。
找不到字的時候，很多人就會硬塞一個thing進來。英文表達著重明確，例如：
（冗贅）The thing I’d like to tell you is important.
（簡單）What I’d like to tell you is important.
（清楚）I have a lot of work to do.
（模糊）I have to do many things.
沒有主詞的時候，there這個字經常會被想起。there用多了會讓語氣很弱。例如：
（弱）There was no one in the office.
（強） No one was in the office.
很多時候我們用「你」並不是指說話的對方，而是泛稱，這時用「我」會更有力，與對方拉近距離。例：
（不好）Our boss is nice. She always gave you advice.
（好）Our boss is nice. She always gave us advice.
兩件事同時發生的時候，自然就想到要用when。但這個字經常是多餘或錯誤的。
（不好）When she went to the U.S., she visited an old friend.（went to是一個短暫動作，這是一種很不自然的表達。）
（好）She went to the U.S. and visited an old friend.
（不好）He was really nervous about speaking in public.
（正常）He was nervous about speaking in public.
（強）He was panicky about speaking in public. 或 Public speaking scared him.
用多了because讓人覺得你講話很多藉口。去掉它，改用 and和一更有行動力的字眼。例如：
（弱）I want to leave because I am tired.
（強）I'm tired and want to leave.
