Don’t fall into the trap of using the same word all the time. If you don’t vary your language you will make your writing very dull. Most importantly, exam markers don’t like it and you’ll lose loads of marks!

 

Using lots of different words, especially adjectives and verbs, paints a more interesting and vivid picture. Here are some examples:

 

I went to a fantastic Japanese restaurant yesterday. The waiters were friendly to us and the environment was cosy. We had a sashimi platter to start with and it was really tasty. Then each of us had a seafood tempura. After the meal the waiters served us some green tea ice-cream, which was kind of them.

 

I ran to the staff room with the exercise books, then I hurried to the tuck shop for some chocolate. Finally I raced to the classroom so I wasn’t late for class.

 

Compare the following sentences.

 

Every now and then, try to replace a short and simple word with a long and clever one.

 

 

Sporadically, endeavour to substitute a concise and elementary word with a complex and intellectual one.

 

Using different words is a good start. Get a dictionary or thesaurus and learn some new words today.