你英文想要多好？多好才叫做好？
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。
1、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：
我要告訴你的事很重要。
（冗贅）The thing I’d like to tell you is important.
（簡單）What I’d like to tell you is important.
我有很多工作要做。
（清楚）I have a lot of work to do.
（模糊）I have to do many things.
2、There
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：
沒有人在辦公室。
（弱）There was no one in the office.
（強） No one was in the office.
3、You
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：
我們的老闆人很好，常常給我們建議。
（不好）Our boss is nice. She always gave you advice.
（好）Our boss is nice. She always gave us advice.
4、When
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。
她到美國時，去拜訪一位老朋友。
（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.
5、Really
這個字基本上沒有多大作用。例如：
要在大家面前演講，他真的很緊張。
（不好）He was really nervous about speaking in public.
直接把really去掉，改成：
（正常）He was nervous about speaking in public.
如果要表現出程度差異：
（強）He was panicky about speaking in public. 或 Public speaking scared him.
6、Because
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：
我累了，想離開。
（弱）I want to leave because I am tired.
（強）I'm tired and want to leave.
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