#GrammarSeries – 10 common phrases that need to be retired

Hello Sparkle Writers! It’s another #GrammarSeries.

Are you ready to learn something new? Well, it is not something new per se. We want to teach you how to add a bit of variety to your writing by replacing some commonly used phrases that have now become boring. 

Here are 10 of such phrases and what you can use to replace them. 

According to. 

You can use the following to replace ‘According to’;

• In line with 
• In keeping with
• As reported in/by
• As said/ stated in/by
• On the word of
• In consonance with

As you can see.

This phrase is just too common. Try replacing it with any of the following;

• Obviously
• Evidently
• Therefore
• As shown
• As demonstrated
• It is easy to see

For example.

This phrase has been programmed into our minds since primary school. Here are other phrases to use in it’s place;

• Such as
• For instance
• In a similar case
• To illustrate
• Especially 
• In addition to
• Namely 
• This includes

I don’t like it. 

If you don’t like something, you can say this;

• That’s not for it
• I’m not into it
• I dislike it
• I’m not fond of it
• I’m not a big fan of it
• I don’t appreciate that 

In conclusion.

You’ve said this many times right? Here are some suitable alternatives;

• In summary
• All in all
• To sum up
• In closing
• Overall, it may be said
• All things considered

On the other hand.

This is what you can use instead of ‘On the other hand’;

• Otherwise
• However
• In any case
• Alternatively 
• That being said
• Nonetheless
• Having said that
• In contrast 

I don’t know. 

This is the easiest thing to say when you don’t know something but we have some other phrases for you;

• I don’t have a clue
• I’m not sure
• I have no idea
• I’m unsure
• Search me

We hope you’ll use some of these phrases 🙂