Here we will look at objects from the physical word that can be used to express different ideas and enrich your expression
Let’s start with the word related to design or drawings.
Look at the word PATTERN
So, you can see the visual aspect of the word, but what is behind it? Can you guess?
The idea behind PATTERN is a repetitive, regular sequence (a sequence of drawings or images, of course, but it can also be a sequence of events)
Now look at the three following situations and choose the one that the word “pattern” would describe best:
– a. He worries about what the others think about him all the time.
– b. He smokes five cirarettes one after another, then he decides to quit and doesn’t smoke for several days, but then he starts it all over again.
– c. Sometimes she thinks carefully before making a decision, but at other times she rushes into actions that she then regrets.
b. You can say that “he has a pattern” of smoking on and off. A pattern is a regular action that is also followed by the same set of consequences.
Now we’ll take the word “SPOT”, which means a shape like an irregular circle, for example on a leopard’s skin
Still, this word means so much more than that! As the spots on a leopard’s skin are so easy to see, “spot” is also used to describe any defined place, or any location!
Example:
“Are you sure that you have really cleaned your car well? You missed a spot right there. Everyone can see this little zone where it’s still dirty.”
“I love this cafe. It’s a great spot to enjoy a cup of coffee in calm surroundings”.
Again, because “spots” are so clearly visible, “spot” can also be a verb (an action) that means “to see something, to locate it, and to notice it.
For example, can you spot a mistake in this phrase below?
“I have cleaned the garage two days ago”. Check the answer:
The mistake is the verb “have” that you need to take out!
We gave you this example ↖ only to show how the verb “spot” can be used to ask someone if they see something. If it’s not clear to you why “have” cannot be used in the phrase, you can practice this topic on this page :
Let’s know turn our attention to the word SKETCH that means more or less the same as “a drawing”.
Can you guess the difference between a drawing and a sketch?
A sketch is a very basic drawing that gives a general idea for a concept, and will probably be followed by other, more completed and details versions
So, you ask someone what they know about the topic of biochemistry, and they tell you “I have a sketchy idea” of it, what does it mean?
It means that their understanding of biochemistry is very general and imprecise! (you can also say “fuzzy“)
If a friend tells you that someone is a “sketchy individual”, what does it mean?
When you apply the word “sketchy” to someone’s personality, it’s a negative quality because it means that this person’s intentions are really not clear, and that they cannot be trusted
Finally, meet the word “STREAK” that is used to define an irregular line.
This word also can describe a part of someone’s personality (usually a part that a person refuses to see in themselves because it’s not very positive):
“He always tries his best and wants to succeed in everything, but it actually shows a streak of perfectionism that he sometimes takes too far.
How can you use “streak” in the following phrase :
She is a nice person, but sometimes she fixates on little things and never lets go.
She is a nice person, but she has an obsessive streak.
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