Avoid useless words and phrases.
In spoken English, the two useless expressions that pop up most frequently are “like” and “you know.” A third offender is the word “well.” Here’s a sentence that falls into all three of these grammar traps: “Well, you know, I went to the store but, like, it was closed, so, you know, I went home.”
This example might sound extreme, but don’t laugh! Some people talk like this all the time without realizing it. Even YOU probably slip up now and then. Make an effort to break this bad grammar habit; your teachers will thank you for it.
It’s easier to avoid useless phrases when you are writing, but pointless words can still slip into your written speech if you’re not careful. In particular, dump the phrase “Needless to say .” and its cousin, “It goes without saying that. If something truly is so obvious that it doesn’t need to be said, you don’t need these phrases to point it out.
