Learn2Write

Pay close attention,

Read on carefully,

Understand the nuances carefully,

Apply the knowledge deliberately.

But, please, oh please!

Do not overuse the adverb callously!

An adverb can be defined as a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence. Adverbs are used to intensify, amplify or turn down meaning. For example, literally, simply, absolutely, rapidly, swiftly, sort of, kind of, fast, almost, better, etc.  What we need to learn is to use adverbs cautiously: their misuse and overuse makes our writing cluttered! 

1. The most common misuse of an adverb is to reiterate obvious information.

Harry Potter laughed happily as the majestic Hogwarts castle rose from behind the clouds. He was absolutely determined to learn magic as a wizard. His thoughts were rudely interrupted by Hermione, who whispered quietly in his ears.

If Harry laughed, did it not denote his happiness?

Did determination not imply absolute resolve?

To interrupt someone is to act rudely, right? And to whisper is to speak softly!

The use of happily, absolutely, rudely and quietly is redundant in the given sentences. Adverbs have their place, but often we can improve our writing by pruning unnecessary adverbs. 

2. The next thing to remember is that weak verb-adverb combinations should be revised with stronger verbs.

‘Ron ran swiftly towards the Whomping Willow’ can become ‘Ron sprinted towards the Whomping Willow.’ 

‘Shining in her ball gown, Hermione came down the stairs effortlessly’  is better described as ‘Shining in her ball gown, Hermione glided downstairs.’  

3. Use adverbs to change a verb's, an adverb’s  or an adjective’s meaning to the reader. Some adverbs add stress: Instantly perceiving Dudley to be a bully, Hagrid decided to rescue Harry from his dismal living situation. Some adverbs paint a clearer picture: Hagrid was a reassuringly solid confidant. 

4. When it comes to adverbs, it’s all about balance. Here are some simple tricks to using/deleting an adverb:

• Remove an adverb if it does not change the meaning of a sentence. 

• If the verb or adjective works great without the adverb, remove it.

• Use the adverb if it adds valuable meaning to a verb, adjective, an adverb or the meaning of a sentence.

• Be wary of using very and really often: they are two of the most overused and misused adverbs.

American author Stephen King’s comparison of using adverbs to having dandelions in your lawn is  precise—one dandelion looks beautiful, but many are like weeds that can overtake the lawn. Using the right adverb is like embellishing your writing with a sparkling jewel, but too many and they can become annoying and distracting. 

Less is the new more! 

“We went to Disneyland last week, and it was super fun! My sister, her face all beaming, did a little happy dance when she met Cinderella, and a laugh riot ensued.  On the whole, the delectable desserts, whimsical rides and Disney princesses can make any kid happy.”

Oh, that’s wonderful news, but aren’t you tired of using coordinating conjunctions and commas all the time?  Why let your sentences ramble when thoughtful pauses can say so much more?  

We went to Disneyland last week; it was super fun!  My sister—her face all lit up—did a little happy dance when she met Cinderella; a laugh riot ensued. On the whole, Disneyland has everything a kid needs to be happy: delectable desserts, whimsical rides and Disney princesses. 

In this article, we are going to familiarise ourselves with the tricky quartet: semicolon (;), colon (:), em dash (—), and parenthesis (). See the difference these little superstars can make to your writing.

Semicolons

Which is the most powerful punctuation mark? The most obvious answer would be the full stop. But which comes second? Some would say commas because they are extensively used, but semicolons disagree. Like a comma, a semicolon tells a reader to pause, but a semicolon is a stronger punctuation mark than a comma. A semicolon (;) separates grammatically independent sentences that are closely related. 

Example: Amber always slept with the light on; she was terrified of the dark.

You can also use the semicolon to separate items in a list when some of those items already contain commas. For example, ‘I bought red, juicy strawberries, beautiful, ripe mangoes, and tasty bananas.’ 

The sentence is confusing; isn’t it? It’s tiring to figure out how many items were bought since there are a lot of commas involved. ‘I bought red, juicy strawberries; beautiful, ripe mangoes; and tasty bananas.’ See?  It is a lot better this way.

Dashes (em dashes)

The first thing to know when using dashes is not to overuse them. It will make your sentences difficult to follow. Also, do not confuse them with hyphens—they are shorter lines and are generally used to indicate connections between words (full-time, far-off, ice-cold etc.) Undoubtedly, em dashes are extremely useful. Let’s take a look at some ways to include dashes in your writing:

a) Em dashes can be used instead of parentheses (). This way, more focus is given to the information between the em dashes. Em dashes are preferable in formal writing; they are fancier than parentheses.  

Example:  Timmy (his face all grim) walked towards the principal’s office. Here, the information provided within the parenthesis is not getting enough attention; therefore, we can replace it with em dashes. Timmy —his face all grim—walked towards the principal’s office.

b) You can use em dashes to indicate sentence introductions and conclusions.

Example: Food, shelter, safe drinking water —for many people even the basic amenities are still a dream.

c) Em dashes can also be used to break up dialogue.

Example: “I—I’m scared; let’s go back,” Jack whispered in a quivering voice.

Parenthesis 

A parenthesis is a curvy punctuation mark used to set off information that isn’t crucial to the main topic, like a second-thought or a funny joke. When they come in pairs, they are called parentheses; you must have both an opening and a closing parenthesis. Whatever the information inside the parenthesis, it should not be grammatically fundamental to the sentence. Also, overuse of parentheses can be distracting to readers.

Let’s look at some examples:

a) To show acronyms: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

b) To add extra information: The talent show will be held next week (on Tuesday).

c) To clarify preceding words: The bird sang in a high-pitched sound that is idiosyncratic (peculiar) to its species.

d) To enclose a comment (informal): Mary merrily made her way to the kitchen (I reckon it is a sugar-rush).

Colons

A colon is used to introduce phrases, lists and elaborations. It can also be used to introduce a quotation. Colons follow clauses that can exist on their own (independent clauses or complete sentences). 

Example: This book has everything I need: adventure, mystery, and comedy.  

Here’s an example of a colon introducing a single item: There is only one thing that can make me ecstatic:  ice cream. 

One of our previous blog posts— ‘The misunderstood Colon’— covers everything you need to know about colons. Check it out here.

We have come to the end of our article. So now do you know how to use your advanced punctuation marks? 

Do you sometimes feel that brilliant story ideas in your head fail to translate that well on paper? Do you think that somewhere along the path of writing a story, you stumble and falter so that the result is far from what you had imagined? Worry not, we’re here to help you. The first step is to understand what you’re doing wrong. Let’s look at some common story writing mistakes:

1. Unexciting openings:

It is best to avoid unoriginal story openers: Once upon a time, One day, There was a boy called, John lived in London, I woke up early morning etc. Readers are familiar with such usual starters. Avoid the obvious. Instead, begin with a catchy dialogue, a scene of surprise, a single sentence that captures the entire mood of the story etc. 

2. Dull details:

John ran over the ledge. The ledge was made my Mr Robert last summer. John wanted to catch the bus via the shortcut. “Hurry up, we are leaving!” bellowed the horn. 

Do we really need to know about the history of the ledge? No, right? If it is not included, it wouldn’t affect the story. Such superfluous details are best avoided to save time and let your story have only the necessary ingredients. Your readers don’t need to know each detail about the corners of a house or minute aspects of a character’s appearance. 

3. Rambling description: 

John, who was four years old, ran his fingers in and out of his hair, which had the colour of dark shade of orange, as he woke up puzzled and in a state of confusion.  

This is a long and winding version of a character’s description. But it can be made better:

Little John, aged four, brushed his ginger hair confusedly as he woke up.

The ideas remain the same, but the phrases are compressed to describe details without lag. This helps you use good vocabulary and save time (so that you can quickly move on to the main events in your story).

4. It is obvious, duh! 

I couldn’t wake up early since I watched a movie deep into the previous night, which forced my body to take more rest, and that is why I am gloomy today.

The sentence above can be made concise:  I stayed up late into the night for a movie yesterday.

Certain details are already understood and mentioning them will only drag the story. Your primary concern should be to reach the ‘conflict’ in your story. In other words, you don’t need to mention that trains run on rail tracks, the bird is flying in the sky, we need air to breathe etc. 

5. Pointless repetition:

It is true that repetition can be good in some cases; however, the trick is to know where it is good and where it is not. 

The forest was full of green, nothing but green.

“Be careful. You fall, we all fall!” Ellie screamed as she paddled the boat.

These instances are effective. On the other hand, look at the sentences given below:

James was ecstatic, elevated and exhilarated to open the present. (When one adjective can do the job, why use three?)

Agatha wanted to bake. Agatha did not have enough ingredients. Agatha started looking for money. (Yes, we know you’re talking about Agatha every time, so just use ‘she’ instead) 

Repetition can make or break your story. Done right, it can make ideas or images memorable. Meaningless repetition, however, can be annoying to the point that no one wants to read the story.

6. A crowded plot: 

Is there more than one problem or villain in your story? Do you spend an entire page describing the setting or the main character? If you nodded ‘yes’ to any of these, then you might have come across the need to rush the ending as well.

Jason stopped running from the stranger. He turned to an alley and saw the serious swamp monster. The ghosts loomed over the building in search of him. The valley of shadows was haunted by unimaginable horrors. Jason ran like the wind. He got to his home, locked the door, and pulled the blanket over him. He went to sleep.

Notice how the text keeps jumping from one problem to another. None of the problems are solved and there is no connection between the places Jason travels through. The lack of emotive reactions from both Jason and the evil beings is confusing as well. Solution? Follow this method: one story = one theme. This will help you in exams where you have to finish your story within a given time.  

7. An over-ambitious plot:

You are planning to forge a super story: more than four characters, a fantasy world full of problems, references that only you know, unsolved motives and unexplained happenings. It is wise to avoid such complications. Most probably, your reader will feel as if they have opened page 40 of an unread book: it will be utterly confusing. 

Aang could hardly bend the air when he set on the path to become the Avatar. Who would have thought soul-bending would become his ultimate power? Kushiro was eager to rule the Fire Kingdom after he had beaten his brothers with the help of Korra. The steel-bending powers of Reinhart woke up the same day…

The story above is linked to Avatar: The Last Airbender (the animated series).  If you’re confused by the details, the same will go for your readers: the plot elements are hard to understand. Not to mention that the sheer number of characters and events are hardly relatable. Too many events can be difficult to tie up or resolve under a given time limit. Chances for plot holes are substantial. Simple yet creative story ideas work best in exams. 

8. Bland ending:

This is the place where you can do your worst or best to the story. Apply solutions creatively: if you solve the conflict of the story logically, it is good; if you solve it with a twist, it is better and if you make your reader awestruck with suspense or comedy, it is the best. Your reader should not feel that you wanted to end the story as soon as possible and just move on. 

We hope that you keep an eye out for these errors when you write a story next time. Slowly but surely, the eight mistakes will fade away from your stories if you practise the solutions. 

Have you ever wondered why your sentences remain soulless even after adorning them with alluring adjectives? Adjectives are supposed to be game changers, right? Well, we don’t have anything against adjectives, but adjectives alone won’t improve the quality of your sentences. Don’t worry! Advanced verbs are here to save the day.  

Today, we are going to introduce you to a bunch of vivid verbs which you can use to make your writing stand out. So, before we begin, let’s refresh our memory. What are verbs? A verb is simply a word that expresses a physical action (sing, jump, walk etc.), a mental action (guess, consider, think etc.) or a state of being (to be, to exist, to appear etc.). 

How about we learn about these vibrant verbs through an example? Let’s read the story given below: 

The hooded figure slowly walked towards us. “Duncan, I am scared,” Lydia spoke in a faint voice. Her fingers were shivering as I took her hand in mine to calm her down. “Let’s run,” I told her. We ran down the hill without stopping. “I guess we are safe now,” I let out a sigh.

“Ahhh!” Lydia was crying out loud. A skeletal hand was holding her neck tightly. I looked at the stranger in disbelief; the stranger let out a scary laugh and said, “You can’t escape the wrath of my master. Wherever you go, I will follow.”

Now, let’s substitute the underlined words with some vivid verbs. Are you ready to see the upgraded version of the story? Here it is:

The hooded figure ambled towards us. “Duncan, I am scared,” Lydia croaked. Her fingers were quivering as I took her hand in mine to soothe her. “Let’s run,” I gasped. We sprinted down the hill without halting. “I presume we are safe now,” a weary sigh escaped me.

“Ahhh!” Lydia was wailing. A skeletal hand was throttling her. I gaped at the stranger; he cackled and said, “You can’t elude the wrath of my master. Wherever you flee, I will accompany.”

Impressive transformation, isn’t it? 

Bonus: here are some commonly used verbs and their better replacements — 

1. Walk – stroll, saunter, amble, wend one’s way, trudge, plod, hike, trek, strike, troop, patrol, roam etc.
2. Talk – lecture, orate, address, rant, chat, chatter, gossip, babble, prate etc.
3. Eat – consume, devour, ingest, bite, gobble, chew, feed, dine, nibble etc.
4. Cry – weep, sob, wail, bawl, lament, snivel, blubber, howl etc.
5. Smile – grin, beam, twinkle, grin from ear to ear, smirk etc.
6. Laugh – guffaw, chuckle, chortle, cackle, howl, roar, shriek etc.
7. Sleep – nap, doze, rest, drowse, trance, slumber, snooze etc.
8. Look – glance, gaze, stare, gape, peer, focus, peep, glimpse etc.

 We hope you found this article useful. Stay tuned for more.

Getting a child to practise creative writing can be a parent’s worst nightmare. After endless dodging by the child, many to and fro arguments between the parent and the child, often culminating with promises of reward to the child on completing his writing, the child finally sits for the dreary yet necessary exercise. 

The whole experience can be exhausting for the poor parent and uninspiring for the child. On top of that, the idea of practising writing, with the sole aim of scoring high in exam, under a ticking timer and the constant, watchful eye of the parent does not really get the creative juices flowing in the child. Shouldn't creativity be a ‘spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings,’ as Wordsworth once said?

That’s right. Writing should not feel like a task. The trick is to make it fun and educational at the same time. Here, we offer you five different and effective ways of making your child practise writing. Let’s get on with the first tip then.

1. Start a scrapbook: 

Imitation can be a stepping stone to awakening imagination in one. Scrapbooking a stock of handy quotes is a technique vouched for by budding writers. Encourage the child to copy out favourite quotes and fascinating descriptions from literary works. Writing out interesting text stimulates learning as well as creativity in the mind. Remember to ask the child to go through his collection (as a form of reading exercise) at the end of a week or fortnight.

2. Keep a diary or journal: 

Why not gift your child a beautiful diary and help him start on a new literary journey? Inspire the hidden writer in him to record special moments and events of the day. Diary writing can help the child develop unique and personal style of expression. Give your child space and freedom to write as and when he wishes. Starting first as some sporadic entries, diary writing should over a period become a daily exercise.

3. Scribbles and doodles: 

Sometimes writing from scratch can be daunting. To make writing exercise more exciting, take an already existing text and encourage the child to edit, improve or rewrite it. This text could be anything: a short story (many free stories are available on the web), a few paragraphs of a news article, or a work previously written by the child. If you want to create memorable moments with your child, you could write a short piece (story or description) and offer the child to evaluate and enhance it. A reversal of roles will draw the child’s interest and eagerness to re-write.

4. Letter and note writing:

Encourage the child to write letters (or mails) to grandparents, distant cousins and friends. Suggest that the child make cards for occasions like birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc. and enclose special messages for the recipient. With these activities, kids can learn how to communicate, socialise and, at the same time, practise writing skills.

5. Storytelling

Spinning a yarn is in the DNA of human beings. The first seeds of creative writing were implanted there. Nurture this inherent gift by making storytelling part of the day-to-day family discourse. From ‘What happened at school today?’ to ‘Why do you like your teacher?’, narration requires creativity, skill and precise vocabulary. When communicating with your child, ask him to describe the people he met, the places he visited and the feelings evoked in him by his experiences.  This exercise encourages children to be creative when describing the setting, characters, and the story as it unfolds. Ultimately, your child will become confident and less hesitant when he actually sits to write. 

So there you have it: some new ideas to help your child to get writing. Which one do you think will work for your child? 

“Little pig! Little pig! Let me in! Let me in!”  (Wolf)

 “No! No! No!  Not by the hairs on my chinny chin chin!” (Little pig)

“Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down.” (Wolf)  

                                                                                                       — The Three Little Pigs (Fairy Tale)

True to his world, the unfortunate thing happened – the wolf blew the little pig’s house down and gobbled him up like a piece of candy. The fairy tale ‘The Three Little Pigs’, to this day, makes us despise the untrustworthy wolf. The narrator did an exceptional job by framing the wolf as the ultimate villain just by the magic of his narration. But it is unfair to jump to conclusions without knowing the real story, right? So let’s hear the wolf’s version of the story. 

 “I rang the bell on the stick house. Nobody answered. I called, “Mr Pig, Mr Pig, are you in?” He yelled back, “Go away wolf. You can’t come in. I’m shaving the hairs on my chinny chin chin.” I had just grabbed the doorknob when I felt another sneeze coming on. I huffed. And I snuffed. And I tried to cover my mouth, but I sneezed a great sneeze. And you’re not going to believe it, but this guy’s house fell down just like his brother’s.”  — The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! By Jon Scieszka

Now that you have the story from the wolf’s point of view, it is really up to you to decide whether you should still hold him accountable or not. Powerful narration can influence the way we sympathise with different characters. It can make or break a hero and make us question our loyalty towards the protagonist. In case you haven’t noticed, this account of the wolf is more humorous and engaging. Who knew a change in perspective would bring about such a tremendous difference?  

CINDERELLA

Cinderella — the poor orphaned girl with a wicked stepmother and cunning step-sisters. Cindy toiled day and night, and by the time she finished all her chores, she was covered in cinders (hence the name Cinderella). We know all about the glass slipper, the stroke of midnight and the happily ever after. 

Well, brace yourself for some shocking revelations. The infamous stepmother is here to share her experience of living with Cindy, “OF COURSE you think Cinderella was the sweetest belle of the ball. You don't know the other side of the story. Well, let me tell you...”

“One day, a letter arrived, it was an invitation to the king's ball, and the prince would surely fall in love with one of my darlings. Then they would marry, live in a beautiful castle, and one day be king and queen of all the land! "Oh, Stepmother, I want to go too!" said Cindy. "Once upon a time, a girl and a Prince …” Then - just like that - Cindy lost her voice. Imagine it had to be from all that storytelling.    

Well, what could I do? I told Cindy she had to stay at home for her health. She cried, of course. Still, a ball was no place for a poorly girl. She needed rest.  Sometimes, it’s hard being a stepmother.”     

— An excerpt from Seriously, Cinderella Is SO Annoying! The Story of Cinderella As Told by the Wicked Stepmother by Trisha Speed Shaskan

See how a change in perspective can plant seeds of doubt in the reader’s mind and influence our thought process? How would other stories change if they were told from another perspective?  

Story from the point of view of an inanimate object:

 “It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view.” ― George Eliot.

If asked to write a story based on the given topic — Going to the dentist— we are inclined to choose the dentist or the child visiting the dentist to recount the story. This time, we are going to do it differently. The dental chair is our narrator:

If you think that being a dental chair is boring, I hate to break it to you; it is the best job ever!  Who else has the luxury of having hundreds of hapless children holding on to them for their dear lives? I do! Out of all the little brats who visit me regularly, Tommy is my favourite because he is hilarious. Last week, as usual, little Tommy had an appointment with Mr John, the dentist. Halfway through the tooth extraction, Mr John went to use the restroom. “Don’t close your mouth Tommy; I will be right back,” said Mr John. Tommy, who was already traumatised by this whole experience, wasted no time and fled the scene. It took an entourage of nurses, doctors and Tommy’s parents to bring him back. I couldn’t control myself; I laughed my lungs out.

Oh, poor Tommy! It seems like Mr Dental Chair is enjoying himself. 

Are you tempted to write your version of a classic story, or any other story for that matter, from a unique point of view? Well, do it! It would be fun. We hope that we opened up a whole new world for you. How was the magic carpet ride?  

Welcome back to the final chapter of figures of speech in Harry Potter edition. In our previous post, we discussed how Rowling uses similes and metaphors throughout the Harry Potter series to enrich the readers’ experience and help them teleport to the magical world of Hogwarts. If you haven’t checked the first part of the series, we highly recommend you do that now! Others, please continue to read.

In this particular segment, we shall learn about some other kinds of literary tools evident throughout the Harry Potter sequence, while simultaneously ensuring it’s all fun and games and nothing too taxing. The literary devices covered in this section are personification, alliteration and onomatopoeia. So, what’s the wait for? Let’s dive right into it!

1. Personification 

— The Hat tells them, "Try me on and I will tell you / Where you ought to be." 

Making a grand appearance at #1 on our list is personification—the heartbeat of every children’s fiction ever.  When defined literally, personification is giving human-like qualities to something abstract or a non-living entity. 

Since personification majorly thrives on the reader’s imagination, Rowling has used this figure of speech in the best possible way to bring the world of Harry Potter to life. Be it through the “wand [that] chooses the wizard” or “Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once,” the book is full of endless illustrations of this literary tool. 

However, nothing beats the anticipation and excitement in the scene where Harry is about to be sorted into his house and the entire hall is brimming with impatience, until the sorting hat, at last, declares, “Well if you're sure, better be... GRYFFINDOR!”

2. Alliteration 

Next up on our list is the easiest and every child’s preferred figure of speech, alliteration. Remember that tongue twister you challenged your best friend and classmates to take? Fun fact! That’s one of the perfect examples of alliteration. So, in the simplest of terms, alliteration is nothing but a bunch of words placed together that begin with the same consonant sounds.

To look for instances of alliteration through Rowling’s Harry Potter, you won’t have to hustle hard because they are literally everywhere. For instance, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, Moaning Myrtle, among others, are all examples of alliterative names in the series.

Dig a little deeper and you will find alliteration through Lockhart’s "Fame is a fickle friend, Harry" to Professor McGonagall’s angry speech of “I will not have you…besmirching that name by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!”

Professor McGonagall, in fact, is the flag bearer of alliteration in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire where she treats dancing as both feminine (inside every girl, a secret swan slumbers) and masculine (inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance) through impressive use of alliteration.

3. Onomatopoeia 

— There was a bang, and Harry felt his hands fly off Mundungus's throat.
Gasping and spluttering, Mundungus seized his fallen case, then—CRACK—he disapparated.

Think of alliteration, and onomatopoeia isn’t far away. In layman terms, onomatopoeia refers to words that evoke or imitate the sound they refer to. They are the part of auditory images that are used to make writing livelier and more appealing to the audience. 

Rowling, being the genius mind she is, uses onomatopoeia to the best of its capability through various instances across the Harry Potter series. Be it the dramatic entry of Hagrid in Potter’s life on the midnight of his birthday with “SMASH! The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor,” Uncle Vernon’s “Barking, howling mad, the lot of them” or Neville’s trademark ability to smash things in “There was another tinkle of breaking china; Neville had smashed his second cup,” sounds govern the magical world of Harry Potter as much as visuals do.

Well, here we end our figures of speech series in a Harry Potter edition with the hope that you have all successfully befriended literary devices and they don’t seem that daunting anymore. Hence, our fellow wizards and witches, we proudly conclude that you are all set to take the world of exams by storm. Just remember, ‘Avada Kedavra!’ aka let’s go, kill it! 

Image Source:

Harry Potter and the Sorting Hat [https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Harry-Potter-Sorting-Hat-Biased-Theory-44705042]

Harry, Ron and Lockhart [https://screenrant.com/harry-potter-things-only-book-fans-know-about-gilderoy-lockhart/]

Harry Potter and Fletcher [https://potterwars.wordpress.com/2016/02/25/throwback-thursday-mundunguss-morals/]

Do you feel like you are being pushed to your limits when you have to write? You don’t know where to begin? Your sentences are always identical?

Before we start discussing the possible solutions for this confounding issue, let’s first take a look at the example given below.

Alex was sauntering back home from school. He heard the distant rumbling of thunder. He searched his backpack for his umbrella. He realised that he had forgotten his umbrella at school. Alex was terrified of thunderstorms. He ran towards his home as fast as he could.’

First of all, make sure that you carry an umbrella with you wherever you go. The second and the most crucial thing – please don’t start all your sentences agreeing with the subject-verb-object rule you were taught in elementary school. It is grammatically correct, but at this point, to be honest, no one really cares whether Alex has reached home safe and sound.

What if we tell you that there are many secrets up our sleeve to avoid this awkward situation? We don’t mind spilling the beans with you. Let’s see if we can make poor Alex’s story a bit more appealing.

a) You can start your sentence with onomatopoeia (sound word). Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically resembles the sound it describes.

‘Clap! The sudden rumbling of thunder startled him.’

b) Another way to start your sentence is by using adverbs ending with ‘ly’. Don’t forget to use a comma after that.

‘Frantically, he fished around his backpack for his umbrella.’

c) Adjectives are also good sentence starters. You must always put a comma after an opening adjective.

‘Perturbed and dejected, he gave up his search realising that he had left it at school.’

d) Begin the sentence with a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase is a group of words consisting of a preposition, its object and any words that modify the object.

‘With his backpack flopping, he ran as fast as he could.’

e) Start the sentence by describing when or where the event is happening.

‘Down the Abbey Lane, he sprinted like a wild hare.’

Now let’s rewrite the entire paragraph.

‘Alex was sauntering back home from school. Clap! The sudden rumbling of thunder startled him. Frantically, he fished around his backpack for his umbrella. Perturbed and dejected, he gave up his search realising that he had left it at school. With his backpack flopping, he ran as fast as he could. Down the Abbey Lane, he sprinted like a wild hare.’

Well, what do you think? The difference is apparent, right? Next time you are asked to write a sentence, we are sure that it will be a cakewalk for you. Happy writing!

Ever wondered that while direct language is usually easier to comprehend, why we as readers often tend to lean towards the more creative wording? In literary terms, this ‘fancy language’ is called figures of speech, which are nothing but phrases or a group of words used in a non-literal sense. In layman terms, any phrase that stands for a unique and deeper meaning beyond its literal usage is defined as a figure of speech or a literary device.

Readers usually find it natural to connect with a piece rich in literary tools because it adds a poetic touch to the writing and makes the imagery more vivid to comprehend. Most common examples of literary devices in the English language comprise similes, metaphors, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, among others.

Since understanding these literary tools isn’t always a cakewalk and can be a strenuous act for many, we decided to aid the process by slowly introducing our readers to the world of literary tools. To exactly serve the purpose, we will start this edition with some popular similes and metaphors used through everyone’s favourite, “The Harry Potter Series” by J.K. Rowling.

So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Simile

“Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel ... Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.”

Similes are usually the most common and easiest to locate literary techniques that are used to directly compare two non-identical, contrasting items with the help of words ‘like’ or ‘as’. If you are an avid Harry Potter fan, chances are you've encountered similes throughout the series at every possible instance.

From “Dudley looked like a pig in a wig” to "Dumbledore's silver hair ... shone as brightly as ghosts", the similes are everywhere. If you have got an eye for it, go and explore 10 more similes right now!

Metaphor

“Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.”

Making an appearance next in the article is the confusing cousin of simile, metaphor. When defined literally, metaphor is a figure of speech that is used to make an indirect comparison between two things that aren't alike but do share some property in common.

Note that, unlike similes, metaphors do not include words such as ‘like’ or ‘as’ for comparisons.

Rowling uses metaphors at various instances throughout the Harry Potter Series to breathe life into her thoughts and bring them alive for the readers. One such instance is where she combines humor (another literary device) and metaphor to contrast Mrs. Dursley to a crane. This helps readers understand Mrs. Dursley’s fierce and graceful demeanour like that of a crane in comparison to her nosy self that depicts the hidden flaws in her character.

The next ingenious and impressive occurrence of metaphor is visible in ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ where Snape’s Patronus of “the silver doe” has the audience gasping in awe for his endless love for Lily (Harry’s mother).

Be it the subtle comparison of depression to dementors that “drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them”, or Dumbledore’s, “And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress adventure” to describe a formal meet and greet, metaphors are omnipresent in the world of Rowling like the vicious presence of Voldemort in Harry’s conscience.

For information on other kinds of literary devices, stay tuned to the series because we have many more treats compiled for all our Potterheads out there.

Image Source:

Cover Image by Parent Previews [https://parentpreviews.com/movie-reviews/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone]

Dursley Family Image by Hello! Magazine [https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/2017021736716/harry-potter-dudley-actor-harry-melling-weight-loss/]

Mrs. Dursley Animation by Amino Apps [https://aminoapps.com/c/harry-potter/page/blog/petunia-dursley/NKTM_ulGbE5bYazorWkJGzbLVw10Bg]

Aren't Small bites always better for one's consumption and health? They taste better as well! That strikes a chord with our idiom of the day.

Bite off more than one can chew: to take on more work or responsibility than one can actually do.

Examples:

I bit off more than I could chew when I decided to  single-handedly arrange a house warming party for a hundred people. 

The office sycophant has bitten off more than he can chew this time by claiming he can finish the entire week's work in a day.

In his efforts to help others, Ben is always biting off more than he can chew.