Don't build sentences. Say them

This may sound like an obvious statement, but lately I have noticed a gaping divide between two kinds of students: those who still struggle to build sentences and those who simply say them. I know it seems simplistic, but just bear with me.

At the advanced level you're not really supposed to build sentences anymore. By that I mean that you don't make many choices in terms of word combinations. When you want to describe how you feel about a sensitive personal situation you may (understandably) take your time to find the right words. But as far as expressing yourself in most contexts you string sentences together without giving much thought to the grammar or the collocations that are needed. Allow me to repeat this: you do make decisions, of course, but not many.

Let's suppose that you're working on a project with a friend who feels frustrated because of a minor mishap. You may say: "Hey! Keep your chin up. It's not the end of the world". I know that those are two idioms, which means they are somewhat predictable. Few people want to speak in cliches. And that's commendable, but first things first. Before an English learner sets out to speak "originally" (whatever that means) they should master the "obvious" phrases. The beauty of this approach is that, when you finally resort to fixed phrases, you realize that you don't even stop to think of the potential options, that is to say, you don't have to choose between these sentences:

• Keep your eyes up
• Keep your hair up
• Keep your chin up

You just know what you are supposed to keep up: your chin. This way a silly mistake is avoided. As for the second sentence, again, you don't really need to consider the following options:

• the end of the universe
• the end of the cosmos
• the end of the galaxy

See what I mean? You just say "the end of the world" because it is the conventional expression. So, you don't have to hesitate and consider nonstandard/"incorrect" alternatives.

A speaker that is "sort of familiar" with the idea (in the phrase "the end of the world") might ponder the merits of such phrases as "the finish for the world", "the world's ending", "the termination of the galaxy", etc. which needless to say, do not conform to the convention. For all I know, they may be translating from their mother tongues. Unfortunately, that happens to be irrelevant. It just doesn't work in English, which means it's a no-no in an advanced class. Anyway, my point is that all those moments of hesitation vanish into thin air when you know the sequence and say it.

So that's what I mean when I say that "some students just know what to say". They've heard an expression before and simply use it when they identify the function that it serves. Yes. That's the way to go about it, I'm afraid. Less grammar and more "usage awareness".

I can anticipate your reaction: "But I want to be myself. I don't want to speak in stock phrases" (because you avoid cliches like the plague). Well, I've got news for you: you already speak in stock phrases in your mother tongue. Yes, you do. Unless you're a creative speaker, the kind of language user that can come up with dazzling never-before-used similes, the talker that coins neologisms and creates new turns of phrase, you are using expressions that somebody else has created and millions have used. Even great writers are compelled to resort to conventions (even if they often go beyond them). Otherwise nobody would understand their texts. So, however idiosyncratic your English may be, it is, it cannot be not totally original. And that's not sad. That's what a language is: a complex set of conventions. Certain combinations do feel refreshing even if their "components" are not new. Millions of speakers use time-honored expressions to good effect. Some sound predictable and boring while others shine.

I remember Amazon.com used to offer an interesting piece of information about most books: the so-called SIPs (Statistically Improbable Phrases). I haven't seen that feature for a while, but I recall sitting and reading them before buying a book. What are SIPs? Simply put, they are unusual combinations that can give an on-line shopper a taste of what makes a book quirky or different. Think about it. If I told you about a book that contains the phrase turophobic chucklehead, would you be curious or put off by it? I haven't checked (I just put those two words together), but I can imagine not many books in the world contain sentences which include that peculiar "word sequence". So, how many unusual combinations can you come up with? Do you still be want to be original or are you ready to settle for something... less demanding? The good new is... you don't have to be that creative to be an advanced speaker and, of course, you have time to become a writer. Just don't get ahead of yourself.

In short, be humble. Find competent speakers and imitate what they say. Do not try to improve on those expressions. Not yet, anyway.