Lindsay McMahon
"The English Adventurer"

Have you ever noticed yourself using the same words over and over again?

Does it seem that using such words in English can get a bit boring?

One example of this can be the word “put”–we use it more than we realize in our conversations.

Have you ever tried to seek out alternatives for these common boring words?

We’re going to show you some other options, and also show you why and how to mix it up a bit and make your language more colorful and vibrant.

 

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You Fall Into Traps Sometimes

If you really stop to listen to yourself sometimes, you may notice the same words repeated routinely in conversation.

When you think of a word such as “put” it’s easy and it fits nicely into conversation without much effort.

You are essentially using the word “put” to say that you are “placing something here”.

This works just fine, but you don’t want your conversations to get boring with the same old words.

It would be much better if you could try new words or add a little fun to an otherwise mundane conversation.

This is a perfect example to work with, for the alternatives make life way more interesting.

 

Try More Colorful Word Options

You could use the word “put” in conversation and be absolutely fine.

Why not try something more colorful and interesting to express yourself though?

This can add variation to your language and make your conversations more interesting, for you and the listener.

Here are a few interesting words to try out in conversation for a fun refreshing new twist.

  • Toss: This means a light throw, but you can use it to mean put as well. It’s a much more relaxed way of saying you put something somewhere. It also adds an element of fun when you use it. 
    • “Where does this go?” “Oh just toss it in that box over there, thanks!”
  • Throw: This is used much in the same way that toss is, as it can also mean to put something somewhere. Again this is a much more relaxed word, so you want to try using it in conversation with people that you feel comfortable with. It just adds a certain familiarity to the conversation by using this alternative.
    • “Can you throw that in the trash over there?”
  • Stick: Another alternative to using the word “put” that you can try as a more colorful option. You may say this freely and without thought, but it gets the point across to the person. It asks for an action in a fun way.
    • “Where does this go?” “You can just stick it over there.”
  • Chuck: This is likely the most relaxed of the options, and it can be a fun one to use. It’s used to put more emphasis on things, and it can help to lighten a mood while asking for an action to be completed.
    • “Can you chuck that little box on my dresser?”

 

Other Things To Consider

When you really think about it, you are talking about getting rid of something.

You may be asking for somebody to put something in the garbage specifically.

Some of these can be used for that, or there may be other options.

You might say some of the following to get the same point across–and this shows how “put” can be used in so many different ways.

  • Toss it: You are saying that you can just get rid of something. You don’t need it anymore, so just toss it aside or place it in the garbage.
    • “Oh just toss it”
  • Throw it out/throw it away: This is obviously much more direct and tells the person exactly what you want. You no longer need the item and so you want them to just get rid of it.
    • “You can throw it/that out” “throw that/it away”
  • Stick it: This may not be used as often, because in the wrong context it may be considered to be an insult. You may tell somebody to stick an item in a certain place. Just saying “stick it” though may be an insult to somebody, so be careful with that.
    • “Oh I’m done with that, can you just stick it over there?”

 

Some of these words can be used to mean “put” or “place”, and some can also be used to talk about discarding something.

 

Takeaway

Vary your language to sound more colorful, and of course to show off your personality.

Always listen for different ways people express themselves, even to say simple language.

You’re at the level where you can differentiate between the basic language and vocabulary–you can use the more vibrant versions.

Use this colorful language to connect with others and sound more interesting in your conversations.

 

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comments section.

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can. 

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