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All of us tend to pepper our casual, everyday speech with slang, colloquialisms, and other informal speech patterns, and there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that. However, in more formal settings, such as presentations or speeches, or in a job interview, it behooves us to at least know how to speak more formally and correctly, in order to make the best possible impression. This week, I have chosen three bad habits of informal speech, and my goal is to show you what’s wrong with them and why they should be avoided.
1. Beginning sentences with “So”: First, let’s take a look at exactly what “so” means. According to Webster’s Dictionary, it can be used as an adverb, meaning “to such a great extent.” An example of this usage would be: “It was so hot outside, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk.” “So” can also be used as a conjunction, meaning “and for this reason; therefore.” An example of this usage would be: “It was very cold, so we decided not to go to the beach.”
Now, let’s take a look at a snippet of conversation I recently overheard, in which “so” was used incorrectly:
MOM: Why were you late getting home last night?
DAUGHTER: So, Timothy had engine trouble, and we had to wait for a tow truck.
Based on what I have observed, it appears that “So” is the new “Uh.” I reached this conclusion by process of elimination. I simply took the proper definitions of “so” and tried to apply them to the above conversation, and I did this by substituting “so” with one of the definitions. What I got was this:
MOM: Why were you late getting home last night?
DAUGHTER: To such a great extent, Timothy had engine trouble, and we had to wait for a tow truck.”
OR
DAUGHTER: Therefore, Timothy had engine trouble, and we had to wait for a tow truck.
Neither of these sentences makes sense. That leads me to conclude that “so” was not used properly, and I can only assume that it was a “filler” word, like “uh,” that the daughter used to gain her another millisecond in which to come up with a good excuse for why she was late!
2. Beginning sentences with “Now”: This one is a bit trickier. Of course, it’s perfectly acceptable to begin a sentence with “Now,” especially if you are indicating that the action is occurring at the present time. Webster’s Dictionary also states that it is acceptable to use it when pointing out or stressing a fact. What raises my hackles, though, is when a speaker overuses this speech pattern. You’ve heard the saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” That’s how I feel about speakers who consistently and continually begin their sentences with “Now.”
Interestingly, in my observations, this is a phenomenon that occurs most often with reporters on local news stations. I once counted nine consecutive sentences, spoken by a reporter doing a live feed from a crime scene, which she began with “Now”! Assuming that she was using the term as a means of emphasizing her points, there still comes a time when enough is enough, and the word becomes superfluous, rather than important, in her speech.
3. Liking “like” too much: I like the word “like,” but there are times when it is just not appropriate. The prime example of this when a person who is recounting a conversation says, “And Jeremy was like, ‘What are your talking about?’ And I was like, ‘I’m talking about the plot of that movie we saw.’”
According to Webster’s Dictionary, “like” can be used as a verb, meaning “to enjoy; to regard; to feel affection for (someone or something).” It can also be used as an adjective, meaning “to have the same or similar qualities; comparable to.” I am not at all sure exactly when or how it became commonplace for speakers to preface quotes with “like.” What I am sure about is that I did not find any reference to the acceptability of using “like” as a substitute for “said”! I also am equally certain that misusing “like” in this way does not sound professional and should be avoided.