Splurge

Splurge (pronounced “splərj”) is a funny sounding word. It seems like a word you might hear in a cartoon. In reality, splurge is an informal verb meaning to spend (money) freely or extravagantly. To splurge on something is to spend a lot of money to buy it.

- It was our anniversary so we "splurged" and ordered champagne and lobster for dinner.
- Ava "splurged" on fresh roses even though they last only a few days.
- The girls "splurged" and bought the most expensive tickets to see the Rolling Stones in concert.

What have you splurged on recently?

It's a process

A process is a series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular result. Describing a process means writing /speaking about how something is made or how something happens. Can you describe a process in English?

Think of a simple activity, such as brushing your teeth.. You’re not negotiating a contract or taking a Cambridge English exam. You’re just being very specific about how to brush your teeth. Can you do it? It involves words like toothpaste, squeeze, tube, bristles, gums, tongue, swish, rinse, spit, and floss.

People possibly overlook the words involved in easy tasks because the activity may seem unimportant (but the vocabulary isn’t), thus they don’t know how to convey a simple process with enough detail. How about sharing a recipe? The ingredients, measurements, actions, utensils?

Examples of other processes:
- How to pack a suitcase
- How to donate blood
- How to shave
- How a camera works
- How to get a passport
- How to drive
- How to make popcorn
- etc....

One of the big road blocks (hindrances) most people have when learning a new language is developing a larger vocabulary. I think that many English learners feel pressure to memorize long, sophisticated words when learning the appropriate word for a situation is best for clear communication.

I enthusiastically encourage you to take every opportunity to develop a richer vocabulary through books, lessons, and media, but don’t forget the small stuff.

Simple tasks, challenging to describe well.

Fast food, not quick food

Take a break, rough estimate, get drunk, crystal clear. What do these expressions have in common? They are collocations.

Collocations are typical word combinations – words that usually go together in normal use. They like to be together. For example, “a big mistake,” not “a large mistake.”
Collocations are fixed expressions or word pairings that just sound "right" to native English speakers because we tend to use these combinations over and over again. There is nothing wrong with speaking freely and not collocating, but doing so would reveal that you aren't a native speaker whose meaning many not be clear.

The bad news: Word pairings and phrasal verbs are collocations. These fixed expressions must be memorized.
The good news: I can help you remember a few more easily.

There are many communication collocations that begin with “make” and “have.”

Make is used with most nouns for ways of speaking/planning. For example, you make a complaint, a promise, an offer, a threat, a speech, an apology, a point, a confession, an accusation, a suggestion, an arrangement, a decision, a plan, an appointment.

Have is used with most nouns which involve a two-way discussion. For example, you have a conversation, a chat, a discussion, an argument, a fight, a row, a meeting, an interview.

I hope that “makes a difference” :)