Acquiring an extensive English vocabulary doesn’t mean simply memorizing a list of words, though of course knowing more words is extremely useful. However, you need to also be able to use those words correctly and effectively, and in order to do that, you’ll need to have practice using them in context. You can also strengthen your skills by reading as much as possible, both to get exposure to how professional writers use words and to expand your vocabulary. One thing you’ll notice is that professional writers often use metaphor and simile to add texture and interest to their prose. We’ve talked about these literary tools before, and the ways you can enhance your own writing style; we encourage you to practice using metaphor and simile, and noticing their use in the texts you read.

Here’s a metaphor we’ve been thinking about, given the extreme weather we’ve been having around the world lately: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” The origin of this phrase may date back to the practice of marking the seasons by the positions of the stars, something that all cultures have done. The rocks of Stonehenge in England, the pyramids in Egypt, and the temples of the Mayan city of Uxmal in Mexico were all aligned specifically to track the movements of the sun, planets, and stars. Our modern zodiac uses the ancient designations for the patterns of the stars in which people saw dragons and swans, heroes and symbols, and these were woven into the astrological calendar for the year. It’s possible that the constellations Leo (the lion) and Ares (the ram) were in specific areas of the sky at the beginning and the end of the month. Of course, a simpler explanation is that in many areas of the northern hemisphere the weather in early March is often blustery and stormy, then milder toward the end of the month. Whatever its origin, this phrase has been an English proverb since at least the 1600s. Charlotte Bronte used it in her second novel, “Shirley”:

He had come, indeed, for the express purpose of making himself charming and fascinating: rough portents had met him on his first admission to Fieldhead; but that passage got over, charming and fascinating he resolved to be. Like March, having come in like a lion, he purposed to go out like a lamb.

In the past we’ve talked about adjectives related to animals and their characteristics that have become standard ways of describing people. Knowing and using adjectives such as “leonine” (lion-like) will make your writing more colorful. How would you use the adjective leonine? You might be describing someone’s appearance – perhaps he has a broad forehead and thick, long red-golden hair. You could be describing a person’s temperament, either calm and noble or fierce and prone to roaring in anger. There are many ways you can make your speech and writing interesting and compelling, and we hope you learn to use them all.