Think of the many times you have used the word like in a sentence where it does not belong.
You say, “She is, like , five feet tall,” instead of saying, “She is around/approximately five feet tall.”
While quoting you say, “I was, like , where are you going?” instead of “ I asked, where are you going?”
And, “Savitha was, like , fuming,” to emphasise on how angry Savitha was.
This use of like appeared as early as the 19th Century in R L Stevenson’s Kidnapped , when he wrote: “What’s like , wrong with him?” said she at last.
This overuse can weaken the impact of what you are saying or make you sound like a person who lacks confidence.
Remember that the most acceptable uses of like are when you want to express what you enjoy (I like the colour yellow) or if something is similar to something else (She is like her mother in many ways).
So, next time when you are tempted to use like pause, take a deep breath. Be more effective and impress others by using the choicest of words.
