Here’s a writing exercise to practice language flexibility.
Describe your daily routine. First, write about four things you do each morning. Keep it simple. Number them. Now write about how each one makes you feel. Letter these and put them after each matching sentence. You should have a list that looks something like this:
1. On weekdays, I wake up and turn off three alarms at 5:45 a.m.
A. I hate those damn alarms.
2. Next, I open the shades and take some pills.
B. This either gives me energy or drives me back to bed.
3. After that, I check my messages on my devices.
C. I’m low-key nervous until this is done.
4. Then I eat breakfast. It’s usually yogurt.
D. I’m too distracted to notice the taste.
Great. Now here’s the tricky part. Rewrite the first set of descriptions. Try using different words or grammar. Get more specific. Make sure the second, lettered set still apply to the new first, numbered set. Like this:
1. Three alarms wake me up every workday before the sun rises.
A. I hate those damn alarms.
2. I stumble around the house, opening up the shades before washing my meds down with a glass of water.
B. This either gives me energy or drives me back to bed.
3. My brain really comes online when I have to respond to overnight messages or emails.
C. I’m low-key nervous until this is done.
4. Last, I eat yogurt plus something else.
D. I’m too distracted to notice the taste.
Finally, go back and rewrite the second, lettered set of descriptions. Remember, these should also apply to the new first, numbered set. Here:
1. Three alarms wake me up every workday before the sun rises.
A. The first one makes me hate my job. The second makes me hate my life. The third makes me hate myself.
2. I stumble around the house, opening up the shades before washing my meds down with a glass of water.
B. I start this process automatically but by the time it’s down, I’ve either woken up or shuffled back into bed.
3. My brain really comes online when I have to respond to overnight messages or emails.
C. My typical responses at this point are dread, panic, and mania — in that order.
4. Last, I eat yogurt plus something else.
D. I add honey for taste, but my tongue never notices.
You get bonus points if your new second, lettered set also applies to your original first, numbered set. I don’t get the bonus points, though, because I knew this was coming. Plus I cheated and rewrote two of them to match.