Whether you’re writing a formal text or creative text, you may notice that said is a frequently used verb. After all, it denotes information that someone has spoken. Said can be found in essays such as explanatory essays, where the writer has to explain what a source has, well, said.
It’s also found in creative writing to commence a dialogue. Below, you’ll find five alternatives that are perfect for formal settings and five alternatives that are great for creative writing.
Knowing how to speak fluent English entails much more than just memorizing definitions, understanding the parts of speech, and following the grammar rules.
Learning several different ways of saying even the most common phrases helps you sound more natural, regardless of the scenario.
Below, you’ll find ten formal and informal ways to say the most popular English greeting out there—hello.
Imagine this: You get the results of your test. You’re excited to share the good news with your family. What do you tell them?
A) I past the test! B) I passed the test!
If you chose “B,” congratulations, you passed this quiz. But if you answered incorrectly, don’t feel bad. These words are commonly mixed up because they’re spelled similarly and pronounced almost identically. Below, we’re going to elaborate on the difference between passed and past.
Published on
June 13, 2025
by
Gina Rancaño, BA
Revised on
July 29, 2025
Use can function as a verb with several different meanings, but usually means “to put into service or action.” As a noun, use also has a broad range of definitions, but often refers to “the act of putting something into service or action.”
Did you use the discount code I gave you? (Verb)
Yes, I made use of the code you gave me. (Noun)
Usage only ever functions as a noun, typically referring to “a customary or firmly established practice,” “the customary manner in which words are used in a language,” or it can also refer to “the act of using.”
Our town was asked to reduce water usage because of the drought.
Is it “therefor” or “therefore”? The word you’re most likely looking for is therefore, which means “for that reason” or “because of that.” Therefor is an antiquated word that is mostly only found in legal texts and means “in return for that.”
I badly sprained my ankle, and therefore I’ll be wearing a walking boot for four weeks.
We trade services. She does my nails and I cut her hair therefor.
