If you watched my lesson about family movies, then, you know I like The Princess Bride.
I've seen it so many times, I can quote from the film.
There are very memorable characters, like Vizzini. He's this really ambitious guy who wants to start a war.
The funny thing is that he always says, "Inconceivable!"
every time he's surprised. In fact, he over uses this word, but it's funny to hear.
I know, like Vizzini, I use some words too much.
We all have our favorite words and expressions, but it's a good idea to increase the variety of our speech.
Why? Well, first of all, we want to be as accurate as possible, and second of all,
we don't want to sound boring or repetitive.
Sometimes simple wording is best for clear communication,
but limiting yourself to common words won't always help you express your ideas.
This will be a lesson on synonyms: words with similar meanings.
I'm going to challenge you to replace common words with more colorful ones.
We'll look for the best words to describe 4 different movies. These are for movies I think you might enjoy.
First, let me share a comedy.
Groundhog Day. If you haven't seen this movie,
I highly recommend it. Bill Murray is absolutely wonderful in this story.
It's about a guy who gets stuck in February 2nd, Groundhog Day.
Imagine reliving the same day over and over again more than a thousand times.
The movie is about his journey as he learns to deal with the situation.
Bill Murray is funny. The story is funny. There are many funny scenes and other funny characters.
Okay. You get the point. It's a funny movie.
Can you help me find another word for "funny"?
Can you spot two synonyms for "funny"?
Here they are: hilarious and amusing.
If a movie or an actor makes you laugh a lot, you can say the movie is hilarious,
The actor is hilarious,
If you find the story to be enjoyable and it makes you laugh, you can call it an amusing story.
I truly find Groundhog Day to be amusing, and there are many hilarious scenes, but although it's a comedy,
there's a lesson to be learned about life. It's about how you live your life and make it count
by the way you seek growth and
impact other people's lives.
Remember these synonyms for "funny": hilarious amusing.
Next, let me recommend the opposite: a sad movie. A Dog's Purpose.
I thought this was going to be a cute movie about a dog, but I ended up crying my eyes out.
The movie is about a dog that lives many different lives over time. You basically watch sad goodbyes,
sad owners, and sad situations. It's a good story, but it's a really sad one.
Which words have a similar meaning as "sad"?
Can you find three?
Here they are: depressing, upsetting, heart-wrenching.
The movie is upsetting at times.
This means it upsets or disturbs your sense of peace. It doesn't make you happy.
Some might call this movie depressing because it makes you so very sad.
"Depressing" is a very negative word,
like there's no hope for this poor dog. But the movie isn't just about laws. It's about
rediscovery, hope and
reconnecting with loved ones.
Even so, I admit that there are a couple death scenes that are heart-wrenching.
That means it feels like someone's twisting your heart.
It hurts. If you watch A Dog's Purpose, be sure to have a box of tissues.
Remember these synonyms for "sad": depressing, upsetting, and heart-wrenching.
Do like scary movies?
I could create a whole list of scary movies that I like, but for now I'll just share one.
World War Z.
It's not a story about ghosts or witches.
It's a story about zombies, dead people...walking dead people.
Lots and lots of them.
It's more like science fiction and horror mixed together.
If you think you can handle scary zombies, scary attacks, and many scary scenes,
then you can handle this scary movie. It's stars Brad Pitt.
See if you can find three synonyms for "scary."
Here they are: terrifying, horrifying, creepy.
The idea that any one of us could turn into a zombie is terrifying. It fills us with terror.
It's horrifying to see zombies take over a city in a matter of minutes.
These scenes fill us with horror.
What makes so many of the scenes successful is the suspense.
Often the silence builds, and like the characters on the screen, we get this creepy feeling that the zombies are close.
If you can handle this combination of feeling nervous and afraid,
you can watch World War Z.
Remember these synonyms for "scary": terrifying, horrifying, creepy.
How about a movie with an interesting concept? Have you seen Passengers with Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt?
I can't say this is one of my favorite sci-fi films, but I did find it interesting.
Similar to Groundhog Day, the movie puts the main characters in a difficult and undesirable situation.
Two passengers on a spacecraft are stuck living out their lives in flight because they woke up too soon before their
spacecraft reached their destination.
The other passengers remain asleep. It's an interesting story and an interesting situation to consider.
What would you do in their place?
Let's find two other words for "interesting."
Here are the two synonyms: intriguing thought-provoking.
The story makes you think. It provokes thought, so I'd call it thought-provoking.
Each choice the passengers face takes the form of an intriguing question.
The question intrigues us or
fascinates us.
For example, are all human social creatures? What happens to us without social contact?
What kinds of activities do you need to have a fulfilling life?
Remember these two synonyms for interesting: thought-provoking, intriguing.
Let's review. Here are some more colorful ways we can describe the movies we see. Can you help me make the matches?
A funny movie is
hilarious and amusing.
A sad movie can be
depressing, upsetting, and heart-wrenching.
A scary movie is full of
terrifying, horrifying, and creepy scenes.
And an interesting movie has an intriguing and thought-provoking story.
We'll end with two more synonyms
Instead of telling people you saw a good movie, how about saying that the movie was really engaging and entertaining?
That's all for now.
Please remember to like and share this lesson with others who are studying English and who want to improve their vocabulary.
As always, thanks for watching and happy studies!
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