Use of English

Words and the Way We Think

Many people (0) AGREE that language is more than just a tool for communication. Some researchers believe it can even influence the way we think. For example, if your language has lots of words for a certain colour, you may be quicker to (1) .......... small differences between shades. In the same way, the grammar you grow up with might (2) .......... your attention to time, space, or who is responsible for an action. Of course, this doesn’t mean language completely (3) .......... your thoughts. Most of us can still understand new ideas, even if we don’t have a perfect word for them. But it may (4) .......... a little more effort, especially at first. That’s why learning another language can be so interesting: it can (5) .......... you to different ways of describing the same situation. In everyday life, you can notice this effect when people (6) .......... for the “right” word. They often pause, change their sentence, or use an example instead. And when we talk about feelings, we sometimes (7) .......... on metaphors like “carrying a burden” or “feeling light”. These expressions can (8) .......... how we understand our own experiences.