Relax... this expression/idiom has nothing to do with cats.
<o:p></o:p>
It actually means that you can always find more than one way to do something / more than one method to reach your goal / several possible ways of achieving the same end result.<o:p></o:p>
What has this got to do with languages, you might ask?
Well, there's always more than one way to say something.
<o:p></o:p>
And the different ways can be classified by rating the 'way of saying
something' on a scale of one to ten.
The rating system is not a formal system. It's simply your estimate of the degree or level of a word, phrase or expression.<o:p></o:p>
For example:<o:p></o:p>
If you go on a business trip and incur travel, accommodation and meal costs, the company should pay you back for the costs that you paid for with your own money. So, in simple terms, the company should pay you back.<o:p></o:p>
Let's say that 'pay you back' is a rather informal expression, perhaps a level 5.<o:p></o:p>
But a more advanced, more appropriate, more formal, more business-like expression is 'the company should reimburse your expenses'.<o:p></o:p>
So, 'reimburse your expenses' might be classified as a level 7 expression.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Hereafter are four common expressions (level 5 - in my opinion)<o:p></o:p>
The same expressions may be written using different parts of speech to say the same thing, but at a higher level:<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
1 That house is big (but in fact the house is bigger than big and 'big' is a level 5)<o:p></o:p>
1 <o:p></o:p>
2 The company needs to get more customers. (get more customers is too informal)<o:p></o:p>
2 <o:p></o:p>
3 Business has been going down lately. (going down is a low level phrasal verb)<o:p></o:p>
3 <o:p></o:p>
4 The company must think of and make new products. (think of and make could be expressed with one higher level verb)<o:p></o:p>
4 <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
Your challenge, should you agree to accept this challenge,
is to write alternative ways of saying the same thing at a higher level.
Don't be shy. This is a good way to improve your English
writing and speaking skills.
Just copy the 4 sentences and then add your way of saying the same thing, but at a higher level.
You're welcome to suggest some more examples to help us boost / raise / increase / upgrade / elevate / improve / advance / better our skills.<o:p></o:p>
3. - Business has been going down lately. (going down is a low level phrasal verb)<o:p></o:p>
3. - Business has been failing lately Yes
3. - Business has been declining recently. Yes
3. - Business has been shrinking lately. Yes
3. - Business has been decreasing lately. Yes
3. - Business has been collapsing lately. Yes, although
collapsing means close to failure/closure.
3. - Business has been facing recession lately. Recession (n)… no,
receding (v)… yes
<o:p></o:p>
Recommended best terms:
dropping / backsliding / falling off / dropping off / slumping /
decreasing / weakening / slumping / dwindling / worsening / declining /
deteriorating / waning
<o:p></o:p>
2. - The company needs to get more customers. (get more customers is too informal)<o:p></o:p>
2. - The company needs to find a way to gain more customers. Yes
2. - The company needs to increase its customers. Yes
2. - The company needs to multiply its ‘number of’ customers. Customers are people. The number of people can only multiply if they have children
2. - The company needs to attract customers. Yes, although attract may mean “make potential customers interested to become customers”.
2.- The company needs to reach <s>to</s> more customer. Reach means contact, but it does not mean “get”
2. - The company needs to explore <s>expecting</s> ‘potential’ customers./obtain <s>expecting</s> ‘potential’ customers. Explore means to look for, but it doesn’t mean “get, to have, to obtain”. Potential means ‘possible, future, people likely to become customers’.
<o:p></o:p>
Recommended best terms: hike / build up / boost / increase / expand the number of customers/develop the customer base.
Thank you all for your contributions…<o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>The original sentences are in
blue.
Your sentences are in black.
My comments about your sentences are
in red.
My recommended best terms are in
black
1 - That house is big (but in fact the house is bigger than big and 'big' is a level 5)<o:p></o:p>
1 - That house is large.
Yes
1 - That house is huge Yes
1. - That house is enormous
Yes
1 - That house is massive.
Yes
1 - That house is grand.
Yes, but grand means “impressive in size,
appearance, and stately, majestic, or dignified. The house in this sentence was big, but we don’t
know if it looked like a castle or a multi-million dollar house, so saying
grand includes both large and stately. And we don’t know if it was stately.
Recommended best terms: large / huge / enormous / gigantic / humungous
4 The company must think of and make new products. (think of and make could be expressed with one higher level verb)<o:p></o:p>
4. - The company must manufacture new products. Yes, but manufacture
means “make” but does not mean “think of”
4. - The company must <s>need to grow innovative ideas and</s>
create new products. Yes
4. - The company must analyse the market and generate new
products. Yes
4. - The company must determine to make new products. OK, but determine to
make is a decision, but it is not the same as ‘making, producing’ new products.
4. - The company must consider making new products. Consider means decide
if they want to or can make new products, but does not mean "to make/produce".
4. - The company must invent new products. Yes, but invent means
to create, but does not mean “to make or produce”.
Recommended best terms: produce / develop / engineer / actualize
**********************************
Please excuse me for posting so many comments, but italki does not allow us to post reasonably long comments.
<o:p></o:p>
Thank you Sudeep, ChiHEB, Boar, and Vera...
As you know, there are no right or wrong ways to answer this challenge, but your responses are exactly what I was hoping to see.
Here are my ideas:
1 That house is big (but in fact the house is bigger than big and 'big' is a level 5)
1 That house is large / huge / enormous / gigantic / humungous
2 The company needs to get more customers. (get more customers is too informal)
2 The company needs to build up / boost / increase / develop / expand the number of customers/the customer base.
