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idioms'
Message de hamdouchi posté le 24-02-2007 à 16:36:56 (S | E | F | I)
Hello
"It's raining cats and dogs"
it's an idiom that means :that rain is hard.
my question is:
could I use idioms in writing. or they are specially for speech use.
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Modifié par bridg le 24-02-2007 18:31
Why not ?

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Réponse: idioms' de amigowhite, postée le 27-02-2007 à 19:11:38 (S | E)
Hello
Of course,you can use idioms in both spoken and written English.So go ahead they will be the spice in your writing.Good luck

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Réponse: idioms' de chrislondon, postée le 28-04-2007 à 12:11:15 (S | E)
It depends on the type of writing. In informal English it's good to use these expressions, but if you are writing formally I would be careful. Too many can sound strange, especially if you do it in an exam.
Best Wishes,
Chrislondon

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Réponse: idioms' de nick27, postée le 28-04-2007 à 12:32:57 (S | E)
Hi there,

Wouldn't this expression sound strange if it was used in an informal conversation ? I don't know, I'm asking ...

Wouldn't it be better to say either "it's pouring (down)" or "it's pouring with rain" ?

I'm saying that because one day, one of my penpals told me it sounds old-fashioned to say it ...

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Réponse: idioms' de nycfrancophone, postée le 29-04-2007 à 07:03:31 (S | E)
Agree Chris and to add to that -

Frequently used idioms, while common in everyday speech, are by nature cliché which doesn't make for good writing. Look for fresher ways to express the same sentiment where possible.

NYC

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Réponse: idioms' de chrislondon, postée le 18-05-2007 à 14:44:15 (S | E)
Hi,
'Raining cats and dogs' is a little old- fashioned nowadays but students seem to love it! It's more common now to say 'it's pouring'. I've also heard 'it's chucking it down outside' which is very informal.
Best Wishes,
chrislondon

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