English with Elio Guide
Keep useful expressions
Collect reusable language without turning the Script into a word list.
5 min read
Expressions are the reusable parts of a Script. Keep them connected to meaning so they become available in new scenes rather than remaining highlighted text.
Keep chunks, not isolated words
Instead of saving:
frustrating
Save:
I understand why that is frustrating.
Instead of saving:
clarify
Save:
Could you clarify what happened right before the error appeared?
A chunk already contains grammar, rhythm and a reason to use it.
Use three filters
Keep an expression when it is:
- Useful — you expect to need it again.
- Personal — it helps express something you genuinely say or think.
- Transferable — it can move into another scene with a small change.
For example:
What I value most is...
can work in interviews, videos, personal conversations and reflective writing.
Record the trigger with the expression
An expression is easier to retrieve when you know what calls it up.
| Trigger | Expression |
|---|---|
| Someone misunderstands my point | Let me put that another way. |
| I need time to investigate | I don't want to guess, so let me verify that first. |
| I explain a career change | I want to bring my technical background into... |
Add pronunciation only where needed
Do not annotate every word. Mark the parts that affect whether the whole line flows:
- linked sounds;
- reduced function words;
- sentence stress;
- a sound you repeatedly mispronounce;
- a pause that makes the idea clearer.
The Script should remain readable enough to speak from.
Set a small limit
For a short Script, keep three to five expressions. If everything is highlighted, nothing has priority. Other useful language can stay inside the Script and become a focus later.
Your expression library should grow through repeated scenes, not through extraction for its own sake.