Sentences That Make You Sound Less Fluent in English

Fluency isn’t just about grammar and vocabulary—it’s also about how naturally and clearly you express yourself. Sometimes learners use phrases that sound technically correct, but still make them seem less fluent in English. This article shows you which sentences to avoid and how to upgrade them to sound more natural. 

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Why Some Sentences Sound Less Fluent

Even if a sentence is grammatically correct, it might still sound awkward to native speakers. That’s because fluent English often relies on tone, word choice, and rhythm—not just rules. Phrases that are too formal, too literal, or directly translated from another language can sound robotic or confusing.

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Common Sentences That Sound Less Fluent in English (and What to Say Instead)

❌ “I very like it.”
✅ “I really like it.” or “I like it a lot.”

❌ “I am agree.”
✅ “I agree.”

❌ “Can you explain me this?”
✅ “Can you explain this to me?”

❌ “I make a mistake.”
✅ “I made a mistake.”

❌ “I don’t understand nothing.”
✅ “I don’t understand anything.”

❌ “I’m boring.” (when you mean you feel bored)
✅ “I’m bored.”

❌ “I want that you help me.”
✅ “I want you to help me.”

❌ “More better”
✅ “Much better” or just “better”

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Fluency Tip: Watch Out for Word Order and Prepositions

Some sentences sound off because of misplaced words:

❌ “She explained me the rules.”
✅ “She explained the rules to me.”

❌ “I’m thinking to go.”
✅ “I’m thinking about going.”

❌ “He told to me that…”
✅ “He told me that…”

✅ When in doubt, check common collocations or look at how native speakers say it.

Overused Phrases That Sound Less Fluent in English

Using the same basic phrases too often can also make you sound repetitive or less fluent:

❌ “I don’t know.” → Try: “I’m not sure.” or “Let me think about it.”

❌ “It’s good.” → Try: “It’s great.” / “It’s helpful.” / “It works well.”

❌ “Nice.” (as your only reaction) → Try: “That’s interesting.” / “Sounds good.” / “I like that idea.”

Upgrade These Sentences to Sound More Natural

Practice changing these:

• “I go to the store yesterday.” → “I went to the store yesterday.”
• “He don’t like it.” → “He doesn’t like it.”
• “I have 25 years.” → “I’m 25 years old.”
• “She is teacher.” → “She’s a teacher.”
• “I feel myself sad.” → “I feel sad.”

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Practice Exercise: Rephrase to Sound More Fluent

Rewrite the following sentences to sound more natural:

1. “He say me to come.”
2. “I no want it.”
3. “I go always there.”
4. “I very like pizza.”
5. “This is more better.”

✅ Practice speaking your corrected versions out loud!

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