Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2009

1.  Usual practice is simply to rephrase (find different words for) the
idea.
This is common in English, is usually easy (because of the size and
flexibility oof the language) and requires no special "strategy."
2.   If you want to formulate a special programme, it might be to
change the person in the source statement wherever possible:
e.g. your first specimen in the second person could be recast in
the first or third, your second in the third person could be
rephrased in the second, or else impersonally (as in no. 2).

E.g.

=
You ought to carry water all the time.

You can say "Washing your hands is important".  To have a stronger
verb, you might need to say what it's important for.  "Washing your
hands helps keep you from getting sick," for instance.

This is a tough one.  "Bringing flowers was nice" works in some
contexts.

I'm pretty much with Don Phillipson on this one, though you can retain
the "We think"--"We think you should carry water at all times."

--
Jerry Friedman