PROVERBS
Satyam Ramsumair-Maharaj
Neval Ramsamooj
“THERE ARE OTHER FISH IN THE SEA”
Meaning: There will be other opportunities for romance
“BETTER LATE THAN NEVER”
Meaning: It is better to be late than never to arrive or complete a task
“DON’T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE
THEY HATCH”
Meaning: Don’t make plans that depend on something good happening
before you know that it has actually happened
“SAVE UP FOR A RAINY DAY”
Meaning: Put some money aside for whenever it may be needed
“IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE”
Meaning: Someone must have a bad quality themselves if they can
recognize it in other people
“A LEOPARD NEVER CHANGES ITS SPOTS”
Meaning: People can’t change their innate character, especially bad.
“KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE”
Meaning: Achieve two goals at once
“THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE
TREE”
Meaning: A person is often very similar to their parents
“TWO WRONGS DON'T MAKE A RIGHT”
Meaning: If someone has done something bad to you, there’s no
justification to act in a similar way.
“EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING”
Meaning: Difficult situations usually have at least one positive aspect
“DON’T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK”
Meaning: Stop worrying about things in the past because they cannot be
changed
“THAT SHIP HAS SAILED”
Meaning: It’s too late
“ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END”
Meaning: The good times won’t last forever
“ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END”
Meaning: The good times won’t last forever
WHAT IS A PROVERB?
• A proverb is a short, well-known pithy saying,
stating a general truth or piece of advice.
• They are generally used to illustrate a point.
They differ from regular forms of speech
because they are metaphorical or symbolic in
nature.
CAN YOU THINK OF A SPECIFIC INSTANCE
WHERE PROVERBS CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE
WRITING?
IN AN ESSAY, IT CAN BE A STRATEGIC CHOICE TO START OFF
WITH A PROVERB THAT IS THEN DISPROVED OR CHALLENGED.
INCLUDING A PROVERB THAT YOU THEN COMPLICATE, OR
QUESTION, CAN DRAW IN THE READER.
E.G. “When it comes to observing art, many will agree with the truism that ‘beauty is in the
eye of the beholder,’ meaning all aesthetic judgments are subjective. Recent studies have
found that this may not be true, and there may in fact be standards of beauty that are
accepted universally across cultures. Does this mean that beauty can be observed
objectively?”
CHINESE PROVERB
只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针
It just needs hard work to sharpen iron rod into a needle.
