famous proverbs for essay writing

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100+ Common Proverbs with Meaning and Examples

• Updated on  
• Mar 12, 2024

Common Proverbs: Who hasn’t used proverbs in their speech at some point in time? We all have! Proverbs are an integral part of our daily communication. Having a strong knowledge of proverbs will not only help you increase your communication skills but will also help you do well in various competitive exams like TOEFL , IELTS , SSC-CGL etc. This blog will help you get an idea of some common English proverbs useful in everyday life.

This Blog Includes:

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A proverb is a folk piece of advice expressed through short, brief sentences. Most proverbs are related to local, beliefs, and traditions of a particular place. Proverbs can be figurative or literal.

Proverbs are short, well-known expressions that offer wisdom or advice. They can be particularly helpful for students as they often encapsulate important life lessons and values. Here are some common proverbs that are relevant for students:

• “ Knowledge is power .”
• “Practice makes perfect.”
• “A stitch in time saves nine.”
• “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
• “The early bird catches the worm.”
• “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
• “ Actions speak louder than words .”
• “You reap what you sow.”
• “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
• “Honesty is the best policy.”
• “Never judge a book by its cover.”
• “Two heads are better than one.”
• “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
• “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
• “All that glitters is not gold.”
• “Hard work pays off.”
• “Every cloud has a silver lining.”
• “The more, the merrier.”
• “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
• “You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.”

Lesser Known English Proverbs

While the proverbs I mentioned in my previous response are fairly common, many lesser-known proverbs also offer valuable insights. Here are some lesser-known proverbs that you might find interesting:

“ A closed mouth catches no flies .” Meaning : Sometimes it’s better to keep quiet.

“ The darkest hour has only sixty minutes .” Meaning : Even in difficult times, there’s hope and a limited duration of darkness.

“ A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor .” Meaning : Challenges and hardships are opportunities for personal growth.

“ You can’t unscramble eggs .” Meaning : Once something is done, it’s irreversible.

“ A fool and his money are soon parted. ” Meaning : People who are not careful with their finances will quickly lose their wealth.

“ Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it .” Meaning : Don’t worry about problems before they actually occur.)

“ A watched pot never boils .” Meaning : Time seems to pass more slowly when you’re eagerly waiting for something.

“ Penny wise, pound foolish .” Meaning : Being overly frugal with small expenses can lead to greater, more costly problems.

“ The early worm gets eaten .” Meaning: A twist on the early bird proverb, emphasizing the risks of being too hasty.)

“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil”

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” 

“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart”

“ Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense”

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and one who saves life”

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act”

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”

“Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy”

“Love those who love me, and those who seek me find me”

“ Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs”

“ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” 

“For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”

“Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding” 

“For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her”

“ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” 

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”

“But whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of them” 

“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind of words cheers it up”

“Good Judgement wins favour, but the way of unfaithful leads to their destruction” 

“In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” 

Out of the frying pan into the fire.

Don’t cast pearls before swine.

What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.

No man is an island.

Politics makes strange bedfellows.

Cross the stream where it is the swallowest.

After the feast comes to the reckoning.

A leopard can not change his spots. Meaning: You cannot change your true nature

You reap what you sow.

• Adversity and loss make a man wise. Meaning: Tough times can make a wise person out of anyone.

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Proverbs are pieces of brief and popular sayings, generally in the form of a phrase. They are commonly used to illustrate a specific point. Knowledge about proverbs is important since it increases your vocabulary and enhances social skills. Proverbs often appear in questions for various competitive exams, and thus getting familiar with different proverbs and their meanings should be an essential part of your preparation.

Below we have created a list of 80 common English proverbs used extensively in daily conversations. We have also added their meanings and some examples of proverbs:

1.     All that glitters is not gold Meaning: Something might not be as valuable as it seems to be Example: Radhika bought an attractive bracelet recently, but it broke in less than a week. All that glitters is not gold.

2.     A picture is worth a thousand words Meaning: Explaining something is easier through a picture than by words Example: It’s easier to learn from pictures than only text, since a picture is worth a thousand words.

3.     All good things come to an end Meaning: Nothing great lasts forever Example: It was a fantastic vacation, but all good things come to an end.

4.     Beggars can’t be choosers Meaning: People dependent on others must be content with what is offered to them Example: People who depend on the generosity of others can’t pick & choose things as per their liking. They’ve to accept what is given to them.

5.     A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step Meaning: It is necessary to take the first step to reach your goal Example: I feel overwhelmed with all the tasks I have to finish, but I have to start with something since a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

6. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush Meaning: What you have is better than what you might get Example: I think I’ll sell my car at the offered price instead of waiting for something higher. After all, a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

7.     Actions speak louder than words Meaning: What someone does means more than what they say they will do Example: She never bragged about her grades but secured the second position in the board exams. Truly, actions speak louder than words.

8.     An apple a day keeps the doctor away Meaning: Eating an apple daily keeps you healthy Example: You won’t fall ill if you eat the fruits, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

9.     An idle brain is the devil’s workshop Meaning: Evil thoughts come to us easily when we are idle Example: You should give your daughter something to do in the afternoon, after all an idle brain is the devil’s workshop.

10.   Better safe than sorry Meaning: It is better to take precautions than to regret later Example: Don’t ride your bike without wearing a helmet. It is better to be safe than sorry.

11.  Appearances can be deceptive Meaning: Something might be different from how they appear outwardly Example: Don’t trust people you are not familiar with; appearances can be deceptive.

12.   A stitch in time saves nine Meaning: It is better to deal with problems immediately than letting them become bigger Example: Don’t ignore the sudden malfunctioning of your car, just go to the garage. A stitch in time saves nine.

13.   As you sow, so you shall reap Meaning: Your actions determine your results Example: If you don’t go to sleep early, you will wake up late. As you sow, so shall you reap.

14.   The grass is always greener on the other side Meaning: Other people always seem to be in a better situation, although it might not be true Example: Sometimes I feel I should have gone for my master’s degree like you instead of this job. Well, the grass is always greener on the other side.

15.   Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Meaning: The perception of beauty varies from person to person Example: I don’t really like the colour of your car, but then, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.

16.   Better late than never Meaning: Getting something late is better than never getting it Example: we have been waiting for you for 3 hours, but okay, it’s better late than never.

17.   Blood is thicker than water Meaning: Family relationships are always stronger than other relationships Example: I had a party to attend but I still chose to stay home because my grandmother was sick. As they say, blood is thicker than water.

18.   When in Rome, do as the Romans do Meaning: Follow the local customs when you visit a foreign place Example: You cannot be picky about food in this foreign country, you have to make do with the local food. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

19.   Don’t count your chickens before they hatch Meaning: Don’t make plans based on events that have not yet happened Example: Wait for the offer letter before celebrating about getting a job. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

20.   Don’t judge a book by its cover Meaning: Don’t form an opinion about someone by their appearance Example: She may look innocent, but don’t judge a book by its cover – she is the greatest troublemaker I have ever seen.

21.   Don’t put all your eggs in one basket Meaning: Don’t risk everything on a single venture Example: Don’t invest all the money in the stock market, you should never put all your eggs in one basket.

22.   Early bird catches the worm Meaning: One who arrives first gets the best chance at success Example: We should go early to the boutique on the day of their sale to get the best stuff. The early bird catches the worm!

23.   Every cloud has a silver lining Meaning: There is always a positive side to any difficult situation Example: I got a much better job after losing my last one. Every cloud does have a silver lining.

24.   Enjoy it while it lasts Meaning: Make the best of a moment since it won’t last forever Example: College life is the best time of your life, enjoy it while it lasts.

25.   Honesty is the best policy Meaning: Being honest is the best characteristic Example: Don’t lie to land a job, remember that honesty is the best policy.

26.   Haste makes waste |Meaning: Doing something too quickly results in mistakes Example: Don’t rush through your assignment, remember haste makes waste.

27.   It’s no use crying over spilt milk Meaning: You shouldn’t be upset over something that has already happened Example: The trip was a disaster, but it’s no use crying over spilt milk.

28.   Strike while the iron is hot Meaning: Grab an opportunity at the most favourable time Example: To overtake your competitor, you should strike while the iron is hot.

29.   Laughter is the best medicine Meaning: Trying to be happy is the best cure Example: Being in good company can lift your spirits, after all, laughter is the best medicine.

30.   Every dog has its day Meaning: everyone attains success at some point in their lives Example: don’t give up just because you were rejected twice, remember every dog has its day.

31.   The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree Meaning: A child has similar characteristics to their parents Example: Renu sings so well, just like her mother. Indeed, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

32.   Necessity is the mother of invention Meaning: When you really need something, you find a way to meet the need Example: When the strap of my sandals came off while I was in the office, I stapled it back. Necessity is the mother of invention, you know!

33.   Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today Meaning: Do not delay a task if you can do it immediately Example: Don’t leave the drawing incomplete, you should never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

34.   Practice makes perfect Meaning: You become better at a skill by practising it Example: Don’t give up if you can’t do it right the first time, remember practice makes perfect.

35.   A friend in need is a friend indeed Meaning: A true friend is one who helps you when you need it Example: He helped me with the notes while I was sick, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

36.   Mind your own business Meaning: To not interfere in someone else’s matter Example: Will you please mind your own business and stop telling me what to do?

37.   Practice what you preach Meaning: Follow what you want others to follow Example: You always tell us to reach early and yourself come late. You should practice what you preach.

38.   Rome wasn’t built in a day Meaning: Good work takes time Example: It took him ten years to get to this position. Rome was not built in a day.

39.   Forgive and forget Meaning: Pardon and hold no resentment regarding a certain event Example: What was done cannot be changed, so let’s just forgive and forget.

40.   Two wrongs don’t make a right Meaning: Someone’s wrongful conduct is not a justification for acting in the same way Example: You shouldn’t hit her because she hit you, two wrongs don’t make a right.

You’re doing great. Here’s your next set of common proverbs to learn!

41.   Look before you leap Meaning: Act after considering the possible consequences Example: It is always better to look before you leap.

42.   Fortune favours the bold Meaning: Courageous actions are often rewarded Example: Although fortune favours the bold, you should also calculate the risks involved in this venture.

43.   Out of sight, out of mind Meaning: People or things that are no longer present are easily forgotten Example: The employees relaxed as soon as the boss left. Out of sight, out of mind.

44.   To kill two birds with one stone Meaning: Achieving two goals at once Example: Using a cycle for exercise and transport is like killing two birds with one stone.

45.   Good things come to those who wait Meaning: Patience is rewarded Example: Don’t be hasty with your decisions, good things come to those who wait

46.   Great minds think alike Meaning: Intelligent people have similar ideas Example: both of us suggested similar solutions for this problem, indeed, great minds think alike.

47.   Once bitten, twice shy Meaning: One unpleasant experience leads to caution Example: After his road accident, he became very cautious during crossing roads. Once bitten, twice shy.

48.   Money doesn’t grow on trees Meaning: It requires effort to earn money Example: Don’t keep buying unnecessary things, money doesn’t grow on trees.

49.   The pen is mightier than the sword Meaning: Written words are more effective than brute force Example: The journalists proved to the world that ultimately the pen is mightier than the sword.

50.   Birds of a feather flock together Meaning: One tends to stick together with similar-minded people Example: Both of them are computer geeks, no wonder they are best friends. As they say, birds of a feather flock together.

51. Absence makes the heart grow fonder Meaning: We love the people who are not with us more in their absence Example: We never understood each other’s worth when we were together. Now we miss each other all the time. I think absence makes the heart grow fonder.

52. A cat has nine lives Meaning: Cats can survive the most fatal of accidents Example: We haven’t been able to meet for months now. But I am not worried, I know a cat has nine lives.

53. A drowning man will clutch at a straw Meaning: If someone is in a difficult or tough situation, he/ she will grasp on any available opportunity to improve it Example: Since the allopathic medicines have not been able to help him, he is now trying homoeopathic for a cure. A drowning man will clutch at a straw. 

54. A leopard doesn’t change its spots Meaning: A person cannot change his/her innate character, especially the bad aspects Example: I don’t think he will change his habits if he gets caught? A leopard can’t change its spots. 

55. Alls well that ends well Meaning: It doesn’t matter how many problems in the world as long as the result is good Example: I am glad you didn’t get hurt in the accident, even if the car got smashed. Alls well that ends well.

56. Among the blind the one-eyed man is king Meaning: Even an incapable person can come to a powerful position if others in the fray are even more incapable Example: He has become the head of the department in his office despite his lack of skills and exposure. Among the blind the one-eyed man is king. 

57. An empty vessel makes much noise  Meaning: People who are stupid or foolish are the most talkative Example: Rather than help the siblings resolve the fight, he kept interfering and inciting them. An empty vessel makes much noise.

58. A rolling stone gathers no moss Meaning: A person who keeps changing his/her jobs always has the advantage of fewer responsibilities and also the disadvantage of no particular place to live Example: Can’t believe he is married and well settled now. He was a bit of a rolling stone a few years back.

59. Cleanliness is next to Godliness Meaning: Cleanliness is a good virtue. It is next to Godliness.  Example: You must keep yourself and your room clean. You must remember that cleanliness is next to Godliness.

60. Curiosity killed the cat Meaning: You should never poke your nose in the business of others. It can be dangerous Example: I am aware that curiosity killed the cat, but I still want to find out if he hit her. It is not right. 

Must Read: Common Phrases with Meanings

61. Practice what you preach Meaning: Behave the way you encourage other people to behave Example: You keep telling us to go for a jog in the morning, but I wish you would practice what you preach.

62. Rome wasn’t built in a day Meaning: Important work takes time to complete Example: You can’t expect her to finish such a complex project in a week. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

 63. Ignorance is bliss Meaning: If you don’t know about something, you don’t need to bother about it. In other words, if you’re unaware of something, it won’t cause you stress. Example: I didn’t know that the neighbour next door was involved in criminal activities. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

64. It’s better to be safe than sorry Meaning: It’s better to be cautious than regret later Example: One shouldn’t complain about the inconvenience of security check each time you enter the building. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

64. It’s easy to be wise after the event Meaning: It is easy to understand what you could have done to prevent something bad from happening after it has happened. Example: I would have never bought an apartment if I had known that the land on which it has been built is disputed. Well, it’s easy to be wise after the event.

65. It’s never too late to mend Meaning: It’s never too late to change your wrong ways or habits Example: X: I still miss my best friend, but it’s been a year since our fight and we haven’t spoken to each other since. Y: Well, it’s never too late to mend; why don’t you call him up and apologize?

66. It’s not over till it’s over Meaning: Till the event has completely played, you’re still in with a chance to succeed Example: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came back from two sets down at Wimbledon to pull off a miraculous win. That’s why they say it’s not over till it’s over.

67. It’s no use crying over spilled milk Meaning: There is no point in being sad over things that have already happened Example: There is no point in staying upset over a mistake because you can’t undo what has happened.

68. Necessity is the mother of invention Meaning: A need or problem forces people to come up with innovative solutions Example: In some parts of the world, farmers use washing machines to clean potatoes in large volumes. Necessity, after all, is the mother of invention.

69. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today Meaning: Don’t delay doing something if you can do it immediately Example: X: I’m done with most of my assignment, but I’ll pick the remaining part on Monday. Y: Why don’t you complete it now? You’ll be more relieved and in a better state of mind. You shouldn’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

70. Never test the depth of the water with both feet Meaning: If you’re in the water with both feet down, you risk being swept away by the currents. The message is: don’t put all your eggs in the same basket. Think twice before placing all your bets and investments on one thing. Example: While applying to colleges, don’t limit yourself only to those with high cutoff marks. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

71. No gain without pain Meaning: It is necessary to suffer or work hard in order to succeed or make progress. Example: You’ve to drastically reduce the time you spend on video games and TV if you want to get admission to a good college. No gain without pain.

72. No news is good news Meaning: If you don’t receive any news about someone or something, it means that everything is fine and going normally. Example: My daughter has been working in Australia for nearly five years now. At first, I used to get worried when I didn’t hear from her, but now I know that no news is good news.

73. Once bitten twice shy Meaning: You say this proverb when someone won’t do something a second time because they had a bad experience the first time. Example: I won’t try this drink, because last time I had a burning sensation in my throat. Once bitten twice shy, I guess.

74. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure Meaning: What may seem to be junk to one person may be valuable to another Example: I sold my 6-year-old laptop for a little amount, but I’m sure the buyer will make a hefty profit on it by refurbishing and selling it to someone else. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure, after all.

75. One shouldn’t miss the forest for the trees Meaning: Sometimes you get so focused on small details that you may miss the larger context. Example: The marketers got so bogged down on creating the perfect ad campaign that they didn’t realize that the medium – Facebook – they wanted to use was no longer a viable option because of its recent algorithm updates.

76. The show must go on Meaning: A performance, event, etc., must continue even though there are problems Example: The chairman died yesterday but the show must go on.

77. The squeaky wheel gets the grease Meaning: People who complain the most are the ones who get attention or what they want. Example: If you’re not satisfied with the service at the hotel, then you should call up the manager there. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, after all.

78. Time and tide wait for no man Meaning: You’ve no control over the passage of time; it’ll keep slipping. So don’t procrastinate, don’t delay things. Example: We need to hurry up or else we’ll miss the flight. Time and tide wait for no man.

79. Too many cooks spoil the broth Meaning: When too many people work together on a project, the result is inferior Example : This proposal has received feedback from too many parliamentary committees, and that’s probably the reason why it lacks clear actionable. I’ve no doubt that too many cooks spoil the broth.

80. Two heads are better than one Meaning: Two persons have a better chance to solve a problem than one. Example: More startups have two cofounders than one. That’s because they very well understand that two heads are better than one.

Apart from the above listed most common English proverbs, here we have got some more popular proverbs for you to learn. Check them out:

• Two wrongs don’t make a right Meaning : You shouldn’t harm a person who has harmed you, even if you think that person deserves it. Example : Just because he insulted you doesn’t mean it’s OK for you to start a rumour about him – two wrongs don’t make a right.
• Watch the doughnut and not the hole Meaning: Focus on what you have and not on what you don’t. Example : X: I’ve to submit the assignment next Monday, but I don’t have a clue on the topic. Y: Consult your friends. Consult books. Understand the topic. Watch the doughnut and not the hole.
• What goes around comes around Meaning: If someone treats other people badly, he or she will eventually be treated badly by someone else. Example : He tormented me back in high school, and now he has his own bully. What goes around comes around.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do Meaning: When visiting a foreign land, follow the customs of local people. Example : I don’t love cotton candy, but we are at a carnival. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?
• When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Meaning: When conditions become difficult, strong people take action. Example: I know you’re not used to climbing at such heights, but come on when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
• Where there’s a will, there’s a way Meaning: If you are determined enough, you can find a way to achieve what you want, even if it is difficult. Example: He had few resources to start his business, but he eventually did through a small opening – blog. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
• Where there’s smoke there’s fire Meaning: If there are rumours or signs that something is true so it must be at least partly true Example : X: Do you believe those rumours about the mayor? Y: Well, you know what they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
• Where one door shuts, another opens Meaning: When you lose an opportunity to do one thing, an opportunity to do something else appears. Example : X: I failed to get into my dream college. Y: Don’t worry, this has happened with many. I’m sure something better is waiting for you. Where one door shuts, another opens.
• While the cat’s away, the mice will play Meaning: Without supervision, people will do as they please, especially in disregarding or breaking rules. Example : As soon as their parents left, the children invited all their friends over – when the cat’s away, you know.
• You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar Meaning: It’s easier to win people to your side by persuasion and politeness than by confrontation and threats. Example : X: The courier service has taken more time to deliver than they had promised. I want to take the issue up with them and get a refund. Y: I would suggest you deal with them politely. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
• You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink Meaning: You can show people the way to do things, but you can’t force them to act Example : X: He has received all the resources one needs to start a business, but even after six months I don’t see anything happening. Y: Well, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
• You can’t always get what you want Meaning: Sometimes you may face disappointments in your pursuits or your wishes may not be fulfilled. Example : X: I want a bike on my birthday. Y: Sorry, you can’t always get what you want.
• Out of sight, out of mind Meaning: If someone or something is not seen for a long time, it’ll be forgotten. Example : Many celebrities find a way to appear in the media because they know that out of sight is out of mind.
• Pen is mightier than the sword Meaning : Thinking and writing have more influence on people and events than the use of force. Example : After the mass killings at the newspaper office, there is a protest happening in the city declaring support for the paper and proving that the pen is mightier than the sword.

Here is a list of some common English proverbs that you can easily use in your day-to-day lives:

• An Apple a day keeps the doctor away  Meaning : If you eat healthily, you will be healthy!
• Its better to be safe than sorry Meaning: You should always take any necessary precautions. 
• Better late than never  Meaning: You are never too old to do something you want to do. 
• Actions speak louder than words Meaning: What you do shows how you actually feel more than what you say.
• You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar Meaning: If you have a sweet disposition you will get more from people than if you are rude to them. 
• Don’t judge a book by its cover Meaning: Don’t judge people solely on their appearance.

Woahh! You just completed a list of the 100 most common proverbs in English! Let’s celebrate your century!

• Cleanliness is next to godliness Meaning: It’s very important to be clean.
• The early bird catches the worm Meaning: People who act promptly will have more opportunities available to them, and will ultimately be more successful.
• Where there’s a will, there’s a way Meaning: If you are determined, you will find a way to achieve what you want. 
• If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it Meaning: If something works well, there’s no point trying to change it. 
• Make the best of a bad bargain.  Meaning: to deal with and create the best possible outcome of a bad situation.
• Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Meaning : actions that might seem extreme under normal circumstances are appropriate during adversity.
• The calm (comes) before the storm. Meaning: turbulent times wait just around the corner when it is calm.
• A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. Meaning : you don’t lose anything by enlightening others.
• Bitter pills may have blessed effects. Meaning : the remedy might be bitter, but the cure might be wonderful. 
• Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas. Meaning : you will become like your company. 
• The longest mile is the last mile home. Meaning : It is always the end of something that feels the most difficult. 
• Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Meaning : don’t worry about the future, focus on today’s worries. 
• Familiarity breeds contempt. Meaning : having extensive knowledge about someone or something leads to a loss of respect for them or it. 
• Hindsight is better than foresight. Meaning : it is always easier for us to evaluate the past choices than the choices we have to make in the present. 
• If you can’t beat them, join them. Meaning : if someone is too strong for you to defeat, it is better to be on the same side as them. 
• Forewarned is forearmed. Meaning : if you know about a problem in advance, then you will be able to deal with it when you need to. 
• Variety is the spice of life. Meaning : new and exciting experiences make life more interesting. 
• The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Meaning: plans must be put into action otherwise they are useless.
• Too many chiefs, not enough Indians. Meaning: Too many people giving orders, not enough to carry them out. 
• A workman always blames his tools. Meaning: When someone blames their equipment rather than their performance.

Let’s take a quick break! Read Synonyms List: 50 Difficult Words with Meanings

• Absence makes the heart fonder. Meaning: When someone we love is far away, we tend to love them more.
• A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Meaning: If one person fails, the whole group fails
• There is more than one way to skin a cat. Meaning: There are many ways to do what you want.
• You reap what you sow. Meaning: You get what you deserve
• A fool and his money are soon parted. Meaning: Foolish people often lose their money.
• One good turn deserves another. Meaning: If someone does you a favour, you should always repay it.
• Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Meaning: Ownership is easy to maintain if one has possession of something.
• A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what a ship is for. Meaning: You never grow if you don’t leave your comfort zone.
• Barking dogs, seldom bite. Meaning: People look threatening are often harmless.
• Beauty is only skin-deep. Meaning: Personality and character matter more than physical beauty.
• Best things in life are free. Meaning: Things that matter the most are truly free.
• Better to be poor and healthy than rich and sick. Meaning: Good health is the most important thing.
• Better to wear out rather rust out. Meaning: Its better to stay active than idle.
• The first step is always the hardest. Meaning: Stepping out of our comfort zone is the hardest step.
• Cowards die many times before their deaths. Meaning: People who do not challenge themselves die many times 
• After the feast comes the reckoning. Meaning: People tend to pay for their pleasures and indulgences 
• Cross the stream where it is the swallowest. Meaning: To do things in the easiest way
• Hard words break no bones. Meaning: It is often good to tell the harsh truth
• Half truth is whole lie. Meaning: Hiding the truth is the same as lying.
• Head and feet keep warm the rest will take no harm. Meaning: If you take care of important things, other stuff will follow.
• He who hesitates is lost. Meaning: Wait too long and you might lose the opportunity 
• Curses like chicken, come home to roost. Meaning: Wrong doings tend to catch up with us.
• Out of the frying pan into the fire. Meaning: Moving from a difficult position to a worse one.
• One should fight fire with fire. Meaning: Use the same methods to defeat them.
• Use it or lose it. Meaning: Not using a skill might lead you into losing it.
• Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Meaning: Don’t be mean to people who help you.
• You cant have an omelete unless you break the egg. Meaning: You must sacrifice something to create something bigger
• Walk the walk, talk the talk. Meaning: First show worth then do flaunt it.
• A watched pot never boils. Meaning: While waiting for something to happen, time feels slower.
• What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander. Meaning: what is good for men is good for women.
• Willful waste makes woeful want. Meaning: If you waste something you will regret it in future.
• Dont cast pearls before swine. Meaning: Dont offer something valuable to someone who doesnt value it.
• Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you. Meaning: Be prepared in life.
• No man is an island. Meaning: We are social beings and dependent on each other.
• Politics makes strange bed fellows. Meaning: Politics creates unholy alliances.

You can now call yourself a proverb EXPERT!

Now that you are familiar with the meanings and ways to use these proverbs, you have a better chance at competitive exams. Remembering proverbs can be difficult since there are so many of them. To help you in this task here are a few tips which you can follow for memorizing proverbs:

• Start incorporating these proverbs in your daily speech
• Make a few drawings or posters of motivational proverbs to hang around your room
• Practice including proverbs in sentences while writing
• Play quizzes with your friends on proverbs and their meanings

Ans. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence is one of the most popular proverbs.

Ans. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” is one of the most famous proverbs in the world

Ans. A proverb (derived from the Latin word proverbial) is a simple and perceptive traditional saying that reflects a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are frequently figurative and employ formulaic language.

We hope this blog has provided you with all the necessary information on common proverbs. To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Ankita Mishra

A writer with more than 10 years of experience, including 5 years in a newsroom, Ankita takes great pleasure in helping students via study abroad news updates about universities and visa policies. When not busy working you can find her creating memes and discussing social issues with her colleagues.

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Thank u sir

Thanks for reading! You can also check: 120 Common Difficult Idioms with Examples Examples of Simile Understanding GMAT Sentence Correction

Thanks for reading! You can also check: 120 Common Difficult Idioms with Examples Examples of Simile Understanding GMAT Sentence Correction Give us a call at 1800 57 2000 for study-abroad related matters!

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Mar 29, 2019

170 Writing Quotes by Famous Authors for Every Occasion

When you're feeling stuck on your novel, an important thing to remember is that we've all been there in the past. That's right — even the J.K Rowling's and Ernest Hemingway's of this world. Which is why it's always a great idea to turn to your most famous peers (and their writing quotes) for inspiration.

Without further ado, here are 170 writing quotes  to guide you through every stage of writing. ( Yes! We've added more since we first published this post! )

The number one piece of advice that most authors have for other authors is to read, read, read. Here’s why.

1. “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools ) to write. Simple as that.” — Stephen King

2. “You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page. Writing comes from reading, and reading is the finest teacher of how to write.” — Annie Proulx

3. “Indeed, learning to write may be part of learning to read. For all I know, writing comes out of a superior devotion to reading.” — Eudora Welty

4. “Read, read, read. Read everything  —  trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.” — William Faulkner

5. “I kept always two books in my pocket: one to read, one to write in.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

6. “The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, and write, write, write.” — Ernest Gaines

7. “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.” — Samuel Johnson

8. “Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.” ― Lisa See

9. “One sure window into a person’s soul is his reading list.” — Mary B. W. Tabor

The well of inspiration, we’re afraid, often does run dry. Here are the writing quotes to replenish it and, hopefully, remind you that there might be a story idea waiting for you just around the corner of life.

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10. "If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." — Toni Morrison

11. “Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.” — Orson Scott

12. “Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.” — Stephen King

13. “Most writers regard the truth as their most valuable possession, and therefore are most economical in its use.” — Mark Twain

14. “When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.” — George Orwell

15. “Write what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about. Be willing to be split open.” — Natalie Goldberg

16. “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” — Madeleine L'Engle

17. “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” — Henry David Thoreau

18. “Cheat your landlord if you can and must, but do not try to shortchange the Muse. It cannot be done. You can’t fake quality any more than you can fake a good meal.” — William S. Burroughs

19. “Write what should not be forgotten.” — Isabel Allende

20. “The story must strike a nerve in me. My heart should start pounding when I hear the first line in my head. I start trembling at the risk.” — Susan Sontag

21. “Sometimes the ideas just come to me. Other times I have to sweat and almost bleed to make ideas come. It’s a mysterious process, but I hope I never find out exactly how it works. I like a mystery, as you may have noticed.” — J.K. Rowling

22. “As for ‘Write what you know,’ I was regularly told this as a beginner. I think it’s a very good rule and have always obeyed it. I write about imaginary countries, alien societies on other planets, dragons, wizards, the Napa Valley in 22002. I know these things. I know them better than anybody else possibly could, so it’s my duty to testify about them.” — Ursula K. Le Guin

23. “I’m very lucky in that I don’t understand the world yet. If I understood the world, it would be harder for me to write these books.” — Mo Willems

24. “Ideas are cheap. It’s the execution that is all important.” — George R.R. Martin

25. “If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.” — Dan Poynter

Now, finding your "voice" is not as simple as entering a nationally-televised competition on NBC ( nyuk nyuk! ). Yet your voice will define you as a writer, and these famous writers have plenty of tips and writing quotes for you when it comes to finding it.

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26. “To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard.” — Allen Ginsberg

27. “One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.” — Jack Kerouac

28. “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.” —Robert Frost

29. “It is only by writing, not dreaming about it, that we develop our own style.” — P.D. James

30. “Voice is not just the result of a single sentence or paragraph or page. It’s not even the sum total of a whole story. It’s all your work laid out across the table like the bones and fossils of an unidentified carcass.” — Chuck Wendig

31. “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.” — Elmore Leonard

32. “Your writing voice is the deepest possible reflection of who you are. The job of your voice is not to seduce or flatter or make well-shaped sentences. In your voice, your readers should be able to hear the contents of your mind, your heart, your soul.” — Meg Rosoff

33. “I don’t want just words. If that’s all you have for me, you’d better go.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

34. “Literature is strewn with the wreckage of men who have minded beyond reason the opinions of others.” — Virginia Woolf

35. “Everywhere I go, I’m asked if the universities stifle writers. My opinion is that they don’t stifle enough of them.” — Flannery O’Connor

36. “There are some books that refuse to be written. They stand their ground year after year and will not be persuaded. It isn’t because the book is not there and worth being written — it is only because the right form of the story does not present itself. There is only one right form for a story and, if you fail to find that form, the story will not tell itself.” — Mark Twain

37. “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” — Louis L’Amour

38. “First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him.” — Ray Bradbury

39. “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” — Ernest Hemingway

40. “Focus more on your desire than on your doubt, and the dream will take care of itself.” — Mark Twain

41. “Being a writer is a very peculiar sort of job: It’s always you versus a blank sheet of paper (or a blank screen) and quite often the blank piece of paper wins.” — Neil Gaiman

42. “It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” — Ernest Hemingway

43. “It doesn’t matter how many book ideas you have if you can’t finish writing your book.” — Joe Bunting

44. “If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word.” — Margaret Atwood

45. “A blank piece of paper is God's way of telling us how hard it is to be God.” — Sidney Sheldon

46. “I am not at all in a humor for writing; I must write on until I am.” — Jane Austen

47. "Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good." — William Faulkner

48. “One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing — writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.” — Lawrence Block

49. “Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish. Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day, it helps. Then when it gets finished, you are always surprised.” — John Steinbeck

50. “You can fix anything but a blank page.” — Nora Roberts

51. “I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.” — Pearl S. Buck

52. “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed.” — Ernest Hemingway

Don’t get discouraged if you get this far and you’re thinking that your first draft is rather poor. These writing quotes are reminders that it’s just part of the process.

53. “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” — Terry Pratchett

54. “Get through a draft as quickly as possible.” — Joshua Wolf Shenk

55. “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” — Douglas Adams

56. “The first draft of everything is shit.” — Ernest Hemingway

57. “There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” — Frank Herbert

58. “I would advise any beginning writer to write the first drafts as if no one else will ever read them — without a thought about publication — and only in the last draft to consider how the work will look from the outside.” — Anne Tyler

59. “I just give myself permission to suck. I delete about 90 percent of my first drafts, so it doesn’t really matter much if on a particular day I write beautiful and brilliant prose that will stick in the minds of my readers forever, because there’s a 90 percent chance I’m just going to delete whatever I write anyway. I find this hugely liberating.” — John Green

60. “Be willing to write really badly.” — Jennifer Egan

61. “On first drafts: It is completely raw, the sort of thing I feel free to do with the door shut — it’s the story undressed, standing up in nothing but its socks and undershorts.” — Stephen King

62. “I do not over-intellectualise the production process. I try to keep it simple: Tell the damned story.” — Tom Clancy

63. “Anyone who says writing is easy isn’t doing it right.” — Amy Joy

64. “You fail only if you stop writing.” — Ray Bradbury

65. “If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.” — Isaac Asimov

66. “Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.” — Ray Bradbury

67. “You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.” ― Octavia E. Butler

68. “I believe myself that a good writer doesn’t really need to be told anything except to keep at it.” — Chinua Achebe

69. “The secret to being a writer is that you have to write. It’s not enough to think about writing or to study literature or plan a future life as an author. You really have to lock yourself away, alone, and get to work.” — Augusten Burroughs

70. “It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer.” — Gerald Brenan

71. “Talent is insignificant. I know a lot of talented ruins. Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but most of all, endurance.” — James Baldwin

72. “You just have to go on when it is worst and most helpless — there is only one thing to do with a novel and that is go straight on through to the end of the damn thing.” — Ernest Hemingway

73. “We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.” — Kurt Vonnegut

74. “The nearest I have to a rule is a Post-it on the wall in front of my desk saying ‘Faire et se taire’ from Flaubert. Which I translate for myself as ‘Shut up and get on with it.’” — Helen Simpson

75. “I’ve been writing since I was six. It is a compulsion, so I can’t really say where the desire came from; I’ve always had it. My breakthrough with the first book came through persistence, because a lot of publishers turned it down.” — J.K. Rowling

76. “Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer.” — Ray Bradbury

77. “It is worth mentioning, for future reference, that the creative power which bubbles so pleasantly in beginning a new book quiets down after a time, and one goes on more steadily. Doubts creep in. Then one becomes resigned. Determination not to give in, and the sense of an impending shape keep one at it more than anything.” — Virginia Woolf

78. “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” — Richard Bach

“Write drunk, edit sober” might be one of the most famous writing quotes about editing, but we can’t all outdrink Ernest Hemingway. Which is why these other words of wisdom and writing quotes exist!

79. “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” ― Jodi Picoult

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80. “When your story is ready for a rewrite, cut it to the bone. Get rid of every ounce of excess fat. This is going to hurt; revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done.” — Stephen King

81. “The best advice on writing was given to me by my first editor, Michael Korda, of Simon and Schuster, while writing my first book. 'Finish your first draft and then we'll talk,' he said. It took me a long time to realize how good the advice was. Even if you write it wrong, write and finish your first draft. Only then, when you have a flawed whole, do you know what you have to fix.” — Dominick Dunne

82. “Editing might be a bloody trade, but knives aren’t the exclusive property of butchers. Surgeons use them too.” — Blake Morrison

83. “The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.” — E.B. White

84. “You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you, and we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.” — Arthur Plotnik

85. “Half my life is an act of revision.” — John Irving

86. “I'm all for the scissors. I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.” — Truman Capote

87. “It is perfectly okay to write garbage — as long as you edit brilliantly.” — C. J. Cherryh

88. “I've found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living shit out of it.” ― Don Roff

89. “Only kings, presidents, editors, and people with tapeworms have the right to use the editorial 'we'.” — Mark Twain

90. “So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” ― Dr. Seuss

91. “Not that the story need be long, but it will take a long while to make it short.” — Henry David Thoreau

92. “I would write a book, or a short story, at least three times — once to understand it, the second time to improve the prose, and a third to compel it to say what it still must say. Somewhere I put it this way: first drafts are for learning what one's fiction wants him to say. Revision works with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to reform it. Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.” — Bernard Malamud

93. “No author dislikes to be edited as much as he dislikes not to be published.” — Russell Lynes

94. “Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now.” — Annie Dillard

95. “No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft.” — H.G. Wells

96. “A writer is a world trapped in a person.” — Victor Hugo

97. “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” — Thomas Mann

98. “People say, ‘What advice do you have for people who want to be writers?’ I say, they don’t really need advice, they know they want to be writers, and they’re gonna do it. Those people who know that they really want to do this and are cut out for it, they know it.” — R.L. Stine

99. “As a writer, you should not judge, you should understand.” ― Ernest Hemingway

100. “I am irritated by my own writing. I am like a violinist whose ear is true, but whose fingers refuse to reproduce precisely the sound he hears within.” — Gustave Flaubert

101. “Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.” — Sylvia Plath

102. “I go out to my little office, where I’ve got a manuscript, and the last page I was happy with is on top. I read that, and it’s like getting on a taxiway. I’m able to go through and revise it and put myself — click — back into that world.” — Stephen King

103. “I think all writing is a disease. You can’t stop it.” — William Carlos Williams

104. “Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. Shakespeare has perhaps 20 players. I have 10 or so, and that’s a lot. As you get older, you become more skillful at casting them.” — Gore Vidal

105. “For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.” — Catherine Drinker Bowen

106. “The task of a writer consists of being able to make something out of an idea.” — Thomas Mann

107. “Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.” — T.S. Eliot

108. “Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing.” — Margaret Chittenden

109. “A writer never has a vacation. For a writer life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.” — Eugene Ionesco

110. “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” — Benjamin Franklin

111. “A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it.” — Roald Dahl

112. “Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.” — Gloria Steinem

From cavemen to our modern day in the 21st-century, we have written our joys and sorrows throughout history. What compels us to write? Here’s what some of the most beloved writers we know have to say.

113. “I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.” — Anne Frank

114. “We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” — Anais Nin

115. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou

116. “The very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life.” — Zadie Smith

117. “The good writing of any age has always been the product of someone’s neurosis.” — William Styron

118. “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” — Robin Williams

119. “Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly — they'll go through anything. You read and you're pierced.” — Aldous Huxley

120. “You can make anything by writing.” — C.S. Lewis

121. “Writers live twice.” —  Natalie Goldberg

122. “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” — Winston Churchill

123. “Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.” — Oscar Wilde

124. “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” — Ray Bradbury

125. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass .” ― Anton Chekhov

126. “My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying.” — Anton Chekhov

127. “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” — Somerset Maugham

128. “Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.” — Stephen King

129. “Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” — Mark Twain

130. “Find your best time of the day for writing and write. Don’t let anything else interfere. Afterwards it won’t matter to you that the kitchen is a mess.” — Esther Freud

131. “Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. [...] All they do is show you've been to college.” — Kurt Vonnegut

132. “To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.” — Herman Melville

133. “Write drunk, edit sober.” — Ernest Hemingway

134. “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” — Mark Twain

135. “The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it ­honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.” — Neil Gaiman

136. “Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” — Jane Yolen

137. “Style means the right word. The rest matters little.” — Jules Renard

138. “My aim in constructing sentences is to make the sentence utterly easy to understand, writing what I call transparent prose. I’ve failed dreadfully if you have to read a sentence twice to figure out what I meant.” — Ken Follett

139. “And one of [the things you learn as you get older] is, you really need less… My model for this is late Beethoven. He moves so strangely and quite suddenly sometimes from place to place in his music, in the late quartets. He knows where he’s going and he just doesn’t want to waste all that time getting there… One is aware of this as one gets older. You can’t waste time.” — Ursula K. Le Guin

140. “ Part 1. I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English — it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don’t let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in . Part 2. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don’t mean utterly, but kill most of them – then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. Part 3. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice.” — Mark Twain

“You miss 100% of the shots that you never take — Wayne Gretsky,” as Michael Scott once said. In tribute to this sentiment, these writing quotes help show why it’s important not to let failure or rejection get you down.

141. “You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.” — John Wooden

142. “Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil — but there is no way around them.” — Isaac Asimov

143. “Was I bitter? Absolutely. Hurt? You bet your sweet ass I was hurt. Who doesn’t feel a part of their heart break at rejection. You ask yourself every question you can think of, what, why, how come, and then your sadness turns to anger. That’s my favorite part. It drives me, feeds me, and makes one hell of a story.” — Jennifer Salaiz

144. “I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.” — Sylvia Plath

145. “I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent, he would be wise to develop a thick hide.” — Harper Lee

147. “I used to save all my rejection slips because I told myself, one day I’m going to autograph these and auction them. And then I lost the box.” — James Lee Burke

148. “This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don’t consider it rejected. Consider that you’ve addressed it ‘to the editor who can appreciate my work’ and it has simply come back stamped ‘Not at this address’. Just keep looking for the right address.” — Barbara Kingsolver

149. “To ward off a feeling of failure, she joked that she could wallpaper her bathroom with rejection slips, which she chose not to see as messages to stop, but rather as tickets to the game.” — Anita Shreve

150. “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” — Neil Gaiman

151. “The artist doesn’t have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don’t have the time to read reviews.” — William Faulkner

152. “I think that you have to believe in your destiny; that you will succeed, you will meet a lot of rejection and it is not always a straight path, there will be detours — so enjoy the view.” — Michael York

153. “I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged.” — Erica Jong

154. “I tell writers to keep reading, reading, reading. Read widely and deeply. And I tell them not to give up even after getting rejection letters. And only write what you love.” — Anita Diamant

155. “I could write an entertaining novel about rejection slips, but I fear it would be overly long.” — Louise Brown

156. “I had immediate success in the sense that I sold something right off the bat. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake and it really wasn’t. I have drawers full of — or I did have — drawers full of rejection slips.” — Fred Saberhagen

157. “An absolutely necessary part of a writer’s equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment the world hands out and the punishment he inflicts upon himself.” — Irwin Shaw

158. “Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” — C. S. Lewis

Why does writing matter? If there’s anyone who might know the answer, it’s the people who write — and continue to write, despite adverse circumstances. Here are a few pennies for their thoughts.

159. “Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works.” — Virginia Woolf

160. “If the book is true, it will find an audience that is meant to read it.” — Wally Lamb

161. “A word after a word after a word is power.” — Margaret Atwood

162. “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” — Martin Luther

163. “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” — Albert Camus

164. “Good fiction’s job is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” — David Foster Wallace

165. “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” — Philip Pullman

166. “All stories have to at least try to explain some small portion of the meaning of life.” — Gene Weingarten

167. “If a nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood.” — Peter Handke

168. “The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.” — Tom Clancy

169. “If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don’t listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.” — Lillian Hellman

170. “Don’t take anyone’s writing advice too seriously.” — Lev Grossman

Of course, writing quotes by themselves won't write the book for you — you alone have that power. However, we hope that this post has helped inspire you in some way! If you're looking for more in-depth resources, you can check out these guides:

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Have a favorite quote that we missed? If you know of more cool quotes by writers, write them in the comments!

2 responses

Brian Welte says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Here's a quote I absolutely adore: "The author, in his work, must be like God in the Universe, present everywhere and visible nowhere" [Quote from Gustave Flaubert]

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63 Proverbs in English

Have you ever had a day at work where people said the strangest things ?

“The cat’s out of the bag,” a co-worker says at a staff meeting. “But it’s no use crying over spilled milk. We can still make a lot of progress today.”

Cats? Milk? What’s going on here? The answer is that your co-worker is using proverbs.

Proverbs are the  traditional (historic) sayings of a country or group of people. They are short, clever sentences that usually offer life advice. Native English speakers often use them in conversation without even realizing it.

Proverbs can teach you more about English culture than any textbook. They show what’s important to the group of people, what is considered good behavior and what is bad behavior.

Below are 63 of the top English proverbs, clearly explained just for you!

1. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

2. don’t judge a book by its cover., 3. strike while the iron is hot., 4. too many cooks spoil the broth., 5. you can’t have your cake and eat it too., 6. many hands make light work., 7. when in rome, do as the romans do., 8. don’t cross the bridge until you come to it., 9. honesty is the best policy., 10. practice makes perfect., 11. where there’s a will, there’s a way., 12. look before you leap., 13. beggars can’t be choosers., 14. don’t make a mountain out of an anthill., 15. an apple a day keeps the doctor away., 16. the early bird catches the worm., 17. better late than never., 18. the cat is out of the bag., 19. two wrongs don’t make a right., 20. always put your best foot forward., 21. rome wasn’t built in a day., 22. it’s better to be safe than sorry., 23. don’t bite the hand that feeds you., 24. the squeaky wheel gets the grease., 25. don’t bite off more than you can chew., 26. you made your bed, now you have to lie in it., 27. actions speak louder than words., 28. it takes two to tango., 29. don’t count your chickens before they hatch., 30. it’s no use crying over spilled milk., 31. don’t put all your eggs in one basket., 32. people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones., 33. a rolling stone gathers no moss., 34. first things first., 35. still waters run deep., 36. if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it., 37. curiosity killed the cat., 38. learn to walk before you run., 39. money doesn’t grow on trees., 40. my hands are tied., 41. it’s the tip of the iceberg., 42. no news is good news., 43. out of sight, out of mind., 44. if you scratch my back, i’ll scratch yours., 45. ignorance is bliss., 46. easy come, easy go., 47. the forbidden fruit is always the sweetest., 48. every cloud has a silver lining., 49. you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs., 50. close, but no cigar., 51. there’s more than one way to skin a cat., 52. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush., 53. never trouble trouble ’til trouble troubles you., 54. paddle your own canoe., 55. bitter pills may have blessed effects., 56. it’s always darkest before the dawn., 57. people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones., 58. there are plenty more fish in the sea., 59. take it with a grain of salt., 60. from little acorns mighty oaks do grow., 61. you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink., 62. good things come to those who wait., 63. when life gives you lemons, make lemonade., and one more thing....

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“The grass is always greener” is a proverb that says it’s not good to be  jealous (to want what other people have). It may seem like everyone around you has “greener grass,” meaning nicer cars, better jobs, etc.

But your neighbor probably thinks you have greener grass, too. It means that your friends and other people might think you have better looks, a happier family, etc. So, instead of thinking about what everyone else has, this proverb wants you to be thankful for what you have.

Sarah always thinks other schools are better. The grass is always greener on the other side , though.

Things are not always what they seem. This proverb teaches you not to make judgments about other people because of how they look or dress.

A book with a boring or plain cover could be amazing. The same is true with people. A person might look like an athlete or fool, but there’s probably a lot more to them than their clothes suggest.

I thought the movie would be boring, but my friend said not to judge a book by its cover .

This old expression comes from the days of  blacksmiths (people who work with metal). To shape the metal, the blacksmith would have to beat it with a hammer. Iron is easier to work with when it’s hot.

This proverb means you should take advantage of the moment. If an opportunity presents itself to you, take it! Take action because the chance may not come again.

If you want a discount, you should buy the shirt now. Strike while the iron is hot.

The more common form of this expression is “Too many cooks in the kitchen.” A lot people trying to work in a kitchen around a small table or stovetop will likely make a mess and ruin the food.

This proverb talks about the trouble of too many people trying to do the same thing at once.

I think there should only be two or three people working on this project. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

If you eat your cake, you won’t have it anymore, will you? So you can’t do both. This proverb is about having two opposite desires, and how it’s impossible to get both.

Its meaning is the opposite of the expression, “to have the best of both worlds.”

No, I’m not going to give you money when you spent what you had on games. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

If a lot of people carry a heavy object, it doesn’t feel heavy. That is the general meaning of this proverb.

If everyone works together to complete something—like cleaning, painting or group projects—then each person has less to do. More importantly, the job will be completed much more quickly.

Please help us with this project. Many hands make light work.

Sometimes, this proverb is shortened to just “when in Rome…” When you are a visitor somewhere away from home, you should act like everyone else. It’s polite to do so, and could keep you from getting into trouble.

This proverb refers to the ancient days of the Roman Empire when the capital city had visitors from all over the world. Cultures were very different between cities in those times. But while in Rome, people needed to behave like a Roman, no matter where they came from.

In Japan, bowing is polite, so when in Rome, do as the Romans do .

This proverb tells you not to worry so much! Problems will certainly come in the future. But what can be done about that now?

It’s better to think about what you’re doing right now—without worrying about the unknown—and take care of issues when they actually happen.

Don’t worry about the test next month when you still have to pass an exam tomorrow. You shouldn’t cross the bridge until you come to it .

Lying a lot can be difficult, because you might forget your lies. Soon enough, someone will find out that you’re lying. Then, you’re in trouble. And even if no one ever finds out, you’ll feel guilty for not telling the truth.

But if you’re honest and tell the truth, people will believe you and respect you. You’ll earn their trust and sleep well at night.

Even if you make a mistake, honesty is the best policy . Tell the truth.

It would be amazing if you picked up a guitar for the first time and could play it like a rock star. Or if the first time you got in a car, you could drive like a professional. Or if you could speak English perfectly after one lesson.

Everything is difficult when you’re a beginner. But if you stick with it and keep practicing, you can master anything.

You can get better at soccer by doing drills every day. Practice makes perfect.

This proverb is said to encourage people who want to give up. Sometimes, we face problems that seem impossible. But if you want it bad enough, nothing can stand in your way.

That is what this proverb means—if you have the will to meet the problems that are in front of you, there’s a way to overcome them.

Maria saved up half her earnings to go to college. She is proof that where there’s a will, there’s a way .

Don’t rush into things! Make sure you know what’s going to happen next. You wouldn’t jump off a cliff without first checking how far the ground is below or what there is to land on.

You should wait a few moments and make sure it’s a good idea to jump from that cliff. So, when making a big “jump” in life, make sure you’ve looked at the situation and really understood it before you take a big action.

When making important decisions, always look before you leap .

If someone gives you free things or offers to help you do something when you really need it, you can’t ask for a different color or choose the perfect time in your schedule.

When you receive help or goods and you don’t really have many other options, you should accept what you’re offered. You can’t be picky (a “chooser”) because you’re not paying!

It’s hard to book a good hotel during peak seasons. Beggars can’t be choosers.

People sometimes get very upset over small problems. This proverb reminds you to take a moment and see how important (or not important) the issue is.

Messing up your laundry or being late for work isn’t very important when you consider your entire life. So, it’s important to stay calm and not get angry about tiny problems.

Another version of this saying is the classic American proverb, “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill .”

It’s just a small scratch, Dave. Don’t make a mountain out of an anthill.

An apple is full of Vitamin C, which keeps you healthy. However, the “apple” in this proverb means eating healthy in general.

If you eat well and your diet includes a lot of fruits and vegetables, there will be no need to visit the doctor.

My grandma believes that an apple a day keeps the doctor away . That’s why she always has a fresh batch of apples in the fridge.

This proverb is a lot like the phrase “First come, first served.” It simply means that it’s usually best to be early.

If you arrive earlier—whether it’s to a clothing store, restaurant, conference, etc.—you’ll have the best options to choose from. If you come later, though, the best clothes could’ve sold out, the restaurant could be full and have a long waiting time, etc.

Wake up early if you want to finish your homework. The early bird catches the worm , after all.

While being the early bird is the best, even latecomers may get something for coming. It would be a lot worse if they never came at all.

This proverb is often said about ending fights with people. It’s better to apologize and make up years later than to never resolve your fight at all.

You can still join the party, Kyle. You know what they say: Better late than never !

This proverb means that a secret has been told. It comes from the Middle Ages and was common advice given in the market.

You may have thought you purchased a tasty pig, but the seller put a simple cat in the bag instead. “To let the cat out of the bag” was to reveal the seller’s trick.

We were planning a surprise, but now the cat is out of the bag .

If somebody insults you or harms you (“a wrong”), doing the same to them (“two wrongs”) will not make everything okay.

It will most likely cause a back-and-forth fight without end. If somebody is mean to you, don’t be mean to them in return because it’s not right to be so.

He hit you, but hitting back won’t help. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

When you’re starting on a project or a journey, it’s best to start with a good attitude and a lot of energy.  First impressions (what people think about you when they meet you for the first time) can last for a long time.

That’s why this proverb is also used when meeting new people or for job interviews. Having a positive attitude—your “best foot”—is the best way to make a good impression.

In the job interview, remember to smile, be confident and always put your best foot forward .

Rome is a great city. However, it took many years to be completed. The builders didn’t rush to complete their work and neither should you.

If you wish to create something wonderful and long-lasting, you’ll have to spend more than a day working on it. You’ll probably have to spend several days, weeks or even months to do a good job. Take your time and do it right!

It’s okay that you don’t draw like an expert in the beginning. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Do everything possible to keep bad things from happening to you. It only takes a second to put on a seatbelt or to check that you locked the door.

But if you’re not safe, the bad results can last a lifetime. So, it’s better for you to be careful. Otherwise, you’ll be sorry.

Wear your helmet when biking. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

This proverb warns against acting mean to those who provide for you or do nice things for you.

If you were to bite the hand that gave you food, that hand probably won’t come back to feed you again. Then what would you eat? So, you should be kind and thankful to those who care for you.

Even if you’re upset, be nice to your boss. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

If you have a problem but never talk about it, no one will help you. How could they? But if you tell someone, things will get better.

This proverb is about someone who complains a lot (the “squeaky wheel”) because they get more attention (“the grease”). For example, a child who cries a lot will get more attention from his mother than his silent brothers and sisters.

If you need help, speak up! The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

If you take a bite of food that’s too big, you won’t be able to chew! Plus, you could choke on all of that extra food.

It’s the same if you take on more work or responsibility than you can handle—you’ll have a difficult time. So, it’s best not to get involved in too many projects, because you won’t be able to focus and get them all done well.

Did you really just decide to write two papers in one night? I don’t think you should bite off more than you can chew .

No one likes sleeping in a poorly made bed. If you make your bed with the sheets all tangled and blankets facing the wrong way, you can’t switch with someone else. You have to sleep in that bed.

This proverb uses bed-making to describe any bad situation in which you may find yourself. You can’t trade places with anyone else. You must live with the results of your actions, so make good choices.

You didn’t study for the test, and will probably fail because of it. You made your bed, now you have to lie in it.

The Greek philosopher Plato once said that action is character. People aren’t defined by what they say because a lot of talk doesn’t mean anything. People are judged by the things they do. Your actions are more important than what you say.

Instead of promising to help, just help. Actions speak louder than words.

This proverb is often said during a fight in which one person is putting all of the blame on the other person, when both people were actually responsible.

Just as one person can’t  tango (a Spanish dance with two people) alone, two people are responsible for some situations, so you can’t just blame one person.

In a relationship, it takes two to tango .

This proverb warns against being too eager. Just because you have five eggs doesn’t mean you will have five chickens. It’s not a good idea to make plans based on  expectations (what you think will happen). Things may not happen like you thought they would and that could get you in trouble.

I know you’re excited about the job interview, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch .

Milk is easy to get. You may get in trouble for spilling the milk, but you shouldn’t cry because it isn’t a big deal. Also, crying won’t solve anything.

This proverb advises you to stay calm during such small problems. Don’t waste time worrying about little things that cannot be changed. Clean up the mess and go buy some more milk.

I accidentally broke my favorite mug, but it’s no use crying over spilled milk . I’ll just buy a new one.

Be careful! If you put all your goods in one bag or all your money in one stock, you’re taking a big risk. It’s smarter to spread your wealth around. That way, if one basket should break, you’re not left with nothing.

When it comes to investing in stocks, don’t put all your eggs in one basket .

“People in glass houses” means anyone who is sensitive about their failures. People like this shouldn’t insult others (shouldn’t “throw stones”), because the other person will likely turn around and insult you back.

And like glass, which is easy to break, your  self-esteem (what you think of yourself) will easily break into pieces.

You shouldn’t criticize others for their mistakes when you have your own flaws. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones .

Only a stone that’s in the same place for a long time will have moss growing on it. On the other hand, a stone on the move will remain bare.

The same is true with people. If you remain in one place for a long time, the signs of life—friends, family, objects and your local  reputation (what people think of you)—will grow on you. But if you always move from place to place, the opposite will happen.

Sarah loves to travel and try new things, because she believes that a rolling stone gathers no moss .

This proverb advises you to do things in the right order. Don’t skip over the more difficult or less enjoyable tasks to get to the easier, more fun ones.

For example, if you have an exam to study for the same night your friend is having a party, study for the exam first. The party would be more fun, but the exam is more important, so it should be done first.

First things first : Finish your chores before you start your homework.

“Still waters run deep” describes people who are quiet and calm. These people often have “deep,” interesting personalities. So even if someone doesn’t talk a lot, they could still be very thoughtful.

The proverb uses water to describe people. When the surface of a body of water is rough and fast, it usually means that it’s  shallow (not deep) and has rocks close to the surface, like in a river or stream. But water that is calm and still is often very deep, like in a lake.

John may seem quiet, but still waters run deep .

This phrase is used when someone is trying to change or “improve” a way of doing something that works perfectly well. Why change something that works? You could ruin everything! This proverb goes nicely with the expression “leave well enough alone.”

*Note: “Ain’t” is not correct English. It’s an informal way of saying “isn’t” or “is not.” This style of speaking is popular in the Southern states of the United States and in farming regions.

Our company has a general policy along the lines of “ if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “

This proverb is often used to stop someone from asking too many questions.

Curiosity (when you’re excited and eager to know something) can lead you into dangerous situations. Cats, who are naturally curious, often end up in trouble. They can get stuck up in trees or between walls.

My little sister opened the mysterious box even though she was told not to. Well, curiosity killed the cat .

Do things in the right order—from the simplest to the most complicated.

For example, don’t try to read a difficult English novel when you’re just starting to learn English . If you try to jump ahead, you’ll most likely fail—just like a child who tries to run before learning to walk will fall.

All things will come in time, but you must be patient and go through the proper process.

Before you study calculus, you’ll want to master algebra first. Learn to walk before you run .

This proverb is often said to people who waste their money on silly purchases.

Things that grow on trees, such as fruit or leaves, are considered  plentiful (enough, plenty) because they’ll grow back. If you eat an apple from a tree, more apples will continue to grow.

But money must be earned through hard work, and doesn’t “grow back” after you spend it. Once you spend money, it’s gone.

We can’t buy everything we want. Money doesn’t grow on trees , you know.

This phrase shouldn’t be taken literally. You say this proverb when you can’t do what you would like to do, especially when someone asks you to do something.

For example, let’s say you are in charge of an office and everyone (including you) wants to celebrate someone’s birthday. But your boss tells you it’s against the rules. You could tell your coworkers, “Sorry, my hands are tied.” You would like to have a birthday celebration with them, but you can’t.

I would love to help, but my hands are tied . I have too many assignments to complete.

Only a small amount of an iceberg can be seen above the surface of the water. Most of it lies below.

This proverb uses the iceberg to describe a situation where you are only beginning to understand the problem. The little signs that you can see are in fact part of a much larger problem.

The argument was just the tip of the iceberg . There are deeper issues that need to be addressed.

No information about a situation suggests that nothing bad has happened. This phrase is said by families waiting nervously for news of a father or son who has gone to war.

To receive news would mean hearing that your loved one has been killed, captured or hurt. Even though it’s difficult to know nothing about what’s happening, it’s still better than hearing bad news.

I haven’t heard from the job interview yet, but no news is good news , right?

If you can see something every day, your mind will think about it. This proverb is about the habit of forgetting things that are not nearby.

For example, if you want to stop eating chips and junk food, you could move them from the countertop and hide them in a cupboard. If you don’t see them, you won’t think to eat them. Out of sight, out of mind.

Since I moved to a new city, my old friends are out of sight, out of mind .

This proverb simply means that if you help me, I’ll help you, too. Usually, when you do a favor for someone, they do something for you in return. This can be  beneficial (helpful) to both people.

If you help me with my project, I’ll help you with yours. It’s a “scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours” situation.

Ignorance is when you don’t know or are unaware of something.  Bliss is pure joy and happiness. So, sometimes it feels better and you’re more comfortable when you don’t know about certain things—for example, events on the news.

Sometimes, not knowing the harsh reality can be better—as they say, ignorance is bliss .

Money, fame, love or anything that happens easily can be lost just as quickly. If you get a lot of money or suddenly become famous, you could lose that money or fame very quickly—since you didn’t work hard to earn it.

I found 20 dollars on the street, but I lost it later in the day. Well, easy come, easy go .

Forbidden  means it’s not allowed, so this phrase means that if something isn’t allowed, you often want it the most (it will “taste” the sweetest).

For example, let’s say you’re a kid whose parents don’t let you drink soda. You go to a friend’s house, and her parents ask if you want a soda. You say yes and really enjoy that soda because you never get to drink it at home.

Even though she was told not to eat the cookies, the forbidden fruit is always the sweetest , and she couldn’t resist.

People say this when things are going badly or when someone is sad. Clouds stand for bad situations. Every bad situation has some good parts to it—you just have to look for them.

This proverb is meant to help people feel better and keep going. It’s also where the name of the movie “Silver Linings Playbook” came from.

Even though I lost my job, I found a new opportunity. Every cloud has a silver lining .

Speaking of movies, you can watch more of these proverbs in action through the language learning platform FluentU .

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

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An omelet is a tasty dish and worth the effort to make. However, you must break some eggs to make it.

Sometimes, to get things done, you have to be pushy or break a few rules. You may even have to insult some people. So if you want to get a worthwhile project done or make changes, you can’t please everyone. Someone might be offended or hurt, so you have to decide if the price is worth it.

Don’t be discouraged by setbacks. You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.

In the old days, fairgrounds would give cigars as prizes for games. The phrase “close, but no cigar” means that you were close to succeeding in the game, but you didn’t win the cigar.

As a proverb, it means that even though you did your best or almost had it right, you weren’t able to meet your goal.

I was close to winning the race, but I came in second place. Close, but no cigar .

This proverb is saying that there’s more than one way to do or accomplish something.

For example, during your English learning journey, you’ve probably been told “this is the best way” or “this is the best resource,” but “the best” is really whatever personally works for you. You have to figure out the best way to skin the cat—figuratively, of course!

If your initial plan doesn’t work out, don’t worry. There’s more than one way to skin a cat .

Sometimes, we take for granted what we have, and also don’t realize what we have until it’s gone. This proverb claims that the most valuable thing you have is what you already have!

For example, let’s say you have $100. You could just put this $100 into your savings account, or you could take it to Las Vegas to try to turn it into $1000. But it’s likely that you’ll lose it. So, stick with the bird (that $100) in your hand.

I was considering a job offer from another city, but my current job is stable. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

This is saying that you don’t go looking for problems and making things more difficult for yourself.

You’ve probably noticed that the word “trouble” is repeated four times in this proverb—twice as verbs and twice as nouns.

In English, many words can be used as different parts of speech .

Don’t worry about things you can’t control. Never trouble trouble ’til trouble troubles you.

This verb is saying that you should be independent and not rely on others so much. It’s possible to have more than one person paddle a canoe, but if you want to succeed in life, you need to learn to do it on your own.

Take charge of your own life and decisions; in other words, paddle your own canoe .

This proverb says that the  remedy or solution to a problem might not be pleasant, but the end result can be wonderful.

For example, exercise may not be fun while you’re doing it, but if you stick with it, you’ll be healthier.

The criticism was tough to hear, but it made me improve. Bitter pills may have blessed effects .

This proverb is a good reminder that darkness is always followed by light.

At some point during your English learning journey, you’ll likely encounter a phase (hopefully, a very short one) where you feel like you’ve hit a wall, you’re frustrated, you don’t feel like you’re progressing or you feel like you just want to give up.

This is the darkest moment!

But if you stick with it and keep practicing and putting in the effort, the dawn (i.e., you being fluent in English) will eventually come!

I know you feel terrible right now, but it’s always darkest before the dawn .

This proverb advises against being a hypocrite (someone whose words don’t match what they do, or vice versa).

For example, this proverb would apply to a classmate who’s being mean to someone because they didn’t know what a certain word meant in English, even though this classmate often makes a lot of mistakes in English.

Jenny criticized her friend’s cooking, but she forgot she burned dinner last week. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

This proverb is mainly used to offer  condolences (sympathy) to someone who has just broken up with their significant other. This proverb suggests that the heartbroken person shouldn’t worry too much because there are plenty of other potential partners out there.

This proverb might be incorporated into a conversation like this:

Your friend: Shelly just broke up with me. I’m going to be alone forever!

You: I’m so sorry she broke up with you. But you shouldn’t worry too much. There are plenty more fish in the sea .

Meaning: Don’t take something someone says or does too seriously.

This proverb can be used when someone is telling you something that probably isn’t entirely true. In this case, you’d take what they say with a grain of salt.

We all know someone who always exaggerates or doesn’t tell the entire truth. These are the types of people whose words should be taken with a grain of salt.

When listening to gossip, it’s wise to take it with a grain of salt . Not everything may be true.

This American proverb reminds us that great people and accomplishments often come from  modest (simple) beginnings. This proverb can certainly be applied to your English language learning journey!

You might have started with little to no understanding of the English language. But from these humble beginnings, you can grow into a strong English speaker!

The fact that his multimillion dollar corporation started as a tiny store is proof that from little acorns mighty oaks do grow .

This strange proverb actually has nothing to do with horses.

It means that you can give someone something that they need (like water in this case), but there’s no way you can force them to use that something (or drink the water) until they’re ready to do it.

In other words, you can’t force someone to do something, even if it’s good for them.

For example, your parents can give you money to attend university, but they can’t make you actually go to class. That decision is totally up to you.

Don’t force him to do something he doesn’t want to do. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink .

Patience is valued in American culture, so this proverb tells you that waiting—although boring—can lead to great outcomes.

For example, let’s say you want to buy a new car. Well, it may take a while because you have to work and save your money. But after a year, you finally have the money and the model you wanted to buy is way better than last year’s model. So, the wait was worth it!

If you’re working hard and not seeing results right now, know that good things come to those who wait .

In American culture, “lemons” are often bad things. They’re sour and pretty much useless on their own. You’d much rather have a fresh strawberry or an orange.

So, when life gives you lemons (hardship), just squeeze those lemons into a glass, add a little sugar or water and have a delicious and refreshing drink. You’ve turned something bad into something great!

When life gives Kate lemons, she makes lemonade . For example, after losing her job, she decided to start her own business that’s now earning a lot of money.

English has many proverbs, and these are just the tip of the iceberg.

But you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew. Start with these useful English proverbs and sayings, and you’ll be using them yourself in no time!

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What Are English Proverbs? Definition and Examples

It’s Monday morning, and you’re sitting in a meeting with coworkers and your manager, who wants to get her team fired up for the week ahead. 

“We need to strike while the iron is hot!” your manager insists, slamming her fist against the table and accidentally spilling her coffee. “The early bird catches the worm, after all.”

“It’s going to take some work, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going!”

What is all this talk about irons, worms, and Rome? Surely, there’s no use for riddles this early in the workweek. In fact, these are not riddles but proverbs. Give your writing extra polish Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

What are English proverbs?

An English proverb is a short, pithy statement that usually offers life advice, wisdom, or a truth. Proverbs are so common that native speakers of English may use them in conversation without realizing it.

Proverbs can offer a shortcut for explaining or imparting information as well. For example, rather than your manager saying, “We will only be successful if we approach the client before any other marketing firm reaches out to them,” she can simplify this explanation to “the early bird catches the worm.” Everyone in the meeting will know what she means. Proverbs communicate an understood and accepted message in a few well-worn and well-known words.

Oftentimes, proverbs are used to illustrate a point. Stylistically, they differ from regular forms of speech because they are metaphorical or symbolic in nature. Some proverbs can be reflective of a specific culture or locale, though the majority transcend regional barriers and are widely embraced and often passed down through generations. 

In fact, some of the earliest recorded proverbs date back to the ancient Sumerians in 2000 BCE . According to archaeological studies , nearly 700 tablets containing more than 1,000 proverbs written by Sumerian scribes were discovered by researchers. When translated, the researchers were surprised at how easy it was to understand these snippets of Sumerian wisdom, showing how proverbs reach across cultures and time. 

English proverbs should also not be mistaken for the Book of Proverbs, a book in the Old Testament. 

Proverbs vs. idioms

Proverbs and idioms are similar and easily confused with one another. Both are forms of expression that are natural to groups of people and are short and pithy, and both are very challenging for English language learners to understand because they include innate meaning that isn’t always discernible just by reading the words. But they do have a few key differences. Idioms express an idea or thought and are phrases that contain a group of words that typically wouldn’t make sense together (e.g., it’s raining cats and dogs , pulling someone’s leg , by the skin of your teeth ). They are also frequently used in poetry. Proverbs have a literal meaning and tend to express a truth or dispense advice such as actions speak louder than words ; all’s well that end’s well ; a leopard never changes its spots . 

How to include English proverbs in your writing

Incorporating a proverb or two into your creative writing can be a fun or interesting way to play with words, but if you use these types of phrases too regularly, you can come across as disingenuous or clichéd. Instead, try challenging the narrative offered by the proverb.

In an essay , for example, it can be a strategic choice to start off with a proverb that is then disproved or challenged. Since the two goals of formal essay writing are objectivity and specificity, it might not seem like a good idea to introduce a proverb (which is often broad-ranging and general). But for this very reason, including a proverb that you then complicate or question can give your argument teeth or draw in the reader. 

For example, in a philosophy essay, you could begin with:

“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?” 

In this example, the paper’s main argument , that certain aesthetic judgments are universally observed, is perfectly set up thanks to the proverb’s inclusion. The well-known proverb is being challenged from the outset and can be explored in more depth by the supporting paragraphs. 

Another way to use proverbs in writing is to consider them as prompts for a story. First, read through a list of proverbs and choose one that speaks to you. Perhaps you’re immediately drawn to a proverb like where there’s a will, there’s a way and are reminded of a time when you sacrificed everything to achieve a goal. 

Since proverbs are symbolic in nature, it’s easy to read one and be reminded of a particular memory or moment in your life when you witnessed that same teaching. Writing about how a certain proverb illustrates a personal story is a great way to spark a longer narrative.

22 English proverb examples

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of proverbs — many of which are short and sweet. Here’s a list of thirty-five common English proverbs and their meanings: 

1 The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 

Meaning: Children tend to resemble their parents in appearance and behavior. 

2 All that glitters is not gold. 

Meaning: Something that appears valuable or true may not be.

3 A picture is worth a thousand words. 

Meaning: Artwork or images can convey meanings that go beyond verbal description.

4 Beggars can’t be choosers.

Meaning: People who depend on the generosity of others must be content with what is offered to them.

5   A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Meaning: What you already have in hand is better than what you might get.

6 An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Meaning: If you eat healthily, you will be healthy.

7 Better safe than sorry.

Meaning: It is better to be precautious than to have regrets later on.

8 Blood is thicker than water.

Meaning: Relationships between family members are the strongest of all.

9 When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Meaning: When you visit a new place, leave all judgments behind and embrace the local ways of life.

10 Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Meaning: Don’t make plans based on events that haven’t happened.

11 Every cloud has a silver lining.

Meaning: No matter what difficult situation you’re in, there is always a positive side to be seen.

12 A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Meaning: It is necessary to take the first step to achieve a long-term goal.

13 Necessity is the mother of invention.

Meaning: When you really need something, you find a way to make it happen.

14 Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Meaning: Someone’s wrongful conduct is not justification for acting in the same way.

15 The pen is mightier than the sword.

Meaning: Written words can yield more power than brute force or action.

16   Birds of a feather flock together.

Meaning: People tend to stick together with other like-minded people.

17 Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Meaning: Important work takes time.

18 Time waits for no one.

Meaning: Don’t procrastinate or delay taking action, as we have no control over the passage of time.

19 Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Meaning: Too many people working on the same project can lead to an inferior result.

20 When there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Meaning: If there are rumors or signs that something is true, it usually is.

21 If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Meaning: If something works well already, don’t bother trying to change it.

22 You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Meaning: It’s impossible to satisfy two opposite desires.

English proverbs FAQs

What is a proverb.

As a basic definition, a proverb is a traditional saying or phrase that expresses a perceived truth. Proverbs often give practical advice and are based on the shared human experience. 

An English proverb is one that is used primarily by native English speakers. However, proverbs may be found in many languages. 

How are proverbs and idioms different?

Proverbs and idioms are similar in that they impart wisdom or meaning to a group of people. Idioms contain a group of words whose meaning is established by usage but isn’t apparent as a phrase, such as under the weather , spill the beans , and once in a blue moon . Proverbs are short phrases with a literal meaning that taps into a shared truth or imparts advice, such as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link , absence makes the heart grow fonder , and don’t bite off more than you can chew .

When should you use English proverbs?

English proverbs can be used for many reasons, such as to offer advice, reinforce morals, impart knowledge, relieve interpersonal tensions, aid in understanding, or to console someone. Proverbs are used best when illustrating a specific point, giving greater potency to what is being said.  

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100+ Famous Proverbs in English With Meaning and Examples

Have you ever heard the saying ‘A penny saved is a penny earned’ or ‘Actions speak louder than words’? These wise phrases, called proverbs, have been passed down through generations, offering valuable lessons and insights into life. Proverbs are short, memorable expressions that simply convey universal truths or advice.

In this blog, we’ll explore 100+ proverbs in English, their meanings, origins, and how they apply to our everyday lives. Whether you’re a native English speaker or learning the language, understanding proverbs can greatly enrich your communication skills and deepen your understanding of the culture.

Table of Content

What are Proverbs?

Types of proverbs in english, 10 most common proverbs in english, list of 100 proverbs in english, 20 examples of using proverbs in english.

Proverbs are concise, traditional expressions of wisdom that encapsulate universal truths, moral principles, or practical advice. They are often passed down orally from one generation to another within a culture, embodying the collective wisdom and experiences of a community. These succinct phrases are characterized by their simplicity, clarity, and memorable nature, making them easily accessible and applicable in various contexts. Proverbs offer insights into human behaviour, relationships, and societal norms, serving as guidelines for ethical conduct and decision-making. They address common life situations and dilemmas, offering concise solutions or perspectives that have stood the test of time. Proverbs are found in every culture and language, reflecting the values, beliefs, and cultural heritage of different societies. One of the key features of proverbs is their metaphorical or figurative language, which often employs vivid imagery or symbolism to convey complex ideas succinctly. This figurative language adds depth and resonance to the proverb, making it more memorable and impactful.

Proverbs in English can be classified into several categories based on their themes, structures, and origins. Here are some common types:

• Traditional Proverbs: These are timeless expressions that have been passed down through generations orally and are deeply rooted in cultural heritage. Examples include “A stitch in time saves nine” and “All’s fair in love and war.”
• Biblical Proverbs: Derived from the Bible, these proverbs offer moral and practical guidance. Examples include “Pride goes before destruction” and “Honesty is the best policy.”
• Literary Proverbs : Found in works of literature, these proverbs often reflect the themes and values of specific authors or literary movements. Examples include “To thine own self be true” from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” from Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield.
• Modern Proverbs: These are newly coined expressions that capture contemporary wisdom and reflect current societal trends. Examples include “YOLO (You Only Live Once)” and “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
• Regional Proverbs: Specific to certain regions or cultures, these proverbs reflect the unique perspectives and values of different communities. Examples include “The early bird catches the worm” in English-speaking countries and “Laughter is the best medicine” in various cultures worldwide.
• Occupational Proverbs: These proverbs are associated with specific professions or trades and often offer practical advice or insights related to those fields. Examples include “Measure twice, cut once” in carpentry and “Practice makes perfect” in sports and music.

Below mentioned proverbs are widely known and often used in various contexts to convey wisdom, advice, or observations about life.

• “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
• “Actions speak louder than words.”
• “Birds of a feather flock together.”
• “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
• “Every cloud has a silver lining.”
• “Honesty is the best policy.”
• “The early bird catches the worm.”
• “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
• “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
• “You reap what you sow.”

Here’s a comprehensive list of 100 proverbs in English that you can use in daily life:

• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
• A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
• A penny saved is a penny earned.
• A picture is worth a thousand words.
• A stitch in time saves nine.
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
• Actions speak louder than words.
• All good things must come to an end.
• All is fair in love and war.
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
• April showers bring May flowers.
• Beggars can’t be choosers.
• Better late than never.
• Better safe than sorry.
• Birds of a feather flock together.
• Blood is thicker than water.
• Charity begins at home.
• Cleanliness is next to godliness.
• Curiosity killed the cat.
• Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
• Don’t cry over spilled milk.
• Don’t judge a book by its cover.
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
• Don’t put the cart before the horse.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff.
• Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
• Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
• Easy come, easy go.
• Every cloud has a silver lining.
• Every dog has its day.
• Every man for himself, and the devil take the hindmost.
• Familiarity breeds contempt.
• Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
• Give credit where credit is due.
• Good things come to those who wait.
• Haste makes waste.
• He who hesitates is lost.
• Home is where the heart is.
• Honesty is the best policy.
• Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
• If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
• If the shoe fits, wear it.
• Ignorance is bliss.
• It takes two to tango.
• Kill two birds with one stone.
• Laughter is the best medicine.
• Let bygones be bygones.
• Let sleeping dogs lie.
• Life is a journey, not a destination.
• Look before you leap.
• Money doesn’t grow on trees.
• Necessity is the mother of invention.
• No man is an island.
• Out of sight, out of mind.
• Practice makes perfect.
• Rome wasn’t built in a day.
• Seeing is believing.
• Silence is golden.
• Slow and steady wins the race.
• Speak softly and carry a big stick.
• Strike while the iron is hot.
• The early bird catches the worm.
• The grass is always greener on the other side.
• The pen is mightier than the sword.
• The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
• There’s no smoke without fire.
• There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
• Time heals all wounds.
• Too many cooks spoil the broth.
• Two heads are better than one.
• Two wrongs don’t make a right.
• Variety is the spice of life.
• Waste not, want not.
• What goes around comes around.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
• Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
• You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
• You can’t judge a book by its cover.
• You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.
• You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
• You reap what you sow.
• A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
• When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
• A watched pot never boils.
• The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
• People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
• A friend in need is a friend indeed.
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
• Fortune favors the bold.
• It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Below mentioned sentences showcase the usage of proverbs in everyday communication, each encapsulating a nugget of wisdom or advice.

• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. She decided to accept the job offer she had instead of waiting for a better one.
• Actions speak louder than words. Instead of promising to help, he actually showed up and assisted with the project.
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Sarah was already planning her vacation before she had won the lottery, but she remembered not to count her chickens before they hatch.
• Every cloud has a silver lining. Despite losing his job, he found a new opportunity that he wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
• Honesty is the best policy. Even though it was difficult, she admitted her mistake rather than trying to cover it up.
• The early bird catches the worm. Getting up early allowed him to finish his work before everyone else even arrived at the office.
• Don’t judge a book by its cover. Despite his rugged appearance, he turned out to be one of the kindest people she had ever met.
• Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Despite facing many obstacles, they were determined to make their business successful.
• You reap what you sow. By putting in the effort to study every day, she was able to ace her exams.
• Practice makes perfect. She knew that the more she practiced playing the piano, the better she would become.
• Two wrongs don’t make a right. Even though he was angry, he knew that seeking revenge wouldn’t solve the problem.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do. While traveling abroad, she made sure to respect and follow the customs of the local culture.
• Necessity is the mother of invention. Faced with a power outage, they had to get creative and find alternative sources of light.
• You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Despite her best efforts, her grandfather refused to learn how to use a smartphone.
• Beggars can’t be choosers. Although she didn’t like the color, she was grateful for the jacket that was given to her.
• The grass is always greener on the other side. Even though she was unhappy with her job, she realized that others might envy her position.
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Instead of investing all of his money in one stock, he diversified his portfolio.
• Better late than never. Although she missed the deadline, she still submitted her assignment, thinking it’s better late than never.
• Speak softly and carry a big stick. He preferred to avoid confrontation but was always prepared to defend himself if necessary.
• Familiarity breeds contempt. Spending too much time together led to them getting on each other’s nerves.

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Proverbs in English- FAQs

What are proverbs.

Proverbs are short, traditional sayings that offer wisdom, advice, or reflections on human behavior and experience. They are often passed down orally from generation to generation.

What is the use of proverbs?

Proverbs serve various purposes, including providing guidance for decision-making, teaching moral values, and conveying cultural wisdom. They offer concise and memorable insights into life situations and human nature.’

Where do proverbs come from?

Proverbs originate from diverse sources such as folklore, literature, religious texts, and oral traditions. They reflect the values, beliefs, and experiences of different cultures and societies throughout history.

How are proverbs used in everyday language?

Proverbs are commonly used in everyday language to emphasize a point, offer advice, or express a universal truth. They can be used in conversations, speeches, writing, and teaching to illustrate concepts or convey messages succinctly.

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Proverbs are phrases that are commonly used and widely understood.  They can also be mantras that are passed down for generations.  Proverbs can be used to convey advice.

Here’s a common proverb that you may have heard before:

“ Practice makes perfect. ”

As children, we hear them from our  parents and teachers. And as we grow up, we use some of the more common proverbs in our everyday conversations, sometimes without even realizing that the phrase that comes naturally to us is actually a proverb.

“He has tattoos all over his body, but you know what they say, don’t judge a book by its cover .”

“Having started work straight after my diploma to make ends meet, I only fulfilled my dream to pursue further studies after a good ten years in the workforce. But better late than never , for I can now proudly say that I am a degree holder; the first in my family.”

Proverbs can be in the form of a phrase or a sentence, for example, “ The early bird catches the worm. ” This one is frequently used to encourage the lazy bunch of us to rise or start early because it is believed that those who do so gain an advantage over others.

Another point worth noting about this proverb, and many others, is that it is in the form of a metaphor. Many proverbs use figurative language to personify their meaning. When we say “ Don’t put all your eggs in one basket ”, we are not literally referring to eggs, but rather the fact that you shouldn’t concentrate all your risks or efforts in one area.

Interestingly, proverbs make it easy and effective to teach your child lessons, or give him words of advice pertaining to concepts that are actually quite sophisticated.

More importantly, for your child, proverbs are a simple yet powerful tool to convey a strong message in his compositions.

Proverbs can be used throughout a composition, whether as an introduction, as a concluding statement, or even in the dialogue between the characters in the composition. The key is to use them moderately or even sparingly. They are like the spices you add to your dishes for additional flavour; whether it is a pinch of cinnamon or a dash of paprika, proverbs are not meant to be ‘spammed’ .

Proverbs  add spice to your child’s composition.

Use a Proverb in the Introduction

Because there are so many different types of proverbs, starting with one not only provides your child a unique introduction to her composition, but it also adds some depth and sophistication to the story that she’s writing.

Of course, the key is to use an appropriate proverb that is related to the crux of the story, or one that “teaches the lesson” in your child’s composition.

Consider this example:

Honesty is truly the best policy . I could not imagine how things would have turned out had I lied instead…

I’ve used this simple proverb combined with a flashback. In two sentences, I have basically told you the lesson I have learnt, about being honest. At the same time, I have hopefully intrigued you enough to read on to find out exactly what situation caused me to learn that lesson.

Use a Proverb in the Conclusion

 I reminisced onthe early days, recalling how everyone was sceptical about the route I was embarking on.

No one truly saw the vision that I saw. Yet now, I sat on the balcony of my penthouse overlooking the sea, soaking up the breeze of freedom, of accomplishment, of success.

The success that I dreamed of, that I willed myself to achieve.

No, it didn’t come easy; I suffered, I endured, but at every juncture where there was a will – the will to overcome any obstacle, the will to keep going – whenever there is a will, there will always be a way .

I’ve used the proverb “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” to show that determination and willpower can overcome all obstacles.

Use a proverb in the dialogue

“Mr. Tan has got to be the most boring Math tutor I’ve ever had!” Peter exclaimed. “I really think we should leave and go to another tuition centre. I’m sure they also have Math tutors there.” “I’m not so sure,” John cautioned. “ Better the devil you know than the one you don’t. ”

I’ve used the proverb to highlight what John thinks about Peter’s suggestion to leave the tuition centre. Without explicitly saying it, I am able to convey John’s doubt towards Peter’s idea.

Common Proverbs for Your Composition

Here are some proverbs that your child can start using in his compositions to impress his or her teachers in school!

• A watched pot never boils. Waiting for something to happen will make time pass even slower. Example: John stared out the window at the long winding road, waiting for any sign of a car approaching in the distance. But he knew that a watched pot never boils , and he tried to turn his mind towards the book in front of him again, in a bid to distract himself.
• Beggars can’t be choosers. When you receive help, you have to be content with and accept whatever you get. Example: Hunger-stricken, I walked up to the first tiny house with their lights turned on and pounded on the door. An old lady with the kindest eyes perused my sorry state before inviting me into her warm living room. My shame was overwhelmed by my starving belly as I blurted, “Do you have anything to eat, please?” The old lady shuffled slowly into the kitchen whilst I sat and watched in anticipation, knees together, arms wrapped around my stomach as if it would help calm down the desperate growls from within. As she returned, cupping a bowl delicately in her hands, I almost lunged out to grab that delicacy. However, I froze when I saw all that she had to spare – a half-filled bowl of plain white rice. Beggars can’t be choosers , I thought, as I wolfed down the rice in seconds.
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. Do not be overconfident, or make plans based on something good that you think will happen, before it has actually happened. Example: Julie was already shopping around for a car as a self-reward for her upcoming promotion, but I told her not to count her chickens before they hatched .
• Don’t cry over spilt milk. Do not be upset over something that has already happened that you cannot change. Example: Tim was dejected; he had just failed his test. As I patted him on the shoulder I tried to encourage him. “Look, Tim, this test is already done, so don’t cry over spilt milk . There’s still the finals at the end of the year, and I know you can do it.”
• Many hands make light work. This proverb is about teamwork. If everyone works together to help in something, the task is accomplished much quicker. Example: At first, we were intimidated by the actual area of the wall we had to paint. It was a huge, old bungalow and the paint was practically peeling from every corner of the house – all three levels of it! But everyone was so cooperative, and since many hands made light work , we managed to finish painting the whole house before sunset.
• There is safety in numbers. When people tend towards something together as part of a group, either in thinking a certain way or in doing something, they are less likely harmed or blamed for it. Example: We gathered in a group of about twenty and marched up to the principal’s office to make our complaint, thinking that there was safety in numbers .
• There’s no smoke without fire. (variation: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.) This proverb is saying that there might be truth in rumours, because rumours, no matter how twisted they are, must have been grounded in some underlying fact. Example: Our new teacher appears very friendly and gentle, but some claim they have seen her ex-students sent out of the classroom in tears during her lessons. There’s no smoke without fire , so let’s wait and see.
• Too many cooks spoil the broth. When too many people are involved, they can do more harm than good and ruin something instead. Example: Everyone was throwing in ideas and giving opinions, and by the end of the day we could not even decide where we wanted to host the event. There were clearly too many cooks spoiling the broth .
• We never miss the water till the well is dry. We tend to take things for granted, and only realize how important something / someone is until we lose it. Example: Now that I’m past forty, and my joints creak and ache every time I get up from my bed. I realize how we never miss the water till the well is dry . I can barely remember what it feels like to be young again!
• You can’t make bricks without straws. You cannot accomplish something without the right information or necessary tools. Example: “But I hate training!” I exclaimed. My coach grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me in the eye. “Boy, are you lazy!” he reprimanded me. “If you want to get a gold medal, you need to build up your strength.  You need to build up your core. You need to understand that you can’t make bricks without straws .”

There are tons of other proverbs. Just prowl the net and you’ll be amazed how many everyday sayings that you use regularly are actually proverbs. That said, it will take your child some effort to understand many of these proverbs. Then your child can use them in his or her compositions.

The best way to use proverbs is to let them fit naturally into a sentence.  Don’t force them in. Afterall,   Rome wasn’t built in a day – the key is to consistently practise, revise and repeat!

Read other related articles on Writing Samurai:

• How to Use Good Phrases and Words for Composition Writing & Essays?
• Free Test Papers for Primary 3, 4, 5, 6 School – Exam Paper for You!
• 80 Awesome Phrases to Wow Your Teacher
• A Guide on How To Write Good Compositions

(You might also want to check out this post >>>   How to Use Good Phrases In your Composition )

Still need more help?

Here’s a free ebook of good phrases that your child can use to describe emotions.

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References:

http://www.fluentu.com/english/blog/useful-english-proverbs/

http://www.careerride.com/proverbs-meaning-examples-1.aspx

http://www.engvid.com/english-resource/50-common-proverbs-sayings/

http://www.learn-english-today.com/proverbs/proverbs-X-Y-Z.html

wiki, Cambridge dictionary

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45+ Quotes About Writing from Famous Writers

Whether seasoned and published or just starting out, any writer will appreciate these quotes about writing from celebrated authors who know their craft and its challenges.

No matter how passionate you are about it, writing can be difficult. Whenever you’re struggling with writer’s block, rejection, competition, insecurity, or any of the countless obstacles that wordsmiths encounter daily, it can help to get encouragement from those who have successfully overcome the very same challenges.

So, whether you’re up against a creative wall or just looking for some inspiration to start your next project, these quotes about writing from writers themselves are sure to be welcome reading! 

Inspirational Quotes from Writers  

Trying to get psyched up to sit down and write? It can be reassuring to hear the words of literary greats celebrating a few of the very best parts of being a writer. 

1. “And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” — Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

2. “Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly—they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” — Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

3. “Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.” — Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

4. “What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you.” — Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing

5. “Stories aren't made of language: they're made of something else... perhaps they're made of life.” — Philip Pullman, Daemon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling

6. “There is no greater power on this earth than story.” — Libba Bray, The Diviners

7. “You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.” — Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

8. “We turn to stories and pictures and music because they show us who and what and why we are, and what our relationship is to life and death, what is essential, and what, despite the arbitrariness of falling beams, will not burn.” — Madeleine L’Engle, A Circle of Quiet

9. “Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.” — Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

10. “Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” — Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

11. “First, you write for yourself... always, to make sense of experience and the world around you. It’s one of the ways I stay sane. Our stories, our books, our films are how we cope with the random trauma-inducing chaos of life as it plays.” — Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run

Encouraging Quotes for Writers  

Some of the most famous quotes from writers are about how ridiculously hard writing can be—and why you should rise to the challenge and do it anyway. 

12. “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” — Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

13. “And what, you ask, does writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right.” — Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

14. “If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you.” — Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

15. “The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.” — Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

16. “The mind has plenty of ways of preventing you from writing, and paralysing self-consciousness is a good one. The only thing to do is ignore it, and remember what Vincent van Gogh said in one of his letters about the painter's fear of the blank canvas—the canvas, he said, is far more afraid of the painter.” — Philip Pullman, Daemon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling

17. “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” — Sol Stein, Stein on Writing: A Master Editor Shares His Craft, Techniques, and Strategies

18. “Because this business of becoming conscious, of being a writer, is ultimately about asking yourself, How alive am I willing to be?” — Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing

19. “Writing is supposed to be difficult, agonizing, a dreadful exercise, a terrible occupation.” — Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

Quotes About the Writing Process

From writers who know the drill, these quotes offer valuable insights and practical advice on the craft of writing, and the discipline and rigor it requires. 

20. “Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.” — William Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Audio Collection

21. “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” — William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style

22. “The impulse to write things down is a peculiarly compulsive one, inexplicable to those who do not share it, useful only accidentally, only secondarily, in the way that any compulsion tries to justify itself. I suppose that it begins or does not begin in the cradle.” — Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem

23. “People who think that grammar is just a collection of rules and restrictions are wrong. If you get to like it, grammar reveals the hidden meaning of history, hides disorder and abandonment, links things and brings opposites together. Grammar is a wonderful way of organising the world how you'd like it to be.” — Delphine de Vigan, No and Me

24. “Atticus told me to delete the adjectives and I'd have the facts.” — Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

25. “Whenever I'm asked what advice I have for young writers, I always say that the first thing is to read, and to read a lot. The second thing is to write. And the third thing, which I think is absolutely vital, is to tell stories and listen closely to the stories you're being told.” — John Green, An Abundance of Katherines

26. “A great novel, rather than discouraging me, simply makes me want to write.” — Madeleine L’Engle, A

27. “I read and feel that same compulsion; the desire to possess what he has written, which can only be subdued by writing something myself.” — Patti Smith, M Train

28. “Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.” — Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

29. “If you read good books, when you write, good books will come out of you.” — Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones

30. “The only way to learn to write is to force yourself to produce a certain number of words on a regular basis.” — William Zinsser, On Writing Well: The Audio Collection

31. “Prose is architecture, not interior decoration.” — Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon

32. “One writes out of one thing only—one's own experience. Everything depends on how relentlessly one forces from this experience the last drop, sweet or bitter, it can possibly give. This is the only real concern of the artist, to recreate out of the disorder of life that order which is art.” — James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son

33. “We cannot choose where to start and stop. Our stories are the tellers of us.” — Chris Cleave, Little Bee

34. “A man who tells secrets or stories must think of who is hearing or reading, for a story has as many versions as it has readers. Everyone takes what he wants or can from it and thus changes it to his measure. Some pick out parts and reject the rest, some strain the story through their mesh of prejudice, some paint it with their own delight. A story must have some points of contact with the reader to make him feel at home in it. Only then can he accept wonders.” — John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

Funny Quotes About Writing

Sometimes, when you’re in the thick of a third, fourth, or fifth edit and ready to throw in the towel, what you need most is a good laugh, courtesy of someone who understands your plight. 

35. “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” — Douglas Adams, The Salmon of Doubt

36. “Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons… All they do is show you've been to college.” — Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

37. “Tellers of stories with ink on paper, not that they matter anymore, have been either swoopers or bashers. Swoopers write a story quickly, higgledy-piggledy, crinkum-crankum, any which way. Then they go over it again painstakingly, fixing everything that is just plain awful or doesn't work. Bashers go one sentence at a time, getting it exactly right just before they go on to the next one. When they're done, they're done." — Kurt Vonnegut, Timequake

38. “I’m sure I could write endlessly about nothing. If only I had nothing to say.” — Patti Smith, M Train

39. “You want to tell a story? Grow a heart. Grow two. Now, with the second heart, smash the first one into bits. Gross, right? A bloody pulpy liquid mess. Look at it, try to make sense of it. Realize you can't. Because there is no sense.” — Charles Yu, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

40. “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” — Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Quotes About Writers

Many artists draw much of their inspiration from introspection, and writers are no different. These quotes feature sayings about writers from the ultimate authority: writers themselves.  

41. “If you want life-long friendship and selfless camaraderie, join the army and learn to kill. If you want a lifetime of temporary alliances with peers who will glory in your every failure, write novels.” — Robert Galbraith, The Silkworm

42. “Writers aren’t people exactly. Or, if they’re any good, they’re a whole lot of people trying so hard to be one person.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Love of the Last Tycoon

43. “A storyteller makes up things to help other people; a liar makes up things to help himself.” — Daniel Wallace, The Kings and Queens of Roam

44. “The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” — Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

45. “It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.” — E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web

46. “A writer’s life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity.” — Toni Morrison, The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations

47. “We never sit anything out. We are cups, quietly and constantly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” — Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing

Becoming a writer is especially difficult if you don’t know where to start. To help, we’ve rounded up advice from several authors on starting out as a writer. Take a look at our infographic below to learn what these wordsmiths think you should do to kick off your writing career.

Click to view a full sized writing quotes graphic .

35+ Inspirational Quotes About Hope

Whether you’re up against a challenge or just looking for a little inspiration, these quotes about hope can help you find your faith.

95+ C.S. Lewis Quotes About Love, Life, Faith, Bravery, and Friendship

From The Chronicles of Narnia, The Four Loves, and more, here are 99 of the best C.S. Lewis quotes that capture the magic of childhood and reflect on life’s mysteries.

55+ Audre Lorde quotes every activist should know

Get inspired to speak your mind and step into your power with our collection of quotes from poet and warrior Audre Lorde.

70+ Memorable Sylvia Plath Quotes About Life and Love

Find your memorable Sylvia Plath quote from this collection of selected works and passages from one of the 20th century’s most tragic and brilliant writers.

Best English Proverbs for your IELTS exam

Proverbs (also known as sayings or aphorisms) are a type of idiom that carries moral lessons or some form of life advice within them. This list of English proverbs is compiled especially for IELTS exam, it includes definitions and examples. Hence, if you want to get 8 or higher for Vocabulary in your Speaking, try to implement one of these proverbs in your answer.

English proverbs for IELTS — List of sayings and aphorisms

Ielts proverbs — explanations & examples, ielts videos (tips, strategies, and mock tests):, ielts – 3 reading strategies — ielts preparation videos, improve your ielts speaking in just 60 minutes — ielts preparation videos, how to talk about your free time and hobbies in english — ielts preparation videos, ielts speaking score 8.5 – india — ielts speaking videos, ielts listening tips — ielts preparation videos, ielts newsletter.

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21 Killer GRE Essay Quotes You Should Be Using Right Now

By Jitta Raghavender Rao • GRE Writing

“[A] quotation is a handy thing to have about, saving one the trouble of thinking for oneself, always a laborious business.” – A.A. Milne

Chances are you too know a few famous quotes, but you probably don’t use them. I know so, because I’m guilty of neglecting quotes on the GRE.

So, why should you use essay quotes on the GRE?  To start with, the right use of quotes in essays augments the power of your arguments and makes your essays appear more convincing. Plus, essays with quotes tend to score better than essays without them, because of the initial impact the use of quotes create on the reader, and help strengthen your point.

But we need to exercise prudence. Only use quotes as is, if you are convinced that paraphrasing would lower the impact or change the meaning of the original author’s words or when the argument could not be better expressed or said more succinctly.

Here is how you make sure you are doing it right.

How do I incorporate quotes into my essay?

At times, an essay can appear painfully discorded if the quotations are out of place or if the essay is too stuffed with quotes.

So, what should you do to avoid this?

A great quote plays one or more roles from the following:

• creates the initial impact on the essay grader
• makes your essay look more promising and interesting
• establishes credibility
• concludes the essay with a point to contemplate

If the quote doesn’t serve any of the above then you are forcing it into the essay and this could do more harm than good.

You should start writing your essay with a quote that lays foundation to the main idea behind the essay. This can have a major impact on the evaluator. You can also comment on the quotation in this introductory paragraph if you wish. Either way, to get a perfect score on the GRE essay, use a relevant quote strategically but don’t force it into the essay.

Can I alter the structure of the quotation?

Using the exact words from the original source is called quoting. You should quote when you believe that the way the original author expresses an idea is the most effective way to communicate the point you wish to make. If you want to borrow an idea from the author but don’t put the idea in their exact words, then it’s called paraphrasing. (but remember that you still have to cite the original author even when you are paraphrasing)

For example, Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.” You can alter the quotation on your own according to the passage, by saying: ‘To paraphrase Ronald Reagan’s famous quote, “It is easier to trust when you can verify.”‘ By doing this, you are not only citing the original author, but also gaining extra points for using your own version of the quote.

How many quotes should I use?

If you deploy a lot of quotations in your essay, it appears as though several people are talking about the topic apart from yourself. This would downplay your own voice and leaves little room for your own ideas. It is your essay and it should be your voice that needs to be heard, not some notable/famous person’s. Quote as infrequently as possible. So, don’t cram every quote you know into the essay. As a rule of thumb, refrain from using more than 2 quotes in any essay. (One in the introductory paragraph and the other if necessary in the conclusion)

How do I introduce the quote in my own words?

The last thing you would want is get your score cancelled on account of plagiarism. It’s highly recommended that you cite the author of the quotation. If you don’t cite, you may give the impression that you claim to be the original author and that could result in plagiarism. You should place the quote in double quotation marks. Here is an example usage citing the author:

Thomas Jefferson once said “The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.”

Categorization of GRE Essay Topics

The fascinating thing about the GRE essay topics is that they’re already published on the official ETS website. This may sound crazy because giving out the questions in advance is not normal. Now, use this to your advantage. You can find all the GRE essay topics on the official ETS website .

But there’s a catch! You were expecting a few, right?

Well, there are close to 200 topics in all – far too many to practice responses in advance. Also, practicing each of these topics is not advisable as it is going to take a lot of time and effort and there is no point in mugging them up. You could as well spend this time on learning some math. However, there’s a good news. Just scanning through these two lists will give you an excellent idea of the types of issues and arguments that show up on test day.

I just made things a bit easy for you, though. Most of the topics that show up on the GRE essay section can be broadly grouped into five categories.

• Government/Politics
• Sciences and Technology

So, next time when you practice writing an essay response, make sure you write at least one essay from each of these categories. And memorize a few quotes related to each one of these topics, as they will be handy.

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List of most useful essay quotes

I’ve compiled a list of easy-to-digest quotes that should help you write the perfect essay. Bookmark this page NOW for future reference.

The following quotes from great thinkers have been selected based on their relevance to common GRE essay topics and for their ease of usage.

• The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance – Socrates
• A people that value its privileges above its principles soon loses both – Dwight D. Eisenhower
• In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is – Yogi Berra
• A little inaccuracy can sometimes save a ton of explanation – H.H Munro
• Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction – E. F. Schumacher
• A consensus means that everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually – Abba Eban
• Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good – Mohandas Gandhi
• Whatever government is not a government of laws, is a despotism, let it be called what it may – Daniel Webster
• Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws – Plato
• Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing – Theodore Roosevelt
• It is dangerous to be right, when the government is wrong – Voltaire
• The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object – Thomas Jefferson
• No nation is fit to sit in judgment upon any other nation – Woodrow Wilson (28th U.S President)
• The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work – Emile Zola
• The world is full of educated derelicts – Calvin Coolidge
• A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a change to get its pants on – Winston Churchill
• It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog – Mark Twain
• Life contains but two tragedies. One is not to get your heart’s desire, the other is to get it – Socrates
• If women didn’t exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning – Aristotle Onasis
• Men are not disturbed by things, but the view they take of things – Epictetus
• As a rule, men worry more about what they can’t see than about what they can – Julius Caesar

Now, these are a handful of quotes. The goal is to memorize 5 or 6 of your favorite quotes so you’ll be able to contextually fit one into the essay on the test day. While practicing, you may look at the list of quotes found above however, if you can remember a specific quote apposite to your essay topic, try to use it – one quote for every essay.

For those avid writers, who believe the number of quotes above are too low, we have the right tool for you. Ellipsoid created a random quote generator tool that draws 5 famous quotes from Goodreads every time you reload the page. The good news is these 5 quotes are always theme based so you know where to use them.

Writing essays isn’t all about the substance. It’s the basics that many of us forget. If you are going to put in the time to practice writing essays, might as well maximize the score you could get by deploying a quote in your essays.

So, what’s your favorite quote?

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20 Comments to “21 Killer GRE Essay Quotes You Should Be Using Right Now”

i think it is difficult to remember even these 21 quotes in the exam. any tips to remember them will be helpful. thanks

Yes, it is rather difficult to remember all the 21 quotes, which is why we asked you to pick a few of your favorite ones from the list. Plus, the only way you can remember these quotes is by using them while you practice AWA essays.

Happy Studying! 🙂

I personally memorize the ones that can be useful in more than one topic, and as said learn the ones you like most.

Quote number 5… oh, Albert. You make my bricks fall off. As to you, Mr. Kaundinya, I might win a brand spankin’ new tablet thanks to your quotes. I’m sure my D.A.R.E essay will be awesome.

I found that they are advantageous,but i don’t think that i can get used of them in a short time.

thnx for these awesome quotes guys.i’m damn sure that the’ll help a looooooooot in improving my skills.

Super glad to know they helped you, Bhavya! Hope you’ll kill some essays with these quotes now. 🙂

It is really helpful

It Is Realy Inspiring $ Motivating I Am So Interested To It!

Thenks A Heap It Is Realy Inspiring And Motivating!

Yeah…awesome list

I must say you have high quality content here. Your content can go viral.

Thanks for your updates. I love your all status updates. Can you please update more for facebook . I am a big fan of you. I am waiting for your reply.

Wow! This is the fantastic technique to use quotes in essay, because this think bring something new in essay writing. I’m big fan of your after reading this article.

Very helpful

I liked those quotes

Those quotes are amazing….. I’m sure that it it will help in writting essays

Glad it helped, Merin! Feel free to message us if you have any questions! 🙂

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30 Best Quotes for Essay Writing

December 10, 2023 by Sandeep

The essay is an independent, educational, and scientific student research. In writing this paper, students master the methods and gain the ability to conduct research. In addition, essay writing helps form the student’s creative thinking, test the skills of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting literature, and formulate conclusions and suggestions.

Successful essay writing depends on strict adherence to the basic requirements. These requirements relate primarily to the scientific level of the work, its content, structure, form of presentation of the material, and design. The teacher may not accept works in violation of state standards and established requirements. Inconsistencies in the design can significantly affect the final evaluation of the work. The student’s compliance with all the requirements for writing and design of the essay instills certain skills in conducting research, which will be useful in creating other types of papers.

All of the above points are important to gain the ability to complete an essay. However, this is not an as simple type of student paper as it may seem at first glance. Students often have difficulty in both essay writing and designing. Fortunately, today everyone can find someone to write a paper online. It is only necessary to pay the set price. The best writers work for an online company DoMyEssay. To get their help, you should visit the site and request, “Please, do an essay for me.” The high quality and reliability of writing services are guaranteed for everyone.

Requirements for Quotes & References in Essay Writing

A compulsory component of any scientific work is a scientific citation. It is essential to cite the source from which the materials or individual results are borrowed or the ideas and conclusions based on which the problems, tasks, issues to which the work is devoted are developed. Such links make it possible to find relevant sources, check the accuracy of citations, obtain the necessary information about these sources.

The use of references in essays is mandatory and is used in the following cases:

• When quoting fragments of text, formulas, tables, illustrations;
• When paraphrasing, non-verbal reproduction of a fragment of another’s text;
• When analyzing the content of other publications in the text;
• When referring to other publications where the material to be discussed is more complete.

The absence of a link is a copyright infringement, and an incorrect link is considered a serious error. All sources cited in the list of references must be indicated in the text of the paper.

Importance of Correct Citation in Student Papers

The importance of citation is in the need to demonstrate the breadth of research and interest in the publications of other authors, to confirm own arguments with statements from other sources. Text borrowed from other sources is used for this purpose.

Here are three main functions that quotes perform in essay writing :

• Places your work in context, creates dialogue;
• Pay tribute to the previous work that formed the basis of your research;
• Maintains the authenticity and accuracy of scientific literature.

List of Helpful Quotes You Can Use in Your Essay Writing

Below is a list of 30 quotes you can use in your essay writing:

• The simplest example is more convincing than the most eloquent sermon (Lucius Annec Seneca);
• It is not people who need rules, but rules need people (S. Dube);
• The one who is no longer able to serve as anything serves as a good example (Andre Siegfried);
• Take an example from your elders, while they behave approximately (Jerzy Leszczynski);
• The need to set a good example for your children robs middle-aged people of all pleasure (William Feder);
• Remember: sooner or later, your son will follow your example and not your advice (Pierre Corneille);
• An example is stronger than a threat (Pierre Corneille);
• Bad examples are stronger than good rules (Joey Locke);
• You only have one life. You have to live it as fully as possible (Jojo Moyes);
• When life is good, there is no need to argue about it (Ray Bradbury);
• There are moments in life that change us once and for all (Jeffrey Deaver);
• The reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The person who never reads experiences only one (George Martin);
• On our path in life, we will meet everyone who is destined to meet us (Charles Dickens);
• What is the sense of life? Serve others and do good (Aristotle);
• Those who illuminate the lives of others will not be left without light themselves (James Matthew Barry);
• In general, I live without hesitation, so I always have fun (Francis Scott Fitzgerald);
• An example is always more powerful than a sermon (Samuel Johnson);
• When it comes to budget, everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die (Jean Chrétien);
• Violating our duty, thereby we violate our rights (Jean-Jacques Rousseau);
• You cannot talk about the budget without knowing approximately the figures of its income and expenses (Theodor Herzl);
• Civilization road paved with tax receipts (Andrew McKenzie);
• If you know how to spend less than you get, then you have the Philosopher’s Stone (Benjamin Franklin);
• Only two incentives make people work: the thirst for wages and the fear of losing them (Henry Ford);
• There is no perfection in the world (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• You are forever responsible for the one you tamed (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• It’s good where we are not (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• All adults were children at first, only a few of them remember this (Antoine de Saint-Exupery);
• Live and learn (Lucius Annec Seneca);
• The end justifies the means (Ignatius de Loyola);
• Truth is in wine (Pliny the Elder).

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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Essay on important and famous Proverb

Table of Contents

Proverb is a simple and factual saying said by the experienced and great personalities of any country over any subject. Proverbs are generally prove the real facts in the life. All the proverbs said are generally express truth or advice based on the common sense. Proverbs said by the personalities become the practical experiences of the humanity.

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Proverbs may be over discipline, health, ethics, time, education, cleanliness, hygiene, diseases, honesty, knowledge, etc. Here we have provided variety of essay on proverbs said by the famous personalities all over the world. Students can be assigned in their schools or colleges to discuss meaning, prove the fact or write some paragraphs or full essay on any proverb given by the teacher or examiner. You can select any proverb essay given below under different words limit.

What is Proverbs?

An English proverb is a short, wise saying that people use to give advice or share a truth about life. These sayings are so common that native English speakers might use them in conversations without even realizing it.

Proverbs can make it easier to explain things. For example, instead of saying, “We need to talk to the client before any other company does to be successful,” someone can simply say, “the early bird catches the worm.” Everyone will understand what they mean. Proverbs use familiar words to convey a message that everyone knows.

Proverbs are often used to make a point or share wisdom. They are different from regular speech because they use metaphors or symbols. Some proverbs are tied to specific cultures or places, but most are known and used by people from all around the world, and they get passed down from one generation to the next.

Surprisingly, some of the oldest proverbs were written by the Sumerians about 4,000 years ago. Researchers found tablets with over a thousand of these Sumerian sayings. When they translated them, they realized how timeless and universal these bits of wisdom are, showing that proverbs connect people across different times and places.

And just to be clear, English proverbs are not the same as the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.

Popular Proverbs in English for Students

• Many hands make light work: When lots of folks work together on a tough job, it doesn’t feel as tough. This saying means that when people collaborate, the work becomes simpler and gets done faster.

Strike while the iron is hot: This saying suggests that you should make the most of a good opportunity before it goes away or turns into something less favorable.

Honesty is the best policy: The right thing to do is to be truthful and honest. When you do this, people will trust and respect you.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence: People often think that others have happier and more successful lives than their own, even when things are going well for them.

Don’t judge a book by its cover: Try not to decide what you think about someone or something just by how it looks on the outside.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away: This saying suggests that eating healthy, like apples, with lots of vitamin C, helps keep us healthy and reduces trips to the doctor. In this English saying, apples represent good, nutritious food.

Better late than never: It’s often better to do something later than to never do it.

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you: Don’t mistreat the person or people you rely on or who look after you in any manner

Rome wasn’t built in a day: Great or important things require a certain amount of time to be accomplished.

Actions speak louder than words: You can judge someone’s real character by their actions, not just their words. People can talk a lot, but they might not actually do what they say.

Related Information

• Essay on Practice makes a Man Perfect for Students
• Essay on Where there is a will there is a way for students

Essay on important and famous Proverb FAQs

What is a proverb in an essay.

A proverb in an essay is a short, wise saying that imparts valuable advice or wisdom in a concise and memorable way.

How do you write a proverb in an essay?

To include a proverb in an essay, you can introduce it with a relevant context and use quotation marks, followed by an explanation of its relevance to your essay's topic.

What's a famous proverb?

A famous proverb is 'Actions speak louder than words,' which means that what people do is more important than what they say.

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List of Most Important Proverb Type Essays for Class 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12, Competitive Examinations

List of Most Important Proverb Type Essays

1) A Thing of Beauty is a Joy for Ever.

2) Manners It makethe Man.

3) Variety is the Spice of Life.

 4) Neither a Borrower nor a Lender be.

5) A Rolling Stone Gathers no Moss.

6) Heaven Helps those who Help Themselves.

7) Rome was not Built in a Day.

8) It is Never too late to Mend.

9) Parting is such Sweet Sorrow…

10) Love is a Many-splendored Thing.

11) One Good Mother is worth a Hundred School Masters

12) Delay is Dangerous.

13) Everyone complains of his Memory; None of his Judgement.

14) Time’s Winged Chariot. 15) Silence is Golden.

16) Where there is no Vision the People Perish.

17) There’s No Place like Home

18) Birds of a Feather Flock Together.

19) A Man is Known by the Company He Keeps.

20) Procrastination is the Thief of Time.

21) Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

22) Prevention is better than Cure.

23) Building Castles in the Air.

24) Early to Bed and Early to Rise…

25) Uneasy lies the Head that wears the Crown.

26) Charity begins at Home.

27) Live and let Live.

28) Love of Money is the Root of all Evil.

29) Risk not, Gain not.

30) Virtue is its own Reward.

31) Time and Tide wait for No Man.

32) As You Sow, So You Reap.

33) All that Glitters is not Gold.

34) A Stitch in Time saves Nine.

35) Truth Alone Triumphs.

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