Hey everyone, how is it hanging? June is drawing to a close, but the 2022 financial crisis seems to have no end in sight. Due a number of circumstances, it is unlikely that we’ll be getting good news anytime soon. Yes, inflation is now the hot topic on everyone’s lips. Since it has affected all of us practically worldwide, talking about it is hard to avoid. 

Costs are going through the roof (Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay)

Well, if we can’t beat it for now, at least we can discuss it, right? Specialists, journalists and ordinary people alike have been sharing money-saving tips to help tackle this issue. From an educational standpoint, this kind of content can offer an insight into the English language and teach us some useful terms when it comes to speaking about the current economical situation. After all, no matter if you are having a casual bar chat with friends or speaking to a business partner, I’m sure this subject will come up eventually!

So lately I’ve been skimming through articles online not only to get informed but also to put together a glossary of relevant terms and phrases about inflation that you can use, along with some sample sentences to learn in context. So let’s get down to business? 

Adjectives, nouns, verbs and collocations to refer to the inflation and high prices:

A lot of words have been used in association with our current times, as in phrases like:

• whopping inflation

• price hikes

• consumer prices

  

  Inflation is on the rise (Image by Foto-Rabe from Pixabay)

• purchasing power

• to spike

• to surge

• to skyrocket

• to soar

• to be on the rise

• to go through the roof

• to drive up the prices/costs

Now see the examples below:

• As a result of a disruption on the supply chain, fuel prices have skyrocketed over the past months.
• The ongoing war in Ukraine has been driving up costs throughout Europe.
• Economists warn that the price of electricity could soar in the months to come.
• With inflation rates on the rise, they had to put off their hope of taking out a mortgage this year.
• My car expenses have been going through the roof lately, I think I’ll just start walking to work.
• Since the beginning of the year, rent has spiked in my area.

Rent has spiked (Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay)

Using adverbs to highlight your point

Although they might not sound as natural in other languages, English speakers are big fans of adverbs and they often use them as intensifiers.  Here’s how you can use words like drastically, sharply, significantly, alarmingly and etc. to place some emphasis:

• As consumer prices are surging in France, the purchasing power has reduced sharply.
• Two years of pandemic restrictions and lockdowns have drastically impacted the automotive industry.
• Families must face the fact that an increased cost of living might significantly alter their future plans.

More on this coming shortly! Stay tuned!