Greetings, everyone! As the new years rolls in, I am sure we are all looking forward to an opportunity to start fresh after 2020’s unprecedented turn of events. It’s been a tough one,everyone has been doing their best to pull through and for once it feels okay to get emotional. Most importantly, now more than ever, it makes all the difference to show appreciation and feel appreciated by others. So today’s post will focus on an often underrated yet hugely relevant topic: how to praise in English. Switching to home office, withstanding a prolonged period of confinement, homeschooling, attending multiple Zoom meetings, complying with sanitary protocols. Phew! I’m sure we could all use some support and praise after all that went down this year.

Praising is important in any relationship (Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay)

Praising essentially comes down to paying someone a compliment and expressing your satisfaction and admiration, and it can be a useful tool in many different contexts. In parenting, praising can be used to congratulate a child for making progress or following the rules. In business, praising is a powerful way to motivate employees and colleagues and boost their performance. Even in your friend and family circle, highlighting someone’s positive features simply makes them feel good and increases their self-esteem. So let’s jump right in!

So let’s check out the list I’ve compiled:

• Outstanding!

• You’re the best!

• Keep up the good work! / keep it up!

  

  Let someone know you’re happy about their efforts (Image by Irina L from Pixabay )

• Bravo!

• You’ve outdone yourself.

• Excellent!

• A+ Work!

• Well done!

• I’m proud of you

• That’s impressive / I’m impressed

• Congratulations (on something)

• Good for you

• Good/ great/ fantastic/ remarkable job!

• Let’s hear it for . . . / Hats off to . . .

Informal words for praising:

• You got it!

• Great stuff 

• Hats off!

• Thumbs up!

• Right On!

• Way to go!

Praising can significantly improve someone’s day (Image by 🎄Merry Christmas 🎄 from Pixabay)

When results aren’t the best, but you want to praise for encouragement:

• You Tried Hard!

• Nice effort/ Nice try

• Not really/ not exactly, but good thinking

• That’s more like it

• You Can Do It!

• Keep working on it.

• You’re on the right track!

• I’m sure you can do better!

Fantastic! I hope this can help lift our spirits for the coming year. Can you come up with any other phrases for praising someone in English? Leave your comment below! Happy 2020, everyone!