If you want to say something with fewer words in English, it’s often possible to choose more specific vocabulary. When it comes to choosing your verbs, this can impact entire phrases.

Today, I’m looking at a common issue in my fiction editing work, where we have verbs that may be accompanied by information like adverbs, prepositional phrases and even object phrases that do not add any additional detail. These can be easily trimmed if you’re working to a word count, or just want to be more efficient in your language use!

How Verbs Attract Extra Words

This can seem like a picky point, but we often see or hear verbs accompanied by information that essentially repeats something already conveyed by the action. For example, ‘shout loudly’ does not tell more than ‘shout’, as a shout is, by definition, loud. We often add such words quite instinctively, I suspect because we intend to express a specific detail without stopping to think about how we’ve already successfully expressed it. Though tricky to tackle when speaking, we can certainly look out for this when editing our writing!

The rich range of vocabulary in English gives us all sorts of nuanced choices for words – but this isn’t necessarily an advanced topic. Sometimes it is just a case of better understanding or paying attention to what verbs really mean. Through this consideration, we can shorten many verb phrases.

I’ve broken this down into three groups of example verbs that we can look out for to trim extra words: verbs which tell us the manner of what is done, verbs which tell us the direction of what is done and verbs which can tell us what is being used (i.e. implied objects). In all these cases, the extra details shown below aren’t incorrect as such, but can draw unwanted attention the verb and phrasing, which might distract your reader or listener by making them question if the additional detail is important. So, unless you want to be specifically emphatic, trimming these unnecessary words can help keep your language clean and clear.

Verbs Describing Manner

When choosing your verbs (as with all vocab!), there are typically simpler/general options and more specific, descriptive options. When you modify a general verb with an adverb, it’s often possible to instead use a different verb.

For example:

• run fast -> sprint
• talk quietly -> whisper
• liked a lot -> adored

While general verbs and adverbs have their own uses, what’s useful to recognise here is that more specific verbs are less likely to need such descriptors. If you already have a verb that describes a certain manner of action, extra description is not necessary.

For example:

• sprint [quickly]
• whisper [quietly]
• adored [a lot]

By definition, a sprint is fast, a whisper is quiet, and adoration is already extreme, so we don’t need these describing words. You can add such descriptors for emphasis, but it’s best to be aware of when and why you are doing this.

Verbs Describing Directions

Similarly, certain action verbs can by their nature express a directional aspect, making prepositions and prepositional phrases unnecessary. Such verbs might look like phrasal verbs, and fall into common usage, but they’re often just collocations. To look out for verbs that express directions, consider if the action would be unclear without a preposition.

For example:

• rise up
• crouch down
• climb up
• shout out
• dive under

This is not quite as simple as the describing verbs above, as the necessity for prepositions depends on how we’re connecting to a sentence, but without context, of all the verbs above except dive would give us the same information without the preposition. Rise must always go up and crouch down, and a shout always goes out (baring the artistic inward shout of thinking!). Without a specific context, climb generally means up, though we can also climb down. Dive, however, does not suggest a specific direction on its own – while it typically implies down, a dive can also go forward, sideways or up, or in this example under something.

Without objects and obstacles, verbs suggesting a direction can easily be simplified without prepositions. Unless you want to describe such actions in relation to something, e.g. to crouch under a table, we can mostly understand the directions of many verbs on their own.

Note, these extra prepositions don’t just apply to physical directions – more abstract verbs also can work on their own without prepositions, such as ‘add in/on’ = ‘add’.

Verbs Implying An Object

Lastly, there are verbs which by their nature tell us what is used to complete an action. People often add an object or indirect object to such verbs where it is unnecessary. This can be a trickier point to look out, but mostly I find these relate to actions that use body parts, perhaps because the verbs don’t obviously describing a body part, but typically don’t need the extra detail. For example:

• nod his head
• blink her eyes
• kick with his foot
• wave her hand
• shrug his shoulders

Unless there is something surprising or important about the object being used with such verbs, again it can sound strange or long-winded to add them. Again while this may sound picky, consider if you were to say ‘He hammered with a hammer.’ or ‘She spoke with her mouth.’ – someone who’s really paying attention could be distracted by such phrasing. Such verbs only need objects when the action is being specifically directed towards something other than the general meaning.

• She waved a flag.
• He kicked with the toe of his foot.
• She shrugged one shoulder.

Otherwise, I’d suggest keeping those verbs clean!

As I always say, this all depends on context and there are no absolutes in language, but I hope this gives some starting points for thinking about we can be more efficient in our phrasing of verbs, cutting out unnecessary words for a crisper, clearer meaning. And if you can think of other similar examples, feel free to share them in the comments below!

In today’s new article I’m taking a look at the difference between ‘all right’ and ‘alright’, something which has come up a few times for me in my editing work and a point I’ve considered probably more than I should have in my own writing. It’s possible (and somewhat demonstratively correct) to reject ‘alright’ as incorrect outright, but I personally hold this instead as a good example of how and why the English language changes over time.

First, though, a quick definition: ‘all right’ as a phrase essentially means fine, okay, in good order, and can be used as an adjective, adverb or general interjection/intensifier. It’s taken on a rather nuanced nature, making it quite flexible – and it’s one of those expressions that can, depending on our context and understanding of the speaker, have an opposite application (like ‘fine’; with the right intonation it could mean ‘excellent’ or ‘disappointing’!).

Most likely because it’s acquired such a colloquial usage, however, the words have been compounded and a new spelling has emerged. 

Is it ‘all right’ or ‘alright’?

The simple answer to this question, to ensure you’re always correct, would be to always write ‘all right’. Dictionaries generally still have this phrase listed primarily as ‘all right’, and do not necessarily include ‘alright’ at all, and you will never be wrong to write it this way.

However, ‘alright’ has emerged as a variant spelling that encompasses the phrasal use of this expression in one word, and I would say it’s correct/acceptable to use ‘alright’ as long it’s being used for this meaning, i.e. as fine, okay etc.

I actually use ‘alright’ myself to convey this colloquial phrasing, as opposed to ‘all right’, spelt out, so to differentiate between the colloquial/descriptive use and a structure that more specifically refers to grouped nouns with a quality of ‘rightness’ – i.e. when we wish to say ‘everything in this group is correct’ (or alternatively, rightward leaning/directional). Having two separate spellings used consistently here can actually aid clarity, for example in an interpretation of these sentences:

• The students were all right. (They each had the correct answers/understanding.)
• The students were alright. (They were okay.)

Mostly, such sentences should be clear depending on the context anyway, but in the rare circumstances when these separate definitions might make the difference, I think it’s a difference worth having.

However, note that in the above examples, ‘alright’ would actually be incorrect in the meaning of the first sentence, whereas ‘all right’ could work for either, so, as I’ve said above, if want to be safe, you can only use ‘all right’ and it will always be correct.

This is a great example of language adapting, though, and popular usage giving us an alternative; a little tweak that is widely accepted can gradually help demonstrate the difference between a technical structure and a colloquial phrase.

It’s interesting to me because it seems obvious and natural to use ‘alright’ in this way, but actually it’s quite a modern style. Google’s Ngram viewer demonstrates usage of ‘alright’ having only gradually been adopted in the past two decades. So, it’s something that has emerged within my lifetime. If you look at that graph, though, it’s undeniably going up, and ‘alright’ is now in use almost half as much as ‘all right’, which is relatively in decline.

The bottom line here for me is that if someone wants to use ‘alright’, there’s no reason they shouldn’t, as long as it is applied for this specific meaning. Likewise, anyone would be free to always use ‘all right’. It would be really incorrect, though, to suggest that you must use one or the other, as we can plainly see that people are already using both alternatives, and while the dictionary might still favour ‘all right’, the English-speaking world is slowly adopting ‘alright’ too.

It’s October, which means it’s time for another Halloween-themed article!

This year, I’ve gone with a tenses/reading exercise again; you can enjoy this just for the reading practice, to see some Halloween English in use, or you can test yourself on the most appropriate tenses to complete the story.

The Brown House Ghoul – English Tenses Exercise

Complete the story by choosing the most appropriate tenses form for the verbs, in the spaces provided. The answers are given below.

They say that Brown House is haunted. It (1) __________ (to stand) on top of a tall hill at the edge of town. No one (2) __________ (to live) there for forty years. But last week, on Halloween, Timmy decided to go and see for himself.

Before going out, Timmy told his parents he (3) __________ (to go) trick or treating. He used a white sheet to dress up as a ghost. After going down the main street (where he did pick up some treats), he took a side street out of town. He quickly climbed the hill and observed the house.

Brown House (4) __________ (to look) very tall, with lots of broken windows and uneven turrets. The wind was blowing, so the trees nearby swayed against it. They (5) __________ (to make) scratching noises while he watched. Timmy was scared, but pretended not to be.

Timmy climbed over the small fence and found a window that had been boarded up long ago. Now, the boards were partly broken, so he could sneak in. He climbed through and found himself in a dark, dusty room with old furniture covered in cobwebs. There was a terrible smell of something rotten. Timmy (6) __________ (to think) maybe he should leave, as this was a bad idea, but before he could go a loud groan came from somewhere deep in the house. He jumped in fear.

When the groan came again, he paused and listened more carefully. (7) __________ (to be / it) just a pipe? He could not leave without more evidence of the supernatural.

Timmy continued through a chilly hallway to an open cellar doorway. He flinched at the sound of another groan, but continued. In the doorway, he looked down a tall flight of stairs which descended into darkness. Whatever was making the noise, it (8) __________ (to come) from down there.

He waited, to be sure it was quiet again, then trod down the stairs, cringing at the sound of the steps. He saw a flicker of light, deep in the cellar, and (9) __________ (to freeze). There was a figure, hunched over a fire, dark and knobbly. A ghoul!

“Ah!” Timmy cried in fear and the figure turned towards him. He saw a terrible gnarled face, old and warty, and he ran. He tripped over the steps but kept going. He charged through the house and threw himself through the boarded window. Outside, he sprinted towards the fence, and tried to jump it – but was stuck! His ghost outfit was caught and he couldn’t get free. He looked back and shrieked.

The big, creepy figure (10) __________ (to come) out of the house, very tall, very dark!

Timmy tore at his ghost costume, almost free, and fell off the fence with a bump. His knee hurt, so he was slow to get up, and suddenly a shadow swept over him. The ghoul was right there!

“Don’t eat me!” Timmy pleaded and the monster laughed. Not a mean laugh, nor monstrous. Timmy looked up again, uncertainly. The thing standing over him was not a monster but a man, he saw, wrapped in many layers of clothing. The person held out a hand, and in it was Timmy’s trick-or-treat bucket, which he (11) __________ (to drop). Timmy carefully took it back and the man smiled.

He understood then, that this person was merely living in the house, hidden, where no one went because they were scared it was haunted. But Timmy asked, quietly, “Why (12) __________ (you / to groan)? Are you hurt?”

The man shrugged and shook his head. “Just having a groan. (13) __________ (you / to tell) anyone I’m here?”

Timmy considered this. He (14) __________ (to brave) the haunted house and revealed its secret, but this man did not seem to be doing any harm. And it would be a better story if he told everyone there was a ghoul. He shook his head and held up his trick-or-treat bucket again, to offer a sweet. The man smiled and took a treat.

They still say that Brown House is haunted.

The Brown House Ghoul Answers

Below is the complete passage with the verbs in their correct forms. Some of these are flexible, but these are what I considered the most appropriate forms, considering the context and where verbs might be ongoing/interrupted.

They say that Brown House is haunted. It (1) stands on top of a tall hill at the edge of town. No one (2) has lived there for forty years. But last week, on Halloween, Timmy decided to go and see for himself.

Before going out, Timmy told his parents he (3) was going trick or treating. He used a white sheet to dress up as a ghost. After going down the main street (where he did pick up some treats), he took a side street out of town. He quickly climbed the hill and observed the house.

Brown House (4) looked very tall, with lots of broken windows and uneven turrets. The wind was blowing, so the trees nearby swayed against it. They (5) were making scratching noises while he watched. Timmy was scared, but pretended not to be.

Timmy climbed over the small fence and found a window that had been boarded up long ago. Now, the boards were partly broken, so he could sneak in. He climbed through and found himself in a dark, dusty room with old furniture covered in cobwebs. There was a terrible smell of something rotten. Timmy (6) thought maybe he should leave, as this was a bad idea, but before he could go a loud groan came from somewhere deep in the house. He jumped in fear.

When the groan came again, he paused and listened more carefully. (7) Was it just a pipe? He could not leave without more evidence of the supernatural.

Timmy continued through a chilly hallway to an open cellar doorway. He flinched at the sound of another groan, but continued. In the doorway, he looked down a tall flight of stairs which descended into darkness. Whatever was making the noise, it (8) was coming from down there.

He waited, to be sure it was quiet again, then trod down the stairs, cringing at the sound of the steps. He saw a flicker of light, deep in the cellar, and (9) froze. There was a figure, hunched over a fire, dark and knobbly. A ghoul!

“Ah!” Timmy cried in fear and the figure turned towards him. He saw a terrible gnarled face, old and warty, and he ran. He tripped over the steps but kept going. He charged through the house and threw himself through the boarded window. Outside, he sprinted towards the fence, and tried to jump it – but was stuck! His ghost outfit was caught and he couldn’t get free. He looked back and shrieked.

The big, creepy figure (10) was coming out of the house, very tall, very dark!

Timmy tore at his ghost costume, almost free, and fell off the fence with a bump. His knee hurt, so he was slow to get up, and suddenly a shadow swept over him. The ghoul was right there!

“Don’t eat me!” Timmy pleaded and the monster laughed. Not a mean laugh, nor monstrous. Timmy looked up again, uncertainly. The thing standing over him was not a monster but a man, he saw, wrapped in many layers of clothing. The person held out a hand, and in it was Timmy’s trick-or-treat bucket, which he (11) had dropped. Timmy carefully took it back and the man smiled.

He understood then, that this person was merely living in the house, hidden, where no one went because they were scared it was haunted. But Timmy asked, quietly, “Why (12) were you groaning? Are you hurt?”

The man shrugged and shook his head. “Just having a groan. (13) Are you going to tell anyone I’m here?”

Timmy considered this. He (14) had braved the haunted house and revealed its secret, but this man did not seem to be doing any harm. And it would be a better story if he told everyone there was a ghoul. He shook his head and held up his trick-or-treat bucket again, to offer a sweet. The man smiled and took a treat.

They still say that Brown House is haunted.

As always let me know if you have any thoughts or questions!

I had an idea to write an article discussing the difference between flexible and inflexible language rules, and when it matters to be precise or not. This is a broad and nuanced topic, which veers into matters of opinion, and I realised first it would be more useful to define some important language relating to it: what does it mean to be objective or subjective?

Objective and subjective are adjectives that are antonyms, two words with opposite meanings, essentially respectively relating to whether something is based on fact/evidence or opinion. These are important terms in general that seem more relevant today than ever, as fact and opinion get blurred and manipulated in mass media. They are also two terms that get confused by native speakers, so it’s worth discussing which is which, and how you might remember the difference.

What does objective mean?

Objective, in relation to perspectives, information, ideas and opinions, describes something that is verifiable, provable or evidence-based. In simple terms, it is something that is neutrally and unarguably true. It is based on real, object-based ideas that are not influenced by perspective or opinion.

What does subjective mean?

Subjective, for an opposite meaning, describes something that is taken from a particular point of view or perspective. It may be opinion-based or influenced by the observer. In simplest terms, subjective is a stance that depends on how it is viewed.

Objective and Subjective in Use

To illustrate the difference, here are some example statements:

• My car has four wheels. (objective, this is easily countable)
• My car is cool. (subjective, this is a matter of opinion)
• Our team are going to win the game. (subjective, unconfirmed)
• Our team won the game. (objective, it is complete fact)

And here are two examples of how an “objective decision” might be used accurately or inaccurately:

• We checked 15 different waters and made an objective decision to buy the one with the lowest level of sodium. (accurate; this decision is based on numerical data, so is not opinion-based)
• We watched all the debates and made an objective decision to vote for Jim. (inaccurate; as this involves a decision based on forming an opinion, it remains subjective)

How to remember the difference?

Both words have roots in metaphysical philosophy, making their origins a little abstract to many people, but I think for language learners a familiarity with subjects and objects helps explain the terms. This is open a bit to interpretation, not exactly a dictionary definition, but is a grammar-based (subjective!) idea I have for clarifying the difference:

Subjective clearly relates to the subject, that is the doer, the focal point of any sentence. The subject of a sentence can change, and necessarily generates change, thus when you think of something being subjective, you may also consider that it depends on who/what the subject is. The choice of subject decides the point of view or perspective, and thus subjective ideas are flexible/changeable.

Objective relates to an object, something that is definable and is not open to interpretation. We use object here as something real and fixed. If the subject is always doing something, undergoing some kind of action, the object is (at least grammatically) not moving and unchanging. It might be affected as a result of the actions, but an object does not present its own perspective – indeed it cannot, for a sentence to make sense.

Subjective and Objective Language Rules

I’d like to expand on this topic as it relates to English language in a broader article later, but briefly, these differences are worth keeping in mind whenever learning something new, or when you are correcting or being corrected. Language is a flexible thing, so the way we communicate, and what effective communication is, is necessarily, for the most part, subjective. It can adapt depending on where you are, who you are talking to and both how and what you want to convey.

However, to communicate we must also have agreed boundaries and common ground that will make sense as universally as possible. This means certain elements of language may arguably be seen as objectively true rules, or as close as can be possible, while others are subjective. There’s a sliding scale for this, but for example conjugation and spelling rules are necessarily mostly objective (though variations emerge) so we can immediately understand the meaning of specific words. Some punctuation rules can appear objectively understood, where their use is clear and their misuse will create confusion (for example, a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark clearly tells us a sentence is complete), while others may be subjective, where different styles can either convey the same thing (such as using either single or double quotation marks) or might deliberately create subtly different effects. Some uses of the aspects of the tenses, meanwhile, may be objectively understood (the past simple showing a complete past action) while others may be subjective (using the present continuous for a state or feeling).

I’ll revisit this with more detail soon, I hope, but in short it’s something to be aware of and vigilant over! In the meantime, I hope this introduction has helped present and clarify these two very useful words, objective and subjective!

I have finally completed my Idioms and Sayings series with a third exercise covering some common expressions in English. Sorry it’s taken me a couple of years to get back to this – it’s mostly because I forgot, but also the rest of the list went missing!

As a reminder, I’ve created a list of 45 popular sayings which I’ve split into 3 short exercises, and this is the final one. The first idioms exercise includes a more detailed introduction to idioms and sayings, and you can see the second exercise here.

Otherwise, let’s get going!

Idioms, Sayings and Proverbs Exercise 3

This is a simple exercise to try and get you thinking creatively about idioms and sayings. Below are 15 idioms and sayings, with example sentences. Can you guess their meanings? You may know the answers to some of these, but if not try and consider the possible message of the saying, then consider its purpose in the example sentence.

1. Beat around the bush

He seems to want something but he keeps talking about the weather; I wish he would stop beating around the bush and let me know what he really wants.

2. Cut corners

The bridge was unstable because the builders cut corners when they bought cheap materials.

3. Hit the sack

I’m too tired to watch TV tonight, I think I’ll just hit the sack.

4. No pain, no gain

My gym instructor never lets me take a break when things get hard, she just reminds me no pain, no gain!

5. The last straw

Our noisy neighbours are always playing music, but last night they didn’t stop until 2 a.m. It is the last straw – I am going to complain!

6. Speak of the Devil

“Howard is wearing the brightest pink shirt today, have you seen it? Oh, speak of the Devil, here he comes!”

7. Time flies when you’re having fun

We didn’t realise how long we had been playing board games until the clock struck midnight. Time flies when you’re having fun!

8. Back to the drawing board

Shirley tried to fix her cake by adding more sugar, but when it became too sweet she decided to go back to the drawing board and start a new one.

9. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it

It’s possible that there won’t be a taxi waiting for us outside the station, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

10. Wrap your head around something

I find it hard to wrap my head around some of the ideas in science fiction novels, but I still really enjoy the adventures!

11. Bite the bullet

Frederick had been hesitating for months, but he finally decided to bite the bullet and asked her to marry him.

12. You can say that again

“This is the best coffee I’ve ever tasted!”

“You can say that again, I love it!”

13. To make matters worse

Tim was already late for the meeting, and to make matters worse the elevators weren’t working.

14. So far so good

Only one more idiom left to learn, so far so good…

15. Call it a day

And now we’ve reached the end of my 45 sayings, we can call it a day!

Answers (Idiom and Saying Definitions)

Below are suggested definitions for the idioms and sayings; you may find some are slightly nuanced, and can carry extra meaning depending on how people use them. Many of these have slightly longer phrasing which me be adapted or shortened, and note that some will mostly be used in the negative.

1. Beat around the bush: to avoid doing/saying something; typically used in the negative (e.g. “Don’t/stop beating around the bush.”)
2. Cut corners: to do something badly/incompletely, usually to save time
3. Hit the sack: to go to bed (similarly “hit the hay”)
4. No pain, no gain: it takes hard work/effort/sacrifice to succeed/improve
5. The last straw: something that breaks your patience, i.e. the final problem in a number of them that leads to action
6. Speak of the Devil: said when someone appears who is being talked about
7. Time flies when you’re having fun: time seems to go quicker when you are enjoying yourself
8. Back to the drawing board: start again from the beginning
9. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it: suggestion to leave a problem for later
10. Wrap your head around something: try to understand something
11. Bite the bullet: to do something you don’t want to
12. You can say that again: said to demonstrate agreement
13. To make matters worse: something that makes a bad situation even worse
14. So far so good: said when things are progressing well
15. Call it a day: to decide to stop doing something

That’s it then, the full 45 at last! Do check out the other exercises if you haven’t and come back to these expressions as they’ll help you sound natural. Any questions, do ask below.

I’ve touched on prefixes and suffixes a little in the past, and when I was asked if it’s possible to form adjectives from verbs it made me think of a suffix that deserves an article of its own: -y.

The letter -y appears at the end of many words in English, but can also be added as a suffix to create new words with one of two main functions: to indicate something with the qualities of its root word, or for an informal and typically endearing naming convention. (Note though, don’t mix this up with the suffix -ly, used to form adverbs!)

Let’s go through both of these in a bit more detail.

Using the suffix -y to form adjectives

The first formation I was interested in is how adding -y at the end of a word can create an adjective that embodies the qualities of the root word. This is the reverse of what I covered with creating nouns from adjectives, as we can start with a noun and add -y for a describing word characterised by the noun. For words with short vowels, where we have a single vowel followed by a single consonant, we may double the consonant or add another consonant (e.g. change -c to -cky). For words that end in -e, we may replace the -e with the -y.

For example:

• might -> mighty
• point -> pointy
• fun -> funny
• panic -> panicky
• ease -> easy

It is also possible to create adjectives with the characteristics of an action, so we can form adjectives by adding -y to verbs in the same way. For example:

• run -> runny
• stick -> sticky
• wind -> windy (this also works as a heteronym in noun/adjective form for a different meaning!)

You may have similar nouns/verbs with a -y adjective that relates to either root, such as ‘glue -> gluey’.

Using the suffix -y with names

The other main use of -y in English is to create endearing or intimate alternative names for nouns, though this use may instead have the spelling -ie (it sounds the same, and sometimes either spelling is possible and can be a matter of preference). Again, we may double or vary consonants to connect this suffix.

This suffix is often used to expand short words, usually ones with one syllable, but it can also be used to shorten longer words or phrases.

• bird -> birdy
• Bill -> Billy
• sweet -> sweetie
• Victoria -> Vicky
• goalkeeper -> goalie
• bad guy -> baddy / baddie
• sick day -> sicky / sickie

This mostly has a diminutive quality, that is, altering a word to convey endearment, intimacy or smallness, and as such it gets used a lot for informal nicknames, pet names and slang. Note those last two examples; it lightens the rather negative roots of “bad guy” and “sick day”.

When can you use the -y suffix?

As with a lot of spelling and word formation rules in English, the simplest answer to when you can use this suffix in practice is, unfortunately, it depends. There is no easy rule to tell you if it’s possible to create a new adjective or noun with -y, nor whether the noun form should be spelt with -ie. To be accurate, you may have to use a dictionary and learn these words, though with people’s names you may have to simply ask.

That is true of formal and official English, at least, but it’s a suffix that’s otherwise used very flexibly informally. English speakers can actually add it, informally, to anything. When we add that -y sound to words, it’s typically for one of these two uses, to form a characterised adjective or an endearing name, and sometimes it’s used exactly because there isn’t a specific adjective that feels appropriate.

Someone might adds -y to any word in these ways, and by understanding this suffix we can interpret the meaning. You’ll have to watch out for the context on this, as the adjective form can also be used on names!

• That’s a very teachery advice. (i.e. the sort of thing a teacher would say)
• That’s a very Simony shirt. (i.e. the sort of shirt Simon would wear)

This is not formal English, and may produce words you won’t find in any dictionary (sometimes even words that no one else would use!), but it is rather common practice, and you can make sense of it if you watch out for those -ys.