Cliche

A cliche is a phrase, image or idea used so often that it has lost its freshness and force, such as calling someone as brave as a lion or describing time as flying by. Because clichés are so familiar, they slip past a reader without making any real impression. They can make writing feel lazy or unoriginal.

While a cliche is instantly understood, it adds nothing memorable. Recognising clichés helps a writer replace them with fresh, precise language that actually creates an effect on the reader.

In your own writing, avoiding clichés is important because examiners reward original, precise expression and mark down tired, predictable phrasing. Replacing a cliche with a fresh image or exact detail lifts descriptive and narrative writing noticeably. In the reading paper, a writer may use a cliche deliberately, perhaps to mock a character or show dull thinking.

Recognising this can support a point about tone and characterisation.

Instead of writing her heart sank, a fresh alternative such as her stomach folded in on itself avoids the cliche and makes the feeling more vivid.

When proofreading, hunt for tired phrases and replace them with fresh, specific language that creates a real picture or feeling. In descriptive writing especially, prefer an original image to a familiar one. In analysis, if a writer uses a cliche on purpose, explain the effect, such as revealing a character's unoriginal thinking.

Do not treat it as a fault.

You may also find writing formats and annotated model responses useful. Next, visit our skills guides for IGCSE English to see terms like this used in real answers. Our IGCSE English tuition page explains how lessons run. When you are ready, the paid one-hour trial is the first step.