Lately I've noticed that my English is inefficient and it makes me sound inarticulate at best. (Uneducated at worst.) Here is an example. Today I told my younger cousin this:
You shouldn't make any commitments if you're not going to see them through to the end
And then I started thinking about it. A much more efficient and nicer sounding sentence would've been:
You shouldn't commit to things you won't see through
It's shorter, more articulate and conveys the exact same message. This happens almost everyday. I find myself getting stuck mid-sentence or re-thinking sentences after I've said them.
Some background: I was born in a Spanish-speaking country and speak Spanish fluently. However, I came to the US at age 4 and haven't left since. I consider English to be my first language. I grew up in a low-income neighborhood where people mostly spoke Spanish or broken English. My mom doesn't speak English fluently and my dad does but with a strong accent and occasional blips. I don't have a college education.
I'm especially looking for something like a book. I haven't been able to find one for "efficient English." If someone could recommend something I'd be very grateful.