You love to travel. A lot of travelers don't
change how they act in different countries. But you like to act like the people
who live in that country. You're explaining this idea to an acquaintance who
asked about your travels.
Personally, I try to adhere to
local customs whenever possible.
You may have heard that there's a difference
between "try to (do something)" and "try (doing
something)". In general, you should talk about a goal after
"try to ___":
Try to get there by 10:00.
I try to make everyone feel
comfortable when I host a party.
And talk about a method to
reach a goal with "try ___ing":
I can never sleep on an
airplane. I've tried listening to relaxing music, taking sleeping pills,
staying up the night before. Nothing seems to work.
This is a way to share your opinion. You start
with "Personally..." to show that you're not telling the listener
what to do, but simply sharing your own experiences or ideas:
Personally, I think it's a bad
idea.
Personally, I try not to get
involved in other people's arguments.
But watch out: even if you add
"Personally..." to communicate that you're only sharing your personal
opinion, people might still get annoyed that you're telling them what to do.
To "adhere to" a rule means to follow
it:
Monks adhere to a strict
religiious code.
Journalists are supposed to
adhere to certain rules of ethics.
We don't usually use "adhere to" to
talk about laws. Instead, we use it to talk about rules that come from a
religion, a philosophy, or a culture.
"Customs" are unwritten rules that
people follow in a culture or society. Here are some examples of customs:
· In Western business culture, people shake hands the first time they meet.
· In many countries, you are supposed to take your shoes off when you enter
someone's home.
When we talk about the customs in a country or
region we are visiting, we call them "local customs".
The phrase "whenever possible" means
"as much as you can". Use it like this:
I like to eat healthy whenever
possible.
Whenever possible, try to let
me know ahead of time if you're going to be out of the office.