[Vocabulary] make it a rule to

[Yoshio]

1. I heard some people say the expression "make it a rule to" is sort of old-fashioned. Is it true?
2. If so, what word would you use instead of "rule"?
3. If translated in Japanese, the expressions "make it a rule to", "make it a point to", or "make it a habit to" are the same.
But I think there should be some differences, because each of the nouns used has a different meaning.
Are they interchangeable?

 

[Raymott]

1. I heard some people say the expression "make it a rule to" is sort of old-fashioned. Is it true?
2. If so, what word would you use instead of "rule"?
3. If translated in Japanese, the expressions "make it a rule to", "make it a point to", or "make it a habit to" are the same.
But I think there should be some differences, because each of the nouns used has a different meaning.
Are they interchangeable?

No they aren't interchangeable. If you want to mean "make it a rule", then use that phrase. Why is it old-fashioned?

 

[Yoshio]

I don't know why they say so. But if the three phrases are translated, all the translations are the same in Japanese. (-suru-koto-ni-si-te-iru).
That's why I guess many Japanese people think they are interchangeable.
Some person might have used "make it a rule" wrongly, failed to make himself understood by the other person, and started saying it was old-fashioned, or not used any more, which has spread in Japan. I don't know. But I think it is how a (false) rumor spreads.

Thank you for your quick reply, Raymott.

Yoshio