1 Hi Loyolites, Your interest in polishing your English is

Transcription

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Hi Loyolites,
Your interest in polishing your English is commendable indeed. And, take it from me,
your linguistic proficiency and confidence will improve many times over if you keep up your
present enthusiasm.
By the time you go for higher/professional education, you will have gained an
enviable command of language, and that will make a major difference to your life in the years
to come.
Just imagine where you will be in 2020. Most probably, you will be occupying some
important position of authority and prestige. You deserve to. If you put in a little extra effort
now, others will treat you then with greater respect and admiration (and no subordinate/
superior officer with better command of language will make you uneasy or diffident).
Did you notice that I said ‗a little extra effort‘? That‘s it; I mean it. Given your
present command of language and level of motivation, you don’t have to struggle hard at all
for absolute mastery.
All that you have to do is to identify and avoid a few mistakes that have crept in for
whatever reason, and then go on enriching your language at a leisurely pace, never in undue
haste. Do not punish yourself with too much effort: do it with enjoyment. Don‘t bite more
than what you can chew at a time.
For this reason, I have divided the material into smaller modules of twenty questions.
One module is meant for one week.
In every module, there will also be something related to pronunciation or other
nuances of the language. The ideal practice is to make use of a good dictionary and find out
the answers yourself. If your search fails, I will supply you with the answers later.
A piece of advice at the outset: you will certainly show improvement on a daily basis,
but never be a show-off. You just practise what you have learned anew, but never try to make
fun of others who might commit mistakes. Never forget that all of us will have large areas of
darkness left in us however hard we study for decades. It is true of teachers too, me certainly
for one. Be most tolerant of mistakes in others and always remember that others are far ahead
of us in many areas.
Please feel free to keep in touch with me as long as you want to. When the contact is
over the Internet, please make sure that you never use the stupid stenographic sort of
language used in SMS these days. (like: hv R U sr tdy?). Sure enough, such stuff might serve
a different purpose for the careless and the busy, but it will gradually corrupt your English. If
ever I receive any message of this kind, I will just consign you to the spam tray and you will
not be able to reach me anymore. One more thing, please do not forward any message you
have received from somewhere else, however important or interesting it might appear to you.
Wishing you the best,
James Thomas
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Now, turn to the next page for the questions and answers and the hints.
James Thomas,Loyola School, Trivandrum
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MODULE 1
SENTENCE CORRECTION: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Mary is one of the brightest girl in the class.
Ans: - Mary is one of the brightest girls in the class. (Hint:- one of + plural noun)
2. China has more fighter aircrafts than India.
Ans: - China has more fighter aircraft than India. (Hint:- The plural form of aircraft is the same
as the singular form. Some other nouns with the same form for the singular as for the plural are:
spacecraft, hovercraft, offspring, sheep, deer, fish, mackerel, trout, salmon, grouse, etc.)
3. The film‟s first part is dull.
Ans:- The first part of the film is dull. (Hint:- Inanimate nouns (i.e., names of lifeless objects)
do not take ….‟s for the possessive form. They take the of genitive. It is wrong to say (i) The
table‟s leg, (ii) the building‟s roof, (iii) the book‟s cover. The correct forms are: (i) The legs of the
table, (ii) the roof of the building, (iii) the cover of the book)
4. She has been playing the violin since she was eight years.
Ans:- She has been playing the violin since she was eight (or eight years old or eight years of
age) (Hint:- When stating someone‟s age, use just a number, or a number + years old, or a
number + years of age)
5. He is alright and will be discharged from hospital tomorrow.
Ans:- He is all right and will be discharged from hospital tomorrow. (Hint:- Alright is possible
in American English, but in British English all and right are written as two separate words)
6. His grand-mother is eighty.
Ans:- His grandmother is eighty. (Hint:- Grandmother is written as a single word. Some other
similar words are: grandfather, grandparent, countryside, headquarters, wildlife, workforce, worthwhile,
basketball, baseball, football, softball, homeland, homesick, underground, raincoat, girlfriend, boyfriend, airport,
businessperson, businessman, businesswoman, and furthermore.)
7. He joined the new school at the begining of the second term.
Ans:- He joined the new school at the beginning of the second term. (Hint:-Make a note of the
doubling of „n‟ . Some other words students often misspell are: referred, preferred, occurred,
transferred, separately, accommodation, definitely, immediately, forty, truly, therefore, foresee, pronunciation,
embarrass, harass, casualty, occasion, indispensable, gauge, tuition, and hypocrisy)
8. The famous writer and orator are seated on the dais.
Ans:- The famous writer and orator is seated on the dais. OR, The famous writer and the
orator are seated on the dais. (Hint:- There is only one definite article (the) in the given
sentence. Therefore, there is only one person who is a writer as well as an orator. If we are
referring to two persons, we should say: The famous writer and the orator are seated on the
dais. Also note that the word dais is most often mispronounced. For the time being, that is, till
you learn the phonetic symbols, pronounce it „day-iss‟. Since the word „day‟ also is very often
mispronounced, here is another suggestion: „dais‟ sounds like the first four letters of the name
Daisy)
9. The scissor that tailors use is very sharp.
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Ans:- The scissors that tailors use are very sharp. (Hint:- Scissors is a plural noun. Names of
things that have two parts forming a kind of pair are used only in the plural. e.g., bellows, tongs,
pincers, spectacles, trousers, breeches, jeans, tights, shorts, and pyjamas/pajamas. We may, however, say: A
pair of scissors is…)
10. The Chief Minister, along with many MLAs, have visited the flood-affected areas.
Ans:- The Chief Minister, along with many MLAs, has visited the flood-affected areas. (Hint:When two nouns are connected using connectors like besides, including, in addition to, with, along with,
as well as, and accompanied by, the verb should agree with the first noun. In the given sentence, the
first noun (Minister) is singular and so we use has. Note the change when the sentence is recast:
Many MLAs, along with the Chief Minister, have visited the flood-affected areas)
11. Fifty miles are a long distance for morning walk.
Ans:- Fifty miles is a long distance for morning walk. (Hint:- When nouns expressing periods of
time, amounts of money, or quantities are considered as a single unit, singular verbs are used. From
the context it is clear that we are thinking of the total distance as a single unit. So we require the
singular verb (is). Additional examples: (i) 800 runs is a target difficult to chase in a 20-20 match.
(ii) 500 kg is a huge weight for an old man to lift. (iii) Three years is too long a period to wait.)
12. It is high time you revise the lessons.
Ans:- It is high time you revised the lessons. (Hint:- Time/ high time + past tense)
13. Who all are they and what all are they going to do here?
Ans:- Who are they and what are they going to do here? (Hint:- And all, Who all and what all
are not standard British English though they are very often used in Indian English.)
14. I and he intend to leave to USA next year.
Ans: He and I intend to leave for the USA next year. (Hint:- (1)English usage requires that
when a person speaks of himself and others, he must mention the other person or persons first.
Also, note that if any unpleasant fact is involved, the speaker mentions himself first. e.g., I and
you deserve the punishment. (2) You go to a place, but you leave for a place. (3) Use the
definite article (the) with any country whose name includes words like state, union, republic, or
kingdom. (e.g., the United Kingdom, the People‟s Republic of China)
15. You need a valid license to drive a car.
Ans: You need a valid licence to drive a car (Hint:- License is the American spelling)
16. He could not perform well because of many reasons.
Ans: He could not perform well for many reasons. (Hint:- Reason is because is a useless repetition
because the word reason denotes cause)
17. Both of them did not go to the school.
Ans:- Neither of them went to school (Hint:- Both is changed to neither in a negative sentence.
Also, note that the is not used before school, church, and hospital if their primary purpose
is meant. e.g., You go to hospital for treatment, but you go to the hospital to visit a patient
there)
18. Michael played a very good play.
Ans: Michael played a very good game. (Hint:- In English, the use of a cognate object (i.e., an
object having a closely related meaning as the verb) is not common, but restricted to only a few
expressions such as to sing a fine song, to fight a good fight, to dream a strange dream, to live a long life, and
to die a sad death)
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19. In fact India is fast becoming a global power.
Ans:- India is fast becoming a global power (Hint:- Do not use in fact or as a matter of fact in
general or introductory statements. It is used to develop a previous statement. e.g., The winter of
1940 was very bad. In fact it was the worst winter of the century)
20. The two first pages of the book is torn.
Ans: The first two pages of the book are torn. (Hint:- Ordinal numbers (first, second, third…)
should come before cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3….)
PRONUNCIATION TIPS
Foreword:You have perhaps noticed the fact that Malayalam is spoken differently in
different parts of Kerala. (Isn’t Mamukoya’s Malayalam different from Innocent’s?) The
same is true of English too: there is considerable regional variation and maybe, no two
Englishmen speak alike. In order to forge some uniformity by minimising the difference,
RP* is accepted as the standard pronunciation. (*RP = Received Pronunciation, that is,
the pronunciation heard among educated Englishmen in and around London. The BBC
follows RP). It does not mean that there is anything holy about RP or that other
pronunciations are wrong. In a sense, all pronunciations are correct as long as they are
intelligible to the listeners. So RP is just like GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) in so far as
both are meant to be points of reference. Having said this, I would like to emphasise
four points:
(i) Students at schools/colleges/universities in India are supposed to follow RP.
(That American pronunciation is quite popular or might replace standard British
pronunciation is a matter altogether different. The best thing is that you know
about the difference and switch over to the American style only when you talk to
an American)
(ii) However hard we try for decades, the influence of our mother tongue will
linger and it will be very difficult for us to approximate to the standard British
pronunciation. All that is possible is to make a little progress in the way we
articulate words. But that ‘little’ will make a lot of difference.
(iii) Never grow diffident because your pronunciation is not as good as that of
someone else in your class or at school or elsewhere. Many students have
confessed to me that they grow diffident or uncomfortable when they talk to X or
Y or Z because their (X/Y/Z’s) English is impeccable and their accent, enviable.
You should overcome all such negative thoughts. I know some of these envied
‘Englishmen’ on our campus and would like to assure you that they actually
speak cowboy English and not standard British English.
(iv) The more you learn about pronunciation, the more tolerant should you be of
other people’s mistakes. We have no right to make fun of others who might
mispronounce words. In spite of all the effort we put in and the progress we
make, we are most likely to mispronounce a large number of words every day.
You will find a few such words in each module. Make use of a good dictionary
(like Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English or Advanced Learners, for instance) and
learn the correct/current pronunciation. If you have any difficulty in following the
phonetic symbols used, refer to the first part of the dictionary where they are explained.
Feel free to ask for any additional help. (Students interested in quiz competitions or with
great academic/ professional ambition are advised to have a personal copy of Oxford
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BBC Guide to Pronunciation by Lena Olausson and Catherine Sangster. Its current price is
Rs.225)
I might occasionally underline parts of some words and drop a fairly easy hint
(but not a very scientific or accurate one). It is just to generate your curiosity. Please
don’t be satisfied with such partial hints: discover more details yourself. And sometimes
I might group a few words/names together—for reasons you might appreciate later. If
you apply your intelligence, you will be able to find some clear pattern in the words so
grouped. Do some ‘reverse engineering’ and formulate some sensible laws, and then
compare your discovery with the hint I might drop in the next module. For best results,
do your part of the work first and then only look at the hints.
In every module I might include a few unfamiliar words too. They are meant to
improve your vocabulary and general knowledge which might stand you in good stead
later.
And, a piece of advice: Do not punish yourself with too much effort; take up only
one module at a time and master it before going to the next one. Guard yourself against
the possibility of your present enthusiasm fizzling out in no time.
I will listen to your feedback and, if necessary, follow a different format for the
future modules.
PRONUNCIATION TIPS: MODULE 1
algae (see-weed) --jee
nuisance -- nyoo
seismic (relating to earthquakes) --sai
epoch (period of time) --ee
era (period of history) ear
marine --reen
anopheles (mosquito)-- leez
aorta (main artery of the body) –ay (as in May)
ampere (unit of electric current) --air
acetic acid (acid in vinegar) - seet
amoebae (single-celled animals) --- bee
amino (class of acids) --mee
diabetes (kind of disease)--beeteez
acoustic (relating to sound) --koo
adage (proverb) -- ij
ad infinitum (to infinity) –nait
SPECIAL GROUP OF WORDS/ NAMES FOR YOUR CRITICAL ANALYSIS.
Achilles (Greek mythological character)—leez
Archimedes (Greek mathematician)—meedeez
Sophocles (Greek dramatist) --kleez
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MODULE 2
21. Try to perform more better next time.
Ans: Try to perform better next time. (Hint:-Double comparative. Better will do because it is
the comparative of good)
22. When he will return back, I shall say him everything.
Ans:- When he returns, I shall tell him everything. (Hint:- (1) If the verb in the main clause is
in the future tense, the verb in the time clause must be in the present tense. (2) Return back is a
useless repetition because return means come back. (3) We use say when we refer to a person‟s
actual words, and in indirect speech if the sentence does not contain an indirect object. We use
tell in indirect speech when the sentence contains an indirect object. (The direct object is the
answer to the question What? while the indirect object is the answer to the question Whom?.
Tell what? Answer: Tell everything. Tell whom? Answer: Tell him. Here, everything is the direct
object and him is the indirect object)
23. Thomas, Ravi, Sunil and etc. are on the Board of Directors.
Ans: Thomas, Ravi, Sunil and others are on the Board of Directors. (Hint:- etc is the short
form of et cetera, a Latin phrase meaning and other things. So, and etc. is a useless repetition.
Moreover, the reference here is not to things but to persons. The Latin equivalent of and others
is et al. It is better to avoid using etc. or et al.
24. According to me, all nuclear weapons should be destroyed.
Ans: In my opinion, all nuclear weapons should be destroyed. (Hint:-We use according to to
report another person‟s opinion or statement, not our own)
25. She played the violin yesterday very beautifully at the concert.
Ans: She played the violin very beautifully at the concert yesterday. (Hint:- Remember the MPT
rule: The correct sequence is adverbs of Manner, Place and Time (How, where, when)
26. Meet the concerned clerk for the certificate.
Ans:- Meet the clerk concerned for the certificate. (Hint:- When placed before a noun,
concerned means anxious; after a noun it means connected or involved)
27. There is a beautiful and old church in Goa.
Ans: There is a beautiful old church in Goa. (Hint:-Do not use and between two adjectives
that come before a noun unless they describe similar qualities, as in: (i) a red and green umbrella
(two colours), (ii) a gold and silver bracelet (two materials), (iii) a hunting and fishing knife (two
functions)
28. I read it in one and a half hour.
Ans: I read it in one and a half hours. (Hint:- In English, the plural must be used with anything
greater than one even if it is less than two)
29. Your cloth is an excellent fit.
Ans: Your clothes are an excellent fit. (Hint:- Cloth is the material of which clothes are made.
Also, note that in the sense of dress, clothes has no singular and it is not used with numerals.
That is, do not say one clothe, two clothes, fifteen clothes)
30. The fire caused many damages.
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Ans: The fire caused much damage. (Hint:- The plural form damages means compensation.
e.g., The insurance company paid him damages)
31. Tom as well as George are coming.
Ans: Tom as well as George is coming. (Hint:- Two singular nouns joined by as well as require
the verb to be singular)
32. My brother is good in Mathematics.
Ans: My brother is good at Mathematics (Hint:- Also, clever at, quick at, slow at; but, weak in)
33. He is independent from his parents.
Ans: He is independent of his parents (Hint:- But we say dependent on…)
34. He presided in the last meeting.
Ans: He presided at (or over) the last meeting.
35. The Minister congratulated him for his success.
Ans: The Minister congratulated him on his success.(Also note that congratulations is used as a
plural noun)
36. He was wounded in a motor accident.
Ans: He was injured (or hurt) in a motor accident. (Hint:- People are wounded in battle or
war, but hurt or injured in an accident)
37. I have not seen him today morning.
Ans: I have not seen him this morning. (Hint:- Also, avoid phrases like today afternoon, today
evening, yesterday night, this night. Say this afternoon, this evening, last night, tonight instead)
38. Try to translate this sentence to Malayalam.
Ans: Try to translate this sentence into Malayalam.
39. It is a secret between I and you.
Ans: It is a secret between you and me. (Hint:- Between is a preposition. Normally,
prepositions take the objective case after them)
40. Himalayas is covered by snow.
Ans: The Himalayas is covered with snow. (Hint:- The must be placed before names of
mountain ranges, oceans, rivers, seas, bays, gulfs, groups of islands, countries or provinces
consisting of an adjective and a noun. e.g., the Alps, the Pacific, the Ganges, the Mediterranean,
the Bay of Biscay, the Persian Gulf, the Dodecanese, the United States of America, the Central
Provinces of India)
student/ studio — styoo
athlete -leet
adjacent (lying near, adjoining) — jay
Pharoah (the ruler of ancient Egypt) — fair
amateur (a person who engages in a pursuit as a pastime rather than a profession).
Find the correct pronunciation yourself.
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niche (a shallow recess, especially in a wall, to contain a statue etc.) — neesh
genre (a kind or style, especially of art or literature) —zha
antecedent (a preceding thing or circumstance) — seed
annihilate (completely destroy; defeat utterly) —nai-il-ate
almond (a kind of tree or its oval nutlike seed) — am
alder (a kind of tree) — old
aegis (auspices, protection) — eej
bougainvillea (common tropical plant with coloured bracts) — boog
If you discover any underlying principle or pattern in these groups of words, try to
add two more words/names to each group. Soon you will find that the search is as
interesting and informative as philately (stamp collection). Just one suggestion: if
you want to find out a few more French names ending in ‘ois’ or ‘oir’ or ‘et’ and do
not know where to search for them, why not look up an article on French painting or
French literature in Encyclopedia Britannica or go to wikipedia.org?
en route to (French: on the way to) — on
en bloc (French: in a block; all at the same time; wholesale) — on
en masse (French: all together; in a mass) — on
Arbois (French city) — bwa
Francois Broucher (French painter) — swa
soirée (French: an evening party or gathering) — swa-ray
Jean Renoir (French film director) — nwa
Benoit Mandelbrot (Polish-French mathematician) — nwa
Manoir (large French country house ) — nwa
Marie Antoinette (former French queen, wife of Louis XIV) — twa
Claude Monet (French painter)— nay
Jean Genet (French novelist) — nay
Edouard Manet (French painter) — nay
Maurice Martenot (French pianist and inventor) — no
Camille Carot (French painter) — ro
Jean-Frederic Joliot (French nuclear physicist) –zha(ng)-fray-day-reek-zhol-yoh
*Note on the special group of names in Module 1:- You have perhaps made an
intelligent guess that the final ‘es’ in Greek names is pronounced ‘eez’. You are right.
A few more examples are: Ares (Greek god), Aristophanes (Greek comic dramatist),
Aristides (Greek statesman and general), and Empidocles (Greek philosopher)
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MODULE 3
41. I am going to lay down for a hour.
Ans: I am going to lie down for an hour. (Hint:- Lie (=rest),lay, lain; Lie (=tell an untruth), lied,
lied; Lay (=to put/to produce eggs), laid, laid; the idiom lay the table/ lay the cloth means prepare the
table for a meal)
42. Please answer to my question.
Ans: Please answer my question. (Hint:- To is required only if answer is used as a noun, as in:
His answer to my question was right)
43. You had better gone home at once.
Ans: You had better go home at once. (Hint:- The meaning is that it is a good thing for you to go
home at once)
44. I have only three, four friends.
Ans: I have only three or four friends.
45. I enjoyed during the holidays.
Ans: I enjoyed myself during the holidays. (Or) I enjoyed the holidays. (Hint:- The word enjoy
must be followed by an object which may be either a noun or a reflexive pronoun. Also note that
reflexive pronouns, (i.e., pronouns ending in …self/selves) are used after words such as absent,
apply, present, avail, exert, disguise. e.g., (i) He presented himself before the Manager. (ii) He availed
himself of every opportunity to improve his performance. (iii) He disguised himself as a poor
woman)
46. He is stronger than anybody.
Ans: He is stronger than anybody else. (Hint:- In making a comparison of one person or thing
and all others of the same kind, the word else must be used after everybody, anybody, and anything)
47. Homer was greater than all Greek poets.
Ans: Homer was greater than all other Greek poets. (Hint:- Since Homer was a Greek poet, it
is illogical to make him greater than himself)
48. Only five individuals were present.
Ans: Only five persons were present. (Hint:- Individual is used of a single person as opposed
to the group)
49. Leave the other end of the string.
Ans: Let go of the other end of the string. (Hint:- Leave cannot be used in the sense of give up
one’s hold. The correct uses of the verb to leave are: (i) to leave a place, (ii) to leave something at some
place, (iii) to leave someone to do something)
50. At the end they reached the city.
Ans: In the end they reached the city. (Hint:- In the end means finally or at last. At the end
means at the farthest point or part. e.g., There is an index at the end of the book)
51. They played under the shade.
Ans: They played in the shade. (Hint:- Also, in the rain, in the sun)
52. Is there place for me in the bus?
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Ans: Is there room for me in the bus? (Hint:- Here, room means space available)
53. What is the coast of the book?
Ans: What is the price of the book? (Or) How much does the book cost? (Hint:- Price is the
amount of money the customer pays. Cost is the amount the shopkeeper pays. Coast is the land
bordering the sea)
54. I have benefitted from the change.
Ans: I have benefited by the change. (Or) I have got (derived) benefit from the change.
55. The man was trembling from cold.
Ans: The man was trembling with cold. (Hint:- Also, shake with, shiver with)
56. Write the answer with black ink.
Ans: Write the answer in black ink. (Hint:- When the emphasis is on the instrument, you
write with a pen/ a pencil/a piece of chalk. If the emphasis is on the impression made, you
write in ink/ in pencil/in chalk)
57. I hope he will succeed at the end.
Ans: I hope he will succeed in the end. (Hint:- A person succeeds to a title/a property/an
office. e.g., Queen Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne in 1952)
58. English are fond of cricket.
Ans: The English are fond of cricket. (Hint:- The must be placed before the names of
nationalities, describing a people collectively: as the British, the French, the Dutch, the Swiss, the
Chinese)
59. He is poor hence he cannot afford proper medical attention.
Ans: He is poor and so (therefore) he cannot afford proper medical attention. (Hint:- Hence is
an adverb, not a conjunction (joining word) and cannot be used to link clauses. It is normally
followed by a phrase (a group of words with no verb in it). e.g., He is indifferent to studies– hence
the failure.
60. He has no house to live.
Ans: He has no house to live in.
bromine (chemical element) –meen
special - shel
spatial (relating to space) –spay-shel
selection -sil
lettuce (a plant of the daisy family) - tis
spinach (a garden vegetable with succulent leaves) - nij
bona fide (in good faith; genuinely; sincerely) - faidi
compass –the first three letters are pronounced just as we pronounce ‘come’
correspond –kori
curricular – kerikyoo
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formulae (mathematical rule) -li
forte (thing at which someone excels) –tay
Nazi (German fascist) -tsi (Fascist is pronounced fashist)
Alessandro Manzoni (Italian writer) -mantsohni
Lazzaro Spallanzani (Italian physiologist) –latsero spalantsani
Forza Italia (Italian political party) –fortsa eetal-ya
Mozart (Austrian composer) -mots
(Note that German is spoken in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and neighbouring
countries and is one of the three official languages of the European Union)
MODULE 4
61. He knows to play the guitar.
Ans: He knows how to play the guitar. (Hint:- After the verb to know, the infinitive is always
introduced by the adverb how)
62. Walking in the garden, the clock struck twelve.
Ans: While I (he/she) was walking in the garden, the clock struck twelve. (Hint:- Have you
ever seen any clock walking?)
63. Today I have many works to do.
Ans: Today I have a lot of work to do. (Hint:- The plural form works means a factory or the
writings of an author. e.g., The tile works in Sivakashi; Shakespeare‟s works.)
64. Due to power failure, the show was cancelled.
Ans: The show was cancelled because of power failure. (Or) Owing to power failure, the show
was cancelled. (Hint:-“Due to should never be used as a preposition meaning because
of”(T.J.Fitikides) “…some careful users insist that due is an adjective and that due to may be used
only after the verb be: „ Her success is due to years of hard work.‟” (Nigel D. Turton) The safest
practice is to avoid using due to as a preposition, especially in formal writing. Use because of or
owing to instead)
65. They come always late to school.
Ans: They always come late to school. (Hint:- Adverbs of indefinite time like ever, never,
always, often, seldom, soon, sometimes, and the adverbs almost, scarcely, hardly, rarely,
and even are placed before the principal verb. Note, however, that with the verb to be, the
adverb of indefinite time is placed after the verb. (The different forms of the verb to be are: is, am,
are, was, were, shall be, will be, has been, have been, had been, shall have been, will have been)
66. Be careful not to loose your money.
Ans: Be careful not to lose your money.
67. We are surprised for his failure.
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Ans: We are surprised at his failure. (Hint:- Also, astonished at, aimed at, alarmed at, puzzled at,
shocked at)
68. Hundred years make a century.
Ans: A (one) hundred years make a century. (Hint:-The indefinite article a or the numeral one
must be used before hundred and thousand. If hundred, thousand, and million are not
preceded by a or one, they take the plural form, as in: Thousands of people…)
69. Babies grow up very quick.
Ans: Babies grow very quickly. (Hint:- To grow means (i) to become bigger, (ii) to cultivate, (iii)
to cause to grow (We grow flowers in our garden), (iv) to allow to grow (He grew a beard), (v) to
become (The nights grow cold in winter. To grow up means to become a man or a woman)
70. He always puts on black trouser.
Ans: He always wears black trousers. (Hint:-Wear means to have upon the body as a garment or as
an ornament. To put on denotes a simple act. To dress has nearly the same meaning as to put on,
but the object of dress is a person and not a thing, as in: He dressed himself, or, the mother dressed
the baby)
71. He tore up his coat on a nail.
Ans: He tore his coat on a nail. (Hint:- To tear means to divide along a straight or irregular line,
usually by accident; to tear up means to destroy by tearing to pieces. Also, note that the word up is
often used with verbs to express the idea of greater completeness. e.g., burn up, drink up, dry up, cut
up, eat up, use up)
72. The murderer was caught and hung.
Ans: The murderer was caught and hanged.
73. He is searching his pen.
Ans: He is searching for his pen. (Hint:- To search means to look in one’s pockets or house. The police
officer searched the man and his house)
74. They have less books than I have.
Ans: They have fewer books than I have. (Hint:- Less denotes amount, quantity, value or degree
while fewer denotes number. Less than five pounds is correct because the reference is to a sum of
money and not a number of coins)
75. Raju‟s and Balu‟s shop is newly painted.
Ans: Raju‟s and Balu‟s shops are newly painted. (Hint:- There are two apostrophes (‟s) in the
given sentence, indicating that there are two shops. If we mean that Raju and Balu are partners
and they have just one shop, we should say: Raju and Balu‟s shop is …)
76. He is my cousin brother.
Ans: He is my cousin. (Hint:- The English language uses much more loosely terms expressing
relationship than the Indian languages. Aunt means the sister of either father or mother. Uncle
means the brother of either father or mother. Cousin means any child of any aunt or uncle. So,
never say cousin brother or cousin sister. Cousin is enough)
77. Here is my cup; please fill.
Ans: Here is my cup; please fill it. (Hint:- All transitive verbs (like fill) must have an expressed
object.
(A transitive verb is one which has an answer to the question whom? or what? e.g.,
(i) Rama killed…..You may ask “killed what? The answer is “killed a snake”. Here, a snake is
13
the object. (ii) I slept. Slept whom? No answer. Slept what? Again, no answer. So sleep is an
intransitive verb)
78. I have an urgent business.
Ans: I have urgent business. Or I have some urgent business.
79. We went for picnic last month.
Ans: We went for a picnic last month.
80. Each and every person wore a hat.
Ans: Each person wore a hat. Or Everybody wore a hat. (Hint:-Each and every can be used
together correctly only to convey very strong emphasis. Indians are too fond of using both
together when only one of the two adjectives is required)
81. He does not care for his work.
Ans: He takes no care over his work. (Hint:- The misuse of care for is very common. In the
three sentences that follow, care for is wrongly used, and the correction is given in brackets:
(i) He does not care for my words. (He pays no attention to what I say)
(ii) He does not care for money. (He does not take care of his money)
(iii) No one cared for him after his wife died. (No one took care of him after his wife had died)
Also, note that I do not care for you means I do not like you as a friend.
psychiatrist (one who treats mental paients) –sai-kai-etrist
alibi -bai (Meaning: the claim that when an alleged act took place one was
elsewhere)
Derby (city, England) –dar-bi
gourmet (a fine food-critic) – goor-may
prima facie (at first sight; (of evidence) based on first impression) - pry-ma-fay-shee
affidavit (written statement confirmed by oath, for use as evidence in court) –day-vit
Antilles (group of islands, West Indies) -leez
manoeuvre (series of moves) - noo
maniacal (wild) – ai
fracas (disturbance, quarrel) - kah
ennui (boredom; listlessness) -onwee
A small homework: check the pronunciation of Algebra and aggregate (both verb
and adjective)
Since the words listed in this module are a little difficult, we will have a fun quiz instead of the usual
special group of words.
Questions: (A) What is Kuru? (B) What is manga? (C) What is Mundi Mappa?
(See the next module for the answer!)
14
MODULE 5
82. People respected him at the meeting.
Ans: People treated him with respect…. Or, People showed respect for him…..
(Hint:- To respect someone is to have a high opinion of that person‟s character)
83. Rome was found by Romulus.
Ans: Rome was founded by Romulus.
(Hint:- To found means to start the building of; to lay the base of; to establish.)
84. You must wish him when he comes.
Ans: You must greet (welcome) him when he comes. Or, You must wish him good morning
(good afternoon) when he comes.
85. It was an excellent performance. The choreography is too good.
Ans: It was an excellent performance. The choreography is very good.
(Hint:-Too has a negative suggestion. Too is properly used to mean more than it
ought to be. e.g., He is too fat. It is too hot to play means that it is so hot that we cannot
play)
86. The rehersal begins from Monday.
Ans: The rehearsal begins on Monday.
(Hint:- The beginning of anything is limited to a point of time, not spread over an indefinite
period of time)
87. He spends a lot of money for luxuries.
Ans: He spends a lot of money on luxuries.
88. We turned on the radio for the last news.
Ans: We turned on the radio for the latest news.
(Hint:- Last = final; latest = last upto now)
89. Gas is more cheap than electricity.
Ans: Gas is cheaper than electricity.
(Hint: - Monosyllabic adjectives and adverbs form their comparative degree by the
addition of the suffix…er, not by using the word more before them)
90. My most favourite subject is Physics.
Ans: My favourite subject is Physics.
(Hint:- Adjectives like favourite, superior, inferior, round, unique, perfect, complete, equal, and ideal
do not have any comparative degree)
91. The bank is nearest to the temple.
Ans: The bank is next to the temple.
(Hint:- Nearest expresses distance while next expresses position)
92. Many a students have passed the examination. (Begin your answer with the words Many a.....)
15
Ans: Many a student has passed the examination.
(Hint:- Many+a+singular noun+singular verb = plural meaning)
93. Some criminals are the richest people.
Ans: Some criminals are very rich.
(Hint:- Do not use the superlative degree unless we make a comparison. If we simply
want to intensify an adjective, use words like very, extremely, etc.)
94. Some ill people refuse to take medicine.
Ans: Some sick people refuse to take medicine. Or, Some people who are ill refuse to take
medicine.
(Hint:- Some adjectives (like ill) are used only predicatively, i.e., they are not used
before a noun. They include: afraid, alight, alike, alone, ashamed, asleep, awake, aware, content,
glad, lit, ready, sorry, sure, upset, unwell, and their negative forms like unafraid, and unaware)
95. During the recent economic crisis, many people were afraid to lose their job.
Ans: During the recent economic crisis, many people were afraid of losing their job.
(Hint:- We use afraid of when we do not want something to happen. For instance, we
do not want to die, so we say we are afraid of death. We use afraid to when we really
want to do something but fear the consequence. e.g., There was heavy lightning and
rain and therefore I was afraid to go out. The meaning is that I wanted to go out but I did
not have the courage. Also note that we are afraid for someone if we are worried about
what might happen to them.)
96. The price of onion is higher than sugar.
Ans: The price of onion is higher than that of sugar.
(Hint:- Unequal comparison. Remember, we are not comparing price and sugar, but the
price of onion and the price of sugar)
97. Terrorism is a matter of uttermost concern.
Ans: Terrorism is a matter of utmost concern.
(Hint:- Utmost= highest; uttermost = remotest; outermost= farthest from the centre)
98. I have seen the film yesterday.
Ans: I saw the film yesterday. Or, I have seen the film.
(Hint:- Do not use the perfect tense (i.e., has/have/had +verb from) if time is specified.
Yesterday (last year, in 1947, two hours ago) refers to a specific period of time in the past)
99. Be careful to water the plants regularly.
Ans: Make sure (that) you water the plants regularly.
(Hint:- Use be careful when you want someone to pay special attention to something
so that they do not make a mistake, have an accident or do something that will cause
damage. Use make sure if you want to tell someone that they must not forget to do or
check something)
100. He invited me for his marriage.
Ans:- He invited me to his wedding.
16
(Hint:- Marriage is the ceremony of becoming husband and wife considered from a
purely religious or legal point of view. Wedding is the occasion when this ceremony takes
place and the celebrations that follow it)
aborigine --jinee (Meaning: First or earliest known; indigenous, primitive; existing in a land
before the arrival of colonists)
adobe– bi (Meaning: clay used as building material; house made of unburnt brick dried in the
sun)
Adriatic –ay (sea and island, Europe)
Aegean --ee-jee-en (sea, Europe)
Aeneas – in-ee-es (Greek/Roman mythological character)
Albany – O (city, the USA)
albeit – ol-bee-it (Meaning: though)
quay – key (Meaning: a landing-stage (built usually of stone) that lies alongside or projects into
water for loading and unloading ships.
zeitgeist – tsait-gaist (Meaning: spirit of the times)
SPECIAL GROUP OF NAMES FOR YOUR CRITICAL ANALYSIS.
Marcel Marceau (French mime artist) – mar-soh
Guglialmo Marconi (Italian electrical engineer) --gool-yel-moh
Jacques Derrida (French philosopher) –zhahk derr-ee-dah
Jacques Marquette (French missionary and explorer) –zhahk mar-ket
Marseilles (city, France) –say
Rene Decartes (French philosopher) – day-kart
Georges Braque (French painter) - zhorzh brak
****************************
Fun Quiz in Module 4: Answer
A. Kuru is a degenerative disease of the brain.
B. Manga is a Japanese genre of cartoons, comic books, and animated films.
C. Mundi Mappa is the 13th century map of the world.
****************************
Now that you have received five modules, we should have a test as early as
possible. I promise not to spring any surprise on you: all the questions will be taken
from or based on the material I have already sent to you, and there will not be any
questions related to pronunciation.
All students X A who are on my mailing list may get ready for the test, fix a
date and time for it, and inform me of your decision. Any time is convenient for me.
(Kurian Kuriakose has a list of your classmates on the list).
17
The details of the proposed test are given below.
It will be a one-hour-test, with fifty sentence-correction questions carrying one
mark each. While answering, you have to give importance to grammatical accuracy
and not factual correctness. In other words, you should not bring in unnecessary
words or new ideas and thereby distort the obvious meaning intended. (For instance,
suppose the question is to correct the sentence: ‗Of the two cities, Trivandrum and
Kollam, the former is the biggest’. Do not answer: ‗Of the three cities, Mumbai,
Trivandrum and Kollam, the first one is the biggest). Your answers should conform
to current British English standards in spelling and usage (because students at Indian
schools and colleges are required to follow British English and the same is the case
with important competitive exams like IAS or entrance tests like CAT). Wild
guessing is discouraged because wrong answers will attract 1 negative mark each. An
answer will be considered wrong if any word in it is wrongly spelt.
Those who do not take the test or those who fail to secure 70% marks will be
removed from the mailing list.
And those who secure 100 per cent mark will get half of my kingdom as prize!
MODULE 6
101. I am a student of Loyola School.
Ans:- I am a student at Loyola School
102.The Sreekaryam Police Station is in front of the school gate.
Ans:- The Sreekaryam Police Station is opposite the school gate. (Hint:- Note that the Police
Station is on the other side of the road from the school gate. „In front of‟ is acceptable only if
both are on the same side of the road)
103. This is the first time I am here.
Ans:- This is the first time I have been here. (Hint:- Use the present perfect tense in sentences
beginning with „This (it/that) is the first (second/third/only/best/worst)...‟ Examples: (i) This is
the second time I have heard him sing. (ii) It is the sixth time you have asked me the same
question.(iii)He is flying to London tomorrow. It will be the first time he has travelled by plane)
104. It was three seventh inch long.
Ans:- It was three sevenths inches long. (Hint:-1/4= one quarter;1/8=one eighth; 2/8=two
eighths;3/9=three nineths;6 1/8 = six and one eighth; 0.4= naught point four)
105. Thank you for taking me to this nice restaurant.
Ans:- Thank you for bringing me to this nice restaurant. (Hint:- Use „bring‟ for movements to
the place where the speaker or hearer is, and „take‟ for movements to other places.)
106. I am thankful for your help.
Ans:- I am grateful for your help. (Hint:- In standard British English, „grateful‟ is the preferred
word for people‟s reactions to kindness, favours etc. „Thankful‟ is used for feelings of relief at
having avoided a danger, or at having come through an unpleasant experience. Example: (i) I am
thankful that we got home before the storm started)
107. The train might be late as it happened yesterday.
18
Ans:- The train might be late as happened yesterday. (Hint:- „As‟ can replace subjects in clauses,
rather like relative pronouns. Some common expressions with „as‟ in the place of a subject are: (i)
As is well known... (ii) As was expected...(iii) As was agreed....
108. He works for the NATO.
Ans:- He works for NATO. (Hint:- NATO is an acronym, i.e., an initial-letter abbreviation
pronounced like a word. Another acronym is UNESCO. The definite article (the) is dropped in
acronyms.)
109. I wish that you would pass your examinations.
Ans:- I hope (that) you pass your examinations. (Hint:-„Wish‟ means „want‟ when we use it
before infinitives. E.g. I wish to see...= I want to see... Wish + two objects are found in a few
fixed expressions like (i) I wish you (indirect object) a Merry Christmas (direct object), (ii) We
wish you a speedy recovery, (iii) Here‟s wishing you all the best in your new job. However, „wish‟
has a different meaning when it is followed by a „that clause‟ even if „that‟ is dropped in an
informal style. In this case „wish‟ expresses regret that things are not different, and refers to
situations that are unreal, impossible or unlikely. Wish + that clause is not generally used for
wishes about things that seem possible in the future – the preferred word is „hope‟.
Examples:
(i)I wish (that) I was better looking. (I am sorry for not being handsome)
(ii)I wish (that) I could fly like a bird. (I know it is impossible)
(iii) I hope (that) you feel better tomorrow (Not, I wish you feel better tomorrow.)
110. He spoke very shortly about how they had lived during the war.
Ans:- He spoke very briefly about how they had lived during the war. (Hint:- Shortly means (i)
impatiently, (ii) very soon. E.g., (i) He answered rather shortly that he was not the slightest bit
interested in the plan; (ii) The accident happened shortly after the plane touched the runway.
111. They toured the famous fruit-growing districts.
Ans:- They visited the famous fruit-growing regions. (Hint:- District= an official division of a
city or country, most often with clear boundaries. Region = a large area of a country, with no
official boundaries)
112. It was a long distance between the hotel and the beach.
Ans:- It was a long way from the hotel to the beach. (Hint:- When you want to say that two
places are far apart, use a long way, NOT a long distance.
113. The last ingredient to be added into the mixture is sugar.
Ans:- The last ingredient to be added to the mixture is sugar. (Hint:-Add something to
something, not into something)
114. I am looking forward to hear from you.
Ans:- I am looking forward to hearing from you.
115. Unemployment is a very important problem.
Ans:- Unemployment is a serious problem.
19
ecology -–i-kol-eji (Meaning: the way plants, animals and people are related to each
other and their environment). But, the adjective, ecological is pronounced
eeka-lojical. The same is the case with the names of most branches of science.
The final ‘logy’ in nouns like biology, theology, zoology, philology etc is
pronounced more or less like ‘leji’, but the final ‘logical’ in their adjectival
form (like biological, theological, zoological, philological) is pronounced
’lojical’). The exact way ..logy or ..logical is pronounced will be demonstrated
in the class, that is, if you want).
carriage – ij (Note that the final ‘iage’ or ‘age’ or ‘ege’ in hundreds of words is
pronounced ‘ij’. For instance, marriage, bondage, college, cleavage, voyage,
damage, manage, etc. Also, make a particular note of the difference in
pronunciation of a number of words with some French connection: mirage =
mirazh (Meaning: an optical illusion; a fantasy); collage = kolazh (Meaning: a
form of art in which pieces of paper, photographs, strings, matchsticks etc are
glued to a surface).
infectious –-in-fek-shes (not shyas). Note that a large number of words ending in
‘tious’ or ‘cious’ follow the same pattern of pronunciation. For instance,
conscious = kon-shes; delicious = di-lishes; vicious =vi-shes. Think of a few
more examples.
ordeal – deel (Meaning: a terrible or painful experience)
chasm –kasm (Meaning: a very deep space between two areas of rock or ice)
education – edyu-kay-shn (not ejyoo)
litre --lee
kilo--keelo
inflammable –-in-flam-ebl (Meaning: likely to catch fire). Not that there is a general
misunderstanding about the ‘in’ at the beginning of this word. Remember, it
is not a negative prefix.
chassis –-sha-see (Meaning: the base-frame of a motor vehicle; the sliding base-frame
of a mounted gun; the human or animal frame)
My response to your feedback/request:
Some students have requested me to suggest a few useful books on standard/current
British English. Great. I have been waiting for your request!
Here comes my general suggestion. Never buy any book written by Indians or originally
published in India because you will come across a large number of mistakes in them. Even the
most scholarly Indian books are rendered unreliable because of irresponsible proofreading. A
good example is Nancy Pitt‟s Dictionary of Modern English Usage (Pentagon Press, Delhi:
Rs.125, pages 347). There are hundreds of typos and serious mistakes in this disgusting book and
I regret having wasted money on it.
Rely, therefore, only on recent books first brought out in England, or by reputed
publishers, like:
20
(i) ABC of Common Grammatical Errors by Nigel D. Turton (Macmillan: Rs.245)
(ii) Longman Dictionary of Common Errors by N.D. Turton and J.B. Heaton: Rs.225
(iii) Current English: A Guide for the User of English in India by K.S. Yadurajan
(Oxford University Press: Rs.395, Pages 183), and
(iv)Basic English Usage by Michael Swan (Oxford University Press:Rs.115, Pages 288)
or
(iv) Practical English Usage by Michael Swan (OUP: Rs.225, Pages 653)
For preparing the modules for you, I depend a lot on the above books, among others.
Now, about your question on good Books of Idioms. Oxford Idioms: Dictionary for
Learners of English (OUP; 470 pages; Rs. 245) is good enough. If it is not readily available, do
not buy any bulky book of idioms because they are likely to contain many idioms that have
become clichés (pronounced klee-shays; meaning, worn out or stereotyped, and no longer
considered standard). And as a rule, never buy any book of idioms brought out by any Indian
publisher.
MODULE 7
116. In recent years, more and more elderly people were seen on television.
Ans:- In recent years, more and more elderly people have been seen on television.
(Hint:- After ‘recently’ and phrases like ‘in recent months’, ‘during recent
years’, ‘over recent decade’, the present perfect tense is preferred.
117. Please fill the application form.
Ans:- Please fill in the application form.
(Hint:-In British English, the preferred form is fill in. In American English,
fill out is the more common form). Fill up is not considered standard).
118. At first, I would like to thank you for your invitation.
Ans:- First of all, I would like to thank you for your invitation.
(Hint:- To signal the stages of a talk, essay, etc., we use first or first of all or
firstly……second/secondly….third/thirdly……..finally. We use at first when there
is a contrast between two situations in the past, as in: At first we did not know
how to solve the problem. Then the teacher explained the method and we
found it fairly easy)
119. You are partially responsible for the failure of the team.
Ans:- You are partly responsible for the failure of the team.
(Note:- There is a subtle difference in the shade of meaning of the words
partly and partially. The word partly implies the presence of something else,
whereas the word partially has no such suggestion. ‘You are partly
responsible…” means that someone else or a few others also are responsible.
21
He is partially paralysed does not mean that the rest of his body is afflicted
with something else)
120. Some of us take our meals in the school canteen.
Ans:- Some of us have our meals in the school canteen.
(Hint:- In British English, the phrase is have a meal. In American English, the
phrase take a meal is acceptable)
121. People say that she died with pneumonia.
Ans:- People say that she died of pneumonia.
(Hint:- People die of or from a disease, hunger, natural causes, etc. But, when
we use the noun form death, the preferred preposition is from. Example: In the
USA, there were over 17000 deaths from AIDS in 1991.
122. Later on he knew his mistake.
Ans:-Later on he realized his mistake.
(Hint:- We learn before we know. Know is used when learning is finished, as
in sentences like: I know how to swim)
123. He does not like being compared with his more hardworking brother.
Ans:- He does not like being compared to his more hardworking brother.
(Hint:- The safest practice is to use compare with when we want to draw
attention to the similarities and/ or differences between two persons, ideas,
objects etc. and to use compare to when we want to show what someone or
something is like. Further examples: (i) Compared with the old models, the
modern mobile phones are thinner and less heavy. (difference) (ii) In terms of
its revolutionary impact, the computer can be compared to the wheel)
124. They treated me friendly.
Ans:- They treated me in a friendly way.
(Hint:-A verb and an adverb only can go well together, not a verb and an
adjective. Friendly is an adjective, not an adverb. Though friendlily is the correct
adverb, it sounds a little cumbersome, and so it is better to avoid using it)
125. I have a very important thing to ask you.
Ans:- I have something very important to ask you.
(Hint:- Something/ anything/somewhere/nothing followed by an adjective
is the standard British English usage. Further examples: (i) Let us go
somewhere different today. (ii) If you need anything special, please let me
know. (not any special thing)
22
ticket—tikit. (Additional note:- The final et in hundreds of words is pronounced it,
not et. Examples:- pocket, bucket, bracket, locket, rocket, jacket, market)
pictorial —pik-torial (There is no ch sound)
opportunity—op-e-tyoo-nity (There is no ch sound)
sword—soad (oa as they sound in board)
feline —fee-lain(Meaning: of or pertaining to cats; resembling a cat)
primeval —pry-mee-vel (Meaning: primitive; prehistoric; ancient; of or pertaining to the first
age of the world)
soliloquy —sel-li-lekwi (speaking out one’s thoughts aloud, as in Shakespeare’s
Macbeth or Hamlet)
alumni —elam-nai (Meaning: former student)
rendezvous —ron-divoo or ron-day-voo (Meaning: appointed or habitual meeting place;
engagement; meeting)
denouement —day-noo-ma (Meaning:- the climax of a play, novel or other
narrative)
rapport — ra-po (Meaning: affinity; relationship characterized by understanding and
empathy)
soubriquet —soo-bri-kay (Meaning: affectionate nickname)
predilection —pree-di-lek-shen (special liking; a mental preference; taste)
premiere —prem-i-air (Meaning: first performance or showing of a play, film etc.)
pristine —pris-teen (Meaning: in original condition)
credentials—kri-den-shels (Meaning: someone‘s education, experience, achievements etc.
that prove that they have the ability to do something. This word is used only as plural)
wrath —roth (Meaning: extreme anger)
scythe —sai-th (There is no k sound)
MODULE 8
126. We will discuss about the matter later.
Ans: We will discuss the matter later.
(Hint: The verb discuss is not followed by any preposition though the noun
form discussion is followed by prepositions like about, on, with etc.
Example.
(i) I had a discussion with him.
(ii) We had a discussion about the role of technology in education.
(iii) There will be a discussion on the next course of action.
23
A few verbs (like discuss) that do not take any preposition, but are very often
wrongly used, are listed below. The incorrect usage is given in the left column
with the mistake crossed out, and the correction is given in the right column.
WRONG
CORRECT
They approached to the building.
They approached the building.
Please ask to the teacher.
Please ask the teacher.
They attacked against the enemy.(They began their They attacked the enemy.
attack on/against the enemy is right because attack is used as a noun)
The team comprises of four members.
The team comprises four members.
He emphasized on/upon the point.
He emphasized the point.
He explained about his discovery.
He explained his discovery.
He highlighted on the point.
He highlighted the point.
Do not enter into the room.
Do not enter the room.
The CBI is investigating into the case.
The CBI is investigating the case.
(You may enter into
anything abstract or non-material, like an agreement, understanding etc)
He lacks in/of good manners.(However, we can He lacks good manners.
use these prepositions after the different forms of to be
(is, was, are, were) followed by lacking and after a lack.
eg. There is a lack of ideas. We were lacking in ideas)
He will leave from Delhi tomorrow.
He will leave Delhi tomorrow.
He met with her last year.
He met her last year.
He is going to marry with her next week.
He is going to marry her next week.
Do not mention about him in the Report.
Do not mention him in the Report.
I have already ordered for my meal.
I have already ordered my meal.
Please phone/telephone to me later.
Please phone/telephone me later.
She resembles to her sister.
She resembles her sister.
He will reach at the railway station.
He will reach the railway station.
Please report about the matter.
Please report the matter.
127. Since you two are discussing, I will meet you later.
Ans: Since you two are talking, I will meet you later.
(Hint: Discuss is a transitive verb (Malayalam = sakarmaka kriya) and needs an
object (i.e., the answer to the question discussed what?), as in: I discussed the
problem with the Chairman)
128. The sun shines here everyday.
Ans: The sun shines here every day
24
(Hint: ‘Every day’ (written as two words) means each day; everyday (written
as a single word) means quite ordinary; not at all unusual or special in any
way)
129.There are evidences against the accused.
Ans: There is evidence against the accused.
(Hint: Evidence is an uncountable noun and does not have a plural form. We
might say piece(s) of evidence)
130. Each of the countries were represented at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
Ans: Each of the countries was represented at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.
(Hint: In formal styles, each of, every one of, either of, and neither of take a
singular verb)
131. The police was not able to arrest the criminal.
Ans: The police were not able to arrest the criminal.
(Hint: ‘The police’ is always used with a plural verb (like are/were/have etc)
because the reference is to the police force in general. To refer to a single member of
the police force, we should say a policeman/policewoman/police officer)
132. He was late to school.
Ans: He was late for school.
(Hint: For is the correct preposition after the different forms of the verbs (i) to be
(is, are, were) and (ii) arrive (arrives, arrived).
eg. (i) They arrived late for work. (ii) He was late for the appointment.
133. I will consider to do it.
Ans: I will consider doing it.
(Hint: Consider + the ing form of the verb, or consider + noun.
eg. (i) I will consider the matter/ proposal/suggestion (noun).
(ii) I will consider promoting you (ing form of the verb promote).
134. Most females want to continue their careers after marriage.
Ans: Most women want to continue their careers after marriage.
(Hint: The words male and female are mainly used in scientific or technical
styles where their function is adjectival, as in: male birds / female butterflies)
135. His job provides him the opportunity to travel to many countries.
Ans: His job provides him with the opportunity to travel to many countries.
(Hint: (i)Provide somebody with something, as in the above sentence.
(ii) Provide something for somebody or something, as in: I am happy
with the room you provided for me.
(iii) Provide for means support someone by paying for all their food,
clothes etc. as in: Since he is poor and jobless, he finds it difficult to
provide for his family.
25
(Special Note:- From this module onwards, make a special note of the
apostrophe sign (‘). The part of the word that comes immediately after this
sign is to be pronounced with some additional force. If you hold a burning
matchstick close to your lips, the flame should go out when you pronounce
the ‘po’ in a word like im’portant. Got it? But do not go in for this experiment
if you have false teeth! Joking apart, we might say, in the language of the
phonetician, that the primary accent falls on the second syllable of the word
important. More on primary and secondary accents later).
Asia— ’ay-sha
gorgeous —‘go-jes
sewage —’soo-ij
Fahrenheit —’faren-hait (heit is pronounced as we pronounce height)
falcon (a variety of bird) — ‘fol-ken
endeavour (make an effort (v); attempt/ effort (n) —in-’dever
pageant — (a stately procession) ‘pa-jent
radius — ’ray-di-es
radar- ’ray-da(r)
equitable/ equity/ equipoise —’ek-wi-tebl
furore (outbreak of public anger) —fyu-e-‘ro-ri
ensemble- (group of musicians) on-’som-bl
en travesti (cross-dressed) — on-travi-‘stee
isosceles (having two equal sides)—ai-‘sosi-leez
I did not insist on your voluntary test as a requirement for receiving module number six onwards because
some of you told me that these days you are quite busy with your Projects and preparation for the halfyearly examinations. It is quite understandable. Still, going by the feedback, I am afraid some of you just
go on storing the modules thinking that you would return to them at some later time and gulp down the
whole lot at one go. But that will defeat the very purpose of sending the material in easy instalments. I
will, therefore, send the future modules to only those who have been patient enough to read up to this
point and see this little note. Please let me know (latest by the end of October) what you feel about the
usefulness or otherwise of the material. Be absolutely honest. You will be retained on the mailing list only
if you email your response.
MODULE 9
Special Note:- The Grammar section will remain suspended until the halfyearly exams are over. From this module onwards, make a special note of the
colon (:) used to indicate that the vowel sound before it is long. Also note that
most often the letter ‘e’ in the pronunciation part is not pronounced as the ‘e’
in desk or bell. The required sound is a mix of short ‘e’ and short ‘u’ sounds as
the ‘u’ in Saturday.
26
PRONUNCIATION TIPS
Archive (place where collected records are kept; data bank)—‘a:kaiv
Fuselage (the elongated body section of an aeroplane containing the crew and
passengers/cargo) — ’fyoo-sela:zh / ’fyoo-selij
Question —’kwes-ch(e)n
Suggestion —sa-’jes-ch(e)n
Debut (first public appearance of a performer) — ’day-byoo
Debris (wreckage; accumulated waste matter)— ’day-bree / ’de-bree
Conscience (inmost thought; inner sense of right and wrong) — ’kon-shens
Acumen (sharpness of wit; keenness of discrimination) — e-’kyoo-men
Clandestine (Secret; surreptitious; underhand) —klan-’dest-in /’klan-dest-in
Integer (whole number) —’in-ti-je(r)
Integral (involving whole numbers; not fractional; component) — ‘in-ti-gr(e)l
Cache (a secret hiding place; an auxiliary computer memory) —kash
Verbatim (in exactly the same words) —ve:’bay-tim
Bestial (beastly; inhuman) —‘bes-ti-el
Divisive (causing division; disruptive) —‘di-vai-siv
Charlatan (a false pretender to knowledge; fraud; deceiver) —‘sha:let(e)n
Cantonment (a military encampment; the former site of a military station) —
kan-‘toon-ment /kan-‘tone-ment
Sinister (making you fell that something evil or dangerous is about to happen)
— ‘sin-ester/ ‘sin-ister
NOW, A LITTLE MISCHIEVOUS QUIZ, FOR A CHANGE
For questions 1 to 20, find the correct answers from the four choices given.
1. ESPERANTO is: (A) an artificial language, (B) an Italian wine, (C) a French dance, (D) a
Scandinavian terrorist group.
2. SAKI is: (A) a monkey found in South America, (B) the pen name of Hector Hugh Martin Munro,
(C) a film directed by Sathyajith Ray, (D) a Telugu Reality Show.
3. QUAGGA is: (A) an extinct variety of the Zebra, (B) the title of the village-head of Himachal
Pradesh, (C) a river flowing through East Africa, (D) a South American variety of Rugby .
4. GOLCONDA is: (A) the old name of Hyderabad, (B) the place where Jesus Christ prayed before
the Last Supper, (C) the most famous golf course in the Netherlands, (D) the name of the trophy
for the winner of the Annual Irish Music Concert.
5. WOOLLY BEARS is/are: (A) the caterpillars of the tiger-moth, (B) a basketball club of Chicago,
(C) the music band which won the first prize in the US National Contest in 2006, (D) the nickname
given to Polar Bears.
6. MAGNOLIA is: (A) a tree, (B) a fish, (C) a bird, (D) an animal.
7. SALTWORT is: (A) herb, (B) a new kind of skin disease, (C) salted and dried fish, (D) a Prussian
military officer.
8. ANATOLE FRANCE is: (A) a French novelist, (B) a French novelist of Norwegian origin, (C) a
Norwegian dramatist of French origin, (D) a Danish novelist born of French mother and German
father.
9. MORAVIA is: (A) a District of Czechoslovakia, (B) an Italian poet and novelist, (C) the first
Cuban film to win an Oscar, (D) a disease affecting brain cells.
10. RISIBLE means: (A) laughable, (B) washable, (C) likely to vanish, (D) waterproof.
11. BOTTICELLI is a famous: (A) Italian painter, (B) Austrian soup, (C) Roman dictator,
(D) German composer.
12. D.D.T. was discovered by (A) the Swiss firm J.R. Geigy, (B) the British firm J. R. Giegy,
(C) the American scientist J.R. Geigy, (D) the Canadian farmer J.R. Giegy.
27
13. CRETINISM is: (A) a disease, (B) the political philosophy of the leftists of Crete, (C) the attitude
of abusing writers, (D) the liberal policy of the Pacifists.
14. YIDDISH is: (A) the language of the Jews in Europe, (B) the martial art form of the Kurd tribe,
(C) a mountain range in Japan, (D) the currency introduced in Zaire from 1 January 2010.
15. PO is: (A) a river in Italy, (B) an extinct bird, (C) a NAZI concentration camp, (D) a theatre group
in Cambodia.
16. CONGA is: (A) dance form, (B) a highly poisonous snake, (C) the second most powerful tribe in
Nagaland, (D) the former name of Belgian Congo in Central Africa.
17. CAT-O’-NINE-TAILS is: (A) a short whip, (B) a game played with nine balls and three bats,
(C) a popular comic published from Dublin, (D) a popular Chinese dish.
18. HYPERBOLE is: (A) a figure of speech, (B) a kind of nervous disorder, (C) unfair criticism of
the opponent, (D) a synthetic fibre.
19. PSITTACUS is: (A) a bird, (B) the improved version of abacus, (C) inflammation of the lungs,
(D) the most famous Greek physician of the third century B.C.
20. MOLL FLANDERS is: (A) a romance, (B) 2009 Beauty Queen of Holland, (C) the first womanPresident of Iceland, (D) the Mexican model imprisoned on charges of treason.
21. Write down an English word longer than 57 letters.
22. What is it (i.e., the meaning of the answer to question no. 21)?
23. Write down another English word longer than 44 letters.
24. What is the meaning of the word (which forms the answer to question no.23)?
25. Write three English words, each with five vowel letters in the alphabetical order.
Score: One mark for each correct answer. Answer all questions first. Then you may select the whole
of the dark block below and set the font colour to white and look at the key.
KEY
Questions 1 to 20: Answer = A
21. Diisobutylphenoxyethoxyethyldimethylbenzylammoniumchloride
22. It is the name of a drug announced by the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association.
23. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis
24. It is a disease of the lungs caused by extremely small particles of volcanic ash or dust.
25. Abstemious, Arsenious, and Facetious (Find out their meanings yourself)
Those who scored less than two marks may rejoice heartily, not for your scholarship but for
your honesty! You deserve a bar of Munch or Five Star at your father‘s expense!
MODULE 10: PREPOSITIONS & PHRASAL VERBS
This module is specially meant for a few students who have asked for more
suggestions /questions on prepositions.
By way of introduction I would like to quote Michael Swan (Practical English Usage
(Fully Revised International Students‘ Edition (2007), Oxford University Press, page 425):
―It is difficult to learn to use prepositions correctly in a foreign language. Most English
prepositions have several different functions (for instance, one well-known dictionary lists
eighteen main uses of [the preposition] at….) Often the correct preposition cannot be
guessed, and one has to learn the expression as a whole.‖ This is very sane advice indeed!
Given below are a few prepositional usages along with very brief notes or illustrative
examples which all ambitious students should be familiar with. Note that the prepositional
usage is underlined and the preposition is italicized and the meaning is given in brackets.
28
Abound in/with (to exist in very large numbers; have in abundance)
e.g. Silent Valley abounds in/ with rare birds and animals.
Abstain from (refrain from; keep away from; avoid)
e.g. It is better to abstain from smoking.
Accuse of (charge with a crime or fault; lay the blame on)
e.g. He was accused of murder. (But, he was charged with murder)
Accordance with (in agreement with; in harmony with; according to the rule or instruction)
e.g. Electronic goods should be used only in accordance with the manufacturer‘s
instructions.
Accustomed to doing something; Get/become/ grow accustomed to something (be familiar
with something and accept it as normal)
e.g. We are accustomed to working as a team.
He has been in politics for long and has become accustomed to unfair criticism.
Acquaint yourself with something (deliberately find out about something)
e.g. Students should acquaint themselves with the record and regulations of the
school before seeking admission.
Acquaint somebody with something (give some information about something)
e.g. Crime investigation will be easier if people acquaint the police with the facts they
know.
Agree with a person, opinion, or policy; agree about a subject of discussion; agree on a
matter for decision, and agree to a suggestion.
e.g. (i) He resigned his job because he did not agree with the new manager‘s policy.
(ii) Let us try to agree on a date for the next meeting.
(iii) The meeting was quite successful and we agreed about most things.
(iv) The labour union agreed to the Minister‘s suggestion and called off (stopped)
the strike.
Angry with a person for doing something; angry about something.
e.g. (i) The teacher was angry with the student for copying another student‘s
composition.
(ii) What are you so angry about?
Apologize to somebody for doing (or having done) something.
e.g. He apologized to his mother for losing his temper/for using foul language.
Appeal to (make a formal request to a court or someone in authority)
e.g. The flood-relief committee has appealed to the government for extra funding.
Appeal for (make an urgent request)
e.g. The police have made an appeal for information.
Apprise of (inform)
e.g. The enquiry commission has apprised the government of all details.
29
Argue (disagree with someone in words, often in an angry way. Generally, we argue with
someone about/over something; for/against doing something; into doing something,
against doing something)
e.g. (i) Disciplined sportsmen will not argue with the referee.
(ii) The children were arguing over which television programme to watch.
(iii) The husband and wife argued about how to spend the money.
(iv) The labour unions argued against raising the retirement age.
(v) His father argued him against investing all the money on a risky business.
(Meaning: His father persuaded him not to invest….)
(vi) The salesman argued me into buying the mobile phone. (Meaning:
The salesman persuaded me to buy…)
(vi) The leader of the opposition argued the case for changing the law.
Ashamed of (feel sorry/embarrassed for having done something)
e.g. He felt ashamed of the things he had said in anger.
Ask for help/assistance/advice/information/directions/details/permission/ an explanation/
somebody‘s support/ opinion.
Ask around (ask in a lot of places or ask a lot of people)
e.g. When he was transferred to Mumbai, he had to ask around for a suitable place to
stay.
Ask over/round (invite someone to come to your house)
e.g. We must ask our new neighbours over / round for a dinner.
Ask after somebody (enquire whether they are well, what they are doing etc.)
e.g. I met John yesterday. He asked after you.
Attribute to (If you attribute something to somebody/something, you believe or say that it
was caused by somebody/something)
e.g. (i) The decline in death-rate is attributed to improvement in medical facilities.
(ii) That theory is attributed to Aristotle. (Meaning: People believe/say that
Aristotle formulated that theory)
Bereft of — (completely without; deprived of; robbed of; cut off from; parted from; devoid
of; wanting; lacking)
e.g. The Indian football team seems bereft of inspiration.
Beset with/by (harass; bother; worry; perplex; attack; assail; plague; make somebody
experience serious problems. Beset with fears; beset by anxieties)
e.g. (i) His business has been beset with financial problems.
(ii) He could not do well at the athletic meet because he was beset with injury.
Beware of (be careful/wary; be cautious; be on one's guard; take heed; watch out; look out;
mind out for, be on the lookout for)
e.g. (i) We should beware of making hasty decisions.
30
(ii) Uninvited visitors should beware of the dog! (A good notice that you can
display on your main gate if you are busy or if you do not have a dog!)
Blind in (unable to see; visually impaired)
e.g. Before the surgery, he was almost blind in the right eye.
Blind to (unable to notice; unmindful of; careless of; heedless of; oblivious to; inattentive to;
indifferent to; neglectful of; unaware of; unconscious of; unobservant of;
ignorant of; insensitive of)
e.g. Some parents are blind to their children‘s faults.
Boast of (talk proudly about)
e.g. Whenever he gets a chance, he boasts of his adventures during the war.
Call at the house (pay a brief visit to)
Call on somebody (visit)
e.g. When he came home on holidays last year, he called on all his friends.
Call round (to stop at a house or at some place for a short time to see someone or to do
something)
e.g. He called round for a chat.
Call for (need; require; justify; is grounds for; demand; appeal)
e.g. (i) Your success in the competitive examinations calls for a celebration.
(ii) At the drop of a hat, opposition parties call for the Chief Minister‘s
resignation.
(iii) Some organizations have called for a boycott of all fashion parades.
Call off (cancel, postpone)
e.g. Because of the accident, all celebrations were called off.
call upon (appeal to, ask, request)
e.g. The Principal called upon the chief guest to inaugurate the function and address
the gathering.
Compatible with (able to exist together without causing problems; in agreement; well-suited;
like-minded; in tune; in harmony; reconcilable; having rapport)
e.g. Rahul Gandhi‘s political views are not compatible with Varun Gandhi‘s.
Compete with/ against (fight; contend; vie; struggle; pit oneself against)
e.g. (i) Indian manufacturers of mobile phones find it difficult to compete with foreign
companies like Nokia.
(ii) Maruti 800 competed against such cars as Ambassador and succeeded.
(iii)He had to compete against 30 other applicants for the job.
(iv) At the recently concluded Commonwealth games, many Indian athletes had
to compete against the world‘s best.
Compete for
e.g (i) The stores have to compete for customers in the Christmas season.
(ii) She and her sister are always competing for for attention.
Compete in
31
e.g There are many Indian IT companies able to compete in the international
marketplace.
Complain (to say that you are annoyed/not satisfied/ unhappy about something or someone;
bewail; lament; give expression to sorrow; express dissatisfaction; make a formal
statement of a grievance; lodge a complaint; express dissatisfaction with; be unwell.
‗Complain against’ is not considered standard English usage)
Complain about
e.g. (i) The servant often complains about too much work.
(ii) The employees on strike complain about poor working conditions.
(iii)Several residents have complained to the police about the liquor shop in the
neighbourhood.
Complain of
e.g. Several students have complained of non-availability of textbooks. (As a phrasal
verb, to complain of something means ‗to say that you feel ill or have a pain in a
part of your body’. e.g. Old people often complain of severe pain at all joints)
Compliment (a polite expression of praise or approval; a neatly-turned remark or an act
implying praise or approval; a formal greeting, especially as the
accompaniment to a message or present. Special Note:- compliment and
complement are very often confused. Here is a mnemonic (memory aid):
complement is that which completes. In most wedding invitations, we come
across the wrong usage: “With the best compliments from.‖ Make sure that on
your wedding invitation card the words printed are: ‗With the compliments of ‘
(followed by the appropriate name of the person who extends the invitation).
Compliment on (praise)
e.g (i) The Prime Minister complimented the Indian athletes on their fine
performance at the Commonwealth Games.
(ii) The Principal complimented the students on their examination results.
Congratulate somebody on something (Meaning: wish joy to, felicitate, compliment, offer
good wishes to; tell someone that you are happy because they have achieved
something or because something nice has happened to them)
e.g. The Principal congratulated the students on their examination results.
Special Note:-The fifth edition of Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English considers it
right to use ‗congratulate somebody for doing something‘ and gives the following illustrative
example: All three are to be congratulated for doing so well. There are, however, a number
of scholars who think that for is a wrong preposition here. (For instance, Michael Swan in his
Basic English Usage (Oxford University Press (2008), page 197). My advice is this:
If there is any controversy over any particular usage, the best practice is to
prefer only generally accepted usages and treat all disputed usages as incorrect.
In your own interest, always remember that even though you may have your justification, you
may not get an opportunity to justify yourself. Suppose you write in the board examination:
All three are to be congratulated for doing so well. Your examiner might consider it wrong
and mark you down for the supposed mistake. Even the best teacher is unlikely to be aware of
all current controversies or all possible answers.
Conscious of (aware of, awake to, alert to, alive to, cognizant, sensible of, percipient; wise to)
e.g. He resorted to malpractice because he was not conscious of the teacher observing
him.
32
Cope with (succeed in dealing with; contend with; take care of; grapple with; struggle with)
e.g. Wise students stop private tuition when they cannot cope with the additional
burden.
Debar from (officially prevent someone from doing something; keep out; preclude; forbid;
proscribe; disallow)
e.g. (i) He was debarred from the club (shut out, excluded, kept out)
(ii) He was debarred from voting (not allowed to)
(iii) Students found guilty of malpractice at the examination were debarred from
writing any examinations for three years.
Delight (usages: (i) to be delighted by something (= to be pleased/thrilled/excited);
(ii) to take/ find delight in doing something (= feel great pleasure and satisfaction)
e.g. (i) He was delighted by the news of the Indian team‘s victory over the
Australians.
(ii) He takes delight in teasing his sister.
(iii) She finds delight in entertaining guests.
(iv) Students screamed with delight when their school won the championship.
Derive from (originate in; have as a source; stem from; descend from; spring from; come
from something else)
e.g. (i) Many English words are derived from Latin.
(ii) Success deriving from honest work is very valuable.
(iii) The enzyme is derived from human blood.
Die – (Generally speaking, people/animals die of a disease, hunger, natural causes etc; they
die from the effect of violence, pollution etc. The other uses are illustrated and
explained below)
e.g. (i) In many African countries people die of starvation.
(ii) He died from a bullet wound in his chest.
(iii)The machine died on me (stopped working/ broke down while I was using it)
(iv) The wind (sound, light) died away (here, die away is a phrasal verb and it
means that the wind (sound/light) became gradually weaker and
imperceptible or disappeared by degrees)
(v) Scientists fear that at the current rate of atmospheric pollution, some rare
birds will die off (here, die off is a phrasal verb and it means that the rare
birds will die one by one until no one is left)
(vi) The koala bears of Australia are in danger of dying out. (here, die out is a
phrasal verb and the meaning is that they will become extinct or disappear
completely)
(vii) The gossip will die down soon. (here, die down is a phrasal verb and the
meaning is that it will soon become less strong or active or violent
(viii) He. (die in harness is a phrasal verb which means to die while in a job, that
is, before retirement)
33
(ix) Some social activists are ready to die for a cause. (That is, they are so
convinced and committed that they are ready to make any sacrifice for
achieving their goal)
(x) Many people die for fame. (That is, they have a great desire for fame)
Special Note:Much of the information given above (page 28-33) is available in standard
dictionaries like: (i) Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and (ii) Oxford Advanced
Learners. The fact that I have not invented anything should convince you that you can solve
many problems yourself if you make good use of a dictionary. Ambitious students should
assign to themselves at least one manageable task every week and finish it on time. Such
independent work will have a more lasting effect than any amount of spoon-feeding. I have
one suggestion for you if you do not know how to proceed. Find out more about the
expressions given below and try to write your own illustrative examples (as I have done
above). You may also think of supplementing the list. I am sure that while you struggle with
the following words you will discover that I have left out a number of expressions (like
connive at, or veer off , for example). You should therefore go on adding to the list. If you
take my suggestion seriously and finish this homework before 31 October, I shall go through
it and suggest improvements, if required. And, as usual, please do not expect any help in this
regard after this deadline!
Deal in
Deal with
Decide upon
Deficient in
Delighted with
Demand for
Depend on
Deprive of
Desire for
Desist from
Devoid of
Differ with
Differ from
Difficulty in
Disappointed with
Disappointed at
Discussion on
Disgusted with
34
Disgusted at
Dispense with
Dispose of
Dissociate from
Dissuade from
Distaste for
Distrust of
Doubtful of/about
Eligible for
Embark on
Encroach on
Endowed with
Engage in
Enquire into
Enquire after
Entrust to
Envious of
Essential to/for
Exception to
Excuse for
Exclude from
Experience in
Expert in
Exposure to
Facility for
Faith in
Familiar to/with
Famous for
Fascinated by
Fear of
Fed up with
Fire at
Fire upon
Focus on
Fond of
35
Fondness for
Get through
Gifted with
Give up
Give away
Glad of/about
Grapple with
Grasp of
Grateful to
Grateful for
Guard against
Harmful to
Identical with
Impose on
Incapable of
Inconsistent in
Inconsistent with
Indebted to
Indebted for
Independent of
Indifferent to
Indulge in
Inferior to
Infested with
Influence on/over
Information on/about
Inquire into
Insensible to
Insist on
Interfere in
Interfere with
Intoxicated with
Involve in
Jealous of
Jeer at
36
Jump at
Jump to
Keep up
Lean against
Lean on
Liking for
Lure into
Long for
Look down
Loyal to
Match for
Meddle with
Motive for
Necessity for
Notorious for
Object to
Obliged to
Obliged for
Overwhelmed with
Owing to
Part from
Part with
Penalty for
Pity for
Plead for
Prefer to
Prejudiced against
Proficient in
Progress in
Provision for
Pleased with
Priority to
Probe into
Proud of
Pursuit of
37
Put up
Put up with
Put off
Put out
Put on
Qualify for
Quarrel over
Recover from
Refer to
Refrain from
Relevant to
Relieved of
Relish for
Rely on
Remanded in
Remanded on
Remedy for
Remind of
Repent of
Resemblance to
Resort to
Responsible to
Responsible for
Retire from
Retire to
Reward for
Robbed of
Sail for
Satisfied with
Search for
Sensitive to
Sentenced to
Sequel to
Set aside
Set forth
38
Set out
Sick of
Similar to
Stand by
Stare at
Stare in
Substitute for
Succumb to
Supply with
Sue for
Suffer from
Suffer for
Suitable for
Superior to
Surprise at
Sure of
Susceptible to
Suspect of
Sympathize with
Sympathize in
Sympathy for
Talent for
Tamper with
Taste for
Taste of
Thanks to
Thanks for
Thirst for
Trifle with
Triumph over
Unfit for
Vexed with
Vexed at
Victim of
Vie with
39
Wait for
Warn of/against
Wish for
Wonder at
Wink at
Yield to
Zeal for
Zest for
MODULE 10 A: PREPOSITIONS & PHRASAL VERBS:
CLARIFICATION
In Module 10, I concentrated on standard usages and deliberately left out ‗rules‘. But,
ever since I despatched that module a week ago, I have been receiving an unusually large
number of mails, most of them seeking further clarification, and one, accusing me of
oversimplification! I appreciate the accusation because it is true. Here comes my penitential
supplement. By way of answering your questions, I have incorporated just enough
information on adverbial particles and phrasal verbs. Let me know if you need any more
detailed analysis. For the time being I am not sending separate replies to anyone because all
the required answers are worked into this module.
For this module, I have relied more on W. Stannard Allen‘s Living English Structure
brought out by Longmans, Green &Co.
-------------------
*
The most common English prepositions are:
about, above, across, after, against, along, among, at, before, behind, below,
beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, concerning, despite, down, except, for, in, in
front of, inside, in spite of, into, like, near, next to, of, off, on, opposite, out, out of,
outside, over, past, round, since, through, till, until, to, towards, under, up, with,
and without.
*
Prepositions are usually placed in front of the words they control. They indicate various
relationships between words or phrases, the most usual being those of time, space, position,
direction, destination, agency, instrumentality, mental states or emotional attitudes.
*
Important prepositions used for the expression of time are: at, on, in, within, for,
since, until, till, during, by, and from.
*
At is used for exact time: e.g. The meeting started at 9.15 a.m. The train left at 4.45 p.m.
(Some similar expressions of exact time are: at noon, at dusk, at midnight, at the
40
week-end, at bedtime, at the beginning of the class, at the end of the session, at
Christmas, etc.)
*
On is used for days and dates: e.g. The competition will be on Wednesday. Admission starts
on Monday. Admission will be closed on November 30, 2010. (But, on is not used if
an adjective comes before ‗day‘. e.g. I met him on last Saturday. We have school
assembly on every Wednesday)
*
In is used (i) for months and years ( in March, in 1947)
(ii) for period of time (in the evening, in the morning, in the afternoon
(iii) to show the length of time allowed/taken/required. e.g. (a) Write the answers
in two hours. (b) Since we hired a taxi, we could reach there in two hours.
(c) An ordinary bus will take you there in four hours.
*
Within is used to show that an activity was completed, will be over or must be finished
before the end of a period. e.g. Submit the assignment within one week (that is, in
less than a week).
*
For indicates a period of time or the duration (length of time) of an activity or a condition.
e.g. It rained for three hours. The teacher was on leave for a week.
*
Since indicates a point of time or a specified time in the past.
e.g. I has been raining since 3 p.m. (Similarly, since Friday, since last year, since
2000, since I left school, since Independence, since you came here last, etc)
*
During means throughout the duration of or at a point in the course of.
e.g. The sun gives us light during the day. I met him during the holidays.
*
By indicates the latest time by which something was done or was expected to be done or is
to be done. It may also mean during the course of. e.g. Finish the project by next
Monday (i.e., Monday is the last date). Applications for admission should reach the
office by February 20 (i.e., February 20 is the last date). Bats fly about by night (i.e.,
during)
*
From indicates the starting point of time. e. g. (i) The office will be open from 10 a.m to 5
p.m. (ii) The programme was interesting from the beginning to the end. (iii) The
school will remain closed from December 15 to January 5.
*
Important prepositions used for the expression of place are: at, in, and on.
*
At is used to indicate a particular house or place of residence, a place, or a spot. Examples:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lives at 7 Race Course Road.
President Obama stayed at the Taj, Mumbai.
His office is at Vikas Bhavan.
I met him at the railway station.
He underwent surgery at City Hospital.
He is a student at Loyola. (Similarly: at home, at the bus stop, at the beach, at
the cross-roads)
*
In is used for names of continents, countries, and large areas (like districts, large towns,
capital cities), departments, places with no specific name, and for the kind of place
if it is a building). e.g. ...in Europe, in Asia, in India, in Wayanad, in Trivandrum, in
New Delhi, in the Department of Information Technology, in the country, in a
town, in an office, in a factory, in a restaurant, in a bank.
41
. *However, use the preposition on if the place of work is not a building.
(e.g. He works on a farm. He works on a plantation. He works on an estate. He is
employed on the railways).
PREPOSITIONS RELATED TO:
Position, Direction, Destination, Agency, Instrumentality, and Emotional attitudes:
At is used:
To denote some state or condition (e.g. Iraq and Kuwait were are at war. Similarly:
at peace, at rest, at liberty, etc)
To indicate direction towards. (e.g. The mob threw stones at the police. The dog
rushed at the stranger. Look at the painting. The Maoists shot at the CRPF jawans.
(Similarly: glance at, peer at, peep at, stare at, gaze at)
To indicate number, price, speed etc. (e.g. Onion is now sold at Rs. 25 per kilogram.
If you drive at 150 miles an hour in the city you may save one or two minutes and
lose your life. The strength of the ruling party stands at 256.
To indicate age or position in time. (e.g. He retired at sixty. I went to school at five)
Between is used to indicate the position relative to two persons, places, things etc: Example:
Sutter Hall is situated between Loyola College and Loyola School. The Mediterranean
Sea is between Europe and Africa. The letter B comes between A and C. Thomas sits
between Ravi and Gopi)
Among is used when there are three or more persons, places, things etc. Example: The prizemoney was divided equally among all the three winners. The MLAs quarrelled among
themselves and some of them left their party in protest.
Beside means by the side of, but besides means in addition to.
By is used for authors, doers, agents etc. (novel by Thakazhi; lighted by electricity; caught
by the police; discovered by Columbus, repaired by a mechanic)
In is used to denote position, dress, surroundings, condition etc. (He is a doctor in a private
hospital. Mr. A.K. Antony is a minister in the Union Cabinet. The bridegroom was
dressed in silk/white. Gandhiji was in prison many times. He returned home in haste.
She was in tears/sorrow. Children love to play in the rain)
Into expresses motion or inward direction, transformation, change of condition etc.
(I walked into the office. He works far into the night. Bashher‘s works have been
translated into English. The magician changed the kerchief into a snake)
On is used to denote membership of a body, a condition, and in the sense of about or
concerning. (He is on the staff of Loyola College. He is on the Board of Directors.
The house was on fire. He was suspended for being drunk while on duty.
*
Prepositions can also come after the words they govern, notably in (a) questions and (b)
relative and interrogative clauses. (e.g.(a) What can I cut the bread with? (b)This is
the book I was telling you about)
42
*
Many verbs get strongly associated with certain prepositions in one of two ways:
(1) With verbs and prepositions keeping their basic meaning unchanged.
(e.g. He is sitting on a chair and looking out of the window)
(2) As a compound having an idiomatic meaning. We cannot guess the meaning from
the two parts. Look at this sentence: I didn‘t take to him at first. Here, the words
take and to will not help us guess the meaning. The meaning of take to is like.
Such idiomatic expressions must be learned by rote. Three more examples, with
the meaning within brackets, are given below:
(i) He takes after his father. (resembles or looks like)
(ii) She set about preparing dinner. (began to prepare)
(iii) The ship made for the harbour. (went towards)
*
Adverbial particles combine with verbs even more often than prepositions to form
idiomatic compounds. Most of them have the same form as their corresponding prepositions,
but the following seven are adverbials only and never used as prepositions:
(i)away, (ii)back, (iii)out, (iv)backward(s), (v)downward(s), (vi)forward(s),(vii)upward(s)
*
Adverbial particles are most commonly found as part of compound verbs or phrasal verbs.
As with similar compounds made with prepositions, these are of two kinds:
(1) With verb and adverb keeping their own basic meanings.
e.g. go in; walk away; come out; pay back
(2) With verb and adverb combining to give a new idiomatic meaning.
e.g. keep on (continue); bring about (cause); give in (yield); take off
(leave the ground or imitate); blow up (explode) etc.
*
Some of these compounds can be followed by a preposition to make a further combination.
e.g. Go in for (practise for pleasure); come out with (say suddenly); get down to
(apply oneself); put up with (suffer).
*
It is very difficult to distinguish between a prepositional and an adverbial compound verb.
There are, however, five useful indications.
(1) A preposition is closely tied to the noun or pronoun it controls.
e.g. (i) He looked at the boys
(ii) He spoke to them.
(iii) He spoke about his travels.
(iv) He looked out of the window
(2) An adverb particle is closely tied to its verb (as if by a hyphen)
e.g. (i) Please put out the light.
(ii) He blew up the bridge.
(iii) The rebels gave in
43
(3) Except in questions and relative/ interrogative clauses (as illustrated at the
beginning of this module), a preposition comes before its noun/pronoun object.
(4) An adverb particle is always placed after a pronoun object. It is usually placed
after the object even when this is a noun (as in example 1 below), unless the
object is a long one (as in example 2 below).
e.g. (1) Look the word up in a dictionary. (noun object (word)+adverb particle (up)
(2) Look up all the difficult words and phrases in a dictionary. (Note that the
object here is six words long — all the difficult words and phrases. If the
adverb particle (up) is placed after the object, it will be far away from the
verb (look) and the meaning may not be immediately clear. That is why
the adverb particle (up) precedes the object).
(5) The distinctive word-orders of preposition and adverb can be seen when the object
is a pronoun:
Look the word up! (= adverb particle, coming after the noun object word).
Look it up! (= adverb particle, coming after the pronoun object it).
Look up the chimney! (= preposition, coming before the noun object chimney)
Look up it! (= preposition, coming before the pronoun object it).
*
An amusing contrast between preposition and adverb particle is found in the well-known
riddle: What can go up a chimney down, but can‘t go down it up? (Instead of answering this
riddle, I will drop a hint. Well, the hint is there in this module itself!)
*
Having said all these, I would like to repeat Michael Swan‘s words —...one has to learn
the expression as a whole — more so because many verb-adverb compounds have more than
one meaning according to context and wild guess might land you in a soup, as the following
examples might convince you:
(i) This box is heavy; I must put it down (place it on ground)
(ii) Shall I put his name down, too? (make note of)
(iii)The riot was put down by the police (suppressed)
(iv) I should put him down as a student (consider)
(v) She said nothing; we put it down to shyness (attribute)
(vi)You cannot enter the hall with your umbrella up; you must put it down (shut)
---------------My assurance:
You will have a much better grip on prepositions/ adverbial particles if you have a
good dictionary and spend some time to look up the expressions I have given on
pages 33 to 39 and write at least one illustrative example for each pair of words in the
list.
44
MODULE 11: INELEGANT SENTENCES
Now that your half-yearly examinations are over, here comes the next module of tips.
Hereafter the modules will be much smaller, say, half as long as they used to be, because it is
high time you started your preparation for the final examination.
From your feedback I gather that a few students (not many) are really interested in
mastering impeccable English. For a change, and mainly for the benefit of such ambitious
students, I would like to comment briefly on the kind of English you find every day in
newspapers. If you critically read the dailies, you may discover the characteristics of
journalese (the hackneyed language typical of newspapers). Remember that journalism is
after all 'literature in a hurry', and perhaps because of the hurry, journalese is less than
satisfactory as a model for any lover of language. Though the meaning is pretty clear to
everyone, sentences like the following are inelegant, if not downright wrong. You may do
your own (re)search, if you like, and decide for yourself if the following sentences are good
enough. I have noted my immediate response in parenthesis (brackets) but would rather not
sit in judgement.
136. “With a little advance planning we can avoid the traffic block at PMG Junction.‖ (Isn‘t
advance an unwanted word here because planning is the laying out of a future course?)
137. “The pirate-boat foundered and apparently sank in the stormy seas.‖ (If it foundered, it
really sank because that is what 'foundered' means)
138. ―There is nothing new about the book because all the articles he published over a period
of ten years comprise the book.‖ (Since the whole comprises (contains/includes) the parts and
not vice versa, comprise must be replaced by constitute.)
139. ―The Thiruvananthapuram corporation faces the same old dilemma: should the footpath
vendors be evicted?‖ (There is no dilemma here, either old or new, because dilemma is a
situation entailing a choice between two unpleasant alternatives. In the given sentence, there
is no suggestion of such alternatives. Problem or predicament is the word required here).
140. ―The Minister clarified that reporters had deliberately distorted the true facts.‖ (True
facts may be justified if there can be false facts, and much depends on the meaning of fact)
141. ―With her masterful strokes at the Commonwealth Games, Saina Nehwal won the hearts
of all Indians.‖ ( masterly (i.e., skilful or expert) is a more suitable word)
142. ―At the special dinner preparatory to Obama's visit to India...‖ (Obama is not a starved
man, and the dinner in no sense prepared him for the visit. A simple word like before is more
meaningful here)
45
MODULE 12: THE DEFINITE ARTICLE
There are students who complain, or at least believe, that some teachers are miserly or partial in their evaluation and that they
award different marks for the same answer. Well, no such teacher ever taught me. Neither have I seen any such miser among my friends and
colleagues. The truth is that it takes only a few seconds for any teacher of English to discover the qualitative difference between two
answers. You may go by the number of points you have presented or by the length of the answers, and believe that both answers are
identical and so they deserve the same marks. Before jumping to any such conclusion, make sure that, while comparing, you did not
overlook seemingly unimportant facts like spelling errors or mistakes in the use of a few simple but troublesome words like a, an, and the.
Only perfect answers deserve 100% marks. You may consider it correct to write: Poet says…/ Author said…/Writer argues…etc. But it is
wrong because you are referring to a particular poet or a particular author or a particular writer, and not just any poet/author/writer. Even if
a teacher does not reduce any mark for an error then and there, he will make a mental note of the mistake and might reduce ½ mark if you
repeat the same mistake two or three times. And, silly mistakes have a tendency to repeat themselves too often. Instead of praying for the
examiner‘s generosity, you should harden your mind with a cynical line of thought: one silly mistake repeated twenty-five times in the same
answer paper will be equal to twenty-five mistakes and so, the cumulative loss will be 12 ½ marks which will be rounded to the next
integer—13! Wow.
You might still argue that deducting ½ mark for a small mistake is quite uncharitable. Maybe, it is. But, the standard of living has
gone up these days, and ¼ mark has almost gone out of use just as 5 paise/10 paise/20 paise coins have disappeared (even though they are
still legal tender). The minimum standard deduction these days is ½ mark! You may look at it as an examiner‘s minimum sitting fee!
Joking apart, the reason for deducting marks for mistakes is that it is the only way to do justice to students who write faultless
answers. You may say that you don‘t grudge an undeserving student getting the same marks as you got. Sheer humbug! Will you have the
same attitude if an undeserving competitor deprives you of a medical/engineering seat or a prestigious position just because some examiner
was (criminally) generous?
Well, your guess is right: part of this little ‗Sermon on the Articles‘ (a, an, and the) was occasioned by the grumble I noticed
while returning the answer scripts of the half-yearly examinations!
Now that you know why examiners reduce marks, let us continue our attempt to reduce the cumulative loss! Go to the next page.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘The’ is called the definite article because it defines or specifies the thing/person mentioned.
WHERE SHOULD WE USE THE DEFINITE ARTICLE ‗THE’ ?
*The commonest use of ‗the’ is before nouns already introduced and to refer back to them.
e.g. I saw a dog chasing a cat. The dog was black and the cat, white. (Here, ―the” dog
means that particular dog which chased the cat mentioned in the first sentence)
*There are, however, many occasions where we have to use ‘the’ before nouns even if they
were not introduced earlier. Half the problem with the definite article will be solved if we
think in terms of the five possible (or contextual) meanings of the word ‗the’ and remember a
few examples or fixed usages:
Contextual meanings of the
1. The = you know which I mean. Imagine that a student at Loyola has brought one of his
cousins to the campus and says: This is my school. Isn’t the campus beautiful? The indoor
stadium over there was inaugurated last year. It needs a lot of care to keep the lawn in this
shape. The library is on the top floor. Even though the campus, the indoor stadium, the lawn,
and the library were not introduced earlier, the context makes the reference quite clear.
Hence, the use of the definite article. A few more examples are given below:
i. He sold the car. (= you know which car I mean. The listener or reader knows which
car is meant—the old Ambassador car, for instance)
ii. I am going to the library. (= you know which library I mean. The listener knows which
library is meant— the Panchayat library nearby, for instance)
iii. I did not like the film. (The listener/reader has no doubt about the reference — the film
they saw yesterday, for example)
iv. I shall meet you at the shop (= you know which shop I mean — your own shop, for
instance)
v. There is a rat in the kitchen (= you know which kitchen I mean — our own kitchen, for
instance).
46
2. The = the only one of its kind. Look at the following unique things/persons/periods of
time etc. and make a special note of the use of the before them:
the sun
the moon
the stars
the earth
the universe
the poles
the equator
the horizon
the globe
the sky
the world
the heavens (meaning, the sky) the Pope
the Devil
the Middle Ages the Romantic period the Victorian era
(Exceptions: God, Paradise, Heaven, Hell, Nature, Space)
3.The = the only one in our part of the world. See the examples below:
The government has decided not to raise the age of retirement. (that is, the
only government in our part of the world, for instance, the Government of Kerala.
The Union Cabinet is discussing the problem. (that is, the only Union Cabinet in our
part of the world)
4.The = the well-known. Look at the example below:
I saw Mammutty, the actor.(That is, the well-known actor Mammutty, not just any
other person of the same name)
5. The = the kind of animal or object called ‘a…’
e.g. The tiger is a fierce animal (= The kind of animal called a tiger is a fierce
animal = Tigers are fierce animals. Though ‗tiger‘ is a singular noun here, the use of
the before it makes it representative of the whole class. Note, however, that in
colloquial style, the plural is more usual: Tigers are fierce animals)
*Use ‗the’ before nouns modified in such a way that uniqueness is indicated.
e.g. the top of the tree, the left side of the table, the front of our school, the books on
the first shelf, the year 1947, the middle, the centre, the back of the building.
*Use ‗the’ before names of mountain ranges and island groups (not before single mountain/island/peak/hill)
e.g. the Himalayas; the Alps; the Pyrannes
the West Indies; the South Sea Islands
*Use ‗the’ before names of rivers, canals, straits, seas, oceans, and gulfs:
e.g. the Nile; the Suez Canal; the Gibralter; the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean,
the Persian Gulf.
*Use ‗the’ before names of deserts, forests, ships, fleets, trains:
e.g. the Sahara; the Black Forest; the Titanic; the Spanish Armada; the Rajdhani Express.
*Use ‗the’ before names of newspapers, holy books, old epics and government departments.
e.g. the New Indian Expres; the Koran; the Mahabharata; the Department of Revenue.
*Use ‗the’ before the names most museums and art galleries. e.g. The British Museum.
*Use ‗the’ before the names most hotels: e.g. The Taj; the Grand Hotel; The Trident.
*Use ‗the’ to represent a class:
e.g. the poor (meaning, poor people); the rich; the blind; the handicapped; the oppressed;
the tiger (i.e., the class of tigers, as in: The tiger is a ferocious animal)
Exception: Man, as in: Man is a social animal.( Not: The man is a social animal)
*Use ‗the’ in fixed expressions like: the ultimate, the last, the first, the second, the next etc.
47
*Use ‗the’ before superlatives, as in: the brightest boy; the tallest girl.
*Use ‗the’ before the names of countries made up of smaller parts or units, and also when the
name is preceded by words like Union, United, Republic, and Kingdom, and also
before their abbreviations:
e.g. the United States of America (the USA); the United Arab Emirates (the UAE);
the United Kingdom (the UK); the Republic of India.
*Use ‗the’ before the names of the countries and places noted below:
the Sudan; the Punjab; the Hague; the Netherlands.
*Use ‗the’ before the names of scientific instruments/ inventions, and musical instruments.
e.g. The violin is more difficult to play than the guitar. The mobile phone has made
communication easier.
*Use ‗the’ before the name of a ‗closed‘ group or class with a relatively definite, limited
number of members.
e.g. The Victorian poets (Tennyson, Browning, Arnold et al)
The Romantic poets (Shelley, Keats, Byron, Wordsworth, Coleridge et al)
*Use ‗the’ when the noun is followed by a defining/limiting phrase, especially one with of.
e.g The music of the 1960s (or, 1960s music, without the)
The butterflies of Africa (or, African butterflies, without the)
*Use ‗the’ when we refer to the world around us and its climate. (The assumption is that
everybody is familiar with what we are talking about)
e.g. He likes the seaside, but his wife prefers the mountains.
I love listening to the wind.
The stranger talked about the weather because he did not like personal questions.
I like the music of the rain.
*Use ‗the’ when we refer to something that is part of everybody‘s lives though the reference
is not to a particular one.
e.g. I met him on the bus (not necessarily any particular bus)
She goes to the hairdresser every fortnight.
I am too busy to read the newspaper.
*Use ‗the’ when there are two or more possibilities and it is not necessary to be very specific.
e.g. She kicked him on the knew. (It is unimportant whether it was the left or the right knee)
He is the son of a politician. (not necessarily the only son: the politician may have more
than one son)
*Use ‗the’ before radio, cinema, and theatre when we think of them as forms of
entertainment: e.g. We listen to the radio; we go to the cinema; We go to the theatre.
Some of you are likely to be a little confused here. Solution: Find out the meaning of
the words cinema and theatre. Also note that the definite article is dropped if the
words radio, cinema, theatre, and television are used in the sense of art forms or
professions. e.g. Cinema is more popular than theatre (as forms of art); He worked in
radio before taking up television (profession).
48
WHERE SHOULD WE OMIT THE DEFINITE ARTICLE ‗THE’ ?
*Do not use ‗the’ when you talk or write about things in general.
e.g. Life is short; Books are expensive; Man is a social animal.
*Do not use ‗the’ before the name of a single mountain, island, peak, or hill.
e.g. Everest; Sri Lanka; Snowdon, Mont Blanc.(Some exceptions:The Meije; the Matterhorn)
*Do not use ‗the’ before the names of substances if they are used in a general sense:
e.g. Gold is a precious metal (Not: The gold….)
Glass is brittle (easily breakable) (Not: The glass……
Copper is a good conductor of electricity(Not: The copper….).
But the should be used if there is a comparison or a specific reference, as in: The gold
mined in India is as good as the gold mined anywhere else in the world.
*Do not use ‗the’ before the names of continents, countries and places if there is no specific
reference:
e.g. Asia, Africa, India; China; Mumbai (Not: The Asia; The China; The Mumbai etc).
But the should be used if there is a comparison or a specific reference, as in: The India
of today is quite different from the India under British rule.
*Do not use ‗the’ before the names of games (like football, basketball, etc.); languages
(like English, Spanish, etc.); festivals (like Onam, Christmas, etc.).
*Do not use ‗the’ before words like school, hospital, prison, church, temple, barracks,
market, etc. if the reference is to their primary purpose.
In other words, the use of the depends on whether you think of the building/place or
its purpose.For instance, Criminals go to prison, but a reporter may go to the prison to
interview the jail warden. Pious people go to temple (to pray), but petty thieves go to
the temple (to steal footwear). Farmers go to market (to sell or buy things), but union
leaders may go to the market to collect donations from the merchants there. Students
go to school (to study), but parents may go to the school to see the teachers there.
A sick person goes to hospital (for treatment), but you may go to the hospital to visit
a patient there.
*Do not use ‗the’ before institutions named after persons and places, like:
The Vasan‘s Eye Hospital, the Loyola School, the Kerala University, the Cambridge
University, the Mahatma Gandhi University. But, the should be used if the word ‗University‘
comes before the place name, as in: the University of Kerala.
*Do not use ‗the’ before the titles of the main public buildings and organizations of a town
when the title begins with the town name:
e.g. Mumbai Central (railway station), Canterbury Cathedral, Enrakulam Town Hall,
Manchester United (football club), Frankfurt Airport
*Do not use ‗the’ before names of relations (e.g. father, mother) and such nouns that indicate
an occupation or profession (e‘g‘ teacher, doctor, waiter)
e.g. Mother told us to go to bed. Waiter, bring me a cup of coffee, please.
Doctor advised complete rest.
49
*Do not use ‗the’ before double expressions, particularly with prepositions:
e.g. Europeans eat with knife and fork. (Not eat with the knife and the fork)
Similar double expressions that do not take the definite article are:
on land and sea;
from top to bottom;
inch by inch; husband and wife;
arm in arm
with hat and coat;
day by day;
bread and butter
*Do not use ‗the’ before abstract nouns. (abstract = non-material)
e.g. His heart is filled with joy/happiness/gratitude.
Faith is unquestioning confidence in someone or something.
(Note, however, that the may be used before such nouns if the context suggests a definite
reference. e.g. The joy he experienced when he won the prize was boundless (i.e., that
particular joy he experienced on that particular occasion, and not any other joy he may
have experienced at other times)
*Do not use ‗the’ after phrases like: the number of or the amount of:
e.g. The number of unemployed is rising steadily (Not the unemployed….)
The amount of money collected is enough for the purpose. (Not the money….)
*Do not use ‗the’ before the word television (TV)
e.g. What is on TV now? (Not on the TV)
Special Note:Though many people use it, it is better not to use the after both, and between all and a number.
e.g. Both sons are doctors. (Not necessary to say: Both the sons are doctors)
All three thieves were arrested.(Not necessary to say: All the three thieves were arrested)
*Do not use ‗the’ before fixed/ idiomatic expressions like the following:
at sea; at dawn; at night; by daybreak, at noon, on foot, in fun, in jest, by hand, in turn, on
demand, in winter, all day; all night; all week; all year; all summer/winter etc.
Note, however, that this is a troublesome area because there are hundreds of words of the
above kind and, moreover, there are many occasions that demand the use of the. Whether the
is needed or not depends on the meaning and the degree of definiteness. Look closely at the
sentences / usages given in the following table and find out the reason for the use or omission
of the definite article. Think for yourself about all the grammatical implications, the different
ways the sentence could be recast, etc. because that is the best way to master this difficult
area of grammar. I will drop just one hint by way of guidance. The first sentence reads: Bats
fly at night. The is omitted because this is a general statement and the noun is plural. The
sentence may be recast this way: The bat flies at night. There isn‘t any difference in meaning
because we are still thinking of a category of mammals and not about any particular bat. The
change is in the use of the and the singular noun (bat). As explained elsewhere in this
Module, one of the possible meanings of the is: ‘the kind of animal called a…’ In your
attempt to discover more about the sentence or the words in it, you are most likely to learn
many other things too — not necessarily related to grammar—for instance, that a bat is an
animal even though it flies about. Make use of the blank rows below to add similar sentences
later when you come across them. Great if you think of the blank rows as an invitation to a
sel-imposed homework!
50
Sentences/ Usages where the is omitted
Sentences/ Usages where the is used
Bats fly at night.
The theft took place during the night he was away.
There is snowfall in winter.
He visited the USA during the winter of 2009.
Fishermen go to sea.
Columbus sailed the sea.
He reached land. (at the end of the voyage)
They work on the land (as farmers/ farm workers)
He sat down to table. (to have a meal)
The maid laid the table. (got the table ready)
He went to bed at ten. (to sleep)
He went to the bed to take the book left on it.
I love cheese.
Where is the cheese we bought yesterday?
He is getting ready to go to space.
Write your name in the space at the top of the page
Industrial workers often vote for the LDF.
(the members of the group)
What has the government done for the industrial
workers? (The group as a whole)
Metals are mostly shiny (in general)
Let us study the metals in detail (class of metals)
Wordsworth loved Nature (general sense)
He understands the nature of the problem.
For the preparation of this Module, I have used one more book not mentioned earlier: A.S. Hornby‘s Guide to
Patterns and Usages in English (Oxford University Press, Second Edition, Nineteenth Impression, 2009)
51
MODULE 13: PRONUNCIATION +WORDS CONFUSED
Since Module 12 was slightly longer and it may take more time for the details to sink in, I have made this module
a little lighter. It doesn‘t matter much even if you skip this. It is long since we dealt with pronunciation. Please refer to pages
5 and 25 above if you have forgotten what I said about the limitation of my way of indicating pronunciation, the use of
symbols like (') and (:), and the pronunciation of (e) etc. Look up the following words in any good dictionary, preferably a
general-purpose dictionary (because the use of Pronouncing Dictionaries like Daniel Jones‘ is quite limited). Occasional
repetition of words is deliberate, not accidental. Let there be some revision too!
Make a special note of the four or
five words given at the end of the following list. Some of them are taken from the current week‘s newspapers, and the words
in same colour are often wrongly used. I may follow the same pattern for future modules.
relay race — 'ree-lay-rays
regular— 'reg-yu-le(r)
cough — kof
circuit — 'se:kit
cadre —'ka-de(r)
depict — di -'pikt
manage — man-ij
damage—'dam-ij
relevant —'reli-v(e)nt
ion — ai-en (just as we pronounce the word ‗iron‘)
delusive — di- 'loosiv or di-'lyoosiv (deceptive or unreal)
prerogative — pri-'ro-getiv (exclusive privilege)
guillotine —'gilleteen or gil-let-'teen
parachute —'para-shoot
Incisive — in-'sai-siv (sharp, piercing, penetrating, cutting, trenchant)
amoral — ei-'moral
Troupe — troop (a group of actors, singers, dancers or acrobats who work together)
lichen — 'laiken or 'lichen
Foyer — 'foi-ei (an entrance hall or lobby, especially in a theatre, hotel or public building)
Sycophant — 'sik-efant (one who seeks favour by flattering people of wealth or influence)
Prowess — 'prou-is (exceptional skill, expertise, bravery)
demense — di-'may-n (in the past, a very big house and all the land which belonged to it)
Curriculum vitae — keri-kyulem veetai
Danseuse — dan-sooz or dan-soz (a female dancer, ballerina)
Démarche — day-'mash (diplomatic action or initiative)
Locus standi — lok-es-'stan-dai (A recognized status; the right to be heard in a court of law)
Ingenuous — in-'jenyu-es (innocently frank, honourably straightforward)
Ingenious — in-'jeeni-es (very clever; inventive; original)
Exalt —ig-'zo:lt (elevate; raise in status; glorify) (:) indicates that ‗o‘ sounds long, as the oa in board)
Exult — ig-'zalt (rejoice greatly; leap up with joy) (a here is short, sounding like the u in bus)
52
CLARIFICATION OF DOUBT
A student of class X (CBSE) wrote to me seeking some clarification on the tense problems in the usage had better,
the correcting spelling of let go of, and the pronunciation of three words— clerk, often and digestion. A copy of
the relevant part of my personal reply to him is given below for the use of other students who may have the same
doubts. Do not read any further if you have no problems in this regard.
1. Had better.
Do not mistake had for the past perfect tense, or better for any expressed or
implied comparison. We use ‘had better’ to give strong advice. It is a fixed
expression and it means 'it would be good to' (not it would be better to...) The
meaning is present or future, not past, but we always use had, not have. After had
better we use the infinitive without to. Had better is more urgent than ‗should‘ or
‗ought‘.
A few more examples:
i) You had better switch off the TV and start studying before your Dad gets angry.
(Meaning, I strongly advise you to switch off the TV now and...)
ii) It is late, you had better hurry up. (Meaning, it is advisable/ desirable that you
hurry up now)
iii) My stomach is upset. I had better not eat any junk food (It is good that I do not eat
junk food now or for some more time).
iv) If you are not convinced of this clarification, you had better refer to Michael
Swan‘s Practical English Usage (New International Student‘s Edition, Oxford
University Press, Fourth Impression, 2007, page 203).
2. Let go of
Let go of (single ‗f‘) means release one's hold. (Malayalam = pidi viduka). Suppose
someone catches hold of you by your wrist and you do not like it. You say: Let go of
me (meaning, you stop holding me like this; you leave me alone). To avoid confusion,
think of let go of as a fixed expression in which the word let is not used in the usual
sense of ‘allow’)Another example: The man who was walking his dog let go of the
chain, and the dog ran after a stray dog on the road.
Let off (double‗f‘) is possible, but the meaning would be different, as in the following
examples:
(i) I will let you off this time (Meaning, I will not punish you/ I will let you free)
(ii) I will let you off the hook (Meaning, I will allow you to escape punishment)
(iii)I will let you off lightly (Meaning, I will give you a less serious punishment than you
deserve)
(iv) You have worked hard all week. So I will let you off. (Meaning, I will give you
permission not to work)
(v) He let off the bomb (Meaning, he caused the bomb to explode)
3. Clerk is pronounced klak (long a, and no r heard) in British English, but klerk ( r
heard) in American English.
4. Often is pronounced (i) ofen (t silent) & (ii) oft-en (t pronounced), but the former is
preferable.
53
5. Digestion is pronounced di-'jes-chen or/ dai-'jes-chen (Note that Longman
Dictionary of Contemporary English and Oxford Talking Dictionary give both
pronunciations, but they differ in their first preference). The verb digest is pronounced
dai-jest.
Also note that, as in digestion, the final ...tion in words like suggestion,
question etc is pronounced chen, not shen (Here, the e is not the e in hell or bell, but a
mix of the e and u sounds, as the u in Saturday is pronounced). Another
generalisation is that the stress or accent falls on the part just before the final ...tion or
...sion. The stressed syllable (that is, the part to be pronounced with added force) is
underlined in the following examples: Concession, profession, allocation, bifurcation,
altercation, incubation, demarcation etc. Such primary stress is indicated in
dictionaries by the (' ) sign, as in, say, olte-'kay-shen (altercation).
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