Improve Your English – 177 [Archives:2003/629/Education]

Dr. Ramakanta Sahu
I. What to Say
Situation and expressions (46):
Expressing in how many cases a statement is true

Sometimes the speaker likes to be relatively more specific in making a general statement. In order to express in how many cases the generalization he is going to make is true, he chooses a suitable phrase for this purpose. Use of these phrases lends force to the statement and reveals the speaker's attitude.
Most of these phrases are usually placed at the beginning of sentences, but they can also be placed at the end. In writing sometimes they are placed in the middle as well. However, there are a few phrases which are placed only at the beginning and the sentence that follows appears with inversion of subject and operator.

a) The first group of phrases: Phrase + Sentence
– In the vast majority of cases, the youth of Yemen have a positive attitude.
– In a large number of cases, disease is a result of a lack of health awareness.
– Generally, the people in Yemen are very affectionate.
– In most cases, students themselves maintain strict discipline and refrain from cheating in exams.
– Often, one comes across a stranger who is willing to extend a helping hand.
– By and large, the generalization you're making is valid.
– What he says is largely true.
– A number of girls these days are attending schools.
– More often than not he has been found telling lies.
– Very frequently, my father visits me and looks after my wellbeing.
– Generally speaking, the economic condition of people of Mahweet is poor.
– Students, in general, want to improve their proficiency in English.
– Usually, I engage my self in some productive work during my free time.

II. How to Say it Correctly
Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences
1. She sings beautiful.
2. I like very much skating.
3. I yesterday met him.
4. She badly dances
5. Call me anything else than a thief.

Answers to last week's questions
1. Every night and every day brings its own responsibility.
Note: When two singular nouns are joined by 'and' and preceded by 'each' or 'every', the pronoun is always singular.
2. He is more brave than wise.
Note: When we compare two qualities in the same person or thing, the comparative ending 'er' is not used. In all such cases we should use 'more' before the adjective.
3. This book is as good as, if not better than that book.
Note: When two adjectives with differing degrees of comparison are used, they should be complete in themselves. We should complete the first comparison before taking up the second.
4. He takes no less than one kilo litre of milk.
Note: 'less' refers to quantity only, whereas 'fewer' denotes number. The former is used in case of uncountable nouns only and the latter in case of countable things.
5. It is a four-man committee.
Note: When expressions of measurement, amount and quantity are used as adjectives, they are usually singular. The noun occurring after the hyphen is always singular, notwithstanding the fact that the preceding word indicates plurality.

III. Increase your Word Power
A) How to express it in one word
1. Having or showing low spirits or sadness.
2. Towards the bottom of a hill.
3. A part of the full price paid at the time of buying, with the rest to be paid later.
4. A heavy fall of rain.
5. In accordance with the practical realities.

Answers to last week's questions
1. A politician who champions the cause of peace: dove (n)
2. A person who is suffering from bad fortune and seeming to be unable to do anything about it: down-to-earth (adj)
3. Having or showing low spirit or sadness: down-cast (adj)
4. An experience or state of affairs that is saddening: downer (n)
5. To lower in rank, position, or importance: down grade (vt)

B) Foreign phrases
Use the following words and phrases in illustrative sentences:
1. chateaux; 2. chatelaine;
3.chef d'oeuvre; 4. comme il faut;
5. communique

Answers to last week's questions
1. conard (Fr) (a false piece of news): Don't take a news at its face value. It may be a conard.
2. cap-a-pie (Fr) (wearing full armor from head to foot): He was armed cap-a-pie.
3. carte blanche (Fr) (full freedom): The Prime Minister has given the minister with independent portfolio carte blanche in dealing with foreign affairs.
4. caveat emptor (Lat) (a warning principle in buying and selling): We should decide to buy consumer durables keeping in mind the relevant caveat emptor.
5. charge d'affaires (Fr) (an officer who represents his country in a country to which no ambassador has been appointed): Mr. Bajaj has been appointed charge de affaires of India in Yemen following the retirement of Mr. Suman, the former ambassador.

C) Words commonly confused
Bring out differences in meaning of the following pairs of words
1. adduce, reduce
2. acquisition, requisition
3. acquisitive, inquisitive
4. acquittal, requital
5. acrimony, alimony

Answers to last week's questions
1. accompany (vt) (go with): I was accompanied by my wife to the wedding party.
company (n) (being together with another or others): I'm glad to have the pleasure of your company in my wedding party.
2. accomplice (n) (helper or companion in wrong doing): The criminal as well as his accomplice has been taken into custody.
accomplish (vt) (perform successfully): I'm glad the task has been accomplished skillfully.
3. accord (n) (willingly): He came here of his own accord.
discord (n) (disagreement): Kashmir is the apple of discord between India and Pakistan.
4. account (vt) (consider): The accused is accounted innocent unless and until he is proved guilty.
recount (vt) (give an account of): The hostage recounted his harrowing story after the abductors released him.
5. accredit (vt) (send an ambassador with official letters of introduction): A high-profile diplomat has been accredited to Yemen.
credit (vt) (enter on the credit side of an account): The money was credited to his bank account.

D) Idioms and phrases
Use the following phrases and idiomatic expressions in sentences
1. get a bad name; 2. a bad egg;
3. go from bad to worse;
4. make the best of a bad job; 5. it's a bad business

Answers to last week's questions
1. the bane of one's life (cause of bad thing): Alcoholism is the bane of his life.
2. keep the ball rolling (to begin and continue something): Beginning an enterprise is not enough. You must keep the ball rolling.
3. the ball is in your court (now it's your turn to act or reply): I have fulfilled my part of the contract. The ball now is in your court.
4. bale out (to escape from an aircraft by parachute): As soon as they realized the impending danger, the pilot and the copilot baled themselves out of the aircraft.
5. in the balance (uncertain): The question of his dismissal from service hangs in the balance.

IV. Grammar and Composition
A) Grammar
Change or join the following sentences beginning with the words in brackets
1. Money is lost. Health is ruined by chewing qat. (not only)
2. Mansour waited for Moinul for two hours. Then he finally gave up and went home. (not until)
3. You cannot get fresher fruit and vegetables than the ones available in Hayel Street. (nowhere)
4. Mohammed doesn't go to his village home very often. (only rarely)
5. Dr. Abdul Aziz arrived home. The telephone rang (no sooner)

Answers to the previous week's questions
Indirect speech
1. Faiz told that Ahmed was getting married.
2. Manal informed that Jamila had gone to see her uncle in Hadramout.
3. Amal commented that Faiza hadn't done her homework.
4. Zafar told that she was ill.
5. Sailo pleaded his ignorance that the exam was going to be held the next day.
6. Mr. Isa comments that Mr. Fernando has been an excellent manager.
7. Amna asserted that Baraka must be studying hard.
8. Abraham asked Khalid why he (Khalid) didn't come to the lecture the previous day.

B) Composition
Expand the ideas contained in the saying
11. STONE WALLS DO NOT A PRISON MAKE NOR IRON BARS A CAGE

Answers to last week's question
10. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE
The saying implies that a timely remedy saves a lot of trouble in future. Every infection in our body begins with tiny microbes and spreads like wild fire unless quick and effective preventive measures are taken. It is clear therefore that many of our ailments can be avoided if we are careful in the beginning. The minute germs are allowed to grow in our body, they multiply themselves much in the same way as a small seedling sprouts up to become a giant tree. It goes without saying that it is easier to nip an evil in the bud than to fight against it when it has taken roots and has grown to its full size. It is also true of all bad habits which often begin as harmless pastimes, or as idle curiosity. But in course of time they stabilize themselves as unavoidable habits and become a part of us. Man ruins himself in numerous ways. He squanders his wealth, loses his health and falls a prey to fatal diseases. He regrets the day when he was drawn into them, but it is too late to mend. He could have easily got rid of these ruinous habits if he had taken timely precaution. So we should be constantly vigilant about any bad practice that we are indulging in and take proper steps to avoid them.

V. Pearls from the Holy Quran
“Be not like those
Who are divided
Amongst themselves
And fall into disputations
After receiving clear signs
For them is a dreadful chastisement.”
S3:A105

VI.Words of Wisdom
“Faith is not reason's labor, but repose.”
)Young
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