Improve Your English – 197 [Archives:2003/660/Education]

Dr. Ramakanta Sahu
I. What to Say
Situations and Expressions (55)
Emotional Reactions VI

Emotion is the main stay of the literary genre of poetry which uses emotive language. Poets are dream merchants and naturally the diction in their poems is suffused with emotional excesses. The reader of poetry is thrilled not only by the profundity of thought embellished in a language charged with rich emotion, but by the poetic devices that give to poetry its musicality, poetic fervour and unique appeal.
We attempt to present below a selection of poetic lines from the golden treasure trove of English poetry which express the sense and sensibility of their creators. We hope the readers would get an opportunity to enrich and enliven themselves and enjoy the vistas of emotion and their expression by some of the most sensitive minds.

– There's pleasure in the pathless woods
There's rapture on the lonely shore
Byron: Childe Harold
– My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky
Wordsworth
– Never saw I, never felt, a calm so deep
Wordsworth: Composed Upon Westminster Bridge
– When on my couch I lie
In a vacant or in a pensive mood
They flash on my inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude.
Wordsworth: Daffodils
– For thy sweet love remembered, such wealth brings,
That then I scorn to change my state with kings
Shakespeare: A Consolation
– Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly
Shakespeare

II. How to say it Correctly
Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences
1. He is beautiful.
2. Are you requiring any extra help?
3. The English is studied all over the world.
4. He was loving her but now he is not loving her.
5. The sun is shining during the window.

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. She is tall.
Note: is is a stative verb. So it cannot take the progressive aspect.
2. The building looks very old.
3. Aisha cleaned the house. Or, Aisha is cleaning the house now.
4. We are students, aren't we?
5. Everybody is ready now, aren't they?

III. Increase your Word Power
A) How to express it in one word
1. Increase the speed of.
2. To cause to go slower.
3. Wooden floor built across a ship.
4. The act of giving the different forms of a noun, pronoun or adjective.
5. To discover the meaning of a message in a secret language.

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. Something that makes a person weak: debilitating (adj)
2. A woman who has made her first public appearance: debutante (n)
3. Marked by a fall to a lower level from a higher level: decadent (adj)
4. A competition in out-of-door games consisting of ten separate events: decathlon (n)
5. The quality of being dishonest: deceit (n)

B) Foreign Phrases
Give the source of origin and simple meaning of the following phrase:
1. homophone; 2. hubris; 3. ibidem;
4. icon; 5. jeu d'espirit

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. heteroglossia (Gk. 'hetero' meaning other, different + 'glossia' meaning 'tongue'): The variety and diversity of languages used in the epic and in the novel.
2. holograph (Gk. 'entire writing'): A manuscript written entirely by the person in whose name it appears.
3. holophrasis (Gk. 'entire phrase'): The use of one word to express a number of ideas.
4. homograph (Gk. 'same name'): A word having the same sound and spelling as another, but a different origin and meaning. Ex: 'row/row', 'bank/bank', 'lead/lead', 'tear/tear'.
5. homonym (Gk. 'same name'): A word having the same sound and spelling as another, but a different origin and meaning. Ex. 'rest/repose'.

C) Words Commonly Confused
Bring out the meaning differences in the following pairs of words
1. incidence, incident 2. chord, cord
3. collage, college 4. coma, comma
5. comity, committee

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. announce (vt) (to officially tell people about a decision): A government spokesman announced the government's decision about a hike in the employees' salaries.
declare (vt) (to make known openly by an explicit or clear statement): He declared his intention to contest in the election.
2. disclose (vt) (to bring into view, uncover, reveal): The intelligence department don't disclose official secrets.
proclaim (vt) (to announce officially): After killing his father and brothers Aurangzeb proclaimed himself the emperor.
3. weak (adj) (lacking in strength of body): His weak physical condition doesn't permit him to do strenuous work.
week (n) (a period of seven days): Week after week he labored hard to win the competition.
4. same (adj) (being the very one, unchanged, not different): This is the same house where we stayed five years ago.
similar (adj) (nearly, but not exactly the same or alike): I have a similar car.
The twin sisters have similar manners.
identical (adj) (the very same, exactly alike or equal): Both the countries have identical political systems.
5. hope (vt&i) (to want something to happen or be true): I hope you have an enjoyable vacation.
wish (vt) (to long, to yearn, expressed desire for something): I wish you a happy birthday.
6. familiar (adj) (friendly): I am familiar with the place.
familial (adj) (common to a family): I have always receive familial love and affection from my students.

D) Idioms and Phrases
Use the following phrases in sentences
1. antithetical to; 2. antithesis of;
3. antipathy against; 4. sympathy for;
5. sympathies with

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. anything but (by no means, not at all): The house is in a dilapidated condition. It is anything but safe.
2. if any: Please ask me questions, if any (it is likely that there will be none at all)
3. by any means (no matter in what way): He is determined to achieve his goal by any means.
4. in any case (beside, also): He was old and suffered long. In any case, we had to try our best to cure him.
5. any number of: Copies of the new dictionary are now available. You can get any number of them.

IV. Grammar and Composition
A) Grammar
Choose the best answers
1. I thought this dress looked really nice in the shop, but now I wish I )) it.
a. wouldn't buy b. had bought
c.would buy d.hadn't bought
2. The good thing is that the village is very quiet, but on the other )) there aren't any shops.
a. way b. side
c. point of view d. hand
3. The )) we get going, the sooner we'll finish.
a. quicker b. quickest
c. quickly d. most quickly
4. Sheila succeeded )) getting the manager's approval for the new project.
a. at b.for c. to d. in
6. There's a man standing on the )) corner who looks very suspicious.
a. avenue .b. path c. road d. street

Suggested answers to last week's questions
A) Grammar
1. Could I come and stay for a few days?
Would it be allright if I came and stayed for a few days?
2. Do you mind me phoning my brother?
Is it allright if I phone my brother?
3. Can I make myself a cup of tea?
Do you mind if I make myself a cup of tea?
4. Could I have a bath now?
Would you mind if I have a bath now?
5. Can I turn on the TV?
Do you mind If I turn on the TV?
6. Would it be possible for me to take the car?
Would it be allright if I took the car?
7. Could I invite a few friends over?
Would you mind if I invited a few friends over?
8. Can I read one of your books?
Is it possible to read one of your books?
9. Would it be possible for a few of my friends to stay?
Would you mind if a few of my friends stayed?

B. Composition: Paragraph Writing
Expand the idea contained in the proverb
30. A BAD WORKMAN
BLAMES THE TOOLS

Last week's topic

29. FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FREAR TO TREAD
Some are not aware of their limitations and dare to achieve a task that men of superior capabilities dread to venture into. Such people are dare-devils who overestimate themselves and give a plunge without properly assessing the task-difficulty and their own limitations. Very often they come to grief; even they have to pay a heavy price for their foolish decision. So one should be pragmatic about the realities of life and be prudent enough to know oneself and restrain oneself in speech and action, especially if one finds elders and more experienced people are reticent or taciturn. A thoughtless, impulsive action or word is likely to cause more harm than good. So one should introspect to have self-awareness and be measured in one's speech and action.

VI. Pearls from the Holy Quran
Then shall every soul
Receive its due
Whatever it earned
And none shall be
Dealt with unjustly
S3:A161

VII. Words of Wisdom
“One meaning of education is knowledge of the self and it is perfect in itself.”
) Mahatma Gandhi
——
[archive-e:660-v:13-y:2003-d:2003-08-18-p:education]