Improve Your English – 208 [Archives:2003/682/Education]

Dr. Ramakanta Sahu
I. What to Say
Situations and Expressions (57):
Honoring a teacher (Part III)

What is the difference between father and teacher? Father brings a child from the heaven to the earth, but the teacher sends him up. Alexander, the Great, once said: “I’m indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” In this sense a teacher’s role is more significant than that of parents. A teacher not only sensitizes a learner in the various provinces of knowledge, he creates in him a deep awareness about how to build up a sterling moral character and develop a vibrant personality.
Let’s look at some expressions conveying a learner’s sense of humility and gratitude to his revered teacher for nurturing him.

• Teacher! With you by my side I’ll scale new heights – and that’s a promise, Dear Teacher!
• Teachers like you lay the foundation to our character. The values and words of wisdom you’ve given me will guide me always. Thanks.
• Teacher! For you with love because… You’ve made me richer in knowledge, shown me the path to success, and have inspired me to nurture dreams and to realize them. And most of all, because it’s you, who has made me what I am today.
• For a really wonderful Teacher. With everything you do, with everything you say, Teacher, I know, you are there to lean on, come what may.
Happy Teacher’s Day
• Teacher! You are really wonderful. You’ve always helped me grow in every way and made me reach where I am today. Whenever I reach a goal that I aimed for, whenever any special dream comes true, whenever I feel satisfied with what I have done, Teacher, I obviously think of ‘you’.
• Dear Teacher! You have been gently nurturing our lives, guiding our dreams, enlivening our aspirations and patiently building our strengths to realize them. So a special note of love and gratitude comes our way.
• Dear Teacher! When dark clouds of problems cover my life, your words of wisdom peep through like sunshine and it’s these words which help me venture into the world with courage. Thanks for brightening my life.
• To a teacher who has aimed to rectify us and prepare us for the worst. It should come as no surprise to you that you’re being thought of warmly in every walk of life.

II. How to Say it Correctly
Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences
1. He was fond of her; he thought of marrying her more than once.
2. Due to carelessness, he failed in exam.
3. Everyone says that his folly has brought his ruins.
4. The poor and down trodden have been reeling under the weight of poverty since time immemorial.
5. I don’t see a fun in practical joking.

Suggested answers to last week’s questions
1. The patient had died before the doctor arrived.
2. Each of these books is very useful for you.
3. She is more beautiful than either of her two sisters.
4. He is the same man that has helped us in our work.
5. He had been taking exercise for three hours before he was called by his father.

III. Increase Your Word Power
(A) How to express it in one word
1. Animals which give suck to their young.
2. The cessation of warfare before a treaty is signed.
3. The science of reasoning.
4. A figure with many angles or sides.
5. An instrument for measuring temperature.

Suggested answers to last week’s questions
1. Subject to death: mortal (n)
2. Resulting in death: fatal (adj)
3. Property inherited from one’s father or ancestors: patrimony (n)
4. A paper written by hand: manuscript (n)
5. The result of a match in which neither party wins: draw (n)
6. A language that is no longer spoken: dead language (Noun Phrase: adj. + n)

(B) Foreign words and expressions
Give the sources of origin and meanings of the following:
1. bourgeois 2. bourgeoise 3. carpe-diem
4. cara sposa 5. chef

Suggested answers to last week’s questions
1. basta (Italian): Enough! No more!
2. beau garcon (Fr.): A handsome man.
3. beau jour (Fr.): Fine day; good times.
4. beneficiare (Fr.): Beneficiary, the person receiving benefits.
5. bene qui latiutbene vixit (Lat.): He has lived well who has lived obscure.

(C) Words commonly confused
Bring out differences in meaning of the following pairs of words:
1. wet, whet 2. abstain, refrain
3. desert, dessert 4. persecute, prosecute
5. recover, re-cover

Suggested answers to last week’s questions
1. compare (vt) (point out the likeness or relations between): Poets have compared a beloved’s face to the moon.
compere (n): (one who introduces the performers, speakers, etc.): She is a renowned compere.
2. angle (n) (point of view): Considered from this angle, your action seems justified.
angel (n) (lovely or innocent person): In terms of beauty and manners she is an angel.
3. deny (vt) (say that something is not true): The accused denied knowing anything about the case.
refuse (vi) (say ‘no’ to a request or offer): He refused to lend us his car.
4. alien (adj) (differing in nature or character): Cruelty is quite alien to his nature.
align (vi) (bring into close cooperation): We should align ourselves with progressive minded people.
5. eminent (adj.) (distinguished): He is an eminent educationalist.
imminent (adj.) (events or dangers likely to happen): You should be armed against the imminent attack on you.

(D) Phrases and idioms
Give illustrative sentences using the following phrases
1. bring in 2. call off 3. come by
4. come to grief 5. done to death

Suggested answers to last week’s questions
1. to be well off (in comfortable circumstances): Although he is well off, he avoids wasteful expenditure.
2. bear away (win): The Captain bore away many prizes for heading his team to victory.
3. break into (enter by force): The burglar broke into the house and shot at the inmates.
4. break with (quarrel): I give no opportunity to him to break with me.
5. bring about (cause): He brought about his own ruin by his extravagant habits.

IV. Grammar and Composition

(A) Grammar
A doctor is giving instructions to her students before she takes them to see patients in a hospital ward. Read what she says and fill each blank with one of these phrases:
must, have got to, can, don’t have to, mustn’t, needn’t , don’t need to

When we get to the ward, you (1) let me examine the patients first. You (2) all crowd round to watch, but stay at the end of the bed. You (3) look at the notes on each patient, if you like, but you (4) make any comments to the patient, or to each other, about the illness, as this might upset the patient. You (5) of course ask them how they feel, though. You (6) all examine at least one patient in the ward, but if time is short, you (7) examine more than one. Take plenty of time over this. As you know, you (8) do this in our final exam, next term. You (9) take of all bandages for a thorough examination of the patient, but you (10) put them on again _ the nurses will do that. Finally, remember that you (11) behave like doctors, not students.

Suggested answers to last week’s questions
1. This dress is too big for me to wear.
2. This car is cheap enough for us to buy.
3. This restaurant is good enough for us to hold our party.
4. We have food enough for us to feed everybody.
5. The room is too small for us all to sleep in.
6. The book’s language is too difficult for me to understand.
7. It’s too wet for us to go out.
8. It’s hot enough for us to go for a swim.

(B) Composition: Paragraph writing
Expand the central idea contained in the maxim

40: Art lies in concealing art

Last week’s topic.
39: A Fool Sees Not the Same Tree That A Wise Man Does
The main difference between a foolish and a wise man lies in their ways of perceptions and the perspectives they take on anything. They are poles apart in their thinking and analysis of the reality. A fool is essentially short-sighted and haughty. He doesn’t consider the pros and cons of a situation and ignores the implications of his action. He hastily jumps to a conclusion and very often regrets it later. A wise man, on the other hand, is a balanced, broadminded, judicious, sensible, conscientious person who exercises his power of understanding and judgment before undertaking a task or deciding upon any course of action. A fool realizes his folly after suffering the consequences of the errors of judgment. But an intelligent person looks before he leaps. He anticipates the outcome and proceeds with caution. Obviously, the two operate on two entirely different planes and at two wavelengths. They have nothing in common.

VI. Pearls from the Holy Qura’an
“And that which is from Allah
is the best (bliss) for
the righteous.”
S3:A198.

VI. Words of Wisdom
“Each of us will have our own different ways of expressing love and care for the family. However, unless that is a high priority, we will find that we may gain the whole world and lose our own children.”
—Michael Green
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