Improve Your English – 233 [Archives:2004/732/Education]

Dr. Ramakanta Sahu
I. What to Say
Situations and Expressions (65)
Expressing regret, repentance (II)

Regret is a feeling of disappointment at something undesirable that has taken place. As such, the expressions reflect the speaker's feeling of guilt and unhappiness and an assurance to prevent its recurrence.

– I am very sorry. Whatever happened was on the spur of the moment. Hope you don't take them to your heart.
– I know, whatever happened was wrong. Let's forget everything, for this was not what I had thought would happen between us. Sorry.
– I'm sorry for everything. Though it's so very easy to do things without thinking to hurt someone but now I'm feeling so miserable, for somehow unknowingly I've hurt you. The path of my life now seems so desolate!
– Just want to tell you that if you are hurt, so am I I feel something somewhere is amiss and that's all because you are not near. I hope you can forgive me and believe that I'm truly sorry. I just hope that sometime soon, somewhere, a new hope will come into sight and you'll realize that I never meant to hurt you.
– I'm really sorry for all that happened. The heart is going through an uneasy feeling and till we don't sort it out it will remain so. What words come from the mouth and not the heart, they really hurt, but they are not meant or wished for, as they seemed in the start, and all I wish to say after what happened, is SORRY.
– Sorry. Whatever happened was wrong. Let's get back to how we were earlier. Words do hurt and certainly it's not easy to forget; but these words are momentary, and not meant from the heart. So I ask you to forgive me and give me another chance.
– I wish to say sorry and let you know that the mistakes committed will not be repeated.
– I'm truly sorry for my rude words, for your aching heart, for your hurt feelings Please forgive me and let's be our old selves, again.
– I'm sorry. Sometimes I say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time. I never intend to hurt you, but sometimes I know I do I don't know how to make things better but I can start by saying 'I'm really sorry' and I really mean it. So please forgive me and help me in making things better.
– I'm feeling guilty and sad because I hurt you so and I regret all that has happened more than you could ever know, for I sometimes say or do things that I later really regret. When I see how wrong I was, I reflect for hurting you and causing you pain. I'm really sorry once again. And now I ask you to forgive me. I was truly in the wrong, and you don't deserve the sadness that I must have brought along. You touched my life.

II. How to Say it Correctly
Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences
1. A considerable amount of Yemeni students are studying in India.
2. There were three trophies in the showcase and the winners were allowed to choose either.
3. You can have them back, now I'm finished with them.
4. 'Lie your guns down and lay on the floor', ordered the bandit.
5. Mice got into the store and ate the majority of the grains.

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. I have read poetry of Shelley who was a romantic poet.
2. Between you and me, Majeed is not to be trusted.
3. He has a cat which he loves very much.
4. Be respectful to elder members of the family.
5. He turned a deaf ear to the advice of his father.

III. Increase Your Word Power
(A) How to express it in one word
1. One who makes love without serious intentions.
2. First or original example.
3. A form of work of art in which objects are glued to a backing to form a picture.
4. False arguments intended to deceive others.
5. An offence against grammar or idiom.

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. Government by the rich: plutocracy (n)
2. A literary theft of ideas, words, etc.: plagiarism (n)
3. The practice of a woman having more than one husband: polyandry (n)
4. Operation of a body after death: postmortem (n)
5. Ancestor of a person animal or plant: progenitor (n)

(B) Foreign phrases and expressions
Give the source of origin and meaning of the following:
1. irony 2. jeu d'esprit
3. lampoon 4. literati 5. litterateur

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. idyll (Gk. 'little form'): A poem which describes a scene in rural life.
2. imagery (Lat. 'making of likenesses'): The term covers the use of language to represent objects, actions, feelings thought, ideas or states of mind.
3. index (Lat. 'forefinger'): An alphabetical list of subjects that serves as a table of contents at the beginning of a book.
4. interlude (Lat. 'between play'): A short entertainment put on between the course of a feast or the acts of a play
5. invention (the term derives from the 'inventio' of classical and medieval rhetoric): The term denotes the discovery of an idea or fact, and the arranging of words and ideas in a fresh and arresting fashion.

(C ) Words commonly confused
Distinguish between the following pairs of words
1. classic, classical 2. jealous, zealous
3. crime, vice, sin 4. discover, invent
5. disinterested, uninterested

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. battle (n) (fight between organized armies): The battle of Waterloo was won by England.
war (n) (armed fighting between nations): Two world wars were fought in the last century.
fight (n) (struggle bodily against): There was a street fight between the two warring groups.
2. measure (n) (size, quantity degree, weight, etc. found by a standard or unit): They enjoyed life in the fullest measure.
major (adj) (greater or more important of two): The major portion of the floor is covered by carpet.
3. confess (vt) (say or admit that one has done wrong): The accused confessed to the crime.
admit (vt) (acknowledge): I admit my mistake.
4. conscious (adj) (awake, aware): I am conscious of my duty.
conscientious (adj): He is a conscientious worker.
5. right (adj) (contrasted with 'wrong'): Stick to the right path.
rite (n) (act or ceremony): The burial rites of the deceased has been finished.

(C) Idioms and phrases
Bring out the meanings of the following in illustrative sentences
1. kith and kin 2. Jack of all trades
3. an iron will 4. a Herculean task
5. to hold one's tongue

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. a thankless job (a job with no satisfaction or reward): Doing charity can never be a thankless job.
2. a snake in the grass (a hidden enemy): Beware of him. He seems to be a snake in the grass.
3. lion's share (major part): As the eldest son, he claimed lion's share from his paternal property.
4. lame excuse (false excuse): Your absence from my wedding party is inexcusable. Don't give me any lame excuses.
5. to keep abreast of (to be in touch): You should keep abreast of the happenings around you.

IV. Grammar and Composition
(A) Use one idea from the left column and one idea from the right column to complete sentences 1-10
broke his leg dangerous for other
road users
excellent French lived in Moscow
food very bad lovely weather
plenty of rooms long traffic jams
speak the language waiters rude
many young riders killed killed three people
several years' experience twisted his wrist
burned a house down perfect German
wonderful beaches good with children
train delayed nice garden

1. I would definitely recommend Greece for a holiday; )))
2. He had the most terrible journey home; ))
3. Motorbikes are such a bad idea; ))
4. He was sentenced to forty-five years in prison; ))
5. I consider myself to be an expert on Russia; ))
6. We should employ her as an English teacher; ))
7. She's completely bilingual; ))
8. That house would be ideal for us; ))
9. He has a bad skiing accident last year; ))
10. I will never go to that restaurant again; ))

Suggested answers to last week's questions
1. There isn't anything left for us to eat.
2. The time now is a quarter to two
3. Yesterday Mohammed had two apples but now he has only one.
4. Last week some men dug a hole in the road near the school.
5. I have a car and he has one, too.

(B) Composition: Paragraph writing
Expand the idea contained in the maxim
64. Great men have always scored great recompense

Last week's topic:
63: God helps those who help themselves
Disraeli says, 'The secret of success is constancy of purpose.” Indeed, a man's efforts and endeavors are crowned with success if he has made sustained efforts, has relentlessly tried to achieve his objective and has abiding faith in the Divine grace. In other words, success is sincere hard work coupled with an unshakable confidence in the divine dispensation. There are many examples which illustrate that one who is committed to his duty, and who unleashes dedicated efforts to attain his goal with single mindedness is blessed with God's mercy. Conversely, a man of mere contemplation unlike a man of action, leaves everything to God's will. One should have plenty of self-confidence as well as the will to act and the will to win. One should remember what Thoreau once said, “Men are born to succeed, not to fail.” In the ultimate analysis, man should perform his duty as best as one could to deserve the Almighty's blessings on his efforts.

V. Pearls from the Holy Quran
” If anyone earns
A fault or a sin
And throws it on to one
That is innocent,
He carries (on himself)
(Both) a false charge
And a flagrant sin.
S4: A112

VI. Words of Wisdom
“Love teaches even asses to dance.”
)French proverb
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