Improve Your English – 275 [Archives:2005/864/Education]
Dr. Ramakanta Sahu
I. What to Say
Situations and expressions (78):
Commercial consumer ads
The core purpose of commercial consumer ads is to emphasize certain aspects of the products until people are seduced into believing without a proper understanding of the focus. The ads use highly “loaded” language. Although sometimes they use blatant exaggerations, the main function of commercial consumer advertising is to change the will, opinions, or attitudes of its readers who are its targeted clientele.
– Better buy USHA. You can't buy better. (Electric fans)
– ONIDA: neighbor's envy, owner's pride. (T V ad)
– 365 ways to light up your lives. (Electric lamps)
– Shop a fortune for Rs. 500 (Gift vouchers on festive occasions)
– Breathe easy India. (Air coolers and Air conditioners)
– Too good to be bad.
– Fill it. Shut it. Forget it. (Fuel efficient two-wheeler motorbikes)
– Only a few things in life are worth waiting for. Cooling doesn't have to be one of them. (Cooling systems)
– In this festival it is customary for the husband to gift his wife something that is made in heaven. (Wemen's outfit)
– Shed the load-shed with… (Gen set)
– SONATA: The ultimate seduction. (Car)
– CANON CAMERA: Sees the moment.
– A unique concept, building excitement, desire aspiration through a sustained creative approach. (Home furniture and appliances)
II. How to Say it Correctly
Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences
1. When have you got here?
2. Have you read a book called 'Culture Shock'? Who has written it?
3. Mohammed is a gifted painter, but up to now he didn't get any award for it.
4. We've seen Dr. Ismail in town the other day.
5. Have you ever been to Al-Riyadi when you lived in Mahweet?
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. I'm calling to thank you for the present you sent.
2. This large goat only lives in the mountains of the Himalayas.
3. She resembles her mother.
4. The rise in demand for timber is destroying large areas of rain forest.
5. I have worked at Sana'a University for over six years now.
III. Increase Your Word Power
(A) How to express it in one word
1. A person who is sent with an official message, often secret or unpleasant.
2. The quality of feeling or showing too much emotion.
3. Which causes or may cause strong feelings.
4. The power of imagining oneself to be another person, and so of sharing his ideas and feelings.
5. People or methods guided only by practical experience.
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. Something which causes a blocking of a blood vessel: embolism (n)
2. To cause an ornamental raised pattern to appear on metal, paper, etc.: emboss (vt)
3. To do ornamental needlework on cloth: embroider (vt & i)
4. The young of any creature in its first state before birth: embryo (n)
5. Professor who is no longer holding office but keeps his title: emeritus (adj)
(B) Words commonly confused
Bring out the difference in meaning of the following pairs of words
1. dubious, devious
2. amend, emend
3. emergence, emergency
4. begin, start, commence
5. ablution, washing
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. site (n) (place where something was, is, or is to be): The selected site is ideal for the new university campus.
sight (n) (power of seeing): The old man lost his sight in the accident.
2. too (adv) (also, as well, in addition):She is a singer and a dancer, too.
two (n) Please arrange yourselves in two's.
(adj): Two heads are better than one.
to (prep) (in the direction of, towards): She walks to school everyday.
3. corporal (adj) (of the body): Corporal punishment should be abolished in schools.
corporeal (adj) (having a body or something relating to matter as opposed to spirit. It is used in a philosophical sense): Angels are not corporeal beings.
4. satiated (vt, usually passive) (to satisfy fully or sometimes too fully): His hunger was satiated by the big dinner.
satisfied (vt) (to be made happy, pleased): I am satisfied with your answer.
5. embassy (n) (a group of officials who are sent by a government to do its business with the government of another country): The Indian embassy in Yemen is making all-out efforts to protect the Indian nationals in the country.
residency (n) (the official house in a foreign country where a British political representative lives): The British government had set up residencies in some countries.
(C) Phrases and idioms
Use the following phrases in sentences
1. at crack of dawn
2. paint the town red
3. hope against hope
4. not to have a clue about
5. take the plunge
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. to blow the cobwebs away (to stop oneself from feeling tired and sluggish, often by going out in the fresh air): We are going out for walk in the high lands to blow the cobwebs away.
2. be sitting pretty (to be in a favorable situation): The ruling party candidate in the election is sitting pretty with a huge lead over his rivals.
3. to be falling to bits (to be in a very bad state of repair): The house is located in a posh area, but it is falling to bits due to lack of care and attention.
4. on tenterhooks (uncertain and extremely tense and nervous about what is going to happen): Students were on tenterhooks on the day of the announcement of exam results.
5. with flying colors (very easily and successfully) She came out with flying colors in the exam.
IV. Grammar and Composition
Which of the following words means
gossip shout whisper scream sing speak say tell
1. to produce musical sounds?
2. to make a quiet, secretive sound?
3. to make a piercing sound?
4. to express an opinion?
5. to raise the voice?
6. to produce words in an ordinary voice?
7. to discuss other people's affairs?
8. to give an account of, or relate
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. I really regret resigning. If only I hadn't resigned.
2. Please don't make phone calls during the morning. I wish you don't make phone calls during the morning.
3. You annoy me because you won't listen to what I say: If only you listened to what I say.
4. I'm sorry you weren't at the concert. If only you were at the concert.
5. I'm sorry you aren't here; the weather's lovely. I wish you were here; the weather's lovely.
6. I'm upset because I know she's not going to phone me. If only she phoned me.
7. I'm sorry we can't see you a bit more often. I wish we could see you a bit more often.
8. I'm annoyed that it's not going to stop raining. If only it stopped raining.
9. I really regret ever starting to smoke. I wish I hadn't ever started to smoke.
10. What a pity that I am not twenty years younger. If only I had been twenty years younger.
(B) Composition
Expand the central idea contained in the maxim
97. Poverty is the
mother of ill health
Answer to the previous week's topic
96. Penny wise, pound foolish
Some people are very close-fisted in incurring small expenditure even on useful occasions. Strangely, yet interestingly they don't hesitate to spend lavishly on trifle matters. In other words,they are in the habit of thinking a hundred times before investing for a charitable purpose, but unscrupulously and unhesitatingly open their treasure for wasteful ends involving fun and frolic. Such people betray a lack of sense of proportion, discretion or propriety. They fail to understand the gravity or seriousness of the occasion and what it merits. Consequently, a misplaced emphasis results in the frittering of resources and the consequent impoverishment, on the one hand, and opulence on the other. Error of judgment and thoughtless investment leads to imbalance in the proper and a well- balanced management of resources. So one should be judicious, considerate and frugal in his spendings.
V. Pearls from the Holy Quran
“Who doth more wrong than
he who inventeth a lie against Allah. Or rejecteth His Signs? But verily the wrong-doers never shall prosper.”
S6: A21
VI. Food for Thought
“Life, love, and laughter – what priceless gifts to give our children.”
)Phyllis Dryden
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