Improve Your English – 284 [Archives:2006/908/Education]
Dr. Ramakanta Sahu
I. What To Say
Situations and Expression (82)
'Love you' wishes (V)
Love is a token of a willing partnership, an everlasting comradeship that stands the test of time. It is not “Time's fool” and “doesn't alter when alteration finds”. It is eternal.
– How do I love you… Let me count the ways… I love you to the depth, smiles, tears of all my life)and if God choose, I shall but love you better after death.
– To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.
– Sweetheart! Just wanted you to know your love has turned my world upside down.
– You are my heartbeat. Essence of your love has given a great meaning to my life, and the world has become a beautiful place to live, for you're mine.
– With you I'm in paradise. It's like a dream come true, sharing a lifetime with you hand in hand and you by my side, moments seem like a joy ride. I love you.
– To know you is to love you. Your love gives me a kind of happiness, I've never known. Darling, if it was not for you I'd have never known the true meaning of love. For love is you.
– My love for you grew and grew and it grew! Love is the biggest thing in my life.
II. How To Say It Correctly
Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences
1. She was bruised quite badly in the accident. It has got to still hurt a lot.
2. When I went to school we must learn English.
3. He didn't cook the dish himself so you mustn't eat it all. He won't be offended.
4. You needn't a special pass to get in.
5. 'Can I use the computer?' 'Of course you could.'
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. I won't be able to meet you next week. I will be staying in London for a few days.
2. Can I borrow your camera? I'll give it back to you tomorrow. (a promise)
3. I promise I will call you as soon as I get home.
4. I can't believe she's 50. She looks much younger than that.
5. After the trees have been cut back, we will be able to see more of the garden from the sitting room.
III. Increase Your Word Power
(A) How to express it in one word
1. One who wanders in search of adventure.
2. Irregular in behavior or opinion.
3. Mistake in printing or writing.
4. Having, showing great learning.
5. Moving stairs carrying people up or down.
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. Equal in value, amount, meaning: equivalent (adj)
2. Having a double or doubtful meaning: equivocal (adj)
3. Period in history starting from a particular time or event: era (n)
4. Destroy or put an end to: eradicate (vt)
5. Short journey to take or get something: errand (n)
(B) Words commonly confused
Bring out the difference in meaning of the following pairs of words
1. analyst, annalist
2. escape, escapade
3. idle, idol, idyll, ideal, lazy
4. imaginary, imaginative
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. damage (n) (harm or injury that causes loss of value): The flood did great damage to standing crops.
demurrage (n) (money payable by characters to a ship owner for delay): Unless the consignment of goods is received in due time, the defaulting party will be liable to pay demurrage.
2. rewarding (adj)(happy and welcome): A visit to the islands was a rewarding experience.
dewarding (n) (a legal process by which a child ceases to be a ward of court either by court order or by reaching full age): Consequent upon dewarding, the orphan was released from the court's custody.
3. shirt (n) (man's loose fitting garment for the upper part of the body): Please put on your shirt and come with me.
skirt (n) (woman's garment that hangs from the waist): The little girl looks smart in her new skirt.
skit (n) (short piece of humorous writing, play, mimicry, etc.): Students put up an interesting skit on their Annual Day.
4. prolixity (n) (quality of a speech or story that is tiringly and uninterestingly long): The prolixity of the speaker made the audience feel bored.
propensity (n) (natural tendency): He has a propensity to save.
proximity (n) (nearness): There is a close proximity between Urdu and Arabic.
(C) Synonyms and Antonyms
i. Synonyms
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the one given at the top
1. deplete
a. to flatten b. to conquer
c. to finish d. to exhaust
2. tactile
a. considerate b. sharp
c. pertaining to the organs of touch
d. strong
3. feline
a. delicate b. cat-like
c. very feminine d. sleek
4. inconceivable
a. unimportant b. unthinkable
c. improbable d. inconsequential
5. benign
a. radiant b. religious
c. kindly d. hopeful
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
Word Synonym
1. replenish to provide a new supply for
2. eke to supplement
3. vie to strive for superiority
4. flagrant scandalous
5. disparate radically different
ii. Antonyms
Choose the word that is most opposite in meaning to the one given at the top
1. augment
a. atone b. decrease
c. irregular d. ugly
2. aromatic
a. stinking b. unscrupulous
c. assist d. mean
3. inimical
a. celebrity b. friendly
c. speedy d. radiant
4. inopportune
a. right b. truthful
c. harsh d. timely or suitable
5. toxic
a. harmless b. swollen
c. insulting d. tonic
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
Word Antonym
1. asceticism debauchery
2. famish devouring
3. chastity grossness
4. allegiance violation
5. zenith nadir
(D) Spelling
Choose the correctly spelt word
1. a. appearance b. apearance
c. apparnce d. appiarance
2. a. achievement b. achivment
c. achevement d. acheavment
3. a. apollogy b. apology
c. appology d. apalogy
4. a. abridgment b. abrgment
c. abrizment d. abridgement
5. a. affactionately b. affectionately
c. afectionately d. affectionatly
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. advisable
2. accommodation
3. admission
4. address
5. adulteration
(E) Phrases and idioms
Use the following phrases in sentences
1. have something on
2. go great guns
3. show (someone) the ropes
4. keep an open mind
5. drown one's sorrows
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. be a load/weight off one's mind (to be a relief from something that has been worrying one). Ismael has been worrying about the exam and it was a load off his mind when the exam was over.
2. have a brainwave (to have a sudden good idea): Jamil faced a financial crisis when he had a brainwave to work extra time.
3. take the line of least resistance (to take the course of action which will cause the least effort, trouble, etc.): In the fierce battle of words between the two friends, I took the line of least resistance and kept quiet.
4. be taken with (someone/something) (to think that someone or something is very pleasing or attractive): The audience was taken with the charming personality of the anchor.
5. draw a veil over (something) (not to discuss or mention something in the belief that it is better forgotten): Murad was dismissed from his job but he tends to draw a veil over the incident during conversation.
IV. Grammar and Composition
(A) Grammar
Reporting statements
The following sentences report some statements, but the words are in the wrong order. Put the words in the right order.
1. go to too the dog near He me not warned
2. threatened talking if I didn't He to him me stop
3. he he he who was was that fine I replied and asked
4. money He stealing the admitted
5. having to do anything robbery with the denied He
6. She she promised forget that me never would
7. go cinema suggested that to the should We he
8. He was making repeated thought that I a he mistake
9. claimed he he a seen that ghost had
10. He me felt to her say to talk and advised how I
Suggested answers to the previous week's questions
1. When I was in hospital, they allowed us have visitors everyday.
2. The police officers made him sign the confession.
3. She advised me to complain to the police.
4. The fishermen warned us against swimming in the sea because it was dangerous.
5. My brother wants me to go on holiday with him.
(B) Composition
Expand the central idea contained in the following maxim
102: TODAY WE KNOW MORE,
BUT FEEL LESS
Suggested answers to the previous topic
101: TO PROFIT FROM GOOD
ADVICE REQUIRES MORE WISDOM
THAN TO GIVE IT
It is prudent to lend everybody our ears, and few our tongue. A wise man has the willingness and patience to learn from others experience rather than impertinently impose his opinion and advice to unwilling, deaf ears. In practical life we see that there are more sellers of advice than takers of them. Often advisers are abhorred, detested, looked with suspicion making them a veritable set of 'persona non-grata' or unwelcome persons. Some of the pseudo-advisors imply 'do as I say, don't do as I do.' Naturally such people are not taken seriously. So it is always advisable to keep one's mental antenna open and take in all that is worth emulating, regardless of the source. This would go a long way to enrich, elevate, enlighten and ennoble one's being and save one from the embarrassment of not being heeded, especially by the youngsters who often ignore advice of elders and term them as garrulous, senile and vainglorious. Moreover, silently listening to advice requires more patience and forbearance than giving them. Therefore it is well said that speech is silver, but silence is golden. It is however not easy to cultivate this art of listening with interest and enthusiasm to the substance of others advice. Yet we must try and imbibe this great virtue of receiving and synthesizing all that is good, noble and learnable in what the speaker has to say, with humily and modesty, and of refraining from unnecessarily burdening others with our personal opinion and advice.
V. Food for Thought
“The greater the obstacle, the more glory is overcoming it.”
)Moilere
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