Imprvoe Your English – 264 [Archives:2005/812/Education]

Dr. Ramakanta Sahu
I. What to Say

Situations and expressions (76):

Job advertisement (I)

There are lots of readily available, easily accessible, potentially rich and varied resources for learning English in our immediate environment. These provide ample opportunities to us to pick up nicely worded expressions. A good exposure to some of them is certainly a stimulating learning experience. As learners of English, we should keep our eyes and ears open to facilitate the language acquisition process.

One such rich reservoire is the language of commercial ads which are usually clothed in crisp and refreshing phrases. They aim at striking a balance between the consumer needs and the brand effectiveness. As such, apart from their commercial value, the ads offer interesting examples of effective language use . Economy of expression is the hallmark of the commercial ads. No doubt, to the learners of English they provide excellent models of the use of English

We begin this segment by highlighting the language of job advertisement which prospective employers use to entice bright professionals to their establishment. Mark the communicative value and the linguistic poignancy of the expressions used for this purpose.

– “Success doesn't come to those who avail every opportunity”. It comes to those who avail the right one

– Give me your CV and I'll give you your dream job.

– Make a smart move. Train your sights on a new horizon. Find new frontiers. Redefine paradigms. We're looking for a proactive officer

– Experience the thrill of living 'your' domain. Come, join our manufacturing.

– Open your eyes to innovation beyond imagination. At …….scientists transcend even the unusual.

II. How to Say it Correctly

Correct errors, if any, in the following sentences

1. He parted from his friend due to ideological differences.

2. An honorable person prefers death than dishonor.

3. I introduced my friend with my neighbors.

4. She must be compensated about the loss suffered by her.

5. The milk was very much hot to drink.

Suggested answers to the previous week's questions

1. He tries to comply with the wishes of his master.

2. Adel is working hard as he is desirous of achieving his goal.

3. Don't deprive them of their rights.

4. We failed to dissuade him from committing the crime.

5. There is a limit to everything in life.

III. Increase Your Word Power

(A) How to express it in one word

1. Written order for payment of money by a bank.

2. To cause (someone) to feel weak after illness.

3. A network of actions and methods for catching criminals.

4. A very attractive person of the opposite sex.

5. A person fond of looking smart in fine clothes.

Suggested answers to the previous week's questions

1. In accordance with reality: down-to-earth (adj)

2. Of the lower part or business center of a town or city: downtown (n)

3. Treated badly by those in position of power: down trodden (adj)

4. The property that a man brings to his wife in marriage: dowry (n)

5. Very severe or cruel (laws): draconian (adj)

(B) Synonyms and Antonyms

i) Synonyms

Given below are some words followed by four answers. Mark the answer which is nearest to the meaning of the given word

1. deport

a) to leave b) to imprison

c) to banish d) to make known

2. alleviate

a) to dilute b) to lessen

c) to deprive d) to release

3. chauvinism

a) blind patriotism b) political trickery

c) buffoonery d) defeatism

Suggested answers to the previous week's questions

Word Synonym

1. prolific fertile

2. austere rigorous

3. ameliorate to appease

ii) Antonyms

Given below are some words followed by four answers. Tick the answer which gives the opposite meaning of the given word.

1. aggravate

a) humorous b) pacify c) fragrance d) painful

2. exhilaration

a) modern b) worthy

c) despondency d) elation

3. pensive

a) penetrate b) subject c) glum d) jubilant

Suggested answers to the previous week's questions

Word Antonym

1. opponent supporter

2. boisterous sober

3. complacency dissatisfaction

(C ) Words commonly confused

Bring out differences in meaning of the following pairs of words

1. authentic, genuine 2. attempt, try

3. cavalcade, procession 4. forceful, forcible

5. limit, limitation

Suggested answers to the previous week's questions

1. wreck (vt) (cause the destruction of): You'll wreck your heart if you work so hard.

wreak (vt) (give expression to): The teacher wreaked her fury upon the innocent children.

2. sacred (adj) (connected with religion; solemn): We must perform our sacred duty to Allah, the most merciful.

sacrosanct (adj) (protected from any harm, because something is sacred or holy): The utterances of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) are sacrosanct and inviolable.

3. percent (n) (per hundred. It is used after a numeral): 47% of our population are illiterates.

percentage (n) (rate per hundred): A large percentage of the Government's revenue is spent for employees' salary.

4. insignificant (adj) (having little or no value, meaning or importance): He is an insignificant looking little man.

small (adj) (not large in degree, size, etc.): He set up a small-scale industry.

Note: 'insignificant' should not be used in the sense of 'small' in size because a small thing can be significant and a big thing can be insignificant.

5. educational (adj) (connected with education): Educational institutions should be free from political influence.

educative (adj) (actually educating or teaching): The film was very educative.

(D ) Idioms and phrases

Use the following idioms in illustrative sentences

1. go in one ear and out the other

2. like a lamb to the slaughter

3. bring home the bacon

4. get lost

5. be behind bars

Suggested answers to the previous week's questions

1. stand one's ground (to refuse to give in): The Minister stood his ground despite the opposition's attack.

2. have a final fling (to enjoy a last chance of extravagance or indulgence before one's circumstances change): Let's have a final fling this weekend before the exam that begins next week.

3. a false start (a beginning of an unsuccessful activity): The contestant got off to a false start when he began with a wrong statement.

4. be out of practice (not to have had a lot of practice recently): The team lost because the players are out of practice.

5. get off on the wrong foot (to make a bad start): They seem to have got off on the wrong foot as they are frequently fighting.

IV Grammar and Composition

Rewrite these sentences using one of the expressions with little or few in the box below. In some cases more than one expression is possible.

little, a little, few, a few, (very) little, (very) few, (quite) a few, (quite) a little

1. I'm afraid my salary leaves me no extra money to spend on entertainment.

2. Fortunately I've made one or two good friends since I came to live here.

3. I never seem to find much time for reading.

4. There aren't many jobs available in this area.

5. One or two people came to the meeting.

6. There was a reasonable turnout of supporters at the football tournament.

7. You've been eating biscuits again. The tin's almost empty!

Suggested answers to the previous week's questions

1. When we bought the house it was in a terrible condition. The house needed repairing.

2. My hair is too long. My hair needed dressing/trimming.

3. The kitchen floor is filthy. The kitchen floor needed cleaning/washing.

4. The windows are all broken. The windows needed replacing.

5. There was no petrol in the car. The car needed filling.

(B ) Composition

Expand the central idea contained in the maxim

89. One is as young as one feels

The previous week's topic:

88: ONE MUST BE POOR TO KNOW THE LUXURY OF GIVING

Giving help to someone who is without means and in dire need is an act of charity and a token of fellowship. However, all acts of charity are not always prompted by the milk of human kindness. Some rich and affluent people seem to be inspired by the desire to earn name and fame or to satisfy their ego through such gestures, . For such people, charity is a mere cosmetic luxury. As Addison rightly observers: “Charity is a virtue of the heart and not of the hands.” The poor people who resort to charitable deeds are moved by generosity that is genuine and by a true spirit of sacrifice. They experience the real joy of sharing their meager means with someone who they take to be a part of them. ,When rich men give something, it hardly makes any significant difference to their means. But for a poor man it certainly does. Giving for him is a hard task because of his own scanty means. Yet he is imbued by the spirit of altruism and gladly parts with the little he has. So it is the poor who experience the true spirit of giving. In other words, if one wishes to taste the essence of charity he has to be poor.

V. Pearls from the Holy Quran

“… And to Allah belongth the domination of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between.

And unto Him is the final goal (of all).

S5:A18

VI. Food for Thought

“In business you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” )Chester L. Karrass
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