Let’s explore the Magic Letter “I"

Today’s English
June 11th, 2017

The magic power of “i” can be seen in iPhone, iPad, iTunes, iPod, iWriter and iSpeaker.   It’s this I that is a huge hindrance on the spiritual path in realising one’s Self and makes a person take thousands of births until ending up with LIBERATION. "I" means confidence and self esteem for some people but it signals EGO and Edges God Out(EGO) for others.  Let’s take a look-see at the English letter I in today’s English:

1.Why i as a prefix in Apple products?

Most of the Apple products come out with the prefix i ever since the release of iMac in 1988.  To Steve Jobs, it meant not only a desktop computer with internet but also stood for “interact”, “instruct”, “inform”, “individual” and “inspire”.  When iPhone was announced in 2007 with three key features -internet, music and phone calls, i strongly represented internet. Due to Apple’s jump into various markets, it gradually came to refer to Apple products rather than internet.  Nowadays i is widely used as an abbreviation to mean “interactive” as in iWriter and iSpeaker from Oxford.

A.I improved my pronunciation and speaking skill with the help of iSpeaker.
B.Who won’t like an iPhone?

2.I – a noun or pronoun?

Many people will say it’s only a first person pronoun but it’s also a noun.

A. The ninth letter in English alphabet is I. (Used as a noun)
B.I have some urgent work. (Used as a pronoun)

3.I – a letter or a word?

It’s both. Just as a is a word when used as an article, capital I (pronoun) is a word and both I and i are letters too.

A.There are three i's in the word individual. (Referring to letter)
B.I can’t do this work. (Used as a word)

4.Don’t use I in impersonal letters and research works.

A research work is written in passive voice intentionally to avoid the use of I that shows ego as well as your personal likes and dislikes imbibed into it.

Incorrect: I collected the data from the customers…
Correct: The data was collected from the customers…

Incorrect: I bring it to your kind notice…/ I sent a report….
Correct: It is brought to your kind notice that…. / A letter has been sent….

5.When you feel sorry for something happened in the past, use “I wish" + past tense or past perfect.

A.I wish (that)you called me yesterday. (= I missed you a lot. Why didn’t you call me yesterday)
B.I wish I had never joined Polytechnic.I'm asked to do much of administrative works rather than teaching.
C.I wish I was / I were a bit more beautiful.
D.I wish I were a bird. (Use “I were” only for impossible wishes)

6.Use “I mean" to correct something you have said or to add additional information.

A.I love him very much, I mean, as a friend.
B.You don’t know the procedure, I mean, if we don’t follow the norms, consequences will be severe.

(Interviewer: Tell me a sentence that has only one word.

Candidate: Sir….

Interviewer: it’s a word but not a sentence.

Candidate: presently I don’t know but…

Interviewer: stop!

Candidate: Sir..

Interviewer: stand!

Candidate: Sir…

Interviewer: Go!

Candidate: I’m sorry sir.

Interviewer: sit down please. You have mistaken me.  I mean stop, stand and go are examples for one-word-one-sentence.
Candidate:………?! )