Did you ever have a black eye in your life?

Today’s English
March 31st, 2017

Expressions having the word “eye” are common nowadays in spoken English.  To familiarize with them will help you at several situations to speak fluently.

1. To have a black eye = to have received a blow on your eye and have bruise around the eye
Thanks to my wife. In my ten years of married life, I never had a black eye.

2. To have eagle eye = to watch things so carefully that nothing can escape your eye.
Even the tiny error in the project couldn’t escape the eagle eye of my HOD.
Nothing can escape my father’s eagle eye. I should be very careful.

3. To have the evil eye = to have the power to harm somebody by looking at them
Don’t look at him! He has the evil eye.
A sorcerer generally has the evil eye and controls others with magical powers.

4. Bullseye = the centre of the target in shooting

5. Catseye = a small object fixed into the road to reflect car's light to guide at night

6. The apple of somebody’s eye = a person or thing loved more than any other
She is the apple of her father’s eye. (=she is loved by her father very much)

7. To run your eyes = to look at or read something quickly
I just wanted to run my eyes over the project.
He just ran his eyes over the report and captured all details.

8. Be all eyes = to watch eagerly, carefully and with lot of interest
My kids were all eyes when I opened the gift pack.
Students were all eyes when the chief guest started to address.

9. To feast your eyes on somebody= to look at and get great pleasure
She was so beautiful. I feasted my eyes on her.
The interior design was so grand. And I feasted my eyes on each and everything.

10. With your eyes shut/closed = to have experience to do a work easily
I have handled this subject several times. I can teach it with my eyes shut.
This is not such a difficult work. Anyone can do it with their eyes closed.

(A teacher is to deal with the students with the eye of a parent without reducing their internal mark with “an eye for an eye” (=revenge) principle, isn’t it?)

Experiment 9 Group Discussion

Life and Employability Skill Practical
M Scheme

Experiment 9
Group Discussion

Dos in GD
 Be smart, neatly dressed, cheerful and confident
 Be assertive and positive in your approach
 Initiate the discussion if you understand the topic
 Allow others to speak, listen to others with interest
 Be brief and talk to the point
 Be authentic, accurate, analytical, logical and reliable in your statement
 Take the chance to conclude or summarize the points discussed at the end
 Be polite and keep eye contact throughout the GD

Don’ts in GD
• Don’t be emotional and nervous in your expressions
• Don’t interrupt others while they are presenting their points
• Don’t be a mere spectator but a participant, trying your best twice or thrice
• Don’t be rude and aggressive even though someone disagrees with you.
• Don’t bluff
• Don’t indulge in unnecessary or side-talk with others.

Practice – Group Discussion
Topic: Has the harassment of women at workplace come to an end or not?
Group members: 8
Duration : 8 minutes

Sowmiya: Hi friends, today our topic for discussion is whether the harassment of women at workplace has ceased or not? Let me first initiate the topic and define the issue on hand.  We all know, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 came into force on December 9th, 2013. It is a significant step by the government in response to the nation-wide protest against Delhi Gang Rape 2012.

Sanjay: You are right Miss.Sowmiya.  The question now is why the harassment still persists, though severe punishments and penalties are included in the Act. 

Kirutika: Excuse me, I’m very sorry to disagree with what our friend Mr. Sanjay says. What do you mean by severe punishment? For a man committing such an offence, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, Section 354 prescribes one to three years imprisonment and/or a fine. Is that all you mean as a severe punishment?

Nandini: Of course, Kiritika is right. Only a severe punishment can put a full stop to this issue.  You know, in Afghanistan, a culprit indulged in rape is shot dead within four days of the crime and in Saudi Arabia, he is stoned to death in public.

Ganesh: hello friends, lend me your ears, please. Harassment means not only rape but also , as the Act says, a demand or request for sexual favours or even showing the pornography to working women.  Above all, Indian laws maintain respect for Life. That’s why, only in extreme cases, the committed is sentenced to death punishment.

Vidhya: It’s ok Mr.Ganesh. But the harassment act 2013 asks the woman to give her complaint in writing within three months from the date of incident. You know very well, neither the woman nor her parents would come forward and put her future life or family heritage at risk.

Gayathri: Yes Vidhya. It’s one the reasons why men take advantage of that.
John: Yes, I also agree with our friend Miss. Gayathri. The rate of harassment of women has hiked even after this Act(2013). All over India, 34000 rapes have been reported in 2014 and 36735 in 2015. It’s  a big number, isn’t it?

Kirutika: There is another reason Mr.John.  Many aggrieved women are  still not aware of the laws meant for them.
Sowmiya: It’s true. The implementation of this Act is also questionable.

Vidhya: I too feel the same.  Many industries have paid no attention to this Act.  You know, friends, according to a FICCI-EY November 2015 report, 36% of Indian companies and 25% among MNCs are not compliant with the Sexual Harassment Act, 2013

Sowmiya: Ok friends, it is time to end up our discussion. On behalf of all, let me summarize the points we discussed so far. The reports say, the harassment of women is still on the go. We feel that severe punishments coupled with awareness of legal provisions may solve the issue gradually. I thank you all for listening to me and for your active participation. Thank you very much.

Experiment 8

LIFE and Employability Skill Practical
M scheme

Experiment 8
1. Talk to your colleague working in the factory about the safety standards to be implemented in the factory after the visit of Inspector of Factories
Riyaz: Sorry to bother you Mr.Anand. Anything went wrong in our factory? I could see the visit of Safety inspector the other day.
Anand : Don’t think the other way Mr. Riyaz. It’s just their periodical visit.
Riyaz : Do you have any idea about how the Inspector reviewed our ESM ?
Anand: Yes, of course. I’m preparing the annual ESM report this year. The inspector says, our present ESM is not adequate.
Riyaz: What did he recommend to improve the safety standards?
Anand: He insisted to install Fire detectors with alarm system.
Riyaz: Of course, it’s essential.  What else?
Anand: We are going to set up emergency lifts for our factory.
Riyaz: Why is it necessary?
Anand: it’s mainly for rapid evacuation of incapacitated persons, especially during fire accidents.
Riyaz: Anything else?
Anand: We are planning to conduct a periodical Employers Health Care Camp to say goodbye to occupational diseases.
Riyaz: That sounds a nice safety measure! It’ll surely keep away lungs and skin diseases.
Anand: Yes Mr.Riyaz. Consideration of new fire resistant helmets, shoes, insurance packages and awareness programmes are also in the list to ensure OHS.  I’m sorry, it’s time to meet the manager.  Would you mind if we extend this discussion a little later?
Riyaz: Not at all. Thank you very much Mr.Anand. You've really awakened me.
Anand: It’s my pleasure!

(Note: ESM=Essential Safety Measures, OHS= Occupational Health and Safety)

2. Speak with your immediate boss about the progress you have made.

Sathya: Good morning sir. May I know why I’m called for?
Sales Manager: Good morning, Miss.Sathya. Please take your seat first.
Sathya: Thank you sir.
Manager: Can you give me few minutes of your time to discuss the sales of our new software?
Sathya: Sure sir. I’m glad to have a chance to talk about that.
Manager: How is the response from the clients?
Sathya: It’s so impressive sir. The sales has almost doubled in the second quarter.
Manager: Do you hope to achieve your sales target this year?
Sathya: Certainly sir. My sales target is 25000 units and till now, about 14000 are sold. I hope, I’ve almost won half the battle.
Manager: That is amazing. Did  You come across any issues on the way?
Sathya: Yes sir. We have received few complaints from some clients.
Manager: Tell me something about that.
Satyam: There is no compatibility issues.  As reported, the software has stopped working after a couple of weeks.
Manager: What have you done to address this issue?
Sathya: Our expert team has figured out the reason. It is trying its best to set right the issue soon.
Manager: Have you charted out new sales zones?
Sathya: Yes sir. We are planning to look for more overseas clients.
Manager: What about your progress in that?
Sathya: We’ve already identified some prospective multinational companies and introduced the product. We’re waiting for their favorable response.
Manager: Well done Miss.Sathya! You’ve made a big move. I see you in the next week in the general meeting.
Sathya: Thank you for your encouragement sir. I’m always at your service.

Experiment 6

LIFE and Employability Skill Practical
M scheme

Experiment 6
1.    Introduce yourself as a prospective candidate for the company while facing the interview.
Good morning sir. I’m Deepa from Thudiyalur,  Coimbatore.
I have completed my diploma in Computer Engg. stream with an aggregate of 90%.
My skill sets are C, C++, Java and networking.
My career objective is to get a platform where my knowledge and skills will work for the growth of the organisation.
My strength is self reliance and hard work. And my weaknessis being too generous and helpful to others. Sometimes people take advantage of that.
My short term goal is to get placed in a reputed company. And my long term goal is making new programmes and applications in my stream.
I’m a good team worker, communicator and a socially responsible person.
My interests are browsing, reading books and listening to music.
I’m a strong believer of the phrase “Action speaks louder than the words".
I regard my father as my true source of inspiration.  He is the most honest person I have ever seen.
That’s all about me. Thank you sir.

2.   New Factory Manager has been appointed. Introduce him to all the employees.
Good morning to one and all present here.  I’m so delighted to introduce our new factory manager , Mr. Aravind to you.
First of all, on behalf of all the employees, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new production manager.
As for his education, he graduated from Madras University with first class honours in MBA in 2004.
With his excellent interpersonal skills and sound manufacturing plans, now, he has the world at his feet.
As for his experience, he served as Industrial Production Manager in Tata Motors from 2006 to 2010 where he created and implemented new production models.
Then he proved a real heavy hitter in Ashok Leyland from 2011 to 2014 and improved the manufacturing efficiency there by 40 per cent.
He is, no doubt, an alpha male, highly skilled in managing human and material resources.
He is good at implementing high quality standards in production
He is held in high esteem for his leadership and teamwork skills. 
Let us all extend our full support and cooperation and be in right lines with him in achieving his new production goals in our firm.  Thank you.

You cannot have a party without ball, can you?

Today’s English
March 30th, 2017

If you are serious, you cannot be joyful. If you are joyful, you cannot be serious. Kids are immensely happy on their birthday just as students are on the Annual Day and grownups are on the wedding day and parties. In English, the phrase “to have a ball" means “you are immensely happy”
1. Yesterday we attended his birthday party and we all had a ball.
2. If you are egoless and love others, you will always have a ball.
3. Watch that programme and surely you will have a ball.

Though we want to be happy, there are some situations in which we are so helpless and things go against our plans. Here again ball comes for our help and you can try the expression “that’s the way the ball bounces".

1. We tried at our best to get the order but couldn’t. What to do? That’s the way the ball bounces.

2. That’s the way the ball bounces. Don’t bother about your project failure.

3. We thoroughly checked the students before exam, still two were booked under malpractice. What’s in our hand? That’s the way the ball bounces.

(Uncle : Hi dear. How was your birthday? Did you have a ball?
Little boy: No uncle. Nobody gave me a ball.
Uncle: …………?!)

Can you eat someone alive?

Today’s English
March 29th, 2017

Don’t think that I’m going to talk about a cannibal- one who eats human flesh.  We often have some assignments or works from our higher officials or elders in the family. Imagine that they are not lenient, and we don’t complete the work before deadline, what will happen? They will eat us alive (strongly criticize us boiling with anger).

1. Let me first finish this e-attendance work, otherwise my HOD will eat me alive.
2. Yesterday he ate me alive since I didn’t attend the meeting.
3. Why are you eating me alive sir? The time given by you is not sufficient. What can I do?

If you are annoyed by someone or something (it often happens), or at least bored or frustrated with something or somebody, there is a beautiful expression in English – “cheesed off" that you can try.

1. Shit! I’m completely cheesed off by this kind of repeated call.
2. How do you feel with the new manager? Completely cheesed off.
3. I’m often cheesed off with his irresponsible answer.

Just for fun!
( Manager: If you don’t submit the report before evening, I will eat you alive.
Lady assistant : ok sir. If it’s your wish, I’m happy about that.
Manager: ………..?!)

Beware of Silent Letters in English

Today’s English
March 28th, 2017

Pronunciation and stress are important to spoken English as spelling and punctuation are to written English.  Silent Letters pose a great challenge to the foreign learners of English. There is no one-to-one correspondence between how a word is written and how it is pronounced. For instance, the word “queue" has five letters but we read only one “q" and the remaining are silent.  Here arises a logical question – why should we write those four silent letters, if we are not at all to read?

Reason 1 : Great Vowel Shift
The changes in the pronunciation of English language between 1350 and 1600 is known as Great Vowel Shift that resulted in standardisation of English spellings, especially in changing long vowels in middle English into diphthongs in modern English. For example, the word bite was pronounced as beet in middle English and now with diphthong sound. If you remove the silent “e", how will you differentiate bite from bit? Here the placement of Silent letter seems essential. Compare also – fat, fate and hat, hate.

Reason 2: English, a Borrower
English is a thief that has stolen many words from almost all languages globally to make itself rich – 29% of words from Latin, 29% from French, 26% from Germanic languages, 6% from Greek and the remaining from other languages. If they buy back, English won’t exist. For example, the word “tsunami” is from Japanese and psychology from Greek. The initial silent letters (t, p) take birth when these words enter English language.

Reason 3: Arrival of Printing press
When German Johannes Gutenberg invented printing press and introduced in England by William Caxton in 1476, nobody knew that printers would become the sole authority of English spellings and the money minded among them would add many silent letters to fill their purse. (You know, each letter added by them added money).

Beware of the silent letters that may drag you into mire.

1. A silent in – musically, romantically, artistically
2. B silent -  thumb, dumb, climb, lamb, debt, doubt, subtle
3. C silent – acquire, muscle, scissors, disciple, scene, scent
4. D silent – sandwich, Wednesday, handkerchief, handsome, bridge, edge
5. E silent – hate, fate, name, fame, like, bike, European
6. F silent – halfpenny, halfpence
7. G silent – foreign, sign, align, design, gnome, gnarl, guide
8. H silent – hour, honest, ghost, heir, what, when, chorus, echo, rhythm
9. I silent -   business, friend
10. J silent -  marijuana
11. K silent – knife, knowledge, knight, knot, knock, know, knave, knob
12. L silent – calm, talk, walk, half, would, should, salmon, folk
13. M silent – mnemonic
14. N silent – Autumn, hymn, column, condemn, solemn
15. O silent – colonel, leopard, people
16. P silent – psalm, psychology, receipt, pneumonia, corps, pseudonym
17. Q silent- lacquer
18. R silent –  forgo, darkness, work, winter, certain, heart, surf, world
19. S silent -  island, aisle
20. T silent – castle, listen, often, hasten, fasten
21. U silent – guess, guard, guide, guitar, tongue, guilt, colleague
22. V silent – leveson
23. W silent – answer, sword, two, wrist, wrong, whole, write, who
24. X silent – faux, sioux
25. Y silent – key, pepys
26. Z silent – chez, laissez-faire, rendezvous

Though we have to be cautious of silent letters, we agree with what Confucius says, “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”

Something is in Everything and Nothing

Today’s English
March 27th, 2017

Something, nothing, everything and anything are all indefinite pronouns frequently used in spoken English and they always follow singular verb forms.

1.Nothing but = only
I had nothing but ten rupees in my pocket.
Aged parents want nothing but few kind words from their sons and daughters.
Nothing but a major operation can save his life.

2.Nothing like = Not at all like
She was nothing like a teacher. She was doing all clerical work there.
He adored her an angel but she was nothing like an angel.

3.There is nothing like …= you enjoyed something very much
There is nothing like a walk in the early morning.
There is nothing like a treat he gave the other day.

4.Good- for- nothing = a lazy person with no skills, a useless fellow (used both as adjective and noun)
Where is your good-for-nothing friend?
Don’t assign him any work,  he is good-for-nothing.

5.Everything under the sun = everything that exists or all possibilities
I tried everything under the sun, but I couldn’t solve the problem.
I can lose everything under the sun, but not her.

6.Something for nothing= to get what you want without any work or effort
He is a lucky fellow. He always gets something for nothing.

7.Everything in the garden is rosy = everything is fine
How is your business going on? Everything in the garden is rosy.

8.Have everything your own way= to get what you want by opposing others.
He is such a clever one that he gets everything his own way.

9. Like anything = very much
He praised her like anything.
The manager scolded him like anything.

10.As easy as anything/ABC = very easy
How was the interview? It was as easy as anything.
How was your semester exam? It was as easy as ABC.

“Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.”  - King Lear to Cordelia in Shakespeare’s “King Lear"

Differences: hope, belief, faith and trust

Today's English
March 26th, 2017

Hope refers to your feeling that something will happen because you have a good reason for it. It is your positive thinking of something to happen.
Examples:
I hope that he will win the match.
I hope, he will return to her one day.
They hope that the film will prove to be a box office hit.

Belief refers to your feeling that something or somebody exists and is true.  You feel so with or without a reason.
Examples:
1. I believe in God but I don't believe in the stories about God. (Existence)
2. Believe me, I really went there and met him. (Truth)
3. It is hard to believe there is any such monster as seen in the film. (the existence of monster)

Faith denotes your strong belief in something or somebody that they will care you.  Belief develops into faith, implying long term relationship and  involvement.
The term is widely used in religious and spiritual contexts.
Examples:
1. I have faith in God. (You strongly believe that God will take care of you and He is really existing. )
2. He was killed for his faith in that religion.
3. We have ventured this task since we know, faith can move mountains.

Trust represents your feeling that something is safe and somebody is honest and so you can rely on them.
1.  He is such a great liar. How can I trust him. (He is not honest.)
2.  He trusted his friend and left his entire property under his care. (The property will be safe.)
3. My friend warned me not to trust him. (Not reliable)

Remember!
Hope is a matter of "possible happening."
Belief is concerned with "existence or truth in something."
Faith means "strong belief, one's care for you."
Trust is a question of "honesty, safety and reliability."

"I can believe anything provided it is incredible." -Oscar Wilde in "The Picture of Dorian Gray."

Learn English from Dialogue

Today’s English
March 25th, 2017

Read the following conversation and you may refer to the glossary at the end if you come across a new word:

Professor 1 : What irritates me much is the cacophony in the class.

Professor 2: What can we do with these apathetic students?

Professor 1: Unlimited internet and voice calls have sourced their unlimited loquacity.

Professor 2: Yes. They indulge in vicarious pleasures by watching videos and programmes on Whatsapp and Youtube which have changed them into prurient teenagers. 

Professor 1: whatever the question we ask, they simply remain phlegmatic. Did you see their test papers? Full of egregious errors.

Professor 2 : I’m generally indefatigable in all my work but feel enervated as soon as I enter the class. Do you have any idea to deal with these incorrigible students?

Professor 1. The parents are lenient. Shall we turn into martinets.?

Professor 2:  That won’t work out. They feel that teachers are dispensable since they can learn more from Google.

Professor 1: Do you want us to jack in?

Professor 2: No. We should make them feel that teachers are paramount.

Professor 1: how ?

Professor 2: Don’t we have the great Savoir-faire? Do you want everything to explicate?

Professor 1: ………..?!

Glossary: (Build your vocabulary)
1. Cacophony – unpleasant noises and harsh sounds.
2. Apathetic – indifferent, uninterested, uninvolved
3. Loquacity – talkativeness
4. Vicarious -second-hand
5. Prurient – sexually longing
6. Phlegmatic – emotionally unresponsive
7. Egregious – exceptional
8. Indefatigable – tireless, hardworking
9. Enervated – completely exhausted
10. Incorrigible- not easy to correct or reform
11. Martinet – disciplinarian
12. Dispensable – Not necessary
13. Jack in – resign
14. Paramount – more important
15. Savoir-faire – ability to say or do the right thing
16. Explicate – explain in detail

( Do you know? : Educational testing has showed that children of ten have been learning new words at a rate of many hundreds a year since the age of four. But adults who do not go to school learn only twenty-five to fifty words per year.)

Don’t be formal when you have to be informal.

Today’s English
March 24th, 2017

With your colleagues and boss, especially at workplace in writing, you employ formal English and with your Kith and kin, you use informal English.  You cannot tell your wife, “your attention is drawn to the recommendations presented by me yesterday.”  Likewise it will be awkward, if you write in the business letter: “We tell you to send the things quickly tomorrow.”  Here is a collection of some common expressions meant for day-to-day use. The first one in the following is formal whereas the second one, informal. (You can browse on the Net if you are interested to learn more.)

1. Accomplish – do, complete, finish
The project was accomplished as scheduled.
I haven’t done my home work yet.

2. Anticipate – expect
The major issues anticipated are herewith reported for your kind perusal.
Tell me what you expect me to do.

3. Assistance -help
The company has decided to extend its financial assistance to the employees.
Please help me bro. My purse is empty.

4. Communicate – talk, speak, tell
The matter has been communicated to the management.
Tell me what happened.

5. Dispatch – send, post, share
Have you dispatched the letter?
Have you shared me the photo on Whatsapp?

6. Furnish / grant – give
The data furnished needed some corrections.
Let me give you what you want.

7. Initiate, commence, launch – start, begin
The managing director initiated the awareness programme.
The child started/began to cry.

8. Prohibit – stop, ban
Smoking is prohibited here.
Will you please stop smoking here?

9. Require – want, need
The items required for the lab were purchased.
Is this the mobile you wanted to buy?

10. Terminate – end
The contract terminates next month.
Do you know how the story ends?

(Just for laugh!
In Law class:
Professor: if you have to give an orange, what will you say?

Student: take this orange.

Prof: no. Tell like a lawyer.

Student: I Ramakrishna son of Satyamurthy resident of chennai, Tamilnadu do here by solemnly affirm and voluntarily and consciously declare out of my volition and without any fear or favour or pressure or undue influence that I'm giving this fruit called orange on which I have absolute right, title and interest along with its peel, juice, seed and pulp.
I am also giving you absolute and unqualified right and interest to cut, peel, store, freeze or eat it.
You will also have the right to give this along with its peel, juice,seed or pulp to any one whosoever.
I further declare that I will be solely responsible and liable for any dispute till today pertaining to this orange. And after this conveyance today, my relationship  with this orange will cease to exist.

Prof: My lordship, where is your feet.... )

Differences : Should, Must, Ought to and Have to

Today’s English
March 23rd, 2017

1.Should, Must and Ought to are modal auxiliaries expressing the mood but have to is not a modal auxiliary. 

2.Ought to is more formal but less common than should.  When something is morally right, or a law and rules to be followed, we generally use “ought to".  If it is just an instruction, advice or suggestion, we use “should".

You ought to take care of your parents in their old age. (Moral responsibility)

You ought to wear helmet to avoid penalties.(law to be observed)

You ought to follow the rules of the college, otherwise you will be suspended. (Rules to be followed)

You should come with your brother collect the money. (Just a common instructions or advice)

You should first speak in English that is the best way to improve your English. (Just an instruction or advice)

3.Must is a stronger form of should and ought to.  It makes something compulsory offering no choice. You know, Must is often an order but should is an advice. When you are very sure and make a conclusion, you can use must. We also use must to make strong recommendations.

You must come with your sister, otherwise I won’t give the money.
(Compulsion, stronger than should)

I’m sure, he must be her father. (Strong conclusion)

It’s a must-see movie / must-read book / must-have mobile.

4.Must is synonymous with “have to" in most of the contexts. However there are two differences: must expresses the speaker’s situation or wish but have to unfolds others' wishes or reactions.  Secondly, Must has no past tense or future tense like “have to" – have to/ has to, had to and will have to.

I must finish this work now itself. I have an urgent work tomorrow. (The speaker’s situation)
I have to finish this work now itself. Otherwise my daddy will hit the ceiling.

My wife is so suspicious. I have to delete this message. (Consequences will be severe)

He had no money. So he had to make a call. (Past tense)

We will have to achieve the target before Sunday as instructed.

(We can use must as a noun, can’t we?  First it is a must to the host just to provide best nest to the guest for rest.)

Mind the Mind to Enrich your Mind!

Today’s English
March 22nd, 2017

Can you ever live without a mind? To know your mind leads to know yourself and to know the uses of the word “mind" is half the battle in spoken English.

1. If you want to give a warning to someone to be careful about something, you can use “mind" as a verb:

Mind your words. She is my sister.
Mind your ID card. It’s compulsory to enter the campus.
Mind your purse. It’s a brothel area.

2. The same word can be used when you want someone to take care of your things or kids and the like:
Please mind my bag for a moment. Let me go and get a water bottle for us.
Can you mind the baby /dog until I return from market?

3. I don’t mind = it doesn’t matter/no problem
Sorry, we don’t have extra chairs. I don’t mind. Let me stand.
I don’t mind whether he comes or not. I will leave by six.

4. If you use “would you mind" to make a polite request, never use infinitive after that -a common error by many.
Would you mind opening the window? (Not: to open)
Would you mind using your mobile for a moment? (Not: to use)

5. To make up your mind= to decide
I have made up my mind to wind up the business.
She made up her mind to divorce him.

6. If something is so exciting and impressive one, you can say that it is “a mind-blowing one.
His performance is always a mind-blowing one.
Vow! What a mind-blowing dance it is!

7. If you are in two minds, it means that you could not decide between two things, and if you have half a mind, you are not partly willing to do.
She is in two minds in going abroad.
I have half a mind to complain about him.

8. If something slips your mind, you forget it. If something brings/comes/sticks to your mind, you remember it.
The way he talked brought to my mind my childhood days.
His name slips my mind, it may be Arun or Aravind.

9. Keep an open mind = listen to new ideas/suggestions
Keep an open mind to him. I think, it will work out.

10. All in your mind= Not real, just in your imagination
There is nothing wrong with him. It’s all in your mind. Don’t worry about him.
There is nothing between me and Uma. Why do you suspect? It’s all in your mind.

“Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their mind cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw

How to talk about differences in English?

Today’s English
March 21st, 2017

We often notice a difference between two things, two people, two situations and so on.  There are plenty of different ways to talk about the difference in such contexts. Let’s try a few:

1.A whole new ball game = a completely different situation
I don’t know what to say. It’s a whole new ball game.

2.A world of difference/a sea of difference= a lot of difference
Though both books are written by the same writer, there is a world of difference between them.
There is a sea of difference between these concepts.

3.With a difference = unusual, more interesting and better than others
It is a film with a difference.
Have you gone to Osho resort in Pune, a meditation centre with a difference?

4.Make a /a big/some/much / no difference
Whether you are glued to Whatsapp or Facebook makes no difference.
Spending ten minutes a day in reading bible will make much difference in your life.

5.March to a different boat = be different in your idea, contact, etc. from others.
You can expect a different project from him. He always marches to a different boat.

6.Be as different as day and night /be as different as chalk and cheese = completely different from each other
Date of joining and date of retirement are as different as day and night.
Both Wordsworth and T.S.Eliot are poets but they are as different as chalk and cheese.

7.Dance to a different tune = to quickly change to a different behaviour
He danced to a different tune and started everyone of us.

8.Make all the difference = to make someone feel better
Just a wish and a few kind words can make all the difference.
In fact, your very presence has made all the difference.

9.A difference of opinion = a disagreement in certain matters
We have a difference of opinion and still we are friends.

10. The odd one out = to keep apart from others in group
Her inferiority complex kept her the odd one out during college days.
Please come and join with us. Why are you always the odd one out?
Find which number among the following is the odd one out.

“Our differences are only skin deep, but our sames go down to the bone.” – Margh Simpson, “The Simpsons"

Top Ten Confusing Words Leading to Errors

Today's English
March 20th, 2017

English is a peculiar language in which some words looking like plural are actually singular and vice versa. Being puzzled about the subject, you are likely to error in using the verb.  The following list may assist to resist the lingual temptation.

1. The phrases such as a lot of, a great deal of, plenty of, most of and some of are singular when they indicate amount or quantity but they are plural when they mention number:
A lot of books were kept on the table. (Plural usage with countable noun)
A lot of work was completed by him. (Singular usage with uncountable noun)
There were plenty of apples in the tree.
There was plenty of space for storage.

2. Words such as pants, trousers, specs, glasses, scissors, shoes, gloves and shears are singular when they are used with a pair of, but plural when they are used without “a pair of” or with “pairs of".
That pair of shoes is mine.
These shoes are mine and don’t touch them.
There was a pair of scissors near the bag.
These scissors are not sharp enough to cut the clothes.

3. The word “furniture” has no plural form and is never used as “furnitures.” If you want it to mean several items, you will have to use “pieces of.”
The furniture in the room has to be moved to another room.
Few more pieces of furniture were bought last week.

4. The same applies to “advice” but it is never used in plural. (No such a word as “advices” exists in English)
His advice was very useful.
His much advice irritates everyone.

5. Mathematics and economics are always singular when they refer to  a subject but plural when they refer to mathematical calculations and economic facts respectively.
Mathematics is the only subject in which many of our students fail.
His mathematics are always accurate. (Meaning mathematical calculations)
The economics of the country are shocking to us. (=economic facts)
Economics is my favourite subject.

6. Information is there but there is no word like “informations” in English. Another thing, we should not use the article a or an before information. But we can use “a piece of", “pieces of" or lot of.
The information about the accident has reached us very late.
We collected a lot of Information about him.

7. Sheep is both singular and plural. There is no word as “sheeps” in English. You can say a flock of or flocks of sheep.
A sheep was grazing in the field.
Sheep were grazing in the field.

8. Fish is both singular and plural.  The word “fishes” is used to refer to different species of fishes.
The only fish I like is golden fish.
The fish brought by him are so colourful.
There are different species of fishes in this river.

9. Food is uncountable and takes singular verb. The word “foods" is used to refer to particular types of food.
The food served in the hostel was sufficient for me.
Frozen foods are not good for children.

10. Alumnus, alumna and alumni have different meanings.
Alumnus (Singular) = a former male student of a school, college or university
Alumna (Singular) = a former female student of a school, college or university
Alumni (plural) = the former male and female students of a school, college and university. (Pronunciation is not alumni but alumnai /əˈlʌmnaɪ/)
He is an alumnus of our college. Uma is an alumna of our college. They are the alumni of our college.

“If wishes were fishes, we’d all cast nets.” -  Frank Herbert in “The Dune Storybook"

Let’s think of “think” a little

Today’s English
March 19th, 2017

Think is the most frequently used word in our day-to-day speech since we always think of something or somebody (the only thing we couldn’t stop from womb to tomb), form our opinions about them, feel ill or better of them – often think as a critic, a judge, a forecaster, a believer or non-believer and much more. Let’s think of the other ways of using the term “think".

1. Think on your feet = to think and respond quickly to a situation without preparation.
The way in which he thinks on his feet is amazing.

2. Think out of the box – think creatively, in an unusual way
Without thinking out of the box, you cannot solve this puzzle.
Let’s think out of the box and collect new ideas for our project.

3. Think inside the box = think traditionally and in a limited way
If we think inside the box, we will never get a solution for this problem.

4. Great minds think alike = to have the same valuable thoughts as others
You often think in the same way I think. I don’t know how it is possible. Maybe, great minds think alike.

5. Think straight = to think in a clear and logical way
I’m so tired. I can’t think straight now.
He always thinks straight and let’s seek his help.

6. Think twice about something= think something carefully before taking a decision.
He may spoil the entire programme. Please think twice about calling him to the party.
Think twice about joining this course. It has no scope.

7. Think someone hung the moon and stars = to speak of someone as if they are the extraordinary one, the best one, etc.
Every politician thinks, his leader hung the moon and stars. (Speaks as if he is the best…)
His mother thinks he hung the moon and stars.

8. Think better of something/somebody = to have good opinions about..
He is my best friend. I always think better of him.
9. Think ill of something/somebody = to have bad opinions about...
He is innocent. Don’t think ill of him.

10. Every horse thinks its own pack the heaviest = to feel you suffer more than others in life
Nowadays everybody says, “I fall upon the thorns of Life, I bleed.” In fact, every horse thinks its own pack the heaviest.

“We are shaped by our thoughts. We become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” – Lord Buddha

The differences: Cost, Price, Rate, Charge, Fee and Fare

Today’s English
March 18th, 2017

Cost refers to the amount of money spent for producing a product or service by the manufacturer whereas price stands for the amount of money spent by a customer to buy a product or service. Cost is the past expense of the manufacturer but price is the future income of a seller. Cost comes before price. Of course, cost + seller’s profit = price.
1. The company is trying to reduce/cut the labour cost.
2. They have to raise the price because of rising costs in manufacturing, marketing and advertising.
3. The cost of building a house is too high nowadays.
4. Real estate suffers a lot because of the falling prices of the house.
5. Have you got the price list of all things needed for the function?

Rate :  The amount paid to a service or product for a period of time is measured  as rate.
We are ready to pay for your work at the rate of Rs.200 per hour.
It also refers to the number of time something happens or changes.
1. The success/failure rate of this kind of operation is always high.
2. The crime/divorce rate in the last year is a quite shocking one.

Charge = the amount of money asked for the services provided to you. It cannot be used for products you buy. It is mostly thought of from the perspective of the person who works for you.
1. Your service charges seem a little bit higher than others.
2. How much would you charge to finish this work?

Fee : It is mostly used to refer to the amount of money collected for educational and professional services.
1. Have you remitted your exam /semester fees?
2. The bank charges no fee for processing your loan.
(You can also say – entrance fee, registration fee, membership fee, and legal fees)

Fare is used only to mention the amount you pay for your travel.
1. The train fare is cheaper than the bus fare in India.
2. How much fare did you pay for the taxi?

(A man entered a lawyer’s office and enquired, “How much do you generally charge? The lawyer replied, “Well, I charge only $500 dollars for three questions.”  The man asked, “Don’t you think it is too much for three questions?” The lawyer answered, “Yes, it is" and asked, “What is your third question?”)

Tempting/Confusing Subjects and Common Errors

Today’s English
March 17th, 2017

Look at the following sentences and try to answer with your previous knowledge before reading the explanation next to them:
1.A teacher and some students __________ (make/makes) arrangements for the Annual Day.
2.Some students and a teacher __________  (make/makes) arrangements for the Annual Day.
3.A teacher or some students __________ (make/makes) arrangements for the Annual Day.
4.Some students or a teacher __________  (make/makes) arrangements for the Annual Day.

Have you figured out the answer or a little bit confused? Anwer: 1. Make, 2. Make, 3. Make, 4. Makes.

If the subject has two nouns combined by “and”, the verb is always plural and it doesn’t matter whether one noun is singular and the other is plural.
If the subject has two nouns linked by “or", the verb should agree with the nearest noun to it – that is, the noun that comes before the verb.

There are other four categories of subjects related to distances, heights, weights and amounts of money which tempt us to use plural verb though singular verb is the correct one.

1.Fifty rupees is not a reasonable price for this.(Don't say: Fifty rupees are….)
2.Ten miles is a great distance to travel through this forest. (Don't say: Ten miles are…)
3.Hundred kilograms of sugar is needed to manage the customers in both shops.( The verb is not “are")
4.170 cms is the minimum height for the selection of sub inspector.(Don't use "are")

Do you know that the word “police" is a plural one and it always takes plural verb.
1.The police have arrested him. (Not the police has….)
2.Police suspect some students here. (Not suspects...)

If you want to refer to a single police person, you may use the word “policeman".
1.A policeman has come for investigation.
2.Two policemen have been caught red-handed while getting bribes.

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” – Oscar Wilde in “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

Will is more than an auxiliary verb, isn’t it?

Today’s English
March 16th, 2017

Can you use a word both for order and request? Yes, you can. That is “will”. 
1. Will you give me your pen for a while? (Request)
2. Will you shut up your mouth? (Order)

Shall or Will?
The use of shall is more formal than that of Will. It’s also old-fashioned if you use it in spoken English.
1. I’ll see you later. (Will, informal)
2. We shall send you the order copy by mail. (Formal, mostly in writing)

When you don’t want to do something but at the same time you are forced to do it, you can use the phrase “against your Will”.
1. They asked me to sign in the document against my will.
2. He was compelled to vacate the room against his will.

With a will = with willingness and enthusiasm
1. Do your work with a will, otherwise don’t do it.
2. If there is monetary gain, they will do it with a will.

If you are angry with someone for what they have done, you may use the phrase “bear somebody ill will"
1. He is doing everything against me, still I bear him no ill will. (= I’m not angry with him)
2. Don’t bear them ill will. They are not responsible for your transfer.

“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
– Confucius

Essay on “The Model Millionaire” by Oscar Wilde

The Privileged and the Underprivileged:

The Model Millionaire, a short story by Oscar Wilde deals with the impact of the gap between the privileged and the underprivileged showing a poor hero Hughie Erskine and a rich man Baron Hausberg.  What is left with Hushie? The answer is just an army sword and 15 volumes of a history book from his father and 200 pounds per year from an old aunt for his survival.  He tried his hand as a tea merchant, wine seller and even at Stock Exchange, but nothing helped him. He remained a handsome man with perfect profile but with no money.

Love is Blind and Marriage is a Bet:
The poor hero falls in love with Laura, the daughter of a retired military man.  Love is blind but here painful too.  The father conditions him to bring ten thousand pounds to hear the marriage bell. He wants money not the kind heart that Hughie has. Here comes an incident to take the story in different direction. Hughie's friend is an artist and he is about to finish the painting of a beggar.  Hughie sympathies with the beggar acting as model and alms him the pound he has. The old model-beggar thanks him with a smile.

Virtue Never Goes Unrewarded
Laura scolds him for being too generous.  But Hughie is also thinking of giving his old clothes to the old beggar.  To his great shock, he is informed by his friend that the beggar is actually the millionaire Baron Hausberg. He has house in every capital and he can even buy London with his money. It was just his humble request to the painter to draw him as a beggar.  Hughie is so upset and doesn’t know how to seek apology.  But the story ends with a twist. Next day Hughie receives a cover from the messenger of Baron with a cheque inside for 10000 pounds and a message outside – “A wedding present to Hughie and Laura, from an old beggar.”

Who is the Real Millionaire?
One who has money is not the millionaire but one who has heart to give the money to the needy.  Hughie is also a millionaire in this sense.  The baron also turns out to be a real millionaire after realizing the value of charity- the greatest virtue of all. A helping soul is better than an artist like the hero’s friend. Because the artist looks at nature and people as it is but the merciful looks at the world how better it should be.

Let’s see today only “only.”

Today’s English
March 15th, 2017

The uses of “only" is not only one, so are the errors in its usage. General tendency to use "only" is after the word though the reverse is correct.

What is this “only"?
It’s both an adjective and an adverb.

1. Only = one. (Used as an adjective)
He is the only person who came forward to help me.

2. Only = very few (used as adjective)
These are the only books I borrowed from library.

3. Only = Not any more, not any other, not anywhere… (used as an adverb)
I want only this much. (Not any more)
Only Ravi and Priya participated in Elocution. (Not anybody else)
I went only there. (Not anywhere)

4. Position of only – use only before the concerned word. See the change in meaning in the following sentences:
Only I called you now. (Not anybody else)

I only called you now. (Only called not said anything else)

I called only you now.(Only you not anybody else)

I called you only now.(Not before)

5. If only = a stronger form of  “I wish”.  It has no connection with if clause and therefore two clauses are not necessary.
(Use past verb to mean past wish, or “would" to mean future wish)

If only I had a car =I wish I had a car. (Incorrect: If only I have a car)

If only I would pass the NET (a future wish)

“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” – Albert Einstein

Differences – Country, State and Nation

Today’s English
March 14th, 2017

We use the word country to refer to a land which has its own internationally recognized borders, government and army. As on today, there are 196 countries in the world, though Taiwan is not recognized as a country by the U.S..

The term State is synonymous with country but , with capital S it refers to a  country and with small “s" stands for a part of a large country, for example, in India, it is a part of a large country.

We use the word “nation" to mean a group of people who belong to the same race and share the same culture, traditions, religion, language, etc.

Similarly, a city is different from town in the following ways:
1.A city is largely populated and wider than a town.  Whenever it develops, it merges with surrounding areas but town never does it.
2.Corporate bodies rule the city with Mayor as its head but municipalities rule the town with Chairman as the head.
3.A town is larger than a village but smaller than a city. In broad sense, town and villages are parts of a city.

(Note: the meaning of town and city differs from country to country.  The above one is Indian context)

“Who is here so vile that will not love his country?” – Julius Caesar by Shakespeare

Just a Little about a Little

Today’s English
March 13th, 2017

Few and little are the quantifiers in English. We use them with or without “a" to carry different meanings. 
Few and little = Not as much as we expected (negative meaning)
A few and a little = a small amount, when nothing is expected by us (used with positive answer)
1.There were few boys in the class. (Not as much as we expected)
2.There were just a few boys in the class.(A very small number, no expectations are implied)
3.Do you have money? No, very little. (Not much as you expected)
4.Do you have money? Yes, a little. (Some, a small amount)

The second thing to be remembered is,
A little/ little -  used with singular uncountable
A few/ few  - used with plural countable

1.We need a little time to complete the work. (Time=singular uncountable)
2.We need a few boys to complete this work. (Boys = plural countable)

One more thing to be remembered is, we use the adverbs only and just only before a little and a few, not before little and few:
1.Let me take just a few books from here. (Not just few…)
2.I gave him only a little money and he did everything for me.(Not only little…)

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” – Shakespeare in “All’s well that ends well"

Let’s learn English from animals.

Today’s English
March 12th, 2017

How can we learn English from animals who don’t know English? The nature or behaviour or size of animals has given birth to a lot of idiomatic expressions in English. To be safe, share the meaning with your friends if they don’t understand and then use.  Let’s see the top ten among them:

1. To get the lion’s share = to get the greatest percentage of something
When his father died, he got the lion’s share of his property.
You can’t cheat me with a little piece of cake.  I want the lion’s share.

2. Hold your horses! = to ask to reconsider a decision
Are you mad? Why do want to marry that worthless guy? Hold your horses!
Before taking this responsibility, just hold your horses!

3. Elephant in the room = a big problem that people don’t want to talk about
Why are you all silent today? I understand there is an elephant in the room, but I can’t guess what it is.

4. Let the cat out of the bag = to reveal a secret
I didn’t tell anything about our plan. Tell me who let the cat out of the bag.
If I let the cat out of the bag, he will be angry with me. Let me hold my tongue.

5. Dog-tired = extremely tired, dog days = hot days
I’m dog-tired. Let’s rest for a while here.
Who would like to go out in the dog days?

6. Paper tiger = looking very strong and dangerous but really weak and harmless.
Don’t be afraid of him. He is just a paper tiger.

7. Like a bull in a China shop = very careless in movements and behavior
Children are generally running here and there in a function like a bull in a China shop, aren't they?

8. Crocodile tears = false tears
Don’t listen to her.  She is just shedding crocodile tears.

9. Like a bear with a sore head = With bad mood, treating everyone badly
What’s wrong with you today? Like a bear with a sore head, you are angry with everyone.

10. A fish out of water = be uncomfortable in a strange situation
After my transfer, I felt like a fish out of water in the new college.

(Girl : If I feel like a fish out of water, what will you do?
Boy : I will let the cat out of the bag to eat that fish.
Girl : ……………..??!!)

Let’s always go the extra mile!

Today’s English
March 11th, 2017

You know, you always go the extra mile,  whenever you perform more than what others expect from/of  you.
1.Whenever he plays tennis, he goes the extra mile and raises our eyebrows.
2.Bet on that horse! It will surely go the extra mile.
3.The whole college started exploiting him since he always went the extra mile.

If you want to encourage someone and ask them not to give up their spirits, you can use the expressions – “hang in there" / Stand your ground / stick to your guns.
1.I know, you are struggling a lot to complete your project. Hang in there! Soon all hurdles will pass away and  the laurels will be yours.
2.Wait for the opportunity. Stick to your guns. You can beat him down in the next round.
3.I say, stand your ground first and build your energy.  It’s not the right time to fight.

It’s a common situation that the subordinate staff with stuff in many departments often go unrecognized. They have to wait for the right opportunity to breathe life to their visions. “Wait in the wings" is an expression that will rightly help here.

1.I can’t do anything until my HOD retires. I am waiting in the wings.
2.Many young actors could not shine as long as the mass heroes are there. They have to wait in the wings.

Do you know when you really grow? Be all ears to Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”

Are you ready to go the extra mile now?

Let’s go for a dive into Go.

Today’s English
March 10th, 2017

Many people know that the past participle of “go" is “gone" but very few learners of English know that the word “been" is also the past participle of “go".
There is a difference between “he went to Chennai” and “he has been to Chennai”. The former means just an action of go in the past but the latter means that he went to Chennai and came back from there.  Thus the past participle “been" includes “return" as well.
Compare:
1. Where did he go? He went to meet our principal.
2. Have you ever been to Ooty? Yes, several times. (Implies return too)

Another remarkable thing is the use of preposition after “go".  Use the preposition “for" if you refer to sports, exercise or relaxation
1. Let’s go for a drive.
2. Shall we go for a walk? / let's go for a coffee. (Similarly go for a swim, go for a run)

But use the preposition “on" if the purpose includes travel, amusements or absence from your routine work. 
1. We went on a tour and enjoyed a lot.
2. Who won’t like to go on a trip with you?
3. Would you mind If I go on leave for a week?

But no preposition should be used if the reference is to moving to negative state.
1. Call me if anything goes wrong here.
2. When the husband goes bankrupt the wife goes mad.
Similarly you can use -to go bald, to go blind, to go wild, to go naked, etc.

Remember, last but not least, you can say “he goes to work" without “The”  but you must say “he goes to the office" with the article “the".

“Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall.” – William Shakespeare in “Romeo and Juliet”

Have you ever missed the boat?

Today’s English
March 9th, 2017

You may travel by boat once in a blue moon, still you can use the word “boat" in day-to-day speech in different expressions.

If you ever miss a golden opportunity, you can say “you miss the boat"
1.JIO offer for prime members is a rare one. Join today itself. Don’t miss the boat.
2.The sale of TET exam applications is on the go. To get govt teaching job, it is the right time. Don’t miss the boat.

If you are having the same problem or unpleasant situation that others have, you can say that you are “in the same boat.”
1.She says, she has no money. You know, we are also in the same boat.
2.Being a teaching staff, he is doing only clerical and non-academic works. I’m sure, many staff in govt polytechnic colleges are in the same boat.
There is one more expression –“to rock the boat" that means “to do something knowingly or unknowingly that may cause problems”
1.Don’t laugh. The teacher is watching you. You may rock the boat.
2.Taking girl students to industrial visit is essential and useful but at the same time it may rock the boat.

(There is no gents' club to join. There is no bus exclusively for men.  There is no World Man's Day to celebrate. The apparel for Women includes men's as well leaving only pants and shirts to gents. Come on brothers.  It’s time to fight for men's  rights. We are all in the same boat, aren’t we?)

You can’t play the cricket, can you?

Today’s English
March 8th, 2017

No one can play the chess or the football.  Do you know the reason?  In English, we should not use the article “the" before the names of game.

1.I played cricket with my friends. (Not the cricket…)
2.We doubted whether he was playing volleyball for our team or against our team. (Not the volleyball)

If somebody is behaving not seriously with you and is trying to cheat you, especially by hiding your things, you can try the expression “play (silly) games with me"
1.It’s already late. Don’t play silly games with me. Give me my bike key.
2.Are you playing games with me? Tell me what really happened. (=Are you trying to cheat me?)

If you suspect that somebody is doing something secretly, you can use the expression “what’s your game?”
1.What are you doing here in my room? What’s your game?
2.I know, you are planning something against him. Tell me- what’s your game?

There are two more useful expressions:
1.Be ahead of the game = know more about recent developments
He knows all the recent developments in Computer engineering. He is really ahead of the game.
You will lose the interview if you are not ahead of the game.

2.Play a cat-and-mouse game = to be in severe fight often changing your behaviour patterns
He is playing a cat-and-mouse game with his HOD.
Of course, in the final, everyone has to play a cat-and-mouse game with the opponent team.

(Today is woman’s day. So enjoy playing a cat-and-mouse game with your spouse, will you?)

Brainstorming session versus blamestorming session

Today’s English
March 7th, 2017

Whenever we have a problem, failure or negative reviews of the company, we have a blamestorming session or brainstorming session.

Blamestorming session is one in which a group of people try to find out who is responsible for the issue or which sources or methods led to failure.

Brainstorming session is one in which a group of people try to solve a problem or gather new ideas.  The former is just to blame and assign responsibility whereas the latter is to arrive at a solution.

1. We had a brainstorming session on women’s empowerment.
2. The company had a blamestorming session to analyse the reasons for the failure of the recent project.

We generally use the verb “brainstorm" to mean “think and give new ideas"
1. How can a woman protect herself in times of danger?   Brainstorm as quickly as possible.
2. We have all assembled here to brainstorm the project. (=To think and come out with new ideas on the project. )

The noun brainstorm simply means “a sudden clever new idea"  or “a state in which you are not able to think clearly.”
1. When I was watching the playing children, suddenly I had the brainstorm of a new game. (New clever idea)
2. Oh my god! I forgot to bring my purse. I must have had a brainstorm. (Not having clear thinking few minutes before)

(Do you know that the term “brainstorm” is actually a medical term used in 1890a to refer to “mental explosion"?)

Difference between old, elderly, aged and mature

Today’s English
March 6th, 2017

There seems to be no definite age to use as a point of reference to call someone to be old.  The term “old" is however used in three situations : while comparing one with another, to refer to a person officially who is over 58 or 60 and to refer to a person who is not able to do something(?) because of their aged conditions.

1.She is older than me and I can’t marry her.
2.I’m old enough now to claim the concessions for senior citizens.
3.I’m too old to apply for this job. (=Not eligible to apply for...)

When you say “elderly” or “senior"  instead of “old", you respect their age, experience and skills.

1.Thanks to our lucky stars. We have senior English faculty members in our group.
2.I feel happy to work with elderly people.

When you use “aged", it means “very old"
1.Please move to some other seat sir. It’s meant for aged people.
2. Aged people generally book lower birth, don’t they?

When you use the term “mature",  you mean that someone is “fully grown" or “no longer young".

1.She is not mature enough to get married now. (Not fully grown, especially mentally)
2.This shop sells apparel meant for mature woman. (Politely mentioning those women who are no longer young).

Here we are reminded of how Shakespeare has described the old age of man, especially in the sixth and seventh stage of Life:

"The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
-By Jaques in As You Like It

Get the power of get.

Today’s English
March 5th, 2017

Of all the verbs, “get" is the most exploited one and is used in several contexts in several meanings.  Let’s see how it is omnipotent and omnipresent.
1.Get = receive
I got a letter from my office.

2.Get = come
May I get in sir? Yes, get in. 

3.Get = go
I don’t want to see you any more. Get away from here.

4.Get = secure
He got first place in the race. He got 65% in Maths.

5.Get = buy
I got a new shirt yesterday.

6.Get = bring
Prabha, go and get some water for your uncle. 
Wait for a while. I will get him here.

7.Get = earn
It’s really profitable business. He gets 5 lakh per month.

8.Get = go/reach
When you get there, you will be informed further.

9.Get = arrive
We got here by six but the door was locked.

10.Get = become
He got angry, tired, upset, exhausted, etc.

11. Get =make/ persuade
I will get her to resign the job.

12. Get = to move 
Get down from the ladder.
How can we get across the river?

13.Get = understand
Did you get my point? 
He is a strange fellow. I can’t get him until now.

14. Get = was
He got killed in the riot.
He got married to her last week.
I got shocked to see his behaviour.

15. Get = to progress to state or condition
It’s already getting late.
I’m getting ready. Please wait for few minutes. 
I don’t expect the situation to get worse like this.

Now, did you get the power and usage of get? (=understand)

“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” – Walt Disney

Are you online all day or all the day?

Today’s English
March 4th, 2017

You cannot say “I worked all the day and became very tired”.  The phrases “all day” and “all night" should not be used with the definite article “the".

1.All night = throughout the night
He was snoring all night and I couldn’t sleep.

2.All day = throughout the day
The discussion went on all day but ended in vain.

Remember, “all day" is an adverbial expression as we have seen in the above usage.  But “all-day" is an hyphenated adjectival word used before a noun.

1.We had an all-day meeting at the Head Quarters.

2.It was an all-day programme but a quite interesting one.

When you mention a division of large time, you can say “all the morning" or “all morning”, all the week or all week, etc.

Other common  expressions related to day:
1. The other day = recently
I told you the other day, you know, he is abroad now.

2.In those days = a period of time in the past
In those days, the Internet was not available and collection of materials for project was done mostly in the library.

3.Day by day = gradually
Day by day, I  became an addict to Whatsapp and Facebook.

4.It’s not my day! :  used when so many unfortunate or unpleasant things happen in the same day
I don’t know why everything goes wrong today. Surely it’s not my day!

5.The order of the day : used to mean “it is the trend now"
Taking selfie and being anxious for likes and comments is the order of the day.

6.Rome was not built in a day : used to emphasise much amount of time and hard work involved in something
We know, Rome was not built in a day. We need at least two years to complete this project.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find why.” – Mark Twain

What’s in Your Name?

Today’s English
March 3rd, 2017

A person’s name is mostly divided into three: First Name, Middle Name and Surname.

1. First Name: (also known as Christian name, given name, real name, fore name) It’s the actual given name by parents when someone is born.  People are mostly called by their first name only. For instance, in “William Shakespeare”, William is his first name and Shakespeare is his family name that is shared by all members of his family:  John Shakespeare- his father, Mary Shakespeare – his mother, Anne Hathaway Shakespeare -his wife, Joan Shakespeare – his sister, Susana Shakespeare – his daughter, etc.

2. Middle Name : If a person has two “given names", the second one becomes middle name, mostly in America.  People generally write their middle name only as initial after their first name. Some people write both their first name and middle name as initials.  William Shakespeare has no middle name. Pearl S. Buck = Pearl Sydenstricker Buck.   H.G.Wells = Herbert George Wells. T.S.Eliot = Thomas Stearns Eliot.

3. Surname : (also called family name, last name)  It’s the family name of a person shared by members of the family.  As already seen, Shakespeare is the surname of William.

In Tamil Nadu, all people are generally confused by the name system followed in foreign countries, especially when they enter their name in some applications.  Here the name of the father of a particular person is used as initial before their name.  They scarcely know about forename and surname.  Therefore, people use  father’s name in the place of surname/last name, since all members share only father’s name as initial.  If they write their father’s name as surname, they should avoid using initial in such entries.

Other related terms:
1. Pet name : affectionate name called by family members and not appearing in records.

2. Nick name: humorous name often to make fun of somebody’s behaviour or appearance.

3. Pen name: (also known as pseudonym) the name used by a writer in stead of his real name.

4. Maiden name : the last name of a woman before her marriage.

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" – William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet.

Do you like English or the English?

Today’s English
March 2nd, 2017

Which is correct – Indians or the Indians?  Both are correct and both are incorrect – all depends on where you use it.

People of a particular country are mentioned such as the French (people of France), the Chinese (people of China), the English (people of England) and the Indians (people of India).  In this context, (considering all people as a whole), “The” must be used.  But you must not use “The” if you are applying plural nouns which stand for people of a particular country. (Here you think of people individually, not as a whole). For example,
1. I am an Indian.
We are Indians.  (No definite article should be used before “Indians”)

2. An Indian gives much importance to culture.
Indians give much importance to culture.

3. The Indians live in India. (We refer to people of India as a whole)

4. The Americans are far greater than the Indians in technology but weaker in economy and poorer in spirituality. (We are talking about people of two countries, so article “The” is a must. )

Another interesting thing to note here is, if you add “The” before any language, it will refer to people speaking that language, not the language. 

1. I speak Tamil. (Here, language is mentioned, so no article is used.)
2. We met the Tamil. (Here, you are talking about people speaking Tamil language, so article must be used.)
3. I like English (language is mentioned)
4. I like the English. (People are mentioned)

(After returning home,
American husband: where are the children?
American wife: See there.  Your children and my children are playing with our children.)