Good Evening friends!
Even the advanced users of English often make mistakes while asking or writing certain types of questions. You might have heard - perhaps used too - the sentenses as given below:
"I asked him where was he going", "Can you tell me what is the time?", "Do you know who is the American President?", "We don't know who are you" etc.
Although the sentences given above look impressive, and they do convey the meaning effectively, a native English speaker never uses them. They are likely to use the same sentences in the following way:
"I asked him where HE WAS going", "Can you tell me what THE TIME IS?", "Do you know who THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT IS?", "We don't know WHO YOU ARE" etc.
Explanation:
The sentence, "I asked him where HE WAS going" is a combination of two sentences:
i.e. (1). I asked him. (2). Where was he going?
But when we combine (embed) them, we get, "I asked him where he was going". That's why such a construction is called 'EMBEDDED SENTENCE'. While making an embedded sentence by combining a normal sentence and a question (as in "I asked him where he was going"), the positions of subject and the helping verb are swapped:
Examples:
Where was he going? (normal question)
Where he was going. (embedded question)
(as in "I didn't notice where he was going")
What is the time? (normal question)
What the time is. (embedded question)
(as in "Please ask her what the time is")
Who is the American President? (normal question)
Who the American President is. (embedded question)
(as in "Does he know who the American President is")
Who are you? (normal question)
Who you are. (embedded question)
(as in "We don't care who you are")
(Contd......)
Jacob (Nova English Campus)
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Hi friends!
Here are some more tips on how to use the possessive case. This is the second part of the blog which I posted yesterday. You may find today's lesson a little complicated and uninteresting as it deals with a few grammatical terms. However I am compelled to post this as many of the visitors, mostly English teachers, requested me to do so.....
(IV) If a French name ends in a silent 's' or 'x', we must add -'s to create the possessive case. And the -'s part should be pronounced as 'z'.
e.g.
Dmas's book. (pronunciation /dyoomaz/)
Cremieux's (pronunciation /krenyu)
(V) Foreign syllabic names which are not stressed on the last or second last syllable can either take the apostrophe alone or -'s form.
e.g.
Barnabas' or Barnabas's
Nicholas' or Nicholas's
Here are some more tips on how to use the possessive case. This is the second part of the blog which I posted yesterday. You may find today's lesson a little complicated and uninteresting as it deals with a few grammatical terms. However I am compelled to post this as many of the visitors, mostly English teachers, requested me to do so.....
(IV) If a French name ends in a silent 's' or 'x', we must add -'s to create the possessive case. And the -'s part should be pronounced as 'z'.
e.g.
Dmas's book. (pronunciation /dyoomaz/)
Cremieux's (pronunciation /krenyu)
(V) Foreign syllabic names which are not stressed on the last or second last syllable can either take the apostrophe alone or -'s form.
e.g.
Barnabas' or Barnabas's
Nicholas' or Nicholas's
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Womens or Women's? (POSSESSIVE CASE)
Hi Friends!
Many users of English are not quite sure about the proper use of 'possessive case'. In today's world of online communication (especially if you are part of Orkut, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace etc.) you need to make sure that you use the possessive case without causing confusion to your readers.
Here are a few guidelines regarding the correct use of 'possessive case' (to show the 'possession' or 'ownership').
(I) Normally, add 's to singular subjects to make the possessive case: e.g.
Jacob's blog
My brother's wife
For our daughter's future
Sam's parents
(II) Likewise, if the subject is plural, just add an apostrophe at the end of the word: e.g.
Girls' hostel (hostel for girls)
(If you write Girl's here, it would mean 'hostel for ONE girl')
Boys' school (school for boys)
(If you write Boy's here, it would mean 'school for ONE boy')
Your brothers' property (property of your brothers)
(If you write brother's here, it would mean 'property of ONE brother')
Parents' guidance (guidance of parents)
(If you write parent's here, it would mean 'guidance of ONE parent')
My friends' email (email of my friends)
(If you write Friend's here, it would mean 'email of ONE friend')
Remember again, in all the previous sentences, we are talking about plural subjects; but if they were singular subjects, we would use girl's, boy's, brother's, friend's, parent's etc. (carefully check the position of the apostrophe['])
(III) But in the case of irregular plurals, we must add both an apostrophe and s (....'s)
e.g.
Women's hostel (NOT womens)
Children's activities (NOT childrens)
Men's shaving cream (NOT mens)
The second part of this lesson will be posted tomorrow. Don't forget to leave your comments &suggestions!
Take care
Jacob (Nova English Campus)
Many users of English are not quite sure about the proper use of 'possessive case'. In today's world of online communication (especially if you are part of Orkut, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace etc.) you need to make sure that you use the possessive case without causing confusion to your readers.
Here are a few guidelines regarding the correct use of 'possessive case' (to show the 'possession' or 'ownership').
(I) Normally, add 's to singular subjects to make the possessive case: e.g.
Jacob's blog
My brother's wife
For our daughter's future
Sam's parents
(II) Likewise, if the subject is plural, just add an apostrophe at the end of the word: e.g.
Girls' hostel (hostel for girls)
(If you write Girl's here, it would mean 'hostel for ONE girl')
Boys' school (school for boys)
(If you write Boy's here, it would mean 'school for ONE boy')
Your brothers' property (property of your brothers)
(If you write brother's here, it would mean 'property of ONE brother')
Parents' guidance (guidance of parents)
(If you write parent's here, it would mean 'guidance of ONE parent')
My friends' email (email of my friends)
(If you write Friend's here, it would mean 'email of ONE friend')
Remember again, in all the previous sentences, we are talking about plural subjects; but if they were singular subjects, we would use girl's, boy's, brother's, friend's, parent's etc. (carefully check the position of the apostrophe['])
(III) But in the case of irregular plurals, we must add both an apostrophe and s (....'s)
e.g.
Women's hostel (
Children's activities (
Men's shaving cream (
The second part of this lesson will be posted tomorrow. Don't forget to leave your comments &suggestions!
Take care
Jacob (Nova English Campus)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
EVERYDAY Vs EVERY DAY
Hi friends!
Although I try my best to post something on my blog every day, I fail to do so every now and then, caught up in some everyday busy activities. But I am very thankful to my blog visitors to bear with me, keep supporting me and encourage me to move on.
By the way, there is a twist in the tale. What I mean to say, if you are a careful reader who can feel the pulse of each nuance of standard written English, you might have noticed two 'everydays' in the previous introductory paragraph; one without space (everyday) and the other with a space(every day).
'EVERYDAY' is an adjective which means 'used, done or happening each passing day'.
e.g.
Everyday activities.
A small dictionary for everyday use.
The Internet has become part of everyday life.
In the examples given above, the word 'everyday' has been used as an adjective to modify such objects as 'activities', 'use' and 'life'. Also remember in this kind of use, 'everyday' is used usually before a noun (read the previous examples).
'EVERY DAY', on the other hand, is an adverb, meaning 'each day'.
e.g.
She goes to church every day.
It rains here almost every day.
He makes one or another mistake every day.
In these examples,'every day' is used as an adverb of time which modifies the verbs 'go', 'rain' and 'make'.
I think I made the concept as clear as possible. If you feel a bit confused, please read the explanation till you get the rules etched in your brain.
Thanks for your kind visit
&
Good night from Jack
(Nova English Campus)
Although I try my best to post something on my blog every day, I fail to do so every now and then, caught up in some everyday busy activities. But I am very thankful to my blog visitors to bear with me, keep supporting me and encourage me to move on.
By the way, there is a twist in the tale. What I mean to say, if you are a careful reader who can feel the pulse of each nuance of standard written English, you might have noticed two 'everydays' in the previous introductory paragraph; one without space (everyday) and the other with a space(every day).
'EVERYDAY' is an adjective which means 'used, done or happening each passing day'.
e.g.
Everyday activities.
A small dictionary for everyday use.
The Internet has become part of everyday life.
In the examples given above, the word 'everyday' has been used as an adjective to modify such objects as 'activities', 'use' and 'life'. Also remember in this kind of use, 'everyday' is used usually before a noun (read the previous examples).
'EVERY DAY', on the other hand, is an adverb, meaning 'each day'.
e.g.
She goes to church every day.
It rains here almost every day.
He makes one or another mistake every day.
In these examples,'every day' is used as an adverb of time which modifies the verbs 'go', 'rain' and 'make'.
I think I made the concept as clear as possible. If you feel a bit confused, please read the explanation till you get the rules etched in your brain.
Thanks for your kind visit
&
Good night from Jack
(Nova English Campus)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Flammable vs Inflammable
Hi Guys!
This morning, one of my close friends asked me the meaning of 'flammable'. I said 'easy to catch fire'. The answer slipped out coolly from my mouth. Pat came the next doubt of the buddy: 'what does 'inflammable' mean?' 'Man, these two words mean exactly the same', said I in a Mr know-all tone.
But the next question really was an ordeal for me, 'Why does 'inflammable' has a prefix 'in' while its twin brother 'flammable' doesn't have?'
My friend's doubt, however, caught me thinking, and I spent the next few hours thumbing through my collection of dictionaries and authoritative reference books, besides scrolling through various sites on my computer monitor. At last, I my effort bore fruit. And I would like to share the reason of this spelling disparity between 'flammable' and 'inflammable' with you guys:
'In-' normaly shows negative sense, as in indirect, inactive and insufficient. In fact, inflammable is formed using a different Latin prefix 'in-' which has the meaning 'into'. The aim of this addition is said to intensify the meaning! (crazy English, crazier English people!!)
However, to avoid confusion, today, most of the countries prefer to use 'flammable' in the sense of 'easy to catch fire' because many a times people (especially the uneducated working class) misunderstand 'inflammable' as 'fire-proof'!
Now the real dout is, why in India do we mostly see only the board 'inflammable' on fuel tankers, buildings and so on? Answer is simple: in our country (India) the more complex and lengthy the use of English is, the more impression one can generate. Who cares the disasterous consequences??
Good Night from Jack!
(Nova English Campus)
This morning, one of my close friends asked me the meaning of 'flammable'. I said 'easy to catch fire'. The answer slipped out coolly from my mouth. Pat came the next doubt of the buddy: 'what does 'inflammable' mean?' 'Man, these two words mean exactly the same', said I in a Mr know-all tone.
But the next question really was an ordeal for me, 'Why does 'inflammable' has a prefix 'in' while its twin brother 'flammable' doesn't have?'
My friend's doubt, however, caught me thinking, and I spent the next few hours thumbing through my collection of dictionaries and authoritative reference books, besides scrolling through various sites on my computer monitor. At last, I my effort bore fruit. And I would like to share the reason of this spelling disparity between 'flammable' and 'inflammable' with you guys:
'In-' normaly shows negative sense, as in indirect, inactive and insufficient. In fact, inflammable is formed using a different Latin prefix 'in-' which has the meaning 'into'. The aim of this addition is said to intensify the meaning! (crazy English, crazier English people!!)
However, to avoid confusion, today, most of the countries prefer to use 'flammable' in the sense of 'easy to catch fire' because many a times people (especially the uneducated working class) misunderstand 'inflammable' as 'fire-proof'!
Now the real dout is, why in India do we mostly see only the board 'inflammable' on fuel tankers, buildings and so on? Answer is simple: in our country (India) the more complex and lengthy the use of English is, the more impression one can generate. Who cares the disasterous consequences??
Good Night from Jack!
(Nova English Campus)
Friday, July 23, 2010
GENDER-NEUTRAL LANGUAGE
Hi Friends!
Today let's talk a little about 'gender-neutral language'!
In English, the gender-based grammatical constructions are fast fading away. for example, it is so common for English users the world over to use such sentences as 'EVERYONE should carry HIS own umbrella', 'NO ONE is allowed to park HIS car here' etc.
However, the eminent writers and educated speakers of English, especially in English speaking countries are slowly but steadily shifting towards a gender-neutral language. (e.g. now it is okay to say 'EVEYONE should carry THEIR own umbrella', 'NO ONE is allowed to park THEIR car here' etc).
Although a few users have used such modified sentences since the 1960s, they have been more frequently used today - mainly due to the rapid global growth of Feminist Movement.
So, you may now say,
'Has ANYBODY done THEIR work?' (modern English)
(though 'Has ANYBODY done HIS work?' is also correct)
'Everyone did THEIR work independently' (modern English)
(though 'Everyone did HIS work independently' is also correct)!
Happy learning!!!
Jacob (Nova English Campus)
Today let's talk a little about 'gender-neutral language'!
In English, the gender-based grammatical constructions are fast fading away. for example, it is so common for English users the world over to use such sentences as 'EVERYONE should carry HIS own umbrella', 'NO ONE is allowed to park HIS car here' etc.
However, the eminent writers and educated speakers of English, especially in English speaking countries are slowly but steadily shifting towards a gender-neutral language. (e.g. now it is okay to say 'EVEYONE should carry THEIR own umbrella', 'NO ONE is allowed to park THEIR car here' etc).
Although a few users have used such modified sentences since the 1960s, they have been more frequently used today - mainly due to the rapid global growth of Feminist Movement.
So, you may now say,
'Has ANYBODY done THEIR work?' (modern English)
(though 'Has ANYBODY done HIS work?' is also correct)
'Everyone did THEIR work independently' (modern English)
(though 'Everyone did HIS work independently' is also correct)!
Happy learning!!!
Jacob (Nova English Campus)
Thursday, July 22, 2010
KIND OF Vs KINDS OF
Hi Good Evening!
Many a times, my students have asked me when, where and how to use 'KIND' in the sense of 'type'. Most of them are often confused about whether to use 'this kind of questions...' , 'these kind of questions...' or 'these kinds of questions...'
Speaking of one kind, with 'this' or 'that', use a singular construction: 'this kind of mistake is not very serious'; 'That kind of dress doesn't suit you'.
On the other hand, while speaking of more than one kind, use a plural construction: 'these kinds of mistakes are not very serious'; 'those kinds of dresses don't suit you'.
More examples:
I love this kind of film.
I love these kinds of films.
Don't buy this kind of book.
Don't buy these kinds of books.
Although the 'ungrammatical these kind' has been used by many writers for many centuries, modern writers and grammarians prefer to avoid this usage.
NB Remember the same rule applies to 'SORT' too.
Jacob (Nova English Campus)
Many a times, my students have asked me when, where and how to use 'KIND' in the sense of 'type'. Most of them are often confused about whether to use 'this kind of questions...' , 'these kind of questions...' or 'these kinds of questions...'
Speaking of one kind, with 'this' or 'that', use a singular construction: 'this kind of mistake is not very serious'; 'That kind of dress doesn't suit you'.
On the other hand, while speaking of more than one kind, use a plural construction: 'these kinds of mistakes are not very serious'; 'those kinds of dresses don't suit you'.
More examples:
I love this kind of film.
I love these kinds of films.
Don't buy this kind of book.
Don't buy these kinds of books.
Although the 'ungrammatical these kind' has been used by many writers for many centuries, modern writers and grammarians prefer to avoid this usage.
NB Remember the same rule applies to 'SORT' too.
Jacob (Nova English Campus)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
HISTORIC Vs HISTORICAL
Good Evening Friends!
Many speakers of English, especially the non-native ones, are often unaware of the correct use of these two words: HISTORIC and HISTORICAL. These words must be used in slightly different ways. While 'history' means 'something famous or important in history', 'historical' means 'related to history or historical event'.
Examples:
It was a historic victory for the team. (important)
The Red Fort is a historic monument. (important & famous)
There are many historic buildings in Amritsar. (important & famous)
August 15, 1947 is a historic day in the history of India. (important)
Queen Elizabeth's historic visit to India. (important)
NB In the examples given above, 'historic' must not be replaced with 'historical'
BUT
The names of the prime ministers in historical order.
What is the historical background to Jallianwala Bagh?
I searched many historical documents during my research.
According to historical records,.......
Was Robin Hood a historical figure?
In short, HISTORIC is usually used to describe something so important that it is likely to be remembered for long. And HISTORICAL usually describes something that is connected with the study of history.
Many speakers of English, especially the non-native ones, are often unaware of the correct use of these two words: HISTORIC and HISTORICAL. These words must be used in slightly different ways. While 'history' means 'something famous or important in history', 'historical' means 'related to history or historical event'.
Examples:
It was a historic victory for the team. (important)
The Red Fort is a historic monument. (important & famous)
There are many historic buildings in Amritsar. (important & famous)
August 15, 1947 is a historic day in the history of India. (important)
Queen Elizabeth's historic visit to India. (important)
NB In the examples given above, 'historic' must not be replaced with 'historical'
BUT
The names of the prime ministers in historical order.
What is the historical background to Jallianwala Bagh?
I searched many historical documents during my research.
According to historical records,.......
Was Robin Hood a historical figure?
In short, HISTORIC is usually used to describe something so important that it is likely to be remembered for long. And HISTORICAL usually describes something that is connected with the study of history.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
DON'T MISPRONOUNCE THESE WORDS!
Good Evening guys!
My holidays are over! Now, back to biz. It was a refreshingly fantastic time I had in Kerala, my birth place. The mesmerizing backwaters, captivating greenery, pristine mountain mist, incessant rain..... Wow! I miss them all!!!!
Anyway, let's get down to biz. Let's get blogging!!! To start with, let me try to help you out with a few common English words mispronounced by Indian speakers of English. Never forget to leave your comments which in turn will keep me in high spirits. Read on..........
BRITAIN = The correct pronunciation of this word is /brit.n/ . But in India, especially in north Indian states, this word is wrongly pronounced as /britein/. That is, the second syllable 'tain' is unnecessarily stressed and lenghthened as in 'maintain'(/meintain/). Of course in the word 'maintain', the 'tain' part must be pronounced with a long stress, but not in 'Britain'. To make it simple, the 'tain' in 'Britain' should be pronounced in the same way it is pronounced in 'certain'.
Here are some more mispronounced words in India:
(Please consult a standard dictionary or pronunciation software to listen to the right pronunciation!)
MOUNTAIN
FOUNTAIN
CHIEFTAIN
CURTAIN.....
.....contd.
My holidays are over! Now, back to biz. It was a refreshingly fantastic time I had in Kerala, my birth place. The mesmerizing backwaters, captivating greenery, pristine mountain mist, incessant rain..... Wow! I miss them all!!!!
Anyway, let's get down to biz. Let's get blogging!!! To start with, let me try to help you out with a few common English words mispronounced by Indian speakers of English. Never forget to leave your comments which in turn will keep me in high spirits. Read on..........
BRITAIN = The correct pronunciation of this word is /brit.n/ . But in India, especially in north Indian states, this word is wrongly pronounced as /britein/. That is, the second syllable 'tain' is unnecessarily stressed and lenghthened as in 'maintain'(/meintain/). Of course in the word 'maintain', the 'tain' part must be pronounced with a long stress, but not in 'Britain'. To make it simple, the 'tain' in 'Britain' should be pronounced in the same way it is pronounced in 'certain'.
Here are some more mispronounced words in India:
(Please consult a standard dictionary or pronunciation software to listen to the right pronunciation!)
MOUNTAIN
FOUNTAIN
CHIEFTAIN
CURTAIN.....
.....contd.
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