Hasil MID 2010

Produk Desa Kualitas Kota

Sebagai mahluk individu dan sekaligus sebagai mahluk sosial, rasanya sangat naif sekali kalau tidak bisa membantu satu sama lain, mungkin bukan dengan memberikan materi tetapi paling tidak ada usaha menuju kearah itu. Melalui coretan ini saya sangat berbesar hati apabila ada pembaca yang mau ikut membantu ekonomi mereka dengan membeli produk berupa kain tenun hasil karya mereka, bisa dipesan dan tulis nama pada kain tersebut। Produk ini tidak hanya untuk sarung saja tetapi juga sejenis selendang, taplak, dll. Harganya variatif dan terjangkau. Sebagian keuntungan yang mereka peroleh ada yang menyisihkan untuk anak-anak yang mengikuti kursus gratis di Pengabdian masyarakat yang saya bina, itupun untuk fotokopi bahan Les.

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Materi Speaking I

Tugas Listening III

contact me for the record and do not forget to bring your flash.....!

Text Completion
Man: Hi, Sis. I just came over to drop off the DVDs you wanted, and . . . Hey, wow!? Where did you get all of this (1) .................?
Woman: I bought it. So, what do you think of my new entertainment center? And the widescreen screen TV . . .
Man: Bought it?
Woman: . . . and my new DVD player. Here, let me show you my stereo. You can really rock the house with this one.
Man: But where did you get the (2) .................. to buy all this? You didn't borrow money from mom and dad again, did you?
Woman: Of course not. I got it with this!
Man: This? Let me see that . . . Have you been using Dad's credit card again?
Woman: No, silly. It's mine. It's student credit card.
Man: A student credit card? How in the world did you get one of these?
Woman: I got an (3) .................... in the mail.
Man: Well, why did you get one in the first place?
Woman: Listen. Times are changing, and having a credit card helps you build a credit rating, control (4) .................., and even buy things that you can't pay with cash . . . like the plane ticket I got recently.
Man: What plane ticket?
Woman: Oh yeah, my roommate and I are going to Hawaii over the school (5) ................., and course, I needed some new clothes for that so . . .
Man: I don't want to hear it. How does having a student credit card control spending? It sounds you've spent yourself in a hole. Anyway, student credit cards just lead to (6) ....................spending . . . as I can see here. And the interest rates of student credit cards are usually sky high, and if you miss a (7) ....................., the rates, well, just jump!
Woman: Ah. The credit card has a credit (8) ............ . . .
Man: . . . of $20,000?
Woman: No, no quite that high. Anyway, . . .
Man: I've heard enough.
Woman: Did I tell you we now get digital cable with over 100 channels? Oh, and here's your birthday present. A new MP3 player . . .
Man: Yeah. Oh, don't tell me. Charged on the credit card. Listen. Hey, I don't think having a student credit card is a bad idea, but this is (9) ................ And how in the world are you going to pay your credit card bill?
Woman: Um, with my birthday money? It's coming up in a week.
Man: Hey, let's sit down and talk about how you're going to pay things back, and maybe we can come up with a (10).................. that will help you get out of this mess. That's the least I can do.


Answer these questions
1. According to the conversation, which item did the woman NOT purchase with her credit card?
A. a digital camera
B. a TV
C. a stereo
2. What is one reason to explain why the woman obtained a student credit card?
A. She wants to buy things at a discount using the card.
B. She hopes to establish a good credit rating.
C. She doesn't want to borrow from her parents.
3. According to the man, what is one reason for NOT having a credit card?
A. People generally have a difficult time getting out of debt.
B. Students often apply for more credit cards than they need.
C. The interest rates on student cards are very high.
4. What does the woman imply about how she plans on resolving her credit card problems?
A. She hopes that someone will give her the money.
B. She plans on getting rid of her student credit cards.
C. She is going to return the items she purchased on the card.
5. What is the man going to do for the woman to help her manage her money?
A. help her find a better paying job to cover her expenses
B. teach her how to prepare a financial management plan
C. show her how she can apply for low-interest student credit cards

Tugas Listening I

Listening Activity: do the task carefully by listening to the record, you may download it if you cannot find the record, will you please see me.

Text Completion
Hotel Clerk: Hello. Sunnyside Inn. May I help you?
Man: Yes, I'd like to (1)................. a room for two on the 21st of March.
Hotel Clerk: Okay. Let me check our (2) ................. here for a moment. The 21st of May, right?
Man: No. March, not May.
Hotel Clerk: Oh, sorry. Let me see here. Hmmm.
Man: Are you all booked that (3) ..................?
Hotel Clerk: Well, we have one (4) .................. available, complete with a kitchenette and sauna bath. And the view of the city is great, too.
Man: How much is that?
Hotel Clerk: It's only $200 dollars, plus a 10% room (5) ...............
Man: Oh, that's a little too expensive for me. Do you have a (6)........... room available either on the 20th or the 22nd?
Hotel Clerk: Well, would you like a smoking or non-smoking room?
Man: Non-smoking, please.
Hotel Clerk: Okay, we do have a few rooms available on the 20th; we're full on the 22nd, (7) .................. you want a smoking room.
Man: Well, how much is the non-smoking room on the 20th?
Hotel Clerk: $80 dollars, plus the 10% room tax.
Man: Okay, that'll be (8) ..................
Hotel Clerk: All right. Could I have your name, please?
Man: Yes. Bob Maexner.
Hotel Clerk: How do you (9)............ your last name, Mr. Maexner?
Man: M-A-E-X-N-E-R.
Hotel Clerk: Okay, Mr. Maexner, we look (10) ............. to seeing you on March 20th.
Man: Okay. Goodbye.

Answer these questions:
1. The man makes a reservation finally for which day?
A. March 20th
B. March 21st
C. March 22nd
2. What kind of room does the man prefer?
A. a non-smoking room
B. a smoking room
C. either one is okay
3. Why doesn't he want to reserve the suite?
A. It doesn't have a nice view.
B. It doesn't come with a sauna bath.
C. It's too expensive.
4. Including tax, how much is the man's room?
A. 80 dollars
B. 88 dollars
C. 96 dollars
5. How do you spell the man's name?
A. Maxner
B. Maexner
C. Mexner

Semantic

http://tata-bahasa.110mb.com/Semantik.htm

Semantik

Semantik ( semainen, Yunani = berarti, bermaksud) adalah bagian dari tatabahasa yang meneliti makna dalam bahasa tertentu, mencari asal mula dan perkembangan dari arti suatu kata. Dalam semantik hanya dibicarakan tentang makna kata dan perkembangan makna kata.

1. Makna Kata

Arti atau makna adalah hubungan antara tanda berupa lambing bunyi-ujaran dengan hal atau barang yang dimaksudkan.

A. Macam-Macam Arti

Bermacam-macam lembang bunyi ujaran dari gejala-gejala sekitar kita biasanya dikumpulkan delam sebuah buku, dengan diberi penjelasan-penjelasan mengenai hubungan antara bentuk dan gejala-gejala tersebut. Buku-buku semacam ini desebut kamus atau leksikon. Oleh karena itu arti dari kata yang sesuai dngan apa yang kita jumpai dalam leksikon disebut arti leksikal. Dalam kalimat dapat terjadi pergeseran arti leksikal; dapat sedikit saja bergeser, tetapi dapat juga terjadi bahwa arti itu dapat menyimpang jauh dari arti leksikal tadi. Untuk mengetahui arti yang tepat kita harus meneliti hubungannya dalam kalimat, atau dengan kata lain harus meneliti hubungannya dalam struktur bahasa. Arti yang diperoleh dengan cara demikian disebut arti struktural.

Satu lambang bunyi atau simbol bunyi dengan demikian dapat mengandung bermacam-macam arti, baik arti leksikal maupun arti struktural. Karena arti struktural itu dapat bergeser banyak atau sedikit daru artu leksikal, maka ada kemungkinan sebuah kata dalam sejarah pemakaiannya akam mempunyai banak arti. Suatu kata yang memiliki makna lebih dari satu disebut polisemi.

B. Homonim dan Sinonim

Arti leksikal dari kata makan, adalah ‘memasukkan sesuatu je dalam mulut, kemudian mengunyah dan menelannya'. Tetapi arti ini dapat bergeser berdasarkan lingkungan dan situasinya. Ia makan tangan , tidak berarti memasukkan tangan ke dalam mulut, mengunyah lalu menelannya. Arti makan tangan dalam hubungan di atas adalah ‘kena tinju' atau ‘beruntung besar'. Makan suap artinya ‘menerima sogok'; makan garam artinya ‘sudah berpengalaman', dan lain-lain. Baca selanjutnya...

C. Perubahan Makna

Dalam pertumbuhan bahasa, makna suatu kata dapat pula mengalami perubahan. Perubahan makna itu dapat dilihat dari bermacam-macam sudut. Baca selanjutnya...
D. Nilai Rasa

Di samping makna kata, suatu bentuk dapat mengandung suatu nilai rasa tertentu. Di samping arti dasar tiga belas yaitu bilangan bulat sesudah dua belas, orang akan merasakan nilai rasa kesialan , kecelakaan, dan lain-lain. Makna kata cerewet ialah banyak bicara tidak pada tempatnya, tidak bisa menahan mulut; tetapi di samping itu menimbulkan nilai rasa ‘menjengkelkan' dan ‘rasa bosan' pada kita. Kata bodoh dan tolol mempunyai makna sama, namun kata tolol memberikan suatu nilai yang lain yaitu ‘penghinaan'.

Nilai rasa itu tergantung dari tiap masyarakat bahasa yang bersangkutan. Mungkin suatu kata yang sama akan menimbulkan nilai rasa yang berlainan pada dua masyarakat bahasa yang berbeda. Nilai rasa itu juga bergantung kepada jaman. Dahulu kata perempuan memberi nilai rasa baik, tetapi sekarang nilai rasanya sudah tidak baik lagi.

2. Perubahan Bentuk Kata

Perubahan bentuk kata dapat kita bedakan atas 1) perubahan dari bentuk kata-kata dairi pebendaharaan kata-kata asli suatu bahasa karena pertumbuhan dalam bahasa itu sendiri, 2) perubahan dari kata-kata pinjaman. Baca selanjutnya...

NIlai KAS Bahasa Inggris II

May what are attached in this blog would satisfy you all. complain may contact me via HP:08175777160, thanks

Causative

Causative Verbs

Causative Verbs

Causative verbs (e.g. have, get, make, force, let, allow, permit, help, cause, enable, require, etc.) digunakan untuk mengekspresikan bahwa subject kalimat menyebabkan object kalimat melakukan suatu action (bentuk active) atau menyebabkan object kalimat dikenai suatu action (bentuk passive). Dalam bentuk active, action dilakukan oleh object kalimat,

The teacher forced us to study hard.

Di kalimat ini, action “study hard” dilakukan oleh “us“, dan terjadinya action tersebut disebabkan oleh “the teacher“.

Dalam bentuk passive, action pada umumnya tidak dilakukan oleh subject kalimat, walaupun kadang-kadang action tersebut juga bisa dilakukan oleh subject kalimat. Bentuk passive tidak menonjolkan siapa pelaku dari action tersebut, melainkan lebih menonjolkan pada terjadinya suatu action.

I had my room cleaned.

Di contoh ini, action “cleaning my room” tidak dijelaskan walaupun sebenarnya itu dikerjakan oleh my sister (saya tahu karena saya yang menulis kalimatnya ). Sebaliknya, kalau saya mau mengespresikan siapa pelakunya, maka kalimatnya menjadi,

I had my sister clean my room.

Kenapa pada contoh 1 digunakan infinitve “to study“, di contoh 2 digunakan verb3 “cleaned“, dan di contoh 3 digunakan simple verb (verb1) “clean“?

Well, kita tidak usah usah mencari tahu alasannya, nanti tambah ribet. Yang perlu diperhatikan adalah causative verbs yang mana yang mengikuti pola-pola berikut ini,

Bentuk active:

1	Subject + causative verb + object + verb1 + …
2	Subject + causative verb + object + infinitive + …

Bentuk passive:

3	Subject + causative verb + object + verb3 + …

NOTE:

• Causative verbs bisa dalam sembarang tensis, tergantung pada konteks yang ingin diekspresikan.
• Verb1 adalah verb dasar (simple form verb), yaitu verb yang tidak diimbuhi e/es, atau -ing, misalnya: clean, buy, study, etc.
• Infinitive adalah to + verb1, misalnya: to clean, to buy, to study, etc.
• Verb3 adalah past participle, misalnya: cleaned, bought, studied, etc.

e. Hanya 4 dari causative verbs di atas yang bentuk active-nya menggunakan pola 2. Do you know which ones?

A. HAVE vs GET

Sebagai causative verb, have dan get bermakna sama (= menyuruh/membuat), tetapi pola penggunaannya berbeda. Dalam bentuk active, have mengikuti pola 1, sedangkan get mengikuti pola 2. Bentuk passive-nya sama-sama mengikuti pola 3.

Contoh:

• Andi has had his brother buy a pack of cigarettes. (Andi telah menyuruh/membuat adiknya membeli sebungkus rokok).
• Andi has got his brother to buy a pack of cigarettes.

• I will have my friend do my homework. (Aku akan menyuruh temanku mengerjakan PRku)
• I will get my friend to do my homework.

• Andi has had a pack of cigarettes bought. (Sebungkus rokok telah dibeli oleh seseorang. Andi menyuruh orang itu).
• Andi has got a pack of cigarettes bought.

• I will have my homework done .
  
• I will get my homework done.

B. MAKE vs FORCE

Sebagai causative verb, make maknanya lebih kuat dibandingkan dengan have dan get. Dalam hal ini, makna make sama dengan force (= memaksa). Make dan force hanya memiliki bentuk active, so pola 3 tidak digunakan. Make mengikuti pola 1, sedangkan force mengikuti pola 2.

Contoh:

• The robbers made the bank clerk open the safe box. (Perampok-perampok itu memaksa pegawai bank itu membuka kotak uang).
• The robbers forced the bank clerk to open the safe box.

• Sometimes it’s hard for parents to make their children study regularly. (Kadang-kadang sulit bagi para orang tua untuk memaksa anaknya belajar secara reguler).
  
• Sometimes it’s hard for parents to force their children to study regularly.

C. LET vs ALLOW/PERMIT

Let = allow = permit = mengijinkan; Let mengikuti pola 1 sedangkan allow dan permit mengikuti pola 2.

• My sister does not let me enter her room. (Kakakku tidak mengijinkan aku masuk kamarnya)
• My sister does not allow me to enter her room.
• My sister does not permit me to enter her room.

• Because of the earthquake, the teacher let the students leave class earlier.
• Because of the earthquake, the teacher allowed the students to leave class earlier.
• Because of the earthquake, the teacher permitted the students to leave class earlier. (Karena (terjadi) gempa, guru itu mengijinkan murid-murid pulang lebih awal).

D. HELP vs ASSIST/AID

Help = assist = aid = membantu. Help dapat mengikuti pola 1 dan 2, sedangkan assist dan aid hanya mengikuti pola 2.

Contoh:

• He will help me do my job.
  
• He will help me to do my job.
• He will assist me to do my job.
• He will aid me to do my job. (Dia akan membantuku mengerjakan pekerjaanku).
  

E. CAUSE, ENABLE, REQUIRE

Penggunaan cause (menyebabkan), enable (memungkinkan), keep (menjaga/ mempertahankan), hold (menahan), require (mempersyaratkan/ membutuhkan), ect. mengikuti pola 2.

Contoh:

• The badly manufactured LPG tanks have caused many of them to explode. (Tabung-tabung gas LPG yang dibuat dengan jelek telah menyebabkan banyak dari tabung-tabung ityu meledak).
  
• A high English proficiency will enable us to study abroad. (Kemampuan bahasa Inggris yang tinggi akan memungkinkan kita belajar di luar negeri).
  
• Most Canadian universities require student candidates to have a TOEFL score of at least 550. (Kebanyakan universitas di Canada mempersyaratkan calon-calon mahasiswa memiliki score TOEFL minimal 550).

So, causatives tidak begitu rumit, bukan? Ya, karena hanya have, make, let yang harus diikuti oleh verb1, sedangkan verb lainnya diikuti oleh infinitive. Khusus untuk help seharusnya tidak akan error karena verb yang mengikutinya adalah optional (bisa verb1, bisa juga infinitive).

Nilai Semeter Genap ABA 2010

Nilai KAS D3 TKJ_2010

Berikut hasil ujian akhir KAS Mahasiswa/i D3 TKJ STMIK Bumigora Mataram Tahun 2010. Bila ada komplain, mohon dengan segera hubungi Abdul Muhid Hp:08175777160

English for You

Using Wish in English

Using Wish in English : Grammar & Spelling Tips

Wish + Infinitive

• I wish to see the manager.

This is like 'I would like to see the manager', but is more insistent and stronger, though still polite.

Wish + Noun / Pronoun + Past Simple

• I wish I had the time to do it.

This means either that I don't have the time now or that I won't have the time in the future to do it, depending on context:

• I wish I were/was rich.

Here, the speaker regrets that they are not rich now. Note that with the verb 'be', you can either use the past simple or the past subjunctive.

• I wish I were/was able to go to the meeting next week.

Here, the speaker is clearly talking about the future.

Wish + Noun / Pronoun + Past Perfect

• I wish I hadn't said that.

Here, the speaker is talking about the past. They said something and now they regret it.

Wish + Noun / Pronoun + Would/Could

• I wish I could speak German.

Here, the speaker cannot speak German, but it is possible to learn it, so it is not as impossible as the sentences above. It is imaginary, but wouldn't be impossible to change the situation. If the subject of the verb wish and the verb after it are the same, we use could.

• I wish he wouldn't play his music so late at night.

Again, the situation is imaginary, but it would be possible for the other person to turn their music down. As the two subjects are different, we use would. It is possible to use could when talking about someone not having the opportunity or ability: I wish he could come with us.

A) We use rather as an adverb of degree:

Modifying an adjective:

• The film was rather good.


Modifying an adverb:

• It happened rather quickly.


Notes:

1. It is stronger than fairly, but not as strong as very.

2. It can modify a noun, often coming before the article:

3. It's rather a problem.

4. It can modify some verbs: I rather like it.

B) To express preference

Rather than:

Rather than is normally used to compare parallel structures:

• Let's take the train rather than the bus.

• Rather you than me!

• I decided to write rather than email.

Would rather:

Would rather + infinitive without 'to':


• I'd rather leave now.

Would rather + pronoun + past tense:


• I'd rather he came early.

All and Whole

All and Whole often have the same meaning, but they are used differently.

With the definite article:

All comes before the definite article: All the time

Whole comes after the definite article: The whole time

With a possessive adjective:

All comes before a possessive adjective: All my life

Whole comes after a possessive adjective: My whole life

With a singular noun:

Whole can only be used after a definite article: The whole country (not 'Whole country')

With Plural Nouns:

They have different meanings:

All exams were affected. = Every exam was affected.

Whole exams were affected. = This doesn't mean that every exam was affected, but that some were affected completely.

With uncountable nouns:

We generally use all. We can say 'the whole of the' before an uncountable noun.

Adjectives that look like Adverbs

Here is a list of adjectives that end in -ly and sometimes get mistaken for adverbs:

• Beastly
• Brotherly
• Comely
• Costly
• Cowardly
• Daily (Can also be an adverb)
• Deadly
• Elderly
• Fatherly
• Fortnightly (Can also be an adverb)
• Friendly
• Gentlemanly
• Gentlewomanly
• Ghastly
• Ghostly
• Godly
• Goodly
• Holy
• Homely
• Humanly
• Kingly
• Leisurely
• Likely
• Lively
• Lonely
• Lovely
• Lowly
• Maidenly
• Manly
• Masterly
• Matronly
• Miserly
• Monthly (Can also be an adverb)
• Motherly
• Nightly
• Painterly
• Priestly
• Princely
• Saintly
• Scholarly
• Shapely
• Silly
• Sisterly
• Timely
• Ugly
• Ungainly
• Unruly
• Unsightly
• Unseemly
• Unworldly
• Weekly (Can also be an adverb)
• Womanly
• Worldly
• Yearly (Can also be an adverb)

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound the same when pronounced, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Example: Loose and lose

Many people make this mistake. They inevitably interchange the words loose and lose while writing.

Lose means to suffer a loss or defeat.

Thus, you would write:

Correct: I don't want to lose you.

Wrong: I don't want to loose you.

Loose means NOT FIRM or NOT FITTING.

In this context, you would write,

Correct: My shirt is loose.

Wrong: My shirt is lose.

Here are many more homonyms which you have to know to write distinctively. Cache :

Hidden storage, as in: Lost in the woods, we were happy to find a cache of food belonging to some hunters.

Cash :

Money paid at the time of purchase, as in: Will this be cash or charge?

Calendar :

Device for showing divisions of time, as in: Mark this date on your calendar.

Colander :

Strainer, as in: Use the colander to drain the noodles.

Callous :

Unfeeling, as in: Drinking and driving shows a callous disregard for life.

Callus :

Hard, thickened skin, as in: I have a callus on my finger from holding the pencil.

Canvas :

Durable cloth made from cotton, linen, or hemp, as in: This fine painting is oil on canvas.

Canvass :

Go around asking, as in: Canvass the neighborhood to see if anyone saw the suspect.

Capital :

(1) City where the seat of government of a state or country is located, as in: Washington, D. C. is the capital of the United States of America.

(2) Upper case letter, as in: Writing in all capitals on the Internet is considered shouting, and is rude.

Capitol :

Building in which the US Congress meets, as in: When I visited Washington, DC, I toured the Capitol.

Carton :

Lightweight container or box, as in: Please send me one carton of printer cartridges.

Cartoon :

Drawing, often humorous, as in: Dilbert is a popular cartoon character.

Casual :

Informal, as in: For a picnic in the park, it's best to wear casual clothes.

Causal :

Relating to a cause, as in: The causal forces behind many diseases have not been discovered yet.

Cease :

Stop, as in: If someone violates your copyright, send them a Cease and Desist letter immediately.

Seize :

Grab, as in: The guerillas tried to seize control of the town.

Siege :

Prolonged period of trouble or annoyance, as in: Our family has had a siege of bad colds this year.

Cede :

Yield, as in: At the war's end, the loser had to cede the disputed territory to the winner.

Seed :

Beginning of a new plant, as in: The seed of an avocado can be planted in soil or water.

Ceiling :

Upper limit of a room, as in: A light-colored ceiling makes a room seem brighter.

Sealing :

Closing airtight, as in: Sealing the containers is important to keep the contents fresh.

Cell :

Small room, as in: She will spend two months in a prison cell for her mistake.

Sell :

Offer for sale, as in: I will sell you my car.

Cellar :

Underground room, as in : In our house, the cellar was always damp.

Seller :

One who offers for sale, as in: Amazon.com is a seller of books.

Census :

Population count, as in: The last census showed an increase in single-parent families.

Senses :

Sound mental faculties, as in: Don't call me until you have come to your senses.

Cent :

One-hundredth of a monetary unit, as in: In the US, a penny is worth one cent.

Scent :

Odor, as in: The detective smelled the scent of almonds-could it be cyanide poisoning?

Sent :

Past tense of send, as in: I sent you Email yesterday.

Cents :

Plural of cent, as in: His opinion is only worth two cents.

Sense :

Method of perception, as in: Ears provide us with the sense of hearing.

Cereal :

Breakfast food prepared from grain, as in: My favorite cereal is Grape-Nuts; what's yours?

Serial :

Arranged in a series, as in: I hope they catch that serial killer soon.

Cession :

Act of ceding (surrendering) to another, as in: The treaty included cession of all captured territories.

Session :

Meeting or term, as in: I will take two classes during the summer session.

Chews :

Grinds with teeth, as in: She chews her food carefully.

Choose :

Select, as in: There are many good programs to choose from.

Chose :

Past tense of choose, as in: My son chose a university near home.

Chic :

Stylishness and elegance: "Paris is the city for timeless bargain chic, in almost any category."

Chick :

Small chicken or bird: A chick pecks its way out of the egg.

Chord :

A combination of musical tones played simultaneously, as in: His symphony is entitled The Lost Chord.

Cord :

Small rope, as in: Please pull the silver cord to summon the maid.

Chute :

Slanted shaft from a higher level to a lower one, as in: The gravel came rumbling down the chute.

Shoot :

To discharge a weapon, as in: Don't shoot! I'm unarmed.

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound the same when pronounced, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Example: Loose and lose

Many people make this mistake. They inevitably interchange the words loose and lose while writing.

Lose means to suffer a loss or defeat.

Thus, you would write:

Correct: I don't want to lose you.

Wrong: I don't want to loose you.

Loose means NOT FIRM or NOT FITTING.

In this context, you would write,

Correct: My shirt is loose.

Wrong: My shirt is lose.

Here are many more homonyms which you have to know to write distinctively.

Bail :

Security given for release from jail, as in: The bail was set at $100,000.00

Bale :

A large bundle, as in: The hay was collected together and compressed into a bale.

Bare :

Exposed to view, as in: The bare branches of the trees made lacy patterns against the winter sky.

Bear :

(1) Carry or transport, as in: I bear a gift for you.

(2) Tolerate, stand or endure, as in: I can't bear to hear another word.

(3) A large mammal, as in: At the zoo we saw a bear.

Base :

The bottom part which supports that above it, as in: We camped overnight at the base of the mountain.

Bass :

Deep or low in sound, as in: You sing the high notes, and I'll sing the bass.

Bases :

(1) Plural of base, as in: The Army is closing down its bases in that country.

(2) Plural of basis, as in: The bases of all his theories were flawed.

Basis :

Fundamental principal, as in: Your accusation has no basis in fact.

Bazaar :

Marketplace, as in: The charity held a fund-raising bazaar.

Bizarre :

Very odd, as in: Her outfit was too bizarre for the workplace.

Beat :

(1) Strike repeatedly, as in: Percussion bands beat their drums at an unbelievable tempo.

(2) Defeat, as in: Your team will never beat the champions.

Beet :

Root vegetable, as in: The common red beet can be cooked and eaten.

Berry :

Small, pulpy fruit with many seeds, as in: I love berry pie.

Bury :

Put in the ground and cover, as in: If we bury the treasure no one will find it.

Berth :

A resting place, as in: When we go on the train, which berth do you want, upper or lower?

Birth :

Being born, as in: The birth of our first child was a happy occasion.

Beside :

By the side of, as in: Sit down beside the fire and get warm.

Besides :

Moreover or else, as in: I'm not hungry; besides, I'm allergic to nuts.

Among :

In the midst of three or more, as in: The four older children decided among themselves to surprise Mother and Father with breakfast in bed.

Between :

In the midst of two, as in: The two younger ones decided between themselves to clean the kitchen.

Autobiography :

One’s own life story, as in: I am writing my autobiography.

Bibliography :

list of books about a subject, as in: Please include a bibliography with your research report.

Biography :

a person's life story, as in: She is writing a biography of Marie Sklodowska Curie, the chemist and physicist who with her husband discovered radium in 1898.

Billed :

Sent a statement of money owed, as in: Would you like to pay cash now or be billed?

Build :

Construct or assemble, as in: You can build good credit by paying bills on time.

Blew :

Sent forth a current of air, as in: The wind blew across the desert.

Blue :

A color, as in: The editor marked corrections with a blue pencil.

Bloc :

Group with a shared purpose, as in: The measure was opposed by the farm bloc.

Block :

(1) A chunk, as in: He is going to carve an animal from that block of wood.

(2) Hinder, as in: The police lined up their cars to block the bankrobbers' escape.

Board :

(1) Piece of wood, as in : The diver hit his head on the board.

(2) Council, as in: I'll make your suggestion to the board of trustees.

Bored :

Tired of the monotony, as in: After ten speeches, I got bored because every speaker said the same thing.

Boarder :

A lodger who receives meals regularly at a fixed price, as in: To earn extra money, we took in a boarder.

Border :

Boundary, as in: Be sure to have your passport when you cross the border.

Bolder :

More daring, as in: If you want to be noticed, perhaps you need to be a little bolder.

Boulder :

A large rock, as in: The road was blocked by a boulder.

Born :

Brought into existence, as in: A new nation was born from the ashes of the old one.

Borne :

(1) Carried, as in: All their belongings were borne on their shoulders.

(2) Tolerated, as in: Any more outbursts like that simply will not be borne.

Boy :

Male child, as in: Is your new baby a boy or a girl?

Buoy :

A floating marker in the water, as in: When they saw the buoy, they knew they were entering the channel.

Brake :

Device that helps you stop, as in: When the driver saw the cow in the road, he hit the brake.

Break :

Rupture, fracture, or crack, as in: Don't play ball in the house, because you'll break something.

Bread :

Food made of grain, as in: I love to eat homemade soup and fresh bread.

Bred :

Past tense of breed, as in: Some dogs are bred for strength, some for intelligence.

Breadth :

Width or broadness, as in: The breadth of his knowledge of world history surprised everyone.

Breath :

Respiration, as in: Hold your breath while I take the X-ray.

Breathe :

Inhale and exhale, as in: Breathe in that fresh air!

Bridal :

Having to do with a marriage ceremony, as in: The bridal bouquet was made of daisies and wildflowers.

Bridle :

(1) Having to do with horseback riding, as in: The bridle path was crowded this morning with weekend riders.

(2) Restrain or control, as in: I wish I could learn to bridle my tongue.

Broach :

Introduce, as in: While the boss was in a good mood, I decided to broach the subject of a raise.

Brooch :

Ornamental pin, as in: She wore a beautiful diamond brooch.

Bouillon :

Clear soup with a strong flavor, as in: For the first course I'll have beef bouillon.

Bullion :

Precious metals, formed into bars, as in: The coach was loaded with hundreds of bars of gold bullion.

Buy :

Purchase, as in: More and more customers are willing to buy goods from an online storefront.

By :

Through the action of, as in: This Web page designed by P. Sato Design.

Bye :

Short form of goodbye, as in: Bye for now.

Homonyms

Homonyms are words that sound the same when pronounced, but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Example: Loose and lose

Many people make this mistake. They inevitably interchange the words loose and lose while writing.

Lose means to suffer a loss or defeat.

Thus, you would write:

Correct: I don't want to lose you.

Wrong: I don't want to loose you.

Loose means NOT FIRM or NOT FITTING.

In this context, you would write,

Correct: My shirt is loose.

Wrong: My shirt is lose.

Here are many more homonyms which you have to know to write distinctively.

A lot :

Many, as in: A lot of people are doing business online today.

Much, as in: Some people worry a lot about their health.

Alot :

Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot! It should be two words: a lot, if you mean many or much, or allot, if you mean distribute.

Allot :

Give out or distribute, as in: We will allot the prizes by date of contest entry.

A while :

A period of time, as in: I haven't seen her in a while.

Awhile :

For a short time, as in: Let's stay awhile and talk.

Accede :

(1) Give in to, as in: We accede to your demands.

(2) take a position of authority, as in: When did the King accede to the throne?

Exceed :

To go past a stated amount, as in: It is illegal to exceed the speed limit.

Accent :

(1) Way of speaking characteristic of a particular region or group, as in I speak with a U. S. American accent.

(2) emphasize one part of something, as in: Accent your good points.

Ascent :

Upward movement, as in: We watched the ascent of the balloon as long as we could.

Assent :

To agree, as in: I doubt he will assent to the arrangement.

Accept :

To agree to take, as in: I accept the terms of your offer.

Except :

Excluding, as in: I knew all the answers on the test, except the last one.

Access :

Permission to go in or to approach, as in: No one has access to my private files but me.

Accessible :

Capable of being approached, as in: The back door is accessible from this path.

Assess :

Evaluate, as in: When the flood waters go down, we can assess the damage.

Assessable :

Capable of being evaluated, as in: After the zoning law is changed our property will be assessable.

Excess :

More than enough, as in: We gave our excess fruit to our neighbors.

Ad :

Short for advertisement, as in: I placed an ad in the paper.

Add :

To join or to combine, as in: Please add my site to your bookmark list.

Adapt :

To change to fit, as in: Newcomers quickly adapt to the culture of the Internet.

Adept :

Expert, as in: She was adept at using graphics to illustrate complex ideas.

Adopt :

To take as one's own, as in: Would it be better to make our own rules, or adopt theirs?

Addenda :

Something added, as in: That problem is covered in the addenda to the software manual.

Agenda :

List of things to do, as in: What is the agenda for the meeting tomorrow?

Addition :

Something added, as in: We toured the addition to the hospital yesterday.

Edition :

Published version, as in: Read the latest edition of the Tax Tips and Tactics newsletter.

Adherence :

Firm attachment, as in: She demonstrates a strict adherence to the rules.

Adherents :

Advocates or supporters, as in: Many people in that country are adherents of the concept of free speech.

Adverse :

Hostile, as in: The adverse weather conditions forced them to turn back.

Averse :

Reluctant, as in: I am not averse to hearing your suggestions.

Advice :

Guidance or counsel, as in: Your sound advice saved me from a terrible mistake.

Advise :

To counsel, recommend, or inform, as in: I advise you to validate the code on your Web page before you release it to the general public.

Affect :

To act upon or influence, as in: Strong emotions can affect your health.

Effect :

(1, a noun) immediate or direct result, as in: What effect does that medicine have on you?

(2, a verb) accomplish, as in: He braided the bedsheets to effect an escape.

Aggravate :

To make worse, as in: Lying to cover up a crime will aggravate the offense.

Aggregate :

To collect together or total, as in: Charges for a corporate Web site can aggregate into tens of thousands of dollars.

Aid :

Help, as in: He rushed to the aid of the victim with no thought for his own safety.

Aide :

Assistant or helper, as in: The Governor's aide will hold a press conference this afternoon.

Ail :

To cause trouble or discomfort to, as in: What ails you?

Ale :

An alcoholic beverage, stronger than beer, as in: My friend and I will have two pints of ale, bartender.

Allot :

Give out or distribute, as in: We will allot the prizes by date of contest entry.

Alot :

Wait a minute, there is no such word as alot!

A lot :

Many, as in: A lot of people are doing business online today.

Much, as in: Some people worry a lot about their health.

Allowed :

Permitted, as in: No one under 17 is allowed.

Aloud :

Audibly, as in: He read the book aloud.

Allusion :

Indirect or casual mention, as in: No one made any allusion to the scandal while she was in the room.

Illusion :

Presentation of a false or misleading idea, as in: The magician gave the illusion of sawing the woman in half.

Delusion :

Mistaken belief while in a confused state of mind, as in: He was under the delusion that he could fly.

Elusion :

Evasion or clever escape, as in: The embezzlers celebrated their elusion of the police a little too soon.

Altar :

Worship table, as in: The priest approached the altar.

Alter :

Change, as in: Nothing you can say will alter my plans.

Alternate :

Occuring by turns or every other, as in: She works on alternate weekends.

Alternative :

Providing or expressing a choice, as in: An alternative to designing your own Web site is hiring a professional.

Amend :

Modify or revise, as in: It's time to amend our by-laws.

Emend :

Alter or correct in the text of a written work, as in: The publishers hurried to emend the book before the next edition.

Among :

In the midst of three or more, as in: The four older children decided among themselves to surprise Mother and Father with breakfast in bed.

Between :

In the midst of two, as in: The two younger ones decided between themselves to clean the kitchen.

Ante- :

Prefix meaning before, as in: The abbreviation A.M. stands for ante meridiem, meaning before noon.

Anti- :

Prefix meaning against, as in: The anti-American protesters marched in the capital city.

Antecedence :

Act of going before in time, as in: The antecedence of parents to their own children is a fact of life.

Antecedents :

Individuals who have gone before, as in: His antecedents left him a fortune, but he wasted most of it.

Any one :

Whichever unit, as in: You can have any one of these prizes.

Anyone :

Any person whatever, as in: Anyone having information about the whereabouts of the suspect, please come forward.

Any way :

By a choice of methods, as in: I will succeed any way I can.

Anyway :

In any case or nevertheless, as in: I didn't like her anyway.

Apportion :

Divide up and distribute by shares, as in: I want to apportion the money among all the children.

Portion :

A limited amount of something, as in: He didn't eat his portion of dessert.

Proportion :

Ratio of one thing to another, as in: The proportion of women to men using the Internet is increasing.

Appraise :

Judge the value of, as in: A professional takes many factors into account in order to appraise your house correctly.

Apprise :

To inform or notify, as in: Please apprise me of any sudden turn of events.

Arc :

A curved line, as in: A rainbow is an arc.

Ark :

A large, flat-bottomed boat, as in: They loaded the grain on the ark and floated it down the river.

Are :

Form of to be, as in: What are you doing tonight?

Hour :

Sixty minutes, as in: It seemed like I waited an hour, but it was only twenty minutes.

Our :

Belonging to us, as in: Please visit our Web site and see our new book reviews.

Area :

Region, as in: What area of the country are you from?

Aria :

An elaborate song for one voice, as in: When the soprano finished the aria, the audience clapped.

Arrears :

Unpaid debts, as in: We cannot extend you any credit because your account is already in arrears.

Arraign :

Call into court, as in: The suspect will be arraigned next week.

Arrange :

Put into order, as in: It is very important how you arrange the information on your Web site.

Assay :

Chemical analysis, as in: The assay office will test your ore to see how much gold it contains.

Essay :

A short composition expressing the author's opinions, as in: Students applying for a scholarship often have to write an essay.

Assistance :

Help, as in: Any assistance you can give me will be welcome.

Assistants :

Helpers, as in: The teacher's two assistants handed out the tests.

Assure :

Declare positively, as in: I assure you that I will be finished by next Tuesday.

Ensure :

Make sure, as in: Order today to ensure delivery by Monday.

Insure :

Cover by insurance, as in: This Company will insure the data on my hard disk as well as the computer itself.

At present :

Right now, as in: I am designing small-business Web sites at present.

Presently :

in a little while or shortly, as in: Mr. Gates will be down to see you presently.

Ate :

Past tense of eat, as in: We ate in that new restaurant last week.

Eight :

The number after seven, as in: Breakfast will be at eight in the morning.

Attendance :

Being present, as in: Part of your grade is based on attendance.

Attendants :

Workers, as in: The flight attendants will be serving dinner now.

Autobiography :

One’s own life story, as in: I am writing my autobiography.

Bibliography :

List of books about a subject, as in: Please include a bibliography with your research report.

Biography :

A person's life story, as in: She is writing a biography of Marie Sklodowska Curie, the chemist and physicist who with her husband discovered radium in 1898.

Avoidable English Bloopers

Here are few Common English Bloopers. It is not only fresh graduates and non-English speakers who make grammatical mistakes. In fact, professionals in offices, including journalists, commit certain errors over and over again. Anyways, prepone and cope up are the words which come to mind. The problem is that many bloopers become accepted socially and feature in our day-to-day interactions. Every time someone copies an error without consulting a dictionary, the problem gets worse.

After writing an English exam, a friend of mine came up to me and the following conversation ensued.

Friend: Hey, I wanted to confirm one of my answers. Can you help?

Myself: Sure, which one was it?

Friend: Well, we were supposed to add a suitable preposition in the blank. The question was: Bear ____ me for a while.

Naturally, the answer was: Bear with me for a while. This means that the speaker requests the person to be patient for a while.

My friend, however, changed the meaning completely with his answer:

Bear chased me for a while.

Of course, this indicated that a bear had actually come and attacked him for a while.

Another funny incident happened to my friend who was walking in a park with her cousin.

Friend: Wow, what a peaceful atmosphere! It's so calm.

Cousin: Yes, this calamity is very nice!

Calamity refers to a disaster or a tragedy. My friend's cousin mistakenly connected calamity with calm.

A true calamity indeed!

Wrong: You three both of you sit together separately.

Never use the word BOTH when referring to more than two people.

Correct: I want the three of you to separate and sit apart from one another.

Wrong: I will recommend the suggestion that you must buy it -- it's a worthable one.

The beginning is very confusing and has too many words. And WORTHABLE isn't even a word.

Correct: I recommend that you buy it. It’s a worthwhile purchase.

Wrong: Off all the on fans and lights.

In English, we say turn off or switch off the fans. On and off are adverbs and thus, must be connected to other verbs.

Correct: Please turn off the fans and lights.

Once, my colleague wanted to inform our Director that his mother was seriously ill and that he needed a few days of leave. His application read as follows:

Wrong: My mother is very dangerous and I want to saw her. Please leave me three days.

The mother is not dangerous! She's very ill. Also, he doesn't want to saw her, which sounds gruesome. Instead he wants to see her, or better yet, 'be by her side'. Finally, he is requesting leave. He doesn't want the boss to actually leave him for three days.

Correct: My mother is seriously ill and I would like to be by her side. Therefore, I request you grant me leave for three days.

Wrong: You are staying alone and you can cook yourself?

This problem comes from misplacing yourself. It sounds as if Ashok is eating himself! Instead, the YOURSELF should be placed after 'you.

Correct: You are staying alone and you yourself can cook?

Wrong: Take out my ticket

Wrong: I got angry on him

Correct: Buy my ticket.

Correct: I got angry with him.

Wrong: When my boss asked me why I came late, I said him that I had to attend a function.

You should use TOLD instead of SAID in this situation.

Correct: When my boss asked me why I came late, I told him that I had to attend a function.

Wrong: This place is called as the Garden City of India

If you're using the word AS, you should use KNOWN AS.

Correct: This place is known as the Garden City of India

Wrong: I didn't got his mail.

DIDN'T is a contraction of DID NOT, which should be followed by the present tense.

Correct: I didn't get his mail.

Wrong: My husband and I went and bought furnitures for our new house.

The word FURNITURE is plural.

Correct: My husband and I went and bought furniture for our new house.

Wrong: He is a MP.

Wrong: He is an Member of Parliament.

Whenever the short form MP (Member of Parliament) is used, we should say, 'He is an MP'. But when the full form is used, we should say, 'He is a Member of Parliament.'

Correct: He is an MP.

Correct: He is a Member of Parliament.

Wrong: He is a simpleton.

People use this expression without knowing its meaning. Simpleton does not mean simple. It means idiot.

Correct: He is a simple man.

Wrong: Each individual data tells a different story.

Data is the plural form for datum, a singular noun. Words ending with UM usually have an A in the plural form: (stratum/strata)

Correct: Each individual datum tells a different story.

Wrong: He is one of those who performs well.

Even authors make this mistake. They see HE and immediately use the singular form. But, because HE is part of a group, you use the plural verb.

Correct: He is one of those who perform well.

Wrong: I came an hour back.

When we indicate the past, instead of back, we must use ago.

Correct: I came an hour ago.

Wrong: She has went to the store.

Many people do not know the conjugation of English verbs. With the verb TO GO the conjugation is: GO, WENT, GONE. You say GO in the present, WENT in the past, and GONE in the past participle. Past participle is used only with auxiliary verbs like HAVE or HAS.

Correct: She has gone to the store.

Wrong: Peoples and childrens do not listen.

People and children are plural by themselves. Do not add an s to either of these words.

Correct: People and children do not listen.

Wrong: Even after a laps of three months, I was still granted a visa.

The word here is lapse, to denote passage of time. Lap means either the flat area between one's stomach and knees (the child slept on my lap) or the circuit of a track/race course (the event had total 12 laps, but he got out in the second lap itself).

Correct: Even after a lapse of three months, I was still granted a visa.

Wrong: Please speak politically.

Wrong: The branch manager is out of order.

The customer service agent made both of these blunders in one call. She obviously meant:

Correct: Please speak politely.

Correct: The branch manager is out of office.

Wrong: He have no sense.

HE is singular, so the verb is singular as well has.

Correct: He has no sense.

I didn't knew her mother when I was young.

If it was affirmative, it would be 'I knew her mother when I was young.' In this case, the negative, past verb 'did not' denotes the past tense, making 'knew' unneeded. It should be:

I didn't know her mother when I was young.

I prefer studying in the midnight.

I prefer studying at the morning.

In the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening all denote a general time. For a specific time, such as noon and night, you must use AT. It should be:

I prefer studying at midnight.

I prefer studying in the morning.

I was excepting a better show.

No one showed up to the party, accept Dipti and Rishi.

Will you expect my sincere apologies?

These words are often confusing for some people: EXCEPT, EXPECT AND ACCEPT.

Except is to omit or leave out.

Expect is to demand or to count on.

Accept means to acknowledge, admit.

I was expecting a better show.

No one showed up at the party, except Dipti and Rishi.

Will you accept my sincere apologies?

On what bases can you argue with me?

Where are the criminal basis in Mumbai?

Bases and basis essentially, mean the same but it is important to use the right word in the right place.

Base is a foundation (as in a building, structure).

Basis is also a foundation in terms of a fundamental or principle; it is abstract.

On what basis can you argue with me?

What are the criminal bases in Mumbai?

In case of feeling of Hot or cold please to control yourself.

This is all jumbled and makes no sense!

Instead, it should be:

In case you find the temperature too hot or too cold, please turn the thermostat switch to the desired setting to regulate the temperature.

Bring and Take

Contrary to what some might believe, bring and take are oftentimes interchangeable. While there may be those who prefer to observe a distinction between bring and take, it does not mean that those who do not observe this distinction are wrong.

Oftentimes the choice between take and bring depends on the speaker’s point of view.

He brings his lunch to work every day.

• emphasizes movement in the direction of the destination

She takes her lunch to work every day.

• emphasizes movement away from the starting point

This is the idea:

They take their lunch away from home. They bring their lunch to their workplace.

It’s going to rain. Remember to take an umbrella with you.

• carry it with you from the point at which you start

It’s going to rain. Remember to bring an umbrella with you.

• carry it with you to your destination

take away – go away – go from – leave – remove

Bring to – go to - come to – arrive – put

In most dialects of American English bring is used to denote motion toward the place of speaking or the place from which the action is regarded:

• Bring it over here.

• The prime minister brought a large retinue to Washington with her.

Take is used to denote motion away from such a place:

• Take it over there.

• The President will take several advisers with him when he goes to Moscow.

When the relevant point of focus is not the place of speaking itself, the difference obviously depends on the context. We can say either.

• The labor leaders brought or took their requests to the mayor's office.

It is depending on whether we want to describe things from the point of view of the labor leaders or the mayor. Perhaps for this reason, the distinction between bring and take has been blurred in some areas; a parent may say of a child, for example,

• She always takes a pile of books home with her from school.

This usage may sound curious to those who are accustomed to observe the distinction more strictly, but it bears no particular stigma of incorrectness or illiteracy.

The form brung is common in colloquial use in many areas, even among educated speakers, but it is not standard in formal writing.

Not an Error

Our English guide tells us When is an error Not an Error. For most of us, English is still a challenge. With all its irregularities, exceptions and rules, English is not a very difficult language to master.

Here, we publish written and spoken mistakes spotted and sent to us by our visitors. It's a great way to review the basics, clarify a few issues and share a laugh or two!

Jagruti Sharma sends more useful resources our way. Here, he provides a list of phrases and usages that violate grammar rules, but have become accepted as part of Standard English. Let's have a look:

Split infinitives:

For the hyper-critical, "to boldly go where no man has gone before" should be "to go boldly. . . ." It is good to be aware that inserting one or more words between "to" and a verb is not strictly speaking an error, and is often more expressive and graceful than moving the intervening words elsewhere. But so many people are offended by split infinitives that it is better to avoid them except when the alternatives sound strained and awkward.

Beginning a sentence with a conjunction:

It offends those who wish to confine English usage in a logical straitjacket that writers often begin sentences with and or but. True, one should be aware that many such sentences would be improved by becoming clauses in compound sentences. But there are many effective and traditional uses for beginning sentences thus. One example is the reply to a previous assertion in a dialogue: "But, my dear Watson, the criminal obviously wore expensive boots or he would not have taken such pains to scrape them clean." Make it a rule to consider whether your conjunction would repose more naturally within the previous sentence or would lose in useful emphasis by being demoted from its position at the head of a new sentence.

Using BETWEEN for only two, AMONG for more:

The TWEEN in BETWEEN is clearly linked to the number two. But, as the Oxford English Dictionary notes, "In all senses, between has, from its earliest appearance, been extended to more than two." We're talking about Anglo-Saxon here early. Pedants have labored to enforce AMONG when there are three or more objects under discussion, but largely in vain. Even the pickiest speaker does not naturally say, "A treaty has been negotiated among England, France and Germany." Over vs. more than:

Some people claim that OVER cannot be used to signify MORE THAN as in "Over a thousand baton-twirlers marched in the parade." OVER, they insist, always refers to something physically higher: say, the blimp hovering over the parade route. This absurd distinction ignores the role metaphor plays in language. If I write 1 on the blackboard and 10 beside it, 10 is still the higher number. OVER has been used in the sense of "more than" for over a thousand years.

Gender vs. sex:

Feminists eager to remove references to sexuality from discussions of females and males not involving mating or reproduction revived an older meaning of GENDER which had come to refer in modern times chiefly to language, as a synonym for SEX in phrases such as "Our goal is to achieve gender equality." Americans, always nervous about sex, eagerly embraced this usage which is now standard. In some scholarly fields, SEX is now used to label biologically determined aspects of maleness and femaleness (reproduction, etc.) while GENDER refers to their socially determined aspects (behavior, attitudes, etc.); but in ordinary speech this distinction is not always maintained. It is disingenuous to pretend that people who use GENDER in the new senses are making an error, just as it is disingenuous to maintain that Ms. means manuscript (that's MS).

Using WHO for people and THAT for animals and inanimate objects:

In fact there are many instances in which the most conservative usage is to refer to a person using THAT: "All the politicians that were at the party later denied even knowing the host" is actually somewhat more traditional than the more popular "politicians who."

An aversion to THAT referring to human beings as somehow diminishing their humanity may be praiseworthily sensitive, but it cannot claim the authority of tradition. In some sentences, THAT is clearly preferable to WHO. "She is the only person I know of that prefers whipped cream on her granola." In the following example, to exchange THAT for WHO would be absurd: "Who was it that said, 'A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle'?"

SINCE cannot mean BECAUSE:

SINCE need not always refer to time. Since the 14th century, when it was often spelled SYN it has also meant SEEING THAT or BECAUSE.

Hopefully:

This word has meant "it is to be hoped" for a very long time and those who insist it can only mean in a hopeful fashion display more hopefulness than realism.

Momentarily:

"The plane will be landing momentarily" says the flight attendant, and the grumpy grammarian in seat 36B thinks to himself, "So we're going to touch down for just a moment?" Everyone else thinks, "Just a moment now before we land." Back in the 1920s when this use of MOMENTARILY was first spreading on both sides of the Atlantic, one might have been accused of misusing the word. But by now it's listed without comment as one of the standard definitions in most dictionaries.

Lend vs. loan:

"Loan me your hat" was just as correct everywhere as "lend me your ears" until the British made LEND the preferred verb, relegating LOAN to the thing being lent. However, as in so many cases, Americans kept the older pattern, which in its turn has influenced modern British usage so that those insisting that LOAN can only be a noun are in the minority.

Regime vs. regimen:

Some people insist that REGIME should be used only in reference to governments, and that people who say they are following a dietary regime should instead use REGIMEN, but REGIME has been a synonym of REGIMEN for over a century and is widely accepted in that sense.

Near miss:

It is futile to protest that NEAR MISS should be NEAR COLLISION. This expression is a condensed version of something like "a miss that came very near to being a collision" and is similar to NARROW ESCAPE. Everyone knows what is meant by it and almost everyone uses it. It should be noted that the expression can also be used in the sense of almost succeeding in striking a desired target: "His Cointreau souffl was a near miss."

NONE singular vs. plural:

Some people insist that since NONE is derived from NO ONE it should always be singular: "none of us is having dessert." However, in standard usage, the word is most often treated as a plural. "None of us are having dessert" will do just fine.

Scan vs. skim:

Those who insist that SCAN can never be a synonym of SKIM have lost the battle. It is true that the word originally meant to scrutinize, but it has now evolved into one of those unfortunate words with two opposite meanings: to examine closely (now rare) and to glance at quickly (much more common). It would be difficult to say which of these two meanings is more prominent in the computer-related usage, to scan a document.

Till vs. TIL :

Since it looks like an abbreviation for UNTIL some people argue that this word should always be spelled TIL (though not all insist on the apostrophe). However, TILL has regularly occurred as a spelling of this word for over 800 years and it's actually older than UNTIL. It is perfectly good English.

Articles : Vocabulary Building

This Article on Vocabulary Building is the summary of what you could find on other pages of this site.

When you leave school or college, someone will inevitably point out that this is not the end and that it is only the beginning. Of course the speaker is right. No educative process is the end. It is always the beginning of more education, more learning and more living. And that is the case here. What has happened to you as a result of your reaction to the material and suggestion in this site is only the beginning of your development. To stop increasing your vocabulary is to stop your intellectual growth. You will wish, we are sure, to continue to growing intellectually as long as you remain alive. And with the momentum that your weeks of hard work have provided, continuing will not be at all difficult.

Let us offer, as a summary of all we have said throughout this site, a recapitulation of the steps you must take so that your vocabulary will keep growing and growing.

STEP ONE: You must become actively receptive to new words.

Words won’t come chasing after you. You must train yourself to be on a constant lookout, in reading and listening for any words that other people know and you do not.

STEP TWO: You must read more.

As an adult, you will find most of the sources of your supply of new words in books and magazines. Is your reading today largely restricted only to the quick perusal of daily news papers? Then you will have to change your habits. If your aim is to have superior vocabulary, you will have to make the time to read at least one book and several magazines every week. Not this week and the next week, but every week for the rest of your life. I have never met a single person who possessed a rich vocabulary and who was not also an omnivorous reader.

STEP THREE: You must learn to add to your own vocabulary the new words you meet in your reading.

When you see an unfamiliar word in a book or in a magazine, do not skip over it impatiently. Instead pause for a moment and say it to yourself. Get used to its sound and appearance. Then puzzle out its possible meaning in the context of the sentence. Whether you come to the right conclusion or not, whether indeed you are able to come to any intelligent conclusion at all is of no importance. What is important is that, by that process, becoming superconscious of that word. As a result, you will suddenly notice that this very word pops up unexpectedly again and again in all you reading. For now your mind has been alerted to notice it. And of course after you have seen it a few times, you will know fairly accurately not only what it means but the many ways in which it can be used.



STEP FOUR: You must open your mind to new ideas.

Every word you see is the translation of new idea. Think for few minutes of the areas of human knowledge that may possibly be unknown to you - Psychology, semantics, science, art, music, management, etc… Then attack one of these areas methodically, by reading books on that particular subject. In every field, form the simplest to the most abstruse, there are several books for the average, untrained lay reader that will give you both a good grasp of the subject and at the same time add vocabularies because they are required to expose themselves constantly to new areas of learning. You must do the same.

STEP FIVE: You must set a goal.

If you do nothing about your vocabulary, you will learn, at most, twenty-five to fifty new words in the next twelve months. In conscious efforts, you can learn several thousands. Set your self a goal of finding several new words every day. This may sound ambitious, but you will discove4 as soon as you start actively looking for new words in your reading, and actively doing reading of a more challenging type, that new words are all around you. That is, if you are ready for them. And understand this. Vocabulary building snowballs. The results of each new day search will be greater and greater- once you provide the necessary initial push, once you gain momentum, once you become addicted to looking for new words, for finding new words and for taking possession of new words. And this one addiction well worth cultivating.

Three Pronged Strategy

To Improve Your GRE Vocabulary

Here is a Three Pronged Strategy to Improve Your GRE Vocabulary. The importance of vocabulary in setting a benchmark for reading achievement and even more specifically for GRE has long been established. Although growth in vocabulary knowledge occurs rapidly and almost effortlessly for some, the rate at which word meanings are acquired varies greatly.

Surprisingly, in a developed country, where despite the fact that every second student you interact with has impeccable English, vocabulary is a hurdle faced by old and young alike! And it is not the run-of-the-mill vocabulary that we are talking about but the vocabulary of the competitive examinations like GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, SAT, etc.

Now, it is actually not a matter of just the numbers which provide a touchstone for measuring vocabulary level, but instead the quality of words learnt by the student and their retention by him/her.

Verbal experts have a Three Pronged Strategy that helps not only with the learning process but also with the retention of the given set of words whether scrambled or in any order. The research begins with a simple exercise:

Empty your mind and don't think about anything for a moment. Now concentrate and recall the first word that comes to your mind when we mention A for...? Apple? (Without any doubt or variation)

Well if your answer was the same as mine, congratulations on having the vocabulary equal to that of a nursery going child! Okay jokes apart, why does the word apple come to our minds despite the fact that we have other seemingly easier words like ant? The answer is simple and unconsciously we all know it!

This is the basic thought behind the Three Pronged Strategy. Here is the Three Pronged Strategy:

1. Imagination: What is the first word or a thing that comes to your mind when you hear a particular word? Now this process also has many ways through which the imagination can be triggered.

For instance, you could think of an image that you attach with the meaning of a word or maybe with its structure or remembering someone with the attitude similar to the meaning of the word can also be a trigger.

It could be pictorial or even otherwise. For instance, as a child I had a trouble learning the word schadenfreude which means a person who takes malicious pleasure in the sufferings of others.

I always associated it with the face of my sworn enemy (of course I won't name him), but that helped me to retain the word and its meaning especially when I had to refer to it. Try it. It works like a dream!

There are more words like these which incidentally may or may not have a necessary root to depict their meaning. So, in the case of such words, use your imagination!

Try some imagination to remember these words and their meanings:

Coxcomb, chicanery, pellucid, buss, habitué', factitious, profligate, bedaub, contumacious, bifurcate.

2. Association: Now a reader might ask whether there is a difference between association and imagination. Well, there is and a major one at that! This is another aspect of the Three Pronged Strategy.

Language has a very inexplicable ability to converge at some point so as to reach to its meaning. Let me ask you another question, can you describe rain or for that matter fire? These words may be very simple in their outlook but they are very typically confusing in their definition.

To explain further, what words did you use when you defined rain? Evaporation? Condensation? Water droplets? All these words are far more tough and confusing than the word that they actually described: rain.

How did that happen? This is because you simply associate new words with more words from your knowledge while learning them for the first time.

And you should as well! Association is magical if used properly. For example, you can associate words by their structure (habitué' with habitual), usage (aglet which is the tip of a shoelace with anklet which is an ornament worn on the ankle), meaning (agrarian which means related to agriculture with agro which means the same) and pronunciation (agro which is related to agriculture with aggro which leads to aggressive).

Can you associate these words?:

Firmament, arcane, perfunctory, temerity, superannuated, egregious, tutelary, condign, lambent, confabulation

3. Vernaculisation: This technique is one of my most preferred when it comes to learning new words for which you cannot find any imaginary or associative source. This is another aspect of the Three Pronged Strategy.

For example: kismet which means the same as kismet of Hindi. Then we have pari passu, libation... and the list continues!

Vernaculisation is simply the technique that our experts derived when they found out that an easy way to learn a particular word was to relate it to something that one could use in one's mother tongue.

It may be something that one could associate in the language using a full fledged definition or explanation of that word. For instance, when we come across the word abode for the first time, immediately a Hindi song comes to the mind that signified that it was calling forth the dawn to break and spread its golden cover everywhere. Voila! We got something to attach to abode and Vernaculisation took birth.

Avoidable English Errors

Avoidable English Errors are so many that we have to spend a lot of time to know.English can be a tricky language to master. There are a number of words that sound the same but mean different things or those are spelled differently, and it's easy to get confused. Another problem area is when people translate sentences. Sentences in English are structured differently and a direct translation is often incorrect and can even be misleading. To help you improve your English-speaking skills, we have added this page with many more Avoidable English Errors.

Wrong: Myself Sunil Kumar
Correct: I am Sunil Kumar

Many people believe the word MYSELF makes the statement formal. It’s actually incorrect in this context.
Wrong: You will surely get more better.
Correct: You will surely get better.

English has a few adjectives of which comparative and superlative forms are irregular. The adjective GOOD turns into BETTER in the comparative and BEST in the superlative. The word MORE should not be included.

Wrong: I will return back.
Correct: I will return.

If you will return to something, it means you will come back to it. Therefore, the word BACK is not needed.

Wrong: I will talk to the principle of this college.
Correct: I will talk to the principal of this college.

The words PRINCIPLE and PRINCIPAL are often confused. Every principal should have principles is an easy way to remember the difference.

Another one of those Avoidable English Errors is:

Wrong: I didn't went to New York in the last year.
Correct: I didn't go to New York in the last year.

Wrong: I did called her last week.
Correct: I did call her last week.

Question: Have you ever been to the US?

Wrong: I go to the US last year.
Correct: I did go to the US last year.

Question: Didn't you eat last night?

Wrong: I did ate.
Correct: I did eat.

DID indicates that the action has happened in the past. Hence, the other verb should be in present tense.

Also, DID / DO are used to stress a point.

For example:

Question: Did you go to America last year?
Correct: I did.

Question: Does anybody here speak French?
Answer: I do.

Another one of those Avoidable English Errors is:

There is a mistake many of us make while using the present tense. There are two forms of the present tense.

The simple present tense
The present continuous tense

The simple present tense is used for two main types of action:Habits - Actions which happen regularly (every day, every week, etc.)

Example - Sneha goes to class every day.
Explanation - Doing something every day makes it a habit.

States of being - Things which do not often change (opinions, conditions, etc.)
Example - Pramod lives in Mumbai.
Explanation - This is a state of being, because it will not change (or change infrequently).

The present continuous tense is used for two main types of action:

A temporary action happening now (but it will stop in the future).

Example - It's raining outside.
Explanation - It's raining right now, but it may stop soon.

A definite plan for the future. Something we intend to do, usually in the near future.

Example - The Olympics are taking place here next year.

Explanation - This is already certain.

Examples

Wrong: I am getting up every day at 6 am.
Correct: I get up every day at 6 am.

Wrong: I have a party next week.
Correct: I am having a party next week.

Wrong: If you are not esperience, try to get help.
Correct: If you have no experience, try to get help.

Wrong: Suppose if you knows the value, then why you fear to buy?
Correct: If you know the value, why are you afraid to buy?

Wrong: Myself working in a MNC.
Correct: I am working in a MNC.

Another one of those Avoidable English Errors is:

Wrong: He is calling to you.

The TO is not needed in this statment. You could either remove the TO or replace it with FOR.

Correct: He is calling you.

Wrong: Say me the truth!

This is especially prevalent in Andhra Pradesh. It should be TELL.

Correct: Tell me the truth.

Wrong: The real fact is that you are not married.

This is redundant, because a fact is true or provable. Therefore, all facts are real.

Correct: The fact is that you are not married.

Wrong: I am having a lovely family.

This type of error is easy to hear in India. We use the present continuous tense in place of the present simple tense.

Correct: I have a lovely family.

Another one of those Avoidable English Errors is:

Wrong: This vehicle is dead cheap.

When a product is very cheap, a lot of us say it is dead cheap. Actually, the phrase is DIRT CHEAP.

Correct: This vehicle is dirt cheap.

Wrong: It will be a very cut and right report.

The proper phrase is CUT AND DRY or CUT AND DRIED. It means that something is settled or routine.

Correct: It will be a very cut and dried report.

Wrong: If you can do, do. If you cannot, admit yourself.

Correct: If you can do it, do it. If you cannot do it, admit it to yourself.

Another one of those Avoidable English Errors is:

Wrong: What O'clock you are coming for dinner?
Correct: What time are you coming for dinner?

Wrong: Take this letter and post yourself.
Correct: Please take this letter and post it yourself.

Wrong: Can you capable work this Sunday?
Correct: Are you able to work this Sunday?

Wrong: Both the three of you to do field duty.
Correct: All three of you, go do field duty.

Wrong: Mind me to get some flowers this evening.
Correct: Please remind me to get some flowers this evening.
Wrong: Udupi Hotel fooding is not good.
Correct: The food at Udupi Hotel is not good.

Agreeing and Disagreeing

Agreeing and Disagreeing : So do I, Neither do I, etc

To agree with a positive statement:

We use so + auxiliary/modal verb + pronoun:

"I like tea without sugar.'

'So do I.'

To agree with a negative statement:

We use nor/neither + auxiliary/modal verb + pronoun:

"I don't like tea with sugar.'

'Nor do I.' or 'Neither do I.'

To disagree with a positive statement:

We use pronoun + auxiliary/modal verb + not (-n't):

"I like tea without sugar.'

'I don't.'

To disagree with a negative statement:

We use pronoun + auxiliary/modal verb:

"I don't like tea with sugar.'

'I do.