Amass an Ivy League Vocabulary! - WordPress.com

5000 Collegiate Words with Brief Definitions – Amass an Ivy League Vocabulary! 7-CD Edition: All you have to do is listen 15 minutes a day for 4 weeks to absorb 5000 words. SAT math and more free at www.FreeVocabulary.com

abase v. To lower in position, estimation, or the like; degrade. abbess n. The lady superior of a nunnery. abbey n. The group of buildings which collectively form the dwelling-place of a society of monks or nuns. abbot n. The superior of a community of monks. abdicate v. To give up (royal power or the like). abdomen n. In mammals, the visceral cavity between the diaphragm and the pelvic floor; the belly. abdominal n. Of, pertaining to, or situated on the abdomen. abduction n. A carrying away of a person against his will, or illegally. abed adv. In bed; on a bed. aberration n. Deviation from a right, customary, or prescribed course. abet v. To aid, promote, or encourage the commission of (an offense). abeyance n. A state of suspension or temporary inaction. abhorrence n. The act of detesting extremely. abhorrent adj. Very repugnant; hateful. abidance n. An abiding. abject adj. Sunk to a low condition. abjure v. To recant, renounce, repudiate under oath. able-bodied adj. Competent for physical service. ablution n. A washing or cleansing, especially of the body. abnegate v. To renounce (a right or privilege). abnormal adj. Not conformed to the ordinary rule or standard. abominable adj. Very hateful. abominate v. To hate violently. abomination n. A very detestable act or practice. aboriginal adj. Primitive; unsophisticated. aborigines n. The original of earliest known inhabitants of a country. aboveboard adv. & adj. Without concealment, fraud, or trickery. abrade v. To wear away the surface or some part of by friction. abrasion n. That which is rubbed off. abridge v. To make shorter in words, keeping the essential features, leaning out minor particles. abridgment n. A condensed form as of a book or play. abrogate v. To abolish, repeal. abrupt adj. Beginning, ending, or changing suddenly or with a break. abscess n. A Collection of pus in a cavity formed within some tissue of the body. abscission n. The act of cutting off, as in a surgical operation. abscond v. To depart suddenly and secretly, as for the purpose of escaping arrest. absence n. The fact of not being present or available. absent-minded adj. Lacking in attention to immediate surroundings or business. absolution n. Forgiveness, or passing over of offenses. absolve v. To free from sin or its penalties. absorb v. To drink in or suck up, as a sponge absorbs water. absorption n. The act or process of absorbing. abstain v. To keep oneself back (from doing or using something). abstemious adj. Characterized by self denial or abstinence, as in the use of drink, food. abstinence n. Self denial. abstruse adj. Dealing with matters difficult to be understood. absurd adj. Inconsistent with reason or common sense. abundant adj. Plentiful. abusive adj. Employing harsh words or ill treatment. abut v. To touch at the end or boundary line. abyss n. Bottomless gulf. academic adj. Of or pertaining to an academy, college, or university. academician n. A member of an academy of literature, art, or science. academy n. Any institution where the higher branches of learning are taught. accede v. To agree. accelerate v. To move faster. accept v. To take when offered. access n. A way of approach or entrance; passage. accessible adj. Approachable. accession n. Induction or elevation, as to dignity, office, or government. accessory n. A person or thing that aids the principal agent. acclaim v. To utter with a shout. accommodate v. To furnish something as a kindness or favor. accompaniment n. A subordinate part or parts, enriching or supporting the leading part. accompanist n. One who or that which accompanies. accompany v. To go with, or be associated with, as a companion. accomplice n. An associate in wrong-doing. accomplish v. To bring to pass. accordion n. A portable free-reed musical instrument. accost v. To speak to. account n. A record or statement of receipts and expenditures, or of business transactions. accouter v. To dress.

accredit v. To give credit or authority to. accumulate v. To become greater in quantity or number. accuracy n. Exactness. accurate adj. Conforming exactly to truth or to a standard. accursed adj. Doomed to evil, misery, or misfortune. accusation n. A charge of crime, misdemeanor, or error. accusatory adj. Of, pertaining to, or involving an accusation. accuse v. To charge with wrong doing, misconduct, or error. accustom v. To make familiar by use. acerbity n. Sourness, with bitterness and astringency. acetate n. A salt of acetic acid. acetic adj. Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of vinegar. ache v. To be in pain or distress. Achillean adj. Invulnerable. achromatic adj. Colorless, acid n. A sour substance. acidify v. To change into acid. acknowledge v. To recognize; to admit the genuineness or validity of. acknowledgment n. Recognition. acme n. The highest point, or summit. acoustic adj. Pertaining to the act or sense of hearing. acquaint v. To make familiar or conversant. acquiesce v. To comply; submit. acquiescence n. Passive consent. acquire v. To get as one's own. acquisition n. Anything gained, or made one's own, usually by effort or labor. acquit v. To free or clear, as from accusation. acquittal n. A discharge from accusation by judicial action. acquittance n. Release or discharge from indebtedness, obligation, or responsibility. acreage n. Quantity or extent of land, especially of cultivated land. acrid adj. Harshly pungent or bitter. acrimonious adj. Full of bitterness. acrimony n. Sharpness or bitterness of speech or temper. actionable adj. Affording cause for instituting an action, as trespass, slanderous words. actuality n. Any reality. actuary n. An officer, as of an insurance company, who calculates and states the risks and premiums. actuate v. To move or incite to action. acumen n. Quickness of intellectual insight, or discernment; keenness of discrimination. acute adj. Having fine and penetrating discernment. adamant n. Any substance of exceeding hardness or impenetrability. addendum n. Something added, or to be added. addle v. To make inefficient or worthless; muddle. adduce v. To bring forward or name for consideration. adhere v. To stick fast or together. adherence n. Attachment. adherent adj. Clinging or sticking fast. adhesion n. The state of being attached or joined. adieu inter. Good-by; farewell. adjacency n. The state of being adjacent. adjacent n. That which is near or bordering upon. adjudge v. To award or bestow by formal decision. adjunct n. Something joined to or connected with another thing, but holding a subordinate place. adjuration n. A vehement appeal. adjutant adj. Auxiliary. administrator n. One who manages affairs of any kind. admissible adj. Having the right or privilege of entry. admittance n. Entrance, or the right or permission to enter. admonish v. To warn of a fault. admonition n. Gentle reproof. ado n. unnecessary activity or ceremony. adoration n. Profound devotion. adroit adj. Having skill in the use of the bodily or mental powers. adulterant n. An adulterating substance. adulterate v. To make impure by the admixture of other or baser ingredients. adumbrate v. To represent beforehand in outline or by emblem. advent n. The coming or arrival, as of any important change, event, state, or personage. adverse adj. Opposing or opposed. adversity n. Misfortune. advert v. To refer incidentally. advertiser n. One who advertises, especially in newspapers. advisory adj. Not mandatory. advocacy n. The act of pleading a cause. advocate n. One who pleads the cause of another, as in a legal or ecclesiastical court. aerial adj. Of, pertaining to, or like the air.


aeronaut n. One who navigates the air, a balloonist. aeronautics n. the art or practice of flying aircraft aerostat n. A balloon or other apparatus floating in or sustained by the air. aerostatics n. The branch of pneumatics that treats of the equilibrium, pressure, and mechanical properties. affable adj. Easy to approach. affect v. To act upon affectation n. A studied or ostentatious pretense or attempt. affiliate n. Some auxiliary person or thing. affirmative adj. Answering yes; to a question at issue. affix v. To fasten. affluence n. A profuse or abundant supply of riches. affront n. An open insult or indignity. afire adv. & adj. On fire, literally or figuratively. afoot adv. In progress. aforesaid adj. Said in a preceding part or before. afresh adv. Once more, after rest or interval. afterthought n. A thought that comes later than its appropriate or expected time. agglomerate v. To pile or heap together. aggrandize v. To cause to appear greatly. aggravate v. To make heavier, worse, or more burdensome. aggravation n. The fact of being made heavier or more heinous, as a crime , offense, misfortune, etc. aggregate n. The entire number, sum, mass, or quantity of something. aggress v. To make the first attack. aggression n. An unprovoked attack. aggrieve v. To give grief or sorrow to. aghast adj. Struck with terror and amazement. agile adj. Able to move or act quickly, physically, or mentally. agitate v. To move or excite (the feelings or thoughts). agrarian adj. Pertaining to land, especially agricultural land. aide-de-camp n. An officer who receives and transmits the orders of the general. ailment n. Slight sickness. airy adj. Delicate, ethereal. akin adj. Of similar nature or qualities. alabaster n. A white or delicately tinted fine-grained gypsum. alacrity n. Cheerful willingness. albeit conj. Even though. albino n. A person with milky white skin and hair, and eyes with bright red pupil and usually pink iris. album n. A book whose leaves are so made to form paper frames for holding photographs or the like. alchemy n. Chemistry of the middle ages, characterized by the pursuit of changing base metals to gold. alcohol n. A volatile, inflammable, colorless liquid of a penetrating odor and burning taste. alcoholism n. A condition resulting from the inordinate or persistent use of alcoholic beverages. alcove n. A covered recess connected with or at the side of a larger room. alder n. Any shrub or small tree of the genus Alumnus, of the oak family. alderman n. A member of a municipal legislative body, who usually exercises also certain judicial functions. aldermanship n. The dignity, condition, office, or term of office of an alderman. alias n. An assumed name. alien n. One who owes allegiance to a foreign government. alienable adj. Capable of being aliened or alienated, as lands. alienate v. To cause to turn away. alienation n. Estrangement. aliment n. That which nourishes. alkali n. Anything that will neutralize an acid, as lime, magnesia, etc. allay v. To calm the violence or reduce the intensity of; mitigate. allege v. To assert to be true, especially in a formal manner, as in court. allegory n. The setting forth of a subject under the guise of another subject of aptly suggestive likeness. alleviate v. To make less burdensome or less hard to bear. alley n. A narrow street, garden path, walk, or the like. alliance n. Any combination or union for some common purpose. allot v. To assign a definite thing or part to a certain person. allotment n. Portion. allude v. To refer incidentally, or by suggestion. allusion n. An indirect and incidental reference to something without definite mention of it. alluvion n. Flood. ally n. A person or thing connected with another, usually in some relation of helpfulness. almanac n. A series of tables giving the days of the week together with certain astronomical information. aloof adv. Not in sympathy with or desiring to associate with others. altar n. Any raised place or structure on which sacrifices may be offered or incense burned. alter v. To make change in. alteration n. Change or modification.

altercate v. To contend angrily or zealously in words. alternate n. One chosen to act in place of another, in case of the absence or incapacity of that other. alternative n. Something that may or must exist, be taken or chosen, or done instead of something else. altitude n. Vertical distance or elevation above any point or base-level, as the sea. alto n. The lowest or deepest female voice or part. altruism n. Benevolence to others on subordination to self-interest. altruist n. One who advocates or practices altruism. amalgam n. An alloy or union of mercury with another metal. amalgamate v. To mix or blend together in a homogeneous body. amateur adj. Practicing an art or occupation for the love of it, but not as a profession. amatory adj. Designed to excite love. ambidextrous adj. Having the ability of using both hands with equal skill or ease. ambiguous adj. Having a double meaning. ambitious adj. Eagerly desirous and aspiring. ambrosial adj. Divinely sweet, fragrant, or delicious. ambulance n. A vehicle fitted for conveying the sick and wounded. ambulate v. To walk about ambush n. The act or state of lying concealed for the purpose of surprising or attacking the enemy. ameliorate v. To relieve, as from pain or hardship amenable adj. Willing and ready to submit. Americanism n. A peculiar sense in which an English word or phrase is used in the United States. amicable adj. Done in a friendly spirit. amity n. Friendship. amorous adj. Having a propensity for falling in love. amorphous adj. Without determinate shape. amour n. A love-affair, especially one of an illicit nature. ampere n. The practical unit of electric-current strength. ampersand n. The character &; and. amphibious adj. Living both on land and in water. amphitheater n. An edifice of elliptical shape, constructed about a central open space or arena. amplitude n. Largeness. amply adv. Sufficiently. amputate v. To remove by cutting, as a limb or some portion of the body. amusement n. Diversion. anachronism n. Anything occurring or existing out of its proper time. anagram n. The letters of a word or phrase so transposed as to make a different word or phrase. analogous adj. Corresponding (to some other) in certain respects, as in form, proportion, relations. analogy n. Reasoning in which from certain and known relations or resemblance others are formed. analyst n. One who analyzes or makes use of the analytical method. analyze v. To examine minutely or critically. anarchy n. Absence or utter disregard of government. anathema n. Anything forbidden, as by social usage. anatomy n. That branch of morphology which treats of the structure of organisms. ancestry n. One's ancestors collectively. anecdote n. A brief account of some interesting event or incident. anemia n. Deficiency of blood or red corpuscles. anemic adj. Affected with anemia. anemometer n. An instrument for measuring the force or velocity of wind. anesthetic adj. Pertaining to or producing loss of sensation. anew adv. Once more. angelic adj. Saintly. Anglophobia n. Hatred or dread of England or of what is English. Anglo-Saxon n. The entire English race wherever found, as in Europe, the United States, or India. angular adj. Sharp-cornered. anhydrous adj. Withered. animadversion n. The utterance of criticism or censure. animadvert v. To pass criticism or censure. animalcule n. An animal of microscopic smallness. animate v. To make alive. animosity n. Hatred. annalist n. Historian. annals n. A record of events in their chronological order, year by year. annex v. To add or affix at the end. annihilate v. To destroy absolutely. annotate v. To make explanatory or critical notes on or upon. annual adj. Occurring every year. annuity n. An annual allowance, payment, or income.


annunciation n. Proclamation. anode n. The point where or path by which a voltaic current enters an electrolyte or the like. anonymous adj. Of unknown authorship. antagonism n. Mutual opposition or resistance of counteracting forces, principles, or persons. Antarctic adj. Pertaining to the south pole or the regions near it. ante v. In the game of poker, to put up a stake before the cards are dealt. antecede v. To precede. antecedent n. One who or that which precedes or goes before, as in time, place, rank, order, or causality. antechamber n. A waiting room for those who seek audience. antedate v. To assign or affix a date to earlier than the actual one. antediluvian adj. Of or pertaining to the times, things, events before the great flood in the days of Noah. antemeridian adj. Before noon. antemundane adj. Pertaining to time before the world's creation. antenatal adj. Occurring or existing before birth. anterior adj. Prior. anteroom n. A room situated before and opening into another, usually larger. anthology n. A collection of extracts from the writings of various authors. anthracite n. Hard coal. anthropology n. The science of man in general. anthropomorphous adj. Having or resembling human form. antic n. A grotesque, ludicrous, or fantastic action. Antichrist n. Any opponent or enemy of Christ, whether a person or a power. anticlimax n. A gradual or sudden decrease in the importance or impressiveness of what is said. anticyclone n. An atmospheric condition of high central pressure, with currents flowing outward. antidote n. Anything that will counteract or remove the effects of poison, disease, or the like. antilogy n. Inconsistency or contradiction in terms or ideas. antipathize v. To show or feel a feeling of antagonism, aversion, or dislike. antiphon n. A response or alteration of responses, generally musical. antiphony n. An anthem or other composition sung responsively. antipodes n. A place or region on the opposite side of the earth. antiquary n. One who collects and examines old things, as coins, books, medals, weapons, etc. antiquate v. To make old or out of date. antique adj. Pertaining to ancient times. antiseptic n. Anything that destroys or restrains the growth of putrefactive micro-organisms. antislavery adj. Opposed to human slavery. antispasmodic adj. Tending to prevent or relieve non-inflammatory spasmodic affections. antistrophe n. The inversion of terms in successive classes, as in “the home of joy” and “the joy of home”. antitoxin n. A substance which neutralizes the poisonous products of micro-organisms. antonym n. A word directly opposed to another in meaning. anxious adj. Distressed in mind respecting some uncertain matter. apathy n. Insensibility to emotion or passionate feeling. aperture n. Hole. apex n. The highest point, as of a mountain. aphorism n. Proverb. apiary n. A place where bees are kept. apogee n. The climax. apology n. A disclaimer of intentional error or offense. apostasy n. A total departure from one's faith or religion. apostate adj. False. apostle n. Any messenger commissioned by or as by divine authority. apothecary n. One who keeps drugs for sale and puts up prescriptions. apotheosis n. Deification. appall v. To fill with dismay or horror. apparent adj. Easily understood. apparition n. Ghost. appease v. To soothe by quieting anger or indignation. appellate adj. Capable of being appealed to. appellation n. The name or title by which a particular person, class, or thing is called. append v. To add or attach, as something accessory, subordinate, or supplementary. appertain v. To belong, as by right, fitness, association, classification, possession, or natural relation. apposite adj. Appropriate. apposition n. The act of placing side by side, together, or in contact. appraise v. To estimate the money value of. appreciable adj. Capable of being discerned by the senses or intellect. apprehend v. To make a prisoner of (a person) in the name of the law. apprehensible adj. Capable of being conceived. approbation n. Sanction.

appropriate adj. Suitable for the purpose and circumstances. aqueduct n. A water-conduit, particularly one for supplying a community from a distance. aqueous adj. Of, pertaining to, or containing water. arbiter n. One chosen or appointed, by mutual consent of parties in dispute, to decide matters. arbitrary adj. Fixed or done capriciously. arbitrate v. To act or give judgment as umpire. arbor n. A tree. arboreal adj. Of or pertaining to a tree or trees. arborescent adj. Having the nature of a tree. arboretum n. A botanical garden or place devoted to the cultivation of trees or shrubs. arboriculture n. The cultivation of trees or shrubs. arcade n. A vaulted passageway or street; a roofed passageway having shops, etc., opening from it. archaic adj. Antiquated archaism n. Obsolescence. archangel n. An angel of high rank. archbishop n. The chief of the bishops of an ecclesiastical province in the Greek, Roman, and Anglican church. archdeacon n. A high official administrator of the affairs of a diocese. archaeology n. The branch of anthropology concerned with the systematic investigation of the relics of man. archetype n. A prototype. archipelago n. Any large body of water studded with islands, or the islands collectively themselves. ardent adj. Burning with passion. ardor n. Intensity of passion or affection. arid adj. Very dry. aristocracy n. A hereditary nobility aristocrat n. A hereditary noble or one nearly connected with nobility. armada n. A fleet of war-vessels. armful n. As much as can be held in the arm or arms. armory n. An arsenal. aroma n. An agreeable odor. arraign v. To call into court, as a person indicted for crime, and demand whether he pleads guilty or not. arrange v. To put in definite or proper order. arrangement n. The act of putting in proper order, or the state of being put in order. arrant adj. Notoriously bad. arrear n. Something overdue and unpaid. arrival n. A coming to stopping-place or destination. arrogant adj. Unduly or excessively proud, as of wealth, station, learning, etc. arrogate v. To take, demand, or claim, especially presumptuously or without reasons or grounds. Artesian well n. A very deep bored well. water rises due to underground pressure artful adj. Characterized by craft or cunning. Arthurian adj. Pertaining to King Arthur, the real or legendary hero of British poetic story. artifice n. Trickery. artless adj. Ingenuous. ascendant adj. Dominant. ascension n. The act of rising. ascent n. A rising, soaring, or climbing. ascetic adj. Given to severe self-denial and practicing excessive abstinence and devotion. ascribe v. To assign as a quality or attribute. asexual adj. Having no distinct sexual organs. ashen adj. Pale. askance adv. With a side or indirect glance or meaning. asperity n. Harshness or roughness of temper. aspirant n. One who seeks earnestly, as for advancement, honors, place. aspiration n. An earnest wish for that which is above one's present reach. aspire v. To have an earnest desire, wish, or longing, as for something high and good, not yet attained. assailant n. One who attacks. assassin n. One who kills, or tries to kill, treacherously or secretly. assassinate v. To kill, as by surprise or secret assault, especially the killing of some eminent person. assassination n. Murderer, as by secret assault or treachery. assay n. The chemical analysis or testing of an alloy ore. assent v. To express agreement with a statement or matter of opinion. assess v. To determine the amount of (a tax or other sum to be paid). assessor n. An officer whose duty it is to assess taxes. assets n. pl. Property in general, regarded as applicable to the payment of debts. assiduous adj. Diligent. assignee n. One who is appointed to act for another in the management of certain property and interests. assimilate v. To adapt. assonance n. Resemblance or correspondence in sound.


assonant adj. Having resemblance of sound. assonate v. To accord in sound, especially vowel sound. assuage v. To cause to be less harsh, violent, or severe, as excitement, appetite, pain, or disease. astringent adj. Harsh in disposition or character. astute adj. Keen in discernment. atheism n. The denial of the existence of God. athirst adj. Wanting water. athwart adv. From side to side. atomizer n. An apparatus for reducing a liquid to a fine spray, as for disinfection, inhalation, etc. atone v. To make amends for. atonement n. Amends, reparation, or expiation made from wrong or injury. atrocious adj. Outrageously or wantonly wicked, criminal, vile, or cruel. atrocity n. Great cruelty or reckless wickedness. attaché n. A subordinate member of a diplomatic embassy. attest v. To certify as accurate, genuine, or true. attorney-general n. The chief law-officer of a government. auburn adj. Reddish-brown, said usually of the hair. audacious adj. Fearless. audible adj. Loud enough to be heard. audition n. The act or sensation of hearing. auditory adj. Of or pertaining to hearing or the organs or sense of hearing. augment v. To make bigger. augur v. To predict. Augustinian adj. Pertaining to St. Augustine, his doctrines, or the religious orders called after him. aura n. Pervasive psychic influence supposed to emanate from persons aural adj. Of or pertaining to the ear. auricle n. One of the two chambers of the heart which receives the blood from the veins. auricular adj. Of or pertaining to the ear, its auricle, or the sense of hearing. auriferous adj. Containing gold. aurora n. A luminous phenomenon in the upper regions of the atmosphere. auspice n. favoring, protecting, or propitious influence or guidance. austere adj. Severely simple; unadorned. autarchy n. Unrestricted power. authentic adj. Of undisputed origin. authenticity n. The state or quality of being genuine, or of the origin and authorship claimed. autobiography n. The story of one's life written by himself. autocracy n. Absolute government. autocrat n. Any one who claims or wields unrestricted or undisputed authority or influence. automaton n. Any living being whose actions are or appear to be involuntary or mechanical. autonomous adj. Self-governing. autonomy n. Self-government. autopsy n. The examination of a dead body by dissection to ascertain the cause of death. autumnal adj. Of or pertaining to autumn. auxiliary n. One who or that which aids or helps, especially when regarded as subsidiary or accessory. avalanche n. The fall or sliding of a mass of snow or ice down a mountain-slope, often bearing with it rock. avarice n. Passion for getting and keeping riches. aver v. To assert as a fact. averse adj. Reluctant. aversion n. A mental condition of fixed opposition to or dislike of some particular thing. avert v. To turn away or aside. aviary n. A spacious cage or enclosure in which live birds are kept. avidity n. Greediness. avocation n. Diversion. avow v. To declare openly. awaken v. To arouse, as emotion, interest, or the like. awry adv. & adj. Out of the proper form, direction, or position. aye adv. An expression of assent. azalea n. A flowering shrub. azure n. The color of the sky. Baconian adj. Of or pertaining to Lord Bacon or his system of philosophy. bacterium n. A microbe. badger v. To pester. baffle v. To foil or frustrate. bailiff n. An officer of court having custody of prisoners under arraignment. baize n. A single-colored napped woolen fabric used for table-covers, curtains, etc. bale n. A large package prepared for transportation or storage. baleful adj. Malignant. ballad n. Any popular narrative poem, often with epic subject and usually in lyric form.

balsam n. A medical preparation, aromatic and oily, used for healing. banal adj. Commonplace. barcarole n. A boat-song of Venetian gondoliers. barograph n. An instrument that registers graphically and continuously the atmospheric pressure. barometer n. An instrument for indicating the atmospheric pressure per unit of surface. barring prep. Apart from. baritone adj. Having a register higher than bass and lower than tenor. bask v. To make warm by genial heat. bass adj. Low in tone or compass. baste v. To cover with melted fat, gravy, while cooking. baton n. An official staff borne either as a weapon or as an emblem of authority or privilege. battalion n. A body of infantry composed of two or more companies, forming a part of a regiment. batten n. A narrow strip of wood. batter n. A thick liquid mixture of two or more materials beaten together, to be used in cookery. bauble n. A trinket. bawl v. To proclaim by outcry. beatify v. To make supremely happy. beatitude n. Any state of great happiness. beau n. An escort or lover. becalm v. To make quiet. beck v. To give a signal to, by nod or gesture. bedaub v. To smear over, as with something oily or sticky. bedeck v. To cover with ornament. bedlam n. Madhouse. befog v. To confuse. befriend v. To be a friend to, especially when in need. beget v. To produce by sexual generation. begrudge v. To envy one of the possession of. belate v. To delay past the proper hour. belay v. To make fast, as a rope, by winding round a cleat. belie v. To misrepresent. believe v. To accept as true on the testimony or authority of others. belittle v. To disparage. belle n. A woman who is a center of attraction because of her beauty, accomplishments, etc. bellicose adj. Warlike. belligerent adj. Manifesting a warlike spirit. bemoan v. To lament benediction n. a solemn invocation of the divine blessing. benefactor n. A doer of kindly and charitable acts. benefice n. A church office endowed with funds or property for the maintenance of divine service. beneficent adj. Characterized by charity and kindness. beneficial adj. Helpful. beneficiary n. One who is lawfully entitled to the profits and proceeds of an estate or property. benefit n. Helpful result. benevolence n. Any act of kindness or well-doing. benevolent adj. Loving others and actively desirous of their well-being. benign adj. Good and kind of heart. benignant adj. Benevolent in feeling, character, or aspect. benignity n. Kindness of feeling, disposition, or manner. benison n. Blessing. bequeath v. To give by will. bereave v. To make desolate with loneliness and grief. berth n. A bunk or bed in a vessel, sleeping-car, etc. beseech v. To implore. beset v. To attack on all sides. besmear v. To smear over, as with any oily or sticky substance. bestial adj. Animal. bestrew v. To sprinkle or cover with things strewn. bestride v. To get or sit upon astride, as a horse. bethink v. To remind oneself. betide v. To happen to or befall. betimes adv. In good season or time. betroth v. To engage to marry. betrothal n. Engagement to marry. bevel n. Any inclination of two surfaces other than 90 degrees. bewilder v. To confuse the perceptions or judgment of. bibliomania n. The passion for collecting books. bibliography n. A list of the words of an author, or the literature bearing on a particular subject.


bibliophile n. One who loves books. bibulous adj. Fond of drinking. bide v. To await. biennial n. A plant that produces leaves and roots the first year and flowers and fruit the second. bier n. A horizontal framework with two handles at each end for carrying a corpse to the grave. bigamist n. One who has two spouses at the same time. bigamy n. The crime of marrying any other person while having a legal spouse living. bight n. A slightly receding bay between headlands, formed by a long curve of a coast-line. bilateral adj. Two-sided. bilingual adj. Speaking two languages. biograph n. A bibliographical sketch or notice. biography n. A written account of one's life, actions, and character. biology n. The science of life or living organisms. biped n. An animal having two feet. birthright n. A privilege or possession into which one is born. bitterness n. Acridity, as to the taste. blasé adj. Sated with pleasure. blaspheme v. To indulge in profane oaths. blatant adj. Noisily or offensively loud or clamorous. blaze n. A vivid glowing flame. blazon v. To make widely or generally known. bleak adj. Desolate. blemish n. A mark that mars beauty. blithe adj. Joyous. blithesome adj. Cheerful. blockade n. The shutting up of a town, a frontier, or a line of coast by hostile forces. boatswain n. A subordinate officer of a vessel, who has general charge of the rigging, anchors, etc. bodice n. A women's ornamental corset-shaped laced waist. bodily adj. Corporeal. boisterous adj. Unchecked merriment or animal spirits. bole n. The trunk or body of a tree. bolero n. A Spanish dance, illustrative of the passion of love, accompanied by caste nets and singing. boll n. A round pod or seed-capsule, as a flax or cotton. bolster v. To support, as something wrong. bomb n. A hollow projectile containing an explosive material. bombard v. To assail with any missile or with abusive speech. bombardier n. A person who has charge of mortars, bombs, and shells. bombast n. Inflated or extravagant language, especially on unimportant subjects. boorish adj. Rude. bore v. To weary by tediousness or dullness. borough n. An incorporated village or town. bosom n. The breast or the upper front of the thorax of a human being, especially of a woman. botanical adj. Connected with the study or cultivation of plants. botanize v. To study plant-life. botany n. The science that treats of plants. bountiful adj. Showing abundance. Bowdlerize v. To expurgate in editing (a literary composition) by omitting words or passages. bowler n. In cricket, the player who delivers the ball. boycott v. To place the products or merchandise of under a ban. brae n. Hillside. braggart n. A vain boaster. brandish v. To wave, shake, or flourish triumphantly or defiantly, as a sword or spear. bravado n. An aggressive display of boldness. bravo interj. Well done. bray n. A loud harsh sound, as the cry of an ass or the blast of a horn. braze v. To make of or ornament with brass. brazier n. An open pan or basin for holding live coals. breach n. The violation of official duty, lawful right, or a legal obligation. breaker n. One who trains horses, dogs, etc. breech n. The buttocks. brethren n. pl. Members of a brotherhood, gild, profession, association, or the like. brevity n. Shortness of duration. bric-a-brac n. Objects of curiosity or for decoration. bridle n. The head-harness of a horse consisting of a head-stall, a bit, and the reins. brigade n. A body of troops consisting of two or more regiments. brigadier n. General officer who commands a brigade, ranking between a colonel and a major-general. brigand n. One who lives by robbery and plunder. brimstone n. Sulfur. brine n. Water saturated with salt. bristle n. One of the coarse, stiff hairs of swine: used in brush-making, etc. Britannia n. The United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Briticism n. A word, idiom, or phrase characteristic of Great Britain or the British. brittle adj. Fragile. broach v. To mention, for the first time. broadcast adj. Disseminated far and wide. brogan n. A coarse, heavy shoe. brogue n. Any dialectic pronunciation of English, especially that of the Irish people. brokerage n. The business of making sales and purchases for a commission; a broker. bromine n. A dark reddish-brown, non-metallic liquid element with a suffocating odor. bronchitis n. Inflammation of the bronchial tubes. bronchus n. Either of the two subdivisions of the trachea conveying air into the lungs. brooch n. An article of jewelry fastened by a hinged pin and hook on the underside. brotherhood n. Spiritual or social fellowship or solidarity. browbeat v. To overwhelm, or attempt to do so, by stern, haughty, or rude address or manner. brusque adj. Somewhat rough or rude in manner or speech. buffoon n. A clown. buffoonery n. Low drollery, coarse jokes, etc. bulbous adj. Of, or pertaining to, or like a bulb. bullock n. An ox. bulrush n. Any one of various tall rush-like plants growing in damp ground or water. bulwark n. Anything that gives security or defense. bumper n. A cup or glass filled to the brim, especially one to be drunk as a toast or health. bumptious adj. Full of offensive and aggressive self-conceit. bungle v. To execute clumsily. buoyancy n. Power or tendency to float on or in a liquid or gas. buoyant adj. Having the power or tendency to float or keep afloat. bureau n. A chest of drawers for clothing, etc. bureaucracy n. Government by departments of men transacting particular branches of public business. burgess n. In colonial times, a member of the lower house of the legislature of Maryland or Virginia. burgher n. An inhabitant, citizen or freeman of a borough burgh, or corporate town. burnish v. To make brilliant or shining. bursar n. A treasurer. bustle v. To hurry. butt v. To strike with or as with the head, or horns. butte n. A conspicuous hill, low mountain, or natural turret, generally isolated. buttress n. Any support or prop. by-law n. A rule or law adopted by an association, a corporation, or the like. cabal n. A number of persons secretly united for effecting by intrigue some private purpose. cabalism n. Superstitious devotion to one's religion. cabinet n. The body of men constituting the official advisors of the executive head of a nation. cacophony n. A disagreeable, harsh, or discordant sound or combination of sounds or tones. cadaverous adj. Resembling a corpse. cadence n. Rhythmical or measured flow or movement, as in poetry or the time and pace of marching troops. cadenza n. An embellishment or flourish, prepared or improvised, for a solo voice or instrument. caitiff adj. Cowardly. cajole v. To impose on or dupe by flattering speech. cajolery n. Delusive speech. calculable adj. That may be estimated by reckoning. calculus n. A concretion formed in various parts of the body resembling a pebble in hardness. callosity n. The state of being hard and insensible. callow adj. Without experience of the world. calorie n. Amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree centigrade. calumny n. Slander. Calvary n. The place where Christ was crucified. Calvinism n. The system of doctrine taught by John Calvin. Calvinize v. To teach or imbue with the doctrines of Calvinism. came n. A leaden sash-bar or grooved strip for fastening panes in stained-glass windows. cameo n. Any small engraved or carved work in relief. campaign n. A complete series of connected military operations. Canaanite n. A member of one of the three tribes that dwelt in the land of Canaan, or western Palestine. canary adj. Of a bright but delicate yellow. candid adj. Straightforward. candor n. The quality of frankness or outspokenness. canine adj. Characteristic of a dog. canon n. Any rule or law. cant v. To talk in a singsong, preaching tone with affected solemnity. cantata n. A choral composition.


canto n. One of the divisions of an extended poem. cantonment n. The part of the town or district in which the troops are quartered. capacious adj. Roomy. capillary n. A minute vessel having walls composed of a single layer of cells. capitulate v. To surrender or stipulate terms. caprice n. A whim. caption n. A heading, as of a chapter, section, document, etc. captious adj. Hypercritical. captivate v. To fascinate, as by excellence. eloquence, or beauty. carcass n. The dead body of an animal. cardiac adj. Pertaining to the heart. cardinal adj. Of prime or special importance. caret n. A sign (^) placed below a line, indicating where omitted words, etc., should be inserted. caricature n. a picture or description in which natural characteristics are exaggerated or distorted. carnage n. Massacre. carnal adj. Sensual. carnivorous adj. Eating or living on flesh. carouse v. To drink deeply and in boisterous or jovial manner. carrion n. Dead and putrefying flesh. cartilage n. An elastic animal tissue of firm consistence. cartridge n. A charge for a firearm, or for blasting. caste n. The division of society on artificial grounds. castigate v. To punish. casual adj. Accidental, by chance. casualty n. A fatal or serious accident or disaster. cataclysm n. Any overwhelming flood of water. cataract n. Opacity of the lens of the eye resulting in complete or partial blindness. catastrophe n. Any great and sudden misfortune or calamity. cathode n. The negative pole or electrode of a galvanic battery. Catholicism n. The system, doctrine, and practice of the Roman Catholic Church. catholicity n. Universal prevalence or acceptance. cat-o-nine-tails n. An instrument consisting of nine pieces of cord, formerly used for flogging in the army and navy. caucus n. A private meeting of members of a political party to select candidates. causal adj. Indicating or expressing a cause. caustic adj. Sarcastic and severe. cauterize v. To burn or sear as with a heated iron. cede v. To pass title to. censor n. An official examiner of manuscripts empowered to prohibit their publication. censorious adj. Judging severely or harshly. census n. An official numbering of the people of a country or district. centenary adj. Pertaining to a hundred years or a period of a hundred years. centiliter n. A hundredth of a liter. centimeter n. A length of one hundredth of a meter. centurion n. A captain of a company of one hundred infantry in the ancient Roman army. cereal adj. Pertaining to edible grain or farinaceous seeds. ceremonial adj. Characterized by outward form or ceremony. ceremonious adj. Observant of ritual. cessation n. Discontinuance, as of action or motion. cession n. Surrender, as of possessions or rights. chagrin n. Keen vexation, annoyance, or mortification, as at one's failures or errors. chameleon adj. Changeable in appearance. chancery n. A court of equity, as distinguished from a common-law court. chaos n. Any condition of which the elements or parts are in utter disorder and confusion. characteristic n. A distinctive feature. characterize v. To describe by distinctive marks or peculiarities. charlatan n. A quack. chasm n. A yawning hollow, as in the earth's surface. chasten v. To purify by affliction. chastise v. To subject to punitive measures. chastity n. Sexual or moral purity. chateau n. A castle or manor-house. chattel n. Any article of personal property. check v. To hold back. chiffon n. A very thin gauze used for trimmings, evening dress, etc. chivalry n. The knightly system of feudal times with its code, usages and practices. cholera n. An acute epidemic disease. choleric adj. Easily provoked to anger. choral adj. Pertaining to, intended for, or performed by a chorus or choir. Christ n. A title of Jesus christen v. To name in baptism. Christendom n. That part of the world where Christianity is generally professed. chromatic adj. Belonging, relating to, or abounding in color.

chronology n. The science that treats of computation of time or of investigation and arrangement of events. chronometer n. A portable timekeeper of the highest attainable precision. cipher v. To calculate arithmetically. (also a noun meaning zero or nothing) circulate v. To disseminate. circumference n. The boundary-line of a circle. circumlocution n. Indirect or roundabout expression. circumnavigate v. To sail quite around. circumscribe v. To confine within bounds. circumspect adj. Showing watchfulness, caution, or careful consideration. citadel n. Any strong fortress. cite v. To refer to specifically. claimant n. One who makes a claim or demand, as of right. clairvoyance n. Intuitive sagacity or perception. clamorous adj. Urgent in complaint or demand. clan n. A tribe. clandestine adj. Surreptitious. clangor n. Clanking or a ringing, as of arms, chains, or bells; clamor. clarify v. To render intelligible. clarion n. A small shrill trumpet or bugle. classify v. To arrange in a class or classes on the basis of observed resemblance; and differences. clearance n. A certificate from the proper authorities that a vessel has complied with the law and may sail. clemency n. Mercy. clement adj. Compassionate. close-hauled adj. Having the sails set for sailing as close to the wind as possible. clothier n. One who makes or sells cloth or clothing. clumsy adj. Awkward of movement. coagulate v. To change into a clot or a jelly, as by heat, by chemical action, or by a ferment. coagulant adj. Producing coagulation. coalescence n. The act or process of coming together so as to form one body, combination, or product. coalition n. Combination in a body or mass. coddle v. To treat as a baby or an invalid. codicil n. A supplement adding to, revoking, or explaining in the body of a will. coerce v. To force. coercion n. Forcible constraint or restraint, moral or physical. coercive adj. Serving or tending to force. cogent adj. Appealing strongly to the reason or conscience. cognate adj. Akin. cognizant adj. Taking notice. cohere v. To stick together. cohesion n. Consistency. cohesive adj. Having the property of consistency. coincide v. To correspond. coincidence n. A circumstance so agreeing with another: often implying accident. coincident adj. Taking place at the same time. collaborate v. To labor or cooperate with another or others, especially in literary or scientific pursuits. collapse v. To cause to shrink, fall in, or fail. collapsible adj. That may or can collapse. colleague n. An associate in professional employment. collective adj. Consisting of a number of persons or objects considered as gathered into a mass, or sum. collector n. One who makes a collection, as of objects of art, books, or the like. collegian n. A college student. collide v. To meet and strike violently. collier n. One who works in a coal-mine. collision n. Violent contact. colloquial adj. Pertaining or peculiar to common speech as distinguished from literary. colloquialism n. Form of speech used only or chiefly in conversation. colloquy n. Conversation. collusion n. A secret agreement for a wrongful purpose. colossus n. Any strikingly great person or object. comely adj. Handsome. comestible adj. Fit to be eaten. comical adj. Funny. commemorate v. To serve as a remembrance of. commentary n. A series of illustrative or explanatory notes on any important work. commingle v. To blend. commissariat n. The department of an army charged with the provision of its food and water and daily needs. commission v. To empower. commitment n. The act or process of entrusting or consigning for safe-keeping.


committal n. The act, fact, or result of committing, or the state of being commodity n. Something that is bought and sold. commotion n. A disturbance or violent agitation. commute v. To put something, especially something less severe, in place of. comparable adj. Fit to be compared. comparative adj. Relative. comparison n. Examination of two or more objects with reference to their likeness or unlikeness. compensate v. To remunerate. competence n. Adequate qualification or capacity. competent adj. Qualified. competitive adj. characterized by rivalry. competitor n. A rival. complacence n. Satisfaction with one's acts or surroundings. complacent adj. Pleased or satisfied with oneself. complaisance n. Politeness. complaisant adj. Agreeable. complement v. To make complete. complex adj. Complicated. compliant adj. Yielding. complicate v. To make complex, difficult, or hard to deal with. complication n. An intermingling or combination of things or parts, especially in a perplexing manner. complicity n. Participation or partnership, as in wrong-doing or with a wrong-doer. compliment v. To address or gratify with expressions of delicate praise. component n. A constituent element or part. comport v. To conduct or behave (oneself). composure n. Calmness. comprehensible adj. Intelligible. comprehension n. Ability to know. comprehensive adj. Large in scope or content. compress v. To press together or into smaller space. compressible adj. Capable of being pressed into smaller compass. compression n. Constraint, as by force or authority. comprise v. To consist of. compulsion n. Coercion. compulsory adj. Forced. compunction n. Remorseful feeling. compute v. To ascertain by mathematical calculation. concede v. To surrender. conceit n. Self-flattering opinion. conceive v. To form an idea, mental image or thought of. concerto n. A musical composition. concession n. Anything granted or yielded, or admitted in response to a demand, petition, or claim. conciliate v. To obtain the friendship of. conciliatory adj. Tending to reconcile. conclusive adj. Sufficient to convince or decide. concord n. Harmony. concordance n. Harmony. concur v. To agree. concurrence n. Agreement. concurrent adj. Occurring or acting together. concussion n. A violent shock to some organ by a fall or a sudden blow. condensation n. The act or process of making dense or denser. condense v. To abridge. condescend v. To come down voluntarily to equal terms with inferiors. condolence n. Expression of sympathy with a person in pain, sorrow, or misfortune. conduce v. To bring about. conducive adj. Contributing to an end. conductible adj. Capable of being conducted or transmitted. conduit n. A means for conducting something, particularly a tube, pipe, or passageway for a fluid. confectionery n. The candy collectively that a confectioner makes or sells, as candy. confederacy n. A number of states or persons in compact or league with each other, as for mutual aid. confederate n. One who is united with others in a league, compact, or agreement. confer v. To bestow. conferee n. A person with whom another confers. confessor n. A spiritual advisor. confidant n. One to whom secrets are entrusted. confide v. To reveal in trust or confidence. confidence n. The state or feeling of trust in or reliance upon another. confident adj. Assured. confinement n. Restriction within limits or boundaries.

confiscate v. To appropriate (private property) as forfeited to the public use or treasury. conflagration n. A great fire, as of many buildings, a forest, or the like. confluence n. The place where streams meet. confluent n. A stream that unites with another. conformance n. The act or state or conforming. conformable adj. Harmonious. conformation n. General structure, form, or outline. conformity n. Correspondence in form, manner, or use. confront v. To encounter, as difficulties or obstacles. congeal v. To coagulate. congenial adj. Having kindred character or tastes. congest v. To collect into a mass. congregate v. To bring together into a crowd. coniferous adj. Cone-bearing trees. conjecture n. A guess. conjoin v. To unite. conjugal adj. Pertaining to marriage, marital rights, or married persons. conjugate adj. Joined together in pairs. conjugation n. The state or condition of being joined together. conjunction n. The state of being joined together, or the things so joined. connive v. To be in collusion. connoisseur n. A critical judge of art, especially one with thorough knowledge and sound judgment of art. connote v. To mean; signify. connubial adj. Pertaining to marriage or matrimony. conquer v. To overcome by force. consanguineous adj. Descended from the same parent or ancestor. conscience n. The faculty in man by which he distinguishes between right and wrong in character and conduct. conscientious adj. Governed by moral standard. conscious adj. Aware that one lives, feels, and thinks. conscript v. To force into military service. consecrate v. To set apart as sacred. consecutive adj. Following in uninterrupted succession. consensus n. A collective unanimous opinion of a number of persons. conservatism n. Tendency to adhere to the existing order of things. conservative adj. Adhering to the existing order of things. conservatory n. An institution for instruction and training in music and declamation. consign v. To entrust. consignee n. A person to whom goods or other property has been entrusted. consignor n. One who entrusts. consistency n. A state of permanence. console v. To comfort. consolidate v. To combine into one body or system. consonance n. The state or quality of being in accord with. consonant adj. Being in agreement or harmony with. consort n. A companion or associate. conspicuous adj. Clearly visible. conspirator n. One who agrees with others to cooperate in accomplishing some unlawful purpose. conspire v. To plot. constable n. An officer whose duty is to maintain the peace. constellation n. An arbitrary assemblage or group of stars. consternation n. Panic. constituency n. The inhabitants or voters in a district represented in a legislative body. constituent n. One who has the right to vote at an election. constrict v. To bind. consul n. An officer appointed to reside in a foreign city, chiefly to represent his country. consulate n. The place in which a consul transacts official business. consummate v. To bring to completion. consumption n. Gradual destruction, as by burning, eating, etc., or by using up, wearing out, etc. consumptive adj. Designed for gradual destruction. contagion n. The communication of disease from person to person. contagious adj. Transmitting disease. contaminate v. To pollute. contemplate v. To consider thoughtfully. contemporaneous adj. Living, occurring, or existing at the same time. contemporary adj. Living or existing at the same time. contemptible adj. Worthy of scorn or disdain. contemptuous adj. Disdainful. contender n. One who exerts oneself in opposition or rivalry. contiguity n. Proximity. contiguous adj. Touching or joining at the edge or boundary. continence n. Self-restraint with respect to desires, appetites, and passion.


contingency n. Possibility of happening. contingent adj. Not predictable. continuance n. Permanence. continuation n. Prolongation. continuity n. Uninterrupted connection in space, time, operation, or development. continuous adj. Connected, extended, or prolonged without separation or interruption of sequence. contort v. To twist into a misshapen form. contraband n. Trade forbidden by law or treaty. contradiction n. The assertion of the opposite of that which has been said. contradictory adj. Inconsistent with itself. contraposition n. A placing opposite. contravene v. To prevent or obstruct the operation of. contribution n. The act of giving for a common purpose. contributor n. One who gives or furnishes, in common with others, for a common purpose. contrite adj. Broken in spirit because of a sense of sin. contrivance n. The act planning, devising, inventing, or adapting something to or for a special purpose. contrive v. To manage or carry through by some device or scheme. control v. To exercise a directing, restraining, or governing influence over. controller n. One who or that which regulates or directs. contumacious adj. Rebellious. contumacy n. Contemptuous disregard of the requirements of rightful authority. contuse v. To bruise by a blow, either with or without the breaking of the skin. contusion n. A bruise. convalesce v. To recover after a sickness. convalescence n. The state of progressive restoration to health and strength after the cessation of disease. convalescent adj. Recovering health after sickness. convene v. To summon or cause to assemble. convenience n. Fitness, as of time or place. converge v. To cause to incline and approach nearer together. convergent adj. Tending to one point. conversant adj. Thoroughly informed. conversion n. Change from one state or position to another, or from one form to another. convertible adj. Interchangeable. convex adj. Curving like the segment of the globe or of the surface of a circle. conveyance n. That by which anything is transported. convivial adj. Devoted to feasting, or to good-fellowship in eating or drinking. convolution n. A winding motion. convolve v. To move with a circling or winding motion. convoy n. A protecting force accompanying property in course of transportation. convulse v. To cause spasms in. convulsion n. A violent and abnormal muscular contraction of the body. copious adj. Plenteous. coquette n. A flirt. cornice n. An ornamental molding running round the walls of a room close to the ceiling. cornucopia n. The horn of plenty, symbolizing peace and prosperity. corollary n. A proposition following so obviously from another that it requires little demonstration. coronation n. The act or ceremony of crowning a monarch. coronet n. Inferior crown denoting, according to its form, various degrees of noble rank less than sovereign. corporal adj. Belonging or relating to the body as opposed to the mind. corporate adj. Belonging to a corporation. corporeal adj. Of a material nature; physical. corps n. A number or body of persons in some way associated or acting together. corpse n. A dead body. corpulent adj. Obese. corpuscle n. A minute particle of matter. correlate v. To put in some relation of connection or correspondence. correlative adj. Mutually involving or implying one another. corrigible adj. Capable of reformation. corroborate v. To strengthen, as proof or conviction. corroboration n. Confirmation. corrode v. To ruin or destroy little by little. corrosion n. Gradual decay by crumbling or surface disintegration. corrosive n. That which causes gradual decay by crumbling or surface disintegration. corruptible adj. Open to bribery. corruption n. Loss of purity or integrity. cosmetic adj. Pertaining to the art of beautifying, especially the complexion. cosmic adj. Pertaining to the universe. cosmogony n. A doctrine of creation or of the origin of the universe.

cosmography n. The science that describes the universe, including astronomy, geography, and geology. cosmology n. The general science of the universe. cosmopolitan adj. Common to all the world. cosmopolitanism n. A cosmopolitan character. cosmos n. The world or universe considered as a system, perfect in order and arrangement. counter-claim n. A cross-demand alleged by a defendant in his favor against the plaintiff. counteract v. To act in opposition to. counterbalance v. To oppose with an equal force. countercharge v. To accuse in return. counterfeit adj. Made to resemble something else. counterpart n. Something taken with another for the completion of either. countervail v. To offset. counting-house n. A house or office used for transacting business, bookkeeping, correspondence, etc. countryman n. A rustic. courageous adj. Brave. course n. Line of motion or direction. courser n. A fleet and spirited horse. courtesy n. Politeness originating in kindness and exercised habitually. covenant n. An agreement entered into by two or more persons or parties. covert adj. Concealed, especially for an evil purpose. covey n. A flock of quails or partridges. cower v. To crouch down tremblingly, as through fear or shame. coxswain n. One who steers a rowboat, or one who has charge of a ship's boat and its crew under an officer. crag n. A rugged, rocky projection on a cliff or ledge. cranium n. The skull of an animal, especially that part enclosing the brain. crass adj. Coarse or thick in nature or structure, as opposed to thin or fine. craving n. A vehement desire. creak n. A sharp, harsh, squeaking sound. creamery n. A butter-making establishment. creamy adj. Resembling or containing cream. credence n. Belief. credible adj. Believable. credulous adj. Easily deceived. creed n. A formal summary of fundamental points of religious belief. crematory adj. A place for cremating dead bodies. crevasse n. A deep crack or fissure in the ice of a glacier. crevice n. A small fissure, as between two contiguous surfaces. criterion n. A standard by which to determine the correctness of a judgment or conclusion. critique n. A criticism or critical review. crockery n. Earthenware made from baked clay. crucible n. A trying and purifying test or agency. crusade n. Any concerted movement, vigorously prosecuted, in behalf of an idea or principle. crustacean adj. Pertaining to a division of arthropods, containing lobsters, crabs, crawfish, etc. crustaceous adj. Having a crust-like shell. cryptogram n. Anything written in characters that are secret or so arranged as to have hidden meaning. crystallize v. To bring together or give fixed shape to. cudgel n. A short thick stick used as a club. culinary adj. Of or pertaining to cooking or the kitchen. cull v. To pick or sort out from the rest. culpable adj. Guilty. culprit n. A guilty person. culvert n. Any artificial covered channel for the passage of water through a bank or under a road, canal. cupidity n. Avarice. curable adj. Capable of being remedied or corrected. curator n. A person having charge as of a library or museum. curio n. A piece of bric-a-brac. cursive adj. Writing in which the letters are joined together. cursory adj. Rapid and superficial. curt adj. Concise, compressed, and abrupt in act or expression. curtail v. To cut off or cut short. curtsy n. A downward movement of the body by bending the knees. cycloid adj. Like a circle. cygnet n. A young swan. cynical adj. Exhibiting moral skepticism. cynicism n. Contempt for the opinions of others and of what others value. cynosure n. That to which general interest or attention is directed. daring adj. Brave.


darkling adv. Blindly. Darwinism n. The doctrine that natural selection has been the prime cause of evolution of higher forms. dastard n. A base coward. datum n. A premise, starting-point, or given fact. dauntless adj. Fearless. day-man n. A day-laborer. dead-heat n. A race in which two or more competitors come out even, and there is no winner. dearth n. Scarcity, as of something customary, essential ,or desirable. death's-head n. A human skull as a symbol of death. debase v. To lower in character or virtue. debatable adj. Subject to contention or dispute. debonair adj. Having gentle or courteous bearing or manner. debut n. A first appearance in society or on the stage. decagon n. A figure with ten sides and ten angles. decagram n. A weight of 10 grams. decaliter n. A liquid and dry measure of 10 liters. decalogue n. The ten commandments. Decameron n. A volume consisting of ten parts or books. decameter n. A length of ten meters. decamp v. To leave suddenly or unexpectedly. decapitate v. To behead. decapod adj. Ten-footed or ten-armed. decasyllable n. A line of ten syllables. deceit n. Falsehood. deceitful adj. Fraudulent. deceive v. To mislead by or as by falsehood. decency n. Moral fitness. decent adj. Characterized by propriety of conduct, speech, manners, or dress. deciduous adj. Falling off at maturity as petals after flowering, fruit when ripe, etc. decimal adj. Founded on the number 10. decimate v. To destroy a measurable or large proportion of. decipher v. To find out the true words or meaning of, as something hardly legible. decisive ad. Conclusive. declamation n. A speech recited or intended for recitation from memory in public. declamatory adj. A full and formal style of utterance. declarative adj. Containing a formal, positive, or explicit statement or affirmation. declension n. The change of endings in nouns and adj. to express their different relations of gender. decorate v. To embellish. decorous adj. Suitable for the occasion or circumstances. decoy n. Anything that allures, or is intended to allures into danger or temptation. decrepit adj. Enfeebled, as by old age or some chronic infirmity. dedication n. The voluntary consecration or relinquishment of something to an end or cause. deduce v. To derive or draw as a conclusion by reasoning from given premises or principles. deface v. To mar or disfigure the face or external surface of. defalcate v. To cut off or take away, as a part of something. defamation n. Malicious and groundless injury done to the reputation or good name of another. defame v. To slander. default n. The neglect or omission of a legal requirement. defendant n. A person against whom a suit is brought. defensible adj. Capable of being maintained or justified. defensive adj. Carried on in resistance to aggression. defer v. To delay or put off to some other time. deference n. Respectful submission or yielding, as to another's opinion, wishes, or judgment. defiant adj. Characterized by bold or insolent opposition. deficiency n. Lack or insufficiency. deficient adj. Not having an adequate or proper supply or amount. definite adj. Having an exact signification or positive meaning. deflect v. To cause to turn aside or downward. deforest v. To clear of forests. deform v. To disfigure. deformity n. A disfigurement. defraud v. To deprive of something dishonestly. defray v. To make payment for. degeneracy n. A becoming worse. degenerate v. To become worse or inferior. degradation n. Diminution, as of strength or magnitude. degrade v. To take away honors or position from. dehydrate v. To deprive of water. deify v. To regard or worship as a god.

deign v. To deem worthy of notice or account. deist n. One who believes in God, but denies supernatural revelation. deity n. A god, goddess, or divine person. deject v. To dishearten. dejection n. Melancholy. delectable adj. Delightful to the taste or to the senses. delectation n. Delight. deleterious adj. Hurtful, morally or physically. delicacy n. That which is agreeable to a fine taste. delineate v. To represent by sketch or diagram. deliquesce v. To dissolve gradually and become liquid by absorption of moisture from the air. delirious adj. Raving. delude v. To mislead the mind or judgment of. deluge v. To overwhelm with a flood of water. delusion n. Mistaken conviction, especially when more or less enduring. demagnetize v. To deprive (a magnet) of magnetism. demagogue n. An unprincipled politician. demeanor n. Deportment. demented adj. Insane. demerit n. A mark for failure or bad conduct. demise n. Death. demobilize v. To disband, as troops. demolish v. To annihilate. demonstrable adj. Capable of positive proof. demonstrate v. To prove indubitably. demonstrative adj. Inclined to strong exhibition or expression of feeling or thoughts. demonstrator n. One who proves in a convincing and conclusive manner. demulcent n. Any application soothing to an irritable surface demurrage n. the detention of a vessel beyond the specified time of sailing. dendroid adj. Like a tree. dendrology n. The natural history of trees. denizen n. Inhabitant. denominate v. To give a name or epithet to. denomination n. A body of Christians united by a common faith and form of worship and discipline. denominator n. Part of a fraction which expresses the number of equal parts into which the unit is divided. denote v. To designate by word or mark. denouement n. That part of a play or story in which the mystery is cleared up. denounce v. To point out or publicly accuse as deserving of punishment, censure, or odium. dentifrice n. Any preparation used for cleaning the teeth. denude v. To strip the covering from. denunciation n. The act of declaring an action or person worthy of reprobation or punishment. deplete v. To reduce or lessen, as by use, exhaustion, or waste. deplorable adj. Contemptible. deplore v. To regard with grief or sorrow. deponent adj. Laying down. depopulate v. To remove the inhabitants from. deport v. To take or send away forcibly, as to a penal colony. deportment n. Demeanor. deposition n. Testimony legally taken on interrogatories and reduced to writing, for use as evidence in court. depositor n. One who makes a deposit, or has an amount deposited. depository n. A place where anything is kept in safety. deprave v. To render bad, especially morally bad. deprecate v. To express disapproval or regret for, with hope for the opposite. depreciate v. To lessen the worth of. depreciation n. A lowering in value or an underrating in worth. depress v. To press down. depression n. A falling of the spirits. depth n. Deepness. derelict adj. Neglectful of obligation. deride v. To ridicule. derisible adj. Open to ridicule. derision n. Ridicule. derivation n. That process by which a word is traced from its original root or primitive form and meaning. derivative adj. Coming or acquired from some origin. derive v. To deduce, as from a premise. dermatology n. The branch of medical science which relates to the skin and its diseases. derrick n. An apparatus for hoisting and swinging great weights.


descendant n. One who is descended lineally from another, as a child, grandchild, etc. descendent adj. Proceeding downward. descent n. The act of moving or going downward. descry v. To discern. desert v. To abandon without regard to the welfare of the abandoned desiccant n. Any remedy which, when applied externally, dries up or absorbs moisture, as that of wounds. designate v. To select or appoint, as by authority. desist v. To cease from action. desistance n. Cessation. despair n. Utter hopelessness and despondency. desperado n. One without regard for law or life. desperate adj. Resorted to in a last extremity, or as if prompted by utter despair. despicable adj. Contemptible. despite prep. In spite of. despond v. To lose spirit, courage, or hope. despondent adj. Disheartened. despot n. An absolute and irresponsible monarch. despotism n. Any severe and strict rule in which the judgment of the governed has little or no part. destitute adj. Poverty-stricken. desultory adj. Not connected with what precedes. deter v. To frighten away. deteriorate v. To grow worse. determinate adj. Definitely limited or fixed. determination n. The act of deciding. deterrent adj. Hindering from action through fear. detest v. To dislike or hate with intensity. detract v. To take away in such manner as to lessen value or estimation. detriment n. Something that causes damage, depreciation, or loss. detrude v. To push down forcibly. deviate v. To take a different course. devilry n. Malicious mischief. deviltry n. Wanton and malicious mischief. devious adj. Out of the common or regular track. devise v. To invent. devout adj. Religious. dexterity n. Readiness, precision, efficiency, and ease in any physical activity or in any mechanical work. diabolic adj. Characteristic of the devil. diacritical adj. Marking a difference. diagnose v. To distinguish, as a disease, by its characteristic phenomena. diagnosis n. Determination of the distinctive nature of a disease. dialect n. Forms of speech collectively that are peculiar to the people of a particular district. dialectician n. A logician. dialogue n. A formal conversation in which two or more take part. diaphanous adj. Transparent. diatomic adj. Containing only two atoms. diatribe n. A bitter or malicious criticism. dictum n. A positive utterance. didactic adj. Pertaining to teaching. difference n. Dissimilarity in any respect. differentia n. Any essential characteristic of a species by reason of which it differs from other species. differential adj. Distinctive. differentiate v. To acquire a distinct and separate character. diffidence n. Self-distrust. diffident adj. Affected or possessed with self-distrust. diffusible adj. Spreading rapidly through the system and acting quickly. diffusion n. Dispersion. dignitary n. One who holds high rank. digraph n. A union of two characters representing a single sound. digress v. To turn aside from the main subject and for a time dwell on some incidental matter. dilapidated pa. Fallen into decay or partial ruin. dilate v. To enlarge in all directions. dilatory adj. Tending to cause delay. dilemma n. A situation in which a choice between opposing modes of conduct is necessary. dilettante n. A superficial amateur. diligence n. Careful and persevering effort to accomplish what is undertaken. dilute v. To make more fluid or less concentrated by admixture with something. diminution n. Reduction. dimly adv. Obscurely.

diphthong n. The sound produced by combining two vowels in to a single syllable or running together the sounds. diplomacy n. Tact, shrewdness, or skill in conducting any kind of negotiations or in social matters. diplomat n. A representative of one sovereign state at the capital or court of another. diplomatic adj. Characterized by special tact in negotiations. diplomatist n. One remarkable for tact and shrewd management. disagree v. To be opposite in opinion. disallow v. To withhold permission or sanction. disappear v. To cease to exist, either actually or for the time being. disappoint v. To fail to fulfill the expectation, hope, wish, or desire of. disapprove v. To regard with blame. disarm v. To deprive of weapons. disarrange v. To throw out of order. disavow v. To disclaim responsibility for. disavowal n. Denial. disbeliever n. One who refuses to believe. disburden v. To disencumber. disburse v. To pay out or expend, as money from a fund. discard v. To reject. discernible adj. Perceivable. disciple n. One who believes the teaching of another, or who adopts and follows some doctrine. disciplinary adj. Having the nature of systematic training or subjection to authority. discipline v. To train to obedience. disclaim v. To disavow any claim to, connection with, or responsibility to. discolor v. To stain. discomfit v. To put to confusion. discomfort n. The state of being positively uncomfortable. disconnect v. To undo or dissolve the connection or association of. disconsolate adj. Grief-stricken. discontinuance n. Interruption or intermission. discord n. Absence of harmoniousness. discountenance v. To look upon with disfavor. discover v. To get first sight or knowledge of, as something previously unknown or unperceived. discredit v. To injure the reputation of. discreet adj. Judicious. discrepant adj. Opposite. discriminate v. To draw a distinction. discursive adj. Passing from one subject to another. discussion n. Debate. disenfranchise v. To deprive of any right privilege or power disengage v. To become detached. disfavor n. Disregard. disfigure v. To impair or injure the beauty, symmetry, or appearance of. dishabille n. Undress or negligent attire. dishonest adj. Untrustworthy. disillusion v. To disenchant. disinfect v. To remove or destroy the poison of infectious or contagious diseases. disinfectant n. A substance used to destroy the germs of infectious diseases. disinherit v. To deprive of an inheritance. disinterested adj. Impartial. disjunctive adj. Helping or serving to disconnect or separate. dislocate v. To put out of proper place or order. dismissal n. Displacement by authority from an office or an employment. dismount v. To throw down, push off, or otherwise remove from a horse or the like. disobedience n. Neglect or refusal to comply with an authoritative injunction. disobedient adj. Neglecting or refusing to obey. disown v. To refuse to acknowledge as one's own or as connected with oneself. disparage v. To regard or speak of slightingly. disparity n. Inequality. dispel v. To drive away by or as by scattering in different directions. dispensation n. That which is bestowed on or appointed to one from a higher power. displace v. To put out of the proper or accustomed place. dispossess v. To deprive of actual occupancy, especially of real estate. disputation n. Verbal controversy. disqualify v. To debar. disquiet v. To deprive of peace or tranquility. disregard v. To take no notice of. disreputable adj. Dishonorable or disgraceful. disrepute n. A bad name or character. disrobe v. To unclothe. disrupt v. To burst or break asunder. dissatisfy v. To displease. dissect v. To cut apart or to pieces.


dissection n. The act or operation of cutting in pieces, specifically of a plant or an animal. dissemble v. To hide by pretending something different. disseminate v. To sow or scatter abroad, as seed is sown. dissension n. Angry or violent difference of opinion. dissent n. Disagreement. dissentient n. One who disagrees. dissentious adj. Contentious. dissertation n. Thesis. disservice n. An ill turn. dissever v. To divide. dissimilar adj. Different. dissipate v. To disperse or disappear. dissipation n. The state of being dispersed or scattered. dissolute adj. Lewd. dissolution n. A breaking up of a union of persons. dissolve v. To liquefy or soften, as by heat or moisture. dissonance n. Discord. dissonant adj. Harsh or disagreeable in sound. dissuade v. To change the purpose or alter the plans of by persuasion, counsel, or pleading. dissuasion n. The act of changing the purpose of or altering the plans of through persuasion, or pleading. disyllable n. A word of two syllables. distemper n. A disease or malady. distend v. To stretch out or expand in every direction. distensible adj. Capable of being stretched out or expanded in every direction. distention n. Expansion. distill v. To extract or produce by vaporization and condensation. distillation n. Separation of the more volatile parts of a substance from those less volatile. distiller n. One occupied in the business of distilling alcoholic liquors. distinction n. A note or designation of honor, officially recognizing superiority or success in studies. distort v. To twist into an unnatural or irregular form. distrain v. To subject a person to distress. distrainor n. One who subjects a person to distress. distraught adj. Bewildered. distrust n. Lack of confidence in the power, wisdom, or good intent of any person. disunion n. Separation of relations or interests. diurnal adj. Daily. divagation n. Digression. divergent adj. Tending in different directions. diverse adj. Capable of various forms. diversion n. Pastime. diversity n. Dissimilitude. divert v. To turn from the accustomed course or a line of action already established. divertible adj. Able to be turned from the accustomed course or a line of action already established. divest v. To strip, specifically of clothes, ornaments, or accouterments or disinvestment. divination n. The pretended forecast of future events or discovery of what is lost or hidden. divinity n. The quality or character of being godlike. divisible adj. Capable of being separated into parts. divisor n. That by which a number or quantity is divided. divulge v. To tell or make known, as something previously private or secret. divulgence n. A divulging. docile adj. Easy to manage. docket n. The registry of judgments of a court. doe n. The female of the deer. dogma n. A statement of religious faith or duty formulated by a body claiming authority. dogmatic adj. Making statements without argument or evidence. dogmatize v. To make positive assertions without supporting them by argument or evidence. doleful adj. Melancholy. dolesome adj. Melancholy. dolor n. Lamentation. dolorous adj. Expressing or causing sorrow or pain. domain n. A sphere or field of action or interest. domesticity n. Life in or fondness for one's home and family. domicile n. The place where one lives. dominance n. Ascendancy. dominant adj. Conspicuously prominent. dominate v. To influence controllingly. domination n. Control by the exercise of power or constituted authority. domineer v. To rule with insolence or unnecessary annoyance. donate v. To bestow as a gift, especially for a worthy cause. donator n. One who makes a donation or present.

donee n. A person to whom a donation is made. donor n. One who makes a donation or present. dormant adj. Being in a state of or resembling sleep. doublet n. One of a pair of like things. doubly adv. In twofold degree or extent. dowry n. The property which a wife brings to her husband in marriage. drachma n. A modern and an ancient Greek coin. dragnet n. A net to be drawn along the bottom of the water. dragoon n. In the British army, a cavalryman. drainage n. The means of draining collectively, as a system of conduits, trenches, pipes, etc. dramatist n. One who writes plays. dramatize v. To relate or represent in a dramatic or theatrical manner. drastic adj. Acting vigorously. drought n. Dry weather, especially when so long continued as to cause vegetation to wither. drowsy adj. Heavy with sleepiness. drudgery n. Hard and constant work in any menial or dull occupation. dubious adj. Doubtful. duckling n. A young duck. ductile adj. Capable of being drawn out, as into wire or a thread. duet n. A composition for two voices or instruments. dun v. To make a demand or repeated demands on for payment. duplex adj. Having two parts. duplicity n. Double-dealing. durance n. Confinement. duration n. The period of time during which anything lasts. duteous adj. Showing submission to natural superiors. dutiable adj. Subject to a duty, especially a customs duty. dutiful adj. Obedient. dwindle v. To diminish or become less. dyne n. The force which, applied to a mass of one gram for 1 second, would give it a velocity of 1 cm/s. earnest adj. Ardent in spirit and speech. earthenware n. Anything made of clay and baked in a kiln or dried in the sun. eatable adj. Edible. ebullient adj. Showing enthusiasm or exhilaration of feeling. eccentric adj. Peculiar. eccentricity n. Idiosyncrasy. eclipse n. The obstruction of a heavenly body by its entering into the shadow of another body. economize v. To spend sparingly. ecstasy n. Rapturous excitement or exaltation. ecstatic adj. Enraptured. edible adj. Suitable to be eaten. edict n. That which is uttered or proclaimed by authority as a rule of action. edify v. To build up, or strengthen, especially in morals or religion. editorial n. An article in a periodical written by the editor and published as an official argument. educe v. To draw out. efface v. To obliterate. effect n. A consequence. effective adj. Fit for a destined purpose. effectual adj. Efficient. effeminacy n. Womanishness. effeminate adj. Having womanish traits or qualities. effervesce v. To bubble up. effervescent adj. Giving off bubbles of gas. effete adj. Exhausted, as having performed its functions. efficacious adj. Effective. efficacy n. The power to produce an intended effect as shown in the production of it. efficiency n. The state of possessing adequate skill or knowledge for the performance of a duty. efficient adj. Having and exercising the power to produce effects or results. efflorescence n. The state of being flowery, or a flowery appearance. efflorescent adj. Opening in flower. effluvium n. A noxious or ill-smelling exhalation from decaying or putrefying matter. effrontery n. Unblushing impudence. effulgence n. Splendor. effuse v. To pour forth. effusion n. an outpouring. egoism n. The theory that places man's chief good in the completeness of self. egoist n. One who advocates or practices egoism. egotism n. Self-conceit. egotist n. One given to self-mention or who is constantly telling of his own views and experiences.


egregious adj. Extreme. egress n. Any place of exit. eject v. To expel. elapse v. To quietly terminate: said of time. elasticity n. That property of matter by which a body tends to return to a former shape after being changed. electrolysis n. The process of decomposing a chemical compound by the passage of an electric current. electrotype n. A metallic copy of any surface, as a coin. elegy n. A lyric poem lamenting the dead. element n. A component or essential part. elicit v. To educe or extract gradually or without violence. eligible adj. Qualified for selection. eliminate v. To separate and cast aside. Elizabethan adj. Relating to Elizabeth, queen of England, or to her era. elocution n. The art of correct intonation, inflection, and gesture in public speaking or reading. eloquent adj. Having the ability to express emotion or feeling in lofty and impassioned speech. elucidate v. To bring out more clearly the facts concerning. elude v. To evade the search or pursuit of by dexterity or artifice. elusion n. Evasion. emaciate v. To waste away in flesh. emanate v. To flow forth or proceed, as from some source. emancipate v. To release from bondage. embargo n. Authoritative stoppage of foreign commerce or of any special trade. embark v. To make a beginning in some occupation or scheme. embarrass v. To render flustered or agitated. embellish v. To make beautiful or elegant by adding attractive or ornamental features. embezzle v. To misappropriate secretly. emblazon v. To set forth publicly or in glowing terms. emblem n. A symbol. embody v. To express, formulate, or exemplify in a concrete, compact or visible form. embolden v. To give courage to. embolism n. An obstruction or plugging up of an artery or other blood-vessel. embroil v. To involve in dissension or strife. emerge v. To come into view or into existence. emergence n. A coming into view. emergent adj. Coming into view. emeritus adj. Retired from active service but retained to an honorary position. emigrant n. One who moves from one place to settle in another. emigrate v. To go from one country, state, or region for the purpose of settling or residing in another. eminence n. An elevated position with respect to rank, place, character, condition, etc. eminent adj. High in station, merit, or esteem. emit v. To send or give out. emphasis n. Any special impressiveness added to an utterance or act, or stress laid upon some word. emphasize v. To articulate or enunciate with special impressiveness upon a word, or a group of words. emphatic adj. Spoken with any special impressiveness laid upon an act, word, or set of words. employee n. One who works for wages or a salary. employer n. One who uses or engages the services of other persons for pay. emporium n. A bazaar or shop. empower v. To delegate authority to. emulate v. To imitate with intent to equal or surpass. enact v. To make into law, as by legislative act. enamor v. To inspire with ardent love. encamp v. To pitch tents for a resting-place. encomium n. A formal or discriminating expression of praise. encompass v. To encircle. encore n. The call for a repetition, as of some part of a play or performance. encourage v. To inspire with courage, hope, or strength of mind. encroach v. To invade partially or insidiously and appropriate the possessions of another. encumber v. To impede with obstacles. encyclical adj. Intended for general circulation. encyclopedia n. A work containing information on subjects, or exhaustive of one subject. endanger v. To expose to peril. endear v. To cause to be loved. endemic adj. Peculiar to some specified country or people. endue v. To endow with some quality, gift, or grace, usually spiritual. endurable adj. Tolerable. endurance n. The ability to suffer pain, distress, hardship, or stress of any kind without succumbing. energetic adj. Working vigorously. enervate v. To render ineffective or inoperative. enfeeble v. To debilitate. enfranchise v. To endow with a privilege, especially with the right to vote.

engender v. To produce. engrave v. To cut or carve in or upon some surface. engross v. To occupy completely. enhance v. To intensify. enigma n. A riddle. enjoin v. To command. enkindle v. To set on fire. enlighten v. To cause to see clearly. enlist v. To enter voluntarily the military service by formal enrollment. enmity n. Hatred. ennoble v. To dignify. enormity n. Immensity. enormous adj. Gigantic. enrage v. To infuriate. enrapture v. To delight extravagantly or intensely. enshrine v. To keep sacred. ensnare v. To entrap. entail v. To involve; necessitate. entangle v. To involve in difficulties, confusion, or complications. enthrall v. To bring or hold under any overmastering influence. enthrone v. To invest with sovereign power. enthuse v. To yield to or display intense and rapturous feeling. enthusiastic adj. Full of zeal and fervor. entirety n. A complete thing. entomology n. The branch of zoology that treats of insects. entrails n. pl. The internal parts of an animal. entreaty n. An earnest request. entree n. The act of entering. entrench v. To fortify or protect, as with a trench or ditch and wall. entwine v. To interweave. enumerate v. To name one by one. epic n. A poem celebrating in formal verse the mythical achievements of great personages, heroes, etc. epicure n. One who cultivates a delicate taste for eating and drinking. Epicurean adj. Indulging, ministering, or pertaining to daintiness of appetite. epicycle n. A circle that rolls upon the external or internal circumference of another circle. epicycloid n. A curve traced by a point on the circumference of a circle which rolls upon another circle. epidemic n. Wide-spread occurrence of a disease in a certain region. epidermis n. The outer skin. epigram n. A pithy phrasing of a shrewd observation. epilogue n. The close of a narrative or dramatic poem. epiphany n. Any appearance or bodily manifestation of a deity. episode n. An incident or story in a literary work, separable from yet growing out of it. epitaph n. An inscription on a tomb or monument in honor or in memory of the dead. epithet n. Word used adjectivally to describe some quality or attribute of is objects, as in “Father Aeneas.” epitome n. A simplified representation. epizootic adj. Prevailing among animals. epoch n. A interval of time, memorable for extraordinary events. epode n. A species of lyric poems. equalize v. To render uniform. equanimity n. Evenness of mind or temper. equestrian adj. Pertaining to horses or horsemanship. equilibrium n. A state of balance. equitable adj. Characterized by fairness. equity n. Fairness or impartiality. equivalent adj. Equal in value, force, meaning, or the like. equivocal adj. Ambiguous. equivocate v. To use words of double meaning. eradicate v. To destroy thoroughly. errant adj. Roving or wandering, as in search of adventure or opportunity for gallant deeds. erratic adj. Irregular. erroneous adj. Incorrect. erudite adj. Very-learned. erudition n. Extensive knowledge of literature, history, language, etc. eschew v. To keep clear of. espy v. To keep close watch. esquire n. A title of dignity, office, or courtesy. essence n. That which makes a thing to be what it is. esthetic adj. Pertaining to beauty, taste, or the fine arts. estimable adj. Worthy of respect. estrange v. To alienate. estuary n. A wide lower part of a tidal river.


et cetera Latin. And so forth. eugenic adj. Relating to the development and improvement of race. eulogize v. To speak or write a laudation of a person's life or character. eulogy n. A spoken or written laudation of a person's life or character. euphemism n. A figure of speech by which a phrase less offensive is substituted. euphonious adj. Characterized by agreeableness of sound. euphony n. Agreeableness of sound. eureka Greek. I have found it. evade v. To avoid by artifice. evanesce v. To vanish gradually. evanescent adj. Fleeting. evangelical adj. Seeking the conversion of sinners. evangelist n. A preacher who goes from place to place holding services. evasion n. Escape. eventual adj. Ultimate. evert v. To turn inside out. evict v. To dispossess pursuant to judicial decree. evidential adj. Indicative. evince v. To make manifest or evident. evoke v. To call or summon forth. evolution n. Development or growth. evolve v. To unfold or expand. exacerbate v. To make more sharp, severe, or virulent. exaggerate v. To overstate. exasperate v. To excite great anger in. excavate v. To remove by digging or scooping out. exceed v. To go beyond, as in measure, quality, value, action, power, skill, etc. excel v. To be superior or distinguished. excellence n. Possession of eminently or unusually good qualities. excellency n. A title of honor bestowed upon various high officials. excellent adj. Possessing distinguished merit. excerpt n. An extract or selection from written or printed matter. excess n. That which passes the ordinary, proper, or required limit, measure, or experience. excitable adj. Nervously high-strung. excitation n. Intensified emotion or action. exclamation n. An abrupt or emphatic expression of thought or of feeling. exclude v. To shut out purposely or forcibly. exclusion n. Non-admission. excrescence n. Any unnatural addition, outgrowth, or development. excretion n. The getting rid of waste matter. excruciate v. To inflict severe pain or agony upon. excursion n. A journey. excusable adj. Justifiable. execrable adj. Abominable. execration n. An accursed thing. executor n. A person nominated by the will of another to execute the will. exegesis n. Biblical exposition or interpretation. exemplar n. A model, pattern, or original to be copied or imitated. exemplary adj. Fitted to serve as a model or example worthy of imitation. exemplify v. To show by example. exempt adj. Free, clear, or released, as from some liability, or restriction affecting others. exert v. To make an effort. exhale v. To breathe forth. exhaust v. To empty by draining off the contents. exhaustible adj. Causing or tending to cause exhaustion. exhaustion n. Deprivation of strength or energy. exhaustive adj. Thorough and complete in execution. exhilarate v. To fill with high or cheerful spirits. exhume v. To dig out of the earth (what has been buried). exigency n. A critical period or condition. exigent adj. Urgent. existence n. Possession or continuance of being. exit n. A way or passage out. exodus n. A going forth or departure from a place or country, especially of many people. exonerate v. To relieve or vindicate from accusation, imputation, or blame. exorbitance n. Extravagance or enormity. exorbitant adj. Going beyond usual and proper limits. exorcise v. To cast or drive out by religious or magical means. exotic adj. Foreign. expand v. To increase in range or scope. expanse n. A continuous area or stretch. expansion n. Increase of amount, size, scope, or the like. expatriate v. To drive from one's own country.

expect v. To look forward to as certain or probable. expectancy n. The act or state of looking forward to as certain or probable. expectorate v. To cough up and spit forth. expediency n. Fitness to meet the requirements of a particular case. expedient adj. Contributing to personal advantage. expedite v. To hasten the movement or progress of. expeditious adj. Speedy. expend v. To spend. expense n. The laying out or expending or money or other resources, as time or strength. expiate v. To make satisfaction or amends for. explicate v. To clear from involvement. explicit adj. Definite. explode v. To cause to burst in pieces by force from within. explosion n. A sudden and violent outbreak. explosive adj. Pertaining to a sudden and violent outbreak. exposition n. Formal presentation. expository adj. Pertaining to a formal presentation. expostulate v. To discuss. exposure n. An open situation or position in relation to the sun, elements, or points of the compass. expressive adj. Full of meaning. expulsion n. Forcible ejection. extant adj. Still existing and known. extemporaneous adj. Done or made without much or any preparation. extempore adv. Without studied or special preparation. extensible adj. Capable of being thrust out. extension n. A reaching or stretching out, as in space, time or scope. extensive adj. Extended widely in space, time, or scope. extensor n. A muscle that causes extension. extenuate v. To diminish the gravity or importance of. exterior n. That which is outside. external n. Anything relating or belonging to the outside. extinct adj. Being no longer in existence. extinguish v. To render extinct. extol v. To praise in the highest terms. extort v. To obtain by violence, threats, compulsion, or the subjection of another to some necessity. extortion n. The practice of obtaining by violence or compulsion. extradite v. To surrender the custody of. extradition n. The surrender by a government of a person accused of crime to the justice of another government. extrajudicial adj. Happening out of court. extraneous adj. Having no essential relation to a subject. extraordinary adj. Unusual. extravagance n. Undue expenditure of money. extravagant adj. Needlessly free or lavish in expenditure. extremist n. One who supports extreme measures or holds extreme views. extremity n. The utmost point, side, or border, or that farthest removed from a mean position. extricate v. Disentangle. extrude v. To drive out or away. exuberance n. Rich supply. exuberant adj. Marked by great plentifulness. fabricate v. To invent fancifully or falsely. fabulous adj. Incredible. facet n. One of the small triangular plane surfaces of a diamond or other gem. facetious adj. Amusing. facial adj. Pertaining to the face. facile adj. Not difficult to do. facilitate v. To make more easy. facility n. Ease. facsimile n. An exact copy or reproduction. faction n. A number of persons combined for a common purpose. factious adj. Turbulent. fallacious adj. Illogical. fallacy n. Any unsound or delusive mode of reasoning, or anything based on such reasoning. fallible adj. Capable of erring. fallow n. Land broken up and left to become mellow or to rest. famish v. To suffer extremity of hunger or thirst. fanatic n. A religious zealot. fancier n. One having a taste for or interest in special objects. fanciless adj. Unimaginative. fastidious adj. Hard to please.


fathom n. A measure of length, 6 feet. fatuous adj. Idiotic faulty adj. Imperfect. faun n. One of a class of deities of the woods and herds represented as half human, with goats feet. fawn n. A young deer. fealty n. Loyalty. feasible adj. That may be done, performed, or effected; practicable. federate v. To league together. feint n. Any sham, pretense, or deceptive movement. felicitate v. To wish joy or happiness to, especially in view of a coming event. felicity n. A state of well-founded happiness. felon n. A criminal or depraved person. felonious adj. Showing criminal or evil purpose. felony n. One of the highest class of offenses, and punishable with death or imprisonment. feminine adj. Characteristic of woman or womankind. fernery n. A place in which ferns are grown. ferocious adj. Of a wild, fierce, and savage nature. ferocity n. Savageness. fervent adj. Ardent in feeling. fervid adj. Intense. fervor n. Ardor or intensity of feeling. festal adj. Joyous. festive adj. Merry. fete n. A festival or feast. fetus n. The young in the womb or in the egg. feudal adj. Pertaining to the relation of lord and vassal. feudalism n. The feudal system. fez n. A brimless felt cap in the shape of a truncated cone, usually red with a black tassel. fiasco n. A complete or humiliating failure. fickle adj. Unduly changeable in feeling, judgment, or purpose. fictitious adj. Created or formed by the imagination. fidelity n. Loyalty. fiducial adj. Indicative of faith or trust. fief n. A landed estate held under feudal tenure. filibuster n. One who attempts to obstruct legislation. finale n. Concluding performance. finality n. The state or quality of being final or complete. finally adv. At last. financial adj. Monetary. financier n. One skilled in or occupied with financial affairs or operations. finery n. That which is used to decorate the person or dress. finesse n. Subtle contrivance used to gain a point. finite adj. Limited. fiscal adj. Pertaining to the treasury or public finances of a government. fishmonger n. One who sells fish. fissure n. A crack or crack-like depression. fitful adj. Spasmodic. fixture n. One who or that which is expected to remain permanently in its position. flag-officer n. The captain of a flag-ship. flagrant adj. Openly scandalous. flamboyant adj. Characterized by extravagance and in general by want of good taste. flatulence n. Accumulation of gas in the stomach and bowels. flection n. The act of bending. fledgling n. A young bird. flexible adj. Pliable. flimsy adj. Thin and weak. flippant adj. Having a light, pert, trifling disposition. floe n. A collection of tabular masses of floating polar ice. flora n. The aggregate of plants growing without cultivation in a district. floral adj. Pertaining to flowers. florid adj. Flushed with red. florist n. A dealer in flowers. fluctuate v. To pass backward and forward irregularly from one state or degree to another. fluctuation n. Frequent irregular change back and forth from one state or degree to another. flue n. A smoke-duct in a chimney. fluent adj. Having a ready or easy flow of words or ideas. fluential adj. Pertaining to streams. flux n. A state of constant movement, change, or renewal. foggy adj. Obscure. foible n. A personal weakness or failing. foist v. To palm off. foliage n. Any growth of leaves.

folio n. A sheet of paper folded once, or of a size adapted to folding once. folklore n. The traditions, beliefs, and customs of the common people. fondle v. To handle tenderly and lovingly. foolery n. Folly. foot-note n. A note of explanation or comment at the foot of a page or column. foppery n. Dandyism. foppish adj. Characteristic of one who is unduly devoted to dress and the niceties of manners. forbearance n. Patient endurance or toleration of offenses. forby adv. Besides. forcible adj. Violent. forecourt n. A court opening directly from the street. forejudge v. To judge of before hearing evidence. forepeak n. The extreme forward part of a ship's hold, under the lowest deck. foreshore n. That part of a shore uncovered at low tide. forebode v. To be an omen or warning sign of, especially of evil. forecast v. To predict. forecastle n. That part of the upper deck of a ship forward of the after fore-shrouds. foreclose v. To bar by judicial proceedings the equitable right of a mortgagor to redeem property. forefather n. An ancestor. forego v. To deny oneself the pleasure or profit of. foreground n. That part of a landscape or picture situated or represented as nearest the spectator. forehead n. The upper part of the face, between the eyes and the hair. foreign adj. Belonging to, situated in, or derived from another country. foreigner n. A citizen of a foreign country. foreknowledge n. Prescience. foreman n. The head man. foreordain v. To predetermine. foreordination n. Predestination. forerun v. To go before as introducing or ushering in. foresail n. A square sail. foresee v. To discern beforehand. foresight n. Provision against harm or need. foretell v. To predict. forethought n. Premeditation. forfeit v. To lose possession of through failure to fulfill some obligation. forfend v. To ward off. forgery n. Counterfeiting. forgo v. To deny oneself. formation n. Relative disposition of parts. formidable adj. Difficult to accomplish. formula n. Fixed rule or set form. forswear v. To renounce upon oath. forte n. A strong point. forth adv. Into notice or view. forthright adv. With directness. fortify v. To provide with defensive works. fortitude n. Patient courage. foursome adj. Consisting of four. fracture n. A break. fragile adj. Easily broken. frailty n. Liability to be broken or destroyed. fragile adj. Capable of being broken. frankincense n. A gum or resin which on burning yields aromatic fumes. frantic adj. Frenzied. fraternal adj. Brotherly. fraudulence n. Deceitfulness. fraudulent adj. Counterfeit. fray v. To fret at the edge so as to loosen or break the threads. freemason n. A member of an ancient secret fraternity originally confined to skilled artisans. freethinker n. One who rejects authority or inspiration in religion. free trade n. Commerce unrestricted by tariff or customs. frequency n. The comparative number of any kind of occurrences within a given time or space. fresco n. The art of painting on a surface of plaster, particularly on walls and ceilings. freshness n. The state, quality, or degree of being fresh. fretful adj. Disposed to peevishness. frightful adj. Apt to induce terror or alarm. frigid adj. Lacking warmth. frigidarium n. A room kept at a low temperature for preserving fruits, meat, etc. frivolity n. A trifling act, thought, saying, or practice. frivolous adj. Trivial.


frizz v. To give a crinkled, fluffy appearance to. frizzle v. To cause to crinkle or curl, as the hair. frolicsome adj. Prankish. frontier n. The part of a nation's territory that abuts upon another country. frowzy adj. Slovenly in appearance. frugal adj. Economical. fruition n. Fulfillment. fugacious adj. Fleeting. fulcrum n. The support on or against which a lever rests, or the point about which it turns. fulminate v. To cause to explode. fulsome adj. Offensive from excess of praise or commendation. fumigate v. To subject to the action of smoke or fumes, especially for disinfection. functionary n. An official. fundamental adj. Basal. fungible adj. That may be measured, counted, or weighed. fungous adj. Spongy. fungus n. A plant destitute of chlorophyll, as a mushroom. furbish v. To restore brightness or beauty to. furlong n. A measure, one-eighth of a mile. furlough n. A temporary absence of a soldier or sailor by permission of the commanding officer. furrier n. A dealer in or maker of fur goods. further adj. More distant or advanced. furtherance n. Advancement. furtive adj. Stealthy or sly, like the actions of a thief. fuse v. To unite or blend as by melting together. fusible adj. Capable of being melted by heat. futile adj. Of no avail or effect. futurist n. A person of expectant temperament. gauge n. An instrument for measuring. gaiety n. Festivity. gaily adv. Merrily. gait n. Carriage of the body in going. gallant adj. Possessing a brave or chivalrous spirit. galore adj. Abundant. galvanic adj. Pertaining or relating to electricity produced by chemical action. galvanism n. Current electricity, especially that arising from chemical action. galvanize v. To imbue with life or animation. gamble v. To risk money or other possession on an event, chance, or contingency. gambol n. Playful leaping or frisking. gamester n. A gambler. gamut n. The whole range or sequence. garnish v. In cookery, to surround with additions for embellishment. garrison n. The military force stationed in a fort, town, or other place for its defense. garrote v. To execute by strangling. garrulous adj. Given to constant trivial talking. gaseous adj. Light and unsubstantial. gastric adj. Of, pertaining to, or near the stomach. gastritis n. Inflammation of the stomach. gastronomy n. The art of preparing and serving appetizing food. gendarme n. In continental Europe, particularly in France, a uniformed and armed police officer. genealogy n. A list, in the order of succession, of ancestors and their descendants. genealogist n. A tracer of pedigrees. generality n. The principal portion. generalize v. To draw general inferences. generally adv. Ordinarily. generate v. To produce or cause to be. generic adj. Noting a genus or kind; opposed to specific. generosity n. A disposition to give liberally or to bestow favors heartily. genesis n. Creation. geniality n. Warmth and kindliness of disposition. genital adj. Of or pertaining to the animal reproductive organs. genitive adj. Indicating source, origin, possession, or the like. genteel adj. Well-bred or refined. gentile adj. Belonging to a people not Jewish. geology n. The department of natural science that treats of the constitution and structure of the earth. germane adj. Relevant. germinate v. To begin to develop into an embryo or higher form. gestation n. Pregnancy. gesticulate v. To make gestures or motions, as in speaking, or in place of speech. gesture n. A movement or action of the hands or face, expressive of some idea or emotion. ghastly adj. Hideous. gibe v. To utter taunts or reproaches. giddy adj. Affected with a whirling or swimming sensation in the head.

gigantic adj. Tremendous. giver n. One who gives, in any sense. glacial adj. Icy, or icily cold. glacier n. A field or stream of ice. gladden v. To make joyous. glazier n. One who cuts and fits panes of glass, as for windows. glimmer n. A faint, wavering, unsteady light. glimpse n. A momentary look. globose adj. Spherical. globular adj. Spherical. glorious adj. Of excellence and splendor. glutinous adj. Sticky. gluttonous adj. Given to excess in eating. gnash v. To grind or strike the teeth together, as from rage. Gordian knot n. Any difficulty the only issue out of which is by bold or unusual manners. gourmand n. A connoisseur in the delicacies of the table. gosling n. A young goose. gossamer adj. Flimsy. gourd n. A melon, pumpkin, squash, or some similar fruit having a hard rind. graceless adj. Ungracious. gradation n. A step, degree, rank, or relative position in an order or series. gradient adj. Moving or advancing by steps. granary n. A storehouse for grain after it is thrashed or husked. grandeur n. The quality of being grand or admirably great. grandiloquent adj. Speaking in or characterized by a pompous or bombastic style. grandiose adj. Having an imposing style or effect. grantee n. The person to whom property is transferred by deed. grantor n. The maker of a deed. granular adj. Composed of small grains or particles. granulate v. To form into grains or small particles. granule n. A small grain or particle. grapple v. To take hold of. gratification n. Satisfaction. gratify v. To please, as by satisfying a physical or mental desire or need. gratuitous adj. Voluntarily. gratuity n. That which is given without demand or claim. Tip. gravity n. Seriousness. gregarious adj. Not habitually solitary or living alone. grenadier n. A member of a regiment composed of men of great stature. grief n. Sorrow. grievance n. That which oppresses, injures, or causes grief and at the same time a sense of wrong. grievous adj. Creating affliction. grimace n. A distortion of the features, occasioned by some feeling of pain, disgust, etc. grindstone n. A flat circular stone, used for sharpening tools. grisly adj. Fear-inspiring. grotesque adj. Incongruously composed or ill-proportioned. grotto n. A small cavern. ground n. A pavement or floor or any supporting surface on which one may walk. guess n. Surmise. guile n. Duplicity. guileless adj. Frank. guinea n. An English monetary unit. guise n. The external appearance as produced by garb or costume. gullible adj. Credulous. gumption n. Common sense. gusto n. Keen enjoyment. guy n. Stay-rope. guzzle v. To swallow greedily or hastily; gulp. gynecocracy n. Female supremacy. gynecology n. The science that treats of the functions and diseases peculiar to women. gyrate v. To revolve. gyroscope n. An instrument for illustrating the laws of rotation. habitable adj. Fit to be dwelt in. habitant n. Dweller. habitual adj. According to usual practice. habitude n. Customary relation or association. hackney v. To make stale or trite by repetition. haggard adj. Worn and gaunt in appearance. halcyon adj. Calm. hale adj. Of sound and vigorous health. handwriting n. Penmanship. hanger-on n. A parasite. happy-go-lucky adj. Improvident.


harangue n. A tirade. harass v. To trouble with importunities, cares, or annoyances. harbinger n. One who or that which foreruns and announces the coming of any person or thing. hard-hearted adj. Lacking pity or sympathy. hardihood n. Foolish daring. harmonious adj. Concordant in sound. havoc n. Devastation. hawthorn n. A thorny shrub much used in England for hedges. hazard n. Risk. head first adv. Precipitately, as in diving. head foremost adv. Precipitately, as in diving. heartrending adj. Very depressing. heathenish adj. Irreligious. heedless adj. Thoughtless. heifer n. A young cow. heinous adj. Odiously sinful. hemorrhage n. Discharge of blood from a ruptured or wounded blood-vessel. hemorrhoids n. pl. Tumors composed of enlarged and thickened blood-vessels, at the lower end of the rectum. henchman n. A servile assistant and subordinate. henpeck v. To worry or harass by ill temper and petty annoyances. heptagon n. A figure having seven sides and seven angles. heptarchy n. A group of seven governments. herbaceous adj. Having the character of a herb. herbarium n. A collection of dried plants scientifically arranged for study. herbivorous adj. Feeding on herbs or other vegetable matter, as animals. hereditary adj. Passing naturally from parent to child. heredity n. Transmission of physical or mental qualities, diseases, etc., from parent to offspring. heresy n. An opinion or doctrine subversive of settled beliefs or accepted principles. heretic n. One who holds opinions contrary to the recognized standards or tenets of any philosophy. heritage n. Birthright. hernia n. Protrusion of any internal organ in whole or in part from its normal position. hesitancy n. A pausing to consider. hesitant adj. Vacillating. hesitation n. Vacillation. heterodox adj. At variance with any commonly accepted doctrine or opinion. heterogeneity n. Unlikeness of constituent parts. heterogeneous adj. Consisting of dissimilar elements or ingredients of different kinds. heteromorphic adj. Deviating from the normal form or standard type. hexangular adj. Having six angles. hexapod adj. Having six feet. hexagon n. A figure with six angles. hiatus n. A break or vacancy where something necessary to supply the connection is wanting. hibernal adj. Pertaining to winter. Hibernian adj. Pertaining to Ireland, or its people. hideous adj. Appalling. hilarious adj. Boisterously merry. hillock n. A small hill or mound. hinder v. To obstruct. hindmost adj. Farthest from the front. hindrance n. An obstacle. hirsute adj. Having a hairy covering. hoard v. To gather and store away for the sake of accumulation. hoarse adj. Having the voice harsh or rough, as from a cold or fatigue. homage n. Reverential regard or worship. homogeneity n. Congruity of the members or elements or parts. homogeneous adj. Made up of similar parts or elements. homologous adj. Identical in nature, make-up, or relation. homonym n. A word agreeing in sound with but different in meaning from another. homophone n. A word agreeing in sound with but different in meaning from another. honorarium n. A token fee or payment to a professional man for services. hoodwink v. To deceive. horde n. A gathered multitude of human beings. hosiery n. A stocking. hospitable adj. Disposed to treat strangers or guests with generous kindness. hospitality n. The practice of receiving and entertaining strangers and guests with kindness. hostility n. Enmity. huckster n. One who retails small wares. humane adj. Compassionate. humanitarian n. A philanthropist. humanize v. To make gentle or refined. humbug n. Anything intended or calculated to deceive or mislead.

humiliate v. To put to shame. hussar n. A light-horse trooper armed with saber and carbine. hustle v. To move with haste and promptness. hybrid adj. Cross-bred. hydra n. The seven- or nine-headed water-serpent slain by Hercules. hydraulic adj. Involving the moving of water, of the force exerted by water in motion. hydrodynamics n. The branch of mechanics that treats of the dynamics of fluids. hydroelectric adj. Pertaining to electricity developed water or steam. hydromechanics n. The mechanics of fluids. hydrometer n. An instrument for determining the density of solids and liquids by flotation. hydrostatics n. The branch of science that treats of the pressure and equilibrium of fluids. hydrous adj. Watery. hygiene n. The branch of medical science that relates to improving health. hypercritical adj. Faultfinding. hypnosis n. An artificial trance-sleep. hypnotic adj. Tending to produce sleep. hypnotism n. An artificially induced somnambulistic state in which the mind readily acts on suggestion. hypnotize v. To produce a somnambulistic state in which the mind readily acts on suggestions. hypocrisy n. Extreme insincerity. hypocrite n. One who makes false professions of his views or beliefs. hypodermic adj. Pertaining to the area under the skin. hypotenuse n. The side of a right-angled triangle opposite the right angle. hypothesis n. A proposition taken for granted as a premise from which to reach a conclusion. hysteria n. A nervous affection occurring typically in paroxysms of laughing and crying. ichthyic adj. Fish-like. ichthyology n. The branch of zoology that treats of fishes. ichthyosaurs n. A fossil reptile. icily adv. Frigidly. iciness n. The state of being icy. icon n. An image or likeness. iconoclast n. An image-breaker. idealize v. To make to conform to some mental or imaginary standard. idiom n. A use of words peculiar to a particular language. idiosyncrasy n. A mental quality or habit peculiar to an individual. idolize v. To regard with inordinate love or admiration. ignoble adj. Low in character or purpose. ignominious adj. Shameful. Iliad n. A Greek epic poem describing scenes from the siege of Troy. illegal adj. Not according to law. illegible adj. Undecipherable. illegitimate adj. Unlawfully begotten. illiberal adj. Stingy. illicit adj. Unlawful. illimitable adj. Boundless. illiterate adj. Having little or no book-learning. ill-natured adj. Surly. illogical adj. Contrary to the rules of sound thought. illuminant n. That which may be used to produce light. illuminate v. To supply with light. illumine v. To make bright or clear. illusion n. An unreal image presented to the senses. illusive adj. Deceptive. illusory adj. Deceiving or tending to deceive, as by false appearance. imaginable adj. That can be imagined or conceived in the mind. imaginary adj. Fancied. imbibe v. To drink or take in. imbroglio n. A misunderstanding attended by ill feeling, perplexity, or strife. imbrue v. To wet or moisten. imitation n. That which is made as a likeness or copy. imitator n. One who makes in imitation. immaculate adj. Without spot or blemish. immaterial adj. Of no essential consequence. immature adj. Not full-grown. immeasurable adj. Indefinitely extensive. immense adj. Very great in degree, extent, size, or quantity. immerse v. To plunge or dip entirely under water or other fluid. immersion n. The act of plunging or dipping entirely under water or another fluid. immigrant n. A foreigner who enters a country to settle there. immigrate v. To come into a country or region from a former habitat. imminence n. Impending evil or danger. imminent adj. Dangerous and close at hand. immiscible adj. Separating, as oil and water.


immoral adj. Habitually engaged in licentious or lewd practices. immortalize v. To cause to last or to be known or remembered throughout a great or indefinite length of time. immovable adj. Steadfast. immune adj. Exempt, as from disease. immutable adj. Unchangeable. impair v. To cause to become less or worse. impalpable adj. Imperceptible to the touch. impartial adj. Unbiased. impassable adj. That can not be passed through or over. impassible adj. Not moved or affected by feeling. impassive adj. Unmoved by or not exhibiting feeling. impatience n. Unwillingness to brook delays or wait the natural course of things. impeccable adj. Blameless. impecunious adj. Having no money. impede v. To be an obstacle or to place obstacles in the way of. impel v. To drive or urge forward. impend v. To be imminent. imperative adj. Obligatory. imperceptible adj. Indiscernible. imperfectible adj. That can not be perfected. imperil v. To endanger. imperious adj. Insisting on obedience. impermissible adj. Not permissible. impersonal adj. Not relating to a particular person or thing. impersonate v. To appear or act in the character of. impersuadable adj. Unyielding. impertinence n. Rudeness. imperturbable adj. Calm. impervious adj. Impenetrable. impetuosity n. Rashness. impetuous adj. Impulsive. impetus n. Any impulse or incentive. impiety n. Irreverence toward God. impious adj. Characterized by irreverence or irreligion. implausible adj. Not plausible. impliable adj. Capable of being inferred. implicate v. To show or prove to be involved in or concerned implicit adj. Implied. imply v. To signify. impolitic adj. Inexpedient. importation n. The act or practice of bringing from one country into another. importunate adj. Urgent in character, request, or demand. importune v. To harass with persistent demands or entreaties. impotent adj. Destitute of or lacking in power, physical, moral, or intellectual. impoverish v. To make indigent or poor. impracticable adj. Not feasible. impregnable adj. That can not be taken by assault. impregnate v. To make pregnant. impromptu n. Anything done or said on the impulse of the moment. improper adj. Not appropriate, suitable, or becoming. impropriety n. The state or quality of being unfit, unseemly, or inappropriate. improvident adj. Lacking foresight or thrift. improvise v. To do anything extemporaneously or offhand. imprudent adj. Heedless. impudence n. Insolent disrespect. impugn v. To assail with arguments, insinuations, or accusations. impulsion n. Impetus. impulsive adj. Unpremeditated. impunity n. Freedom from punishment. impure adj. Tainted. impute v. To attribute. inaccessible adj. Difficult of approach. inaccurate adj. Not exactly according to the facts. inactive adj. Inert. inadequate adj. Insufficient. inadmissible adj. Not to be approved, considered, or allowed, as testimony. inadvertent adj. Accidental. inadvisable adj. Unadvisable. inane adj. Silly. inanimate adj. Destitute of animal life. inapprehensible adj. Not to be understood. inapt adj. Awkward or slow. inarticulate adj. Speechless.

inaudible adj. That can not be heard. inborn adj. Implanted by nature. inbred adj. Innate. incandescence n. The state of being white or glowing with heat. incandescent adj. White or glowing with heat. incapacitate v. To deprive of power, capacity, competency, or qualification. incapacity n. Want of power to apprehend, understand, and manage. incarcerate v. To imprison. incendiary n. Chemical or person who starts a fire-literally or figuratively. incentive n. That which moves the mind or inflames the passions. inception n. The beginning. inceptive adj. Beginning. incessant adj. Unceasing. inchmeal adv. Piecemeal. inchoate adj. Incipient. inchoative n. That which begins, or expresses beginning. incidence n. Casual occurrence. incident n. A happening in general, especially one of little importance. incidentally adv. Without intention. incinerate v. To reduce to ashes. incipience n. Beginning. incipient adj. Initial. incisor n. A front or cutting tooth. incite v. To rouse to a particular action. incitement n. That which moves to action, or serves as an incentive or stimulus. incoercible adj. Incapable of being forced, constrained, or compelled. incoherence n. Want of connection, or agreement, as of parts or ideas in thought, speech, etc. incoherent adj. Not logically coordinated, as to parts, elements, or details. incombustible adj. That can not be burned. incomparable adj. Matchless. incompatible adj. Discordant. incompetence n. General lack of capacity or fitness. incompetent adj. Not having the abilities desired or necessary for any purpose. incomplete adj. Lacking some element, part, or adjunct necessary or required. incomprehensible adj. Not understandable. incompressible adj. Resisting all attempts to reduce volume by pressure. inconceivable adj. Incomprehensible. incongruous adj. Unsuitable for the time, place, or occasion. inconsequential adj. Valueless. inconsiderable adj. Small in quantity or importance. inconsistent adj. Contradictory. inconstant adj. Changeable. incontrovertible adj. Indisputable. inconvenient adj. Interfering with comfort or progress. indefensible adj. Untenable. indefinitely adv. In a vague or uncertain way. indelible adj. That can not be blotted out, effaced, destroyed, or removed. indescribable adj. That can not be described. indestructible adj. That can not be destroyed. indicant adj. That which points out. indicator n. One who or that which points out. indict v. To find and declare chargeable with crime. indigence n. Poverty. indigenous adj. Native. indigent adj. Poor. indigestible adj. Not digestible, or difficult to digest. indigestion n. Difficulty or failure in the alimentary canal in changing food into absorptive nutriment. indignant adj. Having such anger and scorn as is aroused by meanness or wickedness. indignity n. Unmerited contemptuous conduct or treatment. indiscernible adj. Not perceptible. indiscreet adj. Lacking wise judgment. indiscriminate adj. Promiscuous. indispensable adj. Necessary or requisite for the purpose. indistinct adj. Vague. indivertible adj. That can not be turned aside. indivisible adj. Not separable into parts. indolence n. Laziness. indolent adj. Habitually inactive or idle. indomitable adj. Unconquerable. induct v. To bring in. indulgence n. The yielding to inclination, passion, desire, or propensity in oneself or another. indulgent adj. Yielding to the desires or humor of oneself or those under one's care.


inebriate v. To intoxicate. inedible adj. Not good for food. ineffable adj. Unutterable. inefficient adj. Not accomplishing an intended purpose. inefficiency n. That which does not accomplish an intended purpose. ineligible adj. Not suitable to be selected or chosen. inept adj. Not fit or suitable. inert adj. Inanimate. inestimable adj. Above price. inevitable adj. Unavoidable. inexcusable adj. Not to be justified. inexhaustible adj. So large or furnishing so great a supply as not to be emptied, wasted, or spent. inexorable adj. Unrelenting. inexpedient adj. Unadvisable. inexpensive adj. Low-priced. inexperience n. Lack of or deficiency in experience. inexplicable adj. Such as can not be made plain. inexpressible adj. Unutterable. inextensible adj. Of unchangeable length or area. infallible adj. Exempt from error of judgment, as in opinion or statement. infamous adj. Publicly branded or notorious, as for vice, or crime. infamy n. Total loss or destitution of honor or reputation. inference n. The derivation of a judgment from any given material of knowledge on the ground of law. infernal adj. Akin to or befitting hell or its occupants. infest v. To be present in such numbers as to be a source of annoyance, trouble, or danger. infidel n. One who denies the existence of God. infidelity n. Disloyalty. infinite adj. Measureless. infinity n. Boundless or immeasurable extension or duration. infirm adj. Lacking in bodily or mental strength. infirmary n. A place for the reception or treatment of the sick. infirmity n. A physical, mental, or moral weakness or flaw. inflammable adj. Easily set on fire or excited. inflammation n. A morbid process in some part of the body characterized by heat, swelling, and pain. inflexible adj. That can not be altered or varied. influence n. Ability to sway the will of another. influential adj. Having the power to sway the will of another. influx n. Infusion. infrequence n. Rareness. infrequent adj. Uncommon. infringe v. To trespass upon. infuse v. To instill, introduce, or inculcate, as principles or qualities. infusion n. The act of imbuing, or pouring in. ingenious adj. Evincing skill, originality, or cleverness, as in contrivance or arrangement. ingenuity n. Cleverness in contriving, combining, or originating. ingenuous adj. Candid, frank, or open in character or quality. inglorious adj. Shameful. ingraft v. To set or implant deeply and firmly. ingratiate v. To win confidence or good graces for oneself. ingratitude n. Insensibility to kindness. ingredient n. Component. inherence n. The state of being permanently existing in something. inherent adj. Intrinsic. inhibit v. To hold back or in. inhospitable adj. Not disposed to entertain strangers gratuitously. inhuman adj. Savage. inhume v. To place in the earth, as a dead body. inimical adj. Adverse. iniquity n. Gross wrong or injustice. initiate v. To perform the first act or rite. inject v. To introduce, as a fluid, by injection. injunction n. Mandate. inkling n. A hint. inland adj. Remote from the sea. inlet n. A small body of water leading into a larger. inmost adj. Deepest within. innocuous adj. Harmless. innovate v. To introduce or strive to introduce new things. innuendo n. Insinuation. innumerable adj. Countless.

inoffensive adj. Causing nothing displeasing or disturbing. inopportune adj. Unsuitable or inconvenient, especially as to time. inquire v. To ask information about. inquisition n. A court or tribunal for examination and punishment of heretics. inquisitive adj. Given to questioning, especially out of curiosity. inquisitor n. One who makes an investigation. inroad n. Forcible encroachment or trespass. insatiable adj. That desires or craves immoderately or unappeasably. inscribe v. To enter in a book, or on a list, roll, or document, by writing. inscrutable adj. Impenetrably mysterious or profound. insecure adj. Not assured of safety. insensible adj. Imperceptible. insentient adj. Lacking the power of feeling or perceiving. inseparable adj. That can not be separated. insidious adj. Working ill by slow and stealthy means. insight n. Intellectual discernment. insignificance n. Lack of import or of importance. insignificant adj. Without importance, force, or influence. insinuate v. To imply. insipid adj. Tasteless. insistence n. Urgency. insistent adj. Urgent. insolence n. Pride or haughtiness exhibited in contemptuous and overbearing treatment of others. insolent adj. Impudent. insomnia n. Sleeplessness. inspector n. An official appointed to examine or oversee any matter of public interest or importance. instance n. A single occurrence or happening of a given kind. instant n. A very brief portion of time. instantaneous adj. Done without perceptible lapse of time. instigate v. To provoke. instigator n. One who incites to evil. instill v. To infuse. instructive adj. Conveying knowledge. insufficiency n. Inadequacy. insufficient adj. Inadequate for some need, purpose, or use. insular adj. Pertaining to an island. insulate v. To place in a detached state or situation. insuperable adj. Invincible. insuppressible adj. Incapable of being concealed. insurgence n. Uprising. insurgent n. One who takes part in forcible opposition to the constituted authorities of a place. insurrection n. The state of being in active resistance to authority. intangible adj. Not perceptible to the touch. integrity n. Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principle. intellect n. The faculty of perception or thought. intellectual adj. Characterized by intelligence. intelligence n. Capacity to know or understand. intelligible adj. Comprehensible. intemperance n. Immoderate action or indulgence, as of the appetites. intension n. The act of stringing or stretching, or state of being strained. intensive adj. Adding emphasis or force. intention n. That upon which the mind is set. interact v. To act reciprocally. intercede v. To mediate between persons. intercept v. To interrupt the course of. intercession n. Entreaty in behalf of others. intercessor n. A mediator. interdict n. Authoritative act of prohibition. interim n. Time between acts or periods. interlocutor n. One who takes part in a conversation or oral discussion. interlude n. An action or event considered as coming between others of greater length. intermediate adj. Being in a middle place or degree or between extremes. interminable adj. Having no limit or end. intermission n. A recess. intermit v. To cause to cease temporarily. intermittent adj. A temporary discontinuance. interpolation n. Verbal interference. interpose v. To come between other things or persons. interposition n. A coming between. interpreter n. A person who makes intelligible the speech of a foreigner by oral translation. interrogate v. To examine formally by questioning.


interrogative adj. Having the nature or form of a question. interrogatory n. A question or inquiry. interrupt v. To stop while in progress. intersect v. To cut through or into so as to divide. intervale n. A low tract of land between hills, especially along a river. intervene v. To interfere for some end. intestacy n. The condition resulting from one's dying not having made a valid will. intestate adj. Not having made a valid will. intestine n. That part of the digestive tube below or behind the stomach, extending to the anus. intimacy n. Close or confidential friendship. intimidate v. To cause to become frightened. intolerable adj. Insufferable. intolerance n. Inability or unwillingness to bear or endure. intolerant adj. Bigoted. intoxicant n. Anything that unduly exhilarates or excites. intoxicate v. To make drunk. intracellular adj. Occurring or situated within a cell. intramural adj. Situated within the walls of a city. intrepid adj. Fearless and bold. intricacy n. Perplexity. intricate adj. Difficult to follow or understand. intrigue n. A plot or scheme, usually complicated and intended to accomplish something by secret ways. intrinsic adj. Inherent. introductory adj. Preliminary. introgression n. Entrance. intromit v. To insert. introspect v. To look into. introspection n. The act of observing and analyzing one's own thoughts and feelings. introversion n. The act of turning or directing inward, physically or mentally. introvert v. To turn within. intrude v. To come in without leave or license. intrusion n. The act of entering without warrant or invitation; encroachment. intuition n. Instinctive knowledge or feeling. inundate v. To fill with an overflowing abundance. inundation n. Flood. inure v. To harden or toughen by use, exercise, or exposure. invalid adj. Having no force, weight, or cogency. invalid n. One who is disabled by illness or injury. invalidate v. To render of no force or effect. invaluable adj. Exceedingly precious. invariable adj. Unchangeable. invasion n. Encroachment, as by an act of intrusion or trespass. invective n. An utterance intended to cast censure, or reproach. inveigh v. To utter vehement censure or invective. inventive adj. Quick at contrivance. inverse adj. Contrary in tendency or direction. inversion n. Change of order so that the first shall become last and the last first. invert v. To turn inside out, upside down, or in opposite direction. investigator n. One who investigates. investor n. One who invests money. inveterate adj. Habitual. invidious adj. Showing or feeling envy. invigorate v. To animate. invincible adj. Not to be conquered, subdued, or overcome. inviolable adj. Incapable of being injured or disturbed. invoke v. To call on for assistance or protection. involuntary adj. Unwilling. involution n. Complication. involve v. To draw into entanglement, literally or figuratively. invulnerable adj. That can not be wounded or hurt. inwardly adv. With no outward manifestation. iota n. A small or insignificant mark or part. irascible adj. Prone to anger. irate adj. Moved to anger. ire n. Wrath. iridescence n. A many-colored appearance. iridescent adj. Exhibiting changing rainbow-colors due to the interference of the light. irk v. To afflict with pain, vexation, or fatigue. irksome adj. Wearisome. irony n. Censure or ridicule under cover of praise or compliment. irradiance n. Luster. irradiate v. To render clear and intelligible.

irrational adj. Not possessed of reasoning powers or understanding. irreducible adj. That can not be lessened. irrefragable adj. That can not be refuted or disproved. irrefrangible adj. That can not be broken or violated. irrelevant adj. Inapplicable. irreligious adj. Indifferent or opposed to religion. irreparable adj. That can not be rectified or made amends for. irrepressible adj. That can not be restrained or kept down. irresistible adj. That can not be successfully withstood or opposed. irresponsible adj. Careless of or unable to meet responsibilities. irreverence n. The quality showing or expressing a deficiency of veneration, especially for sacred things. irreverent adj. Showing or expressing a deficiency of veneration, especially for sacred things. irreverential adj. Showing or expressing a deficiency of veneration, especially for sacred things. irreversible adj. Irrevocable. irrigant adj. Serving to water lands by artificial means. irrigate v. To water, as land, by ditches or other artificial means. irritable adj. Showing impatience or ill temper on little provocation. irritancy n. The quality of producing vexation. irritant n. A mechanical, chemical, or pathological agent of inflammation, pain, or tension. irritate v. To excite ill temper or impatience in. irruption n. Sudden invasion. isle n. An island. islet n. A little island. isobar n. A line joining points at which the barometric pressure is the same at a specified moment. isochronous adj. Relating to or denoting equal intervals of time. isolate v. To separate from others of its kind. isothermal adj. Having or marking equality of temperature. itinerant adj. Wandering. itinerary n. A detailed account or diary of a journey. itinerate v. To wander from place to place. jargon n. Confused, unintelligible speech or highly technical speech. jaundice n. A morbid condition, due to obstructed excretion of bile or characterized by yellowing of the skin. jeopardize v. To imperil. Jingo n. One of a party in Great Britain in favor of spirited and demonstrative foreign policy. jocose adj. Done or made in jest. jocular adj. Inclined to joke. joggle n. A sudden irregular shake or a push causing such a shake. journalize v. To keep a diary. jovial adj. Merry. jubilation n. Exultation. judgment n. The faculty by the exercise of which a deliberate conclusion is reached. judicature n. Distribution and administration of justice by trial and judgment. judicial adj. Pertaining to the administration of justice. judiciary n. That department of government which administers the law relating to civil and criminal justice. judicious adj. Prudent. juggle v. To play tricks of sleight of hand. jugglery n. The art or practice of sleight of hand. jugular adj. Pertaining to the throat. juicy adj. Succulent. junction n. The condition of being joined. juncture n. An articulation, joint, or seam. junta n. A council or assembly that deliberates in secret upon the affairs of government. juridical adj. Assumed by law to exist. jurisdiction n. Lawful power or right to exercise official authority. jurisprudence n. The science of rights in accordance with positive law. juror n. One who serves on a jury or is sworn in for jury duty in a court of justice. joust v. To engage in a tilt with lances on horseback. justification n. Vindication. juvenile adj. Characteristic of youth. juxtapose v. To place close together. keepsake n. Anything kept or given to be kept for the sake of the giver. kerchief n. A square of linen, silk, or other material, used as a covering for the head or neck. kernel n. A grain or seed. kiln n. An oven or furnace for baking, burning, or drying industrial products. kiloliter n. One thousand liters. kilometer n. A length of 1,000 meters. kilowatt n. One thousand watts.


kimono n. A loose robe, fastening with a sash, the principal outer garment in Japan. kind-hearted adj. Having a kind and sympathetic nature. kingling n. A petty king. kingship n. Royal state. kinsfolk n. pl. Relatives. knavery n. Deceitfulness in dealing. knead v. To mix and work into a homogeneous mass, especially with the hands. knickknack n. A small article, more for ornament that use. knight errant n. One of the wandering knights who in the middle ages went forth in search of adventure. knighthood n. Chivalry. laborious adj. Toilsome. labyrinth n. A maze. lacerate v. To tear rudely or raggedly. lackadaisical adj. Listless. lactation n. The secretion of milk. lacteal adj. Milky. lactic adj. Pertaining to milk. laddie n. A lad. ladle n. A cup-shaped vessel with a long handle, intended for dipping up and pouring liquids. laggard adj. Falling behind. landholder n. Landowner. landlord n. A man who owns and lets a tenement or tenements. landmark n. A familiar object in the landscape serving as a guide to an area otherwise easily lost track of. landscape n. A rural view, especially one of picturesque effect, as seen from a distance or an elevation. languid adj. Relaxed. languor n. Lassitude of body or depression. lapse n. A slight deviation from what is right, proper, or just. lascivious adj. Lustful. lassie n. A little lass. latent adj. Dormant. latency n. The state of being dormant. later adv. At a subsequent time. lateral adj. Directed toward the side. latish adj. Rather late. lattice n. Openwork of metal or wood, formed by crossing or interlacing strips or bars. laud v. To praise in words or song. laudable adj. Praiseworthy. laudation n. High praise. laudatory adj. Pertaining to, expressing, or containing praise. laundress n. Washerwoman. laureate adj. Crowned with laurel, as a mark of distinction. lave v. To wash or bathe. lawgiver n. A legislator. lawmaker n. A legislator. lax adj. Not stringent or energetic. laxative adj. Having power to open or loosen the bowels. lea n. A field. leaflet n. A little leaf or a booklet. leaven v. To make light by fermentation, as dough. leeward n. That side or direction toward which the wind blows. left-handed adj. Using the left hand or arm more dexterously than the right. legacy n. A bequest. legalize v. To give the authority of law to. legging n. A covering for the leg. legible adj. That may be read with ease. legionary n. A member of an ancient Roman legion or of the modern French Legion of Honor. legislate v. To make or enact a law or laws. legislative adj. That makes or enacts laws. legislator n. A lawgiver. legitimacy n. Accordance with law. legitimate adj. Having the sanction of law or established custom. leisure n. Spare time. leniency n. Forbearance. lenient adj. Not harsh. leonine adj. Like a lion. lethargy n. Prolonged sluggishness of body or mind. levee n. An embankment beside a river or stream or an arm of the sea, to prevent overflow. lever n. That which exerts, or through which one may exert great power. leviathan n. Any large animal, as a whale.

levity n. Frivolity. levy v. To impose and collect by force or threat of force. lewd adj. Characterized by lust or lasciviousness. lexicographer n. One who makes dictionaries. lexicography n. The making of dictionaries. lexicon n. A dictionary. liable adj. Justly or legally responsible. libel n. Defamation. liberalism n. Opposition to conservatism. liberate v. To set free or release from bondage. licentious adj. Wanton. licit adj. Lawful. liege adj. Sovereign. lien n. A legal claim or hold on property, as security for a debt or charge. lieu n. Stead. lifelike adj. Realistic. lifelong adj. Lasting or continuous through life. lifetime n. The time that life continues. ligament n. That which binds objects together. ligature n. Anything that constricts, or serves for binding or tying. light-hearted adj. Free from care. ligneous adj. Having the texture of appearance of wood. likelihood n. A probability. likely adj. Plausible. liking n. Fondness. limitation n. A restriction. linear adj. Of the nature of a line. liner n. A vessel belonging to a steamship-line. lingo n. Language. lingua n. The tongue. lingual adj. Pertaining to the use of the tongue in utterance. linguist n. One who is acquainted with several languages. linguistics n. The science of languages, or of the origin, history, and significance of words. liniment n. A liquid preparation for rubbing on the skin in cases of bruises, inflammation, etc. liquefacient adj. Possessing a liquefying nature or power. liquefy v. To convert into a liquid or into liquid form. liqueur n. An alcoholic cordial sweetened and flavored with aromatic substances. liquidate v. To deliver the amount or value of. liquor n. Any alcoholic or intoxicating liquid. listless adj. Inattentive. literacy n. The state or condition of knowing how to read and write. literal adj. Following the exact words. literature n. The written or printed productions of the human mind collectively. lithe adj. Supple. lithesome adj. Nimble. lithograph n. A print made by printing from stone. lithotype n. In engraving, an etched stone surface for printing. litigant n. A party to a lawsuit. litigate v. To cause to become the subject-matter of a suit at law. litigious adj. Quarrelsome. littoral adj. Of, pertaining to, or living on a shore. liturgy n. A ritual. livelihood n. Means of subsistence. livid adj. Black-and-blue, as contused flesh. loam n. A non-coherent mixture of sand and clay. loath adj. Averse. loathe v. To abominate. locative adj. Indicating place, or the place where or wherein an action occurs. loch n. A lake. locomotion n. The act or power of moving from one place to another. lode n. A somewhat continuous unstratified metal- bearing vein. lodgment n. The act of furnishing with temporary quarters. logic n. The science of correct thinking. logical adj. Capable of or characterized by clear reasoning. logician n. An expert reasoner. loiterer n. One who consumes time idly. loneliness n. Solitude. longevity n. Unusually prolonged life. loot v. To plunder. loquacious adj. Talkative. lordling n. A little lord. lough n. A lake or loch. louse n. A small insect parasitic on and sucking the blood of mammals.


lovable adj. Amiable. low-spirited adj. Despondent. lowly adv. Rudely. lucid adj. Mentally sound. lucrative adj. Highly profitable. ludicrous adj. Laughable. luminary n. One of the heavenly bodies as a source of light. luminescent adj. Showing increase of light. luminescence n. Showing increase. luminosity n. The quality of giving or radiating light. luminous adj. Giving or radiating light. lunacy n. Mental unsoundness. lunar adj. Pertaining to the moon. lunatic n. An insane person. lune n. The moon. lurid adj. Ghastly and sensational. luscious adj. Rich, sweet, and delicious. lustrous adj. Shining. luxuriance n. Excessive or superfluous growth or quantity. luxuriant adj. Abundant or superabundant in growth. luxuriate v. To live sumptuously. lying n. Untruthfulness. lyre n. One of the most ancient of stringed instruments of the harp class. lyric adj. Fitted for expression in song. macadamize v. To cover or pave, as a path or roadway, with small broken stone. machinery n. The parts of a machine or engine, taken collectively. machinist n. One who makes or repairs machines, or uses metal-working tools. macrocosm n. The whole of any sphere or department of nature or knowledge to which man is related. madden v. To inflame with passion. Madonna n. A painted or sculptured representation of the Virgin, usually with the infant Jesus. magician n. A sorcerer. magisterial adj. Having an air of authority. magistracy n. The office or dignity of a magistrate. magnanimous adj. Generous in treating or judging others. magnate n. A person of rank or importance. magnet n. A body possessing that peculiar form of polarity found in nature in the lodestone. magnetize v. To make a magnet of, permanently, or temporarily. magnificence n. The exhibition of greatness of action, character, intellect, wealth, or power. magnificent adj. Grand or majestic in appearance, quality, or action. magnitude n. Importance. maharaja n. A great Hindu prince. maidenhood n. Virginity. maintain v. To hold or preserve in any particular state or condition. maintenance n. That which supports or sustains. maize n. Indian corn: usually in the United States called simply corn. makeup n. The arrangements or combination of the parts of which anything is composed. malady n. Any physical disease or disorder, especially a chronic or deep-seated one. malaria n. A fever characterized by alternating chills, fever, and sweating. malcontent n. One who is dissatisfied with the existing state of affairs. malediction n. The calling down of a curse or curses. malefactor n. One who injures another. maleficent adj. Mischievous. malevolence n. Ill will. malevolent adj. Wishing evil to others. malign v. To speak evil of, especially to do so falsely and severely. malignant adj. Evil in nature or tending to do great harm or mischief. malleable adj. Pliant. mallet n. A wooden hammer. maltreat v. To treat ill, unkindly, roughly, or abusively. man-trap n. A place or structure dangerous to human life. mandate n. A command. mandatory adj. Expressive of positive command, as distinguished from merely directory. mane n. The long hair growing upon and about the neck of certain animals, as the horse and the lion. man-eater n. An animal that devours human beings. maneuver v. To make adroit or artful moves: manage affairs by strategy. mania n. Insanity. maniac n. a person raving with madness. manifesto n. A public declaration, making announcement, explanation or defense of intentions, or motives.

manlike adj. Like a man. manliness n. The qualities characteristic of a true man, as bravery, resolution, etc. mannerism n. Constant or excessive adherence to one manner, style, or peculiarity, as of action or conduct. manor n. The landed estate of a lord or nobleman. mantel n. The facing, sometimes richly ornamented, about a fireplace, including the usual shelf above it. mantle n. A cloak. manufacturer n. A person engaged in manufacturing as a business. manumission n. Emancipation. manumit v. To set free from bondage. marine adj. Of or pertaining to the sea or matters connected with the sea. maritime adj. Situated on or near the sea. maroon v. To put ashore and abandon (a person) on a desolate coast or island. martial adj. Pertaining to war or military operations. Martian adj. Pertaining to Mars, either the Roman god of war or the planet. martyrdom n. Submission to death or persecution for the sake of faith or principle. marvel v. To be astonished and perplexed because of (something). masonry n. The art or work of constructing, as buildings, walls, etc., with regularly arranged stones. masquerade n. A social party composed of persons masked and costumed so as to be disguised. massacre n. The unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of human beings. massive adj. Of considerable bulk and weight. masterpiece n. A superior production. mastery n. The attainment of superior skill. material n. That of which anything is composed or may be constructed. materialize v. To take perceptible or substantial form. maternal adj. Pertaining or peculiar to a mother or to motherhood. matinee n. An entertainment (especially theatrical) held in the daytime. matricide n. The killing, especially the murdering, of one's mother. matrimony n. The union of a man and a woman in marriage. matrix n. That which contains and gives shape or form to anything. matter of fact n. Something that has actual and undeniable existence or reality. maudlin adj. Foolishly and tearfully affectionate. mausoleum n. A tomb of more than ordinary size or architectural pretensions. mawkish adj. Sickening or insipid. maxim n. A principle accepted as true and acted on as a rule or guide. maze n. A labyrinth. mead n. A meadow. meager adj. scanty. mealy-mouthed adj. Afraid to express facts or opinions plainly. meander v. To wind and turn while proceeding in a course. mechanics n. The branch of physics that treats the phenomena caused by the action of forces. medallion n. A large medal. meddlesome adj. Interfering. medial adj. Of or pertaining to the middle. mediate v. To effect by negotiating as an agent between parties. medicine n. A substance possessing or reputed to possess curative or remedial properties. medieval adj. Belonging or relating to or descriptive of the middle ages. mediocre adj. Ordinary. meditation n. The turning or revolving of a subject in the mind. medley n. A composition of different songs or parts of songs arranged to run as a continuous whole. meliorate v. To make better or improve, as in quality or social or physical condition. mellifluous adj. Sweetly or smoothly flowing. melodious adj. Characterized by a sweet succession of sounds. melodrama n. A drama with a romantic story or plot and sensational situation and incidents. memento n. A souvenir. memorable adj. Noteworthy. menace n. A threat. menagerie n. A collection of wild animals, especially when kept for exhibition. mendacious adj. Untrue. mendicant n. A beggar. mentality n. Intellectuality. mentor n. A wise and faithful teacher, guide, and friend. mercantile adj. Conducted or acting on business principles; commercial. mercenary adj. Greedy merciful adj. Disposed to pity and forgive. merciless adj. Cruel. meretricious adj. Alluring by false or gaudy show. mesmerize v. To hypnotize.


messieurs n. pl. Gentlemen. metal n. An element that forms a base by combining with oxygen, is usually hard, heavy, and lustrous. metallurgy n. The art or science of extracting a metal from ores, as by smelting. metamorphosis n. A passing from one form or shape into another. metaphor n. A figure of speech in which one object is likened to another, by speaking as if the other. metaphysical adj. Philosophical. metaphysician n. One skilled in metaphysics. metaphysics n. The principles of philosophy as applied to explain the methods of any particular science. mete v. To apportion. metempsychosis n. Transition of the soul of a human being at death into another body, whether human or beast. meticulous adj. Over-cautious. metonymy n. A figure of speech that consists in the naming of a thing by one of its attributes. metric adj. Relating to measurement. metronome n. An instrument for indicating and marking exact time in music. metropolis n. A chief city, either the capital or the largest or most important city of a state. metropolitan adj. Pertaining to a chief city. mettle n. Courage. mettlesome adj. Having courage or spirit. microcosm n. The world or universe on a small scale. micrometer n. An instrument for measuring very small angles or dimensions. microphone n. An apparatus for magnifying faint sounds. microscope n. An instrument for assisting the eye in the vision of minute objects or features of objects. microscopic adj. Adapted to or characterized by minute observation. microscopy n. The art of examing objects with the microscope. midsummer n. The middle of the summer. midwife n. A woman who makes a business of assisting at childbirth. mien n. The external appearance or manner of a person. migrant adj. Wandering. migrate v. To remove or pass from one country, region, or habitat to another. migratory adj. Wandering. mileage n. A distance in miles. militant adj. Of a warlike or combative disposition or tendency. militarism n. A policy of maintaining great standing armies. militate v. To have weight or influence (in determining a question). militia n. Those citizens, collectively, who are enrolled and drilled in temporary military organizations. Milky Way n. The galaxy. millet n. A grass cultivated for forage and cereal. mimic v. To imitate the speech or actions of. miniature adj. Much smaller than reality or that the normal size. minimize v. To reduce to the smallest possible amount or degree. minion n. A servile favorite. ministration n. Any religious ceremonial. ministry n. A service. minority n. The smaller in number of two portions into which a number or a group is divided. minute adj. Exceedingly small in extent or quantity. minutia n. A small or unimportant particular or detail. mirage n. An optical effect looking like a sheet of water in the desert. misadventure n. An unlucky accident. misanthropic adj. Hating mankind. misanthropy n. Hatred of mankind. misapprehend v. To misunderstand. misbehave v. To behave ill. misbehavior n. Ill or improper behavior. mischievous adj. Fond of tricks. miscount v. To make a mistake in counting. miscreant n. A villain. misdeed n. A wrong or improper act. misdemeanor n. Evil conduct, small crime. miser n. A person given to saving and hoarding unduly. mishap n. Misfortune. misinterpret v. To misunderstand. mislay v. To misplace. mismanage v. To manage badly, improperly, or unskillfully. misnomer n. A name wrongly or mistakenly applied. misogamy n. Hatred of marriage. misogyny n. Hatred of women. misplace v. To put into a wrong place.

misrepresent v. To give a wrong impression. misrule v. To misgovern. missal n. The book containing the service for the celebration of mass. missile n. Any object, especially a weapon, thrown or intended to be thrown. missive n. A message in writing. mistrust v. To regard with suspicion or jealousy. misty adj. Lacking clearness misunderstand v. To Take in a wrong sense. misuse v. To maltreat. mite n. A very small amount, portion, or particle. miter n. The junction of two bodies at an equally divided angle. mitigate v. To make milder or more endurable. mnemonics n. A system of principles and formulas designed to assist the recollection in certain instances. moat n. A ditch on the outside of a fortress wall. mobocracy n. Lawless control of public affairs by the mob or populace. moccasin n. A foot-covering made of soft leather or buckskin. mockery n. Ridicule. moderation n. Temperance. moderator n. The presiding officer of a meeting. modernity n. The state or character of being modern. modernize v. To make characteristic of the present or of recent times. modification n. A change. modify v. To make somewhat different. modish adj. Fashionable. modulate v. To vary in tone, inflection, pitch or other quality of sound. mollify v. To soothe. molt v. To cast off, as hair, feathers, etc. momentary adj. Lasting but a short time. momentous adj. Very significant. momentum n. An impetus. monarchy n. Government by a single, sovereign ruler. monastery n. A dwelling-place occupied in common by persons under religious vows of seclusion. monetary adj. Financial. mongrel n. The progeny resulting from the crossing of different breeds or varieties. monition n. Friendly counsel given by way of warning and implying caution or reproof. monitory n. Admonition or warning. monocracy n. Government by a single person. monogamy n. The habit of pairing, or having but one mate. monogram n. A character consisting of two or more letters interwoven into one, usually initials of a name. monograph n. A treatise discussing a single subject or branch of a subject. monolith n. Any structure or sculpture in stone formed of a single piece. monologue n. A story or drama told or performed by one person. monomania n. The unreasonable pursuit of one idea. monopoly n. The control of a thing, as a commodity, to enable a person to raise its price. monosyllable n. A word of one syllable. monotone n. The sameness or monotony of utterance. monotonous adj. Unchanging and tedious. monotony n. A lack of variety. monsieur n. A French title of respect, equivalent to Mr. and sir. monstrosity n. Anything unnaturally huge or distorted. moonbeam n. A ray of moonlight. morale n. A state of mind with reference to confidence, courage, zeal, and the like. moralist n. A writer on ethics. morality n. Virtue. moralize v. To render virtuous. moratorium n. An emergency legislation authorizing a government suspend some action temporarily. morbid adj. Caused by or denoting a diseased or unsound condition of body or mind. mordacious adj. Biting or giving to biting. mordant adj. Biting. moribund adj. On the point of dying. morose adj. Gloomy. morphology n. the science of organic forms. motley adj. Composed of heterogeneous or inharmonious elements. motto n. An expressive word or pithy sentence enunciating some guiding rule of life, or faith. mountaineer n. One who travels among or climbs mountains for pleasure or exercise. mountainous adj. Full of or abounding in mountains. mouthful n. As much as can be or is usually put into the or exercise. muddle v. To confuse or becloud, especially with or as with drink. muffle v. To deaden the sound of, as by wraps. mulatto n. The offspring of a white person and a black person.


muleteer n. A mule-driver. multiform adj. Having many shapes, or appearances. multiplicity n. the condition of being manifold or very various. mundane adj. Worldly, as opposed to spiritual or celestial. municipal adj. Of or pertaining to a town or city, or to its corporate or local government. municipality n. A district enjoying municipal government. munificence n. A giving characterized by generous motives and extraordinary liberality. munificent adj. Extraordinarily generous. muster n. An assemblage or review of troops for parade or inspection, or for numbering off. mutation n. The act or process of change. mutilate v. To disfigure. mutiny n. Rebellion against lawful or constituted authority. myriad n. A vast indefinite number. mystic n. One who professes direct divine illumination, or relies upon meditation to acquire truth. mystification n. The act of artfully perplexing. myth n. A fictitious narrative presented as historical, but without any basis of fact. mythology n. The whole body of legends cherished by a race concerning gods and heroes. nameless adj. Having no fame or reputation. naphtha n. A light, colorless, volatile, inflammable oil used as a solvent, as in manufacture of paints. Narcissus n. The son of the Athenian river-god Cephisus, fabled to have fallen in love with his reflection. narrate v. To tell a story. narration n. The act of recounting the particulars of an event in the order of time or occurrence. narrative n. An orderly continuous account of the successive particulars of an event. narrator n. One who narrates anything. narrow-minded adj. Characterized by illiberal views or sentiments. nasal adj. Pertaining to the nose. natal adj. Pertaining to one's birth. nationality n. A connection with a particular nation. naturally adv. According to the usual order of things. nausea n. An affection of the stomach producing dizziness and usually an impulse to vomit nauseate v. To cause to loathe. nauseous adj. Loathsome. nautical adj. Pertaining to ships, seamen, or navigation. naval adj. Pertaining to ships. navel n. The depression on the abdomen where the umbilical cord of the fetus was attached. navigable adj. Capable of commercial navigation. navigate v. To traverse by ship. nebula n. A gaseous body of unorganized stellar substance. necessary adj. Indispensably requisite or absolutely needed to accomplish a desired result. necessitate v. To render indispensable. necessity n. That which is indispensably requisite to an end desired. necrology n. A list of persons who have died in a certain place or time. necromancer n. One who practices the art of foretelling the future by means of communication with the dead. necropolis n. A city of the dead. necrosis n. the death of part of the body. nectar n. Any especially sweet and delicious drink. nectarine n. A variety of the peach. needlework n. Embroidery. needy adj. Being in need, want, or poverty. nefarious adj. Wicked in the extreme. negate v. To deny. negation n. The act of denying or of asserting the falsity of a proposition. neglectful adj. Exhibiting or indicating omission. negligee n. A loose gown worn by women. negligence n. Omission of that which ought to be done. negligent adj. Apt to omit what ought to be done. negligible adj. Transferable by assignment, endorsement, or delivery. negotiable v. To bargain with others for an agreement, as for a treaty or transfer of property. Nemesis n. A goddess; divinity of chastisement and vengeance. neocracy n. Government administered by new or untried persons. neo-Darwinsim n. Darwinism as modified and extended by more recent students. neo-Latin n. Modernized Latin. neopaganism n. A new or revived paganism. Neolithic adj. Pertaining to the later stone age. neology n. The coining or using of new words or new meanings of words. neophyte adj. Having the character of a beginner.

nestle v. To adjust cozily in snug quarters. nestling adj. Recently hatched. nettle v. To excite sensations of uneasiness or displeasure in. network n. Anything that presents a system of cross- lines. neural adj. Pertaining to the nerves or nervous system. neurology n. The science of the nervous system. neuter adj. Neither masculine nor feminine. neutral adj. Belonging to or under control of neither of two contestants. nevertheless conj. Notwithstanding. Newtonian adj. Of or pertaining to Sir Isaac Newton, the English philosopher. niggardly adj. Stingy. (no longer acceptable to use) nihilist n. An advocate of the doctrine that nothing either exists or can be known. nil n. Nothing nimble adj. Light and quick in motion or action. nit n. The egg of a louse or some other insect. nocturnal adj. Of or pertaining to the night. noiseless adj. Silent. noisome adj. Very offensive, particularly to the sense of smell. noisy adj. Clamorous. nomad adj. Having no fixed abode. nomic adj. Usual or customary. nominal adj. Trivial. nominate v. To designate as a candidate for any office. nomination n. The act or ceremony of naming a man or woman for office. nominee n. One who receives a nomination. non-existent n. That which does not exist. non-resident adj. Not residing within a given jurisdiction. nonchalance n. A state of mind indicating lack of interest. non-combatant n. One attached to the army or navy, but having duties other than that of fighting. nondescript adj. Indescribable. nonentity n. A person or thing of little or no account. nonpareil n. One who or that which is of unequaled excellence. norm n. A model. normalcy n. The state of being normal. Norman adj. Of or peculiar to Normandy, in northern France. nostrum n. Any scheme or recipe of a charlatan character. noticeable adj. Perceptible. notorious adj. Unfavorably known to the general public. novellette n. A short novel. novice n. A beginner in any business or occupation. nowadays adv. In the present time or age. nowhere adv. In no place or state. noxious adj. Hurtful. nuance n. A slight degree of difference in anything perceptible to the sense of the mind. nucleus n. A central point or part about which matter is aggregated. nude adj. Naked. nugatory adj. Having no power or force. nuisance n. That which annoys, vexes, or irritates. numeration n. The act or art of reading or naming numbers. numerical adj. Of or pertaining to number. nunnery n. A convent for nuns. nuptial adj. Of or pertaining to marriage, especially to the marriage ceremony. nurture n. The process of fostering or promoting growth. nutriment n. That which nourishes. nutritive adj. Having nutritious properties. oaken adj. Made of or from oak. oakum n. Hemp-fiber obtained by untwisting and picking out loosely the yarns of old hemp rope. obdurate adj. Impassive to feelings of humanity or pity. obelisk n. A square shaft with pyramidal top, usually monumental or commemorative. obese adj. Exceedingly fat. obesity n. Excessive fatness. obituary adj. A published notice of a death. objective adj. Grasping and representing facts as they are. objector n. One who objects, as to a proposition, measure, or ruling. obligate v. To hold to the fulfillment of duty. obligatory adj. Binding in law or conscience. oblique adj. Slanting; said of lines. obliterate v. To cause to disappear. oblivion n. The state of having passed out of the memory or of being utterly forgotten. oblong adj. Longer than broad: applied most commonly to rectangular objects considerably elongated obnoxious adj. Detestable. obsequies n. Funeral rites. obsequious adj. Showing a servile readiness to fall in with the wishes or will of another.


observance n. A traditional form or customary act. observant adj. Quick to notice. observatory n. A building designed for systematic astronomical observations. obsolescence n. The condition or process of gradually falling into disuse. obsolescent adj. Passing out of use, as a word. obsolete adj. No longer practiced or accepted. obstetrician n. A practitioner of midwifery. obstetrics n. The branch of medical science concerned with the treatment and care of women during pregnancy. obstinacy n. Stubborn adherence to opinion, arising from conceit or the desire to have one's own way. obstreperous adj. Boisterous. obstruct v. To fill with impediments so as to prevent passage, either wholly or in part. obstruction n. Hindrance. obtrude v. To be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence. obtrusive adj. Tending to be pushed or to push oneself into undue prominence. obvert v. To turn the front or principal side of (a thing) toward any person or object. obviate v. To clear away or provide for, as an objection or difficulty. occasion n. An important event or celebration. Occident n. The countries lying west of Asia and the Turkish dominions. occlude v. To absorb, as a gas by a metal. occult adj. Existing but not immediately perceptible. occupant n. A tenant in possession of property, as distinguished from the actual owner. occurrence n. A happening. octagon n. A figure with eight sides and eight angles. octave n. A note at this interval above or below any other, considered in relation to that other. octavo n. A book, or collection of paper in which the sheets are so folded as to make eight leaves. octogenarian adj. A person of between eighty and ninety years. ocular adj. Of or pertaining to the eye. oculist n. One versed or skilled in treating diseases of the eye. oddity n. An eccentricity. ode n. The form of lyric poetry anciently intended to be sung. odious adj. Hateful. odium n. A feeling of extreme repugnance, or of dislike and disgust. odoriferous adj. Having or diffusing an odor or scent, especially an agreeable one. odorous adj. Having an odor, especially a fragrant one. off adj. Farther or more distant. offhand adv. Without preparation. officiate v. To act as an officer or leader. officious adj. Intermeddling with what is not one's concern. offshoot n. Something that branches off from the parent stock. ogre n. A demon or monster that was supposed to devour human beings. ointment n. A fatty preparation with a butter-like consistency in which a medicinal substance exists. olfactory adj. of or pertaining to the sense of smell. olive-branch n. A branch of the olive-tree, as an emblem of peace. ominous adj. Portentous. omission n. Exclusion. omnipotence n. Unlimited and universal power. Omnipotent adj. Possessed of unlimited and universal power. omniscience n. Unlimited or infinite knowledge. omniscient adj. Characterized by unlimited or infinite knowledge. omnivorous adj. Eating or living upon food of all kinds indiscriminately. onerous adj. Burdensome or oppressive. onrush n. Onset. onset n. An assault, especially of troops, upon an enemy or fortification. onslaught n. A violent onset. onus n. A burden or responsibility. opalescence n. The property of combined refraction and reflection of light, resulting in smoky tints. opaque adj. Impervious to light. operate v. To put in action and supervise the working of. operative adj. Active. operator n. One who works with or controls some machine or scientific apparatus. operetta n. A humorous play in dialogue and music, of more than one act. opinion n. A conclusion or judgment held with confidence, but falling short of positive knowledge. opponent n. One who supports the opposite side in a debate, discussion, struggle, or sport. opportune adj. Especially fit as occurring, said, or done at the right moment. opportunist n. One who takes advantage of circumstances to gain his ends. opportunity n. Favorable or advantageous chance or opening.

opposite adj. Radically different or contrary in action or movement. opprobrium n. The state of being scornfully reproached or accused of evil. optic n. Pertaining to the eye or vision. optician n. One who makes or deals in optical instruments or eye-glasses. optics n. The science that treats of light and vision, and all that is connected with sight. optimism n. The view that everything in nature and the history of mankind is ordered for the best. option n. The right, power, or liberty of choosing. optometry n. Measurement of the powers of vision. opulence n. Affluence. opulent adj. Wealthy. oral adj. Uttered through the mouth. orate v. To deliver an elaborate or formal public speech. oration n. An elaborate or formal public speech. orator n. One who delivers an elaborate or formal speech. oratorio n. A composition for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, generally taken from the Scriptures. oratory n. The art of public speaking. ordeal n. Anything that severely tests courage, strength, patience, conscience, etc. ordinal n. That form of the numeral that shows the order of anything in a series, as first, second, third. ordination n. A consecration to the ministry. ordnance n. A general name for all kinds of weapons and their appliances used in war. orgies n. Wild or wanton revelry. origin n. The beginning of that which becomes or is made to be. original adj. Not copied nor produced by imitation. originate v. To cause or constitute the beginning or first stage of the existence of. ornate adj. Ornamented to a marked degree. orthodox adj. Holding the commonly accepted faith. orthodoxy n. Acceptance of the common faith. orthogonal adj. Having or determined by right angles. orthopedic adj. Relating to the correcting or preventing of deformity orthopedist n. One who practices the correcting or preventing of deformity oscillate v. To swing back and forth. osculate v. To kiss. ossify v. to convert into bone. ostentation n. A display dictated by vanity and intended to invite applause or flattery. ostracism n. Exclusion from intercourse or favor, as in society or politics. ostracize v. To exclude from public or private favor. ought v. To be under moral obligation to be or do. oust v. To eject. out-and-out adv. Genuinely. outbreak n. A sudden and violent breaking forth, as of something that has been pent up or restrained. outburst n. A violent issue, especially of passion in an individual. outcast n. One rejected and despised, especially socially. outcry n. A vehement or loud cry or clamor. outdo v. To surpass. outlandish adj. Of barbarous, uncouth, and unfamiliar aspect or action. outlast v. To last longer than. outlaw n. A habitual lawbreaker. outlive v. To continue to exist after. out-of-the-way adj. Remotely situated. outpost n. A detachment of troops stationed at a distance from the main body to guard against surprise. outrage n. A gross infringement of morality or decency. outrageous adj. Shocking in conduct. outreach v. To reach or go beyond. outride v. To ride faster than. outrigger n. A part built or arranged to project beyond a natural outline for support. outright adv. Entirely. outskirt n. A border region. outstretch v. To extend. outstrip v. To go beyond. outweigh v. To surpass in importance or excellence. overdo v. To overtax the strength of. overdose n. An excessive dose, usually so large a dose of a medicine that its effect is toxic. overeat v. To eat to excess. overhang n. A portion of a structure which projects or hangs over. overleap v. To leap beyond. overlord n. One who holds supremacy over another. overpass v. To pass across or over, as a river. overpay v. To pay or reward in excess. overpower v. To gain supremacy or victory over by superior power. overproduction n. Excessive production.


overreach v. To stretch out too far. overrun v. To infest or ravage. oversee v. To superintend. overseer n. A supervisor. overshadow v. To cast into the shade or render insignificant by comparison. overstride v. To step beyond. overthrow v. To vanquish an established ruler or government. overtone n. A harmonic. overture n. An instrumental prelude to an opera, oratorio, or ballet. overweight n. Preponderance. pacify v. To bring into a peaceful state. packet n. A bundle, as of letters. pact n. A covenant. pagan n. A worshiper of false gods. pageant n. A dramatic representation, especially a spectacular one. palate n. The roof of the mouth. palatial adj. Magnificent. paleontology n. The branch of biology that treats of ancient life and fossil organisms. palette n. A thin tablet, with a hole for the thumb, upon which artists lay their colors for painting. palinode n. A retraction. pall v. To make dull by satiety. palliate v. To cause to appear less guilty. pallid adj. Of a pale or wan appearance. palpable n. perceptible by feeling or touch. palsy n. Paralysis. paly adj. Lacking color or brilliancy. pamphlet n. A brief treatise or essay, usually on a subject of current interest. pamphleteer v. To compose or issue pamphlets, especially controversial ones. panacea n. A remedy or medicine proposed for or professing to cure all diseases. Pan-American adj. Including or pertaining to the whole of America, both North and South. pandemic adj. Affecting a whole people or all classes, as a disease. pandemonium n. A fiendish or riotous uproar. panegyric n. A formal and elaborate eulogy, written or spoken, of a person or of an act. panel n. A rectangular piece set in or as in a frame. panic n. A sudden, unreasonable, overpowering fear. panoply n. A full set of armor. panorama n. A series of large pictures representing a continuous scene. pantheism n. The worship of nature for itself or its beauty. Pantheon n. A circular temple at Rome with a fine Corinthian portico and a great domed roof. pantomime n. Sign-language. pantoscope n. A very wide-angled photographic lens. papacy n. The official head of the Roman Catholic Church. papyrus n. The writing-paper of the ancient Egyptians, and later of the Romans. parable n. A brief narrative founded on real scenes or events usually with a moral. paradox n. A statement or doctrine seemingly in contradiction to the received belief. paragon n. A model of excellence. parallel v. To cause to correspond or lie in the same direction and equidistant in all parts. parallelism n. Essential likeness. paralysis n. Loss of the power of contractility in the voluntary or involuntary muscles. paralyze v. To deprive of the power to act. paramount adj. Supreme in authority. paramour n. One who is unlawfully and immorally a lover or a mistress. paraphernalia n. Miscellaneous articles of equipment or adornment. paraphrase v. Translate freely. pare v. To cut, shave, or remove (the outside) from anything. parentage n. The relation of parent to child, of the producer to the produced, or of cause to effect. Pariah n. A member of a degraded class; a social outcast. parish n. The ecclesiastical district in charge of a pastor. Parisian adj. Of or pertaining to the city of Paris. parity n. Equality, as of condition or rank. parlance n. Mode of speech. parley v. To converse in. parliament n. A legislative body. parlor n. A room for reception of callers or entertainment of guests. parody v. To render ludicrous by imitating the language of. paronymous adj. Derived from the same root or primitive word. paroxysm n. A sudden outburst of any kind of activity. parricide n. The murder of a parent. parse v. To describe, as a sentence, by separating it into its elements and describing each word. parsimonious adj. Unduly sparing in the use or expenditure of money. partible adj. Separable.

participant n. One having a share or part. participate v. To receive or have a part or share of. partition n. That which separates anything into distinct parts. partisan adj. Characterized by or exhibiting undue or unreasoning devotion to a party. passible adj. Capable of feeling of suffering. passive adj. Unresponsive. pastoral adj. Having the spirit or sentiment of rural life. paternal adj. Fatherly. paternity n. Fatherhood. pathos n. The quality in any form of representation that rouses emotion or sympathy. patriarch n. The chief of a tribe or race who rules by paternal right. patrician adj. Of senatorial or noble rank. patrimony n. An inheritance from an ancestor, especially from one's father. patriotism n. Love and devotion to one's country. patronize v. To exercise an arrogant condescension toward. patronymic adj. Formed after one's father's name. patter v. To mumble something over and over. paucity n. Fewness. pauper n. One without means of support. pauperism n. Dependence on charity. pavilion n. An open structure for temporary shelter. payee n. A person to whom money has been or is to be paid. peaceable adj. Tranquil. peaceful adj. Tranquil. peccable adj. Capable of sinning. peccadillo n. A small breach of propriety or principle. peccant adj. Guilty. pectoral adj. Pertaining to the breast or thorax. pecuniary adj. Consisting of money. pedagogics n. The science and art of teaching. pedagogue n. A schoolmaster. pedagogy n. The science and art of teaching pedal n. A lever for the foot usually applied only to musical instruments, cycles, and other machines. pedant n. A scholar who makes needless and inopportune display of his learning. peddle v. To go about with a small stock of goods to sell. pedestal n. A base or support as for a column, statue, or vase. pedestrian n. One who journeys on foot. pediatrics n. The department of medical science that relates to the treatment of diseases of childhood. pedigree n. One's line of ancestors. peddler n. One who travels from house to house with an assortment of goods for retail. peerage n. The nobility. peerless adj. Of unequaled excellence or worth. peevish adj. Petulant. (irritable) pellucid adj. Translucent. penalty n. The consequences that follow the transgression of natural or divine law. penance n. Punishment to which one voluntarily submits or subjects himself as an expression of penitence. penchant n. A bias in favor of something. pendant n. Anything that hangs from something else, either for ornament or for use. pendulous adj. Hanging, especially so as to swing by an attached end or part. pendulum n. A weight hung on a rod, serving by its oscillation to regulate the rate of a clock. penetrable adj. That may be pierced by physical, moral, or intellectual force. penetrate v. To enter or force a way into the interior parts of. penetration n. Discernment. peninsular adj. Pertaining to a piece of land almost surrounded by water. penitence n. Sorrow for sin with desire to amend and to atone. penitential adj. Pertaining to sorrow for sin with desire to amend and to atone. pennant n. A small flag. pension n. A periodical allowance to an individual on account of past service done by him/her. pentagram n. A figure having five points or lobes. pentavalent adj. Quinqeuvalent. pentad n. The number five. pentagon n. A figure, especially, with five angles and five sides. pentahedron n. A solid bounded by five plane faces. pentameter n. In prosody, a line of verse containing five units or feet. pentathlon n. The contest of five associated exercises in the great games and the same contestants. penultimate adj. A syllable or member of a series that is last but one. penurious adj. Excessively sparing in the use of money. penury n. Indigence.


perambulate v. To walk about. perceive v. To have knowledge of, or receive impressions concerning, through the medium of the body senses. perceptible adj. Cognizable. perception n. Knowledge through the senses of the existence and properties of matter or the external world. percipience n. The act of perceiving. percipient n. One who or that which perceives. percolate v. To filter. percolator n. A filter. percussion n. The sharp striking of one body against another. peremptory adj. Precluding question or appeal. perennial adj. Continuing though the year or through many years. perfectible adj. Capable of being made perfect. perfidy n. Treachery. perforate v. To make a hole or holes through. perform v. To accomplish. perfumery n. The preparation of perfumes. perfunctory adj. Half-hearted. perhaps adv. Possibly. perigee n. The point in the orbit of the moon when it is nearest the earth. periodicity n. The habit or characteristic of recurrence at regular intervals. peripatetic adj. Walking about. perjure v. To swear falsely to. perjury n. A solemn assertion of a falsity. permanence n. A continuance in the same state, or without any change that destroys the essential form or nature. permanent adj. Durable. permeate v. To pervade. permissible adj. That may be allowed. permutation n. Reciprocal change, different ordering of same items. pernicious adj. Tending to kill or hurt. perpendicular adj. Straight up and down. perpetrator n. The doer of a wrong or a criminal act. perpetuate v. To preserve from extinction or oblivion. perquisite n. Any profit from service beyond the amount fixed as salary or wages. persecution n. Harsh or malignant oppression. perseverance n. A persistence in purpose and effort. persevere v. To continue striving in spite of discouragements. persiflage n. Banter. persist v. To continue steadfast against opposition. persistence n. A fixed adherence to a resolve, course of conduct, or the like. personage n. A man or woman as an individual, especially one of rank or high station. personal adj. Not general or public. personality n. The attributes, taken collectively, that make up the character and nature of an individual. personnel n. The force of persons collectively employed in some service. perspective n. The relative importance of facts or matters from any special point of view. perspicacious adj. Astute. perspicacity n. Acuteness or discernment. perspicuous adj. Lucid. perspiration n. Sweat. perspire v. To excrete through the pores of the skin. persuade v. To win the mind of by argument, eloquence, evidence, or reflection. persuadable adj. capable of influencing to action by entreaty, statement, or anything that moves the feelings. pertinacious adj. Persistent or unyielding. pertinacity n. Unyielding adherence. pertinent adj. Relevant. perturb v. To disturb greatly. perturbation n. Mental excitement or confusion. perusal n. The act of reading carefully or thoughtfully. pervade v. To pass or spread through every part. pervasion n. The state of spreading through every part. pervasive adj. Thoroughly penetrating or permeating. perverse adj. Unreasonable. perversion n. Diversion from the true meaning or proper purpose. perversity n. Wickedness. pervert n. One who has forsaken a doctrine regarded as true for one esteemed false. pervious adj. Admitting the entrance or passage of another substance. pestilence n. A raging epidemic. pestilent adj. Having a malign influence or effect. pestilential adj. having the nature of or breeding pestilence. peter v. To fail or lose power, efficiency, or value.

petrify v. To convert into a substance of stony hardness and character. petulance n. The character or condition of being impatient, capricious or petulant. petulant adj. Displaying impatience. pharmacopoeia n. A book containing the formulas and methods of preparation of medicines for the use of druggists. pharmacy n. The art or business of compounding and dispensing medicines. phenomenal adj. Extraordinary or marvelous. phenomenon n. Any unusual occurrence. philander v. To play at courtship with a woman. philanthropic adj. Benevolent. philanthropist n. One who endeavors to help his fellow men. philanthropy n. Active humanitarianism. philately n. The study and collection of stamps. philharmonic adj. Fond of music. philogynist n. One who is fond of women. philologist n. An expert in linguistics. philology n. The study of language in connection with history and literature. philosophize v. To seek ultimate causes and principles. philosophy n. The general principles, laws, or causes that furnish the rational explanation of anything. phlegmatic adj. Not easily roused to feeling or action. phonetic adj. Representing articulate sounds or speech. phonic adj. Pertaining to the nature of sound. phonogram n. A graphic character symbolizing an articulate sound. phonology n. The science of human vocal sounds. phosphorescence n. The property of emitting light. photoelectric adj. Pertaining to the combined action of light and electricity. photometer n. Any instrument for measuring the intensity of light or comparing the intensity of two lights. photometry n. The art of measuring the intensity of light. physicist n. A specialist in the science that treats of the phenomena associated with matter and energy. physics n. The science that treats of the phenomena associated with matter and energy. physiocracy n. The doctrine that land and its products are the only true wealth. physiognomy n. The external appearance merely. physiography n. Description of nature. physiology n. The science of organic functions. physique n. The physical structure or organization of a person. picayune adj. Of small value. piccolo n. A small flute. piece n. A loose or separated part, as distinguished from the whole or the mass. piecemeal adv. Gradually. pillage n. Open robbery, as in war. pillory n. A wooden framework in which an offender is fastened to boards and is exposed to public scorn. pincers n. An instrument having two lever-handles and two jaws working on a pivot. pinchers n. An instrument having two jaws working on a pivot. pinnacle n. A high or topmost point, as a mountain-peak. pioneer n. One among the first to explore a country. pious adj. Religious. pique v. To excite a slight degree of anger in. piteous adj. Compassionate. pitiable adj. Contemptible. pitiful adj. Wretched. pitiless adj. Hard-hearted. pittance n. Any small portion or meager allowance. placate v. To bring from a state of angry or hostile feeling to one of patience or friendliness. placid adj. Serene. plagiarism n. The stealing of passages from the writings of another and publishing them as one's own. planisphere n. A polar projection of the heavens on a chart. plasticity n. The property of some substances through which the form of the mass can readily be changed. platitude n. A written or spoken statement that is flat, dull, or commonplace. plaudit n. An expression of applause. plausible adj. Seeming likely to be true, though open to doubt. playful adj. Frolicsome. playwright n. A maker of plays for the stage. plea n. An argument to obtain some desired action. pleasant adj. Agreeable. pleasurable adj. Affording gratification. plebeian adj. Common. pledgee n. The person to whom anything is pledged.


pledgeor n. One who gives a pledge. plenary adj. Entire. plenipotentiary n. A person fully empowered to transact any business. plenitude n. Abundance. plenteous adj. Abundant. plumb n. A weight suspended by a line to test the verticality of something. plummet n. A piece of lead for making soundings, adjusting walls to the vertical. pluperfect adj. Expressing past time or action prior to some other past time or action. plural adj. Containing or consisting of more than one. plurality n. A majority. plutocracy n. A wealthy class in a political community who control the government by means of their money. pneumatic adj. Pertaining to or consisting of air or gas. poesy n. Poetry. poetaster n. An inferior poet. poetic adj. Pertaining to poetry. poetics n. The rules and principles of poetry. poignancy n. Severity or acuteness, especially of pain or grief. poignant adj. Severely painful or acute to the spirit. poise n. Equilibrium. polar adj. Pertaining to the poles of a sphere, especially of the earth. polemics n. The art of controversy or disputation. pollen n. The fine dust-like grains or powder formed within the anther of a flowering plant. pollute v. To contaminate. polyarchy n. Government by several or many persons of whatever class. polycracy n. The rule of many. polygamy n. the fact or condition of having more than one wife or husband at once. polyglot adj. Speaking several tongues. polygon n. A figure having many angles. polyhedron n. A solid bounded by plane faces, especially by more than four. polysyllable adj. Having several syllables, especially more than three syllables. polytechnic adj. Pertaining to, embracing, or practicing many arts. polytheism n. The doctrine or belief that there are more gods than one. pommel v. To beat with something thick or bulky. pomposity n. The quality of being marked by an assumed stateliness and impressiveness of manner. pompous adj. Marked by an assumed stateliness and impressiveness of manner. ponder v. To meditate or reflect upon. ponderous adj. Unusually weighty or forcible. pontiff n. The Pope. populace n. The common people. populous adj. Containing many inhabitants, especially in proportion to the territory. portend v. To indicate as being about to happen, especially by previous signs. portent n. Anything that indicates what is to happen. portfolio n. A portable case for holding writing-materials, drawings, etc. posit v. To present in an orderly manner. position n. The manner in which a thing is placed. positive adj. Free from doubt or hesitation. posse n. A force of men. possess v. To own. possession n. The having, holding, or detention of property in one's power or command. possessive adj. Pertaining to the having, holding, or detention of property in one's power or command. possessor n. One who owns, enjoys, or controls anything, as property. possible adj. Being not beyond the reach of power natural, moral, or supernatural. postdate v. To make the date of any writing later than the real date. posterior n. The hinder part. postgraduate adj. Pertaining to studies that are pursued after receiving a degree. postscript n. Something added to a letter after the writer's signature. potency n. Power. potent adj. Physically powerful. potentate n. One possessed of great power or sway. potential n. Anything that may be possible. potion n. A dose of liquid medicine. powerless adj. Impotent. practicable adj. Feasible. prate v. To talk about vainly or foolishly. prattle v. To utter in simple or childish talk. preamble n. A statement introductory to and explanatory of what follows. precarious adj. Perilous. precaution n. A provision made in advance for some possible emergency or danger. precede v. To happen first. precedence n. Priority in place, time, or rank. precedent n. An instance that may serve as a guide or basis for a rule. precedential adj. Of the nature of an instance that may serve as a guide or basis for a rule.

precession n. The act of going forward. precipice n. A high and very steep or approximately vertical cliff. precipitant adj. Moving onward quickly and heedlessly. precipitate v. To force forward prematurely. precise adj. Exact. precision n. Accuracy of limitation, definition, or adjustment. preclude v. To prevent. precocious adj. Having the mental faculties prematurely developed. precursor n. A forerunner or herald. predatory adj. Prone to pillaging. predecessor n. An incumbent of a given office previous to another. predicament n. A difficult, trying situation or plight. predicate v. To state as belonging to something. predict v. To foretell. prediction n. A prophecy. predominance n. Ascendancy or preponderance. predominant adj. Superior in power, influence, effectiveness, number, or degree. predominate v. To be chief in importance, quantity, or degree. preeminence n. Special eminence. preempt v. To secure the right of preference in the purchase of public land. preemption n. The right or act of purchasing before others. preengage v. To preoccupy. preestablish v. To settle or arrange beforehand. preexist v. To exist at a period or in a state earlier than something else. preexistence n. Existence antecedent to something. preface n. A brief explanation or address to the reader, at the beginning of a book. prefatory adj. Pertaining to a brief explanation to the reader at the beginning of a book. prefer v. To hold in higher estimation. preferable adj. More desirable than others. preference n. An object of favor or choice. preferential adj. Possessing, giving, or constituting preference or priority. preferment n. Preference. prefix v. To attach at the beginning. prehensible adj. Capable of being grasped. prehensile adj. Adapted for grasping or holding. prehension n. The act of laying hold of or grasping. prejudice n. A judgment or opinion formed without due examination of the facts. prelacy n. A system of church government. prelate n. One of a higher order of clergy having direct authority over other clergy. prelude n. An introductory or opening performance. premature adj. Coming too soon. premier adj. First in rank or position. premise n. A judgment as a conclusion. premonition n. Foreboding. preoccupation n. The state of having the mind, attention, or inclination preoccupied. preoccupy v. To fill the mind of a person to the exclusion of other subjects. preordain v. To foreordain. preparation n. An act or proceeding designed to bring about some event. preparatory adj. Having to do with what is preliminary. preponderant adj. Prevalent. preponderate v. To exceed in influence or power. prepossession n. A preconceived liking. preposterous adj. Utterly ridiculous or absurd. prerogative adj. Having superior rank or precedence. presage v. To foretell. prescience n. Knowledge of events before they take place. prescient adj. Foreknowing. prescript adj. Prescribed as a rule or model. prescriptible adj. Derived from authoritative direction. prescription n. An authoritative direction. presentient adj. Perceiving or feeling beforehand. presentiment n. Foreboding. presentment n. Semblance. preservation n. Conservation. presumption n. That which may be logically assumed to be true until disproved. presumptuous adj. Assuming too much. pretension n. A bold or presumptuous assertion. pretentious adj. Marked by pretense, conceit, or display. preternatural adj. Extraordinary. pretext n. A fictitious reason or motive. prevalence n. Frequency. prevalent adj. Of wide extent or frequent occurrence. prevaricate v. To use ambiguous or evasive language for the purpose of deceiving or diverting attention.


prevention n. Thwarting. prickle v. To puncture slightly with fine, sharp points. priggish adj. Conceited. prim adj. Stiffly proper. prima adj. First. primer n. An elementary reading-book for children. primeval adj. Belonging to the first ages. primitive adj. Pertaining to the beginning or early times. principal adj. Most important. principality n. The territory of a reigning prince. principle n. A general truth or proposition. priory n. A monastic house. pristine adj. Primitive. privateer n. A vessel owned and officered by private persons, but carrying on maritime war. privilege n. A right or immunity not enjoyed by all, or that may be enjoyed only under special conditions. privity n. Knowledge shared with another or others regarding a private matter. privy adj. Participating with another or others in the knowledge of a secret transaction. probate adj. Relating to making proof, as of a will. probation n. Any proceeding designed to ascertain or test character, qualification, or the like. probe v. To search through and through. probity n. Virtue or integrity tested and confirmed. procedure n. A manner or method of acting. proceed v. To renew motion or action, as after rest or interruption. proclamation n. Any announcement made in a public manner. procrastinate v. To put off till tomorrow or till a future time. procrastination n. Delay. proctor n. An agent acting for another. prodigal n. One wasteful or extravagant, especially in the use of money or property. prodigious adj. Immense. prodigy n. A person or thing of very remarkable gifts or qualities. productive adj. Yielding in abundance. profession n. Any calling or occupation involving special mental or other special disciplines. professor n. A public teacher of the highest grade in a university or college. proffer v. To offer to another for acceptance. proficiency n. An advanced state of acquirement, as in some knowledge, art, or science. proficient adj. Possessing ample and ready knowledge or of skill in any art, science, or industry. profile n. An outline or contour. profiteer n. One who profits. profligacy n. Shameless viciousness. profligate adj. Abandoned to vice. profuse adj. Produced or displayed in overabundance. progeny n. Offspring. progression n. A moving forward or proceeding in course. prohibition n. A decree or an order forbidding something. prohibitionist n. One who favors the prohibition by law of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. prohibitory adj. Involving or equivalent to prohibition, especially of the sale of alcoholic beverages. projection n. A prominence. proletarian n. A person of the lowest or poorest class. prolific adj. Producing offspring or fruit. prolix adj. Verbose. prologue n. A prefatory statement or explanation to a poem, discourse, or performance. prolong v. To extend in time or duration. promenade v. To walk for amusement or exercise. prominence n. The quality of being noticeable or distinguished. prominent adj. Conspicuous in position, character, or importance. promiscuous adj. Brought together without order, distinction, or design (for sex). promissory adj. Expressing an engagement to pay. promontory n. A high point of land extending outward from the coastline into the sea. promoter n. A furtherer, forwarder, or encourager. promulgate v. To proclaim. propaganda n. Any institution or systematic scheme for propagating a doctrine or system. propagate v. To spread abroad or from person to person. propel v. To drive or urge forward. propellant adj. Propelling. propeller n. One who or that which propels. prophecy n. Any prediction or foretelling. prophesy v. To predict or foretell, especially under divine inspiration and guidance. propitious adj. Kindly disposed.

proportionate adj. Being in proportion. propriety n. Accordance with recognized usage, custom, or principles. propulsion n. A driving onward or forward. prosaic adj. Unimaginative. proscenium n. That part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra. proscribe v. To reject, as a teaching or a practice, with condemnation or denunciation. proscription n. Any act of condemnation and rejection from favor and privilege. proselyte n. One who has been won over from one religious belief to another. prosody n. The science of poetical forms. prospector n. One who makes exploration, search, or examination, especially for minerals. prospectus n. A paper or pamphlet containing information of a proposed undertaking. prostrate adj. Lying prone, or with the head to the ground. protagonist n. A leader in any enterprise or contest. protection n. Preservation from harm, danger, annoyance, or any other evil. protective adj. Sheltering. protector n. A defender. protégé n. One specially cared for and favored by another usually older person. Protestant n. A Christian who denies the authority of the Pope and holds the right of special judgment. protomartyr n. The earliest victim in any cause. protocol n. A declaration or memorandum of agreement less solemn and formal than a treaty. protoplasm n. The substance that forms the principal portion of an animal or vegetable cell. prototype n. A work, original in character, afterward imitated in form or spirit. protract v. To prolong. protrude v. To push out or thrust forth. protrusion n. The act of protruding. protuberance n. Something that swells out from a surrounding surface. protuberant adj. Bulging. protuberate v. To swell or bulge beyond the surrounding surface. proverb n. A brief, pithy saying, condensing in witty or striking form the wisdom of experience. provident adj. Anticipating and making ready for future wants or emergencies. providential adj. Effected by divine guidance. provincial adj. Uncultured in thought and manner. proviso n. A clause in a contract, will, etc., by which its operation is rendered conditional. provocation n. An action or mode of conduct that excites resentment. prowess n. Strength, skill, and intrepidity in battle. proximately adv. Immediately. proxy n. A person who is empowered by another to represent him or her in a given matter. prudence n. Caution. prudential adj. Proceeding or marked by caution. prudery n. An undue display of modesty or delicacy. prurient adj. Inclined to lascivious thoughts and desires. pseudapostle n. A pretended or false apostle. pseudonym n. A fictitious name, especially when assumed by a writer. pseudonymity n. The state or character of using a fictitious name. psychiatry n. The branch of medicine that relates to mental disease. psychic adj. Pertaining to the mind or soul. psychopathic adj. Morally irresponsible. psychotherapy n. The treatment of mental disease. pudgy adj. Small and fat. puerile adj. Childish. pugnacious adj. Quarrelsome. puissant adj. Possessing strength. pulmonary adj. Pertaining to the lungs. punctilious adj. Strictly observant of the rules or forms prescribed by law or custom. punctual adj. Observant and exact in points of time. pungent adj. Affecting the sense of smell. pungency n. The quality of affecting the sense of smell. punitive adj. Pertaining to punishment. pupilage n. The state or period of being a student. purgatory n. An intermediate state where souls are made fit for paradise or heaven by expiatory suffering. purl v. To cause to whirl, as in an eddy. purloin v. To steal. purport n. Intent. purveyor n. one who supplies pusillanimous adj. Without spirit or bravery. putrescent adj. Undergoing decomposition of animal or vegetable matter accompanied by fetid odors. pyre n. A heap of combustibles arranged for burning a dead body. pyromania n. An insane propensity to set things on fire. pyrotechnic adj. Pertaining to fireworks or their manufacture.


pyx n. A vessel or casket, usually of precious metal, in which the host is preserved. quackery n. Charlatanry quadrate v. To divide into quarters. quadruple v. To multiply by four. qualification n. A requisite for an employment, position, right, or privilege. qualify v. To endow or furnish with requisite ability, character, knowledge, skill, or possessions. qualm n. A fit of nausea. quandary n. A puzzling predicament. quantity n. Magnitude. quarantine n. The enforced isolation of any person or place infected with contagious disease. quarrelsome adj. Irascible. quarter n. One of four equal parts into which anything is or may be divided. quarterly adj. Occurring or made at intervals of three months. quartet n. A composition for four voices or four instruments. quarto n. An eight-page newspaper of any size. quay n. A wharf or artificial landing-place on the shore of a harbor or projecting into it. querulous adj. Habitually complaining. query v. To make inquiry. queue n. A file of persons waiting in order of their arrival, as for admittance. quibble n. An utterly trivial distinction or objection. quiescence n. Quiet. quiescent adj. Being in a state of repose or inaction. quiet adj. Making no noise. quietus n. A silencing, suppressing, or ending. quintessence n. The most essential part of anything. quintet n. Musical composition arranged for five voices or instruments. quite adv. Fully. Quixotic adj. Chivalrous or romantic to a ridiculous or extravagant degree. rabid adj. Affected with rabies or hydrophobia. racy adj. Exciting or exhilarating to the mind. radiance n. Brilliant or sparkling luster. radiate v. To extend in all directions, as from a source or focus. radical n. One who holds extreme views or advocates extreme measures. radix n. That from or on which something is developed. raillery n. Good-humored satire. ramify v. To divide or subdivide into branches or subdivisions. ramose adj. Branch-like. rampant adj. Growing, climbing, or running without check or restraint. rampart n. A bulwark or construction to oppose assault or hostile entry. rancor n. Malice. rankle v. To produce irritation or festering. rapacious adj. Disposed to seize by violence or by unlawful or greedy methods. rapid adj. Having great speed. rapine n. The act of seizing and carrying off property by superior force, as in war. rapt adj. Enraptured. raptorial adj. Seizing and devouring living prey. ration v. To provide with a fixed allowance or portion, especially of food. rationalism n. The formation of opinions by relying upon reason alone, independently of authority. raucous adj. Harsh. ravage v. To lay waste by pillage, rapine, devouring, or other destructive methods. ravenous adj. Furiously voracious or hungry. ravine n. A deep gorge or hollow, especially one worn by a stream or flow of water. reaction n. Tendency towards a former, or opposite state of things, as after reform, revolution, or inflation. reactionary adj. Pertaining to, of the nature of, causing, or favoring reaction. readily adv. Without objection or reluctance. readjust v. To put in order after disarrangement. ready adj. In a state of preparedness for any given purpose or occasion. realism n. The principle and practice of depicting persons and scenes as they are believed really to exist. rearrange v. To arrange again or in a different order. reassure v. To give new confidence. rebellious adj. Insubordinate. rebuff n. A peremptory or unexpected rejection of advances or approaches. rebuild v. To build again or anew. rebut v. To oppose by argument or a sufficient answer. recant v. To withdraw formally one's belief (in something previously believed or maintained). recapitulate v. To repeat again the principal points of. recapture v. To capture again. recede v. To move back or away.

receivable adj. Capable of being or fit to be received - often money. receptive adj. Having the capacity, quality, or ability of receiving, as truths or impressions. recessive adj. Having a tendency to go back. recidivist n. A confirmed criminal. reciprocal adj. Mutually interchangeable or convertible. reciprocate v. To give and take mutually. reciprocity n. Equal mutual rights and benefits granted and enjoyed. recitation n. The act of reciting or repeating, especially in public and from memory. reck v. To have a care or thought for. reckless adj. Foolishly headless of danger. reclaim v. To demand or to obtain the return or restoration of. recline v. To cause to assume a leaning or recumbent attitude or position. recluse n. One who lives in retirement or seclusion. reclusory n. A hermitage. recognizance n. An acknowledgment entered into before a court with condition to do some particular act. recognize v. To recall the identity of (a person or thing). recoil v. To start back as in dismay, loathing, or dread. recollect v. To recall the knowledge of. reconcilable adj. Capable of being adjusted or harmonized. reconnoiter v. To make a preliminary examination of for military, surveying, or geological purposes. reconsider v. To review with care, especially with a view to a reversal of previous action. reconstruct v. To rebuild. recourse n. Resort to or application for help in exigency or trouble. recover v. To regain. recreant n. A cowardly or faithless person. recreate v. To refresh after labor. recrudescence n. The state of becoming raw or sore again. recrudescent adj. Becoming raw or sore again. recruit v. To enlist men for military or naval service. rectify v. To correct. rectitude n. The quality of being upright in principles and conduct. recuperate v. To recover. recur v. To happen again or repeatedly, especially at regular intervals. recure v. To cure again. recurrent adj. Returning from time to time, especially at regular or stated intervals. redemption n. The recovery of what is mortgaged or pledged, by paying the debt. redolent adj. Smelling sweet and agreeable. redolence n. Smelling sweet and agreeable. redoubtable adj. Formidable. redound n. Rebound. redress v. To set right, as a wrong by compensation or the punishment of the wrong-doer. reducible adj. That may be reduced. redundance n. Excess. redundant adj. Constituting an excess. reestablish v. To restore. refer v. To direct or send for information or other purpose. referrer n. One who refers. referable adj. Ascribable. referee n. An umpire. refinery n. A place where some crude material, as sugar or petroleum, is purified. reflectible adj. Capable of being turned back. reflection n. The throwing off or back of light, heat, sound, or any form of energy that travels in waves. reflector n. A mirror, as of metal, for reflecting light, heat, or sound in a particular direction. reflexible adj. Capable of being reflected. reform n. Change for the better. reformer n. One who carries out a reform. refract v. To bend or turn from a direct course. refractory adj. Not amenable to control. refragable adj. Capable of being refuted. refringency n. Power to refract. refringent adj. Having the power to refract. refusal n. Denial of what is asked. refute v. To prove to be wrong. regale v. To give unusual pleasure. regalia n. pl. The emblems of royalty. regality n. Royalty. regenerate v. To reproduce. regent n. One who is lawfully deputized to administer the government for the time being in the name of the ruler. regicide n. The killing of a king or sovereign. regime n. Particular conduct or administration of affairs.


regimen n. A systematized order or course of living with reference to food, clothing and personal habits. regiment n. A body of soldiers. regnant adj. Exercising royal authority in one's own right. regress v. To return to a former place or condition. regretful adj. Feeling, expressive of, or full of regret. rehabilitate v. To restore to a former status, capacity, right rank, or privilege. reign v. To hold and exercise sovereign power. reimburse v. To pay back as an equivalent of what has been expended. rein n. A step attached to the bit for controlling a horse or other draft-animal. reinstate v. To restore to a former state, station, or authority. reiterate v. To say or do again and again. rejoin v. To reunite after separation. rejuvenate v. To restore to youth. rejuvenescence n. A renewal of youth. relapse v. To suffer a return of a disease after partial recovery. relegate v. To send off or consign, as to an obscure position or remote destination. relent v. To yield. relevant adj. Bearing upon the matter in hand. reliance n. Dependence. reliant adj. Having confidence. relinquish v. To give up using or having. reliquary n. A casket, coffer, or repository in which relics are kept. relish v. To like the taste or savor of. reluctance n. Unwillingness. reluctant adj. Unwilling. remembrance n. Recollection. reminiscence n. The calling to mind of incidents within the range of personal knowledge or experience. reminiscent adj. Pertaining to the recollection of matters of personal interest. remiss adj. Negligent. remission n. Temporary diminution of a disease. remodel v. Reconstruct. remonstrance n. Reproof. remonstrant adj. Having the character of a reproof. remonstrate v. To present a verbal or written protest to those who have power to right or prevent a wrong. remunerate v. To pay or pay for. remuneration n. Compensation. Renaissance n. The revival of letters, and then of art, which marks the transition from medieval to modern time. rendezvous n. A prearranged place of meeting. rendition n. Interpretation. renovate v. To restore after deterioration, as a building. renunciation n. An explicit disclaimer of a right or privilege. reorganize v. To change to a more satisfactory form of organization. reparable adj. Capable of repair. reparation n. The act of making amends, as for an injury, loss, or wrong. repartee n. A ready, witty, or apt reply. repeal v. To render of no further effect. repel v. To force or keep back in a manner, physically or mentally. repellent adj. Having power to force back in a manner, physically or mentally. repentance n. Sorrow for something done or left undone, with desire to make things right by undoing the wrong. repertory n. A place where things are stored or gathered together. repetition n. The act of repeating. repine v. To indulge in fretfulness and faultfinding. replenish v. To fill again, as something that has been emptied. replete adj. Full to the uttermost. replica n. A duplicate executed by the artist himself, and regarded, equally with the first, as an original. repository n. A place in which goods are stored. reprehend v. To find fault with. reprehensible adj. Censurable. reprehension n. Expression of blame. repress v. To keep under restraint or control. repressible adj. Able to be kept under restraint or control. reprieve v. To grant a respite from punishment to. reprimand v. To chide or rebuke for a fault. reprisal n. Any infliction or act by way of retaliation on an enemy. reprobate n. One abandoned to depravity and sin. reproduce v. To make a copy of. reproduction n. The process by which an animal or plant gives rise to another of its kind. reproof n. An expression of disapproval or blame personally addressed to one censured. repudiate v. To refuse to have anything to do with.

repugnance n. Thorough dislike. repugnant adj. Offensive to taste and feeling. repulse n. The act of beating or driving back, as an attacking or advancing enemy. repulsive adj. Grossly offensive. repute v. To hold in general opinion. requiem n. A solemn mass sung for the repose of the souls of the dead. requisite adj. Necessary. requital n. Adequate return for good or ill. requite v. To repay either good or evil to, as to a person. rescind v. To make void, as an act, by the enacting authority or a superior authority. reseat v. To place in position of office again. resemblance n. Similarity in quality or form. resent v. To be indignant at, as an injury or insult. reservoir n. A receptacle where a quantity of some material, especially of a liquid or gas, may be kept. residue n. A remainder or surplus after a part has been separated or otherwise treated. resilience n. The power of springing back to a former position resilient adj. Having the quality of springing back to a former position. resistance n. The exertion of opposite effort or effect. resistant adj. Offering or tending to produce resistance. resistive adj. Having or exercising the power of resistance. resistless adj. Powerless. resonance n. The quality of being able to reinforce sound by sympathetic vibrations. resonance adj. Able to reinforce sound by sympathetic vibrations. resonate v. To have or produce resonance. resource n. That which is restored to, relied upon, or made available for aid or support. respite n. Interval of rest. resplendent adj. Very bright. respondent adj. Answering. restitution n. Restoration of anything to the one to whom it properly belongs. resumption n. The act of taking back, or taking again. resurgent adj. Surging back or again. resurrection n. A return from death to life resuscitate v. To restore from apparent death. retaliate v. To repay evil with a similar evil. retch v. To make an effort to vomit. retention n. The keeping of a thing within one's power or possession. reticence n. The quality of habitually keeping silent or being reserved in utterance. reticent adj. Habitually keeping silent or being reserved in utterance. retinue n. The body of persons who attend a person of importance in travel or public appearance. retort n. A retaliatory speech. retouch v. To modify the details of. retrace v. To follow backward or toward the place of beginning, as a track or marking. retract v. To recall or take back (something that one has said). retrench v. To cut down or reduce in extent or quantity. retrieve v. To recover something by searching. retroactive adj. Operative on, affecting, or having reference to past events, transactions, responsibilities. retrograde v. To cause to deteriorate or to move backward. retrogression n. A going or moving backward or in a reverse direction. retrospect n. A view or contemplation of something past. retrospective adj. Looking back on the past. reunite v. To unite or join again, as after separation. revelation n. A disclosing, discovering, or making known of what was before secret, private, or unknown. revere v. To regard with worshipful veneration. reverent adj. Humble. reversion n. A return to or toward some former state or condition. revert v. To return, or turn or look back, as toward a former position or the like. revile v. To heap approach or abuse upon. revisal n. Revision. revise v. To examine for the correction of errors, or for the purpose of making changes. revocation n. Repeal. revoke v. To rescind. rhapsody n. Rapt or rapturous utterance. rhetoric n. The art of discourse. rhetorician n. A showy writer or speaker. ribald adj. Indulging in or manifesting coarse indecency or obscenity. riddance n. The act or ridding or delivering from something undesirable. ridicule n. Looks or acts expressing amused contempt. ridiculous adj. Laughable and contemptible. rife adj. Abundant. righteousness n. Rectitude. rightful adj. Conformed to a just claim according to established laws or usage.


rigmarole n. Nonsense. rigor n. Inflexibility. rigorous adj. Uncompromising. ripplet n. A small ripple, as of water. risible adj. capable of exciting laughter. rivulet n. A small stream or brook. robust adj. Characterized by great strength or power of endurance. rondo n. A musical composition during which the first part or subject is repeated several times. rookery n. A place where crows congregate to breed. rotary adj. Turning around its axis, like a wheel, or so constructed as to turn thus. rotate v. To cause to turn on or as on its axis, as a wheel. rote n. Repetition of words or sounds as a means of learning them, with slight attention. rotund adj. Round from fullness or plumpness. rudimentary adj. Being in an initial, early, or incomplete stage of development. rue v. To regret extremely. ruffian adj. A lawless or recklessly brutal fellow. ruminant adj. Chewing the cud. ruminate v. To chew over again, as food previously swallowed and regurgitated. rupture v. To separate the parts of by violence. rustic adj. Characteristic of dwelling in the country. ruth n. Sorrow for another's misery. sacrifice v. To make an offering of to deity, especially by presenting on an altar. sacrificial adj. Offering or offered as an atonement for sin. sacrilege n. The act of violating or profaning anything sacred. sacrilegious adj. Impious. safeguard v. To protect. sagacious adj. Able to discern and distinguish with wise perception. salacious adj. Having strong sexual desires. salience n. The condition of standing out distinctly. salient adj. Standing out prominently. saline adj. Constituting or consisting of salt. salutary adj. Beneficial. salutation n. Any form of greeting, hailing, or welcome, whether by word or act. salutatory n. The opening oration at the commencement in American colleges. salvage n. Any act of saving property. salvo n. A salute given by firing all the guns, as at the funeral of an officer. sanctimonious adj. Making an ostentatious display or hypocritical pretense of holiness or piety. sanction v. To approve authoritatively. sanctity n. Holiness. sanguinary adj. Bloody. sanguine adj. Having the color of blood. sanguineous adj. Consisting of blood. sapid adj. Affecting the sense of taste. sapience n. Deep wisdom or knowledge. sapient adj. Possessing wisdom. sapiential adj. Possessing wisdom. saponaceous adj. Having the nature or quality of soap. sarcasm n. Cutting and reproachful language. sarcophagus n. A stone coffin or a chest-like tomb. sardonic adj. Scornfully or bitterly sarcastic. satiate v. To satisfy fully the appetite or desire of. satire n. The employment of sarcasm, irony, or keenness of wit in ridiculing vices. satiric adj. Resembling poetry, in which vice, incapacity ,or corruption is held up to ridicule. satirize v. To treat with sarcasm or derisive wit. satyr n. A very lascivious person. savage n. A wild and uncivilized human being. savor v. To perceive by taste or smell. scabbard n. The sheath of a sword or similar bladed weapon. scarcity n. Insufficiency of supply for needs or ordinary demands. scholarly adj. Characteristic of an erudite person. scholastic adj. Pertaining to education or schools. scintilla n. The faintest ray. scintillate v. To emit or send forth sparks or little flashes of light. scope n. A range of action or view. scoundrel n. A man without principle. scribble n. Hasty, careless writing. scribe n. One who writes or is skilled in writing. script n. Writing or handwriting of the ordinary cursive form. Scriptural adj. Pertaining to, contained in, or warranted by the Holy Scriptures. scruple n. Doubt or uncertainty regarding a question of moral right or duty. scrupulous adj. Cautious in action for fear of doing wrong. scurrilous adj. Grossly indecent or vulgar.

scuttle v. To sink (a ship) by making holes in the bottom. scythe n. A long curved blade for mowing, reaping, etc. séance n. A meeting of spirituals for consulting spirits. sear v. To burn on the surface. sebaceous adj. Pertaining to or appearing like fat. secant adj. Cutting, especially into two parts. secede v. To withdraw from union or association, especially from a political or religious body. secession n. Voluntary withdrawal from fellowship, especially from political or religious bodies. seclude v. To place, keep, or withdraw from the companionship of others. seclusion n. Solitude. secondary adj. Less important or effective than that which is primary. secondly adv. In the second place in order or succession. second-rate adj. Second in quality, size, rank, importance, etc. secrecy n. Concealment. secretary n. One who attends to correspondence, keeps records. or does other writing for others. secretive adj. Having a tendency to conceal. sedate adj. Even-tempered. sedentary adj. Involving or requiring much sitting. sediment n. Matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid. sedition n. Conduct directed against public order and the tranquility of the state. seditious adj. Promotive of conduct directed against public order and the tranquility of the state. seduce v. To entice to surrender chastity. sedulous adj. Persevering in effort or endeavor. seer n. A prophet. seethe v. To be violently excited or agitated. seignior n. A title of honor or respectful address, equivalent to sir. seismograph n. An instrument for recording the phenomena of earthquakes. seize v. To catch or take hold of suddenly and forcibly. selective adj. Having the power of choice. self-respect n. Rational self-esteem. semblance n. Outward appearance. semicivilized adj. Half-civilized. semiconscious adj. Partially conscious. semiannual adj. Recurring at intervals of six months. semicircle n. A half-circle. seminar n. Any assemblage of pupils for real research in some specific study under a teacher. seminary n. A special school, as of theology or pedagogics. senile adj. Peculiar to or proceeding from the weakness or infirmity of old age. sensation n. A condition of mind resulting from spiritual or inherent feeling. sense n. The signification conveyed by some word, phrase, or action. sensibility n. Power to perceive or feel. sensitive adj. Easily affected by outside operations or influences. sensorium n. The sensory apparatus. sensual adj. Pertaining to the body or the physical senses. sensuous adj. Having a warm appreciation of the beautiful or of the refinements of luxury. sentence n. A related group of words containing a subject and a predicate and expressing a complete thought. sentience n. Capacity for sensation or sense-perception. sentient adj. Possessing the power of sense or sense-perception. sentinel n. Any guard or watch stationed for protection. separable adj. Capable of being disjoined or divided. separate v. To take apart. separatist n. A seceder. septennial adj. Recurring every seven years. sepulcher n. A burial-place. sequacious adj. Ready to be led. sequel n. That which follows in consequence of what has previously happened. sequence n. The order in which a number or persons, things, or events follow one another in space or time. sequent adj. Following in the order of time. sequester v. To cause to withdraw or retire, as from society or public life. sequestrate v. To confiscate. sergeant n. A non-commissioned military officer ranking next above a corporal. sergeant-at-arms n. An executive officer in legislative bodies who enforces the orders of the presiding officer. sergeant-major n. The highest non-commissioned officer in a regiment. service n. Any work done for the benefit of another. serviceable adj. Durable. servitude n. Slavery.


severance n. Separation. severely adv. Extremely. sextet n. A band of six singers or players. sextuple adj. Multiplied by six. sheer adj. Absolute. shiftless adj. Wanting in resource, energy, or executive ability. shrewd adj. Characterized by skill at understanding and profiting by circumstances. shriek n. A sharp, shrill outcry or scream, caused by agony or terror. shrinkage n. A contraction of any material into less bulk or dimension. shrivel v. To draw or be drawn into wrinkles. shuffle n. A mixing or changing the order of things. sibilance n. A hissing sound. sibilant adj. Made with a hissing sound. sibilate v. To give a hissing sound to, as in pronouncing the letter s. sidelong adj. Inclining or tending to one side. sidereal adj. Pertaining to stars or constellations. siege n. A beleaguerment. significance n. Importance. significant adj. Important, especially as pointing something out. signification n. The meaning conveyed by language, actions, or signs. similar adj. Bearing resemblance to one another or to something else. simile n. A comparison which directs the mind to the representative object itself. similitude n. Similarity. simplify v. To make less complex or difficult. simulate v. Imitate. simultaneous adj. Occurring, done, or existing at the same time. sinecure n. Any position having emoluments with few or no duties. singe v. To burn slightly or superficially. sinister adj. Evil. sinuosity n. The quality of curving in and out. sinuous adj. Curving in and out. sinus n. An opening or cavity. siren n. A sea-nymph, described by Homer as dwelling between the island of Circe and Scylla. sirocco n. hot winds from Africa. sisterhood n. A body of sisters united by some bond of sympathy or by a religious vow. skeptic n. One who doubts any statements. skepticism n. The entertainment of doubt concerning something. skiff n. Usually, a small light boat propelled by oars. skirmish n. Desultory fighting between advanced detachments of two armies. sleight n. A trick or feat so deftly done that the manner of performance escapes observation. slight adj. Of a small importance or significance. slothful adj. Lazy. sluggard n. A person habitually lazy or idle. sociable adj. Inclined to seek company. socialism n. A theory of civil polity that aims to secure the reconstruction of society. socialist adj. One who advocates reconstruction of society by collective ownership of land and capital. sociology n. The philosophical study of society. Sol n. The sun. solace n. Comfort in grief, trouble, or calamity. solar adj. Pertaining to the sun. solder n. A fusible alloy used for joining metallic surfaces or margins. soldier n. A person engaged in military service. solecism n. Any violation of established rules or customs. solicitor n. One who represents a client in court of justice; an attorney. solicitude n. Uneasiness of mind occasioned by desire, anxiety, or fear. soliloquy n. A monologue. solstice n. The time of year when the sun is at its greatest declination. soluble adj. Capable of being dissolved, as in a fluid. solvent adj. Having sufficient funds to pay all debts. somber adj. Gloomy. somniferous adj. Tending to produce sleep. somnolence n. Oppressive drowsiness. somnolent adj. Sleepy. sonata n. An instrumental composition. sonnet n. A poem of fourteen decasyllabic or octosyllabiclines expressing two successive phrases. sonorous adj. Resonant. soothsayer n. One who claims to have supernatural insight or foresight. sophism n. A false argument understood to be such by the reasoner himself and intentionally used to deceive sophistical adj. Fallacious. sophisticate v. To deprive of simplicity of mind or manner.

sophistry n. Reasoning sound in appearance only, especially when designedly deceptive. soprano n. A woman's or boy's voice of high range. sorcery n. Witchcraft. sordid adj. Of degraded character or nature. souvenir n. A token of remembrance. sparse adj. Thinly diffused. Spartan adj. Exceptionally brave; rigorously severe. spasmodic adj. Convulsive. specialize v. To assume an individual or specific character, or adopt a singular or special course. specialty n. An employment limited to one particular line of work. specie n. A coin or coins of gold, silver, copper, or other metal. species n. A classificatory group of animals or plants subordinate to a genus. specimen n. One of a class of persons or things regarded as representative of the class. specious adj. Plausible. spectator n. One who beholds or looks on. specter n. Apparition. spectrum n. An image formed by rays of light or other radiant energy. speculate v. To pursue inquiries and form conjectures. speculator n. One who makes an investment that involves a risk of loss, but also a chance of profit. sphericity n. The state or condition of being a sphere. spheroid n. A body having nearly the form of a sphere. spherometer n. An instrument for measuring curvature or radii of spherical surfaces. spinous adj. Having spines. spinster n. A woman who has never been married. spontaneous adj. Arising from inherent qualities or tendencies without external efficient cause. sprightly adj. Vivacious. spurious adj. Not genuine. squabble v. To quarrel. squalid adj. Having a dirty, mean, poverty-stricken appearance. squatter n. One who settles on land without permission or right. stagnant adj. Not flowing: said of water, as in a pool. stagnate v. To become dull or inert. stagnation n. The condition of not flowing or not changing. stagy adj. Having a theatrical manner. staid adj. Of a steady and sober character. stallion n. An uncastrated male horse, commonly one kept for breeding. stanchion n. A vertical bar, or a pair of bars, used to confine cattle in a stall. stanza n. A group of rimed lines, usually forming one of a series of similar divisions in a poem. statecraft n. The art of conducting state affairs. static adj. Pertaining to or designating bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium. statics n. The branch of mechanics that treats of the relations that subsist among forces in order. stationary adj. Not moving. statistician n. One who is skilled in collecting and tabulating numerical facts. statuesque adj. Having the grace, pose, or quietude of a statue. statuette n. A figurine. stature n. The natural height of an animal body. statute n. Any authoritatively declared rule, ordinance, decree, or law. stealth n. A concealed manner of acting. stellar adj. Pertaining to the stars. steppe n. One of the extensive plains in Russia and Siberia. sterling adj. Genuine. stifle v. To smother. stigma n. A mark of infamy or token of disgrace attaching to a person as the result of evil-doing. stiletto n. A small dagger. stimulant n. Anything that rouses to activity or to quickened action. stimulate v. To rouse to activity or to quickened action. stimulus n. Incentive. stingy adj. Cheap, unwilling to spend money. stipend n. A definite amount paid at stated periods in compensation for services or as an allowance. Stoicism n. The principles or the practice of the Stoics-being very even tempered in success and failure. stolid adj. Expressing no power of feeling or perceiving. strait n. A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water. stratagem n. Any clever trick or device for obtaining an advantage. stratum n. A natural or artificial layer, bed, or thickness of any substance or material. streamlet n. Rivulet. stringency n. Strictness.


stringent adj. Rigid. stripling n. A mere youth. studious adj. Having or showing devotion to the acquisition of knowledge. stultify v. To give an appearance of foolishness to. stupendous adj. Of prodigious size, bulk, or degree. stupor n. Profound lethargy. suasion n. The act of persuading. suave adj. Smooth and pleasant in manner. subacid adj. Somewhat sharp or biting. subaquatic adj. Being, formed, or operating under water. subconscious adj. Being or occurring in the mind, but without attendant consciousness or conscious perception. subjacent adj. Situated directly underneath. subjection n. The act of bringing into a state of submission. subjugate v. To conquer. subliminal adj. Being beneath the threshold of consciousness. sublingual adj. Situated beneath the tongue. submarine adj. Existing, done, or operating beneath the surface of the sea. submerge v. To place or plunge under water. submergence n. The act of submerging. submersible adj. Capable of being put underwater. submersion n. The act of submerging. submission n. A yielding to the power or authority of another. submittal n. The act of submitting. subordinate adj. Belonging to an inferior order in a classification. subsequent adj. Following in time. subservience n. The quality, character, or condition of being servilely following another's behests. subservient adj. Servilely following another's behests. subside v. To relapse into a state of repose and tranquility. subsist v. To be maintained or sustained. subsistence n. Sustenance. substantive adj. Solid. subtend v. To extend opposite to. subterfuge n. Evasion. subterranean adj. Situated or occurring below the surface of the earth. subtle adj. Discriminating. subtrahend n. That which is to be subtracted. subversion n. An overthrow, as from the foundation. subvert v. To bring to ruin. succeed v. To accomplish what is attempted or intended. success n. A favorable or prosperous course or termination of anything attempted. successful adj. Having reached a high degree of worldly prosperity. successor n. One who or that which takes the place of a predecessor or preceding thing. succinct adj. Concise. succulent adj. Juicy. succumb v. To cease to resist. sufferance n. Toleration. sufficiency n. An ample or adequate supply. suffrage n. The right or privilege of voting. suffuse v. To cover or fill the surface of. suggestible adj. That can be suggested. suggestive adj. Stimulating to thought or reflection. summary n. An abstract. sumptuous adj. Rich and costly. superabundance n. An excessive amount. superadd v. To add in addition to what has been added. superannuate v. To become deteriorated or incapacitated by long service. superb adj. Sumptuously elegant. supercilious adj. Exhibiting haughty and careless contempt. superficial adj. Knowing and understanding only the ordinary and the obvious. superfluity n. That part of anything that is in excess of what is needed. superfluous adj. Being more than is needed. superheat v. To heat to excess. superintend v. To have the charge and direction of, especially of some work or movement. superintendence n. Direction and management. superintendent n. One who has the charge and direction of, especially of some work or movement. superlative n. That which is of the highest possible excellence or eminence. supernatural adj. Caused miraculously or by the immediate exercise of divine power. supernumerary adj. Superfluous. supersede v. To displace. supine adj. Lying on the back. supplant v. To take the place of.

supple adj. Easily bent. supplementary adj. Being an addition to. supplicant n. One who asks humbly and earnestly. supplicate v. To beg. supposition n. Conjecture. suppress v. To prevent from being disclosed or punished. suppressible adj. Capable of being suppressed. suppression n. A forcible putting or keeping down. supramundane adj. Supernatural. surcharge n. An additional amount charged. surety n. Security for payment or performance. surfeit v. To feed to fullness or to satiety. surmise v. To conjecture. surmount v. To overcome by force of will. surreptitious adj. Clandestine. surrogate n. One who or that which is substituted for or appointed to act in place of another. surround v. To encircle. surveyor n. A land-measurer. susceptibility n. A specific capability of feeling or emotion. susceptible adj. Easily under a specified power or influence. suspense n. Uncertainty. suspension n. A hanging from a support. suspicious adj. Inclined to doubt or mistrust. sustenance n. Food. swarthy adj. Having a dark hue, especially a dark or sunburned complexion. Sybarite n. A luxurious person. sycophant n. A servile flatterer, especially of those in authority or influence. syllabic adj. Consisting of that which is uttered in a single vocal impulse. syllabication n. Division of words into that which is uttered in a single vocal impulse. syllable n. That which is uttered in a single vocal impulse. syllabus n. Outline of a subject, course, lecture, or treatise. sylph n. A slender, graceful young woman or girl. symmetrical adj. Well-balanced. symmetry n. Relative proportion and harmony. sympathetic adj. Having a fellow-feeling for or like feelings with another or others. sympathize v. To share the sentiments or mental states of another. symphonic adj. Characterized by a harmonious or agreeable mingling of sounds. symphonious adj. Marked by a harmonious or agreeable mingling of sounds. symphony n. A harmonious or agreeable mingling of sounds. synchronism n. Simultaneousness. syndicate n. An association of individuals united for the prosecution of some enterprise. syneresis n. The coalescence of two vowels or syllables, as e'er for ever. synod n. An ecclesiastical council. synonym n. A word having the same or almost the same meaning as some other. synopsis n. A syllabus or summary. systematic adj. Methodical. tableau n. An arrangement of inanimate figures representing a scene from real life. tacit adj. Understood. taciturn adj. Disinclined to conversation. tack n. A small sharp-pointed nail. tact n. Fine or ready mental discernment shown in saying or doing the proper thing. tactician n. One who directs affairs with skill and shrewdness. tactics n. Any maneuvering or adroit management for effecting an object. tangency n. The state of touching. tangent adj. Touching. tangible adj. Perceptible by touch. tannery n. A place where leather is tanned. tantalize v. To tease. tantamount adj. Having equal or equivalent value, effect, or import. tapestry n. A fabric to which a pattern is applied with a needle, designed for ornamental hangings. tarnish v. To lessen or destroy the luster of in any way. taut adj. Stretched tight. taxation n. A levy, by government, of a fixed contribution. taxidermy n. The art or process of preserving dead animals or parts of them. technic adj. Technical. technicality n. Something peculiar to a particular art, trade, or the like. technique n. Manner of performance. technography n. The scientific description or study of human arts and industries in their historic development. technology n. The knowledge relating to industries and manufactures. teem v. To be full to overflowing. telepathy n. Thought-transference.


telephony n. The art or process of communicating by telephone. telescope v. To drive together so that one slides into the another like the sections of a spy-glass. telltale adj. That gives warning or information. temerity n. Recklessness. temporal adj. Pertaining to or concerned with the affairs of the present life. temporary adj. Lasting for a short time only. temporize v. To pursue a policy of delay. tempt v. To offer to (somebody) an inducement to do wrong. tempter n. An allurer or enticer to evil. tenacious adj. Unyielding. tenant n. An occupant. tendency n. Direction or inclination, as toward some objector end. tenet n. Any opinion, principle, dogma, or doctrine that a person believes or maintains as true. tenor n. A settled course or manner of progress. tense adj. Strained to stiffness. tentative adj. Done as an experiment. tenure n. The term during which a thing is held. tercentenary adj. Pertaining to a period of 300 years. termagant adj. Violently abusive and quarrelsome. terminal adj. Pertaining to or creative of a boundary, limit. terminate v. To put an end or stop to. termination n. The act of ending or concluding. terminus n. The final point or goal. terrify v. To fill with extreme fear. territorial adj. Pertaining to the domain over which a sovereign state exercises jurisdiction. terse adj. Pithy. testament n. A will. testator n. The maker of a will. testimonial n. A formal token of regard, often presented in public. thearchy n. Government by a supreme deity. theism n. Belief in God. theocracy n. A government administered by ecclesiastics. theocrasy n. The mixed worship of polytheism. theologian n. A professor of divinity. theological adj. Based on or growing out of divine revelation. theology n. The branch of theological science that treats of God. theoretical adj. Directed toward knowledge for its own sake without respect to applications. theorist n. One given to speculating. theorize v. To speculate. thereabout adv. Near that number, quantity, degree, place, or time, approximately. therefor adv. For that or this. thermal adj. Of or pertaining to heat. thermoelectric adj. Denoting electricity produced by heat. thermoelectricity n. Electricity generated by differences of temperature, thesis n. An essay or treatise on a particular subject. thoroughbred adj. Bred from the best or purest blood or stock. thoroughfare n. A public street or road. thrall n. One controlled by an appetite or a passion. tilth n. Cultivation. timbre n. The quality of a tone, as distinguished from intensity and pitch. timorous adj. Lacking courage. tincture n. A solution, usually alcoholic, of some principle used in medicine. tinge n. A faint trace of color. tipsy adj. Befuddled with drinks. tirade n. Harangue. tireless adj. Untiring. tiresome adj. Wearisome. Titanic adj. Of vast size or strength. toilsome adj. Laborious. tolerable adj. Moderately good. tolerance n. Forbearance in judging of the acts or opinions of others. tolerant adj. Indulgent. tolerate v. To passively permit or put up with. toleration n. A spirit of charitable leniency. topography n. The art of representing on a map the physical features of any locality or region with accuracy. torpor n. Apathy. torrid adj. Excessively hot. tortious adj. Wrongful. tortuous adj. Abounding in irregular bends or turns. torturous adj. Marked by extreme suffering. tractable adj. Easily led or controlled.

trait n. A distinguishing feature or quality. trajectory n. The path described by a projectile moving under given forces. trammel n. An impediment. tranquil adj. Calm. tranquilize v. To soothe. tranquility n. Calmness. transalpine adj. Situated on the other side of the Alps. transact v. To do business. transatlantic adj. Situated beyond or on the other side of the Atlantic. transcend v. To surpass. transcendent adj. Surpassing. transcontinental adj. Extending or passing across a continent. transcribe v. To write over again (something already written) transcript n. A copy made directly from an original. transfer v. To convey, remove, or cause to pass from one person or place to another. transferable adj. Capable of being conveyed from one person or place to another. transferee n. The person to whom a transfer is made. transference n. The act of conveying from one person or place to another. transferrer n. One who or that which conveys from one person or place to another. transfigure v. To give an exalted meaning or glorified appearance to. transfuse v. To pour or cause to pass, as a fluid, from one vessel to another. transfusible adj. Capable of being poured from one vessel to another. transfusion n. The act of pouring from one vessel to another. transgress v. To break a law. transience n. Something that is of short duration. transient n. One who or that which is only of temporary existence. transition n. Passage from one place, condition, or action to another. transitory adj. Existing for a short time only. translate v. To give the sense or equivalent of in another language or dialect. translator n. An interpreter. translucence n. The property or state of allowing the passage of light. translucent adj. Allowing the passage of light. transmissible adj. That may e sent through or across. transmission n. The act of sending through or across. transmit v. To send trough or across. transmute v. To change in nature, substance, or form. transparent adj. Easy to see through or understand. transpire v. To come to pass. transplant v. To remove and plant in another place. transposition n. The act of reversing the order or changing the place of. transverse adj. Lying or being across or in a crosswise direction. travail n. Hard or agonizing labor. travesty n. A grotesque imitation. treacherous adj. Perfidious. treachery n. Violation of allegiance, confidence, or plighted faith. treasonable adj. Of the nature of betrayal, treachery, or breech of allegiance. treatise n. An elaborate literary composition presenting a subject in all its parts. treble adj. Multiplied by three. trebly adv. Triply. tremendous adj. Awe-inspiring. tremor n. An involuntary trembling or shivering. tremulous adj. Characterized by quivering or unsteadiness. trenchant adj. Cutting deeply and quickly. trepidation n. Nervous uncertainty of feeling. trestle n. An open braced framework for supporting the horizontal stringers of a railway-bridge. triad n. A group of three persons of things. tribune n. Any champion of the rights and liberties of the people: often used as the name for a newspaper. trickery n. Artifice. tricolor adj. Of three colors. tricycle n. A three-wheeled vehicle. trident n. The three-pronged fork that was the emblem of Neptune. triennial adj. Taking place every third year. trimness n. Neatness. trinity n. A threefold personality existing in the one divine being or substance. trio n. Three things grouped or associated together. triple adj. Threefold. triplicate adj. Composed of or pertaining to three related things or parts. triplicity n. The state of being triple or threefold. tripod n. A three-legged stand, usually hinged near the top, for supporting some instrument. trisect v. To divide into three parts, especially into three equal parts. trite adj. Made commonplace by frequent repetition.


triumvir n. One of three men united coordinately in public office or authority. trivial adj. Of little importance or value. troublesome adj. Burdensome. truculence n. Ferocity. truculent adj. Having the character or the spirit of a savage. truism n. A statement so plainly true as hardly to require statement or proof. truthful adj. Veracious. turgid adj. Swollen. turpitude n. Depravity. tutelage n. The act of training or the state of being under instruction. tutelar adj. Protective. tutorship n. The office of a guardian. twinge n. A darting momentary local pain. typical adj. Characteristic. typify v. To serve as a characteristic example of. typographical adj. Pertaining to typography or printing. typography n. The arrangement of composed type, or the appearance of printed matter. tyrannical adj. Despotic. tyranny n. Absolute power arbitrarily or unjustly administrated. tyro n. One slightly skilled in or acquainted with any trade or profession. ubiquitous adj. Being present everywhere. ulterior adj. Not so pertinent as something else to the matter spoken of. ultimate adj. Beyond which there is nothing else. ultimatum n. A final statement or proposal, as concerning terms or conditions. ultramundane adj. Pertaining to supernatural things or to another life. ultramontane adj. Beyond the mountains, especially beyond the Alps (that is, on their Italian side). umbrage n. A sense of injury. unaccountable adj. Inexplicable. unaffected adj. Sincere. unanimous adj. Sharing the same views or sentiments. unanimity n. The state or quality of being of one mind. unavoidable adj. Inevitable. unbearable adj. Unendurable. unbecoming adj. Unsuited to the wearer, place, or surroundings. unbelief n. Doubt. unbiased adj. Impartial, as judgment. unbridled adj. Being without restraint. uncommon adj. Rare. unconscionable adj. Ridiculously or unjustly excessive. unconscious adj. Not cognizant of objects, actions, etc. unction n. The art of anointing as with oil. unctuous adj. Oily. undeceive v. To free from deception, as by apprising of the real state of affairs. undercharge v. To make an inadequate charge for. underexposed adj. Insufficiently exposed for proper or full development, as negatives in photography. undergarment n. A garment to be worn under the ordinary outer garments. underman v. To equip with less than the full complement of men. undersell v. To sell at a lower price than. undersized adj. Of less than the customary size. underhanded adj. Clandestinely carried on. underlie v. To be the ground or support of. underling n. A subordinate. undermine v. To subvert in an underhand way. underrate v. To undervalue. understate v. To fail to put strongly enough, as a case. undervalue v. To underestimate. underworld n. Hades. underwrite v. To issue or be party to the issue of a policy of insurance. undue adj. More than sufficient. undulate v. To move like a wave or in waves. undulous adj. Resembling waves. unfavorable adj. Adverse. ungainly adj. Clumsy. unguent n. Any ointment or lubricant for local application. unicellular adj. Consisting of a single cell. univalence n. Monovalency. unify v. To cause to be one. unique adj. Being the only one of its kind. unison n. A condition of perfect agreement and accord. unisonant adj. Being in a condition of perfect agreement and accord. Unitarian adj. Pertaining to a religious body that rejects the doctrine of the Trinity. unlawful adj. Illegal.

unlimited adj. Unconstrained. unnatural adj. Artificial. unnecessary adj. Not essential under the circumstances. unsettle v. To put into confusion. unsophisticated adj. Showing inexperience. unspeakable adj. Abominable. untimely adj. Unseasonable. untoward adj. Causing annoyance or hindrance. unutterable adj. Inexpressible. unwieldy adj. Moved or managed with difficulty, as from great size or awkward shape. unwise adj. Foolish. unyoke v. To separate. up-keep n. Maintenance. upbraid v. To reproach as deserving blame. upcast n. A throwing upward. upheaval n. Overthrow or violent disturbance of established order or condition. upheave v. To raise or lift with effort. uppermost adj. First in order of precedence. uproarious adj. Noisy. uproot v. To eradicate. upturn v. To throw into confusion. urban adj. Of, or pertaining to, or like a city. urbanity n. Refined or elegant courtesy. urchin n. A roguish, mischievous boy. urgency n. The pressure of necessity. usage n. Treatment. usurious adj. Taking unlawful or exorbitant interest on money loaned. usurp v. To take possession of by force. usury n. The demanding for the use of money as a loan, a rate of interest beyond what is allowed by law. utilitarianism n. The ethical doctrine that actions are right because they are useful or of beneficial tendency. utility n. Fitness for some desirable practical purpose. utmost n. The greatest possible extent. vacate v. To leave. vaccinate v. To inoculate with vaccine virus or virus of cowpox. vacillate v. To waver. vacuous adj. Empty. vacuum n. A space entirely devoid of matter. vagabond n. A wanderer. vagrant n. An idle wanderer. vainglory n. Excessive, pretentious, and demonstrative vanity. vale n. Level or low land between hills. valediction n. A bidding farewell. valedictorian n. Student who delivers an address at graduating exercises of an educational institution. valedictory n. A parting address. valid adj. Founded on truth. valorous adj. Courageous. vapid adj. Having lost sparkling quality and flavor. vaporizer n. An atomizer. variable adj. Having a tendency to change. variance n. Change. variant n. A thing that differs from another in form only, being the same in essence or substance. variation n. Modification. variegate v. To mark with different shades or colors. vassal n. A slave or bondman. vaudeville n. A variety show. vegetal adj. Of or pertaining to plants. vegetarian n. One who believes in the theory that man's food should be exclusively vegetable. vegetate v. To live in a monotonous, passive way without exercise of the mental faculties. vegetation n. Plant-life in the aggregate. vegetative adj. Pertaining to the process of plant-life. vehement adj. Very eager or urgent. velocity n. Rapid motion. velvety adj. Marked by lightness and softness. venal adj. Mercenary, corrupt. vendible adj. Marketable. vendition n. The act of selling. vendor n. A seller. veneer n. Outside show or elegance. venerable adj. Meriting or commanding high esteem.


venerate v. To cherish reverentially. venereal adj. Pertaining to or proceeding from sexual intercourse. venial adj. That may be pardoned or forgiven, a forgivable sin. venison n. The flesh of deer. venom n. The poisonous fluid that certain animals secrete. venous adj. Of, pertaining to, or contained or carried in a vein or veins. veracious adj. Habitually disposed to speak the truth. veracity n. Truthfulness. verbatim adv. Word for word. verbiage n. Use of many words without necessity. verbose adj. Wordy. verdant adj. Green with vegetation. verification n. The act of proving to be true, exact, or accurate. verify v. To prove to be true, exact, or accurate. verily adv. In truth. verity n. Truth. vermin n. A noxious or troublesome animal. vernacular n. The language of one's country. vernal adj. Belonging to or suggestive of the spring. versatile adj. Having an aptitude for applying oneself to new and varied tasks or to various subjects. version n. A description or report of something as modified by one's character or opinion. vertex n. Apex. vertical adj. Lying or directed perpendicularly to the horizon. vertigo n. Dizziness. vestige n. A visible trace, mark, or impression, of something absent, lost, or gone. vestment n. Clothing or covering. veto n. The constitutional right in a chief executive of refusing to approve an enactment. vicarious adj. Suffered or done in place of or for the sake of another. viceroy n. A ruler acting with royal authority in place of the sovereign in a colony or province. vicissitude n. A change, especially a complete change, of condition or circumstances, as of fortune. vie v. To contend. vigilance n. Alert and intent mental watchfulness in guarding against danger. vigilant adj. Being on the alert to discover and ward off danger or insure safety. vignette n. A picture having a background or that is shaded off gradually. vincible adj. Conquerable. vindicate v. To prove true, right, or real. vindicatory adj. Punitive. vindicative adj. Revengeful. vinery n. A greenhouse for grapes. viol n. A stringed instrument of the violin class. viola n. A musical instrument somewhat larger than a violin. violator n. One who transgresses. violation n. Infringement. violoncello n. A stringed instrument held between the player's knees. virago n. A bold, impudent, turbulent woman. virile adj. Masculine. virtu n. Rare, curious, or beautiful quality. virtual adj. Being in essence or effect, but not in form or appearance. virtuoso n. A master in the technique of some particular fine art. virulence n. Extreme poisonousness. virulent adj. Exceedingly noxious or deleterious. visage n. The face, countenance, or look of a person. viscount n. In England, a title of nobility, ranking fourth in the order of British peerage. vista n. A view or prospect. visual adj. Perceptible by sight. visualize v. To give pictorial vividness to a mental representation. vitality n. The state or quality of being necessary to existence or continuance. vitalize v. To endow with life or energy. vitiate v. To contaminate. vituperable adj. Deserving of censure. vivacity n. Liveliness. vivify v. To endue with life. vivisection n. The dissection of a living animal. vocable n. a word, especially one regarded in relation merely to its qualities of sound. vocative adj. Of or pertaining to the act of calling. vociferance n. The quality of making a clamor. vociferate v. To utter with a loud and vehement voice. vociferous adj. Making a loud outcry. vogue n. The prevalent way or fashion. volant adj. Flying or able to fly. volatile adj. Changeable. volition n. An act or exercise of will.

volitive adj. Exercising the will. voluble adj. Having great fluency in speaking. voluptuous adj. having fullness of beautiful form, as a woman, with or without sensuous or sensual quality. voracious adj. Eating with greediness or in very large quantities. vortex n. A mass of rotating or whirling fluid, especially when sucked spirally toward the center. votary adj. Consecrated by a vow or promise. votive adj. Dedicated by a vow. vulgarity n. Lack of refinement in conduct or speech. vulnerable adj. Capable of receiving injuries. waif n. A homeless, neglected wanderer. waistcoat n. A vest. waive v. To relinquish, especially temporarily, as a right or claim. wampum n. Beads strung on threads, formerly used among the American Indians as currency. wxane v. To diminish in size and brilliancy. wantonness n. Recklessness. warlike adj. Belligerent. wavelet n. A ripple. weak-kneed adj. Without resolute purpose or energy. weal n. Well-being. wean v. To transfer (the young) from dependence on mother's milk to another form of nourishment. wearisome adj. Fatiguing. wee adj. Very small. well-bred adj. Of good ancestry. well-doer n. A performer of moral and social duties. well-to-do adj. In prosperous circumstances. whereabouts n. The place in or near which a person or thing is. whereupon adv. After which. wherever adv. In or at whatever place. wherewith n. The necessary means or resources. whet v. To make more keen or eager. whimsical adj. Capricious. whine v. To utter with complaining tone. wholly adv. Completely. wield v. To use, control, or manage, as a weapon, or instrument, especially with full command. wile n. An act or a means of cunning deception. winsome adj. Attractive. wintry adj. Lacking warmth of manner. wiry adj. Thin, but tough and sinewy. witchcraft n. Sorcery. witless adj. Foolish, indiscreet, or silly. witling n. A person who has little understanding. witticism n. A witty, brilliant, or original saying or sentiment. wittingly adv. With knowledge and by design. wizen v. To become or cause to become withered or dry. wizen-faced adj. Having a shriveled face. working-man n. One who earns his bread by manual labor. workmanlike adj. Like or befitting a skilled workman. workmanship n. The art or skill of a workman. wrangle v. To maintain by noisy argument or dispute. wreak v. To inflict, as a revenge or punishment. wrest v. To pull or force away by or as by violent twisting or wringing. wretchedness n. Extreme misery or unhappiness. writhe v. To twist the body, face, or limbs or as in pain or distress. writing n. The act or art of tracing or inscribing on a surface letters or ideographs. wry adj. Deviating from that which is proper or right. yearling n. A young animal past its first year and not yet two years old. zealot n. One who espouses a cause or pursues an object in an immoderately partisan manner. zeitgeist n. The intellectual and moral tendencies that characterize any age or epoch. zenith n. The culminating-point of prosperity, influence, or greatness. zephyr n. Any soft, gentle wind. zodiac n. An imaginary belt encircling the heavens within which are the larger planets. Copyright 2002-2009 by EEENI, Inc. Steve Baba, Ph.D. This may be copied for classroom or individual use without royalties. Any sale, commercial use, or Internet use prohibited. Modification prohibited.

- 1 -

Zishya Academy

RULES OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR

- 2 -


- 3 -


- 4 -


- 5 -


- 6 -


- 7 -


- 8 -


- 9 -


- 10 -


- 11 -


- 12 -


- 13 -


- 14 -


- 15 -


- 16 -


- 17 -


- 18 -


- 19 -


COMMUNICATIVEENGLISH

HIGHER SECONDARY - FIRST YEAR

Untouchability is a sinUntouchability is a crimeUntouchabililty is inhuman

TAMILNADU

TEXTBOOK CORPORATION

College Road, Chennai - 600 006

© Government of Tamilnadu

First Edition -2004Chairperson

Rev. Dr. FRANCIS M. PETER S JSecretary & Correspondent

Loyola College, Chennai - 600 034,Overall Reviewer

Thiru S.GOMATHINATHAN,Special Officer. ELT / Reader, D.T.E.R.T: (Retired),

W - 5 (Old 302), 19th Street, Annanagar Western Extension,Chennai -600 101

Reviewers

Thiru R. Sankara Subramanian Thiru R. VenkatakrishnanSG Lecturer in English, PrincipalGovt. Arts College, Nandanam, T.I. SchoolChennai - 600 035 Ambattur. Chennai - 600 053

Authors

Ms. Priscilla Josephine Sarah S. Mrs. Nalini ParthibanResearcher in FIT Principalc/o, S. Gomathinathan Vanavani Matric. Hr. Sec. SchoolChennai-600 101 IIT Campus, Chennai - 600 036.

Tmt. Meera Ravishankar M. Arappan16,

Karpagam Flats, Professor Emeritus

Thiruvengadam Street, Satchidananda Jothi NiketanR.A. Puram, Chennai - 600 028 Kallar, Mettupalayam.

K.V. Renganathan Mrs. Anna GeorgeFormer Principal PrincipalGovt. Muslim TTI AMM Mai. Hr. Sec. SchoolTriplicane, Chennai-600005. Kotturpuram, Chennai-600 085.

Price : Rs. 24.50

This book has been prepared by The Directorate ofSchool Education on behalf of the Government of Tamilnadu.

This book has been printed on 60 G.S.M. paper

Printed by Web Offset at:Paari’s Printers, Chennai - 600 002.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEMFULL VERSION

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya heBharata-bhagya-vidhata

Punjaba-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha-Dravida-Utkala-Banga

Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-GangaUchchhala-jaladhi -taranga

Tava Subha name jage,Tava Subha asisa mage,Gahe tavajaya-gatha.

Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya heBharata-bhagya-vidhata.

Jaya he, jaya he, jaya heJ aya jaya, jaya, jaya he.

SHORT VERSION

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya heBharata-bhagya-vidhata.

Jaya he, jaya he, jaya heJaya jaya, jaya, jaya he.

AUTHENTIC ENGLISH TRANSLA TION OFTHE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.

Thy name rouses the hearts of the Punjab, Sind,Gujarat and Maratha, of Dravid, Orissa and Bengal.

It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Gangesand is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea,

They pray for Thy blessings and sing Thy praiseThe saving of all people waits in Thy hand,Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.Victory, Victory, Victory to Thee.

iii

THE NATIONAL INTEGRA TION PLEDGE

“I solemnly pledge to work with dedication to preserve andstrengthen the freedom and integrity of the nation.”

“1 further affirm that I shall never resort to violence and that alldifferences and disputes relating to religion, language, region or otherpolitical or economic grievances should be settled by peaceful andconstitutional means”

INV OCATION T O GODDESS TAMIL

Bharat is like the face beauteous of Earth clad, in wavy seas;

Deccan is her brow crescent-like on which the fragrant ‘Tilak’i sthe blessed Dravidian land.

Like the fragrance of that ‘Tilak’ plunging the world in joy supremereigns Goddess Tamil with renown spread far and wide.

Praise unto ‘You, Goddess Tamil, whose majestic youthfulness,inspires awe and ecstasy.

iv

v

PREFACE

English language has functioned in India for two hundred years.In spite of it, language teaching and learning have made a poor show.There has been an appreciable fall in the standard of English. A studentpasses out of the school with nine years and in some cases twelveyears of English in his kit, stutters and stumbles when it comes to effectivecommunication (spoken and written) using English. Those who thinkthey are better off cannot even indicate the functional difference betweensuch ordinary forms as it’s and its, or conscience and conscious. Inmost cases either they don’t communicate or when they speak theytalk like old books. Writing is still worse. Their writing is full of infelicitiesand illogicalities like ‘I am in very good health and hope you are also inthe same boat’. Such ignorant usages as “he denies me to get’ and I’lltell you cut and right’ are universal and flourishingly enough to be worthmentioning as we could see the marked deterioration in the use of thislanguage.

There is neither facility nor accuracy in both forms of the language’ (spoken and written). Their grammar is shaky, pronunciation is sloppyand they fell challenged and threatened because they think, which istrue, that their personal vocabulary, which includes phrases and idiomsis inadequate for interacting with people belonging to different fieldsand to convey their requirements and needs through writing.

The students are not to blame, nor the teachers, faulted. Thesystem and perhaps the syllabus and the source books have failed them.Good communication is more than a matter of grammar, structure andcombination of words. The skills have not been adequately provisioned.They are given hypothetical, abstract sentences far removed from theirreal life and language world. We have given our children everything inlanguage except the one thing they need most - Communicative Ability.It is high time we set the record right.

In this highly competitive and complex world, the differencebetween success and failure is often their ability to communicate clearlyand effectively. If you have no communicative ability I don’t thinkwhatever else you do will matter much.

The specific fields may read a little technical. That should notdeter the teachers and students from concentrating on these units.

For certain words (passive vocabulary) the meanings havebeen given. The students should infer the meaning from the context inwhich they have been used

This book has been made in consultation with cross sections ofteachers and students and after assessing their linguistic requirement inspecific fields.

In this book the children are given enough input in language skillsso as to help them deal effectively in society in all possible situationsand with all professionals. A special feature of this book is that it dealselaborately with the ‘registers’ belonging to different fields. Hope thisbook will provide the children with the necessary motivation to improve,refine and consolidate and build on whatever language they alreadyhave with them. Both the teachers and the students are in for an excitingbut exacting linguistic journey through the book.

Note : Teachers are requested to refer to the Appendix for thelistening tasks given under English for specific fields and purposes.

- Overall Reviewer

vi

CONTENTS

MAIN MODULES Page

1. ENGLISH FOR SOCIAL PURPOSES

• Functions in English 1

• English for all purposes and seasons 27

(Glossary and Pronounciation) 66

• English for Specific purposes and Fields 74

(Pronounciation) 194

2. ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

• Within the Classroom 199

• Communicative Grammar 217

3. ENGLISH FOR OCCUPATIONAL

PURPOSES 247

4. ENGLISH FOR CREATIVE PURPOSES 273

SUPPLEMENTARY MODULES 292

1. Letters 293

2. Usage 308

3. Phrasal Verbs 330

4. Phonetic Symbols 341

APPENDIX 343

vii

MAIN MODULES

ENGLISH FOR SOCIALPURPOSES -

FUNCTIONS IN ENGLISH

Communicative English:

The phrase ‘Communicative English’ refers to that English whichhelps us to communicate effectively with people using language functions.

What are Language Functions?

Language functions are the purposes for which we use specificexpressions /utterances / phrases when we speak or write. Some

examples of language functions are: Asking someone for his/her likes and

dislikes, expressing our thanks to one who has helped us, etc. For

making a request, we may use one of the following expressions:

Could you tell me where the post office is?

or

Tell me where the post office is.

Both these sentences convey the message. The first one carriessomething of the speaker’s cultured behaviour, that is, being polite.Thus, the expressions we use speak about the culture of the speaker.

There are a number of expressions for a particular function. Forinviting someone to a party, we can use one of the following expressions:

1. I’d like you to attend my birthday party this evening.2. Why don’t you attend my birthday party this evening?3. I should be delighted if you could attend my birthday party

this evening.

Of the three expressions, the first one can be used to a personjust known to you, a sort of neutral situation: the second your intimate

1

friend, an informal situation and the third to your employer or someone highlyrespectable, a formal situation.

Along with these three kinds of situations we need to consider thefollowing four main factors before using an expression:

The setting: Where you are and when you speakThe topic: What you are talking aboutYour social relationship: Who you are talking toYour social relationship: Who you are talking toYour attitude: What you feel about the topic or the other person

All the four factors combine to influence the way we speak. Thetable below shows how these four factors match with the tree situations:

INFORMAL NEUTRAL FORMAL

Setting restaurant; bus-stop; shop principal’sreception room/

ceremonialoccasion

Topic cricket match; weather; travel importanta TV comedy official matter

Social friend/child/close stranger/co- seniorRelationship colleague passenger/taxi colleague/

driver departmenthead

Attitude relaxed/light- no strong very serioushearted feeling either

way

Language Thanks Thank you, It’s very kindThanks a lot of you, Sir.

I’m immenselygrateful to you,Ma’m.

2

FUNCTIONS DEALT WITH IN THIS MODULE

• Greeting

• Introducing oneself

• Introducing others and responding to introduction

• Taking leave of thers

• Wishing others on various occasions

• Congratulating

• Thanking and responding to thanks

• Regretting and responding lo regret

• Offering and accepting

• Expressing likes and dislikes

3

UNIT-I

1. WARM UP

• What is the first step to promote fraternal feelings amongpeople?

• Shall we introduce one another?

II. LET’S ROLE PLA Y

Listen to Nagesh introducing his cousin Suresh toBenjamin:

Nagesh : Hello Suresh, how are you? (greeting)Suresh : Fine, Thank you. How are you?Nagesh : I am fine too. (responding to greeting)

Benjamin, meetMr.Suresh, my cousin. Suresh, meet my friend,Benjamin.

Suresh : How do you do? (responding to first introduction)Benjamin: How do you do?Nagesh : Benjamin, yesterday I saw your brother going to

St.Martha’s hospital. What’s the matter?Benjamin: My father has been admitted there. He had a mild

heart attack.Nagesh : How sad! It’s very unfortunate. (expressing

sympathy)Suresh : Oh! How is he now?Benjamin: He’s still in the ICU. But the doctor says that there is

nothing to worry.Suresh : Thank God! (expressing relief)Nagesh : I wish him a speedy recovery. Hope he’ll get well

soon.Benjamin: I hope so too. See you later. Suresh : See you. Bye!Nagesh : See you again. Bye! (taking leave)

4

III. FOCUS ON COMMUNICA TION

The following two expressions do not mean die same

1. ‘How are you?’ and 2. ‘How do you do?’

1. While speaking to a familiar person, we ask, ‘How areyou?’ and the response will be ‘I am fine’.

2. When a person is introduced to a stranger he/she will say’How do you do?’ The response is also ‘How do you do?Other-ways of strangers greeting each other is to say ‘glad’/’pleased’ /’nice to meet you’.

• When someone is in distress, we say, ‘How sad!’

When someone is sick, we say, ‘Wish you/him speedyrecovery’.

• Between Iriends. saying ‘How are you?’ itself becomes aform of greeting.

IV. ORAL PRACTICE

Amit : Ramesh, have you met Mr.Praveen?Praveen, this is Ramesh, my classmate.

Praveen : Pleased to meet you, Ramesh.Ramesh : Nice to meet you, Praveen.

Shruthi : I’d like you to meet Miss Sarala. She’s a teacherat Vidya Nikethan.

Vimala : Pleased to meet you. My name is Vimala.Sarala : It’s niceiomeet you.

Akhil : Let me introduce my friend Kumar to youKumar, meet Mr. Sekar, my business partner.

Kumar : How do you do?Sekar : How do you do?

Rajni : Have you met Balu before?Mohamed : I don’t think I have met him.

5 6

Rajni : Balu, this is Mohammed, my colleague.Balu : Pleased to meet you.Mohammed: Pleased to meet you.

TASK 1: You and your brother meet Mr. Shankar, your father’scolleague, and his wife while shopping. You introduceMr.Shankar to your brother and, he introduces his wifeto you. Write a conversation for this situation andpractise it.

TASK 2: With the help of your teacher identify the functionsdealt with in this unit and write dialogues for eachfunction. Classify them as formal, informal andneutral.

UNIT - III. WARM UP

Discuss the answers for the following questions:

• How will you request your teacher to explain a point again?

• You are visiting Delhi for the first time. How will you ask apoliceman where the Parliament House is.

• How will you ask your friend for the date of reopening ofhis/ her school?


Listen to the conversation:

At the Library

Praveen : Good afternoon, Madam, (greeting)Librarian : Good afternoon, Praveen. What can I do for you?

(offering to help)Praveen : I need to get some information on animal cells.Librarian : What is it for, Praveen?

Praveen: I have to make a presentation of animal cells in theseminar next week.

Librarian: That’s fine. (appreciating a proposal)Praveen: Could you tell me where I can get it, Madam?

(making a polite request)Librarian: Look at that last cupboard. It’s marked

REFERENCE.Praveen: Do you mean the one next to the LITERATURE

cupboard?Librarian: Exactly! There are a number of encyclopaedias in that

cupboard. You will find there ‘Children’s ScienceEncyclopaedia’. That’s the right book for yourreference.

Praveen: Oh, I see. May I borrow it for a day or two?(asking for permission)

Librarian: Sorry, the reference books are not for lending.Praveen: There is no place around. May I sit here and take notes?Librarian: Yes, you may. (granting permission)Praveen: Thank you, Madam. (thanking)Librarian: Welcome. (responding to thanks)


lllll Other functions

I this unit the primary focus is on ‘Making a polite request’.The other functions involved are also given in brackets after the relevantexpressions. Here, we incidentally learn one way of greeting and thanking.

1. Good afternoon, Madam. (Greeting)2. What can I do for you? (Offering to help)3. May I borrow it? (Asking for permission)4. Could I borrow the book? (Making a polite request)5. Thank you. (Thanking)

7

• Phonology

We need to say words in English with stress that is, giving a littleextra breath force to a particular syllable in a word. We often don’tstress the correct syllable or we stress the wrong syllable. The wordsused in the conversation have to bo said with stress on the right syllableas marked below.

morning /mO:nIN/ reference /¤ref@r@ns/information /Inf@·meISn/ animal /{Im@l/cupboard /kVb@d/ seminar /semInA:/presentation /pres@n·teISn/ exactly /Ig·z{ktlI/encyclopaedia /ensaIkl@·pi:dj@/

IV. ORAL PRACTICE

1. A stranger meets a gentleman in front of a restaurant.

Stranger :I wondered if you could tell me where the postoffice is.

Gentleman: That’s not too far from here;Stranger : Which way should I go. Sir?Gentleman: Take the road right in front of you.

(giving directions)Walk for about half a kilometre.

Stranger :Yes, Sir.Gentleman: You’ll see on your left, the restaurant Anand

Vihar.Stranger : Oh, I see, Anand Vihar.Gentleman: The very next building is the post office.Stranger : OK, thank you Sir.Gentleman: Welcome.

2. At the stationery shop: A student wants to buy sketch pens.

Student :Have you got sketch pens? (asking forinformation)

Shopkeeper:Yes I do.Student :How many colours are there in a set?

8

Shopkeeper: Eight.Student : How much does it cost?Shopkeeper: Twenty rupees.Student : Give me one.Shopkeeper: One moment........here you are.Student : Here’s your money, thanks.Shopkeeper: welcome.

TASK 1: The principal of a school is speaking over phone toa tourist agent about going on a picnic. Rewrite thejumbled turns of the tourist agent in column B sothat her responses form answers to the questions askedby the principal in column A.

A B

Hello, Good afternoon. Is it How about Mudhumalai244575? Sanctuary?

I am the Principal of G.K. It’s Rs.2500/-only.School. We have planned to takeour students out for a picnic.Could you suggest some place?

How do you reach there? We are Welcome, Bye.a group of 45 students and twoteachers.

Will your bus accommodate fifty You can book one of our touristpeople? buses.

How much do you charge for a Yes, please,Good afternoon.day? Can I help you, Sir?

That sounds nice: I’ll send my Of course ours is a 50- seaterclerk to your office with bus.a token advance of Rs. 1000/-.Is that OK?

Thank you. Perfectly alright.

9

TASK 2: You go to a supermarket to buy some fruit. Write a dia-logue between you and the sales person. Each may havea minimum of 5 turns.

TASK 3: Roleplay the above two dialogues.

TASK 4: With the help of your teacher identify the functions dealtwith in this unit and write dialogues for each function.Classify them as formal, informal and neutral.

UNIT - III

I. WARM UP

Thy need is greater than mine

1. Did you ever offer to help any of your friends?2. What was the situation?3. What kind of help did you render? Discuss.



1. A telephone talk

A : Hello, is it 2445978?

B : Yes. Can I help you, Sir? (offering help)

A : Could I speak to Mr. Sampath?

B : I am sorry; he isn‘t here at the moment. Could you leave

a message for him, sir? (offering help)

A : I am Dr. Ravi speaking. Please tell Mr. Sampath thattonight I am leaving for a conference at Madurai. I’llbe back on Sunday.

B : OK, I’ll tell him Sir.

A : Thank you, bye.

B : Bye.

10

2. A Friend in needA : You look tense. What’s the matter?

B : You see, I have a test in Maths tomorrow. I have a lot to readand my mom wants me to go to market.

A : Well, if you like it, I could go and get the things mom want.(offering help)

B : Thanks a lot. (responding to offer)


nnnnn Expression for offering help:Format:Would you like me to do it for you?Shall I do it for you?

Informal:Can I do it for you?How about my doing it for you?I’ll do it for you.

nnnnn Responding to offer of help:Positive responses:That’s very kind of you.Thanks a lot.

Negative responses:No, don’t bother.No, thanks. I can manage.

nnnnn Fillers:Words and phrases like ‘OK’, ‘You see’, ‘Well’ are used as fillers

to help the speaker think before answering. These fillers add to thecommunicative strategy in conversations.

nnnnn Phonologynnnnn Sentence stressI have a test in Maths tomorrow.

11

In the above sentence, the words have, test, Maths and tomorroware stressed because they carry the important meaning of the sentence.These are called content words. But, the words I, a, and in are notstressed because they are not important for conveying the core meaningof the sentence. These are structure words.

In a sentence content words are stressed and structure wordsare unstressed.

e.g. If you like, I could go and get the things mom wants.

IV. ORAL PRACTICE

A : I think this bag is too heavy for you to carry. May I carry itfor you?

B : Oh, would you? Thanks.

A : Oh, I forgot to bring my pen.B : Could I help you with one? Here it is.A : Thank you.

A : Shall I help you to find a mechanic?B : no, thanks. I can manage.

TASK 1: Write a dialogue for the following situation and roleplayit. Your uncle is leaving for bangalore. You offer to bookhis train ticket.


12

13

UNIT - IVI. WARK UP

Form pairs and discuss your likes and dislikes.



Meeting a foreigner in Chennai

Rahul : May I introduce myself?My name is Rahul. (introducing oneself)

John : I am John.Rahul : How do you do? (responding to introduction)John : How do you do?Rahul : Where arr you from, Mr.John? (asking for

information)John : I’m from the US. How about you?Rahul : I belong here. How long have you been here?John : I’ve been here for two weeks.Rahul : Are you going to stay for long?John : No, I’m just on a short holiday.Rahul : Do you like Chennai? (asking for likes/dislikes)John : Yes, I am enjoying it here. (expressing likes/

dislikes)Rahul : Is it too hot for you?John : No, not too hot.Rahul : And how do you like the food here? (asking for

likes/dislikes)John : It’ s delicious and tasty, but a little hot and spicy.

(expressing likes/dislikes)Rahul : Do you like our idlis?John : I love the soft idlis, particularly with sambar.

Fantastic combination.

14

Rahul : How about parathas?John : Parathas? I can’t stand that. (expressing likes/

dislikes)It is tough and leathery unnlike your fluffy idlis.


lllll The expressionsAsking for likes/dislikes:

How do you like?Do you like .........?Are you fond of.........?Would you like ..........?

Responding positively to these questions:I like it very much.I love it.I enjoy ..............I would love to .................

Expressing dislikes:I don’t like it.I hate / detest / loathe ...........(strong dislike)I can’t stand .................. ( “ )I can’t bear ................... ( “ )

Phonology:

Sentence stree and prominence:My ‘name is Rahul.I’ve been ‘here for ‘two ‘weeks.Are you ‘going to ‘stay for ‘long?I’m en ‘joying it ‘here.

In these sentences only certain words are stress-marked with avertical bar in front of the syllable to be stressed. In a sentence thestressed syllables are said with an extra breath force. Then the patternof speech will be as illustrated below:

15

It’s de ‘licious and ‘tasty.

We find in this pattern two crests 1 and 2 that stand for stressedsyllables.

Prominence:

In a sense group among the two or more stressed words, onewill take an extra stress depending on the intention of the speaker in aparticular context. This is called prominence. Of the two stressed syl-lables in the above sentence, crest 1 is higher than crest 2, because thespeaker of this sentence gives more importance to the meaning of theword delicious rather than tasty.

Among the stressed words in a sense group, when one wordin given an extra stress, it indicates that the speaker wants to focusthe meaning of that word in that sense group.

e.g. Once there lived an old man in a village.

He had a large estate ..........(the story continues)

In this story, the man being old and his estate being large mayhave significance for the events that ensue. Hence, the prominencefor old and large.

Note :• ‘I belong here’ is a better expression compared to ‘I belong

to this place’. ‘I am a native of this place’ has a meaningslightly different from the above.

• The intensity of the meaning of certain words we use inour speech is given below with + sign:good / nice (+) excellent(++++)lovely(++) fantastic(+++++)wonderful(+++)

1 2

16

IV. ORAL PRACTICE

Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate word front the onesgiven in brackets and practise the conversations:

1. A : Do you........(enjoy/want) reading English novels?B : Yes, I............(like/want) to read English novels. But I prefer

Tamil fiction.A : Who do you.............(love/like) talking to?B : I like talking to children.

2. A : Do you ever bake?B : Yes, my mother taught to bake.A : ....................(Can/Would) you bake us a cake sometime?B : I would .................... (want/love) to.

3. A : Have you been to England?B : Yes, I went there last yearA : How did you like it?B : I had a....................(great/best) time there.

TASK 1: Now listen to the conversation in II above, withspecific attention to prominence and role play.

TASK 2: Mark prominence by underlining the appropriatesyllables in the pieces of dialogue given above (IV).Now role play them incorporating the stress andprominence.

TASK 3: Form pairs. One will ash the other about thefollowing:

- trekking- bharathanatyam- eating out in a restaurant- visiting temples

TASK 4: With the help of your teacher identify the functions dealtwith in this unit and write dialogues for each function.Classify them as format, informal and neutral.

17

UNIT - V

I. WARM UP

‘ Thank you’ is probably the most beautiful phrase in English.By saying it, you make so many faces smile.


Let’s listen to the conversation:

Srinath : Good morning, Sir. (greeting-formal)

Headmaster :Good morning Mr. Srinath.

Prabhu : Hello, Srinath. (greeting-informal)

Srinath : Hello Prabhu. how are you?

Prabhu : I’m fine. How are you?

Headmaster: I am glad you both have come on time.(expressing happiness)

Srinath : Sir, it is very kind of you to have invited us.(thanking-formal)

Headmaster: It’ s a pleasure! (responding to thanks) My wifesuggested that we ask you both over to tea.

Prabhu : We too have been wanting to visit you.

Headmaster: Thanking you. (neutral)Shall we start with the slices of cake?(suggesting) Would you like these plum cakes?

Srinath : I would love to. (expressing liking)

Headmaster: Help yourselves with these sandwiches.(offering)

Prabhu : They are really delicious!

Headmaster: Mr. Sri, how do you like your tea? Strong(asking for liking)

Srinath : Not very strong Sir. Thank you. (thanking-neutral)

18

Headmaster : Welcome! (responding to thankingyou Mr. Prabhu?

Prabhu : A little strong, (stating slight preference)

Headmaster: I think you take more sugar.

Prabhu : Yes Sir, two spoonfuls.

Headmaster: Here you are. By the way, how’s our students’

performance?

Srinath : We can expect better result this year.

Headmaster: That’s fine.

Prabhu : I can assure you a minimum often centums inMathematics.

Headmaster: Oh, really. That’s great! (expressing satisfaction)How about another cup of tea? (suggesting-informal)

Prabhu : That’s very kind of you. Sir (thanking- formal)

But I am afraid I am full. (refusing politely)


Note here the two ways of thanking:

Mr. Srinath, an assistant teacher expresses thanks in a formal forhaving been invited over to tea.

‘It’ s very kind of you to invite us.’

The Headmaster expresses thanks in an informal way.

Certain expressions for thanking:Formal:

It’s very kind / nice of you.I am really very grateful / obliged to you.

Neutral:Thank you, thank you very much.Thanks, a lot.

Informal:Thanks, thanks a lot.

Phonology

Intonation:

The following sentences are usually said with the falling tune whichis marked with a downward arrow.

I am glad you have come on time (statement)When did you arrive? (wh-question)

These sentences are said with the rising tune which is markedwith an upward arrow.

Shall we start with these cakes?Would you like these plum cakes?

(Yes-no questions)These rules are not rigid.When a sentence is said with a falling tune, there isn’t much of

emotional expression.But when the same is said with a rising tune it indicates the

concern the speaker has for the other.So, the question ‘How do you like your tea?’ can be said

witha rising tune.

IV. ORAL PRACTICE

Fill in the blanks in the following dialogues and then roleplay. Use the appropriate intonation.

1. At the railway booking counter:

A : Could you lend me your pen for a minute?B : Oh, sure.

A : .................(thanking while returning the pen)

B : .................................(responding to thanks)

19

®

®®

®®

20

2. On the road:

Arun is waiting for the bus. His neighbour, an elderly gentlemanstops his car.

Gentleman : Arun. I am going to Shastri Bhavan. Do you haveto come that way?

Arun : Yes uncle, I have to be at the Text book

Gentleman : Get in! I’ll drop you there.

(while getting down)

Arun : Uncle,.......................I’ve saved time.

Gentleman : ..................................................

3. Role play the following piece of dialogue, try the wh-questions first with the falling tune and then with the rising tune.You will feel the difference.

Father : Where are you go ing now?Son : To the library, Dad.Father : When will you be back?Son : I hope before it gets dark.

TASK 1: Write a dialogue using the following situation.You are ill on your way home from school. Your friendtakes you on his two-wheeler to a doctor on the way anddrops you at home. Thank him appropriately.

TASK 2: With the help of your teacher identify the functions dealtwith hi this unit and write dialogues far eachfunction. Classify them ax format, informal andneutral.

21

UNIT-VII. WARM UPSports news on TV

After a gap of 12 years, India won an ODI victory over Australia

in the tri-serics in their own backyard, i.e.. Brisbane.

Students in the hostel shout, “Congrats, Indian team”.

II. LET’S ROLE PLA YLet us listen to the conversation:

(The Headmaster compliments the head-boy.)

Sundar : May I come in, Sir? (asking for permission)

Headmaster: Yes, please come in.

Sundar : Did you call me, Sir?

Headmaster: Yes Sundar, congratulations! (congratulating) Icalled you to compliment you on your wonderfulperformance on the Annual Day.

Sundar : Pardon me, Sir, I don’t get you, (request forrepeating)

Headmaster: I’m talking about the speech that you deliveredon the Annual Day.

Sundar : Thank you, Sir. After all I owe it to the school.

Headmaster: The Chiefguest was immensely pleased with youand he expressed it to me.

Sundar : I’m pleased to hear that, Sir.

Headmaster: Very well done and keep it up, my boy.

Sundar : Thank you very much, Sir.


· When you don’t hear or understand what the other personsays to you, you may tell him ‘I can’t hear you’. This soundsrude. So it is better to say ‘Pardon me’/ ‘I beg your pardon’.

22

• Expressions used for complimenting:Congrats! (short form of congratulations) Well done! Kudos!I’m pleased with you!We are happy with you!

Phonology

A long sentence like the one below cannot be said in one breathwithout pausing in the middle. So let us split a long sentence into smallerchunks called ‘sense groups’ each of which can be easily said in onebreath and each chunk will have a unit of meaning.

I’m talking about your wonderful speech / on the Annualday.//

The TV news in ‘Section I’ has been split with slashes into sensegroups for you. Read it aloud with necessary pauses.

Sports news on TV:After a gap of 12 years/India won an ODI victory over Australia

/in the tri-series/in their own backyard that is, Brisbane.//

IV. ORAL PRACTICEProfessor: I heard you topped the class in the exams.Student : Yes Sir.

Professor: Great! Congratulations!

· · · ·Hockey Captain : Sir, we have won the football match at the

zonal meet.

Physical Director : Well done! Kudos to the team members.

A : I have got the first prize in the dance competition.

B : Fantastic! I knew you would.· · · ·

Prabhu : I wonder if you are free this evening.Rahim : I think I am. Why?Prabhu : How about joining us for dinner at home?Rahim : Why not? What’s the occasion?Prabhu : Don’t you remember it’s my birthday today?Rahim : Yes! Now I remember. Many happy returns of the

day.

23

Task 1: The dialogue between Raghav and Shyam is givenbelow. The turns off Raghav are in order, but those ofShyam are scrambled. Write them in the proper order.Finally rote play the dialogue.

Raghav Shyam

1. Hello, Ramesh! You seem - Maths, Social Studies and to be in high spirits. Science. What’s the matter?

2. I think, I can. Is it anything - Hi, Ragav. I feel I’m on top to do with the board of the world. Can you guess exam results. why?

3. That’s great! Which papers? - Thank you Raghav.

4. Wonderful Shyam! - All the best. I’m in a hurry Hearty congrats! I am very to meet the Principal. proud of you and happy about you.

5. By the way, do you know - Bye. I’m representing our state in Tennis?

6. It’ s in Dehra Dun this time; - Oh really? Excellent. Where I’ll be there next Monday. and when are you going?

7. OK. Bye. - Exactly! I’ve got centum in three papers.


24

UNIT - VIII. WARM UP

Admit your mistakes frankly and apologise profusely.

II. LET’S ROLE PLA YListen to the conversation:

Teacher : Rohit, you didn’t show me your home work.Rohit : I am sorry, Sir. I haven’t done it (apologising)Teacher : Oh, why?Rohit : I wasn’t well yesterday.Teacher : What was wrong with you?Rohit : I had a headache.Teacher : But you know, I saw you playing cricket yesterday

evening. Aren’t you telling a lie?Rohit : Extremely sorry, Sir. (apologising)Teacher : You are the head boy. Shouldn‘t you set an example

to others? (advising)Rohit : Please excuse me, Sir.

I now regret having told a lie. (regretting)I assure you, Sir. Hereafter, I will never tell a

lie in mylife.

Teacher : Good that you have realised. (comforting)

III. FOCUS ON COMMUNICA TION AND PHONOLOGY

A dialogue is given below with various markings and what eachmarking represents:

/ - pause - rising tune

// -end of a sentence - falling tune

I am an engi’neer [‘] - stress

Can you ‘bake a ‘cake [ _ ] - prominence

®®

25

Teacher : ‘Rohit/.you’didn’t ‘show me your ‘home work. //

Rohit : I am ‘sorry Sir// I ‘haven’t done it. //

Teacher : Oh, ‘why? //

Rohit : I wasn’t we;; ‘yesterday //

Teacher : What was ‘wrong with you ? //

Rohit : I had a ‘headache. //

Teacher : But you knows / I ‘saw you ‘playing ‘cricket //

yesterday ‘evening.// Aren’t you ‘telling a ‘lie? //

Rohit : Ex’tremely ‘sorry, Sir.//

Teacher : You are the ‘head boy of the ‘class; / Shouldn’t

you ‘set an e’xample to ‘others //

Rohit : ‘Please ex’cuse me, Sir. //

I ‘now reg’ret having ‘told a ‘lie.//

I as’sure you, Sir, /I will ‘ never ‘tell a ‘lie in my ‘life.//

Teacher : Good that you have ‘realised.//

TASK 1: Now role play the dialogue integrating all thesephonological aspects.

¬

¬ ¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

¬

26

TASK 2: Role play the following dialogue also in corporating all thephonological aspects.

Manager : Pranesh,why are you late?

Pranesh : I missed the usual bus, Sir.

Manager : This is not the first time!

Pranesh : I understand. I should be punctual. I regret

being late, Sir.

Manager : That’s all right.

TASK 3: Imagine you are a police inspector on duty at atraffic signal. A motorcyclist has jumped the signaland later expresses his regret to you.

TASK 4: With the help of your teacher identify the functions

dealt with in this unit and write dialogues for each

function. Classify them as formal, informal and

neutral.

27


COMMUNICA TION FOR ALLPURPOSES AND SEASONS

Ever since man started living in groups, he has felt the need tocommunicate.

Communication might have begun with gestures. It might havefound expression when gestures expanded into pictorial depiction onrocks and in caves. It might have become more meaningfu1 when mantrans formed his gestures and pictures into sounds. But without doubt,communication transcended itself into a vital force of compulsivenecessity when man began to create, capture and harness a richvocabulary seasoned with modulations of voice and tone.

Today communication is not just, “saying the right things to theright people at the right time at the right place in the right manner”, butalso saying it well enough so as to create the right response.

Communication depends on two factors for effective response.One is the art of narration, while the other is the art of description -narration is in itself a description of sequential events.

Description enhances the clarity of expression and keeps thelistener / reader moving with the speaker / writer in thoughts and feelings.For example, when you say, “This is a bag,” you convey only an outlineof an object with no clarity in the image and no motivation for response.But when you say: “This is a large red cloth bag with white polkadotted print”, you have, through the description of the object, made theimage bright and distinctively clear and kindled a comprehensibleemotional or reasoning response.

Here are a few more examples of the power of description:

e.g. 1: “This is a man.”

“This is a tall, well-built, fair-complexioned man with straightdark hair, bushy eyebrows., handle bar moustache and a clean - shavenchin. (description of an appearance)

e.g. 2: “Mother Teresa was a nun”.

Mother Teresa, a nun from the order of ‘The Sisters of Charity’,was kind and caring of the sick and dying, generous and loving to all andwith a heart of gold for the poor and needy. (description of human feelings)

e.g. 3: “Gopal is unwell”.

Gopal has high fever with severe cold, cough and head-achewhich shows all symptoms of an attack of’ flu’- (description of illness)

e.g. 4: “Meera was dressed up for a wedding”.

Meera was dressed in a rich brown silk brocade saree with abroad zari border and a heavy zari embroidered pallu of dancingpeacocks and drooping flowers, She wore a matching blouse and a

pair of zari lined sandals. (description of clothes)

The above sentences are examples the appropriate use ofvocabulary for description in effective communication.

Now look at the following sentences:

“Bharat is usually happy, full of high spirits and loves to bewith people”.

This sentence can be expressed briefly but effectively with asingle but appropriate vocabulary of description.

“Bharat is a gregarious boy”, (description of attitude)Here are a few more examples:

e.g 1: The policeman has a thick mousatache which coversanddroops along his upper lip, but curves up ward on either side of hismouth.

28

29

“The policeman sports a handle-bar moustache.” (description ofappearance)

e.g. 2: The jockey wears pants which are broad and cut full atthe thighs and light from the knee to the ankle with a strap around thefoot.

“The jockey wears riding breeches /jodhpurs”. (description ofclothes)

e.g. 3 : As it was raining very heavily there was a lot of waterflowing along all the streets in the city.

“Due to torrential rains the city streets were flooded”.(description of weather conditions)

e.g. 4: Jessie wore a long white dress and had a veil on her headon her wedding day.

“Jessie wore the customary bridal attire on her wedding day”(description of clothes)

You would have by now understood that it is not the number ofwords but their accuracy and appropriacy that makes effectivecommunication.

COMPETENCIES:

SPEAKING/V OCABULAR Y:

Unit I - Describing people and clothes

Unit II - Describing objects and talking about routine

Unit III - Discussing natural disaster, weather and hobbies

Unit IV - Describing parts of the body, injuries and illnesses

Unit V - Describing human feelings and people’s character

UNIT I

DESCRIBING PEOPLE AND CLOTHESWarm up:

Discuss and respond:1. Have you seen your face in the mirror?

2. Which feature of your image do you think is the best on youyour skin, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, complexion or shape offace?

3. Why do you think it is the best?

4. What colour, would you say, suits you best? Why?

The following is a telephonic conversation between twofriends Anitha and Geetha. Read on!

Anitha : Hello ! Geetha?

Geetha : Hi Anitha ! You had spoken to me only a littlewhile ago. Now you’re back on the line. What’sup?

Anitha : I need your help Geetha. I just received a call fromMumbai. My cousins from the U.S arearriving at Chennai by the 11.30 a.m. Air Indiaflight. That’s less than an hour from now.

Geetha : So how do i fit into this information?

Anitha : I need you to receive them at the airportand drop them at my flat, Geetha. I have an importantBoard Meeting in half an hour and I can’t getaway from it. You’ll do me this favour, won’tyou?

30

31

Geetha : Hey! How can I receive them when I don’t evenknow what they look like? Don’t tell me youexpect me to stand there with a placard like atourist guide!

Anitha : Not a bad idea! But jokes apart, let me describethem to you so that you’d be able to recognisethem by the description.

Geetha : OK! Shoot! I am all ears!

Anitha : There are four of them - two men and twowomen. Kannan is the tallest. He is a thirty-yearold six footer with broad shoulders and a ruddycomplexion. He sports a heavy moustache anda thick but well trimmed beard, both these beingin sharp contrast to his bald pate. He’s got around face with a short nose and small close-seteyes. He prefers formal wear so, if it is not a suitand tie, he would surely be in a full—sleeved,checked shirt with matching tie, and in leathershoes which match his trousers.

Geetha : OK-How about the rest?

Anitha : Varun is easy to identify in any crowd. He, too,is around thirty years old but he is short, stockyand swarthy. He is clean—shaven but his head iscrowned with a thick mop of black hair which isoften untidy and unkempt. He is always in polonecked T shirts and shorts when he is in Indiaand sandals are a compulsory accessory to hisdress code! He is a cheerful guy and when hegrins, the sparkle of his white teeth competes withthe twinkle in his eyes.

Geetha : Are the women too so dist inct in theirappearance?

Anitha : Divya is Kannan’s sister and she is tall like him.But that ‘s as far as the similarity goes. She isfair- smooth-skinned, slim with long brownshouldcr-lengthhair. Unlike her brother,she isaquiline-nosed and doe-eyed but like him sheprefers formal wear whether it is western orethnic. So she is bound to be in a narrow-bordered Kancheepuram Silk Saree or an elegantflannel skirt with a high collared cuff-sleevedsatin blouse. Kannan, Varun and Divya are mypaternal cousins but Preethi, the last on the list,is a maternal one. She is my mother’s sister’sdaughter. She resembles me in many ways. Webe in tight jeans, baggy shirt and high-heeledshoes! are of the same age, both of us are ofjockey height, we are thin, wiry-haired, wheat—complexioned, freckled, spectaicled, with beadyeyes and a snub-nose. Without doubt, she will :be in tight jeans, baggy shirt and high - heeledshoes!

Geetha : Phew! That’s quite a lot to remember! PerhapsI’ll first look for Preethi, your look-alike, andthe real would then easy. OK Anitha. Goahead with your meeting. I’ll set out for theairport now. I’ll call you up or ‘SMS’ you whenwe get to the flat. Bye.

Anitha : Thanks a lot Geetha. Bye!

32

33

Task 1: Geetha has tabulated the descriptions given to herbut has omitted some vital ones. Complete thecolumns given below:

Hair Face Height Compl Build Clothesexion

Kannan.............. heavy six- .......... broad .............moustache,thickwell-trimmedbeard

Varun black, clean- .......... swarthy ........... polo-untidy shaven neckedand T-shirt

and ......

Divya brown, ............. tall fair slim .............shoulder-length

Preethi wiry freckle .......... ........... thin .............

Task 2: The descriptive words given below are the oppositesof the underlined words in the following sentences.Fill in the blank in each sentence with anappropriate opposite.

a) My dad claims that he was thin in his youth and that it is onlynow that he has become .........................

b) He is really good-looking but when he is argry he israther......

c) The twins are not look-alikes. White one is a dark-skinnedbrunette, the other is a

d) The ill-clad old beggar sits at the gate raising his bowl to allthe passers-by.

e) David was a puny boy but he fought against theGoliath.

well-dressed, unattractive, blonde, hefty, stout, fair-skinned

Task 3: The following is information about missing/wantedpersons. Their description is given below. Completethe gaps accordingly. Clue words haw been provided.Draw pictures for each description:

Escaped ConvictAuto Muthu

Height 5 ft. 8 inches.................................. (face).................................. (skin).................................. (build).................................. (hair)

Wanted for KidnappingRamu alias Babu

Height 6 ft................................... (face).................................. (skin).................................. (build).................................. (hair)

MissingSaravanan

Age 73 Mentally illHeight 5 ft. 9 inches.................................. (face).................................. (skin).................................. (build).................................. (hair)

MissingPadma

Age 35 Mentally illHeight 5 ft. 3 inches.................................. (face).................................. (skin).................................. (build).................................. (hair)

Clue Words:

curly hair smooth skin hefty wiry hairdark skin stout straight hair fair skinlean grey hair long faced stockywrinkled round faced obese angular facedpock faced fat thin

Task 4: Write a sentence to describe each of the followingpersons. Give information about their hair and face,their height, build and general appearance:

1. Your classmate sitting beside you.

2. Your best friend.

3. Your hero in sports.

34

4. A close relative.5. You yourself.

Task 5: The following persons were/are well-knownpersonalities not only for their achievements but alsofor their distinctive appearance and clothing.Describe each in about a paragraph based on yourobservations:

1. Mahatma Gandhi 6. A.R. Rahman

2. Dr. Radha krishnan 7. Andre Agassi

3. Mother Theresa 8. Abraham Lincoln

4. Mrs. Indira Gandhi 9. Aishwarya Rai

5. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam 10. E.V.R. Periyar

Task 7: Given below is a jumbled list of clothing material orfabric and a list of clothes for which they aregenerally used. Match the material with the clothes:

1. brocade a. jeans

2. nylon b. gowns

3. chiffon c. raincoats

4. serge d. sweaters

5. linen e. ceremonial wear

6. khaki f. veils

7. alpaca g. undergarments

8. denim h. suits

9. mackintosh i. uniforms

10.gossamer j. stockings

Task 8: This is a page taken from a Fashion Designer’s notes,prepared for one of the comperes of the evening’sExpo - C21st Fashion show. The notes contain thenames of the models and the clothes which he/shewould display. Imagine that you are the compereand present each model to the audience by expanding

35

details from the notes. Add colour where necessary.Make your presentation interesting by usingdescriptive adjectives like ‘elegant’, ‘smart’, ‘chic’,’ trendy,’ ‘ etc:

Theme: Clothes for all occasions and seasons

Ayesha : Batik Aloha shirts, damask midi skirt, kid leathergloves, Roman Sandals, sun-hat (summer wear)

Rahul : Cotton jersey; matching chinos, sneakers,Havelock cap (casual wear)

Smitha : Brocade evening gown, satin long gloves,gossamer veil, Babouche slippers (bridal wear)

Deepak : Polo Shirt, Corduroy breeches, gauntlets, Balmorals,jockey cap (Sports wear)

Reena : Cashmere pullover, pleated flannel skirt, high-buttonbuck-skin shoes, beret (winter wear)

Girish : Tuxedo, bow-tie, dress shoes (semi-formal eveningwear)

Kumar : Embroidered Sherwani, Kashmirian Cap, Zari-embroidered Sandals (ethnic formal evening wear)

Sarala : Lucknow Chikan Voile Salwar, matching churidhar,georgette dupatta, flat sandals (ethnic casual wear)

Task 9: Discuss in groups the latest trends in Fashions andTextiles. Your key points for discussion should be:

1. What are the various trends in fashions and textiles commonamong your age group ?

2. Why is there a preference for them?3. What are their pros and cons?4. How can these trends be improved or changed?

Present your report through a seminar at the end of thediscussion.Task 10: Topics for Debates in the class:

1. Clothes make the man.2. Fashion or utility / convenience?

36

37

UNIT -II

DESCRIBING OBJECTS AND ROUTINES

Warm up

Answer the following questions in a word:

1. What is the colour/shape of your school bag?2. What material is your school bag made of?3. Does your school bag have a strap or a handle?4. Does your school bag have a flap-cover or a zip?5. Is your empty school bag light or heavy?

AT THE POLICE STATION

Mrs. Gayathri : Good morning Inspector! I’d like to reporta missing handbag.

Inspector : Good morning madam. Sit down and giveme the details as to where you lost thehandbag, when you came to know it waslost and how it can be identified.

Mrs. Gayathri : Sir, I was in the ‘Route 23A’ bus thismorning. As it was the peak hour, the buswas packed. When the bus reached mystop at Egmore I had to get down jostlingthrough the standees with the handbag onmy shoulder and a few files in my arms.I was pushed along till I reached thefootboard and managed to get down justas the driver drove off. It was only then Ireal sed that my handbag was missing.

Inspector : Please describe your handbag, ma’am?Mrs. Gayathri : It is a black rectangular leather bag with

a long tabular strap of the same material. Itis of patent leather with a glossy finish. Thebag is about 18" x 12" in size with threecompartments. The centre compartment

has a zip while each of the outer ones isclosed with flaps and brass clasps. In thecentre of the clasps are five red stones ina ring. In the right hand corner of one sideis stuck a tiny cluster of yellow plasticflowers with green velvety felt leaves. Thecompartment on this side contains myphone-book, diary, several old bills andreceipts. The compartment on the otherside contains a Revlon Burgundy redlipstick, a beige face compact, a smallsquare pocket mirror, a packet of Premierpaper handkerchiefs and a pair of roundsunglasses in its case. In the centrecompartment are my HSBC credit card,ICICI ATM Card and an SBI Debit-cum-ATM Card. My office ID card and a copyof my salary slip are in a zipped pouchalong with Rs. 1500/- in cash of hundredrupees denomination. There may be otheritems like a Cello gripper blue ball-pointpen, some hairclips. toothpicks - I’m nottoo sure!

Inspector : OK Ma’am. You have given us a fairlygood description. We’ll do our best tohelp you. Just hand in a formal complaintto the constable who is seated in the nextroom and get a copy of the FirstInformation Report.

Mrs. Gayathri : Thank you. Sir!Inspector : And don’t forget to leave your phone

number and address for contact.Mrs. Gayathri : Of course! 1 shan’t forget! Thank you

once again.

38

39

Task 1: Listed below are some of the parrs and items ofMrs.Gayathri’s handbag without her specifications.Fill in the specification and writ? “not known”where informative is not provided:

Part/Item Colour Shape Size/Number Texture Material

e.g. Strap Black Tubular Long Glossy Leather

1. Clasps2. Flowers3. Leaves

4. Sunglasses5. Mirror

Here are a few common objects with a single line definition.Note the order of the adjectives:

table : A large or small, smooth, flat surface supportedusually by four legs.

shelf : A thin, long strip of material often made of wood,fastened horizontally on a wall or frame to supportobjects.

pan : A broad, sha l low, open, metal cooking container witha handle.

Objects are generally described in the order of size, shape, design,colour. texture and material. All other features are added there-after.

e.g a) The children are playing with a big round red rubber ballwith a logo printed on it.

b) I need a large rectangular black chart paper with a brightborder to prepare my project display.

c) My friend gave me a tiny triangular gold locket with anenamelled flower embossed on it.

Task 2: Attempt a brief description of the following items inMrs. Gayathri’s handbag.

1. A handkerchief

2. A credit card

3. A hundred rupee note

4. A ball point pen

5. A hairclip

Task 3: In the following sentences some words have beenomitted. Fill in the blanks with the appropriatewords from the list provided:

John’s Room

John has rented a room near his college. The room is on the.................. floor of the house. It is a small ............................ roomfacing south. It has a ............... bay-window on the south side and an.......................... shuttered-window on the eastside. Along the other............. walls are two doors, the one on the west side openingonto a ...................... balcony with a two ................ high .....................girl fixed along its edge. The other door opens out into a ...........................passage. On one end of it is a .............. stairway leading down to thedining hall on the first floor. On the other end is a ..........................staircase which takes you up to the terrace.

elongated two foot first narrow spiralwinding square circular large curved

Kamlesh and his daily routine

John Diwakar sat at the table with his classmates of yesteryears.They were therefore for an Alumni Re-union. It shocked him to see theirhaggard faces with receding hairlines greying at the temples. It wasdifficult to associate those aged looks with the young exuberant facesfrom his past.

“What have you done to yourselves!

You look older than your thirty-five years! exclaimed John.

“Life is hectic, John! We’ve been working very hard at our jobs,so hard! that we only occasionally find time to eat or sleep,” said Prem.

40

41

“Life is hectic no doubt, but each day is not so. It is monotonousand dull – we do the same things day in and day out. The same oldroutine!” This was from Kamlesh, the most energetic in their team duringtheir school days. Kamelsh could never conform to a work schedule.To him variety was the spice of life. He would jokingly raise his coffeecup in the canteen and say, “Let’s eat, drink and be merry for tomorrowwe die”. John turned to him and exclaimed, “How can life be a routinefor you Kamelsh, when you a doting wife, two lovely childrenand a host of friends?”

“You’ll be surprised if I tell you how!” said Kamlesh and beganon his long description of a routine day in his life.

“I got up at 4.30 a.m. and start my day with buckets, at thequeue near the water-tanker. After half-an-hour of pushing and pullingand calling each other names, I manage to carry back six buckets ofwater. By then I am soaked to the skin, partly by sweat and partlyfrom the spray I am showered with everytime there is a squabble overthe water tube. By 6 a.m. I have completed my morning preparationsand have shaved, bathed and dressed for work. From 6 a.m. to 7 a.m.it is “sharing responsibilities” time! I take charge of some of my wife’shousehold chores like ironing my son’s uniforms, filling his water bottle,checking his schools bag, polishing his shoes. At 7.15 a.m. we sit togetherat the table for breakfast. At 7.45 I leave home for work while my sonsets out for school. I drop him at school on two-wheeler and reachoffice at 8.30 a.m.

From 8.30 a.m. I sit at a desk with the in-tray heaped with filesand the out-tray empty. It is a non-stop movement of hands, files andtrays till 6 p.m.! Finally at 6 p.m. I clear my desk, lock my shelves andreturn home, picking up my son from the coaching center on the way.

I am back home by 7 p.m. Till dinner at 8.30 p.m. I spend time,catching up on the news by reading the newspaper or watching T.V. Inbetween I help my son with his studies, make courtesy phone calls torelatives, submissively listen to my wife’s tirades or catch a wink or twoon the sofa.

After dinner at 8.30 p.m., I take a solitary walk down our laneand occasionally bump into a neighbour who stops awhile for an aimlesschat.

At 9.30 p.m. I am in bed ready to slip into an undisturbed sleeptill 4..30 a.m. in the morning when the water lorry will screech to a haltand the driver will blare his horn persistently with all the vigour of afarmer’s rooster in the countryside.

John had listened very attentively. He now nodded his headsideways and said, “I still don’t understand why you should look soold!”

Task 1: Kamlesh carries out a series of activities from 4.30a.m. to 9.30 p. m. List his activities by completingthe task given below:

Time Activity done

4.30 a.m. Wakes up5.00 a.m. Stores water6.00 a.m. Completes morning preparalions7.00 a.m. Shares wife’s re’sponsibilities

Task 2: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words chosenfrom the list given below:

1. John’s friends are so busy that they find no time to eat so they........................................... most of the time.

2. Kamlesh is so busy in the morning that he has no time to read thepaper so he ........... the news after 7 p.m.

3. Kamlesh’s son has to attend coaching classes and completehomework, so Kamlesh ‘s family do not drive out or ..................often.

42

4. According to Kamlesh’s schedue all his duties are within a........................ with specific work at specific times.

5. Compared to the morning’s ..................... Kamlesh’s eveningsare pretty relaxed.

socialise, bustle, skip meals, time - frame, catches up on.

Task 3: Given below is a day’s schedule in your class time-table in which certain changes have been made. Theold (A) and new (B) time-tables are provided. Addressthe class and inform your classmates of the new time-table along the changes. Use the followingguidelines for your talk:

1. Star with informing your listeners that there is a change.2. Draw attention to the earlier time-table.3. Specify the change in time, subject and teacher-in-charge. (add

informatin if necessary)4. Use words like - earlier - now, instead of, included - excluded,

in the place of, followed by, etc.

Your opening statement has been provided:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Day/Period Comm. Lang- Chem- Part II Physics Tues (A) Physics Maths English uage istry English Practical

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Day/Period Lang- Comm. Chem- Part II Physics Tues (B) Maths English uage istry Games English Practical

Friends, I am to inform you that there is a change in Tuesdays’Time-table with effect from this week. Instead of Physics in the firstperiod, we will henceforth have Maths, and where we had Maths earlierwe will now have ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

43

Task 4: 1.Describe a routine day of your life.2. Prepare a study schedule for your revisions on a day

to-day basis starting & fortnight before the exam anddiscuss how it could he applied effectively.

Task 5: Conduct a debate in your class on:“Routine activities and exctement do not go hand-in-hand.”

UNIT IIIDiscussing Natural Disaster / Weather

Warm up:

I hear thnuder! I hear thunder!Hark! Don’t you? Hark! Don’t you!Pitter - patter raindrops ? Pitter- patter raindrops!I’m we! though! I’m wet through!

Rain, Rain! Go away!Come again another day,For tittle Tommy wants to play, .............

Read and discuss the questions:

1. Which comes first thunder, lightning or ruin?

2. How would you, as a layman, predict rain within a couple ofhours?

3. What is the difference between climate and weather?

Given below is a weather report of the India MeteorologicalDepartment:

ALL INDIA WEEKL Y WEATHER REPORT

WEATHER DURING THE WEEK ENDING JANUAR Y 21, 2004MAIN SYNOPTIC FEA TURES

During the week two western disturbances affected the WesternHimalayan Region. The first western distrubances as an upper air system

44

45

lay over North Pakistan and neighbourhood on 15th. It moved over toJammu and Kashmir and neighbourhood on 16th and persisted overthe same area upto 19th. It moved away eastwards on 20th. Under itsinfluence an upper air cyclonic circulation developed at 0.9 km abovesea level over central Pakistan and adjoining Rajasthan on 16th, Itpersisted over the same area on 17th, moved over to Haryana andneighbourhood on 18th and became less marked on 19th. The secondwestern disturbance as an upper air system lay over North Pakistanand neighbourhood on 20th. It moved over to Jammu and Kashmirand neighbourhood on 21st. Under its influence an upper air cycloniccirculation at 0.9 km above sea level formed over South Rajasthan andneighbourhood on 20th. It persisted over the area on 21st.

An upper air cyclonic circulation at 0.9 km above sea level wasseen over North Madhya Maharashtra and neighbourhood on 19th. Itbecame less marked on 20th.

Another upper air cyclonic circulation at 0.9 km above sea levelwas also seen over West Madhya Pradesh and neighbourhood on 21st.

Under the influence of these systems, light to moderate rain/snowoccurred at many places over Jammu and Kashmir and HimachalPradesh and isolated rain occurred in Uttaranchal. Light to moderaterain/thundershowers also occurred at many places over Punjab andHaryana including Delhi and at a few places over Rajastan and EastUttar Pradesh during the week. Isolated light rain also occurred inSaurashtra and Kutch, West Madhya Pradesh. Bihar, Sub-HimalayanWest Bengal and Sikkim and the North Eastern States.

Widespread fog occurred over parts of Uttar Pradesh and Biharon 15th & 16th, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on 17th. Punjab,Haryana, North Rajastan and part of West Uttar Pradesh and NorthMadhya Pradesh on 18th, parts of Uttar Pradesh on 19th, Uttar Pradeshand Bihar on 20th and over Bihar on 21st.

During the second half of the week, cold day conditions prevailedover parts of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where daytemperatures were below 16

oC.

Maximum Temperature:

On 15th, maximum temperatures were above normal by 3-6oCin most parts of the country, However. East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and North Eastern States recorded 3-6oC below normal temperatures. Thereafter, day temperatures fell overNorth and North west India and they were below normal over whole ofNorth, Northwest and Western India by 21st. Temperatures were 6-8oC below normal over North and Northwest India on 21st.

Minimum temperature:

The minimum temperatures were above normal over North andNorthwest India during the week. They were above normal by 4-6oCover Rajasthan and parts of West Madhya Pradesh on a few days.

The lowest minimum temperature in the plains of the countrywas 3.7oC recorded at Amritsar (Punjab) on 19th January.

RAINFALL DURING THE WEEKRainfall was excess/normal in 6, deficient/scanty in 12

meteorological sub-divisions. 18 meteorological sub-divisional receivedno rainfall out 36 meteorological sub-divisions.

CUMULA TIVE SEASONAL RAINF ALL(January 1 to January 21, 2004)

Rainfall was excess/normal in 6, deficient/scanty in 24meteorological sub-divisions. 6 meteorological subdivisions receivedno rainfall out of 36 meteorological sub-divisions.

OUTLOOK FOR THE WEEK ENDING JANUAR Y 28,2004

Light to moderate rain/snow over Western Himalayan Region.Light to moderate rainfall over Gangetic Plains, West Benagal, Jharkhand,Orissa, North Eastern States, East Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha.Mainly dry weather to prevail over rest of the country.

46

47

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HOURS

North : Rain/Snow at a few places in Jammu and Kashmir.Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. Weather willbe mainly dry in the rest of the region.

East : Isolated Rain/Thunder showers in Assam andMeghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, Weather willbe mainly dry in the rest of the region.

South : Isolated rain/thunder showers in Telengana, Tamilnadu,Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Weatherwill be mainly dry in the rest of the region.

West : Weather will he mainly dry in the region.

Outlook : Fog/mist likely to continue over parts of Northernplains.

Warning: None

Note the following usages in Weather Reporting:

1. Disturbances affected.

2. Upper air system lay over / persisted over.

3. Upper air cyclonic circulation developed / formed / was seen

over.

4. Fog/rain/snow/thunder showers occurred.

5. Cold day conditions prevailed over.

6. Rainfall is excess /normal /deficient/scanty.

The following passage is BBC’s World Weather Report forthe same period of the earlier report:

A very changeable month across all parts. Most areas, exceptfor Northern Ireland, experienced above average rainfall. Mean

48

temperatures were slightly above average across the UK, with mosteastern areas having above average sunshine.

Stateside Soaker Issued on: SunJan25th2004

A winter depression has brought heavy rain and snow to partsof the Southeastern USA. 61mm of rain has been recorded at Little Rock.Arkansas in the 18 hours ending 1200 GMT Sunday, that’s aroundthree quarters of the January average of 80mm.

Perishing in Prague Issued on: Sun Jan 25th 2004

Saturday night was a very cold one in the Czech Republic withthe temperature in the capital, Prague, falling to minus 19.1 Celsius,well below the normal night time low in January of minus 4 Celsius. Itstarted snowing in the early hours of Sunday, with 7 cm of snow lyingby 0600 GMT, and the snow continued throughout the day with thetemperature staying well below freezing.

Mediterranean Misery Issued on : Sun Jan 25th 2004

Following the dramatic winter storm that hit the easternMediterranean in Thursday, another depression struck the region onSaturday night and Sunday. In Cyprus, Akrotiri received another 38mmof rain in 18 hours, ending 1200 GMT Sunday, compared to the monthlyaverage of 101 mm. This brings the total rainfall here in January to amassive 311mm.

The Frozen North Issued on: Sun Jan 25? 2004

The bitterly cold weather continues to affect much of NorthAmerica. The temperatures of Dawson, Yukon Territory Canada, fellto minus 45.8 Celsius on Saturday night, well below the normal low ofminus 33.3 Celsius. Across the border in Cleveland, Ohio, the lowwas minus 2l .7 Celsius, compared to an average of minus 5.6 Ceisius.

African Rains Issued on: Sun Jan 25lh 2004

The Kenyan capital of Nairobi receives 40mm of rain on averagein January, but in the 24 hours ending 0600 GMT Sunday 62 mm ofrain was recorded in the city.

Given below is a chart of weather conditions and theirrelated words:

Weather

Clear Cold Hot Mild Wet Windly Over-cast

arctic close balmy blast cloudyazure biting dog day calm deluge blow darkblue skiesbitter hot dry down- blustery foggyclear chilly humid fair pour draft foulcloudless cold - sultry season-drizzle hurricanelow -fair wave torrid able freezing flurry visibilityhigh cool tropical mild rain gale mistyvisibility frigid swelter- temp- thunder- gusty murkyshiny frosty ing erate storm swirling overcastsunny gelid warm inclement turbulent partlysunshine glacier rainy windy cloudy

icy showers shadynippy sleetsub-zero slushfreezing snowing

soakingsprinklestorrential

Task 1: With the help of the chart complete the givensentences:

While it is clear weather in Jammu and Kashmir during May with......................skies and high ..................., the weather in Tamilnaduis hot and................................sultry all day long. In Kerala it is a wetweather with continuous .......................When it is not raining here it is

49

overcast and the atmosphere is ………………. with mist. Maharashtraand Gujarat have a windy weather at this time of the year with occasionally………………… winds. Uttar Pradesh is the best state during this month.It has a mild weather with a ………… climate, and …………..winds. On the other hand Andhra Pradesh is the worst at this time ofthe year. The weather is very hot and the ……………….. days areunbearable with ………….. heat.

Look at these sentences:

The sky is cloudy. : I think it will rain today.: I hope it will rain today.: I fear it will rain today.: I’m sure it will rain today.: It will rain today.: It could rain today.

The sentences convey:

1. A probable situation

2. A desirous situation

3. An undesirable situation

4. A definite situation

5. A resultant situation

6. A possible situation

Task 2: Complete the following statements and convey theappropriate reactions. The first sentence has beendone for you.

1. It has rained for six days now.I hope the city reservoirs are full.

2. The earthquake showed seven on the Richter Scale.……………………………

3. The sea breeze has set in.…………………………………….4. It is a foggy morning. ………………………………………...5. There is a nip in the air and the weather is chill.

…………………………………..6. I heard a sharp clap of thunder…………………………….....

50

Task 3: What kind of weather do you think was the causefor the following situations? Write a sentence whichcould go before each of these situations:

1. The top storey of the building came tumbling down.

2. The earth is dry and cracked and the field has not even ablade of grass.

3. Schools have closed and the family is staying indoors afterstoring drinking water, tinned food and candles.

4. Cars have their headlights on and I can’t see my hand whenheld infront of my face.

5. It blew my cap clean off my head.

6. The roads are slippery and cars are skidding out of control.

7. All that was left of the tree was nothing but cinder.

8. We have to stay in the shade every afternoon.

9. Flights are cancelled and fishermen are not allowed toventure into the sea.

10. The camels and the nomads had to stop their journey andlie low.

Task 4: Match each word in column A with a word in columnB to form compound works:

Adown, snow, heat,gale, hail , thunder,

whirl, cloud, land, mud

Bwave, stones, storm, pour,warning, drift, burst, wind,

flow, slide

Task 5: Here are a few disasters and tragedies which takeplace all over the world. Match the type of disasterfrom column B to the disaster in column A:A B

1. Earthquakes Lava flowing all over town2. Hurricanes Millions are starving3. Volcanoes People are stranded on the upper floors

of their houses

51 52

4. Accidents Earth is parched and dry5. Floods Not sufficient doctors and nurses around6. Famines Injured survivors had heard a screeching sound

followed by a bang7. Drought Trees are uprooted and roofs fly off8. Epidemics They felt a tremor and ran out of their houses

Task 6: Fill up the following blanks with the appropriatewords from the list given below. These words referto people involved in disasters.

1. casualties (injured or dead)2. victims (those who suffer the result of the disaster)3. injured (wounded)4. refugee (one who crosses over to another land for

srnvival)5. survivors (those who live through a disaster)

In the major fire that broke out in a Marriage Hall at Srirangam,there were many ........................ who were either injured or dead. Therewere many .................... who were in hospital for almost a week. TheGovernment and other organisations have come forward to assist the...................... with monetary aid and medical care.

Task 7: With the following information prepare a weatherreport giving details of increase / decrease in tem-peratures and rainfall for a T. V news report:

30th Jan ‘04 Weather 31st Jan 04Ma. Mi. R . TR. Ma. Mi. R. TR

Hyderabad 28 20 tr 25 27 19 4 25Bangalore 28 18 0 4 30 20 0 4Kochi 31 25 0 10 32 26 0 10Chennai 30 23 0 51 31 23 0 51

The columns show maximum and minimum temperature in Celsius,rainfall during last 24 hours (tr-trace) and total rainfall in mm sinceJanuary 1st 2004

53

Task 8: Substitute the following words with as many wordsas you can, using a thesaurus:

1. drought2. flood3. storm4. rain5. chill

Task 9: The table below gives you the seasons, the weatherconditions and climate relating to the season. Picka season of your choice and if describe it:

Season Climate Weather Salient features

Spring Cool, pleasant, clear Leaves sprout and treessunshine turn green. Snow on the

mountain melts.

Summer Hot and humid, Hot and Trees blossom, Youngfreak showers sultry animals and birds are born.

Drought, forest fires andflash floods occur.

Autumn Dry, warm Windy and Fruits ripen, trees shed(Fall) mild leaves. Gales and

cyclones occur.

Winter Bitter cold Cold and Trees are bare. Blizzardswindy occur.

DESCRIBING HOBBIESWarm Up:Task: Read the following excerpt, discuss and respond to

the questions below:

“My own love for flying started early. At two, I tried my techniquejumping off the kitchen sink. At five, I tried running off the two metre

high stone staircase of our house, forming my body as a delta wing inthe hope of getting the right profile for flying. After these ratherunsatisfactory beginnings, I had to wait until my early twenties to takeflying lessons and begin parachuting.

After 20 years, 2500 free falls and 200 hours of acrobatic flying,I still feel the same thrill every time I get up in the air and I am stilllooking for new flying experiences.”

- Ullastina Östberg(Courtesy: Reader’s Digest)

1. What is Ullastina’s hobby?

2. Which of the following words is nearest in definition to Ullastina’sattitude towards her hobby? - interest, love, passion, relaxation

3. Is Ullastina’s hobby a craft, a skill or a sport?

Overheard down the school corridoron the last day of the academic year

“... ..No, I’m not going anywhere for the hols. I’m eager to updatemy collection of music CDs so I’ll be spending my time in the MusicShops.”

“.......... I’ll just laze around and while away my free time readingbooks. That’s my favourite leisure time activity!”

“.......I’m looking forward to it. We are camping at Topslip andwill be trekking in and around Annamalai Hills,”

“Of course! Honest! I do have my hobbies - philately andnumismatics. I started on philately when my Dad used to send us letterswith colourful stamps while he was working abroad. Grandpa initiatedme into numismatics with the coins he brought back from his worldtour.”

“.......... Me? What else but cooking! I’m crazy about it! Cookingand eating!”

I enjoy..........

AS students you have a routine on week-days. On week-endsyou perhaps relax in a way most satisfying to you. During term-ends

54

you may extend your relaxation into activities which give you not only

satisfaction but also pleasure happiness, thrill and excitement: Quite

often these activities also remove the resulting exhaustion of a work just

completed or provide an escape from tension or boredom.

A one-word definition of these activities is “Hobbies”. Hobbies are

also practised as crafts and cover indoor and outdoor activities.

Hobbies are closely related to positive feelings and are expressed

through verbs and phrases like:

1. enjoy : I enjoy trekking2. love : I love gardening3. thrilled : I am thrilled about collecting sweet

wrappers!4. relax : I relax with a book whenever I find

time.5. interest : I am interested in clay-modelling.6. pleasure : I derive pleasure in collecting

antiques.7. delight : I delight in surfing against the wind.8. take a fancy to : My friend takes a fancy to collecting

stamps.9. set one’s heart upon : I’ve set my heart upon fabric

painting.10. pass one’s leisure time: I pass my leisure time wit

needlework or doll-making.

Task I: Ramesh has made his acquaintance with the newstudents in his class and has learnt about theirinterests, pastimes and hobbies. He shares thisinformation with Suresh, who is in another section,during the common language class. As he speaks ina law voice, same words are not audible. Fill up thosewords to make this passage meaningful. Clue wordsare provided at the end of the passage:

55

There are five new students in my class and each one has adifferent interest.

Raman ................ painting while Sudha is ............ in sketching.Both of them ................. depicting landscapes especially mountains.Pradeep on the other hand is far from art but is inclined towardsmountains, He has ................. to climbing hills and ..................... inbungee jumping. Anitha is a quite girl and she .................... her.................................... tending the garden. Sometimes during her..................... time she visits the nearby old folks’ home and orphanage.Senthil finds ......................................... in sculpturing. He has set his................... upon carving a huge Bharath Matha in the likeness of theStatue of Liberty. He is ........................ about it and so are we!(loves, pleasure, spends, leisure time, enjoy, spare, delights, heart,interested, thrilled, taken a fancy)

Task 3: Describe your hobby using the following guide-lines:

1. State what your hohby is and how long you have had it,2. Define it in a few Words.3. State what materials /objects you require for it.4. Does your hobby involve indoor or outdoor activity?5. State how often in a week you indulge in your hobby.6. Express what you derive from it.

Task 4: Interview your friends about their hobbies andpresent art oral reptort in the class. Construct yourreport on the pattern of Ramesh ‘s conversation withSuresh.

Task 5: Prepare a general speech on hobbies and theiradvantages.

56

57

UNIT IV

DESCRIBING PARTS OF THE BODY,INJURIES AND ILLNESSES

Warm Up:

Read, discuss and answer the questions:

THYROID

I am that pinkish, butterfly shaped gland that straddles Joe’s wind-pipe just below his Adam’s apple. I tip the scales at about 20 grams.My daily hormone production is less than 1/2,800,000 grams. Mymodest size and productivity would suggest that l am not very important.Actually I am a power-house. I am Joe’s thyroid.

Had my hormones been absent at the time of Joe’s birth, hewould have grown into a thick-lipped, flat-nosed dwarf, an imbecile ormoron. My principal job for Joe today, however, is to determine the rateat which he lives - whether metabolically speaking, he creeps likea snail or races like a hare.

You could, I suppose, compare me to a blacksmith’s bellows. Ifan the fires of life, governing the rate at which Joe’s billions of cellsburn food into energy, I can either bank the Fires or fan them into ragingflames. If I were to produce a microscopic pinch too little of myhormones. Joe would probably become puffy-faced, obese, sluggish,dull-witted and in an extreme case, even semi-vegetables. On the otherhand, if I were over-productive he would develop a wolfish appetitebut become rail thin as he burned up his Food at a rapid rate. His eyes

would pop, may be so far that the lids would not close over them. Hewould feel jittery, nervous- perhaps a candidate for the psychiatricward. His heart would race, possibly to a point of exhaustion and death

Extract from “Know your Body”Abridged Edition - The Reader’s Digest

58

Task 1: Joe’s thyroid gland is problematic when itsproduction is in excess, insufficient or absent. Fillup the columns with the respective consequences:

Absence ofthyroid Shortage of Thyroid Excess of Thyroidproduction causes production results in production leads tothick lips puffy face ........................................ .................... rail-thindwarfism sluggishness ....................becomes a .................... jittery.................... semi-vegetable ....................or ................... .................Task 2: The following are words which are used to -denote

injuries. Classify the words into groups respondingto the specific area of the body - skin, bones, muscles,organs, limbs, etc. Some may include more than onearea Specify:

1. bruised 6. tore 11. bumt 13. maimed2. fIactured 7. broke - first degree 14. cracked3. sprained 8. gashed - second degree15. damaged4. scraped 9. ruptured - third degree5. slashed 10.dislocated12. lacerated

Task 3: Role play: Divide yourselves into groups and act abriefskit titled “In The Doctor’s Clinic”. Choose ahealth problem and enact a dialogue betweeit a doctorand his patient. The dialogue should contain thefollowing steps:

a) Entry of patient with exchange of greetings

b) What are the symptoms

c) What does the doctor do (basic check -up like temperature, blood

pressure, examining the tongue, checking the heart beat, etc.)

d} What might the doctor ask

e) What is the diagnosis

f) What does the doctor prescribe

Remember : This is a verbal communication activity.Highlight the use of effective vocabulary and play down theactions.

A sample skit is provided below:

Patient : Good morning, Doctor.Doctor : Good morning, Mr. Govind, Sit down. You usually drop

in after 7 p.m. You’re rather early today!Patient : Yes doctor. I couldn’t bear the pain so I had to meet

you immediately,Doctor : Tell me how you feel. Where does it hurt?Patient : Doctor, I have this terrible pain on my left side and

my back. My mouth is dry and I fed nauseous, I throwup whatever I eat.

(Doctor takes the patient’s temperature)Doctor : Your temperature is normal. Have you been drink-

ing?(tests his heartbeat with the stethoscope)

Patient : Yes doctor. A little more than usual. You see theseendless official sales dinners expect one lo besociable.

(Doctor makes the patient lie down and checks his stomach)Doctor : Your liver is slightly enlarged. Let me see your eyes.

Yes, your eyes too are discoloured -slightly yellow.You are heading for a liver-infected problem. Itcould be infectious hepatitis through a virus or astarting process of damage through excessive anddestructive food habits. We’ll go in for all therequired tests and start treatment. But as for now,the nurse in the next room will give you an injectionto reduce your pain and I’ll prescribe somemedicine for relief (writes the prescription). Keepoff spicy food and drinking for now. Avoid oil. Youhave to go slow on these if you need to be fit.Meet me again after two days. I advise full rest tillthen.

Patient : Thank you Doctor - thank you very much- (Exits)

59 60

Task 4: Here are a few common diseases and infections youmay have experienced or observed with their respec-tive symptoms. Match the disease/ Infection with thesymptoms:

A B

Pneumonia One-sided headache, nausea, sensitive tosound and light

Chickenpox High fever, nausea and rigors

Influenza(flu) Itching and soreness in the eyes, eyes redand watery often with discharge of pus

Mumps Burning pain in abdomen, pain or nauseaafter eating

Gastritis Swollen painful joints, stifness, restrictedrnovement

Conjunctivitis Swollen glands in front of ear,ear ache,pain on eating

Migraine Rash starting on body, slightly raisedtemperature

Malaria Dry cough, high fever, chest pain, rapidbreathing

Rheumatism Headache, aching muscles, fever, cough,sneezing

Task 5: Discuss in group and identify which part of the bodyis involved in the following actions:

l. yawn 2. snore 3. perspire 4. burp 5. sob6. bite 7. shiver 8. hiecough 9. sneeze l0. clench

Task 6: Identify a one word substitute for the follwoing:

1. Bring the lower jaw up and grind it against the upper jaw tosmash the food in the mouth ..................................

2. Take the air in through the nostrils and let it out again .................

61

3. Let out the air slowly, involuntarily, when you arc sad orrelieved....................................................

4. Your body shakes continually and your knees keep knockingagainst each other when you are afraid................................

5. Your lunch comes out of your stomach through your mouth(sometimes through your nose!) when you see or small somethingrepulsive..........................

Task 7 : Here is a list of actions associated with parts of thebody. Organise the words into the bubble networkprovided

itch breathe flush wink trembleyawn munch sneeze smile frownblush cough shiver nibble flutterblink pale sniff blow wincesnore glance squint droop scowlgulp cringe shake snuffle snort

FACE MOUTH

EYES

BODY

NOSE

Task 8: Say what must be happening in each of the situationsbelow. Choose from the words given in the brackets:

(pale, scowl, blush, yawn, sneeze)

1. The dust or the chill air must have upset you!

2. You shouldn't have gone out alone in the dark especially whenyou believe in ghosts!

3. Am I boring you?

4. I think that the receptionist is a short-tempered person. Look ather face!

5. Hey! I'm sorry I didn't mean lo embarrass you!

Task 9: Narrate an incident or an anecdote incorporatingas many words from Task 7 as is appropriate.

UNIT VDESCRIBING HUMAN FEELINGS AND

PEOPLE'S CHARACTER

Warm up:Read this first verse of a lyric, discuss and respond to the questionsbelow:

M is for the million things she gave me.O is only that she's growing old.T is for the tears she shed to save me.H is for the heart of purest gold.E is for the eyes with love-light shining.R is for the right and light she'll always be.

Put them altogether they spell MOTHERA word that means the WORLD to me.

1. Pick out the qualities of the mother revealed in this poem.2. What do you mean by 'A heart of purest gold'?

62

63

A page from a school girl's diary

I am fed up with this state of continuous tension and uncertainty.Every time I work harder at my lessons, there is a tougher paper staringme in my lace. I do feel challenged but I'm also apprehensive andwhen I come out of the hall I am nervous and worried as to whether Iwould still be the first in the class.

No dear diary, I 'm not complaining or grumbling nor am I whiningor whimpering, I'm just bemoaning my situation,

I know that I need to pull myself up from this frustration and beproud of myself. After all I am the best student in the class, ain't I! Myteachers are delighted with my performance, though my classmates are jealous of me and do not miss a chance to jeer, mock and sneer at meon the playground, Some of them are so ill-mannered they hurl abusesat me even in class.

Thank God there are some nice girls in my class! Sunitha is sosweet. She is calm and relaxed at all times. She is not very smart - justan average student, but highly talented. Oh! She sings mellifluously andwhen she laughs, it sounds like tinkling bells! She is pretty innocentthough not naive. I've heard her talk back to those bullies on a fewoccasions.

Prabha is a reliable friend though sometimes pig-headed in heropinions. She is quite shrewd and it would really need a very cleverperson to trick her! But she's frank and self-assured. She is alwaysblunt in telling me to my face that I am wallowing in self-pity for noreason whatsoever. She thinks I am an introvert, perhaps I am, and it'shigh time! I changed.

If I am really as bright and intelligent as others think I am, then Ishould start looking at the brighter side of life. Yes! What I need isself-assurance. optimism and acceptance of myself and others aroundme! So no more mountains out of mole-hills!

64

Thank you diary. I knew I could rely on you. I have unleashedmy feelings and in unburdening myself to you, I feel re-assured andcheerful now. That’s what I like about you dear diary. You help mefind solutions without imposing yourself on me.

I wish Mum and Dad could be like you!

Task 1: In the above passage you find that the underlinedwords convey feelings, some of which are negativeand some, positive. Group the words in two columnsin their respective connotation.

Task 2: Match the words in Column A with their oppositesin Column B:

A Bshrewd tenseoptimistic reactiverelaxed discourteouspolite pessimisticproactive bemoanrejoice bravediffident half-wittedcompassionate callous

Task 3: Identify the attitudes and ability expressed throughthe following lines. Match the words given below:

1. Ram prefers to spend his Sundays at dinner parties either at homeor at his friends’ place.

2. Kumar has to always refute every statement I make.3. I have not seen Roopa worried about anything.4. He is very careful with his money and spends only on what is

necessary.5. My neighbour is sure to be near her window when I have visitors.6. Excuse me, could you tell me where I could find the library?

..........Thank you!

7. Gopal is working out in the gym. He wants to win thechampionship, come what may!

8. Sine doesn' t talk to me, not since I bought this car has she saideven a "Hi'. She turns away, whenever we cross each other, asif I've caught the plague!

9. I saw Sudha leading a blind old lady across the street.

10. Oh, gosh! It's that guy again, If he starts talking, he'll go on andon and on! You just can't shake him off!

Polite pain-in-the neck happy-go-lucky sociablejealous kind-hearted argumentative thriftyinquisitive determined

Task 4: The following words have both positive and negativeconnotations though their meanings are the same.Read the words given below and write sentences toillustrate the meaning of each word:

thrifty - miserly; tight-fisted, stingy, meanfrank, direct, open - blunt, abrupt, brusque, curtinnocent - extravagantassertive - naïveself-assured - bossy, aggressivedetermined - obstinate, stubbornproud, self-respecting - vain, haughty, insolentimitator, mimic - one who copies the voice and

behaviour of others for fun.

Task 5: Class Activity: Prepare a speech highlighting thecharacter and attitudes of someone you admire orhold in esteem.

Task 6: Narrate an event in your life when you met a strangerwho impressed you. Speak of the incident(a) describing the day and conditions (b) describingthe circumstances under which you met the person

65

(c) describing the appearance and the clothes theperson wore (d) describing what were the salientaspects of the character that captivated you - his/herattitude, conduct, character, deeds, speech, etc.

If there is no such person you have met, then imag-ine a person with all that you would like him /her tobe and create the incident through the skills andcompetencies you have mastered in this module.

Glossary

Aloha shirt : brightly coloured sports shirtusually short sleeved(Hawaiian)

alpaca /{l·p{k@/ : thin cloth woven from thewool of the South AmericaLlama

amiable /·eImj@bl/ : friendlyangular /·{NgjUl@/ : thin and bonyantique /{·nti:k/ : belonging to ancient timesapprehensive /{prI·hensIv/ : feeling anxiety or fearargumentative /A:gjU·ment@tIv/ : disputing, controversialaquiline /{kwIlaIn/ : like an eagle; (here) the nose

is curved like an eagle's beakazure /{Z@/ : clear bluebabouche /b{·bu:S/ : ornamental, heelless slipper

that originated in the MiddleEast

balmorals /b{l·mQr@ls/ : laced walking shoesbatik /b@·ti:k/ /b{tIk/ : a printed material where

designs areprinted by waxing the partsthat are not to be dyed

bemoan /bI·m@Un/ : grieve or lament

66

67

beret/·bereI/ : a flat round cap of felt orwool

blizzards /·blIz@dz/ : severe snowstormsblonde/blQnd/ : having golden or pale

coloured hairblush/blVS/ : become red in the faceblustery /blVst@rI/ : stormybrocade /br@U·keId/ : a rich cloth with designs of

silver andgold woven into it

brunette /bru:·net/ : having dark brown hairbrusque /bru:sk/ : rough and abrupt in manner

and speech; curtbungee-jumping : jumping from a height,

suspended to the end of along rope

bustle /bVsl/ : to hurry busilycallous /·k{l@s/ : lacking in pity or mercy,

unfeelingcashmere /k{S·mI@/ : a soft twilled cloth made from

the wool of goats of Kashmirand Tibet

casualties /k{ZU@ltIz/ : persons who are killed orinjured in a war or accident

chiffon /·SIfQn/ : lightweight fabric of silk,nylon, etc.

chinos /·tSIn@z/ : casual trousers of polishedchino cotton (chino - durabletwilled khaki cotton)

clench /klentS/ : close firmly (teeth or fist)

compares /kQmpe@z/ : persons who introduce theperformers in a programme

68

complexion /k@m·plekSn/ : natural colour andappearance of the skin of theface

conjunctivitis /k@ndZVNktI·vaItIs/ : inflammation of the thinmembrane which covers theeyeball

corduroy /kO:d@rOI/ : a coarse fabric of cotton withthe piled velvety surfaceribbed vertically

cringe/krIndZ/ : move back or lower one’sbody in fear

damask /d{m@sk/ : silk or linen material withdesigns made visible by therefection of light

denim /denim/ : coarse sturdy cloth used forjeans, overalls and uniforms

diffident /·dIfId@nt/ : lacking self confidence, timid,shy

discourteous /dIs·k@:tj@s/ : impolite, rudedrought/draUt/ : continuous dry weatherdwarfish /·dwO:fIS/ : of a height much smaller than

the normal-sizeemaciated /I·meISIeItId/ : made thin and weakembossed /Im·bQst/ : decorated with a design or

pattern raised above thesurface

enamelled /I·n{mld/ : with a glass coloured opaquesubstance fused to thesurface of metals, glass, etc.

ethnic /·eTnIk/ : of a group that has a commoncultural tradition

fastened /·fA:snd/ joined, attached, connected

69

flannel /·fl{nl/ : soft loosely- woven woollencloth

freckled /·f·frekld/ : human face covered withsmall lightbrown spots

frigid /·frIdZId/ : extremely coldgastritis /g{·straItIs/ illness caused by

inflammation of thestomach

gauntlets /·gO:ntlIts/ : gloves with flaring cuffscovering the arms

gelid /·dZelId/ : extremely coldgeorgette /dZO:·dZet/ : a thin durable slightly crinkled

fabricghastly /·ga:stlI/ : unpleasant and shockinggigantic /dZaI·g{ntIk/ : very great size; immensegossamer /·gQs@m@/ : a very thin, soft, filmy clothgrumbling /·grVmblIN/ : complaining or protesting in

a bad - tempered wayhappy-go-lucky /h{pIg@U·lVkI/ : light-hearted, easy-goinghaveiock /·h{vlQk/ : cloth cap with flap hanging

down back of neck as sunshield

hiccough /·hIkVp/ : a sudden stopping of breathwith a sharp gulping soundoften recurring in shortintervals

hideous /·hIdI@s/ : very ugly, frightfulhurricane /·hVrIk@n/ : violent tropical cyclone with

strong windsmbecile /·ImbIsi:l/ : an adult with abnormally low

intelligence

70

impersonator /Im·p@:s@neIt@/ : pretend to be another forpurpose of fraud

inclement /In·klem@nt/ : (of weather) rough, severe,stormy

inquisitive/In·kwIz@tIv/ : curiousinsolent/·Ins@l@nt/ : boldly disrespectful in speech

and behaviourjeer /dZI@/ : laugh at, mock at or taunt

someonejittery /·dZIt@rI/ : frightenedjockeyish /·dZQkIjIS/ : like a lean and short man who

rides a race horselacerated /·l{s@reItId/ : a tear in the flesh causing a

wound / injurylanky /·l{NkI/ : ungracefully tall and thinlinen /·lInIn/ : cloth made of flaxmackintosh /·m{kIntQS/ : fabric made by cementing

layers ofcloth with rubber

maimed/meImd/ : unable to use the injured partof the body which isdamaged irreparably

mellifluously/me·lIflU@slI/ : sounding sweet and smoothmigraine/·mi:greIn/ /·mIg-=·maI-/ : a severe recurring headache

on one side of a head or facemonstrous /·mQnstr@s/ : like a monster in appearance;

large, gigantic and extremelyugly

moron /·mO:rQn/ : a very stupid person; an adultwith an average intelligence ofan 8 to 12 year old child

moustache /m@·stA:S/ : hair allowed to grow on theupper lip

nausea /·nO:sj@/ : feeling of sickness in thestomach with an impulse tovomit

obese/@U·bi:s/ : very fatpain-in-the neck : annoying or troublesomepessimistic /pesI·mIstIk/ : looking on the gloomy or

dark side of thingspleated /pli:tId/ : a flat double fold in the cloth,

of uniform width and pressedor stitched together

pneumonia /nju:·m@Unj@/ : illness caused byinflammation of thelungs

pro-active /prO:·{ktIv/ : taking an initiativepsychiatric /saIkI·{trIk/ : pertaining to treatment of

mental disorderpuny /·pju:nI/ : small, weak, underdevelopedrhuematism /·ru:m@tIz@m/ : disease causing pain, stiffness

and inflammation of jointsand muscles

ruddy /·rVdI/ : fresh healthy colour of theface

scanty /sk{ntI/ : barely sufficient, meagrescowl /skaUl/ : look angry, irritated or sullensculpturing /·skVlptSrIN/ : carving figures in stoneserge /·s@:dZ/ : a strong twilled fabric with

diagonal rib made of wool,silk or rayon

sluggish /·slVgIS/ : slow moving, not lively,lethargic

71 72

sneer/snI@/ : Laugh or look scornfully toshow contempt

snuffle /snVfl/ : breathe audibly and withdifficulty

socialise /·s@US@laIz / : to adapt / get along with) /associate with one another ina group

spiral / spaI@r@l/ : coiledsquint /skwInt/ : look or peer with eyes partly

closedswarthy /·swO:DI / : dark or dark skinnedsweltering /·swelt@rIN / : (of heat) extreme and

uncomfortableswirling /·sw@:lIN/ : moving with a twisting motiontawny /·tO:nI/ : brownish yellowthrifty /·TrIftI/ : economicaltorrential / t@·renSl / : roaring, rushingtorrid /·tQrId/ : intense scorching heattrekking /trekIN / : journeying especially on footturbulent /·t@:bjUl@nt / : full of commotion or wild

disordertuxtdo /tVk·si:d@U/ : a man’s tail-less semi-formal

jacket for evening wearunkempt /Vn·kempt / : looking dishevelled or

neglectedurleashed /Vn·li:St / : set free from controlwallowing /·wQl@UIN / : indulging oneselfwhimpering /wImp@rlN/ : making low whining broken

soundswhining /waInIN/ : making a prolonged high

pitched complaint

73

wince /wIns / : shrink ur draw back slightly,usually with a grimace as inpain

wiry /·waI@rI / : coarse and cu rly (of h air)wolfish /wUlfIS/ : (here) eating quickly and

greedily like a wolfwrinkled /·rINkld/ : skin with small folds and lines

mostly due to age.

74


ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSESAND FIELDS

The present day highly competitive world demands every youngperson to be a versatile user of language. In the highly complexsociety in which we live, we have to interact not only with ourfriends and relatives, but with persons belonging to differentfields. Language is power and with power you have your waythrough. Unless your language kit is a mixed bag containing therequired structures and vocabulary from where you can drawprofusely to interact with specialists belonging to different fields,using the right register, you’ll fail to get what you aim at.

75

ENGLISH FOR MEDICINECOMPETENCIES

A LISTENING: Listening to health complaints

B SPEAK1NG: Discussing one's health condition

Interacting with the doctor - as a patient

Interacting with the doctor - as an attendant to a patient

Interacting with the doctor before an operation

Interacting with the doctor after the operation

C READING: Developing literal comprehension

Identifying the list of specialists using scanning

Using text structure lo describe, inform, explain, instruct

and to persuade

D WRITING: Transferring non-verbal information to verbal

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related to Medicine in relevant

spoken/written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING: Reading books/ magazines/

journals/ newspaper columns on Medicine for comprehension,

vocabulary,appreciation and additional information

76

A. Listening

You will listen to a conversation between Mr. Illingworthand Mr. Wellington. The teacher will read it. Listen carefully.As you listen, jot down new terms/phrases. After you finish, checkthe meanings of these words.

(The teacher reads)Glossary:

bout : an attack of illness

recuperating : recovering from an illness

ligament : the soft tissue that connects two bones or holdstogether a joint

cardiac arrest : failure of the pumping action of the heartresulting in loss of consciousness

convalescing : recovering from an illness

insomnia : sleeplessness

wheezing : breath with a whistling sound as a result ofconstriction in the air passage

aggravate : worsen

Task: Answer the following questions:1. Complete the following phrases:

(a) ....................................good health

(b) ...................................from high grade fever

(c) severe...................................of cold

(d) ...................................with typhoid

(e) malarial....................................

(f) ...................................my arm

(g) ...................................a ligament tear

2. List out the ailments of Mr. Illingworth.

3. Why doesn't Mr. Illingworth want to go to Bangalore?

4. Which of the two, is the patient?

77

B. Speaking

I. Heard at the doctor's waiting room:

A : I Wonder when the doctor will arrive? I have a splittingheadache. It's getting worse.

B : I have nausea and giddiness. Hope I don't throw up.C : The room is getting congested.

D : And I came here for congestion in my chest because ofphlegm.

E : Why hasn't the doctor come? We've been waiting for along time.

F : My joints are painful. I wish I could stretch them.

G : I'm suffering from constipation. My tummy is distendedand aching badly,

H : (a seventeen-year-old girl) I'm going to a birthday partyday after tomorrow. I came to get rid of my pimples.When will the doctor arrive?

I : Don't lose your patience, my dear.J : In fact, it is the doctor who is going to lose his patients,

if he comes so late.Glossary

splitting : severenausea : a vomiting sensationthrow up : vomitgiddiness : dizziness; a feeling of spinning aroundcongested : crowdedcongestion : (here) a blockage because of infectionphlegm : the mucous (thick liquid) produced in the nose,

lungs, etc., when one has a coldconstipation : a condition when one has difficulty emptying

the bowelsdistended : swollen and largepimples : small eruptions on the skin

78

Task I: Practise the conversation taking roles.

Task 2: Complete the following pieces of conversationchoosing the words given in brackets. Practise theconversation.

(opinion, out-patient, neurologist, upset)

A : Let's go have some samosas.B : But I have a stomach

A : I heard your sister had leptospirosis. Was she admitted tohospital?

B : No, she was treated as an

A : Did you consult an orthopaedician for your back-ache?B : Yes, I did. I've been asked to see a.........................as well.

A : Where are you off to, with all your medical reports?B : I thought I'll get a second

II. The following are doctor-patient interactions:

Patient : Doctor, I've hurt my toe, bruised my knee,scraped the elbow, cut the chin,

Doctor : Wait, wait! Now, how did all this happen?

Patient : You see, I was in a hurry. I got off a moving bus,at the signal.

Doctor : You should have been patient.

....................

Patient : Doctor, I'm not able to see clearly.

Doctor : I see.

Patient : My vision is blurred.

Doctor : I see.

Patient : When I read, the letters are hazy,

Doctor : I see.

Patient : Even when there is a bright light, it looks dim

79

Doctor : I see.Patient : Sometimes, even from at a very short distance

I'm not able to see clearly what is in front of me.Doctor : I see.Patient : I know that you can see. But the fact is that I

cannot see.Doctor : I see.

..............Patient : Doctor, I have a bad toothache.Dentist : Open your mouth. Mmmmthat's a cavity.

You'll need a filling. Do you eat a lot of sweets?Patient : Yes, I do. When can I have the filling? Tomor

row?Dentist : You can have it right now.Patient : That's sweet of you.

Glossary

bruised : injuredscraped : injured the skin by rough contactblurred/hazy : unclearfilling : material used to fill something (here) substance

used to fill the holes in the teeth

Task 1: Practise the above conversations.Task 2: Complete the following conversations, using the

words given in brackets. Practise them taking turns.(rashes, swollen, peels, itches, allergic, bad)

Patient : Doctor, I've got a...............cold. Please dosomething.

Doctor : Sorry, I can't teach him to be good................

Patient : Doctor, my eyes are red andThey're watery too.

Doctor : It must be conjunctivitis.Patient : I have these boils and.............. on my skin. I

keep scratching because it...............a lot.When I scratch, The skin ..................off.

Doctor : Since when do you have this?Patient : Last afternoon.Doctor : What did you have for lunch yesterday?Patient : Boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes.

........................Patient : I keep sneezing a lot.Doctor : You must be..............to something.Patient : Yes, doctor. I'm to dust, smoke, sea-

food, cotton, dottol, phenyl, petrol, coal tar,cotton, provision shop dust, air-conditionedroom, old books and paper,....

Doctor : You seem to know what you are...................to.Why come to me?

Patient : Well, I want to know what I am not...................to.

III. The following is a conversation between a patient'sattendant/relative and the doctor:

Arokya : Doctor, what is wrong with my mother?Doctor : She has typhoid. I want you to monitor her

temperature.Arokya : How often should I check her temperature?Doctor : Once every four hours.Arokya : What diet should I give her?Doctor : Only liquid diet.Arokya : When should I bring her for the review?Doctor : After three days.

Glossary

monitor : watch carefully for a period of timereview : (here) check again

Task 1: Practise the above conversation.

Task 2: You accompany your brother to the doctor's. He haschicken pox. What would you ask the doctor?Prepare a conversation between yourself and thedoctor. Practise it.

80

81

IV. The following is a conversation between an anxious patientand a doctor, before an operation:

Patient : Is the surgery a major one?

Doctor : Yes, it is.

Patient : How long will it take?

Doctor : 1 1/2 ? hours.

Patient : Will I be given a local or general anaesthetic?

Doctor : General.

Patient : Will there be any after-effects?

Doctor : Except for weakness and a little nausea,you'll be fine.

Patient : Will it be painful afterwards ?

Doctor : Yes. But don't worry, you' ll be givenpain-killers.

Patient : What will be the cost of the surgery?

Doctor : Rs.75,000/- including post-operative care.

Glossary

local anaesthetic : a drug that causes loss of feeling in onepart of the body

general anaesthetic: a drug that causes unconsciousnessafter-effects : effects that follow the primary action of

somethingpost-operative : relating to the period after surgery

Task 1: Practise the above conversation Hiking turns.

Task 2: Complete the following conversation, using thewords given in brackets. Practise it.

(normalcy, consciousness, ICU, condition, smooth)

A : Doctor, was the operation.........................?Doctor : YesA : What's my brother's.........................?

Doctor : He’s out of the critical stage. He’s stable now.A : When will my brother regain.....................??Doctor : In a couple of hours.A : How long will he have to stay in the.............?Doctor : For three to four days.A : How long will it lake for him to regain.............?Doctor : A few weeks.

C. Reading

I ‘I See you!’

Sometimes hospitals can be difficult places to find your wayaround. The moment you sight your unit, you heave a sigh of relief, givea whoop of joy and say 'Eureka!' In order to make your visit asconvenient as possible, display boards and signs guide you. See if youcan find your way through this 'Maze multi-specialty hospital'.

Glossary

heave : produce or let outwhoop : a loud, excited shoutmulti-speciality : comprising many branches of medicine

82

ICU ß

paediatrics : the branch of medicine concerned withchildren and their diseases

trauma : emotional shock; physical injury

orthopaedics : the branch of medicine concerned withthe correction of bone and muscledeformities

cardiac : relating to the heart

post-natal : relating to the period after birth

Task: Answer the following questions:

Where will you go if.............?

1. you want to ask for information about the room number of yourneighbour who is admitted to hospital

2. you want to visit your sister and her newborn3. your younger brother is running a very high temperature and has

lost consciousness. You cannot wait in the queues to see thedoctor. He needs immediate attention.

4. your grandfather is admitted in the Intensive Care Unit5. it's late evening and you need a cup of coffee. You have been

attending on your sister who is an in-patient, since morning,6. you need to get your blood tested7. your friend has broken his arm8. your grandfather complains of chest pain9. you have brought an accident victim to hospital10. you need to buy some medicines11. you accompany your sister who needs to vaccinate her baby12. you want to find your aunt, who is ill and has come to hospital.

She has not been admitted.13. you want to visit your cousin who is expecting a baby and has

been admitted to hospital14. you have been asked to have your abdomen scanned15.. your mother is discharged from hospital and you have to settle

the bills

83 84

II. As soon as you enter the hospital you see a list of consultantsand their fields of specialisation. You need to scan for particularinfonnation.

Task: Refer to the list given and answer tlte followingquestions:

I. Whom should the following consult?

1. A woman who is expecting a baby Your grandmother2. Your grandmother3. A sugarpatientldiabetic4. One who has a heart problem5. One who has tooth ache

II. What have the following specialised in?

1. Dr. 1. Kulandaivelu2. Dr. Jacob Skinner3. Dr. Belliappa4. Dr. Maya

Dr. Sweety Vijay M.D - Diabetologist

Dr. M. Mangayarkarasi M.D., DGO - Obstetrician &

Gynaecologist

Dr. J. Kulandaivelu M.D (Paed), DCH - Paediatrician

Dr. S. Kannapan M.D., DO - Ophthalmologist

Dr. Narambunathan M.S., DM (Neuro) - Neurologist

Dr. MayaM.D., DA - Anaesthetist

Dr. Jacob Skinner M.D., DD - Dennatologist

Dr. Thondaiman M.S., DLO - ENT specialist

Dr. Periyar Dasan M.D - Geriatrician

Dr. lrudhayaraj M.S., DM(Cardio) - Cardiologist

Dr. Pallavarajan M.D.S - Dentist

Dr. Belliappa M.S - Gastr?enterologist

Dr. Kidwani M.C.H (Nephro) - Nepnrologist

85

Glossaryobstetrician : one who helps in childbirthgynaecologist : one who has specialised in treating womenophthalmologist : eye specialist neurologist : one who has specialised in the treatment

of the nervous systemanaesthetist : one who has specialised in administering

anaestheticsdermatologist : a skin specialistENT : ear, nose and throat specialistgeriatrician : one who has specialised in the treatment

of old peoplegastroenterologist: one who has specialised in the treatment

of the stomach/intestinesnephrologist : one who has specialised in the treatment

of kidneys

III. Everyone is an individual in his/her own right. Each has his/hername, traits, mental make-up, likes and dislikes, etc. All these go tomake one’s identity. Individuals are not the only ones who have theiridentity. Medicines too have theirs! Great care is to be taken in identifyingthem, as even trivial errors could prove fatal.

The following is the literature that is attached to VICKSVapoRub. It gives the composition, application, formula, etc. Lookat it carefully.

50g VICKS®

VapoRub®

DECONGESTANT VAPORIZING OINTMENTFor a feeling of relief within minutes

Apply on the Chest, Throat and Back. 3-way relief from blockednose, cough and body ache. For immediate relief from severe colds,inhale the vapors with steam. Simply melt 2 teaspoons of Vapo Rub in a

86

bowl ¾ full of steaming, not boiling water. Gently inhale the mentholatedvapors and feel the relief. Closely supervise children to avoid scaldingand bums.

FORMULA: 100 gcontains: Pudinahkephool2.82 g; Karpoor 5.25g; Ajowan ke phool 0.10 g; Tarpin ka tel 5.57 ml; Nilgiri tel 1.49 ml;Ointment base q.s.

Caution: Use as directed. If fever or illness persists for over a week orif sufferer is below 2 yrs, consult a doctor.

FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY

Do not take by mouth or place in nostrils. Keep out of reach ofchildren. Do not add VapoRub into boiling water. Do not heat or reheat(using stove/microwave) VapoRub together with water. Failure to followthese instructions can cause hot product to splatter and bum your faceor body.

Vicks and VapoRub are the registered trademarks of the Procter& Gamble Co., U.S.A. Manufactured by: PROCTER & GAMBLEHYGIENE AND HEALTH CARE LIMITED, Plot No. 173, KundaimIndustrial Estate, Kundaim, Goa 403 115, INDIA. Licensed users ofhe trademarks.

Ayurvedic Medicine MADE IN INDIANET Wt. 50 g. Mfg. Lie. No. AYU - 562MRP Rs.65.00 (Incl. of all taxes)Lot 23381698065 Mfd. 12/02

(Note: American spelling is used in the literature.)

Glossary

decongestant: that which relieves congestioniblockage

mentholated : containing menthol

scalding : getting bumt by hot liquid/steam

q.s. : sufficient quantity (from Latin quantum sufficit)

splatter : splash

MRP : Maximum Retail Price

Mfd. : Manufactured

Task 1: Answer the following questions:

1. What form of medicine is this?

(a) tablet (b) capsule (c) ointment (d) syrup

2. Is the medicine for internal use?

3. How much does the medicine weigh?

4. Is it a registered product? How do you know?

5. How is the product to be used?

6. How safe is it for children?

7. Can it be used for children below 2 years?

8. What does the composition of the formula tell you about the

medicine?

9. Who are the manufacturers?

10. Is it an allopathic medicine?

11. What is the date of manufacture?

12. Is the expiry date given?

Task 2: Take a strip of paracetamol or a tube of Burnol. Readthe composition, dosage, instructions, dt. ofmanufacture expiry, etc. Check if there are anycontra-indications (indications that one should notuse it) given.

87 88

D. Writing

Look at the data given below:

WOMEN MEN

At Age 45 At Age 45

Blood Life Blood lifepressure Expectancy (Years) pressure Expectancy (Years)

Nonnal 37 Normal 32120/80 120/80

Reduction Reduction

130/90 35.5 130/90 29

140/95 32 140/95 26

150/100 28.5 150/100 20.5

Source: A 1961 study in the US4

At 45 years of age, the average woman whose blood pressurewas 120/80 could expect to live another 37 years. The woman whoseblood pressure was 130/90 could expect to live another 35.5 years,which represented a loss oflife expectation of 1.5 years. At a bloodpressure level of 140/95, the average 45-year-old woman had a lifeexpectancy of 32 years, representing a loss of life expectancy of 5years. At a blood pressure level of 150/1 00, life expectancy for thewoman was 28.5 years or 8.5 years less than average life expectancyat that time for her age group.

Task 1: Using the above paragraph as a model, write aparagraph to describe the life expectancy of theaverage man at 45 years of age.

1.5 3○

○

○

○

5 6○

○

○

○

8.5 11.5○

○

○

○

89

Task 2:Look at the following graphical representation of data. Writea paragraph based on the given data.

Tobacco

Diet and obesity

Sedentary lifestyle

Family history of cancer

Occupational factors

Viruses and other biological agents

Alcohol

Environmental pollution

Ultraviolet radiation

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

(Percentage of cancer deaths linked to risk)Source: Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, USA, 1996.

E. Vocabulary enrichmentRefer to the dictionary to find the meanings of the

following words:Leptospirosis, conjunctivitis, postprandial, balm, lotion, gel,

morgue, oncologist, malignant, tumour, benign, cyst, incision, clot,concussion

F. Extensive Reading‘Final diagnosis’, by Arthur Haley, ‘The Magnificent Obsession’,

by Lloyd C Douglas, Science & Medicine sections of newspapers,Reader’s Digest’s ‘Know your Body’

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

○

Ris

k fa

ctor

s fo

r C

ance

r

90

ENGLISH FOR NUTRITIONAND DIETETICS

COMPETENCIES

A LISTENING: Listening to talks for particular information

(selective listening)

B SPEAKING: Interacting with a Dietician

C READING: Transferring information from nonverbal to verbal

Inferring the importance of details through critical reading

Applying interpretive or referential comprehension to draw

conclusions and make generalisations of facts relating to

malnourishment

D WRITING: Writing hints

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related to Nutrition & Dietetics

in spoken/written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING: Reading books/journals /magazines

/newspapers /supplementary on Nutrition & Dietetics for

comprehension, vocabulary, appreciation and additional

information

91

A. ListeningListen to the teacher read out a TV Talk show on Nutrition

by Dr.Ashokan. While you listen take down notes.

(The teacher reads)

Task: After listening to the talk carefully answer thequestions by choosing the letter (A-D) that closelydescribes the speaker’s claims.

1. Being a’ good’ student. . .

A. involves many different factorsB. is extremely important

C. can be achieved easily D. may not be enjoyable

2. An ideal weight for a person who is 155 cm tall is...

A. 50 kg B .117 kg C. 65 kg D. 55 kg

3. Students should eat. . .

A. More carbohydrates B. More sugar C. Less proteinD. More food

4. The ‘average’ student...

A. should sleep less B. gets enough sleep C. should sleep

more

D. sleeps 8 hours a day

5. The biggest proportional shortfall in the average student’s timemanagement is in the time spent in . . .

A. sleeping B. self-study C. exercise and sport

D. daily tasks and travel

Glossary:

self esteem : good opinion of oneself

stress management : managing nervous tension

balanced diet : correct intake of food

short fall : lack

carbohydrates : that which provides energy! roughage

92

B. Speaking:

This is a face to face between a dietician and a group of students:

Teacher : Dear students, I have invited a dietician for a faceto face session with you. This is Dr.Suniti Bhojan.You are free to ask her questions.

Student A : Ma’m, could you please suggest a correct fitnessschedule?

Dr. S.B. : You must aim for a healthy weight and bephysically active

Student B : How does one choose one’s diet?Dr. S.B. : You must choose a variety of grains daily,

especially whole grains and a variety of fruit andvegetables everyday. A sensible diet is low insaturated fat and cholesterol and moderate intotal fat. Also see to it that salt and sugar contentis moderate.

Student C : Do you believe that a balanced diet can preventdiseases?

Dr. S.B. : Most certainly! A good and sensible diet not onlypromotes good health but reduces the risk ofchronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer,diabetes and stroke.

Student D : What would you recommend as the ideal measureof serving of food per day?

Dr. S.B. : That’s a good and practical question! Let me tryand give a breakup of each category- 1 cup ofmilk or curd, 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat,poultry or fish, 1 egg or 2 tablespoons of butterVegetable: 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables, 1 cupof other vegetables (cooked or chopped raw),l cup of vegetable juice, lcup of cooked dry beansFruit: 1 medium apple, banana, orange; 1 cupof chopped, cooked or canned fruit; 1 cup offruit juice .Bread, Cereal, Rice: 1 slice ofbread, 1 ounceready-to-eat cereal, 1 cup of cooked cereal, rice.

No specific serving size is given for the fats, oils,and sweets group because the message is USESPARINGL Y.

Students : Thank you doctor! We will definitely adhere tothis diet chart.

Teacher : Thank you for your suggestions doctor.

Task 1: Practise the above conversation, taking turns.Task 2: Form pairs.

a) Discuss with your partner about the day’s diet.b) Ask your friend to list out his preferences offood.

Task 3: Prepare dialogues between a patient convalescingafter a bout of jaundice and a dietician:a) clearing doubts on diet restrictionsb) asking for specific tips on nutritive valuesTake turns and practise the dialogues.

Glossary :grains : small hard seeds of food plants like

wheat, corn, ricecholesterol : fatty substance found in fluids and

tissueschronic : constant / never endingdiabetes : high content of sugar in bloodstroke : sudden attack of illness in the brain; can cause

loss of the power to move, speak clearly, etc.saturated fat : containing high proportion of fatty acidscanned food : processed and preserved food in canscooked cereal : cooked rice/wheatserving : a portion or helping of food or drinkleafy vegetables: lettuce, greens, spinachnutritive : providing nourishment

C. Reading:

1. Task: Read the following diet plan and write down thecontents in three complete meaningful paragraphs.

93 94

Diet Plan Childhood Infants Adolescents1 to 6 yrs 6 to 12 yrs 12 to 16 yrs

Breakfast 1 glass milk, 1 Milk-l glass Egg sandwich-tricolour sandwich Comflakes- lOR Cheese(mint chutney, tomato 1 bowl sandwich- Isauce/jam)/ Milk - 1 glass1 lidli

Mid- Biscuits of different Fruit chaat - Ladoo -I,Morning shapes and colours ½ plate 1 Fruit (apple/

Vadai- 2-3 orange/pearlpieces sapota)

Lunch 2 (chapatti rolled with Stuffed Roti- 3-4vegetables) 1 Fruit Paratha - vegetables I cup,apple/orange/pearl 3 Green Khichadi- 1 cup,sapqta)/l cup rice & leafy Curd-I small bowldhal with vegetables vegetables 1/

2 cup Lassi -1 glass

Evening 1 glass fruit milk Bhel puri- 1 Cold coffee withshake plate ice-cream-l glass1 snack Fruit juice- 1

glass

Late- 2 pieces pea-nut Tomato Vegetarian springEvening candy soup- 1 cup rolls- 4 pieces

Dinner 1 plate Khichadi Mixed Pav- 2 no.½ cup curd vegetable Bhaji- 1½ cups½ cup vegetables pulao- 1 1 Fruit (apple/1 papad plate orange/pearl/

Boondi Sapota)raita- ½ cupBesanladoo-1

II. The following table gives a composition of a health drink. Readthrough the table carefully:

Instructions for use: 5 scoops (45 g) in 190 ml coldlhot water. Addsugar to taste. Warning: Not intended for infantsunder 1 year of age.

Feeding Table Number of feeds per day: 2Level scoops per feed: 5Amount of water per feed: 190 ml

Storage instructions: On opening this pack, the contelits shouldimmediately be transferred to an empty, clean,dry and airtight container. Replace the lid tightlyafter use. Store in a cool dry place. Consumethe contents within three weeks after opening.

Nutritional facts Two servings of 45g each ofthe drink givesyour child:Protein 18.9g - high growthTaurine-32.4mg - faster ht/wt gainCamitine-7.6 mg - stamina/enduranceL-Lysine-13.5mg - brain developmentInositol-36mg - healthy growthZinc-9 mg - healthier immunesystemIron-7.5 mg - more starninaVitamin A - 1620 IU - proper vision447.3 Kcal - Energy

Composition: Partially skimmed milk, edible vegetable oils,sucrose, c’ocoa powder, minerals, Soya lecithin,caramel powder, beet root powder, vitaminsand amino acids.

Other details: Mfd.Date - June ’03, Batch no- 3007Net Wt-200g,Best before-May ‘04M.R.P (inclusive of all taxes)- RS.85/-

95 96

Task 1: Answer the following questions:

1. How many servings must a child take to gain about 900 K calper day?

2. Which nutritional facts in the drink help in speedier growth?3. Why is milk not added to this drink?4. What is the role of iron and zinc in this drink and in what

composition are they present?5. Would you recommend this drink for a child suffering from

poor vision? If yes, why?6. How long are you advised to use the drink? What is the

significance of an expiry date?

Task 2: Prepare a pamphlet highlighting the nutritive value of the drink.

III . Read the passage on 'Malnutrition ':

A child is considered to be undernourished if it does not receiveadequate nutrition (sufficient quantity and quality of food), which mayresult in the child being constantly hungry. It receives inappropriate foodor beverages and is malnourished. The child may be seen as beingundersized, having low weight and a sallow complexion, lacking bodytone and being lethargic. May be it lacks adequate shelter and lives inhousing that is unsafe and unsanitary.

Malnutrition may result in recurrent colds, pneumonia,tuberculosis, sunburn and other persistent skin disorders or rashes. Lackof hygiene may be yet another contributory factor for these healthdisorders.

Task : Answer the following questions:

1. What do you understand by the term malnutrition?2. Describe a malnourished child.3. Do you think this condition is common in India? Why?4. Are malnourished children immune to diseases?5. What are the other contributory factors for malnutrition?

97

Glossary:

scoops : number of helpings by spoon

skimmed milk : milk with the cream removed

disorder : disease

malnourished : under fed

beverage : drink

sallow : sickly

lethargic : tired/lazy

recurrent : repeated/regular

symptoms : signs

expiry date : end date

D. Writing:

ATTENTION BURGER BUFFS!

Most children enjoy eating fast food Scientific tests have shownus that burgers and pizzas can lack essential minerals and vitamins whichare essential for health and growth. Added to this they contain largeamounts of fat and carbohydrates which can result in obesity and heartproblems. Many children end up suffering from malnutrition since theyeat too much of the wrong sort of food. In fact, in may areas of thedeveloped world, a lot of children show similar symptoms to those inpoorer developing countries. Here scarcity of food causes thousandsof deaths from starvation, especially in the wake of natural disasterswhich ruin crops and in some cases totally destroy the annual harvest.

Dieticians tell us that we must eat a balanced diet as it essentialwe consume sufficient quantities of different food groups. They tell usthat we should all eat more fibre and fewer foods which are high incholesterol which can block the walls of arteries and lead to heartproblems. This is good advice, of course, but our lifestyles often makethis difficult. Many of the ready-prepared foods we buy fromsupermarkets are high in calories giving us more energy than we actuallyneed. Genetically modified foods are appearing on our supermarket

98

shelves, even though nobody is really sure if such foods are safe. Wehave the option, of course, of buying organic foods, but naturally-activated fruit and vegetables ire expensive. And to make mattersworse, we are continually hearing about outbreaks of salmonella, andlisteria which put us off eating certain foods, as nobody wants to spendtime in hospital, suffering from food poisoning.

A few things to watch out for next time you go shopping. If youhave the time and the money, that is!

Task: Read through the passage carefully and write hintsby choosing important points.

Glossary:

fast food : food that requires little preparation before beingserved

burger : a bread roll served with minced beef/ cheese/vegetable

pizza : baked dough covered with cheese, tomatoes,etc.obesity : being excessively fatarteries : vessels that convey oxygenated blood from the

heart to other parts of the bodycalories : energy value of foodsalmonella : kind of bacterium causing food poisoninglisteria : rod-like bacterium causing a serious form of

food poisoning

genetically : alteration of cells of animal proteins or plantsmodifiedfoods

E. Vocabulary enrichmentRefer to the dictionary to find the meanings of the followingwords:scarcity, starvation, fibre, consumed, exposure, proteins, mineral

99

F. Extensive Reading :

Journals :

Processed Food Industry’ - Monthly news updates on foodprocessing industry.

‘Balanced Diet’ - Guide to nutritional requirements & bal-anced diet.

Books :

‘Better Bones, Better Body’ - Susan E. Brown

‘Chicken Soup for Kid’s Soul’

‘Herbs that Heal’ - H.K. Bakhru

100

ENGLISH FOR AGRICUL TURE& HOR TICUL TURE

A LISTENING : Listening for the gist

B SPEAKING : Interacting with a horticulturist

Interacting with an Agriculturist

C READING : Employing literal / comprehension to develop

the ability understand and recall ideas and information directly

stated in the given text

Locating information through scanning

D Writing : Writing an essay

E Vocabulary : Using words related to Agriculture

horticulture in spoken/written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING : Reading books /journals/magazines

/newspapers / supplementary on Agriculture/horticulture

for comprehension, vocabulary, appreciation and additional

information.

101

A. Listenting:

The teacher will read out a radio talk by Dr. Prabakar, anagricultural environmentalist, on pesticides:

(The teacher reads)Task : Complete this table us you listen to the passage.

Causes for poor quality of pesticides

Contamination affects

Death of cotton farmers caused by

The release is issued by

The title of the talk is

The speaker is an

Glossary:

genetic manipulation : creation of organic products withoutfertilisers

hazards : dangers / risks

inadequate : not sufficient

spurious : false / unauthentic

formulator : an organisation which formulates amixture / substance prepared accordingto a particular formula

contamination : pollution

agro chemical : a chemical related to agriculture

indiscriminate : random

B.Speaking:

I.The Science club of your school has invited a horticulturistfor a face to face. The following are some oj the questions posedto him about tending the home garden.

102

Q: My tomatoes look great and have lots of fruit, but the leaves,even new ones, ones. Is it too much water or not enough? Wewater underground.

A: This is a condition called leaf roll. It is seldom a cause for concern,though it is most prevalent on poorly drained soil.

Q: I have small gnats eating the leaves on my tomato plants. Whatdo you recommend?

A: The best thing is to get a product that contains BT (Bacillusthuringensis a bacteria harmless to the environment and humans)that will kill the gnats.

Q: Can you give more hints on setting up the soil and planting?

A: The best thing you can do is to he sure to dig in plenty of organicmaterial. This could be compost, peat moss, manure or anycombination of those items.

Q: How do I compost?

A: Here are the basic rules to fellow for successful composting:Start your compost pile in a very sunny spot, preferably someplace shielded from drying winds. Take equal parts “brown” and“green” materials: “Brown” materials are carbon items such asfallen leaves, straw, sawdust and other dry matter. “Green”materials are nitrogen -rich items such as grass clippings, foodscraps, weeds and non-woody garden pruning. Adding a shovelfull of dirt, cow/pig manure or cottonseed meal to a new pile willquicken the process. Turn your pile often (every 5 to 7 days)using a pitchfork, shovel or aeration tool. Compost piles needlots of air to work. Keep your compost pile very moist, like awrung out towel. It is not uncommon to water compost piles tomaintain their moisture.

Q: How do I prune and when is the best time to prune?

A: In early spring, prune shrubs that flower in summer, broad-leavedevergreens, and all roses except climbers. Prune climbing roses

Task 1 : Practise speaking this interview by taking turns.

103

Task 2 : Ask your friends about their gardening preferences.Discuss amongst yourselves and make a presentationin the class.

II. This is tin excerpt of an interview with an agricultural scientistabout the importance of tending crops:

Q: What are weeds?

A: Weeds are the plants out of place. They compete with the maincrop for nutrients, sunlight and water. The weed may be narrowleaf weed, broad leaf weed and sedges which may be annual,biennial or perennial depending upon its life cycle.

Q: What are insects?

A: Insects are the small animals generally with 3 segmented bodyparts and 6 or more legs. Insects cause damage by chewing,sucking or piercing pliant parts,

Q: What are nematodes?

A: Nematodes are tiny parasitic worms which are microscopic innature and invisible to the naked eye. All species of plant parasiticnematode feed on the plant fluid through needle-like oral stylet.They cause damage in the plant root system which sometimeappears as galls or swollen points on the root system.The injuredpart may serve as the entry point for several disease causingpathogen.

Q: What are diseases?

A: Diseases are caused by the organisms out of place. It is themalfunctioning of plant cells and tissues that result from continuousirritation by a pathogenic agent or environmental factor and leadsto development of symptoms. Diseases may be caused by manydifferent types of plant pathogens.

Q: How are the weeds, insects, nematodes and diseases related toweather?

104

A: In a suitable weather condition these can thrive well and causehavoc on the crop cultivation and could be the major cause forsevere yield loss. So, if the weather conditions in which theydevelop is known to us, we can apply control measures and thusmaximise our yield and profit.

Q: What is the importance of weather in agriculture?

A: Weather is one of the most important factors for cultivation ofcrop apart from seed and soil. Weather plays a vital role indeciding the time of sowing of crop, its harvesting and variousother farming operations in between.

Q: Why do we need weather data on regular basis?

A: Farmers can judge the application of irrigation, fertilisers andpesticides from the weather data. Scientists particularly of theagricultural field, need the weather data on regular basis for theirresearch work.

Glossary:

curl : twist/coil

roll : to curl /bend

prevalent : common

drained : water running off or flowing away

organic : natural

compost : manure

shielded : protected

scraps : bits and piecespitchfork : long handled fork with two or three long curved

tines for lifting, turning or tossing

aeration tool : tool used to expose circulation of air to purify

weeds : wild plants

sedges : grass-like plants growing on wet ground

havoc : mess /disorder

yield : produce

105

gnats : insects

peat : brownish deposit of partially decomposedvegetable matter saturated with water

shovel : spade

prune : clip/trim

biennial : twice a year

galls : an abnormal outgrowth in plant tissue causedby certain parasitic insects

pathogens : agents that can cause disease

Task : Prepare a one minute talk on the importance ofprotecting the crops and enhancing the yield basedon the above interview and deliver it in class.

C. Reading:

I. Read through this passage carefully:

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

In the past few years, the trend has been away from hybrid teaand floribunda roses towards shrub and species roses. There are aestheticconsiderations: some growers prefer the wide colour range and high-centered blooms of the hybrid teas, while others choose shrub roses,because they integrate more easily into an overall garden design. Theshrub roses have diversity and antiquity. There are three distinct racesof rose, which can be traced back to the middle Ages: the Gallicas, theAlba and the Damasks.

As a result of this genetic diversity, shrub roses have two majorcultural advantages for the horticulturalist, and the amateur gardener;resistance to disease and tolerance of a wide variety of climate and soiltypes. Many shrub roses show resistance to fungal diseases such asblack spot and rust, to which hybrid teas are highly susceptible, Inpoor soil conditions, shrub roses, having deep vigorous root systems,are more tolerant of drought and do not suffer to the same extent from

106

nutrient deficiency diseases. For the horticulturist, this means that lesstime and money need be spent on applying fertilisers or spraying fordisease. Where space is at a premium, it is important to remember thatthe majority of shrub roses, which do not require regular hard pruningto encourage them to flower, grow into large bushes up to two metreshigh. For small gardens, hybrid teas, rarely growing more than onemetre tall, are more practical. The size and density of shrub roses canbean advantage. Some varieties are sufficiently dense as to be suitablefor hedging.

Another factor is length of flowering period. Many shrub roseshave a short, but spectacular flowering season. The famous old roseCuisse de Nymphe, for example, is covered in succulent pink blossomfor about a month in midsummer, but does not bloom again. MadameIsaac Pereire, is the most intensely fragrant rose of all. Moreover,there are a number of varieties with attractive ferny foliage and graceful,arching habit. This contrasts with the upright stance and coarse leatheryleaves of hybrid teas. Species roses also produce bright red fruits (hips)in September-October, and their leaves often acquire attractive autumntints.

All these factors need to be taken into consideration whenchoosing a rose for a particular site. Shrub roses are long-lived, easy topropagate, and require less pruning and maintenance than a hybrid tea,

Task : Compare and contrast the features of hybrid roseswith that of shrub roses after reading through thepassage:

No. Features Shrub rose Hybrid rose

1. Aesthetic appeal

2. Variety

3. Cultural advantage

4. Space

5. Length of flowering period

6. Disease resistance

107

II. The following is a passage on ‘Solar heated Green house’.

Task : Scan the passage and fill in the following:

1. Bubble wrap is used for............................

2. Styrofoam board is used for............................

3. Glazing is used for.........................................

4. Caulk/foam is used for............................

5. Rock/water is used for .........................................

6. Two door is used for .........................................

7. Correct direction is.........................................

8. Orchids thrive well in.........................................

9. Herbs are natural.........................................

10. Crushed egg shells help.........................................

Solar heated green-house

These are the basic requirements for an energy conserving orsolar heated greenhouse.

1. Insulated walls: Start with the side receiving the prevailingmonsoon winds. Use a foil backed “bubble wrap” type of material onthe north, east and west walls and north portion of the roof. Double-upthis material for more insulation.

1. Insulated foundation: The foundation of your greenhouseshould not be a heal sink. The solution is to insulate your foundation’soutside perimeter with Styrofoam board, usually 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5cm) thick. This insulation should be placed vertically and extend downto a minimum of 1 foot (.3 m) in most temperate areas.

3. Double or triple glazing: (Note: “Glazing” is the term forthe greenhouse skin through which the light shines) This is a must for anenergy-efficient greenhouse- and essential for any solar greenhouse. Ofcourse, glazing should by tightly sealed, free of dust or dirt and mustnot be yellowing.

108

4. Seal every nook and cranny prior to winter’s arrival. Agood way to search and destroy winter air leaks is to close up thegreenhouse and light up some incense and hold it near suspected leakingareas. You can visually see the smoke respond to incoming air currentsas you move the incense around. If the smoke streams in a new direction,there is your leak. Plug it up with caulk, foam, weather-stripping.

5. Thermal storage: This is the use of rock, water or otherdense thermal mass material in which to store the incoming solar heat,Water is by far the most efficient and easiest material to use (cheaptoo!).

6. Air-lock entry: This is a two-door setup with enough spacebetween them so that when you open the outside door, you won’t geta blast of cold air onto your poor little plants. Never use the outside doorwhen it’s cold.

7. Site orientation: A solar greenhouse should be oriented inthe correct direction and should face within 20º either side of true south.

How to take care of your products in the greenhouse?

Carrots, beets, turnips, and other root crops do well in deepboxes which fit well under benches. Tomatoes, peas, and cucumbersneed tub-type containers. Lettuce or other low leafy vegetables maybe planted in the tub with the taller vegetables. Orchids thrive well ingreen houses.

Herbs are nature’s insecticides. Be sure lo include a variety ofthem in your garden. Make an effective and natural insecticide by addingonions and garlic to a jar of water. Let it stand for a week and then sprayon your plants. Throw crushed egg shells on your garden for plant growth.

Glossary

hybrid : cross breed

genetic : hereditary

succulent : juicy

109

hedging : fencingbloom : become a flowerfragrant : scentedfoliage : plant life/ shrubberyinsulation : padding/fillingstyrofoam : a light expanded polystyrene plasticCaulk : to stop cracks with a fillerfloribunda : a species of roseshrub : a woody plant, smaller than a treeaesthetic : relating to pure beautyintegrate : put togetherdiversity : varietyantiquity : the quality of being ancient/ oldamateur : a person who engages in an activity/ sport as a

pastime rather than professionally or for gainresistance : capacity to withstand somethingrust : a plant disease that causes reddish brown spotssusceptible : at risk/pronevigorous : full of lifedrought : lack of waterpremium : in great demand / of high value because of scarcityspectacular : brilliantarching : curved like an archstance : posturecoarse : roughtints : shades of colourpropagate : breed

D. Writing:

The following are the guidelines for taking care of a bonsaitree. The introductory paragraphs are written for you:

What is Bonsai?

Plainly put, bonsai (pronounced bon-sigh) is the horticultural artform of training plants to look like large, aged trees that appear in

110

nature, but in miniature. Bonsai can be developed from seeds or cuttings,from young trees or from naturally occurring stunted trees taken fromforests or elsewhere and transplanted into containers. A bonsai is nota genetically dwarfed plant and is not kept small by cruelly in anyway. In fact, given an adequate supply of water, air, light and nutrients,a properly maintained bonsai should outlive a full size tree of the samespecies. The techniques of Bonsai are no crueller than that of any otherhorticultural effort. Although bonsai are small in comparison to theirhuge life-sized brothers, most are over 25 centimetres tall and up to 1metre in height.

So you’ve acquired a bonsai have you? Congratulations andwelcome to the world of bonsai! Bonsai are kept small and trained bypruning branches and roots, by periodic repotting, by pinching off newgrowth, and by wiring the branches and trunk so that they grow into thedesired shape.

Features Care prescribed

General care Most bonsai not indoor plants, will die if you keepthem inside all year. Need direct sunlight, good aircirculation, relative humidity, easy accessibility formaintenance (i.e. watering, feeding and pruning).Display bonsai inside, only do it for a few days whenthey are flowering or fruiting.

Watering Frequent, very small root system, in a very smallamount of soil, and very small water reserves, not toover-water

Fertiliser Continually replenished, washed out each time theplant is watered. Common is pellet-form (such as’Osmocote’’). Soluble powder and liquid feeds,contain three basic elements: Nitrogen (N)- leaf andstem growth, Phosphorous (P)- healthy root growthand Potassium (K)- is vital in the fight against disease.

111

Species Evergreens such as Pine, Cypress, Pomegranate,Holly, Fig (Rainforest and Mediterranean) andCedar. Deciduous trees such as Cherry, Maple,Banyan and Beech.

Special Beautiful flowers, a strong and hardy nature,characteristicsattractive bark, interesting foliage or seasonal fruits,

and cones

Repotting Replaces important nutrients, ‘stale soil’, and allowsfor new roots

Soil mix One part loam, two parts sphagnum peal moss, twoparts granite grit

Pruning Junipers and Cedars ‘finger pruning’, to encouragebushy foliage

Task : With the help of the details given in the table, writean essay an the topic ‘What is a Bonsai?’ Retain theintroduction. Arrange the content into paragraphsand conclude by summarising the main points.

Glossary

maintenance : repairs /continuationstunted : small/undersizedtransplanted : removed /relocateddwarfed : shortenedacquired : obtained / purchasedperiodic : episodic /cyclicdisplay : show / exhibit / demonstratehardy : resilient/strongbark : trunkcirculation : flow/ movementhumidity : dampnesswater reserve : storage of waterreplenish : refill

112

pellet : pill/tablet

stale soil : old soil

sphagnum : a kind of moss, the layers of which decay toform peat

loam : clay soil

granite grit : gravel

E. Vocabulary enrichment

Refer to the dictionary to find the meanings of the followingwords:

Landscape, arboretum, crop, hosepipe, green belt, biodegradable, recycle, fossil fuels, global warming

F. Extensive Reading:

Journals:

‘Baliraja’ - Monthly agricultural magazine‘AgBio World’ - Information on agricultural bio technologyAgriculture Supplements in the News papers.

Books :

‘Wonder World of Tropical Bonsai’ - Jyoti & Nikunj Parekh

113

ENGLISH FOR ENGINEERING

COMPETENCIES

A LISTENING: Listening to description/ functioning of

gadgets, etc.

B SPEAKING: Interacting with an automobile engineer

Interacting with a mechanical/ electrical engineer

C READING: Comprehending instructions from a manual

D WRITING: Writing a letter to a friend about the features of a

product

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related lo Engineering in spoken

written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING: Reading books /journals / magazines

/newspapers /supplementary on Engineering for comprehension,

vocabulary, appreciation and additional information

114

A. Listening

The teacher will read an automobile engineer’s talk onfour different makes of cars. Listen carefully:

(The teacher reads)

Task: As you listen to your teacher, make notes on eachthe cars in the table given below:

No. Model Manufacturer Advantages Disadvantages

Glossary

display : to show /make visiblerelative : comparativemerit : worth / superior qualityfeature : characteristic /qualityremarkably : extraordinarilysafety device : protective toolstorage space: place/room to keep things like the dickey/roof

topdrawback : problem/disadvantage

B. Speaking:

The following is a conversation between a prospective buyerof a motor bike and a sales person:

Customer : I am interested in buying a motor bike. Couldyou please give me the pamphlets of a fewleading bikes in the market?

Sales Person : Most certainly! The latest is the CD 100 LXby Hero Miranda.

Customer : That sounds interesting. This is my friend

115

Harish. He is an automobile engineer. Do youmind giving him Some technical details?

S.P : I would be glad to do so.Harish : Would you tell us about the engine and chas

sis?S.P : Well, the engine is 97.2cc, four stroke, and

horizontal. The chassis is T-bone.Harish : That’s great! What about Tank capacity and

mileage?S.P : It has a 10 litre tank capacity and the mileage

would be 60 km/litre. Further it has a powerof 7.0@8000 (bph/rpm)

Customer : What about the choice of colours?S.P : Sir, we have black, red and blue. Also we

have an introductory offer, the showroom willtake care of the comprehensive insurance forthe first year; it’s on the house sir.

Customer : What about the price?

S.P : It will be Rs.43,561/- Sir.

Task 1: Practise the above conversations, taking turns.

Task 2: Prepare a dialogue between an electrical engineerand a user of a washing machine using the hints.The user complains that the automatic washingmachine does not rinse thoroughly. The engineergives the reason and rectifies the fault.

Hints: Customer- long time to rinse, loud cracking noise, bodyrusts Service engineer - ground water hard, bearing weak, needsreplacement, body needs replacement, cost - Rs.2500/- andservice charges Rs.300/-

Glossary:

chassis : frame workcapacity : ability/ capabilitymileage : number of miles per litre

116

offer : present comprehensiveinsurance: complete Insurancebearing : a piece that supports a rotating mechanical partrpm : rotation per minute

C. Reading:This is a manual of a home appliance called the electronic

Wok’ Read through the manual carefully:

THE QUIK-FR Y ELECTRONIC WOK

Instructions for Use :

It is most important that you read this instruction booklet carefullybefore first using the Quik-Fry wok Until you become familiar withthe product, we advise that you keep the booklet handy and refer to itwhen required.

IMPOR TANT SAFEGUARDS

l In order to prevent the risk of electric shock - DO NOTIMMERSE the cord or the probe in water or any other liquid.

l Whenever the wok is used near children, it is essential thatclose supervision takes place. Never leave the applianceunattended if in use.

l Before disassembling the wok for cleaning, SWITCH OFFAND REMOVE THE PLUG from the power source.

l DO NOT USE THE Quik-Fry WOK OUTDOORS.l Avoid touching hot surfaces, instead use the heat-resistant

handles on the wok or the heat-resistant plastic knob on topof the glass lid.

l DO NOT COVER the Quik-Fry wok with the lid while usingit to deep fry foods, Failure to comply will cause condensationto drip onto the oil and lead to splattering.

117

l DO NOT OPERATE NEAR HOT SURFACES such aselectric hotplates, gas burners or in a heated oven.

l DO NOT ATTEMPT REPAIR of the Quik-Fry wok. If thecord becomes damaged, or if the appliance is malfunctioning,do not operate. Return the appliance to the nearest authorisedservice centre for repair. DO NOT OPEN THE BASE ORTOUCH THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS INSIDE.Tampering with the base will void warranty.

*Manufactured for operation only from a standard domestic powersource.

How to Use the- Quik-Fry Electronic Wok:Be sure to season the wok before using it for the first time.

Assemble the wok and heat to the Highest setting (6). Rub the nonstickinner surface of the wok with 1 tablespoon of oil. Use thick papertowelling, being very careful to avoid contact with the hot surface.

Cooking Methods:

Cooking Heat Food Action TimeMethod Required Preparation Required

Stir very high cut into Use lossing 2-3minutesFrying uniform dice motion in a1 2 or small shredssmall amount

of oil 3

Braising very high as for stir add liquid after5-10frying stir frying, thenminutes

simmer untilcooked

Deep high 7 wipe moisture cook only a <5 minutesFrying from food 8 few pieces at a456 time 9

Shallow high 7 pre-cook food as for deepFrying frying but use <5minutes

only 2 tbsp ofoil

118

1 - blot meat dry to avoid stewing of food in excess liquid2 - add ingredients in order of length of time required for cooking3 - use upto I tbsp of oil only4 - never use more than 6 cups of oil (maximum depth - 5 cm)5 - allow oil to cool before removing from wok6 - never cover with the lid7 - enough for the oil to simmer without smoking8 - to avoid splattering9 - to ensure crispness

Task: Answer the following questions;

1. What is the first thing you must do before using the Quik-Fry wok?

2. What reason would you have to take the Quik-Fry wokapart?

3. What type of electrical power source is the wok designedfor?

4. The wok must never be operated:a) by hand b) by children c) outdoors d) all of the above

5. What will definitely happen if you open the base?6. Which cooking method requires food to be cooked twice?7. Why should the lid never cover the food when deep frying

in the Wok?8. What makes the Quik-Fry wok ideal for deep frying?9. Which cooking method uses the least amount of oil?10. Which cooking methods require pieces of food ready for

cooking lobe of similar size?

Glossary:

wok : a large metal Chinese cooking pot having acurved base like a bowl and with a woodenhandle

immerse : dip

119

shock : a sudden and violent jarring blow or impact

caused by electricity

unattended : left without care

disassembling : removing/ disbanding

heat resistant : protected from excessive heat

comply : fulfill

malfunctioning : not working properly

components : mechanical parts

tampering : interfering/ meddling

warranty : service contract

non stick : coated with a substance that prevents food fromsticking to them

dice : cut up/chop

blot : to soak up excess oil by using blotting paper orsome other absorbent material

simmer : to cook (food) gently at or just below the boilingpoint

splattering : splashing of small drops of liquid.

smear : spread

ingredients : a component of a mixture, compound incooking

braising : the process of cooking (meat, vegetables, etc.,)by lightly browning in fat and then cookingslowly in a closed pan with a small amount ofliquid

condensation : changing from gas to liquid

hot plate : an electrically heated plate on a cooker

cord : string / cable

120

D. Writing:

You have looked at the manual of the Wok. The followingis the product literature:

Price-Rs.6200/- tax extra Colours- brown/blackEMI- leading banks Cooking classes- freeIdeal-diet plans

Task: A friend of yours has written to you seeking advicefor buying a cooking appliance that consumes lessoil. Write a reply to your friend giving details/specifications about the Quik -Fry Wok andsuggesting that he buy it. Use the manual and theproduct literature given above, to write the letter.

Glossary:

EMI : Equated Monthly Instalment (a scheme wheremoney is paid in parts)


Refer to the dictionary to find the meanings of thefollowing words:

four stroke, power source, break through, safeguards,innovations, technophobe, shreds, seasoning, probe, void, setting,stewing.

F. Extensive Reading:

Journals:

‘Chemistry Today’, ‘The Sciences’, Physics for you’.

Books :

‘Five weeks in a balloon’ -Jules Verne‘Foutainhead’ - Ayn Rand

121

ENGLISH FOR COMPUTERS

COMPETENCIES

A LISTENING : Listening and comparing details

B SPEAKING: Interacting with Data Entry processing personnel

Interacting with a hardware engineer

C READING: Using non verbal skills

Scanning for specific information

Comprehending literal instructions of simple operations

D WRITING: Making notes from a web-site

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related to Computers in spoken

written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING: Reading books journals/magazines

/newspapers /supplementary on Computers for comprehension.

vocabulary, appreciation and additional information

A. Listening:

The teacher will read a commentary of a computer expertabout the features, model and price range of various computers:

(The teacher reads)Task 1: Complete this table as you listen to the passage:

Computers on display Series Features Warranty Price

Task 2: With the help of the table and the inputs from thepassage complete these questions:

1. The speaker is presiding a ..................................2. The counters........................and.................are allotted for

computers,3. The ................... Computers seem to have a wider range.4. The .................. is recommended for business people.5. The peripherals mentioned in the passage are...................

Glossary:

Compatible : staying together harmoniouslyaccess : obtain /retrieve informationintegrated : made into a wholehome PC : home Personal Computermonitor : the unit in a desk computer that contains the

screenvalue add : to have an extra and increased effectperipheral : a disk, printer, modern or screen, concerned

with input/output storageoptical scroller : a mouse with an infra-red light instead of a ball

& socket.cable : wire/bundle of wires that conduct electricity

122

123

B. Speaking:

1. This is a conversation between Mahesh, data entry processingpersonnel and Arjun, a student of Class XI attempting to writean assignment using MS Word application.

Arjun : Good afternoon sir! I’m Arjun. I am working on

an important assignment and I would like to get

it done at your Centre.

Mahesh : Fine! Let’s go to Page Set up first. Do you want

it in A 4. Letter, Legal or Custom Size?

Arjun : I’ve been asked to do it in A 4.

Mahesh : Is the layout, portrait or landscape?

Arjun : What does that mean?

Mahesh : Well, portrait is the vertical layout, with the page

height greater than the width, while landscape is

the horizontal layout with the page width greater

Arjun : I think portrait is OK.

Mahesh : Let me set the margins Now, what about the

font?

Arjun : My teacher has suggested that I use Times New

Roman font, size 12.

Mahesh : That’s the standard book form. Can I use bold/

italics wherever necessary for highlighting?

Arjun : Yes, Sir.

Mahesh : Now, we’ 11 have to save

Arjun : (grins) From the mouse nibbling my document?

Mahesh : Is that a trap, naughty boy?

Arjun : Well, Sir Now, how do we save?

Mahesh : We’ll have to go to File and then click on Save.

Now give me a name.

Arjun : ‘Std. XI Communicative English’.Mahesh : Well, that’s done. Now your assignment will be

stored in the computer in that name.Arjun : Can I have a print-out now?Mahesh : Yes. Do you need a laser or ink-jet?Arjun : What’s the difference?Mahesh : The out-put is faster and more impressive in

laser. And it costs a rupee more.Arjun : Why is that?Mahesh : Laser printers are of high quality and they use

laser beams.Arjun : I’ll go in for laser then.Mahesh : Here it is.Arjun : Thank you, Sir. The assignment has given me

some practical experience for the ‘English forComputers’, section of ‘CommunicativeEnglish’.

Task 1: Practise this conversation.

Task 2: Prepare a dialogue between two friends about filefolder-naming, deleting, renaming copying, pastingoperations.

II. This is a dialogue between Immanuel, a hardware engineerand Aishwarya, a student of class XI, who is entering a computerfirm, and is very curious:

Aishwarya : What sleek computers I find here! Could

these small boxes contain such enormous in-

formation on anything and everything under the

sun and on earth? What is that small thing

with a tail?

Imrmanuel : It is a mouse.

124

125

Aishwarya : But it doesn’t wag its tail.

Immanuel : It’ s you who is wagging the tail. The mousehelps you to access the monitor.

Aishwarya : I hope the computer monitor is not as strictas my class monitor. Now, is that a typingmachine?

Immanuel : That’s called a keyboard.

Aishwarya : Will it produce music?

Immanuel : (Smiles) It helps you key in information intothe computer.

Aishwarya : Now I’m getting curiouser and curiouser.What is this tower-like thing?

Immanuel : That’s the central processing unit -CPU.

Aishwarya : What does it contain?

Immanuel : It contains the hard disk, motherboard, floppydrive, CD drive, etc., all of which go to makea computer. These are the components whichhelp the computer process information andanswer all your questions,

Aishwarya : Will the computer tell me whether I need tobuy it or not?

Immanuel : ?!

Task 1: Practise speaking this dialogue taking turns.

Task 2: You have bought a computer. Your kid brother iscurious to know about the various parts. Tell him.

C. ReadingI. Read through the pamphlet - hp officejet 4110 all-in-one.

126

127 128

Task : Complete the grid based on the inputs from thepamphlet :

Software included

For Mac - CD-ROM drive,

800× 600 dpi screen resolution

Paper handling

Interface and connectivity

Noise level

Print

Up to 600x1200 dpi opticalresolution Up to 36 bit colour

Fax

Copy

II. The following illustration introduces the basic elements ofthe Windows 98 Desktop: Browse

Open Webbrowsingsoftware

Storedeletedsoftware

Viewnetworkresources

your computerStorefrequentlyused files

Startprograms

129

Task : Answer the following questions based on theillustration:

Which icon would you click for............................?

a) Starting programmer-b) Viewing network resources -c) Browsing through the computer-d) Storing deleted files-e) Accessing the Internet-

III. Read through the following details carefully which give you a clear picture of how to use the floppy:

Saving documents

You save documents by using the Save command on the Filemenu. Here are a few things you need to know when saving documents:

In Windows, the hard disk drive and floppy disk drives areidentified by letters. Most hard disk drives are assigned C or D. Usually,the floppy disk drives are A and B, A path tells you where a file islocated. For example, a path could be: C:\June\Work\Myschedule.This tells you that the My schedule document is located on the C drivein a folder named Work that is in the June folder. You can change thelocation of a file in the Save As dialog box.

To copy a file into the floppy

A file could be copied onto a floppy in the following ways:

1. In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click the file you want to copy. On the Edit menu, click Copy. Open the floppy drive. On the Edit menu, click Paste. The file will get pasted on the floppy.

2. Right click the file you want to copy. Click the send to 3½floppy [A:]. The file will be sent to the floppy.

130

Glossary:

Software : computing programmes that can be used with aparticular computing system

system : assembly of electronic/electric/mechanicalcomponents with independent functions

fax : a machine which sends and reproducesthe same copy

browse : to search for/tolook throughdelete : erase /caned /strike outrestore : replace or give back something

that is lostwindows : an area of a d isplay that may be

manipulatedfloppy disk : a magnetic disk for storing information

Task: Complete this process for copying files in the floppy, in theflow chart given below:

Click the .................you want to copy

Insert your floppyinto the floppydrive

On the....................

menu click

.........................

Open the

...................... drive

On the Edit menu click

..................

131

D. Writing

The following are the tips for note-making from the Internet: Howto copy what’s on a webpage into your own word-processing program(WordPad, Word, Works, and WordPerfect) so that you can save iton your hard drive?

l Open your Word processing program (WordPad)l Give your Word processing document a title - what notes

you’re copyingl Find a website containing information you want. Must know

the http (URL) - (what you type in the address slot of yourbrowser) - the program that takes you on the Internet(Navigator, AOL)

l Once you are at the site having the information that you want,using your mouse, drag it over the text you want to make acopy of.

l Click on the end of the text with the left mouse button anddrag your mouse over the text you want. The selected textshould turn blue.

l Place your mouse pointer in the blue selected text. Rightclick. A menu should pop up.

l Using your left mouse button, click on Copy on this pop upmenu.

l Return to your opened word processing program (Word Pad)by clicking on its button on your Windows taskbar at thebottom of screen.

l Hit the Enter key a couple of times to give yourself spacefrom your title.

l Right click on an empty spot in your Word processor window.Should see pop up window. Left click on Paste.

Read this passage on Charles Babbage taken from the Internet.

Charles Babbage was born in London, England December 26,1791. Babbage suffered from many childhood illnesses, which forcedhis family to send him to a clergy operated school for special care.

132

Babbage had the advantage of a wealthy father who wished tofurther his education. A stint at the Academy at Forty Hills in Middlesexbegan the process and created the interest in Mathematics, Babbageshowed considerable talent in Mathematics, but his disdain for theClassics meant that more schooling and tutoring at home would berequired before Babbage would be ready for entry to Cambridge.

Babbage enjoyed reading many of the major works in math andshowed a solid understanding of which theories and ideas had validity.As an undergraduate, Babbage setup a society to critique the works ofthe French mathematician, Lacroix, on the subject of differential andintegral calculus. Finding Lacroix’s work a masterpiece and showingthe good sense to admit so, Babbage was asked to set up an AnalyticalSociety that was composed of Cambridge undergraduates.

Many of the leading math scholars expressed praise for thecontribution of Babbage. Charles completed his schooling and startedto write papers on various subjects for the Royal Society of London,who honoured him with an invitation in join as the vice-president.

Babbage became interested in Astronomy and the equipmentused to study the heavens. This appears to be the time when Charlesgot the idea for a mechanical calculation device. Frustrated with thewaste of time and money used to create logarithmic table manually,Babbage invented the Difference Machine to create these tables. Thesuccess of this endeavor led Babbage to envision a device that couldperform any calculation. Dubbed the Analytical Engine, Babbagereceived funding from the government to turn the dream into a reality

Unfortunately, Babbage was never able to finish the project asthe whims of politics and funding decisions forced the project to bedismissed after a few flawed programs were beta tasted. The logic of theprocess and structure of the engine formed the basis of the calculationprocess of the modern computer.

133

Task 1: Make notes from this passage and write an abstract.

Task 2: Visit a website, take down notes using the tips givenabove for computerised notes and compile the notes.



attributes, menu, formal, indent, tab, manual, font, installed,memory, resource, reboot, corrupt, standard, e-mail, hardware,internet, id, icon, tool bar, animation, align, pop up

F. Extensive Reading

Journals: ‘Digit’, ‘Computers@home’, ‘Express Computer’,’Tamil Computer’.

Books: Isaac Asimov - ‘I Robot’, ‘Gold’.

134

ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS ANDCOMMERCE

COMPETENCIE S

A LISTENING: Listening to sales talk

B SPEAKING: Interacting with sales personnel at the door/counter

Discussing trends in the stock market

Discussing sales, profit, turnover, etc.

C READING: Using transference of informnation from graphs and

diagrams

Drawing conclusions, making generalisations and predicting

outcomes

Comprehending slogans and brief statements using critical reading.

Applying skills of literal comprehension

D WRITING: Writing a visitor’s note

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related to Business and

Commerce in relevant spoken/written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING: Reading books/ magazines/

journals/ newspaper columns on Business and Commerce for

comprehension, vocabulary, appreciation and additional

information.

135

A. Listening

Task: Listen to the power of speech. The teacher will readtwo passages. Listen carefully.

(The Teacher reads)

After you listen, answer the following questions:

1. What sort of passages are they?a. infonnative literatureb. sales talkc. instmctionmanualsd. advertisements

2. Which ofthe two passages is a persuasive talk?3. Assign the following terms to each of the passages.

Soft sell - Passage .......(A/B)Hard sell. - Passage .......(A/B)

4. Which passage gives a lot of details?5. If you were the prospective buyer, would you buy the product

in Situation A or B?

Glossary

parlour : (here) a shop which sells a particular product orprovides aparticular service

voila : (French) ‘there it is’ or ‘there you are’;exclamation used to show that one is pleased withsomething one has just made

hard sell : An approach in sales talk that is aggressive anddoesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer

soft sell : A non-aggressive, suggestive approach in selling,that is conscious of the listener’s time and allowsthe prospective buyer to think, “What is in it forme?” (WIIFME)

B. Speaking

1. Look at thelollowing conversation between a salesrepresentative and a prospective buyer:

136

Sales rep : Excuse me, Madam. Could I have a few minutes ofyour time, please? I’m Daniel Robinson, and I representCrusoe Automatons Ltd. You see, we have launched arobot - Girl Friday. You name the chore and sheperforms it. Want a glass of water? Just tell her andshe’ll get you one.

Buyer : What if I want the floor cleaned?Sales rep : She’ll do it in a jiffy. She’s a real wonder.Buyer : How do I operate her?Sales rep : See this knob. Just turn and switch on this button. Here

she goes.Buyer : What about the power connection?Sales rep : She operates on battery. Once a week she needs to be

charged.Buyer : She too! Well, what’s the cost of this robot?Sales rep : Only ten thousand rupees.Buyer : Only? My! That’s quite expensive.Sales rep : Think about the time and energy saved, Madam.Buyer : What other features does the robot have?Sales rep : Well, she has a remarkable memory. She can store any

amount of information. For example you can tell heryour shopping list, birthdays, things to do, etc., and shereminds you every now and then.

Buyer : Will she wake me up every morning?Sales rep : Of bourse she will. But you don’t have to, because she

would do all the chores. You can have your beautysleep.

Buyer : What’s the warranty period?Sales rep : Three years.Buyer : And after sales service?Sales rep : She wouldn’t need that for a long time. Alter all she’s

designed to serve you. Well, in ease of trouble, you cancontact this 24 hour help line.

137

Buyer : Why is she called Girl Friday?Sales rep : Well, that’s because Friday is her day off.

Glossary:

warranty : a written promise by a company in repair/replace aproduct that develops a fault within a fixed period oftime

Task 1: Practise the above conversation taking turns.Task 2: You want to buy a storage water heater. Write a

conversation between yourself and the countersalesperson. Practise the conversation.

(Remember to ask for all possible in formation about the product-operation. Warranty, cost, after sales service, power consumption,safety measures, special features, discount, etc. Use phrases like, ‘CanI have? No. not! this, I would like to have .............. Yes, that’s theone.’)

II. Look at the following conversations;

A : Heard the stock exchange news today?I believe gold prices have shot up to hit an all-time high.

B : Nothing to beat a Sachin shot.And I bet the hit can’t surpass a Kapil sixer.

A : My uncle has some shares and bands in Standard Motors.He is a miser. He never gives anybody anything.

B : I though I sharing helped build human bonds.A : Read the day’s news? Bombay stock market is bullish while

Wall Street is bearish.B : When did bulls and bears enter the markets and streets?

Glossary

stock exchange market :a place where parts of theownership of companies arebought and sold

138

shot up : rose or climbed highhit an all-time high : reached a peak that was never

reached beforeshares : the equal parts into which

the ownership of a com pany isdivided and which can be boughtby members o f the public

bonds : official papers given by acompany to show that one haslent them money which will bepaid back at an interest rate thatwill not change

bullish : when people think that marketprices will continue to rise, andhold back the shares

Wall Street : the financial street in New York,where the US stock marketis situated

bearish : when people think that marketprices will continue to fall, and selltheir shares

Task 1: Practise the above conversations taking turns.

Task 2: Refer to the stock market column in the day’s paper,study the graph and discuss the trends with yourfriend.

(You can use the terms buying, selling, rise, fall, upsurge, crash,forge ahead, plummet, tumble, scale a new height, lose ground, plunge,recovered, etc.)

III. Look at the following conversation:

A : How has your sales been this year?B : There’s been a slump compared to last year’s boom.A : What were your sales figures for last year?

B: We sold 510 scooters and 405 motorcycles.A: What a been the turnover?B: Our turnover was 4 crores.

Glossary

slump : a sudden and heavy fallboom : sudden growthsales figures : unit sales; the number of goods soldturnover : money resulting from unit sales

(increase, tumbled, sky, soared)

Task 1: Practise the above conversations.

Task 2: Complete the following conversation filling in theblanks with the words given in brackets. Practise theconversation taking turns.

After a mock-trade fair in your school you discuss the sales trendin various stalls.

A : The sales in the Harry Potter stall has ............ rocketedafter a modest beginning.

B : The sale of cellular phones ......high.A : Pop corn sales badly after a brisk beginningB : There was an ................. in sales at the stationery counter

in the evening, after a sluggish morning.

C. Reading

I. Look at the following graph andthe adjacent write-up :

War fears push downSensex by 40 points

MUMBAI, JAN. 27. Fears over apossible Gulf war drove the Sensexsharply down by 40.15 points to closeat 3347.71 at the Bombay StockExchange here today, as nervousoperators resorted to heavy selling

139 140

The BSE-30 share index opened lower at 3283,93 againat last Friday’sclose of 3287.86 and immediately touched a high of 3286.46. Laterit met with strong resistance and dipped to a low of 3221.69 beforeconcluding at 3247.71, a steep fall of 1.22 per cent.....

Look at the words in italics - ‘push down ‘, sharply downtouched a high ‘, ‘dipped to a low’, a steep fall’. See how theseterms match/describe the graph given.

Task 1: Match the following graphical trends with the termsgiven below.

volatile peaked upsurge hold steady

dip fluctuate recover slump

escalate hit an all-time low drop bounce back

rise plummet climb plunge

slide fall soar crash

Task 2: Match the following diagrams with the terms givenbelow.

141

II. Read the following news item:

CHENNAI, .JAN. 19. Consumers have no way of finding outwhether the product they use everyday conform to Indian standards,say officials and consumer activists. Items such as soap and detergentsdo not have quality certification. Toothpastes and tooth powdersclaim ‘approved by Indian Dental Association,’ but luck authentication.

As a result, spurious products that look like popular brandsflood the market and the gullible pick them up because they arc easyon the purse.

A detergent cake brought out by a multinational has at leastone replica and is priced three times lower than the MNC product.

The cheaper product is not bar-coded and the wrapper isglossier. Consumers are easily misled as even colours on wrappersmatch. The Director of Bureau of Indian Standards, says that as perSchedule S of Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, 11 items, includingdaily use products, such as toothpaste, tooth powder, shampoo, toiletsoap, hair dye and skin powder should conform to Indian standards,but the certification is not mandatory.

“People do not know the difference between a toilet soap and abathing bar. They go by the brand name. Quality could be suspect andthere is no consumer agency that can check the quality of a consumerproduct. There is an urgent need to make certification mandatory.”

Glossary

consumer : one who buys goods or services for one’sown use

conform : adhere

consumer activists : those who work for the rights ofconsumers

quality certification : stating officially that something conformsto standards

142

authentication : being true or real

spurious products : goods that are false and not what theyappear to be

flood the market : available for sale in large numbers

gullible consumer : a buyer who is easily deceived

easy on the purse: cheap

multinational : (of a business) functioning in severalcountries

MNC : Multinational company

replica : look-alike; that which resembles theoriginal

bar-coded : marked with a small rectangle of thick andthin black lines, printed on food wrappers,book covers, etc., allowing a computer toread information about the item, such asprice, etc.

glossier : brighter with more shine

mandatory : compulsory

brand name : the name by which a particular product issold


1. What is the main focus of the news item?2. How can consumers know whether the products they use

conform to standards?3. Can you generalise from the passage that all products are

spurious?4. What can you conclude from the passage?5. What do you think would be the outcome if quality certification

was made mandatory?6. In casc of being cheated, how and who would you approach for

corrective measures/justice?

143

III. Read the following slogans.

• CONSUMER AWARENESS DRIVE• GULLIBLE CONSUMERS

• PROTECT BRAND NAMES

• MAKE ‘CERTIFICATION MANDATORY’

• BRAND WAR

• NO MECHANISM TO CHECK QUALITY OF EVERYDAY

/ PRODUCTS

• DRUGS AND COSMETICS

Task: Which of these would be suitable for a campaign onmaking quality certification mandatory? Why?

IV. Read the following Savings Bank Account rules:

RULE 1: The pass book will show the account number of thedepositor, his name and address. It must be presented for allwithdrawals other than those by cheque. In case of withdrawals bycheque, the pass book should be presented within a week from thedate of withdrawal when deposits and withdrawals will be entered andthe pass book immediately handed back. The depositors should examinethe entries in the pass book carefully and draw the Bank’s attention toany errors and omissions that he/she may notice. The Bank will not beresponsible for any entries not authenticated under the initials of itsauthorised officials.

RULE 2: Depositors are requested to keep their pass books in aplace of safety. The Bank will not be responsible for any loss orfraudulent withdrawal arising out of the loss of a pass book due todepositor’s neglect.

RULE 3: The Account holders are required to maintain a minimumbalance in their accounts. The applicable amount of minimum balanceis displayed on the branch notice board.

144

Glossary

pass book : a small book used to officially record the detailsof deposits, withdrawals, etc.

depositor : one who puts his money in a bank

account : an arrangement with a bank for deposit and

withdrawal of money

withdrawal : taking money from one’s account

cheque : a printed form to make paymnents from one’s bank

account and/or to withdraw or transfer money

deposit : to put one’s money in a bank

fraudulent : deceptive

Task: Answer the follwing questions.

1. What does the pass book contain?

2. Should the pass book be submitted along with the cheque forwithdrawal?

3. Why should depositors examine the entries in the pass book?

4. Whose initials should be affixed in the pass book entries?5. What does RULE 2 say?

6. Where will the SB Account holder find displayed the minimumbalance to be maintained?

D. Writing

Mary Brooks, a Class XI Commerce student has taken up amarket survey job during her summer vacation. She is to meet variouscorporate heads and fill in a survey questionnaire. Before she meelstham, she is asked to fill in a visitor’s note, stating her name, the natureof her visit, etc. The following is the note that she has filled in.

Name : Mary BrooksDesignation : Student of Class XI

Oasis Matriculation Hr.Sec.School,Theppakulam, Madurai.

Whom to see : Managing DirectorPurpose of visit : Market Research Survey on various

brands of Mineral WaterReferred by : Cascade Market Research Bureau

Task: You are arranging a bonk fair in your school withthe prices slashed, to benefit the needy. As the schoolpupil leader, you are to meet various publishers witha request to put up stalls. You are to also meet varioussponsors to compensate for the cut in the cost of thebooks. Fill in the following visitor’s message slip.

1. You are to meet the marketing officer of a publishing house.Name : .........................................................................

Designation : .........................................................................

: .........................................................................Whom to see : .........................................................................

Purpose of visit : .........................................................................

: .........................................................................

Referred by : .........................................................................

2. You are to meet a sponsor who is a top business magnate. He/she is not in when you visit. Leave a message seeking anappointment:

Name : .........................................................................Designation : .........................................................................

: .........................................................................Whom to see : .........................................................................Purpose of visit : .........................................................................

..........................................................................Referred by : .........................................................................Message : .........................................................................

..........................................................................

145146

Glossary

corporate head : head of a large company

prices slashed : greatly reduced prices

sponsor : one who supports a cause by givingencouragement, money, etc.

business magnate: one who is very rich and successful inbusiness

publishing house : a company which publishes books

E. Vocabulary Enrichment


bullion, dear money, debt, deficit, inflation, deflation, monopoly,subsidy, asset, liability, inventory

F. Extensive reading

Business column in newspapers, ‘Economic Times’, ‘BusinessToday’.

147

ENGLISH FOR LEGAL PURPOSES

COMPETENCES

A LISTENING : Listening to unfamiliar register

B SPEAKING : Interacting with a lawyer

Discussing a case with someone

Discussing road rules, laws, penalty, etc,

C READING ; Scanning

Literal comprehension

D WRITING : Preparing a write-up

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related to law in relevant spoken

written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING : Reading books /magazines /journals

/ newspaper columns on law for comprehension, vocabulary,

appreciation and additional information

148

A. Listening

The teacher wilt read aloud a few newspaper headlines. Listencarefully. As you listen, note down the legal terminology.

(The teacher reads)

Task: The following is likely to be the list that you havetaken down. See if you can match the meanings withthe words;

1. hearing a) one of the group who has a major role incommitting a crime

2. defamation b) the highest crime

3. adjourned c) not genuine

4. accused d) apply to a higher court for a reversal of thedecision of a lower court

5. admitted e) suspend or postpone judicial proceedings;refrain from pressing charges

6. main accused f) officially records case

7. fake g) temporary release of an accused awaitingtrial, on an undertaking given, to guarantee

their appearance in court

8. lie-detector test h) reply to a petition or notice

9. apex court i) accepted as valid

10. conditional bail j) an act of listening to evidence; a trial

11. trial k) formal declaration that one is not guilty ofa criminal charge

12. stay l) one charged with an offence or crime

13. registers case m) postponed

14. filling n) a test done using an instrument fordetermining whether a person is telling thetruth by testing for physiological changes

149

15. counter o) a formal examiation of evidence in orderto decide guilt in a case of criminal or civilproceedings

16. appeal p) an act of damaging the good reputation ofsomebody or something

17. acquittal r) submitting a (legal) document officially tobe placed on record

B. Speaking

I. Read the following anecdote:

Akash and Aditya were on their regular morning jogging. Forthem, this is the best way to start the day as it helps them keep not onlytheir body fit but also their mind agile. That is the time, when theydiscuss academic, political, social and their personal issues - frominteresting anecdotes to problems evading solutions.

Aditya noticed that Akash looked slightly upset and disturbed.Before he, could question, Akash said that his father was restless astheir neighbour had started putting up the second floor “How does itaffect you?’ Aditya asked innocently, ‘It does - because there will beno ventilation for us as the new construction will obstruct light and air toour house which we have been enjoying for years’, ‘Did you speak tothem?’ Aditya was really concerned. ‘Yesterday, my father spoke tothem but of no avail’. ‘What next? ‘asked Aditya. ‘I just don’t know,somebody says, there is a legal remedy. So we are planning to meet anadvocate. May be he will help us’.

At 6 o’ clock in the evening, Akash and his father entered areputed law firm. It was a posh, neat, and cosy office, buzzing withactivity -paralegals arranging and stitching documents, highly focussedassociate lawyers busy giving dictations, juniors poring over voluminouslaw books in the small library and senior partners in serious conferencewith their clients.

They were promptly guided in by the Secretary to the Partner -a well-dressed serious looking person exuding confidence. He greeted

150

them in. Akash and his father narrated their plight. The partner asked,‘Is their construction approved by the Metropolitan Authority? Is yourhouse constructed according to the plan? If you can give all the detailsand the connected documents, we can file a suit for permanentinjunction in the Civil Court restraining your neighbour from goingahead with his super structure.’ ‘What is our immediate remedy?’anxious Akash asked the advocate, ‘We will include an interim prayerfor a temporary injunction for the same purpose pending disposal ofthe suit. For temporary injunction, you will have to file an affidavitnarrating the entire incident and based on the affidavit, the Court maygrant interim exports order’. ‘What do you mean by exparte order?’questioned Akash’s father. ‘It is nothingbut an order issued on meritswithout hearing the other party, provided the Court is satisfied that youhave established a prima-facie case’. ‘Do injunction and stay meanthe same thing?’ ‘Both more or less mean status quo’.

‘Sir, a friend of mine said that we could file a writ in the HighCourt and get a stay. But now you arc suggesting that we can file a suit.Will you please enlighten me?’ The partner with a smile said,” You canfile a writ provided there is an infringement of fundamental rightslike right to equality, right to life and personal liberty, and many otherrights as provided in the Constitution of India. Depending on yourneed you can seek a writ of mandamus certiorari. Writ means anOrder of the Court to a Governmental or statutory authority to ensurethat they do not violate the fundamental rights. In the instant case onlyyour legal right is affected and the only course available to you is to filea suit. In the suit, because you are the complainant, you will be called‘plaintiff ‘ and your neighbour will be called‘defendant’ and whenyou file an affidavit, you become the ‘petitioner’ and the others become‘ respondents’.’ After the suit is filed, based on merits, expartetemporary injunction may be granted. Summons will by served on yourneighbour and he must defend either in person or through an advocateand after appraisal of evidence, examination and cross examination ofwitnesses, and hearing both sides the Court will decide the matter onmerits.’

151

Next week on filing of the suit, an exparte injunction was grantedand it was served on the neighbour who immediately stopped theconstruction. After a week, the neighbour’s advocate and Akash’sadvocate sat together and arrived at a compromise. The neighbouragreed to modify his plan of construction to ensure that the rights ofAkash’s family members were not disturbed. Akash’s father agreed towithdraw the objection. When they informed the Court, the Hon’bleCourt was pleased to dispose of the suit on the terms of compromisethey had arrived at.

A fortnight later, both Akash and Aditya were again on theirregular jogging, enriched by the experience and slightly familiar with thecurious and charming legal world.

Glossary:

paralegal : a person not fully qualified as a lawyer,but trained in subsidiary legal matters

suit : claim or dispute brought to a law courtfor adjudication

injunction : a judicial order either restraining actionor compelling it

interim prayer : request for interim order

affidavit : a written statement confirmed by oath,for use as evidence in court

prima facie : accepted as so until proved otherwise

status quo : the existing state of affairs

infringement : violation of a law; encroachment on a right

fundamental rights : rights given to us by the constitutionmandamus certiorari : a writ issued by a court to a statutory

authority directing it (to perform itspublic duty.

summons : an order to appear in a law court

(Note: summons - singular- summonses - plural)

152

Task 1: Based on the anecdote, prepare a conversationbetween Akash’s father and the advocate, andpractise it.

Task 2: Prepare a conversation between a lawyer and hisclient Practise it. You can use these words - pleadguilty, sentence, appeal, witness, proof, defend, bail,verdict, trial, vacate a stay, etc.

Task 3: Complete the following pieces of conversation,choosing the words given in brackets. Practise it.

(trial accused, pronounced, alibi, benefit, legislation, verdict)

A : The..........................in the ‘bomb blast case’ is to be.......................tomorrow.

B : The..........................has been going on for a long time.

....................

A : A..........................has been passed prohibiting publicprocessions and demonstrations.

B : What about the snaking queues at the street pumps andthe unruly mob surrounding water tankers?

......................

A : I think the..........................of doubt should be given to the

.................

B : He seems to have a perfect..........................He ought to beexcused.

II. Look at the following conversation:

Raju : Why is the traffic policeman accosting that man onthe two-wheeler?

Ranjith : He has crossed the stop line at the signal. He willhave to pay a spot fine now.

Raju : A spot fine for crossing the stop line?

Ranjith : That’s it. Any violation of traffic rules warrants apenalty.

Raju : What about crossing the speed limit?

Ranjith : Yes, if you exceed the speed limit you will be fined.

Raju : What are the other instances when one will be fined?

Ranjith : If you enter a road marked ‘No Entry’, if you parkyour vehicle in a ‘No parking zone’ and if you donot possess your driving licence, RC Rook, FuelEmission Certificate, if you jump the signals, etc.

Raju : What about eve teasers? They should be punishedtoo.

Ranjith : Yes, a fine will be imposed or they’ll be prosecuted.

Glossary:

accosting : approaching and addressing boldly oraggressively

violation : breaking of a rule

penalty : punishment

imposed : forced to be accepted

imprisonment: being kept in prison

prosecuted : charged with a crime in a court of law

Task 1: Practise the above conversation.

Task 2: Form pairs. One of you could be a traffic policemanand the other a person accosted for violating a trafficrule. Prepare a conversation and practise it.

153 154

C. Reading

I a. The following is the drivinng license issued to and individual.Look at it carefully


1. Is the individual authorised to drive a transport vehicle?

2. Where hasthedriving licence been issued?

3. When is the licence due for renewal?

4. What type of vehicle is the person licenced to drive?

5. Is the person eligible to drive only in a particular region?

6. How old is the individual? What is the minimum age lo be eligiblefor a driving licence?

7. Is it wise/legal lo drive before attaining this minimum age limit ?

8. Should one always carry one’s driving license with him/her?

9. Is it wise/legal to drive before acquiring a driving licence? If oneis learning to drive, what licence should one acquire beforedriving?

10. Has the blood group been entered? How important do you thinkis this information?

11. Would you approve of school students driving two-wheelers?

12. Driving without a licence is illegal, Driving without a................isdangerous.

I b. The following are pages from an important document.

155

REGISTRATION

INDIAN CITIZENS RESIDENT ABROAD AREADVISED TO REGISTER THEMSELVESAT THE NEAREST INDIAN MISSION I POST

CAUTION

THIS PASSPORT IS THE PROPERTY OF THEGOVERNMENT OF INDIA. ANYCOMMUNICATION RECEIVED BY HOLDERFROM THE PASSPORT. AUTHORITYREGARDING THIS PASSPORT, INCLUDINGDEMAND FOR ITS SURRENDER, SHOULDB ECOMPLIED WITH IMMEDIATELY.

PASSPORT SHOULD NOT BE SENT OUT OFANY COUNTRY BY POST. IT SHOULD BE INTHE CUSTODY EITHER OF THE HOLDER OROF A PERSON AUTHORISED BY THEHOLDER. IT MUST. NOT BE ALTERED ORMUTILATED IN ANY WAY.

LOSS, THEFT OR DESTRUCTION OFPASSPORTS SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELYREPORTED TO THE NEAREST PASSPORTAUTHORITY IN INDIA OR (IF THE HOLDERIS ABROAD) TO THE NEAREST INDIANMISSION AND TO THE LOCAL POLICE.ONLY AFTER EXHAUSTIVE ENQUIRIESSHALL A REPLACEMENT PASSPORT BEISSUED

156

Glossary:

emigration : leaving a country

Task : Answer the following questions:

1. What document is it?

2. Which country does the individual belong to? Bas the countrycode been given?

3. What is the validity period of the document?

.4. What is the emigration status of the individual?

5. What other important information about the individual does thedocument contain?

6. Whose property is the document?

7. Is it easy to obtain a replacement for this document?

8. How do you think the document could have attained its name?

9. How important do you think is the document?

10. What is the difference between this document and a visa?

11. Which neighbouring country doesn’t require this document?

12. Who are the people who are not eligible to obtain this document?

II. Often signs and gestures, why, even silence, communicatemore than words. Look at the following signboards.

Task : Answer the following questions :

I. Which of the above tells you -

1. that you have to be extremely careful when you pass that area?

157

2. that you have to adhere to a particular speed limit while driving?3. that you have to watch for the signal before taking a particular

turn?4. to drive carefully as some activity is going on ahead?5. that you have to take another route/road?6. that it is a one-way and you cannot enter it?

II. What is meant by?

1. No parking2. Follow lane discipline

III. What do the following signify?

1. School Zone2. No Horn Area

D. Writing

Look at the following news items and their headlines:

(the names, dates and places have been changed)

Jaipal won’t make fresh plea for bail: counsel

CHENNAI, OCT . 21. The Supreme Court today disposed of anapplication filed by the Pondicherry Government for vacating an interimorder restraining it from filing a charge sheet against M.C. Jaipal, socialactivist, who has been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Actsince June.

Charge sheet served on Vanajakumari

MADURAI, NOV . 9. Amid high drama, Vanajakumari alias Seethaand two others received copies of charge sheets in a special court heretoday. The trio, accused of possessing 2 kg of heroin, was produced in thecourt today, by the Narcotics wing ofthe TN police.

Glossary:

interim order : urgent temporary order, pending finaldisposal of the case

charge sheet : a formal complaint sheet detailing the crimescommitted by the accused

158

detained : kept in official custody

served : delivered a summons / writ / notice

Task : Expand the following headlines into news items :

Prosecuted for bursting crackers, late night

Cross-examination continues in ‘Diamond case’

Life term for murder accused

Protest against Supreme Court verdict


Refer to the dictionary and find if there is anydifferencebetween :

l advocate , attorney, solicitor, barrister, counsel

l judge, jury, magistrate

l law, act, ruling, ordinance, legislation, statute

l civil, criminal


Legal fiction, news items on law.

159

ENGLISH FOR HUMANITIES/ENVIRONMENT AL STUDIES

COMPETENCIES

A LISTENING: Listening to announcements

B SPEAKING: Interacting with a curator

Discussing archaeological findings, excavations, etc.

Discussing volcanic eruptions

Discussing meteorological reports/weather conditions

Discussing environmental issues

C READING: Applying literal compsrehension

Comprehending traditional/folk arts through inferential reading

Using critical reading to select conclusions which can be ~educed

from the text they have read

D WRITING: Writing an article

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related to Humanities in relevant

spoken/written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING: Readmg books /magazines /joumals

/newspaper columns on Humanities for comprehension,

vocabulary, appreciation and additional information.

160

A. Listening

Task: The teacher will read an announcement by a touristguide to a group of tourists. Listen carefully.

(The teacher reads)

As you listen, complete the following.

Leave Chennai at....................by ....................

Assemble at....................by....................

Road to be taken....................

Distance to be travelled....................

Place to be reached....................

Mode of transport to bird sanctuary....................

Birds found........................................................

During....................scientists study....................

River mouth fringed by........................................

Pulicat colonised by........................................

Will visit....................Church founded by....................

Will visit Dutch....................which dates back to AD.................

Things to be taken........................................

Dress to be worn........................................

First aid kit will be available with..............................

Place of night stay ............................................................

Reaching Chennai at ....................on ........................................

Glossary

highway : a main road connecting major townsa host of : a large number offringed : borderedgrove : an orchard; a group of treesback-pack : haversack; a bag with straps that could be carried

on the back161

tent gear: equipment needed to set up a tenttrek : a long journey on foot

B. Speaking

I. Look at the following conversation between a curator and avisitor at the museum:

Visitor : How old is this fossil?

Curator : It is 5000 years old.

Visitor : How do you arrive at its age?

Curator : Well, it’s by a method called carbon dating.

Visitor : What are these tools?

Curator : They belong to the Neanderthal period.

Visitor : What does this box contain?

Curator : It contains a mummy.

Visitor : Whose?

Curator : Mine. (Disappears into thin air)

Glossarycurator : a keeper or custodian of a museum

fossil : the remains or impression of a prehistoric plantor animal embedded in rock, etc.

carbon dating : the determination of the age of an organic objectfrom the relative proportions of isotopes carbon12 and carbon-14 that it contains

Neanderthal : an extinct human belonging to ice age Europebetween 12,000 — 35,000 years ago

mummy : (especially in ancient Egypt) a body preservedby embalming and wrapping in bandages

Task 1: Role-play the above conversation.

Task 2: You are visiting a museum. Write a conversationbetween the curator and yourself. You can use termslike, age, period, historical significance, inscription,etc.

162

II. The following is a conversation between two friendsdiscussing an archaeological expedition:

Akash : Did you watch the Discovery Channel yesterdayThere was a two-hour programme on the expeditionof Dr.Fletcher-, an expert in mummification, in searchof the long-lost mummy of the Egyptian QueenNefertiti, who ruled Egypt 3000 years ago.

Varun : No. I missed it Come on, tell me about it.

Akash : Actually a team of experts created the facialreconstruction of ‘the mummy. Dr. Buckley conductedan inspection of the embalming methods and materialsused and placed the mummy in Egypt’s late XVIIdynasty.

Varun : How did they actually decide it was Nefertiti?

Akash : Dr. Fletcher Found physical links to the late queen-swan-like neck, a double-pierced ear lobe, etc. Ananthropologist from an Egyptian museum confirmedthe finding. The experts also used digital x-rays toexamine the mummy.

Varun : Nefertiti has been shrouded in mystery for more than3000 years. May be we’ve got a breakthrough now.

Glossary

archaeological : relating to the study of human historythrough the excavation of sites and theanalysis of physical remains

expedition : a journey undertaken by a group ofpeople with a specific purpose

mummification : (in ancient Egypt) the process ofpreserving a body as a mummy

facial reconstruction: restoring the face to its original state

embalming : preserving a corpse from decaying, eitherby using spices or preservatives

anthropologist : one who studies mankind and evolution

163

digital x-rays : x-rays using signals represented as digits

shrouded : covered

breakthrough : a sudden and important development

Task 1:Practise the above conversation taking turns.Task 2:Write a conversation between two friends discussing

an excavation. You can use terms like, archaeologicalfinding, unearthing, ancient ruins, lost cities, sunkships, antiques, maps, etc.

III. The following is a conversation focussing on volcaniceruptions:

Giri : What exactly is a volcanic eruption?

Jwala : The magma or molten rock beneath the earth’s surfaceis pushed out through the vent in the volcano’s craterand flows out in the form of lava. Eruptions occur whenmagma contains a high proportion of gas.

Giri : Looks something like one losing his temper.

Jwala :Quite true. Just as the pent up anger is released withforce, the lava is forced out.

Giri : No wonder a quick-tempered person is called hot-

Glossary

eruption : forceful pushing out

vent : opening

crater : a bowl -shaped cavity

pent up : held back

Task 1: Practise the above conversation taking roles.

Task 2: Complete the following conversation with the words/phrases given in brackets. Practise the conversation.

164

(cinders, erupts, oozes, fissure, lava, ash, hot gases, lumps, crater,dormant)

A : There are different states of volcanic activity, active and ...

B : What happens when the volcano is active?

A : It..............and..............of red-hot..............are thrown out withgreat force, which rise high into the atmosphere and fall tothe ground as.................or....................

B : Is it only the lava which comes out?

A : It is accompanied by steam and............................

B : How does the lava come out?

A : Through a..............in the..............It..............and flowsdown the slope.

IV. The following is a conversation an meteorological report/weather condition:

Indra : Going by the day’s weather forecast the showersare likely to continue for another couple of days.

Maya : But the fortune teller predicted that I might be lefthigh and dry,

(At the bus stop)

Stranger 1 : Today’s weather report says, ‘a clear sky’

Stranger 2 : I must dash home and get an umbrella. I’m alreadylate for work.

Stranger 1 : Where do you work?

Stranger 2 : At the weather station.

Stranger 1 : ?!

(Heard on a clothesline)

Shirt : It’s a windy day. Hope I don’t get blown off.

Blanket : Yesterday, the sweltering heat was unbearable,Today it is a welcome breeze.

165

Glossary

weather forecast/ : prediction or estimate of the weathermeteorological report conditions

high and dry : left stranded without any resources

weather station : an observation post where weatherconditions and meteorological data areobserved and recorded

windy : with strong winds blowing

sweltering : uncomfortably hot

Task I : Practise the above conversations.

Task 2: Discuss the week’s weather conditions with yourfriend.

V. The following is a conversation centring on environmentalissues.

Rose : I read an article, that all least 21 beaches in the islandsof the Great Nicobar

t in the southernmost part of India,

have vanished.

Lily : What’s the reason?

Rose : Sand mining. His is an unregulated industry in India.If one has a permit to lift a truck load of sand from aparticular plot, five or even ten truck loads are lifted.

Lily : How does this lead to the disappearance of thebeaches?

Rose : Sand dunes arc the earth’s stock of sand and theyprevent the erosion of the coast.

Lily : What happens if the beaches vanish?

Rose : The villages on the exist lose their line of defence againstthe force of the sea. They break down tidal winds andsafeguard crops and property that lie behind it.

166

Moreover, these are turtle-nesting beaches. Wherewill the turtles go to nest, if the beaches disappear?They too are vanishing. In a move to prevent this, theturtle conservation team comprising the ForestDepartment Staff and Andaman and NicobarEnvironment team guard the turtles when they arenesting.

Lily : Something must be done then. Maybe reducing sandand cement based construction. Alternatives like timber,cane and bamboo could be used. We must do somethingto conserve the beaches which are crucial to an islandecosystem.

Glossary

sand mining : excavating/extracting sand from the earth

sand dunes : a mound or ridge of sand formed by the wind,

especially in a sea coast or in a desert

turtle-nesting : beaches where turtles breed (lay their eggs)beaches and shelter

conservation : preservation or restoration of the natural

environment and wildlife

ecosystem : a biological community of interacting organismsand their physical environment

Task 1 : Practise the above conversation, taking roles.

Task 2 : Write a conversation on the environmental hazardsof plastics and practise it. (You can use terms liketoxic fumes, recycling, disposable, throwaway,biodegradable, etc.)

167

C. Reading

I. Look at the following floor plan of a museum:

SITE PLANGOVERNMENT MUSEUM

CHENNAI - 600 008.

GALLERIES OF THE MUSEUM

1. MAIN BUILDINGA. Archaeology B. Zoology

i. South Indian Sculptures Gallery i. Reptile Galleryii. Bird Gallery

ii. North Indian Sculptures Gallery iii. Mammal Galleryiv. Coral Gallery

iii. Indus Valley Civilisation Gallery v. Invertebrate Galleryvi. Fish Gallery

C. Botany D. GeologyE. NumismaticsPhilately Gallery

168

2. FRONT BUILDING 3. BRONZE GALLER Y

A. Anthropology i Archaeology

i. Arms Gallery ii. Numismatics

ii. Pre-History Gallery iii. Chemical conservation

iii. Musical Instruments Gallery 4. CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

iv. Folk Art Gallery i. Dolls galleryv. Puppets Gallery ii. Science gallery

B. Archaeology 5. NATIONAL AR T GALLER Y

i. Industrial Art Gallery i. Tanjore paintingsii. Wood Carvings Gallery ii. Indian traditional arts

6. CONTEMPORARY ART GALLER Y

i. British Portraits Gallery (First Floor)ii. Modem Art Gallery (First Floor)iii. The Rock and Cave Art Gallery (Second Floor)


(i) Where will you go?

1. if you wanted to have a look at Indian traditional arts2. if you were interested in archaeology3. if you wanted to learn about the animal kingdom4. if you were interested in coins and stamps5. if you were interested in music and folk arts6. if you wanted to take a look at Modem Art7. if you wanted to know about arms and ammunition

(ii) Where are the following?

1. The pre-historic section2. Rock and Cave Art Gallery3. Dolls Gallery4. Tanjore Paintings

II. Task: Read the following notices and answer the questionsgiven below:

169

1. What is common between both the notices?

2. Pick out any new/unfamiliar words that you come across inthe notices and try to guess the meaning from the con text.

3. Which of the above is a long-term training?

4. Which of the above is material-based?

To revive the dying art form of puppetry, a workshop is to be heldbetween March 12th and 14th at Dolly’s, 6, 8th cross, R.S. Puram,Coimbatore. Training will be imparted in the art of making puppets,designing a puppet play -both shadow and stick puppetry, voicemodulation, manipulating puppets and presentation. Participants willlearn to make finger, stick, rod, glove and paper bag puppets. MsBommi, a researcher in Fine Arts, will conduct the workshop. Theregistration fee is Rs. 400/- which includes materials, lunch and tea.For details contact: 2342456

In order to revive the dying traditional art forms, thy Madras CraftsFoundation has decided to transform part of the coast into a culturalmuseum. ‘Iyalisai’, on East Coast Road, trains children in the folkarts. Raghuram, a performing artiste feels that training in these artsprovides an opportunity to explore our culture. Training is impartedon week-ends. Fees for the training is Rs. 200/- per month. Contact::24949392 for further details.

III. Read the following passage:

When the first Aryan invaders appeared in India it was a vastland of forests, and the new-comers rapidly look advantage of them.These forests afforded them shelter from the fierce heat of the sun andthe ravages of tropical storms, pastures for cattle, fuel for sacrificialfire, and materials for building cottages. And the different Aryan clanswith their patriarchal heads settled in the different forest tracts whichhad some special advantage of natural protection, and food and waterin plenty.

170

Thus in India it was in the forests that our civilisation had itsbirth. In later days there came a time when these primeval forests gaveway to cultivated fields, and wealthy cities sprang on all sides. Mightykingdoms were established, which had communications with all the greatpowers of the world. But even in the heyday of its material prosperitythe heart of India ever looked back with adoration upon the early idealof self-realisation, and the dignity of the simple life of the foresthermitage, and drew its best inspiration from the wisdom stored there.

Glossary

Aryan : relating to a group of people speaking an IndoEuropean language who invaded northernIndia in the 2nd Millennium BC

ravages : damages; destruction

clan : a group of close-knit and interrelatede familes

patriarchal head: the male head of a family or tribe

civilisation : a system of human social development

primeval : of the earliest time in history

heyday : the period of greatest success, activity, etc.

hermitage : place of solitude and discipline; place wherea sage lives


1. Why did the Aryan invaders take advantage of the forests?2. Do you agree that, In India it was in the forests that our civilisation

had its birth’?

3. Do you think that it is necessary, even amidst material prosperity,to look back on one’s early ideals?

4. Our civilisation has grown from primeval forests to wealthy cities- at what cost?

D. Writing

The following is an article for a newspaper focussing on humanvalues:

171

In these days of fast disappearing values and ethics, it is a ray ofhope to see the selflessness of ‘Genrations X’.

The leopard pounced on Arjun. His friend Ramsadharan, onlytwelve years old, started throwing stones at the leopard and raised analarm. He did not slop even when the animal turned on him.

Nine-year-nid Riyaz Ahmed lost both his hands and a foot whiletrying to save a child from a train accident.

Another nine-year-old, Ramseena, saved a three-year-old frombeing crushed by a speeding car but lost her leg in the process.

Six-year-old Chuneshwari ran into a burning house to rescueher brother.

These are instancesof selfless courage. In today’s materialisticworld, there is a near vacuum of values. Honesty, selflessness, concernfor fellow human beings are waning. We need to realise that withoutthese values we would lose our humaneness and be no different frombeasts,

Glossary

ethics : the moral principles influencing one’s conduct

Generation X : the next generation

materialistic : considering material possessions as moreimportant than principles and values

waning : disappearing

humaneness : being civilised and possessing compassion andbenevolence

Task: Write an article on, “Sharing builts Human bonds “for the teen section of the newspaper. You can in-clude personal anecdotes, quote from articles thatyou have read, voice your views, etc.

172

173


Refer to the dictionary to find the meanings of the following

words:

oil slick, endangered species, flora, fauna, mores, sociology,

philosophy


Supplementary sections of newspapers, National Geographic, ‘Les

Miserables’, by Victor Hugo, ‘Around the world in eighty days’ by Jules

Verne.

174

ENGLISH FOR MASS MEDIA ANDJOURNALISM

COMPETENCIES

A LISTENING: Listening to news items

B SPEAKING: Interviewing a personality for a newspaper

Presenting live sports commentary

Talking to the editor of a newspaper /magazine

Compering a radio/ TV programme/ live event

C READING: Reading for meaning, registers, etc. (Newspaper

clippings)

Skimming - Classifieds/Advertisements

D WRITING: Writing captions for photographs in newspapers

E VOCABULAR Y: Using words related to Mass media &

Journalism in spoken/written contexts

F EXTENSIVE READING: Reading books /journals /

magazines /newspapers /supplementary on Mass media &

Journalism for comprehension, vocabulary, appreciation and

additional information’

175

A. Listening

Listen to news headlines. Your teacher will read them.

(The teacher reads)

Did you notice that the language used is different? Judicious useof Voice is used. The sentence pattern is different. This kind of writingis unique to journalism and is referred to as journalese. The newspaperssensationalise news features with clever use of language.

Glossary:

campaign : a series of activities such as public speaking toachieve a social, political or commercial goal

launch : to start off

mishap : unfortunate accident

plant : land, buildings, equipment for industry, business

cos : short form for companies

Task : Listen to the news headlines in the radio/TV. Makenote of the headlines. Rewrite them in normal.sentence patterns. Identify the changes - make noteof them and check with your teacher.

B. Speaking

I. This is an interview of a celebrity Mr.Natraj. He is a mediaperson and he shares his dreams, achievments and aspirationswith a newspaper correspondent Manisha:

“W e are fighters and we will fight our way through in print.”

You’ll know what the phrase “iron grip” means when you meet-provided, you can wriggle your way into his packed schedule - Natraj,chairman and managing director, of a Network of television and radiochannels. He is ruzor sharp, knows his market like the back of hispalms and quite matteer-of-fact about his success. Manisha finally metup with the 43-year old media professional for his views on variety of

176

issues. During the course of the interview, “I am finalising the plans toenter print in the second half of this year. I am looking at the Englishmarket,” Natraj announced without fuss. Here are some excerpts fromthe interview:

Q. When do you hope to enter print?

A. I wil1 enter print by the year-end. The first half of this year will bespent on streamlining radio and in the second half I am going towork on entering print.

Q. What are the regions you are looking at and how do you assessyour opportunity and threat in print?

A. My analysis is fairly simple. I see a huge room for growth inEnglish - though I am not talking at a national level but in thesouth. There is place for another strong contender in the southfor English, I already have my reporters and stringers all over theplace.

Q. How will you motivate the same set of people to contribute forboth?

A. I get 400 news stories a day; I use ouly a few for TV, the rest arenever used. Print can take care of this surplus, as news on TVonly captures headlines of each psge, so to say.

Q. But print is a different bal1 game altogether . . .A. I am clear about my profession and how hard I need! to work to

cam people’s trust. We have fought different television players indifferent TV markets and we will fight our way through in print.

Q. Going back to the beginning... did it seem like a fun idea to starta television network?

A. It was not a fun idea al all! The idea was never conceived of inan irresponsible manner. I was serious about it from day one. Itdid not even occur to us that this could be a fly-by-night operation,where if it does not work, we can pack our bags and move on.

Q. How did you yo about your aasessment of the market then?A. Our spread inched up slowly and it has been a tough fight. Earlier

it was to build market and bear that cost; today it is about retaining

177

position. But I like competition; it does not make us complacentand keeps us on our toes.

Q. Are you hands-on with the day-to-day affairs of your channels?Or do you delegate work and encourage decision taking amongyour people?

A. There’s a difference between doing day-to-day affairs of thechannel and keeping a good grip over your business. I have agood grip on my business, I am extremely hands-on, and I knowexactly what is happening to each of my channels. If 1 do nothave a grip, then I cannot run this business.

Q. How do you assess the performance of a programme?A. Two months is what we give any programme. If it does not do

well then it’s off air.Q. One parting message for our readers...A. I would like to quote Shiv Khera: “Winners don’t do different

things, they do things diflerently.”

Note: Focus on the underlined words/phrases in the conversation.

Task 1: Practise the above conversations, taking turns.

Task 2: Form pairs. Discuss with your partner about his/herfavourite Channel programme. Ask your friend togive reasons far his/her choice.

II. T wo friends are imagining themselves to be commentators.Listen to their attempt at a cricket commentary;

Commentator 1: One of sport’s oldest competitions ‘Cricket’begins its latest round in just a few hours. Thismorning in Chidambaram stadium, India andAustralia will play in the first test of the 2003 testseries. Australia have dominated India in recenttimes, winning the past six series. But, India havehad a great run in recent times, winning difficultseries in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But some say

178

they lookoutclassed against an Australian teamfielding arguably their best bowling attack ever.So, do we care? Well of course we do. It’s ‘ThePrudential series’.

Commentator 2: There’s something familiar about the Chennaipitch. Generations of cricket lovers have listenedto the broadcast from this pavilion stand.

Commentator 1: And we’ll be talking to you all during the day,the news is it’s sunny at Chidambaram stadium,India are being put into bat by Australia. Chennaiis a sporting crowd and that’s why every game isa sell-out a long while before the games areactually staged.

Commentator 2: India are without one of their best batsman,Saurav Ganguly and playing an Australian sidewith three of the world’s best fast bowlers andsome batsmen in punishing form. They’re a terrificteam. They played some outstanding cricketwhere India rather lost their way.

Commentator 1: It’ s a short ball. Tendulkar moves back and pullsscarcely past square leg. Up and running, though,from deep fine leg Waugh has no chance as theball goes under the ropes for another four. That’sfour more to Tendulkar taking his score to 17, atypical Master Blaster shot giving the fieldsmanno chance of saving a boundary.

Commentator 2: Australian captain Steve Waugh is leaving nothingto chance. Even before the first ball is bowled,Waugh has begun a campaign in the battle againstIndia. He’s a terrific captain. The Aussies are ona mission to win absolutely everything.

Commentator 1: Oh, that was a full toss neatly swept for anotherfour runs. The crowd is getting steadily excited.

179

Umpire David Sheppard seems to make a strongsweep signalling four runs. With that India’s scoregoes up to 32.

Task: Write a running commentary for a sports event atyour school. Practise it.

III. This is an interview of a newspaper/magazine editor. Mr.Subramanian and Gopalan the anchor-person for a Chat showin a television Channel.

Gopalan : Tonight, we talk of the future of newspapers. Do they,in fact, have one? Well, some years ago, when theInternet was beginning to boom, the pundits said itwas the end for newspapers around the globe. Butwhile it’s true that the computer is playing an increasingrole in most of our lives, your traditional papers anddailies are far from finished. In fact, it’s the cyberinformation networks that appear to be in trouble,with several e-zines and Internet news networksfolding in the last year or 50. So, what have thenewspaper empires- in this country, at least - beendoing to defend themselves? We go right back to thebasics to find out. Joining me on the couch to talkmore about the future of newspapers and the mediagenerally - is an old friend and colleague,Subramanian. He has been around the print businesssince the ’60s. Back then, as editor of the naughtybut nice ‘Vaasagan’ Magazine. Laier, he was theeditorof a big group of papers and the director of a groupof magazines. Good to see you on the studios withus.

Subramanian: Good to see you too. I am happy to be here on theshow.

180

Gopalan : Do you think there is a future for newspapers?Because the talk, globally, is that their days arenumbered.

Subramanian: Their days are numbered but, I mean, it’s still going tobe a very profitable business for the next decadeand...

Gopalan : A decade? That’s your own dream, isn’t it?

Subramanian: It’ s going to take longer than that. Microsoft saysthat the last issue of the ‘New York Times’ is goingto come out in 2018.

Gopalan : Let’s throw ourselves forward then. If he’s right, ifMicrosoft and Bill are right, and it is 2018, whathappens after that?

Subramanian: What we’re seeing is a breakdown of the old divisionbetween books and magazines and newspapers,which were alloriginally allied allied to a certain kindof manufacturing- there were presses that producedbooks and a different kind of press produced amagazine and a different kind of press produced anewspaper. Today, it’s more. ...um, flexible. In fact,this has been going on for 20 years. The readershipof newspapers wi11 come down, partly because ofthe technology of being able to read online andbecause of the speed of broadcast and so on.

Gopalan : It’s true if you can get the newspapers online, you getit faster than waiting for them to deliver.

Subramanian: I mean, the enemy today of newspapers is not justonline, it’s radio. When I wake up in Chennai everymorning, I’m listening to the fm radio news and... whenI open the paper a lot of news appears old. Butnewspapers have been changing and evolving in thelast two decades away from narrating, away fromtelling you what happened, to more and more

181

predicting what will happen. Well, the people aregetting a mixture of broadcast and a bit of online,and, of course, when there are stupendous eventslike a war, online also comes into its own.

Gopalan : You haven’t mentioned television. Where do we fitinto all of this? Are we a threat in any way?

Subramanian: No, I think that... I think that television will become,to some extent, less relevant in terms of current affairsand news. Of course, the current events of lraq havebeen terrific for the news programs and so on. Butwhen you look ai commercial TV,..er, there’s been adropping off current affairs...Um, and give or take anews channel or two, I’m not sure that, that trendcan be revived. I mean, television is primarily anentertainment medium, rather than an informationmedium.

Gopalan : And an impact medium! Surely it will always be thegreat impact medium because you can see things. Thereason people have been watching more television,or did watch more television during the period of theGulf War, is because there are pictures.

Subramanian: Sure, but that’s kind of like a dormant usage. It’s likea fire engine. What do you do with it between fires?And people are using television primarily as a mediumfor sport and, er...

Gopalan : For entertainment. We could talk for a long while,probably but time is running out. What would be yourone liner about the fate of newspapers?

Subramanian: I would say we are here lo STAY!Gopalan : The new newspaper- back to the future, us it were.

Well, love them or leave them, you cannot ignore them.Subbu is right - they’ll be around for quite a whileyet!

182

Task 1: Practise this conversation taking turns.

Task 2: Get into pairs and discuss your personal opinion ofthe position of newspapers in the changing worldand how free the Indian press is.

IV. Mardi Gras 2000 begins

IIT Chennai - Saturday, 12 February , 2000

Comperes: Radha Ramani & Shiv Narain

Radha : Good evening. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to IITChennai Mardi Gras 2000! Well, there is music, a hushedcrowd and the lighting of ceremonial flame, but it hasnothing to do with the Olympics. Tonight Chennai’s guysand girls have gathered for yet another Mardi Gras for theyear 2000. It is being launched with a distinct Olympicflavour. The one week festival will culminate on 19thFebruary with the famous parade through the streets ofIIT campus. In front of a hushed crowd on the steps of theIIT gallery, the flams is it with the reverence of -well -Mardi gras.

Ladies and gentlemen, Shiv Narain and I arc representingour students as comperes in this cultural event. And if youwant to announce anything, any time, you just come onright up and let us know,

Shiv : That’s an offer. What are you going to do for the culturalfest? Are you looking forward to those?

Radha: Yeah. We are wrapping up with Pundit Hari PrasadChaurasia’s flute concert. Hey, I’m going to compete inthe ‘Dumb charade’ sessions!

Shiv: And thai would be your best contribution to silence. It’s anew event. Those who wish to take part can register incounter C with Camel alias Kamlesh!

183

Radha: The Mardi gras festival is estimated to pour more thanRs. 20,000/- into the treasury of the campus. So much forthe aside, Ladies and Gentlemen put your hands togetherto declare the fest open.

Shiv: While it is important for us over the next few days to havefun, relax and simply enjoy ourselves, it is important for usto appreciate that what happens here has an effectelsewhere in our lives.

Radha: Mardi gras is much more than fast food, din music andevent trotting. It has a focus on fun, and all your dreamsand expectations are sure to feature during the coming days.Get going folks!

Shiv: Go forth and have an unbelievably gorgeous Mardi gras.There is nothing nicer than being a sportive, aggressiveparticipant in February- the month of Mardi gras.

Note: The name of Ihe IIT cultural festival is Mardi gras.

Did you notice the language used? It is colloquial. Slang and brokensentences are permitted in a cullege/school campus for a livecommentary of a youth festival.

Task 1: Describe the rules of each event of a cultural fete ofyour school.

Task 2: Divide yourselves into a few groups. Let each groupperform an event. One group member can be thecompere who describes the group’s events.

Glossary:razor sharp : cleverpacked : fit into limited timefuss : worryexcerpt : part / passage taken from a bookstreamlining: making more efficient by simplifying

184

threat : indication of harm, danger, paincontender : rivalstringer : a part-time journalistcorrespondent : a person employed by a newspaper to send

reportssurplus : amount in excessinched :moved very slowly in small stepsoutclassed :surpassed in qualitybroadcast : to transmit or radio/televisionsporting : fair.justsellout : all tickets soldstaged : performed a showpunishing form : in perfect formscarcely : hardlyfine leg : a fielding position (oblique to and behind

the wicket)ropes : boundary lineboundary : marked limit of a playing areamission : specific task / duly assigned to a person /

groupfull toss : a ball that reaches the batsman without

bouncingsweep : to play a ball (butting technique)boom : prosper vigorouslypundit : an expertcyber : indicatingcomputerse-zine : electronic (online) magazinedecade : ten yearsallied : relatedflexible : adaptableonline : internet while it is operating/ functioningfm radio : frequency modulation radioevolving : changingrelevant : applicablecommerciall : profitable / marketablemedium : means ofcommunicationthat reach large

numbers of people such as television.newspapers and radio

185

impact : forcedormant : undevelopedhushed : quietceremonial : traditional/ritualflavour : essence /zestculminate : end/closeparade : procession/displayreverence : respect/admiration

C. Reading :

I.

THE HINDUTuesday, January 20, 2004

Breaking News and UpdatesNewsFront PageNationalStates : Tamil Nadu Andhar Pradesh KarnatakaKerala New Delhi Other States

International Features : LifeMagazine Literary Review Metro PlusBusiness Education Plus Open PageBook Review SciTech EntertainmentYoung World Quest FolioStocks Quotes SE DiaryAdvts Classifieds EmploymentObituary Archives Yes terday ‘s Issue

Advani, H urriyat for avoidinu rnedia hype on.talksNEW DELHI, JAN. 2O (PT1): As the countdown for the first everCentre-Hurriyat meeting begins, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani,and the Hurriyat Conference today decided to remain silent on theevent on January 22 even as the separatist amalgam said ...

186

More Stories

Krishnamurthy is next CEC

NEW DELHI, JAN, 19.T.S. Krishnamurthy, the senior-most amongthe Election Commissioners, will succeed J.M. Lyngdoh as the nextChief Election Commissioner. Mr. Lyngdoh retires on February 6. Thedecision puts an end to a raging controversy over...

They saved minors from the ‘jaws of marriage’

NEW DELHI, JAN. 19. They conld easily pass off as a group ofinnocent school girls oblivious of their surroundings, but their act ofbravery has brought them national aclaim. Standing up to a social evillike child marriage, these five girls...

North-East People’s Forum to support NDA

NOW DELHI, JAN. 19 The North East People’s Forum (NEPF), aconglomerate of political parties from the region, today decided toconvert itself into a political platform and support the NationalDemocratic Alliance (NDA). It also indicated a...

Supreme Court stays execulion of Parliament attack case accusedNEW DELlHI JAN. 19. The Supreme Court today stayed the executionof Shaukal Hussain Guru, an accused in the “December 13 Parliamentattack case. “He has been sentenced to death by the Delhi High Court.A Bench, to consisting of Justice S.N...

T.N. seeks Cauvery water

NEW DHLHl, JAN. 19. Tamil Nadu today sought the immediate releaseof seven tmc ft of water by Karnntaka to save the standing crops in theCauvery basin, at a meeting of the Cauvery Monitoring Committeehere. The request was made by the Tamil...

Sensex up by 118 points

MUMBAI, JAN. 19. After a sharp correction, stocks bounced backwith a vengeance, lifting the sensex by 118 points at close in hecticactivity on Bombay Stock Exchange today on revival buying supportfrom institutional investors. Riding...

* Courtesy ‘THE HINDU” online edition January 20,2004

187

Task 1: Read through the sample to check out the variousfeatures of the paper.

Task 2: Create a complete model news paper based on an oldissue of THE HINDU in a scrap book.

Task 3: An you read the day’s newspaper, answer thefollowing questions :

1. In which page wiII you find the column ‘Around Ihe city”? Whatdoes it deal with?

2. What does the column ‘Reporter’s Diary’ generally feature?3. The wealther forecast covers which neighbouring states?4. Can you as a reader voice your opinion in the paper? Where all

can your opinion appear?5. The editorial will generally reflect the policy of the paper. Do you

agree with this statement?6. Each day ofthe week has a supplement accompanying the main

paper. Name a few.7. What does the ‘Obituary’ column tell you?8. A ‘by line’ is the credit given to the reporter or author of the

news item. Do you agree?9. Would you agree that a dateline will carry both the place of action

and the date?10. If you need lo know about the city engagement, where would

you look for it?

II. Read through the following classifieds and answer thequestions that follow:

Farmhouse/Land/ Resorts

Seaside Approved Housing Plats, 1 -4 grounds on East Coast Road,60Kms. from Chennai Adyar, Near Mahabalipuram. Well laidroads, secure, abutting backwaters. Rs.75, 000/- per ground.Attractive installment schemes. Contact: Kannan, Mobile: 56102264/ 91-044- 24911819/ 24914161/E-mail: [email protected]

188

Position : Area Sales ManagerLocation : ChennaiQualification: Highly anibitious having a few years exp. as

first line Manager or even Medical rep. in areputed company

Remarks : Send your CV along with a write up, “Why Iconsider myself suitable for the above post?”at the address below.

Address : Ozazone Pharmaceuticals Limited OzoneHouse, 1, LSC Block A-3 Janakpuri NewDelhi 110058

Position : Consultants/ People soft

Locction : USA

Qunlification : Engg. Graduate

Address : Scientific Information Technology Inc 341

Cobalt way, #208 Sunnyvale CA 94086

Email : srikanth@sciinfotech,com.

[email protected]

Reference : The Hindu Print Edition dt., Jan 14,2004

MBBS, 13-1-73, Aswini seeks M.D./ Professional grooms, B.D.S.,23-2-70, Uttara seeks Professional Graduate bride. Dowry notgiven/taken. Box NO. HY 26, THE HINDU, Hyderabad-500016.Phone: 040-32307259.

1. Whom would you contact if you were to buy a farm land?2. What additional attraction does the land provide for a resort?3. What common feature is looted for in both the bride and groom?

Who is elder according to the advertisement?4. If you are looking for an MNC company which job would you

choose?5. What qualification has been specified for the area sales manager?6. Which advertisements have an e-mail id?

189

Glossary:instalment : repayment in partsedition : publicationcv : curriculum vitaeconsultant : advisorBox No. : a central agency to which mail is addressed

and then re-distributedobituary : a published announcement of deathupdate : to bring up-to-date / currentsecure : free from dangerreputed : supposed / alleged

D. Writing

A picture is worth a thousand words

(only if it’ s got a really good cut line, too!)Photo captions and cut lines are the most read in a publication.

Of all the nes content, only the titles of stories or headlines have higherreadership than captions. It follows that standards of accuracy, clarity,completeness and good writing and as high, if not higher, for captions andcut lines than for other body type. As with headlines, captions andcut lines must be crisp. As with stories, they must be readable andinformative.

Captions : Captions are the little “headlines” over the “cut lines “ (thewords describing the photograph). See example.

Cut lines (in newspapers and some magazines) are the words (underthe caption, if there is one) describing the photograph or illustration.See example.

The first photograph’s caption is Bundle of joy’.The cut line is:“A tribal mother carrying her baby to the work place”.

Required information

The specific information required can vary from one photo tothe next. But for most pictures a reader wants to know such things as:

190

• Who is that? (And, in most cases, identify people from leftto right unless the action in the photograph demandsotherwise.)

• Why is this picture in the paper?

• What’s going on?

• When and where was this?

• Why does he /she/it/they look that way?

• How did this occur?

Simply stated, cut lines should explain the picture so that readersare satisfied with their understanding of the picture. They need not -and should not - tell what the picture has made obvious. It should supplyvital information that the picture cannot. For example, a picture canshow a stork, but it likely does not show that the stork was saved. Thecut line should give that information.

Tips and terms:

Be concise; be precise; don’t be trite; Cut lines should be as conciseas possible, but they should not sound like telegrams. Unlike headlines(and caption lines), they should contain all articles itjid conjunctions,just as do sentences in news stories. News picture cut lines should hestraightforward and clear.

Trite wrinting should be avoided: Do not point out [he obvious byusing sut;h phrases us looks on, is shown and pictured above,

Don’t editorialise; Never make assumptions iihoLit what someone ina picture is thinking or \vy to Interpret Lie person’s feelings from his orher expression. The reader should be given the facts and allowed todecide for hersel for himself whul Uic fedftogs or emotions Lire,

Avoid the known; explain the unknown: Avoidcharaeterisuiy apicture as beatiti 111, di-amalic, ynsly or with other such descriptive termsthat should be evident in the photograph. IT it’s not evident in thephotograph, your telling the reader won’t make it happen.

191

Reflect the image: Make sure that the words accurately reflect thepicture. If a picture shows two or more people, you should count thenumber of identifiable people in the photo and check the number andsex of the people identified in the cut line to make certain that theymatch.

Always, always, always check spelling: Check the spelling of namesin the story.

“Wild art”: Photographs that do not accompany stories often aretermed “wild art.” The cut lines for wild art should provide the samebasic information that a story does, Such things as the “fives W’s”(who,what, when, where and why) are good to remember when writing suchcut lines.

Time elements. Most newspapers use a out line writing style that callsfor the first sentence to be written in the present tense and for subsequentsentences to be in the past tense. The rationale is that the first sentencetells the reader what is happening in the photo. Subsequent sentencestell the context and background for what happened.

BUNDLE OF JOY A LITTLE DROP OF W ATER....

192

Task 1: Look at the photographs carefully:

Create your own cut tines using the guidelines givenabove and your imagination. For those photographswithout a caption create your own captions.

Task 2: Collect us many photographs as possible from thenewspaper and rewrite the. captions and cut linesusing the guidelines:

193

Glossary:trite : common place

editorialise : giving opinion

crisp : snappy

innovative : original/novel

triggers : shoots/ stimulates

unscrupulous: dishonest


Refer to the dictionary to find the meanings of the following

words:

libel, censorship, media tycoon, paparazzi, gutter press,

tabloids, ‘infotainment’

F. Extensive Redding:

News papers and Magazines- ‘Time’, The Week’, ‘News n’Stuff ‘, ‘India Today’, ‘Outook’, ‘The Hindu’, Indian express’

194

access : /{kses/

acquittal : /@‘kwItl/

adjourned : /@‘d3@:nd

affidavit : /{fI‘deIvIt/

aggravate : /‘{gr@veIt/

agriculture : /‘{grIkVltS@/

agro chemical : /‘{gr@UkemIkl

alibi : /‘{lIbaI/

anaethetic : /{nIs‘TetIk/

anaesthetist : /{‘nI:s‘TetIk/

anthropologist : /{nTre 'pQl@dZIst/

archaeological : /A:kI@'lQdZIkl/

Aryan : /'e@rI@n/

authentic : /OOOOO:'TentIk/

authentication : /OOOOO:TentIkeISn/

beverage : /'bev@rIdZ/

blurred : /bl@:d/

bonsai : /'bQnsaI/

bout : /baUt/

bruised : /bru:zd/

burglar : /'b@:gl@/

business magnate : /'bIznIs 'm{gneIt/

carbohydrate : /'kA:b@U'haIt/

cardiac : /'kA:dI{k/

cereal : /'sI@rI@l/

cholesterol : /k@'est@rQl/

chronic : /'rQnIk/

composition : /kQmp@'zISn/

195

compost : /'kQmpQst/computers : / k@m'pju:t@z /congestion : /k'nrdZeStSn/conservation : /kQns@'veISn/constipation : /kQnstI'peISn/contaimination : /k@ntæmI'neISn /convalescing : /kQnv@'lesIN/curator : /kjU@'reIt@/data : / deIte /decade : / 'dekeId /defamation : /def@'meISn/dermatologist : /d@:m@'tQl@dZIst/diabetes : / daI@'bi:ti:z /distended : / dI'stendId/drought : / 'draUt /ecosystem : /'I:k@UsIst@m/editorialise : /edI'tOOOOO:rI@laIs /embalming : /Im'b??:miç/emigration : /emI'greISn/engineering : /endZI'nI@rIN /ethics : /'eTIks/exposure : / Ik'sp@UZ@ /filling : /fIlIN/formulae : / fOOOOO:mjUli: /fossil : /'fQsl/fragile : / 'frædZaIl /fragrant : / freIgr@nt /fraudulent : /'frOOOOO:djUl@nt/gastro-entrologist : /gæstr@U ent@'rAl@dZIst/genetic : dZI'netIk /

196

geriatrician : /dZeri@’trI z n/

giddy : /’gIdI/gnats : /’næts/grove : /gr@Uv/gullible : /’gVl@l/gynaecologist : /gaIn@’kal@dZIst/havoc : /’hæz@k/hazards : /’hæz@dz/hazy : /’heIzI/

hoticulture : /’hc:tIkVlt z @/hybrid : /’haIbrId/icon : /aIkan/infringement : /In’frIndZm@t/

injuction : /In’dZVhk z n/

insomnia : /In’sa,mnI@/lethargic : /l@’ qa:dZIk/ligament : /lg@m@nt/

malnutrition : /’mælnju:trI z n/

mandamus : /mæn’deIm@s/manual : /’mænjU@l/mass media : /’mæs’mi:dI@/materialistic : /m@ti@ri@’l IstIk/mentholated : /’mentq @leItId/menu : /menju:/meteorological : /mi:t@r@’ladZIkl/mishap : /’mIshæp/

mummification : /mVmIfI’keI z n/

nausea : /’nc:sj@/Neanderthal : /nI’æd@ta:l/

197

nephrologist : /nIfral@dZIst/neurologist : /njU@lQl@dZIst/

nutrition : /nju:’trISn/obesity : /@U’bi:s@tI/

obituary : /@’bIt z U@rI/obstetrician : /abst@’tr I z nophtalmologist : /afqæl’mal@dZIst/organic : /c:’gænIk/orthopaedics : /c:q@u’pi:dIks/paediatrics : /pi:dI’ætrIks/pathogens : /’pæq @UdZ@/patriarchal : /peItrI’a:kl/peat moss : /’pit’mas/penalty : /’penltI/periodic : /pI@rIadIk/peripheral : /pe’rIf@r@l/phlegm : /flem/pimple : /’pImpl/pizza : /pi:ts@/pneumonia : /ju:’m@Unj@/pollution : /p@’l: z n/post-natal : /peUst’eItl/prima facie : /praIm@’feIc z i:/primeval : /praI’mi:vl/protein : /’pr@Uti:n/ravages : /rævIdZIz/recuperating : /rI’ku”p@reItIh /replenish : /rI’pl@nI z /sallow : /’sæl@U/scalding : /skc:ldIh /

198

scraped : /skreIpt/scroll : /skr@Ul/

shrouded : / z raUdId/

species : /’spi:z i:z/

splatter : /’splæt@/spurious : /’spjU@ri@s/status quo : /steit@s ‘kw@U/stringer : /strIh @/succulent : /’sVkjUl@nt/sucrose : /’su:kr@Us/susceptible : /s@’sept@bl/sweltering : /’swelt@ri h /taurine : /’to:ri:n/trauma : /’tro:m@

turtle-nesting : /’t@:tl nestIh /unscrupulous : /Vn’skru:pjUl@s/voila : /vwæl’a:/waning : /weInih /whoop : /hu:p/

199

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES -WITHIN THE CLASS ROOM

The module is designed to provide on ‘in depth’ experience forstudents to improve their functional skills in Listening, Speaking, Reading,Writing and Comprehending, in their personal, professional andacademic life. Education isn’t how much you had committed to memory,or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between‘What you do know’ and ‘What you don’t’.

COMPETENCIES

A LISTENING: Listening to the teacher and taking notes

B SPEAKING: Clarifying doubts with the teacher

Interacting with the teacher, classmates, school librarian, etc.

C READING: Reading aloud

Comprehending what is read

D WRITING: Writing & project proposal

Writing a project report

200

A. ListeningTIPS FOR NOTE TAKING

Eight Do’s and Don’ts for improving lecture comprehensionand note-taking

• DON Ttry to note every word. • DO note key words.• DON Twriic everything down. • DO use abbreviations &

symbols• DON’T note indiscriminately. • DO evaluate as you listen.

Decide what is importantand relevant, and what isirrelevant.

• DON’T take notes as if you • DO use the space on yourwere writing a composition. paper to organise information

and visually represent the• DON’T be a passive listener. • DO be an active listener.

Predict lesson content andorganisation.

• DON ‘T give up if you • DO make guesses if you miss miss information. information. Remember that

teachers usually repeat andparaphrase information.

• DON’ T lose sight of the forest• DO listen for the teacher’sfor the trees. (Don’t listen for main points and for the

details before getting the general organisational framelarger picture.) work.

• DON’T forget to carry your • DO rewrite and/or add tonotes when you leave the your notes as soon as possibleclass room. after listening to the lesson.

(When you rewrite your notes, ideas that you did nothave time to note will still befresh in your mind. You willhave lime when rewriting toadd those ideas. In addition,when you rewrite your notes,you can reorganiseinformation so that the ideasare more clearly andaccurately respresented.)

201

NOTE KEY WORDS:

You can’t copy everything, so just note thekey words.

Common symbols:

= equals / per

~ approximately 1970® since 1970

> is more than ¬1970 1970 and earlier?

< is less than C. century

& and w/ with

to go up; to riae w/o without

¯ to go down; to decrease ® tending to sheading down

\therefore, so, because

VISUAL REPRESENTATION

Increase the amount of information in your notes by usingthe space on your paper to show relationships and the relative importance

of information. Example:

NZ

3,500,000

NI SI

Wellington Auckland Christchurch

(Capital) 1,500,000 3,50,000

3,50,000

Another way of arranging informat ion to indicateimportance is by using indentation:

Main Topic

Sub Topic A

Point 1

Point 2

Minor point 1

202

Population Figures

New Zealand - 3,500,000

North IslandWellington - 350,000

- Capital- The Windy City

Auckland - 1,500,000- The City orSails

South IslandChristchurch - 3 50,000

- The Garden City

MIND MAPS:

Mind maps, or concept maps are another way of expressing

information visually. Although they may take a little longer to draw,they make the information easier to remember. Research has aiso shownthat the process of thinking needed to draw a Mind Map will help youremember more information for a longer period

Basic principles of mind maps:

Write the topic in the middle. Then radiating out from (he middle,have the sub-topics and then the details. Move from general to specific.

NUMBERS

Whole numbers:

Whole numbers in English are written and read in groups of three.The commas are important. Write Ihe commas as you hear the words- thousand, million, billion, trillion ..zillion. Count the number ofcommas first and then reading the numbers becomes a lot easier.

Fractions:

Read them as they are written: top down with the bottom number

being read an an ordinal number {lst 2nd 3rd etc.). For example 1/3 isone third, 2/5 is two fifths.

203

Decimals:

Numbers to the right of the decimal point are read as singlenumbers. E.g. 0.25 is read - zero point two five, not zero point twentyfive.

THE PROCESS OF NOTE TAKING

Take notes as best you can when the teacher leaches. Rewritethe notes later in the day (before going to bed) into a more completeversion. You may need to use your textbook or ask someone if youhave problems, Follow a review cycle to make sure you remember

HOW TO USTEN EFFECTIVELY

You need to be aware of all of the carriers of meaning.

Words carry meaning: Five categories of accomplishingthings:

1. to describe2. to tell people to do something3. to (cli people what we’re going to do4. to tell about feelings5. to change the world

Stress: I went to the park, (no special stress) vs.I went to the park (not someone else)

Intonation: He went, vs. He went?

Rhythm: Can you see, Ram? vs. Can you seeRam?

Body Language: “the first thing” (pointing one finger)

Predict

If you have an idea of what is ‘coming’ you will be able to prepare.

This is why there are road signs telling you that a curve or a steepdescent is coming up. You arc therefore ready because; you know whatto expect. In listening to your teacher you need lo predict what youthink is coming next.

204

1. Prediction helps overcome con fa:ii on tifidcas.

2. Prediction helps save time for processing information and taking

notes.

3. There are two types of predictions: predictions of content and

predictions of or ganisal io n.

Being able to successfully predict depends on being able torecogn i se the teacher’s cues or signposts.

Signposts or Cues

Teachers use cues or signposts to let you know what is happeningand will be happening in the lesson. Signposts can be used to introducea topic, to indicate the organisation that will follow, or to indicate aconclusion. Signposts can help you predict, plan for note-taking, getback into a lesson if you get lost, and so on.

Predictions of Content

Signposts are important in helping you predict what content isgoing to be covered next. You can predict (guess) what the teacher isgoing to say based on what she or he has already said.

Predicting words

Single missing words are easiest lo predict, We do it all the timebecause we very rarely hear 100% of what is said.

He likes cooking, so his favourite room is the ...

She likes surfing so she often gots to the...

There are iwo teams of 11 players each i n ...

Predicting topic Introductions

These tell you thai a new topic is going to be covered, and maybewhat the topic will be.

Let’s first look at... Moving on to ...

The next topic .., I want to look at ...

The next area ,.. All right...

What causes X? Now...

205

Prediciting conclusionsConclusions draw together the topic, restate or review key points,

offer general closing statements, summarise, or simply say that the topichas finished. It is therefore important to be aware of signposts to topicconclusions.

Now... Therefore... In conclusion ...In summary ... To sum up ... So ...Since ... Thus ... The main point ...So that’s ...

Predictions of OrganisationFor example, does the teacher want you to understand a

definition, a concept, or a process?

Predicting organisationThese tell you what information is coming, how it is going to be

organised, where the lesson is at the moment, and how the ideas relate.One aspect ... Five categories ...Three main points... Another thing ...The next step ... The fifth step ...

Types of organisation in a lesson:Defining a term, describing physical characteristics, describing a

process or a sequence of events, describing the relationship betweentwo events, breaking a topic down into subtopics by listing, exemplifyinga topic, breaking a topic down into subtopics by classifying, comparingand contrasting, or making a generalisation.

REPETITION, PARAPHRASE, EXEMPLIFICATION ANDTANGENTIAL INFORMATION

Teachers use these main techniques to make sure that thelesson is understood:

Repetition: Paraphrase: Exemplification: Sidetrack:Saying the same Explaining by An interestingthing in other using examples. story orwords. reminiscence.

Let me In other words… for example …… That remindsrepeat Another way of one example me …Once more looking at … could be … By the way… I mean……. one case of I remember…

This means …

Task: Select a few chapters of your course book. Take ownnotes while your teacher teaches the topic, using thetips. Check with your teacher if you have put downall the points.

B. Speaking

Asking for Clarification· You students need to be able to ask what you don’t understand

when teachers talk to you.· What words do people say when they don’t understand you?· What words do you use when you don’t understand?· What new words can you use when you don’t understand?

Task 1: Ask your classmates these questions. Write the nameof the classmate in the name column. Try to ask adifferent person each question.

Question Name Yes No1. Do you live near a playground?2. Do you live near a post office?3. Do you live near a departmental store?4. Do you use recycled paper?5. Do you live near the school?6. Are you close to the bus stop?7. Do you eat in the school canteen?8. Do you have a pet?

206

Task 2 : Talk Time Topic: Being A Good student hi class:

Let’s get started...

Before you begin, take a few minutes to complete the followingactivity: On a piece of paper write 2-4 sentences describing one personin the group. Please do not write the name of the person you aredescribing on the paper. When you are finished, place all the papers inthe centre of the table. Each person will take one paper and read italoud. The group can guess who each paper is describing. Ask questionsto your classmates TO clarify what each person has written in the paperand find out more details about them.

TIP! English typically uses a number of polite introductory phrasesbefore a question is asked. This is because it can be considered impolite,or too direct, to stale something without some kind of introduction tothe question. However, it is quite common and normal for theintroductory phrases to the question to be brief,

POLITE/ FORMAL NEUTRAL LEAST POLITEINFORMAL

I beg your pardon but Would you mind What did you say?I don’t quite follow/ repeating that?understand.Pardon me. Would you mind Again, please.

saying that again?Can / Could / Would Excuse me. But I Say that again.you say that again, didn’t catch the

please? last part /the part

about…1 wonder if you could Can we / go over I don t get it.say that in a different that again’?way?

207

Task 3: Your teacher has given a list of points while teachinga lesson. You are not quite sure if you have got themall. You are clarifying. Here are certain helpsentences. Make a table as above. Classify the givensentences as polite, neutral and impolite.

· Give us/me an example.· Could you possibly give us/cite an example?· Are you able to give an (other) example for that

point?· I wonder if you could give an illustraion.· For example?· Would you give an illustration/example of whatyou mean?· Do you think you could give another illustration /

example?

Other contexts in the class could be:

· Apologising-”I’am sorry, I didn’t understand.”

· Asking for spelling- “Can you spell that please?”

· Asking for repetition-”Can you say that again/repeat thatplease.”

· Asking for clarification- “Do you mean…?”/ “Did yousay….”

· Asking for partial repetition-”Where did he go?”

· To seek clarification of a point

· To ask for additional information.

· To ask the person to speak louder, use easier words or torepeat something.

Task 4: You have had various interactions in your class/school They are listed out in column A. Write downquestions if you were to ask for clarification with yourfriend/ teacher /other staff/ librarian in theschool in column B.

208

Column A Column B

· I’m going on holiday from 16thFebruary. So the lab will beclosed for a week.

· The name of the book is THEPARK.You’ll find it on the topshelf.

· New York is the largest, mostexpensive city in America. Soyou need to know about itsgeographical features.

· Sorry! The food in the schoolcanteen is sold out.

· Will you accompany the guest tothe principal’s room?

C Reading

I Read through the following inputs for reading atound:

1. Tips for reading aloud in the classrom:

• Skim the-book before reading aloud in the class - this will giveyou a chance to judge whether you like the book, as well as toalert you to any difficulties with language or subject matter.

• Make your listeners comfortable. It’s easier for them to payattention if they ‘re facing away from bright windows and lots ofother activity.

• Pay attention to your listeners. Look up from the book fromtime to time to make eye contact with the group. This wayyou’ll know whether they’re still spellbound or ready for abreak.

• Don’t stop! You are never too old for reading aloud. In fact,some of the best books for reading aloud are most enjoyed byyour age group.

209

• Have fun. Don’t try to read books you don’t enjoy yourself-your lack of enthusiasm will come through

• Punch Vocabulary : Make the language in a story moreinteresting to both you and your listener by choosing the mostinteresting word in each sentence, and doing something morewith it: emphasise it, italicise it, underline it. enunciate it. whisperit. elongate it - bring it out to some place of prominence andenliven the prose.

• Pause: Helps you to re-set the attention span and can be usedto heighten drama, suspense or emotional impact; pay specielattention to every mark of punctuation: every comma and period,hyphen and parentheses - one word sentences are written thatway for just this reason.

• Slow Down: Slowing down means the altertion of the: pace ofa sentence; or a paragraph; your listener will notice immediately.

• Whisper : Use the whisper effect, when you want to makesomeone-pay even closer attention; it can make the bad characterseven more evil.

• Accents and Voices: Borrow indiscriminately and shamelesslyfrom everywhere to mimic different voices; the voices in a dialogueare different and distinct. Use your tone to bring the characters alive.

2. Reading Aloud works because of:i. The Power of Story - uses the age-old power of narrative, whichcreates a mental explosion, through context and exposure and is usedfor both entertainment and educational benefit.ii. Active vs. Passive- stimulates the mind, as the listener is requiredto actively visualise the images and characterisation necessary to informand interpret a story. It is different from television, which is a passiveactivity that supplies its own images. The brain goes to sleep.iii. Emotion - facilitates time together amongst your friends to developand grow an emotional bond. Information and knowledge are retained betterwhen accompanied by an emotional attachment.

210

iv. Values- imparts values through ethical examples while you naturallyidentify with the main characters.

v. Literatur e- expands the minds and exposes to new and differentperspectives, cultures and points of view, contexts and situations.

vi. Attention span - creates better readers, enabling to succeed at alltasks in the school and increases attention spans.

3. The Many Benefits of Reading Aloud:

• Discussion while you read aloud in the class enhances and expandsyour understanding.

• The illustrations encourage prediction and interpretation, whichencourages you to use the illustrations to add to yourunderstanding.

• Helps lean more about the authors and illustrators and read otherworks by favourite authors.

• Helps relate books to your own experiences.

• Stimulates emotion and questions before presenting a writingassignment.

• Allows you to live literature, to become so involved in a storythat you become a part of it.

• Develops and improves literacy skills - reading, writing, speaking,and listening.

• Stimulates growth and understanding of vocabulary and 1anguagepatterns.

• Repeated reading helps ask questions, and make comments.

• Self esteem grows because of increased communication.

• Develops individual interests in special subjects.

• Promotes positive behaviour patterns and social values.

• Establishes positive attitudes towards yourselves and others.

Task: Read aloud passages from your English course bookwith correct pronunciation ami pause with the helpof the above inputs.

211

II . Comprehension

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”

- Richard street ( 6 72-1729)

Tips for making notes from a textbook:

First: read a section of your textbook chapter

• Read just enough to get an understanding of the material.Do not make notes, but rather focus on understanding thematerial.

It is tempting to make notes as you arc reading the first time, butthis is note an efficient technique: you are likely to take down too muchinformation and simply copy without understanding.

Second: Review the material

• Locate the main ideas, as well as important sub-points.

• Set the book aside.

• Paraphrase this information:

Putting the textbook information in your own words forces youto become actively involved with the material

Third: Write the paraphrased ideas as your notes.

• Do not copy information directly from the textbook.

• Add only enough detail to understand.

The following techniques will help you to comprehend better”• As you read, practise the “look-away method:”

Periodically look away from the text and ask yourself a stimulusquestion relating to the text. Phrase the question positively!

Respond, or restate, in your own words. Make connections andassociations, but don’t use this exercise to memorise—but TO

understand.

• Look up words

Look up words in the dictionary whose meanings are important toyour understanding of the material, but you cannot work out fromthe context.

212

• Read to the end

Do not get discouraged and stop reading. Ideas can becomeclearer the more you read. When you finish reading, review to seewhat you have learned, and reread those ideas that are not clear

• Do not confince yourself to words!

Use representations, graphics, pictures, colours, even movementto visualise and connect ideas. Use whatever techniques work to helpyou understand.

Task: Select a few passages from your Course book. Read throughthem using the tips given above. Answer the questions posed by yourteacher with the help of your notes.

D. Writing

The following is the format of a project proposal:

• Specify the time schedule

It is never to early to start. By starting early you have more timeto finish the project, and you guarantee yourself adequate time to do agood job. Find out:

• how long the presentation or paper should be.

• how hard the material is to research.

• how much time you have to complete the project.

• Break the project down into manageable sections

What How

Summarise objectives

213

Objectives should beSMART:SpecificMeasurableAttainableRelevantTime bound

Decide tools to be used Questionnaires, interviews, etc.

Specify type of Research • Library research

• Field research - Surveys, experimental, etc.

Specify Sample size Decide the number of individuals tobe questioned, observed, etc. Thenumber should be decided keepingin mind the nature of the project,feasibility and duration.

Specify budget Decide on the expenses, if any.involved and aim to stick to it.

Specify duration Decide the duration of the project soas to plan accordingly.

The following format could be used for project reports:

FormatA project report usually consists of the following:1. Title2. Introduction3. Abstracts/Review of related literature4. Materials and methods5. Analysis6. Results/findings7. References8. Appendices

Title Page

The title page provides the name of the project, the names of theproject partners, the date, and any other information your instructorrequires.

214

IntroductionThe introduction presents the subject of the report and acquaints

the reader with the project. Typically, the introduction states the problemto be solved and explains its purpose and significance. It also provideswhatever background theory, or formulas the reader needs to understandto solve the problem.

Abstracts/Review of related literature

Previous researches or projects on the subject or parallel areasare detail with here. It is in the form of abstracts. The title of the research/project, the researcher, brief methodology and findings are outlined.

Methods and Materials

This section outlines the procedure adopted for the research,research materials/tools used, sample size, etc. This section is descriptiveList all steps in the correct order. State what you really did and whatactually happened, not what was supposed to happen.

Analysis

In this section, you must explain, analyse, arid interpret yourresults, being especially careful lo explain any errors or problems. Thisis probably the single most important part of the report, since it is herethat you show that you understand and can interpret what you havedone.

Results findings

Agate, give you actual results, not what should have happenedAlthough results are usually presented quantitatively, you should alwaysintroduce each block of information verbally and provide clear andaccurate verbal labels. Draw conclusion from analyses and resultsthat answer the question, “So what?” Then go on to explain your conclusions.In this section, you may also make recommendations for improvement.

215

References

Some reports require references at the end. Use the correctformat to cite the references. This is also known as the bibliographysection. It is a list containing titles of books/projects/journals with thename of the author/researcher, date of publication, etc.

Appendices

Appendices may include raw data, calculations graphs, and otherquantitative materials that were part of the project, but not reported inany of the above sections.

Task: Write down it project proposal and a project reportbased on the formats given above:

How much time do students spend on the following activities athome? How does it affect their performance in studies?

• Viewing television• Doing home work/assignments• Working on the computer• Playing• Reading books• Engaging in extra-curricular activities such as music,

dance, etc.• Attending tuition.

216

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMICPURPOSES -

COMMUNICA TIVE GRAMMAR

Grammar consists of structures and a set of rules to use thosestructures to make the desired meaning in a language. Usually in thegrammar lessons only structures and rules receive the primary focusbut their meaning and use in various contexts are not given enoughattention.

We learn sentences in the present tense such as:

1. The Prime Minister visits Chennai tomorrow.

and

2. It is time we learnt Communicative English.

The pseudo-pedants (who are too rigid about form and formalone) may say these two sentences are grammatically incorrect. Theirargument will be as follows:

In sentence 1, visits is in the present tense and the wordtomorrow refers to future. These two do not gotogether.

In sentence 2, is in the present tense and learnt is in thepast. Here too these two do not go together too.

But we need to understand the communicative effect these usagesbring about. Sentence 1 expresses the definiteness of the PrimeMinister’s visit and sentence 2, the urgency of the need to learnCommunicative English.

217

As for learning of grammar, an important question to beconsidered is: Which to learn first, whether the structure, i.e., formor the use of that structure in the appropriate context i. e., function ?We as learners are so obsessed with the form of a structure rather thanits function. But experts in English language teaching have found, throughresearch, that when the theme (i.e., where the structure functions) islearnt first, the form will be learnt effectively.

Communicative grammar focusses the attention of the learner onthe theme first and form next. The units in this section will focus theattention of the learner first on theme where the grammar item to belearnt is contextualised.

218

UNIT IDESCRIBING PRESENT HABITS AND

ACTIVITIESA. The simple present tense

1. WARM UP

My road calls me

My road calls me, lures meWest, east, south and north;Most roads lead men homewards,My road leads me forth.

- John Masefield

Answer the following:

1. Which directions does the poet’s road call him and lure him to?

2. Where do most roads lead men?

II. THEME FOCUS

Your teacher speaks about how he/she spends Sundays at home:

On Sundays I get up a bit late, say, around 6.30 in the morning.After morning chores, the first thing I do is reading newspapersparticularly the Sunday supplement. The Sunday supplement of everynewspaper contains some interesting articles, and so I spend moretime reading them than on other days. I have breakfast as usual. Imake it a point to watch BBC and sports channels on TV sometime.I often help my children in their studies till lunch. After lunch I take anap. In the evening I either visit my friends or go shopping with mywife/husband. After returning home I do some school work such aspreparing lessons for classes for the next week and valuing test papers.

My daughter often helps me by getting matters typed or bychecking the total in the answer scripts.

219

Task: Compare these activities with your father ‘s/mother’son Sundays. Do you help your parents or troublethem at home? How do you help your mother in herday’s routine?

III. GRAMMAR FOCUS

Aspects of form

In the above passage, the italicised words are verbs that are inthe present tense form, that is, out of the three forms of the verb, viz.do-did -done, the first one is used. When the subject of the sentenceis the third person singular, ‘s’ is added to the verb as in contains andhelps.

e.g. I do some school work. My daughter often helps me.

Aspects of functions

Habitual actions

When we want to speak about a habitual action, we use simplepresent tense. Here in this passage the teacher speaks about his/herroutine on every Sunday, which is habitual.

My school is 5 kms away from my house. So, I go to school bybus.

My sister’s school is within walking distance. She goes on foot

Neutral present

1. War solves no problems.

2. Truth always triumphs

These are true in the past, present and future. These are alsocalled universal truths.

Actual present

I a. I have been looking for John for the past one week.

(John enters)

b. Here he comes.

220

221

2. This is a wide road that runs for about 20 kms.

Note: If the words comes and runs are replaced by is coming and isrunning, it means these actions are in progress, which is not true inthese contexts.

Performative use (declare, name, pronounce, deny...)

In the opening ceremony of an exhibition the chief guest says,

‘I declare the exhibition open’.

In the marriage ceremony the vicar says,

‘I now pronounce you man and wife’.

In these examples the event and the act of announcement take

place simultaneously

IV. TASK: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words fromamong those given below the passage:

In our company, they.......................only girls. First let me saysomething about the way we and the wage we............................ There .....................two kinds of work, regular andpiecework. The regular work...about Rs300/- a week

and the girls have to be at their machines at 7 in the morning and they.............................at them until 8 at night.

Fathima who ..........................piecework and being devoted towork she often .....................the time but she..........................onlyRs,200/- a week. With this she..............................to make both the endsmeet. Prema is a regular worker but she............................to give herhusband half the salary for drinking. She......................the family withthe remaining amount.

work pays gets stay

receive are has does

recruit exceeds manages struggles

222

V.ACTIVITYAs your teacher talks about his routine on Sunday, you now

speak about the way you spend

(i) a working day at home/schooland

(ii) how your father/mother spends Sundays

B. The present progressive tense

I. THEME FOCUS

Arun speaks to Prakash over phoneArun : What are you doing at home?Prakash : I am watching TV now.

Arun : What is your son Navin doing right now?

Prakash : He is doing his homework.Arun : Oh, really?

It’s good that he is nowadays taking his

studies seriously.Prakash : Of course, he is coming round.

II. GRAMMAR FOCUS

In the conversation between Arun and Prakash the italicised

words are verbs in the present progressive tense. This tense indicates

the action in progress at the time of speaking.

• Habitual use

The trains are always arriving late during summer.

• Sporadic repetition

The boys are always breaking test tubes in the laboratory.

Note: The present continuous with the time adverbial ‘always’

is used usually when the frequency of action annoys the speaker or

seems unreasonable.

223

III. T ASK:Choose the appropriate tense form from the onesgiven in brackets:

I............................(like/am liking) writing stories. This lime I...........................(want/am wanting)to write novel. At themoment I -......................(write/am writing) a novel on an orphan girl.The events in the novel .................................. (progress/are progressing)interestingly. The character ofths orphan girl .........................(takes/istaking) the shape that I.....................(conceive am conceiving) of.

UNIT IILINKING THE P AST TO THE PRESENT

The present perfect and the present perfect progressive

The present perfect and the past :I. WARM UP

A gluttonA : It is al ready half past nine. 1 need something to eat. Have

you had your breakfast?B : Yes, I have had.A : What did you have?B : I had only a dozen pooris and half a dozen omelettes.A : Wou Id you like to join me?B : I don’t mind. 1 ate an hour ago.A : But Ihere are only two pooris and one omelette left.Do you eat as much as B eats for breakfast?Always leave your stomach half filled. That’s the way to

healthy living

II. THEME FOCUS

Think of the days of our great grandfathers. They did not havethe comforts that we enjoy today. They walked the distance to theneighbouring village. They ate cereals and pulses t hey grew in theirfield. They didn’t have variety in anything because they were not able

224

to move from place to place. The best means of transport were horses,

camels and carts.

During the last sixty years, machines ofall kinds have becomepart of our daily life and have transformd our life in the most incrediblemanner. Machines have turned human society from an agrarian oneinto an industrial one. Machine civilisation has indeed, improved ourlives tremendously.

But there is the other side of the picture too. While the machinecivilisation has provided variety and abundance in our life, the qualityof life has been deteriorating. Li fe has become artificial. The machineshave been doing a great damage to the environment.

Think aloud on these lines:• Have you ever heard your grandparents telling you stories

about ho w their parents moved from village to village?

• In what way have computers changed our life style?

• ‘Quality of life has been deterorating’ - Argue either for oragainst

III. GRAMMAR FOC US

• We use the present perfect tense to say that a finished actionor event is connected with the present in some way.

eg. Machine civilisation has improved our lives tremendously.Improvement started in the past and continues till the presenttime.

It is likely that it may continue into future time too. If we saysomething has happened, we are thinking about the past andthe present at the same time.

• We can change a present perfect sentence into a present onewith a similar meaning- the resultalive use.

The boy has broken the glass (Thc glass is broken now).

Utopia has invaded Fantasia (Utopia is at war with Fantasia).

225

Note: This is not at all converting one forminto another. This only showsthat the present perfect has a grounding in the present

• Present perfect is also used to express the idea of completionI have done the homework.

They have finished reading the lessans.

• Present perfect is normally used for giving recent events.The dollar has fallen against the euro.The Prime Minister has had talks with the President.

• Present perfect tense indicates repetition and continuationtill now.eg. We have known each other since 1998.

She has been a doctor for five years.Note: With specific time adverbials. only simple past can go.Aroundeighty years ago, people travelled from place to place by horse orcamel or cart that took a longtime.The present perfect progressive tense :

An action / event that started in the pastand continued till thepresent and there is a likelihood of continuing further.

e.g. The quality of life has been deteriorating.More examples:

It has been raining since last night.They have been attending special classes regularly.My sister has been waiting to join me for breakfast.

IV. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate farms of the verbsgiven in brackets.

TASK 1:

• Peter ............ (suffer) from typhoid since last weekend.

He .......... (visit) the doctor thrice but he hasn’t recovered yet.

• How long .............. (live) in this house?

We ................... (expect) her reply since last Monday.

She .............. (not, reply) yet.

226

TASK 2:Greek ............ (be) the language in which the first medical treatises

........................(appear). In the Middle ages, Latin ................... (be) thelanguage of learning in the countries of Europe. In Germany, doctors........... (begin) to use German. Since the early 70’s, there ............. (be)a further change. Now, English medium .................... (become) the best,perhaps the only medium of communication.

TASK 3:Suma : ................... you ................. (write) to your branch

manager?Naveen: I ............ (not, finish)yet, I .........(try) to contact the

accountant,Suma : Come on hurry up. He(expect) your letter since

Last Monday,

TASK 4: Now role play the conversation.

UNIT IIIDESCRIBING PAST HABITS AND

ACTIVITIESSimple past tense and past perfect

I WARM UP

Read the following newsreport on Nissim Ezekiel :Nissim Ezekiel passes away

MUMBAI,Jan, 10 The doyen of Indo Anglian poets, Nissim Ezekiel,

died here yesterday. He was 79. Mr. Ezekiel. a former Professor ofEnglish, had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Besides being

India’s foremost poet writing in English, he had eocouraged many who

later made a name for themselves as leading poets, including DomMoraes. Mr. Ezekiel’s first collection “Time to change” was published

227

in 1952. Born in a Jewish family, he was educated in mumbai and hadtranslated works into Marathi. - PTI

Answer these questions:

• Have you read any poems by Nissim Ezekiel?

• Do you ever write poems ?

• Do you want to become a famous poet like Nissim Ezekiel?

II. THEME FOCUSHere is an account of a medical camp conducted by NSS volunteers:

Last Saturday, we conducted a medial camp at Odanduraivillage. The team consisted of the NSS coordinator and 20 volunteers,and a doctor. Our coordinator had already written to the headman ofthe village about the camp. Before we reached the village, people hadgathered there.

Ten of our volunteers spoke to them freely explaining how wewould help them. They said that they had brought a medicine chestthat contained chest for common ailments of the people of that village.One in the medical team asked for four young persons from thevillagewho had studied up to X Std. To our amazement more than ten cameforward. We appreciated their enthusiasm and selected four fromamong them. Two of our team were teaching those young personsabout the uses of the medicines.

In the meantime, another team of volunteers went into the villageto get the patients to the village school where we had camped. Thedoctor with the medical team examined them and gave them medicines.The four persons who we had asked to treat common diseases werecarefully observing the prescriptions given by the doctor. The doctorhanded over the chest to one of the four young villagers.

The medical camp came to an end around six in the evening. Thepatients who had returned to their slums came back to bid farewell to us.

228

Now answer the following questions:

1. Who did the NSS team consist of?

2. How did the villagers know about the medical camp?

3. How many young persons did they select from among thevillagers for helping the team?

4. What were the young persons doing during the camp?

5. What did the team do With the medicine chest?

III. GRAMMAR FOCUS

The simple past tense :

In your answer to the above questions (except q.no 4) you used thepast tense form of the following verbs:

consistc - consistedknow - knewselect - selectedhand over - handed over

• Narrating an event:

While narrating an event, that took place in a sequence in thepast, we use the simple past tense. So the past tense is also called‘narrative tense’.

The simple past may also describe events that are repeated andregular.

When I lived in London, I ate fish and chips for breakfasteveryday.• For expressing hypothetical meaning:

What would happen if the earth stopped rotating?

• For expressing politeness:

I wondered if you could lend me Rs. 1000/-.

229

Note: The word wondered (in its past form inthiscontext) never refers to the past time.

The past perfect tense :The past perfect is used toexpress an action that happened before a

definite time in the past. We can use it to reorder the events of a narrativefor dramatic effect.

Look at these sentences:

When we reached the village, people had gathered there.

After Alice had said goodbye to her father, she got into the compartment.

From these illustrations it can be seen that out of the twohappenings that took place in the past, the earlier one takes the pastperfect while the latter one the simple past.

More uses of the past perfect

• To indicate a past hope, expectation or intention (that wasnot realized) the past perfect is used. Using verbs such ashope, expect, think, intend, mean and suppose.

I had hoped you would inform me before joining the Sciencegroup. (but you didn’t)

• In hypothetical conditions,

If you had been alert, you wouldn’t have missedcentum inMaths (but you didn’t get centum)

IV. TASK 1: Fill in the blanks using the correct form of theverb in brackets:

An actor of the yesteryears speaks -

Before I entered the film world I never ............... (expect)to get a chance to act. I ................ (have) an interview with theFilm Director who...................(tell) me I...............(be) not

230

tall. Then he ............. (call) me two weeks later and he.........................(say), I ............. (put on) weight. Bui a couple ofdays later, the Director .................. (ring) me up and ...................(tell) me that I ................ (make) it.

TASK 2: Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verbin brackets and then role-play in pairs.The doctor and the patient:

Doctor : What is your problem?Patient : I .............. (have) stomach ache.Doctor : What did you eat yesterday?Patient : I .............. (eat) some stale bread, not yesteray,but

the day before.Doctor : Stale bread? That’s it.Doctor : What time did the pain start?Patient : It .............. (start) yesterday morning itself.Doctor : If you ..............(come) yesterday, it would have

beeneasier for me to cure.TASK 3 : Tell a story that youremember to have read during

your earlier classes.

The past progressive tense :A : Hai, Bala. Why are you limping?

B : You know, I met with an accident.

A : Oh, really? How did it happen?

B : It happened last Sunday while I was going to the university.

A : How were you going?

B : By motorbike. While I was trying to negotiate acurve,aSpeeding car came in the opposite direction.

A : The driver of the car should have been careful.

B : But he wasn’t. The car almost ran over my bike. Imanaged to jump off my bike.

231

A : Thank God! You jumped off.

B : Fortunately I escaped with just a sprain.

A : Any way, how are you now?

B : I am getiing better.

2. GRAMMAR FOCUS

Note the following sentences:

While I was trying to negntiate acurve, a speeding car came inthe opposite direction.

Here the verb of ihe main clause is in ihe past tense and that ofthe subordinate clause is in the past progressive tense. This is necessaiybacause only when the action of negotiating the curve is taking place,the car ran over the bike. Running over the bike is instantaneous actionwhich could, be described only with the simple past tense.

3. TASK: Describe an excursion whi^H you enjoyed most. Usethe past progressive Tense wherever passible.

UNIT IVTALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE TIME

Futur e Tense:

1. WARM UP‘Call upon me on the day of trouble;

I will deliver thee and thou shall glorify me’.

- BibleDiscuss the following questions:

1. Do you ever think of people in trouble?2. Are you actually prepared to help them when they need you?3. Will you be able to go their rescue?

232

II THEME FOCUSArun : I am going to meet our class master for advice

this evening.Benny : What is his advice for?Arun : I need to know what course I should join after

plus two? Do you have any idea of what you wantto become?

Benny : I really have no idea of whal I’ll become in future.Arun : Shall we meet our class master?Benny : Oh, sure!

(With the class master)Arun : I really don’t know what course I can select after

plus two.Benny : The same is the case with me too, Sir.Classmaster: You both are already in Science stream, Isup

pose?Arun&Benny: Yes, Sir.Arun : I am studying Biology, whereas Benny has taken

Computer Science.Classmaster: By the way, how are you both faring?

Arun : I always stand first in Biology.

Classmaster: Will you get more than 95% in Physics, Chemistryand Mathematics in the final exam?

Arun : Sir, I have already been getting above90% in allthese and in Biology above 95%.

Classmaster: If you maintain this performance, you will get aseat in one of the medical colleges.

Arun : Thank you, Sir. I will try my best to score moremarks in the final exam.

Classmaster: How about you Benny?

Benny : Computer Science is my favourite subject, Sir.Classmaster :That’s fine. How about your marks in Physics,

Chemistry and Maths?

233

Benny : Not less than 80%

Classmaster : But you have to work hard. You stand a chanceof becoming a Computer Engineer. If you get morethan 90% in Maths, Physics and chemistry youwill get a seat in B.E-I.T at an engineering college.

Benny : From now on, I will work harder.

Classmaster : That’s the spirit. Ok see you later.

Arun&Benny : Bye,Sir.

Classmaster : Bye.

Answer the following question:

1. Which stream of +2 study,are Arun and Benny in?

2. How much marks does one need to store for getting a seat inmedical college?

3. Will Arun be able to become a doctor?

4. What can Benny become?

5. What do you,as a plus one student, think, you will become?

6. Will you score more than 95% in all subjects?

III. GRAMMAR FOCUS

There are several ways of using verbs to talk about the futuretime in English.

• Shall/Will: for predicting future events not already decided.e.g. : Shall we meet our class master?

I will work harder.• Future Progressive:

To indicate a future activity that will that will begin before andcontinue after a point of time.

The Chief Minister will be waiting at the airport to receive thepresident.

234

• be going toNote: Here the word going does not refer to the action of going fromone place to another. It can be considered that ‘be going to’ is nearlyequal to ‘will’.

‘Be going to’ is used:

to mean that the speaker’s intention will be carried out.e.g. I am going to meet our class master this evening.to indicate that an event is going to happen.e.g. It is going to rain heavily.

· Present tense: for future events already plannedThe Chief Minister visits Maditrai tomorrow (present simple)

IV TASK 1:Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the verbfrom the. ones given in brackets:

Tomorrow our cricket team......................(is going, will go, shallgo) to Bangalore for a friendly match with Jain international School.The train from Chennai ............................(is going to leave, leaves, isleaving) at 8.00pm but I must be at the Central station at 7 to join myfriends. I hope all others .............................................(will arrive, arearriving, are going to arrive) in time. Having Ramesh, a good batsmanwith us, we are sure, we .............................(will win, are going to win,are winning) the match.TASK 2: Are you going to do these? (Answer in a complete

sentence)i. (score centum in Maths)ii. (visit Ooty next week)iii. (cook a meal)…………………………….iv. (invite the class master for your birthday)

v. (take part tn the art competition)TASK 3: Write questions with shall/will:

i. It’s a nice day (go/some where?)

ii. Let’s go for a picninc (where/we go)

235

iii. How about the Birla Mandir? (how / we get there) Betterwe take a bus.

iv. Let us have lunch there.(What/we do for lunch)v. There are good restaurants. (We eat there?)

Task 4: After completing Task 3, form pairs and role play theconversation.

UNIT VASKING FOR INFORMA TION

Interrogatives:I. WARM UP

Tricky questions• Who coined the phrase ‘to coin a phrase’?• Where do they send Siberian criminals?• Shouldn’t the word ‘brevity’ be mono-syllabic?

Can you answer these question?You may not be able to. Don’t worry.But do you understand and enjoy the implied meaning?

II. THEME FOCUS

Here is a General knowledge quiz for you. Try to answer thequestions. Find out how many of your answers are correct. Answerin one word orsay ‘yes’ or’no’ as required:

1. What is the name of the lake that has the word sea in it?

2. When was America discovered?

3. Who is the most beautiful woman in Shakespeare’s plays?

4. Why does the sun set late in the evening in England?

5. How do you call the official residence of the Russians President?

6. Is Washington the capital of United States?7. Do the Tibetans belong to Mongolian race?

236

8. Did Tagore write ’The Discovery of India’?9. Can the bats see things in the night?10. Are there inhabitants on Mars?If you haven’t got all correct, it doesn’t matter. Try to

improve your general knowledge by reading newspaperseveryday. Also refer to general knowledge books.

III. GRAMMAR FOCUSLet’s now look at the form of the questions:

• The first five questions beginning with, ‘what, when, who,why and how’ are known as Wh-questions.

1. When did you come here?

How does he go to school?

The form is -

Wh-word + aux. + subj. + verb+

2. What is your name?

Who are those men?

Wh-word + ‘be’ verb + subj.

3. Who wrote this book?

What made you feel sad?

What/Who + verb + object

4. Why does the sun set late?

Wh-word + aux. + subj. + verb +

Note: In question 3, the word wrote need not be split into did + writebecause who itself is the subject.

• The next five are called Yes-No questions because the answerfor such questions will be either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. These questionsbegin with a verb or an auxiliary. These are formed byinversion of declarative.

Declarative Interrogative1. It is true. Is it true?

Sub +be-verb + complementBe-verb+sub-complement

237

2. I can lift this table. Can I lift this table?Sub -modal+verb-object Modal + sub+verb+object

3. Meera teaches English Does Meera teach EnglishSub + verb + object Aux + sub + verb + object

Difference in the use of ‘What’ and ‘Which’

Which is your favourite dish? (The speaker knows the dishes)

What is your favourite dish? (The speaker doesn ‘t know thedish)

IV. TASK 1:Complete the following dialogues and then role-play:

X : ................................................?Y : I am Ramesh.X : Where ................................................?Y : I come from Hyderabad.X : ................................................ to meet?Y : I want to meet the Director.X : Do................................................?Y : Yes, I need to meet him right now.X : If so please wait for half an hour.Y : ................................................ sit here?X : Yes.

TASK 2: First complete the sentences with ‘How’, ‘What’,Then choose an appropriate answer for eachquestion:

....... is your father now? By bus.

....... do you go to school? We really enjoyed it.

....... did you enjoy the party? He is much better now.

....... do you think of my We had a great time.brother’s bowling?

....did you like our annual day?He needs more practice.

238

UNIT VIGIVING INSTRUCTIONS, ORDERING

AND REQUESTINGImperatives:

I. WARM UPSet your goal

Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.

- Vivekananda

1. What is your goal in life?2. What steps are you taking to achieve your goal?

II. THEME FOCUS

Luck starts with happiness

What’s the best way to be a happy-go-lucky person?

Stop, look and listen: Take time each day to absorb the details ofyour surroundings. Notice the colours, designs and patterns of natureand architecture. This will heighten your sense of beauty and makeyou feel good.

Realise things could be worse: Make a point to be thankful whengood things happen to you. Don’t think too much on bad things butfocus on taking steps to improve your life.

Feel the bliss: Think about how you feel, as you are experiencingwhat you enjoy most in life. Let your experience fully satisfy you andpump up your happiness.

- Martin Seligman

Answer these questions:

1. How can we heighten our sense of beauty?2. What should not we think much on?3. How can you of feel the bliss?

239

III. GRAMMAR FOCUS

• Imperatives do not show personal contrasts. It always impliesa second person subject. It does not show tense change. It refers alwaysto future.

In the above passage, sentences in bold letters/italics do not havethe subject, the addressee, ‘you’ which is traditionally omitted.

Realise things could be worse.

Don’t think too much on bad things.

Note: Let your experience fully satisfy you. (Refer to ‘Theme Focus)Let’s not waste time. (Another form of using the word ‘let’.)

• Principal uses of imperatives:

1. Direction/instruction, advice:

Keep this syrup in a cool dry place.Don’t go near the fire.

Go straight along this road.Take a left turn at the signal.

2. Commands or requests for performance:

Answer the following questions.

Find/the volume of a sphere of radius 2 cm.

3. Preliminaries to an argument/demo:

Let’s take a round-bottomed flask.

Suppose we grant him leave for a month.

4. Subject with imperatives:

‘Someone answer the question’.

Note: ‘Someone can answer the question,’ is not imperative butdeclarative.

240

IV. TASK 1: Match each of the imperatives in column A withthe probable person who speaks it:

A B

1. Don’t be silly, girl. A teacher to the student.

2. List the important A townsman to a stranger.points briefly.

3. Walk down this A captain to his soldiers.street for a kilometre.

4. March to the enemy A student to his teacher.camp.

5. Please help me to do A mother to her childthis sum.

TASK 2: The instructions for doing meditation are jumbledhere. Unscramble and put them in order.

• Breathe deeply through your nose.

• Sit in a comfortable position.

• Pick something to focus on, say a candle flame or a flower.

• Straighten your spine.

TASK 3: You are the organiser of a package tour. Tell thetourist party the do’s and don’ts.

TASK 4: Imagine you are a doctor. After you prescribe somemedicines for your patientt give him/her instructionsas to how to take the medicines prescribed and whatkind of food to take

241

UNIT VIICONFIRMING STATEMENTS, REQUESTS

AND COMMANDSQuestion Tags :I. WARM UP

Liberate the children of the poorYou feel sad for the poor children in bonded labour, don’t you?

If you are determined, you can liberate them, can’t you?II. THEME FOCUSRead the following dialogue:

Shop Assistant : Good morning, Madam. It’s a niceday today,isn’t it?

Customer : Yes, it is. I am a bit early to get my bill, aren’tI?

Shop Assistant : I Just opened the shop.Customer : You have got my bill read y, haven’ t you?Shop Assistant : Yes, it’s ready.Customer : Then I can pay the bill now, can’t I?Shop Assistant : Certainly Madam ...mm...mm....

You’re Mrs. Chandini Sekar, aren’t you?Customer : Yes, that’s right. I owe you for three weeks,

don’t I?Shop Assistant : Oh yes, here you are Mrs.Chandini five

hundred and twenty four rupees.Customer : This bill exceeds five hundred. Oh! My

goodness!Shop Assistant : Do you still say the day is nice?Customer : Come on, don’t tease me. You don’t mind a

cheque, do you?Shop Assistant : No madam, that will be alright. Thank you.Customer : Welcome.

242

Pick out the question tags used for confirmation.

III . GRAMMAR FOCUS

• What are question tags?We Indians use only one form of question tag everywhere i.e.,Isn’t it? or Is it not?

Question tags are the small questions which often comeat theends of sentences in conversation.

We use question tags when we want to confirm a statement as inthe dialogue. Sometimes we use them as fillers.

When a speaker uses a question tag for confirmation, he/shewill say it with a rising tune. If it is used as a filler, it will be said with afalling tune.

• When the statement is assertive

1. It is a nice day today, isn’t it? (Is not it?)2. You have got my bill ready, haven’t you? (Have not you?)

I owe you for three weeks, don’t I? (Do not ?) (do+owe)

• When the statement is negative

1. You don’t mind a cheque, do you?2. She isn’t my teacher, is she?

Note: An unusual form to remember.I am a bit early to get the bill, aren’t I? (Instead of Amn’t I?’,

which is not used)

Note the other forms of question tags too:

• Assertive (be verb as auxiliary)The students are coming from School, aren’t they?

• Negative (be verb as auxiliary)We aren’t going to the station now, are we?

243

• Assertive (modal auxiliary)

The doctor w ill attend this patient, won’t he/she? (Will not he/

she)?

•Negative (modal auxiliary)

Our boys cannot leave the school now, can they?

Shobha didn’t go to school yesterday, did she?

• ImperativesPass the salt, will you?

Don’t forget, will you?

Shut up. can’t you/ will you?

Let’s go home, shall we?

There’s something wrong, isn’t there?

•Negative wordsYou never say what you think, do you?

Nobody called me, did they?

IV. TASK: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate question tagsand then role play the dialogues in pairs:

1. A : Will Jane ride or walk to the theatre?B : She will walk, ................................?

2. A : Could he lend us 100 rupees?B : He couldn’t lend us 100 rupees, .....................?

3. A : Will she captain A team or B team?B : She won’t captain B team, ...............................?

4. A : Mary has got a laptop and I think Preethi hasonetoo.

B : Oh no, Preethi hasn’t got one,................?5. A : It is a pity, his cousin made this mistake.

B : Yes, he did,...........?

244

6. A : Jane looks pretty tonight.B : Yes, she does,...........?

7. A : What do you want me to do, post the letter or buy anenvelope?B : Post the letter,.........?

UNIT VIIIIDENTIFYING PERSONS, PLACES

AND OBJECTSRelative Clauses :I. WARM UP

What is education?

Education is the weapon whose effect depends on who holdsit in his hand and at whom it is aimed.

- Joseph StalinWhat do the words ‘whose’, ‘who’, ‘whom’ refer to?Match these with the persons / things.

Whose- holder of the weaponWho - the receiver of the effect of the weaponWhom - weapon (i.e., education)

II. THEME FOCUS

Read the story of Macbeth and discuss the questions given below:

William Shakespeare was the great English dramatist who wrotemany plays, which are grouped us tragedies and comedies. Macbeth isa tragedy that tells the story of Macbeth who was a great. Thane in thecourt of Duncan, the king of Scotland.

Macbeth, one day, met three witches from whom he learnt thathe would become king one day. Lady Macbeth, wife of Macbeth wasan ambitious woman who successfully persuaded her husband to kill

245

Duncan. Macbeth, now became the king of Scotland. As KingMacbeth was afraid of other powerful Thanes, Banquo family of theThane of Fife, he killed them.

Both the king and the queen whose guilty conscience didn’t allowthem to live peacefully, were insecure all :the time. Finally Macduff, theson of slain king Duncan, gathered an army of rebels in Scotland andwaged a war against Macbeth who was killed in the battle.

This was the tragic end of a person who was ambitious in his lite.III . GRAMMAR FOCUS

• What is a relative clause?A relative clause gives more information about someone

or something referred to in a main clause. These clauses use thefollowing relative pronouns who, whose, what, where, when,which, that ........

e.g. I managed to get all the books that you asked for.Do you know the date when Joshi is going to get married?Swetha, whose work of art has won the state uwurd is mystudent.I’ll enjoy eating whatever you cook.

There are two kinds of relative clauses, defining and non-defining.

A defining relative clause is used to specify which type ofperson or thing we mean and this information helps to identify the personor thing.

e.g. The teacher who teaches Mathematics lives next to us. Abraham Stopped the Car that was driving fast.

A non-defining relative clause adds extra information about anoun and this is information is not necessary to identify the person orthing.

e.g. Vimala, who works in the computerr centre, is my friend.In written form non-defining relative clause is distinguished from

the defining one with commas. Even while saying the sentence aloudwe need lo pause at the commas.

246

Note: Read the following two sentences and find how thesentence without a pause gives a funny meaning:My wife, who lives in Bangalore, arrives here tomorrow.(non-defining)My wife who lives in Bangalore arrives here tomorrow.(defining)

IV. TASK 1: Pick out the defining or nondefining clauses:1. The lady you met last week is getting married.2. She is one of the kindest people I know.3. Sundar, who now works for Infosys, is her would-be husband.4. He has a Masters degree in IT, which I too did.5. But I still remain one among those who are unemployed and

unmarried.

TASK 2: Match the main clauses under column A with therelative clauses under column B.

A BI remember the place When she will get angryIt’s difficult to say Whichever you wantI know the reason Where we met first

You can take When there is no holiday crowdI always like to travel Why you didn’t join the job

TASK 3: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate relativeronouns in the following letter:

Dear Rita,I write this letter to apologise to you for……… had happened

yesterday. Your friend………you had sent to meet me, camelate by half an hour. I couldn’t wait long to meet him because I had anappointment that time with the doctor……… allergy clinic islocated 10 kms away from my house. So I rushed to the clinic with the hopeof returning soon. But I told my sister…. Was at home,to request your friend to wait until I returned. Your friend……..has no patience even to listen to her, immediately left.

This is for your information.Sorry again.Ruthu

247

ENGLISH FOR OCCUPATIONALPURPOSE

“ There is no real excellence in all this worldWhich can be separated from right living”

-David Starr Jordan

Schools are considered a fountain of knowledge; Some studentscome to drink, some to strip and others to gargle. In a nut-shell educatedpersonsare those who can choose wisely and courageously under anycircumstances. If they have the ability to choose between wisdom andfoolishness between good and bad, between virtuouness andvulgarities, between career and job, regardless of the academic degreesthey have, they are considered educated and worth earning a living.

This small anecdote might drive home this point. Some animalsin a forest decided to start a school. The students included a bird, asquirrel, a fish, a dog, a rabbit and a mentally retraded eel. A boardwas formed and it was decided that flying, tree climbling, swimming andburrowing would be a part of the curriculum. All animals were requiredto take all subjects.

This bird was excellent at flying and got ‘A’ grade in it, but in theother skills he failed miserably. The squirrel was great at tree climbing,but failed in swimming. The fish was the best swimmer, but was lefr outin all other skills.The dog did not join the school, and kept fighting withthe administration to include barking as a part of the curriculum. Therabbit got ‘A’ in burrowing, but while climbing the tree it landed on its headand suffered a brain damage.

The mentally retraded eel who did everything half as well as theothers, became the topper of the class. The board was happy becauseit had everybody a broad based education.

248

What a broad based education really means is that the studentshould be prepared for life without losing his /her areas of specificationor competence.

One must remember that the quality of the work and the qualityof the worker are inseparable. In today’s world pride in perfomancehas fallen down. Excellence comes when the performer takes pride indoing his best. Everyjob is a seIf- portrait of the person Who does it,regardless of ‘what the job is, whether washing cars, sweeping the floor;or painting a house. Most people forget how fast you did a job, butthey remember how well it was done.

adapted from-’You Can win’- Shiv Kera

“If a man is called to be street sweeper, he should sweep streets evenas Michielangelo painted

t or Beethoven composed music, or

Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all thehosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeperwho did his job well’’.

-.Martin Luther King, Jr.

249

A. Preparing appropriate CV/Curriculum V itae/ Resume

Fundamentals of a Good Chrological Resume

You probably have about 30 seconds to convince u potentialemployer you deserve as interview. A resume summarises youraccomplishments, your education, and your work experience, andshould reflect your strengths.

Wha follows is an outline of a typical chronological resumebest suited for entry -level job seekers or those who have stayed in thesame field. Here are the key components of a standard chronologicalresume.

Identification

It is essential that a potential employer can reach you.

This section should include your name, address, Phone number(S)and e-mail address. If you are a student, this section might also includea school address and a permanent home address.

Job Objective

A job objective is optional and should only be included for newcollege graduates and those changing careers. Otherwise, use youcover letter to show your career interests and job objective.

If you do use an objective, make sure your objective explainthe kind of work you want to do. and keep it between two to fourtyped lines.

Key Accomplishments

Some resume experts are suggesting adding a section thathighlights your key accomplishments and achievements. ‘Think of thesection as an executive summary of your resume; identifykeaccomplishments that will grab the attention of an employer.

250

This section should summarise (using nouns as keywords anddescriptors) your major accomplishments and qualifications.

This section can also be labelled “Professional Profile,” “Summarvof Accomplishments,””Key Skills,” “”Summary of ‘Qualificalions,” or“Qualifications.”

EducationFor fresh college graduates, this entry should be your next. For

others with full-lime work experience, this section should follow yourexperience section.

This section should include school{s) and colleges attended(including year of attendance), majors/minors, degrees, and honoursand awards received.

*For new graduates only: There appears to be a growing trendof employers wanting your overall percentage in this section. If youdecide to do so, make sure to use the one that puts you in the best 1ight.Professional Experience

This section can also be labelled “Experience, “Work History,”or “Employment.”

This section should include company name, your job title, datesof employment, and major accomplishments. List experiences in reversechronological order, starting with your most current experience.

List your accomplishment in bullet format (rather than paragraphformat). Avoid discussing job duties or responsibilities.

If you don’t have a lot of’ career-related job experience, considerusing transferable skills to better highlight your work experience.

Finally, make sure to use action verbs when describing youraccomplishments.

Affi liations/Inter ests

This section is optional; include only if you have space on yourresume for for. Items from this section are often used as an ice-breakerby interviewers looking to start an interview on an informal basis.

251

This section should only include professional memberships andnon-controversial activities/interests.

References

Usually applicants give the names of two references (name andaddress of two responsible persons to whom the prospective employermay approach for verifying the credentials of the applicant).

Today, many experts say this section is passe, but if you haveroom, include it. If nothing else, this section signals the end of your resume.

This section should only include a statement saying referencesare available upon request.

Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Résumé

1. Use a bulleted style to make your resume more reader-friendly . Given that employers screen resumes for between 2.5and 20 seconds, they will find your resume a lot more readable ifyou use bullet points instead of paragraph style. It’s just easier toread. Proofread carefully. Misspellings and typos are deadly on arésumé.

2. Eliminate clutter from your résumé. Several elements canclutter up your résumé and impede readability:

Unnecessary dates

Parentheses: Jobseekers have a particular tendency to set offdates of employment with parentheses. It’s easier on the readerif you just use commas.

Articles: Those little words “a,” “an,” and “the.” Generallyspeaking, resumes aren’t written in sentence form, but inconcise phrases that have become accepted shorthand thatemployers understand.

3. Make sure your resume has a sharp focus. One way tosharpen your focus is through an objective statement. Anotherway is to add a section called something like “Summary ofQualifications,” or “Profile.”

252

4. Be sure the reader will understand all the acronyms andjargon you use in your résumé. Résumés in the high -tech fieldare notorious for these mysterious terms.

5. Bonus tip: Be sure to list locations (city and state) for allyour past employers. It’s résumé protocol to do so, and employersexpect to see that information.

Preparing a Curriculum Vitae (CV)CVs and resumes both have similar purposes us marketing

documents that provide key information about your skills, experiences,education, and personal qualities that show you as the ideal candidate.Where a resume and curriculum vitae differ is their use, format, andlength.

Curriculum vitae, often called a CV or vita, tends to be usedmore for scientific and teaching positions than a resume. Thus, vitastend to provide great detail about academic and research experiences.Where resumes tend toward brevity, vitas lean toward completeness.

Unlike resumes, there is no set format to vitas. While vitas donot have the one-page rule of resumes, you need to walk the line betweenproviding a good quality of depth to showcase your qualifications andattract potential employer interest and providing too much informationthus appearing verbose and turning off potential employer interest.

The word bio-data is rarely used these days in most job circles.Earlier it was synonymous with the resume.

Typical categories or headings may include some or all of the

following:

• Personal/Contact Information

Name, address, phone number(s), e-mail

• Academic Background

Postgraduate work, graduate work / degree(s), thesis /dissertation

titles, honours, undergraduate degree(s), honours

• Professional Licenses/Certifications

253

• Academic/Teaching ExperienceCourses taught, courses introduced, innovation in teachingand evaluations

• Technical and Specialised Skills• Relate/Other Experience• Professional/Academic Honours and Awards• Professional Development

Conferences/workshops attended, other activities• Research/Scholarly Activities

-journal articles-conference proceedings-books-chapters in books-magazine articles-papers presented/workshops-work currently under submission-work in progress

• Grants• Service - academic, professional, community• Academic/Research Interests• Affiliations/Memberships• Foreign Language Abilities/Skills• Consulting• VoIunteer Work• References

SAMPLE CURRICULUM V1T AEDr. KALYANAKRISHNAN RA VISHANKAROld no: 45, New no: 16,Thiruvenkatam street, R.A.Puram,Chennai-600028Ph: 044-24653120, Mobile: 98441-56432E-maiI: [email protected]

254

ACADEMIC TRAINING

POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP- Faculty DevelopmentFellowship, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 2000-2001

EDUCATION

Doctorate in Comparative Literature, Madras University, 1999

M.Phil., in Comparative Literature, Madras University, 1996

MA., in English Literature, Presidency College, Chennai, 1994

BA., in English Literature, Presidency College, Chennai, 1991

CERTIFICA TIONS

• Diploma from CIEFL, Hyderabad -1995

• Passed UGC-1997

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Faculty of English for many years in leading colleges.

SAMPLE RESUME

Personal data:Name: Pranav Viswanath

Address: 56, plot D-500 3693, Palliyil Lane,

Ernakulam Post, Cochin.

Telephone number: 0484-324299

Date of birth: 9 January 1980

Place of birth: Cochin

Sex: Male

Nationality : Indian

Education :

1995-1999 School of Facility Management, Tejaswini

Academy of Excellence, Cochin (highervocational education)

255

1993-1995 T I A school, Kerala

Subjects: French, English, Physics, Biology,

Mathematics, Chemistry

Work experience:

1998 - 1999 Arco GmbH, Cochin, receptionist

1995 –1998 Braun Catering, Cochin. I was mainly involvedwith logistics

1993- 1994 Holiday job at a summer camp in the

Lakshadweep islands

Interests: Tennis, reading playing the guitar and travelling.I have travelled through European countries.I like reading Asian literature.

References: Frank Xavier , Sales Manager

Arco GmbH. Telephone number: 209864

Task: Read through this on line advertisement below. Basedon the above inputs decide whether you need to preparea CV or Resume. Accordingly create one which wouldsuit the requirements of the advertisement.

Designation Ace Call Centre (Customer Care)

Job Description YOU WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

Providing voice based customer support to allInternational customers, solving queries relatedto the product, maintaining and updating thecustomer and vendor database, updating theknowledge of customers related to the productline and demonstrating a professional attitudeamong peers, customers and clients

Desired Profile Candidates residing in “CHENNAI/SCR

REGION” only need apply *B.E/B.Tech /

256

BCA/MCA/B.Sc M.Sc/Engineers NEEDNOT APPLY*Candidate’s Desired Profile:1 Class XII/Diploma holder/Graduate2. Excellent communication skills3.Good command over spoken and writtenEnglish4.Good knowledge of computers5. Good telephone handling skills6. Ability to empathise with the customer7.Smart, confident and enthusiastic with a flairfor customer service8.Good analytical skills9.Open to work in NIGHT SHIFTS

Maximumexperience 0-6 months/ Freshers preferredRemuneration The best in the IndustryLocation ChennaiContact Sonika Consultant ITES Manpower Services

IndiaPvt. Ltd.Telephone 91-11-51528386Email [email protected] http://www.manpower.co.inJob Posted on 09 Dec 2003

Registered Users Click here to Apply Online

* Courtesy www.naukri.comB. Writing techniques and formats of Covering letters:Note: You have a maximum of 20 seconds to wow the reader ofyour letter, so you better maximise its impact by making itdynamic!

There is a formula that be followed as a guide to writing yourcover letters and it is critical that each cover letter be unique and specific

257

to you and to the employer. It should not be one that any applicantcould have written to any employer. Keep your cover letter brief. Nevermore than one page and it’s best to keep it well under a full page. Eachparagraph should have no more than one to three sentences. If you arewriting a cover letter that you plan to e-mail, consider shortening thecover letter to just three short paragraphs so that it runs no longer thanabout one screen, if you are using e-mail.

Fundamentals of a Dynamic Cover Letter

First Paragraph

Do not waste this opening paragraph of your cover letter. It isessential that your first paragraph sparks the employer’s interest,provides information about the benefits the employer will receive fromyou, and helps you stand out from all the other job-seekers who wantthe job.

Focus on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) - the one thingthat makes you different from all the other job-seekers - and identifyingtwo or three benefits you can offer the employer.

Second Paragraph

Provide more detail about your professional and/or academicqualifications. Give more information about how you can provide thebenefits you mention in the first paragraph. Be sure to stressaccomplishments and achievements rather than job duties andresponsibilities. Expand on specific items from your resume that arerelevant to the job you are seeking. Use solid action verbs to describeyour accomplishments and achievements.

If you do not have a lot of solid experience in the field you aretrying to enter, remember to focus on key skills that, can easily transferfrom your previous work experience to the job at hand. And if respondingto a job posting or ad, be sure to tailor this paragraph to the needsdescribed in the ad.

258

Third Paragraph

Relate yourself to the company, giving details why you should beconsidered for the position. Continue expanding tin your qualifications.You also need in do your homework to show that you know somethingabout the organisation.

Fourth Paragraph

The final paragraph of your cover letter must be proactive andrequest action. You must ask for the job interview (or a meeting) in thisparagraph. You must express your confidence that you are a perfect fitfor the job.

Cover letter Do’s and Don’ts

Here are the keys to writing successful and dynamic cover letters.Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this importantphase of job-hunting.

• Don’t ever send your resume without a cover letter.

• Do address your letter to an individual,if you know the name.

• Don’t use a gender bias, such as ‘Respected sir’ whenanswering a blind ad. It could be a woman! Say ‘RespectedSir/Madam.’

• Do send an original letter to each employer.

• Don’t use such cliches as “Enclosed please find my resume”or “As you can see on my resume enclosed herewith.”Employers can see that your resume is enclosed; they don’tneed you to tell them. Avoid wordy and trite phrases.

• Don’t send a cover letter that contains any typos, incorrectgrammar or punctuation; or with smudges and grease fromyesterday’s lunch!

• Do use simple language and uncomplicated sentence structure.Ruthlessly eliminate all unnecessary words. Follow thejournalist’s rule: Write tight!

259

• Do speak to the requirements of the job, especially whenresponding to an ad.

• Do tell the employer how you can meet his or her needs andcontribute to the company.

• Don’t rehash your resume. You’d be waiting precious spaceand the potential employer’s time if you simply repeal yourresume.

• Do avoid negativity. Negativity never has a place in a coverletter.

• Do be sure the potential employer can reach you andpersonally sign the letter, preferably with blue ink.

Read through this sample covering letter addressing an online jobthrough e-mail:

Date: Tues, 15 Dec 2003 19:52:59 -0700 (EDT)

To: [email protected]

Subject: Seasoned Sales Rep with MBA ideal for Regional Manager

[Sales]

From: archana [[email protected]]

Dear Mr. Ragesh,

Having broken sales records and exceeded sales quotas in allmy previous positions and having recently completed my MBA inmarketing from the State School of Managerial leadership at OsmaniaUniversity, I am an ideal candidate for the Regional Sales Managerposition at Marriott Vacation Club International.

As the leading sales representative of Sterling Vacation Club, Ideveloped key sales material, trained new sales reps, and reinvented theway club memberships are sold. My team’s revenue was more thandouble the average for the entire operation.

The vacation club industry is a dynamic and growing industry, andI am convinced I can help Marriott grow in its reputation anddominant position in the: industry.

260

For further information, please feel feel free call me at 98045-55234 or e-mail me. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Cordially,

Archana Ramachandran

Task: Write a covering letter for the post of a call agentfeatured in the on line advertisement mentioned earlierbased on the inputs given.

C. Filling Forms

“We sometimes get all the information,

but we refuse to get the message.”

This is an important skill for a prospective candidate - one needsto fill in the personal data, performance appraisal, tenders, invoices,DCs, the list is long. Form filling is an art which tests precision andvocabulary.

Look at the sample licence form. Read through the detailscarefully. Fill in portions relevant to you.

FORM 4

Form of Application for Licence to drive a Motor Vehicle

To

The Licensing Authority

__________________

I apply for a licence to enable me to drive vehicle of the followingdescription:

a. Motor cycle without gear

b. Motor cycle with gear

b. Invalid carriage

c. Light motor vehicle

d. Medium goods vehicle

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Paste yourphoto herea

261

f. Medium passengers motor vehicleg, Heavy goods vehicleh. Heavy passenger motor vehiclei. Road rollerj. Motor vehicle of the description

Particulars to be furnished by applicant1. Full Name2. Son/Wife/Daughter of3. Permanent address (proof to

be enclosed)4. Temporary address (Official

address (if any)5. Dateof Birth (proof of age

to be enclosed)6. Educational qualifications7. Identification mark(s)

8 Optional-BloodGroup-RhFactor

9. Have you previously helddriving licence? If so givedetails.

10. Particulars and date of everyconviction which has beenordered to be endorsed onand licence held by applicant.

11. Have you been disqualifiedfor obtaining a licence todrive? If so, for what reason?

12. Have you been subjected toa vehicle test as your fitnessor ability to drive a vehicle in

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................

..................................1. ...............................2. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

262

respect of which a licence todrive is applied for? If so, givethe following details

13. I enclose 3 copies of myrecent photograph (passportsize photograph) (Wherelaminated card is used nophotographs are required)

14. I enclose the Learner’sLicence No........................dated.................... issued byLicensing Authority ...........

15. I enclose the DrivingCertificate No................dated...........issued by.........

16. I have submitted along withthe application for Learner’sLicence the written consentof parent/guardian.

17. I have submitted along withapplication for Learner’sLicence/I enclose the medicalfitness certificate.

18. I am exempted from themedical test under Rule 6 ofthe Central Motor Vehicle:Rules. 1989

Date of Test Testing Authority Results of Test1.2.3.4.

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

.......................................

263

19. I am exempted from thepreliminary test under Rule11(2) of the Central MotorVehicle Rules, 1989.

20. I have paid the fee of

I hereby declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief the particulars

given above are true.

Date................... Signature or thumb impression or applicant.

Certificate of test of competence to drive

The applicant has passed the test prescribed under rule 15 of the Central Motor

Vehicle Rules, 1989. The test was conducted on ......................... (here enter the

registration mark and description of the vehicle) on ............................. (date)

The applicant has failed in the test

(The details of the deficiency to be listed out)

Signature of Testing Authority

Dated......................... Full name and designation

.................................

.................................

(Two specimen signatures of applicant)

D. Participating in Group discussions:

This is a conversation between a prospective applicant and acounsellor about Group Discussion:

Q. Does a company conduct Group Discussions (GDs)?

A. Yes, GD is an important part of a recruitment process.

Q. Is GD q ualifying or eliminatory in nature?

A. A Group Discussion is mostly eliminatory in nature?

Q. What is the duration of a GD, the size of the group and

number of Panelists?

.......................................

.......................................

Rs..............

264

A. The time duration for a Group Discussion is usually 15-20minutes. There are about 3 GD panels. The panel comprisesof two-three Panelists. Generally about one in two are shortlisted for the preliminary interviews.

Q. What are the topics of GD generally?

A. The topics are based on general issues.

Q. What do you think is the company trying to test in GDs?

A. In a group discussion, the company looks for people whoare willing to take initiative. They should be capable of guidingthe group through the muddle. They should also provide achance to other group members who are not contributingto the discussion. In the end, candidates are given 30 secondsof sum up the GD in their own words. This is crucialand usually highlights what the members contributed andwhether the candidates followed the discussion closely.

Q. How is one evaluated?

A. On two aspects you are evaluated:

What you say: Your comprehension of the core idea, thequality of your arguments, your knowledge of the subject,your clarity of thought. How you say: Your persuasion skills,your body language, discussion etiquette.

Q. Is there any particular dress code (formal/informal) insistedby the companies for the GD?

A. Generally there is a formal dress code.

Q. Is there any special preparation for the GDs? Anyguidelines?

A. If possible, practise with your friends a few times. In a GDjust be normal, contribute your views to the group andlisten attentively to others. Jot down the points/issues raisedas the GD progresses, as you will be asked to sum up atthe end of the discussion.

Q. Does the company repeat the GD topics?

265

A. Generally no, but it doesn’t matter in a GD since; you arebeing analysed on your leadership, communication skillsbesides others.

Q. What is the biggest mistake a candidate can make duringthe GD?

A. Do not shout. Don’t disagree with everybody in the groupeven when the other person does not have a valid point.Also do not try to hog all the limelight.

The following table categorises group dynamics and offers pointersto succeed in Group discussions:

Group Task roles Group Building roles Self-Centredroles (to beavoided)

1. Initiator 1. Supporter 1. Blocker.2. Information opinion2. Harmoniser 2. Aggressor seeker3. Information opinion3. Tension reliever 3. Recognition giver seeker4. Clarifier 4. Encourager 4. Clown5. Coordinator 5. Dominator6. Orienter

Task I: A sample Group Discussion: ‘Education in India or thelack of it’. The following points could be dis-cussedunder this topic:

[Discuss current education system. Discuss our sociologicalstructure. Poverty forces kids to drop out to supplement family income.Vicious circle-poverty due to lack of education and vice versa. Suggestsolutions to get out of this - for e.g., governments are doing a commendablejob with the mid-day meal schemes but we need more of such efforts.Going down further, why restrict it to government alone?

266

Why can’t private people, NGOs and other voluntary bodies comeforward to do the same? How about tapping corporate funds for suchcauses........etc ....]

Classify the group members according to the roles played by thembased on the table given above.

Task 2: Conduct Group Discussions on the following

topics:• ‘We don’t learn from history, we repeat it’• ‘Indian villages -our strength or our weakness?’• ‘Agrarian Economy in India - boon or bane?’

E. Career counselling bureau:

I. Read through the following career checklist leaflet beforelaunching on a career:

“Choose a job you love

and

you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

Develop a career plan. Conducting career-related research andgathering information about careers is great, but you should considerdeveloping a career plan.

Take one or more career assessment tests. If you’re unsure ofyour career direction, these tests should be one of your first steps inresearching careers.

Review books about specific careers. You can find these booksonline and in your local library.

Read about various occupations and learn about the nature of thework, working conditions, training and educational requirements, earningpotential, future job outlook, and more in the Department of Labour’sBureau of Labour Statistics.

Talk with your network of contacts - family, friends, professors,teachers, neighbours, peers, colleagues, mentors - about potentialcareers.

267

Conduct career research online. Learn more about careers, specificjobs, and jobs for specific college majors.

Explore current job openings. Different companies have differentvariations of jobs within the same career field. Join ajob club.

Go to one or more career fairs.

Visit a local job service office.

Visit your college’s career services office.

Use the Web to find industry organisations and other key careerresources. Simply go to your favourite search engine - ours isGoogle.com- and type in the name of the career and see what resultsyou get.

Find one or more trade journals related to your career choice.

Locate one or more professional associations related to your careerfield.

Task: Make a ‘To Do List’ based on the leaflet regardingyour career. Feel free to add your own inputs.

II. Read through this talk given by Mrs. Meenakshi, a renownedcareer counsellor:

THE AGONY OF CHOICE & THE ECST ASY OF DECISION

Good morning! Today let’s take a journey through the careerpath. This mind-mapping may help you choose the correct course whichwould help you choose the correct career.

The first stop on your journey should be an examination or self-assessment of your interests. What types of things excite you? Whattypes of jobs or careers appeal to you?

The second stop on your journey is an examination of yourabilities. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Whatkind of skills do you have? You can begin this self-examination bylooking at the courses you took in high school. What were your petsubjects?

268

The third stop on your journey involves examining what youvalue in work. Examples of values include: helping society, workingunder pressure group affiliation, stability, security, status, pacing, workingalone or with groups, having a positive impact on others, and manyothers.

The fourth stop on your journey is career exploration with thehelp of a checklist. Never shy away from work. Feeling overworked?Who isn’t? Even my dog is panting from overwork.......chasing its owntail!

The fifth stop on your journey is the reality check. You need tohonestly evaluate your options. Do you really value physicians and havean interest in being a doctor, but have little skills in science? Can youhonestly become a doctor? Take the reality check.

The sixth and final stop on your journey is the task of narrowingyour choices and focussing on choosing a major. Based on all yourresearch and self-assessment of the first five stops on your journey,you should now have a better idea of the careers/majors you are notinterested in pursuing as well as a handful of potential careers/majorsthat do interest you.

Let me list out a seven not-so-obvious reasons to take advantageof your campus career centre:

• Professionals who are specifically trained to assist you studentswith career-related concerns are its staff.

• The members of its staff work closely with the employerswho will someday hire you.

• It’ s the best place on campus to help you understand whatyou want to do with your life and how.

• It’s loaded with career-related resources, whether in print oron the computer.

• The more “known” you are to the career services staff, thebetter the chance a staffer will refer you to an employer lookingto fill a specific position. So familiarise yourselves with them.

269

• It’s a good place to meet other students who share yourworries.

• You’re paying for it! So make the best use of it.

Albert Schweitzer said, “Success is the key to happiness.Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, youwill be successful.” I wish you all success and happiness!

Task I: Based on the lea/let and the talk give a 5 minute,presentation on the choice of your career and thereasons for your choice.

Task 2: Get into pairs. One of you can be a counsellor and theother the student. Prepare a relevant script of questionsand answers, and enact it in class.

Glossary:

A. Preparing appropriate CV / Curriculum V itae / Resumecurriculum vitae/CV : an outline of a person’s educational and

professional historyrésumé : short descriptive summarypotential : unrealisied / latent ability or capacityaccompotential : that which is successfully completed /

achievedchronological : a sequence of events arranged in order of

occurrencecomponent : part/aspect of something more complexobjective : relating to a goal or aimprofile : a short biographical sketch of a subjectskill : special ability in a task / that which is

acquired by trainingaffiliation : being in association with a larger body /

organisationice-breaker : intended to relieve mutual shyness at a

gathering of strangerspassé : out of date / out-moded

270

typos : typographical errorclutter : objects thrown in a disorderly mannerimpede : obstructparentheses : a qualifying/explanatory phrase marked off

by bracketsacronyms : a pronounceable name made up of a series

of initial letters or parts of a wordjargon : specialised language concerned with a

particular subject, culture or professionnotorious : well known for some bad quality; infamousprotocol : formal code of behaviour and procedurebrevity : conciseness of expressionsshow case : to exhibit or displayverbose : containing excess of wordsCIEFL : Central Institute of English and Foreign

LanguagesUGD : University Grants Commissioncall centre : an office where staff carry out work

through telephone transactionsqueries : questions, doubts, clarificationsvendors : sellersempathise : power of understanding others’ feelingsfresher : one without experienceremuneration : money paid for work, service, etc.

B. Writing techniques and formats of covering letters

critical : crucialunique : being the only one / soleproactive : tending to initiate changebias : prejudice / strong opinioncliché : a word / phrase that has lost force through

over usetrite : dull, worn out commentsmudges : dirty marksreps : short form for representatives

271

C.Filling Formsprospective : looking towards the future/anticipatedtender : a formaloffer to supply goods/service at a

stated cost /rateinvoice : a document issued by a seller to a buyer

listing the goods and stating the sum ofmoney due

DC : Delivery Challanexempted : excuseddeficiency : a state of lacking something essential

D.Participating in Group Discussionscounsellor : a person who advises students on academic

and occupational choiceeliminatory : of rejecting/removingpanel : a group of persons selected to judge an

eventpreliminary : occurring beforemuddle : confusionpersuasion : the act of convincingetiquette : customs/rules governing behaviour

regarded as correct in official/social lifevalid : having legal force/effectivehog : to take more than one’s share oflimelight : a position of public attention/noticeclarifier : a person who clears doubtsco-ordinator : a person who organises thingsorientor : a person who helps to direct the group

forwardvicious : wicked/cruelvice-versa : the other way roundagrarian : related to agriculture

E.Career Counselling Bureauoutlook : a mental attitude/point of viewbureau : an office/agency providing services for the

public

272

mentor : a wise /trusted advisercareer fair : a gathering of business people to recruit /

orient prospecitive candidatessearch engine : a service provided on the internet enabling

users to search for items of interestrenowned : well knownagony : deep painecstasy : a state of excessive delight / joystatus : a social/professional position/standing

Note the pronunciationof the words given below:Curriculum vitae/vita / k@rIkj@l@m ‘vi:aI/ /vI:t@/résumé / ’rezju:meI/accomplishments / ’@kVmplISm@nts /experience / Ik’spIarI@ns/components / k@m’p@Un@nts/objective / @b’dZektIv/qualifications / kwQlIfI’keISnz /jargons / ’dZA:g@nz/protocol / ’pr@Ut@kAl /bjo-data / baI@sU-’deIt@ /advertisement / @d’v@tIsm@nt /profile / ’pr@UfaIl /dynamic / daI’n{mIk /proposition / prQp@’zISn /proactive / pr@U’{ktIv /managerial / m{n@’dZI@rI@l /recruitment / rI’kru:tm@nt /corporate / kO:p@r@t /career / k@’r I@ /affiliation / @fIlI’eISn /

exploration /ekspl@’reISn /

273

ENGLISH FOR CREATIVEPURPOSES

Language is not for simple communication. From phatic

communion to philosophical discourse, from mundance conversation to

the most powerful oration, from the everyday routine writing such as

leave letters to the formulation of highly respected literature, language

is used.

The process and evolution from the ridiculous to the sublime is

an exciting jouney in creativity.

COMPETENCIES

SPEAKING:

Preparing, organizing and delivering a speech

Proposing a vote of thanks

Delivering a welcome speech

Understanding the audience psychology while preparing,

delivering a speech

Participating in literary club activities

WRITING:

Diary Writing

Writing articles

274

Speaking

Pre-reading questions

1. Can you name some eloquent speakers of English?

2. Have you heard any impressive speeches in English or in yourmother tongue? Mention the name of the speaker, the topic andthe occasion of the speech.

3. Which aspects of the speech impressed you most – language,.delivery or the content? Give examples.

4. Mention the differences between a conversation and a speech.

Great leaders owe their fame to their skills as orators. Being aneffective speaker is still one of the best ways of achieving prominencein public life as well as influencing others in your private and businesslife. “The ability to communicate effectively with others and win theircooperation is an asset we look for in men moving to the top”. Thegreat speeches of Pandit Nehru, Swami Vivekananda, WinstonChurchill, John F. Kennedy and Right Honourable Srinivasa Sastry areas memorable as their achievements.

Success in public speaking depends on both careful preparationand effective presentation. Preparation is essential to choose andorganise appropriate material, to rehearse adequately and to build yourconfidence. The style is as important as the content. That is, how yousay is actually much more important than what you say.

I. A. Preparation and Research: Only the prepared speaker deservesto be confident. Perfect preparation doesn’t mean that you shouldmemorise your talk. If we memorise our talk word for word, we willprobably forget it when we face our listeners.

Have a clear idea about what the audience expect from you.This can be decided upon by considering the age, gender and occupationof the audience. The knowledge level of the audience and their attitudetowards the subject are to be taken into account. The language, content,tone, etc., are to be carefully chosen lo suit the audience. The occasion,

275

whether a celebration, funeral or seminar, determines what to say andhow to say. Plan your speech keeping in mind the time allotted to you.

Gathering material: You can start by writing down a simple succinctobjective far your speech. Gather your material from books,newspapers, ‘who’s who’ and encyclopaedia. Imagine yourself in theposition of a member of your audience and think of the questions hemight want to ask, and prepare the answers. Dig out plenty of appropriateanecdotes, jokes and quotations to make your presentation lively.Establish your credentials by including a brief anecdote about yourcareer.

Unlike in writing, the audience is present before you and you areface to face with them. Exploit this to your advantage. It is advisable tochoose topics you are earnest about and try to limit your subject to afew key areas you want to cover, because, the fewer points you make,the better the chance that your message will be remembered. Rehearseyour talk with your friends.

Structuring the speech: You can structure your speech in many ways:topic by topic, spatially, chronologically or using a problem and solutionstructure. Once you decide the structure, you can then start filling it.

Other Aspects: In addition to the above, the quality of your voice liketone, pitch, loudness, modulation and clarity of articulation can conveya great deal about your personality. Good posture is the natural alignmentof the body. Proper posture while speaking will create a goodimpression. Controlling your body language such as head movementand mannerisms is necessary to create a good impression. Establisheye-contact by resting your eyes on each member of the audience for afew seconds. Good pronunciation and accent tend to increase the effect.Appropriate gestures and facial expression can make your deliveryeffective. You can interact with the audience and get them involved.Dale Carnegie, a great teacher of “Public speaking” advises people toget rid of sulf-consciousness and speak with naturalness. Don’t try toimitate others. Try to develop your own style. Above all, put your heart

276

into your speech, and delivery will take care of itself. Every talkregardless of whether the speaker realizes it or not, has one of the fourmajor goals/purposes.

1. To persuade

2. To inform

3. To impress and convince

4. To entertain

A good speech is organized and structured in the followingmanner.

(i) The introduction: During this phase if you can seize your listener’sattention with your opening, you are well on the way to success. Youcan begin your talk with an interesting incident or a story from yourexperience. Creating suspense is a sure-fire method of getting yourlisteners involved. Invite direct audience involvement through questionsand requests. You can surprise the audience and challenge itsassumptions. Assure the audience that they can get something they want.Thank the organisers for asking you to speak and say how pleased youare to be there.

Here are some Don’ts.

-Do not open with an apology.

-Avoid the funny story opening.

(ii) The Body of the speech: As you are taking your audience on ajourney you need to signpost the route. At the beginning of your speech,mention the areas that you are going to cover. At various stages, remindthem to the points you have established.

As speech is transitory, it requires a lot of concentration on thepart of the listener. So, you need to spell things out more clearly.Interperse your speech with humorous anecdotes and jokes. But theyshould be relevant to the topic. Avoid hackneyed anecdotes that theaudience may have heard several times before. See that there iscoherence and proper development of ideas. Support your main ideas

277

with suitable arguments and illustration. Though statistics is useful, toomuch of it will be boring. Good speakers quote from experts to convincethe audience. Very controversial and sensitive remarks may be avoided.Appeal to people’s social aspirations and to their interest to explorenew ideas. Visual aids and audio records are another way to keep youraudience alert.

Fill your talk with illustrations, analogies and example. Humaniseyour talk by making it rich with human-interest stories. You can tellthem about your own experiences, as audiences are interested in thepersonal stories of speakers. Personalise your talk by using names. Atthe same time let it not be self-centered. Be specific and make itconvincing with details.

(iii) Conclusion: Your conclusion needs to be memorable as it is whatthe audience hea last and should leave a lasting impression in theirmemory. In the longer speeches, you would have covered much ground.So it is advisable to summarise the main points. Sum up your messagein a few sentences. An Irish politician is reported to have given thisrecipe for making a speech. “Tell them what you are going to tell them;then tell them; tell them that you have told them”. End your talk byasking the audience for response.

In case you are speaking to establish some points, your speechcan have the following organisation: issue-evidence-arguments.

1. State the issues properly.

2. Give evidence in support of your stand.

3. Argue to arrive at a conclusion using logical appeals.

Effective delivery: Apart from having a clear structure and interestingcontent, to make an impact on the audience, the delivery should bevery effective.

Though speaking impromptu or spontaneously is advisable onlyfor very accomplished speakers, this method of’ speaking withoutpreparation is admirable as a training device. The more such practice

278

a person gets, the better he will be qualified to meet real situations.There are three other usual ways of delivering a speech

If you know your subject well and feel confident, you can carrythe structure in your head and speak.

You can use notes, writing down the important points on cards,Some writers like Churchill wrote down even stage directions. Notesshould not distract you from your speech. Keep your notes close toyour body and clear off your face. Try to look up at your audiencemost of the time.

Politicians often speak, from scripts in order to safeguardthemselves against slips of the tongue which will be reported in thepress and broadcast. But the script can easily become a barrier betweenyou and your audience. So if you use this method, make a consciouseffort to adopt a conversational tone and lift your face up from the pageas often as you can. Some speakers learn their script off by heart butdeliver it with an air of spontaneity.

Effective langauge: Avoid cliches. The words and phrases shouldnot be very ornate, nor should they be so simple as to fail to challengethe mind of the audience. It is safer to use short sentences and simplelanguage, so that it ensures understanding by the audience. Certainrhetorical devices can be effectively used for getting the key pointsacross. Among the most common are repetition, contrast, etc. Hereare some of the qualities of a good speech:

1. An arresting beginning

2. Simple language

3. Short sentences

4, Well modulated voi ce

5. Audience appeal - to their emotions, reason and thoughts

6. A fitting conclusion

7. Clarity of thought

279

1. Importance of’ the ability to make a speech

2. Preparing a speech

3. Organising a speech

4. Ways of delivering a speech

5. Language effectiveness in a speech

6. Importance of body language

Successful speaking involves using appropriate expressions(forms) for the various functions. These are the conventional and well-established forms. Here is a list of such expressions appropriate forvarious functions in a speech.

Function Expression

1. Greeting Good morning/evening everybody.

Ladies and gentelmen,

My dear colleagues/students.2. Expressing happiness I’m really delighted....

I can’t say how pleased Iam ...It gives me immense pleasure to bein your midst . . .I am happy to be with you.

3. Thanking the organisersI must particularly thank....for the opportunity I am thankful to..... for this

opportunity4. Introducing the topic My topic for today is........

I am going to speak........I’d like to tell you about.......I have chosen to speak on .......My theme is.......

5. Outlining the stages or First 1 am going to deal with.....steps I’d like to divide my talk.......

Firstly I shall. then... and lastly....

280

6. Repeating Let me repeat

I’d like to say/stress that once again7. Clarifying Let me make my point clear....

To put it in simpler form....

8. Asking for opinion How do you react to this....? Any

comments?

Could 1 have your suggestion?

What do you think/fed about...?

What’s your opinion on ?

9, Checking that they Have I made myself clear?

understand Do you understand what I mean?

10. Persuading How can I persuade you?

It will be a misfortune if you cannot....I leave it-to your sense......

11, Rephrasing In other words......

To put it in other words.......

What I mean is.........

That’s to say........

12. Giving yourself time to Er .... let me see.......

think Well, you see/you know .........

Well, how shall I put it .......Just a minute......

13. Changing the subject Oh, by the way ......

Incidentally .....

Oh, before I forget........

14. Avoiding giving an Well it’s difficult to say ......opinion Well, I don’t know really ....

I’d rathcr not say anything..........

It all depends........

281

15. Introducing a story / Here is an interesting story ...

anecdote

16. Enumeration My first point is......

In the first place......

Secondly

Further......

In addition......

17. Summarising Le me sum up

Let me recapitulate

We discussed the following point

To sum up the whole thing

In summary

In short

IS. Concluding Let me conclude

Let me wind up......

Let me end my speech......

19. Complimenting/ What a nice/wonderful...

Congratulating 1 must congratulate you on......

Allow me to offer my heartiest

congratulations......

20. Thanking the I am thankful to the ..... for giving me the

audience/ opputunity.

organisers Let me convey my thanks .....

Task I: Here is the script of a famous speech. Read it andanswer the questions:

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on thecontinent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to theproposition that all men are created equal. Now, we are engaged in aCivil war, testing whether that nation, so conceived and so dedicated,

282

can long, endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We havecome to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for thosewho, here, gave their lives that the nation might live. It is altogetherfitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a large sense, wecannot dedicate.

We cannot consecrate, cannot hallow this ground. The bravemen, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far aboveour poor power lo add or detract. The world will little note, nor longremember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work,which, they fought here, have thus far nobly advanced. It is rather for usto be here dedicated to the great task remaning before us that fromthese honoured dead we take increased devotion to the cause for whichthe last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that thesedead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have anew birth of freedom - and that, government of the people, by the people,for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

1. Can you guess the speaker and the situation in which the speechwas deliverd - back ground?

2. Which sentiment of the people does the speaker exploit in thisspeech?

3. What is the speaker’s claim?

4. How has the speaker organised his speech?

5. How is thedevice of repetition handled effectively in this speech?

6. What reasons can be given for this speech having survived thepassage of time?

7. Which lines from the speech have become memorable quotes?

Task 2: Here is a famous speech from a powerful orator, madeunder special circumstances. Read the speech andanswer the questions.

In this crisis, 1 hope I may be pardoned if I do not address theHouse at any length today. I hope that many of my friends and colleagues,

283

or former colleagues, who are affected by the political reconstruction,will make all allowances for any lack of ceremony with which it hasbeen necessary to act. I would say to the House, as I said to those whohave joined Government: ‘I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tearsand sweat’.

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We havebefore us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You askus what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air,with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wagewar against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentablecatalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim?I can answer in one word: Victory-victory at all costs, victoiy in spiteof all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be: for withoutvictory, there is no survival. Let that be realised: no survival for theBritish Empire: no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages thatmankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my taskwith buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be sufferedto fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, andI say, ‘Come, then let us go forward together with our united strength!’

1. Who is the speaker and under what circumstances is the speechmade?

2. How does the speaker caution the people about the tough timeahead? Pick out the lines and phrases he uses.

3. How is repetition effectively used in this speech? Give examples.

4. Illustrate how the question-answer structure is exploited here.

5. How does the speaker end his speech in a dramatic tone?

Task 3: Read the following memorable speeches and analysetheir organisation and structure.

1. The speech of Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of religions.

2. Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech on the eve of Independence.

284

Task 4: Memorise and reproduce the above speeches before yourfriends. This is how great speakers were made.

Task 5: Prepare a speech on ‘India, the greatest democracy inthe world.’ Speak it before your class.

B. ADDRESS OF WELCOME / SPEECH OFINTRODUCTION

Though many of us may not get an opportunity to make a speech,most of us get a chance to deliver a ‘welcome speech’ (welcomeaddress) and to introduce the chief guest and the main speaker.

The speech of introduction serves the same purpose as a socialintroduction. It brings the speaker the audience together, establishesa friendly atmosphere and createsi a bond of interest between them.The success of the Meeting depends upon how you create an enthusiasticand emotional atmosphere through your opening remarks.

An introduction ought to lead us lo the inside of the topicsufficiently to make us want to hear it discussed. It ought to lead us tothe inside fuels regarding the speaker, facts that demonstrate hiscompetence for discussing the particular topic. In other words, ourintroduction o ught to sell’ the topic to the audience and it ought to sellthe speaker. And it ought to do them in the shortest possible time.

While welcoming a visitor, thoroughly prepare what you are goingto say. Though the welcome speech is short, it demands carefulpreparation. Gather your facts. These will centre around ihree items:the subject of the speaker’s talk, his qualification to speak on the subjectand his name.

Gct your biographical (acts from ‘who’s who’ or from the closefriends of the speaker. Check beforehand how he would like to beintroduced and which of his functions he wants to be highlighted, Speakabout the visitor’s achievements, how he started and how far he hascome since then. Tell the audience why he has been invited to speak.Be certain of the speaker’s name and familiarise yourself with itspronunciation.

285

Follow the T.I.S formula, which is a. handy guide in organising thefacts you have collected about the speaker:

T stands for Topic - Start your introduction by giving the exacttitle of the speaker’s topic.

I stands for Importance - Stress the importance of the topic,

S stands for ‘speaker’ - List the speaker’s outstandingqualifications, giving his name distinctly and clearly.

The introduction should be seemingly spontaneous. Don’t taketoo much time and make the audience restive, Remember that theaudience have come to listen to the speaker and not to you. Neitherover-praise nor under-praise the speaker, Look at the audience whileenunciating the speaker ‘s name. Address the chief guesl first, Rememberto address the dignitaries on the dais and welcome them. Finally extenda welcome to all those present. Here is a sample welcome speech:

A speaker has been invited for the inauguration of theLiterary Association in your school. The secretary of theassociation gives the welcome speech.

Our esteemed Chief guest, Dr. Swaminathan, respectedheadmaster, teachers and dear stud ents.

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome our chief guest. Dr.Swaminathan, on behalf of the headmaster, staff and students of thisinstitution. As you know. Dr. Swaminathan heads the department ofEnglish in the Periyar college. He is a distinguished scholar and a proliticwriter, He: is an authority on Shakesspeare’s plays and has chosen tospeak on ‘The Tragedies of Shakespeare’. We look forward to a richand rewarding experience. We are thankful to him for finding the timeto address us in spite of his busy schedule.. We extend a warm welcometo you, Sir.

Discussion: The following points have been mentioned in thewelcome speech:

286

The name and designation of the speaker

His special qualifications

The topic of his speech

A word of gratitude

Remember the following guidelines for a welcome speech:

1. Mention the purpose of the meeting and the topic of the speaker.

2. Highlight the achievements and qualifications of the speaker, toemphasise how he is the apt person to speak on the specifiedarea.

3. Assure that the audience will derive great benefit from the speech.4. Finally introduce the speaker in a dignified manner.Here are some expressions that can be used for welcomingpeople:

I am happy to welcome ........It is a great privilege to welcome ......We are happy to have in our midst ........

Task: You are the sports secretary. Anju George has beeninvited to be the Chief Guest on Sports Day. Writethe welcome speech and read it before the class.

C. VOTE OF THANKSIt is customary in all public functions to thank on behalf of the

organization, the chief guest and all those who were involved in makingthe function a success, Of course the chief guest should be thankedfirst. Courtesy demands that we should be grateful to the person whohas spent his time addressing us. Everybody who had contributed tothe success of the function should be mentioned and thanked. The voteof thanks, coming at the end of the programme has naturally to bebrief:

Here is a model:

Mr. Ravi, the secretary of the Literary Association proposes thevote of thanks at the end of the function.

287

Esteemed Chief guest, respected headmaster, teachers andfriends, it is my proud privilege to propose the vote of thanks.

We are very thankful to our chief guest Prof Ram for havingspared his valuable time to come here and preside over the function.We are deeply grateful to you sir, for your inspiring and informativespeech. We would like to thank our headmaster for his valuable guidanceand encouragement. We are extremely thank all the members of thestaff for their able guidance and help. We thank all the student membersof this association for their enthusiastic participation. We thank one andall.

Discussion :

1. The speaker is thanked and complimented for his speech.

2. We are not to express any disagreement with the speaker ‘s views.We could say a few words commending his speech.

3. All the others who have helped in organising the programme arethanked.

4. The participants and the technicians are also thanked.

Note: In modern times, the vote of thanks is very crisp, brief andinformal without resorting to adulatory adjectives.

Here are some expressions to thank:Our hearty thanks go to.......

I would like to thank.....

I cannot adequately thank......

Task: Prepare a speech thanking the Chief guest whopresided over the Children’s day function anddistributed the prizes.

II. A. DEBA TES:A debate is a demanding activity for the participants but an

entertaining one for the audience. The participant needs to have acommand of all the linguistic resources and an ability to think on hisfeet.

288

A controversial topic of current interest is chosen for the debate.One group of participants speaks in support of the proposition and theother group speaks against. In the course of the debate, all the prosand cons of the issue get analysed, There is an arbitrator who takescare of the time and discipline, and finally gives judgement about whichside has won the debate based on their effective presentation.

Debates should be conducted in a lively manner and shouldgenerate a lot of humour.

The participant should gather points in his favour and presentthem in an impressive manner. He should listen to the arguments of theopposite side and refute them effectively. He should exploit anyweakness in the opponent’s argument. He should quote interestingexamples from day-to-day life. Challenges are thrown, questions areraised and disagreements are expressed in a gentle way. Rememberthat the aim is not to win but to participate.

Task: Divide the class into two and debate on the followingtopics. Prepare some points in support of one of thepropositions and some against the other.

1. Television is harmful/useful.

2. Homework - a boon or pane

B. QUIZ:

Quiz programmes have become very popular these days. Theyare conducted to encourage students to acquire general knowledge.Questions are asked from diverse fields like science, arts, history, politics,sports and current events. There is a quiz master who asks the questions.There are students representing different classes or institutions to answerthe questions.

The quiz master needs to have a good command of the languageand fluency. He conducts the programme in a lively manner

Task I: Listen to a quiz programme on the radio or televisionand note the functional use of language.

289

Task 2: Organise a quiz band with a minimum of four questionson each of the fields mentioned above.

Writing

A. KEEPING A DIAR Y:

Keeping a diary is a habit worth cultivating. It helps us to reviewour actions during the day, to manage our time efficiently, and to monitorour progress. Writing down our goals helps to clarify them. We cannote down any new and great ideas that we have gathered from ourreading and thinking. It is helpful to keep our engagement and fulfil ourcommitments promptly. Noting down our emotional reactions later helpsus assess their correctness in an objective manner and helps us to becomemore self-possessed and conscious. The diary is a valuable documentfor future reference. lncidentally writing it in English will improve yourwriting skill.

Task: Now that you have learnt about the importance ofkeeping a diary, why don’t you start it right now?Write down all your activities during the daymentioning the time spent on each activity. Also notedown any new and interesting ideas that youhappened to read or hear. Finally make an evaluationabout how the day was spent.

B. WRITING AR TICLES

Articles are written for publication in magazines andnewspapers on topics of current interest. Writing articles requiresclarity of thought, depth of ideas and creative use of languageon the part of the writer.

The purpose may be to inform, entertain or stimulate the readerThe intellectual, emotional and linguistic level of the reader has to bekept in mind.

The language should be crisp and lucid. It should not be tootechnical. Slang, archaisms and cliches are best avoided. A style suitable

290

to the theme is chosen, The presentation should be lively and sustainthe reader’s interest.

The article is divided into paragraphs and has unity, coherenceand cohesion. Each sentence contributes to the topic ensuring unity.There is proper sequential development of ideas resulting in coherence.The sentences are linked through suitable cohesive devices or linkers.

A well-written article has proper organisation. It contains anintroductory paragraph, supporting paragraphs and a concludingparagraph.

For most of us who attempt to write an article, the problem ishow to start. To overcome this difficulty, just take a pen and a sheet ofpaper and start writing whatever comes to mind about the topic. Do’ntworry about the order, grouping or sequence. Just jot down in briefphrases. This technique is called ‘brain-storming’. The next stage isselecting the salient points and organising them into paragraphs. Thearticle should not be too long.

The technique of writing articles can be summed up as follows -Write-Edit-Rewrite.

Task I: Here is a short article. Read it and answer the ques-tions:

Science of human happiness

Science has become very important in today’s life. It plays a vitalrole in almost every part of our lives. It has changed modern life gomuch that today we can do nothing without it.

Science can be called a blessing since we owe our progress to it.It has brought everyone closer and also made lite comfortable. Today,we can go around the globe in a man matter of hours. Wecan talk topeoplewho are far away at the push of buttons.

Inventions like the washing machine, refrigerator, air conditionerand dishwasher add to our comfort levels. The introduction of the

291

television, cinema and compact discs has changed the entertainmentindustry.

Thousands of lives are saved everyday due to the progress tomedical science. No industry or office can do without computers. In-fact computers can be called the greatest invention of the modern age.

But science has also brought a lot of misery. It has createddiseases like cancer, Nuclear weapons can destroy our planet in no time.

Along the way our moral values have also suffered somedamage.People think nothing of killing others to further their own interests.Money and power have become the new Gods. We worship science butuse it to destroy our planet and fellow beings.

It is not impossible to remove al least some of the curses ofscience. We must resolve lo use it,only to make life better. We must notpollute the planet or destroy living things. We must not make more armsbut ensure that every man has food.

This way, we can build a happier world.

- courtesy ‘Young World,The Hindu’

Questions:

1. What is the main theme of the article?

2. How are the paragraphs organised?

3. What can you say about its style? Is it suitable to the theme?

4. Does it end on an optimistic or a pessimistic note?

5. What is the level of the reader to whom it is addressed?291

Task 2: Write an article describing vividly the most memorableevent in your life.

292

SUPPLEMENTARY

MODULES

293

WRITING LETTERS

COMPETENCIES

I. WRITING INFORMALLETTERS - Letters to various personal contacts

a) to relatives

b) to friends

c) to pen-friends

2. WRITING FORMAL

LITTERS - Letters for.Various functions

(a) complaining

(b) apologising

(c) asking for permission to visit

(d) requesting goods to be supplied

(placing an order)

294

Next to conversations, writing letters is the most universal,personal and warm mode of communication. We live in a world of moderngadgets. When we push a few buttons, we reach out to people. Can theyreach out and touch the heart’s chord us letters can? The arrival of themailman no longer excites us as the buzz and beep and glow of media.

It is so much easier to pick up the phone and press a few buttonsthan to put your genuine and warm feelings to paper through a pen. Aletter can last a lifetime and become part of our autobiography. Let usnot allow the art to die down.

Letters are perhaps the most commonly used form of writtencommunication. We write letters to communicate with people who are awayus. Letters can be written with a specific purpose or they may just be ameans of maintaining phatic communion and conveying our concern forothers. Writing letters is both an art and a technique. The latter can bemastered through adherence to formal conventions; the former has to becultivated, with care and deep personal interest.

Why do we write letters?

We write letters for different purposes like making a request,seeking permission, ordering supply of goods, complaining, enquiring,informing, inviting and for many more such functions.

Kinds of letters

Depending on the writer, reader and the situation, letters can bebroadly classified into formal and informal letters. Formal letters include:

- business or commercial correspondence

- official correspondence

Informal letters are written to friends, members of the family,relatives, etc. While the language of formal letters is formal and polite,that of informal letters should be informal and intimate.

295

What is a good letter?

A good letter fulfils the purpose for which it is written. It takesthe receiver into account and has clear direction. It is coherent and hasclear development of ideas. All the necessary facts and information arearranged logically and systematically. It has clarity, brevity and accuracy ll iscourteous and couched in polite and civilised language. Finally, a lettermust be a visual attraction to the reader, It can displease either throughwrong spelling and punctuation or bad handwriting and typing.

I. Informal letters:

Informal letters include all correspondence between intimatefriends, between members of a family, relatives. etc.

We write such letters for some of the purposes given below:

- to inform someone of travel arrangements, your plan of visit,birth, death, celebration, etc.

- to invite for a function -to request for help

- to make enquiries

- to ask for advice

- to offer help

- to apologise

- to accept/decline an offer

- to congratulate someone

- to express sympathy

You may write letters for other purposes also.

Format:

You can follow the following format for informal lettlers:

1. Address and date

296

2. The greeting or salutation

3. The body of the letter

4. The subscription or complimentary close

5. Signature

6. Address on the envelope

(i) Model letter :

Here is a letter written by a boy to a pen friend:15, Avenue Road,

East Cross,Salutation Sender’s address Chennai -2

12.01.04

Dear Peter,

I got your address from the list of pals in ‘The Reader’s Digest’.I selected you because lam curious to know about your city, London,about which I have read a lot in novels.

I liveinChcnnai, in South India. It is the state capital ofTamilnadu.It is a coastal on thcBay ofBengaJ. It is a centre of learning. 1 amundergraduate studying Physics.

My hobbies we reading historical novels and painting. What areeyour hobbies and what games do you play? I am eager lo know aboutyou, your family and your city. 1 would like to know about the waylanguage is spoken in different parts of England.

Expecting to hear from you.Subscription

Invisibly yours,Address on the envelope

Mr. PeterNo. 12, LCW LaneLondon – 21

®

®

®

®

297

Discussion

1. Address and date are written on the top right hand corner.The preferred form for writing the date is 15th March, 2003through one may write 15.3.2003.

2. The greeting or salutation may be ‘Dear Ravi’ or ‘My dearRahul’, or ‘My dear uncle’, if the addressee is very intimate.

3. The body of the letter: The style is informal, conversational intone and it is warm and friendly.

4. The subscription or complimentary close: For a personal letterit varies from ‘ yours affectionately’, ‘yours lovingly’, ‘yourloving friend’, ‘with love’,’lovingly yours’, etc., depending uponyour apostrophe while writing yours.

5. Signature – you may use your first name or the name by whichyou are known to the reader.

6. Address on the envelope: It should be complete and clear sothat is ensures prompt delivery.

Task 1: Imagine that you are peter. Draft a reply to Mohans’sletter.

Task 2: Arun Kumar is your pen friend. Write a letter to him.The details are given below.

Mr. Arun Kumar3, Chowranghee laneKolkatta – 5Age:19 Doing II M.B.B.S.

Hobbies: Swimming, playing cards, seeing films, cricket, tennis, andlistening to carnatic music.

(ii) Letter to relatives:Students studying in schools and colleges who are away from

home have to write to their parents regularly to tell them about theirwelfare, progress in studies and financial requirements.

298

Task 1: Here is a letter written by a student to his fatherseekingpermission to join an excursion. Read the letter and com-plete it by supplying appropriate words and phrases foreach blank.

…………………………..…………………………..…………………………..

My dear Dad,

I hope this finds you all ………………How is ………………?Convey my ……….. to her. I am ……….well. I got the…………..rank in the half-yearly examination. You will be surprised to know thatI……………….to represent my school in the Inter-school Oratoricalcontest.

Our class teacher has …………… for an excursion to Goaduring the first week of next month. All my friends are joining the tour. Itoo would ………….. to join the party. Please …………….. me twohundred rupees towards my ………….

When are you…………………here to see me? I…………..topay the amount before the 25th of this month.

Yours…………………Address on the envelope………………………………………………………….……………………………

Note: Begin such letters with enquiries about the welfare of theaddressee and convey your greetings to them.

When writing to your parents, you should tell them about yourhealth, studies and achievements. Then mention the main purpose. Youclose the letter on a personal note. The letter should exude warmth andaffection.

When writing descriptive letters, jot down the points first andthen develop them into a cohernt and cohesive discourse. Use an informal,chatty and lively style. Sequence the events properly.

299

Task 2: He are some hints, jotted down by Ravi, a student of XIStd about how he had upetit his holiday with a view to writinga tetter to his friend. Use them to write the letter:

Visited uncle at BangaloreDuration: Two weeks during summerPlaces visited: Lai Bagh, Vidhan Soudha,The Visweswarayya MuseumVisited Mysore: Krishna Raja Sagar Dam, Art Gallery, ZooSpent evening playing cricket and chessSaw the movie ‘My Fair Lady’Impact of the visitLearnt a few Kannada wordsMemorable trip in the Garden City

II. Formal lettersA formal/official letter is a matter of fact transaction. It is brief

and formal in style but courteous in language. There is no room foraffectation of any kind. We must avoid colloquialisms and slang. However,nowadays, the use of stiff impersonal style is discarded and a less formaland involved style is preferred. An ‘open punctuation’ completely omittingall punctuation marks (American style) has become common nowadays,saving a lot of typing time. The following steps are to be borne in mind inwriting Formal letters:

1. Think before you write2. Plan your letter3. Make the first draft {focus on the matter, brief, crisp style,

suitable subscription, etc)4. Edit the draft5. Present carefully-Use attractive stationery, proper layout

Parts of a formal letter

1. Address of the sender/writer preferably without name. Writethe date below your address You may write:

300

30th September. 2003

30 September, 2003

September 30, 2003 or

30-9-2003.

2. Address of the person you are writing to3. Salution or greeting –The following convention of addressing is

followed:

When you address a personDear Sir / Madam or Sir/ Madamby designationWhen you address more thanDear Sir, Sirsone personWhen you address by nameDear Mr ..../ Mrs....., / Miss

+nameKind Attention: Mr./ Mrs.(Note: If you know the

addressee’s name)

4, Body of the letter

5. Subscription or Complimentary close: If you have addressed acompany by its name or a person by his designation, end with‘yours faithfully’.If you have addressed a person by name endwith ‘yours sincerely’.

6. Signature

7. Address on the envelope

Note: The modern trend is (American) to keep the alignment to the left.

(i) Letters of complaint

We write letters of complaint to manufacturers, suppliers ordealers of goods, to public service organisations, agencies, departments,etc., when some inconvenience or damage is caused to us, some injusticeis done to us,or something needs changing in public life. The complaintshould be made to the right person. Back yourself with a

301

carefully worded and reasonable letter, in which you make absolutelyclear the cause for your complaint, and what you want to do about it.You must be extra careful not to write anything factually inaccurate.

Read the following letter of complaint written to an electronicsgoods shop about problems with a new T.V.

21.1.04

FromR.Ravi Kumar174, Alagiri Street,Lalapet,Karur District.

ToThe Manager,Varun & Co.,17, Big Bazar Street,Trichirappalli.

Sir,I bought a 21” colour TV from you on 17.104. The bill number

is 14301. I wish to point out that the remote control device is notfunctionin properly. The TV set is no better. There is no visual clarity.I wish you had checked these things meticulously before delivery.

I hope you would send your person to check up theseitems and replace them with good ones, if nessary.

Yours faithfully,Note:

1. In a letter of complaint, we• state the complaint• give the relevant details• and request remedial action

302

2. Though agitated, we should use polite language. Here aresome useful expressions for stating complaints.� I am sorry to tell you ................� I must complain about ...............� I feel constrained to complain about ...............

3. Sometimes, a mild threat to take the matter to higher authorities is not out of place.

Task: Draft a letter of commplaint to the corporation authoritiesabout the menace of stray dogs in your locality using thefollowing hints.

Balaji Nagar - full of stray dogs - pose a threat to people - somerabid - dangerouts to walk during nights - some school children bitten -request immediate steps to curtail the menace.

(ii) Letters of apology:

Accept your mistakes frankly and apologise gracefully.

The art of graceful apology is worth masgtering. We may needto write a letter of apology for not doing something, for causing delay insomething, or for not doing something well enough.

Apologies should be made sincerely but with dignity. Letters ofapology should be short and to the point, and normally written by hand.Remember, a sincere apology will go a long way in maintaining healthyrelationships between people.

Read the letter below and notice how the apology is made:25.3.04

FromK. RajeshMembership no.22120526, II AvenueAshok NagarChennai

303

ToThe LibrarianBritish Council DivisionAnna Salai

Sir,Thank you very much for your reminder regarding the book

borrowed by me from your library.

I am extremely sorry for not having returned the book “ParadiseLost,” within the due date. The fact is that I lost the book along with mybag during a bus journey. Please let me know the present price of thebook so that I can send the amount to you. As I am afflicted with con-junctivitis, I am not able to come in peron. I sincerely regret the inconve-nience caused to you.

I assure you that such lapsesj will not occur in future.

Regretfully yours,Rajesh

Note:The letter explains the circumstances for the default and ex-

presses sincere apology, and states what remedial steps are being takento set aright the lapse and reassures about future promptness.

Some more useful expressions for apologising are:

I/We apologise for................................

I/We must apologise for .......................

I/We am/are extremely sorry for................

I/We apologise sincerely for .....................

I/We regret sincerely ...........................

Task 1 : You are the manager of a bank. One of the customerscomplains about the missing entries in his account result-ing in embarrassment while withdarwing

304

mo money. You find that the entries were made in anotheraccount by mistake. Write a letter of apology to the cus-tomer.

Task 2: You had promised to look up your friend during yourtrip to Mumbai. Unfortunately you had to return fromMumbai much before your expected date of return fora valid reason (Invent one). Now back at your place,write a letter of apology to your friend explaining thereason.

(iii) Letter placing an order:

Read the following letter written by Mohan, the cultural Sec-retary of a school placing an order for prize books.

5th August 2004From

R. MohanXI Std.’B’ sectionGovt. Higher Secondary SchoolLalapetPin.641 003

ToThe Palaniappa Brothers,Book-Sellers,121, Big Bazaar Street,Tiruchirappalli

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter of 1st August enclosing yourlatest catalogue.

I shall be thankful if you could send me the following books forour school, allowing due discount.

305

1. Oxford Advanced LearnersDictionary – 2 copies

2. Harry Potter series (1 to 5) – 5 copies each3. Basic English structure – 5 copies

by Michael Swan4. Complete works of Bharathi – 5 copies

We would like to get these items before 20th. The bill in dupli-cate may be sent for payment.

Yours faithfully,.......................(R. Mohan)

Note:1. When it is the first letter on the subject, it is necessary to

introduce the subject. Some useful expressions for this purpose areI am writing to............I am writing this regarding............I am writing on account of...........I am writing because............

2. Although the letter is written to order for the supply of goods,the order is made in the form of a request. Some useful expressions for making requests are:I/We would be grateful if you could/would..........I/We would like you to................I/We would like to order.............Could you send me/us...............?Kindly send/supply..................

3. Give correct specification for the items to be supplied4. State specifically the details of the transaction i.e. whether you

are enclosing the payment, whether you like to pay later onreceipt of the bill, whether you like to receive the item by V.P.P. etc.

Task 1: As the Sports Secretary of your school, write a letter tothe Manager, Thomas Sports & Co., Chennai,orderingsports items for your school.

306

Task 2: Write a letter to the Oxford University Press for supply ofbooks of books to your school library.

(iv) Asking permission to visit an important place:

Sometimes it is necessary to write letters to the authoritiesconcerned seecking permission to visit a factory, museum, etc., with yourclassmates. Such letters should be written in polite language, well inadvance.

Readl the following letter written by a .student seeking permissionto visit a planetarium. Govt. HSS

The Administrative Officer, Kulitalai.Birla Planetarium, 21.5.03Adyar

Chennai.Sir,

I am the class pupil leader of XI standard ‘B’ section. A groupof 40 students of my class wants to visit the planetarium on 30.5.03 at10,00 a.m. We have studied about planets and stars in our school books.This visit would enrich our knowledge aboutl Cosmology.

I request you to be kind enough to grant us permission on thespecified date or on any oilier dale suitable to you.

Kindly intimate your permission so that we can plan our trip.

Yours faithfully, .....................

Read the following dialogue between two student:Ravi : Hi,Gopal. What news?Gopal : We are planning to visit Chennai in the month of

February. Why don’t you join us?Ravi : Certainty I will. Which places are you going to visit?Gopal : We want to visit the Legislative Assembly and the

museum in addition to other places of interest.Ravi : In that case, you should get prior permission. You

should write to the Assembly Secretary ..............

307

Gopal : Can you help us in drafting the letter?Ravi : Tell me the date o f visit, the number o f persons and

time.Gopal : We are a group often and we wouId I like to visit

the assembly on 12.6.03 at about 11 a.m.Ravi : OK. I shall draft it neatly.

Task: Imagine you are Ravi. Draft the letter using the abovedetails.

Further Tasks:

1. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper about the noise pollutioncaused by loud speakers in your locality.

2. Write a letter to the commissioner of the corporation complainingabout the poor maintenance of roads.

3. Write a letter to a furniture firm ordering some furniture for yournew house.

4. Write a letter to a bookseller ordering some books for your schoollibrary.

5. Draft a letter o f apology to your friend for not attending his birthdayparty due to unavoidable circumstances.

6. Write a letter to your elder brother expressing regret for yourrude behaviour.

7. Write a letter to the curator of the museum to visit it with yourclassmates.

8. Writea letter to your father seeking his permission to join thespecial coaching class for preparing for the Professional EntranceExamination.

9. Write a letter to your friend describing the KCC camp in whichyou participated.

10. Write a letter to your brother seeking his ad vie e about the courseyou should choose after completing the Hr. Sec. Course.

308

USAGEUSAGE TRAPS :

Usage refers to the customary manner in which language isspoken or written by its educated users. Usage is a. mine field. Unlessyou are careful you are likely to be trapped.

e,g. ‘The tencher was not satisfied about the performance ofthe boy’is wrong. It should be satisfied with.

Here are some common usage errors. The correct form is givenfor your guidance.. The list is not exhaustive.

able× Sophia said that the library hook was not able to be found.Ö Sophia said that she was unable to find the library book.

(OR}Ö Sophia said that she was not able to the the library book.

* The subject of be able/unable is a person not a thing.

absent

x Ramya is absent in class today.Ö Ramya is absent from class today.* We say that somone is absent from class, schoo1, work, etc.,

not in or to,alone

× She was very alone at first but then she made some friends.Ö She was very lonely at first but then she made some friends.* alone—without people around you

lonely- feeling of being along

homework× Our teachers give us a lot of homeworks and it is difficult lo

finish them.

309

Ö Our teachers give us a lot of homework and it is difficultto finish it.

* homework is used in singular form only.consult

* They decided to consult with the counselor.Ö They decided to consult a counselor.

contain× Both bottles were containing acetic acid.Ö Both bottles contained acetic acid.* ‘contain’ is not used in continuous tense

(But we say a bottle containing acetic acid)describe

× In the composition she described about her garden.Ö In the composition she described her garden.* We talk or write about something, but we describe

something.enough

× The number of cups is not sufficient enough.Ö The number o cups is noti sufficient.* Enough is not used after sufficient. Sufficient means enough.

enter× As soon as he entered into the room, w« all stood u.Ö As soon as he entered the room, we all stood up.* We enter a room, building or area, not enter into.

We say, ‘He entered into a. contract with X.’equipment

× Our laboratory has a full range of equipments.Ö Our laboratory has a full range of equipment.* Equipment is an uncountable noun and 6em no; have a plural

form.feel

× Some of us are feeling that we are given too much homework.Ö Some of us feel that we are given too much homework.

310

· When feel means to think or consider it is not used incontinuous tense

forbid× My mother had forbidden me form eating ice creamÖ My mother forbidden me to eat ice cream* We forbid someone to do something. (Not from doing

something)got

× I got two brothersÖ I have two brothers (British English) ORÖ I have got two brothers

know× We have been knowing each other since we were children.Ö We have known each other since we were children.* Know is not used in continuous tense. e.g. you must be

knowing.×late

× I was in a hurry because I didn’t want to be late to school.Ö I was in a hurry because I didn’t want to be late for school* A person is / arrives late for school, work, etc.

lighted× Our neighbourhood is beautifully lighted for Diwali.Ö Our neighbourhood is beautifully lit for Diwali.* The adjective ‘lighted’ is normally used in attributive position.

e.g. a lighted candle, a lighted cigarette.live

× My brother is living at Adyar.Ö My brother lives at Adyar

night× It was very late in the night and the streets were empty.Ö It was very late at night and the streets were empty.* We say ‘in the daytime’, ‘in the morning’, ‘in the evening’

but ‘at night’.

offspring× The parents named their offsprings after famous kings andqueens. ü The parents named their offspring after famous kings andqueens.* The plural form of offspring is offspring.

opinion× According to my opinion this cake is the best of all.ü In my opinion this cake is the best of all.

phone× I have to phone to my parents to tell them I shall be late.ü I have to phone my parents to tell them I shall be late.

reply× Please reply my letter.ü Please reply to my letter.* We answer a letter but reply to a letter.

returnx We returned back home at four o’clock.ü We ret urn ed home at four o’ c l oc k.

Return and reply contain the meaning ‘backrequest

× I am writing to request you for a loan.V I am writing to request you a loan.

We request something (without for)We say, ‘I am writing to ask you for a loan’.

seek× I am still seeking a solution to my problem.ü I am stil seeking a solution to my problem.* I look for / search for something but I seek something.

(Seek means ‘search for’)sport

× Shyam is very good at sports.

311

ü Shyam is very good at sport.

* When sport means spoil in general, it is an uncountable!

and does not have a plural form. We use sport as a countablenoun to refer to a particular sport.

eg. My favourite spoils are tennis and hockey. He likes watersports.

walk× The best way to see the village is by walk.

× The best way to see the village is by foot.

ü The best way to see the village is on foot.

* We go by car / bus / train /plant; but on foot.

what× I asked him what did he want.

ü I asked him what he wanted.

× I don’t know what am I going to do.

ü don’t know what I am going to do.

what/which× We cannot decide what trees U> plant.

ü We cannot decide which trees to plant.

* We use which when the number of possibilities or alternativeis restricted, we use what when there is no restriction.

e.g. What family would ever choose to live in a house like that?

when× Please tell me when can I come and see you.

ü Please tell me when I can come and see you.

where× Can you tell me where is the gymnasium

ü Can you tell me where the gymnasium is?

yesterday× My sister rang me up yesterday night

312

ü My sister rang me up last night.

* We say yesterday morning/afternoon/evening but

Task: Rewrite the sentences correctly:

1. The sait is an important ingredient in cooking.

2. She had scarcely heard the news then she tainted.

3. How long is the stat ion from here?’

4. When are you leaving? he queried?

5. According to my opinion, the standard of English has fallen.

6. I want to buy a blouse to match with my new saree.

7. I have been studying in this school from 1990.

8. The new Principal is not different from the previous one.

9. The soldier showed a great courage against the terrorists.

10. Happiness consists of contentment.

Using Numbers

* Day, month, minute, mite, etc., are always SINGULARwhen used (with a number) immediately before a noun: ‘a six minutewait’ a ten-second silence’,’a five-mile race’.

My travel agent had arranged a 6-day coach tour.

The company provides a three-month training course.

Compare: ‘We waited for thirty minutes,1 ‘We had a thirty-minute wait,’

* When you say 100,1000,etc., or write these number in words, usea hundred, a thousand (WITH a):

The palace was built a thousand years ago.

Compare: ‘The palace was built 1000 years ago.’

For emphasis or to be exact, it is possible to use one instead of a.

I am one hundred percent against the idea.

After a/one/five/twelve etc., the words hundred, thousand,etc. are always SINGULAR and are NOT followed by of:

313

Five hundred children are born in the city every day

More than three thousand people were there.

Similarly, of is NOT used after 100, 250, 3000, etc.If you kill 200 whales a year, they will soon disappear.

Hundreds (of), thousands (of) etc., arc used only when you give ageneral idea of how many or how much. ‘’There were hundreds of starsin the sky’. ‘They’ve spent thousands (of rupees) on improvements tothe house’.

When an ordinal number is used, the same rule as for cardinalnumbers applies.

PROBLEM PAIRS:In English there are a few pairs of words that pose considerable

challenge to the students because of their alight similarity in form andfunction.

A list of such confusing pairs is given below with their use insentences:1. Adapt-to adjust according to surroundings

A plant adapts itself according to its environment.

Adopt -to choose; to accept a child as one’s own

He had adopted a new method for solving sums.

He had adopted his brother’s daughter.

2. Affect - to cause influence; to produce a change (verb)

The regular use of drugs affects health.

Effect - influence; result (noun)

There is no effect of your advice on him.

3. Accept - to receive, not to decline (verb)

He is bound to accept my offer this time.

Except - leaving out (preposition)

All were present in the meeting except the Joint Secretary.

4. Assent - acceptance

The President of India has given his assent to the new legislation.

314

4. Ascent-rising side of a slope; rising upThe ascent to China Peak in Nainital is difficult.

5. Artist- one devoted to fine arts, especially paintingTagore was a great artist, besides being a great poet.Artiste - one devoted dance, drama and singingTo become a good artiste calls for devotion and concentration.

6: Alternate - happening by turns; every second day, leaving oneday in betweenWe play hockey or alternate days.Alternative - one of the two choices or optionsThere was no alternative left to me but to sell my watch.

7. Altogether - completelyAll his suggestions were rejected altogether.All together - all things taken togetherWe found our friends sitting all together.

8. Appraise - to assess correctlyA research work in literature is meant to appraise an authorApprise - to inform; to make one knowThe Prime Minister was apprised of the new developments bythe Army Chief.

9. Altar—place of worshipA devotee of Lord Rama offered his flowers on the altar.Alter - to changeThe present education system does not seek to alter what isoutdated in it.

10. Bridle - reins of a horse; to controlPut the saddle and the bridle on the horse.Bridal - pertaining to a bride; very much glamorousThe girl was deeked in bridal finery.

11. Break - lo divide into two or more pieces by forceWho knows what this naughty boy will break today in my house.Brake - a device to reduce the speed of vehiclesOne should not apply brakes suddenly, otherwise one will fall.

12. Bare - uncovered; naked315

The little children were lying on the bare floor.Bear-to carry; to ndure

Who can bear such intense heat?13. Canvas - a thick and coarse cloth

The school boys wear canvas shoes for physical training.Canvass - to seek votes

The candidates these days have to do nothing but canvass fortheir elections.

14. Calendar- a table of dates I receive a new calendar every year.Calendar - a machine in which cloth or paper is pressed by rollersThe cloth was put through the calender to make it smooth andglazed.

15. Compliment - respects, appreciation We sent our compliments to our friends on New year’s eve. Complement - that which completes a thing Man and woman complement each other.

16. Continuous –to go on without interruptions He made continuous efforts to succeed in the competition.Cont inua l - unceas ingIt has been raining in a continual manner since morning.

17. Council – assembly The staff council decides general questions. Counsel - advice, advocate We never give wrong counsel to anyone,

18. Conscious - the state of being awareOne should be conscious of one’s duties.Conscience-soul which guides what is right and wrongA good man is always a person with a conscience.

19. Current - a stream of water or air, prevailing situationThe Jamuna has a swift current on the west bank.The current situation is quite alarming.Currant a kind of dry fruitThose who suffer from constipation must take currants daily.

316

20. Confident - certain; to have confidence (adjective)I am confident of my achievement.Confidant- a person who becomes trustworthy (noun)The private assistant of a minister is his confidant.

21. Cite- to quotePeople cite Gandhiji even on insignificant matters.Site - location ofbuildingsThe site of Rohini complex is known to all of us.

22. Cereal - coarse grainsBarley is a cereal.Serial – in a seriesYour receipt has no serial number.

23 Diseased-affected by a diseaseHis diseased arm hung limp.Deceased-deadThe deceased left his will in favour of his son

24 Desert - barren land; to leave or abandon;The Sahara is the biggest desert in the world.His friend deserted him.Dessert - A dish of fruits and sweets, served at the endof a mealThe dessert at the end of the meal was a piece of cake.

25 Dairy - milk Industry or factoryDairy products are getting popular these days.Diary - a pocket book of daily recordsI get a new diary every year from my office.

26. Foul - dirty, nastySome people believe in ends, no matter they are achievedthrough foul means.Fowl- a species of birdsFowl provide a good dish for non-vegetarians.

27. Human- belonging to manThe human race evolved over centuries.Humane - kind, benevolent

317

Even animals are treated in a humane manner by the noble-hearted.

28. Imaginary- false, unrealCharacters in a novel are not real but imaginary.Imaginative- based on imaginationPoetry is an imaginative reproduction.

29. Legal- pertaining to lawMany legal proceedings are pending in the Indian Courts forwant of presiding officers.Lawful- sanctioned by lawMy claim to a house in the campus is lawful by virtue of myseniority

30. Loose-not tight (adjective)There is no sense in loose talk.Lose- to miss (verb)I may lose a book but not a friend.

31. Metal-an elementElectric current passes through metal.Mettle - courage The brave are those who show their mettle.

32. Momentous - importantMomentous issues are settled after great efforts.Momentary - short-livedMan runs after momentary pleasures in modern times.

33. Negligent - carelessHe is negligent of his duties and obligationNegligible - so unimportant as to be neglectedYour help to me is negligible,

34, Notorious - bad nameMansingh was a notorious dacoit.Notable - worthy of noteNehru was notable for his personal courage.

35. Principal - main, headThe principal aim of man today is to earn and hoard money.

318

Principle-doctrine

A good man changes himself but not his principle.

36. Personal- belonging to one’s own self

Personal needs are considered greater than social ones thesedays.

Personnel-employees

Government personnel have been given higher scales of pay.

37. Preposition – a part of speech to denote relation between twonouns

Prepositions are used before nouns and pronouns.

Proposition-proposal

He made an interesting proporsition.

38. Precede-to forego, to go before

Character must precede wealth in human life.

Proceed-to go on

We don’t wait for anyone; we proceed to work all alone.

39. Persecute-to cause to suffer; to treat cruelly

The Jews wersse persecuted by the Nazis during the SecondWorld War.

Prosecute-to try in a court of law

The smugglers were prosecuted under law.

40. Respectfully-full of respect

I presented my petition respectfully before the judge.

Respectively-in a serial order

You and I will meet the principal on Sunday and Mondayrespectively.

319

Task 1:Given below are two groups of words. Pair them aswords likely to be confused. Refer the dictionary andfind their meanings and use them in sentences toremove the confusion:

A B

sensual maritalscene: prefectmedal lightningstraight meddleeminent sensuouslightening straitmartial seenperfect imminentforgo farefair forego

Task 2:Fill in the gaps with one of the two words givenwithin brackets against each sentence:

1. My…..is that you should choose your career. (preposition, proposition)

2. Has writing is…..(illegible, eligible)3. A disease which spreads by contact is called…..

(infectious, contagious)4. He has invented a new device He is……

(ingenious,ingenuous)5. A good style avoids…..expression. (verbose, verbal)6. The Indians settled in America are called…..there.

(emigrants, immigrants)7. The…..of the college was present at the university.

(principal, principle)8. One has to…..himself to new conditions, (adapt, adopt)9. I want to join the military…..(corps, corpse)10. My memory…..me sometimes, (eludes, alludes)

320

11. There was a serious ..... this year. (draught, drought).

12. Some people mix…..with milk, (yoke, yolk)

13. The…… of Akbar was spectacular in history, (reign, rein)14. As a minor, he is not…..for the post. (eligible illegible)15. The…..of the slope is very steep. (decent, descent)16. No..... were served at the dinner, (deserts, desserts)17. We went to…..our friend on his marriage, (facilitate, felicitate)18. I do not know…..you will come or not. (weather, whether)19. The boys are going on a long….(vocation, vacation)20. I visit my…..for treatment everyday. (physicist, physician)21. This medicine is…..for bird flu. (prescribed, proscribed)22. Spring…..summer. (proceeds, precedes)23. Ram and Shyam visit me on…..days. (alternate, alternative)24. I do not care for…..gains. (temporary, temporal)

25. Milk is…..to health. (beneficial, beneficent)

SYNTAX MINE FIELD:Orderly or systematic arrangement of words or relationships

among words, phrases and clauses forming sentences or in brief thesentence structure and the rules governing this struture is called syntax.

This includes such areas as subject-verb agreement, tense use,the active and passive voice, comparison, question forms, etc.Any violation of the syntactic: rules will result in wrong construction,Subject-verb agreement

The verb must agree with its subject in Number and Person.e.g. Ramu goes to school on his cycle.Gopal and Gopu go to school by bus.You have three days to complete the job but he has onlytwo.If the subject is a group of words the verb must agree with the

head of the subject.e.g, An example of these substances is sugar.

321

Task: Correct the mistakes in the following sentence:

1. The effectiveness of teaching and learning depend on severalfactors.

2. One of the most serious problems that some students have arelack of motivation.

3. It was always the brightest students who was asked to answerthe question.

4. The police is investigating the incident.

5. Ten years are a investigating the incident.

6. Some of the fruit were going bed.

7. Every one of us were given a prize.

8. Neither of the governments are willing to give way.

9. Bread and butter were all we had to eat.

10. Either the landlord or his wife were telling the truth.

11. Neither Ram nor Shyam were present.

12. Neither the principal nor the teachers is in favour of the proposal.

Tense

The tense of a verb shows the time of an action or event.

When we describe or report a situation, we choose either a then’point of view or a ‘now’ point of view. If we choose, the ‘then’ point ofview we use ‘past tense’ and if we choose a ‘now’ point of view, weuse present tense. When we talk about actions ‘yet to be completed’we use ‘future tense’. Therefore Tense shows (a) the time of an action(b) the degree of its completeness.

In the following passages you can see the use of Simple Present,Past and Future tense.

Present tense

a) Can I forget! You see, I’m walking down this road, when I seethis truck coming to wards me. He’s coming right towards me. Ican tell you. He’s weaving his way through the traffic. The fellowwas drunk. I bet. I just escaped it. Just, as I said, by the skin of

322

my teeth. And I turn round to see where the fellow is going. Justbehind me this car is coming. One of those huge imported things.He is coming on his right side. I don’t blam him, not ever. Thistruck hits him. One crash! I just see the driver pf the car-ayoung man; he is opening his mouth to scream. He doesn’t scream.He’s dead, you know.

b) A hovercraft is a machine that rides on an iron-cushion. It lookslike a funnel on a platform. It can go smoothly over deserts orover the sea and it climbs easily up ramps and slopes. A hovercraftcarries a large number of passengers over both land and water.It can be used for pleasure trips or for transport. To make thehovercraft move, a part of the air, which is driven by a powerfulengine, is funneled off into jets on the deck. To make it go forward,air is blown backward; to make it go background, air is blownforward.

Past tense

No wonder all his pupils loved Socrates. But he made somedangerous enemies by his strange ways of teaching and asking questionsfor fear they would begin asking questions about what their rulers weredoing. So they accused Socrates of teaching young men wicked thingsand leading them to throw off their religion. This was false, for in factSocrates was a veryreligion. At last his enimes hasd him arrested,and he was condemned to death.

Future tense

What shall I become in future? I shall become a great dancer. Iwill train my body with rigorous exercises so that it will withstand thestrain of long hours of performances. I shall also practice yoga to keepmy body supple and my mind alert and I shall eat only such nutritiousdiet that will keep my body fit and healthy. I hope to become a popular‘Kathak’ dancer. I hope to be appreciated by people all over the world.They should applaud me wherever I go. I dream that one day my

323

photograph will be published in all newspapers. I ferventlyhope that one day my dream will be fulfilled because I am only tenyears old and have just lost my left leg in a road accident.

The verb may be used to tell us:

1) That an action is done at the present time as in I see a bird.

2) That an action was done in the past times as in I saw a bird.

3a) that an action will be done in future times as in I will see abird.

3b) that an action was, at some past time, viewed as future.(Futurein the past). E.g. He said that he would come back in twoweek’s time.

A verb, then, has three main times or Tenses, viz. the Present,the Past and the Future.

To each Tense there are four different forms which denote thecompleteness of the action:

i)Simple ii)Continuous iii) Perfect iv)Perfect continuous

When the main verb of a sentence is in the past tense, verbs inthe subordinate clauses are normally in the past tense also.Task: Correct the mistakes if any:

1. I write to you to thank for my birthday present.

2. The baby is always crying when it is hungry.

3. We are leaving Chennai on Tuesday evening and arriving inSingapore the following morning.

4. For the last three weeks the shop is closed.

5. Every year she is making two trips to Singapore.

6. Most of the children are living quite near the school.

Using ‘going to’

When we say that someone is going to do something, wecan see that the action is about to happen.

324

e.g.Careful! You are going let spill the coffee.

We use going to to express what we intend to do.

e.g. I’m going to be an actor.

When we say what we expect will happen, we normally usewill + bare infinitive.

e.g. Don’t worry I’ll get back as soon as I can.

We use going to for a future action that has been decided beforethe moment of speaking. If the action is decided at the moment ofspeaking we use will.

Compare the use of ‘going to’ and ‘wi//’ in the followingdialogue:

Manager: You know that I’m going to see Bose on Wednesday, don’t

you?

Secretary: But on Wednesday you have a meeting with the office staff.Manager: Oh, dear! In that case, I’ll see Bose on Thursday.

The decision to see Bose on Wednesday has been made beforethe moment of speaking and so the speaker uses going to. The decision tosee

Bose on Thursday is made at the moment of speaking and so thespeaker uses will.

Task: Read the following letter and rewrite using appro-priate tense forms of the verbs given in brackets.

21, Mount Silver Oaks.Tambaram, Chennai.

June 6,2004.ToThe Inspector,Police Station,EastTambaram,Chennai

325

Dear Sir,

My son P.Anbazhagan who (be) twelve years old (miss) and I(be) very anxious about him. As all my efforts to trace him (fail) I (appeal)to you for help.

He (be) a student of the Government High School, Tambaramand (study) in Std. VII. He (go) to school this morning as usual butalthough it (be) now nearly 8.00 p.m., he (not return). He generally(come) home before 5.00 p.m., every day. I (make) inquiries at theschool but the headmaster (not be able) throw any light on the matter.He (say) Anbazhagan (leave) school as usual about 4.30 p.m. and thathe (be) quite well and cheerful.

The only clue I can find (be) from one of his school friends, aboy called Ramesh Shiva who (say) he (see) my son (go) along thecanal bank at 4.30 p.m. with a man, whom be (not know). He cannotdescribe the man but (say) he (wear) a brown shirt and checked dhoti.My son (wear) a White shirt and khaki shorts. He (be) 4.5ft. tall andvery thin. He (be) very fair and (have) curly black hair, lie also (have)a broken front tooth and a mole on his chin.

I (not think) he (get) into mischief, as he (be) always a good boyand most regular to his habits, I (be) naturally very anxious for his safety.I (appeal) to you to do your best to trace him. I (hope) that you (let) meknow as soon as you (have) anything to report. I (contact) you as soonas I (get) any news or clue about him. My mobile phone number is98402-04201.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

G.Somasekar.

QUESTION FORMS:

1. In questions, the subject and auxiliary verb normally changeplaces. The auxiliary verb goes immediately before the subject.Not normally becomes n ‘t’ and is added to the end of the auxiliaryVerb. Isn’t he coming with us?

326

327

‘Why haven’t you finished yet?’

Note that in spoken wh-questions, the auxiliary is very often

contracted.‘ When’ve they sent him?’‘When’s she coming?

2. When there is no auxiliary verb, we put do/does/did/in front ofthe subject. The main verb is a bare infinitive.

3. When the wh-word or wh phrase is the subject, we do notnormally use do/does/did except when we wish to expressgreat interest or curiosity, If the children didn’t eat the chocolate,who did eat it?

Task: Correct the following questions:1 . Where you are going?2. You did not watch the T.V. programme?3. You like Chinese food?4. How long it takes to send a letter to Australia.5. Who did tell you that?6. How many drivers did finish the race?7. Does lie likes his new job?8. Can you tell me where can I buy some glass bends?9. How many children do Sitamma have?10. Do they have some children?

Question tagsQuestion tags are short questions asked by a speaker at the end

of a statement, in order to ask a question,e.g. It is hot, isn’t it?

Note:a) Question tags are always in the contracted form.b) A question tag has always a pronoun as its subject

e.g. Raju, is sleeping, isn’t he?

328

c) If the statement is in the affirmative form, the question tag is inthe negative form.

d) If the statement is in the negative, the question tag is in the positiveform

e) Everybody, everyone, none of, some of, no one lake pluralpronouns, (they)

f) In some languages, the form of a question tag never changes. InEnglish, a question tag matches the subject and verb in the previousclause.e.g. This pen is rather expensive, isn’t it?

These pens are rather expensive, aren’t they?

g) The practice of adding ‘no?’ after statements is incorrect.Task: Add suitable question tags to the following

sentences:1. The weather is fine,..............................?2. Jennifer looks very beautiful,...............................?3. We completed the work yesterday, ................................?4. No one knew the answer.............................?5. You are not angry, ..........................?6. You won’t be angry, ..........................?7. She never invites us to her house...............................?8. Gopu find Gopul are cousins,..............................?9. Everyone has gone home,..........................?10. It was really a hot day, .........................?11. Boys need not learn needlework...............................?12. You prefer tea without sugar,.............................?13. Pass me the salt,.........................?14. He got what he deserved,...........................?

There are three degrees of comparison namely positive,comparative and superlative, with the positive form, we use ‘as’ , ........‘as’ in the affirmative and not as /not so..................as in the negative.

329

e.g. A girl of sixteen is as tall as her mother.

This coffee is not as good as the one we had yesterday.

Will the comparative we use ‘than’.

e.g. Sujit is stronger than I expected.

Comparison of three or more people/ things is expressed by thesuperlative with ‘the’ ‘in’ ‘/’of ’

e.g. This is the oldest building in the city.

Sindhu is the youngest of the three sisters.

There are some comparative adjectives which are followed by‘to’ and not by ‘than’.

e.g. senior, junior, superior, inferior.

Suman was senior to me in school.

Rajan is in no way inferior to Subha,

Task: Spot the error in the sentences given below andrewrite correctly.

1. Gas is usually more cheap than electricity.

2. There are so many good shops that it is easiest for people to buy

what they want.

3. My most favourite subject is History.

4. It is oldest University in England.

5. I play more better when nobody is watching me.

6. Radha does not talk as louder as her brother does.

7. Sujatha runs fastlier than Kavitha.

8. Rajkumar is the cleverest of the king’s two sons.

9, This quality of rice is superior than the other.

10. Though he joined a month later, he was senior than the others

because his experience was counted.

330

PHRASAL VERBSPhrasal verbs are basic verbs which can combine with differentprepositions or/and adverbial partides. Sometimes the combination ofverb + preposition or/and adverbial particles results in a separate unitof meaning which may be highly idiomatic. Phrasal verbs are usedmore in speaking than in writing. The meaning of the expression isconsidered 45 a whole and not as the meaning of two separate words.

Read the dialogue given below and note how verbs are combined

with prepositions and adverbs to form phrasal verbs:

Zubir : Did you watch the the 9 o’clock news?

Sumanth : Yes, I did. I liked the way the militants have been put

down in the East.

Zubir : The government bringing down the levy on consumableswas also welcome, but the efforts which took offweek back to make up the differences among thevarious parties may not go on.

The table shows some of the phrasal verbs based on get:

No. Phrasal verb Meaning Example

1. get about circulate/move After his paralytic attack, hecannot get about withouthelp.

2. get at find Often enquiries never get atthe truth.

3. get away escape The robber got away withseveral lakhs of rupees.

4. get back i) recover If you lend him a book, it ispossession hard to get it back fromii) reach home him. After the trek we gotagain back home late.

5. get by manage Ram could never get by onhis salary alone.

331

No. Phrasal verb Meaning Example

6. get down to started It is time you got down tosome serious work.

7. get on manage/make Without Sunil, it is hard toprogress get on with this project.

8. get on live/work Sethu gets on well with allamicably and it is no surprise that he

won the school election.

9. get out of avoid I will try to get out of myresponsibility duty at the library and go to

the book fair.

10. get over recover Our English leacher isgetting over a bad attack offlu.

11 get round i) coax a Sneha got round her parentsperson and got permission to join the

adventure club.

ii) to We got round the problemovercome finally.

12. get through i) complete Tom got through hisentrance examinationsuccessfully.

ii) get I think all the lines aretelephone engaged. 1 can’t getconnection through.

13. get up i) rise from I get up at 6 o’clock everybed morning.

The music club got up aii) organise concert in aid of the flood

victims.

332

Task 1: Fill in the blanks in the sentences below in the mostappropriate way:

1. Although they had only told their parents about their engagement,the news soon gelthe village,

2. She must have made a good impression last week because she hasgot .......... to the second round of interviews for the post.

3. I love watching TV cookery programmes but when they describea recipe, it can be hard to get .......... all the details in time.

4. We get ......... only because we live very economically.5. Leela gets ............her father easily, but her mother is a stickler for

rules.6. Our literary association is getting ......... an English association.7. I had a lotl to do in the office and didn’t get ....... till eight in the

evening.8. He used to be afraid of heights but he has got ........that now.9. The boy who copied in th exam got........ with a warning.10. How are you getting .........with phrasal verbs?

The word ‘look’ is used in various contexts with the wordsconnected to it. In each context the meaning of the phrasal verbis different from the other. Refer your dictionary and find themeaning of each phrase.

Note: Just like verbs, phrasal verbs too can be transitive (when anobject is required) or intransitive (when it cannot have an object).

e.g. 1 am looking for my wallet, (transitive)

Look out! The floor is slippery (intransitive)

back

up

through

over out

for

into

after

Look

333

Here are some common phrasal verbs:do:

do away with - abolish

Schools should do away with end term examinations,

do with - need, want

I could do with something to eat,

do without - manage in the absence of a person or thing

We had to do without water for two days due to severe water

shortage.

do out of - prevent by deceit

The crook did him out of his rightful inheritance.

do up - i) redecorate ii) fasten

i) When I do this room up, I am going to paint it blue.

ii) Do up your shoe laces lest you trip.

makemake for - go towards

The famine-hit farmers were making for the city.make off - run away hurridlyThe crowd made off when they saw the policeman with the

teargas shells,make of - form an opinionWhat do you make of the whole situation?make up:

- i) come to a decisionIn the end he made up his mind.

- ii) inventSita often makes up stories to fool her friends.

- iii) endIt is time you made up your quarrel.

- iv) to put together

334

Take this prescription to the chemist. He will make it up for you.

-v) use cosmetics

Actors make up their faces before a performance,

make up for - compensate

You’ll have to work very hard to make up for the time lost.

Task 2: Add the necessary words to make phrasal verbs andcomplete the story:

Last weekend we decided to start doing ................ our bedroom.We agreed that we could do ............ the old fireplace in the corner. Aswe began to remove it from the wall we found some old picturesdone ............ in a bundle behind a loose brick. At first we could notmake ....... what was in the pictures but we wiped t hem clean andrealised they all depicted the same young man. We spent an enjoyableevening making ............ stories to explain why the pictures had beenhidden.bring

bring up - 1) raise 2) mentionThe poor widow brought up her children with no help from the

family.At the last meeting the secretary brought up the matter of

membership.bring on - cause to startThe cold weather always brings on her wheezing attack.bring about - cause to happenThe sudden demise of the head of state brought about a change

of government.bring back - re-introduceThe new budget may bring back levy that was cancelled last

year.bring down - lowerThe sudden drop in demand and the surplus stock will bring

down the cost.

335

bring (someone) round - persuadeAfter a long discussion, I brought him round to my point of

view.bring out -introduce

This publisher brings out an edition every year with the latestrecordstake

take after - resembleArjun has light eyes j usl like his mother, he takes after her.take bac k - withdrawThink before you speak for you cannot take back what yousay.lake down - writeIt is good to take down notes when you attend class.take in - 1) deceive 2) understandThe old man took us in by his stories of hard luck, but soon werealised they were his.The concept was too difficult for me to take in.lake off - 1) remove 2) leave the groundAs soon as he entered the verandah he took off his raincoat.During the busy hours a plane takes off every minute, (in largerairports)take on - employWith the US imposing restrictions on USA, the IT companies

wantto take on people with H.B visa.lake over - assume chargeMrs.Kumar will take over as the Principal, when the school

re-opens.Task 3: Reply to the questions that follow using phrasal verbs

with bring or take:1. What is the eIection ton manifesto of the opposition?

336

2. What causes your allergy?

3. Where did you live as a child?

4. How many airplanes have left the airport this morning?

5. What will you do when your teacher dictates notes?

6. How often is a weekly published?

7. How is your new business doing?

8 . Who does Sneha resemble?

9. What did the management do when the factory opened after the

lock out?

10. What will you do to make your parents agree to you?

comecome across find by chanceWhile playing in the garden Sudhir came across a snake skinand ranaway.come along - accompanyOn our class excursion three teachers came along with us.come off - 1) succeed 2) take placeWith this sort of investment, I doubt how your plan willcome off.The shopping arcade was to be inaugurated in June but it did notcome off.come out - 1) reveal 2) disappearAs a gang they deceived many, but the truth came out inthe end.The stains on my shirt did not come out even with petrol.come up- rise to the surfaceAt the meeting an important point came up for discussioncome round - 1) recover consciousness

2) finally agreeWhen we pulled him out of the water he was unconscious; thenslowly he came round.

337

My father was against my dccision to pursue a career in law; butafter the career counselling programme he came round.

go

go ahead - proceed

Those who finished the first exercise could go ahead to withthe next.

go back - return

The service was so poor and the food unpalatable that I willnever go

back to that restaurant.

go back on - break a promise

He went back on his promise to put in an extra hour of workgo off- 1)explode 2) leave

The poor soldier lost his feet when he stepped on a land mineand it went off.

It was getting dark and Sheela went off in a hurry.

go on - continue

Though the weather was bad, the mountain climbers went on toreach the peak before noon.

go out extinguish

The candle went out and we were left in the dark till we foundthe match box under the table.

go over examine

He went over the plans once again before he started hisexpeditions.

go through -1) suffer 2) examine carefully

After completing your essay go through it to ensure that there

are no mistakes.

The villagers went through a large number of difficulties afterthe floods.

338

runrun away -desertThe thief ran away with the goods and the policeman ran after

him.run down -speak ill ofRaj has the habit of running down his neighbours.run into - accidentally meetI ran into my old leacher in the market.run out - come to an endHer patience has run out.

breakbreak down - stop workingThe school bus broke down again this morning.break into - enter forciblyBurglars broke into our neighbour’s flat while they were away

on holiday.break off - endThere isn’t going to be a wedding - they have broken off theirengagement.break out -to spreadBird flu has broken out in west Asia.bring out - to expose, to highlight, to publishThe students are asked to bring out the meaning of the poem.

putput up - to stay, to lodgeIn Delhi I am put up at my uncle’s house.put down - to stop by force, to suppressThe police put down the riots soon.put forward - to advanceHe put forward arguments which were not appreciated.put in -submitI’m going to put in an application for that job.

339

put off -postpone

The meeting is put off for tomorrow.

s e e

see to /about -deal with

I must see to arrangements for the conference.

see off -go with someone about to set off on

a journey

They’ve gone to see Mary off at the airport.

see through - to discern, not to be deceived by

One can easily see through the evil design of the scheme.

turn

turn out - attended in large numbers

A large gathering turned out for the concert.

turn down - refuse

Margaret turned down their offer of promotion,

turn up - make an appearance

My elder brother suddenly turned up for the party last night.

Task 4: Read this newspaper report and rewrite afterreplacing the phrasal verbs with suitable words:

India and Brazil have agreed to support each other’s bid to getinto the UN. Security Council as permanent members.

Addressing a press conference at the Brazilian Embassy Mr.Lulasaid, “We are putting forward our demand that India, Brazil and S.Africabe represented in the U.N.Security Council as permanent members.We are drawing up plans to put up a fight for the democratisation of theUnited Nations.

“Brazil”, he said “had looked into the issue and looked throughvarious options. Trade had to be totally free. Goods should not be thevictims of subsidies.”

340

Task 5:Read the fol lowing dialogue and underl ine thephrasal verbs. Replace the phrasal verb with otherwords meaning the same:

Ramu : Hello! Gopal how are you getting on?

Gopal : Better not talk about it. I’ve been going through a hard time.

Ramu : What’s the matter, why don’t you come up with it?

Gopal : I don’t know how to put it across to you. 1 think I won’t yet

through the Exam.

Ramu : I’ve always been telling you not to put off studies till the lastminute.

Gopal : I know I will have to bring myself round to putting in regularhours of hard work. I’m so worried.

Ramu : Stop worrying and get down to studies. You can surely makeup for the time lost.

341

PHONETIC SYMBOLS

Consonants:

Symbol initial medial final

/p/ pail appeal leap

/b/ bail bubble crib

/t/ tusk letter bet

/d/ dusk leader bed

/k/ clean document clock

/g/ glean ligament clog

/f/ fine refine proof

/v/ vine reveal prove

/è/ thin athlete teeth

/ð/ them gather teethe

/s/ sue decision slice

/z/ zoo business prize

/S/ shuttle musician fresh

/Z/ - television -

/tS/ choke butcher church

/dZ/ joke magician badge

/m/ moon amend dream

/n/ noon punish mean

/N/ - finger ring

/w/ weather bewilder -

/j/ yesterday tune -

/r/ r iver tar iff -

/l/ liver believe reel

/h/ heart behave -

342

Vowels:

Symbol initial medial final

/I/ it pitch busy

/i:/ eat peach -

/U/ - look -

/u:/ ooze school flew

/æ/ animal banish -

/e/ empty better -

/Q/ orange cot -

/O/ aught caught raw

/A/ archilat market far

/Ë/ understand supper -

/@/ among banana mother

/@:/ earth bird occur

Diphthongs:

Symbol initial Medial final

/eI/ angel pain bay

/aI/ ice pine buy

/OI/ ointment boil boy

/@U/ ocean broke hero

/aU/ out doubt now

/U@/ - tourist sure

/e@/ air careful fare

/I@/ ear serious here

343

APPENDIXEnglish for Medicine

A. Listening

The patient listener

Mr. Wellington : I used to see you frequently at the doctor’s. Now

I don’t. I suppose you’re fit and well.

Mr. Illingworth : In fact, I haven’t been enjoying good health oflate. I was suffering from continuous high gradefever and severe bouts of cold. I was down withtyphoid, followed by a malarial attack. As I wasrecuperating, I slipped down the stairs andfractured my arm. I also sustained a ligamenttear in my left ankle. To top it all I almost had acardiac arrest. I was admitted in the hospital. Iwas there for ten days. I was discharged onlylast week. I’m convalescing at my son’s placenow. The neighbour over three coughs all night.I’m already suffering from insomnia. I thought Icould go over to my daughter’s place inBangalore. But you know I have wheezing, andthe climate over there might aggravate it.Moreover…..

Mr. Wellington : But what does the doctor suggest?Mr. Illingworth : Which doctor?Mr. Wellington : The doctor at the clinic, where I see you,

whenever I pass by.

Mr. Illingworth : Well, that’s my clinic, and I’m the doctor.

Mr. Wellington : ?!

344

English for Nutrition and Dietetics

A. Listening

Good afternoon. Today I would like to share with you a few tipson-

ARE YOU A GOOD STUDENT OK AN AVERAGE: STUDENT?

Who is a ‘good’ student? We think a good student is just someonewho gets good results in his studies. We also believe that good studentis one who is quiet, calm and less problematic to the teachers, parentsacid fellow-students. But here, ‘good’ means much more than all thesethings. A good student is a person who is also physically healthy (ingood condition and eating nutritious food) and menially healthy (withsound self-esteem and good stress management). A good student canmanage his time well and can enjoy - yes, enjoy - his studies.Unfortunately, research shows that the average student does not achievethese goals. Going by the above standards, are you a good student oran average student? Check out the statistics and make up your ownmind.

Good student Average StudentA person whose height/weight A person whose height/weightratio is ideal (that is,with a gap ofratio is not ideal (that is, with a100 between height in centimetresgap of more han 100 betweenand weight in kilograms). For height in centimetres and weightexample, a person who is 175 cm in kilograms). For example, atall and weight 75 kg person who is 175 cm tall but who

weighs 85 kg.A person who eats a balanced dietA person who does not have atakes in more of carbohydrates balanced diet takes in more of fatsand proteins and less of fats andand sugar and less ofsugar carbohydrates and proteins

345

Good student Average studentA person who manages his timeA person who has difficultyappropriately has the following managing his time appropriatelyschedule: has the following schedule.Daily tasks and travel -7 hours Daily tasks and travel -7Self study - 3 hours hoursExercise and hobbies - 3 hours Self study - 2.5 hoursRelaxing -3 hours Relaxing -8 hoursSleep - 8 hours Sleep -5.5 hours

346

English for Agriculture

A. Listening

Pesticide makers and GM crop:“A case of pot calling the kettle black”

Good afternoon! The Pesticides Manufacturers and FormulatorsAssociation of India has in a release claimed that genetic manipulationcan create harmful side-effects because- of insufficient testing. It couldbe a case of pot calling the kettle black.

It is interesting that the pesticide industry in the country hasdeveloped a sudden love for issues such us food safety andenvironmental hazards. But why are the pesticide manufacturersconcerned about the new technology that is known to fight pests?

Around 30 percent of pesticides marketed in developing countrieswith an estimated market value of $1900 million annually do not meetinternationally accepted quality standards. They pose a serious threat tohuman health and environment, according to the U.N.

The causes of low quality of pesticides can include both poorproduction and formulation, and the inadequate selection of chemicals.The proportion of poor-quality pesticide products in developingcountries is even higher. It was reported that one of the reasons for thesuicide deaths of cotton farmers in Andhra Pradesh a couple of yearsago was spurious pesticides that failed to protect the crop.

It is obvious that pesticide manufacturers and formulators in thecountry have to put their own house in order and ensure; that properlylabelled genuine material is marketed. Contamination caused byindiscriminate use of agro-chemicals results in great costs to theeconomy.

347

English for Engineering

A. Listening

I would like to talk to you about some new cars which havebeen on display at the motor show and explain some of their advantagesand disadvantages. You can decide to buy any one of them after youunderstand their relative merits.

The first car I want to mention is the new CLASSIC manufacturedby Simca. This car has two main advantages: firstly, it’s economical inits use of petrol and secondly it has a great many safely devices thatother cars don’t have. The big disadvantage about the CLASSIC, inmy opinion, is that it doesn’t start easily in cold weather.

The second car is the VENDETTA produced by Fiat. The goodfeature of this model is that it has so much storage space. The badthings about it are that first of all it’s very expensive for a car of this sizeand secondly the driving seat isn’t all that comfortable - at least not inmy experience for I’m one of those people with long legs.

The third car on my list is the new Ford FAV0UR1TE. What Ilike most about this car is that it’s remarkably good value for moneyand also that you can easily seat five adults without any real discomfort.The main drawback is that the engine isn’t powerful enough when thecar is fully packed, and this is very noticeable when you go uphill.

Car number four that’s the DART made by Rover-is one that willcertainly appeal to the young drivers because it has such an excitingshape - in fact it’s one of the most elegantly designed ears that I haveever seen. However the high price is likely to discourage great manypeople and one also has to remember that there’s only enough roomfor two people inside - you couldn’t even find additional space for alarge dog, let alone a child.

(Note: The names of the cars are fictitious.)

348

English for Computers

A. Listening

Good morning friends! I am happy to welcome all of you to thiscomputer fair. I would like to give a quick run through of the computerson display. On counter 5 is the Compaq Presario 2100 series from hpcomputers. We have 2132 AC, 2142 AC & 2143AP. All of them comewith MPEG2 Digital video playback, 16 Bit sound blasts compatiblestereo speakers and easy access keys. The CP 2132 has an addedadvantage of 266 .MHz system bus and an integrated wireless 802.11b(Mid PCI).

The Compaq Presario Desktop series is a no: 1 home PC. Thisseries has MV5500 15" colour monitors. The additional value add isthat it includes peripherals such as Compaq Easy Access computerkeyboard, Presario optical, PS/2 scroller mouse and Fire wire cable.

In counter 8 you have the IBM series - the Intel Pentium 4. Ituses the HT-Technology to the business Desktop series, which enablesthe processor to execute two software tasks or threads simultaneously.There is a special offer - the IBM Think pad notebook offer - Rs.54,990/- only (the two models 2684LA1 and 2684 LA2 inclusive of theircarry case). They also come with a one yr CCI global warranty.

349

English fur Business and Commerce

A. Listening

A. Excuse me. I’m sure you’ve always wanted lu buy an ice-cream

maker. It’ s getting hotter every summer. You needn’t dash off to theice-cream parlour every lime and await your turn in the long queues.All you have to do is buy this home ice-cream maker. It comes alongwild 5 free sachets of ice-cream powder, in 5 different flavours - vanilla,butter scotch, pi neapple, mango and ofcourse the favourite chocolate.Ofcourse you can always get these sachets in all supermarkets. Haven’tyou ever wanted lo have ice-creams of different shapes? Wish for a star andhere it is, ask for the moon and it’s here too. you want u spade or aclub, here they are, you have your diamond and a heart-shaped onetoo! You can thrill your friends at your birthday party. Well I’m notthrough yet. The best is yet to come. Wonder how much you must toilbefore you have your ice-cream? No sweat at all. Just keep cool. Mixtwo spoons of this powder in water and pour it into this jar of the ice-cream maker. Plug it in and switch it on. Just for a minute. You get afluffy, creamy mixture. Pour it in these cups and refrigerate for half anhour. And voila You have your ice cream. No sweat. Wouldn’t youagree? And how much do you think it’s going to cost? It’s just Rs.400/--Think of the cool scoops that you could enjoy. I think you’ve decidedto buy this Ace ice-cream maker. You simply must! Sonn you’ll scream,“I scream for ice cream”.

B. Excuse me. I work for Ace home appliances. We have introducedAce ice-cream maker, which is ideal for homes. I wonder if you’d beinterested in it? I wouldn’t take much of your time. It’s not expensive. Itcosts Rs.400/- You get these 6 cups of different shapes and 5 sachetsof ice-cream powder free in different flavours. You should mix twospoons of this powder to water and pour it in this jar and switch on theice-cream maker. After a minute, pour it in these cups and refrigeratefor half an hour, Your ice-cream will be ready. You see, it’s very easy.Is there anything else that you’d like to know?

350

English for legal purposes

A. Listening

Hearing in ‘The Newspaper’ caseagainst defamation law adjourned

Main accused in fake stamp papercase undergoes lie-detector test

POT A accused can seek bail within a year

Apex court gives Boopalanconditional bail

Trial stayed in defamation case Actress murder:CBI registers case

Delay in filing counter,.....plea hearing today

Appeal against kumariacquittal admitted

351

English for Humanities

A.Listening

We set off at 5.30 a.m. tomorrow by bus. You are expected toassemble by 5.15 a.m. at Koyambedu. We take the Nellore highway,It is a 60 km ride. Once we reach Pulicat lake, which is a million years,old, we take a boat-ride to the bird sanctuary. Pulicat is home forflamingoes, cranes, starks and a host of other birds. The stretch of landthat divides sea and lake is a strip of untouched beach. During low tidescientists pitch their tents in this area and study the pattern of flow andthe water pollution. The river mouth is fringed by an isolated casuarinagrove. Pulicat has been colonised successively by the Portugese, theDutch and later by the British. In one of the fishing villages, we will visitthe Church of Our Lady of Glory, which was once a shrine founded bythe Portugese. It is said to be one of the earliest churches in the currentMadras-Mylapore Diocese. We will also visit the Dutch cemetery whichdates back to AD 1600.

You are expected to carry with you a back-pack containingbinoculars, food and water, and tent gear for the over-night stay. Aswe may have to trek for quite a distance, it is advisable to wearcomfortable cotton clothing and a good pair of boots. A first aid kit willbe available with me. We pitch our tents by the lakeside for the night.We will reach Chennai at 8.00 p.m. the day after tomorrow.

Apex court gives Boopalanconditional bail

352

English for Mass Media and Journalism

A. Listening

National:

• ‘Save whale sharks compaign’ launched

• Eight killed in Assam, Manipur violence

• 11 killed in Orissa road mishap

International:

• 20 dead 74 hurt in Algerian plant blast

Politics:

• Omar may contest LS polls from Srinagar

Business:

• Syndicate Bank Q3 net profit at Rs.89 cr

• Major IT Cos in US to support India

Sports:

• Anand on fire at Corus tournament

• Agassi beats Larkham in straight sets

Entertainment:• Hero No.1 turnsproducer

Science:

• Kasturirangan prefers satellite to moon

Documents

Amass an Ivy League Vocabulary! - WordPress.com