My Science School

One of the things that help you write better is to know and use a lot of words. Take verbs for example. We don't just use the word "walk" for all the different ways of walking, right?

You can amble, stroll, saunter, perambulate or stride. And I am sure that there are even more words that mean "walk". So we use different words for different situations, though the action is always walking.

One exercise we routinely did in our classroom was to allot an area on one side of the blackboard to write synonyms for a chosen word that day. A popular word for this exercise was the noun "song." Do you know other words for "song"? Ditty, lay, tune, number, ballad are some of them. Today, we will do this exercise with the word "happiness." The dictionary defines the word "happiness" as "pleasure derived from attaining what you consider to be good.” The word has its roots in the Old Norse "happ”, which means "chance" or "good luck.” That makes sense – maybe happiness is a matter of luck?

"Happiness" as a noun entered the English language in the 16th century, but the adjective "happy" had been around for around 200 years before that

So what are the synonyms for "happiness"?

Exultation

Exultation is "lively or triumphant joy, generally over success or victory." It comes from the Latin "exultationem" and has been used in English since the 1400s. Exultation is what we felt when India recently beat Australia in the fourth and final Test in Brisbane.

Jubilation

Jubilation is "a feeling or loud expression of joy, or a festive celebration." This term entered English in the late 1300s from the Latin meaning "shouting for joy." Cliff Richard has used this word very well in his popular song "Congratulations."

Congratulations and celebrations When I tell everyone that you're in

love with me

Congratulations and jubilations I want the world to know I'm happy as can be

The word has also been immortalised in Simon and Garfunkel's song Cecilia: "Jubilation!

She loves me again; I fall on the floor and I'm laughing."

Rapture

Rapture is "ecstatic delight or joyful ecstasy." It comes from the Latin “raptura" meaning "abduction," "carrying away". But these are not situations to be happy about!

Over the years, the meaning changed and people took it to mean "carrying of a person to another sphere of existence". In Christian theology, the Rapture' will happen when Christ returns to earth.

Bliss

Bliss is "supreme happiness, often associated with the joy of heaven." It comes from the Old English "blis” and is related to the terms bless and blithe. These lines from Wordsworth's poem "Daffodils” bring out the meaning beautifully:

For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils

Elation

Elation is "a feeling of great joy or pride, or of exultant gladness." In Middle English "elat” meant "proud." The rd travelled from Latin, and reached English through old French.

Elation is what you feel when Kohli hits a century and India wins an ODI cricket match against Australia in the last over.

Glee

Glee is "open delight or pleasure." This term, strangely, has musical associations. At one time, the noun glee was allowed to be used to refer to entertainment of the harmonious variety. In the 17th century, people began to use the word "delight” in the place of "glee".

The word "glee” became obsolete or was used to mean "comic and this was published in dictionaries by editors. Then miraculously, "glee“ re-emerged in common usage in the late 18th century. Equally strangely, glee is now associated with taking pleasure at someone's discomfort. For example: "He gleefully admitted that he had complained about his neighbour."

Joviality

Joviality, according to the dictionary, is a state of hearty, joyous humour celebrating the spirit of good fellowship. The word comes from the Latin "lovints", meaning "of or pertaining to Jupiter," the Roman god of the sky. Was Jupiter a happy guy? Maybe!

Euphoria

Since 1727, it has been a physician's term for "condition of feeling healthy and comfortable (especially when sick)," It is a Latin medical term from the Greek "euphoria" meaning "power of enduring easily," which is from "euphoros". meaning "bearing well" from "eu", meaning "well" + "pherein" meaning "to carry".

Some medicines create a sense of euphoria. This term has existed in English since the late 1600s. Of course, all of us can be euphoric when we are extremely happy about something.

Felicity

Felicity is "the state of being happy, especially in a high degree." It's taken from the Latin root, "felix", meaning "happy, fortunate, fruitful, fertile."

It is associated with the Roman sentiment that "what produces more crops produces more happiness."

Let me add here: Both men and cats are given the name Felix.

Gaiety

Gaiety is "a state of being vivacious and cheerful.” It is from the old French "gai", meaning “joyful, agreeably charming, forward, pert.” Gaiety is what you see when a group of people are enjoying themselves at a party, a festival or a family function. For instance: Diwali was celebrated with a lot of fervour and gaiety.

 

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Before we find out what the "passive voice” is all about, let us find out what "voice" is. Voice refers to the verb that speaks either in active or passive voice. In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action shown by the verb.

Read the following sentences

(a) The car hit a tree.

(b) The painters have completed the work.

In these sentences, the subject (car, painters) acts upon the verb. What did the car do? It hit the tree. What have the painters done? They have completed the work. The sentences are framed in such a way that the subject is shown as doing the action. The action is done "on" someone or something (tree, work). This someone or something that "receives" the action is called the object (tree, work). In the above sentences, the verb is in the active voice.

Now, read these sentences

(a) The tree was hit by the car.

(b) The work has been completed by the painters.

The object has become the subject in these sentences. The subject is not acting. It is being acted upon. The subject and the verb are passive. These sentences, where the action is seen from the point of view of the object (car, work), are said to be in the passive voice. The object in the original sentence is now the subject. The method of describing the action has also changed. The verb is written in this way, but the meaning does not change. The car hit the tree. That does not change.

When you read, you will notice that a sentence in the active voice flows more smoothly and is easier to understand than the same sentence in the passive voice.

Example: We listen to good music. Good music is listened to by us. Which sentence is better?

Choose the active voice whenever possible.

Find out more about the passive voice of the verb

The first question here is, do we need the passive voice at all? Why can't we write all our sentences in the active voice and be done with it? Ha, that is not always possible.

The passive voice may be a better choice:

[1] When the doer of the action is unknown, unwanted, or not needed in the sentence.

Examples: The votes have been counted.

The wires were stolen.

[2] When the writer wishes to emphasize the action of the sentence rather than the doer of the action.

Examples: The long-jump record was broken yesterday.

The theft was investigated.

[3] For scientific writing or for describing a process.

Examples: Penicillin was discovered just before the war.

A beaker is filled with water. (The action is important, not who does it.)

Think of this scenario. You happen to break your mom's favourite vase. You know she will be furious. Your first instinct is to give her the news in the passive voice, where you do not have to mention the subject. You can say, 'The vase has been broken." By whom – the subject who did the action - can wait till she is less angry. See? You do need the passive voice, right?

Read the following speeches

See the difference in force when the speeches are expressed in the

Active Voice

A policeman to a man on a scooter: Hey, stop, stop! Why haven't you switched on the light? You can't drive a scooter without lights.

Man: But the street has lights!

(The policeman lets out the air in the scooter's tyres.)

Man: Hey, what are you doing? Policeman: You don't need air. The street has a lot of air!

Passive Voice

A policeman to a man on a scooter: Hey, stop, stop! Why hasn't the light been switched on? A scooter cannot be driven without lights.

Man: But the street has lights!

(The air in the scooter's tyres is let out by the policeman.)

Man: Hey, what is being done by you? Policeman: Air is not needed by you. The street has a lot of air!

How and when to use the passive voice

We saw how words in the active voice are changed into passive voice. In the passive voice, either the doer comes after the verb (The kite was made by the old man) or the doer is not stated (The programme was telecast.) By whom is not mentioned.

When the doer is unknown, we use words like 'someone, we', they, etc. in the active voice. In the passive voice, these words are simply dropped. By whom the action was done is not conveyed.

Let us now see how the passive voice is formed with the suitable tense of to be followed by the past participle.

[1] My neighbour drives a Jaguar. Active

A Jaguar is driven by my neighbour. Passive

[2] My neighbour drove a Jaguar. Active

A Jaguar was driven by my neighbour. Passive

[3] My neighbour will drive a Jaguar. Active

A Jaguar will be driven by my neighbour. Passive

[4] My neighbour is driving a Jaguar. Active

A jaguar is being driven by my neighbour. Passive

[5] My neighbour was driving a Jaguar. Active

A Jaguar was being driven by my neighbour. Passive

[6] My neighbour has driven a Jaguar. Active

A Jaguar has been driven by my neighbour. Passive

[7] My neighbour had driven a Jaguar. Active A Jaguar had been driven by my neighbour. Passive

When you write your subject in the plural (My neighbours) you need to make the verb plural too.

My neighbours drive a Jaguar.

The passive voice may be convenient at times. But when you write, choose the active voice first. That way you will form strong sentences. Often sentences written in the passive voice sound weak and diluted, especially when you give orders or make complaints.

 

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One of the questions we answer all our school classes is “Read the passage below and answer questions that follow.” This passage is often described as "unseen”.

That is not correct since sensor probably your teacher-has seen it right A more accurate way of describing it is familiar. Can you think of other more appropriate ways of labelling the passage?

Examining the unknown

Answering questions on a passage that you have not read before is an interesting activity

In the tense examination hall, reading a passage gives you a breather. It helps you concentrate, and if you are a regular reader, it gives you a few moments of enjoyment. And if the passage is well-chosen, say, it is a story or about a fun subject it can help you de-stress and make the writing task lighter. Do you enjoy reading these unfamiliar passages?

But then, there is the end task of writing the answers. This is no big Heal since you have the text in front of you!

Still sometimes the questions can be tricky or finding the answer may take time.

First, read

Some students prefer to read the questions before reading the passage. Fine. But a better method would be to read the passage quickly first. This is for a "global" understanding of the passage.

What is it about? Is it just about facts (for example, the description of a city) or about opinions? (for instance, 'digital technology has made us happy people'). What is the main argument in the passage?

Then, read again

Read it a second time. This is called "local" reading. This time absorb the facts and arguments. Where do you find them – in the first, - second or the third paragraph? What are the main points made by the author?

Which are the "yes" statements and which say "no"? (Yes: When the country develops we need more electricity to run our businesses and industries. No: We cannot build power plants endlessly without endangering lives and damaging the environment. Instead we should reduce our power needs and save power for essential services.)

Peruse the questions

Read the questions at the end of the passage carefully. What is asked? Often the options in multiple-choice answers resemble one another. Read carefully, sometimes just a word can make a difference in the answer.

Stay aware!

Watch out for questions like, "Which of the following is opposite to the ideas presented by the author?" OR "Which of these will make climate change worse?" [a] A [b] B & C] [c] All of the above [d] None of the above. Here, the answer will be [a], [b], [C] or [d]. Not A, B, C, D. To find the right answer, read the passage quickly to absorb what is said.

Understanding is key

Sometimes vocabulary questions ask you to find the meaning of the word as used in the passage. Make sure you understand how the word is used in the passage. For example, The company pushed its goods through aggressive marketing. "Pushed" here means "promoted."

Stick to facts

Remember, the questions should be answered with the information in the passage. Your opinion does not count. So stick to what the author says.

 

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"Making mistakes while writing is part of the learning process." said Keng Lee, knowledge adventurer & technology explorer in self directed learning. "But what is critically important is getting regular and constructive feedback, either from your [knowledgeable] friends or your English teacher or tutor."

Read, and read some more

My mantra for writing without errors has always been this: Read, read and read. Read good, well-written books, standard newspapers, novels, magazine articles and editorials. Read commentaries, analytical pieces of writing (such as: What are the consequences of global warming?').

Read daily and widely. As you read, pick articles written by people who write well, without errors. Reading widely helps you to know what the correct words and phrases are for the context. (Consider this: Do we deny the disease or prevent it?). You learn how great writers use the language to make their meaning dear. You learn how to write concisely and directly, without wasting words. Most of all, reading well-written passages helps us develop our own style.

Strive to stand out

It is a good idea to remember this: Writing well needs discipline, imagination, and some degree of writing skill, knowledge of the mechanics of writing (how to organise adverbs/adjectives, how to place verbs, punctuations marks) and an easy style to connect with the readers.

People now have a huge amount of reading choice. Will your writing stand out so that they pick yours to read? For that to happen, go through the following tips.

Avoid spelling errors

Does correct spelling matter? Yes. Poor spelling gives the impression that you are careless about your work. Bad spelling will lead to your being misunderstood. Imagine a job application with spelling errors. You certainly won't get a teacher's job! You may have great ideas, interesting stories, but these will fall flat if they are told with errors in writing.

Errors distract the reader. So take time to proofread your work before you hit the "send" button. You can use the spellcheck, but beware. Spellcheck applications do not spot contextual errors. They may not spot this error: "It is possible you’re not listed in this classroom."

Avoid grammar errors

What are grammatical errors? The major one will be a lack of agreement of the verb with the subject. Traffic in these by-lanes are blocked by parked cars. It should be "Traffi..is.". Other errors can be wrong prepositions, wrong usage of words, apostrophe misuse, poor sentence construction, inconsistency in tenses or switching active-passive verbs without making other changes.

Sure, no one can know all the rules of grammar, but we all should be able to form simple sentences without basic grammatical errors. Poor grammar confuses the reader. Reading good authors will help you form well-structured, easy-to-follow sentences.

Write your thoughts down whenever you can

This is a habit that will help you write with ease. Writing your thoughts at least once a day improves your vocabulary. The simplest form of this exercise is to describe your surroundings wherever you find yourself - in the Metro (for instance: What could be that young woman's job?), at the bus stand, at the doctor's office, in the courtyard of your school.

Just answer the '5 Ws and the H' (when, who, what, why, where and how) and add your imagination to it. You already have a descriptive essay with you! See that your mind is filled with questions and answers and find time to write down at least a few of them.

Read aloud to a friendly audience

Two things will happen when you read your finished essay to someone who cares. If you keep stumbling over words when you read, it's clear your words are not arranged well. Are you switching from active to passive voice often? Are your sentences left incomplete? Is your word-order difficult to follow? All these issues can be sorted out when you read your work aloud. The second benefit is the constructive criticism you will get. Your audience will tell you if they can follow the story and can ask you to make a few changes in the story or the narrative style. Were they able to guess the ending straight away or did they find the suspense gripping? Did they appreciate your descriptive passages? Did they find your arguments valid? In sci-fi, are your assumptions of the future logical?

Such criticism will help you improve your writing. Do not hesitate to make the suggested changes if you find them appropriate.

Proofread

Never, ever submit your work without going over it with a fine tooth-comb. Check for spelling, for grammar slip-ups. See if the sentences are made well, there are no run-ons (sentences that go on and on). Have you got your punctuation right? Are full-stops close to the last letter of the sentence? Yes, the English language is complicated, but all your reading has prepared you to write your thoughts in a simple, lucid manner, hasn't it?

Writing without errors comes ahead of writing well. Make it a habit to write error-free prose. Whether a WhatsApp message, blog post, email or a simple note, write without errors. Be conscious about this. Say what you want to say politely and unambiguously.

Make your writing neat and clear

So many businesses have been lost because the selling company could not write a neat, clear proposal. Error-free writing often stands between you and getting a good job. Once you have that eye for detecting errors and correcting them at once, go ahead and develop your own style of writing.

Error free writing is the foundation on which we build the edifice of a passage, essay, short story or a novel.

 

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Social media platforms have changed the way we communicate in one big way: we now cannot write without abbreviations and emojis. We have embraced them passionately because they are brief, and convey emotions crisply and efficiently. Our abundant use of abbreviations has made people refer to social media messaging as an 'alphabet soup'. What do we know about the various abbreviations and acronyms used?

What they are

An abbreviation is an umbrella term. Abbreviations are shortened forms of words and phrases. Mrs., Dr., Rlys. are all examples of abbreviations. [Just drop the vowels!)

Acronyms are types of abbreviations. They are made by taking the first letters of the words involved and making a word out of them. These ‘initialisms’ may be pronounced as proper words, but are written in the upper case. Examples are: WHO, UNESCO, RADAR.

Is noob (internet-speak for "newbie") an abbreviation or an acronym? You decide!

TL; DR

Tl;dr stands for "too long: didn't read."

According to one report, tl;dr was originally an insult an expression of annoyance. It was used as a reaction to a post, comment or content that the reader found long winded and wordy. It meant, "This is way too long, so I didn't read it." By 2005, tl;dr had taken on a second meaning: it was short for "summary." People began to send a "tl;dr version" of longer accounts or articles. Tl;dr can be a genuine summary of a much longer piece.

You could call it a gist the big takeaway or the moral of the story. Tl;dr can also be a simpler, sarcastic interpretation of an essay on a complex topic It is the essence of the piece. Try writing the Tl;dr version of something you want to say. You will get more people to read what you write.

H/T

There was a time when men never went out without wearing a hat. When they met people they knew in the streets, hat-wearing men tipped the brim of the hat a little bit, as a mark of recognition (Hello!) or respect (Morning, Sir!). You can't wear a hat on social media, but you still want to show respect. So you use the acronym H/T (with or without the diagonal slash). It means hat tip, or tipping the hat.

When we attach H/T to a meme, expression, image, or idea on social media, we acknowledge the original source of that post. When you forward a quote, you say, "H/T to XXX." You can also thank people - "H/T YYY for the gift."

LBS

LBS can be wielded to convey an emotion via text and social media. LBS stands for "laughing but serious." Placed at the end of a text, it tells readers that you are not hurt by what has been said, you don't take yourself seriously, but will consider the substance of the post/text. A lot is said with these few letters of the alphabet!

IMHO

This is a familiar one, right? You've seen IMHO (in my humble opinion) in texting, email and social media. It was first used in the 1980s in online forums. After a while some people began to interpret IMHO as "In my honest opinion." Now more people understand the "H" as "honest." Fine! You are probably saying that you believe in what you say.

MUA

I suspect MUA (make-up artist) gained traction with the increasing number of make-up videos that are appearing on YouTube. And they are watched by millions! The minute you see the letters MUA, the artist believes, you will want to click on it. And his/her video gets an eyeball. MUAs get huge responses on Instagram and YouTube. Videos by MUAs tell you of the artist's techniques about how to make you look better.

SWAG

I always thought SWAG was a regular English word, but it turns out it is an acronym. It stands for "stuff we all get." and it usually refers to freebies given for promoting a product. If someone trying to sell you the latest mobile phone adds SWAG at the bottom, you'll definitely want to click on it right? SWAG is a direct outcome of our buying tendencies - no freebie, no buy! There is your next acronym - NFNB, how about it?

WYD and WTP

WYD is a texting and internet acronym for “What (are) you doing?" Friends say it can also mean “What (would) you do?" Like a lot of acronyms, it started as a literal question - "What are you doing at the moment?" Then texters found out that it can be a substitute for "What's up, buddy?" an informal greeting. Now, it has taken shades of meaning, like. "Hey, what are you doing? Are you sure that's right? I don't think I approve! Stop it!" I saw one that went "If you don't support your best friend when she's sad, then wyd?" [it is a rhetorical question, meaning, "You are not doing much.") WTP too asks a question: "What's the plan?" or "What's the play?" when you want to confirm a programme for the day/evening/ weekend. Type out WTP and you get your response. Great!

HMU

The abbreviation HMU stands for a slightly complicated "hit me up." Again, it gives us an idea of what young people feel at the moment. HMU is posted to announce that the texter is looking for something to do. He/she is bored, lonely and is looking for social interaction. It is a call for people to reach out to him/ her. It is generally a one-on one exchange, where it becomes an invitation for continued interaction. It means "text me," or "call me," or simply "let's talk again." HMU can also stand for "hook me up," which is typically a request to be connected with someone or something in which you have an interest.

 

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A student just spoke to me. She said. "Madam, like, I, um, as I said before, I wanted to say this, but like....". I stopped her. I said. "What do you want to say? Form a short sentence about it in your mind and say it."

We often use words that mean nothing at all. Speaking/writing meaningless words wastes the listeners or the reader’s time. Few people have the patience to plough through the "likes" and "ums", the "as you knows" and the "as I said befores". Your examiner may even see this as a ploy to fill the page. He/she cannot be asked to wade through unnecessary words and pick the right ones.

When we use extra words and unnecessarily longer expressions, we confuse the reader. It is best to say what we want to say in a few well-chosen words. Unnecessary words are those that do not add to the meaning of what you say: they dilute your opinions and arguments: they annoy the reader/listener. While using superfluous words might be forgiveable when speaking, it is not so when you are writing.

A word which adds nothing extra to a sentence is called a pleonasm. Example: "We joined the wires together." Which word can be dropped here? [Answer: "together." Join means putting together.]

A word which merely repeats the meaning of another word in an expression is called a tautology. Pleonasm and Tautology refer to words that can be omitted. Example: DVD disc. [Omit "disc'].

Completely surrounded, completely destroyed, completely filled, completely opposite, completely finished - the modifier "completely" is redundant in all these verbs. When something is destroyed, finished, filled or surrounded, it is completely so. And opposites are not diametrically so. So the expression "completely opposite" doesn't mean anything.

Superfluous speech

The magazine "India Today" once came up with phrases that are redundant - words that are repeated and not necessary to convey your thoughts. One that jumps to mind is the expression free gift" Isn't a gift free, given with affection? There is no gift for which you pay. If you pay for something, then it is not a gift. So what is a free gift? Just say, "gift."

Then there is "general public." What is the word "general" doing here? "Public" means people in general. If you say "general public", you are saying "general, general people." This is unnecessary. Instead, say: "The public wants to know the amount spent on restoring the lake."

Watch what you say!

Ah, and this unbearable phrase "first and foremost." If something is foremost", it is clearly in the first position. Example: "There are many reasons for fevers increasing in the rainy season: the foremost among them is water stagnation." OR "First, let me give you the good news.” not "First and foremost let me give you the good news.

Have you ever said to friends/family. "I have/I want the exact same dress!" if you do, stop saying that. "Same" means "exact. If the two are not the same, we would say, "similar." By the way, you cannot have the "same" dress, unless the person wearing it is willing to give it to you. So the sentence will be. "I want a dress exactly like that one."

Another often-misused word is "advance". "Advance" means "beforehand". Similarly, "planning" is doing something beforehand. Then why would you say, "advance planning"? OR "advance warming" OR "advance reservations? "Warning" and "reservations are done before an event happens, right? The word "advance" in these expressions is superfluous. Just say. "Approach counter number one for reservations."

And please do not write "add up." The word "up is redundant here. It does not add to the meaning of this phrase. When you add, you make a sum. Why would you "up" it?

You do not "ask a question." You merely "ask. Asking means "posing a question." Example: "She asked if she could get a ticket for the movie."

What not to say

Why would you say "ATM machines" when ATM stands for Automated Teller Machines?

Why would you say "ECR Road” when ECR stands for East Coast Road?

Why would you say "LPG gas" when LPG stands for Liquefied Petroleum Gas?

When you use an abbreviation, it is a good idea to find out what the letters stand for.

And what is the meaning of "all-time record"? "Record" is when you achieve a goal that others have not. Any record is for all time, till it is broken. Say: "Winning all three awards was a record for India."

Think before you write!

Do not add "basic" to "fundamentals", "necessities", "essentials." By their nature, "fundamentals", necessities" and "essentials” are basic. So the word "basic" is unnecessary. Example: "Food, water and a roof are necessities for every human being."

How many times have we heard people say "brief moment" or "brief summary"? A moment is brief, and a summary is brief. If it is long, it cannot be called a summary. It becomes an essay. A moment cannot be long unless the author wants to create a feeling of time passing. So "brief moment" and "brief summary" do not make sense at all.

Objectionable phrases

Writers also object to the phrase "empty space." Their argument space refers to a continuous area or expanse that is free, unoccupied, available. "Space" is essentially empty. The word "empty is redundant. Example: "We have enough space for ten people here."

The expression "few in number” is wrong for several reasons. First, the adjective "few' means almost nil or negligible in number. The word "few" is used only with countable nouns. "Few" already means "a small number." Example: "Few people will support the idea that children need not know handwork." If you want to use "few" to convey a certain small number, simply say, "a few." Example: A few students have volunteered to help with the arrangements. NOT "A few in number'.

Avoid saying "new innovation" and "added bonus."

 

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Black Humour

Meaning: Black humour or black comedy is a style of writing where the author highlights serious issues through comedy.

History: The term comes from the French l'humour noire and was coined by Andre Breton around 1940. This phrase was first used in English in 1965. Dark humour and dark comedy refer to an extreme kind of satire.

The concept of presenting serious issues through comedy has been around for a very long time - only the phrase labelling it is relatively new. A famous example of black comedy is in Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal", published in 1729. [Jonathan Swift wrote "Gulliver's Travels too]. In the book, Swift made outlandish statements like "the British should eat Irish babies."

These statements brought attention to the problem of Irish poverty. The colour black was a natural choice for this idiom because of the horror involved in both the fiction (eating babies) and the reality (starvation).

A bolt from the blue/ out of the blue

Meaning: A complete surprise, like a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky.

History: The earliest use of this phrase was in Thomas Carlyle's book "The French Revolution", published in 1837: "Arrestment sudden really as a bolt out of the Blue, has hit strange victims."

It is possible that the English version of this expression came from the work of the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus, better known as Horace. Carlyle probably read Horace's "Odes".

Red-Handed

Meaning: Caught in the act of a crime, as in "The thief was caught red-handed when burgling the shop."

History: The use of the colour red in the phrase comes from the colour of blood. There was blood on a murderers hand when he was caught in the act, so he was caught red-handed. Now it extends to all crimes. Scottish legal papers began to use the word "red-hand" in 1432. The phrase "red-handed" was first seen in print in 1819, when Sir Walter Scott used it in his novel "Ivanhoe". The hyphenated word became instantly popular.

Yellow Journalism

Meaning: Sensational journalism. It was a form of reporting that was extremely popular in the late 19th century. In yellow journalism, facts are exaggerated and unverified details are added, to make the report "interesting" for the readers.

History: In the final years of the 19th century, there was acute rivalry between newspaper magnates Joseph Pulitzer, owner of the "New York World", and William Randolph Hearst, owner of the "Journal". Each wanted to outdo the other in the sale of his newspaper and tried many methods to do this.

"New York World" published a popular cartoon that featured a character called the Yellow Kid, and the cartoon increased sales tremendously. The Journal at once lured the artist with better pay to work for them. And this started a "We'll pay you more war. In the meantime, the papers increased circulation by reporting on the Cuban struggle for independence, and both didn't hesitate to bend the truth to catch the readers’ attention.

Rose-Coloured Glasses

Meaning: Being optimistic as in "in spite of his failures he has learnt the art of seeing the world through rose coloured/rose-tinted glasses." It means he is hopeful that things will change for the better. The phrase has been in use since the 16th century. However, Merriam-Webster.com dates this idiom to 1926.

History: Why should the world be "rosy" (and not green, yellow or maroon?) when you have a positive attitude? One theory is from the Victorian times when it was believed that an artist could improve a painting by adding extra roses to it. The second theory is that early mapmakers wiped their glasses with rose petals to keep them clean so they could put in minute details in their maps. Maps, in those days, were drawn by hand. A third theory is even more interesting in the early 1900s, some farmers stuck rose coloured glasses (goggles) on their chickens so that they would not eat other chickens. The farmers believed that the glasses would prevent the chickens from recognising blood on other chickens, Blood made them attack those chickens. Were the fanners being overly optimistic?

Blue blood

Meaning: The blood which is supposed to flow in the veins of old and aristocratic families

History: The phrase comes from the Spanish "sangre azul.” Some old families in Castile in Spain said they had "pure" blood since they never married outsiders. Why "blue"? Probably because the veins of people who were very fair stood out in blue against their skin.

In 1834, this is what the Anglo-Irish children's writer Maria Edgeworth wrote in her novel "Helen."

"[Someone] from Spain, of high rank and birth, of the sangre azul the blue blood.” Today, a blue spot on your skin means you have knocked that part of the body against an object (for instance, your thigh against a table)

If your toes or fingertips are blue it may be because you have stayed out in the cold for too long. It shows poor blood circulation.

Baby blues

Meaning: Feelings of depression or anxiety, experienced by some mothers following childbirth.

History: Before World War II, the term "baby blue" simply meant a colour. If someone said, "Look, that's baby blue the listener would have thought he was talking about eye colour. A lot of babies are born with blue eyes because of a lack of a pigment called melanin. But this gets corrected when they grow a little older.

In the 1940s, people began to use the term "baby blues to mean the depression some mothers suffered after childbirth. In his best-selling baby-care book "Expectant Motherhood", in 1940, Nicholson J. Eastman wrote: "Most common among such reactions, perhaps is what is colloquially called the Baby Blues.

Tickled Pink

Meaning: This is an idiom meaning "delighted".  

History: The phrase came into use in 1922. It comes from the observation that your complexion becomes flushed and pinkish when you are tickled. If you are tickling someone, be careful not to hurt them. Then their face will go all red with anger! Laughing when being tickled is an automatic response.

 

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Here is something to think about. Would you agree if I said that alphabets are some of the most significant inventions in the history of human civilisation?

We use the 26 letters of the English language every day in some way or the other. We write notes, headlines, letters, stories, poems. Using these symbols with sounds. Have we ever stopped to wonder where these letters (or symbols) came from? And why do they look like this (example - "A") and not like something else? I read an interesting piece on the English alphabet by Richard Nordquist in ThoughtCo.com, where the author gives us quick facts about the English alphabet. Like many of the words we use, the word alphabet comes from two Greek words, 'alpha and beta'. 'Alpha' and 'beta' are the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet. These words were taken from Semitic names for the symbols ox (aleph) and house (beth). That makes Semitic one of the oldest languages in the world.

Semitic, Greek, Roman

The original Semitic language had a set of 30 signs. All these were consonants. This alphabet was used in ancient Phoenicia around 1600 B.C. Most scholars believe it is the ancestor of all later alphabets. One exception was perhaps the Korean Hangul script, created in the 15th Century.

Around 1000 B.C., the Greeks adopted the Semitic alphabet. When they found no vowels in it, they converted some of the symbols in the Semitic alphabet into vowel sounds.

Later, the Romans developed their own version of the Greek (or lonic) alphabet. Historians tell us that the Roman alphabet was adopted by the Irish and then reached England sometime during the early period of Old English (5th Century to 12th Century).

In the last 1,000 years, the English alphabet has changed a little. Some of the letters have been deleted, and new functions have been given to some of the old letters.

If you ignore these alterations, our modern English alphabet remains quite similar to the Roman alphabet we inherited from the Irish.

Languages that use the Roman Alphabet

According to Richard Nordquist, some 100 languages have adopted the Roman alphabet. That means nearly 2 billion people across the world use it. Well, it is the world's most popular script.

In 2004, David Sacks wrote in his book "Letter Perfect": "There are variations of the Roman alphabet: For example, English employs 26 letters, Finnish, 21: Croatian, 30. But at the core are the 23 letters of ancient Rome. (The Romans did not have J, V, and W.)"

That brings us to the number of sounds. How many sounds are there in the English language? There are more than 40 distinct sounds. These are called phonemes. Forty sounds and 26 letters to represent them? The math doesn't work out right? So, most letters stand for more than one sound

For example, you know how the consonant "C" works. It is pronounced in three different ways. Check out these words: case. cider, cherish (the last when combined with "h").

Majuscules and minuscules

The use of capital and small letters (upper and lower case letters) is a unique concept in English. Capital letters are called Majuscules (from Latin 'majusculus, meaning large). Small or lower-case letters are called Minuscules (from the Latin minusculus', meaning small).

The combination of majuscules and minuscules in a single language system (the dual alphabet) first appeared in a form of writing named after Emperor Charlemagne (742-814), the "Carolingian minuscule."

Have you come across a sentence that contains all the 26 letters? Can you form one? If you can, did you know that such sentences have a name? They are called pangrams. The best-known example of a pangram is: 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

Another interesting fact about the English alphabet is that a sentence or a paragraph can be written after deliberately excluding a letter of the alphabet. For example, try writing a short paragraph without the letter "d". If you do that, the text is called a lipogram.

The best-known example of a lipogram in English, is Ernest Vincent Wright's novel "Gadsby: Champion of Youth", published in 1939. It is a story of more than 50,000 words in which the letter "e" does not appear at all. Amazing! And I thought "e" was the most frequently used letter in the English language!

Zed or Zee?

We definitely want to know why the last letter 'Z" is pronounced in two different ways. Americans say "Zee" and the English, Canadians, Australians and those who speak English in other countries prefer to say "Zed" when they read "Z".

Here is why. "Zed" is the older pronunciation for the letter "Z". It came from the older version of the French language. The American "zee" is a dialect form heard in England during the 17th century (perhaps to rhyme with bee (B), dee (D), etc.). It was recognised by Noah Webster in his American Dictionary of the English language (1828).

Why is Z' the last letter?

No, it wasn't always pushed to the end. In the Greek alphabet, it came in at a respectable position - number seven. According to Tom McArthur in "The Oxford Companion to the English Language" (1992): "The Romans adopted z later than the rest of the alphabet, since /z/ was not a native Latin sound, adding it at the end of their list of letters and using it rarely." The Irish and English simply followed the Roman practice of placing "z" last.

 

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An 'authorism' is a new word. It means words and phrases invented or just popularised by well-known authors.

A great writer adds new words to his masterpiece, people read them often, these masterpieces are taught studied and enacted, and the words become part of common usage.

A lot of us make up new words, but the ones used by famous writers become popular and are included in the dictionary. It is important that new words are made and included in a language. A rigid no-space for-new-words language will soon be confined to the library.

Writer Paul Dickson researched how writers influenced the English language and helped it grow richer, and has put the conclusions in his book "Authorisms: Words Wrought by Writers". Let us see how some of the greatest writers influenced the English language.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Shakespeare wrote plays, sonnets and songs. All of them are hugely popular. He is one of the most quoted writers. Some years ago, a woman watched a stage production of "Hamlet" by Shakespeare. As the play went on, she thought "I have heard all this before!" She knew the following sentences: "This above all, to thine own self be true." "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so," "To be or not to be, that is the question," "To sleep, perchance to dream," "Though there be madness, yet there is method to it." "Brevity is the soul of wit." "I must be cruel only to be kind." and "What a piece of work is a man!". The woman left the theatre saying. "This play is nothing but a string of quotes!"

Shakespeare used 17, 245 words and they included hundreds of authorisms. His words - including, bump, critical, roadway and scuffle are all part of our vocabulary today. Shakespeare used slang too (swag' in "Othello"). He borrowed words from classical literature and foreign languages. He broke grammar rules by changing nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives. He gave himself freedom to play with the English language. Addiction, belongings, cold blooded, salad-days, neither-here-nor-there and send-him packing are some of the contributions of the Bard.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)

Chaucer wrote in the Middle Ages, long before Shakespeare. When he wrote, the English language was a baby. His writings, mostly stories, gave the language dignity and recognition. Before he wrote, French and Latin were the dominant languages in England. Chaucer wrote in a kind of English that most people will not recognise today. His spellings were very different : little was littel, saw was saugh, and one sentence goes: "The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." His "Canterbury Tales" is compulsory reading for those specialising in the English language.

His quotes, "f gold rusts, what then can iron do"?, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained", "The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people", Time and tide wait for no man", "The guilty think all talk is of themselves" are well known.

The authors of the King James Bible (written 1604-1611)

The King James Bible has had an enormous influence on the English language. Since 1611, the King James Bible has sold over one billion copies, making it one of the greatest selling books of all time The KJB added words like peacemaker and scapegoat to English. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once called the KJB "the most democratic book in the world."

These phrases were popularised by the King James Bible

• A law unto themselves


• A man after his own heart


• A stumbling block


• Born again


• Bottomless pit


• Eye for an eye


• Fell flat on his face


• From strength to strength


• God forbid


• In the twinkling of an eye


• Left hand know what thy right hand doeth


• Love thy neighbour as thyself


• *Physician, heal thyself


• Put the words in her mouth


• Turn to him the other (cheek]


• Two-edged sword

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Mark Twain (real name: Samuel Langhorne Clemens) is one of the greatest American writers. You must have read passages from his classic books "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and its sequel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". These are perennial favourites. Clemens was a riverboat pilot before he became an author. His writing is known for humour, political satire and the language of the common people. The great author William Faulkner called him the father of American literature.

Mark Twain was witty, and here are some examples of his sayings: "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt", "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog", "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see", "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

James Joyce (1882-1941)

James Joyce wrote a string of masterpieces - "Ulysses". "Dubliners" and "Finnegans Wake" are among them. These are considered exceptional in ideas and style. In 1999, Time Magazine named him one of the most important people of the 20th century: it said that he "revolutionised 20th century fiction." Joyce knew 17 languages, including Arabic, Sanskrit and Greek.

He also learnt Norwegian at the age of 19 so that he could read playwright Henrik Ibsen's work in its original language. For him, the days of the week were "Moanday, Tearday, Wailsday, Thumpsday, Frightday, Shattered Ay."

Some of his sayings are: "Life is too short to read a bad book", "I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day", "To learn one must be humble".

 

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"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?" So goes one of William Shakespeare's famous sonnets. But what exactly is a sonnet? Not exactly a neither song nor prose, a sonnet is something special. Composed of just 14 lines, the sonnet is a poem written in iambic pentameter.

The word 'sonnet has been derived from the Italian word sonetto, meaning "a little sound or song." It first appeared in the poetry of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, in the 16th Century. Howard translated Italian sonnets into English and composed his own.

Writers often composed sonnets to make a living when theatres were closed due to the plague. Sonnets were considered to be an art form through which artists showed off their talents. Wealthy people paid Shakespeare to write sonnets for them.

Shakespeare's sonnets are composed of 14 lines, and most are divided into three quatrains and a final, concluding couplet, rhyming ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This sonnet form and rhyme scheme is known as the English' sonnet.

Different types of sonnets

Most of us might be familiar with Shakespeare's sonnets. Known as the English sonnet, it is the most common and simplest type. But did you know there are several other types too? Here's a look at some of them...

• Petrarchan: The Petrarchan sonnet is named after the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, a lyrical poet of 14th Century Italy.


• Spensarian: This is a variation of the Shakespearean sonnet with a more challenging rhyme scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.


• Miltonic: These sonnets examined an internal struggle or conflict and sometimes stretched beyond traditional limits on rhyme or length.

Who created the first sonnet?

Italian poet Giacomo da Lentini is credited with the invention of the sonnet. A notary at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, da Lentini composed poetry in the literary Sicilian dialect in the 13th Century.

 

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Are you afraid of ghosts? Did you know that ghosts can lurk not only in haunted mansions and dark comers, but also inside dictionaries?

Yes, you read that right. Ghost words are words that have entered into the dictionary by a human error rather than normal linguistic transmission.

They are usually a result of a misprint or an erroneous reading of a manuscript.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a ghost word as “a word recorded in a dictionary or other reference work which is not actually used.”

Here are some ghost words that might be lurking inside your dictionary:

**Abacot is a ghost word that arose through a series of misreadings. The word first appeared in the second edition of “Holisnhed’s Chronicles” in 1587. It found its way into every major dictionary. Only 300 years later was it discovered that the word was a misprint of ‘bycoket’, meaning a cap or head-dress.

**Morse: The word ‘morse’ as a noun became popular after it appeared in  Sir Walter Scott’s 1820 novel, “The Monastery”. However, ‘morse’ mysteriously appeared as a verb in dictionaries. Was it Morse code? Not really, it was just a printing mistake, putting ‘morse’ instead of ‘nurse’.

**Momblishness: Though the word sounds similar to mumble, it turned out that momblish was actually a typographical error. The actual word was ‘ne-m’oublie-pas’. French for “don’t forget me”.

**Cairbow: Cairbow was mentioned in an early 20th century draft of the Oxford English Dictionary. The new word puzzled the editors: What was cairbow? A new type of rainbow or a polar creature? Well, none of the above. It turned out that cairbow was just a misreading of caribou.

 

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Some of us write simple straight sentences. Some of us prefer to use multisyllabic words (such as: integrative) and long sentences thinking, "When I know it, why not just use it?"

We use idioms to make a point and add colour to our writing. Look at the difference between "Don't go near that pond" and If were you. I wouldn't go near that pond. In short we all have our unique ways of writing. That's fine, as long as the reader gets the meaning and the purpose of your writing

What if you use words that are misleading or just plain wrong? It is good to make sure the words and phrases you use are precise, necessary and error free.

The following examples will help you avoid the pitfalls of writing without thinking properly.

Oxymoron

You have an oxymoron when two words opposite in meaning are expressed together. It is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other or cancel each other out. It's often referred to as a 'contradiction in terms

Oxymorons are used for a variety of purposes. Sometimes they're used to create a little bit of drama for the reader sometimes to add spice to the prose or poem; sometimes they're used for emphasis, or to make a person stop and think "Is this funny? Is this absurd?"

A common oxymoron is the phrase the same difference. This phrase is an oxymoron because the words same and difference have completely opposite meanings. Bringing them together into one phrase produces a puzzle

A true myth' eh? What do you make of that? Interesting, right? An oxymoron, as a figure of speech, is used in poems for emphasis. Shakespeare used these in his tragic play "Romeo and Juliet": loving hate, heavy lightness", feather of lead, 'bright smoke, cold fire', sick health'.

But if you use it without realising it is an oxymoron, it can lead to funny (read: absurd) phrases, that are best avoided. What is virtual reality? Who are paid volunteers?

Errors and effective phrases

Do you use the following in speech or writing? It's likely you have, or you may have heard of them.

Found missing, fully empty seriously funny, only choice. original copies, act naturally, clearly confused, deafening silence, farewell reception. growing smaller, open secret sweet sorrow, weirdly normal.

Writers have used oxymoron words and phrases to good effect. These examples, seen in their context will show us how this figure of speech can be effective not just as phrases, but in the meaning of the whole sentence.

I like a smuggler. He is the I only honest thief Charles Lamb

I can believe anything, provided that it is quite incredible. Oscar Wilde

And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true. Alfred Tennyson

Modem dancing is so old fashioned. Samuel Goldwyn

I am a deeply superficial person. Andy Warhol

We're busy doing nothing Bing Crosby

No one goes to that restaurant any more. It's always too crowded. Yogi Berra

A joke is actually an extremely really serious issue. Winston Churchill

I like humanity but i loathe persons. Edna St. Vincent Millay

I generally advise persons never ever to present assistance. P. G. Wodehouse

Avoid malapropism

Have you ever used the wrong word in the wrong context? Read more to find out how to avoid this mistake.

Malapropism is the act of using an incorrect word in place of one that is similar in pronunciation. Answer this: Which one is right?

The man is an imminent personality known for his books on climate change.

The man is an eminent personality known for his books on climate change. The word Malapropism comes from a character named Mrs. Malaprop in the play "The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The playwright Sheridan chose the name Malaprop because the word malapropos means inappropriate In the play. Mrs. Malaprop often used words that sounded similar but were wrong in the context. ("Illiterate him quite from memory instead of "Obliterate him") Malapropism is also referred to as Dogberryism, named after Officer Dogberry in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". Both characters made these speech errors. Here are some examples of malapropisms: Mrs. Malaprop said, "She's as headstrong as an allegory (alligator) Officer Dogberry said, "Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two auspicious persons (apprehended two suspicious persons)

 

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It is often said that short is sweet but sometimes stories need long, sprawling sentences to have a bigger impact. These long monologues and multi-line descriptions are known as the run-on sentence. And over the years, some of the authors have taken the nun-on technique as far as it can go writing some of the longest sentences in English in the process.

What is a run-on?

Run-on sentences are sentences that contain too many ideas, often without proper punctuation Typically, they include independent causes that are joined together without any connecting word or punctuation to separate the clauses.

However, not all long sentences are run-on sentences. For instance, the 800-word sentence in Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" is one of the longest grammatically correct lines to appear in any work of literature But Hugo's sentence is not a run on.

Setting word records

James Joyce and William Faulkner, both renowned authors and poets, were among the earliest to master the run-on. Joyce held the world record for the longest nun-on with a 3,687 word sentence in Ulysses". The novel contains the character Molly Bloom's 36 page, two sentence monologue.

In 1983, Faulkner was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for his lengthy passage from his 1936 book. "Absalom, Absalom!" The huge run on sentence consists of as many as 1,288 words and countless clauses. Once you get into its rhythm, the sentence immerses you in Faulkners stream of consciousness (unfiltered flow of thoughts). Faulkners experimental sentence style proved an inspiration to modern writers such as Samuel Beckett. Virginia Woolf and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Recent examples

Post modem writers are still influenced by Faulkners nun-on technique. The current record holder the longest English sentence is Jonathan Coe for his staggering 33-page 13,955-word sentence in "The Rotter's Club (2001).

Last year, Lucy Ellmann's "Ducks" which consists of a single sentence (published in parts throughout the novel) running over 1,000 pages, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

 

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One of the first things that you should pay attention to when you write is this: See that your verb agrees with the subject you have chosen to write about.

What you want to write about your choice. You can choose Sachin Tendulkar as your topic.

You can choose to write about your neighbours pesky dog that barks all night.

Once you have made your choice about the subject the not thing is to place a verb that matches the subject in the sentences you make.

You know that verbs change.

[1] The verb changes when the action described happened in the past. He wrote the novel several years ago.

[2] The verb you pick depends on whether the subject is singular (he she, it) or plural (they, you). Of course the pronoun is special and takes the verb an in the present tense.

If your action state of being is in the present tense, you need to write He writes, she writes, it writes. I write you write, we write. They write. He is, she is, it is. I am. You are, we are, they are.

What about "has and "have"? Has" is used for subjects in the singular, when the action/state of being is in the present tense. He has, she has, it has

"Have" is used for subjects in the plural when the action/state of being is in the present tense.

I have, you have, we have, they have

For action verbs, the past tense does not make a difference. It changes to the past tense and remains the same for all subjects.

She/he/It//We//You/They wrote many letters to the government

Read these examples for seeing the rules clearly.

He has done his work. She has done her work. It has done its work.

I have done my work. We have done our work, You have done your work. They have done their work.

"Has" and "have" are also used to show possession. Shenji (He) has a large house. I have a library at home.

As the examples above show, the rules for using "has", "have" for showing possession are the same as the rules for using them as helping verbs.

Here are some tips to remember

Singular subjects take on singular verbs. (he/ she/it = is/was/has) Plural subjects take on plural verbs (you/ we/they = are/were/ have)

* For all the subjects, all the past tense verbs are the same

So, when you write your sentences, watch out! See that the verb agrees with the subject

Pick your verb, place the questions what or "who" before it. The answer is the subject.

Example 1: She has done her work very well. Which is the verb? "has done."

Who has done? "She". So "she is the subject. The sentence is "She has done".

So the verb "has done agrees with the subject "she." Example 2: Her anms across her chest she lays.

Which is the verb? "lays. Who lays? "She". So "she" is the subject. So the verb "lays" agrees with the subject "She".

 

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Here you ever been in a place where you desperately wanted to say Nor but said yes because Nor would have sounded rude? Let me assure you this is a common situation We want to say No but don't know how to say that politely without hurting the other person's feelings. We have often wondered if there are polite ways of saying "No" Say "No in an indirect way so we do not embarrass the person we are speaking to, and continue to have an easy relationship with them. Often it isn't very kind to say Na-And it is better to be polite than to be direct. Now, this problem of finding the right words to say No to turn down a request to refuse to do the thing the other party is asking is to do gets worse when we write. When we speak we can smile and say No, yaar," and perhaps shake hands over it When we write, we put across cold words. Try this Say No with a smile and write No on a piece of paper and show it to your friend When you say No with a smile. there is very possibility he/she will smile hack. When you show a paper with Nor written on it, he/she will not smile at all.

[1] Even when you speak, it is not always possible to smile. You want to say "No", without making the listener feel offended.

Read these sentences. Can these be said without using the word "No"?

"No, we can't go to the movie." No, I can't change the date of the meeting." "No, I don't want to see all 356 photos from your vacation." Would you like to try these ways?

Informal conversations:

• Thank you for the invitation, but sorry, it is not possible.


• The food was delicious but I've already eaten too much.


• Not now but another time. Maybe we can go on Saturday?


• I'd like to go with you, but I have to complete my homework today


• I wish I could but unfortunately, I already have plans for that day. Maybe tomorrow?


• I don't think I can ever do this!

Formal conversations:

• I'm sorry but we won't be able to make those changes you want.


• I would love to/like to but there is a family function that evening.


• I'm afraid I'm not available on Friday


• I am sorry we wont be able to change the time of the meeting.


• I wish I could but am unable to help you in this matter.


• We appreciate the offer, but this is not a good time for us.


• I'm afraid I can't meet you today. How about tomorrow?

[2] Sometimes you end up saying "Maybe", instead of "No." Unfortunately, people tend to take the "Maybe" as "Yes", you want to do the thing, though you mean "No, I don't want to do it.”

• So instead of saying "maybe", use:


• Perhaps I can make it. Let me check my calendar.


• Perhaps another time. I am short of time now.


• I'm not sure if I can. Shall we talk about this later?


• Can I call you back on this?

[3] Saying "I can't" also sounds rude. It sounds like you are admitting failure, instead of trying hard. On the other hand, people say, "Learn to say 1 can't, instead of getting into sticky situations!" So, how do we say "I can't" politely?

Try saying "not able to" or "unable to to soften the language.

• I'm not able to complete this project now, can I submit it tomorrow?


• I'm unable to meet you tomorrow. I'm sorry.


• I'm really sorry but I'm not able to come to your birthday party.

 [4] A very tricky situation is when someone asks for help. If you are not able to do that for some good reason, how do you express it?

• I would love to help you, but ..


• I wish I could help you, but...


• Usually, I am one for helping others but.


• Normally I would say yes, but..

[5] When someone offers you something you definitely do not want.

• I appreciate the offer, but...


• That would be great, but…


• Thank you for the offer, but…

[6] Polite ways to say 'no' to an invitation:

• That sounds great, but...


• I'm sorry I can't come that day/night. I have


• I really appreciate the invitation, but..


• I wish I could be there, but unfortunately...


• I know the party will be fun... but…

 

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