OH ENGLISH..II

 PECULIARITIES NOTICED IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Let us be clear that the ‘peculiarities’ suggested herein are from our patterns of use in Indian languages. In other words our perceptions are at variance with those of native users of English. We are not ‘native’ users but are rather naïve ones. Yet, we sustain ground saying ‘this is wrong’ that is not correct’ and so on. At the same time we use words rather effortlessly, with little concern for what they ‘convey’ to the native speaker/ writer. However, I do not intend defending the ‘peculiarities’ in English, as recognized by us. It calls for sustained effort and patience to ‘understand’ the true implications for words, though we feel happy [unduly proud] of the ‘rich’ vocabulary that we have acquired. Quite often we do not abide by’ the real meaning for certain usages. We cannot rush to judgment about our prowess or vocabulary on the mere assertion ‘all words/ their meanings and ‘usage’ are perfect and so ‘acceptable’ to the native users of the language.  The most essential practice should be routine consultation of Dictionaries/ Thesaurus or such other authentic references on connotation/ usage to note if our ‘perceptions’ tally with those suggested   in such references.  In view of such disposition to English, we tend to use language rather casually with the assumption that we know the words clearly; but, major differences do exist between native users and non-natives. The difference is largely in terms of connotation.  

Any average Indian tends to call ‘good looking girls or children ‘beautiful’. Natives seldom use the word, as they prefer to call them ‘pretty\’ Another Indian practice relating to value or pricing is to call it ‘costly’ Natives prefer to use the term ‘expensive’. Things priced low in Indian usage are named 'cheap' ,while the natives use 'inexpensive'. Cheap does not fit well here as it implies substandard merit. There are many such. In fact, natives generally make use of slang; but we stay more grammar-oriented, as slang are not in our repertoire; also, slang is  variable in use among different regions of a country. We need not feel depressed of our ‘not knowing’ slang. But, our not knowing the legal, parliamentary expression for an emotion or occurrence deserves being regretted about.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR –A NIGHTMARE FOR SOME

When I say ‘some’ it should be understood that ‘some’ relates those who want genuinely to be accurate, but are unable to. Such a state has come about for them, for, they have not ‘received’ appropriate training by well-informed trainers or teachers. In later life, they find the going tough and find it even more tough to express willingness to correct themselves in that ‘in- service’ phase of life. Some are blissfully inadequate and happy of their ‘hollow’ repertoire and advance parochial justifications like’ we should speak in ‘our’ language. [Ironically they are equally poor in ‘our’ language].

LOOK AT THESE items of discomfort

Past participle can be readily applied in speech or writing, only if the three tenses for a verb are well pracised. When I scribe PRACTISED, my desk top PC displays loyalty to US English, by its red underscore. The idiot box has no sense of British expression OF PAST TENSE for the verb of PRACTICE. Our people would quickly take shelter under ‘American method’ as if they are 100% American in every other writing. Another hurdle for Indian learners of English relates to the use of the right ‘ARTICLE’. They tend to indiscriminately employ one for the other, A, AN, THE is beyond comprehension for them. ‘AN’ is taught to be employed for indicating singular of some object whose name starts with a vowel-A, E, I , O, U. There is a systemic and systematic failure on the part of teachers who have not planted the idea in learners’ mind that it is more a phonetical feature of the word than the mere presence of vowel. Or a consonant [non-vowel]

It is A University where as It is AN Umbrella. –Why? in the word ‘university’, U sounds as U  [AS in you]. But in “Umbrella”, U sounds as A [As in under]. ‘U’  sounding  [as you] is not treated as  a vowel.  

 “Brutus is AN honourable man “The article ‘AN’ figures here though ‘H’ is not a vowel. Does it mean that Shakespeare was a man of immense freedom to ‘misuse’ vowels /articles? No. Please recall my earlier reference [it is more a phonetical feature of the word than the mere presence of vowel or a consonant] In this situation ‘H’SOUNDS as AA [Honour =AANUR, HOUR = our,] Thus,     AN HOUR.        It is A Herculean task.  This time the article is ‘A’ for the word Herculean which is pronounced as HERCULEAN, [LIKE IN ‘HER’] So, article ‘A’ suffices and ‘AN’ is not applicable.

 Only sounds of A, E, I and O need to be preceded by the article ‘AN’, IF they sound otherwise, article ‘A or THE’ may be used as needed. ‘THE’ is used to indicate a specific item  while ‘A’ is a general article . He joined A college for UG and he joined THE [same] college for PG COURSE. Thus, ‘the’ is a definite article.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Prof. K. Raman