ENGLISH- 13

ENGLISH- 13

SOME CONFUSION AMONG NON-NATIVE USERS OF ENGLISH

English has a repertoire of terms that readily infuses fear or uncertainty in the minds of users as to –if a term fits well to suggest an idea. Such a state of uncertainty arises from similarity of words, leading to unfounded belief that such words mean the same or nearly so. Also, languages of the orient have a ‘structuring pattern’ quite inappropriate for application in English. Caught between the different priorities in formulating sentences, the naïve user settles for a pattern typical to his tongue. However, it is prudent to understand the rules of grammar for the language   that one tries to express self, in. Hopefully, the prelude does not baffle the reader, for, these days, in our country users seem to have come to a state of ‘battle’ from one of baffle. What do I intend saying? So long as one knows something, [s]he finds a baffle; when most things are ‘new’ , using the language turns a battle ; more so when grammar is learnt for clearing examinations [and religiously forgotten thereafter].                                                                      Someone cries ‘enough is enough’.

WHO and WHOM

The rules of English grammar prescribe that ‘Who’ refers to the subject and ‘Whom’ to the object in a statement.

For example: Balu is the man who is my teacher

Balu –whom you referred to now is my teacher.

Kindly avoid interchanging” who /whom” 

Who wrote a letter to whom? –‘Who’ and ‘Whom’, occur at the extremities of the statement in this case. Of late, the term whom does not figure in usage especially in English News from Indian TV channels .

FURTHER and FARTHER

‘Further’, [adverb] implies ‘to a greater degree’ or more. You cannot drive further, there is a wall

‘Farther’[ a comparative adverb] means very much or still away.  You cannot stretch your argument farther

STATIONERY and STATIONARY.

Stationery [noun] means writing material or equipment like pen, pencil, paper, envelope and so on.

Stationary [adjective] means ‘static’ or ‘not moving’. So, the item is stationed at a point. The boy rammed his scooter onto a stationary van containing stationery items.

PRINCIPLE and PRINCIPAL

Principle [noun] refers to an idea or rule governing the working of a method or a scientific explanation thereof.

 Principal [adjective] refers to an authority or person first in the order of importance in an organization

GRAY and GREY

Gray [ noun/ adjective in US English]  Grey[ adjective un UK English] Both terms are used to indicate the shade of colour intermediate between black and white .

LOOSE and LOSE

Loose [adjective] refers to a state of something being lax or not fixed firm or not properly tightened up. The loosely fastened dog managed to unfasten itself and ran away.

Lose [verb] refers to a situation where we are unable to find something or relocate it as in “I lost my purse in a crowd”

TO, TWO and TOO

To [preposition] used before the verb and indicates the destination as in Send the packet to Mumbai office.

Two

Refers to the number - as in “he has two cars”

Too [adverb] 

It means ‘more than’ or larger as in “the coffee is too hot to drink” or “The machinery is too big to be transported by a car”.

Hope the day’s dosage is not too much to bear.

Prof. K.Raman