Measurements- 62

            Measures Description 

                                 Out of the Books Stuff                                                          

The reference source of this material is Practical English Usage and High School English Grammar

Time description (The position of apostrophe is to be noted.)

An hour journey.

Two hours’ Journey. Or a journey of two hours. Or Two- hour journey.

Two days’ journey.

Five minutes’ duration. Also a Thirty minutes-surgery is also correct.

The weekly news. The late nigh news. Evening news.

Yesterday’s news. Last Month’s/Monday’s meeting.

One and a half hours. (One and half hour.)

Numerically Speaking

¼ - One fourth. One fourths.

2/5- Two fifths.

10/13 (Ten thirteenths.)

2/7 (Meter) two sevenths of a meter.

3.9 Three point nine.

0.766 (Length) Zero point seven six seven of a centimeter. (or) Zero point seven six six centimeters.

(Generally decimals above one are in plural form.)

0.789 Zero pint seven eight nine. (Zero point seven eight and nine.)

118/456 one hundred and eighteen over four hundred and fifty six.

1.5 meters (1.5 Meter.)

Measuring hot and cold.

72 degrees Fahrenheit. 72 degree Fahrenheit.

85 degrees Celsius. 85 degree Celsius.

Siberia is reeling under sub zero degrees Celsius. (Zero degree Celsius.)

Money matters.

Sixteen Hundred US Dollars. Sixteen hundreds US dollars.        

Millions of dollars were spent on the new project.

There are 100 cents in Dollar.

A hundred rupee note (Indian Rupees.)

She sold her house for 70,000 dollars.

Three hundred and sixty five Dollars.

Historical events

1901 to 2000 A.D is called 20^th century.

2001 to 2100 A.D is called 21^st century.

The fort was built in seventeen hundred and thirty three  (=1733 A.D)

He was crowned in fifteen hundred

More Examples

My brother is five feet tall

She is 7 kilos heavier than her sister

The first building 16 meters taller than the second one.

Compound nouns

Seventy-foot tall building

Seven-month old baby.

A seven-mile walk.

Ten foot-deep hole.

Five-hour programme.

NOTE: Plural of Tooth is Teeth and Plural of Foot is Feet                                                                                        

    

Short forms in English - 61

               Short forms in English

                                 Out of the Books Stuff                                                                                                                  

SHORT FORMSShort forms are common in written as well as in spoken English. Apostrophe (‘) is used to write short forms. The words  I am may be written I’m (‘) indicates missing letter a, and It is very well understood by the reader. The most commonly used short forms are given below. Please note that  these short forms are not SMS words and can be used in formal English speaking and writing. 

 Is = ‘s

Am = ‘m

Are = ‘re

Have = ‘ve

Is / Has = ‘s (can be understood from the context.)

Had / would  = ‘d ( Can be understood from the context.)

Will = ‘ll

Short forms in negatives

Is  not = isn’t

Are not = aren’t

Was not = wasn’t’

Were not = weren’t

Has not  = hasn’t

Had not  = hadn’t

Do not = don’t

Does not = doesn’t

Did not = did not

Will not = won’t

Would not = wouldn’t

Shall not = shan’t

Should not = shouldn’t

Must not = mustn’t

Need not = needn’t

Cannot = can’t (can not)

NOTE:

10 O’ Clock = 10 of the clock

It’s = It is

Its = of the/ belongs to

Shortened forms in sentences

My brother’s reading a news paper = My brother is reading a news paper

My brother’s reading room = The reading room belongs to my brother.(‘s is not a shortened form in this case)

Who’s your friend. = Who is your friend.

What’s  your favorite color. = What is your favorite color.

She’s got three children = She has got three children.

I’ d  like to have some coffee.

You’re looking nice. = You are looking nice.

I’d submitted the document. = I had submitted the document.

She’ll come tomorrow. = She will come tomorrow.

It’s time to go to bed. = It is time to go to bed.

Let’s have some soft drinks.=  Let us have some soft drinks.

I don’t know = I do not know.

They won’t attend the meeting. = They will not attend the meeting.

She hasn’t visited Rome = She has not visited Rome.

He doesn’t know French. = He does not know French.  

   

                          

Plurals - Sentences' Structure - 60

    Plurals - Sentences' Structure

                                 Out of the Books Stuff              

Prior Information

Noun

Pronoun

Countable Noun

Singular and plural nouns

Articles

Auxiliary Verb

First, Second and Third person

 Click grammarmail.com for the explanation of the above terms.

Countable Nouns have  singular and  plural forms (Singular means one , plural means more than one).  The auxiliary verb and the articles used with a countable noun change when the noun is changed from singular to plural or plural to singular form in a sentence.  One should have good information about the countable and uncountable nouns before framing a sentence involving plurals. Let’s have a look at the following sample sentences

A dog is an animal. Dog = Singular

Dogs are animals. Dogs = Plural

NOTE: Article a is dropped before  the plural noun Dogs. The auxiliary verb is is changed to are in the plural. s is added to the noun animal to make it a plural noun.

This, that is used before singular nouns and these those are used with plural nouns.

Uncountable nouns have no plural forms. Some nouns have no singulars like furniture pants etc. The word some before the plurals is very common.

A man is standing behind the door. Man = Singular

Some men are standing behind the door.  Men = Plural

PRONOUNS - SINGULAR AND PLURAL

Person	Singular	Plural
First	I	we
Second	you	you
Third	HeSheIt	TheyTheyThey

CIRCUMSTANCES – PRESENT

I am a student. - Singular

We are students. - Plural

You are late today.- Singular

You are late today. - Plural

He/she/it is an American. - Singular

They are Americans. - Plural

She is reading a news paper - Singular

They are reading newspapers. – Plural

CIRCUMSTANCES – PAST

I was a student in 1995. - Singular

We were students in 1995.- Plural

You were late yesterday. - Singular

You were late yesterday. - Plural

He/she/it was in London last week. - Singular

They were in London last week. - Plural

He was reading a news paper this  morning. - Singular

They were reading news paper this morning. - Plural

MORE MODEL SENTENCES

 An eye is blue or brown. - Singular

Eyes are blue or brown. - Plural

There is a big tree in the garden. - Singular

There are  big trees in the gardens. - Plural

An egg is kept in the basket. - Singular

Eggs are kept in the baskets. - Plural

Isn’t  this pencil yours? - Singular

Aren’t these pencils yours? - Plural

Where is the boy? - Singular

Where are the boys? - Plural

A bird can fly. - Singular

Birds can fly. - Plural

Is this mango sweet ?- Singular

Are these mangoes sweet or not.? - Plural 

  

Noun Verb Adj -59

      Noun > Verb >Adj-Interchange 

                                 Out of the Books Stuff                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Prior Information

Verb (Action or main verb)

Adverb

Adjective

 Click grammarmail for explanation of the above Terms.

Changing a Noun to Verb or Verb to Adjective etc. needs a great deal of knowledge about the word order, It's not a difficult job if one has strong interest in words juggling.  Wide reading will give good exposure to this form of art. Please note, when a noun-word is changed to a verb or an adjective the structure of the entire sentence changes. While giving a speech or a talk the art of changing a noun to a verb or an adjective etc., comes in handy and helps the speaker to deliver his/her  talk without a pause. 

Five as Noun >> Verb >> Adjective

Five is a lucky number. (Five = Noun.)

The hand has five fingers. (Five = Adjective)

She wrote five letters. ( Five = adverb)

Little as Noun >> Adverb >> Adjective >> verb

Little drops make big oceans (Little = Noun)

She slipped a little ( Little = Adverb)

Joe has little intelligence ( Little = Adjective)

Don’t belittle the poor (Belittle = Verb)

Bangalore as noun>> Verb>> Adjective (Bangalore is a mega city famous for It outsourcing jobs.)

Bangalore is an Indian city (Bangalore = Noun)

Jim was Bangalored due to recession. (Bangalore = Verb) 

(Jim was laid off and his job was outsourced to Bangalore on cost consideration)

Clara is a Bangalorian (Bangalore = Adjective)

Perform  as a Noun>> Verb 

Chinese Team’s Performance was exemplary in London Olympic. (Perform = Noun)

Indian performed well in the recent cricket match (Perform = Verb)

Outsource Noun >> Verb >> Adverb >> Adjective

Outsourcing hits job opportunities in many developed countries. (Outsource = Noun)

Many  US Jobs  were outsourced  to Asia. (Outsource = Verb)

She supervises outsourcing jobs Section. (Outsource =  adverb)

Out sourcing jobs are not permanent  ones.(Outsource = adjective)

SMS as Noun>> Verb>> Adjective>> Adverb

 SMS is a good form of communication (SMS = Noun)

She SMSed a messaged to her friend ( SMS = Verb)

She is keying a SMS message. ( SMS = Adverb)

John received an SMS message (SMS adjective)

Talk as Noun >> Verb >> Adjective

She Talks of Business always (Talk = Verb)

He gave a talk on Arms Treaty. (Talk = Noun)

He is a talkative person   ( He is interested in talking always.) – (Talk = Adjective)

NOTE

The Verb has Six forms

The adjective has three forms

For more detail click grammarmail                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

   

Vocabulary - 58

              Vocabulary Building                                                                                                                     

                             Importance of Vocabulary

                      

WHAT IS A VOCABULARY ?

You know,  Your boss has a better vocabulary than you. Good Vocabulary is a gateway to successful career and professional growth.

Words form the most important part of both written and oral communication. A good speaker or a writer will be able to choose the right words for an appropriate context, this  enhances the effectiveness of communication. The chosen words should be short  and to the point.  Rich vocabulary is a must for  the people who prefer high end career . Vocabulary is not inherent, one has to toil to acquire this gift. If you have a passion for the new words, you can win the battle. A good vocabulary includes knowledge of collocation, idioms and phrases, journalistic, scientific, political, business technical  terms etc.  Evelyn says “One's vocabulary  needs constant fertilizing or it will die”.  Journals, books, news papers and news are the great sources of current vocabulary.

                                                                                 

I’m to discuss Idioms and Phrases, Phrasal verbs, proverbs and expressions, that form an integral  part of One’s vocabulary treasure.

1. Idioms are  the group of worlds used over a period of time by a group of people. The meaning of this group of words is totally different from the meaning of the individual word

e.g. It rained cats and dogs.  = It rained heavily. (Originated in GB)

2. Phrases are the group of words which make sense but not complete sense, they make complete sense when used with other words.

e.g. The pirates struck the vessel on the high seas.

3. Phrasal verbs are the of group of words in which a verb is combined with other words

    e.g. The rebellion was put down with an iron hand.

4. A proverb is a simple and concrete saying or a popular saying. A proverb speaks the universal truth and it is based on human experiences e.g. A bad workman quarrels with his tools.

5. Expression is a group of words coined based on some human experiences.

e.g. Herd mentality – People who follow others blindly without any basis or reason, are said to posses heard mentality.

Many countries are making a beeline to exploit the minerals off Arctic without any concern for environmental impact. Is this not a herd mentality.

Pronunciation - 57

          Pronunciation in English

                                 Out of the Books Stuff                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 INTRODUCTION

Pronunciation is the ability to use correct stress rhythm and intonation of a word in a spoken language.  The pronunciation of a person depends on the place of his Residence, Education , Groups etc.  There is a lot of variation in spelling and pronunciation of English words and it’s the biggest hurdle for non native speakers, even in GB there are lot of phonetic variations, the problem with the English  word sound system is that the  same alphabets have many sounds in English language.  RP or  Received Pronunciation is the Standard accent of English in GB.

Pronunciation in English is as important as spelling and grammar. A slightest mispronunciation may cause huge damage to the reputation of  an individual. The conventional way to learn the pronunciation is a long and tedious journey for the non native speakers, I hope the following method would be helpful to learn the pronunciation in the shortest possible time.

TWO METHODS

There are two way in which you can learn English words Pronunciation namely a. Dictionary method and  b. Listening method, though the second method is very useful and handy. You need to be familiar with IPA before you start learning the pronunciation. Interestingly these phonetics symbols can be used to produce almost all the world languages' sound system. Once you are familiar with IPA you can produce the sound of any English word by just looking at these symbols next to the corresponding English word in the dictionary like (Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary), Please not that IPA symbols are written with slants(/IPA symbols/)For pronunciation through Audio please follow the instructions given bel

Jokes on Pronounciation 

A soldier was admitted in an Australian Hospital, after regaining his senses he inquired ,"when was I admitted here?" The doctor on duty told him "you came to die." (you came today). The soldier collapsed. 

A young Personal secretary told  her colleagues "I have  received an important massage (message) from my CEO yesterday." 

"He is the  Cheap General Manager of Finance", Announced the director of a company to the visiting dignitaries . (What is meant was 'He is the  chief general manager.)

STEPS TO THE LEARN PRONUNCIATION

STEP 1

IPA Or International Phonetic Alphabets ( in Latin)  represent phonetic notation. To view these symbols click IPA 

STEP 2

Listen to the pronunciation of the IPA by visiting this site Click   Pronunciation 

STEP 3

Type a word to listen to its pronunciation by visiting this site Click Sound  or   Oxford 

 STEP 4

Lookout for the meanings and explanation of the world like stress,intonation syllable rhythm etc. in online oxford dictionary Click      Oxford 

STEP 5

Watch any English news channel which display subtitles in English. (The Pronunciation changes in Talks or speech e.g. gonna = going to in American English). Watch carefully lips movement, pause and body language of the speakers and listeners

In about six months you will feel at home in English 

Pronunciation.                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                           

   

am is are Revised (2) - 56

          am is are Revised (2) - 56                                

PRIOR INFORMATION

Noun

Preposition

Adjective

Continuous/progressive verb

Past participle very

 For explanation of the above terms Click grammarmail

I Am/is/are + Noun

She is a teacher.

I am married

It’s a bank.

That is a Business school.

He is an Arab.

Six important types of sentences (e.g. She is a teacher)

She is a teacher

She is not a teacher. (= She isn’t a teacher)

Is she a teacher?

Isn’t she a teacher? (= is she not a teacher?)

What is she?

Is she a teacher or a student?

NOTE: Each of the above types can be spoken in many moods.

II am /is /are + preposition (in, on, at, above, of, for etc.)

She is in Sydney

They are in a hurry ( to go to the airport)

They are from Canada.

I am upstairs.

He is between Jack and Shane. (He is sitting between Jack and Shane.)

Six important types of sentences (e.g. she is in Sydney.)

She is in Sydney

She isn’t in Sydney.

Is she in Sydney?

Isn’t she in Sydney?

Where is she?

Is she in Sydney or in Mexico?

III am/is/are + adjective

She is tall

They are tired.

I am optimistic (about the new proposal)

Shane is ill (since last week.)

Jim is an introvert (by nature)

Five important types of sentences (e.g. She is tall.)

She is tall.

She isn’t tall.

Is she tall?

Isn’t she tall?

How is she?

Is she tall or short?

IV am/is/are + progressive/continuous verb

She is waiting (in the office)

They are swimming (in the lake.)

She is driving a car.

The child is playing (in the garden.)

I am reading a news paper.

She is watching TV.

Five important types of sentences (e.g. she is waiting.)

She is waiting.

She is not waiting. (is not = isn’t)

Is she waiting?

Isn’t she waiting?

What is she doing?

Is she waiting or not?

V am is are + past participle verb

She is interested (in Medicine)

They are held up (due to rain.)

We are disappointed (with the performance of the new government.)

He is given (a new responsibility.)

We are asked (to wait for an hour.)

Six important types of sentences ( e.g. she is interested …)

She is interested…

She is not interested…

Is she interested in medicine?

Isn’t she interested in medicine?

Is she interested in medicine or Engineering?

VI going to ( To indicate some future action which is already planned.)

I am going to attend the board meeting tomorrow.

She is going to marry next week.

They are going to visit Berlin next month.

Jane is going to come tomorrow.

Joe and John are going to start a business next week.

Six important type of sentences (e.g. They are going to visit Berlin next month.)

They are going to visit……

They are not going to visit….

Are they going to visit….?

Aren’t they going to visit ….?

When are they going to visit Berlin?

Are they going to visit Berlin or Belfast?

VII am/is/are +  either or

He is either an American or a Mexican.

They are either upstairs or in the Ballroom

She is either at the airport or at home.

It’s either a camera or a scanner. (It is = it’s)

Bill is either her brother or cousin.

VIII am/is/are + to + verb (To indicate some future action which is likely to happen)

Am to visit the dentist tomorrow.

She is to report by 10 O’ clock

They are to pay the cash by next week.

The president is to visit Moscow tomorrow.

The flight is to land in about 10 minutes.

                                                                                                                   

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