‘On Saying Please’ is an essay that talks about socially important issues that we stumble upon in our everyday life. The essay tells the reader how using polite words and phrases like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ can change the course of our day. Words like these help us in making our passage through life smooth.
In his effort to draw a distinction between what's etiquette and what's legally binding, Gardiner begins his essay with the instance of a lift-man who threw a passenger out of the lift for not saying ‘please.’ While agreeing that courtesy could be a desirable characteristic, Gardiner rightly points out that courtesy cannot be legally clamped upon the individuals who are discourteous. Despite its shortcomings, the legal system, is reasonable in not considering impoliteness an offence. Impoliteness is just a personal perception, so as to what one sees as impolite and hence is subjective. Hence, punishment is not possible. We may brand the impolite person ill-mannered at the most, but in the case of physical brutality the law gives us the right to self-defense.
The truth also remains that very often impoliteness is more hurtful than physical abuse. What is worse, it has the cyclical effect. The one who is at the receiving end of rudeness from his superiors is in turn rude to his subordinates as he cannot retaliate against his superiors. That is why we must always know the importance and value of social practices that promote civility Gardiner offers the instance of a good-natured conductor to indicate how such people can bring about positivity.
Gardiner points out that the instance of a genial conductor isn't chosen under the belief that conductors are by and large ill-tempered. Gardiner makes it clear that if here and there we've rude conductors, it's the result of their demanding job.
However, the friendly conductor made the author feel pleasantly surprised by buying a ticket for him because the author had forgotten his purse at his house. Though the author later found a shilling in his pocket to pay the conductor, the cheerful behaviour of the conductor left him with a nice feeling.
On another occasion, it was the conductor who had trodden on the toe of the author. But he was so genuine in his apology that the author forgave him easily. It also became the habit of the author to take note of the well-mannered conductor who took on different roles in helping his passengers. He was sort of a son to the old, father to the kids, friend to the young and helper to the handicapped.
The author is particularly impressed by the fact that the conductor would get out of the bus, asking the driver to wait for him so so he could take the blind across the road or round the comer. Gardiner adds that even as good weather uplifts our spirit, good-natured people too spread positivity. Their charm can't be resisted by even unfriendly people. Gardiner concludes the essay by observing that rudeness appeared to be the aftermath of war. He earnestly appeals to his readers to bring back civility to social behaviour.
Thus we see that the essay clearly shows the difference between what's punishable by law and what's desirable though not punishable by law. While the law is incredibly definite about how individuals should act, it does not appear to have much to say about the problems of courtesy and kindness/politeness to others. The law speaks to individuals who are wronged, whose rights are removed at the hands of another.
Yet, it cannot legislate manners or civility in acting towards each other. The reality is that while it's not an ideal state, this state of law could be a reasonable one because it doesn't enter the realm of emotions. If the law gave in to the current level of emotional subjectivity, then individuals would be conducting acts of violence whenever someone demonstrated rudeness to them.
Vemulawada, which is about 180 kms from Hyderabad is famous for Raja Rajeshwara Temple. If you want to visit the most beautiful and the most popular Shiva Temple in Telangana region, then the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy aalayam in Vemulawada is a must see.
The town is thronged by devotees from around the globe, thanks to the famous Shiva temple. The beautiful town houses the very famous temple, and the rest of it is crowded with little kiosks, shops, thousands of pilgrims and tourist vehicles! Even in the off season, the town is a scene of hectic activity with on and off tourists and if you visit Vemulawada during the Shiva Ratri or in the Karthika masam, then you have to be prepared to face heavy rush. The temple has its history deeply rooted in the era of the great Vemulawada Chalukyas. The Vemulawada Chalukyas are lesser-known stem of the Chalukyas. They ruled these parts of Telangana between the 9th-10th Centuries A.D. Vemulawada was the capital of these rulers. Here Lord Shiva is in the form of Sri Raja Rajeshwara and people fondly refer to him as Rajanna. The place is also very closely associated with the 11th Century Telugu poet, Vemulawada Bheemakavi.
The southern region of India is host to numerous remarkable temples famous for their intricate Dravidian architecture, life sized shrines and rich history, these temples are visited by over a million devotees all year round from all parts of the world. Vemulawada’s most popular tourist attraction, the Rajanna Temple is almost synonymous with the ancient pilgrim town nestled away in the quaint little district of Rajanna Sircilla along the southern coast of India. The temple is also the recipient of the maximum influx of visitors to Vemulawada, which is often referred to as Dakshin Kashi and Southern Banaras. Vemulawada also has a plethora of several other temples tucked away in its bylanes just a walking excursion away, offering you a sense of calm and solace away from the hullabaloo of cities.
Vemulawada was initially a part of Andhra Pradesh but is currently located in the state of Telangana after its segregation from Andhra Pradesh, it was also priorly addressed as Lemulavatika and Lembulavade and came to be known by its present name quite later on. Despite the commercialisation of the town owing to the Rajanna temple the town has still managed to retain its old-world charm and is a perfect weekend getaway for you to get in touch with your spirituality.
Located on the banks of Mulavagu stream, Vemulawada was once the capital city of Vemulawada Chalukyas dynasty between 750-973 CE. The remains of the temples and sculptures show the great architecture of Chalukyas. There are several inscriptions available that refer the reign of Chalukyas. It was earlier known as Lemulavatika, Lembulavade, and finally transformed into Vemulawada.
According to the legend, Lord Siva after having stayed at Kashi, Chidambaram, Srisailam and Kedareswar chose to reside at Vemulawada. Vemulawada was ruled by the dynasties of Ikshwakus, Satavahanas and the Chalukyas who made it their state capital. The place is also associated with the 11th Century Telugu poet, Vemulawada Bheemakavi. Agraharam Hanuman Temple, Baddi Pochamma Temple and Nampally Gutta are the nearby attractions of Vemulawada. Every year at the time of Maha Shiva Rathri, more than 5 lakh people visit Vemulavada. During Sravana Masam and Karthika Masam, the temple attracts large crowd.
- Telangana Tourism
The purpose of an interrogative sentence is to ask a question in order to obtain an answer. Sometimes an interrogative sentence might be rhetorical in nature, meaning it will ask a question but won’t necessarily require an answer. Interrogative sentences in the spoken form may also be sarcastic. Below are some examples of simple interrogative sentences:
- Where are you going?
- What is happening?
- What do you want me to do?
- Do you want me to write something for you?
- Are you going to school today?
Types of Interrogative Sentences
There are four types of interrogative sentences. They are:
- Yes/No Interrogatives
- Alternative Interrogatives
- Wh- Interrogatives
- Tag Questions
Yes and No Interrogatives
Questions which require a “yes” or “no” answer, are called Yes/No Interrogatives.
Examples:
- Are you going home?
- Will you come with me?
- The answer to each of the above question will be either a “yes” or “no”
Yes/No Interrogatives are formed with the help of auxiliary verbs. The typical form of such question is:
Auxiliary verb (be, do or have) + subject + main verb or modal verb + subject + main verb
The auxiliary verbs are inverted with the subject (subject – verb inversion) For example:
- Are you going to school?
- Will Jack come tomorrow?
- Have you finished your homework?
- Do you like folk dance?
If a sentence contains more than one auxiliary verb or modal verb, only one auxiliary verb or model should be put before the subject. For example:
- Have you been working for the whole day? (Only “have” has been put before the subject “you”)
Alternative Interrogatives
- Do you prefer coffee or tea?
- Will you come with me now, or will you go with James afterwards?
- Do you prefer to live in the village or the city?
- Will they buy an apartment or villa?
Alternative Interrogatives are also formed with the help of auxiliary verbs. The form of such a question is: auxiliary verb (be, do or have) + subject + main verb or modal verb + subject + main verb. The auxiliary verbs are inverted with the subject (subject-verb inversion)
In the alternative question to be formed, if the main verb is “be”, additional auxiliary verb need not be used. For example:
- Are those flowers roses or Begonias? (Here the main verb, “are” is used to ask the question)
Wh- Interrogatives
Wh- Interrogatives are questions asked using one of the question words, who, what, where, when, why, and how. Auxiliary verbs also have to be used in these types of questions. For example:
- Where are you going?
- How are you doing?
- Why did you do that?
When you use the ‘wh’ and how question words, the questions demand full sentence answers. For example:
- #1. Where are you going?
Ans. I am going to the mall.
- #2. How are you doing?
Ans. ‘I am doing great.’
- #3. Why did you do that?
Ans: ‘Because I wanted to.’
Although in the above examples, the answers are given in single sentences, depending upon the situation, the answer may require long explanation.
Tag questions
Tag questions or question tags are questions formed by attaching question tags onto the end of a declarative sentence. These tags are commonly created using an auxiliary verb inverted with subject. These question tags change the declarative sentences to interrogative sentences.
Examples:
- You are from USA, aren’t you?
- She is watching a film in the T.V.at home, isn’t she?
- You will go to your home town tomorrow, won’t you?
- She was a kind woman, wasn’t she?
- He is not attending the meeting, is he?
Sometimes a declarative sentence can be used as interrogative sentence by putting a question mark at the end of the sentence. When you ask questions like this orally, the last syllable of the sentence should be given proper intonation so as to make the listener understand that a question is being asked to him.
Indirect questions
Indirect questions are question embedded in a statement. For example:
- I asked him where he was staying.
A question, “Where are you staying?” is embedded in this statement. But it should be clearly understood that an interrogative sentence always ask direct questions and indirect question or embedded questions do not come under the category of” Interrogative sentences.”
Key Takeaways
- There are four types of sentences. They are:
- Yes/No Interrogatives
- Alternative Interrogatives
- Wh- Interrogatives
- Tag Questions
2. Questions which require a “yes” or “no” answer, are called Yes/No Interrogatives.
3. Alternative Interrogatives are questions that give a choice among two or more answers. Therefore, these questions are also called choice questions.
4. Wh- Interrogatives are questions asked using one of the question words, who, what, where, when, why, and how.
5. Tag questions or question tags are questions formed by attaching question tags onto the end of a declarative sentence. These tags are commonly created using an auxiliary verb inverted with subject.
2.1.1. Words in Different Forms
The English language is basically comprised of eight parts of speech that construct a complete sentence: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. These parts of speech determine how a word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence.
The use of the words define their place and meaning in a sentence.
- Noun
Nouns, also called naming words, refer to any person, place, animal, thing or idea. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. There are two types of nouns:
- Proper noun- These nouns start with capital letters and refer to the name of a particular place or thing. Ex – Barack Obama, Himalaya mountains.
- Common noun- These nouns start with lower case letter and refer to the names of general places or things. Ex – man, teacher, letter
2. Pronoun
A pronoun is a word used in place of the noun.
A pronoun which substituted in place of a specific noun is called an antecedent. Pronouns can be further defined by their various types: personal pronouns describe specific persons or things; possessive pronouns imply ownership; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.
Ex - Me, she, her, mine, theirs.
3. Adjective
An adjective is a word that describes the quality or quantity possessed by a noun. It answers the questions like which one, what kind or how many. It is a word used to modify or describe the noun or a pronoun.
Ex - Young boy, Pretty girl, Huge elephant, One thousand sea shells.
4. Adverb
An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. When, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree are the types of questions that are answered by an adverb. Adverbs often end in -ly.
Ex- Very long letter, quickly disappear out of sight.
5. Preposition
Prepositions are words placed before a noun or a pronoun in order to modify the meaning of other words in a sentence. The prepositional phrase almost functions as an adjective or an adverb.
Ex- The boy received a number of sweets from the teacher.
6. Verb
A verb is a word that expresses the state of being or work being done by the subject. There are main verbs and there are also helping verbs known as auxiliary verbs. Verbs can also be used to express tense.
Ex – She vanished in the darkness.
7. Conjunction
8. Interjection
An interjection is a word which is used to express emotion. They are usually followed by exclamation points.
Ex. Oh dear! Wow! Oh my God!
Articles
Articles are words that precede a noun and define the specificity of that noun. In other words, they imply how specific a particular noun is. There are two types of Articles in the English language, Definite and Indefinite Articles.
- Definite Article
The definite article is the word ‘the’. This article is only used when a particular place, thing or activity is being referred to. It limits the meaning to one particular thing or activity.
For example, in the sentence “I won’t be attending the party this weekend.” ‘The’ is used before the noun party therefore it refers to a specific party which the subject is talking about. The definite article can be used with both singular and plural words.
Uses of “The”:
- The definite article can be used to make general things specific, for example, “Please pass me a pen.” when changed to “Please pass me the pen.” Changes the meaning of the sentence entirely. In the former the subject requests for a pen in general whereas in the latter he refers to a specific pen.
- ‘The’ is used by geographical areas such as rivers, mountains, seas, oceans etc.
“The Middle East”, “The Atlantic Ocean”, “The Himalayas”
c. Unique things always requite the article ‘the’
“The Sun”, “The Moon”
d. Musical instruments use ‘the’
“He plays the cello.”
e. Countries generally don’t use articles in front but if their names are plural they use the article ‘the’
“The Netherlands”, “The United States of America”
f. Abbreviations and classes of people always use the article ‘the’
“The U.N” “The Poor” “The British” “The IMF”
2. Indefinite Article
The Indefinite Article is of two types, namely, ‘a’ and ‘an’. The word ‘a’ is used when it precedes a word that starts with a consonant and the word ‘an’ is used when it precedes a word that starts with a vowel. Unlike the Definite Article, the Indefinite Articles refer to a general idea and not a particular one. The Indefinite Article only appears with singular nouns. For example, in the sentences “I would like a good book to read.” Or “I am craving for an apple pie.” The subject talks about books or apple pies in general rather than a specific book or apple pie.
Uses of ‘a’ and ‘an’:
- Uncountable nouns cannot use either ‘a’ or ‘an’. For example advice is an uncountable noun, therefore a sentence such as “Can you give me an advice.” Does not make sense. Rather “Can you give me some advice.” Is more appropriate.
- Jobs use Indefinite Articles
“I want to become a teacher” “My dream is to become an actor”
c. There are a couple of exceptions to the overall rule of employing ‘a’ before words that start with consonants and ‘an’ before words that begin with vowels. The first letter of the word honour, for instance, may be a consonant, but it’s unpronounced. In spite of the way it is spelled, the word honour begins with a vowel. Therefore, we use an. For example, consider the following sentences:
My mother is a honest woman.
My mother is an honest woman.
d. When the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a consonant sound, the article 'a' must be used. For example:
She is an United States senator.
She is a United States senator.
Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs because they help in the formation of tenses, mood and voices of other verbs. Auxiliary verbs therefore, add functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which they appear. 'To be', 'to do' and 'to have' are the most commonly used auxiliary verbs. For example: the auxiliary 'to do' is needed to ask questions in the present and past simple tenses.. The auxiliary 'to have' is used in the present and past perfect tenses. Some tenses such as the present perfect continuous, consist of more than one auxiliary verbs.
Below are examples of some commonly used auxiliary verbs:
- Do you like German food?
- Does your mother speak English?
- Did you come to school yesterday?
- Why are you talking? You should be listening to me!
- I was having a bath when you called!
- A new annex is being built behind the school.
- Have you done your homework?
- My father has never visited the USA.
- How long have you been living in Germany?
- By this time next year, I will have been learning French for 15 years!
Modal Verbs
Auxiliary verbs also consist of another set of verbs called modal verbs or modal auxiliary verbs. These verbs combine with other verbs to describe necessity, possibility, intention, or ability. Modal auxiliary verbs include - must, shall, will, should, would, ought (to), can, could, may, and might.
- You must act promptly.
- Can you speak Spanish?
- I would go if I could afford it.
- He said he might reconsider his decision.
- I ought to visit my family.
- We should get to London before midday.
- May I come in?
2.1.2. Content and Structural/Grammatical Words
The English language is basically comprised of eight parts of speech that construct a complete sentence: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. These parts of speech determine how a word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence.
Content words are words that describe the subject or the action that takes places in a sentence. While nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are the most important content words, there are a few other words that are also key to understanding. These include negatives like no, not and never; demonstrative pronouns including this, that, these and those; and question words like what, where, when, how and why.
Content Word List
Nouns | Verbs |
house | enjoy |
computer | purchase |
student | visit |
lake | understand |
Peter | believe |
science | look forward to |
Adjectives | Adverbs |
heavy | slowly |
difficult | carefully |
careful | sometimes |
expensive | thoughtfully |
soft | often |
fast | suddenly |
Function words are connecting words that connect the content words to form a structurally coherent and meaningful sentence. Function words help us connect important information. Function words are important for understanding, but they add little meaning beyond defining the relationship between two words. Function words include auxiliary verbs, prepositions, articles, conjunctions, and pronouns. Auxiliary verbs are used to establish the tense, prepositions show relationships in time and space, articles show us something that is specific or one of many, and pronouns refer to other nouns. They include:
Function Word List
- a
- about
- above
- across
- after
- afterwards
- again
- against
- all
- almost
- alone
- along
- already
- also
- although
- always
- am
- among
- amongst
- an
- and
- another
- any
- anyhow
- anyone
- anything
- anyway
- anywhere
- are
- around
- as
- at
- be
- became
- because
- been
- before
- beforehand
- behind
- being
- below
- beside
- besides
- between
- beyond
- both
- but
- by
- can
- cannot
- could
- despite
- did
- do
- does
- done
- down
- during
- each
- either
- else
- elsewhere
- enough
- etc
- even
- ever
- every
- everyone
- everything
- everywhere
- except
- few
- first
- for
- former
- formerly
- from
- further
- had
- has
- have
- he
- hence
- her
- here
- hereafter
- hereby
- herein
- hereupon
- hers
- herself
- him
- himself
- his
- how
- however
- if
- in
- indeed
- inside
- instead
- into
- is
- it
- its
- itself
- last
- latter
- latterly
- least
- less
- lot
- lots
- many
- may
- me
- meanwhile
- might
- mine
- more
- moreover
- most
- mostly
- much
- must
- my
- myself
- namely
- near
- need
- neither
- never
- nevertheless
- none
- nor
- not
- nothing
- now
- nowhere
- of
- off
- often
- on
- once
- one
- only
- onto
- or
- other
- others
- otherwise
- ought
- our
- ours
- ourselves
- out
- outside
- over
- per
- perhaps
- rather
- re
- same
- second
- several
- shall
- she
- should
- since
- so
- some
- somehow
- someone
- something
- sometime
- sometimes
- somewhere
- still
- such
- than
- that
- the
- their
- them
- themselves
- then
- thence
- there
- thereafter
- thereby
- therefore
- therein
- thereupon
- these
- they
- third
- this
- those
- though
- through
- throughout
- thru
- thus
- to
- together
- too
- toward
- towards
- under
- until
- up
- upon
- us
- used
- very
- was
- we
- well
- were
- what
- whatever
- whence
- whenever
- where
- whereas
- whereby
- wherein
- whereupon
- wherever
- whether
- which
- while
- whither
- who
- whoever
- whole
- whom
- whose
- why
- will
- with
- within
- without
- would
- yes
- yet
- you
- your
- yours
- yourself
- Nouns, also called naming words, refer to any person, place, animal, thing or idea.
- A pronoun is a word used in place of the noun. If a pronoun is substituted in place of a specific noun, it is called an antecedent.
- An adjective is a word that describes the quality or quantity possessed by a noun. It answers the questions like which one, what kind or how many.
- An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun.
- Prepositions are words placed before a noun or a pronoun in order to modify the meaning of other words in a sentence.
- A verb is a word that expresses the state of being or work being done by the subject. Verbs can be main or auxiliary (helping verbs).
- A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases or clauses and establishes a relationship between them. And, but, or, nor, for, so, yet are some examples of conjunctions.
- An interjection is a word which is used to express emotion.
- Articles are words that precede a noun and define the specificity of that noun. In other words, they imply how specific a particular noun is.
- There are two types of Articles in the English language, Definite – ‘The’ and Indefinite Articles – ‘a’ and ‘an’.
- Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs because they help in the formation of tenses, mood and voices of other verbs. Auxiliary verbs therefore, add functional or grammatical meaning to the clause in which they appear.
- Most commonly used auxiliary verbs. Include 'To be', 'to do' and 'to have'.
- Modal verbs combine with other verbs to describe necessity, possibility, intention, or ability. They include - must, shall, will, should, would, ought (to), can, could, may, and might.
- Content words are words that describe the subject or the action that takes places in a sentence.
- Function words are connecting words that connect the content words to form a structurally coherent and meaningful sentence. They help us connect important information.
Intonation is the ‘music’ of the language. It describes the pitch, pattern, or melody of the words in a given sentence. Intonation allows us to understand the underlying meaning of the sentence because of its varying pitch. It is also an important factor in recognizing different emotions like surprise, confusion, and etc.
Falling intonation
A falling intonation is a type of tone where the voice falls on the last syllable of the last word. This intonation is typically employed in –wh questions- what, where, when, why, and how.
Examples:
- Why are you not busy today?
- How are you going to pass all of those papers on time?
In addition, falling intonation is also used if one wants to emphasize things or they want to be definite or clear with their words or intentions.
Examples:
- I think we locked the door properly.
- We are certain about this project proposal of ours.
Rising Intonation
The rising intonations can be placed at the end or at the last syllable of the word in a sentence. Yes- no questions use rising intonation.
Examples:
- Are you sure about that?
- Is this dress looks pretty on me?
Fall-rise Intonation
Fall-rise intonation is the combination of the two prior intonations- falling and rising intonations. The fall-rise intonation describes how the speaker’s voice falls and then rises at the same time in the same sentence. Fall-rise intonation is used if one is indefinite or not sure with their words or ideas presented.
Examples:
- I don’t like the idea of marriage right now.
- He thinks it would be okay to start planning next week.
We also utilize fall-rise intonation if we are doing questions that intend to ask permission, request, or an invitation to someone. Fall-rise intonation sounds politer than using falling intonation or rising intonation.
Examples:
- Would like another glass of wine?
- Do you want to join me for dinner? It will be fun.
Functions and Significance of Intonation
Here are some of the most important uses of intonation:
- Grammatical Function: Intonation performs a grammatical function such as signalling the difference between a statement and a question, or distinguishing between an information question or a yes/no question.
2. Accentual Function: Intonation carries an accentual function which means it can be used to emphasize or draw attention to certain words. This occurs when we introduce new information, contrast two ideas, or clarify our meaning.
3. Attitudinal or Emotional Function: Intonation is useful for expressing attitudes and emotions, which means it conveys additional information about the speaker’s mood, feelings, emotions, or attitude. This type of information which is acquired from intonation could be about the speaker’s general attitude, their emotions about what they’re saying, or their feelings towards the listener. To interpret this type of intonation, it’s important to pay attention to other contextual clues.
4. Discourse Function: Discourse function of intonation means it signals how ideas go together in speech. For instance, we use stress and intonation to signal thoughts, or how we break our speech into smaller, more digestible parts.
5. Psychological Function: The psychological function of intonation makes ideas easier to understand, memorize, and speak. You can hear this use of intonation in how we say lists and series, open- and closed-choice questions, large numbers, and phone numbers.
6. Conversation Management: Intonation is used for conversation management, which means it helps facilitate the flow of conversation by signalling whose turn it is to speak. Some examples are how we use a steep drop to signal that a thought is complete, or how we maintain a slight or a steep rise in order to signal that we’re not done speaking yet.
7. Indexical Function: Indexical function of intonation means it signals our personal or social identity. People from certain regions may use uptalk or more or less pitch variation to signal where they’re from. This use can also be heard among people of certain specific professions:
- Teachers and educators often use a “teacher” voice.
- Preachers or religious authorities often speak with a certain tone of voice.
- Transportation workers like conductors and bus drivers often recite stops or information with a certain voice.
Key Takeaways
- Intonation describes the pitch, pattern, or melody of the words in a given sentence. It allows us to understand the underlying meaning of the sentence because of its varying pitch.
- A falling intonation is a type of tone where the voice falls on the last syllable of the last word.
- The rising intonations can be placed at the end or at the last syllable of the word in a sentence.
- The fall-rise intonation describes how the speaker’s voice falls and then rises at the same time in the same sentence. It is used if one is indefinite or not sure with their words or ideas presented.
- Intonation carries an accentual function which means it can be used to emphasize or draw attention to certain words.
- Intonation is useful for expressing attitudes and emotions, which means it conveys additional information about the speaker’s mood, feelings, emotions, or attitude.
- Intonations discourse function means it signals how ideas go together in speech.
- The psychological function of intonation makes ideas easier to understand, memorize, and speak.
- Indexical function of intonation means it signals our personal or social identity.
Cambridge Dictionary defines a tongue twister as a "sentence or phrase that is intended to be difficult to say, especially when repeated quickly and often”. A tongue-twister could be a phrase which is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and may be used as a kind of spoken (or sung) word game. Additionally, they may be used as exercises to enhance pronunciation and fluency. Some tongue-twisters produce results that are humorous if they are mispronounced, while others simply depend upon the confusion and mistakes of the speaker for their amusement value.
Tongue twisters don’t make a great deal of sense, but they're full of repeated sounds making them extremely helpful in speech therapy. Basically, a tongue twister works in an identical way as physical exercise but for the speech organs. The more you practice, the better your pronunciation is going to be. What is more, tongue twisters were – and possibly still are – employed by actors before a representation, by politicians before a speech and even by news anchors before going live.
Given below are a few tongue twisters that may be useful for practice:
Tongue Twister | Sounds/Words Emphasized | Difficulty |
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? | Wood and chuck | Easy |
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick? | P | Easy |
Can you can a can as a canner can can a can? | Can | Easy |
Frivolously fanciful Fannie fried fresh fish furiously | F | Easy |
To begin to toboggan first buy a toboggan, but don't buy too big a toboggan. Too big a toboggan is too big a toboggan to buy to begin to toboggan | B and t | Easy |
She saw Sharif's shoes on the sofa. But was she so sure those were Sharif's shoes she saw? | S and sh | Easy |
Give papa a cup of proper coffee in a copper coffee cup. | C and p | Medium |
Black background, brown background | B | Medium |
Seventy-seven benevolent elephants | L and v | Medium |
The chic Sikh's sixty-sixth sheep is sick | S and k | Medium |
A loyal warrior will rarely worry why we rule. | L and r | Medium |
A pessimistic pest exists amidst us. | S and st | Medium |
Drew Dodd's dad's dog's dead. | D | Medium |
Which witch switched the Swiss wristwatches? | W, s and ch | Hard |
She sells seashells by the seashore. | S and sh | Hard |
- A tongue twister is a "sentence or phrase that is intended to be difficult to say, especially when repeated quickly and often”.
- A tongue-twister could be a phrase which is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and may be used as a kind of spoken (or sung) word game.
- Tongue twisters are often used as an exercise to improve fluency in speech and articulation.
- A tongue twister works in an identical way as physical exercise but for the speech organs. The more you practice, the better your pronunciation is going to be.
There are four ways that you can speak about sports and games. The first way is to talk about a specific sport. The second way is to talk about a team. The third way is to talk about athletes or competitors. And the fourth way is to talk about an event or game. Now let’s break each of them down into a straightforward formula.
Case 1
In order to talk about a specific sport or game fluently in English, you must to use the subsequent 4 step formula.
- Step one: Name
Give the name of the sport or game that you like. For example, basketball, soccer, or baseball.
- Step two: Reasons
Give three reasons why the sport being talked about is your favorite sport. You can be specific with your answer.
- Step three: Since when
Provide information regarding the time you started liking this specific sport.
- And Step four: Amazing event
Give an example of a tremendous event that happened associated with this sport.
- Example: My favorite sport is basketball. I like it because it's a sport dependent on teamwork, it's exciting to play and watch, and it also requires a great deal of skill. Basketball became my favorite sport after my father bought me my first basketball when I was 11 years old. One of my most memorable basketball games happened when I was in college. I won the match for my team by shooting a 3-pointer at the last second. It was great.
Case 2
In order to talk about a team fluently, you need to use the following 4 step formula.
- Step one: Name/Country
Provide the name of the team and the country or state the team plays for.
- Step two: Reasons
Give three reasons why this can be your favorite team. You can be specific with your answer.
- Step three: Best players
Give the names of your favorite players and something special about them.
- And Step four: Record/Ability
Give some details about the various records the team may have broken and also their special abilities/qualities.
- Example: I really admire Manchester United. It is a soccer team that's based in England. I like them because their players are smart and have really good teamwork. Their coach is also one of the best coaches in the world. In the past, two of their best players were Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, whom we all know to be two of the best players in soccer history. Last year they won about 18 games.
Case 3
In order to talk about a specific athlete fluently in English, you need to use the following 4 step formula.
- Step one: Name
Give the name of your favorite athlete from the team.
- Step two: Team
Give the name of the team your favorite athlete plays for.
- Step three: Position
Give information about the precise position the athlete plays on the field/court.
- And Step four: Reasons
Give three reasons for why you prefer the athlete.
- Example: My favorite athlete is Stephen Curry. He is an expert basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. He is the point guard for their team. I like him because he's a dedicated player and lots of people consider him to the be one of the best basketball players in the world.
Case 4
In order to converse about your favorite game or event fluently in English, you need to use the following 4 step formula.
- Step one: Date and location
Give the date and also the location where the game or match took place.
- Step two: Teams
Give the name of the 2 teams who participated at the event.
- Step three: Score
Give information about the score at the end of the event.
- And Step four: Situation
Give some details about what happened during the event.
- Example: My favorite sporting event happened on August 15, 2014 in Pennsylvania at the Little League World Series. The two teams that played in the game were the Taney Dragons and Nashville. The Taney Dragons beat Nashville in a 4 – 0 victory. The amazing thing was that the pitcher was the very first female to pitch 6 innings, strike out 8 batters, and to pitch a shutout in baseball postseason history. It was amazing.
- There are four ways that you can speak about sports and games. The first way is to talk about a specific sport. The second way is to talk about a team. The third way is to talk about athletes or competitors. And the fourth way is to talk about an event or game.
A Team has a small number of talented pairs that are dedicated to a common goal, goals of service, and a common commitment to their goals. In a team, people are dependent on each other, may or may not work in the same physical space, and come together to accomplish work together.
Teamwork is an essential element to achieve success at work, no matter your industry or job title. Working in unison with clients, colleagues, managers and other people in your workplace can help your complete tasks efficiently while creating an enjoyable environment both for yourself and others. An organization is that emphasizes good teamwork skills is typically a healthy, high-functioning workplace.
Teamwork skills are the abilities and qualities that will allow you to work with others during formal conversations, projects, meetings or other collaborations. Teamwork skills are thoroughly dependent on your ability to communicate well, actively listen and be responsible and honest.
Why are teamwork skills important?
In every industry at every level in your career, you will be required to work alongside others. Doing so in an empathetic, efficient and responsible manner can help you accomplish career goals, grow your resume and contribute positively to your organization. It can also help you build rapport with others. Building rapport can lead to deeper working relationships, new connections and possibly new opportunities.
Components of Team work
Teamwork consists of many skills you can work to develop over time. Here are just a few examples of qualities that can help you improve your teamwork skills:
- Communication: One of the most critical teamwork elements is the ability to communicate in a clear, efficient way. When working with others, it is important that you share relevant thoughts, ideas and key information. There are many different types of communication skills including both verbal and nonverbal.
2. Responsibility: Within the dynamic of teamwork, it is essential that the parties involved both have a complete understanding of the work they are responsible for and make the effort to complete said tasks on time and up to the expected standard. With the entire team functioning properly by taking responsibility for their own work, they can work together towards a common goal.
3. Honesty: Practicing honesty and transparency at work might mean working through a disagreement, explaining that you were not able to complete a certain task on time or sharing difficult updates. It can be difficult for a team to develop trust and therefore work together efficiently without transparency.
4. Active listening: Much like communication, active listening skills can help a team to understand and trust each other. Active listening is the act of making an effort to focus intently on one person as they share their ideas, thoughts or feelings. You might also ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into what they are communicating.
5. Empathy: Having empathy for your teammates can allow you to better understand their motives and feelings. Taking the time to listen and understand how others think and work can help you to communicate with them in the right ways.
6. Collaboration: Teamwork means group of individuals with a diverse set of skills and talents can work together towards a common goal. Therefore, it is crucial to work with other teammates to share ideas, improve each other’s work and help one another to form a good team.
7. Awareness: In teamwork, it is important that you hone your ability to be aware of the team dynamic at all times. For example, if one person is dominating the conversation or does not allow others to share ideas, it is important that balance is restored for each teammate to contribute evenly. Alternatively, if one person tends to be coy and more hesitant to share their ideas, it is important to create space so that all teammates feel comfortable to contribute their unique skills and abilities.
How to improve your teamwork skills
Here are a few steps you can take to improve your teamwork skills:
Get honest feedback. It can be difficult to identify your own areas of improvement. Finding a friend, or a trustworthy colleague or respectable mentor that can offer you honest feedback about your teamwork strengths and weaknesses can help you improve them.
Set personal goals. Using both your own observations and feedback from others to form achievable, relevant and time-constrained goals can help you improve one teamwork skill at a time.
Practice. It takes time and practice to see improvements in your skillset. Pay close attention to your teamwork interactions throughout the day both in and out of work. Take mindful steps to practice the specific qualities you are trying to build.
Mimic others with strong teamwork skills. When you see examples of great teamwork, take note and identify why the interaction stood out to you. Apply those qualities in your own interactions when working with others.
- A team refers to a group of individuals that are dedicated to a common goal, goals of service, and a common commitment to their goals.
- Teamwork skills are the abilities and qualities that will allow you to work with others during formal conversations, projects, meetings or other collaborations.
- Teamwork skills are thoroughly dependent on your ability to communicate well, actively listen and be responsible and honest.
- One of the most critical teamwork elements is the ability to communicate in a clear, efficient way.
- It is essential that the parties involved both have a complete understanding of the work they are responsible for within the dynamic of teamwork and make the effort to complete said tasks on time and up to the expected standard.
- Active listening is the act of making an effort to focus intently on one person as they share their ideas, thoughts or feelings.
- Having empathy for your teammates can allow you to better understand their motives and feelings.
- It is crucial to work with other teammates to share ideas, improve each other’s work and help one another to form a good team.
References
- Oxford Guide to writing and speaking, John Seely, O.U.P
- A Communicative Grammar of English, Leech, G.N. and Jan Svartvik
- Better English Pronunciation, J.O O’ Corner, Cambridge.
- Effective Technical Communication, M.Asraf Rizvi, Tata McGraw Hill
- Technical Communication Today, Bovea et al. Pearson.
- Practical English Usage. Michael Swan. OUP. 1995.
- Remedial English Grammar. F.T. Wood. Macmillan.2007
- Communication Skills. Sanjay Kumar and Pushp Lata. Oxford University Press. 2011.
- Exercises in Spoken English. Parts. I-III. CIEFL, Hyderabad. Oxford University Press