The following excerpt is taken from - Man’s Peril from the Hydrogen Bomb, BBC radio broadcast, 23 December 1954:
I am writing on this occasion not as a Briton, not as a European, not as a member of a Western democracy, but as a human being, a member of the species Man, whose continued existence is in doubt. The world is full of conflicts: Jews and Arabs; Indians and Pakistanis; white men and Negroes in Africa; and, overshadowing all minor conflicts, the titanic struggle between Communism and anti-Communism.
Almost everybody who is politically conscious has strong feelings about one or more of these issues; but I want you, if you can, to set aside such feelings for the moment and consider yourself only as a member of a biological species which has had a remarkable history and whose disappearance none of us can desire. I shall try to write no single word which should appeal to one group rather than to another. All, equally, are in peril, and, if the peril is understood, there is hope that they may collectively avert it. We have to learn to think in a new way. We have to learn to ask ourselves not what steps can be taken to give military victory to whatever group we prefer, for there no longer are such steps. The question we have to ask ourselves is: What steps can be taken to prevent a military contest of which the issue must be disastrous to all sides?
The general public, and even many men in positions of authority, have not realized what would be involved in a war with hydrogen bombs. The general public still thinks in terms of the obliteration of cities. It is understood that the new bombs are more powerful than the old and that, while one atomic bomb could obliterate Hiroshima, one hydrogen bomb could obliterate the largest cities such as London, New York, and Moscow. No doubt in a hydrogen-bomb war great city would be obliterated. But this is one of the minor disasters that would have to be faced. If everybody in London, New York, and Moscow were exterminated, the world might, in the course of a few centuries, recover from the blow. But we now know, especially since the Bikini test, that hydrogen bombs can gradually spread destruction over a much wider area than had been supposed. It is stated on very good authority that a bomb can now be manufactured which will be 25,000 times as powerful as that which destroyed Hiroshima. Such a bomb, if exploded near the ground or underwater, sends radioactive particles into the upper air. They sink gradually and reach the surface of the earth in the form of a deadly dust or rain. It was this dust which infected the Japanese fishermen and their catch of fish although they were outside what American experts believed to be the danger zone. No one knows how widely such lethal radioactive particles might be diffused, but the best authorities are unanimous in saying that a war with hydrogen bombs is quite likely to put an end to the human race. It is feared that if many hydrogen bombs are used there will be universal death—sudden only for a fortunate minority, but for the majority a slow torture of disease and disintegration.
I will give a few instances out of many. Sir John Slessor, who can speak with unrivalled authority from his experiences of air warfare, has said: “A world war in this day and age would be general suicide”; and has gone on to state: “It never has and never will make any sense trying to abolish any particular weapon of war. What we have got to abolish is war.” Lord Adrian, who is the leading English authority on nerve physiology, recently emphasized the same point in his address as president of the British Association. He said: “We must face the possibility that repeated atomic explosions will lead to a degree of general radioactivity which no one can tolerate or escape”; and he added: “Unless we are ready to give up some of our old loyalties, we may be forced into a fight which might end the human race.” Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert says: “With the advent of the hydrogen bomb, it would appear that the human race has arrived at a point where it must abandon war as a continuation of policy or accept the possibility of total destruction.” I could prolong such quotations indefinitely.
Many warnings have been uttered by eminent men of Science and by authorities in military strategy. None of them will say that the worst results are certain. What they do say is that these results are possible and no one can be sure that they will not be realized. I have not found that the views of experts on this question depend in any degree upon their politics or prejudices. They depend only, so far as my researches have revealed, upon the extent of the particular expert’s knowledge. I have found that the men who know most are most gloomy.
Stark, Inescapable Problem
Here, then, is the problem which I present to you, stark and dreadful and inescapable: Shall we put an end to the human race; or shall mankind renounce war? People will not face this alternative because it is so difficult to abolish war. The abolition of war will demand distasteful limitations of national sovereignty. But what perhaps impedes understanding of the situation more than anything else is that the term “mankind” feels vague and abstract. People scarcely realize in imagination that the danger is to themselves and their children and their grandchildren, and not only to a dimly apprehended humanity. And so they hope that perhaps war may be allowed to continue provided modern weapons are prohibited. I am afraid this hope is illusory. Whatever agreements not to use hydrogen bombs had been reached in time of peace, they would no longer be considered binding in time of war, and both sides would set to work to manufacture hydrogen bombs as soon as war broke out, for if one side manufactured the bombs and the other did not, the side that manufactured them would inevitably be victorious.
On both sides of the Iron Curtain there are political obstacles to emphasis on the destructive character of future war. If either side were to announce that it would on no account resort to war, it would be diplomatically at the mercy of the other side. Each side, for the sake of self-preservation, must continue to say that there are provocations that it will not endure. Each side may long for an accommodation, but neither side dare express this longing convincingly. The position is analogous to that of duelists in former times. No doubt it frequently happened that each of the duelists f eared death and desired an accommodation, but neither could say so, since, if he did, he would be thought a coward. The only hope in such cases was intervention by friends of both parties suggesting an accommodation to which both could agree at the same moment. This is an exact analogy to the present position of the protagonists on either side of the Iron Curtain. If an agreement making war improbable is to be reached, it will have to be by the friendly offices of neutrals, who can speak of the disastrousness of war without being accused of advocating a policy of “appeasement.” The neutrals have every right, even from the narrowest consideration of self-interest, to do whatever lies in their power to prevent the outbreak of a world war, for if such a war does break out, it is highly probable that all the inhabitants of neutral countries, along with the rest of mankind, will perish. If I were in control of a neutral government, I should certainly consider it my paramount duty to see to it that my country would continue to have inhabitants, and the only way by which I could make this probable would be to promote some kind of accommodation between the powers on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain.
I, personally, am of course not neutral in my feeling and I should not wish to see the danger of war averted by an abject submission of the West. But, as a human being, I have to remember that, if the issues between East and West are to be decided in any manner that can give any possible satisfaction to anybody, whether Communist or anti-Communist, whether Asian or European or American, whether white or black, then these issues must not be decided by war. I should wish this to be understood on both sides of the Iron Curtain. It is emphatically not enough to have it understood on one side only. I think the neutrals, since they are not caught in our tragic dilemma, can, if they will, bring about this realization on both sides. I should like to see one or more neutral powers appoint a commission of experts, who should all be neutrals, to draw up a report on the destructive effects to be expected in a war with hydrogen bombs, not only among the belligerents but also among neutrals. I should wish this report presented to the governments of all the Great Powers with an invitation to express their agreement or disagreement with its findings. I think it possible that in this way all the Great Powers could be led to agree that a world war can no longer serve the purposes of any of them, since it is likely to exterminate friend and foe equally and neutrals likewise.
As geological rime is reckoned, Man has so far existed only for a very short period—1,000,000 years at the most. What he has achieved, especially during the last 6,000 years, is something utterly new in the history of the Cosmos, so far at least as we are acquainted with it. For countless ages the sun rose and set, the moon waxed and waned, the stars shone in the night, but it was only with the coming of Man that these things were understood. In the great world of astronomy and in the little world of the atom, Man has unveiled secrets which might have been thought undiscoverable. In art and literature and religion, some men have shown a sublimity of feeling which makes the species worth preserving. Is all this to end in trivial horror because so few are able to think of Man rather than of this or that group of men? Is our race so destitute of wisdom, so incapable of impartial love, so blind even to the simplest dictates of self-preservation, that the last proof of its silly cleverness is to be the extermination of all life on our planet?—for it will be not only men who will perish, but also the animals, whom no one can accuse of Communism or anti-Communism.
I cannot believe that this is to be the end. I would have men forget their quarrels for a moment and reflect that, if they will allow themselves to survive, there is every reason to expect the triumphs of the future to exceed immeasurably the triumphs of the past. There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? I appeal, as a human being to human beings: remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise; if you cannot, nothing lies before you but universal death.
- Bertrand Russel
Digital India is a campaign launched by the Government of India in order to ensure the Government's services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and by increasing internet connectivity or making the country digitally empowered in the field of technology. The initiative includes plans to connect rural areas with high-speed internet networks. Digital India consists of three core components: the development of secure and stable digital infrastructure, delivering government services digitally, and universal digital literacy.
Launched on 1 July 2015, by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it is both enabler and beneficiary of other key Government of India schemes, such as BharatNet, Make in India, Startup India and Standup India, industrial corridors, Bharatmala, Sagarmala
Some of the facilities which will be provided through this initiative are Bharat net, digital locker, e-education, e-health, e-sign, e-shopping and national scholarship portal. As part of Digital India, Indian Government planned to launch Botnet cleaning centres.
- National e-Governance Plan aimed at bringing all the front-end government services online.
- MyGov.in is a platform to share inputs and ideas on matters of policy and governance.[14] It is a platform for citizen engagement in governance, through a "Discuss", "Do" and "Disseminate" approach.
- UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is a Government of India all-in-one single unified secure multi-channel multi-platform multi-lingual multi-service freeware mobile app for accessing over 1,200 central and state government services in multiple Indian languages over Android, iOS, Windows and USSD (feature phone) devices, including services such as AADHAAR, DigiLocker, Bharat Bill Payment System, PAN, EPFO services, PMKVY services, AICTE, CBSE, tax and fee or utilities bills payments, education, job search, tax, business, health, agriculture, travel, Indian railway tickets bookings, birth certificates, e-District, e-Panchayat, police clearance, passport, other utility services from private companies and much more.
- eSign framework allows citizens to digitally sign a document online using Aadhaar authentication.
- Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Mobile app is being used by people and Government organisations for achieving the goals of Swachh Bharat Mission.
- eHospital application provides important services such as online registration, payment of fees and appointment, online diagnostic reports, enquiring availability of blood online, etc.
- Digital attendance: attendance.gov.in was launched by PM Narendra Modi on 1 July 2015, to keep a record of the attendance of government employees on a real-time basis. This initiative started with implementation of a common Biometric Attendance System (BAS) in the central government offices located in Delhi.
- Back-end digitisation
- Black money eradication: The 2016, Union budget of India announced 11 technology initiatives including the use of data analytics to nab tax evaders, creating a substantial opportunity for IT companies to build out the systems that will be required. Digital Literacy mission will cover six crore rural households. It is planned to connect 550 farmer markets in the country through the use of technology.
- Facilities to digitally empower citizens
- Digital Locker facility will help citizens to digitally store their important documents like PAN card, passport, mark sheets and degree certificates. Digital Locker will provide secure access to Government-issued documents. It uses authenticity services provided by Aadhaar. It is aimed at eliminating the use of physical documents and enables the sharing of verified electronic documents across government agencies. Three key stakeholders of DigiLocker are Citizen, Issuer and requester.
- BPO and job growth: The government is planning to create 28,000 seats of BPOs in various states and set up at least one Common Service Centre in each of the gram panchayats in the state.
- e-Sampark Vernacular email service: Out of 10% English speaking Indians, only 2% reside in rural areas. Rest everyone depends on their vernacular language for all living their lives. However, as of now, email addresses can only be created in the English language. To connect rural India with Digital India, the Government of India impelled email services provider giants including Gmail, office, and Rediff to provide the email address in regional languages. The email provider companies have shown positive sign and is working in the same process. An Indian-based company, Data Xgen Technologies Pvt Ltd, has launched world's first free linguistic email address under the name ‘DATAMAIL’ which allows creating email ids in 8 Indian languages, English; and three foreign languages – Arabic, Russian and Chinese. Over the period of time, the email service in 22 languages will be offered by Data XGen Technologies.
- Wikipedia
5.1.1. Errors of Concord
Subject Verb Concord
A subject – verb concord refers to the agreement formed between the subject and verb in a sentence which makes the sentence meaningful and sound structurally correct.
Below are the rules of a Subject-Verb concord:
Being able to find the right title and action will help you correct the mistakes of the action agreement.
For example: The list of items is /are on the table.
If you know that a list is a topic, then you will choose it for the Verb.
- Rule 1. The subject will come before the sentence you begin. This is an important rule for understanding subjects/lessons. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.
Funny writers, speakers, readers and the audience can miss the most common mistake in the following sentence:
Incorrect: The bouquet of yellow roses lends color and aroma to the room.
Correct: A bouquet of flowers of yellow roses lends. . . (borrowing a bouquet of flowers, not roses lend)
- Rule 2. Two related topics linked by, or, either/ or, or neither / nor require one action.
Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.
- Rule 3. The verb in an or, either / or, or neither / nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun next to it.
Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.
This rule can lead to traffic congestion. For example, if I'm one of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this unusual sentence:
Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.
If possible, it is better to rearrange such correct sentences in the language but be negative.
Better: Neither she, I, nor my friends attend the festival.
or
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.
- Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural action for two or more subjects if they are linked by.
Example: A car and a bicycle are my mode of transportation.
But note the exceptions:
- Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.
In those sentences, breaking and entering and the bed and breakfast are complicated nouns.
Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.
- Rule 5b. Parenthesis are not part of the topic.
Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.
If this seems difficult, try rewriting the sentence.
- Rule 6. In sentences that begin here or there, the actual subject follows the verb.
Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.
- NOTE:
The word existence, some consensus exists, leads to bad habits in illegal sentences such as There are a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there" than "there is." Take care never to use an article on a plural subject.
- Rule 7. Use the unit-by-unit action, time periods, currency, etc., when considered a unit.
Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.
- Rule 8. In words that indicate parts - e.g., many, many, all, all - Regulation 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun in the background. If the noun is one after the other, use one action. If plural, use the plural verb.
Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.
- NOTE:
In recent years, the SAT test service has considered none of it very important. However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage: "Obviously no one has been united and plural since Old English and still is. The idea that it is compiled only is a myth of an unknown origin that probably originated in the 19th century. if it seems to you, use one verb; if there seems to be a plural, use a plural verb. Both are accepted without serious criticism. " When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.
- Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the action may be singular or plural, depending on the author's intent.
Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was not in favor OR were not in favor of the bill.
- NOTE:
Anyone using a collective verb with a collective pronoun should be aware of the accuracy - and also disagree. It should not be done with care. The following is the kind of error sentence that a person sees and doesn't hear much these days:
The staff decides how they want to vote.
Careful speakers and writers can avoid sharing their singular and plural to work in one sentence.
Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.
Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding sentence will read better like:
The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.
- Rule 10. The word instead consisted of statements expressing desire or contradicting the truth:
For example: If Joe were here, you would be sorry.
Shouldn't Joe be followed by him, not, given that Joe is alone? But Joe is not here, so we say it wasn't. The sentence indicates the state of injection, which is used to express things that are logical, wishful, rational, or controversial. The general motive reflects a few lessons and what we often think of as pluralism.
Examples:
- I wish it were Friday.
- He requested that she raise his hand.
In the first example, a wish statement is presented, not a fact; So, it's been something, which we often think of as a mathematical act, used with it. (Technically, one article in a reunion: it were Friday.)
Usually, he used to sound awful to us. However, in the second example, when an application is presented, the subjunctive mood is correct.
- Note: The punctuation condition is lost in spoken English but should be used in formal speech and writing.
Noun Pronoun Concord
Below are the rules related to pronoun concord:
Singular Noun, Singular Pronoun:
When writing a sentence, using the same word more than once can be repetitive.
Example: Francine edited her paper because her paper was full of errors.
• Rather than repeating "paper" twice, it is possible to use a pronoun.
Revision: Francine edited her paper because it was full of errors.
• Since "paper" is singular (there is only one), use the singular pronoun ("it") to replace it.
For example: Each student should find his or her own note taking strategy.
• Since the subject is singular ("each "), the pronoun ("his or her") must also be singular.
For example: Neither Bob and Alex do not believe he will win this award.
• Since the subject is singular ("neither"), the pronoun ("he") must also be singular.
For example: A community group of teachers is meeting tonight to see if it can find a way to help students improve their SAT scores.
• Since the subject is singular ("community group"), the pronoun ("it") must also be singular.
Singular “They"
Recently, a number of popular and popular books have begun to accept the use of the word "them" as a singular pronoun, meaning that the authors use "they" to associate with the target topics in an attempt to avoid male pronouns. Although the pronoun "they" is a plural noun in some style references, APA encourages authors to use "they" as a singular pronoun for the purpose of accepting gender differences.
With this in mind, when authors write specifically about an individual or group of people who like singular "they," authors should also use the single "they."
When appropriate, we recommend authors explicitly explain that they have used the singular "they" to follow the identities of the people they are interviewing.
In addition, authors can often avoid the issue of gender-neutral pronouns by updating a sentence to make the subject plural:
Original sentence: A teacher should carefully choose opportunities for development that address their gaps in knowledge.
Plural Noun, Plural Pronoun:
When the subject of a sentence is plural, the pronoun in the sentence becomes plural as well.
For example: When students arrive on the first day of school, students need help finding the right classroom.
- Since " students " is a plural, use a plural pronoun to replace it.
Revision: When students arrive on the first day of school, they need help finding the right classroom.
Remember to find the exact subject of the sentence to find out whether a pronoun should be singular or plural. See our web page on subject- verb agreement for more on single-subject articles.
For example: When a manager or employee disagrees, they should discuss the situation.
- Since the subject has a plural ("a manager or employee"), the pronoun ("they") must also be plural.
Example: The professor hopes that students review their notes carefully.
- Since the subject is plural ("students "), the pronoun ("their") must also be plural.
For example: Both Smith (2016) and Taylor (2017) believe that their results will lead to social change.
- Since the subject is plural ("both"), the pronoun ("their") must also be plural.
Pronoun Ambiguity:
Although pronouns are useful to help writers avoid repetition, they should be used sparingly to understand the meaning of the sentence. Look at this sentence:
For example: When Jeff and Brian joined the team members, they were shocked.
• The pronoun here ("they") is unclear - to whom? Was the team nervous? Were Jeff and Brian nervous? In this example, because the pronoun "they" makes sense, choosing a noun instead of a pronoun will help clarify it.
5.1.2. 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. (wrong)
She is a United States senator.
Common Errors Related to Articles
- The use of A/An with plural Or uncountable noun:
a fact = OK (singular)
a facts = INCORRECT (plural)
an information = INCORRECT (uncountable)
an advice = INCORRECT (uncountable)
a piece of advice = OK (“piece” is countable)
a pants / a glasses / a scissors = INCORRECT (plural)
a pair of pants/glasses/scissors = OK (“pair” is countable)
a rice = INCORRECT (uncountable)
a grain of rice = OK (“grain” is countable)
a work = INCORRECT (uncountable)
a job / a task / a project = OK (countable)
- The articles ‘A’ and ‘An’ always follow the sound, not the letter
a university (pronounced like you – ni – ver – si – ty)
an umbrella (pronounced like um – brel – la)
a hat (h is not silent)
an hour (h is silent)
an X-ray (pronounced like ex – ray)
an NGO (pronounced like en – gee – oh)
a non-governmental organization (when we say the full words, they start with the N sound)
- The use of A and An without a noun following it.
I am a Japanese. = INCORRECT (“Japanese” is an adjective, not a noun)
I am Japanese. = OK
He is an intelligent. = INCORRECT (“intelligent” is an adjective, not a noun)
He is intelligent. = OK
He is an intelligent man. = OK (now it’s OK because we have the noun “man” after “an intelligent”)
- The use of "The" for Singular or Plural and for Countable or Uncountable nouns, when something specific is being talked about (Not General)
I love pasta. (general)
I love the pasta at that restaurant. (specific)
That store sells furniture. (general)
The furniture in my living room is all new. (specific)
Vegetables are good for you. (general)
The vegetables at the market are always fresh. (specific)
I need advice. (general)
The advice you gave me was very helpful. (specific)
- Use of the article "The" for proper nouns:
- NAMES OF CONTINENTS/COUNTRIES*/STATES/CITIES/STREETS:
We’re traveling around Asia for three months.
I’d like to visit Russia.
Paris is my favourite city in Europe.
Have you ever been to California?
They live on Rosewood Avenue.
*Exceptions: The United States (the U.S.), the United Kingdom (the U.K.), the Philippines, the Czech Republic, the Central African Republic, the Marshall Islands
- COMPANIES & UNIVERSITIES
My uncle works at Samsung.
Microsoft reported high profits this quarter.
She graduated from Harvard.
New York University is very large.
*Exceptions: If the university’s name BEGINS with “university,” then use “the”:
The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Miami
- LANGUAGES & HOLIDAYS
I’m studying Spanish.
He speaks Italian.
My whole family gets together at Christmas.
The office will be closed on New Year’s Day.
- "The" can be used while referring for certain places:
- DO NOT USE THE WITH INDIVIDUAL LAKES OR MOUNTAINS:
Mount Everest is the highest mountain the world.
We went sailing on Lake Ontario.
- USE THE WITH OCEANS, RIVERS, VALLEYS, DESERTS, MOUNTAIN RANGES, POINTS ON GLOBE:
the Pacific Ocean
the Amazon River
the San Fernando Valley
the Sahara Desert
the Swiss Alps, the Rocky Mountains
the North/South Pole, the Equator
- DO NOT USE THE WITH THE FOLLOWING PLACES:
I’m going home.
She’s at work.
He’s in jail.
We attend church.
My kids went to bed.
My brother’s in high school.
My sister’s in college.
- USE THE WITH THE FOLLOWING PLACES:
I went to the bank.
Let’s go to the movies.
He gets home from the office around 7.
My grandfather’s in the hospital.
I’ll stop by the post office after lunch.
I caught a taxi to the airport.
I’ll pick you up at the train station.
We’re waiting at the bus stop.
We took my son to the doctor.
I’m going to the dentist this afternoon. (in this case, “the doctor” and “the dentist” are short for “the doctor’s office” and “the dentist’s office”)
- A subject – verb agreement refers to the agreement formed between the subject and verb in a sentence which makes the sentence meaningful and sound structurally correct.
- A singular subject (he, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (goes, shiny), and the plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Sometimes a subject is separated from a verb by words such as once, and, and besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the title. Ignore them and use only one action when the subject is alone.
- Noun-Pronoun concord refers to the correspondence of a pronoun with its antecedent in number (singular, plural), person (first, second, third), and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter).
- Noun-pronoun concord is also known as a noun-pronoun agreement or pronoun-antecedent agreement.
- One of the basic principles of pronoun concord is that a singular pronoun refers to a singular noun while a plural pronoun refers to a plural noun.
- Remember to find the exact subject of the sentence to find out whether a pronoun should be singular or plural.
- According to the APA-style blog, "when people come together and do not change their gender (including age, gender, and other communities) use their unity as their pronoun, the authors rightly use the singular when" writing about them ".
- Articles can be defined as words that precede a noun and define the specificity of that noun.
- The definite article is the word ‘the’ and is only used when a particular place, thing or activity is being referred to. It limits the meaning to one particular thing or activity.
- The definite article can be used to make general things specific.
- 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.
- When the first letter of a word is a vowel but is pronounced with a consonant sound, the article 'a' must be used.
Collocations are two or more words that are often used collectively. They sound natural to the native ear. They are phrases which, if used in proper context give a different meaning than when they are used separately. In other words, they are a coupling of words that go very well together.
These collocations are often non-reversible, meaning the sequence of the words in a collocation cannot be interchanged.
Below are some examples of the most commonly used collocations in the English language:
bed and breakfast | man and wife |
birds and bees | name and address |
black and white | nice and easy |
body and soul | null and void |
bread and butter | peaches and cream |
bride and groom | pots and pans |
business and pleasure | prim and proper |
by and large | profit and/or loss |
cause and effect | pros and cons |
cloak and dagger | pure and simple |
coat and tie | rain or shine |
coffee and doughnuts | ranting and raving |
cream and sugar | read and write |
crime and punishment | right and/or wrong |
cup and saucer | rise and fall |
dead or alive | salt and pepper |
Following examples describe how collocations are used in sentences:
- Are you fully aware of the consequences you’re about to face?
- He fell on the ground in excruciating pain.
- The bomb went off when he started the car engine.
- The prisoner was hanged for committing homicide.
- After her eyes were filled with horror, suddenly she burst into tears.
- A collocation is a group of two or more words that are used collectively and sound natural to a native ear.
- Collocations are phrases which, if used in proper context give a different meaning than when they are used separately.
- Collocations are often non-reversible, meaning the sequence of the words in a collocation cannot be interchanged.
The meaning of a word with a number of syllables can change with a shift of stress on different syllables. Although stress can emphasize meaning not all English words are affected by a change on stress.
There can be two ways in which a shift in stress can change the meaning of the word. First, the meaning of the word changes partially. And second, by changing the complete meaning of the word by shifting stress and transforming the word into a noun, verb or sometimes an adjective.
Below are few examples where the meaning of the word has changed partially with a shift in stress on the second syllable.
Insult – What they said felt like IN-sults.
Please don’t in-SULT me.
Perfect – This is a PER-fect record.
They need to per-FECT their strategy.
Produce – They bought a lot of bio-degradable PRO-duce.
How did they pro-DUCE so much corn in so little time.
Record – They always keep a RE-cord of their conversations.
It is important to re-CORD important data.
Suspect – The police interrogated the SU-spect for 2 hours.
I sus-PECT there will be no retaliation.
Below are examples where the meaning of the word changes completely by changing the noun into a verb or an adjective.
Address – I do not know his ADD-ress.
You should add-RESS the queen with utmost respect.
Conduct - The restaurant manager wasn’t happy about his CON-duct.
He was asked to con-DUCT the choir performance earlier.
Content- The CON-tent of you project is satisfactory.
She was not con-TENT with how the book ended.
Desert – The army marched through the DES-ert.
She said she would never des-ERT me.
Project – The PRO-ject should be completed within the given time.
We can pro-JECT the film on a white screen.
Patterns of Stress
There are eight following patterns of accent in English.
1. Single syllable- Stressed
- Dog
- DRINK
- GOOD
- Skip
- WELL
2. Two Syllable - First Syllable Stressed
- PAINter
- PENcil
- Women
- DRAWing
- HAPPY
3. Two Syllable - Second Syllable Stressed
- poLICE
- reCORD
- tWELVE
- NOTE
- RETURN
4. Three Syllables - First Syllable Stressed
- INteresting
- REStaurant
- Telephone
- Refreshing
- Phone
5. Three syllable – Second Syllable Stressed
- tomato
- aggressive
- iTAlian
6. Three syllable- Third Syllable Stressed
- institute
- volunteer
- interfere
7. Four syllable -Second Syllable Stressed
- geographer
- philosophy
- Very much
- Especially
8. Four syllable – Third Syllable Stressed
- elevator
- graduation
- entertainer
Types of Stress
Emphatic Stress:
Emphatic stress is the stress that emphasizes the flow of tonic pressure from the final state of speech is to focus on the word content.
- It was very exCIted. (unmarked)
- It was a lot of fun. (emphasize / say firmly/ strongly)
- I can't speak GREAT. (unchecked)
- NEVER talk too much. (emphasize / say firmly)
Contrastive Stress:
This pattern is quite different from stress that is not limited to stress and discomfort. Speech has tonic pressure on any words. It is possible between content words and technical words to compare that world of speech.
- Consider the following examples:
a) Do you want this or THAT one?- b) I want THAT one.
- Some unfinished discussions are found in written documents researching contract involvement.
Consider the following sentences:
He ate a pizza yesterday. (He was the ……….)
He ate a pizza yesterday. (Not only does he not drink ……….)
He ate a pizza yesterday. (It was pizza that ……….)
He ate a pizza yesterday. (It was yesterday…. ……….)
Contrastive stress is a type of syllabic stress used to point out the difference between one object and another. Contrastive stress is typically used with determiners such as 'this, that, these and those'.
For example:
- I think I prefer this color over blue.
- Do you want these curtains or those curtains?
Contrastive stress can also be used to bring out a given word in a sentence which may slightly change the meaning.
- He came to the party yesterday. (It was he, not someone else.)
- He walked to the party yesterday. (He walked, rather than drove.)
- He came to the party yesterday. (It was a party, rather than meeting or something else.)
- He came to the party yesterday. (It was yesterday, instead of some other time.)
This pattern is quite different from stress that is not limited to stress and discomfort. Speech has tonic pressure on any words. It is possible between content words and technical words to compare that world of speech.
Consider the following examples:
a) Do you want this or THAT one?
b) I want THAT one.
Some unfinished discussions are found in written documents researching contract involvement.
Consider the following sentences:
- He ate a pizza yesterday. (He was the ……….)
- He ate a pizza yesterday. (Not only does he not drink ……….)
- He ate a pizza yesterday. (It was pizza that ……….)
- He ate a pizza yesterday. (It was yesterday…. ……….)
Consider the following under the tonic syllable.
- You learn.
- READ BOOK.
- You are reading a book on SUNday.
- The meaning of a word with a number of syllables can change with a shift of stress on different syllables.
- There can be two ways in which a shift in stress can change the meaning of the word. First, the meaning of the word changes partially. And second, by changing the complete meaning of the word by shifting stress and transforming the word into a noun, verb or sometimes an adjective.
- There are eight patterns of stress: single stressed syllable, two syllable – first stress and second stress, three syllables – first stress, second stress and third stress, four syllable – second stress and third stress.
- Stress can be emphatic, contrastive or tonic.
- Emphatic stress is the stress that emphasizes the flow of tonic pressure from the final state of speech is to focus on the word content.
- Contrastive stress is a type of syllabic stress used to point out the difference between one object and another.
- Contrastive stress is typically used with determiners such as 'this, that, these and those'.
- Tonic pressure is a stronghold of stress. If the syllables have tonic pressure call us tonic sillies. The tonic emphasis occurs in the name of the content of the last position of the pronoun.
Word families describe groups of words that have a common feature or pattern. They have the same letter combinations — a similar sound — and they're a wonderful tool for those new to spelling. For example, a family of words with the "at" sound and letter combination in common would include words such as at, cat, hat, and fat etc.
Given below is a list of the most common word families in English from Wylie and Durrell, 1970, and examples of each.
Word Families
Ack
- attack
- back
- black
- crack
- hack
- Jack
- knack
- lack
- pack
- quack
- rack
ad
- ad
- bad
- brad
- cad
- clad
- dad
- doodad
- glad
- had
- lad
- mad
- pad
- sad
age
- age
- cage
- engage
- rage
- sage
- stage
- wage
ail
- ail
- fail
- hail
- jail
- nail
- pail
- rail
- sail
- snail
- tail
- wail
ain
- brain
- chain
- complain
- explain
- gain
- grain
- main
- obtain
- pain
- plain
- rain
- slain
- Spain
- sprain
- stain
- strain
- train
- vain
ill
- Jill
- kill
- krill
- mill
- pill
- quill
- shrill
- sill
- skill
- spill
- still
- swill
- thrill
in
- kin
- pin
- shin
- skin
- sin
- spin
- thin
ine
- brine
- decline
- define
- dine
- fine
- line
- mine
- nine
- pine
- shine
- shrine
og
- blog
- bog
- catalog
- clog
- cog
- dog
- fog
- frog
- hog
- jog
- log
- slog
- smog
oil
- boil
- broil
- coil
- foil
- oil
- soil
- spoil
- toil
oke
- awoke
- bloke
- broke
- choke
- joke
- poke
- smoke
- spoke
- stoke
- stroke
- woke
- yoke
ood
- good
- hood
- stood
- wood
oof
- brood
- food
- mood
- oof
- goof
- proof
- roof
- spoof
- hoof
- woof
ook
- book
- brook
- cook
- crook
- hook
- look
- nook
- rook
- shook
- took
oom
- bloom
- boom
- broom
- doom
- gloom
- groom
- loom
- room
- zoom
ool
- cool
- drool
- fool
- pool
- spool
- stool
- tool
oon
- balloon
- goon
- loon
- moon
- noon
- soon
- spoon
- swoon
oop
- coop
- droop
- hoop
- loop
- scoop
- snoop
- stoop
- troop
oot (long oo)
- boot
- hoot
- scoot
- shoot
oot (short oo)
- foot
- soot
op
- bop
- chop
- cop
- crop
- drop
- flop
- hop
- lop
- mop
ore
- bore
- chore
- core
- lore
- more
- pore
- score
- shore
- sore
orn
- adorn
- born
- corn
- forlorn
- horn
- morn
- scorn
ot
- apricot
- blot
- bot
- clot
- cot
- dot
- forgot
- got
- hot
- jot
- knot
ould
- could
- should
- would
ouse
- douse
- grouse
- house
- louse
- mouse
- spouse
out
- about
- bout
- clout
- gout
- grout
- out
- lout
- pout
- scout
- shout
ow (rhymes with cow)
- bow
- cow
- chow
- how
- now
- plow
- sow
ow (rhymes with low)
- bow
- blow
- crow
- glow
- grow
- low
- row
- show
- slow
- snow
own
- brown
- crown
- down
- drown
- frown
- gown
- nightgown
- town
uck
- buck
- chuck
- cluck
- duck
- luck
- puck
- pluck
- stuck
- struck
- truck
ug
- bug
- dug
- hug
- jug
- lug
- mug
- plug
- pug
- rug
- tug
ump
- bump
- clump
- dump
- grump
- hump
- jump
- lump
- plump
- pump
un
- bun
- fun
- gun
- nun
- pun
- run
- shun
unk
- bunk
- chunk
- drunk
- dunk
- flunk
- funk
- hunk
- Word families describe groups of words that have a common feature or pattern such as the same letter combinations — a similar sound — and they're a wonderful tool for those new to spelling.
- According to Wylie and Durrell, the 37 most common word families in English are: ack, ain, ake, ale, all, ame, an, ank, ap, ash, at, ate, aw ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ick, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, ink, ip, it, ock, oke, op, ore, ot, uck ,ug, ump, unk.
Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a balanced diet. Given below are few conversation pointers for talking about fruits and vegetables:
- Do you like fruits and vegetables?
Yes, I like fruits and vegetables. In fact, they form a major part of my daily diet.
2. Do you often eat fruit(s) and vegetables?
I eat fruits and vegetables daily. In fact, seasonal fruits and vegetables are a major part of my daily diet.
3. Why do you think fruits and vegetables are important for us?
I think they are important because they have essential vitamins, proteins and minerals, which we must eat to be healthy.
4. What kind of fruit do you prefer?
I prefer all kinds of fruit. But I prefer seasonal fruits because they're readily available and cheap.
5. What fruit(s) (and /or vegetables) do you especially prefer to eat?
I like to eat all fruits and vegetables, but I especially prefer the okra and broccoli among the veggies and my favorite fruits are watermelon and mango.
6. Do you still eat the same fruits and vegetables today as you did when you were a child?
As a child, my favorite fruit used to be grapes, but now I like mango and watermelon more. Also, I wasn’t very fond of vegetables as a kid. Now I like all types of vegetables and fruits.
7. What fruit and vegetables did you wish to eat once you were a child?
I liked all fruits as a kid and my favorite fruit used to be grapes. I wasn’t very keen on vegetables when I was a child.
8. Is it easy (or, convenient) to shop for fruit and vegetables where you live?
Yes, it's very convenient to shop for fruits and vegetables where I live. I stay in a city and there are many fruit and vegetable sellers, who have stalls/stands established in many parts of the town. In grocery stores also we have a fruits and vegetables section.
9. Do you think people should eat more fruits and vegetables?
Of course, I feel people should eat more fruits and vegetables, as they contain essential vitamins and nutrients needed for a healthy body and mind. Also, it's become all the more important now to eat healthy food as most of the people lead a sedentary life.
10. Does one think it’s (really)necessary to eat fruits and vegetables? OR How important is it to eat fruit and vegetables? OR What are the advantages of eating fresh fruit (or, fresh fruits and vegetables)?
Certainly. It is essential to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, as they contain nutrients like vitamins and minerals, which our body requires in order to function properly and to stay healthy. Also, having a healthy diet makes us feel more energetic.
11. What quantity of fruit and vegetables do you think an individual needs to stay healthy?
I think fruits and vegetables are needed as a portion of our everyday diet. Many dieticians suggest that we should always eat fruits and vegetables of a minimum of five different colors every day.
12. (In India,) is there much difference between the fruits and vegetables that individuals eat today and what they used to eat in the past?
Yes, there has been a change in the fruits and vegetables we eat today in India, as compared to the past. In earlier times, mostly the local produce was consumed. However, now we've fruits and vegetables from the opposite parts of the country and therefore the also from other parts of the planet.
13. Would you ever grow your own vegetables?
Yes, I wish to have a vegetable garden in my home, where I can grow my very own fruits and vegetables.
Ethics is defined as a branch of philosophy concerned with the meaning of all aspects of human behaviour. Work ethics therefore, can be described as principles that govern the behaviour of a person or group in a workplace environment.
Similar to values, work ethics provide rules on how an individual should act towards other individuals and institutions in such a professional environment. And unlike values, work ethics are, more often than not, a defined set of rules, which a particular group of people use. Meaning all those in a particular group will use the same professional ethics, even though their values may be unique to each person.
The norm system governing and regulating professional behaviour is work ethics. Certain common principles underlie professional codes and bodies, e.g., Medical and Dental Council, Police Service Code of Conduct, Estate Agents Code of Conduct. Codes may not be exhaustive and may not include all the rules and regulations that apply to every situation. The contents therefore have to be viewed within the framework of company policies, procedures and the requirements of the law.
In our society ethical concerns have escalated in the past few years and have been raised at government level. Organisations have hot lines for employees to anonymously report unethical behaviour. In our field of engineering issues of fairness have been legislated and we have a Code of Conduct in place. The question of ethical practice, however, covers broad ground and encompasses everything we do as professionals and the way we behave towards each other and our clients.
Practising businessmen must become aware of their ethical responsibility towards the client as well as being on the lookout for possible areas where ethical concerns could arise.
Professionals need to understand what values are and examine their own value system which determines their interactions. What pitfalls regarding business and professional ethics face businessmen and what standards of integrity do they need to be aware of and adhere to, i.e., what ideals should they strive towards?
Below are some important advantages of having work ethics:
As Corporate Customers:
- It boosts the company profile among peers in the industry
- Provide other marketing tools
- Develops professional skills
- It promotes cultural awareness
- It instils dignity and respect in the workplace
- It gives a positive impact on the code of conduct at work
- Improves internal and external customer relationships
As Individuals:
- It builds confidence and confidence
- It highlights the image
- Develop skills
- It provides a competitive edge for those seeking employment
- It has an impact on career progression
- It promotes cultural awareness
- Creates existing opportunities in a competitive educational environment
As professionals:
- Provides strategies and skills to overcome shyness
- It builds confidence and confidence
- Providing winning strategies for competing educational institutions
- Develop analytical skills
- It creates new learning opportunities
- Develops facial skills
- It teaches social interaction skills
Codes of Conduct
Personal integrity at the workplace can be maintained by following the general principles of codes of conduct. Most codes have common fundamental principles which boil down to four universal fundamental principles:
1. Respect for People’s Dignity and Rights
- Respect the client’s personal integrity (privacy, confidentiality)
- Be non-judgmental of the intrinsic value of the client irrespective of age, behaviour, culture, gender, race or religion
- If you are not competent to undertake a project/ task refer to another engineer
- Respect the knowledge skills and experience of your colleagues and other professionals
2. Responsible Practice
- The critical focus of this principle is to limit your practice to your field of expertise and competence
- You must have the appropriate knowledge and skill before undertaking an activity
- Undergo relevant training and adhere to best practice
- Keep abreast of new developments in your field
- Use a new technique under supervision of a competent and experienced professional
3. Integrity in Relationships
- The power relationship is unbalanced between the client and the businessman as most power rests with the engineer (having the knowledge and skill) which leaves the client vulnerable
- Professional codes expect businessmen to act with integrity
- For businessmen to be accepted in society and successful in their profession they need to be trusted. There is a fiduciary relationship whereby one person (the client), in a position of vulnerability, justifiably reposes confidence, good faith, reliance and trust in another (the engineer) whose aid, advice or protection is sought in some matter. In such a relationship good conscience requires one to act at all times for the sole benefit and interests of another, with loyalty to those interests.
4. Responsibility
- Clients are clearly the businessman’s first responsibility but they also have a responsibility to society
- Examples of responsible social actions are to:
- to disperse information that can advance the profession
- to protect the public trust in the business profession by “blowing the whistle” on non-professional conduct
- to assisting in some instances where worthy causes cannot afford professional services to protect society from dangerous practices
Key Takeaways
- Work ethics can be described as principles that govern the behaviour of a person or group in the workplace environment.
- Work ethics provide rules on how an individual should act towards other individuals and institutions in such a professional environment.
- The norm system governing and regulating professional behaviour is work ethics.
- Work ethics provide rules on how an individual should act towards other individuals and institutions in such a professional environment. And unlike values, work ethics are, more often than not, a defined set of rules, which a particular group of people use.
- Work ethics are important at three levels: As corporate customers, as individuals and as professionals.
- Personal integrity at the workplace can be maintained by following the general principles of codes of conduct.
- In order to promote ethical conduct, it is important to be non-judgmental of the intrinsic value of the client irrespective of age, behaviour, culture, gender, race or religion.
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