TO and TO THE
TO and TO THE : When we go to a building (eg .hospital, school, church, prison etc)for the purpose for which it is constructed , we use ‘To’ (without ‘the’). Otherwise ‘To the’ is usually used. He went to school at 8.30 a.m .( he went to school for studying – See ‘to school’ The mother went to the school to see her son.( not for studying)- ‘ to the school’ He had an accident yesterday. He was taken to hospital immediately.( i.e for treatment)…
Should – various usages.
Should – various usages : To give advice, opinion etc You look tired. You should go to bed. You should seek the advice of the Principal before taking an action. Should we hire a taxi or go by bus? 2 .We use ‘should’ with” I think/I don’t think/Do you think? “etc I think you should consult a doctor. I don’t think you should submit the resignation now. A: Do you think I should apply for this job? B: Yes, I think you should. 3. Should/should…
Other uses of IN CASE.
In case of = in the event of In case of fire, ring the alarm bell. In case of any difficulty, please contact me over the phone. In case of any complications we sought the opinion of senior doctors ( past) In any case = whatever happens or may have happened. He will not help me in any case. In any case we are not going to give in to his pressure tactics. In any case the project should be completed within the stipulated time.…
Difference between ‘In case’ and ‘ If’
There is a clear-cut difference in the usage of IN CASE and IF. In the case of ‘In case”, something is being done in anticipation of something else. Similarly we did ( or not) something anticipating something else. But in the case of ‘IF’ , nothing is being done anticipating something else. We do something only if a need arises. When ‘In case ‘ is used in the past , it explains why we did something in the past. IN CASE and IF compared. You…
OUGHT TO and SHOULD
OUGHT TO and SHOULD : They are often interchangeable but only in the sense of obligation. Similarly ‘ Ought to have -ed ‘ can be replaced by ‘ Should have -ed ‘. The moral force of ‘Ought to ‘ is more than ‘ Should ‘ , but less than ‘ Must ‘. The moral force concerning the above can be arranged in the following ascending order. SHOULD——— OUGHT TO———–MUST. You ought to help him. OR -You should help him. (i.e you are obliged to help…
MANY and MANY A
Many a time, many a man etc. means many times, many men etc. When we use these expressions we intend to explain a situation where the subject is plural. But structurally ‘many’ follows a plural verb whereas ‘many a’ follows a singular verb though both mean more than one. EXAMPLES: Many men have come here with the same request. OR Many a man has come here with the same request. (here also it means more than one man) We have been there many times. (OR…
Heart-felt vs. Hearty
Heart-felt = (of a feeling or its expression) deeply and strongly felt; sincere. Please accept my heartfelt apologies/thanks. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the fishermen who volunteered in the rescue operation. Louis expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. Hearty = cheerful, spirited, enthusiastic etc( often loudly expressed) Louis extended a hearty welcome to the guests. A hearty laugh/handshake. Hearty congratulations. (2) (of food) wholesome and substantial. We ate a hearty breakfast before we set off.
Idiomatic expression of ‘Wish’ -part 3 (possession based)
This part deals with the past wishful thinking of someone about how good/happy it would have been to possess /have something in the past though actually they didn’t possess it. EXAMPLES. He wished he had had a pet dog when he was a boy..(i.e He wished so but he didn’t have it) She wished she had had a post graduation in Science.(i.e she wished so but didn’t have..) She wished she had had long hair. The Head Mistress wished the school had had a beautiful…
Idiomatic expression of ‘Wish’ – part 3(state based)
This part deals with a past non-existent state which one viewed with a sense of loss. Or in other words it refers to an unsuccessful state in the past which one thought of wishfully. EXAMPLES. I wished I had been healthy like you. ( i.e I wished to be healthy like you but I was not…) I wished I had been a film star like Mammootty.(I wished but unfortunately I was not a star like Mammootty) She wished she had been as beautiful as Iswarya…
Idiomatic expression of ‘Wish’ – part 3( action based)
The following items deal with the past thinking of someone relating to a past action /situation that went unrealised or not attained. He imagined a non-fact to be an actual fact. He thought how good it would have been if something realised or happened favourably. Part -3 is more or less the same as part 2 except that it relates to a past situation not realised , but reported in the past itself. Here the reporting verb should be in the past.( i.e ‘ I…