Open vs. Open
.The word ‘ OPEN ‘ can be used both as verb and adjective.
- He opened a new shop in the city.(verb).
- The shop was opened( verb-passive) at 9 a. m and stayed open(adjective) until 7 p.m.
- Leave the door open.(adjective).
- I couldn’t buy provisions because the shop was not open(adjective).
Confident vs. Confidant
Confident = (adjective) showing confidence.
- We are confident of success.
- The class teacher made a confident prediction that Rahim would secure the first rank.
- She was a confident swimmer.
- I feel much more confident about using the web now.
- I am confident that I have chosen the right job.
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Confidant = (noun) A person to whom one tells one’s secrets or with whom one talks about personal matters.
- In prison the killer told his confidant, his roommate, about all the murders he had committed.
- The patient knows their doctor is a confidant who will never reveal the secrecy of their illness.
- As she feels her husband is her confidant, she tells everything to him.
Note:- The feminine gender of confidant is confidante.(very rarely used and the pronunciation is the same).
Useful Idioms – part 13
(1) Be miles away = not be conscious of what is happening around you because you are thinking about something else.
- You could tell by the expression on her face that she was miles away, thinking about home.
(2) Be caught in the middle = To be in a position between two or more sides in an argument or contentious issue.
- When my friends broke up , I was often caught in the middle as each one complained to me about the other.
- When parents are always arguing , and it’s the children who get caught in the middle.
Bony vs. Bonny
Bony = of or like a bone.
- Renz likes the antics shown by his grandfather with his bony fingers.
- He was all skin and bone after his illness.(ie = emaciated , abnormally thin or weak, especially because of illness or lack of food)
- she had a bony intelligent face.
- He poked a bony finger in David’s chest.
- a delicious but extremely bony fish.
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Bonny = attractive and beautiful.
- You will find the bonny lass , Glory, sitting there reading some book.
- A bonny child dressed in traditional Nagaland style.
- This inn offers bonny accommodation and bountiful breakfast.
- A bonny little baby girl.
Useful Idioms – part 12
(1) Be (talking) at cross purposes. = If two or more people are at cross purposes, they do not understand each other because they are talking different subjects without realising this.
- I think we’ve been talking at cross purposes- I meant next year, not this year.
- We’re talking at cross purposes.
(2) Keep oneself to oneself = to stay apart from other people ; to avoid other people.
- She was a shy girl who kept herself to herself.
- Titus is a very private person , he keeps himself to himself.
(3) Think big = to have plans to be very successful or powerful.
- You need to think big if you want to succeed.
- Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam exhorted the school children to think big about our scientific growth and he said each Indian has the responsibility to safeguard the sovereignty the nation.
Glass vs. Glasses
Glass = a usually transparent or translucent material consisting of a mixture of silicates; something made of glass such as tumbler , mirror etc.
- She drank a glass of water.
- He drank two glasses of water.
- The waiter filled our glasses with water.
- A drinking container made out of glass .
- A glass of milk.
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Glasses = A pair of lenses set in a frame resting on the nose and ears, used to assist defective eyesight.
- He began to use reading glasses when he felt strain in reading.
- I keep a second pair of glasses(NOT glass) in my office.
- Those glasses are only for reading.
- I could read without glasses last year.
- That glass is mine.( incorrect)
- That pair of glasses is mine.(correct)
- Those glasses are mine.(correct)
Note :- The same rule applies in the case of trousers, binoculars etc.
- She bought a pair of shoes. ( But, in the case of shoes you may come across the following words where ‘shoe’ is used alone. (shoe box, shoe brush, shoe cream, shoe leather, shoe polish, shoe shop, shoe repairer, horse shoe etc., maybe, due to the fact that it is separable into two pieces)
Useful Idioms – part 11
(1) A rough diamond = an uncut diamond ; a person who has generally good character but lacks manners , education or style.
- My grandfather was a bit of a rough diamond.
- The young actress was a rough diamond , but with some training she would become a superstar.
(2) Down and out = a person without money, a job or a place to live.
- Nobody loves you when you are down and out.
- A hostel for down and outs.
(3) No prizes for guessing = something that is very obvious or clear.
- No prizes for guessing where Daniel is. ( i.e it is very clear where Daniel is)
- No prizes for guessing why Sarah didn’t show up to work on the day after her birthday.
Sensitivity vs. Sensibility
Sensitivity = responsiveness, reactivity, the condition of being sensitive.
- The eyes are sensitive to light.
- Her skin is easily hurt because of its high sensitivity to the sunshine.
- As an author he should not have so much of sensitivity to criticism.
- When it comes to religious matters people in India tend to have more sensitivity.
- Mammootty has the sensibility and sensitivity as to how to deal with his characters.
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Sensibility = feelings, discernment; the ability to decide what is good or valuable, especially in connection with artistic or social activities.
- We Indians show respect for the sensibilities of others.
- She is a woman of poetic sensibility.
- The study of literature leads to the growth of intelligence and sensibility.
- We have to be careful not to offend our readers’ sensibilities.
- It is not sensible to spend so much on weddings. ( i.e not rational, reasonable ,or logical etc)
- You can rely on his advice. He is a sensible man.
- That was a very sensible decision.
Industrious vs. Industrial
Industrious = hard-working, diligent , ( noun)- industry.
- His success was due to industry and thrift.
- Zakaria is extremely competent and industrious.
- He is an industrious and willing worker.
Industrial = relating to industry.
- The industrial area of south Mumbai is over-crowded.
- An industrial dispute( = one between workers and management).
- There are thousands of industrial uses for plastic.
- The city dwellers are forced to suffer a lot of industrial pollution.
- Banks should give thrust to the industrial growth of the country.
- (noun) industry = concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacture of goods in factories.
- American industry is making increased use of computers to control production.
Useful Idioms – part 10
(1) At a pinch/push = if absolutely necessary ; only with a certain degree of difficulty.
- There is room for four people, or five at a pinch.( or push- in this context ‘ room’ means space).
- We usually accept 55 guests , but at a pinch we could take 60.
(2) Have a bash = to make an attempt to do something.
- I have always wanted to have a bash at writing.
- A : Do you want to try driving my car, to see how you like it?
- B : Yeah ,sure, I’ll have a bash at it.