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Thanks = expression of gratitude

kneel and give thanks to God.
A: Shall I help you with the luggage?
B: No, thanks.
‘No, thank you’ OR ‘No, thanks’ – used to decline an offer.
(Note that here ‘No’ is essential)

Thank you is used for acceptance and may mean ‘yes, please‘.

A: Shall I lend you my umbrella?
B: Oh, thank you.
Thank you for giving me a chance to explain the situation.

Thanks to = As a result of; owing to; due to.

The case went poorly thanks to the lawyer’s incompetence.
Thanks to the microwave oven, we always have a hot breakfast.
Thanks to the timely intervention of the fishermen, a major disaster was averted.
We were able to reach there in time thanks to your help.

Valuable vs. Invaluable?

Language Tips

svk

September 6, 2018

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1) Valuable = of great value, worth or use; helpful and important

a valuable discovery.
The villagers provided the police with some valuable information.

2) Valuable = A thing of great worth esp., a small item of personal property.

I have kept all my valuables in a bank locker.

Invaluable = of value too high to be measured; extremely useful.

His services are invaluable to me.
An invaluable member of the organization.
Such data will prove invaluable for his research.
Mahatmaji rendered invaluable sacrifices for the freedom of India.

A fact of life vs. The facts of life

A fact of life = Any aspect of human existence that must be acknowledged, or regarded as unalterable (usually not pleasant)

Old age is a fact of life.
Stress is a fact of life from time to time for all of us.
We should understand that death is a fact of life.

The facts of life = The facts concerning sex, reproduction, and birth (teaching of the same, exp., to a child)

Some people feel that the facts of life should be taught in school.
Raju learned the facts of life from his classmates.

‘The birds and the bees‘ is a euphemism(a mild or indirect word or expression) for ‘the facts of life’.

It’s time Father told the children about the birds and the bees.
She is so ignorant. She probably has not been taught so much as the birds and the bees.

Reward vs. Award

1) Reward = that which is offered or given in return for some service.

Work without the hope of reward.
The company rewarded him with a promotion.
I won’t recommend giving sweets to children as a reward for being good.
I find learning languages to be very rewarding.
He deserves a reward for his efforts

2) Reward = a sum of money offered to anyone who can give information about lost or stolen property or about someone who is wanted by the police.

The police have offered a reward of Rs. 10000/- for information leading to the arrest of the culprit.

Award = A prize or other mark of recognition given in honor of an achievement.

Mohanlal was given the state award for the best actor.
The Bank has declared the award for the best performer of the year.
The company receives an award that can be a great way to market its products by gaining the trust of the public.
He was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1908.
Sulaiman was given the PWD award for the best Road roller driver.

Office vs. the good offices?

Office = place of work/business.

He went to the office at 9 a.m.
It’s only a few minutes walk to her office.
Post-office, income tax office.

The good offices = influence, esp., with a person in a position of power, assistance, intervention, mediation.

His family escaped to Canada through the good offices of a Jewish Agency.
She got her job in the bank through the good offices of her uncle who was a director of the Bank.
He was able to recover his lost documents through the good offices of Indian Embassy.
I got the job through the good offices of a friend.

Moral, amoral, immoral

Moral = good and virtuous.

Live a moral life.
Moral rights/obligations.
A moral story.

moral (noun) = lesson or message

The moral of the story is that one must see the beauty in what one has.

Amoral = unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something; being neither moral or immoral.

An amoral attitude to sex.
Business is an amoral activity focused on success.

Immoral = not conforming to accepted standards of morality; morally wrong, unethical; licentious

Unseemly and immoral behavior.
an immoral film.
Immoral earnings.
Deliberately making people suffer is immoral.

Late vs. lately

1) Late (adjective) – near the end of a period of time.

We had to reschedule the programme due to his late arrival.
He’s probably in his late thirties.

2) Late (adjective) – refers to someone who has died.

She gave her late husband’s clothes to charity.

3) Late (adverb)

She arrived late.
It happened late in 1990.
When Jithu came home late his mother scolded him.

BUT,

Lately (adverb) = RECENTLY

We use ‘lately’ usually in Present perfect tense. Please note that it is not the adverb of ‘late’.

She hasn’t been looking well lately. (i.e., recently)
Freddy’s been in high spirits lately.
Tomi has been getting up to all sorts of mischief lately.

Note: ‘Recently’ can be used in Present Perfect tense and Past tense as well.

When I met him recently he was OK.

import – usages

1) import (noun) = a commodity or service brought in from abroad.

An import in the receiving country is an export from the sending country.

2) import (verb)

India imports petroleum products from Gulf countries.

3) IMPORT (noun) = what is implied, the implicit meaning or significance of something; gist, sum and substance, tenor, implication.

The import of her message is clear.
What is the import of the statement?
Prof. Martin of Federal College explained in detail the import of the legal term ‘Commodatum’.