Master vs. Maestro
Master. 1. male teacher. 2. man who has others working under him. 3. the Master = Jesus Christ. 4. Master of arts/Science etc = holder of the second university degree. 5. (with a boy’s name) up to about 14 years of age. 6. old masters = the great painters of 13th to 17th century. . Maestro = eminent music composer , teacher of music or conductor( Plural – maestri). Johnson( popularly known as Johnson master) was a great maestro and he composed a number…
How to ask a question to get an ordinal number(3rd, 4th, 8th etc)as answer?
At the very outset let me make it amply clear that the styles of expression among various languages differ considerably. Native speakers will express their ideas( sometimes with a lot of regional slangs) in such a way that is easily and clearly understood among themselves. Their expressions cannot be translated word for word to get the expected idea/ meaning by the people of other nationalities. I have come across a lot of people asking for clarifications in the above case. I would venture to outline…
Publish vs. publicise
Publish = have (a book, periodical etc) printed and announce that it is for sale. He kept his writings with him and made no efforts to publish them. The University will soon publish the results and the students can have them without further delay. The author found the cost of publishing by himself very high. So he sold the patent to a publisher. (2) make known to the public (limited usage). Publish the banns of marriage = announce formally in a church the names of…
Title vs. Caption
Title = the name given to a book ,painting, play, composition or other artistic works etc. The author decided the title of the book. The report published was titled ” Planning and Execution” The title of the play is ” King Lear”. The author’s name was printed below the title. There was a book I wanted to buy, but now I can’t remember the title. . Caption =brief explanation accompanying an illustration, cartoon or poster. The caption of the picture was ” Funny Creatures”. The…
Useful Idioms – part 4
(1) Get on like a house on fire = have a very good and friendly relationship. My sister and her neighbour Bindu got on like a house on fire. I was worried that they wouldn’t like each other but they are getting on like a house on fire. (2) Have a soft spot for someone or something = you feel a great deal of affection for them or like them a lot. John’s parents always had a soft spot for their eldest son Jose and…
Exceptional vs. Exceptionable
Exceptional = extraordinary, remarkable, unusual. Shaun is an exceptionally intelligent student. Such loans will be granted only in exceptional cases. Vaikom Vijayalakshmy is a gifted and exceptionally talented singer. He has a garden with exceptional beauty. Modifications in the original plan can be sanctioned only in exceptional cases. . Exceptionable = objectionable, causing disapproval or offence. His recent writings on individual freedom are highly unpleasant and exceptionable. You should be careful not to seem exceptionable in your language and manners. Their exceptionable remarks may arouse…
Coma vs. comma
Coma = a prolonged state of deep unconsciousness caused ,especially by severe injury or illness. After the accident, she went into a coma. The road crash left him in a coma. He’s alive, but he’s been in a coma for a week. When she woke up from coma , but she couldn’t speak or recognize her own children. He was brought to hospital in a comatose state. ( comatose – (adjective)= in an unconscious state. Comma = a punctuation mark (,). Johny, Sreekand, Abdulla , Venu,…
Prospectus vs. prospects
Prospectus = brochure; a document giving details of a college, school or business and its activities. You will find details of all our courses in the prospectus attached. A school or company prospectus. Prospects = possibilities, future, scope. You should have better job prospects with a post graduate degree in Commerce. The manager held out bright prospects if I would accept the position. The accident darkened his prospects of becoming a good football player. Related words: Prospective = potential, probable, likely to be, with effect…
Useful Idioms – part 3
(1) Make a name for oneself = become famous Balabhaskar made a name for himself as a talented violinist. By the time she was thirty Lagi Varkey made a name for herself as a successful Headmistress. By hard work and determination James made a name for himself and became the best trainer in Engineer’s Driving School. (2) On one’s way up = rising to better and better position. John is definitely on his way up in the financial world. He started as a junior officer and…
Pass away vs Pass out
Pass away= die ( a euphemistic or polite expression) He passed away by a massive heart attack at his house. He amassed a lot of wealth, but unfortunately he passed away even before he could enjoy a bit of it. His unexpected passing away last year left the poor family in great shock and tragedy. He is afraid he won’t be able to pass away peacefully because of his family problems. . Pass out = (1) to become unconscious for a short time; faint. He…