At that moment, at the moment, the moment – usage?
At that moment – at that particular time. I was just about to enter the interview room. At that moment an old friend of mine appeared like a bolt from the blue. I was just reaching the railway station. Just at that moment, my car broke down. At the moment – now, at the present time. At the moment I’m working in a restaurant. At the moment I’m reading an interesting novel. (Not necessarily one is reading the novel right now, but he has started…
Pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan?
A broad classification of people on the basis of food habits Non-vegetarian – eats meat, fish, egg and all. Pescatarian – eats all food items except meat, they may eat fish. Vegetarian – eats all food items except meat and fish, they may eat egg. Vegan – They won’t eat meat, fish, egg or any other dairy products, may sometimes be called a strict vegetarian.
Respectable, respectful and respective?
Respectable = deserving respect. He is a man of respectable appearance. She comes from a highly respectable middle-class family. She established herself as a respectable political leader. Respectful = showing respect. They stood at a respectful distance from the Governor. A uniformed attendant gave us a respectful salute. Above all, try to be respectful and considerate to old people. Respective = relevant; corresponding; appropriate. All are requested to go back to your own respective seats! After the programme, the students went off to their respective…
Incidents vs. incidence
Incident = event, happening which attract general attention. The government regretted the incident. Several people were injured in the incident. Many such incidents go unreported and the guilty escape punishment. Two people were shot yesterday in two separate incidents. Incidence = The rate, or frequency of a disease, crime or other undesirable things. Now there is an increased incidence of cancer among city dwellers. Records prove that there is a high incidence of heart disease in men over 50. High incidence of malaria has been reported in the…
Hippocratic vs. Hypocritical
Hippocratic = of or relating to Hippocrates. Hippocrates is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is often referred to as the “Father of Medicine”. Hippocratic oath – The oath written by Hippocrates is still held sacred by physicians. This is an oath to observe the medical code of ethical and professional behaviour, sworn by entrants to the medical profession. Hypocritical – of a hypocrite; saying that you have particular moral beliefs but behaving in a way that shows these are not sincere. Hypocrite = A person who puts…
Nuptial vs. Nuptials
Nuptial (adjective) = of marriage or wedding. They have gone to buy the nuptial dresses for the bride. Nuptial happiness/day/promises/vows. Nuptial festivities. Moments of nuptial bliss. Nuptials (noun) = wedding; marriage. They purchased costly dresses for their daughter’s nuptials. The nuptials between Jayakrishnan and Clara will be solemnised next week. She’s preoccupied with the planning of her nuptials. The royal nuptials are scheduled to take place on June 30.
Prepone or Advance?
Postpone(v) = put off until another time. The management decided to postpone the exams to the next month. The meeting was postponed for another week. The members feel it would be wrong to postpone such a crucial debate until some future date. Advance(v) = move forward in time to make it earlier. The date of the meeting was advanced from 20th Dec to 5th Dec. They advanced the date of their daughter’s marriage to January in view of her University exams due in March. [i.e.,…
Unbelief vs. Disbelief?
Unbelief = lack of faith, state of not believing in God, religion. Living in an age of unbelief. He is in the darkness of unbelief. Unbeliever = Person who doesn’t believe in God, religion, etc. Disbelief = inability or refusal to accept that something is true or real; scepticism, doubt, amazement, astonishment. They stared at the Taj Mahal in disbelief. The world reacted with disbelief to the news of his death. She shook her head in disbelief. Her first reaction to winning the award was…
Discrimination vs. Positive discrimination?
Discrimination – the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, esp., on the grounds of race, age or sex, etc. Is there racial discrimination in your country? It’s unfair to show discrimination against immigrants. People suffering from AIDS often experience social discrimination. Positive discrimination – The act of giving advantage to those groups in society that are often treated unfairly because of their race, sex, religion, etc. Reservation of jobs for low-caste Indians within the country’s public sector is a form of positive…
Words of which adjective and adverb are the same
Fast: Sreesanth is a fast bowler. (adj.) She was driving too fast. (adv.) Overnight: We made an overnight stay at a relative’s house. (adj.) Her business was an overnight success. (adj.) We stayed overnight at a relative’s house. (adv.) Straight: Draw a straight line below the mark. (adj.) He went straight into the principal’s chamber. (adv.) Late: The minister’s late arrival raised public protest. (adj.) The minister arrived late for the function. (adv.) Outright: His request received an outright refusal. (adj.) His request was refused outright.…