May be vs Maybe
May be = In the phrase ‘MAY BE’ , ‘may’ is a modal verb and ‘be’ is a main verb or auxiliary verb. Here, MAY and BE are two separate words whereas ‘MAYBE’ is one word. There may be a train at 10.00 a.m. He may be waiting for us. The Prime Minister may be addressing the people tomorrow through the media. . Maybe is an adverb and it means the same as ‘perhaps‘. It is written as one word. Maybe she should consult a doctor.…
Antics vs Antique
Antics = Foolish or amusing behaviour e.g by a clown at circus etc.( when you pronounce this word give stress at the first syllable.) In the movie the comedian displays his antics and mannerisms. Their physical antics and comic duets made the audience laugh. She had little patience for his antics and stupidity. The antics of our own political parties. The clown’s antics made the children laugh. Antique = Belonging to the past e.g a piece of furniture , a work of art etc. (…
Marital vs Martial
Marital = relating to marriage or the relations between a married couple. She wanted to talk about their marital problems. Marital bliss is the share and care the couple give between them. Strict marital fidelity is essential for a happy married life. Extra-marital relations may spoil the joyful atmosphere in the family. Martial = relating to fighting , war, army. Freedom of press was curtailed to a great extent during martial regime. Martial law. A court martial stripped him of his military rank. The recruits…
Complicity vs. Complexity
Complicity = involvement in a crime or some activity that is wrong. Police suspected his complicity in Billa’s escape. The police are investigating the extent of the manager’s complicity in the fraud. They are accused of complicity in the murder case. His complicity in the bank robbery is the centre point of police investigation. Complexity = the state of being complex or complicated. His dismissal is an issue of great complexity. The complexities of starting an exporting business. Don’t get involved in the project…
Sadism vs. Masochism?
Sadism = the activity of getting pleasure, sometimes sexual, from being cruel or hurting another person. This may be sometimes considered as a mental disorder. The man was a sadist who tortured animals and people. “I am afraid your children will never be safe”, he said with a sadistic smile. The germs of sadism are present even in children; you must have seen children hurting or annoying pet dogs or cats. The villain character in the film burned the shoulder of his newly married wife…
What is SMALL TALK, gossip, socialize, chit-chat?
SMALL TALK = It is a conversation about unimportant things often between people who DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER WELL. It is a starter for a serious conversation or discussion while engaged in on social occasions. In a way that fills up awkward silences and makes you both feel more comfortable and friendly with each other. We should find time for some small talk before any serious discussion. Our MD advised the new Managers to warm up the beginning of each office meeting with some…
Question Tags – Part 3
See previous parts – http://sunnyvarkeyk.com/question-tags-part-1/, http://sunnyvarkeyk.com/question-tags-part-2/ Note:- Imperative sentences ( i.e. request or command) are a class apart. If they are simple requests or commands, they usually take ‘will you?’, no matter whether it is positive or negative. Pass me the newspaper, will you? (P) Don’t be late for dinner, will you? (N) BUT if you give more urgency or a tone of personal entreaty, “won’t you” may be used. Don’t be hasty when you cross the road, won’t you? (N) Remember to lock the door, won’t…
Question Tags – Part 2
See Part – 1 for introductory contents – http://sunnyvarkeyk.com/question-tags-part-1/ Note:- A suggestion that uses ‘let us ‘ (let’s) uses ‘shall we?’ in the tag Let’s have a game of cricket, shall we? (P) Note:- Although ‘everybody’ and ‘everyone’ are singular, they are usually treated as plural for the purpose of tag and referred to by ‘they’. Everybody can’t come in first, can they? (N) Everyone cheered wildly, didn’t they? (P) Note:- ‘None of’ followed by a plural noun is treated as plural. None of the workmen…
Question Tags – Part 1
Question tags are phrases added at the end of a sentence to make it a QUESTION or ask for agreement from the hearer. The important aspect to be noted in tag formation is that a Positive statement takes a negative tag and a Negative statement takes a positive tag with a few exceptions. On this basis, analyze the following sentences. Let me make it clear that this is not an exhaustive list of tags and explanations are minimum due to practical constraints. Question Tags will…
Valuation Vs evaluation
Valuation = “an estimation of the worth of something, such as price, value etc.” When company ‘A’ takes over company ‘B’, proper valuation of the assets and liabilities of company ‘B’ should be done. It’s wise to get the valuation carried out by a professional valuer. The company was acquired at a high valuation. Evaluation = “making a JUDGEMENT or assessment of merit, significance of something or somebody” What’s your evaluation of his acting talent? The teacher had a poor evaluation about the student’s…