English Phrasal Verbs

 

                      Phrasal Verbs Related to Thinking

Think Back

Meaning:

-         To remember or think about something from the past.

Example:

-         I keep thinking back to the day I arrived here.

-         That poem makes me think back to my childhood.

-         These photographs made me think back to my school days.

-         I began to think back to my childhood.

Think Up

Meaning:

-         To invent something in your head, especially excuses.

Example:

-         Advertising companies always have to think up new ways to promote products.

-         We must think up a good plan.

-         He tried to think up a plan for escape.

-         Quick! We have to think up an excuse.

Mull Over

Meaning:

-         To spend some time thinking about something.

Example:

-         The company is mulling over a share offer.

-         He sat there mulling over what he should say.

-         She mulled over what the object might be.

-         The manager needs time to mull over our proposals.

Figure Out

Meaning:

-         To be able to understand the problem and/or solve it.

Example:

-         I am trying to figure out a way to make this work.

-         I can’t figure out how to do this.

-         My Father is trying to figure out his tax.

-         Please figure out the total cost.

-         We must figure out how to solve the problem.

Think Over

Meaning:

-         To consider something over.

Example:

-         Please think over what I have said.

-         We will think over your proposal.

-         I suggest you think over your position very carefully.

-         Let me think it over, please.

-         I will think over your suggestions again.

Author: 

Dr.M. Selvam

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore 

English Phrasal Verbs

                                      Phrasal Verbs

 Cut down

          Meaning:

-         Kill trees

-         Make a tree fall down

-         Reduce an amount

Example:

1.   The rainforest is being cut down.

2.   I am trying to cut down on fatty foods.

3.   He cut down on coffee and ate a balanced diet.

4.   It’s a pity that they cut down those trees.

Throw away

          Meaning:

-         Get rid of something that you no longer want or need

-         Throw something away

Example:

1.   Don’t throw away your grass clippings; leave them on your lawn.

2.   I don’t need that, better you throw it away.

3.   That old chair should be thrown away.

4.   I never throw anything away.

Die out

          Meaning:

-         Stop existing

-         Gradually disappear completely

Example:

1.   This species has nearly died out because its habitat is being destroyed.

2.   The tribe’s traditional way of life is dying out.

3.   Dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.

4.   We must protect whales if we don’t want them to die out.

Use up

          Meaning:

-         Exhaust of strength or useful properties

-         Use all of something so that there is none left

Example:

1.   We have already used up the earth’s resources for 2018.

2.   Making soup is a good idea of using up leftover vegetables.

3.   We used up all the eggs when we baked the cake.

4.   Don’t use up all my shampoo.

5.   Use up those tomatoes before they go bad. 

COLOUR IDIOMS - PART - 1

COLOUR IDIOMS - PART -  I 

1. Blackout

This means to, either darken by putting out or dimming the lights or to lose consciousness.

·         We had a huge blackout here last night, the whole town was out of power for about 7 hours!

·         After continuous work, Maran became blackout. 

2. Green belt

An area of fields and trees around a town

·        Our city has a policy of increasing the green belt around it.

·        Mettupalayam is a green belt area.

3. Catch someone red-handed

To catch someone in the act of committing a crime, or doing something wrong that they shouldn’t be doing.

·         He kept lying to me about where he was going in the evenings, so yesterday I followed him and caught him red-handed. He was with another woman!

·         The police caught the red-handed during the bank robbery.

4. White elephant

A term used for a useless possession, something that is of no use.

·         My mum bought a new PC game for me, but it’s a white elephant. 

·         Traveling in flight is a white elephant. 

 

5. White-collar
A term used for office workers that traditionally wear white shirts with a collar.

·         We have a lot of vacancies for white-collar workers at the moment, but hardly anyone is applying for them!

·         Teaching profession is considered as a white-collar job.  

Author:
N.Shanmugan
Assistant Professor of English
Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science
Coimbatore - 641 020. 

 

British English Vs American English - Spelling - I

 

British English Vs American English - Spelling - I

    Dear readers, in the previous post we learnt about Homophones in English. In this post, we are going to learn some interesting facts about the differences between British and American English Spelling systems. It is a known fact that Indians tend to follow the British English in both speaking and writing. Very often they encounter some controversies in terms of British or American English spelling while writing. When we follow the British spelling while typing on a computer, it may show error.

For instance, colour, honour, recognise etc., because the computer recognises only American spelling. However, in daily conversations we use both the British and American English alternatively according to our convenience. Though we use both the English spellings, we need to be aware of the differences between the spelling of the British and American English.

1.   "O" and "OU"

Usually in British English we use “ou” in words like “Humour”, “Honour”, “Behaviour”, whereas in American English, only “o” is used like “Humor”, “Honor”, “Behavior”.

2.     Hyphens

        Hyphens are used in connecting prefixes with main words in the British English. For example, “pre-test”, “co-operation”, “re-accreditation”. On the other hand, these words are usually written as “pretest”, “cooperation”, “reaccreditation” in the American English spelling.

3.     “Z” or “S”

Usually, in the British English, we follow “s” in words instead of “z”.

For example, “organise”, “recognise”, “customise”.

Whereas, in American English “z” is used in words like, “organize”, “recognize” “customize”.

4.     “l” or “ll”?

In the American English, a single “l” is used in such words as “traveled” and “counseled”. But, in the British English, “ll” is used. For example, “travelled”, and “counselled”.

Contrarily, "ll" is used in American English for the word "enroll", but in British English only single "l" is used as "enrol".  

In the next post, let us explore more on "British and American English Spellings".

Courtesy:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbritishenglishonline.com%2Fbritish-english-vs-american-english%2Fbritish-english-vs-american-english%2F&psig=AOvVaw1MCBm2SvgZ9-LZ8En6-XiI&ust=1670226799005000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjRxqFwoTCMiw4um93_sCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

 

Author:

K. Nandhakumar

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science (Autonomous)

Coimbatore- 641 020

 

Redundancies

 

Redundancies

In English usage, redundancy is usually defined as the use of two or more words that say the same thing, but we also use the term to refer to any expression in which a modifier’s meaning is contained in the word it modifies (e.g., early beginnings, merge together—many more are listed below). Think of redundancies as word overflows.

—  Actual fact

—  Added bonus: A bonus is by definition something added.

—  Adequate enough: One or the other will work.

—  After having

—  Arm’s reach: reach or arm’s length.

—  Blatantly obvious: Things that are blatant are obvious.

—  Blend together

—  [Adjective]-born: e.g., Brazilian-born, Texan-born. Make it Brazil-born or Texas-born (or Brazilian or Texan).

—  Browse through: To browse is to look through something, so through is already contained in its meaning.

—  But yet: As conjunctions (but not as adverbs), but and yet are synonyms.

—  Close proximity: To be in proximity to something is to be close to it. Try close to or in proximity to instead.

—  Collaborate together

—  Comingle, co-mingle: The verb mingle means to mix or bring together in combination. 

—  Combine together: To combine is to bring multiple things together.

—  Continue on:  try go on.

AUTHOR

Dr L Suresh

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science

Coimbatore - 641020

Contact: 9944138137

e-mail ID: sureshenglit@rmv.ac.in