SOME COMMON IDIOMS

Here are some common idioms in English.

Rise to the occasion

When you rise to the occasion, you are able to cope with the circumstances.

See eye to eye

When you do not see eye to eye with someone, you do not agree with them.

Fair and square

If a deal is fair and square, it is just and honest.

Flog a dead horse

To flog a dead horse is to waste your time and energy on a cause that will not yield any results.

Face the music

To face the music is to face criticism.

Fan the flame

To fan the flame is to make a bad situation worse.

Feather one’s own nest

To feather your own nest is to make yourself rich in ways that are unfair or dishonest.

From hand to mouth

To live from hand to mouth is to live on very little money.

For good

If someone leaves a country for good, they leave for ever.

To fish in troubled waters

To fish in troubled waters is to take undue advantage of others’ problems.

The gift of gab

The gift of gab is the power of speech

Grope in the dark

To grope in the dark is to search in vain.

Grease the palm

To grease the palm is to give someone money to persuade them to do something for you.

Gird up one’s loins

To gird up one’s loins is to prepare oneself for difficult or dangerous actions.

English verb forget conjugated in all tenses.

English verb forget conjugated in all tenses.

Sai Tutoring: Vedic Math multiplication

Sai Tutoring: Vedic Math multiplication

FARTHER AND FURTHER EXERCISE

FARTHER AND FURTHER EXERCISE

Complete the following sentences using further or farther.

Notes

Both further and farther can be used to talk about distance.
Further can also mean ‘additional’.

1. Delhi is ………………………. away than Mumbai.

a) further
b) farther
c) Either could be used here

2. If you need …………………. information, please contact our support team.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

3. It wasn’t year 1995 – it was ………………….. back than that.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

4. Jaipur is …………………. away than Mumbai.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

5. James threw the ball ……………….. than Peter.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

6. The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see ……………….. than a few inches.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

7. It is 20 kilometers or …………………… from here.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

8. I don’t want to go any …………………… today.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

9. We can’t expect any ………………….. help from them.

a) farther
b) further
c) Either could be used here

Answers

1. Delhi is farther/further away than Mumbai.

2. If you need further information, please contact our support team.

3. It wasn’t year 1995 – it was further back than that.

4. Jaipur is further/farther away than Mumbai.

5. James threw the ball farther/further than Peter.

6. The fog was so thick that I couldn’t see farther / further than a few inches.

7. It is 20 kilometers or farther/further from here.

8. I don’t want to go any further / farther today.

9. We can’t expect any further help from them.

USES OF THE COMMA

USES OF THE COMMA

The comma is used to indicate a pause between parts of a sentence.

Uses of the comma

Before and after words used in apposition to a noun

·         Winston Churchill, the statesman, was also an eminent writer.
Janaki, my sister, is an eminent cardiologist.

To separate two or more nouns, adjectives, or adverbs that come together

·         England, Russia and France formed an alliance.

To separate a participial phrase

·         Feeling tired, I went to bed.

·         Being fat, she couldn’t run fast.

To mark off a noun

·         James, can we bank on him?

·         Mary, have your meals.

·         John, come here.

After an introductory phrase or clause

·         To be honest, I have little interest in politics.

·         For God’s sake, leave me alone.

·         In the name of justice, be fair to that poor man.

To indicate the omission of a verb in cases where repetition should be avoided

·         My brother bought a watch and my sister, a camera. (= My brother bought a watch and my sister bought a camera.)

Before and after words or phrases let into the body of a sentence

·         She had, surprisingly, paid for everything.

·         The boy had, in spite of all the hardships he faced, managed to succeed.

To separate a subordinate clause from the main clause

·         After he had finished his job, he went out.

·         When I opened the door, the cat jumped in.

The comma can be omitted when the subordinate clause goes after the main clause.

 

COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES

A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction. Common examples of coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so.

A complex sentence has a main clause and one or more dependent clauses. In a complex sentence we use a subordinating conjunction to connect the dependent clause to the main clause. Common examples of subordinating conjunctions are: as, when, while, because, since, after, before, although, though, if, whether, unless and until.

We can change a compound sentence into a complex sentence by replacing the coordinating conjunction with a subordinating conjunction. Study the examples given below.

The doctor must come at once or the patient will die. (Compound sentence)

If the doctor does not come at once, the patient will die. (Complex sentence)

Gandhi believed in non-violence but some of his followers were extremists. (Compound sentence)

Though Gandhi believed in non-violence some of his followers were extremists. (Complex sentence)

Search his pockets and you will find the stolen watch. (Compound sentence)

If you search his pockets, you will find the stolen watch. (Complex sentence)

You must hurry or you will miss the train. (Compound sentence)

If you do not hurry you will miss the train. (Complex sentence)

He wants to be a scholar, so he is studying hard. (Compound sentence)

As he wants to be a scholar he is studying hard. (Complex sentence)

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS WORKSHEET

A subordinating conjunction connects a dependent clause to an independent clause.

Complete the following sentences using appropriate subordinating conjunctions.

[when, while, where, though, although, till, before, unless, as, after, because, if, that, since]

1. We were happy ………………. we received the first prize.

2. The people were listening eagerly ……………….. the leader was speaking.

3. This is the place ………………. we were attacked.

4. ………………… he worked hard, he failed.

5. ……………………. she is beautiful, she is not intelligent.

6. You wait here ……………. I come.

7. She will not come …………….. we compel her.

8. There was a silence ……………….. the guests had gone.

9. She began to cry ………………… she had lost her golden chain.

10. …………………… you work hard, you will get the first prize.

11. She became angry …………………. I had said anything.

Answers

1. We were happy when we received the first prize.

2. The people were listening eagerly while the leader was speaking.

3. This is the place where we were attacked.

4. Although he worked hard, he failed.

5. Though she is beautiful, she is not intelligent.

6. You wait here till I come.

7. She will not come unless we compel her.

8. There was a silence after the guests had gone.

9. She began to cry because she had lost her golden chain.

10. If you work hard, you will get the first prize.

11. She became angry before I had said anything.

SUBJECT AND VERB WORKSHEET

Supply a verb that agrees with the subject.

1. My brother and I …………….. cricket.

a) like
b) likes

2. The quality of the apples ………………. not very good.

a) was
b) were

3. The rise and fall of the tide ………………. due to the attraction of the moon.

a) is

b) are

4. The state of his affairs ………………. such as to cause anxiety to his creditors.

a) was
b) were

5. He or his friend …………… the secret.

a) know
b) knows

6. Time and tide ……………….. for none.

a) wait
b) waits

7. Neither he nor his friend ……………… there.

a) was
b) were

8. Either he is mistaken or I ………………..

a) are
b) am

9. Wool, as well as cotton, ………………. exported from India.

a) is
b) are

10. The leader, as well as his followers, …………….. excited.

a) was
b) were

Answers

1. My brother and I like cricket.

2. The quality of the apples was not very good.

3. The rise and fall of the tide is due to the attraction of the moon.

4. The state of his affairs was such as to cause anxiety to his creditors.

5. He or his friend knows the secret.

6. Time and tide waits for none.

7. Neither he nor his friend was there.

8. Either he is mistaken or I am.

9. Wool, as well as cotton, is exported from India.

10. The leader, as well as his followers, was excited.

RULES REGARDING PREPOSITIONS

RULES REGARDING PREPOSITIONS

Use ‘in’ for countries and big towns.

·         She was born in New Zealand.

·         I live in Mumbai.

Use ‘at’ for addresses.

·         Are you still at that address?
We live at D 23, MG Road.

Use ‘in’ for position inside a three dimensional space.

·         The cat is in the kitchen.

Use ‘on’ for position on the surface of something.

·         There is something on the roof.

·         Put the books on the table.

Use ‘to’ and ‘into’ to show direction.

·         He went to work.

·         The child fell into the well.

Use ‘till’ to indicate time.

·         I waited till 6 o’clock.

Use ‘since’ to indicate the starting point of something.

·         I have been waiting since morning.

Use ‘for’ to indicate duration.

·         It rained for two hours.

·         We have been living in this city for three years.

Use ‘from’ to indicate the source.

·         She comes from a small town.

Use ‘to’ to indicate the destination.

·         He went to America.

Use ‘between’ to indicate position between two or more clearly defined people or objects.

·         The child sat between his father and parents.

Use ‘among’ to indicate position among more than two people or objects.

·         She sat among the children.

Use ‘with’ to indicate the instrument and ‘by’ to indicate the agent.

·         He killed the spider with a stone.

·         The spider was killed by the boy.

Use ‘beside’ to mean ‘by the side of’.

·         The boy sat beside his mother.

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

A conjunction which connects a dependent clause to an independent clause is called a subordinating conjunction.

The common subordinating conjunctions are when, while, where, though, although, till, until, before, after, if, unless, as, since, because and that.

When it started raining they took shelter under a tree.

I was working while you were playing.

Put it where you can find it later.

Though he is rich, he is not arrogant.

Although I had invited him, he didn’t turn up.

Will you wait here till I return?

I waited until 10 o’clock and then I went home.

He always feeds the dogs before he goes to work.

He went to the US after he finished his studies.

If it rains, the match will be cancelled.

Unless you achieve your targets, you will not be promoted.

As he was not there, I couldn’t meet him.

Since he has apologized, we will not take any further actions against him.

My parents were happy because I had won the first prize.

I am glad that you have passed the test.

There are different kinds of subordinating conjunctions. They are:
Subordinating conjunction of time: when, while, before, after, till, since
Subordinating conjunction of place: where, wherever
Subordinating conjunction of cause or reason: because, since, as
Subordinating conjunction of condition: if, unless
Subordinating conjunction of concession: though, although
Subordinating conjunction of result or consequence: so…that, that
Subordinating conjunction of purpose: that, lest
Subordinating conjunction of comparison: than