Who can deny the importance of English in the present-day world? There has been
a tremendous rise in the number of users of English in India in the last couple
of decades. Particularly after the widespread use of modern means of communication
such as mobiles, computers and the internet, even those with rudimentary English
communicate in English, making it a true 'lingua franca'. As a result a new, most
limited and superficial variety of English (e-English or sms-English) has also evolved.
Yet neither that nor the broken English one learns at school will do for today’s
needs.
With the increase in the use of English, we must know how to use the language precisely
and effectively.
Accuracy is of vital importance in any communication. Sometimes a word or a sentence
can even make or mar your career or reputation. What you hear or read may not always
be acceptable in Standard English. Let those about you speak broken language, but
if you follow them you will come to grief in your ambitions and hopes in the new
world. For much of what you hear or read is not even bread-and-butter communication,
nor is it acceptable or effective in Standard English. It is not acceptable or useful
in any educated circles in either formal or social give and take all over the globe.
For example, one often comes across the word 'cheater'. Even some educated speakers
use it. However, the fact is that 'cheater' is unacceptable in English; ‘cheat’
does its work perfectly well.
We shall look at a few such examples of the English language. No language allows
fooling with it; for through it alone can you make your way in the world. English
is no exception. The examples we meet here are not arranged in any particular order.
They come to you randomly as they do in real life. I hope they help you make your
language more accurate and effective.
Of course if your guest is a slow-witted person you could make such a statement.
But if somebody is 'simple', we cannot say that he is a ‘simpleton’. 'Simpleton'
means 'a foolish person, easily deceived, not very intelligent'. Just imagine how
your simple-looking chief guest would feel if you called him a 'simpleton', and
how wrong your choice of word would be!
Although you may hear several people using it, it is better not to use ‘according
to me’ or ‘according to us’. Why? Depending upon just what you mean, better and
more apt expressions are available, for instance ‘I think’, ‘to my mind’ or ‘in
my opinion’. In fact, the verb accord with goes ill with the reference to self.
When one imagines a situation or refers to an improbable thing or situation, one
uses "If ... was / were... would...". So the correct expression is, 'If I was /
were a bird, I would fly.' Indeed, if the situation is purely imaginary and quite
impossible, use ‘were’ with ‘would’. For instance, 'If I were a teacher, I would
be able to help you', conveys the additional the message that you are not a teacher.
'News' is a non-count noun. Singular or plural is rarely in question with news.
So just say ‘It’s news to me' or 'What wonderful news!’ or some other acceptable
item of expression.
Between concerns two things, and that is why it is always followed by 'and' (not
'to'). So you can say, 'I study between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.' The other way of conveying
the same message is 'I study from 5 p.m. to 7p.m'. Indeed, it is far better not
to use the expressions ‘a.m.’ and ‘p.m.’ in ordinary communication. They are fine
for schedules and programme details. The most accepted way to convey the information
is this—‘I study from ten in the morning to seven in the evening.’
If you say 'I am good in English', your statement, in fact, conveys the opposite.
The standard expression is 'good at something' so you should say 'I am good at English.'
Verbs of possession are not normally used in 'ing' form. The acceptable form is,
'I have a good dictionary'. Similarly, if somebody tells you 'I am loving you',
you can secretly smile at his or her English. (Do not correct them when they say
this—because what they say is so important!) But verbs related to states of mind
are normally used without 'ing' in their primary senses. It is true also of verbs
of perception like see, smell, taste, and hear. For example, ‘I see a bird in the
sky’ (not ‘I am seeing a bird in the sky’), ‘I smell something burning’ (not ‘I
am smelling something burning’), ‘Do you hear that noise?’ (not ‘Are you hearing
that noise?’).
If you say or write the above sentence, you are using two words where one is more
than enough. Return already has the meaning of 'coming back'. To use back is, therefore,
both unnecessary and awkward. Say, ‘He returned at five o'clock’.
If you like the weather on a particular day, and you say 'What a lovely weather'
you have made the mistake of using an indefinite article before a non-count noun.
That is, English does not tolerate such expression. It accepts 'What lovely weather!'
Some words make friends with other words. This feature is known as 'collocation',
which means coming together in the same place. Pay particular attention to collocations,
for they make what we call acceptable or idiomatic expression in the English language.
If you said 'I did a mistake yesterday', 'do' does not collocate or come with 'mistake'.
It is as simple as that. You can only say ‘I made a mistake’. Some other examples
of collocations are: shanty town, crystal clear, trenchant criticism, throw a party,
a prolific writer, a voracious reader, raise arguments, square meal, build a nest,
lay an egg, grim determination. (Please do not hesitate to look up in the dictionary
if you are not sure about the meaning of any of these words.)