OU Degree 1st Sem English Unit 3 Vocabulary, Grammar
Vocabulary: Homonyms, Homographs and Homophones
I. Homonyms
Homonyms are words that have the same spelling and the same pronunciation, but different meanings.
I wanted to lie.
lie = say something that is not true
I wanted to lie down.
lie = assume a reclining position
Exercise – 1.
Each set of sentences in Column X has homonyms. Match every sentences of each set in Column X with the corresponding meaning in Column Y of homonyms in the sentences. One has been done for you.
Answer:
Exercise 2.
Fill in the blanks in each set of sentences with a single homonym.
For example:
A snake _____ him.
Add a ______ of salt.
Answer: bit
1. She wrote a new ______
The children went to ______ in the park.
Answer: play
2. I was asked to ______ a few lines of verse.
The sheep are not in their ______
She uses a brush _____ for calligraphy.
Answer: pen
3. The ______ tree is found in temperate regions.
Let’s ______ up the house before the guests arrive.
Answer: lime
4. We didn’t realise the _____ of the pandemic.
The symphony is in the ______ of C major.
You need to _____ the fish before cooking it.
Answer: scale
5. ______out for fraudulent calls and e-mails.
She got me an expensive _____ for my birthday.
Answer: Watch
II. Homographs:
Homographs are words that have the same spelling, but different pronunciations and meanings.
The wind is strong tonight. — Wind (rhymes with ‘pinned’) = moving air
I forgot to wind my watch. — Wind (rhymes with ‘find’) = twist or coil something
Exercise
For each set, match both sentences in Column X with the corresponding meaning In Column Y of the homograph in the sentence.
Answer:
III. Homophones
Homophones are words that have the same pronunciation, but different spellings and different meanings.
Do not waste paper.
waste = spend thoughtlessly
She tied a sash around her waist.
waist = part of the body between ribs and hips
Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct homophones from the options given in the box below.
| Road, rode | to, two, too | principal, principle |
| Banned, band | board, bored | their, there, they’re |
1. I am bored of board games.
2. She rode her bike down the road,
3. Our principal is a lady of great principle (s).
4, They’re in their garden over there.
5; Did you buy two tickets to the show ?
6. Arjun’s band was banned from playing in the school.
Fill in the blanks with the correct homophones from the options given in the brackets.
1. I bought a pair of gloves. (pare, pair, pear)
2. The king’s reign did not last very long. (rein, rain, reign)
3. If you park here, the police will tow your car away. (tow, toe)
4. The lioness picked up the scent of her prey. (sent, scent, cent)
5. She wanted to wear her favourite outfit. (wear, ware)
Show the difference between the words in the given sets of homophones by using them in sentences of your own.
1. Aisle, isle
Aisle-a passage between rows of seats in a building such as a church or theatre, an aircraft, or train
e. g. Please don’t keep your baggage in the aisle.
Isle- an island
eg. Sri Lanka is an isle.
2. Pane, pain
Pane- a single sheet of glass in a window or door
e.g. The ball broke the window pane.
Pain-highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury
e.g. No pain, no gain.
3. Break, brake
Break – separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain
e.g. The match will be resumed after the lunch break.
Brake– a device for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle
e.g. The driver applied the brake to stop the vehicle.
4. Heal, heel
Heal-cause (a wound, injury, or person) to become sound or healthy again
e.g The medicine will heal the injury.
Heel- the back part of the human foot below the ankle
e.g. Her left heel has got hurt due to wearing the high heel shoes.
5. Four, fore
Four- a numeral that comes after 3
e.g. There are four players in the team.
Fore- situated or placed in front
e.g. The cat hurt its fore legs.
6. Sell, cell
Sell-give or hand over (something) ¡n exchange for money
e.g. The vendors sell their goods on the road side.
Cell- small room in which a prisoner is locked up or in which a monk or nun sleeps (in biology) the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism
e.g. The criminal was imprisoned in the cell.
The student is interested in cell biology.
7. Paws, pause
Paws- an animal’s feet having cLaws and pads
e.g. The cat attached the hen with its paws.
Pause- interrupting action or speech briefly
e.g. The comma indicates that there is pause at the end of the sentence.
8. Past, passed
Past- the time before the moment of speaking or writing
e.g. We have to forget about the past if it is not good for us.
Passed- the past or past participle tense of the verb ‘pass’
e.g. He passed the examination in 2010.
Grammar: Adjectives
We use adjectives to say what a person, animal, place or thing is like, for example tall, purple, fierce, hilly, soft. These words usually come in front of the nouns they describe, but they are also used after the verbs be, feel, seem, etc., to complete a sentence.
There was a vase of yellow roses on the table.
I’d like to have a cup of hot coffee, please.
The girl seems friendly.
Kinds of Adjectives
You can use the following kinds of adjectives to describe nouns:
- Adjectives that tell us about shape, size, colour, texture, taste, quality, behaviour, etc.: long face, big house, red tie, rough cloth, sweet mangoes, fine silk, shy child.
- Adjectives formed from proper names to show nationality or a period in history: English countryside, Korean cuisine, Elizabethan drama, Mughal architecture.
- nouns used as adjectives to describe another noun: kitchen door, cotton sari (but wooden table, woollen shawlj, passenger train, chocolate cake -ing and -edl-en forms of verbs: dancing peacocks, boiled potatoes, broken glass
- compound adjectives: icy-cold wind, fat-free diet, five-year-old contract.
Comparison of Adjectives:
Adjectives that simply describe features of a noun, such as its size, age, colour and shape, are said to be in positive degree.
He is a strong man.
The butterfly is beautiful.
Adjectives in the positive degree are also used when we compare two people, things, places, etc., and say that the quality is present equally in both of them.
Mohan is as tall as his brother.
The table in the room is as large as the one outside.
However, when we compare two people, things, etc., and say that a quality is not present equally in the two, we use the comparative degree of the adjective. The comparative form is followed by than (except in some cases such as in inferior to and superior to).
Your pencil is longer than mine.
The flower is more beautiful than its picture in the book.
When three or more people, things, places, etc., are compared, and they have a particular quality in unequal measure, we use the superlative degree of the adjective. Remember that this form of the adjective always has the definite article the before it. This table is the largest of the three ir the room. The spotted butterfly Is the most beautiful of all those found in the region.
Exercises
Complete the exchanges below with single words or groups of words chosen from below.
| Lovely | tiny pink | rusty and chipped | blue silk dress |
| Famous | old brass | long and frilly | short middle-aged |
1. A: Do you know the short middle-aged man sitting by the window.
B: I do. He is a famous artist.
2. A: I love these tiny pink flowers.
B: Yes, they’re lovey.
3. A: is this blue silk dress Deepika’s?
B: No, I don’t think so. Hers is long and frilly.
4. A: We saw an old brass coin in the shop window.
B: Was it rusty and chipped.
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the right form of the adjectives in the brackets.
1. What kind of food do you like the least? (little)
2. Mother is a better singer than I am. (good)
3. Rahul is a kind boy. (kind)
4. This task is more urgent than all others. (urgent)
5. He thinks his car is as fast as yours. (fast)
6. The man was nobler than his father. (noble)
7. Savita is the most childish of all my friends. (childish)
8. His house is farther from the college than hers: (far)
9. It is safer to stay out in the open than indoors when there is an earthquake. (safe)
10. Of all the boxes in the van, the black steel one is the heaviest. (heavy)
Rewrite the following sentences using the words in brackets in place of the words in
italics. Make sure that the meaning of your re-written sentences remains the same as that
of the original sentences given to you. See the example below for reference.
Example: Lead is the heaviest all metals.
Use heavier: Lead is heavier than all other metals.
Use heavy: No other metal is as heavy as lead.
1. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. (higher)
Answer:
Mount Everest is higher than any other mountain in the world.
2. Suman is quicker than anyone in the group. (quickest)
Answer:
Suman is the quickest one in the group.
3. Pune is closer to my village than Nagpur is. (close)
Answer:
Nagapur is not as close to my village as Pune is.
4. Mother is not as tall as ber sister. (taller)
Answer:
Her sister is taller than Mother.
5. No player in the team is as talented as Prabhakar. (most talented)
Answer:
Prabhakar is the most talented player in the team.
6. Asha’s house is fart her from the city than all ours. (far)
Answer:
Our houses are not as far from the city as Asha’s.
7. NitIn’s watch is less expensive than everyone else’s. (least expensive)
Answer:
Nitin’s watch is the least expensive of everyone else’s.
8. Of all his children, Sudha Is closest to her father. (closer)
Answer:
Of all his children, Sudha is closer to her father than any other.
9. Maharashtra is one of the largest states in the country. (large)
Answer:
No other state in the country is as large as Maharashtra,
10. Kamala has fewer chocolates than all her friends. (fewest)
Answer:
Kamala has the fewest chocolates of all her friends.
Fill in the blanks choosing the correct adjective from the list below. Each word can be used only once.
| Second | several | what | every | heavy |
| good | few | next | same | great |
1. The ship sustained heavy damage.
2. I have called several times.
3. Every dog has its day.
4. What time is it?
5. Abdul won the second prize.
6. The man fell down from a great height.
7. Good wine needs no bush.
8. Don’t say the same thing twice over.
9. He is a man of few words.
10. My uncle lives in the next house.
Fill in the blanks with the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives given in the brackets.
1. My bungalow is larger than hers. My bungalow is the largest in my colony. (large)
2. I am the fastest runner in my school. But my sister can run faster than me. (fast)
3. Not only is her handwriting better now, it is in fact the best in her class. (good)
4. This task is more important to me. It is the most important task ill do this week.
5. I thought the green ones would cost the least, but the red ones cost the least! less.
Speaking : Asking for a Giving Opinions:
Asking for Opinions
Useful Points to Remember
When you ask for, or seek, someone’s opinion, you can…
ask for it directly:
I’d like your opinion on…
Could you give us your views on…, please.
Could we have your opinion on…
Note that these are formal ways of asking for someone’s opinion.
ask wh- questions beginning with what or how:
How do you like… ?What do you think… ?
ask yes! no questions:
Do you think… ? Would you rather… ?
ask negative questions:
Don’t you think… ? Won’t she like…?
use opinion verbs, such as think, feel, believe, like, love, hate in your questions.
Activities 1.
Try the following activities to improve your speaking skills.
Question 1.
Enact Dialogues 1-3 with a partner, taking turns to play the roles of the person asking for an opinion and the one living it.
Dialogue 1.
Lata seeks Ashwins opinion on a change In the working hours of the school.
Lata : Ashwin, did you hear that classes will be from eight to two, starting next year?
Ashwin : Yes, I saw the circular.
Lata : What do you think of the change?
Ashwin : I like it because we can go home sooner and I can take up a part-time job in the evenings. That’d be a great help, you know.
Lata : I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought of it that way.
Dialogue 2.
Seema wants to take music lessons in the evenings. Her parents discuss the issue.
Mother : Seema says she’d like to go to the Pandit Eknath Sarolkar Music Academy after college to learn classical music. Do you think she should?
Father : I don’t think so. She’ll find it too tiring.
Mother : Would you prefer we had a music teacher come home to teach her?
Father : Yes, that would be a better idea.
Dialogue 3
Aysha and Karim are buying a present for their mother.
Aysha : Karim, don’t you think this sari’s beautiful?
Karim : It’s a lovely shade of red, but…
Aysha : Won’t mother like it?
Karim : I don’t think she will. You know she doesn’t wear dark colours.
Question 2.
Working in pairs, form as many questions as you can by combining the items In the following columns. For example: Do you believe we should have entrance examinations? Take turns with your partner to repeat the questions aloud for practice.
Answer:
i. What do you think about open-book exams?
ii. How do you approve of people sending their parents to old age home?
iii. Would you like to study in an evening college?
iv. Do you believe we should have entrance examinations?
v. Don’t you love having a six-month holiday?
vi. Wouldn’t you feel we could do to reduce pollution?
vii. Could you give us your opinion on capital punishment?
Question 3.
After you have completed the above activity, match some of the questions you have formed with the replies given below.
For example:
Do you believe we should have entrance examinations?
No. O don’t think they can really help assess students.
a. _________ ? Oh, no! I’ll be bored if I have nothing to do.
b. _________ ? It’s a good idea. I can work while I study.
c. ________ ? Riding bicycles and walking, to begin with.
d. _________ ? I am not sure it’ll work in our kind of educational system.
e. _________ ? Most certainly not.
f. _________ ? It’s very cruel in my opinion.
Answers:
a. Don’t you love having a six-month holiday?
b. Would you like to study in an evening college?
c. Wouldn’t you feel we could do to reduce pollution?
d. What do you think about open book exams?
e. Could you give us your opinion on capital punishment?
f. How do you approve of people sending their parents to old age home?
Activities 2.
Try the following activities to improve your speaking skills.
1. Match the following to make short exchange. After you finish, enact the exchanges with a partner.
| A | B |
| The rains were good, weren’t they? | Yes, they are. I feel that people find it’s more economical to use public transport. |
| Ms Joseph is a good teacher, isn t she? | In my opinion, parents should monitor the type of programmes they watch. |
| Don’t you find that buses are overcrowded these days? | No, they shouldn’t. I believe children should have a say in the matter. |
| Do you feel parents should decide their children’s career? | Yes I don’t think we’ve ever had such a good monsoon. |
| What is your view on children watching adult programmes on TV? | You’re right. I think she’s wonderful. |
Answer:
i. A: The rains were good, weren’t they?
B: Yes. I don’t think we’ve ever had such a good monsoon.
ii. A: Ms Joseph is a good teacher, isn’t she?
B: You’re right. I think she’s wonderful.
iii. A: Don’t you find that buses are overcrowded these days?
B: Yes, they are. I feel that people find it’s more economical to use public transport.
iv. A: Do you feel parents should decide their children’s career?
B: No, they shouldn’t. I believe children should have a say in the matter.
v. A: What is your view on children watching adult programmes on TV?
B: In my opinion, parents should monitor the type of programmes they watch.
2. Form groups of five. Each of you can ask one of the other members in the group for his or her opinion on something, using the hilighted words in Column A from the activity above. The person responding must use the hilighted expression in the matching item in the Column B. For example:
i. Question: The oranges were delicious, weren’t they?
Response: Yes. I don’t think we’ve ever tasted such sweet oranages.
(The respondents may change a yes to a no and vice versa, to suit their opinion.)
ii. Question: Kane Williamson is a great cricketer, isn’t he?
Response: You’re right. I think he’s a wonderful cricketer.
iii. Question: Don’t you find that students are overburdened with online classes these days?
Response: Yes, they are. I feel that COVID-19 pandemic affected the education sector badly.
iv. Question: Do you feel that development is more important than the concern over environment?
Response: No, it shouldn’t. I believe development should be sustainable.
v. Question: What is your view on vocational education should be integrated with the formal education?
Response: In my opinion, government and all the stakeholders should involve to make it a successful enterprise.
3. Pair up for this activity. Take turns to ask your partner’s opinion on five matters each. You can either pick subjects from those listed below or think of something of your own. Your teacher will give you two minutes to prepare brief dialogues. Use the expressions you have learnt in this section, trying your best to endure that none of the expressions are repeated.
a. Mercy killing
A: Mercy killing should be allowed legally, shouldn’t it?
B: Personally I’ve nothing against mercy killings. However, there should be stringent procedure to allow it legally.
A: You’re right. Do you talk about its misuse?
B: Yes, that’s my concern.
b. Replacing marks with grades
A: From my point of view, it’s a good idea for replacing marks with grades.
B: I feel students are free from marks burden.
A: Yes. You’re right. I think grading system will reduce pressure on the students. Don’t you think there should be uniformity in the grading system?
B: Certainly, there should be uniformity.
c. Junk food
A: Isn’t junk food affecting young people’s health?
B: Yes. But don’t you find it is attractive for the youngsters to eat road side eateriies?
A: Yes, you’re right. There needs to be diet awareness amongst the present generation, What do you think of including diet-related courses in the school curriculum?
B: That’s a great idea. I like it though.
d. English language education at primary school
A: I think English language education should be made compulsary at primary school. The English medium students are Supposed to be more proficient in English skills.
B: No, i don’t think so. In the contrast, the empirical studies reveal that the students who study in their mother tongue can do better in learning other languages as well.
A: Would you prefer mother tongue over English?
B: Certainly. In my opinion, the learners at primary schools can grasp concepts better when they learn them in their vernacular languages.
e. Crash diets
A: Don’t you think crash diet can reduce one’s weight rapidly?
B: Yes, I do think. But there are certain repurcursions as well.
A: Personally, I feel that under the expert guidence, the people with heavy weight can go for crash diet.
B: Yes, that should be a better idea.
f. Taking coaching for competitive exams
A: I think taking coaching should be compulsory for succeeding in competitive exams.
B: I don’t think so. Don’t you think that the coaching may help but is not compulsory for success?
A: Yes, I do. But don’t you’ find that the success rate of the aspirants with coaching is higher?
B: Personally, I have nothing against coaching.
g. TV serials
A: TV serials point the homely atmosphere, don’t they?
B: Yes, you’re right. I think they sneak into the private life of the viewers.
A: Indeed, they disturb the family life with continuously haunting their minds.
B: Yes, they do.
h. Vocational courses
A: What is your view on introducing vocational courses from the primary school level?
B: From my point of view, it’s a good idea for creating skilled work form in future.
A: You’re right. I think this will reduce the burden of providing employment to all the students.
B: I guest you’re right.
I. Call centre jobs
A: Do you think that call centre jobs are handy for the graduates?
B: Yes, I do. But they are very limited in numbers.
A: Indeed, they’re. They’re only available in the metropolitan cities.
B: In my opinion, we can think of self-employement vocational training for the graduates.
j. Compulsary military service after school
A: Akhil, don’t you think compulsary military service should be introduced after school education?
B: I don’t think so. Military service should be voluntary, not forceful. Then only we obtain the desired results.
A: You’re right. But if no one comes forward to serve in the military, what will happen to the security?
B: Then there should be awareness programmes motivating the young about importance of military service.
4. Enact Dialogues 4-8 with your partner.
Read the dialogues below. In all of them, opinion is expressed freely during a conversaiton.
Dialogues 4
Sophia and Vinay are talking about a music concert.
Sophia : Alla sang so well last ening.
Vinay : Yes, she was very good. I loved the way she sang the fast numbers.
Dialogue 5
Surya meets a friend in college.
Surya : What terrible weather! I hate getting wet, but didn’t want to miss the test.
Sajida : I’m glad the rains have started, It’s a relief after the long summer we’ve had.
Dialogue 6.
A group of people are discussing the right age for children to start school.
Mrs Jose : From my point of view, it’s a good idea for children to start school at three. I feel they learn fastest at that age.
Mr Shastri : In my opinion, the earlier system of sending children to school at five was better.
Mrs Sharma : You’re right. I think it used to give them time to discover the world around them on their own.
Mr Husain : Personally, I have nothing against the present system. The way I see it, children anyway do nothing but play and have fun in the nursery and kindergarten classes.
Dialogue 7.
Som and Tina talk about a reception they went to.
Som : What a nice reception that was’ Everything was so tastefully done, was not It?
Tina : Yes, it was. The decorations and the music were just superb.
Som : Indeed, they paid attention to every detail.
Dialogue 8.
Yogesh and his friend Pinto talk about the city they have both recently moved to.
Yogesh : Isn’t Hyderabad a nice place?
Pinto : Yes. But don’t you find it a bit too quiet after Mumbai?
Yogesh : I like It though. Mumbai was far too noisy for mc.
Post Reading: Motivation
Motivation is the driving force that leads us to undertake and accomplish various actions. It ‘ is the spur that goads a person on to performance and also helps to keep alive the interest in the task at hand, till it is successfully completed. One of the reasons for failure among human beings is a lack of motivation. Motivation can be of two types: self-motivation and the ability to motivate others.
To motivate ones own self a person needs to have balanced self-esteem and an accurate assessment of self-worth. Self-esteem arises from realising what we are capable of and overcoming our shortcomings. Often our self-esteem is imbalanced because we do not have the right image of ourselves.
We believe what others say about us: if they praise us, we become complacent, and if they find fault, we become disheartened. Once we acquire a balanced self-esteem, our confidence in ourselves increases and this leads to a feeling of self-worth.
Again, we should be cautious and not have mistaken self-worth. Unless we are aware of our actual strengths and weaknesses, we shall never have accurate self-worth.
Here are some strategies for self-motivation:
- Think of everyone and everything as your teacher.
- Build positive, meaningful relationships in the family and place of work.
- Read elevating literature.
- Work with a mentor who believes in you and trusts you as a true friend.
- Work creatively at whatever task you do.
- Work with commitment so that every failure turns into success.
- Empower yourself by making the mind strong and focused.
- To motivate others, we need to…
- Provide them with the right incentives.
- Stimulate, inspire, reward and praise them in the right situations.
- Cultivate the habit of listening to people with positive involvement, and encourage them.
Different methods motivate different people so we need to know which method is to be used in any given context. For instance, if a person is praised for his/her achievement he/she may improve further while another person in the same situation may become complacent and stop all improvement. The same is true of pointing out the faults of a person: one may take it as positive motivation while another may be discouraged.
Think and Respond
Waheed, a businessman, is worried that he is becoming old and can do nothing efficiently any more. He is losing his concentration and memory. He feels tired all the time and is disheartened by his failures. How can he motivate himself? How can his wife and children motivate him to make him believe in himself and in his capabilities?
Motivation is the driving force that leads us to undertake and accomplish various actions. Motivation can be of two types: self-motivation and the ability to motivate others. In order to motivate one’s own self, a person needs to have balanced self-esteem and an accurate assessment of self-worth.
Self-esteem arises from realising what we are capable of and overcoming our shortcomings. Sometimes our self-esteem is balanced because we do not have the right image of ourselves. Then only our confidence increases and this leads to a feeling of self-worth. Unless we are of our actual strengths and weaknesses, we shall never have accurate self-worth.
Waheed, who is a businessman, is worried that he is becoming old and can do nothing efficiently any more. He is losing his concentration and memory. He feels tired all the time and is disheartened by his failures. Waheed can be motivated in two ways: self-motivation and motivation by others.
Self-motivation (by Waheed himself): Waheed can be motivated by adopting the following strategies:
- Waheed can think of everyone and every thing as his teacher.
- He builds positive, meaningful relationships in both his family and his work place.
- He can also start reading elevating and inspiring literature.
- Waheed can also work with a mentor who believes in him and trusts him as a true friend.
- Besides, he can work creatively at whatever task he does.
- Waheed has to empower himself by making the mind strong and focused.
- He can work with commitment so that every failure turns into success.
Motivation by others: Waheed can also be motivated by his family members- his wife and children.
- The family is of great support for Waheed and the family members -his wife and children can provide him with the much needed support in the hard times.
- The family can stimulate, inspire, reward and praise him in the right situations.
- Waheed’s family must cultivate the habit of listening to him with positive involvement,
and encourage him.
Therefore, Waheed can be motivated himself, and by his family members and friends. Any motivation should be appropriate to the person’s attitude towards certain situations and life experiences. Motivation should not bring complacency, but bring encouragement in the particular individual.