Wednesday, 26 August 2015


Prepositions for MP students: ABTA Test Papers and............

  • Poisoning by arsenic is a slow process; it is due to a gradual build up of poison in the human body. ( Page no-166 )
  • The old man rose with a great effort and took the bowl in his shaking hands and went to the other basket. (Page no-182)
  • " The best way to combat illegal trading in animals is to keep a strong vigil and to form a joint action committee of officials of Forest Department and police'', said wild life experts. (Page 1970
  • On the occasion of Rabindra Jayanti an inter-school recitation competition was organised by our school. (Page no-213 )
  • When we walk along the beach we come by seashells lying on the sand where they have been washed out by waves. ( Page no-228 )
  • Vivekananda wanted the youth to ridicule , oppose and then accept the fact , instead of blindly believing it. ( Page no-244 )
  • I flew out of Heathroe airport under stormy skies. A group of young British men dressed  in ill-fitting Hazers filled the back of the plane, and one of them took the seat beside me . He read out the emergency instructions twice with great concentration. ( Page no-259 )
*********************************************************************************
                                               The use of Present Perfect Tense

We use present perfect tense when we want to say or assert that some actions have been completed.

  • I have read the new book. ( I have finished the reading.)
  • Ranjit Guha has created a new FB group. ( It has already been done. )
or to negate something: I have not taken your pen.
or to ask if something has been done: Have you seen Madhumita?

We also use Present Perfect Tense when we want to look back from the present to the past.

  • I have broken my watch so I don't know what time . ( The watch was broken sometime ago in the near past. The effect is still there. I do not possess a watch now so I cant tell you the time.)
  • They have cancelled the meeting. ( The action was done earlier. )
  • Mamoni has taken my copy. I don't have one. ( Mamoni took it sometime ago.)
When we look back we often use the words 'just' or 'already' or 'yet'

  • Apratim has already decided to leave the present company. 
  • Debnath has't arrived yet. ( Negative )
  • I have just done it. ( Not so long ago )
  • They have already met. ( So they need no introduction. )
  • Have you spoken to him yet? ( There is a doubt. )
This tense can also be used to look back on more distant past.
  • We have been to Delhi many times in the past.
  • Ranjit has done this type of job many times before.
  • We have talked about it in the past also.
We use 'ever' and 'never'
  • Have you ever been to Pelling.?
  • I have never visited Sikkim in my life.
  • I have never considered buying a car.
************************************************************spk-26/8/15




















Tuesday, 25 August 2015


                          Present Continuous Tense

We have discussed about where we can use this tense in our earlier lessons  Let us examine the following sentences written in the present continuous tense and see if we can learnt a bit more about this tense.

  • It is raining.
  • Look Sutista is trying to pull Debilina's hair.
  • I am not looking. My eyes are closed tight.
In the above mentioned sentences we have used the present continuous tense to convey the meaning that the action is happening at this present moment. It may not last. It is true now. I don't think it will remain true in the long term. It is raining. ( it is true now but it may stop raining any moment from now.) In the second sentence: Sutista is pulling Debolina's hair. ( It is true at this moment because I can see it but Sutista may stop pulling Debolina's hair any moment from now.) In the third sentence I say that I AM NOT LOOKING. It is true because my eyes are closed tight. So we are using the present continuous tense in conditions or situations which we see as temporary or short term.

  • I am looking for a suitable job.
  • Apratim is thinking about leaving the present job.
  • They are considering making an appeal against the judgement.
  • Is Shramana getting enough sleep/
In the above sentences the present continuous tense has been used to describe the present situation which is temporary. When we ask=Is Shramana getting enough sleep?, what we mean to say is that we are worried about her health and we assume or guess that she is not getting enough sleep. No action is taking place. Yet we are using the present continuous tense. 

Sometimes we also use present continuous tense to indicate a future action. Something is going to happen in near future or in future. This is either our assumption or we are certain or sure about it.
  • I am meeting Pritha at 6 this evening. ( I have made a prior appointment with her. So the meeting is definitely going to take place. )
  • They aren't arriving until Sunday.( Againg we are sure about it because we have definite information about their date of arrival. )
  • We are going to stay at Hotel Sikkim Aurora from 3rd to 6th Dec, 2015. ( The reservation has been made in advance by Ranjit Guha.) ( This is August and the action is going to take place in December which is a long time distance away but we are sure that this is happening. We are certain about that. )
  • Isn't Sukanya and Apratim coming to dinner tonight? ( We are not sure. So we are asking this question to be sure. Once we are sure about their coming we can make the necessary arrangement. )
So we can see that we can use different tenses in a number of ways. It gives us a lot of flexibility.  We can use the present continuous tense instead of simple future tense also.  Let us take the following example-
  • Debnath will go to Kolkata tomorrow. ( We can use the following sentence to mean the same thing or to give the following impression- Debnath is going to Kolkatta tomorrow.
*********************************Happy learning friends.
spk-25/8/15

























                             

                        

Monday, 24 August 2015


                                       Tenses revisited

    We have discussed about Tenses at the beginning of our journey. I am sure you have learnt how to use tenses properly. Let us re-visit the tenses once more. We have to do it every now and then to refresh our memory. There is no scope for complacency in study. We should remember that we are trying to learn English as a second language and so who have remain alert all the time lest we should make any silly mistakes. 

The use of Present Simple Tense( Present Idefinite)= Let us study the following sentences---
  • Apratim goes to office regularly.
  • Debnath does not come to my place very often.
  • The news usually starts at 6 every evening.
  • Does Ranjit usuall takes bread and butter at breakfast?
In these sentences we have used the present indefinite form of the related verbs. We are stating some actions or events which are permanent in nature and intent. Let us now examine the following set of sentences------------
  • Pinki and Debnath have a daughter.
  • The Earth moves round the sun.
  • Water freezes at 0degree C or 32 degree F.
  • The Ganga flows through the plains of UP and Bihar.
We are just stating some facts which are not temporary events or happenings. Let us now take some more examples-----
  • The monsoon usually sets in June every year.
  • The plane takes off at 8 tomorrow morning.
  • Ramadan does not starts for another two weeks.
  • Does the class begin at 10 or 11?
In the above mentioned sentences we are talking about some future events which are yet to happen. We have used Simple Present Tense instead of Simple Future tense. Study the following bunch of sentences---
  • Mamoni doesn't agree with me on this point.
  • I think Madumita is wrong.
  • Sutista does not want me to do the job.
  • Do you understand what i am trying to say?
In the above mentioned sentences we are talking about our thoughts and feelings and ideas at the time of speaking. We also use the Simple present Tense to express the following.
  1. Regular activities------Ramkrishna plays tennis on week  ends.
Facts known about the future---We leave at 10 in the morning on next Sunday.
It should be kept in mind that simple present tense is a very tense because we can use it in many ways.
************************






























Sunday, 23 August 2015



           Articles and prepositions lessons from ABTA Test Papers for MP students
           ****************************************************************


  • What is the most dreadful menace facing India today is the rise of communalism. We all should fight against it collectively.
  • Letter-writing is no doubt a lost art.It was killed by penny post and modern hurry. When Cowper, Byron, Lamb and Carlyle wrote their immortal letters, the world was a leisurely place where there time to indulge in the luxury of writing to your friends.
  • We went into the parlour and sat down. There was an old fellow there smoking a long clay pipe, and we naturally began to chat.
  • Robert Frost was born in California in 1874. He was a major American poet. He was awarded the Pulitzer prize several times.
  • A father and a son died after a tree fell upon there tea shop. It was caused by a ten minute storm.
  • I was born into a middle class Tamil family in the island town of Rameswaram in the erstwhile Madras state.
  • My elder brother is five years senior to me.He lives in Mumbai. He is an MBBS and is fond of serving the poor.
*********************************************************************************
You can notice from the above lessons that the task is relatively easy. If you study the use of common prepositions from a standard grammar book you will score full marks. Four marks are allotted for articles+ prepositions, four mars for transformation and four marks for  phrasal verbs. All of you can score full marks in this section if you pay a little attention. Solve two or three papers every day and you will definitely remember your article and prepositions.

Now I beg to draw your attention to appropriate prepositions. Don't ask for any explanations. Just lay your hand on a good grammar book and read the list of appropriate prepositions again and again. Better make it a habit with you. Write your own sentences using the prepositions you have learnt. And see the magic! Take one small step at a time. You will definitely travel a long distance in no time.
************************************************************************************




















                Phrasal verbs for MP students and ...........................

 We are almost finished with our list of phrasal verbs, There are many more phrasal verbs and newer uses are being recorded. We shall discuss about some of them along the way. First of all let us finish our job at hand. My purpose has been to help the ordinary students who have limited access to guidance or who cannot afford the fees for private tuition.

Page no-876 (ABTA TEST PAPERS)
  1. My grandfather will recover soon.( My grandfather will come round  soon. )= come round
Page no-886 ( The question paper is a bit different . You have been asked to fill in the blanks with appropriate phrasal verbs. )
  1. The rainy season sets in every year in June.( begins )
  2. Never look down upon the poor. ( hate )
  3. Cholera has broken out in our locality. ( suddenly spread )
  4. Our ambitious project has fallen through due to lack of money. ( has failed )
*********************************************************************************
We have completed the grammar portion from the ABTA Test papers. We have deliberately left out the article and preposition part. I have already discussed how the article and common prepositions are
                                          to be used. We make a lot of mistakes with the prepositions. My suggestion to you is very simple. As there is no hard and fast rules we have to follow the conventions. The best way to learn the use of correct prepositions is to read story books by eminent authors and writers. Follow them and try to remember them. There are certain common prepositions which are used according to their meaning. As for examples--- we know the meaning of on, up, over and above. These four common prepositions indicate something is 'up' something. But each of them has a slightly different meaning. 
1. Put the book on the table.
2. Stand up on the bench.
3.Do not sit on the broken chair.
If you study these sentences you will surely notice that when something is touching something we use on. ON is also used as a time preposition.

Apratim is coming here on 15th instant or on Monday.

UP means something going up. It is not touching anything. 
The balloon is going up. 
ABOVE means very high----The sun is shining above our head.
OVER means crossing something, moving up and above and then again touching the ground. 
There is a bridge over the river. You cannot build a bridge on, up or above the river, can you ?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

















Saturday, 22 August 2015

Buy MUST READ Books online

Buy MUST READ Books online

Just click the link below to buy or download those books

Inferno: (Robert Langdon Book 4)
Dan Brown
Rs. 153.00 

http://amzn.to/1KcqW86

 
Angels and Demons (Robert Langdon)
Dan Brown
Rs. 235.00
http://amzn.to/1KcqTJv


The Da Vinci Code: (Robert Langdon Book 2)
Dan Brown
Rs. 99.00

http://amzn.to/1ELdAJU

The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon)
Dan Brown
Rs. 279.00 

http://amzn.to/1Ps6Y8J

Making India Awsome (by Chetan Bhagat)
http://amzn.to/1EKGkCt


Scion of Ikshvaku (1st Part in Ram Chandra Series)
http://amzn.to/1Ps4zLh


Life is What You Make it
Preeti Shenoy
Rs. 60.00  
 http://amzn.to/1EL9TUh

The Immortals of Meluha (Shiva Trilogy) 
http://amzn.to/1h3uJZC

The Secret Of The Nagas (Shiva Trilogy)
Amish Tripathi
Rs. 158.00  
http://amzn.to/1KcpR01


The Oath of the Vayuputras (Shiva Trilogy)
Amish Tripathi
Rs. 265.00
http://amzn.to/1Ps56gk


Who Will Cry When You Die?
Robin Sharma
Rs. 123.00

http://amzn.to/1ELamGj


Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

http://amzn.to/1KcpToL


To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Rs. 199.00

http://amzn.to/1LqLzyX


Sachin Tendulkar: Master Blaster
Ayaz Memon
Rs. 85.50

http://amzn.to/1LqLyLl


The Mahabharata Secret
Christopher C. Doyle
Rs. 207.00

http://amzn.to/1Ps5oE3


Agatha Christie - And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie
Rs. 129.00  

http://amzn.to/1Kcq7Mm


The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
Rs. 200.00  

http://amzn.to/1LqLLy6

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Phrasal verbs for MP students and .............



Page no-764

  1. The rioting crowd retreated when police reinforcements arrived. ( The rioting crowd fell back when police reinforcement arrived. )= fall back
  2. He was devastated when the Judge's verdict opposed him.( he was devastated when the Judge's verdict went against him. )= go against
  3. The experienced teacher can express her idea well. ( The experienced teacher can put across her idea well. )= put across.
  4. If you accidentally find my keys, please inform me. ( If you come across my keys, please inform me.)= come across
Page no-770

  1. He saved much money. ( He put by much money. )= put by
  2. I consider him as my master. ( I look upon him as my master. )= look upon
  3. Price of petrol is increasing. (Price of petrol is going up. )=go up
  4. She is trained to support the poor. ( She is trained to deal with the poor. )= to deal with
Page no-799

  1. The match had to be postponed. ( The match had to be put off. )=put off
  2. My proposal was immediately rejected. ( My proposal was immediately turned down.)= turn down
  3. Have you read this novel ? ( Have you gone through this novel ?)= go through
  4. You must not surrender to the enemy. ( You must not give in to the enemy.)= give in
Page no-810

  1. The mayor rejected the offer. ( The mayor turned down the offer. ) = turn down
The other three verbs are read, in search of ( it is a prepositional phrase) and published. The corresponding phrasal verbs are;: gone through, looking for and brought out. 

Page no-824

  1. They assured us to inquire the matter. ( They assured us to look into the matter.)= look into
  2. I shall not neglect your proposal. ( I shall not turn down your proposal. )=turn down
  3. Please note the name of the book. ( Please take down the name of the book. )= take down
  4. We shall have to stick to our promise that we shall return today. ( We shall have to stand to promise that we shall return today. )= stand to 
========================================================================

Many people believe that in this age of smart phones and computers sms, e-mails, twitter, whats up, messenger and so many such modern method of communications the traditional letter writing has become a lost art, People do not write letters any more. WE ARE ALWAYS IN A HURRY. But whare is our destination? We don't know for sure. You are always receiving messages from you friends and relatives and if you possess a smart phone you are receiving whats up messages all the time. But if you are a MP or HS student you have no option but to write letters. You may not write them in your real life but you have learn how to write letters-both personal and formal-because it is in your syllabus. So? We shall discuss how to write such letters in our next lesson. There are certain pro-forma or lay-out which you have to follow or the examiner will deduct marks. It is actually not so difficult as people think. It is another way of communication. One kind of monologue, if you like. If you know the basic English you can write beautiful letters.Till begin our next lesson jot down your thoughts on what you want to write to your friend. Take care.

=========================================================================spk/19/8/15

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

Prefixes and suffixes help forming new words

 Prefixes and suffixes help forming new words 
Prefixes and suffixes play a very important role in English language. Prefixes are added before  root words to form the opposite words or antonyms. But by adding suffixes we get different parts of speeches. In this lesson we are going to discuss about prefixes only.

Prefixes are not complete words but they convey a certain meaning. So when we add a prefix to a word we get a meaningful word. Let us take an example. Take the word responsibilty. The word has a definite meaning. Now let us add the prefix-ir before it. We will get a new word--ir+ responsibilty= irrresponsibilty which is the opposite of responsibilty. The most common prefixes in English language are in. im, il, and ir. We can also add  un to this list and we will get almost 97% words in the English language with these prefixes.( Those words that have been formed using prefixes.) You will find below a list of common prefixes and their meanings with key words.

       Prefix                                    Meaning                                                 Key word

  1. anti                                       against                                                     antithesis
  2. de                                        opposite                                                    defrost
  3. dis                                       not/opposite of                                         disagree
  4. en/em                                 cause to                                                     encode/embrace
  5. fore                                    before                                                         forecast
  6. in/im                                 in                                                                      infield      
  7. in/il/im/ir                          not                             indecision/impossible/illiterate/irresponsible
  8. inter                                 between                                                   interact
  9. mid                                     middle                                                  midway
  10. mis                                    wrongly                                                 misfiree                             
  11. non                                   not                                                          nonsense
  12. over                                  over                                                       overlook
  13. pre                                    before                                                    prefix/preposition
  14. re                                       again                                                     remove/return
  15. semi                                  half                                                        semifinal
  16. sub                                   under                                                      submarine
  17. super                                above                                                      superstar
  18. trans                                 across                                                     transport
  19. un                                     not                                                          uncommon/unfriendly
  20. under                                under                                                      undersea
  21. ex                                     out of/ away from/lacking                      exhale/explosion
  22. pro                                   for/before/forward                                  proactive/programme
  23. cyber                                                                                               cyberspace
I hope you will be able to identify many words in English language if you study them closely how prefixes and suffixes have added meaning to them. Many words are formed by adding both prefixes and suffixes. How the meaning of the key or root words change with the addition of prefixes and suffixes is an interesting study. Let us take an example here to illustrate our point:

Let us take the root word CONDITION. We are adding the suffix -al to it. It is now CONDITIONAL. Let us add the prefix UN and we will get UNCONDITIONAL. We shall again add another suffix to it-LY. Now we get the word UNCONDITIONALLY.
The original root word CONDITION was a noun. By adding the suffix -al we got CONDITIONAL which is an adjective. When we addded the prefix un we got another adjective UNCNDITIONAL but when we added another suffix -ly to it we got the word UNCONDITIONALLY which is an adverb. Is it not fascinating ?
*********************************************************************************

                           Phrasal verbs for MP students
 Page no-742

  1. She crumpled the letter into a ball.( She screwed up the letter into a ball.) =screw up
  2. The workers kept demanding a hike in the wage.( The workers kept pressing for a hike in the wages. )=press for
  3. Many men sacrificed their lives for their country. ( Many men laid down their lives for their country. )= lay down
  4. The rumour gradually dissappered. ( The rumour gradually died down. )=die down
Page-748


  1. He spoke so fast that I could not understand what he was saying. ( He spoke so fast that I could not make out what she was saying.)=make out
  2. Please do not go near the room because that is where patients with infectious diseases are treated. ( Please keep away from .............treated.)= keep away from
  3. It is no use making new laws and regulations unless they are enforced. (It is no use.....put into effect. )=put into effect
  4. You should try to get a first division.( You should aim at getting a first division.
*********************************************************************************
spk-18/8/15
e

....

Sunday, 16 August 2015

Phrasal verbs for MP students and other problems

Page no=659


  1. The enemy had to surrender at last. ( The enemy had to give in at last. )=give in
  2. Who can bear such an insult ? ( Who can put up with such an insult ? )=put up with
  3. Please remove your shoes before you enter the temple. ( Please take off  your shoes before you enter the temple, )= take off
  4. The old lady died quite peacefully. ( The old lady passed away quite peacefully. )=pass away
Page no-690


  1. The poet remembers the past. ( The poet calls up the past. )= call up
  2. He disclosed the truth. ( He gave out the truth. )= give out
  3. They stayed at an inn for the night. ( They put up in an inn for the night. )= put up
  4. Save something for the future use. ( Put by something for the future use. )= put by
Page no-709


  1. He promised to investigate the matter. ( He promised to  look into the matter. )=look into
  2. Every hawker extols his own goods. ( Every hawker cries up his own goods. )= cry up
  3. The burglar entered the house by force. ( The burglar broke into the house. 0= break into
  4. I regard him as my elder brother. ( I look upon him as my elder brother.)= look upon
Page no-735


  1. When we had calculated the cost of holiday aboard, we decided to cancel it. ( When we had worked out the cost of holiday abroad, we decided to cancel it. )= work out
  2. They always save a large supply of tinned food in winter in case they are snowed up.( The always lay by a large supply of tinned food in winter in case they  are snowed up.)=lay by
  3. Extinguish the candle before you cut the cake. ( Blow out before you cut the cake. )= blow out
  4. The meeting was cancelled because of 'flu-epidemic'. 9 The meeting was called off because of 'flu-epidemic. )= call off
*****************************************************************
  Let us now talk about word family, prefixes and suffixes. We have already discussed about the formation of word family. There are only four members in this family. They are NOUN, VERB, ADJECTIVE and ADVERB. These are the content or main words of the English language. They are closely related to each other. All other parts of speech, articles and modals etc are GRAMMATICAL WORDS.  If we want to learn the English language we must be familiar with the word families. So my humble suggestion is; Take some words of your choice and write down the word families with the help of a good dictionary. Let us take a few examples here;;

             NOUN------------------VERB________ADJECTIVE___________ADVERB


  1. Help                               Help                    Helpful                               Helpfully
  2. Courage                         x                          Courageous                        Courageously
  3. Honesty                          x                          Honest                               Honestly
  4. Strength                        Strengthen            Strong                                Strongly
  5. Weakness                     Weaken                 Weak                                 Weakly
Now it is your turn to form as many word families as you can. Use the words in your own sentences.

            A good number of words can be formed by adding prefixes and suffixes. We shall discuss it in our next lesson.

***********************************************************************************

Resumption of task; Phrasal Verbs For MP Students

Page no-538


  1. The publisher has published a new book on general knowledge.( The publisher has brought out a new book on general knowledge.)= bring out.
  2. I do non understand how the accident happened. ( I do not understand how the accident came about. )=come about
  3. Riya is searching for a job. ( Riya is looking for a job.)=look for
  4. The farmer begins his work early in the morning.( The farmer sets about his work early in the morning.)= set about
Page no-568


  1. We should not hate the poor. ( Repetition)=look down upon
  2. The symbol X means ten. ( Repetition )=stands foor
  3. She easily solved the problem. ( She easily worked out the problem. )= work out
  4. My brother is recovering soon.( My brother coming round  soon.0=come round
Page no 583


  1. He never hates the poor. ( Repetition )= look down upon
  2. Wearing new garments the children went to fair.( Putting on new garments the children went to fair. )=put on
  3. No flesh and blood can tolerate such insult. ( No flesh and blood can put up with such insult. )= put up with
  4. i can not remember his name. ( I can not call up his name. )=call up
Page no-598


  1. When did it happen ? (When did it come off ?) = come off
  2. You should not quarrel with your friend. ( You should not fall out with your friends. )= fall out with
  3. Somen was born in a large family. ( Somen came of a large family. )= come of
  4. Remove your shoes before entering a temple. (Take off your shoes before entering a temple.)= take off
Page no-628


  1. The book has been finally published. ( The book has been finally brought out. )=bring out
  2. The government wants to establish another hospital in the city. ( The government wants to set up another hospital in the city. )=set up
  3. Our plea was rejected. ( Our plea was turned down. )= turn down
  4. A few life members are yet to arrive. ( A few life members are yet to turn up. )= turn up
Page no-644


  1. The military government has decided to suppress all oppositions. ( The military government has decided to put down all opposition. )= put down
  2. Burglars  forced their way into the house when the Roys went out.( The burglars broke into the house when the Roys went out.
  3. Lay aside some money for old age. ( Put by some money for old age. 0= put by
  4. I happened to meet my old friend Subir yesterday. ( I came across my old friend Subir yesterday. )= come across.
*********************************************************************************

Saturday, 15 August 2015

Historical speech delivered by Independent India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.
It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity with some pride
At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries which are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortunes alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortunes and India discovers herself again.
The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?
Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now.
That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we might fulfill the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.
The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.
And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for anyone of them to imagine that it can live apart.
Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.
To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.
The appointed day has come - the day appointed by destiny - and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning point is past, and history begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.
It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the east, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materialises. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed!
We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrow-stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people.
On this day our first thoughts go to the architect of this freedom, the father of our nation, who, embodying the old spirit of India, held aloft the torch of freedom and lighted up the darkness that surrounded us.
We have often been unworthy followers of his and have strayed from his message, but not only we but succeeding generations will remember this message and bear the imprint in their hearts of this great son of India, magnificent in his faith and strength and courage and humility. We shall never allow that torch of freedom to be blown out, however high the wind or stormy the tempest.
Our next thoughts must be of the unknown volunteers and soldiers of freedom who, without praise or reward, have served India even unto death.
We think also of our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political boundaries and who unhappily cannot share at present in the freedom that has come. They are of us and will remain of us whatever may happen, and we shall be sharers in their good and ill fortune alike.
The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.
We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be.
We are citizens of a great country, on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action.
To the nations and peoples of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy.
And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service. Jai Hind.[2]
************************************************************************************************************************
      The above is the full text of the historical speech delivered by Independent India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on 15th August, 1947.


    Thursday, 13 August 2015

    The lessons we can learn from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

    Our former president Dr Kalam lived a very simple life.Today everyone event those who live a luxurious life are talking about his simplicity and extolling his virtues. Our present Prime Minister who aslo hails from a similar background has described him as a 'marg darshkok '-a guru who shows us the correct path to follow. These people are making the right 'noises' as they say. the question is 
    how many us practise what we preach? It easier to preach than to follow. Look at the dresses that pur present Prime Minister wears! During the visit of USA President Barrack Obama Modiji changed his dress four times a day while President Obama sued only one pair of suit. Modiji who claims to be the son of a 'chaiwala' has already become a fashion icon of not only India but of the whole of the world. So when someone like him says that Kalam was a 'marg darshok' we have to take his word with a grain of salt. At least he was not a marg darshak for Modiji.

    A person who lives behind him a rich legacy to follow was definitely a destiny's child. Hundreds of thousands of people in India live below the poverty line. So it is a cruel joke when our leaders tell them to follow the doctrine of 'simple living and high thinking''. Have they got any other alternative? No. So what is the point in telling them to live a frugal and  simple life? The rich and the affluent can take a leaf out of Kalam's book of live. Prime Minister Modi and Our President Pranab Mukherjee should learn from his life, not the common people. For they been living nothing but a frugal life for generations together.

    Our intellectuals should learn from Dr Kalam. He was educated in India and devoted his life to the cause of his motherland. Today we dance we joy when person of Indian origin is appointed as the CEO of a foreign company .Recently a certain Pichai Sundaram was appointed the CEO of Google and many Indians have began dancing in the open because he was from India and he was educated at Kharagpur. He then went to America, settled there and gradually rose to the present position. But he is no longer an Indian. Why should feel proud of him? Why should our Prime Minister congratulate him? Are we congralutanig him for living our country and serving the interest of another country? I am dismayed. I am appalled ! Compare him and other such deserters with Dr Kalam and you will surely understand what I am trying to say.
    *******************************************************************************
    Now let us resume our lessons in phrasal verbs for MP students:

    Page no-538 ( I have skipped some pages because they were just repetitions )


    1. I am in search of a good job. ( I am looking for a good job. If you notice carefully you will find that in search of is in fact a prepositional phrase which means =searching for. )
    2. His proposal was rejected by the committee. ( His proposal was turned down by the committee. )=turn down
    3. The girl had none to care of her. ( The girl had none to look after )= look after
    4. Overwork has affected her health. ( Overwork has told upon her health. )=tell upon
    Page no-568


    1. The symbol X means ten.( The symbol X stands for ten. ) =stand for
    2. She easily solved the problem. ( She easily worked out the problem.)=work out.
    3. My mother is recovering gradually. ( My mother is coming round gradually.) =come round
    *********************************************************************************
    spk 14/8/15

    Buy the book online at very low price-

    Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
    A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

    http://amzn.to/1KcpToL


    Tuesday, 11 August 2015

    How to build your vocabulary......and remember them

    Alekhyo came to meet me this evening. He looked a bit tired and expended. His elder brother Mainak is at the TIFR doing research work. Mainak got opportunities to study in France and Germany but he decided to finish his research in India. Alekhya has got a chance to study electronics
    at Rajabazar. He has also been shortlisted for counseling at Jadavpur Unversity. He is feeling peer pressure. We had a good conversation on various issues. He asked me a very simple yet important question. How can one build a vocabulary of one's own? The obvious answer would be : read, read and read and then look up the meaning of the new words in a not book and start using them. My experience has taught me that young people, especially those who are pursuing science courses are not very fond of dictionary. Some of them think that it is not very essential to know the English language to pursue a career in science. Nothing can be further from the truth. Today's children are facing 'the market pressure'. In this age of globalization you must have a good command over English language if you want to bag a lucrative job in a MNC.( Multinational company ). How can you then build up a vocabulary that will stand you in good stead ? I would recommend the following steps"

    • Read the daily newspaper of your choice regularly in the morning over a cup of tea.
    • Jot down the new words from your text book and look up the meaning in the dictionary. Your smartphone will help you. Download a good dictionary with audio sound from the internet. It will help you tremendously.
    • Listen to BBC News channel whenever you find time. Be a good listener. It is very very important to be a good listener. Listen attentively to your teachers and friends. You will learn a lot from them.
    • Read story books. I would recommend to you to read adventure books, detective books and thrillers if you want to learn the modern usage of the English language. Don't read the classics for this purpose. Read them when you have settled in your life and have cultivated a taste for literature.
    Last but not the least I would advise you to watch English popular movies.
    ********************************************************************************
    Let us now resume our task with phrasal verbs for Madhyomik Students from the ABTA Test Papers.

    Page no-427
    1. The rumour gradually disappeared.  ( The rumour gradually died down. )=die down.
    2. The other three problems are repetitions. The verbs were :read ( go through ), Spread suddenly ( Broke out ) and was born ( came of )
    Page no-441
    1. Our school closes at 4-30pm. ( Our school breaks up at 4-30 pm. )= break up
    2. The soldiers executed the captain's order. ( The soldiers carried out the captain's order .) carry out
    3. What is emitting such nasty smell ? ( What is giving off such nasty smell? )= give off
    4. I cannot understand what you say. ( I cannot make out what you say. )= make out.
    Page no-457
    1. I cannot digest any injustice. ( I cannot bear with/put up with any injustice. )=bear with
    2. A good friend always supports one in adversity.( A good fried always stands by one in adversity.)=stand by.
    3. We must try to abolish corruption from society. ( We must try to do away with corruption from the society. )=do away with
    4. She overcame her  difficulties. ( She got over her difficulties. )= get over
    Page no-473
    1. Try to avoid evil company.( Try to keep away from evil company.)=keep away from
    2. It was not easy to compensate for the loss. ( It is not easy to make up for the loss. ) = make up
    3. The patient died last night. ( The patient passed away last night. )= pass away
    4. They discussed the matter. ( They talked over the matter. )=talk over
    ---------------------------------------------------------------
     spk
                                                        Autumn is knocking at the door














    Monday, 10 August 2015

    Phrasal verbs for Madhyamik students(2)

    Page-182( ABTA Test Papers )
    1. His health deteriorated for prolonged illness. ( His health broke down for prolonged illness )= break down
    2. The girl resembles her mother. ( The girl takes after her mother )=take after
    3. Who will compensate for the loss? ( Who will make up for the loss? )=make up
    4. We stayed in a hotel at Digha. ( We put up in a hotel at Digha. )=put up
    Page no-197
    1. He promised to compensate for the loss. ( repetition) =make up
    2. The boys used to quarrel among themselves . ( ''      ) = fall out
    3. I have solved the problem. ( I have worked out the problem. )=work out
    4. The orphan was  reared by his uncle. ( repetition ) = bring up
    Page no-213
    1. Everyone was busy solving the puzzle. ( Everyone was busy working out the puzzle.)= work out
    2. She follows verbatim words of her mother, ( She abides by verbatim words of her mother.)= abide by
    3. The old man saved money for daughter's marriage.( The old man laid by money for his daughter's marriage.)=lay by
    4. The prizes were won in many categories by Anupom. ( The prizes wee bore away in many categories by Anupom. )=bear away
    Page no-244
    1. A group of dacoits forcibly entered my my house yesterday. ( A group of dacoits broke into my house yesterday. )=break into
    2. I met him accidentally today. ( I came across him today. )= come across
    3. Try to minimise your expenses.( Try to cut down your expenses. )=cut down
    4. Extinguish the lamp, please. ( Put out the lamp please. )= put out
    Page no-228
    1. The match was postponed duet to bad weather.( The match put off due to bad weather. )=put off
    2. The patient will recover soon.  ( repetition )=come round
    3. The burglars forcibly entered the house.( '')=e break into
    4. The army finally surrendered. (The army finally gave in. )= give in
    Page no-259
    1. We should not endure any malpractice. ( We should not bear with any malpractice. )=bear with
    2. None has happened to be in the meeting. ( None has turned up in the meeting. )=turn up
    3. The footballer won the gold medal. ( The footballer bore away the gold medal. )=bear away.
    4. Puja supported her friend in distress. ( Puja stood by her friend in distress. ) = stand by
    Page no-275
    1. The strike was cancelled. ( The strike was called off. )=call off
    2. The tree produced good fruits. ( The tree brought forth good fruits.)= bring forth
    3. I agreed with your views. ( I fell in with your view. ) = fall in with.
    4. Please read the passage carefully. ( Please go through the passage carefully. )= go through
    *********************************************************************************
    spk-9/8/15

    Remembering J.C.Nesfield, M.A. and his invaluable contribution to English Grammar


       Remembering J.C.Nesfield, M.A. and his invaluable contribution
                                                to
                                  English Grammar
    J.C.Nesfield is often referred to as the father of English Grammar. And rightly so. He wrote his famous English Grammar And Composition long way back in 1898. Even after 117 years this book is consulted by the Grammarians of today for guidance and help. English language has gone through dramatic changes in the last 117 years but the basic structure of the language has remained the same  in the core.

    Nesfield wrote this book in a very simple, easy to understand language. He wrote it for the common man and not for the pundits. Students generally avoid grammar books of any language because they get more confused because of the complex language in which such books are written. They rather hinder than help understanding the basic rules of grammar. You should try to get hold of Nesfield's book if you want to learn how English language should be analysed and structured. It will give you a clear insight and understanding of the English language. This book was published (or was brought out if you insist .) by Macmillan & Co., Limited in London and by Macmillan Company in New York, the USA. Whether it is available in the market or not I do not know.

    We have already discussed how important it is to write sentences in the passive voice. We have discussed about the basic rules for changing active voice into passive voice. We can only write the transitive verbs in the passive voice. A verb that takes an object is called a Transitive verb, Sometimes a transitive verb can take more than one object.So the identification of the object is very important. We have to ask the transitive verb two questions with a) what and b) whom. If we get a positive answer we know there is an object and we will be able to write the sentence in the passive voice. J.C.Nesfield has identified and mentioned the following seven forms of object. Let us study them together. It will definitely help us in understanding the nuances of voice change better.

    Forms of objects= There are seven forms at least.
    1. Noun-The man killed a snake with a stick.
    2.            Shramana treated the patient with the help of proper medicine.
    3. Proun-The man lifted me up out of water.
    4.              Debabrato invited her to dinner at the Harekorokomba restaurant.
    5. Adjective used as noun- Apratim always helps the needy.
    6.                                          Do not hate the poor.
    7. Infinitive- Sukanya desires to leave us to-morrow.
    8. Gerund-  Ranjit dislikes sleeping in the day but Debnath prefers sleeping all the time.
    9. Phrase- No one knew how to make a beginning.
    10. Clause- We do not know who has done this.
    I hope the above examples will help you understand how to recognize and identify an object. Try to write the above sentences in the passive voice. There is a tricky problem there. It will be difficult to write the sentence with the infinitive object in the passive voice. No problem. Skip it.
    *********************************************************************************
    Now let us resume our task with the phrasal verbs.

    Page no-382
    1. He examined the manuscripts. ( The manuscripts was gone through by him. )=go through
    2. Dowry system must be abolished.  ( Dowry system must be done away with. )=do away with
    3. Shyamal could not conceal his tears. ( Shyamal could not hold back his tears.)= held back
    4. No one can tolerate such behavior. ( No one can put up with such behavior. )=put up with
    Page no-407
    1. The patient will recover soon. ( The patient will come round soon. )=come round
    2. The police chased the robber. ( The police ran after the robbers.) =run after
    3. One cannot change an old habit easily. ( One cannot give up an old habit easily.)=give up
    4. The burglars forcibly entered the house. ( The burglar broke into the house.)=break into
    *********************************************************************************
    spk-11/8/15