<p>The way one speaks creates an impression on other people. A person with a good vocabulary is generally perceived to be more intelligent than someone who has a poor vocabulary. English grammar has never been my favorite subject. I remember the logical ones, but the not so logical ones are beyond me.<br /><br /></p>.<p>During a conversation with my friend, I happened to mention to him – “I and my brother take turns to look after my aged mother”. He corrected my English usage and told me that one should always mention the other person first. This particular usage must have come out of the reason of being polite and showing respect to the other person. Due to this strong logical reasoning, I have never repeated my mistake.<br /><br />I also took a liking for “Transferred epithet”, as my English teacher explained the figure of speech with a strong logic. When one says “The plowman homeward plods his weary way”, the weariness of the farmer is transferred to the way.<br /><br />Now about the rule-based grammar.<br /><br />I am always confused on the use of “I” or “me” in a sentence. I understand that “I” and “me” are both pronouns that we use to refer to ourselves. <br /><br />I understand that the correct usage is – “It is I”, “That’s he”, and “It’s she”, but to me it sounds funny and I would be rather happy with – “It is me”, “That’s him” and “It’s her”.<br />Every language has its vocalised pauses, which are meaningless words used to keep the conversation flowing smoothly. In English, it’s usually “um”, “er”, “ah”, or “you know”. But currently the most preferred vocalised pause is “Like”. <br /><br />This linguistic filler had been earlier used in the 19th century literature and has now been cleverly adapted and mostly misused by the younger generation. You find that everyone in the US including, teachers, professors, even President Obama using this word “like” rather freely. According to dictionary, there are only two correct usages. One that relates to “Similarity” and the other that relates to “Enjoyment”. The purists advice not to use “like” to approximate and also stop using “like” before adjectives and adverbs. But who cares?<br /><br />From time to time I have been introduced to new vocabulary, expressions and slangs by the younger generation.<br /><br />Twelve years ago, I felt amused when my son then studying at IIT said “I am good”, when someone asked him “How are you?”<br /><br />I felt shocked when my daughter told her friend “Let us do a movie next Sunday”. <br /><br />My niece from Delhi told me once “I have to give my exams next month” <br /><br />I learnt new expressions like “Chill out” and “Hang out” from my US nephew.<br /><br />Establishing good communication is the first step in bridging the generation gap. <br /><br />Although I may not be able to speak their tongue, I keep a straight face when someone says – “Like, …. Let’s do coffee first, hang out in the mall for some time and chill out!” <br /></p>
<p>The way one speaks creates an impression on other people. A person with a good vocabulary is generally perceived to be more intelligent than someone who has a poor vocabulary. English grammar has never been my favorite subject. I remember the logical ones, but the not so logical ones are beyond me.<br /><br /></p>.<p>During a conversation with my friend, I happened to mention to him – “I and my brother take turns to look after my aged mother”. He corrected my English usage and told me that one should always mention the other person first. This particular usage must have come out of the reason of being polite and showing respect to the other person. Due to this strong logical reasoning, I have never repeated my mistake.<br /><br />I also took a liking for “Transferred epithet”, as my English teacher explained the figure of speech with a strong logic. When one says “The plowman homeward plods his weary way”, the weariness of the farmer is transferred to the way.<br /><br />Now about the rule-based grammar.<br /><br />I am always confused on the use of “I” or “me” in a sentence. I understand that “I” and “me” are both pronouns that we use to refer to ourselves. <br /><br />I understand that the correct usage is – “It is I”, “That’s he”, and “It’s she”, but to me it sounds funny and I would be rather happy with – “It is me”, “That’s him” and “It’s her”.<br />Every language has its vocalised pauses, which are meaningless words used to keep the conversation flowing smoothly. In English, it’s usually “um”, “er”, “ah”, or “you know”. But currently the most preferred vocalised pause is “Like”. <br /><br />This linguistic filler had been earlier used in the 19th century literature and has now been cleverly adapted and mostly misused by the younger generation. You find that everyone in the US including, teachers, professors, even President Obama using this word “like” rather freely. According to dictionary, there are only two correct usages. One that relates to “Similarity” and the other that relates to “Enjoyment”. The purists advice not to use “like” to approximate and also stop using “like” before adjectives and adverbs. But who cares?<br /><br />From time to time I have been introduced to new vocabulary, expressions and slangs by the younger generation.<br /><br />Twelve years ago, I felt amused when my son then studying at IIT said “I am good”, when someone asked him “How are you?”<br /><br />I felt shocked when my daughter told her friend “Let us do a movie next Sunday”. <br /><br />My niece from Delhi told me once “I have to give my exams next month” <br /><br />I learnt new expressions like “Chill out” and “Hang out” from my US nephew.<br /><br />Establishing good communication is the first step in bridging the generation gap. <br /><br />Although I may not be able to speak their tongue, I keep a straight face when someone says – “Like, …. Let’s do coffee first, hang out in the mall for some time and chill out!” <br /></p>
