Junior Inter : Question Tags

 Question Tags:

A question Tag is a type of question form, which is added to a statement to invite the listener's attention to the statement. It is usually used in conversation. It serves the purpose of confirming out statements.

      When a tag is spoken, the voice can go down or up and the meaning of tag depends on the intonation. A falling intonation indicates that the speaker is sure that the statement is true. Here the tag is not really a question.

Rules for using Question Tag:

1. Only the short form " n't " is used in question tag : a comma is added after the statement ; the tag begins with a small letter and there is a question mark at the end of the tag.

2. An affirmative / positive statement has a negative tag and negative statement has a positive tag.

Eg: 1. He is coming, isn't he?

      2. He is not coming, is he?

3. A suitable pronoun is used in the tag as its subject according to the number, gender and the person of the subject.

Eg: 1. Kamala is in the house, isn't she?

      2. Children are in the garden, aren't they?

4. In the tag as yes/no question, the verb is shifted to the front.

Eg: 1. You are a nice girl, aren't ?

          (OR) You are a nice girl, aren't you?

5. The "be" forms (are, is, was and were) are repeated to the tag.

Eg: He was here yesterday, wasn't he?

[In the case of  'am' in the positive statement 'aren't' is used in the tag.]

Eg: I am a teacher, aren't I?

Eg: I am not a magician, am I?

6. The appropriate form of  'do' is according the subject and tense of the statement.

Eg:  1. He became a philosopher, didn't he?

       2. Coffee tastes bitter, doesn't it?

       3. They come here everyday, don't they?

7. A negative statement with a positive question tag can also be used to ask people for things, or to ask for help or information.

Eg: 1. You couldn't lend me some money, could you?

       2. You don't know where ramu lives, do you?

8. A positive tag can also be used with a positive statement when the speaker wants to show his/ her reaction to what some one has just said.

9. with imperative Expression an order or request Model Auxiliary verbs like will, would can, could are used in the tag.

Eg: Help me with this bag, could you?

       Close the door, will you?

10. After a negative imperative, we use will you.

Eg: Don't make any noise, will you?

11. After let's we use shall we' to make suggestion.

Eg: Let's go for a walk, shall we?

Examples:

1. That has made all the differences, hasn't it?

2. I could not travel both the roads, could I?

3. I shall be telling this, shan't I? (shall I?)

4. We don't know them, do we?

5. They weren't worried very much, were they?

6. Tags are important in English, aren't they?

7. Aruna can not run so fast as karuna, can she?

8. Raju is going to Delhi, isn't he?

9. Rani has not finished her work, has she?

10. She will do it tomorrow, won't she?

11. They are not growing cotton this year, are they?

12. Venu has arrived just now, hasn't he?

13. Kamala cannot speak Hindi, can she?

14. I have seen before, haven't I?

15. You should not go there, should you?

16. I kept the first for another day, didn't I?

17. I did not post the letter, did I?

18. Time flies, doesn't it?

19. Education doesn't always help, does it?

20. Exercise keeps us fit, doesn't it?

Junior Inter: Degrees of Comparision

 There are three degrees of comparison in English

They are: the positive degree, the comparative degree and the superlative degree.

I. The Positive Degree:

In the positive degree the adjectives denote a certain degree of quality and without any comparison. The base form of the adjective is used in these sentence.

The painting is wonderful.

Akhila is an intelligent girl.  

II. The Comparative Degree:

Comparative degree is used to compare two persons, places or things. Generally than follows the comparative adjective/adverb.

This sentence is more impressive than the earlier one.

A Car is costlier than a bike.

III. The Superlative Degree:

The Superlative Degree denotes the highest degree of a quality and they are used to compare more than two. The definite article 'the' is used before the superlative degree.

Jupiter is the biggest planet.

Ramagundam is the hottest place in Telangana state.

Positive                   Comparative                  Superlative

good/well                 better                                   Best

bad                           worse                                   Worst

small                        smaller                                 smallest

soft                           softer                                   softest

hot                            hotter                                   hottest

big                            bigger                                  biggest

tasty                          tastier                                   tastiest

happy                       happier                                 happiest

easy                          easier                                    easiest

hard                          harder                                    hardest

high                          higher                                     highest

tall                            taller                                      tallest

slim                          slimmer                                 slimmest

low                           lower                                     lowest

heavy                       heavier                                   heaviest

thin                           thinner                                   thinnest

thick                         thicker                                   thickest

cheap                       cheaper                                  cheapest

costly                        costlier                                  costliest

useful                       more useful                            most useful

active                       more active                            most active

beautiful                  more beautiful                        most beautiful

harmful                    more harmful                         most harmful

dreadful                   more dreadful                         most dreadful

dangerous                more dangerous                      most dangerous

Examples:

1. Positive:            No other state in India is as small as Goa

    Comparative:    Goa is smaller than any other state in India.

    Superlative:       Goa is the smallest state in India.

2. Pos :    Very few men in the world are as rich as Mukesh Ambani.

   Com:    Mukesh Ambani is richer than many other men in the world.

   Sup:     Mukesh Ambani is one of the richest men in the world.

3.  Pos:    Some girls in the college are at least as short as Ravali.

   Com:    Ravali is not shorter than some other girls in the college.

    Sup:    Ravali is not the shortest of all the girls in the college.

Note: Superlative degree is not possible when there is comparision between two persons/ places/ things.

Senior Inter: Idioms and Phrases

 

1. Once in a blue moon: Happens very rarely

Eg: He attends the classes once in a blue moon

2. An arm and a leg: Very expensive

It cost me an arm and a leg to study in the USA

3. A piece of the cake:  Very easy

Batting is a piece of the cake for Virat these days.

4. a drop in the ocean: a very small part of something much bigger

The sapling we plant are just a drop in the ocean.

5. Bite one’s tongue: want to say something but stopping oneself

I have to bite my tongue. So I don’t talk what I really think of him.

 6. Go the extra mile: doing much more than required

My father always goes the extra mile to help the needy.

7. Let the cat out of the bag: reveal a secret accidentally

Ram let the cat out of the bag about my surprise birthday party.

8. Working against the clock: not having enough time to do something

I am really working against the clock now. I must hurry.

9. Make hay while the sun shines:

To take advantage of a good situation which may not last long

Our boss in in a good mood. Let’s make hay while the sun shines. Let’s ask for a hike.

 10. Beat black and blue: covered with bruise marks caused by being hit.

Kiran was beaten black and blue by the violent crowd.

11.donkey’s years: doing something for a long time

I have been teaching grammar for donkey’s years.

12. at the eleventh hour: something done in the last possible moment.

If you want to do your best, don’t do things at the eleventh hour.

13. Feather in one’s cap: the achievement of which one can be proud of

Bahubali’s recent success is a feather in Rajamouli’s cap.

14. Rags to riches: Start off being very poor and become very rich and successful

Education alone takes us from rags to riches

15. risk life and limb: in danger of death or serious injury

Don't ask your life and limb in reality shows.

16. Save one's neck/skin: escape from death, punishment, etc. especially by leaving others in an extremely difficult situation.

To save his skin, he would lie and get you into trouble.

17. Birds of a feather flock together: Similar in many ways, so spend time together

Arun and Varun are sports enthusiasts and are often found together. So, our friends usually speak of them as 'birds of feather flock together'.

18. Keep at arm's length: not to allow somebody to be friendly with you

I always keep cheats at arm's length.

19. Beyond wildest dreams: better than you imagined for

Last five year's rainfall was beyond our wildest dreams.

20. Give a tongue-lashing: scold someone severely

Vani gave Hari a tongue-lashing when he called her a lazy girl.

Junior Inter: DIRECT SPEECH AND INDIRECT SPEECH

 DIRECT SPEECH AND INDIRECT SPEECH

There are two main ways or forms of reporting, namely the direct speech and the indirect speech(reported speech)

If the actual words of the speaker are quoted, it is called the direct speech. If the words of the speaker are changed without changing the meaning of, his/her words, it is called indirect speech(or reported speech). The reporter conveys the speaker's idea to the receiver.

1. A suitable reporting verb like said, asked, replied, requested, exclaimed, etc., is used depending on the type of reported clause, whether it is a statement, question, exclamation or request or on the meaning(argue, agree, deny, apologize, etc.).

(i) Direct speech: Gandhi said, "I respect all religions."

     Indirect speech: Gandhi said that he respected all religions

(ii) Direct speech: He said to me, "Who is your favorite politician?"

      Indirect speech: He asked me who  my favorite politician was.

2. Comma and quotation marks are omitted and a conjunction like that, if/whether is used.

3. All pronouns are changed according to the speaker and the listener.

(i) DS: Abdul Kalam said, "I have come from a poor background."

    IDS: Abdul Kalam said that he had come from a poor background.

(ii) DS: The teacher said to the student, "Are you confident?"

    IDS:  The teacher asked the student whether he/she was confident.

4.(a) Tenses of the verbs in the reported part(in quotation)are changed into their corresponding past tense forms.

Direct Speech                                      Indirect Speech

am/is                                                       Was

are                                                           Were

do/does                                                   did

has/have                                                  had

V1(s/es)(go, goes)                                  V2(went)

V2(went)                                                 had+V3(had gone)

was/were+V4                                          had been+v4 

(was/were going)                                    (had been going)

had+v3                                                     remains the same

(had gone)                                                had gone

had been+v4                                            remains the same

(had been going)                                     had been going

will/shall/can/may+v1                        would/should/could/might+v1

(will go)                                               would go

must+v1                                                  had to+v1 

(must go)                                                (had to go)

would/should/could/might+v1               remains the same 

(would go)                                              would go   

Tense in the reported part doesn't change in the following conditions.

(i) when the reporting verb is in the present tense or in the future tense.

Latha says "I am learning music."

Latha says that she is learning music.

(ii) when the reported part is a universal truth/fact/a habitual action.

Teacher said, "The sun gives us light"

Teacher said that the sun gives us light.

4. (b) The words expressing nearness in place or time are changed into the words of distance, when the time and place of the reporting are different. These words remain unchanged if reported from the same place and during the same time.

Direct Speech                                  Indirect Speech

this                                                   that

these                                                 those

here                                                   there

now                                                   then

thus                                                    in that way

ago                                                     before

today                                                  that day

tonight                                                that night

tomorrow                                           the next day

yesterday                                            the day before/the previous day

hereby                                                 thereby

hence                                                   thence

henceforward                                      thenceforward

lastnight                                          the night before/the previous night

next week                                            the following week

come(sometimes becomes)                 go

REPORTING STATEMENTS

Reporting Verbs

(i) Say/said is the most commonly used verb in reporting statements.

Direct: Dr. Rahul said, "I will try my best to save the patient."

Indirect: Dr. Rahul said that he would try his best to save the patient.

(ii) Say to/ said to is used when the listener is mentioned and they are changed into tell/told.

Direct: Yashoda said to Krishna, "You are mischievous and trouble me a lot."

Indirect: Yashoda told Krishna that he was mischievous and troubled her a lot.

(iii) Add/continue is used when more than one sentence is reported.

Direct: They said, "The Minister has at last unveiled the statue today. It has not been unveiled for so many months for reasons unknown."

Indirect: They said that the Minister had at last unveiled the statue the other day that it had not been unveiled for so many months for reasons unknown.

(iv) Besides say to/said to or tell/told some more reporting verbs are used when a statement (affirmative/negative)is reported.

announce, answer, explain, complain, reply, affirm, declare, state, allege, propose, maintain, depose, pronounce, represent, put forward, assure etc.

Use of the conjunction that

     The conjunction that is used between the principal clause and the subordinate clause but that is optional in spoken form and with the verbs referring simply to the act of saying or thinking (say, tell, think)

Eg: Shakespeare says (that) talkers are not good doers.

That is used after verbs, which give more information such as explain, complain, reply, shout, etc.

Direct: A North Indian friend of mine said, "Unlike in Delhi, the climate in Hyderabad is moderate."

Indirect: A North Indian friend of mine remarked that unlike in Delhi, the climate in Hyderabad was moderate.

Examples:

1. He said, "I have many problems."

    He said that he had many problems.

2. "I am reporting her words," he said. (or)

     He said, "I am reporting her words."

    He said that he was reporting her words.

3. The cashier in the Bank said, "I have sent a report".

     The cashier in the Bank said that he/she had sent a report.

4. A student said, "I have been trying to speak in English for two            years."

    A student said that he had been trying to speak in English for two      years.     

5. "I forgot my hall ticket," a candidate said.

     A candidate said that he had forgotten his hall ticket.

6. "I was watering the plants in the garden," she said.

      She said that she had been watering the plants in the garden.

7. "We will move to Hyderabad next year," Rajitha said.

     Rajitha said that they would move to Hyderabad the following           year.

8. Sunil said to his daughter, "I will take care of you."

    Sunil told his  daughter that he would take care of her.

9. The M.L.A. said to the villagers, "You have every right to question me"

    The M.L.A. told the villagers that they had every right to question him. 

10. The Inspector said to the constable, "I am your boss."

      The Inspector told the constable that he was his boss.