Friday, 19 December 2014

Grammar and Using do, does and did

 Study the following sentences. They are spoken by Janaki and Surendra in the market.
·         I don’t find it a very enjoyable place.
·         I didn’t say I will come here every day.
·         But that doesn’t mean you should sell rotten vegetables.
All the sentences above are ‘negative’ sentences.

(at the doctor’s), we discused one way of forming negatives. The examples were :
I haven’t been feeling well lately.
We aren’t ready.
They won’t call us back.
This can’t be done easily.

In these examples, we added not (n’t) directly to verbs.
Positive : I have...
Negative : I have not (haven’t)..
Positive : We are..
Negative : We are not (aren’t)..
Positive : They will..
Negative : The will not (won’t)..
Positive : This can..
Negative : This cannot (can’t)..

We can add not (n’t) directly to the verb, if the verb is one of the following.

Am      have    do        shall      can        must
Is         has      does     will       could     ought
Are      had     did       should   may       need
Was                            would   might     dare
Were                                                      used (to)

These verbs are called ‘helping verbs’

But look at the following sentences.
I find it a very enjoyable place.
I said I would come here very day.
But that means you should...

The verbs in these sentences are : find, said, and means. Look at the list of ‘helping verbs’ in the box above. Are these verb ‘helping verbs’? No, they are not. So, we cannot add not (n’t) directly to the verbs. What do we do, then, to form negative?

Positive                                                  Negative
I find...                                                    I do not (don’t) find...
....that means..                                   ...that does not (doesn’t) mean...
I said...                                                    I did not (didn’t) say...

We have used do, does and did, and added not to them. Study a few more examples:
Positive : We know the answer.
Negative : We do not (don’t) know the answer.
Positive : She knows how to swim.
Negative : she does not (doesn’t) know how to swim.
Positive : You tried very hard.
Negative : You did not (didn’t) try very hard.

Turn the following sentences into the negative.

  • I like the rainy season.
  • He work in a factory.
  • We came back early last night.
  • I walked in the rain.
  • She wears jeans.

Monday, 1 December 2014

Dialogue At The Market

 at the market
Illustration image

Read dialogue

Janaki : (to her husband Surendra). Why don’t we some to the market more often?
Surendra : I don’t fin it a very enjoyable place.

Janaki : Now, I don’t shout, dear. I didn’t say I will come here every day, I sad want to come here.
Surendra : Let’s not argue any more. Let’s quickly do the shopping and go home. The children must be getting impatient.

Janaki : Ok, here’s the shopping list. We’ll firs buy toiletries and groceries and then go to the vegetable stall.

Surendra : That’s right. Let’s go to department store next door.
Shop Assistant : What can I do for you, madam?

Janaki : We’re new this store and we don’t know where things are. Can you tell us where the groceries are? And the toiletries?

Shop Assistant : For the groceries turn right, madam and then walk straight on until you come to the end of the corridor. And for the toiletries, just turn left and you walk right into them.

Janaki : Thanks.
Surendra : I want these 15 items. Please make me the bill qucikly.

Counter Clerk : I’ll take only a minute, sir. Here’s the bill.
Janaki : Most of the vegetables I wanted ti buy are stale. Some of them are even rotten. You should’ve throwm them away.

Counter Clerk : Sorry, madam. In fact, yesterday the wholesale market was closed and so we couldn’t bring in fresh supplies.

Janaki : But that doesn’t mean you should sell rotten vegetables.
Counter Clerk : Sorry, madam.

Janaki : I won’t come to this place again.
Surendra : not until next week! Bye.

Understanding the conversation

  1.  Four people are taking part in this conversation. Who are they?
  2. Where does the conversation take place? The second half of the conversation takes palce in one part of the market. Where does it take place?
  3. What does Janaki want  to buy at the department store?
  4.  Has Janaki  been to this department store before?
  5.  Does Janaki like the vegetables in the department store? Why doesn’t she?

Word and Expressions

Do you know the meanings of these words and expressions?
Argue : quarrel
Impatient : unable to wait
Toiletries : articles used in dressing, such as ahair-brush, comb, hand-mirror, talcum powder, etc.
Groceries : food articles and general small household requirements
Department store : a large shop, divided into departments. Each department sells a different kind of goods.
Stale : not fresh.

Communicating

Apologizing
At the market Janaki complainde about the rotten vegetables. The clerk at the counter apologized. She said : (sorry, madam.)

When we have caused trouble to someone, we want to apologized to the person. The most common way of doing this is to say ; (I’m sorry).

Let us study a few expressions that can be used for apologizing.

  • Sorry : This is very informal and is used to apologize for small things.
  • I’m sorry : This expression can be used in most situations.
  • I’m/really/very/so very/ever so/sorry : These expressions shoe the intensity of your apology.
  • I just don’t know what to say. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.
These are rather formal expressions of apology.
What does one do when someone apologizes to him? Normally, he accepts the apology and tell the person not to feel sorry about what (s) he has done. The following expressions are used to accept an apology. (Don’t worr, Not to worry, Don’t worry about it, That’s all right, Forget it).

What do you say in the following situations, in order to apologize or to accept an apology?  

  • You borrowed a friends radio, but dropped it and it is badly damaged.
  • Your brother lost you pen and says he is sorry.
  • You have lost the book you borrowed from the local library. You are writting a letter of apology to the librarian. 
  • You knoked down an elderly lady, while your were riding a bicycle on a busy road.
  • A fellow passenger stepped on your toe in the bus and apologized to you.

Sunday, 30 November 2014

Dialogue and Questions at The Doctor's

Read dialogue Patient and Doctor's

 at the doctor's
illustration image

Patient : Good evening, doctor.
Doctor : Good evening, sir. what's your trouble?

Patient : I haven't been feeling well lately.
Doctor : What exactly is the problem?

Patient : I often feel quite sick. Have had a lot of pain in the stomach for several days. I've also had severe headaches for over two days.

Doctor : What's your appectite like?
Patient : Not at all good. I don't feel like eating anything. I feel full up all the time.

Doctor : Have you had any fever?
Patient : Well, I do feel feverish all the time. I've also had a bad taste in the mounth since I've been sick.

Doctor : All right, let me take your temperature first. There! give me your wrist, please. There's nothing wrong with the pluse. Now take off your pullover. And your shirt too. Loosen your clothes a little. I'll examine you, if you lie down on that couch. Do you feel any pain here?

Patient : Yes, some.
Doctor : And here?

Patient : Oh, that's quite painful!
Doctor : All right. You may get dressed now.

Patient : I hope there's nothing serious, doctor?
Doctor : No, nothing serious. I'm prescribing two kinds of tablets. Take one before meals. And the other after meals for three days. Don't eat any fried or spicy food. Drink milk and have milk foods as much as you can. And do take some rest.

Patient : Do I need to stay away from work, doctor?

Doctor : No, not at all. Just take it easy and have rest whenever you can. Come and see me if the trouble does not go quickly.

Patient : Thank you very much, doctor. Good-bye!
Doctor : Bye!

Questions
  1. Two people are talking in this conversation. Who are they?
  2. Is the doctor a man or a woman? Do we know? Is the patient a man or a woman?
  3. Where does the dialogue take place? (at the doctor's sitting-room, at the doctor's consulting room, in the patient's house)
  4. What is the patient's touble?
  5. What does the doctor give him?
  6. What kind of food can the patient have?
  7. What shouldn't he eat?
  8. Can he go to work?


Dialogue and Questions at The Post Office

Read dialogue Michael  and Counter Clerk

 at the post office
illustration image


Michael : Excuse me.

Counter clerk : Yes?

Michael : I want to send this parcel, please.

Counter clerk : Do you want to send it by letter post or parcel post? it'd be three rupees fifty paise by letter post, and two rupees twenty-five paise by parcel post.

Michael : You'd better send it by letter post. it might be quicker.

Counter Clerk : All right. anything else I can do for you?

Michael : Yes. Could you weigh this letter, please?

Counter Clerk : It's just over twenty grams. It'll cost you one rupee forty paise. Here're the stamps for the parcel and the letter. Will you affix them, please?

Michael : I also want twenty inland letter sheets and ten stamped envelopes.

Counter clerk : By all means. But wait a minute, please. Let me firs give you the receipt for the parcel. Here's the receipt. And here's the postal stationery.

Michael : Thank you very much. Can I leave the parcel there on the desk in front of you?

Counter Clerk : Yes. But put the letter in the box over there.

Michael : Oh, yes. Thank you very much.

Read the dialogue ("three rupees fifty paise". In writing, this will be : Rs.3.50) and ("anything else I can do for you?" The complete question will be : " Is there anything else I can do for you?").

Question
Read the following questions and try to answer them as briefly as you can. Read the dialogue again When you are not sure of the answer.

  1. Where does the dialogue take place?
  2. How many people are taking part in the dialogue? who are they?
  3. Do we know the name of the Counter Clerk? Is it a man or a woman? Do we know?
  4. Michael wants to do three things at the post office. What are they?
  5. Are the two people in the dialogue polite to each other?
  6. Does Michael leave the post office happy or unhappy?