Cover all parts of syllabus!

22 Sep, 2019 - 00:09 0 Views
Cover all parts of syllabus!

The Sunday News

Charles Dube

English Language is quite a demanding subject. You cannot cram and expect to get good grades in it. Through rote learning you can be knowledgeable of the parts of speech, but, as stated before learning words in isolation does not help.

Use the functional approach. It is pleasing to note that the English Language syllabus keeps on changing to include various features of the language. When people had become used to tests on registers the plate has changed to cover other aspects of the subject — usage of various parts of the language including tenses and general grammar.

These changes help in that learners have to cover a wide spectrum of learning material in order to come up with good grades. They are not restricted to a few areas of study, but, have to learn and cover many areas.

For example, exercises to do with single words for phrases and sentences — words denoting numbers are also done: a number of sheep — flock, a number of whales — school, a number of herrings, mackerel — shoal.

How much of these do you remember or have heard of? A number of asses — pack, a number of birds, bees or insects moving together —

flight, a number of wolves, hounds or submarines — pack, a number of leopards — leap, a number of lions, monkeys or cavalry of soldiers — troop. Note that similar words can be used for a number of things or objects. A number of chickens hatched at the same time — brood. A number of young pigs, dogs, cats brought forth at one birth — litter.

A collection of fowls, ducks — poultry. A number of people at church — congregation. A number of people listening to a concert or lecture — audience. A number of people watching a football match — spectators. A number of disorderly people — mob, rabble. A number of savages — horde. A number of singers in a church is a choir. A number of artistes, dancers or acrobats — troupe. A number of actors — company. A number of people following a funeral — cortège.

A number of beautiful ladies — bevy. A number of soldiers — army, troop, battalion, regiment. A number of workmen, prisoners, thieves — gang. A number (more than two) of judges or bishops — bench. A number of directors of a company — board. A collection of poems anthology. A collection of flowers — bouquet. A number of drawers — chest. A number of nuts, grapes on a bunch — cluster. A number of stars grouped together — constellation.

All these words are meaningless unless used correctly in sentences. There are hundreds of these words denoting numbers while others denote things like trades, professions as well as other things. On essay writing it is emphasised that you use simple language to be understood.

There is no need to complicate issues by unnecessarily using big words when there are smaller words which equally convey the same message.

For example there is no need to say somebody is audacious instead of using bold. Use behead for decapitate, belief for credence, barren for sterile. Use boxer for pugilist.

However, it should be noted that depending on context some big words fit in better that small words. For example you can use edible for eatable, obese for fat. Use deceive in place of beguile and use calm in place of tranquil wherever possible.

Learning big words helps in the acquisition of more vocabulary because you are forced to check for their simpler meanings thereby increasing your word power. In writing you need to improve style. We have previously discussed ways of improving composition writing like beginning with a proverb. You can also begin with a simile.

A simile is an expression which describes a thing or a person as being similar to something or someone. Examples: as blind as a bat — as ignorant, as careless as the wind, as active as quicksilver, as agile as a cat — a monkey, as cheap as dirt — as lies, as brittle as glass, as black as ebony, as crafty as a fox, as docile as a lamb, as dry as dust — as a bone, as fast as light, — as an eagle — as a storm, as fickle as the weather — as friends — as the sea.

You can use as many similes but avoid boredom or monotony by using the commonly used comparisons. Some of these expressions have now become overused such that when readers meet them, they expect something new.

This is the reason why the given examples show more than one simile where they apply. Some similes have been modernised to meet current expectations.

Practice makes perfect. Learners need to do a lot of language exercises if they are to come up with good grades in the examinations. A lot of sentence construction exercises need to be done and discussed for learners to improve their work.
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