Riders to the Sea

                                                Riders to the Sea
                                                          by John Millington Synge 


Riders to the Sea Character List

Maurya
Maurya has given birth to six sons during her life on the coastal island lying of at the mouth of Ireland's Galway Bay. Four of them are already dead, along with their father and grandfather. She is old and poor and fears that the extended and uncharacteristic absence of her son Michael means he is about to added to the list of her deceased loved ones. As if worrying that Michael has drowned weren't enough stress, she also doesn’t appear to be very successful at persuading her other remaining son, Bartley, from crossing over to the mainland in a bid to deal away a couple of horses. In the end, Maurya has only her daughters to help with the cold comfort of knowing that there are no more men in her life for the sea to take from her. She feels at last a sense of peace and serenity now that her greatest anxiety has been lifted.

Bartley
Bartley is the youngest of Maurya’s six sons; when Michael’s death is confirmed, he steps up to become the family's sole financial support. His means of supporting the family is what gives the play its title: he rides horses out to sea and to the steamer ship, which must lay anchored far offshore; the horses are sold at a fair on the mainland. Maurya refuses to give Bartley her blessing after having a vision of his impending death.

Cathleen
Cathleen is the eldest of Maurya’s daughter. Cathleen is 20 years old; she commiserates with Bartley’s position and is scornful of her mother’s superstitions. In contrast to the somewhat mystical bent of her mother, who is given to lamentations and omens, Cathleen is pure practicality in action, which is a great necessity when living with someone like Maurya.

Nora
The youngest member of the clan, Nora is much more patient with mother’s penchant for self-pity than her oldest sister is. At the same time, she provides a great sounding board for Cathleen to express her contrarian views.

The Priest
The priest is never actually seen on stage, but his presence is so vital to the story that he must be considered at least as important a character as Nora. It is the priest who delivers the message through Nora that Maurya must put her faith and trust in a God that would never allow every last one of her sons to die while she is still alive. He is younger and more modern than Maurya.


Riders to the Sea Summary
The play, set on an island off the coast of Ireland, begins with Nora bringing in a small bundle with her and telling Cathleen that these may be the clothes of their brother Michael. The young priest told her a body of a drowned man was found at Donegal, and the body might be Michael's. The sisters are scared to open the bundle of clothes because they do not want their mother, Maurya, to know: Michael has been missing for a week and the family had already lost five men to the sea. They hide the bundle in the turf loft of the cottage.
Maurya is prepared for the funeral for Michael, with whiteboards for his coffin ready at the cottage. She enters the kitchen; she is a woman who is seen lamenting all the time and worrying that her sons will never come back from the sea. Maurya, Nora, and Cathleen discuss the last son, Bartley, who is also planning to go the sea to sell the family horses so they could get some money. Nora and Cathleen are convinced that Bartley should go to the fair at Galway to sell the animals, while Maurya is still hoping that the Priest will not allow him to go in such dangerous tides.
Bartley enters the cottage looking for a new piece of rope. Maurya tries to stop him, but he says he wants to make a halter for the horses; clearly Bartley plans to go to the sea. Maurya again tries to dissuade him by showing him the whiteboards for Michael. Paying no heed, Bartley changes his clothes, asks his sisters to take care of the sheep, and leaves without receiving any blessings from his mother. It is a tradition in Ireland that the son receives the blessings of his mother before going anywhere, but Maurya breaks this fashion.
Bartley leaves with a red mare and a grey pony tied behind. Cathleen then notices that he has not taken any food and tells Maurya to walk down to the well to give Bartley his food and the blessings. Maurya leaves using a stick that Michael brought, lamenting over how in her family, the old ones never leave anything behind for their heirs, despite that being the general custom.
Once Maurya is gone, the girls retrieve the bundle of clothes from the loft to check if they are Michael's. Nora realizes that the stockings are truly Michael's, because she recognizes her own stitching on them. They count the number of stitches and arrive at the conclusion that Michael was dead and buried.
The sisters hide the clothes again because they think that Maurya will be returning in a good mood since she got the chance to bless Bartley; however, Maurya comes back more distressed than ever. She tells her daughters that she saw Michael on the grey pony; she could not bless Bartley due to the shock. To calm her down, Nora and Cathleen show Maurya the clothes and tell her that Michael has had a clean burial. Maurya's laments are interrupted when islanders bring the body of Bartley into the cottage and tell the women that the grey pony knocked Bartley into the sea, where he drowned.
Maurya gets on her knees near Bartley's body and sprinkles holy water on him. She finally resigns herself to her fate as she claims that she will finally sleep at night because she no longer has anyone to worry about: all the men of her family have died to the sea. The whiteboards that were supposed to be used for Michael's coffin will now be used to bury Bartley. Maurya prays that the souls of her husband, her husband's father, and four sons may rest in peace, and the curtains are drawn.

Critical Analysis
Themes
The All-Powerful Sea Representing Fate

The sea in the play assumes a very vital role; it is the chief source of livelihood for the helpless islanders and simultaneously, a constant cause of unexpected and unavoidable death. Bartley is fully aware of how the sea has claimed the lives of his brothers, yet he desperately sails out, disregarding all odds. Determining the destiny of the islanders, the sea as such serves as fate.
Subtle Paganism Steeped in Catholicism
Synge’s observation of the keen inclination of the islanders towards Celtic paganism is brilliantly portrayed through the varied traits of the central character, Maurya. Despite being a Catholic, she invests more faith on the sea, and natural happenings are looked upon by her as a warning of impending doom. It is only after the death of her last son that she can surrender herself fully to the Catholic faith.
Tradition as Opposed to Modernization
Maurya, with her rigid reluctance to leave her cottage and her belief in pagan values, stands for a traditional way of life, whereas her children embrace a modern outlook in refusing to wash away their capabilities around the uncertainties of the sea.
As a Greek Tragedy
Riders to the Sea follow a typical Greek tragedy in most of its aspects. Primarily, its central plot, revolving around the unending misery of the central character, Maurya, affected by the merciless sea, directly echoes the classic theme of the Greek tragedies of focusing on human suffering against a backdrop of unyielding fate. Maurya’s stoical philosophy in calmly accepting her deadly misfortune imparts a universal tone to this tragic play.  Secondly, its structure also adheres to the three unities of action, time and place. The deaths of Michael and Bartley, being the only action occurring, help in achieving the unity of action. The unities of place and time are also observed as everything takes place on a single day and Maurya’s cottage is the dominant scene of the drama. In commenting on the proceedings of the plot, Cathleen, and Nora, to a great extent, act as the Greek chorus. On the other hand, Irish superstitious beliefs, like the mentioning of “pig with the black feet” or the “star up against the moon” play the part of tragic foreboding, an integral component of Greek plays.
As a Poetic Drama

The chief tenets of a poetic drama – the inclusion of a poetic vision as well as epical characters are admirably attained in this elegiac play. Dissatisfied with the insistence of the then raging “Prose Plays of Ideas” on urban life and its multiple issues, dramatists like Synge and Eliot sought to radiate emotion, vitality, and spontaneity through their works. Naturally, poetry seemed to be an ideal medium of expression in comparison to prose. The simple life of the Aran Islanders appealed to Synge, and he captured their universal struggle for survival through the suggestive, lyrical and symbolic power of poetry. Even the characters, their heroism, passion, and dedication evidently help to reinforce this poetic spirit. The poetic quality is also achieved through the use of lyrical dialogue and symbols in the play.

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Arms and the Man Summary

               

                   Arms and the Man Summary
                               George Bernard Shaw

At a Glance

A young woman named Raina takes great pride in the Bulgarian army's recent victory over the Serbians. She unexpectedly takes in a Serbian soldier who fled the battle with pieces of chocolate in his pockets in place of ammunition.

Though she initially despises the Serbian soldier for being a coward, she ends up falling in love with him and gives him a picture of her to take with him. When he leaves, she gives him a coat and a picture of her to take with him.

Four months later, the man, Captain Bluntschli, returns the coat as an excuse to see Raina again. Sergius, the Bulgarian commander who won the battle at the beginning of the play, doesn't recognize Bluntschli

Sergius grows jealous of his connection with Raina. Sergius and Bluntschli agree to a duel, but Raina comes in and tells them that she isn't in love with Sergius anymore. Bluntschli proposes to her, and she accepts.

Summary,

The play unfolds in Bulgaria in 1885, towards the end of the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Raina Petkoff and her mother Catherine have received news that Raina’s fiancé Sergius led a victorious cavalry charge against Serbian forces. Louka, the household maid, enters to announce that the windows must be locked, as fleeing Serbian troops are being hunted down in the streets. Later that night a Serbian officer climbs the drainpipe outside Raina’s balcony and breaks into her room. Bulgarian soldiers arrive, asking to inspect the room, and Raina, overwhelmed by a moment of compassion, hides the enemy soldier behind her curtains. Louka is the only one who sees through the deception, but she only smirks and leaves in silence.

Once safe, the soldier comes out from hiding and explains he is a Swiss mercenary for the Serbian army. He admits to Raina that he does not carry cartridges for his gun, only chocolates, as these are more practical for a starving soldier. Thinking him childish, Raina offers the soldier some chocolate creams, which he devours hungrily. He explains that the cavalry charge led by Raina’s fiancé Sergius was only successful as a result of dumb luck. Angered, Raina finally demands he leave, yet the Swiss mercenary claims to be too exhausted to move. Feeling pity, Raina agrees to shelter him and runs to find her mother. When the two women return, the chocolate cream soldier, as Raina calls him, has fallen asleep in her bed.

The second act begins with Nicola, an older servant, lecturing his fiancée Louka on appropriate conduct toward their employers. As they speak, Major Petkoff, Raina’s father, returns from the front. He announces that the war has ended with a peace treaty, upsetting his wife Catherine who believes Bulgaria should have annexed Serbia. Shortly afterward, Raina’s fiancé Sergius arrives. The once idealistic man has grown cynical, resigning from the military and complaining about the lack of honor and bravery among professional soldiers. He recounts an anecdote about a fleeing Swiss mercenary escaping into the bedroom of a fascinated Bulgarian woman, alarming Raina and Catherine. Once alone, Raina and Sergius speak of their love for each other in reverential and somewhat ridiculous tones.


As soon as Raina leaves to get her hat, Sergius embraces Louka and complains about how exhausting his relationship with his fiancée is. Louka claims not to understand the hypocrisy of the upper class, saying that both Sergius and Raina pretend to love each other while flirting with other people. Demanding to know whom Raina has been seeing, Sergius grabs Louka and bruises her arm. Louka asks that he kiss it in apology but Sergius refuses just as Raina enters the garden. As the couple prepares to leave for a walk, Catherine calls Sergius to the library to help Major Petkoff arrange some troop movements.

Catherine and Raina discuss the significance of Sergius telling the anecdote about the escaping mercenary. To her mother’s chagrin, Raina expresses a desire for Sergius to learn of her part in the story, wishing to shock his faux propriety. As Raina exits, Louka enters and announces that a Swiss officer is at the door. Captain Bluntschli, the chocolate cream soldier, has come to return the coat that was used to smuggle him out of the house. As Catherine attempts to send him away, Major Petkoff recognizes him from the peace negotiations, greets him warmly, and asks him to help coordinate Bulgarian troop movements. Raina sees him in the hallway and gasps that it is the chocolate cream soldier. Thinking quickly, she explains to her father and fiancée that she made a chocolate cream decoration in the shape of a soldier, but that Nicola has clumsily crushed it.

Later that afternoon, Captain Bluntschli makes short work of the administrative tasks. Major Petkoff wonders about the fate of his old lost coat. At Catherine’s request, Nicola fetches the coat that had previously disappeared, astounding the Major. The Major, Sergius and Catherine leave to implement Bluntschli’s orders, leaving the Captain alone with Raina. Raina begins posturing, complaining how morally wounded she is by having to lie for him. The Captain sees through her act and confronts her; he is the first person to see her pretentious behavior for what it is. Raina admits to behaving theatrically and suspects Bluntschli must despise her. On the contrary, Bluntschli is charmed by her posturing but cannot take it seriously. Suddenly, Bluntschli receives a telegram informing him of his father’s death and his large inheritance.

Raina and Bluntschli exit as Louka and then Sergius enter. Sergius inspects Louka’s arm and offers to kiss her bruise but is rejected. Louka questions his notions of bravery, arguing that anyone may be brave in battle but few are able to stand up to social expectations. She asks Sergius if he would marry someone below his station for love. Sergius claims he would but uses his engagement to Raina as an excuse. Hurt, Louka teases him with the knowledge that Bluntschli is Raina’s true love.

Sergius challenges Bluntschli to a duel. Raina enters and argues with Sergius, announcing that she saw him embracing Louka. Bluntschli explains to Sergius that Raina only let him remain in her room at gunpoint. Somewhat deflated, Sergius withdraws from the duel. When Bluntschli suggests that Louka join the conversation, Sergius leaves to look for her, only to find her eavesdropping in the hallway. Having understood that something is awry, Major Petkoff enters and demands to know who the chocolate cream soldier is. Bluntschli admits that it is he. Raina explains that she is no longer engaged to Sergius, as he loves Louka. Sergius kisses Louka’s hand, committing himself to marry her. Louka’s original fiancé Nicola gracefully bows out. Bluntschli follows Sergius’ lead and asks for Raina’s hand. The Captain’s new inheritance - a successful chain of hotels - persuades Major Petkoff to agree to the marriage. Bluntschli leaves to take care of his father’s estate with promises to return in a fortnight.

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PERFECT ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION

             

       How to improve English pronunciation

There are no shortcuts to perfect pronunciation, however there are some ways you can practise more effectively and improve your skills faster. Follow our ten top tips, start improving your pronunciation today and take a step closer towards your goal of perfect English pronunciation.

• Listen to yourself
• Slow down!
• Picture it…
• Get physical!
• Watch yourself
• Copy the experts
• Practice English alone
• Find a language buddy
• Pay attention to intonation and stress
• Sing a song!
  

Listen to yourself

It’s often difficult to hear pronunciation errors in your own speech because you are concentrating actually communicating rather than the sound you are making. If you can’t hear your pronunciation problems, it’s tough to correct them. Try recording your speech with your smartphone or PC and making a note of specific areas you need to improve on

Slow down!

Many English learners think that speaking fluently means they need to speak fast. This is wrong. Speaking too fast reinforces bad habits and makes the speaker sound nervous and indecisive. Speaking slowly will give you time to breathe properly and think about what you want to say next. Because it gives you time to think while you are speaking, you’ll feel more relaxed and be able to concentrate on making your English sound fantastic.

Picture it…

Close your eyes and think about how to make a sound before saying it. Visualize the positioning of your mouth and face. If you have studied with the phonemic chart, think about the sound you are making and how it relates to other English phonemes. If you have used diagrams of the mouth and tongue, think about the shape you need to make inside your mouth if you want to make the sound correctly.

Get physical!

Pronunciation is a physical skill. You’re teaching your mouth a new way to move and using different muscles. Focus on difficult sounds each day. Having trouble with ‘th’? Put your tongue between your teeth (don’t bite down) and blow air out of your mouth. Feel the air move over the top of your tongue.

Watch yourself

Stand in front of a mirror to see the placement of your tongue, lips, and shape of your mouth when you make certain sounds. Compare what you see with a video of a native-speaker saying the same thing.

Copy the experts

There’s no replacement for learning pronunciation from the experts – native-speakers. So listen! Listen to English radio programs and watch television and movies in English. Imitate what you’re hearing – even if you’re not sure what they’re saying yet.

Practice English alone

Pronunciation problems persist because we’re afraid to make mistakes. Create scenarios – meeting someone for the first time, ordering at a restaurant, asking for directions – then act out the dialogue by yourself. Don’t be shy.

Find a language buddy

Getting feedback from an outside observer is crucial. Find a friend who’s also interested in improving their English. Try exchanging recorded messages so you can listen closely to each other’s pronunciation.

Pay attention to intonation and stress

Good pronunciation is more than just mastering individual sounds. It’s also understanding intonation (the rise and fall of the voice) and stress (some sounds in words and some words in sentences are louder or clearer than others). Read poems, speeches and songs aloud, concentrating on the word stress and intonation.

Sing a song!

Learn the words to popular English songs and sing along. Singing helps you relax and just get those words out, as well as helping your rhythm and intonation. Because you don’t need to concentrate on constructing sentences for yourself, you can concentrate on making your pronunciation sound great!

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Subject/ Verb Inversion

Subject/ Verb Inversion

Normal sentence:  I understood the lessons.

Inversion: Did you understand the lessons?

Normal sentence: You like shopping?

Inversion: Do you like shopping?

Negative adverbs

Never

Never have I been in such an embarrassing situation before.

Seldom

Seldom does he calls me.

Hardly

Hardly could I believe that he was a thief.

Rarely

Rarely can she eat such delicious food.

Adverbs phrases

Not only … but also

Not only did he write the book but he also designed the cover.

No sooner … than

No sooner had he arrived home than it rained.

Only when

Only when he needs me does he calls me.

Here and there

Here

Here comes the teacher!

There

There stood a statue.

Conditional sentences

Normal sentence: If he had informed me earlier, I would have helped him.

Inversion: Had he informed me earlier, I would have helped him.

 

Normal sentence: If she had left sooner, she wouldn’t have got wet in the rain.

Inversion: Had she left sooner, she wouldn’t have got wet in the rain.

 

Structure: “So + Adj … that”

Normal sentence: Jim was so kind that everybody loved him.

Inversion: So kind was Jim that everybody loved him.

Normal sentence: The cartoon was so funny that all the kids laughed.

Inversion: So funny was the cartoon that all the kids laughed.

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IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH SKILLS

     

         IMPROVE YOUR LEARNING SKILLS

Learning is a skill and it can be improved.

Your path to learning effectively is through knowing

• yourself
• your capacity to learn
• processes you have successfully used in the past
• your interest, and knowledge of what you wish to learn.
  
  

  SET YOURSELF ACHIEVABLE GOALS

  You know how much time you can dedicate to learning English, but a short time each day will produce better, longer-term results than a full day on the weekend and then nothing for two weeks.
  Joining a short intensive course could produce better results than joining a course that takes place once a week for six months.
  Here are some goals you could set yourself:-
  • Join an English course - a virtual one or a real one (and attend regularly).
  • Do your homework.
  • Read a book or a comic every month.
  • Learn a new word every day.
  • Visit an English speaking forum or social media page, every day.
  • Read a news article on the net every day.
  • Do 10 minutes listening practice every day.
  • Watch an English film at least once a month.
  • Follow a soap, comedy, radio or TV drama.
  A good way to meet your goals is to establish a system of rewards and punishments.
  Decide on a reward you will give yourself for fulfilling your goals for a month.
  • A bottle of your favorite drink
  • A meal out / or a nice meal at home
  • A new outfit
    
    

    MOTIVATE YOURSELF

    If you are not motivated to learn English you will become frustrated and give up. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest:-
    • Why do you need to learn/improve English?
    • Where will you need to use English?
    • What skills do you need to learn/improve? (Reading/Writing/Listening/Speaking)
    • How soon do you need to see results?
    • How much time can you afford to devote to learning English.
    • How much money can you afford to devote to learning English.
    • Do you have a plan or learning strategy?
      
      

      Understanding how you learn best may also help you.

      There are different ways to learn. Find out what kind of learner you are in order to better understand how to learn more effectively..

      The visual learner

      Do you need to see your teacher during lessons in order to fully understand the content of a lesson?
      Do you prefer to sit at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads)?
      Do you think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flashcards and hand-outs? 
      During a lecture or classroom discussion, do you prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information?
      !Learning Tip - you may benefit from taking part in traditional English lessons, but maybe private lessons would be better.

      The auditory learner

      Do you learn best through verbal lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say?
      Do you interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances?
      Does written information have little meaning until you hear it?
      !Learning Tip - you may benefit from listening to the radio or listening to text as you read it. You could try reading text aloud and using a tape recorder to play it back to yourself.

      OTHER ENGLISH LEARNING TIPS

      Travel to an English speaking country:-
      • England, America, Australia, Canada, South Africa, one of them is only a few hours away from you.
      • Specialist holidays are available to improve your English.
      • Take an English speaking tour or activity holiday.
      Spend your time on things that interest you. If you like cooking then buy an English-language cookbook or find recipes on the net and practice following the recipes. You'll soon know if you have made a mistake!
      Keep something English on you (book, newspaper or magazine, cassette, set of flashcards) all day and every day, you never know when you might have 5 spare minutes.
      If you are too tired to actively practice just relax and listen to a story in English, an English pop song or talk radio station.
      Get onto Google Plus, Skype, other social networks, or be really adventurous and start socializing in Virtual Worlds.
      Start networking with native speakers / teachers and other learners.

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       Learn English on Your Own

Learning a language like English can be very difficult. To learn it by yourself must be even more difficult.

But what if there was an easy way that you could learn English on your own?

Learning a new language like English can be a challenge, but with regular study it can be done. Classes are important, but so is disciplined practice. It can even be fun. Here are some guidelines to help you improve your reading and comprehension skills and become a better English student.

Study Every Day

Learning any new language is a time-consuming process, more than 300 hours by some estimates. Rather than try and cram a few hours of review in once or twice a week, most experts say short, regular study sessions are more effective. As little as 30 minutes a day can help you improve your English skills over time.

Keep Things Fresh

Instead of focusing on one single task for the entire study session, try mixing things up. Study a little grammar, then do a short listening exercise, then perhaps read an article on the same topic. Don't do too much, 20 minutes on three different exercises is plenty. The variety will keep you engaged and make studying more fun.

Read, Watch, and Listen. A lot.

Reading English-language newspapers and books, listening to music, or watching TV can also help you improve your written and verbal comprehension skills. By doing so repeatedly, you'll begin to unconsciously absorb things like pronunciation, speech patterns, accents, and grammar. (Scientists call this phenomenon "indirect" learning). Keep pen and paper handy and write down words you read or hear that are unfamiliar. Then, do some research to learn what those new words mean. Use them the next time you are role-playing dialogue in class.

Learn the Sounds Separately

Non-native English speakers sometimes struggle with certain word pronunciations because they do not have similar sounds in their native tongue. Likewise, two words may be spelled very similarly, yet be pronounced quite different (for instance, "tough" and "though"). Or you may encounter combinations of letters where one of them is silent (for example, the K in "knife"). You can find plenty of English pronunciation videos on YouTube, such as this one on using words that begin with L and R. 

Watch Out for Homophones

Homophones are words that are pronounced the same way, but are spelled differently and/or have different meanings. There are a number of homophones in the English language, which is one of the reasons why it can so challenging to learn. Consider this sentence: "Pack your clothes, then close the suitcase." Both "clothes" and "close" sound the same, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Practice Your Prepositions

Even advanced students of English can struggle to learn prepositions, which are used to describe duration, position, direction, and relationships between objects. There are literally dozens of prepositions in the English language (some of the most common include "of," "on," and "for") and few hard rules for when to use them. Instead, experts say, the best way to learn prepositions to memorize them and practice using them in sentences. Study lists such as this one are a good place to begin. 

Play Vocabulary and Grammar Games

You can also improve your English skills by playing vocabulary games that are related to what you're studying in class. For example, if you are going to study English on topics that focus on vacations, take a moment to think about your last trip and what you did. Make a list of all the words you might use to describe your activities.

You can play a similar game with grammar reviews. For example, if you are going to study conjugating verbs in the past tense, stop to think about what you did last weekend. Make a list of the verbs you use and review the various tenses. Don't be afraid to consult reference materials if you get stuck. These two exercises will help you prepare for class by making you think critically about vocabulary and usage.

Write It Down

Repetition is key as you're learning English, and writing exercises are a great way to practice. Take 30 minutes at the end of class or study to write down what happened during your day. It doesn't matter whether you use a computer or pen and paper. By making a habit of writing, you'll find your reading and comprehension skills improve over time.

Once you're comfortable writing about your day, challenge yourself and have some fun with creative writing exercises. Choose a photo from a book or magazine and describe it in a short paragraph, or write a short story or poem about someone you know well. You can also practice your letter-writing skills. You'll have fun and become a better English student. You may even discover you've got a talent for writing.

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Commonly confused expressions in ESSAYS

         Commonly confused expressions

Supposed to / used to

You are not supposed to break the rules. (NOT You are not suppose to break the rules.)

I am used to living alone. (NOT I am use to living alone.)

It is wrong to drop the ‘d’ in supposed and used. However, this is a mistake that many people make.

Beside the point

If something is beside the point, it is not relevant to the point. It is wrong to write ‘besides the point’.

Beside means ‘next to’ or ‘at the side of’. Besides means ‘in addition to.

Couldn’t care less

The expression ‘I could care less’ is always wrong.

I couldn’t care less means ‘I don’t care at all’. However, ‘I could care less’ does not mean that you care a lot.

Whet your appetite

To whet your appetite is to sharpen your appetite. Even mouth-watering delicacies can’t ‘wet your appetite’. The correct expression is ‘whet your appetite’.

Nip it in the bud

To nip something in the bud is to prevent it from growing into something bigger.

Don’t nip it in the butt. That will not solve your problem.

Toe the line

To toe the line is to adhere to a standard or rule. Don’t write ‘tow the line’.

For all intents and purposes

‘For all intents and purposes’ means ‘pretty much’ or ‘almost completely’. It is wrong to write ‘for all intensive purposes’.

Bald-faced lie

A bald-faced lie is an audacious lie. The person who tells a bald-faced lie does not make any attempt to disguise it as truth. However, this does not make it a ‘bold-faced lie’.

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Common mistakes in ESL writing

        Common mistakes in ESL writing

English is an international language. Even in countries where it is not the first language, it is widely taught and used for administrative purposes. For example, in India English is one of the official languages. It is estimated that the number of people for whom English is the second language is much greater than the number of people for whom English is the first language. However, many people who use English as a second language cannot write without mistakes. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most common writing mistakes of ESL students.

Change of narrative

Sometimes students often start writing in the first person and change to the third person. This can cause a lot of confusion. While writing a piece of academic text, it is always a good idea to use the third person narrative. This is an unwritten rule that exists in academia. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to totally eliminate the pronouns I and we from your writing. Sometimes it is not possible; sometimes it just doesn’t make much sense. However, as far as possible, try to use the impersonal pronoun it instead of the first person pronouns I or we. Of course, it will also mean some changes in the tense and voice. Note that if you use personal pronouns throughout your term paper or essay, it could result in poor grading.

Run-on sentences

This is a very common mistake. If a sentence contains two or more main clauses, they have to be properly connected using a coordinating conjunction. If you do not want to use a conjunction, you have to use an appropriate punctuation mark like semicolon. Alternatively you can split the two clauses using a full-stop.

Improper capitalization

Rules of capitalization are relatively easy to follow. Nonetheless, ESL students sometimes get them wrong.

Always begin a sentence with a capital letter. Capitalize the first letters of proper nouns. Examples are: John, Rahul, Mary, Microsoftetc. Do not capitalize the first letters of common nouns. Examples are: boy, girl, computer etc. The personal pronoun ‘I’ should always be capitalized.

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