This one might just stump you:
Which is correct? "Does any...?" or "Do any...?"
What's your verdict?
.
.
.
.
.
.
I would go with,
"Does anyone know where my wallet is?"
"Do any of you know where my wallet is?"
"Does any of the twins know where my wallet is?"
"Do any of the students in your class know where my wallet is?"
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tip 40: Bring, Take, Fetch
Most of us, both children and adults, are confused by the use of bring, take, fetch.
These rules will straighten things out:
Bring: "from there to here"
E.g Uncle Peter, thanks for bringing us to this fabulous beach!
E.g Ming, I promise I'll bring the book with me tomorrow.
Take: "from here to there"
E.g Dad likes to take this laptop with him when he goes overseas.
E.g Mum, are you free to take us to the movies?
Fetch/Get: "from here to there and back to here again"
E.g I need to fetch my daughter from school at 6pm everyday.
E.g Jack went to fetch/get a pail of water.
These rules will straighten things out:
Bring: "from there to here"
E.g Uncle Peter, thanks for bringing us to this fabulous beach!
E.g Ming, I promise I'll bring the book with me tomorrow.
Take: "from here to there"
E.g Dad likes to take this laptop with him when he goes overseas.
E.g Mum, are you free to take us to the movies?
Fetch/Get: "from here to there and back to here again"
E.g I need to fetch my daughter from school at 6pm everyday.
E.g Jack went to fetch/get a pail of water.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tip 39: Animal Verbs
A list of animal verns --> wolf, dog, bear, fox, crow, hawk, fish, duck, rabbit, ape, bull, worm, hare, bat, seal, ferret, hound, badger, yak, crane, goose, cow, leech, peacock, parrot, hog, squirrel away, monkey, weasel into, horse around, horse play, bull-up, snake, chicken, outparrot, pig out, swan around, cod.
wolf = to eat voraciously; gobble. Eg wolfed down five ham burgers
dog = to remain persistently attached to. Eg. He had been dogged by ill-health all his life.
bear = to be able to accept and deal with something unpleasant.
fox = to trick or confuse somebody. Eg The sly thief outfoxed all the detectives.
crow = to brag. Eg He has been crowing about his winning since morning.
hawk = to try to sell things by going from place to place asking people to buy them= peddle.
fish = to search for something or information. Eg Quit trying to fish for any information from me! Mother rummaged through her bag and fished out her handphone.
duck = To move your head or body downwards to avoid being hit or seen.
rabbit on = to talk continuously about somebody or something that is not important or interesting; to babble.
ape = to mimic somebody else behaves or talks in order to make fun of them.
bull = to push ahead or through forcefully. Eg He bulls through the press horde that encircles the car.
worm = to work (one's way or oneself) subtly or gradually; or artful or devious means. Eg She wormed her way into his confidence. He can't worm out of this situation.
hare = to move hurriedly, as if hunting a swift quarry. Eg. He went haring off after a lower-priced car.
bat = Informal To discuss or consider at length. Eg bat an idea around.
seal= to prove authenticity or attest to accuracy, quality.
ferret = to uncover and bring to light by searching. Eg ferret out the solution to a mystery.
hound = To pursue relentlessly and tenaciously; to urge insistently; nag. Eg hounded me until I agreed to cut my hair.
badger = To harry or pester persistently.
yak = To talk persistently and meaninglessly; chatter.
crane = To stretch one's neck toward something for a better view.
goose = to startle someone by pinching or poking him with a finger. Eg The CEO goosed her by the photocopier.
cow = to intimidate someone using threats or violence:
leech = to attach oneself to another in the manner of a leech.
peacock = To strut about like a peacock; exhibit oneself vainly.
parrot = to repeat words without understanding them
hog = to have more than your fair share – Eg Don't hog the biscuits. Pass them down to this end.
squirrel away =- to hide something in a secret place
monkey = fool around. Eg Let's not monkey around with this...."
weasel into = to be sneaky.
horse around = to play dangerous games, "horse play"
bull-up = to shine, or smarten up. He bulled up his uniform for inspection.
snake = to wind, The road snaked through mountain passes
chicken out - to give up out of fear
parrot = to mimic
pig out = to eat like there is no prospect of food for the next four days.
swan around = to behave arrogantly.
cod = to deceive
wolf = to eat voraciously; gobble. Eg wolfed down five ham burgers
dog = to remain persistently attached to. Eg. He had been dogged by ill-health all his life.
bear = to be able to accept and deal with something unpleasant.
fox = to trick or confuse somebody. Eg The sly thief outfoxed all the detectives.
crow = to brag. Eg He has been crowing about his winning since morning.
hawk = to try to sell things by going from place to place asking people to buy them= peddle.
fish = to search for something or information. Eg Quit trying to fish for any information from me! Mother rummaged through her bag and fished out her handphone.
duck = To move your head or body downwards to avoid being hit or seen.
rabbit on = to talk continuously about somebody or something that is not important or interesting; to babble.
ape = to mimic somebody else behaves or talks in order to make fun of them.
bull = to push ahead or through forcefully. Eg He bulls through the press horde that encircles the car.
worm = to work (one's way or oneself) subtly or gradually; or artful or devious means. Eg She wormed her way into his confidence. He can't worm out of this situation.
hare = to move hurriedly, as if hunting a swift quarry. Eg. He went haring off after a lower-priced car.
bat = Informal To discuss or consider at length. Eg bat an idea around.
seal= to prove authenticity or attest to accuracy, quality.
ferret = to uncover and bring to light by searching. Eg ferret out the solution to a mystery.
hound = To pursue relentlessly and tenaciously; to urge insistently; nag. Eg hounded me until I agreed to cut my hair.
badger = To harry or pester persistently.
yak = To talk persistently and meaninglessly; chatter.
crane = To stretch one's neck toward something for a better view.
goose = to startle someone by pinching or poking him with a finger. Eg The CEO goosed her by the photocopier.
cow = to intimidate someone using threats or violence:
leech = to attach oneself to another in the manner of a leech.
peacock = To strut about like a peacock; exhibit oneself vainly.
parrot = to repeat words without understanding them
hog = to have more than your fair share – Eg Don't hog the biscuits. Pass them down to this end.
squirrel away =- to hide something in a secret place
monkey = fool around. Eg Let's not monkey around with this...."
weasel into = to be sneaky.
horse around = to play dangerous games, "horse play"
bull-up = to shine, or smarten up. He bulled up his uniform for inspection.
snake = to wind, The road snaked through mountain passes
chicken out - to give up out of fear
parrot = to mimic
pig out = to eat like there is no prospect of food for the next four days.
swan around = to behave arrogantly.
cod = to deceive
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tip 37: Commonly Mispronounced English Words
These words are too commonly mispronounced words by Singaporeans. Do a self-check now and see if you agree!
Baggage –bagige, not bagage
Absurd – abzerd, not absurd
Abalone - aberlorni, not aberlorn
Almond - ah-men, not el-men
Awry - a-rai, not a-rie
Athlete – athleet, not atherlit
Bargain –bargin, not bargain
Bon voyage - bon vwa-yazh, not bon vor-yage
Bombing – boming, not bombing
Canopy -ca-ne-py, not ca-no-py
Chauffeur -showfur, not shawfur
Children –children, not chewren
Character - care-rek-ter, not ker-rack-ter
colleague - kor-lik, not ker-lik
Comparable – comperable, not compairable
Carribean -carri-bian, not carri-bean
Detonate -dair-te-nate, not di-toe-nate
Dud -dard, not dude
Drought -dr-out, not dr-ought
Esoteric –airsotaric, not yisotaric
February – february, not febury
Facade – fur-sard, not fair-cerd
Fragile - fr-air-gile, not fray-gile
Library –laibrary, not laibary
Lullaby – lalabuy, not loolabuy
Mischievous – mischivas, not mischiveeius
Pressure – pressure, not prejure
Regardless – not irregardless
Restaurant –restront, not restorant
Singapore - sing-ng-por, not sing-ga-por
Small fry – not fly
Tastes – teists, not tei-ses
Wednesday – wenzday, not wenesday
With regard to - not with regards to
Impotent - im-per-tent, not im-poh-tent
Informative – infourmative, not infermeitive
Often – orfen, not of-ten
Probably – probabli, not probli
Pornography - poh-no-graphy, not pour-no-graphy
Vehicle – vee-i-cal, not veeheecal
Position – perzition, not pohzition
Second – sairkend, not sairkand
Jewellery – jewelri, not jewellary
Salmon – sairmen, not cellmen or sao-men
Specific – spersific, not spairsific
Sponge -s-punj, not s-ponj
Competent – kompertent, not kompitent
Comfortable - comf-ta-ble, not comfer-ta-ble
Sword – sord, not sword
Receipt - ri-seet, not ri-seept
Wrath - roarth, not rorth
Infamous -infurmous, not infaymous
Yacht - yort, not yart
Toward - te-ward, not too-word
Trio - tree-o, not trai-o
Liaise - li-ez, not lai-ez
Soften - soffen, not sof-ten
Cuisine - ku-zine, not kiu-zine
Debut - day-biew, not di-biew
Reservoir - reser-vwar, not reser-vor
Espresso -espreso, not expreso
Poignant - poi-niant, not poi-nernt
Baggage –bagige, not bagage
Absurd – abzerd, not absurd
Abalone - aberlorni, not aberlorn
Almond - ah-men, not el-men
Awry - a-rai, not a-rie
Athlete – athleet, not atherlit
Bargain –bargin, not bargain
Bon voyage - bon vwa-yazh, not bon vor-yage
Bombing – boming, not bombing
Canopy -ca-ne-py, not ca-no-py
Chauffeur -showfur, not shawfur
Children –children, not chewren
Character - care-rek-ter, not ker-rack-ter
colleague - kor-lik, not ker-lik
Comparable – comperable, not compairable
Carribean -carri-bian, not carri-bean
Detonate -dair-te-nate, not di-toe-nate
Dud -dard, not dude
Drought -dr-out, not dr-ought
Esoteric –airsotaric, not yisotaric
February – february, not febury
Facade – fur-sard, not fair-cerd
Fragile - fr-air-gile, not fray-gile
Library –laibrary, not laibary
Lullaby – lalabuy, not loolabuy
Mischievous – mischivas, not mischiveeius
Pressure – pressure, not prejure
Regardless – not irregardless
Restaurant –restront, not restorant
Singapore - sing-ng-por, not sing-ga-por
Small fry – not fly
Tastes – teists, not tei-ses
Wednesday – wenzday, not wenesday
With regard to - not with regards to
Impotent - im-per-tent, not im-poh-tent
Informative – infourmative, not infermeitive
Often – orfen, not of-ten
Probably – probabli, not probli
Pornography - poh-no-graphy, not pour-no-graphy
Vehicle – vee-i-cal, not veeheecal
Position – perzition, not pohzition
Second – sairkend, not sairkand
Jewellery – jewelri, not jewellary
Salmon – sairmen, not cellmen or sao-men
Specific – spersific, not spairsific
Sponge -s-punj, not s-ponj
Competent – kompertent, not kompitent
Comfortable - comf-ta-ble, not comfer-ta-ble
Sword – sord, not sword
Receipt - ri-seet, not ri-seept
Wrath - roarth, not rorth
Infamous -infurmous, not infaymous
Yacht - yort, not yart
Toward - te-ward, not too-word
Trio - tree-o, not trai-o
Liaise - li-ez, not lai-ez
Soften - soffen, not sof-ten
Cuisine - ku-zine, not kiu-zine
Debut - day-biew, not di-biew
Reservoir - reser-vwar, not reser-vor
Espresso -espreso, not expreso
Poignant - poi-niant, not poi-nernt
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