ANNOUNCEMENT

Frank Krishner is accepting queries and questions. So shoot, and your questions [and Frank Krishner's answers] may appear in a forthcoming Wordsmith column in Education Times.

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Computer spell checks?

A note on computer spell-checks.

Language is beautiful. And yet, it's as delicate as a dandelion. At times, one small mistake, one gentle puff of breath, can blow your creation apart. In response to a query by Manali from St. Xavier's Ranchi' I'm posting some advice based on the Oxford language reference:

Surely, some readers say, the advent of the computer spell-check makes all this learning of rules, patterns and exceptions quite obsolete.

Unfortunately not. The computer spell-check is really just that – a useful check. It cannot guarantee accurate spelling, only inform you that certain words you have written do not appear in its dictionary and suggest possible alternatives.

Reliance on this facility has two main drawbacks.

The first one is that any unfamiliar words such as scientific or technical terms, proper names, abbreviations not in general use will register as errors and throw up alternative suggestions (often deeply absurd).

This is not usually very harmful, but can be a nuisance for someone writing on technical subjects or in some other specialised field. It is usually possible to augment the spell-check dictionary to include any other terms that you require.

The second drawback is much more serious. The computer will fail to recognize a genuine error, however ridiculous or damaging, if it corresponds to the correct spelling of a different word. So if I wrote

The computer spell-check is a handy tool but could not be used as a crotch (meaning crutch)

The error would pass undetected.

It should also be pointed out that many spell-checks will automatically operate on the basis of American (rather than the accepted British-Indian) spelling unless they are altered accordingly.

Tough ones

I’m answering queries by Sunita and Dinesh, both from Patna, and adding a few other ‘difficult’ spellings! I usually use the Oxford Language Reference as a guide.

‘Abattoir’ [which means slaughter-house, a place where animals are killed and prepared for sale] has a single ‘b’, double‘t’.]

‘Accommodate’ and ‘accommodation’ are among the most misspelt words in English. There are two C’s and two M’s.

Advice is the correct spelling of the noun; ‘advise’ is how you spell the verb.


Annex is a verb, annexe is a noun. In American English the noun may also be spelt ‘annex’.

Apprise is always spelt –ise not –ize.

Subjects joined by ‘or’

When personal pronouns [I, we, you, he, she, it, they] are joined by ‘or’ or ‘either …or’ , the verb is usually made to agree with the nearer of the two subjects.

Consider this:
He has to give in. You have to give in.

When joined:
Either he or you have to give in.

Either you or your brother has bitten this apple.

Do you have a question? Write to me at sikkimkrishna@gmail.com
And put ‘wordsmith query’ in the subject line.

The 'either'-'or' factor

Manisha Agrawal from St. Xavier's College, Ranchi wrote:

I have some confusion with sentences like: "Either Shyam or Ram have gone to Kolkata" or will it be "Either Shyam or Ram has gone to Kolkata"? Which is correct and why?

The correct one is 'Either Shyam or Ram has gone to Kolkata."

The strict rule is : when two singular subjects [in this case Shyam, Ram] are joined by or
or either ... or, they require a singular verb and singular pronouns. [in this case has gone is the singular verb].

A doctor or a paramedic is always available on call, and he can provide emergency services.

However, there is a natural tendency to use the plural with two or more singular subjects when their mutual exclusion is not emphasised. This has poetic and literary use, as well as conversational use. Examples:

Be warned, my father's rage or anger may vent themselves on your poor head!

[rage and anger are synonyms, and though technically two subjects, they really mean almost the same thing.]

When one subject is plural, it is best to put the verb in the plural, and place the plural subject nearer to the verb.

Either the young man or his parents are to blame.

[In the example, 'young man' is singular, 'his parents' are plural.]

In my next post for Question Box, I'll discuss the either-or aspect with personal pronouns]

Girding Loins and Tightening belts

Ankit Kumar of BN College Patna wants to know whether ‘tightening one’s belt’ was the same as ‘kamar kasna’ in Hindi.


The phrase kamar kasna in Hindi refers to the action used by wrestlers and warriors when they got ready for a fight. They tightened the cloths around the lower parts of their body, partly to protect themselves from injury to the groin, and to ensure that loose clothing wouldn’t cause them bodily harm by getting entangled.

The English equivalent is to gird one’s loins [also girding up one’s loins]. Okay, boys, this is going to be a tough game, better gird your loins and get down to it!
This idiom is slightly out-of-date, but it does come in useful. Careful : don’t confuse loins with lions!

When we tighten our belts we are actually constricting our stomachs so that we can deal with being hungry. If we have been too extravagant and have over-spent money, we must tighten our belts in order to balance our budget. When we need to cut expenses, economise, adopt austerity measures, then, well, it’s time to tighten our belts.

Indian journalists often confuse kamar kasna with tightening their belts. If the army has to tighten its belt before a fight, it means that it’s facing problems with its supplies!

Interactive

Frank Krishner will answer your queries on Communicative English. If you have a question about grammar, usage or a niggling doubt, feel free to mail me at sikkimkrishna@gmail.com and put 'wordsmith query' in the subject line.

Special posts based on your questions will appear with the tag 'QUESTION BOX'