Test Your Smarts- Grammar Quiz 1

I just came across this interesting quiz on grammar. It tests everything from subject- verb agreement to your knowledge of sentence structure. Quite interesting. Do check it out. Comment below what you found easy and what was a challenge. Let's see if we can help each other out. Do like, share, follow and comment if …

Common Errors in English: Part- I

This picture tells us about some common mistakes we make in English. There are mistakes related to subject-verb agreement, use of correct adverb and many other grammar topics. Just check which mistakes you make, and try to avoid them next time. One mistake I have seen a lot of people make is using the past …

Word of the Day- November 17, 2018

introspect (verb) examine one's own thoughts or feelings Sentence- The teacher told the student to introspect on his actions to find out how he could improve his behaviour and life. Question- Can you think of any synonyms of this word? Hint: You even have a corner in your classes to help you introspect. Do make …

Word of the Day- November 16, 2018

badinage i. (noun) conversation or remarks that are jokes and not serious ii. (noun) witty or humorous conversation Sentence- The President was in a good mood as he walked through the crowd and made several voters laugh with his witty badinage.

Word of the Day- November 14, 2018

sue (verb) to start a legal case against a person or an organization, in order to claim money from them because they have harmed you in some way Sentence- Siddharth decided to sue the manufacturing company for £2 million for the harm caused by the defect in their mobile phones. Special mention to Siddharth Gautam …

Word of the Day- November 13, 2018

abecedarian (adjective) arranged alphabetically Sentence- The girl decided to organize the files in an abecedarian manner so she could find what she was looking for by name more easily.

Word of the Day- November 12, 2018

amusement i. (noun) the feeling that you have when you think something is funny Sentence- To my great amusement, the dog ran off with my father's slipper. ii. (noun) the pleasure that you get from being entertained or from doing something interesting Sentence- I play the piano for my own amusement, not for anyone else's.

The Talkative Barber- Audio

Here's the audio to the story of "The Talkative Barber". Close your eyes and see if you can visualize the whole story in your mind. Do notice the voice modulation, diction and pauses of the reader. Also, do mention if you think of any connections or were able to visualize anything while listening to the …

Don’t Keep Using ‘very’! There are Better Words!

Learn new and better words to replace 'very'

Word of the Day- November 11, 2018

aplomb (noun) self-confidence or assurance, especially when in a demanding situation Sentence- During the bomb scare, the teacher managed the children with aplomb and kept everyone calm. Question- What visual comes to your mind when you see this word? I can visualize a child standing on the stage with bright lights all around. She is …

Word of the Day- November 10, 2018

adore i. (verb) love and respect someone deeply Sentence- Rohit adores his mother, so he helps her out with her work at home. ii. (verb) worship, venerate Sentence- Some people adore fire believing it to be a form of the divine.

Word of the Day- November 9, 2018

proactive (adjective) creating or controlling a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened Sentence- The proactive student who worked on his weak areas with a plan in mind, scored better than his friend who idled away his time in video games and studied at the last moment.

Word of the Day- November 8, 2018

frisson (noun) a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear, a thrill Sentence- As Amber walked to the podium to make her speech, a frisson of nervousness swept over her.

Word of the Day- November 7, 2018

plausible i. (adjective) reasonable or probable, likely to be true Sentence- When Jason forgot to do his homework, he tried to come up with a plausible excuse his teacher would believe. ii. (adjective) a person skilled at producing persuasive arguments, especially ones intended to deceive Sentence- Derek is a plausible salesman who has made a …

Word of the Day- November 6, 2018

charlatan (noun) a person falsely claiming to have a special knowledge or skill Sentence- The charlatan pretended to be a doctor so he could go into the hospital and steal prescription drugs.

Word of the Day- November 5, 2018

aficionado (noun) a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime Suntence- The crossword aficionado would spend hours solving crosswords so, he started winning many prizes.

Word of the Day- November 3, 2018

forsake (verb) abandon or leave, renounce or give up something valued or pleasant Sentence- Jane has decided to forsake her participation in basketball until she improves her grades.

Word of the Day- November 2, 2018

onerous (adjective) involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty Sentence- Despite his rigid training, the athlete was unprepared to handle the onerous terrain.

The Art of Writing Narratives

A good story has certain elements and a structure. Find out more about them through these interesting resources.

The Lazy Frog- Video

Does the picture in this dog remind you of someone? Well, it reminds me of many people, but most of all I can connect it to the chapter "Rip Van Winkle" and the poem "The Lazy Frog" (You know good readers are always 'connecting' in order to understand the text better). Here's a link to …

Word of the Day- October 29, 2018

whine (verb) give or make a long, high-pitched complaining cry or sound Sentence- The dog whined and scratched at the back door, because it was too scared to go out with firecrackers burning all around.

Word of the Day- October 28, 2018

clemency (noun) mercy, lenience Sentence -In their letter to the governor, the victim's family asked him not to give clemency to their son's murderer.

Word of the Day- October 27, 2018

incessant (adjective) continuing without pause or interruption, generally used for something unpleasant Sentence- The incessant loud chitchat of the passengers in the stuffed metro, exasperated me.

Word of the Day- October 26, 2018

hearsay (noun) information received from other people which cannot be substantiated, rumour Sentence- The evidence against the culprit was nothing concrete but all hearsay, so he was acquitted on all counts. Question: Does the word remind you of any idiom?

Word of the Day- October 24, 2018

commotion i. (noun) a state of confused and noisy disturbance Sentence- Ria was unable to concentrate on her homework due a commotion in the street across her house.

Word of the Day- October 23, 2018

foster i. (verb) encourage the development of something, especially something desirable Sentence- A teacher's task is to foster learning. ii. (verb) bring up a child that is not one's own by birth Sentence- A person who would foster John was found.

Word of the Day- October 22, 2018

urge i. (verb) try earnestly or persistently to persuade (someone) to do something. Sentence- The teacher urged his students to follow the traffic rules everytime in order to avoid accidents. ii. (noun) a strong desire or impulse Sentence- As the two children were cracking jokes in the class, they had a strong urge to giggle …

Word of the Day- October 21, 2018

corrigible (adjective) able to be fixed or corrected Sentence- The judge believed there was hope for the corrigible criminal after he accepted his fault.

Word of the Day- October 20, 2018

culmination (noun) to reach the highest point, summit, or highest development, to end or arrive at a final stage Sentence- The amazing composition written by the students was a culmination of many classes spent on perfecting punctuation and sentence structure. Question: Does this word remind you of any incident where you would use it?

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton