UNIT-1 APPLIED GRAMMAR AND USAGE: 1. Transformation of Sentences: Simple Sentences: Consist of one independent clause and express a complete thought. Example: She ran to catch the bus. Compound Sentences: Consist of two or more independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so, yet). Example: She ran to catch the bus, but she missed it. Complex Sentences: Consist of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses joined by subordinating conjunctions (because, although, since, if). Example: She missed the bus because she woke up late. 2. Subject-Verb Agreement: Subjects and verbs must agree in number (singular or plural). Example: The cat (singular) is sleeping. The cats (plural) are sleeping. 3. Prefix and Suffix: Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning, while suffixes are added to the end. Example: Prefix - "un-" (unhappy); Suffix - "-ful" (beautifully). 4. Antonyms and Synonyms: Antonyms are words with opposite meanings, while synonyms are words with similar meanings. Example: Antonym - Hot/Cold; Synonym - Happy/Joyful. 5. Homophones, Homonyms: Homophones: Words that sound alike but have different meanings or spellings. Example: "to," "too," and "two." Homonyms: Words that are spelled the same or sound the same but have different meanings. Example: "bat" (a flying mammal) and "bat" (a piece of sporting equipment). 6. New Word Formation: New words can be formed through various processes such as blending, compounding, clipping, acronyms, etc. Example: "Brunch" (blend of breakfast and lunch), "Email" (electronic + mail), "SITCOM" (Situation Comedy). 7. Select Word Power: This refers to the ability to choose the appropriate words in communication, taking into account factors such as context, audience, and tone.
Transformation of Sentences: Simple, Compound and Complex:
Transformation of sentences involves changing their structure while retaining the original meaning. There are three main types of sentence transformations: simple, compound, and complex.
1. Simple Sentence Transformation:
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VISION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ALIGARH SUBJECT- SOFT SKILLS UNIT-1 APPLIED GRAMMAR AND USAGE: Changing to Negative: Add 'not' or its contraction after the auxiliary verb. Example: He works hard. (Simple) → He does not work hard. (Negative) Changing to Interrogative: Invert the subject and the auxiliary verb. Example: She sings well. (Simple) → Does she sing well? (Interrogative) Changing to Interrogative-Negative: Combine the rules for negative and interrogative transformations. Example: They like ice cream. (Simple) → Don't they like ice cream? (Interrogative-Negative) 2. Compound Sentence Transformation: Changing to Simple Sentences: Split the compound sentence into two or more simple sentences. Example: She danced and sang. (Compound) → She danced. She sang. Changing to Complex Sentences: Combine the two independent clauses using subordinating conjunctions or relative pronouns. Example: She sang well, and the audience applauded. (Compound) → As she sang well, the audience applauded. (Complex) 3. Complex Sentence Transformation: Changing to Compound Sentences: Split the complex sentence into two or more independent clauses. Example: After she finished her work, she went home. (Complex) → She finished her work, and she went home. (Compound) Changing to Simple Sentences: Rewrite the sentence as one or more simple sentences, removing the subordinating clause. Example: He failed because he didn't study. (Complex) → He failed. He didn't study.
Subjectverb agreement, Prefix and Suffix:
1. Subject-Verb Agreement: Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree with the verb in number (singular or plural). Here are some key points: Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Example: The cat (singular) sits (singular verb). / The cats (plural) sit (plural verb). When the subject is separated from the verb by intervening words or phrases, ensure that the verb agrees with the subject, not with the noun in between. Example: The group of students (plural subject) is (singular verb) studying. Some subjects can be tricky, such as collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and phrases indicating quantity. Understanding these nuances is crucial for maintaining subject-verb agreement. 2. Prefix: A prefix is an affix added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. Prefixes can change the word's grammatical function or indicate negation, time, location, quantity, or other attributes. Here are some common prefixes: Un-: Indicates reversal or negation (unhappy, undo). Re-: Indicates repetition or back/again (rewrite, revisit). Pre-: Indicates before or in advance (preview, prepay).
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VISION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ALIGARH SUBJECT- SOFT SKILLS UNIT-1 APPLIED GRAMMAR AND USAGE: Mis-: Indicates wrong or badly (misunderstand, mislead). Dis-: Indicates reversal or absence (disagree, disappear). Anti-: Indicates against or opposing (anti-government, anti-inflammatory). Sub-: Indicates under or below (submarine, substandard). In- or Im-: Indicates not or into (inactive, impossible). Understanding prefixes can help decipher the meaning of unfamiliar words and expand vocabulary. 3. Suffix: A suffix is an affix added to the end of a word to modify its meaning or form a new word. Suffixes can indicate grammatical function, tense, plurality, comparison, or other qualities. Here are some common suffixes: -able/-ible: Capable of being (comfortable, reversible). -tion/-sion: Act or process (celebration, admission). -ment: State or condition (enjoyment, movement). -er/-or: One who performs an action or occupation (teacher, actor). -ful: Full of or characterized by (graceful, joyful). -ly: In a certain manner or to a certain extent (quickly, happily). -ness: State or quality of being (happiness, kindness). -ize/-ise: To make or become (organize, specialize). Understanding suffixes aids in word formation and can provide insight into a word's meaning and usage. Antonyms, Synonyms: 1. Antonyms: Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. They provide contrast and can be used to express opposing ideas. Some common types of antonyms include: Gradable Antonyms: These antonyms represent opposite ends of a spectrum and allow for degrees of comparison. Example: Hot - Cold, Big - Small. Complementary Antonyms: These antonyms represent an either-or relationship where one thing excludes the other. Example: Alive - Dead, Male - Female. Relational Antonyms: These antonyms are pairs that depend on each other for meaning. Example: Parent - Child, Buy - Sell. Auto-Antonyms: Also known as contronyms, these are words with multiple meanings, one of which is the opposite of another meaning. Example: "Bolt" can mean both "to secure tightly" and "to flee quickly." 2. Synonyms: Synonyms are words with similar meanings. They provide variety and flexibility in language use. Synonyms can be categorized based on their degree of similarity: Exact Synonyms: Words that have identical meanings. Example: Happy - Joyful, Big - Large. Near Synonyms: Words that have similar meanings but may differ slightly in nuance or usage. Example: Angry - Furious, Begin - Commence. Contextual Synonyms: Words that are interchangeable in specific contexts but not universally. Example: Car - Automobile, Kid - Child.
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VISION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ALIGARH SUBJECT- SOFT SKILLS UNIT-1 APPLIED GRAMMAR AND USAGE: Partial Synonyms: Words that overlap in meaning but also have distinct nuances. Example: Stop - Halt, Smart - Intelligent. Homophones, Homonyms: 1. Homophones: Homophones are words that sound the same when spoken but have different meanings or spellings. They may be spelled differently or have different meanings, but they are pronounced identically. Common examples include: "There," "their," and "they're" "To," "too," and "two" "Flour" and "flower" "Ate" and "eight" "Sea" and "see" Homophones can create confusion in writing and speech, so it's essential to understand their distinctions to use them correctly. 2. Homonyms: Homonyms are words that have the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings. Unlike homophones, which sound the same but may have different spellings, homonyms can have identical spellings and/or pronunciations. They can be classified into two main categories: Homographs: Homographs are words that have the same spelling but different meanings. They may or may not be pronounced the same way. Example: "Bow" (a knot) and "bow" (a weapon) have the same spelling but different meanings. "Lead" (to guide) and "lead" (a heavy metal) have the same spelling but different pronunciations and meanings. Homophones: As mentioned earlier, homophones are a subset of homonyms. They have the same pronunciation but different meanings or spellings. Example: "Bare" (naked) and "bear" (the animal) have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings. "Sole" (the bottom of the foot) and "soul" (spirit or essence) have the same pronunciation but different spellings and meanings. Homonyms can sometimes lead to ambiguity in communication, especially in written language, where the context may not provide enough clues to determine the intended meaning.
New word Formation, Select word power:
"Word formation" refers to the process of creating new words from existing ones. There are several ways to form new words, including affixation (adding prefixes or suffixes), compounding (combining two or more words), blending (combining parts of two words), borrowing (adopting words from other languages), and conversion (changing the grammatical category of a word without adding affixes). Here's an example of each method:
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VISION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, ALIGARH SUBJECT- SOFT SKILLS UNIT-1 APPLIED GRAMMAR AND USAGE: 1. Affixation: Adding prefixes or suffixes to existing words. Example: Adding the prefix "un-" to the word "happy" forms the new word "unhappy." 2. Compounding: Combining two or more words to create a new one. Example: Combining "tooth" and "brush" to form the new word "toothbrush." 3. Blending: Combining parts of two words to form a new word. Example: Combining "breakfast" and "lunch" to form the new word "brunch." 4. Borrowing: Adopting words from other languages. Example: Borrowing the French word "entrepreneur" into English without changing its spelling or pronunciation. 5. Conversion: Changing the grammatical category of a word without adding affixes. Example: Using the noun "book" as a verb to mean "to make a reservation," as in "I'll book a table for dinner."
As for "Select word power," it seems like a phrase suggesting the importance of choosing words carefully to convey meaning effectively. A strong vocabulary, or "word power," enables individuals to select the most appropriate words for communication, whether spoken or written. Developing word power involves expanding one's vocabulary through reading, studying, and practicing using words in context.
