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Tag: Education

  • Teachers ‘a Blot’ Principal Gheraoed” He is Right

    'Punctuality in School' jpg
    Punctuality in School

    Teachers trooped in to the Morning Prayer assembly belatedly and the principal called them a ‘blot’  .

    The children were asked to applaud the Statement.

    The teachers were upset and gheraoed the Principal, thereby confirming his statement.

    Instead of feeling sorry for not being punctual the teachers say that the Principal should not have ridiculed them in Public view.

    If , as a Teacher, you do not behave properly in Public as befits a Teacher, you deserve to be reprimanded in Public.

    Character and Discipline are the hall-mark of a Teacher, not trade unionism.

    Story:

    A day after the national inter college felicitated its teachers on the occasion of Teachers day, it was ridicule and humiliation that they got to face at the hands of the college principal Uma Shankar Singh. Teachers were not only ridiculed by principal but also referred to as a “blot” for a fault as negligible as turning up late. While this could have still been tolerated by teachers, what agitated them to the hilt was the fact that principal asked the students to applaud his “objectionable” comments and it all happened in the full view of the morning assembly.

    What followed were unruly scenes at the college campus. Not only the teachers took offence of the principal’s comments and got agitated, students too got involved and started stone-pelting. The tension could be defused only after the police was called.

    It all began at the morning assembly, right after the prayer session was over and before students could sing the national anthem. As soon as the students were asked to stand-in-ease, principal of the college Uma Shankar Singh got hold of the mike and started addressing the teachers who were seen entering the college gate as a “blot”. He announced on the mike, “yeh hain kalank number ek…taali baja kar inka swagat kijiye (here comes the blot on the college…welcome him).”

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Principal-calls-teachers-a-blot/articleshow/16300810.cms?intenttarget=no#write

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  • ‘No Pen,No Pencil,No Thinking,No Understanding’ Teacher.

    Teachers day Card JPG
    Teachers Day Card

    I find there seems to me a subtle difference between Teaches you at School and the Lecturers and Professors at the College.

    I retain till date awe respect and regards for mt  School teachers and for College teachers it is a friendliness slightly tinged with a sort of mild respect.

    If one were to go by qualifications  , it should be more for the College professors, for they were MAs and Phds, while my school teachers were BAs (Bachelor of Arts) and in some case L.T.(Licentiate in Teaching, which is replaced by B.Ed. in India).

    Be it as may, let me recall some of my school teachers first.

    I had Mr.Srinivasa Iyengar,who use to take English and Mathematics till IV  Form.(equivalent to x Standard now).

    He was a BA, not even a L.T.

    What ever English I can boast of is because of him(I studied in a small place,Srivilliputhur,Tamil Nadu,India).

    If you do not answer a question, you are rapped in the knuckle with the duster.

    If you the ‘=’ is not aligned  for all the rows  in Mathematics, you are again given a rap.

    He used to have a table for the system of awarding marks while correcting answer papers and he will display it in the Class.

    If some one were to point out that he has not been awarded marks as per the table he will award it and say ‘sorry’

    Not only that.

    He was a Religious Man, an Iyengar.He will come to school with the Religious Mark ‘Naamam‘

    As soon as he settles in his chair, he will look at every one’s face for the Religious mark, either Vibuthi,Naamam  or in the case of  the Girls Kungumam and if they do not have it , he will ask them to get out and ask them to  go Home and come with the mark immediately.

    I recall one instance, when I was studying in the fifth Form.

    I was in the Class without vibuthi.

    Srinivasa Iyengar  went out side the School into the road, which was visible fromour class room, dipped his third Right Finger into Bull’s  droppings , came to the Class and applied it to on my forehead!

    The special treatment to me was because my father was the Head Master!

    The way he used to tech English Grammar and din it into our heads is some thing to be experienced.

    As a matter of fact, most of my blogs on ‘English grammar’ is inspired by him and  some of the definitions and explanations are his.

    I aha Tamil Teacher , Muthurakku Konar, who once describing ‘Kannagi‘ of Silappathikaaram,a Tamil Classic, said’kannagi was a woman who was untouched by a Man other than her Husband,not like Cinema actresses who get touched by every one , form the make Up Man onwards”

    Now to College Teachers.

    I studied in Vivekananda College,Chennai.

    We had one young professor Mr.Ananthan who was fresh from College and his  flow of the language is seen to be believed.

    Till date,I am yet to see some one who has that flow, with out redundancy!

    We had Mr.Amirtham Iyer who handled ‘Drama’,consisting of Shakespeare  on Tuesday after noons.

    He would emphasize  with the characters  in’ Antony and Cleopatra.

    I remember that there will be tears in his eyes when he recited the Lines, when Cleopatra was about to commit suicide, applying the Asp to her Breast…

    ‘Do’st thou not see my baby at my breast that sucks the nurse asleep’

    We used to have ‘Mor kuzhamu’, a delicacy of the Tamilians,in th Hostel and we would normally felt sleepy.

    One day most of us were feeling sleepy.

    We, about eight normally occupy the last bench as it was convenient to chatter and sleep.

    I developed the art of sleeping with my eyes ‘open’.

    ( The hall was a gallery, with rows going up)

    Amirtham Iyer was teaching his Shakespeare in his own way.

    One of my friends, Sivakumar, a weight lifting champion,who is 67 now, was snoring.

    Amirtham Iyer noticed this and threw a chalk piece at him.

    He still did not wake up.

    The Teacher then started shouting at me and I woke my friend up.

    Groggy, with out realizing what he was doing , he  kicked our friend Sankaran, (who is a High Court Lawyer in Chennai) in the front row forcefully.

    The entire benches started collapsing and 4 to five rows landed near the teacher’s feet.

    Angry, Amirtham Iyer left the Class  midway in a huff stating ‘ I will not take classes for you’

    We were thrilled!

    Next Tuesday we were in the room expecting Amirtham Iyer not to turn up.

     

    Amirtham Iyer came to the Class looking crestfallen and said

     

    ‘I am sorry I behaved the way I did and left the Class.

     

    I am a Teacher and my job is to teach.

     

    And who are you after all/ You are my children,i should have corrected you and continued my class’ and started teaching.

     

    At the end of the hour all of us prostrated before him and there were more tears in his eyes.

     

    Another instance involving him…

     

    While he was teaching, we chattering as usual.( I had the habit of chatting with my mouth partially covered )

     

    He noticed we were chattering and instead of me called my friend Kamalakaran(He is a Chartered Accountant in Bangalore)

     

    He asked him ‘tell me what I said now”

     

    He kept quiet.

     

    He went to the other four.

     

    Same response.

     

    He came to me.

     

    As I had followed him partially and read in advance the portion he would teach,I managed.

     

    He now asked all the others.

     

    ‘Do you have the Book?’

    -No

     

    ‘Note Book’?

     

    Blank stares.

     

    “pen.pencil?

     

    Blank.

     

    He said

     

    ‘No Book,No Note book ,No thinking and No Understanding’

     

    Let me conclude an instance involving Mr.Ananthan.

     

    We used to have English II for an hour followed by an hour of  English Composition.

     

    Normally the Composition alone will be handled in this class.

     

    As these classes were on Fridays we use to finish the Essays by 230 and rush to Midlands/Odeon theatre,Chennai to see English Movies.

     

    I used to write fast and normally was reasonably good.

     

    Six of us were in a row,as usual in the last bench.

     

    As I write(I sit in the middle), the others would copy).

     

    Sivakumar, who is a Businessman now, wrote in such a way to match my speed to the extent of scoring out what I had scored out)

     

    When the note books were returned to us the next Day, my friends’ notebook carried this…

     

    ‘I asked for one Essay, not 1+5?

     

    When shall I see such teachers?

     

    ( I shall narrate some more instances as I recollect them)

  • CORRECT USAGE OF ADJECTIVES, Know Your Grammar.

    Suppose we want to use an adjective relating to quantity e.g. some, any.

    Some is used in affirmative sentences; Any in negative and interrogative sentences.

    I can use some sugar. (Affirmative).

    Do you have any sugar? (Interrogative).

    Is any one there? (Though Interrogative, we expect a negative reply i.e. nobody is there).

    I do not have anything left to eat. (Negative).

    In the sentence, I can use some sugar, we normally assume the reply to be ‘yes’. So, we can use some in cases when we need to make requests or when we want to offer.

    ‘ANY’ can be used in the affirmative sentence also if it follows ‘ if ’, If you need any cash, I shall provide you.

    EACH, EVERY

    ‘Each’ is used when we speak of two or more things.

    ‘Every’ is used only when we speak of more than two things.

    ‘Each’ places emphasis on the individual.

    ‘Every’ emphasis to total group.

    ‘Each’ is used when the number in the group is limited or definite.

    ‘Every’ is used when the number is indefinite.

    India expects every citizen to do his / her duty.

    Each row in the Auditorium has twenty-five seats.

    Everyone should play his part in Twenty 20 tournament to ensure to win.

    LITTLE, A LITTLE, THE LITTLE

    Little – more or less nothing.

    Little – There is little hope of his getting through the final examination (He has no chance).

    (Normally few, a few, the few are used along with countable Nouns).

    A Little – There is a little hope of his getting through the final examination. (He has some chance).

    The Little – Whatever is available (it is not much).

    The little information on the type of explosives used, has been very vital in nabbing the culprit.

    (The information on the explosive was not much, but, it was very important in catching the culprit).

    FEW, A FEW, THE FEW

    Few – more or less nothing, insignificant. Few honest persons become politicians.

    A Few – some

    May I request the Chief General to say a few words?

    The Few – Whatever available, though not much.

    The few friends I have would give their life for me, if need be.

    We must ensure that we use the correct adjective at the correct position. Otherwise, the meaning will become different.

    e.g.: give me some rice – The emphasis here is on ‘me’. Give some rice to me – Emphasis ‘rice’.

    Many of us make mistakes in this respect and often we convey a wrong meaning.

    Fill in with few, a few, the few, little, a little, the little.

    1. I have time.

    2. drops do not make an ocean.

    3. I havefriends.

    4. rupees he had saved, when he was affluent, had stood him instead.

    5. Havemore.

    6. fact would have prevented misunderstanding.

    7. Aurangzeb showed mercy on his enemies.

    8. knowledge of dehydration thereby saved his life.

    Related:

    http://ramanisblog.in/2012/09/05/some-examples-on-degrees-of-comparison-and-tipsenglish-grammar/

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  • Some Examples On Degrees of Comparison and Tips,English Grammar.

    Some examples of Positive, Comparative and Superlative Degrees of Comparison.

    Positive Comparative Superlative

    Good Better Best

    Hot Hotter Hottest

    Sharp Sharper Sharpest

    Tall Taller Tallest

    Short Shorter Shortest

    Large Larger Largest

    Small Smaller Smallest

    Dry More dry (drier) Most dry (driest)

    Cold More cold (colder) Most cold (coldest)

    Proud More proud (prouder) Most proud (proudest)

    High Higher Highest

    Legible More legible Most legible

    Great Greater Greatest

    Cut Cut Cut

    Put Put Put

    Useful More useful Most useful

    Ferocious More ferocious Most ferocious

    Nutritive More nutritive Most nutritive

    Pretty More pretty (prettier) Most pretty (Prettiest)

    We should remember that we have two things to compare in Comparative degrees. We can say one is better than the other.

    In cases, when we have to make comparison between more than two Persons / Objects, we have to say one or one group is better or worse than the other.

    Ex: A, B, C and D are compared.

    A is taller than B

    B is taller than C

    D is of the same height of C

    B is taller than C and D, but, shorter than A.

    Changing the Degrees of Comparison

    – POSITIVE Degree occurs when we make a statement or a matter of fact without comparison.

    – COMPARITIVE Degree occurs when we compare two things / place / persons.

    – SUPERLATIVE Degree occurs when more than two things / place / persons are involved. Remember, beyond Superlative there is nothing more to be compared. If only two persons / places need to be compared, then one can use the Superlative.

    – When forming comparative degree, normally add

    a) ‘er’ to positive

    Ex: tall – taller sharp – sharper

    old – older short – shorter

    young – younger long – longer

    large – larger high – higher

    b) for superlative, add ‘est’ to positive.

    tall – taller – tallest sharp – sharper – sharpest

    old – older – oldest short – shorter – shortest

    young – younger – youngest long – longer – longest

    large – larger – largest high – higher – highest

    c) for word ending with ‘ y ’ remove ‘ y ‘ from positive and add ‘ier’ for comparative and ‘iest’ for superlative.

    heavy – heavier – heaviest lucky – luckier – luckiest

    pretty – prettier – prettiest dirty – dirtier – dirtiest

    merry – merrier – merriest dirty – more dirty – most dirty

    The Adjectives which have two syllables, will have ‘more’ for comparative and ‘most’ for superlative.

    Ex: beautiful – more beautiful – most beautiful

    honest – more honest – most honest

    popular – more popular – most popular

    reliable – more reliable – most reliable

    pretty – more pretty (prettier) – most pretty

    (prettiest)

    Some form themselves into comparative and superlative in an irregular pattern.

    Positive Comparative Superlative

    good / well better best

    bad / ill worse worst

    high higher highest

    little less least

    much / many more most

    far farther farthest

    fore former foremost / first

    You will become familiar with more words to use in Degrees of comparison by reading.

    For changing from one degree to another.

    From Positive to Comparative.

    a) Find out the comparative form of positive and place it in the place of positive adjective and follow it with ‘than’ or ‘to’ and follow it with the object.

    Rama is elder (comparative) to Lakshmanan

    To change into superlative, you should make sure or ensure that all the persons / places / things compared are taken into account. In superlative, you should leave nothing out of comparison.

    In the above example, in comparative, we have taken only two persons ; Rama and Lakshmanan

    If we are certain that we have to make a statement involving Rama and Lakshmanan to indicate who is elder of the two, comparative degree will do. But, if we have more than two people, if we say, ‘Rama is elder to Lakshmanan’, when two others namely, Bharata and Shatrugana are involved, if we say Rama is elder to Lakshmana, we will not know if Bharata or Shatrugana is elder to Rama. So, if we say, Rama is the eldest of four brothers, we have taken into account Bharata and Shatrugana. We get the clear picture that Rama is the eldest of the four.

    Let us see another example for changing from one degree to another.

    Madurai is the oldest town in Tamil Nadu (Superlative).

    The meaning is that there is no other city in Tamil Nadu which is older than Madurai. So, to convert the above into superlative and convey the same meaning, we should say ‘Madurai is older than any other city in Tamil nadu’. We can also express the same in another way.

    No other city in Tamil Nadu is older than Madurai.

    However, the emphasis we want to give on Madurai is slightly different or varied. This, we shall discuss later.

    Shakespeare is greater than any other English poet. (Comparative)

    Shakespeare is the greatest of English Poets (superlative).

    As a rule, make sure the meaning in various degrees remain the same, instead of blindly following hints. In fact, while dealing with grammar, we should pay more attention to the meaning conveyed, whatever be the circumstances.

    Change the degree of comparison without changing the meaning.

    1) The pen is mightier than the sword.

    2) Cow is more useful than any other animal.

    3) Mount Everest is the highest peak in the World.

    4) Mariana Trench is the deepest point in the ocean

    5) It is better to have loved and lost than to have not loved at all.

    6) Mango is sweeter than Lime.

    7) Very few Nations are as materialistic as the USA.

    8) Samudra Gupta was greater than any other King in India.

    9) No other orator was more powerful as Demosthenes.

    10) I have more books than you.

    ADJECTIVES USED AS NOUNS

    ‘The rich do not know the condition of the poor’

    The adjectives are ‘rich’ and ‘poor’.

    What do we mean by these adjectives?

    Rich – people who are rich or rich people.

    Poor – people who are poor or poor people.

    The nouns ‘People’ are not stated openly. They are implied or hidden behind the adjectives. So, when we say rich or poor in the above sentences, we mean rich (adjective) people (noun – collective noun), do not to know the sufferings of the poor (adjective) people (noun – collective noun). In practice, we use rich and poor. Hence, adjective is used as Plural Nouns.

    The future is happy. Here, future means futurity. It is an Abstract Noun. In such cases, the adjective (future) becomes Noun. It is in Singular.

    Some other adjectives derived from Proper Nouns become adjectives. They may relate to proper ethnicity – Indians, Americans, Tamilians.

    Some adjectives indicating persons also become Nouns. They may belong to particular profession or an activity that is common to all of them – juniors, seniors, Criminals.

    Yet some other adjectives denoting quantity / things in general become Nouns. It can be both in Singular and Plural.

    – Secrets, total, solids, liquids, gases, valuables.

    Some adjectives like sweet are used as Nouns in Plural and not in Singular. We can say sweets, it, that is, in a many eatables that are sweet.

    Some phrases also become Nouns whenever this make appear into the sentence below the proceeding one. In short, Before long, Ere long, At Best, At the very least, in black and white.

    In general, to identify an adjective functioning as a Noun, look for Plural Nouns, Singular Nouns of quality, derivatives of Nouns (means Adjectives formed of Noun). Or some phrases that indicate Nouns implicitly.

    Also, ‘the’ appears before Adjective functioning as Noun (in general).

    Remember the above guidelines are only indicative. Best way is to look for the meaning. i.e. what we speak about Persons / Places / Things and what we add to give more meaning to the forms and decide if the Noun is implied.

    Sometimes we use Noun as adjectives as well.

    I am a city boy.

    He always plays computer games.

    Adjective is normally placed before the Noun.

    He is a great man.

    In poetry, the adjective may appear after the Noun – ‘Men’, of great valour never die more than once’.

    We place adjectives after Noun in Prose also, when we have more than one adjective to emphasis.

    Lord Krishna was a great King, Philosopher and Leader.

    He was a kind man, patient, forbearing and of compassion.

    We also place adjectives after a Noun when we join some words or phrases to adjectives. This is to place emphasis.

    MS Dhoni is fertile in imaginative tactics..

    In some cases, in some phrases, Adjectives come after the Noun.

    God Almighty, time immemorial.

    In some instances, the adjectives are more of explanatory in nature or indicate a specific quality which we want to emphasis.

     

    Related:

    http://ramanisblog.in/2012/08/30/comparison-of-adjectives-or-degrees-of-comparisonenglish-grammar/

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  • KINDS OF ADJECTIVES. English Grammar.

    ADJECTIVE adds meaning to Noun. There are various kinds of Adjectives. They are:

    1. Adjective of Quality: Kind or quality of a person or thing

    Bangalore is a cosmopolitan city.

    Mahatma Gandhi was an honest man.

    If you ask the question, ‘of what kind’?, you get Adjective of quality.

    2. Adjective of Quantity: shows how much of a thing or quantity.

    We have enough food

    There has been insufficient rain this season.

    3. Numeral Adjective or Adjective of Numbers: Indicates the number of things indicated.

    The hand has five fingers. Some numeral adjectives: few, many, all, most, several.

    To find ‘Adjective of quantity ask ‘How much or how many?

    Adjectives of Number are further classified into:

    a) Definite Numeral Adjectives: denotes exact numbers as one, two, three etc. (These are called Cardinals).

    First, Second, third etc., (these are called Ordinals).

    b) Indefinite Numeral Adjectives do not indicate exact number as few, man, several, all.

    c) Distributive Numeral Adjectives refer to each one of a number as

    India expects every one to do his / her duty.

    Some Adjectives may be grouped as Adjective of identity or Numeral Adjective according to its use.

    E.g.; Adjective of Quantity – Number

    He has lost all his money. All men must die.

    4. Demonstrative adjective – point out / emphasis which person / thing is meant.

    This boy is my son

    That house is mine.

    If you ask ‘which’?, you shall get Demonstrative adjective.

    NOTE: What / which / where: When you use these words with Nouns to ask question, you shall get Interrogative Adjectives.

    5. ‘OWN’ and ‘VERY’ are used for emphasis.

    These are called Emphasis Adjective.

    I saw it with my own eyes.

    6. Exclamatory Adjectives use ‘What!’, ‘What an Idea !’.

    Adjectives are formed from Nouns / Verbs / Adjectives

    From Nouns: Boy – Boyish, Storm – Stormy

    From Verbs: Talk – Talkative, Move – Moveable

    From Adjectives: Two – Two-fold, Sick – Sickly

    http://ramanisblog.in/2012/08/27/declension-of-nouns-know-your-english-grammar/

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