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MIND OUR ENGLISH

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Apr 23: Bursting with wit

HERE are more examples of the delicious wit found in chiasmus.

Apr 16: Reciprocal words

It’s wrong to say: ‘They’re both dating!’, ‘They’re both an item!’ or ‘They’re both quarrelling again!’. Here’s why.

Apr 16: Light and easy

Nowadays people like to go easy on their food consumption by taking light meals. They prefer to buy “light cheese”, “light mayonnaise” and “light coconut milk” in order to check their calorie intake.

Apr 9: The art of allusion

It’s not just about the direct meaning of words, you also have to be mindful of the emotional overtones they carry.

Apr 9: Quotes about euphemisms

“World domination is such an ugly phrase. I prefer to call it world optimisation.” – Eliezer Yudkowsky, Harry Potter And The Methods Of Rationality

Apr 2: Verbal clowning around

May the weapons of war rust in peace. Seven days without laughter make one weak. Welcome to the wonderful world of puns.

Apr 2: Anagrams and tricky words

CHING MING or Taoist’s All Souls’ Day will fall on 4 April this year. This is the day when the Chinese hold ceremonies to honour one’s departed ancestors.

Mar 26: Kitchen English

Do you enjoy cooking? Here are some words to spice up your vocabulary.

Mar 26: Kitchen English

Do you enjoy cooking? Here are some words to spice up your vocabulary.

Mar 19: Briefly speaking

Did you know that ‘laser’ is actually an acronym for ‘Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation’? Here is a look at the wonderful world of short forms.

Mar 12: Colour brightens up English language

Colour brightens up not only our vision and our lives, but also the English language. Here are some words that have taken on meanings beyond their original hues.

Mar 12: Using the right tense

Several readers mentioned that they have never been able to tell the difference between one tense and the other and that all tenses sound right.

Mar 12: Complete the proverbs

Fill in the blanks to complete the proverbs.

Mar 5: English - A colourful language

Lavender, rose, gold, russet, ocher, vermillion, flame, rust, glistening cherries and scarlet fruit ... the English language is redolent with vibrant hues.

Feb 26: Messi mistakes

Don’t pull my legs! Especially, not out of the blues! Our columnist points out some common mistakes when using idioms.

Feb 19: A snake's sentiments

In the Year of the Snake, peek into the serpentine mind and see what makes snakes tick (or bite or squeeze).

Feb 12: Using tenses correctly

If you think that the Cantonese words jor ( ), the Mandarin le ( ) or the Malay sudah means ‘already’, then you may have to retune your sense of English tenses!

Feb 5: Shaping up

What seem like stiff geometric shapes can actually have amazingly flexible meanings to suit different situations.

Jan 29: OUTstanding in its versatility

Whether you are 'out of your head' or have ideas that are 'out of the box', it would probably not be 'out of place' to say that the little O-word is OUTstanding in its versatility.

YOU don’t have to be a grammar specialist to know that English has verbs like can, may, must, ought to, shall and will. These are used with the base form of the main verb to express possibility, ability (can), probability (may), necessity (must), obligation, advice (should, ought to), intention (shall and will) and so on. These verbs are called modal auxiliaries, but are often referred to as modals.

Jan 22: Thank you – for what?

Letters and emails from Malaysians often end by thanking the reader, a rather un-English tradition that may have its roots in the Malay phrase: Sekian, terima kasih.

Jan 22: Creepy crawlies

CREEPY crawlies make our hairs stand on their ends. We feel squeamish so we squeal with fear or squirm in disgust. Though they are repulsive, they have crept into the English language to enrich our descriptions with vivid details.

Jan 15: Fun with synonyms

EACH sentence contains a synonym of the italicised word(s), spelt out in consecutive letters. Can you spot it?

Jan 8: Hey, you speak good English

There is a world of difference between 'visited' and 'had visited'; one of which may involve visiting dead, rather than living people.

Jan 1: Tense means sense!

How do you improve your language skills to the point that you can give a snappy response when foreigners compliment you on the way you speak ‘their’ language?

Jan 1: The contest writers

IDIOMANIA by OH TEIK THEAM

Dec 25: Uncountable?

Do you say, ‘None of them are terrorists’ or ‘None of them is a terrorist’?

Dec 25: Grammar couplets

By OH TEIK THEAM

Dec 18: Good Manglish

A letter from Peter Hannington of Sungai Petani, Kedah

Dec 18: Extensive reading

Right For Business: By ALISTAIR KING.

Dec 11: Words at war

Beware: The terms used to describe conflicts are often spun to subtly support one side or the other. So read them carefully.

Dec 4: Proud of Manglish?

Ashamed of speaking Malaysian English? Here are the intellectual justifications for it.

Nov 27: Linguist: It’s okay to speak Manglish

Do we feel that Malaysian English is ‘sub-standard’? It takes a Mat Salleh linguist to tell us why it’s OK to speak (but not write) this way!

Nov 27: Fun with synonyms

By OH TEIK THEAM.

Nov 6: Work well done!

It is a joy to have colleagues who take great pains over their work. They are systematic and organised. If one of the following words describes you, then you deserve all the accolades from your boss and colleagues. It reflects on your sound work ethics and moral integrity.

Oct 30: About double negatives

‘Ain’t No Other Man’ has a negative meaning, whereas ‘she is not unintelligent’ has a (guardedly) positive meaning. So when does negative + negative = positive?

Oct 23: Enjoy your rhymes!

When facing adversity, one should 'thrive, despite strife'. But when success has been achieved, 'don't ride on pride'. Enjoy your rhymes!

Oct 23: We look forward to...

FREQUENTLY, I am asked whether we can write I look forward to seeing you or I look forward to hearing from you.

Mind Our English

Oct 16: Present and perfect tenses

Are you confused by the differences between past tense, present perfect tense and past perfect tense? Then read on.

Oct 16: Idiomania: The story of Sleeping Beauty

BY OH TEIK THEAM.

Mind Our English

Oct 9: More Malaysian oddities

A UNIQUE feature of our local spoken English includes the employment of the word "can" or "cannot" often with a "lah" added on. Visitors to Malaysia can't fail to notice how addicted we are to the word "can".

Oct 2: Pronunciation violation

THIS week’s Right For Business looks at the impact that some features of Malaysian pronunciation have on writing.

Oct 2: Plainly speaking

Poor communication is a great hidden cost of doing business.

Oct 2: Oddities in Malaysian English

MALAYSIANS have their own brand of English which is quite distinct from that spoken by the native speakers in Britain.

Sep 25: Election English

’Tis the season to get all hot and bothered about the upcoming general elections. To prepare yourselves, get acquainted with some political terms.

Sep 18: Dealing with 'stative verbs'

Is the phrase, “She is tasting your curry” an example of grammatically incorrect Indian English?.

Sep 18: Spot the ‘bra’!

You need to get the magic word in the title… yes, aBRAcadaBRA! Now you can breeze through the rest of the BRA-lettered words!.

Sep 11: Mind your business

There are some people we would like to shun because they like to impose their beliefs or opinions on you. Some even like to control your actions or tell you what to do. Here are some words to describe such people who cannot mind their own business, and always get involved in affairs which do not concern them.

Sep 4: Dealing with complaints

Does your company ever receive complaints? I hope so! In this week’s Mind Our English column on business writing, it would be good to remember that complaints are feedback – and every form of feedback is useful, if you choose to recognise its usefulness.

Sep 4: ‘Man’ or ‘a man’

It was reported that Neil Armstrong, the first man who stepped on the moon surface, made an error by saying “That’s one small step for man, one giant step for mankind.” (e.g. Sin Chew Daily, Aug 27, 2012)

Aug 28: Ways to improve English

Read, write, listen and speak and you will get there.

Aug 28: The frog prince

HELEN, dear, why is there a frog on the chair next to you?” the king, who had just sat down for the midday meal, asked his beautiful daughter.

Aug 28: Writing the minutes

Who will take the minutes?” asks the chairman.

Aug 14: Two of a kind

'A couple of' and 'a couple' are used differently. This week, our Mind Our English columnist looks at nouns referring to pairs, twosomes and beyond.

Aug 14: Kindly be advised

This week's Mind Our English column on business writing considers the situation when you need to write a circular notifying the other party/parties of something. Would you write this?

Aug 14: New tricks for the dog

JUST two weeks into his first term at a veterinary college, an adolescent boy has foolishly squandered away all his pocket money.

Aug 7: Your esteemed goodself

People in Malaysia (and India) have ‘preserved’ archaic Victorian-era language and even elevated it as ‘Business English’ — while the British have long since moved on.

Jul 31: Collective nouns

Which is correct? The family is/are going to Penang? Liverpool is/are seeking trophies? When it comes to groups and teams, the rules get tricky.

Jul 31: Your favourable response?

This week's Mind Our English series on business writing looks at closing sentences that can make a proper impact.

Jul 24: For your kind perusal

We continue our series on business writing by examining more clunky and vague phrases.

Jul 17: The right word

Do you say cow, bull, ox or cattle? Peacock, peahen or peafowl? Our columnist answers various reader’s queries on which words to use.

Jul 17: I appreciate you!(Really I do ...)

HAVE you ever written “Your kind assistance is highly appreciated”? Were you requesting help or acknowledging help already given? This sentence is thanking the reader for his/her assistance, not requesting it.

Jul 17: Grammar couplets

By OH TEIK THEAM

Jul 10: I’m lovin' it

A famous fast food slogan is grammatically wrong - but commercially right.

Jul 10: Be precise!

Right for business by ALLISTAIR KING

Jul 3: Superb sports-speak

The recent Euros produced a treasure trove of well-written articles on football. For fans, this is a rousing way to improve one’s English.

Jul 3: Malaysian mistakes

Right for business: By ALISTAIR KING

Jul 3: Idiomania

By OH TEIK THEAM.

Jun 26: Get to the point

Mind Our English introduces Right for Business, a new weekly series to 'write it right' for business communications without sounding pompous, wordy or circuitous.

Jun 26: Improper prepositions

IF you say "I demand FOR an apology", your command may fall flat - on your face or the floor - all because of one wrongly used word.

Jun 19: Footballing language

The English language (rather than the team!) can be wonderful in football. Guess which Dutch player was left “riddled by the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” from the Princes of Denmark?

Jun 19: The word ‘see’ and its uses

To successfully ‘see through something’ has a different meaning from a ‘see-through blouse’! Indeed, the word ‘see’ has seen a rich variety of uses.

Jun 12: One of many

Can the word 'Nigerians' be made to work 'too hard'?

Jun 12: Burn and freeze

The words relating to heat and cold can whip up a whirlwind of meanings.

Jun 12: Spot the synonym

EACH sentence below contains a synonym of the italicised word(s), spelt out in consecutive letters. Can you spot it?

Jun 5: These little things

Are you a “newbie” or “newie”? And is “behind the scene” an obscenely frequent example of poor grammar?

Jun 5: The wonton man

I REMEMBER vividly the itinerant wonton noodle seller who came to our neighbourhood every Saturday afternoon, regular as clockwork. The delicious noodles always sold like hot cakes.

May 29: Pronoun problems

How do you use the pronouns ‘they’, ‘whose’ and ‘which’?

May 22: Shades of meaning

Can you distinguish between the words ‘neglect’, ‘ignore’ and ‘disregard’? Some words may have similar definitions, but they often carry different nuances.

May 22: Back formations

WHICH came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer – in fact, any answer – is debatable, given that natural science is unlikely to yield clues to the answer.

May 15: Court reporting: Proper grammar usage

Can a cheating husband have intimate relations with a guest relations officer (GRO) while his wife 'is conceiving'?

May 8: Brand name-calling

Do you pack food in 'Tupperware' and pamper your babies with 'Pampers'? You may be advertising for companies without knowing it.

May 8: Peculiar terms

Jargon can be used in wonderful ways.

May 1: Linguistic rojak

Where do you think the word ‘amuck’ came from? English has borrowed many words from other languages, including Malay.

May 1: The dog and the tiger

AN inquisitive mongrel who is chasing a rabbit suddenly realises that he is lost. Wandering in the forest, he espies a tiger creeping towards him. “I am dead meat – this merciless creature is going to kill me to satisfy his hunger,” the dog thinks.

Apr 24: Slip slidin’ away

Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned phrase “ulterior motive”? It is still around, but has been overshadowed by “hidden agenda”, which a lot of people prefer to use nowadays.

Apr 17: Comings and goings

Send does not really mean hantar, nor does follow really mean ikut. There are different nuances which don’t always translate well, so beware!

Apr 10: Snobbery in language

If we choose to use the word lavatory over toilet or condo over flat, will that reveal something about our social class?

Apr 10: A note in parsing

THE wording of the above title is spurious, and deliberately so – but more about it later. In Lewis Carroll’s book, Through the Looking Glass, Humpty Dumpty says, “When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less.” In the real world, however, such a cavalier attitude in the use of words does not carry a person far.

Apr 3: What do these words mean exactly?

A list of words and its usage.

Apr 3: Mary Poppins

IDIOMANIA By OH TEIK THEAM

Apr 3: April Fool!

New Year’s Day was once celebrated on April 1. Really!

Mar 27: Mispronounced words II

Did you know that 'almond' and 'salmon' should not be pronounced with the "l" sound? And don’t say 'trow' when you mean 'throw'!

Mar 27: Grammar couplets

By OH TEIK THEAM

Mar 20: Say it right

If you want to speak properly, you may want to know that there is more to A.E.I.O.U than meets the eye.

Mar 20: A bad word

Here are some “bad” words which you can use to describe people who put you off either because of their conduct, character or dressing.

Mar 13: Accent and slang

Footballer John Terry speaks differently from British Prime Minister David Cameron. And they may all be ‘geezers’ too.

Mar 6: British or American English?

Should you call it ‘movie’ or ‘film’? Well, it depends whether you’re talking about an Oscar (Hollywood’s Academy Award) or a BAFTA (British Academy Film Award). Confused? Read on...

Mar 6: This property is condemned

IDIOMANIA - By OH TEIK THEAM

Mar 2: Transition to transitives

Exploring verbs, intransitive and transitive, and the transition of the former to the latter, and the formation of transitive verbs.

Mar 1: Tenses in fiction

From today, MOE is answering readers’ queries in a new format. We will not be responding to every individual but will instead explain aspects of the English language based on problems raised by readers. We start off with the matter of the tenses used in writing and reviewing fiction.

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