Converse your way into a unique English lesson (Part 2)

After reading the emotional, heart-felt letter, both, Arya and her mother, needed something to cheer them up and help them relax. Her mother suggested that she was yearning to go on a long drive for a long time. And the dutiful daughter that Arya was, she instantly agreed to the plan and proceeded to get the car keys.

Given Arya’s work profile as an editor, who was also a linguist, she always had a habit of correcting people she knew, when they used a word/sentence incorrectly. That night, as soon as she and her mother stepped into the car, Arya’s mother exclaimed, ''Despite of telling you several times, you haven't got the dents in the car fixed. It’s time you did something about it, now.'' Arya took no time in correcting her mother, ''The word ‘despite’ is never followed by ‘of’ unlike ‘inspite’, which is followed by ‘of’. So, you can say how inspite of telling you several times you still haven’t got the dents fixed. I’m sorry for deviating from the topic; and I shall get the dents fixed, tomorrow morning.'' Arya’s mother, helplessly, looked at her daughter and started smiling at her daughter, while nodding her head. The sky that evening flaunted a full moon. And the stars had beautifully lit up the sky making the entire arrangement look elusive. ''The stars are very less in the sky, today. Nonetheless, the moon seems to be shining in all its glory,'' said Arya. Showing her approval, her mother looked away from the stars and asked Arya, “Why did you use the word ‘less’ and not ‘few,’ Arya?'' To this, Arya quickly responded, ''That’s because the stars in the sky are uncountable. And when you are referring to an uncountable noun, you use ‘less’, whereas, if you are referring to something countable, like some pairs of jeans left on the table, you use the word ‘few’. So, if I want to say that the milk in the glass is not a lot, I will say the milk is ‘less’ and not ‘few,’ because the milk is an uncountable noun.’’ Arya’s mother was trying to process what her daughter was explaining before asking her, ''So, if I want to refer to some furniture in a room and if I can count it, should I use ‘few’ or ‘less’?'' Arya, who sat upright before replying, explained that 'furniture' was a mass noun, and the objects that constituted the furniture in a place are countable as opposed to the furniture itself. So, she concluded that ‘furniture’ could not be counted and hence, to describe it, one must to use ‘less’.''

The route that Arya took for the long drive reminded Arya’s mother of the times she and Arya’s father would go on long drives with little Arya sitting in the back seat. In a fit of nostalgia, she said, ''I can never tire of coming for a drive on this street. Dad and me have spent many special moments here. I informed about our long drive to him, a while ago, and even he recollected some of the memories we have made along this stretch.'' Arya’s face beamed up on hearing this. She expressed a desire to go on a long drive with both her parents. At this time, Arya’s mother jokingly reminded her of how she hadn't found any errors in her statement. Arya shook her head and burst out laughing. She replied, ''Umm, there is one, actually. Can I correct it?'' Arya’s mother smiled and replied in the affirmative. Arya then stated, ''You always inform somebody about something, and not about something to someone. For e.g. I informed dad about my friend’s arrival coinciding with his arrival in July.'' And while the drive continued with all the excitement and child-like enthusiasm upon seeing a full moon, the talks became more and more vivid and intense. Right from talking about Arya’s future career plans to what they saw themselves doing during their old age, it was refreshing to see a mother-duo bond to such an extent.

As the drive came to an end, Arya revealed a secret to her mother, which she had kept hidden for a long time. ''Mom, Ronit proposed to me 3 months ago, and we wish to get married by next year,'' exclaimed Arya. Arya’s mother was taken aback for a brief moment.'' Wait. Is this for real?'' she asked. ''And how did this incidence occur so suddenly?'' Skeptical about her mom’s reaction, Arya tried to make light of the situation and replied ''Mom, it was an incident. Not incidence. You use ‘incidence’ in the context of a disease or crime, and not otherwise.'' Still surprised, Arya’s mother, with a tinge of humour, added, ''Not again!'' And this time around, both of them, could not control their laughter.  

Converse your way into a unique English lesson

It was a Friday evening, and Arya had returned home after a long day at work. Arya, who worked as an editor with an established magazine, quite often doubled up as a proof reading expert, when her mother would pen down a letter  to her close friends and family members. And the letter she had written this time was a heartfelt and emotional one. Her mother had penned a letter to her deceased grandma, who was celebrating her  92nd birth anniversary. Arya was a voracious reader, and she often stressed upon how words, if rightly used, had a powerful ability to shape thoughts and influence the mind.

''Ever since your dad left to go to abroad to work, I'm feeling very low," said Arya's mother. Arya sympathized with her mother, but she immediately tried to divert her mother's attention by saying "Mom, you never say 'go to abroad' or 'in abroad'. You always say that someone has gone abroad or is abroad.''  Her mother, then, quickly presented the letter to her to seek the approval of her expert of a daughter for her language. The letter read as follows:
How I never thought I would loose you so early in life! It has been years since I called someone ''Ma''. There are times when I experience an extreme sense of loss, but I can hardly explain anyone what I'm going through. I'm sorry for the rant, Ma, but I could barely can my emotions, today. And here's sending out all my love and regard to you on your 92nd birthday. How I wish you came down from the heavens to blow your birthday candles!

Arya was quick to reach out to her mother, and wondered if she didn't show enough concern for her mother to feel the way she did. Tears were already welling up in her eyes. And before the atmosphere in the house became heavy, Arya got back to doing what she was required to do. "Listen, you should use the word 'lose', here. The word 'loose' is used to describe something that is not firmly or tightly fixed in a place, whereas 'lose' is used to refer to deprivation of something tangible or intangible. And, the word 'explain', in this context, is always followed by 'to'. It is only if you are explaining ''yourself'' to someone that you don't add the word 'to' after 'explain'.''

''I remember how every year on my birthday, beside cooking up my favourite dish, you also cooked for all the children in our community. I still have a clear memory of every birthday which I celebrated very long back, as a child. All those children, who are now as big as I am, still remember you very fondly. From you I've learnt that its the deeds a person performs silently and with an intention to serve others that count the most.''

As much as Arya focused on giving her input, she couldn't help but give in to her emotions and tell her mom, ''I wish I could express my emotions and thoughts as beautifully as you, Ma.'' ''Today, I realize that whatever little writing talent I possess is all thanks to my rich gene pool,'' she chuckled. She also asked her mother to remember that the words 'besides' and 'beside' were non-interchangeable. ''The word 'beside' is used to mean by the side or being alongside, while 'besides' is used to refer to something other than what is being considered. It can also be used in place of apart from. When I say ''Ma, come and sit beside me'', I'm asking you to come and sit next to me. And when I say ''Besides sky diving, we also tried our hand at different water sports'', I'm replacing more common words like 'apart from' or 'other than' with 'besides'.'' And the correct way of describing something that took place many years in the past is by saying 'long ago' and not 'long back'. She also pointed out the mistake with the usage of 'its'. She exclaimed, ''The word 'its' is used while focusing on a belonging or an association with something easily identified. And 'it's' is an abbreviation of 'It is. Like how you say It's my ball or it's my duty, where 'it's' is short for it is.''

''I often recollect your advise about how I should strive and ensure that I instill strong values of independence and freedom in my daughter. You would be glad to know that your teachings through me have positively effected her outlook on life. And I'm sure that if you would meet her, today, you would consider your positive influence in her life as your greatest prize. I would not like to conclude this letter on an emotional note. I just hope you're happy wherever you are, and that your presence, in the form of your values and teachings, is reflected in the coming generations of our family.''

''The word 'advise' is a verb, whereas 'advice' is a noun. If you want to advise, you should also be prepared to take advice. I hope I made the distinction between the two words clear with this example.
And the word 'effected' is only used in the context of causing (something) to happen or bring about, while in the context of what you wrote, 'affected', which means 'influence',  should be used. Do you remember how I always say that your calmness and generosity have affected my life in more ways than one,''

Arya's mother had poured her heart out while writing the letter. In a bid to not let her emotional outpour ruin the perfect evening set-up at their home, the mother-daughter duo hugged tight and decided to make memories that evening. Arya's mother also thanked Arya for always making her writing look perfect.