‘a’ or ‘an’ are known as indefinite articles. The choice between a and an is determined by sound.

1. Articles – ‘a’, ‘an’, & ‘the’ • ‘a’ or ‘an’ are known as indefinite articles. • The choice between a and an is determined by sound. • Before a word beginning with a vowel sound an is use. • For example – an axe, an egg, an inkpot, an owl, an umbrella…. • It will be noticed that the words hour, honest, heir begin with a vowel sound, as the initial consonant h is not pronounced • Before a word beginning with a consonant sound a is used. • For example – a boy, a frock, a plate, a chair, a horse, a hare…. • But – a union,a European,a ewe,a unicorn …. • Because these words begin with a consonant sound – yu.

2. Use of ‘the’- the definite article 1)When we talk about a particular person or thing or one already referred to – Eg. – i) The book you want is out of print. (the one you want) ii) Let’s go to the park. The park which is discussed earlier) 2)When a singular noun is meant to represent a whole class, Eg. – i) The cow is a useful animal. ii) The dinosaur is an extinct animal. 3)Before some proper names. Eg. –i) the Pacific, the black sea – oceans and seas ii) The Ganga, the Nile – rivers iii) The Himalayas iv) The Sahara v) The Chamundi

3. 4) Before names of things unique of their kindeg. - i) the sun ii) the sky iii) the earth…..5) Before a proper noun when it is qualified by an adjective or a defining adjectival clause.eg. - i) The great Caesar ii) The immortal Shakespeare6) With superlatives,eg. - i) The darkest cloud has a silver lining. ii) This is the best hotel in the whole city.7) With ordinals.Eg. - i) I was the first one to enter this class. ii) The fourth chapter of this book is very interesting.8) Before musical instrumentseg. i) He can play the flute ii) I can play the keyboard.

4. The Palace The Taj Mahal The Parliament10. The Patels The Nehrus The Clintons11. Akbar the Great Billy the Kid

5. Thirty days hath September,April, June and November,All the rest have thirty one,Excepting February alone,To which we twenty- eight assign,Till leap year makes it twenty –nine.

6. Spoonerism • * It is kistomary to kus the bride. • *You have wasted a whole worm. • *Town drain • *He hissed the mystery classes.

7. SPELLING BEE • Outside a cemetery sat a harassed cobbler and an embarrassed oculist, picnicking on a desiccated apple, and gazing at the symmetry of a lady’s ankle with unparalleled ecstasy.

8. Liaison, Occurred, Accommodation, Calendar, Competent, Biased, Connoisseur, Homoeopathy, Diarrhoea, Dysentery.

9. Collective Nouns:- • APES : GIRLS : • BEAR : PIGLETS : • CATTLE: RABITS : • CAT : OWLS : • FOX : CROW : • LEOPARD: WOLF : • LION : TIGER :

10. SHREWDNESS BEVY SLOTH FARROW HERD BURY CLOWDER PARLIAMENT SKULK MURDER PRIDE PACK

11. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN? • 1. Teacher :Locomotive Engineer • 2. Baker : Lazy Man • 3.Boxer : Man With A Cold • 4. Jeweller :Jailor • 5. Soldier : Pretty Girls • 6. Thief : Church Bell • 7. Postage Stamp :Girl • 8. Gandhi :Ravi Shastri

12. Bombastic Words The Veteran custodian of a wicket was made the recipient of a gratuitous gift by the next wielder of the willow, Who not being born under propitious circumstances snicked the fleeting red leather sphere into his ever vigilant gloves.

13. Let me introduce the digits of my pointer finger and thumb into your odiferous concavity and extract there from some pulvenzed atom and introduce at my nasal prominences. I am propagating a uniform kind of idiosyncrasy occurring malevolently in the meritorious piece of my claterubial brain – in other words I am remembering you.

14. Similar Words? • Manilla Manila • Hypothermia Hyperthermia • Fractious Factious • Insurance Assurance • Guarantee Warranty • Credulous Credible • Discrete Discreet • Apprise Appraise • Rebut Rebuke

15. 18ities SERENITY REGULARITY ABSENCE OF VANITY SINCERITY SIMPLICITY VERACITY EQUANIMITY FIXITY NON IRRITABILITY ADAPTABILITY HUMILITY TENACITY INTEGRITY NOBILITY MAGNANIMITY CHARITY GENEROSITY PURITY. -SWAMI SAVANANDA

16. ANAGRAM:- • *ADOLF HITLER :HATED FOR ILL • *ASTRONOMER :MOON STARER • *CLINT EASTWOOD:OLD WEST ACTION • *PRINCESS DIANA :END IS A CAR SPIN • *MONICA LEWINSKY:NICE SILKY WOMAN • AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE • *MOTHER-IN-LAW :WOMAN HITLER

17. 21 Rules "An Approach To Style" • 1. Place yourself in the background. • 2. Write in a way that comes naturally. • 3. Work from a suitable design. • 4. Write with nouns and verbs. • 5. Revise and Rewrite. • 6. Do not overwrite. • 7. Do not overstate

18. 8. Avoid the use of qualifiers9. Do not affect a breezy manner. • 10.Use orthodox spelling. • 11. Do not explain too much. • 12. Do not construct awkward adverbs. • 13. Make sure the reader knows who is speaking.

19. 14.Avoid fancy words. • 15.Do not use dialect unless your ear is good. • 16. Be clear. • 17. Do not inject opinion. • 18. Use figures of speech sparingly. • 19. Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity.

20. 20.Avoid foreign languages. 21. Prefer the standard to the offbeat.

21. Money Can Buy… • Bed not Sleep • Books not Brains • Food not Appetite • Finery not Beauty • House not Home • Medicine not Healing • Luxury not Culture • Comfort not Hospitality • Religion not Custom