ToBE #8 : Indefinite articles

Indefinite articles : a, an.
Q : Why do we need two indefinite articles?
A : To assist pronunciation. When two vowel sounds appear next to each other, they tend to get fused into one sound : eg., boat, read, pour, etc.
To prevent that, 'an' is used when followed by a vowel sound.

To emphasize, use 'an' when followed by a vowel sound, not necessarily a vowel. Examples:

• He is an honest man. <= 'h' is silent in honest, therefore, 'honest' starts with a vowel sound.
• He is a European. <= 'E' is a vowel, but the word starts with the sound 'yuro..'. Therefore, use 'a', not 'an'.
• He is a Senior Analyst. <= Quite clear, I hope.
• He is an SA. <= 'SA' starts with a vowel sound 'ess', hence we precede it with 'an'.
  

ToBE #7 : Give respect, take respect

In this issue, we shall discuss on the different meanings of respect, when followed by different letters.
Respect/respects : Quite straight-forward, aren't they?

• Respect your elders.
• I went to the village to pay my respects to my grand-parents.

With respect to : Here we don't mean 'respect' in its stand-alone sense. "In relation to.." / "In the subject of..." / "Regarding..."

• This mail is with respect to your request for leave next week.
• Using 'with respects to' is wrong.

Respected : ... given respect by others.

• Patel was a highly-respected person.
• Respected sir, please consider my application.

Respecting : This is often confused with respected, and means the opposite. It means, "...giving respect to...". It is rarely used in its actual sense.

• Suren is a respecting individual.

Respective : Corresponding.

• Please get back to your respective seats.
• On Children's Day, the students came with their respective parents.

ToBE #6: Similar words, different meanings - Part 1

In this issue, we shall discuss some similar sounding but different meaning words that are, unfortunately, used interchangeably at times.

alternate/alternative:
Alternate : To switch between two or more states; also, skip a state. Eg.:-

• Both events were interesting. I kept alternating between Star Sports and ESPN. (=> I kept switching between...)
• Aruna and Harish meet on alternate days. (=> they skip a day)
  

Alternative(s) : Choice(s); or, the other option; substitute. Eg.:-

• We can go to VGP resort. The other alternatives are Mamalla Resort and Fisherman's Cove.
• We can go for a movie on Friday night. Alternatively, we can stay at home and get drunk.
  

OK, if you have an Use Case document that says 'Alternate Path', it is wrong. It seems to indicate that you keep jumping between paths.

lose/loose: Pronunciation is the same for both.
Lose : Opposite of win; opposite of gain. The past tense of 'lose' is 'lost'. Eg.:-

• Did India lose the match against Holland?
• Q : Did you lose money?
  A : Yes, I lost my wallet.
  

Loose : Not tight; free, liberal; lacking morals. Eg.:-

• This screw is loose, it won't fit.
• Don't indulge in loose talk. (Gossip/slander, free talk)
  

bear/bare: Pronunciation is the same for both.
Bear : A wild animal; to suffer; to undergo; tolerate.

• Are there any polar bears in Sri Lanka?
• The injection will hurt. You have to bear the pain. (Past tense of 'bear' in this sense is 'bore').
  

Bare : Without any addition/ornamentation/clothing.

• Tell me the bare truth. (=> Speak the truth, do not add your stuff to make it softer or different).
• The apartment was bare. (=> No furniture, no additions, plain).
• As he reached up, his sleeve fell back and I could see the scar on his bare wrist. (=> plain, without clothes).
  

So, please be careful when you say, "Please bare with me"!