Monday, March 31, 2014

0403

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The Ass and the Lapdog


  A Farmer one day came to the stables to see to his beasts of
burden: among them was his favourite Ass, that was always well fed
and often carried his master.  With the Farmer came his Lapdog,
who danced about and licked his hand and frisked about as happy as
could be.  The Farmer felt in his pocket, gave the Lapdog some
dainty food, and sat down while he gave his orders to his
servants.  The Lapdog jumped into his master's lap, and lay there
blinking while the Farmer stroked his ears.  The Ass, seeing this,
broke loose from his halter and commenced prancing about in
imitation of the Lapdog.  The Farmer could not hold his sides with
laughter, so the Ass went up to him, and putting his feet upon the
Farmer's shoulder attempted to climb into his lap.  The Farmer's
servants rushed up with sticks and pitchforks and soon taught the
Ass that


Clumsy jesting is no joke.


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Nouns : Section Menu

0401

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The Ass and the Lapdog 


  A MAN had an Ass, and a Maltese Lapdog, a very great beauty.  The
Ass was left in a stable and had plenty of oats and hay to eat,
just as any other Ass would.  The Lapdog knew many tricks and was
a great favorite with his master, who often fondled him and
seldom went out to dine without bringing him home some tidbit to
eat.  The Ass, on the contrary, had much work to do in grinding
the corn-mill and in carrying wood from the forest or burdens
from the farm.  He often lamented his own hard fate and
contrasted it with the luxury and idleness of the Lapdog, till at
last one day he broke his cords and halter, and galloped into his
master's house, kicking up his heels without measure, and
frisking and fawning as well as he could.  He next tried to jump
about his master as he had seen the Lapdog do, but he broke the
table and smashed all the dishes upon it to atoms.  He then
attempted to lick his master, and jumped upon his back.  The
servants, hearing the strange hubbub and perceiving the danger of
their master, quickly relieved him, and drove out the Ass to his
stable with kicks and clubs and cuffs.  The Ass, as he returned
to his stall beaten nearly to death, thus lamented:  "I have
brought it all on myself! Why could I not have been contented to
labor with my companions, and not wish to be idle all the day
like that useless little Lapdog!"


 To be satisfied with one's lot is better than to desire
something which one is not fitted to receive


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Nouns : Section Menu


0331

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 The Ass and the Horse 


  AN ASS besought a Horse to spare him a small portion of his feed.
"Yes," said the Horse; "if any remains out of what I am now
eating I will give it you for the sake of my own superior
dignity, and if you will come when I reach my own stall in the
evening, I will give you a little sack full of barley."  The Ass
replied, "Thank you.  But I can't think that you, who refuse me a
little matter now.  will by and by confer on me a greater
benefit."


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Gerund and Present Participle (ing form)



Thursday, March 27, 2014

0328

0327

0327

0326

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

0326

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Gerund and Present Participle (ing form)

Monday, March 24, 2014

0325

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The Ass and the Frogs 


  AN ASS, carrying a load of wood, passed through a pond.  As he
was crossing through the water he lost his footing, stumbled and
fell, and not being able to rise on account of his load, groaned
heavily.  Some Frogs frequenting the pool heard his lamentation,
and said, "What would you do if you had to live here always as we
do, when you make such a fuss about a mere fall into the water?"


Men often bear little grievances with less courage than
they do large misfortunes.

-------------------------------

The Ass and the Grasshopper AN ASS having heard some Grasshoppers chirping, was highly enchanted; and, desiring to possess the same charms of melody, demanded what sort of food they lived on to give them such beautiful voices. They replied, "The dew." The Ass resolved that he would live only upon dew, and in a short time died of hunger. Even a fool is wise-when it is too late!


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Gerund and Present Participle (ing form)

0324

0321

Thursday, March 20, 2014

0321

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Direct and Indirect Speech


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The Ass Carrying the Image


AN ASS once carried through the streets of a city a famous wooden
Image, to be placed in one of its Temples.  As he passed along,
the crowd made lowly prostration before the Image.  The Ass,
thinking that they bowed their heads in token of respect for
himself, bristled up with pride, gave himself airs, and refused
to move another step.  The driver, seeing him thus stop, laid his
whip lustily about his shoulders and said, "O you perverse
dull-head! it is not yet come to this, that men pay worship to an
Ass."


They are not wise who give to themselves the credit due to
others.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

0319

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Direct and Indirect Speech




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 The Ass and the Charger 


  AN ASS congratulated a Horse on being so ungrudgingly and
carefully provided for, while he himself had scarcely enough to
eat and not even that without hard work.  But when war broke out,
a heavily armed soldier mounted the Horse, and riding him to the
charge, rushed into the very midst of the enemy.  The Horse was
wounded and fell dead on the battlefield.  Then the Ass, seeing
all these things, changed his mind, and commiserated the Horse.

Monday, March 17, 2014

0317

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Direct and Indirect Speech



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The Ass and His Shadow 


  A TRAVELER hired an Ass to convey him to a distant place.  The
day being intensely hot, and the sun shining in its strength, the
Traveler stopped to rest, and sought shelter from the heat under
the Shadow of the Ass.  As this afforded only protection for one,
and as the Traveler and the owner of the Ass both claimed it, a
violent dispute arose between them as to which of them had the
right to the Shadow.  The owner maintained that he had let the
Ass only, and not his Shadow.  The Traveler asserted that he had,
with the hire of the Ass, hired his Shadow also.  The quarrel
proceeded from words to blows, and while the men fought, the Ass
galloped off.


In quarreling about the shadow we often lose the substance.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

0314

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Determiners


Difference words
other, another

Question words
Which, what, whose

Defining words
which, whose


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 The Ass and his Purchaser


  A man who wanted to buy an Ass went to market, and, coming across
a likely-looking beast, arranged with the owner that he should be
allowed to take him home on trial to see what he was like. When he
reached home, he put him into his stable along with the other asses.
The newcomer took a look round, and immediately went and chose a place
next to the laziest and greediest beast in the stable. When the master
saw this he put a halter on him at once, and led him off and handed
him over to his owner again. The latter was a good deal surprised to
seem him back so soon, and said, "Why, do you mean to say you have
tested him already?" "I don't want to put him through any more tests,"
replied the other. "I could see what sort of beast he is from the
companion he chose for himself."


"A man is known by the company he keeps."

Friday, March 7, 2014

0307, 0310, 0311, 0312, 0313

FUNCTION AND CLASSES OF DETERMINERS

Function

Determiners are words placed in front of a noun to make it clear what the noun refers to.
The word 'people' by itself is a general reference to some group of human beings. If someone says 'these people', we know which group they are talking about, and if they say 'a lot ofpeople' we know how big the group is.
'These' and 'a lot of' are determiners in these sentences.

Classes of Determiners

There are several classes of determiners:

Definite and Indefinite articles
the, a, an

this, that, these, those

Possessives
my, your, his, her, its, our, their

Quantifiers
a few, a little, much, many, a lot of, most, some, any, enough, etc.

Numbers
one, ten, thirty, etc.

Distributives
all, both, half, either, neither, each, every

Difference words
other, another

Question words
Which, what, whose

Defining words
which, whose

The following words are pre-determiners. They go before determiners, such as articles: such and what, half, rather, quite

Thursday, March 6, 2014

0306

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Determiners

THE, A, AN


Definite and Indefinite articles
the, a, an

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

0305

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Adverbs



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The Apes and the Two Travelers 


  TWO MEN, one who always spoke the truth and the other who told
nothing but lies, were traveling together and by chance came to
the land of Apes.  One of the Apes, who had raised himself to be
king, commanded them to be seized and brought before him, that he
might know what was said of him among men.  He ordered at the
same time that all the Apes be arranged in a long row on his
right hand and on his left, and that a throne be placed for him,
as was the custom among men.  After these preparations he
signified that the two men should be brought before him, and
greeted them with this salutation:  "What sort of a king do I seem
to you to be, O strangers?'  The Lying Traveler replied, "You seem
to me a most mighty king."  "And what is your estimate of those
you see around me?'  "These," he made answer, "are worthy
companions of yourself, fit at least to be ambassadors and
leaders of armies."  The Ape and all his court, gratified with the
lie, commanded that a handsome present be given to the flatterer. 
On this the truthful Traveler thought to himself, "If so great a
reward be given for a lie, with what gift may not I be rewarded,
if, according to my custom, I tell the truth?'  The Ape quickly
turned to him.  "And pray how do I and these my friends around me
seem to you?'  "Thou art," he said, "a most excellent Ape, and all
these thy companions after thy example are excellent Apes too."
The King of the Apes, enraged at hearing these truths, gave him

over to the teeth and claws of his companions.  

Monday, March 3, 2014

0304

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Adverbs




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The Ant and the Grasshopper


  In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about,
chirping and singing to its heart's content.  An Ant passed by,
bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the
nest.

  "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper,
"instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

  "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant,
"and recommend you to do the same."

  "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; we have got
plenty of food at present."  But the Ant went on its way and
continued its toil.  When the winter came the Grasshopper had no
food and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants
distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had
collected in the summer.  Then the Grasshopper knew:


It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

0303

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Adverbs


Function: How to use adverbs...
Form: Where adverbs go...
Comparative forms: comparing using adverbs...
Kinds of adverbs
          Adverbs of manner
          Adverbs of place
          Adverbs of time
          Adverbs of certainty           
          Interrogative adverbs
          Relative adverbs
          Viewpoint and commenting adverbs

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The Ant and the Dove 


  AN ANT went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and
being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of
drowning.  A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked
a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her.  The Ant
climbed onto it and floated in safety to the bank.  Shortly
afterwards a birdcatcher came and stood under the tree, and laid
his lime-twigs for the Dove, which sat in the branches.  The Ant,
perceiving his design, stung him in the foot.  In pain the
birdcatcher threw down the twigs, and the noise made the Dove
take wing.



One good turn deserves another