2. You might not realize it, but English is one of the most difficult
languages on Earth. Its rules have lots of exceptions, and its words are
hard to spell. Here's a typical example of how confusing English can
be: Say the words "mate," "eight" and "strait" out loud. They all make
the same sound when you say them, but they are spelled totally
differently!
Pronouncing and spelling most English words probably is easy for you,
but for people learning English for the first time, these kinds of quirks
in our language make it extremely challenging.
KICKSTART WITH
ENGLISH
FUN FACTS
The word ‘alphabet’ is etymologically derived from the first two letters in the Greek
alphabet: ‘alpha’ and ‘beta'.
‘Underground’ is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with
the letters ‘und’.
‘Testify’ is a word based on the tradition of men in the Roman court who validated
the truth of their statements by swearing on their testicles. Luckily, nowadays we
swear on a book instead.
The shortest complete sentence in the English language is: ‘I am.’
This sentence has every letter of the alphabet in it: ‘The quick brown fox jumps over
the lazy dog.’
What's the longest one-syllable English word?
There are several examples of one-syllable words with nine letters, including "stretched," "scratched" and "screeched."
What other words besides "hungry" and "angry" end in "-gry?"
There aren't any!
Are there any words that have no words that rhyme with them?
No other word in the language rhymes with month, and no English words rhyme with orange, silver or purple. Pity the poets.
Are there any words in which the same letter appears three times in a row?
Typically, English requires a hyphen to prevent that from happening, as in bee-eater or cross-section. But the Oxford English Dictionary does contain a few examples
without hyphens, including frillless (without frills) and duchessship (the office of being a duchess). And, no, "brrr" is not a real word.
Are there any words that exist only as a plural?
There are quite a few, including scissors, binoculars and tongs. (What do those three objects have in common?)
What is the opposite of exceed (which means to be superior to or better than)?
There isn't one, but the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary think that one is needed. They are considering the possibility of "deceed," which would mean "to be
less than."
Is there a word for a baby hedgehog?
Until recently, they were simply called baby hedgehogs (awww). But lately, experts have started calling these spiny little critters "hoglets" or even the super-cute
"hedgehoglet."
3. FUN WITH ENGLISH
It’s amazing that most people believe learning English and having fun are mutually exclusive.
After years of painfully trying to learn the language by memorizing grammar rules, how often do
students end up at the promise land of fluency? Rarely.
People are trained that the harder they work at something, the greater the rewards. I agree with
this principle and if your end goal is to be really good at diagramming sentences, then work hard
and study them every night.
However, most learners aren’t studying English to analyse sentences or become linguists. They
want to communicate, interact, and socialize – and here’s the key – with other people.
While books and rules remain important to build a sound foundation for the English language,
genuine human engagement will take learners to the communication level they desire.
The best part about the social component of learning English is that it makes learning fun. Take
any hobby or interest that involves other people and do it in English, making the language part
of your lifestyle. Instead of spending nights memorizing arbitrary vocabulary lists, join a bowling
league, hang out at a sports bar, or find your nearest hiking club. The possibilities for practice
are endless. You’ll feel your improvement every day and even have some fun at the same time.
STRANGEnglish
There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple...
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work
slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese?
When a house burns up, it burns down.
When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it?
How can 'slim chance and a fat chance' be the same, while ' wise man and a wise guy' are
opposites?
Fun Corner
