Expansion of Ideas (Class XI)

 English - Writing Skill

Class XI

Expansion of Ideas

1. A Bad Workman Blames His Tools

         One who fails in his efforts or work gives excuses. Human nature is such that none is prepared to accept his own deficiency, drawbacks and negligence. A typist who often commits mistakes would blame the quality of the typewriters. Similarly, an inefficient mechanic condemns the entire automobile industry. This is because we always to find faults with everyone and everything else except ourselves. Instead of taking responsibility of our work, some people find faults with the equipment. They blame the equipment for their failure. They do not accept their faults.

     This is perhaps most evident in a student who does not fare well in his examinations. Instead of looking for reasons within himself, he looks outside for someone or something to blame such as a difficult question paper, not getting time due to household problems or an unkind examiner. Similarly a dancer who fails to perform well a particular event attributes his poor performance to the incompetent musicians, accompanists or to the poor stage management.

      So, idle hands are the devil's tool. The proverb aptly reflects normal human behavior.

Read More

Verbs

                                                                 Verbs

Definition :

The word which represents an action is said to be a verb.

The word which describes the sentence.

The word which states an action or experience is called a verb.

Example:

1. She is dancing. 

(dancing)

2. I am studying. (Studying)

3. Sham is playing. (Playing)

4. Swara is singing a song. (Singing)

5. I listen to the words and repeat them.(Listen)

6. I drink water.

7. Rohan’s sister cooks well. (Cooking)

Types of Verbs

1. Strong Verb and Weak Verbs

(A) Strong Verbs :

Strong verbs are those that change the stem vowel (Root/base)in order to form the past tense (V2)or past participle(V3).

Sr. No	V1 (Root)	V2	V3
1	Write	Wrote	Written
2	Speak	Spoke	Spoken
3	Break	Broke	Broken
4	Go	Went	Gone
5	Do	Did	Done

B) Weak Verbs

Definition :

Weak verbs do not change the stem vowel of the original verbs when they are used in past tense (V2) or past participle (V3).

Weak verbs are those that add a “-d” or “-t” ending to the past tense or past participle.

Sr. No	V1 (Root)	V2	V3
1	Put	Put	Put
2	walk	walked	Walked
3	Bring	brought	brought
4	talk	Talked	Talked
5	let	let	let
6	cut	cut	cut
7	Tell	Told	Told

2) Transitive verbs and Intransitive Verbs

(A) Transitive Verb:

Definition

When the action denoted by the verb passes from the subject to the object then the verb is said to be a transitive verb.

A transitive verb is a verb that can take a direct object. 

Example:

1. My mother is boiling milk in the kitchen.

2. Rohan plays football. 

3. They have gone to Mumbai for a trip.

4. Rose is painting the kitchen wall.

5. Seeta writes a letter.

6. She is playing the piano.

B) Intransitive Verb

Definition:

Intransitive verbs are used without direct object.

When the action denoted by the verb does not pass from the subject to the object that verb is called intransitive verb.

Examples

1. Rohan is playing.

2. Anushka Made this drawing.

3. My mother is working.

4. I am writing.

5. The book falls.

Structure = S     +v +o

Subject + Verb    + Object

I   +  Write + a Letter. (Transitive verb)

I       Write. ……….(Intransitive verb)

3) Dynamic Verb and Stative Verb

1. Dynamic Verb: 

Dynamic verbs are also called finite verbs.

Dynamic verb (sometimes referred to as action verbs) and usually describe actions we can take, or things that happen.

Example - 

1. Ram is writing a letter.

2. Neeta is playing tennis.

3. Sham is writing a letter.

4. Priya is eating a mango.

(Drink, speak, say,)

B) Stative Verb 

Definition :

Stative verbs usually refer to a state or condition which is not changing or likely to change.

Stative verbs tell us about the state of mind of the subject or the relation between the subject and the object.

Example ;

1) She refers to strawberry jam.

2. He seems boring.

3. I appreciate your understanding.

4. John always hated dogs.

Stative verb cannot normally be used in the continuous forms.(BE+ING)

Example

1. Shivanya is loving music. 

  Shivanya loves music.

2. He is knowing amruta.

  He knows Amruta.

Finite Verb

Definition

Finite verb shows an agreement with the subject and is marked for tense.

Finite verbs usually follow the subject and show tense.

 Example:

1. She loves taj mahal.

Finite verb - loves, 

Subject - She

Tense - Simple present tense

2. Alex went to school.

Finite verb - Went

Subject - Alex

Tense - Simple past tense

Infinitives 

Definition:

An infinitive verb usually begins with the word ‘to’ and is followed by the base form of the verb.

An infinitive verb is also called a non-finite verb.

Three Types of infinitives:

1) Participles

-Present participle and past participle

(Usually end with ‘-ed,-d, -t, -en, or -n’)

Example

Present participle - 

1) I saw him sitting there.

2. He likes cooking.

Past Participle

1) I have a broken pot.

2) He cooked chicken last night.

3) He worked in school.

2) Gerunds

Gerund is a noun form of verb which refers to an action, process or state and ends in ING.

Example -

1) I loves paintings.

2) He is running.

3) He likes watching Netflix.

3) Infinitives

Example -

Use ‘to’ before verb.

1) She likes to cook.

2) Riya wants to meet her friends.

3) I like to paint.

4) He likes to study.

Read More