(4.1.8) Difference between 'Before' and 'Ago'

What is the difference between 'Before' and 'Ago' ? Before और  Ago में क्या अंतर है ?

1. 'Before' means formerly (पहले  )
Examples :
He did that once before.
He never saw me before.
2. 'Ago' means from the present time dating backwards. (वर्तमान समय से पीछे की तरफ )
Examples :
His father died six years ago.
They came here three days ago. 

(6.9.1) Generic use of 'A', 'An' and 'The'

Generic use of A, An and The 

Generic means common to a whole group or class, not special.
Look at the following sentences -
1. A cow is a gentle animal.
2.The cow is a gentle animal.
These sentences have the same meaning. They do not refer to any particular cow but to the whole class. They mean the same as :
Cows are gentle animals.
Now look at the following sentences -
1. A dog is a faithful animal.
2. The dog is a faithful animal.
3. Dogs are faithful animals.
ऊपर के वाक्यों में  A तथा  The  का प्रयोग Generic reference  में है ; क्योंकि यहाँ किसी particular dog   की चर्चा नहीं की जा रही बल्कि पूरे कुत्ता   समुदाय ( whole community or class of  dogs )  की चर्चा की जा रही है। यहाँ तीनों वाक्यों के अर्थ में  कोई अंतर नहीं है। पूरे समुदाय या जाति  का बोध करने के लिए plural noun  के पहले "The " का प्रयोग नहीं किया जाता है।
Related posts -
(6.1.6) What is a determiner
=
(6.1.8) What is an article 
=
(9.1.2) Pronunciation of A, An and The 

(6.5.1) Prepositions have no fixed meanings

Why are mistakes made while using Prepositions , Prepositions  के प्रयोग करने में गलती क्यों होती है ?

Prepositions have no fixed meanings of their own but they get their meanings from the situation or the context they are used. A preposition can give different meanings in different situations. Because of this thing students make mistakes while using prepositions.
In the following sentences different prepositions have been used for the Hindi word 'में '
1. He is in the room. (in = में, स्थिति या स्थिरता दिखाने के लिये  )
2. It is five minutes to seven. (to = में, घड़ी में बजने में दिखाने के लिये  )
3. The boy went into the room. (into = में ' बाहर से अंदर की तरफ गति दिखाने के लिए )
4. He has  sold old car for eighty thousand rupees.(for = में ,कीमत दिखाने के लिये )
5. I bought this book for fifty rupees. (for = में , कीमत दिखाने के लिये )
6. What is the time by your watch? (by= में , घड़ी में समय दिखाने के लिये )
In the same way different prepositions are used for the Hindi word 'से '
(1) The boy is coming from school. (From = से )
(2) He has been teaching in this school for two years.(For = से )
(3) Ramesh has been doing this work since morning. (Since = से )
(4) He generally writes in blue ink. (In = से  )
(5) We see with our eyes. (With = से  )

(3.1.5) Special use of 'Matter'

What is the use of 'Matter' 

The following two special uses of 'Matter' are very common -
(A) Noun -
'What is the matter?' means 'What is the trouble?' or 'What is the difficulty?'
'What is the matter with your ears?' means 'What is wrong with your years?'
(B) Verb -
'It doesn't matter.' means 'It is not important.'
'It won't matter.' means 'It will do no harm.'

(3.1.4) The use of 'Just because'

What is the meaning of 'Just because' ? When is 'Just because' used ?

(A) 'Just because' is used to mean 'simply because'.
(B) 'Just because' is used for saying that even if one thing is true, this is not a reason for concluding that something else is true.
(C) 'Just because' का भाव होता है "यद्यपि एक बात सही है, तो यह आवश्यक नहीं है कि दूसरी भी सही हो "
Examples :
(1) Just because he is rich, it does not mean he is better than us.
(2) Just because I am your friend, it does not mean you always depend on me.
(3) Don't create problems for others just because you hold an office.

(4.1.7) Difference between 'Beside' and 'Besides'

What is the difference between 'Beside'and 'Besides' ?

Difference between ‘Beside’ and ‘Besides’

Beside /बिसाइड / का अर्थ होता है ‘पास में’ या ‘बगल में’ या ‘समीप’ यानि ‘By the side of’

और ‘Besides’ /बिसाइड्ज /का अर्थ होता है ‘के अतिरिक्त’ या ‘के अलावा’ यानि ‘in addition to’

अब इनका वाक्यों में प्रयोग देखिये –

Examples –

Ram came and sat beside me. राम आया और मेरे पास बैठ गया.

The baby was sleeping beside his mother. बच्चा उसकी माँ के पास सोया हुआ था.

He stood beside me. वह मेरे पास खड़ा हो गया.

Can you play any other game besides football ? क्या तुम फुटबॉल के अलावा कोई अन्य खेल भी खेल सकते हो ?

I can speak English besides Hindi. मैं हिन्दी के अतिरिक्त अंग्रेजी भी बोल सकता हूँ.

He gave me money besides moral support. उसने नैतिक समर्थन के अलावा मुझे धन भी दिया. 

अब इन वाक्यों को देखिये –

There is a pond -------   the school. (beside / besides)

We ate mangoes -----    apples. (beside / besides)

India exports tea --------   cotton. (beside / besides)

The dog was lying -----    the table. (beside / besides)

अब सही उत्तर जानिये –

There is a pond beside the school.

We ate mangoes besides apples.

India exports tea besides cotton.

The dog was lying beside the table. 

(5.1.3) Idioms

What is an idiom , List of important phrases

What is an idiom 
An idiom is a group of words with a special meaning, which cannot be understood by taking the meanings of the words one at a time.
शब्दों का वह समूह जिसका एक विशेष अर्थ हो तथा जिसे शब्दों को अलग  अलग अर्थ कर नहीं  समझा जा सके idiom कहलाता है।
List of some important idioms - 
All in all (करता धरता) The headmaster is all in all in this school.
Above all - (सबसे बढ़कर ) Above all , he is truthful and never tells a lie.
After all - (आखिरकार , अंततः )After all, you are my friend and I must help you.
Again and again - (बार बार )- I have advised him again and again but he does not acts upon it.
Against a rainy day -(बुरे दिनों के लिए) - Everyone must save some money against a rainy day.
At any rate -  (हर हालत में, चाहे कुछ भी हो) - I must finish this work today at any rate. 

(6.1.11) Synthesis

What is Synthesis

Synthesis-  Synthesis means the combination of two or more simple sentences in to one new sentence. That new sentence may be a simple sentence or a compound sentence or a complex sentence.
The following are the ways of the combining two or more simple sentences into one simple sentence:-

(1) By using Participles:

(a)  Hari saw a deadly snake. He ran away. 
= Seeing a deadly snake, Hari ran away

(b) He opened the cage. He let the lion out. 
= opening the cage, he let the lion out

(c)  Ram finished his home work. He went to market. 
= Having finished his home work, Ram went to the market.

(d) He was tired or walking. He needed some rest. 
= Tired of walking, he needed some rest.

(2) By using an infinitives:

(a)  He went to the market. He wanted to buy some sugar.
= He went  to market to buy some sugar

(b) The boy is running fast. He wants to catch the bus.
 = The boy is running fast to catch the bus.

(3) By using an adverb or and adverbial phrase

(a)  He gave the answer to the question. The answer was correct.
= He gave the answer to the question correctly.

(b) It was my friend’s birthday. I congratulate him. 
= I congratulated my friend on his birthday 
OR I congratulated my friend. It was his birthday 
 =  I congratulated my friend on his birthday.

(4) By using an absolute phrase:

(a)  The Sun set. We returned home. 
= The Sun having set, we returned home.

(b) The police arrived. The robbers ran away.
= The police having arrived, the robbers ran away.

(5) By using a Noun or a Phrase in Apposition:

(a)  Milton was a famous poet. He wrote Paradise Lost.
= Milton, a famous poet, wrote Paradise Lost.

(b) Separate- Columbus was a sailor. He discovered America. 
=Combined-  Columbus, a sailor, discovered America

(6) By using a Preposition with a Noun or a Gerund.

(a)  Separate - I Came home. I Saw my mother.  
Combined- On coming home, I saw my mother

(b) Separate- Ram bought a book. He gave fifty rupees for it
= Ram bought a book for fifty rupees.

(6.1.11) Preposition

Preposition and its uses 

What is a Preposition ?
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or a pronoun to show its relation to some other word in a sentence.
Examples -
His pen is in his pocket.
Ram went to the hospital yesterday.
Seema is writing with a pencil.
लेकिन interrogative sentences , infinitive phrases तथा defining relative  clauses में preposition  का प्रयोग सामान्यतया sentence, phrase, तथा clause के बाद होता है। जैसे :
What is he thinking of?
What are you looking at?
What is this noise for?
The boy has no pen to write with.
Here is the man I spoke of.

(9.1.2) Pronunciation of 'A' , 'An' and 'The'

What is the pronunciation of 'A' as an article ? What is the pronunciation of 'An' as an article ? What is the pronunciation of  'The' ?

(1)'A ' तथा 'An ' articles हैं।  इन्हें Indefinite articles कहा जाता है क्योंकि ये अनिश्चित Noun के साथ रहते हैं।
(2 ) Article के रूप में सामान्यतया ' A ' का उच्चारण 'अ ' किया जाता है और 'An ' का उच्चारण 'अन ' किया जाता है।
(3 ) 'The ' को Definite Article कहा जाता है क्योंकि यह निश्चित Noun के साथ प्रयुक्त होता है।
(A ) यदि 'The ' का प्रयोग किसी Consonant से शुरू होने वाले शब्द के पहले किया जाये तो इसका उच्चारण 'द ' होता है, जैसे :   This is the ( द ) question.
The (द) car.
The (द ) flower .
(B ) और किसी Vowel से शुरू होने वाले शब्द से पहले किया जाए तो इसका उच्चारण 'दि ' होता है। जैसे :
This is the ( दि ) answer .
The  (दि ) elephant.
The (दि ) engine.of the (द ) train. 
(C ) Adjective की  superlative degree  के पहले आने पर   'The' का उच्चारण 'दी' किया जाता है, जैसे :
The  (दी ) best.
The  (दी ) worst.
Related posts -
(6.1.6) What is a determiner
-
(6.1.8) What is an Article

(9.1.1) Question Words (Wh-group)

Question words, meaning and their uses

जिन प्रश्नों के उत्तर Yes  या No में नहीं आये या जिनसे सूचना या जानकारी मांगी गई हो, उन प्रश्नों को Wh -group के किसी Question word से शुरू किया जाता है।  ये Wh - से शुरू होते हैं इसलिए इन्हें Wh - question words  कहा जाता है।   नीचे Question  words , उनके अर्थ और प्रयोग दिए गए हैं -
Word  -------Meaning -----------  Use
Who - कौन,किसने -    Subject  मालूम करने के लिये।
Whose - किसका, किसकी, किसके - अधिकार या जानने के लिये।
Whom  - किसे, किसको - Object  मालूम करने के लिये।
Which  - कौन सा , कौन सी, कौन से - व्यक्तियों या वस्तुओं में से चुनाव करने हेतु।
What  - क्या - Object  जानने हेतु।
When  - कब - समय बताने के लिए।
Why - क्यों, किसलिये - कारणं या प्रयोजन जाननेके लिए।
Where - कहाँ , किस जगह - स्थान की जानकारी हेतु।
How  - कैसे, किस प्रकार - तरीका या साधन जानने  हेतु।
इन Question words के अतिरिक्त दूसरे Question words भी हैं , जिनको Formative Question Words कहा जाता है। जैसे :
How many -  कितने - संख्या जानने हेतु।
How much - कितनी - मात्रा जानने हेतु।
How far  - कितना दूर - दूरी पूछने के लिए।
How long  - कितनी देर तक - अवधि जानने के लिए।
How old  - कितना बड़ा - आयु पूछने के लिए।
How often  - कितनी बार - बारम्बारिता / आवृत्ति पूछना। -

(6.1.12) Uses of Noun

Noun

What is a noun –

‘A noun is a part of speech that is used to name a person, place, thing, quality or action.’

The uses of a noun –

A noun is used

1.     as the subject of the verb –

Hari came here.

The boy helped me.

Leaves fall from trees.

2.     as the object of the verb.

Ramesh answered the questions.

He likes this book.

3.     as the complement of the subject –

Ramesh is my brother.

Rekha is a good player.

4.      for addressing someone.

Students, take out your books.

Are you coming, Hari ?

5.     as the complement of the verb –

He became the captain of the team.

6.     as the object of the preposition –

Your mother is in the room.

7.     to show possession or source etc.

Hari’s dog is running fast.

8.     In apposition –

Mr. Verma, our teacher, taught us English.

Both Mr. Verma and our teacher are one and the same person. The second noun merely explains the first noun, Mr. Verma. Here the second noun, our teacher, is in apposition.

( 5.1.2 ) Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a combination of two parts one of them is a verb and the other is eighter a preposition or an adverb. In some cases the verb may be followed by both an adverb and a preposition.
Phrasal verb - verb + preposition
or verb + adverb
or verb + adverb + preposition.
The phrasal verb has different meaning from that of the original verb. Examples -
Phrasal verbs-----Meaning
break down-------stop to function
break into---------enter by force
break out----------begin
call on-------------see a person
call off------------end
call out------------summon someone
carry on-----------continue
carry out----------obey, perform duty
come across------find by chance
come in-----------enter
cut down----------fell trees etc.
get on--------------make progress
get on with--------live with
give away---------give it to someone
give in-------------yield
give up------------pabandon
go on--------------continue
go through--------read
grow up-----------become adult
hand over---------surrender
hold up------------stop
keep up------------continue
look after----------take care
look into-----------examine/investigate
pick out------------choose
pick up-------------lift a person
put aside-----------save for future
put on--------------clothes or shoes
ring up-------------telephone
run after-----------pursue
run away----------flee
run into------------collide
send for------------summon
set in---------------begin
set out-------------start a journey
turn on------------light or fan
turn off-----------light t.v. etc.