Dressed To Kill

If your goal is to become an efficient and effective writer, try using new words and avoid repeating words. This way, we learn the usage of different words. Avoid adjectives as much as possible. Read Jack Finney’s tale, 'Cousin Len’s Wonderful Adjective Cellar' to know how a hack becomes a successful author with the help of a magical salt cellar that removes adjectives from his work.

Learn to take criticism and seek it at every opportunity. Don’t get upset even if you think the criticism is unpleasant. Don’t be offended even if you think it’s wrong, and always thank those who take the time to offer it. Avoid wordiness. Professor Strunk puts it nicely: “A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.” Hence, avoid long sentences.

Start with small paragraphs. Write an article for a newspaper and proceed from there. Do edit your previous articles. Pay attention to punctuation, especially to correct use of commas and periods. These two punctuation marks regulate the flow of your thoughts.

They can make your text confusing even if the words are clear.

Small Talk

Calling for Help Pruthvi: Hey! That car just ran a red light and hit that truck!

Giri: Is anyone hurt?

Pruthvi: I don’t know ... let’s call 108. ... Hello? I’d like to report a car accident near the post office on Gandhi Street. It looks like a man is hurt. Yes, it just happened. OK, thanks. Bye.

Giri: What did they say?

Pruthvi: They’re going to send an ambulance and a police car right away. Giri: Good, they’re here. I hope the man is OK.

Pruthvi: I know. You have to be so careful when you’re driving.

S 'Hey!' This expression is used to show surprise. Notice how “That car just ran a red light and hit that truck!” is said with a lot of energy. S 'Is anyone hurt?'

This is a yes/no question, so the intonation rises at the end. Notice how this question is asked in a worried way. S '108' is the phone number you dial for emergency services.

The person who answers will ask you questions about the emergency situation and then send out the necessary emergency services, which may include an ambulance, police officers and firefighters. S 'I’d like to report a car accident near the post office on Gandhi Street.'

Notice how the key words “car accident,” “post office” and “Gandhi Street” are stressed. These are important details that emergency services need. S 'It just happened' is a way of saying “It happened a moment ago.”

Notice the stress on “just,” which emphasizes that the accident happened very, very recently. • 'What did they say?' Notice how “say” is emphasized, but the intonation falls at the end of the word. This is a “what” question, so the intonation falls at the end.

1. Clatter

a) quick walk b) slow movement c) confused noise

2. Carefree a) without authority b) honest c) without worry

3. Amuse a) make smile b) make angry c) make mistakes

4. Quiver a) hold tight b) shake c) scream

5. billboard a) large sign b) steam engine c) cart

6. Opinion a) purpose b) belief c) test

7. Complexion a) skin colour b) emblem c) difficulty

8. Ambition a) desire for success b) fear of others c) lack of confidence

9. Bagpipe a) large insect b) musical instrument c) colourful robe

10. Motto a) nickname b) story c) saying

Key: 1-c; 2-c; 3-a; 4-b; 5-a; 6-b; 7-a; 8-a; 9- b; 10-c Tale Time:

Take responsibility Once, a man grieved by all the pain and suffering around him broke down and banged his fists into the dirt. He turned his head upwards and yelled at god."Look at this mess.

Look at all this pain and suffering. Look at all this killing and hate. God. Oh god! Why don't you do something?" Then god spoke to him in the form of thunder and lightning and said: "Yes, I did. I sent you."

But the man was not able to understand what god said. One day his house was caught in a flood and he was in his house itself. Since he totally depended on god, he wanted to see if his god would come to his rescue. After some time, a few people arrived in a lorry and asked him to get into it so he would be safe. But the man said, “Go away.

My god will help me.” After some time, the flood waters rose high and he went upstairs. Meanwhile, three flood rescue officials came there in a boat and asked him to get into it. But the man said, “Go away. My god will help me.” After some time, the water level rose too high and the man went onto the topmost floor of his house. A helicopter arrived and the people in it pleaded him to get into it. But the man said, “Off you go. My god will help me.”

After sometime, the whole place was inundated and the man died. He went to god and asked him: “I trusted you completely, yet you didn’t rescue me at all. Is it fair on your part?” God smiled and replied, “You are a blind fool. I sent three vehicles to your rescue but you did not accept any one. What can I do about it?” (A Retold Story) Whys & Wherefores Sir, What does it mean by “Dressed to kill”? -Mr.Babu Rao, BVRIT, Hyderabad.

The idiom, “dressed to kill” took its birth during the 18th century. It means “wearing one's finest clothes”. It also means “dressed very nicely, extravagantly or elaborately. A sentence like “She was dressed to kill when I saw her at the wedding party” means that the woman wore very beautiful clothes at the wedding party. We use this idiom when someone wears one's finest clothes and looks gorgeous.

Earlier, people would use this idiom to talk about the beauty of women in their best apparel. But today it is used for men too. Talking about someone's beauty, we often hear expressions like “I nearly died when I saw the beautiful woman or person”. The word 'kill' in this idiom means 'to a great or impressive degree'. Another idiom “Dressed to the nines”.