MASTERING ENGLISH ANOMALIES

Have you ever wondered why the boxing arena is called a boxing ring, while it is always a square bound area? Or why is the fruit called a pineapple when there is no pine, nor apple in it?

Wait, there's more... we often 'ship' goods in a truck whereas send 'cargo' by ship. Our feet often smell while our noses run... making us wonder if these organs are doing what they are supposed to? 

English has borrowed words from several languages, but doesn’t it make you think: why did they need so many words with the similar meaning? For example, listen and hear? Noise and sound?

Then again, how do you explain that if many goose is geese then why isn't many moose, meese? Poor IIIrd graders have always been stumped on this one!

There are plenty such anomalies in English, which make the language just as interesting as tough to master! There are rules... solid, detailed rules for all the components that make up the language, but it is the exceptions that add the surprise quotient. Oftentimes people have pondered if English has more exceptions than rules!

And it is this bafflement with rules and exceptions that have prodded me to explore the language to its depths and gradually strain out the clear, pure elixir of understanding. I don’t claim to be an expert who can explain everything with logic and reasoning but it will be my endeavour to help you reach a scaffolding of fine balance, where you learn the rules and accept the exceptions in the same light.    

Watch out this space, every week, for an explanation of one such seemingly crazy nuance of the language, with Tips and Examples to help you master its usage. Developing native English vocabulary has never been easier!

And by the way, there is good reason for calling the boxing arena a 'ring'. We'll get to that story soon, in one of my subsequent blog posts.