11

Thinking about Language

Question I:

1.    This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example, would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?

Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in contemporary English, an d contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that also occur in the play.

2.    Look up the following words in a dictionary and find out how to pronounce them. Pay attention to how many syllables there are in each word, and find out which syllable is stressed, or said more forcefully.

palpitations          pedigree malicious accustomed

interfere principle embezzlement temporary

implore evidence architect behavior

thorough bred misfortune neighbors documents

3.    Look up the following phrases in a dictionary to find out their meaning, and then use each in a sentence of your own.

(I)   You may take it that

(ii)  He seems to be coming round

(iii) My foot's gone to sleep

Answer I:

1.    Expressions not used in contemporary English:

)>   "my darling", "my beauty", "my precious", "my angel", "my beloved" (here, an older man is

addressi ng an adult man)

>     "...and so on..." (here, it is used after a sentence in order to complete it)

>     "...and all that sort of thing." (not explaining what it is, just leaving it as it is)

)>   "...and all that." (again leaving the sentence as it is)

>     "the scarecrow", "the stuffed sausage", "the wizen-faced  frump" (In this way, they hurled

insults at each other)

>     "And how may you be getting on?" (Here, Lomov is asking Chubukov about his well-being)

Modern English expressions

)>   "Madam", "my heart", "honored Natalya Stepan ovna" (used by Lomov for Natalya)

>     "Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch" (used by Lomov for Chubukov)

)>   "I beg your pardon ..."

>     "My dear fellow" (Chubukov  addressing Lomov)

>     "malicious, double-faced  intriguer", "fool"  (Chubukov  insulting  Lomov)

2.    Word     Pronunciatio n & Stressing the Syllables

Interfere Implore Thoroughbred Pedigree Principle Evidence Misfortune Malicious Accustomed Embezzlement Architect Neighbors Behavior Documents Temporary

>     in'-ter-fere >     'im-plore >     thorough'-gree >     pe'-di-gree >     princi'-pie >     evi'-dence >     mis-for'-tune >     ma'-li-cious >     accus'tomed >     embezz'lement >     arch'-I-tect >     nei'-bours >     behav'-iour >     doc'-u-men ts >     temp'-rary

3.

(I)   You may take it that I am lying, but in fact it will help you in the long run.

(ii)  He seems to be coming round after the trauma of his father's death.

(iii) After the three hour long yoga session, my foot's gone to sleep.

Question II: Reported Speech

A sentence in reported speech consists of two parts: a reporting clause, which contains the report ing verb, and the reported clause. Look at the following sentences.

(a)   "I went to visit my grandma last week," said Mamta.

(b)  Mamta said that she had gone to visit her grandma the previous week.

In sentence (a), we have Mamta's exact words. This is an example of directspeech. In sentence (b), someone is reporting what Mamta said. This is called indirect speech or reported speech. A sentence in reported speech is made up of two parts -a reporting clause and a reported clause.

In sentence (b), Mamta said is the reporting clause containing the reporting verb said. The other clause -that she had gone to visit hergrandma last week -is the reported clause.

Notice that in sentence (b) we put the reporting clause first. This is done to show that we are not speaking directly, but reporting someone else's words. The tense of the verb also changes; past tense (went) becomes past perfect (had gone) .

Here are some pairs of sentences in direct and reported speech. Read them carefully, and do the task that follows:

1.    (I) LOMOV: Honoured  Stepan Stepanovitch, do you  think I may count on her consent? (Direct Speech)

(ii) Lomov asked Stepan Stepanovitch respectfully if he thought he might  count on her consent. (Reported  Speech)

2.    (I) LOMOV: I'm getting a noise in my ears from excitement. (Direct Speech)

(ii) Lomov said that he was getting a noise in his ears from excitement. (Reported Speech)

3.    (I) NATALYA: Why haven't you been here for such a long time? (Direct Speech)

(ii) Natalya Stepanovna asked why he hadn't been there for such a long time. (Reported Speech)

4.    (I) CHUBU KOV: What's the matter? (Direct Speech)

(ii) Chubukov asked him what the matter was. (Reported Speech)

5.    (I) NATALYA: My mowers will be there this very day! (Direct Speech)

(ii) N atalya Stepanovna declared that her mowers would be there that very day. (Reported Speech)

You must have noticed that when we report someone's exact words, we have to make some changes in the sentence structure. In the following sentences fill in the blanks to list the changes that have occurred in the above pairs of sentences. One has been done for you.

1.    To report a Question, we use the reporting verb asked (as in Sentence Set 1).

2.    To report a statement, we use the reporting verb…………..

3.    The adverb of place here changes to…………..

4.    When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported  speech is in the…………..tense (as in Sentence Set 3).

5.    If the verb in direct speech is in the presen t continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to   tense. For example,……………changes to wasgetting .

6.    When  the sentence in  direct  speech  contains  a word  denoting  respect, we  add the  adverb……………..in the reporting clause (as in Sentence Set 1).

7.    The pronou ns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change according to the subject or object of the reporting verb such as………….,……….or in reported speech.

Answer II:

1.    To report a Question, we use the reporting verb asked.

2.    To report a declaration, we use the reporti ng verb declared.

3.    The adverb of place here changes to there.

4.    When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the past tense.

5.    If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to past continuous tense. For example, am getting changes to wasg etting.

6.    When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb

Respectfully in the report ng clause.

7.    The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change to second person pronouns such as he/she, him/her, their or his/hers in reported speech.

Question III:

Here is an excerpt from an article from the Times of India dated 27 August 2006. Rewrite it, changing the sentences in direct speech into reported speech. Leave the other sentences unchanged.

"Why do you want to know my age? If people know I am so old, I won't get work!" laughs 90- year-old A. K. Hangar, one of Hindi cinema's most famous character actors. For his age, he is rather energetic. "What's the secret?" we ask. "My intake of everything is in small quantities. And I walk a lot," he replies. "I joined the industry when people retire. I was in my 40s. So I don't miss being called a star. I am still respected and given work, when actors of my age are living in poverty and without t work. I don't have any complaints," he says, adding, "but yes, I have always been underpaid." Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. "No doubt I am content today, but money is importa nt. I was a fool not to understan d the value of money earlier," he regrets.

Answer III:

90-year-old A.K. Hangal, who is one of Hindi cinema's most famous character actors, laughingly asked why we were interested to know his age. If people would come to know that he was that old, he would not get work. For his age, he is pretty energetic. We asked him what his secret was. He said that his intake of everything was in small quantities and he used to walk a lot. He said that he had got connected with the industry at the age when people used to retire. He was in his 40s. So he did not miss being called a star. He was respected by everyone and had given his best work, especially when the actors of his age were living in paucity and without work. He said he had no complaints, to this he added that he had always been underpaid. Being the recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never ran after money or other worldly gains. He said that he was satisfied with everything, but money is an importa nt necessity of life.He said remorsefu lly that he was a fool that he did not understand the value of money.