tiwanaija

Saturday, 18 January 2014

Immure


Today’s Word: immure

Part of Speech: verb

Pronunciation: /Iˈmjuə/

Meaning: to keep somebody in a place

Usage: They were arrested and immured in a cell for three years.

Synonym: imprison, incarcerate

Derived Form: immured (adjective)

Thursday, 16 January 2014

Headquarters


Today’s Word: headquarters

Pronunciation: /hedˈkwɔ:təz/

Part of Speech: noun

Meaning: the main offices from which an organization, business company, etc is controlled; the people that are working there

Usage: The company’s headquarters is/are in Abuja.

Wrong Usage: The company’s headquarter is in Abuja.

Synonym: head office

Derived Form: headquartered (adjective)

General Note: Headquarters is always in a plural form. That is, it always ends in an s. It is wrong to write it without an s. However, headquarters may be followed by a singular or plural verb.
For example: Headquarters has/have agreed to it.

The word has its primary stress on the first syllable.

Tuesday, 14 January 2014

Half loaf.



Today’s Idiom: half a loaf is better than no bread.


Meaning: to have a little of something is better than not having it at all.


General Note: It is wrong to render this idiom as ‘half a loaf is better than none.’


Saturday, 11 January 2014

A bird in hand.......

Today's Idiom: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
 

Meaning: It is better to value what you already have than to think that what you don't have yet is better than what you already have.
 

General Comments: Note that idioms are fixed sayings. And as such, you must not add anything to it or remove from it. It is therefore wrong to say:  a bird in hand is worth two in bush. 

You must know that 'hand' and 'bush' must be preceded by article 'the'.