ANALYTICAL SUMMARY OF THE ESSAY
Bernard Shaw records a speech through a gramophone for a mixed audience of foreign students and natives. Foreign students want to speak English in such a way as to be understood by the Englishmen and natives who speak cockney
dialect wants to speak ‘Correct English’. He says that there is no such thing as ideally correct English. No two Britishers speak exactly alike. The members of a committee formed by the British Boradcasting Corporation for deciding correct utterances are educated and well-positioned (ভাল পদে আছে) but they do not agree as to the pronunciation of some simple words. The words like ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are variously pronounced. No member can be taken as a model. Irish members, Scottish members, American members, Oxford University members speak differently according to the country to which they belong. They speak presentably, and that is understood by all. (Section I
Shaw is an Irishman. The question is natural if Shaw speaks presentably. He confesses that he does. He is speaking to an audience of many thousands of gramophonists and so he speaks carefully so that they can understand him.
(Sections 2-3)
As a public speaker, he takes care that every word he utters is heard distinctly by his audience sitting far and wide. He may speak carelessly to his wife and his wife also speaks unmindfully. But they ought to speak carefully to each other.
(Sections 4-5)
If anybody listen through a keyhole to the conversations of a family and then walk into the room and hear them speak in his presence then the difference of languages would be evident. Home manners and company manners are different, and the difference is greater in speech.
(Section 6)
Shaw asks a stranger ‘what o’ clock is it? But he asks his wife in an indistinct manner and his wife hears only ‘cloxsť. So Shaw speaks to the company more carefully.
(Section 7)
Shaw gives a warning to his foreign hearers. He asks them not to try to speak English perfectly during his travel in England. No one will understand him. There is no correct English, but there is presentable English which may be called ‘good English. In England, nine hundred ninetynine out of every thousand people speak bad English, and speak very badly. They can, however, understand it when it is well spoken. When a foreigner speaks better, hard it is for them to understand. No foreigner can stress the syllables and make the voice rise and fall. So a foreigner would speak broken English i.e., English without grammar. Then the Englishman will try to understand him. Instead of saying ‘will you have the goodness, sir, to direct me to the railway terminus at Charing Cross’, pronouncing all the vowels and consonants beautifully, he should say, ‘Please! Charing Cross! which way!”. This will please the Englishmen and will give him the directions. (Section 8)
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
I. Answer the following questions:
Q. 1. This speech can be divided into three majors parts. Where do the second and third parts begin?
Ans. The second part begins in paragraph no. 4 and the third part begins in paragraph no. 8. Q. 2. Complete the following outline:
In part I Shaw shows how there is no ideally correct model English since no two native speakers speak alike. In part …………. In part II……….
Ans. In part II Shaw says that as a public speaker he has to take care that every word is heard distinctly at the far end of large halls. In Part III he addresses the foreign hearers and says that they would speak broken English when they travel in England. That will be understood by the natives of England.
Q. 3. Do you agree with the Shaw’s statements? Do you think that the advice he gives in the third part is sound? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. I do agree with the statements. English is spoken in a variety of pronunciations and intonations. Even Englishmen do not speak uniformly. But one must try to speak presentable English and in a way that can be heard distinctly and understood by those for whom the speech is intended. In the third paragraph, he has given a piece of advice to the foreigners. It is
a fact that foreigners in England like Indians, Canadians, Australians try to be
formal and precise in the use of words and in sentence structure even in spoken
English. This is unintelligible to the natives. It is better to speak in broken English i.e., without grammar and syntax. Q. 4. Why does Shaw say ‘those only who speak what is called’ ‘correct English’? Why does he not say ‘those who speak correct English’?
Ans. Shaw means that employment is open to those and no one else. ‘Only here suggests only those who can speak correct English.
Q. 5. Why does Shaw give detailed information about the members of the committee established by BBC.
Ans. Shaw gives detalied information about the members of the committee by BBC because they are educated and come from different respectable professions- artist, actor, and dramatist who are supposed to speak correct English.
Q. 6. ‘All that can be said is that every member pronounces them in such a way’. What does ‘them’ here stand for?
Ans. By them, the author means ‘yes’ and ‘no’, the two simplest and commonest words. They are pronounced differently even by the educated members of the committee formed by BBC.
Q. 7. ‘Don’t-why does Shaw mention this at this stage?
Ans. He says ‘don’t’ is short for do not in order to illustrate the difference between careless English and careful English. He points out that he speaks to his wife carelessly. So he will use ‘don’t instead of ‘do not’. This is broken English as compared to sopken English used in polite conversation.
Q. 8. Does Shaw advocate listening through the keyhole ?
Ans. Shaw does not advocate listening through the keyhole. This is unladylike and ungentlemanlike. But if one can reconcile oneself to do it-he uses the expression-‘bring yourself to do it.
Q. 9. What is the advice that Shaw gives to foreign speakers of English?
Ans. Shaw advises the foreign speakers not to try to speak correctly and in perfect sentences when they will speak to the natives of England. Many Englishmen speak bad English. They can understand well-sopken English when the speaker is English but they cannot understand a foregner’s English. The foreigner does not know correct pronunciation and intonation. So it is better that the foreigner should
speak in broken English i.e., English without grammar and syntax,
Q. 10. Who is a ‘confidence trickster’? When will a foreign speaker of English be suspected of being a ‘confidence trickster’?
Ans. Confidence trickster is one who tricks another by first gaining his trust. If a foreigner speaks in a complete sentence pronouncing all the vowels and consonants beautifully, the Englishman will not understand him (because his pronunciation and intonation are wrong) and they will regard him as a beggar or a confidence trickster.
II. Make sentences with the words & give Meanings of the words.
Distinct easily heard and understood. The speaker has a distinct pronunciation.
Distinguished-dignified in appearance or manner. His grey hair makes him look rather distinguished.
Shaw is a distinguished dramatist (having remarkable qualities).
Literate one who has knowledge of letters.
There are many literate people in the village.
Literary-relating to literature.
Shaw’s literary works are marked by originality in thought and lucidity in expression.
Perceptive-quick to notice and understand things.
Debjani is a perceptive young woman; She can realise the danger involved in the work.
Perceptible-(1) that can be observed with senses.
The sights and sounds of nature are perceptible to Wordsworth.
(2) great enough to be noticed.
One can detect perceptible change in the manners of the boy. Comprehensive-which includes everything.
Newspapers gave a comprehensive description of the dacoity that occurred at the Allahabad Bank.
Comprehensible that can be understood fully.
What you say is not comprehensible to many. Intelligible-understandable.
His speech is not intelligible to many.
Intelligent-showing power of understading, Debjani has an intelligent face.
Industrial-relating to industry.
West Bengal lags behind other provinces in industrial growth.
Industrious-Abhik is a industrious boy; he would be successful.
Sporting-(a) connected with or interested in sport.
You should not mar a sporting occasion by your unseemly behaviour
TEXT BOOK EXERCISES
A. Choose the correct answer:
(a) Cockney dialect is :
(i) The dialect a Ireland, (ii) The dialect of New York (iii) The dialect of East End of London.
Ans: (iii) Cockney dialect is the dialect of East End of London.
(1) More than two members speak alike, (ii) All the members, speak alike,
(iii) None of the members speak alike. Ans: (iii) The phrase means none of the members speak alike.
(c) ‘Welsh’ is the language of:
(1) Wales, (ii) Washington, (iii) West London Ans: (i) ‘Welsh’ is the language of Wales.
(d) They all speak presentably’-Here ‘presentably’ means:
(i) in a way worthy of imitation, (ii) Correctly, (iii) in a way fit to be heard and understood by the people.
Ans: (iii) Here presentably means in a way fit to be heard and understood by the people.
(e) ‘I take so little pains with my speech’-Here ‘pains’ means: (1) phisical sufferings, (ii) care, (iii) mental stress.
Ans: (ii) Here ‘pains’ means care.
(f) ‘If you were to call on strange family’-
Here ‘strange’ means: (i) comical, (ii) unfamiliar, (iii) odd
Ans: (ii) Here ‘stange’ means unfamiliar.
(g) ‘Suppose I forget to wind my watch’-Here ‘wind’ means: (i) air, (ii) wrap, (iii) turn the key to tighten the spring.
Ans: (iii) Here ‘wind’ means turn the key to tighten the spring.
(h) ‘Cloxst’ is a: (i) meaningless word, (ii) broken form of ‘what O’clock is it?’ (iii) synonym of closet
Ans: (ii) ‘Cloxst is a broken form of ‘what O’clock is it?’
(i) ‘Broken English’ is: (i) Cockney English, (ii) English without grammar,
iii) English, spoken with stress. ( Ans: (ii) ‘Broken English’ is English without grammar.
(j) He will not expect you to be polite’ – Here Shaw means: (i) He will expect you to be unmannered. (ii) He will not expect you to use formal expressions. (iii) He will expect you to be intimate with him.
Ans: (ii) Here shaw means he will not expect you to use formal expressions. B. Comprehension
- Read the passage and answer the questions given below: 2+2+2=6
Even in private intercourse with cultivated people you must not speak too well: Apply this to your attempts to learn foreign languages, and never try to speak them too well. And do not be afraid to travel. You will be surprised to find how little you need to know or how badly you may pronounce. Even among English people, to speak too well is a pedantic affectation.
(i) Why does Shaw forbid the foreigners to speak too well with cultivated people?
Ans. The author G. B. Shaw advises the foreigners not to speak too well in polished society because they cannot stress the syllables and modulate their voice according to the need of the speech. Hence speaking too well may appear pedantic affectation to educated people. Shaw forbids the foreigners to speak too well on this account.
(ii) What makes the readers surprised ?
Ans. Shaw advises the foreigners to speak broken English, that is English without any grammar. Only uttering a few words, which have no retation with verbs, articles or prepositions would be enough for communication. So the readers would be surprised to find how little they need to know to convey their ideas to the natives.
(iii) ‘To speak too well is a pedantic affectation.’ (Make it a complex sentence) Ans. It is a pedantic affectation if it is spoken too well.
- I am now going to address myself specially to my foreign hearers, I have to give them another warning of quite a different kind. If If you are learning English because you intend to travel in England and wish to be understood there, do not try to speak Englishperfectly, because, if you do, no one will understand you. you. I have already explained that though there is no such thing as perfectly correct English, there is presentable English which we call ‘Good English’; but in London hine hundred and ninety nine out of every thousand people not only speak bad English but Speak even that very badly
(i) What is the speaker’s warning to his foreign hearers ?
Ans. G. B. Shaw warns his foreign hearers not to speak English properly. He
says that none will understand them if they do so. (ii) How does Shaw explain the spoken English of London people?
Ans. Shaw says that nine hundred and ninety nine out of every thousand London people not only speak bad English but speak even that very badly.
(iii) Answer the following questions:
(a) Give the noun form of ‘intend’ and make a sentence with it.
Ans. Intend (verb)-intention (noun)
His father is aware of the bad intention of his son.
(b) What is the difference between ‘bad’ and ‘badly’?
Frame two sentences to show the difference.
Ans. ‘Bad’ is an adjective which denotes ‘of poor quality’; ‘badly’ is an adverb which means ‘unsatisfactorily’ or ‘very much’
He speaks bad English.
The boy is badly dressed.
(c) Give the noun form of ‘speak’ and make a sentence with that form.
Ans. Speak (verb)-Speech (noun), Speaker (noun)
The president delivered a good speech.
The Teacher is a good speaker.
- We all have company manners and home manners…….and the difference is greater in speech than in anything else. [Paragraph 6]
(i) What, according to the author, is ‘unladylike’ or ‘ungentlemanlike’. Ans. According to the author, listening through the Keyhole of a stranger’s
house is ‘unladylike’ or ‘ungentlemanlike’. (ii) How do company meanners differ from home manners ?
Ans. Company manners are formal and polished while home manners are informal. The difference between these two manners is found greater in speech. People speak more carefully when they meet a stranger, but speak carelessly with the known family members.
(a) Frame a sentence using ‘surprise’ as an adjective. Ans. The Inspector of Schools paid a surprise visit to our school.
(b) Write down the noun form of gest and make a sentence with the changed from.
Ans. Suggest (verb)-suggestion (noun)
Student should not follow suggestions before exam.
(c) Walk into the room and hear how very differently thay speak in your
presence’ [Turn into a complex sentence] Ans. If you walk into the room, you will hear how very differently they speak
in your presence.
C. Reorganise the following sentences without change of meaning
(a) They differ also according to the country in which they were born. [Turn
into a simple sentence] Ans. They differ also according to the country of their birth.
(b) Though there is no such thing as perfectly correct English, there is
presentable English. [Turn into a simple sentence] Ans. Instead of anything called perfectly correct English, there is presentable
English. (c) There is nobody else listening to them. [Turn into an affirmative sentence]
Ans. There is hardly anybody else listening to them.
(d) She suspects me of growing deafer and deafer. [Turn into a complex sentence]
Ans. She suspects that I am growing deafer and deafer.
(e) I have to ask somebody to tell me the time. [Turn into a complex sentence.]
Ans. I have to ask somebody who can tell me the time.
(f) Even among English people, to speak too well is a pedantic affectation. [Turn into a complex sentence]
Ans. It is a pedantic affectation to speak too welleven among people who are
English. (g) The stranger hears every syllable distincly. [Change into passive voice]
Ans. Every syllable is heard distincly by the stranger.
(h) The change would surprise you. [Change into an interrogative sentence]
Ans. Won’t the change surprise you ?
(i) “Will you have the goodness, Sir, to direct me to the railway terminus at Charing Cross?” [Change into indirect speech]
Ans. The speaker politely requested the stranger to kindly direct him to the railway terminus at Charing Cross.
(j) This record would be useless. [Turn into a negative sentence] Ans. This record would not be of any use.
D. Identify the grammatical category of the following words and change them as directed:
(i) Foreign (Make a noun of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. Foreign (adjective)-foreigner (noun) He met a foreigner on the train.
(ii) Specialist (Make an adjective form of the word and use it in a sentence) Ans. Specialist (noun) special (adjective)
Special dishes are served in the marriage ceremony.
(iii) Pronunciation (Make a verb form of the word and use it in a sentence) Ans. Pronunciation (noun)-pronounce (verb) We should pronounce English properly.
(b) Write down the noun form of gest and make a sentence with the changed from.
Ans. Suggest (verb)-suggestion (noun)
Student should not follow suggestions before exam.
(c) Walk into the room and hear how very differently thay speak in your
presence’ [Turn into a complex sentence] Ans. If you walk into the room, you will hear how very differently they speak
in your presence.
C. Reorganise the following sentences without change of meaning
(a) They differ also according to the country in which they were born. [Turn
into a simple sentence] Ans. They differ also according to the country of their birth.
(b) Though there is no such thing as perfectly correct English, there is
presentable English. [Turn into a simple sentence] Ans. Instead of anything called perfectly correct English, there is presentable
English. (c) There is nobody else listening to them. [Turn into an affirmative sentence]
Ans. There is hardly anybody else listening to them.
(d) She suspects me of growing deafer and deafer. [Turn into a complex sentence]
Ans. She suspects that I am growing deafer and deafer.
(e) I have to ask somebody to tell me the time. [Turn into a complex sentence.]
Ans. I have to ask somebody who can tell me the time.
(f) Even among English people, to speak too well is a pedantic affectation. [Turn into a complex sentence]
Ans. It is a pedantic affectation to speak too welleven among people who are
English. (g) The stranger hears every syllable distincly. [Change into passive voice]
Ans. Every syllable is heard distincly by the stranger.
(h) The change would surprise you. [Change into an interrogative sentence]
Ans. Won’t the change surprise you ?
(i) “Will you have the goodness, Sir, to direct me to the railway terminus at Charing Cross?” [Change into indirect speech]
Ans. The speaker politely requested the stranger to kindly direct him to the railway terminus at Charing Cross.
(j) This record would be useless. [Turn into a negative sentence] Ans. This record would not be of any use.
D. Identify the grammatical category of the following words and change them as directed:
(i) Foreign (Make a noun of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. Foreign (adjective)-foreigner (noun) He met a foreigner on the train.
(ii) Specialist (Make an adjective form of the word and use it in a sentence) Ans. Specialist (noun) special (adjective)
Special dishes are served in the marriage ceremony.
(iii) Pronunciation (Make a verb form of the word and use it in a sentence) Ans. Pronunciation (noun)-pronounce (verb) We should pronounce English properly.
(iv) assertion (Make a verb form of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. assertion (noun)-assert (verb)
The student asserted his innocence.
(v) Provincial (Make a nour form of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. provincial (adjective)-province (noun) India has many backıvard provinces.
(vi) difference (Make a verb form of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. difference (noun)-differ (verb)
Two teachers differ among them on this point.
) distinctly (adverb)-distinct (adjective) (vii The fingerprints of the thief are quite distinct.
(viii) denial (Make a verb form of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. denial (noun)-deny (verb)
The student denies that he has done the mistake.
(ix) recognizable (make a noun form of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. recognizable (adjective)-recognition (noun)
The school got the recognition of high school last yer.
(x) elaborate (make an adverb form of the word and use it in a sentence)
Ans. elaborate (adjective) elaborately (adverb)
Describe the answer elaborately.
EXERCISE-1
Read the first paragraph of the passage and answer the following
questions:
(1) When a native of England will be ashamed of speaking English?
(2) What does the author try to impress on the foreign hearer ? (3) How does the author show that no two British subjects speak alike ?
(4) Mention the members of the committee formed by BBC ? Why is it found?
(5) Could the committee formed do its job?
(6) If not, why? What kind of English Shaw wants the speakers to speak.
Answers:
(1) A native of England will be ashamed of speaking English when he speaks in a provincial or cockney dialect which prevents him from getting an employment.
(2) Shaw wants to impress on the foreign hearer that there is no such thing as ideally correct English. No two British subjects speak exactly alike.
(3) Shaw says that the British Broadcasting Corporation formed a committee with educated members like Shaw himself, a poet Laureate and an actor. But they did not agree how the words like ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would be pronounced.
(4) The members of the committee formed by BBC are the Poet Laureate, Shaw, the dramatist and Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson. The committee was formed for the purpose of deciding how the utterances of speakers employed by the
corporation should be pronounced in order that they should be a model of correct
speech for the British Islands.
(5) The committee formed by the BBC for deciding how the utterances of the
speakers employed by the corporation should be pronounced could not do its job
because the members drawn from different nationalities could not agree as to how the simple and common words like ‘yes’ and ‘no’ should be pronounced.
(6) Shaw wants the native and foreign speakers to speak presentable English. Perfect and correct English is an absurd proposition.
B. Vocabulary:
- Pick out from the following alternatives the correct synonyms of the words given below:
Cockney: (a) vulgar; (b) regional; (c) language of the native of the East End of London.
Ashamed: (a) depressed; (b) frightened; (c) abashed. Impress: (a) press on; (b) imprint; (c) strike.
Critically (a) suspiciously, (b) minutely; (c) doubtfully. Cultivated: (a) ignorant; (b) sophisticated; (c) eduated.
- Pick out from the alternatives given below the correct antonyms of the following words:
(a) Native (a) unnatural; (b) foreigner; (c) distinguished. (b) Specialist (a) artist; (b) generalist; (c) philanthropist.
(c) Correct-(a) uncorrect; (b) incorrect; (c) discorrect.
(d) Intelligible-(a) inintelligible; (b) unintelligible; (c) disintelligible.
(e) Illiterate-(a) ignorant; (b) superstitious; (c) literate.
Answers:
- Cockney-(c); Ashamed-(c); Impress-(b); Critically-(b); Cultivated-(b) 2. Native (b); Specialist-(b); Correct-(b); Intelligible-(b); Illiterate-(c).
C. Grammar:
- (a) use ‘open’ as verb and adjective.
(b) use ‘meet’ as verb and adjective.
(c) Give the noun form of ‘correct’ and use it in a sentence.
(d) Give the adjective and noun forms of the word impress.
form.
(e) What is the grammatical category of cultivated. Use its verb and noun
Answers:
- (a) Open (v)-Open the door.
(adj) The doors are open.
(b) Meet-1 will meet him to-morrow. (v)
it is not meet (proper) that you should go there. (adj)
(c) Correct-correction (n).
The teacher has made detailed corrections of the passage.
(d) Impress-impression (n)-Teacher’s impression about Debjani is very good. (adj)-He has a very impressive appearance.
Impressive (e) Cultivated (adj)-Farmers cultivate (v) the land. The lands are brought under cultivation (adj).
- (a) Turn the following sentence into simple sentence:
Whether you are a foreigner or a native, the first thing I must impress on you is that there is no such thing as ideally correct English.
b) Our chairman is the poet laureate, who is not only an artist whose materials are the sounds of sopken English, but a specialist in their pronunciation. (Make it into a simple sentence.)
(c) All we can claim is that they all speak correctly.
Use that they all speak correctly as the noun clause.
Answers:
- (a) Irrespective of your being a foreigner or a native the first thing I must impress on you is the absence of an ideally correct English.
(b) Our Chairman is the poet Laureate, an artist depending on the sounds of Spoken English as his materials as well as a specialist in their pronunciation.
(c) That they all speak correctly can be claimed by us.