XII English Grammar

Idioms & Phrases
Question No. 6 (a) - Sentences
1. At sixes and sevens:Home ruler, who were all at sixes and sevens among themselves agreed only upon the one thing and that was the freedom of India.

2. All in all:The Head clerk is all in all in this office.

3. All the same:It is all the same to me whether the pull over is home-made or bazaar-made.

4. At large:The culprits are still at large.

5. By fits and starts:He works by fits and starts and does not apply him steadily.

6. Black sheep:We should be aware of the black sheep in our society.

7. A bone of contention:This property is a bone of contention between the two brothers.

8. To break the ice:We all wanted to talk on this subject by no one willing to break the ice.

9. A burning question:Kashmir is a burning question of the day.

10. To back out:He promised to help me but backed out at the eleventh hour.

11. To beat about the bush:Stop beating about the bush; say exactly what you mean.

12. Bed of roses:A military life is not bed of roses.

13. In cold blood:He murdered the merchant in cold blood.

14. To fall to the ground:The theory has fallen to the ground.

15. Go hand in hand:Diligence and prosperity go hand in hand.

16. Leave no stone unturned:Shah Faisal left no stone unturned to bring about unity in the Islamic world.

17. Live from hand to mouth:Our middle class people live generally from hand to mouth.

18. Look down upon:He is so proud of his promotion that he looks down upon all his former friends.

19. At a loss:He is never at a loss for an appropriate word.

20. To pay back in the same coin:If a person rude towards you, it does not mean that you should pay him in the same coin.

21. To keep pace with:Agriculture in the states has kept pace with manufacture, but it has far out stepped commerce.

22. Red tape:Flourence Nightingale was a sworn enemy of red tape.

23. To speak volumes:The murders spoke volumes about political conditions before Indian elections.

24. Up to the mark:You don’t look quite up to the mark today.

25. To get into hot water:Do not quarrel with your officers or you will soon get into hot water.

26. Time and again:Time and again proverbs come to be true.

27. Cut off:The supplies were cut off from the soldier due to snow fall.

28. Run against:Zuhair Akram Nadeem was running against Dr. Farooq Sattar in the elections 89.

29. To turn over a new leaf:The teacher pardoned the boy on the condition that he promised to turn over a new leaf in future.

30. To nip in the bud:The plot to overthrow the Government was detected and nipped in the bud.

31. To feel like a fish out of water:Being the only educated person in that village, I felt like a fish out of water.

32. To shed crocodile terars:Don’t be deceived by the beggar’s crying. They are only crocodile’s tears.

33. Lion share:The stronger person generally gets the lions share of the property.

34. To cry over spilt milk:The damage has been done but instead of crying over spilt milk do something to repair it.

35. It is high time:The exams begin next month so it is high time to study seriously.

36. To save something for the rainy day:He wasted his savings and has kept nothing for the rainy day.

37. With a high hand:He is the most unpopular because he decides matters with a high hand.

38. Day in and day out:I have been warning you day in and day out.

39. To make the most of:He let me use his bicycle for a week and I am going to make the most of it.

40. To make the fun of:We should not make fun of handicaps.

41. To make room for:They made room for more guests as all seats were full.

42. To go through:He went through the whole book within a week.

43. In all:He got 782 marks in all.

44. All alone:Yesterday night she was all alone in her house.

45. To put into practice:The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) put into practice what he preaches.

46. A wild goose chase:The robbers fled away and the police gave them a wild goose chase.

47. To end in smoke:All his efforts ended in smoke because they were not made sincerely.

48. With flying colours:If you work hard you will pass your examination with flying colours.

49. Odds and ends:The shopkeeper does not sell any particular article, but deals in odds and ends.

50. Under one’s nose:The police were on the look out for the culprit who was hiding under their nose.

51. To poke one’s nose into:One should not poke one’s nose into others affairs.

52. To kick up a row:It is useless kicking up a row when the matters can be decided peacefully.

53. To wind up:He is winding up his business in the city, as he going abroad.

54. In black and white:I want your statement in black and white.

55. A red letter day:14th August is a red letter day in the history of Pakistan.

56. To run into:Last night my friend ran into a cheat who deprived him of his brief case by changing it with an empty one.

57. To bring to light:A number of facts were brought to light by the Prime Minister in the recent Press Conference.

58. At the eleventh hour:The president postponed his meeting with the journalists due to visit of the French delegation at the eleventh hour.

59. To come across:In the wedding party, she come across he two very close friends of the University life.

60. To give up:The doctor has strictly advised him to give up drinking and smoking for the sake of his life.

61. To call a spade, a spade:Islam teaches us to call a spade, a spade even before a cruel ruler.

62. To look after:All the parents have to look after their children during the early period of the school life.

63. To break up:The two partners have decided to break up the partnership and divide the assets equally.

64. To get rid of:Pakistan must get rid of that type of foreign aid, which puts on her, undue political pressure.

65. At a stretch:Saeed Anwer played an aggressive inning and continued to score runs at a stretch.

66. To give in:Imran Khan and Miandad were real fighters and they would never give in till the last ball.

67. To let down:The rich feel proud of their wealth and usually let down the poor.

68. Once in a blue moon:I am not so fond of movies and watch some fine art movie once in a blue moon.

69. To fall out:A short tempered football player fell out with his opponents and got wounded.

70. To call on:The winners of 1994 World Cup called on the President, with their captain.

71. To call off:The University students finally decided to call off the strike as their demands were accepted.

72. To bring home to:Rizwan brought home to her all the important aspects of the matter.

73. To get over:The Indian Government made all possible efforts to get over the epidemic of plague.

74. To get across:The news of Mr. Eddhi’s self-exile got across the country within no time.

75. To make up for:The Government and people of Iraq are working day and night to make up the loss caused by the Gulf war.

76. To make off:The robbers made off through the back door just as the security guard started firing into air.

77. To bring out:The telephone Corporation has brought a decent Directory in three volumes.

78. To bring up:Abraham Lincoln was brought up by his parents in a state of very limited financial resources.

79. To take off:The Hajj flight will take off every morning during the next couple of weeks.

80. To take place:The wedding of my cousin will take place in the first week of November, next.

81. To keep up:Our cricket team must go through an extensive training and practice session to keep up their position in the next world cup.

82. To stir up:The statement given by Mr. Abdul Sattar Eddhi caused great stir up in the political circles.

83. To go off:While the police man was cleaning his rifle, it suddenly went off because it was loaded.

84. To let off:Finally, the defaulter was let off by the civil authorities in view of his undertaking to abide by the rules in future.

85. To beg for:The Quaid-e-Azam begged for peace and friendship with his former enemies, the Congress leaders.

86. To furnish with:The chief justice was furnished with all the documentary proofs against the accused.

87. To look for:After the panic had subsided, people started looking for their misplaced baggage.

88. To run after:According to Einstein, ordinary people run after ordinary objects such as property and luxury.

89. To turn down:The secretary was taking down the main points to prepare a summary of the Seminar on pollution.

90. To watch over:Sensible parents make it a point to watch over the outdoor activities of their growing up children.

91. To bank on:Never bank on a fair weather friend because he will certainly cheat you.

92. To blow hot and cold:It is part of his nature to blow hot and cold as he favours this political party today the other party tomorrow.

93. To break the news:It was really very hard to break the shocking news of her husband’s accidental death to her.

94. To call names:He is such loose tempered man that he often begins to call names to his neighbours.

95. To turn the tables:The pace attack by Wasim Akram and Waqar turned the tables against India and our cricket team got victory.

96. To hold water:The judge will give a favourable verdict only when you lawyer’s arguments hold water.

97. To face the music:Those who are responsible for terrorism in the city must face the music and be dealt with.

98. To be under the cloud:These days, the opposition leaders are under a cloud and being tortured by the Government.

99. By hook or by crook:The corrupt politicians try to win in every general election by hook or by crook.

100. To run short of:These days most areas in Karachi are running short of water supply.

Direct and Indirect Speech
Question No. 6 (b) - Discription of Rules and Practice Exercises
Direct Speech
Direct speech is that form of narration in which the actual words of a speaker are reported. It may be divided into two parts: the reported speech, i.e. the actual words of the speaker; and the reporting speech, i.e., the introductory words added to the reported speech. The reported speech comes before or after commas.

Indirect Speech
Indirect speech is that form of speech in which what one speaker says is reported by another with utmost accuracy but without using his actual words.

Rules
For correct transcription from direct speech to indirect speech, the following rules should be carefully studied.

1. Elimination of Inverted Commas
i. In the indirect speech the commas are omitted

ii. The conjunction that, except in certain cases which will be discussed later, is used to join the reporting speech and the reported speech.

iii. The capital letter of the first word of the reported speech is replaced by a small letter.

Najma says, “The fat dog is barking.” Where (Najma says) is a reporting speech and (The fat dog is barking) is a reported speech.

In the indirect speech this sentence will read as:

Najma says that the fat dog is barking.

2. Change of Pronouns
The pronouns in the reported speech are to be changed when necessary.

i. Pronouns of the first person are changed to the person of the subject of the reporting speech. For example: He(subject of reporting speech) says, “I have(pronoun of first person) no money with me(pronoun of first person).”

As the subject of the reporting speech is in the third person, the pronouns of the first person will change accordingly. The sentence will read:

He says that he has no money with him.

ii. Pronouns of the second person are changed to the person of the noun/pronoun to whom the reported speech is addressed. For example:

You said to Zain, “I would be happy to welcome you in my house.”

The pronoun of the second person in the reported speech is you. It is to be changed to the object of the reported speech, which is Zain, i.e. third person. The sentence will read as:

You told Zain that you would be happy to welcome him in you house.

3. Change of Tense
i. If the verb of the reporting speech is in the present or future tense, the tense of the verbs of the reported speech does not change.

Direct: He says, “I am a poor but honest man, and will not pick anybody’s pocket.”

Indirect: He says that he is a poor but honest man, and will not pick anybody’s pocket.

ii. If the verb of the reporting speech is in the past tense the verbs of the reported speech are changed to past tense:

Present Indefinite to Past Indefinite

Present Continuous to Past Continuous

Present Perfect to Past Perfect

Present Perfect Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous

Past Indifinite to Past Perfect/Past Indefinite

Will/shall to would/should

Can/may to could/might

Note: If the reported speech expresses a universal truth, its tense will not change.

4. Question
i. When a question with why, what, how etc., is to be changed into indirect speech, the verb of the reporting speech is replaced by inquired, demanded or asked and the conjunction that is not used. The question changes into a statement.

Direct: I said to him, “What is you next plan?”

Indirect: I asked him what his next plan was.

Direct: He said to the little boy, “Why are you weeping?”

Indirect: He inquired of the little boy why he was weeping.

ii. When questions beginning with an auxiliary verb are to be changed into indirect speech, if or whether is used to join the reporting speech and the reported speech, and the question is converted into a statement.

Direct: He said to the teacher. “Do you think my essay is good?”

Indirect: He asked the teacher if the though his essay was good.

5. Commands and Requests
In direct speech, commands and requests are introduced with an infinitive and the reporting verb is replaced by told, ordered commanded, requested, etc., according to the sense of the sentence.

Direct: He said to his servant, “Fetch me a glass of water.”

Indirect: He ordered his servant to fetch him a glass of water.”

Direct: I said to him, “Please sit down.”

Indirect: I requested him to sit down.

6. Desires and Exclamations
When desires and exclamations are changed into indirect speech, the reporting verb is replaced by wished, desired, exclaimed, cried, etc., and that is used as conjunction to join the reporting speech and the reported speech.

Direct: He said, “Alas! I have done what cannot be undone.”

Indirect: He exclaimed with sorrow that he had done what could not be undone.

7. Change o Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives
The words showing nearness in time and space are changed to words showing distance unless the sense requires otherwise.

Direct: He said, “I wandered here and there.”

Indirect: We cannot replace here by there.

Direct Speech Indirect Speech Direct Speech Indirect Speech




It That Now Then

Ago Before This That

Here There Thus So

These Those Hence Thence

Today That day Tonight That night

Last night The previous night Tomorrow The next day

Yesterday The previous day The next day The following day

Practise Exercise
1. “It is certainly a great privilege to hear you talk,” answered little Hans sitting down and wiping his forehead, “A very great privilege. But I am afraid I shall never have such beautiful ideas as you have.”

2. “What a silly boy you are!” cried the miller. “I really don’t know what is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anything. If little Hans come here and saw our warm fire and our good super, and our great cask of wine, he might get envious, and envy is the most terrible thing and would spoil anybody’s nature.

3. “Sir, you hand better let me take you hose to the blacksmith to have a shoe put on.” “No,” said the farmer, “It does not matter much. I am already late and if I wait I will get still more lately. I have only a few miles to go and my horse can take me so far without a shoe.”

4. The teacher became angry with the student and said, “Why have you disturbed the class in this way? I have told you before that when I am speaking you should be silent. Leave the room and do not return today."

5. She said to the king, “Has your Majesty any doubt of this man’s guilt? There is the very sword with which he meant to kill you. How sharp and bright and terrible it is! Quick, let him taste the milk; or he may perhaps do the deed even yet.”

6. “Sir, I want work. May I earn a penny?” said the lad, “Well,” said the man, after a pause, “you shall take my son home, and I will give you a penny. Shall I give you your penny now?”

7. “What do you want to know?” the Owl asked. “I am seeking the wild goose.” Replied the little Boy. The Owl blinked, coughed a little and said, “The wild goose is an inhabitant of many parts of the globe. It fled westward half an hour before sunset.”

8. “Do you come to make inquiries?” he said. “I do,” the young stranger replied. “A friend of mine is missing and I think he is staying with you.” “Yes, I have a man staying with me, but I do not know whether he is your missing friend,” he said.

9. “You are very ill-mannered Giant,” answered the stranger quietly, “and I shall probably have to teach you a little civility before we part. As for my name, it is Hercules. I have come hither because this is my most convenient road to the garden of Hesperides whither I am going to get three of the golden apples for the King Eurystheus.”

10. “I have begun my picture of yours among the Scotch firs, Maggie,” said Philip, “so you must let me study your face. Please turn you head this way.” “I shall be sitting for my second portrait then,” she said smiling. “Will it be larger than the other?” “Oh yes, much larger. It is an oil painting, “replied Philip.

11. “What in the world, my little fellow,” said Hercules, “may you be?” “I am your enemy,” answered the valiant pygmy, “You have slain the enormous Antaeus, our brother, and for ages the faithful ally of our nation. We are determined to put you to death. I challenge you to instant battle on equal ground.”

12. “I seem to myself like a child,” said Newton, “playing on the sea shore and picking up here and there a curious shell or a pretty pebble, while the boundless ocean of Truth lies undiscovered before me.”

13. “Mother,” he said, “Whatever you do, you will always be dear to me. But one thing I have a right to say, which is, that at my age I am old enough to know what is best for me.”

14. Peterkin said gravely, “Do you believe in ghosts, Ralph?” “No,” Ralph answered, “I do not. Nevertheless, I must confess that strange unaccountable sounds, such as we have just heard, make me feel a little uneasy.”

15. “They got the money, you say? Hawkins, what were they after? More money. I suppose?” he said, “No sir, not money I think,” replied Hawkins, “In fact, sir, I believe I have the thing in my breast-pocket. To tell you the truth, I should like to get it put in safety.”