Professional Documents
Culture Documents
We now come to certain uses of the Basic words which are not expansions of the
sense but changes of sense (sometimes not clear from the senses of the separate
words) which come about when certain words are used together, as a group. They are
named 'idioms' in the language books, and have three chief causes:
There is no need to take much trouble about these special uses if your interest in
Basic is limited to business letters, or to hearing radio talks; or if you will be
talking chiefly to persons without a knowledge of normal English. But it is a good
thing to have them all together, so that the learner may see the complete story in
front of him. The best way is to get used to them by experience-by reading books in
Basic and making a note of uses which do not seem natural to you from a knowledge
of the words by themselves. Then you may go quickly on to the list of Fixed Uses
which are necessary; there you are given a selection of 'idioms' which it would not
be possible to go far without. The only words for which more than a very short note
is needed are in two groups:
1. Come and go, put and take, give and get, together with let and keep, have and
make. (All with 5 examples.) 2. At, by, in, on, to, and up, together with for and
of. (All with 10 examples.)
This gives us 130 examples, and there are 20 other special uses with words in this
group. In addition, there are 100 special uses with the rest of the Basic list-
making 250 in all. In fact, a quick writer would make a copy of the complete list
(giving every use in Basic English which is not quite regular) in less time than it
takes to get through a normal meal. These fixed uses are unnecessary for anyone who
is going through the Basic system for the first time; but they are listed here, so
that at the end there is nothing more to come. The learner may then go back to them
when the working of the rest of the system is clear. Most of them are important
chiefly for purposes of ornament or smooth writing, but there are some by which
very common needs are covered without going a long way round. It may be noted that
for memory purposes all the 250 special uses are given in the form of stories, and
the reader may be interested in working out the connections.
First come those with the other words in the group headed 'Operations':
There is no need to take much trouble about these special uses if your interest in
Basic is limited to business letters, or to hearing radio talks; or if you will be
talking chiefly to persons without a knowledge of normal English. But it is a good
thing to have them all together, so that the learner may see the complete story in
front of him. The best way is to get used to them by experience-by reading books in
Basic and making a note of uses which do not seem natural to you from a knowledge
of the words by themselves. Then you may go quickly on to the list of Fixed Uses
which are necessary; there you are given a selection of 'idioms' which it would not
be possible to go far without. The only words for which more than a very short note
is needed are in two groups:
1. Come and go, put and take, give and get, together with let and keep, have and
make. (All with 5 examples.) 2. At, by, in, on, to, and up, together with for and
of. (All with 10 examples.)
This gives us 130 examples, and there are 20 other special uses with words in this
group. In addition, there are 100 special uses with the rest of the Basic list-
making 250 in all. In fact, a quick writer would make a copy of the complete list
(giving every use in Basic English which is not quite regular) in less time than it
takes to get through a normal meal. These fixed uses are unnecessary for anyone who
is going through the Basic system for the first time; but they are listed here, so
that at the end there is nothing more to come. The learner may then go back to them
when the working of the rest of the system is clear. Most of them are important
chiefly for purposes of ornament or smooth writing, but there are some by which
very common needs are covered without going a long way round. It may be noted that
for memory purposes all the 250 special uses are given in the form of stories, and
the reader may be interested in working out the connections.
Acts (10 groups of 5)
Come
The governments will come to an agreement about the taxes.
The train will come to a stop at the station.
Strange facts will come to light.
A newspaper man came across some private papers under the seat.
How did this come about?
Get
He had no money because he got a book out last year.
His friends said they would get a play up for him.
But he did not get on (well) with the chief actor.
He got (himself) into bad ways through drink.
He got (himself) out of doing any more work.
Give
Mothers give birth to babies.
She gave her word to the family that she would take care of the little boy.
The wall gave back the sound (light).
They did not give up hope till the news was certain.
Newspapers are given to printing false statements.
Go
The color of the walls did not go with my dress.
An old man in the front had gone to sleep.
Something (the gun) went off with a loud noise.
The light went out in the middle of my talk.
I am going to make a protest to the gas company.
Have
I had a talk with him this morning.
His arguments had no effect on me.
Our thoughts have no existence outside our heads.
They have to go into such questions because of their interest in history.
I will have nothing to do with foolish discussions.
Keep
She keeps house for her father.
He has only her to keep him company.
We kept the manager on till everyone was out of work.
He kept his interest up all through the winter.
I will keep up with the changes in public opinion, and take his place.
Let
The teacher let the boy off (punishment) when she saw how unhappy he was.
She will not let us into her secret.
She had been letting out the skirt because it was getting tight.
A good man would not let his friends down.
Please let me (the machine) be.
Make
He made up a story which was not quite true.
It was not hard to make out the sense of his words.
He had made the material into trousers in error.
She made much (little) of it.
It is unkind to make sport of persons dressed in a strange way.
Put
A common way of putting an idea (suggestion) across is by advertisement.
He put up an argument (fight) when the trainer said the horse had been poisoned.
Someone had made an attempt to put it to death.
They put the discussion (talk, meeting) off till the morning.
The chances are generally against you if you put money on a horse (event).
Take
He took up the question (painting) with great interest.
He did not take into account all the details.
He said he would take a picture, but he had no camera.
We took him for an expert.
The news took us by surprise.
Directions (8 groups of 10)
At
The men are at war (peace, work, play, rest).
They were happy at first (last).
They were at a great distance from their country.
They did not go to bed at night.
At times they were covered with small insects.
There was some surprise at their desire to get back.
There were at least (most) 1,000 persons at the station.
They had the interests of their country at heart.
They were bad at (good at, quick at, slow at, expert at, working at) languages.
They are looking at (pointing at, laughing at, firing at) the camera- men.
By
Robinson Crusoe was on an island by himself.
He had to make everything for himself by hand.
I was working there by night (day).
I had come across some coal on the island by chance.
By the way, have you ever been down a coal mine?
No smoking, by order.
A young miner got the Basic words by heart in less than a week.
He got the word order into his head by slow degrees.
Little by little (bit by bit, day by day), he made himself expert at the special
uses.
He is coming here at 4, by this clock.
For
He has no regret for his acts.
For example, he was cruel to his sister.
He was responsible for her death.
He went away for this reason.
He kept away for fear of the law.
He will go to prison for the first (second, last) time.
He will be there for a long time.
There is no cause for protest.
Every judge would say the same thing, word for word.
Men are like animals, but for their brains.
In
The Judge said that the prisoner was in the right (wrong).
He took a tin tray in exchange for his picture.
The picture itself was done in metal (wood).
The head is turned in a strange way (direction).
Strange things are done in the name of art.
He is in love with a woman who is not in love with him.
The machine was in motion when he got out.
It will be in operation (use) again today.
He gave the facts in answer to a question.
Basic is a very good system in fact (and in theory).
Of
Do not go out of the room so quickly.
You were talking of writing a book of general knowledge.
I am full of good ideas.
These facts may be of use (value, help, interest) to you.
Clothing made of wool is best in a cold country.
The Englishman's love (care, control) of animals (the boy's grip of the facts) is
surprising.
A man of 50 (years) is not old.
In the future, we may be conscious of events at a distance.
Basic is the best system because of its simple rules.
That was very kind of you; and your last point is a good example of advertisement.
On
The light (water, gas, play) is now on.
The pictures are on view.
I came on purpose to see them.
This design is on a great (small) scale.
I have a friend on the committee.
He is an expert on old prints.
He has gone on a journey to the East to get some more.
The profit (loss, interest) on his business is chiefly through insurance.
Look! The house is on fire!
Let us go (keep) on putting water on it. We will go on with the fight till the
firemen come.
To
That music is not to my taste.
They are dancing to bad music.
The question is not open to argument.
The machines are face to face (back to back).
Your answer is not to the point.
To my surprise and regret, it is still going on.
Bad music is dear to the public.
The chances are 10 to 1 that it will be better in the future.
Most of us are slow to get used to new forms of art.
I was able to make this last use clear earlier.
Up
At school, dressing up was one of my greatest pleasures.
Now, it is hard even to get my overcoat buttoned up.
In a cold country, all one's force is used up in the attempt to keep warm.
Bread has to be cut (broken) up for the birds.
Even if your house is shut (locked) up, the rain may get in.
Yesterday there was ice in the bath and the drains got stopped up.
Get the pipes fixed up again before the spring!
The wet places on the walls will have to be touched up.
There is no need to get worked up about it.
In England, they have to put up with small troubles of this sort.
In addition
In addition to the special uses so far listed, there are 10 more names of
operations and directions with separate special uses, making another 20. These are:
First come those with the other words in the group headed 'Operations':