Building your Vocabulary I. ‘Due diligence was carried out before creating the three States in 2000, when Atal Behari Vajpayee was Prime Minister and L.K. Advani headed the Home Ministry.’ 1. The word ‘diligence’ is a noun and it refers to the attention and care legally expected or required of a person (as a party to a contract). Let us look at another sentence to exemplify the meaning of the word in a better way, There were hardly any people who could challenge Mr. Sen’s diligence as an MP. Apt synonyms of the word would be assiduity, rigour, conscientiousness, etc. II. ‘Thailand braced for tense nationwide elections on Sunday, a day after gun battles broke out at a busy Bangkok intersection between government supporters and protesters trying to derail the polls by blocking the delivery of ballots to voting stations.’ 2. In the given sentence, the word ‘brace’ has been used as a verb. It means to get ready for something difficult or unpleasant. As a verb, ‘brace’ can also be used in the sense of giving added physical support or strength to something (for example, She braced her feet against a projecting shelf.) and in some cases, the word is also used to mean to make (a structure) stronger or firmer with wood, iron, or other forms of support (for example, The posts were braced by lengths of timber.) III. ‘The exchange of fire was the latest flare-up in a months-long campaign by protesters to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s beleaguered government, which they accuse of corruption.’ 3. ‘Beleaguered’ has been used as an adjective in the given sentence and it refers to something that has been experiencing a lot of criticism and difficulties. Here’s another sentence that would help in making the meaning of the word clearer, The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. The word also means to be surrounded by an enemy; for example, The chief led a relief force to the aid of the beleaguered city. IV. ‘An euphoria seem to have set in among leaders and cadres of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam as the party has emerged as the most sought after party in the political firmament.’ 4. The word ‘firmament’ as used in the given sentence, refers to the field or sphere of an interest or activity. It also refers to the heavens or the sky; for example, When heaven reveals her primal stainless blue, Alone within the firmament there burns The tiny torch of dusk. (A Lute of Jade by Cranmer-Byng, L.) V. ‘In his speech at the conference the Russian Foreign Minister said it is the West that is foisting the European choice on Ukraine and pouring fuel into the crisis.’ 5. The word ‘foist’ is a verb that means to force someone to accept (something that is not good or not wanted). Let us look at another example that would clarify the meaning of the word, When I was young my parents often foisted me upon a reluctant aunt for the weekend. ‘Foist’ can also be used to mean to pass off as genuine or worthy (for example, I can usually tell whether a poet . . . is foisting off on us what hed like to think is pure invention - J.D. Salinger) or to introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant (for example, The landlord foisted unfair provisions into the contract without the knowledge of his tenant.) [All the five sentences given above have been taken from todays newspaper (dated: Feb 2, 2014).]
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 11:34:49 +0000
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