Assignment

Assignment

Before I could shed light on the assignment, I must tell that whenever idioms are used, it should look like that they are well embellished in the sentence - and it must never appear as if the writer has used them merely to brag about.

This is the second assignment of this blog which was sent to my email address.

Amar Jain writes:

1. "Of two minds":
When we are not able to choose the right option from the available two options. Or, when we are confused between two options.

One side "HAL" saves my money and at the other side "Jaws" offers me the best features with very little extra expenditure. So I am of two minds for which software I should go.

2. "Fiddle while rome burns":
Enjoying or wasting your time while some important matters has not been attended yet.

I am giving first priority to internet while my first priority should be my studies because my exams are approaching. So, I am fiddling while the rome burns.

3. "Go into a tailspin":
To suddenly become bad or worse.

When Virendar Sehvag got married with Arti Singh, his performance in Cricket is going into tailspin day by day.

Shadab Husain responds:

Well Amar, thank you for your interest. You mentioned in the comment box that you don’t care a toss about others. I too don’t care. My sir, Mr Carlyle Andre McFarland, corrects me in front of the whole class.

Your first example is good. But wouldn’t it look more pleasing if we prune the two sentences slightly? How about more neatly knitting the idiom in the sentence? For instance, we can write:

HAL saves money while Jaws offers better features at a slightly higher price - so I really am of two minds which software to choose.

In your second example it should be “Enjoying or wasting your time while some important matters have not been attended yet” instead of “Enjoying or wasting your time while some important matters [has] not been attended yet”. I have bracketed the mistake.

In the same example, you wrote: “I am giving first priority to internet while my first priority should be my studies because my exams are approaching. So, I am fiddling while the Rome burns.” Priority means “the most important thing that must be dealt with first”. Therefore, when we use “priority” - we shouldn’t use “first”. Furthermore, I feel that we shouldn’t use idioms in a separate sentence. And check capitalisation for Rome.

Your third example, “When Virendar Sehvag got married with Arti Singh, his performance in Cricket is going into tailspin day by day.” It is “Into a tailspin” and not “into tailspin” - you missed the article “A”. In addition, I feel that the sentence would make a better reading if it is written “Ever since Virendar Sehvag married Arti Singh, his performance in cricket started going into a tailspin.” There’s no need of adding “day by day” because “started going” is already conveying that meaning. Try to be precise.

So the assignment is over.

Correction

I have said when we use “priority” we should not use “first” because this word already means “anything which must be dealt with first”. But after that I have noticed many eminent journalists coupling both these words, and therefore, I was wrong to point this out. Please pardon me for this mistake - (special apologies to Amar).