Search results for 'tag:Whom tag:Vocabulary' matching tags 'Whom' and 'Vocabulary'

I need you help. Please correct this for grammatical erros. Thank you very much!

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:45:16 GMT

When you see (name of my friend), youâll think of him as the antisocial kid. Youâll usually see him at the school with no companions at all as if he has no social life. But in reality, he doesnât like going with friends at all. He always thinks that going with them might just boost up his negative sides. Since he believes that when one goes out with the others, he or she can be wild and undomesticated. But focusing on the core of this person, (name of my friend) actually is very polite and friendly. You may give him impression that he has no sport, no social life, no latest gadgets or no latest one of the kind, but youâll definitely just throw that first impression of him to the bin. Because when you stumble upon this person with problems, youâll say that this person is worth to be with.

At times, though, (name of my friend) can be very sensitive towards people. Whenever heâs botched because of his oh-not-so-good appearance, heâll always shout at them since, for him, itâs the best way he can do to get even. It doesnât mean he only thinks of himself. But in fact, he thinks of the others first. For that instance, he doesnât want people to get bad karma and the like from playing with other people through their bad means.

An introvert who seems acting like a dead kid, as what his friends say about him, (name of my friend) never fails to cheer up people around him when theyâre down or feeling with no one else. Instead of ignoring them just because of his introvert characteristics, he chooses instead to give them a jolly moment.

(Name of my friend) appears like a very kind person who has no vocabulary of becoming a bad one. It is right, but you guys have to beware. This person knows actually how to cheer people, but when one makes his livid level reach the top already, youâll definitely hate this person later on. He doesnât like people whose behaviors are unacceptable. Those who are awkward, liars and those who are social climbers are totally just a dose of mess for him. Better stay away from him if you think youâre one of those.

Nonetheless, this person is just an ideal friend whom youâll have. This person has limitation â like every one of us has. If you want him to be nice, better be nice as well, or worst, youâll end up yourself being kicked by this person.

Re: What makes English so difficult to learn?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:34:01 GMT

Hello, another English teacher here. I have been teaching English in China for about 2 and a half years now and also speak fluent French, decent Spanish and am learning Chinese (not as hard as you may think once you get the hang of those tones, easy grammar). Now I'll start off by saying that English seems to be an incredibly easy language to communicate with (and by this I mean to give the general idea of what you're trying to say). However, if you want to learn English like a native speaker then it's a completely different story. The pronunciation CAN be difficult to learn depending on your native language and also the age you attempt to learn it at. Training your tongue and mouth to move the same way a native speaker does can be difficult to do, especially if you're like many of my students who got their start at an older age or didn't have good teachers. I've also noticed that my younger students are able to mimic my speech much easier than the older ones speaking, both of whom are studying at the same level. I started learning French when I was 4 years old (Quebec French, I'm Canadian) and because of the quality of my teachers and my young age I was able to become quite good with my pronunciation. With my Chinese because I'm learning from scratch from native speakers my pronunciation is also decent (notice I said decent, not great, although when speaking Chinese I'm always understood). Native language has a lot to do with it too as the sounds you use in one language may be very different for another. I've taught in both the north and south of China and find that the people all have the same problems. Chinese people have problems with s (they often pronounce it as a sh sound) and with closing their mouth for the letter m ("sometimes" is a nightmare for them and they often say it like "suntine"). L and R can also be troublesome. One can't forget sentence stress as well as well as linking words together to make it go smoothly.

The vocabulary can also be a pain. Someone here mentioned 150,000 words in the English language but the number is actually much higher. The Oxford English Dictionary (2nd edition) contains over 600,000 definitions. Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged contains 475,000 main headwords and it is believed the language grows by 25,000 words a year. Don't believe me, check Wikipedia. There's also the difference in spelling and vocabulary between the different forms of English. British English and American English use different words and the words that are the same can be spelled differently. American English and Canadian English essentially share the same vocabulary to a large degree but the spelling of Canadian English in many ways is closer to British English. British English is pretty much the English form most Asian and European countries will learn but American pop culture will also have an influence, not to mention the American economy and it's impact. This can all be very confusing. To the person saying they are tired of using "well" as in "well, then..." there are many substitutes you could use.

The grammar is also a nuisance. It's not the hardest of things but certainly isn't the easiest. Sure French has a gender attached to all of it's nouns (which I hated when learning it), but English still has more exceptions to it's rules that need to me memorized. So many even native speakers have trouble with it. A language like Chinese that may seem hard to speak actually has very simple grammar. For example if you wanted to ask someone where they are you would say "ni zai na li" or simply "ni zai nar" (you where?). To ask a question in Chinese you merely ad "ma" to the end of a statement. "Ta hui shuo zhongwen" is "he/she speaks Chinese whereas "ta hui shuo zhongwen ma" is "does he/she speak Chinese?". Also in Chinese as there are no forms of he or she.

It's impossible to say which language is easy and which is hard when compared to each other because there are so many things that need to be taken into consideration. Let's just say that English has it's easy parts and it's ridiculously difficult parts as well. Speaking at a native speaker level can be done and I know people who have done this, but it takes a lot of hard work, good instruction, and a good learning atmosphere. I hope all that made sense, I stumbled onto this site a 2 in the morning and am quite tired.

Please review my Recommendation Letter

Aquilotto — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:07:40 GMT

Hi All,

I wrote the attached recommendation letter and I need someone to review it, since I am italian and I'm not english mother tongue.

The letter is preatty long, but I hope it is quite well written.

Thank you very much for your help.

Best Regards

Lorenzo
________________________________________________

Question N.1 - How long and in what capacity have you known the candidate?

I met Lorenzo at the University in 1998 and since then we cultivated a strong friendship culminated in 2006 when we structured a mutual agreement in order to manage some business related projects. From that year our professional relation has emerged reinforced by the fact that his knowledge of corporate finance is more advanced and systematic than mine, while I am more used to deal with fiscal matters. I collaborated with Lorenzo in two different projects: during the first project, that lasted for six months, in January 2006 we performed a merger of two companies operating in the field of industrial plant design creating a new company with an asset of 150 million â¬ and 1200 employers; with the second project, that lasted for four months, we created a Trust with an asset of 85 million â¬ in real estate, stocks, bonds and cash.

Question N.2 - If this is a work related reference, in what position is/was the candidate employed and for how long?

While being involved in these projects, we worked closely together for ten months, five days a week, twelve hours a day. In both projects Lorenzo was the manager and I was in charge of optimizing the fiscal impact on the corporate structure in the first project and in the second I was in charge of studying and designing the Trust's fiscal structure.

Question N.3 - Please elaborate below or in a separate letter on the evaluation you have given above and provide any additional clarification about the applicant, which you consider would be helpful to the Admissions Committee.

Intellectual or Academic Ability

Lorenzo has an extreme flexible and vivid intellectual ability. I realized his attitude to study, research and in-depth examination when we were at the University and now, I found the really same approach in the projects we structured, characterized by very specific technical issues where intellectual and academic ability background sits on the first place. His intellectual ability relates to match a rigorous training with managerial skills and ability to adapt to different conditions.

Competence in current position

Lorenzo's competence as project leader and manager clearly demonstrates to be live up in every situation. I had the clear perception that our clients entrusted all the actions proposed by Lorenzo. When our clients asked Lorenzo specific questions related to our work, he always managed to demonstrate confidence and precision thanks to the competencies he has.

Oral Communication Skills

Lorenzo has a very clear and concise way to express his point of view. He is able to do that thanks to an innate ability to enter into dialogue with others. His approach does not change whether he speaks with a colleague or with the CEO of the company. Lorenzo always personalized his style knowing how to put his counterpart in confidence and at ease. Particularly, I remember as during one Board of Directors he was asked too many questions about every single detail of the merger that was planned and he answered all the questions in a flawless and confident way that everybody felt more secure in conducting the operation in the direction Lorenzo prospected.

Written Communication Skills

Lorenzo has excellent writing skills, as he manages to synthesize and explain very difficult concepts simply producing clear and easy-to-read documents. The very technical vocabulary of our work tends to be difficult to understand; therefore, it is very important to make sure that all the documents delivered to our clients are easy to understand. I remember that once, while we were monitoring the merger of companies, Lorenzo was the person that prepared informally the minutes of the Board of Directors that were used later as formal documents presented to the notary.

Analytical Skills

Lorenzoâs analytical skills are very important and effective in our field of work. Particularly, he is very skilful in conducting economic-financial analyses. Having said that, I would like to acknowledge that thanks to his excel file we were able to develop a model, and using this model we simulated the effects of the merger of two companies in terms of accounting, and with this model we also were able to analyze the first yearâs net circulating capital of the new company resulting from the merger. Evidently, such a task requires mastering and modelizing of the different aspects of balance sheets of the two companies.

Leadership Potential

Lorenzo definitely possesses great leadership qualities. He freely shares his skills and experience with the team, making them look to him even more as a leader. Lorenzo exhibits the courage of hard decisions and stand by them, thanks to his solid theoretical and practical preparation. Lorenzo is not intimidated by much, but he has also good judgment. When he has considered the facts of a situation and is certain he is on solid ground, he will not hesitate to take a strong stand. Lorenzo realizes that in any group everything is ultimately about persuasion, negotiation, and compromise. He is such a good leader, looked up by others, because they know he will accept a decision that does not go his way if he feels he has had a fair hearing. Lorenzo leads by listening to others and building consensus.

Teamwork

Lorenzo knows how to lead and orientate a group of people in the day after day life in order to obtain the desired results. At the same time Lorenzo is able to adapt to the different characters of the team members because he has an outstanding attitude of hearing, of motivating, of respecting and of communicating with all the colleagues. It's not easy to develop a project from the design phase till implementation but Lorenzo is able to give the right attention and the right amount of responsibility to all team members in order to drive the team to reach the final result.

Problem Solving

In managing problems Lorenzo always proved to be very proactive and ready to anticipate aspects that could impact on our projects. His ability to manage both complex situations and supply solutions is driven by his attitude to do analogies with similar cases already solved and also by break up a complex problem in a series of multiple small themes more easy to be solved.

Maturity

Lorenzoâs maturity is exceptional in our field. I am sure that his maturity comes from the fact that he graduated very early and, consequently, had an opportunity to get involved in many different kinds of situations from which he learned a lot. His maturity is proven by his communication skills, his motivation and his ability to take a deep and careful approach to everything he does. Particularly, I refer to his ability to put all his interlocutors at ease, as, for instance, once I saw him negotiating with the banks very favourable terms for our clientâs company, which was possible only because during these years of hard work he has distinguished himself as a trustful and professional person.

Management Potential

Based on my experience the most important factor that I can observe in Lorenzo is that he gets things done. He is able to get the most from different situations by controlling all the critical aspects that a good manager must have: organization, charisma, leadership, teamwork, vision, integrity. All these are part of his character and are evident in his personality, given that have always been recognized also by our clients. To deliver concrete results to companies is our mission and the only was to reach this goal is to be good managers serving our clients.

Question N.4 - What do you consider to be the candidateâs principal strengths/talents?

I consider Lorenzo's principal talents his attitude to create a collaborative working environment, his competence in analyzing and solving problems, his extremely oriented to teamwork personality and his willing not to be satisfied by the results achieved and always looking for new ventures and new opportunities.

Question N.5 - What do you consider to be the candidateâs weaknesses or areas that need improvement?

A weakness that Lorenzo might have compared to other team members that I regularly work with is related to his high moral standards. Lorenzo tends to trust the people with whom he works, and this is why he expects to be treated the same way. If a person disappoints him, Lorenzo tends to distance himself and does not treat this person in the same way.

Question N.6 - What is your opinion of the candidateâs motivation towards, and suitability for a career in management?

I think that Lorenzo is the right person for a career in management and I can say that because I saw him in action. Lorenzo already has a very successful future ahead of him. I believe that this is the right time for him to get his dream of doing an MBA in a prestigious university like Manchester. I'm sure that his knowledge and competencies would benefit from the MBA and together with his actual level of management practice he will gain an absolute level of respect in the management field. We spoke a lot about his willing to gain the MBA and even if against my own interest, that is to hold him in Italy to continue to collaborate to new projects, I believe that for his ambitions the right thing is to go in a place where both theory and practical experience can allow him to fully develop his enormous potentialities.

Re: who Vs whom ?

Grammar Geek — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:21:09 GMT

Er, uh... yes, technically.

But since the use of "whom" is really making a fast exit from U.S. vocabulary, it could end up looking a little stilted. Can you avoid the situation by recasting the sentence so that "who" is used as the subject, something like "from all those who depend on you for all the help you give us" ... something like that?

Quick help needed, this is important (grammar).

Jacekkr — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:32 GMT

Hello ladies and gentlemen,
I am completely new to this forum (as you may have already noticed), so please be understanding if I'm posting in the wrong category.

But first, let me introduce myself. My real name is Jacek (my English friends simply call me Jack, although that's quite misleading) and I come from Poland, I'm a 17 year-old high school student. My interests are generally computers (with an emphasis on web authoring), rock music, the English language and motoring... Well... I'm not good at speaking about myself, so if you have anymore questions about my person feel free to ask.

I'm writing this, because I'm taking part in a school contest in English and I need some help with grammar. You see, I've got quite a few sentences that I need to translate from Polish to English using the correct forms and tenses (and vocabulary, obviously). I know there might not be many Polish-speaking people around here, so I'll just post my translations and all that I am asking from you is to check whether they make sense from the grammatical point of view. This is really important, so I'd be incredibly grateful if someone could check and possibly correct these sentences as quick as it's possible (the contest's commencing on Monday).

Behold:

1. We certainly cannot accuse Fred of being shy. Look how he enjoys talking about himself in front of television cameras.

2. It has just been announced that everyone of those who has obtained less than 50 percent will have to take another exam. All of those, who will not be able to come to the US in Spring may apply for taking the exam in US embassies.

3. Since no more than half a bottle of syrup was left, Granddad must have been taking his treatment very seriously. I bought five bottles last Monday.

4. The new sytnthetic costs three times as much as cotton. But since it's here, no teenage girl will even look at old costumes. Well, the money which they spend isn't theirs, but their parent's.

5. The fact is that no female journalist from the newspaper, whom had thrown these accusations was not present at the dinner, during which the Collonel has been telling or, as he claims, he hasn't been telling those racist jokes.

6. Having decided months ago in advance what will be the topics of main speeches and who will be making them after whom, the organisers were unwilling to make any changes last-minute changes.

7. Listen to this! Doesn't this change in Simon's voice suggest, that he might have realized at that moment, that the conversation is being recorded.

8. Because of safety regulations we had to send two drivers instead of one. After a few hundred kilometers it turned out, that although they both have been driving buses for many years, none of them was used to driving in such heavy traffic.

9. I doubt wheter they have a clear idea themselves how many rehearsals there should be before the show is ready for television.

10. Before the conference I would never have thought that translating a lecture about the history of fashion can be so difficult. I am afraid that a few listeners could have had doubts about my knowledge of French.

11. Please do not expect owners not to get upset when they are told that since the beginning of the strike you haven't managed to make a list of negotiators and experts.

12. As far as buying cosmetics is concerned, Laura is sceptical about advertising. She thinks, that the least advertised products are usually much cheaper than those that can be seen on TV.

13. From our point of view the latest proposal seems to be acceptable under the condition, that we won't have to pay for the equipment, we will not be using in the future.

14. Let's not argue about specific questions to be asked both guests until we make sure that Father John won't have anything against appearing in the same show with a strip dancer.

15. The manager decided that the best way of convincing customers that the juice is not radioactive was having every hundreth bottle checked by an independent laboratory.

Thank you in advance.

Personal Statement for University, advice pls!

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 01:01:13 GMT

Hi everyone! I'm currently working on my personal statement for CTM course in UK. Could somene check it please advice on grammar, vocabulary and content. I know it is very like an autobiographical note but I think it gives a true overview of why I decidet to study and also it contains informations about my skills related to the subject. Thanks in advance for any advice given.

Dear Sir/Madame

I am a young Polish Musician/Producer currently living in Ireland. As a pianist I have a classical background but I am also passionate about contemporary electronic music off all genres (from experimental to so called club music) and the possibilities that modern technology gives musicians, composers and producers. Therefore I decided to undertake studies in a field of Creative Music Technology/Music Production.

My musical education began when I was 6 years old when I started to attend piano classes in my local cultural club. I was doing very well and soon I passed exams to a Primary School of Music in Warsaw. After finishing six year course in a class of classical piano I decide to continue my education and applied for a piano course in the Frederic Chopin State Second Level Music School in Warsaw. I passed the entry exams with the highest overall score from all piano class candidates.

My adventure with linking music and technology began when as a 14 years old I got my hands on JeskolaBuzz, a freeware tracker with many sound generators and effects. From that day I got sucked in by the world of sound synthesis, processing and sequencing. In my spare time (witch I did not have much being busy with two full time schools: my ordinary High School where I was in a class with mathematics-physics profile with extended program of Computer Science, and the Secondary Level Music School) I was experimenting and learning how to use computers to produce music with sequencers (CubaseVst than Sx), VST instruments and effects.

After finishing music school and getting my Diploma in 2004 I decided to undertake studies of physics at Warsaw University. The reason for that was that I didn't want to go to conservatory and to pursue a career as a pianist. Being very good at maths and physics I had no problems with getting onto the course even though the exams were considered as difficult. I was thinking of becoming a sound engineer but soon I discovered I'm not getting any closer to achieving that goal. I dropped my studies and decided to go abroad to earn money and build my own home studio. Personally I consider this as one of the most important (and very good indeed) decisions in my life. Getting away of home, and going to a different country broadened my horizons, gave me time tot think and opportunity to define myself.

I came to Dublin in April 2005 and working as a waiter started to assemble gear for my studio (my current setup based on a notebook PC: Focusrite Saffire audio interface, Yamaha P140 digital piano, Behringer BCF2000 midi controller and Sennheiser HD25 headphones). Meanwhile I did an English course and passed CAE exams. I decided not to come back to Poland jet and started thinking about getting into higher education. I heard before about a great choice of music production/sound engineering courses offered by universities in UK but I never considered it possible to study there for financial reasons. But living in Ireland I realized that I am able to save enough money to start my studies and than continue studying and working part time. After extensive research on the internet I found six courses of my dreams and now I'm applying for them.

What I expect to get from the course? I hope it will help developing my production skills, give me professional technical background, a chance to get my hand on a professional gear etc. But the most important from my point of view are people that I can meet, with similar interest, with whom I will be able to collaborate, producing and playing music or creating multimedia projects, from whom I will be able to learn and who will be inspiring for me.

Considering my classical musical background (in performance and theory), my skills in maths and physics, and practical experience in music production (I can send a portfolio of works if requested) I think I will prove to be a perfect candidate for course I am applying for.

Re: lower-class accent

J Lewis — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 12:10:00 GMT

Mjcbrown wrote:

Unlike as in Germany, regional accents have been retained by the working classes and now are still distinctive of the working class and as such bear a "working class" stigma.

Presumably this means "retained only by the working classes", otherwise it could be interpreted as meaning there are no regional accents in Germany. I suppose the correct interpretation is that everybody speaks with a regional accent. This is true in Italy too. However, also in Italy the more "cultured" classes speak with a less strong accent, which means a mix between the local accent and some national standard (of course in Italy there are not only regional accents but well-defined dialects - differences in vocabulary, also some grammatical differences - which in England have largely disappeared).

By the way, I dislike the term RP, "received pronunciation". Received by whom, from whom, on what occasion? And I've also forgotten the meaning of the U in URP. Can someone enlighten me?

Another point: in the South of England RP is in decline and is being replaced by "estuary", a kind of diluted cockney. You'll find bank managers speaking this way nowadays. Estuary is probably the accent of the future.

Re: Is by an adverb or a preposition in "laid by"?

Aperisic — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 10:36:31 GMT

Grammar Geek wrote:

So "to lay by" is a phrasal verb meaning "to store away"? New vocabulary for me!

But anyway, when you have a phrasal verb like that (or like "look up" (as a word in a dictionary) or "write down") - do the prepositions act like normal prepositions, or because they are inextricably linked to the verb, are they just treated as if they were part of the verb itself?

A particle in phrasal verbs

A particle after the phrasal verb could be

preposition (speak for...)
adverb (look up, write down...)

(Sometimes there are two particles but it is adverb + preposition combination.)

Both adverb and preposition change the meaning of a main verb in such a manner that without the particle the meaning of the verb would not be the same (or at least the meaning would not be stressed the same way).

Thus, an adverb or preposition is the essential part of a phrasal verb.

When we have a preposition

A preposition changes a verb in such a manner that without it almost always you can't know what the verb means at the end. The meaning of a phrasal verb is strongly divided between the verb and the particle and the two are inseparable. Next, we have a preposition when an object is needed and always and without exception is placed after the particle. [If we can still separate a particle and a verb with an object it is only because we have two objects (preface with: I'll preface the question with an explanation).]

speak for - to act as a representative

I'll speak for you.

speak - talk

for - instead of

Without a preposition:

I'll speak you ??? not only that it does not have the same meaning it does not have a meaning at all.

close on - to make a distance shorter

I close on him.

close - to put in a separate space

on - continuing + connecting + attacking

I close him - I put him in a separate space, different meaning

When we have an adverb

We have an adverb when the verb holds the main part of the meaning. Its particle makes this meaning more precise or special. That is why, very frequently, we can place an object (especially pronouns) between a verb and its particle. In this case a particle defines a direction of action, the end or delay of action, space of action, action timing... (We could say that particle defines a vector of action :o) After an adverb in the phrasal verb we can place a regular preposition in the sentence as with any other verb.

pay back - repay, take revenge

I pay back for everything.

pay - settle debt

back - in return

I pay for everything - still defines well that I settle debt, but says nothing why or to whom.

patch up - to repair (temporarily)

I will patch it up.

patch - fix, arrange

up - improving + constructing + finishing + delaying

I patch it - still defines that I fix something, but it does not say that it is quickly or probably temporarily

When a verb has a figurative meaning

Sometimes verb itself has a figurative meaning. This has nothing to do with a phrasal verb formation, though it can create difficulties in deciding what is what.

harp on - chatter annoyingly

harp - a noun not a verb, a large string instrument

on - continuation

hawk about - to try to sell something around

hawk - attack, hunt

about - around the place

These cases are rare, do not break the rules, and frequently belong to idioms.

A particle as an adverb or as a preposition

Sometimes the same particle serves as an adverb and as a preposition. However, this happens only when we have a regular phrasal verb with a preposition that has a meaning even without any object added

I'll get off bus. (off is a preposition, test1: I'll get bus ??? test2: I'll get bus off ???)

I'll get off here. (off is an adverb)

The wine soaked through the cotton. (through is a preposition, test1: The wine soaked the cotton. not the same meaning; test2: The wine soaked the cotton through. No, through says about a direction of action)

The wine soaked through and now it is gone. (through is an adverb)

Final note

A particle is always an essential part of the phrasal verb. In case a particle is a preposition it is so inseparable both in meaning and in position that we can consider them both together as one logical unit. In case a particle is an adverb the connection is not so strong and very frequently we can place an object between a verb and a particle (in case an object is a pronoun we have to do so). If a particle is an adverb it gives a precise definition of place, time, sense... of action, but the name of the action is contained in the verb. The position of an object is very important for a phrasal verb. If we can place an object between a particle and a verb (or a phrasal verb does not require an object at all) a particle is an adverb. [A double-object case is an exception.]

If you note that a particle added to a verb works on its own and does not follow any of the rules given here, it is probably not a phrasal verb at all.

Lay by case

Lay by is a phrasal verb.

Lay is a major action - to leave, put, set

by - defines place and time aside + postpone

Thus, lay by is in a group of phrasal verbs with adverbs and a normal usage of such verbs is

lay something by
lay by something

Source of confusion:

one can confuse lay and lie especially if past form is used (laid)
by is used in a passive form
by means near, next to
lay by is not as frequent as its synonym lay aside (Usually in discussions or dictionaries, you place both versions this way: lay something aside/by)

Thus, to use an example with lay by to explain to anyone how to use, anyhow a very complex subject of, phrasal verbs is a crime against humanity. Every normal person (including me) would think that by in laid by the crops is a preposition. I object such an attempt of teaching gravely. Additionally, it is a trick because a normal order of words of a phrasal verb is laid the crops by, and lay by is no exception.

In any case, I beg you, do not use laid by the crops to learn anything about phrasal verbs. You are going to confuse everything. It is not simple anything about phrasal verbs, I agree, but it is not infeasible either. Start with simple cases as given here above.

Re: relative pronouns

Anonymous — Tue, 23 May 2006 08:06:07 GMT

Richard Side and Guy Wellman in Grammar and Vocabulary for CAE and CPE.
There is a task which requires you to use one of the relative pronouns:
who, whom, whose, that, which.
They marked 'that' as the only alternative to fill the gap in the sentence in question.

Inchoate

Re: Howard's dramatic monologue!

Anonymous — Mon, 15 May 2006 17:40:05 GMT

hey,

well il show you some of the stuff i have but it is all over the place i haven't edited it yet, but there's so much i want to write and so little time to do it in, but i would really like some guidance please.

I have also read Browning's poem, but have yet to really talk on the comparison between the two.

p.s my writing is quite bad at the moment, been writing whilst ill with the flu so please point out any major contradictions or plain nonsense that you see within the text.

thank you

A dramatic monologue has âseven definite characteristics: âspeaker, audience, occasion, revelation of character, interplay between speaker and audience, dramatic action, and action which takes place in the present.â (pg 8)

âThe dramatic monologue is a hybrid form. It has relations with lyric, because it is an expression of thought and feeling; but it is like a speech from a play, in that the character whose speech is represented is speaking out of a specific situation, and usually a problematic one. A dramatic monologue is like a speech from a play taken out of context. Its speaker is a figure other than the poet â in other words it dramatises the speaking subject â and the speaker generally speaks out of a situation that involves or leads towards action, a situation that is problematic or conflicted. It is a monologue because there is only one voice, and that voice is usually presented as speaking.â

Richard Howard has written a brilliant sequel to the Browning poem, My Last Duchess. His "speaker" is the envoy to whom Browning's duke has recently spoken to, and who is now reporting on that interview to his principal, the Count of Tyrol. However, Richard Howard has decided not to write it in the same form as Browning's but has used a letter form instead. The poem does not appear to have a particular rhyme scheme or a specific metre. It does, however, have a rather syllabic stanza form with mainly monosyllabic words, which is different compared to Browningâs rhyming iambic pentameter couplets.

Nikolaus Mardruz is the speaker of the poem. He is a representative of a government, a messenger: âMy Lordship's service, I remain his Envoyâ. It is clear to see that the poet is not the speaker of the poem, thus it abides with the rules of a dramatic monologue. The speakerâs voice is quite individualised. Nikolaus appears to be very loyal and faithful to the count; he travels to Ferrara and patiently waits hours before the Duke attends to him: âseveral hours were to elapseâ¦ before the Envoy.. Be seen to by His Grace.â The messenger tries his best to assure the Count that all will be well if his daughter were to marry the Duke, and also comes up with a proposal so that the Countess need not suffer from the âmurderous temperâ of the Duke. The sentence describing the Dukeâs temper is a clue from Browningâs poem that the Duke murdered his wife. It is a plausible to suggest the poem has the quality of a dramatic monologue. There is a speaker speaking to the Count of Tyrol. The situation described can be considered, to a certain extent, as problematic. Clearly, the Count has certain anxieties regarding the marriage of his daughter to a Duke who has experienced such a complex past.

The speaker does reveal certain thoughts and opinions about his encounter with the Duke. These are more apparent in the side comments separated with brackets. An example of this is when the messenger first arrives on the Dukeâs grounds, and is surprised to see the place âclose to a ruinâ. Nikolaus comments on the fact that âeven my Lordâs most unstinting dowry may not restore this wasted precincts to what their deteriorating state demands.â This shows us that he personally believes that no amount of money can restore the palace to a reasonable standard. It is almost as if the messenger is really picking on the weaknesses of the Duke, and maybe hoping to flatter the Count and appeal to his better nature. The speaker also observes the fact that the Duke is getting very old, âhe is no longer a young manâ. These small revelations of character show that he does have concerns regarding the Dukeâs age. It is not necessarily the case that he does not approve of the Duke being much older than the Countess, but rather that it works in their favour. The Duke will obviously pass away within a few years, therefore leaving the new Duchess with freedom and wealth. The speaker is very cunning; he is able to devise an alternate pre-nuptial agreement so that the Countess has the upper hand. Thus, the Duke will receive the intended dowry in installments instead of a lump sum; therefore the Count will have a guarantee that his daughter will be treated fairly and remain in good health. The speaker is generally hoping that the Duke will pass on as soon as possible, so that the plan goes ahead as planned, âthe long devotion (so long as he lasts)â.

The poem has many attributes which may lead an audience to believe it is a dramatic monologue. However, as a point of definition, âbecause the sense of an individual voice, and often of speech, is fundamental to the form, it is not correct to use the term of a poem written in the form of a letter.â The poem, therefore, can be more appropriately called a dramatic epistle.

The language in âMy Last Duchessâ is calm. It is a drawn out, one sided conversational boast yet the Dukeâs speech is sophisticated and eloquent.
The style contains a gradual build up to the whole story, and the drama takes place slowly with obvious mystery surrounding the fate of the Duchess. The language and actions of the Duke relay his jealous and controlling nature and yet his mannerisms and speech make him affable and admirable to such an extent the reader refrains from casting a moral judgment on him. In both poems Browning demonstrates the ability to detach himself completely and in the former, even offers the insight to a killers psyche using the monologue narrative.

The speakerâs attitude is revealed in his intonation. Upon his arrival in Ferrara, the messenger is quite disappointed by what he sees; he has a high expectation of the quality and extravagance of the palace grounds, but is taken aback when all is not as he had anticipated. This can be seen in lines such as âsuch mirroring was my first dismayâ and âqueasy it made meâ. His first impressions of the palace do not impress him at all as he cannot understand why the Duke would let his âlife in fallen stoneâ remain in such a state,

âin the dingy water that somehow

held them up as if for our surveillance-

ours?â

The speaker refers to this meeting as an âopportunityâ and also emphasises that it is also his âobligationâ. In the second stanza, this opportunity does not change his perception of what he has seen, but instead, the meeting with the Duke enhances his disappointment as he is delayed for hours assessing âa set of cameos just brought from Cairoâ. He sees the Duke caught up in a dull and gloomy state, his âtenebrosityâ. They discuss plans of the pre-nuptial agreement, from the speakerâs point of view, he feels that their negotiations look âpromisingâ. Nevertheless, whatever the outcome is, he realises the Countâs daughter will remain âamong Ferraraâs treasuresâ and refers to her as a âtrophyâ. However, there is a downside to this as a lot of the Dukeâs prized possessions do not appear to be in perfect condition or looked after, so it can be said that the speaker is not too keen on this idea as at the end of this stanza he says that if this is the Countâs wish then âso be itâ.

The speaker feels humiliated when he is confronted with the painting of the Dukeâs late wife. He calls it a âpainted deceitâ and his âembarrassment afforded a cue for audible laughterâ. The speaker is not impressed by the portrait and just sees it as another âchicaneâ or a form of trickery. The speaker himself has a more inferior role to play in society compared to the Duke, yet the speaker has formulated many opinions against the Duke based on appearance and plausibility of the Dukeâs encounters and experiences. In his letter, the speaker talks of the Dukeâs ârodomontadeâ meaning pretentious boasting. The Duke is proud to talk about his âbronze Neptuneâ which was cast in bronze especially for him, however, the messenger states how he must have seen âat least six of them cluttering the summer palace at Innsbruckâ. This is also in relation to Browningâs poem, whereby in the last few lines the Duke draw attention to the same prized possession, âNotice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me .â * From the messengerâs point of view, it was all ânonsenseâ. In spite of this, the speaker chooses to give the Duke the benefit of the doubt and proceeds to guarantee the future of the Countess, be it with the Duke, or if he passes on, the âyoung lordlingâ the Countess has had her eye on.

The mood of the poem is quite mischievous and unsupportive towards the Duke. The speaker talks about his encounter with the Duke from a negative perspective. He is not overly impressed with the Dukeâs presence and boastful personality. The speaker comes up with ways in which the Count will have the upper hand on his new relation.

There vocabulary used throughout the poem which bring out and places emphasis on the tone of the poem. Words such as âchicaneâ, ârodomontadeâ and âgloboseâ are all very uncommon and complex terms used for words with a simple meaning behind them. Howardâs purpose for sprinkling words like these throughout the poem is to show that it is a complex situation that that the messenger is involved in.

that's it so far, i have yet to reference my work but they should all be in quoatation marks.

thank you again for all your help