Phrase and Idiom:

 1. under the weather- somewhat ill or gloomy/ feeling unwell

2. Weather permitting- If the weather is fine

3. Weather the storm- To experience a very difficult situation and survive it

4. Under a cloud- someone who is suspected of having done something wrong

5. Lovely weather for ducks- Rainy weather

6. Right as rain- All right

7. In a fog/ In a haze- Confused, dazed, disoriented

8. Come rain or shine- Regardless of the weather or circumstances

9. Every cloud has a silver lining- There is always something good even in an unpleasant, difficult, or even painful situation.

10. Add fuel to the fire- Make a bad situation worse

11. A piece of cake- Something very easy

12. All ears- Paying full attention

13. cool as a cucumber- very calm and composed

14. Strike while the iron is hot- to take action at the right time

15. Break the ice- Start a conversation in a social setting

16. The ball is in your court- it’s your decision or responsibility

17. Spill the beans- Reveal a secret

18. Burn the midnight oil- Work late into the night

19. Hit the nail on the head- Describe something accurately

20. Once in a blue moon- Very rarely

21. Bite the bullet- Face a difficult situation bravely

22. Let the cat out of the bag- Accidentally reveal a secret

 23. Pull someone’s leg- Joke with someone

24. Sit on the fence- Avoid making a decision

25. Kick the bucket- To die/ Pass away

26. Throw in the towel- Give up or admit defeat

27. Hit the books- Start studying seriously

28. hit the road- Leave or depart

29. zip your lip- Be quiet

30. two peas in a pod- Very similar

31. See eye to eye- Agree completely

32. miss the boat- Miss an opportunity

33. The last straw- The final event that makes something unbearable

34. Pull yourself together- Calm down and regain control

35. Jump on the bandwagon- Follow a trend

 

 

Basic Concepts of Linguistics

Speakers’ linguistic ability or knowledge of a language enables them to combine words to form phrases and phrases to form sentences. Knowing a language means being able to produce new sentences never spoken before and to understand sentences never heard before. The linguist Noam Chomsky refers to this ability as part of the creative aspect of language use. Every speaker of a language can create great literature, but all people who know a language can and do create new sentences when they use and understand new sentences created by others. This creative ability is because language use is not limited to stimulus-response behavior. Eventually, there is a difference between having the knowledge necessary to produce sentences of a language and applying this knowledge. It is a difference between what we know, which is our linguistic competence, and how we use this knowledge in actual speech production and comprehension, which is our linguistic performance.

Speakers of all languages – spoken and signed- have the knowledge to understand kor produce sentences of any length. When they attempt to use that knowledge, though, when they perform linguistically, there are physiological and psychological reasons that limit the number of adjectives, adverbs, clauses, and so on.

Linguistics is concerned with the diverse aspects of the nature of language from both theoretical and practical perspectives. It deals with the phenomena of language learning and teaching. At present, linguistics is established as an independent discipline at many universities across the globe, and thus helps us uncover, create, exchange, and disseminate knowledge of the nature of language in general and languages in particular, as well as the experience of language learning and teaching.

For the most part, linguistic knowledge is not conscious knowledge. The linguistic system, the sound, structure, meanings, words, and rules for putting them all together, is learned subconsciously with no awareness that rules are being learned.

 Definition of linguistics:

Here are some definitions of linguistics:

Robins (1985) defines language as: " a system of vocal symbols by means of which human beings communicate." He holds that linguistics is concerned with human language as a universal and recognizable part of human behavior and of the human faculties, perhaps one of the most essential to human life as we know it, and one of the most far-reaching of human capabilities in relation to the whole span of mankind’s achievements.

 According to Richards, Platt, and Weber (1985)," a system of human communication by means of a structured

Language : The Features of Language

 

When we study human language, we are approaching what some might call the “human essence”, the distinctive qualities of mind that are, so far as we know, unique to man.

                                                                                              Noam Chomsky, Language and Mind

 Language is an inseparable part of human life and society. Whatever else people do when they come together- whether they play, fight, make love, or make automobiles- they talk. We live in a world of languages. We talk to our friends, our associates; we talk face to face and over the telephone, and everyone responds with more talk. We also talk when there is no one to answer. The possession of language, perhaps more than any other attribute, distinguishes humans from other animals. To understand our humanity, one must understand the nature of language that makes us human. According to the philosophy expressed in the myths and religions of many peoples, it is language that is the source of human life and power.

Ode:

In English, an ode is  much-practiced form of lyric poetry from the time of Ben Johnson to that of Tennyson, with sporadic modern revivals. in its traditional application, ‘ode’ is a type of long lyric poem, usually addressed to a particular subject that is serious in treatment, elevated in style, and often expressing deep feeling or admiration. It originates from ancient Greece, and mostly elevated and complicated species of lyric, was often written to celebrate monumental public occasions or universal themes.

Morphology: the Words of Language

 

Every speaker of every language knows tens of thousands of words. It has been scientifically estimated that a child of six knows as many as 13,000 words. If he/she produces his/her first word at the age of two, then he/she has learned 3250 words a year and an average of 9 new words a day.

Word is an important part of linguistic knowledge and constitutes a component of our mental grammar. Without words, we cannot convey our thoughts through language. The study of the internal structure of words and the rules by which words are formed is called morphology. The term ‘morphology’ is Greek, and it is constituted of two morphemes,