Tuesday 28 September 2010

Wouldn't it be great if you just knew everything?

Well no-one can..

The good news is that there are strategies for giving the impression you know everything.  This is of particular interest to you as you are coming to a critical period of your life during which you will be tested on nearly everything.

A good way of persuading people that you know a lot is to know details; obscure aspects of a subject.  You will find that if you know things that others do not or that few people do then people will presume you know all the obvious stuff.

Make sense?

Good!

Let's say that you will be required to give the impression that you know all the rules of grammar...on an English exam in a few weeks for example.  A good way of showing some flair would be to include a correct use of the following rule...

Before a word beginning with a silent h you would use the word 'an' and not 'a'.

For example:  I'll be there in an hour

The important thing to remember is that the h should be silent.  A common mistake is to get carried away and start going to 'an horrific incident at an hospital'...which sounds an horrible.

I'd suggest you should actively try and show this skill on your exam.

Common words that should be preceded by 'an'

heiress
heir
hour
honest
honour

Post a few sentences practing this rule.

Prizes available for adding apropriate words to the list.

20 comments:

  1. Heritage
    Habit
    Habitat
    Habitation
    Humiliation
    Humiliating...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I require an hourglass.

    He was an homicide detective.

    He was an Hypochondriac.

    I don't get it... :'}

    ReplyDelete
  3. I could only really think of heirloom as a word.

    It's an heirloom which has been passed down for generations...

    I'm just trying to earn an honest wage!

    I challenge you, sir, to an honourable duel!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The exam lasts an hour.

    It is an honor to be here!

    You are an honest person.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It was an honour to receive this award.

    He always was an honest man.

    Dinner will be served in an hour.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I said hola to people (when I went to Spain).

    He is an honourable man.

    Hey hombre!

    ReplyDelete
  7. i got home am hour ago.

    ' im not very honist.

    hola is spanish for hello.

    --this was very confusing?:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. i was in dancing for hours.
    she was an honourable woman.
    i am a very honist person.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Come and see me in my office in an hour.
    She has an honourable attitude towards her work.
    I want an honest opinion on my new hairstyle.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Come and see me in an hour.

    It was an honour to be the only person with full marks in the class.

    I could tell he was an honest person.

    ReplyDelete
  11. It was an honour to be awarded the prize by an heiress.

    The train was delayed by nearly an hour!

    An historian told me the castle was Medieval.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Most word that start with a "H" are silent if spoken by a scouser, e.g. 'ello, 'eretic, 'ibiscus, 'ighlander, 'aemorrhoid.

    but in general,
    honestly, honest, halleluia.

    ReplyDelete
  13. He thought it was an honour to be in Mr Pope's English class

    Why are you an hour late?

    I will probably be doing this homework in an hour

    ReplyDelete
  14. An hour has pased.

    What time is it?

    You are a very honest man.

    I am sorry i do not know when the train arrives.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is a very honourable moment to treasure.

    I am an heiress therefore i have the right for inheritance.

    I have been waiting for an hour. Were is my food?

    ReplyDelete
  16. It took me an hour to complete this.

    You are an honest friend.

    Hopefully, tommorow will be an honourable day.

    ReplyDelete
  17. It is an honour to meet you.

    Not an hour goes by thinking about that horrific night.

    An honest lawyer is a bad lawyer.

    ReplyDelete