I had a coaching center called P@ul’s Coaching Home. I used to teach students with lecture sheets prepared for the coaching sessions. Some of those sheets still remain with me. I’m sharing them with you one by one. There may be some errors in them. During classroom teaching, I would correct the mistakes in the sheets as I went along. But now, due to lack of time, I couldn’t manage to do that. Please take the trouble to make corrections as you read through them.
Another thing. I never prepared solution sheets for the exercises. I would solve them instantly in class. So, you’ll have to take the trouble to work through and solve them on your own as you study.
1.
ABIDE by, with (a person), in, at (a place)–I shall abide by your decision.
Abide (dwell) with me, O Lord. I shall not abide long in Calcutta, or at
Bankura. 2. ABOUND in (used before both the container and the contained), with
(used before the contained only)—Wild animals abound in Indian forests. Indian
forests abound with wild animals (or, in good timber). 3. ABREAST of, with—Read
newspapers to keep abreast of or with the latest developments. 4. ABSENT from
(a place)—He was absent from the meeting. 5. ABSOLVE (one) from (blame), of
(sin)—I absolve you from blame. The priest absolved him of sin. (POD &
COD). 6. ABSORBED in——He is absorbed in thought (deeply engaged). 7. ABSTAIN
from ——I shall abstain from smoking. 8. ABUT on ——The building abuts on the
temple. 9. ACCEDE to———I cannot accede (agree) to your request. 10. ACCESS
to—We have free access to him (right of approaching). 11. ACCESSIBLE to—He is
accessible to all. 12. ACCEPTABLE to—Your offer is acceptable to me. 13.
ACCLIMATIZE to—They will need some time to get acclimatized to the new
surroundings. 14. ACCOMMODATE (one) with (a loan), (oneself) to
(circumstances)—He accommodated me with a loan. We should accommodate
ourselves to circumstances. 15. ACCOMPANIED by (a person), with (a thing)——I was
accompanied there by my friend. He is suffering from fever accompanied
(combined) with a headache. 16. ACCOMPLISHED in —The girl is accomplished in
dancing. 17. ACCORD to, with—They accorded (gave) a grand reception to the
leader. Your story accords (agrees) with his. 18. ACCORDING to; (In) ACCORDANCE
with—According to (or, In accordance with) your orders I went there. 19.
ACCOUNT (verb) for, ACCOUNTABLE (responsible) to (a person) for (an action)— I
have to account for this money. We are accountable (responsible) to God for our
deeds. 20. ACCRUE (fall) to (one), from (a thing)—Great benefit will accrue to
the country from the measure. 21. ACCUSED of—He was accused of theft. 22.
ACCUSTOMED to—I am accustomed (used) to such a life. 23. ACQUAINTED with—I am acquainted
with him. 24. ACQUIESCE in—He acquiesced in (agreed to) the proposal. 25.
ACQUIT (one) of—I acquit you of the charge. 26. ADAPTED to (one’s ability), for
(a purpose), from (the original)—This work is not adapted to (fit for) my
abilities. This story is adapted for school boys from a story of Rabindranath.
27. ADD to—Add this to that. 28. ADDITION to; (In) ADDITION to — There has been
an addition to their family. During my absence, he will look after my job in
addition to his own duties. 29. ADDICTED to—He is addicted to wine. 30. ADEPT
in—He is adept (proficient) in music. 31. ADEQUATE to—This amount is adequate
to (sufficient for) our wants. 32. ADHERE to—I still adhere (stick) to my plan. 33.
ADJACENT to—His house is adjacent (close) to mine. 34. ADJOURNED to, for—The
meeting was adjourned (put off) to Sunday next (or for a week). 35. ADMIT of
(excuse)—Your conduct admits of no excuse. 36. ADMIT (one) to, into (a place,
class, etc.)—He was admitted into the room. He was admitted to class VIII. 37.
(To take) ADVANTAGE of, (to gain) ADVANTAGE over—He took advantage of my
absence to steal my book. He gained an advantage over me in the race. 38.
ADVANTAGEOUS to——The new rule is advantageous to us. 39. ADVERSE to—Your plan
is adverse (against) to our interests. 40. AFFECTION for, towards (POD);
AFFECTIONATE to, towards—He has affection for or towards me. He is affectionate
to or towards me. 42. AFFINITY between (two things), of (one thing) for
(another), to, for—There is an affinity between the two languages. The affinity
of milk for water poses a problem. I feel a strong affinity to or for him. 43.
AFFIX to, on (COD)—Affix this stamp to or on the letter (attach). 44. AFFLICTED
with (a disease), at —He is afflicted with (suffering from) gout. She is
afflicted at the death of her son. 45. AFRAID of———I am afraid of him. He is
afraid of doing this. 46. AGOG with—The boys were agog with excitement at the
start of the match. 47. AGREE with (a person), on (a point), to (a
proposal)———I agree with you on this point. “I agree with what you
say.” I agree to your proposal. 48. AGREEABLE to—The climate of this place
is agreeable to me. 49. AHEAD of——He reached here much ahead of the scheduled
time. The boy soon got ahead of the others. 50. AIM at — He aimed at the flying
bird. 51. AKIN to——My feeling for him is akin to pity. 52. ALARMED at, by,
for——We are alarmed at (or, by) the news. 53. He is alarmed for my safety. 54.
ALIEN (foreign) to; ALIENATED from—Such rudeness is alien to his nature. He has
been alienated (separated) from his friend. 55. ALIGHT from (a vehicle), at,
on———He alighted from the car at the park. The bird alighted on the house top.
56. ALIGN with——The people aligned with (extended close cooperation) the police
to fight the dacoits. 57. ALIVE to, with—I am alive to (conscious of) my
danger. “The river is alive with boats” (POD). 58. ALLEGIANCE to— You must
show allegiance (loyalty) to your leader. 59. ALLIANCE or ALLIED with, ALLIED
to—— England has formed an alliance with [or, is allied with (united with)]
France. The thing is allied to (of the same nature as) that. 60. ALLOCATE
to—The money was allocated to the club for social work. 61. ALLOT to—Fifty
shares were allotted to (assigned) me. 62. ALLUDE to—He alluded (referred) to
the story in the speech. 63. ALTERNATE with; ALTERNATIVE to— Light alternates
with darkness. This question is alternative to that. 64. AMATEUR at — He is an
amateur at painting. 65. AMAZED at— I am amazed (overwhelmed with wonder) at
your conduct. 66. AMBITION for; AMBITIOUS of—I have no ambition for fame. I am
not ambitious of fame. 67. AMENABLE to—He is not amenable to reason. 68. AMOUNT
to——What does the total amount to? 69. AMUSED at, by, with (POD)—I am amused at
or by or with your story. 70. ANALOGY to or with (something), between (two
things); ANALOGOUS with —The teacher explained the mechanism of the ‘human’
heart by drawing an analogy to or with the pump. The teacher drew an analogy
between the human heart and a pump. The mechanism of the nervous system of the
body is in a way analogous with the mechanism of a telephone exchange. 71.
ANGRY with (a person), for (having done something), at, about (a thing) — He is
angry with me for my having done this. He is angry at or about my failure. 72.
ANNEX to—Annex this slip to the letter (add). 73. ANNOYED (displeased) with (a
person) for (doing something); at (a thing)——He was annoyed with me for my
going there. He was annoyed at my conduct. 74. ANSWER (verb) to, for (one’s
conduct)—Answer to (reply or respond to) the roll-call. This place answers to
(agrees with) the description given in the book. You must answer for (explain)
your conduct. 75. ANSWER (noun) to (not of); (In) ANSWER to—— The answer to
the question is very simple. I said this in answer to his query. 76. ANSWERABLE
to (somebody) for (something)——You are answerable to the teacher for your
conduct. 77. ANTECEDENT (adj.) to, (noun) of— Happenings antecedent to his
disappearance are being examined. The antecedents of the person are not known
to me. 78. ANTIDOTE to—What is the antidote (medicine to counteract) to this
poison? (Also against, for) (POD) & (COD). 79. ANTIPATHY to, against (COD)
———I have an antipathy (strong dislike) to smoking, but not against or to him.
80. ANXIOUS about, for——I am anxious (uneasy) about the result. I am anxious
for (earnestly desirous of) the prize. 81. APATHY towards——He has a great apathy
towards his studies. 82. APOLOGISE to (a person) for (rudeness)——You must
apologise to him for your conduct. 83. APPEAL to (a person) for (redress)
against (a decision)——I appealed to him for help. I shall appeal against your
decision. 84. APPEND to——A certificate from the Headmaster is appended to the
application. 85. APPENDIX to—Please look at the appendix to the main chapter.
86. APPETITE for— I have no appetite (hunger) for food. 87. APPLICABLE to——Is
the rule applicable to your case? 88. APPLY to (a person) for (a post)——I
applied to him for the post. 89. APPOINT to (a post)—He was appointed to the
post. 90. APPOSITION to (Wood), with (MEU under each)—This clause is in
apposition to or with that clause. 91. APPREHENSIVE of——I am apprehensive
(fearful) of failure. 92. APPRISED of—We were duly apprised (informed) of the
event. 93. APPROPRIATE to —Your remark is not appropriate to (fitting) the
occasion. 94. APPROVE of—I approve of your action. 95. APT in, at———He is apt
(clever) in mathematics, or at (quick) figures. (COD has only at after the
word). 96. APTITUDE for——I have no aptitude (talent) for music. 97. ARGUE with
(a person), about or over (something), against or for (something)——I do not
want to argue with you about (or over) the decision. He argued against (or
for) the bill. 98. ARRIVE at——Ultimately they arrived at a conclusion. 99.
ASCRIBE to————Don’t ascribe any motive to my action. 100. ASHAMED of———I am
ashamed of your conduct. 101. ASK (a thing) of (a person) ———He asked a loan of
me. 102. ASK (a person) for (a thing) ———He asked me for a loan. 103. ASK
about, after——He asked about or after you. 104. ASPIRE after or to (POD)—I do
not aspire after (or to) a high post (desire something high). 105. ASPIRANT
to—My friend is an aspirant to the post of the Principal. 106. ASPIRATION for,
after—I have no aspiration for (or after) riches. 107. ASSENT to——I assented
(consented) to the proposal. 108. ASSIGN to——He assigned the task to me. 109.
ASSIST in——I assisted him in his duties. 110. ASSOCIATED with (a person) in (a
business)—He was associated with you in the plot. 111. ASSURE of——He assured me
of his help. 112. ASTONISHED at—I was astonished at your courage. 113. ATONE
for—You must atone for (make amends) your sin. 114. ATTACH to —Attach this slip
to the letter. 115. ATTACHMENT for——I have an attachment for the children of the
school. 116. ATTACKED by (a person), with (fever)—He was attacked by robbers on
the way. He has been attacked with fever. 117. ATTAIN to—He attained to
(reached) greatness by dint of perseverance (Also without to). 118. ATTEND to,
upon, at—Attend (listen) to your teacher. I attended upon (served or looked
after) the patient. We attended at the station for him (also without at). 119.
ATTENDED by (a person), with (a thing)—He was attended by his servants. The
task is attended with difficulty. 120. ATTRIBUTE (a loss) to (a person)—He
attributed the loss to me (held me responsible for it). 121. ATTUNE to—Their
minds were attuned to this music. 122. AUTHORITY for, on, of, with, over,
to—What is your authority for such a statement? He is an authority (expert) on
politics. I say this on the authority of the Oxford English Dictionary. He has
no authority (personal influence) with or over his brother. Only the Secretary
has an authority to make payments. 123. AVAIL (take advantage of) (oneself) of;
AVAILABLE to—I availed myself of his help. His help was available to me. 124.
AVAILABLE to (somebody) for (a purpose)—The records are available to the
auditors for scrutiny. 126. AVENGE on—He will avenge himself on you. 127.
AVERSE from, to (POD & COD)—He is averse (disinclined) from or to work.
128. AVERSION to ——Do you feel any aversion to mixing with them? 129. AWARE
of——He is aware of the fact. 130. BAN (noun) on; (verb) from—There is a ban on
the play. He was banned from entering the club. 131. BAR to—There is no bar
(obstacle) to his trying for the post. 132. BARE of—The field is bare of
(without) grass. 133. BASED on —What he says is based on truth. 134. BEG (a
thing) of (a person)—He begged the favour of me. I beg of you to keep quiet.
135. BEG (a person) for (a thing)—He begged me for the favour. 136. BEG for (a
thing) from (a person)—He begged for help from me. 137. BEHAVE towards—Behave
kindly towards the poor. 138. BELIEVE in—I do not believe (have faith) in his
honesty. 139. BELONG to—This book belongs to me. 140. BENEFICIAL to—Exercise is
beneficial to health. 141. BENT on—He is bent on going (determined to go). 142.
BEQUEATH to—He bequeathed (left by will) his all to me. 143. BEREFT (deprived)
of—Bereft of children, he lives a lonely life. 144. BESET with—He is beset
(surrounded) with dangers. 145. BESTOW on—May God bestow (give) His blessings
on you. 146. BEWARE of—Beware (take heed) of the enemy. 147. BIAS against,
towards——I have no bias (prejudice) against him (or towards anything
particular). 148. BLESSED with, in———He is blessed with (i.e., possesses) good
health. He is blessed (i.e. happy) in his children. 149. BLIND of, in (an eye),
to (consequences)——He is blind of or in both the eyes. He is blind to his son’s
faults. 150. BLUSH at sight or word, with or for joy or shame, for another
(COD) ———He blushed with shame at his own mistake. I shall never give you cause
to blush for me. 151. BOAST of—Do not boast of your wealth. 152. BORDER on—Your
conduct borders on cruelty. 153. BORN of, in
Correct the following sentences, if necessary:
A) Using Wrong Preposition
1. I was absorbed in the book. 2. He was accused of murder. Are you accusing me of cheating? He was charged with murder. 3. I am not accustomed to getting up so early. He used to smoke. They used to visit me regularly. 4. He is afraid of his job. Raghib was afraid of the dog. 5. He aimed at the bird. He shot at the man. 6. She was annoyed by the rain. He was indignant with the beggar. 7. Parents are anxious about their children’s success. She is anxious about her health. 8. I arrived in London on Friday. We arrived at the airport in time. 9. Jui is ashamed of her conduct. The girl felt shy with me. 10. Muslims believe in Allah. 11. She got a lot of benefit from this change. Who is likely to benefit from his death? 12. He boasts of his riches. She’s always boasting about her children. 13. You should be careful about your health. 14. We came by land/sea/air. They go to school on foot. I met him on the train/bus/boat. I sat with her in the car. We met each other on the plane. 15. They always complain about this kind of bad weather. They complained against us to the police. 16. They lodged a complaint against us with the police. 17. Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. The class is composed of 50 students. 18. I have every confidence in your ability. I am telling you this in confidence. I am confident of success. 19. You should conform to the rules. We must comply with your request. 20. We congratulate you on your success. I congratulated her on standing first in the exam. I congratulate you on your thesis. 21. His family consists of six members. The team consists of six members. The board consists of ten directors. 22. The mountains were covered with snow. 23. This medicine will cure you of your cough. There is no cure for this disease. 24. I cannot rely on your ability. 25. This law will deprive us of our basic rights. 26. The man died of cholera. Many people died of hunger during the famine. Many soldiers died in battle/from poverty. Many passengers died of their wounds. He may die from overwork. They died from violence. They died for their country. The child died from neglect. He died on the scaffold. He died at the stake. 27. My pen is different from yours. The two sisters are quite different from each other. His dress was different from mine. There is no difference between the two boys. 28. He was deeply disappointed at losing the game. My parents will be disappointed with me if I fail the exam. I was disappointed with his work. We were disappointed in our hopes. 29. Divide the cake into four parts. He divided the apple in half. The money will be equally divided among the three people. 15 divided by 3 is 5. A low wall divides our garden from theirs. 30. I have no doubt about his honesty. I am doubtful of her ability to pass the exam. 31. The girl was dressed in black. She was in black. 32. This is an exception to the rule. I enjoy every subject with the exception of Chemistry. 33. Can I exchange my dollars for pounds? I exchanged seats with Raghib. He gave me an apple in exchange for two bananas. 34. He failed the exam. He failed the exam last year. 35. The jug is full of water. She filled the jug with water. He was filled with dread. 36. One day we shall be able to rid the world of this terrible disease. 37. I was glad about the news. He is glad about his exam results. 38. He is very good at mathematics. I am bad at drawing. He is very clever at making things. She is quick at learning. The boy is very slow at learning. He is weak in grammar. 39. You should guard against bad habits. The dog guarded the house against intruders. Be on your guard against thieves. 40. The jury found him guilty of murder. I feel guilty about breaking your cup. 41. Bangladesh became independent of Pakistan in 1971. Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971. 42. He is indifferent to politics. I was totally indifferent to the cold. He showed complete indifference to me. 43. He insisted on his innocence. He insisted on going abroad. He persisted in his foolish ideas. 44. He is not interested in his work. He takes a great interest in music. 45. He is very jealous of me. 46. We took leave of him. 47. Some birds feed on insects. 48. Look at this beautiful picture. He looks after his old parents. (= take care of) I am looking for a job. (= trying to find) Please look at this script. (= examine) I shall look into the matter. (= examine closely) He looks on me as his brother. (= consider) 49. She was married to a doctor. Rina is engaged to Reza. 50. His house is opposite to ours. 51. He always plays for Mohamedan. 52. Are you pleased with your car? I am pleased with his politeness. 53. He is very popular with his pupils. 54. I prefer coffee to tea. Death is preferable to dishonor. 55. Who will preside over the meeting? 56. He is very proud of his new car. He takes great pride in his son. 57. I am related to her by marriage. What is the relation between you two? 58. He repented of his wickedness. She felt repentant about her sin. She has no repentance for her sin. 59. Are you satisfied with your result? He was content with what he had. I am delighted with my marks. She was displeased with the message. He was dissatisfied with that amount of money. They were disgusted by the noise. 60. This dress is similar to that. There is a lot of similarity between the two poems. His poetry has similarity to yours. 61. He sat at his desk to work. She sat down on the sofa/chair. He was sitting in an arm-chair. 62. He spends a lot of money on his clothes. They spend a lot of money on advertising. 63. He succeeded in his effort. After his death, his son will succeed to his property. She succeeded to the throne in 1952. 64. These mangoes are superior to those. This rice is inferior to that. He is senior to me by two years. I am junior to him by two years. 65. I am sure of his success. She was quite certain of it. 66. We were surprised at his reaction. I was amazed by her beauty. We were astonished at his calmness. 67. I suspect him of stealing my camera. I am suspicious of her intentions. 68. I took/held him by the hand. I caught him by the neck. I seized her by the arm. He grasped her by the waist. 69. The horse was tied to a tree. He was bound to the stake. 70. I am tired from walking. Runa is tired of boiled eggs. 71. Translate this passage into Bangla. Water turns into ice when it freezes. 72. He was trembling with cold. The thief was shaking with fear. The boys are shivering with cold. 73. She was warned of the danger. I warned him about his disobedience/fault. 74. He wrote the letter with a pen. She wrote the letter in ink. He is writing with chalk on the board. He is writing with a piece of chalk. The boy is writing with a pencil. The boy is writing with a pencil.
CONFUSINGLY RELATED WORDS
These are words that cause problems when the speaker is not able to distinguish between them. They are similar in meaning or pronunciation but cannot be used interchangeably. Learn the definition of each and its use before employing it in conversation.
1. ACCEPT (verb)—to take what is given. Professor Perez will accept the chairmanship of the humanities department.
2. EXCEPT (preposition)—excluding or omitting a thing or person. Everyone is going to the convention except Bob, who has to work.
3. ACCESS (noun)—availability, the way of gaining entrance. The teachers had no access to the students’ files, which were locked in the principal’s office.
4.
EXCESS (a) (বিশেষণ)—প্রচুর, অতিরিক্ত। আমাদের অতিরিক্ত মালপত্রের জন্য আমরা অধিচার্জ দিয়েছি। (b) (বিশেষ্য)—অতিরিক্ত পরিমাণ। তহবিলের চাহিদা প্রকৃত প্রয়োজনের চেয়ে বেশি ছিল।
5.
ADVICE (বিশেষ্য)—কাউকে দেওয়া পরামর্শ, উপদেশ। আপনি যদি শিক্ষকের পরামর্শ মেনে চলেন, তাহলে আপনার পড়াশোনায় ভালো করবেন।
6.
ADVISE (ক্রিয়া)—পরামর্শ বা উপদেশ দেওয়ার কাজ। কংগ্রেস রাষ্ট্রপতিকে সেই সময় চুক্তি স্বাক্ষর না করার পরামর্শ দিয়েছিল।
7.
AFFECT (ক্রিয়া)—পরিবর্তন সাধন করা। চিকিৎসকরা দেখতে চেয়েছিলেন যে ওষুধটি রোগীর উপর কী প্রভাব ফেলবে।
8.
EFFECT (a) (বিশেষ্য)—চূড়ান্ত ফলাফল বা পরিণতি। শিশুরা তাদের দীর্ঘ বিমান ভ্রমণ থেকে কোনো খারাপ প্রভাব ভোগ করেনি। (b) (ক্রিয়া)—ফলাফল হিসেবে সৃষ্টি করা। শহরের সরকারে পরিবর্তন আনতে হলে আমাদের সবাইকে মঙ্গলবার ভোট দিতে হবে।
9.
ALREADY (ক্রিয়াবিশেষণ)—বর্তমানের আগে কোনো অনির্দিষ্ট সময়ে ঘটে যাওয়া কাজ। আমরা বিমানবন্দরে পৌঁছানোর আগেই জ্যানের প্লেন অবতরণ করেছিল।
10. ALL
READY (বিশেষ্য + বিশেষণ)—কিছু করার জন্য প্রস্তুত। আমরা সবাই নৌকা ভ্রমণে যাওয়ার জন্য প্রস্তুত।
11.
AMONG (অনুসর্গ)—তিন বা ততোধিক সত্তার মধ্যে সম্পর্ক বা নির্বাচন প্রকাশ করে। এত প্রতিযোগীর মধ্য থেকে বিজয়ী নির্বাচন করা কঠিন ছিল।
12.
BETWEEN (অনুসর্গ)—কেবল দুটি সত্তার মধ্যে সম্পর্ক বা নির্বাচন প্রকাশ করে। বই লেখা এবং পড়ানোর মধ্যে মেরি এলেনের অন্য কিছুর জন্য সামান্য সময় ছিল। নোট: যখন between এর পরে দুটি বিশেষ্য বা বিশেষ্য পদবন্ধ থাকে, তখন দুটি বিশেষ্য বা বিশেষ্য পদবন্ধ অবশ্যই and দ্বারা পৃথক করতে হবে, কখনো or দ্বারা নয়।
13.
BESIDE (অনুসর্গ)—পাশে। বিছানার পাশে একটি ছোট টেবিল আছে।
14.
BESIDES (অনুসর্গ বা ক্রিয়াবিশেষণ)—এছাড়াও, অতিরিক্ত হিসেবে, তদুপরি। আমার বাড়িতে রেখে আসা চারটি বইয়ের পাশাপাশি এখানে আরও পাঁচটি ইতিহাসের বই আছে।
15.
ASIDE (ক্রিয়াবিশেষণ)—একপাশে। হ্যারি প্রতি বেতনের দিনে তার মেয়ের শিক্ষার জন্য টাকা সরিয়ে রাখে।