Monday 14 September 2015

Seven ‘Indianisms’ Every Writer Should Avoid

Did you know India ranks second in the list of countries by English-speaking population after the United States? Still we are the ones who are criticized for incorrect use of English, or maybe that’s why.

According to
dictionary, the word ‘Indianism’ has two meanings:
1. A word or phrase characteristic of English as spoken in India.
2. Devotion to or preference for the people and culture of India.

Well, I wanted to tilt this article over the latter meaning but there is a lot to explore in former. So let’s focus more on linguistic Indianism instead of preferential one.


The most common linguistic error that I’ve come across among Indian writers’ work is usage of word ‘ONLY’. Consider these three sentences:

·        We only are like this
·        We are only like this
·        We are like this only

In each sentence, meaning is getting changed with the placement of word ‘ONLY’.

Now let’s do one thing. Oh, did you see what I just did there? I showed Indianism by writing ‘let’s do one thing’ while there is no such phrase. We either say ‘let’s do something’ or directly refer to what is to be done.

Let’s get to seven ‘Indianisms’ every writer should avoid to deliver better content.

1.     Use of ‘the’ almost everywhere
“The overuse of the word ‘the’ is the basic problem among the Indians”- This sentence highlights how extra use of this word hampers continuity and irritates the reader.

2.     Explaining the obvious
Have you ever heard someone say ‘both my parents are working’? Well, ‘parents’ is already plural. You don’t need to mention ‘both’ there. I had a good laugh when a friend of mine said, ‘I have two daughters and both are girls.’ Oh, I thought your daughters are guys. :D

3.     Introduction Blunder- ‘Myself’
Another common mistake that even I made once while introducing myself is- ‘Hi, myself Ankita’. Instead I should have said, ‘My name is Ankita’ or ‘I am Ankita’.
If you want to be known as ‘Grammar Pervert’, please ignore the correction.

4.     Putting full-stop in bullets
Bullet points must always be short, specific and targeted, that is why they are BULLETS. Putting full-stop at the end of bullets is like playing with the authenticity of English language. Never ever do that!

5.     Actualizing’ everything
‘Actually’ is the most futile word that Indian writers use. We are actually using it so much!

6.     Writing number instead of putting it in words
‘She has 2 kids’- Writing numbers in the middle of a sentence to represent stats is a total NO! If  any number has to be used, it should be put in words. Though for larger numbers, you can use numbers.

7.     Relevant Heading, Bullshit explanation
This has become a generalized understanding that most people read only headings or points and don’t pay attention on explanations. Here comes the tendency to beat around the bush. Content under a heading must be as relevant as the heading itself.

Grammar is important and so is the correct use of words. Avoid these mistakes and make your content more appealing and meaningful. Keep writing, keep rocking! :)


Monday 17 August 2015

That's an Indian Mother!

12:10 p.m.
Message beeped, 'Class at 7 o'clock a.m. tomorrow'

'Mumma, tomorrow class at 7 in the morning. I don't want lunchbox. I'll have something in college.'

The next day.
I wake up at 6:15. Get ready till 6:45.
My mom woke up at 5 o'clock, busy preparing my lunchbox. At 6:20, she hands me my tea while making my lunch and simultaneously doing 3 more chores.

I shout, 'why do you do this? I told you I'll have something in college.'

She replies, 'Jab tak mai hu, mere haath ka khana kha le. Fir nahi milega.'

That's an Indian Mother! :)
God bless every mom in this world.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

God bless you, stranger.

It was raining heavily and roads were filled with lots of water. I was driving from my office to home at around 8 o'clock. Traffic signal turned red but due to rain, vehicles jammed up. Thankfully, I was on two wheeler, so I figured out my ways through steep gaps between cars and then, bump!!!

The front tyre of my vehicle got stuck in a pothole and signal turned green. Hell! Every vehicle started honking like anything. I was so terrified by the sound that I couldn't even think of any solution. I tried all my strength to pull that damn tyre out but all efforts succumbed to nothing. Just then, a guy on his bike stopped and helped me to pull out the tyre out of hole. He even waited to ensure that I was fine and my vehicle was in working condition.


I thanked god for sending him. There were so many people, sitting in their cars and honking madly but none of them took the pains to come out and help but thanks to this person. He strengthened my belief in humanity.

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Foreign TV series buff...

Definitely, we find F.R.I.E.N.D.S more watchable than Sasuraal Simar ka (a show on Indian TV network). This is all about that.

Foreign TV series are more appealing because Indian series give us the reason to watch them.

1. Unrealistic Saas-bahu drama scenes.


2. Indian TV characters are magically studded with unwanted Jewelry and makeup.


3. The nonsense of re-incarnation(Special regards to Ekta Kapoor here :P )


4. The whole series is shot in one damn location- a house!

5. There is atleast one woman who weeps all day,



and one who plans on how to get the other weep :D(Weeper vs Wamp)



On the contrary,
Foreign TV series seem interesting because

1. They are fun to watch.


2. No crap, no nonsense like this one below!



3. They dress familiar. Thank god, no added tonnes of gold. (except Game of Thrones :P )



4. At some point, we could relate.



5. They are legen- wait for it.... -dary, Legendary :P ;)



Picture Credits: Google

Friday 19 June 2015

If I were a movie character.

No, not 'Geet' from 'Jab we met'. I consider myself a little more mature than her (okay, just a little, fine now? )

Anyway, this one title matches me in the most appropriate way and that is
Aisha Banerjee (Konkana Sen) - Wake up Sid

I am exactly the way she is..

1. I live life on my own terms.


2. I want to move to Mumbai (my love) to pursue my dreams.


3. I love writing.

4. I wish to have an apartment like hers: cute, albeit small but my own. And I believe her theory of doing my own work.


5. I am a Bibliophile, a lover of books. To me, smell of fresh books is adorable.


6. I love Art and interior decoration (those cute li'l things)


7. I also have a journal like hers, the only difference is I don't carry it everywhere :P


8. I totally screw it up when it comes to Love


9. And the tattoo.. absolute love <3














Picture Credits: Google

Wednesday 20 May 2015

Breakup

'Passport, check.'
'Documents, check.'

'And us?', She asked.
'What about us?'
'Nothing!'. She left.

'Breakup, check.'

Thursday 14 May 2015

#NotMyWork

"I pity the woman who will love you
when I am done. She will show up
to your first date with a dustpan
and broom, ready to pick up all the pieces
I left you in. She will hear my name so often
it will begin to dig holes in her. That
is where doubt will grow. She will look
at your neck, your thin hips, your mouth,
wondering at the way I touched you.
She will make you all the promises I did
and some I never could. She will hear only
the terrible stories. How I drank. How I lied.
She will wonder (as I have) how someone
as wonderful as you could love a monster
like the woman who came before her. Still,
she will compete with my ghost.
She will understand why you do not look
in the back of closets. Why you are afraid
of what’s under the bed. She will know
every corner of you is haunted
by me."

- Clementine Von Radics

Saturday 9 May 2015

Kohl

'Wow, you like stunning', He said.
Thanks to the kohl in her eyes. Noone knew what she 'wept' through.

Thursday 16 April 2015

You & me were no more 'we'

And there came a time when I was standing alone on the road, bidding you goodbye,
with hopes as ravishing as life,
with smile as broad as sun's reach,
with blush as red as a rose,
with memories as alive as a playful kid,
the holding hand, the love gestures, the winks, the you, the me, the we.

Not everything works out- not you, not me, not we!
Distance grew, hearts cried, tears came alive,
broken we were!
And there came a time when I was standing alone on the road,

with no smiles, no blush but ample of memories- of you, of me, of we!

Fear

She woke up in the morning with wet eyes. People say if you see a nightmare of your dad’s death, he is going to live more. She believed that too. But lost him the next day.
Yesterday night, she saw her mom dying…

Friday 13 February 2015

Blind

She could not see this world, but she could feel its beauty because he was always there to hold her hand and guide her.
For them, surely, love was blind.