HIT THE NAIL.doc

Unit One
HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD
Alan Warner
Pre-reading Questions

n What’s the meaning of the English proverb Hit the nail on the head? What do you think this topic suggests in the article?

n Hit the nail on the head: say or do exactly the right thing; make a point or interpret a remark precisely; guess right

Para. 1
This paragraph can be divided into two sections.
n What are these two sections about?
clumsy
Carpenter: hammering a nail
skillful drive sth. home
Language craftsman: choice of words
literal figurative
meaning meaning
Para. 1
n Which sentence establishes the link?

--- So with language; …

Para. 1
n Pay close attention to the writer’s use of words:
--- drive sth. home (lit. and fig.)
--- squarely and easily, firmly and exactly
--- a word that is more or less right, a loose phrase, an ambiguous expression, or a vague adjective
--- clean English
Para. 1
n A word that is more or less right, a loose phrase, an ambiguous expression, a vague adjective, will not satisfy a writer who aims at clean English . (II-1)
--- A writer who is particular about the exactness of an expression in English will never feel happy with a word which fails to express an idea accurately.
--- A writer who wishes to express his ideas precisely will not use the words which are inaccurate.
Para. 1
n Writing technique in beginning an essay:
The writer begins his essay with “a clumsy man hammering a nail into a box” and shifts to “a skillful carpenter driving home the nail”, then “the good craftsman driving home his point” is elicited, which is what he is going to discuss in this essay: a writer should choose the right words (i.e. “hit the nail on the head” ) in expressing himself. So the theme is introduced step by step.
Para. 2
n Difficult sentences:

--- The French have an apt phrase for this.
apt: well-suited, to the point
this: to get the word that is completely right for this purpose

Para. 2
n Difficult sentences:
--- Choosing words is part of the process of realization, of defining our thoughts and feelings for ourselves, as well as for those who hear or read our words. (II-2)
Realization: fulfilling one’s goal, i.e. to express oneself precisely
defining our thoughts and feelings for ourselves: getting to know what we are going to express
for those who hear or read our words: for our listeners and readers to understand us

Para. 2
n Difficult sentences:
--- How can I know what I think till I see what I say?
I can’t get to know my own thoughts before I put them into words.
I know my own thoughts after I utter it / write it down.
Para. 2
n Why does the author think it a stupid-sounding question? And why does he think, however, this is true?

n In this paragraph, Gustave Flaubert is mentioned. How much do you know about this scrupulous writer?
Paras. 3
n It is hard work choosing the right words, but we shall be rewarded by the satisfaction that finding them brings. (II-3)
--- Finding the most suitable word to use is in no sense easy, but there is nothing like the delight we shall experience when such a word is located.
--- Though it is not easy to find the most suitable word to drive home our points exactly, we’ll get satisfied / be delighted when we succeed in doing so.
Paras. 3
n The exact use of language gives us mastery over the material we are dealing with. (II-4)
--- Once we are able to use language accurately, we are in a position to fully understand our subject matter.
--- Using the apt word indicates that we can fully understand what we are dealing with / talking about.
Para. 3
n Tell the example in para. 3 and the purpose of using it.

n Comp. II-3

Paras. 4 - 10
n Distinguish the following pairs of words and sentences:
--- human and humane
--- anxiety and eagerness
--- singularity and singleness
--- contained, summed up, epitomized, distilled and imprisoned
--- In my childhood I loved to watch trains go by.
When I was a child I loved watching trains go by.
--- He died poor.
He expired in indigent circumstances.
Paras. 4-10
n Examples of human and humane:
--- human action – humane action
human killer – humane killer
--- the Declaration of Human / Humane Right ?
--- Helping that blind man to cross the street is a very ________ thing to do.
--- We believe in __________ treatment of prisoner.
Paras. 4-10
n Examples of single and singular:

--- single dress, singular dress
--- singular behavior / opinion
--- single-minded
Paras. 4-10
n These words have a common root but are used in very different senses. Their origin is the same and their meanings are related, but their usage is distinct.

Paras. 4-10
n Examples of anxiety and eagerness:
--- My _____ grew when my 7-year-old son hadn’t
returned by nightfall.
--- Not knowing whether or not he would be admitted to the university caused the whole family great _____.
--- When the box of chocolate is passed around, David is waiting with intense _____.
--- Her hands trembled with _____ as she opened the letter.
Paras. 4-10
n Why are the words contained, summed up, epitomized and distilled better than imprisoned?
--- imprison: to put in with “force, coercion as if the meaning were held against its will”
--- contain and sum up: more commonly used
--- epitomize: the same semantic meaning with contained and summed up, but too academic, too formal, so “rather a clumsy-sounding word”

--- distill: to leave out the impurities and make purifying essence
Paras. 4-10
n One word has some kinship with another but it will not do as a substitute in a certain context.
Paras. 4-10
n There are many different ways of making a statement. But words that are very similar in meaning have fine shades of difference, and a student needs to be alive to these differences. A student can increase his sensitivity to these shades of difference and improve his ability to express his own meanings exactly.
n There are no synonyms, and the same statement can never be repeated in a changed form of words.
Paras. 4-10
n In my childhood I loved to watch trains go by.
When I was a child I loved watching trains go by.
n He died poor.
He expired in indigent circumstances.
Paras. 4-10
n Even a slight alteration in the wording of a statement can subtly shift the meaning.
n The change in words is a change in style, and the effect on the reader is quite different.
n Therefore, ‘all of us can increase our skills and sensitivity with a little effort and patience. In this way we shall not only improve our writing, but also our reading.’
Paras. 4-10
n In reading and writing we should be aware that there are many synonyms in English language, i.e. different words bearing the similar meaning.
n Workbook: LW1, 2 & 4

Para. 11
n How many words altogether are there in the English language?
n How many words does an Englishman usually have?
n How many words are considered as sufficient for people to use in speaking an writing?
n How many words the English majors should have after four years’ study?
n What does the writer conclude in this paragraph?
--- English has a wide range of vocabulary, but the important thing for an English learner is to have a good control and command over the words he has learned, i.e. to find the ‘mot juste’, the word that will hit the nail cleanly on the head.
--- Better know two words exactly than three vaguely.
Para. 11
n Writing technique:
This essay ends with a good carpenter and a good writer in hitting the nail on the head. The same thing is mentioned at the beginning of the essay. And we call this in writing technique as ‘cyclic return’. In this way an echo has been successfully created to strengthen the writer’s thesis.
Analogy
n What is an analogy? When is it necessary to use it?
--- Analogy is a special kind of comparison and a more concrete way to explain things. We are likely to turn to an analogy to bring it to life when we have to explain something vast, remote, abstract or specialized.
n What is the difference between analogy and comparison?
Differences between comparison and analogy
n Comparison
- similarities & differences
- two things with similar qualities
- two things familiar to the audience
n Analogy
- similarities only
- two things obviously different in quality
- two things: one familiar, easy to understand, the other unfamiliar, abstract, difficult to understand

Analogy
n The writer begins his article with an analogy between the unskillful use of the hammer and the improper choice of words. Read the analysis of Warner’s analogy on Page 8 carefully and identify the places where the analogy is referred to in the rest of the article.
--- paras. 6, 9, 11
Analogy
n Supply your own examples to illustrate analogy.
--- The function of the the texts in the learning process is like the function of the ingredients in cooking.
Good ingredients are important for a successful meal. But they will not of themselves produce success. If the cook does not know how to exploit the ingredients well, or if the necessary equipment is lacking, or if the diners do not like that kind of cuisines, then the value of the ingredients will be little appreciated. Negotiation is needed: the competence of the cook, the ingredients and the tastes (and dietary needs) of the diners must all be taken into account. This, of course, does not preclude the possibility of retaining the cook or re-educating the palates of diners.
Texts themselves cannot ensure learning success. It is teacher and learner who play the important role: how they do with the texts.
Analogy
n When the first successful balloon flight took place, Benjamin was asked, “what good such an invention was?” he answered, “what good is a new born baby?”
n The lesson plan is like the planned route, but like a planned route, it can be affected by all sorts of conditions along the way – the unexpected traffic jam, the slow-moving vehicle that you get stuck behind, the diversion because of road works, the new one-way system that you get lost in. But the journey might also be helped along by the new stretch of motorway, the company of traveling companions, and fine weather, etc.
Paragraph writing: Writing topics
n Narrow down a topic to a size where you can discuss it effectively. Limit a topic to a manageable size.
n Ways to narrow down a topic:
--- time
--- space
--- aspect
n Exercise on Page 7 in the workbook