So here we are all together again. I get the feeling that you love the English language
as much as I do; if not more. Before we begin, I have a question for you. What is the name
of this grammar symbol? What is it used for? I will give you the answer later on in this
video. Meanwhile let’s get on with today’s English lesson, which will start around about…NOW!
Here are some interesting words that sound both dramatic and descriptive. The words are
‘drag’ ‘scrape’ ‘tear’ and ‘gouge’. Each of these words describes an action that
might be considered destructive. A destructive action causes damage. The act of destroying
something or the possibility of something being damaged is destructive. Each one of
these words shows that force was used to carry out the act. The first word is ‘drag’.
To drag something describes the action of forced movement, often whist in contact with
a solid surface. If you hold onto a moving object, such as a car, then you might end
up being dragged behind it as it moves along. The car is moving whilst you are holding onto
it. You are being dragged along the road. The car is dragging you. You are being forced
along by being in contact with the car. To use force or roughly move something is to
drag. You might drag a table across a wooden floor. The word ‘drag’ can also refer
to air resistance. The force exerted on a moving object as it moves at speed is drag.
To draw air through a cigarette is ‘drag’. You take a drag from a cigarette. As an idiom,
the word drag can be used to show that time is moving slowly. A boring moment seems to
go by slowly. It is dragging by. “This lecture is dragging by.” “Your parties are always
such a drag.” If a man dresses up in women’s clothing, it is often referred to as ‘drag’.
“The men came onto the stage all in drag.” The phrase; ‘drag your heels’ means that
you are reluctant to do something, you are showing hesitation. You are not doing something
as fast as you should be. You are dragging your heels.
The next word is ‘scrape’. This is another word that often involves movement and sound.
To scrape is to cause direct damage to something whilst in contact with it. One thing comes
into contact with something else. The action can be brief or prolonged. The damage caused
can be one way or both ways. A hard object scraping a soft object will most likely only
cause damage to the soft item. A collision between two objects might be described as
a ‘scrape’. Repeated direct contact with a surface is ‘scrape’. You might scrape
the ice off your car window. You might scrape wallpaper off the walls in a room of your
house. We often describe this as ‘scrape off’. You are scraping something off. You
might cause damage to part of your body by coming into prolonged contact with a hard
surface. You might fall and scrape your knees on a concrete pavement. As an idiom, the word
‘scrape’ can mean a physical argument or a difficult situation. You find yourself
in a scrape. A spontaneous fight can also be described as a ‘scrap’. “We got into
a scrap last night outside the pub.” The word ‘scrape’ can also describe the action
of struggling to survive on a low income. You have to scrape-by on a small wage. “I
won’t get paid until next weekend; we will have to scrape-by until then.”
The next destructive word is ‘tear’. To tear something means to cause damage by forcing
a fragile object apart. To tear something is to divide or cause something to separate
by force. You might tear a piece of paper in half. You might tear your trousers whilst
bending over. The material has come apart. It has been torn. A tear can appear in an
item. Sometimes this happens by accident, or it may have been done deliberately. “My
new coat has a tear in it already!” “Did you tear that photograph on purpose?” As
an idiom the word ‘tear’ can describe the movement of an object at high speed. “It
is common for motorcyclists to tear along the country lanes at the weekend.” “He
came tearing into the room, demanding to see his wife.” To attack someone verbally is
to tear into them. You might tear into someone in anger. “There was no need to tear into
me over being late this morning.” “My boss tore me apart after the meeting.” The
present tense of the word is ‘tear’. The past tense is ‘tore’ or ‘torn’. A
person tore something up. The thing has been torn up. To be undecided of how to react to
a difficult situation may leave you feeling ‘torn up’. To shout and scream at a person
might be described as ‘tearing them a new ass’. This crude expression is often abbreviated
to ‘tearing them a new one’. “Next time I see him I’m going to tear him a new one.”
Finally we have the word ‘gouge’. This word is often used to describe a forced or
violent action involving a sharp object or a weapon. To cut deeply into something, so
as to leave a mark is to ‘gouge’. The removal of something by force by digging into
the surface of an object is ‘gouge’. To cut into something using force is to ‘gouge
into’. A person might gauge into the bark of a tree, so as to remove something. To gouge
into the ground in search of something buried. To carve into material, so as to form a creative
piece of art. The word ‘gouge’ is often associated with a violent act. “Medieval
torture techniques often included the gouging out of a person’s eyes. Charming!
So there we have them. All four of these words can be used to describe a destructive action.
Just before I go… At the start of today’s lesson, I asked you a question. What is this
grammar symbol? This is a ‘virgule’, more commonly known as a ‘slash’. It can also
be referred to as a forward slash. It is often used to note two available choices or options
or as a natural space in a list, very similar to a comma. Virgules are also used in web
addresses, which serves the purpose of allowing extra parts to be added to a web link address.
That is all from me for today. I hope you've enjoyed this lesson. See you again very soon
and of course until the next time we meet here, this is Mr Duncan in the birthplace
of English saying; thanks for watching, see you very soon and of course...
ta ta for now.