English Curious

You are asking someone in present tense if they object to something you are asking. Examples: "Do you mind if I excuse myself?" "Do you mind if we left early?" "Do you mind if I take a nap?" "Do you mind if I ask your mom?" "Do you mind if it snows?" You could also use the word 'would' Examples: "Would you mind if we went out to eat?" "Would you mind if I opened the window?" "Would you mind telling me what you're doing?" "Would you mind being quiet for a minute?" "Would you mind if I changed the channel?"

Deep in the jungle, there lived a big group of elephants. The elephants lived in a certain place beside a pond, and did not require venturing out. There came a time, when the pond started drying up due to lack of rain for a few years. Some of the elephants met the king of the elephants, and said, "Your Majesty! We do not have any more water. Some of our little ones are on the verge of death. We must find some other place which has abundant water." After thinking a while, the elephant king said, "I remember knowing a place where there is a very big lake. It must still be full of water. Let us go there." Next morning they started to march. After travelling for five days and five nights, the elephants finally reached the place. There was indeed a big lake, full of water. There were innumerable holes in the soft earth around the lake, in which a group of hares lived. When the elephants saw so much water in the lake, they rejoiced, and start...

'I'm not sure' expresses a feeling of uncertainty or lack of confidence on a particular matter. Examples: "I am not sure if they will offer me the job." "I'm not sure if she'll return my call." "I'm not sure if my wife will understand." "I'm not sure if we will go out tonight." "I'm not sure if I understand your question." "I am not sure if I can handle it." "I am not sure if it will happen." "I am not sure if it will matter." "I am not sure if my mom will notice." "I am not sure if they will permit us to park there."

Once upon a time, all the birds - the swans, cranes, parrots, cuckoos, owls, peacocks, doves and the rest of them - decided to meet. They had to discuss a subject of most importance. Unfortunately, no crow had joined yet, but they could not wait any longer. They debated, "Garuda, who is the king of all birds, is always busy in serving his master. He has neither the time, nor the interest to bother about us! There is no point in having a king who does not protect and remains at the position of the king only as a namesake." And so the birds discussed, "Let us choose a king amongst us!" On this, they started looking at each other; suddenly the features of owl attracted everybody. He was powerful, had impressive features, and most importantly he could see at night, when they were most unsafe. They agreed that the owl would be an apt king for themselves. They shouted, "The owl should be our king! Let us prepare for the coronation at once!...

When ending a sentence with a question mark (?) you are asking the person or people you are talking to a question for which you would like an answer. Here you are asking permission to do a particular action. Examples: "Can I answer your question?" "Can I attend the event?" "Can I move to another spot?" "Can I call you tomorrow?" "Can I complete this later?" "Can I explain myself?" "Can I help you with your homework?" "Can I include you in our plans?" "Can I introduce you to my co-workers?" "Can I inform you of some bad news?"

Sagardatta was a merchant who had a handsome young son. One day, he observed that his young son had bought a costly book. But the book contained only one verse: "You get what is destined for you!" When the merchant realized that his son was a fool to buy a book with so much cost, but only one verse, he grew very angry. He said, "How can you do well in business, when you can buy a book which contains only one verse! Get out of my house, and never show me your face again!" The young man was utterly dejected for being driven out by his father; he started travelling with only his book along with him. He learnt the verse well, and kept repeating it, all the way. On his way, he arrived in a village. The villagers asked him his name and he replied from the book, "You get what is destined for you." Thus, the young man became known as 'You-get-what-is-destined-for-you'. One day, the princess of the country visited a festival and...

Saying 'thank you' is telling someone you appreciate what they have done. This can either be something they did for you or for someone else. Examples: "Thank you for inviting me." "Thank you for helping me move." "Thank you for informing me about the job opening." "Thank you for mailing that package for me." "Thank you for working so hard." "Thank you for stopping by to visit." "Thank you for replying to my email." "Thank you for providing me with the answers." "Thank you for heating up dinner." "Thank you for hurrying to get here."

There was a learned Brahmin, who lived in the outskirts of a city, with his wife called Shandili. They were a happy couple but they were poor. One morning, the Brahmin said to his wife, "Tomorrow is an auspicious day, there is a special festival. It will be a favourable time for alms. I shall visit the city, and I am sure to collect a lot of alms tomorrow to last us long." He continued, "At the same time, you must also invite a Brahmin, and provide him food and clothes. It is an auspicious day, and it will be a good deed." When the wife heard this, she said, "How come you say this? I cannot invite any Brahmin as we are already very poor. We have neither good food, nor good clothes. I cannot afford to invite any Brahmin!" But the Brahmin explained, "Dear wife, even when we have a mouthful to eat, we must share half of it with someone in need." After much convincing, the Brahmani agreed, "I have some sesame seeds...

'Let me' is suggesting that you are asking for permission or an opportunity to do something. Examples: "Let me make my own decisions." "Let me offer to help you." "Let me open the door for you." "Let me pause and think about what we are doing." "Let me welcome you to the neighborhood." "Let me save you the trouble." "Let me make a suggestion." "Let me try and fix your car." "Let me taste the soup before you add more spices." "Let me treat you to some ice cream."

There was a village which was ruined by a strong earthquake. With the houses and the streets shattered, the villagers abandoned the village to settle elsewhere. Despite being shattered, the vacant houses of this village had become homes for a large number of mice. The mice found the place very comfortable and grew in numbers after some time. There was a lake on the outskirts of the village, where a herd of elephants used to visit regularly to drink water and bathe. These elephants used to travel through the abandoned village to reach the lake. But as the herd of elephants travelled through the abandoned village, everyday many mice got trampled. This posed a problem for the mice. So, the king of mice decided to confront the elephants and request them to act accordingly. Next day, as the herd of elephants approached, the king of mice met the elephants cordially and said, "O Sirs, we live in the ruins of this abandoned village and as you travel through this vil...

The word 'occurred' informs someone that something has come to mind or has been found. You are letting someone know that you suddenly have thought or remembered about something. Examples: "It occurred to me that I forgot your birthday." "It occurred to me that we both belong to the same gym." "It occurred to me that we enjoy a lot of the same things." "It occurred to me the price for homes are more expensive here." "It occurred to me that eating healthy makes me feel better." Using the word 'had' or 'has' can change what you are saying to represent something remembered in a past time. Examples: "It had occurred to me that I forgot something at the grocery." "It had occurred to me I might need to change my email address." "It has occurred to me I forgot my mom's birthday." "It has occurred to me before."

There was a temple of Lord Shiva (God of destruction) near a southern city called Mahilaropyam. A holy sage used to live and look after the temple. He would visit the city everyday for alms, and return in the evening for meal. He collected more than he required for himself, and would keep the excess in a bowl, and distribute it among poor workers, who cleaned and decorated the temple in return. A mouse, who lived in a hole in the hermitage would creep in everyday and steal some of the food from the bowl. When the hermit realized that a mouse has been stealing the food. He tried all ways to stop it. He hung the bowl as high as he could, and even tried to beat the mouse with a stick, but the mouse would find some way to reach the bowl and steal some food. One day, a mendicant came to visit the temple, and the sage. But the hermit was absent-minded and looked for an opportunity to hit the mouse with his stick, lest it come again. This made the mendicant angry, ...

You are letting someone know that you are aware of something or that you have been informed of something that is taking place. This could be something that has already happened or something happening in the near future. 'I've' is a contraction of the words 'I have.' Examples: "I've heard that you got a new job." "I've heard that you want to leave your job." "I've heard that you got a new car." "I've heard that you like to jog." "I've heard that you fix computers." "I've heard that you've never been to Canada." "I've heard that you like to shop." "I've heard that you and your boss don't get along." "I've heard that there is no school next week." "I've heard that your wife is a yoga instructor."

Here you are telling someone that you feel strongly about doing a particular action. Examples: "I think I should practice my reading." "I think I should join a study group." "I think I should handle this as soon as possible." "I think I should earn my degree." "I think I should explain myself." By adding the word 'don't' you have changed what you are conveying from something you are thinking of doing, to something you are against. Examples: "I do not think I should complain so much." "I do not think I should attend that event." "I do not think I should borrow more money." "I do not think I should doubt you." "I do not think I should decide until later."

There was a Brahmin in a certain town, who was a thief. It was believed that he had become a thief due to ill actions in his previous life. One day, four Brahmins arrived in this town from a far-off place, to sell some wares. They had a successful business and earned a handful of money. The thief watched them making money, and thought of stealing the money from them. He approached them as a friend, and soon won their confidence by quoting eloquently from the Holy Scriptures. He requested them to appoint him as their helping hand, to which they agreed. One day, the Brahmins had sold all their wares. They decided that it would not be proper for them to travel with all the money. So, they purchased jewels with all the money that they had earned. Then, they cut open their thighs and hid the jewels inside. With the help of a special ointment, they healed their cuts. In this manner, they concealed all their jewels. But, all this happened during the time that the thief w...

Once there was a king, who had a pet monkey. This monkey was a fool, but was treated royally and moved freely in the king's palace. He was also allowed to enter the king's personal rooms that were forbidden even for the confidential servants. One afternoon, the king was asleep, while the monkey kept a watch. All of a sudden, a fly came in the room and sat on the king's chest. The monkey swayed her away, but the fly would only go away for some time and return on the king's chest again. The monkey got very angry and excited. The foolish monkey started chasing the fly with a sword. As the fly sat on the king's chest again, the monkey hit the fly with all his might. The fly flew away unharmed, but the king was severely wounded. The wise indeed say: Beware of a foolish friend. He can cause you more harm than your enemy.

By stating you are having a hard time you are letting someone know you are having difficulty with something. This could be something physical or mental and something that could be overcome with effort. Examples: "I'm having a hard time writing." "I'm having a hard time understanding you." "I'm having a hard time answering your question." "I'm having a hard time downloading songs to my iPod." "I'm having a hard time agreeing to the terms." With the addition of an adverb you can express in more detail just how difficult something is for you. Examples: "I'm having an extremely hard time trusting you." "I'm having an extremely hard time with my wife." "I'm having a very hard time finding a job." "I'm having a very hard time finding parts for my car."

Jaiveer was a merchant's son who was not successful. He faced a loss in his business and lost all his money. He thought of travelling to a different part of the country to seek success. He had inherited a very costly iron balance from his ancestors. When leaving, he mortgaged the iron balance to a nearby merchant in exchange of money for his travels. He travelled all over the country, and had a successful travel. The merchant's son then decided to return to his home town. After his return, he went to the nearby merchant's place and asked for his iron balance, "O Friend! Please return the iron balance that I had kept with you." The other merchant did not want to return it, he said, "I do not have it anymore. We have a problem with rats. The rats are eating up everything. They have eaten up your iron balance, too!" At once, the merchant's son knew the truth. He replied, "If the rats have eaten it up, there is nothing ...

When saying that something is 'hard for me' you are informing someone that what you are talking about is difficult or challenging for you. Examples: "It's hard for me to accept what you are telling me." "It's hard for me to argue your point." "It's hard for me to balance my check book." "It's hard for me to concentrate on the task." "It's hard for me to consider your other options." "It's hard for me to depend on you." "It is hard for me to decide where to go tonight." "It is hard for me to explain my actions." "It is hard for me to guarantee your success." "It is hard for me to handle so much pressure."

There was a huge Banyan tree beside a lake, which nested a number of cranes. In the hollow at the foot of the tree lived a poisonous black snake. He used to climb up and eat the crane's youngs after they were hatched. One crane, who had lost her children to the cunning black snake, started weeping on the banks of the lake. A crab, who was nearby, heard the crane weeping, and asked, "Why do you cry, aunty?" The crane replied, "I am the unlucky mother, all of whose children have been eaten by the wicked black snake, who lives in the hollow of the tree. What else can I do but weep? I would have killed the snake if I could!" The crab thought for a while, "I have to devise a plan to have the black snake killed, and have the cranes destroyed at the same time. The cranes are our natural enemy. I will tell him half truth and half lies, to my advantage." Thinking so, the crab said to the crane, "Aunty! I will tell yo...

The word 'It's' is a contraction of the words 'it is.' When stating 'my turn' you are telling someone that it is time to change position or position focuses on to you. Examples: "It's my turn to walk you home." "It's my turn to do laundry." "It's my turn to work late." "It's my turn to take out the trash." "It's my turn to choose where we eat." "It is my turn to pay for dinner." "It is my turn to roll the dice." "It is my turn to provide an answer." "It is my turn to try and play the game." "It is my turn to attempt solving the problem."

Once upon a time there were two friends in a small village named Dharmabuddhi (Virtuous-Mind or Right-Mind) and Papabuddhi (Wicked-Mind or Wrong-Mind). One day, the wicked of the two, Papabuddhi, thought to himself that he was poor and lacked the knowledge to earn for himself. He thought of taking Dharmabuddhi to another kingdom and use his skills to make money. He thought, "If I can deprive him of all the earnings, I can have all the money for myself and live happily." After some time, he met Dharmabuddhi, "My friend, we need to earn money to provide for ourselves when we grow old. Let us travel to some other kingdom to earn money. Besides, unless we travel to far-off kingdoms, we will not have any stories to tell our grand children!" Dharmabuddhi agreed to his plan, and took the blessings of his parents and teachers to travel to a distant kingdom. On an auspicious day, they began their journey. The two of them made a lot of money due to ...

When using the word 'dying' in this manner you are referring to wanting or desiring something greatly. Examples: "I'm dying to relax on the beach." "I'm dying to pick some fresh fruit." "I'm dying to order some desserts." "I'm dying to find out if I got the job." "I'm dying to move to a bigger house." "I'm dying to look at all the work you've done." "I'm dying to learn more about you." "I'm dying to introduce you to my parents." "I'm dying to expand my business." "I'm dying to check my score on the test."

A couple of sparrows lived on the branches of a huge tree, deep in the jungle. They had worked very hard in building their nest, and it was a comfortable home that protected them in all weathers. One day, during the winter, as they were enjoying the comforts of their nest, it started raining outside. Sometime later, a monkey came to take shelter under the very same tree. The monkey was all drenched in the rain, and his teeth were chattering in the cold. When the female sparrow saw this, she felt pity on him and said from her nest, "O Monkey, You have hands and feet similar to humans. You can use them for many reasons. Why don't you make yourself a protected home?" The monkey was already suffering from the rain and the cold, and was in no mood for an advice. He replied, "You wicked sparrow! Why can't you keep your mouth shut?" But the female sparrow continued her advice. She explained how she was able to enjoy the comforts of her hom...

This lets you inform someone that you are willing to provide assistance. This could refer to something physical or mental, like helping someone to 'think' or 'remember' something. Examples: "I'll help you cook dinner tonight." "I'll help you raise money for your charity." "I'll help you register for your class online." "I'll help you move to your new house." "I'll help you prevent that from happening again." "I will help you park your car." "I will help you provide all the information you need." "I will help you realize your potential." "I will help you stop smoking." "I will help you shop for groceries."

There lived a group of monkeys in the mountains. During one winter, there were heavy rains. Drenched in the rain, they began to shiver in the cold. During this time, some of the monkey found some colourful Gunja fruits, which appeared to them as embers of fire. Hoping to make some fire for themselves, they began to blow at them. A bird on a nearby tree was watching the monkeys from above. Considering the vain attempts the monkeys were busy with, it thought of advising them against it, "What big fools you are. You are blowing at some Gunja fruits and not embers of fire. You will never be able to make any fire out of them." "What you are doing is a waste of time. These fruits will not help you to protect yourself against the cold. Go and find some shelter instead. You may find a cave or a burrow where you will be protected from the rains and the cold winds." The monkeys did not like his advice. One of the old monkeys said, "Go fool yoursel...