Preferred Language
Articles
/
jcoeduw-918
A Study of the Problems of Learning and Translating Idioms
...Show More Authors

Idioms are a very important part of the English language: you are told that if you want to go far (succeed) you should pull your socks up (make a serious effort to improve your behaviour, the quality of your work, etc.) and use your grey matter (brain).1 Learning and translating idioms have always been very difficult for foreign language learners. The present paper explores some of the reasons why English idiomatic expressions are difficult to learn and translate. It is not the aim of this paper to attempt a comprehensive survey of the vast amount of material that has appeared on idioms in Adams and Kuder (1984), Alexander (1984), Dixon (1983), Kirkpatrick (2001), Langlotz (2006), McCarthy and O'Dell (2002), and Wray (2002), among others. The paper concentrates on idioms as a learning-translation problem; it makes no claim to be comprehensive or academically rigorous. Leech (1989) defines an idiom as follows: “An idiom is a group of two or more words which we have to treat as a unit in learning a language. We cannot arrive at the meaning of the idiom just by adding together the meanings of the words inside it. E.g.John and Mary usedto be hardup (='They had very little money'.)”(P.186) To be more exact, an idiom is a sequence of words which is semantically and syntactically restricted, so that they function as a single unit. From a semantic point of view, the meanings of the individual words cannot be summed to produce the meanings of the idiomatic expression as a whole. Thus, fly off the handle, which means lose one's temper, cannot be understood in terms of the meanings of fly, off, or handle. The idiom phrase hot air, which means empty or boastful talk, is neither hot nor air; with hot air we are dealing with a set phrase where the meaning cannot be suggested on the basis of the two constituent words. The idiomatic meaning of spill the beans in So who spilt the beans (=told the secret) about her affair with David? has nothing to do with beans or with spilling in its literal sense. The foreign-language learner is left trying to figure out where and how the beans were spilt. From a syntactic viewpoint, the constituent parts of an idiom often do not permit the usual variability they display in other contexts. The point to be emphasized here is this: most idioms do not lend themselves easily to manipulation by speakers and writers; they are invariable and must be learned as wholes, but concord ofnumber, person and gender in the idiom phrase is still necessary, i.e. the verbs must be put into the correct form, and pronouns must agree with their antecedents: I don't give a hoot for her opinion! 2 • She doesn't give a hoot for my opinion! etc.)║He won, but only by the skin of his teeth2• She won, but only by the skin of her teeth• Iwon, but only by the skin ofmy teeth,I had to run for the train, and caught it by the skin of myteeth, etc.║He kept pullingmy arm, throwing me off my balance 2 • She kept pulling his arm, throwing him off his balance • We kept pullingher arm, throwingher offher balance, etc.2 The present paper is divided into five parts, as follows: Part I: An Overview; PART II: Learner’s Difficulties with Idioms; PART III: Some Pedagogical recommendations and Suggestions about Idioms; Part IV: Activities to Practice Idiomatic Expressions; Part V: Summary and Conclusion.

View Publication Preview PDF
Quick Preview PDF
Publication Date
Sun Jun 02 2013
Journal Name
Baghdad Science Journal
Taxonomical and Comparative morphological study for two wild species of the genus Chaenorhinum (D.C.) Reichb. (Scrophulariaceae) in Iraq.
...Show More Authors

Comparative morphological study has been treated for two species of the genus Chaenorhinum (D.C.) Richb., These species were: 1. Chaenorhinum calycinum 2. Chaenorhinum rubrifolium (Robill. & cast. Ex Lam. & DC.) Fourr. The genus belong to the family Scorphulariaceae. Morphological characters has been studies for: root, stem, leaves, flowers (calyx, corolla, androcium including filaments and anthers, gynocium including ovary, style and stigma), fruits and seeds also has been characterized. Key for there two species presented using some quantitative characters. Other characters like shape of fruits and seeds were used too, and they were of a useful taxonomic value

View Publication Preview PDF
Crossref
Publication Date
Sun Dec 01 2013
Journal Name
The Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal
Comparative Study Between Glimepiride and Glibenclamide in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Al-Yarmouk Hospital
...Show More Authors

Comparative Study Between Glimepiride and Glibenclamide in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Al-Yarmouk Hospital

View Publication
Publication Date
Sun Jul 20 2025
Journal Name
Ibn Al-haitham Journal For Pure And Applied Sciences
Study and Investigation of the Charge Transfer Rate Production in N3-Senstized Dye Contact with ZnS Semiconductor System
...Show More Authors

In this work, the rate of charge transfer (CT) reaction at the N3-ZnS interface was calculated using a quantitative computational model to evaluate the efficiency of N3-ZnS heterojunction dye-sensitized solar cell devices using different types of solvents. This work discussed the influence of the effective driving energy force on the charge transport rate and performance of N3-ZnS devices with various solvents based on a donor-acceptor model. A solar cell model was used to study the optical efficiency when changing some of its parameters, such as the type of material and the thickness of the film, as they are important factors influencing the quality of the solar cell. It was found that the transition energy varies with different so

... Show More
View Publication
Crossref
Publication Date
Sun Jun 02 2013
Journal Name
Baghdad Science Journal
Taxonomical and Comparative morphological study for two wild species of the genus Chaenorhinum (D.C.) Reichb. (Scrophulariaceae) in Iraq.
...Show More Authors

Comparative morphological study has been treated for two species of the genus Chaenorhinum (D.C.) Richb., These species were: 1. Chaenorhinum calycinum 2. Chaenorhinum rubrifolium (Robill. & cast. Ex Lam. & DC.) Fourr. The genus belong to the family Scorphulariaceae. Morphological characters has been studies for: root, stem, leaves, flowers (calyx, corolla, androcium including filaments and anthers, gynocium including ovary, style and stigma), fruits and seeds also has been characterized. Key for there two species presented using some quantitative characters. Other characters like shape of fruits and seeds were used too, and they were of a useful taxonomic value

View Publication
Crossref
Publication Date
Sun Jun 01 2014
Journal Name
Baghdad Science Journal
Effect Study the of Acute toxoplasmosis on Some Blood and Serum Parameters in Pregnant Women in Baghdad City
...Show More Authors

In this study the rate of infection in acute and chronic Toxoplasma gondii parasite that causes toxoplasmosis was determined. This study was Included 120 blood samples that collected from pregnant women revisions to some clinics and laboratories in Baghdad civil as well as 10 blood samples from non-infected women as a control group. All blood samples were collected in the first three months of the pregnancy period for detection toxoplasmosis by using serological tests of test kit ( Toxo , IgG.,Toxo , IgM ). To detect antibodies specialized type of IgG &IgM in acute and the chronic infection by Electro Clia manner using a Roche Cobas e411. The results showed that the total infection rate was (55.83)%, the rate of infection in acu

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Crossref
Publication Date
Mon Dec 16 2019
Journal Name
Journal Of Accounting And Financial Studies ( Jafs )
Technological Maturity and its role in reinforcing the quality of auditing: An analytical study in Iraqi audit offices
...Show More Authors

This paper discusses the role of Auditors' Technological Maturity in reinforcing the quality of auditing profession, through focusing on the concepts of Technological Maturity and quality of auditing profession, as well as designing a proposed model for Technological Maturity which includes five evolutionary and sequential stages, and this proposed model would contribute to reinforce the quality of auditing. This proposed model will be employed in the field of auditing profession because the importance of the development and investment in this profession and the importance of the need for specialized knowledge in Information Technology, and the result of a proposed model is development of technological knowledge for the auditor to reach

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Publication Date
Fri Sep 01 2023
Journal Name
Iraqi Journal Of Physics
Study the Electronic and Spectroscopic Characteristics of p-n Heterojunction Hybrid (Sn10O16/C24O6) via Density Functional Theory (DFT)
...Show More Authors

The electronic characteristics, including the density of state and bond length, in addition to the spectroscopic properties such as IR spectrum and Raman scattering, as a function of the frequency of Sn10O16, C24O6, and hybrid junction (Sn10O16/C24O6) were studied. The methodology uses DFT for all electron levels with the hybrid function B3-LYP (Becke level, 3-parameters, Lee–Yang-Parr), with 6-311G (p,d)  basis set, and Stuttgart/Dresden (SDD) basis set, using Gaussian 09 theoretical calculations. The geometrical structures were calculated by Gaussian view 05 as a supplementary program. The band gap was calculated and compared to the measured valu

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Crossref (1)
Crossref
Publication Date
Thu Aug 29 2024
Journal Name
Materials
Experimental Study to Investigate the Performance-Related Properties of Modified Asphalt Concrete Using Nanomaterials Al2O3, SiO2, and TiO2
...Show More Authors

The dual nature of asphalt binder necessitates improvements to mitigate rutting and fatigue since it performs as an elastic material under the regime of rapid loading or cold temperatures and as a viscous fluid at elevated temperatures. The present investigation assesses the effectiveness of Nano Alumina (NA), Nano Silica (NS), and Nano Titanium Dioxide (NT) at weight percentages of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% in asphalt cement to enhance both asphalt binder and mixture performance. Binder evaluations include tests for consistency, thermal susceptibility, aging, and workability, while mixture assessments focus on Marshall properties, moisture susceptibility, resilient modulus, permanent deformation, and fatigue characteristics. NS notably im

... Show More
View Publication
Scopus (13)
Crossref (15)
Scopus Clarivate Crossref
Publication Date
Sat Jun 19 2021
Journal Name
Iraqi Journal Of Pharmaceutical Sciences ( P-issn 1683 - 3597 E-issn 2521 - 3512)
The Pharmacological Effects of Kappa Carrageenan on Different Human Cell Lines and Genomic DNA: An in vitro study
...Show More Authors

Carrageenan extract is a compound of sulfated polyglycan that is taken out from red seaweeds. Being hydrocolloid in nature, carrageenan has gelling, emulsifying and thickening properties allowing it to be commonly used in the oral healthcare products and cosmetics. Due to its bioactive compounds, carrageenan has been shown to have antimicrobial, antiviral, and antitumor properties. The purpose of this work is to study the probable use of carrageenan on the diseases that are related to oral cavity and on the genomic DNA in in vitro experimental model

In this study, the effects of k-carrageenan on four different cell lines related to the cancer and normal cells which cultured on selective media were done. Moreover, the eff

... Show More
View Publication Preview PDF
Scopus (3)
Crossref (3)
Scopus Crossref
Publication Date
Thu Aug 29 2024
Journal Name
Materials
Experimental Study to Investigate the Performance-Related Properties of Modified Asphalt Concrete Using Nanomaterials Al2O3, SiO2, and TiO2
...Show More Authors

The dual nature of asphalt binder necessitates improvements to mitigate rutting and fatigue since it performs as an elastic material under the regime of rapid loading or cold temperatures and as a viscous fluid at elevated temperatures. The present investigation assesses the effectiveness of Nano Alumina (NA), Nano Silica (NS), and Nano Titanium Dioxide (NT) at weight percentages of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% in asphalt cement to enhance both asphalt binder and mixture performance. Binder evaluations include tests for consistency, thermal susceptibility, aging, and workability, while mixture assessments focus on Marshall properties, moisture susceptibility, resilient modulus, permanent deformation, and fatigue characteristics. NS notably im

... Show More
Scopus (13)
Crossref (15)
Scopus Clarivate Crossref