Commonly Confused Words Stair and Stare

The words stair and stare  are  homophones: they sound alike but have different meanings. Definitions The noun stair refers to a step or one of a series of steps. The plural form, stairs, refers to a staircase or a flight of stairs. The verb stare means to look steadily, intently, or vacantly at someone or something. As a noun, stare means a long look with eyes wide open. Examples Cole tripped on a stair and fell down seven steps.[W]e joined the lines of office workers who were tunneling down the stairs into the cool underground caverns below.(Margaret Atwood, The Edible Woman, 1969)Next to him in the front  seat of the sedan was Buddy, their nine-year-old boy, who turned his head to stare at them both, his father and mother.(Paul Horgan, The Peach Stone. Of America East and West: Selections from the Writings of Paul Horgan. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1984)After giving me a long, hard stare, Silas put a toothpick into his mouth and walked away. Idiom Alerts Stare (Someone) DownThe  phrasal verb  to  stare down means to look directly and intently at someone or something, usually until that person or animal becomes uncomfortable and looks away.She was able to  stare down the  most fearsome university faculty or boardroom member and when push came to shove, she usually got her way.(Greig Beck, Beneath the Dark Ice. Pan, 2011) Stare (Someone) in the FaceThe expression stare (or staring) in the face means that something is (or should be) noticeable or obvious.And here I am, unknown and unemployed, a helpless artist lost in London—with a sick wife and hungry children, and bankruptcy  staring me in the face.(Wilkie Collins,  My Ladys Money: An Episode in the Life of a Young Girl, 1879) Practice Exercises (a) The  moons perfect yellow  dusted the thickening trees. Humperdinck could not help but _____  at their beauty.(William Goldman, The Princess Bride. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973)(b) He crept close and stood on the top _____ beside me, breathing strangely.(Daphne Du Maurier, The Kings General, 1946)(c) As the Count saw us, a horrible sort of snarl passed over his face, showing the eye-teeth long and pointed; but the evil smile as quickly passed into a cold _____ of lion-like disdain.(Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897)(d) On the sixth _____, Fezzik  put his arm around Inigos shoulder. Well go down together, step by step. Theres nothing here, Inigo.(William Goldman,  The Princess Bride.  Harcourt  Brace  Jovanovich, 1973)   Answers to Practice Exercises Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words 200 Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs Answers to Practice Exercises: Stair and Stare (a) The  moons perfect yellow  dusted the thickening trees. Humperdinck could not help but stare at their beauty.(William Goldman,  The Princess Bride.  Harcourt  Brace  Jovanovich, 1973)(b) He crept close and stood on the top stair beside me, breathing strangely.(Daphne Du Maurier, The Kings General, 1946)(c) As the Count saw us, a horrible sort of snarl passed over his face, showing the eye-teeth long and pointed; but the evil smile as quickly passed into a cold stare of lion-like disdain.(Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897)(d) On the sixth stair, Fezzik  put his arm around Inigos shoulder. Well go down together, step by step. Theres nothing here, Inigo.(William Goldman,  The Princess Bride.  Harcourt  Brace  Jovanovich, 1973)   Glossary of Usage: Index of Commonly Confused Words

Scrooge Is A Miserable And Greedy Old Man Essay - 1390 Words

Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserable and greedy old man, who focuses mainly on his business and continues with his greedy ways on Christmas Eve. He is always grumpy and yells at his employees, and most of all at Bob Cratchit. Scrooge’s desire is to be by himself on Christmas Eve, and rejects his nephew Fred’s, invitation for dinner. One night, the ghost of Jacob Marley, a former colleague of Scrooge, who has passed away seven years ago, visits the old man. Marley reminds Scrooge of his cruel lifestyle and encourages him to change it before it is too late. He tells Scrooge that three spirits will visit him. When Scrooge falls asleep, The Ghost of Christmas Past visits him first. The Ghost shows him scenes from the past the reveal Scrooges’ live; from a lonesome young boy to a man who has allowed greed to overcome his life, a man who does not know love and compassion. Scrooge is touched by what he has seen and even allows emotions to overcome his stone-cold heart. Secon dly, the Ghost of Christmas Present visits Scrooge. The Ghost takes Scrooge to several Christmas celebrations, including the party at Fred’s house. Also the Ghost takes Scrooge to the Crachit’s house, and warns him that unless the future is changed the crippled young son of Bob, Tiny Tim will die. The ghost warns Scrooge to be carful of his ignorance. Lastly the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come visits Scrooge. The old man becomes aware that several people discuses the death of someone. At last, he learns that this isShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Scrooge In A Christmas Carol818 Words   |  4 PagesLessons Scrooge Learned â€Å"I am not the man I was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dickens 676). Those might be the most famous words spoken by Charles Dickens’ main character of â€Å"A Christmas Carol†. Scrooge was a greedy man whose life was changed by the visitations of three spirits; Past, The present, and Future. Scrooge learned why he had become greedy, how much he missed out on by avoiding Christmas, and that he was capable of becoming a compassionate person who could make a difference in the lives of others. TheRead More Scrooge in A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens Essay1089 Words   |  5 PagesA Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens Scrooge is represented from the beginning as a miserable old man being described as a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! I think this a perfect description of him in one sentence. People know Scrooge well and avoid him, this suites Scrooge because he does not like other people and not a big fan of being sociable. The name Scrooge was created by Dickens and is now well known in the dictionaryRead MoreScrooges Journey of Growth and Redemption in a Christmas Carol810 Words   |  4 PagesDickens represents Scrooge as an unsympathetic man who is offered the opportunity to redeem himself. Through use of language, the reader is positioned to view him adversely, but during the journey of morality lessons shown by three spirits, Scrooge recovers his sense of joy by undergoing a significant transformation. Scrooge seeks redemption through the many lessons taught by the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. In A Christmas Carol, Dickens represents Scrooge as a squeezingRead MoreA Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens1160 Words   |  5 PagesHumbug†, a line repeated many times in the story by its main character, a miserable and bitter fellow by the name of Ebenezer Scrooge, has become a well-known phrase even today. The story takes place in and around the city of London and begins on Christmas Eve, continues through Christmas Day, and ends the morning after Christmas in 1843. At the beginning of the story, Scrooge hates Christmas and happiness and was very greedy. Then a trio of spirits, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and FutureRead MoreA Christmas Carol Essay1010 Words   |  5 Pagesstaves. The first stave is a prologue where Dickens introduces the reader to scrooge and his characteristics. In the second stave Dickens writes about the ghost of the past who takes scrooge to the past and shows him what happened in his important parts of his life. In the third stave Dickens writes about the ghost of the present where the ghost of present shows scrooge what was happening at the present. In the fourth stave scrooge is met by the ghost of the future and he is shown what is going to happenRead More A Christmas Carol - character study of Scrooge Essay2602 Words   |  11 PagesA Christmas Carol - character study of Scrooge A Christmas Carol â€Å"Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!† Scrooge is the main character in the novel ‘A Christmas Carol’. At the beginning of the novel he is a brutal, evil, pitiless, cold-hearted man, but subsequent to meeting three spirits, Scrooge regrets his life and decides he needs to alter it. The main theme Charles Dickens conveys through the story is redemption; this is significantRead MoreCharles Dickens and A Christmas Carol1613 Words   |  7 Pagesa school director. Dickens went to William Giles’ school in Chatham, Kent, for approximately one year before his father’s money habits caught up with him. Dickens’ father was sent to prison for debt in 1824, when Dickens’ was just twelve years old. Following his father’s imprisonment, Dickens’ had to drop out of school to work at a boot-blacking factory along the River of Thames. He earned 6 shillings a week, which is a dollar and forty-four cents in US money. It was the best he could do toRead MoreScrooges Change in Attitude in A Christmas Carol Essay1970 Words   |  8 Pagescharacter Scrooge, and his attitude towards life, his mean, grumpy and selfish character and his lack of Christian charity. It will explain the transformation of Scrooge and why the transformation occurred. Scrooges mean attitude was demonstrated when he said to his nephew, â€Å"What right have you to be Merry? Youre poor enough This is the first indication that Scrooge was not in the Christmas spirit as he was not joyful. This is also an indication that Scrooge was greedy and mean withRead MoreHow and Why Does Dickens Present the Change in Scrooge in ‘a Christmas Carol’?2608 Words   |  11 PagesChristmas Carol’ covers a period of 24 hours from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. It is a simple morality tale of the radical change in the character Ebenezer Scrooge from being bitter, ironfisted and miserable to becoming a new, openhearted and charitable man. The book was first published in 1843, a time when many of the wealthy people neglected the old Christmas spirit of charity. In addition, the Industrial Revolution had further done away with the simple pleasures of the season. Dickens’ intentions inRead More Analysis of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Essays3690 Words   |  15 PagesLondon, allow readers to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the old city. The story I am studying is A Christmas Carol. A Christmas Carol is a song sung during a Christian celebration - Christmas. A Christmas Carol is structured using 5 stares (chapters). It begins in the past, informing the reader of a man named Marley, and his death. Then in the present we are introduced to Ebenezer Scrooge who is a business man. Unfortunately that is all he cares about. He thinks Christmas is a

Christian Attitudes to Infertility. Free Essays

Christian attitudes to medical treatment for infertility * Childlessness is a major problem for some Christian couples who believe that if they cannot have a child, they are not able to fulfil God’s command to humans to be â€Å"fruitful and multiply† (Genesis 1:28) * Some may accept that it is God’s choice for them to not have children. * Some may find other ways to direct their parental skills such as school, charity or church work. * Some may choose to adopt children and therefore give unwanted or orphaned children a living home. We will write a custom essay sample on Christian Attitudes to Infertility. or any similar topic only for you Order Now * Some may choose to try to conceive a child through fertility treatment. Christians who are against fertility treatment * Christians are divided over the use if artificial methods to have children. Some Christians, such as Roman Catholics, are opposed to all fertility treatments because they believe. * God intended that children should be created through the natural act of sex between a husband and wife. * No one has a â€Å"right† to have children. God has a plan for everyone and if it is within his plan or a couple not to have a child, then people should respect that. * Masturbation is a sin and all treatments where fertilisation takes place outside the woman’s body involves masturbation by the male. â€Å"Technique which allow someone other that the husband and wife to be involved in the making of a child are very wrong. Techniques which separate sex from making of the baby are unacceptable† (Catechism of the Catholic Church) * Some Christians, including Catholics, are opposed to IVF because it involves the creation of several embr yos. The embryos that are not used are destroyed and some are experimented on, which can be seen as violating the â€Å"sanctity of life† * Many Christians would object to treatments which use donated sperm or eggs because they believe this would be adultery. Most Christians do not agree with surrogacy because it involves a third person, which may cause complications for all involved. Christians who agree with fertility treatments * Few Christians would agree with all types of fertility treatments for the reasons mentioned above . * Many would accept them in cases where the sperm of the husband and the egg of the wife are used (in IVF or AIH) * God has given humans the capacity to create children in this way * It allows couples to experience the joy of having children * It is a way of loving your neighbour and follows the golden rule. How to cite Christian Attitudes to Infertility., Essay examples