Fluency in Topicwise English (Part - II)
By Prof. Kev Nair

"Two volumes of Fluency in Topicwise English help you widen your fluency range."
– The New Indian Express.

Please note: This book is not sold separately. It is available for sale only as part of Fluentzy: The English Fluency Encyclopedia.

Fluency in speaking about a wide range of topics

I told you in Supplement 6 that, if you are to become fluent in speaking about a wide range of topics, it is not enough that you know a lot of words and have a clear idea of their meanings and other features. And I told you this: What’s needed is that you should have complete mastery over the core words in English. But this is only possible if you have the experience of handling the core words again and again, that too, by relating them to frequently-discussed topics. In Supplement 6, I gave you carefully chosen collections of word groups that have to do with six topics. In this Supplement, I’m going to give you word groups that have to do with seven other important topics:

1). Good and bad.

2). Farming, Agriculture & Gardening.

3). Sports & Games.

4). Essential Computer English.

5). Crime.

6). Nature.

7). Building and home.

Let’s go straight for the word groups. As usual, utter each word group aloud several times, so that you and your organs of speech become familiar with them. Remember this: What’s needed is not just to learn the content of these word groups; what’s needed is to train your organs of speech with them.

Here we go:

Good and bad

Group 1

• We had a really pleasant time together. • His French wasn’t as good as his English, but good enough. • What an unpleasant man! • Don’t expect them to be truthful — they’ve got no ethics. • The weather conditions were bad, and the plane couldn’t land. • He’s a very able lawyer. • It’s an old car, but it’s basically sound. • This is perhaps the finest film I’ve ever seen. • He showed excellent self-control in his answer. • What an awful smell! • His work is satisfactory, but not outstanding. • He’s a nasty man, and he won’t help anyone. • That’s a remarkable achievement. • She gave us some hints on how to look after indoor plants, and I found them very useful. • He says he’s a policeman, but he doesn’t look authentic/genuine. • He has a lot of good qualities and he deserves admiration. • The conference was very dull, and I didn’t know what to do to amuse myself. • That’s a marvellous dress you’re wearing. • Some of these drugs have a harmful effect on the nervous system. • She’s a very skilled and experienced swimmer. • Many of them are incapable and don’t have the abilities necessary to do their jobs. • His work is first class. • What miserable weather! If only it stopped raining! • That’s a first rate plan/idea. • The management of that company seems to be very inefficient. • Their work is well below standard. • I don’t think it was an honest answer. • All the players were good, but he was easily the best. • This dishwasher is an ingenious invention.

• The index at the back of the book is not as good as it should be. • He had a better life there. • He’s a very gifted violinist. • If you want to be successful in this business, you’ll have to offer the best to your customers. • The new park is going to be an excellent place for kids. • I think his argument/reasoning is faulty. • The dress she had on wasn’t suitable for the occasion. • The telephone line was defective. • He’s all right — you can trust him. • He did an admirable job in dealing with the situation. • One thing I like about him is, he has a positive attitude to everything. • He was very unfriendly, and his behaviour was nasty. • That was an outstanding/impressive performance. • He’s an ethical person — I’m sure he won’t stoop to blackmail. • It isn’t a genuine/an authentic Michelangelo drawing, but a fake. • Their computers are superior to those of others. • He never loses his temper, and that’s an admirable quality. • He’s a nice person, but rather dull and boring. • The election didn’t produce a satisfying result for them. • Don’t buy those vegetables — they’re rotten. • Do you think the supplies of food are sufficient? • He’s good looking and fashionable. • The boss was in a foul temper today.

• He’s a fine painter/musician/actor. • He likes to play tricks on others — he’s a mischievous person, you know. • The painters have done an excellent job of that building. • Our company is going through a bad time. • That was a surprise to me, but an agreeable one. • His new house is a bit small, but very pleasant. • That egg is rotten — don’t eat it. • He isn’t very clever, but he tries hard. • He showed great surprise at the news, but I don’t think it was genuine. • He’s always hopeful and confident, and it’s great to work with him. • I like the design of this building/dress/furniture — it’s stylish. • I’m not happy with his work — it’s below a satisfactory standard. • Thank you for an excellent evening. • His argument/reasoning was deeply flawed. • I don’t think it’s a sound idea/plan. • The problem is, the supplies of medicines are not adequate. • She always goes out dressed in fine clothes. • His new film is a miserable failure. • He’s a first-rate professional. • They’re all fine singers. • Change that dress — it looks awful on you. • He’s very truthful, and you can trust him. • I find it difficult to believe that he’s a real/genuine doctor. • The telephone system in our area is very inefficient. • We had a really good time at the party last night. • This food has a nasty mouldy smell.

Group 2

• The terms of the new contract are really advantageous to us. • This film doesn’t have any technical merit, but it’s very entertaining. • This medicine isn’t suitable for all patients. • He’s a superior musician. • He’s very competent in foreign languages. • I think the fears of the industrialists are legitimate, and not groundless. • My room has a fine view of the countryside. • The kitchen smelt foul. • His car is in first class condition. • If you want to know how to start up a company, you should consult Mr. Ashok Arora — he’s a specialist adviser, you know. • He’s the most honest man I ever met. • They treated us dreadfully. • Last night’s party was good wholesome fun. • He has a bad character, and he can’t be trusted. • Many of our doctors are not adequately trained. • We had a really enjoyable time there. • The arrangements for the conference — I don’t think they were adequate. • I don’t know if this make of TV is all right. • Who cooked this dish? It’s superb!

• His interpretation of the balance sheet figures — it’s faulty. • I don’t think he’s suitable for that job. • He had a terrible accident last year. • Stress in itself is not always harmful. • He’s a nice person, and is pleasant to be with. • Their village/town is rather crowded, but very pleasant. • He’s good-looking and stylish. • The new boss is always nasty to me. • The work was not up to standard. • That was a very competent performance. • The boss seems to be in a foul mood today. • He’s a genuine person — always honest and sincere. • This butter tastes stale. • I like her — her behaviour has a childlike quality. • She’s very clean, and always keeps the kitchen free from dirt. • Most people in that area are poor and live in housing of sorts/of a sort. • That was a satisfying meal. • That bridge is in poor condition and may soon collapse. • He’s an expert tailor. • He claims to have invented this device, but do you think his claim is legitimate? • The smell of rotting cabbage was disgusting. • The new arrangement suits me fine. • He’s a miserable man, and always bad-tempered. • That’s a great idea. • It was a bad accident, and his injuries were awful. • I don’t think he was being truthful with us when he said all those things. • The whole marketing department in our company is very inefficient. • This milk has gone bad. • The food in that restaurant is very good/poor. • His hearing/sight was defective. • He’s a very talented tennis player. • This food has gone off, and it smells. • He has superb confidence. • If you bury a piece of wood, it’d decay/rot. • This medicine is an effective cure for TB. • This method is inefficient and expensive. • The flight was very comfortable, and I enjoyed it. • He’s a poor singer — his wife can sing better than him. • He’s a very friendly and agreeable person. • She has a nice little house there. • Don’t keep biting your nails — it’s a disgusting habit. • He’s a very moral person — don’t expect him to stoop to bribery.

• This is not the most favourable time to start up a company. • There’s no doubt that his work deserves to be praised. • This is a boring subject. • This is a wicked world. • He’s an outstanding musician. • That building is very impressive. • The things they’ve done are morally unacceptable. • Prof. Ahmed is an expert on this topic. • Their new interest rates seem very advantageous. • That’s a fine book. • I found his joke offensive. • He has an excellent brain and is very competent. • This method isn’t effective and isn’t going to produce the result we want. • The boss liked her because she was honest and reliable. • It’s immoral to deceive other people. • That’s a faulty switch — we’ll have to get it replaced. • I didn’t like the food — it wasn’t all right. • They sell good quality furniture. • This bread isn’t fresh — it’s stale. Don’t eat it. • The terms of the contract are not very advantageous to us. • He’s a great painter — he has superb skill. • You shouldn’t wear this sort of dress to the office — it isn’t suitable, you know. • I’ve had a bad day at work. • This is certainly an awesome achievement. • The food was poor. • He’s a fine-looking young man. • He lives in a nasty little flat there. • He was way below the standard required, and was not chosen for the job. • Most of our employees are hardworking and responsible. • He’s a warm and friendly man. • He’s a mischievous person — he takes delight in embarrassing others. • I like him — he’s an admirable character. • The children looked smart in their white shirts. • His new film has a lot of artistic merit. • Our new boss looks very stern, but is actually harmless. • He was splendid company during the journey. • He was found to be a superior candidate, and he was chosen for the job. • She’s an expert at cooking. • They claim to be the market leaders in this industry, and I think their claim is reasonable and justified. • She gave us an excellent meal. • He says this diamond is flawed. • The food here is first class.

Group 3

• You’ll have to give me a truthful answer. • Rumours like these would certainly be damaging to our reputation. • I hate that place — it’s awful. • The preparations for the meeting were not satisfactory. • These floppy disks are of superior quality. • I don’t think the response to their latest ad was very good. • Don’t use this milk — it smells off. • That machine was of poor quality. • His financial situation is awful. • He exercises every day and keeps in perfect shape. • The bathroom was dirty and disgusting. • I don’t think the investigation has been thorough. • It’s not a very expensive hotel — the prices are OK. • Did you go to the carnival? It was an impressive spectacle. • I found his argument defective. • I think today’s going to be a pleasant day. • She’s a very attractive and fashionable woman. • He made some nasty jokes about me. • He’s the most upright and trustworthy man I’ve ever met. • This sort of diet isn’t suitable for most people. • He has a few valuable contacts in the government. • The lecture was so dull I fell asleep. • The film didn’t have a satisfying ending. • Her grandfather is past 90, but his mind is sound. • Do you think the talks the unions had with the management were genuine? • There’s nothing more enjoyable than lying on that beach. • He has a foul mouth, and nobody likes him. • He’s an excellent student.