Sharp PW-E500A operation manual Inflection, Verbs, Nouns

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A similar alternation is found in compound adjectives such as well intentioned. When used predicatively (i.e. after the verb), such adjectives are unhyphenated, but when used attributively (i.e. before the noun), they are hyphenated: his remarks were well intentioned but a well-intentioned remark.

A general rule governing verb compounds means that, where a noun compound is two words (e.g. beta test), any verb derived from it is normally hyphenated (to beta-test:the system was beta-tested). Similarly, verbal nouns and adjectives are more often hyphenated than ordinary noun or adjective compounds (e.g. glass- making, nation-building).

Phrasal verbs such as ‘take off’, ‘take over’, and ‘set up’ are not hyphenated, but nouns formed from phrasal verbs are hyphenated, or, increasingly, written as one word: the plane accelerated for take-off; a hostile takeover; he didn’t die, it was a set-up. There is an increasing tendency to hyphenate the verb form as well (food available to take-away) but this is not good writing style and should be avoided.

Inflection

Compared with other European languages, English has comparatively few inflections, and those that exist are remarkably regular. We add an -sto most nouns to make a plural; we add -edto most verbs to make a past tense or a past participle, and -ingto make a present participle.

Occasionally, a difficulty arises: for example, a single consonant after a short stressed vowel is doubled before adding -edor -ing(hum, hums, humming, hummed). In addition, words borrowed from other languages generally bring their foreign inflections with them, causing problems for English speakers who are not proficient in those languages.

In all such cases, guidance is given in the Oxford Dictionary of English. The main areas covered are outlined below.

Verbs

The following forms are regarded as regular and are therefore not shown in the dictionary:

third person singular present forms adding -sto the stem (or -esto stems ending in -s, -x, -z, -sh, or soft -ch), e.g. find finds or change changes

past tenses and past participles dropping a final silent e and adding -edto the stem, e.g. change changed or dance danced

present participles dropping a final silent e and adding -ingto the stem, e.g. change changing or dance dancing

Other forms are given in the dictionary, notably for:

verbs which inflect by doubling a consonant, e.g. bat batting, batted

verbs ending in -ywhich inflect by changing -yto -i, e.g. try tries, tried

verbs in which past tense and past participle do not follow the regular -edpattern, e.g. feel past and past participle felt; awake past awoke; past participle awoken

present participles which add -ingbut retain a final e (in order to make clear that the pronunciation of g remains soft), e.g. singe singeing

Nouns

Plurals formed by adding -s(or -eswhen they end in -s, -x, -z, -sh, or soft -ch) are regarded as regular and are not shown.

Other plural forms are given in the dictionary, notably for:

nouns ending in -ior -o, e.g. agouti agoutis; albino albinos

nouns ending in -a,-um, or -uswhich are or appear to be Latinate forms, e.g. alumna alumnae; spectrum spectra; alveolus alveoli

nouns ending in -y, e.g. fly flies

nouns with more than one plural form, e.g. storey storeys or stories

nouns with plurals showing a change in the stem, e.g. foot feet

nouns with plurals unchanged from the singular form, e.g. sheep sheep

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Contents PW-E500A Introduction Contents Using the PW-E500A for the first time Getting StartedTo attach a commercially available strap Turning the power on/offAuto power off function BacklightData contained in the PW-E500A Layout Key assignments Display symbolsOperation guidance message Inputting words for a dictionary search Basic operationSelecting a dictionary / function in the main menu List view selecting an item scrolling Filter search view selecting an item scrollingShifting the displayed character size z Detail view scrollingRecalling the terms previously searched h Searching a word on the screen Listing a summary of detail view items qBrowsing Notes r Setting the key sound on/off Set-up menuStarting Auto Demo mode Setting the Auto power off activation timeAdjusting the LCD contrast Inputting charactersModifying entry 4WDIf there is no match found Using the Oxford Dictionary of EnglishLooking up a word Filter search Browsing NotesPhrase search Spellcheck functionFurther information If the list of words does not appear as expectedUsing the Oxford Thesaurus of English Press tto open the Oxford Thesaurus of English Using the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Searching by an author name Filter searchKeyword search Press uto open the Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsRandom quote Screen of the Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsUsing the Solver functions Crossword solverPuzzle solver Anagram solver Entering charactersUsing the Super jump function How to use the Super jump functionSpecifying a Dictionary to jump to About the detail view after the jumpDeleting a history item Using the History functionHow to use the History function Deleting the history list of a DictionaryCalculation examples Prior to initiating calculationsExample Operation Display Currency converter Setting a currency rateConverting currencies Metric converter Units capable of being convertedReplacing the battery AppendicesSpecifications Reset procedure if trouble occursReset procedures Troubleshooting Product supportStructure Core Sense and Subsense Oxford Dictionary of EnglishIntroduction NoseSpecialized case of the core sense, e.g Specialist Vocabulary Encyclopedic MaterialGrammar Terms relating to nounsTerms relating to verbs Other terms relating to nounsTerms relating to adjectives Oxford English Corpus Evidence and Illustrative ExamplesTerms relating to adverbs Oxford Reading ProgrammeSpecialist reading Word HistoriesExamples Usage Notes Standard EnglishWorld English Ise or ize? SpellingVariant spellings HyphenationVerbs InflectionNouns Pronunciations AdjectivesForeign pronunciations ConsonantsOxford Thesaurus of English Selection of entriesSynonyms HomonymsIllustrative examples Idiomatic phrases and phrasal verbs Linguistic evidenceRegister standard vs. informal and regional English Opposites Word linksConfusables ‘Choose the Right Word’ notesWord lists Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Introduction abridgedPage How to use the Dictionary Page Keyword Search Europe Sharp Corporation