Топик: The Proverbs Are Children Of Experience (Пословицы - Дети Опыта)

Bitter pills may have blessed effects.

Proverbs provide humor in a sarcastic way. Depending on the specific proverb a person can identify an action and its consequence. For example:

• Do not do all you can; spend not all you have; believe not all you hear; tell not all you know.

This proverb explains that one should use common sense as well as sensor ones speech in relationship to other people. Another example of sarcastic proverbs can be proverb:

• A man can work from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done.

Proverbs and their value systems give us some basic structure, and if their worldview does not fit a particular situation, they can be quickly changed into revealing and liberating anti-proverbs. Proverbs are also used as idioms; every language has its own. An idiom usually consists of a group of words, which is either meaningless or absurd if the words are understood to mean what they usually do.

Mostly short proverbs can be used as idioms. For example:

• Die with one’s boots on.

This proverb (idiom) means expire while working, keep working to the end. I some languages proverbs may occur as clichйs or old proverbs. Clichйs are trite, worn out expressions. While they are acceptable in conversation, they should be avoided in writing. Here are some examples of such event:

• Off the wall. Means to be not well reasoned.

• Sound as a dollar. Means sensible.

A small sentence as proverb also contains grammar rules and tones of vocabulary that is why I would claim that proverbs could help a great deal to learn a foreign language like English and make the process of learning more interesting. Proverbs contain such grammar rules as: degrees of comparison of adjectives, gerund construction, construction “there is”, “there are”, formation of noun plurals, formation of present, past and future tenses, antonyms and synonyms, and most of irregular verbs.

Proverbs help to remember gerund construction, which does not occur in any other language but English.

• Saying without thinking is shooting without aiming.

• Seeing is believing.

Constructions “there is”, “there are” are also do not exist in most of the languages they are not very hard to remember but it is more interesting to learn it with the help of the proverbs. For example:

• There is no place like home.

• There are more ways to the woods then one.

• There is no rose without a thorn.

• There is no fool like an old fool.

Although many proverbs have been forgotten there still some that will forever be used. With a new generation, new technology and new lingo there will be more proverbs to come and more to be forgotten. People will continue to use old and new proverbs, therefore they will never die. They are an important part of learning and life in general.

Tanya Yevich

Professor Peterson

English I

17 April 2001

Research Paper

The Proverbs Are Children of Experience

Some scholars and popular writers have claimed repeatedly that proverbial language has passed from usage; however, it remains an easily proven fact that proverbs are not passeґ and definitely not dead.

1. Introduction

1. Definition of a proverb

2. History

3. Who uses proverbs