Is ‘ground reality’ a standard English expression?
The term ‘ground reality’ is used neither in British English nor in American English. It is a typical Indian English expression. It is a frequently used term by the media. It refers to the ‘reality of the situation’. Here are authentic examples from the Indian media:
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday claimed that the Congress party president Rahul Gandhi had no idea of the ground reality.
This documentary highlights the ground reality of refugees like never before.
Wish Amartya Sen spent more time in India to see ground reality: NITI Aayog VC on the Nobel laureate’s remarks.
Since the term is widely used in India and the meaning of the expression can be easily guessed when it is used in any context, we can use it in different communication situations. The alternative term commonly used in BrE and AmE is ‘reality of the situation’ as in the
examples below:
Often, jealousy comes from making judgements based on assertions that we believe to be true, but belie the reality of the situation.
The law is, therefore, most unfair to victims of negligence; in limiting them in this way, it totally ignores the reality of the situation.
2. Is it correct to say, ‘I have a doubt’?
The expression ‘I have a doubt’ is not used in any dominant varieties of English, but it is a very common expression in India. Whenever someone wants to ask a question, the person says, “I have a doubt”. It is good to say, “I have a question.” But what is the meaning of the expression ‘to be in doubt’? When someone says they are in doubt, it implies that the person is not sure of the answer to something or is in the process of doubting something. When we are in doubt, we ask questions by saying ‘I have a question’.
3. I came across the sentence ‘This year I faced fewer problems’. Is the word ‘less’ correct in the sentence?
Many English learners use the words ‘less’ and ‘fewer’ interchangeably. ‘Less’ is the comparative form of ‘little’ and ‘fewer’ is the comparative form of ‘few’. ‘Fewer’ is used for countable things and ‘less’ is used for singular mass nouns. In other words, fewer = not as many, and less = not as much. Examples:
He is a man of few words. The participants will be happy if he delivers the keynote address.
Though she is the head of the section, she has little freedom.
He gave fewer anecdotes than others.
She has fewer qualifications than her brother.
There is less salt in your soup.
I have less money.
‘Less’ is also used with numbers when they are with expressions of measurement or time.
Examples:
The orientation programme lasted less than three hours. (not fewer than)
My house is less than a kilometre from the bus stop (not fewer than)
4. What is the difference between ‘assume’ and ‘presume’?
If we ‘assume’ that something is true, we imagine or believe that it is true. We do so without proof.
It is a misconception to assume that those who are from affluent family are decent people.
It was assumed that the chief guest would speak for an hour.
If we ‘presume’ that something is the case, we think that it is the case, although we are not certain.
I presumed that you attended the meeting.
‘Is your boss aware of it?’ ‘I presume so.’
The world, we are told, was made especially for man — a presumption not supported by all the facts
— John Muir
