#19 (ENG) "Rough and Sharp"

CLAIRSTONE VOCABULARY PODCAST

Welcome to Clairstone! In this episode, you will learn how to use the English words "rough" and "sharp".
TRANSCRIPT:
Hello everyone, my name is Jasmine, and you are listening to the English ClAIRSTONE Podcast, where you can build the cornerstone of your English vocabulary! For all our new listeners, welcome to the community, and for our regulars, hello again! Before we start, I will remind you that we upload new episodes twice a week and there are transcripts for each podcast episode in English, Arabic, and Spanish at our website projectclair.org, so go check that out if you want to follow along!

Today we will look at the words “rough” and “sharp.”

The word “rough”, spelled R-O-U-G-H, can be a noun, adjective, verb, or even an adverb. Today we will be looking at the adjective definition of this word. “Rough” as an adjective has two general meanings.

First, the adjective “rough” can describe something that has an uneven, broken, or bumpy surface. In other words, the surface is not smooth. For example, “The rock’s surface was rough on my hand.” Likewise, it can also describe something turbulent, or violent. For example, a storm can be rough because the wind is harsh and wild.

Second, the adjective “rough” describes something that is unfinished or temporary. Many English schools call first drafts of papers “rough drafts” because they are unfinished and will be edited later. Such as in the sentence, “Students, I need you to turn in your rough drafts for editing by Thursday.”

The next word, “sharp,” spelled S-H-A-R-P, can also be a noun, adjective, verb, or even an adverb. But like before, we will be focusing on the adjective.

First, the adjective “sharp” may mean pointed so it can cut or pierce. For example, a rock may be sharp because it has a pointed edge. Another definition though is something that is severe or harsh such as a “rough temper,” meaning that when the person is angry, they are very very angry. Or it could be such as “sharp pain” which is extreme, or severe, pain.

A third definition is used to describe the intelligence, or knowledge/smartness of a person. If a person is “sharp,” or more often said “sharp-witted,” it means they are keen in intellect, perception, or attention. They are focused and quick to notice things. Such as in the sentence, “Janice was a sharp student, she always knew the answers.” A final definition of sharp is for music. If a note is sharp, it is higher in tone or pitch than the natural note.

Well, that is it for today’s episode! This was the Clairstone Podcast, and for the full transcript for all our episodes, you can click on the info icon on our platform or go to our website projectclair.org. I hope you will start to use the words “rough” and “sharp” in your English practice, and I will see you next time! Bye, everyone!