Graduated: Pranesh-5 years- Kindergarten

Last week I received a call from my son-in-law

“Uncle, we are attending ‘Graduation day’ of Pranesh at Mother’s”.

Pranesh is my grand son. His school is called ‘Mother’s Pride’.

I was thoroughly confused! How could it be?

My grand son, Pranesh, is just 5 years old. He is a student of Kindergarten at Mother’s Pride. I could have easily asked somebody, a question, whether a Kindergarten student could receive a certificate of graduation.

We usually associate graduation with degree in university. I felt that I could have asked somebody who knows English better. But my ego did not allow me to ask anybody. I hope that you also would have felt like me.

Then,

What does graduation mean?

I quietly tried books and dictionaries. It is enlightening to have come across so many meanings and usages. Let me share with you some of them.

Graduation – The act or ceremony of getting a degree or certificate after completion of a course in a university, college.

It also includes completion of a course in a school.

GRADUATION MEANS STEP BY STEP.

Examples of usage:

Colleges and universities graduate students.

I graduated from St.Johns College.

Philips graduated in Physics from St.Xaviers College.

In the evening it was my wife’s turn to wonder “How could a school student get graduation?”

I explained to her, as naturally as I could, with a concealed pride. She does not know till this date that I had also been ignorant of this usage till that day.

If you come across any such ‘graduation days’ for children in yourhouse or in their preparatory schools, join the festivities and enjoy.

Had and Had better

Hi,

I’m ‘HAD’. Usually people try to go away from old persons like me. Some of you call me ‘granny’ because I am always associated with past.

Many of you use me in two ways: As single verb or as past perfect.

My position as single verb:

I know that you are very intelligent people. Examples are enough for you to know and understand this simple use.

I had a book on ‘Essentials of Balanced Food’ ( implying that i don't have it now).

In Past Perfect use:

I usually refer to past. A little confused? Let me explain.

Example:

I went to my college last month (a reference to past action) to receive my Diploma which I had completed three years ago (this was completed three years ago from last month)

Here there are two past actions.

One is ‘visit to college last month’. O k!

Then Second one is ‘Diploma course was completed still earlier’. Right!

I always get along with ‘chronologically earlier action’ or to put it in a more informal way ‘older or elder action’.

Nowadays people avoid me. I expect that ‘Past Perfect’ might become archaic and a part of unused grammar.

On the other hand ‘this granny with a better companion’ gets changed into a complete new person and gives a future meaning. I mean ‘had better’.

Examples:

You had better apply for passport on Monday. (You should apply for passport on Monday)

He had better get out of this place; otherwise he may invite anger from mother.

Here I mean ‘immediate future’ and serve as a better replacement for ‘should or ought to’.

I don’t want to bore you much. I had better say a bye to you all.

With regards,

Had

PS: As a granny with memory loss, I made a mistake in using the word ‘persons’. My teacher used to say that the plural for person is people. So remember to use person and people properly.