Mr. Jacobs, our English Language teacher, always looked forward to the first day at school. We did, too for so many reasons. He was always right on time to welcome everyone back to school. It was the beginning of a new term, so everybody appeared neat and tidy.

The day however turned out to be educative and memorable when Mr. Jacobs asked the entire class the meaning of the word 'teller'. We all knew the answer, particularly so because it was always a requirement to be admitted into school on the first day. So more than half of the class raised their hands. It was however Musa that Mr. Jacobs acknowledged to talk. Musa explained that it is an evidence of payment issued at the bank after a transaction. We were shocked when he said Musa wasn't correct and asked if anyone else would try. It was the class captain, Femi, that took a second attempt at the teaser. He said it is a form that is used for payment in the bank. When Mr. Jacobs said this answer was also wrong, the class was as silent as graveyard.

When nobody else would make an effort, Mr. Jacobs answered his teaser himself. According to him, a teller is a person whose job is to receive and pay out money in a bank. "A teller is somebody, not something!" he stated. Sensing our disbelief, he challenged us to check up the meaning of the word in the English dictionary. We did and we were dumbfounded and elated. We were dumbfounded because we and many others had always been wrong, but elated because we had learnt something new. The entire class clapped Mr. Jacobs, and thanked him for being a wonderful English Language teacher.


DISCUSSIONS

If you had been in Mr. Jacobs' class that first day in a new term and the question was thrown at you, what would have been your response? Perhaps the same as Musa's and Femi's.

Perhaps you want to check up the meaning of the word 'teller' in your dictionary, like Mr. Jacobs' students did. Why not!

You will also notice that in the last paragraph, there is an expression in red type boldface. It is to draw your attention to how the verb 'clap' (the past tense in this case) is to be used in a sentence.
Note carefully that the sentence did not read:

The entire class clapped for Mr. Jacobs.
(The reason is because the preposition 'for' is not be used after clap.)

You've got a doubt like Mr. Jacobs' students, why not get your dictionary and check up the verb 'clap'. I recommend Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, preferably 9th Edition.

Thank you for reading. This feature continues next week Monday. You will have a wonderful week ahead.

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