FAVOURITE, FAVOURABLE

INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL

Read the following sentences and translate them into Russian paying special attention to the words in bold type.

1. This was one of his favourite themes — the faults of the old house and the iniquities of the family who had lived in it lor hundreds of years. 2. They were constantly together and Magnus kept no secrets from his favourite son. 3. He called her offensive! His favourite word! 4. He looked round it. The old Chippendale bookcases full of her favourite books. 5. Is life worth living? It depends on the liver. Freud’s favourite joke. 6. Her hit number «Oh, You Beautiful Doll» was King Edward’s favourite song. 7.It (the face) belonged to Peanuts, one of my favourite gorillas. 8. He loved Valerie to read to him, and she felt that she had to do it as often and as long as she could stand the atmosphere and his favourite second-rate thrillers whose horrors made him exclaim and chuckle softly. 9. He bought a copy of the evening newspaper and examined the double columns devoted to the successful acquittal he had secured that afternoon and to the magistrate’s favourable comments on his address. 10. Efforts to promote proper training may to some extent have helped in the favourable trend of casualty figures. 11. He had made so favourable an impression in Swedish Haven that he was offered, and accepted, the post of roundsman.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Favourite adj. (a person or thing) Held in special regard, preferred above others, e.g. a ~ child, a ~ book.

Favourable adj. Helpful; advantageous; giving or showing approval, e.g. a ~ wind, a ~ moment, a ~ report.

Antonym: unfavourable adj.

Derivatives: favourably adv., unfavourably adv.

The adjectives favourite (любимый, излюбленный) and favourable (благоприятный, подходящий, благосклонный, положительный) are sometimes confused by Russian learners because of the identity of the root word. The use of different suffixes, however, shows very clearly that the meanings of the words in question are utterly different.