PARTLY FACETIOUS: ‘If I re-sit an examination it means what?’
“When you use the prefix re what does that mean?”
“The Interior Minister and Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board explained it for those with little knowledge of the English language — it means not to bring the edifice down but to build on something, so a good thing.”
“OK so if I re-sit an examination it means what? Or do you need a clarification as to whether I am re-sitting to increase my marks so I can qualify for the next level up academically or qualify for a job that requires a minimum mark …”
“Couldn’t be the latter – we do not have any minimum mark requirement for jobs or at least none that I have heard.”
“OK so re-sit would mean build up one’s marks so I can qualify for the next rung of the academic ladder?”
“Yeah I guess.”
“But what if I failed and then had to re-sit….”
“You are building on your failure and the reason that you may decide to re-sit an exam would be to qualify for the next class.”
“Right so revisit means building on the….”
“Failure and I would shut up if I were you. As Naqvi sahib explained clearly he used the word re-set for all that ails the system for 79 years of this country’s history.”
“Re-set or re-sit?”
“Don’t be facetious.”
“Don’t know but do you reckon this transfer is because some line of communication has opened with the party leadership headed de facto not de jure by the Man Who Must Remain Nameless, Faceless and Voiceless?”
“Hamm maybe but Hammad Azhar was arrested.”
“See that’s what the prefix re means – you give with one hand and re-take with another.”
“Gotcha.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026