Course: Compulsory English-II (1424)

Level: BA Semester: Spring, 2019

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 40
ASSIGNMENT No. 1
(Units 1–4)

Q.1 Read pages 1-14 carefully (the content is related to ‘academic writing’ and
various types of ‘essays’) and briefly answer the following questions (in your
own words). (15)

a. What is academic writing? How it is different than other types of writing?

What is academic writing?
Just like other specialized types of writing, academic writing has its own rules,
guidelines, and practices. Academic writers have to abide by these rules.
Some general academic writing rules include:
1. presenting ideas following a formal structure or order to follow;
2. citing sources (authors/literature) following established styles;
3. using a more formal tone;
4. and the use of conventional grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Academic writing is taught in schools. As early as middle school, students are
taught how to write essays, which is a form of academic writing. High school
students and college students need to learn a higher level of academic writing,
while graduate and post-graduate students have even more structures to follow.
The difference between academic writing and other kinds of
writing
Looking more closely at academic writing, we will see that there are similarities
to other types of writing such as business writing, especially when it comes to the
formal tone and avoiding the casual – or conversational – language. Here are
some specific examples.
• Avoid using contractions. Use “do not” instead of “don’t”.
• Avoid casual word usage. “Meager” is better than “scanty”.

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 • Avoid using the first person. Instead of “I will share with you the
results…“, write “The results of the study…”.
On the other hand, there are significant differences.

Vocabulary
Depending on the discipline of study you are writing for, you will need to learn
specific jargon. If you specialize in just one discipline, then you can focus on
mastering the vocabulary for that niche. If you want to expand to other
disciplines, then you will have to expand your vocabulary even more.

Structure and Style

Referring to style, using the first person is not acceptable in some disciplines,
while it is allowed in other disciplines. When it comes to structure, different
disciplines also have varying requirements.
For example, in the area of Arts and Humanities, longer explanatory paragraphs
are encouraged. These paragraphs require topic sentences, with the idea expanded
within. On the other hand, the sciences required shorter paragraphs which are
direct to the point, using more concrete data.

Other kinds of writing

To reiterate, other kinds of writing, while also requiring some structure, may not
have such stringent rules as compared to academic writing.
Another difference is that with general writing – content, for example – the topics
tackled may deal more with actionable and concrete concepts, while academic
writing deals more with abstract ideas.
b. How would you define an ‘essay’? Provide various types of essays you
studied with their particular characteristics.
c. Define ‘descriptive essay’. How it is different than other types of essays?
Provide brief examples.

Q.2 Read pages 24-30 carefully (the content is about various parts of an
academic essay) and write an academic essay (of about 100 words) on ‘My
Favorite Sport’. (5)
Everyone has a favorite sport; my favorite sport is football. I love the

game of football, it is a fun game to watch and play. The game is also a physical

game to play; I love to be physical. That’s probably why I like it; also, football
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brings people together. There’s nothing better than getting together on

thanksgiving to watch football. I like every sport, but football is my favorite

because of the love I have for the game, the physicality of the game, and the way

the game brings people together.

My love for the game is one of the biggest reasons I love football. All my

life I’ve been playing football, from the backyard to high school. Football was the

first sport I ever played. There would be days when there was nothing to do, so

my friends and I would just go to the field and play football all day long; in some

instances we would stay out there all night too. Football has also provided me

with a lot of memories that I will never forget; one memory is winning our

conference my junior year in high school. That is something I will never forget.

Also, my family is a football family; my dad played football for Henderson St,

and my brother played for the Arkansas Razorbacks, so I really don’t have a

choice but to love football. One can say I was bred to play football. In my house,

all one will see are trophies and plaques of my family’s accomplishments in

football. In my house, football is everything.

My love for the game brings me closer to the game however; they

physicality of football also makes it one of my favorite sports. In every other

sport, contact is against the rules; being involved in contact will get one a foul or

depending on the sport maybe even thrown out of the game.

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Q.3 Read pages 31-34 carefully (the content is about formal and informal styles of
writing) and decide what type of writing style (formal/informal) is used in the
following text and how? (5)

Informal Writing Style

• Colloquial – Informal writing is similar to a spoken conversation.
Informal writing may include slang, figures of speech, broken syntax,
asides and so on. Informal writing takes a personal tone as if you were
speaking directly to your audience (the reader). You can use the first or
third person point of view (I and we), and you are likely to address the
reader using second person (you and your).

• Simple – Short sentences are acceptable and sometimes essential to

making a point in informal writing. There may be incomplete sentences or
ellipsis(…) to make points.

• Contractions and Abbreviations – Words are likely to be simplified

using contractions (for example, I’m, doesn’t, couldn’t, it’s) and
abbreviations (e.g. TV, photos) whenever possible.

• Empathy and Emotion – The author can show empathy towards the
reader regarding the complexity of a thought and help them through that
complexity.

Q.4 Read the text titled as ‘Chronology of the Mughal Kings’ on pages 51-52
carefully.

Now LINK (connect) the sentences (given in the text) by using appropriate
SEQUENCE MARKERS. You are required to use at least TEN sequence markers
in your answer. (10)

1483 Babur is born in Farghana. First he in 1526 defeats Ibrahim Lodhi, the sultan of
Delhi at Panipat. 1530 Death of Babur and Humayoun assumes power. Next 1540
Afghan leader Sher shah Suri defeats Humayoun and seizes the empire. 1555
Humayoun re-conquers Delhi. Then 1556 Humayoun dies, young Akbar is
enthroned. 1605 Death of Akbar and After succession of son Jahangir. 1617 Revolt
in the southern states of the empire breaks out and Jahangir sends son Khurram to
pacify them. Khurram received the title of “Shah Jahan”. 1627 Jahangir dies and
Shah Jahan assumes the throne. 1631 Shah Jahan’s queen Mamtaz Mahal dies
during childbirth.Shah Jahan commissions the building of her tomb, the Taj
Mahal’. 1658 Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb executes his brothers. Impressions his
father and ascends to the throne of Delhi.1857 The mutiny results in the massacre
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 of people of Delhi. Week Mughal Empire collapses and India becomes a British
Colony. Finally 1862 Bahadur Shah (Zafar) II the last of the Mughal rulers dies.

Q.5 Read the text titled as ‘A Day in the Life of a Nurse’ on pages 56-57 carefully.
Also read Exercise-9 given on page 58. (10)

Now write down a PARAGRAPH of about 150 words on ‘A Day in the Life of
a College Student’. Follow the use of SEQUENCE MARKERS in your answer.

College Student life is a very important phase in the life and that can be the
determining factor which can either lead to a very successful life or at the same
time it can be the most contributing factor in the ruining of lives of the respective
students. College life is one of the most entertaining and unforgettable moments
in the life of the students and is remembered all the life. This is because the
students just got exposed to the outer world because the college life is just after
the schooling and at schooling the students do have various restrictions but at the
life of college the students don’t have to follow various rules and regulations and
in the majority of the colleges there are no such rules of timings and attendance
which is another leverage due to which the students don’t get stressed of the
schedule and do enjoy being at colleges.
This stage of life is a very crucial in the life of College student which can either
bring up a very productive life or can be equally dangerous because in the college
life there is a high percentage of students which get distorted from the right path
and forgets their real liability and get involve and indulge in such activities which
can be very dangerous for their lives. This is just because of the community and
gatherings which the students join in their college life. Students should be well
aware of the fact that during their college life they should be very much careful
while opting for any approaches; this is because at the college life the students are
not mature enough and are not wise enough to differ between the good and bad
and that is where the commit the wrong decision for which they destroy their
future.
The uplifting of restrictions is the most common reason for which the students opt
the path which generally leads to the failures because all the schooling life the
students have to follow the rules and regulations and once these restrictions are
being relaxed or are being uplifted in such scenarios the students to get the most
of this opportunity gets associated with such communities and gatherings which
are involved in unethical and illegal activities, and later becomes a massive threat
to the law and order of the state and nation.

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In the College student life the students do tend to give the preference to the
entertainment rather than education and that is because of so much such events
and opportunities which are being given to the students of college. And the one
which stays connected with the prime objective in college life which is acquiring
of education becomes the shining star and the asset of the nation in future and the
one which gives preference to co-curricular activities and other wastage of time
generally destroys their future and results in the college Student life.

Q.6 Read the text titled as ‘Planting a Tree: A Step by Step Guide’ on
pages 60-61 carefully. Now go to Page 62 and complete EXERCISE 10 as per
directions given.
(10)
Step 1: Dig the planting hole.
First, remove the tree container from the container and measure the root ball (the
mass of soil and roots that comes out of the container) with the handle of your
shovel to estimate the depth to dig. Dig the hole as deep as, and 2-3 times as wide
as the root ball. It is very important that the root flare (the point where trunk
widens and becomes roots) remains above the surface of the soil. To prevent air
pockets below the tree, create a small mound of soil in the base of the hole and
tamp down (press firmly but do not over-compact the soil) to prevent the tree
from settling.

Step 2: Massage/loosen/trim the roots and

remove the nursery stake.
We have found that this step is key to robust tree performance. Roots should
ideally radiate out straight from the center of the root ball. Lay the tree on its side
with the root ball on a tarp and work gloved fingers in deeply to loosen and free
the roots. Cut off any circling roots to prevent girdling (when circling roots get
bigger, grow around the base of the tree and cut-off the flow of water and
nutrients to other parts of the tree). This is a good time to cut the green ties and
remove the nursery stake.

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 Step 3: Place the tree in the center of the
hole.
The tree has only one chance to be planted properly so make sure the depth and
position is correct before filling in the soil. The root flare should lie above the
surface. If it is too low or too high, lift the tree out and add or remove soil as
needed. Rotate the tree until you find the best placement to keep major branches
away from walkways or buildings. Hold the tree upright and fill in with soil
around the root ball. Gently tamp down soil around the root ball with a shovel or
the toe of your shoe to eliminate large air pockets. Do not step directly on the root
ball, as this will damage and compact the roots.

Step 4: Build a soil berm.

A soil berm is a mound encircling the tree, 10-12 inches from the trunk, which
creates a basin or bowl that will hold approximately 10 gallons of water. The
inside of the berm should be at the outer edge of the root ball. Keeping the root
ball moist is essential until the tree is established.

Step 5: Stake the tree.

Two ‘lodge pole’ stakes are used to help the young tree grow up straight until the
roots are established. In parks and yards three stakes may be used to protect the
tree from lawn mowers. Place the point of the stake firmly on the ground, 8 inches
away from the trunk and hold straight. Lean the top of the stake over to easily
slide the stake pounder onto the stake. Always wear a hard hat while using the
stake pounder (a very heavy tool with two handles which fits over the end of the
stake). Pound until the stake is firmly set and the pounder can easily be removed.
Use extreme caution when removing the pounder from the stake. Repeat with the
second or third stake spaced equally around the tree.

Step 6: Tie the tree.

Ties should be placed at the lowest point on the trunk where the tree can be held
straight, generally about 4 feet from the ground. Hold the trunk at the level you
plan to tie it; the tree should stand straight without leaning. Create a figure 8
pattern with the tie, one loop around the trunk and the other around the tree. Nail
the ends of the tie together into the stake.

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 Step 7: Water the tree thoroughly!
Fill the basin with water and reinforce the berm if needed. Continue watering
(once a week when there has not been a soaking rain) until established.

Step 8: Add Mulch.

Cover the soil 2-3 feet around the tree base with 3-5 inches of mulch (composed
of wood chips, shredded bark or leaves) to retain moisture, suppress weeds and
improve soil composition. Keep mulch 2-3 inches from the trunk and root flare of
the tree to prevent insects and rodents from burrowing in the mulch and chewing
on the bark.

Q.7 Read the text titled as ‘Pollution’ on pages 89-91 carefully and complete the
following tasks briefly: (10)

a. Define noise pollution.

Noise pollution includes roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as
high-intensity sonar, Sonorous pollution is the production of sounds noises or
vibraions, Noise pollution can cause loss of physical and mental ailments such as
irritability, depression , heart problems,etc
b. Create a diagram illustrating all six types of pollution.

Air
Pollution
Radioactive Water
pollution pollution

Visual Noise
c. Explainpollution
what causes soil pollution?
pollution
Industrial wastes such as harmful gases and chemicals, agricultural pesticides,
Soilare the most common causes of soil pollution.
fertilizers and insecticides
pollution

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 Q.8 Read the text titled as ‘Types of Teachers’ on pages 96-98 carefully and
answer the following questions briefly: (10)

a. What are the characteristics of a funny teacher?

A funny teacher is like a God send to the students, such as teachers always to see
students smile.

b. How would you define a strict teacher?

Q.9 Read about ‘Cause and Effect’ (as given on pages 107-112) carefully and do
complete Exercise 4 (given on Page 114).
(10)
Sr.No Cause Effect
1 Drama ‘Atiqa o’ was not successful Producer decided not to make a sequel.
2 Low enrollment Course offered only once a year
3 Recipes Glowing reviews
4 Missplaced passports Cancel trip to Hunza and Skardu
5 Delayed Wait
6 Soup very hot Burned tongue
7 Misunderstanding Job application turned down
8 Singing Popular in city
9 Heavy traffic Late for work
10 Shortage of water Water sparingly
Q.10 Read about ‘Cause and Effect’ (as given on pages 107-112) carefully and
complete Exercise 6 (given on Pages 120-121) by WRITING down two possible
causes for the given effects. (10)

1 Effect He feels tired today.Why?(reason)

Cause He has worked too hard.
2 Effect My car will not start. Why?
Cause My car engine not working.
3 Effect The lawyers are on strike. Why?
Cause The demans of lawyers are completing that’s why they are on strike.
4 Effect The children did not go to school.Why?
Cause Because they are sick.
5 Effect My mother is angry at me. Why?
Cause I do not respect of her.
6 Effect The “D Watson Pharmacy” is a very successful business operation.
Cause Beacause they have qualified staff.
7 Effect The majority of students failed the history test which professor Siraj gave yesterday.

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 Cause Because they were attempting wrongly to test.
8 Effect Flight PK 306 was postponed for six hours.Why
Cause There was a techinically issue in airoplance.
9 Effect My best grades are in science courses.
Cause I prepared my science course very well.
10 Effect More and more forest plant life is being destroyed.
Cause These same forests are vanishing day by day just for our selfish needs resulting in
deforestation

Q.11 Read Pages 123-124 carefully and REWRITE the following sentences by
connecting them with appropriate connecting words (because, so, therefore)
using the principles of ‘Cause and Effect’. (5)

a. Shakil works hard, therefore He will succeed.

b. It was raining So He stayed home.
c. Amir wants to be a good cricketer. Because He practices five hours a day.
d. Metro bus fare is increased.Therefore People prefer to use taxis.
e. The boss was not coming .So The meeting got cancelled.

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