ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

(Department of English Language & Applied Linguistics)

WARNING
1. PLAGIARISM OR HIRING OF GHOST WRITER(S) FOR SOLVING
THE ASSIGNMENT(S) WILL DEBAR THE STUDENT FROM AWARD
OF DEGREE/CERTIFICATE, IF FOUND AT ANY STAGE.
2. SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS BORROWED OR STOLEN FROM
OTHER(S) AS ONE’S OWN WILL BE PENALIZED AS DEFINED IN
“AIOU PLAGIARISM POLICY”.

Course: Compulsory English–I (386) Semester: Autumn, 2010

Level: Intermediate Total Marks: 100
Pass Marks: 40
ASSIGNMENT No. 1
(Units 1–5)

Q.1 Suppose you are travelling in a bus. It is a long journey and you need to talk to
someone. You start a conversation with the person sitting beside you. How would
you begin the conversation? Write a dialogue between yourself and the person
starting with greetings, introductions, and sharing some information about
each other. (10)

Q.2 You have read expressions of granting/refusing permission in unit 3. How would
you grant and refuse permission in the following situations. (10)
Example: May I borrow your mobile phone for a minute?

Grant permission: Yes, of course, you may use it.

Refuse permission: Sorry no. I’m expecting a call.

i. Can I go to the college party?

ii. It is too dark outside. May I take your emergency lamp?
iii. I’m really tired. Can I leave now?
iv. Excuse me sir, can I please issue a book from the library?
v. May I use your towel?

Q.3 Write a brief paragraph about your daily routine. Describe what you do during
the day. Use appropriate sequence markers or transition words such as: first,
secondly, then, next, after that, finally, etc to show the sequence. (10)

• Example: I wake up at 5 O’ clock in the morning and offer Fajar

prayers……..

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Q.4 Punctuate and capitalize the following statements wherever necessary. (10)

i. how old are you

ii. well done you did a wonderful job
iii. he will go to karachi next week
iv. pakistan has four provinces punjab pakhtunkhwa sindh and balachistan
v. he always gets up at 7 30 a.m
Q.5 In unit 3 you have learnt to make polite requests. Read the unit carefully and use
suitable expressions to change the following commands into polite expressions. (10)
• Example: Give me your address
Would you mind giving me your address, please?
i. Stay away from the bridge.
ii. Turn off the radio.
iii. Take me with you to the college.
iv. Speak loudly.
v. Cook something for me now.
Q.6 Complete the following sentences with appropriate tag questions. (10)
• Example: He will come to see me tomorrow, won’t he?
i. You live in Lahore, ____________________?
ii. I look busy, _______________________?
iii. He is wearing a nice shirt, ________________?
iv. I will be with you, _____________?
vi. Our classmates are going to Karachi, _____________?

Q.7 Your friend has some problems and he/ she needs your advice. What advice
would you like to give him/her? (10)

Example: Friend: I am not feeling well. You: You should see a doctor.
i. I have lost my wallet so I am very upset.
ii. I forgot to submit my admission form in time.
iii. I am away from my family and I am missing my family members.
iv. I want to speak English fluently.
v. I cannot sleep well at night if I am very tired.
Q.8 Write a letter to your friend congratulating him/her on his/her success in exams. (10)
Q.9 A. Read the following statements and guess the meaning of the underlined
words/phrases from the context. (05)
i. Amina was annoyed with her brother. She felt very bad.
• Sad
• Sick
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 • Angry
ii. Mother and father started to have an argument on some domestic problem.
• Eat
• Clean
• Fight
iii. She yelled at her servant for not doing his job properly.
• Spoke in a quiet voice.
• Spoke in a loud voice.
• She did not speak at all.
iv. Adil lost his temper and later regretted it.
• He got furious.
• He got happy.
• He got confused.
v. Ahmed slammed the door.
• He closed the door very quietly.
• He damaged the door.
• He made a loud noise when he closed the door.

B. In unit 5 you have read expressions of expressing pleasure. How would

you express pleasure in the following situations? Write appropriate
expression. (05)
• Example: You have scored highest marks in English test.
Expressing pleasure: Hurrah! I have scored highest marks in the test.
i. Your mother has bought you a new dress.
ii. You have found your lost keys.
iii. Your father has allowed you to go on a trip with your classmates.
iv. You met an old friend on the way.
v. Your cousins are coming to stay with you in summer vacation.
Q.10 Read the following paragraph and answer the questions given below. (10)

A farmer had a cluster of beautiful bamboo trees. One day he stood before the
tallest one and said, "My friend, I need you." "Sir," said the bamboo, "Use me in
any way you wish, I am ready." Then the farmer's voice became serious and he
said, "In order to use you, I've got to split you in half." Then the bamboo reacted,
"Split me" Oh, no... I'm the nicest bamboo in this garden. Use me in any way you
wish, but please don't split me in half." "Well," said the farmer, "if I can't split
you, I can't use you." The bamboo went silent. Then it bowed its head and said,
"Okay. If the only way you can use me, is by splitting me, go ahead." "But that's
not all," said the farmer. "I am going to have to cut off all your branches." "That
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 will be the end of my beauty," the bamboo said. "But - if that's the only way I can
be of use - cut me down altogether." So the farmer cut down the bamboo,
removed its branches and split it down the middle. After making it hollow from
inside, he brought it to a spring of water. It became a pipe to bring water to the
gardens and make them fertile and fruitful.

i. Why did the farmer want to split the bamboo tree?

ii. Why the bamboo tree did not want to be cut into two by the farmer?
iii. What did the farmer do after splitting the bamboo tree?
iv. What is the moral of the story?
v. What title would you like to suggest for the story?

ASSIGNMENT No. 2
(Units 6–9)
Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 40
Q.1 Read the situations given below. Express your apology by using appropriate
expressions and also give a reason. (10)

• Example: You were unable to attend a meeting where you were invited.
Apology: I am really sorry I could not attend the meeting.
i. You were supposed to meet the Principal but you forgot.
ii. You did not make a phone call to a friend who was waiting for it.
iii. You have hit some body’s car while parking.
iv. You have reached late in the class.
v. You did not invite your friend on your birthday.
Q.2 A. Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow. (10)

There has been a lot of fear and misunderstanding about the disease called
“Leprosy” because it is considered as a deadly disease. In the past, people
suffering from leprosy have often been thrown out of towns or put into jail
like institutions and treated with cruelty. Lepers or people with leprosy were
treated brutally and considered ugly. But now this misconception is
changed because scientists and doctors have found cure for this disease and
now such persons can be saved from deformities if the treatment begins
early. A person with leprosy can continue to live a normal life, can study
and go to work. They should not be shunned and considered outcasts.
i. Why are people afraid of leprosy?
ii. How were people with leprosy treated in the past?
iii. Is there a cure for leprosy?
iv. How can the leprosy patients be saved from deformities?
v. What should one do to help people suffering from this disease?

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 B. You must have noticed that there are 5 words given in bold in the above
paragraph. Consult a good dictionary and find out the meanings of these
words. (05)

Q.3 Read the following short paragraphs and write down suitable topics for each. You
may take help from unit 6. (10)

i. Good students should never accept anything in class that they do not
understand. They must not be afraid to ask questions. They should also
know how to take notes. Their notes should be brief and to the point. They
need to work gradually throughout the year.
ii. Our normal television programmes are received via satellite. And where
are these satellites? In space! Inevitably, man’s conquest of space is linked
to minute details of our daily life.
iii. Winter is coming. It’s time again for coughing and sneezing. You can’t
avoid colds completely but by knowing more about how they are caught
and spread, you can make your winter healthier.
iv. People are turning to pets more often these days for several reasons. Big-
city life leads to a loneliness that animals often fulfill. According to one
survey, 99 percent of dog and cat owners say that they talk to their pets.
Forty percent of the people say that they keep the pictures of their pets in
their wallets and celebrate their pets’ birthdays.
v. Money isn’t good or bad. It has no value in itself. What matters is what
you do with it. There is more potential good than bad in money. But if
people are going to spend their whole life chasing money, then it’s bad.

Q.4 You have read in unit 7 about how to use cohesive linkers. Choose the appropriate
linkers from the list to complete the paragraph given below. (10)

and, therefore, even, so, how, because, in fact, though, however, yet

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 It was dark __________the cool breeze was blowing. _________ I was told of
the expected dangers____________, did not hesitate, _________after hearing
about the murder. I did not stay there ______________I had to reach home
anyway .__________I kept on moving forward. ____________it was very thick
forest. I can’t explain ___________I was able to come over my fear. After
walking some miles in the dark, I was tired. _________ I thought of having rest
for a while, __________I also wanted to reach before dawn.

Q.5 In unit 8, you have learnt about describing a person. Write a short descriptive
paragraph of 50/60 words describing your friend or colleague. (10)
Q.6 You could not attend the marriage ceremony of your friend’s brother. Write a letter
to your friend giving reasons for not attending the marriage ceremony. (10)

Q.7 Read the list of topics given in column A. Match these topics with the titles of the
books given in column B. (05)

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A B
Topics Titles of the Books
i. Sentence formation Kitchen Queen
ii. Battle of Badar The Jungle Book
iii. Climbing K-2 Mountaineering
iv. Toomai the Elephant Learn Grammar
v. Chicken Cutlets Islamic History

Q.8 How would you agree and disagree in the following situations. Write appropriate
expressions following the cue given in the bracket. (10)
i. It’s really hot today. (Agree)

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 ii. Atta prices will come down this year. (Disagree)
iii. He is an absolute fool. (Disagree)
iv. There is a lot of politics in the Pakistan Cricket Board. (Agree)
v. Population of Pakistan is increasing rapidly. (Agree)

Q.10 Complete the sentences by using correct form of past tense verb given in the
brackets. (10)
i. She ______ a plan to visit her friend last week. (make)
ii. They ______very well in the final match. (play)
iii. He _________ a beautiful painting in the shop. (see)
iv. Alia _________a newspaper when I went to her home. (read)
v. Did you_________ your clothes yesterday? (wash)
vi. She _________ a letter to her mother.(write)
vii. Pakistani cricket team________ the final match. (win)
viii. He ____________ a new car yesterday. (buy)
ix. Mother __________ an interesting story to the kids (tell)
x. Teacher ___________the whole class for making noise.(punish)
Q11. In unit 9 you have read about prediction. Here is the
front cover of a book. Look closely at it and predict
what will be the contents of the book? (10)