KOFORIDUA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF LIBERAL STUDIES

PROGRAMME: ALL FIRST YEARS.

EXAMINATION: END OF FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION 2017/2018
ACADEMIC YEAR

COURSE: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

COURSE CODE: COS 101

SESSION: MORNING

COURSE OUTLINE

 Tense
 Subject verb agreement
 Punctuation marks
 Ambiguity
 Outline
 Essay writing and organization of paragraph
 Summary
 KOFORIDUA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF LIBERAL STUDIES

PROGRAMME: ALL FIRST YEARS

EXAMINATION: END OF FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION 2017/2018

ACADEMIC YEAR

COURSE: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

COURSE CODE: COS 101

SESSION: MORNING

INSTRUCTION
 Students are to answer question 1 and any other two (2).
QUESTION 1

Write a five paragraph essay on any one of the following:

a. The benefits students derive from the use of internet.

b. The effects of insanitary conditions in the country.

QUESTION TWO (2)

A. The sentences below are ambiguous. Rewrite them to remove the ambiguity in
them.

1. The dancer is selling a piano with a broken leg.

2. I saw monkey driving to Accra.

3. Flying planes can be dangerous.

4. I saw a man eating shark at the aquarium.

5. Kofi was warned not to drive tired.

B. Change the following sentences to the simple present tense.

 1. Mr. Duah has been teaching.

2. Kofi was here last weeks

3. Adwoa cried bitterly when she heard the news.

4. The butterflies flew in the sky.

5. The train left for Accra last night.

QUESTION THREE (3)

Identify the grammatical errors in the passage below and correct them with the
appropriate answers.

Well strikes, strikes in England. You always has one type of strike or another. In summer,

when london is full of tourist keen on moving from one part of the metropolis to the other,

the bus drivers or the conductors or even the bus cleaner decide to go on strike. In winter, it is

the Electricity Board the miners the Gas Board and much later in 1978 9 the rubbish mens

strike, and this makes London almost unbearable. Why, oh, why can’t we have a smooth sail

for a year So my interview that normally take me only about thirty minute is going to take me

an hour and a half. The world, the world and it’s people.

I notice the length of the queue at the bus stop and note also that we are waiting for a long

time. I am unused to that bus route, so I asked a harassed looking lady who seem to be

returning from work how long the Number 18 buses normally takes. 18
Too long she said

Yesterday I waited for fifty minutes. And this strike doesn’t help either.

I will consequently be late even though I has reserved an hour for the journey
QUESTION FOUR (4)

OUTLINE THE PASSAGE BELOW. SUGGEST TITLE FOR YOUR OUTLINES

Mass communication comprises the institutions and techniques by which specialized groups

employ technological devices to disseminate symbolic content to large heterogonous and

widely dispersed audience. The mass media like newspapers, radio and television play a very

important role in the dissemination of information. This essay looks at some of the functions

performed by the mass media in Ghana.

One of the functions of the mass media is that of the surveillance. Journalists gather for us

information is channelled through the mass media like television, radio and newspapers. For

instance, there is the instrumental surveillance function of the mass media, which has to do

with transmission of information that is useful and helpful in everyday life. This is made up

of information about what films are showing at what theatre, stock market prices, new

products, fashion ideas, etc. There is also the warning surveillance, which involves warning

of epidemics, rainfall patterns, outbreak of fire, etc.

Apart from the surveillance function, there is also the interpretation of the mass media. It is

an undeniable fact the mass media do not simply provide information, but also provide

information on the ultimate meaning and significance of the events they broadcast to us. For

example, in editorial pages of newspapers, interpretation, comment and expert opinions are

provided so that readers will have an added perspective to a news story. Also, there are

special radio and television programmes devoted to the analysis of the implication of the

government policies on the economy and the citizenry. Such analyses include discussions and

debates on petrol prices, good governance, etc.

There is also the linkage function of the mass media which has to do with the capacity of the

media to join, by interpersonal channels, different elements of society that are not directly

linked. This function is performed when advertisement in the mass media joins the needs of

consumers to the products of the sellers. Also, the needs of the sick, who cannot pay for
medication, are matched with the desires by others to help in the case of money raised

through the media for the heart foundation. Furthermore, through television, radio, and

newspapers, people get to know how their parliamentarians are performing. Again, those in

need of life partners are linked through the mass media.

Socialization or transmission of values is another function of the mass media. Socialization

refers to the process by which an individual comes to adopt the behaviours and values of a

group. The mass media, in this respect, present us with role models so that by watching,

listening and reading, we may observe and perhaps imitate them. Mothers, for instance, are

portrayed on television usually as very clean, loving and hardworking. Also, in Ghana, many

teenagers learn about dating behaviours by watching films and television programmes that

feature this activity. This makes television the medium with the greatest potential for

socialization of the youth.

Last but not least, the mass media performs an entertainment function. Through the broadcast

of motion pictures, sound recordings and sporting events, the mass media make entertainment

available to a large number of Ghanaians at a relatively little cost. Such entertainment

includes the broadcast of Nigeria films, recorded music on frequency modulation (FM

stations), and local and international matches, respectively.

From the above discussion, there can be no denial of the fact that the mass media of

communication in Ghana play a very vital role. The public has a right to information and it is

only the mass media that has the capacity to provide this information.
 KOFORIDUA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF LIBERAL STUDIES

PROGRAMME: ALL FIRST YEARS

EXAMINATION: END OF FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION 2017/2018
ACADEMIC YEAR

COURSE: COMMUNICATION SKILLS

COURSE CODE: COS101

SESSION: MORNING

MARKING SCHEME

QUESTION 1

The question is on essay writing and the student should be able to identify the following:

 Introduction (2 Marks)
 Body (10 Marks)
 Conclusion (2 Marks)
 Good expression and clarity of information (6 Marks)
TOTAL (20 Marks)
QUESTION TWO (2)

A. The question is on ambiguities. The student should be able to write the following
sentences for two marks each.
1. The dancer is selling a piano which has with a broken leg.
2. I saw a monkey when I was driving to Accra.
Or. When I was driving to Accra, I saw a monkey.

3. The act flying planes can be dangerous.

4. I saw a man-eating shark at the aquarium.

5. Kofi was warned not to drive when he is tired.

 B. The question is on tenses and the student must be able to write the following for two
marks each.

6. Mr. Duah teaches.

7. Kofi is here.

8. Adwoa cries bitterly when she hears the news.

9. The butterflies fly in the sky.

10. The train leaves for Accra.

TOTAL (20 Marks)

QUESTION THREE (3)

Well strikes, strikes in England. You always have1 one type of strike or another. In summer,

when London2 is full of tourist keen on moving from one part of the metropolis to the other,

the bus drivers or the conductors or even the bus cleaners3 decide go on strike. In winter, it is

the Electricity Board,4 the miners,5 the Gas Board,6 and much later in 1978/79 the rubbish

men’s8 strike, which make London almost unbearable. Why, oh why can’t we have a smooth

sail for a year?9 So,10 my interview that normally takes11 me only minutes12 is going to take

me an hour and a half. The world, the world and its13 people.

I notice the length of the queue at the bus stop and note also that we are waiting for a long

time. I am unused to that bus route, so I asked a harassed-14looking lady who seems15 to be

returning from work;16 how long the Number 18 bus17 normally takes. 18“Too long”, she said,

“Yesterday I waited for fifty minutes, and this strike doesn’t help either.” I will consequently

be late even though I have19 reserved an hour for the journey.20

1mark for each error – (20 marks)

QUESTION FOUR (4)

Title — Functions of Mass Media

1. Surveillance function

a. instrumental surveillance

i. information about what films are showing

ii. information about stock market prices

iii. information about new products

iv. information about fashion ideas

b. warning surveillance

i. warning of epidemics

ii. warning of rainfall patterns

iii. warning of fire outbreak

2. Interpretation function

a. interpretation

b. special radio and television on analysis of major issues

3. Linkage function

a. provides link between needs of consumers and products of sellers

b. provides link between needs of the sick and desire of others to help

c. provides opportunity for people to know the performance of their MPs

d. provides a point of contact for those in need of life partners

4. Socialization function

a. mothers are portrayed on TV as clean and hardworking

b. teenagers learn dating behaviours through films

5. Entertainment function
a. broadcast of films on TV

b. broadcast of music on FM stations

c. broadcast of local and international matches