Contemporary Communicative English For Technical Communication For WBUT

Contemporary Communicative English
for
Technical Communication
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Contemporary Communicative English
for
Technical Communication
Board of Editors
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Acquisitions Editor: Prasun Chatterjee
Senior Production Editor: Gaurav Jain
Project Manager (Development): Preeta Priyamvada
Composition: Sangnee Media Solutions
Printer: India Binding House
Copyright © 2011, Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or
otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s
prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is
published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on
the subsequent purchaser and without limiting the rights under copyright reserved
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both
the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.
ISBN: 978-81-317-5590-7
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Published by Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd, licensees of Pearson Education in

South Asia.
Head Office: 7th Floor, Knowledge Boulevard, A-8 (A), Sector 62, Noida 201309,
UP, India
Registered Office: 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park New Delhi 110017, India
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West Bengal University of Technology
Paper Code: HU 101

English Language and Technical Communication
Objectives of the Course: This course has been designed to

(1) impart advanced skills of technical communication in English through language lab. practice
sessions to 1st semester UG students of engineering and technology,
(2) enable them to communicate confidently and competently in English in the social, academic
and professional spheres.
Expected Learning Outcomes: Having completed the syllabus, the students are expected to be
confident, competent and fluent in
1. reading and comprehending literary and non-literary (technical) texts.
2. writing technical reports, business letters and other organizational communications in
correct English.
3. displaying soft skills and communicative competence.
Syllabus, Lecture Plan and Marks Scheme

A. English Language Grammar: 5L
1. Correction of structural/syntactic/semantic Errors (correct use of determiners/
adjectival/adverbials/verbs/nouns etc.)
2. Building vocabulary (usage and application of words)
3. Word formation
4. Single word for a group of words
5. Fill in the blanks using the correct words (prepositions/determiners/adverbials/
verbs/adjectives etc.)
6. Sentence structures (simple/complex/compound) and transformation of sentences
7. Active and passive voice and transformation of sentences
8. Direct and indirect narration and transformation of sentences
(MCQ practice during classes)
B. Reading Comprehension: 5L
1. Strategies for reading comprehension 1L
2. Practicing literary, technical, and other texts for global/local/inferential/referential
comprehension 4L
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vi Syllabus
C. Technical Communication 5L
1. The theory of communication – definition and scope
2. Barriers of communication
3. Different communication models
4. Effective communication (verbal/non verbal)
5. Presentation/public speaking skills
(MCQ practice during classes)
D. Mastering Technical Communication 15L
1. Technical report (project doc./survey/business exe.) 3L
2. Business letter (sales promotion/development/relation) 3L
3. Job application (including biodata/resume) 3L
4. Organizational communication (memo/notice/minutes etc) 3L
5. Group discussion–principle & practice 3L
Total Lectures 30L
MARKS SCHEME (Written Examination) Total Marks 70

1. 10 Multiple Choice Questions out of 12 questions
on (Communication & English Grammar) Marks 10
2. 10 Lexico–grammatical objective/short type
Referential questions based on Seen/Unseen
Reading passage and précis writing (10 + 5) Marks 15
3. Three essay type questions on technical communication
(Technical report/business letter/job application/organizational
communication etc,) Marks 45
MARKS SCHEME (Internal Examination) Total Marks 30

1. Attendance, Theory & Practical class Marks 5
2. Testing Speaking Ability Marks 5
3. Testing Listening Ability Marks 5
4. Unit Test Performance Marks 15
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Contents
Preface xi
1. Introduction: Developing Language Skills 1
Introduction 1
Listening Skill 1
Speaking Skill 2
Reading Skill 2
Writing Skill 3
Communication Skill 3
SECTION A DEVELOPING LISTENING COMPREHENSION SKILLS

2. Everyday Communication 7
Introduction 7
Telephoning 7
Meeting 8
Information About a Job Interview 10
Presentations 12
Travelling 13
Socialising 15
3. Listening Skills 17
The Importance of Listening Skill 17
Barriers to Listening 18
Strategies to Develop Listening Skills 19
Good Listening Skills 21
S ECTION B D EVELOPING S PEAKING C OMPETENCE

4. Competence in Speaking 27
The Importance of Effective Speaking 27
Elements for Effective Speaking 28
Pronunciation 28
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viii Contents
Word Stress 29
Rhythm and Intonation 30
Strategies for Developing Speaking Skills 31
5. Building Vocabulary 33
Word Formation 33
Word Meanings and Vocabulary 44
S ECTION C R EADING AND W RITING S KILLS
6. Reading for Comprehension 49

Introduction 49
Barriers to Effective Reading 51
Strategies for Effective Reading 51
Comprehension Tools 52
Reading Comprehension 53
Comprehension Passages for Practice 54
7. Writing Correct English 59
Introduction 59
Syntax and Components of a Sentence 59
Kinds of Sentences 64
Types of Sentences 64
Active and Passive Voice 66
Direct and Indirect Speech 66
S ECTION D T ECHNICAL C OMMUNICATION
8. Integrating Communication Techniques and Soft Skills 71

Communication and Soft Skills 71
Group Discussions 72
Interview 75
Presentations 78
Common Presentation Tools 80
9. Organizational Communication 83
Forms of Written Communication 83
Résumé and Cover Letter 84
E-mails 88
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Contents ix
Business Letters 90
Reports 92
Memorandums and Notices 94
Agenda and Minutes 96
Letters to the Editor 98
University Question Papers 101
Solutions to University Questions 111
Model Question Papers 119
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Preface
Preface
In the globalized world of today, the advent of new communication technologies have linked
the youth of our country to the world beyond our borders. The younger generation has quickly
taken to technology and has become addicted to the internet. However, technology without a
good command over language cannot make communication effective. At the same time, people
with good language skills can reach out to more and more people and make their communi-
cation effective by using technology as an aid to communication. Revolution in communica-
tion technology has made technical communication the need of the hour. In keeping with
this trend, the scope of language learning has widened today to include lessons on skills for
technical communication which too is broadening day by day to cater to the needs of the fast-
changing business world.
Contemporary Communicative English for Technical Communication has been designed
for students of technology and management courses and tech-savvy professionals. The
book begins with strategies and activities for developing the basic language learning skills
and goes on to cover discussions, with examples, on technical and organizational com-
munication. The focus of this book is unconventional, as it has created a benchmark in
its attempt to span the gap between ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’ communication forms. The
former refers to ‘organizational’ communication which shows a vertical trajectory between
the higher echelons and the lower rungs of the corporate ladder, while the latter refers to
‘cross-border’ communication among Indian Diaspora and ‘cross-cultural’ communica-
tion in the multilingual setting of India. Modern researches in educational psychology and
psycholinguistics have established that the technical minds are ‘hyperactive’, though they
are less ‘cogitative’ in the classroom situation. The book has maintained an in-built device
to ignite the ‘affective’ as well as ‘cognitive’ domains of technical minds to make the best
use of their emotional and cognitive intelligence.
This book conforms to the norms of the Washington Accord 2008 which tries its best to
place all engineering degrees conferred in India on equal footing with international standards,
subject to their compliance with certain norms. No wonder then, that almost all engineering
universities of India are attempting to conform to its standards and recommend the book like-
wise for their respective UGC/AICTE approved courses.
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1
Introduction
Developing Language Skills
INTRODUCTION
In a multilingual set-up like India, we have a number of regional languages. For this reason,
we require a language that can serve the purpose of communication well in most situations,
and in that respect English has unanimous acceptability. The need to communicate in Eng-
lish comes up on several occasions everyday—in school/college, at work, when you go for
a job interview or a business meeting, or even when you need to interact with friends or
colleagues from other parts of India who speak a different regional language. At times, you
may also need to interact with fellow travellers or a stranger, and there are good chances that
English will serve as the common language on such occasions. The ability to understand and
speak English becomes important in dozens of other real-life situations, for instance, while
listening to, say, a radio broadcast in English, or announcements at the railway or bus stations,
or when you need to ask something at, say, a bank or a government office. It is, therefore,
important that we learn the language well enough to be able to communicate clearly and con-
fidently. Besides, good communication skills help immensely in academic and professional
success. To acquire proficiency in English language, or any language in fact, it is necessary to
improve the four skills of language learning—listening, speaking, reading and writing—and
with it have a large base of vocabulary and knowledge of grammar.
LISTENING SKILL
Listening involves much more than just hearing. It involves receiving the sound, processing
the sound or speech signals, comprehending the meaning, recognizing the stress and intona-
tion of the words spoken, interpreting associated meanings and responding appropriately.
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2 Contemporary Communicative English
It is popularly believed that listening is a passive skill while speaking is an active one. How-
ever, this is not entirely true, for listening is also an active skill, being mainly concerned with
decoding a message and understanding it. If the message is not understood clearly, it may lead
to improper response, misunderstandings and failure in achieving the desired results. Thus, in
many respects, your listening skill has a major role to play in your success or failure, especially
with regard to any kind of communication. Besides, good listening skill helps in the develop-
ment of the speaking skill. Listening to those who speak English well is a good way for learners
to improve their own ability in spoken English.
SPEAKING SKILL
Speaking is an interactive process. Listening, reading and writing are processes that do not
require the involvement of any other person, but when you speak, you share your thoughts
with others. Speaking requires the ability to communicate clearly, so that the listener receives
the message correctly, and also the ability to respond spontaneously to what others have to say
to you. A difficulty commonly expressed by learners of English as a second language is that
though they have been studying English for years, they face difficulty in talking in English.
This difficulty can be overcome by a good command over the language with enough practice of
speaking. When you need to communicate through writing, say, in the form of e-mails, letters,
articles, notices, project reports, etc., you get enough time for preparing and even rewriting to
improve and polish your piece of writing. However, in case of oral communication, there is no
time for preparation or opportunity for improving your sentences or expressions. Interaction
with friends, colleagues, superiors or clients involves exchange of information right at that
point of time and requires spontaneous response. If, in such situations, you happen to use an
inappropriate word or incorrect sentence, it will leave a bad impression on the listeners. You
may also have experienced a situation when immediately after blurting out the wrong word,
you suddenly remember the suitable word. In such a situation, it would be good to acknowledge
the mistake and correct your sentence right away. The best way you can avoid such situations
is by reading extensively and listening attentively to good speakers. In addition to this, enough
practice in speaking is essential to give you the confidence to speak fluently and effectively.
READING SKILL
Reading is an integral part of the life of every educated individual. It enriches a person mental-
ly, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. The more you read, the more you learn—not just
about the topic you are reading but also the language in which the text is presented. Extensive
reading helps one understand the various shades of word meanings, learn about the gram-
matical function, recognize the syntax of sentences, identify the type and purpose of the text,
and also distinguish the key information from the less important information. It enhances a
person’s ability to quickly process information, and analyse and understand the text better than
people who read less. Reading is an interactive process, which brings to the fore, the reader’s
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Introduction: Developing Language Skills 3
background knowledge of the language as well as awareness about the topic being read. With
the help of existing knowledge, the reader interprets the meaning of the new text and builds
on his/her knowledge. Reading, thus, is the most effective tool not only of language learning
but also of learning about just any subject. Another notable point is that reading widely helps
one to see the difference between a good piece of writing and a not-so-good piece, and thus,
improve one’s own writing skills.
WRITING SKILL
For success in life, effective writing skill is crucial. As a student, you may have faced a situation
when in an examination you thought you’ve written your answer well but did not score marks
to your satisfaction. The lack of organization and effective presentation might have hampered
your chances of better scores. Many a time, problems crop up at the workplace because of lack
of clarity in communication. Such situations can be avoided by learning to write clearly and
using suitable words to achieve the desired goal. A good knowledge of grammar and a rich base
of vocabulary are tools that are necessary for developing writing skill. Writing is a productive
skill that requires a writer to make use of his/her knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and the
concerned subject to produce a text through which he/she tries to reach out to the readers.
Along the way, the writer needs to (a) write grammatically correct sentences, (b) use appropri-
ate words, (c) use correct punctuation marks, (d) ensure logical development of the subject,
(e) maintain a coherent flow of the topic, and (f) anticipate the reader’s likely questions and
address them accordingly. Writing demands a greater degree of explicitness, since the writer
will not have the chance to clarify any misunderstanding to the reader, as a speaker can do for
his listener. Hence, learning to write correctly, clearly and effectively is an indispensable and
valuable part of effective communication.
COMMUNICATION SKILL
Communication is the ability to convey or exchange information. The different ways in which we
communicate are through (i) writing, which may include letters, essays, e-mails, articles, proj-
ect reports, notices, and (ii) speaking, which may include discussions, lectures, reading papers
in seminars, making presentations. For all these forms of communication, honing the four
skills discussed above is significant.
At the workplace, you will need to convey information to your colleagues and clients with
a specific purpose or towards a specific goal. You should, therefore, learn to clearly identify the
information to be provided keeping in mind the nature of the audience and articulate your
message suitably. As professionals, engineers often come across situations where complicated
technical information needs to be conveyed to different audiences. For this, you should be able
to explain technical processes, functions and uses of various devices in clear comprehensible
terms to avoid any confusion and facilitate operations. Some examples of technical communi-
cation include preparing project proposals, persuasive memos, technical manuals, and users’
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guides. While working on any kind of written communication, identification of the audience is
necessary as it will help you in your selection of words, style, graphics and other tools suitable
for the purpose or the goal of the communication.
In addition to listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, developing one’s soft skills
is also important for success in a professional sphere. Soft skills are essentially personality-
specific people skills that determine your strengths as a professional while interacting with
your senior and junior colleagues, or negotiating deals with your clients. A combination of
good language skills and effective soft skills are a necessary tool for a successful professional
life. It is precisely for this reason that a course in communication skills has become an impor-
tant component of contemporary education programmes. Lessons in the nature, purpose,
functions, and strategies and tools of communication are increasingly becoming indispens-
able to meet the demands of business in a globalized world.
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Section A
DEVELOPING LISTENING
COMPREHENSION SKILLS
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2
Everyday Communication
INTRODUCTION
Here are some examples of everyday communication covering a wide range of situations like
telephoning, giving directions, setting up a meeting or just socialising. These dialogues will
acquaint you with various expressions that you may need to use in your everyday communi-
cation, be it with friends, colleagues, business partners, clients or even strangers from whom
you need to seek some information. If you encounter any new word here, please check a
dictionary for meaning as well as pronunciation. Read this chapter aloud. This chapter can
be read as a group activity with two or more students, as required by the dialogues, partici-
pating in the conversation. Reading these dialogues aloud will strengthen your vocabulary
and enhance your communication skills. It will also give you a practice in learning English
language through listening and speaking exercise.
TELEPHONING
Dialogues for a Telephone Conversation
(a) An official call made to confirm an appointment
Speaker 1: Hello, may I speak to Mr Kaul?

Speaker 2: May I know who is calling?
Speaker 1: This is Atul Roy. I am calling to confirm my appointment with your market-
ing manger.I am supposed to meet him at five this evening.
Speaker 2: Yes, Mr Roy. Your meeting is expected to be on schedule.
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(b) A social call, just to touch base with a friend

Rakhi: Hi, Sapna!
Sapna: Hello, Rakhi. What a pleasant surprise to hear from you. How have you been?
Rakhi: I’m doing fine. It really has been a while since we last met. How about catching up
tomorrow? I’ll be in your city for two days.
Sapna: Oh that’s great! Let’s meet up. Let me know when you are free. We will fix up some-
thing accordingly.
Some more common phrases for telephonic communication
• Kindly hold on while I transfer the call to …
• I’m afraid she’s not available at the moment. Can I take a message for her?
• He is not in town currently. When he’s back, I’ll let him know you called.
• Can I please call you back in an hour? I am busy in a meeting right now.
• Sir, the line is busy. Would you like to hold or call back later?
Activity 1
1. Fill in the blanks using a suitable word from the box given below.
(a) Hello, TPN Computers. How may I ________ you?
(b) I need to talk to Mr Kumar urgently. Can you tell me where I can _________. him?
(c) Thank you, Mr Roy. I’ll make sure he gets your ____________.
(d) Yes, Mr Santosh is here. Who shall I say is _____________?
(e) Hold on for a minute. I’ll put you _____________.
calling reach help through message

2. Write down what you would say in response to the sentences given below.
(a) May I know who is calling?
(b) Mr Roy, is this a good time to talk to you?
(c) Can we fix up a meeting tomorrow for 11 O’clock?
(d) I heard you were not keeping well. How are you now?
(e) This is Amit calling. May I have Mr Kumar’s extension?
MEETING
(a) For fixing an appointment and asking or giving directions
Shampa: Good morning. This is RK Teleservices. My name is Shampa. How can I help you?
Mitali: My name is Mitali Sinha. I would like to make an appointment with Mr Chatterji for
this evening.
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Everyday Communication 9
Shampa: Hold on for a minute. Let me check at what time he is available … Is 3.30 p.m.
alright?
Mitali: 3.30 sounds good. I’ll come over to your office then. Can you please give me direc-
tions to reach your office?
Shampa: Sure! Where will you be coming from?
Mitali: I am currently staying at Hotel Hindustan International. I’ll be coming from there.
Shampa: Great. You are very close to our office. Just walk down to the head of the road and
take the lane on your left. Keep going straight till you spot the HSBC Bank on your
right. Our office is housed in the third building after the bank on the same side of
the road.
Mitali: Thanks. I will contact you again if I have difficulty locating the building.
Shampa: Sure! No problem.
(b) During a meeting
Akash Arora: Good morning everyone. Let’s start with the meeting. We also have Mr Bakshi
with us today. For those of you who are new in our team, I would like to
introduce Mr Bakshi. He is the marketing manager of the eastern region of
our company and is based at our Kolkata office. Please join me in welcoming
Mr Bakshi.
Chetan Bakshi: Thank you all for having me here today. I am looking forward to this meeting.
Akash Arora: Okay then. Let’s begin. We are here today to review our performance in rural
marketing in the last quarter. Ranjit will take us through the objectives we
had set for ourselves a few months ago.
Ranjit: Thank you, Mr Arora. I’ll quickly summarize the points for everyone.
Some more common phrases used during meetings

• Who would like to take the minutes?
• Here are the main points covered during the last meeting.
• Let me introduce Miss Gupta to you. She has recently joined our organization.
• I am afraid our Vice President, Prashant Malhotra, cannot be here today as he is cur-
rently out of station.
• Shall we now move on to today’s agenda?
• We made a good case for changing the process.
• Only one of our proposals was accepted.
• Does everyone agree?
• Have we covered everything?
• Does any one have some suggestions for the promotion campaign?
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Activity 2
1. Complete the following sentences with a suitable preposition.
(a) I think it is unnecessary to allocate such a large chunk of the budget
________ advertising.
(b) Can we quickly go __________ the report that was discussed in the last
meeting?
(c) You’ll find the main ideas to be discussed in the photocopies _________
front of you.
(d) Ranjit will take us ___________ the points of this project one by one.
(e) Here are some of the points discussed in the last meeting held __________
24th June.
through towards over on in
2. Choose an appropriate response to the questions in Column A.

A. B.
1. Did you face any problem in lo- a. I am afraid I have to disagree with
cating the office? you on that. We need to expand
our areas of operation.
2. Will it be convenient if the meet- b. Yes, I was wondering if we can also
ing is brought forward by an hour? discuss our advertising strategy.
3. In my opinion, we need to focus c. Not at all, thank you for guiding
more on our existing customer base. me so well.
4. Is there anything you wanted to d. It looks like we have touched on
add to that, Aarti? all the items. Let’s have another
meeting next Friday.
5. We are short of time today. Have e. Not at all. In fact, that fits in per-
we covered the main topics? fectly with my schedule.
INFORMATION ABOUT A JOB INTERVIEW

(a) Collecting information about a job
Speaker 1: Hello, this is Bharat Communications. How may I help you?

Speaker 2: Good morning. I am calling to find out about your company’s advertisement
in the newspaper today. I believe you have an opening in your market research
department.
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Speaker 1: Yes, that’s correct. We are looking for a research assistant. Would you be interested
in applying?
Speaker 2: I’d like to apply, thank you. Should I send in my application to the e-mail address
mentioned in the advertisement?
Speaker 1: Yes, you can do that. We may also have a walk-in interview. We will advertise
about the dates soon and also send the details to your e-mail address provided in
your application and CV sent to us.
(b) A job interview where Rohan is the applicant and Mr Sharma is the interviewer
Rohan: Good Morning, Sir!
Mr Sharma: Good morning, Rohan. Come in and take a seat.
Rohan: Thank you.
Mr Sharma: I see you have applied for the post of a sales executive. Do you have any work
experience?
Rohan: Yes Sir, I am currently working as a research assistant with L&P Consultants.
Mr Sharma: How long have you been in the current job?
Rohan: One year.
Mr Sharma: Why do you want to change your job?
Rohan: Well, I’ve completed my diploma in sales and marketing and I am ready for a
bigger challenge.
Mr Sharma: That’s great! What according to you are the qualities that can make one a suc-
cessful sales executive?
Activity 3
1. Here are some usual questions you will be asked in an interview. What should
be your reply?
a. What do you know about our organization?
b. Why do you want to change your job?
c. What is it that makes you a better candidate for this job than all the other
applicants?
d. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
e. Do you work well in a team?
f. What are your expectations from this job?
g. Where do you see yourself five years down the line?
h. Is there something you want to ask us?
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Some more common phrases used during interviews

• Tell us about yourself.
• What are your educational qualifications?
• I have the relevant skill sets for this job.
• My experience as an analyst has prepared me …
• Thank you for coming to the interview.
• Can you please tell me more about the job requirement and your expectations from me
if I am selected for this position?
PRESENTATIONS
(a) Making a presentation
Sachin: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this presentation. As you
are aware, our company has been in the process of developing a new software
program, Poweron. You are going to get a glimpse into the working of this
product today. Mr Kulakarni, who has been overseeing the project, will take
you through the presentation.
Anil Kulkarni: Thank you Sachin. Right at the outset, I’ll take the opportunity to thank our
CEO, Mr Basu, for his extensive support. A big thank you to my team too, for
all their hard work and patience. Now, let me give you an overview of Poweron
… (the presentation begins). So, as you see, the project is almost complete.
There are a few glitches that still need to be tackled. Our engineers are trying
their best to fix them and we hope to be able to perfect the product very soon.
I would now take questions, if you have any.
Sachin: When can we expect to see the product launched?
Anil Kulkarni: We are planning to have the launch within the next three months. If all goes
well, it could be even sooner!
Some more common phrases used during presentations
• Hello everyone! It’s good to see you all here.
• Today, I would like to show you …
• Our advertising campaign will centre around …
• The budget has been a bit of a constraint.
• I am afraid I don’t follow your argument.
• As you can see from the graph, sales have increased dramatically.
• I’ll take your questions at the end of the presentation.
• That’s a good suggestion. We’ll try to incorporate it in the plan.
• I hope this presentation has given you a clear idea about the project.
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Activity 4
Complete the following sentences using the words given in the box.
(a) The turnover has __________ by about 10 percent this year.
(b) As I mentioned earlier, we _________ to complete the project in three
months.
(c) I’ll first _________ the programme and then discuss the different stages in
greater detail.
(d) I would like to thank you for _________ an interest in this project.
(e) You’re __________ to contact me if you have any queries.
outline taking increased welcome hope
TRAVELLING
(a) Making enquiries and booking tickets
Govind: When can I get the next train to Howrah?

Railway Station Clerk: The next one comes only 3 hours later at 3.30 p.m.
Govind: But, that’s too late. Isn’t there some other train that I can take?
Railway Station Clerk: Well, there is another train at 1.30 p.m. But, it is not a direct one. You’ll
have to change midway.
Govind: I see. Well then, I’ll take a ticket for the 3.30 train.
Railway Station Clerk: Would that be a return ticket?
Govind: Yes, please.
(b) Conversation with co-passengers

Speaker 1: Have you been to this city before?
Speaker 2: Well, yes, I have been here once before. But that was quite a long time ago, about
10 years ago.
Speaker 1: That’s a very long time! What do you think of the changes in the city since then?
Speaker 2: Everything looks different. I could hardly recognize a few places. With the new
roads and buildings that have come up, the city looks nothing like I remember it.
Speaker 1: That’s true. I have lived here all my life and even I can’t recognize some of the
areas in the city. There have been too many changes.
Speaker 2: I think it’s for the better. The city looks much cleaner now.
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Some more common phrases used while travelling

• How much for a ticket to …?
• I have only one bag to check in.
• I would like a window seat please.
• I have been trying to book a room on your hotel website, but I can’t complete the booking.
Can you help?
• I was calling to enquire whether the Delhi Rajdhani is on time.
Activity 5
1. Fill in the blanks using a suitable word from the box given below.
(a) Is the flight going to be _______________?
(b) We will be ______________ at the station in the next 20 minutes.
(c) It was nice meeting you. I hope you _____________ the rest of your trip.
(d) Thanks for all the ________________. I’m sure it’ll help.
(e) We can surely keep in touch. Let’s exchange our ___________ addresses.
e-mail arriving advice delayed enjoy
2. Choose an appropriate response to the questions in Column A.

A. B.
1. Welcome to Clare Hotel. How a. I think it will be most convenient
may I help you? if you take an auto rickshaw, sir.
2. What is the best way to reach the b. I really sorry, sir. You have been
market from here? served the wrong platter.
3. Can you suggest a few places of c. Thank you. I wish to book two
interest in this city? rooms for the 13th and 14th of
next month.
4. Are tickets still available for the d. I think I have a booklet published
Rajdhani Express on the 22nd? by the tourism department with
me. Let me give it to you.
5. I had requested for a vegetarian e. I’m afraid, we are fully booked.
meal. There seems to have been
a mistake. Will you please take a
look?
Chapter_2.indd 14 09/08/10 1:55 PM

• Officer, can you please show me the way to the nearest bus station?
• You seem to have travelled here before. Is it pleasant this time of the year?
• Thank you. Bye. Take care.
SOCIALISING
(a) At an office party
Amar: Hi Amrita. How are you enjoying your first office party at our organization?
Amrita: Hello Amar. It’s great. The food is really good. Are all your parties so much fun?
Amar: You bet! This is one of the times we can let our hair down!
Amrita: I wish I could meet a few more people, though. This seems like a good opportunity.
Amar: Yes, of course. Let me introduce you to my team members. I’m sure they’ll be glad to
make your acquaintance.
Amrita: Thanks Amar. That’s really nice of you.
(b) With friends
Kavita: I’m so glad we finally got this chance to catch up, Priyanka.
Priyanka: Me too. It’s been way too long since we met.
Kavita: Yeah. There’s been so much pressure at work. I’ve hardly had time to call you.
Priyanka: So how is work now? Is it still stressful?
Kavita: Well, it has eased a little. But, I am glad for all the work my senior is entrusting me
with. It’s a good opportunity to learn. The stress, I’m sure I’ll be able to manage.
Priyanka: That’s good. Things have not been going so smoothly at my office. My boss has put
in his papers. I am a little worried.
Some more common phrases used during social get together

• What would you like to have?
• It’s my treat! Let me pay.
• Should we meet up for lunch?
• That sounds great. You are doing well for yourself.
• Thanks for taking time out for us.
• Did you watch the match on TV last night?
• We are planning to go to Kerala for our holidays this December.
• Bye. Take care. Hope we meet soon.
Chapter_2.indd 15 09/08/10 1:55 PM

Activity 6
Write what you would say in the following situations.
i. Express your happiness at seeing a friend after a long time.
……………………………………………………………………..
ii. Tell your uncle something about your organization and your job profile.
……………………………………………………………………....
iii. Tell the waiter you would like to order the meal.
…………………………………………………………………..…..
iv. Ask/suggest your department colleagues to plan a holiday together.
………………………………………………………………………..
v. Comfort your friend who’s been ill for some time.
………………………………………………………………………..
vi. Advise a colleague who’s contemplating quitting her job.
………………………………………………………………………..
Chapter_2.indd 16 09/08/10 1:55 PM

3
Listening Skills
THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING SKILL
Although Mita was in a high-profile meeting with the top bosses, her mind was somewhere
Case
else. Sandhya, her project leader, was speaking. She was giving an update on the work that had
been done so far and what more needed to be done. Mita’s eyes were fixed in the direction of
Sandhya; she could see her speak but could not absorb the words that were being spoken. She
could only hear a few words here and there, but did not care to catch their meaning. She could
not get over the humiliation and embarrassment that she had faced only half an hour ago.
When Sandhya had called Mita to discuss her work, Mita had no idea it was going to be so bad.
Sandhya had dragged up every little mistake Mita had made. What she could not stomach at
all was the fact that she had been rebuked in front of all her team members. She had tried very
hard to fight back tears but the barrage of harsh words from Sandhya had been so relentless
that she had not been able to stop a few drops from rolling down her eyes. Tears stung her eyes
even now as she thought about the incident. That was when she thought she heard Sandhya
say something to her. It took Mita a couple of seconds to bring her focus back on what was
happening. She realized that she had already been called on twice. She had been completely
oblivious. Sandhya was staring angrily at her. The situation had just gone from bad to worse.
Questions
1. Why do you think Mita was unable to focus on the meeting?
2. What should she have tried to do to avoid more problems?
When in a conversation with someone, have you ever asked to repeat what has just been said?
This often happens when your mind is not on what is being said. Though you hear the sound
of the words being spoken, you fail to remember or understand what was said. You remember
Chapter_3.indd 17 09/08/10 1:58 PM

and understand words you hear only when you are actually listening, that is you are attentive to
what you are hearing. Thus, you see, there is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing
is a physical act that happens automatically. Though we are not conscious of it most of the
time, we do get to hear many kinds of sounds or noise all around us all day. Hearing does not
require any effort on our part. Listening, however, is an active skill and a conscious activity that
demands involvement and concentration. When you listen, you receive the information, inter-
pret it, analyse it and construct a message out of what you hear.
The act of listening also varies with the purpose of listening. There are situations where we
must listen in order to receive information, such as when listening to a speech. On the other
hand, there are times when communication serves a social purpose. For example, when one
worker meets another in a coal mine and says, ‘This work is difficult’, his purpose is not to
transfer information but to acknowledge the other’s presence and create a harmonious interac-
tion. It is therefore clear that communication serves two purposes: (i) transactional, and (ii)
interactional. However, the two purposes are not mutually exclusive. In any given situation,
one can be in need of both interactional and transactional listening. For example, a manager
might use the transactional mode while discussing a project with his/her colleague(s) and later
shift to interactional mode (casual talk).
BARRIERS TO LISTENING
There are some factors that may impede proper listening. They are:
• The listener may not listen to something properly.
• The listener may not comprehend the message due to the presence of difficult words in
the sentence or due to their ignorance of the semantics, or idioms.
• Sometimes she/he may have heard the speaker but may not have listened because of the
preoccupation of their mind with something else.
Very often, in spite of understanding the message, the listener cannot interpret the message
successfully due to lack of previous knowledge of the situation or topic. Sometimes the listen-
ers can sense what they hear, while interpreting the spoken message with the help of their
worldly or previous knowledge. But sometimes the lack of background knowledge leads to
serious problems in comprehension. For an example, read the following extract from a con-
versation:
A: Do you have a 286?
B: No, I’ve got a 486.
A: Is it Sx or Dx?
B: Dx.
A: Good. You don’t have to wait long when you save your files.
B: I can show the PC to you.
A: Well. Does it have a single drive or a double drive?
Chapter_3.indd 18 09/08/10 1:58 PM

Listening Skills 19
B: A double drive. It has windows and a nice mouse too!

A: Interesting! I’ll come and play with the mouse.
Those who have an access to the computer world know that A and B are talking about a com-
puter machine. But people who are not acquainted with computer configurations will find it dif-
ficult to interpret the conversation, though the extract does not have any difficult words; rather
some of the words like, ‘save’, ‘mouse’, ‘drive’, ‘windows’ have been used with specific meaning.
And this unfamiliar use of familiar words is the cause of non comprehension here.
Activity 1
Say what Manish and Raj are talking about in the short conversational extract given
below:
Manish: Have you used an SLR?
Raj: Yes, I have.
Manish: What is the synchronizing shutter speed point?
Raj: It is 250.
Manish: Has it been taken in the morning?
Raj: Yes, at 11 O’clock. It was very sunny.
Manish: What about the aperture?
Raj: It is 11.
Manish: I think you’ve used zoom, haven’t you?
Raj: Yes, zoomed in on the object.
Manish: That’s why the row of the palm trees along the fountain has come with
the Victoria Memorial Hall.
STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP LISTENING SKILLS

Listening is an active process of selecting and interpreting information from whatever we see
and hear. The process of listening involves various steps that do not work simultaneously all the
time, but may, however, work in rapid succession, or backward and forward as needed. During
this process, the listener
• determines a reason for listening
• attempts to organize the information
• predicts information expected to be included
• recalls background information to help interpret the message
• assigns a meaning to the message
• checks that the message has been understood.
Chapter_3.indd 19 09/08/10 1:58 PM

Activity 2
This activity has to be carried out in pairs. Student 1 will read the Listening Text
sentences, and after listening to each sentence Student 2 will answer the questions
given under the Listening Task.
Listening Text
1. The Shatabdi Express will leave platform No. 1 in a few minutes.
2. Santro car Number WBM 3478, do not cross the yellow line.
3. Mr Shanti Raghaban, who has arrived by IC 175 from Chennai, is requested to
contact the reception please.
4. Passengers travelling to London by AI are requested to proceed for security check.
5. Mr and Mrs Kharbanda, your daughter Sakshi is waiting for you at the police
post near the Eastern Gate, next to stall No. 197.
Listening Task
As you listen to the sentences in the Listening Text, write down the answers to the
following questions:
(i) Who is making the announcement? (ii) Whom does he address? (iii) Where is
the announcement being made? (iv) What are the persons addressed expected
to do upon hearing the announcements?
Activity 3
Listening Text
(a) Papiya Ghosh, who is twenty-nine, lives in her own house in Kolkata. She is a
school teacher.
(b) Goutam is a doctor. He works in the All India Institute of Medical Science in
New Delhi. He is forty-four and lives in a flat by himself.
Listening Task
As you listen to the sentences in the Listening Text, fill in the personal details about
Papiya and Goutam in the table below.
Name: Name:
Age: Age:
Occupation: Occupation:
Place of Work: Place of Work:
Chapter_3.indd 20 09/08/10 1:58 PM

Listening Skills 21
GOOD LISTENING SKILLS

Like any other skill, good listening skill can also be developed. For this, however, one needs
to be familiar with the different ways in which people listen. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People, Stephen R. Covey describes listening as a process that can be done at any of the
following five levels.
i. Ignoring: When one hears what is being said, but has no intention of giving it any con-
sideration.
ii. Pretending: When one responds with words like Yeah! Oh! Okay, Right, etc., giving the
impression that they are listening, but in fact they are not.
iii. Selective listening: When one hears only certain parts of the conversation.
iv. Attentive listening: When one pays attention to every word being said and makes an ef-
fort to understand what is being said.
v. Empathetic listening: When one listens with the intention to understand what the
speaker wants to say.
In most cases, the listener listens not so much with the intent to understand but with the intent
to reply. However, a good listener is one who tries to understand the speaker’s point of view,
does not make a premature judgement, attempts to listen beyond the spoken words and is able
to analyse what has been said. Attentive listening and empathic listening require a high level of
concentration and commitment, and lead to a good and purposeful communication.
Activity 4
Here are some listening exercises designed to help you test and thus enhance your
listening skills. Students 1 and 2 should read out the conversation between C and R,
and Student 3 should answer the questions given in the Listening Task.
Listening Text
[C = Caller; R = Receiver]
R: Good afternoon, Quest Consultancy.
C: Hello, can I speak to Mr Rakesh Malhotra?
R: May I know who’s on the line?
C: Subir Sen, Marketing Manager of GD Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Kolkata. Is
Mr Malhotra there?
R: I’m afraid, he’s not available at present. Would you like to leave a message?
C: Who am I speaking to?
R: I’m his personal secretary, Leeza Gomes.
C: Okay, tell him I’ll call him later. When is he expected to return?
R: He should be back within an hour.
C: Thanks.
R: You’re welcome.
Chapter_3.indd 21 09/08/10 1:58 PM

Listening Task
Listen to the Listening Text and answer the following questions:
(a) What type of conversation is this?
(b) Who are the people involved in this conversation?
(c) What does the man in the conversation do?
(d) Who is Mr Rakesh Malhotra?
Activity 5
Students should read aloud the conversation between the tourist and the guide and
then answer the questions given in the Listening Task.
Listening Text
Tourist: I am an American tourist. What is the best way a visitor can see Varanasi?
Guide: I think, the best way is to take a boat ride at dawn, along the great three-mile
curve of the Ganges. This curve faces east.
Tourist: What’ll the view be like?
Guide: At 5.30 in the morning, a grey mist covers the river. As it clears, high above
the bank you will see the splendid outlines of the Maharaja’s palaces, ashrams, tem-
ples and mosques.
Tourist: Is that all?
Guide: No! Leading down to the water are wide steps and platforms. These are the
famous ghats.
Listening Task
Listen to the Text and match the word in column A with the words related to it in
column B.
A. B.
1. dawn a. River Ganges.
2. mist b. Maharaja’s palaces, ashrams, etc.
3. bank c. 5.30 in the morning.
4. splendid d. wide steps and platforms.
5. ghats e. clears.
[Example: (1) dawn - - - (c) 5.30 in the morning]
Chapter_3.indd 22 09/08/10 1:58 PM

Listening Skills 23
Activity 6
Student 1 should read out the Listening Text and Student 2 should do as advised
under the Listening Task.
Listening Text
Abacus is a device for counting. Here beads are strung on wires and fitted to a
frame. It is used for teaching small children to count. The Chinese use them for
computing. Devices of pebbles and movable counters were known in antiquity to
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans as well as the Chinese. Its great advantage in simpli-
fying adding and subtracting Roman numerals is obvious.
Listening Task
As you listen to the text, draw the object that is being described.
Chapter_3.indd 23 09/08/10 1:58 PM

Chapter_3.indd 24 09/08/10 1:58 PM

Section B
DEVELOPING SPEAKING
COMPETENCE
Chapter_4.indd 25 09/08/10 2:01 PM

Chapter_4.indd 26 09/08/10 2:01 PM

Competence in Speaking
4
THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE SPEAKING
Rahul had been very confident about winning the college elections. He was popular
Case
among students, and professors liked him. There was, however, just a small glitch. Candi-
dates had to deliver a speech in order to seek votes. The problem was that the speech had
to be in English. Rahul was not very comfortable with the language. It took him time to
choose suitable words to express himself properly. With the running around for the elec-
tion campaign, Rahul did not get enough time to practise his speech before the D-day.
Though he had written down what he had to say, he had not got the time to absorb the
speech entirely.
What happened on stage could only be described as a disaster. Rahul had been worried
because of his lack of preparation. The candidate before him messed up his speech and
this made Rahul even more nervous. By the time he was on the podium, his confidence
had ebbed. He remembered how his speech began but as he went along he began to
search for the correct words. His memory was playing tricks on him. A major part of his
speech was littered with uncomfortable pauses as he fumbled to find the right words. He
knew what he wanted to say but there was no time to translate his thoughts into correct
English. By the time the ordeal came to an end, he was afraid this goof up was going to
cost him his chance at winning the elections.
Questions
1. Why do you think Rahul had problems in speaking in front of people?
2. In your opinion, what more could Rahul have done to make sure that his speech went well?
Chapter_4.indd 27 09/08/10 2:01 PM

ELEMENTS FOR EFFECTIVE SPEAKING

Language learning will have no meaning unless you learn to speak clearly and fluently in that
language. Of the four language learning skills, speaking is different from listening, reading
and writing as you have an immediate audience when you speak. This is not so in case of the
other three skills. This makes the art of speaking more difficult than the others, and precisely
for this reason, students should work on this skill so as to be able to speak naturally and
confidently.
Elements that are important for effective speaking are intelligibility, comprehensibility, and
the correct pronunciation, word stress, rhythm and intonation. Intelligibility refers to speak-
ing in a manner that the words can be recognized. Comprehensibility is the ease with which
listeners can understand what is being said. Pronunciation is the way in which a particular
word is spoken. It involves the sounds of a language, and word stress, rhythm and intonation are
components of pronunciation. The ability to speak English fluently requires not only a good
understanding of grammar and a rich vocabulary but also the ability to speak smoothly and
expressively with correct pronunciation and pitch or intonation.
We will discuss pronunciation, and rules for word stress, rhythm and intonation in some
detail here.
PRONUNCIATION
Pronunciation is a crucial element of effective communication. To be able to speak
English fluently and comprehensibly, you will need to learn about the stress patterns of
words and the rhythm of the sentences or phrases. English is spoken all over the world
and each country has its own way of using the language. We Indians follow the standard
British English.
To understand the stress pattern, you need to understand the concept of syllables. A syl-
lable is a group of one or more sounds with the vowel sound as its essential part. Words are
made of syllables where each word can have any number of syllables. For example, the word
‘cook’ has one syllable whereas the word ‘cooking’ has two syllables. The number of vowels in a
word determines the number of syllables it has. A word can be monosyllabic (having only one
syllable), disyllabic (with two syllables), tri-syllabic (having three syllables) or may even have
multiple syllables.
Read the following words according to their syllable division.
Monosyllabic Disyllabic Tri-syllabic Tetra-syllabic

words words words words
gate pre.sent pe.cu.liar ca.tas.tro.phe
cone per.mit pho.to.graph a.bi.li.ty
ring per.fect in.ven.tion es.tab.lish.ment
cage com.bine dog.ma.tism im.me.diate.ly
text ga.rage stan.dar.dize def.in.it.ive
Chapter_4.indd 28 09/08/10 2:01 PM

Competence in Speaking 29
Activity 1
Categorize the following words according to the number of syllables they have.
popular elastic cover accept one happy
success importance adventurous students difficult parliament
furniture gold functional communication edit come
guidance textbook stem destruct exercise listen
light relate fundamental adventure suddenly regular
(Note: Look up a dictionary for help.)
WORD STRESS
When a word has more than one syllable, any one syllable takes more prominence while speak-
ing, that is, it takes more energy to pronounce, and is, therefore, considered to be stressed.
Stress in a word is marked by putting a small vertical bar before the syllable that is accented.
See, for example, the following words with the stress marks indicating which syllable is stressed:
com'bine lo'cality 'passenger 'perfect pho'tography
In English language, every word has a unique stress place, which cannot be shifted at random.
To understand the logic of the stress pattern in English, keep the following tips in mind.
1. When there is a one-syllable word, then the whole word is to be stressed.
2. In words with two or more syllables, one syllable will be heard or stressed prominently
as compared to the others.
3. Nouns generally take the stress on the first syllable.
4. Verbs and adjectives generally take the stress on the second syllable.
5. If the word is formed by adding a prefix or suffix, it affects the stress place.
6. Words with weak prefixes are accented on the root. For example, a’lone, be’come.
7. Words with two syllables ending in –ate, –ise/ize, or –ct are stressed on the last syllable.
For example, mi’grate, com’prise, cap’size con’nect.
Activity 2
Mark appropriate stress for the following words.
Cogent fashionable
Horrific replacement
Explore majority
Wonderful Vocabulary
(Note: Look up a dictionary for help.)
Chapter_4.indd 29 09/08/10 2:01 PM

8. Words ending in –ion, –ious or –eous have the stress on the penultimate (i.e., the last but
one) syllable. For example, compo’sition, la’borious, ‘piteous, cou’rageous.
9. Words ending in –graph, –graphy, –metre/–meter, –logy have the stress on the ante-
penultimate syllable (i.e., the third from the last). For example, ‘paragraph, pho’tography,
ther’mometer, psy’chology, zo’ology.
RHYTHM AND INTONATION

In English language, the rhythm and intonation of sentences are important for carrying the
meaning across. Even if your pronunciation is perfect, but you put the stress on the wrong syl-
lable or word, your sentence may go without being understood properly. For example, when
you speak the following sentences putting stress on the words that have been highlighted, you
will notice that the meaning of the sentence changes with the change in the word that is stressed.
He can perform better.
So you see, in English language, we give stress to certain words more than others, and this rise
and fall of stress in a sentence gives it a rhythm. The stress pattern in a sentence is determined
by stressed syllables of the words and also by the stressed words in a sentence. The words that
are stressed in a sentence mostly depend on the meaning that the speaker wishes to convey. The
patterns of variation of the pitch of the voice (i.e., the fall or the rise) as you speak constitute the
intonation of a language. If you speak a sentence with a falling tone, the pitch of your voice will
move from a high level to a low level. If you say the same sentence with a rising tone, the pitch
of your voice will move from low to high. The stress patterns, and the rhythm and intonation
of voice or speech go a long way in conveying or in the comprehension of the meaning of the
words spoken.
Activity 3
Which of the options for the given sentences are true?
1. Which words in a sentence should be stressed?
a. The ones that convey the most important information
b. The ones that have more than two syllables.
2. What determines the intonation in a sentence?
a. The pronunciation of the words in the sentence.
b. The rise and fall of the pitch of the voice.
There are times when the words in a sentence are the same for a statement or a question, and
the tone of the speaker only can indicate if it is a question or a statement or a request or a com-
mand. Consider the following sentence.
Chapter_4.indd 30 09/08/10 2:01 PM

Competence in Speaking 31
You are coming with us?

You are coming with us.
When the pitch rises in the latter part of the sentence ‘coming with us’, it indicates that the
sentence is a question. When the pitch is high while saying ‘are coming’ and gradually falls
after that, it indicates that the sentence is a command. Thus, the purpose of the sentence is
determined by the intonation in speech. Speech conveys not only literal meanings, but also the
mood, emotion and the purpose of a speaker. This happens through the intonation and rhythm
of the spoken sentences. Consider the following sentence:
What an answer you’ve given!
This sentence could be an expression of appreciation, or sarcasm or even disgust if the speaker is
disappointed with the answer. Only the tone in which this sentence is spoken can reflect the emo-
tion of the speaker and thus the exact meaning of the sentence.
Activity 4
1. Read the sentence given below.
Would it be very great trouble to research this topic.
a. Say this sentence as a simple request for someone’s assistance in research.
b. Say this very sentence as a professor who’s angry with the quality of re-
search put in.
2. Write down a few more such sentences; form a group of 3 to 4 persons and
let each person speak the same sentence in different tones expressing different
emotions or moods. See how the meanings of the sentences change with the
difference in the stress pattern, rhythm and intonation of the sentences.
STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING SPEAKING SKILLS

Improving your English speaking skills will help you communicate more easily and effectively.
Here are some strategies that will help you develop your English speaking skills.
• Learn by listening to good speakers.
• Listen to English News channels.
• Read aloud whenever you can.
• Practise speaking English with your friends or siblings.
• Converse in English as much as possible.
• When you learn a new word, try to use it in your sentences as often as you can.
• Practise extempore speaking.
• Engage in group discussions.
• Use simple sentence structures and focus on getting your message across.
Chapter_4.indd 31 09/08/10 2:01 PM

• Use words and phrases you know are correct.

• Avoid using words that are familiar but you are not sure about the meaning.
• Check the meaning as well as the pronunciation of new words that you hear.
• Do not speak very fast.
• Relax while speaking.
• Speak with confidence; do not be hesitant.
Practice in speaking is the best means of developing your English speaking skills.
Activity 5
Form a group of 3 to 4 students. Select any one of the following topics and have a
discussion on it. Each student should take at least four turns to express his views
on the topic.
1. IPL is one of the ways of telling the world that India has arrived.
2. JK Rowling’s Harry Potter brought about a reading revolution encouraging
children to read like never before.
3. Is media misusing its freedom of expression?
Chapter_4.indd 32 09/08/10 2:01 PM

5
Building Vocabulary
The two most important components of a language are vocabulary and grammar. A repertoire
of words and the ability to form meaningful sentences with those words are the basic tools of
effective communication. Hence, developing a wide vocabulary is as essential for proficiency
in any language as is the knowledge of the rules of grammar.
As a student of English as a second language, it is important that you have a good com-
mand over vocabulary as this will facilitate your language learning through listening and
reading. If you do not know enough words and their meanings, listening and reading will not
help much in your language learning exercise. Hence, you must work towards expanding your
vocabulary base. From whatever you read or hear every day, you must pick out new words,
check their meanings and pronunciation, and form new sentences with them. Apart from
this, knowing about the rules of word formation will help you immensely in learning more
and more words. Therefore, in this chapter, we’ll show you examples of word formation.
WORD FORMATION
Let us see how words are formed. Most words are part of a ‘family’ of words and have a shared
meaning. For example, the words grand (adjective) and grandeur (noun), and create (verb)
and creation or creator (nouns) are related. Learning word formation can provide certain tips
with which you can gain a good stock of vocabulary.
1. Forming Verbs from Nouns
Noun Verb Noun Verb

advice advise bath bathe
Chapter_5.indd 33 09/08/10 2:02 PM

belief believe height heighten

breath breathe heir inherit
camp encamp horror horrify
circle encircle idol idolize
class classify joy enjoy
cloth clothe justice justify
company accompany knee kneel
courage encourage mass amass
criticism criticize memory memorize
custom accustom nation nationalize
danger endanger office officiate
food feed patron patronize
force enforce peace pacify
friend befriend population populate
danger endanger prison imprison
food feed sale sell
force enforce slave enslave
friend befriend speech speak
fright frighten success succeed
glory glorify sympathy sympathize
gold gild tale tell
grass graze terror terrify
health heal throne enthrone
habit habituate title entitle
half halve utility utilize
hand handle vacancy vacate
haste hasten
2. Forming Verbs from Adjectives
Adjective Verb Adjective Verb

able enable cheap cheapen
abundant abound civil civilize
bitter embitter clean cleanse
black blacken clear clarify
broad broaden dark darken
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Building Vocabulary 35
dear endear mean demean

deep deepen moist moisten
different differentiate new renew
dear endear noble ennoble
equal equalize popular popularize
false falsify public publish
familiar familiarize pure purify
feeble enfeeble real realize
fertile fertilize red redden
fine refine rich enrich
firm confirm short shorten
flat flatten sick sicken
fresh refresh solid solidify
full fill special specialize
general generalize strange estrange
glad gladden successful succeed
hard harden sure ensure
hot heat sweet sweeten
just justify thick thicken
large enlarge white whiten
little belittle
3. Forming Nouns from Adjectives
Adjective Noun Adjective Noun

able ability chaste chastity
abundant abundance cheap cheapness
active activity civil civility
brave bravery compulsory compulsion
brief brevity coward cowardice
brand Breadth curious curiosity
busy business damp dampness
calm calmness dear dearth
capable capability deep depth
certain certainty dense density
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equal equality one oneness

faithful faithfulness perfect perfection
false falsehood pious piety
fast fastness poor poverty
fertile fertility popular popularity
few fewness private privacy
financial finance proud pride
foolish foolishness prudent prudence
frank frankness pure purity
free freedom real reality
gallant gallantry red redness
gay gaiety rich richness
generous generosity rigid rigidity
grand grandeur rival rivalry
great greatness round roundness
happy happiness royal royalty
hard hardship sacred sacredness
high height safe safety
holy holiness scarce scarcity
honest honesty secret secrecy
humble humility severe severity
inferior inferiority short shortness; shortage
innocent innocence small smallness
just justice special speciality
liberal liberality splendid splendour
little littleness strong strength
local locality stupid stupidity
long length sweet sweetness
loyal loyalty timid timidity
magnificent magnificence true truth
mean meanness uniform uniformity
merry merriment vacant vacancy
moist moisture vain vanity
mortal mortality vital vitality
new newness weak weakness
noble nobility wide width
obedient obedience wise wisdom
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4. Forming Nouns from Verbs
Verb Noun Verb Noun

abound abundance fly flight
accept acceptance free freedom
acquaint acquaintance give gift
admit admission go gait
advise advice grieve grief
amuse amusement grow growth
approve approval hate hatred
Bear birth heal health
believe belief invite invitation
Bind bond judge judgement; justice
bite bit know knowledge
bless blessing laugh laughter
break breakage; breach learn learning
carry carriage lend loan
choose choice live life
compel compulsion manage management
conceal concealment marry marriage
consume consumption mean meaning
correspond correspondence move motion; movement
deceive deceit; deception narrate narration; narrative
decide decision obey obedience
defy defiance object objection
deny denial occupy occupation
depart departure offend offence
do deed oppose opposition
envelop envelope perform performance
exceed excess please pleasure
excel excellence practise practice
except exception pretend pretence
exist existence proceed procedure; process
expect expectation prophesy prophecy
expel expulsion protect protection
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prove proof serve service

provide provision shake shock
pursue pursuit sit seat
quote quotation slay slaughter
receive receipt; reception speak speech
reduce reduction steal stealth
refer reference strike stroke
refine refinement succeed success; succession
reform reformation tell tale
refresh refreshment think thought
refuse refusal try trial
relieve relief vacate vacancy
rely reliance vary variety
respond response weave web
reveal revelation wed wedding
see sight weigh weight
seize seizure write writ; writing
5. Forming Abstract Nouns
Word Noun Word Noun

act action mother motherhood
agent agency man manhood
baby babyhood owner ownership
beggar beggary patriot patriotism
bond bondage priest priesthood
boy boyhood Robber robbery
child childhood Speak speech
dictator dictatorship Slave slavery
infant infancy Thief theft
king kingship Woman womanhood
knight knighthood Young youth
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6. Forming Adjectives from Nouns
Noun Adjective Noun Adjective

adventure adventurous ease easy
advice advisable east eastern
affection affectionate emphasis emphatic
affection affectionate enemy inimical
air airy essence essential
ancestor ancestral example exemplary
angel angelic expense expensive
anger angry expression expressive
autumn autumnal faith faithful
beauty beautiful fame famous
blood bloody fancy fanciful
body bodily fate fateful
book bookish father fatherly
boy boyish fault faulty
brass brazen favour favourable
brother brotherly feather feathery
brute brutal fever feverish
centre central fire fiery
ceremony ceremonial flesh fleshy
cheer cheerful flower flowery
child childish; childlike fog foggy
circle circular fool foolish
class classic; classical friend friendly
comfort comfortable fruit fruitful
courage courageous fury furious
cowardice cowardly ghost ghostly
crime criminal glass glassy
custom customary gloom gloomy
danger dangerous glory glorious
day daily (+ noun) god godly
death deathly gold golden
dew dewy grass grassy
drama dramatic greed greedy
earth earthly; earthen grief grievous
Chapter_5.indd 39 09/08/10 2:02 PM

habit habitual mystery mysterious

hair hairy nation national
hand handy nature natural
hour hourly navy naval
harm harmful need needful; needless
haste hasty neighbour neighbourly
heart hearty nerve nervous
heat hot neuter neutral
heaven heavenly night nightly
herb herbal number numerous; numeral
ice icy palace palatial
idiot idiotic passion passionate
ignorance ignorant peace peaceful
industry industrial; industrious people popular
joke jocular picture picturesque
joy joyful, joyous play playful
king kingly poet poetic(al)
labour laborious practice practical
lady ladylike price precious
law lawful, lawless pride proud
life lifelike, lifeless profit profitable
lord lordly quarrel quarrelsome
love lovely, lovable queen queenly
machine mechanical question questionable
man manly renown renowned
manner mannerly ruin ruinous
medicine medicinal scene scenic
memory memorable science scientific
merchant mercantile season seasonal
mercy merciful; merciless sense sensible
might mighty service serviceable
miracle miraculous silk silken
mirth mirthful slave slavish
moment momentary smoke smoky
money monetary solitude solitary
month monthly space spacious
muscle muscular star starry
Chapter_5.indd 40 09/08/10 2:02 PM

sympathy sympathetic hero heroic

system systematic hill hilly
table tabular home homely
talk talkative honour honourable; honorary
taste tasty; tasteful terror terrible
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks with the suitable form of the word given in parentheses.
1. We must show _______ towards animals. (kind)
2. Some students become _______ at the time of examination. (fever)
3. I was _______ pleased with his good manners. (immense)
4. My friend wanted me to _______ him to witness the cricket match.
(accompany)
5. He showed great _______ (patient)
6. _______ can overcome mountains. (persevere)
7. _______ before self should be our aim in life. (serve)
8. Are you _______ when you are alone in the dark? (nerve)
9. There is no _______ among rotten apples. (choose)
10. Too much _______ breeds contempt. (familiar)
11. At the _______ of his speech, he was highly cheered. (conclude)
12. An actor must have a clear _______ of the part he is to play. (conceive)
13. There is keen _______ in every trade. (compete)
14. There is no _______ between them. (compare)
15. He received a _______ ticket. (compliment)
16. A defeated country usually signs a treaty of peace under _______ (compel)
17. You must take your parents into _______. (confide)
18. I sent a _______ letter to her. (console)
19. He was _______ enough to have a good income. (fortune)
20. He was on _______ terms with his employer. (friend)
21. He is at _______ with his neighbour. (enemy)
22. Smoking is _______ to health. (injury)
23. He is an _______ politician. (influence)
Chapter_5.indd 41 09/08/10 2:02 PM

24. It was an _______ lecture. (inform)

25. He is suffering from an _______ disease. (infection)
26. His _______ was hailed by all. (acquit)
27. You are _______ to me for this money. (account)
28. He was _______ shot dead by his friend. (accident)
29. This book is a useful _______ to our library. (add)
30. I _______ you there’s no danger. (sure)
Activity 2
The sentences given below are in pairs. Fill in the blank of the second sentence of each
pair with the correct form of the word given in italics in the first sentence of the pair.
1. He is very familiar with the languages spoken in South India.
His _______ with the languages spoken in South India surprised me.
2. I have no doubt that he will succeed.
Are you _______ of his success?
3. He is regular in attending school.
He won a prize for _______ in attending school.
4. He is always dressed in the latest fashion.
He is a _______ man.
5. He comes of a noble family.
Everyone likes him for his _______
6. I suspect his honesty.
I am _______ about his honesty.
7. He is a responsible young man.
He always realizes his _______.
8. Very few people could survive the earthquake.
The Prime Minister sent help to the _______ of the earthquake.
9. You will slip if you don’t walk carefully.
It is difficult to walk on _______ roads.
10. Many people smuggle Swiss watches into India.
His uncle is a _______ of watches.
11. He is a sincere friend.
He is loved by his friends for his _______
12. He believes in spiritualism.
He is a _______ person.
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13. Man is the only animal that can speak.

Man is the only animal that has the faculty of _______
14. Advani is very diligent.
He is admired by everyone for his _______
15. I feel confident that he will not deceive us.
I hope he will prove worthy of our _______
16. Has the news of Rani’s marriage been confirmed?
No, we are waiting for the _______ of the news.
17. He is determined to succeed.
His _______ is praiseworthy.
18. She resembles her sister very much.
Their _______ has created confusion many a time.
19. You should be respectful to your seniors.
I know you all come of _______ families.
20. What medicines has the doctor prescribed for you?
You must take medicines according to the doctor’s _______
21. I accept your offer.
Your offer is _______ to me.
22. Do fairies exist?
Not in real life. Their _______ is confined to fairly tales only.
23. He is always thinking.
He is always sunk in deep _______.
24. Raman died in an accident.
His death was _______.
25. It is normal for a child to eat four times a day.
_______, a child eats four times a day.
26. There were two similar statements.
The _______ between them was hardly noticeable.
27. How do you pronounce this word?
His _______ is improving.
28. Can you prove your nationality?
Does it require any _______?
29. We are often deceived by appearances.
Appearances are often _______.
30. She defied her husband.
Her _______ naturally irritated her husband.
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WORD MEANINGS AND VOCABULARY

For proficiency in speaking and writing, you should not only be able to select the suitable
word form—noun, verb, adjective—in your sentences, but also know more than simple word
meanings. Many words in English have more than one meaning. You must expand your
knowledge of a word so that you know which meaning fits a particular context. You can learn
about different word forms and word families as well as different meanings of a word from a
dictionary. When you are unsure about a word’s meaning you can also try to figure it out from
the context. However, it is always good to refer to a dictionary and be sure about the meaning
of a word.
Activity 3
For the words given below, look up a dictionary and fill in the cells of the other
columns by providing the relevant information. Note that some columns may not
have an answer. See the examples that have been done for you.
Its
Number adjec- Its
Word of Its noun Its verb tive adverb
Word form meanings form form form form
grace Noun and 7 grace grace graceful gracefully
verb
contact Noun and 8 contact contact × ×
verb
concept
immense
juggle
knuckle
motivate
precede
retrospec-
tively
structure
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Activity 4
For each word given below, a number of meanings are given. Tick the boxes against
the correct meanings.
1. Bank
(a) An organization that keeps and lends money
(b) The money that people can win in a gambling game
(c) The land on the sides of a river
(d) A place where human blood is stored
(e) A raised area of ground that slopes at the sides
(f) The post or rail that serves as a support along a staircase
(g) A row or series of similar objects, especially machines
2. Coat
(a) A piece of outer clothing worn over other clothes
(b) A jacket worn as part of a suit
(c) A small bone at the end of the spine
(d) The fur or hair that covers an animal’s body
(e) A layer of paint that covers a surface
(f) To cover something with a layer of a substance
(g) The land beside the sea or an ocean
3. Pour
(a) To make a liquid flow from a container
(b) Smoke flowing in a continuous stream
(c) To serve a drink into a cup or a glass
(d) Something coming or going continuously in large numbers
(e) A loud repeated noise
(f) To express feelings or share something that has been hidden
for some time
(g) To do an activity regularly
Activity 5
Divide the class in a group of five students each. Each group should draw up a list
of at least five words that you all are familiar with but do not know how to use them
in sentences. Read out these words to the other groups and ask them to make sen-
tences with your set of words. Similarly, your group should try to make sentences
with the words selected by them. Use a dictionary if none of you know the meaning
of any particular word.
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Section C
READING AND WRITING SKILLS
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Chapter_6.indd 48 09/08/10 2:02 PM

6
Reading for Comprehension
INTRODUCTION
Why do we read? Let us list some purposes of reading here.
• To gather information
• To learn about something new
• For pleasure
Whatever the purpose, the organic outcome of reading is, or should be, the comprehension,
or understanding, of what you read. The ability to understand what you read will depend
upon your knowledge of the vocabulary and grammar of the language as well as familiarity
with the subject matter. The more you read, the better you will get with vocabulary, grammar
and comprehension. The manner of reading usually varies with the purpose of reading. The
ways people read can be divided into the following categories.
• Skimming
• Scanning
• Intensive reading
• Extensive reading
Skimming refers to rapidly reading a text to get an idea of what it contains.
Scanning is done when one is looking for some particular information.
Intensive reading is what students do to take an examination, extract maximum detail from
the text.
Extensive reading is wide reading, reading for pleasure and general awareness
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Activity 1
What kind of reading do you do for the following?
1. Reading a newspaper in the morning while getting ready for office
2. Looking up a telephone directory
3. Reading an e-mail
4. Reading a course textbook
5. Reading for writing an essay
6. Reading a travel itinerary
7. Reading a recipe
8. Reading a reference book for additional information on a chosen subject
9. Reading a novel
10. Reading a poem
11. Reading a letter from a loved one
So, you see, your style of reading varies with your purpose of reading. In some
cases, you just need a general understanding of a text, while in others you may
be required to read every word or sentence carefully to be able to understand the
explicit as well as the implicit message of the text. For a general understanding of
the text, you can use contextual clues to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word
or expression.
Activity 2
Read the following sentences and underline the unfamiliar or difficult words. Can
you guess the meaning of those words with the help of other words in the given
sentence?
1. Mrs Walter protested indignantly that her husband had never been found
intoxicated.
2. The parsimonious old man refused to pay for his son’s higher studies.
3. In spite of the stranger’s avuncular demeanour and helpful approach, Preeti
could not trust him enough to let him take her to the hospital.
4. His recalcitrant attitude cost him his job.
5. Ten years ago, there were hardly any malls in this city, and now they seem
to have become ubiquitous.
(Look up a dictionary to check your score of correct guesses.)
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Reading for Comprehension 51
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE READING

Effective readers are those who can read quickly and get the information they want. However,
not all of us manage to do this easily. There are some barriers that make reading a slow process
and collecting relevant information difficult. Some of these are listed below.
• No pre-reading preparation (i.e., not clear about the information you are seeking).
• Slow speed of reading (i.e., trying to understand every word you read).
• Unfamiliar topics (i.e., topics or descriptions outside the range of your knowledge base
or cultural experience).
• Inappropriate translation or inaccurate linguistic analysis (i.e., trying to understand in
relation to your native language).
• Weak vocabulary (i.e., often having to look up the meaning of words).
• Inadequate understanding of the nuances of the language (i.e., difficulty in understand-
ing the intended meaning of the writer).
The most effective way of dealing with such barriers is extensive reading.
STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE READING

An effective reader is one who can understand a text quickly and find the information they
want efficiently. To be an effective reader, first, you need to identify the purpose of your read-
ing; whether it is (i) to understand the general idea quickly, or (ii) to find out a specific piece of
information, or (iii) you’re reading just for pleasure. Based on the purpose, you should be able
to select a suitable approach—skim, scan, read intensively or read extensively. In addition to
this, you should follow the strategies given below to make reading a truly enriching exercise.
• Preview the reading.
• Try to identify meaning rather than letters or words.
• Work out the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary from the context.
• Consult a dictionary for the meaning of new or difficult words.
• Locate topic sentences.
• Distinguish the main points from the subordinate ones.
• Distinguish a fact from an opinion.
• Eliminate unlikely alternatives through inference and prediction.
• Distinguish explicit and implied relationships between sentences and paragraphs.
• Recognize the importance of an argument or the tone.
• Extract salient points to summarize.
• Evaluate critically what you have read.
• Have confidence in your own ability and take chances.
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COMPREHENSION TOOLS
To facilitate your understanding of the text you are reading, you can also use tools like (a) note
making, (b) annotating, (c) summarizing, and (d) paraphrasing. When you make notes, you
pick out only the relevant information. When you annotate, you mark up or highlight the text
or make notes in the margin. While annotating, you also write your comments about the text.
When you summarize, you write in your own words the most important points of a piece of
writing. When you paraphrase, you take the information from a source and put it in your own
words without condensing it.
Précis Writing
One way to extract the salient points of a text is précis writing. The word précis comes from
French, and it means the same as the English word precise. In both languages, it is also the
name given to a condensed or shortened version of a passage or a document. In this regard,
it may be said to be something like a summary or a synopsis, though they are not quite the
same. The summary of a passage is a condensed report of all the ideas, or information, con-
tained in the passage, while a synopsis is a brief outline of the text. A précis is the substance
of the text. It is more compressed, giving the main ideas only, expressed in precise order and
form. Brevity is the soul of précis writing; but in order to obtain brevity you must not leave
out anything essential, and, you must not sacrifice clarity. In an examination, a student is
usually asked to limit his précis to one-third of the length of the original. For the sake of clar-
ity, however, this rule may not always be strictly observed. In précis writing, it is important
to provide a title. It should indicate the main idea of the passage in a nutshell. The selection
of the title indicates whether a student has been able to grasp the import of the original.
A précis must be written in reported speech, in the third person, and in the past tense, and
must be strictly objective. Look at the specimen précis (done for you), and write the précis for
the other passages.
A Worked-out Example:
The universal tendency of the human mind is to shrink from the trouble of thinking out any
of its so-called opinions. People become mentally indolent, too indolent to judge for them-
selves. On any conceivable subject, they take their opinions ready-made. The memory thus
becomes a storehouse of conventional ready-made opinions, and these eventually harden
into irrational convictions.
(57 words)
How Irrational Convictions Are Formed

People generally are too lazy to think for themselves and accept ready-made opinions that
finally become foolish convictions with them.
(20 words)
Chapter_6.indd 52 09/08/10 2:02 PM

Activity 3
Practice Précis Writing
1. The idea that education should cover the knowledge of all useful fields of equip-
ment is erroneous. The limitations of time and immaturity should be kept in mind,
and more time should be spent on evolving the capacity to acquire knowledge,
and to think aright, rather than learning about all kinds of equipment straight
away. The pressure of too many subjects is not a good thing for a young brain. On
the other hand, it is only when the brain is young that the capacity to think aright
can be developed and the correct method of work implanted. To give an example,
I would point out that history cannot be understood by boys and girls, who have
not seen or experienced much of life and its problems. The brain is a machine
that should be properly assembled and adjusted during youth. Once this is done,
it will take care of itself and will be capable of holding much more information.
There is plenty of time for acquiring information or knowledge about the various
branches of study. The stress during youth should be on training, on creating a
habit of correct observation, of scientific curiosity, and of thinking aright, and not
on cramming the brain with information.
(205 words)
2. The most important thing is that we should all have the freedom of thought. This is
however easier said than done. Everyone likes to have this freedom for himself, but is
not willing to give it to others when they express different opinions. This is particular-
ly the case when differences of opinion arise on such important matters as religion or
politics. But if we refuse to let other people hold their opinions on these matters, and
especially if we try to force them to accept our own, progress is impossible. If people
continued to think the way their ancestors did, there would be no progress at all. Lord
Buddha said, ‘What a man thinks, he becomes.’ So, if we think like our forefathers did,
we shall remain in the condition in which they were. Our thoughts depend a good
deal upon what we read and what we talk about. Therefore, if we want to progress, we
must try to read about all aspects of the topic that we hear or learn about, and not be
content with only what we read in newspapers or hear others say.
(187 words)
READING COMPREHENSION
Comprehension passages are meant to test your comprehension, or understanding, of a given text.
An effective tool to gauge a student’s command of a language is reading comprehension tests. Com-
prehension is the result of your familiarity with the language and concentration while reading. If
you are an alert reader, and have a good vocabulary and considerably good general awareness, your
comprehension of a new text or an unseen passage too will be quick and correct.
Chapter_6.indd 53 09/08/10 2:02 PM

A good practice of comprehension tests also enhances a person’s reading skills. Before we move
on to the passages for practice, let us go over certain strategies that will be of help in reading
comprehension tests.
• Quickly read (skim through) the entire passage once. This will give you an idea of the
content of the passage.
• Then read the questions properly.
• Now go back to the passage and locate and mark the parts that have the answers to the
questions asked.
• Then compose your answers in your own words.
COMPREHENSION PASSAGES FOR PRACTICE
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Passage 1
I had seen little of Holmes lately. My marriage had drifted us away from each other. My
own complete happiness, and the home-centred interests that rise up around the man
who first finds himself master of his own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all my
attention, while Holmes, who loathed every form of society with his whole bohemian soul,
remained in our lodgings in Baker Street, buried among his old books, and alternating
from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the
fierce energy of his own keen nature. He was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of
crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in fol-
lowing out those clues, and clearing up those mysteries that had been abandoned as hope-
less by the official police. From time to time I heard some vague account of his doings: of
his summons to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder; of his clearing up of the singular
tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally of the mission that he had ac-
complished so delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland. Beyond these
signs of his activity, however, which I merely shared with all the readers of the daily press, I
knew little of my former friend and companion.
Questions:
1. Do you think the writer missed the company of Holmes? Give reasons in support of your
answer.
2. The writer says, Holmes ‘loathed every form of society’. Do you agree with his opinion? Give
reasons in support of your answer.
3. What impression do you form about Holmes on reading the description in the above
paragraph?
4. What is the writer’s opinion about the ‘official police’?
Chapter_6.indd 54 09/08/10 2:02 PM

Passage 2
Traditional values are changing. We are aping the west and making monkeys of ourselves.
While Hollywood is extolling the history of their own people and making movies like
Gangs of New York, Pirates of The Caribbean and other epics, Bollywood is busying itself
with desperate attempts to make movies based on Hollywood flicks, popular among
American teens. While we concentrate on remixing songs and duplicating English videos,
we are slowly stepping away from the path of originality and individuality. But while in the
last generation there was just plain following of western principles by the youth, now, there
have been greater benefits. The youth today not only learn from the West, but they—like
their great ancestors who built this nation—are combining this knowledge with our own
culture and now a time has come where the west is aping the east. Punjabi tunes, desi styles
and Indian art have hit markets overseas and are making us known to the world. So while
there is change, like I mentioned earlier, it is not all for the worse.
Questions:
1. Choose the correct option.
The tone of the above extract is
a. critical but optimistic
b. denouncing and pessimistic
c. sympathetic and hopeful
d. critical and pessimistic
e. laudatory and optimistic
2. What example has the author given to show that Hollywood is extolling its history.
3. How has the author compared the earlier generation with the current?
4. What according to the author has made our desi music popular in the West?
Passage 3
The term e-commerce embraces all the ways of transacting business via electronic data.
But it is most closely identified with commerce transacted over the internet, and it is the
internet that has put e-commerce near the top of the corporate agenda in the first years of
the 21st century. E-commerce is merely an elision of electronic commerce, but it embod-
ies a revolutionary idea: that electronic commerce is qualitatively different from ordinary
time-worn commerce, that (in the jargon), there is a paradigm shift in the way that busi-
ness is conducted in the world of e-commerce. Doing business via the internet is not only
much quicker and much cheaper than other methods, it is also thought to overturn old
rules about time, space and price. There is the much-vaunted death of distance. A cus-
tomer 10,000 miles away becomes as accessible as one around the corner. E-commerce has
created the phenomenon of the long tail.
Furthermore, economies of scale are undermined. In its April 1999 report ‘Making
Open Finance Pay’, Forrester Research, an American research company, gave examples of
the way in which the internet had altered the pricing structure of a number of industries,
Chapter_6.indd 55 09/08/10 2:02 PM

particularly those with high information content. Before the advent of the internet it cost
$100 to make an equity market order. Afterwards it cost just $15, an 85% fall in price,
far more than could ever have been gleaned from traditional economies of scale. This is
a revolution for organizations whose structures and strategies have built-in assumptions
about relationships between price and volume. Electronic commerce has grown rapidly.
Online sales in the United States are reckoned to have grown by some 18% in 2007. The
country’s five largest online retailers (often called e-tailers) were Amazon, Staples, Office
Depot, Dell and Hewlett-Packard. Dell became a market leader in computers through
early use of the internet to sell goods and services direct to consumers, and to buy compo-
nents from suppliers.
Financial service offerings over the internet have also sprouted like mushrooms,
although security issues have imposed some restraint on the industry. At Charles Schwab,
an American retail brokerage firm, it took just three years for online dealing to account for
more than half of all its securities trading. For banks, the economic logic of e-commerce is
compelling. It has been estimated that a banking transaction over the telephone costs half
as much as the same transaction conducted over a counter in a traditional branch, and that
an ATM transaction costs a quarter as much. But a banking transaction over the internet
costs a mere 1% of an over-the-counter transaction at a branch. E-commerce also allows
unknown firms to establish new businesses cheaply and rapidly, and to compete with
old-timers. This they do not only by cutting prices and offering wider choices, but also
by allowing consumers to make real-time price comparisons and to switch rapidly (and
frequently) to the cheapest provider. This control that consumers have over prices has led
some analysts to predict that e-commerce can at best only ever be a low-margin business,
and at worst a no-margin business.
Questions:
1. The word elision means:
a. Omission b. Abbreviation c. Contraption d. Slang e. Jargon
2. Which of the following (stated or implied) is not supported by the passage?

(A) Transactions conducted using mobile phones do not qualify to be e-commerce.
(B) The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily with wide-
spread Internet usage.
(C) Modern commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the
transaction’s lifecycle.
(D) Transaction conducted through e-mail will not qualify to be e-commerce.
(E) Electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in some way.
a. A, B, C and E b. A, C, D and E c. C and E
d. B, D, and E e. B, C and E
3. Which of the following audiences would find the above passage most useful?
a. Software engineers
b. Financial service providers
c. New entrepreneurs
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d. Internet Service providers

e. Urban shoppers
4. Which of the following is not stated in the passage?
a. Before the internet a person had to spend $100 to make an equity market order.
b. E-commerce makes available the benefit of economy of scale even to fewer
transactions.
c. Dell could become a market leader through direct sales through e-commerce.
d. Internet is used to source components from suppliers.
e. None of the above
5. Why does the writer state that in e-commerce economies of scale are undermined?
a. Because it reinforces the built-in assumptions about the interconnection between price
and volume.
b. Because volumes cannot be expected in e-commerce, cost per transaction may remain
more or less the same.
c. Because e-commerce has the potential to create large volumes that may eventually push
up the cost per transaction.
d. Because the advantage that a business may derive through volume becomes available
even at small scales.
e. Because e-commerce saves a great deal of overheads in terms of physical transportation
of goods or services.
6. The example of ‘Charles Schwab’ serves which of the following purposes in the passage?
a. It illustrates the speed at which a company can establish itself in business using
e-commerce.
b. It demonstrates the speed at which a company can expand its business using
e-commerce.
c. It illustrates the impact e-commerce has had on the financial service sector.
d. It provides support for the idea that e-commerce makes very good economic sense.
e. It provides an example of one of the earliest e-banking firms.
7. How is e-commerce advantageous to the consumer?
(A) It offers him goods and services at cheaper rates.
(B) He gains exposure to wider choices.
(C) He is able to make real-time price comparisons.
(D) He is able to quickly make his decision.
a. All of the above
b. A and C but not B and D
c. A and D but not B and C
d. B and C but not A and D
e. None of these
* Passages 2 and 3 have been reproduced with permission from Reading Comprehension for the CAT by Sujit Kumar
(New Delhi: Pearson Education, 2010)
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7
Writing Correct English
INTRODUCTION
Writing is more formal than speaking. Hence, there are many elements of language that
become visible in writing and are critical for comprehension. These elements range from the
mechanical, that is, neat handwriting or typing legibly, through to organizational, that is, the
ability to develop the written text coherently and convincingly. Writing demands a greater
degree of accuracy and explicitness. Hence, for writing it is important for you to be able to
• produce grammatically correct sentences;
• connect and punctuate the sentence suitably;
• structure the message in a manner that addresses the readers’ likely questions;
• be consistent with mechanics such as capitalization, italicization, abbreviations, num-
bers, spellings, etc.
SYNTAX AND COMPONENTS OF A SENTENCE

Syntax is the arrangement of words in a sentence that form a meaningful sentence and show
the relationship of words within the sentence. In English, the pattern of word order is subject-
verb-object (SVO). For example, in the sentence, ‘Nilay plays basketball’, Nilay is the subject,
plays is the verb and basketball is the object.
Subject and Predicate

The basic components of a sentence are a subject and a predicate. The subject is the person,
place or thing that we talk about. The predicate is that part of the sentence that contains what
is said about the subject. For example, in the sentence, ‘Nilay and Akshay have been selected
Chapter_7.indd 59 09/08/10 2:03 PM

for the college basketball team’, ‘Nilay and Akshay’ forms the subject of the sentence, and the
remaining part of the sentence, including the verb, form the predicate of the sentence.
Parts of Speech
Each word in a sentence has a specific role. Some words are ‘doing words’ and express actions;
others are used to signify ‘things’; still others may be used to join one word or sentence to
another. To construct a meaningful and correct sentence, these elements have to be com-
bined properly. Usually, words in the English language are classified based on eight parts
of speech—the noun, the pronoun, the verb, the adjective, the adverb, the preposition, the
conjunction, and the interjection. Apart from these, there are two kinds of articles—defi nite
and indefinite.
The Noun
To put it simply, a noun could be a person, place or a thing. It is also known as a ‘naming
word’. ‘Apple’, ‘house’, ‘man’ are nouns. Proper nouns, common nouns, abstract nouns, col-
lective nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns are some of the most common types
of nouns.
A proper noun names one specific item and is written beginning with a capital letter
wherever it occurs in a sentence. Taj Mahal, Chennai, Ravi are proper nouns. A common noun
is a general name given to things; examples are table, cup, book, etc. A noun that refers to an
idea or a quality, and not to a physical object, is called an abstract noun; examples are good-
ness, friendship, etc. A singular noun that refers to a group is a collective noun; for example,
team, crowd, fleet, etc. Countable nouns denote things that can be counted like pencils, roses,
glasses, etc. Things that cannot be divided into separate elements and thus, cannot be counted
are called uncountable nouns like love, rice, hair, milk, etc.
Activity 1
Do as directed.
1. The boys are playing football. (Identify the common nouns)
2. I brought swiss chocolates for shabnam. (Capitalize the proper nouns)
3. The visitor threw (a little/some) nuts at the monkey in the zoo. (Choose the
correct word)
4. The porter was asked to carry the luggages to the room. (Correct the sentence)
5. Ratna has coloured her hairs. (Correct the sentence)
The Pronoun
A pronoun is a word that is used in the place of a noun. Words like he, she, ours, we, etc. are
pronouns. A pronoun is used to avoid using the same noun repetitively. For example: Sunil, do
you remember Rita? Have you heard from her?
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Writing Correct English 61
Activity 2
Fill in the blanks with the correct pronouns.
1. Harish and _________ (I/me) have been friends since childhood.
2. Tania said _________ (her/she) and ________ (her/she) sister would go to
the movie.
3. The machine doesn’t work. Can the engineer fix __________ (them/it).
4. The local government plans to increase ___________ (its/their) budget
this year.
5. The children are playing ____________ (his/their) favourite game.
The Verb
The verb is perhaps the most important part of a sentence. It is not possible to construct a
sentence without a verb. Some verbs express the idea of action like ‘run’, ‘fight’, ‘work’, etc., for
example, Govind reads books. Some others convey a state of being. Examples: I am fine. The
book is good. The girl seems happy.
Almost all verbs change their forms. For example, fight, fights, fought, will fight. The form
of the verb depends on various factors like (a) the period/time in which the action takes,
namely, the present, past or future, or (b) the subject being singular or plural or in the first,
second or the third person.
Activity 3
Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs given in the bracket.
1. She __________ (go) to visit her grandmother yesterday.
2. He ____________ (work) for the past one year.
3. He is currently _________ (lead) the team.
4. I never __________ (see) Pratap after his promotion.
5. The child ___________ (play) with his toys.
The Adjective
A word that tells us more about a noun is known as an adjective. The adjective modifies and
qualifies a noun. For example, in the sentence, ‘This is a small doll’, the word ‘small’ qualifies
the noun ‘doll’. Here ‘small’ is an adjective. Here are a few more examples: The rose is red. It was
a small, clean room.
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Activity 4
Identify and underline the adjectives in the sentences.
1. The red dress she bought looks very bright.
2. The match went on for three hours.
3. The engineers have discovered a large coal deposit.
4. Nine boys and three girls volunteered to help.
5. Do not sit on the wet paint.
The Adverb
Just as an adjective qualifies and modifies a noun, an adverb tells us more about a verb or an
adjective. For example, The horse ran swiftly. Here, the adverb swiftly is describing the verb
ran; it tells us how the horse ran. Here’s another example, The dress was really pretty. Here the
adverb really is qualifying the adjective pretty.
An adverb often ends in ‘ly’. This is a common way of identifying an adverb. However, not
all adverbs end in ‘ly’ and not all words ending in ‘ly’ are adverbs. For example, friendly is an
adjective and not an adverb.
Activity 5
Identify the adverbs in the sentences.
1. We stood outside his office as we waited for him.
2. She is not strong enough to haul up that box.
3. He will never confess to his crimes.
4. Last week, he performed better.
5. The flight took off at 5 p.m. eventually.
The Preposition
A preposition is a word that indicates the relation between things that are referred to in a sen-
tence. Example, The dog is sleeping on the mat. In this sentence the preposition ‘on’ describes
the relation between the words ‘dog’ and ‘mat’.
Activity 6
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. I will not be here for two weeks ________ June.
2. Place the graph __________ the relevant text.
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3. I go to bed ___________ 11 every night.

4. I’m sure he didn’t cause the accident ___________ purpose.
5. The cat jumped __________ the wall and disappeared.
on at over in above
The Conjunction
The function of a conjunction is to join. It joins two or more words or parts of a sentence. The
two parts of the sentence may be grammatically equal (I wanted to go to class but got late) or
one of them might be a subordinating or dependent clause (They went out although it was cold).
Some common conjunctions are and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so, although, because, since, etc.
Activity 7
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable conjunctions.
1. I don’t have dairy products ____________ I don’t like them.
2. Let them wait at the shop ____________ the rain stops.
3. I have not heard from her __________ she left last week.
4. The students were getting tired _________ the teacher asked them to take rest.
5. Would you like rice ___________ chapattis?
so or because since until
The Interjection
Words like uh, ah, really, wow, etc. that are used as exclamations are known as interjections. In writ-
ing, an interjection is often followed by an exclamation mark. For example: Ah! That was a good meal.
Activity 8
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable interjections.
1. __________, I did not understand your point. Could you explain it again?
2. __________! My pet died last summer.
3. __________, what do you suggest we do about it?
4. __________! That really hurt!
5. __________ Dad! Please say yes.
Ouch Alas Umm Oh Well
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KINDS OF SENTENCES
A sentence is defined as a group of words that makes complete sense. A sentence can be a
simple statement or a question. It can be a request, or a command, or even an exclamation of
happiness, surprise or anger. Depending on the purpose of communication, a sentence can be
classified into the following four kinds.
1. Declarative: A sentence that makes a statement is a declarative sentence. Example: The
table is made of wood.
2. Interrogative: A sentence that asks a question is an interrogative sentence. Example: Is
the table made of wood?
3. Imperative: A sentence that gives a command or makes a request is an imperative sen-
tence. Example: Give us a table that is made of wood.
4. Exclamatory: A sentence that expresses a sentiment or emotion an exclamatory sen-
tence. Example: Oh, so the table is made of wood!
Activity 9
Transform these sentences as indicated.
1. The birds have flown. (Change to interrogative)
2. Are you coming to work tomorrow? (Change to imperative)
3. What a beautiful day! (Change to declarative)
4. Is it a complete loss? (Change to exclamatory)
5. What a noble act! (Change to interrogative)
6. Don’t go near the pond. (Change to declarative)
7. We have a holiday tomorrow. (Change to interrogative)
8. Will you, please, pass me the bowl? (Change to imperative)
9. It was a delightful movie. (Change to exclamatory)
10. Are there people in the room? (Change to declarative)
11. Come inside the house. (Change to interrogative)
12. I wish I did not have to grow old. (Change to exclamatory)
TYPES OF SENTENCES
There are three basic types of sentences that are used in English. These are simple, complex and
compound sentences.
Simple sentence: A simple sentence is one which has one subject and one verb. We can say one
independent clause makes a simple sentence. An clause is a group of words that includes a sub-
ject and a verb but forms a part of a sentence.
Chapter_7.indd 64 09/08/10 2:03 PM

Examples: Mira visited the zoo yesterday.

The moon is up in the sky.
Compound sentence: When a sentence contains a minimum of two independent clauses,
joined by a conjunction, it is a compound sentence.
Examples: I wanted to go to the see the play but I was late.
I needed to buy many things, so I went shopping.
(In these examples, the two independent clauses have been underlined.)
Complex sentence: When a sentence has one independent clause and one or more
dependent or subordinate clauses, it is a complex sentence.
Examples: If she invites me, I’ll go to the party.
Mr Verma, who was late for work, hailed a cab.
(In these examples, the subordinate clauses have been underlined.)
Activity 10
(A) Each set has two simple sentences. Change them to one compound sentence.
1. The children are leaving. The class is over.
2. The boy is hungry. He is crying.
3. You should stay in. It is going to rain.
4. He worked hard. He won the prize.
5. Write a story. Post it on the blog.
(B) Change the simple sentences into complex sentences. You might have to enlarge
phrases.
1. He found his diary.
2. He regretted his actions.
3. Mira saw a hurt cat.
4. His broken leg hurt badly.
5. She visited her ill aunt.
(C) Change the compound sentences into complex sentences.
1. He was late and he missed the train.
2. He was tired so he fell asleep.
3. That is an old castle and it is not safe.
4. He put on his shoes and he went running.
5. You are working hard but there is little chance of succeeding.
(D) Change the complex sentences into compound sentences.
1. I am happy that he has finally found a job.
2. When you have rested well, you can start your work.
3. The book that I bought is in your cabinet.
Chapter_7.indd 65 09/08/10 2:03 PM

4. Since he was overconfident, he did not prepare well.

5. As soon as he heard the good news, he called.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

Active voice: In a sentence, when the action is done by the subject, the verb is in the active voice.
Examples: Ragini cooked food for the party.
The postman delivered the mail.
Passive voice: When the subject undergoes the action, the verb is in the passive voice.
Examples: The food for the party was cooked by Ragini.
The mail was delivered by the postman.
Activity 11
(A) Change these sentences from the active to the passive voice.
1. People should not park their cars in the middle of the road.
2. They built the model in two days.
3. The school is renovating the library this month.
4. We have finished the presentation.
5. You should take care while ironing your clothes.
(B) Change these sentences from the passive to the active voice.
1. The recipe has been changed.
2. He will have to be shown the way.
3. An increase in business has been reported by the company this year.
4. The news will be made official this evening.
5. The gift must have been sent by my aunt.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

Direct speech: When we report what the speaker has said in exactly the same words as used by
him, the sentence is said to be in direct speech. It is usually presented within inverted commas.
Examples: Rahul said, ‘I don’t want to go to school today.’
This dress does not fit me well,’ Taru said.
Indirect speech: A sentence that reports what a speaker has said but not in his/her words, the
sentence is said to be in indirect speech. This kind of sentence is also known as reported speech,
and it does not take quotation marks. Since generally such reporting is done for something that
has happened in the past, indirect speech is in the past tense.
Chapter_7.indd 66 09/08/10 2:03 PM

Examples: Rahul said that he did not want to go to school that day.
Taru said the dress did not fit her well.
Activity 12
(A) Change these sentences from direct to indirect speech.
1. ‘My name is Lalit,’ he said.
2. ‘Isn’t the puppy cute?’ exclaimed Ria.
3. The teacher asked Rahul, ‘Have you finished your homework?’
4. ‘I have a bad headache. I cannot come for the meeting,’ he said.
5. Navin said, ‘I have been to Amsterdam twice.’
(B) Change these sentences from indirect to direct speech.
1. He said he had been in Mumbai last month.
2. Mira said she would be able to find her own way back.
3. Sushmita said she would come only if she could bring her mother with her.
4. The doctor asked me how long I had been waiting.
5. He asked the waiter for a glass of water.
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Section D
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
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Integrating Communication Techniques
8
and Soft Skills
COMMUNICATION AND SOFT SKILLS

Communication is at the core of every relationship, personal or professional. What you say to
people around you and how you say it determines, to a great degree, your own achievements
in life. Most of the activities of a person’s life, especially professional or business life, entail
exchange of information, messages, ideas or knowledge, or even sentiments or experiences.
The better your communication skills, the more effectively you will be able to put across your
ideas and the higher will be your chances of success. Communication is a two-way process
that involves not only conveying but also receiving the message or information. If the message
is received exactly as it was intended to be, the objective of the communication is fulfilled and
hence it can be said to be effective. There are various ways in which people communicate—by
speaking, writing or through body language.
Since communication happens in so many ways and at so many levels, one may uncon-
sciously give a wrong message that may, in turn, lead to misunderstanding. Therefore, it is
necessary that a person be aware of all communication mediums and ensure that she/he cre-
ates a positive impression, because a positive impression will mean better opportunities and
growth in career. Rajesh, in L&P Consultants, is an efficient manager. He knows his work well,
takes quick decisions, and guides his subordinates well, yet he is unpopular in office. Col-
leagues complain he is arrogant, tends to be rude and is often high-handed. Therefore, despite
his superior professional competencies, he could not be entrusted with higher responsibilities
because of his poor people skills. In today’s competitive environment, it is the soft skills of a
person that can give him an edge over others at workplace. It is therefore imperative that one
learns to integrate soft skills with communication techniques and add value to one’s technical
prowess and professional competency. In the professional sphere, people are required to bal-
Chapter_8.indd 71 09/08/10 2:04 PM

ance the commercial needs of their company with the individual needs of their colleagues and
staff. Some desirable soft skills at the work place include the following qualities:
• The ability to communicate clearly and openly, and to listen and respond empathetically.
• The art of influencing, delegating, motivating, appraising, presenting and managing a team.
• Flexibility and the ability to adapt to the changing needs of an organization.
• The ability to deal with differences, multiculturalism and diversity.
To be effective at work, you have to communicate well. To be a good manager, you have to com-
municate exceptionally well. This is the reason why after testing the technical and conceptual
skills in a written exam, a candidate is put through tests whereby his verbal communication
skills and personality traits can be assessed. Group discussion, personal interview and presen-
tations are certain methodologies through which these qualities can be gauged.
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
A group discussion enables the selection board to judge a candidate’s ability to express ideas
coherently, logically and systematically, and also his/her leadership quality. The technique
of group discussion has been extensively used to select candidates for various management
courses like MBA or PGDBM/PGDBA at various universities and institutes of management.
The panel also observes the behaviour of the candidate in the group discussion. During group
discussions, the selecting officer judges whether the person has self-confidence, tact, a cool
temperament and an alert mind, and also whether the person can convince others about what
he/she thinks is right. A person’s group behaviour can be analysed through this procedure.
Features of a Group Discussion

The group discussion technique used for selecting candidates has the following main features:
• A form of conversation: A group discussion is a multi sided conversation that is sponta-
neous and not pre planned. In such a conversation, there is no previous preparation and
the discussion may be on any topic.
• Different from a debate: The group discussion is not a debate. All members of a group
have a fair opportunity to express their views on a given topic freely. In a debate, the
group is divided into two parts—one that speaks for the motion and the other that op-
poses the motion. To conduct the debate, there is a speaker or a chairman who calls
upon the debaters one by one and allots a definite time limit for each debater. On the
other hand, a group discussion is quite informal and is not conditioned by such proce-
dural rules as in the case of a debate. Here the candidates can say whatever they like and
whenever they like on the subject under discussion.
• No interference from the examiner: The members of a group are left quite free to dis-
cuss the topic without any interference from the examiner. The examiner or the testing
officer, as he/she is called in group discussions, acts as a silent observer in the background.
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Integrating Communication Techniques and Soft Skills 73
• Discussion revolves around a given topic: In a group discussion, a specific subject or

topic is given for discussion and the candidates are required to talk on that particular
topic only. They are free to talk for or against but they should confine the discussion only
to the chosen topic.
• Cordial and friendly atmosphere: An atmosphere of cordial friendliness pervades group
discussions, unlike in personal interviews, where there is some nervousness because the
candidate has to face the interviewer or the board members alone. On the other hand,
in a group discussion the participants are of a similar background and as such there is
no trace of fear or complexes and their natural group behaviour can be assessed.
The Procedure for a Group Discussion

The group discussion normally follows the procedure given below:
• More number of candidates: Unlike interviews where only one candidate participates at
a time, normally there are four to eight candidates in a group discussion.
• Assignment of serial numbers: As soon as the candidates assemble for a group discus-
sion, they are assigned different serial numbers, viz., 1, 2, 3 and 4. They are then ad-
dressed as Mr No. 1 or No. 2 and not by names.
• Wearing the number tag: If the group is large, candidates may have to wear their number
tags all the time. The examiner, who is in the background, notes down the points from the
tag numbers instead of writing the names of the candidates. Therefore, in such a situation it
is essential that every candidate properly displays the number of his/her tag all the time.
• Initiation of the discussion: The examiner or the testing officer does not decide who
should speak first and how much time each candidate should take. The candidates are
instructed not to disclose their names or speak in any other language except the one
prescribed for the discussion, which is mostly English.
• Sitting arrangement: The members of the group are generally seated around a table or
in a semicircle so that they face one another, and the testing officer is able to watch them
from the background.
• Selection of topics: In some cases, the candidates themselves select the topic they wish
to discuss. However, the examiner may also give two or three topics for discussion and
the members of the group are required to select any one for discussion. The topics may
vary from light everyday affair to serious issues like the nuclear deal issue or the current
situation in the northeastern part of India.
• The examiner’s role: As soon as the discussion starts, the examiner goes into the back-
ground, leaving the candidates free to carry on with the discussion. He/she takes notes
to assess the personality and group behaviour of the members without making his/her
presence felt by the group.
• Group leader: Normally, no one is appointed as a group leader. The candidate endowed
with natural leadership qualities will automatically emerge as a leader and assume the
leadership of the group, steering the discussion.
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Strategies for Success in a Group Discussion

It is said that to find the remedy for any problem, one should first seek out its causes. This also
applies to group discussions. Most of the candidates who participate in a group discussion do
not understand the real purpose behind this test. Most candidates hold the erroneous view that
their debating quality is being tested or that they have to exhibit their excellence in arguments
or their capacity to dominate others in the group. The result of this misconception is that many
good candidates, who are otherwise intelligent, do not get selected in group discussions. One
of the most common mistakes is that they feel they must dominate the other members of the
group during the discussion. They believe that effective speaking means not allowing other
members to speak and to take the maximum time for themselves. Another reason for failure
in group discussions is that the participants often do not argue their points logically and are
unable to support their arguments with valid reasons. Some participants keep interrupting
when others are speaking, thus not allowing other participants to express their views. Some
participants believe that by speaking in a louder voice, they will be able to dominate in a group
discussion. All these factors contribute to failure in the group discussion. The following guide-
lines will help you to be successful in group discussions.
• Decide your strategy: Once the topic for discussion is selected, you should immediately
decide your strategy and how you are going to implement it. You have to decide whether
you are going to speak in favour or against the particular issue. You should think of
arguments with examples to support them in advance.
• Mind your language and behaviour: Try to maintain a serious, sophisticated and decent
style of language and behaviour throughout. You have to be courteous as well as tactful.
Do not bluntly say, ‘No, you are wrong’ or ‘No, what you are saying is baseless.’ Such an
approach indicates negative behaviour. Instead say, ‘You may be correct, but …’ Disagree
without sounding rude or losing your temper. Remember, you are being observed by
the examiner.
• Be a good listener: While another participant is speaking, try to listen attentively and do
not interrupt unless he/she has finished his/her argument. In a group discussion, every
participant has to speak and listen to one another; otherwise the discussion will become
meaningless and irrelevant.
• Don’t make fun of other participants: You must know when to contradict and inter-
rupt the other participants while also ensuring that the discussion remains friendly
and cordial. If you are criticizing an argument extended by another participant, do not
make fun of him/her and laugh away what he/she is saying by dismissing it as rubbish.
Be polite while rejecting or contradicting the arguments of other participants. For
example, say ‘I beg to differ’ and then give your reasons to support your argument.
• Support your argument with valid reasons: If you are supporting an argument or you
plan to agree with something, then your support should be comprehensive. You must
give valid reasons as to why you are supporting a particular point and how it is different
from those that have already been extended by other participants.
Chapter_8.indd 74 09/08/10 2:04 PM

• Take criticism positively and hold on to your temper: If any member of the group criti-
cizes your views, do not get upset. Don’t get angry if your argument is not accepted.
‘Anger is a brief madness,’ said Horace. Take the criticism positively and if you accept
it, then say yes, otherwise give your own reasons to convince the participant criticizing
you. You must remember that the person who criticizes you unfairly shows himself in
poor light. This will help you curb the instinct to retaliate.
• Make maximum contribution: Make sure that you make the maximum contribution in
the discussion. Participate wholeheartedly and continuously throughout the discussion.
But make sure that whatever you say is relevant and logical in view of the discussion
being carried on.
• Show leadership and co coordinating ability: Your leadership qualities are evaluated in a
group discussion. You must, therefore, give ample opportunities to the examiner to test
your leadership ability. You should also be able to influence your group-mates to accept
your leadership. James F. Lincoln has said, ‘A strong leader knows that if he develops his
associates he will be even stronger.’ Therefore, try to carry your group mates with you.
The best way to learn to speak in group discussions is to get together with your colleagues or
classmates and start discussing a topic. Ask them to give their views and you give your views.
Organize a small group discussion and discuss current topics or any other news item in it.
There is no short-term course for achieving success in a group discussion and you can only
learn with experience.
INTERVIEW
The purpose of an interview is twofold: (i) obtaining certain information from the candidate
that he/she alone knows and can be gathered only by a face-to-face interaction; and (ii) making
an on-the-spot study of a candidate’s verbal behaviour under given circumstances. Therefore,
the interview is a scientific technique to judge human behaviour in a given situation and all
those qualities that cannot be assessed through a written examination. As every scientific tech-
nique has a set process, the interview too, being a scientific analysis of human behaviour, in-
volves different stages of a process. The different stages are:
1. Initiating the interview.
2. Exposing the candidate’s academic level and general awareness.
3. Analysing the candidate’s psychological behaviour.
4. Summing up the interview.
5. Arriving at the conclusion.
Preparing for an Interview

It is advised to research about the company you are going to for the interview. Employers show
interest in candidates posing intelligent questions and striking intelligent conversation with
the interviewer based on their knowledge about the organization. Candidates who are caught
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unawares about the company—what its core area is and what position is being offered—score
negatively with the interviewer. A recent survey confirms that employers say the most common
deficiency among job candidates is that they don’t know much about the company they have
applied to. If you are preparing for an interview, you can find a lot of information about many
companies, including links to their Web sites (and information about products and services)
online. Here are certain facts that you should find out before the interview:
• Important people in the company.
• Major products manufactured or services provided.
• Size in relation to turnover and employees.
• Locations.
• Organizational structure of the company.
• Major competitors.
• Opinion of clients, vendors and competitors about the company.
• Recent media reports about the company.
Memorizing good answers to typical job interview questions is not enough preparation for the
job interview. Why? Imagine three people sitting in a lobby waiting to be interviewed for the
same job. One of the applicants has spent several hours researching the company and its in-
dustry. The other two have not done any research at all. Who stands the best chance of getting
the job? The person who lets the interviewer know he has done his research. Spending three,
four or even more hours to prepare for a job interview is recommended by career experts.
You should become familiar with the company, its products or services, its competitors, the
industry in which it operates, and decide how your skills will benefit the company so that you
can answer interview questions such as ‘Why do you want to work for us?’ ‘What do you know
about our company?’ and ‘How can you benefit our company?’ If you do this, your odds of
beating out your competitors increase dramatically.
When researching a company, you should know the answers to the following general ques-
tions before you show up for the interview:
• How old is the company?
• How large is it?
• What are its products or services?
• Who are its customers?
• Who are its major competitors?
• What is its reputation/industry standing?
• What are its new products or services?
• What are its short- and long-term goals?
• Have there been recent employee layoffs?
• Where is the company’s headquarters located?
• What are the backgrounds of the managers?
• What training programmes are offered?
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Apart from being ready with your facts and intelligent questions for the interview, you should
bear in mind that physical appearance and presentation carry equal weight in interviews, and
therefore have to be given due attention. Some such aspects are listed here.
• Choose a well tailored dress and ensure that it is well ironed and clean and that no but-
tons are missing. The dress you choose should suit the job you are applying for.
• Shoes should be polished and you should have a matching pair of socks to go with them.
• Carry a folder having your certificates, mark sheets and other necessary documents ar-
ranged in a perfect chronological order.
• Prepare yourself mentally to counter the questions regarding your résumé. Have a look
at your résumé, mark sheets and other certificates.
• Even minute things matter in an interview. So make sure you have a pocket comb handy
and the time on your wrist watch is correct.
• Put your interview call letter at the top in your folder and check the time designated for
your interview just to make sure that you are on time.
• You should be aware of the latest happenings and for that, note down important news
items from the latest news.
The Day of the Interview

On the day of the interview, you must keep last-minute panic at bay and make sure you get
ready before time to be able to gather the folder and other items. Leave for the interview venue
early keeping a margin for any unforeseen factor that might delay your reaching the destina-
tion. The following tips will be of help during the interview:
• Be courteous when you introduce yourself at the destination.
• Communicate with other candidates while waiting for your interview.
• Discuss latest happenings and current affairs with them.
• Get more knowledge about the company through the materials provided to you.
• Have a firm handshake.
• Listen carefully and be positive with your body language to show your interest.
• Do enquire about the next step in the interview process.
• Meet the interviewer as an equal. His/her job is to find the best person for the job and
you are there to grab it. So, feel confident and be relaxed.
• Let the interviewer start the conversation.
• Sometimes the interviewer asks confusing questions. At this point of time maintain
your cool and try to answer them with clarity.
• Make sure that when you speak, your voice should be clear and loud enough for the
interviewer to hear.
• If you are not able to hear or understand the question, then request the members to
repeat it by saying, ‘I beg your pardon.’ Don’t start your answer until you have under-
stood what is being asked.
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• Be calm throughout the interview. Present yourself as a person who is confident and
ambitious.
• In case there is an interview panel, look at all the members while giving your reply. Do
not look at a particular member of the board. Look at a board member directly when
you are answering a particular question from him/her.
• Change your facial expression according to the demand of the situation. If you are being
asked a serious question, adopt a serious expression.
• Do not leave any opportunity to thank if you are being praised for the response you have
given.
• Leave the chair only when the interviewer asks you to leave.
• Do not forget to thank the chairman and other board members after the interview.
• Sometimes the interviewer extends his/her hand after the interview. Do not let this
opportunity go by. Give a firm handshake as it shows your confidence.
• After you get up, put the chair in its proper place with elegance.
• After the interview, write a thank you letter to the person you have spoken to.
PRESENTATIONS
Presentations are made every day—to your teacher, to your boss in the workplace, in front of
your customers, and even for friends and relatives. More often than not, we end up making
emotional appeals, arguing passionately or heatedly, instead of being logical and reasoned.
We hardly realize that we need different kinds of attitude for different kinds of presenta-
tions; for some we even need to equip ourselves with visual aids like PowerPoint and OHP
slides. Although most people lack in confidence and vocabulary, a mere acquisition of these is
not sufficient for making a good presentation.
While ‘hard skills’ like knowledge and expertise are important for presentation, effective
presentation also requires one to be aware of, and master, the following soft skills:
• Body language
• Voice projection
• Understanding the audience
• Overcoming nervousness
Body language: Your body language must communicate confidence. Do not be nervous. If you
look confident, you assure your audiences, even without saying a word, that you have some-
thing important to say. Keep your head and body posture stable. Do not let your limbs become
too tense or loose. You should look relaxed and composed.
Voice projection: Your voice must travel to the person in the last row, so be sufficiently loud, but
do not shout. Speak naturally and avoid too many pauses.
Understanding the audience: You audience might include people from different back-
grounds. Be sensitive to this fact and do not make derogatory or politically charged
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references to people and communities. Furthermore, knowing your audience helps you
organize your material better.
Overcoming nervousness: Some amount of nervousness is natural while speaking at a public
forum. In fact, it can propel you to perform better. Some of the tips to overcome nervousness
are as follows:
(a) Before you actually go to speak, try to relax by sitting in a comfortable posture. Do not
fidget or shift in your chair. Try and calm yourself physically.
(b) Take a deep breath and concentrate on your presentation.
(c) While some people try and avoid eye contact, you may look for people in the audience
who seem ‘sympathetic.’
(d) You must realize that the audience is interested in your speech/presentation and is look-
ing forward to listening to you.
Presentation is a structured communication prepared to achieve a certain purpose within a giv-
en timeframe. It is often based on the audience’s needs where the overall goal is to provide infor-
mation and promote ideas. It frequently requires additional skills of persuasion and influence.
To make an effective presentation, you must structure your presentation keeping in mind
the purpose and the eventual goal of the presentation. That will help you select the ideas and
organize the sequence in which they should be presented. The normal order of any presenta-
tion is to first list the main ideas and then elaborate your points.
Since you will get only a limited time to make a presentation, you must have a plan to com-
municate all that you want to. You may want to break your presentation into smaller segments
as given below and have a limited time allotted to each part of the presentation as suggested.
• Introduction 3 minutes
• Main Body 15 minutes
• Conclusion 2 minutes
• Questions and Answers 10 minutes
Here are a few more points that will be of help in making your presentation successful.
1. Choose an appropriate medium: If your presentation includes a lot of data in the form
of charts and graphs, use PowerPoint. Similarly, if you are welcoming a business delega-
tion, you may want to keep a small set of cards when you introduce the members of the
delegation.
2. Acquaint yourself with the technology: Make sure you are comfortable with the technol-
ogy. You don’t want to fiddle with a wireless microphone or a projector in the middle of
your presentation.
3. Grab attention at the beginning: The key is to grab attention with a fantastic opener. A
rhetorical question is an excellent idea (for example, ‘How long shall we put up with this
terrible mobile connectivity?’). You can also be anecdotal (people are always interested
in narratives). You can make startling queries. If you are trying to make a presentation
on family values try beginning your speech with: ‘What can be with you as you leave
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this world?’ In a presentation on fashion trends you can begin by asking, ‘What can one
wear on one’s arms, legs, back and even one’s face?’ You can also begin with a quote—it
has the effect of impressing and grabbing attention. In a presentation on peace efforts
and the anti-nuclear arms deal between the United States and India, someone began a
speech by quoting Samuel Johnson—‘Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.’
4. Speak with confidence: The surest way to find confidence is to know the subject well.
Practice your presentation by reading it aloud, preferably in front of a mirror.
5. Keep the presentation crisp: Do not drag your presentation. If a point is made, move on.
Do not give unnecessary details or go on a tangent.
6. Use repetition suitably: Repetition is always a good idea for making your audience sit up
and take note. Keep reminding your audience of your central claim, be that low prices
or better services or cost-cutting measures in your company.
7. Summarize at the end: Summarizing is quite an effective presentation strategy. Keep sum-
marizing each part of your presentation and use it as a linkage with the following part.
We can draw the audience attention to our presentation by using attention-drawing ex-
pressions like the main idea is … or this is to suggest that … or in other words …, etc.
COMMON PRESENTATION TOOLS

The choice of the medium of presentation will depend on the outcome you expect. The fol-
lowing table will help you decide what the most appropriate medium for your presentation is.
Medium Outcome
Handouts They clarify complex theoretical issues, provide source materials on
which the presenter elucidates (if you are talking of Gandhi’s Satya-
graha, then, quotes from The Harijan and The Hind Swaraj could come
in the handouts, and activity instructions (very popular in workshops).
Workshop activities The saying goes that ‘You tell me and I remember; you show me and I
shall learn.’ Instead of preparing pulpit presentations, it is often a good
idea to become interactive and try out your ideas live.
Audio-visual Business presentations are usually done using the audio-visual medium,
presentation where the presenter provides the audio by speaking and supplements it
with a series of images projected onto a screen. Such presentations are
generally made using the software PowerPoint and equipments like a
slide projector, or a computer connected to a projector.
Video presentation If you are trying to address a global audience spread across different geo-
graphical regions, a good option is to use the video conferencing technol-
ogy. Remember that your voice and gait will change during such presen-
tations. Hence, you need not depend on personal charisma as much as
on slides, visual aids, and video clips. Listening to one person speak, on
an audio-visual screen, can be boring because it is a very passive exercise.
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Some popular and effective visual aids that are often used in presentations are given below.
Flip charts: A flip chart is a large pad of paper on a stand used as a visual aid for presenting
information to a small group of 15 to 20 persons.
Overhead projectors (OHP): The most often used visual aid in presentation is an overhead
projector (OHP). By using it, the presenter is able to speak while looking at the audience and
have a prepared transparency projected on the screen. The image projected is bright, large, and
colourful. It holds the audience’s attention. An OHP can be used for typed or handwritten mat-
ter. The best impact is made when the content is neatly and clearly typed.
PowerPoint Projection: The OHP as a tool for making impressive professional or academ-
ic presentations has been taken over by the computer-based PowerPoint presentation. This
is projected with the help of multimedia projector. Usually an enlarged computer screen
displays the well laid out information to a large audience. Pictures, photographs are all
displayed as part of the presentation with cinematic effect. The entire presentation is fed into
a CD or flash drive or computed directly in a laptop. The LCD projector is switched on. The
presenter or someone else operates the laptop by just pressing a soft button or sliding the
mouse to move the presentation slides in the preset order. The whole operation is automatic
and simple. The visual impact is impressive and absorbing.
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Chapter_8.indd 82 09/08/10 2:04 PM

Organizational Communication
9
In an organization, communication is the system by which operations are led, processes are
guided and objectives are achieved. It, thus, plays a vital role in the day-to-day organizational
functions and management processes. Communication within an organization varies signifi-
cantly from communication in the other areas of life, that is, home and community. Organi-
zational communication is more formal and adheres to rules, conventions and ceremony, and
is free of colloquial expressions. It is, therefore, necessary to learn about the different forms of
communication and how to maintain an effective communication system in an organization.
In the previous chapter we have covered the verbal form of communication and in this we
shall focus on the written form of communication.
FORMS OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Right from the point of applying for higher studies or a job to exchange of information with
colleagues regarding departmental operations or processes, to interacting with clients, you
will need to use some sort of written communication. These could be in the form of job ap-
plication, résumé writing, e-mails, business letters, notices and memos, minutes and agenda,
project reports, etc. There are certain basic elements that form an integral part of any good
piece of writing. These are
• clarity
• brevity
• accuracy
To achieve clarity, brevity and accuracy, the points that should be kept in mind for any from
of written communication are as follows:
i. the purpose of writing
ii. suitable style and tone for the purpose
Chapter_9.indd 83 09/08/10 2:05 PM

iii. the audience

iv. correct use of grammar and punctuation
We will now discuss in detail the following forms of written communication.
• Résumé and Cover Letter
• E-mails
• Business Letters
• Reports
• Memorandums and Notices
• Agenda and Minutes
• Letters to the Editor
RÉSUMÉ AND COVER LETTER

Résumé
Résumé, known by several names such as CV or curriculum vitae, personal profile, biodata,
personal data sheet, qualification sheet, and summary, is a self-introduction to promote your-
self. And, to be able to promote yourself successfully, you need to know how to prepare a good
résumé. A résumé is usually attached to an application or covering letter. It is, therefore, read
only after the covering letter, but it is something you should prepare first.
The first thing you should know about writing a résumé is that it should be written specifi-
cally in terms of the job’s requirements. The basic question you should consider while prepar-
ing your CV/résumé is what qualification or experience or achievement you should highlight
for a particular position. For example, if you have the experience of working as an HR executive
and a marketing manager, and if you want to apply for a position in HR division, you will high-
light your HR experience. The marketing experience will be shown as additional experience.
The whole idea underlying the arrangement of CV is to emphasize your strengths. Howev-
er, there is no set order in which a résumé is written. All résumés, whether short or long, cover
the same points regarding an individual’s background, achievements, and experience. In long
résumés, the details regarding each point increase significantly. But the basic points remain the
same. A résumé should ideally contain the following sections.
• Personal details
• Education
• Experience
• References
Personal details: The conventional method of résumé writing is to begin with personal details
and end with references. But a more practical method followed these days is to begin with the
category that needs to be emphasized most. This section includes points like the date of birth,
marital status, hobbies, etc.
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Organizational Communication 85
Education: This section includes educational and professional qualifications including infor-
mation about computer proficiency levels. The highest qualification is the most important
qualification. It should, therefore, be emphasized by placing it first. And then go downwards
up to the school level qualification.
Experience: One should begin from the present position and then highlight other positions held
in the past. Each position should be followed by brief information about the responsibilities held
indicating the nature of experience gained from each position. As a fresh graduate, you may
have little opportunity to acquire professional work experience. You may however have gained
some experience by organizing functions, running clubs, associations and societies, or managing
events, undertaking visits to industries, and so on. It would be good for you to make a mention of
all those activities with which you have been associated during your student period.
References: It is a standard practice to have a references section in résumés although many
people leave it with the words: ‘Available upon request’. If, however, you choose to provide
references, you should provide a list of at least two to three names with their complete contact
addresses. The references should not be your relatives; they should be persons who have either
taught you or have worked with you.
While preparing your résumé, remember that (i) you have to present the information to
ensure it meets the employer’s requirements, and (ii) your employer will be more interested in
your qualifications, experience and aspirations than in your biographical details.
An example of a résumé
SOUMYA PANDEY
E-29, Main Market, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016
Phone (011) 24620980/ 24692993, 9810455654 •
E-mail: soumya_102@yahoo.com
JOB OBJECTIVE
Initially, I want to work as a management trainee in an industry where my educa-

tion in management, with a major in marketing, may be developed. My ultimate
goal is to be a senior executive in marketing.
PERSONAL PROFILE
• Date of Birth 7 June 1981

• Marital Status Single
SPECIALIZATION
• Marketing and Sales

• Human Resource Management
Continued
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EDUCATION
• Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur

– 2004
• Bachelor of Arts – Sociology Honors, Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), New Delhi
–2002
• Senior Secondary (XII) CBSE – Humanities, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New
Delhi –1999
• Higher Secondary (X) CBSE, Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi – 1997
SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARDS
• Shri Ram Swaroop Ahuja Award for Outstanding performance in Sports –

1998.
• Shri Jaswant S Pandaya Award for Outstanding Performance in Athletics – 1996.
• Govt. of India Sports Talent Search Scholarship Scheme – 1994–95.
INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
• President of National Sports Organization 2001-02 at Lady Shri Ram College.

• Awarded certificate of merit for Contribution to Sports.
• First-degree international black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do (Korean martial art)
• Won 6 Gold Medals in domestic championships and 4 Bronze Medals as
an international player.
• Held merit positions in Basketball, Volleyball, Badminton, Table Tennis
and Judo.
• Organized sponsorships worth Rs 1 lakh for LSR Sports Festival – 2001.
• Organized a cross-country run for ‘Green & Clean Delhi’ on 24 August
2001, and other events in the capacity as the president.
• Participant and member of organizing committee of Sangthan 2003 (Amity
Inter-Institute Annual Sports Meet)
• Won 9 medals including 7 Golds.
• Master of Ceremony for the following events organized by Amity Business
School.
• Alumni Meet
• Mentor Meet
• Corporate meet
• Acumen 2003, Organized by Business Today
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PERSONAL OBJECTIVE
My desire is to create a truly competitive arena wherever I work. I want to bring my

enthusiasm and sense of confidence to the organization and to the people I work with.
My involvement in various areas of activities at college has taught me crucial lessons
on leadership and teamwork.
STRENGTHS
• Team Player
• Self-confident and goal oriented
• Fast learner with an ability to excel
WORK EXPERIENCE
• Worked as a Trainee in Enterprise Nexus, Ad Agency in the Research and

Planning Department.
• Conducted research for General Motors undertaken by Enterprise Nexus
REFRENCES
• Available on request
Cover Letter
A résumé should always be accompanied with a cover letter. It functions as an interview request and
shows your communication skills to your potential employer. It needs to be written very skilfully.
In the cover letter, you must mention the position/job you are applying for and how you
came to know about it—through an advertisement or some one known to you. Sometimes, you
may apply without knowing that a position exists or is available. In that case, show what kind of
position you are qualified for. Also state the reasons for your interest in working in that particular
company. Do not repeat what you have written in the résumé, but mention briefly your educa-
tion or work experience emphasizing the points relevant to the position applied for. You may also
write about your project work/ industrial visit/ work experience related to the position you want.
At the end, suggest that you would like to come for an interview at the employer’s conve-
nience. The purpose of your letter is to make the prospective employer decide to meet you. In
writing an application letter, we should remember that we are trying to sell those merits that
the employer needs. We shall be able to write the application letter effectively if we remember
the important principles of writing—coherence, concreteness, simplicity, emphasis, originality
and sincerity. Remember to sign your letter prominently.
Chapter_9.indd 87 09/08/10 2:05 PM

An example of a cover letter
102 Medha Aptts

Mayur Vihar Phase I
Delhi – 110096
6 April 2010
Shri O. P. Sharma
Sales and Marketing
LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd
Surajpur, Kasna Road
Greater Noida (UP)
Sub: Application for the post of Assistant Marketing Manager
Dear Shri Sharma,
I wish to apply for the position of Assistant Marketing Manager, advertised in The
Times of India of 1 April 2010. The position is especially attractive to me for I know
that LG offers a wide variety of household durables and my education and work
experience have equipped me for managing their marketing.
As my résumé shows, I received my MBA, with a major in Marketing, from Bombay
University last year. During my summer term and end term I performed various
duties in the marketing department of Samsung including consumer research work
for the new products.
In June 2005, I joined Samsung as a Management Trainee.
While at Samsung, I gained a lot of experience in marketing/research and product
designing under excellent supervision.
I am a hardworking person who enjoys the challenges of marketing. I love travel-
ling. Enclosed is my résumé for your consideration. I do hope that I shall have an
opportunity of an interview for the position of Assistant Manager in your company.
Yours truly,
Prasun Chakravarty
PRASUN CHAKRAVARTY
Encl.
E-MAILS
E-mail, or electronic mail, is now the most preferred means of communication, formal as well
as informal. Sending an e-mail is quick, cost-effective and convenient. But like all correspon-
dence, e-mail must follow certain rules as given below.
Chapter_9.indd 88 09/08/10 2:05 PM

1. Know the receiver of your e-mail: In many cases, you may not have personally met the
receiver of your e-mail. Hence, it is important to maintain a neutral tone in your mes-
sage; that is, you should neither sound cold and dry nor too casual.
2. Confirm the e-mail address: Before clicking on the ‘Send’ button, make sure you have
entered the correct e-mail address. A typical e-mail address is like this: name@mail.
com, where name is called the username and mail.com is the domain name. The domain
name could also be .co, .in, .co.in, .org, .net, .edu, etc. The @ sign joins the username
with the domain name and makes a complete address.
3. Use an appropriate subject line: Your subject line should be clear and precise. It should
state the theme of your message effectively. The following is an example of an unambigu-
ous subject line:
Subject: Workshop on supply chain management on 26 June 2010
The receiver of the e-mail would immediately know that the body of the text has details
about the workshop on supply chain management to be held on 26 June 2010.
4. Be brief and precise: Reading a long electronic mail can be tiresome. Readers of e-mails do
not generally like scrolling up and down while reading. It, therefore, helps to be precise.
5. Be careful with grammar and spellings: Online communication cannot be taken lightly.
In all formal situations, people prefer reading a well worded, error free e-mail. Do not
take liberty with either the spellings or the syntax. Always proofread before you send the
message.
6. Use appropriate formatting: Write an e-mail like you write a formal note. Do not use
all capital letters as that is considered rude as it amounts to shouting. Similarly, do not
compose your e-mail entirely in small letters. Also, be careful about making words bold,
in italics or underlined.
7. Be careful while sending attachments: Do not send big attachments unless necessary,
and even in that case try to compress the files. Always let the reader know that there is
an attachment with the mail.
8. Know the difference between ‘Reply’ and ‘Reply All’: Most e-mail programmes provide
the ‘Reply’ and ‘Reply All’ facility. You must know exactly when to prefer one to the
other.
9. Do not ‘Forward’ indiscriminately: Some youngsters, and even grownups, have the
habit of forwarding messages. Not everyone enjoys receiving these though. So please
exercise restraint in case of forwarding messages.
10. Reread before you click the ‘Send’ button: You must reread your message not only for
grammar and punctuation, or the correct address, but also for the tone. Sometimes,
people respond to certain e-mails without exercising emotional restraint. Someone
writes an angry response to an e-mail and later regrets that he or she did so. In some
cases, it is advisable to ‘sleep over’ an e-mail before responding to it.
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BUSINESS LETTERS
While communicating in formal settings, you are often required to write letters. Often called
formal letters, these are the letters that you write to people other than your friends and family.
Through these letters, you make communication with professional organizations, educational
institutions and other such public bodies. Since these letters are written for specific purposes
and to people in specific positions, you should be aware of the conventions that govern formal
written communication.
Most formal letters have the following necessary ten parts:
1. Sender’s address/letterhead: You should add your address at the top left of the letter.
When writing on behalf of an institution, use the official letterheads, which include the
company’s name, address and contact details such as telephone and fax numbers, e-mail
or Web site address.
2. Date: This will be followed by the date on which the letter is being written/sent. It is
advisable to use one date format consistently in all your correspondence. For the sake of
simplicity and clarity it is recommended that you use the alphanumeric format as in 1
January 2011.
3. Reference number (if any): Companies and institutions use this alphanumeric notation
to file the letter. It is advisable to quote it in subsequent correspondence. In the letter, it
will be usually labelled as ‘Ref:’, which is followed by the actual reference number.
4. Receiver’s address: Then you will include the name and the address of the receiver (also
called addressee) of the letter. If you are writing to a specific individual, you must in-
clude the name and designation of the person.
5. Subject line: Labelled usually as ‘Sub:’, the subject line is a short description, not more
than one line, that highlights the purpose of your letter.
6. Salutation: Use ‘Dear’ followed by the title (Dr, Professor, Mr, Ms) and the surname
of the person you are writing to; for example, Dear Dr Bhatt, or Dear Ms Verma. In
case you do not know the name of the addressee, you can write Dear Director or Dear
Manager.
7. Body: Your text constitutes the body.
8. Closing: You close your letter with ‘Yours truly’ or Yours sincerely.’ That is called the
complimentary close. It is wrong to say Your’s. Be careful with the apostrophe.
9. Signature area: After the complimentary close, remember to sign the letter. Below
your signatures, you will also need to have your name written/printed in full, and
mention your designation and department.
10. Enclosure notation: Next to the label ‘Encl.’ you will list the additional documents being
sent with the letter. Formal letters are now mostly formatted in full-block style, which
means that all parts of the letter are left aligned.
Chapter_9.indd 90 09/08/10 2:05 PM

An example of a full-block style business letter
(1) Centre for South Asian Studies

25, Lodhi Road
New Delhi 110 003
Tel. +91-11-27634564 Fax +91-11-27634565
E-mail: csas@mail.org
(2) 6 June 2010
(3) Ref: CSAS/DEL/09/221
(4) Mr Raj Kumar
Plot No. 40, Neetikhand I
Indirapuram
Ghaziabad 201 012
(5) Sub: Publishing an article in CSAS journal
(6) Dear Mr Kumar,
(7) Your request to contribute an article in the Centre’s quarterly journal has been
accepted. Your are required to submit an abstract by 16 June and the complete
article by 15 July 2010, so that it may be considered for publication in the Oc-
tober issue of the journal. The writing guidelines are enclosed.
Please let me know if you will be able to meet the deadlines.
(8) Yours sincerely,
(9) Chitra Menon
(CHITRA MENON)
Communication Secretary, CSAS
(10) Encl: Writing Guidelines
Activity 1
You have to write a reply to the letter above. Include the following points in your reply:
1. You will submit the complete paper by 15 July 2010.
2. You need a week more to submit the abstract as you are presently preparing
for your final exams.
You may also keep in mind the following points as you mail the letter:
1. There is no grammatical error in the letter.
2. The point size of the fonts is appropriate; 12 point size is preferable.
3. The quality of paper and printing is acceptable.
4. On the envelope, the address of the receiver is complete and appears in the centre.
The sender’s address appears on the top- or bottom-left corner of the envelope.
Chapter_9.indd 91 09/08/10 2:05 PM

REPORTS
There are primarily two kinds of projects: (i) a project report, which is written at the end of an
academic term during which a live project is done and successfully completed, and (ii) a busi-
ness report, which is prepared to give information about a company’s or a department’s activi-
ties, progress, plans and problems, for future reference in decision-making.
A Project Report
A project report is an academic requirement and is written on a project completed, as a part of
your academic course, in a company/industry. It is prepared under the guidance of a faculty
member (from the institution concerned) and the project supervisor (from the industry), and
is submitted for evaluation. The project report is generally written at the end of an academic
term. The purpose of such a project is to enhance the student’s understanding of the subject
matter, the context of the problem and the research problem and allow the student to place the
proposed study within a coherent, organized framework.
The project report should appear in the following order:
Page i: Cover page
Page ii: Second title page
Page iii: Certificate of approval
Page iv: Approval of organizational and faculty guides
Page v: Abstract
Page vii: Acknowledgement
Page viii: Table of contents
Page ix: List of figures
Page x: List of tables
Page xi: List of appendices
Page xii: Abbreviations
Page 1: Chapter I
Page …: Last Chapter
Page …: References
Page …: Appendices
Here is an example of a cover page of a project report
Project Title
A Project Proposal for
Course Title
by
Your name
under the guidance of
Shri [Name of the industry supervisor] Dr/Prof. [Name of the faculty]
Designation Designation
Organization Institution
Chapter_9.indd 92 09/08/10 2:05 PM

Here is an example of a certificate of approval for the project
Certificate of Approval
The following Project Report titled ‘ABC …’ is hereby approved as a certified study
in [discipline: languages, sociology, management studies, etc.] carried out and pre-
sented in a manner satisfactory to warrant its acceptance as a prerequisite for the
award of [Course Title: Postgraduate Programme in Management] for which it
has been submitted. It is understood that by this approval the undersigned do not
necessarily endorse or approve any statement made, opinion expressed or conclu-
sion drawn therein but approve the Project Report only for the purpose for which
it is submitted.
Project Report Examination Committee for evaluation of Project Report

Name Signature
1. Faculty Examiner ____________ _____________
2. Project Coordinator ____________ _____________
Here is an example of the approval of organizational and faculty guide
This is to certify that Mr/Ms [Student’s Name], a student of the [Course Title], has
worked under our guidance and supervision. This Project Report has the requisite
standard and to the best of our knowledge no part of it has been reproduced from
any other summer project, monograph, report or book.
Institute Faculty Guide Organizational Faculty Guide
Designation Designation
MDI Gurgaon Organization
Address
Date Date
A Business Report
A business report is primarily a source of information to the management where events are re-
corded for future reference in decision-making. It should therefore present facts, conclusions and
recommendations in a clear and concise manner. Heads of departments or companies are usually
short of time and as such are not interested in detailed descriptions. They are more interested in
facts/data, results and recommendations. Hence, a business report should focus on just that. It
should have a well-defined structure, which may vary with the topic and objective of the report.
Chapter_9.indd 93 09/08/10 2:05 PM

A large project undertaken as a pilot or done with a specific goal may be structured and presented
in the manner of the academic project report, discussed earlier. Depending on the requirement or
the objective, some parts of the project report contents may be done away with, covering only the
basic parts of a report—introduction, results and discussion, and summary and conclusion. For
example, if, as a team leader, you need to recruit/add a few more members to your team, you will
need to provide data justifying the need and also show the projected results after the expansion
of the team and its impact on business growth—all in as comprehensive and focused a manner
as possible. Reports maintained for reference in the day-to-day functioning of a department may
be prepared in a tabular form under relevant heads like the date of initiation of a process/project,
status, achievements, recommendations and additional remarks.
MEMORANDUMS AND NOTICES

Memorandum
A memorandum or memo is a document used for internal communication in an organiza-
tion. The plural form of memorandum is either memoranda or memorandums. A memo
may be addressed to one person or a group. The writer and the readers of a memo are well
acquainted, and therefore a memo does not require formal elements like salutations, greet-
ings or even signatures at the end. A memo usually records events or observations on a topic
or provides information about any development in the organization. Since it is only about
communicating some important information related to the functioning or processes of the
company, it is usually quite direct in approach, to the point, focusing sharply on what the
reader needs to know.
The format of a memo is fairly simple. The standard features of a memo are listed here.
1. The word ‘Memo’ or ‘Memorandum’ at the top of the page; though not mandatory, it
helps to make clear, right at the beginning, the nature of the communication
2. The date of the issue of the memo
3. The name of the receiver/s, followed by ‘To:’; and the name of the sender, followed by
‘From:’
4. The names of the receiver/s and the sender/s should be followed by their full title and the
department.
5. A subject line following the word ‘Subject:’ or ‘Sub:’, clearly identifying the topic
6. The content or message of the memo
The content of the message should be brief; to the point; giving specific dates and time, if any.
The language should be polite, pleasant and friendly. It should not sound bossy and instruc-
tive; it should be participative and tactfully articulated. A memo is generally used to convey
a policy decision, to issue an instruction, to provide information or to record an agreement.
Chapter_9.indd 94 09/08/10 2:05 PM

An example of a memo
P&L Consultants
2/35, Block E
Pitampura, Delhi
MEMO
Date: 18.06.2010
To: Marketing Executives, Exhibition Division

From: Director–Marketing, Exhibition Division
Subject: Change in the report of the marketing team

I have received some requests for change in our reports from the
marketing team to the project management team. Therefore, be-
ginning Monday, 21 June 2010, the marketing executives should
include the following topics in their reports and have them in the
order as given below:
1. The client company’s name
2. Complete address
3. Office phone and fax number
4. The contact person and his designation
5. The contact person’s cell number
6. Their choice of hall number and stall size
7. The status of the deal
You are advised to submit your reports every Thursday before

4 p.m. I’m sure these minor adjustments in the report template
will facilitate the project management team’s operations.
Notice
Notice is also a form of internal business communication. Where a memo is generally used to
provide information to one person or one group that the writer specifically intends to reach out
to, a notice is used for the staff, or people, in general. A memo has a personal touch to it and is
sent to the individual or group concerned, but a notice, meant for just every one, is put up on a
notice board. Anyone can read them, nobody might.
Chapter_9.indd 95 09/08/10 2:05 PM

An example of a notice
NOTICE
Basketball Trials
Trials for the selection to the college basketball team will be held on 15 July 2010 in
the gymnasium at 11.00 a.m. Interested students are advised to collect at the basket-
ball court ten minutes in advance. Students must come in their sporting gear or else
they will not be allowed to sit for the trials.
For further information you may contact S. Sethuraman, BA III, Roll no. 2312.
(S. M. Raja)
Chairman
Department of Physical Education 26 June 2010
Activity 2
1. You want to sell your scooter. Write a notice for your college notice board.
(Think about the details the prospective buyer needs to know.)
2. You are the president of the dramatic club of your college. Write a notice for
the audition of a play to be staged two months from the present date.
3. You are about to resign as a systems programmer in Cyberage Pvt. Ltd.
Write a two-week notice to your manager intimating him or her about
your decision.
AGENDA AND MINUTES

Official meetings require some formal procedures and documents that are shared among all the
members participating in that meeting. Two most important documents that are required to
conduct an orderly meeting are the agenda and the minutes.
Agenda
Agenda is a document that is shared with all the people attending the meeting well in advance.
It contains the information about how will the meeting be conducted and it also lists the items
that will be brought up for discussion among the members. Usually, it is the duty of a secre-
tary or a coordinator to ensure that the agenda is prepared and circulated to all the members.
A simple agenda may have the following format:
Chapter_9.indd 96 09/08/10 2:05 PM

AGENDA
for the monthly City Council Meeting, XYZ City
Monday, 24 July 2010 5.00 p.m.
1. Welcome
2. Apologies for absence
3. Reading and approval of the minutes of the last meeting
4. <Item 1>
5. <Item 2>
6. <Item 3>
7. Any other business (or AOB)
8. Date of next meeting
9. Conclusion
Every item in an agenda is numbered and is discussed sequentially. While writing the minutes,
the same numbering is followed. People participating in the meeting should read the agenda
beforehand and carry it to the meeting.
Minutes
Minutes are ‘the official written record of what is said and discussed at a meeting’. In every meet-
ing, a recording secretary is assigned the job to record the important discussions and decisions,
which are called minutes. Minutes need to be accurate and concise. The recording secretary
takes notes of the discussion and later summarizes the discussion of each item on the agenda in
a couple of sentences. The minutes also state the time, place and venue of the meeting.
An example of minutes
MINUTES
of the monthly City Council Meeting, XYZ City, held on Monday, 24 July 2009,
at 5.30 p.m. in the City Centre Hall.
1. List of attendees
a. Mr A. Sadanand
b. Ms B. John
c. Dr C. Ahmed
d. Ms D. Tara
2. Apologies for absence
a. Mr E. Shashi
b. Prof. F. Singh
Chapter_9.indd 97 09/08/10 2:05 PM

3. Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 26 June 2009, were read and
approved. (Any matter arising from that reading will be recorded here)
4. <Main points of discussion and decision for item 1>
5. < Main points of discussion and decision for item 2>
6. < Main points of discussion and decision for item 3>
7. < Main points of discussion and decision for AOB>
8. Next meeting will be held in the City Centre Hall on 22 August 2009 at
5.30 p.m.
I. P. Murthy
(I. P. Murthy)
Recording Secretary
The recording secretary can use a small voice recorder record the discussions. The minutes
should be transcribed/prepared without much delay.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Newspapers and magazines are a symbol of the freedom of expression. However, they are not
supposed to be a one-way traffic where only the writer has a prerogative to express his or her
findings, opinions, analysis, etc. Readers also participate in this freedom to express themselves
by responding to the writings. This they do by writing letters to the editor. Here are some rea-
sons why you may want to or should write letters to editors of newspapers.
1. In a democracy, writing a letter to the editor is a right as well as the duty of all citizens.
2. Many newspaper readers, as concerned citizens, write such letters on issues that influ-
ence public life on local as well as national level.
3. Letters are also written as a response to a news story, a column, an editorial or an article.
4. There have been instances when many writers and editors have to issue rejoinders and
corrections when their statements are challenged by enlightened readers.
5. Readers may also point out that the facts and details are either unreported or reported
incorrectly in a news item or an article.
Letters to the editors can thus be a powerful tool to initiate change in the society. It also gives
voice to the public mood. Here are some tips that will help you draft suitable letters to the editors:
1. Clear opening: The opening sentence of your letter should state clearly what your letter
is about. If you are responding to an article or a news story, you should state it at the
beginning. Look at some of the beginnings below:
a. ‘The stray cattle on the busy Nagarajan roads pose a serious threat to the motorists
and pedestrians . . .’
Chapter_9.indd 98 09/08/10 2:05 PM

b. ‘Apropos your article ‘Two more malls on the anvil,’ the residents of Lekh Raj building
strongly protest the bias towards the builder evident in the article.’ (Apropos comes
from French à propos, and means ‘with reference to.’)
c. ‘Your news report ‘Security tightened for the national games’ (3 May) reflects the
apprehensions of a sports lover . . .’
2. Keep it brief: Some online newspapers or magazines allow up to 1,000 words of
responses or comments. The print editions, however, can accept only a limited number
of letters. Keep your letter brief and focused. Eighty to ninety words are more than
enough to express your thoughts in such a format.
3. Use e-mail: While no one declines the handwritten or typed letters, it is preferable to
send your letters through e-mails. It not merely saves you time and postage; the newspa-
per staff will not have to type it again. Make sure you send the letter to the correct e-mail
address, which is often mentioned alongside the letters section. Choose your subject line
judiciously (see the section on e-mails).
4. Identify yourself: Your letter should have your full name (or initials with surname) and
address listed at the end. All letters in print carry the name and the city of the sender.
5. Be prompt: If you are responding to a news article, it is advisable that you write your
letter without much delay as the readers, and even the editor as well as policy makers,
might be following that story and its impact.
Activity 3
1. Write a letter to the editor about the rise in incidents of road rage in the city.
2. Write a response e-mail to the editor regarding a real news story. (Choose
your subject line appropriately.)
Chapter_9.indd 99 09/08/10 2:05 PM

Chapter_9.indd 100 09/08/10 2:05 PM

University Question Papers
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION

(2009)
Time Allotted: 3 Hours Full Marks: 70
The figures in the margin indicate full marks.
Candidates are required to give their answers in their own words as far as practicable.
GROUP – A
(Multiple Choice Type Questions)
Choose the correct alternatives for the following: 10 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 10
1. The word condemn does not mean the same
a. avoid b. worship c. hate d. underrate
2. The word incorrigible means
a. someone who is correct b. someone who is not correct
c. someone who cannot be corrected d. none of these
3. The word extravagant is the opposite of
a. expensive b. unlimited c. thrifty d. proud
4. A synonym for the word ‘tyranny’ is
a. misrule b. cruelty c. tension d. madness
5. The antonym of the word ‘Affluent’ is
a. prosperous b. poor c. talkative d. close
6. The engineer along with the overseer visited the proposed of the
new project.
a. site b. sight
7. The artist painted on a
a. canvas b. canvass
8. He is too to walk.
a. Strong b. Weak c. Intelligent d. Honest
9. He tried his best to bring the meaning of the phrase.
a. in b. off c. out d. through
10. The word forsake means the same as
a. forgive b. punish c. abandon d. benefit
University Question Papers.indd 101 09/08/10 2:09 PM

102 University Question Papers
GROUP – B
(Short Answer Type Questions)
Answer any three of the following. 3 ⴛ 5 ⴝ 15
I. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:
1. They started five the evening.
2. I shall look your complaints.
3. Mrs. Ghosh wants to talk you.
4. She was fed with their complaints.
5. Could you find a job Tom, too?
II. Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Change
only enough to do what you are asked and make a correct sentence. Do not alter the
meaning. You have to make your sentence to say the same thing in a different way:
1. The apples are so costly that you cannot buy them.
Begin: The apples are too .
2. A sincere man is liked by all.
Begin: All .
3. His behavior surprised us.
Begin: We .
4. Clarence was too poor to pay her fees.
Begin: Clarence was so poor .
5. Shimla is cooler than Darjeeling.
Begin: Darjeeling .
III. Correct the grammatical errors:
1. She has gone to college last Wednesday.
2. The little girl is in the bed.
3. Taniya is the taller girl in class.
4. I refuse to answer the question.
5. I have applied for admission in an European university.
IV. Express the meaning of each phrasal verb with one meaningful sentence:
1. Pull up
2. Let down
3. Look for
4. Have an edge
5. Create a benchmark

GROUP – C
(Long Answer Type Questions)
Answer any three of the following. 3 ⫻ 15 ⫽ 45
1. Read the following passage and then answer the questions in your own words: 8
The real crisis of our time is the crisis in management. I believe that the solutions to our
problems lie in the development of the art and practice of management at all levels and in
all facets of our national activities—from a small “Bhatt’s” tea-shop to the multi-faceted
international organization or huge national government administration. I also believe that
applications of better and sound management skills and methods is of vital importance in
resolving many huge and baffling economic and social problems that are beyond the reach
of either government or business acting alone.
I strongly believe that the private sector can contribute something far more impor-
tant than even money, that is, management—management raised to a whole new order
of magnitude—in the attainment of the new social and economic objectives put forward
by our government. “But how do we do it?”
The answer lies in developing a deeper sense of social responsibility on the part of
our men in management. Management must act in concert with a broad socio interest
and serve the objectives of the society. The various social-economic measures now being
taken in the field of licensing, price regulation and distribution of essential commodities
etc. will not lead us towards attainment of new social objectives unless we ensure that
the benefits of these measures go to the ultimate consumer – the common man. This is
possible only through right management, proper understanding and of course, above all,
through cooperation among all concerned.
Indian management has the skills, know-how and capacity to cope with new challenges.
We must make a start now. The opportunities are there if we will but see them and see
them quickly.
Questions:
i. In what sense is the crisis of our time a crisis in management? 2
ii. What contribution can the private sector make towards the attainment of economic
objectives? 2
iii. What does Indian Management lack? 2
iv. How can we ensure that the common man gets the benefit of various social-econom-
ic measures? 2
v. What is the central idea of the passage? 2
vi. Give a suitable title to the passage and write a précis. 2
2. Write a job application and provide your Resume in response to the following adver-
tisement published on 20 November 2009 in The Telegraph:
An MNC has vacancy for the post of a Junior Manager, where the company would
be recruiting an engineer with three years of experience. Apply within 21 days to

Mrs. Joyeeta Ghosh, H. R. Manager, Corporate Computer Communications, EN

Block, Salt Lake, Kolkata – 700091.
3. Raj Pareek Singh (RPS) University, Kareempur, wishes to introduce the internal evalu-
ation system and has written to the Registrar, BITS, Pilani. Write a letter report to be
sent to the Chairman, Examination Committee, RPS University, containing relevant
information. 15
4. Write an essay on any one of the topics: 15
i. The impact of Internet on India.
ii. The US dollar is no longer a stable currency.
iii. The impact of secession on Indian Economy.
iv. Business Process Outsourcing.


(2008)
Time : 3 Hours Full Marks : 70
Answer all questions.
GROUP – A
I. Choose the correct alternatives for the following: 10 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 10
1. The tone of a circular and notice is in the form of
a. command b. request c. order d. apology
2. Diagonal channels flow in
a. upward direction b. downward direction
c. in all directions d. parallel direction
3. The tone of a sales letter should be
a. persuasive b. flattering c. harsh d. straight forward
4. Which one should be used while writing a précis?
a. redundancy b. wordiness c. passive voice d. conciseness
5. Visual part of non-verbal communication constitutes
a. 7% b. 25% c. 38% d. 55%
6. Letter of transmittal is a part of
a. letter b. memorandum c. software user manual d. report
7. That which cannot be burnt is
a. incombustible b. inaudible c. indivisible d. inaccessible
8. A report is
a. objective b. subjective c. unexpressive d. ambiguous
II. In each of the following sentences, a blank has been left to be filled by one of the four
alternatives given below. Select the most appropriate one.
1. The mass of an object is of the quantity of matter that it possesses.
a. a signal b. a symptom
c. a deed d. an indication.
2. In the long run an increase in number of vehicles causes oil consumption to rise faster
than oil production resulting in the oil supplies.
a. shrinking b. depleting
c. squeezing d. freezing.

GROUP – B
I. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:
1. People said she died cholera.
2. The apple is sweet taste.
3. Fortune smiled him.
4. Don’t loiter the corridor.
5. The cat sprang the table.
II. Express the meaning of each phrasal verb with one meaningful sentence: 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
1. Run over 2. Take up 3. Stand by 4. Call in 5. Bring out
III. Correct the grammatical errors:
1. My most favorite game is cricket.
2. Despite of my qualification I could not get a job.
3. I ran to downstairs and pick up the diary.
4. The dinner was same as usual.
5. Mr. Dey is angry upon his son.
IV. Do as directed: 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
1. We hope that we shall finish the work in time. (Change the voice)
2. He said to his companions, “Let us not miss the chance”. (Change the narration)
3. He is unhappy, but he blames none for it.
(Begin with: In spite of )
4. Pay me or I shall punish you.
(Begin with: Unless )
5. I am writing in reply to your letter, that I two days ago.
(Fill in with: received / have received)
GROUP – C
1. (a) Write a job application and your Curriculum Vitae in response to the following ad-
vertisement published on 30th November 2008 in The Telegraph: 10
An internationally reputed company is looking for a software professional with 1st
Class B. Tech. Degree and good management qualities. The candidate should have
good communication skills and ability to work anywhere in India, if necessary, also
abroad. Apply within 10 days to Box No. 2230, The Telegraph, Kolkata – 700 001.
OR
(b) Modern Consultancy Services, Dalhousie Lane, New Delhi – 110 001, propose
to run a two-week training programme in Professional Communication for their

Engineers. As the Director of Training, you have been asked to examine the suitabil-
ity of running this programme at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad,
during the ensuing vocation and to submit a report to the Personnel Manager of the
company. Write an outline for this report.
2. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Petroleum products such as gasoline, kerosene, home heating oil, residual fuel oil, and
lubricating oils come from one source—crude oil found below the earth’s surface, as well
as under large bodies of water from a few hundred feet below the surface to as deep as
25,000 feet into the earth interior. Sometimes crude oil is secured by drilling a hole into
the earth, but more dry holes are drilled than those producing oil. Either pressure at the
source or pumping forces crude oil to the surface.
Crude oil wells flow at varying rates from about ten to thousands of barrels per hour.
Petroleum products are always measured in forty-two-gallon barrels.
Petroleum products vary greatly in physical appearance : thin, thick, transparent,
or opaque, but regardless, their chemical composition is made up of only two elements
carbon and hydrogen, which form compounds called hydrocarbons. Other chemical
elements found in union with the hydrocarbons are few and are classified as impurities.
Trace elements are also found but in such minute quantities that they are disregarded.
The combination of carbon and hydrogen forms many thousands of compounds which
are possible because of the various positions and unions of these two atoms in the hy-
drocarbon molecule.
The various petroleum products are refined by heating crude oil and then condensing the
vapours. These products are the so-called light oils, such as gasoline, kerosene, and distillate
oil. The residue remaining after the light oils are distilled, is known as heavy or residual fuel
oil and is used mostly for burning under boilers. Additional complicated refining processes
rearrange the chemical structure of the hydrocarbons to produce other products, some of
which are used to upgrade and increase the octane rating of various types of gasoline.
Questions:
i. Write a precis of the above passage, with a suitable title. 10
ii. How is crude oil brought to the surface? 3
iii. What are the principal components of all petroleum products? 3
iv. What is heavy oil? 2
v. All of the following are listed as light oils expect
a. distillate oil b. gasoline c. lubricating oil d. kerosene 1
vi. The word ‘upgrade’ in the last line is closet in meaning to
a. improve b. counteract c. charge d. unite 1
3. Write an essay on any one of the following topics: 10
i. Global Warming ii. The Uses and Abuses of Nuclear Energy
iii. Harvesting Rain Water


(2007)
Time : 3 Hours Full Marks: 70
GROUP – A
Choose the correct alternatives for the following: 10 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 10
1. Synonym of ‘auxiliary’ is
a. conducive b. associate
c. capacity d. authority
2. The antonym of ‘pragmatic’ is
a. impractical b. empirical
c. reasonable d. cultured
3. The word impeccable means
a. questionable b. faultless
c. annoying d. pleasing
4. Group discussion evaluates
a. only knowledge b. only communication skills
c. only leadership potential d. combination of all three
5. In order to the deadline for submitting the research paper, the class
tried to extra time.
a. postpone, forego b. detain, imagine
c. extend, wheedle d. accentuate, retain
6. The word inadvertantly means
a. maliciously b. unintentionally
c. carelessly d. deliberately
7. The closing in a telephone message should be
a. brief b. evasive c. convoluted
8. A place where government records are kept is called
a. museum b. archives c. herbarium
9. A person who collects postage stamps is
a. peripatetic b. curator c. philatelist
10. The single word for A remedy for all diseases is
a. amnesty b. panacea c. amateur d. anarchy

GROUP – B
I. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions: 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
1. He has passion arguing. 1
2. We were all high spirits and got along well each other. 2
3. He prefers tea coffee. 1
4. The man was born a good family. 1
II. Use the proper form of the word given to fill the blank in each of the
following sentences: 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
1. He behaves as one expect him to do. (may or might)
2. He was so tried that he scarcely stand. (can or could)
3. After the shower over, the sun shone out again. (to be)
4. He has been by a scorpion. (string)
5. Of late the custom has into disguise. (fall)
III. Insert or omit articles where necessary: 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
1. Where there is will there is way.
2. Only best quality is sold by us.
3. Rose is sweetest of all the flowers.
4. The honesty is best policy.
5. How blue sky looks I
IV. Correct the grammatical errors: 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
1. Was the note written with pencil or with ink?
2. Many a men do not do their duty towards their country.
3. This fruit taste better.
4. He is addicted to drinking.
5. I have come here this morning.
V. Do as directed: 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
1. He put on his coat and went to his office.
Begin: Putting .
2. They protested angrily because there was no space.
Begin: Lack of .
3. Try as she will, she cannot perform better.
Begin : However .
4. I felt tired and I took a nap.
Begin: Feeling .
5. He completed his work and kept away his tools.
Begin: Having .


Solutions to WBUT Question Papers
2009
GROUP – A
1. b. worship
2. c. someone who cannot be corrected
3. c. thrifty
4. a. misrule
5. b. poor
6. a. site
7. a. canvas
8. b. weak
9. c. out
10. c. abandon
GROUP – B
I. 1. at, in
2. into
3. to
4. up
5. for
II. 1. The apples are too costly to be bought.

2. All like a sincere man.
3. We were surprised at his behaiour.
4. Clarence was so poor that she could not pay her fees.
5. Darjeeling is not as cool as Shimla.
III. 1. She had gone to college last Wednesday.

2. The little girl is lying in the cradle.
3. Tanya is the tallest girl in the class.
4. I decline to answer the question.
5. I have applied for admission in a European University.
Solution.indd 111 09/08/10 2:07 PM

112 Solutions
IV. 1. My uncle tried to pull up his standard before the JEE.

2. “Don’t let me down.” The mother said.
3. My aunt has decided to look for an eligible bachelor.
4. We should try to have an edge over others.
5. We should create a benchmark in our field of study.
GROUP – C
1.
i. According to the passage writer, the crisis of our time is the crisis in management as the
solutions of problems lie in the development of the art of management practice.
ii. According to the passage writer the private sector can contribute in the attainment of
new social and economic objectives by introducing ‘new order’ management.
iii. Indian Management lacks sound Management Skills and Methods.
iv. We can ensure that the common man gets the benefit of various socio-economic mea-
sures by introducing proper management methods and skills to keep an eye on the pub-
lic distribution system.
v. The passage has asserted the importance of improving the management system in India.
The passage writer feels the need of strengthening Indian management to face the chal-
lenges of our time.
vi. The title that will suit the present passage is: The Need of Improving Indian Management
2. Précis of the given passage:
The need of solution for socio-economic problems should get primary focus in modern In-
dian management. The private management sector should work hand in hand with national
management for better results. Only the right kind of Management and co-operative attitude
towards the common man can improve Indian management.

113 Solutions
2008
GROUP – A
I. 1. b. request
2. c. in all directions
3. a. persuasive
4. d. conciseness
5. d. 55%
6. d. Report
7. a. incombustible
8. a. objective
II. 1. d. an indication
2. b. depleting
GROUP – B
I. 1. of
2. in
3. upon
4. in
5. on
II. 1. My pet cat was run over yesterday.

2. Take up the responsibility yourself.
3. My friend has promised to stand by me always.
4. No one can call him in for questioning.
5. Try to bring out this book within mid July of this year.
III. 1. My favourite game is cricket.

2. Despite my qualification, I could not get a job.
3. I ran downstairs to pick up the diary.
4. The dinner was the same as usual.
5. Mr. Dey is angry with his son.

Solutions 114
IV. 1. It is hoped that the work shall be finished in time by us.

2. He requested to his companions not to miss the chance.
3. In spite of being unhappy, he blames none for it.
4. Unless you pay, I shall punish you.
5. I am writing in reply to your letter that I received two days ago.
GROUP – C
JOB APPLICATION
To
The Advertiser
Box No. 2230
The Telegraph
Kolkata 700001
Dated 01.12.2008
Ref: Advt. published through The Telegraph, dated 30th Nov. 2008
Sub: Job Application for the post of Software Professional
Sir/Madam
In response to your Advertisement, referred above, I would like to apply for the post of
Software Professional in Company.
Regarding my candidature I would like to add that other than a First Class in B Tech, I had un-
dergone special training in Software Development. I possess a lot of youthful energy and enjoy
myself in work-oriented traveling.
I am sending herewith a copy of my CV for your kind perusal.
Thanking you in anticipation of an Interview.
Yours faithfully
ABC
CURRICULUM VITAE
1. Name: abc
2. Father’s name: xyz
3. Date of birth: 24.12.1984
4. Address: abc
34A, South Block
3rd Floor, Swaraj Apartment
Kolkata 700024

115 Solutions
5. Academic qualifications: as shown below

Exams passed Year of passing Board /Varsity % of marks
AISSE 2001 CBSE 94
AISSCE 2003 CBSE 92
B Tech 2007 WBUT 89
6. Professional qualifications: as shown below
* diploma in software development
7. Experience (if any): Fresher
8. Personal details: as shown below
height: 5 feet 6 inches
weight: 60 kg
marital status: single
hobbies: reading books & listening music
9. Declaration: I would like to declare hereby that all the facts, mentioned above are true to
the best of my knowledge.
ABC
(Signature of the candidate)
Date: 01.12.2008
Précis on the given passage:
Crude oil is the underground source of all Petroleum products. It is drilled out ten to thousands
of barrels daily. Petroleum products are mainly hydrocarbons. Crude oil is refined by condens-
ing the vapours to get light oils. The residue is used in boilers. Very complex methods are fol-
lowed for producing other Gasoline-based products.
Title: Petroleum Products
ii. Crude oil is brought to the surface by drilling.
iii. The principal components of all petroleum products are Hydrogen and Carbon.
iv. The residue remaining after the light oils are distilled is called heavy oil.
v. Lubricating oil
vi. Improve

Solutions 116
2007
GROUP – A
1. b. associate
2. a. impractical
3. b. faultless
4. d. combination of all three
5. c. extend, wheedle
6. b. unintentionally
7. a. brief
8. b. Archives
9. c. Philatelist
10. b. panacea
GROUP – B
I. 1. for
2. in, with
3. to
4. in
II. 1. might
2. could
3. was
4. stung
5. fallen
III. 1. Where there is a will there is a way.

2. Only the best quality is sold by us.
3. Rose is the sweetest of all flowers.
4. Honesty is the best policy.
5. How does the blue sky look?

117 Solutions
IV. 1. Was the note written with a pencil or an ink pen?

2. Many a man does not do his duty towards his country.
3. This fruit tastes better.
4. He is addicted to drinking wine.
5. I came here this morning.
V. 1. Putting on his coat, he went to his office.

2. Lack of space was the cause of their angry protest.
3. However much she will tries, she cannot perform better.
4. Feeling tired, I took a nap.
5. Having completed his work, he kept away his tools.


Model Question Paper
Set – 1
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Time Allotted: 3 Hours Full Marks 70
GROUP – A
Choose the correct alternative from the options given below each statement and complete
the sentence. Answer any ten of the following. 10 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 10
1. A memo is .
a. a written form of communication b. an oral form of communication
c. a kind of letter d. a sales letter
2. A ‘complimentary close’ is part of a .
a. business letter b. memo c. sales letter d. report
3. A sales letter is written to .
a. promote a product b. for one’s own pleasure
c. for official reasons d. account for something
4. An agenda comes with .
a. a notice b. a memo c. a business letter d. a report
5. In a group discussion, leadership quality is .
a. looked for b. not appreciated c. despised d. lost
6. I have been looking for this document a year.
a. since b. from c. till d. until
7. The thief before the police arrived.
a. escaped b. had escaped c. fled d. fired
8. Jonny a new t-shirt.
a. is wanting b. wants c. want d. had wanted
9. Either you or I to blame.
a. am b. is c. are d. have been
10. Fast delivery a lack of confidence.
a. betrays b. betray c. betrayed d. had betrayed
Model Question Paper.indd 119 09/08/10 2:11 PM

120 Model Question Paper
11. The hall reverberated with .

a. round the clock applause b. round up applause
c. round the corner applause d. rounded upon applause
12. Repeated attacks on his work have rendered the author immune to .
a. self criticism b. all criticism
c. any criticism d. all rewards
GROUP – B
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
Originating from the Greek term ‘Pathos’ meaning suffering, and ‘Logos’ meaning science,
pathology is an indispensable branch of medicine that specialises in the study of disease. It
involves exploring the intricate nature of the human body and understanding its complicated
mechanisms to comprehend the complex system of diseases.
Pathology can be classified into two major specialities—clinical and anatomic pathology.
Clinical pathology involves laboratory test diagnosis and includes sub-specialities like clinical
chemistry, toxicology, microbiology, immunology, hematology, medical genetics, coagulation
and blood banking and laboratory data management.
Anatomic pathology deals in tissue diagnosis. It analyses the microscopic structural changes
caused by disease in tissues and cells. The anatomic pathologist plays a central role in diagnosis
of surgically-removed tissues, particularly when tumour is suspected.
The role of the pathologist in an autopsy, described as ‘the place where the dead shall teach
the living’, is indispensable as he determines the exact cause of death and presents the findings
at a legal level. Special training and certification in forensic pathology is needed in order to
serve as a medical examiner and to conduct postmortem studies of suspected criminal activi-
ties or deaths.
Molecular pathology is a progressive branch of clinical pathology. It utilises newly developed
strategies for DNA and RNA hybridisation to aid in various aspects of both clinical and ana-
tomic diagnosis. It provides greater levels of accuracy and precision in most areas of laboratory
medicine.
Known as a medical speciality that provides a scientific foundation for medical practice,
pathology especially appeals to those who enjoy solving disease-related problems, using tech-
nologies based upon fundamental sciences like biophysics, molecular genetics, anatomy, bio-
chemistry, physiology and microbiology. To become a pathologist, one would need to furnish
the Diploma in Pathology and Bacteriology (DPB) or Doctor of Medicine (MD) in pathology,
post attaining their MBBS degree. This means four years of medical school including one year
of internship, post college graduation.
Specialisation in a particular principle would mean another year or two of training and study.
Some subspecialities include blood banking or transfusion medicine; immunopathology; dem-
atopathology, hematopathology (bone marrows and clotting disorders), etc.

Model Question Paper 121
Pathologists in hospitals and clinical laboratories practice as consultant physicians, assisting

in the diagnosis and treatment of individual patients. As a teacher or a lecturer, he imparts this
knowledge of disease to trainees, students and colleagues. As a scientist in research and devel-
opment, the pathologist uses tools of various experimental systems to advance the understand-
ing and treatment of diseases.
Questions:
1. Find words from the passage for the groups of words given below. 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
i. Greek word similar in meaning to ‘suffering’:
ii. The act of keeping blood for future: use
iii. An expert in pathology:
iv. Studies related to death of a person, the reason of death etc.:
v. Pathology related to skin diseases and their treatment:
2. Answer the following questions correctly (30–40 words each)
i. Write a short note on ‘Anatomic Pathology’. 1½
ii. Describe any two roles of the pathologist. 1½
iii. What is Molecular Pathology? 1
iv. How does it (Molecular Pathology) help a Clinical Pathologist? 1
3. Write a précis on the given passage. Don’t forget to give a suitable title to your précis.
4ⴙ1ⴝ5
GROUP – C
Answer any three of the following questions: 15 ⴛ 3 ⴝ 45
1. Your college has established a new computer laboratory with all modern facilities. Write
a technical report on it and submit it to the director/principal of your college. 15
(word limit: 200)
2. Suppose you are Executive Engineer of Alice Infotech having its head office at 38,
V. K. Road, Mumbai. Your company has got a tender of Rs 30 crore for establishing News
Network Channel in Mumbai. Draft a Circular/Notice in this regard inviting Project
Managers and Project Assistants. Don’t forget to add an agenda to it. 15
(word limit: 200 words)
3. Suppose your company has finished a project of setting up a Power Station at Birbhum.
Write a Project Documentation Report to the Managing Director of your company. Sign
your name as A. Vargeese, Project Manager. Don’t forget to mention the things/copy
documents that you are likely to enclose. 15
(word limit – 200 words)
4. Define technical communication. What are the key features of an effective communication?
5 ⫹ 10 ⫽ 15
(word limit: 60 and 140 words)

5. Draft a job application in response to the advertisement given below. 15

(word limit: 200–250 words)
A Top MNC having its head office at Noida immediately wants B. Tech freshers for the post of
Trainee Engineers. Starting salary 40,000 per month and other benefits. Rush your CV/Biodata/
Resume’ with a Covering Letter to M/s Tanuja
Personnel Manager
Indiaspace Electronics
28, SJ Road
Greater Noida
Application should reach us by 20 August 2010.

Set – 2
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION HU101

Time Allotted : 3 Hours Full Marks : 70
GROUP – A
Choose the correct alternative from the options given below each statement to make it a
correct sentence. Attempt 10 questions only. 10 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 10
1. A solicited proposal is .
a. one written on order b. one written on one’s free wall
c. a notice d. a letter
2. A sales letter is written to .
a. promote a product b. express a grievance
c. present a report d. a routine letter
3. Staying aloof in a group discussion is .
a. not appreciated b. well appreciated
c. not a problem d. a huge affair
4. The full form of ‘e-mail’ is .
a. emphatie mail b. electric mail
c. electronic mail d. earnest mail
5. ‘Wi-fi’ stands for .
a. wireless fidelity b. work force
c. world fidelity d. warned force
6. ‘Homophones’ means .
a. similar sounding b. similar in spelling
c. similar in meaning d. similar in usage
7. ‘Complimentary Close’ is a part of .
a. report b. memo c. business letter d. proposal
8. The robbers succeeded to break his apartment.
a. off b. into c. by d. with

9. He often bears the insult of his master.

a. with b. up c. upon d. for
10. I came her at a party.
a. by b. with c. across d. to
11. The situation calls _________ quick action.
a. into b. in c. for d. up
12. The police came heavily on the hawkers.
a. up b. down
GROUP – B
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
What is a perfectly free person? Evidently a person who can do what he likes, when he
likes, and where he likes, or do nothing at all if he prefers it. (Well, there is no such person,
and there never can be any such person.) Whether we like it or not, we must all sleep for
one-third of our lifetime—wash and dress and undress—we must spend a couple of hours
eating and drinking—we must spend nearly as much in getting about from place to place.
For half the day we are slaves to necessities which we cannot shirk, whether we are mon-
archs with a thousand slaves or humble labourers with no servants but their wives. And the
wives must undertake the additional heavy slavery of child-bearing, if the world is still to
be peopled.
These natural jobs cannot be shirked, but they involve other jobs which can. As we must
eat we must first provide food; as we must sleep, we must have beds, and bedding in houses
with fireplaces and coals; as we must walk through the streets, we must have clothes to cover
our nakedness. Now, food and houses and clothes can be produced by human labor. But when
they are produced they can be stolen. If you like honey you can let the bees produce it by their
labor, and then steal it from them. If you are too lazy to get about from place to place on your
own legs you can make a slave of a horse. And what you do to a horse or a bee, you can also
do to a man or woman or a child, if you can get the upper hand of them by force or fraud or
trickery of any sort, or even by teaching them that it is their religious duty to sacrifice their
freedom to yours.
Now mark another big difference between the natural slavery of man to Nature and the
unnatural slavery of man to man. Nature is kind to her slaves. If she forces you to eat and
drink, she makes eating and drinking so pleasant that when we can afford it we eat and
drink too much. We must sleep or go mad; but then sleep is so pleasant that we have great
difficulty in getting up in the morning. And firesides and families seem so pleasant to the
young that they get married and join building societies to realize their dreams. Thus, in-
stead of resenting our natural wants as slavery, we take the greatest pleasure in their sat-
isfaction. We write sentimental songs in praise of them. A tramp can earn his supper by
singing Home, Sweet Home.

Questions:
1. Choose the correct alternative for the italicized words from each set of the alterna-
tives given. 5ⴛ1ⴝ5
i. The word similar in meaning to the word evidently (sentence 2) is .
a. eventually b. eventfully c. obviously d. e-vedantly
ii. These natural jobs cannot be shirked. (sentence 1, paragraph-2)
a. sharked b. avoided c. allowed d. she irked
iii. whether we are monarchs (paragraph-1, line 7)
a. mono architects b. moon archs
c. kings of a chessboard d. ruling kings or queens
iv. They involve other jobs which can. (paragraph 2, line 1)
a. kings and queens b. natural jobs
c. profit-making works d. unnatural jobs
v. Thus, instead of resenting our natural wants (paragraph-3, line 8)
a. despite of b. unsteady of
c. in lieu of d. in steadiness of
2. Answer the following questions correctly. (word limit: 30–40 words)
i. What is a perfectly free person according to the author? 1
ii. How far the ideas expressed in the first paragraph are related to time management
techniques? 1½
iii. Make a list of the natural jobs that ‘cannot be shirked’ according to the author. 1
iv. Show the difference between the ‘natural slavery of man to Nature’ and ‘unnatural
slavery of man to man’. 1½
3. Draft a précis on the given passage. Don’t forget to give a suitable title to it. 4 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 5
GROUP – C
Answer any three of the following questions. 3 ⴛ 15 ⴝ 45
1. Hotel Peerless Inn urgently requires a B. Tech Electrical Engineer for Kolkata. Draft a
suitable job application and enclose your Bio-data/Resume and other relevant docu-
ments sign your name as M. Chatterjee. 15
2. The Director of your College has got a grant of Rs. 50 lakhs from the All Indian Council
for Technical Education (AICTE) for development of the Central Computer Station in
your College. You are the Secretary of the Students’ Council. The Director has, therefore,
asked you to investigate the facilities available and in consultation with the respective
teachers and students of your College make recommendations for improvement. Write
the report in Business Letter format. 15
(word limit: 150 words)

3. Your company ‘Vistas Magnificent’ has already made a name in India for software man-
ufacturing. The opening of a new branch for extending its activities has become impera-
tive. A new site has been searched out. You, as an Assistant Director, Sales Promotion,
have been given the responsibility of making a decision regarding the purchase. Make a
survey of the site. Consider the cost for the plot and other relevant factors such as loca-
tion, roads and transports, availability of skilled/non-skilled workers and supply of pow-
er. You must submit your report along with suggestions, if any, to the Managing Director
within the next week. Write the report in Technical Report format. 15
(200 words)
4. Suppose you are R. Dixit, Managing Director of Naples Fortuna Infotech. You have got
an urgent call to meet the Finance Minister of India. Write an e-mail to Deputy Manag-
ing Director instructing her all about your pending files and work plan for the week you
want her to complete during your absence. 15
5. Write a Notice/Circular for your college inviting attention of B.Tech students to be disci-
pled in the campus and punctual in their respective Theory and Practical Classes. Don’t
forget to mention about the punitive measures that your college is going to take against
those who would be found indisciplined or unpunctual sign your name as Dev/Devi,
students’ General Secretary. 15
OR
Write a broad note on any four barriers to communication and the ways to tackle them.
15

Set – 3
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION HU101

Time Allotted: 3 Hours Full Marks: 70
GROUP – A
Answer any ten of the following questions. Attempt any three from 1 and any seven from 2.
10 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 10
1. Write True/False against each statement: (any three) 3⫻1⫽3
i. Barriers to communication are essential for classification of thoughts and ideas of
both the sender and the receiver.
ii. Government organizations write circulars and private organizations write notices.
iii. Memos and letters are different in formats only, otherwise they are the same.
iv. ‘Ability’ and ‘Capacity’ are words with different meanings.
v. Group discussions are an extended form of debates.
2. Choose the correct alternatives and fill in the gaps: (any seven) 7⫻1⫽7
i. The book has been (adapted/adopted) for the Indian readership.
ii. The person looks sad and (uninterested/disinterested).
iii. Trespassers will be (persecuted/prosecuted).
iv. He is a man of (principle/principal).
v. Justice should be (tempered/tampered) with mercy.
vi. The condition of homeless people becomes (pitiful/pitiable) in
winter.
vii. He led a (sensuous/sensual) life.
viii. She vowed to (avenge/revenge) herself for the death
of her cousin.
ix. I have (assured/ensured) him of a job in our company.

GROUP – B
Read the following passage carefully and answer the following questions correctly:
Automotive engineers are using VR to check and approve new designs without having to cre-
ate clay models; they are crash testing cars without building costly prototypes; and they are
creating ‘factories in a box’—assembly line simulation that can identify bottlenecks and quality
control problems.
But VR applications extend beyond the world of the virtual automobile. The technology is
also helping medical students improve their surgical skills. Architects can ‘walk through’ their
designs. Indeed, the applications are almost endless.
But it takes time, effort and training to bring VR to us full potential. So EDS, which operates
a VR ‘showroom’ in Detroit has opened North America’s first VR university. The Virtual Reality
institute in Troy, Michigan , is a joint effort with Prosolvia Research and Technology. Swedish-
based Prosolvia is a world leader in VR software, training and technology. And it operates six
other VR institutes in Europe.
One of the first projects under development at the Troy centre is a driving simulator to help
medical experts assess and understand the neurological damage a person suffers as the result of
a stroke. Another student will develop a virtual home, which can be used a permanent exten-
sion to a Houston annual trade fair—the Builder’s show. “We are building a house into which
companies can install their floors and appliances”, Johanson says.
Each VR institute emphasizes one or two core industries. Not surprisingly, the Michigan
centre focuses on cars and manufacturing. And VR-related technology is finding a willing au-
dience among the carmakers.
Questions:
1. Use the following nominal compounds in sentences of your own. Don’t use the sen-
tence of the passage. (any two) 2ⴛ1ⴝ2
i. Automotive engineers:
ii. quality control problems:
iii. builder’s show
2. Find words from the passage that mean the following (any three) 3ⴛ1ⴝ3
i. Engineers who are expert in automotion (Paragraph - 1):
ii. Inherrent power or talent of a person (Paragraph - 3):
iii. Related to medicine and its application (Paragraph - 4):
iv. Connected to neurology and its field of work (Paragraph - 4):
v. The word opposite in meaning to ‘reluctant’ (Paragraph - 5):
3. Answer the following questions correctly on the basis of the given passage (any five)
5 ⴛ 1 ⴝ 5 (word limit: 30 words)
i. What does the V.R. Institute stand for?
ii. What are the primary requirements for V.R. Tests’ Success?

iii. Describe the project of the ‘Troy Centre’ in brief.

iv. Write a short note on Prosolvia Research & Technology.
v. How may VR Institute help the medical experts?
vi. Make a list of the new fields where virtual Reality may be explored.
GROUP – C
Answer any three of the following questions: (word limit: 200 words) 3 ⴛ 15 ⴝ 45
1. The Director of your College has got a grant of Rs. 50 lakhs from the All India Council
for Technical Education (AICTE) for development of the Central Computer Station in
your College. You are the Secretary of the Students’ Council. The Director has, therefore,
asked you to investigate the facilities available and in consultation with the respective
teachers and students of your College make recommendations for improvement. Write
the report. 15
2. Your company “Computer Wizard” has already made a name in India for software man-
ufacturing. The opening of a new branch for extending its activities has become impera-
tive. A new site has been searched out. You, as an Assistant Director, Sales Promotion,
have been given the responsibility of making a decision regarding the purchase. Make a
survey of the site. Consider the cost for the plot and other relevant factors such as loca-
tion, roads and transports, availability of skilled/non-skilled workers power. You must
submit your report along with suggestions, if any, to the Managing Director within the
next week. Write the report.
3. Startrek Multimedia has advertised the following. Read it carefully and write a Job
Application for the post. Sign your name as Rajan/Rajani
4. Suppose you are the Project-in-charge of a Government Power Corporation. The site
supervisor has failed to submit his on-going monthly Project Report by the end of July
2010. Issue a Memo to him and mention what steps you would be taking if he fails to
answer your Memo within 14 days from the date of issue of such Memo. Sign your name
as Pranay/Pranami.
A talented B. Tech (I.T) required for Mumbai office. Salary 40K per month and other
facilities. Rush your Bio-data/Resumé/CV with a covering letter to
Mr. D. Karunakar
Personnel Manager
30, Juhu Beach
Mumbai
by 29th August 2010.

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Contemporary Communicative English

FM.indd i 09/08/10 2:07 PM

FM.indd ii 09/08/10 2:07 PM

FM.indd iii 09/08/10 2:07 PM

Copyright © 2011, Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd

Published by Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd, licensees of Pearson Education in

FM.indd iv 09/08/10 2:07 PM

Paper Code: HU 101

Objectives of the Course: This course has been designed to

Syllabus, Lecture Plan and Marks Scheme

FM.indd v 09/08/10 2:07 PM

MARKS SCHEME (Written Examination) Total Marks 70

MARKS SCHEME (Internal Examination) Total Marks 30

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SECTION A DEVELOPING LISTENING COMPREHENSION SKILLS

S ECTION B D EVELOPING S PEAKING C OMPETENCE

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S ECTION C R EADING AND W RITING S KILLS

6. Reading for Comprehension 49

S ECTION D T ECHNICAL C OMMUNICATION

8. Integrating Communication Techniques and Soft Skills 71

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FM.indd ix 09/08/10 2:07 PM

FM.indd x 09/08/10 2:07 PM

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Speaker 1: Hello, may I speak to Mr Kaul?

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(b) A social call, just to touch base with a friend

calling reach help through message

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(b) During a meeting

Some more common phrases used during meetings

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through towards over on in

2. Choose an appropriate response to the questions in Column A.

INFORMATION ABOUT A JOB INTERVIEW

Speaker 1: Hello, this is Bharat Communications. How may I help you?

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Some more common phrases used during interviews

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outline taking increased welcome hope

Govind: When can I get the next train to Howrah?

(b) Conversation with co-passengers

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Some more common phrases used while travelling

e-mail arriving advice delayed enjoy

2. Choose an appropriate response to the questions in Column A.

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(b) With friends

Some more common phrases used during social get together

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THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING SKILL

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B: A double drive. It has windows and a nice mouse too!