V.VP.

ENGINEERING COLLEGE, RAJKOT COMMUNICATION

SKILLS

SEMESTER 1 OR 2

SUBJECT CODE :2110002

ASSIGNEMEN
TS

Q-1 THE
PROCESS
OF
COMMUNICATION
/ESSENTIALS
OF
COMMUNICATION/ COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION:
The word communication has its roots in the Latin word communicare,
which means to share. Sharing of information, knowledge and thoughts is
known as communication. For communication, there is a requirement of two
parties, the sender and the receiver, without whom, communication is not
possible.
DEFINITION: Communication is an exchange of information, ideas and knowledge
between sender and receiver through an accepted [ ( )] code of
symbols.
THE
CYCLE:

COMMUNICATION
Sender
Encode
d
messa
ge

Decode
d
messa
ge
Feedback

Response

Receiver

The sender encodes [ ()] the message and sends it through a channel. This
channel is the language used. The receiver receives the message, decodes [
()] it and acts on it. If the message received is the same as the message sent, there will

be a response [ ()]; if there is no response, it means that the communication

has failed. The transmission [ ( )] of the receivers response to the sender is
called feedback. To understand whether communication has taken place or not, one must
take feedback to know the observation of the recipients response. Communication takes
place in a well-defined [ ( ) environment known as communication
environment. The essentials of effective communication are:
1.
A common communication
environment
2.
Cooperation between the sender and the
receiver.
3.
Selection of an appropriate
channel.
4.
Correct encoding and decoding of the
message.
5. Receipt of the desired [ () response and feedback.

Q-2. The difference between general communication and technical

communication:
Messages that are non-technical or informal in nature are categorized
as
general
purpose communication, whereas messages pertaining to
technical, industrial or business matters belong to the category of technical
or business communication.
Sr
.
1

topic

Technical communication

Document
type

Style

3.
4.

Skills [
()]
Format

All professional, scientific and

specialized documents, drafts,
reports, letters, papers, theses.
Familiar, simple, clear and
precise, permanent document
Acquired through practice

5.

Language

6.

Words

General communication

Literary and other types of

writing,
like
poetry,
prose,
newspapers
and
other
Poetic, rhetorical [(
)], elegant and carries
Creative and innovative with an
inborn talent
Strict and well-defined so that No
set
pattern
and
prethe reader can understand the defined organization
organization of the document
Simple, straight-forward,
Elegant and creative, can be
objective, rational and scientific. poetic and literary.
Descriptive and literary
Technical words and their
composition
explanation, jargons

Content

Function

It is pre-planned on the
basis of information collected
Instructs, informs and persuades

Spontaneous and written-onthe-spur of the moment

Amuses, inspires and educates.

Q-3. LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION

Human communication takes place at the following five levels:
1.

Extra-personal Communication: Communication between human beings

and non-human entities is called extra-personal communication. More than any
other form, this form of communication requires perfect co-ordination and
understanding between the sender and the receiver as at least one of them
transmits information or responds in sign language only.
2. Intrapersonal Communication: The communication that takes place in an
individual is an intrapersonal communication. The brain is linked to all the parts
of the body by an electrochemical system. When the body has some experience,
it reaches brain, and brain reacts to it.
3. Interpersonal Communication: Interpersonal communication means sharing
of information among people. It includes examination of how many people are
involved, how close they are to one another physically, how many sensory
channels are used and the feedback provided. Interpersonal communication
differs from other forms of communication in that there are few participants
involved; the participants are in close physical proximity to each other. There
are many sensory used and feedback is immediate. The roles of sender and
receiver keep alternating. It is advantageous because direct and immediate
feedback is possible. Here non- verbal communication plays a major role in the
interpretation of a message. It can be formal or informal, depending upon the
formality of the situation. Interpersonal communication takes on

different styles. It depends on variety of factors like psychology, relationship

and situation of the sender and receiver, the surrounding environment and
above all cultural context.
4. Organizational Communication: Communication in an organization takes place
at various hierarchal levels. It is extremely necessary for the sustenance of any
organization. With a proper networking system, communication in an
organization is possible even without direct contact between employees. It can
be further divided into:
Internal Operational: Communication that occurs in conducting
work within an organization is classified as internal- operational.
External Operational: The work-related communication with the people
outside the organization is known as external-operational.
Personal: Communication in an organization that occurs without a
business purpose is called personal communication.
5. Mass Communication: For this kind of communication, a mediator is required
to transmit the
information. There are several mass-media to mediate like newspaper,
television, and magazine. The large audience is heterogeneous and
anonymous therefore contact is impersonal. This communication is more
persuasive and requires utmost care from the sender. Oral communication
through mass media requires some equipment, written form needs print or
visual media. The characteristics of mass communication are:
Large reach: Mass media communication reaches audience of wide
geographic area.
Impersonality: This kind of communication is largely impersonal are
participants are unknown to each other.
Gatekeeper: Mass communication needs additional persons, institutions
to convey the message from sender to receiver. E.g. editor in newspaper.
Communication plays a pivotal role in an organization. It is the vehicle
through
which management performs all its functions. It is impossible for an
organization to survive without communication, for all its activities would come
to a standstill. Therefore, its importance can never be ignored.
Q-4
THE
FLOW
COMMUNICATION

OF

Information in an organization can fow in both formal and

informal way.
FORMAL COMMUNICATION: Communication that follows the oficial hierarchy and is
required to do ones job is known as formal communication. Internal operational
and external operational communication can be described as formal
communication, e.g. a manager instructing a subordinate or two employees
interact to discuss a customers orders. Information of various kinds flows
through formal channel such as policy or procedural changes, orders, instructions,
confidential reports etc.
TYPES/FLOW
COMMUNICATION:

OF


Downward
communication.

Upward
communication

Lateral
communication
3

1.

2.

3.

4.

Diagonal communication.
DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION:
Downward communication flows from a manager down the chain of
command.
When
the superiors inform, instruct, advice or request their
subordinates, it is downward communication. This is generally used to convey
routine information, new policies or procedures, to seek clarification, to ask for an
analysis. Superiors also send feedback about their subordinates. It can take form of
memos, notices, face to face interactions or telephone conversations. This should
be balanced by upward flow of communication.
UPWARD COMMUNICATION:
When subordinates send reports, information, findings, recommendations, and
grievances to their superiors, the communication flows upwards. This kind of
communication keeps the mangers aware of how and what the employees feel
about their jobs, colleagues and organization in general. Managers rely on
upward communication to make certain decisions and solving some problems. The
extent of upward communication depends upon the organizational culture. In an
open culture without many hierarchal levels, the superior can create a climate of
trust and respect to implement participative decision making. In a highly
authoritative environment, downward flow dominates, upward communication
remains limited to the managerial ranks. Suggestion boxes, employee attitude
surveys, grievance procedures, superior- subordinate decisions, review reports,
statistical analysis are called upward communication.
LATERAL OR HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION:
This type of communication takes place among peer groups or hierarchically
equivalent employees. It is necessary for co-ordination, time saving, and bridging
communication gap among various departments. They are generally created to
bypass the formal hierarchical channels and expedite action. When vertical
communication delays the accurate transfer of information, lateral or horizontal
communication can be beneficial. Nevertheless, they can also create conflicts
when formal vertical channels are bypassed as the superiors find that they are not
consulted before taking decisions. However, this communication is vital for the
growth of the organization as it builds co-operation among the various branches.
E.g. Vice-president, Marketing sending survey- report to the Vice-president,
Production.
DIAGONAL OR CROSS-WISE COMMUNICATION:
Diagonal or cross-wise communication flows in all directions and acts across the
functions and levels in an organization. When sales-manager talks to vice-president
(production) who is not only in the different department but also in the
different position in an organization, it is called diagonal communication. It
deviates from the normal chain but it is quick and efficient. It not only saves time
and expedites the action but also prevents other employees from being merely
mediators.
The increased use of e-mail encourages cross-wise communication. Since there is
no specific line of command, diagonal communication is referred to as circular
communication also.
Q-5
BARRIERS
COMMUNICATION

IN

Communication is effective only if it creates the desired impact on the receiver. It

has been found that
technical communication is difficult. Sometimes even the
managers in an organization feel
4

that nobody in the organization understands them. The employees fail to

understand or listen attentively or send incomprehensible letters. This is a result
of poor communication skills.
There are numerous problems associated with communication. If communication
fails to evoke the desired response, the following steps will take to the right
path.

Identify the Problem

Find the Cause
Work on Alternative Solutions
Opt for the Best Solution
Follow up Rigorously

NOISE: Any interference in the message sent and message received leads to the
production of
noise. Communication barriers are the extension of noise.
BARRIERS: Anything that obstructs the free-flow of communication is called
barrier. If these barriers are classified according to the process of message
formation, they have three levels.
1. Intrapersonal barriers
2. Interpersonal barriers
3. Organizational barriers
Q-5. INTRAPERSONAL BARRIER: Individuals are unique because of differences in
experience, education, value and personality. Therefore, the same information can be
interpreted in different ways. Certain common causes are responsible for an
individuals inbuilt barriers.

WRONG ASSUMPTION: Wrong assumptions are generally made because the sender
or the receiver does not have adequate knowledge about each others background
or entertains certain false fixed notions. Sometimes the speaker does not realize
that the backgrounds, education and experiences of different people can be
different. A skilled communicator keeps these issues in mind to prevent wrong
assumptions.
VARIED PERCEPTION: Individuals in an organization perceive situations in
different ways. They may not perceive the situation as a whole, but they know it in
parts and then they compare them. This leads to a great miscommunication. The
best way to overcome this barrier is to step back and take a wider perspective of the
issue.
DIFFERING BACKGROUND: People vary in terms of their education, culture,
language, environment, age, sex, financial status etc., which play a significant role in
the interpretation of the message. Sometimes, something not experienced earlier,
may become difficult to understand. A doctor will not be interested to know the
hardware aspects of the computer that the computer representative explains to him.
A good communicator must know the backgrounds of his audience. The meaning of
the word resides in the mind of the listener; therefore one has to be cautious while

using words.
WRONG INFERENCES: Inferences are more dramatic than facts and therefore they
may give more scope for gossip and rumour to grow. Inferences supported by facts
are essential for professionals when they analyse material, solve problems and
plan procedures. System analysts, marketing
5

specialist, advertisers, architects, engineers, designers and others must work

on the various premises and draw inferences after collecting factual data. To avoid
this, one can present it with qualifiers like as evidence suggest, in my opinion.
IMPERVIOUS CATEGORIES: When people receive information that does not
conform to their
personal views, habits and attitudes or appears unfavourable to them, they may
react negatively. Rejection, distortion and avoidance are three common, undesirable
and negative reactions to unfavourable information. This is a result of having closed
mind; such people ignore variations and differences, which lead to unreliable
conclusions. Certain prejudices are so deeply embedded in the psyche that those
cannot be challenged. Their rigidity does not allow them any deviation from their
point of view.
CATEGORICAL THINKING: People who feel that they know it all are called
pansophists. This thinking exists in people who feel that they know everything
about a particular subject, and therefore refuse to accept any further information
on that topic. It poses a major barrier, leading to a failure in communication. In
such instances, the receivers refuse information. The clue to detect this barrier in
others and ourselves is the use of words like all, always, everyone, everything
and their opposites. If a message contains too many of those words, there is a
chance of communication getting disturbed.

Q-6. INTERPERSONAL BARRIERS:

Interpersonal barriers occur due to inappropriate transaction of words between two or
more people. The most common reasons for interpersonal barriers are:

LIMITED VOCABULARY: An inadequate vocabulary can be a major obstacle in

communication. In communication, the connotative and denotative meanings of the
words should be absolutely clear to the receiver. During the speech, if speaker is at
the loss for words, the communication will be ineffective and leaves poor impression
on the audience.
INCONGRUITY BETWEEN VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL MESSAGES: The stark difference
between the verbal and non-verbal aspects of communication leaves the listeners
feeling confused and puzzled. A communicator should make himself familiar with
the thinking of the listeners. Misinterpreted non-verbal communication acts as
another barrier to effective communication information gathering. Action
speaks louder than words; therefore non-verbal cues provide a deeper insight into
the senders message. Assumptions from the body language can lead to
communication barrier.
EMOTIONAL OUTBURST: A moderate level of emotional environment intensifies
communication, making it more personal. However, excessive emotional
involvement can be an obstacle in communication. In the same way, prejudice,
stereotyping and boredom all hinder effective communication. Positive emotions like
happiness and excitement also interfere in communication. People under such
emotions misinterpret, ignore and overreact to the message. Those who witness
such behavior are most likely to lower their opinion about the sender of the
message.
COMMUNICATION SELECTIVITY: If the receiver in a communication process pays
attention only to a part of the message, he poses a communication selectivity

barrier, because he is interested in that part of the message which concerns him. In
such cases, sender is not at fault but it is the receiver
who
breaks
the
fow
of
communication.
6

CULTURAL VARIATIONS:
This is one of the predominant factors in
communication failure. As business increases across national boundaries to
compete on a global scale, the outlook has also changed drastically. The
management and the employee of the companies need to closely observe the
laws, customs and business practice of the host countries. The success of a
businessman lies in knowing the etiquettes of a particular country.
POOR LISTENING SKILLS: A common obstacle to communication is poor listening
habits. It must be remembered that hearing and listening are different. The various
distractions that hinder listening are emotional disturbances, aggressiveness, and
wandering attention. Sometimes, an individual is so engrossed in his own thoughts
and worries that he is unable to concentrate. Divided attention also hinders listening.
NOISE IN THE CHANNEL: Noise in the channel interferes in the transmission of
signals. It is not only cacophony but also a visual, audio-visual, written, physical or
psychological hindrance. They convey extraneous matters which irritate the listener.

ORGANIZATIONAL
BARRIERS:
Q-7.

Communication barriers are not only limited to an individual or two people but exist in
entire organizations. This is so because of the numerous transfer points in hierarchical
systems. It can distort, delay or lose the message. The main organizational barriers are
enumerated as:
TOO MANY TRANSFER STATIONS: The more links there are in a
communication chain, the greater are the chances of the barriers. The message
gets distorted at each level of barriers not only because of the poor listening or
lack of concentration, but also because of several other reasons. They are
always deterrent to effective communication and should be avoided.
FEAR OF SUPERIORS: In rigidly structured organizations, fear of
superiors prevents subordinates from speaking frankly. There should be
such an environment which enables people to speak freely. An open
environment increases confidence and goodwill of a communicator. To avoid to
speak to superior or to present all the information; both are opposite
extremes to be avoided. Such unfocused messages result in a wasted time. By
encouraging active participation from their subordinates, seniors can give
more ideas, resources or solutions to come forth.
NEGATIVE TENDENCIES: While some groups are formed according to the
demands of the task, other small groups are also formed for recreational,
social and community purposes. They agree or differ in their values, attitudes,
opinions, beliefs and behavior. Once these values and opinions difer, they
create noise in the process of communication.
USE OF INAPPROPRIATE MEDIA: Some of the common media used in the
organization are graphs and charts, telephones, facsimile machines, boards, emails, telephone, teleconferencing and videoconferencing. While choosing the
medium of communication, their advantages, disadvantages and degree/extent
of barriers should be kept in mind. They depend upon time, cost, type of
message and the intended audience.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD: One of the major problems faced by the
organizations today is the availability of huge amount of data which the

receiver is unable to handle effectively. It is

known as information overload. The usual results of the information
overload are fatigue,
7

disinterest and boredom, in such situation, further communication is not

possible. Messages should be directed only to those people who are likely to
benefit from the information. Major points should be highlighted leaving out all.
Q-8.
KINESICS
Kinesics is the study of the bodys movements. It is the way the body
communicates without words. i.e through various movements of its parts. One
communicates just by being, by nodding head, blinking the eyes, shrugging
shoulders, waving hands and other such physical activities are all forms of
communication. Some kinesics behaviors are deliberately intended to communicate.
Understanding non-verbal cues will develop the ability to use them more effectively
during the presentation.
The non-verbal part of an oral presentation is not as deliberate and conscious as
verbal communication, but it is subtle and instinctive. Non-verbal communication
refers to all communication that occurs without the use of words either spoken or
written. It is said that verbal components of oral communication carry less than 35
percent of the meaning and 65 percent is carried on by the non-verbal band.
1.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE: Personal appearance plays an important role: as

people see before they hear. As one adapts language to an audience, one
should also dress appropriately. It includes clothes, hair, jewellery, cosmetics
and so on. Clothes accent the bodys movement. One should plan ones
appearance in such a way that it communicates effectively to others. It can
make the audience hostile or induce in them a receptive mood. One should be
clean and well- groomed, conforming to the need of the occasion.
2.
POSTURE: Posture generally refers to the way we hold ourselves when we
stand, sit, and walk.
Certain mannerisms creep in- pacing constantly, bobbing the shoulders,
fidgeting with notes, jingling coins, and either constantly moving or remaining
static. One should always analyze the effect of body shape and posture to
understand their role in non-verbal communication. Standing, sitting or walking
in a relaxed way in positive posture, which encourages questions and questions
and discussions. Also being comfortably upright, squarely facing an audience
and evenly distributing weight are all aspects of posture that communicate
professionalism, confidence, attention to detail and organization. One should
neither remain static nor fidget. The way the speaker walks, stands, sits reveals
a lot about him.
3. GESTURE: Gesture is the movement made by hands, arms, shoulders, head
and torso. Adroit gestures can add to the impact of a speech. A well-timed
gesture not only drives a point home but also enhances the impact and adds
greater value to what is being said. They clarify the ideas and reinforce them
and should be well-suited to the audience and occasion. Gestures are more
numerous than any form of non-verbal communication, and the meaning
attached to them are diverse. It has been observed that there are around
700000 varied hand gestures alone. Gestures should not divert the attention
and distract from the message, ones gestures should be quite natural and
spontaneous. One should avoid irritating gestures like playing with ring,

twisting a key chain, clasping the hands tightly or cracking

the knuckles.
8

4.

FACIAL EXPRESSION: The face is the most expressive part of human body.
Facial expressions are subtle. One can use it in a variety of ways: to aid or
inhibit or complement the communication. The face rarely sends a single
message at a time, but sends a series of messages. The face may show
anxiety, recognition, hesitation and pleasure in quick succession. It is difficult to
interpret. Though there are only five basic expressions, one can have 33 blends.
The basic five expressions are: inhibited, uninhibited, substitute, frozen and
blank.
5. EYE-CONTACT: The eyes are the windows of the soul. One looks in the eyes of
the speaker to help to find out the truthfulness of his speech, his intelligence,
attitudes and feelings. It is a direct and powerful from of non-verbal
communication. Looking directly at listeners builds rapport. Prolonging the eyecontact for three to five seconds tells the audience that one is sincere. In his
speech and information. In the professional world, it is not sufficient that the
speaker looks at the audience, how he looks also counts. One should not
look outside the window, towards the roof of floor, instead of it; he should
establish eye-contact with one and all. It shows the intensity and feeling of trust.
Q-9.
PROXEMICS
Proxemics is the study of physical space in interpersonal relations. In a professional
setting, space is used to signal power and status. One should use the psychological
power of the space to ones benefit. Edward. T. Hall divides space into four distinct
zones.
INTIMATE
PERSONA
L

SOCIA
L
PUBLI
C

1.

INTIMATE: This zone starts with a personal touch to 18 inches. Members of the
family, lovers, spouses, relatives and parents fall under this zone. A hand-shake, a
pat on the back, a hug, all come into this zone.
2. PERSONAL: This zone stretches from 18 inches to 4 feet. Close friends, colleagues,
peers fall in this zone.
This
permits
spontaneous
and
unprogrammed

communication. It gives impression of

warmth
and
friendliness.
9

3.

SOCIAL: This zone stretches from 4 feet to 12 feet. Here relationships are formal.
One should be formal and less emotional here.
4. PUBLIC: This zone starts from 12 feet and may extend to 30 feet or to the range of
eyesight and hearing. Here formal events take place. There are chances of
detachment because the audience is free to do whatever they like.

Q-10
PARALINGUISTICS
Paralinguistic features are non-verbal vocal cues that help to give urgency to the
voice. Voice gives extra life to the speakers speech and it is useful to understand
the characteristic nuances like quality, volume, rate, pitch, articulation,
pronunciation and pauses.
1.

QUALITY: Quality is a characteristic that distinguishes one voice from another.

Each one of us has a unique voice and its quality depends upon its resonating
mechanism. While the quality of ones voice cannot be changed, it can be trained
for optimum impact.
2. VOLUME: Volume is the loudness or the softness of the voice. The voice should
always project but need not always be loud. The voice should be controlled
according to the place available. If the volume is too high, one may sound
boorish and insensitive, whereas if it is too low, it gives impression of timidity
and lack of confidence.
3. PACE/RATE: Rate is the number of words that one speaks per minute. It varies
from person to person, from 80 to 250 words per minute. The normal rate is from
120 to 150 w.p.m. One should cultivate ones pace to fit this reasonable limit. If a
person speaks too slowly or monotonously, he will be considered a dull speaker.
Similarly, a fast speaker causes discomfort as the listeners do not gasp the
thoughts. A well-planned varied message suggests enthusiasm and self-assurance.
4. PITCH: Pitch refers to the number of vibrations per second of voice. The rise and
fall of the voice
conveys various emotions. A well-planned pitch results in a clear and effective
tone. It helps to avoid being monotonous. Intonation refers to the rising and falling
pitch of the voice. By learning and adopting an appropriate intonation pattern, one
can express intentions clearly.
5. ARTICULATION: If the sounds are not uttered properly, the fow of understanding
gets interrupted and deters the listeners from grasping the meaning of the
message. One should develop the ability to speak distinctly, produce the sound
in a crisp and lucid manner without causing any obfuscation.
6. PRONUNCIATION: One should be careful to pronounce individual sounds along with
word stress according to set norms. If one doesnt know the correct pronunciation
of certain words, he should consult good dictionary.
7. VOICE MODULATION: Modulation of voice brings flexibility and vitality to ones
voice and one can
express emotions in the best possible way. If one doesnt pay proper attention to
the modulation of voice, his voice becomes flat and he seems languid speaker.
Word stress and sentence stress also play an important role in voice modulation.
8. PAUSES: A pause is a short silence flanked by words. A pause in speaking lets the

listener refect on the message and digest it accordingly. It helps to glide from one
thought to another. If the speaker becomes too self-conscious, this process
becomes artificial. Vocalized pauses should be replaced
10

by silent pauses. One should use pauses thoughtfully, and time them as they
exhibit assurance and self-control.
Q-11
CHRONEMICS
Chronemics is the study of how human beings communicate through their use of
time. In order to use time as an effective communication tool, one should
understand the impact it has and then act accordingly. People attempt to control
time, trying to use it more efectively.
In the professional world, time is a valuable commodity. When a person is late for
an appointment, people react negatively. If one arrives early, he is considered
either over-eager or aggressive. So, one must always be on time. Through time,
one communicates both subtly and explicitly.
Time perceptions include punctuality, willingness to wait and interactions. The
proper use of time can affect daily agendas, speed of speech, movements and how
long people are willing to listen. Time can also be used as an indicator of status.
The way time is used can provide information about people as individuals.
Q-12 PRESENTATION STRATEGIES
The ability to make effective and memorable oral presentations is one of the most
important qualities one needs to develop for a successful career. Constant practice is the
key to acquire this skill.
THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATIONS:
The purpose of the presentation not only decides the content and style but also affects
the amount of audience reaction. If the purpose is to provide information or to analyze
the situation, the presenter and the audience generally react in a limited way. On the
contrary, if the purpose is to persuade people to take a particular action or to
collaborate with them in solving a problem or making a decision, there would be more
conversation. The following could be the strategy to begin a presentation.
By providing facts and figures as it increases the subject-knowledge of the
audience.
It offers arguments in the defense of certain conclusions and recommendations.
It can invite audience to participate by expressing their needs,
suggesting solutions and formulating conclusions and recommendations.
This requires on the spot thinking skills and in-depth knowledge of the subject.
Depending upon the purpose which may be to inform, to analyze, to persuade,
one should be flexible enough to adjust for new input and unexpected audience
reactions.
ANALYSING AUDIENCE AND LOCALE
The nature (type) of the audience has a direct impact on the strategy one devices
for the presentation. Therefore, it is necessary to know the audiences
characteristics. If one has to address the unknown group, one should talk to the

organizer to help him analyse his audience and

supplement their estimates with some intelligent guesstimates
of ones own.
11

The members of the audience have some linguistic and cultural background
different from the speaker. If they are not conversant with English or ones
accents, the speaker should use slow speech and visual aids to clarify audiences
understanding.
One should adjust ones style to accommodate cultural differences, e.g. at some
places, people are
uncomfortable to ask questions while at certain places, they ask a lot,
some reveal their
expressions and some dont.
If one knows the audience in advance, one can guess how they would react, and
can prepare their structured presentation with a personal touch of a particular
style.

If the audience is already known, one has also information about their
characteristics. One must estimate their interests, likes, dislikes, their knowledge
of the topic, their extent of hostility towards the topic as well as the orator.
One should be aware of the gender, age, size and composition of the audience.
This estimation helps one to decide the style and content of the speech as per
the audiences
background, needs, interests and attitudes.
One should give the impression to the audience that he is there to share his views.
One should fathom the experience and knowledge of the audience by asking the
questions like:
o What do they already know?
o How much do they want to know about the topic?
o What does an author want his audience to know at the end of the
presentation?

Keeping in mind all these topics, one should prepare ones presentation.
An eye contact with the audience will enable the orator know their
excitement, resistance, hostility and dullness. One should begin with a smile and
make a pleasant greeting.
One should work to achieve efectiveness in communication responding to
audience feedback.
The more meticulous one is in the choice of words, the greater is the effect of
presentation. Using rarely used words with audience will either irritate or confuse
them.
One must keep in mind that if a listener misses anything in between the
presentation, he cant
retrieve; therefore key words and important topics should be repeated at the
appropriate time.
If one has to give something controversial or bad news, one should set aside some
time before the presentation. It helps to build rapport, anticipate problems, and
consider strategies.
Along with the audience, the locale has to be taken for.
(1) Every locale is unique.
(2) Know the physical setting; know whether podium or table is available,
whether public address system is available.
(3) It gives one idea that in which situation is audience for

a long time. (4) Enquire about lighting if it hinders the

power point presentation.
(5) One should also be prepared for the alternate arrangement or
modification of material,
visual aids and style that suits the
environment.
(6) One should speak confidently, make points crystal clear and easy to
comprehend. One should maintain the attitude of alertness and
confidence invite questions from the audience.
Q-13. ORGANIZING THE CONTENTS:
12

The content of the presentation is the mirror of the knowledge of a person. The
following steps can be kept in mind. One should
Always prepare more material than required, as it helps the person
to feel more confident.
Speak first few words loudly and more confidently.
Make eye contact with a person for some seconds before moving to
others.
Begin with a smile as it is a non-verbal greeting.
If one is inexperienced, one should memorize first few lines to move
ahead easily.
The content should be arranged in three major parts.
1. Introduction: Say what you want to say.
2. Main Body: Say it.
3. Conclusion: Say what you have said.
1. INTRODUCTION: The introduction comprises the porch or the opening statement,
the aim and lay-out. It can be a question, sincere greetings, starting statements
or even an anecdote. One should state clearly and precisely the purpose of the
presentation. A good introduction is a vehicle to lead the audience into the main
body of the speech. One should also provide a smooth transition to main body of
the speech.
2. MAIN BODY: The main body follows the introduction and supports the
aim or a specific purpose. Depending upon the topic and introduction, one can
choose from the following four patterns.

CHRONOLOGY: This pattern is used for organizing the details in the order in
which the events occurred or appeared before. This pattern is suitable for
history, and other temporal events.
CATEGORICAL: This is one of the easiest and most commonly adopted
patterns for many topics. The entire presentation can be divided into various
topics and sub-topics arranged on the basis of subordination and co-ordination.
CAUSE AND EFFECT: This method can be adopted whenever there exists a
cause and effect relationship. Here one has to give illustration and explanation
that caused the situation and then focus on the efects.
PROBLEM-SOLUTION: This presentation can be divided into two-parts. In the
first part, one has to describe and analyze the cause and effect of the problem.
Then one can move onto the main objective of the presentation to suggest or
purpose to the problem. This is a persuasive presentation where one can add
examples, illustrations, statistics, testimony, analogy or definition to his
arguments and ideas.

One should not include many examples or topics, but should include only four to
five topics. Each point should be clearly stated independently and balanced time
should be allotted to them. One should link points with transitional tags like
therefore, because, in addition to, apart from that, on
the contrary, next,

etc.
13

3. CONCLUSIONS: One can conclude the presentation by reviewing the main

topics. The audience should be given summary about the purpose of the
presentation. One should neither hastily wrap up the topic nor add anything new
to his speech. One can also conclude with a question or recall the earlier story,
joke or anecdote. One should not be prepared for the questions, with a shrewdness
to achieve victory of his questioners. One should be confident and self- assured.

Q-14

PREPARING AN OUTLINE
An outline is a mechanical framework with bits and pieces of the presentation. It
guides one through the path of the work. One must use outline to script to be
prepared for the presentation. It can be in the forms of words, phrases or
sentences.

TYPES AND USES OF PRESENTATION

METHODS
Spoken words are momentary. Centuries ago, a historian named, Herodotus said
that people trust their ears less than their eyes. Because of this limitation,
speeches often need strong visual support- handouts, chalk-boards, flipcharts,
overheads, slides, computers, charts, tables, film etc. Visual aids deliver the
message more accurately and quickly than a verbal explanation. When choosing
visual aids, one should keep in mind the style and content of the presentation.

OVERHEAD
TRANSPARENCIES:
While using OHP, one should keep in mind the following aspects.
One should:

Use large fonts and avoid using

decorative fonts.
Separate the transparencies by using
papers.

Not add multiple colours, exciting

backdrops.

Use pointer on the screen or pen or pencil to draw the

audiences attention.
Make oneself familiar with the operation
of OHP.

Be ready with manual notes of presentation in case of

power failure.

POWER
POINT
PRESSENTATION:

One should check the computer system

before loading.

Familiarize oneself with the operation of

the slides.
Transfer files to the hard

disk.

Keep a printed copy of the presentation in case of the

power failure.

Rehearse the
presentation.

BLACK BOARD OR WHITE

BOARD:

Clean the board well, checks the condition of the marker

before writing.

Write in large
letters.

Stand to the side while

writing.
Dont face the board while talking to the
audience.

Divide the board into columns and write neatly

and legibly.
Keep the content ready in written
format.
14


FLIPCHART: one
should,

Use different coloured

markers.

Keep two pads of

papers.

Write in large
letters.
Use only one side of the
chart.

Wait for the audience to grasp the content before

turning pages.
Q-15. UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES OF DELIVERY
Ones manner of presentation, vocal inflections, perfectly timed pauses, facial
expressions and gestures are part of an expert delivery. Even a dull and drab
topic will turn out to be more interesting if presented well. Having something to
say is not enough; you must know how to say it.
There are four modes of
delivery.
1.
Extemporaneous
2.
Manuscript
3.
Impromptu
4.
Memorization.
1 Extemporaneous: It is the most popular and effective method when carefully
prepared. It must be prepared beforehand and should be rehearsed. The
presentation will sound spontaneous after thorough preparation. It requires
planning of collecting the material and organizing it meticulously.

ADVANTAGES:
1. As one gets enough time for preparing for presentation, one can work hard
on the central theme.
2. One feels secured and can carry out the presentation with confidence and
dignity.
3. Written text does not bind the orator and the supporting material with
the appropriate selection of quotations, illustrations, and statistics helps to
substantiate the points.
4. The delivery of speech sounds natural and spontaneous as it establishes
rapport with the
audienc
e.
5. It enables one to move freely with ease.


DISADVANTAGES:
1. If preparation is inadequate, one gets lost and finds oneself uncomfortable.
2. If one relies too much on notes, the speech will lose its spontaneity.
2. MANUSCRIPT: In manuscript presentation, material is written out and one is
supposed to read it out verbatim, but one should be wise enough not to attempt to
read the speech until one is a proficient reader. One can overcome this problem
with consistent efforts. For effective use of this mode, one can go through the
material several times beforehand till one becomes familiar with the
conten
t.
15

ADVANTAGES:
1. It is a permanent and accurate record of what one has to say.
2. There is no chance to tampering with facts and figures.
3. The material is organized systematically. One should keep in mind
the step-by-step development of main points.
4. Language gets polished because one writes and rewrites the material.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. One gets less time to make proper eye contact.
2. Since one is reading to the audience, one cannot get much time
for non-verbal communication.
3. One may fumble over words; lose the pace that leads the uninteresting
speech and loss of audience attention.
3. IMPROMPTU: As the name suggests, the impromptu mode is what one uses while
one has to deliver an informal speech without preparation. One should keep in
mind the following aspects.

1. Dont panic or babble in unmethodical way.

2. Calmly state the topic and preview the topics to be made.
3. Support the points with whatever examples, quotes and anecdotes recalled
at that time.
4. Summarize and restate the points with a smile.
ADVANTAGES:
1. One sounds natural because one does not get time for preparation.
2. One gets chance to express his views irrespective of what others think.
3. One is spontaneous because he says what he feels and not what he ought to
say.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. The presentation lacks organized development of ideas.
2. There is no supplementary material like data, statistics, and illustration.
3. There is a frequent use of vocalized pauses.
4. If the language is inadequate or poor, the presentation may turn out to be
failure.
5. Chances of rambling are very high.
4. MEMORIZATION: This method of presentation is very difficult therefore very few
people can actually memorize the whole speech. One may memorize the main
parts, key words on the cards and if he wants to give examples and anecdotes, he
should remember it for presentation. This type of presentation stands between
extemporaneous and manuscript presentation.
o ADVANTAGES:
1. It becomes very easy for the speaker to maintain eye contact with the
audience.
2. The speaker can easily move and can make the use of non-verbal signals
also.
3. It is possible to finish the speech in the allotted time.
o DISADVANTAGES:
1. It requires too much time.

2.
3.

There are chances of presentation being dull.

If not rehearsed adequately, even mnemonic skills fail.
16

4.
5.
Q-16

No flexibility or adaptation is possible during the speech.

The speaker gets flustered if he forgets a word, sentence or a paragraph.

LISTENING ABILITY
Listening is an important skill. It is quite similar to reading as it involves the
reception and decoding of verbal messages from other person. Meticulous efforts
should be made not only to receive the message but also to interpret it correctly.
No communication process is complete without listening. Several studies have
indicated that business people send almost 45% of their working time in listening.
According to management Guru Tom Peters, listening is an essential management
and leadership skill. Similarly, effective listening is extremely important for
students as they spend most of their time in listening to the lectures. People are
not born as good listeners, active listening can be learnt and developed.
DEFINITION: Listening is a process of receiving, interpreting and reacting to a
message received from the speaker.
Listening requires voluntary attention and making sense of what is heard. It
requires a conscious effort to interpret the sounds, grasp the meaning of the
words, and react to the message. The interpretation of sound signals is a cognitive
act depending upon the attitude of the sender and the receiver.

HEARIN
G
Hearing and listening are not the same. People often use these two words
interchangeably. Hearing is solely dependent on the ears, it is a physical act,
and barring physically impaired persons, everyone can hear without deliberate
effort. Hearing is merely the vibration of sound waves on the eardrums followed by
firing of electro-chemical impulses in the brain.
Q-17.
THE
LISTENING:
1.
2.

3.
of

4.

5.
of

TYPES

OF

Appreciative Listening: This is listening for deriving aesthetic pleasure, e.g.

listening to a musician, entertainer or a comedian
Empathetic Listening: Listening with care and regard to a distressed person
who wants to express his feelings and giving him/her emotional and moral
support is empathetic listening. E.g. psychiatrist listening to a patient.
Comprehensive Listening: This includes understanding and comprehension
the message.
E.g. If someone is given direction to find the location of a place,
comprehensive listening is required to receive and interpret the message.
Critical Listening: When the purpose is to accept or reject the message
or to evaluate it critically, critical listening is required. E.g. A customer
listening to a salesperson or a voter listening to a politicians speech.
Ignoring, selective, attentive are some other kinds
listening.

17

Q-18. TRAITS/CHARACTERISTICS/FEATURES OF A GOOD LISTENER:

A person can become a good listener by developing a desire to listen. It can be
done by adopting a positive attitude to the speaker and the subject.
1.

NON-EVALUATING: An active listeners verbal and non-verbal behavior

suggests to the speaker that he is being heard and understood properly. Here
the purpose should be to communicate, overlooking the qualities of the ideas,
attitudes and values of the speaker. Behaviour conveys the impression that he
accepts the person without making any judgment right or wrong, good or bad or
any evaluation.
2. PARAPHRASE: If one wishes to clarify any topic, one should simply paraphrase
what speaker
has said. One should enquire of the speaker whether one has heard is
accurate or not.
3. REFLECTING IMPLICATIONS: Here the listener goes beyond the content of the
speaker. The listener appreciates the speaker for his ideas and the directions
where they are leading to. It may take the speaker to the further extension of
ideas. The listeners aim is to show/ refect his eagerness and zest by verbal or
non-verbal positive feedback. This can boost the speakers confidence and trust
the listener.
4. REFLECTING HIDDEN FEELINGS: Sometimes a listener goes beyond the explicit
feelings and content of what is being said to disclose underlying feelings,
intentions, beliefs and values. A listener tries to emphasize or identify himself
with the speaker, to experience what he feels, he can also express his
sentiments, but he has to be careful not to coax him to admit more than he
desires.
5.
INVITING CONTRIBUTION: When the listener has not heard or understood
enough to respond, with empathy or understanding; he can prompt the
speaker to give more information. But asking too many questions may lead
the speaker to suspect that listener is trying to interrogate and challenge him.
When the listener wants to have more information, he must ask openended questions rather than simply yes or no.
6. RESPONDING NON-VERBALLY: A listener can show his attentiveness by
adopting certain
postures and sending non-verbal signals which communicates his interest.
This includes regular eye-contact, body leaning slightly towards the speakers,
head nods or slightly tilted head. One can also express by some repetitive
utterances. But they should not be overdone. Attentive silence is more efective
than too many grunts.
7. NOT TO JUDGE PREMATURELY: It is easy to think ahead, judge the talk and
even evaluate the
speaker and his talk. A good listener should always try to know the reason why
he said so. One should know speakers viewpoint. Avoid judging the speakers
talk or personality prematurely but rather give time to arrive at conclusion.
Q-19.

ACTIVE

LISTENING/

PASSIVE

LISTENING
Communication is based on four pillars of reading, writing, listening and
speaking. Improper listening is very harmful as communication is prone to
distortion. The listener should show
18

keenness in the speaker and speech by his expressions, alertness and

asking questions if required. He should encourage the speaker to express his
ideas clearly and enthusiastically.
The listener should actively concentrate on the theme, supporting ideas
and also the digression in the speech. After listening, he should write down the
gist of what he heard. Even his body language should convey the attention that
he pays to the speaker. He should pay equal attention to expression, posture
and non-verbal message which the speaker sends; it makes his message more
comprehensible and measures the accuracy and sincerity of the speech.
If the listener feels that the speaker is being critical about him, he should
wisely try to know the reason behind it and through constructive attitude,
should try to make self-improvement.
An active listener should train himself to avoid physical distraction and
concentrate on the message completely. He has to exercise mental discipline to
remain focused on the message. To overcome the difficulty of wandering
mind, one should be alert in anticipating what the speaker will say now.
Sometimes a listener focuses on the message in fragments and hence complete
attention is lost. Careful listeners should never jump to conclusions about the
message unless the speaker has finished.
Efective listening does not come automatically; it requires great effort to pay
complete attention. It requires mental preparedness, energy to concentrate and
non-verbal cues of communication.
Q-20. READING FLUENCY
Efective reading skills is essential amidst the phenomenal advancement in
technology, globalization, increasing cultural diversity and also the adoption
of term based structures in work places.
WHAT IS READING COMPREHENSION? WHAT ARE THE
REASONS FOR POOR READING COMPREHENSION?
Reading comprehension refers to the ability to understand information
presented in written form. Ones level of reading comprehension skills will
affect ones interpretation of directions such as what to do and when to
do on various documents. The following are the reasons for poor reading
skills

Inability to understand a
word

Inability to understand a
sentence

Inability to understand how sentences relate to

one another

Inability to understand how the information fits together in a

meaningful way

Lack of concentration or
interest.

WHICH ARE THE

COMPREHENSION?

TECHNIQUES

FOR

GOOD

To practice and develop the reading skills, the following techniques

can be followed.
Skimming and Scanning

Non-verbal Signals
19

 Structure of the Text

Structure of Paragraph
Punctuation

Authors Viewpoint
Readers Anticipation

Summarizing

SKIMMING AND

SCANNING:
Before starting to read in detail, one should take a moment to preview the
text. The quick reading pausing to study the details is called skim reading or
skimming, one should understand the following aspects.

Audience(general public, professionals,

laymen)

Type of text(report, informal letter, article,

advertisement)
Purpose of the author(describe, inform, explain, instruct,
persuade)
The general content of the
text.
After having skim reading, when a person studies the paragraph in
more detail, with slow and careful reading, for more specific information,
it is called scanning.
NON-VERBAL SIGNALS:
All texts contain some non-verbal signs also. They include different fonts, bold
points, underlining or italics. The style and features may vary from one text to
another. They include headings, title, subheadings, photographs, captions, and
divisions into paragraphs, figures, graphs, bar and bar charts.
STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT:
Most texts start with a title and sometimes a sub-title, followed by introduction
and the body, conclusion and summary. An important part of the reading
is prediction, the better one predicts, the faster and more effectively he
reads. It begins with a title. The introduction informs about the subject. The
body consisting of different paragraphs deals with each aspect of the subject
matter, in a logical way. The conclusion sums up the subject matter in the right
perspective.
STRUCTURE OF THE PARAGRAPH:
A typical paragraph consists of three paragraphs. The first sentence
contains the topic sentence, the heart of the paragraph; it contains the new
aspect of the subject of the text. The second part of the paragraph contains
sentences which develop the aspect. They may be arguments, explanations,
details, examples and other supporting evidences. The last sentence of a
paragraph is often a summary of the paragraph or linking sentences to the next
paragraph.
PUNCTUATIONS:
Punctuation is partly based on grammar. If one understands the meaning of the
punctuation marks, it will be easier for him to understand grammatical
structures. They also indicate how the author wants one to interpret a piece of
text.
AUTHORS VIEWPOINTS:
While reading a text, one makes inferences or assumptions about the position
of the author. Is the author neutral or does he have any opinion? He does so by

adding certain phrases or value to a word. He will do so for indicating the level,
to comment on more or less objective facts.
READERS ANTICIPATION:
The readers who have wide and flexible vocabulary may encounter not-toofamiliar words, but they may guess the meaning accurately. This skill can be
developed by following these steps:
20

1. Determine the word class.

2. Determine its function in the sentence.
3. Analyze the contextual clues
4. Is there any relation between the word printed and the familiar
word?
5. Derive the meaning of the word.
SUMMARIZING:
Although it is difficult to remember the complete content, the
notes of essential information help to create a short outline of the text. The
length of the summary depends upon the density of the text. Generally it
should be one-third of the original text. The following steps can be taken to
summarize the text.
1.
After reading the whole text, one can summarize. The length of the
summary is based on the structure and complexity of the text.
2. One should go through each paragraph finding out essential notes. One
should jot down
points clearly with an alternative to underline or highlight the important
sentences.
3. Paraphrasing or rewriting from the original text, forces one to understand
the text. One should try to condense long and complex sentences into
shorter sentences. One should practice active sentences, economy of
words and avoid descriptions and adjuncts.
4. One should make sure that connection between sentences is clear and
logical. They can be linked by various conjunctions and clauses.
5.
Depending upon the word count exceeding or falling back, one may
leave unessential information and add important information.
Q-21.
READING
COMPREHENSION
I.
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
(Mar, 2010)
Conversation is indeed the most easily teachable of all arts. All you need to do in
order to become a good conversationalist is to find a subject that interests you and
your listeners. There are, for examples, numberless hobbies to talk about. But the
important thing is that you must talk about the other fellows hobby rather than your
own. Therein lies the secret of your popularity. Talk to your friends about the
things that interest them, and you will get a reputation for good fellowship, charming
wit, and brilliant mind. There is nothing that pleases people so much as your interest
in their interests. It is just as important to know what subjects to avoid and what
subjects to select for good conversation. If you dont want to be set down as a wet
blanket or a bore, be careful to avoid certain unpleasant topics. Avoid talking about
yourself, unless you are asked to do so. People are interested in their own problems,
not in yours. Sickness or death bores everybody. The only one who willingly listens to
such talk is the doctor, but the gets payment for it. To be a good conversationalist,
you must know not only what to say, but how to say it. Be civil and modest. Dont
over-emphasise your own importance. Be mentally quick and witty. But dont heart
others with your wit. Finally, try to avoid mannerism in your conversation. Dont bite
your lips, or click your tongue, or roll your eyes, or use your hands excessively as you
speak. Dont be like that Frenchman who said, How can I talk if you hold my hands?
(i)What should you need to do in order to become a good

conversationalist? (ii)What should you talk to your friends

about?
(iii)What should you not to do to become a good
conversationalist?
(iv)Sickness or death bores everybody, yet, why is the doctor
willingly listens about it? (v)What did the Frenchman say?
21

(vi)Which word is used in the passage for well

mannered?
(vii)Suggest a suitable title to this
passage.
II
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions
that follow: (Mar, 2009)
The growing importance of the internet for all forms of activism is highlighted in a
new book from an old - time internet commentator. Tom Watson is a US-based writer
who shares a name and a commitment to the transforming power of the network
with the British MP and Cabinet Office minister, but comes from the East Coast
rather than the West Midlands. A decade ago he was one of the editors of @NY,
a groundbreaking e-mail newsletter that documented the rise and fall of the new
media scene in New York's "Silicon Alley". Since then he has distinguished himself as
one of the saner commentators on the growth of the new conversational media and
the companies behind the services so many of us use daily. A few years ago he got
involved with the online philanthropy organisation Changing Our World, and in the
book Causewired he shares his experience and understanding of the growth of what
has been termed "peer-to- peer philanthropy". The book's strap line is "Plugging In,
Getting Involved, Changing the World", and Watson offers a range of examples of the
way in which the network is making new forms of fund-raising and activism possible.
It documents the outpouring of online support for the people of New Orleans at the
time of Hurricane Katrina through the campaign to obtain justice for Mukhtaran Bibi in
Pakistan, via Barack Obama's internet fund raising eforts. It's a fascinating read, not
least because the principles he outlines for efective online organising are based on
his own experiences. "Small but well connected can be more effective than huge and
widely disbursed", for example, is something many online community organisers
could benefit from realising, as is the call to "invest in conversations". As with many
US writers he seems to believe in the power of the market to solve all our problems
and has little time for regulatory or government-based solutions to problems. He
lauds Kiva.org for providing equipment for US schools instead of asking why
public funding was not adequate in the first place, and sees the netwo rk as a way to
encourage philanthropy rather than social justice. But he has clearly identified the
ways in which the network is making a difference, and given us a valuable primer in
the ways in which those who want to change the world can make efective use of the
tools and services now available. As Karl Marx might have noted, if he were around
now, the technologists have only wired up the world in various ways. The point,
however, is to change it.
Question
s:
1) What information you get about @NY from the
paragraph?
2) What does the word PHILANTHROPY in the
paragraph mean?
3) What do you understand by "Small but well-connected can be more efective than
huge and widely disbursed"?
III. Iceland lies in the North Atlantic between Greenland and Northwest Europe. The
island which lies just outside the Arctic Circle is a mountainous country. Many of the
peaks are active volcanoes.

Hot springs are found in plenty all over the country. These and the Gulf Stream
make the island cool instead of very cold. It must be remembered that most other
areas in the same latitude are bitterly cold. The best known hot spring in Iceland is
the Great Geyser. It is from this that hot spring in other countries
came to be called
geysers.

22

Iceland has several large rivers but waterfalls and strong currents make them
useless for navigation. Horses are still being used for transport in the interior.
Aeroplanes connect most of the towns.
The waters around the coasts are among the richest fishing grounds in the
world. More people are engaged in farming but fishing is the most important
industry. Fish and fish products make up most of the countrys exports; some meat
and wool also are exported.
Iceland became a Republic in 1944. The President elected by the people as in the
U.S.A. remains the head of the state for four years, but the real power is in the hands
of the ministers who make up the cabinet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

What is this passage about?

What do you know about the climate of the countries near the Arctic Circle?
What makes the climate of Iceland cool?
Why are the rivers of Iceland not good for navigation?
How did hot water springs come to be called geysers?
Which is the best known hot spring in Iceland?
What does Iceland export?
Why is fishing profitable in Iceland?
Who elects the President of the U.S.A.?
How long does the President of Iceland remain in power?

MULTIPLE
QUESTIONS
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

CHOICE

Horses are used for transport in the interior of

Iceland because a. People are not rich enough
to buy cars
b. The interior being mountainous, there are no good roads
c. Horses are cheap
The interior of Iceland is not thickly
populated because a. The area is
extremely cold
b. There are no hot springs
c. There are many volcanoes there
Navigation into the interior of Iceland is
impossible because a. The rivers are too
swift
b. The rivers are shallow
c. The rivers are too deep
P. lies near the Arctic Circle. Its
climate must be a. Very cold
b. Cool
c. Warm
The majority of the people of

Iceland are a. Fishermen

b. Shepherds
23

c.
Farmers
IV. In Johannesburg, I had at one time as many as four Indian clerks. But even these
were not enough for my work. It was impossible to do without typewriting which
among us, if at all, only I knew. I taught it to two of the clerks but they never came up
to the mark because of their poor English. And then, one of these I wanted to train as
an accountant. I could not get anyone from Natal for nobody could enter the Transvaal
without a permit. I was not prepared to ask a favour of the Permit Oficer.
I was at my wits end. Arrears were fast mounting up. It seemed impossible
to do well both my professional and public work. I was quite willing to engage a
European clerk, but I was not sure to get a white man or woman to serve a coloured
man like myself. However I decided to try. I approached a typewriters agent whom I
knew and asked him to get me a short-hand typist. There were many girls available
and he promised to get me one. He soon came across a girl called Miss Dick who had
just come fresh from Scotland. She had no objection to earning an honest living and
she was in need. The agent sent her on to me. Before long she became more of a
daughter or a sister to me than a mere steno-typist.
1. Why couldnt the Indian clerks become good in typewriting?
2. What made the author hesitate to ask for a European typist?
3. Who had the power to allow people into the Transvaal?
4. How was Miss Dick diferent from the other typists?
5. What did the author do to get a shorthand typist?
6. Who in the authors ofice knew typewriting?
7. How did Miss Dick behave towards the author some time after her joining his
ofice?
8. What idea of the authors work do you get from this passage?
9. Why did Miss Dick join the authors office without any hesitation?
10. What were the two different areas of the authors work?

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1.

2.

3.

The clerks never came up to the mark as

typists because a. They were not good in
English
b. They were poor and lazy
c. They had a lot of other work to do
The author had a lot of ofice work to
do because a. He had only four
clerks
b. He had his professional and public work to do
c. He had no shorthand typist
Miss Dick readily joined the
author because a. She had just
come from Scotland
b. She considered the author as

4.

her brother c. She wanted to serve

a coloured man
The author
could
24

5.

a. Typewrite well
b. Manage typewriting with some
difficulty c. Not use a typewriter
at all
She was in need means
a. She had no
friends b. She
had no work
c. She had no money

V. While I was walking along the road the other day I happened to notice a small
leather purse lying on the pavement. I picked it up and opened it to see if I could find
the owners name. There was nothing in it except some small change and a rather old
photograph, a picture of a woman and a young girl of about twelve, who looked like
the womans daughter. I put the photograph back and took the purse to the police
station. The sergeant took the purse. He also noted down my name and address in
case the owner wanted to thank me.
That evening I went to have dinner with an uncle and aunt of mine. They had also
invited another person, a young woman so that there would be four people at the
table. The young womans face was familiar but I could not remember where I had
seen it. In the course of conversation however the young woman happened to remark
that she had lost her purse that afternoon. I at once remembered where I had seen it.
She was the young girl in the photograph although she was much older. I told her
about the purse and right after dinner we went to the police station. Handing over the
purse, the sergeant remarked that it was a remarkable coincidence that the finder of
the purse had found its owner too.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Why did the author open the purse?

What did the purse contain?
Describe the photograph found in the purse.
What did the author do with the purse?
Why did the sergeant note down the authors name and address?
Why had the authors uncle and aunt invited the young woman?
What had the young woman lost that day?
Why did the young womans face seem familiar to the author?
Why did they go to the police station after dinner?
How did the author happen to find the purse?

WRITING
SKILLS
Note: Only Practical/Application Questions of writing
skills will be asked in ESE, the theory of the below
mentioned topics is for reading
purpos

e.

25

 PARAGRAPH WRITING
A well-structured paragraph is essential for effective technical
communication. Paragraphs tell the readers where the topics begin and end.
It is an assimilation of the content to demarcate each unit of information and
grasp them easily.
DEFINITION: A paragraph is a group of sentences or it is a single sentence
that forms a unit. In other words, it is a group of related sentences which
express a single idea.
The paragraph may express an opinion, provide information through the use
of facts and details, tell a story, or simply describe a person, a place, an
object or feeling.

Q-22 THE CENTRAL COMPONENTS OF THE PARAGRAPH

The following are the central components of the paragraph.
1. TOPIC SENTENCES: The topic sentence is also known as theme sentence or
key sentence.
It expresses the main idea. Other sentences in the paragraph give
explanation and illustration.
If the remainder sentences cannot fulfill the promise made by the topic
sentence, the paragraph will lack coherence, unity and adequate
development. The topic sentence can appear in the beginning, middle or at
the end of the sentence.
Beginning the paragraph with a topic sentence is the best way to achieve
clarity and unity.
This suits technical writing the most.
Ending the sentence with a topic
sentence is the second most common paragraph arrangement. It presents
the supporting ideas the first and them logically moves to the conclusion.
Burying the topic in the paragraph is the third arrangement. It is rarely used
because it is implied and it increases complexities in the paragraph. It is used
for special purposes only.
Example
s:
Topic sentence at the beginning of the
paragraph:
Summer vacations are the most wonderful periods in a school-going childs
life. The child is free from the tension of daily homework and frequent tests
and examinations. He/she has all the time in a day to talk, eat and play with
friends, neighbours and the members of his/her family. He/she can visit new
places and do a lot of new things to his/her liking. Above all, for the most
part, he/she is free from adult-control and hence can enjoy more freedom

than usual.
Topic sentence at the end of the
paragraph:

26

In addition to making viewers lose touch with society, television has had
negative effects on viewers imaginations. Before the days of television,
people were entertained by exciting radio shows. The listener was required
to pay careful attention to the story if all details were to be comprehended.
Better yet, while listening to the stories, listeners would form their own
images of the action taking place. When the broadcaster would give brief
descriptions of the Martian spaceships invading earth, for example, every
member of the audience would imagine a different spaceship. In contrast,
the television version of War of the Worlds will not stir the imagination at all,
for everyone can clearly see the action taking place. All viewers see the
same spaceship with the same features. Each aspect is clearly defined, and
therefore, no one will imagine anything different from what is seen. Thus,
television cannot be considered an effective tool for stimulating the
imagination.
2. COHERENCE: Coherence refers to the clear and logical linking of ideas in
the paragraph.
Even when all the sentences in the paragraph are related to one another and
contribute some meaning to the topic sentence, the paragraph will turn out
to be ineffective, if those sentences are not appropriately and adequately
coherent.
COHERENC
E

Use of pronouns

repetition of key words

parallel structure a.

use of transitional tags

USE OF PRONOUNS: pronouns connect ideas

because they always refer to

something earlier in the text. It must be said clearly and
perfectly what a pronoun refers to, otherwise the sentence will be
misguiding or ambiguous
b. REPETITION OF KEY WORDS AND PHRASES: writers often refuse
to go along with connecting ideas by repeating key words and
phrases so as not to sound repetitive. Catching a word or phrase
that is important to a readers comprehension of a piece and
replaying that word or phrase creates a musical motif in the
readers head. Unless it is overworked or obtrusive, it gives a sense
of coherence leading to a better comprehension and intension of the
meaning.
c. USING TRANSITIONAL TAGS: Providing transitional between ideas is
largely a matter of attitude. The readers do need information that
one has along with the way of achieving it. The writer may be quick,
but the readers may need some stepping stones to be sure to place
them in readily accessible and visible spots. The little or complex

transitional tags can be used as it provides a smooth flow in a

sentence. They help to establish relationship between ideas in a
paragraph and to create a logical link of those sentences in a
paragraph.
d. USING PARALLEL STRUCTURES: Parallel structures are a particularly
powerful way to communicate information because they create
structural repetitions that
emphasize and connect ideas.
27

3.

Unity: Unity refers to the extent to which all of the ideas contained within
the paragraph hang together in a way that is easy for the reader to
understand. The new topic should be written in a new paragraph. It aids the
reader to go along with the writers idea.
Exampl
e
I have finished reading Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. But my friends
havent stopped playing football yet. Therefore we wish to go on a picnic.
And it is a good idea to rest a while after the journey. However I am taking
my final examination this year.
This paragraph consists of grammatically correct sentences, but it does not
make any sense because it is only a collection of sentences arranged one
after the other but are not related to one another in meaning.

4.

ADEQUATE DEVELOPMENT:
A paragraph is adequately developed when
it describes, explains and supports the topic sentence. If the promise
of the topic sentence is not fulfilled, or if the reader is left with questions
or doubts after the paragraph reading. The paragraph has not been
adequately developed. Generally speaking, a paragraph should have
between three and five sentences which should help to clarify and support
the main idea of the paragraph. Switching to a new paragraph suggests
changing of thoughts, ideas or different aspects of the main idea.
Paragraph development is not just occupying some space on the paper but it
is an organic process that makes an intricate link between various ideas.
These links make the easy glide for the idea smooth. Once one achieves the
mastery over the writing technique effectively, it will help him to write
technical documents more comprehensibly.

Q-23. FIVE STEPS TO DEVELOP THE PARAGRAPH.

A well-structured paragraph is essential for effective technical
communication. Paragraphs tell the readers where the topics begin and
end. It is an assimilation of the content to demarcate each unit of
information and grasp them easily.
FORMULATION OF CONTROLLING IDEA: The controlling idea is the expression
of the main idea or focus of the paragraph in a sentence or collection of
sentence. This idea directs the path of paragraphs development because it
announces and controls the content of the paragraph.
EXPLANATION OF CONTROLLING IDEA: The explanation is the writers
rationale of his thinking about the main topic. Paragraph development
continues with an expression of the rationale or the explanation to reader to
interpret the information given.
EXAMPLE: The example serves as a sign or representation established in the
main idea and explanation portion of the paragraph. It proceeds with a type
of support or evidence for the idea and explanation that came after.
EXPLANATION OF EXAMPLE: It is the reasoning behind why one chose

to use this
particular example as evidence to support the major claim and focus. None
of the examples
28

should be left unexplained. The relationship between the example and the
idea should always be expressed.
COMPLETION OF PARAGRAPHS IDEA OR TRANSITION INTO NEXT
PARAGRAPH: The final movement in paragraphs development involves tying
up the loose ends of the paragraph that remain indirectly relevant,
unexplained or related to topic sentence.
Paragraph development is not just occupying some space on the paper but it
is an organic process that makes an intricate link between various ideas.
These links make the easy glide for the idea smooth. Once one achieves the
mastery over the writing technique effectively, it will help him to write
technical documents more comprehensibly.

Q-24. TECHNIQUES TO DEVELOP THE PARAGRAPH:

A well-structured paragraph is essential for effective technical
communication. Paragraphs tell the readers where the topics begin and end.
It is an assimilation of the content to demarcate each unit of information and
grasp them easily.
The central idea of the paragraph can be developed through various
techniques. The choice of the technique depends upon the topic, audience
and the purpose of communication. Awareness and utilization of the
essential components and techniques help to write a unified, coherent
and better developed paragraph.
The most commonly used are these:
Illustration
Comparison and Contrast
Cause and Efect
Classification
Problem and Solution
Illustrations: This technique provides example to clarify the statement which
forms the topic statement. The given example should be relevant and carrying
the equal terminology of that specific field. They may be given before or after
the topic sentence. They should be given in limited numbers otherwise they
hinder the communication by the topic sentence.
Comparison and Contrast: In this technique, two or more than components or
characteristics mentioned or to be mentioned in the paragraph are put side by
side and the similarities and differences are discussed one by one. This
technique gives better insight in the topic mentioned. It helps us to develop
the paragraph with better explanation of the topic. It leaves the readers with
the least questions in their minds.
Cause and Efect: In this technique, the cause and the result at the end are
discussed.
They serve as the guideline for some experiments showing their
results. Most of the report writing contains such paragraphs. Social,
psychological and scientific facts are also mentioned through
this technique.

29

 Classification: This technique breaks the main idea and the statement into
various categories.
This specification of the topic sentences clarifies the topic sentence or the
statement. This gives a broader idea of the classified categories.
Problem and Solution: In this technique, the problem is posed and various
solutions to this
problem are discussed with their applicability. Their positive and negative points
are looked into and the ideal solution is achieved.
Paragraph development is not just occupying some space on the paper but it is
an organic process that makes an intricate link between various ideas. These
links make the easy glide for the idea smooth. Once one achieves the mastery
over the writing technique effectively, it will help him to write technical
documents more comprehensibly.

Specimen Paragraphs

The
Greenhouse
Effect
The earth is getting warmer. This is because of the greenhouse effect. The suns
rays penetrate the atmosphere, which absorbs some of its heat and reflects the
rest back into space. However, now the thick gases produced by human
activities trap too much heat and consequently, the temperature of the earths
atmosphere has been steadily increasing. This increase in temperature will
affect all the life on the planet. The two main gases responsible for the
greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide and methane. Many governments have
begun to look at ways of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. Some of
the steps taken are large scale planting of trees, introducing taxes to be
imposed on industries producing the harmful gases, and promoting alternative
sources of energy, the generation of which will not produce the harmful gases.
Developing Hints into a
Paragraph. Failures are
Stepping- stones to Success
No shame in failureeveryone failsfrom infant trying to stand to conqueror
attempting conquestfail many timesno mistake, no worthwhile achievement
attitude to failure importantdemoralized by failure, no gainbold resolution
leads to victorybe confident, optimistic
Failure is nothing to be ashamed of, for there is hardly any person who has not
failed in life, not once but many times. From the little child who tries to stand up
to the would-be emperor who tries to conquer some new territory, everyone has
to face failure. It has been well said that he who never made a mistake never
achieved anything of great worth. What is important is the way we take our
failure. If we get dispirited by failure and give up trying again, we can never
achieve anything in life. However, if we face our failure and give up trying
again, we can never achieve victory in the long run. We must be resolute,
confident and optimistic. It is then that our failures will prove to be steppingstones in our path to achievement.
Q-25 The Importance of
Sports

Q-26
Energy

Solar

30

Q-27
Wildlife
Conservation
Q-28
A
Meaningful
Education
Q-29
Employment
Q-30 The Internet/ World of
Computers Q-31 The World of
Politics and Election Q-32 Farming
and Agriculture
Q-33
Religion
and
secularism
Q-34 Corruption, Poverty,
Infation
Q-35
Human
Ability

BUSINESS LETTERS
Business letters serve as a means to reach out to reach out to people not only within
the locality and neighbourhood but also in other cities and nations. They have
become such an integral part of everyday business that one cannot think of running a
business without a related correspondence.
Business letters assist in sustaining business relationships with other businesses
and customers. When information is complex, it becomes the appropriate form of
communication. They serve as a permanent record and valuable repository of
information which can be referred to in future.
PURPOSE OF LETTER WRITING:
Each individual letter has a unique purpose. They can be:
To inform, congratulate, enquire
To order, request, collect dues
To complain, make an adjustment, sell a product, service or scheme
To apply for a job.
Q-36. STRUCTURE OF THE LETTER
WRITING:
Most formal letters have following elements in them. They share a common
structure. Diferent elements have specific positioning in a letter with a specific
purpose attached to it. They are:
Heading
Dateline
Inside address
Salutation
Body of the letter
Complementary close


1.

Signature

Heading: Heading in a business letter is also known as letterhead, headaddress, crown of the letter and impersonal salesman of the company.
Heading includes name and type of the
company, full postal address, telephone numbers, email address and symbol
or logo of the
31

company. It should not include maxims or name of the branches. It has the
potential to create a favourable impression therefore it needs to be designed
with thought and imagination. The quality of the paper, size of the letterhead,
type of fonts and spacing are to be considered carefully when the letterhead is
being designed. It is written on the upper centre of the paper.
2.
Dateline: Dateline in a letter holds legal importance. In case of any
dispute, it can serve as important evidence. In a full-block form of the letter,
dateline is written on the left hand side and in the semi-block form of letter, it
is written on the right hand side. Dates can be written in various ways but to
avoid confusion, it is written in either f the following two ways.
American Method: In this method, month is written first in words
followed by date in numbers and then year. E.g. June 10, 2010
British Method: In this method, date is written first in numbers followed
by month in words and then year. E.g. 10th June, 2010
3. Inside Address: Inside address gives identity of the recipient of
the letter. It is separated from dateline by one line. The inside address
includes name and designation of the person to whom the letter is
addressed. It should also include the full postal address of the company.
The courtesy title should precede the recipients name. The courtesy titles
are Mr., Miss. Or Mrs. If the marital status of woman is not known, we
must use Miss for her. That also includes their achievement, designation
and their honours with the name of the person. E.g.
The General
Manager, Lion
Industries Limited.
No.3A Sarthak
nagar, Andheri,
Mumbai.
40000
1
4. Salutation: while writing a formal letters, it must be remembered that our

letter carries our impression therefore we must address the recipient by his
name rather than the title. In formal letters, salutation is followed by colon (:)
and in less formal or informal writing, it is followed by a comma (,). The
following are some examples
Dear Mr. Gupta (most
formal) Dear Ashok(less
formal) Ashok (very
informal)
5. Body of Letter/Message:
Body of the letter is the content of the letter. It is also known as the soul of the
formal letter. Formal letters are not the accumulation of the information but
arrangement of information in such a way that it serves the purpose of writing
the letter. Generally, they are single spaced, with a blank line separating it from
3
2

the other parts of the letter. The body of the letter gets divided into three parts:
they are opening paragraph, middle paragraph and closing paragraph. The
opening paragraph links the letter to the earlier correspondence, middle
paragraph

3
3

includes what the writer wants to say clearly and the actual status should be
mentioned here, closing paragraph mentions the expectation of the writer of the
letter. Within the message part of the letter, one can express his purpose of
writing very clearly. The letter should be precise (brief) written in a simple and
clear language. Ornamental or technical jargons should not be used in a formal
letter. It should be consistent with writing style of the existing practice.
6.
Complimentary
Close:
It is a single word that formally ends the letter. In a block form of writing
the letter, it is written on the left hand side of the letter and in the semi block
form of writing the letter, it is written on the right hand side of the letter. It is
separated from the body of the letter by one line. It should always be in
accordance with the salutation. There are many complementary closes like
faithfully, sincerely, cordially, respectfully, truly and obediently. Out of these
many closes, YOURS FAITHFULLY is the most formal complementary close.
SINCERELY and CORDIALLY are also widely accepted.
7.
Signature
Block:
The complementary close is followed by the signature block. It includes
signature, name and designation of the person. Each letter must end with the
signature otherwise the information in the letter is not considered authentic.
It is placed four places below the complementary close. In the block form of
writing, it is placed on left hand side and in the semi-block form of writing, it is
placed on the right side of the letter. If the organization has given someone the
power of attorney, that executive will add per.pro. before the name of the
organization and then sign below. Per. Pro. Is the abbreviation of the Latin
phrase per procurationem which means on behalf of.
Q-37. ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS OF THE FORMAL
LETTERS.
The following g elements may be used in the combination depending upon the
requirement of
the the letter. They are:
Addressee
Notation
Attention Line
Subject Line
Reference
Initials

Enclosure Line
Copy Notation
Mailing Notation
Post Script

Addressee
Notation:
This appears a double space above the inside address. It is always written in
capital letters. When the readership is to be kept limited, notations like PERSONAL,
3
4

CONFIDENTIAL or PLEASE FORWARD are written.

Attention
Line:

3
5

An attention line is used to draw the attention of a particular person or a

particular department to ensure quick response. It is placed two places below
the inside address. E.g.
Attention: Dr. C.M. Mehta

Subject Line:
Subject line helps the recipient to know about the subject matter of the letter. It
helps in sorting and filing the letters. Usually, it appears above the salutation,
but sometimes it is placed below the attention line. It is written in capital letters
or it is underlined.

Reference Initials:
On occasions when the writer and the producer of the letters are two
different people, reference initials are included to show who helped to prepare
letter. They appear two places below the signature block. With the invasion of
the electronic media, they appear rarely. They appear in one of these forms.
1. Ksm/rk

2. Ksm:rk

Enclosure Notation/Line:
It is written at the bottom of the letter. It includes the list of the documents that
are attached with the letter. It helps the reader to find those documents and
the papers. It is written below the reference initials. Some common forms are:
Enclosure:
proposal

Draft

of

Enclosures: 1. Report (10

pages)
2. List of
participants
Copy Notation: This indicates who receives the courtesy copy. They include
persons name,
designation and department. They are
appear as
Cc:
courtesy
copy
Pc:
photocopy.

Mailing notation:
Mailing notations are placed at the bottom of the letter after reference initials or
enclosure options. They appear on the envelope also. They can be BY
REGISTERED POST, BY COURIER, BY SPEED POST.

Postscript: The sentences written after the letter is already written or signed

are known as post script. It can serve to catch attention also. E.g. ofer valid
up to 15 th August only.
It sometimes shows the carelessness of the writer
therefore it must be avoided. They are also known as the afterthoughts of the
letter. They can be used in sales letter as a punch line to
remind the reader of the
benefit.
34

Q-38 PRINCIPLES OF THE BUSINESS (FORMAL) LETTER.

Business letters are written to create, establish and maintain relationship with
others, based on respect and courtesy. For that, the following principles should
be taken care of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

You Attitude
Clarity and Conciseness
Correct and Complete
Positive Approach
Courtesy and Consideration

1. You Attitude: A business letter is always written keeping in mind the recipients
needs, purposes and interests. This recipient-oriented style is often called the you
attitude. That means, the letter has to focus on YOU rather than I. it is also believed
to be an extension of the audiencecentred approach. It is not limited only to the use
of pronoun you, but it is a matter of genuine empathy, revealing thought and sincerity.
2. Clarity and Conciseness: Clarity means clarity of ideas and expression and
conciseness means expressing in as few words as possible. It is very difficult to write
letter succinctly (clearly and briefly). The message of the letter should be made clear.
It should be written in clear terms. Layers of words and meanings are considered to
be the swelling of the letter. The letter should be away from ambiguity because lack of
clarity and conciseness makes the letter a failure. We should try to avoid the following
aspects:

Long
involved
sentences

Over enthusiastic
sentences

Verbosity
or
wordiness

Redundancy (no longer

needed.)
Use of concise words and phrases will help more to achieve brevity.
3. Correctness and Completeness: Although the business letter has to be concise
and clear, it should not be achieved on the sacrifice of completeness and correctness.
If it is not complete in all respects, it will not achieve its objective of conveying the
matter correctly.
Correctness means concreteness and accuracy. Completeness refers to the
thoroughness or giving all
the
required
details.
To achieve correctness and completeness, the purpose of writing letter should be clear
in thoughts and words. The following topic will help to achieve them.
Use of evaluative and factual words rather than general or abstract
Use of unambiguous words
Proof reading of the message
All the queries and questions are answered.
4. Positive Approach: Use of positive words and phrases are always best to achieve the
goal. The positive side of the message should be emphasized rather than the
negative. Stress should be on what is there or what can be done rather than what
might be lost. Letters reflecting the positive attitudes are more acceptable to the

readers. It also helps in healing the wounded customers or clients in case of

complaints, criticism and advice. Unpleasant words should be replaced with a mild
euphemism.

35

5. Courtesy and Consideration: Courtesy is the refection of writers image. It is oil that
reduces friction. It also earns the respect and sustenance of relation with others.
Utmost care and concern should be taken while writing the letter. We should care for
the following aspects to be careful while writing a letter
Kindly respond to our request for
We appreciate your prompt response to our
We regret to say that we may not be able to grant you..
Please do not forget to send us the original as
Thus, in order to establish good relationships in business messages one should follow
the principles of business letter writing mentioned above.

Q-39. Write a letter placing an order for

furniture.
Parin
Furniture
Marine Road,
Ahmedabad
Ph: 91-079-2784495, 91-079-27884496 Fax: 91-079-2783476
e-mail: parinf.gmail.com

July 10, 2014

Mr. Mehta
The Proprietor
Luxurious
Furniture C.G.
Road
Ahmedabad
Dear Mr. Mehta:
SUBJECT: INQUIRY FOR PURCHASE OF FURNITURE
Please refer to your advertisement in the July 8, issue of The Times of India about furniture.
We are interested to buy furniture from you. Therefore we request you to send us your latest
catalogue and price- list. As our order is expected to be large, we request you to ofer us
maximum discount. As our requirement is urgent, we would like to know whether you can
deliver the goods within 20 days.
If your terms and conditions of business are acceptable to us, we shall place a large order.

Sincerely,
36

Ramesh Shah

Q-40. Write a letter placing an order for 1000 batteries to Ram Batteries Pvt. Ltd.
Vishnu Auto, M.G. Road,
Ahmedabad
Ph: 91-079-2793678 Fax: 91-079-2793679 e-mail:
visnuauto@gmail.com

August 12, 2014

Mr. Kapil
Jadeja Ram
Batteries
Proprietor
Ashram
Road
Ahmedabad
Dear Sir,
SUBJECT: ORDER FOR PURCHASE OF BATTERIES
Thank you for sending us your catalogue and price list. Your catalogue is impressive and
your terms and conditions are acceptable to us.
So here with this letter we place an order for 1000 batteries. We have enclosed the
cheque of Rs. 5,00,000 as advance payment. Rest of the amount will be paid after the
delivery of goods.
We hope that you will deliver the goods at
the earliest. Thanking you.
Sincerely,

Suresh Joshi

Enclosure: Cheque of Rs. 5,00,000

37

Q-41. As the Purchase Manager of Alpha Engineering Co., Salt Lake City, Kolkata,
you placed an order for 15 HP scanners to National Systems Limited, Electronic
City, M.G. Road, Bangalore- 560 100. You received only 12 scanners. Write a
letter to General Manager (Sales & Marketing) of NSL, making a complaint and
asking him to send the remaining 3 scanners immediately.
Roshan
Mukherjee
Purchase
Manager Alpha
Engineering Co.
Salt Lake
Kolkata

January 1, 2014

Mr. Anil Shetty

General
Manager Sales
and Marketing
National Systems Limited
Electronic City
M.G. Road
Bangalore560100
Dear Mr. Shetty:
SUBJECT: COMPLAINT FOR SHORTAGE IN QUANTITY
We have received the consignment sent by you against our order letter for 15 HP Scanners.
We thank you for the prompt execution of our order. However, we would like to draw your
attention to the following complaint.
On opening the consignment, we have found that 3 scanners are less in number. Therefore,
we request you to send us 3 scanners against the shortage by next week.
We hope you will agree with our proposal and expect a prompt confirmation
of our complaint. Sincerely,

Roshan Mukherjee
38

Q-42 You have received a complaint letter from the Purchase Manager of Alpha
Engineering Co., Salt Lake City, Kolkata regarding the shortage in supply. As
General Manager (Sales & Marketing) of NSL, draft a suitable reply to the
complaint.
Mr.
Shetty

Anil

General Manager
Sales and Marketing
National Systems
Limited Electronic
City
M.G. Road
Bangalore- 560100

January 5, 2014

Roshan
Mukherjee
Purchase
Manager Alpha
Engineering Co.
Salt Lake
Kolkata
Dear Mr. Mukherjee:
SUBJECT: REGARDING SHORTAGE IN SUPPLY
We have received your letter complaining that you have received 3 scanners less than your
order. We regret the inconvenience caused to you.
On inquiry, we have found that your complaint is genuine. We think that one of our clerks
might have played mischief to defame our firm. We have asked our Head clerk to find out
the truth behind it. We assure you that we shall execute your orders more carefully in
future.
We think our explanation will satisfy you and you will continue
your patronage. Sincerely,

Anil Shetty
39

Q.43. As the Manager of Hotel Chocolate Caf, Chennai, write a claim letter to the
Manager of Blossom Potteries, Noida, New Delhi, telling him that most of the
contents of the chinaware which you had ordered from their firm have reached you
in a damaged condition. Demand complete replacement or appropriate
compensation. Invent necessary details.
Murali
Naidu
Manag
er
Hotel
Caf

Chocolate

Chenn
ai

February
2014

Mr.
Bedi

2,

Sumit

Manag
er
Blossom
Potteries
Noid
a
New
Delhi
Dear
Bedi:

Mr.

SUBJECT:
COMPLAINT
DAMAGED GOODS

FOR

We have received the consignment sent by you against our order letter for 300 chinaware
dinner set. We thank you for the prompt execution of our order. However, we would like to
draw your attention to the following complaint.
On opening the consignment, we have found that 250 pieces in a damaged condition.
Therefore, we are sending the whole consignment back with a request to send us 300 new
chinaware dinner set by next week. We are sure you will agree to pay the transportation cost
of the replacement.
We hope you will agree with our proposal and expect a prompt confirmation

of our complaint. Sincerely,

Murali
Naidu

40

Q-44. You have received a complaint letter from the Manager of Hotel Chocolate
Caf, Chennai regarding damaged goods. As the Manager of Blossom Potteries,
Noida, New Delhi, draft a suitable reply to the complaint.
Mr. Sumit Bedi
Manag
er
Blossom
Potteries
Noid
a
New
Delhi

February
2014

Mr.
Naidu

4,

Murali

Manag
er
Hotel
Caf

Chocolate

Chenn
ai
Dear
Naidu:

Mr.

SUBJECT:
REGARDING
DAMAGED GOODS
Thank you for your letter. We are sorry to know that you have received 250 chinaware
dinner set in a damaged condition. We regret the inconvenience caused to you.
On inquiry, we have found that your complaint is genuine. This error took place inadvertently
by an employee who is quite new to the job. Please accept our sincerest apology for the
trouble. We assure you that we shall execute your orders more carefully in future.
We think our explanation will satisfy you and you will continue
your patronage. Sincerely,

Sumit

Bedi

41

Q-45.
As the Purchase Manager of Gada Electronics, near Kalyan Jewellers,
Yagnik Road, Rajkot you placed an order for 1000 Swift Clean Washing Machines.
Write a letter of complaint to the Proprietor of Swift Clean Washing Machines, M.G.
Road, Ahmedabad for non-delivery of goods.
Jethalal
Gada
Purchase Manager
Gada Electronics
Near Kalyan Jewellers
Yagnik Road
Rajkot
March 5, 2014
Mr. Mohan Virani
Proprietor
Swift Clean Washing Machine
M.G. Road
Ahmedabad
Dear Mr.
Virani:
SUBJECT: COMPLAINT FOR NON-DELIVERY OF GOODS
We have placed an order for 1000 Swift Clean Washing Machines. You had assured us that the
goods will be delivered to us within 15 days. Long 20 days have passed but we have neither
received the goods nor any message from you so far.
Please let us know in 3 days if you are going to supply us the said goods. If we do not hear
from you, we shall treat the order as cancelled.
We hope you will agree with our proposal and expect a prompt confirmation
of our complaint. Sincerely,

Jethalal Gada

42

Q. 46. You have received a complaint letter from the Purchase Manager of Gada
Electronics regarding non-delivery of goods. As the Proprietor of Swift Clean
Washing Machines, draft a suitable reply to the complaint.
Mr. Mohan Virani
Proprietor
Swift Clean Washing Machine
M.G. Road
Ahmedabad

March 7, 2014

Jethalal Gada
Purchase
Manager Gada
Electronics
Near Kalyan Jewellers
Yagnik Road
Rajkot
Dear Mr. Gada:
SUBJECT: REGARDING NON-DELIVERY OF GOODS
We have received your letter complaining that you have not received 1000 Swift Clean
Washing Machines against your order. We regret the delay. We are sorry that we have not
communicated with you. We offer an explanation as under.
Our company had to stop manufacturing due to a strike of workmen. So, we could not
execute your order on time. However, the strike is called of today. So we hope to execute
your order within 3 days.
We think our explanation will satisfy you and you will continue
your patronage. Sincerely,

Mohan Virani

43

Q.47 Suppose you want to take a Nano car loan from State Bank of India. Write
an inquiry letter to the Chief
Manager, SBI branch of your locality requesting him to send you all the information
related to SBI car loan.
Mahesh Shukla
5, Parijat
Society
Kalawad
Road Rajkot

April 15, 2014

The Chief
Manager State
Bank of India
Kalawad Road
Rajkot
Dear Sir:
SUBJECT: TO AVAIL CAR LOAN
I intend to buy a Nano car from its dealer. The quotation supplied by the dealer is attached
herewith.
I intend to avail of the loan facility from your esteemed bank for the purchase of car. Kindly
send me the details regarding the loan specifying therein the rate of interest, repayment
period and the amount of EMI in order to enable me complete the formalities with your bank.
Your early action is
requested. Thanking
you.
Sincerely,

Mahesh Shukla
Enclosure: Quotation of Nano Car

44

Q- 48. As a student of engineering you want to purchase a laptop for your personal
use. Write a letter of inquiry asking prices, confguration, discount, mode of
payment and terms and conditions to the Wipro Technologies, Memnager,
Ahmedabad.
Rajesh
Sheth
B.E.

Mechanical

Semester-I

Engineering,

Mahatma

Gandhi

College of Engineering Kalawad

Road
Rajk
ot
May
2014

8,

The
Manager
Wipro
Technologies
Memnagar
Ahmedabad
Dear
Sir:
SUBJECT:
INQUIRY
PURCHASE OF LAPTOP

FOR

Please refer to your advertisement in the May 7, 2014 issue of The Indian
Express about laptops.
I am a student of Mechanical Engineering studying in the first semester of Mahatma Gandhi
College of Engineering, Ahmedabad. These days it has become inevitable for engineering
students to have a personal laptop. Therefore, I would like to buy a good laptop from you.
I would be glad if you could send me more information about the various laptops with laptops
you. Specifically, I need the following information:
* Configuration and special
features
* Details of discount for
students
* Price and mode of
payment

*
Date
delivery

of

*
Terms
conditions

and

I look forward to hearing

from you. Sincerely,
Rajesh Sheth
45

Q. 49. Your company had ordered 100 computers. On receiving them, you came to
know that they do not match the specifications and confguration you had
given. As the Manager (Purchase) write a letter of complaint addressing the
Manager, IBM, Hyderabad.
Mr.
Ram
Sharma
Purchase Manager
U-Tech Computer Mall
M.G. Road
Hyderabad

June 5, 2014

Mr. Vishnu Reddy

Manager
IBM
Hyderab
ad
Dear Mr. Reddy:
SUBJECT: COMPLAINT FOR DISCREPANCY IN CONSIGNMENT RECEIVED
We have received the consignment sent by you against our order letter for 100 computers.
We thank you for the prompt execution of our order. However, we would like to draw your
attention to the following complaint.
On opening the consignment, we have found that the computers do not match the
specifications and configuration that we had given. Therefore, we return them at your cost and
risk with a request to send us new computers strictly according to our demand.
We hope you will agree with our proposal and expect a prompt confirmation
of our complaint. Sincerely,

Ram Sharma

46

Q. 50. You have received a complaint letter from the Manager of U-Tech Computer
Mall, M.G. Road, Hyderabad regarding discrepancy in goods received. As the
Manager of IBM, Hyderabad, draft a suitable reply to the complaint.
Mr.
Vishnu
Reddy
Manager
IBM
Hyderab
ad

June 7, 2014

Mr. Ram Sharma

Purchase Manager
U-Tech Computer Mall
M.G. Road
Hyderabad
Dear Mr. Sharma:
SUBJECT: REGARDING DISCREPANCY IN CONSIGNMENT RECEIVED
We have received your letter complaining that the computers do not match with the order you
placed. We regret the inconvenience caused to you.
On inquiry, we have found that your complaint is genuine. Due to heavy rush of work, you
were supplied with wrong goods by error. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience
caused to you. Our representative will visit you tomorrow and replace the goods.
We assure you that we shall execute your orders more
carefully in future. Sincerely,

Vishnu Reddy

47

Q- 51. Draft a sales letter to promote the sales of a book publisher.

Saakshar Publishers
Pvt. Ltd.
17, S P
Road
Vadodara
391110
Gujara
t

November 12, 2014

Dear
Customer,
Greetings!
Saakshar proudly announces the onset of its GRAND ANNUAL SALE! All books will
be available at 10%
discount and audiobooks will have a special discount of 25% on the marked price.
We are also happy to announce the arrival of fresh stock of books on
cookery and travel. Come and pick up your favourite reads!
th

st

The sale is from 15 Deceember, 2014 to 31 December, 2014. Visit our bookshop any
time between 10 am
and 8 pm and avail of the discount!
We look forward to seeing you at our
bookshop! Yours sincerely,
Medha Seth
Marketting Oficer
Q-52 REPORT WRITING
When the employees are asked to report on various social, political and economic
issues, they discuss, analyze and write on the matter. They meet from time to time,
work out a detailed plan to conduct surveys and collect data from various sources
and finally submit their findings and recommendations; this is called technical
report writing.

DEFINITION:

1
A report is major form of technical, business, professional communication. In
writing a report, a
person who possesses certain facts, ideas or suggestions useful for the courses of
action transmits
this information to another person who wants
to use it.
48

DEFINITION: 2
A report is usually a piece of factual writing, based on evidence, containing
organized informatIon a particular topic and analysis of that particular topic.
It

can be
200 pages report on research activities on genetic engineering
12 pages report on what kind of plastic to be used for packaging
50 pages report on car alarm system which is newly invented.

STRUCTURE

It
It
It
It

is very formal in nature.

is written for specific purpose and audience.
discusses the topic in depth.
contains conclusions and recommendations.

OBJECTIVES

To present a record of an accomplished task.(project report)

To document schedule, timetable and milestones.(a report on long term plan)

To present information to a large number of people.(annual report)

To record an experiment(primary research, laboratory report)

To record research finding and technical specifications.(detailed report on a new

product)
To document current status.(Inspection report)

To record or clarify complex information for future reference.(policies and

procedures)

To present organized information on a particular topic.(a report describing

working of various departments)
To recommend actions that can be considered in solving particular problem.
(recommendatory report)
Q-53 CHARACTERISTICS OF A
REPORT:

1.

PRECISION: While putting together a report, the investigation, analysis and

recommendations should be directed by the purpose. It gives unity and
coherence to report to make it a valuable document.
2.
FACTUAL DETAILS: Since reports invariably leads to decision making,
inaccurate details may lead to disastrous decisions. The scientific accuracy is
essential to a good report. It should be detailed and factual.
3. RELEVANCE: The facts presented in a report should be relevant to the central
purpose of the
report. Irrelevant facts make a report confusing; exclusion of relevant facts makes
it incomplete.

49

4.

READER-ORIENTATION: Technical reports are meant for a specific audience. A

good report should always be reader-oriented therefore it will be different from
the language written for the laymen reading.
5. OBJECTIVITY OF RECOMMENDATION: Recommendations are made up at the end
of the report.
They must be unbiased, impartial and objective. They should be a logical
inference to the investigation and analysis.
6.
SIMPLE LANGUAGE: A good report is written in simple and unambiguous
language. Since it is written for the practical utility, it should be free from
embellished language. It should clear, brief and grammatically correct.
Clarity:
Clarity depends on proper arrangement of facts in a
systematic way. The purpose of the report writing should be stated
clearly and recommendations should be made in a straightforward way.
Brevity: A technical report should be brief. It is difficult to achieve brevity
in report, but it should be written as technically as possible. Of course,
brevity should not be achieved at the cost of clarity and completeness.
Grammatical accuracy: It is one of the basic requisites of a good report
as any of the compositions. Faulty construction of sentences makes the
meaning obscure and ambiguous.
7. SPECIAL FORMAT: The technical report uses a rather involved format
including cover, title
page, table of content, list of illustrations, and letters of transmittal and
appendices. They have to be prepared according to the set standard.
8. ILLUSTRATIONS: Most technical reports are stufed with illustrations which
may be tables,
graphs, maps, drawings, charts and photographs.
9.
HOMOGENEITY: The report should deal with one topic at a time. All the
sections of the report should focus on that topic.
10. DOCUMENTATION:
When
the
report
is
adequately
documented
by
acknowledging
and value.

sources

of information in an appropriate style, it is given importance

Q-54 TYPES OF REPORT:

Reports can be classified as follow on the basis of purpose, frequency and
mode of receptivity.

PURPOS
E

FREQUEN
CY

MOD
E

INFORMATIVE
ANALYITCAL
PERIODIC
SPECIAL
ORAL
WRITTEN

50


INFORMATIVE:
As the name suggests, an informative report includes all details and facts pertaining
to the problem. It presents the detailed history of the present situation. To fulfill
the basic purpose of informing
through report, all the details are laid in a systematic and coherent manner. In this
kind f a report, various sections are simple and self-explanatory.

Introduction
Presentation of information and
facts
Conclusion with details in brief of earlier
sections
Recommendations are not given in this kind of a report, because it is just an
accumulation of information. What one requires while writing informative
report is to collect the data,
arrange them in an appropriate order and present it in appropriate
style in technical
writing.
ANALYTICAL: An analytical report analyses the facts draws
conclusions and makes recommendations. It is also known as interpretative
or investigative report. When an informative report goes into the causes of a
particular situation, it becomes analytical, interpretative or investigative. It
includes:
Drafting problem statement
Evolving criteria
Suggesting alternatives and evaluation
Drawing conclusion and making recommendation

THE STRUCTURE OF AN ANALYTICAL

REPORT:

INDUCTIVE METHOD: This method follows a simple logical arrangement. It

proceeds from singular to unknown. Certain disciplines, in which experiments
are conducted, follow this pattern.
DEDUCTIVE METHOD: This method proceeds from unknown to the known.
Universal truths are taken as the formulation point for the problem and then
various alternatives are suggested, evaluated and conclusion is drawn.

PERIODIC
REPORT:

AND

SPECIAL

Periodic or routine reports are either informational or analytical in their purpose.

They appear regularly at prescribed intervals in the usual routine of business.
The intervals may be annual, semi-annual, quarterly, monthly, and weekly. It
generally includes statement of facts in a summarized way in a prescribed lay
out without an opinion or recommendation. Progress reports of various kinds,
inspection reports, annual reports and sales reports all are the examples of the
periodic report.
Sometimes, routine reports can be analytical or
recommendations to help the superiors to take decisions.

interpretative

with

Special reports are related to a single or special situation. They deal with nonrecurrent problems. A report on feasibility of opening a new branch, about the
unrest among the staf, fire accident and its causes are kinds of special reports.

ORAL
AND
REPORTS:

WRITTEN
51

On the basis of the mode of the presentation, the reports can be oral or written.
An oral report is simple and easy to present. It communicates an impression or
an observation. Oral reports are useful while written reports are always
preferred as they have many advantages.
Q-55 FORMATS OF THE REPORT
The report may follow any of the following formats.
1.

MANUSCRIPT: It is most commonly used format for formal report. The

length may vary from few pages to several thousand pages. It can be used
for all types of reports- informational, analytical or routine. This format
should include abstract, summary, appendix, glossary etc.
2. MEMO: A report sent to someone within the same organization is called a
memo report. It includes analysis, conclusion and recommendations.
3. LETTER: when a short report of few pages is sent to the outsiders, it is in a
letter format. It
not only includes the routine parts but also includes headings, illustrations
and footnotes.
4. PRINTED: These reports contain routine periodical matters to be written
in prescribed format by the organization.

MODELS OF REPORT
Q-56. LETTER FORMAT
SURYA
INDUSTRIES
M.G.
ROAD
Ahmedab
ad

st

1 September, 2014
To
The Managing Director
Surya
Industries
M.G. Road

Ahmedabad

Dear Sir,
52

Subject: Report on the Reasons and Solutions of the Labours

Dissatisfaction at our Industry

th

In response to your directions given to me on 20 August, 2014, I present

here my report on the
reasons and solutions of the labours dissatisfaction at
our industry.
Reaso
ns:
1.

The first cause of their dissatisfaction is the low pay scale. The prices of
essential commodities are rising higher day by day. Therefore, the Employees
Union is demanding 20% rise in their basic salaries and 30% rise in Dearness
Allowance.
2. Bonus is the second reason for the unrest among them. Our employees are
not satisfied with the
9.33% bonus we are giving them. They insist that the Rate of bonus should
commensurate (match)
with the profits earned by our
industry.
3.
Our employees do not get the benefits such as gratuity and the pension
scheme. Our employees demand such benefits. They also want our company to
contribute the same amount of Provident Fund as they contribute.
4. Lack of facilities like transport service, accommodation, primary and secondary
schools, a welfare centre with a good library and facility for games and sports
make cause dissatisfaction among them. They want all these facilities which are
provided in many multinational companies across India. The employees also
ask for a well- equipped hospital having a Family Planning Department,
one surgeon, five doctors and ten nurses. The hospital should have a maternity
department too.
5. The present working conditions add into their predicaments. They are not
comfortable working dirty areas. They want general cleanliness and proper
ventilation. They are not contented with the canteen facility. We have only one
canteen with the capacity of accommodating only 50 persons at a time. The
canteen provides them with lunch only and not with snacks or soft drinks.
6. Mistreatment by senior oficers has often been a matter of complaint for
them. Workers expect
humanly treatment from seniors. They want respectful and responsive
conduct from seniors.
As mentioned in the final ultimatum given by Employees Union, they will go on
an indefinite strike, if we do not take their complaints into consideration within
fifteen days. They have also received support from other trade unions and
political parties.

The strike may cause a huge loss to our business and may dent our
reputation. Therefore, some recommendations for these issues are given below.
Recommendat
ions:
1.

The management should call the labour leaders and persuade them that
certain amenities cannot be given immediately but they should be assured that
their demands for Quarter, Schools, Training
Centre, and well-equipped Hospital will be settled
within 5 years.

53

2.

Without further delay, the management should have negotiation with the
labour leaders and try to settle their demand for a rise in basic salaries and
bonus. Transport service, welfare centre, film shows, provident fund, gratuity,
pension and good canteens should be settled at the earliest date.

I hope that the report will give you an insight into the causes of the problem and
will help you to take up appropriate steps. I would be glad to provide any
clarification or additional information required in this regard.
Yours
sincerely,

Harishchandra
Jadeja
Secreta
ry

Q-57. MEMO FORMAT

CHRIST INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
AHMEDABAD (GUJARAT)
INTER-OFFICE
MEMORANDUM

st

1 September, 2014

To:

Managing Director

From:

S.S. Raval
Health and Safety Oficer

Subject:

Inspection of College Canteen

In response to your directions given to me on 20

th

August, 2014, I made an

inspection at our college canteen. Here, I present the report on my findings and
recommendations.
54

Findin
gs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The hygiene standard of the company is not satisfactory

Food left over from lunches is stored in the fridge
The fridge is not defrosted at regular intervals
General cleanliness is not maintained in the kitchen
The water provided to the students is not purified
The dining tables are not cleaned properly

Recommendat
ions:
I
suggest
the
recommendations:

following

1. Warning should be given to the managing staff of the canteen regarding the
general cleanliness
2. Water purifiers should be installed to provide pure and hygienic water
3. The canteen manager should be stored and should not be sold next day
I hope that the report will give you an insight into the causes of the problem and will
help you to take up appropriate steps. I would be glad to provide any clarification or
additional information required in this regard.

Yours
sincerely,
S.S. Raval

ENRICHING
LITERATURE
The Road
Taken

LANGUAGE

THROUGH

Not
-ROBERT FROST

INTRODUCTION
Frosts The Road Not Taken is about making choice. Making choice is not as simply

as it
may appear. It involves more thought and application.
55

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I
could To where it bent in the
undergrowth; Then took the
other, as just as fair, And
having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and
wanted wear, Though as for that
the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden
black. Oh, I kept the first for
another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come
back. I shall be telling this with
a sigh Somewhere ages and
ages hence: Two roads
diverged in a wood, and I, I
took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa TS

-NISSIM EZEKIEL

INTRODUCTION
56

Goodbye Party For Miss Pushpa T. S. was written by Nissim Ezekiel, one of India's
foremost Indo- Anglian poets. He was born in 1924 and was educated in Mumbai and
London. He produced several volumes of verse and plays and was an art critic. Ezekiel
died in 2004 at the age of 79.
Most of Ezekiel's poetry is for adults, as it is serious and quite difficult to understand. In
this poem, however, Ezekiel uses simple Indian' English. Here he is making gentle fun
of the people who cannot speak English properly by including in the poem common
mistakes made by speakers whose mother tongue is not English. There are
grammatical mistakes, strange arrangements of words and phrases and idioms which
are direct translations of expressions in Indian languages - they all sound very odd in
English. The poem is in the form of a speech made by one of Miss Pushpa's friends.
It should be taken in the spirit in which it was written.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friends,
our dear sister
is departing for
foreign in two
three days,
and
we are meeting today
to wish her bon voyage.
You are all knowing, friends,
What sweetness is in Miss Pushpa.
I don't mean only external
sweetness but internal
sweetness.
Miss Pushpa is smiling and smiling
even for no reason but simply
because she is feeling.
Miss Pushpa is coming
from very high family.

Her father was renowned advocate

57

in Bulsar or Surat,
I am not remembering now which place.
Surat? Ah, yes,
once only I stayed in Surat
with family members
of my uncle's very old friendhis wife was cooking nicely
that was long time ago.
Coming back to Miss Pushpa
she is most popular lady
with men also and ladies also.
Whenever I asked her to do anything,
she was saying, 'Just now only
I will do it.' That is showing
good spirit. I am always
appreciating the good spirit.
Pushpa Miss is never saying no.
Whatever I or anybody is asking
she is always saying yes,
and today she is going
to improve her prospect
and we are wishing her bon voyage.
Now I ask other speakers to speak
and afterwards Miss Pushpa
will do summing up.
58

The Eyes are Not

Here
-RUSKIN BOND
INTRODUCT
ION

The Eyes Have It (also known as The Girl on the Train & The Eyes Are Not Here) is a
short story by Ruskin Bond that was originally published in Contemporary Indian
English Stories. The narrator of this story, a blind man whose eyes were sensitive only
to light and darkness, was going to Dehradun by train when he met a girl and had a
chit-chat with her. It was only after she left and another passenger came into the
compartment that the narrator realizes the girl was blind.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had the compartment to myself up to Rohana, and then a girl got in. The couple who
saw her off were probably her parents; they seemed very anxious about her comfort,
and the women gave the girl detailed instructions as to where to keep her things,
when not to lean out of the windows, and how to avoid speaking to strangers. They
said their good-byes; the train pulled out of the station.
As I was totally blind at the time, my eyes sensitive only to light and darkness, I was
unable to tell what the girl looked like; but I knew she wore slippers from the way they
slapped against her heels. It would take me some time to discover something about
her looks and perhaps I never would. But I liked the sound of her voice, and even the
sound of her slippers.
Are you going all the way to Dehra? I asked. I must have been sitting in a dark
corner because my
voice started her. She gave a little exclamation and said, I didnt know
anyone else was here.
Well, it often happens that people with good eyesight fail to see what is right in front
of them. They have too much to take in, I suppose. Whereas people who cannot see
(or see very little) have to take in only the essentials, whatever registers most tellingly
on their remaining senses
I didnt if I would be able to prevent her from discovering that I was blind, I thought.
Provided I keep to my seat, It shouldnt be too difficult.
The girl said, Im getting down at Saharanpur. My aunt is
meeting me threre.
Then I Had better no be too familiar, I said. Aunts are usually
formidable creatures.
When are you going? she

asked.
To Dehra,
Mussoorie.

and

then

to

Oh, how lucky you are, I wish I were going to Mussoorie. I love the hills.
Especially in October.

59

Yes this is the best time, I said calling on my memories. The hills are covered with
wild dahlias, the sun is delicious, and at night you can sit in front of a log-fire and drink
a little brandy. Most of the tourists have gone, and the roads are quite and almost
deserted. Yes October is the best time.
She was silent, and I wondered if my words had touched her, or whether she thought
me a romantic fool. Then I made a mistake.
What is it like? I
asked.
She seemed to find nothing strange in the question. Had she noticed already that I
could not see? But her next question removed my doubts.
Why dont you look out the window?
she asked.
I moved easily along the berth and felt for the window-ledge. The window was open,
and I faced it, making pretence, of studying the landscape. I heard the panting of
the engine, the rumble of the wheels, and in my minds eye, I could see the
telegraph-posts flashing by.
Have you noticed, I ventured, that the trees seem to be moving while we seem to
be standing still?
That always happens, she said. Do you see
any animals? Hardly any animals left in the
forests near Dehra.
I turned from the window and faced the girl, and for a while we
sat in silence.
You have an interesting face, I remarked. I was becoming quit daring, but it was a
safe remark. Few
girls
can
resist
fattery.
She laughed
ringing laugh.

pleasantly,

clear

Its nice to be told I have an Interesting face. I am tired of people telling me I

have a pretty face.
Oh, so you do have a pretty face. Thought I, and
aloud I said:
You are very gallant young man, she said. But why are you
so serious?
I thought then, that I would try to laugh for her, but the thought of laughter only
made me feel troubled and lonely.

Well soon be at your station,

I said.
Thank goodness its a short journey. I can bear to sit in a train for more than two
or three hours.
Yet I was prepared to sit there for almost any
length of time,
Just to listen to her talking. Her voice had the sparkle of a mountain stream. As
soon as she left the train, she would forget our brief encounter; but it would stay
with me for the rest of the journey and
for some time
after.
60

The engines whistle shrieked, the carriage wheels changed their

sound and rhythm.
The girl got up and began to collect her things. I wondered if she wore her hair in a
burn, or if it was plaited, or if it hung loose over her shoulders, or if it was cut very
short.
The train drew slowly into the station. Outside, there was the shouting of porters and
vendors and a high-pitched female voice near the carriage door which must have
belonged to the girls aunt.
Good-bye, said the
girl.
She was standing very close to me, so close that the perfume from her hair was
tantalizing. I wanted to raise my hand and touch her hair, but she moved away, and
only the perfume still lingered where she had stood.
You may break, you may shatter the vase if you will, but the scent of the roses will
linger there still..
There was some confusion in the doorway. A man, getting into the
compartment, stammered an apology. Then the door banged shut, and the world was
shut out again. I returned to my berth. The guard blew his whistle and we off. Once
again, I had a game to play with a new fellow- traveler.
The train gathered speed, the wheels took up their song, the carriage groaned and
shook. I found the window and sat in front of it, staring into the daylight that was
darkness form me. So many things were happening outside the window. It could be a
fascinating game, guessing what went on out there.
The man who had entered the compartment broke into my reverie. You must be
disappointed, he said, Im not as attractive a travelling companion as the one who
just left.
She was an interesting girl, I said. Can you tell me did she keep her hair
long or short?
I dont remember, he said, sounding puzzled. it was her eyes I noticed, not her hair.
She had beautiful
eyes but they were of no use to her, she was completely blind.
Didnt you notice?

THE ROMANCE OF A BUSY

BROKER
-O. HENRY
INTRODUCT
ION

O. Henry is the pseudonym of William Sidney Porter. He has written about 600 stories
in all and some of his stories are remarkable for their punch and irony. The
sudden and dramatic twist at the end is almost unsurprised in fiction.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pitcher, confidential clerk in the ofice of Harvey Maxwell, broker, allowed a look of
mild interest and surprise to visit his usually expressionless countenance when his
employer briskly entered at half past
61

nine in company with his young lady stenographer. With a snappy "Good-morning,
Pitcher," Maxwell dashed at his desk as though he were intending to leap over it, and
then plunged into the great heap of letters and telegrams waiting there for him.
The young lady had been Maxwell's stenographer for a year. She was beautiful in a
way that was decidedly unstenographic. She forewent the pomp of the alluring
pompadour. She wore no chains, bracelets or lockets. She had not the air of being
about to accept an invitation to luncheon. Her dress was grey and plain, but it fitted
her figure with fidelity and discretion. In her neat black turban hat was the gold-green
wing of a macaw. On this morning she was softly and shyly radiant. Her eyes were
dreamily bright, her cheeks genuine peachblow, her expression a happy one, tinged
with reminiscence.
Pitcher, still mildly curious, noticed a difference in her ways this morning. Instead of
going straight into the adjoining room, where her desk was, she lingered, slightly
irresolute, in the outer ofice. Once she moved over by Maxwell's desk, near enough for
him to be aware of her presence.
The machine sitting at that desk was no longer a man; it was a busy New York
broker, moved by buzzing wheels and uncoiling springs.
"Well--what is it? Anything?" asked Maxwell sharply. His opened mail lay like a bank of
stage snow on his crowded desk. His keen grey eye, impersonal and brusque, flashed
upon her half impatiently.
"Nothing," answered the stenographer, moving away with a
little smile.
"Mr. Pitcher," she said to the confidential clerk, did Mr. Maxwell say anything yesterday
about engaging another stenographer?"
"He did," answered Pitcher. "He told me to get another one. I notified the agency
yesterday afternoon to send over a few samples this morning. It's 9.45 o'clock, and not
a single picture hat or piece of pineapple chewing gum has showed up yet."
"I will do the work as usual, then," said the young lady, "until someone comes to fill the
place." And she went to her desk at once and hung the black turban hat with the
gold-green macaw wing in its accustomed place.
He who has been denied the spectacle of a busy Manhattan broker during a
rush of business is handicapped for the profession of anthropology. The poet sings of
the "crowded hour of glorious life." The broker's hour is not only crowded, but the
minutes and seconds are hanging to all the straps and packing both front and rear
platforms.
And this day was Harvey Maxwell's busy day. The ticker began to reel out jerkily its
fitful coils of tape, the desk telephone had a chronic attack of buzzing. Men began to
throng into the ofice and call at him over the railing, jovially, sharply, viciously,
excitedly. Messenger boys ran in and out with messages and telegrams. The clerks
in the ofice jumped about like sailors during a storm. Even Pitcher's face
relaxed into something resembling

animation.

62

On the Exchange there were hurricanes and landslides and snowstorms and glaciers
and volcanoes, and those elemental disturbances were reproduced in miniature
in the broker's ofices. Maxwell shoved his chair against the wall and transacted
business after the manner of a toe dancer. He jumped from ticker to 'phone, from desk
to door with the trained agility of a harlequin.
In the midst of this growing and important stress the broker became suddenly aware of
a high-rolled fringe of golden hair under a nodding canopy of velvet and ostrich tips,
an imitation sealskin sacque and a string of beads as large as hickory nuts, ending
near the floor with a silver heart. There was a self-possessed young lady connected
with these accessories; and Pitcher was there to construe her.
"Lady from the Stenographer's Agency to see about the position,"
said Pitcher. Maxwell turned half around, with his hands full of
papers and ticker tape. "What position?" he asked, with a frown.
"Position of stenographer," said Pitcher. "You told me yesterday to call them up and
have one sent over
this
morning."
"You are losing your mind, Pitcher," said Maxwell. "Why should I have given you any
such instructions? Miss Leslie has given perfect satisfaction during the year she has
been here. The place is hers as long as she chooses to retain it. There's no place open
here, madam. Countermand that order with the agency, Pitcher, and don't bring any
more of 'em in here."
The silver heart left the ofice, swinging and banging itself independently against the
ofice furniture as it indignantly departed. Pitcher seized a moment to remark to the
bookkeeper that the "old man" seemed to get more absent-minded and forgetful every
day of the world.
The rush and pace of business grew fiercer and faster. On the floor they were pounding
half a dozen stocks in which Maxwell's customers were heavy investors. Orders to buy
and sell were coming and going as swift as the flight of swallows. Some of his own
holdings were imperilled, and the man was working like some high-geared, delicate,
strong machine--strung to full tension, going at full speed, accurate, never hesitating,
with the proper word and decision and act ready and prompt as clockwork. Stocks and
bonds, loans and mortgages, margins and securities--here was a world of finance, and
there was no room in it for the human world or the world of nature.
When the luncheon hour drew near there came a slight lull in
the uproar.
Maxwell stood by his desk with his hands full of telegrams and memoranda, with a
fountain pen over his right ear and his hair hanging in disorderly strings over his
forehead. His window was open, for the beloved janitress Spring had turned on a little
warmth through the waking registers of the earth.
And through the window came a wandering--perhaps a lost--odour--a delicate, sweet

odour of lilac that fixed the broker for a moment immovable. For this odour belonged
to Miss Leslie; it was her own,
and
hers
only.
63

The odour brought her vividly, almost tangibly before him. The world of finance
dwindled suddenly to a speck. And she was in the next room--twenty steps away.
"By George, I'll do it now," said Maxwell, half aloud. "I'll ask her now. I wonder I didn't
do it long ago." He dashed into the inner ofice with the haste of a short trying to
cover. He charged upon the desk of
the
stenographer.
She looked up at him with a smile. A soft pink crept over her cheek, and her eyes were
kind and frank. Maxwell leaned one elbow on her desk. He still clutched fluttering
papers with both hands and the pen was above his ear.
"Miss Leslie," he began hurriedly, "I have but a moment to spare. I want to say
something in that moment. Will you he my wife? I haven't had time to make love to
you in the ordinary way, but I really do love you. Talk quick, please--those fellows are
clubbing the stufing out of Union Pacific."
"Oh, what are you talking about?" exclaimed the young lady. She rose to her feet and
gazed upon him, round-eyed.
"Don't you understand?" said Maxwell, restively. "I want you to marry me. I love you,
Miss Leslie. I wanted to tell you, and I snatched a minute when things had slackened
up a bit. They're calling me for the 'phone now. Tell 'em to wait a minute, Pitcher.
Won't you, Miss Leslie?"
The stenographer acted very queerly. At first she seemed overcome with
amazement; then tears flowed from her wondering eyes; and then she smiled sunnily
through them, and one of her arms slid tenderly about the broker's neck.
"I know now," she said, softly. "It's this old business that has driven everything else
out of your head for the time. I was frightened at first. Don't you remember, Harvey?
We were married last evening at 8 o'clock in the Little Church Around the Corner."
Q-58 THE ROMANCE OF A BUSY
BROKER
Q-. Give a pen-picture of Miss Leslie Maxwells
stenographer.
Generally a stenographer is a fashionable figure with a lot of make-up and
outward artificiality but Maxwells stenographer was quite simple. Artificiality
was absent in her charms, however she could easily cast a spell of her
appealing simplicity. She wore no ornaments. Her simple dress fitted her
perfectly. She was not the type of girl who would accept an invitation for lunch.
She was radiant and shy. Her eyes were light and her expression was cheerful.
Q.. Describe the typical working atmosphere in
Maxwells office.
Maxwells ofice was indeed a mechanical way of noisy crowd, constant sound of

telegraphic machines and the telephone kept on ringing. It was a main centre of
visitors and they called at him in different moods of joy, shock and excitement.
There was a noisy atmosphere of buyers and sellers in the stock exchange.
Messenger boys constantly running in and out with messages
64

and telegrams was a common sight. The clerks in the office were actively busy
and the exchange ofice refected catastrophic ups and downs of the money
market. Thus, it was a very busy atmosphere.
Q.. Bring out the humour in Maxwell proposing marriage to his
stenographer all over again./ Comment upon the end of the story The
Romance of a Busy Broker.
Harvey Maxwell was a very busy broker. He was so busy that he even forgot the
most important event of his life. The busy schedule and single minded pursuit of
profits made Maxwell merely a machine. The familiar odour of Miss Leslie
suddenly transforms him into a man of love for Leslie. It is his strong
determination to make a marriage proposal to his lady love which brings him
in front of the lady. Maxwell spares simply one moment out of his busy world for
his romance and demands positive or negative reply from the lady. He hardly
cares for his looks, loving expressions, as well as the artistic and genuine way of
a marriage proposal. The description is quite humorous because the busy broker
is quite absent-minded and forgetful even regarding his romance and marriage
to his lady stenographer Miss Leslie.
Q.. What made Miss Leslie express a series of emotions at the
marriage proposal of
Maxwel
l?
Miss Leslie made every possible effort to make her presence before Maxwell
marked but in vain. Maxwell, more like a machine was involved into monetary
ups and downs in his ofice. His romance was momentarily aroused by the
familiar odour of Miss Leslie and led him to make a marriage proposal to her. In
fact, Maxwell and Miss Leslie had been married on the previous evening itself.
Miss Leslie reacted in a series of emotions of surprise, shock and a mild touch of
despair mixed with her pity for her poor husband. However, she blamed the
business and monetary matters which had driven everything else out of
Maxwells mind. She immediately got rid of her fear and reminded her husband
about their marriage.
Q. 59 THE EYES ARE
NOT HERE
. Well, it often happens that people with good eyesight fail to see
what is right in front of them. Elucidate
Well, it often happens that people with good eyesight fail to see what is right in
front of them implies that perception will be an important theme in this story
and that failure to perceive clearly or properly will also be a key theme of the
story. It makes a distinction between those who can see clearly and those who
cannot, whereas by the end of the story we realize that every character in the
tale displays limited perception. It is a joke at the expense of the reader, who
does not perceive the full meaning of the story -- or the full implications of this
sentence -- until the very end of the work. It also implies the importance that

assumptions play in controlling our perceptions. Here the blind narrator

assumes that he is in some ways more perceptive than
people with sight, when in fact he is far less perceptive than he
thinks he is.
Q-. Explain how Ruskin Bond uses irony in the story ''The Eyes Are Not
Here."
65

This story is an excellent example of situational irony which employs a plot

device in which events turn out contrary to expectation yet are contrarily
appropriate. Further use of irony involves verbal irony when a character says
one thing but means another. The narrator of this story, a blind man whose
eyes were sensitive only to light and darkness, was going to Dehradun by train
when he met a girl and had a chit-chat with her. The narrator wants to hide the
fact that he is blind from the girl and is successful in doing so. It was only after
she left and another passenger came into the compartment that the narrator
realizes the girl was blind.
THE ROAD
TAKEN

NOT

Q-60. What is the reason ofered by the poet in taking the road
less travelled by?
Robert Frost beautifully makes use of symbolism through comparison between
the dilemma of a traveller and that of the poet himself in choice of his career.
The traveller experiences confusion after reaching a Y-fork diversion. The poet
experiences similar confusion in choice of occupation. The traveller selects the
less travelled road as he finds it more attractive and challenging. It ofered him
innovation and adventure. He wishes to become an independent individual by
not following the foot-steps of others. In the same way, the poet becomes
a different and unique man due to his choice of occupation.
GOODBYE PARTY
PUSHPA TS

FOR

MISS

Q-61.
What
devices does the poet
use to make the poem
humorous? OR Explain the theme of the poem OR Comment on the use
of parody in the poem.
Goodbye Party for Miss Pushpa TS is a hilarious parody of and a biting satire on
the dialectical features of English spoken by people from Gujarat. Besides
underlining the common Indian use of the present progressive for the simple
past and a variety of other Indianness, the poem vividly refects the rambling
style invariably associated with Indian speakers. The speakers drifting off into
his memories, his trying to show his intimacy with the guest of honour and his
ambiguous statements are viewed humorously.

BOOK REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Reviews are written pieces that describe, discuss and evaluate something, such as a
book or an article, a music or dance performance, a film, the food served in a
restaurant or a new model in cars. A review is written not just to describe an object,
an event or a place to the reader but to comment on it, or to express your opinion or
judgement.
When reviewing a book one
should

 Say whether one agrees or disagrees with the author

Praise or criticise the work or different aspects of it (e.g. the theme of the poem
is not new but
the poets use of imagery is appealing)
66

 Give evidence or reasons for saying why one finds a work excellent,
exciting, interesting, average or unsatisfactory or disappointing

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A BOOK REVIEW

Read the book to review carefully and thoroughly preferably twice
Make notes on its content, style and opinions about it, and note down the
lines, phrases or words to quote as evidence to support the arguments
Begin the review by giving the title of the book, name of its author, publisher,
publication date, edition, pages, price and ISBN (International Standard Book
Number)
Give the details of the author that are in some way related to the work (e.g.
Nationality, historical period, interests, education or personal life) and the
situation led to the book being written
State the aim of the book and give a brief summary of its subject and scope.
This comprises the field (e.g. History, fiction, economics) or the category (e.g.
Textbook, general book, childrens book, mystery, adventure and romance) and
its theme and the authors views on it, the main ideas, purpose, etc.
Give a critical evaluation and the reactions to the book. Write about the title,
the approach, clarity and development of main ideas, contradictions, etc.
State the writers point of view
If the book is found to be ordinary, say in a manner that will not offend and if
the book is found to be excellent, say this clearly and support it with reasons
Write briefly about the writers style (e.g. Formal or academic, difficult to
understand, informal
or clear, simple and easy to understand) and tone (humorous, serious or oficial)
Organise the analysis and evaluation into paragraphs that deal with one
aspect each and give evidence from the work to prove the statement
Sum up the books strengths and weaknesses and conclude with an
evaluation or by saying whether it is recommended to readers or not. Be fair
and balanced in writing the review; besides offending the author, being
completely negative could make the readers doubt the judgement made in
review
Write a first draft based on the notes made. Read to see if the review is unclear
or incomplete in some way
Revise it and write the second draft. Check the second draft for correctness of
language, spelling and punctuation and write the fair version of the review

67

Telephonic
Conversation: Telephone
Phrases in English
Q- 62. Making a call
Hello/Good morning/Good afternoon
Can I speak to (name),
please? May I speak to
(name), please?
I would like to speak to (name)
please. I am trying to contact
(name)
This is (your name) from (your companys name)
I am calling on behalf of Mr/Mrs/Ms (name)
Can I have extension 629, please? (extension is an internal number at
the company) Example:
Hello, this is John Blare from Ayurvedic Concepts. Can I speak to Mrs Brighten, please?
Q-63. Answering a call
(your name) speaking
(company name)(your name) speaking
(your name) speaking, how can I help you?
(company name)(your name) speaking, can I
help you? Example:
Ayurvedic Concepts, John Blare speaking, how can I help you?
Q- 64. Asking for more information
Excuse me, who is calling?
I am sorry, who is
speaking? Where are
you calling from?
Are you sure you have the right number?

Can you please tell me (question)?

68

Ask the speaker to wait

Just a moment, please.
Could you wait for a moment,
please? Could you hold on a
second,
Can you please?
hold the line, please?
Connecting
someone Thank you
for holding. Ill put
you through now.
The line is free now. Ill put you through.
Ill connect you now/Im connecting you now
Q- 65. Telephone problems
The line is very bad. Could you speak up,
please? Could you repeat that, please?
Im afraid I cant hear you.
I am sorry, I didnt catch that. Could you repeat that again,
please? Number mistake Im afraid we dont have a
Mr/Mrs/Miss (name) here. Im sorry. There is nobody by that
name.
Im sorry. Im afraid youve dialled the wrong number.
Im sorry. I think youve got the wrong number.
Q- 66. How to reply when someone is not available
Im afraid (name) is not available at the moment.
Im afraid the line is engaged. Could you call
back later? Im afraid he/she is in a meeting at
the
moment.
Mr (name)
isnt in. (the ofice)
Mrs (name) is out at the moment
Im sorry, Mr/Mrs (name) is out of the ofice today
69

Q- 67. Complete the telephone conversations below with the lines spoken by the
callers.
1 A:
------------------------------------------------------ B: Could I speak to Dr. Sharma,
please?
A: -------------------------------------------------------B: Im Manisha Shah from Advanced Techno Solutions.
A: -------------------------, maam.
Ill----------------------------------------- B: Thank you.
2 A: ---------------------------------------------------------------B: Hi! Is that Sudha? Meena here. Can I speak to
Lata, please.
A:-------------------------------------------------------------------B: Sure, Ill hold the line. Thanks.
3 A: -------------------------------------------------------------------------B: Hello, aunty. This is Sandeep. Howre you?
A: Im---------------------------,---------------------------. When ---------------------------------?
B: I got back yesterday. Thought Ill drop in and see you and uncle
this evening. A: Thatll
----------------------------------.---------------------------------this evening.
B: Okay, Ill be there by five. Bye!
A: ------------------------------------------------4 A: Hello. 24915707.
B: Hello.
----------------------------------------- A:
Could I tell her whos calling,
please?
B: ------------------------- Prasad Shastri ----------------------------- MRS Steel Tubes.

A: Thank you, sir. Ill put you through to Ms Anju.

B: ---------------------------------------------------------------------5 A: Good morning. Anita Mehra.
B: ------------------------ Dr. Sharma,-------------------------------.
70

A: May I know whos calling, please?

B:---------------------------------------A: Hold the line, please, Ms Harita. Dr. Sharma will speak to you
in a moment. B:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
6 A: Hello. 27842710.
B: ------------------------, Amir. --------------------------------------------Vinod.
A: Hi! Howre you?
B: Fine,--------------------------------. Can ------------------------------ Aruna, please.
A: Sure. Can you hold on? Ill call her.
B: --------------------------------------------------------------.
7 A: Hello.
B: --------------------------. Could --------------------------- Ms Preeti Singh, please.
A: Im sorry, but theres no one here named Preeti Singh.
B: -----------------------------27115778? A: No, this is
27115728.
B: -----------------------------------------------A: its no bother at all.
8 A: ---------------------------------------------------B: Good evening. May I speak to Imran, please.
A: ---------------------------------------------------- 27462829
B: Im sorry. I must have got the wrong number.
A: --------------------------------------------------------------.
9 A: Hello. Panchayat ofice.
B: ----------------------------.--------------------------, Mr Jadeja,
please. A: Mr Jadeja is in a meeting. Could I take a
message, please.
B: ------------------- Salman Khan----------------- Agro Services. -------------- at 24271563,
--------------------.

71

A: Yes, Ill give him your message, Mr Khan.

B: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------10 A: -------------------------------------------------------------B: Good morning. Id like to speak to Shanti, please.
A: ------------------------------ college. ----------------------------------- speaking, please.
B: Im Sameer Choudhary, a colleague. Could I leave a message, please.
A: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------B: Please tell Shanti I have the book she wanted, and Ill give it to her in college
tomorrow. My
number is 26827102.
A: ------------------------------. Is that
right? B: Yes, thank you.
A: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
11 A: ---------------------------------------. 27340156.
B: ----------------------------, Madhuri. Shobha here. Can I speak to aunty?
A: -----------------------, Shobha. Mothers resting. She has a terrible headache. Is there
anything --------------------- to tell her?
B: Yes. I wanted the recipe for the tomato chutney she sent us yesterday.
------------------- Ill call
again in the evening.
A: ------------------------------ tell
her. B:
-------------------------------------.
A: Youre welcome, Shobha.
12 A: Hello. Visag Shipping Company?
B: Good evening. Id like to know if ------------- send cargo through you to
Ahmedabad, ------------. A: Yes, we do carry cargo to Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
B: ------------------------- a week do you ofer the service, ----------------------------?
A: We have a cargo service twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
B: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

72

A: Youre welcome.
13 A: Hello. Railway inquires.
B: --------------------------- the Bangalore Express leaves Kachigudi station,
---------------------------. A: At 7.15 in the evening, sir.
B: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
A: Youre welcome.
14 A: Good morning. Railway inquiries.
B: -----------------. How many----------------- the Falaknuma Express go to
Kolkata,------------------?
A: Daily, maam.
B: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
A: Youre welcome, maam.
15 A: Hello. Mercury Travels.
B: Id ---------------------- four seats on the Delux bus to
Gandhinagar,--------------------------. A: Could you give me the date of
journey, please.
B: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------A: Itll be done sir. You could pick up the tickets tomorrow evening.
B:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A: Glad to be of service, sir.
Business Letters
Write letters on the following details:
Q-68 You have received a complaint letter from Sai Computers, Ellisbridge,
Ahmedabad regarding the shortage in supply. As the Sales Manager of Wipro,
draft a suitable reply to the complaint. (May/ June, 2012)
Q-69. Draft a letter to M/S Apex Electronics Ltd., calling for the illustrated
catalogue and
Quotations and certain Electronics goods required by your firm. Use Block
layout. (May/ June,
2011
)
Q-70. On behalf of a leading publishing house, draft a suitable reply (in block
layout form) to M/s. Shah Book Depot, Ahmedabad, who has complained about
late delivery of books. Elaborate the reasons for late delivery, ofer special

discount and assure timely supply of articles in

future.
(Dec,
2011)
73

Q-71. As a student of Engineering, you want to purchase a Laptop for your

personal use. Write a letter of inquiry asking prices, configuration, discount,
mode of payment and terms and conditions to The Wipro Technologies,
Memnagar, Ahmedabad. (Jan, 2011)
Q-72. The Paramount Electronics, 101, Gitanjali Commercial Complex,
Near Sardar Bus Station, M.G. Road, Bangalore 560 001, write a letter of
complaint to the Masterwork Electronics (P) Ltd., 801, A.I.D.C., Near Regal
Cinema, New Jail Road, Hyderabad 500 003, informing them that certain
computer parts supplied to them are not up to the quality of the
sample. Also they state that they have taken a serious view of the matter and
suggest the cancellation of the contract, if the matter is not adjusted
satisfactorily (use Block layout Format). (March/Apr 2010)
Q-73. Draft a sales letter to promote the sale of an automatic wrist-watch
(March/Apr 2010)
Suppose you want to take a new Nano car loan from State Bank of India. Write
an Inquiry-letter to the chief Manager SBI branch of your locality,
requesting him/ her to send you all the
information related to SBI car loan.
(Nov/Dec, 2010)
Q-74. Write a complaint letter in block format to Sajawat Wooden Furniture,
Ahmedabad asking for compensation as you found some of the pieces of
furniture delivered in the damaged
condition.
(Sept,
2009)
Q-75. Write a letter to M/s Santosh Electronic Ltd., Chandani Chowk, New Delhi
calling for the illustrated catalogue and quotation of certain electronic goods
required by your firm. (Use block layout format).(June 2009)
Q-76.Your Company had ordered 100 computers. On receiving them, you
came to know that they do not match the specifications and configuration you
had given. As the Manager (Purchase), write a Letter of Complaint addressing
The Manager, IBM, Hyderabad. (March,
2009
)
Q-77. As the Purchase Manager of Alpha Engineering Co., Salt Lake City, Kolkata,
you placed an order for 15 HP scanners to National Systems Limited, Electronic
City, M.G. Road, Bangalore560 100. You received only 12 scanners. Write a letter to General Manager
(Sales & Marketing)
of NSL, making a complaint and asking him to send the remaining 3 scanners
immediately (Use block layout format). (Dec, 2008)

Technical Reports
Q-78. Your company is thinking of establishing a factory in your town. You have
been given the task to write a report on the suitability of the place for the
establishment of this factory. Submit your report. (May/ June, 2012)
Q-79. Micatronics Ltd, Andheri, Mumbai wants to open a factory at Baroda. As a
Consultant engineer, write a feasibility report on establishing a factory in Baroda.
(Jan, 2011)
Q-80. Bharat Textile Mill, Kanpur, manufactures several kinds of cotton and
synthetic clothes.
For the last five years there has been a gradual decline in profits owing to

various causes including fall in sales. The Managing Director has asked the
marketing manager to investigate the causes, make suitable recommendations
and submit a report in Memo Format. (Assume yourself as the Marketing
Manager.) ( June/ July, 2011)
Q-81.Modern institute of Technology, Ahmedabad is a new educational institute,
which has well
equipped lab and huge computer centre. The Dean, Students Welfare Unit of
this institute has been receiving a complaint of various kinds like back pain,
headaches, eye problems, food habits etc. Students using internet facilities
for non- academic purpose has led to significant
behaviour changes. Assuming you to be the Chief Warden of this residential
institute, write a
74

Memo report to be submitted to the Dean, Students Welfare Unit. (Your report
should include
findings
and
recommendations)
(Nov/Dec, 2010)
Q-82. As the Secretary of Jaisons Industries (P) Ltd., Mathura Road, Delhi 110
013, you have
been asked to report on the workers unrest in the companys factory. Submit
your report to the
Managing Director of the company. (March/
April, 2010)
Q-83. You are heading marketing department of a reputed automobile company
engaged in the manufacture of two-wheeler scooters and motor-cycles. In the
month of April, 2009, Companys
sales ofices reported increase in the rate of customers complaints in the
auto parts more particularly in the gear operations with regard to XP Brand of
motor cycle recently purchased by them. Prepare inter ofice memo to the Head
of Production Department explaining the situation with need for remedial action
in the matter. (Sept, 2009)
Q-84.As the sales manager of a watch manufacturing company, you conducted a
market survey and found that there is a considerable decline in the sales of your
watch. Write a short report on
your market survey and also suggest steps required to boost the sales of your
product. (June,
2009
)
Q-85.Government of India is worried on the migration (from India) of the
Doctors, Engineers and Academicians to UK, USA, Germany and other Countries.
It also wishes to retain this trained and high skilled manpower in India. As a
Research Scholar you are asked (by the Ministry of HRD) to find out the reasons
and suggest some remedy to stop their migration. Collect the data of their
migration (last three years) and on the basis of that data prepare a report
investigating
the reasons and also give your suggestions. You need to prepare Title Page,
Introduction, Data
Analysis, Conclusion, and Recommendations only.
(March, 2009)
Q-86.You are an assistant engineer. There has been a fire in the factory and three
of the workers have been badly burnt and hospitalised. You are asked to send a
report to the manager. Write a
report using memorandum form.
(Dec, 2008)

Completion of a Given Story

1 Once upon a time there lived a group of mice under a tree peacefully. But
once a group of elephants came that way and destroyed the homes of all the
rats as a result of which many of them were crushed to death. Then the king of
rats decided to approach the elephant chief
2 Once upon a time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome,
and extremely bright, a natural leader. The kind of person everyone would
normally have wanted on their

team or project. But he was also self-centered and had a very bad temper.
When he got angry,
he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to
have little regard
for those around him even friends. So, naturally, he had few. But, he told
himself, that just shows how stupid most people are!
3 Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. So one day he asked God:
How am I going
to live on earth being so small and helpless?God replied, Among the many
angels, I chose one
for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.But tell me,
here in Heaven, I dont do anything else but sing and smile, thats enough for
me to be happy.Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every
day. And you will feel your angels love and be happy.
4. For the first ten years of my life I always imagined myself a princess. Then in the
eleventh grade
Bobby Monroe called me a hag (ugly) and I realized I wasn't a princess after
all. It's amazing
75

how quickly someone can defeat your dream with the utterance of one word.
Twenty years later I cringe whenever I hear it and am immediately brought back
to that rainy afternoon when my love for myself diminished. That's why when I
opened up my mail and found an invitation to my high school reunion I...
5.

"I really wanted to see you again," said Rebecca. She repeatedly twirled a
strand of her long auburn (reddish brown colour) hair tightly around her right
forefinger until the tip blushed then released it. "I was afraid you didn't want to
see me because of what happened on our date." Her mind flashed back to...

6.

In a certain village there lived an old farmer. He had five sons. All of them
were lazy. They wasted their time in idle talk and money in foolish ways.The old
farmer often advised them to work hard but in vain. One day, the old farmer
was on deathbed. He was much worried about the future of his sons.A clever
idea came to his mind. So he called them near his bed. He then said to them,
My dear sons, I am not to live longer. Before I die, I must tell you about a rich
treasure I have hidden somewhere in our field. After my death, you dig it out and
divide it equally among you. Then the old man died. After some days the sons
went to the field with spades and shovels. They dug from morning to evening. It
took them many days to dig the field but they found no treasure.

7. Allison had a bad night on Saturday. She went to the Smiths house to babysit
their son, Jake, and daughter, Lisa. Jake is four years old. He gets into a lot of
trouble. He started the night by pouring his glass of milk all over the floor during
dinner.
Clean that up, Allison
ordered.
You cant tell me what to do, Jake responded. He ran away from the
dinner table. Im bored. I want to play a game, Lisa whined.
Jake, if you clean up your mess we can play a game,
Allison said.
Okay, Jake said. Allison gave him a handful of paper towels and he used them
to clean up the
milk. I want to play hide-and-seek,
he said.
Okay, I will be the seeker first, Allison said. You two have thirty seconds to
hide! Allison
covered her eyes with her hands and counted slowly from
one to thirty.
Ready or not, here I come! she called. Allison walked downstairs and peeked
into the kitchen closet. Nobody was inside. She checked under the couches in
the living room. She looked in the garage.
Allison decided that nobody was hiding downstairs, so she walked upstairs and
continued her
search. She opened the door to Lisas bedroom and found her hiding
under the bed.

I found you! she squealed. Okay, now help me find Jake, she told Lisa.
Allison and Lisa
searched all over the house. They could not
find Jake.
76

It has been twenty minutes and he is nowhere in sight, Allison thought. I

wonder where he is.
8.

Mrs. Duck counted her little ducklings again.

They were still nine.
She
couldn't believe her eyes. All ten ducklings were there a few minutes ago, as
she counted them before they swam across the river. She made sure she was
right behind her ducklings as they swam across and she only looked away once
as she heard a big splash behind her. She looked back to see what it was and
when she saw that it was a couple of boys splashing rocks in the water, she
continued to swim keeping a keen eye on her little ones.
But now, one was missing. It was the youngest of her ducklings and she was so
worried. What could have happened to him. She looked up and down the river
but she could see him nowhere.
At that very moment the little duckling realized that he was lost. He couldn't
understand how this had happened since he had only gotten distracted for what
seemed like a moment. He had run into some playful fish and followed them
for just a moment. Now he could not see his mother or the other ducklings. It
seems that the current had carried him far downstream and now as the little
duckling climbed up on the river bank, he needed to find a way back to his
family. So he...

9. It was getting late, and the kids had to get ready for bed. They were already
done with their dinner and had brushed their teeth. They kissed their parents
goodnight and curled in their beds under the covers.
It was a bit chilly but not too much, but Molly kept herself bundled up so that her
little feet wouldn't get cold. After a while, she and her little brother Steve were
sound asleep.
Molly started dreaming of a beautiful green park with lots of big trees and
berry bushes. She saw herself walking around with her little brother when she
saw a pair of red shiny boots in the bushes. They looked sparkly new and she
thought they were just the size of her cold little feet. "These boots will keep my
feet warm" she thought, and when she didn't find anyone in the park she figured
that they don't belong to anyone.
Molly tried the boots on and they fit perfectly!
Her brother thought they
looked beautiful on her. Molly stood up and started walking, but all of a
sudden...
10. One morning, Mr. Finkle woke up and did not find Toodles, his cat, next to
him in bed. He couldn't understand it...Toodles always stayed in bed until he
woke up. They would go together and get the newspaper and sit and have tea
and cookies together. But today was different! Toodles was not in bed where
she should have been.
Mr. Finkle was not the kind of person to panic however, so after searching the
whole house he went out to look for her in his very neat yard. He knew that
Toodles' favorite place to nap was in the Daffodil patch, and even though it
wasn't nap time he still decided to look for her there. When he didn't find her,
Mr. Finkle started to wonder where she could be.

Now one thing Mr. Finkle had was a very active imagination. He noticed that
lately Toodles had been reading an unusually high number of adventure books
lately and couldn't help wondering
77

if she had decided to have one of her own. Just then he saw Toodles coming
out from behind the Lilac bushes with a very sly smile on her face, and he knew
that indeed she had been up to something very exciting.
Toodles sat next to Mr. Finkle at the kitchen table, and while he poured her a cup
of tea, she began to tell him about her adventure...
List of Questions asked in the
GTU Exams

Define Communication Explain Communication Cycle and distinguish between

General
Technical
Communication.
(Dec
08/Jan
09)
[08] o Discuss flow of communication in an organization. (Jun 09/Jan 11)
[07]
o
Explain
the
communication
process.
(Jan
10)
[07] o
4. Discuss level of communication. (Dec 08/Jan 09)
[07] o
5. Explain communication process, list the characteristics of
language as a tool of
communication and explain any one of it in details. (Jan 10)
[07]
o 6. Define the communication process. What are its elements? (Jan10)
[07] o 7. Do you agree that oral communication is more important and
advantages than written communication. (Mar/Apr 10)
[07]
o 8. Distinguish general communication and technical communication. (Mar/Apr
10) [07]
o 9. Explain the term communication what is communication cycle?
Explain with fig. name various level of communication and explain of
them. Explain the flow of communication. (Jun 10)
[14]
o 10. Explain the process and flow of communication. Explain the importance
of technical communication. (Nov/Dec 10)
[07]
o 11. Define the term communication. Explain communication cycle with
diagrammatic
presentation in details. (Jan 11)
[08]
o What is meant by barriers to communication? Explain intrapersonal
barriers to communication. (Dec 08/Jan 09)
[07]
o Discuss of the main elements of non-verbal communication. (Dec 08/Jan 09, 11)
[07]
3. List various barriers to efective communication explain any three of them with
suitable illustrations. (Mar 09)
[14]
4. Discuss organization barriers to communication. (Jun 09)
[07]
5. Explain the components of non-verbal communication. (Sept 09)
[07]

 6. Why does communication fail? Discuss the major barriers to communication.

(Mar/Apr 10) [07]
7. Discuss intrapersonal barriers of communication giving proper example. (Jun
10)
[07]
8. What are interpersonal barriers of communication explain. (Jun 10)
[07]
9. Discuss the common reason for interpersonal barriers. (Jun 10)
[07]
10. Discuss why in organization, messages have a greater change of being
distorted. (Jun 10) [07]
78

 11. State the diference between listening & hearing explain in brief the type of
listening. (Nov/Dec 10)
[07]
12. Discuss the barriers of effective communication state the diference between
verbal and
non-verbal communication. (Nov/Dec 10)
[07] Explain the benefits of efective listening. (Dec 08/Jan 09)
[06]
2 Narrate the types of visual aids generally used in presentation along with some
tips
pertaining to the use of visual aids. (Dec 08/Jan 09)
[07]
3 Discuss the impact of body language in making presentation efective. (Jun 09)
[07]
4 What is presentation? Explain diferent purpose for making presentation. (Jun
09)
[07]
5 What are the main steps for presentation strategies (Sept 09)
[07]
6 Define the purpose of presentation explain types of visual aids in presentation.
(Jan 10)
[07]
7 Explain any two of the following modes of delivery used for presentation. (Jan
10)
[07]
o Manuscript.
o Extemporaneous.
o Impromptu.
o Memorization.
8 Discuss fundamental of effective presentations. (Jun 10)
[07]
9 Discuss the steps involved in planning a presentation. (Jan 11)
[07]
1. Explain traits of a good listener (Jun 09/Jan 11)
[07]
2. Briefly explain barriers to efective listening. (Sept 09)
[07]
3. Mention the quality of a good listener. (Sept 09)
[07]
4. Diferentiate between active and passive listening. (Jan 10)
[07]
5. What is importance of listening in communication? (Mar/ Apr 10)
[07]
6. Define listening discuss various types of listening. (Jun 10)
[07]
1. What are the reasons for poor reading comprehension discuss techniques for
good
Comprehension. (Dec08/Jan 09, June 10)
[08]

 2. Explain skimming and scanning styles of reading. (Sept 09)

[07]
3. What is reading comprehension? What are the reasons for comprehension?
(Mar/Aprl 10) [07]
4. What are the purposes of reading? Explain in detail how and which way the
reading is help full to us? (Nov/Dec 10)
[08]

79