I YEAR GENERAL ENGLISH

MATERIAL
2020-2021
UNIT-I Listening skills
 Importance of listening skills
 Types of listening skills
 Barriers to listening
 Effective listening
Listening:
Listening is a process of receiving and interpreting the spoken word. It involves
recognizing what is said and comprehending the matter that, understands the main and
subsidiary points as well as the links between the different parts of speech.
The four stages of listening are

 Sensing - the listener hears sounds and does focus onthem

 Encoding – the listener decodes or interprets the message
 Evaluation – the listener evaluates themessage
 Response – the listenerresponds

Importance of Listening:
 Listening plays an important role in our social as well as professional
life. Listening is crucial in certain professions.
 Successful businessmen and the apex management of reputed companies consider
listening as an important skill
 All successful industrialists, advocates, teachers, doctors etc are good
listeners Effective listening is the hallmark of a successful professional.

Types of Listening:
Type Characteristics
s
Superficial Listening The listener has little awareness of the content of the verbal message.
Appreciative Listening The purpose of listening is to derive pleasure. Eg: a music lover may
listen to the latest hit, pick up the chorus and tune and try to sing along
Focused Listening The purpose is to get some specific information. Eg: listening to radio,
listening to railway and airport announcements
Evaluative Listening The purpose is to evaluate the oral message, commentary and develop a
line of thought. Eg: classroom lectures, workshops, seminars etc
Attentive Listening It is interactive and productive, facilitating proper interaction and more
effective listener-speaker relationships. Eg: formal conversational interactions,
suggestions, important telephone calls
Empathetic Listening It involves listening to the speaker’s feelings, emotions and state of mind.
Eg Surgeons, Counsellors, Psychiatrists use this type of listening
Active Listening It is a structured form of listening. The attention is focused on the speaker.
It consists of both verbal and non-verbal cues.
Passive Listening Listener is physically present but mentally absent. The listener hears all
that is said, he does not understand its meaning fully and hence assimilation
does not take place. Eg: common in classroom situations
Marginal Listening If too much of information is provided to the listener, it may go waste resulting
in marginal listening. This leads to miscommunication or poor communication

Projective Listening Everyone has a point of view which may stand between the sender and the
receiver. The receiver tries to understand the topic from his/her point of view
and not as the sender intends.
Sensitive Listening The receiver tries to understand the intended message of the sender. The
receiver tries to match his perception with that of the sender. In order to
understand the sender’s point of view, the receiver raises questions and seeks
 clarifications where the message is unclear
Content Listening To comprehend & retain information communicated by the speaker. It is also
called as Informative listening. It includes skills such as understanding the
meaning, key points, directions & identifying the
intention & attitude of the speakers
Critical Listening It is a two-layered process which involves absorbing the message&
analyzing the ideas. It is about identifying the message and attempting an
evaluation of the evidence or views to pass a critical judgement Eg:
Listening to structured talks, lectures, seminars….
Deep Listening It not only makes to hear what is said but also seeks to understand the whole
person behind the words. Eg: Listening between the lines, hearing the emotion,
watching body language and so on.

BARRIERS TO LISTENING:

Barriers to listening could be physical, psychological, linguistic or cultural

Physical Barriers:
 Noise
 Physical discomfort
 Physical distractions
 Distance
 Mild hearing levels

Physiological Barriers:
 Hunger
 Anger
 Sleep
 Headache
 Tension of anykind
 Discomfort in the roomtemperatures
 Minor healthupsets

Linguistic Barriers:

 Language
 Different choice ofwords
 Dialects
 Accents of thespeaker
 Differentvalues
 Improper messagedecoding
 Ambiguous (confusing, unclear) language
 Jargon (words difficult to understand)

Psychological Barriers:
 Emotional disturbance
 Over arousal of emotions

Attitudinal Barriers: [ Attitudes are controlled by distinctive, physical, mental and

emotional characteristics]
 Qualification
 Nationality
 Gender
 Status
 Age
 Race
 Style of dressing
 Voice

Cultural Barriers:
 Cultural indifferences
 Different values
 Different social norms

Developing Listening Skills:

 Familiarize yourself with the sound system of English

To comprehend fully, it is essential to recognize the difference between a stressed word
and an unstressed word, intonation and pause.
 Focus on Your Purpose
To gain knowledge, to understand concepts, and to learn the procedure or process of
doing things or listen to instructions. listening should be done with utmost patience and
sympathy, encouraging the speaker to pour out his heart.
 Have a Positive Attitude towards the Speaker and the Topic.
Prevent yourself from paying attention to the dress and physical features of the speaker,
they hinder the process of listening and the time spent on it may be an utter waste.
 Listen with your Eyes as well as ears
The non-verbal clues such as the twinkle in the eyes, the flourish of hands, shrugging of
shoulders, the movement on podium, the facial expression also convey meaning besides
reflecting the speaker’s attitude towards the topic and audience.
 Avoid Premature Evaluation
Sometimes the points discussed at the initial stage appear to be irrelevant but later
they relate to the theme or the central thought.
 Resist Distractions
The average speed of speaking is about 150words per minute and that of listening about
650 words per minute. There are two main sources of distraction. One, the speaker
himself may distract the listeners by odd body movements, unpleasant facial expressions
etc. Second distraction may be caused by an external force like gaudy dress, strong
perfume etc. discipline your mind to ignore the disturbances.
 Take notes:
 In a lecture, seminar presentation or a briefing session a speaker usually makes a few basic points.
While listening identify and make notes of the specific points

Ten Thumb Rules for Good Listening

 Stop talking
 Stop thinking
 Remove Distractions
 Do not let your mind wandering
 Putting the speaker at ease
 Do not Pre-judge
 Be patient
 Do not be angry
 Empathize with the speaker
 Take notes

Traits of a good listener:

 Maintain eye contact with the speaker
 Lean forward and listen with your whole body, not just eyes
 Pay attention to other person’s body language, facial expression and tone of voice
 Adjust to the speaker’s accent
 Focus on the content
 Listen for the main ideas
 Ask for clarifications
 Ask yourself questions
 Assimilate and process information
 Give feedback
 Sit up straight and look directly at the speaker
 Do not let yourself be distracted by unimportant noises or interruptions.

Questions
1. What is listening? What is the difference between Active and Passive listening? List out the
instances where you are involved in active or passive listening by giving reasons to support
your answer.
2. Discuss in detail the process and different types of listening by giving relevant examples
from your real-life experiences
3. Raghu always fails to listen and understand what others communicate to him. In general,
what makes people from being good listeners. Could you give him a few tips for developing
his listening skills?
4. Many a time we are distracted while listening? What are the barriers that we come across
while listening?
5. ‘Children never listen, they hear’, this is the complaint given by many teachers. What is
listening and hearing? Quote examples from your surroundings in which people hear or
listen. In general, when do children listen, when do they hear? Express your opinion.
 Multiple Choice Questions:
S.N Question Option A Option B Option C Option D Ans
o
1. The process of Communication Listening Speaking Reading B
receiving and
interpreting the
spoken is
___________

2. The process in which Sensing Encoding Evaluation Response B

the listener decodes
or interprets the
message is _______
3. When a listener Encoding Sensing Evaluating Response D
listens and gives an
answer, the stage is
called as
___________
4. Listening to the Superficial Appreciative Focused Evaluative B
songs of Shreya
Goshal comes under
________ type of
listening
5. In Superficial Good Clear idea Complete Little D
listening, the listener awareness details awareness
has _______ of the
content of the verbal
message
6. Rahul was very keen Focused Evaluative Attentive Superficial A
to listen to the
announcement at the
airport. Guess the
type of listening.
7. One of the following Empathetic Sensitive Active Content C
types of listening is a
structured form of
listening
8. Marginal listening Less No information Important Too much of D
occurs when information information information
___________ is
provided to the
listener
9. The following Active Passive Empathetic Sensitive C
listening is
connected to the
speaker’s emotions,
feelings and state of
mind
10. One of the following Attentive Active Passive Projective C
 types of listening is
common in
classroom situations
11. Listening between Deep Critical Content Projective A
the lines, hearing the
emotion, watching
body language and
so on comes under
_______ type of
listening
12. Content listening is Informative Specific Derivative Productive A
also called as
13. Surgeons, Active Marginal Passive Empathetic D
Counsellors,
Psychiatrists use
_____ type of
listening
14. Classroom lectures, Appreciative Focused Evaluative Sensitive C
workshops, seminars
come under ______
type of listening
15. Critical listening is a Emphasizing Absorbing and Criticizing Involving and B
two-layered process and involving analyzing and criticizing
which involves controlling
________________
16. In which type of Critical Deep Content Sensitive D
listening does the
receiver raises
questions and seek
clarification?
17. Attentive listening is Interactive and Interrelated and Interrogative Interactive A
_____ productive interdisciplinar and and
y interrelated interrelated
18. Hunger, anger, sleep, Physical Physiological Linguistic Psychological B
headache are
_______ types of
barriers
19. Ajay couldn’t Language Tension Distance Gender A
understand what the
foreign delegate was
demonstrating. One
of the following
reasons stopped him
to follow the meeting
20. A two-way Hearing Listening Speaking Writing B
interactive process
engaging the speaker
and the listener is
UNIT-II Speaking skills
 Sounds of English: Vowels and Consonants
 Word accent
 Intonation
 UNIT-II
[Sounds of English: Vowels and Consonants – Word Accent – Intonation]
Sounds of English: Vowels and Consonants
Language is a system of communication through speech and writing. English is a language spoken by vast
majority of the population around the world. In India, English is spoken by the educated and the elite. It is
also extensively used in the field of business, Sports, films, journalism and so on. Although belated,
Spoken English is on its way to establish a firm ground. Received Pronunciation (R.P) is the standard form
of spoken communication accepted throughout the world. It originated from the southern part of the United
Kingdom. Several dialects of English like the American English, Indian English, Australian English have
also made their way on the global horizon.
Phonetic Symbols: The way we spell a word and the way we pronounce it has a lot of difference. In the
oral delivery of the world LITTLE the letters T (the latter) and E are of no significance. It is pronounced as
LITL i.e. the spoken form of this words is /litl/. Two slashes // are used, one at the beginning and one at the
end of the word to indicate that we are writing it in its spoken form or phonetic form. The following are the
two forms of the word LITTLE.

Written form                                     Spoken Form

 Little                                                  /litl/
Vowels:
These differ from consonants in their manner of articulation. During pronunciation or articulation of vowel,
air escapes freely, openly and through the mouth. The same may not be true in the case of consonants.
Vowels are further categorized into Monophthongs, Diphthongs and Triphthongs.

Monophthongs: These are single symbols representing a single sound. There are twelve monopthongs in
English.

1. /ə / —        Initial sound of ‘About’ ‘Alike’ ‘Attempt’

2. / ^ / —        Initial sound of ‘Umbrella’ ‘Understand’
3. /3:/   —        Initial sound of ‘Earn’ ‘Early’
4. / æ/  —        Initial sound of ‘Apple’ ‘Ass’ ‘Ant’
5. / a: / —        Initial sound of ‘Arm’ ‘Art’ ‘Ask’
6. / e / —        Initial sound of ‘Elephant’ ‘Enemy’
7. / i /   —        Initial sound of ‘Ink’ ‘In’ ‘If’
8. / i:/   —        Initial sound of ‘Eagle’ ‘Eat’
9. /ɒ/    ---        Initial sound of ‘Ox’
10. /ɔ:/ ---        Initial sound of ‘ought’ ‘all’
11. /u/ —        Middle sound of ‘Push’ ‘Pull’
12. /u:/ —        Initial sound of ‘ooze’

Diphthongs: They are combinations of two symbols representing a single sound. There are eight
diphthongs in English
1. / eə /             —        Pronounced form of ‘Air’
Final sound of ‘Tear’ (verb)
2. / ɪə /             —       Pronounced form of ‘Ear’
Final sound of ‘Fear’
3. / uə /            —        Final sound of ‘Poor’
4. / aɪ /             —       Initial sound of ‘Ice’ ‘Eyes’
Middle sound of ‘Might’ ‘Sight’
Final sound of ‘Tie’ ‘Die’
5. / eɪ /             —       Final sound of ‘May’ ‘Say’
                                   Middle sound of ‘Take’ ‘Say’
6. / ɔɪ /             ---        Initial sound of ‘Oil’
                                   Middle sound of ‘Boil’
7. / əu /            —        Initial sound of ‘Oxygen’ ‘Automobile’
                                   Final sound of ‘No’ ‘So’
8. / au /            —        Initial sound of ‘Out’
                                   Middle sound of ‘Shout

Consonants:
There are twenty-four consonants in English. Consonant sounds are produced by blocking the flow
of air as it leaves the mouth. The correct sound of the consonants is indicated against the symbols below.

1. / k /  --          Initial sound of ‘King’ ‘Come’ ‘Kiss’

2. / g / --          Initial sound of ‘Gas’ ;Go’ ‘Get
3. / n /  --          Initial sound of ‘Nest’ ‘Note’ ‘ Number’
4. / ŋ/   --          Final sound of ‘king’ ‘turning’
5. /tʃ /   --          Initial sound of ‘Cheese’ ‘Channel’ ‘Challenge’
6. /dƷ/ --          Initial sound of ‘Cheese’ ‘Channel’ Challenge’
7. / t /   --          Initial sound of ‘Tin’ ‘Top’ ‘Tom’
8. / d /  --          Initial sound of ‘Dust’ ‘dog’ ‘Dig’
9. / ð / --          Initial sound of ‘Then’ ‘Though’
10. /Ɵ/ --          Initial sound of ‘Thin’ ‘Thick’
11. /p/ --          Initial sound of ‘Pen’ ‘Push’ ‘Purse’
12. /b/ --          Initial sound of ‘Boy’ ‘Ball’ ‘Bell’
13. /v/ --          Initial sound of ‘van’ ‘Visit’
14. /m/ --          Initial sound of ‘Man’ ‘Much’ ‘Must’
15. /f/   --          Initial sound of ‘fast’, ‘fight’
16. /j/   --          Initial sound of ‘Yes’ ‘Youth’ ‘Use’
17. /r/   --          Initial sound of ‘Red’ ‘Rose’ ‘Roof’
18. / l/ --          Initial sound of ‘Left’ ‘Leap’
19. /w/ --          Initial sound of ‘wife’, ‘water’
20. / ʃ/  --          Initial sound of ‘Shine’ ‘Ship’ ‘Shoot’
21. /Ʒ/ --          Middle sound of ‘measure’ ‘Treasure’ ‘Pleasure’
22. /S/ --          Initial sound of ‘Sun’ ‘Son’ ‘Sit’
23. /z/ --          Initial sound of ‘Zero’ ‘Zebra’ ‘Zest’
24. /h/ --          Initial sound of ‘Hen’ ‘Horse’
EXERCICES

Fill in the space with the word represented by the phonetic symbol.
 /ɡeɪt/ _________
 /leɪt/ _________
  /peɪn/ _________
  /feɪd/ _________
 /peɪpə/ _________
 /kaɪt/ __________
  /daɪnɪŋ/ ___________
 /haɪd/ ___________
 /laɪf/ __________
  /taɪ/ ___________
 /haɪ/ __________
/fraɪ/ __________
Write each of the following words in phonetic transcription.
1. heat 6. Shrink
2. stroke 7. toque
3. phase 8. attentive
4. chump 9. flop
5. loonie 10. Wrath

Write following transcribed sentences.

1. / ˈsʌm ɑː ˈbɔːn ˈɡreɪt ǀ

2. ǀ ˈsʌm əˈtʃiːv ˈɡreɪtnɪs ǀ ˈ

3. ǀ ˈsʌm hæv ˈɡreɪtnɪs ˈθrʌst əˈpɒn ðəm ǀ

4. ənd ˈðen ǀ ðər ɑː ˈʌðəz ǁ

5. lˈhɑːvi wəz ˈbɔːn ɪntə ðə ˈwɜːldǀ ˈʌpsaɪd ˈdaʊn ǀ ˈbæk tə ˈfrʌnt ǀ

 Stress

What is Stress?
Stress is the emphasis given to a specific syllable or word in speech, usually through a combination of
relatively greater loudness, higher pitch, and longer duration. Syllable is a part of a word that is pronounced
with one uninterrupted sound. It is also important to remember that we stress the vowel sound of the word,
not the consonant sound. The stress placed on syllables in a word is called lexical stress or Word Stress.
Take the word Garden for example. It has two syllables: ‘Gar’ and ‘den’. The stress is placed on ‘Gar’.
Similarly, given below are some examples. The stressed syllables are written in capital letters.

 Water: WAter
 Station : STAtion
 People: PEOple

1. What is Sentence Stress?

Sentence stress is  the way of highlighting the important words in a sentence. Unlike in word stress, you
can choose where you can place the stress. Selecting which words to stress depends on the meaning and
context. However, if the stress is not used correctly, the sentence might be misinterpreted.

Examples:

 CLOSE the DOOR.

 WHAT did HE SAY to you in the GARDEN?
 Have you SEEN the NEW FILM of TOM CRUISE?

2. What is word stress? Mention the rules related to stress.

Word stress: Stress placed on some words within a sentence is called sentence stress or prosodic stress.

 For disyllabic words the stress falls on the second from back (in most cases)
Or

Disyllabic words with word final silent ‘r’ have the stress on the first syllable.

Eg: Father
Doctor
Teacher
Sister
Painter
 Letters beginning with ‘bi’, ‘be’, ‘bio’, ‘dis’, ‘so’, ‘se’, ‘to’, ‘re’ have the stress after these letters.

Eg: be lieve
 Biology
Dis order
Se cular
So ciety
To day
Re member
 When two same letters are used side by side stress falls in between them.
Eg: Bal loon
Dif ference
 Words that end in ‘ion’ take the stress on the second syllable from the end.
Eg: pol lution
Re lation
 Words that end in ‘ious’ take the stress on the second syllable.
Eg: no torious
De licious
 Words ending in ‘ental’ have the stress on the second syllable.
Eg: funda mental
Pa rental
 Words that end in ‘ic’, ‘ical’, ‘ics’ and ‘ically’ take the stress on the second syllable from the end.
Eg: tu torial
Ma gician
Confi dentially
 Words that end in ‘ity’ are stressed on the third syllable from the end.
Eg: ar tistic
Eco nomics
Sta tistically
 Words ending in ‘aire’, ‘eer’, ‘ier’, and ‘ee’ have the stress on the last syllable.
Eg: million aire
Engi neer
Pay ee
 The same words sometimes function in different ways.
Eg: Noun/ Adjective Verb
Conduct con duct
Produce pro duce
Subject sub ject
Record re cord
Import im port

 The compound words ending with ever and self as the second elements in which the second element
receives the primary accent.
Eg: her self how ever
Them selves who ever
 There are other compound words in which both the elements are accented, but the primary accent
falls on the second element.
Eg: after- noon bad- tempered
Home-made post-graduate
 Words with weak prefixes always take the stress on the root.
Eg: a broad a head
A lone
 The inflexional suffixes ‘ed’ ‘es’ and ‘ing’ do not affect the accent.
Eg: ed- recom mend recom mended
 Es- com pose com poses
Ing- suc cess suc cesses
 The derivational suffixes given below do not normally affect the accent.
Eg: age- carry carriage
Ance- an noy an noyance
En - bright brighten
Er- at tend at tender
Ess-actor actress
Ful-beauty beautiful
Hood-brother brotherhood
Ice- coward cowardice
Ish-fever feverish
Ive-abuse a busive
Ly-certain certainly
Ness-bitter bitterness
Or-collect col lector
Ship-author authorship
Ter- laugh laughter
Zen- city citizen
TOPIC: STRESS
S.N Question Option A Option B Option C Option D Answer
o
1. Where does the Before - Before Before -ogical Before C
stress fall in the psy -cho -logical
word
“psychological”?
2. Which syllable is deter mi na tion C
stressed in the
following word
“determination”?
3. All the following Stress is Stress is Stress placed on Stress is on D
functions of stress on the the force the syllables is the
are true vowel given on a called lexical or consonant
except_______ sound specific word stress sound
syllable
4. The most Intonation Stress Vowel Consonant B
prominent syllable
in the word is
called as
5. The stress or Vertical Horizontal Dot Slash A
accent is indicated
by a small _____
mark before/above
the stressed
syllable
6. _______ words Disyllabic Trisyllabic Monosyllabic Polysyllabic C
have no
accent
marks
7. Works with Weak Strong Inflexional Derivational A
_______prefixes
 are accented on the
root.
8. Words ending in – Ultimate Penultimat Antepenultimat None of C
ity take the accent e e these
on the
________syllable
9. In case of First Second First &Second None A
compound words,
the stress falls on
______ element
10. Words ending in – First Second Third Fourth C
graph, -meter are
stressed on the
_________syllable
from the end.
11. One of the Auspicious Freedom Certain Utility A
following is an
example of
trisyllabic word
12. For the word First Second Third Fourth B
“dramatically”
stress falls on the
________syllable.
13. For the word Per Miss Ive None of B
Permit stress falls these
before ‘mit,
similarly for the
word Permissive
stress falls before
14. The inflexional Affect Do not Partially affect None of B
suffixes –ed, -es, affect these
and –ing ______
the accent
15. Where does the Re’cord Rec’ord ‘Record Reco’rd A
stress fall on the
word ‘record’ if it
is a verb?
16. The compound First Second Third Fourth B
words ending in
ever/self
________element
receives the accent.
17. _______ words Disyllabic Trisyllabic Monosyllabic Polysyllabic A
end with silent “r”
takes the stress on
the first syllable.
18. Identify the word ‘Tutorial De’licious Abi’lity ‘Payee B
with correct stress
mark.
19. How many Five Six Three Four D
syllables are there
 in the word
“Pronunciation”?
20. One word in the The first The last The subject of The longest D
sentence that is word in content the sentence word in the
most likely to the word in sentence
receive sentence sentence the
stress is________ sentence
 Intonation
Intonation is the use of appropriate tone to covey meaning. In combination with words, tone help us
understand the gist of the message being conveyed.
There are several kinds of tones. The more important of those are:
A] Rising tone
B] Falling tone
C] Rising-Falling tone
D] Falling-Rising tone

A] Rising tone:- Pitch moving from low level to high level is called rising tone or rising
pitch.
It is used for:-
1) Yes and No questions.
Ex. Are you going to school tomorrow?
Can I see it?
Will you join us for party?

2) Emotions(happiness, excitement,, fear & anger)

Ex. I can’t believe he gave you a ride!
I am very excited.
“I was so frightened in the haunted house, it really scared me”.

3) While stressing something in the sentence.

Ex. I hope you got the RED scarf.
I hope you got the red SCARF.

4) Requests, questions asked in personal interest, polite and soothing expressions.

Ex. How much is this bag?
What is your name?
Where is MG road?
I am always there for you. (don’t worry)

5) A statement in the guise of question.

Ex. You finished your supper? {I thought you still haven’t}

6) Exclamatory questions
Ex. Is that so?
Really?

7) Wishes and greetings

Ex. Good morning.
Hello.
Happy Diwali

8) Rhetorical questions, asked for the sake of creating sarcasm.

Ex. Can the blind lead the blind?
Who can escape death?

9) Addressing to a person often dead and absent or to a thing personified.

Ex. Death, where is thy sting?
Love, please do not leave the hearts of mankind.

B] Falling tone: - Pitch moving from high level to low level is calling falling tone of
falling pitch.
It is used for:-
1) General questions. (wh questions)
Ex. why are you going to school tomorrow?
Who is going to win elections this time?

2) Statements (facts and information)

Ex. He is a doctor.
They are playing in the ground.

3) Commands
Ex. stop it!
Close the book.
Do it fast.

4) Exclamatory sentences.
Ex. what a beautiful sight!
Alas! I am fed up.
Wow! It is raining outside.

C] Rising-Falling tone: - Pitch moving from low level to high level and the to the
middle or low level.
It is used for:-
1) listing things (until the final item)

Ex. I love chocolates, biscuits, cakes, and ice-cream.

2) Introductory words.
Ex. Actually, I belong to Maharashtra.
Gradually, human nature is becoming selfish
For example, life is the best teacher.

3) Expressing choice in the question.

Ex. Do you live in New York or New Jersey?
Would you love to eat an apple or a mango?
Would you like to join us for a movie or stay back home?

4) When your statements show that your thoughts are not complete, even if you stop talking.
Ex. If I had million dollars……………….
When I grow up……………..
 If she would just listen to me………………

D] Falling-Rising tone: - It indicates a movement of the pitch of the voice frm a high
level to a low level and then to the middle or high level.
It is used for:-
1) We use this tone at the end of statements when we want to say something that we are not sure about.
Ex. I am not sure whether I will be able to come for picnic.
I may go to Delhi next week.
2) Questions that intend to ask permission, request, or an invitation.
Ex. would you like another glass of wine.
May I borrow your laptop?
3) In tag questions.
Ex. It is a beautiful day, isn’t it?
Let us go to temple, shall we?

4) Contradiction.
Ex. I thought he likes dogs, but he actually likes cats.

S.N Question Option A Option B Option C Option D Answer

o
1. Intonation means Variation of Force Variation of Focus is A
_________ pitch given on a structures in made on
movement in particular the syllable and
spoken syllable or sentences words
language word in a
speech
2. Rising tone is used Statements Command Exclamator Yes/No D
s y sentences questions

3. “He lives in America.” Rising tone Falling Rise-Fall Fall-Rise A

Identify the type of tone tone tone
tone used
4. If the intonation Can easily Cannot Can easily Can B
patterns are not understand the understand follow the comprehend
standard the listeners language the speakers the original
intended words idea of the
meaning of speaker
the words
5. When the pitch moves Fall-Rise tone Rise-Fall Rising tone Falling tone B
from low level to high tone
level and then to
middle or low level is
6. “You’re learning Fall-Rise tone Rise-Fall Rising tone Falling tone A
French, aren’t tone
you?” is used
in
7. If a person wants to Rising tone Falling Fall-Rise Rise-Fall A
make a request to the tone tone tone
other, then he must use
8. The tone that is used in Rising tone Falling Fall- Rise Rise-Fall B
 question tags to tell tone tone tone
someone one’s opinion
is
9. Sudheer greets his Falling tone Fall- Rise Rising tone Rise-Fall C
teacher “Good tone tone
morning” What is the
tone he used
10. A: Cricket is most Rising tone Falling Fall- Rise Rise-Fall A
interesting than tone tone tone
Football
B: I don’t THINK SO
Identify the tone used
in the above dialogue

11. What is the intonation Rising tone at Falling Rise in the Fall in the B
used for a WH the end of the tone at the beginning beginning
questions? sentence end of the and fall in and rise in
sentence the middle the middle

12. Which tone is used for Rising tone Falling Fall- Rise Rise-Fall D
enumerating of things tone tone tone
in a sentence?
13. The rise and fall in Intonation Stress Pause Fluency A
voice is called as
14. The use of proper Comprehensio Oral Reading Writing B
stress and intonation is n expression
possible only through
the practice of
15. Pitch moving from low Rising tone Falling Fall- Rise Rise-Fall A
level to high level is tone tone tone
called
16. Falling tone is Pitch Pitch Pitch Pitch A
movement movement movement movement
from high to from low from high to from low to
low to high low and high and then
then low / to middle
middle /low
17. “She is beautiful, but Rising tone Falling Fall- Rise Rise-Fall B
not intelligent” tone tone tone
identify the tone used
in the sentence.
18. Emotions, attitude, and tone Clarity Loudness Pronunciation A
feelings affect ______
of the speaker.
19. Exclamatory sentences Rising tone Falling Fall- Rise Rise-Fall B
are usually uttered in tone tone tone
__________ tone
20. Gap-fillers like sorry, Rising tone Falling Fall- Rise Rise-Fall A
pardon, excuse me are tone tone tone
usually uttered in
__________tone
UNIT-III Grammar
 Concord
 Modals
 Tenses (Present/Past/Future)
 Articles

 Prepositions
 Question tags
 Sentence formation (Voice, Reported speech, & Degrees of
Comparison)
 Error Correction
 CONCORD
[AGREEMENT OF SUBJECT AND VERB]
Common rules to be followed in subject and verb agreement are listed down:
Rule 1
Singular subject follows singular verb, and plural subject follows plural verb.
Ex.
I play guitar. [singular]
He plays guitar. [plural]
Rule 2
The number of the subject (singular or plural) will not change due to words/phrases in between the subject and
the verb.
Singular verbs Plural Verbs
Does do
Is, am are
Has have
Was were
V1+s/es/ies(goes, plays, studies) V1
Singular verbs
Any one If anyone calls, tell them I’m not at home.
Someone Someone has been tampering with the lock.
Nobody If nobody loves you, be sure it is your own
fault.
Everyone Everyone is born king, and most people die
in exile.
Somebody Somebody has run off with my wallet.
None of None of us is afraid of difficulties.
Each of Each of the answer is worth 20 point.
Either of Either of the plans is equally dangerous.
Neither of Neither of my parents is a teacher.
Any of Any of my players who steps out of the line
will be in trouble with me as well.
Pair of The pair of socks is in the cupboard.
One of One of the books is very interesting.
Rule 3
Subjects that are joined by ‘and’ in a sentence, use a plural verb. Subjects that are joined by ‘either/or’,
neither/nor’ use a singular verb.
For example

1. Radha and Meera are coming home.

2. Neither Akshay nor Rohit is coming home.

3. My dad or my mom is arriving today.

Rule 4
The verb in a sentence containing ‘or’, ‘either/or’, ‘neither/nor’ agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.
For example

1. Neither the shoes nor the bag matches the dress. (Here, ‘bag’ is closest to the verb, hence
‘matches’)

2. Neither the bag nor the shoes match the dress. (Here, ‘shoes’ is closest to the verb, hence
‘match’)
Rule 5
When the subject is followed by words such as ‘as well as’, ‘along with’, ‘besides’, ‘not’ etc. ignore them and
use a singular verb if the subject is singular.
For example

1. Matt, as well as his dog, is expected shortly.

2. Pratik, along with his brother, is going to school.

Rule 6
In sentences that begin with ‘here’, ‘there’, the true subject usually follows the verb.
For example

1. Here are the chocolates.

2. There is a big puddle on the road.

Rule 7
In sentences that include sums of money, periods of time or distances etc. (as a unit), use singular verbs.
For example

1. 500 rupees is a high price to pay.

2. 62 years is the minimum age of retirement.

3. 10 kilometers is too far to walk.

Rule 8
In the case of words such as ‘a lot of’, all’, ‘some’ etc. in a sentence, pay attention to the noun after ‘of’. If the
noun after ‘of’ is singular then use a singular verb, if plural, use a plural verb.
For example

1. All of the cake is gone.

2. All of the cakes are gone.

3. A lot of the cake is gone.

4. A lot of the cakes are gone.

5. Some of the cake is gone.

6. Some of the cakes are gone

Rule 9

In the case of collective nouns such as ‘group, ‘population’, ‘family’, in a sentence, the verb can be singular or
plural depending on their use in the sentence.
For example

1. Most of my family is here OR are here.

2. Half of the population was against the bill OR were against the bill.

Rule 10

Nouns such as ‘mathematics’, ‘civics’, ‘news’ etc. while plural in form, are singular in meaning and use
singular verbs.

For example

1. Mathematics is very difficult for some people.

2. The news is very saddening.

Rule 11
In sentences that express a wish, request or contrary to fact, the word ‘were’ is used instead of ‘was’.
For example
 1. I wish my sister were here.

2. I wish I were a bird.

Rule 12

Two or more singular nouns or pronouns joined by ‘and’ require a plural verb.
For example
Gold and silver are precious metals.
Fire and water do not agree.
He and I were playing.
[ Note: but if the noun suggests one idea to the mind, or refer to the same person or thing, then the verb is
singular.
Eg. Time and tide waits for none.
The horse and carriage is at the door.
Bread and butter is his only food. ]
Rule 13
When two nouns are qualified by ‘each’ and ‘every’ although connected by ‘and’ they require a singular
verb.
For example
1. Each and every student was given a silver medal.
2. Each girl and each boy is expected to be present in the class on time.
3. Every student in the class is well behaved.
4. Each student is counselled by the principal.

Exercise
A.Choose the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets in the following sentences:

1.The jury………………….. divided in their opinions, (was, were)

2.There……………………… many exceptions to this rule, (is, are)
3.Bread and butter…………………. my favourite breakfast, (is, are)
4.Neither Ramesh nor his friends…………………… hurt, (was, were)
5.Slow and steady………………. the race, (win, wins)
6.No news…………… good news, (is, are)
7.There………………… sixty students in our class, (is, are)
8.Mathematics…………….. my favourite subject, (is, are)
9The poet and singer………….. dead, (is, are)
10.He as well as his classmates .......... working, (is, are)

Answer key
1.was or were.
2.are
3.is
4.were.
5.wins.
6.is
7.are
8.is
9.is
10.are.

B.Choose the correct form of the verbs given in the brackets in the following sentences:

Each of these producers……………………… his own advantage, (has, have)

Ten miles……………………… long distance, (is, are)
Many a student ………………….. hard to pass his entrance exam, (try, tries)
The furniture in his house………………….. impressive, (look, looks)
Few students……………….. present in the class today, (is, are)
Ritesh, my best friend…………………… leaving for Japan next week, (is, are)
Most of my friends………………… government employees, (is, are)
The level of intoxication………………….. from subject to subject, (vary, varies)
Either boys or girls……………. telling lies, (is, are)
A number of people………………………. reported to be missing in the train accident at Jhansi.(was,
were)

Answer

has
is
tries
looks
are
is
are
varies
are
were

C. Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.
Besides encountering the strange aborigines, the first English settlers ………………………. (find)
themselves in the presence of new and wide variations of climate. In their old home, they
………………………. (accustom) to a moderate temperature. Now they ………………………. (have)
before them a great range of climate from the cold coasts of Maine to the hot savannahs of Georgia, with
all the gradations from the far North to the deep South. To the exigencies of these variations, all the
immigrants, from the British Isles as well as the Continent, ………………………. (have) to adapt
themselves. Wherever the colonists set to work, they ………………………. (brave) hostile weather
conditions.

Answer:

found
had been accustomed
had
had
were braving

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 MODALS
What are modal verbs?
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which
behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They give
additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it. They have a great variety
of communicative functions.

Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:

 They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
 They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
 They are used to indicate modality allow speakers to express certainty, possibility,
willingness, obligation, necessity, ability

List of modal verbs

Here is a list of modal verbs:

can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should,

must
The verbs or expressions dare, ought to, had better, and need not behave like modal auxiliaries to a large
extent and my be added to the above list

Use of modal verbs:

Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:

1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. possibility
8. probability

Examples of modal verbs

Here is a list of modals with examples:

Modal Verb Expressing Example

must Strong obligation You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
logical conclusion / Certainty He must be very tired. He's been working all day
 long.
must not prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.
ability I can swim.
can permission Can I use your phone please?
possibility Smoking can cause cancer.
ability in the past When I was younger I could run fast.
could polite permission Excuse me, could I just say something?
possibility It could rain tomorrow!
permission May I use your phone please?
may
possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!
polite permission Might I suggest an idea?
might
possibility, probability I might go on holiday to Australia next year.
lack of necessity/absence of I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of
need not
obligation tomatoes in the fridge.
50 % obligation I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible
headache.
should/ought
advice You should / ought to revise your lessons
to
logical conclusion He should / ought to be very tired. He's been
working all day long.
had better advice You 'd better revise your lessons
Remember
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to", also called the bare infinitive.

Examples:

 You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.

 You should see to the doctor.
 There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.

EXERCISE :

1. I'm not really sure where the cat is, but I think she ________ in the kitchen.
A. might play
B. might be playing
C. might have played
2. If I had left early like everyone else did, I ________ sitting here now listening to all this rubbish.
a. may not be
b. wouldn't be
c. was not able to be
3. If I'd gone down to Bodrum like all my friends did, I, too, ________ scuba diving lessons.
a. could have taken
 b. had better taken
c. had taken
4. Next week's final between these two teams ............... be really fascinating.
a. Should
b. would like to
c. had better
5. Her parents were supposed to have been back by last Monday. Frankly, they ............... a great time there.
a. would rather have
b. would like to have
c. must be having
6. ________ you go already? You only arrived an hour ago!
a. Must
b. Should
c. Can
7. When he was young, he ________ swim very well. He won medals and championships.
a. Had to
b. Can
c. Could
8. The company ________ go bankrupt if they don't find a lot of money quickly!
a. Should
b. Shouldn’t
c. Might
9. Lindsay watched the movie in French and ________ understand very much of it.
a. didn't have to
b. can’t
c. couldn’t
10. I think that sign means we ________ enter the building. Look, there's a security guard
too.
a. Won’t
b. Have to
c. Mustn’t
11. It's wet and windy outside today. You ________ go out without an umbrella.
a. Shouldn’t
b. Won’t
c. Don’t have to

12. She is so different. You _________ be her sister.

a. Can
b. Can’t
c. Couldn’t
13. _________ I have more cheese on my sandwich?
a. Must
b. could
c. would
d. have to
14. You _________ eat more vegetables. They are healthy for you.
a. May
b. Might
c. Would
d. Should
15. I _________ like to buy the same television for my house.
a. Could
b. would
c. may
 d. should
16. _________ I have a coffee please?
a. Have to
b. may
c. would
d. must
17. You _________ smoke near children.
a. Must
b. may
c. couldn’t
d. shouldn’t
18. The passengers _________wear their seat belts at all times.
a. Must
b. may
c. could
d. can
19. We _________ go to the concert if the rain stops. We don’t know for sure. 
a. Would
b. might
c. can
d. will
20. I _________ ice skate very well.
a. Can
b. may
c. might
d. shouldn’t
Tenses
Exercise

Q.1. How many glasses of wine yesterday?

1. Did you drink
2. Do you drink
3. You have drank
4. You were drinking
Answer (1)
Q.2. She shall your ice-cream parlor soon because she ice-cream.
1. Be visiting, like
2. Visit, likes
3. Have been visiting, is liking
4. Visiting, like
Answer (2)
Q.3. Shakespeare dramas that are appealing to the people of all ages.
1. Wrote
2. Had written
3. Had been writing
4. Has written
Answer (4)
Q.4. The barber his finger while he off my hair.
1. Had cut, was chopping
2. Cut, chop
3. Cut, was chopping
4. Cuts, had been chopping
Answer (3)
Q.5. Prasoon for Bangalore early and he must by this time.
1. Leave, have been reaching
2. Left, have reached
3. Had left, be reaching
4. Left, have been reached
Answer (2)
Q.6.No, Rama is not at home, He just for shopping
1. Had, gone
2. has, gone
3. was, going
4. Will have, be going
Answer (2)
Q.7.It is clearly ‘passengers to smoke in the train’, still they ignorant.
1. Written, are not allowed, are being
2. Written, was not allowed, be
3. Wrote, do not allow, are been
4. Written, are not allowing, have been
Answer (1)
Q.8. They a football match in the evening. What you do?
1. Were playing, do
2. Play d, did
3. Have played, --
4. Are playing, will
Answer (2)
Q.9. Sheren what you mean. Please explain it to her again.
1. Don’t understand
2. Didn’t understand
3. Doesn’t understand
4. Hadn’t understand
Answer (3)
Q.10. By the end of this September, she in this organization for thirteen years.
1. Will work
2. Had been working
 3. Will have been working
4. Will be working
Answer (3)
Q.11. Nancy and Princy to our house to play the treasure hunt with us.
1. Will have been coming
2. Had been to come
3. Are coming
4. Come
Answer (3)
Q.12. The flight before we reach the airport.
1. Will have taken off
2. Has taken off
3. is taking off
4. Was taking off
Answer (1)
Q.13. I have just a typewriter and I typing nowadays.
1. Have been hiring, have been learning
2. Hired, have learned
3. Had hired, am learning
4. Have been hired, had been learning
Answer (3)
Q.14. Mother me to watch
time and return soon, I replied, please don’t worry, if late tonight.
1. Is asking, I will be
2.Asked, I am
3. Had been asking, be
4. Had asked, I will be
Answer (2)
Q.15. If she late just one more time the manager suspends
her.
1. Is arriving, is going to
2. Will be arriving, would
3. Arrives, will
4. Is going to arrive, would have
Answer (3)
Q.16. They out for an evening walk after they dinner.
1. Went, had taken
2. go, had taken
3. Have gone, took
4. Are going, took
Answer (1)
Q.17. The warden into the room to see what the students
.
1. Go, had been doing
 2. Went, was doing
3. Gone, had been doing
4. Went, were doing
Answer (4)
Q.18. When our train at the station, we found
the bridegroom’s family for us.
1. Was reaching, waited
2. Reached, had been waiting
3. Have been reaching, waited
4. Reached, waiting
Answer (4)
Q.19. Rohan, I seen you for a long time, How ?
1. had not, are you
2. Have not, have you been
3. did not, had you been
4. Have not, are you been
Answer (2)
Q.20. She movies. any recent Hollywood movies?
1. Loves watching, have you watched
2. Love to watching, did you watched
3. Is loving, have you been watching
4. Loves watching, had you seen
Answer (1)
 ARTICLES
‘A’, ‘An’, and ‘The’ are called articles. They are, in fact demonstrative adjectives which point out to the
nouns coming immediately after them.
ARTICLES are of two types – definite and indefinite.
‘a’ and ‘an’ are called indefinite articles because they refer in a general and indefinite way to the nouns that
come after them.
‘the’ is called definite article as it is used before a common noun which is unique i.e one of its own kind or
when we refer a particular noun.

For ex.
1. A man was sitting in the shade of a tree.
2. An umbrella was lying on a bench in the park.
3. The sun rises in the east.
4. The boy is playing in the garden. [if known already]

The usage of ‘a’ and ‘an’

‘a’ and ‘an’ are used before singular nouns and they refer to these nouns in general way. The choice
between ‘a’ and ‘an’ is determined by the initial sound of the noun before which the indefinite article is
used.
When the initial sound of a noun is a vowel sound we use ‘an’.
When the initial sound of a noun is a consonant sound we use ‘a’.
Rules to use the indefinite article ‘an’

Rule 1
‘An’ is used before a noun beginning with a vowel sound (a,e,i,o,u or any variant of their sound)
For example:
a. She gave me an Umbrella as it was raining.
b. An egg a day is good for health.
c. I have taken an apple from your basket.
Rule 2
If the noun requiring an article is preceded by an adjective or an adverb, the choice between ‘a’ or ‘an’ is
made on the basis of the initial sound of that adjective or adverb.
For example:
a. He has bought an elegant car.
b. Rohit is an extremely hardworking boy.
 c. Sudha is a beautiful Indian dancer.
d. She had a very auspicious event at her home.
Rule 3
If a noun requiring an article begins with a consonant is either silent or unstresses, then the article ‘an’ is
used preceding it.
For example:
a. Abhi is an honest worker. [‘Honest’ is pronounced as ‘awnest’]
b. He was late by an hour. [ ‘Hour’ is pronounced as ‘our’]
c. The rich old man is looking for an heir. [ ‘Heir’ is pronounced as ‘air’]

Rules to use the indefinite article ‘a’

Rule 1
Indefinite article ‘a’ is used before nouns which begin with a consonant sound.
For examples:
a. I found a novel lying on the table of his bedroom.
b. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
c. There was a woman behind the whole episode.
Rule 2
If a noun with an indefinite article is preceded by an adjective or an adverb, the article is used according to
the initial sound of that adjective or adverb and not that of noun.
For example:
a. This is a costly ink pen.
b. Prakash gave him a spoiled egg.
c. Ravi is a very honest man.
Note : if the above mentioned sentences did not have adverb/adjective then all of them would
require ‘an’ and not ‘a’ as an article.
For example:
a. This is an ink pen.
b. Prakash gave him an egg.
c. Ravi is an honest man.
Rule 3
If a noun begins with a vowel but the sound of that vowel is that of a consonant, the the article ‘a’ is used.
For example:
a. A university is a place of higher learning. [‘U’ in ‘University’ is pronounced as ‘you’]
b. A one-eyed man was staring at Shalini. [ one - /wʌn/ ]
c. This may prove to be a useful plan. [ useful - /ˈjuːsfʊl/]
 Rule to use the definite article ‘the’
The definite article ‘the’- unlike the indefinite articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ – can be used before both singular and
plural nouns. The main consideration is that there must be something specific about the noun which
follows the definite article ‘the’.
Rule 1
Definite article ‘the’ is used to refer to specific persons, places, and things.
For example:
a. Put the book on the table.
[ a specific book and a specific table; not any book and any table]
b. The girl in blue jeans is my cousin.
c. The boys who are sitting in the lawn have been detained.
Rule 2
Definite article ‘the’ is used to refer to a single nou when it si meant to represent the whole class.
For example:
a. The rose smells sweet.
[all roses smell sweet.]
b. The cow is a very useful animal.
[all cows are useful]
c. The whale yields huge quantities of oil.
[all whales do so]
d. Child is the father of man.
[every child becomes a father one day]
Rule 3
Definite article ‘the’ is used before a common noun which is unique i.e one of its own kind.
For example:
a. The sun rises in the east.
b. The moon shines in the night.
c. Man is the soul of the universe.
Rule 4
Definite article ‘the’ is used with the names of rivers, canals, gulfs, straits, seas, oceans, groups of islands,
deserts, bays, etc.
For example:
a. The ganga is considered pious by Indians.
b. The Godavari is an Indian river.
c. The Persian Gulf, the Palk Straits, The Bay of Bengal (bays, gulfs, and straits)
d. The Arabian sea, the Red sea, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean etc.
e. The Andamans, the Maldives, the Nicobars etc. (all islands)
f. The Suez Canal, the Sirhand Canal, the Upper Bari Doab Canal (all canals)
g. The Thar Desert, the Kalhari Desert, the Sahara Desert (all deserts)
 h. The Himalayas, the Bindhayas, the Alps (all mountain ranges)
Rule 5
Definite article ‘the’ is used with place which derive their names from geographical, historical or political
factors.
For example:
The Punjab, the Deccan Plateau, the USA, the United kingdom, etc.
Rule 6
Definite article ‘the’ is used before the names of epics and religious books.
For example:
a. The Iliad, The Mahabharata, The Ramayana, etc (all epics)
b. The Bible, The Quran, The Gita, The Vedas, etc ( all holy books)
Note: however, when the name of the author precedes such a book, be it epic or a holy book, no
article is used.
For example:
a. Valmiki’s Ramayana, Jerme’s Bible
b. Homer’s Iliad, Milton’ s Paradise Lost
Rule 7
Definite article ‘the’ is used before the names of newspapers, journals, magazines, weeklies, etc.
For example:
a. The Times of India, the Tribune, the Statesman, etc.
b. The Reader’s Digest, The Eve’s Weekly, the Punjab Journal of History, the quest, etc
Rule 8
Definite article ‘the’ is used before adjectives in their superlative degree.
For example:
a. This is the best book on history I have got.
b. Munish is the most intelligent boy in this class.
c. Suman is the rarest of the rarest blend of beauty and brain.
Rule 9
definite article ‘the’ is also used before adjectives in the comparative degree in certain type of sentences.
For example:
a. The more, the merrier.
b. The higher you go, the cooler it is.
c. The more he earns, the more his wife spends.
Rule 10
Definite article ‘the’ is used before adjectives in their comparative degree when on of the two is referred to.
For example:
a. Rohit is the more intelligent of the two brothers.
b. Rohit is the better of the two students.
c. Kiran is the more charming of the two actress.
Rule 11
Definite article ‘the’ is used before an adjective which is used as a plural noun and stands for a class,
section or group.
For example:
a. The educated should help illiterate.
b. The rich often detest the poor.
c. We should think of the welfare of the handicapped.
Rule 12
Definite article ‘the’ is used before a proper noun when it is used as a common noun to indicate some
special quantity associated with that proper noun.
For example:
a. Kalidas is said to be the Shakespeare of India.
b. He is the Sachin Tendulkar of his club.
Rule 13
Definite article ‘the’ is used before a material noun when it is used as a common noun.
For example:
a. The wheat of Punjab is superior to that of Haryana.
b. The milk of this cow is richer in quality than that of the black one.
c. The gold mine in India is very expensive.
Rule 14
Definite article ‘the’ is used before a proper noun if it is modified by an adjective.
For example:
a. The great Gavaskar
b. The sweet Ruchika
c. The match winning Tendulkar
d. The innocent Naveen
e. The merciful Terresa
f. The stylish Abhay
Rule 15
Definite article ‘the’ is used before an abstract noun when it is used as a common noun.
For example:
a. The beauty of Kashmir cannot be compared with the beauty of any other valley.
b. The performance of Kapil Dev as a world-class bowler still unbeaten.
 c. The integrity of Suman is just like the Integrity of Ceasar’s wife.
Rule 16
Definite article ‘the’ is used before numbers indicating order or position.
a. He was the last man in the queue.
b. You are the first person to call me dishonest.
c. You will find this information in the ninth chapter of this book.
Rule 17
Definite article ‘the’ is used before a noun to give it the force or emphasis of a superlative.
For example:
a. Philosophy is the subject to study.
b. Sushma is the intelligent girl in this class.
Rule 18
Definite article ‘the’ is used before the name of a community, nation or race.
For example:
a. The Jews are a well-knit race no matter where they live.
b. The Hindus, like the Greeks, believe in many gods and goddesses.
c. The Rajputs consider themselves a martial race.

Omission of the ‘Article’

It is very important to know the use of articles. At the same time, it is equally important to know when or
where articles are not to be used.
Rule 1
No article is used before a proper, material and abstract noun when such a noun is used in its own form and
not as a common noun.
For example:
a. Mohit was hurt in an accident.
[ no article before ‘Mohit’ which is a proper noun]
b. Beauty is said to be nine days wonder.
[no article before ‘beauty’ which is an abstract noun]
Rule 2
No article is used before the names of subjects, languages, arts, and sciences.
For example:
 a. Physics, chemistry, philosophy, mathematics, economics, political science, etc. (all subjects)
b. English, Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, etc. (all languages)
c. Music, sculpture, painting, poetry, etc. (all arts)
Rule 3
No article is used before the names of relations.
For example:
Mother, father, brother, sister, cousin, wife, husband, etc.
Rule 4
No article is used before ‘school’, ‘college’, ‘hospital’, ‘church’, ‘prison’, ‘jail’, ‘gas’, et. When they are
used or visited for the purpose for which they are meant.
For example:
a. She is still lying in bed.
b. The patient has been taken to hospital.
c. I go to church every Sunday.
Rule 5
No article is used before plural nouns if there is nothing specific about them.
For example:
a. Scientists believe in rational thinking.
b. Men, women and children were passing through the streets.
Rule 6
No article is used before certain nouns which figure in certain prepositional phrases.
For example:
a. At home, at night, by day, by train, by bus, at night, on horseback, on earth etc.
Rule 7
No article is used before certain singular nouns when they form a part of a phrase which consists of a
transitive verb
For example:
a. To set sail
b. To take offence
c. To bring word
Rule 8
No article is used before man, woman, women, men and child even when they refer to the whole class.
For example:
a. Man is the maker of his own destiny.
b. Child is the father of man.
Rule 9
No article is used before nouns acting as subject complements when they denote a position held by only
one man at a time.
For example:
a. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was elected president.
b. Rohit became principal of the school two years ago.

Exercice

CHOOSE THE BEST SUITABLE OPTION FROM THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES (A, AN, THE,
NO ARTICLE)

1. Can I ask ... question?

A.      a
B.      an
C.      the
D.      No Article
2. You look very tired. You need ... holiday.
A.      a
B.     an
C.      the
D.     No article
3. Where’s Ann? - She's in ... kitchen.
A.     a
B.     an
C.     The
D. No article
  4. What do you usually have for ... breakfast?
A.     a
B.      an
C.       the
D.       No article
5. Tom is ... interesting person.
A.       a
B.       an
C.       the
D.     No article

6. John is ... student. When he finishes his studies, he wants to be ... lawyer.
A.      a, a
B.     an, an
C.      the, the
D.       --, --
7. Can you open ... door, please?
A.    a
 B.     an
C.      the
D.      No article
8. I always learn a lot of things at ... school.
A.      a
B.    an
C.    The
D. No article
9. Paris is ... capital of France.
A.     a
B.      an
C.     the
D.     No article
10. Where’s Tom? - He's in ... bed.
A.    a
B.    an
C.      the
D.     No article
11. Where’s ... milk? - It's in the fridge.
A.       a
B.    an
C.     the
D.     No article
12. I’m tired. I want to go ... home.
A.      a
B.     an
C.     the
D.       No article
13. I don't like ... milk. I never drink it.
A.     a
B.     an
C.     the
D.     No article
14. I hate ... exams.
A.       a
B.      an
C.      the
D.    No article
15. Goodbye! I'm going to ... work now.
A.      a
B.      an
C.    the
D.      No article
16. Do you speak __________ Swedish?
A. An
B. the
C. a
D.no article
17. __________ Nile is the longest river in the world
A. a
B. the
C. an
 D. No article
18. Can you please go to.... Grocery store on Fifth Street and buy 2 cartons of milk?
A. a
B. An
C. the
D. no article
19. I like to watch tennis on television. It is ......... very good game.
A. a
B. An
C. The
D. no article
20. Can you please help me pick out ...... birthday present for my father?
A. a
B. The
C.an
D. No article
What is a Preposition?
A preposition is part of speech in English grammar that is a word or set of words that indicate the location or
some other relationship between a noun or pronoun and also other parts of a sentence. A preposition shows the
relationship between a word in the sentence and the word that is the object of the preposition.  Preposition is
known as “the biggest little words” in English because of its important functions.

Types of Prepositions

There are some prepositions that are common in every type of preposition as they function in a versatile way. Those
types of prepositions are given below in the table.

Prepositions after, around, at, before, between, during, from, on, until, at, in, from,
of time: since, for, during, within

above, across, against, along, among, around, at, behind, below,

Prepositions
beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, in, inside, into, near, off,
of place:
on, opposite, out, over, past, through, to, toward, under, underneath

Prepositions
of
at, for, on, to, in, into, onto, between
direction/mov
ement:

Prepositions
by, on, in, like, with
of manner:

Other types
of by, with , of, for, by, like, as
prepositions:

Rules of Preposition
Rule 1 A preposition cannot be followed by a verb. Verb placed immediately after preposition must be in gerund
form.
Examples (a) He prevented me from drinking hot water.
(b) He insists on trying once again.

Rule 2 When ‘object’ of the preposition is an Interrogative Pronoun What, Who, Whom, Which, Where etc., the
preposition usually takes end or front position.
Examples (a) May I know who were you talking to?
(b) What are you thinking of?
It used to be thought as ungrammatical, to end a sentence with a preposition, but it is now well accepted.

Rule 3 When ‘object’ of the preposition is a relative Pronoun ‘that’, the preposition takes end position.
 Examples (a) Here is the magazine that you asked for.
(b) This is the dish that she is fond of.

Rule 4 When the ‘object’ of the preposition is infinitive (to + verb), preposition is placed after infinitive.
Examples (a) This is a good hotel to stay at.
(b) I need a pencil to write with.

Rule 5. In some sentences, preposition is attached with the verb.

Examples (a) I hate being laughed at.
(b) This I insist on.

Rule 6. In interrogative sentences preposition comes in the beginning.

Examples (a) By which train did you come?
(b) For whom was instructions given?

Use and examples of Some Important Prepositions

At/In/On
In reference of ‘Time’
1. At is used for a precise time.
2. In is used for months, years, centuries and long periods.
3. On is used for days and dates.
In reference of ‘Place’
1. At is used for a point.
2. In is used for an enclosed space.
3. On is used for a surface.
(A) At shows stationary position or existing state while In shows movement.
Examples i. She is at home.
ii. The train is in motion.
(B) At for small place, town etc. while In for big place, town, city, country etc.
Examples i. He lives at Alwar in Rajasthan.
ii. A temple is situated at Madurai in Chennai.
(C) At is used for Point of time, and In is used for Period of time.
Examples i. The train will arrive at six in the morning.
ii. He will meet you in the morning.
(D) In/Into In shows the existing state of things, while Into shows movement.
Examples i. He jumped into the river.
ii. There are three students in the class.
To/Into/To
1. In the direction of Turn to the right.
2. Destination I am going to Jaipur.
3. Until From Monday to Friday; five minutes to ten
4. Compared with They prefer hockey to soccer.
5. With indirect object Please give it to me.
6. As part of infinitive I like to ski; he wants to help.
7. In order to We went to the store to buy soap.
8. To the inside of We stepped into the room.
9. Change of condition The boy changed into a man.
On/Onto
On can be used for both existing position and movement.
Example (a) He was sitting on his bag.
(b) Snow fell on the hills.On can also be used as an adverb
Examples (a) Go on.
(b) Come on.Onto is used when there is movement involving a change of level.
Examples (a) People climbed onto their roofs.
(b) He lifted her onto the table.With/ByWith is used for instruments, and By is used for agents.
Examples (a) The snake was killed by him with a stick.
(b) The letter was written by Suresh with a pencil.

Since/For/From

Since is often used with Present Perfect or Past Perfect Tense

Examples (a) It has been raining since two O’Clock.
(b) He had been ill since Monday.

Since can also be used as an adverb

Examples (a) He left school in 1983. I haven’t seen him since.
(b) It is two years since I last saw Tom.
Beside/BesidesBeside and Besides have altogether different meanings.
Don’t confuse beside with besides. beside = at the side of
Example: a)He was sitting beside Sarla.b) besides = in addition to / as well asExample

 He has a car besides a motor cycle.

Between/Among

Between is normally used for ‘two things or persons, but it can also be used more, when we have a definite number
in mind and there is a close relationship/ association within them.
Example

 He distributed his property between his two daughters.

Among is usually used for more than two persons or things when we have no definite number in mind.
Example

 He was happy to be among friends again.

Among/Amongst
 Both have the same meaning. Either of them can be used if followed by ‘the’. If followed by a word, beginning with a
vowel ‘amongst’ be used.
Examples

 He distributed the toffees among/amongst the poor.

 He distributed the toffees amongst us

1. Can I come and sit ______ you ?

a. Around
b. next
c. beside
2. The cottage nestled ______ woodland on one side and pasture land on the other.
a. Between
b. in
c. behind
3. This is the fourth floor and you need to go to the second floor to get to the bookshop. The
______ escalator is over there.
a. Under
b. below
c. down
4. They galloped on horseback ______ the length of the beautiful coastline.
a. Along
b. over
c. through
5. I'm just going ______ to water the garden.
a. On
b. outside
c. outwards
6. I like you ______ I'm not sure that I love you.
a. Besides
b. despite
c. but
7. My cousin has invested a lot of money ____ farming.
a. Into
b. In
c. on
d. for
8. It is dangerous to enter ___ the enemy’s camp.
a. Through
b. on
c. in
d. into
9. A good judge never gropes ____ the conclusion.
a. For
b. to
c. at
d. on
10. Religious leaders should not delve ______ politics.
a. At
b. in
c. into
d. with

11. India is committed ____ a policy of peaceful existence.

a. Of
b. to
c. with
d. for
12. Raman’s speech pointed ____ some of our defects .
a. To
b. at
c. on
d. towards
13. Siva has no control ____ his temper.
a. At
b. in
c. over
d. after
14. I am used ____ such hardships.
a. At
b. to
c. for
d. from
15. I was astonished ___ the sad news.
a. To
b. at
c. with
d. in
16. We must keep ____ something for the rainy day.
a. By
b. for
c. at
d. in
17. Only the blood-stained road was a witness ___ his assassination.
a. To
b. of
c. at
d. on
18. There was no agreement ___ the great powers ___ a treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
a. with; about
b. in; for
c. among; on
d. between; about
19. We travelled ____ a boat to reach Sri Lanka.
a. About
b. for
c. on
d. by
20. The Prime Minister will appear ______ television tonight.
a. On
b. In
c. At
d. None of the above
 Active and passive voice

Definition of Voice -
A form of verb that tells us whether the Action is done by subject itself or it faces the result of action done
by others. Sometime Action is done by the Subject directly and other times indirectly.
Examples:
He takes tea. (The action of taking tea is being done by the subject" He" directly).
Tea is taken by him. (The action of taking tea is being done by the same subject indirectly).

There two type of voice - Active and Passive.

In Active Voice, the verb agrees the subject. It means the subject is active.
In Passive Voice, the verb agrees the object. It means the subject is passive.

Some Common Rules for Active and Passive Voice -

Subject is changed in to Passive Voice.
Pronouns get changed when they change their positions in the following way -
I ↔ Me
We ↔ Us
You ↔ You
He ↔ Him
She ↔ Her
It ↔ It
They ↔ Them.

Active and Passive Voice Related with Tense

1 Present Indefinite
Active Voice - Sub + V1+ s/es + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + is/am/are/ V3+ by + Sub.
Examples –
She helps the poor.
Poor are helped by her.

2.Past Indefinite Tense -

Active Voice - Sub + V2 + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + was/were + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
They played football in the evening.
Football was played by them in the evening.
3.Future Indefinite
Active Voice - Sub + will/shall + V1 + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + will/shall + be + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
We will take lunch now.
Lunch shall be taken by us now.

4.Present Continuous -
Active Voice - Sub + is/am/are + V1+ ing + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + is/am/are + being + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
She is singing a beautiful song this time.
A beautiful song is being sung by her this time.

5.Voice of Past Continuous Tense -

Active Voice - Sub + was/were + V1+ ing + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + was/were + being + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
The teacher was reading newspaper.
Newspaper was being read by the teacher.

6.Future Continuous (Active and Passive Voice) -

Active Voice - Sub + will/shall + be + V1+ ing + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + will/shall + be + being + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
They will be playing chess this time.
Chess will be being played by them this time.

7.Present Perfect -
Active Voice - Sub + has/have + V3 + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + has/have + been + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
Children have taken their breakfast.
breakfast has been taken by children.

8.Past Perfect -
Active Voice - Sub + had + V3 + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + had + been + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
I had written a poem.
A poem had been written by me.

9.Future Perfect
Active Voice - Sub + will/shall+ have + V3 + Obj .
Passive Voice - Obj + will/shall+have + been + V3+ by + Sub.
Examples -
She will have completed her homework.
The home work will have been completed by her.
10.Present Perfect Continuous -
Active Voice - Sub + has/have + been + V1 + ing + Obj + since/for +time.
Passive Voice - Obj + has/have + been + being + V3+ by + Sub + since+for +time.
Examples -
Rudra has been watching TV since Morning.
TV has been being watched by Rudra since morning.

11.Past Perfect Continuous -

Active Voice - Sub + had + been + V1 + ing + Obj + since/for +time.
Passive Voice - Obj + had + been + being + V3+ by + Sub + since/for +time.
Examples -
She had been cooking food for two hours.
Food had been being cooked by her for two hours.

12.Future Perfect Continuous

Active Voice - Sub + will/ shall+ have + been + V1 + ing + Obj + since/for +time.
Passive Voice - Obj + will/shall + have + been + being + V3+ by + Sub + since+for +time.
Examples
They will have been writing a novel for two months.
A novel will have been being written by them for two months.

13.Voice Related with Modals -

Active Voice - Sub + any Modal + V 1 + Obj.
Passive Voice - Obj + same Modal + be + V 3 + by + sub.
Examples -
Rudra can speak English.
English can be spoken by Rudra.
You need not read this book.
The book need not be read by you.

14. Sentences with W-H Families (Interrogative Sentences) -

Active Voice - What are you doing here?
Passive Voice - What is being done by you here?

15. Rules of changing some Interrogative Pronouns -

Who is changed in to By whom?

Whom in to Who
How many in to by how many
In some cases What into by what.
Examples
How many people attended the party?
By how many people was the party attended?
What brings you here?
By what are you brought here?

16.Structure -
It is time to + v1+ obj. - Active Voice
It is time for obj + to + be + v3. - Passive Voice
Examples
It is time to take tea.
It is time for tea to be taken.

Exercise

Rewrite the sentences in passive voice.

1. Hari collected money. -

2.Anna opened the window. -
3.We have done our homework. -
4.I will ask a question. -
5.He can cut out the picture. -
6.The sheep ate a lot. -
7.We do not clean our rooms. -
8.William will not repair the car. -
9.Did Sue draw this circle? -
10.Could you feed the dog? –

Answers

1.Money is collected by Hari.

2.The window was opened by Anna.
3.Our homework has been done by us.
4. A question will be asked by me.
5. The picture can be cut out by him.
6. A lot was eaten by the sheep.
7. rooms are not cleaned by us.
8. car will not be repaired by William.
9. Was this circle drawn by Sue.
10.Could the dog be fed by you.

Change the following active sentences into passive voice.

1. I did not beat her.

a) She is not beaten by me.
b) She has not beaten by me.
c) She was not beaten by me.

2. I will never forget this experience.

a) This experience is not forgotten by me.
 b) This experience would never be forgotten by me.
c) This experience will never be forgotten by me.

3. Mother made a cake yesterday.

a) A cake made by mother yesterday.
b) A cake is made by mother yesterday.
c) A cake was made by mother yesterday.

4. The boy teased the girl.

a) The girl was teased by the boy.
b) The girl had teased by the boy.
5. Did she do her duty?
a) Was she done her duty?
b) Was her duty done by her?
c) Had her duty done by her?

6. The tiger was chasing the deer.

a) The deer was chased by the tiger.
b) The deer was being chased by the tiger.
c) The deer had chased by the tiger.

7. She has written a novel.

a) A novel has written by her.
b) A novel has been written by her.
c) A novel had written by her.

8. She has learned her lessons.

a) Her lessons has learned by her.
b) Her lessons have been learned by her.
c) Her lessons had been learned by her.

9. Have you finished the report?

a) Has the report finished by you?
b) Has the report been finished by you?
c) Had the report been finished by you?

10. The police have caught the thief

a) The thief has been caught by the police.
b) The thief was caught by the police.
c) The thief had been caught by the police.
 DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH
DIRECT SPEECH Is a report of the exact words used by a speaker or writer. The words spoken appear
within inverted commas
EXAMPLES
“Where is your textbook?”the teacher asked me
Jerry said,”I am going to buy a new car.”
INDIRECT SPEECH is a report on what someone else said or wrote without using that person’s exact
words.
Examples
The teacher asked me where my textbook was.
RULE 1
Simple present changes to simple past
In indirect speech tenses do not change if the words used within the quotes talk of a habitual action or
universal truth.
EXAMPLE
He said,’we cannot live without air’
He said that we cannot live without air.
RULE 2
Present continuous changes to past continuous
She said to him, ‘They are boxing’
She told him that they were boxing.
RULE 3
Present perfect changes to past perfect.
She said to me,’He has given me some medicine’
She told me that he had given her some medicine.
RULE 4
Present perfect cont changes to past perfect cont
Kate said,’I have been waiting here for an hour’
Kate said that she had been waiting there for an hour .
RULE 5
Simple past changes to past perfect
He said,’she played golf in the morning’
He said that she had played golf in the morning.
RULE 6
Past continuous changes to past perfect continuous
EXAMPLE
She said to me ,’He was swimming in the pool’
She told me that he had been swimming in the pool.
RULE 7
The modal auxiliary verbs are changed into their past forms
Can—could
May----might
Shall-----should
RULE 7
We use a conjunction to join both the clauses –the introductory clause and subordinate clause.
RULE 8
When we change ‘yes ‘ or ‘no’ question sentence from direct into indirect, we use the conjunction ‘if’or
‘whether’.
A woman said to me, ‘Is she really driving?’
A Woman asked me if she was really driving.
While changing an interrogative sentence from direct to indirect, the main verb in the introductory clause
usally ‘said’ to is changed to ‘asked’,’enquired’,’wanted to know’ etc. And the word order is inversed.
EXAMPLE
He said to her,”Is this bag yours?”
He asked her if that bag was hers.
RULE 10
For ‘wh’ questions, no conjunction is used
EXAMPLE
She said to them, ‘who wants to help me?’
She asked them who wanted to help her.
RULE 11
While changing the imperative sentences from direct to indirect, we do not use any conjunctions at all, we
change the verb of the subordinate clause to its ‘TO INFINITIVE’ form, and the main verb in the
introductory clause is changed to ‘requested’,’ordered’,’warned’, ‘shouted’etc
EXAMPLE
The policeman said to the driver, ‘stop!’
The policeman shouted at the driver to stop.
RULE 12
(NEGATIVE IMPERATIVE SENTENCE)
The manager said to him,”Don’t postpone your work.”
The manager warned him not to postpone his work.

EXERCISE
1 Rahul asked me,’Did you see the cricket match on TV last night?’
2 James said to his mother,’I am leaving for New york tomorrow.’
3 I said to him, ‘Why don’t you work hard?’
4 He said to her, ‘What a hot day!’
5 The priest said, ‘Be quiet and listen to my words.’
6 They said, ‘Let us come in’
7 Reshma said to priya,’Why are you sketching on the wall?’
8 Arya said to Tara, ‘David will leave for his mothers place tomorrow.’
9 The instructor asked Ronny if he was ready for the race.
10 He said,’ I like this song.’
11 ‘Where is your sister?’ she asked me.
12 She asked him,’Where have you spent your money?’
13 ‘I never make mistaks,’ he said
14 ‘ I don’t speak Italian’ she said.
15 ‘The film began at seven o clock,’ he said.
16 He said,’I LIVE IN THE CITY CENTER.’
17 He said,’I am going out.’
18 He said , ‘I have finished’
19 She said,’I can swim.’
20 She said , ‘ I must go.’
 QUESTION TAGS

Question tags are short questions at the end of statements.

They are mainly used in speech when we want to
I: Confirm that something is true or not.
2: To encourage a reply from the person we are speaking to. i
Question tags are formed with the auxiliary or modal verb
"A positive statement is followed by a negative question fags. i
Eg: Jack is from Spain, Isn't he?
A negative statement is followed by a positive question lag
Eg: They aren't funny, Are they?
When the verb is he main sentence in the simple present, we form the question tag will do/does
Eg: You play the guitar, Don't you?
If the verb is in simple past we use did.
Eg: They went to the cinema, Didn't they?
When the statement contains a word with a negative meaning, the Question tag needs to be positive.
Eg: He hardly ever speaks, does he?
EXCEPTIONS:
Some verbs/Expressions have different Question tags.
Eg: I am• I am attractive, aren't le
Let's- let's go to the beach, shall we?
 Degrees of Comparison
Degrees of Comparison are used when we compare one person or one thing with another.

There are three Degrees of Comparison in English.

1. Positive degree.
2. Comparative degree.
3. Superlative degree.
In grammar, the degrees of comparison relate to adjectives and adverbs.
Most adjectives and adverbs have three different forms to show degrees of comparison – The positive, the
comparative and the superlative.
1. The Positive Degree: This offers no comparison. It just tells us about the existence of a quality. For
example:
Adjectives: slow, beautiful, happy
Adverbs: slowly, beautifully, happily
2. The Comparative Degree: This compares two things to show which has the lesser or greater degree of
the quality. For example:
Adjectives: slower, more beautiful, and happier
Adverbs: more slowly, more beautifully, more happily
3. The Superlative Degree: This compares more than two things to show which has the least or greatest
degree of the quality. For example:
Adjectives: slowest, most beautiful, and happiest
Adverbs: most slowly, most beautifully, most happily
Examples of Degrees of Comparison:
1. The adjective “hungry” in all three degrees of comparison:
Shilky is hungry. (Positive degree)
Shilky is hungrier than Mark. (Comparative degree)
Shilky is the hungriest of all. (Superlative degree)
2. The adverb “dangerously” in all three degrees of comparison:
Shilky played dangerously today. (Positive degree)
Shilky played more dangerously than Mark. (Comparative degree)
Shilky played most dangerously. (Superlative degree)
Rules for Degrees of Comparison:
Rule 1: If a single quality is compared between two persons more or most are to be used.
She is more wiser than her brother. ✘
She is wiser than her brother. ✔
Rule 2: When two qualities of a single person or a single thing is compared MORE is used with the first
adjective even if it is a single syllable word.
He is wiser than shrewd. ✘
He is more wise than shrewd. ✔
Rule 3: Remember that now double comparatives or superlatives are no longer used.
These shoes are more preferable than those.✘
These shoes are preferable to those. ✔
Rule 4: The adjectives which give absolute sense do not take MORE or MOST with them. Similarly, we
cannot say “more parallel” or” more square” or “more unique” etc.
This idea is more universal than that. ✘
This idea is universal and the other is not. ✔
Rule 5: The following adjectives are followed by to and not by then.
Junior, senior, inferior, prefer, preferable, superior, elder.

This piece of cloth is superior than that. ✘

This piece of cloth is superior to that. ✔
My sister is elder than me. ✘
My sister is elder to me. ✔
Rule 6: Similar things should be compared when compare two things.
The speed of this car is greater than the old one. ✘
The speed of this car is greater than that of the old one. ✔
(We cannot compare speed of the car with car)
Rule 7: When comparative degree is used in the superlative sense we should:
Use ‘any other’ if we are comparing the things or persons of the same group.
Use any if the comparison is with the things or persons outside the group.

He is better than any student of his class. ✘

He is better than any other student of his class. ✔

Delhi is cleaner than any other city in Bangladesh. ✘

Delhi is cleaner than any city in Bangladesh. ✔
Rule 8: When two adjectives in different degrees of comparison are used in the same sentence both should
be complete in itself.
He is as bad if not better than his brother. ✘
He is as bad as if not better than his brother. ✔
Rule 9: Comparative degree should be used while comparing two and superlative degree when we compare
more than two.
Among the three who is more hard working? ✘
Among the three who is the hardest working? ✔
Rule 10: When THAN or AS are followed by the first and the second person pronouns verb can be omitted
but not in the case of the pronouns of third person.
He is not a clever as his brother. ✘
He is not as clever as his brother is. ✔
We can change the degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs, without changing the meaning of the
sentences. The followings are a few basic models
Examine the following examples:
Model I
Positive : I am not so/as tall as he. Comparative : He is taller than I
Model II

Positive : He is as dull as an ass. Comparative : An ass is not duller than he is.

Model III

Superlative : London is the biggest city in the world.

Comparative : London is bigger than any other city in the world. Positive : No other city in
the world is so big as London.
Model IV

Superlative : Subhas Bose was one of the greatest Patriots of India.

Comparative : Subhas Bose was greater than most (many) other patriots of India.
Positive : Very few patriots of India were so great as Subhas Bose.

Model V
Positive : Some girls in the class are at least as beautiful as Sita.

Comparative : Sita is not more beautiful than some other girls in the class Or
Some girls in the class are not less beautiful than Sita.
Superlative : Sita is not the most beautiful of all the girls in the Class.

Exercise
Choose the right option from the following degrees of comparison.
1) “Shakespeare is the greatest of all dramatists”(convert into positive degree)
a) No other dramatist is so great as Shakespeare.
b) Shakespeare is as great as all dramatists.
c) Shakespeare is a great as well as all dramatists.
d) Shakespeare is greater than all dramatists.

2) “London is one of the biggest cities in England” (convert into comparative degree)
a) No other city is as big as London.
b) London is bigger than England.
c) London is bigger than most other cities in England.
d) Other cities as big as London.

3) ” Sunil is brighter than Stalin” (covert into positive degree)

a) Stalin is not so bright as Sunil.
b) Stalin is brighter than Sunil.
c) Sunil is not as bright as Stalin.

d) Sunil is not brighter than Stalin.

4) You sing better than I (convert into positive degree)
a) I do not sing so well as you
b) You don’t sing better than me
c) You sing as well as me
d) I sing better than you
5) Keats died younger than most other Romantic writers (convert into positive Degree)
a) Few other Romantic writers died as young as Keats
b) Keats is the youngest of all
c) Keats died the youngest of all Romantic writers
d) All Romantic writers are younger than Keats
6) Abdul kalam is one the greatest visionaries of India. (Convert into comparative degree)
a) Abdul kalam is the greatest of all
b) Few other visionaries of India are as great as Abdul kalam
c) The greatest visionaries of India as great as Abdul kalam
d) Abdul kalam is greater than most other visionaries of India
7) Express trains travel faster than a passenger train (convert into positive degree)
a) Passenger trains do not travel as fast as Express trains
b) Express trains are fastest of all
c) Passenger trains faster than express trains
d) Passenger trains travel as fast as express trains
8) Lead is the heaviest metal (convert into positive degree)
a) Gold is heavier than lead
b) No other metal is as heavy as lead
c) Silver is the heaviest metal
d) Lead is the heavier than any other metal
9) “Very few singers were as popular as S.P Balu’’ (Convert into superlative degree)
a) Very few singers were greater than S.P Balu.
b) S.P Balu was greatest of all singers
c) S.P Balu was one of the most popular singers
d) S.P Balu was more popular than most other singers
10) Nights seem longer in winter than in summer (convert into positive Degree)
a) summer is the longest of all
b) Winter is the longest season of all
c) summer seem longer than winter
d) Nights do not seem as long in summer as they are in winter
11) Unemployment is the most serious problem facing our country. (convert into comparative degree)
a) Unemployment is more serious than any other problem facing our country.
b) Unemployment is more in India
c) No other problem facing our country is as serious as unemployment.
d) Serious problem facing our country is unemployment
12) No other boy is as intelligent as this boy. Convert into superlative degree)
a) He is more intelligent than other boys in the class. 
b) He is the intelligent of all
c) He is the most intelligent in this class
d) This boy is as intelligent as no other boy
13. This house is not as big as that one. (Convert into comparative degree)
A) That one is as big as this house
b) This is the biggest of all
c) This house is bigger than that one. 
d) This hose is as big as that one
14) This flower is more beautiful than any other flower in this garden. (Convert into positive degree)
a) This flower is better than other flowers
b) No other flower in this garden is as beautiful as this one.

c) Very few flowers are as beautiful as this flower.

d)This flower is the most beautiful one in this garden.
Exercise 2
1. Andi is 165 cm tall. Donna is 167 cm tall. So, Donna is _________ than Andi.
A. Taller
B. Bigger
C. Shorter
D. Smaller
 
2. My father is 45 years old. My mother is 46 years old. So, My mother is _________ than my father.
A. Older
B. Younger
C. Stronger
D. Taller
 
3. An elephant is ______ than a cow.
A. Smaller
B. Bigger
C. Longer
D. Shorter
 
4. A horse runs ________ than a buffalo.
A. Cleaner
B. Bigger
C. Faster
D. Slower
 
5. Girls' hair is usually ________ than the boys' hair.
A. Smaller
B. Longer
C. Taller
D. Bigger
 
6. Most students think that Mathematics is ________ than other subjects.
A. More expensive
B. More beautiful
C. More diligent
D. More difficult
 
7. A car's price is usually ________ than a bike's price.
A. Cheaper
B. Bigger
C. More expensive
D. More complex
 
8. My room is _________ than Bill's place because I clean it more often than him.
A. Bigger
B. Smaller
C. Cleaner
D. Dirtier
 
9. The weather on the beach is _________ than in the mountain.
A. Thicker
B. Thinner
C. Hotter
D. Cooler
 
10. Town is __________ than village.
A. More crowded
B. More quiet
C. Better
D. Worse

Basic Grammar Rules

1. Spelling Errors
• There is no good excuse for spelling errors in a final draft.
• Everyone should use a dictionary or turn on Spell Check. When in doubt, check it out! 2.
Run-on Sentences
• Run-ons occur when you try to make one sentence do too much. For example: William
gazed across the broad Pacific his heart was filled with dread.
• Avoid run-ons by: a. breaking the long sentence into separate sentences:
William gazed across the broad Pacific. His heart was filled with dread.
b. reducing one of the clauses to a subordinate clause and adding a comma:
When William gazed across the broad Pacific, his heart was filled with
dread.
c. adding a comma and coordinating conjunction between the two clauses:
William gazed across the broad Pacific, but his heart was filled with
dread.
3. Sentence Fragments
• Fragments occur when you’ve written only part of a sentence. For example:
Because there was no other way of escaping the fire.
• Fix fragments by making sure your sentence contains both a subject and a verb: He
leaped out of the window because there was no other way of escaping the fire.
4. Subject/Verb Agreement
• If the subject is singular, use a singular verb; if the subject is plural, use a plural verb:
The arrival of many friends promises a good time.
Either the principal or the coach usually attends the dance.
• Remember: the subject of a sentence is never contained within a prepositional phrase! 5. Pronoun
Agreement
• Almost everyone makes this mistake: Everyone should get out their books.
• A pronoun must agree in number with its antecedent (the word to which the pronoun refers).
• Rewrite the sentence using singular pronouns: Everyone should take out his or her book. Singular
pronouns include: each, either, neither, one, everyone, no one, everybody, nobody, anyone,
someone, somebody.
6. Verb Tense
• Tense means time. Verbs tell us what action is occurring, and when it is occurring. Verbs change
form to indicate when an action takes place. Your writing should remain in one tense, switching
 only when necessary to the meaning. To fix tenses, read your draft looking only for tense
agreement.
7. Plural & Possessive
• An “s” is put at the end of a word for two reasons: to make it plural or to show possession.
• When you add an “s” to make a plural, don’t use an apostrophe:
Plurals: books, students Possessives: the book’s pages; the student’s desk
Possessives for plural nouns: the books’ pages; all of the students’ desks
• When you add an “s” to make a plural, don’t use an apostrophe.
Possessive pronouns don’t use apostrophes: yours, hers, its, ours, theirs.
8. Capitalization
• Remember to capitalize proper names, the personal pronoun “I”, names of cities, states, countries,
and important words in titles such as I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.
• Titles that should be underlined (or italicized) include: books, long poems, plays, magazines,
movies, published speeches, TV programs, ships, works of art, long musical works, CDs.
• Titles that should be in “quotation marks” are short stories, songs, short poems, articles in
magazines or newspapers, essays, episodes of a TV program, chapter titles in books.
9. Word Usage = A word used incorrectly. Sentence Usage = a sentence constructed awkwardly.
• Frequently confused words:
It’s = it is Its = possessive of it To = toward, as far as
Too = also, extremely Two = 2 Your = possessive of you
You’re = you + are Their = possessive of they They’re = they + are
There = in that place
Improper Contractions
• Never use could of, should of, would of. What you mean is could have, should have, would have;
correct contractions are could’ve, would’ve, should’ve.
• Try not to use contractions at all in formal writing.
Negatives
• You should only have one negative word per sentence. Example: I can’t do that.
• Negatives: not, don’t, can’t, won’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t, wouldn’t, didn’t, neither/nor, no, nothing.
Parallel Structure
• All items in a series need to follow the same structure:
• Incorrect: He stopped, listened a moment, then he locked the door.
• Correct: He stopped, listened a moment, then locked the door.
• Incorrect: They were singing, dancing, and looked at each other.
• Correct: They were singing, dancing, and looking at each other.
10. Punctuation
• A question ends with a question mark [?].
• A semi-colon [;] is not a comma. It joins two clauses of a compound sentence:
We were bored with the programs on TV; we decided to go to the library.
• A colon [:] introduces a list of items:
Our school has teams for most sports: track, basketball, football, soccer, swimming and tennis.
• A hyphen [-] shows that part of a word is carried onto the next line. Break the word between
syllables; you can’t divide a one-syllable word.
 • Quotation marks are used properly as follows: Craig said, “Something is wrong with my hard
drive.”
“I want to go to the Epicentre,” she explained. “My favourite team is the Quakes.”
11. Troublesome Verb Conjugation
• There are several troublesome verbs that aren't ordinary, the ones we call irregular verbs because they
don't take their different forms in standard ways. Most writers occasionally have trouble
remembering the basic forms of some of the following irregular verbs:

Verb Past Tense Past Verb Past Tense Past

(Present Participle (Present Participle
Tense) Tense)
Begin Began Have Begun Lie Lay Have Lain
Bring* Brought Have Brought Ride Rode Have Ridden
Choose Chose Have Chosen Ring Rang Have Rung
Come* Came Have Come Rise Rose Have Risen
Do* Did Have Done Run* Ran Have Run
Drink Drank Have Drunk Seek Sought Have Sought
Drive Drove Have Driven See Saw Have Seen
Eat Ate Have Eaten Sink Sank Have Sunk
Fall Fell Have Fallen Speak Spoke Have Spoken
Fly Flew Have Flown Swim Swam Have Swum
Forget Forgot Have Take Took Have Taken
Forgotten
Give Gave Have Given Throw Threw Have Thrown
Know Knew Have Known Write Wrote Have Written

*Especially troublesome verbs

Exercise
For questions 1-3, rewrite the sentences by joining fragments or splitting run-ons.

1. The dentist was a true perfectionist. Cleaning each tooth with equal care.
2. Dinesh went to the baseball game, my dad watched my ballet recital.
3. Sometimes we celebrate birthdays in the office, how many paper plates are left.
4.  We enjoy to go for walk after dinner. (Using Gerunds)
5. Although it was raining, but we went to market. (Using but and although together)
6. Parents work for there children. (There/their/they’re)
7. Its Sunday morning.  (Its/it’s)

For questions 8-11, choose the correct form for the pronoun in each sentence.
8. Even though I will likely win this debate, which involves writing, reading, and acting skills, I am still
anxious about it/them.
9. Each of the designers has his or her/their own logo.
10. At summer camp, one/you will choose your own meals.
11. The plane, which was the size of two football fields and had its/their wing remodeled, just
took off.

Choose the correct form of the verb in each sentence.

12. Just after Julie had finished the test, she plans/planned/will plan her vacation.
13. If she trains/trained her dog, she would have a cleaner house.
14. When the bridge closed last week, our commute was/had been/will be disrupted.
15. Because we had already eaten breakfast, Charlie was/is being/will be forced to eat alone.
16. I would have come sooner if I knew/had known.
Tenses and modals.
17. If you studies well, you will achieve your success.
18. When I was young, I had worked for twelve hours.
19. We eat so that we should live.
20. Can I borrow your pen?

ANSWER KEY:
Here are some possible solutions, although other options may be correct:
1. The dentist was a true perfectionist, cleaning each tooth with equal care.
2. Derek went to the baseball game. My dad watched my ballet recital.
 (or) Derek went to the baseball game, while my dad watched my ballet recital.
3. Sometimes we celebrate birthdays in the office. How many paper plates are left?
4. We enjoy going for walk after dinner.
5. Although it was raining, we went to market.
6.  Parents work for their children.
7. It's Sunday morning.
8. Even though I will likely win this debate, which involves writing, reading, and
Acting skills, I am still anxious about it.
9. Each of the designers has his or her own logo.
10. At summer camp, you will choose your own meals.
11. The plane, which was the size of two football fields and had its wing remodeled,
Just took off.
12. Just after Julie had finished the test, she planned her vacation.
13. If she trained her dog, she would have a cleaner house.
14. When the bridge closed last week, our commute was disrupted.
15. Because we had already eaten breakfast, Charlie was forced to eat alone.
16. I would have come sooner if I had known.
17. If you study well, you will achieve your success.
18. When I was young. I used to work for twelve hours
19. We eat so that we may live.
20. May I borrow your pen?
UNIT-V Soft Skills
 SWOC
 Attitude
 Emotional Intelligence
 Telephone Etiquette
 Interpersonal Skills
What is SWOC Analysis?
A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenge analysis is an assessment of internal
and external factors impacting business operations. Moving through the analysis helps a team
identify what a business does best and areas where it needs to improve to gain a competitive
advantage.
How to use SWOC analysis
When beginning a SWOC analysis of a product or firm, you must go through each section
individually. Starting with…
Strengths
The strengths portion of the SWOC analysis is used to determine what your business does
best. If you know your business' strengths you can place emphasis on them when the time
comes to implement your marketing program. For instance, if you know that you can make a
product cheaper than anyone else in your industry can, you list that as a strength. You do not
need to be the best in the industry at something to list it as a strength – your strengths are
based on internal and external performance.

Weaknesses
Knowing your business' weaknesses is critical to SWOT analysis. Anything that your
business struggles with or lacks is considered a weakness. For instance, limited production
capacity is a weakness: You know that you cannot mass-market a new product because you
cannot meet a large demand should it materialize. If you know your business' weaknesses,
you can avoid centring a marketing and advertising strategy around those weaknesses.

Opportunities for Future Growth and Success

Opportunities are emerging scenarios whereby your business can grow and succeed with a
new or existing product. An opportunity might be an underserved market, a newly emerging
technology or anything that can add to your business.
For instance, if you own a technology business that installs high-speed Internet infrastructure,
a developing country might offer many opportunities for your business to expand and grow,
eventually becoming the leader in technology services. If you know the opportunities facing
your business, you can focus your strategy and resources to achieve specific goals.
Challenges
The challenges, facing your business when implementing a marketing program are perhaps
the most important factors of a SWOC analysis. You might have a solid marketing plan
catered to a clear and specific set of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, but if you do
not consider the challenges in your industry, your plan could be useless. For instance, if your
technology business introduces a mobile phone application that is similar to and
indistinguishable from another company's application that currently dominates the market,
your product's success faces a threat. Knowing the challenges, you face helps your business
to make informed and strategic decisions regarding products.

When to use SWOC

SWOC analysis can be applied at the overall organizational level, at a business segment level,
or even at the product level. The outcomes can vary at each level, so it is important to decide
which level to apply it to right from the start. SWOC analysis need not be limited to
businesses. It is useful in any scenario -- including personal matters -- that requires an
analysis of the environment to reach a decision.

ATTITUDE
The definition of an attitude is a way of feeling or acting toward a person, thing or situation.
It may seem as if skills and experience are the most important characteristics of an employee,
but attitude plays an equal role. At workplaces a positive attitude is an important trait that
employers are looking for in their employees.
The five key attitudes that any employee must have are:
1. Respect for others
Respect in workplace doesn’t solely extend to the way employees interact with
management. Employees should also have a respectful attitude towards clients,
customers, as well as co-workers. One must respectfully disagree with others point of
view at work place if carries a different opinion on something.

2. Infectious enthusiasm about life

People who are enthusiastic about life in general radiate a positive energy to everyone
around. They take active participation in all the assignments, eagerly learn new skills
and ideas and quickly apply them to their work. This attitude towards life can be
developed with conscious effort by taking every challenge as an opportunity.

3. Commitment to the job

Organizations like to employee those employees who have greater commitment not
only towards their goals and incentives but also towards the position they are employed
for. Committed employees always show willingness to fulfil the duties of their position
via the development of new ideas to make the company better. When committed
individuals work together as a team towards company goals, everyone benefits.

4. Innovative ideas and finding new ways

 Employees with this attitude do not shy away from trying new things or finding a new
way to do things. Employers look for the employees who can think out of the box and
innovate new ideas to accomplish existing tasks and approach goals. Employees with
this attitude do not get effected with their failures while trying out different ways and
incessantly keep trying until they succeed.

5. Helpful to others
It is important to have a helpful attitude at work, whether that means assisting clients
and customers with their needs or helping co-workers accomplish over-all company
goals. The more helpful attitude the employees have, the more people want to be
around them at work and will to be partners with them on key projects and initiatives.

10 Reasons Why Positive Attitude an Important Soft Skill at the Workplace:

1. A Positive Attitude Contributes to Your Success

Positive attitude paves way to better performance. Instead of finding excuses for non-
performance, a positive thinking individual will think of ways to accomplish his/her
task. Positive attitudes yield greater progress and hence, more compensation or work
perks.

2. Positive Attitude Builds Leadership Skills

Often you are required to work in a cross-section of functions, departments or teams.
In a diverse workplace, it is important to respect and follow everyone in the team.
This is possible through a positive attitude. As a leader, you will be required to exhibit
confidence and positivity to lead the team with the right attitude.

3. Your Colleagues Are Happy to Work with You

Your stress level will certainly affect those around you. At the workplace, when the
stress levels build-up, it will be difficult to keep a smiling face throughout your
challenges. However, with a positive attitude, you cannot just sort out your problems,
you will ensure that your peers don’t suffer. Happy peers or subordinates are happier
to improve their productivity. For little effort, you can get more done. Improving your
disposition will have a ripple effect that positively influences everyone you come in
contact with. A positive attitude helps subordinates and leaders appreciate each other
and work as a team for achieving common objectives.

4. You Don’t Have to Worry About Losing Your Job

A bad attitude can get you fired; Bad attitude gets you nowhere. It simply follows you
wherever you go, and spreads a bad reputation. So, take it down a notch. For your job
security, make sure to never let go of your temper or mood.

5. Make the Right Decisions With a Positive Attitude

Having a positive attitude helps employees to make better decisions, objectively. It
triggers a healthy thought process, enabling employees to choose wisely and logically.
6. Find Yourself Empowered to Take Tough Decisions
Positive people are also empowered. They are capable of saying no or standing up for
their rights. A positive attitude gives you the strength to take risks, allow yourself
some privileges, and own up to a mistake. Empowerment is the consequence of a
positive workplace.

7. Innovate and Keep Growing

Employees with an innovative attitude are happy to try something new. They will not
fear failure, as they find their way up the creative zone.

8. Motivate Others Work Harder

Positive attitude helps to motivate the team to overcome obstacles that they may face
during their job. A motivated team is happy to work harder, look for innovative
solutions, and feel like they have a personal stake in the company.

9. Improve Your Interpersonal Relations

A positive attitude helps not only the workplace but also helps to build customer
relations. Customers prefer to deal with someone positive in nature. A positive
attitude enables employees to share a better rapport with customers, earning valuable
customer loyalty.

10. Develop a Respectful Attitude Towards Others

Respect is a very important attitude in the workplace. Employees should also have a
respectful attitude whether they are interacting with clients and customers or their
teammates.
 EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

What is emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify and manage your emotions, as well as other
people's emotions.

If you're emotionally intelligent you have the ability to:

 Identify what you're feeling

 Know how to interpret your emotions
 Understand how your emotions can impact others
 Regulate your own emotions
 Manage other people's emotions

Some people naturally inherit high EQ but it's a skill that you can practice and develop. By
practicing emotionally intelligent behaviours your brain will adapt to make these behaviours
automatic and replace less helpful behaviours.

The 5 features of emotional intelligence

Daniel Goleman determined that there are five fundamental features of EQ, each with their own
benefits:

1. Self-awareness
2. Self-regulation
3. Empathy
4. Motivation
5. Social skill

1. Self-awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to accurately recognise your: emotions, strengths, limitations, actions
and understand how these affect others around you.

Benefits:

 Increases the likelihood of you handling and using constructive feedback effectively.
 By knowing your strengths and weaknesses you can improve your organisation's
performance, for example, you may hire individuals who perform well in areas you
struggle with.

Improve self-awareness by:

  Keeping a diary of the situations that have triggered disruptive emotions in you, such as
anger, and your thoughts and behaviours during those situations. With this information
you can form an understanding of your emotions and reactions and work towards self-
regulation.
 Receiving feedback from staff as this can highlight how others perceive you and it also
helps you target unhelpful reactions.
 Observing the response others have to your behaviour.

2. Self-regulation

Self-regulation allows you to wisely manage your emotions and impulses - you show or restrain
certain emotions depending on what is necessary and beneficial for the situation. For example,
rather than shouting at your employees when you're stressed you may decide which tasks can be
delegated.

Benefits:

 Self-regulation helps earn the respect and trust of employees.

 Useful when adapting to change.
 Allows you to react rationally.

Improve self-regulation by:

 Taking responsibility if you have made mistakes. Rather than blaming others admit that
you are at fault. You'll feel less guilty and your team will respect you for it.
 Responding to situations calmly as your communication is more effective when you're in
this state and this feeling will spread to others. Breathing techniques, such as controlled
breathing, can be useful practice.

3. Empathy

To be empathetic means you are able to identify and understand others' emotions i.e. imagining
yourself in someone else's position.

Benefits:

 Provides you with an understanding of how an individual feels and why they behave in a
certain way. As a result, your compassion and your ability to help someone increases
because you respond genuinely to concerns.
 Especially helpful when delivering constructive feedback.
 Being empathetic shows your team that you care. For example, if a manager reacts angrily
after finding out that an employee has been arriving to work late because their child is
unwell, the team is likely to react negatively towards the manager. It would be more
favourable for the manager to be understanding and agree on a plan of action with the
employee, such as, the employee starting work earlier and finishing later.
 Employees will respect you more and subsequently job performance will improve.
To develop empathy:

 Imagine yourself in someone else's position. Even if you have not experienced a similar
situation, remember a situation where you have felt the same emotion your employee is
experiencing.
 Practice listening to your employees without interrupting them.
 Observe your employees and try to gauge how they're feeling.
 Never ignore your employees' emotions, for example, if an employee looks upset don't
disregard this - address it.
 Try to understand first rather than form a judgement. For example, you may initially feel
annoyed at an employee who seems cold and disinterested. However, after discovering
they suffer from social anxiety you may feel more sympathetic.
 To communicate your empathy keep your body language open and regulate your voice to
show your sincerity.

4. Motivation

Being self-motivated consists of: enjoying what you do, working towards achieving your goals
and not being motivated by money or status.

Benefits:

 Reduces your likelihood of procrastinating

 Increases self-confidence
 Keeps you motivated even if you face setbacks
 Makes you focused on achieving your goals
 Spreads to the team

To increase your motivation:

 Remember why you're doing your job - maybe think about why you wanted it initially.
 Set new goals if you lack them.
 Remain optimistic because to be motivated you must be positive. Even when there is a
setback or a challenge identify one positive factor about it.
 To increase your employees' motivation explain why they are valuable, using example, as
this will provide them with a sense of purpose.

5. Social skills

Effective social skills consist of managing relationships in a way that benefits the organisation.

Benefits:

 Effective social skills help you to build rapport with your employees and earn their respect
and loyalty.
  Employees will trust you which is especially valuable if unwelcomed decisions have been
made, such as a rise in performance targets.
 When you interact with your employees you can identify the best way to meet their
individual needs and identify how their abilities can be used to achieve the organisation's
aims.
 Staff will feel comfortable presenting ideas to you and discussing concerns.

Improve social skills by:

 Developing your communication skills. Problems can arise if there is bad communication,
such as, misunderstandings upsetting employees. Listen to feedback to work out what to
target, for example, the manner in which you speak may need work or perhaps your body
language.
 Learning how to provide praise and constructive feedback.
 Cooperating and working together with your employees because you are all working
towards a shared goal.
 Listening to employees and practicing empathy.
 Building relationships with your employees will assist you in understanding how to
manage each individual.
 Resolving conflict by looking at the situation from all the viewpoints involved and try to
come to a compromise that benefits everyone.
 TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

What is phone etiquette?

Phone etiquette is the way you use manners to represent yourself and your business to
customers via telephone communication. This includes the way you greet a customer, your
body language, tone of voice, word choice, listening skills and how you close a call.
Why is phone etiquette important?
Identifying the tools to achieve proper phone etiquette can help your business to:

 Show professionalism: Whether you are a start-up or a well-established business, you

and your representatives know your business best. Communicating your working
knowledge to your callers using telephone manners should establish you as
professionals worthy of repeat business dealings.

 Create a good first impression. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, and the
initial phone call is your businesses’ chance to show the customer how pleasant it is to
do business with you.  

 Increase customer trust and loyalty. If your business has face-to-face interactions
with prospects who were initially just callers, the trust between you and your potential
customer may grow, leading to them purchasing your goods or services more
frequently.

 Achieve high customer satisfaction ratings. When you meet customers’ needs over
the phone, they can accurately assume that you will continue to meet their needs in
person, creating a well-rounded and consistent experience.

Elements of proper phone etiquette

To achieve excellent phone etiquette, you’ll need to apply the following items:

 Friendly greetings
 Body language
 Tone of voice
 Tact
 Active listening
 Appropriate closing

Friendly greetings
Answering an office phone properly requires a positive and cheerful disposition. Allow the
positivity to resonate in your voice, offer a salutation, thank the customer for calling,
introduce yourself and your business by name and then extend your help. This gives the
customer a sense that you are warm, alert and pleased to help them with their inquiries.
People often mimic positivity and will probably respond to your voice with the same
enthusiasm you project. 
Body language
Body language plays a major role in communication, both in-person and on the telephone.
When you speak on the phone, your body language still communicates how you are feeling.
For example, when you smile and sit up straight, your voice is likely lighter and easily
translated by the client as cheerfulness. Body language, facial expressions and gestures
should remain professional while speaking on the telephone.
Tone of voice
Adopt a confident tone of voice to limit interruptions and maintain a professional
engagement. You want the caller to know you are taking the time to understand their
questions, while also delivering prompt service. The tone of your voice is an important factor
in proper phone call manners since a caller may form an opinion of your business based on
your attitude over the phone. 
Tact
Unfortunately, there will be times when you must deliver potentially upsetting information to
a customer over the phone. Remaining calm, while considering your word choice is the key
to delivering messages tactfully to your caller. Your aim should be to communicate sensitive
information truthfully, without offending your customer. If you don’t have an answer for
them, be sure to offer them additional resources.
Active listening
To achieve excellent phone etiquette, it is necessary to develop active listening skills. Give
the customer your undivided attention by minimizing distractions. Taking notes and repeating
requests back to the caller lets them know that you care and are listening to only their needs
at that moment. Active listening will likely help you respond to a customer’s requests
appropriately.
Appropriate closing
Remember that closing a call can be just as important as the way you begin one. Before
saying goodbye to your customer, thank them again and ask if you can assist them with
anything else. Closing the call this way assures your caller that your business provides
thorough customer service. Develop the habit of allowing the customer to hang up first to
minimize accidental hang-ups.
Tips to improve the quality of your phone calls
Here are 10 action steps for you to consider:

 Answer the call within the first two or three rings. Providing a quick answer to
customers’ phone calls should let them know that their business is important to you.
When customers feel valued, they could be more likely to use your business. If you
cannot answer the phone because you have clients in front of you, check the voicemail
 box and call back as soon as you are able. 

 Identify yourself and your business at the beginning of all calls. Identifying

yourself and your business at the beginning of a call lets the customer know that they
called the correct place. When you identify yourself, it is likely that the customer will
feel more comfortable sharing the reason for their call and they’ll know who to ask for
next time they call. 

 Let positivity resonate in your voice. Offering a positive tone of voice builds rapport,
as the receiver becomes more open to sharing details about how you can best assist
them with their needs. If possible, practice by recording your phone calls. Listen to the
call recording, notice your tone and make corrections as necessary. 

 Watch your body language. When you hear the phone ring, it may be beneficial to
immediately sit up straight and smile before answering. Your voice will likely sound
more friendly and light to the customer if you practice changing your body language.

 Minimize interruptions. Minimizing interruptions is possible, even in offices with

ample foot traffic. Take a moment before answering a call to put aside items you were
working on and prepare to give your full attention to your caller. For instance, try
turning your back away from your crowded office when you answer phone calls, this
way other individuals in the room will know you are unavailable to assist them while
you are on the telephone.

 Actively listen and take notes. When listening actively, it can be beneficial to give
periodic affirmations that you understand the customer. For instance, you could say “I
understand that you would like to return your product” or “Thank you for sharing your
concerns.” Keeping a record of the conversation by taking notes can ensure that you
remember and respond to all the customer’s concerns effectively. 

 Be honest. Honesty is more important than trying to make your customer happy. If

there’s something you know you can’t do for them, make them aware that you cannot
perform the task they are requesting. Deliver the honest message in a polite and
sympathetic way and your customer may still have a positive experience with your
business after the call is over, even though you could not meet all of their needs. For
instance, you could say “I understand your concerns, but unfortunately we cannot
approve your request.” If you know of additional resources that the caller can use to
meet their needs, provide them before closing the call.

 Ask the caller before placing them on hold. You may need to place a caller on hold
to get more information for them. For instance, you could say “Would you mind if I
placed you on a brief hold to better assist you?” Asking the caller before placing them
on hold allows them to know you are working on assisting them to the best of your
 ability and it displays professional courtesy.

 Minimize emotional reactions. Keep your tone of voice positive. Find a break in the
conversation and ask the caller politely if you may place them on hold. While they are
on hold, take two deep breaths and remember to be objective and empathetic when
faced with a challenging caller. 

 Make sure the callers’ needs are met before closing the call. Making sure you meet
the customer’s needs is usually your goal when answering a phone call. The customer
may often forget about other questions they have during the conversation. Asking if
their needs are met or if they have questions is a great opportunity to be proactive and
provide further clarification.
 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

The ability to communicate within an organization depends heavily upon people's

interpersonal skills. These are the tools people use to interact and communicate with
individuals in an organizational environment. Many careers require consistent, if not
constant, interaction with other people. This is true even for jobs that would seem to
favour introverted personalities and independent work styles. For example, even if you’re a
software engineer, writer, or statistician, you still need to be able to communicate and
collaborate with your team. Even if you excel at the technical aspects of your job, employers
won’t want to hire you if it seems like you’d be a disaster to work with.
Types of Interpersonal Skills
Communication

One of the most important interpersonal skills in any job is communication. Whether you
work in IT, customer service, construction, or any other industry, you will need to be able to
communicate clearly and effectively with others both verbally and in writing. Some jobs also
require skills in effective public speaking.

 Nonverbal communication
 Public speaking
 Verbal communication

Conflict Management

Whether you are a manager or an employee, you will likely need to resolve conflicts at some
point in your job. This might involve solving an issue between two staff members, between
yourself and a colleague, or between a client and your company. You will need to be able to
listen fairly to both sides and use creative problem solving to arrive at a solution.

 Conflict resolution
 Constructive criticism
 Counselling
 Mediating
 Problem solving

Empathy

Part of being a good manager, employee, or colleague is the ability to understand and show
empathy for others. If a customer or colleague calls with a complaint, for example, you will
need to listen thoughtfully to the person’s concerns and express compassion for their issue.
Empathy is an important skill that will help you get along with everyone in the workplace.

 Caring
  Compassion
 Diplomacy
 Diversity
 Helping others
 Kindness
 Patience
 Respect
 Sensitivity
 Sympathy

Leadership

Even if you are not a manager, it is important to have some leadership experience and ability.
Leadership requires being able to motivate and encourage others and help a team achieve
success.

 Encouraging
 Inspiring trust
 Instructing
 Management
 Mentoring
 Motivation
 Positive reinforcement

Listening

Listening is a skill that goes hand in hand with good communication. While you need to be
able to express your own ideas, you also need to thoughtfully listen to the ideas of others.
This will help your clients, employers, colleagues, and employees feel respected and valued.

 Active listening
 Curiosity
 Focus
 Inquiry

Negotiation

Negotiation is an important skill for many positions. Depending on the specific job, it might
involve creating formal agreements (or contracts) between clients or helping colleagues solve
a problem and determine a solution. To be a good negotiator, you must be able to listen to
others, use creative problem solving, and arrive at an outcome that satisfies everyone.

 Negotiating
 Persuasion
 Research
Positive Attitude

Employers want to hire employees who make the office a brighter place. They want people
with a friendly, positive demeanour. This doesn’t mean you have to be the most social person
in the office, but you must be willing to develop some sort of a positive rapport with your
colleagues.

 Behavioural skills
 Developing rapport
 Friendliness
 Humour
 Networking
 Social skills

Teamwork

Even if your job involves a lot of independent work, you still need to be able to collaborate
with others. Teamwork involves several of the skills already mentioned: you need to be able
to listen to others, communicate your own goals, motivate your team, and resolve any
conflicts that may arise.

 Collaboration
 Group facilitating
 Team building
 Teamwork

SOFT SKILLS

BITS
1. The ability to communicate within an organization depends heavily of people's__
skills.
a. personal b. intrapersonal c. interpersonal d.
administrative.
2. One of the most important interpersonal skills is__________.
a. communication b. collaboration c. environment d.
ability.
3. Identify the skill required in effective public speaking from the given options
a. nonverbal communication b. technical proficiency c. teamwork d.
creativity.
4. ________management is an important interpersonal skill.
a. conflict b. time c. finance d. group.
5. When there is some problem in a workplace _______ is necessary to arrive at a
solution.
 a. consistency b. mediating c. complaining d. attitude.

6. Part of being a good manager is the ability to understand and to show___ for others.
a. sympathy b. empathy c. antipathy d. apathy.
7. __requires being able to motivate and encourage others and help a team achieve
success.
a. friendship b. leadership c. dictator ship d. humor.
8. ___ is a skill that goes hand in hand with good communication.
a. listening b. writing c. reading d. curiosity.

9. To be a good______, one must be able to listen to others use creative problem solving
and arrive at an outcome that satisfies everyone.
a. instructor b. negotiator c. researcher d. manager.
10. ___ involves your ability to listen to others, communicate your own goals motivate
your team and resolve any conflicts that may arise.
a. hard work b. social work c. team work d. technical work.

11. _____ includes the way you greet a customer, tone of voice, word choice, listening
skills and how you close your call.
a. social etiquette b. professional etiquette c. phone etiquette d. meeting
etiquette.
12. Answering an office phone properly requires a positive and cheerful_______
a. disposition b. etiquette c. enthusiasm d. distraction.
13. _________plays a major role in communication, both in person and on the telephone.
a. body language b. information c. personal etiquette d.
positivity.
14. The tone of your voice is an important factor in proper phone call manners, since a
caller may form an opinion of your business based on your ______over the phone.
a. attitude b. etiquette c. style d. gestures.
15. To achieve excellent phone etiquette, it is necessary to develop active ____ skills.
a. speaking b. listening c. reading d. writing.
16.____________will help you respond to a customer's requests appropriately.
a. active listening b. passive listening c. distracted listening d. truthful
listening.
17.________yourself and your business at the beginning of a call lets the customer know
that they called the correct place.
a. offering b. answering c. identifying d. assisting.
18. When making a call ________is more important than trying to make your customer
happy.
a. positivity b. honesty c. opportunity d. answering.

19. Asking the caller before placing them on hold displays__

a. professional courtesy b. professional etiquette
c. professional attitude d. professional empathy.
20. If you cannot answer the phone because you have clients in front of you check
the____ and call back as soon as you are able.
a. email b. whatsapp c. voicemail box d. trash bin.
 21. ________ is a way of feeling or acting towards a person, thing or situation.
a. experience b. maturity c. attitude d. enthusiasm

22. People who are _____ about life in general radiate a positive energy to everyone
around.
a. respectful b. conscious c. hard working d. enthusiastic
23. Organizations like to employ those employees who have greater ______ not only
towards their goals and incentives but also towards the position they are employed
for.
a. commitment b. willingness c. benefits d. vision
24. Employees with _______ ideas do not get affected with their failures while trying out
different ways and incessantly keep trying until they succeed.
a. committed b. conventional c. peculiar d. innovative
25. A ________attitude helps subordinates and leaders appreciate each other and work as
a team for achieving common objectives.
a. Progressive b. positive c. common d. working
26. Having a positive attitude helps employees to make better decisions__________
a. abjectively b. subjectively c. immediately d.
creatively
27. Positive people are also _______ because they are capable of saying no or standing up
for their rights.
a. motivated b. prepared c. empowered d. flexible
28. A ___________ team is happy to work harder, look for innovative solutions, and feel
like they have a personal stake in the company.
a. motivated b. hard working c. united d. optimistic
29. A positive attitude helps not only in the work place but also helps to build
__________ relations.
a. personal b. customer c. business d. official
30. Employees should have a ______ attitude whether they are interacting with clients
and customers or their teammates.
a. critical b. analytical c. respectful d. personal.

31. _____ analysis is a strategic planning method used to research external and internal
factors which affect the success and growth of a company.
a. SWOC b. critical c. analytical d. research
32. Write the full form of SWOC______

33. When beginning a SWOC analysis of a product or firm, you must go through each
section____
a. subjectively b. objectively c. individually d. strategically
34. ________ can be documented through statistics, customer service reviews and
surveys.
 a. strengths b. weaknesses c. records d. growth
35. __________ need to be documented and acknowledged to handle them promptly
before it spreads and leads to overall destruction.
a. features b. weaknesses c. strengths d. opportunities.
36. _________ are often external and provide ways for firms to grow successfully.
a. opportunities b. challenges c. struggles d. revenues
37. Being open to _________, knowing when to look for them, and how to act on them
can boost a firm’s success.
a. challenges b. threats c. opportunities d. failures
38. Write the full form of SWOT___________
39. __________ have the potential to damage a firm, but challenges often already exist
and need to be handled appropriately.
a. threats b. failures c. disadvantages d. weaknesses
40. __________ analysis can be applied at the overall organizational level, at a business
segment level, or even at the product level.
a. SWOC b. SWOT c. strategic d. potentials

Soft Skills KEY

1.c 16. a 31.a
2.a 17. c 32.a
3. a 18. b 33.c
4.a 19. a 34.a
5.b 20.c 35.b
6.b 21.c 36.a
7.b 22.d 37.c
8.a 23.a 38.b
9.b 24.d 39.a
10.c 25.b 40.a
11.c 26.a
12.a 27.c
13.a 28.a
14.a 29.b
15.b 30.c