Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Unit 5 Writing Skills

Structure:
5.1 Introduction
Objectives
5.2 Paragraph
Qualities of a good paragraph
Parts of a paragraph
Writing a paragraph
5.3 Static Description
5.4 Process Description
5.5 Describing Facts and Figures
5.6 Summary
5.7 Terminal Questions
5.8 Answers

5.1 Introduction
In the previous unit you have learnt the skills of reading; the other basic
forms of communication, oral skills and listening skills are already dealt with.
Now we have come to a juncture where advanced form is necessary to
communicate, in a more formal setting. Writing is one such skill, which can
be mastered, if right skills are learnt and practised. Faced with an intense or
complicated writing task, you may often struggle to write. However, the best
style of writing is clear and simple English, contrary to the belief that the
writing overflowing with difficult sounding words will be more effective! More
than being methodical – typing neatly, following all structural formats, etc.,
you should also know to use the right word at the right time. In this unit, we
shall learn how to put sentences together, to form a paragraph, in a
coherent and logical manner in order to express our ideas effectively.
Paragraphs are like gift boxes. They have three parts: a topic sentence
(which is like the box), detail sentences (which are like the things present
inside the box), and the conclusion or closing sentence (which is like a
bow that ties the whole thing together).

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 81

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Objectives:
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
 define paragraphs
 explain the qualities of a good paragraph
 classify the types of paragraphs and write a paragraph
 use appropriate words in describing any facts or figures
 explain the description of any process given as a figure
 read the facts and figures in the records and describe them with precise
words

5.2 Paragraph
The smallest unit of prose composition is the paragraph. A paragraph may
be defined as a group of sentences relating to a single topic, or developing a
single central idea. Just as a sentence contains one main thought, in the
same way a paragraph contains one main topic or theme. All the sentences
should be so grouped that they must serve to develop the main theme.
Letters, essays, stories, etc., are divided into paragraphs with each
paragraph developing a single idea. A good paragraph is like a strong chain,
it has no loose or weak links.
A paragraph may be long or short, but it is best to keep the paragraph just
as long or short as is necessary for the development of a particular theme.
Moreover, you are allowed to vary the length of the paragraphs because a
short paragraph after a long one gives variety and relief to the eye as well
as the mind.
5.2.1 Qualities of a good paragraph
A good paragraph, like a good sentence must possess the following:
1. Unity
2. Order
3. Variety
1. Unity: A good paragraph NEVER contains more than one main topic or
theme. A good paragraph is one whose theme can be expressed in one
sentence, which is called Topic Sentence.
2. Order: In a good paragraph the sentences are always arranged in a
logical manner. The events are given in a particular order – the order in
which they occur. A well written paragraph shows clear thinking and

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 82

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

logical arrangement. To achieve this effect certain conjunctions and

coherence words may be used. Hence, so, therefore, but, or, and, then
are some such words which connect sentences to make the paragraph a
well-knit organic whole.
3. Variety: A good paragraph must contain both long and short sentences,
sentences of varied construction and those of differing length. However,
your style of writing must be simple and clear.
5.2.2 Parts of a Paragraph
The parts of a paragraph are:
i) Topic Sentence
ii) Supporting Details
iii) Closing Sentence
i) Topic Sentence
The topic sentence is the first sentence in a paragraph. It introduces the
main idea of the paragraph. To write the topic sentence, summarize the
main idea of your paragraph. Indicate to the reader what your paragraph will
be about.
Example: There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best
countries in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system.
All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price.
Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by
well-trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university.
Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities
have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is
a desirable place to live.
Here, the first sentence summarizes the entire paragraph. Therefore, it is
the topic sentence.
ii) Supporting Details
They come after the topic sentence, making up the body of a paragraph.
They give details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph.
You write supporting details by giving supporting facts, details, and
examples.
Example: There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries
in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 83

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second,

Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-
trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university.
Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities
have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada is
a desirable place to live.
Here, the supporting details are given in 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7th sentences.
iii) Closing Sentence
The closing sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. It restates the
main idea of your paragraph. You write the Closing Sentence by restating
the main idea of the paragraph using different words.
Example: There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries
in the world. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All
Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second,
Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well-
trained teachers and are encouraged to continue studying at university.
Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently managed. Canadian cities
have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result, Canada
is a desirable place to live.
Here, the last sentence restates the main idea.
5.2.3 Writing a Paragraph
Given below are the steps that you have to follow while writing paragraphs:
i) Prewriting Paragraphs
ii) Writing Paragraphs
iii) Editing Paragraphs
iv) Publishing Paragraphs
i) Prewriting Paragraphs
The prewriting stage is when you think carefully and organize your ideas for
your paragraph before you begin writing.
Six Prewriting Steps:
1. Think carefully about what you are going to write: Ask yourself:
What question am I going to answer in this paragraph? How can I best
answer this question? What is the most important part of my answer?
How can I make an introductory sentence (or thesis statement) from the

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 84

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

most important part of my answer? What facts or ideas can I use to

support my introductory sentence? How can I make this paragraph
interesting? Do I need more facts on this topic? Where can I find more
facts on this topic?
2. Open your notebook: Write out your answers to the above questions.
You do not need to spend a lot of time doing this; just write enough to
help you remember why and how you are going to write your paragraph
or essay.
3. Collect facts related to your paragraph or essay topic: Look for and
write down facts that will help you to answer your question. Make sure
the facts you are writing are related to the exact question you are going
to answer in your paragraph or essay.
4. Write down your own ideas: Ask yourself: What else do I want to say
about this topic? Why should people be interested in this topic? Why is
this topic important?
5. Find the main idea of your paragraph or essay: Choose the most
important point you are going to present. If you cannot decide which
point is the most important, just choose one point and stick to it
throughout your paragraph.
6. Organize your facts and ideas in a way that develops your main
idea: Once you have chosen the most important point of your
paragraph, you must find the best way to tell your reader about it. Look
at the facts you have written. Look at your own ideas on the topic.
Decide which facts and ideas will best support the main idea of your
paragraph. Once you have chosen the facts and ideas you plan to use,
ask yourself which order to put them in the paragraph. Write down your
own points so that you can use it to guide yourself as you write your
paragraph.
ii) Writing Paragraphs
The writing stage is when you turn your ideas into sentences.
Five Writing Steps:
1. Open your notebook or word processor.
2. Write the topic sentence, supporting sentences, and closing sentence.
3. Write clear and simple sentences to express your meaning.

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 85

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

4. Focus on the main idea of your paragraph.

5. Use the dictionary to help you find additional words to express your
ideas
iii) Editing Paragraphs
The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and
correct them.
Grammar and Spelling
1. Check your spelling.
2. Check your grammar.
3. Read your paragraph again.
4. Make sure each sentence has a subject.
5. See if your subjects and verbs agree with each other.
6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence.
7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.
Style and Organization
1. Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence.
2. Make sure your supporting sentences focus on the main idea.
3. Make sure you have a closing sentence.
4. Check that all your sentences focus on the main idea.
5. See if your paragraph is interesting.
iv) Publishing Paragraphs
The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your paragraph to
hand in.
Three Publishing Steps:
1. Make a paper copy of your paragraph.
2. Show your work to your teacher, tutor, or parents.
3. Ask them for hints on how to improve your writing.
You have now learnt everything that you need to know to write a paragraph.
But wait, before you start to write a paragraph, have a look at these
samples:
1. My Favourite Hobby
My favorite hobby is stamp-collecting. I have a stamp-album in which I have
pasted all the foreign stamps I have been able to collect. It is really a nice
collection. I have stamps from all over the world- from Russia, from Japan,

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 86

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

from Turkey, from China, from U.S.A. and from Egypt. I have also some rare
stamps which were issued in Afghanistan and Tibet. How pretty they are!
How I like to enjoy the pictures of natural scenery, crowns, arms, shields,
historical monuments, lovely knights and ladies printed on these stamps!
Stamp Collecting is really a very useful and instructive hobby.
2. Where There is a Will There’s a Way
If you have the determination to do something you can find a way to do it.
There is usually nothing that is impossible to do. If you fail to do a thing it is
mainly because you have not the will to do it. Many men who have become
famous as scholars, statesman, inventors, had to struggle against
seemingly insufferable difficulties to win success. Napoleon, who rightly
believed that nothing, would be impossible, ordered the army to march into
Italy. “Sir, the Alps,” said the general. “There shall be no Alps,” the Emperor
asserted. And no Alps came in his way. To determine to succeed is a sure
way to success. What seems impossible will turn out to be possible, if you
carry on with determination.
3. Smoking
A bad habit is often harmful but not every bad habit is as harmful as
smoking. Besides being expensive, smoking does injury to one’s health. A
smoker gets nothing but smoke for his money. In the long run he may get
something worse- a dreadful disease called lung cancer. But habit, they say,
is second nature; most smokers remain smokers for life. And even when
they know that smoking can cause disease or even early death, they
continue smoking. Can anything be more unreasonable than that?
Self Assessment Questions
1. Define a paragraph.
2. _____ sentence expresses the theme of a good paragraph.
3. What steps do you follow while writing a paragraph?
4. What do you mean by editing paragraphs?

5.3 Static Description

Very often we have to describe the appearance of a layout, apparatus, a
place, thing or a person. We refer to this as static description. Some of the
important things that you have to keep in mind while listening to a
description or giving instructions are:

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 87

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

1. It should be orderly. You should have some organization in your

description. E.g. general to particular, more important to less important,
front to back and so on.
2. It should be clear. The listener should get a clear picture in his mind
about what you are describing.
3. It should be accurate. No external, unnecessary details have to be
included.
4. It should be complete. All the significant and important details should be
included.
Example:
This document provides the manufacturing specifications for the entire line
of Cosy Home Collection, ‘The Coy Lass’ salt shakers (Home Industries
model # 1255). A hand-painted ceramic collector’s item, ‘the Coy Lass’ salt
shaker represents cute, Barbie-like lass, her head bowed as if she is shy. A
baby pink flower-print skirt is painted onto the body of the girl. The salt is
dispensed through the girl’s matching bonnet, via a circular array of six
small holes. The bonnet twists off to allow the consumer to fill the dispenser
cavity.
Activity
Pick one of the shapes below. Write as accurate a description as you can,
to a fellow learner and see if he/she can recognize the shape from your
description of it. To aid your description, you can pick up the words from the
following vocabulary guide.
VOCABULARY GUIDE: STATIC
Above close to at the top inverted
Below apart at the foot/base of inside
Over away bottom of within
Underneath some distance beside outside
In the front from alongside circle
at the back front, back on one side square
to the right rear shaped like triangle
to the left upside down attached to rectangle
on the right hand side upper leading to straight
on the left hand side higher supporting spiral
in the middle (centre), lower fitting into slanting
near on top of covering diagonal
wavy

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 88

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Use this space to describe one of the above shapes and see whether others
can listen to your description and draw that shape more or less accurately.
This is a challenging task but with every exercise you will be able to express
and describe the shapes and things more accurately. Make use of the
vocabulary guide profusely.
Your description

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 89

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Discussion
Now go through your description of the shape and see what element in your
description is faulty or incomplete. Using the vocabulary guide provided,
improve your own description so that when you describe that to your friend
orally, he should be able to draw the shape that you have in mind. Once
again you check and find out what detail is missing in your description till
you get an accurate/complete description. Isn’t that mind-boggling?

5.4 Process Description (Narration)

Two very common kinds of narrative skills are:
a) describing how to do something
b) describing how something works
In describing how to do something, the main aim should be to arrange the
information in such a way, that the process can be done straight through
without unnecessary interruptions. In describing how to repair something for
example, it is best to list all the tools needed beforehand, so that the
workman does not have to go away in the middle of this job to look for a
hammer or a saw. Once again your description should be accurate, clear
and complete.

Example
When your pet comes to stay at the Happy Stay Vacation Home, he will get
a daily grooming and exercise ritual designed by a local veterinarian to keep
him happy and healthy. Each morning, our canine guests are gently woken
by your choice of music, radio station, or even a tape of your own voice!
After a quick mouthwash and a bacon-flavored doggie biscuit, your pooch
will be taken out in our spacious recreation area for a breath of fresh air and
a few minutes of healthy exercise with an imported Italian doggie ball or a
favourite toy he has brought with him....
(Source: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/technical/process.htm)

Now let us practise process description.

Exercise 1 Fill in the blanks to describe how olive oil is produced:
From September to the beginning of November olive gathering starts:
__________, trees are shaken. _______, olives are sorted out _______ ,
the ones for making oil are picked and they are brought to the oil-mill. There,

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 90

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

they are poured into round baskets which are piled up into the oil-press.
________, the oil-press is sealed and a lever is inserted in its hole. ______ ,
the oil press is worked round by hand. _______ , the oil is collected.

5.5 Describing Facts and Figures

You have learnt the meanings of static and process description. Now, after
practising to describe using the suggested words, it will be easier to express
in words what you see in figures. Factual information is provided in either
graphic or diagrammatic form. In your daily work schedule, you may come
across many records to be filled in or you may see figures, tables, pie charts
and bar charts that have to be interpreted correctly. Graphs can be used to
visually represent the relationship of data. It can help organize and show
the statistics. Organizing data graphically can come in handy in fields like
business, sports, teaching, politics, advertising, etc.
All safety facilities maintain registers or records of various kinds. These
provide the vital keys to the wealth of information contained in the records of
the work place. One of the records used in the Safety department is the
‘Ladder Inspection List.’ It is the key to ensure safety of the workmen while
using the fixed ladder.
Exercise 2:
Given below is an example of the Fixed ladder Inspection List. Read it
carefully and answer the questions given below:

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 91

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Ladder Safety: Fixed Ladder Inspection Checklist

Department: Field Safety and Building Inspection
Program: Ladder Safety
Owner: Program Manager
Authority: ES&H Manual, Chapter 15, Ladder Safety1
Building Number: 23E/556 Location: warehouse
Date: 15 January, 2009 Tracking Number:__________
Fall Protection? yes √ no__ Cage? yes √ no __
Material: Metal √ Wood __ Length: 6.5 metres
Vertical bars less than 9.5" ? yes √ no __
Back of ladder clearance: > 7 inches? yes √ no __
Ladder width: > 16 inches? yes √ no __
Climbing clearance: > 15 inches from rung center? yes √ no __
Rail extension length: > 42 inches? yes √ no __
Are unavoidable obstructions greater than 4.5 inches above rung
and more than 1.5 inches below? yes √ no __
Are the rung and rail surfaces acceptable? yes √ no __
Are the rungs spaced uniformly at 12 inches or less? yes √ no __
OSHA compliant? yes √ o __
Notes:

A. Answer the following questions:

1. The owner of the programme is _______
2. The building number is _____
3. What is the length of the ladder?
4. Name the location of the inspection.
5. When was the inspection held?

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 92

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

B. Say whether the following sentences are true or false

1. The ladder is made of wood.
2. According to the checklist, the rungs of the ladder are spaced
uniformly.
3. The ideal clearance for the back of the ladder is > 7 inches
4. The climbing clearance is not > 15 inches from the rung center
5. The Rail extension length of the ladder is > 42 inches
Exercise 3
Given below is a bar graph. It shows the number of people holding various
jobs. Read it carefully and answer the questions given below.

Questions:
i) About how many people work for medical department?
ii) About how many people work in the political field?
iii) About how many people work for the armed forces (Navy, Air Force,
and Army)?
iv) Which job listed has the most workers?
v) About how many people have opted to work as teachers?
vi) Which is the department that is least opted by people?
(Source: http://www.wtamu.edu)

When you see any record, graph or chart, you should be able to decipher
the meaning or the terms that are given in them. The charts or records have
to be observed carefully before you conclude any aspects of them. Once
you know to point out the key details of the graph or record, it is easy to

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 93

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

describe it in your own words. The next step will be in describing the pattern
or the trends of the graph. As we already know graph is not static, it shows
some change from the original pattern. The figure gives us the clue as to
the changing trend of the data that is supplied in the graph. There are
certain words or adjectives that will help you to describe the changes that
you see in a graph. They are:
i) for upward trends: rise, increase, peak
ii) downward trends: drop, fall, decline, dip
iii) any trend that is steady: gradual, sharp, considerable, comparative
iv) any trend that is constant: stable, same.
Exercise 4:
Look at the graph given below and read the questions. Answer them as you
have tried in the previous two exercises. This gives you the basic data that
you need to collect from any given graph. Now try to analyse the graph by
writing a paragraph on the same.

This graph shows the profit a toy manufacturing unit made over the last four
months of the year.
Given below are questions that help you collect the data. If you are able to
get the answers to these questions, half your work is done! The correct
answers mean you have been successful in collecting the data that you
require.
a) About how much was the profit in the month of October?
b) Which month had the lowest profit?
c) What is the difference between the profits of November and December?

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 94

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Paragraph: The line graph shows the profit that a toy manufacturing
company has made over the months of September through December. The
month of September shows Rs. 5,000 profit, which is the lowest point. So
the company saw the least profit in the month of September. At the same
time, the month of October has recorded the highest profit made by the
company showing Rs. 23,000 mark. Again the profit dipped to Rs. 15,000 in
the month of November and showed a convenient rise to reach Rs. 20,000
in the month of December.
Exercise 5:
Given below is the histogram giving the mortality rates for coronary heart
disease in men by number of cigarettes smoked in the age group 35-44. It is
taken from. Medically Speaking: English for the Medical Profession., P.L.
Sandler (P. 61). Go through the paragraph that follows. It has been built up
from the data of the histogram.

Paragraph: The histogram shows the relative mortality rates between non-
smokers and cigarette smokers. The figures are death rates per 100,000
men a year, and among the smokers they are based on the average daily
consumption of cigarettes. Thus it can be seen that the mortality rate among
those who did not smoke was 18 per 100,000 per year, whereas for those
who smoked less than ten cigarettes a day the rate was 41 per 100,000 per
year. For those who smoked between ten and twenty a day the rate was 73
per 100,000 a year, whereas for those smoking twenty-one to thirty-nine
cigarettes a day it was 88 per 100,000 a year. Those who smoked more
than forty a day had a mortality rate of 94 per 100,000 per year.

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 95

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

5.6 Summary
In this unit, you learnt the importance of the conciseness of a paragraph.
You also understood how to write a compact paragraph. You practised
reading the graph and learnt to comprehend the given contents. With the
help of the given clues or data, you also learnt to develop the same into a
paragraph. This kind of static and process description will help in filling the
forms that you come across in your daily administration. It will enable you to
choose the essential data from any records and build up the same.

5.7 Terminal Questions

1. Name the different parts of the paragraph and explain with an example
of your own.
2. What is static description? Explain with examples.
3. Observe the water jacket type testing of hydrostatic pressure testing and
describe the same in writing.
Practice Exercises
Write a paragraph on each of the following topics:
1. Empty vessels make the most noise
2. A stitch in time saves nine.
4. Rome was not built in a day

5.8 Answers
Self Assessment Questions
1. A paragraph is a group of sentences relating to a single topic. In other
words, it develops a single central idea.
2. Topic Sentence
3. The four steps that have to be followed while writing a paragraph are:
Prewriting, Writing, Editing and Publishing
4. The editing stage is when you check your paragraph for mistakes and
correct them
Exercise 1
From September to the beginning of November olive gathering starts : In the
beginning, trees are shaken. Then, olives are sorted out first, the ones for
making oil are picked and they are brought to the oil-mill. There, they are
poured into round baskets, which are piled up into the oil-press. Later, the

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 96

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

oil-press is sealed and a lever is inserted in its hole. After that , the oil press
is worked round by hand. In this way, the oil is collected.
Exercise 2
A. Answer the following questions:
1. Programme manager
2. 23E/556
3. 6.5 metres
4. Warehouse
5. The inspection was held on 15th January 2009
B. Say whether the following sentences are true or false
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. True
Exercise 3:
i) 225000 ii) 40000 iii) 375000 iv) Marketing v) 325000 vi) politics
Exercise 4:
a) About 23,000 Rs. b) September c) 5,000 Rs
Terminal Questions
1. The parts of a paragraph are:
Topic Sentence, Supporting Details and Closing Sentence (Give your
own example and explain the three points given above)
2. Explaining any object which is stationary is called Static description.
3. To maintain the quality and safety of the portable fire extinguishers,
water jacket type testing of hydrostatic pressure testing must be utilized.
All critical components of the fire extinguisher must be tested to ensure
proper function. First, the extinguisher valve is removed and the threads
and interior of the cylinder are checked for corrosion, pitting, and any
other abnormalities. If the cylinder passes the visual inspection, it is
placed into a steel chamber, which is then filled with water at normal
pressure. A glass burette attached to the side of the steel chamber will
read zero, indicating normal or zero pressure of the chamber water.
Water is then applied at high pressure to the interior of the extinguisher's
cylinder. As the pressure increases, the cylinder will expand and push

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 97

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

water from the steel chamber through a small hole and into the glass
burette. After the pressure is released, the cylinder will contract and the
water will move from the burette back to the steel chamber. Depending
on the results, the tester will either pass or fail the cylinder.
Practice Exercises
You have the freedom to write your own paragraphs in varied ways, here’s a
sample of how paragraphs on these topics can be written:
1. Empty Vessels Make the Most Noise
A humble man often tells you that he knows very little when in reality he
may know a lot. A braggart does the opposite-he boasts of his
knowledge when in reality he knows nothing much about the topic. The
former is like a vessel full of grain; if you tap it hardly produces any
sound at all. The latter is like an empty vessel- it needs very little tapping
to produce big noises. Empty headed people always think a world of
themselves!
2. A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
A small tear becomes a big hole, in just the same way as a small illness
grows into a big disease or a small quarrel among children leads to a
major feud between families. For diseases, prevention is better than
cure; so too for tears or holes in one’s clothes. A good mother does not
allow the tear that appears on her child’s clothes to become big; she
stitches it or darns it in time to save much greater work later and to keep
the clothes as good as new. Her stitch in time thus saves many stitches
and a lot of unnecessary labour. Good neighbours do much the same;
they do not allow children’s quarrels to grow big and become family
quarrels. They help the children to forget and forgive and to live happily
together. Timely actions always save situations from becoming worse.
3. Rome Was Not Built in a Day
Rome, the greatest city of the ancient world was not built in a short time.
It took several years to build Rome and to bring it to the state of glory.
And it is the same with any great achievement. When we wish to
achieve something, we cannot expect success in a moment. We should
not be impatient. We must stick to the work till it is finished. We must
bear in mind a saying similar to the above: ‘If at first you don’t succeed,
try, try and try again. An important task cannot be done without patience
and perseverance.

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 98

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Remedial English
Conjunctions
A Conjunction is a word, which connects words, phrases, clauses or
sentences. There are two classes of conjunctions. They are:
1. Co-ordinate conjunctions
2. Subordinate conjunctions.
Co-ordinate conjunctions join two ideas or sentences, which are of
importance. They also join two words of equal grammatical rank. The chief
co-ordinate conjunctions are – and, but, for, nor, or, otherwise, so, else,
either -------- or, neither ------- nor, yet, only, both ------- and, however.
At 10, she went to bed, and fell asleep.
Yesterday was sunny but cold.
He was angry for he had missed the bus.
Neither owls nor bats come out during the day.
Turn down the heat or the cake will burn.
You can go to Tokyo either by land or by sea.
Don’t drive so fast, otherwise you will crash.
English examination was easy; however, biology was difficult.
It rained and so the match was cancelled.
She worked hard yet failed to pass.
I would like to be there, only I would be out of station.
She plays both the piano and the violin.
Exercise 1: Use correct coordinating conjunctions in the blanks.
1. You sang well ____ you need a little more practice.
2. She opened the door ___ walked in.
3. The river was not deep enough, ____ they returned home.
4. He _____ remembers your name _____ your face.
5. Father doesn’t want to send me to Australia, _____ I am continuing my
studies here.
Subordinate Conjunctions: are the conjunctions that connect the in
complete idea to the main.
The patient had died before the doctor arrived.
Before the doctor arrived – incomplete idea.
The patient had died - main idea.
Before – subordinating conjunction.

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 99

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

There are many subordinating conjunctions. They are used to express

different incomplete statements, or function as a part of them. They tell us
about:
1. time
2. manner
3. place
4. condition
5. reason
6. concession
7. result
8. purpose
9. comparison
1. Subordinate conjunctions express a period of time: when, while, as
since, after. before, until, as soon as, no sooner, whenever, till, hardly
…. when.
When the baby cried, mother ran towards him.
The workers had hardly left when the building collapsed.
2. Manner expression is linked with the subordinating conjunctions as,
as if / as though
Sometimes Pinky talks as though / if she knew everything. (actually
she doesn’t know anything)
3. Place expression are linked with conjunctions – where, wherever.
Do not park you car where there is no enough room to take a U-turn.
You can sleep wherever you like.
4. Conditional expressions are made with - whether, if, unless
Mother asked me whether I wanted nice or bread for the night.
If we win the match, we shall be greatly honoured.
Many of us do not go to a film unless it has a good story and music.
5. Reason is expressed using conjunctions like - because, since, as.
Children did not go out to play because it was raining heavily.
Since Joe failed to get a reservation, he cancelled his trip to
Darjeeling.
6. Concessive (used to contrast what follows) expressions are linked with
conjunctions – though, although, even though
Though it was a difficult climbing, they managed to reach the top of
the mount in the end.

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 100

Fundamentals of Communication Skills Unit 5

Although your ideas are well organized, you need to improve your
pronunciation.
Even though I have been learning painting for over ten years, I
have not been able to achieve perfection.
7. Idea expressing result is associated with conjunctions – so --- that.
The athlete ran so fast that he reached the winning line in 30 seconds.
8. Idea of purpose is expressed with conjunctions - so that, in order that
People work hard so that they can earn money for a dignified living.
We eat in order that we may live.
9. Comparison is linked with – than, as---as
Your essay is better than mine. (is)
I think the Pacific ocean is as deep as the Atlantic Ocean. (is)
Exercise 2: Spot the coordinating conjunctions in the sentences
below:
1. The bird perched on the branch of a tree and ate up the worm.
2. Food was very well prepared but it was not hot enough.
3. My grandmother has no teeth, so she cannot chew carrots.
4. Keep off the grass otherwise; the gardener will shout at you.
5. When my parents are away, I prepare my own food or eat out.

Interjections
A word, which expresses a sudden and intense feeling of surprise, joy, fear,
sadness is interjection. The exclamation mark put after it indicates. (Ah!
Hurrah! Well! Dear! Oh!) Interjection is not grammatically connected with
the rest of the sentence.
Hurrah! We have won the match.

Answers
Exercise 1:
1. but 2. and 3. so 4. neither-nor 5. so
Exercise 2:
1. and 2. But 3. So 4. Otherwise 5. when

Manipal University Jaipur B1026 Page No.: 101