ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

LAB MANUAL
(B. Tech-First Year-R18 Syllabus-JNTUH)

Computer Assisted Language Learning Lab (Part-I)

DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES

JOGINPALLY B. R. ENGINEERING COLLEGE
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION SKILLS LAB MANUAL
Computer Assisted Language Learning Lab (Part-I)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
UNIT-I 1
Introduction to Phonetics 1
Speech Sounds 3
Classification of Consonants 6
UNIT-II 8
The Syllable 8
Past Tense Markers 9
Plural Markers 12
Content Words and Function Words 13
Weak Forms and Strong Forms 14
Consonant Clusters 17
UNIT-III 20
Minimal Pairs 20
Word Accent / Stress 21
Rules of Word Stress 22
Listening Comprehension 25
Effective Listening 26
UNIT-IV 28
Intonation 28
Pitch 28
Common Errors in Pronunciation 30
UNIT-V 33
Neutralization of Mother Tongue Influence 33
Conversation Practice 34
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COMPUTER ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING (CALL) LAB

(Part-I)

UNIT-I
(Introduction to Phonetics – Speech Sounds – Vowels and Consonants)

INTRODUCTION TO PHONETICS

Speech Mechanism: - We, as human beings possess the ability to produce sounds by using
certain body mechanisms. These mechanisms have other functions to perform such as breathing,
smelling, chewing and swallowing and these are the primary functions of the organs used for
speech. Speech is an overlaid function.

Our body from the head to the abdomen is needed for the production of spoken language. These
are three groups of bodily organs which are used. One group lies in the trunks, one in the throat
and one in the head. These are usually known respectively as:

1 The Respiratory System: lungs, bronchial tubes, wind pipe or trachea.

2 The Phonatory System: larynx or voice box, vocal cords.
3 The Articulatory System: nose, lips, mouth, teeth, tongue.

These three systems, with very different primary functions, work together as a unified whole to
produce speech (see figure)

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Phonetics: Phonetics (from the Greek phone means sound, voice) is a branch of linguistics
that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech. It is concerned with the physical
properties of speech sounds (phones), and the processes of their physiological production,
auditory reception, and neurophysiological perception.

When we are dealing with a language like English, we have to remember that there is no one-to-
one relationship between the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they represent. As you know,
there are 26 letters of the alphabet and these letters represent 44 sounds in the Received
Pronunciation of England (R.P), a variety of speech.

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IPA Symbols

Since there is no one-to-one correspondence between the sounds and the letters of alphabet, we
need a different notation in which one symbol represents only one sound. Of many notations
available, we will follow the symbols of the International Phonetics Association. These
symbols are known as the International Phonetic Alphabet (I PA). The IPA symbols can be
used to transcribe the sounds of any language. Phonetic transcription is a universal system for
transcribing sounds that occur in spoken language.

1.2. SPEECH SOUNDS

Classification of Sounds: There are 44 speech sounds in English Language. These speech
sounds are classified into two types.

(1)Vowels (pure vowels)--12

A Vowel is a speech sound in which the mouth is open and the tongue is not touching the top of
the mouth, the teeth, etc.

(2) Diphthongs—8

A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds or vowel letters.

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(3) Consonants—24

A consonant is a speech sound made by completely or partly stopping the flow of air being
breathed out through the mouth.

PURE VOWELS DIPHTHONGS

S.No. Symbol Key Words S.No. Symbols Key Words

1 Feel, meal, seal 1 Play, day, take

2 Fill, mill, sill 2 My, sigh, tie

3 Net, set, met 3 Go, soak, coke

4 Mat, rat, fat 4 Now, shout, vow

5 Car, farm, all 5 Boy, coil, toy

6 Hot, got, shot 6 Fear, here, beer

7 Caught, born, sought 7 Pair, rare, share

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8 Pull, book, bush 8 Poor, cure, tour

9 Pool, rule, tool

10 Cut, null, dull

11 Girl, dirt, firm

12 About, ago, China

CONSONANTS

S.No. Symbols Key Words S.No.Symbols Key Words

1 Pat, pit, pull 13 Sill, sat, sun

2 Bat, bill, bull 14 Zip, zeal, zero

3 Tap, tin, tone 15 Sugar, shoe, show

4 Done, din, dog 16 Vision, pleasure, measure

5 Kite, king, car 17 Man, male, mill

6 Gun, gate, goal 18 Not, nail, know

7 Chair, charm, chin 19 Thing, dung, bang

8 Judge, jar, gin 20 Hall, how, hen

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9 Fan, fill, phone 21 Low, line, lane

10 Van, vine, vote 22 Road, ram, rug

11 Think, thank, thin 23 Water, win, won

12 The, this, then 24 Yes, you, yolk

1.3. CLASSIFICATION OF CONSONANTS

Consonants are usually classified to (1) the place of articulation and (2) the manner of
articulation.

Place of Articulation: the place of articulation simply involves the active and passive
articulators used in the production of a particular consonant.

Manner of Articulation: the manner of articulation refers to the type of stricture involved in the
production of a consonant.

Place of Bilabial Labio Dental Alveolar Post Palato Palatal Velar Glottal
articulation Dental alveolar alveolar

Manner of Vl Vd Vl Vd Vl Vd Vl Vd Vl Vd Vl Vd Vl Vd Vl Vd Vl Vd
articulation

Plosives P,b t,d k ,g

Affricates
,
Fricatives f , v θ, ð s , z , h

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Nasal m n ŋ
Lateral l
Semi-vowels j w
Frictionless r
continuant

PLACE OF ARTICULATION
bilabial: a speech sound made by using both lips, such as /b/ /p/ and /m/ in /buy/ /pie/ and
/my/.

Labiodentals: a speech sound made by placing the top teeth against the bottom lip, for example
/f/ and /v/ in fan and van.

Dental: produced with the tongue against the upper front teeth, for example / θ / and / ð /
in thin and this.

alveolar: a speech sound made with the tongue touching the part of the mouth behind the upper
front teeth, for example /t/ and /d/ in tie and die.

Post-Alveolar : produced with the tip of the tongue as the active articulator and the part of the
roof of the mouth that lies immediately behind the teeth ridge as the passive articulator for
example: / r /as in try, dry.

Palato-Alveolar: The tip of the tongue is the active articulator and the teeth ridge is the passive
articulator. Simultaneously, the front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate.
For example: / ʧ/ and / ¢/as in chin and jar, / ʃ / and / 7 / as in sheep and vision.

palatal: a speech sound made by placing the tongue against or near the hard palate of the
mouth, for example /j/ at the beginning of yes.

Velar: a speech sound made by placing the back of the tongue against or near the back part of
the mouth.

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For example /k/ or /g/ in the English words key and go.

glottal: a speech sound produced by the glottis, for example: /h/ as in hot, hall.

MANNER OF ARTICULATION

Plosives or Stops:

Plosives are articulated with a complete closure and slow release of the air passage.
E.g.: /p/ -pin, / b/ -bin, / t / -tin, /d / -din, / k/ -kin, / g/-gum

Affricate:

Sounds are articulated with complete closure and slow release of the air passage.
E.g.: / ʧ/- chain and / ¢/-jane

Fricative:

The air passage is narrowed at some place in the mouth so that the air, while escaping causes
audible friction.
E.g.: / f / -fine: /v/ -vine, / θ/ -think: /ð/ -this, / s / -seal, /z/ -zeal, / ʃ / -sheep, / 7 / --
measure, / h/ -how

Nasal:

There is complete closure at some point in the mouth and the air is released through the nose.
E.g.: /m / -mat, / n/ -net, / ŋ / -sung

Lateral:

There is complete closure of the mouth with the air escaping through the sides of the tongue.
E.g.: / l / -light

Semi-vowels:

A semi-vowel is a vowel-glide to a more prominent sound in the same syllable. In English there
are two semi-vowels. / j / is unrounded palatal semi-vowel. / W / is rounded labio-velar semi-
vowel. E.g. yes, wet.

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Frictionless continuant:

A Frictionless continuant is articulated with a stricture of open approximation- i.e., it is vowel-

like in its articulation, but is classified as a consonant because it always occupies the marginal
position in the structure of a syllable. E.g.: / r/ -rat.

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UNIT-II
(Structure of Syllables - Past Tense Marker and Plural Marker – Weak Forms and Strong Forms -
Consonant Clusters)

THE SYLLABLE

Words are made up of one or more than one separately pronounced parts, which are called
syllables. A syllable is a group of sounds with one vowel sound and one or more than one
consonant sounds.

Many words have more than one syllable each. For example, the English word, teacher has two
syllables, teach / ti:ʧ / and er /e/.

Structure of Syllables

A syllable can be analyzed in terms of its segments which are also called speech sounds. These
segments fall into two categories, consonants and vowels. A consonant functions as a marginal
element, i.e., it occurs at the beginning or at the end of a syllable when it is termed a releasing or
an arresting consonant. The vowel is the nucleus or the central part of the syllable.

For example, the word book / / has the structure CVC (i.e., it is made up of one
consonant, one vowel and one consonant). The structure of the syllable / / can be shown
thus:
C V C

releasing consonant nucleus arresting consonant

Table for Syllables of Words

Syllables Words Sounds of consonant (C) and vowel (V)

One book, eat, mouth C + V+C, V+C, C+V+C

Two reader, almost C + V / C + V, V+C / C+V+CC

Three Already, condition V+C / C+V, C+V+C / C+V+C

More than three Examination V+C+C+V/C+V/C+V/C+V+C

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PAST TENSE MARKERS (alveolar plosives, / t / and / d /)

The alveolar plosives, / t / (voiceless) and / d / (voiced) are inflexional suffixes when used for
making past and past participle forms of verbs. The suffixes are always represented by the letter -
d or the letters -ed. The different pronunciations of these suffixes are governed by the following
rules.
1. These suffixes are pronounced / t / after voiceless consonants other than / t /.

For example kicked / kikt /

laughed / lɑ:ft /

locked / lαkt /

pushed / pʊʃt /

stopped / stɒpt /

2. The following are pronounced / d / after voiced sounds (remember, voiced sounds
include vowels) other than / d /.

For example begged / begd /

called / kc:ld /

loved / lxvd /

played / pleid /

robbed / rαbd /

3. They are pronounced /-id / when the root verb ends in / t / and / d /.

For example handed / ‘hændid /

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hunted / ‘hxntid /

lamented / lə’mentid /

landed / ‘lændid /

loaded / ‘ləʊdid /

wanted /’wαntid /

PLURAL MARKERS (alveolar fricatives / s / and / z /)

Both Alveolar Fricatives / s / and / z / are inflexional suffixes and plural markers. These are used
for making plurals and possessives of nouns and simple present tense third person singular forms
of verbs. The suffixes are always represented by the letter -s or the letters -es. The different
pronunciations of these suffixes are governed by the following rules.

1. These suffixes are pronounced /-s / after voiceless consonants other than / s /, / ʃ / and
/ ʧ /.

For example cats / kæts /

cooks / kʊks /
coughs / kαfs /
cups / kʌps /
months / mʌnθs /

2. The following are pronounced /-z / after voiced sounds (remember, voiced sounds
include vowels) other than / z /, / 7 / and / ¢ /.

For example bags / bægz

/
boards / bc:dz /
calls / kc:lz /
cities / sitiz /

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comes / kʌmz /
cows / kaʊz /

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ears / iəz /
goes / gəʊz /
loathes / ləʊðz /
loves / lxvz /
plays / pleiz /
rubs / rxbz /
sons / sxnz /

3. They are pronounced /-iz / when the root (i.e., singular noun or the infinitive form of

the verb) ends in / s /, /z/, / ʃ /, / 7 /, / ʧ / and / ¢ /.

For example buses / bxsiz/

bushes / bʊʃiz /
catches / kæʧiz /
edges / e¢iz /
garages / gærɑ:7iz /
roses / rəʊziz /

CONTENT WORDS AND FUNCTION WORDS

It is generally the case that one word is stressed more than any other since it possesses the
highest information content for the discourse utterance, that is, it informs the hearer most. The
group of words described above is largely from what is called 'content' words as opposed to
'function' words.

Content (stressed) words are nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs while function (unstressed)
words are articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and modal auxiliaries. Furthermore, it is content
words that are polysyllabic, not function words.

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This classification conforms to grammatical considerations. The classification we present here

from a suprasegmental viewpoint that is on the basis of being stressed or not, is slightly different
from that of grammar. Consider the following:

Content/Stressed Words Function/Unstressed Words

Main verbs modal auxiliaries

Nouns Articles

Adjectives Conjunctions

Adverbs Prepositions

Demonstratives Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns

For example: She ‘took the ‘dog for a ‘walk in the ‘park.

WEAK FORMS AND STRONG FORMS

Content or lexical words tend to be stressed and structural or functional words are generally not
stressed in connected speech. Structural or functional words have a strong form and weak form.
When these words are not stressed the weak form is used. For example, the word and is

pronounced / ænd / in isolation, but in connected speech it is reduced to /ənd /, / ən/ or

/n /. People often say butter and jam and bread and butter as

/ bxtər ən ¢æm / / bred n bxtə /

and not with the strong form / ænd /. The use of weak forms is essential part of English speech
and you must learn to use the weak forms of structural words if you want to acquire the rhythm
of English speech.

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The following is a list of some structural words which have weak forms in connected speech:

ARTICLES STRONG WEAK FORMS EXAMPLES

FORMS
a / ei / / ə/ a girl / ə g›:l /
an / æn / / ən / an apple /æn æpl/
the / ði:/ / ði/ before a vowel the orange / ði αrin¢ /
/ ðə/ before a consonant the pen /ðə pen/

AUXILIARY STRONG WEAK EXAMPLES

VERBS FORMS FORMS
am / æm / / əm / I’m coming /aim kxmiŋ /
are / ɑ: / / ə/ We’re coming /wiə kxmiŋ /
can / kæn / / kən / Can I go? / kən ai gəʊ /
does / dxz / / dəz / What does he want? /wαt dəz i: wαnt/
had / hæd / / həd / We’d finished / wi:d finiʃt /
/əd /, /d /
has / hæz / /həz/ Has he gone? / həz i: gαn /
/əz/, /z/,
/s/ She’s left /ʃi:z left /
have / hæv / /həv/ Have they gone? / həv ðei gαn /
/əv/, /v/ I’ve finished / aiv finiʃt /
is /iz/ /z/, /s/ She’s coming /ʃi:z kxmiŋ /
It’s raining / its reiniŋ /
shall /ʃæl / /ʃəl /, /ʃl / What shall I do? /wαt ʃəl ai du:/
was /wαz / /wəz / I was reading / ai wəz ri:diŋ /
were / w›: / / wə/ Were you reading? / wə jʊ ri:diŋ /
They were playing / ðei wə pleiiŋ /
will /wil/ / l/ I’ll go / ail gəʊ /
would / wʊd / /əd /, /d / She’d be there /ʃi:d bi ðeə /
must / mxst / /məst/, I must go now / ai məs gəʊ naʊ /
/məs/

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CONJUNCTIONS STRONG WEAK EXAMPLES

FORMS FORMS

and / ænd / /ənd /, /ən /, Father and mother

/n / / fɑ:ðər ən mxðə /
as / æz / /əz/ Try as hard as you can
/ trai əz hɑ:d əz jʊ: kæn /
than / ðæn / / ðən / Better than you / bətə ðən jʊ: /
that / ðæt / / ðət / I said that I was busy
/ ai sed ðət ai wəz bizi /
but / bxt / /bət / But I’m busy / bət aim bizi /

PREPOSITIONS STRONG WEAK EXAMPLES

FORMS FORMS

at / æt / /ət / Look at them / lʊk ət ðəm /

for / fc:/ /fə/ This is for you / ðis iz fə jʊ: /
from / frαm / / frəm / Better than you / bətə ðən jʊ: /
of / αv / / əv / A cup of tea / ə kxp əv ti: /
to / tʊ: / / tʊ / before a Give it to Asha / giv it tʊ ɑ:ʃə/
vowel, Give it to me / giv it tə mi:/
/tə/ before a
consonant

PRONOUNS STRONG WEAK EXAMPLES

FORMS FORMS

you /jʊ: / /jʊ/, /jə / Why don’t you come?

/ wαi dəʊnt jʊ kxm /
me /mi:/ / mi / Give me a book / giv mi ə bʊk /
he /hi:/ /hi/, /i:/, / i/ He’s not well /hiz nαt wel/

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she /ʃi:/ /ʃi/ When is she coming?

/ wen iz ʃi kxmiŋ /
him /him/ /im/ Let him do it / let im dʊ: it /
her / h›: / /hə/, /›:/,/ə/ Let her do it / let ə dʊ: it /
them /ðəm / /ðəm /,/ðm/, Ask them to leave
/əm /, /m/ / ɑ:sk ðəm tə li:v /

CONSONANT CLUSTERS

A consonant cluster is a group of two or more consonant letters together in a word. For example,
in the word “brilliant”, “br” is a consonant cluster, as is “ll”, and also “nt”. Consonant clusters
are also sometimes known as “consonant blends”.

Consonant clusters can occur at the beginning (an initial consonant cluster), in the middle (a
medial consonant cluster) or at the end of a syllable (a final consonant cluster).

For example, /-st / in the word test, /-mpt/ in the word tempt and /-ksθs/ in the word
sixths.

Here are a few examples of common English consonant clusters.

INITIAL CLUSTERS

First Member Letters of Cluster Examples

of the Cluster
/p/ /pl-/, /pr-/,/pj-/ Place, play, pray, private, pupil, pure
/b/ /bl-/, /br-/,/bj-/ Blade, blind, bright, bring, beauty
/t/ /tr-/,/tw-/,/tj-/ Tray, try, twenty, twinkle, tutor, tune
/d/ /dr-/,/dw-/,/dj-/ Draw, dry, dwell, during, duty
/k/ /kl-/,/kr-/,kw-,/kj-/ Class, clay, cross, cry, quick, cure
/g/ /gl-/, /gr-/ Glad, glass, glory, grain, green, grind
/f/ /fl-/,/fr-/,/fj-/, Floor, fly, frame, friend, few, funeral,
/v/ /vj-/ view
/θ/ /θr-/ Three, throw

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/s/ /sp-/, /st-/, /sk- /,/sm-/, Space, speak, staff, state, scale, school,
small, smell, snake, sneer, slave, sleep,
/sn-/,/sl-/, /sw-/ swallow, swear,
(three consonants) Splash, split, straight, strength, sprain,
/spl-/, /str-/, /spr-/, spring, student, stupid, scream, screen,
/stj-/, /skr-/, /skw-/ square
/h/ /hj-/ Hue, huge
/m/ /mj-/ Music, mute
/n/ /nj-/ New, numerous

FINAL CLUSTERS

Final Element Letters of Cluster Examples

of the Cluster
/p/ /-mp/, /-lp/ (two) Pump, stamp, help, pulp
/t/ /-pt/, /-kt/, /- ʧt/ Adopt, except, act, fact, attached, reached
/-ft,/ /-st/, Coughed, laughed, first, test, thirst
/-ʃt/, /-nt/, /-lt/ Crushed, pushed, ant, tent, bolt, tilt
/-dst/, /-kst/, (three) Midst, fixed
/-skt/ /-mpt/, next, asked, attempt, tempt
/-ntʃt/, /-nst/ lunched, against, danced
/-ŋkt/, /-ŋst/ Thanked, amongst
/-lpt/, /-lkt/, /-lst/ Helped, milked, whilst
/d/ /-bd/, /-gd/ (two) Robbed, sobbed, begged
/- ¢d/, /-vd/ Judged, loved, proved
/-ðd/, /-zd/ Breathed, confused
/-md/, /-nd/ Blamed, band, hand
/-ŋd/, /-ld/ Banged, bold, cold
/-n¢d/, /-lvd/ (three) Changed, resolved
/k/ /-sk/, /-ŋk/, /-lk/ Ask, task, tank, thank, bulk, milk
/ ʧ/ /-nʧ/ Branch, lunch
/ ¢/ /-n¢/ Change, orange
/f/ /-lf/ Self
/v/ /-lv/ Evolve, solve
/θ/ /-pθ/, /-tθ/, /-dθ/ Depth, eighth, width

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/-fθ/, /-mθ/, /-nθ/
/-ŋθ/, /-lθ/
/-ksθ/, /-lfθ/
/s/ /-ps/, /-ts/, /-ks/ (two)
/-fs/, /-θs/,/-ns/, /-ls/
/-pts/, /-pθs/, /-kts/
(three)
/-fts/, /-fθs/, /-sps/
/-sts/, /-sks/, /-mps/
/-nts/, /-nθs/, /-ŋks/
/-lps/, /-lks/
/-mpts/, /-lfθs/
/z/ /-bz/, /-dz/, /-gz/ (two)
/-vz/, /-ðz/, /-mz/
/-nz/, /-ŋz/, /-lz/
/-ndz/, /-ldz/, /-lvz/
(three)
Fifth, warmth, month
Strength, health
(three) Sixth, twelfth
Cats, caps, box
Laughs, fourths, chance, dance, false
Adopts, depths, acts
Lifts, fifths, clasps
Beasts, tasks, lamps
Ants, tenths, banks
Helps, silks
(four) Attempts, twelfths
Rubs, heads, dogs
Lives, breaths, names
Fans, hangs, balls
Hands, builds, solves
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UNIT-III
(Minimal Pairs- Word Accent and Stress Shifts- Listening Comprehension)

MINIMAL PAIRS
A minimal pair is a group of words that differ from each other only in one sound. However, this
difference brings about a change in meaning. For example, the words fill and till differ only in
the first consonant sound but they mean different things.

MINIMAL PAIRS

Vowel Sounds Examples Diphthong Sounds Examples

/e/ and /æ/ Pet pat /ai/ and /ei/ Pie pay
Set sat
My may

/i:/ and /ɪ/ Feel fill /æ/ and /ei/ sat say
Seal sill
rat ray

/α/ and /c:/ not naught /e/ and /ei/ Tell tail
cot caught
Sell sale

/ɑ:/and /α/ shaft shot /ai/ and / ci/ Buy boy

car cost
Tie toy

/ɑ:/and /ɜː/ Smart skirt /əʊ/ and /c:/ Goal gall

Dart dirt
Coal call

/ə/ and /x/ Commerce cup /aʊ/ and /əʊ/ Now no

About but
Sow so

/ æ/ and /ɪ/ Tan tin /iə/ and /eə/ Fear fare

Pan pin
Dear dare

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/i:/ and /e/ neat net /ʊə/ and /c:/ Mole mall
seat set
Toll tall

/ʊ/ and /u:/ pull pool /u:/ and /ʊə/ Pool poor
To two
Tool tour

/e/ and /ɪ/ when win /əʊ/ and /u:/ Throw Through
fell fill
Rode rude

WORD ACCENT / STRESS

Accent/Stress is an important feature of English language. This feature of English needs some
explanation. Stress is the degree of force with which we pronounce a sound. This degree of force
is mainly pressure from the chest affecting the air-stream.

Words are made up of one or more than one separately pronounced parts, which are called
syllables. A syllable is a group of sounds with one vowel sound and one or more than one
consonant sounds.

The syllables of a word can be spoken with more or less force or emphasis. Where a syllable is
spoken with emphasis it is said to be stressed/accented. Syllables that are not spoken with
emphasis are unstressed. Thus, a stressed syllable has the following three features:
➢ it is said more loudly than the other syllable or syllables;
➢ it is said on a different pitch; and
➢ it is held for a longer time than the other syllable or syllables.

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RULES OF WORD STRESS (functional shift of stress)

There are a number of words of two syllables in which the accentual pattern depends on whether
the word is used as a noun, an adjective or a verb. When the word is used as a noun or an
adjective, the stress is on the first syllable. When the word is used as a verb, the stress is on the
second syllable. Here are a few examples:
Present (V) (accented/stressed on the second syllable)
Please pre’sent your `case.
Present (N) (accented/stressed on the first syllable)
I sent him a birthday ‘present.
Present (Adj) (accented/stressed on the first syllable)
He was ‘present at the lecture.

Noun/Adjective Verb Noun/Adjective Verb

`absent ab`sent `record re`cord

`object ob`ject `progress pro`gress

`subject sub`ject `produce pro`duce

`permit per`mit `increase in`crease

Words with weak prefixes are accented on the root.

a’rise, ac’cept be’side

a’lone a’loud be’tween
a’dmit a’mount com’pose
a’part be’come de’velop
a’float be’lieve re’duce

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Prefixes with negative connotations get stressed.

‘dis’loyal ‘insin’cere ‘il’logical ‘half-‘finished

Verbs of two syllables beginning with the prefix dis- are stressed on the last syllable.
dis’arm dis’agree dis’solve
dis’band dis’guise dis’tend
dis’cern dis’may dis’turb
dis’close dis’pel dis’tress
dis’count dis’miss dis’play

Words ending in –ion have the stress on the penultimate (i.e., the last but one) syllable.
appli`cation compo`sition
exami`nation imagi`nation

Words ending in –ic / -ical / -ically / -ial / -ially / -ian have the stress on the syllable preceding
the suffix.

–ic -ical -ically

apolo`getic apolo`getical apolo`getically

e`lectric e`lectrical e`lectrically

sympa`thetic sympa`thetical sympa`thetically

-ial -ially -ian

of`ficial of`ficially lib`rarian

me`morial me`morially mu`sician

presi`dential presi`dentially poli`tician

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Words of more than two syllables ending in -ate / -ise / -ize / -ify are stressed on the ante-
penultimate syllable (i.e., third from the end).

-ate -ise -ize -ify

`complicate `colonise `realize `justify

`separate `brutalise Mo`nopolize `classify

ar`ticulate `recognise `civilize `modify

Words ending in –ity, -cracy, -crat, -graph, -graphy, -meter, -logy are stressed on the ante-
penultimate syllable (i.e., third from the end).

–ity a`bility elc`tricity e`quality

-cracy au`tocracy de`mocracy bu`reaucracy

-crat `autocrat `democrat `bureaucrat

-graph `autogaph `photograph `paragraph

-graphy au`togaphy pho`tography bi`ography

-meter ther`mometer lac`tometer di`ammeter

-logy psy`chology bi`ology zo`ology

STRESS SHIFT
Stress shift is quite normal in derivatives. Here are a few example:

a’cademy aca’demic acade’mician

‘photograph pho’tographer photo’graphic
‘politics po’litical poli’tician

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LISTENING COMPREHENSION
Comprehension is the act of understanding or the power of the mind to understand. Listening
Comprehension is the act of understanding an oral message. Being a complex process that
involves perceiving and interpreting the sounds correctly as well as understanding the explicit
and implied meaning of the oral message, listening comprehension includes several skills and
sub-skills.

Comprehending a verbal message involves the ability to

 identify the central theme, main ideas and supporting details;
 concentrate and understand long speeches;
 identify the level of formality;
 deduce incomplete information; and
 decode unfamiliar vocabulary.

Micro-Skills

The following are the micro-skills involved in understanding what someone says to us. The
listener has to:
 retain chunks of language in short-term memory
 discriminate among the distinctive sounds in the new language
 recognize stress and rhythm patterns, tone patterns, intonational contours.
 recognize reduced forms of words
 distinguish word boundaries
 recognize typical word-order patterns
 recognize vocabulary
 detect key words, such as those identifying topics and ideas
 guess meaning from context
 recognize grammatical word classes
 recognize basic syntactic patterns
 recognize cohesive devices

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 detect sentence constituents, such as subject, verb, object, prepositions, and the like

EFFECTIVE LISTENING
Moreover, listening is a communication opportunity and taking advantage of such opportunities
makes a person a dedicated professional. Most students who do not have a systematic approach
to listening face difficulties in understanding a lecture, a seminar or a discussion. In order to
improve your listening comprehension, some basic tips on good listening need to be followed
and active listening techniques should be adopted. Here suggested the 10 rules of thumb for good
listening.

RULES OF GOOD LISTENING

1 Talking X
2 Thinking X
3 Distractions X
4 Mind Wandering X
5 Putting the Speaker at Ease ✓
6 Pre-Judgment X
7 Patience ✓
8 Being Angry X
9 Empathizing with the Speaker ✓
10 Taking Notes ✓

1. Stop Talking: Do not talk while listening.

2. Stop Thinking: It is not enough for the listener to keep his/her mouth shut while listening.
He/she has to stop thinking too.

3. Remove Distractions: In order to focus 100 per cent on the person speaking, the listener
should avoid all kinds of distractions.

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4. Do Not Let Your Mind Wander: One of the main causes of listening inefficiency is the
slowness of speech. This lag time may make the listener’s mind wander or daydream. This can
be avoided by concentrating on each word spoken by the speaker.

5. Putting the Speaker at Ease: A conducive environment should be provided to the speaker
in order to enable him/her to be at ease. If the speaker is not comfortable, he/she will not be
able to speak clearly.

6. Do Not Pre-Judge: Give the speaker a chance to complete what he/she has to say. Pre-
judgement closes the mind. You can make proper judgement only after you have fully
comprehended the information.

7. Be Patient: The speaker should be allowed sufficient time and not interrupted until he/she
takes a pause. Patience is the key to good listening.

8. Do Not Be Angry: The listener should control his/her temper while listening. He/she may
disagree with the speaker’s point of view. But good listening demands that he/she listens to the
speaker calmly without making any fuss.

9. Empathize with the Speaker: In order to understand the speaker’s perspective and
appreciate his/her point of view, the listener should try to put him/her in the speaker’s position.

10. Take Notes: The listener should take notes if he/she wants to keep a record of what was said,
and wants to use it a later stage.

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UNIT-IV
(Intonation and Common Errors in Pronunciation)

INTONATION

Intonation is the tune of sentences carries an important part of the meaning. Intonation is the
tune of the language. If you listen to people speaking and pay attention to the way in which the
pitch of their voices rises and falls rather than to the individual sounds and words, you will see
that this is not just a matter of statements and questions, but it is essential for the communication
of meaning. Words consist of one or more syllables. Polly syllabic words have one syllable that
is stressed more than the others. Sentences also carry stressed and unstressed syllables and this
pattern of sentence stress helps convey meaning.

PITCH

The pitch of the voice is determined by the frequency of the vibration of the vocal cords, i.e., the
number of times they open and close in a second. The patterns of variation of the pitch of the
voice (i.e. the fall or rise) constitute the intonation of a language. If we say Put it down! The
pitch of the voice will move from a high level to a low level. This is called the falling tone. It
can be illustrated thus:

Put it

d
o
w
n!

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If we say the same sentence with a rising tone the pitch of the voice will move from low to high,
as shown below:
n!
w
o
d

Put it

Falling Tone: A falling tone is used to indicate completion of meaning, assertion, statement,
order, wh-questions, exclamation and finality.
Examples
I am sick. (statement)
What`s the 'matter? (wh-question)
How extra'ordinary! (exclamation)
Take it away. (order)
…..eight, nine, ten.

Rising Tone: A rising tone is used to indicate incompletion of meaning, politeness, yes/no
question, non-finality and request.
Examples
When I went, home ………(incompletion of meaning)
Sit down (politeness)
Are you, sick? (yes/no question)
Eight/nine …..(non-finality)
Open the door (request)

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COMMON ERRORS IN PRONUNCIATION

Generally students commit errors/mistakes in pronouncing some of the English words of which a
few words given here practice:

education graduate woman women

vine wine of off
chef parachute niche examination
about ago juvenile knowledge

(Students are advised to pronounce the above given words as known and transcribe them using
phonetic alphabet and finally check them by referring a dictionary of phonetics)

When students learn a foreign language like English, they have to understand that it uses a
different set of sounds and different orthographic rules than their mother tongue (i.e. the same
letter written in a different language may be pronounced differently). What learners often do is
that they try to approximate the sounds by the ones they are already familiar with and read words
as if they were written in their native language. Here are the most common errors of this type:

➢ au in English is pronounced as /c:/, not as /au/, as in many other languages; for

example “auto-” is pronounced /c:tə/, as in “autobiography” /ctəbai’αgrəfi/ and
“autopsy” /’c:tαpsi/.

➢ ps at the beginning of a word is pronounced just as /s/, such as in “psychology”

/sai’kαləd7i/ or “pseudonym” /’sju:dənim/.

➢ eu unlike perhaps all other languages, “eu” in English is pronounced as /jʊ/ (mostly
UK) or /ʊ/ (mostly US), and sometimes also long. Examples include “Euclid”
/jʊ'klid/, or “neuron” /'njʊərαn/.

➢ pn at the beginning of a word is pronounced as /n/, e.g. “pneumatic” /nju:'mætik/

(UK), /nu:'mætik/ (US), “pneumonia” /nju:'məʊniə/ (UK), /nu:'məʊniə/
(US).

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➢ kn at the beginning of a word is pronounced as /n/, e.g. “know” /nəʊ/, knee /ni:/,
knife /naif/.

➢ x at the beginning of a word is pronounced as /z/, not as /ks/, for example

“xenophobia” /.zcnə'foʊbiə/ or “Xena” /'zi:nə/.

➢ w pronounced as v – many languages don’t have the “w” sound (such as in the word
“wow”), However, the distinction is sometimes crucial to be understood, such as in the
words “vest” (a piece of garment) /vest/ and “west” (one of the cardinal directions)
/west/. Just remember that to say “w”, you have to make a narrow “slit” with your
mouth with lips not touching the teeth. However, v is never pronounced as in “wow”, but
always as in “very”, by making the lower lip touching upper teeth. Study the following:

whale /weil/ veil /veil/

Wane /wein/ vein /vein/

Wire /waiər/ via /vaiə/

Wiser /waizər/ visor /'vaizər/

➢ “ch” pronounced as “ch” – in most languages, the pronunciation rules for the digraph
“ch” differ from the English ones. In French it is /ʃ/ (which can still be heard in the
English word “chef” /ʃef/). In standard English, however, it is virtually always either
/tʃ/ (chat, chalk, chapter) or /k/ (character, chrome, orchestra), but there’s no reliable
rule to decide which one is the correct one, so it has to be remembered. Note: In some
British dialects, the pronunciation is sometimes somewhere between /tʃ/ and /ʃ/.

➢ “e” pronounced as /e/ – “e” in non-stressed syllables is often pronounced as /i/,

especially in words beginning with “de-”, such as “detective” /di'tektiv/, “delay”
/di'lei/, or “delete” /di'li:t/. However, when “de-” is stressed, it is pronounced as
/de/, e.g. “decorate” /'dekə.reit/.

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➢ “th” in English is pronounced either as /θ/ or /ð/. The former is pronounced similarly
as /t/ and the latter similarly as /d/, but the tongue touches the back side of upper teeth,
not just the upper palate (the fleshy part behind the teeth, pronounced /'pælət/).

Study the following:

thigh /θai/ thy /ðai/

theme /θi:m/ thee /ði:/

teeth (noun) /ti:θ/ teethe (verb) /ti:ð/

bath (noun) /bɑ:θ/ bathe (verb) /beið/

breath (noun) /breθ/ breathe (verb) /bri:ð/

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UNIT-V
(Neutralization of Mother Tongue Influence and Conversation Practice)

NEUTRALIZATION OF MOTHER TONGUE INFLUENCE

An Overview of Accent Neutralization: The basic criterion of communication or accent is that

one should understand what the other person is saying and vice versa. Communication is a
crucial part of globalization. The need for speaking in a neutral accent has been growing today
because the customers and the clients have to interact in a universal language in a globally
acceptable style and accent.

Mother Tongue Influence: The general usage of the term 'mother tongue' . . . denotes not only
the language one learns from one's mother, but also the speaker's dominant and home language,
i.e. not only the first language according to the time of acquisition, but the first with regard to its
importance and the speaker's ability to master its linguistic and communicative aspects.

Importance of Speaking in a Neutral Accent: The most preferable accent today is a neutral
accent. It is otherwise called as neutral English or neutral English accent. Though its definition is
vague and controversial, many people believe that speaking in this style helps them to avoid
mother-tongue-influence and regional accent. Further it ensures the clear mode of
communication.

Steps to Speak in Neutral Accent:

1. Listen how native speakers speak the language.
2. Try to watch some good movies that can improve your overall communicative skills.
3. Do not speak too fast. Keep your rate of speech under control.
4. Read dictionary to learn the meaning of the word, spelling and pronunciation.
5. Listen to audio clips and videos to boost your confidence while speaking.
6. Record your speech to realize you problems and difficulties and correct them immediately

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7. Increase your reading ability by going through newspapers and magazines.

8. Learn sounds of English. Familiarize with vowel and consonant sounds
9. Follow newsreaders and listen to them daily to enhance your clarity of speech.
10. Do some jaw exercises to modulate your voice and accent to our requirements.

CONVERSATION PRACTICE

In this session students should be assigned and encouraged to participate in pronunciation

practice exercises which are assigned and, they are asked to find the mother tongue influence
while speaking.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
LAB MANUAL
(B. Tech-First Year-R18 Syllabus-JNTUH)

Interactive Communication Skills Lab (Part-II)

DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES

JOGINPALLY B. R. ENGINEERING COLLEGE
 ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION SKILLS LAB MANUAL
Interactive Communication Skills Lab (Part-II)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
UNIT-I 1
Ice-Breaking Activity 1
What Is An Ice-Breaker? 1
Just A Minute (JAM) 2
What is an article? 3
Types of Articles 3
Some Hints 4
Rules of Articles 4
Special Rules for Articles 5
Prepositions 7
Some Common Prepositions 8
Prepositional Adverb 9
Some Common Prepositional Adverbs 9
Prepositional Verb 10
Word-Formation 11
Types of Word Formation 11
Prefixes and Suffixes 11
1.5.1. The Synonyms and Antonyms 14

UNIT-II 16
2.1.1. Role play has several advantages for the classroom 16
Greetings and Introducing People 17
Formal to Informal Greetings and Introductions 18
2. 3. 1. What is Etiquette? 20
2.3.2. Discussions 20
2.4.1. Concord 22
2.5.1. Words Often Misspelt- Confused/Misused 24
UNIT-III 29

3.1.1. Tips for Writing Effective Narrative and Descriptive Essays 29

Asking for directions 30
Giving directions 30
3.3.1. Sequence of Tenses 31
3.4.1. Question Tags 32
3.5.1. One Word Substitutes 33

UNIT-IV 36

Extempore / Impromptu (Unexpected) Speech 36

There Are A Few Things You Can Do To Avoid Panic and Embarrassment 36
4.2.1. Active and Passive Voice 37
4.3.1. Common Errors in English 39
4.4.1. Idioms and Phrases 41

UNIT-V 43

5.1.1. Information Transfer 43

5.2.1. Oral Presentation Skills 44
5.3.1 Reading Comprehension 45
Resume Preparation 48
 INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS (ICS) LAB
(Part-II)

UNIT-I
Objective: to familiarize students with criteria for Ice-Breaking activity and JAM session,
Articles, Prepositions, Word formation- Prefixes & Suffixes, Synonyms & Antonyms.

1. ICE-BREAKING ACTIVITY
Ice-Breaking Activity
An Ice-Breaker or an Ice-Breaking Activity (or any experience) must reflect most, but hopefully
all, of the following five criteria:
1. It must be FUN;
2. It must be NON-THREATENING;
3. It must be HIGHLY INTERACTIVE;
4. It must be SIMPLE & EASY TO UNDERSTAND; and
5. It must be SUCCESS-ORIENTED.

What Is An Ice-Breaker?
In short, an ice-breaker aims to break the 'ice' that typically limits or inhibits the interactions of a
group of people who may or may not know each other very well. Common occurrences of 'ice'
may include little or no talking, poor eye contact, reluctance to make physical contact, lots of
standing around, lack of initiative, absence of trust, etc.

A good ice-breaker acknowledges these facts, and intervenes. When presented appropriately,
with full regard to the needs of the group, an ice-breaker will reduce, minimize (and hopefully
eliminate) the impact of the 'ice' and invite the group to create a more productive atmosphere,
one that is conducive to working together or achieving whatever the purpose of the group is.

For example, using a fun, interactive name-game to help a new group of people get to know one
another, showing a PowerPoint presentation to frame a forthcoming experience, and smiling and
shaking the hand of every participant as they enter your training room, are all wonderful ways to
break the ice.

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Generally speaking, if the activity, exercise or experience successfully prepares your group for
what is ahead, then it is more likely to be considered an effective ice-breaker.

Just A Minute (JAM)

➢ Just A Minute is one of the activities of the presentation skills conducted in the
classroom. This activity makes the students perfect while communicating with the public
or some other audience.

➢ Just A Minute has its origins as far back as the 1930s. As a schoolboy, Ian Messiter was
talking in class when he was hauled up by the schoolmaster and told to repeat what he
had been telling the class without hesitation, repetition or deviation. Messiter failed the
first ever round of Just A Minute but the germ of an idea formed in his mind.

➢ Twenty years later while working at the BBC he used the idea to create a programme
called One Minute Please. It was successful and he rejuvenated the idea in 1967 as the
wonderful improvisation comedy show called Just A Minute. The concept of the game is
ridiculously simple.

➢ The object of the game is for panelists to talk "for just a minute" on a given (often rather
strange) subject, "without hesitation, repetition or deviation" (except they can repeat the
subject or any words therein). The game comes from attempts to try to keep within these
rules, which whilst they appear to be simple, are very hard not to break. To speak for the
full minute without being challenged is extremely difficult, and meritorious

➢ Repetition is the most common cause of disqualification, followed by Hesitation with

Deviation quite rare. On more than one occasion individuals have challenged themselves.

➢ "Repetition" means the repetition of any word or phrase, although challenges based upon
very common words such as "and" are generally rejected except in extreme cases. Words
contained in the given subject are exempt unless repeated many times in quick
succession. Skillful players use (sometimes obscure) synonyms in order to avoid
repeating themselves. The term "BBC" is often successfully challenged upon for
repetition of "B".

➢ "Hesitation" is watched very strictly: a momentary pause before resumption of the subject
can give rise to a successful challenge, as can tripping over one's words. Even pausing
during audience laughter or applause (known as "riding a laugh") is usually not
permitted.

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 ➢ "Deviation" means deviating from the subject, but has also been interpreted as "deviating
from the English language as we know it", "deviation from grammar as we understand
it", deviating from the truth, and sometimes even logic, although often leaps into the
surreal are allowed.

2. ARTICLES

What is an article?

An article is a word that modifies or describes the Noun. It is used before the noun to show
whether it refers to something specific or not. So, in a way, articles can also be described as a
type of adjectives as they also tell us something about the nouns, like adjectives.

Types of Articles

There are two types of Articles in the English language. They are Definite and Indefinite articles.

Definite article: “The” is the definite article in English, which is used to refer to particular
nouns, the identities of which are known. The definite article indicates that the noun is specific.
The speaker talks about a particular thing. For example: The cat sat on the couch. The dog
attacked me and ran away.

Indefinite articles: The indefinite article indicates that the noun is not someone or something in
particular. The speaker talks about any one of that type of things. The indefinite articles in
English are "a" and "an." For example: Do you have a pencil? I want to have an apple.

TABLE OF ARTICLES

NUMBER INDEFINITE DEFINITE

Singular a / an The

Plural Nothing The

Non-Count Nothing The

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Some Hints

➢ “a” before consonants (a book)

➢ “an” before vowels (an exam)
➢ Pronunciation is what matters. “an” hour ('h' is silent and it's pronounced: an our)
➢ Temporary illnesses: (I have a headache, a cold, a fever, a backache)
➢ "The" with superlative forms (He is the smartest kid I have seen.)

Rules of Articles

Articles Rule 1: With singular count nouns, use 'a' if indefinite or "the" if definite.

My daughter wants to buy a dog this weekend. (Indefinite-It could be any dog)

The dog in the backyard is very cute. (Definite- The one in the backyard)

Examples

1. He requested a puppy for his birthday.

2. He wanted the puppy he played with at the pet shop.

3. She ordered a hamburger without onions.

4. Did you drink the coke I just ordered?

Articles Rule 2: With plural count nouns use either "the" or nothing, never 'a'.

1. Come and look at the children. (definite)

2. Children are always curious. (Indefinite)

3. She loves flowers. (Indefinite)

4. The flowers in her garden are beautiful. (Definite)

5. Do you like reading grammar rules?

6. Do you like reading the grammar rules on this page?

Articles Rule 3: With non-count nouns, use either "the" or nothing.

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He has experience. (If indefinite or mentioned for the first time)

He has the experience necessary for the job. (If definite or mentioned before)

1. The medicine the doctor prescribed had unpleasant side effects.

2. Writing in a second language is especially challenging.

3. Have you studied the history of South Africa?

4. History reminds us that events repeat themselves.

Articles Rule 4: If a plural or non-count noun is followed by [of + noun], "the" is preferred.

1. The languages of Asia are unrelated to English.

2. The wines of France are famous.

3. The birds of North America are beautiful.

Special Rules for Articles

1. Adjectives as Nouns

Use "the", when referring to a group of people by use of an adjective rather than a noun.

the elderly the disabled the unemployed

the rich the sick the needy

the homeless the young the restless

2. Names of Countries

Some countries are preceded by "the", usually if the name is plural, contains an adjective, or
includes "of".

The United States The Soviet Union The Republic of Congo

3. Cities and Streets use nothing

Chicago Fifth Avenue San Francisco Highway 5

4. Rivers, Oceans, Seas, Groups of Mountains & Islands, use "the"

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the Amazon the Atlantic the Mediterranean

the Cascades the Hawaiian Islands the Bahamas

5. Numbers

Cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3), use nothing

World War 2 Page 7 Chapter 1

Mission 1 Paragraph 5 Channel 6

Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd), use "the"

The Second World War the seventh page the first chapter

the first mission the fifth paragraph the sixth channel

6. Titles of People

When a title is given with a name, use nothing

President Michael Queen Mary Professor Scott

When a title is used without a name, use "the"

The president the queen the professor

7. Schools

When a school has "of" in its title, use "the"

The University of Arizona The University of London

When a school does not have "of" in its title, use nothing

Lincoln High School Arizona State University

8. Location versus Activity

When referring to an activity, use nothing

1. I am going to school now.(activity-study)

2. We went to cinema. (activity-see a movie)
3. He is always on time for class. (activity-learn)

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When referring to the location, use "the"

1. The meeting is at the school. (location-campus)

2. They are remodeling the cinema. (location-building)
3. The new student had trouble finding the class. (location-classroom)

9. When the object is the only one that exists, use "the"

the earth the human race the world

the moon the sun the universe

10. When you use expressions that identify part of a larger group, use "the"

-One of the students

-None of the students

-Both of the students

-All of the students

3. PREPOSITIONS

Definition:

A preposition is a word which is usually placed before a noun or pronoun to show the latter’s
relation to some word in the sentence.

For example,

Pronoun Verb Prep. Noun

They Meet Before lunch

Article Noun Prep. Pronoun

A Letter For you

By definition, a preposition is placed before a word ("prepositioned") to indicate the word’s

meaning within the context of the sentence

For example, of the world for a friend at a hotel

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Some Common Prepositions:
About as but

above at by

across before down

after below for

along beside from

around between in

into of onto

like off over

near on past

per than under

since through untill

till to up

with without upon

For example,

across

around

beyond

He walked into the forest

near

toward

out

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Position

As its name tells us, a preposition is normally ‘placed before’ a noun phrase or some other
element. The preposition + noun phrase together form a PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.

Position of prepositions in different kinds of sentence:

For example,

Who is she working for? She’s working for a friend

In the first example shows the preposition at the end of the sentence, and the second example
shows the preposition in its usual position, at the front of its noun phrase.

Prepositional Adverb

Many word forms which are prespositions are also adverbs. These adverbs are called
Prepositonal Adverbs. Most of them are adverbs of place.

Some Common Prepositional Adverbs:

about by round above

down since across in

through after inside throughout

around near under before

on up behind opposite

within below outside without

between past over beyond

Prepositions are usually in front of a noun phrase, whereas prepositional adverbs usually stand
alone, wihtout a following noun phrase.

Preposition She stayed in the house.

Adverb She stayed in.

Preposition The guests were standing around the room.

Preposition The guests were standing around.

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Prepositional adverbs are always stressed. Prepositions are frequently unstressed.

Prepositional Verb

We use the term prepositional verb for an IDIOM made up of verb + preposition.

add to care for look for

agree with consent to pay for

aim at / for deal with pray for

allow for decide on refer to

apply for hope for rely on

approve of insist on run for

ask for listen to stand for

attend to live on take after

believe in long for take to

belong to look after wish for

The verb and preposition express a single idea.

For example,

1. He takes after his grandfather (resembles)

2. We have asked for help (request)

3. I have to look after the house (take care of)

The verb and preposition are often together at the end of a sentence

For example,

1. I do not know who this book belong to

2. We scarcely have enough to live on

3. Have the new chairs been paid for?

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 4. WORD FORMATION- PREFIXES & SUFFIXES

Word-Formation: the formation of words in a language by the processes of

derivation and composition.

The basic part of any word is the root; to it, a prefix can be added at the beginning and/or a
suffix at the end to change the meaning. For example, in the word "unflattering," the root is
simply "flatter," while the prefix "un-" makes the word negative, and the suffix "-ing" changes it
from a verb into an adjective (specifically, a participle).

Types of Word Formation

1. Compounding: Coconut oil Boyfriend (two or more words joined)
2. Prefixation: enslave assure (en-, as- affixed to the root words)
3. Suffixation: kingdom beautify (-dom, -fy suffixed to the root words)
4. Conversion: water the garden (water-Noun is conversion as Verb -to water)
5. Clipping: Omnibus €bus Gasoline € Gas (words are clipped)
6. Blends: Motor + hotel € Motel (parts of the words are deleted)
7. Backformation: peeve, surveil (Creative reduction from peevish, surveillance)
8. Acronyms: Radar (derived from the initial letters-radio detection and ranging)
9. Onomatopoeia: cuckoo, meow (by imitation of a sound )
10. Eponyms: Raman Effect (after a discovery, invention, place, etc., is named.)
11. Toponyms: hamburger (a name derived from the name of a place)

Prefixes and Suffixes:

Prefixes and suffixes are grammatical and lingual "affixes." Prefixes are affixed before and
suffixes after a base word or word stem to add information. For example, with the word
"prehistoric," the prefix is "pre-" meaning "before," the base word is "history" meaning
"recorded events and knowledge", and the suffix is "-ic" meaning "relating to the science of."

In other words, "prefix" simply refers to an attachment before or in front of, in this case, a shorter
word or stem. In lingual terms, a "stem" is the main part of a word to which prefixes and suffixes
can be added.

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 Prefix Meaning Usage

ab, from, away from Abduct, abjure

ad, ac, af, accord,

ag, an, ap, to, forward affliction, annexation, appease, arraignment,
ar, as, at assumption arrogance, , attendance

Ambi both ambiguous, ambivalent

an, a without anarchy, amoral

Ante before antecedent, antediluvian

Anti against, opposite antipathy, antithetical

Arch chief, first archetype, archbishop

Be over, thoroughly bedaub, befuddle

Bi two bicameral, biennial

Cata down catastrophe, cataract, catapult

circum around circumnavigate, circumspect, circumscribe

com, co, combine, coeditor, collateral, connected,

with, together
col, con, cor conference, corroborate

contra,
against contravene, controversy
contro

De down, away debase, decadence

Demi partly, half demigod

Di two dichotomy, dilemma

Dia across diagonal, diameter

dis, dif not, apart discord, differ

Dys faulty, bad dysfunctional

ex, e out exit, exodus,

extra, extro beyond, outside extracurricular, extraterritorial, extrovert

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 Suffix Meaning Use

capable of drinkable -
able, ible
(adjective suffix) legible -

ac, ic like, pertaining to Zodiac ,democratic

audacious,
acious, icious full of
avaricious

al pertaining to Beneficial, logical

eloquent,
ant, ent full of
ardent

ary like, connected with Revolutionary, temporary

to make
ate desecrate
(verb suffix)

that which is
ation irritation
(noun suffix)

state of being Democracy,

cy
(noun suffix) obstinacy

person who
eer, er, or Engineer, teacher, advisor,
(noun suffix)

escent becoming (adjective suffix) Evanescent, pubescent

making, doing
fic Fantastic, terrific
(adjective suffix)

state of being
ity sagacity
(noun suffix)

fy to make (verb suffix) Magnify, petrify

producing, bearing
iferous Pestiferous, vociferous
(adjective suffix)

pertaining to, capable of

il, ile Civil, docile
(adjective suffix)

doctrine, belief
ism Monotheism, deism
(noun suffix)

Page 13
 dealer, doer
ist Realist, dentist
(noun suffix)

ive like (adjective suffix) Quantitative,

to make
ize, ise Harmonize, revolutionize
(verb suffix)

resembling, like
oid Ovoid, anthropoid
(adjective suffix)

ose full of (adjective suffix) verbose

osis condition (noun suffix) Psychosis, hypnosis

full of
ous Nauseous, ludicrous
(adjective suffix)

tude state of (noun suffix) Fortitude, servitude

5. SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS

The Synonyms and Antonyms: form an integral part of the English Language.
Acquaintance with the vocabulary of the English language is a necessity for effective
expression either in the written or in the oral from.

Synonym is nothing but the similar meaning of a particular word or its semantic relation. So, it is
a word or a phrase that means the same as another word or a phrase in the same language.

Antonyms are the negative connotation of a particular word. An Antonym is a word or phrase
that is opposite in meaning to a particular word or a phrase in the same language.

Examples: Acquisition
Synonyms: accumulation, appropriation, obtainment, ownership, proprietorship, attainment;
purchase, gain, profit, earning; recovery, redemption

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Antonyms: loss, consumption, decrease, exhaustion, depletion, expenditure, forfeiture;
squandering, waste; deprivation, relinquishment, expropriation, cession, surrender; disbursement,
outgoings, spending

Giving
Synonyms: bestowal, presentation, apportionment, portioning, allotment, allocation,
appointment; division, sharing; transfer, transmittal, conveyance, transference, transmission,
consignment; sale, exchange, payment, deliverance
Antonyms: receiving, acceptance, acquisition, receipt, purchase

Justice
Synonyms: fairness, equity, impartiality
Antonyms: injustice, partiality, unjustness, bias, inequity, prejudice, inclination, favoritism

Page 15
 UNIT-II
Objectives: to enable students to participate in Situational Dialogues – Role-Play- Expressions
in Various Situations – Self-introduction and Introducing ( Others – Greetings –Apologies –
Requests – Social and Professional Etiquette - Telephone Etiquette and to understand the notion
of Concord (Subject in agreement with verb) and Words often miss-pelt- confused/misused.

1. SITUATIONAL DIALOGUES/ROLE-PLAY

Role playing is a methodology derived from socio-drama that may be used to help students
understand the more subtle aspects of literature, social studies, and even some aspects of science
or mathematics. Further, it can help them become more interested and involved, not only
learning about the material, but learning also to integrate the knowledge in action, by addressing
problems, exploring alternatives, and seeking novel and creative solutions. Role playing is the
best way to develop the skills of initiative, communication, problem-solving, self-awareness, and
working cooperatively in teams.

Role play has several advantages for the classroom.

Role-play:

➢ involves little or no additional instructional costs;

➢ allows students to practice behaviors and skills;

➢ closes the gap between training and real-life;

➢ allows for immediate instructor feedback; and

➢ can be used to motivate students and change attitudes.

Students not only demonstrate procedural knowledge, but also develop interpersonal communication
skills. Role play is also utilized in group situations to discuss moral and ethical aspects.

A role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and
collaboratively create stories. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their
characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and
guidelines. Within the rules, they may improvise freely; their choices shape the direction and
outcome of the games.

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In role playing activities participants act as various characters or roles. Role playing activities
encourage students to "put themselves in another’s shoes" in order to act out a fictional scenario.

Examples (write 4 model Role-Plays):

2. GREETINGS AND INTRODUCING PEOPLE

First impressions are a really important aspect of cultures around the world. It is important to
know the correct way of greeting, introducing yourself and others. In English, as in all
languages, there are different ways to greet people in formal and informal situations. The
response you give should have the same level of formality as the introduction. Once you have
been introduced to someone, the next time you see that person or when you leave that person, it
is important to greet them. If you follow the correct etiquette, you will leave a good first
impression on others.

Self-introduction
There might be occasions where you will have to introduce yourself. For example, if you are
meeting a new colleague or an associate, you might start off by extending your hand and saying
Two ways to introduce yourself:
I'd like to introduce myself. My name is . (normal)
Hi! I'm . (casual)

Introducing Others

On occasion, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to introduce one person to
another. Look at the following expressions:

Two ways to introduce others:

I'd like to introduce . (normal)
This is . (casual)

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Formal to Informal Greetings and Introductions First
meetings
Formal Introducing Yourself Introducing Responding to On Leaving
Others an Introduction
How do you do? My Mrs. Lynne Hand, Pleased to meet Goodbye. It's a
name is Lynne Hand. may I introduce you Mrs. Lucy. pleasure to have
my boss, met you.
Mr. Smith.
Hello, Lynne Hand. Lynne, I'd like you Pleased to meet Goodbye. Nice
I'm the owner of this to meet John Smith, you Lynne. to have met you.
web site. our salesman. John,
this is Lynne Hand.

Lynne Hand. Lynne, meet John, Hi, Lynne. How Bye. It was nice
my husband. John, are you? to meet you.
this is my teacher
Lynne.
Informal

Subsequent meetings

Formal Possible Greetings Possible responses

Hello, Mrs. Hand. It's nice to see you again.
Good morning Mrs. Hand. How are you today?
Good afternoon, Mrs. Hand. It's good to see
you.
Hello Lynne. How are you doing?
What a pleasant surprise! How
are you? It's been a while.
I'm very well, thank you. And
you?
Thank you. It's nice to see
you too. How are you?
Fine thanks. What's new with
you?

Hi, Lynne! How's it going? Not too bad, busy as ever.

Informal Hi, Lynne. How are things? Oh fine. You know how it is.

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Expressions for Farewells
Goodbye Bye
So long Catch you later
I have to run I have to be going now
So long Good day

Extensions to farewells
See you again I hope to see you again
See you later (soon) Call me

Expressions for Asking about Well Being

Expressions Responses

IF GOOD
How are you? Great.
How’s it going? Couldn’t be better.
How are things? Fantastic.

IF SO-SO
How are things going? Could be worse.
How have you been? I can’t complain.
How do you feel? Not bad

IF BAD
How goes it? I’ve had better days.
How are you doing? Not too good.
How’s life treating you? Lousy.

(Students are instructed to prepare and practise dialogues/conversation between people on

Greetings, Apologies, Requests, etc.)

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 3. SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTE - TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE

2. 3. 1. What is Etiquette?
Etiquette is the proper mode of conduct or procedure within a certain social realm. Being aware
of certain conventions will give you a professional and attractive look. And though practicing
good etiquette alone won't get you up the business ladder, it certainly will give you a boost. The
way you interact with others says a lot about you. Learn how to project polite and professional
appeal.

Introducing Yourself: Make sure to look people in the eyes and smile in order to seem
confident and approachable. If you are seated while being introduced to someone, stand to greet
that person and shake his or her hand. Have a firm handshake, but avoid death grips.

If you are given a name tag, put it high on your right shoulder; that way, while you shake hands,
people can follow the line of your arm straight up to your name without having to scan your
chest.

Introducing Others: When introducing two people to each other, introduce the lowest ranked
person first, then reciprocate. Logistically this means you must look at the higher ranked person
and say. When dealing with people outside of the company, clients are considered more
important than anyone working within the company, and hiring managers are more important
than job seekers. You can omit titles when introducing people of the same rank and position.

2.3.2. Discussions: When talking with people at the workplace, in a networking session, or even
over coffee, there are some basic tips for discussion that will make your conversations more
enjoyable:

Basic Courtesy: Try not to interrupt people in the middle of a story. If you must interrupt,
always excuse yourself and try to get back to what the other person was saying as soon as
possible. This shows people that you value their ideas and company. Don't talk too loudly or for
too long; these actions might make you seem self centered.

Page 20
Body Language: At social functions, try keeping your hands as free as possible: Don't carry a
huge notebook or bag, and if you must eat something, hold it in your left hand to save your right
hand for handshakes. Show that you are focused on the conversation by keeping eye contact,
nodding, smiling, and using other nonverbal affirmative gestures.

Phones: Lately more and more business transactions are done over the phone, and phone
interviews are a pretty common procedure. So know the proper protocol:

Making Calls

Be mentally prepared to make a call before you dial. Know with whom you want to speak and
what you want to say or ask.

Always introduce yourself immediately.

When leaving messages, speak slowly, and leave your number twice: once at the beginning of
the message and once at the end.

Receiving Calls

Always answer your phone in a quiet place free of interruptions and noise. Before you pick up
make sure you have time to devote to the caller. Always identify yourself immediately.

When asking who is calling make sure to ask permission to ask; that is, phrase your question
something like this: "May I ask who's calling?" This will avoid alienating the caller.

Cell Phones

Turn your cell phone off during meetings; answering your cell phone in a meeting gives the
impression that those around you are less important than any other person who might call.

Try not to answer the phone when you are in restaurants; if you are expecting an important call,
let those you are dining with know, and when you receive the call, excuse yourself, leave the
table, and make the call brief.

Be aware of how loud you talk on a cell phone in public places and create space by moving at
least two arm lengths away from those around you (or out of the room if possible).

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 4. CONCORD (Subject In Agreement With Verb)

Concord

Concord in broad terms means agreement between the subject and the verbs as well as other
elements of the clause structure, (Babajide 2004, Leech and Svartvik 1994). The idea of concord
in the grammar of English suggests that for an English sentence to be correct and meaningful, its
constituent parts (i.e. subject, verb, object, adverbial) must be in perfect agreement. Some rules
of agreement are discussed below:

Subject withVerb Agreement: This is the agreement between the subject and the predicator or
verb. The rule here states that:

❖ When the subject is singular, the verb should be singular e.g. Bongo is a lover of
knowledge.

❖ When the subject is plural, the verb too is expected to be plural, e.g. Nigerians are lovers
of knowledge.

Some specific rules of concord are:

❖ When the phrase “a – pair – of” is used as a subject, it is treated as singular and it
attracts a singular verb, e.g. A pair of scissors is on the table.

❖ The rule of proximity states that ‘when there is a list of nouns or pronouns acting as the
subject in an ‘or’ a ‘nor’, in an ‘or’ a ‘nor’ it is the nearest noun or pronoun to the
position of the verb that will determine the choice of the verb, e.g. If the boy dies, the
parents, his friends or the doctor is to blame. If the boy dies; the doctor, his friends or his
parents are to blame.

❖ A collective noun is a noun which stands for many units constituting a single word,
e.g. Congregation, which stands for worshippers.

❖ A collective noun functioning as the subject of a sentence usually take a singular verb,
e.g. The group is five years old. (Takes singular verb)
Their band is poor. (singular verb)

❖ However, in notional terms a collective noun functioning as the subject of a sentence may
take a plural verb,
e.g. The group meet once in a year (takes plural verb)
The police are now up to the task of protecting lives in Nigeria (Plural verb)

Page 22
❖ When “more than” is used in the position of the subject, the word that comes after it
determines whether the verb to be used will be singular or plural,
e.g. More than one person knows the short-cut to success here.
More than ten people know the short-cut to success here.

❖ Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, everything, everybody, nobody, anyone, someone,

somebody, something, etc. always attract singular verbs,
e.g. Somebody is in Bongo’s room.
Someone wants to hurt her pride.

❖ In recent studies on gender however, the singular ‘they’ concept has been introduced
which neutralizes the pronouns in term of gender, e.g. Everybody should bring their book
tomorrow. Everybody should wear their cap.

❖ Nouns that have final ‘s’ (Pluralia tantums) such as physics, measles, mathematics,
economics, etc, are singular and take singular verbs,
e.g. Measles is a deadly disease.
Mathematics is a rather difficult subject.

❖ When two nouns are joined together by ‘and’ to form the subject of a sentence, the verb
to be used should be plural,
e.g. Bongo and Ego are in this class now.
The teacher and the student are inside the class.

❖ When two subjects are joined together by ‘and’ but refer to only one person or thing (i.e.
refer to the same entity) the verb to be used should be singular,
e.g. The DSA and head of GNS department is a public figure.

❖ Amounts or units such as “four hundred times”, ‘ten percent’, ‘three hundred days’, etc
are generally treated as singular subjects when in the nominative case, and should take
singular verbs, e.g. Ten percent is too small for me. One million naira is a lot of money.

❖ When “every” comes before a plural noun to form the subject of a sentence, a plural verb
should be used, but when ‘every’ takes a singular noun, a singular verb should be used,
e.g. Every first ten people to arrive are entitled to free meals.
Every woman likes money.

❖ When the subject is a collective noun denoting category, it is taken as plural and it always
takes a plural verb,
e.g. The poor are lamenting.
The black are sometimes rated low.

❖ All is either used to mean “everything” or “all the people”, and the meaning determines
the verb that should be used with it. When “all” means “everything”, a singular verb
should be used, but when it “means all the people”, a plural verb should be used,
e.g. All is well with him. All are seated in the lecture room already.

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 ❖ When any of: as well as, together with, in association with, with, including, in
collaboration with, etc is found in a sentence, the subject, which usually comes before the
marker of accompaniment determines the verb to be used. Therefore, if it is singular, a
singular verb is required and if plural, a plural one is required,
e.g. The little girls together with their mother are here.
The girl as well as her friends is in the room.

5. WORDS OFTEN MISSPELT- CONFUSED/MISUSED

The most commonly misused and misspelled words that make us do a double take during
proofing and run through our rules to make sure we’ve selected the right word. "Advice" or
"advise"? "Farther" or "further"? "Principal" or "principle"? It's easy to confuse words that are
similar in sound, spelling, or meaning. But with a bit of review it's also easy to clear up such
confusions.

Study the following Examples:

Rita's father advised (verb) her not to see Sam. She should have followed his advice (noun).

We drove farther south, making excellent time on the almost empty roads. (Physical distance)
The meeting ended without any plans for further discussions. (Nonphysical)
The principal element in the group’s plan was surprise. (It is used as a noun or an adjective)
The freedom to choose is a principle of democracy. (It can be used only as a noun)

Here’s a quick-reference list of pairs of words that regularly cause people problems. Understand
the pairs of words and use them in your own sentences.
WORD 1 MEANING WORD 2 MEANING
accept to agree to receive Except not including
or do
adverse unfavourable, Averse strongly disliking;
harmful opposed
advice recommendations Advise to recommend
about what to do something
affect to change or make a Effect a result; to bring about
difference to a result
aisle a passage between Isle an island
rows of seats

Page 24
all together all in one place, all Altogether completely; on the
at once whole
along moving or a long referring to something
extending of great length
horizontally on
aloud out loud Allowed permitted
altar a sacred table in a Alter to change
church
amoral not concerned with Immoral not following accepted
right or wrong moral standards
appraise to assess Apprise to inform someone
assent agreement, Ascent the action of rising or
approval climbing up
aural relating to the ears Oral relating to the mouth;
or hearing spoken
balmy pleasantly warm Barmy foolish, crazy
bare naked; to uncover Bear to carry; to put up with
bated in phrase 'with Baited with bait attached or
bated breath', i.e. in inserted
great suspense
bazaar a Middle Eastern Bizarre Strange
market
berth a bunk in a ship, Birth the emergence of a
train, etc. baby from the womb
born having started life Borne Carried
bough a branch of a tree Bow to bend the head; the
front of a ship
brake a device for Break to separate into pieces;
stopping a vehicle; a pause
to stop a vehicle
breach to break through, or Breech the back part of a gun
break a rule; a gap barrel
broach to raise a subject for Brooch a piece of jewellery
discussion
canvas a type of strong Canvass to seek people’s votes
cloth
censure to criticize strongly Censor to ban parts of a book
or film; a person who
does this
cereal a grass producing Serial happening in a series
an edible grain; a
breakfast food
made from grains
chord a group of musical Cord a length of string; a
notes cord-like body part

Page 25
climactic forming a climax Climatic relating to climate
coarse rough Course a direction; a school
subject; part of a meal
complacent smug and self- complaisant willing to please
satisfied
complement to add to so as to compliment to praise or express
improve; an approval; an admiring
addition that remark
improves
something
council a group of people Counsel advice; to advise
who manage or
advise
cue a signal for action; Queue a line of people or
a wooden rod vehicles
curb to keep something Kerb (in British English) the
in check; a control stone edge of a
or limit pavement
currant a dried grape Current happening now; a flow
of water, air, or
electricity
defuse to make a situation Diffuse to spread over a wide
less tense area
desert a waterless, empty Dessert the sweet course of a
area; to abandon meal
someone
discreet careful not to attract Discrete separate and distinct
attention
disinterested impartial uninterested not interested
draught a current of air Draft a first version of a
piece of writing
draw an even score at the Drawer a sliding storage
end of a game compartment
dual having two parts Duel a fight or contest
between two people
elicit to draw out a reply Illicit not allowed by law or
or reaction rules
ensure to make certain that Insure to provide
something will compensation if a
happen person dies or property
is damaged
envelop to cover or Envelope a paper container for a
surround letter
exercise physical activity; to Exorcise to drive out an evil
do physical activity spirit

Page 26
fawn a young deer; light Faun a mythical being, part
brown man, part goat
flaunt to display Flout to disregard a rule
ostentatiously
flounder to move clumsily; Founder to fail
to have difficulty
doing something
forbear to refrain Forebear an ancestor
foreword an introduction to a Forward onwards, ahead
book
freeze to turn to ice Frieze a decoration along a
wall
grisly gruesome, revolting Grizzly a type of bear
hoard a store Horde a large crowd of
people
imply to suggest indirectly Infer to draw a conclusion
loath reluctant, unwilling Loathe to hate
loose to unfasten; to set Lose to be deprived of; to be
free unable to find
meter a measuring device Metre a metric unit; rhythm
in verse
militate to be a powerful Mitigate to make less severe
factor against
palate the roof of the Palette a board for mixing
mouth colours
pedal a foot-operated Peddle to sell goods
lever
pole a long, slender Poll voting in an election
piece of wood
pour to flow or cause to Pore a tiny opening; to
flow study something
closely
practice the use of an idea or Practice to do something
method; the work repeatedly to gain skill;
or business of a to do something
doctor, dentist, etc. regularly
prescribe to authorize use of Proscribe to officially forbid
medicine; to order something
authoritatively
principal most important; the Principle a fundamental rule or
head of a school belief
sceptic a person inclined to Septic infected with bacteria
doubt
sight the ability to see Site a location
stationary not moving Stationery writing materials

Page 27
storey a level of a building Story a tale or account
titillate to arouse interest Titivate to make more
attractive
tortuous full of twists; Torturous full of pain or suffering
complex
wreath a ring-shaped Wreathe to surround or encircle
arrangement of
flowers etc.

Page 28
 UNIT-III

Objective: to enable students to familiarize themselves with the use of Descriptions- Narrations-
Giving Directions and guidelines, Sequence of Tenses, Question Tags and One word substitutes.

1. DESCRIPTIONS- NARRATIONS
Language can be used to describe people, places, events or situations in different ways. Description is
normally defined as a kind of discourse while Narration literally means to tell a story. (Plot,
setting and characterization)

The best way to think about being descriptive is “painting pictures with words.” If a narrative is
like a movie, a descriptive paper is like a photograph. The point of a descriptive paper is not to
portray events, but to bring a scene or object to life in the imagination of the reader.

Tips for Writing Effective Narrative and Descriptive Essays:

 Tell a story about a moment or event that means a lot to you--it will make it easier for
you to tell the story in an interesting way!
 Get right to the action! Avoid long introductions and lengthy descriptions--especially at
the beginning of your narrative.
 Make sure your story has a point! Describe what you learned from this experience.
 Use all five of your senses to describe the setting, characters, and the plot of your story.
Don't be afraid to tell the story in your own voice. Nobody wants to read a story that
sounds like a textbook!

Remember: Avoid simply telling us what something looks like--tell us how it tastes, smells,
sounds, or feels!
Consider this…
 Virginia rain smells different from a California drizzle.
 A mountain breeze feels different from a sea breeze.
 We hear different things in one spot, depending on the time of day.
You can “taste” things you’ve never eaten: how would sunscreen taste.

Page 29
 2. GIVING DIRECTIONS AND GUIDELINES

As happens in strange and new places, people get disoriented and they need help finding their
way, so guests may frequently ask you for directions. They may ask directions to a restaurant in
the hotel complex, the nearest restroom, or a nearby historical site. There are a multitude of
expressions that are used when asking for and giving directions. Where ever you are going the
expression below can be used when asking for directions.
Expressions:
Asking for directions
Could you tell me how to get to (… the pool)?
How do I find (…StarBucks Coffee Shop)?
Pardon me, I'm lost, how do I get to the (…the main lobby)?
Which is the best route to (…Phuket Town)?
Could you direct me to (…the beach)?
Which way do I go to get to (…the hospital)?

Giving directions
Take this passageway Go up/down the steps
On your right/left Turn right/left
Take the elevator It's on the third floor
Follow this path Turn right/left at the corridor
It’s about 50 meters Go above 3 kilometers
Cross the street It’s on your right/left
It’s in the middle of the block
It’s on the corner of (to be very specific NE, SE, NW, SW corners)
Drive south on 4233
It’s next to/ across from/between/in front of
Drive to Jackson Street and turn left/right

Page 30
Consider the following example:
A: Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the railway station?
B: Sure. It’s quite far from here. Don’t worry. It’s not difficult to get there.
A: I think I’m going in the wrong direction, aren’t I?
B: Yes. First, you need to turn around and pass four traffic lights further up this road?
A: Yes, I do. They are about two miles away, right?
B: That’s right. Drive back to the first traffic light and turn right. Remember that we are coming
from this direction.
B: Oh yes! Then we drive to the No.11 motorway.
A: How far is that?
B: It’s only seven miles. We turn left to join the No.12 motorway and drive south. Then you just
go straight on until you see the station ahead of you. You can’t miss it.
A: How long will it take?
B: About 10 minutes if you aren’t caught in traffic jam.
A: OK.I got it. It is so nice of you to help me!
B: You’re welcome.

3. SEQUENCE OF TENSES
Most commonly sequence of tenses is a case of a past tense in a main clause being followed by a
past tense in a subordinate/dependent clause. The rules governing verb tenses are dictated by
logic; an action in the future obviously cannot happen before an action in the past. The past must
come before the present, and the present before the future, etc.

Rule 1: If the main clause is in the present or future, then the verb in the noun (dependent)
clause can be in any tense.

Examples: The prime ministers agree that the global warming is a serious world problem.

They hope that all nations will be responsible for solving this serious problem.

Scientists believe that atmospheric warming has already begun.

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Measurements have indicated that the average temperature on the earth has risen in the past one
hundred years.

Further research will prove that carbon dioxide is largely responsible.

Rule 2: If the main clause is in the past tense, the verb in the noun (dependent) clause is
usually in the past form except for the cases when the noun clause reports a general truth.

Examples: The prime ministers agreed that the global warming was a serious world problem.

They hoped that all nations would be responsible for solving this serious problem.

Scientists believed that atmospheric warming had already begun.

Measurements indicated that the average temperature on the earth has risen in the past one
hundred years.

Further research proved that carbon dioxide was largely responsible.

Exception: We knew that New York is bigger than London. (General truth)

Watch out for conditional clauses (if-clauses), too.

If I study, I will pass the exams.

If I studied, I would pass the exams.
If I had studied, I would have passed the exams.

4. QUESTION TAGS
A tag question is a device used to turn a statement into a question. It nearly always consists of a
pronoun, a helping verb, and sometimes the word not. Although it begins as a statement, the tag
question prevails when it comes to the end-mark: use a question mark. Notice that when the
statement is positive, the tag question is expressed in the negative; when the statement is
negative, the tag question is positive.
Study the following examples:

1. He should quit smoking, shouldn't he?

2. He shouldn't have quit his diet, should he?
3. They're not doing very well, are they?

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4. He finished on time, didn't he?
5. She does a beautiful job, doesn't she?
6. Harold may come along, mightn't he?
7. There were too many people on the dock, weren't there?
8. He never goes out with his dog, does he? (Negative sentence-positive question tag)
9. We have a car, haven't we? (have is a main verb in the sentence -two possibilities)
OR
10. We have a car, don't we?

5. ONE WORD SUBSTITUTES

One word substitution is very important to write precisely and speak in a single word. Generally,
we speak or write in a garrulous way. But, it is seen that precise words are always understood
easily by all. At times we become verbose but sometimes the verbosity is not required and we
are required to talk or speak precisely. In English language there are a lot of single words for a
group of words. So, speak precisely and avoid the fear of being misunderstood. Let us study the
following one word substitutes.

A person who is out to destroy all government and order Anarchist

Government by the people Democracy
The whole mass of air surrounding the earth Atmosphere
One who is not sure of the existence of God Agnostic
A medicine which prevents infection by killing germs Antiseptic
One who does something not professionally but for pleasure Amateur
A statement open to more than one interpretation Ambiguous
One who makes an official examination of accounts Auditor
Marrying more than one wife or more than one husband at a time Polygamy
The science that studies plants Botany
The science which studies natural processes of living things Biology
People working together in the same office or department Colleagues
The state of remaining unmarried Celibacy
The action of bringing into completion Consummation
To give one's authority to another Delegate
Study of the relation of living things to environment Ecology
The action of looking within or into one's own mind Introspection

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One incapable of being tired Indefatigable
A letter, poem, etc. whose auther is unknown Anonymous
Work for which no salary is paid Honorary
One who looks at the bright side of things Optimist
One who cannot read or write Illiterate
A game or battle in which neither party wins Draw
Holding established opinions Orthodox
Hater of women Misogynist
The study of the origin and physical and cultural development
of mankind Anthropology
The science which studies the crust of the earth Geology
The science which studies animals Zoology
Happening at one and the same time Simultaneous
Murder or murderer of oneself Suicide
Lasting only for a very short while Temporary
Capable of being seen through Transparent
The first speech delivered by a person Maiden
The art practised by statesmen and ambassadors Diplomacy
One who walks on foot Pedestrian
One who lives on others Parasite
One who speaks for others Spokesperson
One who spends very little Miser
One who prossesses several talents or gifts Versatile
One who eats vegatables only Vegetarian
A thing that is fit to be eaten Edible
A statement absolutely clears Explicit
A widespread disease affecting many people at the same time Epidemic
A trade that is prohibited by law Gala day
A desire that cannot be represed Illicit
A method that cannot be imitated Irrespressible
Remarks which do not really apply to the subject under discussion Inimitable
A story that can hardly be believed Incredible

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A comparison that is out of place Inapt
That which cannot be satisfied Insatiable
A remedy which never fails Infallible
A thing that cannot be seen with human eyes Invisible
One who is very easily made angry Irritable
An ordinary and common place remark Platitude
A sum paid to a man for a piece of work Remuneration
The act of violating the sanctity or destroying the property of
a sacred place Sacrilege
To make up one's mind and change it quickly Vacillate
A person with a long experience of any occupation Veteran
A place where clothes are kept Wardrobe
A state of complete continence on the part of a woman Virginity
A man who has too much enthusiasm for his own religion and hates Fanatic
other religions
One who makes calculations connected with insurance Actuary
A country, etc. which is very distant Remote
To send out of one's native country Exile
A person chosen by parties who have a controversy to settle their
differences Mediator
Notice of death, especially in a newspaper Obituary
Opinion contrary to accepted doctrines Heresy
Great clapping and cheering Applause
Exclusive possession of the trade in some commodity Monopoly
Sole right to make and sell some invention Patent

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 UNIT-IV

Objectives: to enable students to participate in Extempore- Public Speaking and to understand

the notion of Active and Passive Voice, –Common Errors in English, Idioms and Phrases

1. PUBLIC SPEAKING

This unit introduces students to strategies used in public speaking and extempore speech as a
means of developing self-confidence, conviction and fluency in speaking. Speaking in public is
not something that most people enjoy, and it can make them self-conscious and hesitant.
Students need to be given practice in speaking in front of an audience. This can be done by
organizing speaking activities such as debates, extempore speech, group discussions, etc.

Extempore / Impromptu (Unexpected) Speech

Extempore speaking is the term used for a non-formally prepared speech. Every time you speak you are
preparing for extempore speaking. There comes a time in every one's life when he or she will have to give
an Extempore/ impromptu speech. It may be for anything - a radio interview, a teacher trying to get you
to speak up in class, or even in a casual debate.

Impromptu speeches aren't expected to be long, epic narratives. In fact, the more concise you get the
better. A lot of people tend to hide their nerves and their being unprepared by using a lot of words. The
problem is - they tend to miss the point when they do this.

There are a few things you can do to avoid panic and embarrassment.

➢ Grab a pen and a piece of paper, whether it is a napkin, envelope, or the back of a piece of
paper you have on hand.

➢ Feel free to acknowledge that you have not prepared for a speech. Do this in a professional
way. This should not be an attempt to garner pity, but rather a way to put yourself and your
audience at ease. Then, excuse yourself for a moment and take time to jot down a quick outline.
Zone out the audience. They will be okay chatting and sipping water for a minute.

➢ Jot down interesting or significant points about your topic, which will be related in some way
to the event you're attending. If it is a homework assignment you are addressing, for instance,
write down your impression of the assignment or anecdotes about your time spent on it.

➢ Hijack the topic. Your goal is to deliver a one-sided conversation, off the cuff, so you are in
complete control. Relax and make it your own. If you want to make this a funny story about your
pesky little brother who always bothers you during homework time, then do it. Everyone will
applaud your effort.

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 ➢ Begin with your introductory sentence, elaborate, and then start working your way to your
ending sentence. Fill in the middle space with as many points as you can, elaborating on each one
as you go. Just concentrate on the zinger you've reserved for the end.

➢ As you deliver your speech, concentrate on diction and tone. If you are thinking about this,
you are not thinking about the eyes watching you. This really works! Your mind can't think about
too many things at once, so think about enunciating your words and controlling your tone, and
you'll maintain more control.

2. ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

There are two ways to express an action of a subject in relation to its object:
Active Voice and Passive Voice
In “active voice” subject acts upon object, while in “passive voice” object is acted upon by
subject. It can also be said, in “active voice” subject does a work on object, while in “passive
voice” object is worked on by subject. The normal structure of an active voice sentence is
Subject+Verb+Object but in passive the normal structure of sentence is reversed according to
certain rules and becomes like Object+Verb+Subject. The real meaning of a sentence does not
change if the sentence is expressed either by active voice or by passive voice. The active voice is
mostly used in writing because it gives a direct and more concise meaning. Passive voice is used
sometimes due to the following reasons.

➢ When intentionally hiding the subject of sentence. For example, a student who failed in
exam might say, some chapters were not studied. Women were not treated as equals.

➢ When passive voice better explain thought of sentence. For example, to say, cloth is sold
in yards, is more meaningful than to say, Shop keepers sell cloth in yards.

➢ When passive voice better emphasize the main thought of the sentence. For example, a
man who is being teased by another person might say in anger, “you will be beaten by
me”

➢ When subject is not exactly known. For example, His watch was stolen. It is not known
that who stole his watch, the subject (thief) is not exactly known so it is better to use
passive voice for such sentence.

There are certain rules for expressing a thought in passive voice or for changing a sentence from
active voice to passive voice.

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Fundamental Rules for changing from active voice to passive voice:

The places of subject and object are interchanged i.e. the object shifts to the place of subject and
subject shifts to the place of object in passive voice.
Active voice: I write a letter.
Passive voice: A letter is written by me.
Subject (I) of sentence shifted to the place of object (letter) changing as me and object (letter)
shifted to the place of subject (I) in passive voice.

Sometimes subject of sentence is not used in passive voice. Subject of sentence can be omitted in
passive voice, without subject it can give enough meaning in passive voice.
Passive voice: cloth is sold in meters.

3rd form of verb (past participle) is always used as main verb in sentences of passive voice for
all tenses. Base form of verb or present participle will be never used in passive voice. The word
“by” is used before subject in sentences in passive voice.
Active voice: He sings a song.
Passive voice: A song is sung by him.

The word “by” is not always used before subject in passive voice. Sometimes words “with, to,
etc” may also be used before subject in passive voice.
Active voice: The water fills the tub.
Passive voice: The tub is filled with water.
Active voice: He knows me.
Passive voice: I am known to him.

The auxiliary verbs of passive voice are used according to tense of sentence of its active voice
form. To change sentences having present/past/future modal into passive voice, auxiliary verb
“be” is added after modal in sentence. Study the following examples:

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Modal/Auxiliary Active Voice Passive Voice
Verbs
Can/could She can play a violin. A violin can be played by her.
She could play a violin. A violin could be played by her.
May I may buy the computer. The computer may be bought by me.
Might Guests might play chess. Chess might be played by guests.
Should All lessons should be studied by
Students should study all lessons.
students.
Must You must learn the test-taking Test-taking strategies must be learnt by
strategies. you.
Ought to They ought to take the The examination ought to be taken by
examination. them.
Have / has They have eaten meal. Meal has been eaten by them.
He has eaten meal. Meal has been eaten by him.

3. COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH

Everyday situations are a minefield of common English errors. Here, we rectify some of them so
you can learn to avoid making the same mistakes.

Incorrect: I have a good news for you.

Correct: I have good news for you

Incorrect: The men are national beings.

Correct: Men are national beings.

Incorrect: The boys leave the school at four o'clock.

Correct: The boys leave school at four o'clock.

Incorrect: I have read the Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Correct: I have read Shakespeare's Macbeth

Incorrect: Fire broke out in our village.

Correct: A fire broke out in our village.

Incorrect: Andamans are a group of islands.

Correct: The Andamans are a group of islands.

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Incorrect: There is no place in the hall.
Correct: There is no room in the hall.

Incorrect: He left the place with his belonging goods.

Correct: He left the place with his goods.

Incorrect: He absented from the school yesterday.

Correct: He absented himself from the school yesterday.

Incorrect: He availed of the opportunity.

Correct: He availed himself of the opportunity.

Incorrect: Don't pride on your victory.

Correct: Don't pride yourself on your victory.

Incorrect: The climate of India is hotter than England.

Correct: The climate of India is hotter than that of England.

Incorrect: He is sick.
Correct: He is ill.

Incorrect: I have strong headache.

Correct: I have a severe headache.

Incorrect: This is more preferable than that.

Correct: This is preferable to that.

Incorrect: No less than fifty students were present.

Correct: No fewer than fifty students were present.

Incorrect: I want a little quantity of milk.

Correct: I want a small quantity of milk.

Incorrect: He does not know to swim.

Correct: He does not know how to swim.

Incorrect: I know him too well.

Correct: I know him very well.

Incorrect: Now you are tired, you may rest awhile.

Correct: Now that you are tired, you may rest awhile.

Incorrect: No sooner had he died, when his sons began to quarrel.

Correct: No sooner had he died than his sons began to quarrel.

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Incorrect: He asked me that why I had not gone there.
Correct: He asked me why I had not gone there.

Incorrect: Until you remain idle, you cannot succeed.

Correct: As long as you remain idle, you cannot succeed.

Incorrect: One of his family members is dead.

Correct: One of the members of his family is dead.

Incorrect: Tell me why did you go there?

Correct: Tell me why you went there?

Incorrect: We shall be glad to get your good news.

Correct: We shall be glad to get good news from you.

4. IDIOMS AND PHRASES

An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the
dictionary definitions of the individual words. For example, “break a leg” is a common idiom.

Literal meaning: I command you to break a bone in your leg and you should probably go to the
doctor afterwards to get it fixed.

Idiomatic meaning: Do your best and do well. Often, actors tell each other to “break a leg”
(Good luck!) before they go out on stage to perform.

Common idioms that refer to people include:

 A chip on your shoulder - means you think you know a lot
 High as a kite - means you are drunk or on drugs
 Sick as a dog - means you are very ill

Idioms that refer to your actions would be:

 Rub someone the wrong way - meaning to annoy or bother
 Jump the gun - would mean to be doing something early
 Pay the piper - means you need to face the consequences of your actions

Some idioms use color words to convey other meanings: For example, there are several that
use the word “blue:”
 “The blues” can refer to both a style of music and feeling sad.
 “once in a blue moon” means something occurs rarely
 “Out of the blue” means something happens that was unexpected.

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A Phrase consists of two or more words lacking a complete sense and a complete verb. It may
consist of one or more incomplete verbs - the Infinitives or the Participles standing on their own.

Words/group of words in italics are phrases in examples below:

1). The sun rises in the east.

2). Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
3). She wore a hat with blue trimming.
4). The accident on the bridge was not serious.
5). The girl with red hair is an artist.
6). He took a long leave.

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 UNIT-V

Objective: to familiarize students with criteria for Information Transfer- Oral Presentation
Skills, Reading Comprehension and Job Application with Resume preparation.

1. INFORMATION TRANSFER

Information transfer or presenting verbal accounts of facts and processes in pictorial form and,
conversely, changing graphic representations to writing, involves learning how to restate a given
body of material in different ways. It is an important skill that you will need at the college and
university levels as well as in your professional and personal lives, both to explain a map, graph
or table in speech or writing and to re-present a verbal text in graphic form. Information transfer
is used specifically in the contexts of narration, physical and process description, listing and
classifying, comparison and contrast, showing cause and effect relationship, and generalizing
from numerical data. Transferring information from verbal to graphic form, and vice versa is
thus a very useful skill that will help you in study and at work.

➢ The information can be shown through texts, tables, maps tree diagrams bar
graphs, pie charts, flow charts and so on.
➢ Information in verbal form can be made clearer and easier to understand by
presenting it in graphic or pictorial form.
➢ Pictorial representation has many advantages:
1. Allows quick and easy viewing of a large amount of data
2. Quicker to locate required information in a graphic than in a written text
3. Data relating to a long period of time or to large number of people can be effectively
summarized
4. Convenient to use in making comparisons involving amounts of data

(Students should be assigned to practice Information transfer through the different types of
graphic representation, tables, bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, flow charts, tree diagrams,
pictograms, maps and plans.)

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 2. ORAL PRESENTATION SKILLS

Oral presentations are a common requirement in many courses. They may be short or long,
include slides or other visual aids, and be done individually or in a group. In your graduate or
postgraduate studies, you may have the opportunity to deliver lectures, seminars and tutorials as
well, and the more practice you have at any of these, the easier it gets. Planning and structuring
an oral presentation is similar to the process of writing an essay, except you need to be conscious
of a live audience and use spoken language instead of written. However, the final preparation
and presentation differ significantly from editing and polishing an essay.

When making an oral presentation in class or workplace, you must know your subject well and
convince your audience that they have something to gain from listening to you. Here are some
things you can do to make an effective oral presentation.

➢ Be prepared. Research your subject to ensure that you are knowledgeable. Practice your
presentation until you feel comfortable. Make sure you can present your information
within whatever time limits you will have. Anticipate questions you may be asked and
prepare answers to these.
➢ Know your audience. Tailor your presentation to your audience's level of knowledge
about the subject of your presentation, what they need to know, and their interests.
➢ Be positive. Make it clear that you are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about your
subject.
➢ Don't read your presentation. Talk to your audience. Use your notes as prompts as
needed.
➢ Provide examples. Try to make your presentation as concrete and "down to earth" as
possible. Add appropriate anecdotes and humor to drive home a point.
➢ Use visual aids. Supplement what you say with visual aids such as handouts, charts,
transparencies, and slides. Make sure that everyone can easily see the visual aids. Don't
use visual aids that are so complex that the audience will spend its time trying to read
them instead of listening to you. Visual aids are supplements to what you say, not
replacements for what you say.

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 ➢ Maintain eye contact. Shift your eye contact around the room so that everyone feels that
you are talking to them.
➢ Actively involve your audience. People can only listen so long without their attention
wandering. Making your presentation interesting will help you to capture and keep your
audience's attention for a while, but you must do more. Build in some simple and quick
activities for your audience so that they are actively involved in your presentation. Ask
questions that you are confident your audience will be able to answer.
➢ Body language Try to make a sort of roving eye contact with the audience whilst
maintaining good posture and using appropriate gestures with your hands.
➢ Use your voice effectively. Vary the tone of your voice and be careful not to talk too
quickly.
➢ End on a high note. Leave your audience feeling upbeat about what they have just
heard.

3. READING COMPREHENSION

Reading comprehension is the complex set of skills that allows people to get the meaning of text.
Skills used to understand text include making connections with prior knowledge, visualizing,
questioning, inferring, determining importance and synthesizing.
What is reading? Is it something that one does only in the classroom to pass examinations?
While reading, we are interacting with a written text. This interaction with a text helps not only
in decoding information, but also in enjoying the text for its own sake. In order to understand
facts, extract information or derive maximum enjoyment, one needs to comprehend or
understand the text.
A good reader is one who, apart from comprehending facts, is skilled in the use of strategies.

Here is a quick overview of the four types of reading skills used in every language:
Skimming
Skimming is used to quickly gather the most important information, or 'gist'. Run your eyes over
the text, noting important information. Use skimming to quickly get up to speed on a current
business situation. It's not essential to understand each word when skimming.

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Examples of Skimming:
❖ The Newspaper (quickly to get the general news of the day)
❖ Magazines (quickly to discover which articles you would like to read in more detail)
❖ Business and Travel Brochures (quickly to get informed)
Scanning
Scanning is used to find a particular piece of information. Run your eyes over the text looking
for the specific piece of information you need. Use scanning on schedules, meeting plans, etc. in
order to find the specific details you require. If you see words or phrases that you don't
understand, don't worry when scanning.
Examples of Scanning

❖ The "What's on TV" section of your newspaper.

❖ A train / airplane schedule
❖ A conference guide

Extensive reading
Extensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject and includes reading
longer texts for pleasure, as well as business books. Use extensive reading skills to improve your
general knowledge of business procedures. Do not worry if you understand each word.
Examples of Extensive Reading
❖ The latest marketing strategy book
❖ A novel you read before going to bed
❖ Magazine articles that interest you

Intensive reading
Intensive reading is used on shorter texts in order to extract specific information. It includes very
close accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to grasp the details of a specific
situation. In this case, it is important that you understand each word, number or fact.
Examples of Intensive Reading
❖ A bookkeeping report
❖ An insurance claim
❖ A contract

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Read the following passage. Then answer questions about the passage below.

Many people worked to create television. In 1862, Abbe Giovanna Caselli invented a machine
called the Pantelograph. Caselli was the first person to send a picture over wires. By the 1880s,
Alexander Graham Bell invented a machine that transmitted pictures and sound over wires. His
machine was called the Photophone. The World’s Fair was held in Paris, France, in the year
1900. The first International Congress of Electricity was held at the World’s Fair. That was when
the word television was first used – by a Russian named Constantin Perskyi. That name stuck,
and is now shortened to “TV.” At the beginning of TV history, there were several types of TV
technology. One system was a mechanical model based on a rotating disc. (Rotating discs are
discs that spin like CDs.) The other system was an electronic model. In 1906, Boris Rosing built
the first working mechanical TV in Russia. In the 1920s, John Logie Baird in England and
Charles Francis Jenkins in the United States demonstrated improved mechanical systems. Philo
Taylor Farnsworth also showed an electronic system in San Francisco in 1927. His TV was the
forerunner of today’s TV, which is an electronic system based on his ideas. Now TV is
everywhere. Before 1947, there were only a few thousand televisions in the U.S. By the 1990s,
there were televisions in 98% of American homes.

1) Who first sent a picture over wires?

A. Boris Rosing
B. John Logie Baird
C. Abbe Giovanna Caselli
D. Alexander Graham Bell

2) The word television was first used in…

A. 1862.
B. 1880.
C. 1900.
D. 1906.

3) The 1900 World’s Fairs was in…

A. Moscow, Russia.
B. London, England.
C. Paris, France.
D. New York, United States.

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4) Who invented the Photophone?
A. Abbe Giovanna Caselli
B. Charles Francis Jenkins
C. Alexander Graham Bell
D. Philo Taylor Farnsworth

5) How many TVs were in the US in 1945?

A. A few hundred
B. A few thousand.
C. A few million.
D. A few billion.

4. RESUME PREPARATION

The resume is a tool with one specific purpose to win an interview. If it does what the fantasy
resume did, it works. If it doesn't, it isn't an effective resume. A resume is an advertisement,
nothing more, nothing less.

A great resume doesn't just tell them what you have done but makes the same assertion that all
good ads do. It is so pleasing to the eye that the reader is enticed to pick it up and read it. It
"whets the appetite," stimulates interest in meeting you and learning more about you. It inspires
the prospective employer to pick up the phone and ask you to come in for an interview.

CV-Resume: Definition
In what way is the Curriculum Vitae different from a Resume?
Different terminology is applied in different countries: Résumé is used exclusively in the
USA. Curriculum Vitae (CV) is used in Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

Different Contents and Objectives

Resume: emphasizes information on the experience, abilities and studies relevant for the
objectives that must be fulfilled in a certain position for which you are applying, or in which
selection process you are taking part.

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Curriculum Vitae (CV): is a compilation of all the academic data and experience of a person
throughout their life (as vitae indicates the Latin term life), unrelated to the position you are
applying for or in which selection process you are taking part. The structure usually is personal
data, academic, experience, languages, computer science and other data, all in chronological
order.

Type of Company and Position to Which It Should Be Directed

Resume: Commercial positions, directors, media, audio-visual, creative...
Curriculum Vitae (CV): More appropriate for academic positions, scientists, doctors, research,
technologies....

CV-RESUME: CONTENT

PERSONAL DATA SECTION

➢ Name
➢ Home or work address
➢ Two telephone numbers – if possible
➢ Email address

OBJECTIVE SECTION
➢ Optional, but highly recommended.
➢ Include type of position or occupational field you wish to enter, skills, experience, and
background you have to offer, and any special interests or areas of focus.

EDUCATION SECTION
➢ List institution name, post secondary degree(s) received and dates earned or expected
➢ Include major, minor, area of concentration, specialization, or certifications.
➢ List city & state when looking outside of state where employers may be unfamiliar with
your college location.

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 ➢ This category may be a separate section or divided into subsections depending on the
information presented.
➢ May include relevant courses and skills/knowledge learned, special projects, G.P.A. if
over 3.0, honors, awards, scholarships, thesis, research projects, percent of college
expenses earned extracurricular activities.

EXPERIENCE SECTION
➢ List paid and unpaid experiences, internships, co-ops, volunteer activities, fieldwork,
student teaching, etc.
➢ Include position title, employer or setting, city, state, and dates. (Place in reverse
chronological order).
➢ Emphasize responsibilities, accomplishments, and skills. Think - How? Why? Results?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SECTIONS

➢ Title this category(s) according to type of information presented.

➢ May include professional/student associations and positions held, athletic participation,

extracurricular activities, special skills (computer, languages, etc.), certifications,
licensures, publications, military or community service experience, interests, etc.

REFERENCE SECTION
➢ Recommended.
➢ Provides closure to the resume, but not needed if space is an issue.
➢ Include the statement - References Available.

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 SAMPLE RESUME

K. SRINATH PRASAD, Tel No.040- 25780987

Plot No. 208, Ashok Nagar, Cell No. 9848685454
HYDERABAD -500001. Email: sri_nath@gmail.com

Objectives:

❖ Seeking a successful career in a growth oriented organization, which fully utilizes my

zeal and commitment towards my work and gives me a competitive atmosphere to check
my enthusiasm, expertise and result in my self-development.

Academic Qualifications:

Examination Board/ University Year Division % of Marks

B.TECH J. B. College of Engineering and 2007-2010 First 70.15

(ECE) Technology (JNTU) Hyderabad.
DECE Govt. Polytechnic, Hyderabad 2003-2006 First 68.52
(State Board Of Technical
Education And Training, A. P.)
SSC Board of Secondary Education, 2002-2003 First 80.06
A.P.
2002-2003 First 74.16

Academic Projects
1. Project Title: Familiarization on SDH Systems Using STM- 1/4/16
Description: SDH International Standard Networking Principle and a Multiplexing Method.

2. Project Title: A Mini Project on “Microcontroller Based Modern Security System with
message Transmitter.”
Description: The intention of the project work is to provide high-level security to the
properties of organizations and establishments.

Participation in Seminars & Workshops

➢ Technical paper presentation on BLU-RAY-DISC at M.G.I.T., Gandipet, Hyderabad in
Nov’2008.

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 ➢ Technical Seminar on MICROCONTROLLER BASED ANESTHESIA INJECTOR,
Hi-Tech College of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad in January 2010.

Professional Experience:
❖ Worked as Web Designer in Wipro Technologies, Hyderabad, for July-2006 - July 2007.

Summary of Skills:
➢ Proficient in M S Office, C, C++, Java, Programming Skills and Web designing skills
➢ Good problem-solving skills
➢ Good communication skills
➢ Interpersonal skills

Interests & Activities:

Currently include: Photography, Theatre & Amateur Dramatics, Football and Golf

References are Available on Request

CV-Resume: The cover letter

The Cover Letter is a document of equal importance to the resume. it is the first impression the
selector will have of the candidate and its negative or positive impact is going to influence his or
her further reading (or not ) the CV or resume.

A Cover Letter must be very professional, well written, without misspellings. The content
directly explains the candidate meets the requirements for the position, emphasizing and
directing the attention of the selector towards the abilities, skills and knowledge the candidate
has proved, with concrete examples based on previous experience or non-work experience (if
you have never worked or have been outside the job market for a while).

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 SAMPLE COVER LETTER

Date:
To

Sirs,

Sub: application for the post of

Your advertisement, as detailed above, was of particular interest to me so that I would like to
apply for the above cited job which I find extremely stimulating and enjoyable. What is more, as
you will see from my enclosed CV, my background is particularly relevant to your requirements.
My experience with Wipro Technologies I have worked as a Web Designer which involved
developing innovative and creative solutions to problems.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the job vacancy with you on the telephone or at an
interview. And I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Address for communication

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