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Director : Prof. Harsh Gandhar

Co-ordinator : Dr. Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal
Course Leader : Dr. Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal

CLASS- B. COM. (SEM.II), SUBJECT – ENGLISH

PAPER: BCM 202: ENGLISH AND BUSINESS COMUNICATION

CONTENTS
 Introductory Letter
 Syllabus
L. No. Name of the Lesson Script Writer Pages
1. Text from Ten Mighty Pens Late Mr. Jagdish Kalra 1
2. Precis – Writing Dr. Rajesh K. Jaiswal & 11
Ms. Ravinder Dhaliwal
3. Curriculum Vitae - Do - 20
4. Report-Writing - Do - 23
5. Non-Verbal Aspects of Communication - Do - 34
6. Modern Froms of Communication - Do - 38
7. Appendix Unseen Passages for Comprehension - Do - 61

E-Mail of Department : coordeng@pu.ac.in

Contact No. of Department : 0172-2534325
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INTRODUCTION

Dear Student

This block contains a synopsis of the remaining short stories, essays and a one act play
included in the prescribed text TEN MIGHTY PENS. The synopsis of the lessons will help you in
acquiring a better grasp of the text. The text also gives you an exposure of rich vocabulary and
comprehension activities.

In addition, the block comprises of elaborate material on writing skills and modern forms of
communication as prescribed in your course. To make the material learner friendly, the lessons have
been put into Self Learning Mode (SLM) format. In case of any difficulty, please do not hesitate to
visit/contact us.

Yours truly,

Faculty of English
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SYLLABUS FOR B. COM. (PASS & HONS.) (SEMESTER SYSTEM) FIRST YEAR
EXAMINATION BCM 202: ENGLISH AND BUSINESS COMUNICATION (SEM-II)

Note:
(i) There will be one paper of 80 marks. 10 marks are reserved for the Internal Assessment and 10
for the Practical Work. Total is 100.
(ii) The paper shall consist of Two Units. Unit I will be text specific and Unit II shall deal with
different aspects of communication and language learning skills.
(iii) For Unit I, the prescribed text is Ten Mighty Pens Issues ed. K.A. Kalia (Oxford University
Press). The relevant sections, however, are as follows:
I. Chandalika: Rabindranath Tagore
II. A Bachelor’s Complaint of the Behaviour of Married People: Charles Lamb
III. El Dorado: R.L. Stevenson
IV. Bores : E. V. Lucas
V. The Art of the Essayist : A.C. Benson
(iv) For Unit II, there is no prescribed text, only suggested reading, listed towards the end, Unit II
shall consist ofthe following sub-units:
Writing Skills: This section shall focus on business précis-writing, curriculum vitae; short formal
reports (not exceeding 200 words).
Modern Forms of Communication: Here special emphasis shall be given to teaching the format of
e-mails, Fax Messages, Teleconferencing, Audio-Visual Aids and Power-Point Presentations. Apart
from this, the students shall also be given basic lessons in Effective Listening, Non- Verbal
Communication, How to Prepare for Group Discussion etc.
Practical Work: To impart skills of Group Discussion.
Practical Work:
There will be viva-voce examination of 10 marks which will include Group Discussion. The students will
appear in the group of 10 students for viva-voce.
Note: In case of private candidates and students of School of Open Leaning, the marks obtained by
them out of 80 will be proportionately increased out of 100.
Testing Scheme: The examination paper shall be divided into two sections, corresponding to two units
already proposed in the syllabus. The distribution of questions and marks in Section I shall be as
follows:
Section I (It is text-based and corresponds to Unit I in the syllabus)
Q. 1. It shall consist of five short question/answers (not exceeding 100-120 12 marks
words) ouf of which a student will be expected to attempt any three. This
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question shall be based upon the prescribed text Ten Mighty Pens.
Q. 2. It shall consist of two long question/answers (not exceeding 300-350 10 marks
words) out of which a student will be expected to attempt only one. This
question shall have internal choice, and be based upon the prescribed
text Ten Mighty Pens.

Note: The questions 1& 2 should be so designed as to cover all the chapters prescribed.
Q. 3. It shall consist of an Unseen Passage for Comprehension (not more 12 marks
than 300 words), with minimum six questions at the end. These questions
should be designed in such a way that we are able to test a student’s
comprehension ability, language/presentation skills and vocabulary etc.
Q. 4. It shall exclusively be a test of vocabulary, but designed strictly on the 6 marks
lines of various exercises given at the end of each chapter in the
prescribed text. The candidate shall be given six words in one column
and asked to match them with words/meanings in the next column.

Section II (Based upon Unit II)

Q. 5. The students shall be asked to write a short survey report on a situation, 10 marks
incident, business problem, or the possibility of starting a new
commercial venture (in about 150-200 words). The students shall be
given an internal choice in this question.
Q. 6. This will test the students’ ability to write a Précis. A passage of about 10 marks
200 words shall be given and the students shall have to write a précis of
about 70 words (including the title).
Q. 7. Definition/format of Modern forms of communication to be tested- 10 marks
Listening - Non verbal communication, e-mail, fax, teleconferencing etc.
Q. 8. Curriculum Vitae 10 marks

Suggested Reading:
1. Business Communication, Ed., Om P. Juneja & Aarti Mujumdar, Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan,
2010.
2. 50 Ways to Improve Your Business English... Without Too Much Effort, Ken Taylor, Hyderabad:
Orient Blackswan, 2006.
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Lesson-1

CHANDALIKA
By
Rabindranath Tagore

Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Summary of the Play
1.3 Summary of the Essay
1.3.1 A Bacheler’s Complaint by Chanles Lamb
1.3.2 EL Dorado by R.L. Stovernor
1.3.3 Bores by E.V. Lucas
1.3.4 The Art of the Essayist by A.C. Berson
1.4 Summary of the Lesson
1.5 Further Reading
1.6 Model Questions
1.0 Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
 appreciate the role of Literature in reforming the society/world
 grasp the democratic ethos embedded in the literary masterpieces.
 identify the complexities involved pertaining to the issues of caste and gender
1.1 Introduction
You are already done with the first half of the text in semester one.This lesson deals with the
one act play CHANDALIKA by R.N. Tagore, and four essays from the text book Ten Mighty Pen, A
detailed synopses will add to the understanding of the text after reading the lesson. Model Questions
are given in the end to enhance your comprehension of the text.
1.2 Summary of the Play
The Play Chandalika is based on a popular Buddhist legend about Ananda, the Buddha’s
famous disciple. In a beautiful manner the play displays that the value of a human being resides in a
loving heart and not in cast, creed or religion professed by him. Once on a hot summer day he asked
Chandalika for some water. Chandalika is an “untouchable”, a Harijan girl, achoot kanaya. She looks
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towards Ananda in an utter surprise, for no one had ever talked to an untouchable in this manner. A
feeling of respect and adoration evoked in her for Ananda. She also desired for the monk. The girl’s
mother had magical power. With the help of her mother’s magical power, the untouchable girl
compelled Ananda to come to her door. But the grace of Buddha, The Enlightened One, saved the
monk as also “Chandalika’ from sin. The play convincingly reveals the spiritual and moral conflict.
Chandalika is not a long play. It is based on a dance drama on a Buddhist legend. It contains
only two Acts. It forcefully deals with the spiritual conflict in the heart of an untouchable girl who is
extremely sensitive and full of life. The name of the girl is prakriti. She belongs to a low cast. ‘Once on
an extremely hot day Ananda asks the girl to give him water since he was very thirsty. She is
passionately attracted towards the radiant and robust personality of the monk. She frankly tells the
monk that she is untouchable and belong to a very low cast and that the water in the well too was not
clean. The monk tells her that he too is a human being and that he would drink the same water that the
others are drinking. After listening to the monk, Prakriti pours water into the cupped hands of the monk.
He quenches his thirst.
Since Prakriti was greatly attracted towards the monk, she tells all this to her mother. Prakriti
was suddenly awakened to a consciousness that like all other women, she too was a woman and could
crave and yearn like all other women. But her mother is not very happy to know all about this. Her
mother tells her that she would have to pay a heavy price for this madness. But Prakriti was now fully
conscious of her rights as a woman by the humanity and humility of Ananda. She talked of her equality
not only on the monk but also on the society. She wanted her mother to understand that not by birth but
by action the greatness of a person is revealed. She tells her mother that when she was pouring water
into the hands of the monk, it grew into a great sea. It appeared to her as if the water flowed from all the
seven seas of the earth and in the water itself the curse of her being low-cast or being untouchable was
drowned and that she had become absolutely pure and clean.
Prakriti could not understand as to why the monk had come only to her to satisfy her thirst
especially when innumerable wells existed in the holy city of Sarasvasti. Ananda had indeed given her
a new lease of life, a new sense of life. Through devotion she wanted to dedicate her entire life to the
monk. The monk had justified him by asking for water by telling her that even Janaki had bathed in the
water drawn by one Guhak, a untouchable, before she moved towards exile. Awakened by the humility
and humanity of the monk, she now knows her full rights as a woman. Though condemned to be born
in a low-cast family, she was to judge herself not by the artificial and false values that society attaches
to incidents of birth but by her devotion and dedication for love and service. Rising above oneself
means spiritual in the true sense of the word.
The words of the monk “give me water’ unceasingly and ceaselessly echoed in the mind of
Prakriti. She prolonged her staying near the well to wait for the monk to reach there again. She tells her
mother that her heart’s desire too would be quenched by the holy monk since only he could understand
the murmur and urges of her heart. She craved to give her heart and soul to that great holy monk. Days
and months pass by but the monk did not turn up. While her mother always reminded her that since she
belonged to low caste, she should never think of the monk, whereas Prakriti thought that the holy man
who had infused a new life and a new meaning in her life must come back to her life to assuage her
restlessness. All her mother’s persuasions for Prakriti not to think in that particular way went futile. To
her he was the first ever man in her life that recognised that she too was a woman.
The mother was telling her daughter not to defy destiny. She was born in a low caste family and
therefore she must continue to live in that way. She was destined to live in that fashion. But to the
daughter self-humiliation was a sin. She had her own arguments. She wanted to tell her mother that by
birth alone they should not lead a wretched life. The daughter enjoins upon the mother that he who
came from an unknown place had left a new fire and a new hope for them. She therefore urges upon
her mother to use her magic power to bring the holy monk back to their house. The mother is terrified
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even to think of such things. She warns her daughter that in case she brings the holy monk to their
doors, would she in a position to bear the price! The mother was afraid that then nothing would be left
of her. The daughter thought otherwise. She thought she would get deliverance in case the holy monk
accepts her. She had waited for her many ages and in this particular birth should like to fulfil and realize
her wish. She convinced her mother that any religion that insults her is a false religion and that she has
full respect for true religion.
Thus on the impassioned appeal by the daughter, the mother is ultimately forced to use the
magic or the witchcraft to bring back the holy monk to her doors. But before she chants her spell on the
holy monk, she seek forgiveness first. She calls for her daughter and brings to her attention a host of
monks and Ananda was in front of all. Prakriti in all her anxiety watched that not only he did not ask for
water, he even did not look towards the direction of the well. He was totally broken. She threw herself
on the ground saying that dust and only dust was her rightful place. The mother advised her to forget
about everything as a bad dream. But the poor girl would not be consoled. This was indeed insufferable
for the mother. She promised to Prakriti to chant spells and bring the holy monk to her. While giving a
magic mirror to Prakriti, she tells her to take it in her hand and dance and while dancing the holy monk’s
shadow would fall on the mirror and she would be in a position to see him in the mirror itself. Initially the
magic is not working but later she uses her full force and magic works. The holy monk starts coming to
her. But by coming near to a place which was made holy by the memory of Lord Buddha. This was the
place where Lord Buddh had preached to King Suprabhas. Ananda sits down and cover his eyes with
hands. Prakriti feels that the holy monk may shake off the magic spell of her mother. She urges her
mother to use her spell again but it was not to be. Her mother got exhausted in her efforts and feels that
her heart was bursting. But Prakriti in her own obsession is rather excited and has no pity for the
unbearable condition of her mother.
Prakriti could understand that the magic spell could break any moment. So she looks into the
mirror. She was terrified. There was a mixed feeling of hope and fear. It was horrible to see that the
radiance and glow that was flowing from the face of Ananda had vanished. Suddenly she finds Ananda
coming towards her with bent head. It appeared to her that Aanada was conscious of his own fall.
Prakriti was feeling guilty. She was full of remorse and sorrow. Rather she is shocked. She cries and
wants her mother to undo her wicked magic spell. But it was rather too late. The enormity and
magnitude the ignoble had come to full light and she was not aware of the sin that has caused the
tragic fall of the holy monk. Prakriti therefore in all her earnestness asks for Ananda’a forgiveness. It
appeared to Prakriti that her lord had come in the shape of Ananda to give her deliverance and
therefore begs for his forgiveness. Ananda recovers his poise and once again goes on proclaiming his
“devotion to Lord Buddha and his gospels. In this way both the monk and Chandalika are saved from
the sin at the last moment by the grace of Lord Buddha.

1.3 Summary of the Essays

1.3.1 A BACHELOR’S COMPLAINT

OF
THE BEHAVIOUR OF MARRIED PEOPLE
By
Charles Lamb
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In this essay, Charles Lamb, in an amusing and witty ways, comments upon the life style of
married people. He was an astute and shrewd observer of human nature. Minutely he has observed the
drawbacks, pitfalls and complications of married people. Lamb himself lived a life of bachelorhood. It
was forced upon him by the circumstances. His sister’s illness and the streak of madness in the family
left him no choice but to remain bachelor throughout his life. Whatever he has observed in the lives of
married person, he has endeavoured to present the same with unimpeachable integrity.
This essay is written in a lighter vein. He directs his comment and criticism towards married
people. He is particularly hard towards women who often claim to enjoy the superior pleasures of life
simply because they are married. Looking at their behaviour and conduct, he does not feel any regret
for leading a bachelor’s life and missing the “joys” of married life. The one thing he never liked about
married couples’ deeds and behaviour is that they show off before every body about their love for each
other. He feels that they have married each other and they hav each other for love. There is nothing
wrong in loving each other but why should the bachelors get rather degrading treatment from the
married people, especially the women. Often they claim to enjoy superior pleasures because they are
married. By implication they want the bachelors to feel that they are inferior fellows and that ladies’
choice is alien to them. The married ones do not try to understand that if a person has chosen to
remain a bachelor, there must be his own reasons or compulsions. It is rather irritating to a bachelor if
he is reminded that he is no lady’s choice.
The author is conscious that husband and wife often quarrel with each other and he is not very
much impressed over this aspect of married people. But this is rather ridiculous that married couples
especially women exhibit their married joy and show that they are enjoying the marital bliss and that the
bachelors are nit wits and emotionally fools. This is a very irritating way of insulting bachelors. The
married couples are not concerned about finding real happiness in their own lives. Ironically they find
pleasure in their lives by reminding the bachelors that they are not happy because they have been
denied the marital joy and mirth. Such a shallow display of happiness is worse than the display of
knowledge or money or wealth.
The perpetual and excessive display of marital bliss by the married couple is rather disgusting
according to the author. The married women behave as if they have accomplished the ultimate and
there is nothing left to achieve in their lives. They pretend that they have reached at the lofty heights
and are beyond the reach of anyone. This is a vulgar display reminding the bachelors that the married
ladies are finally disposed of and that the bachelors could never hope to get them as their wives. What
kind of satisfaction are they trying to give to themselves? the writer questions. Another factor about
which the author is reminding the reader is that the married women think that merely by marrying they
have explored a rich fund of knowledge too and not only in joy and thrill happiness, they are far
superiors to bachelors even in knowledge. This is a trivial and flimsy way of showing their superiority
over the bachelors. All this makes the writer uncomfortable.
Not only this. These very married couples are excessively proud of their children too forgetting
that even animals and birds increase their race. Children are a contingency of married life. When you
are married, children are natural. Thus what is there so extraordinary to have children? It is a inevitable
law of nature. There is nothing to feel so special about children unless they grow into towering
personalities and really make their parents proud about them. Sometimes these very children become a
liability and are insufferable to their parents. So why should the couple expect that others would give
too much importance to their children and why should friends shower upon their children lots of gifts.
Surely, according to the author, the married couples are not right in expecting bachelors to show
unwarranted attention to their children. Ironically if a bachelor dotes upon their child is not acceptable to
the married people. He is considered silly and immature. And the children are given marching orders to
disappear from the scene while bachelors are there. On the other hand if a bachelor does not display
any love or fondness for the children, he is considered callous. The bachelors are always in a confusing
situation in such a place whether they should display their love for children or not. The writer is not
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siding with any one. He is of the view that there is nothing wrong is displaying love towards children
provided they are really lovable and the situation demand such a reaction.
The writer is speaking about another factor. The married women, especially the newly-wed
women, adopt different yardsticks to trim down the friendship of their husbands with bachelors. The
wives would behave in such a manner that the poor husbands would be left with no other choice but to
distance themselves from their bachelor friends. This is farcical. Is it necessary that the husbands
should have prior sanction of their wives before making bachelors their friends ? Wives are often
impatient with such friends and therefore in a subtle manner make their husbands cold and callous
towards their bachelor friends. This obvious create a yawning gap between the old friends.
The wives would find innumerable ways to attack the dignity of bachelors. In a derisive laughter,
they would consider the bachelor friend as a square peg in a round hole and treat him in a scruffy and
shabby manner. The wives would deliberately ignore him and make him realize that he does not
deserve to be introduced to the ladies. Many other methods would also be implemented to convince the
bachelor that his presence is undesirable here or that he is unwanted. The very purpose of the wives is
to make the bachelor friends realize that their friendship with her husband was just a humour and that it
was not based upon sound judgement. And that the poor bachelor was merely a hanger-on on her
husband. In yet another way, the wives would soon identify certain peculiar qualities of their husbands
and would miss no opportunity to point out the lack of those very qualities in their bachelor friends
making them realize that it was a folly on the part of their husbands to make such bachelor friends.
The author also brings to light the frivolous behaviour of wives. They would treat the bachelor
friends in a rather undignified manner. They would make the bachelor sit for hours together even when
formally invited to dinner, if the husband of the hostess has been detained somewhere owing to some
circumstantial compulsion. Similarly they would treat the bachelors in a nasty manner even on the
dining table. Ignoring the bachelor friend, they would pass on the delicacies to their husbands.
The author concludes the essay with a gentle protest. He asserts that he had enough of these
wives and could no longer afford to suffer and nasty behaviour of them. Therefore it is advisable for
them to mend their ways otherwise their real names would be revealed and then it would be rather too
much for them too.

1.3.2 EL DORADO
By
R.L. Stevenson
El Dorado is a fictitious city or country with great quantities of gold. The very name of the city
symbolically stands for the unattainable. Here the author wants to tell the reader that life is a journey,
an unending journey where there is no end for anything. Even success or achievement in any field of
life is a milestone and not the end of the journey. It becomes a stage from where new efforts should be
made to achieve further success. He wants to point out that if we have achieved or attained the ultimate
and there is nothing left to further achieve or attain, the very purpose of living would become futile.
Therefore pleasure lies in journey and not at the end of the road. It is the effort and not the end result
that is the condition of life. Therefore true joy lies in hard work and to travel hopefully than to
permanently arrive at any situation.
Happiness, according to the author, is a state of mind, a quality of emotion and a temper in spirit.
While we are living in a material world, it appears that a lot is attainable. In a materialistic world, we can
achieve innumerable things with the help of wealth and pelf. But what about the spiritual gain? Is it
possible to reach at the top? Certainly not. In a spiritual world we move higher and higher and there is
no end. It is an ever-expanding world of bliss and joy and always new and luminous horizons open for
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us. Though we have a limited brief life to exist on this wonderful planet, called earth, but there is no end
to our hopes and aspirations. Happiness is something abstract. We cannot touch it. It is a statement of
mind, an environment in our imagination. An emotionally balanced and contended person often
experiences a bliss of joy and happiness. Positive attitude, selfless personal efforts helps a person to
attain happiness. In our selfless endeavour whatever we achieve, gives us happiness. Efforts help us to
translate the romanticism of our aspiration into a hard reality. But does it mean that we have achieved
our goal. It is irrelevant. The pleasure lies in an earnest effort and not in the achievement. After all
honest toil itself is a reward and nothing can replace it.
But the real happiness lies in an exalted state of mind. Whatever we have achieved in our
spiritual world is inspiring enough to provoke us to achieve further. Therefore whatever we have
reached does not give us the real happiness but the real thrill lies in the effort to what we yearn to
achieve. Such a pure aspiration is a joy for ever. We have to be spiritually rich. And being spiritually rich
is such a wonderful wealth which no one can snatch from us. And the more we distribute, the more we
have. Thus the unending endeavour in this wonderful world means ever-expanding joy and bliss. If at
all we have reached any stage from where it is not possible to further go, it won’t be a state of
happiness. Then the very meaning of life and effort would be lost and everything would become a dull,
drab and dreary routine. To aspire for further growth is a guarantee to move into a world of
imperishable joys. This wealth is inexhaustible.
A great wealth of joys of life is always open before us. And happiness does not lie in the
achievement of certain goals. The author wants to give an example that if an avid reader reads all the
works of Thomas Carlyle, he grows rather sad that there was no more of the great author for him to
further read. The same happened with the so- called Alexander the great. He wept bitterly when he
conquered the whole world. He felt that there was nothing left for him to further conquer. The great
historian Gibbon felt the same way when he wrote his immortal classic The History of the Decline And
Fall of the Roman Empire. Therefore the expression ‘An aspiration is a joy for ever’ refers to invincible
spirit that a person must possess to achieve immortal joys in life.
The unconquerable will and indomitable courage help any person to achieve formidable tasks
and that gives him intense joys and happiness. To struggle for the impossible, the unattainable, is the
condition for perpetual and enduring joys. We are always hoping to achieve the fictitious El Dorado, the
city of gold. We have to move forward resolutely and firmly to achieve the unexplored and the
unexplorable-the unattainable. Our quest should never end and our thirst for achieving higher and
higher must never be quenched. The total fulfilment of our aspiration would never give us any joy. The
joy lies in the offing and in, our effort to reach that place. It should be like distant mountains. Distant
mountains seem easy of access and climbing. The top beckons. But as one approaches, difficulties
appear and the higher one goes the more laborious becomes the journey and the summit recedes into
the clouds. Yet the climbing is worth the effort and has its own joy and satisfaction. It is indeed the
struggle that gives values to life, not so much the ultimate result. A lover of adventures cannot stay at
home. He would always be longing and craving and yearning to achieve more. Like Tennyson’s
Ulysses, he feels restless despite having tremendous achievements to his credit. Travelling
unceasingly and ceaselessly means life is full of fire and fury and that it is not dead.
State of mind can never be fixed or stale. We are conscious that there is no easy road to
success. We know that fortune favours the brave and even our Heavenly Father is with the brave.
There are always new skies and new heavens to be discovered. And only a man with a positive and
optimist look can dream of that. Sometimes we feel that in the routine and natural matters we get
happiness. This is not true. We aspire to be fathers and we get children. And we think that the birth of a
child would give us happiness. True, it does provide us happiness. But is this happiness immortal?
Certainly not. The birth of a child brings to us allied anxieties too along with the joy. Therefore the
moment one stage of any goal is achieved; the new goals must be set forth before us. This will infuse
new spirit and new life in us for the fulfilment of yet another goal.
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Similarly when we fall in love with an opposite sex, we are full of joy and excitement and we
wish to fulfil our dream into a reality. The young persons court and then get married. Does it mean the
achievement of the ultimate goal? Certainly not. Marriage brings its own problems and set new goals
for us to achieve. So new vistas, new openings of aspirations are before us and that add perpetual
excitement and thrill and joy in our lives. True happiness indeed lies in heading towards the
unattainable.
Life, of course, is an ever-expanding horizon of new potentials, new possibilities. There is no
end to anything. It is an endless journey towards eternity as also endless journey towards infinity. With
the help of the stars we can reach, like a great navigator, for sometimes to a particular destination, but
we are conscious that we shall never be in a position to touch the stars. And that is the inexorable law
of life. That is the thrill of life. And that is the true secret of life.

1.3.3 BORES
By
E.V. Lucas
This wonderful essay Bores is an excellent example of reformist purpose hidden behind a mask
of gentle humour and playfulness. The author gives an emphasis on the fact that the Bores are
flourishing on the kindness of human nature. Even notorious ‘bores could be sure of a tolerant audience
who may not necessarily be sympathetic. Honestly speaking we often find our companions boring.
In a very pleasant and delightful manner, the writer speaks about the qualities of bores and he
pronounced that only a bore could write on bores. And that there is only condition and that is to have a
sense of superiority, self confidence and trust in. one’s own self. The author is not hesitant to express
that each one of us has limited and fixed ideas and they have often nothing new to offer. Therefore
everyone is a bore occasionally, if not very often. The fixed ideas are often boring to others. Men of few
and fixed ideas are often not very open and have their roots in their egotism. They often speak about
themselves without ever bothering whether anyone else is interesting to listen to his oft-repeated
utterances or not. They terrible bore others in their futile effort to pose as the central figure. They talk
too much about their personal experiences and bore others. Not that they are bores only for sometime.
According to the author, bores are bores always and without exception. Their egotism is the
fundamental cause. No one is always interested to listen to your routine experiences and your
possessions, your family. Why should anybody be interested only in one individual and everything
about him?
Ironically bores thrive and flourish on the generosity and magnanimity of good and persons. Out
of sheer gentleness and courtesy, they keep on listening to bores. Cultured persons often show grace
even under tremendous pressure. And very often a great multitude of persons are not so unkind or
impolite not to listen to them. On the other hand bores are always living in an excited state of mind
because they have so much to tell and they are in a position to find audience by default. This is also
true that often people are not bold and brash to rebuke the bores to keep their mouth shut. Thus in a
way bores make their audience coward too. We often listen to them or endure or suffer them or simply
avoid them. We try to slip away when we can afford the same and have seen from a distance the arrival
of the bores.
The author tells about the ingenious device to avoid bores. When sitting in a club a bore faces
him, as per the arrangement, a personal attendant would come to him and tell him that there is a
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telephone call for him. But such a strategy could not be used repeatedly because the repeated use of
such a strategy would reveal the truth which would not be acceptable to both. The irony is that the bore
is not aware that he is boring everyone. He is absolutely innocent that way. Only innocent persons are
bore. Clever cunning men are never bores. They are often busy and have no time to bore you.
According to the author there is a great variety of bores. And the most intolerably boring are
buttonholing bore. They come too near, almost leaning on you. They fix their eyes on you and bore you
with useless talks. It is rather difficult to run away from such bores. What to do then? You are often left
with no choice but to suffer them. You laugh with them though there is no provocation to laugh with
them. A buttonholing bore is a disgusting creature. To falsely laugh with such a bore is rather
embarrassing to your own self. But being an accomplished and a cultured man you have no choice but
to laugh with him.
There are other types of bores who uninterruptedly go on narrating funny stories even though
you have heard these stories several times. And despite your telling that it has already been heard by
you, they go on narrating. There are yet other types of bores who boast of their own sense of humour.
Still there are certain bores who have invented some stock phrase and during their talks, they would
repeat the same again and again. The author tells us about a peer who was in the incorrigible habit of
talking aloud to him. Once when a bore clung to him, he thought aloud that he would invite the fellow to
dinner. He turned to the bore and invited him to dinner. The bore was shrewd and intelligent enough to
excuse him. So, even the bores could invent certain things to avoid eccentrics.
The author amusingly suggests that if we want to avoid intolerable bores, we must develop this
habit of thinking aloud in the presence of bores. This would be a ingenious trick. Since we cannot be
absolutely rude and impolite, we must develop this ingenuity. Otherwise, we shall be left with no other
alternatives but to suffer the bores.



1.3.4 THE ART OF THE ESSAYIST

By
A.C. Benson
In this essay The Art of the Essayist, Benson makes delightful observations about the technique
and style of the familiar personal essay of the 18th and 19th century literary world. Despite the fact that
during the 18th and 19th century, the moral and didactic elements were apparent in the majority of the
essays, Benson is not having those particular essays in his mind while commenting upon the basics of
essay writing. Benson begins the essay with a story of a painter who was not happy to see a new
painted sign-board at an inn simply because of the fact that the inn-keeper had painted it himself. “This
looks if someone had been doing it himself’, was the remark of the painter.
This is the very crux of the essay as per the author. “An essay is a thing which someone does
himself and the point of the essay is not the subject......but the charm of personality.” The emphasis,
according to the author, is not on the subject. Any subject is fine enough for an essay. The vital and
essential thing in an essay is the attraction of the personality of the writer. What kind of impressions the
writer forms on any topic and how he communicates to his readers is what is important and not
anything else. Therein lies the essence of the essay. It is not necessary that the topic of any essay
must necessarily be serious. It can be on any thing. The essentials that on whatever topic the author
wants to write an essay must be clearly understood by him. He must have a felt enjoyment. And he
must express that particular topic with zest and enthusiasm to create an interest for the reader. He
 13

must write the essay with an exalted state of mind. The treatment given to any topic must be with a new
fire and a new verve. It is the mould of the writer’s imagination that gives shape of an essay to any topic
and it can be done only if there is something to be smelt, perceived, invented or thought. The very
charm and delightfulness of an essay depends upon the mould of writer’s mind.
Montaigne was the first authentic essayist who wrote with authority. His essays were
imaginative, partly autobiographical, partly philosophically and to a large extent ethical. He was
immensely inspired by Cicero who could write with great ease on abstract topics in a conversational
style. Plato was another great writer who inspired Montaigne. The great charm of his essays is the
charm of author personality. He wrote essays that reflect his personal thoughts and emotions about
anything and everything. He wrote with great frankness and with gusto, astute observation and lively
and lovely acquaintance with men and manners.
The writer has his own doubts and misgivings whether the English temperament is conducive to
the development of essay. While the art of essay writing is an art to deal with any topic with frankness
and openness the English temperament is rather secretive and that they have a mind that likes doing
rather thinking about things. The author frankly says that an essayist can certainly enjoy privacy but he
should feel happier if people see him enjoying it. Benson also tells us about other essayists who made
substantial contribution in the development of the essay. Sir Thomas Browne, in books like Religio
Medici and Urn Burial wrote essays in a satirical style. Addison in The Spectator added a new
dimension of emotional sentiment and delicate humour. Thomas Browne wrote essays in rhetorical
style. Charles Lamb added emotion and humour in the simplest and commonest experiences of
common man in the day to day life. The dignity and beauty of common life was his favourite theme. De
Quincy wrote an impassioned autobiography. Peter wrote his essay for the expression of exquisite
artistic sensation. But the very crux or the very essence of all these is the same and that is the personal
sensation, personal impression evoked by something curious, something interesting, charming or
beautiful.
An essayist has something common with the poet. The business of poet and the business of an
essayist does have something to share. According to the writer, poetry arouses emotion. Prose too can
be equally poetical. Unlike science, it is not based on facts. Literature can be seen from two different
and vital angles. One is the clear logical statement while the other—the poetry—deals with emotional
and imaginative world. There is an extended range in the freedom of prose. Humour and gentle irony
can also be added by an prose artist while this is rarely allowed to a poet simply because of the fact
that poetry is more dignified and sober. Only Robert Browning could come near to prose writers too
while writing poetry. The author is sure that with the development of literature, the distinction between
prose and poetry will vanish.
An essay writer is open and looks at life and the happenings surrounding his life with his own
astute perception and immense interest. His thoughts and emotions are tempered by whatever he sees
around. Out of ordinary, he could see something extraordinary. He deals with such basic, mystifying
and mysterious emotions. Obviously the appeal of the essayist to his reader would largely depend upon
the extent to which he shares experience with the common humanity. It is the treatment to those
common experiences of life in which the reader is interested. The essayist is a great spectator of life
and he becomes the concentrated symbol of the aspirations of a great majority of people. Indeed like
every human being, an essayist too has his own preferences. But as an artist he is not a propagandist.
Therefore he avoids preaching. He is concerned with the pageant and spectacle of life. He is not
concerned with the aims and purposes. He only portrays and leave the conclusion to the readers.
The reader is not reading essays to gather information or to find solutions of day to day or even
complex problems. The reader is interested to read the good-humoured treatment the essayist is giving
to the little problems of day to day life. An essayist cannot be indifferent towards humanity. He has to
share human frailties and human weaknesses. He must be gracious and should have a pleasant
 14

rapport with his readers. He must impart a sense of beauty and trust and order to the dull stuff of life.
He is supposed to be a great interpreter of life. Though he does not see life as a historian or the
philosopher or even as a poet yet he is a harmonious combination of all. He must keep flashes of fine
idealism. After all an essays has to infuse a new life, a new verve, a new gusto and a new enthusiasm
into the life of a common man.

Short Answer Questions (SAQs)

1. What is the basis of the play ‘Chandalika’ ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Name any two Essays by Charles Lamb.
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3. What are the qualities of Bores according to E.V. Lucas ?
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1.4 Summary
After reading this lesson, you are now fully acquainted with the basic themes of the play aas
well the essays. The detailed summaries of the textual material should help you in better
understanding of the texts.
1.5 Further Reading
1. Purkayastha, Prarthana. Warrior, Untouchable, Cortesan: Fringe Women in Tagore’s
Dance Drama; New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2009.

1.6 Model Questions

1. How does Rabindranath Tagore deal with the intersection of class, caste and gender in
the play Chandalika?
2. Explain the tendencies of bores as explained by E.V. Tucas and the ways to avoid them.
3. What are the reasons that make Lamb hate married people?
 15

Lesson-2

PRECIS-WRITING

Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Precis Writing
2.3 Essentials of a Good Precis
2.4 How to write a good precis
2.5 What to Avoid
2.6 Solved Exercises
2.7 Summary
2.8 Further Reading
2.9 Model Questions
2.0 Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
 understand what a précis is
 write a good précis yourself
 appreciate the significance of brevity
2.1 Introduciton
William Shakespeare remarked that brevity is the wit of the soul. Precision is of utmost importance.
This lesson introduces you to one of the most important part of learning a language, that is, précis
writing. The lesson explains how to write a good précis and what to avoid while writing. It contains
solved exercises in the end to help you for a better comprehension.
2.2 Precis Writing
Students are often frightened by the word ‘Precis’. A precis means just a summary, an
abridgement, an abstract or a condensed statement. Precis-writing is an exercise in compression.
When a student is asked to write precis of a given passage, what he is called up to do is to pick out the
essential points and eliminate all unnecessary details and repetitions. All those points which are related
to the theme of the given passage are essential while all those which merely illustrate, explain or
elucidate these points, are not essential. These important points should be expressed in a neat, simple,
lucid way in the form of a continuous narrative. The precis so obtained should be well connected and
readable, not disjointed and fragmentary. No strict rules can be laid down for the length of a precis.
Generally, a precis should contain about one third of the number of words in the original passage.
2.3 Essentials of a Good Precis
1. A good precis should contain the leading thoughts and the general impression of the
passage summarized.
 16

2. It should be a continuous piece of prose and not a series of disjointed sentences.

3. You should try to avoid the temptation of borrowing sentences from the original. A precis
should be written in your own language.
4. A precis should be written in simple, clear and lucid style. Nothing in it should be vague,
ambiguous or obscure
5. A precis has to be precise and brief. All irrelevant details, illustrations, repetitions and
digressions should be removed or left out. Express the main ideas in as few words as
possible. But at the same time, it should contain all the important ideas of the original
passage.
6. A precis should not be sketchy, broken or fragmentary. It should be a continuous
narrative, having its own order and smoothness. It should be coherent and complete in
every way.
2.4 How to Write a Precis
1. First read the original passage carefully but not too slowly, to get• a general idea of its
meaning. Read the passage twice or thrice to grasp its theme and subject matter.
2. Give another reading and underline the important points in the passage, bearing upon
the central theme which you have just comprehended. Make a list of all the points you
will have to use. These notes should be very brief.
3. Using this list of points, write a rough draft of the precis, referring to the original passage
only when you want to make sure of some points. This will help you greatly to reproduce
the substance of the passage in your own words.
4. The main points should be re-arranged in order of their importance.
5. Check up the number of words in the original passage as also the words of your rough
draft. Try to bring it to the required length (i.e. one third of the original) by addition or
omission of a few words as required.
6. Now revise the draft of the precis and make alterations you think necessary.
7. Before you prepare the final draft, find out the title. Read the passage and choose some
words, a short phrase or a short sentence that will sum up the main subject of the
passage. Sometimes, this is supplied by what we may call the key-sentence. This key—
sentence is usually found either at the beginning or at the end of the passage.
8. Now write out the fair copy of your precis in a single paragraph and give it a suitable title
which should clearly express the central theme. It should be suggestive, and generally
not a complete sentence. You must state the exact number of words you have used, at
the end.
2.5 What to Avoid
1. Avoid using impressions like “the author says,” or “the writer is of the opinion’.
2. Avoid comments of your own and other irrelevancies. A precis is not the place for airing
your views. Confine yourself strictly to the statement in the original passage.
3. Avoid borrowing phrases and sentences from the original passage.
4. Avoid bad English, mistakes in spellings and grammar.
5. Avoid exceeding the prescribed length by more than five words.
 17

6. Avoid using abbreviations. For instance, do not write ‘Exam’ for ‘Examination’, or ‘Supdt’
for Superintendent.
7. Avoid the use of the first person. Do not write ‘1 say’ or ‘I opine’.
2.6 Solved Exercises
Study the solved exercises that follow, noting carefully how the precis has been written in each
case.
1. The Passage
The sentry put out his hand and caught bits that were drifting near him. They were thin strips of
metal to confuse delicate instruments, so that it would not be possible to detect the landing of enemy
craft. Next he heard a long, low, continuous roar from the east and saw bundles descending from the
sky which looked like umbrellas opening, but which he knew to be parachutes with men hanging from
them. He wanted to go at once to give the alarm, but he had to be sure that the parachutists were not
his own men out on an exercise. The men were on the ground now. One of them in the direction of the
secret factory and they all began marching towards it. He had no more doubts and set off at once down
the hill. He crawled slowly, sometimes on his stomach, sometimes on his side, weaving himself a path
through the heather down to the stream. Once there, he decided that he had ample cover and started
to run. But he had erred, for bullets were soon whistling past him. He dropped flat on the ground.
Nobody came to search for him, so he counted up to hundred and then began crawling again. He
moved tortuously and as silently as he could to his camp at the foot of the hill.
Main Points
1. Put out hand, caught metal-strips.
2. Saw bundles.
3. Waited.
4. Saw men on ground.
5. One pointed; all marched.
6. Went down hill.
7. Crawled stomach- side to stream.
8. Started running.
9. Dropped flat—why?-bullets.
10. Counted hundred, crawled. -
11. Silently to camp.
Rough Draft
When the sentry held out his hand to catch what was falling out of the sky, he found that they
were strips of metal. Then bundles began coming down. The sentry waited until men appeared on the
ground. One of them pointed and the sentry saw them march towards the factory. Crawling on his
stomach and on his side, the sentry moved downhill. He began running when he came to a stream, but
dropped down when he was shot at. After counting upto hundred to himself, he began crawling silently
again downhill.
Precis
 18

After catching hold of the metal strips falling out of the sky, the sentry saw bundles descending
and after a while, some men appeared on the ground, one of them pointed and they all began marching
towards a factory. The sentry crawled downhill on his stomach and his side. When he came to a stream,
he began running but dropped down when the men shot at him. He counted upto hundred, then silently
started crawling again towards his camp.
Title: The Alert Sentry.
2. The passage
Suddenly I heard shouts followed by a dull Sound of an explosion from the hillside above me.
Looking up, I found I was now alone in the cutting. The smoke of a blasting charger floated out against
the blue sky, and an enormous rock was bounding savagely down the hill.
I had no doubt where it was going to land. It was going to land on me. This opinion was clearly
shared by the men who had released the boulder, as they were gesticulating wildly two hundred yards
above me. I made a prodigious leap from my rock to the next. The galloping boulder against the hillside
kicked up a cloud of dust, and slightly changed direction. It was still coming straight for me. There was
nothing to be done but to take cover if I could find any, otherwise the prospect before me was one of
almost certain death. I glanced hastily around. Just as I was resigning myself to inevitable disaster, I
noticed a narrow opening between two rocks quite near to me. I reached this in time, wedged myself in
and shut my eyes. With a tremendous thud the mass of rock struck the ground and came to rest a few
feet away from me.
Main Points
1. Explosions-smoke-sky.
2. Rock bounded savagely.
3. Men above gesticulated.
4. Writer jumped next rock.
5. Boulder hit hillside.
6. Came towards him.
7. Glanced around.
8. Noticed opening-two rocks.
9. Wedged himself in.
10. Rock struck ground, thud.
11. Stopped near him.
Rough Draft
After the explosion, the writer saw smoke drifting across the sky and a big rock rolling wildly
down the hill. The men above waved to him to warn him of the danger and the writer jumped on to the
next rock. Then the boulder struck the side of the hill and raised a cloud of dust, it then came towards
the writer who quickly looked around for cover. He noticed a gap between two rocks and wedged
himself between them. The boulder struck the ground with a thud and stopped quite near him.
Precis
After the explosion, smoke appeared in the sky and a great boulder came rolling wildly down hill.
Above, the workmen waived to the writer warning him of the danger and he jumped on to a nearby rock.
After striking the hillside and raising a cloud of dust, the boulder moved towards the writer. Quickly
glancing around for shelter, he noticed a gap between two rocks and wedged himself in it as the
boulder thudded against the ground and then stopped still.
 19

Title: Explosion on the Hillside

3. The Passage
We stand at the end of the era and on the threshold of a new period of history. Standing on this
watershed which divides two epochs of human history, we can look back on our long past and look
forward to the future that is taking shape before our eyes. Asia, after a long period of quiescence, has
suddenly become important again in world affairs. If we view the millennia of history, the continent of
Asia, with which Egypt has been so intimately connected in cultural fellowship, has played a mighty role
in the evolution of humanity. It was here that civilization began and man started on his unending
adventure of life. Here the mind of man searched unceasingly for, truth, and the spirit of man shone out
like a beacon which lighted up the whole world.
This dynamic Asia from which great streams of culture flowed in all directions gradually became
static. Other people and other continents came to the fore and, with their new dynamism, spread and
took possession of great parts of the world. The mighty continent became just a field for rival
imperialistic power of Europe and Europe became the centre of history and progress in human affairs.
A change is coming over the scene now and Asia is again finding herself. We live in tremendous
age of transition and have already foreseen the next stage when Asia will take her rightful place with
the other continents.
Main Points
(i) The present age, an age of transition.
(ii) Asia has been the cradle of civilization.
(iii) Asia’s cultural fellowship with Egypt.
(iv) Decline in the status of Asia in the immediate past.
(v) Exploitation of Asia by the rival imperialist powers of the world.
(vi) Rise of Europe and subsequent fall of Asia.
(vii) Re-emergence of Asia as a continent of great importance.
Rough Draft
The present age is the age of transition. It is marked by the resurgence of Asia, which was once
the cradle of civilization and the fountain head of culture. Asia in collaboration with Egypt played quite
an important role in the revolution of humanity and produced ceaseless seekers after truth. However, its
immediate past has been one of stagnation and of exploitation by the rival imperialist powers of the
west. The subsequent eclipse of Asia and the emergence of Europe have all become matter of history
now. However, the wheel of change has turned the other way round. Asia is now reasserting itself and
is destined to find her rightful place with other continents.
Precis
This is the age of transition. It is marked by the resurgence of Asia. Asia was once the cradle of
civilization and the fountain head of culture. It has produced great seekers after truth, but her immediate
past has been one of stagnation and of exploitation by the western imperialist powers. The eclipse of
Asia and the emergence of Europe have now passed into history. However, Asia is once again
asserting herself. She is destined to find her rightful place among the continents of the world.
Title: Asia-the Cradle of Civilization
4. The Passage
 20

The prophets and sages who inaugurated moral advancement, although for the most part they
were not honoured in their own day, were nevertheless, not prevented from doing their work in a
modern totalitarian State, matters are worse than they were in the time of Socrates, or in the time of the
Gospels. In a totalitarian State, an innovator whose ideas are disliked by the Government, is not merely
put to death, which is a matter to which a brave man may remain indifferent, but is totally prevented
from causing his doctrine to be known. Innovation in such a community can come only from the
Government who, as in the past is not likely to approve anything contrary to its own immediate interest.
In a totalitarian State such events as the rise of Buddhism or Christianity are scarcely possible, and not
even by the greater heroism can a moral reformer acquire any influence whatsoever. This is a new fact
in human history, brought about by the much increased control over individuals which the modern
technique of Government has made possible. It is a very grave fact, and one which shows, how fatal a
totalitarian regime must be to every kind of moral progress.
Main Points
1. In the past prophets and sages enjoyed unfettered freedom.
2. In modern totalitarian State, philosophers like Socrates are not permitted even to
express their ideas.
3. Government in a dictatorship controls and initiates everything. Therefore, spiritual quest
or intellectual urge are effectively curbed.
4. Increasing State controlover individuals is much to be deplored.
Precis
Modern totalitarian regime is fatal to every kind of moral progress as it exercises excessive
control over an individual. In past ages prophets and sages had freedom enough to do their work.
Under dictatorship, philosophers and intellectuals are not permitted to express their view. Here
Government alone controls and initiates everything. Hence spiritual quest or intellectual urge are
effectively curbed. This development is to be deplored.
Title : Absence of Moral Progress in Totalitarian Regime.
5. The Passage
In a democratic country, free Press is the guardian of liberty and the citadel of democratic ideals
to protect the public interest. Apart from that, as in the case of private citizen every newspaper must
have the fullest right to publish, propagate and popularise the views and the principles to which it is
dedicated irrespective of its ownership. Also it is the inherent right of the Press in any civilized society
to encourage the debate in its columns on any issue which affects the nation. The Press generally
assumes the sacred duty to mould, shape and educate the people. Hence attempts to regulate such an
institution will be detrimental to free thinking and democratic spirit.
The newspaper industry is different from any other industry and to treat it on par with the rest of
the business is based on misconception. In democracy there should be as much variety as there are
political ideologies.
Main Points
1. In a democratic country, the free Press is guardian of liberty and every newspaper has
the right to popularize its views.
2. The Press has the right to encourage debate on any topic which “affects the nation.
3. An attempt to restrict the freedom of the Press would be harmful to free thinking and
democratic ideas.
4. It is the sacred duty of the Press to educate people.
 21

5. Variety is the soul of democracy.

Precis
In a democratic country, a free Press is the custodian of its liberty and ideals. Every newspaper
in a civilized society has the right to popularise its views to educate the people on topics of national
interest. Any attempt to restrict the freedom of the Press would throttle democracy whose main plank is
variety.
Title: Free Press, a Custodian of Liberty.
6. The Passage
And then Gandhi came. He was like a powerful current of fresh air that made us stretch
ourselves and take deep breaths, like a beam of light that pierced the darkness and removed the scales
from our eyes, like a whirlwind that upsets many things, but most of all the working of people’s minds.
He did not descend from the top, he seemed to emerge from the millions of Indians speaking their
language and incessantly drawing attention to them and their appalling condition. “Get off the backs of
these peasants and workers, he told us, “all you who live by their exploitation, get rid of the system that
produces this poverty and misery.” Political freedom took new shape, theme, acquired a content. Much
that he said was only partially accepted or sometimes was not accepted at all. But all this was
secondary. The essence of his teaching was fearlessness and truth and action allied to these, always
keeping the welfare of the masses in view. The greatest gift for an individual or a nation, so we had
been told in our ancient books, is abhaya (fearlessness), not merely bodily courage but the absence of
fear from the mind.
Precis
Gandhi appeared as a powerful personality on the Indian political scene and infused a new spirit
in the masses. He was unassuming and simple. He taught us to give up the exploitation of the poor and
abandon the system which produced such conditions. He gave a new shape to the freedom struggle
and urged people to act fearlessly and truthfully, always keeping in view the welfare of the masses.
Title: The Coming of Gandhi on Indian Political Scene.
7. The Passage
You may choose your life’s work, your place of residence, or your attitude to the political issues
of the day, either by careful thought about the relevant fact, or by careless decision, ignorant of the
important facts. The same is true of more minor issues such as what to wear, or what to eat, or how to
cultivate your garden, or where to go on a holiday. Thoughtful people make their decision after carefully
assembling as much information as possible, checking its reliability, using controlled imagination to
draw inference from the information and carefully weighing the probable consequences of the
alternatives before them. Others make decisions impulsively on fragmentary information, hearsay, or
the unsupported advice of others. In many every day matters, of course, decision may be of little
consequence and there is seldom time to give lengthy thought to minor issues. But study demands that
you should be capable of rational thought and the ‘ability to think’ is often given as the main purpose of
education.
Precis
In making decisions man can be either thoughtful and judicious, or careless and impulsive. In
comparatively important issues of life man cannot afford to be negligent, while in minor matters of
everyday life too much caution is needless. Study is a very important matter demanding rational
thinking. In fact, education aims at promoting the ability to think.
Title: Importance of Rational Thinking.
8. The Passage
 22

Story telling has always been one of the ways in which culture has been passed down from
generation to generation and great teachers have always used it as a method of instruction. The
parable of Jesus, the myths and legends of all nations, the fable of Aesop, the stories collected by the
Brothers Grimm, invented by Hans Anderson or La Fontaine, nursery rhymes and Gulliver’s Travels
(often far removed from childhood in origin) right upto modem times and the joys of Edward Lear,
Beatrix Potter, Lewis Carrol, the Farjeons, and thousands more, too numerous to mention, have all
informed us about ourselves and drawn us from egocentricity towards the understanding of other
people and consideration for them. All teachers of young children need to be able to tell stories to enjoy
watching the face of listeners and sharing with them the tale that suits the occasion. Many teachers
invent simple stories about the children themselves or their immediate environment that help them to
live in it with understanding just as in civilizations past, man sought to master his fears by inventing
explanations of natural phenomena. Good story-telling helps children develop the power to listen and
some stories which invite participation like ‘The Gingerbread Man,’ the ‘Three Little Pigs’ or ‘This is the
house that Jack built’, can lead to good speech and self-control too.
Precis
Great teachers have always used story-telling as a method of imparting cultural education to
children. Stories written by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Anderson, La Fontaine, Christ’s parables,
Aesop’s fables and so on, have diverted attention from ourselves towards the understanding of the
people. All teachers of young children should master the art of story-telling. Many teachers invent
stories about the children’s immediate environment. These enable them to live in it with understanding.
Good story-telling enable’s children to develop the power to listen. It invites participation and can
inculcate self-control and good speech.
Title: Importance of Story-Telling.
9. The Passage
Changes in society and our cultural pattern have resulted in a paradox. It is both less and more
necessary to be able to read. Less necessary because so much entertainment now a days is offered by
television, radio, cinema, theatre or perhaps bingo halls. The telephone is widely used where the letter
once was, people are more mobile and able to travel, where once books were major source of private
and family entertainment, and conversation and letter-writing were held in high esteem. Conversely, we
are far more documented: forms have to be read and filled in, there are more signs and advertisements
to be read, there is a vast increase in newspapers, magazines and other pulp literature. Records for
pleasure and business purpose must be kept and can all be put on microfilm tape of computer’s
memorier. The plight of the non-reader or the poor reader is still acute. So much of one’s chances in
school, and even more in higher or further education are dependent on the ability to read with ease,
speed and some would say, with pleasure.
Precis
Social changes have led to the paradox that it is both less and more essential to be able to read.
Entertainment provided by the television, radio and theatre, telephone calls replacing letter-writing,
increasing mobility and travel replacing the reading of books on travel, have lessened the importance of
reading. Conversely, the increase in newspapers, magazines and other literature explain the
importance of reading as means to acquire knowledge.
Title: Reading.
10. The Passage
Practically all the progress that man has made is due to the fact that he is mortal. He has
recognized that he is in this world only for a little while, and this knowledge has been good to stimulate
him to make a diligent use of whatever talents he is endowed with. The secrets of Nature have been
wrested from her grudging fingers by men who, knowing they were mortal, have sought to comprehend
 23

the mysteries of the world around them in the hope that knowledge might enable them, if not to
circumvent death, at least to ameliorate the asperities of life for themselves and others.
All our instincts and emotions are reinforced by death. If we were not mortal, the paternal and
maternal instincts would not dominate our lives so strongly as they do. If we knew that we should never
die, we should have no desire for children to perpetuate our names and carry on the succession of the
race. Thus, ultimately we should arrive at a world without a child; and a world without a child would be a
place in which there was no call for some of the most beautiful emotions to which the human soul can
give expression. And death lends a peculiar sanctity to human love. A man may love his books, but the
love he bears his wife, his children or his friends, is something deeper and more sublime; it is a love
sanctified and purified by the thought that human life is a finite thing, which may at any moment be
touched by the finger of death.
Precis
Man’s mortality is responsible for most human progress. It has prompted man to use his talents
diligently. It has made him discover the secrets of nature in the hope of mitigating human suffering, if
not overcoming death. Death intensifies human emotions and instincts. Without it the parental instincts
and the desire to preserve his name and race through children would not dominate man’s life. A
childless world would not inspire certain very exquisite emotions. The finiteness and uncertainty of life
renders human love unique in its depth and sublimity.
Title: The Impact of Death on Human Life.

Short Answer Questions (SAQs)

1. What is the meaning of Precis?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. What is the significance of the title in a precis?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.7 Summary
You have now learnt the art of précis writing. Various solved examples have led you to know how to
write a good précis. You can practice it on any paragraphs, in books or newspapers, etc.

2.8 Further Reading

1. Jackson, Brigs. A text book of Precis Writing. The Classics.us, 2013.

2.9 Model Questions

1. Explain the word ‘Precis’.

2. Write a short note on the significance of Precision.

 24

Lesson-3

Writing Curricula Vitae

Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Writing Curriculum Vitai
3.3 Main Points for CV Writing
3.4 Sample CV
3.5 Summary
3.6 Further Reading
3.7 Model Questions
3.0 Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
 write an impressive CV
 get acquainted with dinguistic skills
3.1 Introduciton
This lesson introduces you to the art of CV writing, one of the most important things that are
needed while applying for a job. A sample CV is given for your references. You can go through the
suggested readings in order to learn better the art of CV writing.
3.2 Writing CV
Letters of application can be short when you enclose curriculum vitae (CV), also known as a
résumé (pronounced re-zyu-may) in American English. The CV is a brief written account of your
personal details, such as full name, address and telephone number, educational qualifications, previous
work experience, languages spoken, and sometimes also your interests, that you send to an employer
when you are trying to get a job. You could also include the names of one or two referees who would
be willing to testify to your character and abilities. The information should be presented in a neat, clear
and easy-to-read format. The curriculum vitae is an important form of written communication, which
should present a positive, interesting impression of the person it belongs to and thus help him or her
achieve desired goals. It should establish you as a candidate with high professional standards and
excellent writing skills.
3.3 Remember the following points about CVs.
 Your CV must be neatly printed or typed and appealing to the eye.
 Give your contact details, such as the address at which you are presently living, a telephone
number that will always be answered during business hours and your email address.
 State your objective clearly and briefly, for example: ‘a position involving challenge and
responsibility in a professionally managed, fast-growing company’.
 25

 Under the heading ‘academic qualifications’, list details of school, college and university
attended, years and degrees earned (starting with the most recent), class or grade point
average obtained and details of participation in co- and extra-curricular activities.
 Under ‘work experience’, give details of organisations where you worked earlier, dates and
responsibilities, starting with the current or most recently held position. Highlight your
achievements as in, for example, ‘headed a sales team of twelve and exceeded sales targets
for four consecutive years’
 Mention any other job related skills (these include computer and language skills) that you think
will add value to your CV. For example, you may want to mention that you helped to develop
software for hostel fee accounting.
 Use action verbs rather than nouns, and adjectives and adverbs to describe your experience
and skills. For example, instead of saying that you have ‘experience in training’ administrative
staff, you could say that while working as manager administration, you also ‘trained’ several
batches of administrative assistants.
 Mention an area of expertise, for example ‘budget planning’, to tell your prospective employers
about your professional skills.
 In brief, your CV should not only say what you have done but it should indicate that you have
what it takes to excel in the position concerned.
 Avoid giving information that is not relevant to the application.
 Personal information such as marital status, family and hobbies need not be included in a CV
unless asked for.

3.4 Look at the sample CV below.

Name : Shanta Swaroop

Address : A 23, Garden View
Saket, New Delhi 110 001
Phone: 011-26658278
Nationality : Indian
Date of birth : 6 August 1986
Objective : To obtain the position of a banking sales executive
Work experience : July 2007—June 2009: Working as sales assistant in
Capital Chit Funds
Job profile : Identifying clients, establishing contact and selling
company’s schemes
Academic qualifications :
• 2007 Postgraduate Diploma In Marketing, BVB Institute of
Marketing and Management, Ghaziabad
• 2006 BCom, Maitreyi College, New Delhi (70%)
 26

• 2003 All India Senior Secondary Certificate Examination,

Kendriya Vidyalaya Andrews Ganj New Delhi (75%)
• 2001 All India Secondary Certificate Examination, Kendriya
Vidyalaya, Andrews Ganj, New Delhi (65%)
Other qualifications/skills : Diploma in Computer Applications

Short Answer Questions (SAQs)

1. What is the full form of CV?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Where is the word ‘Curriculum Vitae’ derived from?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.6 Summary
You have now learnt the art of CV writing. The sample CV has presented you with an idea of
what a CV should look like.
3.7 Further Reading
1. Innes, James. CV Book Harlow: Pearson, 2009.
3.8 Model Questions
1. Using the sample CV as a model, prepare one for an older relative or a friend who is employed.
2. Browse the Internet for the biographical details of a leading cardiac surgeon, the CEO of an
engineering company or a media personality. Prepare the person’s CV and, after your teacher
has looked at it, share it with your classmates.


 27

Lesson - 4

Report-Writing

Structure
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Report Writing
4.3 Business Report Writing
4.3.1 Definition and Importance of Reports
4.3.2 Guiding Principles in Report Writing
4.3.3 Types of Reports
4.4 Writing and Designing a Report
4.5 Style of the Reports
4.6 Presentation of Reports
4.7 Report Writing – Practical Approach
4.8 Form of the Reports
4.9 Management of Report Writing
4.10 Summary
4.11 Further Reading
4.12 Model Questions
4.0 Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
 elaborate what comprises a good report writing
 talk about various types of report writings
 design/ draft a report for business purposes
4.1 Introduciton
This lesson introduces you to the idea of report writing, one of the essentials of business
communication. The lesson, while explaining the various aspects of report writing in detail, illustrates
with the help of solved example for your better comprehension.
1.2 Report Writing
A report can be anything from a two line hand -written memo to a bound volume with hundreds
of closely typed pages. It may deal with the fate of the national economy and be read by government
ministers. Or it may deaI with the fate of your college. The key principle of report writing could hardly be
simpler. It is a question of identifying the key facts of a particular matter, and then presenting them in
 28

the right order as simply and as directly as possible. There are three kinds of reports that we will do in
this section.
1. Newspaper Reports These cover important events that happen all over the world. The topics
range from politics, sports, entertainment, business or any other story which interests humanity
at large. A newspaper report should be written clearly and concisely shorn of all frills and
irrelevant information. There are certain things to be kept in mind while writing a newspaper
report. These are as follows:
 Headings to newspaper reports are written in the simple present tense or in the past
participle form or at times using the infinitive (to+1st form of the verb)
For example Judge to pass verdict today
Chandigarh Police given Soft-Skills training
The Prime Minister inaugurates the Commonwealth Games.
 Newspaper reports often incorporate quotes/opinions of eminent persons or those
people concerned with the events.
For example The Secretary (Health) Ms Raji P. Srivastava confirmed the spread of
cholera in Sangrur.
 Newspaper reports also make use of expressions like ‘according to reliable sources’ or
‘according to confirmed/unconfirmed sources’.
For example According to reliable/confirmed/unconfirmed sources drugs were being
sold at the rave party.
Solved Example
Newspaper Report on the inauguration of a Theme Park for children Pawan Kumar Bansal
inaugurates Theme Park Chandigarh, 01 Feb, 2013. The Union Railways Minister, Shri Pawan Kumar
Bansal, inaugurated a theme park for children yesterday in Sector 24, Chandigarh. The park is spread
over one acre and has swings and slides in the shape of different animals. The park also has several
walk ways where people can go for a walk. It is a brightly lit park and there are benches for people to
relax. On this occasion Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal said that the park would provide a lot of open space
for children to play and enjoy. He further added that the Chandigarh Administration would continue to
make more parks in an effort to keep the city green and beautiful. The inauguration was attended by
various officials of the administration. Teachers and students of various government schools were also
part of the event.
2. Reports of Experiments and Processes The reports for experiments and processes (a
cooking process or a something that describes a procedure to do something) are written
differently. Since the focus is on the specific procedure and not on the doer of the action such
reports are written in the passive voice.
For example: The chicken was cooked on slow flame.
Reports on scientific expenments are arranged in the following order:
• Aim
• Apparatus
• Principle
• Procedure
• Observations
 29

• Conclusions

A solved example is given below

The curd is hung for 5-6 hours. Thereafter it is beaten and then cream is added to it to
smoothen the consistency. Garlic, finely chopped onion and capsicum, salt, pepper and a pinch of
sugar is added to the beaten mixture. Thereafter, 2-3 drops of lemon juice are added.
3. Official Repor Business Reports: These reports are long and formal, normally written after
research on any topic related to the company/industry. Precision and accuracy are the
hallmarks of such a report. Official reports are written in the following format:
• Title page (name and designation of the person writing the report, name and designation
of the person for whom the report has been prepared, date, title of the report)
• Terms of reference (who has authorised the report/why is it being written, what the
researcher has been asked to do)
• Abstract or summary (the main points of the report, this is when senior officials are too
busy to read the full report. In that case they may read the abstract quickly and
understand the main points before reading the lengthy report.)
• Body of the Report (the findings of the investigation)
• Conclusion and Recommendations
• Signature of the person writing the report.
Solved Example: Draft a report by a committee especially appointed to enquire into the
financial deterioration of the company over the past five years. Give recommendations to increase
larger profits.
 Title Page:- Krishna Committee
Kingfisher Airlines
Goa
Feb 02, 2013
A Report on the Financial Deterioration of the Company
Prepared by: Ajay Sharma (Financial Adviser)
Prepared for: Mr. M.L. Raina (Managing Director)
 Terms of reference:
From:
The Managing Director
Kingfisher Airlines
Goa
January 20, 2013

To
Mr. Ajay Sharma
Financial Adviser
 30

Kingfisher Airlines
Goa
Subject: Authorization to conduct a survey into the financial deterioration of the company.
Sir
Keeping in view our dismal financial position and negative media reports, I authorize you to
conduct an investigation to find out the reasons for the deterioration of our company’s finances. All
expenses incurred in the course of this survey will be borne by the company. Please submit the report
by Feb 05, 2013.
Thanking you
Yours truly
Mr. M.L. Raina
Managing Director
 Abstract or Summary
Sir, I hereby submit this report as per your terms of reference. After extensive research I have
found that we need to overhaul the aeroplanes and look into our policy of selling air tickets at cheap
rates. Furthermore we need loyal employees. Body of the Report:
Investigation: On January 23 I visited the offices of Kingfisher Airlines in Goa. I spoke to the pilots,
stewards and the ground support staff. I also spoke to some regular fliers with our airlines.
Findings: The Company’s financial deterioration is because of the following reasons:
1. Our aircrafts are old and need constant repair which costs a lot of money.
2. The pilots are disgruntled because they are over-worked.
3. Similarly, the stewards and stewardesses are also exhausted after working in multiple shifts.
4. Due to the exorbitant sums being spent on the repair and maintenance of aircrafts, there is no
money to give salaries to the employees.
Recommendations
1. We need to replace at least 2-3 aeroplanes to cut the cost of maintenance.
2. Our policies should be employee-friendly. Only then will we have a loyal and stable workforce.
3. Customer satisfaction should be our motto. Only then will we be able to revive our tarnished
reputation in the market.
Ajay Sharma
(Financial Adviser)

4.3 BUSINESS REPORT WRITING

It is one of the functions of the office to provide the desired information to the executive and
when required to enable them to take correct and quick decisions. The office manager has to furnish
the required information to the executives and others who ask for that. Oral communication is neither
desirable, nor practicable in all cases. The information should be supplied in writing and must be in
proper form. This information is in the form of Reports and Statistical Data.
4.3.1 Definition and Importance of Reports
 31

Report is communication from someone who has information to someone who wants to use that
information. The report may be elaborately formal, it may be a letter, or in many organisations it is
simply a memorandum, but it is always planned for use.
A report is defined as document in which a given problem is examined for the purpose of
conveying information, reporting findings, putting forward ideas and sometimes, making recommend-
ations, as the basis for action.
A report, generally speaking is to perform a basic function that the writer communicates some
conclusions, or recommendations from facts of circumstances which have been investigated. A fact
investigated may be the result of experiment inspection, experience or research. A business report can
be defined as a statement of fact regarding business operations necessary for evaluating the progress
and taking decisions.
G. Terry had defined a report as a written statement based on a collection of facts, events and
opinions and usually expresses a summarized and interpretative value of this information. It may deal
with past accomplishments, presents conditions, or probable future developments.
Reports are very important in managerial activity. The work carrying out the functions of
planning, organizing, actuating and controlling is greatly aided by reports. Modern complex business
structure and rapidly changing market conditions require the regular reports and statistical data
regarding business activities, to be placed before executives so that they can keep a personal touch
with all phases of the enterprise. Reports help to keep executive informed to develop favourable
interdepartmental relationship, and to help to get the work accomplished through the work force.
Formulation of fruitful business policies and their implementation would be impossible in the absence of
such reports and data. The business reports not only serve as a means of communicating information
to those who need and use it, but also provide valuable documents which may be required for future
reference. The reports may also be valuable to shareholders, creditors, and others who may be
interested in the welfare of the company.
4.3.2 Guiding Principles in Report Writing
It is not possible to lay down hard and fast rules for writing effective report as the type of report
varies greatly. But some basic guidelines may be used as a general frame work. In this respect the
following considerations should be carefully evaluated.
(i) Make only such reports which have definite aim: The purpose of the report should be known
to the person preparing it. It is very important. And the writer should tell the reader what he
wants to know.
(ii) Separate facts from opinion: Reports were impartial presentation of facts which may arise out
of the variable factual data or through enquiry of investigation. A mere expression of opinion
without supporting factual data is not a report.
(iii) May be written from reader’s points of view: A report should be addressed to some definite
readers or body of readers, e.g. to the Chairman or the Managing Director.
(iv) Avoid ambiguity: It should have a short and unambiguous title; so that it can be seen at a
glance what the report is about.
(v) Use simple words and short sentences: It should be well drafted, simple and correct in
language, based on relevant facts.
(vi) The Report should be introduced by quoting the term of reference: This is an important
element, as it should be clear why the report is required and so to what it should contain. Then
the body of the report should be planned and should follow a logical order. Aids, which will help
 32

in reading, should be provided such as sectional headings, numbered and headed paragraphs,
summarise, at the beginning, a table of contents etc. This approach will maintain the reader’s
interest and lead him to correct conclusions and proper action.
(vii) Make specific recommendations: If a report has recommendations : they should be boldly
marked (perhaps with RECOMMENDATIONS in block letters) and should be placed either in
the relevant parts of the report at the end of document. Recommendations mean when writer
states what should or should not be done about the particular subject.
(viii) Don’t try to write the Final Version of the report in your first attempt. Write a ‘first draft’ and let it
age at least at overnight. Revise it by reading it as if you, like the reader have never seen it
before.
(ix) A good repot should be positive, concise and well presented: Not only style in writing, but
style in presentation is of consequence, for a good report can be spoiled by being badly typed
on poor quality paper and by being badly set out.
(x) The report should be signed by the persons responsible for it, and should be dated.
4.3.3 Types of Reports
Business reports, broadly, can be divided into two pats — statutory and non-statutory. Statutory
reports are prepared in accordance with the provisions of the law or statute. For example, the Indian
Companies Act has made it obligatory to submit to the Registrar of Companies different report like
Director’s Report to the Annual General Meeting, Annual Returns, Statutory Report, auditor’s Report
etc. Non-statutory reports are submitted to the business executives as part of the routine to help the
management to formulate plans and policies and take effective decisions. These reports may be of
routine nature. For example reports regarding production, sales, purchase and cost submitted to the
management periodically are of routine nature. These are a part of the information system at the
service of the management and are also known as information reports. Sometimes a repot may have a
special purpose. Activities not regularly covered by other reports are covered in Special reports. These
are prepared at irregular intervals and are of a non-continuous type. Reports explaining labour trouble,
power break down, accident etc, are covered under this type. Furthermore a report presenting facts and
data without any comments may be called Factual report and when these facts and data are analysed
and interpreted, it may be known as Analytical report.
Reports can also be classified by purpose, timing and style. The purpose is usually for planning
and control, timing is periodic or special, style is formal or informal.
Planning reports, emphasise more historical data in order to develop and analyse trend and
performance and are usually not prepared or reviewed as often.
Control reports follow the channels of formal organisation. Control reports measure actual result
against the planned results in a specified field.
Periodic reports are repetitive reports that are maintained as a routine in every organisation.
Typical periodic reports are profit and loss statement and balance sheet.
Special reports are non-repetitive, emphasize certain timely elements and are concerned with
elements and subject that are important to management and are needed to plan future action.
Formal reporting is the officially designated method of collecting that information and data
needed by management at all levels for proper planning and administration. Informal reports do not
ordinarily involve official documents such as verbal reporting either in person or through telephone,
intercom etc.
 33

4.4 Writing and Designing a Report

The first stage in the process of writing a report is Deciding the Nature and shape of a report. It
is very essential to decide the nature of the report to be written and its type, i.e., whether it is a statutory
report or it is a non-statutory type, whether it is required for planning or controlling or for any special
purpose etc. Second stage in writing is the Structure of a Report. In the structure first thing to be
considered is the title page and list of contents. Title page should be attractive and title should be such
as given an indication of the subject matter contained in the report. Contents should be logically
arranged. It is better to prepare first rough list of contents and then examine arrangement of subjects or
topics. As far as possible, effort should be made to avoid the mention of sub-sections of a section, so
that the list of contents is not very big. Sections should also be briefly titled. The introduction is another
item in the structure. It should give a brief description of the origin and purpose of report. This is also
called terms of reference. It is customary and proper also, to acknowledge in the introduction the help,
coordination and cooperation extended by the people in the organisation in making the investigation a
success. An explanation of the sequence of different topics and sections of the report should be made
in the introduction part. Then comes Preliminary Section. It describes the major purpose and activities
of the division of the organisation which was under investigation. If proper, a brief history of the
development of the division and previous changes in methods and procedures may be given with a
view to provide a general background. The body of the report should contain conclusions and
recommendations in clear language. Comments about recommendation should also be given, but
should be given precisely and clearly. The objective of giving comment should be explain conclusion
and recommendations. It is better to underline recommendations and suggestions to draw attention of
the receivers. Alternative recommendations should be avoided. The body of report should also contain
the suggested lines of actions for implementing the recommendations. If the line of actions is a detailed
one it may be given in the appendix with a brief introduction in the main body of the report. Summary of
recommendations should be given in the report in order to reinforce the ideas. It serves as a convenient
means of appraising the implementation of recommendations. Different stages of report have been
given below:

Structure of a report
Deciding 1. Title page and list of
Nature and contents Drafting
a Report Report
Shape of
2. Introduction
Report
3. Preliminary Selection Stage III
Stage I 4. Body of Report
5. Summary & appendix.

Stage II

Drafting a Report is the third and last stage in the process of writing a report. Drafting requires
skill in determining the sequence of subjects and arguments. It requires a ‘tone’ and style. There is no
one way to arrange the information in report. Startdard form as may be well established and accepted
but in many cases the writer is free to choose the make up. Material should be presented logically.
Simple statements, sectional headings, summaries at the beginning tables and contents should be
provided which helps in quick reading. In a report summary, conclusion or recommendations should be
given either in the beginning or in the end. Writing them in the beginning of the report may seem
 34

illogical but it is not. The great majority or report readers wants the gist of the findings or the conclusion
right away. So it is effective to part this information at the beginning.
Charts, drawings, pictures, and maps help to convey the meaning to the reader more clearly.
They may be used in the report short. These save several paragraphs of writing and will therefore help
to keep our report. Large diagrams and tables to which reference is made in more than one section
may be placed in an appendix. Diagrams and tables should be numbered. We can also make use of
certain abbreviation in our reports. It is to be noted that readers should understand the shortened
version. The use of abbreviations must be consistent. If the abbreviated world is likely to give rise to
ambiguity then always the full word should be used. All these three stages have been shown in Fig. I.
4.5 Style of the Reports
Literary style is unnecessary for reports. Simplicity of presentation is vital. Short, simple
sentences, grouped in short paragraphs which have been properly headed will help the reader to grasp
the meaning of our argument. We shall succeed if we develop our argument logically and keep the
minimum number of words necessary for the presentation of our report. By practising report writing and
by studying the reports of other writers we shall develop a satisfactory style. Report must be complete,
concise, clear and convincing. Report may be divided into four stages: - (i) Narration, (ii) Description,
(iii) Exposition, (iv) Argumentation. The introduction may cover the historical narration and the body of
the report contains the descriptive portion written in convincing arguments. Then developing the
conclusion and recommendations there is often need for careful argumentation. The style also varies
depending on the readers to whom they are submitted as some readers prefer mere facts while other
like details.
4.6 Presentation of Reports
Reports are generally type written, duplicated and printed according to the number of copies
required and purpose for which they are prepared. There are occasions, however when presentation in
manuscript is both acceptable and economical.
The general layout should aim at pleasing the eye. The report should be written with plenty of
space for amendment. For this we shall find it a good plan to use one side of paper only and to have
double spacing. A wide margin is helpful for the insertion of correction notes. Reasonable margin sound
always be allowed for filing. Before the final draft is present we should ensure that we are sound to
three important points. Firstly, we should check the page, paragraph and section numbers are correct,
and the cross reference are accurate. Secondly, we should satisfy ourselves that we have made no
grammatical or spelling errors. Finally, we should be able to affirm that our report does not contain any
words foreign to the reader.
All reports should be presented in a form most appropriate to their purpose. If a report is
destined for issue outside the business it may be necessary to dress it up for prestige purpose.
However, where it is purely for internal consumption, window dressing of any kind should be avoided,
for it is only waste of time and money. Most of the companies of any size develop a standard layout for
their internal reports and provide pre-printed report formats for typing.
When report is voluminous or is liable to constant handling and reference to it should be bound
in suitable covers to protect it against undue wear and tear.
4.7 Report Writing - Practical Approach
In every day life in business, many reports submitted are not of good quality, though the taste of
writing good reports can be developed with a little effort. The approach will vary with the nature and
size of the report.
The drafting and writing of report falls into three stages:
(i) Collection of data.
 35

(ii) The arrangement of the particulars: Those must be arranged in a logical order, so as to
lead up to the recommendations of the report writer.
(iii) The writing of report: The general rules for this may be as follows:
(a) The title of the report should be clear and be given in brief. It will enable the reader to
know at once what it is about and one can distinguish the report from reports on similar
subjects.
b) The starting paragraph should refer to the appointment or instructions, stating the data
thereof, so that it is immediately clear why the report is being made. This is called ‘terms
reference’ in which object and scope of the investigations are given. So a good practical
start is to consider and put down the terms of reference, For instance:
To recommend a replacement of machines at a reasonable price which would be reasonably
convenient to the staff members.
(c) After this, an outline should be written of the body of the report. It should be set out
appropriate paragraphs and these may be numbered and given side the headings. In the
body one can state about the investigations made and new machines recommended,
reasons why the particular machine was chosen, financial aspect, how machine would
work with present arrangements, running costs, staff difficulties etc. It required, tables,
graphs and charts should be incorporated and interpreted in the reports.
(d) If the report is to give recommendations, these can be given at the end of each relevant
part of the report or at the end, as may be appropriate. It may be advisable to preface
each recommendation with that word boldly underlined.
(e) A committee’s report is best signed by all members, the chairman signing first, with the
word ‘chairman’ after his signature. Alternatively he may sign alone, after the words ‘For
and on behalf of the committee’, but in such case the names of the members of the
committee must appear elsewhere in the report.
(f) The report must be dated. It is immaterial whether it is dated, at the top or all the bottom
but the usual practice should be followed.
Reports of Meetings
Generally, reports are written in the first person singular, past tense, but reports of meetings are
usually in the third person past tense. Committee reports are often written in an impersonal way.
Reports of meetings are not usually addressed to any person in particular and may not have any
particular title. Report of a company meeting can be read in most daily newspapers, but the common
preference is for minutes to be prepared rather than a report written.
4.8 Form of the Reports
The general appearance of a report should be pleasinrg if the layout is poor it: is likely to create
bad impression. A report may be in a ‘letter’ form. Here the use of ‘Dear Sirs’ or ‘Gentlemen’ is made in
the start and the complementary close is made with the words ‘Youth faithfully’ or ‘Yours truly’. A report
may be in a ‘memorandum’ form which dispenses with both opening, salutation and complimentary
close. A letter form or report might be arranged as follows:
Address (from)
Date
Address (to)
Dear Sir (s)
Subject heading
 36

1. Introduction / Terms of reference

2. Finding/Results of investigation
3. Observation
4. Recommendations, if called for.
Your’s faithfully,
(Signature)
Official capacity
In the arrangement, paragraphs may be numbered unless the report is very short. This
facilitates reference. Sub-headings may only be used to advantage ir a long report.
Illustration- As Secretary of company, you have been requested to submit a brief report asked
by Chairman to the board, on an accident, when a building at the works collapsed, killing two persons.
Now such a report would be informal type and more in the form of a letter, viz:
X Y Ltd.
20, L Street
Z City,
Jan. 1, 1996
The Board of Directors
ABZ Ltd.
Mount Road
AB City
Gentleman
I regret to inform that a serious accident occurred in the ‘company’ works at I-P.M., this
afternoon. The roof of the building collapsed and unluckily two employees.
Zed (single, aged 20), a clerk, and
Ted (married, aged 30), packer
were in the building at that time and were both killed on the spot.
ACTION TAKE
(i) The police were called in immediately.
(ii) The relatives of the deceased have been informed.
(iii) Temporary fitting is done to prevent further collapse of the building.
(iv) Formal notification has been given to the Factory Inspector.
(v) The New Insurance Company has been notified and a claim will be made in due course.
ESTIMATE OF DAMAGE
It is too early to give a figure of damage, but it is probable that the likely damage is not less than
of Rs. 20,000.
The work manager has been instructed by the Chairman to institute an immediate inquiry into
the reasons for the accident, and his reports will be presented within a week from the date of this
accident.
4.9 Management of Report Writing
 37

Report writing is found in almost every organizational unit and in any enterprise. Many persons
are engaged with the task of report writing. For example, sales manager may have to write monthly
sales report, sales officer may be asked to prepare salesmen report, the personal manager is to write
report on the company’s industrial relation and so on. First thing to be considered in the management of
report writing is supplying the proper work environment. Various facilities regarding writing should be
provided such as good type writer, office composing machine, calculating machines, high quality paper
and other writing material etc. First of all, the importance of reports must be established. It should be
explained to the writer how report writing will help him and how these can be a means to desired ends.
Sometimes reading of good reports is also helpful. A study of expressions, choice of words and
organization of material can be especially beneficial. In addition, contest to write effective reports can
be used. Training in report writing is required. It is an art and it must be developed through training then
in managing the report writing control is must. Unnecessary reports are a waste of time, money and
energy. It is well to check frequently and to re-evaluate the importance and necessity for all reports. All
reports require an expenditure for preparation. Here a development of cost consciousness by the office
manager and promotion of this attitude among the report writers and receivers will help in eliminating
unnecessary report. In order to control cost it is important to compare their cost with the value of the
report and efforts should be made to reduce the cost. In order to do this the following may be
considered:
1. What is the purpose of the report?
2. Does the cost justify it?
3. How far duplication in report could be avoided?
4. Is duplicating process employed economically?
5. Could the present form of report be improved on?

SAQs (Short Answer Questions)

1. What are newspaper Reports?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. What are the types of reports?

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.
1.10 Summary
You have now read about the various aspects of report writing in a great detail. Solved
examples have helped you in better understanding the skill of report writing.
1.11 Further Reading
1. Mort, Simon.Professional Report Wrting, London: Routledge, 2017.
1.12 Model Questions
1. How do you write and design a report?
2. Mention the guiding principles in report writing
 38

Lesson-5

NON-VERBAL ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION

Structure
5.0 Objectives
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Non-Verbal Aspects of Communication
5.3 Effective Listening, Principles of Effective Listening
5.4 Noise : Physical & Psychological
5.4.1 Psychological Noise
5.5 Effective Listening
5.6 Summary
5.7 Further Readings
5.8 Model Questions
5.0 Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
 highlight the essentials of good communication
 elaborate the non-verbal aspects of communication
 talk About the barriers in the communication process.
5.1 Introduciton
This lesson deals with non-verbal aspects of communication. It gives a detailed explanation of
the concept, followed by the principles of effective listening in better understanding.
5.2 Non-Verbal Aspects of Communication
In any communicative event, words alone do not convey the entire meaning of a speaker.
During an exchange of ideas or for that matter even a simple communicative act such as greeting
somebody; the body language of an individual plays an important role his/her meanings are also
transmitted by the way their body behaves — the manner in which different parts of the body like hands,
arms, legs, eyes, face etc are positioned and also the different ways in which they react. Let us take an
example. Greetings like ‘Namaste’ and ‘Sat Sri Akal’ are conveyed by folded hands. A person
reciprocates the greeting also with the same gesture. If a person receiving the greeting does not fold
his/her hands and just acknowledges it by uttering the greeting, the indication is that the person is much
older in age or is lacking in warmth or has an air of arrogance. Thus a simple bodily action of folding
hands or not folding them while receiving greetings, conveys so many extra meanings. Body language,
 39

which is also known as body sports, is actually a game that the body plays. This sport is always
involuntary and spontaneous as it is without any outside controls. No human being has any internal
control over the body language. It is thus a sincere reflection of one’s inner feelings whereas words
may convey the opposite of what one feels. In the choice of language, one may express one’s feelings
in a guarded, modified form. Rather than giving expression to one’s feelings of dislike or hatred, one
can be ironical in one’s speech. However, it is the bodily movements made with the hands or with the
eyes which actually convey one’s real feelings. Thus, body language is a more sincere medium of
communication than words.
It is the face which plays a very important role in body language. Therefore it is said that face is
I:he index of the mind. Whatever lies buried in a person’s mind appears on the face. The two other
important players on the face are the eyes and lips. Facial expressions very effectively convey such
emotions as anger, fear, surprise, disgust, joy and sorrow. In fact eyes are the most eloquent
expression of one’s true feelings. Eye contact is an important factor in communication. A frank, honest
gaze establishes the credibility of the speaker. An insincere, dishonest man always shifts his gaze
during the communication. Averting or avoiding eye contact while speaking or listening is thought to be
a sign of listening is thought to be a sign of insincerity. Glancing sideways while speaking to someone
showssuspicion. Shifting eyes while communicating is indicative of the speaker trying to hide something.
Closed eyes reflect a desire for privacy, while half closed eyes are a sign of boredom.
In addition to the movement of the eyes, other physical gestures and gesticulations too express
our inner feelings. The various movements of the hands convey a variety of meanings. We make
gestures with out hands to call somebody or to dismiss somebody. A warm handshake reveals that the
individuals has a positive personality. A limp handshake is a sign of inferiority whereas a tight grip
conveys a dominating personality.
Other parts of the human body like the arms and the legs too convey var:ious meanings. A
superiority complex is indicated by arms folded with thumb pointing upwards. Lack of concentration and
confusion are revealed by the continuous scratching of the head. The stoking of the chin means that
the idea is being given careful consideration. The manner of the walking also indicates one’s frame of
mind. Walking with eyes fixed on the ground shows that the person is lost is thought. Gazing or looking
at the sky while walking reflects that the person is looking for a solution to a difficult problem. Kicking
real or imaginary objects shows frustration, anger, aggressiveness. An indifferent attitude is conveyed
by the shrugging of shoulders whereas biting of nails is a sign of nervousness.
The study of bodily movements to judge one’s state of mind is called Kinesics. As already
discussed, our facial expressions, our eyes, physical gestures with the hands, arms and legs convey a
good deal of our emotions without our uttering a single word Kinesics is infact the scientific study of the
body movements involved in communication, especially as they accompany speech. The movemepts
studied by Kinesic scientists are commonly called body language or non-verbal behaviour.
Kinesics was developed by the American anthropologist Ray L. Birdwhistell. Birdwhistell used
slow-motion films of conversations to analyse the speakers’ behaviour. Birdwhistell reported the results
of his findings in the books “Introduction to Kinesics” (1952) and “Kinesics and Context” (1970). This
anthropologist believed that the meaning of any Kinesic behavour could be determined only by
analysing the context in which the behaviour occurred. He was chiefly concerned with how and when
certain types of behaviour appeared. He also studied what forms these types of behaviour took in
relation to the other movements and the speech of other people. Involved in the communication.
Another important part of non-verbal behaviour is Proxemics or the ‘personal space language’
Proxemics studies the use of space to covey our meaning. Edward T. Hall has described four types of
informal space that define human relationships. These are intimate, personal, social and public.
Intimate space is meant only for intimate friends and relatives who can communicate in whispers.
 40

Personal space is meant for communications with friends and colleagues. It is in formal relationships
that a social distance of four to twelve feet is used. This spacing is useful for conducting business
dealings. Public distancing (around twelve feet and above) is meant for public meetings and it shows
detachment and impartiality. The distance or space between the speaker and hearer or hearers thus
makes meanings quite loud and clear.
The quality, Volume and the manner of speaking are also aspects of the non-verbal behavour of
language because they pay attention to the speaker voice and not to his words. The study of voice and
its quality is known as Paralangauge. If the speaker has a dull voice, it means that the individual lacks
vigour and enthusiasm. A high pitch is an indication of excitement whereas low pitch is a sign of
depression. An ascending tone expresses surprise whereas an abrupt tone shows that the person is no
more interested in interaction. Even silence is a part of paralanguage as it is said to speak louder than
words. On being asked a question, if the listener remains silent, it means either lack of interest or
unexpressed disagreement or in a very intimate relationship, it implies consent.
The study of non-verbal language is as important as verbal language because facila
lexpressions, gestures made with the arms and the hands while communciating, the distance between
the speaker and hearer and also the voice quality; are all significant indicators of meaning. ‘≠‘The
meaning of verbal language only becomes clear if the totality of the above mentioned factors is taken
into account. Words together with the non-verbal behavour of speakers and hearers in a particular
contest make the meaning of any utterance loud and crystal clear.
5.3 EFFECTIVE LISTENING: PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE LISTENING
In any communicative event, effective listening is a vital ingredient. The cycle of communication
consists of two stages. The first is the encoding of the message and its transmission by the sender. The
second is the decoding of the message received and the required feedback by the receiver. Hearing is
perception of the sender’s message according to the receiver’s frame of mind. Listening is an accurate
perception of the speaker’s message. The mental involvement is listening is a great deal. If the listener
is not in a receptive mood, the communication is bound to fail. Hearing becomes listening only when
the mind stands registering the words and their contents. It is only when the words seep through the
mental filter of the listener that the process of listening starts. There are many factors that affect good
listening some of them are the following:
5.4 Noises :Physical and Psychological
Physical noise is noise around the communicators, e.g., the noise of the colleagues around, the
noise of loud speakers, the noise of an aircraft flying overhead. Noise of any kind is distracting for the
listener who is unable to concentrate on what is being said. The listener’s mind wonders and the
communication process becomes ineffective.
5.4.1 Psychological Noise
There may be no physical noises and yet effective listening may not take place at all. This is
due to the disturbances in the mind of the listener referred to as psychological noise. The mind may be
moving in various other directions, contrary to the direction spelled out by the speaker. The distractions
inside the receivers mind will not allow him/her to listen to the clearest notes of the speaker
communication thus fails to take place.
2. Ego : Among the psychological factors the ego of the listener is one stumbling block in the path of
good listening. For instance, amongst Principal would seldom listen to his colleagues or a person
superior in status would refrain hearing the arguments of his subordinates.
 41

3. Disinterest: The receiver may be disinterested in what is being said and therefore not pay any
attention at all. Some people show lack of interest because they feel the issue at stake has nothing do
with them.
4. Stress and fear: The fear stricken mind of the receiver cannot register the contents of the sender’s
message. Similarly, a man working under stress has a frozen mind with blunt responses though in
certain exceptional cases, stress activates the mind.
5. Prejudices: A receiver having certain prejudices behaves irrationally and can never be a good
listener.
5.5 EFFECTIVE LISTENING
Listening is an essential part of oral communication. If thee is no listening, speech loses it
meaning. The effectiveness of communication is determined by the extent, to which listening and
comprehension take place in the course of an interaction, improving our ability to listen better is largely
a matter of mental conditioning. Listening is in fact a deliberate act. Sometimes we are tempted not to
listen for it is an easier way out. For better listening, we have to pay full attention and follow the
following steps to improve one’s listening ability:
(a) One must not talk while listening.
(b) It is wise to make the speaker feel at ease or that she/he will do a better job.
(c) For better concentration during listening, one should not fiddle with the things in one’s
hands or stop reading or looking at the watch.
(d) Be patient and let the speaker reach the point. In case of interruption, communication
fails.
(e) Before arguing, understand the matter in hand. Arguments without understanding
hamper the communication.
(f) Ask questions. This shows that you have listened.

Short Answer Questions (SAQs)

1. What is psychological noise?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. What is noise?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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3. How does stress and fear affect effective listening?

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5.6 Summary
You are now acquainted with the non-verbal aspects of communications and primcples of effective
learning. You also learnt about the various kinds of noises and how to eard them.
 42

5.7 Further Reading

Gupta, C. B. Essential Business Communication, Cengage India, 2019.
5.8 Model Questions
1. Write the principles of effective listening.
2. What is noise? What are its types?


 43

Lesson-6

E-MAIL COMMUNICATION

STRUCTURE
6.0 Objectives
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Context
6.3 E-Business
6.4 E-Mail
6.4.1 Writing an Email
6.4.2 Formating an Email
6.4.3 Organising Email
6.5 Netiquettee
6.5.1 ‘Some Imp Points to Rememver
6.5.2 Guidelines for Business E-mails
6.5.3 How does an Email work ?
6.6 Uses and Abuses of E-mail
6.6.1 Advantages
6.6.2 Disadvantages
6.7 Sponsering and Computer Viruss
6.8 Privacy Concerns
6.9 Fax
6.10 Teleconferencing
6.10.1 Functions of Teleconferencing
6.10.2 Uses of Teleconferencing
6.10.3 Training and Development
6.10.4 Strengths of Teleconferencing
6.10.5 Limitations
6.11 Practical Exercises
6.12 Audio Visual Aids
6.12.1 Powerpoint Presentations
6.13 Summary
6.14 References
6.15 Further Reading
 44

6.16 Model Questions

6.0 Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
 appreciate the value of email
 acquaint yourself with the essentials by business communication
 write a good e-mail, and make a good PPT, etc.
6.1 Introduciton
In this lesson, you will learn about one of the essential components of a business
communication, that are writing e-mail, teleconferencing, power point presentation, etc. The lesson has
practical exercises at every step for a better understanding of the concepts.
6.2 CONTEXT
Globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation are the three main driving forces that have
changed the economic, political and social structures of the world. All these processes depend heavily
on communication between individuals, communities, companies and nations. Consequently, a new set
of tools have been developed with the help of information technology to make this communication easy,
fast, safe and economical.
Globalisation has changed the world so much that the world is now perceived to be a ‘flat’ one
in which there is a free flow of information and communication between individuals, corporations and
even nations for economic and political purposes. Thomas L.Friedman (2005) notes,
‘What the flattening of the world means is that we are now connecting all the knowledge
centres on the planet into a single global network, which—if politics and terrorism do not
get in the way—-could usher in an amazing era of prosperity, innovation, and
collaboration by companies, communities and individuals.’
This has happened because of the availability of personal computers in offices and homes, fibre
optic cable technology for digitisation of information and its conveyance around the globe at no cost,
and workflow software like that of Dell Computers manufactured in multinational locations and sold
around the globe through the electronic business (e-business) mode.
Analysing these networks, Manuel Castells in his ground-breaking book The Rise of Network
Society (1996) observes that there are three kinds of networks operating in the world today: business,
technological and, social and cultural. Besides this, there are also networked forms of global
governance. All these networks have developed a culture of communication that makes the twenty-first
century the century of communication. Today we live in a culture of communication for the sake of
communication. It is an open-ended network of cultural meanings that not only coexist, but interact and
modify each other on the basis of this exchange.
This culture of the network society is a culture of protocols of communication between all
cultures in the world. It has developed on the basis of the common belief in the power of networking
and of synergy. It is a process rather than a product and is unified by the common belief in the use
value of sharing. This culture promotes and supports electronic business.
6.3 E-BUSINESS
 45

E-business is the business of buying and selling goods, commodities and services through the
electronic mode. It also includes servicing customers, collaborating with business partners in diverse
global locations, and conducting electronic transactions within an organization. Hence, it is all about
time cycle, speed, and globalization, enhanced productivity, reaching new customers and sharing
knowledge across institutions for competitive advantage. Though it depends heavily on technology and
is addressed by computer experts, marketing research experts and experts on consumer behaviour
and communication occupy the centre-space in this business.
There are three kinds of e-business transactions:
a. business-to-business (when transaction takes place between one business and another
business);
b. business to consumer and
c. intra-business (when transactions take place within an organisation).
All these three kinds of businesses, however, need fast, easy, safe and low-cost communication
that can be conducted easily through the Internet.
Similarly, advertising is another business which targets potential buyers through electronic
messages using Internet, radio, television, cell phones, etc. Companies like Google, Yahoo, Hotmail,
Rediffmail, Indiatimes, etc. generate huge revenues through this mode, which can be updated any time
at a minimal cost. It can reach a large number of potential buyers, all over the world cheaply and
effectively using the convergence of text, audio, graphics, and animation. The products can be made
interactive and targeted to specific interest groups and individuals.
E-business also covers online services like cyber banking, stock trading, travel and tourism, real
estate, job seeking and job giving, electronic catalogues and electronic payment systems. Cyber
shopping, cyber publishing, etc. are forms of e-business or commerce. All these businesses depend
heavily on electronic communication, mostly done through electronic mail, a system for sending and
receiving messages electronically over a computer network, as between personal computers. The term
e-mail is also used for a message or messages sent or received by such a system.
6.4 E-MAIL
Electronic mail, popularly known as e-mail, is electronic, global and interactive. It is a
combination of many communication technologies such as television, telephone, publishing and web
surfing. Besides being fast, it can carry pictures, videos and audio materials, publish both text and
hypertext in cyberspace and be stored on the web. E-mails are easily accessible anytime and
anywhere in the world. Audio and video clips easily fit into this format and can be sent as an attachment
or within the message. These messages can be notes typed on the keyboard of a computer or
electronic files containing photographs, audio or video materials stored in the computer or on a
compact disc.
Technically speaking, e-mail is a method of communication whereby an individual or a company
uses a computer or some other electronic device (like a cell phone) to compose and send a message to
another individual or a group of individuals. Messages may be sent through computer systems linked
by a network or through modems using telephone lines. E-mails may also be sent through wireless
transmissions as in the case of BlackBerry cell phones. They can be sent to one user at a time or
broadcast to several users at the same time and usually take only a few minutes to arrive at their
 46

destination Hence, e-mail is typically used to bypass regular postal service delivery (often referred to as
snail mail) and to speed communication.
Every e-mail user has a unique address, such as john@gmail.com. or disha02@rediffmail.com.
Companies, institutions and governments create addresses for their employees for transacting
business related to their work and for easy identification.
6.4.1 Writing an E-mail
As an e-mail is a mail or a letter sent electronically, unlike a letter which is written on paper, put
into an envelope and then sent through a post office or a courier, it is sent through a mail server
electronically, read on the computer screen and is generally replied to immediately by clicking the reply
button. Once it has been typed on screen, it is proof-read for errors or omissions and then sent as a
reply to the sender of the letter. It should therefore be written like a letter and not like a telegraph or an
SMS (short message service) which have space constraints.
E-mail is fast, flexible and reliable, though not always secure. Fully computerised companies
use it extensively both for internal and external communication. It is used for all kinds of business
communication including business inquiries, confirming orders, sending press releases, announcing
sales promotions, explaining price changes and updating scripts, besides a host of other purposes.
6.4.2 FORMATTING AN E-MAIL
It is important to format e-mails properly to ensure that it is received and read by the person it is
sent to. If the receiver is unable to read the e-mail a failure in communication occurs resulting in loss of
business. Therefore, a set format must be followed in sending e-mail messages.
E-mails consist of the following two major sections.
 Header—structured into fields such as summary, sender, receiver and other information about
the e-mail
 Body—the message itself as unstructured text; sometimes containing a sign blockat the end.
Header
Each message has one header, which is structured into fields. The message header usually
includes at least the following fields.
 From: the e-mail address and optionally the name of the sender
 To: the e-mail address and optionally name[s] of the message’s recipient[s]
 Subject: a title for the message
 Date: the local time and date when the message was written
Other common header fields include:
 Cc: carbon copy
 Bcc: blind carbon copy
The most popular format for e-mail is the Microsoft Internet format available in text and HTML
formats:
 47

While some transmission systems provide links only within a company’s particular e-mail
system, the other systems provide e mail users the facility to access various systems around the world.
In order to send an e-mail message, each party must have an e-mail address. The address is
composed of an identifying name, an @ sign, the name of the file server where the account is located
and a domain name. Typical domain names are .com (commercial), .gov (government), .edu (schools),
and .org (organisation). An example of an e-mail address would be amarsingh@amd.com. In order to
send a message outside the company e-mail system, the complete address must be used.

6.4.3 ORGANISING E-MAIL

When e-mail messages arrive, the reader can reply, forward or delete them. The messages can
be stored either on the web through such websites as www.gmail.com or www.hotmail.com or can be
put in the Inboxes of Outlook Express and other such services. E-mail systems also have filters to
organise incoming messages and folders to organise messages that need to be stored. In such cases
the reader transfers the message to the appropriate folder clearing the inbox of the message and
providing a logical way of locating a message either by sender or by topic.
Address book: Most electronic mail systems offer an address book feature, which provide a
place to store e-mail addresses. As these addresses are often complex and difficult to remember they
can be easily stored in the address book, which can also be used to develop mailing lists. For example
if six friends frequently communicate, a user might list all their addresses in a ‘folder’ in the address
book with a name such as ‘My Friends’. Then the user could quickly send a message to all six friends
at one time by addressing the message to ‘My Friends’ rather than to each individual user. Similar lists
could be developed for your business partners, suppliers, distributors or customers.
Attachments: E-mail users can send documents by using the attachment feature. This allows
the user to specify where an electronic file—such as a text document, a spreadsheet, or a graphics
presentation—is located. It also allows the user to send a copy by e-mail. Attachments can be sent to a
list of people in one e-mail message. This feature has greatly enhanced the ability of people to bridge
distances and to work together. For example, if two people are planning a presentation at a conference,
 48

they can attach outlines of the presentation as well as slides of the actual presentation and transmit
them for revision or review.
Photographs and audio-files containing speech or songs can be attached to e-mail messages or
through a ‘link’ in the message. However, multimedia files including photos, take a long time to send as
they are large files Digital cameras and scanners have made it easier to send photographs via e-mail.
Plain text and HTML: E-mails are sent or received both in plain text and HTML formats. While
text format is more popular as it can easily be read even on low-end computer systems, HTML has
more aesthetic appeal. Moreover, this format allows in-line links and transfer of audio-video files and
images easily. It is easier to set apart previous messages in block quotes, wrap naturally on any display,
and emphasise by underlining or italicising or even changing font style. However, HTML e-mails are not
as safe as text messages because they can easily be hacked and are bitten by ‘web bugs’. HTML e-
mail messages often include an automatically-generated plain text copy as well. ‘Phishing’ or luring of
an Internet user to reveal personal details (like passwords and credit card information) on a fake web
page or e-mail form pretending to come from a legitimate company (like their bank) can happen easily
on HTML format.
Deleting a message: After reading an incoming e-mail message, if the reader decides that
he/she doesn’t need the message anymore, he/she can delete the message immediately. However
many systems keep the deleted messages in a trash folder till such a file is deleted permanently.
Forwarding a message: If the reader decides to send a received message to a third party, it
may be done by choosing the ‘Forward’ option on message itself. The receive in turn, can easily
forward the message either to an individual or a list of individuals.
Implementing e-mail policies: In order to keep a track of official correspondence many
organisations have implemented e-mail policies in their offices. These policies allow the employers to
review and monitor the incoming and outgoing mails through their computer systems. Courts uphold the
right of corporations to review the e-mail of employees who use company resources such as hardware,
software, and/or company time to compose and send e-mail messages. In the opinion of law, a
company has the right to read the e-mail of employees, particularly, if such companies have an e-mail
policy in place.
Junk mail or spam: These are unwanted e-mail usually of commercial nature sent out in bulk.
They come into the inbox in the form of chain letters, unsolicited advertisements fake warning about
viruses or files, and other non-business information. Such e-mails should not be opened and read as
they are likely to corrupt our files or hanging the system.
Replying to a message: Replying to an e-mail is very easy. If the reader wishes to respond to
an e-mail message, he/she can do so by clicking the ‘reply’ button without retyping the e-mail address
of the sender. However, one should be careful in replying when a common e-mail has been sent to a
list so as to reply only to the sender and not all the recipients. For example, a conference coordinator
sends a reminder message to a list of 500 people who will be attending a conference. One of the
respondents has a question about whether her registration has arrived and replies to the message
using the ‘reply’ button. Since the original message was sent to a list, it is quite possible that the reply
may be sent to all the 500 people on the list. This will result in the violation of ‘netiquette,’ discussed
below. Be careful to select the ‘reply to sender’ option in such cases.
6.5 NETIQUETTE
 49

Netiquette is Internet etiquette and courtesy to be kept in mind when using shared services and
mailing lists on the Internet. Using these rules for sending and receiving e-mails helps us to be socially
responsible members of the community of Internet users or ‘netizens’.
Netiquette, therefore, is a set of socially acceptable rules of behaviour on the Internet. They
help us to behave correctly and acceptably on the net just as rules of social etiquette do in society.
For example, interrupting a speaker, and not introducing people you are with to others are examples of
bad etiquette. Similarly, ‘flaming’ (sending an immediate, angry overreaction to an e-mail), shouting
(typing a message in capital letters), or sendmg a personal message to an entire list are violations of
netiquette.
6.5.1 Some Important Points to Remember
 Always use the subject line as most organisations filter their mails keeping in mind the
position/department that the mail is addressed to. In case it is difficult or not possible, use a
subject line that will get the attention of the concerned person.
 Mention the name of the concerned person while starting your covering letter. If not, you can
start with ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’.
 Keep the content of your mail crisp and to the point. Avoid using general addresses such as ‘To
whomsoever it may concern’, or ‘Kind Attention’.
 Avoid ‘shouting’ by using capital letters where not required (For example: NEVER WRITE A
FULL LETTER IN CAPITALS).
 Do not use the chat mode, SMS language or short forms of any kind in an official mail
transacting some serious business like applying for a job.
 Always use formal language, correct grammar, punctuation and sentence construction. Also,
close your covering letter properly. (For example by saying, ‘Thanks and regards’ before signing
off.)
 In business letters, do not use any smilies or other images, icons or symbols.
 When sending an application through e-mail, write a short paragraph about why you are right for
the job and mention that you have attached your CV for reference. Do not forget to mention your
telephone number in the e-mail even if you have already mentioned it in your CV.
 When attaching a document, ensure that the file is named correctly. For example, a file called
‘Copy_CV_’ in the e-mail may be renamed ‘CV’ so that is is easy for the recipient to identify the
file.
 If the sender has asked you to follow a format, do follow it otherwise your message may not be
read at all. Some people may ask for a word file and some may specifically ask you not to send
attachments.
 Ensure that you do not send a CC to anyone else but the concerned person. Do not forward or
send your CV to many people in a single e-mail.
 Do not use fancy user IDs or e-mail addresses for official purposes. Companies, institutions,
government agencies, etc. generally use the names of their employees as their user names. In
case you are unable to use your name, keep it as close to your name as possible, simple and
easy to remember.
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 Before you send your job application through e-mail, do a virus scan of your attachments. This
is to ensure that your future employer does not have to remove the virus before reading the
message. In such a case your mail may not be read at all.
6.5.2 Guidelines for Business E-mails
 One should not be casual and careless in using language in official e-mails. Therefore avoid
using unnecessary abbreviations and words that are not in common use.
 Be careful about sending a copy through ‘CC’, particularly when you are sending sensitive
information.
 While replying to an e-mail, avoid ‘composing’ a new message because it will break the ‘thread
of the conversation’, and the receiver will have to look into his files for reference.
 If you have to respond to several questions or points, reply by answering under each question.
You may even use a different font colour for the answers making your answers standout
grabbing the attention of the recipient immediately.
 Send a ‘CC’ only to those who need it and not to everyone on your mailing list.
 As far as possible, reply to the sender immediately after receiving an e-mail so the recipient
would know that you have received his/her e-mail. However, if you need some time to prepare a
formal reply, do inform the sender that you have received the message and would reply soon in
detail.
 Never use your official e-mail for personal correspondence as your mails are likely to be
monitored.
 E-mail conversations have to be clear and there should be no scope for misunderstandings. So,
we should be careful about the language we use and be polite.
 Large number of incoming e-mails are a matter of concern for most companies. Using the
priority rating systems, some companies flag them for immediate response. Others choose a
concise subject line that clearly defines the message. It is therefore recommended that either of
the two systems be used for deciding the priority of the message and the time taken to respond.
 When you forward an e-mail, delete all of the other addresses that appear in the body
of message (at the top) as no one wants to scroll through 200 e-mail addresses to read his/her
e-mail.
 When you send an e-mail to more than one person, you can also use the BCC: (blind carbon
copy) option to ensure that the recipent gets due attention.
 Do not forward chain e-mails to a business address.
6.5.3 How does an e-mail work?
The following diagram will help explain the typical sequence of events in e-mail System. A
messge is first composed using a computer or Mail User Agent (MUA). After the e-mail address of the
recipient is keyed in and the ‘send’ button is clicked, the message is sent instantaneously.
1. The sender’s MUA formats the message in Internet e-mail format and uses the Simple Mail
Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to send the message to the local Mail Transfer Agent (MTA), in this
case smtp.rec.org, run by the recipient’s Internet Service Protocol (ISP).
2. The MTA looks at the destination address provided in the SMTP protocol (not from the message
header), in this case recipient@rec.org. An Internet e-mail address is known as a Fully Qualified
Domain Address (FQDA). The part before the @ sign is the local part of the address, often the
 51

username of the recipient, and the part after the @ sign is the domain name. The MTA looks up
this domain name in the Domain Name System (DNS) to find the mail exchange server
accepting messages for that domain.
3. The DNS server for the rec.org domain, ns.rec.org, responds with an a Mail Exchanger (MX)
record listing the mail exchange servers for that domain, in this case mx.rec.org, a server run by
the recipient’s ISP.
4. smtp.send.org sends the message to mx.rec.org using SMTP which delivers it to the mailbox of
the receiver.
5. The recipient presses the ‘mail’ button in his MUA, which picks up the message using the Post
Office Protocol (POP 3).

Although this sequence of events applies to the majority of e-mail systems there are many that
may function differently.
6.6 USES AND ABUSES OF E-MAIL
In most advanced economies, e-mail has become the preferred mode of communication both
for social and business purposes. It has, to some extent replaced the face-to-face meetings and
communication. Landline telephone systems and mobile telephony are other popular methods of
communication today. Face-to-face meetings are no more the primary from of social communication as
globalization, privatisation and liberalisation have made societies and communities more mobile than at
any other time in human history.
It is an established fact that in economically advanced countries of the world, people actively
use e-mail to maintain core social networks, particularly when they are located at a great distance from
those they wish to contact. With an increase in Internet usage, there is a decrease in the use of other
modes of communication. Proficiency of Internet and e-mail use serves as a mediating factor in this
relationship.
However, face-to-face interaction cannot entirely be replaced by electronic communication
through the telephone, e-mail or other web-based technologies as they lack the warmth of human
emotions and the expressions of body language.
E-mail has been widely accepted by the business community as the first broad electronic
communication medium, even though it was the first ‘e-revolution’ in business communication. E-mail is
simple to understand and use as it solves two basic problems of communication: logistics and
synchronisation. LAN based e-mail is also an emerging form of usage for business. It not only allows
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the business user to download mail when offline (not connected to the Internet), it also provides the
small business user to have multiple users’ e-mail ID’s with just one e-mail connection. With ‘bluetooth’
and other similar technologies, e-mail messages can be received and sent through cell (mobile) phones
which put an executive in touch with his business any where, any time. It can connect several devices,
overcoming problems of synchronisation. In fact, most recent laptops come with a built-in bluetooth
adapter, which helps in receiving and sending e-mails.
Though a popular form of communication for social and business purposes, e-mail has both
advantages and disadvantages.
6.6.1 Advantages
Like any technological device, e-mail has both—uses and abuses. Let us first consider its
advantages over other forms of communication in the areas of logistics and synchronisation.
As the business world relies upon communications between people who are not always
physically present in the same building, area or even a country, e-mail becomes very handy for
establishing communication. Telephone calls or teleconferencing, though give the freedom of oral
communication, have their own inconveniences. Besides being expensive, this needs the presence of a
caller and a receiver, at a mutually convenient time. This may pose difficulties if the caller and receiver
are in multinational locations. E-mail provides a way to exchange information with no set-up costs and
is generally far less expensive than physical meetings or phone calls.
Synchronisation is a major problem in making a telephone or conference call. In multinational
companies different branches are in different time zones. It is therefore difficult to set up a
teleconference that suits the convenience of all the employees. This problem can be taken care of by
exchanging e-mails.
6.6.2 Disadvantages
Reading, ordering, sorting, ‘recontextualising’ fragmented information, and writing e-mails takes
a lot of time of employees due to an increasing use of e-mail. It can therefore lead to some of the
problems listed below:
 Loss of Context: Because most of the e-mail services do not allow all the messages from one
source to be stored collectively, these messages are likely to lose the context. Tracking such
messages and putting them in folders is a difficult job.
 Alienation of Individuals: Nervous or poor speakers in face- to-face situations have started
taking recourse to e-mail to communicate, which leads them to become less sociable, and
alienated. If this trend of impersonal communication becomes the dominant form of
communication, it is feared that people may not invest time and effort in developing
conversational skills.
 Inconsistency: Due to information overload, e-mails tend to duplicate information. Sorting this
overload can lead to inconsistency. If a large team is working on a number of documents that
are duplicated, a lot of time will be wasted in sorting the information.
Despite these disadvantages, e-mail has become the most widely used medium of
communication in the business world. It is also gaining popularity in social world through ‘chat groups’
and social networking sites such as ‘Orkut’, ‘Facebook’, etc.
6.7 Spamming and Computer Viruses
E-mail bombardment, spamming, phising and e-mail worms pose a huge threat to e-mails.
Millions of dollars are spent every year on creating softwares to protect e-mail users from such threats.
Spamming is unsolicited commercial e-mail. Because of the very low cost of sending e-mail,
spammers can send hundreds of millions of e-mail messages each day at very low cost. Spamming
 53

results in information overload as this uncalled for e-mail takes a lot of time to read and discard.
Though most e-mail services like Google, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc. have set filters to check spamming,
spammers out smart these filters and penetrate the system.
E-mail worms are the viruses that find a way of replicating themselves into vulnerable
computers. These worms travel through e-mail and corrupt your computer. They are capable of
crashing the system totally. Hence a number of anti-virus systems such as Norton Antivirus, Aviva
Antivirus, etc. have to be used to protect them from these attacks. Many countries including US,
Canada and Australia have passed laws to take action against those who create virus systems.
6.8 Privacy Concerns
Privacy is a major concern with lnternet Service Providers (ISPs). Most e-mail messages have
to go through intermediate computers before reaching their destination, which makes it easy for others
to intercept and read messages. Almost all ISPs store copies of our e-mail messages on their mail
servers before they are delivered. They keep their backups for several months on their server, even
when they are deleted from our mailboxes and for these reasons some companies do not trust the
privacy of e-mail messages.
6.9 Fax
A fax message is often sent when particular official correspondence needs to be sent or
received urgently and it is not possible to send the documents via e-mail. In some cases, a fax may
have been requested.
The message usually has a cover page containing the following information:
 name and fax number of the recipient
 date
 name and fax number of the writer
 number of pages
The cover page also usually contains a short message.
Any document (e.g. report, letter, purchase order) that you are sending follows the cover page.

Sample fax message

FAX MESSAGE
To: Jenny Smith Fax Number: 0335 294762
From: Jamie Fraser Fax Number: 0227 664290
Date: 29 November 2007 Number of pages: 4 (including this page)
Subject: Amendments to the report
Jenny,
I have had a look through your report, as requested.
I agree with most of it. However, I would propose making some slight changes to some
sections.
I have indicated the suggested changes in the sections attached.
Regards,
 54

Jamie

6.10 What is Teleconferencing?

The word ‘tele’ means distance. The word ‘conference’ means consultations, discussions.
Through teleconferencing two or more locations situated at a distance are connected so that they can
hear or both see and hear each other. It allows the distant sites to interact with each other and with the
teaching end through phone, fax, and e-mail. The interactions occur in real time. This means that the
learners/participants and the resource persons are present at the same time in different locations and
are able to communicate with each other. In some situations, questions can be faxed/e-mailed early for
response by the resource persons.

Three essential features of teleconferencing are --

— Learners/participants present at particular time and in dispersed places
— Resource persons present at the same time at the teaching end or
different teaching ends.
— Interactions between
• Learner — resource persons/AV materials at the teaching end(s).
• Learner — learner at the learner center
• Learner — facilitator/materials/activities at the learner center
• Learner — learner at/between other learner centers
• Resource person — resource person.

The communication in teleconferencing is both vertical and horizontal, and the emphasis is on
interaction at all levels. Meaningful interaction in real time is the strength of teleconferencing, and this
sets it apart from other technologies used in education. The one-way limitation of educational
broadcasting is overcome through the technology configuration.
Stimulating responses to visuals, situations, dialogue, discussion, sharing, active
experimentation, project work, etc. encourage interactivity, resulting in different transactional processes
such as:
— Conceptualization
— Concretization of experience
— Reflective observation
— Application
These and other transactional processes of this nature accelerate learning and communication
skills. Learning is systemized as it takes place in a structured teaching-learning environment.
Teleconferencing could have different technical configurations and applications. It includes use
of telephone for audio conferencing, graphics in addition to audio for audio-graphic conferencing,
television and/or computer for video conferencing. The video conferencing could be one-way video two-
way audio or two-way video. The configuration can be simple or complex. The presentation can be just
talk/discussion or it can be highly structured using sophisticated visual support.
 55

In today’s terminology video conferencing and teleconferencing are similar as they function on
the same pattern.
6.10.1 Functions of Teleconferencing
The functions of teleconferencing in education and training are to
— Impart information, build attitudes, provide role models, etc
— Upgrade skills
— Share experiences
— Facilitate problem solving
— Offer counseling
— Supervise/conduct/guide project work
The leaner and participant groups could vary from students, teachers, grass root level
functionaries, community groups, farmers, housekeepers, experts, administrators to high level
executives.
6.10.2 Uses of Teleconferencing
Teleconferencing is essentially a means for communication and
training. It can be used for information dissemination, guidance in
response to policy, consultations with experts, focused group discussions,
interviews, etc. As a technology, it has broad applications in education,
training and development, business/corporate communication, governance
and professional and medical courses/services.
Education
In the academic area, teleconferencing is useful for the following
activities:
— Delivery of full courses, lessons, tutoring, project work and
training can be provided to the students through
teleconferencing,
— Delivery of certificate level courses for professional
development. These courses can be modular and multi-media
in nature comprising print, contact programmes, and audio-
video conferencing.
— Partial support to courses through counseling, etc.

— Introduction of short/new courses in skill development, vocational training, professional

development, and to address problems related to introduction of new curriculum, and
lack of teachers and facilities.
— Tutoring in difficult areas of the curriculum.
— Remedial learning and off-hours teaching can be provided.
— Enrichment, updating, guidance to additional learning resources, extension of existing courses.
— Interaction by students with scientists, experts, decision and policy makers, etc. to obtain
multiple perspectives on an issue.
Apart from academic activities, teleconferencing is used for administrative matters such as:
— Problems solving and counseling on admissions, examination, status of courseware
materials distribution,
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— Guidance and advice on course content, expectations, assignments, grading, credits, etc.
6.10.3 Training and Development
Teleconferencing is used to provide training and staff development for capacity building in
agriculture, health, nutrition, family welfare, etc. in remote rural areas. It reaches out to a large number
of groups such as community workers, farmers, functionaries, etc. for extension activities, sharing of
experiences, raising of issues, introducing government schemes, projects, mobilizing for activities and
conducting campaigns
Teleconferencing has been effectively used for empowerment of women and local self-
government bodies and training of grass root workers spread over large geographical areas.
Business/Corporate Communication
In the business and corporate sector, teleconferencing has been used for a variety of purposes
such as organizing conferences, interviews for recruitment, project supervision, problem solving,
consultations, information dissemination and training of the personnel. Education, training, instruction,
information and counseling are merged resulting in an overall improvement in staff performance.
Governance
Using teleconferencing facilities, planners, administrators and executives can directly and
simultaneously interact with people at all levels for speedy dissemination of policy, execution and
monitoring the implementation of projects, problem solving, and providing expert consultations.
Professional and Medicinal Courses and Services
Medicine is an area in which teleconferencing is being increasingly used. Hospitals can provide
medical services to remote areas with expert diagnosis and medical advice. Similarly, many
professional training institutes are using the teleconferencing mode to provide quality teaching support
to widely dispersed student community
6.10.4 Strengths of Teleconferencing
Teleconferencing offers a number of advantages to organizers, administrators, educators and
learners.
 It provides learning to large groups, which are geographically dispersed.
 For organizations, delivery costs are reduced with resultant cost-benefit in
terms of time, traveling and spread of resources over large groups
 It makes the best use of the available resources by expanding the
learning opportunity and taking the resources to the learners.
 It overcomes time or scheduling problems for the learners who can
assemble at a learning center for a limited period only because of their full
time or part time work, and family and community commitments.
 It can be designed to meet local specific requirements of training in terms
of content, language and conditions.
 Training is of high quality and consistent. There is exposure to multiple
perspectives from the primary sources, and therefore as the input from
the resource persons is direct, there is little loss of quality in transaction.

 There is greater appeal, motivation and retention of information as a variety of teaching

methodologies are used.
 By using animation, graphics and other techniques, teleconferencing is good at showing
processes for demonstrations and experiments, thereby concretizing learning.
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 By conveying sights, sounds, and the spirit of the subject, it provides a more rounded view of an
issue.
 It provides uniformity of training, which is interactive. On the basis of feedback, instructors can
make appropriate shifts in the teaching strategies to meet learner needs.
 The element of interactivity in teleconferencing is encouraged through dialogue and by
stimulating responses to situations and visuals. The opportunity of dialogue allows the learners
to discuss, question, and challenge issues. Stimulating the learners to respond to situations and
visuals leads to higher processes of learning. As the learners become familiar with the
technology and its practices, their communication and learning skills are enhanced.
 Interactivity gives a sense of participation and an active environment for learning. The learners
feel themselves to be a part of the ‘real-life’ learning situation, and though located on different
sites they feel they are connected. Relationships are established as in a group situation.
 For the field functionaries in remote rural areas, it reduces the sense of isolation, encourages
sharing of concerns and ideas, and helps solve their problems.
6.10.5 Limitations of Teleconferencing
Teleconferencing has its limitations, but these can be overcome to a great extent by corrective
measures and using appropriate content, planning, organization and management.
For example, for effective interaction, there is a limit to the number of learning centers. If the
number of centers is increased, time for interactivity for each center is correspondingly reduced.
However, this can be overcome to a great extent by using fax and e-mail technologies along with
telephone lines. Another way is to rotate the question-answer sessions among different groups of
centers. This strategy would take care of language differences as well.
Since teleconferencing demands real time interaction, the learners are required to be present at
particular times and places. It may be difficult for them to do so because of logistics problems and other
reasons, resulting in poor attendance at the sessions. However, the proceedings can be recorded and
sent to such learners as cannot attend at the learning centers. Experience shows that learners benefit a
great deal even from recorded versions. For those who have participated, repeatability provides new
insights.
Conclusion
Teleconferencing to be effective for any type and purpose would require planning, teaching
strategy, development of content and materials, presentation techniques and evaluation. All these
aspects in the context of education and training are dealt with later in this manual. The next section
deals with the different types of teleconferencing.
6.11 PRACTICAL EXERCISE
1. Show relevant video segments to the group for a discussion.
2. Divide the participants in small groups (no more than five in a group).
Give the following assignment to each group and ask each group to prepare their respective
reports/proposals. Each group will have 15 minutes to prepare their proposal. Give each group
10 minutes for presentation and discussion
— List what technologies and their combinations are being used in the different
organizations for training, education and communication. State individual preferences
with reasons for the choice.
— Identify areas where the participants would like to use teleconferencing for training,
problem solving, and imparting information. State why.
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Ask each group to present its report.

3. Identify and list the advantages and benefits of teleconferencing as compared to broadcasting
instructional/educational television programmes.
Sample Transparencies

Types of Educational Technologies

• Print
• Audio-Visual Aids
• Mass Media
• Teleconferencing - a Convergence of Technologies
• Computer Mediated Learning

Selection of Educational Technology: Criteria

— Access
— Cost
— Number of learners
— Teaching Functions
— Interactivity
— User Friendliness
— Organisational Issues
— Novelty
— Skills
— Speed
Teleconferencing suits most kinds of teaching functions, is interactive and
user friendly. With the advancement of communication technologies and
reduction of costs many organizations are using it to reach out to varied
clientele groups in diverse settings.

Features of Teleconferencing
— Learners/participants at a Particular Time and in Dispersed Places.
— Resource Persons Present at the Same Time at the Teaching End
— Interactions Between
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 Learner - learner at the learner centre

 Learner - learner at the other learner centers
 Learner - facilitator/materials/activities at the learner centre
 Learner - resource persons/AV materials at the teaching end
 Resource person — resource person.

Functions of Teleconferencing
— Impart Information, Build Attitudes, Provide Role Models, etc.
— Upgrade Skills
— Share Experiences
— Facilitate Problem Solving
— Offer Counseling

Uses of Teleconferencing
— Education
— Training and Development
— Business/Corporate Communication
— Governance
— Medical Courses/Services

Strengths of Teleconferencing
• Accessible to Geographically Dispersed Groups
• Communication at National/Regional/Local Level
• Quality Teaching using multiple Teaching Resources
• Real Time Interaction from Remote Target Groups
• Use of Various Teaching Methods enhances Learning
• Cost Effective
Limitations of Teleconferencing
— Limit on Number of Learner Centres for Intensive Interaction
— Logistics Constraints for Learners to Participate at the Given Time
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6.12 Audio-visual Aids

Audio-visual aids are used to enhance the presentation. They can be handouts, photos,
whiteboard, flip chart, OHT, PowerPoint slide show, microphone, music. Be sure to focus your
preparation on the speech more than the audio-visual aids.
Select and Use Visual Aids Effectively
Because we live in a time when communication is visual and verbal, visual aids that reinforce
your meaning can enhance any oral presentation. Research has shown that oral presentations that use
visuals are more persuasive, more interesting, more credible, and more professional--i.e., more
effective--than presentations without such aids. Particularly if your presentation is long--20 minutes or
more--visual aids can help your audience follow your ideas easily and with fewer lapses in attention.
The benefits of using visual aids include:
• They help your audience to understand your ideas. You can use visual aids to announce each
main point as you begin discussion of that point. You can also use visual aids to accentuate and
illuminate important ideas. However, the message that the visual carries should be immediately
apparent. If audience members have to study the visual to interpret its meaning, they will not be
listening to you.
• They help the audience to follow your argument, your “train” of thought. In both oral and written
presentations, readers/listeners must perceive the pattern of organization to comprehend
effectively. Even if you don’t use formal visual aids, you may want to write the outline for the
main body of your presentation on a board or use a transparency to let your audience see your
plan and trace your movement from one section of your presentation to another. . Powerpoint is
an effective tool for developing and presenting outlines to aid listeners
• They make your presentation more memorable and thus increase the chances that what you
said will be remembered.
Guidelines for using visual aids:
Many of the guidelines for using visual aids in oral presentations mirror those for written
documents: they need to fit the needs of the audience; they must be simple; they must be clear and
easy to understand.
How many visual aids should I use?
Some kinds of oral presentations will require one kind of visual aid; presentations conveying
complex information may require several kinds of visual aids.
What type of visual aids should I use?
You can use drawings, graphs, props and objects, a blackboard with an outline, charts,
demonstrations, pictures, statistics, cartoons, photographs, maps, etc. Use anything that will help
people SEE what you MEAN!
Ho do I design efftctive visual aids?
Because your visual aids will be seen while the audience is listening to you, you will need to be
sure that all visuals are as simple as possible and as easy to read:
• Avoid too much information on any single visual.
• Use boldface type in a font size that can be easily read.
• Use sans serif type because if produces a sharper image for slides and transparencies.
• Limit the fonts you use to two per visual.
• Avoid all caps.
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• Use a type--size and font--that contrasts distinctly with the background.

• Avoid visuals that use too many colors--more than four on any one aid.
• If you are preparing slides or transparencies for video conferencing, use the plain background
and a color--such as yellow or light green--and black text. Color can enhance a visual, but it can
also reduce the effectiveness of the message. The point is to use good judgment in visual
design. Use visual aids, but don’t overdo color or text.
• Templates available in programs such as Powerpoint are tempting, but they may not be
readable when text is placed on them!
• Avoid making your audience study your aids. If they are busy trying to decipher your visual aid,
they will not be listening to you.
• Bar graphs, circle graphs, simple diagrams, pictures, and lists are standard types of visual aids.
Whatever aid you decide to use, limit the aid to only the concept, data, or point you are trying to
make. Use bar graphs, line graphs, or circle graphs rather than tables, particularly if the table
has more than one column.. Tables are harder to interpret than a graphic presentation of the
content. Also, tables can easily contain too much information and are more acceptable in written
reports, where the reader has time to study them.
• Be sure that what the visual says is immediately evident.
• Computer graphics and programs such as Harvard Graphics, Powerpoint, and Excel in
combination with color printers and slide projection equipment give you the opportunity to
experiment with graphic design. Try developing visual aids that are visually pleasing as well as
clear.
• Use technology whenever possible. Some web sites have visuals that you can use for
presentations about that topic.
• Technology allows speakers to download graphs, drawings, and figures from the World Wide
Web. The Web is perhaps one of the richest, newest, most colorful sources of visual aids.
Many presentation rooms now have ethernet connections and even computers that have the
appropriate software to run a browser such as Netscape. When the computer is connected to an
overhead projector, Web images can be shown on a screen. Because of the increasingly rich range of
materials available on the World Wide Web, resources available to enhance any oral presentations are
almost limitless. Even if the room in which you will give a presentation does not have ethernet
connections, you can still print Web materials via a color copier onto paper or transparency masters.
How do I use my visual aids effectively?
The key to using graphics and visual aids effectively requires using them so that they make the
maximum impact. Begin your presentation with no aids, as you want your audience to be listening to
you. not looking at props, specimens, or other visual aids. Present the aid at the appropriate point in
your presentation, then remove it immediately. Present the aid; give your audience a few seconds to
comprehend it, and then comment on the aid. Use a pointer, such as a laser pointer, to focus your
audience on the part of the graphic you are discussing.
• Be sure to speak slowly and deliberately as you explain or use a graphic to avoid confusing your
audience. In addition, remember to talk to your audience members, keeping eye contact with
them, not your visual aid.
• When you use slides, tell the audience what they will see, show them the slide; give them time
to digest what they are seeing; then comment on the slide.
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• Turn off the projector lamp between slides. Do not begin talking about another topic while a
slide, depicting a past topic, is still showing. Remember: people cannot see and listen at the
same time.
Use color to influence mood and emotion. The colors for type, illustrations and backgrounds
influence the way they are perceived. Here is a basic guide to using color in your presentations:
Red — excitement, alert
Green — growth
Yellow — confidence, warmth, wisdom
Purple — dignity, sophistication
White — professionalism, new, innocence
Blue — truth, trust, justice
Black — authority, strength
Orange — action, optimism
Brown — friendliness, warmth
Grey — integrity, maturity
6.12.1 PowerPoint Presentations
PowerPoint uses slides with a horizontal or “Landscape” orientation. The software was designed
as a convenient way to display graphical information that would support the speaker and supplement
the presentation. The slides themselves were never meant to be the “star of the show”. People came to
hear you and be moved or informed (or both) by you and your message. Don’t let your message and
your ability to tell a story get derailed by slides that are unnecessarily complicated, busy, or full of junk.
Remember— Keep the PowerPoint simple!
Limit bullet points and text.
Your presentation is for the benefit of the audience. But boring an audience with bullet point
after bullet point is of little benefit to them, which brings us to the issue of text? The best slides may
have no text at all. This may sound insane given the dependency of text slides today, but the best
PowerPoint slides will be virtually meaningless with out the narration (that is you). Remember, the
slides are meant to support the narration of the speaker.
Examples of Powerpoint slides:

This slide has too much text, it will be difficult to read and
does not get the message across.
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This slide is simpler, and contains the message. The audience

can get the information in a few seconds.

This slide is even better. Remember you should be telling the

audience the information at the same time.

Also notice that the first slide has a distracting background and cartoon clip art. The last two
slides have a solid colour and a more professional image.

Which looks better? Why?

Animation and Sound effects

Powerpoint will allow you to animate text (make it move around) and does fancy transitions (as
the slides change). It can also have sound effects.
My personal opinion is DON’T use them.
These are distracting from what you are saying.
Never be afraid to turn the slide show off during your presentation, or even put some blank
slides in so the audience has to look at you.
Practice
If you are using slides, OHT or any other visual aid, remember to practice using it with your
speech.
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Microphones
With a good microphone, used properly, you can speak softly and
personably, and then emphasize your points with more force. The
variations are limitless.
The problems with microphones are that you are either limited to
one place, or that you have a cord on the floor.

Check the microphone ahead of time.

It is important to arrive early for every presentation, so you have time to check the room setup
and the equipment. And, of course, the microphone is part of that equipment.
To test the mike, never tap or blow into it. Both are hard on the equipment and signs of an
amateur. Say something friendly and conversational like, “Good afternoon. Am I being heard clearly?”
Most people will be happy to help. It is wise to check both sides of the room and moving to both sides
of the platform or stage. Also you can find out with a stationary mike how far away you can be and still
be heard. Try speaking both loudly and softly to get a feel for the balance.
Know how to turn the microphone on and off. If the sound system starts acting up by distorting,
squealing, producing a lot of static, howling, clicking, cutting-in-and-out, going from loud to soft — this
can happen more often than you can imagine — you must turn it off immediately. If you suddenly start c
coughing or sneezing, either turn off the mike or step away from it.

Short Answer Questions (SAQs)

1. What are audio-visual aids?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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2. What is teleconferencing?
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3. What is the use of fax?

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6.13 Summary
You are now acquaintED with various kinds of business communication, for example, e-mail,
teleconferencing and powerpoint presentations, etc you will also guided step by step with practical
exercises for a better industending of the concepts.
 65

6.14 References
 Castells, Manuel. 1996. The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture. Vol. 1 of
The Rise of the Network Society. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
 Friedman, Thomas L. 2005. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
 Guffey, Mary Ellen. 2000. Business Communication: Process and Product. Cincinnati:
Thomson South-Western.
1.15 Further Reading
Gupta, C. B. Essential Business Communication, Cengage India, 2019.

1.16 Model Questions

1. Write a detailed note on Teleconferencing.
2. What are the important steps to consider while writing an e-mail ?
3. Write in detail about netiquettes?


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Lesson-7

COMPREHENSION EXERCISES (Unseen)

Structure
7.0Objectives
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Passage I
7.3 Passage II
7.3 Passage III
7.4 Passage IV
7.5 Passage V
7.6 Passage VI
7.7 Passage VII
7.8 Passage VIII
7.9 Summary
7.10 Further Reading
7.11 Model Questions

7.0Objectives
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
 underline the significance of comprehension exercises
 explain the important factors to be remembered while attempting unseen passages
 understand the importance of language-learning skills
7.1 Introduction
You have read so many lessons by now. It is obvious that your knowledge is based on your
understanding, your comprehension of not only what is obvious but also what remains unsaid but is still
obvious. As you read, it should be possible for you to notice when one idea has lead to another and
also how all ideas come together to form a comprehensive idea that can well be the central idea of a
paragraph or an essay.
In the first step of dealing with the question on comprehension is understanding the matter, the
second step is a clear demarcation of ideas they flow on. The third step is to read the questions given
at the end of the passage and mark the possible answers in the passage. You have to remember that
the more focussed you are in reading the passage, the better will be your score, as the code answers
given are sometimes overlapping ad confusing. Please remember that you are supposed to find matter
for your answers only from within the passage and not make any additions unless the question
specifically asks for elaboration of an idea on your own. Another important tip is that you should be able
 67

to build up a vocabulary so that you do not get confused on account of not being sure of the meaning of
the question. This is possible if you develop reading habits in general.
For your examination, you would be given a passage of about 1000 words. There would be
approximately ten multiple choice questions given at the end, carrying fifteen marks. I have begun with
a shorter passage and we will radually move on to longer ones. The questions of the first few are
solved for you. But it would be a good idea if you mark the answers on your own and compare with the
answers later.

7.2 Passage I BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER

Nature conducts itself on the basis of certain rules. You might have noticed that birds of the
same kind are often seen to flock and fly together. A swallow would not be seen to join a goose and
vice versa. Some special kinds of birds which cross the seas in search of warm regions go in flocks.
This is because a bird can be comfortable only in flock of its kind. This is the case in human beings also.
Those with similar tastes and interests often form groups and associate with one another. They might
not feel comfortable in a different sort of company. In order to fonn a lasting friendship, people must
have tastes and outlooks which they share in common. A person’s character can be assessed by the
company he keeps. If he moves in a circle of drunkards, he will most probably be a rogue. If he moves
among a circle of refined men, his civility is also likely to be enhanced. Likewise bad company can spoil
his character to the utmost if he moves among them.
Q1. Which rule of nature in particular is mentioned in the passage?
a) What takes birth must die
b) The sticking together of living beings with similar nature
c) A rogue will stick with rogues
d) b and c
e) a and c
Ans. (d)
Q2. Why do birds fly together?
a) Because the same species have similar needs and similar reactions to the changing
environments
b) The security of being in a group is an advantage
c) They have similar needs and responses to environment
d) All of the above
Ans. (d)
Q3. Pick the odd one out
a) Elephants move in herds
b) Fish swim in shoals
c) Monkeys stay on trees
d) Humans stay in societies
Ans. (c)
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Q4. What binds humans in a bond of togetherness?

a) similar tastes
b) similar habits
c) similar outlook
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
Ans. (d)
Hope it is clear to you how to attempt this exercise. Now, let us try our hand at another:
7.3 Passage II ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
Words are vehicles of expression and convey our thoughts, desires, aspirations and goals.
However, just spelling out our aims does not take us closer to their realisation. What we need to do is to
turn those words into action. Imagine that an architect just talks about his plans of building a mall but
does not follow it up with the action of finding a site, collecting raw material, engaging labour etc. The
mall would stay in his imagination alone. In today’s world, practical aspects of life weigh more than the
theoretical. Life is full of hazards and to overcome the obstacles of life, a person must strive to be
practical and stop wasting precious time on unnecessary preaching. In other words, he must be man of
action in order to succeed in life. Many great personalities of history have put into practice what their
conscience told them to do and have acted according to their beliefs. Gandhi’s ideals would not have
impressed the world had he not put those into practice in order to win freedom for India and create a
more equal society. Idle talk can lead one nowhere. On the contrary, life should be moulded on the firm
basis of action. It must be secondary to the practical aspects of life. In our dynamic world, success and
happiness depend on action, not on theory or empty words.
Q1. Pick the odd one out. What do words convey?
a) Words are the vehicles of our expression
b) Words are used to spell out our thoughts, desires, aspirations and goals to others
c) We can express our intentions only through words
d) Words are interpreters of our perspnality to the outer world
e) Words have to be big to be effective
Ans. (e)
Q2. How can one overcome the obstacles of life?
a) By taking the other route
b) By waiting for the obstacles to go away
c) By planning to remove them somehow
d) By taking concrete action
Ans. (d)
Q3. Pick the odd one out. What do success and happiness depend upon?
a) Making plans and putting them to practice
b) The realization of opportunities
 69

c) By earning a lot of money

d) Facing challenges
Ans. (c)
Q4. What woutd happen if we do not act?
a) we would be left behind in life
b) we would not find success
c) opportunities would be lost
d) all of the above
Ans. (d)
The exercises above were meant to introduce you to the concept of comprehension. The
following exercises are slightly higher in levels of difficulty. But you would be able to do them if you read
the passages carefully.
Now, read the passages below and answer the questions given at the end:
7.4 Passage III
A country under foreign domination seeks escape from the present in dreams of a vanished age and
finds consolation in visions about the greatness of past generations. This is a foolish and dangerous
pastime in which many of us indulge. An equally questionable practice for us in India is to imagine that
we are still spiritually great though we have come down in the world in other respects. Spiritual or any
other greatness cannot be founded on lack of freedom and opportunity or on starvation and misery.
Many western writers have encouraged the notion that Indians are other worldly. I suppose that the
poor and unfortunate in every country become to some extent other-worldly, unless they become
revolutionaries, for this world is evidently not meant for them.
As a man grows to maturity he is not entirely engrossed in or satisfied with the external
objective world. He also seeks some inner meaning and some psychological and physical satisfaction.
So also with people and civilizations as they mature and grow adult. Every civilization and every person
exhibits these parallel streams of external and internal lives. Where they meet or keep close to each
other, there is an equilibrium and stability; when they diverge, conflicts and crisis arise that torture the
mind and the spirit.
Q1. The statement ‘this world is evidently not meant for them’ refers to the people who
a) Seek freedom from foreign domination
b) Live in starvation and misery
c) Become revolutionaries
d) All of the above
Ans. (b)
Q2. Which of the following can be taken as the most valid assumption of the passage?
a) A country under foreign domination cannot indulge in spiritual pursuit
b) Poverty is an impediment in suitable pursuit
c) Both a) and b)
 70

d) None of the above

Ans. (b)
Q3. Which of the following can be considered as the main theme of the paragraph?
a) The state of mind of oppressed people
b) Starvation and misery
c) The growth of civilization
d) Body, mind and spirit of the people
Ans. (a)
Q4. According to the passage, the torture of the mind and the spirit is caused
a) By the ruthlessness of foreign domination
b) By the desire to escape from foreign domination and find consolation in past greatness
c) By the desire to become either othex or revolutionary
d) Due to the lack of equilibrium between an external and internal life
Ans. (d)
Q5. As a person grows in maturity, he or she seeks satisfaction in
a) Psychological satisfaction only
b) Physical satisfaction only
c) Both a) and b)
d) Neither a) nor b)
Ans. c)
Q6. Many western writers have encouraged the notion that Indians are other-worldly. What
can be the possible meaning of ‘other.worldly’ in the context of the entire passage?
a) They are still basking in past greatness and are not in touch with the realities of present-day
world
b) Poor, unfortunate and subjugated people
c) Both a) and b)
d) Neither a) nor b)
Ans. (b)
7.45 Passage IV
Although the twentieth century saw the rise of women as professional musicians, the majority of
composers and performers were, and still are, men. The music industry in the U.S. and Britain
overwhelmingly reflects the values of a patriarchal society; the success or failure of a female artist is
based largely on her physical appearance and gendered performance style. Blues, rock, and pop
began as genres dominated by men, and thus included styles of dress, lyrics, and sound born of a male
perspective. The history of these genres, then, is also a history of women seeking to locate their space
within a predominately masculine musical environment.
 71

Women are always judged, in part, on their image, and it is through the manipulation of this
image that some women artists have been able to push the boundaries of gender identity. Women have
been able to enter popular genres of music either by playing with the aesthetics of masculinity, or by
playing into a male expectation of femininity. Sexuality, therefore, is a tool women continue to use to
shape and reshape their place within popular music.
Pushing boundaries is a balancing act, however, and a contradictory process. In order to gain
access to the world of popular music, a female artist must at once be pleasing her audience, and, at the
same time, remain true to herself as a woman. A desire to be too much ‘one of the guys’ can Lead to
identify problems and ultimately to self-destruction. An artist’s use of irony or parody may run the risk of
being mistaken for genuineness, causing her to be objectified. Working within the limits of popular
music has proven difficult and dangerous for women. But due to the professionalism and inventiveness
of many female performers, the space for women in popular music is being expanded and redefined.
Q1. According to the passage, successful women in popular music
I) parody their gender
II) are under constant scrutiny by audiences
III) use sexuality to their advantage
a) I only
b) Ill only
c) I and III
d) II and III
e) I, II, and Ill
Ans. (e)
Q2. The passage suggests which of the following about the 20th century?
a) Female musicians were tolerated because of their physical appearance.
b) Professional male musicians did not respect women.
c) Song lyrics changed over time to fit the most current female perspective.
d) Rapid technological advancements helped women achieve notoriety in music.
e) Women’s musical progress happened slowly and with much struggle.
Ans. (e)
Q3. Which of the following best describes summarizes the main Idea of the last paragraph?
a) Entering the music world is not easy for women but they are making progress.
b) Parody and irony are the only ways in which women can hope to achieve success in music.
c) Women in popular music cannot escape being judged on their appearance.
d) Women assume stereotypically female appearances in order to attract audiences.
e) Popular music has space for women if only they would seek it out.
Ans. (a)
Q4. The author is likely to have which of the following attitudes when advising women about
the music business?
 72

a) persuasive
b) cautionary
c) ambivalence
d) discouraging
e) hostile
Ans. (b)
Q5. From which of the following sources was the passage most likely excerpted?
a) A newspaper editorial
b) An American history textbook
c) A book on gender studies
d) A teaching manual
e) A music magazine
Ans. (c)
7.6 Passage V
On August 15, 1947, India was granted independence from British colonial dominance. This was an
event of international significance. From this day onwards, the Indian Union assumed a role in world
politics that was appropriate enough to modify the thinking of nations. Concepts like non-alignment
tolerance, non-violence and peaceful co existence were introduced by India into the international
vocabulary. ‘Our dreams concen India,’ said the first Prime Minister of the country, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru,
on the eve of achieving freedom, ‘but they also concern the whole world, for the world has become
one.’
Mahatma Gandhi chose Nehru to become the first PM of independent India. With his vision of
unity of the nation, he became the architect of modern India. It was to be a federal state based on
secularism - the commitment to an Indian identity, which was above all races, castes, and religions. It
was a vision of extraordinary dimensions.
Both Nehru as well as his daughter and successor, Smt Indira Gandhi, were well aware that
only a firm anchorage in the Indian identity could unite the nation and enable it to make an impact on
the world. In these days of mutual interdependence, the western powers and America cannot afford to
ignore what is happening in this region. It is possible that the fate of the Asian democracies would one
day be decided on the banks of the Ganges. If India fails to remain a democracy, this would trigger the
fall of the whole of South and South-east Asia. That is why the Indian Prime Minister has to play a role
that goes well beyond duties related to internal affairs only. It is of international political significance.
Q1. Which of the following is the central theme of the given passage?
a) Need for mutual interdependence between India and World.
b) Post-independence Nation building in India.
c) India’s the as a strong Nation with a global outlook
d) Global contributions by post-independent India.
Ans. (c)
Q2. Consider the following statements:
 73

1. Nehru’s vision to make an impact on the world earned him the title of ‘the architect of
modern India’.
2. Nehru’s internationalistic vision was based on the assumption of world as one integrated
whole.
3. Nehru became the first prime minister of India as he helped secure independence to the
country.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
a) 1 only b) 1 and 3
c) 2 only d) 2 and 3
Ans. (c)

Q3. Consider the following statements:

1. Concept of Non-alignment tolerance was missing In International Vocabulary till India
contributed in this direction.
2. The idea of nation building has been anchored on the concept of the Indian Identity
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
a) 1 only b) Both 1 and 2
c) 2 only d) Neither 1 and 2
Ans. a)
Q4. What does the author infer in context of ‘fate of Asian Democracies’?
a) Western powers hold sway over the fate of Asian countries
b) Newly independent Asian countries have an uncertain fate
c) India will possibly have an instrumental role in Asian affairs
d) Asian democracies will have a fateful role to play in the Non-alignment regime.
Ans. (c)
Q5. As per the passage, Indian Prime Minister’s role goes beyond the duties related to
internal affairs, because
a) It creates an impact on foreign countries
b) Indian happenings influence the Asian affairs and politics
c) It is needed to avoid interference of Western powers
d) It helps strengthen the idea of non-alignment and peaceful co-existence.
Ans. (a)
7.7 Passage VI
If the 1950s was a sparse period for Black poetry, the 1960s more than compensated for it. During the
1960s, Black poets appeared all over the United States. By the end of the decade not only had poetic
giants such as Melvin Tolson, LeRoi Jones, Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Hayden, and Langston Hughes
 74

reappeared with new volumes of poetry, but also at least five anthologies of Black poetry were
published. Some of the new Black poets made their debuts in the anthologies. Others were first
published in Harlem’s new avant-garde literary publication, Umbra. As the decade drew to a close, the
‘Broadside Press’ poets appeared through Dudley Randall’s series of Broadside Press editions and in
Hoyt Fuller’s Negro Digest, which was later known as Black World. These poets brought with them new
poetic concepts, a new aesthetic, and a strong awareness of the Black ghetto experience.
Like the spiritual and the secular songs of slavery, the new Black poetry burst forth out of a time
of racial turmoil. The catalyst for creativity was a series of events beginning with the Montgomery bus
boycott and encompassing the non-violent sit-in demonstrations of the early 1960’s and big-city riots of
the mid- 1960s. Behind the poets and their songs of bitter protest against racism in America, were the
bombings, the assassinations, the burning ghettos, the screaming sirens, the violent confrontations,
and the cruel awareness of spreading Black poverty amid white affluence.
The most forthrightly militant representatives of the new Black mood in poetry were the
Broadside Press poets so called because their poems are social, political, and moral broadsides
protesting against the body politic and the establishment. Before the Broadside Press poets emerged
as a definable literary group, other poets had written protest poetry in the early 1960s, which was
caustic, bitter, and at times mordantly cynical. But the poetry became more than bitter militant protest.
Under the leadership of LeRoi Jones and others, there developed a Black aesthetic that, in one
measure, prescribed the guidelines for Black poetic militancy. Under the racial pressures of the late
1950’s and early 1960’s Jones himself had undergone a metamorphosis, moving from an avant garde
aestheticism to a Black nationalism-activism.
In the process, he abandoned his ‘slave’ name and became Imamu Amiri Baraka. He also
moved out of the deep melancholy and pessimism that permeate many of his earlier poems. His ‘Black
Art’ indicates that his pessimism was replaced by a vigilant and militant activism, Indeed, ‘Black Art’
announces the credo of the new Black aesthetic - that the direct objective of all Black artistic expression
is to achieve social change and moral and political revolution. Poems, Jones asserts, should be ‘fists
and daggers and pistols to clean up the sordid Black-world for virtue and love’.
Q1. It can be inferred from the passage that the Broadside Press poets believed that poetry
should be primarily
a) Entertaining
b) Descriptive
c) Aesthetic
d) Escapist
e) Remonstrative (to remonstrate is to forcefully protest)
Ans. (e)
Q2. The author mentions all of the following as indications of the new importance of Black
poetry in the 1960’s EXCEPT
a) The appearance of several anthologies of Black poetry.
b) The appearance of new literary journals for Black literature.
c) Courses in Black literature at most colleges and universities.
d) New volumes of poetry by established Black writers.
 75

e) The emergence of a committed Black literary group.

Ans. (c)
Q3. The primary purpose of the passage is to
a) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of a new literary group.
b) Compare contrasting literary movements.
c) Analyze the impact of a literary movement on American social structure.
d) Describe a literary movement and the factors that influenced it.
e) Outline the history of a literary genre.
Ans. (d)

Q4. It is most likely that immediately preceding this passage the author had discussed
a) Black poetry of the 1950’s
b) Black prose of the 1960’s
c) Some minor Black poets of the 1960’s
d) The racial atmosphere of America in the 1960’s
e) The new periodicals devoted to Black literature
Ans. (a)
Q5. According to the passage, the new Black poetry was characterized by
a) Individual introspection
b) Profound despair
c) Moral pessimism
d) Psychological detachment
e) Social protest
Ans. (e)
Q6. According to the passage, the flourishing of Black poetry during the 1960’s was chiefly a
reflection of
a) An increased awareness of Black cultural heritage.
b) A renewed interest in the work of older Black poets.
c) The feeling that poetry is more expressive than prose.
d) The racial trouble in the United States at the time.
e) New goals the older Black writers had set for themselves.
Ans. (d)
Q7. The passage implies that LeRoi Jones’ main contribution to the new Black poetry was to
 76

a) Make other Black writers more aware of social conditions.

b) Attract the attention of Whites to Black literature.
c) Provide a link between the older and the younger generations of Black writers.
d) Provide the philosophy of the new Black literature.
e) Serve as a personal example of what the artist’s role should be.
Ans. (e)
Q8. In which of the following ways is the passage organized?
a) A phenomenon is discussed and then further explained by its appearances in history
b) A trend is described, followed by an example of a group which exemplified that trend.
c) A hypothesis is stated and then proven through historical examples
d) A group is praised for its historical merits and then shown to be part of a larger movement
e) A perspective is analyzed and then called into question
Ans. (a)
7.8 Passage VII
Nationalism, of course, is a curious phenomenon which at a certain stage in a country’s history
gives life, growth, strength and unity but, at the same time, it has tendency, to limit one because one
thinks of one’s own country as something different from the rest of the world. The perspective changes
and one is continuously thinking of one’s own struggles and virtues and failings to the exclusion of other
thoughts. The result is that the same nationalism, which is the symbol of growth for people, becomes a
symbol of the cessation of that growth in the mind. Nationalism, when it becomes successful
sometimes goes on spreading in an aggressive way and becomes a danger internationally. Whatever
line of thought you follow, you arrive at the conclusion that some kind of balance must be found.
Otherwise something that was good can turn into evil. Culture, which is essentially good, becomes not
only static but aggressive and something that breeds conflict and hatred when looked at from a wrong
point of view. How you are to find a balance? I do not know. Apart from political and economic
problems of the age, perhaps that is the greatest problem today because behind it there is a
tremendous conflict in the spirit of man and a tremendous search for something it cannot find. It is folly
to talk of culture or even of God when human being starve and die. Before one can talk about anything
else one must provide the normal essentials of life to human beings.
Q1. Which of the following is the most appropriate title of the given passage?
a) Nationalism breeds unity and growth for a nation
b) Nationalism - an instrument for prosperity as well as world unity
c) Nationalism is not enough
d) Nationalism and national problems
Ans. (c)
Q2. Which of the following statement(s) is/are supported by the above passage?
1. Nationalism is at the root of all nation building efforts in a country
2. There is an apparent dichotomy of ends that Nationalism can achieve
3. There is a need to strike a reasonable balance with regards to Nationalism
 77

a) 1 and 2
b) 1 and 3
c) 2 and 3
d) All the above
Ans. (d)
Q3. Consider the following statements:
1. Aggressive nationalism breeds threat to international relation
2. The author is skeptical about achieving a balanced Nationalistic perspective
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only b) Both 1 and 2
c) 2 only d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. a)
Q4. As per the author, the greatest problem mentioned in the middle of the passage refers to
the question
a) how to mitigate hardship to human beings
b) how to contain the dangers of aggressive nationalism
c) how to share the economic burden equality
d) how to curb international hatred
Ans. (b)
7.9 Passage VIII
Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse;
but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be
chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not
curiously; and some few to be rad wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be
read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important
arguments, and the meaner sort of books else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy
things. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if
a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit:
and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not. Histories make
men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric
able to contend.
Q1. Which of the following is the central theme of the above passage?
a) How and why to read books
b) Value of reading and learning
c) Role of books in one’s life
d) Purpose of reading and writing
Ans. (a)
Q2. What does the passage convey by the use of the phrase ‘some books are to be tasted’?
 78

a) Read and savoured with some special flavour

b) To be read with diligence and attention
c) Simply read, but not with great curiosity
d) To be read just for fun and in parts
Ans. (d)
Q3. Consider the following statements:
1. reading is a profound activity, must not be seen superficially
2. the art of writing lends perfection to a man’s character which of the above statement(s)
is/are true?
a) 1 only
b) Both 1 and 2
c) 2 only
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans. (a)
Q. Which of the following statement(s) is/are supported by the passage?
1. the books to be ‘read wholly’ are meant to be read with dilligence
2. a man who doesn’t write much can make up for it through memorizing.
3. The ‘meaner’ sort of books must be read only in bits and pieces.
a) 1 and 2
b) 1 and 3

Short Answer Question (SAQ)

What is the aim of reading a comprehension passage?

7.9 Summary
In this lesson you have had significant ideas regarding comprehension passages coupled with that of
nine exercises on the same. The lesson also gave you effective steps to be kept in mind while
attemptimg question on comprehension passages.
7.10 Further Reading
1. Singh, Ashok Kumar. Reading Comprehension: New Delhi:G. K. Publishers, 2018
7.11 Model Questions
1. What is comprehension?
2. Highlight significant ideas to be kept in mind while attempting a passage.
79