1. Define communication cycle.

Answer: The communication cycle refers to the process by which a message is :

• sent from a source,
• received by a recipient, and
• responded to by the recipient in a certain medium.
• The entire process consists of seven elements.

2. What is verbal communication? What are two mediums of verbal communication?

Answer: Verbal Communication is the most popular means of communication.
• People use words to exchange thoughts, feelings, and ideas with others. As this form of
communication relies heavily on language, it is imperative to use the right words and
expressions.
• The two mediums of this are — Oral and Written communication.

3. What are the advantages of written communication?

Answer: Written communication refers to communicating through written words. The
advantages of written communication are listed below.
• Written communication is an authoritative document and provides a permanent record of
the communication. Therefore, it is a highly reliable means of communication.
• It is suitable for long-distance communication as it gives the receiver enough time to think,
act, and react.
• It is easy to circulate and can be sent to many people at the same time.

4. Why are chances of misinterpreting a concrete message rare?

Answer: The chances of misinterpreting a concrete message are rare because a concrete
message is specific and to the point and not vague and general. There are no imprecise words
and phrases or vague statements. Such a message is usually supported with specific facts and
figures.

5. Why is it important for the sender of the message to seek feedback?

Answer: Feedback enables the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of the message. After
getting the response from the receiver, the sender takes further action and thereby completes
the communication process.

6. What do barriers to effective communication mean? Give two examples.

Answer: Barriers to effective communication are hurdles that may make communication less
effective or even make it fail. For example, it becomes difficult when people do not
understand each other’s language or there may be any physical barrier, such as hearing
impairment, defects in vision, and so on.
7. What is feedback?
Answer: Feedback is the response given by the receiver to the sender. It enables the sender to
evaluate the effectiveness of the message.

8. With the help of an example, show how timely feedback is more effective than
delayed feedback?
Answer: If feedback is delayed, it loses its impact. For example, if students receive feedback
after their exam, it would hardly make any difference to them as they probably would have
forgotten their performance leading to no major improvement.

9. Differentiate between a clause and a phrase with the help of an example.

Answer:
• A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It can be part of a sentence
or the sentence itself.
• A phrase is a group of words that can be part of a clause or a sentence. They do not have a
subject and a verb. They can have only one of them.
• For example, A one-eyed creature came towards me. Here, ‘A one-eyed’ is a phrase, and ‘A
one-eyed creature’ is a clause.

10. How can active listening help the communication process?

Answer: Active listening involves concentrating fully on what is being said rather than just
hearing the message. The listener must also listen attentively, otherwise the speaker may feel
that the listener finds the message uninteresting.

LONG QUE/ANS
1. Discuss how the elements of unity and coherence can give a paragraph the sense
of a self-contained unit.

• Unity: This means that the sentences in a paragraph are unified because they talk
about one topic. The topic sentence introduces the topic, and the remaining sentences
add relevant information. If one paragraph talks about more than one idea, it breaks
the condition of unity.
• Coherence: This means that the sentences in a paragraph are connected, so that they
can work together as a whole. A way to achieve coherence is to use transition words
and phrases, such as ‘moreover’, ‘however’, ‘additionally’, ‘next’, ‘for instance,
‘similarly’, and so on. Along with unity, coherence gives the paragraph the sense of a
self-contained unit.
2. Discuss the importance of feedback in communication.

• Feedback is the last component of the communication cycle and the most important
one.
• It is the response given by the receiver to the sender. It enables the sender to evaluate
the effectiveness of the message.
• Feedback can be positive or negative. After getting the response from the receiver, the
sender takes further action and thereby completes the communication process.
• Opinion, rating, idea, advice and comment are some forms of feedback that the sender
of a message can receive.
• It can come through various mediums, such as non-verbal, oral or written.
• Depending on the feedback, expressed in whatever form or medium, the sender can
know the efficacy of her or his communication in making the receiver understand the
message.

3. What is visual communication? Mention the places where visual communication is

necessary. Give examples.

• Visual communication is a means to communicate ideas through logos, signs, codes,

symbols, images, and pictures.
• One does not need to know any particular language for understanding it.
• It is simple and easy to understand.
• The history of visual communication dates back to the time when writing was not
invented. People did not know any language and banked upon paintings and images to
express their thoughts and opinions.
• This form of communication has played a pivotal role in humankind's existence.
• It is the most effective way of conveying information as the human mind processes
images very quickly.
• Public signages and symbols usually remain the same everywhere.
• Company symbols and brand logos, too, can have underlying messages.

4. In the context of business communication, what do you mean by communication that

is
a. Clear?

• While communicating with someone, it is important to be clear about the goal or

message.
• If the message lacks purpose or the sender is not sure about the purpose, then the
audience would not be sure either.
• Too much information in one communication can leave the receiver confused and
unable to process all the information.
• A difficult language or an inappropriate medium of communication should be avoided
at any cost.

b. Concise?
 • While communicating, it is necessary to be precise and to stick to the point.
• The message should not contain irrelevant details or use excessive or needless words.
• It should focus on conveying the essential message to the audience.

c. Concrete?

• A concrete message is specific and to the point, and not vague and general.
• There are no imprecise words and phrases or vague statements.
• Such a message is usually supported with specific facts and figures.
• The chances of misinterpreting a concrete message are rare.

5. Discuss any four elements of effective communication.

• Language: Language is essential for any kind of communication. In addition, it

becomes difficult when people do not understand each other's language. Excessive
use of technical and medical jargon and ambiguous words proves to be a barrier to
effective communication.
• Visual Perception: Visual perception is the way you interpret and assign meaning to
what you see. Different people can have different visual perceptions. For example,
two persons may look at an abstract painting and infer two completely different
meanings.
• Past Experience: The past experiences of a person regarding a work situation or
colleague may affect subsequent communication. A person's experience plays a
pivotal role in shaping the perception of communication, and an unpleasant
experience may influence future communication. For example, you may have had an
experience where an idea of yours was not considered. In the future, when asked to
give an idea, you may be hesitant to suggest any, or may not suggest anything at all.
• Prejudice: You can have prejudice because of your cultural beliefs or personal
experiences. When you are biased against someone or something, you communicate
according to a pre-existing belief. Such communication can have negative results.

6. What is a paragraph? Discuss the four elements that are considered essential in a
well-written paragraph.

• A paragraph is a group of sentences that focuses on one idea. Ideally, it has 5-7
sentences consisting of one topic sentence — the sentence that conveys the main
idea — and other sentences that support it by providing related information.
• However, depending on the context and other considerations such as word limit, a
paragraph can contain a contrasting point of view.
• The four essential elements in a well-written paragraph are as follows:
o Unity: This means that the sentences in a paragraph are unified because they
talk about one topic. The topic sentence introduces the topic, and the
remaining sentences add relevant information. If one paragraph talks about
more than one idea, it breaks the condition of unity.
o Order: This means that the arrangement of sentences in a paragraph follows
some logical order. The order can be one of importance, chronology, or any
 other consideration that guides the presentation of the sentences logically. A
random or haphazard presentation of sentences breaks the condition of the
order.
o Coherence: This means that the sentences in a paragraph are connected, so that
they can work together as a whole. A way to achieve coherence is to use
transition words and phrases, such as ‘moreover’, ‘however’, ‘additionally’,
‘next’, ‘for instance, ‘similarly’, and so on.
o Completeness: It refers to the degree of completeness that exists in a well-
written paragraph and it is the presence of unity, order, and coherence in a
well-concluded paragraph.

7. Enlist and explain any three barriers of communication. How you can overcome the
barriers of communication?

• Physical Barrier: Communication can become less effective when the receiver is not
able to see the non-verbal cues, such as gestures, posture, and general body language.
Face-to-face communication is more effective than phone calls, text messages, and
other forms of communication that rely on technology. Physical barriers, such as
hearing impairment, and defects.
• Active Listening: Active listening involves concentrating fully on what is being said
rather than just hearing the message. The listener must listen attentively otherwise, the
speaker may feel that the listener finds the message uninteresting. This 'non-verbal
feedback' will enable the speaker to communicate more confidently.
• Using Simple Language: Using simple language increases the chances of the message
being understood clearly by the receiver. The sender of the message must take into
account his audience and frame his message accordingly. Using subject-specific
terminology and jargon is a barrier to effective communication.

8. What are the 7Cs of communication? Elaborate.

• Clear: While communicating with someone, it is important to be clear about the goal
or message. If the message lacks purpose or the sender is not sure about the purpose,
then the audience would not be sure either.
• Concise: While communicating, it is necessary to be precise and to stick to the point.
The message should not contain irrelevant details or use excessive or needless words.
It should focus on conveying the essential message to the audience.
• Correct: Correct communication gives accurate information. It is also sans spelling
and grammatical mistakes.
• Concrete: A concrete message is specific and to the point, and not vague and general.
There are no imprecise words and phrases or vague statements. Such a message is
usually supported with specific facts and figures. The chances of misinterpreting a
concrete message are rare.
• Coherent: When your message is coherent, it is logical. In coherent communication,
all the points are connected and relevant to the main topic of the message. It avoids
digression into other points or subject areas. It also maintains a consistent tone and
flow of text in the message.
 • Complete: A communication must be complete, that is, it should include all the
required information. All details that are relevant to the message should be included.
• Courteous: Courteous communication is friendly, open, honest, and does not contain
any hidden insults or passive-aggressive tone. This means that the sender of the
message should be polite.

9. How can prejudice cause miscommunication?

• You can have prejudices because of your cultural beliefs or personal experiences.
When you are biased against someone or something, you communicate according to a
pre-existing belief. Such communication can have negative results.

10. What is common to these phrases: prepositional phrase, participial phrase, infinitive
phrase, and gerund phrase?

• Prepositional Phrase: A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and mostly

ends with a noun or pronoun. It can have other words which qualify the noun or
pronoun. A preposition phrase functions as an adjective or adverb in a sentence. So, it
can also be called an adjective phrase or an adverb phrase.
• Participial Phrase: A participle is a form of a verb that functions as an adjective. In
this form, the verb ends in -ing -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n.
• Infinitive Phrase: The infinitive is the base form of the verb, usually preceded by 'to'.
An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and other words which qualify it. An
infinitive phrase functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb in a sentence.
• Gerund Phrase: A gerund is a form of a verb (verb + ing) that functions as a noun. It
consists of a gerund and other words which qualify it. A gerund phrase functions as a
noun in a sentence.
• The common thing among the phrases is that all these phrases function on verbs
regardless of the forms they add to them.