EC in 7 STEPS...1-2-3-4-5-6-7

This book “THINK IN ENGLISH” has three sections: the beginning, the contents and the end.

The Beginning

From 

Vinod Kaliyath

A student of English Communication (EC)

Kozhikode

Kerala

India

email:cyberjosh123@yahoo.com

To

Students of EC like me:)

Dear friends,

SUB: To discuss the purpose of this book: to study EC in a new and interesting way

The purpose of this book is LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH CREATIVELY.

English is today a language of the people, for the people and by the people. So it's very important that we find our voice in English at the earliest and empower ourselves. English is a life skill and so it has to be given more importance in our life. We need to learn and use English by creating our own sentences, our own paragraphs, our own stories, our own speeches, our own conversations and finally our own poems. In short, we need to be active and creative users of English.

So let's share our knowledge, skills and learning experiences for the benefit of all. Let's help ourselves in rediscovering happiness and success in these changing times.

Thanking you all,

Yours faithfully,  

Vinod Kaliyath

But first of all the story of EC...No, it doesn't begin with A,B or C but...

..in fact it begins with the letter "I". This letter "I" is also the most commonly used word in English. So naturally our learning of EC starts with making some statements(speech) about our own self ie., I.

I am Rajesh Kumar.

I am from Delhi.

I have a job in a bank.

I have a four member family.

I stay with my parents and a sister.

I work in SBI from 9 am to 4 pm. 

Now let's see a few questions (Interaction) about the speaker ie., I:

Am I Rajesh? (Yes/No Questions)

Are you from Delhi?

Where do you work? (Wh-Questions)

How many members are there in your family?

With whom do you stay?

What's your working time? 

This method of learning English Communication(EC) is called "Bio-data based Speech-Interaction method". This method can be effectively used when the participants are ready to share their bio-data based information with one another as in job interviews. So this method is very useful for job seekers as they can gain a lot of confidence to attend interviews by practicing EC in this way.

BBC here means Bio-data Based Communication which can be divided into:

PERSONAL INFO

What's your name and surname/family name?

Where are you from? Where do you come from? Which is your native place? Where is it?

Where is your house exactly situated?

Is there any landmark near your house? What's it?

How many members do you have in your family at home?

What's your father? What's his occupation/profession? Where does your father work?

Is your mother employed/a homemaker/a housewife?

How many siblings ie., brothers and sisters do you have? Are you the only child of your parents?

How do you spend your spare time/free time/leisure time? What are your hobbies?

FAMILY INFO 

Do you stay in a joint family?

Do you have any relatives working abroad/in govt. service/outside Kerala?

Do you have any cousins of your same age? What are they doing?

EDUCATIONAL INFO 

In which school did you study?

Have you gone to college?

While studying in school/college did you participate in extra-curricular activities? Did you get any prizes? Did you compete at higher levels ie., beyond your school/college level?

PROFESSIONAL INFO 

Where do you work? Where is your work place?

What's your working time/office hours?

How many people work in your office?

Do you like the work culture in your organization?

Do you have medical leave and other benefits like pension etc?

SELF-PERCEPTIONS 

What do you like the most about your native place/your state/your country?

What do you like the least about your native place/your state/your country?

What's your idea about a good society/family/friendship/life/job?

SKILL INFO 

Do you have professional skills? What kind of ?

Are you good at skills like swimming, cycling etc. I mean physical skills?

Are you fond of games like Chess, a mind game?

Do you have artistic skills? What kind of ?

Do you have any household skills? What kind of ?

CYBER INFO 

What's your email address?

Do you have a blog of your own? What's its URL?

Do you have a Facebook id? What's it?

Do you like tweeting? Are you active on twitter? What's your twitter handle? 

Now let’s go to “A seven step course in English Communication”

The Contents

A seven step course in English Communication with an easy (EC) test to check your understanding of the basics. Also included an EC plus section especially for you.

STEP 1Let’s learn English Communication(EC) in just 40 sentences!. We are going to learn the simple logic of EC in these 40 sentences!!

Literacy in English communication lies in understanding the most basic types of sentence-structures in English Communication. These are of 40 types.

Let's see the first four type of sentences:  

1.  I am on leave today.

2.  I have been on leave for a week.

3.  I was at home yesterday.

4.  I will be in office tomorrow.

Now making questions of Yes/No type:

1.  Are you on leave today?

2.  Have you been on leave for a week?

3.  Were you on leave yesterday?

4.  Will you be in office tomorrow?

In all these four sentences above we have used STATE verbs...Now let's see the next set of sentences(3):

5.  He has some work today.

6.  She had an exam yesterday.

7.  They will have an interview tomorrow.

Making questions of Yes/No type:

5.  Does he have any work today?

6.  Did she have any exam yesterday?

7.  Will they have any interview tomorrow?

In all these three sentences above we have used POSSESSION verbs....Now we can go to the next set of sentences(3):

8.  There is a meeting today.

9.  There was a class yesterday.

10. There will be programmes tomorrow.

Making questions of Yes/No type:

8.  Is there any meeting today?

9.  Was there any class yesterday?

10. Will there be any programmes tomorrow?

In all these three sentences above we have used OBJECTIVE REALITY.....Now let's see the next set of sentences(10):

11. We serve vegetarian food here.

12. Children love Amul ice cream for its flavour. 

13. They are preparing Masala Dosa now.

14. I am paying the bill in the evening.

15. I have booked three tickets now.

16. I have been waiting for one hour.

17. We spotted Asha in Calicut.

18. We were using Rakesh's laptop yesterday.

19. I will make the presentation with Rahim.

20. William will be interviewing you in the evening.

Making questions of Wh-type:

11.What kind of food do you serve here?

12. Why do children love Amul ice cream?

13. Which dish are they preparing now?

14. When are you paying the bill?

15. How many tickets have you booked now?

16. For how long have you been waiting?

17. Where did you spot Asha?

18. Whose laptop were you using yesterday?

19. With whom will you make the presentation? 

20. Who will be interviewing me in the evening?

In all these ten sentences above we have used ACTION verbs in ACTIVE voice...Now it's time for the next set of sentences(8):

21. Vegetarian food is served here.

22. Amul ice cream is loved by children for its flavour.

23. Masala Dosa is being prepared now.

24. The bill is being paid in the evening.

25. Three tickets have been booked.

26. Asha was spotted by us in Calicut.

27. Rakesh's laptop was being used by us yesterday.

28. The presentation will be made by Rahim and me.

Making questions of Yes/No-type:

21. Is vegetarian food served here?

22. Is Amul ice cream loved by children for its flavour?

23. Is Masala Dosa being prepared now?

24. Is the bill being paid in the evening?

25. Have the tickets been booked?

26. Was Asha spotted in Calicut?

27. Was Rakesh's laptop being used by us yesterday?

28. Will the presentation be made by Rahim and you?

In all these eight sentences above we have used ACTION verbs in PASSIVE voice...Now let's see the next set of sentences(10):

29. I can come.

30. I could come.

31. I might come.

32. I may come.

33. I shall/will come.

34. I should come.

35. I have to come.

36. I need to come.

37. I must come.

38. I would like to come.

39. I ought to come.

40. I used to come.

Making questions of Yes/No-type:

29. Can I come?

30. Could I come?

31. May I come?

32. May I come?

33. Shall I come?

34. Should I come?

35. Do I have to come?

36. Do I need to come?

37. Should I come?

38. Would I like to come?

39. Do I ought to come?

40. Did I come?

In all these twelve sentences above we have used MODAL verbs.

So with these forty sentences we have seen the most basic types of sentence-structures in English Communication (EC).

ANALYSIS

The above ten types of action-sentences show that English language is more ACTION ORIENTED. It is also more focused on what is happening now or you can say it's PRESENT-BASED as there are six types of sentences to talk about PRESENT ACTIONS.

STEP 2

Think EC

A formula to "Think and Speak in English"

Learning to think in English in 6 easy steps...

Before learning how to think in English let's first see what is a thought.

A thought is actually a consciousness about a state, a possession or an action. For eg. I am in a conversation(State-S), I have an idea(Possession-P), I will do it(Action-A).

A state can be Present,Past or Future.

A possession can also be Present,Past or Future.

An action can also be Present,Past or Future.

Now in all these thoughts the subject is mentioned first. But we can also say in this way:

There is a meeting today. There are ten people working here. 

Here it is like an outside observation or a comment about the subject. We can say it is of the type Objective Reality(R)

So in short any thought can be expressed as S P A R ie., State,Possession,Action and Reality.

This is the formula to think in English.

Now an interaction in all different ways of State, Possession, Action and Reality to express our thoughts.

I S T A T E 

1.Are you in the office? I am in my workplace now.(Present)

2.Were you in this shop yesterday? I was not in this shop.(Past) 

3.Will you be at home by 5 in the evening today? I will be at home by 5 p.m tomorrow.(Future)

4.How long have you been here in this city? I have been here for a month now.(Present state with Time period)

II P O S S E S S I O N 

1.Does she have some work here? She has no work today.(Present)

2.Did she have any major work yesterday? She had some good work yesterday.(Past) 

3.Will she have any problems while driving on that route? She will be safe while driving.(Future)

III A C T I O N 

1.Do you wake up before sunrise? I wake up with the Sun.(Habitual Action)

2.Do you like to wake up early and jog? I like to wake up early and jog everyday. (Mind Action)

3.Are you driving now? My friend is driving the car. (Present Live Action)

4.Are you going to the wedding today? I am going there in the evening. (Future Action in Present)

5.Have you attended the programme before ? I haven't attended the programme before. (Past Action in Present)

6.Have you been waiting for a long time? I have been waiting for an hour. (Present Live Action with duration of time)

7.Did you come here by 10 a.m? I came by 9 a.m. (Past Action in Past) 

8.Were you sitting here in the first session? I was sitting on that side in the first session. (Past Live Action) 

9.Will you act in this movie? I will act in this movie. (Future Action)

10.Will you be shooting today? I will be shooting tomorrow. (Future Live Action)

Two more actions:

I had written the script of the movie before the shooting began. (Past action before an event)

We will have released the movie by next Friday. (Future action before an event)

IV R E A L I T Y 

1.Is there any time left for the programme to start? There is some time left for the programme to start.

2.Was there any free time yesterday? There was some free time yesterday.

3.Will there be time tomorrow to do this work? There will be no time tomorrow to do this work.

4.Has there been any problems in the last one year with this laptop? There has been a few problems in the beginning.

V PASSIVE ACTION 

1.Is the machine used everyday? The machine is used everyday.

2.Is this TV programme liked by all? This TV programme is enjoyed by all here.

3.Are the books being read now? All these books are being read now.

4.Are the dishes being served within ten minutes? The dishes are going to be served soon.

5.Has the problem been solved? The problem hasn't been solved yet.

6.Was the work completed yesterday? The work wasn't completed yesterday.

7.Which song was being recorded just now? "Jana Na" was being recorded just now.

8.Will you be given any new duties today? I may be given some new duties today.

VI USING MODAL VERBS LIKE CAN,COULD,MAY ETC.

1.Can you be my partner on this project? I would like to be your partner on this project. (STATE)

2.Shall we have a discussion on this? We should have a discussion to decide this. (POSSESSION)

3.May I come for the seminar? You must come for the seminar. (ACTION)

4.Will there be an interview tomorrow for this post? There might be an interview tomorrow. (REALITY)

5.Can this problem be solved in this way? This could be solved like this. (PASSIVE ACTION)

SO LET'S FIRST THINK IN ENGLISH...

STEP 3

LEARNING QUESTIONS FOR INTERACTION

The power of interaction lies in questions...about State, Possession, Action and Reality(SPAR).

There are 4 types of questions: Yes/No questions, Wh-questions, Question tags and Negative questions:

About STATE(S)

Yes/No : Are you Satish?

Wh      : What is your name?

Question Tag: You are Satish, aren't you?

Negative Question: Aren't you Satish?

About POSSESSION(P)

Yes/No : Do you have free time today?

Wh      : How much free time do you have?

Question Tag: You have free time today, don't you?

Negative Question: Don't you have free time today?

About ACTION(A)

Yes/No : Do you work here?

Wh      : Where do you work?

Question Tag: You work here, don't you?

Negative Question: Don't you work here?

About REALITY - OBJECTIVE(R)

Yes/No : Is there anything to eat here?

Wh      : What is there to eat here?

Question Tag: There is nothing to eat here, is there?

Negative Question: Isn't there anything to eat here?

So we have seen all four types of questions in English.

STEP 4

MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS WITH...

Wh-words,Wh-ever and Prepositions

While communicating in English it's very easy to connect information, ideas, thoughts etc. Let's see how:

First we will use wh-words for making connections.

 1.HOW: I really don't know how to thank you for this.

2.WHAT: He actually doesn't know what to do next.

3.WHEN: Of course, she knows when the train will reach Kannur.

4.WHY: They don't know clearly why he cried while speaking.

5.WHERE: We do know where you had gone.

6.WHO: It(the dog) probably doesn't know who you are.

7.WHOM: You don't know the person with whom your boss is having the meeting now?

8.WHICH: You know very well which dress to wear for the function, don't you?

9.WHOSE: Ram knows for sure whose handwriting is this.

 Now let's see wh-ever words for making strong connections.

WHICHEVER: I will be on time whichever be the occasion.

WHATEVER: I will do the work whatever be the problems.

WHEREVER: She will find friends wherever she goes.

WHENEVER: He will have food whenever he comes to our house.

WHOEVER: I will have to follow the rules, whoever you are.

HOWEVER: We will find a way, however difficult be the mission.

Now let's see how we can use prepositions to make connections. Jass has come...to meet you...with his father...for giving the invitation...of his sister's marriage...on 21 st of next month...at 11 am...at their house...in Beypore...near the LP school.

So it is very easy in English to keep on adding information to a sentence by using prepositions as in the given example.

STEP 5

Learning a few SPEECH TECHNIQUES: Are you ready?

How to prepare a speech, write and deliver with passion and compassion.

Topic: Health is wealth.

(Time allotted to write:4-5 minutes; time allotted to speak :1-2 minutes)

First let's have a strategy for speaking on this topic:

1.Introduce the topic to the audience along with your views on it.

2.Define the topic for the audience.

3.Divide the main topic into sub-topics if any.

4.Give some interesting details related to the topic.

5.Give a message to the audience.

Now let's see how to write a speech on this topic.

1.To enjoy any form of wealth, we need to be healthy first. So definitely "Health is wealth". (Introduction and views)

2.Health means physical fitness. A healthy person is fully conscious of his world and the world outside. He performs his duties and also helps in others' duties. So he is a useful member of the society. (Defining the topic)

3.To be healthy you need to eat natural food, drink pure water and give importance to your diet. You should also give your body enough exercises so that the blood circulation is smooth. (Dividing the main topic into sub topics)

4. As the saying goes "A sound mind in a sound body" a healthy mind comes only from a healthy body. And so to succeed in life health is very important. (Interesting details like why/how etc. supported by sayings or proverbs)

5. So let's be at the peak of our health always. Create situations of good health and this in turn will create a happy you. (Message to the audience)

And finally the devices which we can use while speaking:

1.Stress:  The important words can be uttered with more force.  For eg. " To enjoy any form of WEALTH, we need to be HEALTHY first. So definitely "HEALTH is WEALTH ", here the words in capital letters can be stressed.

2.Intonation: The tone can varied to make the speech sound interesting and moving. For eg. " To eNJoy any form of Wealth....", here the capital letters indicate a rising tone. So when you say "enjoy" you can slowly raise the pitch of your voice(rising tone) and when you say "wealth" you can gradually lower the pitch(falling tone) to create an impression.

3.Pausing and giving a revolving eye contact: At those points of the speech where you want the audience to think about what you have said you can pause and look around, giving equal eye contact to all sides. For eg. " To be healthy you need to eat natural food........drink pure water........and give importance to your diet.....", here the dotted lines mean pauses.

4.Slowing down and giving eye contact: While speaking when you feel that you need to have a better control over the audience attention you can slow down and look around to measure the effect of your speech. For eg. " As the saying goes "A s o u n d   mind in a s o u n d  body" a h e a l t h y mind comes only from a h e a l t h y body", here the increased spacing between the letters shows the slowing down of speech for better control.

So we have seen how to prepare and write a speech and then how to deliver it with the help of speech devices.

Now..... A speech about a movie - Lagaan  

The usual words we use for something good  are:  

Nice,Great,Fine,Cool,Superb,Terrific,Fantastic,Marvellous,Wonderful,Fabulous,Amazing,Beautiful,Interesting etc.

Describing differently 

Now, let's do it differently: A speech about a movie:

Yesterday I saw a movie, Lagaan was its name.  It was spectacular. The story was engrossing. The direction was outstanding. The performance of Aamir Khan as the main character was scintillating. The heroines were pretty and graceful. The locations were ravishing. The supporting actors were vivacious. The dialogues were stimulating. The songs were refreshing. The costumes were exquisite. The choreography was dazzling. The scenes were extraordinary. The cinematography was stunning. The climax was riveting. In short it was a wholesome entertainer.

Hope you found this speech valuable....take care...care and share.....

STEP 6

Practicing Conversations

Let us understand this very clearly:  "What are the EC rules required for having good English conversations with anybody?". 

Asking Yes/No and Wh(What,Where,When,Who,Why,Which,How,Whose,Whom) questions with the ten conversational verbs in English:

DO/DOES

IS/ARE

HAVE/HAS

WAS/WERE

WILL/DID

How to use these conversational verbs?

DO/DOES: To ask about a possession/habit/attitude.

IS/ARE: To ask about a present state/live action/future action/present reality

HAVE/HAS: To ask about a past action in present/live action with duration of time.

WAS/WERE: To ask about a past state/live action in past/past reality.

WILL: To ask about a future action in a formal way.

WILL BE: To ask about a future state/live action in future. 

DID: To ask about a past action in past.

1. CONVERSATION ABOUT ACTIONS

Our conversation starts with asking questions about HABITS and ATTITUDES.....using "DO"

(You can invite somebody for a conversation by saying: So shall we begin the conversation....?)

 

Where do you work?

Do you like your work?

Where does your brother work?

Does he like his work?

Then we can ask about PRESENT LIVE actions....using "ARE"

Are you working now?

Is he working now?

Then we can ask about PAST actions....using "DID/HAVE"

When did you start your work?

Have you completed your work?

When did he start his work?

Has he completed his work?

Then we can ask about FUTURE actions...using "ARE/WILL"

What are you working on tomorrow?

Will you finish your work by evening?

What is he working on tomorrow?

Will he finish his work by evening?

Last we can ask about IMMEDIATE PAST and IMMEDIATE FUTURE actions....using "WERE/WILL BE"

Where were you working before joining here?

Will you be working here next year?

Where was he working before joining here?

Will he be working here next year?

You can also ask about LIVE actions with TIME PERIOD:

How long have you been working here?

Since when have you been working here?

How long has he been working here?

Since when has he been working here?

2. CONVERSATION ABOUT STATE - Present, Past, Future:

Where is your office?

What are you?....I mean what is your job there?

Was your office at the same place last year?

Were you there last year?

Where will be your new location?

3. CONVERSATION ABOUT POSSESSION - Present, Past, Future:

Do you have good colleagues at your work place?

Does he have good colleagues at his work place?

How many clients did you have last year?

How many clients did he have last year?

Will you have a better payment next year?

Will he have a better payment next year?

4. CONVERSATION ABOUT REALITY - Present, Past, Future:

Are there any challenges in this field?

How many competitors were there last year?

Will there be any positive growth next year?

(The conversation can end by saying: I would like to say that it was great talking to you. Hope to see you again.)

Requests using modal verbs:

Would you mind if I request you to put your mobiles in a silent mode?

Could you please help me by giving your mobile number?  

Would you like to make a call on my mobile?

May I take my mobile now?

CONVERSATIONAL PRACTICE USING PICTURES

IN THE PAST

How was this man who lived before the mobile age?

He was fine.

What did he have?

He had a telephone.

What was he doing when this picture was taken?

He was speaking on his telephone.

Why did he smile while speaking on the phone?

He smiled to express his happiness.

How often did he use his phone?

He used it almost daily.

Did he like it?

He liked it very much.

Were there a lot of people like him using phones?

There were only a few people like him using phones.

Was the phone used every day?

It was used every day.

Was it being used when this photo was taken?

It was being used when this photo was taken.

 IN THE PRESENT

How is this woman in the mobile age?

She is excited.

What does she have?

She has a mobile.

What is she doing now?

She is sending an sms.

Why does she like her mobile?

Her mobile helps her to stay connected with her friends and other people.

How often does she use it?

She uses it every day.

Is she planning to buy another mobile?

She is not planning to buy another one now.

Has she bought this mobile recently?

She has bought this mobile recently.

How long has she been using it?

She has been using it for one week now. 

Are there a lot of people like her using mobiles?

There are a lot of people like her using mobiles.

How often is the mobile used?

It is used many times in a day.

Is it being used now?

It is being used now.

Has it been used to send an email?

It has been used to send an email.

 IN THE FUTURE

How will be a man in the tablet age?

He will be very busy.

What will he have?

He will have a tablet PC.

What will he be doing then?

He will be multitasking.

How will he live?

He will live in a world called Facebook.

Will there be a lot of people like him using tablets?

There will be a lot of people like him using tablets.

Will the tablet be used to watch movies?

It will be used to watch movies. 

A FEW EXAMPLES OF CONVERSATIONS

(a)EC over phone, (b)An Interview conversation

a) Listen to a formal conversation on mobile phone

Caller: Is it John Mathew?

I: Yes..

Caller: Hello

I : Who is calling...may I know?

Caller: I am Mr. Varma...calling from Infonet India.

I: Yes sir...anything to tell me sir.....

Caller: Yes...the seminar on IT jobs which you have registered for has been cancelled...

I: Oh..I see...when is it going to be next...

Caller: I am sorry...the dates have not been fixed.

I: I hope I will be informed on phone sir...

Caller: Yes...definitely

I: Thank you sir

Caller: Bye

I : Bye sir.

 Please note: Never say: "Who are you?" when you receive a call and when the caller is unknown. Instead ask: May I know who is speaking?

Also while giving a valuable information use Pause-Slow-Stress-Tone method. Let's see what it is:

1.While giving an important news first PAUSE to make sure the person is listening carefully. For eg. Yes...(a small pause)....the seminar on IT....(a small pause)...

2.Also go SLOW...t h e s e m i n a r ....on I T ...

3.Then STRESS...has been CanCelled...the sounds in capitals have to be uttered with force.

4.Also while asking for something politely use a RISING TONE...Who is calliiinG ...When is it going to BEE...

(Here the capitalised sounds have to be given more richness in voice or vocal chord vibrations ie., increasing the frequency of the sound)

FALLING TONE is used while asking for important information in an urgent manner....like "Who is CALLing?"....Here the first sound has a high tone and then the tone gradually falls.

b) "AN INTERVIEW CONVERSATION"

(Interviews are formal conversations about our Personal, Educational, Family and Career details to be shared with the interviewer.)

Here I is the interviewer and C is the Candidate.

C: May I come in sir?

I: Yes, Please do.

C: Good afternoon sir

I: A very good afternoon to you...please be seated.

C: Thank you sir...

I: So how are you young man?

C: I am fine indeed sir and ...thank you for asking.

I: Well....your name is?

C: I am Raj Mohan.

I: And you are from which place here....?

C: I am from Kozhikode....the exact place is called Balussery.

I:  Who all are there in your family, Mr. Raj?

C: I stay with my parents and a younger sister. My father runs a small grocery shop and mother is a homemaker, sister is a student in GVHSS Balussery.

I:  OK... now coming directly to this interview let me ask you this question....do you have any kind of experience in this field of Student Counselling?

C: Sir I have taken a few classes for undergraduate students and also done counselling as well as marketing for a management institute in Calicut city.

I: (looking into the resume) And your qualification is B.Com and anything else...?

C: Sir besides having a B.Com degree with 65 % marks from Calicut University I also have a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IGNOU.

I: Fine....Now listen Mr. Rajmohan ...this job requires a lot of people skills like co-ordination, motivation and training and also appraisal. Are you confident and competent in all these areas?

C: I am extremely confident and enthusiastic about this job sir...In fact I have also worked as a management trainee for an educational firm while doing my IGNOU course as mentioned in my CV sir.

 I: Yeah...I can see it here...for ABC International right?

C: Yes sir. That's right.

I(studying the CV for a minute and then deciding  on something): Now tell me Mr. Raj, are you ready to undergo a training programme in Chennai for three days starting from tomorrow? 

C: With pleasure sir.

I: OK..In that case you can take leave now and prepare yourself for tomorrow's programme. The company will take care of your journey to the programme venue but you should be here by as early as... I would say 8.30 am...Will that be alright with you?

C: Perfectly alright sir...

I: And do remember... your position in this organisation will be decided by our Director after the training sessions get over....so be there in body, mind and spirit, hundred and one percent.

C: I will sir and thank you very much for all your help and guidance. It was a real pleasure interacting with you.

I: You are welcome always Mr Raj....

C: Good Bye sir.

I: Good Bye ....see you tomorrow.

STEP 7

Learning a few "WRITING" STEPS? Can we start now?

1.  THINKABLE THOUGHTS for exploring the thinker/writer in your "self"

Do you want to explore the thinker/writer in your "self"? Let 's try with the first quote....

1.Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket.

This quote means that our happiness is our own responsibility and our own ability. Nothing outside actually makes us happy. It is how we feel and think when something happens is what makes us happy.

Life is a quest to discover and realise the beauty of inner happiness which is absolute and not the pleasure outside which is relative and thus always elusive. Our true education and wisdom is to learn the art of being happy by looking inward and not being controlled by outside events. 

A friend of mine is very fond of watching cricket on TV. But the problem with that is he is very happy when the national side wins and very unhappy when it loses. So those who know him well avoid going to him on a day of loss to his favourite team.  

2.It is not the load that breaks you down. It's the way you carry it.

This quote means that we are not defeated by the situations we face in life but the way we see those situations. Our perception, perspective and prime focus are the three things which determine our destiny. Mahatma Gandhi while facing the sufferings and hardships at the hands of British didn't think about the physical pleasures and comforts which he was sacrificing for the cause of India's freedom. He was aiming at self-discipline, self-control and thus a self transformation to make his life a great experiment with truth. Just as a coin has two sides, in every trouble or a problem or a challenge or a crisis there is also an opportunity to discover something worthwhile. What matters the most is our way of thinking; our thoughts; our vision.

Now you can think about other such quotes and try to write a few lines to see what they mean to you. 

2.  Writing a Covering Letter:

From

Rajashri Thekkayil

Thekkayil House

Post: Edakkara

Via: Chelannur

Dt: Calicut

PIN - 673616

To

The Manager

ABC School

Calicut-1

21st Dec 2013

Dear Sir/Madam

SUBJECT: To apply for the post of a teacher in your reputed school

REF:   Advertisement in Indian Express on 20th Dec 2013

This is to bring to your kind notice that I would like to be considered for the post of a teacher in your reputed school. I am enclosing a copy of my resume so that you may examine my qualifications.

May I request you to consider my candidature for the above mentioned post.

Thanking you

I remain

Yours sincerely

Rajashri Thekkayil

Sign:

Date:

Place:

3.    Writing a  CV/Resume/Bio-Data

The EC test

Now let’s have an easy(EC) test to check your understanding of the basics. This test has two parts.

Make "Yes/No" and Wh-Questions. 

SECTION 1 

Today is a Wednesday.

Yesterday was a Tuesday.

Tomorrow will be a holiday.

This week has been quite hectic. 

SECTION 2 

India has ...states. 

India had .... states. 

India will have .... states. 

SECTION 3 

There are .... members in my family.

There were .... students in the class.

There will be .... people for the function.

SECTION 4

Lal acts in movies.

He likes travelling.

He is acting in a movie named "Drishyam".

He is shooting tomorrow.

He has acted in 300 movies.

He has been acting for 35 years.

He started acting when he was 20 years old.

He was acting in better movies in the past.

He will act in a Tamil movie.

He will be acting with Vijay, the Tamil superstar.

1.  Can you make questions and answers using these supporting/modal verbs and the keywords?

THE COMBINATION EXERCISE
	SUPPORTING/MODAL VERBS	KEYWORDS
1	Do	TV
2	Does	Newspaper
3	Are	Internet
4	Is	Books
5	Have	Read
6	Has	Write
7	Was	Listen
8	Were	Speak
9	Did	Nice
10	Will	Good
11	May	Red
12	Shall	Beautiful

If you face any problems while doing this test, then please refer the previous steps and do it again. All the best.

Now comes the EC plus section.  Let's start with......

1. The ENLIGHTENING PROVERBS

(The meaning of all the proverbs used is given in the answer section)

I am going to make a blog on English Communication which doesn't look like an easy job. But "Where there is a will, there is a way"(1).

I think I should do this work alone as it is said "Too many cooks spoil the broth"(2).

I understand the difficulties in this mission but remember "Every cloud has a silver lining"(3).

I never criticize others when they make mistakes because I know very well that "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others"(4).

I am not going to do this too fast, "Slow and steady wins the race"(5).

I am happy that the first part of the blog is over."Well begun is half done"(6).

I am going to correct the mistake immediately. "A stitch in time saves nine"(7)

This blog will help all those who want to learn English. "A friend in need is a friend indeed"(8).

There may be many blogs on the same subject but "All that glitters is not gold"(9).

I have done my best. Now I am leaving it to its destiny."Man proposes, God disposes".(10)

ANSWERS

1. A strong belief can achieve anything.

2. Too many hands at work may not achieve the desired results.

3. There is something good in every bad situation.

4. You cannot blame somebody if you are also imperfect.

5. Real success comes to those who wait and take wise decisions.

6. A good start motivates us till the end.

7. A fault if fixed on time can save us from a lot of trouble later.

8. A true friend renders help when it is needed the most.

9.  Let's not judge something by how it looks initially.

10. No matter how hard we try, there are always some things beyond our control.

2. IDIOMATIC CONVERSATION

(The meanings of all idioms used here is given in the answer section)

May I start now?  I hope you are all very much alive and kicking(1), aren't you?

You seemed to be all ears(2) when I spoke. Thank you.

Now what's the acid test(3) to find out who is the real winner?

Without any beating around the bush(4) let me come to the main point.

The ball is in your court(5) now.

Take the bull by the horns(6). That's the best way to deal with the issue.

I am going to ask you a question. Listen to the options carefully.  Don't jump the gun(7).

I don't know the right answer. I am keeping my fingers crossed(8).

Your team is going great guns(9). Cheers.

What is getting your goat(10) when you start working in that team?

I know how to face the music(11). Leave it to me.

It's a catch 22 situation(12). But let's be positive.

ANSWERS

1.energetic

2.attentive

3.a test which reveals the truth 

4.indirectly referring to something

5.the responsibility is yours to decide

6.face the situation in a direct manner

7.act in a hurry

8.hoping for the best

9.doing very well

10.making you irritated

11.deal with the demanding situation

12.a situation where one has to make some very difficult choices

3. "Animate" your talk !"

If you are an English enthusiast then you will find many such words to "animate" your conversation.  Have a look...

I was foxed(1) by the problem which started dogging(2) me for a while. 

It was the issue of how to get my work done of building a house within a year. The contractor seemed to be a bit fishy(3) at first. 

He started bullying(4) me to pay him an advance of Rs.1lac.

I decided not to be cowed(5) into any sort of agreement.

So I told him frankly that he was in a cloud cuckoo land(6) if he thinks that I would chicken out(7) of the mission and leave the work undone. 

Then he started crowing(8) about his honesty and faithfulness.

I remarked that his tall talk was like a cock and bull story(9).

He understood that it would be a wild goose chase(10) if he apes(11) other contractors and takes me as a lame duck(12).

So like a duck to water (13) he changed his plan and agreed to do things as I wanted to.

And things changed for better.

Answers

1. Confused

2. Followed

3. Dishonest 

4. Frightening

5. To do something out of fear

6. An imaginary state of mind

7. To back out being afraid

8. Keep talking in a proud manner

9. Hard to believe

10 A futile effort

11. Imitates

12. Not confident and depends on others

13. Adapting quickly to a new situation

The End

And in the end.......a small poem to keep you smiling always......enjoy!...and also a FLUENCY CHART for an easy(EC) access to the 40 sentence types.

The Wonder of Earth!

What a wonder the earth is!

Something's here for everyone

Only thing you have to find your place

And make life a thing of grace.

What a wonder the earth is!

Someone's here for everyone

Only thing when your time comes

Don't forget the ones around.

What a wonder the earth is!

Somebody said that a while ago

Only when she was about to go

To visit a paradise somewhere else...

By Vinod Kaliyath

FLUENCY CHART
1  PRESENT STATE (am/is/are)	2  PAST STATE (was/were)	3  FUTURE STATE (will be)	4  PRESENT STATE + TIME PERIOD (have/has been)
5  PRESENT POSSESSION (have)	6  PAST POSSESSION (had)	7  FUTURE POSSESSION (will have)	8  PRESENT REALITY (There is)
9  PAST REALITY (There was)	10  FUTURE REALITY (There will be)	11  PRESENT HABITS (I read it daily)	12  PRESENT ATTITUDES (I like reading)
13  PRESENT LIVE ACTIONS (I am reading it now)	14  FUTURE ACTIONS IN PRESENT  (I am reading it later)	15  PAST ACTIONS IN PRESENT                    (I have read it)	16 PRESENT LIVE ACTIONS + TIME PERIOD (I have been reading it for an hour)
17 PAST ACTIONS IN PAST (I read it today)	18  LIVE ACTIONS IN PAST (I was reading it today)	19  FUTURE ACTIONS IN FUTURE (I will read it today)	20  LIVE ACTIONS IN FUTURE (I will be reading it today)
21 PASSIVE (HABITS and ATTITUDES) (It is read / liked by us)	22  PASSIVE(PRESENT LIVE and FUTURE ACTIONS) (It is being taught now / tomorrow)	23 PASSIVE(PAST ACTIONS IN PRESENT) (It has been taught)	24 PASSIVE (PAST ACTIONS IN PAST) (It was taught yesterday)
25 PASSIVE (LIVE ACTIONS IN PAST) (It was being taught yesterday)	26 PASSIVE (FUTURE ACTIONS IN FUTURE) (It will be taught)	27  CAN (I can do it)	28  COULD (I could do it)
29  WILL / SHALL (I shall do it)	30  WOULD (I would do it)	31  USED TO (I used to do it)	32 HAVE TO (I have to do it)
33  NEED TO  (I need to do it	34  OUGHT TO (I ought to do it)	35  MAY (I may do it)	36  MIGHT (I might do it)
37  MUST (I must do it)	38  SHOULD (I should do it)	39 I will have done it by tomorrow. (Future action with a time limit)	40 There has been a lot of meetings     this week. (Present reality + Time)

If you have any doubts/suggestions or feedback to offer about the areas discussed here do e-mail me at cyberjosh123@yahoo.com.  I would be pleased to answer your queries or to make the right changes in order to make this book more useful to you.

May I hope that you found this book useful..............keep in touch with EC always and get the best out of life...all the very best.....V.K