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
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