CHAPTER 1.

SPELLING MATTERS
1. Abroad 41. Beer Bottles 81. Catch
2. Accommodation 42. Beginning 82. Ceiling Vents
3. Accounts 43. Beliefs 83. Cellular
4. Activities 44. Benefits 84. Cellular Research
5. Administered 45. Better 85. Central
6. Advance 46. Beside 86. Cereals
7. Adventure 47. Beverages 87. Certain Plants
8. Advertisement 48. Beyond 88. Chapmanville
9. Advertising 49. Bicycle 89. Charity
10. Advised 50. Biological 90. Checklist
11. Agriculture 51. Birmingham 91. Cheque book
12. American Express 52. Blended 92. Chew
13. Amateur 53. Boats 93. Chicken Sandwich
14. Analysis 54. Border 94. Children
15. Annual Fee 55. Boring 95. Chilled
16. Answering 56. Bottle Tops 96. Chimneys
17. Appearance 57. Brakes 97. Chocolates
18. Architecture 58. Breakfast 98. Choose
19. Arrows 59. Bridge Street 99. Cigarette
20. Artists 60. Brisbane 100. Classroom
21. Assessment 61. Brittle 101. Clean Fuels
22. Association 62. Broken Door 102. Climb
23. Athletes 63. Building 103. Collage
24. Attendance 64. Built 104. Clothes
25. Attitude 65. Bunch 105. Clubhouse
26. August 66. Bushwalking 106. Coach
27. Australian 67. Business 107. Coat Hanger
28. Automatic 68. Busting 108. Cocoa
29. Awareness 69. Busy 109. Code
30. Bachelor 70. Button 110. Co-Educational
31. Bad Dreams 71. Café 111. Coffee
32. Bags 72. Cameras 112. Collapse
33. Bananas 73. Cancelling 113. College Grounds
34. Bank Statement 74. Captain 114. Colleges
35. Bars 75. Career 115. Communicating
36. Base 76. Careful 116. Commuter
37. Basic Needs 77. Castles 117. Companies
38. Bathroom Light 78. Casual 118. Competition
39. Bay 79. Casual Rides 119. Complete
40. Beach(es) 80. Catalogues 120. Completion

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 1

121. Commute 162. Desert 203. Essays
122. Composition 163. Designer 204. Evaluation
123. Comprehensive 164. Detailed 205. Evening
124. Computer Centre 165. Determination 206. Evidence
125. Computer Programs 166. Dictionary 207. Exam Performance
126. Computers 167. Diesel Generator 208. Excitement
127. Computing 168. Differences 209. Exercise
128. Concerns 169. Directly 210. Exhibition
129. Concerts 170. Disappointing 211. Expected
130. Confidence 171. Discussion 212. Expense
131. Connected 172. Displays 213. Experiment
132. Consumer 173. Disposing 214. Extremely Poor
133. Containers 174. Dissertation 215. Eye
134. Contingent 175. Distinct 216. Factories
135. Controlled 176. Divorce 217. Faculty
136. Cook 177. Dollars 218. Falling Asleep
137. Cooking 178. Dome 219. Farmland
138. Cooperation 179. Domestic 220. Fashionable
139. Corridor 180. Doorbell 221. Faults
140. Counselling 181. Dried 222. Festival
141. Countered 182. Driving Lanes 223. Festivities
142. Country 183. Early Childhood 224. Field
143. Course Outline 184. Earnings 225. Fifteen
144. Craft 185. Eastern & Western 226. Fifty
145. Credit 186. Economic 227. Films
146. Crisis 187. Eco-system 228. Filters
147. Critical Reflections 188. Economy 229. Financial
148. Cross Street 189. Editing 230. Fingers
149. Culture 190. Education 231. First Aid Kit
150. Current 191. Edification 232. Fitness
151. Customer 192. Eighteen 233. Fins
152. Daily 193. Elegant 234. Flange
153. Diary 194. Elementary 235. Flat Tyre/Tire
154. Dangerous 195. E-Mail 236. Flyer
155. Danish (Denmark) 196. Employment 237. Football
156. Daunt 197. Ending 238. Ford
157. Deadlines 198. Enough 239. Forecast
158. Debate 199. Entertainment 240. Fortnight
159. Decomposition 200. Environmental 241. Fortress
160. Defect 201. Enzymes 242. Forty
161. Department Store 202. Errors 243. Fountain

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 2

244. Fourteen 285. Hospital 326. Issues
245. Frame 286. Hostel 327. IT Department
246. Freezing 287. Hotel 328. Japan
247. Fridge 288. Hotspots 329. Journey
248. Friend 289. Hours 330. Julia Perkins
249. Friendly 290. Houses 331. Keep-fit Studio
250. Front Gate 291. Housing Officer 332. Kilometres
251. Frontier 292. Hunger 333. King Street
252. Full description 293. Hunter Street 334. Kitchen Curtains
253. Fullest 294. Huston 335. Label
254. Gadget 295. Ignore 336. Labelled
255. Gallery 296. Immune System 337. Laptops
256. Garbage 297. Impossible 338. Lastly
257. General Interest 298. Incidentally 339. Late
258. Generally 299. Incineration Plants 340. Law
259. Germany 300. Individual 341. Leads
260. Government 301. Industrial 342. Leather
261. Graduates 302. Information 343. Lecturers
262. Greek Salad 303. Informalities 344. Ledger
263. Groundbreaking 304. Infrastructure 345. Leisure
264. Growth 305. Initials 346. Library
265. Hanger 306. Instant (Coffee) 347. Limitation
266. Hardwork 307. Instincts 348. Listen
267. Headache 308. Instruments 349. Literature
268. Heaters 309. Insurance 350. Liver
269. Height 310. Intake 351. Locomotive
270. Hidden 311. Intensive 352. Local Government
271. High Street 312. Interactive 353. Local Newspaper
272. Higher 313. Interest Rate 354. Locker
273. Hill Farm Estate 314. Interested 355. London
274. Hillsides 315. Intermediate 356. Long Trousers
275. Hire Cars 316. International 357. Long-term
276. Historic 317. Internet 358. Low-Risk
277. Histogram 318. Interpreter 359. Lunch
278. Holes 319. Inter-section 360. Machinery
279. Holiday 320. Interviewed 361. Magazine
280. Home Country 321. Interval 362. Mega mind
281. Home stay 322. Introduction 363. Management
282. Hong Kong 323. Invention 364. Market Forces
283. Hobby 324. Investigate 365. Marketing
284. Hormones 325. Investment 366. Material

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 3

367. Meeting 408. Overheating 449. Private
368. Messages 409. Overseas 450. Prizes
369. Metal 410. Painted 451. Process
370. Methodology 411. Painters 452. Proceed
371. Methods 412. Paper Clips 453. Production
372. Million 413. Paris 454. Productivity
373. Mills 414. Park 455. Profit
374. Mineral Baths 415. Passport 456. Program
375. Minibus 416. Pavilion 457. Progress Reviews
376. Minor 417. Penalized 458. Project
377. Minutes 418. Pencils 459. Proportion
378. Moderately Windy 419. Performing Arts 460. Proposal
379. Moderation 420. Permission 461. Protein
380. Months 421. Personal 462. Publicity
381. Mosquitoes 422. Persuading 463. Quality
382. Mountain 423. Photograph 464. Quantity
383. Mrs. Green 424. Photogenic 465. Queensland
384. Museums 425. Physical 466. Quiet
385. Musical instruments 426. Picnic 467. Raddled
386. National Park 427. Pilot 468. Range
387. Natural 428. Pioneering 469. Realistically
388. Natural Resource 429. Planned 470. Reasonable
389. Nearest 430. Plant 471. Re-built
390. Negative 431. Planting 472. Record
391. Negotiating 432. Plastic Bags 473. Recorder
392. Neighbourhood 433. Platforms 474. Rectangular
393. Newport 434. Pleasure 475. Recycling Industry
394. Newsletter 435. Plenty 476. References
395. Nitrogen 436. Police Station 477. Reformulation
396. Noise 437. Politics 478. Refreshments
397. North-West 438. Pollution 479. Regular
398. November 439. Population 480. Relationship
399. Nursery 440. Position 481. Relaxed
400. Nursing Care 441. Pounds 482. Release
401. Ocean Currents 442. Poverty 483. Relevant
402. Offers 443. Powerful 484. Relief
403. Onion Soup 444. Prescott 485. Relying
404. Opening 445. Presenter 486. Removed
405. Opera 446. Previous 487. Rental Prices
406. Operational 447. Printers 488. Report Writing
407. Organized 448. Priority 489. Requirements

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 4

490. Research 531. Silver Paper 572. Student Canteen
491. Reservations 532. Similar 573. Student Department
492. Reserve Time 533. Sister Cities 574. Student’s Questions
493. Residents 534. Sky-diver 575. Study Skills
494. Resources 535. Sleeplessness 576. Styles
495. Respect 536. Smith 577. Success
496. Responding 537. Smoking 578. Summer Holiday
497. Restaurant 538. Smoky 579. Sunny Warm
498. Restrictions 539. Snakes 580. Supermarket
499. Results 540. Sneezed 581. Supervise Teams
500. Return 541. Social Bonds 582. Support
501. Review 542. Socks 583. Surprisingly
502. Revise Work 543. Soil Conditioner 584. Swimming Pool
503. Richard Lee 544. Solutions 585. Sydney Centres
504. Ripen 545. Sound Effects 586. Teacher
505. Rubbish 546. Sound Quality 587. Technique
506. Safe and Clean 547. Southwest 588. Technology
507. Safety 548. Souvenirs (Gift) 589. Telephone Cable
508. Salad Bar 549. Spaceman 590. Tense
509. Salary 550. Spanish 591. Theme
510. Sand 551. Special Offers 592. Thicker
511. Satisfactory 552. Sports Studies 593. Thirteen
512. Satisfied 553. Spot 594. Thirty
513. Schedule 554. Spotlight 595. Thought
514. School Walls 555. Spouse 596. Thousands of Years
515. Schools 556. Spray Tube 597. Thunderstorm
516. Science 557. Square 598. Thursday
517. Scored 558. Stairs 599. Timetable
518. Seaweed 559. Standard 600. Tokyo
519. Secondary 560. Standard of delivery 601. Tolerance
520. Seconds 561. Standardization 602. Too Late
521. Selling Power 562. Status 603. Topics
522. September 563. Stocks 604. Touring
523. Serious 564. Stopped 605. Tourism
524. Shelf 565. Straight 606. Town Riding
525. Ships 566. Strategies 607. Traffic
526. Shopkeepers 567. String 608. Training
527. Shopping 568. Strong Shoes 609. Transportation
528. Side Door 569. Strongest 610. Traps
529. Signature 570. Structure 611. Tree Bark
530. Significance 571. Student 612. Tutor

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 5

613. Tutorials 626. Verticals 639. Whales
614. Twice 627. Victoria 640. White
615. Two Modules 628. Vocational 641. Window Screen
616. Uganda 629. Volunteers 642. Winners
617. Unavailable 630. Walking boots 643. Withdraw
618. Undersea World 631. War 644. Women’s Centre
619. United Nations 632. Warmth 645. Workshop
620. University 633. Water Wheels 646. Worst
621. Upgrade 634. Waterfalls 647. Writing Classes
622. Uphill/Hillsides 635. Weather 648. Yoga Classes
623. Variety 636. Wednesday Afternoon 649. Young
624. Vegetarian 637. Week 650. Zeal
625. Venomous (Poisonous) 638. Weight

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR SPELLING

Vowels are : a, e, i, o, u (5)

Constants are : b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z (21)
Suffix : is a group of letters added to the end of a word; beauty-beautiful (ful is the suffix)

1. Look at the words that you often spell incorrectly. Underline the trouble spots. Or write the
parts where you make mistakes in capitals, in italics or in bold letters:
beggAr sepArate aWkward beneFit
ninEty twelFth fOrty KilometRE

2. You can learn the spellings of troublesome words by matching them with the ones you know:
Trouble - match it with able or bubble
Quiet - match it with diet

3. Sometimes finding other words within a word can be helpful

Villain - NG This is one word that is often spelt incorrectly. Remember villa, and you will
remember the correct spellings of villain.
Height - is another troublesome word. Remember eight and you will spell height
correctly.

Some other examples are

friend - end
pleasant - ant
harass - ass
calendar - lend
determine - term, mine
mathematics - MA + the + MA + tics

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 6

 4. Some memory aids can be kept in mind:
fourty or forty? forty forts so forty
ninety or ninty? nine tea cups so ninty
grammer or grammar ? three pairs - aa, mm, rr so grammar
embarrass or embarass? three pairs - aa, rr, ss so embarrass
all right or alright, all are right hence all right

LET US LEARN A FEW RULES FOR SPELLING WORDS CORRECTLY

1. While applying prefixes, do not drop any letters, do not add any letters:
im + moral = immoral
dis + satisfy = dissatisfy
un + able = unable
mis + spell = misspell

2. When the combination ei or ie is pronounced as ee, we put i before e except after c :

receive deceive deceit ceiling
believe relieve niece thief
priest shield field grief
Exceptions: Seize, neither

3. In English, q is always followed by u:

quarrel queen quite quote

4. Mistakes in - cede, ceed, and sede

Learn the following four words and be free from silly errors:
(i) Supersede - the only word in English that ends in - sede.
(ii) Exceed - Proceed - Succeed = the only words in English that end in ceed.

5. Words ending in y
a. If there is a vowel before the y, merely add the letter or the suffix without change:
buy + ing = buying
joy + ous = joyous
boy + ish = boyish
enjoy + able = enjoyable

Exceptions: day - daily gay - gaily pay - paid

b. If there is a consonant before the y, change y to i unless the suffix is -ing:

dry + ed = dried merry + ly = merrily
funny + er = funnier marry + age = marriage
lazy + ness = laziness merry + ment = merriment
cry + ed = cried but cry + ing = crying
try + al = trial but try + ing = trying

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 7

 6. If a word ends in ie, change these letters to y when adding -ing:
tie + ing = tying lie + ing = lying die + ing = dying

7. Suppose a word consists of only one syllable, it has a consonant at the end and has only one vowel
before that consonant, double the final consonant when adding - ing, -ed, -en, -er, or - est (or any
suffix beginning with a vowel):
run + ing = running rob + bed = robbed
hid + en = hidden thin + er = thinner
big + est = biggest rob + ery = robbery

8. We apply rule 6 to words consisting of more than one syllable if there is an accent on the last
syllable:
begin + ing = beginning prefer + ed = preferred

9. The final consonant is not doubled when

(a) the suffix begins with a constant: glad + ly = gladly
the accent does not fall on the last syllable:
differ + ence = difference (accent falls in dif)
happen + ed = happened (accent falls on hap)
offer + ing = offering (accent falls on of)

there are two vowels before the final consonant:

sweet + en = sweeten beat + ing = beating
cheap + er = cheaper weak + est = weakest

there are two consonants in the end:

fast + est = fastest plant + ing = planting
Exception:
Wool + en = woolen
10. Words ending in silent e
There are quite a few words like lose, write, hope that end in silent e. Apply the following rules
while adding suffixes to such words:
a. If there is a consonant before the final e, and you want to add a suffix beginning with a
vowel, drop the final e:
lose + ing = losing hope + ed = hoped
dine + ing = dining write + ing = writing

b. If there is another vowel before the final e, the e is usually dropped:

continue + ous = continuous argue + ing = arguing

Exceptions:
agree + ing = agreeing dye + ing = dyeing

Similarly, words like freeing, seeing, ageing, hoeing, toeing.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 8

 c. If you want to add a suffix beginning with a consonant, keep the final e:
use + less = useless nine + ty = ninety
hope + ful = hopeful sincere + ly = sincerely
Exceptions
true + ly = truly whole + ly = wholly

Similarly, words like icy, idly, gently, stony, awful, argument.

d. If there is a c or g before the final e and you want to add a suffix beginning with a (able)
or o (ous), don’t drop the final e:
notice + able = noticeable courage + ous = courageous
11. Words ending in el generally double the l when some suffix is added to them :

jewel + er = jeweller quarrel + ed = quarrelled travel + er = traveller travel + ed =

travelled
12. When you add full to another word, drop one l, but when you add fully, retain ll:

faith + full = faithful pain + ful = painful beauty + full = beautiful cheer + full = cheerful
faith + fully = faithfully pain + fully = painfully

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 9

The following words are written as one word: inferior inspector
afterwards almost interior junior
always already major mayor
anyhow anyone professor sailor
anything around sector senior
cannot everybody superior supervisor
everywhere football tailor traitor
headmaster however tutor warrior
into meanwhile centre figure
moreover newspaper metre theatre
nobody nonsense Words ending in al, el, or le:
nothing nowadays agricultural annual
otherwise outside canal chemical
ourselves policeman equal general
postman somehow intellectual jackal
something sometimes legal loyal
throughout today material medal
together thereupon medical metal
tomorrow whenever mineral musical
wherever within pedal physical
The following words are written separately: plural practical
all right all round principal punctual
at least at once sandal several
at all young man signal social
do not in spite of spiritual technical
no one per cent theoretical total
in fact per person counsel hostel
Words ending in ar, er, or, or re: hotel jewel
familiar pillar parallel parcel
similar calendar travel vowel
adviser buyer angle ankle
character commander article bangle
customer explorer battle bicycle
minister murderer candle capable
observer organizer cattle double
owner philosopher gamble handle
prayer soldier idle marble
treasurer waiter meddle middle
actor author muscle noble
conductor conqueror obstacle particle
creator director people principle
doctor emperor single title
error governor triangle triple
valuable vehicle scenery surgery

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 10

Words ending in ur, ure, eur, or our: advisory directory
murmur sulphur factory introductory
adventure agriculture laboratory memory
architecture assure satisfactory victory
culture endure Words ending in ant, ent, or ient:
ensure failure accountant applicant
feature figure assistant attendant
furniture future brilliant distant
lecture leisure ignorant important
literature manufacture occupant pleasant
mature measure servant buoyant
nature pleasure beneficent benevolent
pressure procedure dependent different
puncture sculpture eminent excellent
signature treasure inherent magnificent
venture vulture serpent violent
amateur grandeur ancient convenient
armour endeavour deficient efficient
favour flavour lenient obedient
harbour honour patient sufficient
humour rigour Words ending in ance, ence, or ense:
splendour velour acceptance allowance
vigour colour ambulance assistance
Words ending in ry, ary, ery, or ory: assurance attendance
gallantry century appearance circumstance
country dowry clearance entrance
geometry symmetry guidance hindrance
boundary complimentary ignorance importance
diary dictionary instance insurance
dispensary elementary absence commence
February auxiliary conference confidence
honorary January conscience consequence
library literary convenience correspondence
military necessary defence existence
ordinary primary experience evidence
salary secondary independence influence
secretary temporary interference licence
battery bravery obedience occurrence
bribery fiery offence patience
flattery gallery permanence preference
jewellery machinery presence reference
mystery nursery residence science
sentence silence curious envious

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 11

condense expense furious glorious
immense intense gracious industrious
license nonsense injurious judicious
suspense tense laborious luxurious
Words ending in able or ible: mysterious notorious
acceptable advisable precious religious
agreeable capable spacious superstitious
debatable endurable vicious victorious
enjoyable fashionable Words ending in cial or tial:
lovable manageable beneficial commercial
preferable probable crucial financial
respectable serviceable judicial official
suitable valuable prejudicial provincial
vegetable confusable special superficial
accessible admissible confidential essential
compatible convertible influential initial
digestible divisible martial partial
eligible flexible preferential presidential
horrible negligible prudential residential
possible resistible substantial
responsible sensible Words ending in tion or sion:
visible illegible action admiration
Words ending in city or sity: affection ambition
capacity electricity application association
ferocity publicity attraction auction
scarcity simplicity caution collection
velocity voracity creation definition
adversity curiosity direction election
density diversity intention invitation
generosity intensity mention nation
necessity university portion reputation
Words ending in ous, eous, or ious: resolution section
adventurous dangerous sensation station
generous grievous admission collision
humorous jealous commission compulsion
joyous momentous confusion decision
nervous numerous discussion division
populous vigorous excursion expansion
virtuous zealous expulsion extension
advantageous courageous occasion omission
courteous duteous passion permission
anxious conscious pretension provision
session

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 12

Some troublesome words: MischIEvous modERn
misCELLaneous mischIEf
aCCoMModate achIEVE mosquito naughty
aCross aFFiliate nEIGHbour nEIther
autuMN aWkward ninEty ninEteen
ALmighty ancient northERn nuMERous
audience aPology ocEAn omiTTed
athlete baLLOOn paraLLel parliAment
behavIOUR bOUquet peasANT pErsUAde
beggAr biscUIt physiCIAN pLATform
BuSiness bUngAlow poSSeSS poSSeSSion
calEndAr CarEEr preCEDE priCES
catalogue ceremoNY prefeRRed privilEGE
comparison coMMiTTee procEEd proCEDure
childREN dialogue proceSSion profeSSion
discuSS despErate profiTED prograMME
disCipline EmbaRRaSS prospERous pUrSUE
exclAIm exclaMation pUrSUIT referEE
ExplAIn explaNation repEAt restAUrant
Extravagance familiar ridiculous scarCEly
faVOUrite FORty sePArate sEvEral
fulfiL fuLfiLLed sEvEre suCCEEd
goDDess haraSS suspiCION suspiCIOUS
hEIght hinDrance sympathise togEther
hunGRy hypoCRITE tolerance tUItion
immEdiately iNNings unanimous unique
instalment interview untIL vacUUm
knowledge laughter villAIn voyage
lawyer lUxUry weather wOOLLen
messAGE yIEld zEALous

BRITISH AND AMERICAN SPELLING

 British English - our : colour, favourite, flavour, humour, saviour

American English - or : Colour, favorite, flavor, humor, savior
Did you know?
Savior and savor may be spelt with a u in American English.
Glamour is the correct spelling in both British and American English.

 British English - re : centre, millimetre, theatre

American English - er : center, millimeter, theater
Did you know?

When the re is preceded by the letter c in British English, American English also has cre:
acre, massacre, mediocre.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 13

Note also American English macabre and ogre


 British English – -ae-, -oe- : amoeba, anaemia, archaeology, diarrhoea, haemoglobin

American English – -e- : ameba or amoeba, anemia, archeology, diarrhea,
hemoglobin
British English – -ise, -ize : criticise or criticize, modernise or modernize, systemastise
or systematize
American English – ize 
: criticize, modernize, systematize
Did you know? 

-ise/-ize
This rule applies only to verbs that are formed by adding the Note also suffix
analysetoand
roots and stems.
paralyse in British
English but analyse and paralyze in American English.
 British English – ll, -pp-, -tt : cancelled, carburettor, councillor, dishevelled, equalled,

American English – kidnapped, traveller, woollen, worshipped

-l-, -p-, -t- : canceled, carburetor, councilor, disheveled, equaled,


Did you know?  kidnaped, traveler, woolen, worshiped or worshipped

As a general rule, where the final consonant of a stem is doubled when a suffix is added in British
English, the consonant is generally not doubled in American English. The exception is a final - l,
which is doubled in American English if the preceding syllable contains a single stressed vowel:
canceled, traveled but propelled, rebelled.
Handicapped is the only correct spelling in both British and American English.
Note also British English chilli, American English chili or chilli

 British English – -l, -l- : appal, distil, enrol, fulfil, instil; skilful, wilful 

American English – -ll, -ll- : appall, distill, enroll, fulfill, instill; skillful, willful
Did you know?  
In American English, the spellings appal, distil, enrol, etc are also acceptable, except skillful and willful.

 British English – logue : analogue, catalogue, dialogue 

American English – logue, -log : analogue or analog, catalogue or catalog, dialogue or dialog

 British English – -ce : defence, offence, pretence American English


American English – -se : defense, offense, pretense
Did you know?

In British English, practice is a noun and practise a verb.

In American English, both the noun and the verb are spelled practice.
Similarly, in British English, licence is a noun and license a verb, while in American English, both the noun
and the verb are spelled license.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 14

 CHAPTER 2. VOCABULARY FOR DESCRIBING

Vocabulary to describe persons

Epitome a highly representative example

Epitomize to be a highly representative example

Enthusiastic showing passionate interest in something, energetic

Benevolent performing good acts and not seeking to make a profit, kind, charitable

Malevolent having or showing a desire to harm others, harmful, evil

Legend somebody famous, admired for a skill or talent

Veteran One who is well experienced in something

Jovial cheerful in mood or disposition

Laborious requiring much hard work

Impersonator to mimic the voice, appearance, and manners of somebody else, especially to
entertain

Straight forward level, even, or properly positioned, candid

Vigorous extremely strong and active, physically or mentally

Impertinent showing a bold or rude lack of respect, especially to a superior

Zealous actively and unreservedly enthusiastic

Renowned well known or famous

Propulsion act of driving something forward

Dynamic full of energy, vigorous and purposeful

Forceful powerful, impressive and persuasive

Austere imposing or suggesting physical hardship

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 15

Optimist somebody who tends to feel hopeful and positive about future outcomes

Audacious bold, daring, or fearless, especially in challenging assumptions or conventions

Audacity boldness, daring, impudence

Broadminded liberal, modern, tolerant, forward-thinking

Narrow-minded having or showing a limited and often prejudiced or intolerant outlook

Consistent reasonably or logically harmonious, coherent, reliable

Impartial not favoring one person or side more than another, not biased

Above board honest

Kind hearted compassionate, generous, caring

Resemblance similarity

Pessimist somebody who always expects the worst to happen

Weird strange or unusual, supernatural

Splenetic extremely bad-tempered or spiteful

Hard-hearted without any sympathy or kindness

Soft-hearted showing sympathy, kindness, or generosity

Short-tempered easily made angry or impatient

Go-getter an enterprising and aggressive person

Turncoat one who changes opinion now and then

Shrewd showing or possessing intelligence, insight, and sound judgment

Broad-shouldered large from one side to the other

Lean bend or incline

Stout fat, heavy

Middle-aged no longer young

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 16

Vocabulary to describe advice or suggestion

Counsel a lawyer or group of lawyers who conduct cases in court or give legal advice

Stepping stone a stage or step that helps achieve a goal

Stumbling block something that stands in the way of achieving a goal or of understanding
something

Erroneous incorrect

Shake off to get away from a pursuer

Now and then Sometimes

Unanimous agreed by everyone

Backing active approval, support, or help, often in financial form, given to a

person, organization, or cause

Equilibrium a physical state or sense of being able to maintain bodily balance

Gratification a feeling of pleasure of satisfaction

Gratitude a feeling of being thankful to somebody for doing something

Catalyst somebody or something that makes a change happen or brings about an event

Solace comfort at a time of sadness, grief, or disappointment

Console to provide a source of comfort to somebody who is distressed or disappointed

Beneficent doing good or charitable acts

Beneficiary somebody who receives a benefit from something

Rely on depend on

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 17

Vocabulary to describe communication devices
Portal a large or elaborate gate or entrance

Netizen somebody who uses the Internet frequently

Manipulate to move, operate, or handle something, especially a machine or mechanical parts

Bias an unfair preference for or dislike of something

Endeavor to make a serious and sincere effort to achieve something

Surf to go on the Internet or watch television for recreation, education, or

entertainment, frequently changing the site or channel

Conceive to form an idea or concept of something in your mind

Download to transfer or copy data from one computer to another

Upload to transfer data

Extravagant characterized by excessive or wasteful spending

Cheap and cheerful low in price or cost, or lower in price than might reasonably be expected

Time consuming taking up or wasting a great deal of time

Time saving a limited period during which an action, process, or condition exists or takes place

Reliant depending on or needing somebody or something

Telecast to broadcast a program on television

Broadcast to transmit a program or information on television or radio

Forecast Predict, estimate, calculate

Bureaucracy administrative system

Aristocracy people of noble families or the highest social class

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 18

Vocabulary to describe health, exercise, food and cooking

Obesity fatness

Fatigue extreme tiredness or weariness resulting from physical or mental activity

Sedentary involving a lot of sitting and correspondingly little exercise

Calorie larger units of energy

Extra tyre Protruded stomach

around belly

Vulnerable open to physical or emotional harm

Prostrations to lay or throw somebody or something flat on the ground

Dilemma a situation in which somebody must choose one of two or more

unsatisfactory alternatives

Remediable curable

Indulge to allow yourself or somebody else to experience something enjoyable

Look into to carry out a careful investigation of something such as a possibility,

problem, or crime
Workout rigorous test

Devastate to cause severe or widespread damage to something

Aerobics an active exercise program done to music, often in a class

Yoga system of exercise

Meditation the emptying of the mind of thoughts, or the concentration of the mind on one thing

Cholesterol solid compound in blood

Staple a food that forms the basis of the diet of the people of a region

Exotic introduced from other countries

Cuisine a style of cooking, especially one that is notable for high quality

Delicious having an appealing or enjoyable taste or smell

Hygienic relating to the scientific study or principles of cleanliness

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 19

Vocabulary to describe buildings, rooms and shops

Rectangular with four sides

Adequate sufficient

Airy well ventilated and having plenty of space

Spacious containing ample space

Ample more than enough, plenty

Tiled covering for floors, roofs or walls

Innovative new and creative, especially in the way that something is done

Unique being the only one of a kind

Escalator moving stairs

Ventilated to provide a room or other enclosed space with fresh air or a current of air

Well-furnished containing good furniture

Well-lit With plenty of light

Illuminate to decorate something with lights for a celebration

Multi-storey having many floors

Mind-blowing extremely exciting, surprising, or shocking

Fabulous amazingly or almost unbelievably great or impressive

Congested to overcrowd a street or area so that movement is slow or difficult, or become

overcrowded

Apple pie order neat and clean

Shipshape neat and in good order

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 20

At sixes and sevens in disorder

Shopaholic one who enjoys shopping

Window shopping to look at goods displayed in store windows without a serious intention of buying
anything

Extravagance excessive or wasteful spending of money

Spendthrift somebody who spends money recklessly or extravagantly

Shopping spree the activity of visiting shops and stores to look at and buy things

Fade away to become gradually fainter or weaker and finally disappear

Wither away to fade or lose freshness or vitality

Sky-scrapers Tall buildings

Intact whole and undamaged

Avail benefits, gain, advantage, get

Rigorous strict, stringent, harsh, unrelenting

Exorbitant far greater or higher than is reasonable

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 21

Vocabulary to describe trips and visits

Pilgrimage a journey to a holy place, undertaken for religious reasons

Pilgrim somebody who goes on a journey to a holy place for religious reasons

Fascinate to hold somebody’s attention completely or irresistibly

Sanctum Sanctorum sacred inner place

Rejuvenate to make somebody become, feel, or appear young again

City dweller a person who lives in city

Felicity happiness or contentment

Delight great enjoyment and pleasure

Blissful heavenly, wonderful, delightful

Ecstasy joy, happiness, delight, elation

Enchantment something that delights or captivates

Content the amount of something contained in something else

Obeisance a gesture of respect or deference, e.g. a bow of the head

Holy dip To take a dip in holy water

Holy pond A pond attached to a religious place that is considered holy

Refectory a dining hall, especially in a monastery, convent, or college

Plated with covered with a thin layer of metal

Dome shaped a hemispherical roof, e.g. on a palace or cathedral

Alluring appealing, charming

Charming appealing, alluring

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 22

Hymn mantra, chant, tune

Sermon a talk on a religious or moral subject

Accomplish achieve

Queue stand in line

Picturesque scenic, pictorial

Exotic very colourful and exciting

Splendor brilliance, magnificence

Ambience atmosphere and character of a place

Rapids fast-moving water

Fragrance aroma, scent, smell

Landscape an expanse of scenery

Woods forest

Snowcapped a covering of snow on a mountain peak

Adorn decorate

Sojourn a short stay at a place

Overwhelm to affect somebody’s emotions in a complete way

Astonish surprise, amaze

Fascinate charm, attract

Paradise heaven

Kayaking to ride a kayak

Rafting to ride a raft

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 23

Mountaineering mountain climbing

Bushwalking To walk in the forest

Safari a journey for the purpose of observing animals

Rendezvous a meeting arranged for an agreed time and place

Canoe light, narrow-pointed boat

Preserve protect, conserve, defend

Heritage inheritance, tradition

Prosperity wealth, affluence, richness

Integrity the state of being complete or undivided

Ritual an established and prescribed pattern of observance

Scenic picturesque, beautiful, attractive

Mountainous hilly, rocky

Plains a large expanse of fairly flat dry land, usually with few trees

Hilltops the summit of a hill

Monotony repetitiveness, boredom

Recreation leisure, pastime, amusement

Exciting thrilling, exhilarating, stimulating

Encompass include, cover, take in

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 24

Vocabulary to describe art, craft, photographs and things

Disclose reveal, unveil, make known

Acquisition gain, achievement, get hold of

Possession control, ownership, custody

Assets possessions, belongings, material goods

Antique very old, historic, old-fashioned

Sculpture statue, figure, monument

Innate qualities that a person or animal is born with

Vernacular the common spoken language of the people in a region

Portraits a painting, photograph, or drawing of somebody

Enigmatic mysterious and difficult to understand or interpret

Enhance improve, develop, boost

Ancestors somebody from whom somebody else is directly descended

Predecessors somebody who held a position or job before somebody else

Forefathers a male ancestor, usually one who died long ago

Sword a handheld weapon with a long blade

Chariot a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle used in ancient times

Bows a weapon used to fire arrows

Arrows a long thin missile fired from a bow

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 25

Vocabulary to describe activities, sports and games

Crucial vital, critical, important

Vital critical, important

Instrumental influential, active, involved

Inevitable unavoidable, certain

Unavoidable inescapable, inevitable

Handful a small amount or number of people or things

Excel do extremely well

Caliber quality, ability, level

Instill inspire, fill, encourage

Boost improve enhance

Bundle of a collection of

Flair a natural ability to do something well

Ardent enthusiastic, keen, devoted

Salient most important, outstanding, significant

Stimulate to encourage something such as an activity or a process

Reluctant unwilling, unenthusiastic, hesitant

Metabolism the processes by which food is converted into energy

Crawl move slowly, creep

Backstroke a method of swimming on the back

Privilege freedom, opportunity, advantage

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 26

Vocabulary to describe environment, pollution, animals, plants and
nature

Derelict neglected, abandoned, ruined

Defile to corrupt or ruin something

Depletion to use up or reduce something such as resources or energy

Horizon the line where the land or sea seems to meet the sky

Extinct died out, wiped out, destroyed, vanished

Fertilizers a substance added to soil to increase plant growth

Pesticides a chemical substance used to kill pests

Degrade to become worse, or make something become worse

Cultivate farm, grow, plant

Enormous huge, giant

Tremendous great, fantastic, remarkable

Huge giant, enormous, very big

Extreme going for beyond what is reasonable, moderate, or normal

Immense huge, vast enormous

Intervene to involve yourself deliberately in a situation

Mushrooming growing, escalating

Detriment harmful thing

Ominous threatening, warning, worrying

Shortcoming inadequacy, deficiency

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 27

Deface spoil, ruin, disfigure

Greed a strong desire to have more

Deforestation to remove the trees from an area of land

Reforestation to replant an area with trees

Exploitation taking selfish or unfair advantage of someone or something

Exploration investigation of something

Flora plants

Fauna animals

Typhoons a violent storm in the western Pacific and Indian oceans

Tycoons somebody with great power and wealth

Hurricane a severe storm with torrential rain and extremely strong winds

Emit produce, release, discharge

Flood water covering previously dry area

Drought lack of water

Poaching to catch wild animals illegally

Ozone layer upper layer of atmosphere absorbing ultraviolet rays

Longevity long life, endurance

Worthwhile valuable, useful

Intermingle mix together, interact

Exclusive special, restricted, limited

Endangered in danger of extinction, rare, scarce

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 28

Hedge a close-set row of bushes forming a barrier or boundary

Scented perfumed, fragrant, aromatic

Blossom bloom, flower

Survival remaining alive after facing life-threatening danger

Carnivorous meat-eating

Herbivorous plant-eating

Omnivorous eating both plant and meat

Habitat typical location

Inhabitant occupant, resident, dweller

Amphibian that lives some time on land and some time in water

Aquatic connected with water

Marine relating to sea

Marsupial animals with pouch

Marmalade Jam, jelly

Ecology study of organisms and the environment

Biodegradable that will decay relatively quickly

Tsunami a large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake

Earthquake a violent shaking of the Earth’s crust

Greenhouse gas gas that causes the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere

Global warming an increase in the world’s temperatures

Reptiles animals with an outer covering of scales or plates and a bony skeleton, e.g. the
crocodile, tortoise, snake, or lizard

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 29

Vocabulary to describe books and reading

Whodunit mystery, detective novel, crime thriller

Mischief naughtiness, trouble, disobedience

Predict forecast, expect, guess

Narrate describe, report

Geography the physical features of a place e.g. mountains and rivers

Cocksure absolutely sure

Conservation protection, preservation

Unscrupulous dishonest, immoral

Alterations changes

Extensively at length, lengthy

Access to approach

Bias prejudice, partiality, unfairness

Subscribe donate, give, pledge

A bird’s eye view overall view

Exaggeration overstatement, amplification

Virtue asset, good quality, goof feature

Struggle great effort

Abide by obey, follow

Eloquent fluent, articulate, powerful

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 30

Flooded with overwhelmed with, showered with

Coerce force, pressurize, compel

Curious eager to know about something

Studious having a tendency to study

Bookworm somebody who loves reading

Compassionate Sympathetic, empathetic

Innumerable Countless, numerous

Inevitable to be anticipated, unavoidable

Ingrained Deep-rooted, inbuilt

Shortcoming Inadequacy, deficiency

Compile accumulate, collect

Lexicography the writing and editing of dictionaries

Folklore traditional stories

Vulnerable Weak, open to, exposed

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 31

Vocabulary to describe Emotions, Expression
Positive Emotions

Kindness, Support (nouns)

compassion, Kindness, humanity, warmth, mercy, grace

sympathy, pity, consolation, comfort
empathy, care, consideration

(Verbs)

support, encourage, motivate, inspire, influence, persuade, prompt

Happiness (adjectives)

excited, thrilled, enthralled, exhilarated, elated, euphoric, ecstatic, electrified

glad, happy, cheerful, delighted, pleased
joyous, overjoyed, jubilant, exultant
satisfied, contented, blissful, gratified, fulfilled
overwhelmed, speechless, emotional, touched

(Verbs)

smile, laugh, chuckle,, guffaw, grin

rejuvenate, recharge, revive, refresh, revitalize, renew
snicker, snigger, smirk, giggle

Negative Emotions

Moods of Anger, Frustration (adjective)

frustrated, annoyed, irritated, disgusted, miffed, vexed

incensed, infuriated, enraged, furious, mad at, outraged, aggravated, exasperated
aggressive, violent

(Verbs)

provoke, instigate, trigger, rouse, evoke, spur, induce

frown, scowl, make face, glare, lour

Jealousy, Doubt (adjective)

jealous, envious
disrespectful, disbelieving, insecure, unreliable
suspicious, doubtful, skeptical, cynical, incredulous, dubious, uncertain
possessive, overprotective, controlling

(Verbs)

intimidate, bully, threaten

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 32

Vocabulary to describe Body Language
BODY LANGUAGE

Positive
good eye contact
leaning closer
nodding
relaxed posture
uncrossed or open arms

Negative
clasped palms
crossed arms and legs
fidgeting a lot
hand on face
leaning back or arms behind head
sitting in slouched posture
tensed or stiff body
wrinkled eyebrow, narrowed eyes

Related words
Verbal communication
Non-verbal communication
Facial expression
Sign language

GOOD SPEAKER
add humour to the speech
good connect with audience
good posture and appearance
incorporate proper hand gestures in accordance with speech
interactive at times
looks confident, relaxed and energetic
proper voice modulation, voice projection
speak without stumbling or fumbling
well-prepared with his subject

Verbs for Body Movements

Eyes: blink, wink, flutter, twitch, gaze, stare, look, glance, watch

Mouth: swallow, bite, sip, blow, chew, yawn

Nose: snore, sneeze, sniff, smell

Hands or Fingers: wave, pat, pinch, itch, tickle, scratch, slap, punch, rip or tear, flick, flip

Legs or Feet: tap, tick, paddle

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 33

Vocabulary to describe Seasons & Weather
Rain types Expression in Monsoon

Downpour: heavy rainfall Splash the water

Drizzle: very light rainfall Play and jump in puddles

Showers: brief and light rainfall Float paper boats

Thunderstorm: storm with thunder and Enjoy rains

lightning accompanied with
heavy rainfall Raining cats and dogs (raining heavily)

Torrential rain: extremely hard or heavy Additional words

rainfall
Marsh, quagmire, swamp, bog: place which is
Hail stone, hail: balls or pellets of frozen rain continuously
waterlogged
Hailstorm: thunderstorm that produces or having too
hail much mud

Problems Summer

Knee-deep water: water till the height of Heat wave: a period of

knees abnormally high
temperatures
Open manholes: open gutter holes
Scorching heat: unbearable heat
Potholes: pit or depression in
the surface of roads Sunburn: reddening or
inflammation of skin
Waterlogging: collection of water at due to overexposure
a particular area to sun

Epidemic: rapid spread of Sunstroke, heatstroke: an illness caused by

disease spending too much
time in excessive heat
Vehicle breakdown: mechanical failure of
motor vehicle Suntan: darkening of skin due
to exposure in
Get drenched: get wet sunlight
Solutions Perspiration: sweat
Storm water drains: drains prepared to let
out storm waters

Adequate drainage system: to remove surface

water

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 34

Expression in Summer

Enjoy evening walk

Outings till late nights

Consume more liquids to stay hydrated

Apply sunscreen to protect from heat

Winter, Cold

Blizzard: a severe snowstorm with high

winds

Cold wave: a period of sudden low

temperatures

Flurry: a light snow fall or swirling

mass of snow or leaves due to
gust of wind

Freezing cold: too cold

Frost: ice crystals deposited on

grounds due to freezing
temperature

Sleet: partly melted falling snow or

snow accompanied with rain

Snowfall: falling of snow

Bask in the sun: sit or lie in the sun to get tan

Expression in Winter

Wear colourful clothes and winter wear

Pleasant atmosphere

Enjoy morning walk

Eat winter foods to keep warm

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 35

Vocabulary to describe Astrology
Fate, destiny: kismat

Prophesy, forecast: future prediction

Horoscope: kundali

Lunar sign: moon sign

Talisman, amulet: a small decorative piece of jwellery worn to give protection against
evil

Wind chimes: decorative tinkling rods believed to bring positivity in house

Zodiac sign: sun sign

Exorcist, healer: a person who helps to remove evil spirit from the body of possessed
person

Clairvoyant, psychic: people predicting future

fortune teller, astrologer

Wizard, magician, sorcerer, witch doctor: one who does magic

Future Prediction Through

Tarot reading
Crystal ball
Numerology
Face reading

Idiomatic Expressions

Blessing in disguise

Break the spell

By the grace of God

Cast a spell

Cast off evil spirits

Under a spell

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 36

Vocabulary to describe Business & Job
People in Business

Business rival, adversary: business competitor

Employer, proprietor: owner or boss of a company

Entrepreneur: businessman

Tycoon, magnate: wealthy, powerful man in business

Self employed, free lancer: working on their own

Company

Assets & Liabilities: property owned and responsibilities of a company

Business venture & Enterprise: company, organization

Collaboration Partnership: to join with

& Alliance

Cost cutting: to cut unnecessary expenses

Cut-throat competition: stiff competition

Overhead expenses & Costs: operating expenses of a company

Global Market

Outsourcing of work: work given to other company especially in the other country mainly to get
cheap labour

Business process outsourcing: contracting a business task to a third party service provider

Knowledge process outsourcing: knowledge or information related work carried out by workers as a part
of outsourcing

Multinational companies: business spread in many countries

globalization of trade

liberalization of policies: relaxation of government restriction

Expatriate workers: workers hired from other country

Business Expression

Run a firm/ business

To get into debt: suffer heavy loss

Win-win situation: favourable outcome for both the sides

Target the niche market: product made keeping in mind a particular segment of people

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 37

Delegation of work & duties: Passing on the authority or power to do the work
People in Job
Apprentice, trainee, probation: whose job is not confirmed and still under training period
Colleague, co-worker, workmate: person working in a same company
Skilled worker and unskilled worker
Employee
Job Description
Lucrative jobs/ offers: jobs paying high salary
Rewarding jobs: jobs giving high work satisfaction
Monotonous work: same kind of work without any change
Desk job: job work in an office
Field job: job requiring staying away from office, e.g. marketing
White-collar job: job involving office work
Blue-collar job: job involving manual work
Job sharing: job shared by two people for the same designation
Job Benefits
Daily allowance
Fringe benefits, employee benefits
Increment
Perks, incentives
Travelling allowance
Wage
Remuneration
Salary
Pension scheme
At workplace
Job rotation: change of responsibilities or position in the same company in rotation
Probation period: a period of testing abilities of a person new to job
Working ambience: working environment
Office politics
Targets to achieve
Front office and back office work

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 38

 CHAPTER 3. COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES

1 Abc The elementary knowledge, I do not know even the ABC of Sanskrit.
rudiments of a subject

2 A chip off the old A man or boy who resembles his Joe looks like his father-a real chip off
block father in character, interests etc the old block

3 A back-handed Words that seem to be expressing She said I was the best teacher she’d
compliment admiration but are to some extent, had as I wasn’t as intellectual as all the
and may well be intended as an others, which I thought was rather a
insult back-handed compliment

4 A bed of roses An altogether agreeable position Life is not a bed of roses.

or situation

5 A bed of roses Any easy or comfortable place, Being a teacher is no bed of roses these
position, occupation, etc days.

6 A bird of passage A person who roams from place to He is a bird of passage; he would not
place stay with you for long.

7 A black sheep A member of society who is not We broke off our relations with him
considered respectable because he betrayed us and proved a
black sheep.

8 A blind alley A street closed at one end. I think all the talk of strike action is
just leading us down a blind alley.

9 A bolt from the Shocking surprise The news of Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s death
blue came like a bolt from the blue.

10 A bolt from the An unexpected event Her resignation came as a bolt from
blue the blue. A ‘bolt’ is a flash of lightning.
(You can also say that something
comes out of the blue when it is totally
unexpected).

11 A bone of Something which causes a quarrel Kashmir is a bone of contention

contention between India and Pakistan.

12 A bosom friend A very intimate friend I told him everything because he is my

bosom friend.

13 A bull in a china Somebody who is very clumsy or (China is fine crockery).

shop rough, knocking things over and
causing damage

14 A cat and dog life A life of petty quarrels and The husband and wife are leading a
bickering cat and dog life.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 39

15 A cock-and-bull An absurd life Your cock-and-bull story proves
story nothing.

16 A cock-and-bull An unbelievable story He made up some cock-and-bull story

story about his dog having eaten his
homework.

17 A damp squib An event that is disappointing The party was a bit of a damp squib.
because it is not as exciting or
impressive as expected
18 A dead end A road or path that is closed at one We went down a country lane but it
end was a dead end, so we just had to turn
and come back.

19 A dead heat A race in which two or more ‘Well, which of the candidates do you
competitors finish at exactly the think is best?” It’s a dead heat, I think.’
same time, or any similar situation
in which two or more people are
equal in merit, points, or some
other respect

20 A dead loss Somebody or something that is I’m a dead loss at tennis./I’m giving up
totally useless or worthless on this project. It’s a dead loss.

21 A dog’s life A wretched or miserable life It was a dog’s life for miners in those
days.

22 A fighting chance A small chance of success, but one If I can only get to meet her, I’ve got a
that definitely exists; a definite fighting chance of persuading her to
possibility help us.

23 A foregone Something that is bound to The result of the government inquiry

conclusion happen, such as a decision that is into political corruption is a foregone
bound to be made conclusion. No-one will be found guilty.
24 A gala day A day of festivity The day of his marriage was a gala
day for the whole family.

25 A golden An excellent opportunity Since I was in London on

opportunity business, I thought it was a golden
opportunity to see a couple of shows.

26 A grey area A matter or situation in which Whether boxing causes brain damage
people are not sure what is right is still a bit of a grey area.
or true and what is wrong or false

27 A hard nut to A difficult task The problem of indiscipline among

crack the students is indeed a hard nut to
crack.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 40

28 A hen-pecked A man who is dominated by his He cannot help being a hen-pecked
husband wife husband as he lives on the earnings of
his wife.
29 A Herculean task Work requiring great effort The conquest of Everest without
oxygen was a Herculean task.
30 A kettle of fish A fine/ pretty kettle of fish = a This is a pretty kettle of fish we’re in
difficult situation now.
31 A laughing stock Somebody who is laughed at I’m not wearing these shorts in public.
because of something foolish they I’d be a laughing stock.
have done
32 A narrow escape To escape disaster or death The car turned turtle but the driver
miraculously had a narrow escape.
33 A queer fish An eccentric person The old doctor is a queer fish, a very
singular person, so unlike any body
else in the world.
34 A rude awakening A sudden and unpleasant You think you can pass your exams
experience that forces you to see without doing any work. Well, one of
the truth about something these days you’ll get a rude
awakening!
35 A rule of thumb An approximate rule that can be As a rule of thumb, I allow three cups
used as a rough guide of water for every cup of rice.

36 A shot in the dark A wild guess In a sense, every marriage is a shot in

the dark.
37 A skeleton in the A shameful secret from your past You can ask anyone about how
cupboard / closet reliable I am. I don’t mind. I don’t
have any skeleton in the cupboard.
38 A slip of the A mistake made in speaking Where a word is pronounced
tongue incorrectly, or where something is said
which the speaker did not mean to say

39 A stone’s throw A short distance Their house is just a stone’s throw

from the beach.
40 A storm in a A great deal of fuss about This isn’t a serious problem-
teacup something unimportant just a storm in a teacup.

41 A straight face A serious expression, not smiling It was hard to say that with a straight
or laughing face.
42 A tall order Something difficult to achieve; an ‘He wants us to finish this by
tomorrow unreasonable request night . ‘That’s a bit of a tall order.’

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 41

43 A wet blanket A person who spoils other people’s There’s no point in going for a walk.
fun or dampens their enthusiasm It’s bound to rain.’ ‘Oh, don’t be such a
by being boring or unenthusiastic wet blanket!’
or over-cautious
44 A white elephant Something useless; unused or They built a large new office for the
unwanted, especially it is also company but it’s a bit of a white
expensive to keep elephant because they’ve now had to
sack half of their staff.
45 Above board Honest, fair or legal I don’t think the arrangement was
entirely above board.
46 Above yourself Conceited; having too high on She’s getting a bit above herself these
opinion of your importance days.
47 Alive and kicking In a healthy condition Unfortunately, racism is still alive and
kicking./She’s alive and kicking and
living in New York.
48 All and sundry Everyone without distinction He invited all and sundry to the feast.
49 All ears Listening attentively We were all ears as she told her story.
50 All in Exhausted They were all in after the walk
51 All in all Supreme, all powerful, of first The Chief Minister is all in all in his
importance state.
52 All set Ready Are well all set? OK, let’s go.
53 Alpha and omega The beginning and the end Artificiality is the alpha and omega of
the life of a modern young man
54 An itching palm A greedy disposition He had an itching palm and sold
offices for gold to the undeserving.
55 An old hand An experienced person Don’t worry. I’m not old hand
at painting.

56 Apple of discord Something which causes strife This house is an apple of discord
between the brothers
57 Apple of one’s eye A much prized treasure, valuable My little son is the apple of my eye.
thing

58 Apple pie order Extremely neat; perfect order, Every educated woman wants to see
from the arrangement of apple her house in an apple pie order.
slices on a pie or cake

59 Armed to the teeth Heavily or elaborately armed; with The bank robber was armed to the
many weapons teeth when he was caught

60 As the crow flies Measured in a straight line The village is about three miles
away as the crow flies.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 42

61 At the eleventh At a late stage I am thankful to you for your help
hour although it came to me only at the
eleventh hour.

62 Back-breaking Very hard Digging is backbreaking work.

63 Backstairs Influence used secretly He has got this job not through merit,
influence but through backstairs influence

64 Bad blood Angry and vindictive feelings The Punjab problem has created bad
blood between the two communities

65 Bad blood Angry or hostile feelings There’s bad blood between them.

66 Bag and baggage Completely; leaving no property The Britishers left India, bag and
behind baggage, in 1947.

67 Be barking up the To be mistaken. The idea comes When a raccoon is chased by a dog, it
wrong tree from raccoon-hunting runs up a tree, but the dog may be
confused and bark beside the wrong
tree.
68 Be in somebody’s To be the subject of somebody’s She’s in her mother’s bad books
bad books displeasure because she broke a valuable vase.

69 Bear / keep in To remember or consider Do bear in mind that I shall be on

mind something; not to forget it holiday next week.

70 Beat about the To talk about something in an Don’t beat about the bush. Just say
bush indirect way exactly what you think.

71 Behind closed In secret; not in public All the discussion has been behind
doors closed doors.

72 Behind Without somebody knowing or I didn’t say they could go. They did it
somebody’s back being asked for their permission, behind my back.
especially when they should

73 Between the devil Between two menacing dangers If I do not lend him money, I shall be
and the deep sea failing a friend; If I do so, I shall never
get the money back. Thus I am
between the devil and the deep sea.
‘74 Beyond a joke Quite unacceptable; more than you I didn’t mind them having a party next
are prepared to put up with door, but loud music playing till four
o’clock in the morning was beyond a
joke.
75 Birds of a feather Persons of like taste Birds of a feather flock together.
76 Blaze a trail To be the first in some new area of She’s hoping to blaze a trail in new
activity or research methods in psychiatry. A person can be
referred to as a trailblazer.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 43

77 Blood-curdling Horrible and terrifying Blood-curdling screams/ a blood-
curdling story.
78 Bloody-minded Deliberately awkward or un- This bloody-minded approach taken
cooperative by the union leadership is
damaging trade unionism
throughout the country.
79 Blue blood Aristocratic descent Priyanka Gandhi has blue blood in her
veins.
80 Blue stocking A woman who prides herself in her He divorced his wife who was a blue
learning stocking and who regarded herself as
a superior being.
81 Body and soul Entirely, wholly I am body and soul indebted to him
because of his timely help.
82 Bread and butter Material welfare; that sustains life Ordinary men think more of their daily
bread and butter than of higher things
83 Break somebody’s To upset somebody very much It broke his mother’s heart when he was
heart jailed for fraud.

84 Break the ice To put an end to feelings of They played a game in which they had
shyness or formality, for example to find partners by making animal
at a party noises. Silly, but it broke the ice and
had everyone laughing.

85 Bright-eyed and Lively and well rested, ready to get You’d better go to bed now. You have
bushy-tailed into action to be up early tomorrow, bright-eyed
and bushy-tailed.
86 Burn your fingers; To suffer the unpleasant I warn you, if you invest in those shares
get your fingers consequences of interfering in you’ll get your fingers burnt.
burnt something, taking a risk, or acting
foolishly

87 Bury the hatchet To become friends again after a All right, you two. Calm down and
bury quarrel the hatchet.

88 By fits and starts Not steadily; without steady He works by fits and starts and cannot
application pass the examination.

89 By leaps and Quickly and by large amounts Her English has improved by leaps and
bounds bounds over the past few weeks.

90 By the skin of your Very narrowly; only just I got away by the skin of my teeth.
teeth

91 By word of mouth By somebody telling you when The story spread by word of mouth.
speaking to you, and then you liar.
telling someone else

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 44

92 Call a spade a To say exactly what you mean Let’s call a spade a spade. The man is a
spade even if it gives offence, without liar.
trying to find more pleasant and
less offensive ways of saying it

93 Call it a day To stop what you are doing even I’m tired. Let’s call it a day and finish
though it is incomplete the job tomorrow.

94 Capital Legal punishment of death Humanists want capital punishment

punishment to be abolished.

95 Castles in the air Visionary schemes One who does nothing more than
building castles in the air cannot
achieve much.

96 Catch somebody’s To be noticed by somebody; to I was just looking in the shop window
eye attract somebody’s attention when this necklace caught my eye.

97 Change your mind To change your opinion, intention I was going to buy that dress, but I’ve
or decision changed my mind.

98 Chicken hearted With no courage Women are normally chicken hearted.

99 Chickenfeed Something of little value, Rs. 5000 may be a lot of money to you
especially a small amount of but it’s just chickenfeed to her.
money

100 Clear the air To release the tension in a We had a furious row last night, but at
situation, e.g. By giving people a least it cleared the air.
chance to express their opinions

101 Clear-cut Clear and unambiguous A clear- cut decision.

102 Clear-headed Able to think clearly I’m not drinking any wine now. I want
to be absolutely clear-headed when the
meeting starts.
103 Come clean To confess; to tell the truth after Why don’t you just come clean and
trying to hide it admit you did it?
104 Come of age To reach the age at which you are With this new album, her music has
legally considered an adult come of age.

105 Come to blows To begin to fight with fists or They may disagree with one another
weapons but I’d never have expected them to
come to blows over it.

106 Come to grief To meet with disaster, mishap, or The wedding party came to grief when
loss the bride passed out

107 Come to light To be revealed or discovered The theft only came to light when staff
opened the shop on Monday morning.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 45

108 Come what may No matter what happens I’ll be there on Thursday, come what
may.

109 Cool one’s heels To be kept waiting I spent all afternoon cooling my heels
in the waiting room while the
doctor talked on the telephone.

110 Cool-headed Not easily excited Capable of acting calmly in a difficult

situation is an attribute of a
coolheaded person.

111 Crocodile tears Hypocritical tears He shed crocodile tears at the death of
his step-mother.

112 Crocodile tears Insincere expressions of sadness. Crocodiles were once believed to sigh
and moan in order to attract victims,
or to weep while eating them.

113 Daylight robbery Charging an unreasonable price Rs 50 for that pot? That’s daylight
for something robbery!

114 Donkey work Any hard, boring work or task His wife picks flowers, but he does all
the donkey-work in garden

115 Draw the line at To be unwilling to do something I’m willing to speak to my ex-wife but I
something draw the line at dancing with her.

116 Dressing down A scolding After that dressing down I won’t be

late again.

117 Ear-piercing, ear- Loud and shrill She let out an ear-piercing shriek.
splitting

118 Eat humble pie To be humble and apologetic The minister ate a humble pie after
about something you have said or insulting the honorary speaker.
done. Originally this had nothing
to do with being humble

119 Eat your words To admit that something you said I said she’d never pass her exams, but
was wrong I was forced to eat my words.

120 Elbow grease Hard physical work I’ll take some elbow grease to clean
this car.

121 Elbow room Opportunity for freedom of action Your son can certainly make a
headway if you allow him some elbow
room.

122 Empty-handed Without bringing or getting I didn’t want to come to your party
anything empty-handed.

123 Eye-wash Deceit The sympathy of the political leaders

for the poor is a mere an eye-wash.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 46

124 Fair and square Honest; just His conduct has been fair and square
throughout.

125 Few and far Rare He left his village long ago and his
between visits to the village are now few and
far between.

126 Fight a losing To continue to try to do something I try to that my daughters keep their
battle that you know is not going to rooms tidy, but I’m fighting a losing
succeed battle.

127 Flat out As quickly as possible We’re going flat out to finish this by
Friday.

128 Flesh and blood Human nature Flesh and blood cannot see these
crimes committed in the name of
religion.

129 For a rainy day For a time in the future when I’m not going to spend all this money
something, especially money, now, I’ll save some for a rainy day.
might be needed

130 Forty winks A short sleep He usually has forty winks going home
on the train.

131 Foul play A criminal act, especially murder The police say they suspect foul play.

132 French leave Absence without permission Though his boss is very strict, he
manages to enjoy French leave off and on.
133 From scratch From the very beginning If the plans are wrong, we’ll have to
start from the scratch again.
134 From the bottom Sincerely I thank you from the bottom of my
of your heart heart for all you have done.
135 Full of beans Lively and cheerful She was feeling a bit under the
weather yesterday but she’s full of
beans today.
136 Get / have cold To suddenly become, or be, afraidI was going to ask her out, but I got
feet to do something cold feet.
137 Get / set / start To get some activity started Would anyone like to bid something to
the ball rolling start the ball rolling?
138 Get on somebody’s To irritate somebody Her voice really gets on my nerves.
nerves
139 Give somebody a To express your anger or Why on earth was she so careless? I’ll
piece of your mind disapproval openly to somebody give her a piece of my mind when I
because of something they have next see her.
done

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 47

140 Give the game To reveal a secret Now, all of you have to keep quiet.
away Please don’t give the game away.
141 Go all cut To try or work as hard as possibleWe’re going all cut to finish this by
Friday.
142 Go Dutch To each pay for oneself, for I’ll go out and eat with you if you can
example at a restaurant go Dutch.
143 Go for a song To be for sale at a very low price I couldn’t resist buying the car. It was
going for a song.
144 Go to the dogs To get into a bad condition I’m exhausted all the time and I have
no concentration. I’m really going to
the dogs.
145 Go to your head To allow something to make you Her promotion has gone to her head
very proud or conceited and she won’t talk to me now.
146 Grasp the nettle To deal with a problem or We must grasp the nettle and do
difficulty firmly and resolutely. something about our overspending.
(a nettle is a plant with
stinging leaves; if you
touch it hesitantly, you will
get stung, but if you grasp
it firmly, the leaves do not
sting you.)

147 Hair- raising Frightening; terrifying A hair-raising experience

148 Hair splitting Over-subtle arguing I cannot understand your hair-

splitting arguments.

149 Half-hearted With little enthusiasm or effort She made a half-hearted attempt
to catch the dog as it ran past her.

150 Hammer and Violently/vigorously The pleaders got worked up and went
tongs at each other hammer and tongs.

151 Hard and fast Rigid There are no hard and fast rules
regarding participation in this contest.

152 Hard-pressed, Only able to do something with I’d be hard put to it to buy a new car at
hard put to it great difficulty the moment.

153 Hare-brained, Foolish That was a hare-brained idea if ever I

hair-brained heard one!

154 Have a bee in your To be obsessed about something She’s got a bee in her bonnet about
bonnet people dyeing their hair.

155 Have a chip on To have a feeling of resentment He’s got a chip on his shoulder about
your shoulder about something people who have been to university.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 48

156 Have a job To have some difficulty doing By all means ask her but I think you’ll
something have a job persuading her to come.

157 Have an axe to To have a strong personal opinion I’ve no particular axe to grind. I just
grind about something or a strong don’t think programmes like that
reason for doing something or forshould be on television.
wanting it done

158 Have kittens To be very upset, worried or angry When she didn’t turn up for the
meeting, the boss had kittens.

159 Have the last To have the final remark in a Well, you’ve got the last word. You
word conversation decide what to do.

160 Hear things To imagine that you are hearing Am I hearing things? Did you just
something that in fact you cannot volunteer to wash the dishes?
hear

161 Heart and soul Enthusiastically You cannot succeed unless you put
your heart and soul in your studies.

162 Heart-searching Examination of your feelings, After the poor exam results, the
motives, etc headmaster said that the staff is
needed to do some heart-searching.

163 Heart-warming Causing emotional pleasure A heart-warming story of a little boy’s

love for his dog.
164 Helter-skelter In haste and confusion When the police opened fire, the
mob ran helter-skelter.
165 High-handed Done, or acting, without She accuses the government of
considering other people’s censorship, high-handed behaviour,
feelings, rights or opinions lies, and a cover-up.

166 Hit somebody To attack somebody unfairly Boxers are not allowed to hit their
below the belt opponents below the belt

167 Hit the nail on the To identify a problem exactly You’ve hit the nail on the head. Our
head problem is lack of money.

168 Hold the fort To take charge temporarily I’ll hold the fort while you go for
lunch.

169 Horse play Physically active and frivolous I won’t tolerate horse-play in my
play room.

170 Hot air Boastful words or promises the Half of what politicians say is just hot
speaker has no intention of air.
keeping

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 49

171 Hot and bothered Flustered and agitated, for There’s no point in getting all hot and
example from having too much bothered about missing the bus. We
work to do, being anxious, being in can always get the next one.
a hurry etc
172 In a jiffy Without any delay; forthwith Wait here, please. I shall be back in a
jiffy.

173 In a nutshell Briefly; to sum up a situation or ‘So she was lying all the time!’ ‘That’s
story it in a nutshell.’

174 In cold blood Without passion; deliberately Mahatma Gandhi was killed in cold
blood.

175 In hot waters In a state of trouble or worry He disobeyed his superiors and so is in
hot waters now.

176 In seventh heaven On cloud mine/In a very happy Rupa was really in seventh heaven
state when she got a car of her own.

177 In the dark Not knowing about something The staff complained that the directors
that you should have been told were keeping them in the dark about
about the future of the company.

178 In the pipeline In preparation; being planned There are some major changes in the
pipeline

179 In the red Having spent more money than I can’t take any money out of the bank
you have, and therefore, for because my account is in the red.
example, owing money to your
bank

180 In the same boat In the same awkward or There’s no point in complaining about
unpleasant situation paying income tax. We’re all in the
same boat.

181 In the soup In trouble If she catches you in her office, you’ll
really be in the soup.

182 In your element In a situation, job, activity etc that She’s in her element working as a
you enjoy and are well suited to gardener.

183 Ins and outs Its whole working; the details of He knows the ins and outs of the trade.
anything

184 Jail bird A rogue who is more often in The accused is a jail bird; this is his
prison than out of it tenth crime.

185 Keep an eye on To watch somebody or somethingWe’ll keep an eye on your house while
somebody to ensure that they do not come to you’re away.
/something harm or do anything wrong

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 50

186 Keep an eye out To watch for somebody or Keep an eye out for John and Mary.
for somebody / something while doing something They said they might be at the concert
something else too.

187 Keep body and To just manage to live I’m not rich, but I earn enough to keep
soul together body and soul together.

188 Keep your chin up Try to be cheerful and unworried Keep your chin up! It’s not long till the
in spite of being in a difficult or holidays now.
unpleasant situation

189 Kick the bucket To die. This is a slang expression.

190 Kill two birds with To achieve two results while doing I was in town for a case, so I thought I
one stone one thing would kill two birds with one stone
and buy some new shoes.

191 Lay down your life To die in battle, etc We honour those who have laid down
their lives for their country.

192 Lay hands on To obtain or find something Do you know where I could lay my
something hands on a copy of The History of
Western Philosophy’?

193 Leave no stone To do everything that can be done The government said it would leave no
unturned to do something, especially to get stone unturned in its search for the
information truth.

194 Lend a hand To help somebody Do you think they can manage on their
own, or should we offer to lend a hand?

195 Lift a finger To make even the slightest effort I wouldn’t lift a finger to help them.

196 Like anything A great deal, very much, or with It was so funny, we were laughing like
great effort anything.

197 Long-winded Boringly long, using too many The subject of the talk was interesting
words enough, but the speaker was so long-
winded I fell asleep.

198 Make a beeline for To go straight to it When he arrived at the party, he made
something / a beeline for the kitchen.
somewhere

199 Make an ass of To behave foolishly I made an ass of myself at the meeting-
yourself standing up and then forgetting
the question.

200 Make believe To pretend Let’s make believe you’re mummy and
I’m daddy and the teddies are our
children
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 51
201 Make somebody’s To give somebody a feeling of That film really made my flesh creep.
flesh crawl/ creep disgust or horror

202 Make somebody’s To terrify somebody I could tell you stories that would
air stand on end make your hair stand on end.

203 Make the best of To do the best with what you have, Well, it’s a pity it’s raining but we’ll
something or accept an unpleasant or just have to make the best of it.
undesirable situation as well as
you can

204 Make the grade To succeed Jack will never make the grade as a
teacher.

205 Make up your To make a decision There’s so many to choose from, I can’t
mind make up my mind.

206 Make your mouth To make you desire or anticipate I saw some dresses that would make
water something your mouth water. (The underlying
idea is that the smell of food can
make you produce saliva in
your mouth. Something can be
said to be mouth-watering).

207 Mind your own Not to interfere in other people’s Leave me alone, Rupa. Mind your own
business affairs business.

208 Name-dropping Causally mentioning the names of Many young artists were dropping
famous people you know, or claimnames at the party to impress the
to know, in order to impress the gathering.
people you are talking to

209 No love lost No liking for one another There’s no love lost between them,
even though they’re brothers.

210 Not by a long Not at all This work just isn’t good enough. Not
chalk by a long chalk.

211 Not the end of the Not very bad; not as bad as it It’s a pity we didn’t’ get tickets for the
world seems concert, but it’s not the end of the
world.

212 Not your cup of Not the sort of thing you like Modern art really isn’t her cup of tea.
tea

213 Once (and) for all Finally and definitely (allowing no Once and for all, I’m going to the
further discussion or argument, or meeting and you’re not!
requiring no further action)

214 Open-mouthed Amazed They watched open-mouthed as the

jugglers tossed swords to one another.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 52

215 Out of hand Not under control The riot was getting out of hand.

216 Part and parcel A necessary, and usually annoying I’m afraid having spots is part and
or unpleasant, aspect of something parcel of being a teenager.

217 Pass the buck To pass the responsibility for Don’t try to pass the buck! It’s your
causing or dealing with a problem fault and everybody knows it.
to somebody else. (the ‘buck’ is
an object passed from player to
player in the game of poker)

218 Pins and needles A tingling feeling in a part of the I’ve got pins and needles in my hand.
body where the blood is beginning
to flow freely after being constricted

219 Play it by ear To deal with a situation in a way I don’t know what I’m going to do to
that responds to what is her. I’ll just have to play it by ear.
happening at the time rather
than by following a fixed plan you
have made beforehand

220 Play the game To behave fairly You shouldn’t try to disturb your
opponent’s concentration. That’s not
playing the game.

221 Point-blank Direct; straightforward A point-blank refusal.

222 Pull somebody’s To tease somebody, or playfully That can’t be true. Surely he was
leg make fun of them pulling your leg.

223 Pull your socks up To try to do better than you have If you don’t pull your socks up, you’ll
been doing fail your exams.

224 Put somebody’s To annoy somebody What really put my back up was her
back up claiming to have done most of the
work.

225 Put two and two To draw a conclusion from various Well, I put two and two together and
together facts came up with an idea who did it.

226 Put your best foot To make your best effort Since you failed last time you must put
forward your best foot forward now.

227 Put your foot To insist on something They weren’t going to come but I put
down my foot down and said that they had
to.

228 Read between the To draw conclusions from what is After listening to what she said if you
lines not clearly stated read between the lines, you can begin
to see what she means.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 53

229 Rock the boat To cause trouble for yourself or I wasn’t happy about the decision, but I
others certainly wasn’t going to rock the boat
by complaining.

230 Round the clock All day and all night without This is the only radio station to bring
stopping you round-the-clock news bulletins.

231 Run a mile To run away, to try to escape from She’d run a mile if anyone suggested
a situation she should sing a solo at the concert.

232 Scatterbrained Forgetful and disorganized A scatterbrained person. You can say
that somebody is a scatterbrain.

233 Second childhood Childish behaviour in old age My husband has started playing with
toy trains. Must be his second
childhood.

234 Second thoughts Reconsideration; a change of plan On second thoughts, perhaps we

or opinion shouldn’t go after all.

235 See eye to eye To think alike; to agree Raju and Rupa never see eye to eye
about anything. They always disagree.

236 See red To become very angry Whenever I think of the needless
destruction of trees I see red.

237 See the light To suddenly understand, accept or One day her boss will see the light and
believe something after not doing realize how much she does for him.
so

238 See things To imagine that you are seeing ‘There’s a man walking about in the
something that in fact is not there garden!’ ‘Don’t be silly, there’s no-one
there. You’re just seeing things.’

239 Show your face To appear somewhere where you He wouldn’t dare show his face around
would be unwelcome or here again after the way he behaved
unexpected the last time.

240 Single-handed On your own; without help or He’s intending to sail round the world
company single-handed.

241 Single-minded With only one aim or purpose in She’s very single-minded. She intends
mind to be a success, and everything she
does, she does with that in mind.

242 Sixth sense The power of intuition, or some Her sixth sense told her she was being
sense or awareness that you followed. (The five senses are sight,
cannot explain hearing, smell, taste and touch.)

243 Small fry Insignificant people Invitation cards were issued to all,
even to the small fry.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 54

244 Small fry A person or people of little What makes you think she’d be
importance concerned about small fry like you?

245 Small hours The morning hours after midnight They kept dancing and singing up to
small hours.

246 Smell a rat To have a suspicion that He’s being nice to us. I smell a rat. He
something about a situation is not wants us to do something for him.
quite right

247 Sour grapes Saying that you don’t want She says she wouldn’t have wanted to
something or that it isn’t very go to the party anyway, but that’s just
good simply because you can’t sour grapes because she wasn’t
have it in any case invited.

248 Spine-chilling Frightening A spine-chilling story of murder in a

remote village amazed everyone.

249 Split hairs To argue over small details or Arguing about whether his remarks
make trivial distinctions between were really racist or not is just
things that are essentially the splitting hairs.
same

250 Square meal A good satisfying meal All you’ve eaten today is junk food. You
should sit down to a square meal.

251 Square one The beginning or starting-point We thought we’d got our house sold,
but the deal fell through and we found
ourselves back to square one.

252 Suit somebody To suit somebody perfectly That dress suits here down to the
down to the ground, doesn’t it?
ground

253 Take something Not to believe something entirely; He says his father was a war hero, but
with a grain / to be skeptical about it I’d take that with a pinch of salt.
pinch of salt

254 The apple of Something or somebody much His youngest daughter was the apple
somebody’s eye loved of his eyes.

255 The best bet The most sensible thing to do, or I think your best bet would be to go
the thing that is most likely to home and wait for her to phone you.
succeed

256 The gift of the gab Readiness of speech; fluency, Debates help students cultivate their
talent for speaking; loquacity gift of the gab.

257 The gift of the gab A talent for talking persuasively You should be a salesman. You really
have got the gift of the gab.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 55

258 The last straw One thing more than a person, etc Losing my job was bad enough, but
can bear being evicted from my house was the
last straw.
259 The lion’s share The largest share Well, I did the lion’s share of the work,
didn’t I?

260 The long and the A summary of the facts or situation The long and the short of it, is I need
short of it in few words more money.

261 The naked eye Looking at something without the These insects are so small, they are
aid of a microscope, telescope etc. barely visible to the naked eye.

262 The odd one out The thing or person that does not Which of the following words is the
fit in with the rest of the group odd one out?

263 Thick-skinned Not easily upset by insults or Tom won’t worry about your insults.
criticism He’s completely thick-skinned.

264 Thin air Nowhere My wallet just disappeared into thin

air. (= completely disappeared).

265 Through rose- In a too optimistic way She looks at the world through rose-
coloured / rose- tinted spectacles.
tinted glasses/
spectacles/lenses

266 Through thick and No matter what happens; in spite He has supported this company
thin of all difficulties through thick and thin.

267 Throw the book at To reprimand somebody severelyIf he finds out you’re not been filling
somebody for doing wrong out these forms correctly, he’ll throw
the book at you.

268 Tighten you belt To reduce the amount you spend Now that your father has been made
redundant, we’ll all have to tighten our
belts.

269 Tight-fisted Mean with money You won’t get any money out of
him, the tight-fisted old miser.

270 Tight-lipped Refusing to speak; refusing to give No matter how much they threatened
information her, she remained tight-lipped about
what she knew of the plot.

271 To burn the To expend one’s resources in two He is burning his candle at both ends
candle at both directions to consume one’s energies by throwing big parties and buying
ends in a double way shares.

272 To cut the Gordian To solve a difficult problem by They want to cut the Gordian Knot of
Knot force or in an unusual fashion the problem while we want to find a
peaceful solution.
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 56
273 To dance A phrase used in contempt Those who used to dance attendance
attendance on meaning to pay slavish court to on the Chief Minister are now
criticizing him publicly.

274 To egg on To urge; to incite He is an innocent lamb and has been

egged on by the mischief-mongers to
act rashly.

275 To feather one’s To provide for one’s own personal He who does not feather his nest is
nest comforts and interest either a fool or a god.

276 To go to the dogs To go to ruin His business has gone to the dogs and
his family is starving.

277 To have many To have many projects in hand at Big businessmen usually have many
irons in the fire one time irons in the fire.

278 To play a second To take a subordinate position In Indian homes women still play a
fiddle to second fiddle to men.

279 To play ducks and To spend foolishly After is father’s death he played
drakes ducks and drakes with the money he
got.

280 Turn a blind eye To pretend not to see something; The management turn a blind eye to
to something to ignore it minor pilfering by the staff.

281 Turn a deaf ear to To ignore something you hear; notHe turns a deaf ear to all our
something to listen to it complaints.

282 Turn tail To turn around (and run away) When the police arrived, the rioters
turned tail and fled.

283 Two-faced Hypocritical I don’t trust her- I suspect she’s a bit

two-faced.

284 Under your nose So close to you that you should seeI don’t know how she managed to
it steal clothes from the shop right
under my nose.

285 Up and about To be out of bed and able to walk, The doctor says you’ll be up and about
for example after a period of again by next week.
illness

286 Up in arms Protesting angrily We were up in arms when we

found out that the council was
going to cut down all the trees.
287 Up to one’s eyes Extremely busy with something I’ve no time for a holiday. I’m up to
the eyes in work at the moment.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 57

288 Walk on air To be very happy After her engagement, she was
walking on air for weeks.
289 Wash your hands To refuse to take responsibility for If you won’t listen to my advice, I
wash of somebody’s/ somebody / something my hands of the whole affair.
something
290 Whole-hearted Sincere and enthusiastic You can count on my whole-hearted
support.
291 Wipe the slate To make a fresh start, ignoring I know we’ve been enemies up till now,
clean past mistakes, problems etc. but let’s wipe the slate clean and see if
we can work together.
292 With flying With great success Rupa passed her IELTS test with flying
colours colours.
293 With open arms Sincerely and with obvious We were welcomed with open arms.
pleasure
294 With your bare Without any weapons or tools He claims to have killed a lion with his
hands; bare-handed bare hands.
295 With your heart in Nervous or frightened With her heart in her mouth, she
your mouth cautiously opened the door.

296 Without batting Without showing surprise or I know I had insulted her, and she
eye emotion; without blinking an eye turned to me to leave without batting
an eye.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 58

 CHAPTER 4. COMMON CONFUSABLES
This section lists pairs (or larger sets of English words) that are frequently confused in speech or writing.
These ‘confusables’ appear here in a single alphabetical sequence accompa nied by brief descriptions
and examples to clarify the correct use of each.

Ability, Capacity Ability means quality or state of being able or having power to perform. Capacity
suggests the power of receiving and holding.
About, Almost, Almost implies a negation. It means very nearly, not quite, and expresses the ideas of
Nearly failure or falling short. He had almost beaten me in competition. Nearly is equivalent
to less than. About means more or less than.

Act, Action Act is the thing done. Action is the process of doing.

Adapt, Adopt We use adapt to mean adjust, make suitable, as in, They adapted themselves to new
life. We adopt a child, or a plan, when we take it by our choice.

Affect, Effect To affect someone is to influence or produce an effect. It also means to pretend. Effect
is the result or consequences.

Allow, Permit Permission implies a decided assent. Allowing means assentation from refusal.

Amicable, Friendly Amicable is a weaker word than friendly. Friendly is active and positive, amicable
rather implies a negative sentiment.

Answer, Reply, An answer is given to a question or charges, a reply is made to an assertion; a

Rejoinder, rejoinder is made to a reply; a response is corresponding answer given in word or
Response action.

Artist, Artisan An artist is one who practices the fine arts, like painting or music. An artisan is the
practiser of the mechanical arts, like carpentry.

Assassinate, Kill To assassinate is to murder, suddenly, treacherously, or by stealth. To kill is to deprive

of life.

Assent, Consent Both mean agree. Assent relates to the intellect, and consent to the will or feeling of a
person. Assent is official concurrence or sanction, and consent is voluntary agreement
on the part of an equal.

Authentic, Authentic means authoritative. Genuine, the opposite of false, means real or true. The
Genuine documents are authentic. The bank note is genuine, not counterfeit.

Avenge, Revenge In avenging there is the idea of justice and fairness. To revenge means to wreak
vengeance in a spiteful manner. To avenge is the exact satisfaction on behalf of a
person or for a wrong done. To revenge is to satisfy oneself with retaliation.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 59

 Beautiful, Fine All these words denote that which is pleasing to the eye. Fine is associated with
Handsome, Pretty certain delicacy in figure, beautiful is the clothes, or conduct. Handsome implies the
possession of a well-formed shape or figure, and generally relates to a masculine
form, Prettiness belongs to women and children.

Ceiling, Roof Roof the entire covering of the house, whereas ceiling is only its inner surface.

Cheat, Deceive To cheat means to obtain something from a person by fraud or trick. To deceive
means to give someone a false idea, to make a person believe what is untrue.

Childish, Childlike The former is generally used in a bad sense and means silly, trifling, and the latter
is used in a good sense and means innocent or pure or simple (like a child);

Climate, Weather Climate denotes the general atmospheric conditions of a country; weather, these
conditions at a particular time.

Close, Near Things may be near each other without necessarily being close together.

Confess, To confess implies that one has been at fault. To acknowledge means to admit,
Acknowledge acknowledge or to recognize something as a fact.

Deny, Refuse We deny truth of a statement; we refuse to do or give a thing.

Difficulty, Difficulty is the general term for that which requires efforts or skill to do or overcome.
Obstacle An obstacle is something that stands in the way or opposes.

Disability, Both suggest the state of being unable. Disability may be only temporary and
Inability therefore removed. Inability implies an inherent, irremediable lack of power to do
something.

Disbelief, Unbelief Disbelief is positively denial of truth; unbelief is mere absence of belief or faith.

Discover, Invent Things which exist already are discovered. Something produced for the first time is
known as invention.

Disinterested, If one is disinterested one is either apathetic or free from self-interest. Uninterested
Uninterested means not having any interest in.

Dispel, Disperse Fears may be dispelled; crowds may be dispersed. Dispel is limited to vague or
intangible things. Disperse and scatter are close synonyms.

Doubt, Suspect The only difference between these words is, that whereas the former is negative, the
latter is affirmative. We suspect a servant of theft; we doubt (do not think it certain)
his complicity in the crime.

Drown, Sink To sink means to disappear below surface. To drown is generally transitive verb
meaning to cause death by submersion. Used in the passive sense, it is used for
animate objects. A ship sinks; sailors were drowned.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 60

 Emigrant, The former is one who leaves his own country to settle in another. An immigrant is one
Immigrant who comes into a land.

Envy, Jealousy Envy is always a base passion; jealousy may be noble or ignoble.

Event, Accident An event is an occurrence of some importance, not necessarily unexpected. An

accident is something that is unexpected, and happens by chance; it often carries with
it the idea of misfortune.

Female, Feminine Female applies to plants and animals as well as to human beings; feminine is the
opposite of masculine and applies only to human beings

Fetch, Bring To fetch means to go and bring. To bring means to come, taking something with one.

Habit, Custom A habit generally concerns the individual. A custom means what is commonly
practiced in a society or country.

House, Home A house is any building intended for habitation. Home is the particular house or part
of it in which one lives, with all the family associations.

Later, Latter Later is the comparative of late, while latter means the second of two.

Necessity, Need Need indicates some temporary want; necessity is that which is indispensably
necessary.

Neglect, Negligence Neglect means leaving something undone; negligence suggests habitual carelessness.

Recede, Retreat We recede, or drawback, at will; retreat from necessity, usually to escape danger.
Receive, Accept To receive is to take back what is one’s own. To accept is to take what others offer us.

Safety, Security Safety is the state of being free from danger, Security is the sense of feeling safe.

Take, Receive To take is to take hold of a thing ourselves. To receive, on the other hand means to
accept delivery of thing when it is given to us.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 61

 CHAPTER 5. THE WORD COUNT IN IELTS WRITING

 The most important information for all the candidates is about the under length penalty. In IELTS,
if your response falls short by up to 10 words i.e. of your task 1 response is in the range of 141 to
149 words, no bands will be deducted. The same is true for Task 2, if your essay re sponse is in the
range of 241 to 249 words, no bands will be deducted. However, I strongly insist the candidates to
write the required number of words in their response that is 150 words in task 1 and 250 words
in task 2.

 Some words are normally written as one word but some candidates write them as two words for
example some times (it should be written as sometimes), can not (it should be written as cannot)
flash light (it should be written as flashlight) and so on are counted as one word instead of the fa ct
that the candidate has written them as two words.

 Hyphenated words like ex-student, anti-religion, all-inclusive, above-mentioned and so on are
counted as one word.

 Contractions are also counted as one word. For example, if you write I am, it will be counted as
two words but if you write I’m, it will be counted as one word.

 In General Training Task 1, words written in the salutation and name at the end of the letter are
not counted in the overall word count. For example, Dear sir, Yours Faithfully and the name at the
end are not counted in the final word count.

 Numbers (currency, percentage, area, temperature, distance, weight and so on) are counted as
one word if they are written using numbers and their respective symbols. For example, 20,000,
000 or 20m, $ 50, 90km, 40% and so on. However, if they are written using numbers and words,
they are always counted as two or more words depending on the text. For example, 20 million, 50
dollars, 90 kilometres, 40 percent and so on are counted as two words.

 Symbols and abbreviations are always counted as one word, for example, i.e., BC, AD and so on.

 All the dates are always counted in the following manner, one word (31-01-2013) two words (31 st
January) and three words (31 st January, 2013)

 Any title or heading that you write are not counted in the overall word count. However, I strongly
suggest that there is no need to write any title or heading in IELTS writing.

 Some students think that articles like ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ are not counted in IELTS writing, but they
ARE counted.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 62

 CHAPTER 6. 7 STEPS IMPROVEMENT COURSETO GET A HIGH BAND SCORE
ACADEMIC WRITING TASK 1
Step 1Introduction to Academic writing or Report Writing

Task 1 of the Academic Module asks you to describe some information presented in a visual format
(graph, chart, table or diagram) in about 20 minutes. Candidates must write at least 150 words.

The graphs can be of the following types:-

Line Graph (generally used to show trend)

Bar Chart (generally used to show comparison)

Pie Chart (generally use dot show contribution orsharing)

Table (can be used to show any of the above mentioned function)

Process Diagram or Flow Chart or Picture or Map

Step 2  Structure of a high band answer

The first paragraph of the answer in Academic Task 1 should not be called introduction and the last
paragraph should not be called conclusion. This is because Academic writing is report writing. It
means, the candidate has to write only what is given in the task and the candidate must not add his or
her personal opinion or explanation in it and so, I will call it an opening paragraph and not
introduction and I will call closing paragraph and not conclusion. However, I have seen many
students using the word introduction for Academic Writing Task 1, and so, I will use those words
also, but in a bracket to ease the common understanding.

1. Opening Paragraph 1 paragraph of 1 to 2 sentences. These sentences explain what you are
going to describe.

(Introduction)

2. Body 2-4 paragraphs depending upon the type of graph and the number of
graphs given in the question.

Describe the most important feature of the graph, generally the first
paragraph of the body should begin with that. However, if you have to
describe two graphs or even more, you may allocate one paragraph to
each of the graphs and describe them accordingly.

You may divide the paragraphs like this (if there is only one graph) 1-
the most important change 2-the other changes.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 63

 You may divide paragraphs like this (if there are two or more graphs) 1-
the first graph (start with the most important change in the first graph)
2- the second graph 3- the third graph.
However, when there are two graphs given of the same kind, you
should go for the first method described above.

3. Closing Paragraph 1 paragraph of 1 to 2 sentences. The closing paragraph should sum up

(Conclusion) the overall change or trend shown in the graph (s)

Step 3  How to write opening paragraph?

Most students are often confused about how should they write the first paragraph and this is the
reason why they often copy the information printed with the graph in the question paper. However,
such tendency is harmful because if you copy words literally from the topic questions (rubrics),
examiners will underline those words and will write a note ‘copied from topic question’ and there are
chances that these words will not be counted in your final word count and you may fall short of 150
words.

The most effective technique is, ask two questions to yourself.

Q.1 ‘What do the graphs show?’ or ‘What does the graph show?’
Q.2 ‘What are the graphs about? Or ‘What is the graph about?’

Your answer to the above-mentioned questions will help you in writing the opening paragraph.

You should study the table given below to begin the opening paragraph.

Type of chart (subject) Main Verb Object Noun Clause

chart shows
graph indicates the number of …
table illustrates the proportion of…
diagram describes information on…
table gives information about…
presents
The (given) figures show data on…
data indicate that…
statistics illustrate
maps depict
pictures express
give

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 64

Step 4 How to write body paragraphs?

It is advisable to start with the most important point. However, it is not a thumb rule and so some of
my answers will not begin like this, but they will certainly highlight the most important point of the
graph.

The first line of the first body paragraph should begin with the expressions shown in the tabl e
below…
According to the table/chart
As (is) shown in the diagram
As can be seen from the graph
figures
It can be seen table/chart
from the diagram
It is clear/ apparent/
graph that…
evident
figures

For example, if the graph given is a line graph, the words/ verbs you should use are of trends like
increase, decrease, rising sharply, reaching the peak, sitting the bottom, falling gradually and so on.
Likewise, if you are asked to describe a pie chart, you should not use the language that is used in the
description of a bar chart.

Step 5More practice on appropriate language for Line Graphs, Bar Charts and Pie Charts

For Line Graphs, you may use following types of sentences:

When you describe a graph, you should first identify the obvious trend in the graph because it is
important to mention the same in your answer. You must also mention the highest and the lowest
points in the graph. You should also cover the changes in the initial, middle and the last part of the
line graph.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 65

 Trends can be described using different types of sentences.
1. One such type of sentence is mentioned below:
Subject +verb+ adverb+ time i.e.
The sales of something or the number of something + verb + adverb + from.. to or between… and …. or in
the ….

Verb that indicates

Subject Adverb Period of time (If applicable)
changes
The sales of (laptops) increased suddenly
rose dramatically
swelled significantly
shot up steeply in the last quarter or from
climbed up sharply
went up rapidly Or
Or
jumped up quickly
promptly (2005) to (2007)
smoothly

Or
decreased consistently
dropped continually
fell gradually between (January) to (June)
reduced suddenly
went down slowly
slightly
The number of
(international visitors) steadily
fluctuated
varied

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 66

2. The same sentence can be written with the following style:

Period of time + subject + verb + adverb

Verb that indicates

Period of time Subject Adverb
changes

In the last quarter, increased Sharply

or the sales
From (2005) to (2007), of (laptops) went up Slightly
or
Between shot up Slowly
(January) to (June), or
the number of grew Dramatically
(international visitors)
swelled Significantly

rose Greatly

dropped

tumbled Drastically

declined Moderately

fell Gradually

reduced

went down
3. One more variety in the type of sentence you may use
There + be + a (very) + adjective + noun + in the number of something (subject) +
from… to…/ between… and…

Adjective that Noun that In the scale or

There + be Period of time
indicates changes indicates changes subject
Sudden increase in the last
rapid jump quarter or from
There was a (very) dramatic rise in the sales of
significant growth (laptops) or
sharp steep or (2005) to (2007)
large decrease
marked drop the number
fall of or
There was a (very) steady decline (international
gradual reduction visitors) between
slow (January) to
small fluctuation (June)
slight variation
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 67
It is also important for you to cover the highest and the lowest point in the description of a line graph.
Some possible sentence structures given below can be of help in that case.

4. Subject + verb that indicates top or bottom + expression of time or point of time

Subject Verb that indicates top or Expression of time or point of

bottom time
The sales of (laptops) topped in the last quarter or in
peaked Or
in January
Or bottomed out Or
at 1000 (number)
The number of at 22% (percentage)
(international visitors)

5. Subject + verb that indicates a transition + a noun that indicates top or bottom +
expression of time or point of time.

A noun that indicates Expression of time or

Subject Verb
top or bottom point of time
The sales of (laptops) reached a peak in the last quarter or
or
Or hit a high point in January
touched a low point at 1000 (number)
The number of (international kissed the bottom or
visitors) at 22% (percentage)
Bar charts are generally used to show comparison and the following types of sentences help you in
describing comparison

One possible structure for the same is:

6. Subject + main verb + adverb of degree of comparison + fraction + the scale of

comparison
Adverb of degree of
Subject + main verb Fraction The scale of comparison
comparison
nearly a/ one quarter
a/one third half of the (total) number of (workers)
almost three quarters
Company A has
a quarter
three quarters as many (workers) as company B
approximately twice
about three quarters
just over twice
three times
half as much (profit) as company B

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 68

7. Subject + main verb + adverb of degree of comparison + comparison word or noun + the
scale of comparison

Subject + Adverb of degree of Comparison The scale of

main verb comparison word or noun comparison
almost as many
nearly workers as
about
Company B
Company A has
approximately number of workers Company B
as much profit as
as
exactly the same proportion
precisely amount
Pie charts are generally used to show proportion/percentage/sharing and if you get more than one
pie charts, you are expected to compare proportion/ percentage/ sharing.

I am giving you some example sentences that can be useful in describing Pie charts. Some of them
may be useful to you in describing Bar chart and Line graph as well.

Country X and Country Y both had 40% each.

The sales remained steady at 20%.

The sales rose to 40%

The sales peaked at just about 80%.

The quarterly profit increased/ fell (by 15%) or (from 15% to 25%) or (from 25% to 15%)

University A had 15% of the male students.

15% of the male students studied/ enrolled in University A.

University A accounted for 15% of the total students.

They made twice/ three times/ half of the profit percentage/ percentage of profit in June than in

April.

The profit percentage/ the percentage of the profit doubled/ sliced to half/ rose threefold from

2001 to 2005.

Company A’s profit contribution rose steadily, whereas that of Company B fell slightly/ sharply.

There were more boys than girls (25% and 18% respectively)

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 69

Step 6 How to describe a process or a picture or a map?

There are two possible types of diagrams that may be asked in IELTS.

1. The first type is a picture or a map or an object. We should look for the following points
when we are given to describe such a task.
 Look at the object in the picture and observe its shape, size, colour, location of various
parts, condition of past and present (if applicable), texture, direction, contents. Also see if
the functions of any parts are given in the picture or not.

 If you have two pictures, you have to compare their features. Thus, identify the features
which are different. You will have to describe the most striking change or difference and
you will also have to cover the areas where there is no change. The only difference in this
covering is that you can group all the features that are similar or less important and
describe in one or two sentences also. But you should describe the major and noticeable
changes in detail.

 Provide details of the key changes and describe them accordingly.

2. The second type is a process or a flow chart. We should look for the following point when we
are given to describe such a task.
 The most important point is that you must try to understand the defining stages of the
process or the flow chart or the diagram. You should also make a note of their sequence so
that you can write them in proper order in your response.

 You can use the same technique that I have mentioned earlier to write the opening
paragraph of process or flow chart. However, in process, you may not need to write the
closing paragraph. In some cases, if you cannot reach the 150 work mark, I suggest that
you should add a closing paragraph. Please note that some of my responses do have a
closing paragraph. I have included them as an example for the students.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 70

Step 7How to write a closing paragraph (conclusion)?

Three different examples are given below for your reference.

Linking word + Content

Therefore, interpreted
can
Thus, deduced
it be that…
On this basis, derived
may
Given this, inferred

table, seen
figures, shown
data, Can estimated

From the results, it Be calculated that…

information, May inferred
graphs, derived
charts, deduced

Finally, we can see/ we may say

All in all, it can be seen/ it can be observed that…
In the closing, it is clearly seen/ it is evident

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 71

 CHAPTER 7. 5 POINTS TO FOLLOW WHEN YOU ARE WRITING
ACADEMIC WRITING TASK 1

Point 1 Preparation (3-4 minutes)

Look at the graph or graphs given. Note what kinds of graphs are given. Try to understand the
pattern of movement or shift of data for example, trend or comparison or contribution or a
combination of them.

Look at the instructions and the graph, if they contain time or date or year; write your response in
past tense. If no time is given, your response should be in present tense.

Prepare the opening paragraph using the tip given in the previous section and write it in your answer
sheet.

Point 2 

Look at the most important or striking feature of the graph and you can write some points or a
sentence regarding that feature of the graph.

Certain graphs contain too much information. It is not possible and not advisable for you to
mechanically describe all the fields of data given in the graph. Thus, you should learn to group the
information.

Point 3 

You should write some verbs that can be used in the description of the graphs. It is very important
for you to create such a list so that you do not need to stop and think of a synonym or a new word
while you are writing the response.

Point 4  Start writing the response (14-15 minutes)

When you have already invested a few minutes and worked on the graph, you should not find any
difficulty in writing the response. As per my experience, 15 minutes are more than sufficient.

While writing, you should also keep the word count in mind. You should count the number of words
that you write for the first 2-3 lines and then take an average of the words written per line. For
example, if you have written 25 words in 3 lines, it means your average word per line is 8 and you
should write 20-22 lines in total in the response.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 72

Point 5 Editing (2-3 minutes)

Check your response for any errors in spelling or grammar. Also, whether you have described the
data accurately or you have misread or wrongly represented the data given in the graph. Sometimes,
students may commit mistakes even in expressing proper units given in the graph. For example, they
may write meters instead of kilometers or millions instead of billions.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 73

 WHAT YOU SHOULD DO AND WHAT YOU MUST AVOID IN
ACADEMIC WRITING TASK 1
You should do the following:

1. Use the appropriate words for the function expressed in the graph i.e. for a graph that
shows trend, use the words that describe the trend.
2. You should write complex sentences and try to write a variety of sentences.
3. Do not describe all the data when there are more graphs or more fields of data given in the
question. Group the information properly and combine them in proper sentences.
4. In Line Graph, cover the highest and the lowest point. For example, “The sales touched a
high of 250 in the month of July”. “In the month of December, the sales fell sharply to the
lowest point at 100.”
5. In Bar Chart, cover the most significant and the least significant change. For example, “The
maximum difference in the sales was seen in year 2000 where company A was ahead of
company B by 4000 units. However, the margin narrowed to as little as 500 in the following
year.”
6. In Pie Chart, cover the field that contributes the most and the field that contributes the least.
For example, “80% of the visitors who travelled to Japan in 2012 were from Europe
whereas the same year, the share of Chinese tourists was only 2%.”
7. In case of picture or map, you should include all important features and compare them with
each other.
8. You should use linking words and connectors to link your information logically.

You must avoid the following:

1. You may avoid minor details in process or pictures.

2. Please do not copy the printed introduction that is given with the task in the question paper.
3. Avoid repetition of words or verbs when you describe the graphs. You should use synonyms
of the words or verbs that you have used already in your response.
4. IELTS Academic Writing task 1 is actually report writing and thus you must not try to
explain the information given. Point 1 Preparation (3-4 minutes)

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 74

 CHAPTER 8. PREVIOUS EXAM ACADEMIC WRITING TASK -1 (GRAPHS)
WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

1. The graph below shows the female unemployment rates in each country of United Kingdom in the year
2013 and 2014.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.
Percentage

SOLUTION:

The bar chart shows the unemployment level in the four UK countries- England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland in the years 2013 and 2014.

The percentage of unemployed women declined by only 0.3 %, from 6.8 to 6.5 in England. Although
the figures are different in Wales as compared to England. However, this country also achieved tiny
amount of a fall in terms of unemployment, just 0.4 %. The percentage of unemployed females shows
a decline in Northern Ireland too.

However, in Northern Ireland the result is better in comparison to the other two countries since
unemployment rates decreased by 1 %, from 5% to 4.6 %. The only country which witnessed an
increase in terms of unemployed women is Scotland. The percentage which was 6.1 % in 2013 rose
noticeably and reached to 6.7 % in 2014.

Overall, the trends are downwards in three countries namely England, Wales and Northern Ireland
maybe due to sufficient and right policies. Only Scotland, the number of females who cannot find a job
surged.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 75

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

2. The charts below show the percentage of five kinds of books sold by a in between 1972, 1992 and 2012.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

1972 Adult 1992 Adult

Others Fiction Others
Fiction
25% 20% 20%
25%

Travel Children's Travel

15% Fiction 18%
20% Children's
Biography Biography Fiction
20% 15% 22%

Others
12%
2012

Travel Adult
10% Fiction
Biography
45%
8%
Children's
Fiction
25%

SOLUTION:

The three pie charts compare the popularity of five different kinds of books according to the sales of a
bookseller during the period from 1972 to 2012.

In 1972, there was an equal sale of adult fiction, children’s fiction and biographies, which constituted
20% each. Travel books had the least sale of 15%, whereas all other books had the maximum sale of
25%. In 1992, a quarter of the sales were of adult fiction, which was a rise of 5% from the figures in
1972. The sale of children’s fiction and travel grew by 2% and 3% respectively.

The sale of adult fiction almost doubled after another two decades (2012), and reached 45%.
Children’s fiction had slightly more retail (25%) than that in 1992. Together, adult and children’s
fiction dominated the market with a sale of just under three quarters. The sale of all other categories
fell markedly and together made up for just over a quarter of the sales.

Overall, fiction gained popularity, while biographies, travel books and other miscellaneous books lost
their public appeal over the given period of time.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 76

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

3. The bar chart below shows the average hours of house work done by women (unemployed, part time
employed and full time employed) and full-time working men in the year 1985, 1995 and 2005.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Time spent by people on housework

Average hours

SOLUTION:

The given column graph illustrates the average time spent by men and women at different levels of
employment on household chores over a period of two decades.

Women with no employment spent the maximum time on housework in the three given years. They
spent 7 hours per day in 1985 and 2005 and 6.5 hours a day in 1995. A little less time was spent by
part time employed women. They spent 5.5, 5 and 6 hours per day on household chores in 1985,
1995 and 2005 respectively.

Women with full time employment spent lesser time on domestic work than the other two categories
of women. They spent 2 hours per day in 1985; 1.5 hours per day in 1995 and 2.5 hours per day in
2005. Full time employed men spent one hour per day in 1985 and 1995 and 1.5 hours per day in
2005. No data is given for the unemployed men and men with part time employment.

Overall, full time employed women spent lesser time in household chores than unemployed and part-
time employed women, but still they worked more than their male counterparts.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 77

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 4

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

4. The table below shows the population of three cities in 1990, the population forecast of 2000 and the
actual of 2000.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Predicted population
Actual population in Actual population in
Cities for 2000 (made in
1990 2000
1990)

Sao Paulo 15 million 24 million 18 million

Jakarta 9.5 million 14 million 17.5 million

Shanghai 13.5 million 17 million 12.5 million

SOLUTION:

The given table illustrates the actual population of Sao Paulo, Jakarta and Shanghai in 1990 and 2000.
The data has been calibrated in millions.

Sao Paulo had the highest population in 1990, which was 15 million. It was closely followed by
Shanghai, where the population was 13.5 million. Jakarta had the least population of only 9.5 mi llion.
It was predicted that in 2000, the population of Sao Paulo would increase significantly and reach 24
million.

However, the actual population of Sao Paulo in 2000 was only 18 million, which was 6 million lesser
than expected. The population of Shanghai was expected to increase moderately and become 17
million by 2000. Surprisingly, the population of Shanghai fell slightly and by the end of the decade it
was 12.5 million. The population of Jakarta was expected to rise by 4.5 million by 2000, but here the
actual population was almost double of that of 1990. It was 17.5 million in 2000.

Overall, Sao Paulo and Jakarta had almost equal population (18 and 17.5 million) in 2000, whereas
actually Shanghai had significantly lower population (12.5 million) in 2000. The predictions made in
all three cases proved wrong.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 78

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 5
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

5. The charts below give information about the amount and types of water in the world, and also tell the
use of water in three areas in three countries.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

Underground Fresh
Ice
Total Fresh Water renewable
Fresh
Total World water 0.90% Fresh water
water
underground 0.30%
2.5%
water
29.90%
Frozen water
(glaciers and
Saline permanent
water snows)
97.5% 69.80%

60
Percentage of water used

50

40
Domestic use
30
Industry
20 Agriculture
10

0
Egypt Saudi Arabia Canada

SOLUTION:

The given pie charts depict the quantity and sorts of water in the world and the column graph portrays
the proportion of fresh water used for three different purposes in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

From the first pie chart it is obvious that a major chunk (97.50%) of the global water is saline water and
the remaining (2.5%) is fresh water. The second pie chart shows that a little over two third (69.80%) is
frozen water in the form of glaciers and permanent snows, whereas a little under one third (29.90%) is
fresh underground water. 0.90% of fresh water is in the form of underground ice, whereas a very small
fraction, which constitutes 0.30%, is fresh renewable water.

From the column graph it is clear that in Egypt, 40% water is used for agriculture, which is the highest
use, whereas only 10% and approximately 8% water is used for domestic purposes and industry
respectively. The Saudis also used the maximum (50%) water for agriculture. They used 18% water for
industry, which was more than two times of that used by the Egyptians for this purpose. The Saudi
Arabians used only 8% for domestic use.

Overall, it is clear that fresh water is a very precious commodity as only 2.5% of the total water on this
planet is fresh, and out of that a very small fraction is usable water, which is used for domestic, industrial
and agricultural use.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 79

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 6
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

6. The given maps show the town of Brindell and local areas in 1800, 1900 and 2000.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

SOLUTION:

The three maps illustrate the major alterations that Brindell and its neighboring areas underwent
over two centuries from 1800 to 2000.

In 1800, the whole district was largely separated by River Stour, which can be seen in the centre of
the layout. Brindell was situated in the south west end of the river. There were two agricultural zones
near Brindell- one to the north was for growing crops and the one to the east was for animals to
graze. At northeast end of the river was an area of woodland. The district witnessed several changes
in 1900. Noticeably, the entire grazing area was converted. The upper part of grazing area was
substituted by an industrial zone. A village called Bun Hill was constructed in the lower part of the
workers.

In 2000, many more changes were observed. Brindell expanded and became almost double in size.
The farmland for crops shrunk because of the construction of Bun Hill Park. Bun Hill also grew in size
and many more industries were opened towards the east of the village.

Overall, Brindell transformed itself from an agricultural based town to an area with versatile
functions.
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 80
WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 7
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

7. The line graph shows the percentage of different age groups of cinema visitors in a particular
country from 1978 to 2008.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

SOLUTION:

The given line graph illustrates the proportion of movie goers among four age groups in a particular
nation. The data has been calibrated in percentage.

It is clear that 14 to 24 year olds were the most fond of cinema throughout the given period of three
decades beginning 1978. From 1978 to 1988, the percentage of cinema goers fell from 90, 80, 60 and
40 to 75, 60, 40 and 20, among the 14-24, 25-34, 35-49 and the 50+ age groups respectively. The next
decade saw an increase in the percentage of cinema watchers in all age groups.

However, the next five years after that saw stability in the cinema attendance in all age groups. From
2003 to 2008, the popularity of cinema decreased in all age groups except for the over 50s, who
started going to the cinema in more numbers.

Overall, the cinema was more popular among the younger age groups and all the trends were almost
similar throughout, except for the 50 plus age group, after 2003, when their percentage of cinema
attendance increased, whereas that of all other age groups decreased.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 81

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 8

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

8. The two tables below show the number of international students from different resource countries
in Canada and the USA in two school years.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

CANADA
Resource Country 2002-2003 2003-2004 Change

China 5400 7850 +45%

The USA 5000 5450 +9%
India 2100 2835 +35%

Total 59870 70004 +17%

THE USA
Resource Country 2002-2003 2003-2004 Change

India 200,000 182,000 -9%

China 110,000 116,600 +6%
Canada 31000 33170 +7%

Total 581,600 570,000 -2%

SOLUTION:

The given tables give information about the number of international students in Canada and the USA
in the school years from 2002 to 2004. The data has been calibrated in numbers.

The total number of international students in Canada increased by 17%, from approximately 60,000
to 70,000, in two school years. Among the given three resource countries, the biggest change from
the number of Chinese students, which was 45 per cent. The USA and India experienced a rise of 9
per cent and 35 per cent respectively.

However, the total number of international students dipped by 2%, from over 580 thousand between
2002 and 2004. There was an increase of around 6% in the number of international students from
China and Canada. By contrast, these two school years witnessed a drop of 9 percent in the number
of Indian students, although it was the largest resource country in the USA.

Overall, the number of international students in the USA fell, while that of international students in
Canada rose, although the former one outnumbered the latter one.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 82

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 9

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

9. The graphs below show four categories of citrus fruits and the top three countries to which these
were exported (in thousands tonnes) in 2012.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

SOLUTION:

The given bar graphs compare the top three countries importing different types of citrus fruits in
2012. The data has been calibrated in thousand tonnes.

It can be seen that oranges were the most popular fruit. More specifically, South Africa was the
country where the largest numbers of oranges were exported amounting 120 tonnes approximately
followed by Egypt and the United States, which imported the smallest amount of oranges among the
three countries.

Lemon was the second popular fruit with 500,000 tonnes imported by Mexico and 200 imported by
the USA. The minimum amount was imported by Argentina. Grapefruit did not constitute a large
proportion of the imported fruit. Turkey was the main country imported grapefruit. The largest
import of all other citrus fruits was done by Mexico. The other two countries only accounted for a
tiny proportion of the whole volume.

Overall, the export quantities of different fruits varied among different countries in 2012.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 83

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 10

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

10. The diagram below shows the stages of processing cocoa beans.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

Picking

Whole beans
Shells

Drying

Pressing

Further Further refining

pressing

Cocoa cake Industrial Chocolate Sugar

Grinding Final processing

Cocoa powder Cocoa liquor

Finished chocolate products

Consumer Industry (cakes &

Consumer
drinks)
SOLUTION:

The given flow chart illustrates how cocoa beans are processed to obtain different products.

In the first stage, the whole beans are picked from the cocoa tree. After that their outer shells are
removed and they are dried for the next stage. Stage 2 consists of many steps. Firstly, the dried beans
are pressed. Some of these pressed beans are further pressed to make cocoa cake, whereas the rest
are refined to make industrial chocolate to which sugar is added.

In the third and final stage, the cocoa cake is ground to make cocoa powder and liquor is also
obtained. The cocoa powder is sent to the market to be used by the consumer, whereas the cocoa
liquor is used in the industry to make cakes and drinks. The industrial chocolate is sent for final
processing after which the finished chocolate products are finally consumed by consumers.

Overall, there are three stages in the process of making different products from cocoa beans.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 84

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 11
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

11. The line graph below shows the population size, birth rate and the death rate of England an d
Wales from 1700 to 2000.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.
Population size (in millions)

SOLUTION:

The given line graph illustrates information about the population size, and also compares the birth
and mortality rate of England and Wales for a period of 300 years.

It is evident that the population showed an upward trend, whereas death and birth rate showed a
fluctuating trend. The death and the birth rate followed a similar trend from 1700-1950. From 1700-
1750, an increase was seen in both these, with the birth rate rising from 30 to 40 births per 1000
people and the death rate increasing from 27 to 37 per 100 people.

There was stability in both for the next 50 years, after which there was a sharp fall with both rates
reaching an all-time low of around 20 per thousand people by 1950. In between, from 1850 to 1900,
birth and death rate again showed a levelling off. From 1950 to 2000, the death rate remained stable.
In contrast, the birth rate increased dramatically, from 22 to 35 births per 1000 people.

Overall, the three countries saw a dramatic escalation in population from 2.5 million in 1700 to 50
million in 2000, with a short period of stability from 1750-1800.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 85

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 12
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

12. The diagram below describes the structure of a home smoker and how it works.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

A home smokery

SOLUTION:

The diagram demonstrates how a home smokery works.

The home smokery machine has three parts. The first part is an empty underground section with a
lid on top at ground level. Fresh air is allowed to flow into the machine by opening the lid. The fresh
air then goes into the second part of the machine which is very similar to the first part. In this part, a
fire is started by adding logs through the lid on top.

Once the fire has started burning, the heat from it is coursed through a narrow pipe that leads to a
box. This box is the third part of the machine and is located at ground level. In the box the food items
that need to be cooked are placed. The heat coming from the second part of the machine the food
items.

Overall, the diagram depicts that there are three steps involved in the process of cooking food in a
Home Smokery.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 86

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 13

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

13. The table and chart below show the time spent at leisure and household activities in Britain.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

Leisure activities (Average minutes per day) Men Women

TV, Video, Radio 137 118

Reading 18 19

Sport 15 11

SOLUTION:

The given horizontal bar graph and table compare how much time males and females spend on various
household activities every day with recreational activities in Britain.

From the first chart, it is interesting to notice that men spend most time watching TV and video or
listening to the radio show, 137 minutes per day, 19 minutes more than women do. In terms of reading,
men and women spent almost the same time, 18 minutes and 19 minutes respectively. And obviously,
men work out more than women do on an average day.

According to the second graph, it is clear that housewives did more chores than their husbands do per
day. Cooking and washing dishes took most of women’s household time, occupied approximately 76
minutes one day. As the traditional arrangement of breadwinning men and homemaking women,
housewives take double time to go shopping, do laundry and ironing than men do while as men are mo re
willing to fix and repair.

Overall, men spend more time for entertainment while women spend a greater number of hours doing
household. The only possible solution to the housework discrepancy is for everyone to do a lot less of it.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 87

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 14
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

14. The charts below show the reasons for travelling and the main issues for travelling public in US in
2009.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and ma ke comparison
where relevant.

Main issues for the travelling public

Space for pedestrians

Access to public transport

Price of travel
Highway congestion

Aggressive driver
SOLUTION: Safety concerns

The bar chart and pie chart give information about why US residents travelled and what travel problems
they experienced in the year 2009.

It is clear that the principal reason why Americans travelled in 2009 was to commute to and from work.
In the same year, the primary concern of Americans, with regard to the trips they made, was the cost of
travelling. Looking more closely at the bar chart; it can be seen that 49% of the trips made by Americans
in 2009 were for the purpose of commuting.

By contrast, only 6% of trips were visits to friends or relatives, and one in ten trips were for social or
recreation reasons. Shopping was cited as the reason for 16% of all travel, while unspecific ‘personal
reasons’ accounted for the remaining 19%.According to the pie chart, price was the key consideration for
36% of American travellers. Almost one in five people cited safety as their foremost travel concern, while
aggressive driving and highway congestion were the main issues for 17% and 14% of the travelling
public.

Finally, a total of 14% of those surveyed thought that access to public transport or space for pedestrians
was the most important travel issues.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 88

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 15
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

15. The graph below shows the population figures of different types of turtles in India between 1980
and 2012.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparison
where relevant.

Olive Ridley
Turtles (20)

All Species
(111)

Green Turtles
(38)

Leatherback
Turtles (19)

SOLUTION:

The given line graph compares the population of different kind of turtles in India between 1980
and 2012. The data has been calibrated in percentage.

The total number of all species of turtles in India has been relatively stable over the last two
decades, although there were significant drops in numbers between 1987 and 1989 and again in
1992 and 1996. Since 2004 there has been an improvement in numbers of all species, although
the graph shows a slight decrease in 2010.

In contrast, the population of Leatherback turtles has suffered a severe decline, particularly in
1988 when numbers fell dramatically. The rate of decline in the population appears to have
slowed and it has remained relatively stable since 2009. There was also a fall in the number of
Green turtles of around 30% between 1984 and 2002. The population increased slightly in 2010
but it had dropped again by 2012.

Overall, it is only Olive Ridley turtles that have seen a steady increase in population over this
period. Their numbers dropped slightly in 2007 and again in 2012 but the overall trend has
been a positive one.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 89

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 16
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

16. The graph below compares the number of visits of two new music websites on the web.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant

180
Number of visitors in thousands

160

140

120

100
Music Choice
80 Pop Parade
60

40

20

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

SOLUTION:

The given line graph compares the number of visitors in two new music related websites for 15 days
duration. The data has been calibrated in numbers.

Initially, Pop Parade got 120 thousand visitors on day 1 while the Music choice got around 40
thousand visitors on the same day. For the first 1 week, the number of hits on Pop Parade site
declined and reached to less than 40 thousand in day 7. On the other hand, Music choice’s visitor
count fluctuated and reached to 20 thousand on day seven. After day 9, Pop Parade’s visitors
increased dramatically and reached to over 140 thousand on day 11.

While the hits on Music Choice website increased to 120 thousand on day 12. On the last three days,
both of the websites got a good number of visitors. Finally, on day 15th, the Music choice website’s
visitors’ number reached to around 80 thousand while that number reached to over 165 thousand
for the other website.

Overall, the Pop Parade had been more successful than the Music choice in terms of visitor count and
both sites showed fluctuation on their visitor count.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 90

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 17

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

17. The diagram below shows how solar panels can be used to provide electricity for domestic use.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the process below.

SOLUTION:

The picture illustrates the process of producing electricity in a home using solar panels.

It is clear that there are five distinct stages in this process, beginning with the capture of energy from
sunlight. The final two steps show how domestic electricity is connected to the external power
supply.

At the first stage in the process, solar panels on the roof of a normal house take energy from the sun
and convert it into DC current. Next, this current is passed to an inverter, which changes it to AC
current and regulates the supply of electricity. At stage three, electricity is supplied to the home from
an electrical panel.

At the fourth step shown on the diagram, a utility meter in the home is responsible for sending any
extra electric power outside the house into the grid. Finally, if the solar panels do not provide enough
energy for the household, electricity will flow from the utility grid into the home through the meter.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 91

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 18

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

18. The pictures below show the plan of Walton Museum in 2008 and the plan in 2012, after it was
redeveloped.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

SOLUTION:

The given map depicts the development of Walton Museum between 2008 and 2012. It is clear that
massive changes took place in just four years.

In 2008, the south wing had two storeys with a path on the west of it. On the first floor there was a
special exhibition room, a shop and a cloak room. The entrance and the reception were on the second
floor. Stairs were there between the shop and the cloak room. Next to reception was a reading room.

By the year 2012, this building had four storeys with a lift from the first floor to the top floor.
Children’s play area was there in place of the cloak room, which was moved to the reception. On the
second floor a self- service café was opened towards the eastern side of the lift above the reading
room. On the west of the lift, above the reception and cloak room, a restaurant was constructed.
Another exhibition room was built on the topmost floor above the café. Above the special exhibition
room an entrance hall was made, which had a terrace above it.

Overall, except for the special exhibition room and the shop, the rest of the South wing saw a major
transformation.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 92

WRITING TASK-1 SAMPLE 19

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

19. The graph below shows the number of trips made by children in one country to travel to and from
school in 1990 and 2010 using various modes of transport.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make the
comparisons where relevant.
Number of trips (in million per year)

SOLUTION:

The given column graph illustrates the number of trips made by children in two separate years,
which are 1990 and 2010 in a particular country. The vertical axis represents the number of trips in
million per year and the horizontal stands for the different modes of transport like bus, car, walking,
bicycle and, bus and walking together.

In 1990, the trips made by bus were dramatically higher than by other modes. About 12 million trips
were made by bus, which was two times more than those made by walking and cycling each, and
three times more than those made by car. About 7 million trips were made by bus and walking
together.

Two decades later, in 2010, the car trips superseded all other modes and became approximately 12.5
million, an increase of 8.5 million from the figures of 1990. The bus trips decreased to half and
became 6 million. Trips made by bus and walking together also decreased by 1 million from the
figures of 1990. Trips made on foot also decreased from 6 to 3 million and those made bicycling
reduced to 2 million.

On the whole, the column graph shows that bus was the most popular form of transport to go to and
from school for children in 1990. However, in 2010, the car became the most popular mode.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 93

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 20

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

20. The diagram below shows the plan of a library in 2001 and 2009.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make the
comparisons where relevant.

SOLUTION:

The given diagram compares the map of the ground floor of a library in 2001 and 2009. It can be
clearly seen that a lot of changes took place in the ground floor over a period of eight years.

In 2001, the self-help and history section occupied the whole left wall, but in 2009 fiction, kitchen,
economics and law sections were also added. The fiction section on the back wall of the ground floor
was replaced by the children’s books in front of which the children’s area was made. On the right wall
the newspapers and periodicals area was there in 2001. However, in 2009, films and DVDs were
placed in front of which computers were placed. The eight smaller tables in 2001 were removed and
in place of these four bigger tables were placed.

No changes were made to the entrance, the librarian’s desk and the stairs. The librarian’s desk was
right after the entrance and the stairs were in the front right corner in both the years.

Overall, a lot of additions can be seen in the ground floor of the library over a period of eight years.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 94

CHAPTER 9. 7 STEPS IMPROVEMENT COURSE TO GET A HIGH BAND SCORE IN IELTS
WRITING TASK 2

Step 1  Introduction to IELTS Writing task 2

Candidates are asked to write an essay of minimum 250 words in about 40 minutes. Candidates are
given a topic and then some instructions are printed below the topic. The standard sample task 2 in
IELTS Writing can be like this.

Some people think that maintaining public libraries is a waste of public money since a computer
system can replace their function.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example from your own knowledge or
experience.

Write at least 250 words

Please note that the last two lines are the instructions printed below every topic in IELTS Writing Test.
This is the reason why they are not printed in the topics given in the book.

Step 2  Different types of IELTS Essay Topics

Agree or disagree
Discussion
Compare and contrast
Cause and effects
Problems, reasons and solutions
Miscellaneous

Please note that the standard classification of essays can be done in different manners.

Step 3  Structure of IELTS Essay topic

Structure of IELTS Essay topic can be of four different types.

1. The first type of possible structure of essay topic is OAD

Where O stands for Observation (or a general statement), A stands for Argument and D
stands for Demand in the essay topic

For example, look at het topics given below:-

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 95

 The importance of academic subjects as compared to extracurricular activities is inc reasing
every day. Some people suggest that sports classes should be sacrificed in High School so
students can concentrate on Academic subjects. Do you agree or disagree?

Giving detailed description of crimes in newspapers and on television has bad

consequences. Some people therefore suggest that the government should impose
restrictions on them. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Many people work from home using modern technology today. Some people think that only
the workers benefit from this and not the employers. Do you agree or disagree?

It can be seen from the topics that the first sentence in all of them talks about a general
observation. Thus, those sentences are labelled as ‘O’ (Observation)

It can be seen from the topic that the second sentences in all of them presents an argument or a
stand or position. Thus, those sentences are labelled as ‘A’ (Argument).

The last sentence in all of them demands something from the candidates. Thus they are labelled as
‘D’ (Demand).

Now, please note that this understanding will help you in writing an effect essay because the parts
of this structure can help you in preparing the parts of your essay response.

Observation  Introduction

Argument  Body of the essay

Demand  Layout of the essay (number of paragraphs to be written in the body of the
essay)
2. The second type of possible structure of essay topic is A, A and D
Where A stands for Argumentative and D stands for Demand.

Please look at the topics given below:-

Some people believe that immigrants should adopt the local culture when immigrating to a
new country. An alternative view is that they can adapt to a new environment by
establishing a minority community. Discuss these two views and give your opinion.

Some people think that an employee should change his career or field of work at least once.
However, others think that employees should never change their career and stay in one job
for their entire lifetime. Do you agree or disagree with the statements given?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 96

 In both the topics given, it is seen that first two sentences are actually two arguments opposing
each other, and the last sentence (or question) is the demand from the essay topic.

In this case, the structure should help you in writing the essay in the following way.

The topic presented in Argument 1 and 2  Introduction

Arguments 1 and 2  Body

Demand  Layout (number of paragraphs to be written in the body of the essay)

3. The third type of possible structure of essay topic can be A and D

Please look at the examples given below.

In some countries, married couples plan to have a baby at a later age due to the demands of
their professional career. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of it and give your
opinion.

Some people argue that public transportation should be made completely free of
charge. Are there more advantages over disadvantages of this decision?

It is seen from the topics given above that the first sentence in the topic is an argument and the
second is the demand.

Topic presented in the argument  Introduction

Argument  Body
Demand  Layout (number of paragraphs to be written in the body of the essay)

4. The fourth and the last possible structure of essay topic is O (Observation) and
D (Demand)
Children from age 7-11 now spend more time watching television and/or playing video
games than before. What are the effects of this on children, families and society? What are
the possible solutions to this problem?

Many people complain about stress at work. How can employers reduce stress at work and
what can employees do on their own to solve this problem.

People prefer to use their own transport these days. Why is this so? What can be done to
encourage people to use public transport?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 97

 The first sentences in the given topics are O (Observation) and the last two sentences or
questions are the D (demands) of the essay topic.

The structure of your essay response for this type of structure should be

Observation  Introduction
Demand 1  Body paragraph 1
Demand 2  Body paragraph 2

Step 4  Structure of essay response for various types of essay topics

In step one, we have seen different types of essay topic. I would like to give you three possible
structures for those essay topic, which can be followed for different types of essay topics. These
structures will certainly help you in getting a higher band score in your exam. However, please
note that some answers will not follow the same structure.

The first structure is for Agree Disagree and Compare and Contrast Type
Introduction Background Information

(1 paragraph) Thesis Statement

(3-4 sentences)

Body 1 Topic Sentence

(Agree) Firstly …….. First Point In addition ……….. Support sentence

(2 paragraphs) Secondly …….. Second Point Moreover ……...…. Support sentence

Thirdly …….. Third Point For example ……... Support sentence

Finally …….. Final Point Also …………….... Support sentence

Body 2 However …….. First Point What is more….... Support sentence

(Disagree) Secondly …….. Second Point Further….... Support sentence

(1 paragraph) Lastly …….. Last Point For example….... Support sentence

Conclusion Summary of Body

(1 paragraph) Writer’s opinion

(3-4 sentences)

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 98

The second structure is for Discussion type
Introduction
Background Information
(1 paragraph)
Thesis Statement
(3-4 sentences)

Body 1 Topic Sentence

(Problem)  Firstly …….. First Point  In addition ……….. Support sentence
(Cause)  Secondly …….. Second Point  Moreover ……...…. Support sentence
(1 paragraph)  Finally …….. Final Point  For example ……... Support sentence

Body 2  However …….. First Point  What is more….... Support sentence

(Solutions)  Secondly …….. Second Point  Further….... Support sentence
(Effects)  Lastly …….. Last Point  For example….... Support sentence
(1 paragraph)

Conclusion  Summary of Body

(1 paragraph)  Writer’s opinion
(3-4 sentences)

The third is for Problems/ Solutions and Cause/ Effects type.

Introduction  Background Information
(1 paragraph)  Thesis Statement
(3-4 sentences)

Body 1  Topic Sentence

(Discussion Point 1)  Firstly …….. First Point  In addition ……….. Support sentence
(1 paragraph)  Secondly …….. Second Point  Moreover ……...…. Support sentence
  
Finally……..Final Point 
For example ……... Support sentence
 

Body 2  However …….. First Point  What is more….... Support sentence

(Discussion Point 2)  Secondly …….. Second Point  Further….... Support sentence
 Lastly …….. Last Point  For example….... Support sentence
(1 paragraph)
Conclusion  Summary of Body
(1 paragraph)  Writer’s opinion
(3-4 sentences)

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 99

Step 5  How to write introduction in Task 2?

Before we learn what to write and how to write in introduction, I think it is very important for you to
understand the function of introduction.

Introduction fulfils three functions it informs the reader:-

1. About the topic

2. The aspects of the topic that are going to be discussed

3. The position/ stand taken by the writer towards the topic in the form of thesis statement.

As I have told you earlier, the structure of introduction is background information + thesis statement. You
should write 2-3 sentences on the background information. Now, background information should be
made out of the observation given in the essay topic. If the observation is not given, you should refer to
the topic presented in the argument and prepare your introduction accordingly.

However, most students face difficulty in writing a good introduction. I want to tell you that the process
that most candidates follow while writing their answer needs to be understood and changed. What most
students do when they read the essay topic is: first, they read the topic and immediately, one or two
points about the task start flashing in their minds. This is the time, most candidates start writing the
actual essay thinking that if they keep searching for more points, they may forget the initial ideas that
have flashed in their minds. Now, one important point must be understood by the candidates that the
points that they have thought earlier are usually relevant to the body of the essay and not the
introduction. But, unfortunately, when candidates start writing their essay, they normally write
introduction first. Thus, they find difficulty in writing a good and effective introduction.

Step 6  How to write the body of the essay?

We should understand that the function of the body is to discuss, explain, prove or illustrate the thesis
statement given in the introduction.

While writing the body of the essay, students should keep the following things in mind:-

1. Write separate paragraphs to discuss or cover different aspects of the topic.

2. You must use proper linking words (as displayed in the structure) to link the ideas logically
and effectively.

3. Present the points in logical sequence.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 100

 4. Use at least one complex sentence in each paragraph of the body.

5. Try to use variety of complex sentences in the body.

More explanation on preparing points for the body is covered in ‘5 points to follow’ section, ahead in this
book.

Step 7  How to write a conclusion?

We have already discussed the structure of the conclusion of the essay but we must also understand the
functions of conclusion.

Conclusion has three main functions:

1. It gives a signal to the reader that the essay is ending.

2. It provides a summary of all the main points or presents the thesis (in different words).
Here, one important point must be understood, the words used in this part should go in line
with the thesis statement.

3. It completes the entire essay with a clear position of the writer and does not confuse the
reader with any new information, topic or argument.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 101

 CHAPTER 10. 5 POINTS TO FOLLOW WHILE WRITING THE TASK 2

Point 1  Preparation (10 minutes)

Read the essay topic for 3-4 times. Some students simply read the essay once and start writing their
essay. This is harmful tendency because you may have misunderstood the topic and you end up writing a
response that is irrelevant.

Decide which type of essay topic is given, i.e. agree/ disagree, discussion, problem/ solutions, cause/
effects or miscellaneous.

Also, underline the parts of the essay topic like O (observation), A (argument), D (demand) and label
them as per the step 2 from the previous section.

Point 2 

Based on your understanding of the arguments or demands of your essay, draw a line in the middle of the
page in the question paper given in the IELTS exam or use a separate page (you can request the
invigilator/ supervisor to give you and extra sheet fo r this work).

Agree/ Discussion 1/ problem/ cause Disagree/ Discussion 2/solutions/ effects

Points Points

Points Points

Points Points

Points Points

Points Points

Now, in case of agree disagree or compare contrast types of essay, decide your favour only after making
points. Because after making points you can better decide that which side of the argument you can
present with effective and logical points.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 102

Point 3 

Review the points and remove any of topic or illogical or irrelevant point from the list.

Decide which point you would write first and write numbers before every point accordingly.

Also, make a list of useful words that can be of help while you would write the response so that at the
time of writing, you do not need to pause for thinking a new word thereby breaking the link.

You should spend 10 minutes for the first three points mentioned.

Point 4  Write the essay (25-27 minutes)

After investing 10 minutes and following the above mentioned steps, it will be very easy for you to write
the essay of 250 words in less than 20 minutes. I have done many experiments like this in my class and I
have found that after following such steps, students can comfo rtably write 250 words in 15 to 20
minutes.

Point 5  Editing (3-5 minutes)

Check your response for any errors in spelling or grammar. If you have repeated any word, you should
replace that with a synonym.

What you should do while writing the task 2

 Use only formal language, informal language is not at all entertained in writing task 2.

 Please read the essay at least 3-4 times.

 Please follow the points given earlier before you start writing.

 Write at least 4 paragraphs in your essay where the first is introduction, the next two will

form the body and the last will contain the conclusion of your essay.

 If you want a high band score (6 or more) please try to use complex sentences in your

writing.

 You should use linking words and connectors to link your information logically. 

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 103

 CHAPTER 11. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR ESSAY WRITING

INTRODUCTORY PHRASES:
I would like to agree to the view that…., To my mind….., To begin with…., By the advent of Globalization,
Privatization and Liberalization…, At the outset…, It is said that…, I would like to establish th at…,It is
quite evident that…, In the light of …, Taking into consideration…, To begin with…, Times have changed
since………..

The first and foremost reason for…, In a global perspective…, First of all…, In this age of aggressive
materialism……. In this age of feminism…., In these days of individualism…, In these days of rational
thinking…, In this age of women empowerment…, In recent times…, There was a time when…, Thanks to
globalization…, Keeping human rights in mind…, When considering the environmental issues…, History
shows instances of …,

PHRASES FOR CITING EXAMPLES:

For instance…, In this context…, To give a specific example…, I would like to cite…, To illustrate this…, To
quote Socrates…,As Gandhiji has stated…, May I quote…, According to…, In addition to that…, To
substantiate my view, I would like to cite the example of …

ASSORTED PHRASES:
From my point of view…, I think…, I presume that, I assume that, In my view…, It seems to me that…, Of
late…, Generally speaking…, In a global perspective…, In general…, On the whole…, In any given period of
time…, To clarify…, To explain.., To paraphrase…, I absolutely agree…, I agree to the view that…,
Personally, I tend to think that…, I am not so sure that …, I actually think…, In course of time…, In due
course…, ten years down the line…, In connection with…, While there are argument in favour of…, After
the collapse of Communism…, Even though…, In pursuit of happiness…, The ultimate purpose of life…, I
tend to think that…,

The influence of the media has…, It can be argued that…, Some believe that…, To improve the quality of
life…, Decades back…, Craze for riches…, Impulsive actions make us repent many a time, because…,
Success and failure are but…, The more… the more…..; When we read between the lines…..., The motive at
this juncture…, A word of caution ...................

While working from dawn to dusk…. In the ultimate analysis…, As women started to seek jobs… By and
by….., In the developing nations…., Gone are the days when …, These are the days when…, It is of utmost
importance …, It is a kind of wild justice to…; By the shift of priorities…, As far as brain drain is
concerned…,

PHRASES TO CONTRAST:
On the other hand…, Contrary to that…, In other words…, Curiously enough…, However…, Ironically
enough…, Nevertheless…, On the contrary…, Otherwise, Unlike.., With due respect to…, In spite of …,
Alternatively…, Although, It is paradoxical that…, Nonetheless…….., In spite of the fact that …, To approach
it from another angle…

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 104

PHRASES TO FURTHER SUPPLEMENT:
To supplement to this view …, Another example would be…, Another reason is that…, Last but not least…,
(last but not THE least is wrong), Moreover…, With a view to…., In memory of…, At the instance of…,

PHRASES TO SHOW DEDUCTIONS:

In simple words….., In the objects analysis…, Nevertheless…, After studying these arguments and counter
arguments..., I would like to infer that…, Curiously enough….., Despite the fact that…, In any given period
of time…, Above and beyond…, As a result…, Because of …, Having a myopic outlook…, Consequently…,
For this reason…, Hence…, In simple words…, In the in-depth analysis…, Owing to…, Quite evidently…,
Therefore…, As such …, Thus, cultural shock can be reduced if…, Our observations on life show that…,

PHRASES TO CONCLUDE:
To put it in a nutshell, To conclude……., In conclusion…, Let us come to a conclusion that…, To
summarize……, Therefore, let us conclude that…., Having examined the pros and cons , I would like to
establish that…….., Conclusively…, Eventually….., Finally…, In brief…, In short…, In summary…, To sum
up….., Thus, let us arrive at an inference…….

USING THE RIGHT TENSES.

It is important to select the correct tenses. Points to remember:

a) For most visuals a specific time in the past will be given and you will need to use the past simple
tense. If two things took place at the same time, you may use the past continuous tense for one of
them. (While poultry production was rising during this period, there was no change in mutton
production).

b) If you use since or recent (ly) it means that you are referring to events that have come up to the
present. That means using the present perfect tense. (The use of the Internet has risen enormously
since the 1990s.)

c) With ‘by’ you will often need to use the past perfect or the future perfect tense. (By the end of the
century the rate of urbanization had doubled.)

Warnings:
1. Avoid using the phrase: according to the graph. This is because the phrase according to generally
means that the information comes from another person or source, and not from our own
knowledge. In the case of a graph or table that is shown, the information is there right in front of
you, the writer, and also the reader, and so you can both ‘know’ it. That is, it does not come from
another source.

2. Note that the expressions as can be seen from the graph or as is shown / illustrated by the table,
do not contain the dummy subject to it. Avoid these expressions if you think you are going to
forget this unusual grammar.

3. The word ‘presents’ is best avoided, since it requires a sophisticated summarizing noun to follow.
For example: The graph presents an overview of the population growth of Alia in the last 20 years.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 105

ALL WEATHER SENTENCES FOR ESSAYS
1. There is a drastic change in each and every field due to rapid advancement in technology.
2. Due to rapid advancement in technology, the pace of life has increased.
3. Modern technology has entered each and every field.
4. Modern technology has drastically affected the way of living.
5. The fast-pace development today is bringing comforts and luxuries in life, but it also has
some undesirable effects.
6. The standard of living and cost of living is increasing day by day.
7. As population is increasing, competition is becoming tough to withstand.
8. There is a stiff competition nowadays in each and every field.
9. Due to advancement in technology, the world has become a smaller place.
10. People have become more materialistic and money-minded.
11. We have now entered an age of globalisation.
12. Although formal education begins in a classroom, home is the place where one learns the lessons
of life.
13. Education widens a person’s mental horizon.
14. Education is a must in today’s age.
15. In today’s age, it is necessary for each and every person to realise the value of education.
16. In today’s era, man can stand nowhere without education.
17. Education is a basic requirement to live a good life.
18. Schools are much necessary to make the base of the student strong.
19. The world is becoming a global village.
20. Due to increased pace of life, life has become stressful.
21. Science has revolutionised each and every field.
22. Science has made a remarkable progress in each and every field.
23. Commercialisation has grown rapidly in the modern era.
24. Science and technology go hand in hand.
25. This is an age of women’s liberation.
26. Women are stepping out of their houses.
27. Migration of people has become very common nowadays.
28. Looks are an important part of personality.
29. Trees are one of the major life-supporting systems on the earth.

30. Hobbies are recreational activities pursued during leisure time.

31. Success means the ability to turn your dreams and goals into reality.
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 106
32. Change is a part of life and is always required for the progress of mankind.
33. Change is inevitable.
34. Childhood is supposed to be a worriless period of life.
35. Stress is a side-effect of almost any kind of physical and mental exertion.
36. Knowledge is the best charity.
37. Life is a rollercoaster ride.

Some similes that can be used:

A ship without sailor: Youth is like a ship without sailor without good teachers.
Soup without salt: Life without colours is like soup without salt.
A bird without wings: Life without education is like a bird without wings.
Eyes without vision: Life without goals is like eyes without vision.
A fish without water: A man without money is life a fish without water.

Use of some words:

Handicapped: Without education (without technology etc.), a man is handicapped.

Debate/debatable: 1. Having uniform in schools or not is an issue open for debate.

2. Cloning is a debatable issue.

Controversial: Reservation for women for higher posts is a highly controversial issue. Pros and cons:

Every new invention has its pros and cons.

Burning issue: Pollution (deforestation, terrorism etc.) is a burning issue.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 107

 CHAPTER 12. PREVIOUS EXAM ESSAYS WITH SAMPLE ANSWERS

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 1

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
In many countries eighteen is considered the right age to start driving a car. However, some
people say that the legal driving age should be twenty five. Discuss both views and give your
opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

There are many good arguments for and against raising the minimum driving age, and this
debate happens throughout the world, as road accidents are a major cause of concern
nowadays. Instinctively, the first measure people would think about is to alter the legal
driving age; yet, the effectiveness of this approach is still undecided.

Statistics from numerous surveys have shown that many of all accident deaths involve
drivers in the age group of 17 to 21. Raising the minimum driving age to 25 would
dramatically decrease deaths and injuries. In their youth, people as in experience thrills
from adrenaline rushes and so they would want to spend it out on the roads in the form of
speeding or doing stunts. In this process, they not only endanger their lives but also of
others on the roads and so the legal driving age can be raised.

On the contrary, there might be a possibility of illegal underage driving from teenagers
who are keen to drive as soon as they hit 18. In many countries, 18-year-olds are
privileged with voting rights (which is a pretty important right) so one might argue of
being deprived to legally drive. Also, it has been noticed that the cause of accidents is
majorly due to lack of experience, and so even at 25, the driver would still be
inexperienced thereby making the provision of raising the driving age to have effective
drivers seem futile.

In my opinion, the age of 20 can be considered ideal for starting to drive. 25 years is too
late to start, and by 20, teenagers can curb their youthful enthusiasm with handling
vehicles and would become more responsible (unlike at 18). Moreover, even parents can
encourage children as the wait till 20 for getting a driving license is a reasonable one.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 108

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Many people believe that international sporting events can contribute to world peace
while others argue otherwise. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own kn owledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

International sporting events like world cup and Olympics reckoned not only as a medium
of releasing patriotic emotions but also in averting increasing tension prevails at global
level. Such events can unite all nations together and can be proven as a tool for peace
maker if it is executed properly.

Sometimes enemy countries' sporting authority held events at neutral venues where
players play together in mixed doubles in Tennis or in Badminton bring those nations
people together; e.g., Israel and Palestine, India and Pakistan, North Korea and South
Korea, their sports persons have performed a major role significantly to neutralise tension
between respected countries.
However, only sports cannot bring world peace; it has to be jointly supported by movie
celebrities through arranging cultural exchange programs. Same way, many professionals
from different fields can give speeches in seminars representing their countries in
conferences e.g., scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers etc. All these people can equally
contribute just as sports in improvising peace in world.
Nevertheless, sports can ignite patriotic emotions emphatically more than other things. As
people follow sports more and forget their worries, frets, issues for a while which give
them some great moments to cheer or shed tears provided on performances of team.
Brazil is one such country; after victory of football world cup victory positive change in
country's development has been remarkable.
Thus, international sporting events should be held regularly with preserving decorum of
national pride. Simultaneously, other celebrities of movies, cultural performers and
professional field experts should also be hired. This will endorse of peace and enhance
communication better at global level.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 109

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 3

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Nowadays managers and team leaders in different organizations are much younger
compared to the past.
What are the reasons for it?
Is it a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Manager and leaders play an instrumental role in smooth operations of a business. They
not only coordinate various departments (or silos) of a company but also act as
visionaries who guide the business towards growth and prosperity. 21st century has
witnessed decreasing average age of managers and team leaders. This is certainly a good
development and several reasons can be attributed to it.
Young people running a company bring with them great benefits. Firstly, they are more
up-to date and in touch with the modern world. This brings an added advantage to the
organization in terms that they replace the more redundant work with the new better
technologies. Secondly, they are often more dynamic and forward thinking which makes
them open to new ideas. Thirdly, leadership demands strength, both mentally and
physically. Young leaders are often more fitter than their older counter parts making them
a better choice for the role of a leader.
However, older generation has its own advantages. Firstly, with age comes experience
which is very critical for the job of a leader. Even more, older people have more authority
which is needed to manage and lead people. Secondly, the job of a leader is that of
responsibility and this sense of responsibility is more often found in the older
counterparts.
Overall, age is just a number. A leader is a person who has a vision and can lead a team.
Both young and old people bring with them their benefits to the organization. However, in
the end, it is the passion to work that makes the company successful.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 110

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 4

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Many people believe that criminals should be imprisoned; others, however, say they should
do unpaid work that is beneficial for the community. Do you agree and disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Most criminals spend not months but years in prison, and if they are not productively used
it is both a wastage of precious human resource and an erosion of the prisoners’
capacities. I believe all inmates need to be engaged in activities that benefit them as well
as the community.
Though almost all criminals are in jail for some sort of offence (crime), many have never
committed a heinous crime. While some spend time in jail for theft, others are there due to
dire circumstances. These people need support from the society and system to emerge out
of their lives’ crisis. This can only be done if they are engaged in productive activities such
as making utensils that are beneficial to the community.
Moreover, criminals, even hardened ones, need second chance to reform themselves. To
create a humane society that cherishes the principle of harmony, we need to give an
opportunity to criminals to become useful for the community. This cannot be done by
confining them to solitary imprisonment. This can only be done by making them feel
useful for the society.
Additionally, working has a lot of benefits for both sides, for example, the errant people
like pickpocket, shoplifter who become frail and lethargic and by doing unpaid work
instead of imprisonment learn something different, new and help to boost in self esteem
and open a door with many opportunities.
Thus, working for the benefit of society helps in prisoner rehabilitation allowing them to
become contributing members of the society. Though these activities are mostly unpaid,
they are beneficial both for the society as well as inmates.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 111

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 5

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Many people make friends through social sites and chat rooms. Others believe that it is not a
good idea to make friends without meeting them face to face. Do you agree or disagree with
this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

With the advancement of technologies such as smart phones and the Internet, people
spend a lot of time on social media. Though some people believe in making friends only
after a personal interaction, I strongly support the idea of making friends online since it is
not only more convenient but also helps develop friendships with people from diverse
backgrounds.
Firstly, social sites are beneficial for many people to make new friends not only in one’s
own country but also from abroad. This helps in knowing a foreign culture through
conversation with friends. Similarly, it helps a person who have has an introvert
personality because he does not mix easily with other people when he meets them face to
face. For instance, these sites provide chat rooms as well as video call or voice call to avoid
face-to-face conversations. He can use only messenger or chat room for conversation with
a new friend.
Secondly, nowadays, by making new friends all over the world homemakers are
establishing their business worldwide and it helps a lot in becoming financially strong. For
example, these online websites provide business pages for spreading business
everywhere which can help not only the businessmen but also in the national economy.
At the end, making friends on social media is an excellent way to network and gain
insights about various cultures and countries. It is a convenient way to resolve
international and inter-cultural conflicts, and create a sustainable society.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 112

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 6

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Education system is introducing more academic subjects instead of exercises and sports.
How will it impact the children?
What can be done about it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

The debate between where to allocate valuable teaching resources probably started with
the first educational institutions. In present-day society the conflict continues and rightly
so. In my opinion converting sports classes to more traditional subjects has two significant
advantages. Firstly, it is a more effective use of a student’s time. Secondly, in the future,
academic skills are more useful.
Switching time spent on sport in a school to time spent on more academic activities is a
wise and cost-effective solution. Firstly, academic studies are inherently less expensive to
perform when compared to physical education. For example, to play almost any sport one
has to invest in the appropriate equipment, ranging from shorts, t-shirts to rackets and
balls. Furthermore, excess time is spent in the changing rooms or washing afterwards. In
more traditional subjects, students merely enter the classroom and are learning within
minutes.
Secondly, sport can be argued as an activity practised naturally by children, especially
boys. In every school at break time many children engage in energetic activities, whereas
hardly any are studying algebra, biology or physics. Because these subjects are less
popular more resources should be allocated to teaching them. In addition, academic skills
could be argued as more important due to the small number of people in society currently
using sport skills in a work environment. Thus, focussing on skills demanded by the
labour market would benefit students’ lives dramatically in the future.
To conclude, young learners going through school would finish much better prepared for
life avoiding sport tuition. Furthermore, they would have taken full advantage of their
school years through more time spent learning.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 113

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 7

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people say that a person’s success depends on his/her upbringing by parents. Do you
agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Success is something that is followed by every human being keenly, and every expert on
this planet is trying to find key to this elusive phenomena. Many feel that successful people
have a solid and qualitative foundation laid down by their moms and dads, but does this
factor alone really does not influence an accomplished individual’s life. There are certain
other factors as well.
Parents have been traditionally regarded as a driving force behind accomplishments of
individuals, since they have always donned roles of mentors, advisers and guides. Right
from the birth, moms and dads instil critical life skills in kids, such as differentiating
between good and bad; behaving, behaving and forging relationships; handling stress
during tough phases, etc. The training received, independent of any external intervention,
in the family has a long lasting effect on psyche of kids and teaches them to be resilient,
and successfully negotiate personal and professional spheres of life.
Moreover, family background has always influenced professional beliefs and convictions
of individuals. The informal training received in the families always overwhelmingly steer
the personalities and negotiating skills. For instance, individuals born in the families
involved in business would surely turnout to be highly successful in business since they
are guided by the critical clues picked while observing parents negotiate business and
professional challenges; and identify opportunities to be grabbed.
However, an accomplished personality does not necessarily have to be nurtured in the
early years. There could be many factors that influence success of an individual, like the
formal education received, the company kids keep, and opportunities and the timing of
chances being made available.
To sum up, I personally believe, although parental guidance and rearing may have some
impact on the personality, success is surely not a result of upbringing.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 114

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 8

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people say that cities are a better place for children to grow up in, while others
believe countryside is the right choice. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Some people believe that it is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a
big city. However, other people think that a big city gives more opportunities and it is
good for the long run. Personally, for several reasons I think that it is better for children to
grow up in a city that offers numerous advantages.

Many people opt to live in large cities for employment. People who are living in a city can
easily get a job in different types of than the countryside because they prefer to live in the
metropolitan area than remote areas. Such a good benefit is an professions.

Another reason is the easy availability of transportation services, large complex network
maps of buses and trains covering almost all surrounding suburbs of a city, which can save
a lot of valuable time spent by travelling with the own vehicle, which is more convenient
and economical when your children go to school. And you will know where they are.

However, the cost of living in a city is usually much higher than in the countryside.
Inhabitants of cities have to pay higher prices for housing, transport, and even food.
Moreover, the big cities have some social problems such as high crime and poverty rates
in comparison with the countryside. Furthermore, the air quality in cities is often poor,
due to pollution from traffic, and the streets and public transport systems are usually
overcrowded. As a result, city life can be unhealthy and stressful to our children.

After analysing the essay, we can conclude that those points are the important factors
when considering living either in the urban or rural area. Apart from those, entertainment
facilities, well-developed infrastructure and living with latest trends are other reasons for
living in cities.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 115

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 9

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Nowadays the crime rate among young people is increasing.
Why do you think this is happening?
What can be done by parents and teachers to reduce it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

There is no doubt that, almost every good and bad field has developed significantly over
the past few decades and it is too visible in behaviour and actions of young people. As
many people have mentioned that, in many cities around the globe rates of crime by
teenagers are increasing unexpectedly. The government as well as parents are trying to
find solution for this international problem. Many people believe that, wisely chosen
punishment is the best way to control the number of crimes in society. While, some of
them believe that, it is not the only way to reduce the level of crime. They think that, there
must be another way.

First of all, no one can deny that, according to the recent figures, there is an increase in
violent, robber and even murder crimes among young people. As many scientists have
claimed that the main reason for this is that, nowadays, youth are growing with lack of pay
attention by their parents but also teachers. Moreover, children are not getting social and
emotional knowledge at their schools.

Second of all, action movies with murder, robberies are being popular amongst youth. It is
clearly seen that, these sort of movies lead to an increase in crime among teenagers as
they try to copy what they have seen in the movies. Furthermore, films have an important
influence on young people who are influenced both by what they watch and hear.

Third of all, nowadays, no one does amaze, when read on newspapers and watch on the
television about in most societies over the planet the number of crime is rising
unexpectedly. In fact, youth are breaking laws especially rights of people with way of
violence.

From my point of view, the best way to control as well as reduce the number of crime is
replace severe punishments than penalties are such as, financial and even being in prison.
Moreover, lack of social and emotional knowledge is one of the main factors to increase
crime among youth due to the government should more pay attention to both education
and law systems.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 116

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 10

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people think that giving homework to students is not a good idea. Others believe that
homework is good and helps students achieve better grades. Discuss both views and give
your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

There are arguments both in favour of and against giving homework to students. While
some people believe that homework is beneficial to children, others argue that it is an
unwanted burden on them. In my opinion, a small amount of homework will help students
to improve their grades; however, I am against giving too much homework.
The biggest advantage of homework is that it encourages students to open their books and
revise their lessons after reaching home. And if they do their homework with
concentration, they will also learn the lessons. This will definitely improve their grades. If
teachers do not give homework, most students will simply waste their time after reaching
home playing video games or chatting with their friends. They will have to work doubly
hard when exams draw closer. By encouraging students to learn the lessons the day they
are taught, homework helps them improve their grades.
On the other hand, homework can also be an unwanted burden. Most students spend a lot
of time in the classroom. They are already tired by the time they reach home and lack the
motivation to complete their homework. If they do homework it is for fear of punishment.
When children are forced to do homework, they are less likely to focus on what they are
doing. They may just copy answers from their notebook. This practice will not benefit
them in any way.
This, however, does not mean that teachers should stop giving homework. They can make
homework less of a burden by giving only a small amount of it. This way they can ensure
that students have time for play as well. Studies have shown that physical activity also
helps brain development and boosts grades indirectly.
To conclude, the practice of giving too much homework should definitely be discouraged
as it is unhealthy and useless. However, abolishing homework is not the solution. Instead
of taking such drastic measures, in my opinion, teachers should just reduce the amount of
homework they give.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 117

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 11

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people think that the effective way to reduce pollution is to tax the companies which
cause it. Others think that there are better ways to achieve this. Discuss both the sides and
give your own opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Pollution in almost all parts of the world has become a menace for humans and various
solutions have been proposed to overcome it. While some people suggest taxing the
corporates since they generate pollution while producing goods, others think that
measures such as public awareness and regulation are more effective. I agree with the
latter view.
Imposing heavy taxes on companies is an efficient way to reduce as well as control air,
water and ground pollution. Governments can use these taxes to create a fund that helps
implement pollution control measures such as effluent treatment plants. Moreover, taxes
will increase price of goods in the market which will reduce the consumption and hence
pollution. For example, government of Singapore has imposed heavy taxes on all
manufacturing facilities and used these funds to clean rivers, install machines to absorb
harmful gases in Singapore’s air. Thus heavy tax on companies has played an important
role in making Singapore a clean place to live.
On the other hand, some people suggest that taxes are not an effective way to reduce
pollution and stringent pollution regulation and public awareness are more important.
Strong oversight on environmentally hazardous industries such as paper and plastic by
regulators will be an efficient step in controlling pollution. Moreover, if people are aware
about environmental impacts of products through measurements such as ecological
footprint, they will purchase products that are less polluting.
Finally, I believe that heavy tax on companies is not an effective way to reduce pollution
since it translates to increase in prices of goods which eventually harm the consumers.
Governments should strictly regulate the polluting industries and make public aware
about pollution emitted by any product. This will not only make people more aware of
their duty to protect their environment, but also make Earth a sustainable place to live.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 118

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 12

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
The fast food industry has negative effects on our health, the environment and family
eating habits. Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Fast food has become extremely popular among people owing to the present lifestyle
conditions. However, tasty it may be, it cannot be denied that it does take a toll on our
health sooner or later. This essay shall explore the various disadvantages of having fast
food more than required.

The reason why people consume fast food so much is because most people having hectic
work schedule, do not get time to eat a proper full length meal. So they prefer to snack on
fast foods instead, in turn disturbing their appetite. Fast food is fattening, high in calorie
content, many-a-times not served fresh. All these factors give rise to many health
problems, like obesity, high cholesterol accumulation, high blood pressure and diabetes to
name a few.

Fast food places use a lot of packaging. From the wrappers and straws to the boxes and
bags, fast food packaging counts for a large amount of litter, including drinks, chips, candy,
and other snacks, with Styrofoam and plastic being the most common food waste. These
non-degradable materials in the long run act as a poison to the land they are dumped in,
making it barren.

The effects of fast food consumption on family eating habits are quite evident. Munching
on packet foods or instant noodles at any given time of the day makes you skip meals,
thereby cutting you short of the quality family time you could've spent. Also, healthy
eating habits like having fruits or cereal are replaced due to this. The satisfaction which a
combined meal provides is lacking in fast food.

To conclude, I’d say that fast food can be a good way to save time, but it is not the proper
way for gaining nutrition. It should be eaten seldom and in moderation as it affects all
aspects of one’s way of living more negatively.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 119

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 13

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Nowadays music and newspapers are available online.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of such services?
Give your own opinion followed by relevant examples.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from yo ur own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Accelerated technological development has enabled the physical newspaper’s

transformation into e-newspapers. In the post internet era, the music market has also
flourished online. For both these phenomenon, certain merits and demerits have been
observed, and this essay shall discuss them further in detail.

The internet enables fast transmission of digital data, and is used by almost everyone
nowadays. Since the time many media companies decided to share their work online,
there has been a rampant demand of news articles and music albums and songs that
people want to download from the internet. Scores of sites now offer music, while
hundreds of others summarise news and this reaches more consumers than ever online.
Moreover, since it’s free, it’s all the more beneficial for the people. However the media
businesses have been said to be fallen on hard times. The problem seems to be that the
internet has expanded the audience for media, but has also destroyed the market for it.

The media houses have been observed of not collecting enough of the revenue being
generated by their work. Over the past decade, much of the value created by music and
newspapers has benefited other companies – pirates and respected technology firms alike.
Part of the problem is widespread piracy - unauthorised distribution that doesn't benefit
creators or the companies that invest in them. This dynamic doesn't only hurt
media conglomerates – it creates problems for independent artists and companies of
every size, big and small. This is the biggest disadvantage regarding this issue as it defeats
the core purpose of developing creative content.

To conclude, I’d say one of the most exciting aspects of the internet is to make information
free for all. But when it starts hindering the growth of newspaper and music industries,
and leads to their decline, I feel strong law enforcements should be executed.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 120

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 14

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
In many countries school-age children spend their free time doing homework.
Is it a good or a bad thing?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Homework has been a part of students’ lives for so long that the idea of not doing it in
their free time can seem a little impossible. Some people believe that while it is important,
homework should not be the only thing the kids do in their spare time.

It’s counterproductive to make children spend too many hours studying. Kids usually have
seven hours of school. Most adults work similar lengths of time at work and come home
exhausted. Similarly, children can become exhausted too. Besides, a full day at school is
enough to learn anything. And given the amounts of homework given these days, children
would have no time for other enriching and enjoyable activities like playing with friends
or exercising or maybe even watching cartoons and having fun.

Children are still growing, their brains aren’t yet fully developed, and it’s crucial that they
get a lot of exercise and free time. After school is the time for pursuing your own hobbies
and personal pastimes. Children should not be burdened with homework. Another point
to note is that the tuition class culture is very popular in many countries which again robs
the children of their spare time and adds to the homework amount. This is not right on the
part of the kids.

Reworking the teaching systems in class, so that the homework can be completed within
the school hours seems like an effective option. Reducing the volume of homework is
another. In their spare time, children should be completely stress-free to choose the
activities they want to do.

Therefore, I don’t think doing homework in their spare time is a good thing for children.
Kids may have trouble focusing at the end of a full day of learning, and giving them time to
do things they enjoy in their leisure time can prove to be more fruitful.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 121

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 15

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that subjects such as art, music, drama and creative writing have a
bright future. Therefore, schools should spend more time teaching these subjects. To what
extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Children learn the fundamentals of a number of subjects at school. There are some who
feel that art and creative subjects should be focused upon more, in comparison to other
subjects, as they might have better career prospects. This essay shall discuss the extent to
which this might be true.

The subjects mentioned in the question are generally considered to be co-curricular

subjects as they should ideally run alongside the academic subjects of mathematics,
science, language, social studies and so on. Not all students are interested in these
academic subjects, which is why schools should focus equally on the co-curricular ones to
help a child develop his skills as competently as he would’ve done in the other compulsory
subjects. Students can make their career as an actor or a choreographer by learning drama
or dance in school.

In contrast, the academic subjects in the syllabus are placed to let the child have essential
basic knowledge about life and other related functions. Paying lesser attention towards
these subjects is also not advisable. As the introduction of this essay mentions that schools
give fundamental knowledge about subjects, in order to make a career in dance or drama
or art, the student will have to learn the subject intensively later at a college or other
especially dedicated institutions and not rely completely on the school’s teaching.

Therefore to conclude, I do not agree more time should be spent on subjects such as art,
music, drama and creative writing in school, especially if it is being taken off from the time
used to study the academic subjects. Giving equal attention to all sorts of subjects will
promote an unbiased view regarding studies in the minds of students, which may help
them choose their field of interest in a better way.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 122

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 16

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Nowadays there is a rapid increase of rubbish amounts all around the world.
What are the main causes for it?
What can be a solution, in your opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

The environment today is threatened by many factors such as air pollution and so on.
However, among the most concerning is the increase in the amount of waste production. It
is argued that the main causes of this are the availability of poor quality products and
over-population. To tackle these issues, government's role will be analysed for viability.

To begin with, consumerism plays a key role in the rise of garbage around the world.
Nowadays, people prefer replacing the old items with the new one when the existing one
stops working, which in turn adds to the waste produced. In addition, the increase in the
count of inhabitants means more people throwing the products which directly increases
the quantity of sewage produced. Thus, it is apparent that both these factors are
dependent on each other and thereby, contribute equally towards the rubbish addition.

To counter this, the government can play a major role by monitoring the objects
manufactured by the companies. In other words, they can enforce these organisations to
produce durable items which can be used for the longer duration. As a consequence,
disposing of products will be minimised and hence, the amount of waste produced will
also be reduced to a greater extent. Along with this, legal entities should concentrate on
educating society about the negative effects of excessive population and work together for
controlling this growth.

As it is clear, that population rise and less robust equipment's have led to the boost in the
sewage within the nation. It is thus hoped that the government will implement regulations
for developing sturdy products and thus, discourage people from creating rubbish.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 123

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 17

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that money is the most important factor for achieving happiness.
However, others believe that happiness has nothing to do with money. Do you agree and
disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Happiness plays a crucial role in the life of every person. While some people believe that
money is a major factor in achieving happiness, some others tend to oppose that view and
feel that money has nothing to do with happiness. I strongly believe that money and
happiness are different concepts altogether.
On one side of the argument, there are people who believe that money has a major role to
play in the happiness of a person. Certainly, money is required to buy anything in this
world. Right from daily meals to luxury homes, nothing comes for free. Thus, without
money, it would be very difficult to live a comfortable life and hence it is easy to see why a
person cannot be happy without money.

On the other side of the argument, there are people who believe that money has nothing to
do with happiness. Although a certain amount of money is required to lead a life and
people cannot be happy without that survival amount, the level of happiness of a person
does not increase with the money that he earns in excess. Happiness is a different concept.
Every person finds happiness in different things and it is completely wrong to argue that
the richest person is the happiest one.
Happiness is a very important emotion and it is required for everyone to be content in life.
This has essay discussed why a person needs a certain amount of money to be comfortable
in life, but why money does not relate to happiness altogether. After having discussed the
pertinent points related to the issue, I feel that the only logical conclusion is that money
has nothing to do with happiness.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 124

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 18

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people think that a car is the best way to travel in cities while others believe a bicycle
is a better way. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Undoubtedly in this 21st century personal vehicles are amplified in all the major cities of
the world compared to early days, where people make use of either public transport or a
bicycle to commute from one place to another. Some people hold the opinion that,
nowadays the best way to travel in the cities are by a car, while some people argue that
the efficient and cheapest way of commuting is by a bicycle. In my opinion commuting by
both the modes has its own advantages as well as ill effects which I will try to enunciate
below.
There are multifarious reasons why people prefer cars over a bicycle to travel in the cities.
Firstly, nowadays due to hectic work culture everyone is so busy that they cannot afford to
spend more time to reach from one place to another. Secondly, when travelling by a car,
one can travel along with our families depending on the car seating capacity, whereas if he
needs to travel by a bicycle maximum two persons can only travel. Finally, it is not
convenient and easy for every age person to travel by a bicycle. For instance, people with
wheel chair or in addition people in the old age.
On the contrary, some people argue that a bicycle is efficient option to travel in the cities
because of the various reasons. First and foremost, it is environmentally friendly since a
bicycle does not run on any of the fuel. If more and more people would choose a bicycle as
their travel option, then predicament related to the pollution would be solved completely.
Moreover, a bicycle is cost effective as there is a minimal maintenance cost, whereas to
afford a car and the car maintenance is bit expensive. Furthermore, indubitably, cycling is
considered to be one of best exercises with zero investment, otherwise people spends
hefty amount in gym to lose weight.
To recapitulate, no doubt to travel in a city both the modes has its own pros or cons. In my
opinion, it is up to each individual to take the decision, which transport mode is
convenient and efficient for them to travel in a city.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 125

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 19

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
In some countries people prefer to live alone more often than in the past.
Do you think this is a positive or a negative development? Why?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Over the years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people who live alone.
Globalisation has made it possible for people to find jobs in nearly all parts of the world. In
a bid to build their career, they leave their home and country and live alone in another
part of the world.
There has also been an increase in the number of people who prefer to live alone. I think
this trend is more popular in western countries. There are at least a few benefits to living
alone. When you live alone, you have absolute freedom. You also learn to do things on
your own. This makes you stronger as a person.
On the other hand, living alone has several disadvantages too. Psychologists believe that
being disconnected from one’s family can make one emotionally weak. As human beings,
we need people to share our joys and sorrows with. We need people to take care of us
when we are ill. Perhaps this is the biggest disadvantage of living alone. When you need
help, you have none to offer it. In addition, people who are used to living alone may have
difficulty adjusting when they have to share space with others. They might even come
across as unfriendly.
Human beings are gregarious by nature. They seek company and feel happy with friends
and family around. It is true that the traditional family setup curtails the amount of
freedom an individual can enjoy. However, there are many ways to improve the situation.
In my opinion, there is absolutely no need to live alone just to enjoy freedom.
After analysing this development it is not hard to see that living alone has its fair share of
advantages and disadvantages. However, in my opinion, the disadvantages outweigh the
advantages.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 126

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 20

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
In many countries airlines are dropping their prices.
Is it a positive or a negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Airfares are falling. In my opinion, this is a positive development because it allows more
people to travel overseas, do business, learn new languages and discover interesting
places.
Low airfares will definitely encourage more and more people to travel to exotic locations
abroad. They get to discover new places and culture. The influx of travellers also benefits
the local economy. I feel that travel has the potential to make the world a better place.
When people travel to other places, they learn to respect various cultures, lifestyles and
beliefs. This helps them develop a better perspective on life and makes them more
tolerant of differences.
Falling airfares have a very positive impact on the economy as well. It benefits exporters
because they can take their products to foreign markets without having to spend a lot of
money on transportation. It helps consumers as well. Indian textiles are more expensive in
America than in India because the cost of transportation is also added to the price.
Cheaper air travel will make imported goods more affordable. Cheap air travel also
benefits international students and business people who regularly travel abroad.
Perhaps the only downside is the impact on the environment. There are toxic pollutants in
the plane exhaust and they can cause health problems and global warming. While these
are definitely causes for concern, better technology may prevent these problems in the
future.
To conclude, falling airfares benefit everyone who has to travel long distances for business
or recreational purposes. Increase in air travel also boosts the economy and creates jobs. I
definitely feel that this is a positive development.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 127

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 21

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Nowadays in many families the grandparents are responsible for bringing up children.
Is it a good or bad development for grandparents?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

These days raising children is one of the duties of grandparents. I agree grandparents can
benefit from that activity. Some people believe that it is very good chance for
grandparents, while others contend that it is not good for grandparents to be raising
children in their old age. This essay explains why this is a good situation for senior people
to bring up their grandchildren.

To begin with, taking care of young children has several drawbacks for grandparents. Old
people can tolerate some noise and behaviour. Therefore, when young children make
noise, the grandparents become upset and tired. After some hours, they fight to children.
Moreover, raising a child is costly for the elderly. So, they have to spend money from their
savings. In the long run, they may lose all their money.

However, being grandparents with young children also has advantages. First old people
are kept busy by young children and are not alone. Therefore, they become less depressed.
Also, children give their grandparents renewed of energy. Because, they are too young
they need to be taught things. Teaching the children motivates the adult to read and
extend their knowledge.

Moreover, young children help their grandparents find new entertainment. Since
grandparents take their grandchildren to the park, amusement parks or cinemas to
entertain themselves. The grandparents get to mingle with new people and other elderly
grandparents caring for their grandchildren also.

Therefore, caring for young children has a number of benefits for older people.
Communicating with new people, becoming motivated to increase their knowledge and
reducing their possibility of depression are common positive results of grandparents
raising their grandchildren.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 128

WRITING TASK SAMPLE 22

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:
Some people think that TV is a source of information and education. Others believe that TV is
useful for entertainment only. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

People are divided in opinion if television is a great source of education and knowledge or
not. Both of these two groups have their reasoning and logic. In this essay, I will discuss
both the viewpoint to represent the effectiveness and drawbacks of TV as the source of
education.

To mention the advantages, there are always options for a TV viewer and if he takes it as a
medium of educational sources, TV can always do so. It is an effective medium for
updating people about the current news, different viewpoints and current affairs. People
no longer need to travel a great deal to learn about other countries and it is TV that
actually made it possible. Channels like Discovery, National Geography have been
successfully broadcasting education channels and they are hugely popular around the
globe. This is a strong tool for a government to communicate with mass people to deliver a
message. After a stressful day at work people often find it refreshing to watch music,
movies, soap opera, reality shows, travel shows at their homes and there is no argument
that those things have their educational references well rooted into.

On the other hand, there are lots of disadvantages, television channels are too much
commercial nowadays and they would produce any program to attract people no matter if
they are authentic or not. There are plenty of choices for channels and people tend to use
their TV as an entertainment media than an educational source. The biased news,
politically influenced talk show etc. often mislead people and that has a very negative
impact on the society. Programs that contain violence, the negative impression often
distracts young people and the addiction on TV programs often restrain people from doing
other important activities. TV is a great source of knowledge sharing but the programs
choice must be prudent to learn something from it and most of the people fail to do so.

At the end, TV can be a great source for education if properly and prudently watched and
also can be a negative factor for some people if their program choice is somehow negative.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 129

 CHAPTER 13. SPEAKING TEST PART -1
1. How should I call you?
You may call me as ….. (give your first name).
or You may address me by my first name.

2. What is the meaning of your name?

Every Indian name has got a special meaning. It is a reminder to us to be equal to its meaning. The
meaning of name is …. (Every candidate is requested to know the real meaning and important of his/
her name).

3. Which are the famous names in your country?

Usually the Indians prefer the names of their prophets or the great characters form the holy books
like the Adi Granth, the Ramayana, The Mahabharata or the Koran. These days the fashion is of
choosing short and trendy names.

4. Are you working or student?

I am a student at the moment. I have given 12 th examination this year with Arts stream from
Punjab School education board. I want to go abroad for my higher studies.

5. Tell me something about your family.

I belong to a joint family. There are six members in my family - my grandparents, my father,
mother and my younger sister.
OR
I live in a nuclear family. In my family there are four members my father, mother and my sister.

6. What changes have you seen in the family system in last decade?
Nuclear families and small families are emerging in a big proportion in the society. This is because
people prefer to have only one child and in urban areas people live in small flats where they
cannot live in joint family. However a reverse trend is also visible in some countryside areas of my
nation where all members of the family live together under one roof.

7. What are the positive and negative points of living in a joint family?
Joint family offers warmth and unity. We have each other’s support in a joint family that can be a
boon in difficult phases of life. Moreover, cultural legacy can be easily passed on to the next
generations in joint families. On the other hand, there is a lack of privacy in joint families at times.
In addition, some self-centered people cannot share their materials with others, which may lead to
a conflict in joint families.

8. What are the positive and negative points of living in a nuclear family?
Nuclear family gives us the command of life. People can enjoy higher freedom and privacy in their
life. In addition the financial responsibilities are also reduced in nuclear families. However, social
and family responsibilities increase in nuclear families. In addition people may feel lonely and
helpless at difficult times of life.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 130

 9. What is the importance of family in your life?
Family is our first world. This is the world where we develop ourselves in various aspects of life so
that we can survive in the outer world called society. It is a setup where we can live natural life i.e.
without playing any psychological games with each other that we normally play outside our
family. In other words it is a base of our life where we can lay the foundation of our future.

10. What are the reasons behind breaking down of joint families into nuclear families?
The prime reason for this is economical development. Because of this, people started shifting to
bigger and industrial cities from small towns and villages. It is obvious that when we migrate we
cannot shift as a joint family in the beginning. Hence families broke and lived in different places of
the country. Secondly, most families lived in houses in the past, which were bigger enough to
accommodate all members of family whereas most people live in flats these days. These flats are
not spacious enough for joint family.

11. What things can we learn from our grandparents?

We can learn virtues like patience, faith, compassion, cooperation and problem solving
strategies from our grandparents. Moreover, we can gain knowledge about our family’s history,
culture; rituals, traditions etc form them.

12. With which member of the family you resemble?

I think I resemble my father. No doubt, some differences of face structure are there but my eyes
nose and the pitch of the voice resemble those of my father.

13. What are the problems faced by the old people in your society?
Old people or senior citizens face a lot of problems, today. Their problems can be psychological,
financial or physical or all of these.

Psychological problems happen because the old find themselves displaced from the mainstrea m of
life both at home and in social life. With the break-up of the joint family system, the old retain only
the titles as heads of the family. Actually often they lead isolated lives even while living with
children. Many live lonely lives in family houses while the children have no time even to visit
them. Often many are widowed and have to suffer the double pain of loneliness and dependency.

Lack of enough money is also a problem. For some, the loss of the pay packet is cushioned by
pensions, but not for all. For many, this is a time when medical expenses rise. Sometimes many
have to depend on children who consider expenses for the old are a nuisance.

And at this age, physical ailments make things they did effortlessly; for e.g. climbing stairs,
crossing roads etc. seem almost impossible tasks. Many are troubled by illnesses like Alzheimer’s
disease, Parkinson’s’ disease etc. and find no help.

Thus, all these problems can make life a virtual hell for this section of people.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 131

 14. What can we / the society and Government do to help the aged?
There is a lot the family, the society and the Government can do to help the aged or the senior
citizens. Well, it need not be said that the family has the most crucial role in solving the problems
of the aged. Children should make sure that old parents are part of all important family activities
and decision making. All their needs of food, medical expenses and even recreation should be
adequately met. If possible they can be given some light family duties, so that the y feel they are
productive members of the family.

Society also, should educate the public at large about the needs of the aged, through various
programmes. It should plan its various activities to suit this section. Often in many of our activities
we do not consider the physical & psychological limitations of the old people. For example, having
ramps instead of staircases, lowering the foot board of buses, having community activities on the
ground floor, giving easily accessible car parking facilities for senior citizens, door-delivery of
provision, home banking etc. are some ways in which society can help.

The Government also can devise schemes which favor the aged. For e.g. Geriatric wards in
Government Hospitals is one such. All these will definitely help the old in their problems.

15. Do you think modern generation ignores elders?

In some cultures or in few families it is seen that youngsters ignore old people. I think it is a
reflection of behavior what youngsters had seen in the past when their parents were young.
However, this is not true for most families and cultures in my country.

16. What do today’s youngsters expect from their elders?

Today’s youth need guidance in fulfilling their dreams of life. They are zealous and diligent in their
approach but they lack experience and motivation in their process of goal achievement. Here, they
seek constructive support from their elders which directs them to the right path of success.

17. Can you tell me about the village/city you live in?
My hometown is Ahmadabad. My city consists a unique combination of history and globalization.
This city of more than 5 million people is located and now developed on both sides of the river
Sabarmati. My city can be broadly divided into two parts the new city and old city. The old city was
actually a kingdom of Mughal monarch Ahmed Shah who gave name to this city. A huge fort that
had 12 big gates was constructed during the reign of this king that covered the old town. Even
today those 12 gates are seen in my city. The old town is made up of narrow streets and terrace
houses. The new town that has developed on the western side of the river has grown with wider
roads, latest constructions, malls multiplexes gardens, hotels, restaurants and clubs. People of my
city are cooperative, kind and have good business sense. Authorities of the city are developing a
highly ambitious and the first project of our country knows as ‘Sabarmati Riverfront’. This project
will make my city on the top of the list of the people who will visit India.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 132

 18. What are the reasons for traffic congestion in our cities?
The reasons for traffic congestion in our cities are many. The main reason is the high density of
population in our cities and the fact that buying a vehicle has come within the common man’s
reach. This has led to increase in the number of cars on our roads. At the same time the roads have
not been widened proportionately.

Another reason is the bad condition of our roads. Pot holes and slow repair & construction work in
many places make the smooth flow of traffic impossible.

Yet another reason is that our cities are not properly planned. For e.g. in many areas, there are
commercial enterprises in residential areas and residential pockets in commercial areas.
Sometimes, we see that even residential areas are blocked with the heavy traffic to the commercial
sites.

But more than anything else perhaps is the fact that we in India do not have a road sense. We flout
traffic rules, but don’t think of these as an offence.

All these compounded, make traffic congestion the biggest problem in cities.

19. Can you suggest any remedies to solve the traffic problems?
Yes, of course first all encroachments on the roads should be removed. Traffic lights and traffic
police should work efficiently. It would be better to install censor lights. Driving license should be
given after following the proper procedure.

20. What changes have you seen in the city in last decade?
I have seen dramatic development in my city in the last decade. My city has swollen in all
directions with almost hundred percent growths in population. Apart form this, there is huge
transformation in all aspects of the city like infrastructure, and roads, public transport, recreation
facilities, shopping malls, brides etc. in addition, many companies have opened their branches in
my city to take the benefit of economical development of the city. This has created in my city to
take the benefit of economical development of the city. This has created excellent job
opportunities in my city. Recently, the city has been declared a mega city. In short, my city has
become truly cosmopolitans in last decade.

21. How do you think these problems can be solved?

There are two effective solutions for these problems. First, government should develop efficient
public transport system so that people can avoid using their own vehicles, which will help
reducing traffic congestion. Second, public transport must use CNG. Which is cleaner over other
fuels like diesel and petrol. This will help in reducing pollution.

22. Is there any important building near your home?

There are many buildings near my home but the most important is the public library. It is a very
famous library in our city. It is housed in a big and impressive building. Early in morning the
people, especially the senior citizens rush to this place and read newspapers. In the afternoon,
usually the students visit the library.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 133

 23. What are the various causes of pollution of different kinds?
There are five main kinds of pollution. They are pollution in air or atmosphere, p ollution in water,
pollution in soil, pollution in space and noise pollution. Pollution in air, is chiefly caused by cutting
down of forests, burning of fossil fuel in houses, factories and automobiles. Water pollution is
caused by the release of toxic effluents from factories in water channels, throwing of home
garbage in them and dumping of chemical waste and garbage in seas, etc. soil pollution is caused
by excessive use of pesticides, etc. pollution in space is the result of garbage thrown by revolving
satellites and noise pollution arises out of the sounds and voices of various devices and creatures.

24. How is pollution affecting the environment and human beings?

Pollution can affect animals, plants and human beings. Even the fetus in the mother’s womb is
affected in many instances. Pollution can result in unhealthy plants & animals, and various
illnesses in human being ranging from common cold and asthma to cancer.

Another major type of pollution can result in unhealthy plants & animals, and various illnesses in
human being from common cold and asthma to cancer.

25. What are the measures that we can take to protect the environment from pollution and
other hazards?
We can take several measures to protect the environment.

We should comply with anti pollution norms for vehicles recommended by environment experts.
Soon the Euro II norms are going to be made compulsory in India for all vehicles. We should use
only machines refrigerators and air conditioners which carry the no CFC label, because
chlorofluorocarbon is a major pollutant and is one of the causes for ozone layer depletion.

We could also see that factories which pollute air and water are alerted immediately and are made
to stop all activities that pollute the area.

We could also use bio degradable materials like paper instead of plastic, because plastic chokes
our sewage system. Therefore plastic carry bags should be avoided as far as possible.

We should save trees at all costs, because deforestation is the reason for many hazards like global
warming’s. We can do this by suing materials other than wood like steel, iron, fiber glass etc. for
construction and furniture.

These are some ways in which we can help protect our environment.

26. What is Global warming?

Global warming refers to the rise in temperatures all over the earth in the recent years. Scientists
have concluded that the ozone layer which surrounds the globe, is constantly being damaged. The
ozone layer protects the earth from the harmful rays of the sun and prevents the heating up earth
more than desirable. But pollution of the atmosphere, particularly the chloro -flurohydrocarbons
released into the atmosphere from vehicle fuels and certain machines, affects the ozone layer
leading to its thinning. And this has resulted in global warming.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 134

 27. What type of houses and other buildings should be built to protect the people from the
destruction that can be caused by an earthquake?
Only earthquake-proof houses and other buildings should be built, especially in the areas prone to
seismic waves. Such houses etc. require a right and proper mix of building material such as
cement, steel, sand small stones etc. qualified and experienced construction engineers know the
various skills and requirements that are needed to build earthquake proof buildings.

28. Some people prefer to live in rented houses but others prefer own houses which do you
prefer?
I prefer to live in a house that I own for many reasons. However, both rented houses and own
houses have merits as well as demerits.
A person, who owns a house, can design it or remodel it the way he desires. His life style may
require certain facilities. He can include them in the design. This is the biggest advantage in living
in one’s own house. Whereas if it is a rented house he is forced to live with whatev er is available.

Of course many live in rented houses because they find building or buying a house, beyond their
means. But many argue that with the high rents in cities & towns, in the long run, own a house is
less expensive than renting one.

29. Living in a single house / bungalow or in a flat / apartment, which do you think is better?
A house means different things to different people. So while a single house suits some, some
people find flats more convenient.

But many find that apartment buildings are better for many reasons. For one, they can socialize
with other families in the building. This is especially true for children. Another reason is that in
most apartments’ services like water, garbage disposal, plumbing, paying of bills etc are taken care
of by common arrangements.

But many find that flats do not allow them the privacy or freedom that they’d have in a single
house. A single house can be designed according to one’s taste and requirements. But a flat follows
the general design used in the apartment building. So often we do not get what we want. A single
house also can be built at our own pace. For instance if we lack funds we can temporarily halt
construction. But this is not the case with apartments. Payment has to be made at once or
according to a fixed schedule, if we are paying in installments.

30. What makes good neighbours?

Neighbours are very close to each other. So they must be able to live harmoniously, even if this
requires some sacrifices. They should discuss their problems in an atmosphere of mutual trust and
they should seek each other’s help and give it unhesitatingly and generously in their hour of need.
They should never quarrel with each other. In case of a major dispute, they should appoint an
arbiter who they can mutually trust.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 135

 31. Who are your neighbours?
I live a in a posh colony of my city. We are very lucky that we have very nice and accommodating
neighbours. On one side of our home lives Mr. .. and on the other Mr.…… Both the families are very
nice. There is hardly any misunderstanding among us. A street quarrel is an unheard thing in our
street.

32. Who is the most important person in your family?

We live in a nuclear family. All members of my family are very important but my father is the
decision making authority in our family. But it does not mean that my mother is his second fiddle.
My father takes all the crucial decisions with the consent of my mother.

33. Which amenity of life do you wish to have in near future?

My parents have arranged many facilities for us but I would like to have my PC (Personal
computer) in my room. As a student, a PC will be very useful for me. Through the internet I can
avail myself of the opportunity of getting the latest and complete knowledge of any subject. I can
chat with my cousins who are living in other States.

34. Can you tell me something about your College/School?

I am a student of …. College/School. It is one of the best colleges/schools of my city. It is known for
grooming the children to make them true human beings. It has excelled in academics, sports and
co-curricular activities I am proud of my college/school.

35. Why did you choose your present career?

I have chosen this career because I like it very much. Before joining this profession I consulted
many expert people and then assessed my own liking only then I chose this career. According to
me, my present profession gives me full satisfaction and status. It offers me an attractive
salary/pay package. The most important thing is that you can maintain your integrity in this
profession.

36. Why did you choose your present subjects?

I had to study many subjects up to my 10th class. Some of these subjects I did not like at all. At that
time, I decided to select these subjects (mentions your subject). I am very fond of these subjects. If I
put my heart and soul in preparing my favorite subjects, I am sure I can make a mark in my life.
These subjects will help me in getting a better placement in my life.

37. What are your leisure time activities?

My leisure time activities are reading books, listening to soft music and surfing the internet on the
website. As times I also take a short break to have a cup of tea to get a change and them I get back
to work again

38. What is the difference between your leisure time during weekdays and weekends?
The leisure time I get during weekdays is only of a few minutes where I cannot pursue time
consuming activities. However, weekend is a long break where I can go out on a picnic or to see
movies, shopping etc. hence, the biggest difference is the length of time that I get during weekdays
and weekends.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 136

 39. How do the senior citizens spend their time in your locality/city/state?
Senior citizens have to adjust themselves to the changing environment. They spend most of their
time in attending to the domestic chores like paying the bills, fetching provisions and attending to
the requirements of their grandchildren. In the afternoons they go to the public parks and meet
the people of their own age and discuss their problems.

40. What types of hobbies are favorite with the people of your age?
The people of my age have so many hobbies. They are fond of watching TV, playing video games,
listening to music, surfing on the internet and roaming about here and there. Only few are
interested in traditional hobbies like gardening, stamp collecting etc.

41. What difficulties do you face when you meet strangers?

I usually do not take the initiative in introducing myself. But once the ice is broken; I pay full
attention and regards to strangers. I try my best to prove myself to be an intere sting person.

42. Which newspaper do you read?

I read (mention a newspaper of your choice) daily. It is in English. I like this newspaper because of
many reasons. Its language is very good. The vocabulary used in the newspaper is apt and
increases our knowledge of English language. Many times certain idioms and phrases are used
which make our reading all the more interesting. There are hardly any printer’s devils in this
newspaper. The most important factor is that it never vitiates communal harmony in the so ciety.

43. Which are your favorite pages of the newspaper?

I am very fond of two pages of the newspaper - Editorial page and sports page. In the Editorial
page I read important articles written by the best brains of the world who are the experts of their
own field. These articles provide me full knowledge of that topic or issue. As regards sports page -I
am a lover of Cricket and football. So I love to read the details of these two games in the
newspaper.

44. Do you wish to have a house of your dreams?

Yes of course. These days we are living in an old house constructed by my grandfather. This house
does not cater to the modern needs. I wish to have a house of my dreams. First, it should be
situated in a posh colony where there should be wide roads, lush-green parks and well-planned
houses. All the rooms of my house should have natural light and cross-ventilation. I wish to have
my own room to study and relax.

45. Which is your favorite TV programme?

Throughout the day I am very busy. I get some time only in the evening. I watch only those
programmes which do not make me sad. I am very fond of “Comedy Circus’. This programme
comes on Sony TV on Saturday at 9.30 pm. In this programme we see great comedians from India.
They send us to peals of laughter. After watching this programme I feel fully refreshed. It is a great
stress-buster in today’s life.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 137

 46. Is there any importance of gardens in our life?
These days gardens are the most important need of modern life. Our life has become so busy,
pollution is increasing at such a fast pace that garden have become a must for human existence.
Cut-throat competition in colonization and industrialization has resulted in global warming. The
quantity of oxygen is going down due to deforestation. Hence, it would not be wrong to call
gardens the lungs of the modern city life.

47. Which type of people visit gardens/parks in your city? Why?

Different types of people visit gardens/parks in our city. In the morning usually the young people and
the senior citizens are found there. They do yoga, other exercise and walk in the garden/park. In
the evening usually the house wives and the children are found at these places. These
gardens/parks are full of rush in the mornings and the evenings.

48. Why do people visit garden?

People visit garden for variety of purposes. In morning people go to garden for morning walk and
laughing club. Children visit gardens for playing games and elders go to garden to pass their time
with other people of their age group. We can also see sales and marketing executive a rrange their
on the field meetings in public gardens.

49. Do you enjoy rain or not?

I like rain a lot. I like to go out when it is raining. The climate becomes pleasant and soothing. I like
to get wet in rain and feel the raindrops on my face, which gives me a sensational feeling. All trees,
plants, buildings and roads look new and fresh when it is raining. I also go out with my family
members to eat roasted corn and other traditional items made up of lentil.

50. What is the difference between rain in the past and now?
The intensity and consistency of rain has changed a lot compared to the past. These days we can
have ten or fifteen inches rainfall in two to three days compared to the past where there was
consistent rainfall over the whole rainy season. Moreover, the places where there was less rainfall
get high or average rain these years and those places where the rainfall was heavy get average to
less rain these years.

51. What is the importance of rainy season in your country?

Rain has great importance in my nation. My country is traditionally known as an agricultural
country. And the irrigation system is not so developed in my country. However, I do admit that
other industries are also contributing to the economic growth of my country. But, major
proportion of population of my country survives on farming and associated industries even today.
Apart from this, the population of my country is also very high, which requires higher amount of
drinking water. Looking at this, I can say that rain has a prime importance in my country.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 138

 52. Would you tell me the onset of different seasons in your country?
My country has the blessings of God to have almost all the seasons. The winter season starts in the
month of December and goes up to the month of January. February and the early days of March
are called the days of the spring season. The main season is the summer season starts in April and
goes up to June. Rainy season starts in the early days of June and goes up to July and sometimes
some days of August. September and October are the month of Autumn.

53. Which season do you enjoy the most? Why?

I like the winter season the most. It is the season to wear beautiful clothes, to get delicious fruit
and nutritious diet. Nights are long one can enjoy the warmth of the quilt. I am very fond of
basking in the sun. Moreover it is the season without mosquitoes and flies.

54. Do you think birds play an important role in human life? How?
There is no doubt about the importance of the birds. They are an indispensable part of the eco
system. Birds like peacock, kite, eagle, vulture etc. feed on some insects and low creature like
snakes, mouse etc. kite and vultures feed on the dead animals. In this way they provide us a neat
and clean atmosphere. Birds are a source of beauty also.

55. What can we do to save birds?

First and foremost, we should stop killing birds for their meat, feathers or nails. In addition, we
should also stop others who are engaged in the same activity by informing about them to the
government authorities. It is our moral responsibility to save the birds. Many of these birds are
going to be extinct in the near future. Certain laws should be made to stop their killing. Heavy fines
and punishment should be imposed on the breakers of law. Bird sanctuaries should be
established.

56. Do the people in your country like animals?

Yes, in my country a great value is attached to the animals. Tiger is the national animal of my
country. People keep dogs, cats, buffaloes and cow as pets. Cow is given the rank of ‘mother’. The
people worship it. Horses and mules are also very useful animals in my country.

57. Which is the animal you like the most? Why?

I like the most cow. It is very useful animal. We produce many products from its milk. Its milk is
very useful for the children, old people and even the patients. It is an innocent animal. Its
offspring as bull is the bread earner of thousands of the people even today.

58. Describe the national animal of your country? What are the characteristics?
Tiger is the national animal of my country. It is known for its fast speed alertness and
promptness. The eyes of the tiger burn brightly which teach us that we should always be alter
and watchful in our duties. But it is pity that its number is declining quickly.

59. What is the education system of your country?

My country offer three-tier education system. First level is known as primary for standard 1-7.
Second level is known as secondary education, which is divided into two parts. Secondary level is
from grade 8 to 10 and higher secondary for grade 11 and 12 the last level is tertiary education. At
this level candidates can study graduation and post graduation.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 139

 53. Why do you think people prefer foreign countries to get higher education?
There are many reasons behind it. Some study overseas to get degree fr om reputed universities.
Some study in foreign country to get exposure to international environment, their language and
their culture. Many candidates go to foreign country because the host country offers opportunities
to settle down after the completion of studies.

54. In what ways can the education be imparted?

Education can be imparted by mainly three ways. First method is the conventional classroom
training. Second is with the help of technology where a big number of students can study by
looking at the screen may be of computer or an overhead projector. Last is known as distance
learning where students don’t come physically to the university to study.

55. Do you think teacher’s job should be limited to teach his subject only?
Not at all, I firmly believe that teacher must teach other practical aspects of life. They must teach
what is good and bad, how to behave with different people in home and outside home, importance
of education in real life, study skills and techniques. I believe that teacher should not train
students only for academic subjects because their job is teaching.

56. Can you tell me any teacher who has impressed you the most?
The name of the teacher who impressed me the most is …. (you can mention the name of your
teacher). I was very weak in Mathematics. I developed an aversion for this subject with the result
that I got just pass marks. But when my teacher started teaching, I felt that Maths is not a hatable
subject. My teacher was a master of this subject. Teaching style was the most impressiv e.
Examples were given from our daily routine. The impact of teacher was so great that in the final
exam, I got more than 80% marks in mathematics. I owe this achievement to my great teacher.

57. Do you think the relationship between the students and teacher has changed?
Change is the rule of nature. The relationship between students and teachers has also changed.
Now both the teacher and the student have become materialistic. Gurukul culture is no longer the
basis of education. Students are not so obedient and teacher is not so devoted as they used to be in
the past.

58. Do you play any game? Which?

No doubt I am not a professional player but I am fond of watching and playing football. I play
football just for the love of it. I play this game in the evening. There is a play-ground near our
residential area. Boys of my colony play match there. Usually, we arrange a match with the team of
some other locality or club.

59. Which games / sports are popular in your area / country?

Popular games / sports of my country are cricket, hockey, football, tennis, table tennis, billiard,
volleyball and badminton. People pursue these activities according to their interest. However,
most popular game / sport among all are cricket. I can say that cricket is not a game but a religion
in India.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 140

 60. What is the importance of playing games?
Playing games is very useful to people of all ages. Children develop various virtues like teamwork,
sportsmanship, planning, fitness, physical development and strength. Working people get a good
break in which they get exercise, relaxation and enjoyment with their friends and family members.

61. What is the difference between games and sports?

The difference is in the motive behind such activities. Games is an activity that can be played by
anybody at any place and at anytime for the purpose of enjoyment. While sports is an activity that
can be participated by athletes or sports persons at state, national or international level with the
motive of the representation of club or nation. For example, cricket that our national team plays is
sports.

62. What factors can affect people in getting late?

There are many reasons that affect punctuality of people. They might get caught-up in traffic jam
or vehicle breakdown. They may have some unavoidable work or emer gency. There can be a big
list of possible reasons for getting late.
However, I feel that if we are unable to keep the time, we must inform the person who is waiting
for us and inform him about the situation so that he can utilize his time in some other work.

63. Why do you think time management is essential for efficiency in life?
Unless you manage time, you cannot do anything at the right moment and in the right measure. If
you do not check your time schedule in advance, you are likely to spend too much time on some
trivial matter and miss some important opportunity or engagement. True punctuality can be
ensured only through proper time management. If your time is not managed well, you can miss a
bus, train or a flight or you can be late for reaching your workplace or an important function. This
can erode your reliability besides other losses. You can be efficient only if you do your work in
time and in proper order. That is possible only through time management.

64. How does lack of time management affect adversely a person’s efficiency?
A person who does not have any regard for time management, will usually be late or hesitant in
doing anything worthwhile. He can hardly concentrate on any important task. This is bound to
tell upon his efficiency.

65. Are libraries popular with the modern youth? or Do the modern people go to the libraries?
I think libraries are not so much popular with the modern youth. They consider it as a sheer
wastage of time. They are interested more in the internet or their cell-phones. They believe that
inter-net and cell-phones can provide them a lot of knowledge. But those people who are career
oriented, go to the library and make the most of it in their preparation.

66. How can the young people be attracted towards libraries?

The new concepts about libraries should be adopted. New books, magazines and journals
should be made available, facilities like DELNET and internet should be at the disposal of the
students. In this way interest among the youth can be regenerated.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 141

 67. Are libraries important even today?
No doubt, electronic media has made rapid advances even then the importance of libraries is not
very small. Libraries are the treasure house of knowledge. Not only the books and magazines but
also the atmosphere leaves a deep impact on the readers.

68. Which type of the people visit libraries these days?

These days only the serious and studious people visit libraries. The number of visitors has sharply
fallen down. Teachers, researchers and students preparing for various competitive exams c an be
seen sitting in the library.

69. What should be done to make libraries popular and financial strong?
The major responsibility of making libraries popular lies with the government. Government
should allocate sufficient funds for the libraries. Social welfare organizations and philanthropists
should come forward donate money and books to the libraries. If a small entry fee or subscription
is collected from the visitor, it will not be wrong.

70. Why do the people visit museums?

Different people visit museums for different purposes. Those people who do research in some
field visit museums for a serious purpose. Writers also pay visit to collect material for writing
books or articles. Ordinary people purpose is to get knowledge.

71. On what occasions do people take photographs?

Most people take photos to capture the moment for the future memories. People take snaps of
their friends and family members on festivals, ceremonies and parties. Some people take photos of
natural scenes like trees, gardens, landscapes, mountains, sunset and so on. In general, photos are
taken to have some physical memory of the past.

72. What are the developments in the fields of photography in recent years?
There are dramatic changes in the field of photography with the advent of digital ph otography.
Now we use digital cameras instead of roll film cameras. What is more, digital cameras can now be
fitted in mobiles, laptops and desktops. They give high resolution pictures without the hassle of
roll film. Hence, they are cheap yet superior on quality compared to roll film cameras. This is the
reason the spread of photography as a whole is increasing in the world.

73. Will still photography be equally popular in the future?

Although the popularity of still photography is decreasing with the introduction of compact and
affordable handy-cams and movie recording facilities in mobiles. I don’t think it will be out of date
in future. People are and they will continue to use still photos for different purposes because it is
not always convenient and possible to use video recordings for various purposes.
74. Can you tell me of a photo that you like the most? Why?
Yes, of course. I like the family group photo that is hung in our drawing room. In this photo I am
sitting in the lap of my grandfather. At that time I was only four years old. My grandfather loved
me the most. He used to tell me stories of great persons which, even today, encourage me to do
something great. Though my grandfather is not alive, his love and affection is still alive in my
heart.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 142

 75. Did you enjoy any party the most? How? Why?
Yes, I really enjoyed a party the most. It was the birthday party of my friend. It was more of a
family function than a formal birthday celebration. We were both hosts and guests. We arranged
the snacks and other items ourselves. After cutting the birthday cake, we went to the DJ floor and
enjoyed the dance for full two hours. When we were exhausted, we took hot coffee and relaxed for
some time. This was how we enjoyed the party.

76. Are you fond of shopping? What is special about your style of shopping?
Yes, I am very fond of shopping. I buy all the things of my own use. I, usually, go to the Shopping
Mall that is near to my home. I am fond of buying branded products. In this Shopping Mall all the
branded and genuine products are available. I am not in the habit of bargaining and for this
purpose shopping mall is the best and the most reliable place.

77. What do you find difficult in shopping? Why?

Shopping is not a child’s play. One has to keep an account of many things while shopping. Judging
the genuineness of a product is very difficult for me in shopping. These days the market is flooded
with fake and spurious products. Fake products are more attractive than the original ones. I have
to labour a lot in judging the genuineness of the products.

78. Where and when do you like to shop?

I prefer to go for shopping at weekends as I get enough time during these days only. I normally
prefer shopping malls and supermarkets for shopping but at times I do go to some retail shops
where I get a better deal.

79. With whom do you prefer to shop?

I prefer shopping with my wife / mother / sister / friend as she has better choice and good
knowledge of various products and new trends in the market. I have noticed that her suggestions
work best for me.

80. Who is better at shopping, males or females and why?

I think females are better at shopping. Usually, they shop more things for the house and thus they
have better idea of various outlets, products and prices. In addition, females often share their
shopping experiences with their friends, neighbours and relatives. This sharing also enriches their
knowledge about shopping.

81. Where do today’s youngsters like to shop?

Today’s youngsters prefer shopping at malls and supermarkets. These places offe r attractive,
vibrant and pleasant ambience for shopping. Next, latest varieties and fashionable items are first
introduced at these places only. And we all know that youngsters want to use trendy items only so
that they feel tempted to buy from malls or supermarkets only.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 143

 82. What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying products from the internet?
Internet helps us to buy products from other cities or countries. Internet shopping offers
convenience. We can buy any product at any time by logging on to the websites. On the darker
side, internet shopping might be risky. We have to use our credit card or other online transaction
services for payments and such details can be misused by some frauds. What is more, we may not
get accurate quality form the products we buy form internet.

83. What are the new trends in shopping in your country?

These day shopping malls and shopping complexes are in vogue. They have become a necessity
due to traffic jams in the cities. There is hardly any scope for bargaining. Peo ple have become
brand conscious national and international. Teleshopping is also becoming popular

84. Can you remember the first toy you got? Who gave it to you? When? Did you like it?
I am not very sure about the first toy I got but if I put pressure on my mind, I remember that it was
from my father. It was a teddy bear. My father gave it to me on my fourth birthday. It was a very
cute teddy bear. I liked it from the core of my heart. There is one photograph of mine in which it is
lying in my lap.

85. What is your favorite colour? Why?

My favorite Colour is white. It is the colour of peace, innocence and chastity. Whenever I wear
white shirt / T-shirt, I feel very calm and composed. This is the Colour that is very useful in all the
weathers. It is a universally liked Colour. It gives me peace of mind.

86. Is there any historical place near your city /town / village?
Yes, there is a very important historical place near my city /town/village. The name of this place is
(mention the name of a historical place like Red Fort, The Taj, Jallianwallah Bagh, the Golden Temple
etc.). This place is related to the rich past of India. Many people from far and near pay a visit to this
place. People get inspiration from this place. I also pay a visit to this place off and on.

87. Do you like any piece of music? Why?

I am very fond of music. I get relief when I play on my flute. It is my favorite piece of music. Ever
since my childhood days I have been playing on a flute. My parents gave it to me on my birthday. It
is not very expensive. According to me it is the simplest and the best musical instrument. It is my
rich possession.

88. What is the importance of music in life?

Music is an essential part of our life. It serves different purposes to different people. Some listen it
for entertainment and relaxation. For some it is an art that they pursue alone or in combination
with other activities like dancing. For some, it is their career. And it is a way to seek salvation for
some mystics like Sufis. Music touches us at one or more dimensions of life. It is impossible that
we remain untouched by music during our lifetime.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 144

 89. How today’s music is different than that of past?
Today’s music is fast and based on western style whereas music of the past was based on
classical rhythm and folk.

90. Nowadays people make a blend of Indian music with international music. Do you agree
with this idea?
Music is an art where people always make some experiments. There is nothing wrong in mixing
classical and western music. If it is good, people will accept it but if it is not good, it will be rejected
by listeners.

91. What are the importance of traditional / folk music?

Purpose of traditional music is not only entertainment. It actually carries the knowledge and
heritage of our cultures and traditions. Traditional music that we enjoy in festivals, seasons and
ceremonies is a medium to remind us about our cultural history.

92. Is it interest of people in traditional music increasing / decreasing? Why?

Yes, the interest in music is certainly increasing because these days, we can see that even regional
and vernacular artists have also stared introducing their music albums. Most of them are based on
folk music and many of them are getting success in the market. This fact suggests that the interest
of people in folk music is in fact increasing.

93. Are the people fond of travelling in your country?

Yes, many people in my country are fond of travelling these days. Now media this promoted this
liking for travelling. Salaried people have the LTC (Leave Travel Concession) facility and moreover
the average income of the family has gone up. All these factors have promoted travelling in my
country.

94. Which is the invention of science you like the most? Why?
Mobile-phone is the invention of science that I like the most. It has bro ught a revolution in our life.
It is not only a phone but a mini-computer. It caters to the different needs of the people. It gives
them information, entertainment and connectivity with the rest of the world.

95. Can you describe an instance when you helped somebody?

Yes, I still remember an instance when I helped a stranger last year. He belonged to another part
of the country and could not speak the local language of my state, nor could he speak Hindi well.
He approached some people who could not help him. Then he approached me. I am fortunate that
I can speak and understand English and a bit of his own mother tongue. He had come to my city to
appear in an interview. I helped him in reaching the place of interview in time. I am all the more
happy to know he has got that job. Now we are good friends.

96. Is there any difference between a Spa and a Gym?

Yes, there is a lot of difference between the two. In a gym, various types of exercises are meant for
the body only. But a spa is meant for both mind and body of a person. We get mental relaxation in
a spa. The primary aim of spa is to give relief from stresses and strains.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 145

 97. Which country would you like to visit? Why?
I am very fond of travelling. I would to visit America. It is the most advanced country of the world.
I wish to see how the people of different religions, languages, cultures and nations are
contributing for its development.

98. What is special about the culture of your state/country?

The culture of my state/country is unique. It is very absorbent. It easily absorbs the new values,
traditions and styles. It believes in multi colour and multi cultured society.

99. Are the people in your state/country good hosts?

Yes indeed, in my country hospitality is one of the most important quality of a human being. A
guest is given the top most importance. He is compared with a God or a Goddess. It is the duty of a
host/hostess to give respect and honor to the guest.

100. What are your long term plans?

I have checked out a programmed for my career. After getting educating in an advanced country, I
would try to get a good job in that country. My preference is to work with an MNC. These
Companies / Corporations give you best opportunities.
For General Training
I have checked out a programme for my career. After getting permanent residency in an advanced
country, I would like to devote my full energy on mastering the skills which are the most sought
after in that country. That job will provide me a very lucrative placement.

101. What is the importance of prayer in our life?

Prayer has a special significance in the life of those people who believe in the existence of God.
Prayer means seeking the blessings the Almighty. We acquire the power of concentration and
devotion when we offer prayer to God. It makes a person think of his feelings.

102. What do you prefer more, homemade food or restaurant food and why?
I prefer homemade food because every day it is not possible for me to go to restaurants. Next, my
taste and likings are taken care of in homemade food that is not always possible in restaurant
food.

103. What is the difference between homemade food and restaurant food?
Homemade food is healthy, hygienic, economical and nutritious whereas restaurant food is spicy,
expensive and at times unhygienic. However, it is true that restaurants offer variety in both food
and taste but their food tastes good only if we eat occasionally.

104. What is the difference in the food of the past and the present?
In the past, people used to eat traditional food specific to their culture and religion. But now we
have fast food and continental food available across the globe so people have included pizzas,
sandwiches, burgers, pastas, noodles etc in their regular food intake.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 146

 105. What is hygienic food and nutritious food?
Food that is clean, safe and free form contaminants and germs is known as hygienic food. While
food that contains nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbohydrates is known as
nutritious food.

106. Does food reflect our culture?

Food is actually a part of our culture. People across the world eat food as per their culture only.
For example in China people eat noodles and other Chinese food. In India people eat a variety of
food based on their culture. People in south India eat Dosa and Idli, Punjabi people eat their
special blend of vegetables like Sarso and Makke roti, Gujarati people eat chapatti, rice and lentil
curry.

107. What changes have you observed in the food eating habits of people of your city?
These days our food eating habits are changing at a great pace. First our time of taking meal is
changing. The major change has come in dinner time. Most working people in my city take their
dinner at 10pm or late compared to the past where they took dinner between 8 to 9 pm. In
addition fast food like pizza, sandwiches and burger and o ther continental items like Chinese,
Italian, Mexican, Thai etc are also becoming a part of our regular diet. This shift in eating pattern is
visible across the globe, which shows the signs of an emerging global culture.

108. What do you think of the fast food culture?

Fast food has been in the west for a long time now. But in India it’s only over the last 10 years that
it has grown. In fact, even many international fast food brands are operating in India like
McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dominoes etc. this clearly shows the changing tastes of
Indians especially the youngsters. Ask a teenager today and you’d see that he prefers a pizza or
hamburger any day to a masala-dosa or chapattis.
Of course fast food is definitely not a healthy trend. Most are high in fat and bad cholesterol. And
some, being mass produced contain preservatives and additives which are harmful to health.

But I suppose, in today’s fast world, things like fast food cannot be avoided.

109. Are birthdays important in our life?

Yes, birthday remind us of the day when we came in this world. I think birth dates are milestones
in terms of time in any individual’s life.

110. How should people celebrate their birthdays?

It varies from person to person. Generally, we should celebrate our birthdays with our family
members, friends and relatives. On top of it, according to me, we must help at least one needy
person on our birthday so that we get blessings from that person for a long time.

111. What Changes have you observed in the ways of celebrating birthdays in your city?
In the past, people used to visit temples where they sought blessings from their God and religious
mentors. They preferred to eat traditional dishes at home with their family members. These days,
people go out to restaurants or hotels with their friends to enjoy food. Youngsters often arrange
dance parties.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 147

 112. What are the advantages and disadvantages of watching TV?
Television offers many benefits. We get local, national and international news on television as and
when they happen. We can also see live sports and other important events on it. Along with
watching movies, we can enjoy numerous programs based on society, lifestyle, knowledge,
religion, history, science and technology and so on.

On the negative side, watching television is a passive activity. It doesn’t refresh our minds. On top
of it, we feel fatigue and lazy if we watch television for a longer period of time. Moreover, it is also
harmful to our eyes. Lastly, owing to the availability of international satellite channels, s election of
a proper program has become a difficult task as some of the programs may have offensive or
disturbing content that can have adverse effects on the mind of the viewers.

113. What are the good and bad effects of the internet?
Internet is the most astonishing invention of technology. It is an ocean of information. We have an
access to the whole world if we are connected to the internet. In addition, we can communicate
with anyone at anytime across the globe. Moreover, we can send large sum of data to any
computer within seconds via internet. On the darker side, some people use internet to spread
viruses. It is also used to hack other websites to disturb their network. On top of it, some illegal
websites misuse it to spread evils like pornography in the world.

114. What is your preference, fashionable clothes or comfortable clothes and why?
I choose comfortable clothes over fashionable clothes. I believe in wearing clothes that are
convenient. If I wear fashionable but inconvenient outfit, i will not look comfortable. In such cases
my discomfort will ruin the enjoyment of fashionable clothes. Thus I give priority to comfort.

115. What type of clothes do you wear when you go out with your friends?
It depends on the particular situation: I wear casual clothes when I go out with my friends for
shopping, movie, picnic or any informal event. But if I have to attend a ceremony, is a meeting. I
wear formal clothes that suit that with the occasion.

116. What is the importance of festivals? Or why are festivals celebrated?

Festivals are vehicles that carry our culture, religion and history for new generations. They help us
in reminding, follow and celebrating the importance of our cultural or religious history. Moreover,
they give a good break from work. They also provide an opportunity to meet our relatives and
friends to strengthen our social bonds.

117. Do you celebrate Christmas / festivals of other culture? Why?

I do celebrate festivals of other religions or cultures like Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, Id etc.
because I have friends who belong to different religions. I believe in being an active part of their
festival celebrations also because this gives me closeness and warmth with their families. In
addition, I can learn many things about their festivals and religions.

118. Who is more important to you, friends of family members?

Both are important in our life. It is true that we have blood relation with our family members but
we are also attached emotionally to our friends. Thus both are equally important to me.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 148

 119. Where and when do you meet your friends?
We meet at weekends and holidays because this is the preferred time for working people to meet.
We often meet at our home, restaurants, shopping malls, and multiplexes. Most youngsters
especially teenagers and collegians like various popular sitting points of the city. They also meet at
discothèques, game parlors, and cyber café and coffee or snacks parlors.

120. How do you manage disputes in your friendship?

True friendship is beyond disputes. However, if we have any misunderstanding or communication
gap, we first meet each other and clarify everything. Still if we reach to an insoluble situation, we
act by keeping other’s benefit in mind.

121. On what occasions do people give gifts in your country?

People of my country gift each other on various occasions like birthdays, ceremonies,
anniversaries, festivals etc. In addition, they also give gifts to others on various achievements of
life like promotion, expansion of business, inauguration of new premises and so on.

122. Which types of gifts make you happier when you receive them?
Any unexpected gift certainly makes me happier. That gift can be a flower, a pen or anything. I
don’t expect expensive gifts because I value the intention behind the gift. In that context, a card is
more precious to me than a watch if the card is given with genuine emotions.

123. What is the purpose of advertisement?

When a company manufactures a product, it has to bring it to the notice of the prospective buyers,
otherwise it cannot be sold.

124. What are the ways in which advertisements are carried out?
The most popular system of advertisements lies in the TV serials. Most powerful advertisements
are telecast in the middle of top-slot serials to attract the maximum number of people. Some other
means of advertisements are radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, roadside hoardings,
handbills, pamphlets, wall-notices, etc.

125. What is consumerism?

When the consumers are made so much impressed by an item that they go in for buying it, even
though they don’t actually need it, it is called consumerism. Consumerism is one of the negative
aspects of advertisement and trade practices.

126. Should the government ban some kinds of advertisements for children?
There are some products which are not quite good for children otherwise or are too expensive but
are shown with much glamour in advertisements. As a result of it, children get impressed by them
and force their parents to buy them even if they can’t afford to do so or don’t want to buy them for
some reasons. Such advertisements should be banned or modified such as to remove the negative
aspects from them.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 149

 127. Should people be allowed to keep pets in their houses?
Some people have real sympathy for birds and animals. However, many people keep pets such as
dogs, cats, fishes, parrots, rabbits, etc. at home for fun or to get rid of boredom arising out of
loneliness. People may be allowed to keep pets at home, but it should be ensured that they give
them proper food and provide them with arrangements for cleanliness, medical aid, vaccination,
etc. some freedom during the day and protection against inclement weather.

128. Why do handicrafts need protection?

Handicrafts require a lot of labour as handicraft work is mostly done by women and small
artisans. This work is done with hand and encompasses such activities as sewing, embroidery,
tracing, threadwork, wood carving and engraving, knitting, weaving on handlooms, etc. if such
people are not given some help or protection, it may become difficult for them to survive or carry
on their trade.

129. How can handicrafts be made more popular?

Artisans involved in this trade should be encouraged to create new varieties. Their products
should be displayed in exhibitions and there should be some system to market them to far off
places and even abroad.

130. Why should people read books?

Books increase their knowledge. They provide them with encouragement and relief from
boredom. They also enhance their mental concentration power and improve their faculty of
comprehension.

131. To what extent do colours affect the routine life of a man?

It has been seen that employees working in a building surrounded by green grassy plots and beds of
multicolour flowers find the atmosphere more congenial than others and work more efficiently. On
the other hand, those working in dull, drab buildings with rusty surroundings are less efficient.

132. Do you think English has become a global language?

I agree to this view to a great extent. Although many other languages are written and spoken in
the world, English is the only language which is used by so many people across the world. Starting
from dialect-like position in old, Anglo-Saxon England, the historical events, mainly dependent on
the rapid spread of the British Empire, have made English a world language. Moreover, the great
absorptive quality of English whereby it absorbs words from other languages, has made English
what it is today.

133. Do you think there should be one language or different language in the world?
I think there should be different languages in the world. Such an arrange ment is necessary for the
preservation of cultural identities and countries and communities’ heritages and traditions.
However, along with this multiplicity of languages the presence of a single language such as
English, which most of the people in different countries can use and communicate in, is a sound
proposition for the purpose of international understanding and cooperation.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 150

 134. Do you think it is useful to learn foreign languages?
If you learn important foreign languages such as English, French, Spanish, German, etc. you can go
in major countries of the world and communicate with the people there for the purpose of study,
business, sightseeing job-seeking, etc.

135. Who is your best friend?

My best friend’s name is Rimple.

136. Why do you call this person your best friend?

I call her my best friend because I have known her since my early childhood. She has always
been in my life, no matter what else changed.

137. What makes this friend closer than your other friends?
Whenever I have something to tell someone, I always tell Rimple first. It can be good news or bad
news. It doesn’t matter. I always know that she will be there to listen.

138. Do you think it’s better to have a large group of friends or a few close friends?
I have a few friends other than Rimple, but I have never been one to hang out in a large group.
Except for may be in high school when a whole grade/ class of kids would hang out / socialize
together. But these days I’d much rather have a few close friends who know me very well. I enjoy
their company.

139. Describe what you and your friends like to do.

My favorite thing to do with my friends is just sit in a coffee shop and chat. There’s nothing like
sitting in my favorite coffee shop with my friends Rimple and Aman, just laughing about nothing.
We rarely go to movies/ films or parties anymore because we’re too busy with work and school.

140. Have you remained friends with people from your childhood? Why or Why not.
No, not really other than Rimple of course. When I started college my parents moved about fifteen
minutes away from where I grew up and I kind of/ sort of lost touch with everyone. I still see them
around sometimes, but we don’t have much in common anymore.

141. How do people choose their friends?

I think we choose our friends based on a comfortable feeling. You know, sometimes people just
understand each other so easily and the conversation just flows. Of course, there’s usually at
least one thing that people have in common, such as work or school.

142. Do you have a job? Do you like it? Why or why not?
Yes, I have a job. I work as an enrollment manager for a university. I recruit new students into
the program. I like it a lot because I can help people, and I get to meet a lot of new and
interesting people. Also I have the opportunity to travel a lot.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 151

 143. Why did you choose this job?
I chose this job because I enjoy travel, and I like meeting people. I have to travel at least 25 percent
of the time for my job. I am always talking to people, e-mailing them, or writing articles about our
university. It’s really interesting.

144. What kind of education or training did you need to get this job?
I have my MBA (Masters in Business Administration) and that’s the same program that I recruit
students into. So, having that education really helped me to get this job, because I know what the
students need to succeed in our program. Also, I’ve taken courses in public speaking so I’m
comfortable giving presentations about our university.

145. Why do you like this kind of job?

I like this job because I make a positive difference in students’ lives every day. Also, I spend some
time in the office, but I’m on the road a lot, too, seeing different places and moving around. I
wouldn’t like a job where I had to sit in an office every day.

146. How can you prepare yourself to get this kind of job?
To prepare yourself for this kind of job, you need a degree in business administration or public
relations or something like that. You don’t always need a master’s degree, but a lot of universities
prefer it. It’s also good to have experience working in the admissions office or financial aid office
or something like that of a college or university to gain experience in how the process works.

147. How do people choose jobs?

People choose jobs in many different ways. Some do what their parents did. Others have a great
love of something. Sometimes people just look at the money they earn. I think you should know
what you enjoy and what you’re good at, and choose your profession that way.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 152

 CHAPTER 14. PRACTICE CUE-CARDS
1. Describe a positive change in your life
– it happened

–What happened

–What you learned from it

–How it changed your life

Hints:-
When it happened What happened
–Last year –Not appeared.
–Went for interview as a fresher –Degrees/percentage had no weight age.
without recommendation –Demanded references/more percentage.
What you learned from it How it changed your life
–Decided to go for more studies. –Become successful.
–Struggled hard. –Now have reputed position in the
society.
In a nutshell – Hard work is the key to success.
Follow up Questions:- 1. What should we do face changes in life?
2. Do you think change in life is necessary or not?

2. Describe a Person whom you admire very much.

– Who this person is

– What does this person do

– How long have you known this person

– Why do you admire this person?

Hints:-

Who this person is What does this person do

– Mahatma Gandhi – Weak and frail man

– Father of Nation – Shake the roots of British empire

– Truth & Non-violence were his two

lungs.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 153

 How long have you know this person Why do you admire this person

– Since childhood – Man of Passive resistance

– Heard stories of freedom struggle – Ahinsa & Swaraj was his slogans.

In a nutshell – He is a ‘Man of Peace’

Follow up Questions:-1. What makes a Person famous?

Would you change if your become famous?

What are the responsibilities of famous people towards society.

3. Describe your favourite holiday

–When did you go

–Who all do you go with

–Describe the place

–What all did you enjoy

Hints:-
When did you go Who all do you go with
–In the Month of December for new year –With huge gang of 15 people
–Went Srinagar –Young people have good time.
–Paradise of on the Earth

Describe the place What all did you enjoy

– Loads of Natural beauty – Enjoyed long walks

– Scenic beauty of hills, Mountains – Green Mountains

– Heaven on this Earth – long boating trips

– visited Gulmarg/Phelgam – Clicked Photographs

– Brought local handicraft

Follow up Questions:-1. Why people visit hill stations during vacations?

Can you tell me about popular tourist places of your country?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 154

 4. Describe something which is very important to you.

–Where you got it from

–For how long you have had it

–What did you use it for

–How it becomes your indispensable need.

Hints:-

Where you got it from For how long you have had

– My computer is my favourite possession – Proud owner for last eight months

–My father gifted me

–Joy knew no bounds

What did you use it for Why it is your indispensable need.

–Used to play games –Online Education makes my education more

easier and understandable
–Lots of research for projects & assignments send
mail to my friends. –Knowledge increases.

–Chat with my friends –Broaden my outlook

Follow up Questions:-1. Are you possessive by nature?

Are you possessive towards your relatives?
Having possessive nature is good or bad?

5. Describe the job you would like to do

–What this job would be

–Where would you like to work

–What qualifications you would need

–Other Alternative if not successful.

Hints:-

What this job would be Where would you like to work

– Would be an ‘author’ – Like to work for booker’s prize

– Writes emotions in words – Want to join good publishing house.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 155

 What qualification you would need Other Alternative if not successful

–Good hard work –Would like to become professor or

Lecturer
–Thorough knowledge
–Share my knowledge researches with my
–Patience students
–Specialisation in Particular field

Follow up Questions:-1. Which jobs are respected in your country?

Would you like to go for private jobs or government jobs?
Do you think there is any difference between job actually do and the job want
to do?

6. Describe a family member someone you know

–Who is the person

–What you chose to speak about this

–What is exceptional about him

–How long have you known him/her

Hints:-

Who is the Person Why you chose to speak about him

– Maternal Uncle – Reached dozing heights in his career

– Power of strength – Down to earth person.

– Well balanced/well read person – Modest person.

What is exceptional about him How long have you know him/her

– Pure and transparent person – Since from my childhood.

–Balanced between professional/world by

life.

Follow up Questions:-1. What are their hobbies?

Is this person admired by other family Members?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 156

 7. Describe your favourite dish

–What the dish is

–What it is made of

–How it is prepared

–Why you like it

Hints:-

What the dish is What it is made of

–Kheer –Boiled Rice, Milk, cane sugar

–Typically Indian Dish –Add Almonds for nutrition

How it is prepared Why you like it

–Washed rice and milk is allowed to boil –Because of its sweet palatable taste

–Add cane sugar into it –Take it dessert after lunch or dinner

–Add Raisin

–Allowed to cool & then eat it

In a nutshell, “Really sweet dishes always make us sweet”

Follow up Questions:-1. Is sweet dish is necessary after lunch or dinner?

What type of sweet dishes you love to eat or cook?

8. Describe a gift you recently gave to somebody.

–What was the gift

–To whom you gave it

–What did the Person feel about you

–What will the Person do with that gift

Hints:-

What was the gift To whom you gave it

–’A Mobile Phone’ on the birthday of my –To younger sister

younger sister
–She never voiced her demands

–But to have Mobile phone was her

unspoken desire.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 210

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 157

 What did the Person feel about you What will the Person do with that gift

–delirious with joy –Now she can inform her parents about her
whereabouts
–Jaw dropped dam
–Send & Receive messages.
–loud screen and a whoop of laughter
–Use her mobile as a phone, calculator,
–after receiving the gift
alarm & reminder device

Follow up Questions:- 1. Why do people give gifts?

What are the things to be kept in mind while choosing gifts?
Do people expect gifts on special occasions from their relatives?

9. Describe the Role of exercise in our life.

–Why should you exercise

–When should you exercise

–What is the importance of exercise

–How it keeps you physically fit

Hints:-

Why should you Exercise When should you exercise

–Part & Parcel –Best time morning exercise

–’Due to sedentary lfie style –But those who are literally busy in there daily
chores the next time to exercise is in the
–Do not have balanced diet evening
–Due to ‘couch potatoes’

What is the importance of exercise How it keeps you physically fit

–It is Mantra to comfortable and –By doing Yoga

disease free life
–Walking in the Morning

–Joining gyms

–Participating in Sports activities.

Follow up Questions:-1. What type of exercise do people in your city or town do?
What are the kinds of equipment used.
Can exercise help to reduce stress?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 158

 10. Describe a song / you like most

–What the Song is

–What kind of Song is

–Where did you hear it for the first time

–Explain why did you like it

Hints:-
What the song is What kind of Song is
–Classical Hits song from movie
–Melodious Songs
‘Pakeezah’ Chalte-Chalte’
–Relaxing effect on tired nerves
–No longer alive
–Work like a balm to our agitated soul.
–Replaced by Western Revise, hip hop.

Where did you hear it for the first time Explain why did you like it.

–On Television –Precious legacy gives by Indian ancestors

–Wealth of meaning in these songs –Create the sense of Belongingness to the

Indian culture.
–Rich composition

Follow up Questions:-1. Do you think young people appreciate music?

What factors influence person’s choice of music?
Why do you think it is important to have national anthem or song?

11. Describe your favouite website.

–Which the website

–How did you find the address

–What does the website contain

–Explain why it is useful

Hints:-

Which Website How did you find the address

– Accent Reduction English – While Net surfing

– is Learning accent online www. accent – Stumbled down with this site
online.com.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 159

 What does the website contain Explain why it is useful

– easy to learn America/British accent – Able to speak English more fluently

online
– Pronunciation becomes sound
– Immensely user friendly
– Lexical Resource enhances.
–Total self-help kit

–Teaches the exact Pronunciation of the

words in American/British Accent.

Follow up Questions:-1. Why learning accent is necessary these days?

Does learning Accent differentiate you from common man?

12. Describe your favourite Astronaut

–Who he or she is

–how you know him /her

–What his /her achievements are

–Explain why you like him / her

Hints:-
Who he or she is How you know him / her
– Kalpana Chawla – Studied in Tagore Bal Niketan School.

– Belonged to India – District Karnal in Haryana

– Aspired to go to moon – Fond of visiting karnal’s flying club

What his / her achievements are Explain why you like him / her.
– Doctorate in Aeronautical – Icon for Indian children
Engineering in 1988

– Earned Pilot licence from 1988 to – love her for her industriousness, spirit or
1997 adventure and strong determination.

–Went to space & lose her life along with

six astronauts

Follow up Questions:-1. How can the crashing for space shipping be averted?
Do you think youngsters are eager to choose career in space research?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 160

 13. Describe an expensive thing that you wanted
to buy for a long time and you buy it

–What that thing was

–How long you waited for

–How you bought it

–In what ways it is useful to you

Hints:-

What that thing was How long you waited for

– Want to buy a house – 2 years.

– Earlier living in a joint family – Arrange money for house.

–Aspire to have nuclear family & own flat

How you bought it In what ways it is useful to you

– With the help of property dealers – Awes one, spacious Posh Area .

– signed bond – Required space to keep our stuff and to

live with comfort & luxury life.

Follow up Questions:-1. Do you still live in the house?

What new changes you introduce in your house?

14. Describes the news about your family that gave you happiness

–What the news was

–When you got it

–Where you got it

–How you reached after getting it

Hints:-
What the news was When you got it
–My aunt got the visa to United States –Received a call on Mobile
–She contributed a lot the struggle for –Went her home with sweets & gift to
her family’s financial survival express our happiness
Where you got it How you reacted after getting

–She got married to a businessman who was –Prayed to god to help her
a citizen of the United States
–Very happy and elated

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 161

 – Thankful to god

– Went to temple to thank god for his

kindness
Follow up Questions:-1. What makes news surprising?
Do you think ‘Breaking News’ astonishes you?
Which is the best means for getting News, Newspaper or TV and why?

15. Describe an act of courage that you did

–What the act was

–When & how you did it

–What the outcome of the act was

–Explain why you feel satisfied with the act

Hints:-
What the act was When & how you did it
–With some smartness and art of
courage caught thief –At night

–Burglar was cutting the gauze

– Alone at night

– Tools Skipping rope lying near my bed

– Tied nose at one end

What the outcome of the act was Explain why you feel satisfied with the act

– After cutting the gauze – Head was caught

– Put head in the circular passage – Raised Alarm

– fastened the noose round his neck. – My neighbours came

– Handed over to the police

Follow up Questions:- 1. Do you think courage is necessary for existence?

Who are more courageous men or women?
Are you courageous?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 162

 16. Describe your favourite Jewellary.

–Why you like it so much

–Which metal it is made of

–Where you bought it from

–When you wear it

Hints:-

Why you like it so much Which metal it is made of

– Bracelet of gold – Gold / studded with diamonds.

– Studded with diamonds – Pure 24 carrot gold

– Very expensive item

Where you bought it from When you wear it

– Expressed Desire to Parents – Special Occasion
– Collected arrears – Proper care
– Boy a bracelet in no time – It is not only expensive but valuable
–Taken of love from parents
Follow up Questions:-1. Why do the people spend so much money on jewellary?
What is the current fashion of wearing jewellery? Why?
Which category of people is very fond of jewellery?

17. Describe a business you want like to start

–Why you want to start this business
–How you start it
–What the prospect of this business is
–Ways to maintain it

Hints:-

Why you want to start this business How you would start it

– Dream to start reputed business – Open Head office in India and other
office in the important cities of the world.
– Import & export business suits my
taste the best

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 163

 What the prospect of this business is Ways to maintain it

–Bright future in the light of –Quality conscious

globalisation
–Brand conscious
–Invest money, active involvement is basis
–fulfill the demands of the common man
requirement

Follow up Questions :-1. Would you start this business alone or in partnership explain?
Do you need any special place for the business?
How much bank balance is required to start a new business?

18. Describe the attitude of the people of your country towards

customs and traditions.

–What the attitude is

–Whether it is changed

–If there is any scope for betterment

–How the youngsters feel

Hints:-
What the attitude is Whether it is changed
–Great significance –Changed with the spread of education
scientific education
–People are rigid & conservative outlook

–Religion have full faith

–illiterate have blind faith

Scope for betterment How the youngsters feel

–Worn out dead customs & tradition are no –More practical & empirical
longer
–Do not follow dead custom tradition
–Educated become more logical with why
How & What –Avoid superstitious outlook

–Discard customs –Embodiment of scientific outlook

Follow up Questions:- 1. Do you think one should follow the strict norms of customs & traditions?
Are customs & traditions changes with time?
Do these customs & traditions are the part of religion?
Do you think customs & traditions all common in many countries?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 164

 19. Speak about the Role of Extra Curricular Activities in Education.

–What these activities mean

–Which there activities are

–What are its importance in our daily life

–Any new suggestions

Hints:-

What these activities mean Which activities these are

– Those activities which are – Quiz, skits, declamation, elocution, games &
sports, talent hunt, music, dance, arts etc
– performed by students along with
their academic studies

What are its important in our daily life Any new suggestions

–Real education –Provide alternatives to the young esters

so he/she would channelise their energies in
–Artistic education proper orientation
–Relaxes & Refreshes you –Sense of competition co-operation & co-
existence is better produced
–Increases your skills and talents

–Overcome stage fear

Follow up Questions:-1. How do these activities help a student?

Do you think extra to curricular activities should be made compulsory
in schools/colleges
Don’t you feel participating in curricular activities is a wastage of time.

20. Describe the most horrible news that you remember to

have read in a newspaper

–What the news was

–When you read about it

–What the details are

–and explain how felt it

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 165

Hints:-

What the news was When you read about it

–Massive communal riots in the city of –Read newspaper early in the morning
Jalandhar
–Astonished to see the ceasefire in the city
–Attack on Saint in Naranjandas in
Austria cause of these riots

What the details are Explain how you felt it

–Gurus were attacked in Australia –extremely miserable

(Venice)
–Rioters should be punished for this
–Devotes created havoc by destroying Public anarchical attitude
property like buses, railways

–Declared and ceasefire

–Moved on the roads with naked swords

Follow up Questions:-1. What are the reasons of riots in your country?

Do you think religion is the basic issue for riots in your country?

21. Describe the saddest day of your life

–What the day was

–What happened on that day

–Who were other persons affected by the happening

–how you felt after the happening

Hints:-

What the day was What happened on that day

– Life-a mixture of joys & sorrows- My – Rushed to her house on my car

friend range me
– Ambulances not yet arrived
– Her grandfather had a heart attack
– Took her grandfather on my car

– Breathing heavily

– found dead after something

What other persons affected by the How you felt after the happening
happening were – Cried loudly
– all family members were crying – Consoled them
– prayed for the departed soul
Follow up Questions:-1. Why does a man feel sad?
Can money turn a sad person into happy?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 166

 22. Describe a fete that you visited recently

–When & where the fete was held

–Why it was hold

–What you saw there

–Explain why you think that the fete served a useful purpose

Hints:-

When & where the fete was held Why it was held

– Fetes are generally held by educational – Just to get relaxation from the daily
institutions technical and academic studies

–Visited PCTE (Punjab collage for

Technical educational) fete

–Arrange by students

What you saw there Explain why you think that the fete served a
useful purpose
–Saw products prepared by student such
as drawing, paintings, toys, –extremely commendable role of
artifacts, mechanical devices students

–Vast variety of cuisine of Indian, –Love to see

Chinese, Korean
–No grudge for fees hike
Follow up Questions:-1. Who visits the fetes generally?
How are prizes at fetes carnivals & charity shows managed?
23. Describe your favourite singer

–Who the singer is

–What her special qualities are

–What her achievements are

–Also explain why you like her

Hints:-

Who the singer is What her special qualities are

–music is the food for soul but if the voice –Nightingale of India
is melodious
–Extremely sweet and pleasant
–A queen of Melodious songs ‘Lata
Mangeshkar’ –Ability to mould & modulate her voice

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 167

 What her achievements are Also explain why you like her
– Dada Sahib Phalke Award – Devoted classical singer
– member of Rajya Sahba – lived for her family and now for the Nation
–Life Achievement Award
–Bharat Ratna
–Highest civilian award

Follow up Questions:-1. Who are more popular in your country-male of female singers?
Why do people love to listen to romantic songs?

24. Describe how would like foreigners and tourists to be treated

in your country

–What the traditions in your country

–What your personal opinion

–If you have got any personal experience

–& explain why it is necessary to treat foreigners & tourist with love
and respect

Hints:-
What the traditions in your country Why your personal opinion
– “ATITHI Devobhave”
– According to Indian customs &
– Guest is god convention love to welcome to tourist

– Give them proper regard – Moreover help to earn more foreign

exchange
– Serve them first then to themselves
– Marked our presence in the World.

If you have got any personal experience Why you would like to treat foreigners &
tourist with love & respect
–Some tourists came last year to see the
inauguration of ‘Incredible India’ –adds dignity to my nation

–Personally with them for three day and –shows my patriotic feeling towards nation
explained all the tourist centers of
–Moreover a sense of belongingness in my
India
nation

Follow up Questions:-1. When tourist attract towards your country?

Why tourists are invited to visit other nation?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 168

 25. Describe some trait in you which makes you different from others

–What the trait is

–Why you think it make you different from others.

–In what way it has helped you

–Why you think this trait is important for you

Hints:-

What the trait is Why you think it makes you different from
others
– Every person gifted with some
talents & peculiarities – Because I try my best to achieve my Zenith

– Firm Determination – Even adopt Do ‘or’ ‘Die’ attitude

to achieve my targets
– Acquired from father
In what way it has helped you Why you think this trait is important for you

– This trait helped me to pass several – It makes me strong and are bold
competitive examinations.

– Moreover in my future this trait help – It teaches me lesson if you are determined to
me to face the trials & tribulations of achieve anything in life success will
Life definitely become your slave in no time.

Follow up Questions:-1. Is your this trait admired by others?

Do you think only determination is required to achieve success in life?

26. Describe what you like most to read in a newspaper.

–What column it is

–In which newspaper it appears

–Why you like it so much

–and explain what impress you most in it

Hints:-
What column it is In which newspaper it appear
– Newspapers contains many Columns – It appears in ‘Punjab Kesari’, ‘Hindustan
like health, science, sports, education Times’
–Cartoon/SMS/section/likes the most

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 169

 Why you like it so much Explain what impresses you most in it

–It ads humour or sarcasm to –Caricatures in cartoon

newspaper headline
–Way of their presenting Comical depiction of real
people in the public eye

Follow up Questions:-1. Which other column of the newspaper you like the most?

If you given chance to write for a newspaper for which column would you
like to write?

27. Talk about the importance of knowing how to cook

–Why it is important

–Where/when can it help you

–Do women cook better than men

–Basics of good cooking

Hints:-

Why it is important Where when can it help you

–home cooking for making authentic –Girls started learning during her childhood
dishes for opening own catering under the shadow of her mother or friend
business
–Boys can learnt by getting formal training as Chef

Basics of good cooking

Do women cook better than men
–Get a recipe book for making dishes
–of course women better cook than man
–Take some cooking classes
because is her natural Instinet
gifted by god. –Knowledge of food & ingredients
–Men can cook better after getting –Proper cooking utensils and equipment
formal training

Follow up Questions:-1. Is learning cooking is important in your country?

Do you know cooking?
In your home, who is the head of Kitchen department, you, your mom or your
dad?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 170

 28. Talk about a health problem you once had

–Nature of health problem

–Why the problem occurred

–How did they harm you

–how did you overcome it

Hints:-

Nature of health Problem Why the problem Occurred

–Suffered from chronic diseases since –Due to cough and feel tighten in the chest
childhood
–due to dust mites

–Chalk dust in the school

How did they harm you How did you overcome it

–Allergic reactions in the throat –get choice medication

–Injection –Use inhaler

Follow up Questions:-1. What other health problems are quite common among the students?
What kind of vaccines is given to the children during his/her birth in your
country?
29. Talk about Personal success or achievement

–Describe the achievement

–When was this

–How did you feel about your success

–What are your future plans

Hints:-

Describe the achievement When was this

– Cleared competition exam of CAT – After completing graduation

– for Future MBA studies

How did you feel about your success What are your future plans

- Top of the world - Becoming MBA Aspirant

- Dreams come true - Holding a big business empire in the world.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 171

Follow up Questions:-1. Do your achievement beneficial for your career?
What is the reaction of parents towards your achievement?
Are you sure about your success or achievement?

30. Describe an ideal accommodation / house

–Why do you prefer this kind of house

–With whom do you went to share this accommodation

–What are you doing to achieve this

–Would it suit future needs of your family

Hints:-

Why do you prefer this kind of house With all do you went to share this
accommodation
– Buying a house-an expensive
purchase – family members

– Small cottage, cozy and comfortable – Kith & Kin

for now two baths & a country
kitchen

What are you doing to achieve this Would it suit future needs of your travels

– Arranging a good Real Estate agent – absolutely

– Searching for good location – all amenities live hospital, school bus,
railways service are available .
– Arranging household commodities.

Follow up Questions:-1. Describe your dream house?

Do you like to make your house according to vasstu mythology?

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 172

31. Last vacation or where would you like to spend your vacations?
Majestic and Sights and scenes
exciting

Unforgettable
experience

Zigzag way

Spectacular
Heaven
Ans:– I spend my last vocation in Shimla. I went there with my family members. We all traveled by bus.
The bus moved in a zigzag manner. The view of the mountains covered with green trees was majestic. We
reached at 11 A.M. the weather was quite cold. It seemed as if we had come to a heaven. Firstly, we visited
the places around Shimla like koofri and chail. We then explored the whole town of Shimla. We saw the
museum, Zakhu temple and church. The climb to Zakhu temple was exciting. We also saw many monkeys
on the way. The view of the Shimla from the top of the hills was very spectacular. After than, we did
shopping from Mall road. The next day we went to explore the house of Governor General. It’s roof is
designed with special wood and the visit was worth seeing. It was a pleasure to visit Shimla. It was an
unforgettable experience for me.

32. Train Accident. Offspring’s

were crying
Heart sinking day

Saddest
moments
Head on-collision

Telecast on
television Negligence of
guard

Ans:- Well, it was the heart sinking day of my life when two trains collide in front of my eyes. Actually, it
was the head on –collision between Satabadi and Dadar express near the platform of Agra. With collision
the boogies were derailed from the track cover chaos everywhere. Hundred of passengers lost their
precious lives in this major accident. The accident occurred due to the negligence of guard and he showed
a green signal on both sides. The victims were admitted to the hospital. Later on, the news was also
telecast on television and radio. I think, it was one of the saddest moments of my life to saw numerous
dead bodies in front of my eyes. There were tears in many eyes as the small offspring’s were crying for
their mothers.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 173

33. Favourite Garden
Thrilling and exciting Lush green vicinity

Conducive
Atmosphere

Hustle and bustle

Fountains and gazeboes

Animals kept in
cages

Ans:- Well, last month I visited Pinjore Garden, which is located in Panchkula near Chandigarh. The
garden was situated in the lush green vicinity away from the hustle and bustle of the city. As I stepped in I
was astonished to see the gorgeous beauty of the garden. The garden was arranged in steps. On the four
corners of the garden, there were animals kept in cages, which were kept for the amusement of the
children. In the hub of the garden there were fountains and gazeboes, which were for folding the beauty
of the garden. I also met many foreign tourists over there. The facility of camel ride was also available
over there. Light music was playing to create conducive atmosphere over there. In the one corner , there
was a cafeteria so we also enjoyed snacks over there. It seemed as that I was in heaven at that time. The
environment was thrilling and exciting. Although, I had heard a lot about the beauty of this garden, yet I
found it even more piquant and majestic.

34. Favourite Magazine

Hub of knowledge Renowned

Throws light

Editorials

Vocabulary Crossword

Ans:- I am the monthly subscriber of India Today. It is one of the renowned magazines at national level.
This magazine is one of the complete magazines in itself. The magazine is divided into different sectio ns.
In the first section the editorials related to national and international level are mentioned. In the centre
there is a crossword puzzle. I found it very interesting as it increases my vocabulary knowledge. Sports
section is also included in this magazine. Detailed and knowledgeable description of various renowned
players is mentioned in an attractive manner. The magazine also throws light on the news of Bollywood
industry. I feel myself up to date after reading this source of information. All and all I want to say that this
magazine is hub of knowledge and information for the masses.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 174

35. Favourite Dress
Compliments Traditional dress

Accessories

Phulkari

On it is superb
Much in vogue

Ans:- Since I belong to Punjab my traditional dress is Punjabi Suit. There are a variety of suits available in
my state. There are different kinds of embroidery popular in Punjab. Phulkari is the finest of embroidery
available. Heavy dupattas with Phulkari works are very much in vogue.
I bought my favourite suit on the occasion of my brother’s wedding. It is a silk-suit of light pink shade. I
got its dupatta made from Patiala. The Phulkari work done on it is superb. Very bright shades are u sed for
embroidery covering the whole surface. This dress gives a beautiful look. I also wear matching
accessories like bangles, necklace and ear rings with it. I get many compliments from ny friends
whenever I wear this dress.

36. Favourite Photograph

Treasured Memory of the events

Clear and Sharp

Can revive

Enlarged Very heart

Ans:- Photographs capture the memory of the events. One warming
can revive the old experiences through
photographs.
My favourite photograph is our family portrait. It is the picture of all the members of my family my
parents, brothers and sisters. My cousin took it in the beautiful environment of Shimla. We all were
standing in front of a lovely waterfall. It is a very heart warming photograph and we all are very fond of
it. We have got it enlarged and it is hung on the wall of my parents room. It is very clear and sharp. Each
one of us has kept a copy of it. This reminds us of the love and unity among our family membe rs.
Finally, I can say that photographs are meant be treasured to revive old memories.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 175

37. Organised event
Our heart’s content Much awaited

Excellent orators

Most exciting

Literary activities
Inaugurated

Ans:- When I was in college I attended the annual youth festival. It was a grand event, which lasted for 4
days. It was the much awaited and the most exciting event among the students. It was help in my college
campus. The Chief Minister inaugurated it. The first day was the day of the competitions of five arts like
Rangoli, flower arrangement, painting and drawing. The judges were excel in their respective fields.
On second day, literary activities, like debates, declamations and poem recitation were held. There were
excellent orators from various fields. Third day was the day of acting and dramas. On last day, colourfu l
culture program was organized. Bhangra and Gidha were the chief items of the competition. Finally, the
much awaited ceremony of prize distribution was held. It was a great event and we all enjoyed to our
heart’s content.

38. Favourite Book.

Aladdin’s Genie Motivational book

Destiny

The Secret

The Universe Hidden untapped

Ans:- A few days ago I read a motivational book named The Secret. It is written by Rhonda Vyrne. She had
done great service to humanity by writing this book.
This book has transformed the lives of billions of people throughout the world. The Secret contains
wisdom from the centuries to achieve health wisdom, prosperity, improved relationship and happiness. It
makes understood the hidden untapped power that is within us.
The Secret is based on the law of attraction. The law says that when we think a thought we are also
attraction same thoughts to us. Our thoughts are transmitted to the universe and a channel is created in
the universe. We can change the channel by changing our thoughts. This book teaches us that we can fill
the black-board of life with whatever we want. Our destiny is in our hands like Aladdin’s Genie.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 176

39. City that has impressed you or City of your dreams
Worth Beaches and Churches
visiting

Grand and majestic

Merry
making
Beyond words

Folkdances
Ans. Goa is the city, which has impressed me the most. It is the city of beaches and churches. It combine s
the look to and Portuguese culture. The people here believe in merry making and enjoyment. The folk
dances and western dresses are famous here. The beauty of the sea beaches is beyond words. The
sunshine and the sun example are worth seeing. At dawn it seems as if the sun is emerging out of water
from the horizon. At sunset the law looks like an orange ball of fire. It goes down the sea gradually leasing
to the grey sky and ultimately darkness. Another thing, which fascinated me the most, was the cruise r ide.
This side takes you inside the amidst lovely sights and scenes. The Churches of Goa are grand and
majestic.
Goa is a beautiful place worth visiting. It is both modern and majestic.

40. Positive Change

Fortunately
Contentment
Optimistic
The Secret of Life
Pessimistic

Channel
Ans. Well, I still remember the day when I visited central library many home town. Actually, my main
purpose was get some book related to my professions. When I was standing in a row to got my books
issued from the and librarian, fortunately. I saw a booked named ‘The Secret of Life’ in front of eyes. At
glance I got crazy to explore the book. I just skimmed the introductory pages immediately. The essence of
the book was based on of attraction. It means that whatever we think our all thoughts are transmitted to
the universe and a channel is made is the universe. The universe in return provides us a energy to
achieve our thoughts. The main motive of the writer to write this book is to change the thinking of the
people from negative to positive. At that time I was also pessimistic person a nd after reading this book I
totally became optimistic. Hence, I think this was the biggest positive change in my life from that day I
have also achieved contentment and satisfaction in my life. As my/this change let to numerous further
achievements in my life.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 177

41. Shopping Mall
Courteous staff
Green and clean vicinity Ample parking space

Contentment

Various segments
Ansal Plaza

Lofty
Gorgeous
building
Astonished
Ans. Technology has introduced new trends of shopping. Although, I have visited many shopping malls
yet I can’t forget the gorgeous beauty of Ansal Plaza. I visited this mall last month with my family
members in Ludhiana. This mall is situated in the clean and green vicinity. Well, when I stepped in I was
astonished to see the piquant environment created over there. The staff was very courteous and the
managers were taking personal interest to show polished track to the customers. The mall was divided
into various sections according to different age groups. Cafeteria was also there to enjoy snacks and
drinks. Music was also played to create conducive atmosphere. Furthermore, there was ample
underground parking facility. I also purchased a few dresses for me. All and all I would like to say that a
visit to Ansal plaza has become a memorable event in my life.

42. Any law Female

Foeticide Peace and order
Medical practitioners

Emergency
conditions Prevent violence

Indispensabl Protects rights of citizens

e
Ans. Laws are made to maintain peace and order in the country. They protect the rights of the citizens
Moreover, they also prevent violence in the society. Well, today I would like to speak about the law which
is made to banish the problem of female foeticide. This law is forced while keeping in mind the ratio and
rights of females in the developing and poor nations. According to this law, a person who undergoes
female feticide in fined Rs. 15,000 and put inside the bars for three years. Moreover, the medical
practitioners are also warned to abolish this illegal practice from the country. Abortions are only allowed
in case of risk to the life of mother an fetus. All and all, I can say laws are indispensable for the proper
functioning of the nation.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 178

43. Any product that you buy regularly?
Great knowledge in all fields
Subscriber of the
tribune

Spectrum is issued
Accompanied by attractive photographs

Separate page covering

sports events Critical analysis

Ans. I am a regular subscriber of the tribune. It is a reputed newspaper of my area. On the first page there
are the current events of national and international importance. The main news items are accompanied by
attractive photographs. The centre page is page of editorials. They give critical analysis of every problem
and are very exciting. There is a humorous column in between which I really found very interesting like
zodiac signs, crosswords and puzzles. There is a separate page covering sports events. There is a separate
page for advertisements. People come to know about various products and services launched by different
companies and banks. Special supplement called spectrum is issued on Saturday and Sunday. This
newspaper is very rich in knowledge and imparts a great knowledge in all fields to its readers.

44. Favourite Movie.

Intoxicate the universe
Children are panicky

The Essence
Parents are desperate

Dyslexia
Unfortunately
Ans. In this age of cut throat competition the children are paniky and the parents are desperate to fetch a
few marks to get admission in some sought after professions. In the movie “Tarre Zameen Pa r” the Amir
Khan taken up the case of such a child whose creativity is crushed by the parents and teachers. Ishan the
hero of movie is studying in 3 rd standard. He lives in the world of his own dreams. Unfortunately, he
suffered from new logical disorder ‘dyslexia’. In this problem a person forgets the sequence of words. No
one ever tried understand his problem. The parents think that Ishan is making lame excuses as he id not
interested in stood. Fortunately, in a new school Amir Khan who is a teacher recog nizes his problem. The
essence of the movie just to make the parents understand that every child has something special by
which he/she can intoxicate universe with his fragrance. According to me, this is the best movie and it
was also nominated for Oscar Awards.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 179

45. Twins you met last
Curricular activities
Eye shun

Astonished
Similar faces

Ebullient
Perplexing for the
teacher
Ans. How the day when my eyes shun for a moment while I saw two similar faces in front of my eyes.
They book were new comers in my class. Both of them were replica of one another. Their names were
Arjun and Karan Actually they were twins. Then slowly they become my good friends. Both of them were
very intelligent in the studies. Even sometimes it was very perplexing for the teacher also to recognize
them. They were very operative and ebullient. We also had very good family relations. They were very
helpful in every thick and this. I was really astonished with the power of nature that had created them.
Rather than, the studies they also to part in all curricular activities which were held in my school. Even
now I have good relation with both of them.

46. Interesting news Online questioning

Digesting my breakfast

Persistence and dedication

Scanning The Tribune

The Endeavour
Elegant personality

Ans. Well, I have a habit of digesting my breakfast along with a news from the newspaper. Few days ago,
when I was scanning the tribune I was astonished to read news about the e legant personality vishwanath
chaudary who has learnt the whole dictionary by heart. I felt proud on the Endeavour put by a person to do
this extra ordinary task. After reading the new I was inspired by the hard work of the person and decided to
do something different to earn name and fame in my life. I also learnt a lesson that nothing is impossible in
this world. We can achieve everything by our persistence and dedication. Later on, the news was also
telecast on T.V. and the lines were open for the audience to do online questioning with him.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 180

47. Hotel you stayed
Separate disco-theque
Pleasurable

Gazeboes
Situated amidst hills

Gorgeous
Decorated tastefully

Ans. Last month, I went to Shimla my family. It was a pleasurable trip and we decided to stay over there
three days. There we stayed in 5-star hotel names ‘Redison’. It was the lovely hotel situated amidst hills.
We two rooms booked for us. The facilities provided in the rooms were super. The rooms were well
furnished a decorated tastefully. There was a pair of gorgeous beds. There were many flower
arrangement kept in different places of the room. The toiletries were of very high quality. There was a
mall balcony in front of our room from where we could have a magnetic view of the absolutely green
mountain. We felt as we were in heaven. They were many gazeboes in between where the p eople were
sitting and enjoying themselves. There were rockers and fountains with shimmering lights. the lights of
the city of Shimla looked like pearls on a black velvet she. The food provided to us had quality, task as
well as variety. There was also a separate disco-theque room was high quality D.J. system. In the end I
would like to say that I had a wonderful time in the hotel.

48. Favourite Festival Right spirit

Culture and tradition

Bursting
crackers Generations aware

Earthen lamps
Exile of 14 years

Ans: Festivals symbolize the culture and tradition of a country. They relate us to our paste . They bind the
people any places. They make the younger generations aware of the customs followed by their ancestors.
India is the lamp of festivals. Various festivals are celebrated in different parts of the country.
Diwali is my favourite festival. It reminds us of the epic age. On this day Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya
after the exile of 14 years along with Sita and Lakshman. The people of Ayodhya welcomed him in a grand
manner. They decorated their houses and lit the earthen lamps and greeted Lord Rama, their king. This
festival has every since celebrated throughout India. Now people light candles and bulbs to decorate their
house. They exchange sweets with their near and dear ones. Children enjoy this festival by bursting
crackers. People worship Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali night. Diwali is a beautiful festival. It can bring
peace and harmony in a society, it celebrated in a right spirit.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 181

49. Neighbourhood family
Fortunate enough
Pleasure

Charity sows
Offspring’s

Heart touching welcome

Hectic schedule

Ans. Although I have come across many neighbourhood families in my life and its my pleasure to explain
about one of the family by whom I am highly impressed in my life. It is Mr. Shah’s family. They are
residing next to my home. There are four members in their family. Mr. Shah is a doctor and his wife is
teacher. They had two offspring’s and their daughter is my good friend. She is studying along with me
since my childhood. Although, they have very hectic schedule yet they always give heart touching
welcome to every member of our society. Even when my parents are not at home they cook food for me
and my brother. They also organizes various charity shows in our society for the further deye10opment.
Mrs Shah also teaches the poor students without money in the evening time. In the end, I would like to
say that I think myself fortunate enough to have such co-operative and helpful neighbourhood.

50. Favourite Singer

Pinnacles of success
Exciting and
rejuvenating

Multifaceted
Our personality

Culture and heritage

God gifted

Ans. Music has become an integral part of the present day society. Everyone enjoy the beat and rhythm of
music. I especially like Punjabi Music as it is exciting and rejuvenating. Gurdas Mann is my favourite
singer. I never miss and concert or show of this singer. I am highly impressed not only by his vocal talent
but also by his all over personality. He started his life as a clerk in the electricity department. It is truly
said that god gifted talents can never remain under the surface. His singing ability came up when he was
motivated and inspired by his friends to move ahead. Once, his voice was received and admired by the
people, he never looked back. His purpose is to promote Punjabi culture and heritage through his songs.
He wants to utilize his talent for the welfare of the community. He has also acted in many Punjabi films.
His multifaceted personality has taken him to the pinnacle of success in his career .

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 182

51. Favourite Animal
Highly rewarding
Integral

Surveyed
Faithful and loyal

Basic etiquettes
Huge dog

Ans. Animals form an integral part of the environment. They are precious for the survival of the human
race and the plant kingdom. Dog is my faovurite pet animal. The dog is considered to be a faithful and
loyal animal. I have pet dog in our home. Its name is ‘Tiger’. It is a beautiful German Shephard dog. My
father brought it when was a few days old. We all looked after it like a small dog. It is fed with the best
diet of milk, bred and pedigree. Now I have become a huge dog of black and golden colour. My father also
arranged for a trainer to train basic etiquettes to him. It loves every member of our family. I don’t think
that there is any disadvantage to keep at home. However, they are animals after all and it has been
surveyed. Although, keeping a pet dog can transformed into a highly rewarding experience it proper care
and precautions are taken.

52. Person you admire the most or any famous person by whom you are impressed.
Admire and respect him
Highly influenced

A legend
Father of my nation

Social discrimination
Introvert person

Ans. I am highly influenced by ‘Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi. He is also known as the father of my
nation. Since his childhood he was very shy and introvert person. When the became a lawyer and
appeared in the court for the first time, he was not able to utter a word. But when he went to Africa his
heart was touched by the social discrimination and injustice done to negroes at the hands of Britishers.
After coming to India he jumped into the freedom struggle of India. He stood like a rock in front of the
British empire. Ultimately, he as able to make India a free country. I am motivate by the life story of
Mahatma Gandhi. If country men follows his principles, India will soon become a super power. He was a
legend and not of any age or country. He was the first India whose statue was built in Wax Stadium of
London. The people of whole country admire and respect him.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 183

53. Childhood Story
Essence
Passion

Victory
Fairy tales

Truthfulness
Vivid memories
Ans. I always had a passion for reading. When I was very young my mother used to tell me many fairy
tales. When I went to school, and was able to read she used to buy many story books for me. Out of these I
liked the story the princess cinderalla the more. I still have vivid memories of that story. In this story the
main character of the story is cinderalla. She represents innocence and truthfulness. On the other hand,
her step mother and step sisters are the symbols of cruelty. But ultimately Cinderalla became a princess
in the end of the story. This gives the message of the victory of the good over the evil. Now I have grown
up, I look at this story from a different perspective, and I derive powerful essence for it.

54. Describe any educational trip

Educational trips are always exciting and adventurous. These are the source of information and
historical facts. Last month I visited Golden Temple with my classmates. It is a famous historical
place in Punjab and headquarters of Sikhs and Punjabis.

The temple is made of Gold and Surrounded by water from all sides. It reflects true identity of
Sikhism & pure shine of gold always reminding the purity of that place. It has a large pound where
people dip in holly water, it rotes (soothes / brings calm) both mind & should and bless us with peace
and harmony.

There is an art gallery in Golden Temple which has a collection of old scriptures ho lly books,
weapons, arms, dresses and skittles of our gurus. Some paintings showing about austerity. The
scriptures show the altruistic view of our great gurus / saints.

We really enjoyed artificial landscaping of this place. We came to know about history of
Sikhism. We enjoyed community meal over there had a glimpse of the whole area and then we
visited J.W.B. (Jalianwala Bagh ) This throws light on the history of our martyrs in the name
of humanity. It was a perfect combination of journey & knowledge and learning through
traveling.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 184

55. Talk about a library you are a member of or you have visited recently.
A library is the most important part of society. If library is well equipped it is an asset to
everyone. It is a place where books of different subjects and types are kept.

I am a member of my school library. It is housed in a very huge room with 3 sections -reading,
periodicals and magazine section. They are extremely valuable and some expensive rare
books are also in our library. There is a trained and experienced librarian who has a helper
also to assist.

There are some very old and rare books. Only 2 books are issued at a time for different
almirahs for different subject books. The librarian is very strict but very kind and polite. The library
is playing a great role in raising the standard of education.

There are children books also. In magazines and periodical sections, there are tables and
reading stands for the students to read them. The library is a quiet place. It is a good place for those
who do not find atmosphere for reading at home.

56. Talk about the magazine you like the most.

‘The Outlook’ is one of the most widely read English magazines in India. I like this magazine for
various reasons. It covers national and international news events. Articles for readers of all ages
are a unique feature of this magazine. It expresses true professionalism.

A chief tenet of the Indian culture is unity in diversity. ‘The Outlook’ magazine has its
reflection. In spite of the onslaught of visual multimedia, serious minded people keep the habit of
reading serious newspapers, magazines and books. The treatment of subjects in this
magazine is such that intellectuals relish it all times and climes.

Being a student of English, I read every story in ‘The Outlook’ under the microscope with a view
to improving my knowledge, language, writing etc. It is part of my conviction that proficiency
in English is synonymous with success and my reading of ‘The Outlook’ helps me a lot in acquiring
proficiency in the language.

57. Describe a child you are particularly fond of

Children attract everyone with their innocent nature and cute looks. Most people like to spend time
with children. The child here I would like to speak about lives in my neighborhood. The child is
around four year old and is the pet of everyone in my locality because of certain special
features he has. He is fair in complexion with golden hair and blue eyes. He is friendly to everyone
and always remains happy. He smiles revealing his white teeth every time you meet him. He
frequents our house and does not hesitate to accept if we offer some sweets. Moreover, the child
seems brilliant in academics too. Even at this age, he knows English alphabet fully and can
count up to hundred. I spend time chatting with this child on weekends. I think this child has got a
brilliant future ahead.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 185

 Sample Answer 2:
Children are generally agile, fun-loving and highly creative. I love children very much for their
openness and innocence. My daughter is my favourite child. As she is my own, I feel
comfortable in speaking about her than any other child. My daughter is now nine years old. Her
agility and innocence make her innovative. Her curiosity and creativity are things which win her
appreciation from everyone who meets her.

Without feeling the burden of the otherwise unhealthy and cumbersome education system,
she learns things very well. She is a quick learner so she finds enough time to play and enjoy.
She is an excellent playmate. She shows interest in music and dance. She has a natural skill in
showing kindness and compassion to children and the elderly. For all these reasons I like my
child very much.

58. Talk about favourite radio programme

Radio is a medium of communication in which human voice is the main source of information,
education and entertainment. A drama broadcast on a radio is different from that which is
presented on a stage. The former demands everything to be expressed in and through the
medium of human voice alone. Well-trained actors and actress skilled in sound modulation can
work wonders when they play their roles in a radio drama. These dramas enable me to improve
my intonation patterns.
A radio drama “Thapasia” on “The Akashvani”, the Indian radio, is m y favourite radio
programme. It is a drama on the traumatic experiences of a widow, who is mistaken by
society. The Akashvani presents dramatic adaptations of Malayalam, English and other world
classics. They occasionally telecast selected episodes from the world renowned plays. These plays
give me an insight into human life and the world literature. These radio dramas have helped me
in improving my English and conversational skills.

59. Talk about The T.V. programme you prefer to watch

My favourite T.V. programme is “India’s Child Genius”, hosted by Siddhartha Basu. The
programme is telecast everyday at 9 p.m. on Star World. In that programme the most
intelligent students from schools all over India compete. They are selected on the basis of
merit.

Twelve teenage students participate in each episode and one of them is selected as the
winner after a series of question and answer sessions. The questions are based on a variety of topics
like Geography, General Knowledge, Science etc. This programme satisfies our thirst for knowledge
and is ideal for updating our general knowledge.

The most interesting part of the programme is the self-introductions made by the students. Most
of them aspire to be either astronomers or scientists. They want to make con tacts with foreign
nations. Their views and ideas give me an insight into their attitudes and aptitudes. It also shows
the kind of youth we are molding for the future.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 186

 Sample Answer 2:

I am fond of watching TV and my favourite programmes are reality shows. Here, I would like to
speak about a TV programme I watch regularly. Its name is ‘Idea -star singer’. This
programme comes on Asianet channel every weekday. It is telecasted at nine p.m. I am fond of this
programme because it is a music programme. In this programme, there are twelve rounds of
elimination based of different varieties of music like classical, semi-classical, melodies, old
numbers, new songs and fast numbers. The one who passes all these stages gets a prize of ten
million rupees. As all the participants of the programme are good singers, the programme keeps
good quality. It is the most popular TV show in my area these days.

60. Talk about your favourite game

My favourite game is football. It is a common man’s game. People show inte rest in games in order
to relax and to relieve stress and tension. Today, for most people, games like football are
important in their lives. As all other Football is everybody’s game. Its rule and regulations are not
very complicated. Twenty two people play the game for about one and half hours. Unlike
cricket, everybody gets the needed exercise. Perhaps the most important aspect of football is
that people can play or view the game after the work.
Normally the game is split into two halves of forty five minutes each. Altogether the duration of the
game is usually one hundred minutes. In case of a tie, the game may extend to an extra time or
tiebreaker.
In each team, there are eleven players. Players are liable to be penalised for violating rules. It is a
game that the players and the spectators enjoy equally well. In countries like Britain football is
a part of everyday life. The World Cup football is an event once in four years. Being able to watch it
live on the television is a lifetime experience. I make sure that as far as possible I do not miss
an interesting game of football.

61. Describe your favourite variety of music.

Music is the language of heart and soul. My favourite kind of music in the Indian film music of
yesteryears. My favourite singers are Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar. I like them
because their songs are melodious. The words are set to the music of classical and folk
traditions. The songs are emotionally satisfying because the music is pristine and fresh.
Nowadays, because of high competition and demand, a lot of experiments take place in this
field. Fusion, remixing and recording of music and songs at two different times, all destroy the
originality of the song. Nevertheless, no new forms of music could take away my love for old Indian
film songs. They satisfy my basic sentiments like love, hate, fear, patriotism and sympathy for
the needy.

I have a good collection of records, cassettes and CD’s of Lata, Kishore and Mohammed Rafi. It
refreshes my mind when I listen to music every day, while doing my household chores. There are a
variety of song forms - folk songs, devotional songs, patriotic songs, ghazals, semi classicals and
mixing of Indian and Western music.
All the forms have their own beauty and charm. I also like to listen to Western country music,
because the songs are set in rustic surroundings. In them only a few musical accompaniments like
an according or a guitar are used. This helps them preserve the originality of the songs. To sum up, I
prefer to listen to any kind of music which does not sound artificial.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 187

62. Talk about the country you would like to visit.
The country I would like to visit is Australia. Whenever I hear about the Kangaroo and the
boomerang, Australia flashes across my mind. People have been living there for 30 million
years. Nevertheless, the civilized world came to know about this continent only after the 16 th
century. Spain, Holland and France tried to make Australia their colony. But it was Captain
James Cook and other navigators who succeeded in exploring and occupying the continent.

Australia is rich in flora and fauna. Australia is home to animals such as the Kangaroo, Koala, Emu,
Kookaburra and exotic species of fish. I love nature and the environment. I would like to visit the
Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest coral island in the world.
It will be very interesting to visit the major cities in the country like Sydney, Melbourne, Perth
and Canberra. The country is largely a desert. Therefore, it is scarcely populate d.
But it has many interesting tourist spots which I would like to visit. The world famous Opera
House in Sydney is a major tourist spots which I would important centres of the aboriginal
culture. As the government encourages migration and overseas students. Australia is endowed
with a cosmopolitan culture. I am interested in the country as it is emerging as a multicultural
society.

63. Describe is your favourite time of the day and why?

My favourite time of the day is evening. It is the time for relaxation and enjoyment with my
family. When the atmosphere is cool and when the day’s assignments are over, I feel relaxed. The
immediate thing that I prefer to do after a day’s work is to spend time with my wife and daughter.
Either we sit together at home, talking about the happenings of the day or we go out to the
countryside to enjoy the quiet.

My child is always eager to speak about her school and everything that she might have come across
during the day. My wife and I share the household chores so that we get more time for personal
intimacy.
In the evening I spend some time watching T.V. listening to music, reading and dining
together. After finishing all these I retire at 11 o’ clock. And I feel as a daisy the next morning
after my long night’s sleep, ready to take up the challenges the new day has in store for me.

64. Talk about a news story you have recently heard.

The recent catastrophe caused by the great tsunami waves, has left in its wake a trail of death,
destruction, gloom and despair. None of us is safe in our cocoons. We are not invincible. It was in
March 2011 in Japan. I was glued to the TV news and scanned through every page of
newspapers, during that dreadful week. There were reports on the entire villages being
washed out, whole families perished together, and the blank stares of the orphans stared
bleakly at me.
Amidst all the tales, one story tugged at my heartstrings. It was the story of a mother who was
willing to sacrifice her life to save her children. The picture in the newspaper showed a
woman running towards the seventeen feet high, killer waves to pull her children to safety. What was
so awesome about this picture was that the mother was running towards the huge waves, almost as
if challenging them to take away her children.
The children were playing on the beach, oblivious of the impending disaster. But the story did not
end there. It was almost like a suspense thriller. Did the family perish? Did the mother succeed in
her mission or was she late? A few days later, the newspapers carried the rest of the story of how
the mother carried her children to safety.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 188

65. Describe a photograph you have taken.
I visited my ancestral house in Punjab after my tenth board examination. My cousins had come
from Kuwait and Delhi. It was a memorable gathering, as it was the first occasion; when all of us
came together. It was the peak of summer season.
Mango trees and jackfruit trees were full of ripe fruits. The afternoon breeze was filled with the
smell of ripe fruits. There was nothing more wonderful to do than savouring the beauty of nature.
We used to play in the backyard under the shade of huge trees.
One fine afternoon while we were chatting, sitting under a mango tree, I decided to take
photograph. I took a photograph, with my ten cousins standing under the mango tree, with the
paddy fields, and the palm groves in the distant background.

A decade has passed since I took the photograph. When I see the photograph I am reminded
of my scattered family. That photo makes me nostalgic because I hardly meet any of my
cousins. They are settled in greener pastures in distant lands. Those who see the photograph,
say that it has a professional touch. I have given it a prominent place in my family album.

66. Talk about any physical activity you do daily.

Around the full clock, there are many things that we do daily. If I talk about my circled routine,
there are again dozens of thing that have become an active part of my life. People say that
when you start doing things everyday, you get fed up from them-Let it be anything. But for me
there are handfuls of things that I like so much that the more I do them, the more I get
addicted to them.

One such important part of my everyday life is ‘Morning walk’. I began this habit when I was a kid.
My grandfather was a fitness freak and he used to wake me up every early morning to
accompany him for a walk. He used to tempt me by saying that since he was an old man and he
needed someone strong enough to give him protection in case he come across any
problem. I used to think that he takes me along because he thinks I am a grown up person.
Happily and proudly I used to go with them. It was very later that I realized his trick. I came to know
that he succeeded in inculcating an everlasting and worth appreciating habit in me. And by the
time, it was too late to get de-addicted.

Now, when I get up in the morning, my body has become so tuned that it itself gets ready for a walk.
My walk usually lasts for an hour and half. I keep target of ten kilo meters up and down. Which I
proudly achieves everyday. We read umpteen number of advantages of morning walk but I have
experienced all of them. It keeps me fresh and active throughout the day. Unless and until I am
not physically well, I rarely feel dropped or exhausted.

The best part of the morning walk is that you breathe fresh air, the air that gets polluted and stale
as the clock moves. It rejuvenates your blood circle making you more healthy and active. It
regulates your blood circulation hence increasing your immunity to a greater extent, you
become stronger enough of fight against diseases and your healing power increases to double as
compared to an average man.
Keeping their obvious biological benefits aside which are known by almost everyone,
morning walk helps you to build a good and healthy social circle. The faces you meet everyday get
acquainted to you and thus they, being of same taste as you, come into your contact.
Normally the schedule has become so busy that we rarely get time to make new friends but
morning walk helps you in that.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 189

67. Describe any antique thing / object you have in your home.
India is the nation which is believed to be detoured with many antique, unique and beautiful
things. Every corner of the nation has a story to tell and a proof of that story let it be buildings,
monuments, pictures or coins. And the wriest thing done by Indian brains is that they have
preserved these things for future generation and as a token of remembrance keep sake.
Similarly, I have handful of such things that reminds us of the ages long back, their culture and
civilizations. But the real antique thing that I possess is a set of three silver coins. Those coins
were handed over to my father by my great grandfather and to him by his ancestors . It is
actually a long chain and no one among us actually knows that who was the one who owned
them in reality. So with the blood in veins and similar genes in us this is another thing that is
inherited by us.
My father tells me that the words written on the coin are in the version and it is dated 2000 years
back. On those wins there is a picture of the king with a crown cap or cap crown on his head which
symbolizes that the win during the Muslim region long before the British rule also. Because
things written in English with queens picture.
The coins are made of pure silver, the purity that we really find these days. Our family
goldsmith tells that purity of these three coins is equivalent to the purity of ten 2inches thick
sliver bangles of today’s age. Everybody in my circle knows about the coins. Once of my
forwards relative, who resides in London, and is having relations with renowned museums
over there, came with the proposal to sell those coins to the museum and we were offered
billion dollars. But my father refused to sell them because for him those coins are for above
the monitory values they carry our family values and moreover it is a talisman for us.
Earlier I used to think that my father hand made a very wise decision by not sealing them. By as I
feet mature and judicious, I relies its importance more and more with pursing time and days and
today I am proud of my father decision and I am sure the tenderloins coming after me would feel
proud to have such possession.

68. Talk about any scientific equipment.

Equipments and instruments are the results of the endurance of technology. Technology has
heralded a great revolution in the medical field and other related fields. Technology gets
invented due to revolution in science.

The scientific equipment which I like to describe is ultrasound machine. It is the greatest as well as
wonderful invention of medical science. This instrument called ultrasound is used in detecting
symptoms of serious diseases in human body. Once symptoms are know n, the diagnose
becomes easy & on time. Now a patient need not linger on with disease for so long. In earlier times,
the condition of a patient used to deteriorate and sometimes became critical. But with the advent of
ultrasound a patient can be cured easily and at time.
This instrument is based on the opposite principle; I mean invention is the mother of
necessity. Now this greatest invention is misused by some medical practitioners in detecting the sex
of an unborn child. We all are aware about sex determination test. If it is a girl then it is not allowed
to develop. So this should be prohibited otherwise this wonderful instrument of medical science will
be misused.

The introduction of news services, SMS and other important services will make it more
popular. Telecommunication is fast replacing the writing of letters and it is helping to speed the
business aspects in developing nations.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 190

69. Describe any factory or big organization.
Every organization, howsoever big or small, is important is itself. It takes a lot to make an
organization and these are no such organization that is born great. Each of them starts form a
simple and minor base and demands a great effort to turn into a big organization.
One such organization is ‘Reliance’ which was started by Dhiru Bhai Ambani. People say Mr.
Ambani earlier worked as an employee. But with his dedication, Smart work and hard work
he set up his empire that stands tall today, towering all. Afterhim. The business passed into
the hands of his heirs ‘The two smart brains’ Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani. Though not
together, but both of the brothers are leading all other competitors. They are like whale
among starfishes.
Reliance has expanded in many fields. Earlier it excelled only in the field of mobile ph ones but
now it has proved itself as a multi tasking firm and the best part is, Reliance provides people
what they want and that too according to their pockets. The mobile phones and connections
by Reliance provide so many economical schemes to the informers. They charge you less and
give you more. For example you can go for STD or ISD calls with charges equal to the local call
cost by other firms.
Now, Reliance has come up with malls at multi-shopped stores. You can get anything and
everything at one stop shop and at reasonable rates. Form vegetables to fruits to Grocery items
to other things of utility, all are available with this one organization.

The best part of the Reliance is that they provide you very good service. Let it be the customer
care dealer or a person sitting at the cash counter of the mall; everyone deals with bundles of
politeness and a smile on face. They rush to help you. This shows that the team managing
team has selected them very carefully and has put lot of efforts so that they can be of good
value for common mass and for organization. Apart from it, they provide employment to
thousands of people.

70. Speak about a famous personality / celebrity of your country.

Dr. Manmohan Singh
He was born on Sept 26 th’1932 in village Gah. His father name was Gurmukh Singh. He has three
daughters. He did his M.A. (Eco) from Punjab University Chandigarh, in 1957. His Phd thesis was
on India export competitiveness. He was senior lecturer of Economics in Punjab University
Chandigarh.
-1971-72 - was advisor in foreign trade
-1982 - Governor Reserve Bank of India

-1991 - Chairman U.E.G

-1995 - Reelected to Rajya Sabha
Books:
1) India’s export trends and prospects for self-sustained
2) Growth -1

He won many prizes like Padma Vibhushan in 1987

Adam Smith Prize - 1956.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 191

 Euro money award - finance minister of the year 1993.

International assignments:
1982- Indo soviet monitoring group meeting.
1993- Human right world conference Vienna.

Dr. Singh’s common respect for his integrity, Intellect and significantly for the complete trust and
locking he enjoys from the actual Political leadership that has won the people’s mandate to lead a
new government.

Mr. Manmohan is basically a man of peace. India’s east which part and his declaration of nofirst
use of mishear weapon.
He is a teacher with a clear political image. He is much admired orator and also a warm
persuasive leader.

Why you like:

1) selfless social worker.
2) He is the longest serving finance minister.
3) He is the person who steer the nation to a path of greater internal cohesion, faster growth
& external confidence.
4) Dedicated towards his work.
There are no doubts about his credential as for as clarity on the need for and
desirable direction of economic reform.

What you learn:

1) dedication towards work
2) Importance of knowledge and experience.

71. Talk about the film that you liked the most.
There are so many movies which I see every week. Number of movies are there like comedy,
thriller, suspense, romantic etc. My favourite movie which I saw recently is ‘Munnabhi
M.B.B.S’. I saw this movie with my friends in a multiplex which is situated outside the town on
the Highway. It was vacation after exams when I saw this movie. Story of the movie was very
interesting everybody enjoyed the movie in the multiplex. This movie is actually a mix up of
comedy and philosophy of life. According to me, it’s a perfect and unique film. All the
characters played good role in the movie.

Sample Answer 2:
The movie that I enjoyed watching most recently was The Titanic’. For various reasons it is still
vivid in my memory. Watching movie was a pleasure then and it is so even now. The movie
‘The ‘Titanic’ is directed by James Cameroon. He succeeded in choosing a team of artistes who
could perform their best in order to make tahe movie an all time success. It has won several
international accolades including eleven Oscars. It is a poignant love story that really tugs at my
heartstrings, as it ends on a tragic note.

The hero of the movie is a poor orphan who is an artist. The role is played by Leonardo di
Caprio, They heroine is an immensely rich and aristocratic girl who falls in love with the artist. Kate
Winslet plays the role of the heroine. ‘The Titanic’ was the largest passenger ship of its times,
which got wrecked on its maiden voyage by colliding with a huge ice-berg. In an attempt to

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 192

 save the life of his sweetheart, the orphan artist lays down his own life.

The movie is presented in the form of a narration by the heroine and that makes it all the
more moving. She survives the shipwreck. The title song is sung by Celilne Dion. It became an
international mega hit. It arouses feelings of nostalgia (=pleasant memory of the past)
whenever one happens to hear it. ‘The titanic is a movie with poetry in every scene. The
meticulous effort of the director is transparently evident in the movie. I like it the most for it is the
culminating expression of art in its perfect form.

72. Talk about any enjoyable stage of your life.

Childhood days are the beginning days of our life. These are the days when a child develops
himself as an individual. Childhood days are as important as the foundation for a building. A child
can learn a lot during his childhood. Along with education, child gets knowledge of language,
culture, tradition and religion. Apart from this, a child develops various skills of playing games,
dealing with friends, teachers and other members of the society. All such things develop
understanding and attitude about life. Children live an innocent and playful life in which they have
no responsibilities to fulfill rather than study well at school. Children can do whatever they want
to. They feel more pleasure to spend much time with friends rather than family members. I have
been saving something since childhood.

73. Describe a toy / game you played with in your Childhood.

Childhood days are always interesting as well as adventurous. This is the most precious
period of life that can never be returned. When I used to be a school student. I used to play
with toys. Everyday whenever I used to return from my school, I looked for my beautiful doll.
This was one of the precious toys for me which was gifted by my grandfather on my 8th
birthday. I was crazy for this doll. The most fascinating factor was the grey hair of this doll
and having blue eyes. In case if I did not find it at desired place I used to cry like anything.
Apart from playing this toy generated a good habit in me and that was the habit of saving. A
hidden cashbox was bullet in its tummy. Whatever I saved, I used to drop in its mouth that
was connected with its cashbox. So I had tremendous interest in saving money since early
childhood. All this became possible due to this fantastic toy. I named it ‘money saver’ as it
proved to be the money saver and developed a habit of savings in me.
Sample Answer 2:
An electric toy car was my favourite one. When I was a child my father presented it to me. I
used to spend hours playing with it. I was greatly fascinated by it. It worked with four pen
torch batteries fixed in a box under the car. When switched on, it used to move forward fast. If
there was an obstacle on the way, the car had the facility to turn away in some other direction.
Along with that, the car had a special device of keeping it safe without falling over edges.
Later I understood that this was possible because of the adjustment of a fifth wheel fixed on a
rotating disc. The toy car also had red and yellow lights that flickered occasionally. I was
greatly fascinated by this wonderful toy that had many attractions like this. I used to show it with
pride to my young friends whenever they came to see me.
Even though I do not play with it nowadays. I still keep it. It brings back memo ries of my
childhood. I feel that the introduction of electric cars on the roads will be a good idea as there will
be no air pollution caused by the burning of fuels like petrol and diesel.
Follow up questions:
Why does a person often remember the games he played in his childhood?
Childhood is the foundation of our life. At that time our mind is free from any external
impressions. Hence, whatever we do or whatever impresses us at that time remains in our
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 193
 memory ever afterwards. However, this is not the case with the period we were infants and
babies because at that time our mind is not developed enough to maintain many things in
memory and so most of the impressions are lost or they become the part of our subconscious mind
and not conscious mind.

74. Talk about an animal that is found in your country.

Sample Answer 1:
According to me, dog is the most amazing animal that can be ever found on the earth. Usually
people don’t find it that way because we have become habitual to dogs. As said ‘The book that is so
close to our eyes, its words are never clear’ may be that is the reason dogs don’t seem to be
amazing to folks.

Talking about the amazing characters is dog, it is the only animal that can understand human
languages so clearly; and follows them. Dogs, if trained help you in many households. They obey
you when you ask them to fetch a newspaper form the gate and if further conditioned they
brings you thing from the market also.

The best quality about dogs is that they set the examples of selfless love. In lieu of just one pat
of love from their master, they sacrifice their life in their service. Even if you do not care for
them, they would never leave you. Many people say that God always listen to their prayers.
May be that is why our elders always keep dog’s share of food before they themselves take
their meals.

Dogs are amazing in many other ways also. Due to their sharp sixth sense, they can well
estimate the oncoming dangers like earthquakes or floods. During Tusanami destructions, the
least causalities were of the dogs because they evacuated the place early as they sensed the
danger before handed. And most amazing thing in that is, they never leave the place during
such problems without taking their master with them. They symbolize loyalty.

Dogs can well sense the death of a person as it is believed that they have Thanatos in them is
death instincts. Adding more to my points, dogs have excellent olfactory power. And for this
reason they are of great help to police and CIDs. The best thing in dogs is they never forget
people. They can well recognize their master after years.

Dogs can always understand the emotions of the its master. If the master is sad, the dog would
automatically be sad and vice-versa. Your anger, your love, your sadness, your joy all are well
understood and interpreted by them and equality responded too.

So I guess no other animal can have all these qualities together though they may be amazing in
their own ways. But dog excels all due to its being blend of so many astonishing traits.

Sample Answer 2:
My favourite animal is tiger. It is our national animal. It is found in most states of my country.
It belongs to the cat family and hence it behaves like a large but a dangerous cat. I have seen
tiger in zoos in my city and in the forests of Gir and Rajasthan. It is the most beautiful wild
animal ever found on this earth according to me. It has golden skin and some species have
black stripes or spots on their body. These features contribute a lot to the gorgeous
appearance of tiger. We can find white tigers also in some parts of eastern India. It has sharp
teeth and nails. It also possesses powerful sense of smell and sharp eyesight that can be used
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 194
 in targeting and hunting its prey in the forest. It is a highly dangerous animal that eventually
kills anyone who comes in its way. It is a multi-skill animal that can run as fast as 70
kilometers an hour, climb trees and swim in rivers and lakes. It prefers to live in groups
where it can procreate, the baby tiger is known as cub. However, humans have always killed
tigers to use their skins to decorate their houses and to make various products from their
teeth and skin. Hence tiger is now considered as endangered species in some parts of my
country. But government these days is taking a lot of pain in helping one of the most beautiful
and gorgeous animals of our country to survive and grow.

75. Speak about your favourite advertisement.

Advertisement is a form of mass communication. It involves a process of transmission of
information by the seller of a product to buyer, to stimulate the behavior of the buyer to buy a
particular product. It means to turn the people’s attention to specified things. It is the link
between the seller and buyer.

The world is dominated by all kinds of advertisements economic, commercial and political.
Advertiser’s can reach their audience through TVs radio, cinema, print media, outdoor
advertising, sales promotion and the internet. It changes with changing life styles , changing
methods of distribution and techniques of communication. It contributes to consumer
coeducation and knowledge about a product. It plays a equal role in education, informing,
inspiring and motivating Cayman on a number of issues.

There are two types of advertisement visual and written. Visual advertisement is more
effective. People see the things with eyes and judge the product. Industries sponsor the
programme, to advertise their things. There are intervals & between the programme for
advertisement. Apart from having a number of advantages, advertising also have some evil
impacts. Advertising creates the need for products which are not required. Sometimes
advertisements are used to promote thing like alcohol that can be injurious to health. It
creates desire in people’s mind for such things, which are not within their reach. This leads to
frustration.

Children get easily affected from advert. They have become a pressure grouped on parents.
Vulgarity and violence must be avoided for the promoting of product advertisements should
not be allowed to degrade human value. People should access the information provided by
various advertisement and should not blindly trust them. The future of Indian in
advertisement is bright if it takes up its social responsibility will help in the economic develop
of the country.

76. Talk about the most polluted city of your country.

Ludhiana, the richest city of Punjab, has also earned the notoriety of being the most polluted
city in north India. The pathetic infrastructure is a consequence of unplanned and haphazard
expansion.

Controlling officers are hesitant to proceed against the non performers and the corrupt as they
themselves fall under the same league. The supervisory staff hardly cares to carry ou t checks as
prescribed in the departmental manuals. Field inspections are rarely conducted - no wonders
roads are washed away within a few weeks of their construction.
The pollutions, which move from door to door begging for votes, turn into masters overnight.
All their efforts and issues to woo the public are decided keeping the next election in mind.

It’s high time the politicians did some introspection on their performance and take an active

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 195

 role in relieving the woes of the residents. Also the citizens of a democracy must be fully
aware of our rights and responsibilities. Pressure groups should be formed in different
localities to take up issues with the authorities. Fortunately, several NGOs are actively using
the Right To Information Act and Public Interest Litigation provisions to redress grievances.
Needless to add, it is only the law abiding citizens who are in position to challenge the
authorities.

Ludhiana known as Manchester of India, the Ludhiana city is better called pollution capita l of
Punjab. The District Transport authorities have launched the Pollution Check Drive in the city
with a view to curb the rising pollution in the city. The efforts however seem inadequate in
view of gravity of the situation. In line with this program transport authorities have fined a
few auto-rickshaws emitting smoke more than the permissible levels. Most of the auto -rickshaws
operating in the city, which according to an estimate number about 30000, have modified
engines which run on kerosene/diesel oil and are the cause of most of the pollution caused by
vehicular emissions. Among other cities topping the pollution lists are Amritsar, Gobindgarh
and Jalandhar.
The rising population, increasing traffic volume, haphazard growth of the city, perpe tual
shortage of funds, discharge of untreated solid wastes into the rivers and nullahs are
accentuating the pollution problem in Ludhiana. According to official estimates, every year
40,000 vehicles are added on Ludhiana roads. Vehicular emissions from th ese vehicles,
especially old ones and particularly auto-rickshaws, are a major reason for polluting the air and
the lungs of the people here.
No doubt the city is advancing but the pollution levels are also rising? Ludhiana is the
commercial and industrial hub of the state and it is expanding very fast. These days with the
proposed opening of numerous shopping malls in the city and cutting of colonies by builders
the problem of pollution has been accentuated. All these construction activities have a
temporary effect on the environment. The digging up of soil, traffic congestion and all lead to
increase in pollution.

Poisonous gases, chemicals and heavy metals present in atmosphere interfere with normal
breathing; get absorbed in the blood stream with disastrous results in the long run. Whatever the
claim or the excuse by the authorities, the fact remains that Ludhiana is one of the worst
examples on the environmental front. What is the need of the hour is for the residents to
become more environmental friendly and conscious and for the authorities to take urgent
steps to improve the present situation.

77. Talk about you helped a victim of road accident.

Last week when I was going by car on the main highway, I noticed a middle aged man lying in
a pool of blood on the roadside. I stopped my car and came out of it. The man must be a
careless guy or he might not have noticed the man in the early morning fog. I at once loaded
the man in my car and took him away to the nearest hospital. The doctors said that the
condition of the man was critical. As required, I donated two bottles of blood for the man and
also paid for all the medicines and other hospital expenses for medical aid. Fortunately, the
man survived. As he became conscious, he not only thanked me heartily, but also expressed
the desire to pay me all that I had spent on his treatment. I calmed him, telling him that there
was no need for it. Today the man is hale and hearty, and we are fast friends. I feel that this

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 196

 reward in the form of getting a true friend is more than any payment in money or material..
(Please expand…)

Sample Answer 2:
I believe in lending a helping hand to whoever is in need. There have been many occasions
when I helped people, but a particular incident stands out in my memory. I was studying in
Ludhiana. Once I was travelling home for my Diwali vacations, in a very crowded bus to my
hometown in Barnala, a young mother with two small children boarded the bus. Nobody
offered her a seat. She looked very harassed and unkempt. People shied away from her.

Sometime later, the conductor came around collecting tickets. Suddenly she started wailing out
that she had lost her purse, in which she had put her money. Nobody paid any attention to her
desperate situation. The other passengers even said that she was fooling them. The
conductor threatened to put her out of the bus. My conscience inspired me to help her. I
bought her a ticket and took her to her house in Barnala. Her family still keeps in touch with me
and we remain good family friends to this day.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 197

 CHAPTER 15. SPEAKING TEST PART-2 & PART-3

1. Speak about a project that you completed

I completed a science project successfully when I was a student of 10 th standard at Sant Kabir
High School, Barnala. My biology teacher assigned me this project of making the clay model of the
excretory system of humans. It was an individual project. So I had to do it single-handed. I used
some clay, lime and water to complete this project. At first, I made a paste by mixing clay, lime
and water. Then I made the models of kidneys and blood vessels and I allowed it to dry under the
sun. Then I carefully moulded it on a cardboard. My biology teacher assisted me to mount it
carefully. Then I painted the kidneys in dark brown colour and the blood vessels in red and blue.
After that I labeled the parts. It took almost ten days to complete this project. I got A+ grade for
this project and I was highly delighted. This model is still displayed in the biology lab of my
school. It is being used as a teaching aid in biology classes. I am really proud of having completed
this project successfully.
a) What hobbies are popular in these days?
Reading, listening to music and gardening are evergreen hobbies. However, for the
modern day youngsters, the favorite hobbies are computer games, surfing the net and
playing snooker.

b) Do you think there is any difference between the hobbies preferred by males and
females?
Certainly, there are some differences between them. Females often pre fer to have hobbies
that can be done indoors. On the other hand males are equally interested in both indoor and
outdoor activities.

c) Why are projects important to school children?

In my opinion, projects are very important for students because of seve ral reasons.
One of the advantages is that they develop creative and imaginative power of students.
Not only that, some projects help the students in the learning process because they
have to read many books for completing the project. Above all, some successfully
completed projects can be kept as exhibits in fairs and competitions.

d) Should children complete their project works independently?

In my opinion, that depends on the project in hand. Always they should be encouraged to
complete their work independently. However, children should be allowed to approach
their teachers or parents in case of necessities.

e) Which subjects can be better taught through project works?

Projects are most suitable for science subjects. Subjects like physics, biology and computer
are well-suited for project works.

f) Which is more useful; theory class or project work?

In my opinion, what we need is a combination of both. After every lesson, there should be a
practical session to make sure that students absorb the idea fully.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 198

 g) Do you believe in the effectiveness of rote-learning?
I think rote-learning is suitable for learning languages. However, some students try to
cram every subject.

h) Why do some people take up adventurous activities?

Some people, by birth, are adventurous in nature. According to them, these activities
provide them a lot of confidence and self-reliance. Some males think it is the most
effective way to prove their masculinity. However, I do not believe in this doctrine of
putting oneself into danger to show off.

i) Do you think adventurous persons make any positive contribution to the society?
I do not believe so. The sole purposes of these activities, in my opinion, are to get
recognition in society and also to show ones bravery. They do not serve any useful purpose.

j) Were people interested in adventurous activities in the past?

In the past, people were interested in adventurous activities as they are now. In the
past too, adventurous activities were the ways to get recognition and appro val in society.

k) Is it advisable to encourage children to take up adventurous hobbies?

That does not seem a good idea. Adventurous activities involve a lot of risk which all
children may not be able to handle. So, adventurous activities should not be encouraged
in childhood.
2. Speak about an adventurous sport that you watch
To be true to the fact, I am not that adventurous in nature. I never enjoy taking risks. However,
I can speak about an adventurous sport that I often watch. It is nothing but wre stling. I watch
wrestling almost every day and my favorite wrestlers include Rock, Diesel and Undertaker. In
fact, this sport is highly dangerous as it can lead from serious injuries to death. I punched so
brutally. Sometimes, I feel that all those activities are some kind of gimmick. However, sometimes,
blood oozes from their body. That means the actions should be real. Anyway, when we see them
fight like our primordial ancestors might have done, our adrenaline soars high. These days,
this sport is highly popular among the youngsters throughout the world though the morality
of such fights is under scrutiny.
a) What is the importance of games in childhood?
Games have an essential role in the early years of one life. It is a well-known fact that
games are necessary for proper physical and mental growth of children. Also, by
participating in games, children learn how to interact with others in society. Games also
help develop virtues like confidence, patience and cooperation.
b) What difference do you notice between the games played by children of present and
past?
In the past, children had more free time and more free open spaces. So, they engaged in
outdoor games. However, in these days, children have very less time to spend on sports
and games. Also, the free open spaces have vanished. So these days, children spend their
time in indoor games.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 199

 c) What is the importance of sports?
They provide both entertainment and exercise. Also, sports grounds are a suitable place
for social interaction and communication.

d) What sports are popular in your country?

Undoubtedly, the most popular sport is cricket. Some other important sports are hockey,
football and volleyball.

e) What are the advantages in playing computer games?

Computer games are very entertaining. As the visuals very closely resemble real ones, they
provide more enjoyment. It is scientifically proved that computer games help improve
thinking and reasoning capacity and mental concentration.

f) Is there anything negative in playing computer games?

It is a painful fact that some children get addicted to computer games and spend hours on
it. They may lose interest in study and show less interest in social communication. Thus, it
can lead to both physical and mental imbalances. Also, some games glorify violence. Such
games lead to improper development of character in children.

3. Speak about a river/lake/water source you like

Water sources like river, lake and sea always attracted and fascinated people. They provide peace
to our mind because the water sources are always calm and cool. I too am fond of visiting
them whenever possible. Here I would like to speak about Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh I visited
this place last summer with my friends. The place enchanted me at the very first sight for its very
beauty and elegance. The lake is very big, full of water with swans swimming in it. The surrounding
is full of green trees which provide a serene atmosphere even in the freaky heat of summer. There is
a walking track surrounding the lake with benches where people can sit and enjoy their mornings
and evenings. One can enjoy boating in the lake. Though the area seems deserted in the
afternoons, it brims with activity in the morning and evening hours. Especially on weekends,
the area is crowded with people from different parts of the adjoining states of Punjab and
Haryana.
Sample Answer 2:
Place surrounded with water, near water or at least carrying the fragrance of the flowing water
always become places of attraction for everyone. I have visited many places with such beauties
but I would definitely announce that I love Golden Temple which is surrounded by water from all
sides. Not the whole temple but the heart of the Golden Temple is being preserved in water that
makes it more beautiful and attractive.

When we take a dip in holy water, we believe to be blessed. The bridge escorts us to the temple
situated above holy water. The temple is made up of Gold. Its lustrous & pure shine always
reminding you the purity of that place. The best part of that place is that we are always welcomed
there even if visit it at the odd hours of the day. The religious hymns being chanted always when
gets blended with the musical flow of water add the real beauty to the scene.
The water is considered to soothe our mind and soul and blesses us with peace and harmony. This
effect is clearly visible and experienced at that place.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 200

 a) Is it necessary for everybody to learn swimming?
In my opinion, it is good if everybody learns swimming. However, it is not possible for
handicapped people to learn swimming. It is considered one of the best exercises for your
body. But learning how to swim without proper supervision or guidance can be dangerous.

b) Do you think it is a good idea to have a swimming pool at everyone’s home?

Yes, that is a great idea. It will be fantastic to spend some time in the pool every day. But I
suppose it is a bit expensive to build a pool. So, one should dig if ones wallet allows.

c) What precautions should be taken while visiting a swimming pool?

Firstly, one should make sure that the water is not too deep for them. Also, one should have
a fitting swimming suit. Moreover, make sure that a supervisor or instructor is
available in case of emergencies.

d) Do you think one can learn swimming without the help of an instructor?
In my opinion, you cannot learn swimming without any help. To learn swimming, you need
someone to imitate and motivate you.

e) Why do some people prefer to live near water sources?

As everybody knows, water sources offer good environment. One can always enjoy fresh air
and calm atmosphere there. So, some people like to live near water sources.

f) What kinds of water sources are seen in you region?

The number of water sources is very limited in my region. The commonly seen water
sources are rivers, lakes, streams and artificial canals made for irrigation.

g) Why do you think water sources like rivers and lakes become popular tourist
attractions?
Water sources have always aroused human interest and curi osity with their calm
and serene atmosphere. They have proved the best destinations for people to unwind
themselves. So, there is nothing surprising if water sources attract people.

h) Do you think it is necessary to preserve water sources for future generations?

Water is a basic necessity to keep people alive. So, it is our responsibility to keep water
sources unpolluted for future generations.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 201

4. Speak about your favourite shop
Well, I am fond of shopping, especially window-shopping. My favourite shop is ‘Archie’s Gallery’
which deals in greeting cards and other gift items. This shop is located in Ludhiana city, around
two kilometers away from my home. I visit this place when I want to purchase some gifts. The
specialty of this shop is the variety they offer. You will be taken aback by the quality and beauty of
the items presented. The shop is tastefully decorated and it is in two floors. The ground floor is
solely for cards, books and periodicals and the next is for stationery and other gift items. As the
shop is air-conditioned and as the items are well-displayed, shopping there becomes a fabulous
experience. As every item got proper price tag, shopping becomes easy. Every item is reasonably
priced there. I can undoubtedly say this is one of the best shops in my town.

a) What facilities do you expect in a good shopping mall?

Firstly, it should be easily accessible with good parking facility. In my opinion, a good
shopping mall will bring everything for a household under one roof which makes sho pping
easy and comfortable. There should be variety in every item so that one can select items
according to ones own preference.
b) Who is a better shopper; male or female?
In my opinion, the answer depends on the items to be purchased. Certainly, female s are far
better in selecting kitchenware, jewellery, clothes and most other household items.
However, in the case of electronic equipments, vehicles and such other items, males will
be better than females.

c) What are the new trends seen in shopping in your country?

The biggest change you can notice is that the retail shops are being rapidly replaced by big
shopping complexes. Also, people are more interested in purchasing international brands
instead of domestic products.

d) What factors one should have in mind while purchasing a new product?
Firstly, you have to check if the product suits your purpose. Then you have to check if the
item comes within the range of money you are planning to spend. You should also
check the brand, details regarding guarantee or warrantee and also the expiry date of the
product.

e) Do you prefer international brands or domestic ones? Why?

Well, I prefer international brands. It is an accepted fact that international products are
better in quality than the domestic ones; be it clothes, electronic items or vehicles. Many
a times, domestic products are poorly processed or manufactured. However,
international products are more costly than the domestic ones.

f) What items are usually sold online?

The most sold items are software, books, and electronic items though you can buy
everything including vehicles and houses online.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 202

 g) What are the advantages and disadvantages of internet shopping?
The advantages of internet shopping are comfort and convenience. Most of the time, you
can see the picture of the items on net and order it from the comfort of your home. On
the downside, doing financial transactions online is not always safe. The details you
give can be misused, though not always. Also, there is a possibility of being cheated. The
information provided on the net may vary from the quality of the actual product.

5. Speak about Ecotourism

Tourism has diversified a lot in the recent years. Names like adventure tourism, space
tourism and ecotourism have become common in the tourism industry these days. Ecotourism is
the kind of tourism that does not cause any damage to the ecology. An ecotourist is one who does
not wish to contribute to the negative impact of large scale tourism. Ecotourists often travel in
small groups and mainly visit landscapes. They adopt recycling methods and energy-efficient
practices. Ecotourists’ holiday experience will include education about the local environment. Also,
they acknowledge and respect the host culture. Ecotourism equally attracts the governments,
environmentalists and the local people of a country. Environmentalists see ecotourism as an
effective alternative to mass tourism. Some people allege that unethical tour operators take
advantage of the trendy ecotourism by devising logos and brochures that attract tourists.
Ecotourism can bring wealth to areas where there is nothing else but natural attractions and thus it
provides reliable income for the governments and local people.

a) How popular is the concept of eco-tourism in your country?

Eco-tourism is a relatively modern concept and hence, only the educated class has
knowledge about it. I think, to popularize this idea, there is the need of more education and
public awareness from the part of government.

b) Do you think some new kinds of tourism will appear in the future?
Yes, it is highly possible that new forms of tourism will appear in future because no industry
is stable. People in the past never thought about spending holidays in a space-station which
is a reality now.

c) Do you personally think eco-tourism is effective in protecting environment?

Yes, I think eco-tourism is effective in protecting nature if done properly. However, many
a times, unethical tour operators give no attention towards nature which defea ts the
very purpose of this concept.

d) Do you think space tourism will be more popular than other forms of tourism in
future?
I can say that space tourism will increase in popularity in the future….but….there is no
possibility of space tourism outweighing other forms of tourism in the near future
because it is quite expensive and the facilities are very limited. It will take a long time to
become a full-fledged form of tourism.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 203

 e) What demerits do you find in space tourism?
The first and foremost demerit is its exorbitant expenditure. Spending too much in the
name of tourism raises a lot of ethical questions, yet another demerit is the risk and
tension involved in travelling on a spacecraft and also the limited facilities on offer once you
are on board.

6. Speak about a story from your childhood

Stories help develop the imagination and communication skill of children. In my childhood, I was
fed a large number of stories by my parents and grandparents. Most of them were about
animals, kings and queens. The characters of those stories coloured my dreams. Here I would like
to speak about one such story I still remember. The story was about two friends Mallan and
Madhan. They lived in a village. One day, they decided to go to the city in search of job . Their
journey was through a forest. It was night and pitch dark all around. Suddenly, a bear appeared on
the way. They both were frightened. There was a big tree nearby. Mallan knew how to climb a tree
and he climbed the tree to escape, leaving Madhan behind. Madhan had no way to escape. He had
heard from someone that bear would not attack dead animals. He held his breath and lay still on
the ground. The bear came nearer and sniffed. Thinking he was dead, the bear left the place.
Mallan climbed down the tree and enquired what the bear had told him. Madhan said the bear had
advised him not believe in selfish friends. Madhan felt ashamed. The story teaches a great lesson
that one should be careful in selecting friend and that ‘A friend in need is a friend in deed’.

a) Do you think these days’ children are not as interested in reading stories as they used
to be?
That statement seems right, because these days there are better ways of entertainment.
Television and computer provide video versions of these stori es. They are more
entertaining and easier to understand.
b) How can we preserve the folklores or folk stories for future?
Folklores have an important role in preserving the culture of a land. So, it is the duty of
everyone to protect folklores. We should compile them in the form of books. There
should be folklore competitions at local and national level. These steps would help preserve
folk stories.
c) What factors, do you think, we should take care of while writing stories for children?
Stories can have great impact on the behavior of children. So, stories for children should
contain some morals that they can adopt in their life. Also, such stories should be free
from violence and vulgarity.
d) How are stories helpful in the lives of children?
Stories are helpful in the lives of children in many ways. Firstly, they helps develop their
linguistic skills. Also, they develop the capacity to imagine and perceive things.
e) What is your opinion about making film versions of stories?
It is a great idea to make film versions of stories. Firstly, films are more entertaining and
easier to grasp. But, the downside is that children may give up their reading habit.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 204

7. Speak about a teacher you remember
Teachers have a pivotal role in the development of a natio n as they are solely responsible for
bringing up the new generation to hand over the world. Some teachers remain in the minds of
students throughout their life for the exceptional qualities they possess. Here I would like to speak
about one Mr. Sunny Gupta who taught me during my graduation. He taught me English literature
and to be true to the fact, those were the only days I found enjoyable in my student life. He was the
favourite of all students in my college because he was willing to lead in both curricular and extra-
curricular activities. He was compassionate, caring and willing to listen to each student without
any discrimination. His way of teaching never bored me. He always wore neat and clean dress and
always kept a smiling countenance. In total, he epitomizes the concept of an ideal teacher.
OR
There is one teacher that I remember very well. I went to school at age five, and she was my first
teacher. She taught us English and other subjects too. In fact, she was our only teacher so
she taught us everything. She was a very kind person, so patient and respectful. She cared about
all of us. I think that I remember her so well because she was my first teacher. She taught me how
to tie my shoes and helped me when I couldn’t find my mother.

a) What kind of person makes a good teacher?

A person who is smart and caring makes a good teacher. Also, the person should like taking
to other people and presenting information.

b) Why do people choose to become teachers?

There are many reasons, but I think that most teachers want to make a positive difference
in others’ lives. Many teachers have family members who were teachers.
c) Do you think education will change in the future? How?
Yes, I think it will change. Technology is a big influence. Now we can take classes online or
even have teachers who are online. Instead of only reading about places, we can see them.
There are video from art museums in other countries, for example, so students can
immediately see what is really happening.
d) How does technology affect education?
Technology affects education by offering more opportunities. For example, if you can’t
travel to a class because of your work schedule, you can take the class online. It’s exciting to
see how technology changes education, and everything else.

e) What is the importance of a teacher in our life?

Teacher is one of the most important persons of our life. The role of teacher is not limited
to teaching academic subjects only. Consciously or subconsciously, we learn many things
from our teacher.

Teacher teaches us practical skills of life that are essential in our development. I can say that
teacher is a foundation of our life that supports many traits and skills of our life.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 205

 f) Why is it important for a teacher to update himself form time to time?
It is vital for the teachers to update themselves for new developments in their subjects
as well as teaching techniques. It is observed that student’s learning abilities change
with time Thus, if a teacher stops at a particular stage and doesn’t update himself, he
might not be able to teach effectively to his students.

g) Should we remain in touch with our teachers even after completion of our studies?
It is indeed a good idea to be in touch with our teachers after finishing our study. I t is
beneficial to both. We get support, blessings and guidance from our teachers when we
meet them. On the other hand, teachers get more inspired to do better by receiving love,
respect and recognition from us.

h) Why do youngsters hesitate in taking teaching as a profession?

Teaching requires a lot of efforts and commitment to get the best out from others.
It is also considered to be a slow growing job where chances of handsome earnings are little
less. On the other hand, nowadays there are innovative, challenging and fast growing job
options available in various fields like IT, Banking, Engineering, Accountancy, Science and
Technology. As a result, youngsters often pursue such fields for their career.

i) Should teachers specialize in one subject only or should they be versatile?

It depends upon the teacher. He can study and teach more than one subject to students
if he has genuine interest and have relevant qualifications for the same. However, I
think at higher levels, teachers should excel in one subject only so that they can give the
best and the latest knowledge to their students.

8. Speak about a law in your country that you like

Laws are the bedrock of all societies. Laws, rules and regulations are very important for
maintaining law and order in the society. In order to decelerate heinous crimes, laws must be
strictly implemented. Law is a system which consists of legislation, judiciary and executives.
Indian judiciary system is one of the oldest in the world. The supreme court of India made a strict
law against smoking in public places. I think it is one of the well-awaited judgments produced by
the Supreme Court. Smoking in public places causes several serious health risks. Passive smoking is
the second largest cause of cancer. Not only that, it affects children and the old people greatly. A
recent study by American Medical Association shows that old and ill people are much vulnerable
to the effects of environmental smoke. Moreover it raises the question whether anyone should
inhale the smoke exhaled by others. In the order, Supreme Court ruled to impose a fine of five
hundred rupees or two to six months imprisonments on the offenders. In my view, this law will
reduce smoking to a larger extend. Moreover, the new generation will not be easily influenced by
the smokers. And it also conveys a great message that smoking is injurious to health. At last, I
personally feel that swift implementation of this law will help fulfill the dream of smoke -free public
places.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 206

 a) Can you say some limitations of that (the law you like) law?
I think this law is highly effective. However, it lacks a provision to prevent smoking at
home. That means women and children are still under threat. This is a shortcoming of
this law.
b) Do you think the judiciary in your country is effective?
To some extent, however the increasing number of corruption, terrorism and other cases
make us rethink. If the judiciary of a country is effective, no such crimes will be reported.

c) What changes do you like to see in the judicial system of your country?
The judiciary in my country is notorious for the ‘snail pace’ policy it adopts in handling
emergency cases. The normal lifespan of a person does not seem a sufficient waiting period
to get justice from the judiciary. As a result, people are losing faith in this system. If I get a
chance, I will start fast-track courts for early disposal of cases and at any cost, there will be a
time period set for the final disposal of every case.

d) Is there a need for more stringent laws to control terrorism?

Yes, to my mind, the anti-terrorist laws in my country are not stringent enough to curb that
problem. Loop holes in the laws along with the lethargic attitude of government and
judiciary make it easy for terrorists.

e) Do you think that people are losing their faith in judiciary?

Yes, at least in my country, that statement seems correct. The reasons for this lack of faith are
corrupt practices and slow speed in disposal of cases.

f) Why do some people break laws?

Some people break laws due to ignorance. Many uneducated people, especially the
delinquents on streets commit crime due to their lack of knowledge. Also, there is another
category of people who break laws due to negligence. They are well aware of the
implications but they manage to escape the clutches of law through unlawful means like
bribery.
9. Speak about a world leader
Some people are termed world leaders because of the impact they make in the world. Here I would
like to speak about Kofi Atta Annan, who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United
Nations form 1 January 1997 to 1 January 2007. Annan and the United Nations were the co -
recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. Kofi Annan was born in Ghana which was a British
colony at that time. Annan belongs to an elite family; both of his grandfathers and his uncle were
tribal chiefs. In 1962, Annan started his career as a Budget Officer for the World Health
Organization, an agency of the United Nations. Annan served as Under-Secretary-General until
October 1995, when he was made a Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the
former Yugoslavia, serving for five months in that capacity before returning to his duties as Under-
Secretary-General in April 1996. During his regime, he worked a lot for international peace and
harmony. He strived towards eradicating racial discrimination faced by black people and thus
became a much respected figure in the world.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 207

 a) What kinds of people become famous these days?
There are a large number of professions that can make you famous. Film stars and models
always enjoy fame. Sportspersons, especially cricket stars live in limelight. Politicians also
get publicity but people look at them with some suspicion these days.
b) Do you think hard work is necessary to become successful in life?
It is rightly said that ‘diligence is the better part of valour’. To become successful, one
should be hardworking though other factors like luck and environment also play a role in
deciding success.
c) Is it necessary to have a role model?
Having a role model has many benefits. Firstly, by learning about their life, you get a lot of
virtues that you can adopt in your own life. Also, it will teach you how to tackle difficult
situations in life.

d) Why do people show interest to know about famous people?

Famous people always become the centre of attraction. People always have the tendency
to know more about their celebrities because they want to imitate them as much as
possible. That is the reason why film stars and sports stars advertise new products.
e) Does fame cause to lose privacy of famous people?
Privacy is a distant dream for famous people. Famous people are always chased and their
private life is exposed by paparazzi media.

f) Media treat famous people unfairly. Do you agree?

I do not think so. It is the media that makes someone famous and media can pull him down
from the throne. The only thing media should avoid is the chase behind famous people to
dig out a scandalous story.

10. Speak about a painting you have seen

Paintings are marvelous presentation of expressions made by artists. Sometimes they may copy
other peoples’ emotions and situations; sometimes they imagine something and create wonderful
pictures on the canvass. During their life, some artists create masterpieces which attract
people for centuries. Wonderful paintings always excite us, and may even make us stunned. I got
a chance to see a copy of the masterpiece of Leonardo da Vinci in an art museum in Delhi. At first, I
was astonished, it looked alive. I could not believe it. I called my friends and family members to
see that. All were surprised. There was a note just below the portrait, Mona Lisa by Italian painter
Leonardo da Vinci. In this painting, the virtuoso painted a female figure with a landscape in the
background. We can see a secret smile on the face of Mona Lisa. This figure of a woman, dressed in
the Florentine fashion and seated in a mountainous landscape, is remarkable. The Mona Lisa’s
enigmatic expression, which seems both alluring and aloof, has given the portrait universal fame.
This painting has been creating a lot of disputes and arguments about the gender of Mona Lisa even
in these days. Some claim that the countenance looks like a lady’s; others say that it is a man. Most
people believe it is a woman. One of the first biographies of Leonardo states that it was painted for
Francesco del Giocondo and is the portrait of his wife, Mona Lisa. Even now the whole world
is amazed at the perfect beauty of that woman.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 208

 a) Why are some painters more popular than others?
Like any other art, in painting also, some artists become more popular than others. I think
it reflects their ability to select themes that attract the public and also their ability to
portray it.
b) What kinds of paintings do the people of your country like?
The common people of my country may enjoy paintings of landscapes, famous people and
events and pictures of different art forms. They may also enjoy paintings of animals and
flowers.
c) How do you think painters contribute to the promotion of cultures?
Paintings are immortal. They are seen by many generations and people from many
nations and geographical areas. Thus, painting of a particular culture is spread to
different generations and different places.
d) Do you think the art of painting will continue in future?
Painting as an art and a hobby will continue in future. However, there will be a fall in its
professional use as there are better sources like photography.
e) Do you think arts like statuary are disappearing these days?
Yes, our young generation is not much interested in such arts. The main reason I think is
lack of time and facilities. The modern generation is not patient enough to spend long hours
carving stones. Lack of social recognition can be another reason for this lack of interest.
f) What can be done to attract young people to these kinds of arts?
Government can do a lot to attract young people to these arts. Firstly, these arts can be made
a part of curriculum and the students who select these courses can be given grants. Also,
government can conduct local and national level competitions to promote such arts.

11. Speak about an antique thing you have at home

I would like to speak about a wooden almirah in my house. I do not know exactly how old it is.
However, my mother says we have been in possession of this since long, around three
generations. The wood, I suppose, is teak. The almirah is really very big and heavy. So, we never
move it. It is kept in my grand parents’ room and they keep their personal belongings there,
which too are really old. There is a feeling of reverence and eeriness surrounding this almirah. In
fact, I never had a chance to open this almirah and check its drawers and contents fully. I guess this
almirah has many hidden drawers which are not easy to open. There is a lot of carvings on the
almirah. Though it is centuries old, it still seems new and it does not require any restoration. I think,
it will remain intact for other three or four generations.

a) How do you think sculptures can reflect the culture and history of a land?
Sculptures are immortal. They are seen by many generations and people from many
nations and geographical areas. Thus, sculpture of a particular culture will depict the
incidents, persons and believes of that culture and thus, sculptures can provide a lot of
information about a culture.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 209

 b) Do you think some people are establishing statues to get unwarranted publicity?
It is a very rare phenomenon. Usually, statues are erected to commemorate important
events and persons. Usually, people do not make their own sculptures.

c) Is it right to erect statues for living personalities?

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong if the person did something worth remembering. It is
a wrong idea that sculptures can be made only for deceased personalities.

12. Museum
A museum is a treasure chest of antiquities. In it are kept all such articles and diggings which
reflect a country’s culture and civilization. Its historical panorama, its modes and manners, its
religious beliefs and relics, its art and architecture. A museum is the miniature reflection of a
country’s ancient period and gives a vivid picture of the customs, conventions and traditions of
the nation.

In New Delhi I had golden opportunity to visit the historic and famous National Museum. The
building of the museum is majestic and has many apartments concerning various subjects. As I
entered the ground floor I saw a number of articles and images, sculptures and rock -engraved
scriptures and many other things of great interest and value. The entire museum is divided into
many compartments.

On the first floor were charts, paintings and manuscripts of various languages. There were
ancient dresses, robes, weapons, coins, etc. In other halls, one finds historic Ajanta and Ellora
paintings with the lovers in mood of dalliance. Also are vivid descriptions on lives of Rama,
Krishna and Buddha through charts, scriptures and sculptures.

The second floor is occupied with remains of Indus Valley Civilization, diggings from Harappa,
broken pitchers, toys, stones, skull etc. through a flood of light on civilization of those times.
The third floor houses military equipments, sword, sheath, spears, hooks, shields and helmets, etc.
Broadly speaking, the entire museum was a treasure house of India’s great men and morals
which are connected with the whole range of India’s life and literature. For me, visiting the
museum was a thrilling and richest experience of my life which has left an indelible experience on
my mind.
a) What is a museum?
Museum is a place where historical and antique articles are preserved for the people to
see. The collection can be as old as a few hundred years to a few thousand years.
b) What is the importance of museum?
Museums are a symbol and showcase of our rich history. They reflect the past glory of a
country and its riches. A historical museum is very educational. It showcases the antiques
and prized possessions of an era gone by. It narrates the story of victory and pride of the
kings and queens of India. Museum preserves our history. Every single object has a story of
its own to tell.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 210

 c) Do you think people should pay to visit a museum?
I think that people should definitely pay if they want to visit a museum or a histo rical
place. These places are symbol of our history and it is the responsibility of the state and
central government to preserve them. But as individuals, it is also our duty to contribute
whatever we can so that such structures continue to fascinate and entertain the new
generations. The authorities should charge some nominal entry fee for the maintenance
of the place and it riches.
d) Do you think the museums should offer more variety?
Yes, I think that museums in India only emphasize on the historical aspect of country.
There is no specific museum showing other areas like the animal kingdom, geographical
terrain and fossils. A museum should depict the whole country in one building and India
has many treasures to boast about. They just need to be emphasized properly.

e) Should historical buildings be replaced by modern buildings?

I don’t think that historical buildings should be demolished because they have been left
behind by our ancestors and have many historical stories to tell. These buildings an d
structures are a very essential part of our country’s heritage. They showcase our
inheritance and our culture. These buildings should be preserved in their original
state. Some state governments convert these buildings into hotels and other
commercial centres. I think it is a lucrative proposition because as preserved structures,
these buildings may not be able to generate any income but if converted into modern
trade centres, they will help in contributing to the economy. But they should not be
destroyed; only modernized.

f) What is the future of museums?

I believe that museums will be given even higher importance in the future. The reason for
this is the current trend of global culture. Because of globalization, the whole world is
moving towards an identical culture. This may lead to the loss of many vernacular cultures
and languages. Hence, people in future will intrigue in such things, and at that time the
evidences and artifacts of extinct cultures will be found in museums only. Thus, in future,
we may require more museums to preserve rare articles.

g) What is the difference between an art gallery and a museum?

An art gallery is an exhibition of the work of an artist. It can include painting, sculpture,
carvings and so on. Art galleries belong to those artists who are alive and who want to show
or sell their artwork to people, whereas in museums we can find only historical or antique
items.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 211

13. Talk about a holiday you enjoyed

I recently celebrated New Year’s Day. The purpose of this day is to welcome the New Year. I think
people celebrate it just about everywhere in the world. I celebrated with my cousins. We try to get
together every year to celebrate this holiday, even though some of us live far away now. They’re
like my brothers and sisters; we grew up together. And that’s the reason why this holiday is
important to me, because I know I will see my cousins then. We also met up with some old school
friends, so it was like a reunion. We stayed out really late, until about 5:00 in the mo rning. The
next day we went to my aunt’s house and had a big family dinner with all the aunts and uncles and
cousins, everyone in the family of all ages. We ate/ had my country’s traditional food and food and
told stories and played games. It was a traditional family party. We do it every year.

Sample Answer 2:
India is hot country. It is terribly hot during the months of May and June. The northern plains of
India are so hot that in these months they make the life terrible. The hills not only give relief from
heat but is also health giving.

In northern India there are many hill stations. I had a great desire to visit Shimla. Luckily some
students made a programme to spend summer at Shimla. I also joined them. We reached Shimla in
the morning. We went there in the month of June by bus.

We did arrangements for our stay in a private house. It was on the top of the hill. We could see the
beauty of Nature and hills and also the lower portion of Shimla from there. We arranged a servant
there. We had everything for kitchen with us.

a) What are some important holidays in your country?

Some important holidays in my country are New Year’s Day, National Day, and
Children’s Day.

b) What type of activities do people enjoy on holidays?

It depends a lot on the type of destination they visit. If they go to a seashore, they
like sunbathing, swimming, boating, beach volleyball and so on. If they visit a hill station,
they go to various peaks and sunset points, skiing, paragliding etc. In short, people
like to do something different and exciting when they are out on holidays.

c) Should we plan our holidays in advance?

It is advisable that we plan holidays in advance so that we may not face hardships of
booking, searching for accommodation and food. Usually, we go on holidays to relax and to
experience something new. But if we waste our time at such places searching for lodging
and boarding facilities, we cannot get relaxation. Rather, it becomes a mechanical
experience for us. I have realized that planned holidays are enjoyed better if we go to
distant places because our advance planning of the holidays makes us stress free and
relaxed.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 212

 d) Do you think the importance of holiday celebrations has changed over the years? Why
or why not?
No, I don’t think that he importance of holiday celebrations has changed. These days are
still special for everyone. But sometimes it’s difficult for people to have time to really enjoy
the holiday.

e) How will holidays be different in the future?

In the future, we may have some new holidays. Also, with so many busy families, some of
the holiday traditions may change. Instead of eating home-cooked food on holidays, I think
that more and more families will go to restaurants. Then they can do less work and still
enjoy the holiday together.

14. Describe a gift you have received that was important for you
I received a gift that was important to me. It is a set of cuff links and a key chain. My sister gave the
gift to me for her wedding. I helped with the wedding, and she wanted to thank me. They are made
of silver, and the key chain has my initials on it. I use them for special occasions. I wore the cuff
links to an important meeting at work. It is an important gift to me because it is personal. Also, I
remember my sister and her wedding when I use the gift.

Sample Answer 2:
Gifts are the best way to reveal our care and concern to a person. People select different gifts for
different occasions. Gifts make us feel that we are loved by everyone. Here I would like to mention
about a gift given by my elder brother on my nineteenth birthday. It was nothing but a laptop. It
was a ‘Lenovo’ with Pentium IV processor. It was black in colour with slim and sleek design. As I
was a student of Information Technology that time, I found it enormously useful in my studies. I
also use it for sending emails, storing my personal data and also for playing games. I think, a
computer is the most important weapon for an IT professional. So, the selection of my brother was
very accurate.
a) Do you enjoy giving and receiving gift? Why or why not?
No, I don’t enjoy gifts. It’s always difficult for me to choose what to give someone. When I
receive a gift, I feel bad because the person may have spent a lot of money, but sometimes I
don’t like it.

b) Why do people give gifts?

People give gifts as a memento to others to enhance the enjoyment and remembrance of
the occasion. People also give gifts to express their feelings towards each other.

c) What are the best gifts for children? Why?

The best gifts for children are toys, games, comic books, educational and religious
books, musical instruments, garments, chocolates etc because children like gifts that they
can use or play in their everyday life.
d) In your country when do people usually give gifts?
There are many times when people in my country give gifts. We give gifts to a person on his
birthday, or to people when they marry, or to a baby when she’s born. We also give gifts
for special occasions.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 213

 e) What kind of gifts do they give?
There are so many gifts. For someone’s birthday, they might give some clothes or a book
or music CDs.

f) Do you think gift-giving customs are different now than they were in the past? How?
No, I think that the customs are the same now as they were in the past. We give gifts for
the same reasons that people in the past did. We also give gifts in the same way,
usually at a family party if possible.

g) What are the best gifts for men / women? Why?

Better gifts for men are accessories like wallet, wristwatch, cufflinks, pen, diary, leather belt
etc. Moreover, they also like music CDs, photo frames or garments to receive as a gift. On
the other hand, better gifts for women are jewellery, make up box and kit, cosmetics,
showpieces, cards, flowers and garments
h) Do you think they will change in the future? How?
Yes, I think that some customs will change in the future. It seems like new days for gift-
giving are added to the calendar. But because of our busy lives, I think that we might give
fewer gifts instead of more gifts. Life is too busy.

15. Describe your visit to a garden/park

A place where a person goes to relax where one feels himself. It is garden which is surrounded
with trees and plants having lot of vegetation too. A person feels himself in the lap of nature.

The whole area is covered with greenery. Such kind of ideal garden is situated in the capital of my
state, city beautiful Chandigarh.
It is just adjacent to Sukhna Lake. This place is called as Rock garden. This garden is the
brainchild of Mr. Nek Chand. He has beautified this by using rubbish. The most fascinating factor
of this garden is waterfall situated in it that attracts more tourists. Entry fees is of quite nominal
and economical to all.

Sample Answer 2:
There is a beautiful garden at some distance from my house. I like this garden very much and
visit it frequently. It is spread over a vast stretch of land and has several sections. The sweet
fragrance coming out of the flowers in the garden can be smelt from a long distance . It is
surrounded by a thick hedge of green plants which are pruned by the gardener regularly.

As one walks on the graveled path starting from the main gate, one finds grassy plots on
either side of the path. The grass there is lush green, soft and smo oth. On the margins there
are plants of colourful, sweet-smelling flowers. There are, however, also separate beds of
flowers there. Flower plants of many kinds are there such as roses, daffodils, lilies etc.

In the middle of the garden, there is a beautiful, tall fountain which keeps playing day and night.
On the one side of the garden, there is a pond. In this pond we can see fishes of different verities. All
of them are very charming. In another corner of the garden, there are fruit trees. The grove of
mango trees is particularly very charming. There one can see nightingales and cuckoos singing
on the branches of the trees. If one goes there early in the morning. Once can see peacocks dancing
there.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 214

 I always feel greatly refreshed whenever I go to the garden. I went there today morning and
had a refreshing experience, as usual. Then shining dewdrops on blades of grass greatly
impressed me. I exercise in a corner of the garden. I felt quite refreshed as I returned home.
Follow up Questions:
a) Why parks and gardens are an unavoidable necessity in a big and congested city?
Air is generally polluted in a big, congested city. The residents have the sensation of
stuffiness. It is only in the parks and gardens that they get relief from such things.

b) How should gardens be managed?

They should be managed by the local municipal authorities. There should be appointed
regular gardeners and supervisors to look after the plants and other things in gardens.

c) What care about location should be taken while laying out gardens?
A garden should be located at a suitable place where it is not spoiled by dust arising from a
high traffic highway or by smoke emanating from chimneys of industrial plants.

d) Do you think there are certain musts for a garden?

A garden must have a good, regular fence to keep itself insulated from stray animals.
There should be gardeners or supervisors to take care of plants and flowers so that they
are not damaged by children or other visitors. There should be separate secti ons for
children, women and youngsters in parks. It will be better if the garden has jogging track,
green grassy plots, flowers beds, benches, a water pool, a central fountain, play
equipment for children and other such facilities.

16. Talk about your personal contribution in saving the environment

Pollution is one of the most serious problems of today. It is our most important duty to do
something to save the environment otherwise it will be too late. We should not expect what the
government is doing in this field rather we should ask this question “What am I doing to save the
environment?”
I am a member of the Save the Environment Club of my city. We are more than 100
members of this club. I am the secretary of this club. I organise cam ps in the villages and in the
slum areas and make the people aware of the menace of pollution. I request the farmers not to set
on fire paddy husk and the stubs of crops in the fields.

I have a car and a scooter. I get them regularly serviced and get the Pollution free certificate from
the authorities. I never use polythene bags, rather I use jute bags whenever I go to the market. I
don’t use pressure horn in any of my vehicles. I persuade my class fellows also to desist from
this habit of using pressure horns. I have kept a dust-bin in which I put the garbage. It is my
habit that I plant at least 100 plants in any locality where plants are not there. This is my
humble contribution in saving the environment.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 215

 a) Is it the sole responsibility of the government to save the environment?
It is not the sole responsibility of the government. Each and every individual must
consider this duty as a sacred one. If we save the environment, we can save the humanity
otherwise we will have to play through our nose.
b) Are the people in your state aware of the environment problems?
These days the governments and other organizations, especially the NGOs are very active.
They are making the people aware of the environment problems through the electronic
media and also through the print media.

c) How can pollution be effectively checked?

The governments should be very strict in passing and implementing the laws. Polluting
the environment should be treated as a crime. All the nations, especially the developed
nations should be sincere in this regard.

17. Describe a letter which is important to you.

Letter is one of the oldest ways of communication. Though it is slower and hence less effective
as compared to the modern electronic communication devices, sometimes we dep end on
letters too. Here I would like to speak about one such letter I received two months ago. One
day, when I came back from my college, there was a letter for me in my hostel room. It was
airmail. As I got letters once in a while, I was curious to know the content of it. I tore it open
and read it. The letter was sent by one of my close friends who had gone to Australia a few
weeks ago. In the letter, it was written that his class had started and that he had got some new
friends there. He also narrated a lot about the food and accommodation there. He also invited
me to join him in Australia. I felt very happy reading the letter and I sent him a reply
immediately.
Sample Answer 2:
I would like to talk about the first appointment letter which is important for me in my life. It was
given to me by the Director of an educational institute. It was really important for me. It was 2010
when I completed my M.B.A and wanted to take up a job in education field where I could interact
with different types of students and have an opportunity to sharp my communication
skills. I had applied to an educational institution for the post of a Senior Lecturer. Fortunately,
I was called for an interview and luckily. I was selected. Along with that letter, they offered me so
many opportunities to raise my skills. After getting it I called up my friends and my parents. They
blessed and congratulate me.
Follow up Questions:
a) According to you which is a better source-to communicate by letters or e-mails?
According to me the better source is through e-mails. Electronic mail (e-mail) is the
fastest and cheapest mode of sending any message. We can also send cards according to the
occasion in no time.
b) What difficulties do you face when you write a letter?
When I write a letter I don’t face any difficulty. I write the letter when I am clear with my
thinking, and I know what to write. I am also good with my communication skills. So I
don’t face any problem.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 216

18. Describe a shopping centre/Mall you often go to
The shop I would like to describe is a gift shop named ‘Hallmark’. It is a gift shop located on the
ground floor of a high-rise shopping complex near my house. This is not a big shop, yet the way
they have arranged the display of all articles is appreciable. They sell all types of greeting cards,
artificial flowers, chocolates and all types of gift articles like showpieces, perfumes, imitation
jewellery, photo frames, wrist watches, toys and so on. One thing I like about the shop is that all
new items come first to this shop and then we see them at other outlets. It is an old shop. I have
bought many things from this shop to gift to my friends and relatives. This shop is air -conditioned.
The staff of the shop is cooperative, friendly and well informed about the selection patterns of the
people of different age group. What is more, they also offer free gift packing service and free home
delivery service. They also accept credit cards. The owner of the shop is also a friendly person
who maintains good relations with all regular customers. He also accepts suggestions from
customers with a smiling face and tries to implement them whenever possible. I have seen many
gift shops being opened and getting closed in my area but this shop is able to do better busin ess
with time. I think the credit goes to the owner who is constantly engaged in giving better product
mix to his customers.

Sample Answer 2:
A number of shopping centre are there in my city but I gave my first preference to Shipa Mall
which is situated in Indirapuram. It is the biggest shopping Mall of Indirapuram. At every
weekend I go there. Sometimes I go there for window shopping and sometimes for taking
refreshment. So many shops are there in Mall like cosmetics, suits, sarees, bags, hotels, ca fé
coffee and jewellery. There is no need to visit anywhere else for buying anything. Everything is
easily available in Mall. I often visit there with my friends. It is my favourite Mall of the city. Mall is
fully air-conditioned and have a big space for parking.
There is a games section also in the Mall which is specially designed for children to play. Mall is
fully marble furnished and security is very tight.
Follow up Questions:
a) What will be the trend of future shopping centres?
The trend of shopping centres will grow in future. Then we would get everything under one
roof. We can see a movie, eat, shop etc. Now-a-days this trend is increasing. This will keep
on increasing.

b) Will similar Malls survive in the current business system?

Yes. They will survive. I believe Malls are the centre of attraction for people in small cities
and are giving competition to small shops.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 217

19. Talk about what you plan to learn in future
I plan to learn computer technology in the future. I am very interested in it. There are too many
things that I don’t know about computers. Also, computers play an important role in our life and are
of great use in every field. I think the whole society will be computerized soon. I need more
knowledge in this field to meet the great demands in the applications of computers. If
things go well, I’d like to further my study in computer science and I want to work on my
Master’s degree in New Zealand.
Follow up Questions:
a) What’s the most important skill now-a-days?
I think it is computer. Because computers play an important role in our life and are of
great use in every field.
b) Is there any differences between your parents’ study and now-a-days with that of
children’s?
In the past, when our parents studied in school, educational conditions were very poor.
But now, children are lucky enough because government provides much better facilities
and staff.
c) Do schools teach non-academic courses?
Yes, of course, such as music, physical education, and painting etc.

20. Describe an advertisement you dislike the most

Every advertisement is designed to impress the viewers. But there are some advertisements
which are ill-conceived and ill-presented. I dislike the most an advertisement of Fair and
Lovely Complexion Cream.
This advertisement tries to distort the facts and emotionally blackmail the innocent and
ignorant people. In this advertisement we see a small family which is not financially well off.
Father is shown to be off his job. He enjoys one cup of coffee and demands the second cup of
coffee. But his wife bitterly snubs him with these words “How long can you live on your
daughter’s income?” The daughter who is wheatish is complexion is not so attractive.
The daughter, to improve the financial condition of her family, starts using Fair and Lovely
cream. Just see! She becomes very fair and attractive in just 14 days and gets a lucrative job of an
Air Hostess. Now the father is happy that he can take as many cups of coffee as he lik es. This
advertisement is really befooling the innocent people.
a) Do you think advertisements are useful in life?
Yes, of course. These days adverts are quite necessary for the sales promotion of a
product. Almost all companies spend a lot on advertisement.

b) Which are the popular means of advertisement?

T.V. is at the top. Secondly, the newspapers and banners are the popular means of
advertisements.
c) Do you think that there should be some regulatory body to control advertisements?
Yes. I agree that there should be some regulatory body. This body can check the interests of
the consumers and penalize the defaulters.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 218

21. Talk about your favourite vehicle
Gone are the days when only a few vehicles were available in India. Now India has emerged as a
global market for all the things including automobiles. My favourite vehicle is my scooter
Aviator. It is produced by Honda Company of Japan. This scooter was introduced in India in
2007 but it has won the hearts of the people.

Aviator has a sleek body. Its head and rear lights are beautifully designed to meet the road
conditions of India. It is an improved version of Honda Activa. Its fuel efficiency is the best
among all the vehicles of this segment. It has a very quick pick up though its b ody is sturdy and
heavy. It is preferred both by the boys and girls. An office-going woman as well as
business man finds it useful and comfortable. I bought it because my friend was deeply
impressed by it. I am proud of my scooter.

Sample Answer 2:

Travel and transport have become much faster and easier than ever before. Some commonly seen
modes are buses, cars, scooters and cycles for short distances and train and aeroplane
for long distances. Out of these, my favourite is car. Car easily surpasses other modes because
of the convenience and privacy it offers. While buses and trains run on preplanned routes and
at preplanned times, you can drive your private car anywhere and at any time. Yet another
advantage is the privacy it offers while on a publi c transport vehicle, you will have to travel
along with strangers. However, car travel is more expensive than other modes of travel.
Travelling on public transport can help reduce expenditure and most importantly it helps
reduce congestion and pollution. Still, for me, safety is more important than money. So, I
prefer car transport. I think most people in my locality share the same view.

a) Which is the preferred means of transportation in your city/state?

In the cities the people prefer scooters and motorbikes. For short distances people go by
their personal cars. For long distances people go by trains and buses.

b) What are the driving habits of the people of your city?

The driving habits of most of the people of my city are not good. Youngsters usually drive
rash and use pressure horns. Auto-rickshaw drivers never bother for the traffic rules.
Traffic police is not serious about the law-breakers. Driving is no longer safe in my city.

c) Do you think roads in your city are good?

The condition of the roads in my city is pitiable. There are potholes in the roads. The civic
authorities hardly have any interest in getting the roads repaired. At night it is all the more
risky to drive vehicles on these roads.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 219

22. Talk about an old person you know
Hints:

You can speak about any old person. You should speak about his appearance / physical
features, how he looks and the health problems he has to face and how he copes with them. You
can also tell how the members of his family support him and what facilities, if any, the
government has provided to him.
Sample Answer:

Old people are storehouses of knowledge. The time you spend with them is the most precious
period of your life. I am lucky in that sense because I have enough time to spend with my
grandparents. Here I would like to speak about my grandfather. He is ninety plus now and he is a
veteran soldier of Second World War. These days, age has taken away much of his agility. He
stoops a little while walking and needs the help of a walking stick. His hair is pure white and age
has created wrinkles on his skin. Even these days, he keeps strict discipline in his life. He gets up
at five in the morning and takes bath. He reads newspaper daily and he is well aware about the
current issues. He always takes light food. Even these days, he has the final say in all our family
affairs. I can undoubtedly say even at this late age, he is leading a productive and purposeful
life.

Follow up Questions:

a) What problems have the old people to face?

The greatest problem they have to face is the health problem. They have to be very
careful about the lifestyle they lead, in general, and food intake, in particular. They should
avoid overeating and excessive intake of fat and salt. They should take regular, light
exercise such as walking and keep themselves busy in some non strenuous physical
activity. Some old people may have to face some financial problems also. They must have a
fair amount or some support system for medicines and treatment.

b) How should the members of the family treat old people?

I think, it is the duty of each family to support their old members. If the family is not
financially quite sound, the government should help them.

c) To what extent should the government help the old people?

The government should give a reasonable amount of pension to very old person above a
specified age. Secondly, the government should provide free medical aid to these people,
and set up age homes for the extremely poor old people.
d) Should the non government organizations (NGOs) also help the old people?
The NGOs should open old age homes for the old people who have nowhere to go, food
and medical aid in these homes should be provided to aid people free or at a nominal cost.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 220

23. Talk about the dress you generally like to wear
There are many events in our life where we have to wear different clothes that suit the
occasion and to our personality. I also have to remain present at a variety of occasions like
party, marriage ceremony, festivals, religious celebrations, inaugurations and so on. I wear
different dresses like formal, casual and traditional on different occasions. However, I like my
traditional dress more. This dress is actually a fusion of tradition and style. It is a long ku rta
with one pajama and one traditional decorative cloth that could be kept on shoulders or neck.
The fabric used is silk in the whole dress that gives very rich look to it and to the person who
wears it. The kurta is of cream colour and it has attractive traditional embroidery with some
stones embedded in it. The dupatta also has beautiful traditional print on it. It is of dark
colour that gives a perfect contrast matching with the colour and the work of kurta. It also has
a beautiful turban that I wore in the marriage ceremony of my brother in law. I like this dress
because of many reasons. First, I selected this dress after screening a lot of different varieties
at various garment outlets of my city. Second, I like the colour combination and mater ial of the
dress. And last, this dress suits to my personality. I have received numerous complements
about this traditional outfit. It gives an entirely different impression on people who see me in
this dress. I wear this dress on different but important occasions like marriage ceremony,
religious event or cultural event at my home.

Sample Answer 2:
My favourite outfit is the sari which is worn by most Indian women. It is an elegant dress. It
suits me better than the Salwar Kameez, which is my daily wear. Salwar Kameez might be
more convenient or comfortable. But when a woman wears a sari, her beauty is enhanced.
Sari is worn in different ways in different parts of the country. While a Gujarati wears a sari to
the right hand side, the rest of the Indians wear it to the left. A standard sari is a long single
piece of cloth of 51/2 to 6 metres. Sari brings out the personality of the individual and makes
her look more mature and elegant. There is a wide variety of saris and it is really hard to make
a choice.
There are sarees made of Banaras silk, Kanchipuram silk, Synthetic silk etc. they are used as
party wear or bridal wear. There is a wide range of cotton saris like Bengal cotton, poly cotton
etc. Cotton sarees are generally worn by employed women at work. Nowadays, Chiffon sari is
much in vogue. Embroidered chiffon saris are much in demand now. I prefer Kanchipuram silk
saris with wide borders. To my mind, sari stands out in splendid isolation in the midst of many
a fashion.

Hints:

You can say that now it is the trend towards simple dressing. If you are a man, you can
mention shirts with classic cuts. In cotton and linen, shirts conform to a silhouette that
typically sticks close, but easily to the body. If you are a woman, you can mention the white
shirt blue jeans combo or monochrome salwar-kameez, or some other combination.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 221

Follow up questions:

a) What it the latest trend in fashion in your country?

Many people like to wear trendy clothes, but simple and minimalistic styles are catching
now - a - days. Refined simplicity is the order of the day.

b) What is the difference between the garment buying habits of men and women?
I have found that men are not always selective and precise when they buy clothes for
themselves except that they want to buy clothes for a particular occasion. Females on the
other hand are often predetermined and choosy in their garment buying process.

c) What is the difference between youngsters and old people in buying clothes?
Youngsters give more emphasize to style, design, colour and fashion. They often buy
trendy clothes that go with the latest style. They are always ready to pay more just for the
style. However, old people give more weight to the comfort and appropriateness to their
family status and their occupation.

24. Describe a comedy show you love watching

Hints:
Comic laughter has become a big business these days. You can mention some shows such as The
Great Laughter Challenge, Poll Khol, Comedy Circus, Office-Office, etc.
Follow up questions:
a) Why do people want to laugh?
Laughing is both an activity and an entertainment. It makes both sides happy the person who
laughs and the one who watches. It is, in fact, infectious. When person watches someone
laughing, often he too starts laughing. Being a kind of exercise which activates facial muscles
in particular, it is good for health. So, people love to laugh.
b) Are there any laughing clubs in your country?
Yes, there are laughing clubs in almost every city in my country, where people go and
laugh heartily.

c) Who generally become the members of laughing clubs?

Generally, the old people become the members of the laughing clubs. However, there are no
restrictions on the young people also becoming members.
d) What are things that make people laugh?
People generally laugh at queer dresses, strange ways of talking, walking, behaving, etc.
People also laugh at strange animals and objects. Comic descriptions and nar ratives also
make people laugh. Wrong pronunciation and jumbling of words also make them laugh.

e) What are the different activities concerned with the entertainment business?
Besides singing and dancing, other activities concerned with the entertainment business are
mimicry, comedy, stage shows, anchoring, scriptwriting, telly serials, theater, films, DJing,
RJing, VJing, poetry sessions, joking, etc.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 222

25. Talk about a person who speaks different languages
It is interesting to learn different languages. There are many people in my community who
can speak different languages. Here I would like to speak about my cousin who is settled in
Germany. He speaks a number of languages including German, Punjabi, Hindi and English. As
he had his education in English medium schools from the very beginning, his English is fluent
and grammatically accurate. When he got a job in a German Company ‘Siemens’, he left for
Germany about seven years ago. These days, he easily handles German too, though writing in
German is a bit difficult for him. I think this quality is highly beneficial because firstly, you get
a lot of job opportunities. Also, it makes your travel to any part of the world easy. With
English, you can travel anywhere in the world while with Hindi, you can move around in India.

a) Why is it important to learn English in today’s life?

Learning English is extremely important in today’s time. English is emerging as a global
language. Most communications on the internet are carried out in English. Moreover, new
inventions in science and technology are documented and published in English only,
because it serves as a common language among those who have acquired technical or
scientific qualifications. Further, all corporate correspondences are a lso done in English.
Thus, we must learn English if we want to flourish in this English influenced world.

b) What are the advantages of learning a foreign language?

Learning a foreign language broadens our mind to accept other cultures and their
lifestyles. This gives amazing knowledge of their community, history and country. As a
result, we can take the benefit of the language to trade with the country or to settle down
in that country.

c) Would you like to acquire another language in the future? If yes, which and why?
I would like to acquire the knowledge of Sanskrit language in future. It is considered as
one of the oldest language of world. All Indian scriptures and ancient books are written in
Sanskrit. The language with surely help me to understand these scriptures. What is more, I
have an innate liking to Sanskrit language after English.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 223

 CHAPTER 16. THE GOLDEN TIPS FOR LISTENING SKILLS
The skills which will help you complete the tasks include:

 predicting, ie what the listening passage is about


 identifying specific information, ie names, dates, numbers etc.

 recognising repetition, ie spotting information that has been repeated

 matching spoken numbers to written

 listening for cues, ie identifying key words in the question

 recognising the roles of speakers

 identifying attitudes, opinions, views and facts

 understanding sequencing, ie how information is ordered and linked 

 identifying signpost words

 following instructions and directions.

LISTENING STRATEGIES
 Read the instructions for each set of questions carefully.

 Check how many words and/or numbers you need to write.

 Check whether you need to choose your answer from a list and write the corresponding letter. 

 Check how many answers you need for 1 mark. Before each listening section is played, always read
through the questions quickly and carefully.

 Predict what the listening passage is about. How many speakers will there be? Where are they? 

 Identify the key words in the questions. Do you know any words with a similar meaning (synonyms),
an opposite meaning or can you paraphrase the meaning? You will need to listen out for these clues. 

 Think about the kind of information you are listening for, e.g. name, place, date, time.

 Note the order in which the questions are given. Concentrate throughout the listening test.

 Use the given information in the questions to guide you throughout the recording. When writing an
answer keep looking ahead to the next question.

 If you miss a question, leave it and move on to the next so that you can maximize the number of
correct answers.

 If you miss a question, leave it and move on to the next so that you can maximize the number of
correct answers.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 224

 Transfer your answers carefully onto the Listening Answer Sheet. You have 10 minutes to do this. Be
mindful of the time.
Use a pencil and write clearly. Check your spelling and grammar.
If you want a seven avoid these incorrect Listening answers.

Sp spelling mistake T too many words

G grammatical mistake U unclear answer

V vocabulary mistake B left blank

Candidate’s answers Problem

1 writting a journal Sp

2 six-pages story G

3 U

4 footbreak Sp

5 adjust review mirror V

6 discover in 1955 G

7 Debohy U

8 opposing thumbs V

gorillas, orangutans, chimps,

9 T
humans

10 made researches V&G

11 three millions people G

12 endangered specious V

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 225

DATES
We say dates one way, but write them another.

We say: We write:

‘Independence Day’s on the seventeenth of August.’ Independence Day is on 17th August, or

Independence Day is on August 17.

But: ‘Father’s Day’s on the first Sunday in Father’s Day is on the first Sunday in September.
September.’

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 226

IELTS prefers this system for dates: day/month/year. For example: My date of birth, the twenty-sixth
of July nineteen seventy-four, is written 26 July 1974 or 26/07/74.

With years, we say ‘eighteen forty’. We write 1840.

‘Nineteen ninety-five’ = 1995

‘Two thousand and twelve’ or ’twenty twelve’ = 2012

PHONE AND CARD NUMBERS`

A phone number is written like this: 996 4202. Usually, numbers in the Listening test have seven digits.

The number 996 4202 is said; ‘Double nine six (pause) four two zero two.’

NUMBERS
Spend a few minutes reading the tables below.

Numeral Cardinal Ordinal Anything else?

(Words in italics below are written. Spoken sentences, from
the Listening or the Speaking test, have quotation marks ‘...’.)
1 one 1st = first In IELTS Writing, sometimes candidates write: Firstable
instead of First of all.
‘This is the first time I’ve taken the exam.’
2 two 2nd = second

3 three 3rd = third third not therd

4 four 4th = fourth fourth not forth

5 five 5th = fifth The/  / ending of ‘fifth’ is hard to say for some candidates.

6 six 6th = sixth Hard to say for some candidates

7 seven 7th = seventh Hard to say for some candidates

8 eight 8th = eighth Don’t spell this eightth.

9 nine 9th = ninth Don’t spell this nineth.

10 ten 10th = tenth Some speakers confuse ‘tenth’, and ‘tense’.

11 eleven 11th ‘e-LE-ven’ has second-syllable stress.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 227

12 twelve 12th twelfth not twelvth

13-19 thirteen. 13th-19th ‘thirteenth’ .... ‘nineteenth’

nineteen
Remember the stress patterns: thir-TEEN and thir-TEENTH,
but THIR-ty and THIR-ti-eth.

20 twenty 20th twentieth

The y becomes an i.

21 twenty- 21st Notice the hyphen (-) in twenty-one.

one
21st not 21th, and 31 st not 31th

Candidates sometimes write -th for -st, -nd, or -rd in the

Listening test. Their answers are wrong.

22 twenty- 22nd 22nd not 22th

two

23 twenty- 23rd 23rd not 23th

three
‘There are twenty-three students in my class.’

24 twenty- 24th ‘Classes start on the twenty-fourth of January’, or ‘Classes

four start on January twenty-fourth’.

40 forty 40th forty not fourty.

Remember the i in fortieth.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 228

LARGER NUMBERS, FRACTIONS, AND ZERO

100 hundred ‘More than a / one hundred schools took part in the
competition.’

1,000 thousand Pronunciation of /  / is hard for some candidates.

‘More than a / one thousand people ran the marathon.’
10,000 ten thousand ‘My car cost ten thousand dollars.’ Not ‘ten thousands dollars’
– it’s a singular adjective.
‘Lakh’ is common in Indian English, but no one else speaking
English understands it.
100,000 hundred thousand ‘The floods caused over a/ one hundred thousand people to
flee their homes.’

1,000,000 million ‘My city reached a / one million people when I was a teenager.
It’s now got about one point three million.’

1bn billion

12 half

13 third

14 quarter

three-quarters
(This is plural.)

11 one-and-a-half
2 (This is plural.)

1.66 one point six six

0.375 zero point three seven

five

0 zero

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 229

‘Africa now has more than a / one billion people.’ Pronunciation : /ha:f/
The verb is halve. ‘The bird population has halved since cats were introduced.’ Pron: / ha:vd/
About a third of TV viewers said they often watched documentaries.

About a quarter of teenage girls smoke.

Don’t write quarter.
‘It’s a quarter to nine.’ Or ‘It’s quarter to nine.’ Three-quarters receive money from their parents
while
studying at university.

‘I think one-and-a-half-days aren’t long enough for my weekend.’

This is said: ‘one point six six’, not ‘one point sixty-six’. Note: a point, not a comma, is used in written
English. Wages rose 1.6$ in 2010 while house prices rose 8.2%.

This is said: ‘zero point three seven five.’ You may occasionally hear this in the Listening test, but it’s
unlikely you’ll have to write it. You may have to choose it in an MCQ.

Although there are several ways to say 0 in English, IELTS uses ‘zero’.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 230

PERCENT OR PERCENTAGE?

Candidates often confuse these words.

Percent or per cent is an adverb. It has a number just before it and can be shown by the symbol: %.
Percentage is a noun or part of a quantifier. The phrase the percentage of = the number of.
These sentences show the differences above. Eighty percent own cars. Or The percentage of car
owners is high.

Numbers that are quantifiers

In this sentence: ‘I’ve got a lot of friends,’ ‘a lot of’ is a quantifier, telling me how many. I can also say
(though not write), ‘I’ve got lots of friends’. ‘Lots of’ is a less formal quantifier.

Hundreds of, thousands of, and millions of function the same way as a lot of. They are all followed by
plural nouns.

Two common IELTS mistakes are: a candidate doesn’t make the quantifier plural, or doesn’t make the
following noun plural.

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES WITH NUMBERS

IF YOU WANT A SEVEN
Compound adjectives cause problems for all IELTS candidates except Nines. There are no plural
adjectives in English, so a compound adjective can’t end with an s or es.

We say and write:

1 the one-child policy; a one legged or one-eyed dog; a one-time movie star

a two-person tent; a two-bedroom apartment; a two-year contract (A

2
plural is: two two-bedroom apartments)
3 three-hour exam; a three-day workshop; a three-
4 and 5 course meal a four-star hotel; a five-year plan
6 and 7 a six-month course; a seven-year drought; a seven-hour
8
flight an eight-hour day (A plural is: five eight-hour days)
9
a nine-month-old baby (not months)

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 231

We say: We write:
12 ‘a twelve-month contract’ a twelve-page report
‘an eighteen-month-old son/
18 an 18-month-old child
daughter’
20 ‘a twenty-year-old man’ (not years) a 20-year old man
50 ‘a fifty-year-old bottle of wine’ a 50-year-old bottle

‘a one-hundred-and-twenty storey
120 a 120-storey building (not an)
building’ (not storeys)

2000 ‘a two-thousand-year-old- body’ a 2000-year-old body

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 232

 9 Top Tips

1. Read the instructions very carefully

Eg- Note the difference between
(i) “Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS and
Write atleast THREE WORDS

2. Try to predict what is missing

Eg- a word, a place, a name or a number etc.

3. Divide questions into groups by drawing a line after a particular set of questions.
This helps in avoiding any confusions and increases the concentration power of
candidate.

4. Always remember that anything said LOUD and CLEAR can be an answer but a
whisper may not an answer.

5. Look out for TRAPS- generalisation, change of mind or correction

Eg- The listening task might require the completion of an application form and for
one question you might need to write a phone number. The recording might say –
“My phone number is 87340591,……. …….. oh, sorry I mean 95, to its 0595 at the
end, not one”
The answer here would be 87340595

6. Keep moving forward–

Always look one or two questions ahead even if you have missed the answer to a
question, admit it and move to the next one otherwise you may lose it too.

7. Do not worry if you are unable to understand everything you hear. Listen out for the
keywords from the questions and focus on what you need.

8. Calculation of numbers and words:-

(i) A date “1950” is considered on number
(ii) A large number “1005000” is considered one word.
(ii) A hyphenated word “part-time” is considered one word.
(iv) A compound noun “tennis shoes” is considered two words.

9. Check that all the answers are clear, understandable and in a legible handwriting.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 233

 9 Common Mistakes in Listening
1. Listening Blindly:-
This often is practiced by candidates as they are unprepared for what they are about
to hear. Look for clues in the instructions and any text or visuals given this will
activate your vocabulary.
2. Not using predictive skills:-
In order to listen strategically, you need to predict what kind of content you are
going to hear.
3. Not using the time given to read ahead:-
If you are not using the time given between each section, you will not be able to plan
ahead for following section.
4. Do not PANIC:-
There is no need to panic and try not to get hung up on a tricky question. It is
important to stay calm and simply move on to next question.
5. Not paying attention to distracters:-
These may include any correction by the speaker or listen for one correct answer
out of all possible answers in multiple choice questions.
6. Not following instructions:-
The candidate must know the specific requirement for an answer which in given in
the instruction.
7. Incorrect Spelling:-
Always remember that spellings count. Any misspell answer will be marked as a
wrong one.
8. Grammar:-
Be careful in terms of plurals, confusing countable and uncountable as they will be
marked wrong.
9. Leaving an answer blank:-
Always guess an answer but never leave it blank as there is no loss of mark for a
wrong answer.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 234

 CHAPTER 17. THE GOLDEN TIPS FOR READING

1. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY

 It is important to read the instructions carefully before opting for Questions. It
always contain vital information which may help the candidate to save the time.
 Instructions always tell how to write the answers accurately on your answer sheet.

2. IMPORTANCE OF EXAMPLE
Example always solves the purpose of the reader. Some candidates consider it as a
wastage of time, however, it is a mistake on their part. The example provides
important information about task.

1. how to give the answer

Look at the example
Question: Write Suitable heading Example
Paragraph A …………………………………………………………………(1)
2. It also reveals information to understand the text to some extent.
3. Also, the example tells you from where to start reading to find the answers.
Suppose the answer of the example is found in 4th Line of Para 1, it means,
answer of next Question is mentioned thereafter.
4. The example sometimes speaks the language of the writer i.e. how to make the
methodology to keep answers in the text.

3. METHOD TO READ TEXTS

Two important methods are involved in reading.
 Scanning: - Scanning is to read the collection of words slowly and infuse its
meaning in your mind.
Note:- While scanning, underline the words which are important.

 Skimmin g :- Skimming is to go through the lines at the fast space. You may
or may not understand. It helps you to recognize the words or to find the blinkers /
key words.

4. DO NOT READ PASSAGE FIRST

Read the Questions first to understand story to some extent. It will save your
time in the examination. Method to read the Questions.
(a) Divide the Questions in three parts.
(b) Keep 1 main word of each part in your mind and locate those words in the text.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 235

5. WHICH PASSAGE WILL YOU CHOOSE FIRST?
In IELTS Test, there are 3 passages given which contains 40 Q’s. It is a wrong myth
that Passage 1 is easy or Passage 3 is difficult.
Therefore, to select the best passage and to save the time, follow the steps.
(a) First, choose the passage in which there is a Heading, Title or Fill ups. It
provides you some brief information about the passage.
(b) The passage which contains Questions based on True / False / MCQ, try to solve
at last.

6. HOW TO LOCATE THE ANSWERS

Remember -The Questions in every passage is divided into different sections. e.g.
Section 1
Question 1 -7
As pressure grows on companies to respond to
environmental issues, one of the easiest ways to do so
is to appoint an environmental manager from inside the
organization, whether or not they already have a quality
or health and safety manager or director.

It is another matter whether or not it makes any

difference to the environmental performance of that
company.

It is in response the needs of these personnel, thrust

suddenly into an entirely new role in the corporate
structure, that an initiative was launched a year ago to
provide a framework of key standards of competence.

It is nearing its closing stage of development but that

will then lead on to further phases in creating what is
intended to be a new breed of professional, capable of
wielding the same authority as his or her colleagues
inside the company.

The Institute of Environmental Managers was

established last year to create a forum for those
often in a still embryonic role to learn and exchange
methods, rather than struggle in isolation with what
their companies increasingly demand of them.

Therefore, the answer of every Question is in apple pie order / sequence order. The range of
next Questions in the same passage again may start from Top to bottom in a serial order.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 236

What is Grey Matter’s Formula?
Are you unable to understand the Vocabulary given in the passage?
Use Grey Matters Formula

In a paragraph, if you are unable to understand the passage due to 4 - 5 Vocab words, then
do not worry. Grey Matters formula will help you to make some sense of the paragraph.
It is -
replacing particular word by <something> or <some>
e.g. Line is -
However, if any hurricane or typhoon causes widespread damage, then its name is retired
from the list.
In the above Given paragraph if you are unable to understand certain words, then
replace it by word <some> or <something>, later paragraph sense will be cleared to you.
As such, it becomes
However, if any hurricane or <something> causes widespread damage …

7 . QUESTION SOLVING TECHNIQUES

Most of the candidates do not know the tricks to solve the Questions. This may be the
reason of their failure that they are unable to score 6 bands also.

There are 8 basic types of IELTS reading Questions:

 Yes/ No / NOT GIVEN

 Suitable Heading
 Fill ups
 No more than 3 words
 MCQ
 Table, chart of diagram
HOW TO SOLVE YES / NO / NOT GIVEN ?

There always remain a confusion among the candidates to take a decision between
NO/ NOT GIVEN.
Therefore, it is a cup of Tea for the candidates to make it correct. However, Grey
Matter’s 2nd formula assist you to take suitable decision. Follow the step by step
instructions.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 237

Grey Matter’s 2nd formula
1. Divide the statement into three parts :-
(a) Subject part (b) Verbal part (c) Remaining part

Subject part Verbal part Remaining part

e.g. (Electricity / was firstly generated / by nuclear reactor )

2. Match these 3 parts with the passage of the line where you have already located the
keywords.
3. (a) If the sense of all three parts matches to sense of passage part, answer `Yes’.
(b) If any two parts similar to other two parts in passages answer is `No’.
(c) If only single part make sense with the passage line-answer is `NG’.

1 1 1X
Parts 2 Yes 2 No 2 X NG
Division 3 3X 3

For instance:

Question Part Passage Part

1 2 1
Electricity / was firstly The production of the
3 2
generated / by nuclear reactor electricity / was noticed /
3
On Dec 20, 1951

Here - 1st part matches to 1 st part. 2 nd and 3rd are unmatched

Answer:- Not Given

HOW TO SOLVE ‘TITLE/HEADING’

Heading always highlights what type of information is given in the passage. According
to the writer, a good reading passage is always divided into three parts
(a) Introduction
(b) Central idea / Description
(c) Conclusion.

It is a fact, a good writer always introduce the Title first, thereafter description
and at last he again tries to-end the topic in the title form.
e.g. if Title is `NUCLEAR POWER’ definitely, writer is helpless to introduce the
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 238
 Title in the introduction.
Similarly, to give Title to any paragraph, follow the steps:
1. Divide the concerned paragraph into 3 parts
(a) Introduction - means first 2-3 Lines called Topic Sentence
(b) Description - middle part
(c) Concluding part - means last 2-3 line
2. Scan first 2-3 lines (Topic Sentence) and last 2-3 lines, try to find out the sense
what the writer wants to say, Obviously, it matches to any one Given Headings.
HOW TO SOLVE `FILL-UPS’
Fill ups is usually a summary of the passage. It tells you what is mentioned in the
passage. There are two types of fill-ups in the IELTS Test.

Type 1 -in which words or phrases are given in the box and one has to choose from to

fill the gaps. Type 2 -in which one has to find relevant word from the reading passage.
Steps to follow:

1. It is true, any complete given line is made of three parts

Subject + Verb + Object
2. See-the gap is in the first part of the line, in the middle or after verbal phrase.
3. If the gap is in the first phase, it means subject is missing hence, find out Subject
means Noun.
4. Check properly - Is there any helping verb before the gap like has been, is, has,
was, will etc? If Yes, apply only required verb.
5. Before the Gap, if it is only `To’, it means find out only 1st form of verb.
6. The gap at the end of the line may have adjective or adverb.

Note:- To find out the keywords in the passage for Fill-ups, closely observe the words that
come both before and after the gap.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 239

How to Solve Multiple choice Questions / No More than 3 words

Steps to follow:

1. Do not read the options first.

2. Then same rule as discussed earlier.
(a) Divide the Question into 3 parts.
(b) Find out the keywords by keeping in view those three parts
(c) After finding keywords, read the options then and scan the passage thereafter.
3. NOTE : The same process is for `No more than 3 words’.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 240

 9 Top tips for Reading

1. Always read the instructions very carefully

2. Time management is very much essential and 15-20-25 strategy is a quite successful
one. It requires the candidate to spend 15 minutes on passage 1, 20 minutes on
passage 2 and 25 minutes on passage 3.

3. Try to make a map every passage has its own main idea which is different from
others. Underline the keywords in each paragraph thus, creating a map as a guide
to search for answers.

4. Try to observe the example’s style

Eg.

Men Women
Literacy Rate 55%

In this case, your answer will also be in the same style i.e. a number and %.
5. Be careful about the word limit – If the question states that the answer should be in
NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, then, prepositions (in, of, at, to), articles (a, an,
the) and numbers (15,12, 28 etc) shall be considered as words.
6. Stick to one question- one answer rule Do not give more than one answer to one
question. In such a case, the score will be ZERO.
7. Assumptions are the mother of all mess-ups! When answering the questions, you
must stick to the facts, as written in the passages. Forget all about your personal
knowledge and experience.
8. Keep the order- always remember that in most of the cases, the answers will follow
the order of the text. Eg- The answer for question 5 will some after question 4.
9. Always remember that the difficulty increases with each passage. It is good to start
with easy questions first and complicated later on.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 241

 9 Common Mistakes in Reading

Do not read – SCAN!

1. There is too much information to get through and not enough time.

2. Do not try to match the word or words from the heading to a word in the text. There
may be synonyms also.
3. Some headings may appear to have same meanings. Be careful! and try to find the
difference.
4. Sometimes the candidate only reads the first sentence of each paragraph and tries to
predict or assume the rest.
5. The candidate sometimes may fail to understand the main idea of question,
paragraph or text.
Eg- One must be avoid looking at the headings and have a general idea of text first.
6. Candidate tries to read and understand everything and ends up spending too much
time on one paragraph or heading.
7. Sometimes the answers are not in order as the text and candidate becomes
uncertain of even the right answer.
8. Do not pay attention to the synonyms and avoid any guesses in this regard. Be
aware.
9. Candidates try to apply this own knowledge about the topic which they already
know about remember that you are being tested on the TEXT only! You are not
required to have a prior knowledge.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 242

 CHAPTER 18. THE GOLDEN TIPS FOR WRITING

Try to make the first impression through handwriting and layout/ format

1 Planning before writing, analyse your thoughts will before you start writing.

2 Always try to start with Task 1 as it is easier and it helps you get on track.
3 Manage your time effectively.
4 Keep a track of the word count but do not waste much time counting each word.
5 Do not copy anything from the question. Try to show a range of vocabulary.
6 Try to have a good and adequate knowledge of vocabulary and synonyms.
7 Also avoid contractions like don’t, won’t, doesn’t, didn’t and informal language
8 Do not try to memorize any model answer as this gives a very impression to the
examiner.
9 Use as much complex sentences as you can.
10 Use connectors or linkers to show the link between your ideas.
11 Try to use different grammatical tools like conditionals, comparatives and modals
etc.
12 Support your ideas with appropriate examples in Task 2.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 243

 CHAPTER 19. LIST OF LATEST SPEAKING TOPICS
1. Talk about a person you want to meet from other country.
2. Talk about a popular person.
3. Talk about a river, pond, ocean that you like to visit.
4. Talk about a time when you teamed up with an old person to teach something to
someone.
5. Describe a place where you want to visit for vacation.
6. Talk about a public place you recently visited.
7. Talk about a person who knows a lot about something.
8. Talk about a time when you helped someone.
9. Talk about a special day when you spent a lot of money.
10. Talk about an event that you celebrated.
11. Talk about a childhood quality of yours that you no more possess.
12. Talk about something that you bought and felt happy about it.
13. Talk about an event that you have seen.
14. Talk about a place where people like to go to listen to music.
15. Describe a future trip.
16. Talk about a song or a piece of music that you like.
17. Describe a situation when you asked for help from someone related to study.
18. Describe a usual meal that you did not like.
19. Describe a time that you had to spend with an old person.
20. Talk about a place which is not famous in your country.
21. Talk about a place where people do not like to visit.
22. Talk about a successful sportsperson.
23. Talk about an interesting person that you know from some other country.
24. Describe a period in history which has always interested you.
25. Describe a public place you visited and you think needs improvement.
26. Talk about your favorite movie.
27. Talk about an activity that you found boring.
28. Describe an occasion when somebody visited your home.
29. Talk about a wish that you couldn’t accomplish for a long time.
30. Talk about your favorite weather.
31. Describe a time when you were late.
32. Describe a place where you often visit family and friends.
33. Describe a famous athlete that you know.
34. Talk about a local food, which is common in your country.
35. Describe a piece of art of painting that you saw.
36. Describe a clever decision made by someone to solve a problem.
37. Describe a situation where you recently bought a gift for someone and it made
you happy.
38. Describe an important invention which has changed our life.
39. Describe a time when you had to move for work or study.
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 244
40. Describe a piece of clothing given by someone.
41. Describe a plant/ flower in your country.
42. Describe a kind of foreign food you have had.
43. Describe an interesting house or apartment you visited.
44. Describe a shop that has opened in your hometown.
45. Talk about a café/ restaurant you visited.
46. Describe a country in which you would like to work for a short time.
47. Talk about a pet you, or someone you know once had.
48. Describe a teacher who has greatly influenced you in your academic life.
49. Describe a building/ structure with architectural interest.
50. Talk about an occasion when you had a cake that was special.
51. Talk about a sport in your country you like watching.
52. Describe an event/ happy experience from your childhood that you remember.
53. Describe a group activity you successfully took part in (for example, at school,
college, university).
54. Describe an enjoyable day spent in countryside.
55. Talk about a sports celebrity that you admire.
56. Describe a time when you enjoyed the company of elderly people.
57. Talk about your dream job or business.
58. Describe a toy that you played with when you were a child.
59. Talk about a time when you disagreed with someone’s decision.
60. Talk about a decision made by someone that you know.
61. Talk about an important person in your family.
62. Talk about a subject that fascinated you.
63. Talk about a time when you went on vacation and did not spend any money.
64. Talk about a conversation you had and did not like.
65. Talk about a time you had spent with an old person.
66. Talk about a time when you spent a lot of money.
67. Talk about a quiet place you often like to visit.
68. Talk about a famous person you would like to meet.
69. Talk about a difficult decision you made for someone.
70. Describe a shop or company whose service you like the most.
71. Talk about a successful sportsperson.
72. Talk about an inspirational story that motivated you.
73. Talk about a device you recently purchased.
74. Talk about a time when someone took a nice photograph of you.
75. Talk about your favourite season.
76. Talk about a special thing you brought by saving money.
77. Talk about a lesson you learnt in life but not from school or college.
78. Talk about a foreigner who visited your country.
79. Talk about a time when you felt happy after using mobile phone.
80. Talk about a street.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 245

81. Describe your favourite toy.
82. Talk about a childhood story.
83. Talk about a party you attended recently and you were praised for something you
did well.
84. Talk about an unusual meal.
85. Talk about a situation when you spoke or had to be politely.
86. Talk about a trip you want to have in future.
87. Talk about an advertisement that made you buy something.
88. Talk about a place which is not famous in your country.
89. Talk about a music centre.
90. Talk about a technology (not computer).
91. Talk about a country or city you want to work or settle in.
92. Talk about a happy/ interesting event of your life.
93. Talk about any improvement or development in your city, school, roads or any
shopping mall.
94. Describe a time when you saved your pocket money for someone.
95. Describe a journey by car that you remember well.
96. Talk about something that you do to stay healthy.
97. Talk about a park or garden where you go for a walk.
98. Talk about any helpful/favourite website.
99. Describe a businessman you admire.
100. Talk about good parents that you know.
101. Describe a rule in your school.
102. Talk about your favourite TV programme.
103. Talk about an important invention/a piece of equipment that is used at home.
104. Talk about a crowded place that you visited.
105. Talk about an interesting conversation you had with an unknown person.
106. Describe a situation when someone gave a positive comment about the work you
did.
107. Describe your idea of a perfect home.
108. Describe a moment when you smiled a lot.
109. Talk about a facility to spend leisure time in your hometown.
110. Talk about an interesting book that you read and you want to read again.
111. Describe your favourite piece of cloth.
112. Describe a place where people go to listen to music.
113. Talk about an English lesson you enjoyed.
114. Talk about a traditional wearing of boys which they regularly wear in foreign
countries.
115. Talk about a time when you went to a place where you saw a lot of people happy
and smiling.
116. Talk about a happily married couple that you know.
117. Talk about a leisure time activity that you would like to do at the seaside.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 246

118. Talk about a person who is polite with you.
119. Talk about a plant grown in your country.
120. Talk about a traditional product of your country.
121. Talk about an important letter that you received and is important to you.
122. Describe an occasion when you needed to arrive early.
123. Talk about a company around your city which employs a lot of people.
124. Describe a science study that you did in your high school years.
125. Describe a positive change in your life.
126. Talk about a free item that you were offered as a promotion in a shopping centre.
127. Talk about a person who helped you in work or study with.
128. Describe a piece of furniture at your home that you often use.
129. Talk about something you want to do but have not done yet.
130. Talk about an achievement that you are proud of.
131. Describe a popular place for swimming in your hometown.
132. Talk about something that made you laugh. Describe a situation that made.
133. Talk about a film or real event that you have seen recently./Describe a film based
on a real life event or a real person.
134. Talk about the most difficult task that you have ever done in your life.
135. Talk about something you read recently that you would recommend to others.
136. Talk about your childhood friend whom you haven’t seen for a long time and want
to meet again.
137. Describe an international sport event that you like the most.
138. Describe a village/town/city that you like the most.
139. Talk about something that you plan to do in life besides your work and personal
life.
140. Talk about a funny show you saw or a funny incident that happened to you.
141. Tell me about your ideal holiday/vacation.
142. Talk about a meal that you were invited to.
143. Talk about your neighbor or roommate.
144. Describe your favorite show/performance.
145. Talk about a person that you know, who made a wrong decision.
146. Describe the moment you met a friend for the first time.
147. Describe a futuristic book or film that you have read/seen recently.
148. Describe a car or a vehicle you would like to buy.
149. Talk about your favorite website for online purchasing.
150. Talk about the most interesting speech that you have ever attended.
151. Talk about an unusual job you would like to do.
152. Talk about a place where you used to work or you would like to work (e.g. a school,
hospital, office ).
153. Talk about your favorite place that you have visited recently.
154. Talk about a recent program on radio that you have listened to.
155. Describe a cultural music or dance event that you have attended recently.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 247

156. Describe how you would organize a surprise party for your friend.
157. Describe an outdoor meal or picnic that you had.
158. Describe a room where you stayed for a long period of time.
159. Talk about a foreign language (except English) that you would like to learn.
160. Talk about a comedy movie that you watched recently and that made you laugh.
161. Describe a time when you had missed something important.
162. Talk about your experiences with public transport.
163. Describe a library that you visit or you have visited.
164. Describe an old person whom you respect.
165. Describe your first work or study place.
166. Describe an outdoor activity that you have done for the first time.
167. Describe a person that you like talking with.
168. Describe a person with whom you like to spend time.
169. Talk about a new job you started recently.
170. Talk about a decision in your life that took you long time to make.
171. Talk about a foreign language that you know well.
172. Talk about a story that you were told as a child.
173. Talk about the most important decision of your life.
174. Talk about a family business that you would like to start.
175. Talk about a photo that you like.
176. Talk about the happiest moment you had recently.
177. Describe a club, a group or a course that you attended.
178. Describe a popular comedy artist in your country.
179. Describe a situation when you were talking to complete strangers.
180. Talk about a situation when a stranger did something kind for you.
181. Talk about a photo of yourself that you like the most.
182. Talk about a gadget you purchased recently.
183. Describe a time when you stayed away from your home.
184. Describe the first mobile that you got.
185. Talk about an important email that you have sent to someone.
186. Talk about something important that you forgot to do recently.
187. Talk about a course at your school or university that you have done.
188. Talk about an advice that has been given to you by someone and about the
situation.
189. Describe an object that your family kept and passed on to you.
190. Describe a school that you have attended.
191. Describe something you have worked on that was a total waste of time.
192. Talk about a good habit of your friend.
193. Describe a singer or a band that you listen to.
194. Describe a food product that is produced in your region.
195. Describe an app that you have downloaded from the internet and how it is useful.
196. Talk about things that you do to live a healthier lifestyle.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 248

197. Talk about an item that you bought but rarely use.
198. Talk about one of your friend’s success story in his life.
199. Describe your last journey.
200. Talk about a good law in your country.
201. Describe a friend with a habit that you would like to develop.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 249

 CHAPTER 20. LIST OF LATEST AND CROSS QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
 Animals?
I would say I don’t hate them. I am not very much of an animal lover but I like them if
they exist and I am able to see them. But, owning an animal might be something I
won’t prefer.

 What’s you favourite animal? (Why?)

I love cows a lot. I think they bring in lot of peace and care in a house. You see them,
they rarely make any noise and still for some reasons when I look into their eyes, it
feels very peaceful and lovely.
 Are people in your country fond of animals?
Yes, they are. People in my country love animals. You could find a dog or a cow being
owned by a family. And it is not for any monetary reasons but because they like being
around them and caring for them. Animals do bring a certain extent of happiness and
togetherness in a family.
 What kinds of animals as a pet do the people have in your country?
As a pet, most of the people have dogs in their house. Dogs are preferred over other
animals because firstly they are very friendly and loyal to their owner. Also, they help
in guarding the house against all the possible odds.
 Do children like animals?
It all depends, I assume. There are some who love animals and then there are even
those who are scared of them and not like them. Also, there are some who like to
irritate animals just for the sake of fun.
 What kind of animals do you think children like?
I think for most part, children love dogs and cats. Because these are the animals that
children can have lot of fun with. They can play and roam about with them.
 What was your favourite animal when you were a child?
I was not a very particular animal lover as a child. I used to get irritated when people
annoyed or irritated animals, but going out and playing with them was not my idea of
having fun.
 Did you have any pets when you were a child?
Yes, my father got a dog for us as we were child. But, I remember he was so aggressive
that we rarely played with it. He used to keep only for guarding the house. However,
later on when he started recognizing us he allowed us to come near him. I remember,
my brother actually bonded a lot with him and so when he died it was a true shock for
my brother.
 What do you think are the benefits of a child having a pet?
I think a child learns a lot from a pet, especially unconditional love and that is really
important. In times when people just do things for the benefit of doing it, a pet teaches
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 250
 you that apart from the money and the fame and the success there are so many other
things which are important in life.
 If you have children in the future, will you allow them to raise a pet?
Definitely yes. I think having a pet in the house is very important because it allows the
kids to learn about love, patience, respect and so much more. It brings happiness and
togetherness and tells you that no matter if the other person is more or less powerful
you should stand for the right.
 Mobile Apps
 Which Mobile Apps do you use?
I use a lot of Mobile Apps for different purposes like Whatsapp for sending messages
to my friends and family members. For social networking I use Facebook and for
sharing my pictures I use Instagram. Apart from this I use Apps to read news or do
banking with my phone.
 Which ones do you want to use?
I would like to use Apps to know more about jobs or studies related to my field. I
believe there is a huge requirement for Apps related to specific jobs or courses and
these can help people in becoming good at what they do or study.
 Which ones are popular in your country?
In my country Whatsapp, Snapchat and Instagram are the most popular Apps as
people in my country like to spend their time by chatting with each other and sharing
their pictures.
 Do you want to make an App?
Yes I would like to make an App. I would make an App for the IELTS exam which can
help students in preparation of the exam and to score good band.
 Dictionary
 Do you often use a dictionary? If yes, how often and what for? If not, why not? If
not very often, say how often and why not very often?
Yes I use dictionary very often, in fact daily. I am a student and I read a lot of text
related to my studies. I often come cross words I don’t know the meaning of and I use
a dictionary to look up the meaning and synonyms.
 Do you prefer to use an electronic dictionary or a dictionary made of paper?
I prefer to use an electronic dictionary now as it is very convenient and I can easily
search for a meaning in a matter of few seconds. I have a dictionary App downloaded
on my phone.
 If someone gives you a dictionary as a gift, how would you feel?
I would feel happy, as it is a very useful gift for me or for anyone. We keep coming
across new words everyday and everyone should have a dictionary.
This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 251
  Do you think it would be interesting to write a dictionary? Or do you think it
would be interesting to be a part of a team that is writing a dictionary?
Yes, I think so. It will be very interesting to understand the details of all words, like
which part of speech they form, what the origin of the word is, its synonyms and many
more such details.
 What kind of person do you think writes a dictionary?
A person who writes a dictionary has to have an in-depth knowledge of the language
and also needs to know the origin and history of the language. It requires a great deal
of work and thoroughness, so the person has to be very patient and through.
 Transportation
 What’s the most popular means of transportation in your hometown?
The most popular means of transportation in my hometown is the bus. My hometown
is on the national highway, and there is bus service to different places every two
minutes.

 How often do you take buses?

I take the bus pretty often, in fact three or four times a week to travel to the college/
university.
 Can you compare the advantages of planes and trains?
Trains are cheaper than planes, but planes are much faster than trains. In trains you
can take as much luggage as you want to, but in planes there is a restriction. Railway
stations are there in almost all cities and towns, whereas airports are there in only a
few places.
 Is driving to work is popular in your country?
Yes driving to work is popular in big cities, and in places where transport facilities are
not so good. In fact today, driving to workplace is considered as a status symbol also.
 Do you think people will drive more in the future?
It is difficult to say about the future as it is uncertain, but the rate at which traffic
congestion is increasing on the road, I think people will use public transport more.
 Would you ride bikes to work in the future?
No I don’t think that I would ride bikes to work, as far as I am concerned, they are not
very safe.
 What form of transportation do you usually use?
I usually prefer private transport to public transport. I feel that the public transport is
not very comfortable and leads to wastage of time.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 252

 Fruits & Vegetables
 Do you like fruits and vegetables? Or do you like to eat fruit(s) and vegetables?
Yes, I like to eat fruits and vegetables. In fact they are the part of my daily diet and help
to stay healthy and energetic the whole day.
 Do you like fruits and vegetables? Or do you like to eat fruit(s) and vegetables?
Yes, I like to eat fruits and vegetables. In fact they are the part of my daily diet and help
to stay healthy and energetic the whole day.
 How often do you eat fruits and vegetables?
I eat fruits and vegetables daily. In fact, seasonal fruits and vegetables are the part of
my daily diet.
 What kind of fruits do you prefer to eat?
I prefer to eat all kinds of fruits. But I prefer seasonal fruits much because they are
readily available and cheap. Moreover, they are healthy to eat.
 Do you like same fruits and vegetables today as you did when you were a child?
As a child my favourite fruit used to be grapes, but now I like mango and watermelon
more. Also, I wasn’t very fond of vegetables as a child. Now I love all kinds of fruits and
vegetables.
 What factors affect the growing of fruits and vegetables on a farm?
There are many factors affect the growing of fruits and vegetables on a farm, like the
soil, quality, irrigation, weather, pests etc.
 Watch
 How often do you wear a watch?
I don’t wear a watch very often. I check the time on my cellphone. I wear watches
occasionally. In fact, today watch is nothing more than an accessory.
 What was your first watch like?
My first watch was a basic children’s watch. It was a gift from my parents on my 5 th
birthday. It was digital and was pink/ black/ blue in colour.
 What kind of watches do you like to wear?
I like to wear watches that match to my outfit as I told you today people wear as an
accessory. And also on which it is easy to check time.
 Do people still wear watches in your country?
Yes, people in my country still wear watches. Although the purpose of wearing
watches are different as it used to be in past. There are many national and
international brands available.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 253

 Work
 What work do you do?
(Personal answer)
 Why did you choose that type of work (or job)?
I choose that type of work as it suited best to my area of interest and my field of study
as well.
 Do you like your job?
Definitely yes, I love my job. It is very important to like the job you are doing as it
contributes well to your performance at work.
 Do you miss being a student?
Yes, I miss being a student. Now, when I look back I realize that those were the best
days of my life.
 Studies
 What subjects are you studying?
I have just completed my senior secondary in commerce stream. Now I wish to go
abroad for my higher education.
 Why did you choose to study that subject?
I choose to study that subject only as I can see a great future ahead in that field of
study moreover it was my own interest that pushed me to choose that subject to study.
 Are you looking forward to work?
Yes, I am looking forward to have a part-time job when I go abroad to study. I would
prefer having a job in my own field only so that I can gain some experience and
practical knowledge as well.
 At what time of the day do you prefer to study?
I prefer to study in the mornings because at that time I feel very fresh and I can
concentrate well on my studies. In fact, it is advisable to all to study in the morning.
Things studied at that time of the day can be retained well for longer hours.
 Home/ Accommodation
 Do you live in a house or flat? Or What kind of accommodation do you live in?
I live in an independent house. It is a two-storey brick house.
 Can you please describe it a little?
It is a two-storey brick house. There are four bedrooms with attached bathrooms, a
kitchen, a living room and a drawing room. There is a small lawn in the front and a
kitchen garden in the backyard.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 254

  What’s your favourite room in your home?
My favourite room in my home is my own room because I have decorated it according
to my own taste.
 Do you have any plans of moving to some other accommodation?
I have plans of going abroad for my higher studies so only I have to move to abroad for
that purpose. Apart from that we do not have any plans of moving out of that home.
 Hometown
 What’s (the name of) your hometown?
I belong to Chandigarh, which a small but beautiful and planned city. And is the capital
city of two states i.e. Punjab and Haryana.
 Would you say it is an interesting place?
Yes I would say that it is an interesting place. As I told you it is the capital city for two
states so it is a happening city. It is known for shopping centres. It is known for its lush
green environment and for that matter it is also called city beautiful.
 What do like the most about your hometown?
Although, I like everything about my hometown but if asked particularly the thing
which I like the most is that it is well planned and connected to all main highways and
railways.
 Is there anything that you dislike about your hometown?
As such there is nothing that I dislike about my hometown but yes I would like to
mention about the improper sewerage system in rainy season that leads to a lot of
inconvenience in travelling.
 Newspapers
 Do you often read newspapers?
Yes, I often read newspapers. I read the newspaper every day. I come to know what is
happening around me and in the world.
 How old were you when you started reading newspaper?
I was 10 years old when I started reading newspaper. I started with the Sports Section.
 What kinds of newspapers do you usually read?
My father has subscribed to The Tribune. So I read that daily. It is a National Daily, but
has maximum circulation in Punjab.
 Why do you think people read newspapers?
People read newspapers to know what is happening around them. They also read
newspapers for the international news. They also read newspapers for the
employment advertisements and matrimonial.
 Do you care about the news?
Yes, I do care about the news. I think news is very important. We should be aware of
what is happening around us in the whole world.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 255

 Magazines
 Do you read magazines?
Yes, I do read magazines quite often. Reader’s Digest is the one that I usually prefer to
read.
 Have you ever read online magazine?
Yes, I have read online magazines. I would read them when I come across one. But I
prefer traditional printed magazines to online ones.
 Did you read magazines when you were young?
No, I didn’t read magazines at that time. In fact then I preferred reading comic books
and other children’s books.
 Who prefers to read magazines more?
I think it is the matter of personal choice and is not related to age anyway. So it is
really difficult to say that who prefers to read magazines more.
 What kinds of magazines are more popular in your country?
There are many types of magazines popular in my country, like fashion magazines,
sports magazines, housekeeping magazines, automobiles magazines, art & craft
magazines and many more.
 Celebrity
 Who is your favourite celebrity in India?
My favorite celebrity in India is Amir Khan. He is an actor par excellence. Recently, I
saw his movie Dangal, which is very motivational one and I liked it very much.
 Do you like any foreign celebrity?
Yes, I like some sportsperson from Australia and South Africa.
 Would you want to be a celebrity in the future?
No, I don’t think that I would want to be a celebrity in the future. I am happy with the
quiet and peaceful life of a commoner.
 Do you think that we should respect famous people’s privacy?
Yes, we should respect famous people’s privacy. They have a right to their privacy. It
can affect their performance if anyone invades their private life.
 How do celebrities influence their fans?
Celebrities are the role models for their fans. People always like to follow their
favourite celebrity. From the way they talk to the way they walk, people want to do
everything that they do.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 256

 Dreams
 Do you often have dreams at night?
Yes, I often have dreams at night. Sometimes I have very pleasant dreams, and
sometimes I have bad dreams. But I am not really superstitious about these dreams.
 Have you had a bad dream?
Yes, many times I have bad dreams. But I have never seen them turning into reality.
 What was the strangest dream you ever had?
The strangest dream I had was that I am going for my exam, and things are all going
wrong and I can’t reach the examination hall on time. And then suddenly I woke up
and I was so relieved when I found that it was dream not reality. The strange thing
about the dream was that I had this dream during my exam days only.
 What do you usually dream about?
I dream about weird things. Sometimes I am in Canada in my dreams and sometimes
in America. Many of my relatives live in Canada and Australia and they keep on telling
me a lot about these countries and I keep picturing them in my dreams.
 Daily Routine
 Do you like to plan what you will do each day? (Why/Why not)
Yes, I like to plan what I do each day. I think if I do not plan I tend to procrastinate
(delay things) and then all my work may piles up and I start getting stress. One more
advantage of planning out day can be time management.
 Describe your typical daily routine?
I get up around six in the morning. Then I freshen up and go for a walk. I walk for
around 5 km every day. If for some reason I do not for a walk, I feel something missing
in my life. After coming home I help my mother in household chores. Then I go to
school/ college/ workplace. After coming back I have dinner at around 8. And I go to
bed at around 10.
 What is your favourite time of the day?
My favourite time of the day is evening time. At that time we have dinner together. We
share our day’s happening with each other. We watch TV together. Sometimes we go
for a walk after dinner. So this is my favourite time of the day.
 Do you usually do the same things at the same time each day?
No, my timetable is not that fixed. Time to have meals is more or less fixed. Sometimes
I go to bed late if I have work to do. Rest it depends upon the priority of work for the
day.
 Do you ever change your pre-fixed plans?
Yes many times, I have to change pre-defined plans. It is because of some or the other
reasons. Sometimes timetable gets disturbed but other things are equally important.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 257

 Forget things
 What kind of things one should never forget when you go out?
When going out one should never forget carrying wallet with some money, an ID proof
and mobile phone. I think these are the things which are always very important to
carry along and should not be forgotten.
 Did you ever forget to bring something?
Yes it happened to me once. It was when I had to go to Delhi. I forgot my wallet at
home. Fortunately I knew someone in the bus and took help from him. Otherwise, I
would have had to get down the bus midway.
 How do you remind yourself of the things?
Since I am very much occupied with the things so, I have become very forgetful these
days. I keep on repeating things in my mind. Sometimes I set reminders in my mobile
phone and some other time I pen them down somewhere.
 Do you carry different things in morning and in the evening while going out?
It depends upon where I have to go. In the morning, it is generally school/ college/
workplace, so I carry my bag, books and lunchbox. Although I barely go out in the
evening, if I ever have to go out in the evening it is for shopping mainly. So, I carry my
wallet and shopping bag.
 History
 Do you like (to learn about) history?
Yes, I like to learn about history. It is through history we come to know about our
existence. It is through history we come to know about important events that gave
way or shaped the way to progress or changes in any country.
 What historical events you find interesting?
The historical event that I find the most interesting is the day when India hot
independence. It was on 15 th August 1947.
 Do you think history is important?
Yes, I think history is very important. We can learn a lot from history. We come to
know about the way of life, culture and traditions of the past times. We can get
motivation by learning about the achievements of some people and we can also learn
from the mistakes of our ancestors.
 Do you like to watch programmes on TV about history?
Yes I like to watch programmes on TV related to history. In fact, the History channel is
one of my favourite TV channels. It has some great shows about history of different
parts of the world.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 258

 Do you think you can really learn history from films and TV programmes?
Yes, definitely. TV programmes and films make learning about history more
interesting and easy as it is audio-visual. Reading about history may become very
boring after a while. Children also learn history better if an audio-visual medium is
used.
 Do you think the Internet is a good place to learn about history?
Yes, Internet is a good place and a good way to learn about history. It is the
encyclopedia of history. We can learn about any desired topic about history as it is just
a click away.
 Can you name a person from history whom you would like to learn more about?
I would like to learn about martyr Bhagat Singh, who was a freedom fighter and played
a prominent role in getting India independence.
 Why would you like to learn more about him/her?
I would like to learn about him more because he is a motivation for the youth today. I
do not know much about him, but I know that his role in India’s freedom struggle was
integral and the British rulers hanged him at a very young age of 23 for the
assassination of a British police officer.

This Copyright Content Belongs To Grey Matters, Chandigarh Page 259