ItC:.

:"\ I Indira
Gandhi National Open University MVEI- 014
~ School of Vocational Education and Training
COMMUNICATION SKILLS

English in Daily Life

/
 "Education is a liberating force, and in our
. age it is also a democratising force, cutting
across the barries of caste and class,
smoothing out inequalities imposed by birth
and other circumstances. "

--:Indira Gandhi

~ 1fFfCf qff ~ W 5ffJ "ifRffT ~ atff

3TJ\if et pr "if at "lI5 (if)CPa"31 ctfT 'Jf{(FfJ CfiT
~ ?jJ ~ I fiFIf rr.m- JRl CPNO,)"W \"Jrq""t
\if/ffr vet qJ{Jld fiJtt7frtl31T qff W qmf SV
~ qff ~ wffl tnrlV \"Jd/<"fl ~ r
- ~"lfitft

/
~ fi)J Indi ra Gandhi
National Open University
School of Vocational
MVEI-014
Education and Training
Communication Skills

Block

1
ENGLISH IN DAILY LIFE
UNITt
Introduction to Communication . 5
UNIT 2
Greetings and Introductions 23
UNIT 3
.Skills Required at the Job: Telephoning 46
UNIT 4
Importance of Small Talk in Business (it
(
UNIT 5
Email and SMS 77

/
/
I
 ADVISORY COMMITEE
Prof. R.G Chouksey Dr. J. P. Singh Dr. V.S. Mehrotra
Head, Curriculum Development Member Secretary Reader, Pandit Sunderlal Sharma
Centre, National Institute of Rehabilitation Counil of India Central Institute of Vocational
Technical, Teachers' Training New Delhi Education, Bhopal
and Research, Bhopal Prof. Vibha Joshi
Prog Coordinator, IGNOU, New Delhi

EXPERT COMMITEE
Prof. B.S. Bhatia P;of. M. C. Pant Prof. Vasudha Kamat
Media Lab Asia Former Chairman Joint Director
Ahmedabad, Gujarat National Institute of Open Central Institute ofEducatonal
Schooling, Noida, (V.P.) Technology, National Council of
Ms. Anuradha Mohit
Prof. M. M. Pant Educational Research and Training
Director, National Institute for
Visual Handicapped Former Pro Vice Chancellor New Delhi
Dehradun, (Uttarakhand) Indira Gandhi National Open Mr. A.K. Mittal
University, New Delhi former Regional Director
Dr. Bhusan Punani, Director Ms. Bertha Dkhar, National Institute for Visual
Blind Peoples Association Jyoti Sroat School, Shillong, Handicapped Regional Centre,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat Meghalaya Chennai
Brother Michael Mr S. B. Pattanayak Ms. Sara Jhonson
Montfort Centre for Education Honorary Director Director, Vocational Rehabilitation
TURA, Meghalaya Ramkrishna Mission Blind Training Centre for the Blind,
School, Kolkata Ludhiana,Punjab
Ms. Koushalya Barik
Assistant Director Mrs. Leela Nair Mr J. L. Kaul , Director
National Institute of Open Venu Institute for Universal All India Confederation for the Blind,
Schooling Education, New Delhi Delhi
NOIDA, (V.P.) Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta Mr. Shashi Bhusan, Reader
School of Humanities, Indira School of Computer & Information
Mr. Anand Gupta,Lecturer
Gandhi National Open Sciences, IGNOU, New Delhi
School of Law
University, New Delhi Prof. Vibha Joshi
Indira Gandhi National Open
University, Mr. Dipendra Manocha Programme Coordinator
New Delhi Director, Saksham, New Delhi School of Education, IGNOU, New Delhi

PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT
Programme Coordinators Programme Co-Coordinator Consultant
Prof. Vibha Joshi Dr. Hemlata Mr. Ramesh Kr Pandey
School of Education, IGNOU NCDS;IGNOU, New Delhi School of Vocational Education and
Mrs. Asha Yadav Cource Coordinator Training, Indira Gandhi National
Lecturer, School of Vocational Prof.Anju Sahgal Gupta Open University
Education and Training, IGNOU New Delhi
SOH. IGNOU, New Delhi
COURSE TEAM
Editing Proof Reading
Ms. Vijaya Subramanium Mrs. Asha Yadav
Lecturer
Former Cice Principal
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, New Delhi Mr. Ramesh Kr Pandey
Consultant, School of Vocational
Prof. Anju Sahgal Gupta Education and Traning, IGNOU
SOH, IGNOU, New Delhi

This; Course has been adapted from the programme Certificate in Functional English of School of
Humanities (SOH) .

PRODUCTION TEAM
Mr. B. Natrajan Mr. S. Burman Mr. Hemant Kumar Parida
Deputy Registrar (Publication) Asst. Registrar (Publication) ProofReader (SS) .
MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi

March,201O
© Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2010
ISBN: 978-81-266-4563-3
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form, by mimeograph or any other
means, without permission in writing from the Indira Gandhi National Open University.
Further information on the Indira Gandhi National Open University courses may be obtained from
the University's office at Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-110 068.
Printed and published on behalf of the Indira Gandhi National Open UniVe~ew Delhi by the
Registrar, MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi.
Laser Typeset by Tessa Media & Computers, C-206, A.F.E.-II, Okhla, New Delhi
Printed at: Hi-Tech Graphics, S-39, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-Il, New Delhi-l10020
••:~.

/
/
I
 COURSE INTRODUCTION

Communication Skill is an important and mandatory aspect of our daily life.

This course consists of four blocks i.e. i) English In Daily Life; ii) English for
the Job Market; iii) English at the Work Place-I; and iv) English at the Work
Place-H.

Block 01, English in Daily Life, will orient you in detail about the written and
oral communication, introducing yourself formally and informally, greetings,
telephoning skills, social interaction ~nd use of e-mail and SMS. Through. these
broad topics we will give you practice in the skills of reading, writing, speaking
and listening.

Block 02, English for the Job Market, discusses in detail the process of pre-
paring oneself for the job market, ideas for looking for suitable jobs, writing
letters, vocabulary, portfolio making, writing a standard Curriculum Vitae (CV)
and the difference between portfolio and resume.

Block 03, English at the Work Place-I, deals with presentation skills for the
work place like signalling, signposting and listing techniques, body language,
visual aids, participating in discussions forthe recruitment process, importance
of non-verbal communication and the use of computer in daily life.

Block 04, English at the Work Place-II, would give you information and prac-
tice in Business Correspondence, report and proposal writing.

We hope that the various skills and techniques in communicating in English and
other issues of personality development, discussed in this course would provide
you with a significant knowledge and practice about effective communication
and its importance in our daily and professional life.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The material (pictures and passages) we have used is purely for educational
purposes. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders of
material reproduced in this book. Should any infringement have occurred,
the publishers and editors apologize and will be pleased to make the
necessary corrections in future. editions of this book.

I I·

/
/
 BLOCK INTRODUCTION
This block consists of.Sunits dealing with English in daily life. Since we-allknow that
English plays a very important role in our day-to-day life so the learners should be
encouraged to improve their skills 'of communication. It becomes necessary that the
instructors should be well versed with-thecommunication skills.

Unit 1 deals with the various forms of communication and the difference between
written and oral communication. The features of a good conversation, opening
and 'closing conversation and barriers of communication have also been discussed
in detail in this unit.

Unit 2 demonstrates how to introduce oneself formally and informally and also
- how to greet in the right tone. You can also learn words to be used in your personal,
social or professional life. In the pronunciation section, you would come to know
.that there is.a mismatch in the spelling and sound of English ..
.-
Unit 3 illustrates various skills required to make telephone calls at the workplace.
You would learn that how your voice, speech and tone should be while answering
queries, making requests, confirming facts etc. over the phone.

Unit 4 this unit would make you aware ofthe importance of engaging in social
interaction.

Unit 5 focuses upon the use of e-mails andSMS. You would mow about the
format and structure of e-mails and devices used in SMS.

We hope that various skills discussed in this block would help you in enhancing
the power of communicat~on. required in daily life.

/
/
I
UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO
COMMUNICATION

Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Warm Up.
1.2 Reading Comprehension: Forms of Communication
1.3 Vocabulary: Synonyms
1.4 Listening: News Item
1.5 Written vs. Oral Communication
1.6 Features of a Good Conversation
1.7 Openings and Closings
1.8 Writing: A Conversation
1.9 Grammar: (i) Subject Verb Agreement, (ii) as as (iii) so that
1.10 Let Us Sum Up
1. 1'1 Answers

1.0 ,OBJECTIVES
.This unit-will help youlearn about:
"

.\
• Different forms of communication; .
• . Various features of conversation;
• . How to open and close conversations;
• Barriers of conimunication; ,
.• Macro functions of communication;
• Difference between written 'and oral communication, and
• Language structures:
j) sub-verb agreement
'ii) as as; and
. iii) so that

1.1 WARMUP
Activity 1

1) Think of at least five ways in which people communicate.

/ I
EngHsh in Daily Life 2) How often do you write letters to your friends and family?

3) How do you communicate with people living in far-off places?

;

4) Is it possible to communicate with everyone bye-mail? Why/Why not?

1.2 READING COMPREHENSION: FORMS OF

COMMUNICATION
Communication means sending and receiving information. Every time you wave
your hand at someone you recognize in a crowd, talk to a friend on the telephone,
mail a picture you have drawn to your grandmother, or send a message to your
classmate using the computer, you are communicating. Communication lets
people share ideas expressed in gestures, words, images and other forms.

The word "communicate" comes from the Latin communicare, which means "to
share" or "to make common". Any kind of communication requires a sender, a
recipient, a message (the idea) and a medium (the method of carrying the message).

For most of human history, the sender and recipient were both people. People
sent and received messages that could be directly sensed, or perceived, using
their.eyes and ears - by speech or by gesture. When people began writing their
ideas in words and pictures, messages could be seen at a later time and in a
different place from when and where they were first written .
.
With modem communication systems, often, the sender or recipient of
communication is not a person at all. For example, computer systems carry
weather information and can 'speak' a forecast to someone who calls on a
telephone. Scientists on earth also send commands to control space probes
exploring distant planets.

The telegraph was the forerunner of modem digital communication, where

information is converted into on-off electrical pulses. An~ther outgrowth of the
telegraph was the telephone,which has seen a vast change ever since Alexander
Graham Bell said his first 'hello'. Early telephones transmitted voices over
electrical wires. Modem day optical fibers now carry greater numbers of
conversation. The invention of radio in the early 1900's made wireless
communication possible. It became essential for people on the move, especially
soldiers on the battlefield.
/

One of the most popular forms of communication and entertainment is the

Television, which began on a large scale in the 1940's. By the 1900's television
began to merge with computers and.computer networks. Soon thereafter, digital
TV came into use, providing clearer pictures, better sound, more channels and
sp~cial interactiveservices.
6

/
/
I
 Communication Satellites orbit high above the earth relaying radio messages Introduction to
Communication
across distances that are too great for signals from ground-based antennas to
reach; Many satellites connect just two locations. For example, video coverage
from a reporter in one place is carried to a TV station in another place by satellite.

Although computers were originally designed to mainlystore and process data,

they are now increasingly being used as communication devices. In the 1980's,
thousands of computers scattered across North America began connecting to a
'network of networks'. This eventually became what is known as the 'Internet'.
Today, the Internet has grown rapidly, connecting many millions of computers
across the world and becoming one of the most important methods of '
communication in history. Internet users can exchange text, sounds and pictures
with people .all over the globe through electronic mail or e-mail. The World
Wide Web has become a publishing medium, where people can view pages on
the Web with text, images, video and sound. -

The portable cellular telephone has become as commonly used as the wristwatch.
As they've become smaller, they've added features that make them much more
. than just phones: Internet-capable phones that send and receive e-mail,
information and text messages. Phones which have camera functions allow you
to snap photos and e-mail them to friends. Beeps also have been replaced by a
seemingly unending variety of digital ring tones that can be downloaded from
the Internet.

A cell phone is essentially a type of radio. In a cell phone network, a large area is
divided into small units or cells, each one having a transmitting base station. The
individual phones are also transmitters, but the power they use is very low.

Technology is changing so quickly that the phone you buy today will probably ,
be obsolete before your plan expires (or, in a year). Laws in some areas restrict
the use of cell phones by drivers, for example. The cell phone is so small and
useful that it may be the one piece of technology that nobody can afford to be
without.

The mass media of communication has enriched our lives in many ways.
Television, radio, newspapers, books, magazines and the Internet bring the world
of news, ideas and entertainment into our homes. All this adds variety to our
lives and to our understanding of the world around us.

Check Your Progress 1

1) Answer the following questions:

. i) What is Communication? Describe some forms of communication .

........................................................... .- .

................................................................... ' .

..................................................................................................................
'. .

/ I
English in Daily Life ii) Where did the word 'communicate' originate? What does it mean?

........ , .
•

iii) Why are modem communication systems different from earlier times?
Elaborate with an example.

...................................................................
.
'
. .
....... ................. ...... ......, t··· ~ .
................................................................................... ' .

.
iv) What are Communication Satellites?

.................................................................................. ' .
..... ;,: - ·0····· .
•••••• ~••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• : •••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••• ,<.,: .••••••••..•••.•••••

....... , - .
v) What is the Internet? How has it become the most important
communication tool?

vi) What are the various features that have made the portable cellular
telephone more than just a phone? ''.'.

•• •• •• •• ••• •• •• ••••••• •• •• ••••• •••••• •• ••••••• •• •• • • • •• • ~••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• !' ••••••••••

/ I
 vii) Why is it that the phone you have today will be obsolete very quickly? Introduction to
Communication

........................................................................... ,. ;

2) Tick the correct answer.

i) The forerunner of modem digital communication was the:

a) Telephone b) Cell phone c) Telegraph

ii) Scientists on earth send commands to control:

a) Space ships b) Space probes c) Satellites

iii) This is a 'network of networks' .

a) Internet b) Cable net c) Television

iv) A publishing medium, where people can view pages on the Web with
text, images, video and sound.
a) Electronic mail b) World Wide Web c) Voice mail

v) Modem day telephones transmit voices over:

a) Electrical fibers b) Optical fibers c) Electronic fibers

1.3 VOCABULARY: SYNONYMS

Activity 2
Look at all the words in Table B. These are the synonyms of the six words in
Table A. Choose the appropriate synonyms from Table B and write them below
the main word in Table A.

Please note that every word has more than one synonym.
Table A
Gesture Perceive Forerunner Outgrowth Orbit Obsolete

/ \
I
English hi Daily Life Table B

development ancestor motion distinguish predecessor

outdated observe consequence course SIgn
make out result out of date outcome see
path old- fashioned product identify wave
circle Effect pick out track range
.-
.recognize. Nod signal

1.4 LISTENING: NEWS ITEMS

Check Your Progress 2
News item on 'A Talking Book Library'
Listen to a recording of a news item on 'A talking book library' and fill in the
required informationin the table.

i) Name of the college .- .

'ii) New system introduced .

iii) System oflearning used till now .

iv) New system set up by

a)

b)

v) Cassettes are:

a) Supplied by ........................................•.................................................

b) Sponsored by : .

vi) Membership fees .z:: .

vii) Outstation members can keep the cassettes for ~ .

'-'

1.5 WRITTEN VS. ORAL COMMUNICATION

When we speak oflanguage as a tool for communication, we mean both spoken
and written 'forms of the language. Both these modes can be used for
communication. While they perform the same functions, their form and manner
. of use differ in many respects. For example, one makes use of sounds, other of
-.symbols. The speaker has available to him/her the full range of voice quality
effects, as well as facial expressions, postural and gestural systems, but these
paralinguistic features are denied to the writer. The writer, on the other hand, has
typographical variety at hislher disposal. The speaker is face-to-face with the
hearer while the writer writes for an absent reader who may also be far away in
space and time.

/ \
I
These different features have their own advantages and disadvantages. In oral Introduction to
Communication
communication the speaker, being face-to-face with the hearer can monitor and
match the reactions ofthe hearer. At the same time s/he can simultaneously plan
his/her next utterance and fit it in the overall pattern of what s/he wants to say. s/
he must keep on talking during the period allotted to him/her; s/he must decide
when to take his/her turn, how to interrupt his/her interlocutor, how to hand over
the turn - in fact s/he must be in command of all the conversational skills. S/he
has certain advantages as well; s/he can observe his/her interlocutor and, if
necessary, modify what s/he is saying. Oral communication is quicker, more
economical and more effective than written communication. Doubts and
misunderstandings can be cleared on the spot as immediate reaction and response
is available.

But it has certain disadvantages also. There are variations in spoken language
and also in the way it is delivered. These could be on account of geographical or
social and cultural differences. There are dialectical differences, accent differences
and also differences in the use of paralinguistic features and body language.
Speech is less organized than written language; it contains many incomplete
sentences; often it contains simply sequences of phrases. These features may
easily create misunderstanding. Oral communication is less reliable because it is
not available in future; it is also affected by the attitudes and personality, self-
interest, beliefs, values and prejudices of the sender as well as the receiver and
also the time and circumstances of the communication. Oral communication is
also not suitable for lengthy messages to be communicated to distant and widely
scattered people.

Similarly, the written mode gives the writer certain advantages as well as
disadvantages over the speaker. Since the writer is writing for an absent reader,
s/he may look over, reflect, and edit what s/he has already written, with no fear
of being interrupted by his/her interlocutor; s/he can take his/her own time in
choosing a particular word, even looking it up in the dictionary, if necessary,
reorder what s/he has written, and even change his/her mind about what s/he has
to say. S/he is under no pressure to keep on writing; s/he can even destroy what
s/he has written and throw it into the dustbin without fear of offending the reader.
But the writer has disadvantages too: s/he has no access to immediate feedback
and simply has to imagine the reader's reactions. This non-reciprocal nature of
written communication makes it more difficult to learn.
C . .,

Written communication ensures the transmission of information in a uniform

manner and there is little risk of unauthorized alternation in the message. Since
it is put in black and white, it provides a permanent record for future reference ..
Written communication tends to be complete, precise and unambiguous. The
message can be repeated at regular intervals and lengthy messages can be sent to
widely scattered readers. But written communication is time-consuming,
expensive and rigid and it becomes difficult to maintain secrecy.

In the business world, face-to-face and telephone communications are generally

confirmed in writing by post particularly when the communication is with the
world outside. Why do you think is it necessary to do so? Discuss with others in
your group the comparative advantages and disadvantages of the telephonic mode
of communication over face-to-face interaction.

11

/ I
English in Daily Life Check Your Progress 3
1) Which mode of communication would you adopt in the following cases:

i) The message is very urgent. .

ii) The message is important and lengthy .

iii) The message Sent should be available in the records .

iv) The information is to be sent to all employees in different branches

v) You have to consult your boss, who is out of town, urgently and take a
quick decision .

2) How does telephone communication differ from face-to-face

communication? Are both these forms of oral communication?
'.,

1.6 FEATURES OF·A GOOD CONVERSATION

Striking a fine balance between listening and speaking is the key to good
conversation skills that help build rapport, attract buy-ins, help get your point
across succinctly and can be Ieveraged to get desired results. Outlined below is a
list of conversation winners that can come to your aid:

Focus on being understood

If people frequently tell you "I don't understand" step back and evaluate your
speaking skills. Do you dictate, sound patronizing or talk too fast? Practice
speaking slowly but naturally, calibrating your style and vocabulary to suit your
audience. Remember, it is not just what you way but how you say it that also
matters.

Exhibit good listening skills

·'Most people don't focus well on listening; instead they just wait to speak. By
displaying good listening skills, you build trust and show interest. Asking relevant
questions, using positive gestures like eye contact, nodding or smiling and picking
up the thread of the conversation shows you are 'really' engaged and empathetic.

Follow a 2-way dialogue

Conversation, like a game of tennis, is a two-say process. Use it to extract others'
opinions and not just as a tool for telling them yours. View pauses and short
silences as time to think and respond.

12

/ I
 Include everyone Introduction to
Communication
Extroverts have a natural flair for conducting conversation but the real skill lies
. in including the quieter ones, who may be struggling to get their point across but
do have valuable views to contribute.

Disagree gracefully
Respect the fact that people have differing opinions, which makes conversation
interesting and lively. Instead oflaunching on a single-minded mission to prove
yourself correct, when faced with a challenge to your opinion, accept gracefully,
saying "It is possible to have differing views on this subject, and you may be
right. My personal view is'... "

Changing tracks
Use tact to change the subject, which at times may be needed to retain focus or to
deflect to rieutral territory. Steer smartly during a break in the conversation but if
the break doesn't come, inter] ect saying "Tell me more about. .. " or "Going back
to ..."

Resist the urge to be a 'know-all'; despite all your success and depth of knowledge,
accept the fact that you cannot have all the answers. So, wait for people to ask
for your advice.

In short, get others to speak, practice active listening, know what to say and how
to say it and most importantly, when to say nothing.

Activity 3
Choose a topic and have a conversation on it in your group. Appoint an observer
who will observe the others while conversing and comment on each person.using C "

the features stated in the passage.

1.7 OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

, Conversations do not simply begin and end. The openings and closings of
conversations and other types of speech events are organized and orderly. All
transitions from a state of non-talk to talk or from talk to non-talk require
engineered solutions. Openings and closings are problematic for the native
speakers as well and have to be learnt like other social behaviours. For non-
native speakers it is an area which needs special attention.

Openings and closings are speech event-specific. For a formal meetings, for
example, there is an initial summons (a memo, circular along with the agendas,
etc.)

A conversation is quite different from many other speech events in that it has no
specified setting, no time or place, no required roles other than 'persons' involved
(though some external roles such as boss/secretary may not be shed), no pre-
specified agenda, and a quorum of simply two or more. Like other speech
. .

, activities, however, conversations must be opened, and commonly this is done

through the use of a Greeting-Greeting, Request-Grant, Question-Answer, or
Statement-Response as in the following speech event:

1:'

/ 1
English in Daily Life A: Good morning
B: Morning. Can I help you? .
A: I want to see Mr. Bhatnagar.
B: Which Mr. Bhatnagar do you want? We've two Bhatnagars in this office.

,
A: Mr. Mukul Bhatnagar. He's Director Finance.
B: Do you have an appointment?
A: I'm afraid not.
B: Let me check ifhe is free. You are Mr.?
A: Mr. Malhotra. Deepak Malhotra from ABC. (Mr. Malhotra takes his seat
after a few minutes in the waiting room).
B: I'm sorry he's in meeting.
A: When is the meeting likely to be over? .'
B: No idea. Can I take a message?
A: Will you tell him I came to see him?
B: I will, certainly
A: Thank you.
B: You're welcome.

1.7.1 Topic'" Development

Another important dimension of conversational organization is the way topics
are selected for discussion within and the strategies' used by the speakers to
introduce, develop, or change topics within the conversation. Coherent
conversations respect norms concerning choice of topics, for example, in a
business meeting members will take turns to speak only on "the items on the
agenda notified in advance and from among these only on that item which is
being discussed at the moment."

Topics may develop in a recognizable structure as, for example, the language of
buying and selling, court trial, doctor and patient conversation, etc.

Activity 4
Write a short conversation between a visually challenged student and a person
who is going to be his/her writer for an exam. Discuss in your study centre the
structure of this conversation in the light of the points made above.

14

/ I
1.7.2 Turn Taking Introduction to
Communicatlbn
Conversation by definition involves two or more people. But the distribution of
talking among the participants is not merely random. It is governed by turn-
taking norms, conventions which determine who talks, when, and for how long.
One who talks too much and does not allow time for others, or one who contributes
nothing to the conversation arouses negative evaluation.

Rules for turn-taking differ according to the type of speech event. In the
classroom, for example, students generally raise a hand to take a turn to talk. .' ...

1.7.3 Repairs
The process of conversation involves monitoring to ensure that the intended
messages have been communicated and understood. This involves correction
whenever it is suspected that the message has not been received as intended.
The term-repair refers to the efforts by the speaker or the hearer to correct trouble
spots in conversation. Repairs may be initiated by either the speaker or the hearer:
A: Mr. Malhotra isn't in his office.
B: Sorry!
A: Mr. Malhotra is not in his office at the moment.

1.8 WRITING: A CONVERSATION

Activity 5
You are Meena Mehta, Ajournalist with a leading magazine. You are writing an
article on a school for the visually challenged.

Write out the conversation you had with the Principal of the school.
Ask about:
• number of students
• courses offered
• special facilities for the visually challenged
• vocational training

You may add more information if you wish.

1.9 GRAMMAR: (I) SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

(11)AS..... AS (Ill) SO.... THAT
i) Subject - Verb Agreement
.Read the following sentences:
A People view pages on the web with text, images and sound.
B A person views pages on the web with text, images and sound.
In Sentence A, the subject 'people' is in plural form. The verb 'view' is also in
the plural form.
In Sentence B, the subject 'a person' is in the singular form, therefore, the verb
'views', which has been used, is also in the singular form. 15

/ I
 ..
English in Daily Life In both the sentences given ~bove, the verbs agree with their subject.

1) It is important to make verbs agree with their subject .

2)
.
The verb form can change. depending on whether the subject is singular or
plural.
3) The verb must always, agree with its subject.
4) A Singular Subject = Singular Verb, Plural Subject = Plural Verb
Look at the ex-ample with the verb 'work'. All verbs except to be and the modal
follow this pattern:

I1you/we/they work! do not (don 't work)

He/She/it works/ does not (doesn't work)
Do I1youlwe/they work?
I

"
Does he/she/it work?

However, there are many exceptions to the above rule. For example:
Gulliver s Travels is a famous book-.
In this sentence, the Subject Gulliver s Travels is a proper noun in plural form I i

[
but it represents a particular book. It therefore, musttake a singular verb i.e. is
. .
The above sentence cannot be written as Gulliver s Travels are a famous book.
Similarly, proper nouns like Mls Richardson & Sons, Singapore Airlines, Many
Lives Many Masters are in the plural form but represent a single object. Therefore,
they will take on a singular verb.
\

I
More guidelines I
1) When two nouns are joined with and and refer to the same person or thing,
the verb used is singular. I·
eg: Rice and fish curry is my favourite meal.
2) When the subject is a unit of measurement, the verb is singular.
, ,
1
eg: Two litres of milk is sufficient for the custard
3) . Indefinite pronouns like everybody, nobody, everything, something, take on
a singular verb:
eg: Everything is in order.
4) Pronouns like many, few, several, both, take on a plural verb. However,
many a takes on a singular verb.
eg: i) Many students attend my lecture on Friday.
ii) Many a child likes to attend my lecture on Friday.

Check Your Progress 4

1) Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given in brackets.
i) The cars : ~parked on the street ahead. (is / are) l
ii) The carpet ,. a lot of stains. (has / have)
.1
I
iii) The Trade Union Members' Meeting .
.1
being held in the Conference Room .:(is ;' are)
16

/
/
 iv) Fifteen years a very long time! (is / are) Introduction to
Communication
v) Neither her father nor her mother very tall.(is / are)
vi) Either this woman or that man stolen th~ watch. (has / have)
vii) At the party, ~veryone ~well dressed, (was / were)
viii) Baked beans and toast my favourite dish for breakfast. (is / are)
ix) Many children ' injured-in the accident. (was / were)
x) . Something amiss in this room. (seem /seems)
2) Spot the Mistakes: Read the text given below. There are 12,verbs that are'
wrong. Rewrite the passage with the correct form of the verb in the space
provided. '

Some jobs is very demanding but nevertheless, someone have to do them.

Recently, I saw an advertisement in the newspaper where Brown & Polson were
looking for a Chocolate Purchase Manager. The Company were offering to pay $
40,000 per year for the right candidate.

The nature of the job are also very interesting. The applicant are expected to
travel to Africa to selects the right cocoa to be used in the making of chocolate .
..
The company are expecting a lot of applications for the job. They is lookingfor .
someone who work hard, enjoy travelling andwho love chocolate. '
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••
.
0'0 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
.
" •••••• '••••• '~ -. •• 0," •• " ." •••••••• :. •• •••• • .,: ' "

.................................. - , .........•........
........ .. .. ; ~ ;, .
...................................................................................• " ..............................•............
........................................................ .
, " ~........•..•...

.
.......................................................... "

..;
. .
.

............................... ~.............................................................................•..................... " "."

, '
"."

11) as as

Read the sentence given below:

The portable cellular telephone has become as commonly used as the wristwatch. '
-In the above sentence, the expression (as used + as) has been used + commonly
because we want tosay that two things are the same in some way. This structure,
is used to compare and measur~ things which are in -Similar proportion.
More Examples:
1) Harry is as capable as Susan.
,2) The weather is as pleasant as usual.
3) Jane spoke as slowly as she could.
17

/
 English in Daily Life Check Your Progress 5
1) Rewrite the following sentences using as... as, comparing it along with the
words in brackets.
i) She is a good cook. (mother)

ii) The market is c~owded.(usual)

. iii) Her face turned pale. (ghost)

iv) Electricity will be restored soon. (possible)

v) Rafiq is not intelligent. (Salman)

.. vi) Sheila runs fast. (Yasmeen)

vii) The water is cold. (ice)

viii) This metal is not pure. (gold)

ix) This flower is fragrant. (rose)

x) The film is frightening. (ghost story)

iii) so that

Look at the following sentences:

i) Technology is changing so quickly that the phone you buy today will
probably be obsolete before your plan expires.

ii) The cell phone is so small and useful, that it may be the one piece of
technology that nobody can afford to be without.

In both the sentences above, you will notice that so is followed by that.

In both the sentences, so... that is used to introduce a clause that states a
result or consequence.

In formal writing, 'so .... that' is used in many instances as illustrated below.

i) He stayed up late so that he could complete his lessons.

ii) It was so hot that the plants started withering.
iii) My mother was so concerned that she called me on my cell phone.

18

/
/
 Check Your Progress 6 Introduction to
Communication
. Join the following sentences with so ... that and rewrite them in the space provided.

i) Rita opened the cupboard. She could take out the biscuits.

"

ii) Father was ill. He had to be rushed to the hospitaL'

iii) The boy was poor. He could not pay. his tuition fees.

iv) The television is very useful. We cannot do without it. .

v) The film was interesting. I don't mind seeing it a second time.

1.10 LET US SUM UP

In this Unit, you learnt about the various forms of communication, which have
improved our lives ina very big way. The Reading Comprehensionpassage
. described the importance of the diverse means of communication. You especially
read about the World Wide Web which has brought the entire world onto your \
computer screen just at the click of a mouse.

Your listening skills improved by listening to a news item about' A talking book
library'. You understood the difference between, the advantages and disadvantages
of written and oral communication. You also learned about the features of good
conversation. Based on all these you learnt to write a conversation.

In the Grammar section, you practiced the correct usage of' as ... as' and 'so ... that' , :I
..""1 ,
and the importance of writing the correct form of a verb to agree with the subject. . 'J

1.11 ANSWERS '. ;'.\:..

" ·",.n
Check Your Progress 1 . ·.·,r... .I.'
i) Communication means sending and receiving information. Waving your'
hand at someone you recognize in a crowd, talking to a friend on the
telephone, mailing a picture and sending a message on a computer, are some .
forms of communication.

ii) The word communicate comes from the Latin word communicare, which
means "to share" or "to make common".

iii) In modern day communication systems, often, the sender or recipient of the
communication is not a person at all. For example, computer systems carry
weather information and can 'speak' the forecast to someone who calls on a
telephone.

19

/
/ \
I
 Engli~h in Daily Life iv) Communications Satellites orbit high above the earth relaying radio messages
across distances that are too great for signals from ground-based antennas
to reach.

v) The Internet is a 'networkof networks'. Today, it is one of the most important

tools of communication. Internet users can exchange text, sounds and pictures
with people all over the globe through electronic mail or e-mail.

vi) The portable cellular telephone has features that make it much more than
just a phone: there are Internet-capable phones that send and receive e-mail,
information and text messages, and phones which have camera functions
allowing you to snap photos and e-mail them to friends.

vii) Technology is changing so quickly that the phone one buys today will
.probably be obsolete before the plan expires or, even in a year.

2) 1- c, ii - b, iii - a , iv - b, v - b

.. Activity 2
Table A
Gesture Perceive Forerunner Outgrowth Orbit Obsolete
motion distinguish predecessor development course outdated
SIgn observe ancestor consequence path out of date
wave make out result circle old-fashioned
nod see outcome track
signal .identify product range
pick out effect
recognize

Tape Script: News item' A Talking Book Library'

Coimbatore: 'A talking book library' has been set up in a women's college here,
which can help replace the traditional Braille system of learning used by the
visually challenged till now. The facility, set up at the Nirmala College for women
in the city, is the second of its kind in Tamil Nadu after the one in Madurai. It is
a joint venture between the Bharathiar University and the Lions Club International
District 324 here ..

"The library in the long run can help replace Braille books with cassettes, by
which the visually challenged can hear and learn by themselves," Bharathiar
University Vice-Chancellor, G Thiruvasagam said.

As of now the library has cassettes with 400 titles, covering a range of general
topics. The cassettes will soon cross the 1,000 mark, covering all topics based
on the State board and university syllabus, he said.

Rotary Helen KellerTalking Book Library of Madurai is supplying the cassettes,

which will be enhanced to 5,000 in the near future, based on the demand. The
Rotary Club would produce cassettes as required by the University, he said.
20

/
/
 Stating that the cassettes would be sponsored by the Lions Club and the library Introduction to
Communication
jointly maintained by the college and the University, Thiruvasagam said students
can become members by paying Rs50. They can select books from a: Braille
catalogue, listen to them in the library or take them home. Those from outside
the city could borrow cassettes and return it by post in 15 days, after using it, free
of cost, college sources said.

Check Your Progress 2

i) Nirrnala College for Women.
ii) A talking book library.
iii) Braille
iv) a) Bharathiar University
b) Lions Club.
v) a) Rotary Helen Keller talking book library, Madhurai.
b) Lions Club.
vi) Rs.50/-
vii) 15 days
Check Your Progress 3
i) Oral
ii) Written
iii) Written
iv) Written
v) Telephone
2) Face-to-face Communication Telephone Communication
facial expressions both absent
gestures
Check Your Progress 4
1) Missing words are in bold.
i) The cars are parked on the street ahead.
ii) The carpet has a lot of stains.
iii)
\
The Trade Union Members' Meeting is being held in the Conference
Room.
iv) Fifteen years is a very long time!
v) Neither her father nor her mother is very tall.
vi) Either this woman or that man has stolen the watch.
vii) At the party, everyone was well dressed.
viii) Baked beans and toast is my favourite dish for breakfast.
/
ix) Many children were injured in the accident.
x) Something seems amiss in this room.
21

/ I
English in Daily Life 2) Text with correct form of the verbs:
Some jobs are very demanding but nevertheless, someone has to do them.
Recently, Isaw an advertisement in the newspaper where Brown & PoIson was
looking for a Chocolate Purchase Manager. The Company was offering to pay $
40,000 per year for the right candidate -,

The nature of the job is also very interesting. The applicant is expected to travel
to Africa to select the right cocoa to be used in the making of chocolate.

The company is expecting a lot of applications for the job. They are looking for
someone who works hard, enjoys travelling and who loves chocolate.

Check Your Progress 5

i) She is as good a cook as her mother.

ii) The market is as crowded as usual.
iii) Her face turned as pale as a ghost.
iv) Electricity will be restored as soon as possible.
v) Rafiq is not as intelligent as Salman.
vi) Sheila runs as fast as Yasmeen.
vii) The water is as cold as ice.
viii) This metal is not as pure as gold.
ix) This flower is.as fragrant as a rose.
x) The film is as frightening as a ghost story.

Check Your Progress 6

i) Rita opened the cupboard so that she could take out the biscuits.
ii) Father was so ill that he had to be rushed to the hospital.
iii) The boy was so poor that he could not pay his tuition fees.
iv) The television is so useful that we cannot do without it.
v) The film was so interesting that I don't mind seeing it a second time.

22

/ I
 UNIT 2 GREETINGS AND INTRODUCTIONS

Structure
. 2.0 Objectives
2.1 Warm up
2.2 Language Focus
2.3 Reading Comprehension
2.4 Vocabulary
2.5 Grammar
2.6 Speaking and Listening
2.7 Samples of Greeting
2.8 Pronunciation: Relationship between Sound and Spelling
2.9 Let Us Sum Up
2.10 Answers

2.0 OBJECTIVES
In this Unit you will:
• learn about formal and informal greetings;
• practice formulaic language used in introductions and greetings;
• read about introduction etiquette in India;
• introduce yourself as well as others;
• present a brief profile of yourself;
• use contractions in spoken language; and
• analyze the nuances of English pronunciation with regard to sound and
spelling.

2.1 WARMUP
Activity 1
i) How do you introduce yourself to a new colleague at work?
ii) How do you greet your colleagues when you meet them?
a) at home?
b) at a party?
c) at a get-together?
d) in a formal meeting?

2.2 LANGUAGE FOCUS

Activity 2
1) Look at these greetings and state whether they are formal, semi-formal or
informal. Check your responses with the answer key.
23

/
 .English in J)aily Life i) ·Hi!
,
.i ii) How do you do?
,

, iii) How are you doing?

, .•.. ", .
iv) What's up?

v) Hello!

vi) How ¥e you?

vii) Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening '--.......,;"'--_ .

viii) Good to see you.

2) Match the responses with the greetings:

Greeting Response
i) Hi a) Very well, thank you; And you?
ii) How do you do? b) Hellolhi
iii) How are you doing? c) Good to see you too.
iv) What's up? d) How do you do?
v) Hello e) Nothing much.
vi) How are you? f) Good Morning/afternoon/evening
vii) Good Morning/ g) Alright. How about you?
afternoon/evening
viii) Good to-see you h) Hilhello
I
3) Find someone who ...
This activity will help you to get introduced to other members of your Class/ 1
group. Your trainee will give you a handout. Read the handout and write the
names of the people against each statement. You will need to ask 'Yes/No'
questions e.g. 1
j
Do you have a year's work experience? •

Can you work on the computer?

Move around in the group and ask these questions and find the names 01 the
people who fit in each' statement.
Handout for Instructors/participants
Find someonew:ho:
i) has at least one year of work experience .
ii) does not like cricket. : , ~ .. .
iii) loves to read books ....................................................................................•..
. iv) speaks more than three languages : .
v) .can work on the computer : .
vi) is a .sportsperson ..................•......... ;
. \
; .
J .

vii) can play a musical instrument. : ~ . ~ .

24 viii) whose-name begins ~ith T.. ;...•...... : ; : ,.; : ~ .

/
/
I
Introducing Yourself Greetings and introductions
I'm Anjana fyer.
My name's Anjana fyer.

Do not say
I ~
Myself Anjana
Iyer.

There are a number of phrases that are commonly used to introduce strangers.

I don 't think you 've met

For Example:
Radhika?

4) Can you think of at least two other ways in which you can introduce
someone to the others? Check the answers for more alternatives.
"
When you meet someone for the first time, it is common to greet the person with
"How do you do?" the correct response to this is also "How do you do?" Here is
a short introductory conversation:
Victor Sunil, I'd like you to meet Radhika.
Sunil. How do you do?
Radhika: How do you do?
Victor : Radhika works for...
A variation is also "It's a pleasure to meet you." or "Pleased to meet you."

Victor Sunil, I'd like you to meet Radhika.

Sunil It's a pleasure to meet you.
Radhika: How do you do?
Victor . Radhika works for...

Victor Sunil, I'd like you to meet Radhika.

Sunil How are you?
Radhika : Pleased to meet you.
Victor : Radhika works for...
Never ask anyone 'What is your good name '. Instead you may say 'May I know
your name please' or 'I don't think we've met. I'm Radhika. How about you? '
Complete these expressions and use them to greet your class of visually
challenged students.
i) How you do?
1'1') ............. '" to meet you.
iii) It's a to meet you.
iv) like you to meet Radhika.
Check your answers with the script above to ensure that you've got these
expressions right. 25

/ I
 English in Daily Life It is common to greet people formally according to the time of the day. 'Good
morning' is used until noon after which one uses 'good afternoon' until 4 pm.
Anytime after 4 pm is 'good evening' even ifthe time is not evening but night.
'Good night' is used at leave taking in the evening, especially late evening.

2.3 READING COMPREHENSION

Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow:
Indian social etiquette is a strange mix of Western and Indian culture. This is
largely because of British influence during the colonial period which continued
in post colonial India. Hence India is very much influenced by the British style
of etiquette which is rather formal and somewhat conservative.

On the other hand, J ndia is a multi cultural society where religion, region, caste,
language, tradition and custom play a large role in the kind of social etiquette
prevalent in different parts of the country. These have an impact on the nature of
.. greetings and introductions as well as the degree of formality used in social and
business situations.

In addition to this is the impact of globalization, which is largely felt in the

metropolitan cities. With changes in lifestyles as well as business environment,
a synthesized form of social behavior and etiquette has emerged which is more
in keeping with international practices. Having said this, it must be admitted that
the influence of native culture continues to have its impact even in these environs.
Hence, though a great deal of commonality can be seen in the social etiquette of
Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore and Chennai, one may also observe many
differences in the way people address and greet each other.

One may easily conclude that there is no one correct way of introducing and
greeting. To communicate effectively and strike the right note at the very
beginning, it is advisable to study the social etiquette of different regions so that
you may be able to make a good impression from the word go.

Check Your Progress 1

1) The most appropriate title for the passage is:

i) The impact of globalization on social etiquette
ii) Social etiquette in India
iii) Effective communication
2) State whether these statements are true or false:
i) Indian social etiquette is very different from that of the West.
ii) Indians are largely formal in their social etiquette.
iii) All Indians greet each other in the same way.
iv) The metropolitan citiesof India are more influenced by global trends
in social etiquette.
v) It is advisable to follow your own rules in social etiquette.
vi) Appropriate greetings and introductions can help us make a good first
. .
impression.
26 .

/ I
 3) Find words from the passage which have similar meanings to these: Greetings and lntroductions

o traditional
ii) part of the British Empire
ill) belonging to several cultures
iv) large and important
v) belonging to a specified region or place
Activity 3 ...•.

Here is a passage on the etiquette followed in India while introducing people. Some
words are missing in the paragraph. See if you can fill them in from the box. In case of
difficulty.you may look into the answers to find the right word.
strangers Familiar respect introduce secure
advanced Prefer courtesy shake titles
.. first Etiquette status always - ,

Indian (i) .
considers it important to use a person's
title wherever it is possible.
(ii) such as doctor
or professor are always used. Titles are
so highly valued that (iii)
............................. degrees such as Ph.
D. are listed on business cards and may
be mentioned in introductions.

It is also advisable to use (iv)

....- titles such as "Mr.",
"Mrs.", or "Miss" for those without
professional titles. One uses (v)
........................ names only when the person you are speaking to invites you to use
his/herfirstname. Youmaytry'Sir/Ma'am'for(vi) and 'Uncle/
Aunty' (or Chachaji, Mausiji etc) for (vii) people in social situations.
For a stranger who is not very old, it is better to suffix the name with 'ji', as a mark of
(VUl) .

(ix) is often determined by a person's age, university education,

caste, and profession. It is not Uncommonto find people talking about their educational
qualifications as well as the colleges or Universities they come from when they (x)
.......................... themselves. Government employment is considered to be more (xi)
........................... than private business, although the scene is now changing.

As for greetings, men almost (xii) shake hands- with other men.
Westernized Indian women may (xiii) hands with foreign men,
and sometimes with Indian men too. But by and large most women (xiv)
......................... the traditional namaste.

, 27

/
/
 English in Daily Life 2.3.1 Greeting People
Read the following passage:
Hello!
Hi!
Namaste
Assalam ale kum
Bonjour

Everyday we greet people. We greet our family members when we wake up in the
- morning; we greet our friends and teachers at school; we greet people at work; we
greet people from whom we buy our bus or train ticket, a cup of coffee or newspaper.
Ifit is a friend's or a loved one's birthday we greet them in a special way. Ifit's a
special day, a festival or celebration, we wish our loved ones in a special way too.

Greetings are a vital part of any language. While learning a second language one ofthe
first things we learn is how to greet people.

Think about greeting different people-on different occasions. How do you

normally greet people? Does the form of greeting change in different situations?
Is the greeting different when it is a stranger, or someone of a different gender or
an older person? Does the form ofthe greeting vary from one part ofthe country
to another?

Greetings acknowledge the existence of another human being. Greeting a person

means taking the time to relate to a person in a personal way. Greetings may be
conveyed through words, spoken or written and through gestures. While a quick
"H_ello!';or "Hi!" conveys a casual spoken greeting; shaking hands, embracing
or hugging a person, kissing people on the cheeks or joining one's hand in a
simple 'namaste' are some of the gestures people across the world employ to greet
people from different cultures.

While, the shaking ofhands in U.S.A. is

. a fairly formal way to greet people you
meet for the first time; in India, you will
find that men do not shake hands with
women, especially older women.
Touching people's feet, especially, an
older person's, is a more favoured form
,of greeting, especially in rural India.

Wherever you are in the Arab world,

greetings and taking le'ave are an
important part of any Arabic conversation. They tend to be more elaborate than in the
West. Even when addressing a stranger, it is customary to greet him/her and take
your leave using standard polite expressions .

. It is normal when meeting someone socially for the first time; and when meeting
l
anyone you already know (even if you just bump into them in the street), to
'\
follow the initial expression of greeting by enquiring after their health.

28

/
Check Your Progress 2 Greetings and Introductions

1) Answer the following questions.

i) . List a few situations from everyday life when we need to greet people.
,-
...............................................................................................................

it) _What is the purpose of a greeting?

.................................. ~ .

........................................... ,.."';--: .

.......... ..~ .

ill) What are some ofthe ways in which people greet one another in different
cultures.
............................................................................................................... .

.... ~ '.' ~ .
. .
...............................................................................................................

. •••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••••.••••••••.•••••••••• : •••.••••••••.••••••••••••••• ~ •••.••.••.•.• 00' 0 ••••••

•• •• • 0 ••••••••••••••• 0 •••••••• 0 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ~ •••••••••• '" •••••••• ' ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

.
.......................................................................................
.
' ~ ' .....•.

. iv) If you have to interact with people from a different culture what are some of
the things that you may have to learn?
c _-

.. !
-. ,
", .

. v) How are forms of greeting in the western world different from forms of
greeting in the Arab world?

29
./
,

/
English in Daily Life 2) Complete the following sentences using ideas from the passage given above.
i) Some of the people we greet everyday are ~ .

ii) Some greetings are :~ while others are

................. ~
,
.

iii) "Hello" and "Hi" are examples of :: .

iv) Some examples of gestures used to greet people are .

v) In general, the initial expression of greeting is followed by .

3) Find words from the text which are similar in meaning to the words given
below:
i) Essential
ii) Differ
iii) Recognize
iv) Communicated
v) Movements made with hands, head or face
vi) Detailed

2.4 VOCABULARY
Activity 4
We have given a few gestures and words used for greeting. Complete the table
by providing information about them.

- Greeting! Nature of Occasion! People with whom

Gesture greeting/ Situation the greeting may
Gesture be used
Hello Informal Common greeting; Used U sed for anyone;
when meeting someone older, younger or
for the first time in the day. peer group.
Bonjour Informal- Hello in French.
Namaste A form of greeting in India
by joining one's hands
together.
Shaking Formal
Hands
Good Used only in the morning,
Morning before noon.
What's Used between
up? friends or equals.
30

/ I
In order to be a successful in your work you need personal, social and professional Greetings .and Introductions
qualities. Youwill find words related to these qualities in the box given below. Put the
words in their appropriate lists. You will find that some words fit into more than one
list. . -,

kind motivator leadership

soft spoken guide approacbablc
friendly receptive to new idea dedicated
cooperative positive inspiringothers
hardworking persuasive ready to learn
creative finn mentor
helpful ready to change ability to empathize
encouragmg ready to experiment professional
,
punctual role model leader
affectionate innovative mentor
understanding able to meet challenges conflictmanagement
personal social sympathetic
accessible friendly

Activity 5
1 From the list above, say which three qualities from each list (personal, social,
professional) are most important to be successful at most kinds of work?

2) Why are these qualities most important according to you?

3) Fill in the blanks in the following sentences choosing words from the box of
personal, social and professional qualities. The first is done for you. '
Note that there may be more than one word that fits in some blanks. Choose
the one that appears most appropriate to you. You may need to change the
form of the word.
i) Mr. Ahrned is very punctual. He reaches school on time everyday.
31

/ I
English in Daily Life it) Rama is a good leader. She is able to. get the of all the
teachers she works with.

'iii) Mrs. Vimmy Singh was awarded the best teacher as she was found to
be .. and always brought new ideas into. her teaching.

iv)
and :
.
Miss Rawat is liked by her students because she is
.
.

v) Being a friendly person, AmitArora is easily .

People do. nQt hesitate to. talk to.him about their problems .

. ' vi} The Principal ofthe school is a wonderful person. She is .

and due to. which she motivates the teachers
to. excel in their profession.

vii) If a teacher is s/he can win over students and

make them and .

viii) If you want to.resolve conflicts yQUmust be ' .

and , : , .

2.5 GRAMMAR
2.5.1 The Simple Present Tense: Verb 'to be'
Read the passage given belQWand take note of the verbs in italics and those in
bold.

Everyday we greet people. We greet our family members when we wake up in

the morning. We greet our friends and teacher at school; we greet people at
work. If it is a friend's birthday, we greet them in a special way. If it is a special
day, we wish our loves one's in a; special way tQQ.

YQUwill notice that the verbs 'greet', 'wake-up' and 'wish' depict some action
and are called action verbs. On the other hand the verbs 'is' depict states and nQt
actions.
Read the passage below and notice the subjects and their verbs.
1) I am aware of the change in the attitude of the youth today,
2) They are more focused and are ready to. put in a lot of hard w,?rk.
3) The job scenario. too is no longer the same. .
4) Many young women are nQWin positions that were considered male bastions.
5) This is a very encouraging trend.
6) On theother hand another trend is prevalent. /.
7) The young are more focused on earning money whether through lucrative
.jobs or through stocks and shares.
8) . I am of the opinion that our youth need to.be guided a little better by their
seniors.
9) But most of us are concerned with our own lives and let the youngsters be.
1·) I ......................................
32

/ I
 ii) They . Greetings and Introductions

iii) The job scenario .

. iv) Many young women .
v) This .
vi) : another trend .............•.............................
vii) The young .
viii) I .
ix) But most of us ,' .

2.5.2 Subject-verb Concord

You will notice that the Simple Present Forms of the verb 'be' differ according
to the number and person ofthe subject/so

I am (Singular I Person)
You are (Singular IT Person)
He/She is (Singular HI Person)
It is (Singular object)
This is (Singular object/idea/concept etc.)
These are (Plural ITI Person)
We are (Plural I Person)

2.5.3 Contractions
Contractions are words that have been shortened. This is done by missing out
letters. An apostrophe replaces the missing letters. For example:
doesn't - for does not
we'll - for we will
it's - for iUs
they're - for they are

Contractions are generally used in speech and informal writing. They are also
frequently used in emails.

Check Your Progress 3

Can you write these words in the contracted from:
i) lam
ii) She is
iii) We are
iv) We have
v) You have
vi) I would
vii) You would
viii)Do not
ix) Are not 33

/
 . English in Daily Life x) Should not
xi) Should have
xii) Need not
xiii) It is .
xiv) Thatis

We will now see how they ate used in Introductions and greetings.

I'm (I am) Pawan Dhingra.l'd (I would) like to introduce you to my colleague,

Preeti Shukla. She's (She is) from Marketing too. We've (We have) been working
together for two years.

Check Your Progress 4

Here are some expressions commonly used in Introductions and Greetings.
'Rewrite them using appropriate contracted forms. '
..
i). I am Niti Wadhwani.
c·

ii) He is my colleague RahmanSiddiqui.

iii) We are working together on the project, 'Atalking book project'.
iv) It will help replace the traditional Braille system.
v) We have almost completed the first phase of the project.
vi) We would like to show you the plan for the second phase.
vii) My name is Gagan Shrivastava.
viii) What is your name?
ix) I am pleased to meet you.
x) I would like you to meet my colleague Sadhna Suman.
xi) She is my senior in the department.
xii) We are both from the same college.
.xiii) I am very pleased to meet you both.
xiv) It has been a pleasure.
xv) What is your program for the evening?
xvi) Let us meet in the evening for dinner.

2.6 SPEAKING AND LISTENING

Activity 6

1) . Respond to the given instructions and then compare your responses with the
audio on CD.
i) Introduce yourself.
ii) Greet someone formally.
iii) Introduce your colleague / companion.
iv) Enquire from your visitor about his / her journey.

/ I
 2) Now imagine that you are talking to a visitor. You will hear her part of the Greetings and Introductions
conversation on audio. You must respond to whatever she says. Speak after
the beep. After you have spoken you will hear a sample response on the
,.audio.
Visitor: Good morning Mr. Siddiqui.
You: : : ~ .,
Visitor: How are you?
You: .
Visitor: I'm fine too. It's been long since we last met.
You: : .
3) You will now listen to two people talking about themselves and their work.
Listen to the audios and complete the blanks .
.t Name: .
Name of Company: ..............................................................•............. ,
Has been working since ~ .
Job responsibility: : .
Likes: .
Dislikes: .
ii) Name: : .
Name of the Organization: .
Aim of the Organization: .
Course offered: .
Main responsibility: e ••••••

Practice your own introduction using the following clues

Name: .
What you do: ; .
Where you study / work: .
What are your job responsibilities (if applicable): ~
What you like about your work / studies: .
What you don't like about your work / studies: .

2.7 SAMPLES OF GREETING

Starting a conversation involves making people feel relaxed and comfortable.
You may have to start a conversation while welcoming visitors. And, when you
don't know others at a meeting, party or social gathering, you may have to start
a conversation.
Starting a conversation involves three steps:
a) greeting;
b) introducing yourself;
c) asking after the otherperson's well-being. 35

/
/
English in Daily Life The formulas for these are fixed and usually carry no literal meaning. We say 'Good
morning' even ifit is not a good morning and the answer for 'How are you?' is 'Fine,
thanks,' even if you are not well. No one, expect your close friends, really want to
know about your troubles. These are routine courtesies that are followed. The
expression you use will vary according to your relationship.

Activity 7
Read the short pieces below and decide on the following for each dialogue:-

i) Where is the conversation taking place?

ii) What is their relationship?
Strangers/friends/family/acquaintances/colleagues/neighbours
iii) Underline the words/expressions that tell you about their relationship.
1) Dixit: What a pleasure to see you, Mr. Shanna. How are you keeping? "

Sharma: Not bad. How are you doing, Mr. Dixit?

2) Nitoo: Good morning. Welcome to Fergusson College, ma'am. The Seminar
is in Room number 16 down this corridor.
3) KK: Mr. Peter Walsh, How do you do? I'm Krishna Kumar, Personnel
Officer. Welcome to BHEL.
PW: Thank you, Mr. Kumar. How do you do?
,
4) VS: Good morning, Sir!
AR: Good morning, Vikram. I didn't see you in class yesterday. Are you
keeping well?
VS: Yes Sir, thank you very much.
5) AG: Hi! I'm Arnrita Gill. We've just moved into this locality.
RK: Hi! I'm RK and this is Anu. Anu's in the ninth at Springdale's and
I'm in the twelfth at Father Agnel. What about You?
6) Students: Good morning, ma'am.
Teacher: Good morning? It's well past 120' clock.
Students: Good afternoon, ma'am.
Teacher: Good afternoon. Sit down, please.
7) Visitor: Good evening, I have an appointment with David Lee.
Reception: Good evening, could you sit down for a moment? I'll find out
whether Mr. Lee is in.
Visitor: Of course, I'm Ajay Makheja from ICICI.

2.8 PRONUNCIATION: RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN SOUND AND SPELLING
It is a well known fact that English spelling does not always indicate how an
English word should be pronounced. There is, in other words, no one-to-one
correspondence between the letters of the Roman alphabet and the sounds of
English. While English has 44 sounds, the alphabet has only 26 letters. So the
36

/
 alphabet is overburdened. And worse still, even in the face of a scarcity ofletters, Greetings and Introductions
many of them are sometimes squandered in representing the same sound. These two
factors together result in a good deal of confusion, as is illustrated below:
.
1) Listen to the following words in which the same letter stands for many different
sounds. Repeat each word:
eh machine, monarch, chief
a late, last, fat, woman, village, water, what
ough though, through, bough, thought, thorough, cough
2) Now listen to some words in which the same sound is represented by different
letters or combinations of letters.
i) The n sound is represented by the letter or letters:
n asm neck
J nn asm funny
·1
gn asm Sign
kn asm know
pn as m pneumoma
ii) The vowel sound in the word get, is represented by the letter or letters:
ea asm head
ei asm leisure
eo asm leopard
a asm many
ai asm said
ie asm friend
u asm bury
ue asm guess
iii) The vowel sound in the word tea is represented by the letter or letters:
ea asm beat
ie asm brief
eo asm people
e asm scene
ee asm seen
ey asm key
i asm machine
oe asm foetus
ei asm receive
uay asm quay

37

/
English in Daily Life 3) Listen to some words in which one letter stands for a sequence of two sounds.
Listen to each word and repeat it.
i) . The letter q stands for a combination of the k sound as in key and the w
sound as in watch. Example:
question square
quiet squash
quite queer
ii) The letter x stands for a sequence of the k sound as inzite, and the s
sound as in sea. Example:
excuse box
excite exercise
excess.
iii) The letter x stands for a sequence of the g sound as in go and the z
sound as in zoo. Example: .
exact exist
examine exert
iv) The letter u sometimes stands for the sequence ofa consonant followed
by a vowel. Example:
unit
(n.) use
utilize
The followingexercise will help you take a closer look at the difference between
spelling and sound ..
Check You Progress 5
j

Look at the following words, pronounce each word, and then write down the
number of letters and the number of sounds.it has. Follow the example given
below;
Call Number of letters: 4 Number of sounds: 3
1) colony 2) receive 3) shelf 4) possess
5) relax 6) seize 7) command 8) plays
9) college 10) surround 11) philosophy 12) theory
13) follow 14) .reign 15) psychology 16) boast
L{)rough 18) knowledge 19) pretty 20) bright

It is quite evident from the examples and the exercise given above that if we
wish to represent the pronunciation of English words unambiguously, the Roman
'alphabet is inadequate, and is used inefficiently for spelling English words. To
, get over this problem, therefore a special set of phonetic symbols has been devised,
so that a given symbol represents one, and only one sound, and a given sound is
always represented by the same symbol.
. .
.

38

/
/
 Activity 8 Greetings and Introducti~ns

Practice these greetings and introductions:

1) .A:. How are you?
B: Very well thank you. And you?
2) A:. Pleased to meet you.
B: Pleased to meet you, too.
3) A:. How do you do?
B: How do-you do?
4) A:. Please call me Anju.
B: Then you must call me Rahul.,
5) A:. How's life?
,f
B: Not too bad, but rather busy.

2.9 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you practiced how to introduce yourselves and others in formal and
informal situations. You also.learnt to greet with the right iritonation and tone.
You learnt some.words pertaining to personal, social or professional qualities. In
the grammar section, yourevised 'contractions'. In the pronunciation section,
you became aware that spelling in English does- no-t indicate the sounds of the
languag~. ~

2.10 ANSWERS
Activity 1
i) May I introduce myself, I am Renu Bhardwaj. I am the Director of the School
of Humanities, IGNOU.
ii) a) at home - very informally (hug)
b) at a party .. more formally
c) at a get-together - formally
d) formal meeting - very formally
Activity 2
i) Informal
ii) . Formal
iii) Semi-formal
iv) Informal
v) Semi-formal
vi) Semi-formal
vii) Formal
viii) Semi-formal

39

/
 English in Daily Life
Greeting Response
1 Hi b) Hellolhi
I .How do you do? d) How do you do?
m How are you doing? g) Alright. How about you?
. \

-
IV What's up? e) Nothing much.
v Hello h) Hilhello
VI How are you? a) Very well, thank you. And you?
VJ.1 Good Morning! f) Good Morning!
AfternoonlEvening Afternoon/Evening
...
V111 Good to see you c) Good to see you too.

3) I don't think you know Radhika.

.. May I introduce you to Radhika?
I'd like to introduce you to Radhika.
Sunil, do you know Radhika?
Sunil, I'd like you to meet Radhika.
Check Your Progress 1
1) 11

2) i-False; ii - True; iii - False; iv - True; v - False; vi - True

3) i-conservative; ii - colonial; iii- multicultural; iv - metropolitan; v - native
Activity 3
i) etiquette
ii) Titles
iii) advanced
iv) courtesy
v) first
vi) strangers
vii) familiar
viii) respect
ix) Status
x) introduce
"
xi) secure
xii) always
xiii) shake
xiv) prefer

40

/
/
I
 Check Your Progress 2 Greetings and Introductions

1) i) When we wake up in the morning we greet our family members, we

greet friends and colleagues at school or at work, we greet strangers
who sell us things or give us information, we greet our loved ones on
special occasions, we greet people at social
, gatherings/parties.
/

ii) Greetings help us relate to people in a personal way and recognize

their existence. The specific occasion, the cultural context, the age
and gender of the person being greeted, influence how people greet
one another.

iii) In the United States of America people shake hands as a formal way of
. greeting; in India people use the gesture of folding one's hands in a
'Namaste', in many parts of India, people touch the feet of older
.f persons; in Arab countries even strangers are greeted using standard
polite expressions.

iv) One of the important things to learn is specific forms of greetings of

each culture and how they may vary on specific occasions and according
to age, gender, etc.
/

v) Greetings and leave taking are more elaborate in the Arab world than
in the West.

2) i) Some of the people we greet everyday are friends, family members,

people at work, people from whom we buy things, etc.

ii) Some greetings are formal while others are informal.

iii) "Hello" and "Hi!" are examples ofinformal greetings that we use to' -
greet friends and~peers.

iv) Some examples of

gestures used to greet people are shaking hands,
touching feet, joining hands in a namaste, embracing or .hugging
people, etc.
-----~ <, , J
to

v) In general the initial expression of greeting is followed by asking about

the person's health.

3) i) essential vital

ii) differ vary

iii) recognize acknowledge

iv) communicated conveyed

v) movements with hands, head or face gestures

vi) detailed elaborate

41

/
 English in Daily Life Activity 4
1) Here is the completed table:

Greeting! Nature of Occasion! People with whom

Gesture greeting/ Situation the greeting may
I-I Gesture • be used
Hello Informal Common greeting; used U sed for anyone;
when meeting someone older, younger or
for the first time that day. peer.
Bonjour Informal 'Hello' in French. Used for anyone;
older, younger or

,
peer.
Namaste Formal A form of greeting in Used as a mark of
India by joining one's respect for elders or
hands together. senior-colleagues at
work, etc.
Shaking Formal A fairly formal way of Anyone one meets
Hands greeting people you meet formally, At work
for the first time. Common place or socially;
in the Western world.
Good FormaV Used only in the May be used with
Morning Informal morning, before noon. anyone.
What's up Informal As a response to 'Hey', U sed between
'Hello; or 'Hi'. friends or equals.

Activity 5
I.
Personal Social Professional
Punctual Role model Team leader
--,
Creative Friendly Approachable
Disciplined Team leader Able to meet deadlines

2) ii) cooperation
iii) innovative/ready to experiment.
iv) soft spoken/encouraging! understanding, kind/affectionate (any other
that can be justified).
v) approachable. -
vi) dedicated/inspiring/innovative.
vii) understanding/ compassionate/friendl y/ affectionate/hardworking/
dedicated. -
viii) open-minded/ready for change/ positive.

Check Your Progress 3

i) I'm..
ii) She's

42 iii) We're

/ \
I
 iv) We've Greetings and Introductions

v) You've
vi) I'd
vii) You'd
viii) Don't
ix) Aren't
x) Shouldn't
xi) Should've
xii) Needn't
xiii) It's
xiv) That's
J
j Check Your Progress 4
i) I'm
ii) He's
iii) We're
iv) It'll .
v) We've
vi) We'd
vii) name's
viii) What's
ix) I'm
x) I'd
xi) She's
xii) We're
xiii) I'm
' .-
xiv) It's
xv) What;s
xvi) Let's

Activity 6
1) Tape script
i) I'm Rohan Sharma.
ii) How are you?/How do you do?
iii) Please meet my colleague Ms. Mohita Jain.
iv) - Did you have a comfortable journey?

43

/
 English in Daily Life 2) Tape script
Visitor Good morning Mr. Siddiqui.
You Good Morning:
. Visitor How are you?
1

,
I. You I'm fine thank you. And how about you?
Visitor I'm fine too. It's been long since we last met.
,

-You Oh yes.1t s been a few months.

3) Tape script
i) I am Sonia Parashar. I work in Phone as a Customer Relation officer. Ijoined the
company in 2006 as a trainee. I got promoted this year. I'm responsible for 1
looking after the customer needs in my area. If the users of our services have any
problems, I listen 'to them and then take the necessary action to solve their
,j , problems. I enjoy dealing with different kinds of people and get a lot of satisfaction
from being able to help them. What I don't like about my job is dealing with
difficult customers who are not willing to listen to my explanation. 1
i
I
I
it) . I am Rahul Deshmukh. I am a social activist. I am the Director ofSnehankit, an
association for the visually challenged. We offer courses in it. We have opened
the doors ofthe e-world to the visually challenged students; they can now send
emails and chat with their friends. I look mainly after the software' Jaws for
Windows'.

Answers
i) Name: ... Sonia Parashar
Name of Company: Phone
Has been working since: 2006
Job responsibility: looking after the customerneeds, problem solving.
Likes: dealing with different kinds of people, helping people
( .
, ,

Dislikes: dealing with difficult customers .

ii) Name: Rahul Deshmukh
Name of the Organization: Snehankit
Aim ofthe Organization: Open doors of the e-world to the visually challenged
students.
Courses offered: IT courses for visually challenged students.
Main responsibility: Looking after software 'Jaws for Windows '.
Activity 7
1) Formal situation like office or neighbourhood, could be colleagues or
neighbours, who do not know each other well.
2)· Formal: College. Student and a teacher.
3) Formal: Office. New colleague a visitor.
4) Formal: Outside class. Teacher and student.
5) Informal: Teenagers-Neighbourhood-Strangers.
44

/
 6) Formal: Classroom-Teacher and class. Greetings and Introductions

7) Formal: Office-Meeting for the first time.

Check
,
Your Progress- 5
Word Number Number of Word Number Number
of letters -sounds of letters Sounds
1 6 6 11 10 8
2 i 5 12 6 4 v
"'-
3 5 4 13 6 4
4 .7 5 14 5 10
5 5 6 15 10 8
6 5 10 16 5 4
,f 7 7 6 17 5 _10
-J
8 5 4 18 9 5
9 7 5 19 6 5
10 8 6 20 6 4

45

/
/
 UNIT 3 SKILLS REQUIRED AT THE JOB:
TELEPHONING

Structure

3.0 Objectives
3.1 Warm Up
3.2 Reading Comprehension: A Telephone Conversation
3.3 Vocabulary: Expressions Used During Telephoning
3.4 Listening: A Telephone Conversation
3.5 Speaking: Role Play
3.6 Grammar: Modals for Polite Conversation
3.7 Writing: Short Dialogues
3.8 Pronunciation: Silent Letters
3.9 Let Us Sum Up
3.10 Answers

3.0 OBJECTIVES
The unit will help you to:
• Learn some common polite expressions that are used over the telephone.
• Develop the skill of making and answering enquiries over the telephone.
• Develop the skill of giving information over the telephone.
• Be aware of language structures and vocabulary related to the telephoning
skill.
• Be able to write a telephonic conversation in a given situation.
• Be able to pronounce words with a silent letter properly.

3.1 WARMUP
Activity 1
1
i

j
A secretary has taken telephonic messages while her boss was out. She noted the
main points on an Ansaphone message pad. Read it and answer the questions ~
that follow.
To Ms. Robin D'Melo Date: 17 August
WHILE YOU WERE OUT
~
Mr.lMs.Rahim Ali of Global Biographers Phone No 044-23467854
Telephoned ~ Please call back
Called to meet you Will ring again ~
Wishes to see you Urgent
Message Suhas Haider wants a photo feature on you in their December
issue of Personal ities
Secretary Yamini Iyer
46

/
/
I
 1) Is Ms. Robin D'Melo an important person? Skills Required at the Job:
Telephoning .

-2) What are 'Global Biographers' mainly involved in?

;
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0 •••••••••••• 0 04 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 0.0 ••••••

3) Does Ms. D'Melo need to call back?

4) Is it an urgent matter? How can you tell?

.r

5) Does 'Global Biographers' know much about Ms. D'Melo?

................................................................................................................. ~....

6) Why did they want to speak to her?

3.2 READING COMPREHENSION: A TELEPHONE

CONVERSATION
Read the telephonic conversation carefully.
Receptionist: Sunshine Health Centre. Can I help you?
Secretary: Oh, good morning. I am calling from Exhale Studio. I'd like
to make an appointment for Mr. Jatin Shankar today or
tomorrow. He needs to have his blood sugar checked up.
Receptionist: Er, who's, er, Mr. Shankar's doctor?
Secretary: Oh. It's Dr. Rahman, Dr. Sahida Rahman.
Receptionist: Dr. Rahman. Let me check. I'm afraid; Dr. Rahman won't be
in either today or tomorrow. She has gone for a conference.
Erm and we are heavily booked today and tomorrow.
Secretary: Oh dear. Well it is rather urgent because he's got to go for a
shoot on Saturday and he will be away for almost a month.
Erm, could he possibly see someone on Friday?
Receptionist: Well, let me see, ah, you are lucky. Dr. Shyam Reddy has two
appointments available. There's one at 8.30 a.m. and there's
one at 2.45 p.m.

47

/ I
 English in Daily Life Secretary: Oh, the 8.30 appointment would be fine.
Receptionist: 8.30. Oh, he must come on an empty stomach. Let him also
bring his previous records.
Secretary: How much would that cost?
,
,,
Receptionist: That would be Rs. 1,000.
Secretary: Thank' you . I'Il remind him about the fasting.
Receptionist: Right. That's important.
Secretary: Yes, thank you very much for your trouble. Good bye.
Receptionist: Goodbye.

Check Your Progress 1

Now answer these questions:
1) Do the secretary and the receptionist work in the same office? Pick the line
,f which shows this.
.. 'i

. ~ .

2) What does Mr. Jatin Shankar want done at the Sunshine Health Centre?

.......... '; .
3) Is there any urgency to get the test done? Why/why not?

••••••••••••••••••• ~ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ' ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• "0 •••••••••

4) . Would Mr. Jatin Shankar's doctor be conducting the test? Why/Why not?

...................................................................................................................... .
.

48

/
 _5) Could his secretary get an appointment before he left for his shoot? Skills Required at the Job:
Telephoning

.
......................................................................................................................

- . .
......................................................................................................................

6) Do you think Mr. Shankar is a very busy person? Pick the lines which show
this. .

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1.: •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

·1

7) Do you think Sunshine Health Centre is a popular centre? Illustrate your

answer.

8) Do you think the secretary was doing her job seriously? H,ow can you tell?

9) Do you think the receptionist was good at her job? How can you tell?

......................................................................................................................
. .

49

/
English in Dally Life
3.3 VOCABULARY: EXPRESSIONS USED DURING
TELEPHONING
,j

Activity 2,
There are many ways of saying the same thing. Read the sentences below and
replace them with similar expressions from the box below.

1) Mr. Narayan phoned in the afternoon.

2) He wanted to know if we were releasing our new lot of dresses today. They
need to collect some urgently tomorrow.
3) Sorry, Ms. Ali is not in at the moment.
4) Hold on while I check if Ms. Joshi is free now.
5) Just a minute.
6) This is Manav Ahuja.
7) Can I help you?
8) It is a bit urgent
9) I'm sorry Dr. Biswas is not well himself.
10) It is important that we talk-to Ms. Srivastav today.
hang oh is out moment hold the line
telephoned afraid wished is not available
. essential rang important speaking
This is speaking How may .

3.4 LISTENING: A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

Activity 3
Listen to the telephonic conversation and answer the questions below. Tick the
Cv) alternative which seems to you the most likely.
1) A D Salim is calling to do Rita a favour.

BD' Salim is asking Rita to do him a favour.

2) AD Salim is going home to manage a crisis.

BD Salim is going away to receive an award.

3) AD Rita and Salim are friends and work in the same office.

B D Rita and Salim are friends and work in different offices.

4), A D Salim wants Rita to do his work while he is away.

B D Salim wants Rita to look after his house while he is away.

50

/
/
 5) , A D Rita is not very busy at this point of time. Skills Required at the Job:
Telephoning

B D Rita is quite busy at this point of time. ,

,I

6) A D ~tis Salim's responsibility to find ~replacement.

•
B D Salim's boss will depute someone to d~ his work in his absence.

7) A D The extra work that Rita will have to take onis not much.

B D The extra work that Ri~ will have to take on is impo~t and heavy.

8) A D Rita creates a fuss and refuses to do his job in his absence.

J
'l
B D Rita agrees to do his job provided she gets assistance with her
own work.

9) A D Rita needs no persuasion to cooperate .

. B, D Rita needs a lot of persu~sion to cooperate.

3.5 SPEAKING: ROLE PLAY

Activity 4 .
Here are two telephone dialogues. In pairs, complete the dialogues using the
instruction prompts. Then play the roles of the two persons conversing.
Situation 1

Instructions Dialogues
(Ring ..... ring ..... ring)
A: Your number is2568888.
A: Hello, 2568888.
B: Hello do you look after complaints?
A: You don't look after A: Sorry, .
complaints. B: Could you tell me who looks after
complaints?
A: Sure, but at the
A: Helen looks after complaints moment "'y' .•• ••• Can
but she is out. Offer to give I. ?
her a message.
B: Oh, thank you. I am Rohen Ray
calling from 17th Avenue. There is an
extra sound from the automatic
A: Agree to give the message washing machine Ibought from you.
and say goodbye. Could that be inspected on site?
A: I'll ,
B: Thank you.
51

/
 English in Daily Life Situation 2
Instructions Dialogues
(Ring .... ring ... ring)
A: You want Mr. Bloom.
B:.Department of Education. Can I help
A: Your name is Dr. Khan, you?
You are a professor in the A: 1. to Mr. Bloom, please?
university.
B: Who's calling please?
A: Ask for Mr. Bloom to A: Dr. Khan. I am -
phone and confirm if he B: Professor Khan, I'm sorry, Mr. Bloom
is coming for the seminar.
Your number IS
Can I for him?
90776521.
A:Askhim .
J
.J
A: Respond to the goodbye. . My
number. .
B: Yes, of course. Goodbye.
A: .

3.6 GRAMMAR: MODALS FOR POLITE

CONVERSATION
Activity·S
Modals are used to provide the exact shade of politeness to your utterance. It
also reveals your attitude and purpose of speaking. While talking over the
telephone you need to keep your tone of voice appropriate and use appropriate
modals. You may need to add other polite words as well, like 'please'.

1) Read the sentences below and rank them as not so polite, polite and most ~
polite. j
a) i) I.would like to talk to Ms. Goldie. I
ii) Could I talk to Ms. Goldie, please?
iii) Can I talk to Ms. Goldie?
b) i) Would you mind posting the letter for me?
ii) I would like this letter posted today.
iii) Would you post this letter for me, if you do not mind?
. c) i) Will you take 11 message for him?
ii) Will you please take a message for him?
,
iii) Could you please take a message for him?
Note: You have already learnt that:
i) 'Could' is more polite than 'can'.
ii)'Could' and 'can' are followed by the verb without 'to'.
iii) 'Would you mind' is followed by the verb +ing
iv) 'Might' ismore polite than 'may'.
52

/ \
/
2) Complete the sentences given below with appropriate modals: Skills Required at the Job:
Telephoning
can, could, will, would, should, may, might
.~ ................. you mind connecting me to Mrs. Sohrab, please?
it) ............... 1know who I am talking to?
iiI)
iv)
................ .
you call up the Travel Agency, please?
· you want to confmn your travel do call 23776655.
v) I was wondering if you be able to tell me the courses offered
here.
vi) · you take these papers to the editorial department for me?
vii) · .1talk to the Manager, please? I have a complaint to make.
viii) ............... I speak to James, please?
ix) The Manager is not in you like to talk to our Marketing
Officer?
x) · you wish to make a booking give us a call by tomorrow.

3.7· WRITING: SHORT DIALOGUES

Activity 6
Given below are some phrases in the box. Use them to make short dialogues.
You will have to arrange them in the correct order.

Dialogue 1
Hold the line, please, I'll put you This is Mr. Ram from Little and Little.
through. Thank you.
Who's calling? Could I speak to the booking executive
Good morning, Super Tours and please?
Travels.
Go ahead, please. You're through.
Dialogue 2 This is Mrs. Gupta speaking.
Would you like to get a HHHC Silver Good morning. What is this about?
card?
Hello.
This is Manto from HHHC Services.
I'll remember that. Thank you.
Can I speak to Mrs. Gupta, please?
Goodbye ..
Oh, good morning, Mrs. Gupta.
I'm afraid I don't. I already have a credit
That s all right. Should you want to
card.
get silver card do give us a call at
99944400.
Goodbye, Mrs. Gupta.
Dialogue 3
• Thanks.
• Yes, we do. We have just started a
new course. • Good morning. I wish to know about
the courses you conduct for the
• Sure. We have academic and
visually challenged students.
vocational courses.
• Could you please give me a few more
• Good morning. This is Snehankit.
details?
• Please hold the line. I'll put you
through to our counselor who has • May I know if you run any IT
courses?
all the details. 53

/
 English in Dally Life
3.8 PRONUNCIATION:SILENT LETTERS
Some letters in words are silent. In other words, they are not pronounced. Listen
to them carefully and repeat' each word.

i)
.
b is silent in the spelling mb and bt occurring in the final position in words.
Example:
thumb bomb debt
comb climb doubt
tomb doubt
ii) d is silent in the spelling sequence dj. Example:
adjective adjoin
~
adjust adjacent
,j adjourn
iii) g is silent in the spelling sequences gm or gn. Example:
phlegm gnarl champagne SIgn
paradigm gnash poignant resign
gnat physiognomy, aSSIgn.
gnaw
iv) h is silent in the spelling sequence gh and in the word - final position.
Example:
ghost
aghast
ghetto
v) k is silent in these words:
knee knob know j
I

knock knife
vi)' I is silent before k and in the word - final spelling sequences lk and'lm.
Example:
walk balm
talk palm
folk calm
vii) n is silent in the word ~ final spelling sequence mn. Example':
-..-'
column
condemn
solemn
viii) p is silent in the word - initial spelling sequences pn and ps. Example:
pneumoma psalm pseudonym
pneumatic psychology
p is also silent in the final spelling sequence pt.
54

/
 , ix) t is silent when it occurs between s and I, and s and e. Example: Skills Required at the Job:
Telephoning
castle listen
wrestle . fasten
bustle glisten

wrestle
x) w is silent in the final position, in the initial spelling sequence wr and sometimes
the initial spelling sequence who Example:
saw write who
raw wrest whole
claw wrist whose
blow wreck whom
.f snow wrap
,J

show

3.9 LET US SUM UP

At the place of work we often have to make telephone calls. Ifwe are front office
assistants, we are always receiving and answering telephone calls. But even
otherwise we have to ask for information, answer queries, make requests, confirm
facts and timings or even exchange pleasantries at work.

It is important that our voice, our speech and our tone is polite and pleasing
enough for a person to feel satisfied with the conversation. Even if we cannot
help the caller in any way we can help her or him feel good. So it is important to
be careful of not only the words and phrases we use but our tone and volume of
voice as well.

3.10 ANSWERS
Activity 1
1) Yes, Ms. Robin D'Melo an important person since Global Biographers wishes
to do a photo feature in their magazine.
2) 'Global Biographers' are mainly involved in collecting profiles and
biographies of people. They project important people to the public.
3) No, Ms. D'Melo does not need to call back since Mr. Rahim Ali signed off
saying he will call back.
4) Not really. Or Mr. Rahim Ali would have asked the secretary to mark it as
urgent. Moreover, it is for the December .issue which is a few months away.
5) 'Global Biographers' knows about Ms. D' Melci but not enough to do a
feature on her. They need to interview her for that.
6) First they needed her consent for the 'photo feature. Ifgranted they wanted
to fix an appointment with her for her interview.

55

/
/
 English in Daily Life Check Your Progress 1
1) No, because the receptionist introduces the organization (Sunshine Health Centre)
when she picks up the phone. The secretary too gives the name of her company
when she introduces herself (Exhale Studio).
2) He wants his blood sugar checked before Saturday.
3) Yes, there is certain urgency since Mr. Shankar would be going away on a shoot
for almost a month. He wants the investigations to be over before that.
4) No, Dr. Rahman who is Mr. Shankar's doctor is away on a conference. She
would not be conducting the test.
5) Yes, she did, with another doctor called Dr. Shyam Reddy.
6) Yes, he is. He works or travels even on Saturdays. He is so busy that his
secretary would have to remind him about fasting before the medical test.
'Thank you. I'll remind him about the fasting.'
7) It is quite popular as it is fully booked on weekdays. The receptionist tells
·1
the secretary that she is lucky to get a slot free.
8) Yes, she was. She did not give up and tried various alternatives to ensure
that Mr. Shankar's blood sugar tests were done before he left for the shoot.
9) The receptionist was not only polite but also helpful. She was efficient as
she had the appointments list ready with her. She did not keep the caller
waiting.
Activity 2
1) Mr. Narayan telephoned/rang in the afternoon.
2) He wished to know if we were releasing our new lot of dresses today. They
need to collect some urgently tomorrow.
3) Sorry, Ms. Ali is out/not available at the moment.
4) Hang onlHold the line while I check if Ms. Joshi is free now.
5) Just a moment.
j
6) This is Manav Ahuja speaking/Manav speaking. 1
7) How may I help you? I
8) It is important.
9) I'm afraid Dr. Biswas is not well himself.
10) It is essential that we talk to Ms. Srivastav today.

LISTENING: A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION

Listening text
Rita: Hello.
Salim: Hi, Rita. Look I'm sorry to bother you before your meeting takes place.
Ijust wanted to ask a little favour.

56

/
 Rita: Don't worry; I have finished much of the preparation for the meeting. I'll be Introduction to
Communication
glad to help you out.
Salim: Look, I erm, I've to leave town this weekend.
Rita: I hope it is nothing serious.
Salim: No, it is the other way round. I have won a prize in the Geoffrey
Advertisements Contest and I have to go to Bangalore to receive the
pnze.
Rita: Oh, how wonderful! Oh I wish I could go to Bangalore on a holiday.
And what's the prize?
Salim: It is certificate and Rs. 50,000 in cash.
Rita: That is indeed great. Now what's your problem?
Salim: Mr. Rashid says that he can relieve me only if someone can stand in
J for me while I'm away. You know they have this important meeting
J
coming up next week. Can I suggest your name?
Rita: Well, I can stand in for you but what about my work here?
Salim: I can ask Mr. Rashid to request Ms. Ritu to post Supreet Singh to assist
you. I know this means extra work for you but I didn't know who else
to ask.
Rita: What would I have to do?

Salim: You need to send some reminders and confirm who all are coming for
the meeting. The new concept that I have worked on needs to be sent
to the Arts department for the illustration. The agenda papers have to
be got ready. I have given them to Rafiq for typing. And, erm, a few
more things that Mr. Rashid might ask you.

Rita: This sounds like a lot of work but I guess I'll be able to do it ifSupreet
can assist me here. You may suggest my name but be sure that I get
someone to assist me. And, remember, I want a nice gift from
Bangalore.

Salim: Yes, of course, Rita.

Rita: Just pulling your leg. Now get cracking on your travel plans. Bye.

Salim: Thank you so much Rita. You are an angel (click).

Activity 3
1 B Salim is asking Rita to do him a favour.
2 B Salim is going away to receive an award.
3 A Rita and Salim are friends and work in the same office.
, .
4 A Salim wants Rita to do his work while he is away.
5 B Rita is quite busy at this point of time.
6 A It is Salim's responsibility to find a replacement.

57

/ I
 English in Daily Life 7 B The extra work that Rita will have to take on is important and heavy.
8 B Rita agrees to do his job provided she gets assistance with her own work.
9 A Rita needs no persuasion to cooperate.

;
I.
,
3.5
.
SPEAKING:-ROLE PLAY
Situation 1
(Ring..... ring..... ring)
A:. Hello, 2568888.
B: Hello do you look after complaints?
A:. Sorry, we don't look after complaints .
.t B: Could you tell me who looks after complaints?
-t
A:. Sure, Helen looks after complaints but at the moment she is out. Can I take
a message for her?
B: Oh, thank you. I am Rohen Ray calling from 17th Avenue. There is an extra sound
.from the automatic washing machine I bought from you. Could that be inspected
on site?
A:. I'll definitely give your message to her, Good bye.
B: Thank you.
Situation 2
(Ring.... ring... ring)
B: Department of Education. Can I help you?
A:. Can I speak to Mr. Bloom, please?
B: Who's calling please?
A:. This is Dr. Khan. I am a professor at the university.
B: Professor Khan, I'm sorry, Mr. Bloom is not in at the moment.
Can I take a message for him?
A:. Ask him to call me and confirm if he is coming for the seminar.
My number is 90776521.
B: Yes, of course. Goodbye.
A:. Goodbye/Thank you.

Activity 5
1) a i) I would like to talk to Ms. Goldie. (Not so polite)
ii) Could I taJk"toMs. Goldie, please? (Most polite)
iii) Can I talk to Ms. Goldie? (Polite)
b) i) Would you mind posting the letter for me? (polite)

58 ii) I would like this letter posted today. (Not so polite)

 ill) Would you post this letter for me, if you do not mind? (Most polite) Skills Required at the Job:
Telephoning
c) ~. Will you take a message for him? (Not so polite)
ii) Will you please take a message for him? (Polite)
iii) Could you please take a message for him? (Most polite)
2) . Appropriate modals are given in bold:
1) Would you mind connecting me to Mrs. Sohrab, please?
2) May I know who I am talking to?
3) Could you call up the Travel Agency, please?
/ 4) Should you want to confirm your travel, do call 23776655.
5) I was wondering if you might be able to tell me the courses offered here.
6) Will you take these papers to the editorial department for me?
7) Can I talk to the Manager, please? I have a complaint to make.
8) Could I speak to James, please?
9) The Manager is not in. Would you like to talk to our Marketing Officer?
10) Should you wish to make a booking give us a call by tomorrow?
Activity 6
Dialogue 1
A Good morning, Super Tours and Travels.
B: Could I speak to the booking executive please?
A Who's calling?
B: This is Mr. Ram from Little and Little.
A Hold the line, please, I'll put you through.
B: Thank you.
A Go ahead, please. You're through.
Dialogue 2
A Hello.
B: This is Manto from HHHC Services. Can I speak to Mrs. Gupta, please?
A This is Mrs. Gupta speaking.
B: Oh, good morning, Mrs. Gupta.
A Good morning. What is this about?
B: Would you like to get aHHHC Silver card?
A I'm afraid I don't. I already have a credit card.
B: That's all right. Should you want to get silver card do give us a call at 99944400.
Goodbye, Mrs. Gupta.
A I'll remember that. Thank you
Dialogue 3
A Good morning. This is Snehankit.
59

/ I
 En,glish in Daily Life
B: Good morning. I wish to know about the courses you conduct for the visually
challenged students.
A Sure. We have academic and vocational courses.
B: May I know if you run any IT courses?
A .
Yes, we do. We haye just started a new course .
B: Great. Could you please give me a few more details about the course?
A Please hold the line. I'll put you through to our counselor who has all the details.
B: .Thanks.

'·1

60

/
/
 UNIT 4 IMPORTANCE OF SMALL TALK IN
BUSINESS

, Structure
,
I
.
4.0 Objectives
4.1 Warm up
4.2 Reading
4.3 Listening and Speaking
4.4 Language Focus
4.5 Vocabulary
4.6 Writing
4.7 Grammar: Simple Present. Tense
4.8 Speaking
4.9 Pronunciation: Consonant Sounds
4.10 Let Us Sum Up
4.11 Answers

4.0 OpJECTIVES
In this Unit you will be introduced:
• What is small talk?;
• The importance of small talk in work situations.;
• How to prepare for small talk?;
• Topics for small talk;
• Suitable language for small talk;
• How to make effective small talk/social conversation?;
• Use of simple present tense; and
• Consonant sounds.

What is Small talk?

,
Small talk is a short conversation.

No, I think small talk is social talk before

you talk shop.
-
, I

What do you think? Well, move on and find out for yourself.

Read the statements given below. Decide which of them expresses your own
point ·of view. Ask a friend or partner to do the same. Then discuss the reasons
for your agreement/disagreement.
61

/
 English in Daily Life i) "I never indulge in small talk. It's such a waste oftime."
ii) "Socializing is the art of breaking the ice and making friends."
iii) "What we say and how we. say it is important because this reveals our
personality. "
iv) "I love chatting with friends. It's such fun."

So what do you now think is Small talk?

o Small talk is pleasant conversation about common interests.

o It is a prelude to a business conversation. It is meant to put people at ease
before they get down to business.
o It helps to create a favourable environment for talking business.
o It may also help you to develop a better understanding of the person that
you are doing business with .
.t
Activity 1

• Take a look at. these bits of conversation in the speech balloons and consider
whether they are appropriate for small talk.

i) How much does

your company
pay you?

ii)
Did you have a
comfortable
lourney?

iii)

Are you rnarried or

single?

iv)

Is this your first

visit to Delhi?

Now check your answers with the Answers section and read about why some of
these conversations are inappropriate for small talk.
62>

/
 Importance of Small Talk in
4.2 READING Business

Read this text on small talk and answer the questions that follow:
1) Small talk requires important social skills which are highly valued at the
workplace. It helps to break the ice before important business meetings and
events. \

2) Many people are comfortable talking about business but do not know how
to begin conversation at business meetings appropriately. This is mostly
because they do not know what to talk about. It may also be because they
are not confident about their language. Hence both confidence about what
to say and how to say it are essential for effective small talk.

3) It is helpful to keep these tips in mind about small talk. Be aware of the type
of person/people you will be meeting. Some prior preparation san be
extremely helpful. If the visitor happens to be from a region, state or country
other than yours then look up information about the place he/she comes
from. This can easily be done over the Internet. Knowledge of a few words
belonging to the language of the visitor can be of additional help. Your
visitor will appreciate your special interest and your conversation will then
be more meaningful.

4) During your conversation it is advisable to stay away from personal beliefs

and controversial topics. These include your religious beliefs, value system,
political convictions, affiliations and connections.

5) Also do not invade the personal space of the visitor by asking about personal
matters like whether s/he is married or not, how many children s/he has,
what they are doing, his/her salary, age etc. Subjects like weather, sports,
entertainment are safe subjects.

6) In the course of your initial conversation you may be able to -identify some
areas of common interest. Once you have a subject that interests both of
you, keep to it! You can do this in a number of ways: talking about travel,
talking about the school or friend you have in common, talking" about the
differences between your culture and the new culture, without passing
judgments on which one is better.

7) And most importantly, be a good listener. Don't get so carried away with
your preparation for the meeting and your ability to communicate that you
don't listen. Listening carefully will help you understand and encourage
those speaking to you.

8) In some situations, you might be nervous or uncomfortable and not know

how to begin. In-such cases, letting others state their opinions will improve
the quality of the discussion - and give you time to think of an answer!

Check Your Progress 1

Now after reading these paragraphs can you answer these questions?
1) Match these subtitles with the appropriate paragraphs of the reading passage
which are numbered.
i) common ground
63

/
/
 English in Daily Life it) ideologies
iii)1) don't get personal. •••••.••••••••••••••••••.•.•.•.••

iv) objective of small talk . .. .

i v) difficulties encountered in small talk: .
t·
• vi) overcoming anxiety .
vii) paying attention to what you are being told : .
viii) doing your homework .
2) .Find words/expressions in the text with similar meanings to these.

o at ease
it) in advance
iii) find out
j
.
,
I. iv) intrude upon .
v) harmless .
vi) express

4.3 LISTENINGAND8PEAKING
Listen to five speakers telling you about how they prepare and conduct themselves
at business meetings or events (Listen to Tape script 1). Pause the CD after
each speaker has spoken and express your agreement/ disagreement with them
by imagining that you are in conversation with them.

Check Your Progress 2

Now listen to the audios again and match what each speaker says with these
statements:

i) This speaker displays good social etiquette by being attentive.

ii) This speaker believes that information is the key to effective conversation.
iii) This speaker relies on humour in conversation ..
iv) This is the speaker who takes the initiative ..
v) This speaker likes to prepar~ for small talk in accordance with the people he
is going to meet.

4.4 LANGUAGE FOCUS

When you meet people you can begin a conversation with them by doing any
one of thesethree things.

You can make an observation.

Lovely weather! Isn't it?
It's too cold for this time of the year.
The trains usually run late this season because of the fog. r
. '. \
Attendance for the event seems better than last year..(at a business event)

64

/
You can ask a question. Importance of Small Talk in
Business
What do you like best about living here?
Which is the best place you have travelled to?
How often do you come to Meerut?
Is this your first visit here?
Did you have a comfortable journey?
What do you think of ?
What is your take on ?
Have you heard of .: ?
You can reveal something about yourself.
I've worked at several places in M.P.
I like watching reality shows. How about you?
I enjoy playing / watching cricket? How about you?

Activity 2
Now can you complete these questions / statements which have been begun for
. you?

i) How often do you ?

ii) Do you like ?
iii) What is your favourite ?
iv) Where did you first ?
v) Would you like some ?

4.5 VOCABULARY
Activity 3
1) Match the key words in the left column with the words/phrases on the right.
-
a Start Names
b Keep social functions with confidence
c Remember (1- dying conversation
d Use "active" listeners
e Avoid business relationships and social friendships
f Revive
- a conversation
g Develop rapport building skills
h Approach conversation "killers" like negative remarks
1 Become your body language is inviting and natural

J Mingle a conversation going

k Improve conversation with grace
I Make sure the most of networking opportunities
65

/
/
 English in Daily Life
m Overcome icebreakers and conversation starters that work every time
n Make awkward social situations carefully
0 Handle into an opportunity for success
p Exit communication barriers
q Thrnevery composed and self-assured when talking to people or
conversation entertaining clients
r Come across with confidence
as

2) .Complete this paragraph filling up the gaps with suitable words from the
box.

,j
develop
influences
impact
shyness
overcome
master
conversation
professional
I
.. ,j
difficult crucial recogmze break
discovered successful perceive start

Small talk is in any relationship. Everyday conversation

can make or relationships in our personal and
.................................... lives. Unfortunately, most people don't realize how
important small talk is, and hence do not do anything to .
or improve this skill. Developing the ability to make small talk is not as
.................................... as many other work related skills once we .: .
its importance and worth.

A Stanford University School of Business study showed its .

on business success. It tracked MBA's 10 years after graduation, and
.................................... that grade point averages had no bearing on their success
.................................... but did. Most .
were those who could make conversation with anyone - from strangers, to
secretaries, to bosses to customers.

Small talk has a great impact on your success in 'personal' relationships, because
it how others see you in terms of intelligence and
confidence. Most people good conversationalists as more
intelligent and confident.

Despite the importance of small talk, most people don't do it well. One major
reason is and another common reason is not knowing
how to a conversation. There are also some who do not
have anything to say. All of these difficulties can be , once
you decide to this art.

4.6 WRITING
Check Your Progress 3
Expand these tips on small talk into paragraphs of at least 4 to 5 sentences. This
will also serve as a revision for some of the hints that you have come across in
66

/
 the earlier part of the unit. Now compare your answers with the sample answers given Importance of Small Talk in
Business
in the Answer Section .
. i) Think ahead
il)' Have something to say
,
,,. ill) Observe and listen

4.7 GRAMMAR: SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

We use the simple present tense in the following situations:
a) to show an action that happens daily or very often. It represents habits,
hobbies and daily events
Example: The verbs in the following sentences are in the present tense:
I never indulge in small talk.
,f The trains usually run late this season because of the fog.
My office work begins at 9 am.
b) to show likes and dislikes.
I love chatting with friends. It's such fun.
Do you like socializing with friends?
c) to give advice and instructions:
Do not invade the personal space of the visitor.
Be aware of the person you will be meeting.
Be a good listener.

d) to show events that are scheduled to happen in the near future.

The train leaves this afternoon at three.
When do we begin the meeting?

e) to show actions that are happening now.

Do you have five minutes?
I am busy now.
I want a cup of tea.

Check Your Progress 4

1) Now complete these sentences with verbs in the simple present tense:

i) I to office everyday.
ii) I my house at 8 o'clock in the morning.
iii) I my office by 8.30 am.
iv) I my lunch in the office canteen.
v) I home by 6 pm.
vi) In the evening I for a walk.
vii) On weekends I badminton in the club.
viii) Once a year I out on a holiday with my family.
67

/
 -
English in Daily Life 2) Complete the following questions using suitable verbs in the simple present tense

Ql) How ?
A) lam fine.
. .
Q2) Where ?
A) ,
I live in Bhopal.
Q3) What ?
A) I like reading and watching TV?
Q4) What ?
A) I like to read books on self improvement.
Q5) What kind of music ?
A) I like to listen to Sufi music.
Q6) How often : ; ?
A) I travel out ofBhopal once in two months?
Q7) How ?
A) I usually travel by train.
Q8) What ?
A) On weekends I go on long walks?
Q9) What ?
A) In the mornings I do some meditation.

4.8 SPEAKING
Activity 4
1) Imagine that you are B and A is having a conversation with you. Complete this
dialogue with suitable questions/statements.
A How are you?
B: .
B: .
A I'm fme too. Thank you.
A It's good to meet you after such a long time.
B: .
A Oh, do you know that the Braille version of Abdul Kalam's autobiography
is out?
B:
A
B: May I borrow it.
A Sure.
A Have you been following the cricket series?
B:
A True. I've been enjoying the matches too.
68

/
 2) Frame questions on the following topics for small talk and then try to answer Importance of SmaU Talk hi
Business
them. You may practice having a conversation on these topics with your
friend/study partner .
.i) Sports
ii) Food
iii) Restaurant
iv) Journey
v) Weather
vi) Hotel
vii) Work
viii) Weekends
,f 'Answers' has one sample to guide you.
,1
4.9 PRONUNCIATION:CONSONANT SOUNDS
English has 24 consonant sounds in all. Listen carefully to the following consonant
sounds and look at the symbol that represents each sound. Repeat the key word.

1 Ipl as m pen
2 /hI as in bed
3 It! as in lea
4 Id/ as in geed
5 /k/ as in ~at
6 IgI as in get
7 Id! as in chin Importance of
Small Talk in
8 1d31 as in June Business
9 Im/ as m man
10 1nl as in net
11 /rjl as in bring
12 IfI as in fun
13 Ivl as in yeil
14 181 as in think
15 101 as in then
16 IsI as in sale
17 /zl as m goo "<,

18 IY as in ship I
19 13 I as in pleasure
20 /hi as in hat
21 11/ as in lake
22 ttl. as in rest
23 Ij/ as in yard .r

24 '/wl as in watch 69

/
/
 English in Daily Life 4.9.1 Learning the Consonant Symbols
Notice that of these symbols only seven - Id, d:3, I),e, 0, f, 31 are not familiar
and need to be learnt. The other symbols are the same as the letters of the
alphabet. Though the symbol Ij/* is the same as the letter j of the alphabet, it is
pronounced as in the first letter of the word yard.
I
4.9.2 Consonant Distinctions
So far we have practiced associating the symbols for the consonants with the sounds
they represent. Now we shall concentrate on those consonants that constitute problems
for Indian learners. In order to make our speech intelligible and acceptable to native
and other non-native speakers of English we need to distinguish between one consonant
and another. For example, if we use the consonant Isl in place of I Y in the word sheet
then we produce the word seat which has an entirely different meaning. Similarly, if the
consonant Itji is used instead of I ji in the word shop it will result in the word chop
which has a different meaning. The substitution of one sound for another in a word
makes it unacceptable to a proficient speaker of English, even though the meaning
may become clear from the context in which that word occurs. Our learners, must
therefore, make a distinction between those sounds which are linguistically
significant.

We shall therefore concentrate on those sounds and sound distinctions that constitute
problems-for Indian learners from different parts ofthe country.

~ Consonants IfI and Ivl

Generally,Indians from the eastern and western regions and Kashmir have difficulty
in producing the consonant If I . They replace it by the sound tp as in ~ (fruit)
inHindi.
Listen to the following words with If! and repeat them.
If!
fallacy afford brief
favour prefer calf
fertile refine leaf
fiend refuse proof
photo trophy graph
It is necessary to maintain a distinction between If I andlvl andlvl and/b/. To
practice the difference between them, listen to the following pairs of words and
repeat each pair.
If! Ivl
firil veil
fine VIDe
file vile
foil voile
leaf leave

• The slanting lines are used to differentiate the sound from the spelling.
70

/
 Ivl andlbl Importance of Small Talk in
Business
To practice the difference between Ivl and /hI, listen to the following pairs of
words on the CD and repeat them.
Ivl IbI
vet bet
vote boat
vow bow
curve curb
van ban
very befI)'/bury

it) Consonants Is! and/zJ, Isl and/], Isl and/t]', IY and/t], IzJand/dJ I are contrastive
and we must make a distinction between each pair.

Listen to the difference between Isl and Izl in the following pairs of words
and repeat them in pairs.
Isl Iz/ Isl Iz/
sip ZlP peace peas
sue zoo nee nse
seal zeal place plays
Make a list of other pairs to distinguish between Isl and Izl.
Note: The plural forms of nouns, the 3rd person singular forms of verbs and
the 3rd person possessive forms of nouns are pronounced in the
following three ways.
a) IIzI after the consonants Is, z, J, tf,dj I
kisses bushes messages
horses garages Raj's
Alice's watches judges
Dickens's witches'
fetches
b) Isl after the consonants lp, t, k, f? SI.
caps Dick's
stops chiefs
it's laughs
pats Ruth's
pots eat's
hits
c) /zl after all other consonants and all vowels
boys man's loves
rags China's plums
leaves officers' runs
buds employees' saves
goes she's flies
Listen to the words in (a), (b) and (c) carefully and repeat each word.
71

/ I
 English in Daily Life
4.10 LETUSSUMUP
In this unit on small talk you realized the importance of engaging in social
. interaction before talking shop. Successful people are those who can go beyond
business to establish relationships with people. We gave you some frozen phrases
in Language Focus which will help you in carrying out a conversation. The Writing
section as well as the Listening gives you further tips in this area. To improve
your accuracy in the language, we revised the Simple Present Tense. In the section
on Pronunciation, we made you aware of the consonant sounds of English.

4.11 ANSWERS
Activity 1
I and III are inappropriate for small talk. Topics like salaries and marital status
invade the personal territory of people and hence are too personal to be asked .
..
Check YourProgress 1

1) . Match subtitles with the appropriate paragraphs of the reading passage which
are numbered.

i) common ground para 6

ii) ideologies para 4
iii) don't get personal para 5
iv) objective of small talk para 1
v) difficulties encountered in small talk para 2
vi) overcoming anxiety para 8
vii) paying attention to what you are being told para 7
viii) doing your homework para 3
2) find words/expressions in the text with similar meanings.

i) at ease - comfortable

ii) in advance - prior

iii) find out - look up

iv) intrude upon - invade

v) harmless - safe

vi) express - communicate

72

/
/
 Importance of Small Talk in
4.3 LISTENINGAND SPEAKING Business

Tape script 1
.
1) Speaker 1 - I usually keep a few short items - anecdotes, jokes, news stories
or other interesting tidbits handy so that I can share them with others. I may
or may not use them but at least I can draw upon this stock if the need
anses.

2) Speaker 2 - Whenever I have to go to a business event or a meeting, I spend

at least 10 minutes thinking about what I have in common with the people
who are going to be there. This helps me to think up topics for small talk.

3) Speaker 3 - I think it is important to be well read. I like to take a look at

local and national newspapers, magazines and trade publications. That gives
me topics for small talk and conversation while entertaining business visitors.

4) Speaker 4 - I'm usually the first to say "Hello." If I'm not sure the other
person remembers me, I offer my name to ease the situation. For example,
"Meera Shah? Simran Khanna - good to see you again." I make sure I smile
when I do this.

5) Speaker 5 - I make sure I stay focused on my conversational partner by

.actively listening and giving feedback. I also keep my eye contact and never
glance around the room while someone is talking to me.

Check Your Progress 2

i) Speaker 5
ii) Speaker 3
iii) Speaker 1
iv) Speaker 4
v) Speaker 2

Activity 2

This is only a sample:

a) How often do you travel out of Delhi?
b) Do you like going to the cinema?
c) What are your favourite food / cuisine?
d) Where did you first start work?
e) Would you like some tea or coffee?

Activity 3

a Start a conversation.
b Keep a conversation going.
c Remember names.
d Use icebreakers and conversation starters that work every time.

73

/
English in Daily Life e Avoid conversation "killers" like negative remarks.
f Revive a dying conversation.
g Develop business relationships and social friendships.
h Approach social functions with confidence.
1 Become "active" listeners ..
J Mingle with confidence.
k Improve rapport building skills.
I Make sure your body language is inviting and natural.
m Overcome communication barriers.
n Make the most of networking opportunities.
o Handle awkward social situations carefully.
p Exit conversation with grace.
q Turn every conversation into an.opportunity for success.
r Come across as composed and self-assured when talking to people or entertaining
clients

2) Missing words are given in bold.

Small talk is crucial in any relationship. Everyday conversation can make or

break relationships in our personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, most
people don't realize how important small talk is, and hence do not do anything
to develop or improve this skill. Developing the ability to make small talk is not
as difficult as many other work related skills once we recognize its importance
and worth.

A Stanford University School of Business study showed its impact on business

success. It tracked MBA's lO years after graduation, and discovered that grade
point averages had no bearing on their success - but conversation did. Most
successful were those who could make conversatiori with anyone - from
strangers, to secretaries, to bosses to customers.

Small talk has a great impact on your success in 'personal' relationships, because
it influences how others see you in terms of intelligence and confidence. Most
people perceive good conversationalists as more intelligent and confident.

Despite the importance of small talk,' most people don't do it well. One major
reason is shyness and another common reason is not knowing how to start a
conversation. There are also some who do not have anything to say. All of these
difficulties can be. overcome, once you decide to master this art.

Check Your Progress 3

i) Think ahead
One must not go to a business meeting or event without any prior preparation.
Even if the meeting is a one-to-one face-to-face meeting with a visitor; it is
advisable to think and plan ahead. A good way to start is by finding out about the
person you are going to meet. Accordingly, on the basis of some preliminary
information that you have gathered, you can decide what topics would be good
74

/
 . conversationaltopics in the given situation.Advance thinkingwill enhance your comfort Importance of Small Talk in
Business
level and help you to make a good impression on the visitor.

iI) I!ave something to say

For any conversation you must have something sensible to say. If you .areextremely
well read or well informed, you will always have something to talk about. All you need
to do is to choose from your stock according to the people or situation. However, if
this is not the case, it is a good idea to do some information gathering before all
important meetings or events where you need to make social conversation,

iii) Observe and listen

An important aspect of small talk is to be a good listener. This is an essential part of
good social etiquettes. Be a keen observer. This also helps you to understand better
and to respond adequately to others.
J.j Check Your Progress 4
1) These are only sample verbs:
i) I _walk __ to office everyday
ii) I _leave __ my house at 8 0' clock in the morning.
iii) I _reach __ my office by 8.30 am.
iv) I _have __ my lunch in the office canteen.
v) I _return / come back __ home by 6 pm .
./ vi) In the evening I ~o __ for a walk.
vii) On weekends I _play __ badminton in the club.
viii) Once a year I ~o_ out on a holiday with my family
2) Q 1) How are you?
A) lam fine.
Q2) Where do you live?
A) I live in BhopaL
Q3) What do you do in your free time?
A) I like reading and watching TV?
Q4) What kind of books do you like to read?
A) I like to read books on self improvement.
Q5) What kind of music do you like?
A) I like to listen to Sufi music.
Q6) How often do you travel out of Bhopal for work?
A) I travel out ofBhopal once in two months?
Q7) How do you usually travel?
A) I usually travel by train.
Q8) What do you do on weekends?
A) On weekends I go on long walks?
75

/
 English in Daily Life Q9) When do you do meditation?
A) In the mornings I do some meditation.
Activity 4
1) These are only sample completions:

I
A: How are you?
;
I
B: I'm fine.
B: How about you?
,"
A: I'm fine too. Thank you.
A: It's good to meet you after such a long time.
B: Yes. It's been so long since we met up.
A: Oh; do you know that the Braille version of Abdul Kalam's
autobiography is out? -.
B: . Great. Do you have a copy of it?
A: Yes, I have just finished reading it.
B: May I borrow it.
A: Sure.
A: Have you been following the cricket series?
B: Oh yes. We've had some great matches.
A: True. I've been enjoying the matches too.
2) Example: Sports
You: Do you like sports?
Partner: Yes I do. I love to watch cricket.
You: Do you also play any sport yourself?
Partner: I play some cricket and football on weekends. But I don't do any
sport seriously. It's more for fun.

76

/
 UNIT 5 EMAIL AND SMS

Structure
5.0 Objectives
5.1 WannUp
5.2 Reading Comprehension: Email
5.3 Study Skills: Fonnat and Structure for email
5.4 SMS: The Benefits ofSMS
5.5 Listening: How SMSing Began
5.6 Language Focus: Shortening Devices
5.7 Writing: Writing and Responding to Emails
~
., 5.8 Grammar: hnperatives and Modals
5.9 Let Us Sum Up
5.10 Answers

5.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit you will:
• Learn about email and SMS as a means of communication;

• Familiarize yourself with formats and structures of these two means of

communication;

• Learn about language associated with SMS; and

• . Learn to write emails and SMS messages.

5.1 WARMUP
The slanting lines are used to differentiate the sound from tl).espelling.
~
Activity 1

. Here are 5 statements on email. To what extent do

you agree with each of them?

1) Email is the cheapest way to communicate

with people.

2) Email has brought the world closer.

3) Email is very easy to use.

4) Email is the most frequently used mode of

communication.

5) Email is not as personal as writing a letter.

77

/
/
I
 English in Daily Life
5.2 READING COMPREHENSION: EMAIL
The full form of email is Electronic Mail. E-mail came into use
beforethe wwwthat is the World Wide Web. It is a text based
application on the Internet through which you can compose,
store and forward messages to anyone across the world, who
\

uses the' Internet and has an email address. It is estimated that

79% of the online population uses email.Itis used extensively
in households as well as business organizations.

The initial email systems were restricted to text and plain formats. It subsequently
became possible to attach files, for example word processed documents and
spreadsheets, to use enhanced text formatting and to feature hyperlinks to web
pages. It is also possible to send graphics, pictures, etc by email.

,I Check Your Progress 1

1) Read the above text on emails and state whether these statements are true or
false.
i) The majority of computer users in the world use email.
ii) An email has to be sent as soon as it is composed.
iii) You can send photographs along with your email.
2) Find words in the text which have the same meaning as these:
i) people who use the internet.
ii) text stored on computer that contains links to other texts.
iii) to arrange text in a particular way.
iv) designs and drawings.

Here is some more information on the email. Read the given do's and don'ts
and answer the questions given at the end.

How formal is the email?

Although the use of email inworkplac,eshassoaredinthelastfewyears, it is
more casual than a letter and hence cannot substitute the fonnalletter. Perhaps
we can assume that e-mail may be used when you need to communicate quickly
and when informality is acceptable.

This is mostly the case with communication within an organization. There is no

doubt that in a large number of workplaces employees now prefer to communicate
with each other via email rather than memo. 'In fact in all situations where the
message is not particularly formal and can be kept brief, emailis acceptable.
However, if your message must be permanently stored or documented, then it is
advisableto write a letter or memo. The email must also not be used as a substitute
for personal contact.

You must also bear in mind a few other safeguards while using email. When using
email for business correspondence, do not become chatty and use chat room
abbreviations or emotions. Capital letters must also be avoided as they

78

/
/
 amount to screaming. A major difference between an email and a letter or memo is Email and SMS
that email is not private, especially at work. With the slightest error in address the
email can easily go to the wrong person. Besides, the wrong person or someone with
a ve~tedinterest could always find a way to access your email, Therefore it is important
to be discreet while using email for private or confidential correspondence.

Check Your Progress 2

l)
, Can you answer these questions based on the given text?

i) When should you use email?

ii) Why do people prefer to use email over letters or memos?

·i

iii) When is it advisable to write a letter or memo?

iv) What should be avoided when you use email for business purposes?
-

2) Can you identify words in the text which are opposite in meaning to these?

i) plummeted
ii) formal
iii) temporary
iv) similarity
v) public ),.... -::-0, (-'-. ~.~.

vi) injudicious

5.3 STUDY SKILLS: FORMAT AND STRUCTURE

FOREMAIL
The format ofthe email is dictated by the Internet service provider that you use.
However, the boxes provided need to be filled in by the user.

79

/
 Engtish in Daily Life Send to carries the email ID ofthe person to whom you are Writing.
CC gives you the option of sending the same mail to additional people.
Subject is the heading that you wish to give to your message. In emails the subject line
must be brief, simple, informative and meaningful. Avoid sending subject lines that
sound like SPAM! For example 'Just what you are waiting for!' The receiver may not
open your mail to read it. .

Message is where you enter the text. Take care of the layout, depending on the
formality of the message. Keep the paragraphs short and use a fresh paragraph
for every sub point. As far as possible, keep the text plain. Use lower case letters
throughout. It is common to make mistakes while. composing the mail. This
happens because of speed or a very sensitive keyboard which may enter letters
r that you touch by mistake. Make sure you read the message again, to check for
spelling, clarity as well as coherence, before you click on.the send button.

Salu~.s and Comp~mentar! Closes used in ema~l are usual~y not as formal
as they are ID letters. While Dear IS the standard salutation, comphmentary closes
such as Kind Regards, Warm Regards or just Regards are commonly used.
Hi and Hello are also frequently used as salutations in informal or personal
emails.

Check Your Progress 3

Identify any 4 features of email and write them down in the form of points in the
box given below.

. :.. .

5.4 SMS: THE BENEFITS OF SMS

Do you use SMS? Can you supply full forms of SMS, EMS and MMS?

If you don't know them you need not worry. The exercises that follow will help
you out.
.1

Activity 2
1) Here are 3 sentences on SMS. Can you fill up the gaps?

i) SMS service is a service you can avail on (a) ,

(b) , : and (c): .

ii) Through this service we can (a) short

(b) ; messages to (c) .; and
(d) .

. iii) Text messages can be used for (a) , and

(b) ..,......................................... .
80

/
/
 2) Now read the text about SMS and see how close you are to the given information, lotroduction to
Communication
Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on mostdigital mobile
phones (and other mobile devices, e.g. a Pocket PC, or occasionally even
.desktop computers) that permits the sending of short messages (also known
as text messages, or more colloquially SMSes, texts or even txts) between
mobile phones, other handheld devices and even landline telephones. The
term text messaging and its variants are more commonly used in North
America, the UK, and the Philippines, while most other countries prefer the
term SMS. Besides for personal commnication, text messages are often used
to interact with automated systems" such as ordering products and services
. for mobile phones, or participating in conte~ts. There are also many services
available on the Internet that allows users to send text messages free of
charge.

Benefits of SMS
,I

Activity 3
1) Put the following words in the text below to complete the introduction to
benefits of SMS.
extension ability convemence subscribers
eliminates include devices

SMS offers 1 and flexibility to its 2 : .

The primary benefit is the 3 to use the handset as an
4 of the computer. SMS also 5 : .
the need for separate 6 for messaging because services
can be integrated into' a single wireless device - the mobile terminal. At a
minimum, SMS benefits 7 the following:

• Delivery of notifications and alerts

• Guaranteed message delivery
• Reliable, low-cost communication mechanism for concise information

More sophisticated functions include the following enhanced subscriber benefits:

• Delivery of messages to multiple subscribers at a time

• Ability to receive diverse information
• Email generation
• Creation of user groups
• Integration with other data and Internet-based applications

All of these benefits are attainable quickly, with modest incremental cost and
short payback periods, which make SMS an attractive investment for service
providers.

Activity 4

Re-read the passage and match the words in the two columns to make meaningful
word partnerships.

81

/ I
 ,
English in Daily Life
1 Low-cost cost
I Concise applications
m Multiple information
N Sophisticated subscriber benefits
v Enhanced \
. groups
VI. User investment
Vll Internet-based providers
Vlll Incremental functions
]X. Attractive communication mechanism
x Service subscribers

5.5 LISTENING: HOW SMSING BEGAN

Listen to a speaker giving you information about the birth and growth of SMS
and fill in the missing information:

Check Your Progress 4

1) First SMS commercial message sent

in (country) 1 .......•....................•......•..........•...........•..
. th e year 11
In .. •.••••••••••••..••••••••••••..••.••••.•...•••••..•....•••••••

by 111 .•.........•....•................•.....•...•...•••...........

USIng iv ::-;: .
The content ofthe message was v : .
The first SMS message typed on a phone was sent in the year vi .

2) Average number of messages used per person:

1995 - Vlll ••.••..••••..••.•••••.•.•.•••

2000 - IX .

Total number of messages sent in a year

2000 x · .

2001 - XL .•...•..•.................•.

2004 - XlI .

3) i) Name the Asian country where SMS is not very popular.

ii) How many messages does an average user send in The Philippines?

iii) Make a list of 5 services provided by SMS to Indian users.

82

/ \
/
 Email and SMS
5.6 LANGUAGE FOCUS: SHORTENING DEVICES
Look at the examples of different situations in which SMS ~e~sages were
used-to communicate important information.

A) Appointment
Intended message: Can we meet at Barista this evening at 6.40 pm?
SMS Message: Barista 6.40?

B) Information
Intended message: The mock test scheduled for tomorrow is now postponed to Friday
lOam.
SMS Message: Mock T movd 2 Fri 10.

C) Request
Intended message: Can you forward the last quarterly Sales report to me as soon as
possible.
SMS Message: PIs fwd last qrtly sales rpt asap.

D) Reminder
Intended message: Don'tforget to bring the camera with you.
SMS message: Dnt 4get d camera.

Now compose SMS messages to communicate the following information. Here

are some SMS short forms to help you out, although these forms do not follow
any defined rules:
To 2
From fun
WIth wid
-
You u
Are r
OK k
Could cud
Would wud
When wen
Why y
Something sth
Anything neth
Today 2dy
Next nxt
Have hv
Been bin
Immediately imdtly
Look luk 83

/
/
I· English in Daily Life Activity 5
i) I'm sorry I won't be able to attend the meeting today.
it) How are you?
ill) When can we meet today?
iv) Can you lend me ,.your notes?
v) Have you sent the report?
vi} I'm leaving for Delhi on 19th March.
vii) I've been transferred to London.
viii) Please contact me immediately.
ix) Did you look for the book I asked for?
x) This work is difficult.

5.7 WRITING: WRITING AND RESPONDING TO

EMAILS
Activity 6 .
1) Fill in the gaps to complete this email written by Tazim to a colleague working
in their Kuwait office.

Email:
.......................................... Suhail

Could you ..•........................................... the press cuttings of all articles

published about our company in your local newspapers in the last six months?
I , as I'm in the process of preparing our annual
report. : : in by the last week ofthis month.

2) Imagine that you are Suhail. Write an email to Tazim in response to this
request for information.

5.8 GRAMMAR: IMPERATIVES AND MODALS

In SMS messages, polite structures and modals are minimally used in order to make
the message as brief as possible. This automatically leads to frequent use of imperative
forms. Some examples are:
84

/
Don t miss the meeting. Email and SMS

Meet me at lOam.
Semi the report asap.

However, in the case ofletters, memos, faxes and even emails, one would use polite
structures and modals such as:
Please don t miss the meeting.
Could you please meet me at lOam.
Would you please send me the report as soon as possible.

Activity 7
I) Can you rewrite these sentences using the imperative forms:
i) Please come in formal dress.
ii) Could you translate this letter please?
iii) Would you mind bringing all the documents to the meeting?"
iv) You must not park your car in the Executive Parking.
v) I'd be grateful if you could send us the samples by Monday.
2) Now rewrite these sentences using polite structures:
i) Pass on the information to all the st-affmembers.
ii) Reschedule the meeting.
iii) . Pick up the boss from the airport.
iv)' We're out-of stock.
v) He's not available.

5.9. LET US SUM UP

In this unit, you learnt about two very potent tools of communication in the 21 st
century, email and SMS. You were made aware of the format and structure of
emails, and given practice in writing an email.

You also practiced writing SMS. A few shortening devises which are commonly
. used in SMS were discussed. Since SMS involves the frequent use of imperatives,
the grammar section dealt with imperative as well as polite forms. Remember,
that while certain short forms are permitted in SMS and personal emails, they
must not be used in formal communication.

5.10 ·ANSWERS
Activity 1
Here are some possible answers.
I) Email is cheaper than most other means of written communication, provided
you do not take into account the cost ofthe equipment and Internet charges.
These too are becoming increasingly affordable and readily available.

2) This is an undebatable truth because we can corrimunicate with people thousands

of miles away in an instant.With the coming of email a lot of business transactions
85

/ I
 English in Daily Life are done between people from different parts of the globe with speed, ease
and convenience.

3) Email is very easy to use for those who are computer literate and computer
literacy is on the increase even in suburban and rural areas. With the spread
of education, more-and more people are becoming well versed in the use of
computers.

4) Email is the most preferred and frequently used means of communication

amongst those who have access to computers and the Internet and this
population is on the rise even in the developing world.

5) It is true that hand written letters are more personal than emails.

Check Your Progress 1

1) i) The majority of computer users in the world use email. True'
.. ii) An email has to be sent as soon as it is composed. False
iii) You can send photographs along with your email. True
2) i) people who use the internet online population
ii) text stored on computer that contains links to other texts hypertext
iii) to arrange text in a particular way f()rmatting
iv) designs and drawings graphics

Check Your Progress 2

1) i) When you need to communicate quickly and when you do not need to
be very formal.· .

ii) Within a company or an organization, when the message is not very

formal and can be kept brief, people prefer to use email, because it is
quick and less time consuming.

iii) When you need to keep a permanent record or document something.

Also email should not be used as a substitute for personal contact.

iv) Business email must not be chatty. Besides, one must not use chas-.
room abbreviations, emotions and all capital letters.

2) i) plummeted soared

ii) formal informal! casual!ct,atty

iii) temporary permanent

iv) similarity difference

v) public private

vi) injudicious discreet

86

/ \
Check Your Progress 3 Email and SMS

Email
1) Subtitles like To, From, Subject are always used in email. They are usually
provided by the Internet service provider
-2) Subject line should be brief and meaningful
3) Pay attention to layout \
4) Keep paragraphs short
5) Use lower case letters
6) Read and check your mail for mistakes before sending it off
7) Salutations and complimentary closes in emails may not be as formal as
in regular letters

Activity 2
.i) SMS service is a service you can avail on (a) digital mobile phone, (b)
pocket PCs and (c) desktop computers.
ii) Through this service we can (a) send short (b) text messages to (c) mobile
phones and (d) landline phones.
iii) Text messages can be used for (a) ordering products and (b) participating
in contests.

Activity 3
SMS offers convenience and flexibility to its subscribers. The primary benefit
is the ability to use the handset as an extension of the computer. SMS also
eliminates the need for separate devices for messaging because services can be
integrated into a single wireless device - the mobile terminal. At a minimum,
SMS benefits include the following:
Activity 4

i) Low-cost communication mechanism

ii) Concise information
iii) Multiple subscribers
iv) Sophisticated. functions
v) Enhanced subscriber ·benefits
vi) User groups
vii) Internet-based applications
viii) Incremental cost
ix) Attractive investment
x) Service providers

LISTENING: HOW SMSING BEGAN I

Tapescript
The first commercial SMS message was sent over the Vodafone GSM network
in the United Kingdom on 3 December 1992, from Neil Papworth ofSema Group
(using a personal computer) to Richard Jarvis ofVodafone (using an Orbitel 901 .
handset). The text ofthe message was "Merry Christmas". The first SMS typed on a
GSM phone is claimed to have been sent by Riku Pihkonen, an engineer student at
Nokia, in 1993.
87

/
/
I
English in Daily Life Initial' growth was slow, with customers in 1995 sending on an average only OA
messages per GSM customer per month. By the end of2000, the average number,
, of messages per user reached 35:
Short message services are developing very rapidly throughout the world. In 2000,
just 17 billion. SMS messages were sent; in 2001, the number was up to 250 billion,
and 500 billion SMS messages in 2004. At an average cost ofUSD 0.10 per message,
.': this generates revenues in excess of$50 billion for mobile telephone operators and
represents close to 100 text messages for every person in the world.
SMS is particularly popular in Europe, Asia - excluding Japan,Australia and New
Zealand. Popularity has grown to a sufficient extent that the term texting (used as a
verb meaning the act of mobile phone users sending short messages back and forth)
has entered the common lexicon. In China, SMS is very popular, and has brought
. service providers significant profit (18 billion short messages were sent in 200 1j.It is
also a very influential and powerful tool in the Philippines; where the average user
sends 10-12 text messages a day. The Philippines alone sends on the average 400
million text messages a day,morethan the annual average SMS volume of countries in
Europe, and even China. SMS is hugely popular in India, where youngsters often
exchange lots oftext mess,ages, and companies provide' alerts, infotainment, news,
cricket scores update, railway/airline booking, mobile billing, and banking services 0!1
SMS. In India, metropolitan media outlets often take real-time polls and audience
opinionthrough SMS, via reserved 4-digit numbers that redirect the information to
the respective aforementioned outlets based ori designated prefix codes. '
Check Your Progress 4

1) First SMS commercial message sent ,

in (country) , i_U.K. _
in the year .ii.,_1992_
by iii _Neil Papworth j,

usmg iv _a personal computer __

The content ofthe message was 'v _Merry Christmas_' .
The first SMS message typed on a phone was sent in the year vi _1993_
2) Average number of messages used per person:
1995 - vii 0.4 .
2000 -' viii 35 .
Total number of messages sent in a year
2000 ix 17 billion .
2001 - x ".250 billion .
2004 - xi 500 billion . .
3) ~ Japan
~----~--------------------------------------------~
il) 10-12 text messages a day
fu) Alerts, News, Cricket scores update, Railway/airline booking, Banking
services

88

/ I
Activity 5 Introduction to
Communlcanon
0 I'm sory I cant atnd d mtng 2dy.
ii) howru?
ill) wen en v mit 2day 0.1

iv) . en u lnd me ur nts .

v) Hv u sent d rpt
vi) lvng 4 Deihi 19/mar
vii) am tnsfrd 2 London
viii) pls cntc imdtly
ix) hvu lukd4 d buk
x) dis wrk is difklt

Activity 6
1) Dear Suhail
Could you please send me the press cuttings of all articles published about
. our company in your local newspapers in the last six months? I need them
as I'm in the process of preparing our annual report. Please send them in
by the last week of this month.' ' .
Regards
Tazim
Simplex International

2) Dear Tazim
/'

Received your email asking for local press cuttings. I will ensure that they
reach you by 26th of December. Would it be OK if I scan them for you?
Warm Regards
Suhail

Activity 7

1) i) Please come in formal dress.

Wearformals.
ii) Could you translate this letter please?
Translate the letter.
iii) Would you mind bringing all the documents to the meeting?
Bring the documents to the mepting please.
iv) You must not park your car in the Executive Parking.
-Don't park in the Executive Parking.
v) I'd be grateful if you could send us the samples by Monday.
Send us the samples by Monday. / Samples by Monday please.
2) 0 Pass on,the information to all the staff members.
Could you please pass onthe information to all the staff members?
89

/
/
I
 English in Daily Life it) Reschedule the meeting.
I'd like you to reschedule the meeting.
ill) Pick up the boss from the airport.
Would you mind picking up the boss from the airport?
iv) We're out of stock.
I'm afraid ~e are "Outof stock.
v) He's not available.
Unfortunately he s not available. / I'm sorry he s not available.

, .

90

/
 NOTE

/
/
I
MPDD-IGNOU/P.O.O.5T/April,2010·

ISBN: 978-81-266-4563-3

/
/