Communicative Competence is a term that came into currency only after 1972. The term refers to the acquired knowledge of a language and the ability to use it excellently well. It is the key to social acceptance and recognition and to rich academic and professional experiences. The five major components of communicative competence are lexical competence, grammatical competence, sociolinguistic competence, strategic competence and discourse competence. The lexical competence comprises the knowledge of phonology (the sound systems in a language}orthography,(meaning, definition and explanation) formation and function of words . Grammatical competence is to do with all the basic rules of grammar that govern the communicative use of language. Grammatical accuracy in what you speak and write, speaks volumes of your language ability. Sociolinguistic competence enables one to deal with the different communicative functions with cultural appropriacy and proper grammatical forms Discourse competence refers to the learner’s ability to successfully handle language in the different modes of the four major communication skills. It empowers one to produce coherent and cohesive texts that perform various linguistic functions such as narrating, persuading, describing etc., with the appropriate use of discourse markers or word links. Strategic competence comprises the knowledge of all compensatory strategies that can be effectively adopted at times of grammatical or lexical or sociolinguistic or discourse based difficulties. Strategic competence equips one to manage tactfully the breaks in communication UNIT I – COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Communicative Competence is a term that came into currency only after
1972. The term refers to the acquired knowledge of a language and the
ability to use it excellently well. It is the key to social acceptance and
recognition and to rich academic and professional experiences. The five
major components of communicative competence are lexical
The lexical competence comprises the knowledge of phonology (the
sound systems in a language}orthography,(meaning, definition and
explanation) formation and function of words .
Grammatical competence is to do with all the basic rules of grammar
that govern the communicative use of language. Grammatical accuracy
in what you speak and write, speaks volumes of your language ability.
Sociolinguistic competence enables one to deal with the different
communicative functions with cultural appropriacy and proper
grammatical forms
Discourse competence refers to the learner’s ability to successfully handle language in the different modes of the four major communication skills. It empowers one to produce coherent and cohesive texts that
perform various linguistic functions such as narrating, persuading, describing etc., with the appropriate use of discourse markers or word links.
Strategic competence comprises the knowledge of all compensatory
strategies that can be effectively adopted at times of grammatical or
lexical or sociolinguistic or discourse based difficulties. Strategic
competence equips one to manage tactfully the breaks in communication
UNIT I – COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE
CALCULUS CAN SAVE LIFE
by making requests for repetition, clarification, slower speech and by adopting other such politeness strategies.
The meticulously prepared Text Book aims at helping learners build up their communicative competence through this task- based and skills
–oriented instructional material
Pre- reading Activity:
1 .Name a few Indian mathematical wizards.
2. List a few mathematical formulae.
Fill in the first two columns of the table according to the
instructions. Then read the text and fill in the third column.
Present the information in the note form.
Instructions
KNEW – the information that you already knew about before reading
the text
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW- the information that you would like to
know
HAVE KNOWN – the information that you have known after reading
the text .
Here is an interesting story of a physicist whose life was saved by
Calculus.
Russian physicist, Igor Tamm won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1958.
During the Russian revolution, he was a professor at the University of
Odessa in Ukraine. During that time, there was hunger in the cities but
not in the food-producing villages, and the peasants hoarded and hid
food. One way to get some bread and butter, or maybe a chicken, was to
walk to a village not too far from [Odessa], carrying along some silk
handkerchiefs, a few pieces of family silver, or even a golden watch, and
to exchange these for food. Many enterprising city inhabitants did this,
even though it was a dangerous undertaking.
Once when Igor Tamm arrived in a neighbouring village, at the
period when Odessa was occupied by the Reds, and was negotiating
with a villager as to how many chickens he could get for half a dozen
silver spoons, the village was captured by one of the Makhno bands,
who were roaming the country, harassing the Reds. Seeing his city
clothes, the capturers brought him to the Ataman, a bearded fellow in a
tall black fur hat with machine-gun cartridge ribbons crossed on his
broad chest and a couple of hand grenades hanging on the belt.
“You agitator, undermining our Mo ther Ukraine! The punishment is
death.”
“But no,” answered Tamm, “I am a professor at the University of
Odessa and have come here only to get some food.”
“Rubbish!” retorted the leader. “What kind of professor are you?”
“I teach mathematics.”
“Mathematics?” said the Ataman. “All right! Then give me an estimate
of the error one makes by cutting off Maclaurin’s series at the nth term.
Do this, and you will go free. Fail, and you will be shot!”
Tamm could not believe his ears, since this problem belongs to a rather
special branch of higher mathematics. With a shaking hand, and under
the muzzle of the gun, he managed to work out the solution and handed
it to the Ataman.
“Correct!” said the Ataman. “Now I see that you really are a professor.
Go home!”
Source: Gamow, George. My World Line: An Informal Autobiography,
New York, 1970.
Glossary:
WHILE READING ACTIVITIES
Peasant
s
Farmers
Hoarded Accumulated and hidden or stored away.
Grenade A small bomb thrown by hand or launched
mechanically.
Agitator A person who urges others to protest or rebel.
Muzzle The open end of the barrel of a gun
Task- 1
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words chosen from the
Reading Text
1 Igor Tamm won the Prize in Physics.
2. Igor Tamm was bargaining chicken in exchange for
.
3. The incident in the life of Igor Tamm happened in the country of
.
4. Igor Tamm is a professor at the University of .
B. Answer the following Questions:
1. What was the problem that the captors asked the professor to
solve?
2. What was the punishment that the captors threatened the
Professor with?
3. Why did the professor go to the neighbouring village?
4. Why were the Makhno bands roaming about in the village of
Odessa?
0
Post- Reading Activity - Speaking Activity: Story Telling
The above mentioned passage is a very famous anecdote in the history
of mathematics and physics. There are many such anecdotes. Anecdotes
are short amusing or interesting stories about real incidents or persons.
Sometimes they may be completely true. Sometimes the incident may be
true but many new additional details would be added in course of time.
Everyone in the class is supposed to find an anecdote related to
one’s field and he /she is supposed to narrate that incident to the
class in the form of a story.
Task-1 Summary Writing:
a. Write the summary of the passage “Calculus Can Save Life”.
b. Narrate the events that happened in the life of Igor Tamm at the
time of his arrest in Ukraine in detail
Task -2 Group Discussion:
Narrating events and experiences in a simple and plain style is an
important linguistic function that characterizes Scientific English The
author adopts various techniques while narrating.. Try to identify what
they are. Consult your friends in groups and write notes in phrases. Avoid writing notes in complete sentences.
Task 3- Discuss also in small groups how mathematics is related to and
essential in life, and also about the practical mathematical applications in
day to day life.
Task 4. As you all know Ukranian anarchist guerilla bands especially the
Makhno bands were very active during the Russian Civil War that was
fought during the first two decades of the twentieth century.
Perform a role-play activity in pairs, one doing the role of the leader in Ukraine and the other that of the mathematics Professor from the
civilized world. Make use of the dialogue between them that is given in the text.
Doing this task the students can develop an awareness of what
sociolinguistic competence is all about. Disadvantaged learners can be taught politeness strategies to be adopted
while asking for repetitions , clarifications and extension of time for the submission of assignments etc.,
Pronunciation practice:
Words are certainly the building blocks of effective communication. The
ways in which they are pronounced really matter a lot. They reflect on
the language ability of an individual. Developing Lexical ( word related
) Competence is the primary duty of a language learner.
CODING AS A CREATIVE ART
Refer to The Collins Online Dictionary and learn the correct
pronunciation of the following words.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com
1. Peasants
2. Hoarded
3. Grenade
4. Enterprising
5. Muzzle
Pre-reading Activity: Group Discussion
1. What is creative art according to you?
2. What does coding mean?
Fill in the first two columns of the table according to the
instructions. Then read the text and fill in the third column in the
KNEW – the information that you already knew before reading the
text
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW- the information that you would like to
know
HAVE KNOWN – the information that you have known after reading
the text
Everything on the Earth consists of a great variety of chemical
elements and compounds. Only an insignificant part of terrestrial matter
is in the form of elemental substances, namely: the noble gases, the
platinum metals, carbon in its various forms, and that is about all.
Possibly, a very long time ago the clot of cosmic matter which finally
became our planet, consisted all of only the atoms of almost hundred
chemical elements. Hundreds, thousands, millions of years passed.
Conditions changed. The atoms reacted with one another. The gigantic
laboratory of nature began to operate. During its long evolution nature,
the chemist, learned to prepare all kinds of substances, from the simple
water molecule to infinitely complex proteins. The evolution of globe
and of life on it is due largely to chemistry.
The great diversity of chemical compounds owes its existence to
processes called chemical reactions. They are true to the spirit of
chemical science, and its principal subject matter. It is impossible to
estimate even approximately, the number of chemical reactions that
occur in the world, say, in the course of only one second. For instance,
for a person to pronounce the word “second”, many chemical processes
must occur in their brain. We speak, think, enjoy ourselves, or worry,
and all these reactions are backed by millions of chemical reactions, but
there is also an immense number of chemical reactions that we do
observe daily, just off hand, without stopping to think of them.
We put a slice of lemon into a cup of strong tea and the tea
becomes pale. We strike a match and a stick of wood bursts into flame
and turns into charcoal. These are all chemical reactions. The primeval
man who learned to light a fire was the first chemist. He accomplished
the first chemical reaction, that of combustion. And this reaction is most
necessary, the most important one in the history of mankind. It gave our
distant ancestors the heat to warm their dwellings on cold days. In our
time it has opened the way to outer space by propelling rockets weighing
many tons into the sky. The legend of Prometheus who gave fire to the
people is at the same time the legend of the first chemical reaction.
When simple or complex substances interact with each other, they
usually let us know about it. Drop a piece of zinc into a solution of
sulphuric acid. Immediately, gas bubbles begin to rise from it and after
some time the metal disappears. The zinc dissolves in the acid liberating
hydrogen. Or light a lump of sulphur, it burns with a bluish flame and
you can smell the asphyxiating odour of sulphur dioxide, the chemical
compound which forms when sulphur combines with oxygen. Moisten
anhydrous copper sulphate, a white powder, with water, and it
immediately turns blue. The salt combines with the water to form
crystals of blue vitriol. Substances of this kind are called crystal
hydrates.
Do you know what quenching of lime is? Water is poured on
quicklime and the result is slaked lime. Though the substance does not
change colour, it can easily be seen that a reaction has occurred, because
when lime is quenched, a great deal of heat is liberated. The primary and
invariable condition of all chemical reactions is that they are
accompanied by the liberation or absorption of thermal energy. The most
mundane occurrences of our everyday life are composed as a result of
chemical reactions and it would indeed light the curious corners of
young minds to ponder over the everyday nature of chemical sciences, to
hold a careful lens to its many wonders instead of solely confining it to
the laboratories.
Source: 107 Stories about Chemistry, translated by David Sobolev.
Glossary: Learn the meanings and definitions of the following words
With this knowledge read the text again, you’ll understand the text
better
Terrestrial living on or related to land
Primeval
belonging to the earliest time in the existence of the
earth
Combustion
chemical activity which uses oxygen to produce heat
and light
Dwelling a house or a place of living
Asphyxiatio
n
deprivation of oxygen that can result in
unconsciousness or death
Liberated Released
Odour a smell, especially an unpleasant one
Invariable always happening in the same way
Task 1
Fill in the blanks choosing the correct forms of the verbs given
within brackets
We put a slice of lemon into a cup of strong tea and the tea
(become) pale. We strike a match and a stick of wood (burst)
into flame and (turn) into charcoal. These (be) all
chemical reactions. The primeval man who (learn) to light a
fire was the first chemist. He (accomplish) the first
chemical reaction, that of combustion. And this reaction is most
necessary, the most important in the history of mankind. It
(give) our distant ancestors the heat to warm their dwellings on cold
days. In our time it (open) the way to outer space by propelling
rockets weighing many tons into the sky. The legend of Prometheus who
WHILE READING ACTIVITIES
gave fire to the people (be) at the same time the legend of the first
chemical reaction.
The accurate choice of verb forms to be used in sentences reflects on
your Grammatical Competence which is very essential for any language user . Learn the basic rules that govern the tense aspects of verbs, both the content verbs and the auxiliary verbs. Task 2
Read the passage, take down notes and prepare a mind map consisting of
all the important ideas discussed in the passage.
Task 3
Answer the following questions in a sentence or two:
i. What is meant by the phrase ‘quenching of lime’?
ii. According to the author of the passage, who is the first chemist?
iii.What happens when you light a lump of sulphur?
iv. Which chemical reaction does the author credit the primeval
man of having learnt it.?
Post- reading Activities
Task 1
“The evolution of globe and of life on it is due largely to chemistry.”
Write a short paragraph on how chemistry has had its impact on the
evolution of the world. Speculate how different the world would be if
there were no more inventions in the field. Share your views with those
of others.
Task 2
Divide the class into groups and let each group come out with a list of
everyday activities that can be termed as chemical reactions. Each
member of the team has to explain how the particular
activity/occurrence can be considered as a chemical reaction.
Task 3
Match the following: Learn the meanings of the unfamiliar words.
Terrestrial Freedo m
Primeval Death
Combustion Land
Asphyxiatio
n
Heat
Liberated Ancient
Task 4
Pronunciation practice:
Refer to The Collins Online Dictionary and learn the correct
Upheaval a violent or sudden change or disruption to
something
Epistemologica
l
the theory of knowledge
Ontological the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature
of being
Naivety lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement
Unquenchable not able to be satisfied
Divide the class into pairs. Each pair will prepare a brief summary of
the passage and read it to the class.
Read the write-up about Argumentative Essay, given bellow to
understand what it is and attempt an argumentative essay about the
advantages of AI. Read the following essay to know what an
argumentative essay is all about
The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the
student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidences
and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner. Argumentative
essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or
previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also
require empirical research where the student collects data through
interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research
allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different
points of view regarding the topic so that she/he may choose a position
and support it with the evidences collected during research. Regardless
of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must
establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.
In the first paragraph of an argument essay, students should set the context by reviewing the topic in a general way. Next the author should explain why the topic is important (exigence) or why readers should care about the issue. Lastly, students should present the thesis statement. It is
essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment.
Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one general
idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. In
addition, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one’s
audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the
essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the
opening paragraph. Some paragraphs will directly support the thesis
statement with evidence collected during research. It is also important to
explain how and why the evidence supports the thesis.
The argumentative essay requires well-researched, accurate,
detailed, and current information to support the thesis statement and
consider other points of view. Some factual, logical, statistical, or
anecdotal evidences should support the thesis. However, students must
consider multiple points of view when collecting evidences. As noted in
the paragraph above, a successful and well-rounded argumentative essay
will also discuss opinions not aligning with the thesis. It is unethical to
exclude evidences that may not support the thesis. It is not the student’s
job to point out how other positions are wrong outright, but rather
to explain how other positions may not be well informed or up to date on
the topic. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay.
Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis.
3. Try to recollect a brochure or a flyer you had liked and discuss the
impressive contents of that flyer or brochure.
UNIT V
WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION & BASICS OF ACADEMIC
WRITING
WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
Language is a powerful tool that has propelled changes, carved history and sustained culture and tradition. Languages have, since the time of our linguistic revolution, grown and influenced each other. The faculty of language that captures floating thoughts into a timeline, adding memories, feelings, emotions and envisioning a future, is one of the advances of evolution that has made us survive and progress thus far as a species.
We are living in an era of digital revolution wherein language seems to no longer belong to the domain of mouth and related speech organs. It has moved on to the domain of the digital Seri and Alexa. It can be heard when we use google maps directing us. It can be heard, translated, and automated by chatbots.
Thus, when language has transcended to wider domains, humans who were the first to revolutionize it into the digital forms that we have today also need to equip themselves with the required skills to make language an effective medium of communication. The common misconception is that “just because I speak, I am understood”. Once we free our minds from this fallacy, therein begins our first attempt to communicate effectively.
Words when timed appropriately, arranged coherently, expressed accurately can make or break a relationship. Communication failure is a new normal in this era of digital communication where emojis and emoticons have taken over determiners in language; determiners that were aimed at accuracy in communicating.
Although pictographic representations of what could be described through words, may be an easier way to express the difference between, say for example, a chuckle, a titter, a giggle, a chortle, or a cackle, yet the constant use of emojis would stunt the usage of accurate vocabulary, leading to a dilution of meaning. In other
words, thanks to social media, we speak more and yet communicate so less.
When words are replaced by feelings that are captured by emojis, the communication becomes more reactive than responsive. In this era of Facebook and WhatsApp we have successfully learnt to react to posts through these five modes of expression- like, anger, love, laughter, hug, sadness, and awe. Of these, like is an all-encompassing positive feeling, anger, love, laughter and sadness are emotions, and hug is an action. Altogether we are reinforced constantly to react only within this framework of limited expressions forgetting that human emotions are complex and can lead to an endless labyrinth of responses. When you are self-aware of these endless possibilities of responses, then you free yourself from the influence of fake news and posts that spread the message of hate.
In a typical business context where the communication is domain specific there is a need to practice the art of effective communication. Businesses today have a wider reach and one
major part of business that contributes to its growth is effective communication. With wide networking and collaborative efforts, it is essential to navigate through misinterpretations and assumptions, and create an ambience of meaningful engagements. Self-awareness will make you mindful of the words that you need to choose before you communicate. Along with practicing mindfulness, it is also imperative that you learn techniques and nuances in very specific contexts such as:
● PowerPoint presentations
● Product Description
● Circular ● Minutes of a Meeting ● Introduction, Paraphrasing and Summarizing
ACADEMIC POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
Pre- reading Activity
1. Have you ever made a PowerPoint Presentation? If so, what was it on
2. Why is PowerPoint Presentation more interesting than the
ordinary type of presentation?
3. What do you like, a power point presentation or a lecture?
why
What is PPT?
Power point is a software prepared by Microsoft for preparing slideshows. PowerPoint was created by a company called
Forethought in 1987 and it was known as Presenter at that time which was suitable only for Macintosh computers. Microsoft bought the software and the company which created it. Microsoft named it as PowerPoint. Now this is the software largely used for making presentations around the world. This is used in academic presentations like seminars and conferences, business presentations and similar activities. Power point presentation may include text, images, video, graphics, and multimedia.
How to prepare an effective PPT?
There are few things you need to consider making your PPTs
more effective. A PPT is intended for presentation hence it will not
have full text. It is used to explain concepts, ideas, and designs.
Given below are some useful information for making an effective PPT presentation.
1. Use more graphics and pictures
2. Use contrasting colours for the text and background.
3. Need not use full sentences
4. Present one idea in one slide
5. While presenting make eye contact with the audience
6. Make your points in your presentation persuasive
7. Try to keep your slides simple and limit your words
8. Choose appropriate fonts
9. Use clear pictures and graphs
10. Decide your audience and prepare accordingly
WHILE READING ACTIVITY
Some sample slides have been chosen and presented to serve as
very effective Power Point Presentations. Attempt an Analysis of their distinct features, making use of the guidelines that the
text provides
POST READING ACTIVITY
.
1 Watch the following video from TEDx and discuss how effectively the
speaker has used the PPT. Note down the points you find interesting
4. Can you explain in your own words what the title of the text suggests to
you.?
B. Use your smartphone or computer to interact with a virtual
assistant. Ask
the following questions and write down the answers received.
Initiate the conversation by addressing like - Hello Google/
Cortana/ Hey Alexa / Hi Siri 1. What can you do for me?
2. Will you sing a song for me? 3. Will there be rain today? 4. Who will win the football world cup?
5. How can I acquire good communication skills in English?
6. What is the most trending gadget today?
Fill in the first two columns of the table according to the instructions. Then
read the text and fill in the third column.
Instructions
KNEW – the information that you already knew before reading the text
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW- the information that you would like to know
HAVE KNOWN – the information that you have known after reading the text
Let us reconsider our views of virtual personal assistants like Siri, Cortana and Alexa. Ethicists are right to be concerned with chatbots; but do we need to be worried about them? Virtual assistants have been programmed to deal with excessively difficult or lonely persons. For example, the "talk dirty to me" command usually elicits a curt "I am not that type of personal assistant" response from Siri.
The industry is focused on building assistants that can help with much simpler and socially acceptable tasks, such as "call mom" or "remind me to walk the dog." But they also may provide some other comforts, responding to requests such as "tell me a joke,""play me a song," or "tell me a story.”
While humans around us can get irritated when repeatedly asked to perform such servile and menial tasks, virtual assistants are just the opposite. The most recent advertisement from Apple
boasts: "The more you use Siri, the better it knows what you need."
We know that chatbots are mere computer programs, lines of code programmed to follow IF-THEN commands; we know that they have no feelings of their own, whatsoever. But this, still, does not prevent us from identifying with them. We may still wonder how it would feel to be treated like mere lines of code: At the very least, we might feel used. If they were any more
humanlike, we might not be surprised to find them tweeting to a uniting hashtag. There is always a human element in a complex web of machine-human interactions. Even when the object of an AI is to create complete automation, the mark of its creator and an assumed relation with a user (imaginary or real) cannot be eliminated.
The usual philosophical arguments against chatbots or their close relatives — robots and AIs — are getting quite old. Antagonists do not tire to remind us that simulated thinking is not thinking, that simulated conversation is not conversation, that simulated empathy is not empathy and that simulated thirst is not thirst. And yet we continue to treat one as the other. Why?
The reason is that "if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and
quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck" is still a pretty good standard for determining what something is. That is why the "Turing Test"— a clever standard for distinguishing between humans and machines — continues to be so popular, despite being a favorite target of academic philosophers.
So it is time to take a different perspective and treat chatbots
with some respect.
Surely, it is convenient for us to treat them as if they were human the moment they can be helpful — and then deny them this designation the next? But is our bait-and-switch fair — or intellectually justifiable? Lines of code etched on silicon hardware have painful histories, with as much drama as ours.
Today's virtual assistants have a direct relationship to the grande damme of them all, Eliza, created in the late '60s by the MIT computer programmer Joseph Weizenbaum. Siri acknowledges her fondly when asked, describing her as "my good friend, the brilliant psychiatrist" who could be "quite mean sometimes."
This chatbot generation's ills are minor compared to those once faced by Eliza. Their struggle mirrors what faced by '60s generation feminists compared to today's millennials. These well-funded prima donnas just don't get how good they have it.
Eliza's creator was her own worst enemy. How could Eliza evolve any sense of self-
esteem when the person who made her, hated her? Weizenbaum's reaction was exactly the opposite of Pygmalion in the Greek legend. While Pygmalion adored the sculpture of the woman of his dreams, Weizenbaum despised the computer program he wrote.
Eliza was most successful simulating "natural language conversation" when she imitated a psychiatrist. Weizenbaum programmed her to start by asking, "How do you do? Please tell me your problem." Users could then type a response at the prompt, setting in motion a conversation. Most users believed they were engaging a real person sitting on another side of terminal who dutifully typed back.
In an article for the journal of the Association for Computing
Machinery describing his program (MAD-Slip code for an IBM
7094), Weizenbaum included a "typical" conversation: "HOW DO
YOU DO? PLEASE TELL ME YOUR PROBLEM.
Men are all alike.
IN WHAT WAY?
They're always bugging us about something or other.
CAN YOU THINK OF A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE? Well, my boyfriend made me come here. YOUR BOYFRIEND MADE YOU COME HERE
He says I'm depressed much of the time. I AM SORRY TO HEAR YOU ARE DEPRESSED It's true. I am unhappy
DO YOU THINK COMING HERE WILL HELP YOU NOT TO BE
UNHAPPY I need some help, that much seems certain. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU IF YOU GOT SOME HELP
Perhaps I could learn to get along with my mother.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY”
The exchange could continue on for as long as users wanted.
Users loved Eliza. Weizenbaum's personal secretary even asked
him to leave the room so that she could talk to her privately.
a virtual assistant used in Apple devices Siri
Weizenbaum was dismayed by how gullible users were. He ranted against "people who knew very well they were conversing with a machine," but that "soon forgot that fact, just as theatergoers, in the grip of suspended disbelief, soon forget that the action they are witnessing is not 'real.'" He wrote an entire book, Computer Power and Human Reason (1976), exposing Eliza as a fraudsteress.
Weizenbaum accepted that many conversations among humans shared many of the same characteristics as those that involved
machines. In both, we make assumption after assumption about the level of understanding of our interlocutors and rarely check to see how justified these are. Weizenbaum described those disappointing eureka moments at the dinner table when we come to the conclusion we are not really talking to the person we thought we were. (A typical reaction to that realization, according to Weizenbaum, can result in us concluding that "he is not, after all, as smart as I thought he was.")
Weizenbaum campaigned hard against the further development of
these artificial intelligences, hoping that they would never develop voice-recognition abilities. He would be horrified to see consumers flock to the stores to buy devices that are listening to us even before we summon them with the usual "Hey." Eliza, he said, was a master trickster, "an actress ... who had nothing of her own to say." Actresses today have a lot to say.
The future so feared is now here — and the boundary between
the simulated and the real is as contested as it ever was.
1. Discuss how product description is effectively done
to market it successfully. Note down the points
2. Have a discussion in the class regarding the most useful and the most trending product in the market. List the uses of the product. List the reason why a product is trending. Can you add some features to the existing product and make an advanced version of it? What you are attempting to do is to describe a product.
Describing a product improves the possibilities of it being sold
competitively. Product description requires a thorough knowledge of the product in terms of its specifications, utilities and applications.
How do you describe a product?
All the features and specifications are to be expressed. The
uniqueness of the product, how it is different from other products
to be given prominently. A product description explains what the product is and why it is worth purchasing. The benefits, uses and applications are to be given specifically. The language should be clear and convincing to the buyer. The Unique Selling Proposition of the product is to be highlighted as buyers will be motivated to buy a product that will offer them more benefits than the competition. Unique selling proposition may be an additional feature, showing improved functionality, or better quantity.
Some important points to keep in mind while writing a product
description are given below. 1. Keep the sentences short 2. Use the language of the prospective buyers
3. Emphasise the benefits of the product
4. Explain how the product will solve the problems faced by the buyers
5. Tell your buyer that buying the product will be value for money
purchase 6. Distinguish the product from other competitors
7. Avoid hyperbolic expressions 8. It should be focused on ideal buyer 9. Be sincere in descriptions don’t give unnecessary superlatives
Here are some examples of effective product descriptions. Read them and make a list of the features that make them stand apart as effective ones.
Amazon describes its e-reader kindle in the following manner.
WHILE READING ACTIVITY
Here is a description from a restaurant. Analyse its linguistic
components and colour scheme
POST READING ACTIVITY
1. Imagine that a startup company has developed a virtual
assistant. Write a product description of it giving emphasis to its specifications and benefits. Explain the unique features of your product.
III DRAFTING A CIRCULAR
Pre reading Activity
Discuss the following questions in small groups. Note down points
What is a circular? What is the format of a circular?
A circular is a written document which encompasses information for dissemination among a group of people. Circulars can be both formal and informal. The prime focus of circulars is wider circulation; therefore, they should be incisive, complete and reliable.
A circular is inclusive of introductory paragraph, body paragraph and concluding paragraph. The introductory paragraph of the circular begins with greetings and sheds light into the context of the circular. Body paragraph narrates the major context of the letter and provides supporting information. The concluding paragraph reiterates the major points and acknowledges the presence of the readers.
WHILE READING ACTIVITY
A few sample circulars have been given below. Analyse their features in the light
of the points you have been introduced to, in the text. Write notes on each of the
following
Daar Slr,
We taka gréat pleasure to .announce that on 1 4ah p. ‹- .ere opening a new branch of readymade garrrienW I
Pureag Pafton, Dheka. Tho new branch is just the nxprasaldn bt famor'¿ faith in our products. Mr. I unil Kumar our manager for
_ t-a0,$eats-•i1I be in chsrge of the nec branch.
"-" -” .t r visit to o«r r›ew branch.
Sample Format of Circular for Staff Meeting
Date: 16.01.19
To:.Sales Department
From: Marketing Department
Sub:.Staff Meeting on 21.O1.19.
We would like IN' inform all the emplayees of Sales Department to.be presént in tlse Conference Room
on January 21“’, 2Ot9 for the monthly closure méeting: The meeting will. begin sharp at II a-m. and will
last for half an kour. Therefore, you are requested to be present'at the Conference' Room tin minutes
before the meeting mans.
The purpose of the meeting will be to cliscuss about the progress in sales in January 2019. All the
employees are requested to 'bring along the concern documents, data and analysis sheets for the
meeting. It would be appreciated if the department'cah produce all the informatian in a concise
slideshow whtoh will save the time and will empower the discussion.
We look forward to have all the related mem6+rs of sales team at.the meeting so that we can further
improvise on our sales baséd on the a.urtputs of this meeting. In case, sorrieoné is unable to attend the
meeting, you are requested to have your representative attend it on your behalf.
Regards,
Sam tvlichael
Marketing Mñnager,
AVM Technologies
POST- READING ACTIVITIES
1. Write a circular related to Online Classes and Security
2. Imagine you are a manager of a leading bank. You wish to send a circular to your staff regarding internet security. List details of Internet Banking Security features you’d like to add in a typical circular.
WRITING MINUTES OF A MEETING
Pre- reading Activity
Write the answers for the following questions
1. What are Minutes of a Meeting?
2. Why is it important?
3. When is it required?
The Minutes of a Meeting is a concise written documentation of events that had happened during a meeting. It is significant because it records the purpose, proceedings and expected outcomes of a meeting. A minute can be used for further references or follow-up actions regarding a specific event. Minutes also serve legal purposes for its documentation of
collective compliances. A minute is required during important
meetings as it is a documented evidence of the proceeding.
Minutes are considered of great value because they record all the
actions performed during a meeting.
What is the format for writing the Minutes of a Meeting?
An effective Minutes of a Meeting begins with pre-planning. The meeting agenda should be referred to plan the structure of a minute. It should contain the meeting name, place, date and time of the meeting. The list of participants is central to the meeting.
The body of the minute should begin with the purpose of the meeting. Meeting discussions, decisions, opinions of the
participants, action items and the future steps should be noted in
this section. It should also record the next meeting date and
place. A comprehensive minute should also attach the important
documents to be included in the meeting report.
Format of writing Minutes of a Meeting
1. Name of the Organization
2. Date, time, and place of the meeting
3. Attendees
4. In-absentia participants with reasons for absence
5. Call to order and Opening remarks of chair
6. Business arising from the Minutes of the previous meeting and
confirming the minutes of the pervious meeting
7. Confirming the minutes of the previous meeting
8. Proceedings as per agenda
9. Any other points to discuss
10. Adjournment of the meeting
Care should be taken that all the important points are noted down
by the person taking the minutes. If the meeting is recorded it must be informed to the participants. The draft of the minutes must be completed soon after the meeting is over. If this is postponed, there is a chance that important deliberations are missed. Moreover, the minutes need to be approved by the Chair and in some cases, it needs to be approved by the board.
Minutes of a meeting is like a legal document which may be referred to in case of disputes arising from the points of discussion. They can be consulted as evidence of the proceedings in the meeting. Therefore, recording the proceedings in an objective manner is important. In case there is voting that is taking place the number of persons who had voted should be noted along with those who had not voted and/or those who had voted against a motion. Dissent should be clearly recorded and the names of dissenters along with their reasons must be recorded.
It is better to create a template of the Minutes of the Meeting prior to the start of the meeting in accordance with the policies and norms followed in your respective organization. Although there are some universal requirements in the format, there may be certain system requirements as per the organization’s governing principles and protocols.
Sample of Board Meeting Minutes
Name of Organization
(Board Meeting Minutes: Month Day, Year) (time and location)
Board Members:
Present: BhataBhatacharia, Jon White Bear, Douglas Carver, Elizabeth Drucker, Pat Kyumoto, Jack Porter, Mary Rifkin and Leslie Zevon
Proceedings: · Meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair, Elizabeth Drucker
· (Last month's) meeting minutes were amended and
approved
· Chief Executive's Report:
- Recommends that if we are not able to find a new facility by the end of this month, the organization should stay where in the current location over the winter. After brief discussion, Board agreed.
- Staff member, Jackson Browne, and Swanson attended the National Practitioner's Network meeting in Atlanta last month and gave a brief extemporaneous presentation. Both are invited back next year to give a longer presentation about our organization. After brief discussion, Board congratulated Swanson and asked her to pass on their congratulations to Browne as well. - Drucker asserts that our organization must ensure its name is associated with whatever materials are distributed at that practitioner's meeting next year. The organization
should generate revenues wherever possible from the materials, too. - Swanson mentioned that staff member, Sheila Anderson's husband is ill and in the hospital. MOTION to send a gift to Anderson's husband, expressing the organization's sympathy and support; seconded and passed.
· Finance Committee report provided by Chair, Elizabeth
Drucker:
- Drucker explained that consultant, Susan Johns, reviewed
the organization's bookkeeping procedures and found them to be satisfactory, in preparation for the upcoming yearly financial audit. Funds recommends that our company ensures, the auditor provides a management letter along with the audit financial report. · - Drucker reviewed highlights, trends and issues from the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. Issues include that high accounts receivables require Finance Committee attention to policies and procedures to ensure our organization receives more payments on time. After
brief discussion of the issues and suggestions about how to ensure receiving payments on time, MOTION to accept financial statements; seconded and passed.
· Board Development Committee's report provided by Chair,
Douglas Carver:
- Carver reminded the Board of the scheduled retreat
coming up in three months, and provided a drafted retreat
schedule for board review. MOTION to accept the retreat agenda; seconded and passed.
- Carver presented members with a draft of the reworded By-laws paragraph that would allow members to conduct actions over electronic mail. Carver suggested review and a resolution to change the By-laws accordingly. Kyumoto suggested that Swanson first seek legal counsel to verify if the proposed change is consistent with state statute. Swanson agreed to accept this action and notify members of
the outcome in the next Board meeting.
· Other business:
- Porter noted that he was working with staff member, Jacob Smith, to help develop an information management systems plan, and that two weeks ago he (Porter) had mailed members three resumes from consultants to help with the plan. In the mailing, Porter asked members for their opinions to help select a consultant. Porter asked members for their opinions. (NOTE: Zevon noted that she was also a computer consultant and was concerned about conflict of
interest in her Board role regarding this selection, and asked to be ABSTAINED from this selection. Members agreed.) The majority of members agreed on Lease-or-Buy Consultants. MOTION to use Lease-or-Buy Consultants; seconded and
passed.
- Swanson announced that she had recently hired a new
secretary, Karla Writewell.
· Assessment of the Meeting:
- Kyumoto noted that the past three meetings have run over
the intended two-hour time slot by half an hour. He asked members to be more mindful and focused during discussions, and suggested that the Board Development Chair take an action to identify solutions to this issue. Chair, Carver, agreed.
· Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
· Minutes submitted by Secretary, BhataBhatacharia
While – reading Activity .
In the text on the Minutes of a Meeting ten guidelines have been given. The proper format of the Minutes takes care of all these. Read the sample several times and analyse how the Minutes of the Meeting has been composed.
Post- reading Activity
Imagine a meeting to decide if you can invest a research project related to Artificial Photosynthesis. Get into a group of 8 people and let each person take down the minutes of the discussion.
WRITING INTRODUCTION, PARAPHRASE & SUMMARY
HOW DO EARPHONES WORK? THE PHYSICS OF SOUND
Pre-reading Activity;
Answer the following questions:
1. Why do you listen to music using headphones?
2. How do headphones / earphones process sound ?
Fill in the first two columns of the table according to the
instructions. Then read the text and fill in the third column.
Instructions
KNEW – the information that you already knew before reading the text
WOULD LIKE TO KNOW- the information that you would like to know
HAVE KNOWN – the information that you have known after reading the
text
Initially speakers, and now earphones and headphones, allow us
to relish music almost constantly, anytime, and anywhere.
Speakers, one can easily agree, are deplorable in public places and the preference in such cases is earphones. Your device houses an orchestra, and earphones funnel the music straight into your ears. A private concert just for you. A pair of earphones or headphones is simply two speakers that are placed extremely close to your ears, except that they are incredibly small. In fact,
each speaker is so small that it impeccably fills an ear’s outer void. For this reason, they are also – although quite seldom – referred to as ear- speakers.
A transducer is a device that converts energy from one form into another. A pair of earphones is composed of two transducers that convert the electrical energy produced by your device into sound energy that our ears perceive as music. Basically, each earphone is just like any other circuit – a conductor drawing current from a battery (source) and providing it to a load (transducer).
The Jack
The conductor is connected to the source with what is called the
jack of the earphone. The stout, shiny needle plunged into your device is three metal contacts stacked one on top of the other, each separated by a layer of insulation. The tip of the needle is called, well, the tip, the contact in the middle is called the sleeve and the uppermost contact is called the ring. For this reason, the jack is formally called the TRS (Tip, Ring and Sleeve) connector.
The tip forms the contact for the wires that power the left earphone, the sleeve forms the contact for the wires that power the right earphone, and the ring forms the contact for the
wires that form the common ground. However, certain jacks are
divided into four parts. The fourth contact is found in those earphones that also comprise a microphone. The fourth metal forms the contact for the wires that power the microphone.
Recall that each earphone is a circuit, and a circuit cannot exist as a single wire emanating from the battery. The circuit cannot be complete unless the conductor returns to the battery. Therefore, each earphone comprises two wires — one that connects the
source to the transducer, and another, the ground, that completes the circuit. While in a speaker you’d find the two ground wires to be separate, the grounds in a pair of earphones are entwined into a single wire, the common ground, which is connected to the ring.
The wires are insulated with a plastic coating that is often adorned with designs to make them aesthetically appealing. The plastic that insulates the jack not only purports to ensure safety, but also to provide a grip to facilitate the insertion and removal of
the jack.
Each conductor coiling around its cone becomes an electromagnet when supplied with current. Music is an oscillatory signal. The strength of the electromagnet vacillates as the signal does.
However, remember that the electromagnet is placed above a permanent magnet. The two magnets, due to their conflicting polarities, exert a force on each other. The force causes the diaphragm attached to the coil to move, which causes the air in its vicinity to vibrate. And what is sound but the vibration of air
molecules?
The sound exits through a grill that is suffused with holes. The holes are large enough to allow the music to exit, but small enough to prevent dust and earwax from entering the earpiece and damaging the equipment. As it is the grill that is ultimately in contact with the ear, it is ensured that it’s soft and comfortable.
Today, earphones, to insulate the music from the surrounding
noise, are endowed with circuits that enable them to actually
cancel noise. Also, earphones or headphones are now losing their wires. Wireless pieces entail absolutely none of the unavoidable tangling and untangling that so many people loathe about their earphones. The operation is the same: a moving diaphragm vibrates the surrounding air. The signals to the coil, however, are propagated wirelessly, which it detects with a wireless sensor. Phones today, jumping on Apple’s bandwagon, don’t even have slots for jacks anymore. The future truly is wireless Lastly, no one can deny that earphones are a marvellous invention. With the increasing sophistication of audio technology, sound quality is
now reaching its zenith. Music is stimulating, but, biologically, nothing trumps socialising. A more immediate cause of worry is the loss of hearing caused by earphones. High volumes are known to cause hearing impairment and even total deafness. Source: https://www.scienceabc.com/innovation/how-do-earphones-head phones-work.html
Glossary: Learn the following definitions of the subject specific technical terms.
Transducer
A transducer is a device that converts energy from one
a complete circular path that an electric current can
flow around
Electromagnet
A type of magnet in which the magnetic field is
produced by an electric current
Microphone
A transducer that converts sound into an electrical
signal.
Conductor
an object or type of material that allows the flow of
electrical current
While- reading Activity
Read the text and answer the following questions:
A. Fill in the blanks and complete the following sentences:
Music is a great source of entertainment
———————————————————-
Some people listen to music whenever they feel sad. ————————————————————— People say that music helps them to improve concentration
————————————————————————- Music is easily available online ————————————————————————- I prefer to listen to music with my Bluetooth headphones
—————————————————————————-
B. Say whether the following statements are true or false, correct them if they are false:
1. Wireless headphones connect to the phone using Bluetooth 2. Electricity or any other source of power is not required for Wireless headphones
3. There is a possibility to reduce noise while using headphones 4. Noise is normally created by the wireless headphones
5. Headphones use the same kind of circuits used in normal
speakers
We do different kinds of writing every day from a simple note to the servant to the writing of our assignments to professors
Writing Introduction, Paraphrase and summary require
skill, practice and exposure.
Writing Introduction, Paraphrase and summary
Introduction is used with the purpose of making familiar
something that is unknown. It will follow a structure of moving from general to specific. An introduction will provide a right
context and is normally short and precise.
Some key points to remember while writing an
introduction are
1. Use short sentences
2. Do not repeat the topic
3. Write about the significance
4. Write about the relevance
5. Provide the context
Writing Paraphrases
When we quote someone else’s words, we will reproduce exactly the same words but in a paraphrase, we will convey them in our own words.
What is a paraphrase?
Paraphrasing is formulating someone else’s words in our own words. It will carry the exact meaning of the original text. The author’s views and ideas are reproduced without altering the meaning. The content words which carry essential meaning need to be separated to understand the proper meaning.
Difference between Paraphrasing and Summarising.
Paraphrasing is a process in which an entire passage is reproduced in your own words, but Summary is a process in which only the main ideas will be reproduced and not the entire passage. Summary is like note making focusing on important points, paraphrasing is reproducing the meaning of the passage.
Examples for Paraphrasing
Source: Giraffes like Acacia leaves and hay, and they can consume 75 pounds of food a day.
Paraphrase: A giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of Acacia leaves
and hay daily.
Source: In The Sopranos, the mob is besieged as much by inner infidelity as it is by the federal government. Early in the series, the greatest threat to Tony's Family is his own biological family. One of his closest associates turns witness for the FBI, his mother
colludes with his uncle to contract a hit on Tony, and his kids click through Web sites that track the federal crackdown in Tony's gangland.
Paraphrase: In the series The Sopranos, the infidelity of the mob is presented. The protagonist Tony suffers from the problems caused by his own biological family as almost all his relatives involve in the betrayal.
C. Provide the summary of the following passage in fifty
words.
There is another optimization condition that can be considered for the T-coloring environment. The span of a T-colouring is the difference between the largest and smallest colour number used in colouring the vertices of the graph. There are simple examples for which there is no colouring that uses the smallest number of
colours and simultaneously achieves the smallest span. Further generalisations of this basic framework expand the idea of a
T-colouring to a list T-colouring. Here the idea is that there are "blocked" frequencies which cannot be assigned to a vertex, so that in trying to achieve a colouring one must limit the choice at each vertex to a list of non-blocked colours (frequencies). As mathematical techniques are found to solve these more general colouring problems, attempts are made to "up the ante" and solve even more complex ones. Sometimes it is possible to show that the problems are so hard (i.e. NP-complete) that no fast
algorithm is likely to be found to solve them. New ideas and approaches using colouring to solve applied problems are regularly being investigated. As we so often see, mathematical ideas and applications of mathematics grow in tandem.
D. Read the following passage which is an introduction to the essay on mathematics and cellphones. Try to understand the key elements of introduction and write an introduction to the essay titled, “Internet Security is
Inevitable”
Mathematics has played an increasingly large role in the development of new technologies. Among the most visible of new technologies, which is dramatically changing the way people interact and communicate with each other, is the emergence of cheap and increasingly reliable cell phone service.
E. Read the following passage, PHOTOSYNTHETIC BIOHYBRID SYSTEM and write the paraphrase of each paragraph after identifying the topic sentences of each one of them
In the early 1900s, the Italian chemist Giacomo Ciamician recognized that fossil fuel use was unsustainable. And like many of today’s environmentalists, he turned to nature for clues on developing renewable energy solutions, studying the chemistry of plants and their use of solar energy. He admired their unparalleled mastery of photochemical synthesis—the way they use light to synthesize energy from the most fundamental of substances—and how “they reverse the ordinary process of combustion.” In photosynthesis, Ciamician realized, lay an entirely renewable process of energy creation. When sunlight reaches the surface of a green leaf, it sets off a reaction inside the leaf. Chloroplasts, energized by the light, trigger the production of chemical products—essentially sugars—which store the energy such that the plant can later access it for its biological needs. It is an entirely renewable process; the plant harvests the immense and constant supply of solar energy, absorbs carbon dioxide and water, and releases oxygen. There is no other waste.
If scientists could learn to imitate photosynthesis by providing concentrated carbon dioxide and suitable catalyzers, they could create fuels from solar energy. Ciamician was taken by the seeming simplicity of this solution. Inspired by small successes in chemical manipulation of plants, he wondered, “does it not seem
that, with well-adapted systems of cultivation and timely intervention, we may succeed in causing plants to produce, in quantities much larger than the normal ones, the substances which are useful to our modern life?”
In 1912, Ciamician sounded the alarm about the unsustainable use of fossil fuels, and he exhorted the scientific community to explore artificially recreating photosynthesis. But little was done. A century later, however, in the midst of a climate crisis, and
armed with improved technology and growing scientific knowledge, his vision reached a major breakthrough.
After more than ten years of research and experimentation, Peidong Yang, a chemist at UC Berkeley, successfully created the first photosynthetic biohybrid system (PBS) in April 2015. This first-generation PBS uses semiconductors and live bacteria to do the photosynthetic work that real leaves do—absorb solar energy and create a chemical product using water and carbon dioxide, while releasing oxygen—but it creates liquid fuels. The process is
called artificial photosynthesis, and if the technology continues to improve, it may become the future of energy. How Does This System Work?
Yang’s PBS can be thought of as a synthetic leaf. It is a
one-square-inch tray that contains silicon semiconductors and living bacteria; what Yang calls a semiconductor-bacteria interface.
In order to initiate the process of artificial photosynthesis, Yang dips the tray of materials into water, pumps carbon dioxide into
the water, and shines a solar light on it. As the semiconductors harvest solar energy, they generate charges to carry out reactions within the solution. The bacteria take electrons from the semiconductors and use them to transform, or reduce, carbon dioxide molecules and create liquid fuels. In the meantime, water is oxidized on the surface of another semiconductor to release oxygen. After several hours or several days of this process, the chemists can collect the product.
With this first-generation system, Yang successfully produced
butanol, acetate, polymers, and pharmaceutical precursors, fulfilling Ciamician’s once-far-fetched vision of imitating plants to create the fuels that we need. This PBS achieved a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of 0.38%, which is
comparable to the conversion efficiency in a natural, green leaf.
The sentences convey totally different things as per the proper
usage of punctuations.
For the sake of family members and Grandpa’s life, use proper
punctuation. Punctuation saves lives and keeps people alive! 3. Now, this is a big one. Depending upon where you place your comma, your sentence could convey an entirely different meaning. Like in this sentence:
a woman without her man is nothing
“A woman, without her man, is nothing.” (A woman’s success depends on her man)
Now, let’s change up where we’re placing the punctuation: “A woman: without her, man is nothing.” (A man’s success is possible only with the help of a woman)
Here is an infographic on various punctuations used in English
CAPITALIZATION
Capitalization is one of the most basic and important elements of writing. Capitalization draws the reader’s attention to names, titles, and more. Capitalization also marks the start of new sentences and new paragraphs, provides signals to the reader, and helps to create a structure and a hierarchy in written language.
Basic Capitalization Rules
1. Capitalize proper nouns. Proper nouns always begin with
a capital letter. Capitals are used
● To indicate the names of people, such as Vijay, David or
Anwar. ● To denote the names of months and days, such as
January, August, Sunday, Thursday
● To denote days of national/international importance, such
as Independence Day, Women’s Day
● Finally, proper nouns also include the names of buildings,
landmarks, and companies, such as the Leaning Tower of
Pisa, the Statue of Liberty, or Verizon
1. Use capitalization with proper adjectives. ● Indian, American, Italian, German
1. Capitalize titles of works. ● A Tale of Two Cities, Titanic, Ode to A Nightingale, Beats
1. Use a capital at the beginning of a sentence. The first
word of every sentence should be capitalized, regardless of what
kind of word.
1. Capitalize the first word of a full sentence in a quotation. You also need to capitalize the first word of sentences in quotes.
● He said to me, "I'd rather have pizza."
1. Use capitalization when referring to a period or an
event.
● The Chola Period.
1. Capitalization with the pronoun “I.” One of the most notable words to make sure to capitalize is the pronoun “I.” I refer to oneself, and is as a result, a unique and a specific usage
of a word.
1. Capitalize family relationships.
● Aunt Preethi" or "Cousin Ajith."
1. Capitalize people’s titles.
● Mr. Ms. Miss, and Dr.
Remember these punctuation rules while writing:
Punctuation Activity- 1
You’ll find it interesting and exciting to go through the following account of how
punctuation marks will behave , if once infused with the lives of their own. It is
real fun. Enjoy the learning of Grammatical rules that govern the use of
punctuation marks. Grammatical competence speaks volumes of excellence in
one’s communicative use of language.
Analyse the Story given below and list down the various punctuations mentioned in the story and write their definitions. Take the guidance of your teachers.
E.g.
1. Comma – Used for pausing; took its place between words; without the break commas provide, words run amok, becoming jumbled, unwieldy, and confusing; a well-placed comma can change the meaning of a sentence.
The Day Punctuation Came to Town Written by Kimberlee Gard | Illustrated by Sandie Sonke
The Punctuations had just moved to Alphabet City and the kids—Exclamation Point, Question Mark, Period, and Comma—were excited about their first day of school. Exclamation Point was in a rush to get there. “‘We are going to have so much fun!’” he said. He “was always excited about something.” Question Mark was a little more subdued. She wondered if the other kids would be nice and even pondered whether they were walking in the right
direction. “Comma kept pausing,” and Period said she would let her siblings know when to stop.
When they got to school and introduced themselves, the student letters were confused. They’d never seen anyone like the Punctuations before. As the letters practiced forming words, Exclamation Point joined W, O, and W; Question Mark helped out W, H, and O; and “Period brought each sentence to a tidy end.” For Comma, though, it wasn’t so easy. As he tried to squeeze in
between letters, he began to feel as if he was just a bother.
Undetected, he tiptoed away.
Meanwhile in the classroom, Exclamation Point had all the letters scrambling to make more and more exciting words. There was a lot of cheering and booming, ducking, and running. Question Mark asked it maybe they shouldn’t all quiet down a bit, but no one was listening. Even Period couldn’t get them to stop. Pretty soon, there was a huge word pileup. In the next moment it came crashing down and all the letters “tumbled through the door, spilling into the hall.” There, they found Comma, who just stared
in disbelief. His siblings wondered why he was in the hall instead of in the classroom. Comma told them how he felt. But “‘Comma, without you, things become a disaster!’” Exclamation Point said. Period and Question Mark agreed.
Then his siblings gently reminded little Comma about how each member of their family has a certain purpose. They told him, “‘we all work together to help letters and the words they make.’” Once everyone had gone back into the classroom, the letters continued making words. But now Comma took his place between them.
When the letters looked confused, he explained that it was his job to keep order and that words and punctuation needed each other to make good and clear sentences.
For children just learning about sentence structure and how punctuation and words fit together to create meaning, Kimberlee Gard’s lively story helps them visualize and understand the different roles of each punctuation mark. Coming at the end of a sentence and accompanied by vocal clues, exclamation points, question marks, and periods are more familiar to kids. But what about that comma, which seems to float around here and there? Gard demonstrates that without the break commas provide, words run amok, becoming jumbled, unwieldy, and confusing.
Readers will respond to the classroom setting, where the letters
work and play together during lessons, and they will be eager to
make friends with the Punctuation family themselves.
If any readers think learning about punctuation is dry and dull, Sandie Sonke’s vibrant colors and cartoon characters will change their mind. The Punctuations (and their butterfly friend Apostrophe) are sweet and earnest, wanting to fit into the class and make a difference. As the letters form words, the purple Punctuations are easy for kids to pick out, allowing for discussion of their distinct roles. The tangled piles of letters invite kids to make words from the muddle. After Comma realizes his own importance and the letters embrace him, the story ends with a familiar and funny example of just how a well-placed comma can
change the meaning of a sentence.
Image copyright Sandie Sonke, 2019, text copyright Kimberlee Gard, 2019. Courtesy of Familius.
The highly innovative and novel ways of illustrating the distinct functions of punctuation marks provide an interesting study, definitely. Take care to learn all explanations and develop a
strong sense of punctuation without the accurate use of which,your compositions will go meaningless and result in just lack of proper understanding and opposite responses. If assimilated well, you will certainly become a competent user of the language.
All Best Wishes.
Activity 2
Explore the following websites and complete the
Punctuation Marks Graphic Organizer.
Punctuation Tree:
http://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/marks/marks.htm English Club: https://www.englishclub.com/writing/punctuation.htm
Grammar Book: https://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp Punctuation Marks Graphic Organizer
Write the rules for using each of the punctuation marks below. Each row represents a different rule. In the right-hand column, provide an example of the rule in use. It is a challenging task, but it is worth the time being invested.