1. Functional English

1. Meeting / Conversations

Conversation A

S1. Hello. How are you?

S2. Pretty well, thanks. And you?

S1. I’m fine, thanks.

S2. It’s good to see you again.

Conversation B

S1. Where have you been lately?

S2. I’ve been busy with extra work.

S1. I’ve had a lot of work to do too.

S2. Yes. I haven’t seen you for quite a while either.

Conversation C

S1. Hello. How’s everything?

S2. Fine, thanks. How about you?

S1. Just fine. What’s new?

S2. Nothing much.

Conversation D

S1. I’m pleased to meet you.

S2. The pleasure is mine.

S1. I’ve heard John speak about you often.

S2. Only good things, I hope.

Conversation E

S1. Look who’s here!

S2. Are you surprised to see me?

S1. Sure. I thought you were in Europe.

S2. I was, but I got back yesterday.

2. Parting / Conversations

Conversation A

S1. Well, I have an appointment now.

S2. I’m in quite a hurry too.

S1. Good to see you. Goodbye.

S2. Goodbye. Take care of yourself.

Conversation B

S1. I guess I’d better go now.

S2. I’ve got to be going now too.

S1. In that case, I’ll be seeing you.

S2. So long. See you later.

Conversation C

S1. It’s getting late, and I have to go now.

S2. We’re sorry you have to leave.

S1. Please excuse me, won’t you?

S2. Certainly. Come back soon.

Conversation D

S1. I’m glad to have met you.

S2. Thank you. It was nice to have seen you.

S1. I hope we can get together again.

S2. Yes. I’ll be looking forward to it.

Conversation E

S1. I think I have to leave now.

S2. Must you go so soon?

S1. I’m afraid I really have to.

S2. Well, it was fun to get together again.

3. Asking about Activities / Conversations Conversation A

S1. When did you eat lunch today?

S2. I ate from twelve to one.

S1. Where did you have your lunch?

S2. I had it at Manorama Restaurant today.

Conversation B

S1. Did you have a good time at the party?

S2. We had a wonderful time.

S1. It was really a lot of fun.

S2. We ought to have another party like that soon.

Conversation C

S1. Did you work at home last night?

S2. Yes. I washed the dishes and cleaned the house.

S1. Did you do anything else?

S2. Yes. I listened to the radio for a while.

Conversation D

S1. Did you have a good time last night?

S2. Yes. I had a wonderful time.

S1. You’ll probably have fun tomorrow too.

S2. I’m sure I’ll have an excellent time.

Conversation E

S1. Where did you go?

S2. We went to a beautiful beach.

S1. Did you swim in the ocean?

S2. Yes, but we swam close to the shore!

4. Finding One’s Way / Conversations Conversation A

S1. Pardon me. Where’s the Central Theater?

S2. It’s in the next block—straight ahead.

S1. Thank you very much.

S2. That’s all right.

Conversation B

S1. Where’s the National Department Store?

S2. It’s downtown—on Brown Street.

S1. Do you know the exact address?

S2. Yes. It’s 521 Brown Street.

Conversation C

S1. Can you tell me where the library is located?

S2. Yes. Do you see that church down the street?

S1. Yes, It’s quite easy to see with such a tall spire.

S2. Just turn left there and walk three blocks.

Conversation D

S1. Are the instructions too complicated for you?

S2. Well, would you mind repeating them?

S1. I’d be glad to.

S2. I’d like to write them down this time.

Conversation E

S1. Can you tell me where the station is?

S2. Turn right and go four blocks.

S1. Would you mind repeating that?

S2. I’d be glad to.

5. Going Shopping / Conversations Conversation A

S1. What store did you go to yesterday?

S2. I went to the Central Department Store.

S1 Do they have a good variety of things to choose from?

S2. They have lots to choose from, but it’s all very expensive.

Conversation B

S1. What were you doing at that department store?

S2. I was shopping for a new suitcase.

S1. What was your friend doing there?

S2. She was trying to find a coat.

Conversation C

S1. I have to go shopping.

S2. Do you know what you’re going to buy?

S1. Not yet, but I hope to after shopping.

S2. I hate to go shopping, but I guess it’s necessary.

Conversation D

S1. What time do the stores close?

S2. Most of them close at six o’clock.

S1. Do we still have time to go shopping?

S2. Yes, It’s only four fifteen now.

Conversation E

S1. It seems I always have to buy a lot of things.

S2. It always seems that way to me too.

S1. I always need so many little things.

S2. They add up to a lot of money, don’t they?

6. How Much Does It Cost / Conversations Conversation A

S1. How much are your potatoes, sir?

S2. Twenty-five cents a pound.

S1. Flow much would five pounds cost?

S2. Five pounds would be a dollar and a quarter.

Conversation B

S1. What does that gold pin cost?

S2. It’s twenty-one dollars plus tax.

S1. How much for the small one next to it?

S2. That one costs twelve fifty.

Conversation C

S1. What’s the regular price for that refrigerator?

S2. The list price is two hundred forty.

S1. Are you selling it at a discount?

S2. Yes. The discount price is one ninety-nine.

Conversation D

S1. What are you asking for that antique mirror?

S2. That’s one hundred fifty dollars.

S1. Isn’t that rather expensive?

S2. Not really. Mirrors of that type are quite rare.

Conversation E

S1. What would it cost to have this chair repaired?

S2. I’d estimate sixty to seventy dollars.

S1. How much would it cost to replace it with a new one

S2. Probably around a hundred dollars.

7. Ordering Food / Conversations Conversation A

S1. Could we have a table for four?

S2. There’s a nice table right there by the window,

S1. May we also have the menu right away?

S2. I’ll get the menu immediately.

Conversation B

S1. Would you care for some roast beef?

S2. No. I’ll have sirloin steak.

S1. How do you like your steak?

S2. I’d prefer it medium rare.

Conversation C

S1. Would you like to have soup?

S2. Yes. Creamed onion, please.

S1. Mashed, boiled, or French-fried potatoes?

S2. I’ll have the French-fried.

Conversation D

S1. What vegetables would you like with your dinner?

S2. Carrots, please, and corn with cream sauce.

S1. What kind of dressing do you want on your salad—French?

S2. I believe I’ll take Russian dressing tonight.

Conversation E

S1. Would you like to order a dessert?

S2. What kinds of pie do you have?

S1. Peach, lemon cream, and apple.

S2. I’d like lemon cream, please.

8. Short Answers / Conversations Conversation A

S1. Do you work every Saturday morning?

S2. No, we don’t. Just on occasion.

S1. Did you work last Saturday morning?

S2. No, we didn’t.

Conversation B

S1. Didn’t those tourists go to the park yesterday?

S2. Yes, they did.

S1. Did they go with you and John?

S2. No, they didn’t, but we saw them there,

Conversation C

S1. Are you going to your class now?

S2. No. I’m not, but I’ll be leaving shortly.

S1. Do you go to school every afternoon?

S2. No, I don’t. Only Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Conversation D

S1. Have you ever been to the Central Zoo?

S2. No, I never have.

S1. Would you care to go there with me tomorrow?

S2. Yes, I certainly would.

Conversation E

S1. Shouldn’t you answer their letter quite soon?

S2. Yes, I really should.

S1. Don’t you have to send them some money too?

S2. No, I don’t. Not in this next letter.

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2. Vocabulary Building One Word Substitutes The most important characteristic of any language is it word power. All the three processes-thinking, speaking and writing require the use of words, hence we need to develop our vocabulary or word power. Developing a wide vocabulary or word power is another important aspect of language study. In any language. In order to convey finer shades of meaning with accuracy and precision, it is necessary to increase your vocabulary or word power. The English language has nearly half a million words, and there is no cut and dry method of improving one’s vocabulary. One should read extensively and be in constant touch with the dictionary to clarify the meanings of the words, thus one can update one’s word power. Apart from this, the student may consult Roget’s International thesaurus or a dictionary of synonyms, to increase his / her word power. Learning one - word substitutes are an important form of expanding one’s vocabulary.

Single words for phrases and sentences

One Word Substitutes Denoting Numbers

1 Flock : A number of sheep.

2 Catch : A number of fish taken in a net.

3 Herd : A number of cattle or swine feeding or driven together.

4 Pack : A number of wolves, hounds or submarines. etc.

5 Leap : A number of leopards.

6 Swarm : A Number of bees, locusts, ants etc.

7 Troop : A number of lions, monkeys or cavalry soldiers.

8 Litter : A number of pigs, dogs, cats brought forth at a time.

9 Poultry : A collection of fowls, ducks, etc.

10 Zoo : A collection of wild animals.

11 Audience : A number of people listening to a concert or lecture.

12 Crowd : A number of people gathered together.

13 Troupe : A number of artistes, dancers or acrobats.

14 Choir : A number of singers in a church.

15 Army, troop, battalion, regiment : A number of soldiers.

16 Crew : A number of sailors manning a ship.

17 Gang : A number of workmen, prisoners, thieves etc.

18 Posse : A group of constables called to enforce the law.

19 Jury, panel : A number of jurymen engaged on a case.

20 Anthology : A collection of poems.

21 Bouquet : A collection of flowers.

22 Chest : A number of drawers.

23 Fleet : A number of ships.

24 Herbarium : A collection of dried plants.

25 Hamlet : A cluster of houses in a village.

26 Constellation : A number of stars grouped together.

27 Suite : A set of furniture rooms etc.

WITH THESE MAY BE ADDED A bale of cotton, a bale of wool, a tuft of grass, a sheaf of corn, a sheaf of arrows, a

hand of bananas, a group of Islands, a crate of fruit, a crate of crockery, a field of

athletes, a nest of machine- guns, a nest of shelves.

Words Denoting Places

29 Aquarium : A place where fishes are kept.

30 Sty : A place where pigs are kept.

31 Kennel : A house or shelter for a dog.

32 Stable : A house of shelter for horses.

33 Pen : A house or shelter for cows

33 Den : The house or home of a lion.

35 Monastery : A residence for monks or priests.

36 Convent : A Residence for nuns.

37 Laundry : A place where clothes are washed and ironed.

38 Garage : A place for housing cars.

39 Hanger : A place for housing aeroplanes.

40 Hotel, an : A place where travellers obtain lodging and refreshment

41 Archives : A place where government records are kept.

42 Gymnasium : A place where athletic exercises are performed.

43 Cache : A place where treasures, stores, ammunition are hidden.

44 Barracks : A building for the lodging and accommodation of soldiers

45 Cantonment : A place where soldiers are quartered.

46 Mint : A place where money is coined.

47 Observatory : A place where astronomical observations are taken.

48 Orphanage : A place where orphans are housed.

49 Crèche : A nursery where children of parents are cared for while their

parents are at work.

50 Dormitory : The sleeping rooms in a college or public institution.

Words Denoting Professions or Trades

51 Oculist : One who attends to the diseases of the eye.

52 Optician : One who tests eyesight and sells spectacles.

53 Cardiologist : A doctor who cures heart diseases.

54 Physician : One who attends to sick people and prescribes medicines.

55 Surgeon : One who treats diseases by performing operations.

56 Dentist : One who attends to teeth.

57 Masseur : One who treats diseases by rubbing muscles.

55 Neurologist : One who specialises in the treatment of nervous disorders.

59 Dermatologist : One who treats skin diseases.

60 Orthopedist : One who treats the fracture of bones.

61 Paediatrician : A doctor who treats the diseases of babies and children.

62 Psychiatrist : One who studies the human brain

63 Gynaecologist : One who specializes in the treatment and care of women.

64 Sculptor : One who carves in stone.

65 Admiral : The commander of a fleet.

66 Captain : One who is in command of a ship.

67 Journalist : One who writes for the newspapers.

68 Architect : One who plans and draws the design of buildings and executes

their construction.

69 Draughts man : One who draws plans.

70 Florist : One who sells or deals in flowers.

71 Plumber : One who works in lead, and mending water pipes.

72 Geologist : One who studies rocks and soils

73 Archaeologist : One who studies the past through objects left behind.

74 Astronomer : One who studies the stars

75 Astrologer : One who foretells things by the stars.

76 Pilot : One who flies an aeroplane.

77 Cashier : One who pays out money, at the bank.

78 Upholsterer : One who makes and sells cushions and covers of chairs, motor-car

seats etc.

79 Philatelist : One who collects postage stamps.

80 Conjuror : One who performs tricks by sleight of hand.

81 Acrobat : One who performs daring gymnastic feats.

82 Hawker : One who travels from place to place selling miscellaneous things.

83 Tinker : One who goes from place to place mending pots, pans etc.

84 Auctioneer : One who sales articles at public sales.

85 Veterinarian : One who is skilled in the treatment of diseases of animals.

86 Lexicographer : One who compiles a dictionary

87 Ethnologist : One well-versed in the science of human races, their varieties and

origin.

88 Anthropologist : One who studies the evolution of mankind.

89 Psychologist : One who studies the working of human mind.

90 Cannibal : One who eats human flesh.

91 Vegetarian : One who eats no animal flesh.

92 Demagogue : A leader of the people who can sway his followers by his speech.

93 Sophist : One whose reasoning is clever yet false.

94 Pedant : One who makes a display of his learning

95 Connoisseur : One who has special skill in judging art, music, tastes e.

96 Eavesdropper : One who listens to the conversation of others.

97 Epicure : One devoted to the pleasures of eating and drinking.

98 Charlatan, Quack : One who pretends to know a great deal about everything.

99 Linguist : One well-versed in many languages.

100 Ambidexter : One who can use both hands.

Names by which Persons with Certain Characteristics are known

101 Optimist : One who looks on the bright side of things.

102 Pessimist : One who looks on the dark side o things.

103 Philanthropist : One who devotes his service o wealth for the love of mankind.

104 Misanthropist : A hater of mankind.

105 Cynic : One who sneers at the aims and beliefs of his fellow men.

106 Somnambulist : One who walks in his sleep.

107 Somniloquist : One who talks in his sleep

108 Ventriloquist : An entertainer who can produce voice sound so that they seen to come from a puppet. 109 Altruist : One who devotes his life to the welfare and interests of other people. 110 Egotist : One who delights to speak about himself or thinks only of his own welfare. 111 Martyr : One who dies for a noble cause.

112 Hermit : One who retires from society to live a solitary life.

113 Zoophilist : A lover of animals.

114 Misogamist : A hater of marriage.

115 Misogynist : A hater of women.

116 Alcoholic : One who has an irresistible desire for alcoholic drinks.

117 Teetotaler : One who abstains from alcoholic drinks.

118 Antiquary : A person who collects things belonging to ancient times.

Pertaining to Government

119 Democracy : Government of the people, for the people and by the people.

120 Autocracy : Government by a sovereign with uncontrolled authority.

121 Aristocracy : Government by the nobility.

122 Bureaucracy : Government by departments of state.

123 Oligarchy : Government by a few.

124 Plutocracy : Government by the wealthy.

125 Hagiocracy : Government by priests or ecclesiastics.

126 Theocracy : Government by divine guidance.

Pertaining to Marriage

127 Monogamist : One who has only one wife or husband at a time.

128 Bigamist : One who marries a second wife or husband while the legal

spouse is alive.

129 Polygynist : Man who has more than one wile at a time.

130 Polyandrist : Woman who has acre than one husband at a time.

131 Celibate : One vowed to a single or unmarried life.

132 Widower : A Man whose wife is dead.

133 Widow : A woman whose husband is dead.

134 Fiance : One engaged to be married.

Science and Arts

135 Agriculture : The art of tilling the soil.

136 Horticulture : The art of cultivating and managing gardens.

137 Agronomics : The science of land management.

138 Genealogy : The science of family descent.

139 Archeology : The study of ancient buildings and prehistoric remains.

140 Paleography : The study of ancient writings.

141 Calligraphy : The art of beautiful writing

142 Cartography : The art of making maps and charts.

143 Numismatics : The study of coins.

144 Menstruation : The art of using mathematical rules for measuring

145 Trigonometry : The science of riafl9

146 Elocution : The art of effective speaking or oral reading.

147 Ethnology : The science which deals with the Varieties of the human race.

148 Anatomy : The science of the structure of the human body.

149 Technology : The scientific study of industrial arts.

150 Ornithology : The study of birds.

151 Otology : The study of eggs.

152 Urology : The study of mountains.

153 Philology : The study of languages.

154 Etymology : The study of the origin and history of words.

Medical

154 Epidemic : A disease affecting many persons at the same place and time.

155 Pandemic : Disease widely epidemic.

156 Endemic : A disease confined to particular district or place.

157 Sporadic : A disease affecting widely scattered groups of people.

158 Antiseptic : A substance which destroys or weakens germs.

159 Anaesthetic : Any medicine which produces insensibility

160 Antidote : A medicine to counteract poison.

161 Narcotic : A medicine for producing sleep.

162 Emetic : A medicine to cause vomitting.

163 Quarantine : Confinement to one place to avoid spread of infection

164 Anaemia : Want or poorness of blood.

165 Deodorant : A substance to keep down evil smells.

166 Fumigate : To disinfect by smoke.

167 Pathology : The science of diseases of the human body.

Death

168 Asphyxia : Fainting or death due to being deprived of air.

169 Corpse : The dead body of a human being.

170 Carcass : The dead body of an animal.

171 Mortuary : A place where the bodies of persons found dead are placed for

identification.

172 Cremation : Disposal of a dead body by burning.

13 Embalm : To preserve a dead body from putrefaction.

174 Pyre : A pile of wood on which a dead body is burned.

175 Autopsy, post-mortem : An examination of a dead body.

176 Obituary : An account in the newspaper of the funeral of one deceased.

177 Suicide : The act of killing one’s self.

178 Homicide : The act of killing a human being.

179 Infanticide : Murder of a new-born child.

180 Fratricide : Murder of a brother.

180 Sorocide : Murder of a sister.

181 Matricide : Murder of a mother.

182 Patricide : Murder of a father.

183 Regicide : Murder of a king.

Scientific Instruments

184 Thermometer : An instrument used for measuring heat or cold.

185 Barometer : An instrument used for measuring the pressure of air.

186 Periscope : An instrument for enabling persons inside a submarine to see objects

above the surface of the water.

187 Seismograph : An instrument for detecting earth quakes.

188 Micrometer : An instrument for measuring minute distances.

189 Manometer : An instrument for measuring gases.

190 Lithoscope : An instrument for distinguishing precious stones.

191 Speedometer : An instrument for measuring the speed of motor cars.

Literary

192 Directory : Book of names and addresses.

193 Encyclopedia : A book containing information on branches of knowledge.

194 Axiom : A statement which is accepted as true without proof.

195 Glossary : A list of explanations of rare, technical or obsolete words

196 Jargon : Language which is highly technical and is confusing and

unintelligible.

197 Facsimile, fax : An exact copy of handwriting, printing or of a picture.

193 Extempore : A speech delivered without any previous preparation.

199 Plagiarism : Passing off another author’s work as one’s own.

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IMPORTANT IDIOMS IN ENGLISH

1. Crocodile tears = tears of sorrow that are insincere

Sita is shedding Crocodile tears; he is not really sorry at all.

2. A White elephant = a usually big object that causes it’s a lot of trouble or expense

and is therefore useless

The huge wardrobe your aunt gave us has been nothing but a white elephant.

3. A Dark horse = a person whose abilities are hidden or unknown

Gopi is a dark horse; someday he will surprise people by his artistic talent.

4. The Lion’s share = the larger and largest part

The eldest son had the lion’s share of the property.

5. Smell a rat = have a feeling that something wrong is happening

I smell a rat. I don’t think he is telling the truth.

6. Keep somebody at arm’s length = not become too friendly with somebody; avoid

meeting somebody

Sumanth is quarrelsome, so I try to keep him at arm’s length

7. A Bone of contention = a cause of quarrelling

It has been a bone of contention for sometime now.

8. Lose face = be made to look foolish; lose the respect of others

Mr Patel lost face at the office when he broke his promise to the staff.

9. Split hairs = argue over unimportant details or matters

I have been speaking to him suddenly he splits hairs.

10. Live from hand to mouth = live very poorly

After Krishna Rao’s death, the family had to live from hand to mouth.

11. Lose heart= lose hope; become discouraged

Every time Srinivas sat the examination but he failed; sothat he lost heart

and gave up his studies.

12. Pay through the nose = pay more money for something than it is worth.

Kiran paid through the nose for his bread.

13. Give someone the cold shoulder = ignore someone / treat someone in an

unfriendly way

All the neighbours gave Kishore the cold shoulder because he ill-treated his wife.

14. Beat about the bush = talk about something in a way that avoids saying what

ought to be said

Mamatha asked Santhosh stop beating about the bush and tell her exactly

what has happened.

15. Turn over a new leaf = make a new and better start

Manoj used to drink and gamble, but recently he has turned over a new leaf.

16 In a nutshell= very briefly

Ramesh used to tell the story in a nutshell.

17 Black and white = in writing with proof

Murthy would like the agreement in black and white.

18. A red- letter day = a very important day: a special happy day that will always

be remembered

It was a red – letter for Dhoni when he was chosen captain of the cricket team.

19. Blow hot and cold = Continually change one’s mind about something

interested in it, then uninterested

I don’t know whether Pavan will join us in the picnic or not; he is bowling

hot and cold about it.

20. Break the ice = try to be friendly with people one did not know before

Let us break the ice by inviting our new neighbours to tea.

21. At someone’s beck and call = always ready to obey someone’s orders.

The students of AMRITASAI are always at the Principal’s beck and call.

22. A bed of roses = a happy comfortable situation

Life is not always a bed of roses.

23. By hook or crook= by any means possible

Ramesh wants to get the job by hook or crook.

24. By leaps and bounds = very quickly; at a great rate

The buildings of the shopping centre is going ahead leaps and bounds

26. move heaven and earth = make every possible effort

He moved heaven and earth to get license for his new business

27. Tooth and nail= very violently with all one’s strength

They fought tooth and nail for their country’s freedom

28. A wet blanket= a person who discourage others or prevent them enjoying what

they do

Don’t invite him to the party: he’s a Wet blanket

29. At one’s wits’ end = puzzled; not knowing what to do or say

When the landlord called for the rent I was at my wits’ end

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PHRASAL VERBS

Ask after : enquire about the health of (someone) Mr Gokak asked after you. And I told him you were better. Ask out : Invite (someone) to a show, meal, etc. I asked her out for the evening. Back Up : give support to I will put these ideas before the committee, if you will back me up. Break into : (a) Interrupt The children broke into our conversation Bring about : cause The new manager has brought about many changes. Bring up : rear or educate (children) They have brought their children up very well. Call on / upon: Invite (someone to do something) I call on Gopal to address the meeting. Call off : cancel The strike was called off. Carry off : win (the prize, honour, etc.) Ramesh carried off most of the prizes at the sports. Carry out : perform; fulfil The plan was carried out. Come by : obtain I hope you came by the money honestly. Come off : (a) take place When does the cricket match come off? Cut in : (of a person) interrupt Don’t cut in when somebody else is talking. Cut off : disconnect; interrupt (something) The telephone conversation was cut off. Do up : repair or put in better condition Let us do up this house before the guests arrive. Drop off : fall asleep I was so tired I dropped off while reading the magazine. Fall in with : meet by chance While staying in Bombay we fell in with a party of French tourists. Fall out : quarrel She often falls out with her husband. Fall through : fail to be completed The scheme to build a chemical factory has fallen through.

Get at : reach I have placed the medicine on a high shelf, so the children can’t get at it. Get through : pass (an examination) All the girls have got through the examination. Give in : hand or bring (something) (to someone, often in authority) Please give to your exercise book in to the teacher at the end of the lesson. Give up : stop doing or having (something) You must give up smoking. Go through : examine (something) You must go through the accounts and see where the mistake is. Look after : take care of Will you look after my children till I return? Look forward to: expect with pleasure (always followed by a noun or gerund.) I’m looking forwarded to your arrival. Make up for : repay with something good; compensate This payment will make up for the loss of his job. Pull through: recover from illness Mr Nair was seriously ill, but he finally pulled through. Put off : move to a later date; post pone We have to put off the picnic till next week. Put on : dress oneself in What suit are you going to put on? Run into : meet by chance I ran into an old friend of mine yesterday. See off : go to the station, airport, etc. with a person starting on a journey We saw him off at the station. Set in : (of a period, usually unpleasant) begin Winter sets in early in the north. Set off / set out: begin a journey We set off at 6.30 and reached Ooty at 8.15. Stand by : support, be loyal to No matter what happens, I will stand by you. Take after : resemble; look or behave like (an older relative, esp. apparent) Ramesh takes after his mother. Take in : understand I didn’t take in what she was saying. Turn off : stop a flow of (water, gas, electricity, etc.); switch off/ turn off the water Turn up : appear; arrive Forty people were expected, but only thirty-two turned up.

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Synonyms

Anxiety = worry

Asunder = apart

Resolve = decision

Promptly = readily

View = attitude, vision, opinion

Accomplished= performed, finished

Abnormal = queer, strange

Baffled = puzzled

Abhor = to hate

Acclaim = praise

Actuate = motivate

Affront = insult

Animosity = enmity

Audacious = daring

Averse = disinclined

Bias = prejudice

Captivate = to charm

Castigate = to rebuke

Calumny = slander

Chastise = to punish

Condone = to excuse

Coy = shy

Contrite = to repent

Compunction = regret

Consummate = to perfect

Dereliction = neglect

Detrimental = harmful

Derogatory = insulting

Disdain = hatred

Edifice = structure

Elevate = to make nobler

Eulogy = praise

Exuberance = enthusiasm

Felicity = happiness

Healthy = hygienic

Fiasco = disorder

Incite = to inflame

Incessant = continuous

Instigate = incite

Insidious = cunning

Impetus = incentive

Impasse = deadlock

Jeopardize = endanger

Latent = hidden

Laudable = praise worthy

Lethargy = laziness

Loquacious = talkative

Medley = mixture of

Mingle = mix

Morbid = diseased

Nurture = training

Opulent = prosperous

Penury = poverty

Pompous = showy

Predilection = liking

Ransack = search

Ravage = plunder

Repudiate = to deny

Squalor = misery

Subjugate = to subdue

Sycophant = flatterer

Tenacity = persistence

Throes = pangs

Travesty = misrepresentation

Turbulence = violent

Trenchant = vigorous

Twine = wind, twist

Uncanny = un-natural

Veracity = truth

Vindictive = revengeful

Vitiate = Spoil

Verdict = decision

Verge = border

Welcome = agreeable

Waste = ravage

Wax = increase

Yield = Submit

Silent = reticent

Sincere = frank

Skilful = clever

Stupid = dull

Withhold = retain

Poverty = penury

Pure = chaste

Rare = unique

Recover = restore

Regular = typical

Result = consequence, outcome

Royal = kingly

Absorb = assimilate

Accuse = charge

Anger = fury

Bad = unfair

Liberal = generous

Mad = insane

Mysterious = unknown

Nice = subtle

New = novel

Palatable = delicious

Peaceful = calm

Defend = protect

Deny = contradict

Enemy = foe

Generous = noble

Glad = happy

Irregular = disorderly

Important = significant

* * * * * * * *

Antonyms

Affirm X deny

Accelerate X retard

Affluence X poverty

Attract X repel

Carnal X spiritual

Cursory X thorough

Covert X overt

Abstract X concrete

Advance X retreat

Allow X forbid

Aristocrat X commoner

Admire X denigrate

Attractive X repulsive

Base X noble

Boom X slump

Centrifugal X centripetal

Clergy X laity

Convex X concave

Defendant X plaintiff

Deficit X surplus

Deliberate X accidental

Dwarf X giant

Dawn X dusk

Deflate X inflate

Dwindle X grow

Ebb X retard

Egoism X altruism

Emigrant X immigrant

Extravagant X frugal

Elevation X depression

Enrich X impoverish

Exult X grieve

Famous X obscure

Fictious X real

Fabulous X actual

Folly X wisdom

Fierce X mild

Glut X scarcity

Grave X gay

Honour X shame

Hurt X heal

Intrinsic X extrinsic

Industrious X indolent

Jovial X gloomy

Justify X condemn

Kernel X shell

Languid X active

Loquacious X taciturn

Liberate X enslave

Lascivious X moral

Lewd X virtuous

Let X hire

Mad X sane

Marriage X celibacy

Monotheism X polytheism

Memory X oblivion

Monogamy X polygamy

Monotony X variety

Notorious X famous

Neutral X partial

Niggard X spendthrift

Optimistic X accidental

Orthodox X heterodox

Observe X reverse

Omission X commission

Ostensible X actual

Pleasure X pain

Pride X humility

Pragmatic X idealistic

Queer X normal

Relative X absolute

Reserved X sociable

Recede X advance

Remittent X receiver

Resist X submit

Sacred X profane

Savage X civilized

Smile X frown

Sober X drunk

Sympathy X antipathy

Transparent X opaque

Trivial X important

Upright X dishonest

Verbal X written

Vague X definite

Voluntary X compulsory

Zenith X nadir

Zeal X apathy

Hereditary X acquired

Illumine X darken

Adore X abhore

Ample X scaly

Appreciation X denigration

Vanity X modesty

Rigorous X lenient

Woeful X cheerful

Ominous X auspicious

Optimistic X pessimistic

Often X seldom

Tense X relaxed

* * * * * * *

Words often confused

1). Advice : I asked the doctor for his advice

Advise : I advise you to apply for the job

2). Affect : to influence or act upon smoking affects one’s health

Effect : (a) to make happen or produce

The new government effected many changes.

(b) a result

His medicine has good effect on me.

3). Altar : a raised place on which things are offered to a god; table at the end

of a church

The bride and the groom stood before the attar

Alter : to change

The town has altered a lot in the five years.

4). Beside : at the side of I next to

Walk beside me

Besides : (a) in addition to

I have three other coats besides this

(b) Moreover

I don’t want to go; besides I am tired.

5) Canvas : a coarse cloth

The tent is made of canvas

Canvass : to go round asking for votes

He is canvassing for the congress candidate.

6) Cease : to stop

They have something forcibly or suddenly

Seize : to take something forcibly or suddenly

She seized the pistol from him.

7) Cite : to quote or refer to

He often cites the bible in his speeches.

Sight : Power of seeing; some thing seen

His sight is poor, so he is wearing spectacles

The scenery makes a beautiful right.

8) Coarse : rough

This cloth is coarse.

He made a coarse remark.

Course : a series; direction, etc.

I am taking a course of French lessons.

Our course is directly south.

9) Dairy : a place where milk, butter and cheese are kept or made for sold

She went to the dairy to, by some butter.

Diary : a book containing a daily record of events in a person’s life

He wants to read my diary.

10) Die : to perish

He died in the accident

Dye : to colour by a chemical process; the colouring matter used

He dyed his hair black.

11) Fair : light-coloured (adjective)

She is a fair girl.

Fair (noun) market with entertainments

I met him at the fair.

Fare (Verb) to do, to get on

I didn’t fare well in the exam.

12) Foul : dirty; unpleasant

The medicine has a foul taste.

Fowl : hens, geese, etc.

He keeps fowls.

13) Later : more late; after some time.

Come later / at a later date.

Latter : The second (of two people or things)

I like both coffee and tea but prefer the latter.

14) Loose : not light; not strong

This short is too loose.

Lose : to suffer the loss of; to be unable find did you lose your watch?

15) Principal : (a) main or chief

Rich is the principal food of Andhras.

(b) Head of a school or college

Mr. V.N. Joshi is the principal of the college

Principle : general truth or law

Do you know the principal of gravity?

16) Quiet : calm

Be quiet, boys.

Quite : completely.

You are quite right.

17) Raise : to lift some thing.

Raise your hands.

Rise : to get higher

Prices rise during war.

18) Root : Part of rise during war.

The boy has pulled up the plant by the roots

Route : Way planned from one place to another

This is the shortest route to the aerodrome

19) Stationary : not moving; standing still

Don’t get off the train till it is stationary.

Stationery : writing materials like paper, ink, pencils etc.

I must by some stationery.

20) Troop : a company of persons / animals

A troop of visitors arrived.

Troupe : Company of actors, singers, dancers, etc.

A circus troupe arrived.

21) Weather : day-to-day climate

In may , the whether is hot.

Whether : if I asked whether he would come.

22) Adapt : to make suitable for new needs or different conditions.

He adapted the play for television.

He adapted himself easily to his new job.

Adopt : (a) to take something and use as one’s own

The club adopted a new set of rules.

(b) to take a child of other parents as one’s own

They are adopting a child.

23) Ascent : act of going up or climbing

The ascent of the mountain would be extremely difficult.

Assent : agreement; to agree

The President gave his assent to the bill.

They assented to the Proposal to widen the road.

24) Collision : Violent clash

There was a collision between a truck and a lorry.

Collusion : a secret agreement

The watchman acted in collusion with the

25) Complement : (a) that which completes

An ice cream is a complement to a good mea

(b) a complete number or amount

The ship has a complement of 120 passengers.

Compliment : (a) to express admiration for another.

I Compliment you on your success.

(b) an expression of admiration

She was pleased with my compliment about her dress.

26) Council : an assembly, an advisory body

The municipal council meets on July 5

Counsel : advice ; a legal adviser; to advise

He won’t listen to our counsel

His guardian counseled him well.

27) Descent : act of descending or going down

The descent of the hill wad not so difficult

Dissent : to disagree; disagreement

I express strong dissent in this matter.

I dissent from what you have said.

28) Dual : double; divided in two

My brother and I have dual ownership of the rice-mail.

Duel : fight between two persons

Harry killed Jack in a duel.

29) Heal (verb) : cure

This ointment will heal your wounds.

Heel (noun) : back part of the foot or part of a sock covering it.

The shoe hurt my heel.

30) Human : of man or mankind; having the qualities of man.

That is his human nature.

Humane : Kind-hearted

He is a humane officer.

31) Morning : The first part of the day

I saw him this morning.

Mourning : Grief

The people were in mourning when their leader died.

32) Precede : to go in advance of; to come first

A precedes B in the alphabet.

Proceed : to go on; to continue

They proceeded with their work.

33) Precedent : That which Precedes; a past instance which may serve as an

example

Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?

President : One who presides over a meeting; the head of a board, council, etc.

He was elected President of the Lion’s club.

34) Soar : to go up

Prices soar during war.

Sore : Painful

I have a sore knee.

35) Vacation : holiday

What do you intend to do in the summer vacation?

Vocation : a feeling that one is called to do a certain Kind of work (esp. of a

worthy kind); The work done, profession entered, etc. (as a result

of such feeling)

He is a good doctor; he has a vocation for looking after the sick.

Many people regard teaching as a vocation.

* * * * * * * *

3. GROUP DISCUSSIONS Rahul meets his friend Arun after a test. He informs Arun that he has been

selected for the next round which is group discussion.

Arun : Hi, rahul, why looking upset?

Rahul : I had gone for test today for the job I was talking about.

Arun : What happened?

Rahul : I got selected.

Arun : That should make you happy why are you worried?

Rahul : They have called me for a group discussion after two days.

Arun : That is great.

Rahul : But ,I do not know anything about group discussion .

Arun : No problem. I will tell you about that.

Rahul : Thanks a lot , I really need your help.

Arun : Ok.so, tell me what you want to know about GD.

Rahul : First , what is a GD.

What is a GD?

As the name suggests, Group Discussion is about discussing a topic in a

group. However, unlike other kinds of discussion, GD is a productive form of

discussion; GD is an effective way to find out a solution for an issue. A GD gives

an opportunity to get to know different ideas on and different solutions to an

issue. It makes it easier to come to a conclusion as we get the overall view of a

problem. Recently, of course, GD has emerged as a total to measure one’s overall

personality.

Arun : Now can you give me an example when you had faced a problem and

discussed that in a group?

Rahul : Yes, of course .last week when we were planning for a picnic, we could not

take a decision on where to go.

Arun : And, What did you do?

Rahul : we all discussed about various spots we can got to and finalized on one

spot which was very close and easy to go as we had to come back early.

Arun : How did you come to the conclusion?

Rahul : well , all of us discussed about the spot we had thought of and one of my

friends suggested this one .First , we were not very happy with it but he

said it is safe and close by .So, we all agreed.

Arun : Right .Here, you solved a problem through group discussion.

Rahul : But there are so many issues like this which we have solved in our

classroom and canteen by discussion.

Arun : They were all group discussions .Unknowingly, in our colleges, homes we

all solve issues like this.

Rahul : But why is a GD is a part of most selection processes?

Why is GD a part of selection processes?

Though GD is about discussing an issue, it involves more than just

analytical thinking of a person. In today’s world of without competition, being

competent in doing your job is not enough. Organizations today look for more than

functional competencies in their employees. They look for an overall personality in

them. With the rapid economic growth, it has become even more necessary for

every one to be capable of dealing with a situation independently and working as a

team player. Written tests can only test the knowledge of a person .Interview can

give an insight into his emotional and intellectual quotient .But, GD can assess

one’s ability to meaningful contribute towards the team’s goal and the way he can

work under stress.

Rahul : Now I understand why they have called me for a group discussion .But

Arun, is there any standard form of GD or it goes as we used to do in our college

Arun : More on less, it is the same but now the objective is different .In your

college, you would discuss everything informally but here you have to be formal.

You may be asked to discuss on topics with which you are now here related .All

this to test your personality.

Rahul : So, is there any specific structure for a formal GD.

Arun : Not really. But they all follow a similar pattern.

Rahul : Can you tell me more about that?

Arun : sure.

Structure of a GD:

A GD usually consists of 8 to 12 people .A topic is given to the participants

with some time to prepare on it before the actual commencement .After getting

instruction from the evaluator , the participants begin with the discussion .A

group discussion usually follow a three phased structure

1. Brainstorming

2. Evaluation

3. Summary

Brainstorming starts with introduction and view points of various members

on that topic .Evaluation consists of the real discussion where we see examples,

questions and gaining support. In the end comes summary where somebody

summarizes the discussion, mentioning the key points raised.

Rahul : How do you know about all this?

Arun : I have attended so many GD’s.

Rahul : So how many kinds of GD’s are there?

Arun : Basically three types

Rahul : What are they?

Arun : Free wheeling or student – led, moderator-led and detail observatory style.

Rahul : What is free wheeling?

Free wheeling / Student-led:

In a free wheeling or student –led GD, the participants are given room where

they have to manage everything from deciding the topic of discussion to arranging

their seats. After the GD is done with, the evaluator asks them Question regarding

how they arranged themselves, how was the topic decided, why was it decided etc.

This form of GD examines the overall capabilities of the candidate to work in an

organization.

Rahul : That is a nice way.

Arun : Basically this method is used when the number of people comes is more

than the number expected.

Rahul : ok. So, what is a moderator –led and detail observatory style of GD?

Moderator –led and detail observatory style :

Moderator led GD’s are more common in practice .Here a moderator remains

present during the discussion .He gives the topic of discussion, informs them

about the time limits. And after asks the silent member to summarize the

discussion .in this kind of GD, the analytical thinking of the participants is given

importance.

Some GD’s also include hi-tech methods like close circuit cameras etc to

assess the overall behavior of the participant’s .These are of the detailed

observatory style. In this kind of GD’s, participants are observed from another

room using audio visual aids. The examiner evaluates the candidates according to

the behavior in the absence of an evaluation physically present before them. This

method helps in examining a candidate’s ability to work independently without

any supervision.

Rahul : But, sometimes I go blank when I am asked to discuss on a topic.

Arun : That is normal .You are not supposed to know about everything in the

world.

Rahul : If I m not familiar with a topic, how will I generate ideas on that?

Arun : Even for this, we have three methods.

Rahul : What are they?

Arun : They are keyword analysis, views of affected parties, and the spelt method.

Rahul : how do you use those methods?

Keywords and views of affected parties:

When a topic is given to you , find out the keyword and ask yourself

questions like when ,who , what and how .For example , when the topic given to

you is “The tsunami Disaster” , ask yourself what is tsunami ? You will get some

answer and you can speak on that similarly. When you ask other questions also,

you get ideas to share with.

In the same way, when you see the matter from the affected people’s point of

view, you may get other ideas .For Example; take the issue of the tsunami victims.

When you think this way, you can speak on reconstruction, relief and other

matters.

Rahul : That will surely work. But can all the issues be discussed in this way?

Arun : Not necessarily .If you do not get any ideas through these methods you can

take up the SPELT method.

Rahul : what is that?

THE SPELT METHOD:

SPELT means social, political economic, legal and technological method.

When a topic is given, try to see that in these angles .For example, the issue of

tsunami can be seen in all the angles such as what are the social effects, political

involvement to provide relief, economic effects what technology can we use to give

a warning beforehand etc .As it is a natural disaster, you may not get a legal view.

Rahul : So, are there any specific kind of topics that is given is the GD’s.

Arun : Not really, but, they could be of three kinds.

Rahul : what are they?

Arun : they could be factual topics controversial topics or abstract topics.

Rahul : Can you explain them?

Kinds of topics:

A factual topic is one that is based on a fact such as “the role of Un in

international peace keeping “or ” the state of women in India compared to other

countries “ etc .A controversial topic is one which is debatable such as “which is

the land of opportunities ”, India or the west? “Or” should there be smaller states?

Etc .An abstract topic is one that is non –knowledge based such as “Blue is better

than red” or “Ice –cream or soft drink” Etc.

Rahul : So, how do they select people from the group?

Arun : That is the real case .recruiters look for some specific qualities in an

employee. Group discussions give them the opportunity to find out whether any

candidate has that quality .After the discussion is over according to the

performance of the candidates, they are categorized.

Rahul : What are the categories?

Categorization of participants:-

The participants of the discussion can be categorized under seven heads.

1. Initiation: One who initiates the discussion?

2. Coordination: one who makes the silent members talk.

3. Shaper: one who gives direction to the team?

4. Finisher: One who keeps a time check and makes the team finishes the task on

time.

5. Leader: one who leads the discussion and shows leadership skills like making

all participants speak.

6. Innovator: One who comes out with new ideas?

7. Conflict manager: one who takes care of the smooth functioning of the

discussion?

8. Talking terror: one who keeps on speaking at length without giving any chance

to others.

9. Silent member: One who hardly speaks but listen others.

The first five qualities are positive while the last two are negative in nature.

It is also possible that one participant can have more than one qualities mentioned

above.

Rahul : So, all those having positive qualities are selected and the rest are rejected

right?

Arun : yes, but is it not necessary that each candidate can have only one quality.

One candidate can have more than one positive quality.

Rahul : And how are they selected?

Arun : As I told you, only that candidate having the qualities that the recruiter is

looking for is selected .Candidates who speak too much unnecessarily or those

who hardly speak making no contribution to the discussion are usually rejected.

The recruiter may be looking for a leader or a conflict manager or so and

accordingly, the selection of the right candidate is made.

Rahul : But, are there any basis skills that the selectors look for

Arun : Yes, there are.

Rahul : what are they?

Arun : Well, first comes analytical thinking.

Rahul : Why do they need that?

Analytical thinking:

What does it take to solve a problem? Well , more than anything else , it

requires analytical thinking .looking at a problem and coming out with an

immediate solution may not prove beneficial in the long run .When we analyze a

problem from various angles , we get to know the pros and cons of the solution .In

a group discussion ,we get to know all possible advantages and draw backs of a

solution which makes it easier to come to a conclusion .The quality of the solution

we give and the way we defined it by giving appropriate reasons shows our

analytical skills .In our day – to –day life. We will have to take a number of

decisions which needs some kind of analytical thinking .GD in away, Can reflect

the analytical side of our mind.

Rahul : I think I have this skill.

Arun : But this is not enough. You have to have communication skills also.

Communication skills:

It is worthless to discuss the importance of communication skills .It is one of

the basic skills required for anyone who wants to be successful in his life .In a GD,

it is very important to get your idea sent across to the other members in a clear

way. The evaluation of your performance is not done only on the basis of what you

speak also matters .A discussion, which is out and out verbal, Your

communication skills play a big role.

Rahul : Don’t you think that I have proper communication skills?

Arun : You do but remember, there is always scope for improvement next comes

team work.

TEAM WORK:

Now comes the question, why at all we need to discuss an issue in a group?

The prime reason to involve as a team to solve a problem is to develop team work.

The way we approach the problem and get the whole team involved in a

productive manner .We should remember that we are a part of a team .Though our

views and ideas are exclusive to us, we must look into what the view of the team

is.

Rahul : I think I have this skill more than anything else.

Arun : How?

Rahul : I was the captain of our cricket team. There were so many instances where,

working together with team spirit, we won tough matches.

Arun : Did you put in your team wok anywhere else also?

Rahul : In our annual function, an organizing team was made .The tasks were

distributed and finally it became a success for our team effort.

Arun : Good. However, working in a team only doing your work and making others

works on your opinion .You have to be receptive also.

Rahul : What is that?

RECEPTIVENESS:

Being receptive means accepting others opinions also. It is important to

understand what the others say .Give equal importance to what others say. If

somebody is comes out with a view opposite to yours , accept that and try to

defined your idea in a different way .Remember that in a discussion nobody is

right and nobody is wrong .Only when we see the whole picture , we can end up

making the right decision . If we only focus on one’s views and ignore others, the

result will not be fruitful.

Rahul : ok.Anything else.

Arun : Yes, Problem solving capacity.

Rahul : What is that?

PROBLEM SOLVING CAPACITY:

Discussing an issue aims at coming out with a solution. Make sure that

what you say in the GD, focuses towards a solution .Speaking just for the sake of

speaking or speaking on something which is not relevant to the topic is not

acceptable. The focus should be on taking the team towards the point of solution

.Discussion, which is meaningful, can only serve the purpose.

Rahul: Now I am feeling confident.

Arun : You should be.

Rahul : Can you give me some tips to improve my performance?

Arun : why not

DRESS PROPERLY:

Your appearance will surely put a great impact on your appearance .Make

sure you get into the GD room at the best of your look .Your appearance will not

only boost your confidence but also make others look at you with a sense of

respect. Be in formals and avoid too much of glossiness which pull an adverse

impact on you.

Rahul : So, you mean a formal pant and a shirt.

Arun : Yes, that will do. Wear a tie also.

BE CONFIDENT:

No matter how well prepared you are, if you are not confident then your

performance won’t be impressive .You need to convince yourself that you have

what it takes .Keep a smile on your face, which will keep you out of pressure and

make others feel that you are confident enough while sitting in the room be firm

and do not get tension mount on you.

Rahul : I was not really confident but now I am .

Arun : Good .Keep a pen and a paper with you go for the discussion.

Rahul : For what ?

KEEP A PEN AND A PROPER:

Keeping a pen and a paper with you surely help .Before the beginning of the

discussion, you can got down some important points. In the middle of a

discussion, we tent to forget certain things that we had planned .At that time,

referring to this note will help. In addition, you can note down some points given

by others and make use of them as referrals later.

Rahul : I always carry a pen with me.

Arun : Good .Carry a notepad also.

BODY LANGUAGE:

More than your words, your gesture will show your confidence .Do not speak

only with your mouth but make use of your hands also. Remain active throughout

the discussion .If not accompanied by proper body language , your words may not

produce the required weight .Keeping a positive attitude will give you an upper

hand over other participants.

Rahul : Is there any way to develop good body language?

Arun : For that you have to take a keen look on ----how you speak .Speak before a

mirror and try to find out mistakes .Repeated practice before a mirror can surely

help.

DO NOT INTERRUPT:

Frequent interruption may also lead to a bad impression .It is necessary to

speak throughout the discussion but let others finish their point when you don’t

agree with someone’s point, you should look for the right opportunity to put forth

your opinion .Interrupting people in the middle will not only irritate them but also

make you a target of their anger.

Rahul : What will I do if I have something to say?

Arun : Wait for the right time .Let somebody finish and then you speak.

Rahul : What if somebody else interrupts while I am saying?

Arun : Say politely “Let me finish” or something like that.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

It is good if you have a neutralized accent but it is not mandatory .Trying to

impress others, do not venture upon using an accent you are no familiar with try

to be as natural as possible .Choose the correct word even if it would sound

simple. The objective is not just testing your English but also about how clearly

you can transfer your ideas to others.

Rahul : I thought an American or British accent will impress the selectors.

Arun : It wills, however, if you are not familiar with that you will be a caught and

it will create a bad impression.

INITIATE THE DISCUSSION:

Initiating the discussion will give you a better chance of selection .As the

initiation, you will also get the chance of giving all your points, which at a later

stage, would sound repetitive .You can also get over initial tension when you start

speaking .waiting for your turn can make you tense and it will not be easy for you

out an opportunity later to get into the discussion.

Though initiating the discussion is good, if you make a mistake here, it may

have a bad impact also. When you do not really have anything concrete, it is better

to wait. When you listen to others you may get some good points to discuss

.Initiating just for the sake of putting a good impression will bring negative marks.

When you open the discussion, you get all the attention of the group .Now .if you

will not be able to deliver at this point; at a later stage the group may ignore you.

However, a good beginning will not only put in advantage but also make the group

listen it your points throughout the discussion.

It is also noteworthy that because you have initiated the topic, you should

not make it lengthy .Keep your point’s short and straight .As a GD is a limited

time affair, do not waste time to discuss everything in detail. Make sure that

whatever you are saying related to the topic and you are not wasting your time.

Rahul : So, how will I decide whether to initiate or not?

Arun : After getting the topic, find out how much you know about it .If you have a

good understanding .You can initiate, otherwise wait for somebody else to do it.

DO NOT BE AGGRESSIVE:

Be positive not aggressive .Being aggressive is not at all accepted .Always

use polite sentences like “I beg to differ ” or sorry to interrupt in your speech

.Being impolite like “ I don’t agree “ will make the group feel that you are trying to

dominate them. Make sure that none of your remarks sound offensive to anyone

.offensive remarks will spoil the atmosphere .this will make the discussion a

personal fight.

Rahul : So, you mean I should not use any impolite remark, right?

Arun : Yes, but, do not make any impolite gestures also.

ACKNOWLEDGE OTHER’S POINTS:

It is not necessary that whatever you say have to be different from other’s

opinion. A member of your group may have the same opinion as yours. If there is

something that you agree on , acknowledge the same in your speech .It will not

only make you acceptable in the group but also will open doors for your points to

be acknowledged .The more your name comes in the discussion, the more are the

chances of your selection.

Rahul : If I am not wrong, this is the way I can prove that I am receptive.

Arun : Right.

DO NOT KEEP POINTS IN STORE:

Many people make the mistake of keeping some points in store with the plan

that they will speak on those later. Unfortunately , they never get a chance to

discuss those points .Do not wait for an opportunity to come .Use the one you

have .Don’t feel that you will run short of points , as the discussion progresses ,

you will keep on getting a new ideas.

Rahul : what if I find that no body else in the group is speaking ? If I keep on

speaking I will be termed as talking terrier.

Arun : In that case, you can pick up a point and ask others for their opinion .This

way, you can show that you are a team player.

DO NOT GET PERSONAL:

Many people make the mistake of being personal during the discussion .Do

not give examples of personal experiences or pass personal comments on any of

your members .Take the discussion professionally and do not mind if somebody

disagrees on your point or differs from your opinion .

Rahul : what if somebody else gets personal with me?

Arun : Ignore him and continue with your point.

DO NOT CHANGE YOUR STAND:

Changing your stand after sometime of the discussion will indicate that

you are not clear on what you are saying .Being too adamant also is not

acceptable .Make your stand clear and defend it .If at point some one puts on

objection on your point , which is logical , accept that and go on defending your

point from another point of view .Sticking to a point without accepting others

opinion would not be a good move .Remember that each one in the group is right

in his own way , what matters is , how well you defend your opinion .

Rahul : So, you mean I should not frequently change my stand.

Arun : Yes. However, if you find somebody coming out with a valid point even if

that is against yours, accept that.

Rahul : will not that shoe as if am changing my stand.

Arun : No, if you give reasons why you agree with that point but you should also

continue with what said before.

DO NOT SIT IDLE ::

Just because you had initiated the topic, you should not keep yourself out of

the discussion .Every time you find somebody coming out with a point that

defends yours, acknowledge it .Keep your presence visible throughout the

discussion.

Rahul : how many times should I speak?

Arun : It depends on the number of participants and the time allotted still; you

should try to speak for at least three to four times.

DO NOT BE REPETITIVE:

Do not repeat the same things again and again .Look for something new

every time you say something .Try to say something which others have not said .In

this way, you can not only gain others attention but also give fuel for the

discussion to go on.

Rahul : So, whatever I speak, it should be new.

Arun : Yes, and it should contribute to the overall discussion.

REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE IN A TEAM:

GD is a test to find out your effectiveness in working as a team. So, rather

than taking it as a proving ground of your capabilities, make sure, you appear to

be a part of the team and share the common goal. It is all about making people

understand your views and getting to know their ideas .Keep yourself open to

objections and deliberately ask for other’s opinion before they come to object

yours. At the end of the discussion, If your contribution helps the team to find a

solution , the objective is achieved .

KEEP MOTIVATING OTHERS:

GD will give you ample scope to show your leadership skills. Keep

motivating others by some kind of encouragement. Praise others if you find a point

really important and new. Even if you do not contribute much to the discussion

but your leadership skills work, you have a fair chance of getting through.

Rahul: I can do that as I do it every time we play.

Arun : What do you do?

Rahul : I keep others motivated by giving them a chance to bat or bowl, I keep the

fielding positions changing etc

Arun : In the same way you need to motivate the members in the group. If you

find somebody no speaking much, you can probably motivate him by saying “Let’s

hear your on this” or something like that. Or, if you find somebody giving a good

point, you can say “I really appreciate that”.

Summarize the discussion:

Summarizing the discussion is as important as initiating it .It is unlikely

that one will get the chance of doing the both .So, if you could not initiate the

discussion, make sure that you summarize it. In the summary make use of your

notes and acknowledge others opinion before coming to the conclusion .As would

hardly get enough time to summarize, do not venture up on making it an

elaborative one. keep it short and simple.

* * * * * *

4. INTERVIEW SKILLS

What is an interview?

Interview is an interaction between two or more persons usually with a

question answer pattern. Selecting the right candidate for the right job is not easy

unless we interact with the candidate personally.

Before the personal interview, the candidate must have some through a set

of process which makes him eligible for this .Usually, interview is the final stage of

a selection process, but depending on the company you have applied to there

could be more than one interview also.

The basic purpose of having an interview is to have an interaction between

the prospective employee and the employer which gives an opportunity to come

out with a mutual understanding .Interview is the best way to judge one’s ability

as you can discuss things face to face rather than letters or phone. Call for an

interview also gives you an opportunity to present yourself at your best.

Why interview is a part of most selection processes?

Nothing can substitute a personal interaction with a candidate .Personal

interview gives an opportunity for both the employee and the employer to present

themselves ,discuss various issues and come down to a mutual agreement .No

employer will take the risk of employing somebody without being sure about

whether he or she can do the job perfectly or not .There are certain things that can

not be tested in an exam or anywhere else etc except for an interview .Interview

can expose your strengths , weakness , thinking ability , communication skills etc.

As the last step of the selection process, the interview usually tests all relevant

aspects of a candidate.

There are some basic reasons why interview is important .They are

1. Verification of the data given in the resume can be done easily.

2. Makes it easy to assess how interested the candidate is for the job.

3. It gives an opportunity for the interviewer to find out a candidate’s intelligence

quotient.

4. Makes it easy to find out the right candidate and encourage him to accept the job.

5. As a direct way of interaction, the selection of a candidate can be done in a

better way through interview than any other form of selection.

KINDS OF INTERVIEWS:

An interview could be one to one or a panel interview .one to one interview is

more like an interaction than an interview. In a panel interview , you get a panel of

experts ,who test you in different ways .these days , panel interviews has became

the standard form of interviewing as it can test not only the interviews talent but

also his ability to deliver under pressure .

As selecting the right candidate is a crucial manner employee’s test the

candidate in multiple ways to make sure that they are selecting the right

candidate. A normal interview runs for around half an hour. You can expect

questions which are professional and also which relate to your human attributes.

With regards to the various ways of interviewing, interviews can be divided

into four major heads.

1. Structured interviews

2. Unstructured interviews

3. Panel interviews

4. Stress interviews

Structured interviews are hardly efficient .Here the interviewer comes with a

prepared questionnaire and asks all the interviews the same questions .An

unstructured interview is more effective as it involves personal attention and

includes open-ended questions .In a panel interview , the interview is taken by a

panel or a board .Stress interview is meant for testing the candidates performance

under stress .Here , the candidate is asked more than one question at a time ,

unrelated questions etc to test his patience and stress level.

REQUIRED KEY SKILS:

1. INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT:

For obvious reasons, every employer will look for an intelligent employee.

However, intelligence is more than just bookish knowledge gained in the class

room.

Even when somebody is an expert in a particular field, some kind of general

awareness is expected from him .For somebody who is a computer programmer,

knowing about India’s role in the UN may not matter much but it will surely

impress the interviewer when you know about it. Still Knowledge of your

concerned field is more important than your general awareness.

2. ANALYTICAL THINKING:

Every job includes some analytical thinking how quickly and appropriately

you answer a question matters .Though teamwork is always advocated, an

employee who can think and work independently is always an asset for the

employee who can think and work independently is always an asset for the

employer .Each question asked by the employer should be seen in an analytical

angle and the answer should be logical enough to be successfully defended

3. CORPORATE CULTURE:

When you are face to face with your employee and at the final stage of the

selection process, it is the right time to show how cultured you are. Corporate

culture does not mean anything out of box .It is about your leadership skills,

temperament, adaptability, confidence and sense of duty and responsibility .These

skills are infact essential for any kind of job.

In the interview, the interviewer may ask you questions like “what would you

do in this kind of a situation?” your answer to this question is critical to judge how

cultured you are.

4. COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS:

The importance of communication and social skills does not need discussion

in the interview, the clearer you are in getting your ideas across to the interviewer,

the better is the chance of your selection .Your body language also plays a big role

in defining your social skills and your confidence .Your idea about teamwork,

cooperation and your personality can also give an insight into your social skills.

TIPS: KNOW THE COMPANY:

Before going to the interview , you should know about the company .Your

understanding on the company will make you stand apart from other

interviewees and you can answer typical questions like “why do you want to join

our company?” or “what do you know about our company?”

Answering these questions will make the interviewer feel that you are

serious about the job and have done your homework properly .The best way to find

out about a company is web but you can take the help of internet, magazines,

annual report etc also. When you receive a call for interview, start looking for the

company profile.

PREPARE QUESTIONS:

Arrange mock interviews with somebody whom you find able .Try to give

spontaneous answers to the questions .Ask him to analyze your performance and

give some feed back.

Take the feed back seriously and try to improve on those points where you

lack. Prepare some possible questions yourself which you feel can be asked by the

interviewer .Prepare answers for them also , preferably in writing .Practice those

answers in front of a mirror where you can see your confidence reflected , but

make sure that the answers do not appear as prepared ones.

DRESS PROPERLY:

Leaving a good impression on the interviewers is very important .Before you

start to speak, your personality speaks a lot about you .The way you carry yourself

matters a lot .You should have a decent haircut and a formal dress code .Do not

make your appearance too glossy that will make the interviewer feel that you are

showing off. Make sure to polish your shoes.

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW;

Keep with yourself , additional copies of your resume , some passport size

photographs ,your educational certificates and a list of your references .The

interviewers may ask you for these .You may also a carry a notepad to note down

any information if you want to .Before the interview , you may be asked to fill in

some forms .While waiting , do not get nervous thinking about what has not yet

happened rather , try to make yourself comfortable .

Ask the receptionist about the name and designation of the interviewer .It

always helps when you know when you speaking with .Instead of talking to others

in the waiting hall try to remember the answers you had prepared.

INTRODUCTION:

When called for interview till yourself that you are getting the job today.

Knock the door and ask for permission before you enter the room .Greet the

interviewer with a firm handshake .Thank, when you are offered a seat .Sit firmly

and maintain eye contact with the interviewer .Even if you are nervous, do not

show that on your face .Confidence is the key.

ANSWER HONESTLY:

Honesty is always appreciated .If you do not know an answer, do not bluff.

The person who is asking you the question is well aware of the answer so there is

no way you can impress him with your bluff .Hitting around the bush may load to

rejection .If you don’t know an answer admit it .In this way, you will not only be

able to show your honesty but also you will be able to close all the scope for the

interviewer to look out for any mistakes is you.

BE PRECISE:

Do not go on explaining things unnecessarily .Be precise in your answer .It

all show your seriousness about time .However , being precise does not mean

giving monosyllabic yes/no answers .Your answer should be clear enough to give

the interviewer what he wants .Whatever you say should have some value in it

.Saying something just to lengthen your answer is also not acceptable .As an

interviewer time to ask maximum questions .if you do not understand a question ,

ask the interviewer to repeat it .Do not assume a question .

BODY LANGUAGE;

How you say is as important as what you say .If your answer is not

accompanied by proper body language, it will appear bookish .The interviewer may

get the feeling that you really are not sure about the answer .A proper body

language will show your confidence and push the interviewer to ask you questions

.Polished gestures and mannerisms will surely impress the interviewer .While

practicing at home also, you should work on your body language.

YOUR RESUME:

Your resume is the thing that made the interviewer call you for the

interview. It is obvious that you will get questions based on the information you

have given there. Therefore, read your resume thoroughly and think of questions

you may get. Make sure that the answers you give in the interview matches with

the information given in the resume .The answers should also be logical so that

the interviewer will not feel as if you have given wrong information.

STRESS:

Interview also tests how well you can manage stress .In a panel interviews

you will find some interviews constantly observing your behaviour instead of

asking questions .They very keenly observe your mannerisms , attitude and stress

level .When you answer the questions make sure you are answering to the whole

panel and not just to the person who asked you the question .Keep eye contact

which will make sure that you are confident of what you are saying .Stay relaxed

through out the interview session.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW:

When your interview is finished, do not rush out. Thank the

interviewer for giving you the opportunity to be interviewed .Give them a feeling

that you are really interested in the job. Your last impression is as important as

first impression.

MOCK INTERVIEWS:

Swathi is a young lady of fair complexion, medium height, she is 21

and has just finished her graduation before this interview, she has come through

different rounds of the selection process .She has come for the post process

associate in a call centre .This is the final round of the selection process and the

HR manager is going to take the interview.

Before the interview , she’s been asked to wait in the waiting hall

where she finds some other candidates for the same purpose .She introduces

herself to the other candidates and starts some chit chat when called for the

interview , she walks briskly towards the interview room , knocks gently , asks for

permission and enters the room.

Swathi : Good Morning , Sir.

Manager : Good Morning swathi, Please have a seat.

Swathi : thank you, sir.

Manager : How are you doing?

Swathi : Fine .thank you.

Manager : before we begin the interview tell me something about yourself.

Swathi : Sure, sir, I have done my B.A in economics from Delhi University.

Before that, I did my intermediate from Geethanjali College. My father is a

manager in a bank .My mother is a homemaker. We are two sisters .My younger

sister is doing her intermediate.

Manager : So. Swathi, you have just finished your graduation.

Swathi : Yes, sir.

Manager : when your father is working in a bank, didn’t you want to make a

career in banking?

Swathi : Well, sir, honestly speaking a feel that banking jobs are monotonous

and doesn’t include much human interaction which the service sector can give. I

think I can do justice with a job that will make me talk to people, understand

them and solve their problems with a personal touch.

Manager : I see that you have done your B.A in economics with a first class .With

such good marks , why do u want to join a call centre instead of going for higher

studies ?

Swathi : Sir, I thought of going for higher studies and I applied for various

Universities but unfortunately could not qualify to get a seat in any good one’s.

Besides, I wanted to do something independently as early as possible .As far as

call centre are concerned, Indian BPO industry is growing fast and a lot of new call

centre are coming up. As this is one of the industries where freshers get jobs

pretty easily and the pay also is good, I decided to get into it.

Manager: It is right that call centre offer good salary even to freshers but do you

know what the basic skill are needed fro a call centre executive and do you have

those.

Swathi : yes, sir I think I am competent enough to work in the service industry. I

feel I have the required communication and interpersonal skills for this kind of a

job. I am extrovert and my social skills are very good .In fact, I am famous in my

friend circle for this .It hardly takes any time for me to make new friends and

know about others besides that, I am familiar with computers.

Manager : Ok. Call centres have become a craze now amongst youngsters, but do

you know what do and how they function.

Swathi : yes, sir there are two kinds of call centres , inbound and outbound.

Inbound calls are those which come from the customer to the call centre,

outbound calls are those made from call centres to the customers. There are a lot

of companies which sell their products and services to customers and give them a

number where they can call up to seek further information or clarification .When

the customer calls to that number, it is transferred to the call centre where the

representatives help the customer out giving the right solution .There are some

other companies who sell their products over the phone .Here , the executive

calls the prospective customer and provides information regarding the product .if

the customer is interested , an order is placed.

Manager : right .now that you have decided to make a career in the service

industry , what is your idea about the recent protests in the western countries

against outsourcing to India?

Swathi: Sir, undoubtedly, Indians are equally competent in English an computer

skills required to serve customers in the west.

Even those companies are making good profit as Indians are giving them

quality service in a very less price. As this outsourcing has effected employment

problems there, the people in the west are protesting against it. However as long

as the companies are making profit by outsourcing , I do not think it is going to

affect its growth in India .Even if some countries stop outsourcing to India , the

service industry in India has gained so much reputation that it will continue to get

business from other countries .

Manager : How would you handle an irate customer?

Swathi : Well, sir, I feel every problem can be solved by patience and

understanding .When an irate customer calls for something , the best way to calm

him down is to be patient , understand his problem and solve it. I think if you are

not patient , you can not service in an industry like this .

Manager : ok, Swathi Do you know that the job includes working in night shifts?

Swathi : Yes , sir I know and I do not have any problem with that.

Manager : Well, swathi, the interview is over now. Do you have anything to ask?

Swathi : No, sir.

Manager : it was nice speaking with you we will get back to you after the whole

process is done .

Swathi: Thank you sir.

Feedback:

a. Intelligence Quotient:-

The way she answered the kind of care centres and their function sit, is that

she has done her home work properly .The interviews also comes to know that she

knows that job has to do in future .the understanding of the service indulging also

shows how interested .She is for it which a real firms the fact that stress

generously interested in making a career service industry.

b. Analytical thinking:

The view on why care centre s are have to say shows her analytical thinking,

So give reasons behind the growth of your sourcing to India and how it would

service even if there is a problem , shows her analytical thinking.

c. Corporate culture:

Though out the interview, she has answered the questions professionally.

her commitment is seen when she tells how she should handle an irate customer

and that she is ready for night shifts.

d. Communication and Social Skills:

She had successfully answered all the questions with ease and her ideas

were clear enough. The reasons she gives for choosing the service industry also

sounds valid, the way she plans to handle customers.

* * * * * *

5. RESUME WRITING

INTRODUCTION:

A resume is a brief , concise document that advertise your most relevant

and positive credentials for employment or other professional purposes .It is a

descriptive of your educational qualifications , experience , skills and

achievements .It should make clear to the employer what direct benefits can he get

if he hires you.

Of course, the ultimate goal of a resume is to make the employer call you for

an interview and it is possible only if you can make a bid to sell yourself.

Employers hardly take twenty seconds to go through a resume so it has to

be impressive enough. So the content of your resume must be clear, concise and

targeted to the type of job for which you are applying .For every job advertisement

employers get flooded with résumés. In fact more than selection, screening of

resumes is a rejection procedure.

If your resume has a type or grammatical error or your objective is not clear,

your skills gets doesn’t match the requirement then the employer will need you out

of the race .Your resume may be only way you can grab the employer’s attention.

Before we go further lets have a look on a sample résumé. This resume is of

a candidate who has just finished his education and looking for a job in the

engineering department.

Rahul khanna,

Dr no: 41-24-48,

Yousufguda,

Email;sivakrishna@gmail.com

Phone-res-0402233445

Mob:9948908812

Objective:

Seeking an entry level position requiring strong analytical , organizational

and computer skills in engineering department.

Education:

Graduation: B.E in Information technology from Vasavi College of

engineering affiliated to jntu with 80% marks in 2001 to 2005

Intermediate : IBE with MPC from Gowtham junior college with 84% 1999 to 2001

educational experience.

Project Title: Environmental pollution

Organisation : Ashok Leyland

Team size : 6

Duration : 4 months

Description: minimizing polluting elements from nuclear exhaust

Key role : Maintaining data and analysis reports skill etc.

Computer skills : CAD, AUTO CAD, C++, MS OFFICE

Other skills : Quick learner , communication skills

Achievements :

Selected by university of Minnesota for a 2 month long project Oct - Nov, 2004.

-Captained college team for inter –college basket ball championships 2002 -2005.

-participated in a work shop on “emerging technologies in mechanical engineering”

Held at IIT, Kharagpur.

Feb 2005.

Date:

Place: signature

Overview:

In a resume there can be different parts wrote down headings such as

objective, education, experience, achievement and skills .Beneath each heading ,

write down the relevant information .It is necessary to keep in mind that content

of the resume should follow a specific pattern.

Objective:

Objective is the most important part of your resume .The first thing that the

employer will look at is this .Many people make the mistake of writing obvious

things as “looking for challenges and opportunity for growth”. These kinds of

objectives will make the employer feel that your goals are not clear.

However, writing clear objectives as “looking to take up direct sales as a

career” will impress the employer more as it speaks of a specific goal.

Writing the objective can be made simpler:

The objective should answer three questions.

1. Job title

2. Skills supporting the job title

3. professional identity

you must mention the job title or if you are a fresher mention whether you

are looking for an entry level or a higher position . The objective must also include

skills you have that you want to utilize and your professional goals.

The objective in the sample resume is clear in itself. Here the objective of the

candidate is specific enough to gain attention of the employer .Some other

examples of a good objective are.

“A career in marketing that includes extensive travelling and dealing with

various business”

“Seeking an entry level position as customer service executive utilizing skills

such as convincing and negotiating skills which will afford advancement and

career growth”.

“To build my career in an organization that will utilize my knowledge and

skills in the field of eletronics and communications and enhance my domain

expertise through training”.

EDUCATION;

• Follow reverse chronological order and with your last degree first mention

your degree, year of passing , Institution from where you completed, your

degree and the percentage of marks you attained .Follow the same

structure for all your degrees .If the institute you are from is a premier

one , you can high light its name also . You can give your details in text

format or tabloid format.

TEXT FORMAT:

POST GRADUATION : M.Sc IN Computer Sc from Calcutta University with 82%

marks 2003 - 2005 .

GRADUATION: B.Sc in computer Sc from Delhi University with 76% marks 2000-

2003.

INTERMEDIATE: I.Sc from CBSE 84% 1998-2000.

TABLOID FPRMAT:

DEGREE SUBJECT UNIVERSITY YEAR

PERCENTAGE

M.SC COMP.SC CALCUTTA 2003-05 82

B.SC COMP.SC DELHI 2000-03 76

I.SC M.P.C CBSE 1998-00

84

EXPERIENCE:

Experience includes full time paid jobs , academic research projects ,

internships- by asking your self questions such as have I invented , discovered ,

coordinated , directed or organized or directed anything professionally.

Do I meet deadlines consistently?

Am I a team player?

If the answer to the question is yes you should include that quality while in

explaining responsibility.

The sample resume we have is a fresher, so he has mentioned only his

educational experience .For someone with experience this section may look like:-

January 2005-august

Manager (Marketing)

ABC companies pvt. ltd Hyderabad.

PROFILE:

1) Managing the whole marketing dept of 70 employees.

2) Planning new strategies and take care of their implementation.

3) Creating new clients.

June 2004-December 2004

Team header

XYZ companies, Bangalore.

PROFILE:-

1. Leading a team of 30 sales representatives

2. Setting target for each representative.

3. Creating new markets and making sure that targets are achieved.

February 2004 – June -2004

Sales representative

XYZ companies, Bangalore.

PROFILE:-

1. Target oriented direct selling.

2. Meeting customers personally and explaining about the products.

SKILLS:

This section may include your technical and non technical skills. However it

is advisable to mix those two parts up. In the technical skills part you should

include the list of computer languages and software you know ,research you have

done etc. In the non-technical part, you should include your soft skills, leadership

skills etc.

The same resume gives information regarding the computer skills and soft

skills of the candidate in a test form. This kind of information can also be given in

tabloid form as:

Computers:

Language known Experience Proficiency

C 2yrs expert

Java 1yr intermediate

Operating systems Experience proficiency

Windows xp 2yrs expert

Linux 6months beginner

Others:

• Quick learner

• Excellent interpersonal skills.

• Team player

ACHIEVEMNETS:

This part must include the list of your academic awards on scholarships,

honours, professional awards or recognition or community awards as athletic

skills. The sample resume has only academic achievements. People with

experience can give details of both professional and educational achievements.

For Example.

• Selected as the employee of the year for the year 2004-2005 in ABC Company.

• Participated in the annual conference of HR managers at Singapore in Dec

2004.

• Topped the university in M.Sc.

• Got best student award for the year 2001-02 from Delhi university

However, it should be kept in mind that the employer may ask for evidence for

those achievements during interview .Therefore only those achievements should be

mentioned which have some evidence.

Organizing your resume:

Personal Information:

Your resume should begin with your name , keep your full name in bold

form followed by your address –Give your complete postal address , email id and

phone number.

EDUCATION:

Freshers should begin with this. Those without much experience can also

mention this first, especially of it is a strong asset.

EXPERIENCE:

You can write your experience in two different formats, functional and

chronological. Functional form emphasis on skills and talents as leaderships,

team work etc. This form is good for those with little work experience. In

chronological form, the list of jobs held is given in a reverse chronological order

with the latest job first.

Organizing your resume:-

Skills:

This comes exactly after your experience. Make sure that you include all the

skills that you feel you have which can help an organization and ignore those,

which you don’t find relevant.

Achievements:

Here also, you should mention only those achievements which can have a

positive impact on the employer.

References:

Many people make the mistake of giving the list of references on the resume

itself. Instead of you should prepare a separate list of references, with complete

name, title, company name, address, and telephone numbers for each individual

.This reference list is usually given to employers during interview.

Sell what the Buyer is buying:

Your objective speaks a lot about your attitude towards the job applied for.

Make a note of things that you want the employer may be looking for .Write an

objective in away which can pull the attention .Think for a certain position, what

aspects of your education, experience or skills will be most attractive to that

employer.

Prepare a list of specific course work, area of speciality, skills that will

interest the employer. Examine what you have written and select details of your

education , experience ,honors , skills and activities that match can employers

needs in a few important areas.

Formats of a resume:-

Basically there are two kinds of formats for resume writing. Page layout and

skills format .Page layout is the traditional format that most of the people use.

This is a straight forward way of resume where you mention about your objective,

education and experience in a logical manner.

Skill format is advisable when you have a variety of experiences like such as

paid work, volunteers work, student activities, classroom work, projects etc. You

can group these skills by category of skills sets and relate that to the job

concerned .This form is used when the traditional format fails to focus your

relevant skills .Choose a format that can support your objective.

Consider word choice carefully:-

In a resume , word speaks about you .Therefore selecting the right words is

very important .You have to sound positive not aggressive , in your resume .Use

some words that can emphasize your skills , some words can make your resume

look positive especially , while writing about your work experience.

Accomplish Achieve adapt coordinate compile Conduct contribute complete create delegate Direct establish expand improve implement Invent increase initiate instruct lead Organize perform propose recognize setup Support train

Get it tested:

It is necessary to get your resume tested before you send it to the employer.

Any body who is an expert in your field or an experienced HR professional can do

it for you .In this way you can get some constructive criticism which will help you

recognizing the resume for better result. When you are done with that, examine

your resume yourself.

See if it looks clumsy, the spaces between the words and lines are enough

the front is catchy etc. Before getting it printed, make sure you have done a last

minute evaluation.

Do’s:-

*Select a font that can make the resume look professional to highlight points use

bold or italic.

*Give a phone number through which the employer can reach you during business

hours.

* Be concise and specific

*Use powerful action words .Employers look for specific words.

*proof read the resume before you make the final print.

Don’ts:-

*Do not use a fancy layout or representative

* Do not use fancy email ids like coolboy@xysd.com or lovelygirl@dsa.com.Your id

should be formal enough with name on initials.

* Do not exaggerate your skills or experience.

*Do not repeat words or phrases

*Do not use personal pronouns as I, me or my in your resume.

*Do not lie about your experience

*Do not include frivolous information like marital status, high school information,

salary requirement, references etc in your resume.

* * * * *

6. Reading Comprehension

Speed Reading: Your Questions Answered As adults we have great demands put upon our time. There is work, families and social activities that take out huge portions of our waking hours. It is no surprise that many adults, outside of an academic situation, find that they do not have any time to read. Many adults would list reading as a frivolous activity in which they have no inclination due to the amount of time it takes them to get through a single book.

Even students feel the pressure of time as they are faced with tons of homework and required reading. How can there be enough time to study, work and live? Some people have found the answer through speed reading. If you are lucky enough to be gifted with this amazing talent, then it is certain other people have commented on how quickly you are able to consume reading material. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, this article is for you. It will answer some of the common questions about speed reading and hopefully set you on the path to picking up a good book to read.

What is speed reading?

Speed reading is the act of quickly absorbing written information. The goal is to read quickly but still retain comprehension of the material. The rate at which people read material is not a constant and varies greatly depending on several factors. Some material, such as school work or manuals, may require more contemplation and fewer distractions in order to process and still understand what is being conveyed. Being able to read ten books in a single day is useless if the reader is unable to retain comprehension of the material

How do people speed read?

There are a few different methods that some speed readers use in order to increase their reading speed. It is important to note that most speed readers use a variety of methods. Some simply skim the words and the information is simple there. You can think of it in terms of a computer scanner. You lay the book or sheet of paper on the scanner. The image is then sent via a connection to your computer where you process the information.

What types of methods are used in speed reading?

Some of the different methods used in speed reading are chunking, skimming, and eliminating sub-vocalization. Readers will not "read" the words aloud in their minds. Their eyes skim through the material and comprehension is formed within the brain processes. Most speed readers use a variety of methods to increase their speed and comprehension level.

A speed reader may not read every word on the page. They may skip some sections as it as little overall consequence to the meaning. Most people can read a selection much faster if they read silently. Reading each word aloud takes time for the information to make a complete circuit in your brain before being pronounced. Some researchers believe that as long as the first and last letter is in place, the arrangement of the other letters in the word can still be understood by the brain because it logically puts each piece into place.

Do they fully comprehend the material?

Speed reading does absolutely no good if the material is not remembered. That is one thing all software and instructional methods have in common. There must be at least 50% comprehension rate of the read material. Anything less is considered a failure. The goal is to read quickly yet still understand what the material and author is presenting. Even slow readers face this problem. Many learning disabilities involve reading without overall comprehension of the material.

How is speed reading measured?

Speed reading is measured by timing the reader as he or she reads through a selection of material. After the time is up the reader will be tested on his or her overall comprehension of the material. If they make less than 50% of the questions then that test is considered a failure. Speed reading is difficult to test because a large part of the comprehension depends on the reader's interest. A text book may be difficult to quickly read as there is strange terminology or a lack of interest on the participants' behalf.

What is the speed of an average reader?

The average reader may be able to read around two words per second. Now, to get that average and determine the true accuracy of the reading, the test must take into consideration the reading material. Other factors include the testing atmosphere, the comfort of the reader and the overall comprehension abilities of the reader. Opponents of speed reading programs believe that there is not a high enough comprehension rate if the reader does not thoroughly understand the material so test results can be skewed due to this factor.

Are there any records for speed reading?

The World Championship Speed Reading competition says that its top competitors average around 1000 to 2000 words a minute. The comprehension level must be at least fifty percent in order to qualify. Though a contestant may read through the material at a rate of 5000 words a minute, if they are not able to comprehend the material or recall pertinent facts, the test is considered a failure.

Is there a way to learn how to speed read?

Not everyone can speed read. There are no tried and true methods that work for everyone. The best way to learn how to speed read is to practice and study the different methods that speed readers employ. You may be able to learn how to skim through the material for key words and phrases. You can also try to learn how to read the material without silently pronouncing each word in your mind.

How do the software programs work?

Some software programs boast that their methodologies can double a person's rate of reading and comprehension. Most programs utilize different methods of reading such as chunking or skimming the text. It teaches the reader how to identify key words and to skip unimportant words such as "and" in order to increase their reading speed.

Are there any tips to help me learn how to speed read?

The best tip anyone can have is to practice. There is some reading material that is almost impossible to speed read. Text books and dry facts may not get your attention and as such your mind will wander. In order to appreciate speed reading a person must be engaged in the material and want to know more. If you find yourself constantly having to re-read the same paragraph, you may want to switch to reading material that grabs your attention.

I've tried learning how to speed read and I just cannot seem to do it or remember the material. Are some people just gifted with this talent?

There may be several factors working against your desire to learn how to speed read. The first may be that you do not have enough practice or there are too many distractions for you to concentrate. If you do not love to read, no amount of software can make the task easier for you. Some people have a natural affinity for reading and will do better with it than others. It should never be about how fast you can read. It should be about how much information you retain and whether or not you enjoy reading.

Top 10 Speed Reading Comprehension Tips 1. Clarify your purpose. A good understanding of what you already know and what you need out of the reading is the key to reading comprehension.

2. Look at the front book cover. What information is the author giving you about the story? What does the title suggest? Why did she use this particular graphic on the cover?

3. Read familiar material. When you first learn to Speed Read, use books and articles on subjects you have some familiarity with or subjects you have come across before but havent reviewed recently. Later on, you can challenge yourself with new material.

4. Make Predications. Can you make any predictions about the story with the information youve already gathered?

5. What have the experts said about the book or author? Look at the back cover. What are the comments being made by critics whove read the book? What other clues can you pick up?

6. Read the Table of Contents. Its an outline of the book.

7. Make sure you review the glossary. If there are any terms that are unfamiliar to you memorize them.

8. Read the Introduction or Preface. It gives you a good idea of where the author wants to take you.

9. Preview the book to make sure its what you are looking for. Scan the headings and subheadings.

10. Read the topic sentences. Remember that the first and last sentences of a paragraph give you the essence of that paragraph, especially when reading non-fiction.

Magda Santos is an author, researcher, and learning specialist with over 24 years of experience teaching reading. FMI Visit http://speed-read-now.com and subscribe to a Free 5 Day Speed Reading Course we also like Vista .

Top 5 Tips to Improve Your Reading Comprehension

Strengthen Reading Comprehension with These Easy Tips

See More About:

• learning disabilities in reading • individualized instructional strategies • reading strategies

The ability to understand and remember reading material is important for success in school and everyday life. This is especially true for students with learning disabilities in reading, and language comprehension. Learn helpful tips to improve your ability and increase your success in reading and learning.

1. Improve Reading Comprehension With Pre-Reading Tasks

Before reading the text, ask yourself what you already know about its topic. Try to recall as much information as you can. Think of related ideas you've learned in the past. Make brief notes about your thoughts or or discuss what you remember with others.

2. Improve Your Reading Comprehension by Researching the Topic Background information may appear on book covers and inner flaps of book jackets. Many books include an introductory section and a mini-biography about the author. Book publisher’s websites may also include background information. Think about the information you read. Ask:

• What kind of text is this? • What new information did I learn, and what do I expect to learn? • Is this text informative or entertaining, fact or fiction? • What interests me about this book?

3. Learn New Vocabulary Words to Improve Reading ComprehensionAs you read, make a list of unfamiliar vocabulary words. Look up the meanings of the words in the dictionary, and jot definitions down by hand. Writing definitions by hand will help you remember the definition much more than by typing or by reading alone.

4. Improve Your Understanding by Reflecting on the Material and Asking Questions As you read, what questions come to mind? Read on to find the answers. You can think about the questions and answers or jot them down on paper. Research indicates that writing notes by hand can increase comprehension and recall among students who are not learning disabled in writing. For those who have LDs in writing mechanics pair the writing with discussion to improve understanding and recall.

5. Test Yourself to Determine How Well You've Learned the Material After your reading session, quiz yourself on the main points. What was the main idea? Who are the characters in the story? What information did you learn? Jot down your thoughts in your own words to help you remember them and give you deeper insight into the topic. If expressive writing is difficult for you, jot shorter notes and discuss the reading with a friend or parent.

The Topic:

Skimming and Scanning

Easier - There are different styles of reading for different situations. The technique you choose will depend on the purpose for reading. For example, you might be reading for enjoyment, information, or to complete a task. If you are exploring or reviewing, you might skim a document. If you're searching for information, you might scan for a particular word. To get detailed information, you might use a technique such as SQ4R. You need to adjust your reading speed and technique depending on your purpose.

Many people consider skimming and scanning search techniques rather than reading strategies. However when reading large volumes of information, they may be more practical than reading. For example, you might be searching for specific information, looking for clues, or reviewing information.

Harder - Web pages, novels, textbooks, manuals, magazines, newspapers, and mail are just a few of the things that people read every day. Effective and efficient readers learn to use many styles of reading for different purposes. Skimming, scanning, and critical reading are different styles of reading and information processing.

Skimming is used to quickly identify the main ideas of a text. When you read the newspaper, you're probably not reading it word-by-word, instead you're scanning the text. Skimming is done at a speed three to four times faster than normal reading. People often skim when they have lots of material to read in a limited amount of time. Use skimming when you want to see if an article may be of interest in your research.

There are many strategies that can be used when skimming. Some people read the first and last paragraphs using headings, summarizes and other organizers as they move down the page or screen. You might read the title, subtitles, subheading, and illustrations. Consider reading the first sentence of each paragraph. This technique is useful when you're seeking specific information rather than reading for comprehension. Skimming works well to find dates, names, and places. It might be used to review graphs, tables, and charts.

Scanning is a technique you often use when looking up a word in the telephone book or dictionary. You search for key words or ideas. In most cases, you know what you're looking for, so you're concentrating on finding a particular answer. Scanning involves moving your eyes quickly down the page seeking specific words and phrases. Scanning is also used when you first find a resource to determine whether it will answer your questions. Once you've scanned the document, you might go back and skim it.

When scanning, look for the author's use of organizers such as numbers, letters, steps, or the words, first, second, or next. Look for words that are bold faced, italics, or in a different font size, style, or color. Sometimes the author will put key ideas in the margin.

Reading off a computer screen has become a growing concern. Research shows that people have more difficulty reading off a computer screen than off paper. Although they can read and comprehend at the same rate as paper, skimming on the computer is much slower than on paper.

* * * * *

A GUIDE TO

TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

The Institution of Engineering and Technology

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD ...................................................................................3 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................4 1 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................5 2 THE FORMAT OF THE REPORT ..............................................6 2.1 Beginning and end...............................................................6 2.2 Appendices ..........................................................................7 2.3 Sections and sub-sections....................................................7 2.4 Headings and decimal notation ...........................................8 2.4.1 Format .......................................................................8 2.4.2 Notation.....................................................................9 2.5 References............................................................................9 3 THE WRITING OF THE REPORT............................................10 3.1 Accuracy ............................................................................10 3.1.1. Spelling ...................................................................11 3.1.2 Punctuation..............................................................11 3.1.3 Choice of words......................................................12 3.1.4 Sentences.................................................................12 3.1.5 Paragraphs...............................................................12 3.2 Brevity ...............................................................................12 3.3 Unobtrusive writing...........................................................13 3.4 Worked example................................................................13 4 ILLUSTRATING THE REPORT ...............................................14 4.1 Positioning .........................................................................14 4.2 Conventions .......................................................................15 4.3 Clarity ................................................................................15 4.4 Tables and graphs ..............................................................15 4.4.1 Tables ......................................................................15 4.4.2 Graphs .....................................................................15 4.4.3 Space .......................................................................16 4.4.4 Diagram references.................................................16 5 FINISHING THE REPORT ........................................................16 5.1 Summaries .........................................................................16 5.2 Abstracts ............................................................................17 5.3 Contents lists......................................................................17 5.4 Checking ............................................................................17 5.5 Appearance ........................................................................18 5.5.1 Title pages...............................................................18 6 CONCLUSION............................................................................18 APPENDIX A BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................19 APPENDIX B A GUIDE TO THE LAWS OF GOOD REPORT WRITING...19

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FOREWORD The need for skilled report writing, far from decreasing, has grown since the first edition of this Guide nearly twenty years ago. The courses on the same subject held regularly at the IET are popular, and increasingly are asked for by companies who want such training for groups of engineers. In this revision, the bibliography has been updated. For the rest, the ten laws of good report writing remain the same and as important as ever. A Guide to Technical Report Writing was written by Joan van Emden, now Senior Consultant at the Jove Centre (an IET Endorsed Training Provider) and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Reading, and the late Jennifer Easteal, who lectured in Mathematics at Salisbury College until her death in 2005. Joan van Emden’s colleagues Dr Alex Kerr and Dr Lucinda Becker now present the IET’s short courses on Technical Report Writing, and in-company, Effective Presentations.

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INTRODUCTION A good report is easy to recognise. Its title is precise and informative, its layout and format are well organised, and the binding is easy to handle and opens flat to reveal both text and diagrams. Reading a well written report is pleasurable: the style is accurate, fluent and concise, with headings to indicate the content of each section. The diagrams, which in this Guide will be taken to include non-verbal material such as tables and graphs, are well presented and clearly labelled. There are no absolute rules about the details of report production, because every report must be totally adapted to the needs of its reader. This Guide suggests laws of good report writing, but only because in the field of communication, laws should be generally applied but broken if necessary. For example, the second law concerns brevity. If clients have spent thousands of pounds to gain access to expert knowledge, it may be inappropriate to reveal it in five pages. They will feel cheated if they receive so little, even if it represents value for money. A longer report will be politically more expedient. Nevertheless, laws can be broken only on the basis of knowledge, and the Guide will therefore discuss in turn each of the report writing laws, which are as follows: 1. The reader is the most important person. 2. Keep the report as short as possible. 3. Organise for the convenience of the report user. 4. All references should be correct in all details. 5. The writing should be accurate, concise and unobtrusive. 6. The right diagram with the right labels should be in the right place for the reader. 7. Summaries give the whole picture, in miniature. 8. Reports should be checked for technical errors, typing errors and inconsistency. 9. The report should look as good as it is. 10. The reader is the most important person. The first law is repeated because it is the only law which should never be broken. Flexibility and adaptation may be useful, but only to make the report more accessible to the reader. All other considerations, even saving time and money, are in the end counter-productive if readers find reading the report a burden they would prefer not to undertake.

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1. OBJECTIVES The objectives of a report identify exactly what information it covers, for whom it is written and why it should be produced; these objectives should be clear to the writer long before the process of writing starts. It is helpful to put down in note form the precise details of the objectives and to check these details regularly until the last stages of production. The report may assess the validity of a new process, the possible heating and lighting needs of a new factory, the technical possibilities of developing a new kind of antenna: whatever the subject of the report, its exact specification must be identified and adhered to. Closely allied to this is the ‘why should it be produced at all?’ question. Is the report intended to inform about recent developments, show the potentialities of a product (and if so, for whom - the Senior Scientific Officer, the manufacturing subsidiary, the user?), or to persuade superiors that more money, time or facilities are needed? Surprisingly, perhaps, this stage of report production can present problems. A report which was meant to cover ‘the UK’ and in fact dealt with England and Wales resulted in lost opportunities for development and sales in Scotland and Northern Ireland; a report which tried to be both a specification of a machine and a report on the results of using the machine ended up as confusion, neither precise specification nor reasoned conclusion. If time is needed to discuss the objectives and clarify them, it will be time saved in unravelling complications at a later stage. Knowing the reader involves questions which will be discussed in Section 2.1, but identifying the level of technical knowledge, and the precise nature of that expertise, is part of the analysis of objectives. Seven questions should be asked: What does the reader already know about the material of this report? How wide is the reader’s knowledge of the subject? Why should the particular reader need this particular report? What is it necessary to tell the reader? What will be the reader’s expected response? What, from the writer’s point of view, is the desired response? How can the writer bridge the gap between what the reader knows already and what the writer wants the reader to know, in order to produce the desired response? Six out of the seven questions concentrate upon the reader, and therefore are related to the first law of good report writing.

Law 1 The reader is the most important person At the same time, some reports have to be written for a varied readership, for instance technical managers and financial managers. Writing two separate reports would be time-consuming and ‘politically’ dangerous (directors, for example, might feel offended if they did not receive both versions!). Strategic use of appendices (see Section 2.2) and summaries (see Section 5.1) can produce a partial answer to this problem. It must, however, be identified as a possible area of difficulty before the writing starts. On the identity of the reader will depend not only the approach but also the technical level and the style of the writing. A short, emailed report to a colleague will be less formal than a report to the managing director of another company, and considerations of tact in what can be safely included, and of presentation and layout, will of course be less important. A balance must be maintained between the informality of friendly writing and the formality due to any business

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communication; diagrammatic material must be clearly produced even if the drawing is informal in style. The objectives of a report, then, are found in matching the reader’s need, the information involved, and the appropriate tone, within the clearly defined limits of the report specification. When the objectives are identified and clarified in this way, the actual writing of the report will become much easier. 2. THE FORMAT OF THE REPORT When the objectives of the report are firmly established, the material must be collected; indeed, some of it will probably be already available. Decisions about organising the information can begin now, even if they are only provisional. Report writers often worry that nothing can be done until everything is assembled, and are then appalled at the amount of organisation needed, usually with a strict time limit. As material arrives, it should be put into one of three categories: 1. obviously important information which must go into the report because it is completely relevant to the objectives; 2. borderline information which might be useful to some readers, or which might amplify or substantiate other more important material; 3. information which is interesting (or not) to the writer, but which is not relevant to the objectives of the report. At this stage, it is obviously dangerous to jettison category 3, but it should be set aside to be checked through later. Material in categories 1 and 2 must be kept available, but thought of as probable ‘main text’ (category 1) and appendix material (category 2). There must be flexibility between these two sections, and details may move about for some time before finding an eventual resting place. Nevertheless, information which is ‘main text’ is now being identified and can be examined to see what logical order might be appropriate.

2.1 Beginning and end It seems obvious that every report has a beginning and an end, but the choice of these limits should be a conscious decision rather than mere accident. The beginning of a report is not usually the beginning of the work: there will have been meetings, letters, conversations, laboratory work, and possibly some previous reports. This report is built on foundations which may have been laid weeks or months, even years, earlier. The choice of starting point will be decided largely by the objectives, and so ultimately, once more, by the reader. Questions will have to be answered, such as: What does the reader already know about this work?

How much background (to this project or whatever) will the reader need in order to understand the argument of the report?

Has the reader been closely involved with this, or similar, work before? Obviously, if the answer to the third question is ‘yes’, then less background detail will be needed, and the scene can be set briefly and easily. If the answer to the first question is ‘not much’, then more background will be needed and the ‘appendix material’ file will probably

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grow. If the answer is, as often happens, ‘some readers will know a great deal and others very little’, then drastic reorganisation may be needed to put more information into appendices, and to give more detail in the text. However, it is always worth remembering that reports are often passed on from one reader to another, and so should not be written so specifically for a particular reader that others cannot use the information.

2.2 Appendices It may seem strange to talk about the use of appendices so near the beginning of this Guide, but they can be one of the writer’s most useful tools, and some of their value has already been suggested. Essentially, an appendix or appendices should be used to remove from the main text all information which is not needed by the majority of the users of the report.

Law 2 Keep the report as short as possible Human nature being what it is, and report users being as busy as they are, the shortest report usually wins in attracting attention and also in being read as opposed to being glanced at and forgotten. If the main text is uncluttered by detailed statistics, maps, explanations of technical terms, or experimental data, it will be kept as short, and therefore as readable, as the material allows. An appendix, then, is a good place for background information which most readers will take for granted but which a few need to be told. It is excellent for supporting statistics, and diagrammatic material which is not needed as the report is read. (See Section 4 for a further discussion of this point.) It is an ideal place for lists of symbols, technical terms and abbreviations which are familiar to some but not all readers. If few readers know them, they may be better placed near the beginning of the report. As in many aspects of report presentation, tone (getting it right for the reader) is all-important. Readers may feel patronised if too much is explained and bewildered if too much is taken for granted. Putting helpful back-up material into an appendix can satisfy all parties. This is particularly important when the readers have varied expertise. The engineer may not want complex technical material to be interwoven with details of costing, but both technical and financial readers will be happy to find the latter in an appendix. The research scientist may be fascinated by the experimental details and will be happy to find them in an appendix, while the report is primarily used by the marketing people who want results, not laboratory tests. Appendices are the report writer’s friends, but while they are developing, so is the main text of the report.

2.3 Sections and sub-sections Report writers can usually produce outline section headings for their material with comparative ease. ‘Background’, ‘Results of field tests’, ‘Future developments’ are obvious choices, and very useful while the information is still being collated. They are rarely sufficient for the final report. ‘Site details’ or ‘Other considerations’ are not helpful to the reader. The sections originally considered will almost certainly need sub-division, and headings must be as specific as possible. The dividing of material in this way serves several purposes. From a purely visual point of view, space on the page helps the reader, and there should be clear and adequate spacing between sections; major sections, at least in long reports, should start on new pages. Readers can identify and isolate particular sections which are relevant to their interests; in this Guide, reference has been made to ‘report users’ as well as to ‘report readers’, and this was no accident.

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Law 3 Organise for the convenience of the report user

While a few people may read a report as a bedside novel, from beginning to end, most will ‘use’ it, certainly if it is more than ten pages or so in length. The observed pattern is that report users look at the beginning, then at the end, and then at any section in the middle which particularly interests them. This creates problems for the report writer, who cannot assume that a reader who arrives at a particular point in the report has necessarily read all that went before. Indeed, there are far more users of long reports than readers, and the writer would be wise to assume that the user has not read everything in the logical order in which it has been presented. So in the case of symbols and abbreviations previously mentioned, a Glossary at the beginning or at the end is much more useful than the normal practice of writing out a technical name in full, putting the abbreviation in brackets immediately afterwards, and thereafter using the abbreviation only. Each section must be clearly identifiable. As users often want to know the content of one or two sections only, they must see where each section begins and ends, and which sub-section is connected to which the major section. In other words, headings must be linked in form and layout to a notation system which is itself logical and easy to use.

2.4 Headings and decimal notation Reports vary in content and informality and also, of course, may have to follow the outline which is standardised in company templates. Nevertheless, there are widely accepted sections, all of which would appear in a long and very formal report: they must be adapted or amalgamated as the writer thinks appropriate for the reader’s needs. 2.4.1 Format The full format of a long report can be as follows: Title page Acknowledgements Summary Table of Contents Introduction/Terms of Reference/Scope Procedure Findings (the evidence) Conclusions Recommendations References/Bibliography Appendices Most technical reports will not need such a detailed breakdown, but is it often helpful for writers to keep the scheme in mind in arranging the information, even if they know they will not use the headings in full. These sections form the framework of the report, but in preparing the material, the writer will normally start with the Findings, because that is where most material is quickly identified. It is, of course, perfectly reasonable for the writer to start the actual writing of the report within this section; there is no special virtue in beginning at the beginning, and it may be much easier to start with purely factual material in the middle. Certainly the Summary (see Section 5) will be written last.

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2.4.2 Notation Headings within the organisation of the report must, as has been said, be as specific as possible in order to be useful. The logical linking of headings is shown by notation, most commonly decimal notation. This system is easy to produce and easy to follow, and the very fact that it is widespread means that readers are probably familiar with it. As far as possible, headings should match numbering in importance, so that the visual impact of major headings is correlated with the major notation. Lower down the ‘hierarchy’, this correlation may break down, but it should certainly be followed for first and second level headings. The pattern is this: 1. MAIN HEADING 1.1 Lesser Heading 1.1.1 Small Heading and this will be maintained throughout the report: 8. MAIN HEADING 8.4 Lesser Heading 8.4.6 Small Heading As far as possible, the heading numbered 1.1.1 should be equal in importance to heading 8.4.6. It is usually sufficient to have four figures (for example, 8.4.6.2), as more sub-divisions are difficult to follow. Information should if necessary be adjusted to fit four levels of heading, and indeed more are rarely needed. A variant to the decimal system is that in which each paragraph is numbered within a major section: 1 MAIN HEADING 1.1 - 1.56 2 MAIN HEADING 2.1 - 2.91 This can be useful for quick reference if there is likely to be an exchange of telephone calls or correspondence in response to a report, but it does not produce a logically structured form, and is not generally recommended. Appendices should be distinguished from the main text by letter, and if necessary decimal notation after the letter. Appendix B2.4 is therefore the fourth sub-section of the second major section of the second Appendix, and if referencing is correct it should be easy to locate and identify.

2.5 References References, once gone, are difficult to recall. It is sensible to note full bibliographical details of all sources as soon as possible. In the text, references may be shown by a superscript number, 1; they should then be listed in that order at the end of the report. The superscript numbers identify the reference, and full details should be given in one of the approved forms. Examples of a possible layout are given below, firstly for a book and secondly for a journal.

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van Emden, Joan: Writing for Engineers, Palgrave Macmillan, 3rd ed, 2005 Hawley, Robert: Leadership challenges in an engineering environment, Engineering Management Journal, vol 6 no 5, October 1996, pp 217-231 Nowadays, the Harvard system of referencing is popular, and has some advantages in technical material where the use of a superscript number might be confusing. In the text, the author’s name, date of publication and page number are given in brackets, as (Lander, 1993, p25), and at the end of the document the details are given in full, beginning with the author and date to match what is in the text: van Emden, Joan, 2005: Writing for Engineers, Palgrave Macmillan, 3rd ed.

Hawley, Robert, 1996: Leadership challenges in an engineering environment, Engineering Management Journal, vol 6 no 5, pp 217-231

Any method which gives full information is acceptable, but consistency in the form chosen is very important.

Law 4 All references should be correct in all details The report is now taking shape, although little or no formal writing has been produced. The format has been chosen, the material organised, the logical progression clarified and the sections prepared. The writing of the report can now begin. 3. THE WRITING OF THE REPORT It is probably true to say that most engineers do not enjoy writing, and put it off for as long as possible. It is equally true that if preparation has been thorough, the writing will be less of a burden because some important questions will already have been answered. If the objectives of the report have been clarified, the writer will know the appropriate level of technical language and the correct tone for the readership. The style will be formal because reports are formal documents, but the exact degree of formality will have been decided with the writer/reader relationship in mind. Certainly material which goes outside the writer’s own company must always conform to a high standard of stylistic propriety.

Law 5 The writing should be accurate, concise and unobtrusive

3.1 Accuracy The accuracy of a document is the responsibility of its writer. Most engineers produce their own reports, but as they are not usually trained typists, careful checking is essential. It is always particularly difficult for writers to check what they have typed only a few minutes earlier; some guidelines are given below, and further help is available in the section on checking (see Section 5.4).

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3.1.1 Spelling When the engineer has completed a section of the report, it should be checked for spelling and typing errors. Most of these will be picked up by the computer dictionary, but there are some problem areas. Creating the wrong word If a mistake creates a word which was not intended, the wordprocessor will accept it. ‘Not’ and ‘now’, for instance, are easily confused, and they may give the opposite information, as in: The car is now in a safe condition to be driven. The car is not in a safe condition to be driven. Only an alert human being will be aware of the mistake if the wrong word is typed. Technical words Engineers sometimes avoid the spell-check because it highlights too many technical words which are not in the computer’s dictionary. Such words should be added if they are likely to be used frequently - and a second person should check what is added; it is all too easy to add an incorrectly spelt word. Rarer words should be checked individually as they occur, the spell-check being used for all the other words which might be mis-typed. New words New technical or semi-technical words often consist of two ‘old’ words put together without a hyphen (such as online, workstation). This is probably the wisest way to write such words in the absence of other evidence. The best guide to words which have not yet appeared in a dictionary (published or on the computer) is the technical press; follow the usage in, for example, the IET journals. 3.1.2 Punctuation Punctuation matters because it aids accurate reading and also because it may affect the meaning. In the sentence: ‘The engines, which were in perfect running order, had been tested previously.’ all the engines were in perfect running order and all had been tested. However, if the sentence were to read ‘The engines which were in perfect running order had been tested previously.’ the implication would be that only the engines which were in perfect running order had been tested. Others had not. The sentence could, of course, be rewritten in order to emphasise the intended meaning. Similarly, ‘a cross-section of staff’ should be clearly distinguished from ‘a cross section of staff’. Hyphens should be used, as in this instance, where they affect the sense; they are also helpful in lists of adjectives, to show which belong together. The rules of punctuation, unlike those of spelling, are easy to learn, and the bibliography at the end of the Guide suggests helpful books.

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3.1.3 Choice of words The correct choice of word is not simply a matter of the right word as opposed to the wrong word. The effect on the reader is again important, and words have both meanings and overtones. ‘Substantial’ and ‘excessive’ might mean the same thing from different points of view. Overworked words such as ‘basically’ should be avoided unless they mean precisely what they say, and ‘empty’ words and phrases which give an impression of vagueness (rather, quite, fairly, in due course) should be avoided. 3.1.4 Sentences Sentences, like paragraphs, should be kept under control. Good style involves variety in sentence length as well as in paragraph length, and many technical writers are led into grammatical confusion because their sentences are so long that by the end both writer and reader have lost sight of the beginning. The most important part of a sentence or paragraph can be lost because it is hidden in a mass of words. The reader’s attention will be immediately caught by ‘The maintenance costs can be reduced.’ A long technical explanation, which mentions somewhere in the middle that money can be saved, risks this important point being overlooked. Short sentences produce a clear, easily-read style for factual material. Information which needs to be considered and held in tension with other information is better given in longer sentences which slow the reader down. No reader wants to be brought to a standstill by a sentence which is eight lines long. 3.1.5 Paragraphs Paragraphs should have unity of content, but they also have a psychological effect on the reader. Several paragraphs on a page, with the resulting spaces, encourage reading, while one long block of print is disheartening. A balance between content and ease of reading often has to be kept, but a page which is filled by only one paragraph is best avoided. Above all, writers must say what they mean. The wrong impression can be given by an injudicious choice of words, and ambiguity in technical affairs is highly dangerous. Readers should not be left in doubt about the meaning of, for instance, an abbreviation, or about the writer’s intention, or about the information presented. If they cannot understand what is going on, the report will probably end up in the wastepaper basket.

3.2 Brevity Some reports are long because they contain a great deal of important information. Others are too long because the writer has explained the same point more than once, not being sure that the meaning was clear at the first attempt. Sometimes the writer takes a long time to come to the point, a habit which can be intensely irritating to a busy reader. Clichés and jargon phrases tend to be wordy. ‘At this present moment in time’ is longer and less pleasant than either ‘now’ or ‘at present’. ‘Presently’ should be used with care until the Anglo-American difference of meaning has been resolved. Writing in an impersonal style can also be cumbersome. ‘It was immediately apparent to the writers that ...’ is longer than ‘We at once saw that ...’, and if company policy permits, the active voice (‘I recommend’ or ‘We recommend’) is preferable to the passive voice (‘It is recommended that ...’). However, tact will sometimes dictate otherwise.

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3.3 Unobtrusive writing Reports are, as has been said, formal. Report writers frequently feel, therefore, that the language used has to be not merely formal, but grandiose. Formal writing simply means writing in full (it is, not it’s), avoiding slang or colloquialisms, and using words correctly. It does not mean that simple words are unacceptable. ‘Dispatch’ is not intrinsically better than ‘send’, and ‘finish’ is not inferior to ‘draw to a conclusion’. The reader’s attention may be so caught by the constant use of grandiloquent (pompous) language that the substance is forgotten. Formal writing is more ordered and stately than speech, but it does not have to be ‘literary’. The reader can also be unobtrusively guided in the right direction by ‘leading’ words and phrases. Introducing sentences or paragraphs with ‘At the same time’, ‘On the other hand’, or ‘Bearing this in mind’, makes the writing flow easily, and the reader’s attention is drawn to the supplementary or conflicting information which follows. In the Conclusions of a report, when the reader is assessing the argument, these pointers can be especially helpful.

3.4 Worked example One example of writing, by a qualified and experienced (but anonymous) engineer can perhaps usefully conclude this section. It is part of a ‘real-life’ report, and permission to use it is gratefully acknowledged. It is reproduced as it was written, and the problems and mistakes are then listed below, together with a suggested version. The readers of this Guide might like to use this example as a small test of their own writing skills: At present on the XYZ sub-station board we have no facility to supply 1200 amps required for the new plant from the existing spare O.C.B.’s, this will require the removal of some of the old existing oil circuit breaker and replacing with new vacuum circuit breakers (VCB) since we cannot obtain orup- rate the existing VWX equipment which are of 1937 vintage, the proposal for this would be as follows:

(The costing follows) 1. ‘At present’ would be better later in the sentence; the name of the sub-station is then

emphasised. 2. ‘We have no facility’ = we cannot (or are unable to). 3. ‘the’ is omitted before ‘1200 amps’ (presumably per phase). 4. ‘amps’ is not a recognised abbreviation for ‘ampères’. 5. O.C.B.’s are explained later as oil circuit breakers; the full version should come first.

The apostrophe is unnecessary, as are the full stops. 6. ‘This’ should start a new sentence, but it is not clear what ‘this’ refers to. 7. ‘breaker’ should read ‘breakers’. 8. Instead of ‘removal… and replacing’, it would be better to write ‘removing and

replacing’. However, ‘removing’ seems unnecessary. 9. (VCB) is acceptable as an abbreviation of what has gone before but it is inconsistent

with O.C.B. - and should be plural. 10. ‘orup-rate’ is an oddity caused by the lack of space between ‘or’ and ‘uprate’, and the

unfortunate line-break in the latter. 11. Equipment is singular. 12. The cost proposal should be a new section, preferably with a heading.

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Suggested version On the XYZ sub-station board, we are unable at present to meet the demand (1200

ampères per phase) required to operate the new plant using the existing Oil Circuit Breakers (OCBs). Spares are not available, and the old equipment cannot be uprated.

We therefore suggest replacement of some of the existing switchgear with new

Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBs). This proposal is costed below. Good style should be unobtrusive. The reader will be aware only that the report seemed easy to read and interesting: the skill of the writing will have its reward in reader goodwill. The best way to develop such skill is to read a great deal, write often, to be self-critical and to be willing to ask for constructive comment from others. 4. ILLUSTRATING THE REPORT In this Guide, the word ‘diagrams’ is used to include tables, graphs, charts, photographs scanned in, and line drawings, or any other non-verbal illustrative material. Diagrams are an essential part of many technical reports, in some circumstances giving a great deal of information more easily than continuous prose could do. Clarification of the general situation or of complex details is often most readily accepted by the reader if it is presented in a way which is both visually attractive and easy to use.

Law 6 The right diagram with the right labels should be in the right place for the reader

4.1 Positioning Most people do not like to have their reading interrupted while they search for the next item. As prose is usually written in a logically ordered format, so diagrams must be presented when and where the user needs them. Readers are unlikely to stop reading, turn the page or pages, scrutinise a diagram and return to their place in the text. Instead, they will mentally register the reference, continue reading and study the diagram, if at all, only when its information has become essential. It is therefore very important that diagrams are positioned in the right place, that is, where they are needed. There is an unfortunate tendency for all diagrammatic material to be put into an appendix or appendices at the end of the report. It is reasonable to do this if the diagrams are supplementary only, having no immediate bearing on the main text. It is not reasonable to make readers hunt for information which is essential to their understanding and, as has been suggested above, they may well not bother to waste time on the search, but simply pass on to the next section. As always, it is the convenience of the reader which matters. The report user is helped also if labels on diagrams are presented horizontally, so that the report does not have to be angled to enable them to be read. An amusing result of angled headings is often seen when a graph has been presented at a right angle to the report and the label on the vertical side has been written along the axis. When the report is bound, the writing is upside-down, which is entertaining on the first occasion and infuriating thereafter.

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4.2 Conventions In the same way that convention must be followed when writing prose (conventions of English usage, for example), conventions for diagrams exist and should also be followed. The hands of a clock move - usually - in a clockwise direction, and it is surprising if for some reason they do not. Readers will accept what they are used to, and shock tactics rarely have a place in report writing. The format chosen for a diagram should be appropriate to the information which it presents, for instance, a great many detailed figures should be given in tabular form. Comparisons of aspects of one item or of two different items are best seen in bar chart form, while for both general trends and accurate scientific results, graphs are used. Diagrams may be produced and therefore bound into the report in one of two ways, either as an upright A4 sheet (‘portrait’ position) or turned through an angle of 90° for greater width (‘landscape’ position). The landscape format is useful and easily accepted by the eye, provided that the page is turned clockwise through 90°. Having to turn a book first one way and then the other to see the diagrams is irritating out of all proportion to the effort involved.

4.3 Clarity Great care is usually taken with the text of a report, but the diagrams may be unclear and difficult to use; the problem may be made worse by poor photocopying. Graphics packages are helpful, but it is still the responsibility of the writer to ensure that the information is presented in a helpful and unambiguous way. Although a blurred letter in a word can frequently be guessed correctly, blurred numbers on a diagram can cause serious errors.

4.4 Tables and graphs 4.4.1 Tables These are the most common form of diagram in technical reports. Tables can give a great deal of accurate information if they are effectively presented. Vertical and horizontal rulings can be untidy and confusing: the use of space is a much more successful alternative. To give more vertical space in a table, units and powers of ten should if possible be put into the column heading. Headings should be matched at the left hand side, for ease of reading and also of typing. Horizontal space is obtained by grouping similar items, with a space after, at most, seven items. For example, an annual financial breakdown could have the months grouped in quarters (January to March, etc) and no horizontal lines would be necessary. It is, however, possible to give too much space, so that the reader loses track across the paper. Colleagues are useful people on whom to test the ease with which a table can be used! It is, as always, the need of the reader which is all-important. The report writer might have data available which are of far greater detail than the reader could possibly need. In this case, figures should be rounded to the appropriate accuracy, and perhaps some might be omitted altogether. 4.4.2 Graphs Graphs are used either to show trends or to give accurate technical information. All graphs must be clearly labelled, and scales identified. If graphs are to be compared, the same scale must be used for each; as before, the detail needed by the reader must be included, and not necessarily all that is available to the writer.

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4.4.3 Space Sometimes diagrams outgrow their pages, and this is dangerous. Margins must be sufficient on all sides to allow for clarity, and to carry as appropriate the page number, figure number and title, and to allow for the binding of the document. 4.4.4 Diagram references Diagrams of all types must be numbered and clearly referenced in the text. Probably the most useful method of numbering is to use first the number of the report section in which the diagram appears, and then, after a decimal point, the sequential number. So Figure 3.7 is the seventh diagram in section three of the report. The references in the main text should identify the individual diagram and also, if necessary, give its position, for instance in an appendix. Titles for diagrams should be appropriate but brief, and always positioned in the same place relative to the diagram. When a diagram is completed, the report writer should sit back and look at it, asking the following questions. Does it give the required information? Does it reproduce faithfully the information intended? Is it easy to use? Does it look attractive? If the answer in each case is yes, the effect of the report is enhanced by its diagrams. 5. FINISHING THE REPORT The report has been planned, its structure set out in the most logical way and, section by section, it has been composed on the computer. The writing has not necessarily taken place in the order set out in the Contents; the easiest sections have probably been completed first and the more complex information has then been added. Care should of course be taken to ensure that the final version is numbered and presented in the right order. The most difficult section to write still remains: the summary.

5.1 Summaries Summaries and abstracts are different from one another, and used in different ways, although they are often confused. The summary is the last part of the text to be written, and it is perhaps the most difficult. The use of summaries is widespread, and they serve several purposes. A summary gives a general picture of the report for those who want to be reminded of what they have already read, and also for those who will never see - or want to see - the total report. Many companies have long circulation lists for summaries, but supply the full report only to those whose status demands it or who ask for it (which most summary readers are happy not to do). In this way, summaries save much time and money and are therefore admirable. Perhaps the most important use of the summary is by the most senior reader - often the decision maker - who has neither time for nor interest in the detail; this reader wants the report’s ‘answer’, its conclusions and/or recommendations, to be immediately available.

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However, the writer has the unenviable task of trying to reproduce the balance of the original report in a very small space, while at the same time emphasising the most important conclusions or recommendations which everyone needs to know. Law 7 Summaries give the whole picture, in miniature The ‘very small space’ mentioned is usually about 120 words, for a report of up to fifty pages. There is a variant on this, the Executive Summary, which tends to be rather longer; as its names suggests, it is given to executives who need to know (or feel that they need to know) all that goes on in the company. Summaries have, therefore, to show the essential elements of the whole report, giving sufficient background to make sense to the reader, commenting on the major findings and giving stress to conclusions which are of general importance. The writer needs to sit back from the report and take an overall view, which can be difficult if he or she has been deeply involved with a particular aspect. The headings can be useful in pointing the balance of the whole, and of course the actual writing has to be as concise as possible. It may be helpful to know that the best summaries usually start by being too long by about one third, and that many words can be lost by careful pruning of the writing style, ‘in the first instance’ becoming ‘firstly’, and so on. The summary is influential, and therefore should generally be in continuous prose, with an appropriate emphasis. Diagrams and lists are rare in summaries; good clear writing makes its own impact on the reader.

5.2 Abstracts Abstracts are intended to bring together the report and prospective readers, and to guide readers who might not necessarily consider that a particular report is relevant to their needs. As summaries are usually best written by the report writer, abstracts are usually best written by somebody else, perhaps a librarian with specialist knowledge and training in abstracting. The abstract selects the areas of interest covered by the report, and this may be done by a list of key words, which can be stored on a database. Readers who are hunting for material will find the report when they produce a key word which is common to their interest and the report itself; summary reading for further information will often follow. Sometimes at this stage hopeful readers learn that the report is confidential and that they cannot see it anyway, but at least they know that it exists!

5.3 Contents lists It is rarely useful to index a report, but users will need to be guided to the sections which particularly interest them. An analytical contents list is the best answer. Each chapter or section is listed with its constituent headings, section and sub-section numbers being given as well as page numbers. The reader can therefore select a particular sub-section and locate it easily, at the same time seeing its connection to what precedes and follows it. Page numbering, incidentally, is important. If the pages are not numbered, they may be put together inaccurately or even incompletely - resulting in an immediate loss of reader goodwill.

5.4 Checking The computer spell-check provides the first level of checking; it will identify spelling and typing errors that do not produce a different word (see Section 3.1.1). It is not a substitute for human checking, however, as there are some mistakes which only a reader will notice.

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Law 8 Reports should be checked for technical errors, typing errors and inconsistency

Ideally, at least two people should check a report: a technical expert who can assess the amount of explanation given, the validity of the data and the logical flow of information, and a non-expert who is patient and meticulous in checking the typing. In a world which is not ideal, writers must often check their own work. Immediate checking is almost useless; leaving the report for 48 hours will improve the checking greatly. A week is better still. Covering the rest of the page with a blank sheet and checking line by line is helpful, and numbers must always be checked digit by digit. Consistency is important for the impact of the report: using different abbreviations for the same thing gives an impression of carelessness which worries the reader. There is some advantage in being consistently wrong rather than sometimes right! Above all, the checking stage must not be rushed. It is annoyingly time-consuming, but it affects the reader’s attitude to the report as a whole. This is also true of the appearance of the report.

5.5 Appearance The reader is attracted or repelled initially by the look of the report. Overcrowded pages, small margins, information disappearing into the binding, too small a typeface, headings which merge with the text - all these put readers off and may even prevent their becoming readers. Good print and layout are attractive, and the reader is encouraged to tackle even the dullest subject if the pages can be dealt with quickly because they contain a good ration of blank space. Ring binders or spiral bindings are often used for in-company reports, and they are pleasant provided that there is enough space at the left hand margin. For the occasional very important and expensive report, it is worth considering employing a graphic designer or typographer to make the best of the material. 5.5.1 Title pages The title page is the first page of the report proper which the reader will see. It should contain the title and author’s name, the report reference number and date, its classification (‘confidential’, etc) if appropriate, the company’s name and logo if desired, a statement of copyright if appropriate, and no more. Distribution lists look untidy and are better on a separate sheet, and the habit of putting the summary on the title page should be avoided. Most companies have well-designed title pages available as a template. These have the advantage of producing a company image which is itself good publicity for the writer’s organisation.

Law 9 The report should look as good as it is 6. CONCLUSION The report is checked, its appearance is pleasing, it is easy to handle, ‘interesting’ and ‘readable’, to quote the criteria suggested at the beginning of this Guide. If the technical content is as good as the organisation, writing, illustration and finishing, then the report should delight the reader. Which is just as it should be, for the tenth law of good report writing is exactly the same as the first:

Law 10 The reader is the most important person

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APPENDIX A BIBLIOGRAPHY General A good dictionary, such as the Concise Oxford Dictionary Fraser J: Professional Proposal Writing, Gower, 1995 Kirkman J: Full marks: advice on punctuation for scientific and technical writing, Ramsbury Books, 3rd ed, 1999 van Emden J: Effective Communication for Science and Technology, Palgrave Macmillan, 2001 van Emden J: Writing for Engineers, Palgrave Macmillan, 3rd ed, 2005 APPENDIX B A GUIDE TO THE LAWS OF GOOD REPORT WRITING

1. The reader is the most important person. (Section 1)

2. Keep the report as short as possible. (Section 2.2)

3. Organise for the convenience of the report user. (Section 2.3)

4. All references should be correct in all details. (Section 2.5)

5. The writing should be accurate, concise and unobtrusive. (Section 3)

6. The right diagram with the right labels should be in the right place for the reader. (Section 4)

7. Summaries give the whole picture, in miniature. (Section 5.1)

8. Reports should be checked for technical errors, typing errors and inconsistency. (Section 5.4)

9. The report should look as good as it is. (Section 5.5)

10. The reader is the most important person. (Section 6)

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