MODEL QUESTION PAPER

FIRST SEMESTER
BA, BSC, BCOM, BBA DEGREE EXAMINATION
ENG1A02:
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR & COMMUNICATION IN ENGLISH

Time: 2 Hours Maximum: 60 marks

Section A

Do as directed (2 marks each)

1. He pleaded ignorance of the law

(Change into a complex sentence)
He pleaded that he was ignorant of the law. OR
He pleaded that he didn’t know the law. OR
2. Neither of them ______ ready to undertake the journey.
(Use the appropriate form of ‘be’)
Neither of them is/was ready to undertake the journey.
Neither of them are/were ready to undertake the journey.
3. It was ___ a sunny day ____ January that she got married.
(Fill in with prepositions)
It was on a sunny day in January that she got married.
4. No other metal is as precious as Gold.
(Use the superlative form)
Gold is the most precious metal.
5. That must have been a _______ experience.
(Use the appropriate form of ‘terrify’)
That must have been a terrific experience. (or terrifying)
6. He had closed the window.
(Rewrite into passive form)
The window had been closed.
7. The proposal was accepted by ______ unanimous vote.
(Use an appropriate article)
The proposal was accepted by a unanimous vote.
8. Hardly had I reached the station _____ the train steamed off.
(Use the appropriate connective)
Hardly had I reached the station when the train steamed off.
9. You play tennis, ________?
(Use the correct form of the tag)
You play tennis, don’t you?
10. Do you speak Tamil?
(Convert into negative sentence)
Don’t you speak Tamil?
 11. You are lucky. You came ______ car but I came _______ foot.
(Identify the missing prepositions)
You are lucky. You came by car but I came on foot.

12. It ______ rain tonight. Look at those dark clouds.

(Use either ‘may’ or ‘might’)
It may rain tonight. Look at those dark clouds.

(“may” implies strong certainty about hypothetical events. “Might’ expresses a lesser degree
of certainty.)

(Ceiling – 20 marks)

Section B

Answer the following (5 marks)

13. Rewrite in Indirect speech:

When I finished my lunch I asked the waitress, “Do you know the girl who was sitting
over there?”
“No sir, I do not know her to speak of. I notice she has lunch here on Saturdays”
“Doesn’t she come any other day”
“I never see her on other days”
Answer
When I finished my lunch, I asked the waitress whether she knew the girl who had been
sitting over there.
The waitress replied in the negative and said that she did not know her to speak of. She
added that she noticed the girl had lunch there on Saturdays.
Then I further asked the waitress whether the girl didn’t come any other day.
She told me that she never saw her on other days.

14. Punctuate the following:

Once three men met in the course of the conversation one of them turned to the other
and said what would you do if you woke up one fine morning found yourself a
millionaire soon came the reply from the first man i would build a big house the second
man thought for a while and said i would take the next flight to paris and enjoy my life
the third man said i would go to sleep again and make another million
Answer
Once, three men met. In the course of the conversation, one of them turned to the other
and said, “What would you do if you woke up one fine morning found yourself a
millionaire?”
Soon came the reply from the first man, “I would build a big house.”
The second man thought for a while and said, “I would take the next flight to Paris and
enjoy my life.”
The third man said, “I would go to sleep again and make another million.”
15. Explain a few barriers to communication and the means of overcoming them.

Barriers are things that obstruct the free flow of information between the sender and the
receiver. There are five types of barriers: intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, verbal
and non-verbal. Intrapersonal barriers are problems within the self that stop us from sending
and receiving information effectively. Interpersonal barriers arise due to "halo and horn effect",
emotional outbursts, and cultural variations between the sender and the receiver.
Organizational barriers refer to wrong choice of medium for communication, fear of superiors
or information overload. Verbal barriers occur due to wrong use of language, wrongly encoded
and decoded messages, semantic gap, and regional and individual variations in language. Non-
verbal barriers happen by improper eye contact and awkward gestures. The barriers can be
overcome by proper training and practice, and cultivating the right attitude. Work ethics,
professionalism, openness to get rid of prejudices, and exposure to various cultural and
language practices are also useful in communication.

16. Your local gas cylinder distributor is charging Rs. 120 for each consumer card as against
the normal charges messaged by the company. Your local dealer has not given any response to
complaint that you have raised. Prepare an email to the LPG Corporation asking for a refund
of the excess charges from the local distributor.

From: guru@gmail.com
To: indianoilcorporation@gmail.com

Subject: Complaint regarding extra charge demanded by local gas cylinder distributor

Dear sir
I am Guru, a resident of III Street, Mahatma Gandhi Gardens, Kollam. My LPG consumer no.
is L786594.
Your kind attention is invited to the fact that our local gas cylinder distributor is
charging Rs.120/- for each consumer card as against the normal charges messaged by the
company. A complaint in this regard has been given to the local dealer. However, there has
been no response so far from them in this regard.
Hence, you are requested to investigate the case and take appropriate action against the
dealer for the irregularities. You are also requested to do the needful and refund the excess
amount charged from me.
I further request you to take necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not happen
in future.
Yours truly
Guru

17. You are the secretary of the Film Society in your town. You plan to organise a Film Festival
named Kaleidoscope so as to exhibit films of great Indian film makers. A meeting has been
convened by the society executive committee. Prepare an agenda and minutes of meeting.
 CHITRAM Film Society
Minutes of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
held at the Conference Hall, YYY Club
at 10.00 am. Sunday, 01.01.2023
Agenda:
1. To organize a film festival in the town.
2. AOB

Members Present:
1. aa: (in Chair) President Sd/
2. bb: Secretary Sd/
3. cc, Member Sd/
4. dd, Member Sd/
5. ee, Member Sd/
Members Absent:
1. ff, Member

The Chair welcomed the members of the committee to the meeting.

The agenda of organizing a film festival in the town was taken up for discussion. All
members welcomed the idea. The committee discussed the matter in detail. A detailed plan was
prepared to organize the festival in a meticulous manner.
The following decisions have been taken:
1. To organize a two-day film festival on Saturday and Sunday, 25-26 March 2023.
2. The festival is to be named Kaleidoscope.
3. 16 films to be selected for a total of two (2) venues.
4. Movies of all major Indian film makers to be included.
5. The President will be the chief coordinator. Four sub-committees are set up: 1)
Venues, 2) Film selection, 3) Finance, and 4) Technical.
6. Coupons/Tickets will be printed.
Vote of thanks was proposed by the Secretary.
The meeting ended at 1:00 p.m.
Sd/ by Secretary & President

18. Prepare a presentation on the topic "Green House Effect & Climatic Change"

Good morning, friends,

This is a presentation on Greenhouse effect and climate change.

First of all, what is Greenhouse Effect?

Greenhouse effect is the way in which heat is trapped close to Earth's surface by "greenhouse
gases." The major greenhouse gases are: Carbon dioxide, Methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.
These gases trap heat like a blanket around the earth. Thus, it contributes to global warming.
How do these gases cause climate change?

1. These gases are produced as a result of burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas
2. Deforestation
3. Chemical fertilizers lead to increased concentration of nitrous oxides.

How to mitigate climate change?

1. Save energy at home
2. Reduce carbon dioxide emissions
3. Use public transport
4. Invest in energy efficient appliances
5. Save water
6. Turn to organic farming
7. Use renewable energy sources

Friends, we have seen how important is the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. So let us
work together to make the earth a safe place us to live in.
Thank you for watching the presentation.

19. Differentiate formal and informal communication.

Formal communication is the exchange of official information within an institution or from

one institution to another. It conforms to official rules and guidelines.
Informal communication is the communication between people as part of their social
interactions. It is not governed by rules and conventions.
Formal communication is mostly written, or even oral, while informal communication
is mostly oral. Formal communication has a prescribed channel for transfer of information like
memos, bulletins, letters and so on while informal communication does not have a prescribed
channel. Examples of formal communication include reports, meetings, notices, messages,
circulars, and presentations.
There are differences in the language used in formal communication and informal
communication.
"Your assistance is highly appreciated." is an example of formal language while
"Thanks for your help." is informal.

Section C

Answer any one (10 Marks)

20. Prepare a Curriculum Vitae for the sake of submitting an application to CEE TV
NETWORK Pvt Ltd for the post of Journalist Trainee. Provide all necessary details. The basic
qualification is graduation with requisite skills in news reporting. Attach a covering letter also.
COVER LETTER

Name
Address
21-Jan-23

The Manager
CEE TV NETWORK Pvt. Ltd
Kochi

Dear sir

Sub: Application for the post of Journalist Trainee - CV forwarding -regarding

I am (Name), currently working as multimedia intern at Media One. With reference to your
advertisement in The Hindu daily dated 15.01.2023, I would like to apply for the post of
Journalist Trainee.
I have passed B.A. in Multimedia and Journalism from the University of Calicut with
an aggregate of 85% marks in 2019. I have worked as Multimedia Intern at Media One for one
year. During the internship, I was able to work confidently on the various aspects of visual
media. I have also done content writing for a few firms.
My detailed CV is attached herewith for your kind perusal. I am confident that my
qualification and experience are sufficient to make me a suitable candidate for the post of
Journalist Trainee in your esteemed firm.
I am eagerly looking forward to an interview to prove my talents and skills in person
so that I can work in a creative environment like yours.
Yours truly
Name
CURRICULUM VITAE

Name
Address with PIN
Contact No.
Email id

Professional Goal:

To excel as a Multimedia journalist in a reputed firm that provides adequate exposure to the
latest trends in the field suitable for professional growth and development

Work Experience

Worked as Multimedia Intern at Media One from 01-Jan-2022 till date. Currently engaged in
the following tasks:
• Creating, editing, and sharing photos, videos, and livestreaming videos.
• Sourcing images, sound bites, and video for multimedia publication
• Collaborating with other reporters, photographers, and videographers to develop multimedia
content
• Generating an interactive social media following of more than 10,000 in the past two years.
• Managing mobile photography and videography equipment.
• Reporting local news and updating stories based on reports online

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Journalism (85%) from University of Calicut (2019)

Skills

• Excellent reporting skills

• Photography and videography skills
• Extensive knowledge of social media reporting, networking, and relationship-building
• Multitasking
• Fact-checking and editing skills
• Team player

Personal Details

Date of birth: 01-07-1999

Hobbies: Developing e-content; Exploring and getting updated with latest technology;
Travelling; Listening to music

References

• Dr. Madhu Prabhakar, HoD, School of Journalism, University of Calicut

• Dr. Neena Mohan, CEO, Media One

21. Organize a Group Discussion and report the same on the topic: "Class room
teaching: Have the age-old practices become obsolete in the Pandemic times?"

Group Discussion on
'Class room Teaching:
Have the Age-Old Practices Become Obsolete in the Pandemic Times?'

Anu:
Hello friends, I am Anu. The topic for today's Group Discussion is "Class room teaching: Have
the age-old practices become obsolete in Pandemic times?" We know that it is the educational
field that has witnessed a revolutionary change as a result of the Pandemic. We have all been
part of this change. Now, the question is whether technology has made traditional teaching-
learning process out-of-date.
Today we have five discussants to enlighten us on the topic. They are Nirmal, Anisa,
Megha, Naseer and Biju.
First of all, let me start the discussion.
Well friends, my perception is that Class room teaching was very resistant to
technology. When technology impacted all other fields such as communication, medicine, and
engineering, its influence on education was relatively slower. The pandemic that chained all of
us to our homes for more than a year changed this scenario. Teachers who were resistant to
technology were forced to adopt it. Now even after the pandemic is over, the change persists.
I believe that there is no going back; and it is for the better.
Now it's your turn to offer your comments and opinions.

Nirmal:
I perfectly agree with you Anu. Look at the range of learning opportunities we have now.
Earlier we had to content ourselves with our classroom lectures. Now we have the choice of
listening to the best classes in the world. It gives us a better learning experience.

Anisa:
I believe the same. For a joke, the college building, infrastructure and our teachers have become
useless. Why do we go to an educational institution? Why don't we sit at home and explore
things online? I believe that the flexibility of the online mode must prevail. We don't want to
go back to the conventional classrooms.

Megha:
I'm sorry. I beg to differ. Education is not merely the acquisition of knowledge and skills. It
has to do with the holistic development of the learner. And the time spent in an institution
enables a person to acquire skills such as collaborative learning, team work, organizing and
managerial skills from schools and colleges. Hence technology enabled learning is incomplete
in itself.

Naseer:
I too have reservations on the earlier arguments. I agree with Megha. I feel that online learning
may supplement traditional learning methods, but not replace them.

Biju:
I feel the same. Personally, I look at the pandemic times of home-learning as a big loss. We
had network issues, and we listened to only half of what the teachers said. Besides many of us
were forced to go for part time jobs to make both ends meet. So, our virtual attendance was
meaningless. Also, most of us lost interest in books.

Anu:
Well friends, thank you very much; we have had a very fruitful discussion. I am happy that
everybody has actively participated in the discussion. It is obvious that the pandemic
necessitated online learning. Technology-assisted learning has a lot of advantages. It has
opened a lot of opportunities for learners. It is flexible, cost-effective and offers a rich learning
experience. However, it may supplement traditional learning methods but cannot replace them.
Traditional learning has its own set of advantages. But one thing is certain — online learning
has changed our perspective towards education.
Now we can go back to our classrooms fully equipped with the avenues opened by
online learning.
Thank you all for taking part in the discussion.

Prof. Murukan Babu C.R.,

Principal, Nirmala College of Arts and Science, Chalakudy,
(formerly) Associate Professor of English, Panampilly Memorial Govt. College, Chalakudy