LETTER WRITING 127 The government of India has spent crores of rupees to clean the Ganga. The results are however disappointing. The Ganga remains as dirty as ever. Will the authorities tell why the project failed and where the money went? To my mind there can be either of the two reasons or may be both. The first is poor technology and second corruption. If it was poor technology alone, who is responsible for it? Have the authorities taken any action against the developers of the poor technology? I am, however, afraid, that it is just corruption. Some people have made money without doing anything. No, it may be worse. Perhaps they never had any intention of doing something. Whatever the matter, I think it calls for an enquiry. It is also necessary to think about ways of cleaning the river in an effective manner. Yours truly Apoorva/Apoorv Word-Notes: Disappointing—unsuccessful, as you had hoped. Intention—purpose. 13 Ban on Crackers Write a letter in 100–120 words to the Editor of the Hindu, Chennai, discussing in detail the advantages and disadvantages of ban on crackers. You are Anu/Anuj, 112, Lawrence Road, Kochi. (CBSE 2019) Answer 112, Lawrence Road Kochi January 10, 2023 The Editor The Hindu Chennai Sir, Subject: Advantages and disadvantages of ban on crackers Kindly allow me some space in your newspaper to give my views on the ban on crackers. Air pollution is a big problem and the bursting of crackers only helps to increase it, so many city governments are inclined to ban the crackers. There is no doubt that such a ban will help to save the environment. But the crackers have another side also. The livelihood of many people depends on them. Once the crackers are banned, what will they do? Unemployment is already a great problem in India. I suggest that the government should first find some decent way to employ these people before banning the crackers. I look forward to your cooperation in sending my message to all concerned. Yours truly Anu/Anuj Word-Notes: Inclined—willing. Livelihood—living. 14 Demonetisation Write a letter to the editor of a national daily giving your own views about the demonetisation exercise of the Government of India.
128 WRITING Answer 61 M.G. Road Kochi 17 December, 2022 The Editor The Hindustan Times Kochi Sir, Sub.: Demonetisation Nobody can deny that there was an element of surprise when the Prime Minister appeared on the evening of 8th November 2016 on the television screen announcing that thenceforth the ` 1000/- and ` 500/- currency notes would no longer be the legal tender. Clearly no one had even the iota of an idea that such a thing was going to happen. After that evening for more than two weeks, the national media was abuzz only with this occurrence. The people in their houses, offices and streets were talking about the decline in use of black money. The Prime Minister’s announcement resulted in people queueing up in big rows in every bank and on every ATM. No doubt the common masses faced great difficulties in exchanging their money into its new form. Yet the most remarkable feature of the whole exercise was that the people were still praising the move thinking that it would ultimately bring solace to the poor and benefit the country as a whole. Even those who had concealed money with them dared not openly oppose the move. But politics in our country is vote-centred. So leaders of many political parties decided to oppose the move with arguments which convinced no one. Their efforts to carry the people with them against the demonetisation failed miserably. I appreciate the extremely challenging move taken by the Prime Minister. It must have definitely curbed the use of black money to a great extent. Yours truly Ravinder George Word-Notes: Abuzz—filled with excited talk about something. Feature—part. Solace—a source of comfort. Concealed—hidden. Curbed—lessened. 15 Loud Music from Auto Rickshaws Auto rickshaws playing loud music while driving, is a common sight in cities. This is not only highly irritating but also dangerous as safe driving requires total concentration. Write a letter in 100–120 words to the editor of a local newspaper drawing attention of the authorities to the problem and requesting them to take appropriate action. You are Raj/ Rajni, 2 Isha Nagar, Delhi. (CBSE 2019) Answer 2 Isha Nagar Delhi March 3, 2023 The Editor The Daily Times New Delhi
LETTER WRITING 129 Sir, Subject: Loud music emitting from auto rickshaws Please allow me some space in your newspaper to talk about a great nuisance found on Delhi roads. I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the loud music coming from auto rickshaws. This common sight is highly irritating to the public and adversely affects the environment. There is already too much noise pollution and if people cannot reduce it, they should at least not increase it. More importantly, it is not in the interest of safe driving which requires full concentration on busy Delhi roads. The auto rickshaw driver who is lost in music can hardly do justice to driving. Through this letter, I request the concerned authorities to take an appropriate action to check this menace. Yours truly Raj/Rajni Word-Notes: Emitting—releasing. Nuisance—irritant. Adversely—badly. 16 Indo-Pak Relations Write a letter to the editor of a national daily on Indo-Pak relations after the Modi government came into power. Answer 63, Raipeta Chennai August 17, 2022 The Editor The Tribune New Delhi Sir, Sub.: Indo-Pak relations No one can deny the fact that during the reign of the Modi government, the Indo-Pak relations have reached their nadir. When Modi government came to power in 2014, the relations between the two countries promised to be good. Pakistan’s Prime Minister visited India when Mr Modi took oath of office as the Prime Minister of India. The confidence seemed to be increasing when the Indian Prime Minister made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan to participate in a family function of the Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Mr Sharif. Now much water has flown down the Ganga and the Sindhu since then. The terrorist attack on the Indian air base in Pathankot was a big provocation but India kept cool and invited Pakistan authorities to visit our air-base and investigate the matter. However, the patience of our people gave way when the government of Pakistan refused to act against the terrorists responsible for the attack. The final blow came in the form of the attack on Indian soldiers in which 19 soldiers were killed. India had to do something. And so there was that famous surgical strike which ambushed and destroyed six Pakistani terror posts killing an estimated 50 terrorists. Since then there have been frequent violations of cease-fire while both the countries are blaming each other for the same. Yours truly Arvind Kaur
130 WRITING Word-Notes: Nadir—lowest point. Unscheduled—sudden. Provocation—cause of anger. Gave way—ended. 17 Honour Killings You are upset at the news of honour killings, which appears in the newspapers so often. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing your grief and suggesting the ways to stop it. Answer 428, Barnala House Chandigarh September 20, 2022 The Editor The National Times New Delhi Sir, Sub.: Honour killings Please allow me some space in your esteemed paper to ponder over the subject of honour killing which means killing of young couples by their own kith and kin. Why does it happen? Do these parents and elders have no love for their children? The fact is that their love for age-old traditions far outweighs their love for their children. Moreover, they cannot bear the insult heaped upon them by the society which for them is limited to the people of their own caste. The question is—how to avoid these situations? The answer is—by understanding and educating. By understanding I mean the parents and the children should both try to understand each other better. In this case, the children who are the victims, are as much to work as the elders. The young should give due importance to the feelings of their elders. They should also show the same respect for the traditions. The laws of the family are as important as the laws of the country. When the young find these laws unacceptable, they must discuss them with their elders. However, this is possible only when their elders are willing to lend them an ear. For this change to come, modern education can be of great help. By understanding and educating I mean that parents should understand their children and educate them about what is good and what is bad. To kill children is never the solution to the problem. Yours truly Ravin Rajan Word-Notes: Ponder—think. Kith and kin—relations. Outweighs—is more than (something) in weight, value, or importance. Lend an ear—listen. 18 Attacks on Senior Citizens You are Tanvi/Shirish of Safdarjung Development Area, New Delhi. You are extremely disturbed about the attacks on old people living alone. Write a letter in 100–120 words to the Editor, ‘The New Indian News’, making people sensitive to the problem. Make suggestion to the people living alone and the authorities to ensure that such attacks do not take place. (CBSE 2019)
LETTER WRITING 131 Answer 21, Safdarjung Development Area New Delhi August 5, 2022 The Editor The New Indian News New Delhi Sir, Subject: Attacks on old people living alone Through your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the insecurity of the senior citizens living in the city. Those who live alone become the easy victims of lawless thieves and robbers. In recent days, there has been a sudden increase in cases of attack on old people who live alone. It seems that there are several gangs in the city, who know the exact location of the old people who live alone. For these victims they make plans. They knock on their doors as if they are being sent by the gas company to read the metre, etc. Like this, they make many excuses, enter the house, injure or even kill the old residents and walk away with their valuables. If some precautions are taken by the old citizens, they may avert the attacks. They must get a smart doorbell installed on the main gate of the house. This doorbell can keep their home safer and eliminate risks associated with opening the door for strangers. A CCTV camera must be installed in the corridor so that it can record the activities happening there. Yours truly Tanvi/Shirish Word-Notes: Insecurity—danger. Location—place. Avert—avoid. 19 You are Sunidhi Prakash, the Vice Captain of Brilliant Vidyalaya, Barra, Kanpur. You have recently noticed several posters around your school premises conveying a hazardous message: Lose weight in just a month! “A WONDER DIET comes to your rescue … A privilege available for only a few!” Write a letter to the Editor of The DWA, in not more than 120 words, drawing attention towards harm caused by such advertising. Propose the implementation of “Wholesome Lunch Month’ in schools as an idea to address such practices, mention the advantages and share suggestions to foster healthy eating routines and develop positive body image among youngsters. (CBSE Sample Paper 2022-23) Answer Brilliant Vidyalaya Barra Kanpur February 11, 2023 The Editor The DWA Kanpur
132 WRITING Dear Sir, Sub.: Harmful advertising Kindly allow me to attract the attention of the concerned authorities and the youngsters towards the harm caused by such advertisements which are very tempting but in reality are misguiding. I have recently noticed several posters around my school premises conveying a hazardous message: Lose weight in just a month! “A WONDER DIET comes to your rescue … A privilege available for only a few!” As nowadays youngsters are crazy for losing weight and looking slim and trim, these advertisements add fuel to fire. As the advertisers are aware of this weakness of the youngsters, they make tempting advertisements to lure them. And the youngsters will undoubtedly submit to the will of the advertisers and surely take the diet called ‘wonderful’ in the advertisement in question. The advertisers are sure to make handsome money but what about the health of the youngsters? So if “Wholesome Lunch Month” is celebrated in educational institutions and nutrition experts are invited there to lecture on healthy food and healthy habits, such advertisements can be kept at bay and youngsters can be saved from getting harmed or being misguided. Secondly, topics like nutrition, balanced diet, etc. should be a part of our school curriculums since the very beginning so that children grow, eating healthy and staying healthy. They must also be taught that looking thin or slim does no good if it comes at the cost of health. Yours truly Sunidhi Prakash (Vice Captain) Word-Notes: Tempting—attractive. Hazardous—harmful. Add fuel to fire—make an intense situation more intense. Kept at bay—prevented a problem from having a bad effect. Curriculums—syllabuses. 5. MISCELLANEOUS 1 To the President of the RWA You are Zac Skaria, a resident of A-412, Magna Greens Apartments, Gandhi Marg, Jonpara, Mumbai. Three students of grade 10 from your residential complex have rescued and rehabilitated a few old beggars from the neighbourhood. You think that their work deserves appreciation and recognition. Write a letter to the President of the RWA, seeking recommendation for these youth, to be nominated for ‘Serving Citizens’ Award’. Suggest other ways such acts of kindness could be recognised and awarded in the future. (CBSE Sample Paper 2022-23) Answer A-412, Magna Greens Apartments Gandhi Marg, Jonpara Mumbai
LETTER WRITING 133 Dec. 22, 2022 The President The RWA Jonpara Mumbai Dear Sir, Sub.: Serving Citizens’ Award Nowadays we see that people are selfish and insensitive. For example, road accident victims keep on lying on the roads, in the pool of blood but no one among mute spectators comes to their rescue. In such an atmosphere, when some people help the needy, they deserve to be recognised and appreciated. So I am proud to inform you that three students of grade 10 from our residential complex have rescued and rehabilitated a few old beggars from the neighbourhood. The students collected funds from the neighbourhood and executed the task. I think their work deserves appreciation and recognition, and they should be nominated for ‘Serving Citizens’ Award’. I also suggest that to encourage such acts of kindness, each and every such act should be recognised and awarded in future. We can paste the photographs of the helpers on the noticeboard which stands lying at the gate of the society. A nice treat can be thrown for such people. Besides, those people can be interviewed, and a video can be made and posted online. Yours faithfully Zac Skaria (Resident) Word-Notes: Mute—quiet. Spectators—viewers. Rescue—the act of saving someone. Deserve—are worthy of. To be recognised—somebody to be given official thanks for something that they have done. Appreciated—admired. Rehabilitated—recovered. Executed—successfully performed an action. Nominated—proposed. 2 To a Book Seller Asking for Home Delivery of Some Books, Stationery etc. You are Vaijanthi/Vijay from Prakasham Nagar, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh. Write a letter to Book Haven Store, requesting home delivery of the books, stationery and art materials you had ordered telephonically. Share the reason for being unable to pick up the goods in person. Confirm your address details and a convenient time slot. (Sample Question Paper 2020-2021) Answer Prakasham Nagar Secunderabad, A.P. 10 September, 2022 The Manager Book Haven Store Secunderabad, A.P.
134 WRITING Dear Sir, Subject: Requesting home delivery You know that we have ordered quite a few books, 10 in number to be exact. Along with these books in our telephonic order, we have also ordered stationery and art materials. Due to ill health, I am not able to pick up the goods in person from your store. I, therefore, request you to deliver the material at my home on the address given above. The payment will be given on receiving the goods. Sir, I am not in a position to wait for long due to my exams round the corner. I expect you to deliver the goods before the 15th of September. I am sure, you will respect this time slot. Yours faithfully Vaijanthi/Vijay Word-Note: Time slot—a length of time allotted to someone. EXERCISE FOR PRACTICE A. PERSONAL / INFORMAL 1 You are Gurdeep living at 10 Gole Bagh, Amritsar. Write a letter to your cousin advising him to opt for the commerce stream in class XI. You must give reasons for your advice. 2 You are Sumit, a resident of 4/55, Ashok Vihar, New Delhi. You have received a letter from your friend Ankur, inviting you to spend your holidays with him. You cannot go to visit him for some reasons. Write a letter thanking him for the invitation and stating the reason why you cannot visit him. 3 You are Bhushan, living at 23, Civil Lines, Dehradun. Write a letter to your friend, Vikki, inviting him to your brother’s wedding and reception ceremony. (CBSE) 4 You are Rajiv Saxena, living at XYZ Pahar Ganj, Delhi. You have received an unsatisfactory report of your brother, Bittoo, studying in a hostel. Write a letter in about 120–150 words to him advising him to work hard for the annual examination. 5 You are Gopi, a resident of 30, Yusaf Sarai, New Delhi. Write a letter to your father, who is in Mumbai, telling him about your plan after your examination is over. 6 You are Arun, living at 75, New Colony, Faridabad. Write a letter to your brother telling him about an interesting weekend that you spent at your friend’s house. (150–200 words) 7 Your friend Amit’s family has shifted to Kolkata due to his father’s transfer. Write a letter to him telling him anything of interest that has taken place during his absence. You are Babloo, 125, Pushpa Vihar, Delhi. (CBSE) 8 Your class went to see a zoo along with your teacher. You enjoyed it a lot. Write a letter to your friend in Delhi describing your visit and how you enjoyed it. You are Gaurav/ Shalini living at 26, Chikpet, Mysore. Do not exceed 150–200 words. (CBSE) 9 You are Nikhil/Nikita of N-2, Green Park, Delhi. Your examination is over. You are free and you need a change. Write a letter, in about 150–200 words, to your aunt in Goa telling her that you would like to spend about a fortnight with your cousins there, informing her of your plans and the date of your arrival at Goa. (CBSE) 10 You are Rachna/Ranjan, living in the hostel of Kings Sr. Sec. School, Meerut. Stating about your activities, including your adjustment with other hostel inmates, food you get and how you feel about this life, write a letter in about 150–200 words to your father.
LETTER WRITING 135 11 You are Anshul Gupta, living at 26-D, River Bank Colony, Lucknow. Write a letter in not more than 150–200 words to your friend Rahul telling him about your programme for the summer holidays and inviting him to join you. B.1. TO OFFICERS REGARDING SCHOOL MATTERS 1 You are Vipul/Umang of Lakshay Senior Sec. School, Mayur Vihar, Delhi, studying in class X. Write an application to the Principal of your school requesting him/her to hold pre-Board tests. Do not exceed 120 words. (CBSE) 2 You are Nikhil/Nina, living at Vasudeva Bharti Colony, Brij Vihar, Delhi. Your son is studying in Kundkund Senior Secondary School, Mayur Vihar. During a visit to the school you saw the toilets in a very dirty condition. Write a letter in about 120 words, drawing the attention of the Principal, pointing out the foul smell emitting out of the toilets and the vulgar language written on the walls. 3 You are Manisha/Mukul, the Head Girl/Boy in Government Senior Secondary School, Kanpur. There is no proper cleanliness of rooms and toilets in school. Write an application to the Principal, requesting him to give his/her urgent attention to this problem. Do not exceed 120 words. (CBSE) B.2. TO OFFICERS (COMPLAINTS AND OTHER MATTERS) 4 You are Pradeep Ghosh. You live at 1235, Street No. 8, Kailash Nagar, Delhi. The residents of your colony are very disturbed about the hopeless state of drainage. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner, Delhi, to get the situation improved before the monsoon. 5 You are Namrata Das, living at K-37, Shashi Gardens, Vishwas Nagar, Delhi. There is no Letter Box in ‘K’ Block of your colony. Write a letter to the Chief Post Master of your area to provide this facility to the residents. 6 You are Amit/Preeti living at C-207, Shastri Nagar, Meerut. Street lights in the area have not been working for the last six months, leading to accidents and a rise in unsocial activities. Write a letter to the General Manager of the Electrical Corporation of your city, complaining about this problem. (CBSE) 7 In your city, every day there is a power failure for long hours in the evening because of which work suffers. Write a letter, in about 120–150 words, to the Manager, State Electricity Board, making a complaint and requesting for an early solution to the problem. You are Mansi/Varun of C-51, Vikaspuri, Delhi. (CBSE) C. BUSINESS 1 You are Mayank, living at D-76, Bahubali Park, New Delhi-82. Write a letter to the Manager, The Hindustan Machine Tools, Srinagar, placing your order for a wristwatch. 2 You are Tarun, living at C-4, Janakpuri, New Delhi. You ordered one dozen electronic toys, out of which some have been damaged during postal delivery. Write a letter, requesting M/s Toyland and Co., Nai Sarak, New Delhi, to replace the damaged toys immediately. 3 You are Rahul, living at 15, Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad. Write a letter to Pradeep Electronics, Ghaziabad, complaining that the washing machine, you bought from them last year, has started giving trouble. Request them to send a mechanic to repair the washing machine. 4 As a Librarian, write to a bookshop ordering four English books that you urgently require for your library.
136 WRITING 5 You are Apoorva, Librarian of Wisdom Public School, New Delhi. Write a letter to the Sales Manager of Bharat Publishers Limited, New Delhi, placing an order for the books that you wish to purchase for your school library. Also ask for the discount permissible on the purchase. (CBSE) 6 You are Uma/Udhav, the school pupil leader of Ramanujam Public School, Chennai. During the summer vacation, your school is planning an educational tour, covering visits to a thermal power plant and a few factories. Write a letter to The National Travel Agency, at 2 Pantheon Road, Chennai-26, enquiring about the places, the charges, facilities and the other relevant details. (CBSE) 7 As the Manager of the cricket club of your town you had purchased some cricket equipment. Some of the articles have been found defective. Write a letter to the firm that made the supplies, asking them to replace these defective articles or refund their cost. 8 Raj Rajeshwar of 160, Kesragunj, Kolkata, bought a frost-free Gobrek Refrigerator of 265 litres from ‘Living Style’, C.R. Das Market, Kolkata. Having used it for about a month he finds that the freezing section of the refrigerator is not working at all. Write a letter to the Sales Manager of the firm, complaining about it and requesting him for the piece to be replaced. 9 Write a letter to M/s Sports & Sports Co., Ambala, complaining about the defective sports goods supplied to you. You are the Sports Secretary of Bharathi Vidyalaya, Bijnaur. (CBSE) 10 You are Radha/Anil of 162, Kakatya Nagar, Hyderabad. Last week you bought an automatic ‘VIP’ Washing Machine from Modern Gadgets, Nampalli, Hyderabad. Now you find that the machine is not cleaning clothes properly and is making an unbearable noise. Write a letter to the dealer complaining about the same and requesting him to replace the washing machine at the earliest. (word limit: 120) 11 Rama Kant of 160, Vasant Kunj, Kolkata, bought a iMom mobile phone from Better Deal, C.R. Das Market, Kolkata. Having used it for about a month he finds that the touch screen of the mobile phone is not working at all. Write a letter to the Sales Manager of the firm complaining about it and requesting for the piece to be replaced. The mobile phone has been given two years warranty against any technical fault. D. TO THE EDITOR 1 Shantikunj is a thickly populated locality inhabited mainly by the working class people. Unfortunately, there is no Mother Dairy milk booth in the locality. Write a letter in 100–120 words to the editor of a local daily, drawing the attention of the authorities to the problem faced by the people, and requesting them to open a milk booth. You are Ram/ Roma, 4, Shantikunj, Delhi. (CBSE 2017) 2 The road that leads to your market is broken and full of potholes. Mosquitoes and flies breed there. Write a letter in 100–120 words to the editor of a local newspaper drawing attention of the concerned authorities to get the road repaired. You are P.V. Prabhu/ Prabha, 112, Aram Nagar, Delhi. (CBSE 2017) 3 There is a busy road in front of your school. A large number of students have to cross the road while going back home. They run a great risk. Write a letter in 100–120 words to the Editor, Navjiwan Times, Agra, drawing attention of the concerned authorities to
LETTER WRITING 137 the problem. Make a request to mark a zebra crossing and to put traffic lights in front of your school. You are Amit/Anita, Class X, New Age Public School, Ram Nagar, Agra. (CBSE 2017) 4 The tourism industry in India can be a great source of economic help for the country. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily in about 100–120 words, expressing your views on ‘Economic impact of tourism’. (CBSE 2016) 5 Man is becoming the victim of nature’s fury because of his greed to get more than his needs. Write a letter to the editor of any national daily in 100–120 words, expressing your concern for the same and the lack of protection of the environment. You are Siddharth/ Shafia. (CBSE 2016) 6 Write a letter to the editor of a national daily in about 100–120 words, expressing views on the importance of afforestation to prevent pollution and global warming. (CBSE 2016) 7 In 100–120 words, write a letter to the editor of ‘The Daily Express’, expressing your views on the subject—Pollution is poisoning our environment in every form; noise, heat and light. It is harmful for every living organism on the earth. (CBSE 2016) 8 Write a letter to the editor, The Times of India, New Delhi, showing concern about the unauthorised construction of shops on the pavements and parks in your city causing problems to the people. You are Mr. X, a resident of 50, Anand Lok, New Delhi. 9 Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper regarding miserable condition of child labourers working as maids in the houses and servants in the shops, offices etc. Suggest ways to improve the condition of those children. You are Mangal/Mangla of Mayur Bhawan, Delhi. (CBSE) 10 The prices of essential commodities like wheat, rice, pulses, milk, vegetables etc. are rising almost every month. The common man is the worst sufferer. Write a letter in about 120 words to the Editor of the Times of India, New Delhi, asking the authorities to take steps to control the rising prices and put a check on the hoarders and black marketeers. You are Piyush/Pallavi of B-73, Sector 12, Dwarka, N. Delhi. (CBSE) E. MISCELLANEOUS 1 Write a letter to M/s Oxford Publishing House, Mumbai, complaining that the books sent by them were not those you had ordered for. Ask for an immediate replacement. You are Varun Joshi, Sector 20, Chandigarh. 2 To Producer, Doordarshan about Shifting a Programme You are Vivek/Veena living at C-4C, Janakpuri, New Delhi. Write a letter to The Producer, Science Quiz, Doordarshan, Kolkata, requesting him to shift the transmission time from 10.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. so that more children can watch it.
2. E-MAIL What is e-mail ? An e-mail is an electronic letter. It is sent through the internet. With the spread of the internet, it has become very popular. In most cases, it has become the preferred mail of communication. Advantages of an e-mail 1. An e-mail can be sent at any time—day or night. 2. It reaches the receiver as soon as it is sent. 3. Basically it is the same as any letter but it is faster and convenient. 4. An e-mail is also very cheap. We do not need any paper, envelope or stamps. Sending an e-mail The following points should be kept in mind while sending an e-mail: 1. The date of the e-mail is automatically generated. 2. Write the e-mail address correctly. E-mail address is not the same as postal address. The sender has their own e-mail address which goes automatically to the receiver. 3. State the subject line clearly. 4. Just like other letters, e-mails can be formal or informal. So follow the same rules while writing them. Write the informal e-mails in a friendly way. Write the formal e-mails short and to the point. 5. Write the greetings, salutation and closing as in other letter formats. 6. While writing a sample e-mail for the examination, avoid the abbreviations. 7. In the examination, keep the word limit in mind. Now if you want to send an e-mail, give the command ‘New Message’ in the pull- down menu of Mail. Now you will see on the screen the dialogue box. In this dialogue box, there is a Text Box where you will find the word ‘To’. In this space, write the e-mail address of the person you want to send your mail to. Below ‘To’ there are two more boxes. In ‘Cc’ box you can fill in more number of people to whom you may want to send the copy of your e-mail. In the last box, i.e. the subject box, you may write the subject of your e-mail if you so like. Below these three boxes there is the space for your letter. 138
E-MAIL 139 Look at the figure below to have a very clear idea of what has been discussed. Functional Grammar I. TO FRIENDS 1 Your friend Ravina/Raman has sought admission in a new school in Kerala because of his/her father’s transfer to that place. But you came to know through his/her e-mail that he/she misses his/her previous school, teachers and old friends and doesn’t feel adjusted to the new place and people. Write an e-mail advising him/her to keep patience, be friendly, try to mix with other students and devote time to studies so that he/she may feel comfortable. (CBSE) Answer Date: 10 July, 2022* From: <[email protected]> To: <ravina/[email protected]> Subject: Adjusting to new environment My dear Ravina/Raman, I hope everything is good at your end. I learn that you have taken admission in a new school in Kerala due to your father’s transfer. I find that you are feeling homesick and missing your previous school, teachers and old friends. You have also e‑mailed * Date is automatically generated in the e-mail.
140 WRITING me that you still don’t feel adjusted in the new place, people and surroundings. I feel sad to know all this. Dear Ravina/Raman, you’ll agree with me that we miss many things in life. Yet we go on with our new activities and new things. Standing still at one place is also not life-giving. Life is another name for change. All things undergo a change, some fast, some slowly. It is always advisable and useful to adjust oneself to new things. So you would do better if you stop thinking of your past. Instead, you have to keep patience and enjoy your new surroundings. Make new friends, mix with students and take part in various school activities. I am sure you’ll start enjoying your new place, new school, new teachers and new classmates. Secondly, you must believe that whatever happens, happens for the better. So I hope you to adjust yourself in new surroundings. With best wishes Yours affectionately Suresh Word-Notes: Homesick—remembering home. Surroundings—environment. II. TO PRINCIPAL/TEACHER OF YOUR SCHOOL 2 Imagine that you are Abhay/Abhilashaa, a student of Model School, Chandigarh. Write an e-mail to the Principal of your school requesting him to give you one week’s leave as your grandmother expired last night. (CBSE) Answer Date : 3rd March, 2023 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Request for leave Sir, Kindly grant me leave for a week as I shall not be able to attend my classes. Today I have got a telephonic message from my father in Kolkata that my grandmother died last night. He has asked me to reach Kolkata as soon as possible. The last rites will be performed after three days. The train to Kolkata will take two days. The same time I have to spend in coming back. I must stay there at least for two days. So, I require a week’s leave from school. I assure you that on my return, I will make up the lost time with hard work and help from my friends. I shall be very grateful for your kind permission. Yours obediently Abhay/Abhilasha Word-Notes: Performed—done. Require—need.
E-MAIL 141 3 You went to Jammu for a week to attend a wedding. However, due to unexpected rains leading to landslide, all routes from Jammu have been closed indefinitely. Send an e-mail to your class-teacher explaining the situation, apologising for missing the test and asking for extension of leave. (CBSE) Answer Date : 21st August, 2022 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Extension of leave Dear Sir, Most respectfully I wish to state that I came to Jammu for a week to attend a wedding. I was supposed to return after a week and to appear in the class test. I reached here all right but immediately thereafter it started raining. It rained and rained. As a consequence, there occurred a landslide. All the routes from Jammu back to my place stand closed indefinitely. There is no way out to reach Delhi. In fact, the rains have caused untold sufferings to the people here in Jammu. Due to this natural development I am unable to reach back. Also I don’t know when the routes from Jammu shall reopen. In these circumstances I request you to kindly extend my leave and allow my absence from the test. I assure you that as and when I arrive, I shall write my test. I shall also keep in contact with you. Yours obediently Ashu Word-Notes: Consequence—result. Occurred—happened. III. BUSINESS/COMMERCIAL 4 Imagine you are Aniket. You are an avid reader and you have a good collection of old, valuable books. Your father has been transferred to Mumbai and it’s not possible for you to carry all your books. Write an e-mail to the manager of Avid Readers’ Book Shop, enquiring if he is interested in buying the books. Copy the format in your answer sheet. (120–150 words) (CBSE) Answer Date : July 13, 2022 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Sale of books Dear Sir, I am an avid reader and as such have got a good collection of old, valuable books. These books are so dear to me that I cannot easily part with them. These are the books on a variety of subjects. There are twenty volumes of classical literature.
142 WRITING They include prose, poetry, fiction and drama. There are about a dozen books on philosophy, religion and classical art. Other books are of great value for students of science, mathematics, history, geography etc. However, my father has been transferred to Mumbai. It is not possible for me to carry all my books. So please let me know if you are interested in buying my books. Please, reply soon as the time is short. Yours faithfully Aniket Word-Note: Avid—zealous. IV. OFFICIAL 5 The sanitary conditions of your locality are in a bad shape. Write an e-mail to the sanitary inspector in 120 words. You may take the help of the hints given below. (CBSE) • no sweepers • heaps of garbage • drainage blocked • people careless • no use of dustbins • regular visit of officials ... a dire need • fear of spread of diseases Answer Date : 10 August, 2022 From : <[email protected]> To : <sanitary [email protected]> Subject : Sanitary conditions Dear sir, In this e-mail I am inviting your kind attention to the insanitary conditions of Lajpat Nagar. I feel greatly concerned at these insanitary conditions. These may cause the spread of several diseases very soon if no step is taken to clean them. Sanitary conditions of Lajpat Nagar are in a mess. All round heaps of garbage are there. Drains are blocked and water flows on the streets. No one can walk on the roads without putting one’s handkerchief on the nose. Foul smell is coming from the mounds. People do not make use of their dustbins. People are careless and throw the domestic waste in the open in the streets. These invite the attention of stray cattle, pigs and other animals. As a result, the spread of diseases like cholera and gastroenteritis is possible. To contain these, the visit of the sanitary department officials is needed. This will check the locality from becoming a kind of vast garbage heap. Yours faithfully Roshanlal Word-Notes: Insanitary—unhygienic. In a mess—a dirty condition.
E-MAIL 143 V. TO THE EDITORS OF NEWSPAPERS 6 You are Ajay/Anita, living at 36 Mall Road, Mussoorie. You witness that daily large number of trees are being cut. You are upset over indiscriminate cutting of trees. Write an e-mail to the Editor of The Indian Express, New Delhi, in about 120–150 words on the issue to create awareness among people, telling them about the value of trees in our life. (CBSE) Answer Date : 3 March, 2023 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Value of trees Dear Sir, Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I want to draw the attention of the readers as well as concerned authorities towards indiscriminate felling of trees. Trees and plants have a vital role in our lives. There are many advantages of trees. In fact, life is made possible only by trees and plants. Trees and plants not only provide essential oxygen for our lives but also add to the scenic beauty which is around us. The green areas of a city are called its lungs. Trees and plants provide us with fresh air to breathe in and help in controlling the atmospheric pollution. In summer, when the sun starts scorching us, trees and plants provide us a pleasant shade and protect us from its heat. During rainy season these trees prevent soil erosion. The rain washes the fertilising layer of the soil downhill. The roots of the trees bind the soil and landslides are prevented. In the cold winter, trees and plants give us food and warmth by way of burning fuel and firewood for cooking purposes. We get timber for furniture from trees. Birds and animals get food and shelter in trees and plants. Trees also provide us with essential herbs and fruits. Seeing all these advantages, we can certainly assert that trees and plants are indispensable for a healthy life of us all. Yours truly Ajay Word-Notes: Vital—important. Downhill—away. Indispensable—essential. 7 Mr. Tharoor, a former Union minister, has sought a specific apology from the British government for the crimes of that government done in India during the British Raj. Write an e-mail to the editor of a national daily on the subject giving your own views on Mr. Tharoor’s demand. Answer Date : September 12, 2022 From : [email protected] To : [email protected]
144 WRITING Subject : Tharoor’s demand for British apology Dear Sir, Mr. Tharoor’s demand is certainly logical. British Raj was no less devastating than the Holocaust. More than 35 million Indians perished in famines only during the British regime. Compared to this, 13 millions died in Russia in the devastation caused by Stalin’s policies. Will Durant, an American writer, historian and philosopher, has called the British Raj the greatest crime in human history. According to him, the British Empire in India was a long period of darkness. The Amritsar massacre of 1919 encapsulated everything wrong with the British in India. Dyer might have acted without authority but the empire created the structure which made it possible. British residents of India had collected a large sum to reward Dyer for his act. Besides, they rained untold sufferings on us. To worsen the situation, they seized our icons of patriotism like Bhagat Sigh, Subhash Chandra Bose and many others from us. The wounds inflicted by the British are still fresh but yet an apology can certainly reduce some pain. Yours truly Kanni Word-Notes: Devastating—causing ruin. Holocaust—a situation in which many things are destroyed and many people killed, especially because of a war or a fire. Perished—died. Massacre—killings. Encapsulated—summed up. Untold—too many to count. Icons—symbols. Patriotism—love for country. Inflicted—caused. 8 There has been much hue and cry about the pollution of Delhi air. Give your own views on the subject in an e-mail to the Editor of the Delhi Times. Answer Date : December 10, 2022 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Polluted air of Delhi Dear Sir, Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) air quality index plummeted to 253 from the 307 mark recorded on Friday. The PM 10 level was at 234 while PM 2.5 level fell to 100 micrograms. Both these levels were close to two times higher than the standards set. The air quality is likely to stay at the same level for the next two days. During Diwali celebrations the pollution was four times of the present level. So, the people died because of the poisonous air. Today they are dying because of the smog. On December 3, a passenger car was hit at an unmanned railway crossing killing two on the spot and injuring several others. The railways and the government must do something quickly to ensure the safety of the people.
E-MAIL 145 Your truly S.K. Bhargav Word-Notes: Plummeted—fell. Smog—fog and smoke. 9 The new forged notes after demonetisation have begun to appear in country. Give your views on fake currency in a letter to the Editor of the Mumbai Times. Answer Date : November 4, 2022 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Fake currency Dear Sir, Several episodes have come to light regarding the forgery of the new ` 500 and ` 2000 notes. While a grocery owner was duped with a fake ` 500 note in Mumbai, six members of a gang were arrested in Hyderabad on Saturday for printing fake Indian currency. The people feel that the government has not taken enough care while printing the new notes. The inbuilt security thread on the new notes is not enough. They might have stuck some plastic on the notes. Sir, I don’t know whether it is practical or not. However, the fact that so soon after the new currency, fake notes have appeared, causes much concern. Some remedial steps must be taken by the authorities to prevent the flow of the fake currency before the black marketeers raise their heads once again. Yours truly Dr. Nirmal Kumar Word-Notes: Episodes—incidents. Forgery—cheating. Duped—cheated. Fake— forged. 10 The Prime Minister has given a call for Swachh Bharat, i.e. Clean India Movement. Give your own views about its success or failure in an e-mail to the editor of a national daily. Answer Date : 3 March, 2023 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Clean India Movement Dear Sir, Much is being said and written about the Prime Minister’s call for a clean India. Now more than three years have gone since that soft and shining August morning
146 WRITING when the Prime Minister made a call to the nation for a clean country from the ramparts of the Red Fort. As an impact of that call many groups of important people came on the streets with brooms in their hands. Unfortunately this was more for photo-ops than for the cleanliness. The conditions on roads and in streets have not changed much. Yet, the call has not been in vain. For example, the young in particular are seen behaving with greater responsibility. An awakening is already there. The great difficulty is that the authorities are not helping people by providing them the proper atmosphere. For example, dustbins on the roads are not common. Hopefully both the government and the society will work together to create a cleaner India. Yours truly R.K. Gupta Word-Notes: Ramparts—walls. Impact—influence. Photo-ops—photograph opportunities. In vain—useless. 11 Much has been said and written about the arrival of the bullet train. Do you think it’s a good idea? Give your views on the subject in an e-mail to the editor of a newspaper. Answer Date : October 14, 2022 From : [email protected] To : [email protected] Subject : Bullet Train Dear Sir, The image of the Indian Railways is changing fast. After many new trains, we have now the Gatimaan and the Humsafar Express which seem to be immensely attractive. But above them all the Prime Minister has promised the country the bullet train which is expected to run at more than 300 kilometers an hour. While the common man is excited about the bullet train, many voices of important people are heard against this idea. Their concern is not unfounded. The bullet train is going to be very costly. Ten trains can be made to run with the money required for a bullet train. Sir, is it right for a government who claims to work for the poor to waste so much money and resources on the bullet train? I wish the government of India to give a second thought before spending the good money on the bullet train. Yours truly Konark Word-Notes: Immensely—greatly. Unfounded—baseless.
E-MAIL 147 EXERCISE FOR PRACTICE I. TO FRIENDS 1 You are Lee Pang of Darjeeling. During the Christmas holidays, you happen to visit several places in South India. You were very much impressed by their culture, traditions, manners, food, clothing etc. You found that there is a lot of difference between the culture, traditions etc. of South India and those of yours. This shows India is a land of ‘Unity in Diversity’. You decide to send an e-mail to your pen friend, George of Berlin, describing the “Incredible India”. Write the e-mail in about 120–150 words. (CBSE) 2 Send an e-mail in about 120–150 words to your friend describing how Indians celebrate Deepavali. Your friend who is an American, living in the USA, is very interested in the Indian culture. (CBSE) II. PRINCIPAL/TEACHER OF YOUR SCHOOL 1 Aman Singh writes an e-mail to the Principal of his school, Govt. Sr. Sec. School, Durga Colony, Agra, about its insanitary and poor conditions. He also requests him/her to take immediate steps to improve these conditions. Write an e-mail on his behalf in minimum 120–150 words. Use an appropriate format. 2 You are applying for a scholarship to be granted by the office of your father. Write an e-mail to the Principal of your school requesting him to issue you a certificate of a bona fide student as well as recommending your case. You are Sharad/Sharada, a student of Class X in Govt. Co-Ed School, Vasant Kunj, Delhi. (CBSE) III. BUSINESS/COMMERCIAL 1 You placed an order for some books but the books you received, were torn and of an older edition. Write an e-mail to the bookseller to replace your books. IV. OFFICIAL 1 Shravan Kumar writes an e-mail to the Assistant Police Commissioner, South Zone, Kanpur, about the deteriorating law and order condition of his locality, Rohtas Nagar. Write an e-mail on his behalf in minimum 120–150 words. You may use the following hints. rough-looking anti-social elements stand on crossings, in bazaars—tease young girls and women—use lewd language—public in utter fear—no policemen on duty V. TO THE EDITORS OF NEWSPAPERS 1 Ashok Kumar, a resident of Patel Nagar, New Delhi, writes an e-mail about the cattle menace to the Editor, Times of India, New Delhi. Write this e-mail on his behalf, requesting for suitable steps to be taken to tackle this menace, in minimum 120–150 words. 2 Students are given too much homework at schools. They get so much involved with it after coming from school that they have no time to play or for other activities. Write an e-mail to the editor, ‘The Times of India’, complaining against it and suggesting remedial measures.
6. SPEECHES I. VERBAL Making a Speech Speaking on the stage may seem to many like writing a paragraph. There is no doubt that in several ways this is true. However, please remember that many great writers failed to be good speakers on the stage. Addison was a great author. He is still considered to be the father of modern English prose. When he had become famous as a writer, he was once invited to make a speech from the stage. The story goes that he began with the sentence, ‘‘I conceive,’’ and repeated it thrice but could not think of saying anything more. Then someone among the listeners stood up and said. ‘‘Mr Addison, you have conceived thrice but have produced no child.’’ Addison sat back cutting a sorry figure. So, before you write your speech or make it, the following tips may help you: 1. Do not panic by the piercing looks of your audience. Only concentrate on what you have to say. Do not try to look sideways while speaking. This will show your lack of confidence. 2. Speech making is not paper-reading. You can, however, carry a small slip with important points on it for reference. 3. Do not use long sentences and difficult words. It hinders communication. Simple language helps. 4. Give arguments and instances to support your point but be polite. 5. All successful speakers are very entertaining as well as convincing. So try to argue in that manner if possible, though it is a difficult art. 6. Let there be no show of pride. Give credit to your listeners, not to yourself. 7. Monotony must be broken by a change of tone. When you want to emphasise your point, you must change the pitch of your voice. 8. Do not speak as if you are in a hurry to leave the stage. Give short pauses wherever they seem necessary. 1 On the day of ‘Van-mahotsava’, you have been asked to deliver a speech during morning assembly on the importance of tree plantation. You are Chandan of class IX. Write the speech in about 120 words. (CBSE) Hints • tree plantation—helpful for life • control pollutions • fulfil timber, fuel and furniture requirement • medicine and other items • trees—necessary for wildlife • cause rain—provide shade 182
SPEECHES 183 Answer Importance of Tree Plantation Respected principal, learned teachers and my friends, Our life is linked with the existence of trees. Without trees, there will be no fresh air as the trees alone create oxygen after breaking the carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen. Similarly, the trees bring rain. No trees would mean no rains. Also, there will be no fresh water without trees. Similarly, all our food comes to us from plants and trees. So without the trees, there will be no food either. Trees control pollution. They purify air. They check the soil erosion. They raise the level of underground water. The wood from trees is also necessary for our life. This wood is used not only as fuel but also in making doors and all our furniture. We get many medicines from our plants and trees. They give us shade in summer and fire in winter. Today the trees are being cut recklessly. It is therefore our duty to plant as many trees as we can. Word-Notes: Erosion—destruction. Raise—lift. 2 All your friends come alone to school in rickshaws or their parents drop them individually in their cars. It results in a wastage of fuel, time and money. Prepare a speech in about 120 words, encouraging your schoolmates to come collectively in rickshaws or have carpool system. (CBSE) Answer Save Energy—Save Money Respected principal, learned teachers and friends, Please allow me to talk about something which concerns us all. We travel from homes to school individually. Some of us take rickshaws and some come in cars. This way we spend a lot of money. If we learn to cooperate, we can save a large part of this money. The students coming from one area can travel together as a group. They can engage a taxi. Alternatively, if their numbers are small, they may take a rickshaw in which a few pairs of students can sit at a time. Using public transport can also be a good alternative. I advocate this cooperation not merely for saving our money. Our country suffers from an energy crisis. We have to import petrol at a great cost. So if we save petrol, we do a service to the country. It will also reduce the pollution. Thank you. Word-Notes: Merely—simply. Crisis—problem. 3 Your school is celebrating World Child Day. You have been asked to deliver a speech on the topic ‘Child Labour’. Write the speech with the help of the hints given below: (120 words) (CBSE) children—building block of nation—child labour a curse—deprives children of their childhood—no education—no mental and physical growth—should be abolished Answer Child Labour Respected principal, learned teachers and friends, I am glad to have this opportunity of expressing my views on the World Child Day. There are indeed many aspects of a child’s life. I, however, choose to speak on the topic
184 WRITING ‘Child Labour’. The sad truth is that we know it’s an evil but to serve our selfish motives, we encourage it by our actions. For example, in many houses, the young children, particularly the girls, do the domestic labour. Young boys are working in most of the restaurants and hotels. These children are the source of cheap labour. And then we call them the building blocks of our nation. We deprive them of their childhood pleasures, do not give them proper education, stunt their physical and mental growth and then claim to have love for children. What a hypocrisy! On this World Child Day, let us take an oath not to ever ill-treat a poor child nor bear to see it being ill-treated. Word-Notes: Motives—purposes. Deprive—dispossess. 4 Today is ‘Women’s Day’ and you are asked to prepare and deliver a speech on ‘Role of Women’ in the changing society. Prepare the speech in about 120 words, using the hints given below together with your own ideas. You are Rohit/Ravina, head prefect of school. (CBSE) Hints: Gone are the days when women were considered to be the queen of tragedy—position remarkably improved—have all rights of equality—possess higher position without any distinction—have made their place in literature, education, administration—modern women—self confidence, self respect, we are proud of them. Answer Role of Women Respected principal, learned teachers and friends, I am glad to have this opportunity of expressing my views on the role of women on Women’s Day. Gone are the days when women were considered as the weaker sex. Today, they are neither weak nor inferior. Even in our films and TV serials, they are no longer presented as tragedy queens. They are the chief characters. This is what is happening in real life also. Women occupy very high positions in politics, industry and education. Their position is so remarkably improved that in the near future, they might begin to be called the stronger sex. They are enjoying all rights of equality. Nay, they are more than equal because their complaints are heard sooner. Modern woman has a lot of self-respect and confidence. The nation is indeed proud of her women folk. Word-Notes: Inferior—lesser. Folk—people. 5 Increasing indiscipline among students in schools and colleges is a matter of great concern. You feel that with the help of value education, this can be controlled. Write a speech in about 120 words on the need of value education, to be delivered in the school assembly. (CBSE) Answer Value Education Respected principal, learned teachers and friends, Gandhi, in his famous book, ‘My Experiments with Truth’, points out that education without morals is worse than no education at all. The reason is simple. A man without values, will use education only for his own selfish interests. While doing so, he will not bother if the interests of his friends are harmed. Such educated persons naturally become a danger to the society. Well, this is the flaw with our school and college education of the day. The old values of teachers’ love for the students and the students’ respect for
SPEECHES 185 the teachers are wanting. Consequently, there is a great deal of indiscipline in schools and colleges of the day. There is also not much love among the students for one another. So, they often quarrel in schools. In the colleges, ragging of the fresh students continues because of the absence of these values. I, therefore, feel that the value education should be a part of education. Rather it should have a place in our curriculum. Word-Notes : Bother—think. Flaw—shortcoming. II. VISUAL 1 You are Head Boy/Head Girl of your school. The following photo caught your attention. You decide to make the school children aware of the pollution caused by plastic bags. Prepare a speech in about 120 words on ‘Say no to plastic bags’ in the morning assembly. (CBSE) • You can help us prevent bomb explosion: o Never touch–unidentified, unclaimed and suspicious objects. o Report about suspicious people/objects to the nearest police station or dial 100. o Win big rewards. Answer Say ‘No’ to Plastic Bags Respected principal, learned teachers and my friends, There is no doubt that plastic bags have made our lives comfortable. However, this comfort has come at a high cost. They have not simply polluted our atmosphere, they have become a hazard for life. I therefore urge upon you all to say ‘no’ to plastic bags. Plastic bags are a favourite of terrorists. They may contain the material which can cause a bomb explosion. So please be cautious. Never touch an unidentified, unclaimed and suspicious object. It may be a bomb in a plastic bag. Such objects should be reported to police. If the police actually find a bomb, they give a reward to the informer. Maybe you are lucky and win a prize. Any way, prize or no prize, say ‘no’ to plastic bags. Word-Notes: Hazard—danger. Suspicious—doubtful.
186 WRITING 2 Look at the following visual of one of the charred carriages of a train. Using ideas from the picture as well as your own, write a speech in about 120 words to be given during morning assembly on the rising terrorist violence in the country and how to remove it. (CBSE) Answer Menace of Terrorism Respected Principal, learned teachers and friends, There are, no doubt, many problems which our country faces today. However, the biggest among them is terrorism. In the beginning, these acts of terrorism were confined to a few areas like Jammu and Kashmir. The picture has changed today. The burning of a train at Godhra in Gujarat was an act which gave rise to widespread riots in Gujarat. Our former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, had become a victim of terrorism even earlier. The news of terrorist violence comes almost regularly from one part of the country or the other. There seems to be no easy solution of the problem. Yet our government successfully tackled this problem in Punjab. Perhaps the same determined effort is required to tackle it wherever it is. Word-Notes: Confined—limited. Tackled—dealt. EXERCISE FOR PRACTICE 1 You are Neerja/Nandita, working for the ‘‘India Today’’. You have to take part in a seminar on “Pleasures of Eye Donation”. Write your speech in about 120 words. 2 In the prayer meeting of your school, you have to deliver a speech urging the students to donate money to help the flood-affected people. Write your speech in about 120 words. 3 Oral Communication You are to take part in a declamation contest. The topic is the “Importance of Oral Communication”. Write your speech in about 120 words. 4 Nature and Civilisation Write a speech of about 120 words on the topic ‘‘We cannot be civilised unless we love nature’’. 5 Ravikant recently participated in a debate in which the motion was carried forth by those sharing the view that teaching profession is meant mainly for the women folk and is thus dominated by this gender. As one who participated in the debate and carried through the motion, write a speech for Ravikant on the winning motion.
SPEECHES 187 6 You are Kamakshi/Kuber. You have been selected to represent your school in an All India School debate competition organised by the Rotary Club, Bengaluru (South). The topic for the debate is ‘In the opinion of this house, Value Based Education is the only remedy for decreasing the crime rate amongst the educated folk’. Write a speech in not more than 120 words for or against the motion, giving arguments for your stand. 7 Cycling You are to take part in a declamation contest. The topic you have chosen is ‘The Uses of Cycling’. Write your speech in about 120 words. 8 You have to take part in a debate. Write a speech in about 125–150 words in favour of the motion: ‘The Present Democratic System does not Suit India’. 9 Obesity is on the rise among school children. You have to deliver a speech in the morning assembly of your school on the importance of regular exercise and healthy food. Write your speech in about 120 words. 10 You are Revathi, Head girl of your school. You want the school children to be made aware of the pollution caused by plastic bags. Prepare a speech you want to deliver in the morning assembly by taking following hints. (120 words) (CBSE) non-biodegradable
7. ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS When some data is given in the form of a graph, a table, a pie-chart, a picture, a line-graph, etc. students are asked to analyse that data and write a paragraph. It is called an analytical paragraph. It contains much more information than is physically present. It means students first read and understand what information is given in the data, how it is given and what is the intention of the data given. If students understand these various aspects, writing a good analysis shall not be difficult. Students should then render an objective analysis of the information in the data without any bias or favour. Students should read the analytical paragraphs and solve the questions given. 1 Government lays great emphasis on international business. The figure below gives an idea of how the various states are moving in this direction. Based on your study of this figure, write an analytical paragraph on ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in various states. STATE SCORECARD Ease of Doing Business Rankings: Top 10 States Rank State Rank 2019 2018 1 Andhra Pradesh 1 2 Uttar Pradesh 12 3 Telangana 2 4 Madhya Pradesh 7 5 Jharkhand 4 6 Chhattisgarh 6 7 Himachal Pradesh 16 8 Rajasthan 9 9 West Bengal 10 10 Gujarat 5 Haryana had secured the third place in 2018 and in 2019 it is in 16th spot. Source: Govt Answer Ease of Doing Business Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) depends upon the ease of doing business. Therefore every state wants to ease the rules for doing business there. The figure above shows that while some states are doing well in this respect, some like Haryana are going backwards. Andhra Pradesh has the pride of place in this context as it has the top place in 2018 and 2019. The other shining example is of Uttar Pradesh which has jumped ten places from no. 12 in 2018 to no. 2 in 2019. Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh also seem to do well. Apart from these states, the rest of the four states seem to nearly retain their positions. As for Gujarat, it has much to worry as from no. 5, it has come down to no. 10. The change, however, shows that any state which wants to attract FDI, must work constantly in this direction like Andhra Pradesh. Otherwise like Haryana one may fall thirteen places. In the same manner, a state can rise like Uttar Pradesh if it cares for easing the doing of business. Word-Note: Pride of place—a proud position. 188
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 189 2 Read the table given below and write an analytical paragraph in about 150–200 words on the ‘Chances of the Survival of an Infant’ comparing the data of various states. Think of the possible reasons and write an analytical paragraph. FEWEST INFANT DEATHS IN DELHI, KERALA AGE-SPECIFIC DEATH RATES FOR 2018 State Below 1 65-69 70-74 75-79 States with Uttar Pradesh 68.3 37.1 59.4 64.2 56.2 32.2 48.0 69.4 InMfaonstt Madhya Pradesh 49.9 31.5 39.8 53.4 Deaths Rajasthan States with Tamil Nadu 18.5 29.0 42.7 62.8 13.1 22.1 31.8 51.0 Least Infant Delhi Deaths Kerala 8.1 28.0 35.1 58.0 Answer Chances of the Survival of an Infant The table above reveals a painful yet true fact that in Uttar Pradesh a one-year-old baby has lesser chance of survival than those aged 75-79. In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan also, a one-year-old baby has lesser chances of survival than for any age group above 60 years. The data also shows that in most of India’s big states the death rate of those less than a-year-old is higher than those aged 65-69. It is only in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Delhi that the death rate for infants is lower than for any age group above 60 years. High Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is a mix of medical and socioeconomic reasons. However, a lot of deaths of infants are definitely due to inadequate health services. Though the table does not mention it, in many states IMR for girls is much higher than it is for boys. This is due to socioeconomic reasons. The social factor is the preference for boys as compared to girls. For many people, a girl in the family is still considered a burden. The economic conditions are even more important. The poor people cannot spend much money on the medical care. That is why the infants are not given proper medical treatment when they become sick. Word-Notes: Reveals—brings out. Survival—life. Infants—small kids. Mortality— death. Inadequate—not enough. 3 Corona has badly affected the economy of many countries. With the help of the chart given, write an analytical paragraph of about 150–200 words on the topic ‘Corona Impact on Economy’, during 2020 and 2021.
190 WRITING CORONA IMPACT IMF’S June growth (%) forecasts 2020 2021 World –4.9 5.4 India* –4.5 6 China 1 8.2 Brazil –9.1 3.6 Russia –6.6 4.1 S. Africa –8 3.5 US –8 4.5 Euro area –10.2 6 *Data for financial year, Source: IMF Answer Corona Impact on Economy of India Global growth is projected at –4.9 in 2020. However, a recovery is projected in 2021. China is the only economy in the given chart, which is expected to post growth in 2020. Corona pandemic pushed economies into lockdowns. They helped to contain the virus and save lives but triggered a bad recession. The deep recession of 2020 shows some recovery in 2021. The impact on India has been particularly bad. We were a poor nation even when our economy was going ahead at the rate of 6 per cent per year. It is not difficult to imagine the present condition when we are going back at the rate of six per cent. The government must take some quick and effective measures to bring the economy back on track. No one can say with certainty what will happen in the coming years. So there is a high degree of uncertainty around the forecast of that year. IMF seems to believe that the impact of Covid-19 will disappear after 2020 or 2021 or that it will become much less in the coming years. The fallout from the pandemic are difficult to be predicted. Word-Notes: Projected—cast. Contain—hold. Triggered—started/gave way. Recession—a difficult time for economy. Recovery—revival. Measures—steps. Forecast—prediction. Impact—influence. Fallout—aftereffect. Predicted—guessed. 4 For the first time after 18 years, India has seen a trade surplus in the month of June. Analyse the chart below to write an analytical paragraph in about 150–200 words on the topic ‘India’s Trade in June 2020’. You may use your own knowledge as well.
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 191 Answer India’s Trade in June 2020 The above picture clearly shows that India has the first monthly trade surplus in over 18 years in June 2020. This is because the exports have increased and imports have contracted. Imports have contracted by almost 49%. Estimates show a trade surplus of around $ 786 million with imports pegged at $ 21.1 billion and exports at $ 21.9 billion. The credit for increased exports goes to mainly iron ore and oil seeds and to some extent to rice, chemicals and pharma also. The imports decreased due to lesser import of gold, precious stones, silver, transport equipment and petroleum. On the whole the picture is not rosy because both exports and imports have come down. It shows lesser economic activity which is not good for the health of our economy. Let us also remember that imports of precious metals is bound to increase when the economic activity increases. Our people love to have gold and silver. We can, perhaps, increase our exports of medicines. Some of our pharma goods are already in good demand and with the improvement of quality it will not be difficult to increase our exports in this field. Word-Notes: Contracted—decreased. Estimates—calculations. 5 The noise pollution in Delhi is constantly increasing. Working at the chart given below analyse the data given and write an analytical paragraph in about 150–200 words on the topic the ‘Noise Pollution in Delhi’.
192 WRITING Answer Noise Pollution in Delhi For quite some time, noise pollution has been a big problem. The chart shows that there are at present 26 stations in city to monitor noise pollution of these locations. It is natural that the industrial area has been found to be most noisy at 75 decibel levels during the day and 70 decibels at night. The five zones where there is no industry and commercial activity much less, are called silence zones. Here we have tolerable noise at 50 decibel levels during the day. What is however most intriguing is that not only commercial but even residential zones in Delhi are very noisy. Shahdara is the most noisy location among commercial locations and Ashok Vihar among residential locations. Fortunately there are still 6 locations called silent where the noise pollution is under control. These are Alipur, Booth Khurd, Bawana, Rohini, Nazafgarh and Aurobindo Marg. One of the chief reasons of noise pollution becoming so big is the general negligence of the government and the people. While the air pollution has attracted much attention in recent years, we hardly hear any one talking about noise pollution. Now, we must pay more attention towards it. Word-Notes: Monitor—oversee. Locations—places. Zones—areas. Intriguing—wily. 6 DU has decided not to give any benefit for admission in the ECA category. Write an analytical paragraph on the subject. (150–200 words) HOW NO ADMISSION UNDER ECA WILL HURT ECA seats ECA Creative writing, dance, debate (English and Hindi), 1,049 disciplines digital media, fine arts, music, music–instrumental (Indian (as per 2019) 14 and western), theatre, quiz, divinity, NCC, NSS, and yoga College-wise distribution Applications Total admissions 10,000 1,027Indian vocal music has 83 seats spread over 53 colleges, Indian classical dance has 80 in 45 colleges, (2019) in DU under ECA NCC has 65 seats in 24 colleges, NSS approx. (as per 2019) 52 spread over 29 colleges. DU’s standing committee on admissions has decided that no admission will take place in 2020 under ECA, except under NSS and NCC. Answer DU Hopefuls are Left in Lurch Many students were disappointed that DU would not be conducting any admission in the extracurricular activity (ECA) quota in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. There were several class XII students who had participated in national-level competitions and were aspiring to join DU on the basis of their performance in these competitions. It was disheartening for hundreds of students who were not able to appear for ECA trials that year. These students ask if sports admissions can be done through certificates, why not ECA? Previous year as many as 1,027 students got admission through ECA quotas. They say that the absence of ECA admissions may have impact on the cultural space of DU, famous for its many cultural societies. However, some people say that the authenticity of certificates of ECA is not very reliable. It is certain that this worked in favour of lesser known colleges where talented students with lesser marks could get admission.
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 193 Word-Notes: Conducting—steering. Several—quite a few. Performance—feat/ work. Disheartening—distressing. Impact—influence. Authenticity—legitimacy. Reliable—trustworthy. 7 Do the open book examinations bode well for the future of the students? On the basis of the picture given below, write an analytical paragraph on the topic ‘Open Book Exams’. A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? Tests conducted for Panel Ø certificate/diploma/advanced of teachers diploma courses in foreign languages was in touch Ø foreign languages with students through calls, How it was done WhatsApp 1 Some colleges emailed the questions to students Ø Students emailed back scanned answer sheets 2 Some colleges created login/ password system on portal Ø Scanned answer sheets uploaded on portal PROBLEMS FACED HOW MAIN THING WILL BE DIFFERENT Ø Network issues Ø Some sent several emails Ø DU will create a portal, where all students Ø Some students Ø Page numbers not will login and access paper on dashboard not aware of written down, causing Ø One portal to handle student traffic, unlike scanning process problem for examiners the decentralised process this time Answer Open Book Exams Several colleges of Delhi University conducted online Open Book Examination (OBE) for their students. Certificate/diploma exams were held for the students enrolled in different foreign language courses. While the response to the examinations was good, students faced problems in uploading their scanned answer sheets. Many did not know how to use the scanning processes and found it difficult to upload answer sheets on portals. For the online tests, the foreign language department had sent the question papers to the respective colleges. Some colleges emailed the questions to the students, while others created a login process with passwords on their portals for the exam purpose. The examination was, however, not without problems faced by the students. At some places, network was not available at the time. There were some students who were not aware of scanning process. Lack of knowledge made some students send several emails. Some examiners complained that many students did not write page numbers causing difficulty in evaluating the answers. University has decided to take some concrete steps to tide over these difficulties. The first step is that DU will create a portal where students will login and access paper on dashboard. There will be other portals to handle student traffic unlike the decentralised process of this time. Word-Notes: Enrolled—registered oneself or someone in something, often a class. Uploading—copying a computer file from a small computer system to a larger one. Login—an act of logging in to a computer, database, or system. Portal—a website used
194 WRITING as a point of entry to the Internet, where information has been collected that will be used to a person interested in particular kinds of things. Concrete—real or definite. Tide over—remove. Dashboard—a tool used for information management and business intelligence. 8 It seems that China does not believe in international rules. Its behaviour is a great challenge to the democracy around the world. So, several countries have decided to face the China challenge together. Should India also join them? Write an analytical paragraph based on the picture below in 150-200 words. U.S.A. Japan Germany Sweden Canada U.K. Norway Answer The China Challenge Eight countries including the US, Germany, the UK, Japan, Australia, Canada, Sweden and Norway, have joined hands. They have done so to fight the challenge posed by China to the democracies around the world. The desire is to give appropriate and coordinated answer and help craft a proactive and strategic approach. There is no doubt that China's economic rise has put democratic countries under tremendous pressure. As the figure shows China seems to move them the way it likes. But facing China alone involves great cost for any nation. So, they have formed a group and are calling upon other democratic countries to unite in the common defence of the democratic system. Covid-19 like pandemics can rise again and again if the world gets seduced by China's economy. As a result democracy has emerged the central pivot around which the aforesaid countries are trying to unite. The world is rapidly changing into a new form. In this the contest between the democratic world and China is going to be a major divisive issue which is likely to have serious consequences. Although India has many differences with these democratic countries, we will have to find ways to join them partly if not wholely. China is perhaps the greatest challenge to us.
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 195 Word-Notes: Appropriate—proper. Coordinated—organised. Craft—operate. Proactive—initiative and not reactive. Strategic—conductive. Tremendous— much. Involves—implicates. Seduced—deceived. Emerged—risen. Pivot—axis. Rapidly—fast. 9 During the Covid-19 crisis and the consequent lockdowns, the consumption of sugar worldwide has decreased. Write an analytical paragraph of about 150–200 words on the issue using the data in the chart given below and your own experience. THE BITTER PICTURE Developing countries lead 6 World sugar demand to drop sugar consumption (in %) for 1st time in 40 yrs (chg in %) 10 4 11 23 12 23 2 21 2.0 1999-00 Far East & Middle East & 0 –1.4 –1.2 Oceania North Africa South Indian 1979-80 2019.-20 America subcontinent West & Central Europe Other –2 Answer Stuck at Home, the World is Eating Less Sugar The left part of the figure above shows how the world consumes sugar. Developing countries like India are the ones that consume more sugar. The right part of the figure shows that after 1979-80, it is for the first time in 2019-20 that the sugar consumption has fallen so much. If it had fallen by 1.4% in 1979-80, it has fallen by 12% in 2020-21. For years, governments, doctors and celebrity chefs tried and failed to get the world to consume less sugar. Then the pandemic hit. Consumption out of home is normally more than what you would now substitute and have at home. If you go to the cinema, you would probably quite happily have a litre or maybe more of soda while you watch the film, whereas we just do not think people would drink a whole litre of soda while watching TV. The sugar industry was already under siege before the corona virus hit. Demand slowed in recent years as health groups urged people to cut back on carbs amid obesity concerns. Companies responded by selling slimmed-down treats and sugar-free sodas. Falling demand will mean bigger-than-expected sugar surpluses this season and next. Even though people may turn to comfort foods like ice cream, but it will not offset lost consumption much. Word-Notes: Substitute—shift. Siege—pressure. Urged—advised. Carbs—food like sugar. Obesity—fatness. Responded—replied. Slimmed—thinned. Treats—deals. Offset—counterbalance.
196 WRITING 10 On the basis of the hints given below write an analytical paragraph of 150–200 words on how to behave in case of a strong earthquake. You may add your own ideas too. Answer Dos and Don’ts in Case of a Strong Quake The tectonic plate in the National Capital Region is currently quite active. The above picture shows that since April 12 the earthquake has hit Delhi and Rohtak six times each and Faridabad thrice, in the magnitude range of 1-4.5. Experts believe that with earthquakes up to 6.8 in magnitude recorded in the past, an emergency kit carrying important documents and essentials like food and water must be kept packed near the exit of the house in case of any emergency or disaster. Preparing a “go bag” is important, but running out during an earthquake is generally not easy. High-rise residents should first run for cover, particularly under a strong table or bed. Usually, people think of rushing out immediately, but this can be risky for high- rise residents. You need to protect your head and brace for the earthquake. Only when it seems safe, you can take the kit and head out. Even outside, one needs to stand away from wires and electricity poles, which may fall. It will also depend on the time of the day. At night, for instance, if you are sleeping, the ideal thing is to look for cover. You can hide under a bed, table or crouch in the corner and cover your head. A ceiling will fall in the middle of the room. People should avoid elevators at all costs. In fact the activity in the region is an indicator warning for better preparedness. Not only agencies and the government, but people too must be more cautious. Due to Delhi’s proximity to the Himalayan region, it may record an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude. When the building is shaking violently, furniture is sliding around, cupboards and paintings are falling over and light fittings are falling from above, the best strategy is
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 197 to take cover under a sturdy table or bed. A pillow can be used to protect your head and neck. Once the earthquake stops, the gas supply should be turned off and people should head out using the stairs. If trapped under debris, tap something so that rescuers can locate you and refrain from shouting to conserve energy. There may be more panic in apartments, so it is important to have a plan. New buildings should be built to be sturdy and older ones can be strengthened too. Word-Notes: Magnitude—size. Disaster—calamity. Protect—save. Brace—fortify/ pair. Crouch—cringe. Proximity—nearness. Sturdy—firm. Trapped—caught. Debris—ruins. 11 Inflation is common and it hurts the people but during the countrywide lockdown, India has seen a great deal of deflation in wholesale prices of the articles of daily use. Write an analytical paragraph of about 150–200 words on the subject taking help of the data given below. LOCKDOWN TAKES TOLL ON DEMAND 10 Consumer Price Index data not INFLATION (%) IN MAJOR 7.6 CATEGORIES IN MAY 6.6 available for April, May; 8 5.9 Fuel & Power 6 4 3.5 Wholesale Price Index data not –19.8 2.3 available for April 2 0.4 Apr May Vegetables 0 –12.5 Jan Feb Mar Manufactured products –2 –3.2 (Indicates loss of pricing –0.4 CPI inflation (%) WPI inflation (%) –4 power for manufacturers) Answer After over 4 Yrs, Wholesale Prices in Deflationary Zone Wholesale price inflation entered the deflationary zone for the first time in over four years. This reflects sharp dip in demand due to the lockdown enforced to stem the spread of the corona virus. WPI refers to Wholesale Price Index and CPI to Consumer Price Index. Both of these have fallen continuously during the lockdown. The fall in the WPI is faster than that of CPI. It clearly shows that the consumers have not as benefitted from this fall as the middlemen. Since the people remained in their houses almost all day, the cars etc. were not much in use. Even the public transport enjoyed a holiday. Consequently the price of fuel and power also fell. The hotels and restaurants were closed resulting in the lesser use of vegetables. So, there was a fall in vegetable price also. In brief the lockdown resulted in lack of demand everywhere. This lack of demand adversely affected the manufacturing sector too which was perhaps forced to lower the production a little. Word-Notes: Consequently—as a result. Adversely—badly. 12 Study the chart given below, which is the result of the survey conducted in the public schools and government schools of Vadodara. This depicts the types of activities the teenagers (age 13-19 years are involved during their leisure time). The study is based on about 2000 students. Write an analytical paragraph in about 150–200 words.
198 WRITING 50.00% 45.00% 40.00% 35.00% 30.00% Public 25.00% Government 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 5.00% 0.00% Watching TV Net surfing Cell Phone Friends Answer Teenagers and Leisure Time The Internet has affected us to a great extent. The reason is that the Internet is the key to almost every question—academic or non-academic. It has also affected the teenagers. This we conclude from a survey recently conducted. A survey was conducted recently on some 2000 students of two leading schools— one government and the other a public one on how the teenagers (aged 13-19) spend their leisure time. Nowadays the teenagers are more techno-savvy than the children used to be ten years back. They do not play traditional games like Ludo, Carom, Chess or other indoor games. Nor do they indulge in reading comics as we used to do. 9-18% of boys and girls in the age group of 13-19 years possess their own cell phones. Around 50% students from public schools and 10% from government ones spend more of their leisure time in net-surfing. 25% students from public schools and around 35% from the government school spend it in watching TV. Around 20% public school students and 28% government school students spend their time in talking to their friends. Word-Note: Indulge—spend time. 13 The data that follows in the form of histogram shows that death due to violence has increased considerably during recent years. Write an analytical paragraph in 150–200 words on how much educated youth can play a major role in establishing peace in society. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Answer Role of Youth in Establishing Peace in Society Youth and peace are interlinked in society. Youth can play an important role in establishing peace in society. In a survey conducted, it has been found that number of deaths due to violence have increased enormously in the twenties. Death rate in 1000s
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 199 was 2.5 in 2000. It went up to 3.5 in 2005, 4.5 in 2010 but 6.5 in 2015. Every year it increased by 1 but in 2015 it did by 2, i.e. 7.5. It is really very sad and unfortunate. It must be checked. Our youth can play a major role in controlling this graph. They can contribute towards establishing peace in many ways. They can awaken the people towards the necessity of peace. They can help the police in catching the criminals. They can bring the criminals in the main stream by educating them and they can do much more. Perhaps, the most important thing they can do is to help one another instead of fighting one another. The spirit of love and tolerance is something, which the society needs more than anything else. The society is safe when the youth are at peace with themselves. Word-Notes: Interlinked—connected. Enormously—very much. Contribute—help. 14 You are a member of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in your locality. The following pie-chart reflects the attitude of the people towards animals. In response to this, write an analytical paragraph to be published in the forthcoming issue of ‘The Week’ on why animals are ill-treated and what can be done to prevent it. As Ramesh/ Ranjini, write the paragraph in about 150–200 words. Indifferent Belief that attitude animals are 35% man’s slaves 15% Animals are exploited for selfish interests 50% Answer Cruelty towards Animals It is really sad that many animals are treated cruelly. This scene is there on the roads before the common people and those belonging to the government agencies. These agencies protect the animals in the right spirit but on paper only. This cruelty towards animals is due to various reasons. For instance, 35% of the people have an indifferent attitude towards animal cruelty. 15% believe that animals are man’s slaves. 50% believe that animals are exploited for selfish interests. But it is a hard fact that animals are treated cruelly. We see them being beaten when they cannot pull quintals of load. Then they are boiled alive for medicinal purposes. Animals are our friends, helpers and necessary for our survival. They maintain the ecological balance of nature. For instance, peacocks kill the snakes, snakes kill the rats, rats destroy the crops. This natural web of life is fundamental to human survival. Beating the animals on the roads shows our apathy towards them. We should report to the SPCA if we see cruelty done to them. A serious view should be taken by the government officials. They must work for animals’ interests. We should know that animals are like us—living beings and feel pain and pleasure like us.
200 WRITING Word-Notes: Indifferent—unconcerned. Survival—life. Apathy—coldness/ unfeelingness. 15 Census 2021 has gone several steps ahead in trying to find out to what extent India has been modernising itself. As an enumerator you have to fill in a questionnaire with several entries, which is a clear indicator of the influence of science and technology. Based on the information below write an analytical paragraph in the “Young Times” on Modernity in Indian homes. Write your answer in not more than 150–200 words. Digitalisation NEW ENTRIES TV and Computer Car Smartphone Jeep Scooter Van Moped Drinking water purifiers like R.O. water Waste water drainage, etc. Answer As an enumerator for Census 2021, I came across many startling facts about our great country. India is in the phase of a great transition. The primitive, conservative and ruralised India is vanishing. In its place is emerging an India which can be called ‘New India’ or ‘Digital India’ based on science and technology. We can pay all bills like water, electricity etc. online. The use of mobile banking, smart card, e-wallets, prepaid cards etc. has been increasing in India significantly. No need to visit banks anymore as all bank transactions can be done online. The new entries were all about TV, computer, smartphone, modes of transport like jeep, van, car, scooter and moped, awareness about drinking water purifiers, etc. In this new awakening, India is emerging as a changed nation. Its people value most the scientific mind and want to live in perfect health and ease. Obviously, all this has been possible due to the advancement in science and technology. Gone are the days when man used to walk and walk without any amenities. Now he has all the comforts at his command. He can fly like birds. He can talk to his kinsmen sitting thousands of miles away. He can see on TV or even on his smartphone what is happening around the world. He is equally aware of what can harm his health. Obviously, modernity has entered Indian homes. That is why, people have longevity. They live for more years than their ancestors due to this influence of science and technology in Indian homes. Then there are all kinds of facilities at man’s disposal. We can say that life today is more comfortable than it was fifty years before. Word-Notes: Startling—alarming. Phase—period. Transition—change. Primitive— old. Conservative—not liking change. Ruralised—of villages. Amenities—comfort. Kinsmen—relatives. Longevity—long age. Ancestors—forefathers. 16 ‘Massive poaching in the past two years has wiped out the entire tiger population at one of the tiger reserves in India,’ says one of the investigation reports. Look at the visual below and notice how the number of tigers in India is falling. Using your own ideas and clues from, write an analytical paragraph in about 150–200 words for the ‘Eco-World’ magazine, expressing your concern on the issue.
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 201 FALLING NUMBERS Official Estimates of Tigers in the Wild 2007 4,384 2017 2002 2012 2020 2016 1997 Answer Tigers Nearing to Extinction It is a matter of grave concern that tigers in our country are slowly nearing to extinction. Massive poaching in the past two years has wiped out the entire tiger population at one of the tigers reserves in India. If we look at their falling numbers, we find that their number fell by 1827 in 1997, 3015 in 2002, 4005 in 2007, 4384 in 2012, 3750 in 2016, 3500 in 2017 and 3508 in 2020 though falling number decreased in 2016 and 2017. If this continues, they will soon be extinct. Tigers and other wild animals constitute the ecological balance of nature. This ecological balance ensures the sustaining of human life and race. Increasing urbanisation and vanishing forests have caused killing of many wild animals. Man’s craze for fashion items from the hides of these animals is also responsible for the decreasing population of wild animals. Then the energy-giving aspects of tigers’ bones etc. are also behind their poaching. Tigers live in the Himalayan range. They are poached and the parts of their bodies are smuggled secretly to China and such other places where they fetch huge prices. It is really very sad that man’s greed is increasing for things made from the tigers’ parts. The government should take immediate steps to contain the poaching of tigers in the country. It should make anti-poaching laws more strict. It should also open more tiger reserves. Word-Notes: Grave—serious/much. Extinction—finish. Poaching—illegal hunting. Constitute—make. Ecological—connected with the relation of plants and living creatures to each other and to their environment. Urbanisation—making of cities. Craze—mania. Hides—skins. Fetch—bring. 17 The visual given below makes it quite clear that the number of female children has drastically declined with the passage of time. The number is getting abysmally low in various states. Using the visual together with your own ideas, write an analytical paragraph in about 150–200 words on the decreasing number of females in the country. Suggest measures to tackle this problem.
202 WRITING Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 Males): India 2009–2020 980 972 970 964 960 955 950 950 945 946 940 941 940 934 933 930 930 927 920 910 900 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Answer Decreasing Number of Females in the Country With the passage of time the number of females in proportion to males has been drastically decreasing. It was 972 in 2009. Since then, the girl ratio has been decreasing constantly, except with the slight increases thrice. If this rapid decrease continues, the civilised survival of human race will be greatly threatened. All of us know how females are important for the continuity and survival of human race. The fall in their number may be due to many reasons like dowry, other superstitious beliefs like salvation of the parents by their male child, etc. But this sex ratio foretells unhappy developments for the human society. The northern states of the country are already feeling these effects. Young men do not find young brides. So girls to be brides are being bought from Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. The young men can be a potent threat to the law and order situation of the society if they remain unmarried. It is very difficult to kill one’s natural and biological urges. People should understand the importance of the girl child. She can create a heaven by her qualities of head and heart when she grows up. Very often, she serves her old parents more than a boy does. The government must devise plans to better this sex ratio through various awareness programmes. Word-Notes: Drastically—badly. Survival—life. Devise—make 18 Even after more than seven decades of Independence our country is imprisoned in chains of illiteracy. Study the chart given below and write an analytical paragraph on the ‘Literacy Rate in India’. KERALA TOPS THE LIST NSO Literacy rates for those aged 7 or more (%) Top 5 State/UT Person India 77.7 Bottom 5 State/UT Person Kerala 96.2 Delhi UP 73.0 88.7 U’khand 87.6 Telangana 72.8 Himachal 86.6 85.9 Bihar 70.9 Assam 77.2 Karnataka Rajasthan 69.7 Andhra 66.4
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 203 Answer Rate of Illiteracy in India The chart above gives the literacy rate in various states of India. People have a general perception that southern states are better educated. Surprisingly the chart shows that Andhra Pradesh’s rate of 66.4% literacy is the worst among all states. Significantly, it is 4.5% lower than Bihar’s and 3.3% lower than Rajasthan’s. Similarly, Telangana’s 72.8% is well below the national average of 77.7%. In fact the surprises are many. Assam is well above the national average with 85.9%. Karnataka’s 77.2% pales in comparison to Uttarakhand’s 87.6%. Uttarakhand’s 87.6% is just below of Delhi’s 88.7%. These two are bettered only by Kerala’s 96.2%. This data released by National Statistical Office (NSO) shows that when it comes to literacy, the notion of developed states can be misleading. It is heartening to find that U.P., the largest state of the country, is not much behind in the literary race. On the other hand the illiteracy in states like Andhra Pradesh is worrisome. The truth, therefore, remains that the country has still a long way to go to achieve complete literacy. Word-Notes: Perception—view. Released—brought out. Misleading—false. 19 Lockdown had a salutary effect on various objects of nature. The river Yamuna is one of them. Look at the two curves below and write an analytical paragraph on the state of the Yamuna water. What has lockdown done to it? RIVER BREATHES EASIER AS PEOPLE STAY INDOORS DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVEL Tibetan Pre-Lockdown Tibetan Post-Lockdown Colony Colony DO(mg/l) DO(mg/l) Feb. 12, 2020 June 5, 2020 Usmanpur Delhi Usmanpur Civil Civil Lines Lines Chandni Chandni Chowk Chowk DO [ppm] 0.0 1.3 2.5 3.8 5.0 6.3 7.5 8.8 10.0 YAMUNA: POST-LOCKDOWN VS PRE-LOCKDOWN Answer Yamuna Water Lockdown has had a positive impact on the Yamuna. The river has increased its dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. The data starts from Feb. 12, 2020 to May and June, the latest of which refers to June 5, 2020. The dissolved oxygen levels are essential for sustaining aquatic life in the river. In May, the average readings ranged around
204 WRITING 2.82 mg/l for the month. In comparison the same DO level was 0 mg/l when the readings were taken in February. Clearly the pollution of water has decreased and Yamuna is breathing easier as few people are coming to disturb and pollute the sacred water. In the given picture black colour denotes the danger level while the magenta denotes the oxygen. Though the level of dissolved oxygen has increased everywhere during the lockdown, it has done most in area from Tibetan Colony to Civil Lines. This is a very welcome change not only for the aquatic life but also for the people living in this area. In short, when the Yamuna breathes easier, the people also do and live a healthier life. Word-Notes: Positive—good/welcome. Impact—influence. Latest—last. Essential— necessary. Sustaining—keeping alive and healthy. Aquatic—watery/living in water. Ranged—ranked. Decreased—lessened. Sacred—holy. 20 The picture below shows how the construction of Phase III of the Barapullah elevated corridor has delayed. Write an analytical paragraph on this delay in about 150 words. BARAPULLAH PHASE-III Phase I Mayur Vihar WHAT HOLDS Phase I connects Sarai Kale Khan UP THE WORK to JLN Stadium 4km Sarai Kale 3.5km Phase II Khan long ä Two connects JLN Stadium patches of to INA 2km private land measuring JLN about Stadium 8.5 acres DND N O I D A ä Time to be taken to INA Sec 15 complete AIIMS D EL H I construction after land acquisition 20 months Work started Initial deadline New deadline April 2015 October 2017 October 31, 2020 Answer Barapullah Corridor The Phase III of Barapullah Corridor aims to connect Mayur Vihar Phase I of east Delhi with INA market in the south. Sarai Kale Khan falls in between. The figure shows that this construction has faced many hurdles. The work started in April 2015 when the deadline was October 2017. The main cause of delay was perhaps the two patches of private land which measured about 8.5 acres. Apparently the government took time to acquire it. After this land was acquired 20 months were needed to complete construction. So the new deadline was October 31, 2020. This indicates how the important things of public good are delayed causing loss of time and money. This third phase is 3.5 kilometres. This is longer than phase 1 or phase 2. When completed the distance between Mayur Vihar Phase 1 and INA will be considerably reduced. The people whose area falls between Mayur Vihar Phase I and INA can also use this elevated corridor. Word-Notes: Hurdles—obstacles. Deadline—the date of completion. Patches—pieces.
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 205 EXERCISE FOR PRACTICE 1 You are Varun/Vijay. Our country is experiencing drought and water shortage due to low and inadequate rainfall. You are very much concerned about it. Making use of the information in the visual and your own ideas, draft an analytical paragraph on the drought in various parts of the country and what we should do to promote rainfall and to provide water facility to the public. Your answer should not exceed 150–200 words. LOWER IN SOME ‘SUB-DIVISIONS’ What matters more, the fact or the terminology? Meteorological sub-division Rainfall (percent below normal) SEVERE DROUGHT – 71 – 60 West Rajasthan East Rajasthan – 36 MODERATE DROUGHT – 36 Haryana – 36 Chandigarh – 36 Delhi – 26 Punjab – 33 Coastal Andhra Pradesh – 31 Rayalseema – 44 North Interior Karnataka – 30 South Interior Karnataka – 45 Coastal Karnataka – 35 Tamil Nadu Kerala Lakshadweep – 45 2 Make use of the following chart and the ideas and write an analytical paragraph on “Tree Plantation’’ using not more than 150–200 words. TREE PLANTATION Olden Times Modern Times In Future Kings Local Governments People Roads, Buildings, Roads, Parks Everywhere on Palaces, Gardens vacant space if any 3 Manish is given an assignment by his class teacher to write on development of tourism in India. While looking for data, he came across the following statistics in a book. Using your own ideas and these statistics, write an analytical paragraph using not more than 150–200 words.
206 WRITING Number of Tourists over the Last Five Years Years ago Number of Tourists (in thousands) Indian Foreign 5 years ago 25 37 4 years ago 31 37 3 years ago 26 50 2 years ago 21 55 1 year ago 27 59 this year 36 90 4 You are the Captain of Everest House of your school. Write an analytical paragraph on noise pollution, interpreting the data given below. Also, give your suggestions on how it can be curbed. Write your answer in not more than 150–200 words. City Loudness of sound Loudness of sound during during day (in decibels) night (in decibels) Kolkata 86 72 Chennai 78 73 Mumbai 77 67 Delhi 73 68 According to WHO, for sound health, loudness of sound during days should not exceed 55 decibels and during nights it should not exceed 35 decibels. 5 Study the graph given below, which is based on a survey done on students of tenth class in three different types of schools in Ahmedabad. The graph depicts the number of students speaking English and Hindi. On the basis of the details given in the bar-graph given below, briefly summarise the data making comparison wherever necessary and write an analytical paragraph in about 150–200 words. Hint: Compare the percentage of students speaking English and Hindi in all three schools giving the possible reasons. Begin like this: In a study conducted on the students of class tenth of three various types of schools–Government school, private school and a KV, it was observed that... 6 As an aware citizen of the country, you are 2000 concerned about the increase in road accidents in 1800 the metropolitan city Delhi. Write an analytical 1600 paragraph, interpreting the data given below in 1400 about 150–200 words. Also use your own ideas. 1200 1000 Horizontal line (x-axis) – years 800 Vertical line (y-axis) – no. of accidents 600 400 200 0 2018 2019 2020 2021
ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPHS 207 7 In the financial year (FY) 2020-21, IGI expected 73% decline in traffic. There seemed no chances of an early recovery. With the help of the charts given below, write an analytical article on “The State of 161 Airport”. What do you think are the reasons for fall in traffic and how can it be improved? DELHI AIRPORT FEELS THE HEAT No. of passengers (in cr) Domestic International Total FY 2019-20 4.9 Cr 6.7 cr Estimated traffic before Covid 1.8 Cr Estimated in 1.5 73% Down from 1.8 7.9 cr 2020-21 previous year 0.3 82% Estimated in 0.8 155% 2.8 97% 3.6 8.5 2021-22 1.3 50% Up from 5.1 9.1 previous year Estimated in 2022-23 3.8 40% Estimated in 5.4 36% 7.3 9.6 2023-24 1.9 50% Total passengers (in cr) at IGL over the years No. of domestic and international flights 6.3 6.9 2019-20 4.6 lakh 5.5 4.8 4.6 2020-21 1.6 3.9 3.6 2021-22 2.7 3.4 2022-23 3.6 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2023-24 Source: DIAL papers to AERA 8 Read the following excerpt from an online post of a website on educational practices. (Sample Question Paper 2022-23) Kids who appreciate how much efforts, time and care goes into growing food will understand how important farmers are, and why it’s important to take care of our Earth. In the world of today, gardening needs to be given more importance than sports, music and dance in all schools because it creates environmental stewards and outdoor learning laboratories that help the child and community for years to come. Write a paragraph in 100-120 words to analyse the given argument. You could think about what alternative explanations might weaken the given conclusion and include rationale/evidence that would strengthen/counter the given argument.
208 WRITING 9 Results of NEET-UG 2020 reveal that of nearly 7.7 lakh candidates who qualified, over 1.3 lakh took the test in 10 Indian languages with 25701 such students among the top 1 lakh. So the Centre plans to offer JEE (main) in regional languages too. However, there are no plans yet to hold JEE (Advanced) in any language other than English. How will it affect the IIT aspirants? Write an analytical paragraph on the topic ‘IIT Dream and Regional Languages’. Mention the correct way to do so. AFTER ENG. & HINDI, GUJARATI MOST PREFERRED TAMIL BENGALI KANNADA ODIYA URDU Number of candidates qualified till 80,000 rank (language-wise) RANK-RANGE ENGLISH HINDI TELUGU ASSAMESE GUJARATI MARATHI 1-20,000 17,155 2,445 0 0 246 3 50 95 1 6 0 20,001-50,000 25,051 4.099 0 1 543 5 92 199 4 7 0 50,001-80,000 25,250 3,757 4 11 640 15 91 221 5 5 1 Total 67,456 10,301 4 12 1,429 23 233 515 10 18 1 Number of candidates registered for NEET-UG 2020 (language-wise) Appeared Qualified Qualification % wrt to appeared ENGLISH 10.8 L 6.4 L 58.9 HINDI 1.8 L 86,871 48.7 ASSAMESE 3,644 652 17.9 BENGALI 29,335 12,734 43.4 GUJARATI 47,579 24,575 51.7 KANNADA 642 260 40.5 MARATHI 5,029 863 17.2 ODIYA 657 237 36 TAMIL 12,848 5,039 39.2 TELUGU 1,191 329 27.6 URDU 1,721 129 7.5 10 Gurmeet Kaur is an aspiring candidate for a public-funded engineering college in the suburbs. She belongs to a nearby village, has minimal technological skills and exposure, has the required cut-off percentage and is looking for a complete or partial scholarship. Write a paragraph in about 100-120 words, analysing her SWOT notes to support your stand on whether she should join/not join the college. (Sample Question Paper 2022-23) STRENGTH WEAKNESS • Strong Curriculum • Lack of diversity • Quality faculty • Student’s behavioural problems • Vibrant Activity Clubs • No hostel facility • Green location • Slow repair and maintenance work • Close proximity to residential areas • Underutilisation of IT Services • Lack of targeted advertisements to out-state students OPPORTUNITIES THREAT • Practice-based research • Lack of publicity in areas of excellence • Partnership with professional organisations • Public perception towards funded colleges • Strong alumni • Declining student’s interest towards technical • Acclaimed Student Exchange Programme subjects with European countries • Low employee morale due to budget cuts
FUNCTIONAL GRAMMAR 209
1 The Sentence 1. Language is sound—We use words, signs and gestures to express our thoughts and feelings. However signs and gestures most often fail to convey the feelings hidden behind our thoughts. Therefore, we have to depend on words to express our thoughts clearly. A letter is the shortest form (character) of sound in a language. All the letters in English ranging from A to Z are also termed as ‘Alphabet’. We form a word by joining some of these letters. Word is that unit of a language which has a clear and fixed meaning. For example—eat, go, man, boy, girl, on, are all words. Sometimes even a single letter can also be a word, e.g.,— ‘A’ (= any one). However, such single words fail to make the meaning clear without their proper context. However, we cannot form words by joining any of the letters at random. ‘Cat’ and ‘Act’ are words beyond doubt but ‘atc’ (a combination of the same three letters) is no word. 2. Sentence—While we speak, we make use of a group of words. Such a group of words that conveys a complete sense is called a Sentence. But the words are arranged in a definite order in a sentence. Then alone it imparts a complete and clear sense. Look at the sentences given below. A a cat mat sat on. Under repair is the road. Your show tickets please. The words given above form groups but they cannot be called sentences because they are not arranged in a definite order and do not make any sense. A cat sat on a mat. Beware of cheats. What a cute baby ! The groups of words given above are called sentences because the words are arranged in a definite order in them and they convey a complete sense. Now look at the following groups of words— at sunrise in the evening. Whom people like because she lost her purse. These groups of words do not express complete thoughts. Therefore, they cannot be called sentences. Look at the following group of words : She brothers has two. Idlers hates she. Sweet dishes does not who like ? Each of the above groups of words has a subject and a verb of its own. The individual words also convey some meaning. However, they are not arranged in proper order. We may ‘call them’ jumbled groups of words. We have to rearrange them as under. 210
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