Compulsory English-I: Communication Skills PDF

Code: 1423/5404/9407 COMPULSORY ENGLISH-I BA/BS/BEd/Associate Degree COMMUNICATION SKILLS Department of English Language & Applied Linguistics ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD  COMPULSORY ENGLISH–I BA / BS / BEd / Associate Degree COMMUNICATION SK...

Code: 1423/5404/9407 COMPULSORY ENGLISH-I BA/BS/BEd/Associate Degree COMMUNICATION SKILLS Department of English Language & Applied Linguistics ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD  COMPULSORY ENGLISH–I BA / BS / BEd / Associate Degree COMMUNICATION SKILLS Course Code: 1423/5404/9407 Units: 1–9 Department of English Language & Applied Linguistics Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad  (All Rights Reserved with the Publisher) Printing Year............................. 2023 Quantity..................................... 145300 Typeset by................................. M. Hameed Zahid Printing Incharge...................... Dr. Sarmad Iqbal Printer........................................ Pakistan Post Foundation Press, Islamabad. Publisher.................................... Allama Iqbal Open University, H-8, Islamabad ii  COURSE TEAM Chairman: Dr. Malik Ajmal Gulzar Course Development Coordinator: Ms. Farzana Ursani Akbar Editor: Ms. Farzana Ursani Akbar Producer: Mr. Muneer Malik iii  CONTENTS Page # Introduction of the Course vii Objectives of the Course viii Organization of the Course ix UNIT 1 Section A Function Asking and Answering Questions 1 Section B Structure Simple Present and Present Continuous Tenses 16 Section C Reading Guessing the Meaning of Words 29 Section D Writing Writing Connected Sentences 37 Section E Listening Understanding Directions 45 UNIT 2 Section A Function Seeking Confirmation 50 Section B Structure The Present Perfect Tense 57 Section C Reading Synonyms and Antonyms 62 Section D Writing Informal Letters 67 Section E Listening Listening to a Lecture and Taking Notes 73 UNIT 3 Section A Function Agreeing and Disagreeing 83 Section B Structure The Simple Past Tense 90 Section C Reading Predicting the Content of a Book 98 Section D Writing Letters of Apology 103 Section E Listening Listening to the News 110 iv UNIT 4 Section A Function Expressing Possibility and Impossibility 114 Section B Structure Modal Verbs 126 Section C Reading Skimming and Scanning 130 Section D Writing Letters Giving Advice 140 Section E Listening Giving Advice 149 UNIT 5 Section A Function Expressing Certainty and Uncertainty Expressing Obligation 155 Section B Structure Active and Passive Voice 168 Section C Reading Functions in the Text 173 Section D Writing Writing Formal Letters: Job Applications 179 Section E Listening Listening to Job Interview 189 UNIT 6 Section A Function Expressing Preference and Expressing Intention 195 Section B Structure Simple Future Tense 205 Section C Reading Main Ideas and Supporting Details 211 Section D Writing Paragraph Development 220 Section E Listening Listening to Announcements 225 UNIT 7 Section A Function Asking Giving and Refusing Permission 231 Section B Structure Future Continuous 240 Section C Reading General Reading Exercises 247 Section D Writing Writing an Essay 258 Section E Listening Listening to a Speech 269 v UNIT 8 Section A Function Expressing Appreciation, Admiration, Pleasure and Gratitude 275 Section B Structure Indirect or Reported Speech 286 Section C Reading Making Inferences 292 Section D Writing Descriptive Writing 300 Section E Listening Listening to Descriptions 311 UNIT 9 Section A Function Advice & Suggestions 315 Section B Structure Clauses: Main or Independent Clause Dependent or Subordinating Clause 327 Section C Reading Facts and Opinions 334 Section D Writing Narrative Writing 341 Section E Listening Listening to a Story 347 vi  INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE Welcome to the BA/BS “Compulsory English-I: Communication Skills” course. It comprises nine (9) units carrying three credit hours that you have to complete in one semester. The course aims at a positive, constructive and practical approach to learning English language by helping you develop the four language skills such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing, with a special focus on functional grammar. It will hopefully facilitate you to compete in all kinds of educational and professional opportunities that you encounter in your daily life with confidence and ease. This is a highly practical and interactive course. We will encourage you to participate both individually and in small groups in your tutorials involving yourself in a variety of practical exercises, interactive discussions and role plays that we have given throughout the course. It is often said that we learn by doing. This is particularly true about language learning. We learn a language by practising and using it. Therefore, we have designed this course as an activity-based course. You should try to do every exercise. Some of them are short and easy; while, others are longer and more difficult and so require more attention. Whether the exercises are easy or difficult. we have tried to give simple instructions and clear examples for you to follow, so you should know exactly what to do. vii  OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:  Perform various language functions like asking and answering questions, seeking confirmation, agreeing or disagreeing, expressing preference and intention, asking for permission and accepting or declining permission, expressing appreciation and gratitude, etc.  Demonstrate knowledge of specific grammatical concepts.  Read for specific purposes by skimming and scanning the texts, identifying main ideas and supporting details, making inferences, drawing accurate conclusions, and identifying author' s purpose.  Write cohesive paragraphs and essays.  Develop vocabulary skills through meaningful vocabulary development exercises. viii  ORGANIZATION OF THE COURSE As already mentioned, The “Compulsory English 1: Communication Skills” course comprises nine (9) units carrying three credit hours. Each unit has five sections that are: Section A Function Section B Structure Section C Reading Section D Writing Section E Listening Section A: Function What is meant by "function"? It is the language that you need to participate or interact in a variety of everyday social and work related situations. "Function" therefore, means using the language suitable in situations or circumstances that we all encounter in our routine life. In this section, you are given ample opportunities to practise and perform functions such as asking questions, solicit permission, agree or disagree, express appreciation, and give advice and suggestions. All the above are the functions of a language and knowing and mastering these mean that you know how to express yourself correctly and carry out conversations in English in any kind of situation that you may face in everyday life. Many of the short dialogues or conversations in Section A are recorded on an audio cassette which accompanies this course. These dialogues are used to teach you important functions of the language and they also offer you excellent opportunities to practise listening and speaking skills. Section B: Structure This Section is basically a grammar section. In this section, you will learn to form and use important grammatical structures like:  The Present Tense  The Past Tense ix  Reported Speech  Active and Passive Voice  Modals, etc. The exercises are designed to give you a generous practice in forming and using these grammatical structures in meaningful contexts. Section C: Reading The purpose of this section is to develop your reading skills. You are introduced and guided to apply a variety of reading techniques or Strategies and skills needed for reading any kind of text in English and in doing so you will, hopefully, become a fast, competent and a better reader. Most of the reading passages chosen are authentic texts taken from newspapers and magazines. The following are some of the important reading techniques given in this section:  Skimming or reading a text to get a general overview  Scanning or reading a text to get specific information  Making inferences or making logical and reasonable guesses  Guessing meaning from the context  Comprehending main ideas  Recognizing supporting details  Identifying facts and opinions Section D: Writing Writing is one of the most important language skills to master. In this section, you are given sufficient practice to carry out practical writing tasks like:  Writing informal or friendly letters  Writing formal letters with specific focus on job application letters  Writing effective paragraphs  Writing descriptive and narrative essays  Organising your essays, etc. x Section E: Listening In Section E of each unit you are given practice to listen to a variety of listening samples such as conversations, lectures, stories, and speeches that will help you improve your listening skills. You have to complete tasks and exercises that will test your general and specific listening competence. This section, therefore, gives you opportunities to:  Listen and understand directions  Listen to a lecture and take notes  Listen to announcements  Listen to descriptions  Listen to a speech  Listen to a story  Symbols used in the course book There are three symbols used in the course book. These symbols are: Cassette a pointing hand a key The picture of a cassette along with the number of the recorded text or dialogue will alert you to listen to that particular dialogue or text and then do the accompanying exercises. We strongly advise you to listen to these recorded texts and do. the exercises as without which you will not be able to understand the specific purpose or meaning of the unit. The instructions above each recorded text tell you to listen to the following dialogue (Recorded Text 12) on your cassette." You may listen to a recorded text as often as you wish. The more the better! xi  The symbol of the hand suggests that this is an explanation of an important point. If you still need help in understanding that point or concept, please ask your tutor for further explanation. As you go about the course you will notice that certain exercises have the symbol of a key. This tells you that the answers for these exercises can be found in the key section at the end of the book. If you want to seriously learn English language, we recommend that you should buy a good English language dictionary and a good grammar book. Also to practise communicating in English, you need to read English books and newspapers as much as possible. You should also try to listen to English language broadcasts on radio and on television. Assignments and Examination You are required to do two (2) assignments. Assignment 1 will be based on units 1–4 and assignment 2 will be based on units 5–9. At the end of the semester, you will be examined on the whole course. The assessment will be based partly on the assignments and partly on the final examination. We wish you all the success in your studies. Farzana Ursani xii  UNIT 1 Section A FUNCTION Asking and Answering Questions A young man Yaasir has been stopped for over speeding. A Policeman is asking him some questions. Listen to the conversation between them on your cassette recorder. Recorded Text 1 Policeman: May I know your name please, sir? Yaasir: What? 1 P: Your name, please? Y: Oh, yes. Yaasir Malik. P: And your address? Y: Hmmm? P: Your address, sir, where do you live? Y: Uh.... 45 Margalla Road. P: And your age? How old are you? Y: 21. P: Have you got your driving licence, sir? Y: No, not at the moment. Can I bring it to the police station later? It's at home. P: Certainly, sir. What make is this car? Y: It’s a Toyota Corolla. P: And what year is it? Y: 2006. P: How long have you been driving? Y: About five years. P: Have you ever been stopped by the police before? Y: No, never. Let’s repeat the questions that the Policeman asked Yaasir:  May I know your name please, sir?  Your name, please?  And your address?  Your address, sir, where do you live?  And your age? How old are you?  Have you got your driving licence, sir?  What make is this car?  And what year is it?  How long have you been driving?  Have you ever been stopped by the police before? There are many ways of asking questions in English but the most frequently used questions asked in English language begin with the letters WH, except the question-word How? To ask a WH question 2 correctly in English, we must put the WH word in front. Read these examples of WH questions:  WHEN...? Time When did they go to Peshawar? - Last year.  WHERE...? Place Where did they stay in Peshawar? – In a guest house  WHY...? Reason Why did they go to Peshawar? - Because they wanted to visit some old friends WHAT...? Object  What did they buy from Peshawar? – Some beautiful brass and copper items  WHICH...? Choice of two Which item did she like best? - The one that's made of copper  WHOSE...? Possession. Whose bag was the heaviest? – Jamal’s  WHOM...? Person /s Whom did they meet? – The Durrani’s  WHO...? Person Who took their order at the restaurant? - The waiter  HOW...? Manner 3  How did they travel to Peshawar? By car Exercise 1 Mrs Siddiqui has just heard that her grandson is going to get married in a few days. She wants to know all about the girl, so she asks a lot of questions. In the columns below, the questions and answers are all mixed up. 4 Can you match the questions given in column 1 with the correct answers in the column 2? Column 1 Column 2 1 What's her name? a Of course she does. 2 Where does she live? b He’s an Engineer. 3 How old is she? c I think she's very beautiful. 4 Has she finished college? d She’s tall and slender. She has long, black hair, large brown eyes and a beautiful smile. 5 What does her father do? e Yes, three. 6 Does she have any brothers? f Salma. 7 Is she pretty? g Of course she'll live here. 8 Does she speak Urdu? h Yes, she has. 9 What does she look like? i 20. 10 Will she come and live in Lahore? j In Peshawar. Exercise 2 What questions will you ask to get the following answers? Question: ___________________________________________________? Answer: Salma. Question: ___________________________________________________? Answer: In Peshawar. Question: ___________________________________________________? Answer: 20. Question: __________________________________________________? Answer: Yes, she has finished college. 5 Question: __________________________________________________? Answer: He's an engineer. Question: __________________________________________________? Answer: Yes, three brothers. Question: __________________________________________________? Answer: She's very beautiful. Question: __________________________________________________? Answer: Of course she speaks Urdu. Question: __________________________________________________? Answer: Yes, she will come and live in Lahore. Question: __________________________________________________? Answer: She is tall and slender and has long, black hair. In this Unit we will look closely at eight different ways of asking questions in English. Let us first learn the rules. Question type I Statement: She is pretty. Question: Is she pretty? Please note that in this type of question, the subject ‘she’ of the statement and the verb to be ‘am, is, are, was, were’ are inverted, changed round or reversed. Exercise 3 Read the following answers and write appropriate questions by reversing the sentence structure. Follow the rule given above in question type 1. 6 Question: ____________________________________________________? Answer: They are English. Question: ____________________________________________________? Answer: Anjum was here. Question: ____________________________________________________? Answer: They were at home. Question: ____________________________________________________? Answer: Salima was the best student. Question: ____________________________________________________? Answer: I am from Pakistan. Question type 2 Statement: She has finished school. Question: Has she finished school? Statement: They can come tomorrow. Question: Can they come tomorrow. This type of question is similar to type 1. The subject of the sentence ‘she’ and ‘they’ and the auxiliary or helping verbs ‘has’ and ‘can’ are reversed. Exercise 4 Form questions from the following answers by following the type 2 rules given above. You may notice that there are different auxiliary verbs used, but you can follow the same rule. Follow the example. 7 Question: Can he take it to the station________________________? Answer: He can take it to the station. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: She will come to Karachi. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: She has bought a new car. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: They will go for Hajj this year. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Arjumand can tell her. Question type 3 Statement He likes coffee. Question Does he like coffee? If there are no verb 'to be' and no auxiliary verb in the sentence then we use ‘do, does or did’ to form a question. Statement: He went to Sialkot Question: Did he go to Sialkot? Statement: They need a car. Question: Do they need a car. Exercise 5 Form questions from the following statements or answers: 8 Question: Does she come from Peshawar______________________? Answer: She comes from Peshawar. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: I enjoyed that film. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: I like this music. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Roohi wants to come. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Fahad ate all the cake. Exercise 6 You are helping a woman fill in the visa application form. She does not understand the questions. You must make the questions easier for her by repeating them in a different way. Example: Home address: What is your home address? Where do you live? 1 Name in full: ___________________________________? 2 Home address: ____________________________________? 3 Nationality: ____________________________________? 4 Age: ____________________________________? 5 Marital status: ____________________________________? 6 Purpose of visit: ____________________________________? 7 Place of birth: ____________________________________? 8 Date of birth: ____________________________________? 9 Length of visit: ____________________________________? 10 Date of return: ____________________________________? 9  Question Type 4 Statement: She has three brothers. Questions: Does she have any brothers? Statement: She has got three brothers. Question: Has she got any brothers? In the first sentence (She has three brothers) 'has' is not an auxiliary verb. It is the main verb of the sentence. There is no auxiliary verb in the sentence. Therefore, the questioner uses do, does or did. This is like a type 3 question. In the second sentence (She has got three brothers), 'has' is an auxiliary verb. Therefore, the subject of the sentence ‘she’ and 'has' can be inverted to form a question.  Has she got three brothers? or, Has she got any brothers? (The meaning of both sentences is the same.) Exercise 7 Follow the question type 4 rule and then write questions for the following answers. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Saeed has a good job. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Mr Saeed has got two children. Question: ______________________________________________________? Answer: They have got a new car. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: We had a very large house in Karachi. 10  Be careful! We can say:  He has a large house or  He has got a large house But when we are talking about the past, we only use 'had' and not, ‘had got’. For example:  We had a large house in Karachi, not  We had got a large house in Karachi Therefore, the question form must be:  Did you have a large house in Karachi? but not  He is having a big house Question type 5 Statement: Jamal told me about the film. Question: Who told you about the film? Who is used to ask about the subject of the sentence when the subject is human. Exercise 8 Now follow the question type 5 rule and form questions from the following statements: Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Zayed ate all the cake. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Uzma rang me last night. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: My husband repaired the car. 11 Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Mr and Mrs Haq visited us. Question type 6 Statement: The film frightened him. Question: What frightened him? What is used to ask about the subject of the sentence when the subject is not human. Exercise 9 Form questions from the following sentences: Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: The heavy rain destroyed the crops. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: The storm woke me up. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: A tree fell on the car. Exercise 10 GEO TV had an interesting reality show titled ‘George Ka Pakistan’. It is about George, a Britisher, who tries to settle down in Pakistan and become a Pakistani and therefore George travels and explores his adopted country and its people. He is trying to understand the complexities of Pakistani society and to discover what it means to be a Pakistani, all on his own with a strict budget and very little assistance. 12 George is staying at a hotel in Karachi. He is talking to a Waiter in the hotel. The Waiter’s English is not very good so he makes a lot of mistakes, his mistakes or incorrect expressions are marked with an asterisk (*). Listen and read their conversation and then correct the waiter's bad English. Recorded Text 2 Waiter: *Where you from? George: From England. W: *When you arrive here? G: Last night. W: *How long you stay in Karachi? G: I'll be here for about a week. W: *you like Karachi? G: Yes, I do. It's a very interesting place. W: *You been here before? G: Yes, I have. W: *How many times you been here? G: Oh, just once. W: *You fly from London? G: Yes, but I was in Islamabad for a few days first. W: *You businessman? G: Yes, I am. W: *You married? G: No. W: *How many family members you got? G: My parents. W: *You no have brothers sisters? G: No. 13  Question type 7 Statement: Number 120 bus goes there. Question: Which bus goes there? Statement: Anjum's father died. Question: Whose mother died? Which and whose are used to ask about part of the subject of the sentence. Compare:  Ayesha’s mother died. Who died?  Ayesha’s mother died. Whose mother died? Exercise 11 Keeping the question type 7 rule before you write questions for the following answers. Keep the bold word in mind before writing the question. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Anjum’s son won first prize. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Anjum 's son won first prize. Question type 8 8(a)  He broke the window. What did he break?  I met Ali’s father. Who did you meet?  I met Ali's father. Whose father did you meet?  I drove the office car. Which car did you drive?  I spoke to Ali's father. To whom did you speak? 14 Which, what, who, whose and whom can be used to ask about parts of the sentence other than the subject. Exercise 12 Follow the question type rule 8a carefully and then form questions for the following answers using the appropriate question form. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: He stole my father's watch. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: Pakistan beat India by 94 runs. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: He broke the world record. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: He broke the world record. 8(b)  He came last week. When did he come?  He lives in Karachi. Where does he live?  He cried because his mother Why did he cry? left.  He opened the door with a key. How did he open the door? Exercise 13 Now write questions for the following answers. Notice the word in bold. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: He came by bus. 15 Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: He bought it in New York. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: I saw Ayesha last week. Question: _______________________________________________________? Answer: I like him because he is honest. 8(c)  Mr Akhtar came yesterday. Who came yesterday?  I met Akhtar. Whom did you meet?  My expensive vase broke. What broke? Section B STRUCTURE The Simple Present and Present Continuous Tenses 1 The simple present is used to describe an action, an event, or condition that is occurring in the present, at the moment of speaking or writing. The simple present is used when the precise beginning or ending of a present action, event, or condition is unknown or is unimportant to the meaning of the sentence. Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the simple present tense and each sentence describes an action taking place in the present:  The wife waits patiently while the husband books the tickets  The shelf holds three books and a vase of flowers  The crowd moves across the auditorium in an attempt to see the film star 16   Both sisters are very talented; Romana writes and Naumana paints 2 The simple present is used to express general truths such as scientific fact, as in the following sentences:  Rectangles have four sides  Pakistan Day takes place on March 23  The moon circles the earth once every 28 days 3 The simple present is used to indicate a habitual action, event, or condition, as in the following sentences:  My father goes to play tennis every Saturday evening  My grandmother sends me new clothes each spring  The play ends with applause by the crowd 4 While the simple present and the present continuous tenses are sometimes used interchangeably, the present continuous or progressive tense emphasises the continuing nature of an act, event, or condition. Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the present continuous tense.  Nauman is looking for the paperback editions of all of Harry Potter books  Dolly is dusting all her book shelves  The agitating factory workers are gathering in front of the factory  FM 100 is broadcasting the hits of the 60s & 70s this evening The simple present tense is one of the most common tenses in English. There are only two basic forms for the simple present tense; one ends with -s and the other doesn't. Here are the rules, using the example verb ‘sing’: 17  Subject Verb Form Example I simple form I sing You simple form You sing He Simple form + S He sings She Simple form + S She sings It Simple form + S It sings We simple form We sing They simple form They sing In other words, only third person singular subjects (he, she and it) have to have a verb with -S. -S or -ES? With most verbs, the third person singular form is created simply by adding -S. However, with some verbs, you need to add -ES or change the ending a little. Here are the rules: Verb ending How to make the 3rd person Example in... singular s Add -ES He passes z Add -ES She dozes 18  sh Add -ES She wishes He ch Add -ES watches consonant + y Change Y to I, then add -ES It flies [anything else] Add –S He sings Exercise 14 Choose the correct simple present tense verb. 1 I _______________________ in a bank. Work Works Workes 19 2 She __________________ in Faisalabad. Live Lives Livees 3 It _________________ almost every next day in Bhurban. Rain Rains Raines 4 We ___________________ to Quetta every summer. Fly Flys Flies 5 My mother _________________ eggs for breakfast every morning. Fry Frys Fries 6 The bank ___________________ at four o'clock. Close Closies Closes 7 Jameel ___________________ very hard in class, but I don't think he'll pass the course. Try Trys Tries 20  8 My life is so boring, I just ______________ TV every night. Watch Watchies Watches 9 My best friend _______________ to me every week. (write) Write Writies Writes Exercise 15 Read a small passage about Ajmal and Shagufta who work in the same office. Choose the correct form of the simple present tense verbs that are given in the brackets. I and Shagufta _____________(work) in the same office, but we are completely different. She ________________(like) coffee, but I ______________(love) tea. I _____________(wash) my car every weekend, but she never ______________ (clean) hers. She ____________(smile) all the time at work, but I ___________(feel) miserable. I____________(complain) about the boss all the time, but she____________(think) the boss is a nice person. When I ____________(finish) work, I like to go out with my friends, but Shagufta ____________(go) straight back home. The boss __________(think) Shagufta is a good worker. Exercise 16 Choose the correct simple present tense verbs from the box and then use them in its appropriate blank spaces. brush comb eat get dressed get up go take make pick up put on rings wake up wear drink 21 Every weekday morning I _________________as soon as my alarm ___________After 10 minutes I ____________and go to the bathroom. I _____________ a shower,____________ my teeth and ____________ my hair. Later I ____________ my makeup and _______________, I usually ___________________ shalwar kameez with sandals or shoes. Next I usually go to the kitchen and _______________ myself breakfast, I sometimes ___________coffee instead of tea. For breakfast I often ______________ cornflakes, toast ____________and marmalade and a piece of fruit. After breakfast I ________________ my car keys and ________________ to work. The Present Continuous Tense [AM / IS / ARE] + [VERB + ing]  I am watching TV  He is learning the French language The present continuous tense is formed using two components: the verb BE in the present tense, and the -ING form of a verb. Here are the rules, using the example verb ‘sing’: Subject BE -ING FORM I Am singing You Are singing He Is singing She Is singing It Is singing 22  We Are Singing They Are Singing How to make the -ING form With many verbs, you can simply add -ING to the end of the verb. However, with some verbs, you need to change the ending a little. Here are the rules: How to make the -ING Verb ending in... Examples form swim - 1 vowel + 1 Double the consonant, swimming consonant then add -ING hit - hitting get - getting come - coming 1 vowel + 1 Remove E, then add -ING lose - losing consonant + E live - living say - saying [anything else] Add -ING go - going walk - walking Now let us learn when and how to use the present continuous tense. Read the following rules carefully: Use 1 Now 23 We use the present continuous tense to express an action that is happening now, at this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.  You are learning English now  I am sitting  I am not standing  They are reading their books  They are not watching television  What are you doing?  Why aren't you doing your homework? Use 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now In English, ‘now’ can mean ‘this second’, ‘today’, ‘this month’, ‘this year’, ‘this century’ and so on. Sometimes we use the present continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second.  I am studying to become a doctor  I am reading the book Gulliver’s Travels  I am not reading any books right now  Are you working on any special projects at work?  Aren't you teaching at the University now? Use 3 Near Future Sometimes, speakers use the present continuous to indicate that something will or will not happen in the near future.  I am meeting some friends after work  I am not going to the party tonight  Is he visiting his parents next weekend?  Isn't he coming with us tonight? 24 1 To describe an event, activity or situation that happened in the past for a period of time.  On Sunday, I was walking for three hours 2 To describe an event, activity or situation happening in the past at the same time as another event happened.  Hamid was speaking to Masood when Javed arrived 3 To describe a scene or situation in a story or report.  It was snowing and the trees were looking beautiful when the accident happened. 4 To describe habitual or often repeated events.  The tourists climbed K2 three times in three months 5 Verbs of ‘thinking’ such as: to believe, doubt, forget, know, mean, to think, remember, understand do not have an ‘ing’ in the end and they remain the same.  I believed what he said ( NOT was believing)  I remember the good old days often ( NOT was remembering)  I know that person very well. ( NOT was knowing) 6 Verbs of ‘feeling’ such as: to dislike, hate, like, love, want, wish also do not have an ‘ing’ in the end and remain the same.  While I was speaking to Javed, I wanted to be watch my favourite TV programme ( NOT was wanting)  At the dinner party, I hate the noise sometimes people make (NOT was hating) 7 Verbs of ‘possession’ such as: to belong, have, own, want also do not have an ‘ing’ in the end and remain the same.  When he was in America, Bilal owned a big car ( NOT was owning) 25 8 Particular verbs such as: to appear, cost, need, prefer, recognise, see, meet, seem, taste, weigh so not have an ‘ing’ in the end.  All last year, sugar cost 45 Rs per kilo (NOT was costing)  When I met my friend after ten years, I failed to recognize him (NOT was failing) Exercise 17 Create a sentence in the present continuous tense by arranging the words in a proper order. 1 She / wear / earrings 2 It / rain / today. 3 I / have / good time. 4 They / wait / train. 5 I / study. 6 We / walk. 7 We / plan / our work. Exercise 18 Write sentences with present continuous tense. 1 What is he doing? 2 What are they doing? 3 What are they doing? 4 What is she doing? 5 What is he doing? 26 Exercise 19 Which tense, simple present or present continuous tense will be suitable in the following sentences? 1 Right now Daniyal is _____________________________________________. sleep sleeps sleeping 2 They ______________________ to some music on the radio. are listening listening listen 3 __________________________ in ghosts? Believe you Do you believe Are you believing 4 Daniyal, _______________________ this book belong to you? is does are 5 Bilal, ___________________________ to me? do you listen are you listening are you listen 6 What___________________________ about right now? do you think 27  are you thinking are you thinks 7 My mother _________________ breakfast every morning at 7:00. makes is making make 8 What book ______________________ at the moment? are you read are you reading do you read Exercise 20 All of the following sentences should be completed using the simple present or the present continuous tenses. You must use the words in the brackets to fill in the blanks. Example:  Right now, I (sit) am sitting at my desk  Every Monday, Sami (take) takes his children to the cricket ground 1 Shhhhh! Be quiet! Abbu (sleep)___________________________. 2 Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain)________________. 3 I hate living in Murre because it (rain) a lot there_____________. 4 I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say)________________ because everybody (talk)_____________ so loudly. 5 My teacher (write) __________________ a book about his adventures in Afghanistan. 6 Do you want to come over for dinner tonight. Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) ______________ to music concert tonight with some friends. 28 Section C READING Guessing the Meaning of Words Many learners of English get worried or confused when they come across a difficult word. They want their teacher to translate or explain every word they do not know, or they look up for meaning of every unknown word in a dictionary. Dictionary is a great tool! But if you rely too much on a dictionary then you would not be able to become an efficient and fast reader. You need to infer or guess the meanings of words through the context or situation in which it is placed. The meaning of many unknown words can be inferred or guessed from the context or perspective of the passage. It is very important to learn how to guess the meaning of unknown words when you read. If you do not, your reading will be slow and difficult and you may be so worried about the meaning of individual words that you may miss the general meaning of the paragraph or the passage that you are reading. Let us do some exercises that will help you learn to guess word meanings through context. The following is a newspaper report. This report contains a number of words printed in italics which you might not know. Read it carefully and see if you can guess the meaning of these words from the context of the passage. 29  Bangkok. Jan. 24 A police spokesman Eyewitnesses said that the assailant told reporters that an unidentified man was in his early 20s, had fair skin and short had knifed six foreigners in the back hair and wore glasses. One of the victims here yesterday. The victims were only said he did not see his assailant but felt a slightly injured. sharp knife thrust into his left side. Extra uniformed and plainclothed 'I hailed a taxi and went to the police have been deployed in various hospital', he said. residential areas and tourist-spots to track down the man. Exercise 21 Here is a list of fifteen words from the above newspaper report in column 1 and also a list of dictionary definitions of these words in column 2. Can you match each word with the correct definition? Column 1 Column 2 1 spokesman a to push suddenly and with force 2 unidentified b part of a town consisting of private houses 3 to knife someone c little; a bit; rather 4 victim d to find someone or something by hunting or searching 5 slightly e to call out to someone 6 injured f a person who sees an event happen 7 uniformed g someone (or something) whose name we do not know 8 plain clothed h a person who speaks for or represents others officially 9 to deploy i to stab with a knife 10 residential j an attacker 11 to track down k someone who suffers pain, hurt or death 12 eyewitness l to place or position people especially soldiers or policeman in a particular way for action 13 assailant m dressed in a certain type of clothes which all members of a group wear 14 to thrust n hurt 15 to hail o wearing ordinary clothes on duty 30 Exercise 22 In the newspaper report, you must have noticed how a noun ‘a knife’ can also be used as a verb. Now here are some more sentences, in each sentence there is one word written in bold. These words or verbs are derived from very frequently used nouns. Guess their meaning. 1 The nurse wheeled the patient into the operating room. 2 Children like these pills because they are coated with sugar. 3 It's very stuffy in here. I think we should air the room. 4 They first cornered the rat and then caught it. 5 The politician worded his reply very carefully. 6 He was a small boy when I saw him last. I can't picture him as a father now. 7 Thousands of people lined the streets. 8 It is not easy to bone a chicken before you actually cook it. 9 The president chaired the meeting. 10 We chalked the names on the wall. Exercise 23 Think of names for different parts of the body which can be used as verbs as well as nouns? For each word that you can think of, write two sentences. Example: Head  He has a big head. (Noun)  He heads a large company. (Verb) 31 Read the following newspaper report. Security for Foreigners Tightened In a move to enhance security of foreigners and counter terrorist attacks, the federal government has established a special cell in the ministry of interior to deal with the scrutiny of foreigners working or residing in Pakistan. All the law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been directed to share information with the cell to ensure the security of foreigners working on different projects in the country. The government of Punjab has been directed to upgrade security for the 456 foreigners working on 70 projects in the province. As part of the security plan, police and private guards had been deployed at the residences and working places of foreigners. They have also been asked to keep either police or private guards while travelling. The directives were given at a recent top level meeting in which the law and order situation of all the provinces was reviewed. The Punjab government had taken some important steps to improve the law and order situation. It included the monitoring of heinous crime cases and sectarian activists. Exercise 24 The following words or phrases can be used instead of the words printed in bold. Select the appropriate word or phrase from the list and complete the newspaper extract given below. 1 implementation 2 oppose 3 positioned 32 4 campaigners 5 increase 6 orders 7 factional 8 investigation 9 observation 10 dreadful 11 make sure 12 improve Security for Foreigners Tightened In a move to ___________security of foreigners and __________terrorist attacks, the federal government has established a special cell in the ministry of interior to deal with the _________ of foreigners working or residing in Pakistan. All the law ________________ and intelligence agencies have been directed to share information with the cell to ___________. the security of foreigners working on different projects in the country. The government of Punjab has been directed to __________ security for the 456 foreigners working on 70 projects in the province. As part of the security plan, police and private guards had been ____________ at the residences and working places of foreigners. They have also been asked to keep either police or private guards while travelling. The ____________ were given at a recent top level meeting in which the law and order situation of all the provinces was reviewed. The Punjab government had taken some important steps to improve the law and order situation. It included the _________ of ___________ crime cases and ___________ ___________. Read an interesting personal account written by a young boy who had moved back to Pakistan after years of living in Dubai. As you read it for the first time, underline any word that you find difficult to understand. Then try and guess the meanings yourself by finding 33 clues from the context and finally look up the meanings of these words in the dictionary. When my father told me that we would be shifting to Karachi, Pakistan, I didn’t know how to react. As the day of departure loomed in front of me, my sentiments changed. Nostalgic memories of my past in Dubai started to linger in my mind. I was becoming homesick even though I was returning to my own country. My first impressions of Pakistan were not the best. I was taken aback by the garbage everywhere, paan stains and insects all around. This was something I had never seen in Dubai. Traffic jam, Karachi, Pakistan For the first time, I felt like a stranger even though this was my home country. I was overcome by the loud buzzing of rickshaws, the hoards of people clinging on to the back bumper of a bus, and the bumpy roads that jerked and jostled me all the way home. There was a hustle and bustle in this huge city (Karachi) which I hadn’t seen in Dubai. 34 I had always longed to stay with my relatives who were so loving and caring on our annual visits and now, since we had moved permanently, our home was swarmed by relatives. I couldn’t remember being patted and kissed as much as I was that day but the reality of Pakistan hit me when I began to speak to them. While speaking to them I had to explain myself in English, which was greeted by a few raised eyebrows. There was no doubt that I was welcomed but there was the feeling that I was less a Pakistani but more a pardesi. In many ways I lived a sheltered existence in Dubai. I had never seen drug addicts and beggars or even so many crippled people on the roads. In Pakistan I saw the reality of poverty for the first time. The pleas of people tapping windows and begging for a rupee were something that really bothered me. I felt an urge to do something to improve the situation. It was a significant experience as the sheltered idealist within me started to see the real world and the difficulties of everyday life. Life in Dubai was easy. I never had to worry about the quality of water, the availability of electricity, cleanliness or inflation. But in Pakistan, these are daily concerns. I realized that you can’t trust people to do their jobs, they have to be goaded, reminded and often bribed. After living in Karachi for six months, I am used to the social merry go around of weddings, parties and get togethers that have to be attended to maintain a footing in social circles. I’m now accustomed to the daily water and electricity problems and surprisingly, I’ve learnt how to solve or rather temporarily fix the problem. These daily frustrations still trouble me but I am grateful for being exposed to a real society with real problems. There’s a greater sense of freedom, belonging and community in your own country, sentiments that I had never acknowledged in my sheltered life in Dubai. In retrospect, living in Karachi has required an adjustment, a harsh reality check but what matters is that I’ve learned and become more in touch with the country I belong to. 35 Exercise 25 Let us move on from guessing the meanings of individual words to guess the meaning of longer sentences. Here are three longer passages taken from the above account. Try and make sense as what the writer means when he expresses such sentiments. Then read the three more passages (a, b, & c) that follow and match each passage with its original one. 1 As the day of departure loomed in front of me, my sentiments changed. Nostalgic memories of my past in Dubai started to linger in my mind. I was becoming homesick even though I was returning to my own country. 2 For the first time, I felt like a stranger even though this was my home country. I was overcome by the loud buzzing of rickshaws, the hoards of people clinging on to the back bumper of a bus, and the bumpy roads that jerked and jostled me all the way home. There was a hustle and bustle in this huge city (Karachi) which I hadn’t seen in Dubai. 3 I felt the urge to do something to improve the situation. It was a significant experience as the sheltered idealist within me started to see the real world and the difficulties of everyday life. Now read these passages and match them with the above original ones: a For me my native country appeared a bizarre place. I have never experienced such chaotic traffic, the crowds and the noise as I was driven home. This city is pulsating, full of life as compared top the quiet and peaceful Dubai. b I wanted to do something helpful to improve the situation but I was nervous because I have heard a lot of stories about how people cheat you. Nevertheless for me living here was different because back in Dubai I lived a much more comfortable and protected life and here the problems made me realize how people struggle to live. c The day I was to leave Dubai and board a plane for Karachi, I started to feel sad. 36 Section D WRITING Writing Connected Sentences We join sentences in many different ways. We use ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘however’, and many such connectors to join two shorter sentences and make them longer. In this section we are going to learn how to join sentences with linking words or conjunctions. In this unit you will learn about ‘conjunctions’. A conjunction is a connecting word that connects parts of a sentence. We will look at only two types of conjunctions: 1 Coordinating Conjunctions 2 Subordinating Conjunctions 1 Coordinating Conjunctions: Coordinating conjunctions join single words, or they may join groups of words, but remember that they always join similar elements, for example:  subject +subject  verb phrase +verb phrase  sentence +sentence The following are some common coordinating conjunctions: Coordinating Conjunctions and but or yet for nor so Among the coordinating conjunctions, the most common are and, but, and or. Let us explore the uses of these three conjunctions further. The examples below illustrate use of these coordinating conjunctions: AND  Tahir sent in his applications and waited for a response  Use your credit cards frequently and you'll soon find yourself deep in debt 37   Lilacs and violets are usually purple  Nauman spent his summer vacations studying basic math and reading comprehension BUT  Jamil lost a fortune in the stock market, but he is able to live quite comfortably  This is a useful rule, but difficult to remember  I love to drink tea, but hate soft drinks  This job provides a lot of training opportunities, but offers a poor salary package OR  You can study hard for this exam or you can fail  We can eat chicken tonight, or we can just eat some Daal Chawal  We can ask the locals to guide us, or we can buy a map of the area  A lot of people believe in a motto: ‘Live free or die’ 2 Subordinating Conjunctions: A subordinating conjunction is sometimes called a dependent word or subordinator, and it comes at the beginning of a subordinate or dependent clause. Notice some of the subordinating conjunctions given in the table below: Common Subordinating Conjunctions After because although If Before since though Unless When now even only if that though While As whereas whether or not Since in While even if order that Until So in case (that) 38 Read some examples that illustrate the use of subordinate conjunctions: Conjunction Sample sentences After After we finish taking the test, we are going out to eat. Since Since we have lived in Lahore, we have gone to every historical sight While While I was waiting in line for the museum to open, I ate my lunch Although Although the line was long and the wait over two hours, the visit was worth it even if Even if you have already bought your ticket, you will still need to wait in line Because I love Guljee’s works because he uses colour so brilliantly Exercise 26 Which conjunction fits best in the sentence? 1 I am hungry ___________________________________I don't want to eat. but so after before or 2 Do you want pizza _________________________________ a burger? than so while as or 39 3 I would tell you ___________________________________I knew. than and unless if or 4 Come ______________________________________________get it. but and when so or 5 He ate ____________________________________ he was hungry. although because when so but Exercise 16 Here is another exercise which will also test your understanding about conjunctions. Choose the correct conjunction from the five choices given after each sentence. 1 You can come to the meeting _____________ you don't say anything and stay quiet. so that as long as while until as if 40 2 I'm not leaving __________________ I get an apology from you. so that as long as While Until as if 3 Ali is very tall ________________________ Ahmed is very short. so that as long as While Until as if 4 You look _____________________________ you've seen a ghost. so that as long as While Until as if 5 I refuse to pay anything __________ you do the work properly. so that as long as While Until as if 41 6 You look _____________________ you haven't eaten for a week. so that as long as While Until as if 7 I came early ___________________ I could talk to you privately. so that as long as While Until as if 8 Are you OK? You look ________________ you have a problem. so that as long as While Until as if 9 _______________he job is very interesting, it's very badly paid. so that as long as While Until as if 42  10 We'll go to the mountains on Saturday ________ it doesn't rain. so that as long as While Until as if Exercise 27 Here are ten sentences about Imran Khan. Join all these sentences to make a short paragraph. Use the linking word or conjunction ‘and’ wherever you think it is needed to join two sentences and making it one. Imran Khan 1 Mohammad Imran Khan Niazi, born November 25, 1952. 2 He is considered as one of the best and most popular captain of the Pakistani cricket team. 3 Khan is seen as Pakistan's finest ever all-rounder. 4 Khan went to Aitchison College in Lahore. 5 He attended the Royal Grammar School Worcester and Keble College, Oxford , Uk. 6 He was Captain of the Oxford University Cricket team in 1974. 43 7 He made his t debut against England at Birmingham in 1971 at the age of 18. 8 He retired from Pakistani Test Cricket in 1992. 9 Khan is devoting most of his time to the Shaukat Khannum Memorial Hospital, a state-of-the-art charitable Cancer Hospital that he established in Lahore. 10 In recent years he has started a socio-political movement in Pakistan known as 'Tehrik-i-Insaf' or 'Movement for Justice'. 12 He became a Member of Parliament for Mianwali in the October 2002 elections. 13 Amongst his many honours, he was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 1993 by the Pakistani government. 44 Section E LISTENING Understanding Directions When we are visiting a different city we normally face problems finding places where we want to go. So we usually ask people who live and know that city. And if we are visiting a foreign or an English speaking country, we have problems understanding or following directions in English. In this section we will try to help you understand directions given in English language. Exercise 28 Look at the map of ‘Clifton area’ in Karachi. Mustafa lives in Karachi and Saud is a visitor to Karachi. Saud wants to go to the ‘Agha’s Super Store’ and needs help. Mustafa is trying to help him by giving him the directions to reach the ‘Agha’s Super market’. Listen carefully as how Mustafa is giving directions and as you listen, trace the route with a pencil and see if you can understand Mustafa’s directions Recorded Text 3 Saud: Excuse me Mustafa. Can you tell me the way to Agha’s Super Store? Mustafa: Yes. Now let me see. What's the best way? Okay at the moment we are at the Sindh Rest House. Hmm… Okay first turn right towards Kehkashan…take the first right turn towards block 7….keep moving down until you reach a T junction of Uzma Arcade, take the first right turn again, move a bit straight and just behind Uzma Arcade is the Agha’s Super Store. Did you understand? Saud: Well yes, let me see if I can find it without much 45 problem. 46 47  There are many different ways of asking for directions and these are:  Can you tell me the way to....?  Can you tell me how to get to...?  I wonder if you could help me? I'm looking for...? While giving directions, we need to express in these ways:  Go up, down  Go across the street  Turn right, left  Go along the street  It will take you about..... minutes to get there  It's (only) a......minute walk Exercise 29 Saud is at loss! He wants to visit yet another place but does not know the way and Mustafa is once again helping him. In this exercise, you will just follow Mustafa’s directions and if you follow his instructions or directions correctly then you will reach the place Saud is looking for. So now switch on your cassette recorder and listen to recorded text 5 and listen to Mustafa’s directions and trace the route and find the place. Recorded Text 4 Saud: Mustafa can you also help me find the way to …….. (Bleep sound)? Mustafa: Yes sure. You are now near 70 Clifton, are you? Saud: Yes. Mustafa: Okay… Now come on the main road and go upwards on the Clifton roads….keep going straight for at least half a kilometer until you reach the round about of 2 Talwar. Are you with me? Saud: Of course I am. Tell me which road I should take? Shall I go straight towards Khayaban-e – Iqbal? 48 Mustafa: No. From 2 Talwar go right a little and then take the first left turn…. A little more straight and you will see the Mid east Medical Centre. 49  UNIT 2 Section A FUNCTION Seeking Confirmation Sometimes we want to know the truth behind what we hear or read. Sometimes we need to confirm or verify the doubts and thoughts in our minds and so we ask for confirmation. We need to know exactly what happened, who said something and what is being planned and for all these matters we need to seek confirmation. In this unit you will learn some of the ways in which we can ask for confirmation. Here is a situation. A high ranking government officer has been shot dead outside his house in Islamabad. A Newspaper Reporter is asking the Superintendent Police some questions about the incident. Listen to their conversation and notice how the reporter is asking questions to seek confirmation. Recorded Text 5 Newspaper Reporter: SP Sahib, when exactly was Mr Butt shot? Superintendent Police: At 8.30 this morning. NR: Where did it happen? SP: Outside his house. He was leaving for work. He turned round to say goodbye to his wife and at that moment he was fired upon. 50 NR: What weapon was used? SP: An AK 47. NR: Was there anyone else in the street at the time? SP: Yes, there were a few witnesses. NR So you have a description? SP: Yes, a fairly good description. NR: SP Sahib, it’s unbelievable! How can a man shoot someone in broad day-light in the centre of Islamabad and get away with it? SP: Well, these criminals can do anything. The man who was wearing a grey Shalwar Kameez and a black shawl, walked past the minister's house, took the gun from under his shawl, fired at the minister indiscriminately as soon as he came out of his house and simply walked away. He didn't run. Those who saw the incident ran to help the minister. Nobody followed the man because he had a gun. NR He just walked away? SP: Yes, I believe so. NR: Incredible! SP: Yes, it is, isn't it? NR: Do you suspect any one or the motive behind the murder? SP: At the moment we are unable to make any conclusions. Here are some expressions from the dialogue:  So you have a description? Confirmation  He just walked away? Surprise The reporter did not say or used any question form  Do you have a description? or  Have you got a description? 51 He did not use the question form. Instead he used a statement form, because he actually knew the answer. He did not ask a real question but rather checked or confirmed the information that he already knew or had guessed. This brings us to study some more question types. We have finished 8 types of questions in unit 1, we will continue with type 9 questions. Question type 9 The reporter asked:  So you have a description? He’s actually asking:  So do you have a description? He was actually confirming what he has heard. And when the SP told him that the murderer walked away, the reporter expressed surprise and reconfirmed the information and said:  He just walked away? He’s actually saying:  Did he just walk away? Listen to the dialogue again and compare the tone of voice, stress and intonation of the two questions to understand this point. Exercise 1 Here are three short dialogues. Notice the questions being asked. They are actually not real questions but rather ' confirmation seeking’ questions. Rewrite these questions into real questions using the appropriate question form. Example: Inspector: And your identity card, please? Man: I have lost it. Inspector: Can I have your ID card, please? Or Can you give me your ID card, please? Or Can you show me your ID card, please? 52 1 A: Your name is Jameel Qureshi? B: Yes. A: You live near Netti Jetti Bridge? B: Yes, I do. A: You are the Managing Director of Allied Fittings Ltd? B: Yes, l ‘m. 2 A: You worked in Saudi Arabia for three years? B: That's right. I worked in Jeddah. A: You were working for the construction company, Al Jazeera? B: Yes. A: You were trained as an Accountant but I see here that you worked as a Personnel Manager in Saudi Arabia? 3 A: You played your first Test in 2004? B: That's right. It was against England in Karachi. A: And you scored a century in your first Test innings? B: Yes. I had a lucky start. Read the following confirmation seeking examples: A: I was born in 1965. B: So you are 42 years old? (It is 2007 now). A: I was born in Loralai. B: So you are from Balouchistan? Exercise 2 What kind of expressions or questions will you use to ask for confirmation about the following information: 1 God! I weigh 85 kilos. ________________________________ _______________________________? 2 I work in a theatre company, actually I’m an actor. _______________________________ _______________________________? 53 3 I am a poet. I write poetry in English. ______________________________________________________? 4 I am leaving my job and going back to Quetta for good. _______________________________________________________? Exercise 3 Suppose someone gives you the following information and you are surprised. How will you express your surprise and ask for confirmation? It will be useful for you if you do this exercise with a friend. A: Last year I visited Britain, France, Italy, Germany, India, Malaysia and the United States. You: You visited seven countries! (in a surprised voice) 1 A: I have 18 children. You: _______________________________________________________? 2 A: He has six fingers in his left hand and seven in right hand. You: _______________________________________________________? 3 A: I had walked all the way from Murree to Islamabad. You: _______________________________________________________? We are going to learn the last type of question. Question type 10 Read these examples: A: She's a beautiful girl, isn't she? B: Yes, she is. A: It’s such a pleasant weather, isn't it? B: Yes it is. 54 These questions are called tag questions. We often use tag questions to seek agreement or confirmation. For example, I might say:  It's a lovely day, isn't it? I expect the person I am talking to agree with me and say:  Yes it is Or, if I say:  It wasn't a good film, was it? I expect the answer:  No it wasn't You must have noticed that sometimes, the tag question is in negative (isn't it) and sometimes it is in positive (was it). Let us tell you the rules about how tag questions are formed: Positive Statement (+) Negative Tag (-)  It is a lovely day, isn't it?  It’s such an expensive gift, isn’t it? Negative Statement (-) Positive Tag (+)  It wasn't a good film, was it?  He’s not a good man, is he? If the statement is positive (+), then the tag is negative (-) You like ice-cream, don't you? (+) (-) If the statement is negative, (-) then the tag is positive (+) You don't like ice-cream, do you? (-) (+) 55 Exercise 4 Choose the correct tag to finish the sentence. 1 Tahir is an accountant, __________________? aren't she? doesn't she? isn't she? She isn't? 2 I am a good worker, ____________________? I am? do I? amn't I? aren't I? 3 Arifa is a grandmother, _________________? she isn't? isn't she? she is? doesn't she? 4 Kamran is a doctor, ______________________? he is? is he? doesn't he? isn't he? 5 Jaawad and Ali are students, _______________? aren't they? are they? isn't he? isn't they? 6 I'm here, _________________? am I not? am not I? amn't I? aren't you? 7 You and I are busy right now, _______________? aren't I? aren't we? we aren't? aren't you? 8 It's windy today, _______________? am I? aren't they? isn't it? isn't he? Exercise 5 Complete the following statements adding an appropriate tag question. Notice carefully if the statement is in positive or in negative. 1 He didn't steal the money, _______________________________________? 2 He failed the exam, _______________________________________? 56 3 He won't come here to live, _______________________________________? 4 You have started you new job, ____________________________________? 5 You don't live here, ________________________________________? Section B STRUCTURE The Present Perfect Tense In this unit we are going to study the Present Perfect Tense. Before we learn the rules, let us listen to a dialogue between Mr and Mrs Illahi Buksh who are about to go on holiday. They are standing outside their front door and talking to each other. Listen to their conversation. Recorded Text 6 Mr Illahi Buksh: Have you switched off the gas? Mrs Illahi Buksh: Yes, I've switched off the gas and I've switched off all the lights. I've unplugged everything in the kitchen. Mr IB: What about the windows? Mrs IB: I've shut and locked all the windows. I've left a spare key with Mrs Karim next door. She'll check the house every day. Such a nice woman! Her husband has lost his job, you know. Now, let's see. Have I forgotten anything? I hope not. Mr IB: I've put the suitcases in the car. Come on, let's go. Mrs IB: I hope I haven't forgotten anything. Mr IB: Stop worrying now! Exercise 6 Imagine you are Mrs Illahi Buksh. Mr Buksh asks you whether you have done the following things. Answer his questions. Mr IB: Have you switched off the gas? Mrs IB: Yes, I've switched off the gas. 57 Mr IB: Have you switched off the lights? Mrs IB: ________________________________________________________. Mr IB: Have you unplugged everything in the kitchen? Mrs IB: ________________________________________________________. Mr IB: Have you closed the windows? Mrs IB: ________________________________________________________. Mr IB: Have you locked the back door? Mrs IB: ________________________________________________________. Mr IB: Have you given anyone a spare key? Mrs IB: ________________________________________________________. Mr IB: Have you forgotten anything? Mrs IB: ______________________________________________________. Here is a brief overview of the form and function of the present perfect tense: 1 The present perfect is used when the time period has not finished. Example: I have seen three movies this week (This week has not finished yet.) 2 The present perfect is often used when the time is not mentioned. Example: Junaid has failed his exam again 3 The present perfect is often used when the time is recent. Example: Maria has just arrived in Pakistan 4 The present perfect is often used with for and since. Example: They have lived here for 20 years. They have lived here since 1985 58 5 The present perfect simple is formed with the auxiliary verb followed by the past participle Present Perfect Simple = Auxiliary Verb + Past Participle has / have + the third part of a verb (went, gone) Examples:  He has gone  They have eaten their dinner  I have done my homework  I haven't done my homework (Negative)  Have you done your homework? (Question) Exercise 7 Naheed is a Personal Secretary working for Lakhani Group of industries in Karachi. Every morning before Mr Lakhani comes to the office, she checks her boss's diary to make sure what are the official appointments, meetings, etc, scheduled. The things that Mr Lakhani has done are marked with a tick ( ). Let us try and see how Ms Naheed is confirming or making statements about what her boss has done or not done. Follow the example and then construct similar statements using the present perfect tense. 59 Examples:  He has telephoned Peshawar  He hasn't telephoned Lahore yet Exercise 8 Read the information given in the diary page again. Construct at least five questions and five answers about what Naheed’s boss has done and what he has not done yet. Follow the example given below. Example: Question: Has he telephoned the Peshawar office? Answer: Yes. he has. 1 Q: ______________________________________________? A: ______________________________________________. 2 Q: ______________________________________________? A: ______________________________________________. 3 Q: ______________________________________________? A: ______________________________________________. 4 Q: ______________________________________________? A: ______________________________________________. 60 5 Q: ______________________________________________? A: ______________________________________________. Exercise 9 Taimur is a young teenaged boy who has just finished his final exams and has long holidays.. He is at home and feels very bored. He does not know what to do. His mother suggests a number of things for him to do but he is not interested. Let us read what his mother is suggesting to him and his answers to her suggestions. Example: Mother: Why don't you read this interesting novel? Taimur: I've already read it. Now suppose you are Taimur. What answers will you give to the following suggestions in the same way as in the example? Use the present perfect tense. Mother: Why don't you ask Salim to come over? Taimur: ______________________________________________________. Mother: Why don't you play cricket with the boys from the neighbourhood? Taimur: _______________________________________________________. Mother: Why don’t you switch on the computer and go on the internet? Taimur: _______________________________________________________. 61 Section C READING Synonyms and Antonyms What are Synonyms and Antonyms? Synonyms are words with similar or identical meanings. Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Read some examples of synonyms:  baby and infant  student and pupil  pretty and attractive  smart and intelligent  sick and ill  funny and humorous  died and expired The elephants are huge! The elephants are enormous. Read some examples of antonyms:  dead and alive  near and far  war and peace  tremendous and awful 62  Ugly Pretty Happy Sad Cold Hot Big Little Kind Mean 63  Start Finish Lose Find Exercise 10 Here is a synonym exercise. In each sentence there is word printed in bold followed by three choices (a-c). Choose the choice which is closest to the meaning of the bold word. 1 That is a giant ant! a monster b huge c pretty 2 I hate watching scary movies. a like b dislike c despise 3 We are studying about insects in school right now. a bugs b centipedes c spiders 4. I could see the candle's flame in the darkness. a light b match c fire 64 Exercise 11 Choose the correct antonym of the word printed in bold in each sentence. 1 We are certain that he is a dishonest salesman. a great b successful c truthful 2 She always pays attention when others are speaking. a often b usually c never 3 It’s important that we make a thoughtful decision. a quick b foolish c wiser 4 Ruby loves to sing and she has a very weak voice. a soft b low c strong Exercise 12 Read this short paragraph. There are four words that are printed in bold. Then read the list of words that are given in the box. Substitute each bold word in the paragraph with its closest synonym or a word that means nearly the same. His father, a former professor, taught him a few things, but he was mostly self-educated. His natural curiosity soon led him to start experimenting with electrical and mechanical things at home. He left numerous inventions that improved the quality of life all over the world. Sometimes he worked so intensely that his wife had to remind him to sleep and eat. researching, many, passionately, inquisitiveness Read this short biographical account of Bapsi Sidhwa a noted Pakistani writer who writes in English. 65  Bapsi Sidhwa is the author of four internationally acclaimed novels. Her works have been widely applauded and has gained her a much admired status in the galaxy of writers from the sub continent who write in English. She lives in Houston, Texas, but was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and raised in Lahore. She graduated from Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore, and began writing in her twenties after the birth of two children. In 1978, at a time when publishing in English was practically nonexistent in Pakistan, Sidhwa self published her first novel ‘The Crow Eaters’. Since then, ‘The Crow Eaters’ has been published and translated in numerous European and Asian countries and enjoys a plentiful readership who takes pride collecting her various novels. While ‘The Bride’ ’was the first novel Sidhwa wrote, it was the second to be published. ‘Cracking India’, Sidhwa's third novel, was declared a New York Times Notable Book for 1991, for which she triumphed to win the LiBerature Prize in Germany and was termed as a successful writer and was victorious to create a place for herself in a larger market. Sidhwa held a Bunting Fellowship at Radcliff, Harvard in 1986, and was a visiting scholar at the Rockefeller Foundation Center, Bellagio, Italy, in 1991. She was honoured with Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest national tribute awarded in 1991, and was also decorated with the Lila Wallace- Reader's Digest Writer's Award In 1994. Sidhwa has worked on the advisory committee of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Women's Development, and has taught at Columbia University, University of Houston, and Mount Holyoke College, USA. Reviewers have praised Bapsi Sidhwa's luminous prose that adds brilliance and sparkle in her writings. Her style of writing is earthy but also both delicate and precise with specific and explicit words chosen as carefully as pieces of inlay accurately placed in a marble wall. 66 Exercise 13 You must have noticed quite a few words that are given in bold in the above extract. Read more carefully and you would notice that each bold word has at least two synonyms around it. Identify those similar words or synonyms. Example:  acclaimed applauded admired Section D WRITING Informal Letters Read the letter from Ahmed to his friend Hamid. 67  The Address Ahmed has written this letter so he is the sender, Note carefully the position of Ahmed's or the sender’s address.  The sender's address should be put in the top right-hand corner of the letter. Every letter must have the sender's address. Now look closely as how each item in the address is written:  The house number: House 51/4  The street number or name (if any): Naurus Colony  The town or city: Rawalpindi  The name of the country: Only put the name of the country if you are sending the letter abroad. If it is sent within the country, there is no need to write the country’s name.  The date follows after the full address is complete. Personal letters, also known as friendly letters, normally have five parts: 1. The Heading: This includes the address, line by line, with the last line being the date. The heading is indented in the right side of the page. If using preaddressed stationery, just add the date. 2. The Greeting or Salutation: The greeting always ends with a comma. The greeting begins with the word "dear" and using the person's given name or relationship.  Formal: Dear Uncle Shahid,  Informal: Hi Ruby, Hello Vicky, 3. The body: Also known as the main text, it includes the message you want to write. Normally in a friendly letter, the beginning of paragraphs is indented. If you don’t want to indent, make sure to skip 68 a space between paragraphs. Also leave out a line after the greeting and before the close. 4. The complimentary close. This short expression is always a few words on a single line. It ends in a comma. It should be indented to the same column as the heading. Skip one to three spaces (two is usual) for the signature line. 5. The signature line. Write or type your name. The handwritten signature goes above the typed name. If the letter is quite informal, you may omit the signature line as long as you sign the letter. Postscript. If your letter contains a postscript, begin it with P.S. and end it with your initials. Skip a line after the signature line to begin the postscript. Format for a Friendly or Personal Letter The following picture shows what a one-page friendly or personal letter should look like. The horizontal lines represent lines of type. 69  Punctuation in Informal or Personal letters Notice the punctuation in the address of the above letter. Each line ends with a comma except the last line before the date which ends with a full stop. Use commas after the greeting or salutation in a personal letter and after the complimentary closing in all letters.  Greeting: Dear Faraz, My dearest Eman,  Closing: Sincerely, Truly yours, Exercise 14 Anjum Saleemi has written three personal letters to friends in Pakistan. In each letter he has written his address incorrectly. Can you spot the mistakes in each letter and then write out the address correctly? 1 Anjum Saleemi, 2 Karachi, Nazimabad, Nazimabad 4, House 7, House 7, Karachi. Pakistan l4 February 2005. 3 House 7. Nazimabad 4. Karachi Pakistan I4February 2005 The Date There are many ways of writing the date; the first two are probably the most common ways.  14 February, 2005  14th February, 2005  14 Feb. 2005 70   February 14th 2005  14/2/05  14. 2. 05 Greetings and Closings In a personal letter we can start with:  Dear +first name (informal, to a friend) or  Dear + Mr Shah (family name)  Dear Mrs Shah  Dear Miss Shah  Dear Dr Shah  Dear Professor Shah We can end a personal letter in a number of ways:  Love, (very informal, to a relative or very Saira close friend, especially from a girl or woman to another girl or woman who is a close friend)  Yours, (informal, to a friend or close acqu- Saira aintance)  Yours sincerely, (slightly more formal, to someone Saira you do not know very well) Exercise 15 You want to write to the following people. How would you start and end each letter? 1 Ali Rasheed (A close friend whom you have known for many years.) 2 Amjad Butt (One of your professors at college.) 3 Ayesha Rehman (The mother of a close friend of Yours.) 4 Khalid Qayyum (Your family doctor.) 71  Opening Sentences If someone has already written to you, this is a common way of starting a letter. We can say:  Many thanks for your letter  Thanks for your letter  Thank you for your letter.  Thank you very much for your letter  Thank you so much for your letter If you have heard some good or bad news from someone, you can also say: I was delighted to hear that.... happy thrilled pleased sorry shocked amazed Exercise 16 Look at the phrases 1-11 and match them with a purpose A-K Phrases Purposes 1 That reminds me,... A. to finish the letter 2 Why don't we... B. to apologize 3 I'd better get going... C. to thank the person for 4 Thanks for your letter... writing 5 Please let me know... D. to begin the letter 6 I'm really sorry... E. to change the subject 7 Love, F. to ask a favour 8 Could you do something for G. before signing the letter me? H. to suggest or invite 9 Write soon... I. to ask for a reply 10 Did you know that.. J. to ask for a response 11 I'm happy to hear that... K. to share some information 72 Exercise 17 Choose one of the three subjects and write a letter to a friend or family member. 1 Write a letter to a friend you haven't seen or spoken to in a long time. Tell him / her about what you have been doing and ask them how they are and what they have been up to recently. 2 Write a letter to a cousin and invite them to your wedding. Give them some details about your future husband / wife. 3 Write a letter to a friend you know has been having some problems. Ask him / her how she / he is doing and if you can help. Section E LISTENING Listening to a Lecture and Taking Notes Listening is an active process that needs our concentration. Listening to a lecture and taking notes require you to actively listen and participate. If you are good at taking notes then you will understand and remember the content of lectures fairly well. You have to listen to lectures especially at the college level. They can provide you with most of the material you'll need for the tests and exams. A lot of student