BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)

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MODULE-1
IDENTIFYING COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING AND SPEAKING ENGLISH
Subject – Verb Agreement
In English, every sentence has 3 parts: Subject + Verb + Object (optional). Subject is the part of a
sentence or clause that commonly indicates, what is it about? ‘or’ who or what performs the
action?Verb is an action telling word.The subject should agree with the ‘verb’ in number and person.

A sentence that has a singular subject is accompanied by a singular verb.

Ex.: Prakhyathi Raj (singular subject) plays (singular verb) in the playground.

On the other hand, a sentence that has a plural subject should have a plural verb.

Ex.: We (plural subject) play (plural verb) in the playground.

Subject verb agreement simply means the subject and verb must agree in number. This means both
need to be singular or both need to be plural.

Ex.: The women (subject)who went to the meeting (dependent clause) was (verb)bored.
[Incorrect].
The women who went to the meeting were bored. [Correct].

Let’s understand in detail about subject-verb agreement with the help of the below table:

Noun/Pronoun ‘Be’ ‘Do’ ‘Have’ Modal Aux. Main Verb

I am /was do / did have / had can / could write
We are / were do / did have / had can / could write
They are / were do / did have / had can / could write
He Is / was does / did has / had can / could writes
She Is / was does / did has / had can / could Writes
It Is / was does / did has / had can / could Writes
Linshika Is / was does / did has / had can / could Writes

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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Concord Rules

1. Two or more singular nouns or pronouns joined by ‘and’ require a plural verb.
Ex.: Linni and Prakhya are sisters.
Gold and silver are precious metals.
But if the nouns suggest one idea to the mind, or refer to the same person or thing, the
verb should be singular.
Ex.: Bread and butter is her only food.
The dramatist and poet is dead.
2. There are some nouns that can be treated as both singular and plural forms.
Ex.: The jury gave its/their verdict in an unbiased manner.
The government has/have announced its /their new employment scheme.
We must use a singular verb if we see an institution or organization as a whole unit and
plural verb if we see it as a collection of individuals.
3. The verb is made to agree in number with its proper subject instead of a noun near it.
Ex.: The quality of sapotas was not good.
The results of recognition of this fact are seen in the gradual improvement of the diet
of the poor.
4. Words joined to a singular subject by ‘with’ or ‘as well as’ always take singular verb.
Ex.: The principal, with his staff, has to be present.
English, as well as, French is taught here.
5. When a subject is made up of two or more items joined by ‘either…or’ or
‘neither…nor’, we use singular verb if the last item is singular and a plural verb if the
last item is plural.
Ex.: Either the class room or the auditorium is good place to hold the lecture.
6. Some of the words are used as plurals such as jeans, pants, scissors, trousers,
belongings, outskirts, congratulations, particulars etc. and they take plural verbs.
Ex.: Her belongings are kept in the locker for safety.
Similarly, there are other nouns such as information, hair, fish, news, etc. are usually seen
as singular nouns and they take a singular verb.
Ex.: The news was very bad yesterday.
7. Either, neither, each everybody, everyone, many a, must be followed by a singular
verb.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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Ex.: Either of them was eligible.

Each of the boys is allowed to have hands on experience.
Many a man has done so.
8. Some nouns which are singular in form, but plural in meaning take a plural verb.
Ex.: According to the present market rate ten dozen cost two hundred rupees.
9. When the plural noun is a proper noun for some single object or some collective unit,
it must be followed by a singular verb.
Ex.: The Arabian Nights is my favorite book.
The USSR is a developed nation.
Mathematics is a difficult subject for many students.
10. The expressions such as a/the majority of, a lot of, most of, all of, some of, a number of
etc. are generally followed by plural nouns and they take plural verbs.
Ex.: A lot of people were present in the protest.
When meetings are conducted, a number of ideas are shared.
However when the above expressions are not followed by a plural noun, the verbs chosen
are singular.
Ex.: Lot of bloodshed is seen during wars.
Plenty of food goes waste every day.

Common Errors in Subject - Verb Agreement

1. The number of students have/has increased in our college.

2. Each person is/are studying well for the exam.
3. None of the buses go/goes to Vijayanagar.
4. He don’t /doesn’t even know how to spell correctly.
5. Either a doctor or a compounder visit/visits the dispensary every day.
6. Neither Raju nor Ramu come/comes to my house.
7. All the candidates, including the failed ones is/are given admission to the course.
8. Linni and her friend Vydruthivisit/visits my house every day.
9. Hasmitha and Kundan do/does not want to appear for the exams.
10. Tanay told me that he will/would meet his grandparents today.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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Choose the appropriate verb that agrees with the subject:

1. The Arabian Nights _____ one of the favorite books of Swathi.
a) is b) are has d)was
2. Subject –verb agreement means the subject should agree with the verb in
a) number and tense
b) number and person
b) person and tense
c) all the above
3. The father, as well as his sons ............ hardworking.
a) has
b) is
c) are
d) aren’t
4. The students of this class ......... very confident.
a) is
b) had
c) have
d) are
5. Diabetes _____ a silent killer.
a) is
b) are
c) has
d) was
6. Either the class room or the auditorium ____ good for arranging a meeting.
a) are
b) is
c) were
d) has
7. A lot of books ____ available in the library.
a) is
b) have
c) are
d) isn’t
8. His belongings ____ kept in the locker.
a) has
b) is
c) have
d) are
9. The headmaster, with his staff _____ to be present in the meeting.
a) has
b) been
c) was been
d) have
10. Neither Ravi nor his friends ____ done it.
a) has
b) have
c) is
d) are
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Cover letter
A cover letter is a letter that you send to a company with your CV or résumé when you apply for a job,
in response to an advertisement or when you are sending an unsolicited application. It is the first
opportunity you have as an applicant to communicate with the prospective employers, telling them
who you are and why you are contacting them. While your résumé describes your qualifications and
skills to fit the job, your cover letter expresses your personality. Therefore, take just as much care to
prepare a good cover letter as you would to prepare your résumé or CV.
A cover letter is generally organized on the following lines.
Part 1: Say why you are contacting the reader and explain how you know about the job. Introduce
yourself briefly.
Part 2: Say what you know about the company, your understanding of the job profile you are applying
for and why you are the candidate they are looking for.
Part 3: Thank the reader for his / her time. Conclude by saying that you are looking forward to hearing
from them.
Cover Letter Template and Sample
Your Name
Your address
(House number, street,
area, city, pincode)
Your e-mail ID
Your phone number

Date
Contact's Designation
Contact's Department
Name of the Company
Complete address

Dear Sir/Madam,
I saw your advertisement for the post of ....(mention name of the post ) in the ....(give the source) and I
would like to apply for the position. I have a Bachelor's degree in Arts/ Commerce/ Management/
Science and I am looking for a full-time position as Customer Executive in your company. I have been
interested in beginning my career with Batliboi Group of Companies. I have followed with interest the
growth of Batliboi Finance & Investments and admired its stability even during the unstable 1980s and
its steady rise to prominence from the 1990s.
I would like to contribute to your aim of involving the younger generation of investors. I did a summer
project with A&M Capital and received a letter of appreciation for my vision and ability to multitask. I
wish to begin my career with a full-time position with Batliboi Finance & Investments and I believe
that my employment with you would me highly beneficial to your company and also add value to my
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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career.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Signature
1) In which paragraph of the cover letter does the applicant thank the reader?
a) The conclusion b) third c)second d) first

2) The following element should not be included in the letter of application.

a) Mentioning the position for which you wish to apply.
b) The information that is included in your resume.
c) Emphasize the qualification that the prospective employer would like to seek in you.
d) Let the employers know how you came to know about the vacancy in their company.

3) Why do we write a letter of application?

a) To request the employer to do a favour by giving a job.
b) To let the employers know of our address so that they can send an offer letter.
c) To let the employer know of our writing skills.
d) To provide the true information of ours and to mention why and how we are the suitable
candidates for the job.

4) The cover letter is written,

a) to introduce oneself as the suitable candidate for the job.
b) to give biographical details of the candidate.
c) to try for the job.
d) to let the employer know how good a candidate is in different languages.

5) The application letter and the resume perform __________

a) 2 different tasks b) overlapping tasks
c) the same tasks d) 2 opposite tasks

6) Its best to address your cover letter to __________

a)the company b) the department
c)a specific person d) unknown person

7) The main goal of your cover letter is________.

a) Getting the job b) getting an interview
c) Writing an application d) Send CV

8) Would you submit a resume without a cover letter?

a) Sure, if it’s good enough b) of course not!
c) not necessary d) not in practise

9) Proofreading your cover letter is ___________.

a) Essential b) Not that big deal for non-writing jobs
c) Not essential d) Boring
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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10) The main intention of a letter of application is ________.

a) to advertise our qualities b) to boast of our abilities
c) to impress with our writing skills d)to offer accurate information about our suitability for
the post
11. What’s the ideal cover letter length?
a)one paragraph b)one page
c)two paragraphs d)more than two pages

Resume
Resume ‘abstract’ ‘summary’
Resume is a one-or-two page formal document that job aspirants submit to the hiring managers and
employment recruiters as a itemizing their educational background Work experience and special skills
Or A brief written document /account of personal, educational and professional qualifications and
experience as that prepared by an applicant for a job

Difference between CV and resume :

A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages A CV is more
detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages Resumes are crisp and shorter CV are exhaustive and
detailed yours goal and objective must reflect your ability to think logically and do career planning
with short term objectives translating into long term goals.
CV - Curriculum Vitae: Its length is between 2 and 8 pages long and experienced professionals use it.
Résumé - The standard résumé is between 1 and 2 pages long.
Bio-data - Used for matrimony and defense services and it includes detailed vital statistics etc.
Profiles- Used by trainers and consultants.
Contents of the Resume
A resume is divided into major 4 sub headings
1) Personal information
2) Career objective
3) Employment and educational history
4) References
Personal information:-

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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 Name
 Contact address
 Contact details (phone number, E-mail address)
Career objectives:-
It to gauge an applicant’s aspirations and career goal your career objective must be straight forward,
crisp, meaningful and achievable.
Yours goal and objective must reflect your ability to think logically and do career planning with short
term objectives translating into long term goals.
Employment history
Provide all the relevant details in a a concise manner and chronological order
Work experience
Educational qualification
Special training, memberships and associations extra curricular activities, awards and achievements
Reference -any two
Types of Resume:-
 Chronological resume
 Functional resume (recent to going back and functional areas /capabilities)
(types of skills acquired)
Basic points:
 The resume should be typed without any hand written points in it.
 Fonts like (ALIBRI, ARIAL and Times NEN Roman are desirable.
 Do a spell check in your resume.
 Line spacing should be appropriate., keep space before and after paragraphs at appropriate
places.
 Use a good quality A-4 size paper for printing your resume.
 The words printed should be legible and neat

If you are applying for your first job and do not have much experience, it would be more appropriate
for you to prepare a résumé. In this chapter we shall discuss how to prepare a good résumé.
Most human resource managers receive a number of résumés and therefore may not be able to spend
much time in looking at your résumé. So, the information that you present must be concise. What you
say must be clear and relevant to the position you are applying for. You must aim at showing the
reader at a glance your profile and convince him/her that you are the candidate they are looking for.
Points to Remember
 Employers are more keen to know what you can do for them if you join them and not what you
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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did in the past. So your resume must implicitly address the question, what value can I offer this
prospective employer?
 Customise your resume to suit the job profile you are strengths that most closely.
 Highlight qualification, skills, achievements and strengths that most closely meet the job
description.
 Control the information you provide in your resume. Ask yourself this question, How will this
piece of information persuade this prospective employer to accept me? If the information, you
think, is not useful, do not include it and make room for information that is more relevant.
 Edit your resume carefully.
Appearance
1) Use fonts that are simple and easy to read.
2) Avoid italicized versions of regular fonts or those that resemble handwriting.
3) Recommended fonts are Times New Roman and Arial.
4) Use bond paper with water-mark in solid conservative colour like ivory, white or light grey.
5) Avoid dark colour or printed paper.
6) Use the same kind of paper for both your résumé and cover letter.
Essential information in Resume
1) Name
2) Address
3) E-mail
4) Phone Number(s)
5) Education
6) Job objective
7) Work experience (if applicable)
8) Skills
9) Achievements
Sample Resume
Rajiv Singh
5054, Sector IV Sarojini Nagar
New Delhi 110002
Objective
 To secure a part-time position as management trainee that will enable me to use my analytical,
interpersonal and communication skills.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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Education
 Bachelor of Business Administration, (month, year)
(Name of University, Place)
(Class/division, percentage)

Computer Skills
 Windows XP Professional
 Microsoft World
 Microsoft PowerPoint
 Excel
Honours
 Best outgoing student award (year)
 'Mr.Drucker' for All Round Performance in 'Kaleidoscope', All India Management Festival.
Activities
 President, Student Cultural Association
 Leadership Programme, Rotaract Club
 Volunteer, National Social Service
 Member, Adventure Club
Experience
 Summer Internship
Kershaw Products Inc.
Trained in all aspects of customer care

1. Which of these is not a part of a resume ?

a) Religious affiliation b) Employment history
c) Contact information d) Education

2. For a resume to be in the functional format , you must include dates of employment _____.
a) True b) False c) Both d) None

3. What is the standard font size in a resume?

a) 10 – 12 b) 8-10 c) 12 – 14 d) 6-8

4. Which of the following is not essential information in a resume?

a) Name & Address b) Educational qualification
c) Job objective d) Family background

5. A curriculum vitae (CV) is a ________ word.

a) French b) German c) Latin d) American

6. Which of these is NOT mentioned in a bio-data?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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a)Name b)Address c)Education d) Carrier aim

7. Curriculum Vitae (CV) is used by ________

a) Experienced professionals b) Fresher
c) Trainers d) Candidates with 1 or 2 years of experience

8. A summary placed at the beginning of a CV acts as a ____________.

a) Preface b) Synopsis
c) Statement of objective d) Letter recommendation

9. Which of these is NOT mentioned in a job description CV?

a) Name b) Address c) Nationality d) Education

10. Resume is a ________ word.

a) French b) Germany c) Latin d) American

11. In Technical Writing, starting point of resume must be having the

a) job details b)career objective c) name and address d) details of education

12. A resume is of limited value without

a) a photography b) pan-card details c) a cover letter d) bank account details

E-Mail
E-mail, short for electronic mail, is the biggest revolution in the international communication. E-mail
is he means of sending messages between computers. Today, people find it easier to stay in touch with
one another by sending email messages.
E-mail has become so convenient and popular that it is preferred to letters or for that matter even the
telephone. E-mail is the preferred means of communication even in business.
There are a number of advantages to E-mail.
 It is quick and can be used to contact people all over the world.
 It is cheaper and faster than writing a letter.
 It is especially useful for short messages.
 It helps to send or receive messages immediately from the comfort of your home or
workstation.
 It can be used even when you are travelling.
 It can be sent at anytime of the day without having to worry about different global time zones.
 It can be sent to either one person or a group of people at the same time.
However, email has some disadvantages as well. Sometimes we receive a lot of unnecessary mail
which can waste our time. These emails are referred to as junk mails and are not sent perhaps because
of the ease with which emails can be sent. This shows that despite the advantages, there can be a lack
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

of Privacy and security in the case of electronic mail. Therefore, people do not generally use e-mail to
communicate confidential information. However, there is a facility of encryption, which allows only
authorised users to access the mail.
E-mail structure: E-mail messages contain six segments
1) Heading-date,from,to,subject,cc,Bcc.
2) Salutation/greeting-dear sir /madam
3) Opening
4) Body
5) Closing -yours faithfully, kind/Best regards
6) Signature -only writers name
Format:
You must be sure of context, the reason why you are composing the mail and the person to whom you
are sending it. This will help you to decide the style.
E-mails are sent for a number of reasons – Personal messaging, sending inter-office memos, Etc.
Therefore, we need to learn how to adapt our messages to the electronic medium.
When you Click to compose a new message the screen generally displays two parts. The top part,
which is pre formatted, is called a header and the Lower part is for the main text or message., which
the sender keys in. If there is an attachment to the mail, another space becomes available and an icon
representing the attachment appears.
Header: contains some essential elements, namely,
 The e-address of the sender (From :)
 The e-address of the receiver (To :)
 Subject.
Footer: contains some essential elements, namely,

 Greetings and signatures

Salutations Name
Hi !
Hello! Mohan
Dear
 Closing
Salutation Pre- closing Closing
Hi Mohan Hear from you soon. See Best wishes.
you soon. Lots of love. All the best.
Cheers.
Hello Mohan I look forward to/Looking Regards
Dear Mohan forward to hearing from Best/kind regards
you.
 Signature
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
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Tips on E-mail etiquette : Some Dos

 Keep your message short and simple, E-mails are for quick communication considering people
may not have time for long e-mail.
 Right two year wild audience . If your message is too personal, confidential or important, prefer
letter to email.
 Use only those abbreviations in your mail that you reader is familiar with.
 Be cautious about the tone the you were messages. Be chatty and informal. If you write very
formally, people might be discouraged from reading your messages.
 Let your spelling, grammar and punctuation be reasonably correct. You can be sure your
readers will notice errors.
 Make sure there is a line space between each paragraph for clarity.
 Click send after checking your message throughly. Once you hit sent there is no way of
retrieving your message.
 Ensure that you have attached any files you want to send as attachments.
 Remember to cheque if you are sending the mail to the right person.
Tips on E-mail Etiquette : Some Donts
 Do not use abbreviations which your reader cannot understand.
 Use capital letters sparingly and only for special emphasis. CAPITAL LETTERS can be
interpreted as SHOUTING. So, do not use capital letter unnecessarily.
 Do not use underlining - underlining might look like a hyperlink to website.
 Do not ‘flame’ that is, do not use email to let off steam. The saying is ‘compose yourself before
composing your message’. Be careful about how you express yourself if you are disappointed.
Never use sarcastic, abusive, obscene or offensive language..
This is an email from the Principal of Nehru Public school to the Office Manager of the school.
Right there appropriate subject for the email.
[email protected]

Dear Meera,

Could you send out a circular about the parent – teacher meeting, scheduled this
Saturday at 10.30 a.m.. ? Please make sure that all the faculty receive the circular by
tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Thanks.

Regards
Vidyut Gaud
Writing effective E-mails(characteristics)
1) concise-short
2) Correct -spelling, grammar and punctuation
3) Clear-simple and clear short sentence and paragraph
4) Conversational tone-formal but conversational
5) Single theme-only one topic
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

1. What is the full form of E-mail ?

a) Electric Mail b) electronic mail c) electricity mail d) electric mail

2. The following is not an essential element in an email header.

a) The e-address of the sender b) BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)
c) The e-address of the receiver d) Greetings

3. Which of these do not provide free Email?

a)Hotmail b)Rediff
c)WhatsApp d)Yahoo

4. Acting politely, giving remarks about colleagues work, reasoning about emails, is
called a law of ;
a) courtesy b)confidentiality c) quality d) justification

GROUP DISCUSSION

 GD is a formal discussion which involves 6 to 15 participants who sit in a group to discuss a

topic or a case given for this purpose.
 Group discussion is a systematic and purposeful interactive oral exchange of information,
views and opinion about a given topic, issue, problem or situation among members of a
group. (Participants)
 The literal meaning of the word ‘discussion’ is ‘to talk about a subject in detail’.
 GD – All participants are expected to deliberate upon the issue extensively.
 Debate- A participant is supposed to speak either for or against.
 Time: 15 to 45 minutes
 Number: 6 to 15 candidates
Personality traits to be evaluated:
 Reasoning ability
 Leadership
 Openness
 Motivation
 Initiative
 Attentive listening
 Awareness

Group Etiquettes & Mannerism

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

 -Be friendly & approachable

 -Encourage participation from co-participants
 -Don’t hurt anybody
 -Don’t be dominative or dismissive
 -Don’t be emotional

Types

 Case bases – real life situations – involve some problems to be solved.

 Topic based – Factual topics, Abstract topics & Controversial topics

Opening of a GD- no conclusion

Summarizing a discussion – No raising of ideas.

Some Tips -Do’s

 Sit comfortably
 Encourage
 Listen to the topic
 Speak at the earliest
 Be friendly
 Maintain eye contact
 Provide vital points

Don’ts
o Be in a hurry
o Be silent Dominate
o Take extreme stance
o Speak fast
o Get emotional

Importance of Group Discussion

 Group discussion aid in problem solving, decision making and personality development.
 A job seeker may be required to face selection GDs as part of selection process.
 Group discussion is also used by a lecturer for personality assessment of candidate like
knowledge, initiative, confidence, communication skills, leadership skills, team skills, conflict
management.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Characteristics of a Successful GD

 Agreement on group goals: Agreement on group goals brings clarity and provides direction
to the group.
 Goal oriented interaction: Effective GD members are not only aware of the group goals but
also work towards the attainment of the goals.
 Agreement on procedures: Participants of a successful GD develop procedures to guide them.
 Presentation of individual views
 Cooperative and friendly atmosphere: Members of the group cooperate with each other as
they understand and appreciate different point of views, different participant’s opinion, idea
and approaches enrich the process of discussion and broaden the horizon of the group.
 Use of effective communication techniques: Effective GD members keep the channels of
communication open. Speak clearly and use non-verbal communication tactfully.
 Equitable distribution of participants: Each member is important and no one is allowed to
dominate or monopolize the discussion.
 Shared leadership:Leadership functions are shared and performed by the various members of
the groups.

Choose the appropriate answer to the following questions.

1. Which of the following is not an element of group discussion?

a) Participants c) Common objectives
b) Sharing of views d) Written test
2. Which of these qualities are important in a group discussion?
a) Hostility c) Emotional stability
b) Aggressiveness d) Ignorance
3. In a group discussion, we should be…………… .
a) assertive c) subjective
b) dominating d) ignorant
4. In a group discussion the discussions must be directed to its logical conclusions.
a) True b) False
c) Both d) None
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

5. Which of the following must be avoided in group discussion?

a) Speaking with clarity c) Speaking Fast
b) Asking Questions d) Speaking Facts
6. A group discussion must advance.
a) Truth c) Personal Glory
b) Arguments d) Dishonesty
7. In a group discussion, one must communicate with ______ .
a) hostility c) ignorance
b) knowledge d) long Sentences
8. Which of following is not an element of group discussion?
a) Group Size c) Subject Knowledge
b) Evaluation of candidates d) Unnecessary Argument.
9. Group Discussion is …………………….
a) A form of group communication c) An example for formal communication
b) oral in nature d) Meant only for conducting interviews
10. Which of these are vital for organisation?
a) Debates c) Speeches
b) Group Discussion d) Arguments

JOB INTERVIEW
The word interview derives from the Latin and middle French words mean ‘lie between’ or ‘see each
other’. Inter means between and view means see.

An interview can be defined as a gentle conversation between two or more people, where question is
asked to a person to get the required response or answers.

It can be simply defined as the formal meeting between two or more people where the interviewer
asks questions to the interviewee to obtain information.

An interview is a formal meeting between a job seeker and employer.

Success in a job interview depends on knowledge, self-confidence, good speaking skills through
preparations and use of appropriate interview strategies.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Factors responsible for making interviews

1. Growing competition in the job market: More competition in the job market due to
availability of more qualified and experienced candidates.
2. Changing demands of the job market: More opportunities are equal to more challenges, more
demands and more expectations.
3. Growing professionalism of the business world: Due to growing professionalism, they need
very efficient, competent and highly dynamic personnel to run the show and to achieve the
desired success.
4. Increasing focus on the candidate’s personal qualities: Candidate’s personnel qualities rather
than on qualification, experience and job skills.
5. Changes in interviewing techniques: Interviewing process has become more complex, to get
right people for the right job.

Types of interviews

1. The screening interview/screening of resume: To ensure that candidates meet minimum

qualification required.

2. Personal interview: It implies meeting and interacting with the perspective candidate in person. It
is the most common way of selecting candidates.

3. Walk in interview: The candidates are simply required to walk in with documents on the day of
interview.

4. Interview through video conferencing: Video conferences can be conducted at your own premises
or at designated premises of the hiring organization. In today’s world technology plays a vital role in
bridging distance and cost-effective mechanism to recruit talent from across the world.

5. Campus interviews: Companies visit the campus and recruit the number of candidates it required.
Great opportunity for both at graduate or post graduate level of final year students.

6. Telephone interviews:

7. On –site interviews:

Interview preparation techniques

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Preparing well is the key to success during an interview.

Pre-interview preparation techniques include:

1. Self-analysis: Self-analysis is the first step towards effective planning for an interview.

Analyze your background: Educational and professional background.

 Tell us something about yourself

 How would you describe yourself?
 Tell us something about your education and background.
2. Identify your accomplishments: An accomplishment can be defined as the completion a particular
job/task with the help of one’s skills.
 Organized college trip /cultural program.
 Completion of academic project.
 Solving a difficult problem /situation.

Questions:

 Describe a situation in which you were successful?

 Tell us about a problem you have faced and solved?
 Have u ever solved a problem?
3. Identify your achievements: Achievement’s reflect special skills, achievements show our academic
and professional success and distinguish a successful person from the non-achiever.Make a list of
scholarship, fellowships, awards, prizes, distinctions, certificate, recognition.

Questions:

 What are your achievements?

 Do you consider yourself an achiever?
4. Identify your special interests and hobbies:As most organization prefer dynamic and active
employees. Special interests and activities must show the candidates as a dynamic and energetic
person who can accept all challenges.

Questions:

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

 Tell us something about your interests and activities?

5. Analyse your career goals: It is important that you analyze your career goals in terms of the job
positions you have applied for.

Questions:

 What do you want to do in life?

 What are your short and long terms goals?
 Where do you like to see yourself in five/ten years?
6. Analyse your skills: Skill assessment is the process of analyzing your skills in terms of the skill
required for the position you are seeking.

Questions:

 How will you rate yourself for the position on a scale of one to ten?
 Why should we hire you?
 What is your greatest strength?
7. Research the Organization:

Researching an organization involves gathering basic information about

 The nature
 Operation
 Status
 Structure
 Growth rate
 Activities of the organization.

Basic information about the organization

Major areas of operation

Products/services of the organization
Focus on actuarial of the organization
Growth rate
Hierarchical structure of the organization
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Work culture
The financial standing and turnover
Coroporate culture
Recent development
New products, services, and projects
Factors making the organization successful.
Questions

1.Why do you want to join us?

2.What do you know about our company?

3.How do you rate our company?

4.Our company was recently in the news can you tell me?

5.Why you are interested in our company?

8. Analyse the Job/Position Applied

Job analysis will provide you broad information about the positions.

Questions

1.Why are you interested in this job?

2.What makes you fit for this position?

3.What do you know about this position?

4.What does this job involve?

5.What are the responsibilities & special duties?

6.What are the challenges of this position?

7.What are the skills and abilities required?

9. Revise your Subject knowledge

Revise your subject for clarity and confidence.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Questions

Subject experts might ask probing questions to judge the depth and scope of the candidates subject
knowledge.

10. Develop the Interview File

Preparing for an interview demands a professional approach. You should develop an interview file
that contains:

 Interview letter.
 Original degree certificate /marks card .
 Experience letter /certificate.
 Reference letter.
 Certificate of merits.
 Copies of your resume
 Your visiting card
 Other relevant papers that might be needed during interview.

NOTE: You should keep 3 sets of photocopies of essential papers (from 1 to 8)

Types of Interview Questions

Open Questions

An open question asks the candidates to ” talk about” something.

Ex. 1. Tell us something about yourself

2.What are the advantages of mixed company?

Closed Questions

To provide specific information/facts.

Ex. 1.When did you complete your graduation?

2.What was your major subject in the college?

Probing Question
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

The main purpose of probing question is to probe more deeply or ask for explanation or clarification.

Ex. 1.What is a semiconductor? Explain.

Loaded Question

The main purpose of loaded question is to justify the candidate’s ability to handle difficult and
sensitive situation.

Ex. 1. Do you think that a Ram temple should be constructed at the height of Babri Masjid?

2. Your CGPA in the first Sem of your B.E is too low. How do you justify that?

Reflecting Question

Reflecting questions are asked to confirm the statement given by the candidate.

Ex. 1. That means you want the public sector companies to be totally privatized?

2. Am I right in thinking that you are against economic liberalism in India?

Leading Question

Leading question is asked to obtain a desired response (yes/no answer)

Ex.1. Don’t you think that MNCs have boosted the Indian economy?

2. Don’t you agree that our company needs more privatization?

Hypothetical Question

A hypothetical question may be asked to list the possible reaction of the candidate to a certain
situation ….what would you do if?

Ex. What would you do if you are a PM of India?

Answering Strategies

Attentiveness: The candidate should listen to the interviewer attentively in order to understand the
question and then respond to it.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Accuracy: The candidate should not try to bluff the interviewer ; it’s better to accept that he/she
doesn’t know an answer rather than giving an incorrect answer.

Brevity[Be brief end to point]: A long answer does not necessarily mean a better answer.

Focus:The candidate should be focused on what questioned and specific.

Clarity:Clarity of expression generally reflects clarity of thought and professionalism so answer should
be clear and direct.

Positive Attitude: Interviewer may ask negative or sensitive question to explore the negative in the
candidate’s personality. Therefore, it is important to remain positive and answer even negative
question positively.

Logical Thinking: Logical arguments and illustration should be used when answering questions that
demands careful thinking.

Interview Practice

The main purpose of interview practice is to help one learn how to answer questions with confidence
in a natural and spontaneous way.

Mock Interview: Mock interview should be conducted with the help of friends, classmates,
colleagues or relatives.

Audio/Video Practice: The candidate may record his/her answer to expected questions on
audio/video recorder and listen for the quality of the answers.

Rehearse Open Questions: The candidate should rehearse to open questions such as “Tell us
something about yourself” before friends,roommates, classmates.This helps the candidate to
improve the quality of his/her answer and his/her body language.

Good Manners and Positive Behavior

 Be polite: Being polite, pleasant and courteous is the key to success.

 Be flexible: An ideal employer is always flexible. Flexible in approach, attitude & style.
 Be tactful: It is better to think before speaking then to suffer.
 Do not argue: The interviewer should never argue with interviewers.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

 Be interested: interviewer will prefer a more interested but less qualified candidate to a less
interested and more qualified one.
 Control nervousness: Most people are scared of job interview and feel nervousness before
interview.

Choose the correct answer.

1. Which of these is not a type of interview?

a) Screening c) Committee
b) Behavioral d) Audition
2. All job interviews have the same objective -
a) True c) False
b) Both d) None
3. Which is necessary at an interview?
a) Disagreement c) Timely Responses
b) Constant Nodding d) Silence
4. In which of these is more than one candidate interviewed?
a) Stress Interview c) The Audition
b) Group Interview d) Behavioural Interview
5. Which kind of interview includes a process in which the employability of the applicant is
evaluated?
a) Stress Interview c) Screening Interview
b) Group Interview d) Behavioral Interview
6. Which of the following statements about facing an interview is false?
a) Greet people with a smile and firm hand shake
b) Make a good eye contact
c) Express your weakness more positively
d) Don’t make an attempt to read the body language of the interviewers.
7. Which of the following should be adapted at an interview?
a) Using hand gestures
b) Crossing hands together

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01
BE / B Tech I/II Sem Professional Writing Skills in English (BPWSK106/206)
_______________________________________________________________________________________

c) Fiercely nodding head continuously

d) Expressing the disagreement in too much negative way.
8. Which of the following stages of an interview should take the largest time to complete?
a) Greeting c) Resume review
b) Questions and Answers d) Closing
9. Which type of interview questions are most meaningful to employers, who want to access
how you will perform on the job?
a) Traditional c) Screening
b) Behavioural d) All the three
10. Which is typically NOT considered part of a job compensation package?
a) Salary c) Benefits
b) Funds to pay taxes d) Incentive pay
11. What is variety of questions that can be asked by the candidate?
a) General c) Defining
b) Controlling d) All the three
12. The final activity in the interview process is
a) The Handshake c) The Follow-up
b) The Negotiation d) The Thank You Note
********

_____________________________________________________________________________________
Prof. Rajashekar M N, Assistant Professor & Head, Dept. of English, Govt. SKSJTI, KR Circle, Bangalore-01