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+1 ENGLISH A+ MODULE, , REVIEW OR CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF A POEM, STEPS TO BE FOLLOWED WHEN WRITING A REVIEW OR A CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF A, POEM, , 1. Read the poem at least 3 times, 2. Para 1 – present the theme of the poem in 2 or 3 sentences using impressive, words – about the author 2 or 3 sentences – period of the poem, category in, which it is included( quotations by some critics can be used), An Example: Beginning of an Introduction Paragraph, James Shirley's 'Death the Leveller' often leaves out more of a story than it actually tells. In, order to fully understand the speaker and his/her psychology, readers must carefully pay, , attention to the word choice, logical progression, and the use of figures of speech, including, any metaphors or analogies. Understanding the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of a, character not only gives readers a sense of sympathy for the characters but also helps readers, understand the multiplicity of perspectives that make up the truth..............(continues)............., , 3. Para 2 – summary or plot of the poem, 4. Para 3 – other features of the poem. Write at least 2 sentences about the, following things:- relation between the title and the content, - describe the theme and its relation with the style (lyric, sonnet, dramatic monologue,, elegy etc) of the poem, - historical background of the poem, period during which the poem was written etc, - speaker of the poem(1st or 2nd or 3rd person narrative), - comment on other characters(living or dead or inanimate, visible or invisible), - comment on the time of the day, nature, climate, geography etc, - comment on attractive lines. Quote 1or 2 lines and explain, - write whether the poem has word pictures, images etc, - write whether the poem is verse or prose, - write whether the poem has stanza structure(stanzas having fixed no: of lines or not), - write whether the poem has rhyme scheme (lines ending with similar sounds – cat-bat,, dig-pig etc), - write whether the poem has alliteration, assonance (similar sounding words in a line or, adjacent lines), , −, , write whether the poem has simile and metaphor( a thing is compared to, other. Eg:- she is like a rose, she is a rose)

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−, , comment on the ending of the poem, , −, , comment on the message of the poem, , 5. Conclusion (write about the significance of the poem to humanity, its, potential, future etc. quotations by some critics can be used), QUOTES BY FAMOUS CRITICS THAT CAN BE USED IN A REVIEW, "All great works of literature either dissolve a genre or invent one", said Walter Benjamin once and it rightly, applies to Kipling's 'If', , "poetry is seeking to make not meaning but beauty", said Coleridge once and it rightly applies to H.W.Long, Fellow’s ‘Sunrise on the Hills’, SPEECH, THINGS TO BE NOTED WHEN WRITING A SPEECH, , , , , , , , , , , , Be clear about your purpose - to inspire, instruct, support, or lead to action etc., Make a striking beginning., Get organized, i.e. develop the introduction, body, and conclusion., Ensure clarity and brevity. (Use short sentences, clear words etc), Be persuasive. (Use expressions like You should…, You must…You ought to…), Use capitalizations, Use expressions of interaction. (Eg: ‘what do you think?’, ‘how do you feel my, dear ?’, ‘what should I say ?’ etc), Use effective silences. (put the word ‘silence’ in brackets wherever necessary), End with an appropriate conclusion (Eg: Thank you all, Thank you for your kind, ears etc), , STRUCTURE OF A SPEECH, 1. Salutation, 2. Introduction, 3.Content (Present the idea with the help of questions, apt expressions, stories, poems,, quotes, capitalizations etc), HOW TO BEGIN A SPEECH ?, It’s a special pleasure for me to be here today. I hope all of us here today share a sense, of common commitment. I may begin my thoughts with a quote by Winston Churchill –, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”, OR, It’s a special moment for me to be here today. I hope all of us here today share a sense of, common commitment. I may begin my discourse with a quote by Oscar Wilde – “To live is, the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”, OR

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It is once in life time kind of opportunity for me to be here today. I hope all of us here today share, a sense of common sentiment. I may begin my discourse with a quote by Albert Einstein -“There, are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though, everything is a miracle.”, USE THESE EXPRESSIONS, I think... , I hope that... , In my view... , In my opinion... , I strongly believe that.... , On, the whole we can say that..., HOW TO END A SPEECH ?, Iam not sure whether I had expressed myself completely or not. Any thank you for your kind ears, and impeccable patience. I hope this golden quote by Mark Twain could conclude this speech, appropriately., “In life, sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”, Thank you all., , FRIENDLY LETTER/EMAIL, HOW TO BEGIN A FRIENDLY LETTER?, My dear……..,, It’s been too long since our last visit, and I thought I’d write to you to see how everything is. So,, how are you and the family doing? I am fine and the only thing makes me sad is that I miss you., Hope we meet soon., OR, My dear……..,, When was the last time we met? Do you have any idea? It seems an year has been gone. Time, flies, isn’t it? Any way letters like these draw us closer, no doubt. So, how is life? Is everything, fine? I hope so. I am fine and the only thing makes me sad is that I miss you. Hope we meet soon., HOW TO END A FRIENDLY LETTER?, Don’t feel lonely my dear. I am just a phone call away. Do write. Be positive, be cheerful. We are, with you. GOD almighty is always with you. Hope we meet soon. Take care of your health. Bye., E Mail, , Steps for preparing a good e-mail:, • Start with a salutation., • Write in short paragraphs., • Stick to the topic., • Use capitals appropriately., • Sign off the e-mail., * For short informal e-mails, use 'Best regards, With regards or Kind regards'.

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For a more formal e-mail, it is essential to close appropriately with 'Yours sincerely/Yours, faithfully'etc., While writing to people you know well, sign off with something such as 'All the best,' 'Take care,', or 'Have a nice day,' before typing your name., REVIEW OR CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF A STORY, DRAMA OR FILM, THINGS TO BE NOTED WHEN WRITING A REVIEW, 1. Introduce the author, his age, his other works and the relevance of the given story or, film or drama-evaluate the writing style--whether it is a mystery, romance, thriller,, comedy etc-concentrate on a central idea like the author's intent and theme., 2. Summarize the plot –describe the character - highlight those aspects of the story that, pleased your interest, such as the beginning, the climax etc. Analyze the ending of the, story and reflect upon it., 3. Write about the location of the story, the age, geography, climate, costumes,, language, politics, history natural beauty etc, 4. Discuss the author's purpose and whether or not you feel he / she achieved it through, the characters, storyline or style.-discuss the overall message of the story, its, significance- give constructive advice. If you cannot appreciate the story, do not criticize, the author on a personal level, but instead focus your advice on the story elements, themselves., 5. Draw your conclusion. Give your overall opinion of the story., HOW TO BEGIN A REVIEW?, In the context of literary history, Dr. A.J. Cronin is often seen as one of the masters of, creative genius and craft due to his forays into the realms of bare human life and, experience. The themes that run through Cronin’s works and the language he uses to, embody those themes remain incredibly consistent throughout his panoramic career. The, famous Elizabethan Ben Johnson’s remark about Shakespeare fits rightly to Cronin too –, “He was not of an age, but for all time!”, (you may substitute Dr. A.J. Cronin with any other writer and use the paragraph as an, introduction), OR, Chekhov's tales are episodic and impressionistic rather than plot-driven. His style is resolutely, objective, and it is difficult to identify an authorial tone within any of his works. He complicates, our responses and makes his characters seem more realistic. By abandoning an authorial tone,, Chekhov refrains from making a moral judgment and forces his readers to assess the characters, for themselves., QUOTES BY FAMOUS CRITICS THAT CAN BE USED IN A REVIEW, "The genre short story is a moral form. It's about cause and effect", said Alice Munro and it rightly, applies to A.J. Cronin’s The Serang of Ranaganji., “A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it. ” - Edgar Allan Poe, “A short story is a love affair, a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film. ” M.H. Abrahams.

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“The quality of a play is the quality of its ideas.”― George Bernard Shaw, INTERVIEW, THINGS TO BE NOTED WHEN PREPARING AN INTERVIEW, , 1. Ask a cluster of questions or a statement preceding a question, 2. Answer in a paragraph (At least 3 sentences), 3. You can use quotes or stories or poems in questions and answers if necessary, but, be precise and to the point., Sample questions and answers (can be asked to any one), , 1. Was your child hood a delightful one? How do you recollect those days now? Can, you share some of your childhood experiences with us?, Sure. It was a delightful one as far as I feel. Even the child having the hardest, childhood would remember it as a good one because the good experiences, remain in our conscience. That is how our brain works. Even from an objective, point of view I can assure you that mine was a happy one in the sense that I was, more or less free to do and think what I wanted. Of course there were problems, but I was a satisfied child. In fact my childhood world shaped my personality., 2. Do you think our world has become more and more negative now? Some people, nostalgically recollect the ‘Lost Paradise’ of the foregone era. I feel it has been, more or less the same time immemorial. What do you think?, Yes. I totally agree with your opinion. World was never too good or too bad. It is, the attitude of the dwellers here makes the change. When you are young you tend, to perceive everything in silver light. The world caters young minds and when, your mind become old you feel the old world was a better place. So keep your, mind young, don’t fall prey to psychological senility., 3. When we say all these, we tend to glorify youthfulness. Do you think the, youngsters nowadays are more positive? Do you find any imbalances in their, lives?, That is a vexing question. If I am to judge today’s youngsters I must do it from an, objective platform. I always wanted to be with them. In fact it is not “them” but it, is “us”. My thoughts keep me an youngster still. Coming to the question, yes,, there are imbalances, I would say. But nobody outside could help them solve their, problems. It is upto them and they will do it for sure., 4. You are source of inspiration to thousands of people. How do you keep up your, confidence level? What do you do when you feel depressed?, Thank you for the compliments. I am a normal human being and I feel every, emotion just like anybody in the world. There are several ways to get rid of your, depressive mood. The primary one is to believe that everything we face and do is, for the good. In Bhagavad Gita Krishna says- do your duty without thinking about, the results. Find happiness in work not in the result. Positive thinking should be a, habit. Transform an end into a beginning., 5. What does life mean to you? or to put the question in another way, did life teach, you any lessons? What lessons have you learned from life?, I don’t think life is a conventional classroom where you study according to a, syllabus and face examinations and get your grades. Life is much greater a, canvas than a mere class room. Everybody learns from experience and I have, some too. The lessons which I have learned apply only to my life, probably. You, cannot teach someone how to live better. One should learn it by one’s own. Listen, to your soul and do things accordingly., 6. It was nice talking to you. I feel revitalized. Lastly I would like to ask a tricky, question. If God appears before you and asks you to choose another person’s life,, whom do you select and why?

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Ha Ha Ha, as a child I always imagined such things and that is child hood for, isn’t, it? I always fancied becoming a singer, a sports person, or a beautiful actress. But, that doesn’t mean that I am dissatisfied with this life. Of course we like to dream, about “the road not taken”. I think I want live my own life much better if I am, given a chance., , LETTER TO THE EDITOR, STRUCTURE OF A LETTER TO THE EDITOR, From,, Name, Address, Date, To,, The Chief Editor, Times of India, Kochi, Sir,, Sub:………………………, I am Pradeep. I work as an accountant in Capital Market Pvt Ltd. I am a, regular reader of your newspaper. First of all I would like to congratulate you on, your responsible demeanour in news reporting. Your true and legitimate ways of, approaching a public activity is unparalleled and deserve credit. Moreover, you, serve the purpose of transacting good English language to the learners country, wide., I write this letter on a special purpose……… ……………………… …………, ………………………........... ………………................................................... ………………, …………………………………………………………., Hope you will look into the matter. I would be extremely grateful if you, publish the matter discussed.No need to publish my name as I prefer tobe, anonymous. Thank you., Yours Faithfully,, Name, NOTICE/PRESS RELEASE, STRUCTURE OF A NOTICE/PRESS RELEASE, , NAME OF THE PROGRAMME, NAME OF ORGANISZATION, Address, Email, Phone, , We have decided to conduct a (programme) on (date) at (time) at (venue) under the, auspices of ( organization). Sri (, ) will inaugurate he programme. Sri.(, ), Sri.(

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), and Sri.(, ) will be present. Our society at present needs several of such, programmes. We are committed to such causes.( write 2 or 3 sentences about the, relevance of the program and its possible impact in our society) We seek the help and, support of every one. We wholeheartedly welcome all of you to be present during the, programme., Place, , Yours Sincerely, , Date, , Name, Designation, Name of Organization, , PROFILE, THINGS TO BE KEPT IN MIND WHEN PREPARING A PROFILE, , 1. A catchy title or headline, 2. 1st para – introduce the person, his greatness, relevance in our society (use, quotes or poem couplets about great lives to create the impression), Birth & Childhood ( use imagination appropriately), Education (School & college), Career and achievements, Family life, Death, SOME USABLE QUOTES, , 3., 4., 5., 6., 7., , The great person is ahead of his time – John Ruskin, A great thing can only be done by a great person; and they do it without effort. – John, Ruskin, A position of eminence makes a great person greater and a small person less. – William, Hazlitt, ARTICLE/FEATURE/WRITE UP/ESSAY, Article/Feature/Write up is an essay about an eminent person or an important place or a, decisive incident or similar relevant things. These are commonly seen in magazines,, sunday supplements of newspapers etc., THINGS TO BE KEPT IN MIND WHEN PREPARING AN ARTICLE/FEATURE/WRITE UP, , 1. A catchy title or headline, 2. 1st para – introduce the person/place/incident, its greatness/relevance in our, society. (may use quotes or poem couplets to create impression), , 3. Rest of the paragraphs has no definite structure. Use common sense. Everything, should be light hearted., , 4. If it is about a person, include his life history as in a profile., 5. If it is about a place include the details of natural beauty, historical relevance,, climate, geography, route etc., , 6. If it is about an incident include location, people involved, details of happenings,, historical, political, social relevance, future effects etc., YOU MAY USE SENTENCES LIKE THESE, Life posses a mystery in everything it deals with. Surely one could expect the most, unexpected in any moment of this worldly life. Experience brings about maturity as well

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as peace of mind. Through this write up, I aim to produce a positive outlook towards life, and our world., NEWS PAPER REPORT, THINGS TO BE KEPT IN MIND WHEN PREPARING A NEWS PAPER REPORT, , 1. Headline is mandatory. It must contain the main incident., Eg: Two Died in a Car Accident OR Oomen Chandy Inagurated the State School, Kalolsavam, 2. 1st para – decscribe what happened, when (time&date), where(place),how, who, were involved in the incident, why it happened., Example:, Alappuzha,17 Oct:Two people died and three others were injured in a car-bus collision at, the NH 47 near Cherthala at 2 AM yesterday. Ramu(28) and Joseph(36) who were in the, Maruthi Swift car died at once when the KSRTC Bus hit them. The Bus was heading to, Kollam and the car was going to Kochi. The passengers in the bus, Rema(32), Rahim(64), and John(46) were seriously injured and are admitted in the Taluk hospital Cherthala., 3. Remaining 2 paragraphs should contain the details of the incident., REPORT WRITING, THINGS TO BE KEPT IN MIND WHEN WRITING A REPORT, , 1. Headline necessary, 2. write about the events in the order in which they had occurred, 3. use past tense, Travel Essay, , 1st paragraph - State the name of the place you visited, followed by a catchy comment, on the locale - describe the landscape - its physical features – the description should be, presented in such a way as to arouse the interest of the readers-location of the tourist, spot(country, state, district), An Example Introduction:, It gives always a nice feeling to travel to places which you had never been to. If you have the, opportunity to tour with the people you like most that would be happiness at its helm. That is what I, had experienced throughout last week. The frosty mornings, the misty sunshine and the foggy air,, with fragrance of exotic flowers, beckon anyone with any sense of beauty to a place such as, Kodaikanal. Fed up with the sweaty, tropical life we had no other choice but the Nilgiris. So close, and so beautiful. It was a dreamy tour, to say the least., From 2nd paragraph onwards, you can arrange the events that happened during the tour, in the order in which they occurred. You should mention these things:, - practical issues related to travel ( time, vehicle, road, accompanying passengers,, health matters etc), - incidents that happened during the tour(dancing, singing, photography, spending, time with friends, sad moments, quarrels if any etc), - natural beauty, climate, geographical peculiarities, historical importance etc, - food, behavior and dress of local people, cleanliness etc, - culture, art forms, music, language spoken, consumer products, shopping centres, etc, - your own impressions of the tour and the spot, recommendations to the future, tourists, how to reach the place etc

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The script of a live TV report., Live TV Reports are often used during cricket telecasts, news reporting, boat races,, funerals of great people and so on. You should give a live commentary on what you see,, in short, attractive sentences., . emphasizes the 'now' aspect of the report., • covers the latest developments the moment they happen., • engages the audience and makes them feel that they are on the 'spot'. The reporter, could even do a show -and-tell report by pointing out what he/she sees., • takes the viewers to somewhere they cannot go., • plans and organizes all the necessary information logically and clearly, giving no room, for confusion., Example:, Hearty Welcome to everyone. Dear viewers, we are about to watch (write the event) ., What a great, pleasant day! I am at a loss now to explain my feelings right now. I don’t, have the right words to express my emotions. I do feel that you also get the same vibes., (use may words like “look there.., hold your breath…,wow…, I think I am dreaming…, this, is unreal…,how sad…” etc according to situation), Character Analysis/Character Sketch, , Introduction Para – Name of the lesson, name of the author, name of the character and, his importance in the lesson., 2nd Para – His physical appearance, dress, age etc, 3rd Para – His behaviour, character, attitude towards others, relevance in the story, our, opinion about him, Precis Writing, 1. give a proper headline, 2. Note down the main actions (verbs), , 3. avoid the less important ideas, examples, elaboration of ideas etc, 4. Rewrite the summary in your own words (make each paragraph 1/3 of the original, size), Telephonic Conversation/Role Play, Examples of Introducing:Hi Gupta, it is Maggie calling., Hello. This is Maggie calling., I'm Gupta, can I speak to Maggie, please?, Hello, I am Gupta. May I know who is on the other end?, Hello, Gupta speaking. Can I get Maggie?, Hello Maggie, how are you?

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Hello, is it 4446449039? Can I get Maggie?, Examples of Connecting Someone:Please, hold on. I'll get her., One second please., May I know who you are?, Hang on one second., Just a minute., Examples of Making Special Requests:Can you hold for a minute?, Could you please repeat that?, Please tell me everything. I'll tell her., Examples of Concluding Conversation:Thanks for calling., I'll talk to you again soon, Bye`, Talk to you later., OK. See you later., We'll meet in person soon., All right. May I hang up?, EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF THE GIVEN LINES IN A POEM (PARAPHRASING OR, ANNOTATION), 1st Para – Write the name of the poem, name of the author, theme of the poem, stanza in, which the given lines appear, 2nd Para – Write the meaning of the lines in your own words, use simple sentences, 3rd Para – Write if there are rhyme or poetic devices (rhyme,simile, metaphor,, personification, alliteration etc), Example Introduction:, The given lines are an integral part of the Poem, ‘Death the Leveller’ written by James, Shirley. The poem is a typical funeral song which emphasizes the universal theme, death, and the impermanence of earthly glory. The given lines are the opening lines of the 1 st, the first stanza., Travel Brochure/Travel Info, Travel Brochure should contain information regarding, -the physical appearance of the place (photographs of selected places, route maps),, -location,its scope for adventure,, -its culture,customs and traditions,art forms

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-how to get there, where to stay and where to dine, -consumer products, shopping centres, -mode of conveyance,climate, -opinions of the past visitors, Collocations, There are different types of collocations. Collocations can be adjective + adverb, noun +, noun, verb + noun and so on. Below, you can see seven main types of collocation in, sample sentences., 1. adverb + adjective, •Invading that country was an utterly stupid thing to do., •We entered a richly decorated room., •Are you fully aware of the implications of your action?, 2. adjective + noun, •The doctor ordered him to take regular exercise., •The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage., •He was writhing on the ground in excruciating pain., 3. noun + noun, •Let's give Mr Jones a round of applause., •The ceasefire agreement came into effect at 11am., •I'd like to buy two bars of soap, please., 4. noun + verb, •The lion started to roar when it heard the dog barking., •Snow was falling as our plane took off., •The bomb went off when he started the car engine., 5. verb + noun, •The prisoner was hanged for committing murder., •I always try to do my home work in the morning, after making my bed, •He has been asked to give a presentation about his work., 6. verb + expression with preposition, •We had to return home because we had run out of money., •At first her eyes filled with horror, and then she burst into tears., •Their behaviour was enough to drive anybody to crime., 7. verb + adverb

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•She placed her keys gently on the table and sat down., •Mary whispered softly in John's ear., •I remember vaguely that it was growing dark when we left., , DEBATE/ GROUP DISCUSSION, - In a debate, you have to prepare arguments that support the topic(FOR) and also, arguments that oppose the topic(AGAINST)., - In a group discussion you either prepare arguments that support the topic or, arguments that oppose it., -think of the negatives and positives of the topic, -express your ideas through complete, meaningful sentences, SOME USABLE QUOTES (can be used in various answers according to the situation), “Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.” - Mahatma, Gandhi, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi, “A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” - Mahatma Gandhi, “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.” - Abraham Lincoln, “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.” - Abraham, Lincoln, ******************************************************************************************, SOME GENERAL TIPS FOR EXAMINATION, 1. APPROACH EVERY EXAMINATION PROFESSIONALLY. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS., 2. SET TIME LIMIT FOR EACH QUESTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCORE, PROVIDED. STRICTLY STICK TO THE TIME LIMIT., 3. ANSWER EASY AND COMFORTABLE QUESTIONS FIRST. KEEP DIFFICULT, QUESTIONS TO THE END., 4. TRY TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION UPON THE EXAMINER BY GOOD HANDWRITING,, NEAT PRESENTATION AND EXOTIC IMAGINATION. SHOW THAT YOU ARE DIFFERENT, FROM OTHERS AND DESERVE A+., KEEP WORKING HARD, STAY FOCUSSED, YOU WILL WIN...., Prepared by, Unnikrishnan M.G., HSST English