Chapter 4 The Basic Writing Skills

 

Chapter 4

Basic Writing Skills

1. Tick () the correct option.

a. Which of the following field(s) use writing as a medium of communication?

i. Medicine                                      ii   Education  

  iii. Technology                              iv All of these

 

b. Which of the following is necessary for effective writing?

i Grammar and spellings                ii. Concept and idea

iii. Environment                                iv. Pen and paper

 

c. Which of the following is not there in a phrase?

i. Noun and pronoun                   ii. Subject and verb

iii. Verb and adverb                   iv. Preposition and noun

 

d. A simple sentence is made up of:

i  one clause                           ii. two clauses

iii. three clauses                  iv. None of these

 

2. Read the statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Choose the correct option:

a.   Assertion (A): A paragraph is essentially a collection of sentences that relate to one central topic.

     Reason (R): A paragraph lacks focus, clarity and unity without a definite idea of what the main topic is.

 Ans.     (ii)

 

b.  Assertion (A): 'Sit down' is an imperative sentence.

     Reason (R): The subject is explicitly stated and implied in imperative sentences.

Ans.  (iii)

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Give any two reasons to show that effective writing skills are important.

Ans. Effective writing skills are important because they enhance communication and contribute to professional success. Clear writing allows individuals to express ideas and information efficiently, which is essential in personal correspondence, professional reports, and academic papers across various professions.

2. What are clauses? Give one example each of a main clause and a subordinate clause.

Ans. Clauses are groups of words that contain a subject and a verb. Clauses are the part of the sentences. 

Main Clause: A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence.

Example: She went to the market.

Subordinate Clause: A clause that cannot stand alone and depends on a main clause to complete its meaning.

Example: because she needed vegetables

 

3. Differentiate between independent clause and dependent clause.

Ans. An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence, expressing a complete thought, while a dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a sentence and needs to be joined with an independent clause to form a complete thought.

4. Differentiate between simple and complex sentences.

Ans. Simple Sentence contains one independent (main) clause and it can express a complete idea with a subject and a verb. Does not have any subordinate clauses. Whereas a complex sentence contains one main clause and at least one subordinate clause. The subordinate clause adds extra information but cannot stand alone.

5. What is the function of a supporting sentences in a paragraph?

Ans. Supporting sentences in a paragraph function to develop and clarify the main idea introduced by the topic sentence. They provide details, examples, explanations, or evidence to support and elaborate on the topic sentence's central point. Essentially, they make the paragraph's message more concrete and persuasive for the reader.

6. What is the need of asking questions? Mention the two basic types of questions.

Ans. Asking questions is crucial for learning, problem-solving, and understanding. It helps clarify information, stimulate critical thinking, and promotes deeper engagement in discussions. The two basic types of questions are open-ended and closed. 

Example (Closed-ended): Are you reading a book?

Example (open-ended): When did you buy this book?

 

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What is a sentence? Briefly discuss the various types of sentences.

Ans. A sentence is a fundamental unit of language that expresses a complete thought. It typically contains a subject and a predicate. A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark, such as a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation point (!).  

Based on Purpose, the sentences are classified into these categories.

Declarative Sentence: This type of sentence makes a statement or expresses an opinion. It ends with a period.

Example: I am going to the market.

Interrogative Sentence: An interrogative sentence asks a question. It ends with a question mark.

Example: Are you coming with me?

Imperative Sentence: An imperative sentence gives a command or makes a request. It usually ends with a period, but can end with an exclamation point for emphasis. The subject is often implied (you).

Example: Close the door. (Implied subject: You)

Exclamatory Sentence: An exclamatory sentence expresses strong emotion or feeling. It ends with an exclamation point.

Example: What a beautiful day!

 

2. Discuss the various parts of a sentence.  Give suitable example to show the function of each part.

Ans. These the different parts of a sentence.

 Subject: The subject is the noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb or is being described. It answers the questions "Who?" or "What?"

Example: The cat slept soundly. (Who slept soundly? The cat.)

Predicate: Function: The predicate is the part of the sentence that contains the verb and tells us what the subject does or is. It includes the verb and any other words that modify the verb or complete its meaning.

Example: The cat slept soundly on the rug. (What did the cat do? Slept soundly on the rug.)

Object: The object receives the action of the verb. There are two main types of objects:

Example: The boy kicked the ball. (Kicked what? The ball.)

 

3. What is a noun? Discuss the various types of nouns.

Ans. Noun is a word used to refer to a person, place, or thing. Following are the types of noun.

1. Common Nouns:  These are general names for people, places, things, or ideas. They are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.  

Examples: woman, city, table, happiness, country, student, book, river.  

2. Proper Nouns:  These are specific names for particular people, places, organizations, or things. They are always capitalized.

Examples: Mary, London, Amazon River, University of Delhi, Tuesday, Christianity, Taj Mahal.

3. Concrete Nouns:  These are nouns that refer to things that can be perceived by one or more of the five senses (sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste). You can physically interact with them or observe them directly.

Examples: flower, rain, music, perfume, pizza, baby, computer, mountain.

4. Abstract Nouns: These are nouns that refer to ideas, qualities, states, or concepts that cannot be perceived by the five senses. They are intangible.  

Examples: freedom, justice, love, anger, poverty, courage, intelligence, democracy.  

5. Countable Nouns (Count Nouns):  These are nouns that can be counted and have singular and plural forms. You can use numbers with them.  

Examples: one book, two books; a car, several cars; an idea, many ideas; a child, three children.  

6. Uncountable Nouns: These are nouns that cannot typically be counted and usually do not have a plural form.  

Examples: water, air, sand, rice, information, advice, furniture, happiness, traffic

7. Collective Nouns:  These are nouns that refer to a group of people or things as a single unit.

Examples: team, family, committee, crowd, flock, herd, army, class8

Application Based Questions

1. Write three simple sentences and then convert them into complex sentences.

Ans.

Despite being rich, Hari never helps others..	Although Hari  is rich, she is not happy.
George is too weak to walk any further.	George is so weak that he cannot walk any further.
Due to his illness, Vinod did not go to work.	Vinod did not go to work because he was ill.

 

2. Find the error in the following sentences and rewrite them correctly.

a. Mohit and Raghav and Sumit are going to a music concert?

b. I banged my car in the pavement!

c. Have you ever been to Delhi.

 

Ans. a. Are Mohit, Raghav, and Sumit going to a music concert?

        b. I banged my car against the pavement!

        c. Have you ever been to Delhi?

 

3. Indicate the type of sentence for each of the following.

a.	Will you please stay quiet?	Interrogative
b.	Shut the door.	Imperative
c.	The sun rises in the east.	Assertive
d.	What a wonderful movie!	Exclamatory

 

5. Decide the part of speech of the underlined words below.

a. You have to believe in yourself if you want to succeed.	Pronoun(reflexive)
b. We first went to the grocery store to buy a things.	preposition
c. We had breakfast at a restaurant near the railway station.	noun
d. The weather was very cold.	adverb
e. We got back home late at night but we did go to sleep immediately.	conjunction