important tips for the FIRST YEAR (+1) STUDENTS

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR THE EXAM:

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR THE EXAM

1. Firstly write the exam very confidently. 2) Have a good margin 3) Put the question number correctly 4) Attempt the easiest question first.5) Don’t write more than expected 6) If a question carries FOUR score you have to write only half page.(Minimum FOUR sentences) If it is an essay question and carries SEVEN score, you have to write one and half page only. 7) For every question, you have to make an introductory sentence while answering. Don’t jump into the main points first..Have some parts of question in your answer.

LET US STUDY SOME QUESTION PATTERN AND THE GOOD WAY TO ANSWER THEM TO HAVE AN IMPRESSION.

1. Read the excerpt given below and aswer the following: TIPS:- A) Answer to the question. If this question carries only ONE score you have to write in a sentence only. If it carries TWO score you have to write only TWO sentences. If it is a yes or no question, first you have to write yes or no according to the question’s nature. Then write the reason. If any question carries FOUR score you have to write only FOUR or FIVE sentences. Never write one page. This will make the teacher less impressive. It is very boring for the teacher to read a page for a short question. So remember the truth. THE MORE YOU WRITE THE MORE MISTAKES YOU COMMIT. So let us be very specific in answering.  Eg. Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward.  Whose mother is referred to in the excerpt?  We should write answer like this. The young seagull’s mother is referred to here. What is the implied meaning of the first senence. Write your answer like this: The implied meaning of this sentence is that  the young seagull’s mother loved him so much. She wanted him to be self-reliant. So she always looked him to motivate him. If another question is asked like this Eg. Write a note on the role of parents  towards the well being of their children.  Here you have to write a general answer. No need to write anything about the seagull’s parents.

2. HOW TO WRITE A PROFILE:

a) There should be a good title for the profile b) You have to read the hints very well. After that you have to write the profile in  TWO or THREE PARAGRAPHS. You have to use the past tense form. Eg. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15^th October 1931 at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. ( Write at before small place like Pavaratty and IN before big place like Thrissur. (I was born at Pavaratty in Thrissur). If there is a hint like this Eg EDUCATION : Specialized in Aeroengineering from Madras Institute of Technology.  You can write like this HE HAD HIS EDUCATION FROM Madras Institute of Technology . He was specialized in Aeroengineering.  You can add other points like this EG. He was an intellectual genius. His teachers motivated him well in his studies. This will give you an impression and can score FULL score.  If another Hint comes like this Eg. AWARDS: Padmabhushan in 1981. You can write like this..He was awarded Padmabhushan in 1981. Have a conclusion Eg. He was really an inspiration to all of us. He breathed his last on 27^th July 2015.

3.  FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE APPROPRIATE TENSE FORMS:

a) If there is time words like YESTERDAY, PREVIOUS DAY, LAST WEEK, LAST YEAR, BEFORE TWO YEARS, IN 2013 IN 1978 (PAST YEARS ALL) you have to use past tense form or second form of the verb.(FORM VERB’S SECOND FORM)

b) If there is NOW, THIS MORNING, THIS WEEK, THIS YEAR you can use present continuous tense. Eg. He is going to Mumbai this morning. ( Form is/am/are + verb+ing)

c) If there is  NEXT WEEK, NEXT YEAR, NEXT MONTH, TOMORROW, AFTER TWO DAYS, you have to use FUTURE TENSE. Eg. My Friends will visit Delhi next month.  (FORM Will/ Shall + Verb’s FIRST FORM)

d) If there are TWO PAST THINGS  first verb should be in PAST PERFECT TENSE AND THE SECOND VERB SHOULD BE IN PAST TENSE.  Eg. The patient had died by the time the doctor arrived.

e) If  the sentence is in Passive voice we have to use passive structure . It means if Objects are getting importance, you have to use passive form. Eg. Many books …..(publish)  this year by the same author. Here the answer should be Many books were published.

f) If there is “by the end of this week, by next year, by 2017..etc we have to write future perfect tense. Eg. He will have completed his novel by 2017. (Form will/shall+ have+ Past Participle(V3)

WRITING CHARACTER SKETCH: You can have character sketch of Maggie, Gupta, Hasan, the serang of Ranaganji. Nicholai Ivanich, Ivan Ivanich . When you write character sketch, make a title first. Then you write the important traits of that character. After that you can write more details about his traits with examples from the lesson. Don’t write any summary of the story. Answer should be specific.  If the question carries only 6 score you have to write maximum ONE PAGE.

IF CLAUSE: It is very easy to score . There will be mainly two parts for “if” Clause. If the first part is in present tense, the second part also should be in present tense. Eg. If Raju eats well, he will live longer. Here first clause is in present tense, so the second clause should be in present form ( Will+ V1) If the first clause is in Past tense,  the next clause should be in Past tense. Eg If Raju ate well, he would live longer.  If the first clause is with HAD + Past Participle the second clause should be with HAD + Past Participle. Eg. If Raju had eaten well, he would have lived longer.)

HOW TO INTERPRET THE DATAS AND WRITE A REPORT

Here you have to give a title for the answer. If it is a graph showing the accident datas during a particular time, you have to give the caption as INCREASING ROAD ACCIDENTS. Then you have to write three or four paragraphs. PREPARE REPORTS FROM CHARTS OR GRAPHS: It is also very easy to score marks. First you should study the ideas described in the chart. Then you should think of a suitable TITLE. There should be THREE Paragraphs in the report.  Then begin with a topic sentence. Eg. The graph shows the casualties of road accidents in four years 2004 to 2007. Then write about the number of accidental death of that year. If there is an increase write like this. From this chart we can understand that there is a steady increase in the number of casualties each year. Then you can write in another paragraphs your viewpoints about the accidents. You can write like this… I think the youths die in large number. These young people ride their bikes at high speeds without wearing helmet.  In the last paragraph you can write your suggestions and measures to avoid accidental deaths

 PRECIS WRITING

A précis is a summary and précis-writing means summarizing. A précis is the main theme of a passage. It should include all essential points. A précis should always be much shorter than original. Precis-writing teaches one how to express one’s thoughts clearly, concisely  and effectively.

Method of writing a good précis:

1) Reading: First read the passage carefully, but not too slowly, to get a general idea of its meaning. Ask certain questions. “What is it am I reading? What does the author mean? What is his subject? What is he saying about it?

2) Usually you are required to supply a title for your précis.  Think of some word, phrase or short sentence for the title. Ex: “Hospitality is a virtue for which the natives of the East in general are highly and deservedly admired”. This at once suggests the title of “Eastern Hospitality”

3) Further reading is necessary to get the details of the passage. Then you can understand what parts of the passage are essential and what parts are unimportant. Then you can come to certain conclusions

4) Then prepare a rough draft.

IMPORTANT POINTS: A) The précis should be all in your own words. B) The précis should have a connection as a whole. C) The précis must convey its message fully  and clearly

PREPARE A PRECIS OF THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE OF ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE ORIGINAL LENGTH.

Yoga developed in India thousands of years ago. Yoga has become an increasingly popular form of exercise all over the world. While there are hundreds of different types of schools of yoga which typically comprise of breathing exercises, meditation and assuming postures that stretch and flex various muscle groups, the main purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body.

Some of the physical benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, muscle strength, improved respiration, energy and vitality, weight reduction, cardio-circulatory health and maintenance of a balanced metabolism. Yoga has a remarkable effect  on over mental well-being too. Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness, increases body awareness, relieves chronic stress patterns, relaxes the mind, centers attention and makes deep-rooted concentration. It is a great way to get in tune with one’s body and inner self.

APPRECIATION OF POETRY

It is good to understand the connection between poetry and verse befor we go to study how to appreciate a poem.  Verse is the form of poetry. Poets generally write their poetry in verse- form. The features of verse-form are  1) REGULAR RHYTHM. 2)  RHYME 3) STANZAS.

1. REGULAR RHYTHM : It is caused by the poet’s arrangement will be a flow with equal intervals.  It is just like the beat of a drum of words with accented syllables. 2) RHYME: If the words at the end of the first three lines have the same vowel sound and end with the same consonant sound they are said to rhyme. ( Keep,peep; jump,lump; hate, late; crew, few; glide, slide. Rhyme makes verse musical. 3) Stanzas : If the poem is divided into units we can say that the poem has stanzas. Of all these three, rhythm is very important.

2. ONOMATOPOEIA: This is a figure of speech. Onomatopoeia is nothing but sound of the words suggesting echo or sense. Eg. Roar, bang, crash, clap, bump, bubble, screen, pop, moan, hum, murmur, etc.

3. ALLITERATION: It brings together words which begin with the same consonant or vowel sound. Eg. The fair breeze below, the white foam flew; The furrow followed free.” Here the ‘f’ sounds give the impression of wind blowing.

4. Repetition of words: It is to emphasize the meaning and it increases the musical effect of the poem.  Eg. The woods decay, the woods decay and fall, what hope of answer or redress?”a) Refrain: A refrain is a form of repetition .It is repeated at the end of each verse. Such a repeated line or phrase is called a burden or refrain.

NARRATION. Narration should be in past tense. Begin with an interesting phrase. Eg. It was really an interesting experience for me. Ican’t forget that thing. It happened in July 2015. Use personal pronoun I. Have TWO or THREE paragraphs.

 DEBATE FOR OR AGAINST. You can score Four out of four if you make your own arguments. If the question is For , you have to write AGAINST . Eg. Mobile phones should be banned in Schools. For this you can write . Mobile phone  helps  the students to communicate with their parents. It means that you should write your viewpoints. If you do not get any new ideas  you can simply make the argument negative Eg. Mobile phones should not be banned in Schools. WRITING LETTERS: There are two types of letters. Friendly letter and official letter. A friendly letter has the following parts. A) Your address and Date at the right hand corner of the page 2) Salutation 3) the Body and 4) the conclusion. Try to write any letter in three paragraphs.First paragraph as an introduction. Second paragraph should me the main ideas of the letter and finally a good conclusion.

WISH YOU ALL A TENSION FREE EXAM. IT IS NOT WHAT YOU WRITE THAT MATTERS BUT HOW YOU WRITE IMPRESSIVELY…HAVE A REAL IMPROVEMENT IN YOUR ALL EXAMS WITH ALL GOOD WISHES …. JP