Informal Letters, Previous Years' Questions
INFORMAL LETTERS
·
Dos
& Don’ts
1. Use
informal language
2. Avoid subject & receiver’s address
3. Good language
1.
Write
a letter to your brother dissuading him from resorting to unfair means.
22,
Mansarovar Nagar
Jaipur
1st
March 2016
Dear
Amit
Hi!
Congratulations
on your clearing Class XII with very good marks. But my happiness for your
success is mixed with doubt and sorrow because I have come to know that that
you use unfair means in exams to score good marks. This is really very
unfortunate for us after all the medals our father has got for his honesty. You
must understand that dishonest and unlawful practices ultimately lead you into
trouble. Only good and honest habits stand by you through all your thick and
thin and help you bring laurels to yourself, home and society. There are a lot
of such examples before you.
Moreover,
the dishonest practices don’t provide you concrete knowledge and so it doesn’t
last long. The success achieved thus gives you only transitory pleasure which
later turns into frustration and disappointment. Apart from this, the fact
cannot be denied that to pass higher and competitive exams one needs
substantial knowledge. Copying is in fact a slur on the fair name of education.
I
hope now you won’t indulge in unfair practices to get good marks rather you
will work hard and prove your intelligence in a proper manner.
Looking forwards to your reply.
Yours affectionately
***
2. Your friend Mukesh has met with an accident
and is in a hospital now. Write a letter to him expressing your concern and
sympathy for him.
22,
Mansarovar Nagar
Jaipur
1st
March, 2016
Dear
Mukesh
I
hope this letter finds you in much better health and spirits. I came to know
about your accident through my uncle who lives next door to your house.
I
was quite shocked when I heard this because you have always been a law-abiding
and a sensible person. I was sure it couldn’t be your mistake and my uncle told
me that it was the mistake of the person who was coming from opposite
direction.
I
feel quite relieved that you are now out of danger and thank God that you have
got another lease of life. You know, Mukesh, that joys and sorrows are part of
our life and they move in a cyclic form; one following the other. You have had
the sorrows of your side so now it is the turn of joys. Don’t worry about your
studies; health is more important than studies. Moreover, a brilliant boy like
you can make up the loss any time you wish.
Take
care. My wishes are always with you.
Your
loving friend
***
3. Suppose yourself to be Pawan residing in the
hostel of Don Bosco School, Pune. Write a letter to your father informing about
your studies and requesting him to send you some money.
Don Bosco Hostel
Pune
1stOctober, 2016
Dear Dad
I
received your letter two days ago but couldn’t write to you at once because of
a great load of assignments.
I am
happy to know that all are hale and hearty there. I am also perfectly healthy
and happy here. You will be glad to know that I have fared very well in my SA I
exam. The result is out now and I have scored more than 90% marks in all subjects.
Not only that I am first in the class. My teachers are quite happy with my
performance and are always ready to help me.
As you
know Dad, it is October and the third installment of the fee is to be deposited
now, please deposit the amount in my account so that I can withdraw that from
here. Moreover, I need some books and winter clothes as well so I need more
money. I hope, you won’t have much difficulty in sending the amount.
Convey my
love to Anu. I believe, she will be doing extremely well with her studies.
Regards to Mom!
Yours loving son
***
4. Write a letter of condolence to your friend
who has lost his mother.
22,
Mansarovar Nagar
Jaipur
1st
March, 2016
Dear
…
Yesterday
I met one of our common friends, Prabhat, who told me that you have lost your
mother. I was shocked beyond words to hear about the sad and untimely demise of
your mother. It was a bolt out of blue to me as well.
She
was just 50 and it is not an age to die. Moreover, she was quite healthy when I
last met her. But what we can do. We are just puppets in the hands of Almighty
and when he pulls the thread we must leave. You must accept this fact of life.
This is the law of this mortal world.
This
is a great loss to you and your family and even for us because she was such a
great character. Everybody liked her because of her qualities of head and
heart. She loved me like her own son. Her loving personality can never vanish
from my heart.
You
should bear this loss with patience and courage. Take it just as another phase
in your life and help your father and brother also to pass this phase calmly.
Time is a great healer and it will surely heal your wounds in due course of
time. My sympathies are with you.
May
her soul rest in peace!
Yours
ever
***
PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
(2019) Kerala was badly hit by floods due to heavy rains. Even today the victims are suffereing financially, physically and mentally. Write a letter in 120-150 words to the editor, The Times of Kerala giving details of the loss of life and property. Also make an appeal to the people and the government to provide help and relief to the afflicted. You are Varun/ Vandana, 31 Shastri Nagar, Trichi. (6 Marks)
Or
You are Shobha/ Sushil from 56, A Block, Saket, Agra. Write an application along with a personal resume in 120 - 150 words in response to the following advertisement:
(2018) You are Neeraj/ Neeraja Shekhar, Vasant Public School, Pune. Your school has just started a music department. Write a letter to the Manager, Melody House, Pune, wholesale supplier of musical instruments, placing an order for the musical instruments for the school. Ask for a discount on the catalogue prices (120-150 words). (6 Marks)
Or
You are Shobha/ Sushil from 56, A Block, Saket, Agra. Write an application along with a personal resume in 120 - 150 words in response to the following advertisement:
Wanted
An experienced hockey coach having B. P. Ed. Degree for
our school. Apply to the Princiipal, Agrasen Public School, Agra by 15th
March, 2019.
|
(2018) You are Neeraj/ Neeraja Shekhar, Vasant Public School, Pune. Your school has just started a music department. Write a letter to the Manager, Melody House, Pune, wholesale supplier of musical instruments, placing an order for the musical instruments for the school. Ask for a discount on the catalogue prices (120-150 words). (6 Marks)
Or
Bal Vidyalaya Public School requires a
PGT to teach Political Science for which they have placed an advertisement in
The Bhilai Express. You are Sanjay/ Sanjana Sharma from 21, Vasant Marg,
Bhilai. Draft a letter including the CV applying for the advertised post.
(2017) In our society we do not give our women
the respect and status that they deserve. Women are stared at, stalked and even
molested. We need to change the male mindset about women. Write a letter in
120-150 words to the editor of a national newspaper giving your views on the
problem. You are Omar/ Amna, A 114, Mall Road, Delhi. (6 Marks)
Or
You want to spend a week-long holiday in
Shimla in the month of October. You have decided to stay at hotel Snowview.
Write a letter in 120-150 words to the manager to book a room. Mention the
dates, facilities in the room, food, sight-seeing facilities etc. you will
need. You are Amar/ Amrita, M114, Lake Road, Karnal.
(2016) Along with air and water pollution, our
cities are also under an attack of noise pollution. Marriage processions, DJs
during wedding reception, loud music from neighbourhood flats are sources of
noise which is not good for the old, ailing and the students. Write a letter in 120- 150 words to the editor of a local
newspaper describing the problem and making a request to the concerned
authorities to solve it. You are Karan/ Karuna, 114, Mall Road, Delhi. (6 Marks)
(2015) You are Navtej/Navita,
Secretary, Environment Club, Akash Public School, Agra. You, along with a group
of students, went on a 3-day tour through Corbett National Park. You found how
the tourists abuse the available facilities and thus endanger the environment.
Write a letter in 120 - 150 words to the editor of a national daily highlighting
the situation. Suggest ways through which the environment of the Park can be
saved.
OR
On
Teacher's Day, you read in a newspaper that privately owned and managed schools
in small towns or even in the suburbs of metropolitan cities exploit their
teachers by paying them just a fraction of their authorised salaries. This
affects their performance in the classroom and thus the lives of their
students. Write a letter in 120 - 150 words to the editor of a national daily
raising your voice against such exploitation. Suggest ways to solve this
problem. You are Navtej/Navita, 112 Taj Road, Agra. [6 Marks]
(2014) You are Arman/Arpita of
14, MG Road, Pune. You had bought the text book, 'Vistas' for Class XII from a
neighbourhood bookstore. After browsing through the book, you realized that a
few pages were missing and the print overlapped on a few pages. Write a
complaint letter in 125-150 words to the Manager, Dawn Books, Lawrence Road,
Chennai requesting him for a replacement or refund. [Set 3]
OR
You
had bought an expensive wrist watch last week. Now you realize that it is not
functioning properly. Write a letter in 125-150 words to the Manager, Edison
what Works, New Delhi, complaining about it and requesting him to repair or
replace it immediately. You are Gobind/Gopa of 68, Park Street, Kolkata. [10
Marks]
(2014) You are Anand/Arti of 14,
Model Town, Delhi. You have seen an advertisement in The Hindu for the post of
Chief Chef in a 5-Star Hotel. Apply for the job with complete biodata. Write in
125-150 words. [Set
2]
OR
You
are Prem/Parul of 16, TT Nagar, Bhopal. You would like to apply for the post of
Marketing Manager in a reputed firm in Mumbai. Write a letter to the Public
Relations Officer, Chantac Enterprises, Mumbai, applying for the job. Write the
letter in 125-150 words giving your biodata. [10
Marks]
(201 3) Write a letter to your
cousin, Raj Prakash who is currently staying at Dubai explaining the process of
CCE being used by the CBSE for the Secondary School Examination in its
affiliated schools Also mention how you and your classmates have reacted to
this scheme. You are Narain/Nisha, 20 Fort Road,Mumbai.
OR
Recently
you travelled from Bangalore city to Vasco in Vasco Express. To your dismay,
you found that the coach was infested with cockroaches. Write a letter to the
Editor, 'The Hindu' drawing the attention of the General Manager, Southern
Railways, to the prevailing unhygienic conditions and asking for remedial
action. You are Saroj/Saran, 5/31 Bangalore Cantt., Bangalore. [10 Marks]
(2012) Youare Pritam / Priti,
27, W.E.A. Karol Bagh, Delhi. You have decided to shift your residence to
Faridabad and hence decided to discontinue your membership of Brain Trust
Library, Karol Bagh. Write a letter to the Librarian, requesting him to cancel
your membership and refund your security deposit of Rs. 5000/- explaining your
inability to continue your membership.
OR
You
are Anu /Arun 13, W.E.A, Karol Bagh, New Delhi. You feel very strongly about
the ill-treatment meted out to stray dogs at the hands of callous and
indifferent people. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily giving
your views on why some people behave in such a manner and how these dogs should
be treated. [10 Marks]
(2011) Write a letter to the Editor,
'Deccan Times', Bangalore about the inadequate parking facilities in the
Commercial Street, M.G. Road, which is causing a lot of inconvenience to the
people. Offer your suggestions. You are Anoop /Ritu, 24 Hennus Road, Bangalore.
OR
Write
a letter to the Dean D.P School of Management, Mumbai requesting him to apprise
you of the details such as eligibility criteria, fees, hostel facility,
prospects of placement etc. for admission to P.G Diploma in HRM. You are Ram
/Ramola of 21 Civil Lines Bareily [10 Marks]
(2010) Write a letter to the
Editor, 'The Hindu', Chennai about rash and reckless driving by the people in
your city, suggesting preventive measures. You are Kamal / Kanwarof 10, Mount
Road, Velacherry.
OR
You
have shifted your residence from 10, Lajpat Road to House No. 232,
AurobindoMarg, Delhi. Write a letter to the General Manager, MTNL requesting
him for an early transfer of your telephone line. You are Rohit/Radhika of 15,
The Mall, Amritsar. [10
Marks]
(2009) As Mr. R. Singh, HOD
Chemistry, Cambridge High School, Pune, you had placed an order with Messrs.
Scientific Equipments, Dadar, Mumbai for test tubes and jars for thelab. When
the parcel was received you observed that markings on the test numbers were not
clear and some of the jars were damaged. Write a letter of complaint seeking
immediate replacement. [10
Marks]
(2008) You are the librarian of
T.H.S School Kolar. Write a letter to M/S Vikas Publishers. Chennai placing an
order for some books for you school library. Mention the details of the books
(at least four) and ask for the discount available on the purchase. [10 Marks]
The Interview by Christofer Silvester, Flamingo, English Core, 301
CHAPTER: 7
The Interview Christofer Silvester
SUMMARY
The
present essay is written in two parts. The first parts deals with the history
of interview and the views of different eminent personalities about it, and
the second part is an extract from an interview of Umberto Eco by Mukund
Padmanabhan.
It
has been more than 130 years since the invention of interview. Today it has
become a commonplace of journalism. There are different opinions regarding
the methods and merits of interview. Some call it an art while others hate it
as an unwarranted intrusion into people’s lives. Several famous personalities
have expressed negative opinions about interview. But in today’s times, it
has acquired a status of immense importance. Interviews provide us the most
vivid impressions of our contemporaries.
In
the second part Umberto Eco tells Mukund Padmanabhan that he is a professor
who writes novels on Sundays. He tells Mukund that he may give the impression
of doing several things at the same time. But he is always doing the same
thing. He works in interstices. He writes in a personal and playful style
which is appreciated by one of his professors. The publication of The Name of the Rose at once
catapulted him to success. The success of the novel is a mystery to Umberto
himself. He attributes the success to its timing.
|
Theme
It deals with the methods and merits of interview, and brings to us views
and opinions of different people regarding interview.
Setting
There is no physical background for it. It runs in the abstract form. One
interview of Umberto Eco by Mukund Padmanabhan is given to understand the
pragmatic aspects of interview.
Characters
In the first part there are no characters apart from the views of some
celebrities. In the second part there are two characters-
Umberto Eco – He is a professor at the University of Bologna, Italy. He writes
novels on Sundays. He acquired intellectual superstardom with the publication of
The Name of the Rose.
Mukund Padmanabhan – He is from The Hindu and interviews Umberto Eco.
Main Points
Part I
11. The interview has become a commonplace of journalism.
22. Opinions of interview- of its functions, methods and merits vary
considerably.
33. To some it is a source of truth in its highest form and in practice, an
art.
44. Celebrities despise the interview as an unwarranted intrusion into their
lives or feel that it diminishes them.
55. V. S. Naipaul said that some people are wounded by interviews and lose a
part of themselves.
66. Lewis Carroll, the creator of Alice in Wonderland, was said to have had a
just horror of the interviewer and never consented to be interviewed.
77. According to Rudyard Kipling, the interview is immoral; it is just as
much a crime as an offence against a person, an assault; it deserves
punishment; it is cowardly and vile. Yet he perpetrated such an assault on Mark
Twain.
88. H. G. Wells referred interview as an ordeal but was a fairly frequent
interviewee.
99. Saul Bellow described interview as
thumbprint on the windpipe.
110. Despite the drawbacks of interview, it is supremely serviceable medium of
communication. Almost everything of moment comes out through one man asking
questions of another.
Part
II
11. Umberto Eco is a professor, at the University of Bologna in Italy.
22. He has already acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar for his
ideas on semiotics, literary interpretations and mediaeval aesthetics.
33. With the publication of The Name of the Rose, he achieved intellectual
superstardom.
44. Umberto Eco has some philosophical interests and he pursue them through
his academic works and novels.
55. He works in empty spaces which he calls interstices.
66. His scholarly work has a certain playful and personal quality about it.
77. Regular academic style is invariably depersonalized and often dry and
boring.
88. When Umberto Eco presented his first doctoral dissertation, it was
appreciated by his professor and he went on to publish it.
99. At the age of 22, he understood that a scholarly work should be written
by telling the story of research.
110. Eco’s friend Barthes was frustrated that he was an essayist and not a
novelist.
111. Eco never felt any frustration about writing a novel. Rather he started
writing novel by accident.
112. Eco has written five novels against many more scholarly works of
non-fiction but he is known as a novelist than a professor.
113. The Name of the Rose is a very serious novel. It’s a detective yarn at
one level but it also delves into metaphysics, theology and medieval history.
Yet it enjoyed a huge success.
114. The publishers and the journalists were puzzled at its success because
they believed that people liked trash and not the difficult reading experience.
115. The success of the book was a mystery.
GLOSSARY
Commonplace - Common, Everyday
Unwarranted - Unjustifiable, Insupportable
Despise - Loathe, Hate
Lionize - Idolize, Honour
Vile - Bad, Nasty
Repel - Force back, Push back
Perpetrate - Commit, Perform
Aesthetics - A branch of philosophy dealing of
nature of beauty
Interstices - Gaps, Spaces
Playful - Joking, Frolicsome
Dissertation - Thesis, Essay
Seminal - Important, Influential
Yarn - Narration, Story
Delve - Explore, Investigate
Trash - Waste, Scrap
SHORT
ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. How
does Eco find the time to write so much?
Ans: According
to Eco, there is a lot of empty space in our life. He calls them interstices
and he likes to work in interstices.
This is how he manages time to write so much.
2. What
was distinctive about Eco’s academic writing style?
Ans: Eco’s
academic writing style is quite different. Usually an academic work is
depersonalized, often dry and boring but Eco gives it a certain playful and
personal touch.
3. Did
Umberto Eco consider himself a novelist first or an academic scholar?
Ans: Umberto
Eco considered himself an academic scholar first and a novelist next. He
participated in academic conferences and not in meetings of pen clubs and
writers.
4. What
is the reason of the huge success of the novel The Name of the Rose?
Ans: According
to him the success of the novel is a mystery. He thinks that if it had been
published ten years earlier or ten years later, it wouldn’t have been the same.
5. What
is the belief in some primitive cultures about being photographed?
Ans: In
some primitive cultures it is believed that if one takes a photographic
portrait of somebody than one
is stealing that person’s soul.
6. Why
do most celebrity writers despise being interviewed?
Ans: Most
celebrity writers see themselves as victims of interview. They consider it as an
unwarranted intrusion into their lives or feel that it somehow diminishes them.
This is the reason why they despise being interviewed.
LONG
ANSWER TYPE QUESTION
1. Give
a pen-portrait of Umberto Eco.
Ans: Umberto
Eco is a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy and has already
acquired a formidable reputation as a scholar for his ideas on semiotics,
literary interpretation and medieval aesthetics before he turned to writing
fiction. His written output is staggeringly large
and includes literary fiction, academic texts, essays, children’s books,
newspaper articles etc. In 1980 he achieved
superstardom with the publication of The
Name of the Rose. According to him, he works in interstices. His scholarly
work has a certain playful and personal quality about it. He calls himself a
professor who writes novels on Sundays.
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