Oasis Applied Grammar 9

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 143 Guided Writing-II (For 5 Marks) 1. News Story Introduction Generally a news story has the following parts. Headline : Your headline for the news story must be attractive and eye catching. Place : The name of the place, where the story occurred, must be written. Date: You must mention the date of your story. Source: The source must be clearly written, i.e. who gave you the information or where you got the story from. Body: The first sentence of the body generally describes the headline. Other sentences must give the background and detail for the headline. The language must be simple and grammatically correct. Useful tips for writing a news report: * Go through the given outlines very carefully and try to understand the event, message or information clearly. * Give the news report a headline like "Seven die in a bus mishap." Sometimes you need the dateline. If these are not given in the outline, point them out with imagination. * Start your report cautiously and remember that the first sentence of the report should give a clear idea to the reader what the news is about. * Connect the points given in the outlines as naturally as possible. * Quote the sentences used by the source within inverted commas. * The information and analysis should be actual and accurate. * Be brief. * Avoid giving your own judgment and opinions but you can raise important issues and leave the decision to be made by the reader. * Do not attack a person or level allegations unless you are sure and it is unavoidable. The report should be fair. * Be grammatically correct and simple in language. * Remember passive voice is more frequent in news story writing. Write a news story using the information given in the box below. Also give your story a suitable title. A night bus (8465 BA) …skidded off the road …. 12 died in the spot ………..two died in the hospital…. khalasi and driver in the police custody.

144 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 2. Skeleton story Introduction A story refers to the imaginary description of events or happening related to a certain character (s). It is also the description of past events. So, it is necessary to develop a story as a readable and meaningful piece. Here are some tips for writing a readable story. Read the given outlines/clues carefully to understand it. Have a clear and definite idea to plot the story. Give the suitable title to the story. Remember that the title should be closely related to the principal character(s). Use all the points given in the outlines and add other suitable/ related points if necessary. But concentrate more on given clues. Generally, use past tense but present tense can also be used in direct speech. As the concluding part of the story is very important, write the ending in a simple and meaningful way. Mention the moral of the story in proverbs as far as possible. Start the story with 'Once upon a time' …. Once there was\were, once it happened that …., it so happened that….. Some Tips Read the given outlines carefully to find out the subject of the story. Have a clear and definite idea about the plot of the story. Think of a title and write it on top before you begin to write the story. Begin your story with, Once upon a time…………. Long long ago………….. Once there + V2 …………… Link the outline using the points given below and adding other suitable points of your own imagination if necessary. Be careful in forming dialogues if necessary. Generally, use past tense. Write moral of the story.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 145 Specimen -1 Three artists in a city-all skilled-competition held who was the best prize declared judges appointed–one painted flower second fruit third picture of curtain flower so natural a bee sat in it fruit so natural an ox tried to eat it the judge praised the paintings-went to see the third picture-tried to remove the curtain to enter the room-wasn't real third painting declared the best-flower deceived an insect-fruit deceived a beast-third an intellectual man. The Best Artist Once upon a time, three artists were very famous in a city. All of them were highly skilled and were noted for their creations. To declare the best among them was a difficult job. One day a competition was held among them to find out who was the best of all. Handsome prize was also declared for the winner by the organiser. Judges were appointed accordingly. The three artists then sat for the competition. The first, the second and the third painted a flower, a fruit and a curtain, respectively. The flower looked so natural that a bee came and sat on it. Likewise, the second artist painted the fruit that an ox tried to eat. The third artist painted a curtain. One of the judges found the curtain so natural that he tried to remove it to enter the room so that he could see the third painting. But it was not a real curtain. The judges declared that the third painting was the best among all because it had deceived an intellectual man whereas the first and the second paintings deceived only an insect and an animal respectively. Moral : Wise men bow to good work. Specimen -2 Develop a readable story with the help of the clues below: Once there was a king............had a friend, monkey............helped the king in his works............king sleeping............monkey looking after him............a housefly came............disturbed the king............monkey tried to chase............ but can't............ sits on king's face............monkey picked a sword............hit the king............moral. The Foolish Monkey and the King Once upon a time there was a king. He had a friend, a monkey. The monkey helped the king in his work. One day, the king was sleeping. The monkey was looking after the king. At that time a housefly came and disturbed the sleeping king. The monkey became angry. He wanted to chase the fly away. Many times he tried to chase it but could not. The fly came again and again and sat on the king's face. The monkey could

146 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 not control his anger. He had one idea to kill the fly. There was a sword of the king near the monkey. The monkey picked up the sword and hit on the king's face where the fly sat. His aim was to kill the fly but he did not know that it would destroy the king. The moral of the story is, "A foolish friend is harmful." Specimen -3 A story using the following guidelines: A cruel lion in a forest ……. killing and eating animals recklessly…………. the animals hold a meeting ……….make a commitment with the lion to send one animal a day in turn …………one day an old hare's turn……….he makes a plan to trick the lion…………takes him to a well. /….. the lion jumps at his own shadow………… he dies ………..moral. A Clever Hare Once there lived a cruel lion in a forest. He was the king of all animals. He lived by killing and eating animals recklessly. The animals were very worried because of his ruthless behaviour. One day, they all held a meeting with the lion and made a compromise with him to send one animal a day in turn. The lion that was getting older and weaker day by day agreed happily at once. He went late to the lion's den. The lion was very angry with the hare. As soon as the hare appeared in his den, the lion asked him why he was so late. In response the hare told the lion that he met a new lion on the way. The new lion claimed that he was the king of the jungle. No sooner had the lion heard it than the lion took it as a challenge. Then the hare took him to a deep well and asked him to look into it. When the loin looked into the well, he saw the shadow of him on ice on the well. The lion thought it was the next lion and jumped into the well at his own shadow and died there. The clever hare was able to save all the other animals. Specimen- 4 Use the following guidelines for a story: A dog eating a bone under tree…. two hungry crows see him … they think to take the bone…. make a plan… one crow comes down and pulls the dog's tail…. The dog leaves the bone and runs after the crow… the other flies down and takes away the bone … they enjoy the feast … the dog is puzzled at his folly…. Moral. The Clever Crows Long–long ago, there was a dog which was fond of having bones. One day, while he was eating a wholesome piece of bone, two hungry crows saw him. Their mouths

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 147 watered on seeing the dog enjoy the delicious bone. They thought out a plan to take the bone from the dog. Then, one of them came down and started to pull the dog's tail. The other looked down carefully sitting on the tree. The dog was very angry with the crow; he left the bone on the floor and ran after the crow to attack him. But the crow flew up and sat on the tree. At the same time the other crow flew down and took away the bone. The dog returned to see the bone gone. The dog saw that the crows were enjoying the feast sitting at the top of the tree. The dog was puzzled at his folly. Moral : Look before you leap. Specimen- 5 A Lion and a Squirrel Once a lion was suddenly caught in a hunter's trap and he fell in a great trouble. A squirrel saw it and said, “Oh, this is the king of the jungle and I must save him.” The squirrel went closer to the lion, nibbled through the net and set the lion free. The squirrel became the lion's favourite servant and began to serve him. The lion also became happy with his service and promised to give the squirrel a cartload of nuts. As time passed on, the squirrel continued his service. But the lion couldn't fulfil his promise for a long time. The hungry squirrel became jealous of others as he saw them moving freely. The squirrel grew old, and, finally, got retirement from service. The lion gave the squirrel the promised cartload of nuts when the squirrel got retired. But by that time the squirrel got the cartload of nuts, he had lost all his teeth and could not eat anymore. Moral: Medicine after death is useless. Specimen- 6 A Sweet Lady After I passed class 5, I went to a new school for my higher studies. I was quite nervous when I entered into the school as everything was new for me. I was led to a room that was at the corner of the building by a teacher. He told me that was my class. I entered in to the room with a little fear and a little excitement. Everybody looked at my face. I was confused where to sit. Meanwhile a sweet voice called me "Gokarna! Come and sit here." I noticed that she was the same girl whom I had whistled a month ago in the bazaar. I felt sorry and sat next to her. Day by day we became very close to each other. There was nothing hidden between us. I began to feel as if she was the right girl for me but didn't say anything since my priority was my study. After our class 8 exam, she came to my house and said, "I'm going to Kathmandu for further study." That was the last meeting of ours. I never saw her again.

148 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 1. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. A wicked shepherd boy… grazes his flock of sheep near forest… a farmer working in a field nearby….. boy hits a fun … cries,…"Wolf! Wolf!" … farmers run to help him … the boy laughs at them… no wolf … he does so again and deceives them again….. a wolf rally comes…. The boy cries in fright… no farmer to help… he loses all his sheep…. his folly ….. moral lesson. 2. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. Three artists compete …..one paints a wreath of flowers … a bee comes and sits on the picture ….. another paints a basket of fruits…. an ox tries to seize it… the third paints a curtain….. all the three picture placed before the judge …. The judge tries to raise the curtain……. The picture adjudged the best… it deceives a man …. Others only insect and animal. 3. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. A man … a brave and faithful mongoose… master and mistress go out…. small child alone in the house … a big snake comes up…. is killed … the mongoose's mouth covered with blood …kill it .. find the child safe and sound … moral. 4. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. Three men find a purse in a forest …. agree to divide the money … all are hungry…. one goes to buy food… poisons it…. the other two decide to murder him… he is murdered on his return…. the other two eat the food ….. result ... moral 5. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. A bee falls into a tank…. a dove flies fast…. drops a large leaf into the water….. the bee climbs on to the leaf… flies away… a hunter takes aim at the dove …. the bee sitting him.. the dove is saved.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 149 6. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. A trader has pet donkey … a donkey with a load of salt falls into a river…. load becomes lighter …. the next day he intentionally …. lets the load fall into the river… the master understands his trick…next time he loads the donkey with sponge … the donkey plays the same trick… has a heavy load to carry all day long … moral. 7. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. A cat grows old … gets no food …. makes a plan to trap rats… wears garland of flowers… rings the bell … hearing the sound, rats come to him… he stays eyes shut up… a rat asks him… he replies he commits crime no more … is devotee of god ….. rats trust … walk freely… number of rats decreases…..moral. 8. Develop a readable story from the outline in the box given below and give a suitable title to it. Two goats narrow bridge… come from two opposite directions… both want to pass at the same time… both reach in the middle of the bridge and say 'let me go first'… both remain standing for minutes … both get angry and fight ..both fall into the river and die…moral. 9. Write a story on the basis of the outline given below. A snake frozen by cold............found by a villager............takes it home............ warms............comes to life............darts at children............ escape............ angry............kill the snake. 10. Write a readable story with the help of the following outline given in the box and add a suitable title and moral too. A hermit in a forest ............ mouse in his hut ............ hermit kind and wants someone to talk to ............ gives the mouse power to speech ............ mouse prays to change it into a cat ............ cat afraid of dogs ............is changed into dog by hermit ............ dog afraid of a tiger ............ hermit changes it into a tiger tries to eat the hermit ............ hermit changes it into a mouse again ............ moral. 11. Write a readable story with the help of the following outline given in the box and add a suitable title and moral too.

150 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 A pack of jackals in a jungle and an old elephant ............ a clever jackal undertakes to kill him for other jackals ............ flatters the elephant ............ invites him to a meeting of the animals to choose him as their king ............ leads to a muddy place.......... sticks fast in the thick mud. 12. Write a readable story with the help of the following outline given in the box and add a suitable title and moral too. A king disappointed ............ his people lazy ............ to teach them a lesson he had a big stone put in the middle of the road one night ............ next day merchants pass and go round it ............an officer driving a car also did the same ............ a young soldier came cycling, did the same ............ all cursed the stone and blamed the government for not removing it ............ then the king had the stone removed ............ many people watched it ............ under it was an iron box, marked "For the man who moves away the stone" ............inside was a purse full of money ............ the people were ashamed ............moral. 13. Write a readable story with the help of the following outline given in the box and add a suitable title and moral too. A farmer with several sons ............ sons always quarrelled ............ the farmer was sad ............ fell ill and taken to hospital ............ dying ............ called his sons and gave a bundle of sticks ............ told to break the sticks............ all tired ............ could not break the sticks ............ untied the bundle ............ gave the sticks separately ............easily broke each stick............ moral. 14. Write a readable story with the help of the following outline given in the box and add a suitable title and moral too. A merchant riding home from a fair ............ a large sum of money with him ............ sudden heavy rainfall ............ merchant gets wet ............ his grumbling ............ shortly after attacked by robber ............ robber's attempt to shoot ............ failure ............ powder damp ............ the merchant escapes. 3. Message of Condolence A. Letter of Condolence B. Newspaper Condolence Notice

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 151 A. Letter of Condolence A letter of condolence is written to relatives of deceased people expressing condolence and sympathy. You may include the following while composing a letter of condolence. 1. Show your admiration to the deceased. Describe how much the deceased was respected and admired. 2. Simply state good things you liked about the person. Write about the deceased person's strengths, achievements, and successes together with positive memory. 3. Keep the letter balanced. Maintain balance between the formal tone of a sympathy letter and its deeply personal nature. 4. Keep your letter short. Note that a mourner is emotionally drained and doesn’t like a lengthy letter. 5. Offer to help in some way. If you can do so sincerely, include contact information such as your cell phone number and your email address. Some common expressions used in condolences: • Please accept our heartfelt sympathies on the loss of your loved one. • Words can't express how saddened we are to hear of your loss. • It was with great sadness that we learned of ___________’s passing; please accept our heartfelt condolences. • Our deepest condolences to you upon the passing of _______. • Words are never adequate in moments like these. We will say though, that our hearts go out to you, and we will always remember the joyous memories that we are privileged to have in knowing your _____. • May God's peace be with you. Cherish the memories you created with _____. I will always remember him/her for his/her caring and loving nature. • We were so sorry to hear about _____'s passing. We hope that the love of family and friends will comfort and strengthen you in the days ahead.

152 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Read the following condolence letter and write a similar letter with the clues given below: Dear Mohan, I was shocked and saddened to hear about Sohan’s death. I will miss his warmth and humour. Sohan was a fine man and a significant influence for good in others' lives. It is difficult to know what to do in time like these. I want you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. Please let me help you handle some of the things that you certainly have to do. Love, Biraj B. Newspaper Condolence Notice a. Express your short grief and sympathy in the first sentence. b. Give a short introduction of the deceased person with his/her relationship with you. c. Express your condolence to the bereaved family. d. Pray for the departed soul. e. Write some sentences for the relatives to overcome their grief. f, Enclose your condolence notice wishing for the departed soul. g. Write your name /address. Points to remember: A sample condolence notice in the newspaper Obituary Birth: 1989, July 10 Death : 2020, March 05 We are very sad at the sudden and untimely demise of Mr. Rabindra Dangol, a shop-assistant in urban supermarket. He worked in the supermarket for two years. We express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and relatives and pray for the departed soul to rest in peace in heaven. He will remain in our hearts and memories forever. R.N. Das Urban Supermarket, Birgunj

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 153 1. Imagine that one of your friends has had a bus accident. He died in hospital. Write a formal notice of condolence in a newspaper using the clue given in the box. Hari Kanta Sharma, 47 years old, a political leader, popular, social and helpful member of the community 2. Write a letter of condolence to the husband of Rajani Shrestha who fell down from the roof and died in hospital. - Rajani - your best friend - humorous and popular with all staff - never forget - 20 years - worked in same office - very sad/god almighty 4. Message of Congratulations Congratulations are given on special occasions where one wishes to convey his/her heartiest regards and good wishes to another for a success or accomplishment. Some samples 1. Wedding congratulation. Congratulations! I would like to congratulate Mr. Rojesh Shrestha and Ms. Rojita Acharya On the auspicious occasion of their wedding. May your marital union be continuously filled with love and understanding. May you both get the power to strengthen your marital bonds. Jagati Chaudhary Butwal, Nepal.

154 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 2. Congratulation on getting a new job. Congratulations! I heartily congratulate my friend Yogesh Dahal on getting a job at Nepal Bank Ltd. Finally, your skills and talents have been recognised by a smart employer. We wish you the best as you start your new position. We will pray for you to learn everything you need to learn quickly and fully. Congratulations once again! Jiten Chand and Family Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur 1. Congratulate someone on his or her engagement. 2. Congratulate your friend on winning a football match. 3. Congratulate your brother/sister for her graduation. 4. Congratulate your friend on securing the first position in the exam. 5. Congratulate someone on getting scholarship for studies abroad. 6. Congratulate your parents on the occasion of their marriage anniversary. 5. Invitation Letter 1. Letter of invitation in your child’s birthday party. Dear Janet, How are you and your little ones? It’s been quite some time, but nevertheless, a perfect occasion is approaching for us to catch up and celebrate. Our daughter Marianne is turning 15 on 28th Aug 2020 and we are organising a birthday party at our place and inviting some friends and family. We would like to have you and your children at the party. Here are the details of the party! • Venue : Our home – Ghantaghar, Birgunj • Time : 5:00pm – 7:30pm • Date : Sat Aug 28, 2020 We are really grateful for the blessing that Marianne has been to us and we would like to share the joy with you all. Looking forward, Susan Miller R.S.V.P. : 9876543210

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 155 1. Write a letter to invite the principal as a guest speaker in a programme. 2. Write a letter to invite your friend to your home. 3. Write a letter of invitation to your friend at your sister's wedding. 4. Write a letter to your teacher to invite him/her at your birthday party. 5. Write a letter to invite your friend at your school's annual function. Letter of Regret Sample 1 6th June 2021 Dear Mr. Rai, I regret to inform you that your article was not selected for the journal this year. Your article, along with others, was studied and evaluated by a team of experts, including the editors of the journal. Your article was considered of high quality but we could only publish a very few articles. We were unable to publish all the articles sent to us. All the same, thank you for sending the article to us. I am sure that your article gets published in our next issue. Sincerely yours, Sunita Yadav Chief Editor Journal of Education and Social Science 1. Suppose you are the principal of a school. Now write a letter of regret to one of your students to whom you couldn't provide the scholarship though s/he deserved it. 2. Write a letter of regret to your friend who had invited you to his/her birthday party but you were unable to attend it. 3. You forgot your little sister's birthday and she is angry with you. Write a letter of regret to her. 4. Write a letter of regret to one of your juniors whom you couldn't select as the member of your school's club though s/he was much interested. 5. Your father had asked you not to ride his bike. But you didn't listen to him and went on a bike ride. On the way, you fell off the bike and got injured. Now write a letter of regret to you father.

156 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Message of Invitation Introduction Tips to write 'Formal message of invitation' i. Write in the 3rd person; don't use 1st and 2nd person. ii. Remember that it does not have the heading, salutation, subscription etc. as in a personal letter. iii. Include the writer's name in the body of the letter. iv. Write the address of the writer and date below on the left hand side of the letter. v. Write RSVP (please reply soon) at the bottom in the left hand side of the letter. Specimen Institute of Forestry Cordially invites Mr. Puran Bahadur Joshi For his gracious presence on the auspicious occasion of the Silver Jubilee of this campus 10 o'clock Friday, August 5, 2021 At Auditorium Hall, IOF, Hetauda R.S.V.P NELTA Makawanpur Cordially invites Mr. Birendra Jung Thapa, the DEO, Makawanpur To the graduation ceremony of Makawanpur Excess students Venue : Conference Hall, Motel Avocado, Hetauda Date: June 19, 2017 Time: 8 a.m. Phone: 520700 R.S.V.P. 1. Imagine that you're the principal of a school. Prepare a card of invitation to send it to the distinguished guests to attend a felicitation programme. 2. Prepare a formal notice of invitation to send it to the chief guest to attend a farewell programme, supposing that you're the head of the institution. 3. Suppose you're the boss of a business organisation. Prepare a formal message of invitation to send it to the executive members to attend the annual conference of the organisation.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 157 6. Thank You Letter Tips for writing 1. Follow the style mentioned in an invitation letter i.e. heading, salutation, body of the letter, closing, signature. 2. Write opening (body of the letter) expressing thanks. The form of an opening can be like this. ► Thank you so much for offering me the job. ► I enjoyed speaking with you today. ► Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. 3. Conclude the letter with your anticipation, appreciation, thankfulness etc. ► I look forward to beginning work. ► I greatly appreciate the assistance you have provided me. ► Once again, thank you so much for your help. 4. Close the letter as in a congratulation letter. Note: Thank you letter should be personal, specific and perfect in grammar and spelling you'd better send or write it within 24 hours of the interview or of the deed. Specimen 1 A thank you letter for a networking connect. Budanilkantha Kathmandu, Nepal July 02, 2021 Dear Mr. Shrestha, Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I am grateful for the time you spent reviewing my career objectives and recommending strategies for achieving them. I especially appreciate your offer to connect me to others in your network. I plan on following up with the contacts you emailed me right away. I will also use the online networking resource you recommended to further my job search. Any additional suggestions you may have would be welcome. I'll update you as my search progresses. Again, thank you so much for your help. I greatly appreciate you for you have provided me such an opportunity. Best regards, Sujan Dhakal

158 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Specimen 2 A thank you note for an offer. Hetauda -4 Makawanpur June 25,2021 Dear Mr. Rai Thank you so much for offering me the job as a Financial Assistant in your esteemed organisation. It was a pleasure meeting you and your staff at the interview. I am so excited to be a part of your organisation. I would like to join your organisation from 1st July. If this date is inconvenient, please let me know. Look forward to beginning work. Once again, thank you so much for this opportunity. Sincerely, Deepa Dhakal Sample 1 Wednesday Dear Bijay, Thank you for your help in my household work. I enjoyed working with you. Yours, Lila Sample 2 Saturday Dear Sita, Thanks for the lovely party. I enjoyed it very much and liked the delicious food. Your mother is a good cook. Best wishes, Ramesh 1. Imagine that one of your friends assisted you to find a job abroad. Write a thank you letter to him/ her, supposing that you're Muna Rai from Dharan. 2. Write a thank you letter to a friend who helped you in need.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 159 3. Imagine that you're a resident of Thaha Municipality. Write a thank you letter to the interview members who took time to interview you for the post of teaching assistant. 4. Write a thank you note to your teacher who advised you to apply for the fellowship providing you the link and sample documents. 5. Write a thank you note to a person to whom you are always grateful for his assistance. 7. Biography 1. Bio-data and Paragraph Writing Bio-data is the detail about someone's life, jobs and achievements. Date of birth, birth place, parents, education and many other headings and sub headings are included in the bio-data. Hence, we learn about it then write things in a paragraph. Biodata and Paragraph Name : Reema Thapa Date of Birth : December 5, 1988 Place of Birth : Marpha village, Mustang Parents : Mukti Thapa/Chhori Thapa Education : SLC passed/joined a college Favourite person : Mukti Thapa/Chhori Thapa Favourite singer : Tara Devi Hobby : Reading and listening to music Aim in life : Doctor The girl 's name is Reema Thapa. She was born on 5th of December 1988. She was born at Marpha village in Mustang district. She is the daughter of Mukti Thapa and Chhori Thapa. She completed her SLC last year. She has joined a college in the village. The persons she likes most are her parents (Mukti Thapa/Chhori Thapa). Her favourite singer is Tara Devi. She likes reading books and listening to music. Her only aim in life is to be a doctor.

160 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Write a bio-data and a paragraph on the thing you like about 'Reema Thapa'. 2. Develop the given bio-data into a paragraph and paste on the wall of our class-room. Draw a fine picture according to the bio-data. Name : Swarnim Karki Date of Birth : 2050/10/23 Place of Birth : Kathmandu Parents : Narayan Karki and Laxmi Karki Education : SEE Profession : Working in company Favourite person : Albert Einstein Hobby : Writing stories Aim in life : To become a scientist 3. Write the biography of Khagendra Thapa Magar. Name : Khagendra Thapa Magar Date of birth : 18 Ashoj, 2049 (Oct. 14, 1992) Birth place : Baglung district, Dhaulagiri zone (125 miles away from Kathmandu) Known for : The shortest man in the world Parents : Rup Bahadur & Dhana Maya Thapa Magar Height : 2ft and 2.5 inches Weight : 600 grams (born) 5.5 kg (now) Awarded with : Shortest Man from Edward Nino Harnandez Use the details to write a paragraph about Khagendra Thapa Magar.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 161 Free Writing - I (For 6 marks) 1. Paragraphs (Presenting, opinion, experience, feeling) Introduction A paragraph is generally defined as the combination of sentences dealing with one main idea which is something also called the topic sentence. Often the topic sentence occurs at the beginning of a paragraph while the rest of the sentences in a paragraph expand, illustrate or modify the main idea. The purpose of writing something is to express your opinions/ideas or sharing any information to the readers. You cannot attract your readers unless you organise your writing effectively. It is often said that: Look after the paragraphs and the sentences will look after themselves. We have seen that the sentence is the basic unit of expression and that it can take various forms. A series of sentences can combine to form a paragraph, which is the next stage in expression. Such a collection of sentences must have a recognisable structure and unity for it is these features that give validity to the paragraph. Generally, one paragraph contains one central idea and it is supported by the details like examples and explanations. Paragraphs usually make a general statement and then give a number of specific details or reasons in support of that sentence. Read the following paragraph: The moon's gravity pulls the earth's oceans towards it as it moves round the earth. Then it lets them go again. These movements of the oceans are tides. The sun also affects the tides. At seaside you can see that sometimes the sea covers the beach completely. These are called high tides. At other times, the water goes back, leaving the shore uncovered. These are called low tides. Some useful tips for paragraph writing First, go through the clues you are provided to develop paragraphs. Then, divide the given information into two parts: the ones you can put in the introductory paragraph and the concluding paragraph. Introduce the main theme (controlling idea) in the first paragraph. Organise the subordinate theme (topic sentence) in the second paragraph. Do not repeat the same information, and be careful in connecting ideas. If possible it would be better to use synonyms or antonyms or paraphrases. Create linkages between the paragraphs. For this, use link words such as moreover, firstly. To start with, in addition, in fact, etc. can be used appropriately.

162 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Follow the given outlines. Paragraph writing can be divided into two parts. i) Paragraph writing with guideline: A title is given to write a paragraph and some hints are given below. Those hints are not complete sentences, only some points to be mentioned in it. We should read the given points and prepare a paragraph. ii) Paragraph writing without guideline: Questions are asked to write one or a couple of paragraphs on the prescribed title but there are no hints for writing. We have to collect own points or ideas to complete it. Examples are given below: Some samples 1. Write a paragraph about 'The Birds I See Everyday'. The Birds I See Everyday The bird which I come across almost everywhere is a crow. Black in colour, it is generally found in populated areas. It is considered to be a very cunning bird and very famous for dodging. A sparrow, a tiny bird, builds its nest in inhabited houses. It is a very innocent bird and often becomes prey of hawks, eagles and cats. Dove is another innocent bird which is often seen near the inhabited places. It is grey in colour. Pigeons, generally of bluish-gray colour, are found in the cities. The crowing of crows, the chirping of the sparrows and cooing of the doves are familiar sounds. 2. Write a paragraph about 'The Newspaper I Read'. The Newspaper I Read I am used to reading the press-paper The Rising Nepal. It is always there with the latest news. I think this is a good newspaper for the educated people. The editorials are always informative. The articles are written by well-known specialists. The coverage of the news is comprehensive. The main news of the paper is mostly about the current affairs of the state. Other interesting features are also included. Every Friday it brings out a special issue, the Friday Supplement, covering various fields and sectors including horoscope, tourism, sports, religious fairs, kids' corner. Many a time it brings out special issues. Such issues are of great value. Apart from good articles we get a lot of other information about worldwide sports activities. But a model-corner of the paper is far off my like for reasons of my personal interests. Nevertheless it is, in fact, a complete newspaper.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 163 3. Write a paragraph about 'If I Were a Bird'. If I were a Bird Birds are more privileged creatures because they enjoy better facilities during their lifespan. They do not have to bother about the passports if they are to migrate to other countries and they do not have to make provisions for their food and lodging. For them, nature is the host as well as the helper in every respect. This is why for them race distinctions and national prejudices have no significance. On the other hand, human beings have to suffer because of the barriers which the different nations and races have constructed for other nations and races. Birds have their limited demands and nature is generous enough to satisfy those demands. On the other hand man wants to rob nature, animals and even birds in order to get comfort for himself. That is why man has to live in a polluted atmosphere whereas the birds enjoy fresh air and pure sunlight and all the blessings of nature. No doubt, the birds do not help another being but they are gregarious by nature. They move together and also try to oppose the enemy with combined efforts. The birds of the same species are not enemies of one another. But in the case of human beings we find that man is the enemy of man. We must agree with the poet who says, "It grieves my heart to think what man has made of man." But this cannot be said of birds. So, I feel that life of the birds that watch the panorama of the earth is definitely more pleasant than man's life on earth. If I were a bird, I would enjoy in a group of birds leaving the selfish human society. 4. Write a paragraph about Agricultural in Nepal. Nepal an agricultural country..............most people depend on it.............. cottage industries based on ..............agriculture supplies them needed materials..............even modern industries..............helps decreasing imports..............increasing exports..............majority of people will get employment..............government should give priority. Nepal is an agricultural country. Most Nepali people depend on agriculture. Agriculture provides us grains, vegetables and fruits. Most cottage industries in Nepal are also based on agriculture and its products. Agriculture supplies them with adequate raw materials they need. Modern industries also need raw materials that come from agriculture. Nepali economy gets strengthened when we produce adequate agricultural products and increase exports. From the exports of agricultural products, we can surely earn foreign currencies, which can be used to boost up the economic status of the country.

164 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Moreover, the majority of the people are employed in the multiple sectors of agriculture. In order to develop the country rapidly, the government should give top priority to agriculture and its sectoral development. 5. Write a paragraph about Bhadrapur. Bhadrapur .............. Jhapa .............. Mechi river .............. about 550 km east from Kathmandu..............generally hot..............little cloud during winter..............fear of snake bite..............during rain..............cultivate rice, wheat, tea leaves, jute..............cottage industry..............mainly. Hindu and others.............. racial and religious harmony..............population about 50 thousand. Bhadrapur is the headquarters of Jhapa district. It lies on the bank of Mechi river. It is the eastern border line of Nepal. It naturally separates Nepal and India. Bhadrapur is located about 550 km east from Kathmandu. The climate of the town is generally hot and a little bit cold in winter. The people in the town face the fear of snakebites during the rainy season. The farmers generally cultivate both food and cash crops like rice, wheat, tea leaves and jute. People of the town also run cottage industries. Hindu people mainly cover the area of the city. Also the people of other religious groups live together there with racial and religious harmony. About 50 thousand people live there in Bhadrapur. 6. Write a paragraph about Nepal. Kathmandu ..............Nepal ..............to the northern hemisphere.............. known as a mountainous country-physically three division..............Tarai known as bread basket..............region for fruit farming..............area for livestock..............exports agricultural products..............imports machinery. Kathmandu is the capital city of Nepal. In the map of the world, it lies in the northern hemisphere. It is known as a mountainous country. Nepal has mainly three physical divisions. They are the Tarai, the Hill and the Mountain. Tarai cultivates more food crop than other regions so it is known as breadbasket of the country. Fruits farming and livestock pasturing are for the Hill and Mountain regions respectively. Nepal mainly exports agricultural products, timbers and herbs in return of the import of machinery. 7. Write a paragraph on The Use of Radio by using the clues given in the box: part of our life .............. means of communication-advantages .............. disadvantages .............. conclusion.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 165 The Use of Radio The Radio is a means of communication which employs electromagnetic waves to broadcast through space. It was invented by an Italian electrical engineer Guglielmo Marconi in 1902. Today the radio has been an essential part of our life. We can immediately get the news of the world through the radio. Both the government and people can circulate the most important messages through it. It is also a means of entertainment as we can enjoy listening to music, songs, film songs, drama and so on. Nowadays it has also been a part of education as different education programmes for students are launched. And many other knowledge giving programmes for the people of all walks of life are also broadcast. However, too much of listening to the radio is not a good habit. Many students listen to the radio only for songs and music and waste their valuable study time. If we use it properly, it can be a good companion in our life. 8. Write a paragraph on Educational Value of Travelling. Educational Value of Travelling Travelling has a great educational value. It makes a man wiser and well informed. It broadens his outlook. It helps people promote national unity. Travelling brings us in contact with all kinds of people. We meet good and noble people. We also meet bad people. Thus, we come to understand human nature in a better manner. We can form a correct judgment of others. A widely travelled person is always a wiser person. He becomes tolerant and sympathetic. Thus, travelling can make us better human beings. 9. Write a paragraph on My Favourite Game. My Favourite Game There are a lot of games but my favourite game is football which is very popular. I play this game in the school ground. I go there every Saturday with friends in the morning and play football for two hours. It gives me good exercise. The game does not cost much. Twenty two men can play with one football. This game is not time-consuming like cricket. A football match takes only one and a half hours. It gives us better exercise than any other game. It is not very risky either. There is no danger of any big injury. So, I like this game very much.

166 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 10. Write a couple of paragraphs about a festival which is celebrated in your society. Dashain Dashain is one of the greatest festivals in Nepal. This festival generally falls in the month of September. It is celebrated or observed for 15 days, that is, a fortnight. The first day is Ghatasthapana. On this day, people scatter the seeds of barley and maize for Jharna. On the seventh day of Dashain, people put Phulpati. During this festival people worship Goddess Durga, the goddess of power, for nine days at home or in temple. They sacrifice animals and birds (goats, hens, ducks, buffaloes) to the goddess on the Maha Asthami and Maha Navami. This festival symbolises the victory of good over evil. The tenth day is the most auspicious day of this festival because Goddess Durga Bhavani killed the powerful demon named Mahishasur and Lord Rarnchandra got victory over the demon king Ravan on that day. So, the day is called Vijaya Dashami. From the day of Dashami people go visiting their seniors to ask for blessings and do so for five days. Dashain is a happy occasion. Schools, campuses and offices remain closed during this festival. People put on new clothes and eat delicious food. They stop their work and pass the time in merry making and forget their miseries of the year. This festival brings great jubilation among the observers. The festival makes us come together and share our feelings by forgetting our previous troubles. It gives us a new enthusiasm to remain in peace and harmony. 11. Write a paragraph about 'An Exhibition I Have Seen.' An Exhibition I Have Seen It was a book exhibition I visited last Sunday. There were more than a hundred book stalls representing famous publishers from all over the world. At each stall there were a large number of books on a variety of subjects. The titles were so attractive that a person could not resist picking up one. Children were thrilled by the illustrated story books. Some scholars were examining the contents of the books closely. Being neither a child nor a scholar, I was looking for books which might help me in my examination. I was so much confused by the variety of books that I could not select a single one. 12. Write a paragraph about 'The Season I Like Most.' The Season I Like Most I like the winter season the most. Everything looks fresh in this season. The grass, the fruit, and the vegetable are very fine to look at and eat. We do not

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 167 have to sweat at home and work. There is no foul and awful smell of sweating bodies. One can protect oneself against cold by wearing woollen and fur clothes. By wearing suits one can enhance one's personality. The snow covered mountains look majestic. Ice-skating is possible only during winter. It is easy to digest food during this season. One can sleep comfortably. Some do not like foggy morning but I think it is better than bright mornings. When the atmosphere is foggy, we recognise a person only when he is close at hand. It gives a thrill. 13. Write a couple of paragraphs on the use of computers. Use of Computers A computer is a power driven machine for a high speed performance. It is equipped with keyboard, monitor, processing unit. We can store important information in it and can retrieve it when we need. It has become an important device in the field of communication. Today we can chat, make phone calls, and send voice mails and text mails in a matter of seconds to a person who lives in another part of the world. In schools it has been used as one of the most effective teaching-learning tools. Both teachers and students can use computer in teaching-learning activities. Computers have become effective tools to accomplish manually troublesome work. Therefore government as well as private corporate offices and business houses use computers to manipulate data and print documents. We can also play different kinds of games and music with the help of computers. Similarly, computers have made it possible for us to watch TV and movies differently, and people of different ages enjoy playing games on computers. Without computer the life of a person in today's society will definitely be paralysed. 14. Write a couple of paragraphs on the role of youths in nation building using the clues given in the following box. Human resources : teachers, administrators, technicians, business person, media person. Employment : income generation, stop brain drain Outcome : development work, social service, peace and stability Role of Youths in Nation Building In board terms population can be categorised in two groups: active population and passive population. The population of children and old people is almost passive. Young people are active. The development of a country is based on active population to utilise its natural resources. If natural resources are properly utilised, we can improve our life standard. In order to utilise the available natural resources, we need the contribution of young generationthe store house of efficient human resources such as: teachers, administrators,

168 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 technicians, business persons, media persons, etc. Young generation is the strong pillar of the country's economy. They can work hard and strive for the better to earn money. If they are rich, a country automatically becomes rich. They should be given enough opportunity to work in their country that ultimately stops the problem of brain drain 1. Write a couple of paragraphs describing what you would do if you became a doctor. 2. Write a few paragraphs about your future plan after passing SEE. 3. Write a short description of your village or native town. 4. Recently you had a trip from your school to one of the very popular historic places. Write a couple of paragraphs on it. 5. Write a short note on The Uses of Natural Resources in the development of a country. 6. Have you ever travelled to an important tourist town? Where does it lie and who were with you while you were travelling? Write a few paragraphs describing the journey, the people and their occupations, the environment and the things you observed there, the main attractions and your impression about the visit. 7. Write a short paragraph on the importance of transportation in about 120 words. 8. Does the system of giving a dowry exist in your society? If yes, in what form? Do you support this system? Write a few paragraphs in about 120 words about the dowry system. 9. Do you see children collecting plastics and used cans instead of going to school? Aren't these activities against the child rights? Write your opinion on that topic in about 120 words. 10. Write a paragraph on The Uses of Telephone by using the clues given below: part of our life-means of communication-advantage-disadvantage-conclusion. 11. Write a paragraph on Village Life. You can use the following clues. Meaning.................good sides (no pollution, fresh and pure food stuff, good co-operation and hard-working, etc.) .................drawbacks (lack of good education, health care, market and job, etc.) .................conclusion. 12. Write a couple of paragraphs about a festival which is celebrated in your village or town or by your community.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 169 13. Write a couple of paragraphs giving reasons why some of the children in your village or neighbourhood don't go to school. 2. Leave Application 1. An application for scholarship May 10, 2021 To, The Principal, St. Xavier's School, Jawalakhel, Respected Sir, Most respectfully I request you to grant me the scholarship for my studies in class 7. My father is ill and bed-ridden. My mother works as a housemaid. Her monthly income is very low. She has to support a family of five members. I shall be thankful to you if you grant me the scholarship. Yours obediently, Rohit Class VI 2. An application for a change of subject February 15, 2021 To, The Principal, Samata School, Jorpati, Kathmandu Dear Sir, I have taken both Social Studies and Science subject. I understand that some of our class-fellows have offered Environmental Studies in lieu of Social Studies and Science. I shall feel grateful if I am allowed to change my subject from Social Studies and Science to Environmental Studies. I shall be thankful to you, Yours obediently, Rajendra Thapa

170 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 3. Application to principal March 5, 2022 To, The Principal Janata Public School, Birgunj Subject: For transfer certificate Dear Sir, Most humbly and respectfully, I beg to say that my father who has been working here as an accountant in Rastriya Banijya Bank for the last seven years has been transferred to Kathmandu. I, therefore, request you to issue my transfer certificate at an early date. I shall be highly obliged. Yours obediently, Pradeep Karki 4. Letter to bank for pass-book Ranighat, Birgunj January 15, 2022 To, The Manager, SBI Bank, Birgunj Subject: Request for pass book Dear Sir, We have sent you the pass-book for the above mentioned account about one month ago, with our letter dated Dec. 20, 2020 against signature delivered to you by hand. Sufficient time has already elapsed to make the pass-book up-to-date. Please send the completed pass-book to us at the earliest with your messenger. It would be much appreciable if the matter is treated as urgent. Thanking you. Yours faithfully, Kailash Shah

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 171 5. Complaint letter against frequent breakdown of electricity Vishuwa, Birgunj April 20, 2022 To, The General Manager, Electricity Supply Office, Hetauda Subject: Frequent breakdown of electricity Dear Sir, We, the residents of Vishuwa- 10 Birgunj, want to bring it to your kind notice that during the last there weeks the supply of electricity in our locality is very irregular. The frequent breakdown of the electric supply is causing a lot of inconvenience and trouble to the residents. The children suffer a lot as they are unable to read in the night time, especially during the examination. We, therefore, request you to kindly look into the matter immediately and ensure that there is no more breakdown in future. Yours faithfully, Rajendra Mahato 6. A letter to the editor of a newspaper To, May 15, 2022 The Editor, The Himalayan Times, Kathmandu Dear Sir, Will you please kindly give a little place to my letter in your esteemed and highly popular paper? I write to you to put forward the difficulties which the public have to bear due to frequent breakdown of water supply in Adarshnagar - 13. We are in a very difficult situation. The rainy season has come. The rivers are full of water. So, there is no problem of electricity. I fail to understand the cause of the frequent breakdown of water supply. We have not got even a single drop of water for the last two days. No one knows

172 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 the difficulties we have faced these days. In my opinion, the breakdown is due to the inefficient working of the Water Supply Department. Will you very kindly publish my letter in your paper so that the higher authorities may come to know of it and warn those who are responsible for it? Yours sincerely, Kapil Exercise for practice 1. Write an application to your principal requesting him/her for sick leave. 2. Write an application to your principal to change your section. 3. Job Application Letter of Job Application Letter of job application means the letter for getting a job. In this kind of letter, the applicant should use polite language and purpose of jotting an application should also be mentioned clearly. Often personal details are also submitted. Format of job application 1. Heading (Address of sender and date of letter) 2. Addressing the post (inside address and solution) 3. Subject to apply 4. Body (main information of the application) 5. Subscription and signature Consider the following things • Subject • Introductory paragraph (mentioning reference, post, etc) • Statement of age, education and experience • Reference/ Testimonials • Expressing assurance and expectation • End with Yours respectfully or Yours faithfully/ truly • Give a short but compete bio-data/ curriculum vitae

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 173 Curriculum Vitae Name : Nayana Gurung Gender Address : New Baneswor, Ward No. 30, Kathmandu Telephone/Mobile No. : 014451261/9845126378 E-mail : nayana [email protected] Date of birth : January 15, 1989 Marital status : Single Academic qualification: • SLC, first Division from Oxford English Secondary School, Kathmandu in 2007 • +2 in Management stream in distinction from Moonlight College, Lalipuur in 2009 • BBS in distinction from Moonlight College, Laliptur in 2012 • MBS continue in KU, Dhulikhel Experience: • 3 month banking course from Apex Secretarial Institution Putalisadak, Kathmandu • 3 month internship course in Nepal Investment Bank, Anamnagar, Kathmandu Specimen of Job Application March 10, 2022 To, The Manager, Gorkha Organization, Kathmandu, Nepal Dear Sir/Madam, In response to your advertisement in today's 'The Himalayan Times' for an accountant, I would be grateful if you could consider me an applicant for the position. I passed the BBS examination with Accountancy as one of the major subjects from Nepal college of Commerce, affiliated to Tribhuwan University, in the year 2004. Since, then, I have been employed with P & P construction as an accountant. My work has been highly appreciated here but I feel that your organization can offer me a greater scope for my abilities.

174 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 You may refer to my present employer if you wish to make any enquiries regarding my capability, honesty and work. I have every hope that you will consider my application favorable and call me for an interview: Enclosed here are: 1. CV 2. Copies of certificates and testimonials Yours faithfully, Ravi. R. Chaudhary Curriculum Vitae Name : Ravi R. Chaudhari Address : Janakpur 5 Email : [email protected] Phone Number : 9741155662 Date of Birth : January 17th ,1990 Marital Status : Unmarried Father's Name : Ram R. Chaudhari Mother's Name : Ganga D. Chaudhari Nationality : Nepali Academic Qualifications : • B.B.A with Accountancy major First Division with distinction marks Shankar Dev Campus, Kathmandu • +2 with Office Practice and Accountancy major First Division with distinction marks Little Angles's college Lalitpur • SEE, with Account and Computer Science major First Division With distinction marks Little Angle's school Lalitpur Work Experience : 3 years as an accountant in Chaudhary Group, Banepa. Language : Fluent in English and Nepali Personal Details : Good Health.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 175 4. Dialogue Introduction Dialogue: A dialogue is a form of conversation or talking between two or more than two people. A dialogue literally means 'talking between two people.' It takes place in real life situations. There must be a topic or subject for a dialogue. In a conversation, thoughts, feelings, ideas are expressed. Questions are asked and answered. News and information are exchanged. Conversation helps us to improve the speaking skills. The conversation of two persons on any subject with an aim is called a dialogue. We listen to two persons talking on a phone. Although we listen to the words or sentences of only one side, we figure out the other side guessing their words or sentences optimally. In the same way when students read the first speaker's statement, they can understand the second speaker's words also. Dialogues can be categorised into the following types: Types of dialogue 1. On the basis of form, there are two types of dialogue: i. Formal dialogue: It takes place in a formal situation such as seminar, programme, class, etc. ii. Informal dialogue: It takes place in informal situations such as two friends talking about their study, exam, game, etc. Specimen of an appointment letter of a teacher. June 16, 2021 New Vision Secondary English Boarding School Chandranighapur-1, Rautahat Mr. Nikhil Thakur Chadranigahpur-1 Rautahat Sub :- Appointment letter Dear, Mr. Thakur It is our great pleasure to appoint you as a secondary level English teacher to be effective from the 1st of July 2020 on a contract basis for five years at our school. Your job responsibility mainly demands English teaching in grade eight to ten. I hope you will abide by the rules and regulations of the school, and fulfill your responsibilities. The facilities to be provided are specified as per the rules of the school. I would like to thank and congratulate you on your selection for the position. (Principal) Nikita Singh

176 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 2. On the basis of writing, there are two types of dialogue: i. Guided dialogue: The dialogue that is formed with the help of some guidelines is called guided dialogue. ii. Free dialogue: The dialogue that is formed with the help of the context and subject matter given is free dialogue. We have to create the expressions that are suitable in the given context and subject matter. a) Free broken dialogue Free broken dialogue means the vacant spaces for which no restrictions for the use of words or sentences are considered. We can use our own words or sentences according to the meaning. Example: Complete the following dialogue with the appropriate sentences or phrases: Rita : Hello! How are you? Sita : Fine, thank you. But I'm busy carrying my sister to hospital. She broke her ankle. Rita : How did she break her ankle? Sita : ……………............................................................................……….. Rita : How did you take her to hospital ? Sita : ……………............................................................................……….. Rita : Did the doctor plaster her ankle or simply put a bandage on it ? Sita : ……………............................................................................……….. Rita : When did he say she will be all right? Sita : ……………............................................................................……….. Rita : Is she at home now or in the hospital ? Sita : ……………............................................................................……….. Rita : Tell her I will come to her tomorrow. Bye. Sita : ……………............................................................................……….. b) Controlled broken dialogue It means the vacant spaces for which prescribed words or sentences can only be used which are given below (either in the box or without box) the brokendialogue. You have to fill the blank spaces with the best option from a list of sentences or phrases. This type of broken dialogue mostly appears in the exams. So students should prepare them nicely. Each sentence or phrase carries one mark. Sometimes six options are given and sometimes more than six but students have to select only six and leave the other options. Don't forget to underline the filled phrase or sentence.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 177 Sample Exercise Tourist : Good morning. Have you any ...................? Receptionist : Yes, sir. Double or single? Tourist : I want one double on the ground floor. Receptionist : I'm sorry, sir. ................................................................................ . Tourist : Hum! .................................... . What about on the first floor? Receptionist : Yes, sir I've a double room on the first floor, ...............................? Tourist : Can I know something about the facilities you provide here ? Receptionist : ........................................................................................................ Tourist : Well, I want to book a room for three days. Receptionist : ............................................... . a) There' s no double room vacant at the movement in the ground floor. b) OK. Thank you, sir. c) Of course ! Here's a brochure giving all the information about the hotel. d) Have you any room vacant? f) But I do need a double one. g) Could I book one of the rooms for you in the advance, sir ? 1. Complete the following dialogue with appropriate sentences in the box given below. Shopkeeper : Good afternoon, Madam. What can I do for you? Customer : Good afternoon ......................., Shopkeeper : Cotton or synthetics, Madam? Customer : .......................... Shopkeeper : Sure, we have .................... Customer : Could you take them out, please? Shopkeeper : Here you are, Madam............. Customer : I rather fancy this jazz one. How much is it? Shopkeeper : It costs Rs. 450 only .............. Customer : No, thank you .................. .

178 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 • Do you like anything more, madam? • Would you like to try it? • I need a good shirt. • It's a gift to my husband on his birthday. • These are from India. • No, he doesn't like the green clothes. • These are the best quality shirts in Terylenes. • Terylenes, if you have some. 2. Complete the following dialogue with the appropriate sentences in the box given below: Monika : I'd like to see a pair of party shoes.................... Salesman : Certainly, Madam. Which would you like, ..................... Monika : .................... . Will you help me choose? Salesman : Here you are, Madam. You can choose any of these. Monika : ............................................................................... . Salesman : Oh! I see. What about these with the red straps? .............................I like them on the top shelf. Salesman : The heels are much too high. You'd probably only trip over something. Monika : .....................But I've a good practice of wearing high heels. Salesman : Okay, I'll wrap them. Thank you. • I shall never decide by myself. • I'm really looking for high heels. • Do you have any, please? • Yes, you're right. • Old model or latest fashion? • They would clash with the blue though they certainly are pretty. 3. Asha has just returned from her aunt's house. Her mother asks her some questions. Asha's answers are given below. Complete the dialogue writing the questions her mother asks. Q. l ...........................................................................................................? Ans She received me very warmly. Q.2 ...........................................................................................................? Ans: Yes, She was there. Q.3 ...........................................................................................................? Ans: She treated me well.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 179 Q.4 ...........................................................................................................? Ans: My uncle is a nice gentleman. Q.5 ...........................................................................................................? Ans: He was more hospitable. Q.6 ...........................................................................................................? Ans: I had a good time there. Q.7 ...........................................................................................................? Ans Yes. I felt home sick there. Q.8 ...........................................................................................................? Ans: Yes, she has given me a suit, handkerchief and story books. Q.9 ...........................................................................................................? Ans Yes, I invited them to visit us. Q.10 ...........................................................................................................? Ans: They will come during the holidays. Write a dialogue about a picnic plan. 1. Aaru and Nilu are two friends. Write a dialogue between them on Discipline. 2. Write a dialogue between two boys on Importance of Newspaper. Exercise for Practice as Question No. 7 1. A student is talking to his teacher about taking leave for visiting his sick mother. Write a dialogue between them in six exchanges. [6] 2. Compose a dialogue between two friends about their plan after SEE. Write at least six exchanges. [6] 3. Some people say that students should not be given mobile phones as it harms their studies while others argue that a mobile phone can be a very useful means of learning. What do you think about it? Write your views in a couple of paragraphs in about 150 words. [6] 4. Compose a dialogue between Jenish and Jenisha about their hobby. Write at least six exchanges. [6] 5. Compose a dialogue between two friends who are going to a theatre to watch a drama tonight. Write at least six exchanges. [6] 6. Compose a dialogue between two students who are planning to organize a surprise birthday party. [6] 7. Write a couple of paragraphs on 'Charity Never Goes Unrewarded' in about 150 words. [6] 8. Compose a dialogue between two friends talking about the movie they have recently watched in at least six exchanges. [6]

180 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Free Writing - II (For 6 marks) 1. Letter (Personal/Official letter / Letter to the Editor) Introduction Letters are messages conveyed in the written form. There are different kinds of letter such as friendly letters, business letters, official letters, letters to the editor etc. Each of these has its own particular form; but there are certain matters of form that apply to all letter writing. Letter writing is an important activity of our daily life. Letters can be divided broadly into three types. Personal letters are written to relatives and friends, business letters are for business and official letters are written in offices. Tips for letter writing * Letters can also be classified into two types: formal and informal. * Letters of business, complaints, applications and letters to the newspapers are formal letters. * Letters to friends and relatives are informal letters. * While writing letters, be clear, concise and courteous. * Arrange thoughts logically and hold the interest of the reader. General format of a letter The heading of the letter : Writer's address and date The salutation or greeting : Dear Father/Mother/Brother (for relatives) Dear Harry Mr. Thomson (for friends) Dear Madam/ Sir/s (for formal letters) The body of the letter : The main message or communication The subscription (In an informal letter): Yours affectionately, etc. Leave-taking (Closing) : Yours affectionate (or loving) son/brother Yours sincerely) A letter generally consists of six parts: 1. The writer's address and date 2. The greeting or salutation 3. The body of the letter 4. The ending of the letter 5. The writer's name and signature 6. The envelope

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 181 1. Heading This informs the reader where you wrote the letter, and when. The position of the heading is the top-right hand corner of the first page- the address above and the date just below it. The heading and date may alternatively go on the left. Biratnagar – 10, Morang 10th July, 2021 2. Salutation or Greeting: The form of greeting will depend on the relation in which you stand to the person to whom you are writing. To members of your family, for example, it will be….. Dear Father, my dear mother, dear uncle etc… To friends, it will be……………… Dear Shyam/ Dear Apsara……. To business people, it will be………….. Dear sir, Dear madam etc… Note : The use of the term Dear is purely formal, and is a more polite expression. The position of the salutation is at the left-hand of the first page at a lower level than the heading. 3. Body of the letter: This is the main part of the letter. The desired message is expressed in this part of letter. The style of letter to an intimate friend will be very different from that of a purely business letter or an official communication. Some hints to all letters are given below. a) Divide your letter into paragraphs, to mark changes of subject matter, etc.. b) Use simple and direct language and short sentences. Be clear about what you want to say, and say it as directly as possible. c) Think out what you want to say before you begin to write and put down your points in some logical order. d) Write neatly. Remember that your reader has to read what you write, and do not give him/her unnecessary trouble with bad illegible and slovenly writing. e) Mind your punctuation, and put in commas and semi colons and full stops in their proper places. Incorrect punctuation may alter the whole meaning of sentences.

182 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 4. Subscription or courteous – closing: A letter should be stopped in a systematic way; so certain forms of polite leave-taking are prescribed, such as yours sincerely, your sincere friend, yours faithfully, etc. Note : The first word of the subscription must began with a capital letter, example: Sincerely yours 5. Signature or name of the writer: This must come just below the subscription. Thus: Yours sincerely, Ocean Dahal 6. The address on the envelope (superscription): The address on the envelope should be written clearly. Read a sample letter here: March 10, 2021 Dear Bauki, Next Saturday is my birthday and I'm inviting a few friends, the usual group, to tea that evening. I would be glad if you could join us. If you're free, will you come about one o'clock for an early tea? We plan to go to an evening show afterwards at the Krishan Picture Hall. We want to see Salman's latest film Bajarangi Bhaijan. It is said to be a great hit. Besides, there will be the usual weekend rush to the cinema, so we shall have to get the seats booked in advance. I expect you will be there in time. See you then. With love, Iman Kinds of letter 1. Personal letters : Letters written to relatives and friends 2. Business letters : Letters written to businessmen, for business purpose 3. Official letters: Letters and applications addressed to officials of different categories 1. Personal letters: Such letters are written to friends, relations and other close acquaintances. These include all the various types of letters pertaining to condolences, sympathies, congratulations, invitations, requests and recommendations. Personal letters are informal letters.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 183 2. Business letters: Business letters pertain to the business affairs and such letters are related to the ordering of goods, seeking information or acknowledging receipt of articles in general. Business letters are formal letters. 3. Official letters and applications: The official letters are addressed to officials and vice versa. These officials may belong to government departments, public bodies or other public enterprises. The letters of complaints or informative materials, including applications for vacant posts and other similar letters, come under this category. 1. Personal letters Some useful phrases and sentences for personal letter: 1. I am glad to receive your letter. 2. Thank you for your letter. 3. I was delighted to read the contents of your letter. 4. I am sorry I could not write to you earlier. 5. I am really very sorry not to have heard from you for such a long time. 6. I am glad to learn from your letter which arrived this morning that… 7. What a joy your letter has brought! 8. It was so nice to hear from you after a long time. 9. I was quite shocked … 10. This is merely to inform you… Specimen of personal letter 1. A letter to a pen–friend inviting him to visit your country, Kathmandu, 14th March, 2022 Dear Eric, I received your letter a week ago but could not respond to you earlier as I had to go to Pokhara to attend the marriage ceremony of my cousin. I returned to Kathmandu yesterday. I know your country is very advanced and developed. Nepal, you know, is a developing country but it is very rich in culture,art and historical places. Besides, it has many places of scenic beauty. I have learnt from your letters that you have a keen interest in the art and culture of Nepal. In order to satisfy your curiosity to know and see things for yourself, I would invite you to visit Nepal. So far as Kathmandu is concerned, you will be my guest, while at other places; I have relations where boarding and lodging will be available to both of us. You can make a few purchases, particularly of handicraft, from certain places in Nepal. I would advise you bring your camera to take snaps of places that may be mesmerising to you. I have a camera of my

184 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 own but it may not be as good as yours. I hope you will make up your mind to visit Nepal as early as may be convenient to you. For your information, April –March and September–October are excellent times to visit my country. I would love to hear from you. Yours sincerely, XYZ 2. Suppose you are staying away from your parents to pursue your higher education. Write a letter to your father requesting his permission for you to go with friends on an education trip. Pokhara, 11 7th Poush 2077 Dear Father, Our Second Term Exam ends next week and the school will break up for winter holidays on the 14th of Poush. The students of our class have arranged an educational trip to Chitwan National Park and Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. Our class teacher and two other teachers have agreed to accompany us. An individual contribution of Rs. 500 has been fixed to meet all the expenses. It will include the bus fare, boarding and lodging expenses. The school, too, will bear half of the expenses. The trip promises to be of great educational value to us. It will add to our general information and teach us many useful things. My roommate, along with my other friends, is also joining the trip. I, therefore, request you to kindly permit me and send me Rs. 500 at the earliest so that I can make the payment to the teacher in charge to confirm my participation. I assure you I shall give you no cause for complaint. I hope you won't disappoint me. I am eagerly waiting for a favourable reply and the money that I shall require. With love to you and mother. Yours affectionately, ABC 3. A letterto a relative who has sent you gifts on some important occasions recently. Kirtipur, Kathmandu 5th June 2021

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 185 Dear Uncle and Aunt, I hope that you receive this letter in good health. I got your parcel dated 3rd May and was very delighted to find my birthday gift in it. Thank you very much for the camera. I feel so special that you truly care for me. Your gift will be helpful for me in many ways. It will be very handy for the picnic my friends are planning for the holiday. Also, it will be useful for the project of our social studies. Teachers have assigned us to write on the cultural heritage of Nepal. It will be beneficial for me to get pictures for the project. I'll send you the first photograph I take. Please convey my sincere best wishes to Utsav. I hope he is doing tremendously well in his studies. Please thank him from me for the birthday wishes he sent for me. I must stop writing at this point now. Thank you very much for everything all over again. Yours sincerely, Paven 4. Write a letter in about 200 words to a foreign friend describing your village. Rampur, Siraha January 10, 2022 Dear Georgia, I got your letter yesterday. I'm glad to know that you are coming to visit Nepal with some of your friends. I am so happy to know that you would like to visit my village and stay here with us for a week. Our house is in a small village, far from the highway and town. We do not have modern facilities like electricity, market, means of communication, tap water and so on. Candles and kerosene lamps are lit at nights. We have a well in the front yard of our house and we fetch water from it to drink. We have to walk for about an hour to reach the nearest market to buy things and communicate by telephone. Village houses are simple and small and are made of mud and thatch which are hygienic because we feel neither too cold in the cold season nor too hot in the summer season. There is no pollution here and you can find green environment everywhere. The things we eat are also pure and fresh. People are simple, cooperative, honest and hard-working. I hope you will enjoy the village life, living here for a week. I look forward to seeing you in the near future. Yours affectionately, Monika

186 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 4. Write a letter to your father convincing that you are trying your best to do better in the future. Campus Hostel, Lalitpur, January 15, 2022 Dear Father, I received your letter of 5 January. I am sorry that an impression has been created in your mind that I am wasting my time here. I could not do well in my last exam due to my illness before the exams. I did not write to you about the same, as it would have caused some worry at home. Regarding the report given to you by your friend that I waste my time watching movies, it so happened that some of my friends came from Pokhara and I had to accompany them to a restaurant near a cinema hall on the day. Your friend must have seen me there and told you about it. I know how hard you and mum work to send me money for my study. How can I waste the money in watching movies and going to restaurants? I cook my own food, father, and never visit movies. I am conscious of my responsibilities and the results of my annual examinations will convince you of my sincerity in studies. I assure you that I will always do my best and never let you down. Kindly convey my regards to mother and love to Salma. Yours affectionately, Navin Thakuri Letter of Congratulation Introduction Congratulation means extending best wishes. When individuals or groups succeed in work, promotion and so on, well wishers extend congratulations in the form of a notice. Messages of congratulation can be both formal or informal. Formal congratulations are normally published in the newspaper. Informal congratulations are sent to persons concerned. These informal messages of congratulation are also considered as personal letters. A letter of congratulation is written when someone achieves success in any work. It is written in two ways.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 187 a) Formal message of congratulation b) Informal message of congratulation The first is published in the newspaper and the second is sent to the person directly. Some tips to start a letter of congratulation. Congratulations! Congratulations on your success! Hearty congratulation! I was much delighted to know………………… I would like to express my hearty congratulation on your immense success that …………….. I am really glad to hear of your great success in the board examination. My joys knew no bounds when I heard of your success. The letter is concluded this way: I wish your immense success in your future life. I wish you a prosperous life. I wish you all the best in the future. Model of congratulation letter Specimen-1 Baneshwor, Kathmandu 30th January 2022 My Dear Arun, My happiness knew to bound when I came to know that you stood first in the M.B.B.S entrance examination. Accept my heartiest congratulation on your success. I've felt a great pleasure to be one of your close friends and well wishers for your progress. Once again congratulations! I wish you continue your success in the future. Best of luck! With love, Ashesh

188 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Specimen- 2 Suppose your friend has stood first in the national level essay competition. Write a letter of congratulation to him/her. Panauti -5, Kavre 5th August 2021 Dear Punam, I am very delighted to learn that you have stood first in the national level essay competition and received an award worth Rs. 20,000. Well done! It is a great success. Please accept my heartiest congratulations to you. Punam, you are a brilliant writer. You have won many literary competitions at school and in the district, too. No need to tell you that writing is an art through which we can expose our hidden talent. This time you have proved who you are. You have made your position in the national level. In fact, you have earned the name for our school. You are sure to be a famous writer in the future. Please keep your spirit up. Once again, I want to offer you my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to you. May the god grant you similar success in the days ahead! I hope to see you during the Dashain vacation in Kathmandu. Bye! Take care. Ever yours, Rajani Specimen-3 Chandranigahpur 5th March, 2022 My Dear Kaushal, My heart is filled with joy to learn about your topping the list of the successful candidates in the Education Service Examination. It is really a piece of good news. May god continue to bless you with similar success all through your life. Do you want to celebrate the occasion? Your success is a fitting reward of your painstaking labour. Lovingly yours, Muna

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 189 Specimen-4 Chandranagar, Nepal 29th March, 2022 Dear Shristika, How excited I was to find your symbol number in the newspaper yesterday! Congratulations for passing your district level examination with distinction. Now, there is hardly any doubt about you becoming a great astronomer. Such a good result, of course, is the outcome of your hard work. Hope your future will be as bright as your present. Yours, Namrata Subedi Message of Congratulation Tips for Writing a Message of Congratulation 1. Create a message box in your mind, first. 2. Draw a small box on the top inside in the centre for photo of the person who is being congratulated. 3. Write words expressing congratulations just above the photo. The words can be like this. Hearty congratulations Congratulations 4. Write the name of the congratulated person just below the photo. 5. Extend your hearty congratulations. 6. Highlight the name of the congratulated person. 7. Write why the person has been congratulated. 8. Wish him /her further success in future. 9. Write your name or your organisation's name and address at last at he bottom of the message. 10. Put the message in the box that you have already set in your mind. 11. Decorate slightly each and every corner of the box as shown in the specimen. However, if you are writing a letter of congratulation, keep in mind the following tips. i. Follow the style mentioned in letter of condolence, i.e. heading, salutation, body of the letter, closing, signature.

190 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 ii. Write opening (body of the letter) expressing congratulation. The form of an opening can be like this. ► I'm glad to hear of your great success in the examination. ► Hearty congratulation to you on your brilliant success in the SEE examination. ► I can't tell you how happy I was to learn of your success in the field of football. iii. Complete the letter with your conviction, hope, wish etc, the form of wish can be like this. ► I wish you all the best in the future. ► May god help you spread your name and fame all over the world. ► I wish you prosper in life. iv. Close the letter as a sympathy letter. Specimen- 1 A message of congratulation to be published in a newspaper. Hearty Congratulations To Mr. Anuraj Gautam We, the students of Civil Engineering of Bhutandevi Technical School, Hetauda, would like to extend our hearty congratulations to our friend, Mr. Anuraj Gautam, for his outstanding performance in SEE held in 2021. Wishing him every success in the days ahead! The Students of Civil Engineering Bhutandevi Technical School Hetauda Photo Specimen- 2 1. Your friend has stood first in a national level essay competition. Write him/ her a message of congratulation to be published in a national level newspaper. Include his/her name, deed, award etc.

Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 191 CONGRATULATION !!! To Miss Poonam Thapa We, the class nine family of SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, Surkhet, would like to extend our hearty congratulations to our classmate Miss Poonam Thapa for securing the first position in the national level ESSAY COMPETITION organised by Leo and Lions Club, Putalisadak, Kathmandu. Class Nine Students SOS Hermann Gmeiner Higher Secondary School, Surkhet Photo Specimen- 3 Congratulations ! Anuradha Koirala We would like to extend our hearty congratulation to Mrs. Koirala for being the first Nepali to receive the prestigious CNN Hero Award 2010 for her contribution to reduce girls trafficking and sexual exploitation in Nepal since 1993. This is a special title awarded to her by public poll conducted at CNN.com. Her untiring efforts and dedication in the field of social work has been truly judged and this award will surely strengthen and sharpen her determination in this field. We wish her success in her every walk of life. Environment Society, Kathmandu, Nepal Photo

192 Oasis Applied English Grammar Book-9 Specimen-4 A message of Congratulation to be published in a newspaper. HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS Dr. Bikranta Baral On the auspicious occasion of the 65th UN Day, 2015 we heartily congratulate Dr. Baral for being the First Nepali to receive the prestigious UNESCO Asia- Pacific Cultural Heritage Conservation Award 2014 His dedication and unselfish work in the field of traditional architecture has handsomely paid off. We believe that this award will boost his morale and energise him to continue outstanding work in conservation of cultural heritage. We wish him all the best for his future progress. UNESCO, KATHMANDU, NEPAL Specimen-5 1. Write a formal message of congratulation to be published in a newspaper with the guidelines given below. Mahabir Pun….............. Ramon Magsaysay Award 2007 …............... Community leadership …......... bringing ….....……. unprecedented changes……………… in the rural livelihood……...……..used internet technology. Congratulations ! Our hearts got boundless pleasure to learn that Mr. Mahabir Pun (president ENRD) was awarded with Ramon Magsaysay Award 2007. We extend our hearty congratulations to him for recognition of his outstanding contribution to community leadership and bringing in unprecedented changes in the rural livelihood through the use of internet technology. We wish his marvellous performance will inspire others to do such good work. E- network Research and Development Nepal Photo