MIDSEM QUICK NOTES

Business / Communication Skills — Grammar · Presentation Skills ·

Comprehension & Writing

Covers: Unit I – Basic Grammar | Unit II – Presentation Skills | Unit III – Comprehension, Paragraph & Academic
Writing
 UNIT I — Basic Grammar

a. Parts of Speech
Part of Speech Function Examples

Noun Names a person, place, thing, or idea Delhi, honesty, teacher

Pronoun Replaces a noun he, she, it, they, who

Verb Shows action or state of being run, is, become

Adjective Describes/modifies a noun tall, blue, happy

Adverb Modifies verb, adjective, or another adverb quickly, very, well

Preposition Shows relationship (place/time/direction) in, on, under, before

Conjunction Joins words, phrases, or clauses and, but, because, although

Interjection Expresses sudden emotion Wow!, Alas!, Oh!

Article/Determiner Specifies a noun a, an, the, this, my

b. Tenses
English has 3 main time frames (Present, Past, Future), each with 4 aspects (Simple, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect
Continuous) — 12 tenses total.

Aspect Present/Past/Future example Used for

Simple I write / I wrote / I will write Habits, facts, completed actions,

future plans

Continuous I am writing / I was writing / I will be writing Ongoing action at a point in time
(Progressive)

Perfect I have written / I had written / I will have written Action completed before another
point/time

Perfect Continuous I have been writing / I had been writing / I will have Ongoing action up to a point, with
been writing duration

Quick tip: Signal words help identify tense — always/usually/every day (Simple Present); now/currently/at the moment
(Present Continuous); already/just/yet/since/for (Present Perfect); yesterday/last week/ago (Simple Past).

c. Subject–Verb Agreement
• The verb must agree with its subject in number (singular/plural) and person.
• Singular subject → singular verb: The dog barks. Plural subject → plural verb: The dogs bark.
• Two subjects joined by and usually take a plural verb: Ram and Shyam are here.
• Subjects joined by or / nor / either...or / neither...nor — verb agrees with the nearer subject: Neither the
teacher nor the students were ready.
• Collective nouns (team, family, jury) take a singular verb when acting as one unit: The team is winning.
• Indefinite pronouns (each, everyone, nobody, someone) are singular: Everyone is present.
• A phrase between subject and verb doesn't change agreement: The list of items is long. (not 'are')
• Titles of books/works and amounts of money/time/distance are treated as singular: Ten dollars is enough.
• None can take singular or plural depending on meaning; when in doubt use singular.
 UNIT II — Presentation Skills

a. The 7 C's of Communication

C Meaning How to apply it

Clarity Message should be clear and easy to Avoid jargon; use simple, direct words
understand; one idea at a time

Conciseness Say it in the fewest words possible, Cut filler words and redundancy
without losing meaning

Concreteness Use specific facts and figures, not vague "Sales rose 12% in Q2" not "sales improved a lot"
generalities

Correctness Grammatically and factually accurate; Proofread; check facts before sending
right level of language

Coherence Logical flow — ideas connect and follow a Use transition words: however, therefore, next
sequence

Completeness Includes all necessary information for the Answer the 5W1H: who, what, when, where, why,
receiver to act how

Courtesy Polite, respectful, and considerate of the Use "please", acknowledge the other's viewpoint
receiver's feelings

b. Body Language & Non-Verbal Communication

Verbal vs Non-Verbal
Verbal = the actual words (oral/written). Non-verbal = meaning carried by everything else, grouped into 5
branches:

• Paralanguage — how something is said (pitch, volume, tone, pace, rhythm, vocal fillers)
• Kinesics — body movement (gestures/posture, appearance, facial expressions, posture, eye movement)
• Chronemics — use of time (punctuality, pacing, pauses)
• Proxemics — physical space/distance
• Haptics — communication through touch

The Mehrabian Model

Albert Mehrabian's finding on how feelings and attitudes are communicated (not all communication in general):

Component Weight Covers

Words 7% Literal content of what is said

Tone of Voice 38% Pitch, pace, inflection

Body Language 55% Facial expression, posture, gesture

Proxemics — Zones of Physical Space

Zone Distance Used for

Intimate 6–18 inches Close family, partners, very close friends

Personal 18–48 inches Friends, casual conversation

 Zone Distance Used for

Social 4–12 feet Acquaintances, business interactions

Public 12+ feet Public speaking, addressing a group

Kinesics — 5 Signal Types

• Gestures & Postures — hand movements/body positioning that add emphasis
• Appearance — dress, grooming, physical presentation (shapes first impressions)
• Facial Expressions — smiles, frowns, raised brows reveal emotion
• Posture — upright/slouched/leaning signals attitude and confidence
• Eye Movement — gaze/eye contact shows attention, interest, or avoidance

Body Language Clusters (read the cluster, not one cue)

Cluster What to look for

Attentive Eye contact held; mild nods; head slightly tilted; leaning forward

Upset Tightened jaw; frown; avoiding eye contact or cold stare; impatient walk

Bored Looking away; checking phone/watch; blank stare; leaning back

Defensive Folded arms; crossed legs; wandering eyes; nervous excuses

Key signals: Open palm gesture = unconscious honesty/openness cue. The Handshake transmits Dominance,
Submission, or Equality. Glove handshake ("politician's handshake") aims to project warmth, but can feel intrusive
on first meeting. Pointers — feet/torso direction is more honest than the face (body doesn't lie as easily). Mirroring
— unconsciously copying another's posture signals rapport/agreement.

Delivery Techniques (related — often tested together)

Technique Preparation Notes used Best for

Impromptu Minimal/none None Quick responses, toasts, Q&A;

Memorised Full script memorised None (exact wording) Ceremonial/dramatic speeches

Manuscript Full script written Complete script Legal, political, official statements

Extemporaneous Outline prepared & Brief notes/cards Presentations, lectures, most speeches
practiced

c. How to Prepare a Good PowerPoint Presentation — Do's & Don'ts

DO DON'T
• One core idea per slide — don't overload with • Don't cram paragraphs of text onto one slide
text • Don't read slides word-for-word to the audience
• Use the 6x6 rule as a guide: ≈6 bullet points per • Don't use excessive animations/transitions that
slide, ≈6 words per bullet distract from content
• Use large, legible fonts (24pt+ for body, 36pt+ • Don't use clashing colours or low-contrast text
for titles) and high contrast colours (e.g., yellow on white)
• Use visuals (charts, images, diagrams) to • Don't use more than 2–3 fonts in a deck
replace dense text where possible • Don't overcrowd with unnecessary clip art or
• Keep a consistent design — same template, low-resolution images
fonts, and colour scheme throughout • Don't ignore the audience — avoid turning your
• Use the slide as a visual aid, not a script — back to face the screen
speak to the audience, not the screen • Don't skip a rehearsal — technical glitches and
• Rehearse with the slides and time your delivery timing issues show up otherwise
• Cite sources/data on the slide where used
 UNIT III — Comprehension, Paragraph & Academic
Writing

a. Comprehension Passages — Strategy

• Skim first: Read the passage once quickly for overall gist/tone/main idea before reading questions.
• Read questions before re-reading: Know what to look for — this saves time on the second pass.
• Locate, don't guess: For factual questions, find the exact line/paragraph that supports the answer.
• Distinguish fact vs opinion: Note where the author states data vs where they infer/argue.
• Vocabulary-in-context: For "meaning of the word as used in the passage" questions, re-read the sentence
around the word — don't rely on the dictionary meaning alone.
• Inference questions: The answer isn't stated directly — pick the option most strongly supported by the text, not
the most "reasonable-sounding" one.
• Tone/purpose questions: Look at word choice (e.g., "unfortunately", "remarkably") to judge the author's
attitude.
• Answer in your own words unless asked to quote — for short-answer questions, keep answers precise and
directly tied to the question.
• Manage time: Don't get stuck on one question — mark and move on, return later.

b. Paragraph Construction
A good paragraph develops one main idea and has 3 core parts:

Part Function

Topic Sentence States the main idea of the paragraph — usually the first sentence

Supporting Sentences Explain, illustrate, or provide evidence for the topic sentence (examples, facts,
reasons)

Concluding/Transition Sentence Wraps up the idea or links smoothly to the next paragraph

Principles of a well-built paragraph:

• Unity — every sentence relates to the one main idea; no digressions
• Coherence — sentences flow logically, connected with transition words (moreover, however, as a result, for
instance)
• Adequate development — enough detail/evidence to fully support the topic sentence (not just 1–2 lines)
• Order — chronological, spatial, or order of importance, chosen to fit the content

c. Rules of Academic Writing

• Formal tone — avoid contractions (don't → do not), slang, and colloquialisms
• Third-person / objective voice — avoid "I think", "you"; prefer "It can be argued that...", "This suggests..."
(unless the assignment asks for personal reflection)
• Precise, concrete language — avoid vague words like "stuff", "thing", "a lot"
• Avoid emotional/exaggerated language — support claims with evidence, not adjectives
• Consistent tense — typically present tense for general facts/arguments, past tense for reporting specific
studies/events
• Logical structure — introduction (thesis/main claim) → body (evidence, arguments, each paragraph = one idea)
→ conclusion (restate/synthesize, don't introduce new points)
• Cite sources properly — give credit for ideas/data that are not your own; avoid plagiarism
• Avoid redundancy and filler — every sentence should add value
• Use signposting language — "firstly", "in contrast", "consequently" to guide the reader through your argument
• Proofread — check grammar, spelling, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation before submitting

Good luck for your midsem! Review the tables and bullet points first — they're built for a fast final pass.