General English (AEC)

Voiced: bat (/b/), dog (/d/), van (/v/). Voiceless: pen (/p/), tin (/t/), fan (/f/). Rule: a sound is voiced when the vocal cords vibrate — put a finger on your throat and say /b/, /d/, /v/ to feel the buzz; /p/, /t/, /f/ have no buzz. Each pair (p/b, t/d, f/v) is made at the same place — only voicing differs.

(a) disagree — dis- = opposite of; (b) development — -ment turns the verb into a noun; (c) hopeful — -ful = full of; (d) rewrite — re- = again. Note: dis-, re- are prefixes (front, change meaning, keep word-class); -ment, -ful are suffixes (end; -ment changes verb → noun, -ful keeps adjective).

(a) ˈimport /ˈɪmpɔːt/ — noun, stress first; (b) imˈport /ɪmˈpɔːt/ — verb, stress second; (c) ˈconduct /ˈkɒndʌkt/ — noun; (d) conˈduct /kənˈdʌkt/ — verb. Rule: in two-syllable noun–verb pairs, the noun/adjective takes first-syllable stress and the verb takes second-syllable stress (same pattern as ˈrecord/reˈcord, ˈpresent/preˈsent).

(a) F — greetings and exclamations take the falling tone. (b) R — polite requests (Could you…? Would you…?) rise at the end. (c) R — a tag question rises when the speaker genuinely asks (is unsure); it falls only when the speaker is sure and just confirming. Rule: falling = finished/certain; rising = open/asking.

(a) Verb — book = to reserve (action). (b) Noun — the book = a thing, after the article “the”. (c) Preposition — before + noun phrase “sunrise” (before what?). (d) Adverb — before stands alone, modifying “have seen” (when?). Rule: never label a word from memory — ask what job it does in THIS sentence.

“Bread and butter is my usual breakfast.” Rule: when two nouns joined by “and” name ONE single idea, dish or thing (bread and butter, rice and curry, slow and steady), the verb is singular. Compare: “Bread and butter are sold here” — two separate items being sold, so plural.

“You don't have to carry an umbrella; the sky is clear.” Rule: mustn't = prohibition (it is forbidden — “You mustn't smoke here”); don't have to = no obligation (it is not necessary — “You don't have to come early”). A clear sky means no need, not a ban.

“She gave me some advice about my career” (or: “a piece of advice”). Rule: advice is uncountable — it never takes a/an and never adds -s. Same family: information, news, furniture, luggage, knowledge. Use some/any, much/little, or a piece of with them.

“By this time next year, she will have finished her B.A.” Rule: the future perfect (will have + V3) is used for an action that will be complete BEFORE a stated future point. The signal words are “by + future time” (by Monday, by next year, by the time…).

SVOO (Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object). “The teacher” = subject, “gave” = verb, “the students” = indirect object (to whom? — the receiver), “homework” = direct object (what? — the thing given). Test: it answers both “gave what?” (homework) and “gave to whom?” (the students).

(i) A letter had been written by her. (past perfect → had been + V3) (ii) A letter is being written by her. (present continuous → is/am/are being + V3) (iii) The work will have been finished by them. (future perfect → will have been + V3) Rule: keep the same be-form chain, only swap the tense's be: had been / is being / will have been + V3.

She said that she had met him there the previous day. Changes: (1) past simple → past perfect (“met” → “had met”, because the reporting verb is past); (2) pronoun I → she; (3) place: here → there; (4) time: yesterday → the previous day (or the day before). Rule: shift tense back AND shift here/this/yesterday words — students forget the second half.

On the bell ringing, the students left the room. (Also correct: “The bell having rung, the students left the room.”) Rule: “As soon as + clause” becomes “On + (noun) + V-ing”: the subordinate clause (the bell rang) shrinks to a phrase (the bell ringing), leaving only one finite verb (left) — hence simple.

(i) He is wise. (negative → affirmative by using the opposite word; “not a fool” = “wise”) (ii) None but the brave deserve praise. (“Only + noun” → “None but + noun”; meaning unchanged.) Rule: flip the form, keep the meaning — use opposites for not-phrases and none-but for only-phrases.

She asked me if I had finished my work. Changes: (1) reporting verb said to → asked; (2) yes–no question joins with if (not that); (3) statement word order — “I had finished”, not “had I finished”; (4) present perfect → past perfect (“have finished” → “had finished”); (5) your → my. Rule: question → if + statement order + backshift.

(a) The canteen opens at nine and serves lunch till two. (b) Students must show their identity card for the subsidised rates. (c) The committee meets on the first Monday of every month. (d) Fruit salad was added after forty students signed one request (a suggestion supported by many students).

Morning arrives. Sunlight spreads across the floor like spilled gold. The books are open and the pens are ready. Another day of study is about to begin. (No rhyme kept, no new moral added — only what the four lines say, in plain prose.)

A nation stands straight only when its people can think, and thinking is built in classrooms. Education gives a farmer's son the knowledge to read the weather and a nurse the skill to save a life; without it, both depend on others. Countries that invested in schools — Japan after the war, South Korea in one generation — rose because educated citizens build honest offices, strong factories and fair courts. Degrees alone are not education; the habit of questioning and learning is. When that habit spreads, the whole nation's backbone grows strong.

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE, BIKANER NOTICE Date: 6 October 2026 Inter-College Debate Competition An inter-college debate competition will be held on Friday, 9 October 2026, at 11 a.m. in the seminar hall. Topic: “Social Media Does More Harm Than Good.” Each college may send a team of two speakers (one for, one against the motion). Interested students should give their names to the undersigned by Wednesday evening. Rohit Verma (Cultural Secretary)

To: librarian@govtcollegebikaner.edu.in Subject: Request for new English novels in the library Respected Sir, I am Priya Singh of B.A. Semester II (Roll No. 117). Many students of our class want to improve their English reading, but the library has very few modern English novels. I request you to kindly add some recent novels and story collections for beginners. We shall be grateful for your kind consideration. Thanking you, Yours obediently, Priya Singh

In the classroom after lunch Neha: Shall we make a study group for the exams? Studying alone is getting boring. Arjun: Good idea. Which subjects first — English or EVS? Neha: English. We can divide the units — I'll take phonetics, you take grammar. Arjun: Done. And let's meet daily at four in the library, one hour only. Neha: One hour? We'll need two — transformation takes time! Arjun: Fine, two hours. But no phones during study. Neha: Agreed. Starting tomorrow.

Health is Wealth

We often say that health is wealth, and the saying is truer than most proverbs about money. Wealth can buy comfort, but it cannot buy a sound body or a peaceful mind. A rich man lying in a hospital bed would gladly exchange his bank balance for one healthy morning, while a poor labourer who sleeps well and wakes fresh is richer in the only currency that cannot be printed or borrowed.

Good health is built, not bought. It comes from simple, daily habits: regular sleep of seven to eight hours, home-cooked food eaten on time, clean drinking water, and some physical movement every day — a morning walk, a game in the evening, or even household work done actively. These cost almost nothing, yet most of us neglect them until the body sends a bill in the form of illness. Prevention is not only better than cure; it is far cheaper than cure, in both money and suffering.

The link between health and success is direct and visible everywhere. A healthy student concentrates better, remembers longer, and handles exam pressure calmly instead of falling sick before the paper. A healthy worker earns steadily instead of losing wages to sick days and medical loans. Nations, too, rise on the strength of healthy citizens — no economy has ever grown on hospital beds, and no army wins on empty stomachs.

If health is wealth, then we must protect it exactly like wealth: budget time for it every day, invest steady effort in it, insure it with good habits, and never spend it carelessly on junk food, late nights, or addictions. Money lost can be earned again with hard work; health once lost is very hard to recover, and sometimes impossible. (298 words)

REPORT ON THE BLOOD DONATION CAMP To: The Principal, Government College, Bikaner From: Anil Sharma, B.A. Semester II (Roll No. 42) Date: 12 September 2026 Subject: Report on the blood donation camp held on 10 September 2026 Introduction: As directed by your office order dated 2 September 2026, a blood donation camp was organised in the college auditorium on 10 September 2026 by the NSS unit with the help of the district hospital team. Arrangements: The auditorium was divided into three sections — registration, medical check-up and donation. Five doctors and eight nurses from the district hospital conducted the camp. Drinking water, glucose and resting cots were arranged for donors. Student volunteers managed the queues and guided every donor. Participation and findings: A total of 214 students registered; after medical screening, 168 were found fit and donated blood. This included 52 girl students, the highest number in any camp so far. Three donors felt mild dizziness and were attended to immediately; all recovered within half an hour and left smiling. The hospital team collected 168 units, thanked the college publicly, and issued certificates to every donor on the spot. Conclusion: The camp met its target of 150 units and exceeded it. The discipline of the volunteers and the response of the students were praised by the hospital team. Recommendations: It is suggested that (1) such camps be held twice a year instead of once, and (2) a permanent donor register be maintained so that regular donors can be publicly honoured on Republic Day every year.

To: editor@dainiknavajyoti.in Subject: Poor condition of roads in Shastri Nagar, Bikaner

Respected Sir,

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the municipal authorities to the miserable condition of roads in Shastri Nagar, Bikaner.

For the last eight months, the main road of our colony has been full of deep pits and broken patches. The recent rains have made matters worse: the pits are now filled with dirty water, and two-wheeler riders slip on them almost daily. Last week, an elderly neighbour fell from his scooter and fractured his arm. Schoolchildren wade through muddy water every morning, and their uniforms are spoiled long before they reach school.

We have submitted three written complaints to the municipal office, but no repair work has begun so far. The contractors dug up the roadside last winter for a pipeline and never levelled it again. Dust rises all day from the broken surface, and many residents now suffer from cough and breathing trouble. Shopkeepers on the main road complain that customers avoid the dusty stretch, and their daily sales have fallen sharply. Auto-rickshaw drivers refuse to enter the colony after dark, fearing damage to their vehicles. The streetlights too are broken, so the pits become invisible at night, doubling the danger.

I earnestly request the authorities to repair the road immediately, fill the pits, and ensure proper drainage before the next rains arrive. A repaired road will save the colony from both accidents and disease.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully, Ramesh Kumar 14, Shastri Nagar, Bikaner 4 October 2026

How to Improve Spoken English in 30 Days You do not need a coaching centre to speak better English — you need thirty days and one honest hour a day. Here is a plan that actually works. Week 1: Train your ear. Listen to fifteen minutes of simple English daily — news headlines, a podcast for learners, or a favourite film scene on repeat. Do not try to understand every word; let your ear catch the rhythm and the stress. Speak the lines aloud after the speaker, copying the tune. Week 2: Build speaking muscle. Talk to yourself for ten minutes a day — describe your room, your plan, your day. Record it on your phone and listen back. You will hear your own mistakes faster than any teacher can point them out. Week 3: Learn phrases, not words. Single words die in the dictionary; phrases survive in conversation. Collect twenty useful phrases — “Could you please…”, “In my opinion…”, “As far as I know…” — and use each one three times that week. Week 4: Find a partner. Speak with one friend daily, even for fifteen minutes, with one rule: no Hindi for those fifteen minutes. Hesitation is allowed; silence is not. Two warnings. First, grammar will not make you fluent — speaking will. Second, do not wait to “be ready”; readiness comes after speaking, never before it. Thirty days later, you will not speak perfect English — nobody does in a month. But you will speak without fear, and fearlessness is exactly where fluency begins.

Procedure for Applying for a Duplicate Identity Card This note describes the standard procedure by which a student of the college obtains a duplicate identity card after losing the original. The procedure has six steps and takes about seven working days. Step 1 — Report the loss. Inform the class teacher orally and note the date of loss; this date is entered in the application. Step 2 — Write the application. On plain paper, address an application to the Principal stating your name, class, roll number, and the date and place of loss. Keep the language formal and brief. Step 3 — Attach documents. Enclose (a) a photocopy of the FIR or DDR lodged at the nearest police station, (b) one passport-size photograph, and (c) a photocopy of the fee receipt of the current session. Step 4 — Pay the fee. Deposit Rs. 100 at the college fee counter and attach the receipt to the application. The counter issues a stamped acknowledgement — keep it safe. Step 5 — Submit to the office. Submit the complete set to the general office between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The clerk enters it in the duplicate-card register and gives a tentative collection date. Step 6 — Collect the card. On the given date, show the acknowledgement slip and collect the duplicate card. Sign the issue register and check that your name, photo and roll number are correct. Note: Without the police DDR, the office does not accept the application. Students are advised to keep a photocopy of the identity card at home to speed up verification.