English & skills
English Grammar and Communication Study Book
The complete study notes, practice questions and glossary for English Grammar and Communication
Other Programmes
Spoken English
Speaking English with confidence in interviews, at work and in daily conversation.
Suits: Students, job seekers and working adults
Duration, fees and batch timings are quoted by the head office or your centre.
2 study books in this course
- Spoken English
- English Grammar and Communication
- Lessons
- 14
- Practice questions
- 70
- Free ebooks
- 5
About the course
What the spoken English course is about
Speaking English with confidence in interviews, at work and in daily conversation. The course starts with greetings and introducing yourself and moves through everyday conversations, pronunciation and word stress for Indian learners, polite questions, and office and telephone English.
It includes job interview practice with model answers, group discussions and presentations. English grammar runs alongside: tenses, articles, prepositions, voice, reported speech and the common errors Hindi speakers make.
What you will practise
Drawn from the lessons of the study books below.
- 01
Greet people and introduce yourself naturally
- 02
Handle everyday conversations in a shop, while travelling and on the phone
- 03
Pronounce words clearly with the right word stress
- 04
Use the twelve tenses, articles and prepositions correctly
- 05
Answer common interview questions, including with the STAR method
- 06
Speak up in group discussions and give a short presentation
What you will learn
2 subjects, 14 lessons
Every lesson of the study books that come with this course in the student portal, with the key points of each lesson and exercises to try. Your centre gives you the syllabus, the duration and the fee.
Subject 1 of 2
Spoken English
Speak English with confidence in daily life and at work: greetings and introductions, everyday conversations, clear pronunciation, polite questions, office and telephone English, job interviews, group discussions and presentations, with a daily practice routine.
1Greetings and Introducing Yourself3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Greet with good morning, good afternoon or good evening; "good night" is only for leaving.
- Answer "How are you?" briefly and ask it back.
- A self-introduction covers your name, where you are from, what you do and your interests or goal.
- Say "My name is…" or "I am…", not "Myself…".
- Introduce people by name: "Rohit, this is Neha."
Try this
- Write your own 30-second introduction using the four questions, then say it aloud three times without reading.
- With a partner, role-play meeting at 7 pm, introducing a third classmate and saying goodbye.
- Record your introduction on your phone, listen to it, and note one thing to improve.
2Everyday Conversations: Shop, Travel and Phone3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Ask prices with "How much is this?" and ask for the bill with "Could I have the bill, please?"
- Ask for directions politely and listen for words such as straight, left, opposite and next to.
- On the phone, say who you are first and repeat important details back.
- Use "Sorry, could you say that again?" when you do not hear clearly.
- Keep small talk to safe topics such as the weather, sports, food and festivals.
Try this
- With a partner, act out the phone-cover dialogue, then change the item, the colour and the prices and act it again.
- Draw a simple map of the streets around your home or centre and give a partner directions to three places.
- Phone a friend or a family member and practise starting the call, asking them to repeat something and ending politely, all in English.
3Pronunciation and Word Stress for Indian Learners4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- The aim is clarity, not a foreign accent.
- Practise the v and w difference, both th sounds, z, and an s followed by a consonant at the start of a word.
- Learn common silent letters, as in know, comb, walk, write and hour.
- Put word stress on the right syllable; many nouns stress the first syllable and verbs the second.
- Past-tense -ed is said as t, d or id; only after t or d is it an extra syllable.
Try this
- Read the practice words in the sounds table aloud in front of a mirror, checking your lips and tongue for v, w and th.
- Write ten past-tense verbs, sort them into t, d and id groups, and say each one aloud.
- Record yourself reading a short news paragraph, then listen again and mark the stressed words in each sentence.
4Asking and Answering Questions Politely4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- In a direct question, put the helping verb before the subject: "Where are you going?"
- Indirect questions such as "Could you tell me where the station is?" use statement word order.
- Could you, Would you mind and May I make requests more polite.
- Give short answers with the helping verb: "Yes, I do." / "No, I haven't."
- Match a question tag to the sentence's own verb: "You are coming, aren't you?"
Try this
- Rewrite five direct questions you use every day as polite indirect questions starting with "Could you tell me…" or "Do you know…".
- With a partner, ask each other ten yes/no questions and reply only with correct short answers plus one extra detail.
- Write tags for five sentences of your own, then read them aloud with a partner checking that each tag matches its verb.
5Office and Telephone English4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Answer business calls with a greeting, the organisation's name, your name and an offer to help.
- A phone message needs the caller's name, organisation, number, message and a time to call back.
- Spell names with the international alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie…) and use "double" for repeated digits.
- Prefer international forms such as "I'll get back to you" to "I will revert".
- Speak slowly, smile and keep any promise to call back.
Try this
- With a partner, role-play a call in which the person asked for is in a meeting, and take a complete written message.
- Spell your full name and your city using the international spelling alphabet until you can do it without looking.
- Rewrite five sentences from emails or messages you have seen at work or in daily life using the international forms from this lesson.
6Job Interview Practice with Model Answers4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Prepare and practise answers aloud, but do not memorise them word for word.
- Answer "Tell me about yourself" in about a minute: present, past, future.
- Prove every strength with a short example.
- Give a real but manageable weakness and show how you are improving.
- Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for questions about past experiences.
Try this
- Write your own answers to the six common questions, then practise them aloud with a timer until each takes one minute or less.
- Hold a mock interview with a partner, swapping the roles of interviewer and candidate, and give each other one piece of feedback.
- Prepare one STAR story from your studies, a job or a family responsibility, and tell it in under two minutes.
7Group Discussions, Presentations and Daily Confidence Practice4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- In a GD, evaluators value clear points, listening and politeness more than speaking time.
- Use polite phrases to agree, disagree, enter the discussion and sum up.
- Structure a short talk as opening, three main points and closing, with signposting phrases.
- Speak from keywords, look at your audience and pause instead of saying "umm".
- A daily routine of reading aloud, shadowing, mirror talk and self-recording builds confidence.
Try this
- Hold a ten-minute group discussion with classmates on "Should mobile phones be allowed in schools?", with one person noting the phrases each speaker uses.
- Prepare and give a three-minute presentation on a topic you know well, using an opening, three points and a closing.
- Follow the fifteen-minute confidence routine every day for a week and write one line each day about what improved.
Glossary: 24 key terms of Spoken English
- Accent
- The way a person pronounces words, often showing the region or language they come from.
- Body language
- The messages you send through posture, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact.
- Consonant
- A speech sound made by partly or fully blocking the air, such as the sounds of p, t or s.
- Content word
- A word that carries the main meaning, such as a noun, main verb or adjective, and is usually stressed.
- Eye contact
- Looking at the person you are speaking to, which shows attention and confidence.
- Filler
- A sound or word such as "umm" or "like" used while thinking, best replaced by a short pause.
- Fluency
- The ability to speak smoothly at a natural speed without long pauses.
- Formal language
- Polite, careful wording used with seniors, customers and in official situations.
- Function word
- A small grammar word such as "a", "the", "of" or "to", usually said quickly and without stress.
- Group discussion
- A conversation among a small group on a given topic, often used to assess candidates.
- Indirect question
- A softer question that begins with a phrase such as "Could you tell me" and uses statement word order.
- Informal language
- Relaxed, everyday wording used with friends and family.
- Intonation
- The rise and fall of the voice while speaking.
- Modal verb
- A helping verb such as can, could, may, would or should that adds meanings such as ability, permission or politeness.
- Pronunciation
- The way in which a word or a sound is spoken.
- Question tag
- A short question such as "aren't you?" added to the end of a statement to check or confirm it.
- Shadowing
- A practice method in which you repeat a recorded speaker's words immediately after hearing them.
- Signposting
- Words and phrases, such as "Firstly" or "To sum up", that tell listeners where a talk is going.
- Small talk
- Light, friendly conversation on safe topics such as the weather, food or festivals.
- STAR method
- A way to answer interview questions about past experience using Situation, Task, Action and Result.
- Syllable
- A unit of a word that contains one vowel sound, such as each of the two parts of "ho-tel".
- Vowel
- A speech sound made with the mouth open and the air flowing freely, such as the sound of a in "cat".
- Weak form
- The short, unstressed way of saying a small word, such as "tuh" for "to".
- Word stress
- Saying one syllable of a word louder, longer and higher than the others.
Subject 2 of 2
English Grammar and Communication
Build correct, confident English: parts of speech, tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, voice and reported speech, the common errors Hindi speakers make, and phrases for interviews and the office.
1Parts of Speech4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- English has eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.
- Uncountable nouns such as advice and information have no plural.
- Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
- Good is an adjective; well is its adverb.
- A word's part of speech depends on its job in the sentence.
Try this
- Type five sentences about your daily routine in a word processor and colour every noun blue, every verb red and every adjective green using the font colour tool.
- Make a table of the eight parts of speech with three examples of each taken from a newspaper article or a story, and write one sentence of your own for each part of speech.
- Write pairs of sentences in which the same word does two different jobs, such as email as a verb and as a noun, for five words including after, fast and work.
2The Twelve Tenses4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Present, past and future each have simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous forms.
- Do not use a definite past time, such as yesterday, with the present perfect.
- After do, does or did, use the base form of the verb.
- State verbs such as know and own are not normally used in continuous forms.
- After when, before and as soon as, use a present tense for the future.
Try this
- Write one sentence about your own life in each of the 12 tenses using the same verb, such as study, and arrange them in a table like the one in the lesson.
- Make a list of 20 irregular verbs with their three forms, such as go, went, gone, and test yourself with a partner until you can say all of them without looking.
- Write ten incorrect sentences that break the lesson's rules that save marks, swap them with a partner, and correct each other's sentences, naming the rule each one broke.
3Articles and Prepositions4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Choose a or an by the sound that follows: an hour, a university.
- Use the for things already known, unique things, superlatives and rivers.
- At for clock times, on for days and dates, in for months and years.
- Since marks a starting point; for marks a length of time.
- Some verbs take no preposition: discuss the plan, reach Delhi.
Try this
- Write a or an before 20 words that test the sound rule, such as hour, university, MBA, European and honest, saying each word aloud to check its first sound.
- Describe your classroom or room in eight sentences using at, on and in for place, then write five sentences about your weekly timetable using at, on and in for time.
- Make flashcards for the fixed pairs in the lesson and ten more of your own, such as afraid of and proud of, and write a sentence using each one.
4Subject-Verb Agreement3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Words between the subject and the verb do not change the subject.
- With either ... or and neither ... nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.
- A number of takes a plural verb; the number of takes a singular verb.
- News and mathematics are singular; trousers and scissors are plural.
Try this
- Write one sentence for each rule in the lesson's table about people and things at your centre or home, and underline the subject and its verb in each.
- Write five sentences with a long phrase between the subject and the verb, such as The box of old files is in the store, and check each one by covering the middle words.
- Write a short paragraph about a cricket team, your family and a school committee, using each collective noun with a singular verb where the group acts as one unit.
5Active and Passive Voice4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- In the passive, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject.
- The passive uses a form of be plus the past participle.
- Only transitive verbs, which take an object, can be made passive.
- Use the passive when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
- Prefer the active voice for clear, direct writing.
Try this
- Write one active sentence for each tense in the lesson's table, such as Sunita types the letter, and change each one into the passive voice.
- Change five questions and three commands into the passive voice, such as Who wrote this letter and Switch off the fan, checking the form of be in each answer.
- Collect five passive sentences that leave out the doer from notices, newspapers or forms, such as Mobile phones are not allowed, and write why the doer has been left out of each one.
6Direct and Indirect Speech3 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- After a past reporting verb, tenses usually move one step back.
- Will becomes would, can becomes could and may becomes might.
- Universal truths keep their present tense.
- Reported questions use statement word order and if or whether for yes/no questions.
- Commands use told or requested with to; negatives use not to.
Try this
- Write ten statements a friend made to you in direct speech, then report each one in indirect speech after said, changing the pronouns, tenses and time words.
- Write five yes/no questions and five wh-questions in direct speech and change them into reported questions using asked with if, whether or the question word.
- Turn five commands and requests you hear at home or in class, such as Close the window and Please give me a pen, into indirect speech using told, requested and not to.
7Common Errors and English for Interviews and the Office4 min read · 5 key points · 3 exercises
Key points
- Remember the article: He is an engineer.
- Use the right question tag: You are coming, aren't you?
- Introduce yourself with My name is ..., not Myself ...
- Polite requests start with Could you please ... or May I ...
- Say exactly what you need and by when, instead of Kindly do the needful.
Try this
- Type an answer to Tell me about yourself in four parts, covering your name and qualification, your skills, any experience and what you want to do next, then record yourself reading it aloud and listen back.
- Write a formal email to an imaginary manager asking for a day's leave, with Dear Mr or Ms and the name, a first line saying why you are writing, a specific request and a polite closing.
- Write down ten sentences you hear around you that contain errors from the lesson's table, such as Myself Pooja or Explain me this, and rewrite each one correctly.
Glossary: 25 key terms of English Grammar and Communication
- Active voice
- A sentence form in which the subject does the action, as in Anita wrote the report.
- Adjective
- A word that describes a noun or pronoun, such as new, tall or careful.
- Adverb
- A word that describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb, such as quickly, very or always.
- Article
- One of the words a, an and the, which come before a noun and are classed by modern grammars as determiners.
- Auxiliary verb
- A helping verb such as be, do or have that works with a main verb to form tenses, questions and negatives.
- Collective noun
- A noun such as team, staff, family or committee that names a group of people or things.
- Conjunction
- A word that joins words, phrases or clauses, such as and, but, or, because or although.
- Direct speech
- The exact words of a speaker, written inside quotation marks.
- Indirect speech
- A report of what someone said that gives the meaning without quotation marks, usually with changed pronouns and tenses, also called reported speech.
- Interjection
- A word that expresses a sudden feeling, such as oh, wow or alas.
- Irregular verb
- A verb whose past forms do not follow the usual -ed pattern, such as go, went, gone.
- Modal verb
- A helping verb such as can, should, must, may or will that adds a meaning like ability, duty or possibility to a main verb.
- Noun
- A word that names a person, place, thing or idea, such as Priya, Delhi, laptop or honesty.
- Passive voice
- A sentence form in which the subject receives the action, made with a form of be and the past participle, as in The report was written by Anita.
- Past participle
- The third form of a verb, such as written, taken or cleaned, used in the perfect tenses and the passive voice.
- Preposition
- A word that shows how a noun relates to another word, such as in, on, at, under or with.
- Pronoun
- A word that takes the place of a noun, such as he, she, it, they or someone.
- Question tag
- A short question added to the end of a statement to check or confirm it, using the statement's own helping verb and subject, as in You are coming, aren't you? or It is cold, isn't it?
- Reporting verb
- The verb, such as said, told or asked, that introduces the words someone spoke in direct or indirect speech.
- State verb
- A verb such as know, believe, like or own that describes a state rather than an action and is not normally used in continuous forms.
- Subject
- The person or thing a sentence is about, which usually comes before the verb and decides whether the verb is singular or plural.
- Tense
- The form of a verb that shows the time of an action, such as present, past or future.
- Transitive verb
- A verb that takes an object, such as write or clean, and can therefore be made passive.
- Uncountable noun
- A noun that has no plural form, such as advice, information, water or furniture.
- Verb
- A word that shows an action or a state, such as write, run, is or seem.
Practice and study material
Study books and timed practice tests in the student portal
Students sign in to read the study books lesson by lesson, print them, mark lessons as done and test themselves with timed practice tests, every answer explained.
- 2study books
- 14lessons
- 70practice questions
- 49glossary terms
How the practice tests work
- Fresh questions each time
Up to 20 questions are picked at random from the subject’s question bank.
- One minute per question
A timer counts down. When it reaches zero, your answers are sent automatically.
- Move around freely
Skip a question, flag it, and come back to change your answer before you submit.
- Learn from every answer
At the end you see the right answer and an explanation for each question.
- Read, print and keep track
Each study book has its lessons, key points, exercises and a glossary. Print a lesson, or mark it as done.
Student login
Your centre gives you your login when you enrol.
Try 3 practice questions
Real questions from this course’s question banks. Pick an answer to see the explanation.
How many syllables does the word "walked" have?
Show the answer
Answer: A. One
"Walked" is said as one syllable ending in a t sound; "walk-ed" is a common mistake.
Which sentence cannot be changed into the passive voice?
Show the answer
Answer: C. She slept peacefully.
"Slept" has no object, and only verbs that take an object can be made passive.
Which sentence is the clear international equivalent of "I will revert by evening"?
Show the answer
Answer: B. "I'll get back to you by this evening."
In international English "revert" means "return to an earlier state", so "get back to you" or "reply" is clearer.
Free ebooks
5 free ebooks for this course
Branded PDF books to read on your phone or print: the study books of this course and more. Free for anyone, no sign-in needed.
English & skills
Spoken English Study Book
The complete study notes, practice questions and glossary for Spoken English
English & skills
Job Interviews and Resumes for Freshers
Prepare a resume, practise answers and make a good impression
Careers
Careers this course leads towards
The kind of work these skills are used for. Each guide explains what the job involves, the skills it asks for and how to get started.
Data entry and office assistant
Typing records, letters and reports, keeping spreadsheets up to date, and handling email, files and printing in an office.
Computer teacher
Teaching computer basics, MS Office and typing at a computer centre or in a school.
How admission works
From your first question to your certificate.
The usual steps, at the head office in Delhi or at an authorised member centre.
- Who can join
- Students above 12 years of age.
- Where
- The Delhi head office and authorised member centres.
- Fees and timings
- On WhatsApp at +91 97116 99511, or by phone on 011 2721 1512.
- 1
Ask about the course
Call or WhatsApp the head office, or visit your nearest member centre. Ask for the duration, the fee and the batch timings in writing.
- 2
Fill the admission form
Admission forms are supplied by the head office to every centre.
- 3
Learn in class
Attend your batch at the centre, with the course material and study notes, and sign in to the student portal for the study books and practice tests.
- 4
Take the exam
The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher.
- 5
Receive your certificate
Students who pass get a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet. Employers can verify it with the head office.
Who can join the spoken English course?
Students above 12 years of age can take admission, at the Delhi head office or at an authorised member centre. The course suits students, job seekers and working adults. Tell the head office or your centre what you already know, and they will suggest where to start.
How long is the course and what is the fee?
Duration, fees and batch timings depend on the course and the centre. Ask the head office or your nearest member centre, and get the details in writing before you pay.
Where are the classes?
At the head office in Delhi (A-10, Chief Commissioner Colony, opposite Rana Pratap Bagh) and at authorised member centres. Call or WhatsApp the head office to find the nearest centre.
What do I need to use the study books and practice tests?
A phone or a computer with an internet connection, and the login your centre gives you at enrolment. The student portal opens in an ordinary web browser, so there is nothing to install. Student login.
How do the practice tests work?
Sign in to the student portal and choose a subject. Each test picks up to 20 questions at random from that subject’s question bank and gives you one minute per question, with a timer that sends your answers automatically when it reaches zero. You can skip a question, flag it and come back before you submit, and at the end you see the right answer and an explanation for every question. This course has 70 practice questions across 2 subjects, and you can take the tests as often as you like.
Is there an exam and a certificate?
Yes. The institute prefers written exams, taken in front of a teacher. Students who pass receive a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate and marksheet.
How is a Gurukul Technicals Institute certificate verified?
On the verify certificate page, anyone can enter a certificate number and check it against the institute’s online register, which covers certificates issued through the portal. For older certificates, or if there is any doubt, send a copy to the head office by email or WhatsApp; the reply comes within 2 working days.
Are the ebooks on this page really free?
Yes. The 5 ebooks for this course are free PDF downloads for anyone, whether or not you join. The whole library has 100 free ebooks: browse them all.
Ready to start the spoken English course?
Ask the head office for the duration, the fee, the batch timings and your nearest member centre.