Unit 1

Print and Mass Media

A. Subunit 2: Syntax and Word Work

Chapter 5

Parts of Speech 33

B. Subunit 3: News Clips

Chapter 6

Active Listening 40

Chapter 7

Main Idea 43
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Introduction
A. Subunit 2 - Syntax
and Word Work
Print and mass media forms a big part of
our lives. We interact with written, audio,
and or visual content on an everyday basis.
In this sub-unit, we will be sharpening our This is the question that we will be
understanding of grammar in the context exploring:
of everyday news texts and articles. We will
How can we identify and apply grammar
learn how to identify and use all the parts
concepts in the context of news?
of speech correctly.

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5 Parts of Speech
Words have different ways of functioning in a sentence. This is informed by the rules
of grammar. Generally, all words we use when communicating can be classified into
eight types. These eight parts of speech are: Pronouns, Adjectives, Prepositions,
Adverbs, Nouns, Verbs, Interjections, and Conjunctions.

NOUN A noun names a person, place, things or idea.

Examples: dog, cat, horse, students, teacher
apple, Mary and etc.
The cat was irritated.

VERB A verb is a word or group of words that

describes an action/ experience.
Examples: realize, walk, see, look, sing, sit,
listen and etc...
They listened very carefully.

PRONOUN
Pronouns replace the name of a person, place,
thing or idea in a sentence.
Examples: he, she, it, we, they, him, her, this,
that and etc...
She scored a point for her team.

ADJECTIVE An adjective describes a noun or pronoun.

Examples: red, tall, fat, long, short, blue, sour,
beautiful, bitter and etc...
There was a tall, spiky fence around the
warehouse.

ADVERB An adverb tells how often, how, when,

where. It can describe a verb, an adjective, or
an adverb.
Examples: loudly, always, never, late, soon
and etc...
Lately, he has been worried.

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CONJUNCTION Conjuntions join words or groups of words

in a sentence.
Examples: and, because, yet, therefore,
moreover, since, or, so, until, but and etc...
They were tired but continued running.

PREPOSITIONS A preposition is used before a noun, pronoun,

or gerund to show place, time, direction in
a sentence.
Examples: at, in, on, about, to, for, from
and etc...
The buns were hot, and fresh from the bakery.

INTERJECTION Interjections express strong emotion and

is often followed by an exclamation point.
Examples: Bravo! Well! Aha! Hooray! Yeah!
Oops! Phew!
Alas! They missed their train.

So, how do these parts of speech function in the real world? In news articles, for example, the
parts of speech help identify what the writer is primarily discussing. Nouns identify the names,
places, animals, and things mentioned in the article. Adjectives describe and help us visualise
and vividly imagine the events, places, and objects in greater detail. Pronouns are used to avoid
repeating all the nouns; simply put, they replace a noun with a quicker, shorter word. Verbs
describe actions. Prepositions help us understand the location of things and people in the story.
Adverbs help us understand the frequency and location (how, when, and where) of things by
better explaining the verb and adjective. Interjections are not commonly used in reporting,
except perhaps when quoting individuals who have used them while speaking. Conjunctions are
connecting words and help build more complex sentences that contain more than one idea.
For example:

• Interjections
• Noun • Adverb

Wow! Rahul looks really graceful dancing on stage.

• Adjective • Preposition

In this sentence, the noun is Rahul. The adjective that describes the noun ‘Rahul’ is ‘graceful’.
The preposition ‘on’, describes Rahul’s location. The adverb ‘really’ describes the adjective
‘graceful’. The interjection ‘Wow!’ at the beginning is an exclamation of surprise.
The above example sentence has most of the parts of speech except pronouns and conjunctions.

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Consider another example that has them: Here, ‘He’ is a pronoun that replaces a noun.
‘Graceful’, and ‘happy’ are adjectives that
• Adjective • Adjective describe the pronoun. ‘And’ is a ‘conjunction
that is used to connect two ideas - ‘He
looks graceful’, and ‘He looks happy.’
He looks graceful and happy.
Pronoun Conjunction
• •

Quick Tip: You can remember these easily through the acronym NAPPAVIC.

Check Your Progress 1

Read the article given below and answer the questions that follow.

My autism journey: For the first time in my life, I am okay being different Dealing with autism isn’t
about fitting in. It’s about finding the best version of yourself and what makes you happy.
Eloise Stark, Aeon

My name is Eloise and I am many things at once: I am a graduate student at the University
of Oxford; I am a tutor, a rower, a feminist, a granddaughter, a daughter, a sister, a stepsister,
a friend. I am also autistic.

I was diagnosed several years ago, aged 27. But, looking back, the signs were always there.
I have always harboured intense special interests that form something between a passion and
an obsession. For instance, as a child, I was obsessed with collecting Barbie dolls, not to play with,
but to create the perfect Barbie doll home, complete with furniture made from cardboard cereal
boxes and copious amounts of glue and glitter. Most neurotypical people have favourite interests,
but theirs are more akin to hobbies, which they can put on hold if life is busy. For autistic
individuals such as me, the opposite is true. We often need these special interests to stay sane
in a world that can be so bafflingly complex – such interests can provide predictability, focus
and great reward.

My interest in plastic people has since morphed into a deep fascination with understanding real
people. Today I feel fortunate to study psychology as part of my PhD. Another of
my special interests is literary fiction. Since I was small, I’ve read voraciously. What I found most
enticing about literature was the possibility of learning social rules, expectations, how to cope
with challenges and much more, all from the comfort of my armchair without the risk of saying
the wrong thing or making a mistake. Again, this is typical for many autistic people, particularly
women but also many men, who learn about the social world explicitly through pursuits such as
literature, but also soap operas, films and closely watching significant others. We then use what
we have learnt in social situations, to camouflage our lack of social instinct, and behave according
to the social rules of the specific situation.

Unfortunately, immersing myself in literature did not equip me with all the understanding and
skills I needed to cope with the complex social rules of teenage life. When I turned 13 and moved
to senior school, that’s when things went wrong for me. I didn’t understand the social rules in the

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enormous concrete monolith that became my hell, and I began

to be badly bullied. For instance, a girl once spat at me in the
corridor, at which point I informed her that spitting on someone
is considered
an offence of common assault under the Criminal Justice Act.
This prompted a lot of laughter from the girl and her friends,
only escalating the situation. I thought it would deter them at
the time, but looking back I didn’t understand how to keep my
head down and stay out of harm’s way.
The bullying left me highly anxious, constantly feeling as if the
bullies were about to burst out of my wardrobe. I wouldn’t go
out in public if I could help it, and nightmares plagued my sleep.

The American author Paul Collins, whose son is autistic,

wrote in his 2004 book, Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism
that: “Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem
with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that the
hammering is hard work. It’s that you’re destroying the peg.”
I can say from my own experience that the social pressure of
growing up can be a toxic environment for us Autists as we are
forced to conform to the norms or stand out and risk bullying
and trauma.

With hindsight, the next warning sign that I was autistic was
my first experience of university, at a place I’d like to forget,
to study English literature. I arrived with a car-full of books
and was shocked at the person who parked next to us
unloading crates of alcohol. I struggled immensely with the
social side of the university including the loud bars and clubs,
which assaulted my senses and left my ears ringing for days
afterwards. I left after two terms.

Fast-forward a few years and I tried again, this time to study

experimental psychology at Oxford. It was glorious to feel
intellectually stimulated by the subject of the human mind,
and I could work passionately for all hours and avoid the
clubbing and the more socially overwhelming aspects of
university without anyone thinking it strange. I had found
my intellectual niche: I could pursue my special interest –
people – and I even found a new special interest in rowing.
The neurotypical world can be jarring, but I learnt at Oxford
that autistic people, like orchids, can flourish in an environment
that suits us. For instance, I know of a successful autistic man
who loves board games, and he works in a board game café.
I would like to believe that there is a niche out there for
every autistic individual, even if it might require a little
understanding from others and some adjustments such
as removing bright lights to reduce sensory overload.

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At this stage, my mental health was the best it had been for
a long time. However, bad things can happen unexpectedly.
I was walking across Magdalen Bridge in Oxford with my good
friend Tess in 2012. We were carefree, chatting about our gap
year together and enjoying the sunshine. A man walking past
us suddenly jumped on me with his hands around my neck
and tried to strangle me. I struggled and eventually got away.
I thought how bizarre it was that this awful thing had happened,
and yet I still found myself conscious and breathing. Nothing
had changed, but everything had changed too.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Following the attack, I developed a recurrence of mental-health

problems from my youth. I grew more and more unwell. I
was anxious, obsessive, depressed, and began to have suicidal
feelings. I was overwhelmed by the world, by just being, and
didn’t know how to cope with it.

I poured my limited mental energy into my academic studies

to hide my growing unhappiness, and I won a competitive
scholarship to begin a PhD at Oxford. But I still felt different
and had never truly dealt with my mental health problems.
The stress mounted. In one desperate moment, I went online
and bought every self-help book I could find. I spent a week
huddled in my room trying to cure myself through education.
When the realisation hit me that this was unlikely, I reached
rock-bottom. I was admitted to the hospital, yet every clinician
disagreed on my diagnosis. Most remarked that they felt they
were missing something.

Eventually, I had an appointment with a top psychiatrist in

Oxfordshire. I spent three hours with him talking in-depth
about my life, my mental health and my feelings of being
different. After this mammoth session, he turned to me and
said: “Eloise, I believe that you are autistic.” He informed me
that female autism is more difficult to detect because we tend
to be better at camouflaging our social difficulties. At the same
time, he explained how the pressure of relentlessly trying to
fit in can have an understandable toll on our mental health.

Receiving this diagnosis was a huge relief. Finally, someone

was sure about something – to an extent, I didn’t care what
it was, I just wanted an answer. Now I had an explanation for
why I had always felt different.

Being me, I gathered every book I could find on autism in

women and read them all. I went to conferences about autism
and autism in women, and I spoke to experts. I wrote about
my experiences, I spoke to friends and family. I used my love
of learning to learn to love myself.

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I eventually returned to studying for my PhD. I love my studies

and it has probably become one of my special interests.
I look forward to every single day spent in the lab, whether
I’m analysing neuroimaging data or writing academic papers.
Eventually, I began to apply my critical mind to the question
of autism. You could say that it has become one of my special
interests. I mused upon my own situation with the goal of
helping others like me too. I can’t rewind the past and make
up for all of the bad experiences I have had. But I can use them
to help me to help others. Autism fascinates me for its scientific
conundrums, but also because I’ve lived it and I know how
it feels.

Early on, I felt a huge resistance to being different. But I’ve

grown to realise that it’s not about being different for the sake
of being different, it’s about being the most authentic version
of yourself, particularly in relationships, because sharing and
expressing one’s true self with others can increase openness,
sincerity and trust. I think a large part of my journey has been
to accept myself the way I am and to stop trying desperately to
fit in. I am who I am, I’m autistic and proud, I’m different, and
for the first time in my life, I’m okay with that.

Questions
1 In the following sentence from the article
above, identify which parts of speech
are represented by the underlined text:
“I was walking across Magdalen Bridge in
Oxford with my good friend Tess in 2012.”

2 What do you think is the author’s purpose

behind writing this article? Support your
answers with reasons.

3 List down the 5Ws and 1H from the article.

4 Having read this article, list down two new

things that you have learned.

5 How can we support and empower people

that are differently abled?

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Introduction

B. Subunit 3 - News Clips

Print and mass media forms a big part of our
lives. We interact with written, audio, and or
visual content on an everyday basis. In this
sub-unit, we will listening to audio clips as well This is the question that we will be
as video news clips. We will learn these skills: exploring:
• Practise active listening.
How can we actively listen in order to
• Identify the main idea and support it
source information efficiently?
with evidence.

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6 Active Listening
Active listening requires you to listen attentively to a speaker, understand what they’re saying,
respond and reflect on what’s being said, and retain the information for later. Active listening is
an essential skill because we interact with people and audio-visual content on a daily basis. Active
listening can help us focus on the important information and cancel out the noise. It keeps us
focused on what the speaker is saying. When we have all the important information, we can easily
analyse it and think about what the speaker’s purpose is. It can also help us understand whether
our own views and opinions are the same as the speaker or not.

8 Tips for Active Listening

1 PARAPHRASE 3 USE POSITIVE

BODY LANGUAGE
Try to paraphrase what Show that you are engaged
the student said to make and interested by nodding,
sure you understand and facing the other person,
to show that you are and maintaining an open
paying attention. and relaxed body posture.

2 ASK QUESTIONS 4 SHOW EMPATHY

Ask questions to If the student voices negative
encourage the student feelings, fry to validate them.
to elaborate on their Consider why they feel this
thoughts and feelings. way and put yourself in
their shoes.

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5 LISTENING MAY
BE ENOUGH 7 DON’T GIVE ADVICE
TOO QUICKLY
We may be tempted to Allow the student fo finish
“fix” the problem, but at speaking before attempting
times, students just want for give advice. You want
us to listen. to make sure that you fully
understand them first.

EVALUATE THE
6 CONVERSATION
After you have fully taken
8 AVOID JUDGMENT
Your goal is to understand
in what the student has
your student’s perspectives.
said, take a moment to
Try not to interrupt with
evaluate the conversation.
your own opinions while
the student is speaking.

Check Your Progress 1

Listen to the conversation between the interviewer and the
host of the Carvaka Podcast, Kushal Mehra and Neela Momo.
They are in conversation about what street food is, how and
where it originated and the street food culture in India.

1 What is being discussed in the podcast?

2 What are some features that are distinct to street food

versus restaurant food?

3 What are the two issues that the host mentions about
researching street food?

4 Explain how the street food culture grew in Rom.

Flip back! If you need help recalling the 5Ws and 1H, flip back to the
concept note from the previous classes when this topic was discussed
and read through it. Make sure to ask the teacher your doubts!

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7 Main Idea of a Text or Video

The main idea of a text, passage, or video is the central, most
important point that the author/presenter is trying to convey.
It can be a specific statement or message that summarises
the content of the text, passage or video. It is often expressed
directly or it can be implied.

In a news article or clip, there are often tangents that authors

take. They reveal other details and events that took place
inassociation with the main event. However, if you trace it back,
it all starts from the same focal point. This is the main idea.
Every piece of media has a main idea that is being discussed.
It is the core of what the text or audio/video is about. The main
idea is the anchoring point around which all other tangents of
the topic originate from.

Why Main Idea Is Important

Finding the main idea helps readers/listeners understand
the key message or central idea of the text/video. It helps us
remember the contents of the text/video better. Instead of
needing to remember all details - even the unimportant ones -
main idea helps us retain the critical information. This is
a helpful skill while reading or learning any stream of content
like History, Economics, Political Science, etc.

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How to Look for the

Main Idea and
Supporting Details
After reading a text or watching a video, ask,
“What point is the author/creator making
in this text/video?”
You can ask the 5Ws and 1H questions to help
you identify the main idea:
Where to Look for
• What - What topic is being discussed
the Main Idea in the passage/video?
It is easy to identify a main idea that is
• Who - Does this passage/video discuss
directly expressed in the text. Main ideas
a person or group of people?
are often found:
• When - Does the information contain
• at the beginning of paragraphs. The first
a reference to time?
sentence often explains the subject being
discussed in the passage.
• Where - Does the text/video name a place?
• in the concluding sentences of a
• Why - Do you find a reason or explanation
paragraph. The main idea can be
for something that happened?
expressed as a summation of the
information in the paragraph as well
• How - Does this information indicate
as a link to the information in the next
a method or a theory?
paragraph.
• What - What are some details - words,
The main idea is not always clearly stated.
phrases, dates, statistics - that
It is more difficult to identify a main idea
support and reinforce the main idea?
when it is inferred or implied. It can be
implied through other words in the paragraph
or video. An implied main idea can be found
in several ways.
• Several sentences in a paragraph or video
can imply the main idea by introducing
facts about the topic before actually
stating the topic.

• Implied ideas can be drawn from facts,

reasons, or examples that give hints
or suggestions concerning the main idea.
These hints will be clues leading you
to discover the main idea in the selected
text or video.

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Check Your Progress 2

Scan and watch the video linked (you have already watched it in class) and
answer the questions that follow.

1 Who is Tulasi Gowda? What is being honoured for?

2 What do you think is the purpose behind making this news clip?
Support your answers with reasons.

3 Identify at least 2 of each of the parts of speech and explain how they
have been used in the video.

4 What are two new things you learned from watching this news clip?

Check Your Progress 3

Scan and watch the video linked (you have already watched it in class) and
answer the questions that follow.

1 What is the main idea of this news clip? Support your answer
with details from the video.

2 What do you think is the purpose behind making this news clip?
Support your answers with reasons.

3 Identify at least 2 of each of the parts of speech and explain how

they have been used in the video.

4 What are two new things you learned from watching this
news clip?

Additional Resources: References:

1. Aeon, E. S. (2019, October 5). My autism journey: For the first time in my life, I am
okay being different. Scroll.in. https://scroll.in/article/939307/my-autism-journey-
for-the-first-time-in-my-life-i-am-okay-being-different

2. Will the recent banking chaos lead to an economic crash? (n.d.). Will the Recent
Banking Chaos Lead to an Economic Crash? | the Economist. https://www.economist.
com/finance-and-economics/2023/03/28/will-the-recent-banking-chaos-lead-to-an-
economic-crash

The Cārvāka Podcast. 1,000,000 Indians Tulsi Gowda’s

3. After Credit Suisse’s demise, attention turns to Deutsche Bank. (n.d.). After Credit
(2022, December On The Move (1947). Simplicity Garners
Suisse’s Demise, Attention Turns to Deutsche Bank | the Economist.
24). Street Food (2014, April 13). Praise | Encyclopedia
https://www.economist.com/finance-and economics/2023/03/24/after-credit-
In India [Video]. YouTube. https:// Of The Forest |
suisses-demise-attention-turns-to-deutsche-bank
YouTube. https:// www.youtube.com/ People’s Padma.
www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2ClIajkFSuc (2021, November 10).
4. Benner, D., & Benner, D. (2023). Eight Tips for Practicing Active Listening in the
watch?v=eziyLtioxiA YouTube. https://
Classroom. TechNotes Blog.
www.youtube.com/
https://blog.tcea.org/eight-tips-practicing-active-listening-classroom/
watch?v=nvl8j39JuNg

5. Ram, J. (2018, June 15). 5Ws 1H: A technique to improve Project Management
Efficiencies - IPMA International Project Management Association. IPMA
International Project Management Association. https://ipma.world/5ws-1h-a-
technique-to-improve-project-management-efficiencies/

6. Finding the Main Idea. (n.d.). Columbia College. https://www.ccis.edu/student-life/

advising-tutoring/writing-math-tutoring/main-idea

English - Unit 1