Communication (Freewriting)

A. The words in the crossword puzzle are from the text. Find them in the text to solve the puzzle based on the clues given below.

Down & Across:

1. to be preoccupied with a single topic or emotion → obsessed
2. to utter rapidly or unintelligibly → babble
3. to move slowly and quietly in a particular direction → creep
4. orderly, logical and consistent → coherent
5. to insert something between other things → interpose
6. an unreadable handwriting → squiggle

B. Use the following words in sentences of your own.

• massive: The massive building was built in 1920.
• consciousness: The consciousness of the people is very important.
• catch-as-catch-can: The students are studying catch-as-catch-can.
• give up: I will not give up.
• abandon: The students abandoned the school.
• lousy: The lousy weather made the students sad.
• editing: The students are editing the book.

C. Word formation: Adjectives and Adverbs

Write the following words in the right columns. Change the adjectives into adverbs and nouns into adjectives, as shown in the example.

rain, careful, bush, spice, perfect, automatic, snow, blood, certain, cloud, fair, general, heavy, bag, proud, rapid, mood, noise, proper, air, final, common, beautiful, frequent, snow, hungry, cream, dust, ease, ice, oil, spice fun, hand, greed, health, hill

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate adjective or adverb.

• Pramila is playing …… (quiet/quietly). → quietly
• Hari speaks very …… (loud/loudly). → loudly
• Mukesh is a …… (careful/carefully) driver. → careful
• The test was …… (easy/easily) and we finished in time. → easy
• He is fitting the …… (automatic/automatically) door in my house. → automatic
• My uncle speaks …… (perfect/perfectly) Chinese. → perfectly
• It was raining very …… (heavy/heavily). → heavily
• She looked very …… (calm/calmly), but I am sure she was feeling very nervous. → calmly

Comprehension

Answer the following questions.

a. Why is freewriting also called 'automatic writing'? Ans: Freewriting is also called 'automatic writing' because it is a way of writing without thinking about the grammar or spelling.

b. How do you differentiate writing from speaking? Ans: Writing is a way of communicating with others through the written word. Speaking is a way of communicating with others through the spoken word. Writing is editable and can be changed, while spoken words cannot be changed as we cannot go back in time.

c. What is the biggest obstacles in the writing process, according to Elbow? Do you agree with him? Why? Why not? Ans: The biggest obstacle in the writing process is the fear of writing—fear of what to write, of wrong grammar, of wordiness. I agree with him because I also have the same fear of writing. I am afraid of making mistakes in my writing.

d. How can freewriting overcome 'writer's block'? Ans: Freewriting can overcome 'writer's block' because it is a way of writing without thinking about the grammar or spelling.

Note: Writer's block is the fear that stops us from writing. It is the thoughts like "what to write," "how to write coherently," "how to write grammatically correct," "how to write without making mistakes," etc.

e. What do you mean by 'voice' in writing? Ans: Voice in writing is the way we write. It is the way we express ourselves through our writing. It is the way we write our thoughts and ideas.

f. Elbow uses a simile to explain that freewriting “is like writing something and putting it in a bottle in the sea.” What does this mean? Explain. Ans: If we write something , put in a bottle in the sea, nobody will find it or try to find and read it. Freewriting is like writing something and putting it in a bottle in the sea because it is not meant to be read by anyone. It is for our own use to improve our writing.

Critical thinking

a. How does the author persuade readers in this essay? What is he trying to communicate to the readers?

Ans: In this essay, the author offers his recommendations for all of his readers to improve their writing abilities. He believes that free writing is the best approach to hone writing abilities. One should not be obsessed with mistakes and mental editing of the words, but they should write freely and not worry about the grammar or spelling. To increase writing abilities, free writing should be practiced frequently. He refers to the ability of a writer to effortlessly communicate his feelings as "automatic writing." Free writing never takes criticism. The most crucial rule for freewriting, he continues, is "don't alter." For him, editing is the biggest obstacle in the writing process. Compulsive and premature editing habits hinder the writer's creativity. The writing process is made tedious and lifeless by the editing procedure. Free writing should not be done while being edited because it interferes with the author's voice. According to him, the main source of strength in our writing is the "voice," which includes sound, rhythm, and plot. It is the power that makes the reader listen to the writer. The energy is what forces meaning into the thick skull.

b. Elbow said, freewriting “is an exercise in bringing together the process of producing words and putting them down on the page.” Do you agree with his statement? Why? Why not?

Yes, I agree with his statement because, when we do free writing, we do not think about the grammar or spelling. We just write whatever comes to our mind. We just write freely, and we do not think about the mistakes we make. This quickly improves our writing skills and the content because it helps to gather all our potential ideas together. It also helps to fill the lines quickly, and it gives motivation to think, write, and gather more information. Later, we could edit our writing, paraphrase it, and correct the mistakes.

c. How did you learn to write? What was particularly difficult in writing? What inspired you to write? What are some of the challenges that you still face while writing?

I developed my writing skills by brainstorming ideas and then practicing free writing, where I focused on getting my ideas down on paper without worrying about grammar, spelling, or structure. I would jot down my thoughts in bullet points or paragraphs, and then later go back and polish the writing by adding coherence, checking for errors, and minimizing wordiness. Free writing helped me to write more quickly and to express more ideas, as I was able to focus on content rather than on editing. However, I still face challenges such as a lack of creativity and a fear of producing poorly written sentences or failing to convey my ideas concisely. I am actively working to improve in these areas.

Rewrite the following sentences with the adverbs in the appropriate place

1. I watch television. (often) → I often watch television.
2. Have you been to Janakpur? (ever) → Have you ever been to Janakpur?
3. They play football on Saturdays. (sometimes) → They sometimes play football on Saturdays.
4. The weather is bad in November. (always) → The weather is always bad in November.
5. We have fish for dinner. (seldom) → We seldom have fish for dinner.
6. Pritam doesn't get up before seven. (usually) → Pritam usually doesn't get up before seven.
7. I was very tired and I was hungry. (also) → I was also very tired and I was also hungry.
8. Did you enjoy the flight? (both) → Did you both enjoy the flight?

Rewrite the following sentences placing the underlined words in the right position

1. I never have understood her. → I have never understood her.
2. We are often invited to the parties. → We are often invited to the parties.
3. We all were tired, so we all fell asleep. → We all were tired, so we all fell asleep.
4. Rajan drives always to work. → Rajan always drives to work.
5. Pradip hardly ever watches television, but he reads newspapers a lot. → Pradip hardly ever watches television, but he reads newspapers a lot.
6. We enjoyed very much the party. → We enjoyed the party very much.
7. My brother speaks fluently English. → My brother speaks English fluently.