American Institute of english language, KOTA

etiquette and manners

GD TOPICS

1Public sector is more a hindrance than help to promote socialism..Economic betterment of the poorer nations is as important as disarmament to ensure lasting world peace..From public sector to privatization as in the U.K., is the right answer for India's instant economic breakthrough. .Nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought. .Private enterprise and not public sector  .Inflation is inevitable in our developing country. .The policy of reservation  12.Do you think MBAs are useful in the manufacturing / production department? 16.Cricket as a national obsession is a detriment to other sports. 17.To develop India has to empower women. 19.Advertising is a waste of resources. 20.Privatization will lead to less corruption. 22.There can never be a classless society. 25.Joint family is a blessing in disguise. 28.Women cannot successfully combine both career and home. 29.Women are good managers. 30.Executive should be allowed to form unions. 31.Effect of liberalization on poverty. 32.Indians perform better as individuals rather than in groups. 33.Business and ethics go hand in hand, or do they? 34.Developing countries should spend more on development than on defense. 35.Political parties have outlived their utility. 36.Is Swadeshi relevant for India today? 37.Money is required to earn more money. 38.Foreign trade is necessary for any country to survive . 39.Presidential Vs Parliamentary form of government of India. 41.Religion And Politics Should Not Mix 44.Excessive Depiction Of Sex And Violence In Films 48.State Interventions In Market Kind Or Mixed Economy 49.Science Is A Boon Or Bane 51.India and the political dynasties: The Nehru Family context 52.Nice Guys Finish Last 54.Individual Freedom And Civil Society 56.Should There Be A Restriction On Permissiveness Being propagated by The MTV Culture And Foreign Media? 58.The Growing Menace Of Casteism And Regionalism 59.Presidential Form Of Government Is Needed In India 60.Bullet For Bullet: Is It The Right Policy? 62.Arranged Marriages Are Better Than The Love-Marriages 63.Brain-Drain Has To Be Stopped 64.Business And Ethics Can't / Don't Go Together 65.Are women As good as Men Or Inferior? 66.Nothing Succeeds Like Success 69.Should India Break Diplomatic Ties With Pakistan? 70.Age and Youth: Experience And Young Talent 73.Capital Punishment Should Be Abolished 74.Tuitions Should Be Banned 77.Universal Disarmament Is A Must

GD Tips

GD Tips Initiation Techniques Body of the group discussion Summarization/ Conclusion Initiation Techniques Initiating a GD is a high profit-high loss strategy. When you initiate a GD, you not only grab the opportunity to speak, you also grab the attention of the examiner and your fellow candidates. If you can make a favourable first impression with your content and communication skills after you initiate a GD, it will help you sail through the discussion. But if you initiate a GD and stammer/ stutter/ quote wrong facts and figures, the damage might be irreparable. If you initiate a GD impeccably but don't speak much after that, it gives the impression that you started the GD for the sake of starting it or getting those initial kitty of points earmarked for an initiator! When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into the right perspective or framework. So initiate one only if you have in-depth knowledge about the topic at hand. Body of the group discussion Different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good first impression: i. Quotes ii. Definition iii. Question iv. Shock statement v. Facts, figures and statistics vi. Short story vii. General statement i. Quotes Quotes are an effective way of initiating a GD. If the topic of a GD is: Should the Censor Board be abolished?, you could start with a quote like, 'Hidden apples are always sweet'. For a GD topic like, Customer is King, you could quote Sam (Wall-mart) Walton's famous saying, 'There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company -- from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.' ii. Definition Start a GD by defining the topic or an important term in the topic. For example, if the topic of the GD is Advertising is a Diplomatic Way of Telling a Lie, why not start the GD by defining advertising as, 'Any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services through mass media like newspapers, magazines, television or radio by an identified sponsor'? For a topic like The Malthusian Economic Prophecy is no longer relevant, you could start by explaining the definition of the Malthusian Economic Prophecy. iii. Question Asking a question is an impact way of starting a GD. It does not signify asking a question to any of the candidates in a GD so as to hamper the flow. It implies asking a question, and answering it yourself. Any question that might hamper the flow of a GD or insult a participant or play devil's advocate must be discouraged. Questions that promote a flow of ideas are always appreciated. For a topic like, Should India go to war with Pakistan, you could start by asking, 'What does war bring to the people of a nation? We have had four clashes with Pakistan. The pertinent question is: what have we achieved?' iv. Shock statement Initiating a GD with a shocking statement is the best way to grab immediate attention and put forth your point. If a GD topic is, The Impact of Population on the Indian Economy, you could start with, 'At the centre of the Indian capital stands a population clock that ticks away relentlessly. It tracks 33 births a minute, 2,000 an hour, 48,000 a day. Which calculates to about 12 million every year. That is roughly the size of Australia. As a current political slogan puts it, 'Nothing's impossible when 1 billion Indians work together'.' v. Facts, figures and statistics If you decide to initiate your GD with facts, figure and statistics, make sure to quote them accurately. Approximation is allowed in macro level figures, but micro level figures need to be correct and accurate. For example, you can say, approximately 70 per cent of the Indian population stays in rural areas (macro figures, approximation allowed). But you cannot say 30 states of India instead of 28 (micro figures, no approximations). Stating wrong facts works to your disadvantage. For a GD topic like, China, a Rising Tiger, you could start with, 'In 1983, when China was still in its initial stages of reform and opening up, China's real use of Foreign Direct Investment only stood at $636 million. China actually utilized $60 billion of FID in 2004, which is almost 100 times that of its 1983 statistics." vi. Short story Use a short story in a GD topic like, Attitude is Everything. This can be initiated with, 'A child once asked a balloon vendor, who was selling helium gas-filled balloons, whether a blue-colored balloon will go as high in the sky as a green-colored balloon. The balloon vendor told the child, it is not the color of the balloon but what is inside it that makes it go high.' vii. General statement Use a general statement to put the GD in proper perspective. For example, if the topic is, Should Sonia Gandhi be the prime minister of India?, you could start by saying, 'Before jumping to conclusions like, 'Yes, Sonia Gandhi should be', or 'No, Sonia Gandhi should not be', let's first find out the qualities one needs to be a a good prime minister of India. Then we can compare these qualities with those that Mrs. Gandhi possesses. This will help us reach the conclusion in a more objective and effective manner.' Summarization/ Conclusion Most GD do not really have conclusions. A conclusion is where the whole group decides in favor or against the topic. But every GD is summarized. You can summaries what the group has discussed in the GD in a nutshell. Keep the following points in mind while summarizing a discussion:   Avoid raising new points. Avoid stating only your viewpoint. Avoid dwelling only on one aspect of the GD. Keep it brief and concise. It must incorporate all the important points that came out during the GD. If the examiner asks you to summaries a GD, it means the GD has come to an end. Do not add anything once the GD has been summarized.

greeting people

group discussion [G.D.]

Group discussion is an integral part of the selection procedure followed by reputed B-Schools in India and abroad. GD or Group Discussion is generally a formal discussion session where ten to twelve candidates participate to discuss on a given topic. This verbal test is conducted to judge various skills and qualities of the candidates. If you wish to join any of the reputed B-Schools in future then you need to qualify the group discussion session. Here are some group discussion tips that would help you come out with flying colors.

Group Discussion Tips

The job of the examiners present there in the session is to keep an eye on the proceedings and judge the abilities of the candidates as well. Unlike the examiners, your duty is to impress the panel members with your excellent group discussion skills. 

Here are some basic tips that would help you do well in the group discussion session.

1. Try to keep your calm and never shout at the top of your voice. You should also see to the fact that the group is hearing your ideas. You will have to bring out your chance to speak and also let others speak.

1. You will have to be assertive to make a mark in the group discussion session.

1. Try to practice GD sessions as much as possible at home with friends or family members before appearing for the final round. This would help you earn confidence.

1. You will have to make a meaningful contribution and for that prior preparation is quite essential. You should be a good communicator and well aware of the current affairs.

1. Candidates with good reasoning ability are sure to get through the verbal test.

1. You need to be flexible and open to ideas put forward by other participants.

1. New ideas by participants are highly appreciated by the panel members. So it won’t be a bad idea to present your new ideas and perspectives.

idioms

Between the devil and the deep sea		To choose between two equally bad alternatives in a serious dilemma.
Where there's a will there's a way		When a person really wants to do something, he will find a way of doing it.
A burnt child dreads fire		A bad experience or a horrifying incident may scar one's attitude or thinking for a lifetime.
First come, first served		The first in line will be attended to first.
A friend in need is a friend indeed		A friend who helps when one is in trouble is a real friend.
Discretion is the better part of valor		If you say discretion is the better part of valor, you mean that avoiding a dangerous or unpleasant situation is sometimes the most sensible thing to do.
A hungry man is an angry man		A person who does not get what he wants or needs is a frustrated person and will be easily provoked to rage.
Empty vessels make the most noise		Those people who have a little knowledge usually talk the most and make the greatest fuss.
A man is as old as he feels		A person's age is immaterial - it is only when he thinks and feels that he is ageing that he actually becomes old.
Great talkers are little doers		Those people who talk a lot and are always teaching others usually do not do much work.
An idle brain is the devil's workshop		One who has nothing to do will be tempted to do many mischievous acts.
An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit		It is better to be careful and discrete than to be clever.
Faint heart never won fair lady		To succeed in life one must have the courage to pursue what he wants.
A penny saved is a penny gained		By being thrifty one will be able to save up.
A rolling stone gathers no moss		A person who never settles in one place or who often changes his job will not succeed in life ; one who is always changing his mind will never get anything done.
As you sow, so you shall reap		One will either enjoy or suffer the consequences of his earlier actions or inactions.
Barking dogs seldom bite		Those who make loud threats seldom carry them out.
Better late than never		To do something that is right, profitable, or good a little late is still better than not doing it at all.
A bird in hand is worth two in the bush		Something that one already has is better than going after something seemingly more worthwhile that one may not be able to get.
Birds of a feather flock together		People of the same sort of character or belief always go together.
Call a spade a spade		If you say that someone calls a spade a spade, you mean that they speak frankly and directly, often about embarrassing or unpleasant subjects; an informal expression.
Charity begins at home		A person's first obligation should be to help the member of his own family before he can begin thinking of talking about helping others.
Dead men tell no lies		( often used as an argument for killing someone whose knowledge of a secret may cause one loss or get into serious trouble.)
A great talker is a great liar		A smooth and persuasive talker may be a good liar.
Every cloud has a silver lining		If you say that every cloud has a silver lining, you mean that every sad or unpleasant situation has a positive side to it. If you talk about silver lining you are talking about something positive that comes out of a sad or unpleasant situation.
All that glitters is not gold		Do not be deceived by things or offers that appear to be attractive.
Eat to live, but do not live to eat		Man was created for a divine purpose and he has a destiny with his Creator - he was not born just to enjoy food.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket		One should not risk everything he has in a single venture.
Every dog has its day		Everyone will get a period of success or satisfaction during his lifetime.
Every one can find fault, few can do better		It is easier to find fault in other people's actions or methods than to do it properly or correctly.
Any time means no time		When an event is not decided on or planned earlier it will never take place.
Fair exchange is no robbery		A contract is fair as long as both the parties understand and agree to the conditions willingly; after a deal is closed neither side can turn around and say that he was unfairly treated.
Fire is a good servant but a bad master		Fire, like any other manmade tool or device, will serve man well only when it is controlled and used wisely.

idioms and phrase

Love & Relationships

ask for someone's hand in marriage

- to ask someone to marry you
After dating his girlfriend for several years the man finally asked for her hand in marriage.

attracted to (someone)

- to feel a physical or emotional attraction to someone
I was attracted to the woman at the party from the moment that I first met her.

blind date

- a date where the two people have never met before
I went on a blind date in university but it was not too successful.

break (someone's) heart

- to cause someone emotional pain
The man broke his girlfriend's heart when he told her that he no longer loved her.

break up

- to end a relationship
The couple broke up after dating for more than three years.

crazy about (someone)

- to think that another person is wonderful
My cousin has been crazy about her colleague for many months now.

date (someone)

- to go on a date with someone, to have a date with someone
My sister has been dating her boyfriend for about two years.

dig (someone)

- to like someone a lot
The girl really digs the boy in her chemistry class.

double date

- a date where two couples do something together
It was fun to go on the double date even though everybody wanted to do something different.

dump (someone)

- to end a relationship by telling someone that you do not want to see him or her
The woman dumped her boyfriend after they had a big fight.

fall for (someone)

- to begin to feel love for someone
The woman always falls for the wrong person and is never happy.

fall in love (with someone)

- to begin to experience feelings of love for someone
The man fell in love with a woman from his university class and they got married several months later.

find Mr. Right

- to find the right or perfect person
The woman is always hoping to find Mr. Right but so far she has not had any luck.

find the right girl/guy

- to find the right partner, to find the person you want to marry
The woman is always making an effort to find the right guy.

first love

- the first person that one falls in love with
The girl's first love was with a boy in her high school art class.

get along with (someone)

- to have a good friendly relationship with someone
The woman gets along with everybody very well.

get back together

- to return to a relationship or marriage after separating
The man got back together with his girlfriend after separating for several months last winter.

get engaged

- to decide to marry someone
The man got engaged to his wife several years before they got married.

get hitched

- to get married
My sister and her boyfriend surprised everyone by suddenly getting hitched last weekend.

get serious (with someone)

- to become more serious with someone (used for a relationship)
The two students dated for several months before they began to get serious.

give (someone or something) a second chance

- to try to save a relationship by forgiving and welcoming the other person back, to give a person or a relationship a second chance
The girl's boyfriend left her for several months but when he came back she was happy to give him a second chance.

go dutch

- to go on a date where each person pays half of the expenses
Many university students have little money so they often go dutch when they go on a date.

good together

- to be able to get along well with each other
The couple are good together and nobody has ever seen them argue.

go out with (someone)

- to go on a date or to be dating someone
I am going out with a woman from my hiking club.

go steady

- to date one person regularly (not so common recently but at one time used often by teenagers)
The two students have been going steady for three years now.

have a crush (on someone)

- to have strong feelings of love for someone (often for a short time and with no results)
The girl has a crush on a boy in her class.

have a thing for (someone)

- to be attracted and care about someone
The girl has a thing for the new boy in her class.

head over heels in love with (someone)

- to be very much in love with someone, to be completely in love
My friend is head over heels in love with someone in his company.

hit it off (with someone)

- to get along well with someone (from the first time that you meet that person)
I hit it off with a woman in my photography class and we have been dating for several months now.

hung up on (someone)

- to be obsessed with another person, to be interested in another person
The young woman is hung up on a member of her tennis club.

interested in (someone)

- to have a romantic interest in someone and possibly want to date that person
My sister is interested in someone from her university biology class.

kiss and makeup

- to become friends again after a fight or argument
After they have a fight the couple is quick to kiss and make up.

leave (someone) at the altar

- to decide not to marry someone at the last minute
The man became very nervous and decided to leave his girlfriend at the altar.

leave (someone) for (someone else)

- to end a relationship with your partner and start a relationship with someone else
The man left his wife for his secretary but soon discovered that his life was worse than before.

love at first sight

- to fall in love with someone or something the first time that one sees him or her or it
When I saw the woman at the party it was love at first sight and I knew that I wanted to meet her.
The woman loved the house. It was love at first sight.

made for each other

- to get along extremely well with another person
The man and woman get along very well together and seem to be made for each other.

make eyes at (someone)

- to look at someone in a way that makes it clear that you like that person and find him or her attractive
The man became angry when he saw that his girlfriend was making eyes at someone else at the party.

make up

- to forgive each other after an argument, to begin to see each other again after ending a relationship
The couple had a big fight at the restaurant but they made up and things quickly got back to normal.
The boy and girl separated but recently they made up and began seeing each other again.

a match made in heaven

- a couple who get along perfectly
When the two people finally got together it was a match made in heaven and everybody thought that they would stay together forever.

meet the right girl/guy

- to meet the right partner, to meet the person that you want to marry
The woman always joked that she would never return home if she met the right guy.

on the rocks

- to be in a state of difficulty, to be having problems (usually used for a relationship)
The couple are experiencing many problems at the moment and their relationship appears to be on the rocks.

the one (for someone)

- the right partner, the right person to marry
When I introduced my girlfriend to my mother she said that she was the one for me.

one and only

- the only person that one loves
The man's wife was his one and only since they met in high school.

patch up a relationship

- to repair a broken relationship
The couple wanted to separate but they managed to patch up their relationship and are now very happy together.

perfect couple

- two people who appear to get along perfectly
Our neighors seem to be the perfect couple.

pop the question

- to ask someone to marry you
The man thought about things carefully before he actually decided to pop the question.

puppy love

- infatuation (strong feelings of love) between school-age children or teenagers
The two teenagers thought that their love was the greatest in the world. Other people thought that it was only puppy love.

say I do

- to get married (during a wedding ceremony it is common to say "I do" when you agree to marry your partner)
The man was very happy to say "I do" at the wedding ceremony.

seeing (someone)

- to be dating someone on a regular basis
The woman was not seeing anyone when she met a man who she liked at the party.

set a date

- to decide on a date for a wedding
After thinking about marriage for a long time the couple decided to set a date.

settle down

- to establish a regular routine after getting married
After dating many women the young man finally decided to settle down.

split up

- to end a relationship
The girl and her boyfriend decided to split up after being together for seven years.

steal (someone's) heart

- to cause someone to fall in love with you
The woman stole the heart of the man who was working beside her at her office.

take one's vows

- to get married and take your wedding vows or promises
The couple took their vows at the courthouse in the small town.

those three little words

- the words "I love you"
After several months of dating the young man finally said those three little words to his girlfriend.

tie the knot

- to get married
After dating for several years the young couple decided to tie the knot.

true love

- a genuine feeling of romantic love
It seemed like true love until the couple began to fight all of the time.

unrequited love

- love that is not returned, one-way love
The woman was in love with the president of her company but it was unrequited love. He did not love her.

walk down the aisle together

- to get married (in this case in a church and where the bride walks down the aisle to the altar)
The couple have decided to walk down the aisle together and begin their new life.

walk out on (someone)

- to abandon your partner and end a relationship
The man walked out on his wife and nobody knew the reason why.

whisper sweet nothings in (someone's) ear

- to say romantic or intimate things to someone
The actor was whispering sweet nothings in the ear of the actress in the romantic movie. 

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