Some teachers say students should be organised into groups to study. Others argue students should be made to study alone. Tell the benefits of each study method. Which one do you think is more effective?

Some educationists hold the view that studying in groups is better for students while others believe that studying alone is better. This essay shall delve into the benefits of each study methods.

There are many benefits of studying in groups. To begin with, when you work with other students you are able to share your ideas and experiences, and have more time to do this. For example, if every student spends just two minutes talking individually to the teacher, the class time is soon finished. However, if students work in groups they can spend much more time talking to the teacher than just two minutes.

Secondly, when we study in groups this helps students practice negotiation skills like making a contribution, agreeing or disagreeing with someone and asking a person to give examples of their point. Finally, we can put forward working in groups as an example of what happens in real life, in work situations and say that studying in groups in class prepares us for this.

On the other hand, when students study alone then they have no distractions and they can concentrate better on study. This is especially helpful in subjects like mathematics and physics. Studying alone also increases the confidence and ability to solve problems on one’s own. Students become more competitive which is a necessary virtue in the competitive era of today.

I feel that teachers should mix and match both these methods depending on the subject and the situation. For boring subjects like history and philosophy students should be organised into groups but for subjects that need concentration, individual study should be encouraged. Both methods have own importance and should complement each other rather than being treated as rivals.

Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) are the main sources in many countries, but in some countries the use of alternative sources of energy (wind energy and solar energy) are encouraged. To what extent do you think it is a positive or negative development?

It is irrefutable that fossil fuels are our main source of energy in many parts of the world, but some nations are taking a step forward and using renewable sources like wind, solar and tidal energy. Definitely, it is a positive development. In the following paragraphs I intend to support my view with my arguments.

The main advantage of using alternate sources is that these conventional sources like coal and oil are non-renewable. They take millions of years to make and we are finishing them at an alarming rate. This means that if we finish the existing resources they will be gone forever as far as our and the coming many generations are concerned. Energy from the wind, the sun and the sea is an everlasting source of power. So, more and more governments should come forward in promoting these sources.

Another big advantage of these non-conventional sources is that they do not pollute the environment. We all know that global warming and damage to the protective ozone layer are caused by carbon-dioxide and other by-products of fossil fuels. If urgent steps are not taken towards the use of natural sources like sun and wind, then the time is not far when the whole earth will transform into a boiling pot.

Although the use of these alternative sources has some hurdles such as the initial cost of setting up solar panels and wind farms is very high and these are also dependent on the geographical locations. However, once the initial cost has been met with, their maintenance is practically negligible.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that the use of these alternative sources is a very positive development. It should be the global priority to invest in such research and development.

Talk about a useful thing in your house you use a lot - What is it - What you use it for - How it benefits you - Explain how else it can be used

Today, we live in an era of technology.
There are many things in my house which I use a lot
Here I would like to discuss about the microwave oven
This is something I use almost daily
It is a Samsung Combi 301 model
It is of black colour and has a capacity of 23 litres
It has a rotating plate inside
I generally use it for reheating.
Whenever I buy any burger or pizza from the market, I reheat it for a minute and it becomes hot and fresh.
Sometimes I come home late and then I reheat the food that my mother has prepared.
So this equipment is very helpful for me.
Sometimes my mother prepares some dishes and if they are left over, then we freeze them in the refrigerator and after few days we thaw them in the microwave and use them.
This microwave can also be used for cooking.
My sister bakes cakes in the microwave.
They come out very nice.

Talk about a good quality you admire in your friend - When he/she did it - What you learnt from it - What difficulties your friend found in doing it

• I have many friends but Ravi is my best friend.
• He is 20 years old
• He is tall and handsome
• He has curly hair and a smiling face.
• He belongs to a very rich family but he is very down-to-earth.
• He has many good qualities but the quality I admire the most is his ever-helping nature.
• He is very dependable.
• You can rely on him all the time.
• I remember once we were going to school.
• On the way there had been a road accident.
• Nobody was helping the victims.
• One person was badly injured.
• My friend immediately called an ambulance and we picked up the person and took him to civil Hospital.
• I was afraid of the formalities that we would have to go through.
• But my friend was determined to help. He did not think twice before doing that kind act.
• We had to answer a lot of grilling questions from the police and hospital authorities.
• We even had to miss school that day.
• Later on when the relatives of that person arrived, we heaved a sigh of relief.
• They were very grateful and thanked us.
• This made us very happy and I felt very proud of myself that I was part of this deed.
• I learnt that helping someone gives more happiness than anything else in the world.
• I learnt a lot from his selfless nature.

Talk about the way you like to relax when you are not at work - Where did you go recently to relax - Who was with you - How did you relax

• I have many hobbies which relax me in my free time.
• I like to watch TV, listen to music and do some gardening in my free time. I enjoy these activities and they give me relaxation.
• When I listen to music, all my worries and tensions fly away
• Sometimes I watch sitcoms and reality shows on TV
• They are also entertaining and fun
• When I do gardening I feel very happy to see my plants grow
• I have a kitchen garden in the backyard of my house
• I have grown okra, aubergine, mint and radish.
• Spending time with friends also gives me relaxation.
• Last to last Sunday, my friend had come from Australia.
• We enjoyed a lot that weekend.
• We saw a movie at Sarab Multiplex.
• We saw Khatta Meetha
• It is a very hilarious movie
• We had popcorns and Pepsi in the interval.
• After the movie we went to Haveli
• We saw a cultural show at Rangla Punjab.
• We ate dinner after that.
• My friend belongs to Delhi
• He was impressed by the hospitality of Punjabi culture at Rangla Punjab
• We came home very late at night
• So, it was a very fun and relaxing day for me.