3.4 Writing Skill - Statement Of Purpose (SOP)

 What is SOP?

- A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is an application made to a university to seek admission to a particular course.

- It is an essay which describes you as a person, your aims and ambitions.

- It speaks about your journey of life and the qualities you have nurtured in the       process. 

- The SOP gives an idea about your innate qualities and is subjective in nature.

- The SOP gives you an opportunity to show the special qualities which make you distinct from others.

- It explains why you want to join the course, what is your liking, how you have developed your liking.

- The SOP is a gateway to your career as the admission committee judges you or screens the applications on the basis of the SOPs received. Hence, it is a very important document.

- The SOPs for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate levels would be different.

FORMAT OF THE 'SOP'

The Statement of Purpose should be written in around 500 words, tentatively

in five/six paragraphs.

I paragraph -- Your introduction,  personal background, your mental make-up and your aim in life.

II paragraph -- Speak about why you wish to join this specific programme/course, your area of interest.

III paragraph --Write about your qualities,  hobbies and extracurricular activities which would be helpful in strengthening your goals.

IV paragraph -- Mention your experience, internship/ project you have done. State something which makes you distinct from the other applicants.

V or Concluding paragraph --State how admission to this particular course, university would be beneficial to you and how you look at it from a long term career perspective.

Dos and Don'ts -

Dos :

1) Use clear and lucid language.

2) Should be convincing

3) Clear purpose of choosing a particular course or programme.

4) Personality should be reflected.

5) Highlight your qualities and life experiences.

6) Prefer typed SOP.

7) Edit and Re-edit.

Don'ts :

1) Do not make spelling or construction mistakes.

2) Should not be too small or too Lengthy.

3) Avoid complex sentences.

4) Don't copy.

5) No exaggeration.

  

3.5 Writing Skill - Drafting a Virtual Message

 Virtual Communiction 

 A mode of communication that includes the use of technology-audio and video to communicate with people who are not physically present in front of us. Although virtual communication started way back with the invention of telephone, the advent of webcams, video conferencing and instant communication made virtual communication a big hit. Today we use virtual communication in almost every walk of life-within family, friends, and office, to name a few.

Virtual Message

A virtual  message comes in the form of a telephonic conversation between two people. The virtual  conversation is to be converted into a message for a third person. 

Format 

1)Date

2) Time

3)Name of a person to whom the message is directed

4) Body of the message

5) Name of the writer / sender

Layout

Dos and Don'ts

Dos

1)Write the most important details.

 2) Use grammatically correct sentences.

3) Use Indirect or reported speech.

4)Use simple language. and without any abbreviations.

5) Have a friendly and polite approach.

6)Check your message before you submit and send it.

 

Don'ts

1) Don't add new information.

2)Don't use any abbreviations or short forms.

 3)Avoid pun/ambiguity/ words that would create confusion.

Examples:

1) Read the following conversation between Aashna and Mr Singh.

Aashna : Hello, may I speak to Ranajit, please?

Mr Singh : Ranajit is getting ready for school. May I know who is speaking?

Aashna : My name is Aashna. I am Ranajit’s classmate.

Mr Singh : Hello, Aashna. I am Ranajit’s father. Is there any message?

Aashna : Yes. Please ask him to bring his biology notebook to school today. I was absent from school due to illness. I would like to see the notes which our biology teacher gave to the class during my absence.

Mr Singh : I will definitely do that.

Since Mr Singh had to go for his morning walk he left a message for Ranajit. Draft

that message in 50 words.

Ans:

                  22nd Jan, 2021      11.30am

                  Ranajit

                                 Your classmate Aashna called for you to bring

                  Biology notebook to school as she wanted to see the notes

                  which your Biology teacher had given to the class during 

                  her absence.

                  Mr. Singh

2) Rajat comes home from school and finds the door locked. Since he has a

duplicate key he enters and finds a note from his mother kept on the table. In

it she explains that she had to rush to the hospital with Mrs Manohar, their

neighbour, who had met with an accident. She has also written that he should 

have the rice and curry kept on the dining table for lunch. He could heat the

food in the microwave oven if he wanted to, but he should be very careful while

handling the switch.

Draft the message which Rajat’s mother left for him.

Ans:

                 23rd Jan, 2021         5.35pm

                 Rajat

                                    I had to rush to the hospital with Mrs. Manohar as she 

                 had met with an accident. I had kept rice and curry on the dining

                 table for lunch. You could heat the food in the microwave oven

                 if you had wanted to ,but be careful while handling the switch.

                 Mamma

Marking scheme :

Content.                              2mks

Sequence/flow of ideas    1mk

Appropriateness.              1mk

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

                                            4mks