HSC English First Paper | Unit: 4, Lesson: 1 | Human Relationships | Etiquette and Manners

1. Warm up activity:

□ What do you think are the rules that civilized societies follow to deal with elders in a family? Do different rules apply to women and children? Write down your answer.

□ In a group talk about the need for good manners.

2. Read the text below and answer the questions that follow:

As a child you must have been told to greet your elders and visitors to your home according to your culture and tradition. You must also have been taught to be polite in company and keep quiet while others, especially your elders, spoke. Possibly, you at times grudged such schooling. Possibly, at times you even protested such disciplining. Now, certainly you know that you can't always behave the way you want specially in the presence of others. There are rules of behavior you have to follow in a company. We are social beings and have to consider the effect of our behaviour on others, even if we are at home and dealing with our family members.

We have two terms to describe our social behaviour- 'etiquette' and 'manners/ 'Etiquette' is a French word and it means the rules of correct behaviour in society. The word 'manners* means the behaviour that is considered to be polite in a particular society or culture. Manners can be good or bad. For example, it is a bad manner to speak with food in one's mouth. No one likes a bad-mannered person. Remember that etiquette and manners vary from culture to culture and from society to society.

We learn etiquette and manners from our parents, families and various institutions, such as schools, colleges or professional bodies. There are rules of behaviour for all kinds of social occasions and it is important to learn them and practise them in everyday life. The maimers that are correct in a wedding reception will not do in a debating club. Therefore, we have to be careful about etiquette and manners. We know how important it is to say please' and 'thank you' in everyday life. A few more polite expressions such as 'pardon me/ 'excuse me', 'may 1/ are bound to make your day smooth and pleasant.

Here are some basic rules of etiquette:

Respect others' personal space.

Don't interrupt when someone else is talking.

Be a helper.

Be on time.

Don't yell in public places. 

Eat politely.

Chew with your mouth closed. 

Stand in queue.

There are many more. How many more can you add to the above list?

Here are some thoughtful observations on manners and etiquette from some famous people.

"Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners." Laurence Sterne

"Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy." Ralph Waldo Emerson "The real test of good manners is to he able to put up with bad manners." Kahlil Gibran

"Handsome is what handsome does." JRR Tolkein

"Politeness is a sign of dignity, not subservience." Theodore Roosevelt

"A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Whoever interrupts the conversation of others to make a display of his fund of knowledge makes notorious his stock of ignorance." Shaikh Sadi "Etiquette is a fine tuning of education." Nadine Daher

3. Discuss the meaning and significance of each of the observations above in pairs and groups.

Different situations call for different etiquette and manners. These are divided into three groups: family etiquette, social etiquette and professional etiquette. A few more tips on etiquette are given below:

Family etiquette:

Respect each other's belongings.

Do not shout at children. Treat them kindly.

Listen to your parents.

Basic social etiquette:

Always be on time. Showing up late is rude and shows a lack of respect for other people's time.

Never interrupt the other person while he/she is talking.

Give and receive compliments graciously.

Refuse to gossip with and about friends.

Hold doors for people entering immediately after you.

Professional etiquette:

Dress properly.

Shake hands when appropriate.

Never take credit for other people's work.

Use indoor voice while talking to people.

(The tips for etiquette have been adapted from Debby Mayne's discussion on the Internet.)

4. Find out the meaning of the following words and make sentences with them:

a. grudge

b. club

c. smooth

d. yell

e. handsome

5. Find the antonyms of the following words:

a. polite

b. presence

c. particular

d. pleasant

e. ignorance

6. Write an essay describing how proper etiquettes can help our families and society function better.

 If you want to read the next lesson of this unit please click the link below:
 Lesson 2: Love and Friendship