For Fresh candidates, who are thinking of appearing for css exam. i would like to present my suggestions.

In begining of this discourse, it should be noted , that beginers do not belong to same background, that is, most of them have their proffessional fields to take care of; some , like myself are in medicine, others r engineers, few others from physics, arts subjects, from MBA, Business related fields. Then, these candidates have their own intrests, reading likes and dislikes, some prefer philosophical issues other show intrest in day today affairs and do not indulge in baseless refutations and argumentation.Then , we have many candidates who have a poor background of education.And CSS ,being what it is, stands for competition, excellence, enthusiasim and 'lagan' . Therefore, the word beginer does not refer to all people aspiring to become csp officers. but it refers to many kinds of candidates entering and scrambling for coveted posts. Therefore, i think, that our 'general strategies' in some areas and 'contingency plans' in others should be aimed for beginers. beginers should realize, that difference in views of experienced masters of this forum are merely due to their different angles of viewing things. This in mind, u should also assume that my views are my own. should u subscribe to these, u alone will be responsible for possible outcome of it. i will cover up this extended series of my posts in some days. i hope u will forgive me for my delayed response. i will take up only one issue at a time and explore it fully so that my readers have better understanding of intricacies regarding different aspects which a beginer has to face.
Let me first say a few words on general aspects of preparing for css.

1. English language : Almost, all papers of css,except languages, and islamiyat, are conducted in english language. There is a dilemma set in this. English language is not indigenous to us even though most of us speak it with fluency. yet it is not natural to us like sindhi , urdu, siraki , panjabi are to us; we find a lot of related words in latter languages in comparison to english. it has been discovered that people tend to think in their natural language. This finding should not be taken lightly. Because, if u are a panjabi , ur composition of english language wud be diffrnt than if u are a sindhi. since ideas we have to speak are translated first into our own mother tongue then these are translated into english language. In doing so, we make mistakes in structure of sentences, diction of words, use of idiomatic expressions, which are peculiar to english language.
your english language should be at these areas.
1. Use of tense : i have found that most candidates, even though speak comprehensible english, yet are weak in use of tenses. some of the silly mistakes which can not be ''tolerated'' by an examinar is in the use of ''s'' or ''es'' with he , she , it and name. I mean to say, that we have been learning these basic things for years but we do make mistakes in these. I will take exception with most of my brotherly friends in use of cases, for example when two things are connected with ''and'' or ''or'' ''either'' ''neither'' these stages come later for learned students but mistakes are commited in ordinary use of 'present tense' i m of the openion, that ur examiner will not forgive you for this mistake. he will never show u a soft corner for it. you should guard yourself while engaging in a dialogue or a monologue with yourself not to say '' he learn english'' this practice of not inserting 's' with learn will be strengthed if u practice it for long . Likewise, fashion of using ''gonna'' ''wanna'' ''gotcha'' might sound good to ears but is devastating if subconsiously entered in ur written piece. dear brothers, please protect yourself against these mistakes. it is better for u in the long. many candidates also make mistakes in differenciating past present from present perfect. and in use of 'for' and 'since' , also in use of past simple and past perfect. only practice can improve you in this regard. do practice for there is no other alternative to it.

Then, it pays to compose a wel-defined sentence. Art of making sentence is of primal importance to learning of well structured paragraph and essay. Learn to make effective sentences. rules of eloquence, like brevity, conciseness, wit, cleverly written composition apply at sentence level. you should learn different modes of sentence, how u can make ur sentence pithy, substance-ful, sharp, emphatic is vital to the intrest of candidate. make good sentences, in which words are orderly arranged, mean what they are.

For natural tendency in language, i would recommend what bacon once said of writing which makes an exact man. it is true that we become people of our surroundings, environment has enormous impact on our lives. But for a proactive person environment does not influence as much as his personal endevours, he chooses between a stimulus and response an oppurtunity to react according to his ''will''. What u can do best for yourselves is to pick right books, in the company of classic books u can mould yourself or you wud be moulded. Select atleast one good book on novels or stories which u cud read again and again. Digest its language in entirety. reading of that book should be like listening of melodious song, which reverbrates long after the song is over... the book should set ur frequency on ecstatic impulse so that being completly imbibed it reflects in your language. i would recommend you to read any good book of writers such as charles dickens, arthur canon doyle, wilki collins, guy de maupassant. This book should be read like Quran...again and again without fail. This will surely give a natural bent in ur written as well as writing expression.

Final step in improvement of ur engligh language is practice. It is true that Writing makes an exact man because by writing you can follow your thoughts and trace errors in thinking process...rectify, modify or improve upon these with regular practice.Many of our friends advocate abundance of practise but some have realized ways in which it can be done. There are ways of practising your english language skills. i m mentioning here a few u can think of many more. write a dialogue bw two or more friends on any current issue, and present different point of views from various perspectives. you can write your daily diary, in which mention what u learned today, and how other people affected ur thoughts. u can take out any good piece of writing for any reputed newspaper, make commentry on this.


regards

Dear Brother,
I am new user of cssforum, i don't know how to add post in this forum, please guide me,
I will be very thankfull to you. Thanks

brother,

According to my experience,
get a good basic english grammer and read it carefully.
Start watching and listening BBC. If BBC is not available, then any movie on star world or etc( I use to watch a movie daily on star movies or star world and listen carefully).
Read out english digest or newspaper loudly, it will help U alot.
Try to do conversation in english with ur friends or family for some time daily.

One thing more, Spoken English is some what diffrent from written english in a way that mostly in normal conversation, there is less emphasize on grammar e.g, in routine, people say , "I wanna go" but while writing U cant do that. So, just with little effort U can improve ur english.
All the best.

__________________
Ramsha magsi

@Ramsha

I think it is wasting of time watching eng movies.Instead of this if one wants to improve english "wren & martin " is the best book for grammar.Where as ur suggestion regarding listening bbc is reasonable, but it should not take more than 1 hr of your time.More emphasis should be given to the syllabus.One can watch movies if they are knowledgeable or historical, otherwise watching talk shows or documentaries on aljazeera do help in this regard.

rgds

@Atif

I have already said according to my experience. And the v first step in my post is basic english grammar book. Not M saying to watch movies all the time. Moreover, I am not saying not to study syllabus, he was just asking about to improve English, so, I just answered that. Ur suggestion is good. But I am saying according to my experiences.

__________________
Ramsha magsi

Ramsha :- i think if spoken language is in practice in its distorted form then it can penetrate into written express unless if u keep urself on watch. Movie watching can improve ur accent, and real script of story or novel is changed or modified in dramatized scene for the sake of simplcity and easy understanding and meeting fashion of language....words that are common in use or catchphrases... these may be deleterious. watch movies only for improvment of accent.
@ dratifrana:- mostly history films r distorted according to formation of public openion. You are right that wren and martin is good book. and one should spare his time on course books and enhancing concepts in correct manner.

__________________
There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio: What is sacred? Of what is spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is only love."
Don Juan DeMarco(Johnny Depp), in Don Juan DeMarco

Next step, which most candidates are well versed with the name but are devoid of its content is art of making good arguments. Almost, every candidate wud say that one's skills should be argument based, that answer should be to the point, and with logical flow but only some,i guess, have probed deep into what it all stands for. First, i will elaborate meaning of argument ,then its importance in css , and ways in which we can compose arguments.
An argument is a form of reasoning in which an effort to reach at truth or falshood of statment is arrived at. this arrival is based on precedent truths, or statments called 'predicates' or 'propositions' proposition is a simple statment like '' socrates drank of hemlock'' this statment when combined with a relevant statment like '' hemlock is a poison'' makes some connection between hemlock and poison...so, therefore you can conclude that 'socrates drank poison'' because hemlock is a poison. this is actually mathematics of sentences. this is really, i think, very much important to objectively assess the process of how thinking should take rather than how it takes place. To this end, i would recommend my fellow members of this forum to give their ideas. This is unforeseen packet till far.
i want to elaborate importance of argument from a passage so that it is fully clear to you.
have a look at this argument.. let me break it in its corresponding part to make it explicit.
''The delicate tools necessary for our intellectual workshop are acquired by schooling. I suspect that our best tools are picked up rather automatically, but if there is to be outside intervention, then, best it be done early, as the human mind matures all too rapidly.''
let us analyse it in pieces of which it is made.
1. delicate tools for good intellectual function are acquired by schooling......schooling provides tools which account for sound intellectual functioning.
2. best tools are are picked up automatically.
3. if there is outside intervention, then it should be done early because human mind matures all too rapidly.
Now you can note that author's argument is explict. it bases its conclusion of acquiring intellectual tools by schooling, but he believes that these tools should be achieved as early as possible since mind develops rapidly. which means that author believes that ''education should be acquired early at age'' for acquiring of ''intellectual workshop''
Importance Of argument in CSS.
Current trend of css papers is towards open ended questions in which an effort is made to elicit thinking of candidates on different issues. But to know what student thinks on a particular issue, it is presumed that candidates knows enough to do the necessary thinking process.Paper setter believes that the candidates have enough background information. He can come up with his own thesis, synthesis and anthesis. He has an individualized say on the topic. If you happen to look at Islamiyat paper of 2009 then you wud find that questions are asked to arouse your openion on most relevant issues faced with islamic world. You are mostly asked suggestions based on statements. See, other papers like those of Current Affairs, Pakistan Affairs and you will find the same thing; you are asked open ended questions. Now , the problem with these questions is that you must have a firm stand on your position whichever u wud like to defend. For that purpose it is indeed folly not to be equipped with art of logic in formation of sentences. I myself was particularly inspired from Dr. Zakir Naik whose main focus if u can trace all of his speeches and debates is solely based on pure rules of reasoning. I know that most other scholars know better than he does, but the way of presentation and art of persuasion possessed by him excels all the rest. Logic is a tool which you can apply in all fields of science as well as art. G. K Chesterton once wrote, '' To arrive at truthfulness or falsehood of statement u must first arrive at truth itself'' So, trually it is indispensable for the aspirants to be well-versed with their course text books prescribed for css subjects. But once they are fully acknowledged of such enterprize , then they should have the best way of organizing this material with logical flow. To elicit any ambiguities in text, to stand at poles with any topic.. For these you must be in sufficient knowledge of CSS.
Some of you might argue '' well, i know alot of guys who have never read logic or argument presentation which you are talking about, then how can u ,with authority say, that argument making should be intentionally learned for this purpose'' To these people , i will only say that knowledge of logic does not necesarily mean you will be logical. What it can best do is to give you the best line of reasoning your own thoughts. See the difference, logic only reveals reasoning process. it does not teach 'thinking' nevertheless as diamond requires a lot cutting and finishing touches to glow in full colours ,So do you require to pass through a furnace of hardworking in this area. Logic does not give you any additional knowledge than you already have, but it gives you an order to best fit the knowledge u have.
How to compose an argument.
Today's works on science of logic are based on same proposition that was proposed by Aristotle. His proposition was this: If a certain thing is either A or B, and if it is not ''A" then it must be ''B'' Ergo, Ahmed is not both talented and beautiful. Ahmed is not beautiful. He must be talented.
Another example is: If A is equal to B, and if B is equal to C then A is equal to C ....mathematically: A=B , B=C then A=C. this is a deduction. Ahmed is a hard-working student. hardworking pays off in one way or another. Ahmed's efforts will surely succeed. Now, in this format you can see that the reason why ahmed will succeed is because'' hardworking pays off in one way or another. and ahmeds will pay off in one way or another cos ahmed is doing hardworking.
Another example is : If A is a part of B, then it is not necessary that B is part of A. All whales are mammals. but not all mammals are whales. or All liars are basically hypcrites. ahmed is a hyocrite. Therefore he must be liar!!!! This conclusion is wrong. because the proposition is '' all liars are basically hypocrites'' it does not say '' All hypocrites are liars'' hypocrite may be a trait of many other things. On the basis of logic you can not argue that tomorrow sun will rise from east because it is always rising in the east. The fact that sun rises in the east does not become conclusion that sun will rise from there. This is true as long sun is rising from east. There are so many quranic injunctions regarding these things which propose opposite of normal phenomenon as signs of doomsday.

Another example is : If A is B then All parts of A are all parts of B . If sight is perception, the objects of sight are objects of perception.

You should however know that logic is also used with prudence. It is not blindly applied to sciences. Consider this example : If door is half open, then it must be half close, therefore when door is fully open it is fully closed. This reveals that argumentation should be sane. Faulty lines of reasoning will reveal a ridicule in you rather than reasoning itself. the phenomenon of half close and half open is true only to halves. There are various arguments which are incorrect by the reason of their faulty nature.
I m mentioning here a few cases of Fallacies in argument setting.

Ad Hominem (Argument To The Man):
attacking the person instead of attacking his argument. For example, " Ahmed's books about ancient astronauts are worthless because he is a convicted forger and embezzler." (Which is true, but that's not why they're worthless.)
Another example is this syllogism, which alludes to Ali
Ali thinks machines think.
Ali lies with men.
Therefore, machines don't think
Complex Question (Tying):
unrelated points are treated as if they should be accepted or rejected together. In fact, each point should be accepted or rejected on its own merits.
For example, "Do you support freedom and the right to bear arms?"
I support freedom but not the right to bear arms.
Fallacy Of Division:
assuming that what is true of the whole is true of each constituent part. For example, human beings are made of atoms, and human beings are conscious, so atoms must be conscious.
Appeal To Widespread Belief (Bandwagon Argument, Peer Pressure, Appeal to Common Practice):
the claim, as evidence for an idea, that many people believe it, or used to believe it, or do it.
If the discussion is about social conventions, such as "good manners", then this is a reasonable line of argument.
However, in the 1800's there was a widespread belief that bloodletting cured sickness. All of these people were not just wrong, but horribly wrong, because in fact it made people sicker. Clearly, the popularity of an idea is no guarantee that it's right.
Similarly, a common justification for bribery is that "Everybody does it". And in the past, this was a justification for slavery.

False Cause:
assuming that because two things happened, the first one caused the second one. (Sequence is not causation.) For example, "Before women got the vote, there were no nuclear weapons." Or, "Every time my brother Bill accompanies me to Fenway Park, the Red Sox are sure to lose."
Essentially, these are arguments that the sun goes down because we've turned on the street lights.

__________________
There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio: What is sacred? Of what is spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is only love."
Don Juan DeMarco(Johnny Depp), in Don Juan DeMarco

@Dr Sb, I do agree with u but in spoken, there is no hard and fast rule even in Uk or US. Distortion does occur as it happens in real life. As I am known to many laguages, sometime instead of replying in required language, I want to reply in some other language( e.g. english k paper mein punjabi mein jawab sojhta hy and its true, just observe urself honestly. Only ur concious effort helps U to anwer in English.) I have lived in these countries and talking about my personal experiences.

I m not emphsizing the type or nature of movie. One can see according to his/her own taste. I still use to watch a movie from 9-10:30 (whatever is being broadcast) Star world and Star movies presents good movies with good english usage. Even Bloomberg is good. What I have observed in UK is that teachers show good cartoon movies, programs to children and later on ask them to pronounce those words with meanings.

Every person has his own way to teach or learn. I have learnt grammar especially usage of idioms and proverbs from movies. Everything has -ve side too but +ve side is for those who want to learn from everything.

__________________
Ramsha magsi

You r right. i have elaborated this pointed in my article on english in this post. Perhaps u didnot read it. i said, that we tend to think in our own language. and it is proved. psychologicaly, medically it has basis. during first three days or so a child has tendency to learn almost any language. and he is kind of neutral to all languages. But, after three days, he becomes acquainted with his native language cos that is mostly spoken before him. and he is able to diffrenciate with reliable accuracy which sound is his mothers sound.... it is for this reason that i said that one should be well versed with english language in its real form.

i have got your point. you r most right on this. idioms and phrases may be learned from movies. movies are not only good for accent but for the purposes u have mentioned above. i also maintain, that this is fair use policy which u have adopted. but this is not the case with all people. most infact fall victim to catchphrases.. and thinking it good incorporate some of it in their sentences. nevertheless, i myself have watched movies abundantly for phonetics, language but at the same time with a cuatious eye so as not to fall for cheap phrases...

__________________
There are only four questions of value in life, Don Octavio: What is sacred? Of what is spirit made? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is only love."
Don Juan DeMarco(Johnny Depp), in Don Juan DeMarco

@ Ramsha Khan
I do agree with you that there is no hard and fast rule in the west while speaking their native language. At this I am not surprised. It is owing that similarly here in Pakistan. There is no hard and fast rule of speaking Urdu or any other regional languages for example Sindhi, Punjabi, Baolchi and so on…… It is because that these are native languages respectively who speak his language. Nevertheless, I am of opinion that one should not overrule English grammar. The reason is that English is not our mother language. And it should not make excuse that English people avoid grammar; so we may follow them. I think it is folly rather than wisdom in this regard. To get perfection either in written or spoken; we must follow grammatical rules of English language. It is unfortunate and dilemma, that we committed errors and blunders in this respect.
It is my humble view, you may differ with me.

Regards
Faisal Ahmed.