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IGNOU DCE-01 (July 2025 – January 2026) Assignment Questions
Answer the following.
1. Write short notes on:
a) Content
b) Form
c) Structure
d) Style
2. Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.
The old library stood shrouded in a perpetual twilight, its towering shelves groaning under the weight of forgotten tales and whispered secrets. Dust motes danced in the sparse sunbeams that dared to pierce the grimy windows, each particle a tiny, fleeting star in a universe of silence. One could almost hear the ghosts of avid readers rustling pages, their hushed sighs mingling with the scent of aged paper and leather. It was not a place for hurried glances or casual browsing; it demanded reverence, an unhurried surrender to its profound stillness. Every volume seemed to possess a silent history, patiently awaiting the touch of a curious hand. Indeed, the very air hummed with untold narratives, each spine a portal to a different epoch, a forgotten mind. This sanctuary, though often overlooked by the digitally obsessed generation, held treasures far more enduring than any fleeting digital trend. A quiet defiance resided within its hallowed walls, a steadfast refusal to yield to the clamour of the modern world. Here, knowledge wasn’t consumed; it was absorbed, a slow and nourishing draught for the hungry soul.
a) Describe the tone of this passage.
b) What is the author’s attitude towards the old library?
c) Comments on the diction of the passage.
d) How does the flow of the sentences contribute to the overall feeling or voice of the passage? Explain.
e) Suggest a suitable title for the passage. Justify the title by giving reasons.
3. Dialogues can play a crucial role in dramatising ideas.’ Discuss.
4. Given below is an extract from the story ‘The Babus of Nayanjore’ by Rabindranath Tagore (Ten Tales for Indian Students, OUP). The protagonist is talking to himself, trying to understand why he dislikes Kailas Babu. Rewrite his self-analysis in the form of a dialogue with an intimate friend. (200 words)
When I sit down and try to analyse the thoughts and feelings that I had towards Kailas Babu, I see that there was a still deeper reason for my dislike. I will now explain. Though I am the son of a rich man, and might have wasted time at college, my industry was such that I took my MA. degree from Calcutta University when quite young. My moral character was flawless. In addition, my outward appearance was so handsome that if I were to call myself beautiful, it might be thought a mark of selfestimation, but would not be considered an untruth. There could be no question that among the young men of Bengal, I was regarded by parents generally as a very eligible match. I myself was quite clear on the point, and had determined to obtain my full value in the marriage market.
5. Distinguish between Creative and Non-Creative writing.
6. Discuss the various modes of Direct address.
7. Write a short story (approximately 750-1000 words) that develops this opening into a complete detective mystery.
“The antique pocket watch, a family heirloom, was gone. Not just misplaced, but gone from the locked display case in a house known for its impenetrable security. The only clues were a faint scent of jasmine, a single, iridescent feather, and a cryptic note left on the pillow: ‘Time unravels all secrets.'”
8. Write short notes on any one of the following.
a) The relation between language and clarity.
b) Authenticity and credibility
9. ‘A monologue is more than a device,’ Discuss.
IGNOU DCE-01 (July 2024 – January 2025) Assignment Questions
Answer any five questions in all. Choose at least two questions from each section.
SECTION A
1. What do you understand by the term Creative Impulse? Discuss writing as a form of self expression.
2. What do you understand by the term Monologue? Distinguish between a dialogue and a monologue. Give examples to discuss the role of each of them.
3. Comment on the significance of Climax in a Formula story. Discuss the four major types of formula stories that have typical endings.
4. (a)‘Command of language is essential for clarity in writing ‘. Discuss.
(b) What role does authenticity play in good writing? What do you understand by Authorial Voice?
5. Write short notes on:
a) Proofreading
b) Editing
c) Footnotes
d) Imagery and symbols.
SECTION B
6. ’Where are you going’ ? Asked Maria. ‘Outside, ‘said Bruno angrily. ‘If it’s any of your business. ‘He had walked slowly but once he left the room he went more quickly towards the stairs and then ran down them at a great pace, suddenly feeling that if he didn’t get out of the house soon he was going to faint away. And within a few seconds, he was outside and he started to run up and down the driveway, eager to do something active, anything that would tire him out. In the distance, he could see the gate that led to the road that led to the train station that led home, but the idea of going there, the idea of running away and being left on his own without anyone at all, was even more unpleasant to him than the idea of staying. The given passage is taken from a story about a nine-year-old boy whose family has just moved to a new town where he has no one to play with.
(a) Having read the passage. Write a possible opening paragraph of the story. (250words)
(b) What kind of ‘ending’ would you like to give to your story: a typical or a surprise ending? Why?
(c) Write an outline of the ending. (b+c15words)
7. The author of the given passage has successfully established the authenticity of the child’s experience making the account credible and readable. Elaborate on this statement. (400words)
8. Read the following poem and answer the question that follows :
Where the Mind is Without Fear
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up
into fragments’ by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depths of truth;
Where tireless striving? stretches its arms towards
perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its
way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into everwidening thought and action …. Into that heaven of freedom, my Father,
Let my country awake.
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
(a) What are the figures of speech used by the poet to express his ideas? Identify them and describe their impact on the reader.
(b) Describe in your own words the kind of world envisioned in the poem.
