Methods of communication

Correct answer: A. When an immediate response is required

Explanation: The governing concept is choosing a communication channel according to purpose, urgency, and record requirements. A telephone call allows the sender and receiver to ask questions and respond immediately, so it is more suitable when an urgent answer is needed; option A is correct. Email is generally better for a permanent written record or a detailed table. If the receiver cannot answer, a call is obviously less suitable, so D is also incorrect.

Correct answer: B. Verbal and non-verbal communication

Explanation: The governing concept is the use of more than one communication form at the same time. The teacher’s spoken question uses verbal communication because it relies on words and voice. Students raising their hands send a visible body signal without speaking, which is non-verbal communication. Therefore, option B is correct. The situation is not only written, is not mass communication, and does not depend on touch, so options A, C, and D are unsuitable.

Correct answer: A. Written communication

Explanation: The governing concept is the permanence and record-keeping advantage of written communication. A written message, such as a note, letter, or saved text, remains available and can be reread, checked, or quoted later; therefore A is correct. Oral conversation may be remembered inaccurately, while facial expressions and hand gestures are usually temporary and leave no complete textual record.

Correct answer: A. Two friends discussing a holiday plan

Explanation: The governing concept is the difference between informal and formal communication. Informal communication is natural, flexible, and used in familiar relationships for ordinary personal purposes, so two friends discussing a holiday plan is the correct example in A. An examination order, a government rule, and an appointment letter are official documents that require formal language, authority, and often a reliable record.

Correct answer: D. When facial expressions or a demonstration also need to be seen

Explanation: The governing concept is choosing a communication medium according to the information required. A phone call mainly transmits sound, whereas a video call transmits sound and moving images. If facial expressions, gestures, or a demonstration must be observed, the visual channel adds essential information. Therefore option D is correct. A short spoken word needs only audio, no internet prevents a video call, and a written record requires text.

Correct answer: D. A stored digital written message

Explanation: The governing concept is the record-keeping advantage of written digital communication. A stored digital message remains available after it is sent, so the user can search keywords, open it again, compare details, and share it when needed. Therefore option D is correct. A hand gesture, whisper, or bell sound is temporary and normally leaves no searchable text record for later review.

Correct answer: A. Public announcement or broadcast

Explanation: The governing concept is matching the communication method to audience size and timing. A public announcement or broadcast sends one prepared message through a shared channel to many listeners at nearly the same time, making it efficient for emergencies or general instructions. Therefore option A is correct. Private conversations and individual letters require repeated effort, while a handshake communicates to only one person and cannot carry the full message.

Correct answer: A. The message will not reach some receivers

Explanation: The governing concept is choosing a communication method according to the receiver’s access and availability. An app notification can work only for people who have a compatible smartphone, the app, and suitable connectivity. If some receivers lack these resources, the message will not reach them, so A is correct. The notification does not automatically become oral, delete records, or make every image invisible; those claims do not explain the access barrier.

Correct answer: B. Video call and email

Explanation: The governing concept is selecting complementary communication methods for different purposes. A video call supports immediate, personal, two-way discussion through voice and visual presence. Email is suitable for attaching documents and preserving a written record that can be checked later. Thus B meets both requirements over a long distance. Traffic signs, newspapers, and public posters are largely one-way public media and cannot provide a private conversation plus direct document exchange.

Correct answer: B. Giving private performance feedback to one student

Explanation: The governing concept is choosing the communication method according to the audience and purpose. Private performance feedback should be directed to one student so that it can be specific, respectful, and confidential. Option B is therefore the best example of individual communication. A, C, and D involve information intended for many people, so group communication is more efficient and appropriate in those situations.

Correct answer: B. Digital written communication

Explanation: The governing concept is identifying a communication method from the channel that is available. An active chat allows participants to type and read messages, so option B, digital written communication, is correct. A muted microphone prevents direct oral communication, an off camera prevents visible facial expressions, and an online chat does not provide tactile communication. The technology limits some channels but keeps written exchange available.

Correct answer: B. A formal application to the principal and a casual message to a friend

Explanation: The governing concept is audience-centred communication: formality depends on the relationship, purpose, setting, and expected record. A principal is an authority figure and an application is an official request, so formal language is appropriate; a friend normally permits a relaxed message. Therefore option B is correct. The other choices mismatch style with audience or wrongly use one style everywhere.

Correct answer: B. A visually impaired person reading Braille

Explanation: The governing concept is tactile communication, in which information is received through touch rather than sight or sound. Braille uses raised dots that a reader feels with the fingertips, enabling a visually impaired person to interpret written information; therefore option B is correct. A normal poster is visual and cannot be read in darkness, radio is auditory, and video primarily depends on visual content.

Correct answer: A. When a sensitive issue needs immediate discussion and emotional response

Explanation: The governing concept is selecting a communication method according to purpose, urgency, and sensitivity. Face-to-face discussion allows immediate questions, clarification, tone, eye contact, and emotional support, which are valuable during a sensitive matter. Thus option A is correct. Email is usually more suitable when a written record, distant delivery, or mass distribution is the main need, as described by the other options.

Correct answer: B. The receiver can review the steps again

Explanation: The governing concept is choosing written communication when information is detailed or must be followed in sequence. Written steps reduce dependence on memory because the receiver can pause, reread, check completed actions, and return to an earlier instruction. Therefore option B is correct. Written messages can still receive feedback and are not always short; verbal communication also uses words, so the other choices are false.

Correct answer: D. Listening and understanding will become difficult

Explanation: The governing concept is turn-taking in verbal communication. When both speakers talk simultaneously, their words overlap, making the sound unclear and preventing each person from receiving the complete message. The listener may miss important details and feedback becomes confused. Therefore, option D is correct. Options A, B, and C do not describe the problem caused by overlapping speech during a phone call.

Correct answer: B. It provides an additional channel for questions and written reference

Explanation: The governing concept is combining communication channels to improve clarity and participation. Verbal discussion allows immediate explanation, while a chat box lets learners post questions, key points, or links in written form. The record can also help participants review information later. Therefore, option B is correct. Options A, C, and D incorrectly describe the effect of a chat box.

Correct answer: D. Timeliness

Explanation: The governing concept is effectiveness and timeliness in communication. A message may use the correct channel and contain accurate information, but its value can be reduced if it arrives after the decision, warning, or action it was meant to support. Therefore, option D is correct because the delivery time was unsuitable. Visual appeal, word choice, and body posture were not identified as problems in the situation.

Correct answer: A. By preparing written minutes

Explanation: The governing concept is formal written documentation as a reliable communication method. Meeting minutes record the decision, date, participants, assigned responsibilities, and sometimes deadlines, allowing members to check what was actually agreed. This reduces dependence on imperfect memory, so option A is correct. Casual discussion, destroying notes, or preventing feedback would make later confusion more likely rather than less likely.

Correct answer: C. Accuracy

Explanation: The governing requirement is accuracy: communication must present correct, verifiable information, not merely attractive visuals. Because the infographic contains incorrect data, its factual content is unreliable even though its design is appealing. Therefore, option C is correct. Formality concerns style, speed concerns timeliness, and feedback concerns the receiver’s response; none of these directly identifies the stated failure.

Correct answer: D. The main point will be difficult to identify

Explanation: Effective communication should be clear, concise, and focused on its purpose. When unnecessary information surrounds the important details, the receiver must search through a cluttered message, increasing confusion and the chance of missing the intended meaning. Thus option D is correct. Extra detail does not automatically improve credibility, speed, or formality; relevance and organization matter more.

Correct answer: C. Students can review it at their own pace

Explanation: A recorded lesson is an asynchronous communication method because learners do not have to attend at the exact time of delivery. They can pause, replay, and review difficult sections according to their own learning speed, making option C correct. It does not eliminate feedback, it combines spoken and visual elements rather than being only written, and access may still depend on an internet connection or stored file.

Correct answer: D. Unauthorised people may see the information

Explanation: The governing principle is confidentiality: sensitive information should be shared only with authorised recipients through a suitable private channel. An open group may include people who have no legitimate need to know, so option D is correct because unauthorised viewing can cause privacy or security harm. Message length, feedback speed, and whether the medium is visual do not determine whether confidential sharing is safe.

Correct answer: A. To check audience understanding and clarify doubts

Explanation: The governing concept is two-way communication and feedback. During a question-answer session, the audience can reveal what it understood, ask about unclear points, and receive immediate clarification. Therefore option A is correct. The session does not convert the presentation into written communication, remove visual material, or change the original purpose; instead, it checks whether the message has reached the audience effectively.

Correct answer: D. Necessary clarity for action

Explanation: An action-oriented message should state what must be done and, when relevant, by when it must be completed. Without a deadline, the receiver cannot judge urgency, schedule the work, or know the expected completion point, so option D is correct. Emotional tone and visual symbols may influence presentation but are not essential here, while the sender’s medium is already identified as email and is not the missing element.