The Merchant of Venice Past Paper PDF

Tyndale-Biscoe & Mallinson Society English (Golden Test) Tutorials for Class 10 Session: 2021-2022 The Merchant of Venice Brief summary The story is based on William Shakespeare’s famous play “The Merchant of Venice”. The story revolves around two friends, Antonio and Bassanio. As the story goes, Bassanio is in need of money in order to try and win the hand of fair Portia, a rich heiress. But Antonio having invested all his money in his business has no means of helping his friend financially. He, therefore, helps Bassanio by taking a loan of three thousand ducats from a rich and crafty Jewish money lender named Shylock. Antonio promises to pay him back the entire amount in three months time when his ships return. Shylock compels him to sign a bond that if he fails to return the borrowed amount in time, the money lender would be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Antonio is unable to pay the required amount by the fixed time. The Jew brings a case against him in the Duke’s court. In the court, Portia disguised as a lawyer, fights the case brilliantly for Antonio. She manages to save his life in the most intelligent manner. Qno.1. Why does Shylock hate Antonio? Ans. Shylock hates Antonio because he lends money to people in distress and does not charge any interest for it. Shylock, being a hard hearted man, exacts the payment of money he lends with much severity. Since Antonio is generous, he earns Shylock’s hatred and envy. Qno.2. How does Antonio help Bassanio? Ans. Bassanio wants to travel to Belmont in order to propose to a rich and beautiful girl, called Portia. He has, however, no money to make himself look as rich and important as her other suitors. He goes to Antonio to borrow money. Antonio, has no money, so he decides to borrow the money for Bassanio from an old Jew called Shylock. Shylock lends Antonio the money on the condition that if he fails to repay the money by a certain day, he will, as a penalty forfeit a pound of flesh, to be cut from any part of his body that Shylock pleases. Qno.3. How does Shylock feel when Antonio asks for some money? Why is he interested to pay the required sum? Ans. When Antonio asks Shylock to lend him some money, he feels happy. He thinks if he can ‘catch him on the hip, he will feed fat the ancient grudge’. Shylock reminds Antonio the insults he has suffered at his hands. Shylock finds a chance to take revenge on Antonio by lending him the money without charging any interest. He, however, makes him sign a bond that if he fails to repay the money by a certain day, he will have to forfeit a pound of flesh to be cut from any part of his body. Shylock, thus wants to kill his enemy for not repaying the borrowed money. Qno.4. What condition does Shylock put forth if the debt is not paid in time? Ans. The condition Shylock puts forth is that he will have the right to take a pound of flesh from whichever part of Antonio’s body he wants if the debt is not cleared in time. Qno.5.How does Bassanio marry Portia? Ans. Bassanio loves Portia. He, however, feels hesitant to propose to her. He needs some money to make himself look as rich and important as her other suitors. He goes to Antonio to borrow the money. Antonio has, this time, no cash in hand. He approaches an old Jew, Shylock for the money. Shylock lends him the money on a severe condition that if he fails to repay the debt in time, he will have to forfeit a pound of flesh as penalty. Thus, Antonio arranges the money for his friend at the cost of his life. Bassanio takes the money and reaches Belmont where he manages to impress Portia. The girl falls in love with him and both get married. Qno.6. Why is the case brought before the Duke of Venice? Ans. When the three months mentioned in the bond pass, and Antonio fails to repay the money, Shylock files a case against him before the Duke of Venice claiming the penalty of a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Qno.7. Who is disguised as the learned counsellor (Dr Balthasar)? Why has he come to the court of Venice? Ans. Portia is disguised as the learned counsellor, Dr Balthasar. He has come to the court to plead the case of Antonio who has failed to repay the debt and is facing the trial. \\F22\\ Page 1 of 22 Qno.8. How does the counsellor start the argument, and how was he able to get the judgment in Antonio’s favour? Ans. The counsellor starts his argument in favour of Shylock and says that he indeed has the right to claim his pound of flesh. He, in the same breath, appeals to Shylock to have mercy on Antonio. Shylock is not moved by the counsellor’s appeal and he keeps on sharpening his knife. The counsellor, however, turns the tables against him. He impresses upon Shylock not to shed even a single drop of Antonio’s blood while cutting a pound of flesh from his body. The counsellor tells the court that it is the flesh, not the blood that is named in the bond. This wise interpretation of the counsellor makes him able to get the judgment in favour of Antonio. Qno.9. How does Portia get back her ring? Ans. After Portia, in the guise of a lawyer, has won the case for Antonio, Bassanio goes to thank her. He asks her to accept a gift which Portia refuses. When Bassanio insists, she suggests that he can give her the ring on his finger. Bassanio hesitates but Antonio advises him to give it to the lawyer for he has done a great service to them. This way Portia gets her ring back. Qno.10. Describe the theme/s of the play. Ans. The play “The Merchant of Venice” revolves around three themes- love, sacrifice, and hatred. The beginning of the play describes the hatred of Antonio for an old Jew, Shylock who charges very high rate of interest on the money lent by him to the needy. Shylock also hatches a plan to take revenge on Antonio. The play also highlights Bassanio’s true love for Portia. He does not want to lose his beloved at any cost. Sacrifice is yet another theme reflected in the play. Antonio is an epitome of sacrifice. He lends his money to the needy without charging any interest. He risks his life and borrows money for his bosom friend from a cruel Jew. This, he does to see his friend happy. Character Sketch of Shylock: Shylock, the Jew lived in Venice. He was a usurer by profession. He had amassed an immense fortune by lending money at a great rate of interest to Christian merchants. Being a hard hearted man, he exacted the payment of the money he lent with such severity that he was much disliked by all good men. His hard heartedness had also made Antonio to reproach him. Shylock was accused for his selfish behaviour in the whole city of Venice. Shylock had personal enmity with Antonio. He had planned revenge against him and was looking for an opportunity. It came his way when Antonio approached him with a plea that he needed three thousand ducats. Shylock made Antonio sign a bond that if he failed to repay the money on a certain day, he would have to forfeit a pound of flesh. Luck went Shylock’s way. When Antonio failed to repay the money, Shylock took the case to the Duke of Venice claiming for the penalty. The enemies next met in the court. To feed his greed, Shylock sharpened his knife much to the dismay of Antonio. He was impatient to see Antonio dying at his feet, but this could not happen. The counsellor turned the tables against Shylock by saying that Shylock could cut his pound of flesh from Antonio’s breast, but he must not shed even a single drop of Antonio’s blood. This sabotaged the conspiracy of Shylock, for it was impossible for him to cut the flesh without shedding some blood. Shylock, after this suffered another setback when the young counsellor charge-sheeted him for plotting against the life of a Christian and a citizen of Venice. He demanded that his whole property be seized. Thus, the cruel merchant met a dreadful end. Poem: The Tale of the Custard the Dragon Summary: The poem is a ballad wherein the poet, Ogden Nash, ridicules those who pose to be very brave and courageous, but in times of crisis prove to be cowards. On the other hand, those who make no proud professions and are looked down upon as lazy and cowards, prove their worth when the occasion demands. They turn out to be heroic and courageous. A lady named Belinda had four pets i.e. Ink (a black kitten), Blink (a grey mouse), Mustard (a yellow dog) and Custard (a little dragon). While Ink, Blink and Mustard boasted about their bravery, Custard remained content in his cage. Ink, Blink and Mustard mocked at Custard and called him a coward. Belinda, too, neglected Custard and gave all care to the other three. One day, a pirate broke into Belinda’s house. Ink, Blink and Mustard ran away in fear and hid themselves. But Custard faced the pirate bravely and killed him. Belinda and her three pets danced with joy. But soon all of them started their usual boasting, while Custard never boasted about his strength and was content in his cage. \\F22\\ Page 2 of 22 TEXTUAL QUESTIONS Q1. Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names. Ans: The characters in this poem are (i) Little black kitten with pet name as Ink (ii) Little grey mouse called as Blink (iii) Little yellow dog named as Mustard (iv) The dragon with pet name as Custard. Q2. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Ans: Being a coward, Custard, the dragon, always cried for a cage. All other animals called him a cowardly dragon and laughed at him. He didn’t like it. So he cried for a nice safe cage. Q3. Why is the dragon called cowardly dragon? Ans: The dragon is called cowardly because he lacks courage. He is lazy and always wants to be in a nice safe cage. Q4. “Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful. Why? Ans: Belinda thought that Custard (the dragon) was a coward. He never wanted to be out of his cage. Belinda made a mockery of him. She teased him and all other animals laughed at him. The dragon gave them pleasure when he behaved childishly. Q5. Do you ﬁnd the poem a serious or funny poem? Give reasons in support of your answer? Ans: The poem “The Tale of Custard the Dragon” is a humorous poem. It gives us a very interesting story of Custard the dragon, who was teased for being a coward but who later proved to be brave and turned out to be courageous by saving the lives of those who made him a butt of ridicule. There is a lot of fun, humour and entertainment in the story. Q6. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? Ans: The poem is in the form of quatrains. The rhyme scheme of each quatrain is aa bb. Q7. Pick out the lines from the poem that contains similes. Ans: The lines which contain similes are: (1) The little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard (2) Mouth like a fireplace. (3) Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears. (4) Mustard was as brave as a tiger in a rage. (5)...........snorting like an engine. (6)...........like irons in a dungeon. (7)...........like a robin at a worm. Q8: What images does the poet use in the poem? Ans: The images used in the poem are: (1) chimney for a nose. (2) Ink and Blink chased lions down the stairs. (3) image of a pirate. (4) image of an engine. (5) eating of pirate by the dragon Q9. Which line/stanza is used as a refrain in the poem? Ans: Refrain means a recurring line or a group of lines or a phrase especially at the end of each stanza. Here in this poem the last stanza has been used as a refrain.‘ Poem: Last Lesson of the Afternoon Summary: The poem expresses the bitter feelings of a teacher. The teacher expresses his deep concern over the uselessness of his efforts to teach the students who refuse to learn and who have no interest in acquiring knowledge. They are indifferent, inattentive and totally disinterested. So the teacher has lost all interest in teaching. The only thing he can do is to wait for the last bell to go. The teacher compares himself to a hunter and his students to hounds. If the hounds are unwilling to hunt, what can the poor hunter do? Similarly, if the students are unwilling to hunt for knowledge, what can the poor teacher do? Thus, the poem conveys the message that teaching-learning can never be a one way affair. There can be no teaching if the learner is not willing to learn. Here one is reminded of a proverb, “You can lead a horse to a river but you cannot make it drink.” \\F22\\ Page 3 of 22 Textual Questions Q1. What is the tone in the opening line of the poem? Ans: The tone in the opening line of the poem is that of tiredness, boredom and weariness. The speaker of the poem who happens to be a teacher is fed up with teaching his unruly students. He has been teaching them for a long time now but is disillusioned because of their lack of interest to learn. This gives him a feeling of weariness. Q2. Who is the speaker of the poem? Ans: The speaker of the poem is a teacher. Q3. What are the pupils regarded as? Why has the teacher failed to haul them and urge them any more ? Ans: The pupils are regarded as a pack of unruly hounds who are trying to get free from the chains they are tied with. The teacher has failed to haul them and urge them, because they are not interested in acquiring knowledge. They always try to break loose from the discipline of the classroom. They are totally indifferent, inattentive and disinterested towards their studies. They harbour a kind of hatred for gaining knowledge. That is why the teacher has failed to persuade or coax them to learn. Q4. Which words and phrases in stanza 2 convey the mood of the speaker? Ans: The words and phrases that convey the mood of the speaker are: (i) No longer now can I endure the brunt. (ii) I am sick. Q5. Why doesn’t the speaker want to consume his fuel anymore? Ans: The speaker, a teacher, realizes that he has been wasting his energy so far on a fruitless exercise. He has failed to inspire his pupils who do not want to chase knowledge. Now he does not want to do so anymore. He wants to keep his energy for himself and to utilize it properly. He does not want to consume it for the students who are unwilling to acquire knowledge. Q6. What do you think ‘take the toll of their insults in punishment’ means? Ans: This is a metaphor used by the poet here. Toll is a kind of tax to be paid for using a road. The teacher in the poem projects himself as a road on which the students run their insults and for ferrying these insults, they have to pay the toll in the form of punishments. Though the teacher feels that the students deserve punishment, he chooses not to punish them. Q7. Why does the teacher feel that his teaching and pupils learning are both purposeless? Pick out words and phrases which show that he shares his pupils’ indifference to their work. Ans: The teacher finds his students utterly indifferent towards learning. His efforts have not borne fruits. He has failed to inspire them. So, he loses interest in teaching also. He thinks that his teaching and the pupils learning are both purposeless as he can no longer haul them and urge them anymore. The following words and phrases show that the teacher shares his pupils’ indifference to their work: (i) I will not waste my soul and strength. (ii) What do I care for. (iii) What is the point of their teaching of mine. (iv) What does it matter to me. (v) I do not and will not Q8. Do you ﬁnd any connection between the beginning and the ending of the poem? Ans: In the beginning, there is the tone of boredom and weariness on the part of the teacher. He is sick of his pupils as they show disinterest towards learning. He has failed to inspire them. By the end of the poem, the poet has resolved not to waste his time and energy on a useless exercise. He will no longer care for the teaching of his pupils. So he eagerly waits for the bell to go. Thus, there is a connection between the beginning and the ending of the poem. Q9. After reading this poem, write an account of your opinion about this poem. Ans: The poem records the feelings of a teacher. He is sick of his students. They are not interested in learning. They are wild, uncontrollable and indisciplined. The teacher has failed to inspire them. A teacher is supposed to give his best to his students. But there is another point to be considered. Teaching can never be a one-way affair. Effective and successful teaching can take place only when the students are willing to learn. A student will learn only if he is interested to learn. What will the poor teacher do if the student is not willing to learn? So in a situation when the students have no interest in learning, a teacher prefers to while away the hours in the school. And this is what the teacher in the poem decides to do. He decides to keep his energy for himself and use it in his own way. Thus, the indifference and lack of interest on the part of pupils darkens his spirit. So, he decides to discontinue his efforts and waits anxiously for the bell to go. In this way, the poet has \\F22\\ Page 4 of 22 beautifully portrayed the bitter feelings of a teacher at the thanklessness of his work. Q10. What is the metaphor used by the poet in stanza 1? Ans: In stanza 1 the poet has used the metaphor of hunting. The teacher has been compared to a hunter and his students have been compared to hounds. But here the hounds are unruly and refuse to follow the direction of the hunter. Every time they tug the leash and try to be free. Q11. Identify the metaphor in stanza 3. Ans: There are two metaphors in stanza 3 (i) Here the poet has used the metaphor taken from metallurgy. The energy of the teacher is compared to the fuel. The teacher uses the fuel of his life to strengthen his will power and to overcome the dross of indifference of the students. (ii) The metaphor used by the poet is that of toll to describe how the teacher deals with his unruly students. Toll is a kind of tax to be paid for using a road on which students ferry their insults. And for ferrying these insults, they have to pay the toll in the form of punishments. In other words students are being punished for their mistakes. Poem: From “I Explain A Few Things” Summary: The poem is a lamentation on the Spanish civil war in which the noted poets, Federico Garcia Lorca and Rafael Albert were killed. The poet lived in Madrid, Spanish capital that symbolized prosperity, beauty and promising future. But the civil war destroyed it. Blood gushed out where from flowers used to burst/sprout. The poet describes despair and devastation/tyranny and vandalism through the symbols of jackals, bandits, stones, vipers, fire, blood and bullets. But the poem ends with a note of hope. The poet hopes that there would be an uprising in Spain. The common people would rise up in arms against those perpetrators of bloodshed and have a befitting revenge. In the end, the poet questions his own attitude by not composing poems about dreams and beauties of his homeland. But he clarifies how he could do it when there was blood everywhere in the streets of Madrid, the blood of Spain’s posterity, blood of children. Textual questions Q1. Why does the poet use the title “I Explain a Few Things”? Ans: The poet used to write poems about dreams, nature, beauty and other fantastic themes. But since the Spanish civil war, he is a changed man. He no longer writes the poems about the sweet dreams. He laments the destruction caused by the war. The bloodshed of children in Spanish civil war has filled his heart with grief. As a consequence, he has changed the theme of his poetry. It is in this poem “I Explain a few Things” that the poet explains why he has changed theme of his poems. That is why he has used the title “I Explain a Few Things.” Here in this poem, the poet clarifies that how could he write (compose) poems about dreams and beauties of his homeland when there was blood everywhere in the streets of Madrid, the blood of children. Q2. What are the memories that the poet talks about in the poem? Ans: The poet recalls the time when he lived in Spain. The poet lived in Madrid, the capital city of Spain, in the house called the house of flowers. The house was full of geraniums. The poet recalls the time when peace prevailed in Spain. It was a symbol of prosperity, beauty and a promising future. He also recalls the poets of Spain he had made friends with. During the times of peace, there used to be great hustle and bustle in the markets of Spain. The land was fertile and one could see vast stretches of bumper crop. The city hummed with activity all the time. It was surrounded with rich natural beauty. All these things flash across his mind. Q3. What happened later and why? Ans: The peaceful period in Spain did not last long. The peace and prosperity gave a way to bloodshed one day. The whole Spain was burnt. A civil war broke out in Spain. The whole Spain was destroyed. Everything was engulfed by the war. The hooligans and violent criminals massacred children. They robbed people and killed them. They were bandits who had the support of religious friars. The bloody revolutionaries of Spain slaughtered people. Among those killed ones, there were his (the poet’s) friends also. The heartless revolutionaries drowned the whole of Spain in blood. They were blind in their pride and stabbed people to death. They were traitors. Thus, the peaceful life of Spain was spoiled. Q4: Why doesn’t the poet write the poetry of sweet dreams? Ans: The terrible bloodshed during the Spanish civil war has changed the mindset of the poet. It is haunting his mind. He is terribly shocked by the mass killing of people including children. His heart is heavy with grief. He has changed the theme of his poems. He no longer writes the poems about the sweet dreams and natural beauty that he used to write. The poet makes it clear himself that how he \\F22\\ Page 5 of 22 can write poems about set dreams when blood is gushing out everywhere in the streets of Spain. It is the blood of innocent people and children. The poet is simply shocked by all this bloodshed and therefore, has stopped writing poems on the beauty of nature. Q5. Explain the lines: My house was named. The house of flowers........moment blood. Ans: In these lines the poet gives description of the place where he used to live in Madrid, the capital of Spain. It was a charming place. His house was named the house of flowers as there were geraniums blooming everywhere. It was a beautiful house with dogs and children flocking everywhere. The poet recalls some of his friends who were killed in the civil war. They included poets like Rafael, Raul and Federico Garcia Lorca. All these poets were lying dead under the earth. The poet invokes their names to seek confirmation about what he has said about his house. The poet’s house was a symbol of charm where flowers grew so high. The building of his house was marvelous with balconies and it had a weather-vane at the top. There were vast stretches of bumper crop in Spain extending upto sea. All this symbolizes the peace and prosperity of Spain. But one day the peaceful life of Spain was spoiled when suddenly big fires broke out. These fires of civil war engulfed large number of men. From that moment it was fire and gunpowder exploding everywhere. From that moment blood is seen in the streets of Spain. Q6. How has the civil war affected Spain? Ans: The civil war has caused utter destruction in Spain. It has changed its face. The fertile country has turned into a fire place. It has become a graveyard. The blood is gushing out in the streets. The peaceful days have gone. The bandits, vipers, jackals have taken the reigns of the country. Spain has become a battle field after the civil war. Everywhere one can see blood in the streets. Civil war has changed Spain from a land of flowers into a land of dead bodies. Many noted poets have been assassinated. The posterity of Spain has been slaughtered. Q7. Explain the journey of the poet from happiness to agony? Ans: The poet undergoes a change of mood from happiness to agony. In the beginning of the poem, he seems to be very delighted with what Spain symbolizes. It is the symbol of peace, prosperity and life. The poet is happy with the hustle and bustle of life in Spain. The poet is joyous / pleased to live with his friends in Spain. But all his hope and joy gives place to agony and grief as soon as he recalls the infamous civil war. The poet is pained to see the bloodshed of innocent masses. He is agonized to watch to be a witness of colossal destruction of property by the bandits. The poet is so heavy hearted, that he no longer writes the poems about sweet dreams or natural beauty of his native land. Q8. What is the mood the poet in the poem? How do you feel after reading this poem? Ans: The poet is very sad. He feels sorry for people in Spain. He laments the loss of life and property in Spain. Being a witness to the destruction caused by the civil war, the poet experiences it as a nightmare. He is moved by the assassination of posterity of Spain -the children. The poet is utterly agonized to see Spain caught in the flames. After reading the poem, we share the grief of the poet. Our eyes are full of tears. One can hardly believe that man, the crown of creation, can turn into a violent beast and callous to wreak havoc. Verily, the poem gives us a shock. Q9. What are the symbols used by the poet? What do they symbolize? Ans: There are plenty of symbols and unique phrases in the poem which enrich it. In this instance, the poet has used the words like bells, clocks, trees and the phrase ‘a sea of leather’. All these expressions symbolize the charm and glory of Spain. It also indicates that Spain hummed with life and activity. Again, ‘the light of June drowned flowers in your mouth’ and ‘the frenzied ivory of potatoes and tomatoes’ symbolize the vitality and fertility of Spanish soil. These expressions can also be taken to mean peace and happiness. In order to describe the bloody revolution, the poet has used the symbols of jackals, stooges and vipers. Similarly, the poet describes despair and devastation/tyranny through the symbols of blood and bullets. Q10. Pick out the images used by the poet to describe peace and war in the poem. (OR) Discuss the imagery of the poem. Ans: The poem ‘I explain a few things’ by Pablo Neruda is rich in the imagery. The poet has created the images both of peace and war. The images of peace used by the poet are: (i) Everywhere geraniums sprouted (ii) The endless expanse of land with potatoes and tomatoes growing on it. \\F22\\ Page 6 of 22 The images of war used by the poet are: Bonfire leaping from the earth devouring human beings, bandits, moors, thugs, jackals, vipers and the blood in the streets. " Chapter - Out of Business (R.K.Narayan) Q1. What was Rama Rao’s business? How did it collapse? Ans: Rama Rao did not have any big business. He worked as the Malgudi agent of a gramophone company. He had deposited the little money he had inherited with the company as security. For five years his business brought him enough money to help him keep his wife and children in good comfort. But then suddenly the company collapsed. The gramophone company which had its factory somewhere in Northern India, automatically collapsed when a bank in Lahore crashed, which was itself the result of a Bombay financier’s death. Q2. What effect did the collapse of Rama Rao’s business have on him and his family? Ans: Rama Rao suddenly found himself in the streets. At ﬁrst, he could hardly understand the full significance of this collapse. There was a little money in the bank and he had some stock on hand. But the stock moved out slowly. He could not even get back his security from the gramophone company. Rama Rao’s wife tried some measures of economy. She sent away the cook and the servant, withdrew the children from a fashionable nursery school and sent them to a free primary school. And they let out their bungalow and moved to a very small house behind the market. Rama Rao moved from pillar to post in search of a job for himself, but all in vain. Thus, the condition of the family went from bad to worse. Q3. What is the stock referred to in line 13? Ans. Roma Rao worked as Malgudi agent of a gramophone company. He dealt in the gramophone records manufactured by this company. The stock referred to here is the stock of gramophone records he had on hand with him when the company failed. Q4. Why did Rama Rao worry less about his family after he came across The Captain? Ans. The Captain was the name of a journal. It consisted of four pages and all of them were devoted to crossword puzzles. It offered every week a ﬁrst prize of four thousand rupees. For the next few days his head was free from family cares as he was intensely thinking of his answers for the puzzles. After sending down his solutions, he waited for the results. He had all hope of winning the prize. But he was badly disappointed when the results came. Week after week he invested a little money and sent down his solution and every week he waited the results with a palpitating heart. All the time Rama Rao remained lost in thinking of the answers to be for filled in the puzzles. He became indifferent to his wife and children. Q5. Why did Rama Rao decide to send in at least four entries for the special offer crossword competition? Ans. Before this competition, Rama Rao had been sending his single entry for the crossword puzzles week after week. He always hoped to win a prize but never got any. One day, when he caught the sight of a special offer of eight thousand rupees in the journal, he was excited. As he badly needed money, he didn’t want to lose it. He studied the puzzle thoroughly. There were only four doubtful corners in it. This time he did not want to take risk. He didn’t want to leave anything to chance. He wanted to be sure of winning a prize. So, he decided to send in at least four entries this time. Q6. Why did Rama Rao plan to go to Madras? Ans: Rama Rao had sent in four solutions for the special offer in crossword puzzle competition. This time he was dead sure of winning the prize because there were only four doubtful corners and he had covered them all by sending four entries. With this certainty, he started making plans for future. He thought he would send away the tenants and take his wife and children back to the bungalow. He would leave all the prize money in his wife’s hands for her to manage the home affairs and run the family for a couple of years. For himself, he would take only a small amount and go away to Madras. There he would try to ﬁnd some profitable work for himself. That was why Rama Rao planned to go to Madras. Q7. What made Rama Rao believe that God had shown him mercy? Ans. Rama Rao had tried his best to ﬁnd a job for himself but all in vain. He then sent in the solutions for the crossword puzzles with the hope to win. But here too, he could not win. He had now all hope that he would win a big prize in the special offer crossword competition. This time he had taken no chances. But when the results came, there was no prize for him. It was too big a shock for him. He \\F22\\ Page 7 of 22 decided to end his life on the railway line. He laid down across the railway line. A train was due in a few minutes. Rama Rao kept lying for quite some time but the train didn’t come. He got tired and rose up. He walked towards the station. Rama Rao came to know that there had been an accident in which a goods carrying train had derailed. As a result the train was three hours late. Thus Rama Rao was sure that God had shown him mercy. Q8. How did Rama Rao alternate between hope and despair? Ans. Rama Rao desperately tried to overcome his financial difficulties. He followed the short cut method of solving the crossword puzzles. He would send an entry every week and then waited for the results. But when the results came, he would never ﬁnd his name among the names of the winners. He was thus filled with despair. For hours he would remain in a state of shock. The only way to forget it was to plunge into the next week’s puzzle. He would give all time to think of correct solutions. There would begin another week of hope after he had sent in his entry. But this previous hope would again change into despair when the results came. Thus Rama Rao alternated between hope and despair. Q9. Keeping in view the theme of the story, do you think that short cut methods should be followed in life? Why? Ans. Man is the crown of creation. He should not lose hope at any stage. Even if success eludes him for some time, he should not despair. He should keep calm and try hard for success. He can succeed only if he plans his actions. There are people who use some shortcuts to do something and ignore sustained efforts. Short cuts may give some success but it is all temporary. There is risk involved in short cut methods. If we work and put in sustained efforts, we are sure to win and feel satisfied. A sustained effort is the only key to real and everlasting success. Therefore, we must never form the habit of following short cut methods. This is what we learn from Rama Rao’s story. He follows short cut methods to overcome his financial problems. These methods ultimately take him to the railway line. It is only God’s mercy that holds up the train. Otherwise, Rama Rao’s shortcut methods would have cut his life short. Q10. Give character sketch of Rama Rao: Ans Rama Rao is a caring father and husband. He works in a gramophone company. He has wife and children whom he loves very much. He lives a comfortable life. But one day his bitterness collapses. He finds himself in the streets. Rama Rao goes from pillar to post in search of a job for himself. But all in vain. He becomes a symbol of despair. He loses courage. He desperately needs a job to feed his family. But he fails to find one. He follows a short cut method of solving puzzles to overcome the problems of his life. But he fails there too. He is in utter hopelessness. He does not know what to do. Finally, he decides to commit suicide. But it is God’s mercy that saves him. We feel sorry for him over his pitiable condition. But one thing worth to be noted is that he fails to maintain his cool to fight out the crisis. Instead he resorts to shortcut methods that min him. He never thinks about temperament solving his problems by any other just way. Q11. What is the theme of the story ‘Out of Business’’? Ans. The story ‘Out of Business’ strikes a very clear theme that we should not follow shortcut methods in life to solve our problems. These short cuts become the cause of our ruin. A short cut method means doing something quickly. It is said that haste makes waste. When we are in haste, we are sure to commit mistakes. Shortcut approach is not a sound approach for any work. Instead we must understand that the real success lies in the sustained efforts and hard work. Dedication and honesty give us strength. We should maintain our cool mind and fight out the crisis. There is no substitute to hard work. It pays in the long run. Short Story “The Servant” Q1. Why had Gerasim been going about in vain in the village? Ans: Gerasim had been working for a merchant in Moscow. But then he was summoned back to his village for military duty. However, he had not been drafted. So, he had nothing to do in the village. It seemed dull to him in the village. He was not used to village life. He didn’t like to work in the village. Therefore, he didn't feel happy living in the village. That was why he had been going about in vain in the village. \\F22\\ Page 8 of 22 Q2. Where had he been working? Why did he return to his village? Ans: Gerasim had been working in Moscow. He was from a village, but he had been living in Moscow since early boyhood. When still a mere child, he had gone to work in a brewery as bottle-washer, and later as a lower servant in a house. In the last two years, he had been a merchant’s employee. But then he was summoned back to his village for military duty. So he had to give up his job and return to his village. Q3. What did the coachman tell Gerasim when he narrated his village? The coachman gave Gerasim a long sermon on honesty and faithfulness. He said that the workers serve their employers diligently. The employers in return lose their trust in them. When they leave their jobs, they usually muddle up their way back to them. Soon the coachman added that they (the workers) should serve their masters in a way that their masters should think a lot of them and take them willingly again when they come back to them. The coachman gives his own example. He says that if ever he leaves again his place and goes home, his master would gladly take him back. Thus, he tells Gerasim indirectly that if he had served his master sincerely, he would not have to hanker for a job them. Q4. How will the coachman persuade his master inn employ Gerasim? Ans: The coachman had a glib tongue. He first tried to convince his master that it was no longer worth to keep Polikarpych as a servant. He had become too old to do his job well. The coachman said Polikarpych never shoveled the snow away on time. Thus, he could bring his master trouble from the police. And when it was his turn to be a night watchman, he slipped away at least ten times a night. Thus, the coachman painted Polikarpych in very dark colours. The master had real sympathy for his old servant who had sincerely served him for fifteen years. He thought it a sin to leave him to starve in his old age. But the coachman was perfect in his glib art. He succeeded at last in persuading his master to dismiss Polikarpych and instead employ Gerasim who, he said, was a young man from his village with no job. Q5. Why was the master reluctant to disengage the old servant? Ans: The master was a very noble man. He had all love and sympathy for his old servant. The servant had served him for fifteen years. He had never any complaint against him. He had the concern that where would he go in his old age if he was sacked from the service. He knew that he had a wife to feed. He thought it to be sin to leave the old man and woman to starve in their old age. He was conscience- stricken. His conscience didn’t allow him to disband him from service. Above all there wasn’t any cause whatsoever to dismiss him. Q6. What did Gerasim hear while crossing the yard? Ans: Gerasim heard voices coming from a room. They were the voices of a man and a woman. They were the old servant and his wife who were being disengaged from there. They were wailing over the way they had been dismissed. They had served their master honestly and faithfully. But now in their old age they had been asked to go. They had nowhere to go to. They could do nothing but beg. Gerasim heard the man saying that the coachman was the real devil on whose insistence it had happened. At this the wife called him a serpent. She said that she would go to the master and tell him how the coachman had been stealing his things. The old woman burst out sobbing. She said that the coachman had ruined them. Q7. What did the old couple think about the master? Ans: The old couple was very angry with the master. They thought that their master was very mean. They had served him honestly and faithfully for fifteen years. But now he had dismissed them in their old age. The old woman said that their master was selﬁsh who cared only for his own advantage. He had no sympathy for them. But the husband said that the master was not so much to blame. He called the coachman the real culprit. But finally, it was the master who had to take the decision of dismissal of the old man. Thus, they were not happy with their master at all. They felt that he was equally wicked. Q8. What was the effect of old couples conversation on Gerasim? Ans: Gerasim had heard all that the old couple had said. Their conversation stabbed him like a dagger. He realized what misfortune he would be bringing to the old couple, and it made him sick at heart. He stood there for a long while, saddened, lost in thought. He felt sorry for the old couple. He was remorse stricken. He was in a fix. Finally, he turned and went back to Yegor, the coachman. He thanked him for all the trouble he had taken for him. But said that he didn't like the place. He would look for another one for himself \\F22\\ Page 9 of 22 Q9. How does the story reflect humility of Gerasim? Ans: Gerasim is full of modesty is reflected all through the story. In the very beginning, Gerasim hankers after a job in Moscow. But he fails to ﬁnd one. While finding the job there, he stays with some of his friends and relatives. When he finds that some of his friends suffer unpleasantness from their masters on his account, he decides not to be a burden on them. Because of this, sometimes he goes a whole day without eating. But he never says a word against any one. He comes to a man from his village who is a coachman with a rich merchant. The merchant starts giving him a sermon on faithfulness and honesty. He indirectly blames Gerasim because his previous master had refused to take him back. Gerasim listens to all this with downcast eyes. This shows his humility. The humility is at its climax at the end of the story. He hears the old couple wailing over the dismissal of the old servant from his service. He feels very sorry for the old couple. He comes back to the coachman and refuses to take the place which he needs badly. Truly Gerasim is very humble character. Writing work Q1. Compare and contrast the characters of the Gerasim and the coachman? Ans: Gerasim and the coachman have nothing common except that they are from the same village. The two are poles apart in their character. One is the opposite of the other. Gerasim is humble. Simple- hearted, kind and loving. self-sacrificing and less talkative. On the other hand. the coachman is proud, cunning, hard-hearted, selﬁsh and abusive. No doubt the coachman helps Gerasim to get a job with his master but the entire episode shows more of his cunningness than helpfulness. And the contrast becomes so clear at the end of the story when Gerasim overhears the old couple's conversation and refuses to take their place. The coachman becomes furious and calls him an idiot. In nutshell. We see a devil in one and an angel in the other. Q2. Theme of the story (The Servant) Ans: The theme of the story, ‘The Servant’ is sincerity and humility. This theme runs across the whole story. Humility and sincerity are the real wealth of a person. The material wealth though needed by a person is not everything. One cannot achieve all happiness from wealth. Sincerity gives a long lasting pleasure. It makes us light hearted. Sincerity in a person makes him a human being. If we lack sincerity, we are worse than a beast. We see in the story at the end that Gerasim feels light hearted even though he loses the position which he badly needs. SHORT STORY – DUSK Q1. What was the atmosphere at the Hyde Park? Ans: It was an early March evening at around half past six. The dusk had fallen heavily over the scene. There was a wide emptiness over road and sideways, and yet there were many figures moving through the half-light. It was hard to distinguish people from each other in such an atmosphere. Beyond the sheltering screen of bushes and palings came a realm of brilliant lights. In short, we can say that the atmosphere at the Hyde Park was that of a glowing. The mood of the people completely harmonized with the scene at the park. Q2. Do the atmosphere and the mood at the pain justify the title of the story? OR Justify the title of the story, Dusk. Ans: The title of the story is very apt. It is the evening time of an early March day. Dusk has fallen heavily on the scene. This is the setting of the story. Not only the park is enveloped in the dusk, but it can also be seen on the mental and spiritual level. The people who have visited the park at this time seem to have been defeated in their lives. They are those who are no longer wanted or needed anywhere. They are the people of fallen fortunes and dead hope which come out at this time to hide all their failures from the scrutiny of the curious conscience. In a way, they have reached the dusk of their lives. They are gloomy and hopeless. So the scene at the park harmonises with the present mood of the people there. Thus, the title of the story precisely reflects the mood and the atmosphere at the time of dusk. Q3. Draw a profile of the person who first sat near Gortsby on the bench. Ans: The person who ﬁrst sat near Gortsby on the bench was an elderly gentleman. He seemed to have lost interest in life. He looked defeated. But he would not admit it. It seems that he was mostly not cared of by anybody. The gentleman looked a self-respecting person. He could never bow to anything or anybody even in that stage of life. His clothes could scarcely be called shabby. But one could not call them fine also. It seems he was in the dusk of life. \\F22\\ Page 10 of 22 Q4. What according to Gortsby was the weak point of young man's story? Ans: The young man told Gortsby that he was a new comer in the town. He stayed in a hotel some way off Berkshire square. As he hated using hotel soap, he had left his hotel to buy a cake of soap. He had only a shilling in his pocket. He spent it on buying the soap and having a drink at a bar. The young man added when he came to turn his steps back to the hotel, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten the name of the hotel and the street it was in. Gortsby demanded the young man to produce the cake of soap as an evidence for his story. But the young man had no soap with him. It was this lack of evidence that Gortsby called the weak point of the young man’s story. Q5. While walking back to his seat in the park, what did Gortsby see? Ans: As Gortsby retraced his steps past the seat, he saw an elderly gentleman. He was poking and peering beneath the seat and on all sides of it as he seems to have lost something. Gortsby recognized him to be the same old man who had been sitting by his side on the bench that evening. He enquired of him what he was looking for. The old man answered that he had lost a cake of soap and was looking for it, Gortsby at once realize that he had been fooled by the young man. Q6. How did Gortsby feel when he realized he had been fooled? Ans: The story does not tell us how Gortsby felt when he realized that he had been fooled. But one can guess he must have felt very silly. The youngman had spun a yarn to extort money from Gortsby. Though he did not believe his story in the beginning, but he believed him after finding the cake of soap as evidence. But it was only in the end that Gortsby was able to sift grain from the chaff. Q7. What did Gortsby imagine about the people who visited the Hyde Park? Ans. Gortsby imagined about the people who visited the Hyde Park as defeated in life. They were the people who had fought and lost their battle of life. They were the people whose fortunes were fallen. They had no hopes. They visited the park at dusk to hide their shabby clothes, fallen fortunes and bowed shoulder from the scrutiny of the curious silence and the gloom of the atmosphere harmonized with their feelings. Gortsby compares them with bats who also come out in the dark only. Q8. What is irony? Bring out the elements of irony in the story? Ans: Iron is a technique used by writers in many situations such as, a statement made that is obviously contradicted by the tone of voice or the context the expectations aroused by a situation are reversed. In the story, Dusk, the writer has used this technique a couple of times. First, when the young man remarks with a curse: “you wouldn't be in a good temper if you were in the fix”. Immediately thereafter is Gortsby in a fix instead of the young man. Again, when the young man speaks eloquently: l suppose you think I have spun you rather an impossible yarn. Later on, the same impossible yarn became possible. Again the argument of Gortsby that the weak point of the story was that he could not produce the soap, proves providently helpful for the purpose. Finally, the greatest of ironies in the plot is Gortsby admonishing himself for being too clever in Judging by circumstances, but ultimately he falls prey to his own statement. Q9. What is juxtaposition? Has Saki been able to Just oppose humour and pathos in Dusk? Ans: Juxtaposition means putting opposite things together to show the contrast. In the story, Dusk Saki has juxtaposed humour and pathos in a very subtle manner. There is pathos in the description of people who visit the Hyde Park at dusk. Their hopes are dead and fortunes fallen. There is also pathos in the description of the elderly gentleman to whose piping no one dances. There is the juxtaposition of the improbable story that the young man tells. The weak points in his story make us laugh. A roar of laughter escapes us at the end of the story when the elderly gentleman tells Gortsby that he has lost a cake of soap. Thus, there is both humour and pathos in the story intertwined skillfully by the writer. Additional Questions Q1. Discuss the theme of the story Dusk. Ans: The story Dusk’ is an interesting story. The theme of the story is that we should never let ourselves to be fooled by the false stories of others. In the story Gortsby falls prey to the improbable tale of the youngman. Thus, the story conveys the message that we should always remain vigilant about our surroundings. We should never be swayed by the pathetic stories of strangers. In short, we should stop being gullible. \\F22\\ Page 11 of 22 Q2. Write a short ironical dialogue. Ans: A: We went to the river this morning to enjoy swimming. B: Very nice. How long did you swim? A: All day, there was no water in the river. B: Fool, then how could you swim? A: You fool, our eyes swam. B: Your eyes swam? A: Yes, with tears: B: So you enjoyed yourself with tears. Ha! Ha! Q3. Do you approve of the behaviour and approach of Gorts by in the story? Explain. Ans: Gortsby's behaviour and approach in the story are quite natural. His actions and reactions are all natural. He proves himself an intelligent person. He seems to be very sympathetic towards the people in distress. This intelligent character comes to surface in the story when he at once picks the weak point in the young man’s story. No doubt he gets fooled at the end of the story. But it is his goodness that he agrees to help the young man. He understands his problem which made him pity him. In short we can say that he does everything rightly. PLAY – THE PROPOSAL Thinking About Language Q1. What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says “And I've always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son"? Find reasons for your answer from the play. Ans: At first, Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to borrow money. He was not sincere when he told Lomov that he had always loved him and that he was like his own son. He had decided that he would not give Lomov any money if he tried borrowing from him. If he truly meant what he had said, then he would not have thought of not giving him money. He said so only because Lomov had come with the proposal to marry his daughter. Q2. Chubukov says of Natalya: “... as if she won't consent! She’s in love; egad, she's like a lovesick cat...” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer. Ans: Chubukov thought that Lomov was a good marriage prospect for his daughter. He had been waiting for this proposal. When Lomov expressed his doubt regarding Natalya's consent to the proposal, Chubukov immediately told him that she was in love with him. However, this was not true. Natalya did not seem to be in love with Lomov at any point in the play. It seemed like she was more attached to her land, meadows and dogs than to Lomov. In fact, the way they kept getting into arguments about trivial matters suggests that neither Lomov nor Natalya was in love with the other. Q3. (i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other. (For example, Lomov in the end calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier, Chubukov has himself called Lomov a “malicious, double faced intriguer." Again, Lomov begins by describing Nayalya as “an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well—educated.”) Ans: (i) Several words and expressions have been used by the characters to describe each other. Some of them are as follows: Chubukov: grabber; intriguer; old rat; Jesuit Natalya: a lovesick cat; an excellent housekeeper; not bad-looking, well—educated Lomov: a good neighbour; a friend; impudent; pettifogger; a malicious, double-faced intriguer; rascal; blind hen; turnip-ghost; a villain; a scarecrow; monster; the stuffed sausage; the wizen-faced frump; boy; pup; milksop; fool THEME Proposal’ is a one-act play. Actually, it is a farce written by Anton Chekhov in 1888-89. The farce explores the process of getting married and could be read as a satire on the upper middle class and courtship. The play is about the tendency of wealthy families to seek matrimonial ties. The real purpose is to increase their estates and landed properties. Ivan Lomov was a wealthy neighbour of another wealthy farmer Stepan Chubukov. Lomov comes to seek the hand of Chubukov’s twenty-five-year-old daughter, Natalya. The play points out the struggle to balance the economic necessities of marriage and what the characters themselves actually want. It shows the characters' desperation for marriage as comical. In Chekhov's Russia, marriage was the means of economic stability for most people. They married to gain wealth and possessions or to satisfy social pressure. The satire is conveyed successfully by emphasizing the couple's foolish arguments \\F22\\ Page 12 of 22 over small things. The main arguments in the play revolve around The Oxen Meadows and two dogs called Ugadi and Otkatai CHARACTER SKETCHES LOMOV Lomov can be considered as the pivotal character in the one-act play “The Proposal” since the play revolves round the proposal offered by Lomov for Chubukov’s daughter, Natalya. Lomov is a young, unmarried man of thirty five. He is anxious to get married as he has already reached a critical age. Being a typical landowner, Lomov also considers marriage as to maintain social status and relationships rather than an emotion involving personal feelings. So he decides to propose Natalya, who is twenty-five years old. Lomov thinks that she is a good housekeeper and is not bad looking. Lomov is a funny character. He is suffering from palpitation. He behaves as if he is eccentric. He is seen so eager to marry Natalya. But when he comes to propose to her, he starts quarrelling over trifles. He quarrels on issues like Oxen Meadows and pet dogs named Squeezer and Guess. He even abuses Natalya and her father Chubukov while quarreling. NATALYA Natalya forms a significant character in the play, ‘The Proposal’. She is a grown up daughter of a land- owner named Chubukov. She is twenty-five, but not married yet.She is attractive if not a perfect beauty queen. She is the cause of much worry to her father as being unmarried. She is a moody and whimsical girl. The ‘love-sick’ cat, Natalya does not even know Lomov’s reason of arrival to her house in the very beginning of the play, rather engages herself in a quarrel with Lomov over Oxen Meadows and Guess versus Squeezer. She cries and condemns him. After he has gone, she comes to know that he had come to propose to her. She insists upon her father's calling him back. She submits to him and is willing to accept him as her husband but she again quarrels with him over their dogs. After their betrothal she again quarrels with Lomov. Chubukov calls it their family bliss. She is a quarrelsome girl. She does not know any check or restraint. All this makes her a very funny character. According to Lomov, Natalya is an excellent house- keeper, not at all bad looking and well-educated. She has a false sense of superiority. She condemns and abuses her lover for nothing. She has no patience to listen to her lover who wants to give his meadows to her after their marriage as a gift Stephan Chubukov Chubukov is a land owner. Chubukov is delineated as Natalya’s father in the play. He wants her daughter to get married as early as possible and that’s why he accepts Lomov’s proposal for marriage for her daughter, though he doesn’t like Lomov to a great extent. The dramatist’s portrayal of Chubukov considering her daughter a liability also reflects the social life and mindset of the people encompassing marriage as a means to mitigate the burden on the part of a girl’s father. He is always like an antagonistic man. He is a very greedy man when it comes to find a match for his daughter. In spite of all these, he acts as a gulf between Natalya and Lomov and wishes that they get married soon. While talking to others he is always polite. Even he welcomes Lomov very kindly. He could also be seen was as a loving father. Chubukov thinks that Lomov was a good marriage prospect for his daughter. He has been waiting for this proposal. When Lomov expresses his doubt regarding Natalya's consent to the proposal, Chubukov immediately tells him that she was in love with him. Chubokov is also a funny character. After betrothal when Natalya quarrels again with Lomov, Chubukov calls it their family bliss. GRAMMAR Narration: Reported to Reporting Speech David said, “I’m baking a chocolate cake for you.’’ David said that he was baking a chocolate cake for me. If we consider these two sentences, we might notice that both of them convey the same message, but there is a difference if we look closely. In the first sentence, I am conveying the activities of David in his own words without changing it; it is called direct speech or we can say reporting speech. In the second sentence, I am using my own words to convey the activities of the speaker to the audience. This we can say indirect speech or reported speech. There are some major rules to change these speeches from direct to indirect. We need to consider the tense, pronoun, words that describe time, place, distance, types of sentences, etc. Let’s have a glance at the following rules: 1. Pronoun: In an indirect speech the pronoun changes according to the speaker whether he/she is referring to himself/herself or a third person. We can make this clearer if we learn this with some examples: \\F22\\ Page 13 of 22 Direct: George said, “I cannot be with you.” Indirect: George said that he could not be with me. Direct: I said, “Leave me alone” Indirect: I ordered to leave me alone. (Note: in this sentence the speaker is same, so there is no change in the indirect speech.) Direct: They said, “We will be partying tonight.” Indirect: They said that they would be partying that night. Direct: I told George, “You should stay.” Indirect: I told George that he should stay. Direct: She asked, “How are you doing today?” Indirect: She asked me how I was doing that day. Direct: Robert said, “Can you pull me up?” Indirect: Robert asked if I could pull him up. 2. Type of Sentences: a. Reporting Interrogative sentences: I) If there is a yes-no question in the direct speech, then the reported speech will start with whether/if and the reported clause form will be (subject + verb). Example: Direct: Peter said, “Are you from Australia?” Indirect: Peter asked if I was from Australia. Direct: Tom asked, “Do you want to sit here?” Indirect: Tom asked whether I wanted to sit there. II) In indirect speech questions starting with who, whom, when, how, where and what the wh-word would be the subject or the object of the reported clause: Example: Direct: Brad said, “Who will come with me?” Indirect: Brad asked who would go with him. Direct: Tina said, “What will be the charges?” Indirect: Tina inquired what the charges would be. Direct: I said the man, “Where is the hotel?” Indirect: I asked the man where the hotel was. Direct: Mother said, “How is the chicken?” Indirect: Mother asked me how the chicken was. b. Reporting statement sentences: In a statement speech, we will use ‘that’ before the reported statement and the reported verb will be ‘told’ (followed by an object) or ‘said’ (will not be followed by an object). Example: Direct: Edward said, “I like the book.” Indirect: Edward said that he liked the book. Direct: Alice said, “I want you to sing.” Indirect: Alice told me to sing. c. Reporting imperative sentences: We will use ‘to’ as joining clause before the reported command or request, and the reported verb will be changed according to the moods of the sentence (e.g., ordered, requested, urged, advised, forbade or begged) Example: Direct: The man said, “Please, bring me a chair.” Indirect: The man requested to bring him a chair. Direct: The officer said, “Fall back!” Indirect: The officer ordered to fall back. Direct: Mother said, “Listen to your elders.” Indirect: Mother advised me to listen to my elders. Direct: Mr. Murphy said, “Do not go near the house.” Indirect: Mr. Murphy forbade going near the house. \\F22\\ Page 14 of 22 d. Reporting exclamatory sentences: To change direct exclamatory speeches to the indirect one we need to replace interjection (hurrah, wow, alas, oh, etc.) with joining clause ‘that’ and the exclamatory wh-words (what, how) will be replaced by ‘very’ before the adjective in the reported clause. Examples: Direct: Clare said, “Hurrah! Barcelona won the match!” Indirect: Clare exclaimed with joy that Barcelona had won the match. Direct: I said, “Alas! My pet died.” Indirect: I exclaimed with grief that my pet had died. 3. Tense: Usually, the present changes to past tense while we change direct speech to indirect. a. Simple present tense to simple past tense: Example: Direct: She said, “I work in the New York Times.” Indirect: She said that she worked in the New York Times. Direct: Jim said, “Bill loves to drink juice.” Indirect: Jim said that Bill loved to drink juice. Exceptions: If the content is still true or happening then we do not need to change the tense in the reported speech. Like; Direct: She said, “I live in Paris.” Indirect: She said that she lives in Paris. b. Present continuous to past continuous tense Example: Direct: Mother said, “Bob is taking a nap.” Indirect: Mother said that Bob was taking a nap. Direct: He asked, “Are they writing the paper?” Indirect: He asked if they were writing the paper. c. Present perfect to past perfect tense: Example: Direct: Nicolas said, “I have made a donut.” Indirect: Nicolas said that he had made a donut. Direct: The teacher said, “The dates have been decided.” Indirect: The teacher announced that the dates had been decided. d. Present perfect continuous to past perfect continuous tense: Example: Direct: Mr. Parson asked, “How long have you been working here?” Indirect: Parson asked me how long I had been working there?” Direct: The boy said, “I have been waiting for my mother since morning.” Indirect: The boy said that he had been waiting for his mother since morning. e. Simple past to past perfect tense Example: Direct: Robert Langdon said, “My mother gave me the Mickey watch.” Indirect: Robert Langdon said that his mother had given the Mickey watch to him. Direct: The teacher said, “Shakespeare’s Drama Company built the Globe Theatre in 1599.” Indirect: The teacher said that Shakespeare’s Drama Company had built the Globe Theatre in 1599. f. Past Continuous to Past Perfect Continuous tense: Example: Direct: Jenny said, “Marlow was leaving Belgium.” Indirect: Jenny told me that Marlow had been leaving Belgium. Direct: Maria said, “I was dialing your number, and you called.” Indirect: Maria said that she had been dialing my number and I had called. Note: If two sentences are combined with a conjunction, and both sentences have different tenses then we need to change the tenses of both sentences according to the rule. \\F22\\ Page 15 of 22 g. Past perfect tense does not change in the indirect speech: Example: Direct: Alex said, “I had stopped to visit you.” Indirect: Alex said that he had stopped to visit me. Direct: She said, “Greece had tried to uphold their economy.” Indirect: She said that Greece had tried to uphold their economy. h. Simple future tense to present conditional: Example: Direct: Smith said, “My parents will be there at 9am.” Indirect: Smith said that his parents would be there at 9am. Direct: Barbara asked, “Will you be my partner in the coming Summer Ball?” Indirect: Barbara asked if I would be her partner in the coming Summer Ball. Direct: John said, “I will be doing my CELTA next year.” Indirect: John said that he would be doing his CELTA next year. (Continuous conditional) 4. Modals: a. Modal verbs like shall, will, can, may change in reported speech. Let’s follow some examples: Direct: John said, “I will be there.” Indirect: John promised that he would be there. Direct: The boy said, “May I come in?” Indirect: The boy asked if he could come in. (note: may becomes could when it implies permission) Direct: “I may not call you,” said Bobby. Indirect: Bobby said that she might not call me. Direct: “I shall practice more.” said Barbara. Indirect: Barbara said that she would practice more. Direct: Joseph said, “Shall I buy the car?” Indirect: Joseph asked if he should buy the car. Note: shall becomes should if it implies a question. b. Modal verbs like could, should, need, must, might, used to do not change in reported speech. Example: Direct: She said, “I would not be the victim.” Indirect: She said that she would not be the victim. Direct: David said, “You need to repair the car.” Indirect: David said that I need to repair the car. Direct: Mary said, “I used to love dancing.” Indirect: Mary said she used to love dancing. 5. Adverbs and demonstratives: Indirect speech differs from the direct speech’s time and place. When someone is conveying the message to the listener, the speaker might not be on the same day or place. So the demonstrative (this, that etc.) and the adverb of time and place (here, there, today, now, etc.) change. We can look into the following chart for the usual changes: Direct Indirect: Change in time and place expressions in past tense now becomes then ago becomes before today becomes that day tonight becomes that night tomorrow becomes the next day yesterday becomes the previous day last night becomes the previous night here becomes there this becomes that these becomes those Examples: Direct: I said, “Simon read Wordsworth yesterday.” Indirect: I said that Simon read Wordsworth the day before. Direct: Mother said, “Come home now.” \\F22\\ Page 16 of 22 Indirect: Mother ordered me to go home at that moment. Direct: “Bring the money with you,” said Jessie. Indirect: Jessie ordered to bring the money with me. Direct: The friends said, “We will meet here tomorrow.” Indirect: The friends promised to meet there the next day. Articles Articles a, an and the. These are words that you use in almost every sentence that you speak or write. Learn about the significance of articles, when to use them and some examples. Definition of Articles An article is a word used to modify a noun, which is a person, place, object, or idea. Technically, an article is an adjective, which is any word that modifies a noun. Usually adjectives modify Nouns through description, but articles are used instead to point out or refer to nouns. There are Two different types of articles that we use in writing and conversation to point out or refer to a noun or group of nouns: definite and indefinite articles. Definite Article Let's begin by looking at the definite article. This article is the word 'the,' and it refers directly to a specific noun or groups of nouns. For example: The freckles on my face The alligator in the pond The breakfast burrito on my plate Each noun or group of nouns being referred to-in these cases freckles, alligator, and breakfast burrito-is direct and specific. Indefinite Articles Indefinite articles are the words 'a' and 'an.' Each of these articles is used to refer to a noun, but The noun being referred to is not a specific person, place, object, or idea. It can be any noun from a group of nouns. For example: a Mercedes from the car lot an event in history In each case, the noun is not specific. The Mercedes could be any Mercedes car available for purchase, and the event could be any event in the history of the world. Indefinite Article: 'a' and 'an' Article‘ a' Article‘ a’ is used with consonant sound (not letter )and is only used with singular countable Noun and units of countable noun. We use it before a noun when we are not sure that whether reader/listener knows with certainty about what we are trying to refer. It is used before non specified singular nouns. Article' a' is used With Consonant sound (a+ consonant sound) a box a UFO a horse To show frequency with time, distance or weight thrice a week twice a month twenty dollar a kilo With expressions or with some phrases dealing with number a few/a lot of/a dozen/a little/ a million/a hundred With Units of Uncountable noun a cup of coffee/tea/water/milk a pinch of baking soda/salt/sugar a plate of fried chicken/mutton/fish With English vowels with consonant sound a European a University a one-eyed man \\F22\\ Page 17 of 22 After words like: what, quite, many, such What a beautiful art! Such a pitiful situation! They created quite a dramatic scene. Many a story is told about his wisdom. With Collective Expressions a bunch of keys a galaxy of stars a shoal of fish a bundle of sticks a brood of chicken Article ‘an’ is also Indefinite Article. But it is used with vowel sound (not letter) and is only used with singular countable noun and units of uncountable noun. We use it before a noun when we are not sure that whether reader/listener knows with certainty about what we are trying to refer. Article' an' is used with vowel sound an elephant an owl an old man an ox an apple Before an abbreviation beginning with consonant letter but giving vowel sound an M.B.A an M.L.A an SOS an M.A. an N.Y.T reporter With Singular Countable Nouns starting with consonant letter but which have vowel sound an hour an heir an honest clerk an honorable politician an hourly payment With some Expression and Phrases an entire decade making an attempt take an interest in make an effort an entire year ‘The' is used with Superlative degree of adjective He is the most handsome boy of my class. This is the dirtiest river in the town. My sister is the brightest student at her College. Parallel comparatives The more I help them, the more they become dependent. The more you eat, the more you get fat. The more you laugh, the more you become happy. Nouns which are repeated Shirley gave me a laptop. The laptop has been quite useful. They are at party. The party is organized by a political activist. There is a robber at the house. The robber is dangerous. Religious groups and their holy books The Bible is a religious book of Christians. The Muslims go to mosque. The Buddhists believe in peace and non-violence. \\F22\\ Page 18 of 22 Heavenly bodies i.e. planets, asteroids etc The moon looks beautiful tonight. The sun gives us heat and light. The earth is home to all living beings. Musical Instruments My friend, Pam plays the flute. Horace has bought the guitar. Can I take the trumpet you use? Names of newspapers The New York Times has been voted as the most read newspaper. The Mirror covers all types of news. I am reading the Sun. Name of inventions and discoveries The wind shield wiper was invented by Mary Anderson. Wright Brothers invented the first working airplane. The first spray paint was invented by Edward H.Seymour in1949. Historical buildings or to denote parts of the house The President of the United States of America lives in the White House. The Taj Mahal is in India. The bedroom has three windows. Ordinal numbers He is the first boy of our class. The fifth person in the queue fainted. The company has been able to grasp the top position. Mountain ranges, group of islands, deserts, canals The Himalayas is seen to be melting due to rapid temperature rise. The West Indies separates the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. The Sahara desert is the largest hot desert. Names of rivers, seas and oceans The Nile is the longest river. The Red sea lies between Africa and Asia. The Greta is a river which flows into the Irish Sea. Name of directions and physical positions I am driving towards the east. Janet is sitting in the middle surrounded by her friends. The sun sets in the west. ‘The+ noun+ relative clause’ The man who is waving is my father. The person who calls him every day is his family doctor. The dog that is barking is furious. Day breaks, period of history, decades and historical events The Victorian period lasted twice as long as the Romantic period. The nineties was famous for the rise of multi-culturalism. The United States of America celebrates the Independence on July 4. Hotels, theatres, special meals, museum sand libraries I am going to the birthday party and then to the American library. The Del Coronado is a hotel which is in California. The Ambassadors is my favorite theatre in London. Nationalities, races, social groups, different job posts and positions, names of political parties The black, the white, the rich and the poor all should be treated equally. The prime minister has declared a national holiday. The Republican and the Democrats have come to a mutual agreement. Organs of human body There always occurs a clash between the head and the heart. I have an injury in the head. The abdomen consists of all digestive organs. \\F22\\ Page 19 of 22 Plural names of countries The USA is the richest country in the world. The UK had colonized many parts of the world. Protesters are seen to be gathering in front of the Indian Parliament. Where articles should not be used There are various cases where we should not use articles. To ensure grammatical correctness, We should pay attention to few important rules on where to avoid articles. Articles shouldn't be used Before Proper nouns He lives in Berlin. They saw Robert a party. We went to the airport with Daniel. Ronaldo is one of the world’s best players. Leonardo da Vinci was a famous painter. Before plural nouns Emma and Harriet are friends. Rabbits are fluffy animals. Tortoises are animals with the highest life expectancy. He sells pens. We are making clay pots. Before material nouns Water is liquid. Platinum is metal. Silver is a cheap metal unlike gold. Children love drinking milk shake. Gold jewellery is expensive. Before the name of festivals Christians celebrate Christmas. Muslims fast during Ramadan. Children love Halloween because they get to wear different types of costumes. My grandmother cooked turkey on Easter. Who doesn’t love to see Santa during Christmas? Before the name of days/months/seasons Who doesn’t like spring season? I have to go to shopping on Sunday. August is his favorite month. It’s cold in autumn. We have holiday this Wednesday. Before religious, health and educational institutions Rachael goes to church everyday. My daughter has gone to school. The police have gone to hospital to inquire about the suspicious death of a teenage girl. My dream to study at Stanford University remained unfulfilled. Before clothing, indefinite uncountable noun, names of relatives Mother just arrived from the church. Gold is a valuable metal. I like to drink apple juice. Did you meet father? She is wearing shorts. Name of languages English, French, Latin, Chinese, Japanese, American, Spanish, Russian... Name of games Swimming, Basketball, Volleyball, Polo, Tennis, Football, Golf, Cricket... Name of countries Russia, Germany, Brazil, Greece, Italy, France, Japan, India... \\F22\\ Page 20 of 22 Name of continents Europe,Australia,NorthAmerica,Asia,Africa,SouthAmerica,Antarctica Name of colours White, Blue, Yellow, Brown, Green, Purple, Orange, Red, Black.. RELATIVE CLAUSES We can use relative clauses to join two English sentences, to give more information about the nouns in the main clause, without starting another sentence. A relative clause starts with a relative pronoun. Eg. I bought a new car. It is very fast. → I bought a new car that is very fast. She lives in New York. She likes living in New York. → She lives in New York, which she likes. When we combine two sentences, you can see, the first part of the sentence contains the main topic. The second part gives essential information about the person, the object in the first part. The relative pronouns are: Subject Object Possessive who who/whom whose which. which whose that that We use relative pronouns to introduce relative clauses. Relative clauses tell us more about people and things: We use: who and whom for people which for things that for people or things. There are two kinds of relative clause: 1. We use relative clauses to make clear which person or thing we are talking about: eg. Marie Curie is the woman who discovered radium. Has she found the book which she lost? In this kind of relative clause, we can use that instead of who or which: eg. Marie Curie is the woman that discovered radium. Has she found the book that she lost? 2. We also use relative clauses to give more information about a person, thing or situation: eg. Lord Thompson, who is 76, has just retired. We had fish and chips, which I always enjoy. I met Rebecca in town yesterday, which was a nice surprise. With this kind of relative clause, we use commas (,) to separate it from the rest of the sentence. whose and whom We use whose as the possessive form of who: eg. This is George, whose brother went to school with me. The people whom he met invited him for dinner. We sometimes use whom as the object of a verb or preposition: eg. This is George, whom you met at our house last year. (whom is the object of met) This is George’s brother, with whom I went to school. (whom is the object of with) but nowadays we normally use who: eg. This is George, who you met at our house last year. This is George’s brother, who I went to school with. \\F22\\ Page 21 of 22 Relative pronouns with prepositions When who (m) or which have a preposition, the preposition can come at the beginning of the clause: eg. I had an uncle in Germany, from who (m) I inherited a bit of money. We bought a chainsaw, with which we cut up all the wood. or at the end of the clause: eg. I had an uncle in Germany, who(m) I inherited a bit of money from. We bought a chainsaw, which we cut all the wood up with. But when that has a preposition, the preposition always comes at the end: eg. I didn't know the uncle that I inherited the money from. Can't find the chainsaw that we cut all the wood up with. when and where We can use when with times and where with places to make it clear which time or place we are talking about: eg. England won the World Cup in 1966. It was the year when we got married. I remember my twentieth birthday. It was the day when the tsunami happened. This is the college where Sir Mohammad Iqbal completed.  Each of the above sentences has two meaningful units. One is the main action. The other mentions the time of an action and in the last example, the action is with reference to a place. Arranging jumbled sentences. To arrange the words to make a meaningful sentence, requires a sound knowledge of grammar, a command over the structure of sentences and an ability to form a logical sequence of ideas behind a sentence. In order to perform well in this section, one has to focus on words carefully, concentrate to form a meaningful sentence. Rearrange the following jumbled words/phrases to make meaningful sentences: (a) for many/on/relied/dogs/people have/generations b) companionship/used/they/for hunting/have been/and (c) very/a dog’s/are/and ears/sensitive/nose Answer: (a) For many generations people have relied on dogs./People have relied on dogs for many generations. (b) They have been used for hunting and companionship. (c) A dog’s nose and ears are very sensitive. Message Writing Format Message Date: Time: Salutation BODY OF MESSAGE Name of the writer Note for students : Letter writing, Speech writing/article writing/Essay writing figuring in T1 syllabus have been repeated in T2 syllabus, and these topics have already been uploaded in the study material of T1 (2020). \\F22\\ Page 22 of 22

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