English Revision Notes (Class XI) PDF

SECTION A: READING SKILLS CHAPTER-1 UNSEEN PASSAGES Introduction Comprehension means to understand the text fully, using one’s intellect. A comprehension passage is use...

SECTION A: READING SKILLS CHAPTER-1 UNSEEN PASSAGES Introduction Comprehension means to understand the text fully, using one’s intellect. A comprehension passage is used to test the reader’s ability to understand the meaning and theme of the given text. In most cases, questions are given chronologically. So, the answer to the first question can be found in the first paragraph of the passage and so on. But inference-based questions are based on multiple paragraphs. So, the entire passage has to be read to solve them. Tips to Know How To Read a Passage For Comprehension Follow these tips while attempting an unseen passage : 1. Read silently. Do not read aloud. 2. Read the entire sentence together to make out the sense or meaning. 3. Read the passage thoroughly to determine the main idea before you look at the questions. 4. Don’t panic about the words you do not understand. 5. Try to make out the meaning of the word you don’t understand in context to the passage. 6. Go through the questions carefully and read that part of the passage which contains the answer again. 7. Answer must be relevant and to the point. 8. Maintain the order in which the questions appear in the test paper. Don’t answer questions randomly. Marking Scheme Passage will be of 10 marks l Multiple Choice Questions/ Objective Type Questions 10 marks CHAPTER-2 NOTE-MAKING AND SUMMARISING Introduction Today, extensive reading is the buzz-word in every field of study or research. While reading, we are often bombarded with information of a vast ambit. It often becomes difficult to recall all the key points of a passage/ article we might have read. Note-making is a means to capture the key ideas of a given passage in an easily readable and logically structured format. The style is fairly casual, though within the prescribed CBSE framework and we are even allowed to use abbreviations. The key to abbreviations at the end of the task ensures that any other reader may also be able to interpret the gist of the passage. Thus, note-making can be a wonderful tool to take notes in class, share notes with each other and even revise for an exam. 2 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI Purpose of Note-Making To revise lessons before examinations To write a report or any composition To plan a speech or any lecture To convey any message only by giving important details To make presentation To summarise the text that you have read How to Make Notes Step 1 : Start by underlining the important information. Step 2 : Read the passage again, asking yourself questions and answering them as you read. Step 3 : With the help of those answers, note down the main points. Write the points without full forms of the verbs. Notice : Two or three related ideas can be combined into one point. Use of colons Use of the long dash Step 4 : Now go over the facts and number them. Step 5 : Finally go over the facts and number them again. Characteristics of Note-Making 1. Notes need not be written in grammatically correct sentences. 2. Notes are much shorter than original text. 3. The main points and the supporting details are distinguished. 4. Many unimportant words, helping words etc. are usually dropped out. 5. Information is condensed by using symbols, abbreviations, shorter words etc. 6. Try not to exceed 5 words in every heading and supporting points. 7. Try to complete the notes within 4 to 5 headings. 8. Notes should be presented in a systematic manner that brings out the structure of the original text. 9. Headings and supporting details are numbered. 10. Finally the summary is prepared on the basis of the notes. It should not exceed the limit of 50 words. Note-making is an important study skill. It also helps us at work. We need to draw the main points of the material we read as it is difficult to remember large chunks of information.—NCERT Summarising Summarising follows note-making. Summarising is the selection and paraphrasing information of the original source. This is done by analysing the paragraphs/passage in order to formulate a plan of writing. How to Make Summary The process of summarising involves the steps followed in note-making : 1. Underlining important ideas 2. Writing them down, abridging the verbs 3. Avoiding examples, explanations, repetition. However, instead of nominalising the points (changing verbs into nouns), we expand the points into full sentences and link them using suitable connectors. We need to be precise in our expression. The summary will contain all the main ideas of the original passage. Practice in ‘using one word for many’will help. For Example : Children who show intelligence far beyond their age often turn out to be mediocre in adult life. Or Precocious children often turn out to be mediocre in adult life. Her genius was marked by excellence in the various arts, languages and science. Or She was a versatile genius. A summary is usually one-third of the length of the original passage. —NCERT  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 3 Sub-Titling The purpose of sub-titling is to convey the main idea or theme of each section of a long piece of writing. It helps the reader know at a glance the sub-topics that are being addressed. Giving suitable sub-titles helps break the monotony of reading long passages. FORMAT Title 3. Heading 3 1. Heading 1 3.1 1.1 3.2 1.2 3.3Supporting points 1.3Supporting points 3.4 1.4 4. Heading 4 2. Heading 2 4.1 2.1 4.2 2.2 4.3Supporting points 2.3Supporting points 4.4 2.4 Key to Abbreviations 1. eg. – example 2. etc. – etcetera 3. & – and Marking Scheme Note making and summary will be of 8 marks I. Note Making : 5 marks l Title : 1 mark l Numbering and indenting : 1 mark l Key/glossary : 1 mark l Notes : 2 marks Suggested notes Note : Notes and summary should be in the third person Or l Notes and summary should be written in the first person provided the format is correct and content is covered properly. II. Summary : The summary should include all the important points given in the notes. 3 marks l Content : 2 marks l Expression : 1 mark SECTION B: GRAMMAR & CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS CHAPTER-3 TENSES Introduction The tenses simply show the time of an action or state of being as shown by a verb. The verb ending is changed (conjugated) to show what time it is referring to. Time can be split into three periods the Present (what you are doing), the Past (what you did) and the Future (what you are going to do, or hope / plan to do). The tenses are further split into Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous tense, based on the state of action referred to. 4 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI Simple Tenses The simple tenses are used to show regular habits of people, general truths and to express the words as they have been said by someone. Simple Present Tense The simple present tense is used to discuss permanent situations and the frequency of events. Positive Statements Negative Statements Interrogative Positive Short Negative Short Sentences Statements Statements I work. I don’t work. Do I work ? Yes, I do. No, I don’t. He works. He doesn’t work. Does he work ? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t. She works. She doesn’t work. Does she work ? Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t. It works. It doesn’t work. Does it work ? Yes, it does. No, it doesn’t. You work. You don’t work. Do you work ? Yes, you do. No, you don’t. We work. We don’t work. Do we work ? Yes, we do. No, we don’t. They work. They don’t work. Do they work ? Yes, they do. No, they don’t. Regular or permanent situations When something happens regularly or is a permanent situation, we usually use the simple present tense. When using the simple present tense, the verb (with the exception of the auxiliary verbs) remains in the dictionary form (verb+s/es with third person singular such as he/she/it /any name). For example : Q. Where do you live? Ans. I live in Germany. Q. Where does he live? Ans. He lives in Germany. Q. What do you do? Ans. I’m a teacher. Q. What does he do? Ans. He’s a teacher. Frequency The simple present tense is also used to show how often something happens with adverbs of frequency - always, usually, often, sometimes, occasionally, seldom, rarely, never, etc.... and while discussing daily, weekly, monthly etc. routines. For example : I always get up at 6.00. I never drink coffee before 12.00 noon. I work on my website every day. I go to the gym every Monday and Thursday. We also use the simple present to ask for and give instructions or to discuss a series of actions. For example : Q. Please tell me how do I/you make pancakes Ans. First take 4 eggs and crack them into a bowl. Then weigh out 4 oz. of flour and sieve it into the eggs., etc. The simple present tense can also be used for future events which are part of fixed timetable or programme.. For example : The Minister visits the city this week. SIMPLE PAST TENSE The simple past tense is used to talk about finished actions that happened at a specific time in the past. You state when it happened using a time adverb. In simple past, the verb takes its second form. The singular form of verb ‘be’ is ‘was’ and plural form is ‘were’. Similarly, past form of do/does is did, which goes with both singular as well as plural noun and pronoun forms. Also note that, with ‘did’, we use only first form of verb.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 5 Regular Verb (to work) Regular Verb (to work) Questions Short Answer Short Answer Statements (Positive) Statements (Negative) (Positive) (Negative) I worked. I didn’t work. Did I work ? Yes, I did. No, I didn’t. He worked. He didn’t work. Did he work ? Yes, he did. No, he didn’t. She worked. She didn’t work. Did she work ? Yes, she did. No, she didn’t. It worked. It didn’t work. Did it work ? Yes, it did. No, it didn’t. You worked. You didn’t work. Did you work ? Yes, you did. No, you didn’t. We worked. We didn’t work. Did we work ? Yes, we did. No, we didn’t. They worked. They didn’t work. Did they work Yes, they did. No, they didn’t. ? Simple Past : Uses When you mention a time in the past : For example : Last year I took my exams. I got married in 1992. It can be used to describe events that happened over a period of time in the past but not now. For example : I lived in South Africa for two years. The simple past tense is also used to talk about habitual or repeated actions that took place in the past. For example : When I was a child we always went to the seaside on a bank holiday. Continuous Tenses The continuous tenses are used when talking about a particular point in time. PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE For example : Q. What are you doing ? Ans. I’m building a website. * We also use the present continuous tense to talk about things that are happening around now but are temporary. For example : Q. What are you doing these days ? Ans. Unfortunately, I’m working a lot. * It is also used to describe trends or situations that are happening but may be temporary. For example : Nowadays, more and more people are shopping on the Internet. * It is also used to describe a negative habit. For example : He’s always cleaning his car. The present continuous tense is also used to discuss future events : For example : I am going to meet Naina in the evening. My brother is coming from New York, the next week. Note : The present continuous tense is usually used with action verbs not with static verbs. Following are some static verbs that are not used in continuous tense : Conditions : belong, cost, need, own, seem Feelings : like, love, hate, want, wish Beliefs : believe, feel, know, mean, remember, think, understand PAST CONTINUOUS We use the past continuous tense to describe a past action over a period of time. For example : Q. What were they doing yesterday ? Ans. They were working all day. * It can be used to describe what someone was doing at a particular point in time. For example : Q. What were you doing at 7:30 last evening ? Ans. I was watching television. * The past continuous can also be used to show that an activity frequently took place over a period of time. Q. What did you enjoy the most during holidays? Ans. I enjoyed skiing the most. * Sometimes Past Continuous and Past Simple are used together in a same sentence. The longer action in past is expressed in Past Continuous Tense and the action that happened in the middle of the longer action is expressed in Simple Past Tense. For example : I was driving to work when I crashed my car. Or As I was driving to work, my car crashed. 6 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI PERFECT TENSES Sometimes you need to give just a little bit more information about an action or state and that is where the perfect tenses come in. The perfect tenses are used when an action or situation in the present is linked to a moment in the past. It is often used to show things that have happened up to now but aren’t finished yet or to emphasize that something happened but is not true anymore. When they end determines which of them you use. Perfect tenses are never used when we say when something happened i.e., yesterday, last year etc. but can be used when discussing the duration of something i.e., often, for, always, since, etc. The present perfect simple tense is used to talk about a past time, which has every strong meaning for the present. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE (POSITIVE) TIMELINE For example :  Q. Where is Jane ? Ans. She has gone out. She should be back in an hour. We form the present perfect simple by using the auxiliary verb has/have with third form of verb. ‘Has’ is used with third person singular such as he/she/it/ any name ‘Have’ is used with first person, second person and all plurals. Statements Positive Statements Negative Interrogative Short Answer Short Answer Positive Negative I’ve worked. I haven’t worked. Have I worked ? Yes, I have. No, I haven’t. He’s worked. He hasn’t worked. Has he worked ? Yes, he has. No, he hasn’t. She’s worked. She hasn’t worked. Has she worked ? Yes, she has. No, she hasn’t. It’s worked. It hasn’t worked. Has it worked ? Yes, it has. No, it hasn’t. You’ve worked. You haven’t worked. Have you worked ? Yes, you have. No, you haven’t. We’ve worked. We haven’t worked. Have we worked ? Yes, we have. No, we haven’t. They’ve worked. They haven’t worked. Have they worked ? Yes, they have. No, they haven’t. * The present perfect simple is used to discuss events that have just been completed at the moment of speaking. For example : Have you done your homework? Ans. Yes, I’ve just finished it. * It is often used to suggest that a past action still has an effect upon something happening in the present. For example : The pound has fallen against the dollar. * It is also used to discuss unfinished time. For example : Q. Have you done your homework today? Ans. No, I haven’t done it yet. Note : You are talking about today and today isn’t finished, so you may do your homework later. Q. Have you ever been to England? Ans. Yes I have. Note : You are talking about something that has happened in your life * You can also use the present perfect to discuss something from the past but you don’t want to say exactly when. For example : Q. Are you learning any languages? Ans. Yes, I’ve begun to learn English. * This tense is often used to discuss events that have been happening over a period of time, but aren’t finished yet. For example : Q. How long have you studied English? Ans. I’ve studied English for two years. * However it is better (grammatically speaking) to use the Present Perfect Continuous to express yourself in this way. For example : Q. How long have you been studying English? Ans. I’ve been studying English for two years now.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 7 PAST PERFECT TENSE The past perfect tense is used to go further back in time when we are already talking about the past. It can make it clear that something had already happened at the time we are talking about. We form the past perfect by using the auxiliary verb had and the -ed form of the regular verb (the past participle) irregular verb forms have to be learned : Statements Statements Negative Interrogative Short Answer Short Answer Positive Positive Negative I’d worked... I hadn’t worked... Had I worked... ? Yes, I had. No, I hadn’t. He’d worked... He hadn’t worked... Had he worked... ? Yes, he had. No, he hadn’t. She’d worked... She hadn’t worked... Had she worked... ? Yes, she had. No, she hadn’t. It had worked... It hadn’t worked... Had it worked... ? Yes, it had. No, it hadn’t. You’d worked... You hadn’t worked... Had you worked... ? Yes, you had. No, you hadn’t. We’d worked... We hadn’t worked... Had we worked... ? Yes, we had. No, we hadn’t. They’d They hadn’t worked... Had they worked... Yes, they had. No, they hadn’t. worked... ? For example : I had already done the shopping by the time she came home. I was late for work, by the time I arrived the client had already left. * The past perfect simple can be used to show how often something happened in the past. For example : I’d visited the city many times before. * It can also be used to express unfulfilled wishes or dreams. Sometimes called, The Third Conditional. For example : If I had won the lottery I would have bought a new car. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS The present perfect continuous tense is often used (with for a since) to describe how long something has been happening up to now. For example : Q. How long have you been studying English? Ans. I’ve been studying English for four years. Q. How long have you been living in Germany? Ans. I’ve been living here since 1998. * The present perfect continuous is also used to refer to an event that may or may not be finished when its effect can be seen now. For example : Look ! It’s been snowing. * You should also use the present perfect continuous when talking about how long you have been doing your current job or working on unfinished projects : For example : I have been working at BT for three years. We have been exporting to China since 1999. PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS The past perfect continuous tense is used to talk about longer situations that continued up to the moment in the past we are talking about. For example : By the time I left England, we had been living in Bristol for five years. Her back was sore because she had been sitting at the computer all day. * It is also used to say how long something went on for, up to a time in the past. For example : We apologised because we had kept them waiting for 3 hours. We apologised because we had kept them waiting since lunch time. THE FUTURE TENSE Discussing the future in English can be complicated. The simple, present continuous, present perfect and the present perfect continuous can also be used and often it is possible to use more than one structure, but have the same meaning. Using the present continuous for the future 8 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI It is often used to ask about and discuss future arrangements or plans with just the addition of a future time, but you only use it when these arrangements are certain. For example : Q. What are you doing next week? Ans. I’m working. Q. What’s he doing tomorrow? Ans. He’s playing tennis. * The present continuous tense is also used to talk about and make future appointments and arrangements using the words go or come.... For example : Q. When are you coming to see me? Ans. Next week. Q. What are you doing tomorrow? Ans. I’m going to the dentist. *....and using verbs of arrival and departure. We’re arriving in London at 2.30. The train leaving from platform one is the 2.45 to Edinburgh. The Future Continuous (will be doing) The use of ‘will be doing’ in a sentence is often referred to as the future continuous. It is used to talk about activities that will be happening at a particular time or over a particular time in the future. For example : Next week we will be having a party. Can you come ? * You can also use it (or the present continuous form) to talk about future plans. For example : We will be eating lunch at 2.00 P.M. Discussing the future using the present perfect simple form You can use the present perfect form to say that something will have happened by a certain time in the future. This time next year I will have finished my exams. Discussing the future using the present perfect continuous form (also known as the future perfect continuous using will have been doing). You can use the present perfect continuous form to say how long something will have been happening by a certain time in the future. This time next year, I will have been teaching English for 9 years. Discussing the future using the present perfect simple form You can use the present perfect simple form to say that something will have happened by a certain time in the future. Discussing the future using the present perfect continuous form (also known as the future perfect continuous using will have been doing). You can use the present perfect continuous form to say how long something will have been happening by a certain time in the future. This time next year, I will have been teaching English for 9 years. Discussing the future using going to We say something is going to happen when it has already been planned. For example : Q. Are you going to fly to Germany? Ans. No, we’re going to drive. We also use it to show something has already been decided. For example : We’re going to buy a new car next year. We also use ‘going to’ when we can see that something is about to happen. For example : Look at that cloud. I think it’s going to rain. Watch out ! He’s going to crash into the tree ! You can also use ‘going to’ to predict the future based upon the evidence now. For example : It looks as though Manchester United are going to win the European cup. I think my friend Louise is going to have a baby. Note : I’m going to Germany isn’t really the future tense. You would have to say I’m going to go to Germany. Discussing the future using shall/will When we give information about the future or predict future events that are not certain we usually use shall/ will.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 9 For example : Q. Who do you think will win the election? Ans. I’m not sure but I think the current party will win. * We can also use shall/will to make promises for the future. When leaving work, I would say - “Good night, I’ll (I will) see you tomorrow.” * Shall/Will is often used when we just decide to do something. For example : The phone is ringing - If I decide to answer the phone I would say - I’ll (I will) get it. * It can also be used in formal situations to express planned events and is preferred in formal written English. For example : The party will start at 10.00 pm. CHAPTER-4 CLAUSES Introduction A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb. A clause can be distinguished from a phrase, which does not contain a subject and a verb (e.g., in the afternoon, drinking from the bowl). Clauses are of two types: (i) Independent clause (ii) Dependent clause (i) An independent clause can express a complete thought and can be a standalone sentence. (ii) A dependent clause is usually a supporting part of a sentence, and it cannot stand by itself as a meaningful proposition (idea). Examples of Independent Clauses Here are some examples of independent clauses : Vineeta ate a jam roll after she watched the news. (Vineeta ate a jam roll is an independent clause. It works as a standalone sentence.) Even though his mother was a driving instructor, my cousin failed his driving test six times. Examples of Dependent Clauses Here are the same examples with the dependent clauses : Vineeta ate a cheese role after she watched the news. (The clause after she watched the news is a dependent clause. It does not work as a standalone sentence.) Even though his mother was a driving instructor, my cousin failed his driving test six times. These two dependent clauses (or subordinate clauses) could have been independent clauses. However, the opening word(s) (in these examples after, even though, and but) turned them into dependent clauses. The opening words are known as dependent words, the main type of which is subordinating conjunctions. How are Clauses used in Sentences ? Clauses can play a variety of roles in sentences. A clause can act as a noun, an adjective or an adverb. Noun Clauses I cannot remember what I said last night. (In this example, the clause acts like a noun.) Compare the example, mentioned above, to this one: I cannot remember my speech. In the above example the clause ‘what I said last night’ is working as a noun as it gives you the answer of ‘what’ What could I not remember ?..... what I said last night/speech. I believe that you are right What I believe ?...... that you are right It is true that he has stolen my watch. What is true..... that he has stolen my watch. 10 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI Adjective Clauses My water-shy dog, who usually refuses to go near the water, dived in the canal to chase a water vole. (In this example, the clause acts like an adjective.) Compare the example above to this : My water-shy dog dived in the canal to chase a water vole. (water-shy = adjective) An adjective clause, like an adjective, tells you something about the noun. For example : The man who is wearing the green cap is my father. Thus, ‘who is wearing a green cap’ is giving you additional information about the noun and so is an adjective clause. Some more examples : The place where I went yesterday was beautiful. The teacher, who taught me in grade five, met me yesterday. Adverbial Clauses An adverbial clause (or an adverb clause) is a group of words which plays the role of an adverb. For example : Keep hitting the gong hourly. (normal adverb) Keep hitting the gong until I tell you to stop. (adverbial clause) In the examples above, the normal adverb and adverbial clause both tell us when the gong is to be hit. They are both adverbs of time. All adverbs (including adverbial clauses) can usually be categorized as one of the following : Adverb Clause of Time An adverb of time states when something happens or how often. An adverb of time often starts with one of the following subordinating conjunctions i.e., after, as, as long as, as soon as, before, no sooner than, since, until, when or while. Here are some examples : After the game has finished, the king and pawn go into the same box. (Italian Proverb). I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph. (Shirley Temple) As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. (Johann Wolfgang vo Goethe) Adverb Clause of Place An adverb of place states where something happens. An adverb of place often starts with a preposition (e.g., in, on, near) or one of the following subordinating conjunctions i.e., anywhere, everywhere, where or wherever. Here are some examples : In a world where there is so much to be done, I felt strongly impressed that there must be something for me to do. (Dorothea Dix) I am not afraid of the pen, the scaffold, or the sword. I will tell the truth wherever I please. (Mother Jones) Adverb Clause of Manner An adverb of manner states how something is done. An adverb of manner often starts with one of the following subordinating conjunctions i.e., as, like or the way. Here are some examples : He acts like it is a joke. We don’t have conversations. You talk at me the way a teacher talks to a naughty student. Except for an occasional heart attack, I feel as young as I ever did. (Robert Benchley) Adverb Clause of Degree or Comparison An adverb of degree states to what degree something is done or offers a comparison. An adverb of degree often starts with one of the following subordinating conjunctions i.e., than, as...as, so...as, or the...the. Here are some examples : A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with. (Tennessee Williams) He is as smart as he is tall.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 11 She is not so bright as she thinks she is. Sometimes, the verb in an adverb of degree is understood (i.e., not present). For example : You are taller than I. (In this example, the verb am has been omitted. This is permissible.) You are taller than I am. (This is the full version.) You are taller than me. (This is the colloquial version. This version might irk some of your grammar-savvy readers, but it is acceptable.) Adverb Clause of Condition An adverb of condition states the condition for the main idea to come into effect. An adverb of condition often starts with ‘if ’ or ‘unless’. Here are some examples : If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts. (Albert Einstein) If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur. (Doug Larson) If all the rich people in the world divided up their money among themselves, there wouldn’t be enough to go around. (Christian Stead, 1903-1983) Adverb Clause of Concession An adverb of concession offers a statement which contrasts with the main idea. An adverb of concession often starts with one of the following subordinating conjunctions : though, although, even though, while, whereas or even if. Here are some examples : Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it’s open to anybody who owns hideous clothing. (Dave Barry) A loud voice cannot complete with a clear voice, even if it’s a whisper. (Barry Neil Kaufman) Adverb Clause of Reason An adverb of reason offers a reason for the main idea. An adverb of reason often starts with one of the following subordinating conjunctions : as, because, given or since. Here are some examples : I don’t have a bank account, because I don’t know my mother’s maiden name. (Paula Poundstone) Since you are like no other being ever created since the beginning of time, you are incomparable. Kinds of Sentences 1. Simple Sentence A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb and it expresses a complete thought. In the following simple sentences, subjects are in bold and verbs are in italics. 1. Some students like to study in the mornings. 2. Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon. 3. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day. The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that sentence 2 contains a compound subject and sentence contains a compound verb. Simple sentences, therefore, contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also contain compound subjects or verbs. 2. Compound Sentence A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as follows : for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Helpful hint : The first letter of each of the coordinators spells Fanboys.) Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma. In the following compound sentences, subjects are in bold, verbs are in italics and the coordinators and the commas that precede them are in bold. 1. I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English. 2. Alejandro played football, so Maria went shopping. 3. Alejandro played football, for Maria went shopping. The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains two independent clauses and they are joined by a coordinator with a comma preceding it. Note how the conscious use of coordinators can change the meaning of the sentences. Sentences 2 and 3, for example, are identical except for the coordinators. In sentence 2, which action occurred first ? Obviously, “Alejandro played football” first and as a consequence, “Maria went shopping.” In sentence 3, “Maria went shopping” first. Here, “Alejandro played football” because, possibly, he didn’t have anything else to do, for or because “Maria went shopping.” 12 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 3.Complex Sentence A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when (and many others) or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which. In the following complex sentences, subjects are in bold, verbs are in italics and the subordinators and their commas (when required) are in bold. 1. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page. 2. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error. 3. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow. 4. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies. 5. Juan and Maria went to the movies after, they finished studying. When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences 1 and 4, a comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the independent clause begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences 2, 3 and 5 no comma is required. If a comma is placed before the subordinators in sentences 2, 3 and 5 it is wrong. Note that, sentences 4 and 5 are the same except sentence 4 begins with the dependent clause which is followed by a comma and sentence 5 begins with the independent clause which contains no comma. The comma after the dependent clause in sentence 4 is required and experienced listeners of English will often hear a slight pause there. In sentence 5, however, there will be no pause when the independent clause begins the sentence. CHAPTER-6 SENTENCE REORDERING Introduction What is a Sentence? A sentence is a group of words that gives enough information for a person to form a complete idea in his mind of the message that is being communicated to him. Structure of a Sentence The parts of a sentence are the subject, verb, object, complement and adverbial. A statement begins with the subject and the verb. There are five main structures which we can use to make a simple statement. 1. Subject Verb a. My head is aching. b. Something happened. c. She laughed. 2. Subject Verb Object a. They are moving the refrigerator. b. He needs a rest. c. I went home. The subject and object can be a pronoun (e.g. I) or a noun phrase (e.g. the refrigerator). 3. Subject Verb Complement a. This piano is heavy. b. It was a big problem. c. This chapati appears stale. The complement can be an adjective (e.g. heavy) or a noun phrase (e.g. a big problem). The complement often comes after be. It can also come after appear, become, get, feel, look, seem, stay or sound.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 13 4. Subject Verb Adverbial a. Their house is nearby. b. The gift is in my pocket. An adverbial can be a prepositional phrase (e.g. in my pocket) or an adverb (e.g. nearby). 5. Subject Verb Object Object a. It is giving me a headache. b. My father bought my sister a watch. c. He brought us a present. We use two objects after verbs like give and send. CHAPTER-7 SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION Introduction Transformation of Sentences is done in various ways. The nature of the sentences can be changed without changing the meaning of the sentences. 1. Sentences containing the adverb ‘too’: Example 1 :  My friend is too rich to be my consort. You can see how the transformation of Sentences, containing the adverb ‘too’, takes the place without changing the meaning of the sentence.  My friend is so rich that he cannot be my consort. Example 2 :  The news is too good to be true. You can see how the transformation of Sentences takes place into the following version without changing the meaning of the sentence.  The news is so good that it cannot be true. Example 3 :  He drove too fast for the police to catch. This sentence can be changed into the following version without changing the meaning of the sentence.  He drove so fast that the police could not catch him. The transformation of sentence takes place by removing the adverb ‘too’ and by adding a conjunction ‘so… that’. 2. Interchange of Degrees of Comparison: The transformation of Sentences, containing comparatives, can be done as follows without changing the meaning of the sentences. Example 1 :  I am as strong as him. This sentence is in positive degree. This sentence can be changed into comparative sentence.  I am not stronger than him. This sentence conveys the same meaning as the above sentence. Example 2 :  Positive : This razor is not as sharp as that one.  Comparative : That razor is sharper than this one. 14 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI Example 3 :  Positive : Very few cities in India are as rich as Mumbai.  Comparative : Mumbai is richer that most other cities in India.  Superlative : Mumbai is one of the richest cities in India. Example 4 :  Superlative : Upshaw is not the tallest girl in the class.  Comparative : Upshaw is not taller than many girls in the class. The transformation of Sentences, according to the nature of the sentences, takes place into either negative or affirmative sentences. 3. Interchange of Affirmative and Negative Sentences: The affirmative sentence can be changed into a negative sentence by using ‘not’. Example 1 :  Affirmative : I was doubtful whether it was you. Negative : I was not sure that it was you. Example 2 :  Affirmative : Everybody is present. Negative : Nobody is absent. Example 3 :  Affirmative : All cheered. Negative : There was no one present who did not cheer. In this way, the negative sentences can be changed into affirmative sentences as follows. Example 4 :  Negative : God will not forget the cry of the humble. Affirmative : God will heed the cry of the humble. The ‘not’ in the negative sentences should be removed to convert them into affirmative sentences. Example 5 :  Negative : No one could deny that she is pretty.  Affirmative : Everyone accepts that she is pretty. 4. To transform an Interrogative Sentence into an Assertive Sentence: An interrogative sentence can be transformed into an assertive sentence and vice-versa. Example 1 :  When can their glory fade? This is an interrogative sentence. This sentence can be transformed into an assertive sentence as follows.  Their glory can never fade. Example 2 :  Was he not a villain to do such a deed? This interrogative sentence can be transformed into an assertive sentence as follows.  He was a villain to do such a deed. Example 3 :  Who can touch ditch without being defiled?  (Interrogative Sentence) You can see how the transformation of sentence takes place into the following version without changing the meaning of the sentence.  No one can touch ditch without being defiled.  (Assertive Sentence) Example 4 :  Who does not know him?  (Interrogative Sentence) Everyone knows him.  (Assertive Sentence) Example 5 :  Is this the kind of dress to be worn for a school function?  (Interrogative Sentence)  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 15 This is not the kind of dress to be worn for a school function.  (Assertive Sentence) In this same way an assertive sentence can be transformed into an interrogative sentence. Example 6 :  We were not sent to this world simply to make money.  (Assertive Sentence) Were we sent to this world simply to make money?  (Interrogative Sentence) Example 7 :  I never forget those happy days.  (Assertive Sentence)  Shall I ever forget those happy days?  (Interrogative Sentence) 5. To transform an Exclamatory Sentence into an Assertive Sentence:  How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon the riverbank!  (Exclamatory Sentence) The moonlight sweetly sleeps upon the river bank.  (Assertive Sentence) Although such an exclamatory sentence can be transformed into an assertive sentence, an exclamatory sentence is preferred on many occasions to an assertive sentence for the emotional effect that an exclamatory sentence is carrying. Example 1 :  If only I were young again!  (Exclamatory Sentence) I wish I were young again.  (Assertive Sentence) Example 2 :  How beautiful is this night!  (Exclamatory Sentence) This night is very beautiful.  (Assertive Sentence) You can see how the transformation of sentence takes place in the following examples without changing the meaning of the sentence. Example 3 :  What a delicious meal!  (Exclamatory Sentence) This meal is delicious.  (Assertive Sentence) 6. To change one part of a sentence for another part : The verb of a sentence itself can be changed into another verb without (changing) the meaning of the sentence. Example 1 :  This kind of jokes never amuses me. This kind of joke never gives me any amusement. In this sentence the verb has been changed into its noun form. Example 2 :  It costs twelve dollars. Its cost is twelve dollars. Here also the verb has been changed into its noun form. You can see how the transformation of sentences takes place in the following examples without changing the meaning of the sentence. Example 3 :  He has disgraced his family. He is a disgrace to his family. Example 4 :  He gave a curt reply. He replied curtly. Here the adjective has been changed into an adverb. Example 5 :  I see him every day. I see him daily. Example 6 :  This scene is surpassingly beautiful. The beauty of this scene is surpassing. Here the adjective has been changed into its noun form. 16 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI You can see how the transformation of sentences takes place in the following examples without changing the meaning of the sentence. Example 7 :  He is admittedly the greatest general of this country. It has been admitted that he is the greatest general of this country. Here, the adverb has been changed into a verb form. And the simple sentence itself has been changed into a compound sentence. 7. To transform the Simple Sentence into a Compound Sentence: A simple sentence can be transformed into a compound sentence by enlarging a phrase or word into a co- ordinate clause. Example 1 :  He must work hard to make up for the lost time. This sentence can be made into two parts and those two parts can be joined by a conjunction ‘and’.  He must work hard and make up the lost time. Example 2 :  To his eternal disgrace, he betrayed his country. He betrayed his country and this was to his eternal disgrace. Example 3 :  Besides robbing the poor child, he also murdered the child. He not only robbed the poor child but he also murdered the child. Example 4 :  The teacher punished the children for disobedience. The children were disobedient so the teacher punished them You can see how the transformations of sentence takes place without changing the meaning of the sentence. 8. To transform a Compound Sentence into a Simple Sentence: The following examples illustrate the chief ways in which the compound sentences are transformed into simple sentences. Example 1 :  We must eat or we cannot live. We must eat to live. Example 2 :  You must either pay the bill at once or return the goods. Failing prompt payment, the goods must be returned by you. Example 3 :  He must not be late or he will be returned. In the event of his being late, he will be denied entry. Example 4 :  He is rich, yet he is not content. In spite of being rich, he is not content. Example 5 :  This coat cannot be mine, for it is too big. Due to its big size, this coat cannot be mine. Example 6 :  He is very poor, but he does not complain. In spite of being poor, he does not complain. These examples are enough to make clear how the compound sentences are transformed into simple sentences. 9. To transform A simple Sentence into A complex Sentence: A simple sentence can be transformed into a complex sentence by enlarging a phrase into a subordinate clause. The clause maybe Noun, Adjective or Adverb.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 17 Example 1 :  He confessed his crime. Here the noun (his crime) has been changed into a subordinate clause.  He confessed that he was guilty of the crime. Example 2 :  On the arrival of the mails, the steamer will leave. Here the adverbial phrase has been changed into a subordinate clause.  The steamer will leave as soon as the mails arrive. Example 3 :  I saw a wounded bird. Here the adjective phrase has been changed into a subordinate clause.  I saw a bird that was wounded. Example 4 :  On being punished, he wept. When he was punished, he wept. You can see how the transformation of sentences takes place without changing the meaning of the sentence. 10. To transform a Complex Sentence into a Simple Sentence: The following sentences will make it clear how to transform the complex sentences into simple sentences. Example 1 :  He said that he was an innocent. This Complex Sentence has been changed into a Simple Sentence as follows.  He declared his innocence. Example 2 :  How long I will stay is doubtful. Here, the Subordinate Clause has been changed into a Noun Clause.  The duration of my stay is doubtful. Example 3 :  Tell me where you live. Here also, the Subordinate Clause has been changed into a Noun Clause.  Tell me your address. Example 4 :  He died in the village where he lived. Here the Subordinate Clause has been changed into an Adjective Clause.  He died in his native place. Example 5 :  The moment that is lost is lost forever. Here also the Subordinate Clause has been changed into an Adjective Clause.  The lost moment is lost forever. Example 6 :  He was so tired that he could not stand. Here the Subordinate Clause has been changed into an Adverb Clause.  He was too tired to stand. Example 7 :  He will not pay unless he is compelled. Here also, the Subordinate Clause has been changed into an Adverb Clause.  He will pay only under compulsion. You can see how the ‘Transformations of Sentence’ takes place without changing the meaning of the sentence. 18 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS CHAPTER-8 SHORT WRITING TASKS (ADVERTISEMENTS & POSTERS) 1. Advertisement INTRODUCTION An advertisement is a publicly announced message which is targeted for soliciting or offering various services or to impart information to the common masses. Tips to Know 1. Do not cross 50 words. 2. Write the heading in capital letters. Also you can start with the first one or two words in capital letters to attract the readers. 3. In comparison to display advertisement, classified advertisement is less attractive and gets less space. So use catchy words to attract the readers. 4. Avoid complex and intrigue way of writing. Be very simple and direct so that you ensure the message is understood to the maximum. 5. In classified advertisements blocks, images and /or other designs are not allowed. 6. Make sure your advertisement provides complete information. 7. Provide a proper ‘contact’ information or else your advertisement may turn out to be a futile one. Value points to be kept in minds while drafting Classified Advertisement Do not use full sentences Abbreviations allowed Essential details to be given Marking Scheme Advertisements will be of 3 marks l Format 1 mark l Content 1 mark l Expression 1 mark Classified Advertisements 1. Situation Vacant/Wanted 2. TO LET 3. Sale and Purchase of Property/Vehicles/Goods 4. Educational Institutions promotion 5. Missing Persons 6. Tour and Travels  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 19 I. SITUATION VACANT TYPES ADVERTISEMENTS  Always begin with WANTED or REQUIRED.  Name of the organization must be always present.  Number of vacancies and the post for which advertised should be clearly indicated.  The age and gender of the candidate required.  Qualification and requisite experience needed for the post.  Pay scale, perks and also the mode of applying (E-mail, postal, etc.)  Contact address and phone number for correspondence. 2. Designing/Drafting Posters Posters are an amalgam of notices, advertisements, and invitations. They may be in the form of large hoardings to be put up on walls, or the size of handbills to be displayed on the noticeboards, etc. Hence, they have to be captivating, attractive and persuasive so as to influence a large number of people. Generally, they are designed to create social awareness about current issues or to even extend public invitations and write notices. Tips to Know Posters should be catchy, attractive and tempting. (i) They must be drafted wisely to attract the responsiveness of the readers, enthuse their resourcefulness and guide their cognizance. (ii) Do not give many details in a poster: Make it easily readable and appear clutter- free. Highlight only important issues. (iii) Posters can be used for publicising and highlighting the following: Cultural show/ exhibition/ seminar/ workshop/ fair/ fete etc. Educational institutions and students’ activities. Promoting sales of a product or service. Influencing public opinion. Advancing a social cause and so on. Marking Scheme Format 1 mark Issuing Authority: Name of the organising body of the particular event. Title: A catchy and impressive title which gives theme of the announcement or issue. Content 1 mark A sketch: After the title, preferably draw a picture depicting the issue. Date, Time and Venue: Mention the date, time and venue of the event which has to take place. Contact Information: Details of the concerned authorities; contact number and/ or address of the event co-ordinator. Expression 1 mark Coherence, spellings, suitable style and grammatical accuracy Main Characteristics (a) Layout Visually attractive/ Eye Catching Title- suggestive/ catchy Use slogan, jingle or short verse Sketch or simple drawings Letters of different size and shape Proportionate spacing, etc. 20 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI (b) Contents The theme or subject of the poster Description or details associated with the theme Essential details like time, date, venue (for an event) Name(s) of issuing authority/ organisation, etc. (c) Expression Phrases, slogans, persuasive language Creativity in terms of content and design Overall organisation and sequencing of the matter Observe word limit (usually 50) Some Do’s and Don’ts of Poster Making Dos Stick to the word limit of 50 words. The poster should be enclosed in a box. Make the content to the point and crisp. Poster must fit in one page only. It should not be continued to the next page. Highlight the important information by making it bold or underlining it. Don’ts Do not exceed the word limit. Do not use complex language. Do not use the short form of the words. Do not alter proper structure / format. Kinds of Posters : There are two kinds of Posters that can come in the exam. 1. The Event Poster : Event Posters include events like School Fetes, Book Fairs, Blood Donation Camps…etc It deals with events that are to take place. The event poster contains the following value points: Slogan Statement (also announcement) Venue Date Special Feature Other Features Important Information Concluding slogan/statement Name of Organiser 2. The Non-Event Poster : Posters on Social Issues, Social evils, and Bad Habits (Child Marriage, Female Infanticide, Alcohol abuse, Deforestation... etc.) This type of poster deals with important every day social issues. This poster is made up of the following elements :  Slogan  Statement  List of reasons (to answer the question why?)  Statement  Slogan  Name of the person or organiser who has issued the poster.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 21 FORMAT I. Format of an Event Poster : Ans. For Fun Food Frolic and Lots of Excitement! Visit: The New Era Public School Annual School Fete Venue The New Era Public School ground- Roop Nagar-Delhi On 25th February 20xx From 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Special Attraction Magic Show by M.K.Sarkar, famous Magician Other Attractions: Food Stalls Game Stalls Joy Rides Attractive Raffle Prizes Entry by Ticket Adults - ` 50/- Children - ` 25/- Come One Come All! Fete Organised by (New Era Public School P.T.A.) CHAPTER-9 LONG WRITING TASKS (SPEECH & DEBATE) 1. Speech Writing Introduction Speech : A formal address delivered to an audience. Before writing a speech, following points should be kept in mind : 1. Write the title at the top. 2. Begin with a ‘Good morning to all of you, today I am here to express my views on the topic _________’. 3. Define the topic, give its causes, effects, the present state and remedial measures. 4. It should be a coherent piece clearly stating a particular point of view. Divide the speech into 3 to 4 para- graphs. 5. Conclude by suggesting improvements. 6. Always make a rough draft first. Tips to Know All speeches are persuasive in style. The speakers intention is to convert the audience to his/her own way of thinking on the topic. Remember that your points need to be forceful with examples and data as evidence. Points should not be repeated. You can use any tense, but follow the same throughout. You can write in Ist person and use expressions such as “In my opinion”, “I believe” etc. This is a personal form of writing and hence you should give personal opinions. 22 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 2. Debate Writing Points to remember 1. Begin with ‘Honourable judges and my dear friends, I stand before you to express my views for/against the motion/topic’. 2. Total agreement or disagreement with the topic should be expressed forcefully and clearly. 3. Use argumentative style and logical reasoning. 4. Back up arguments with relevant information. 5. Conclude with a, “Thank you”, at the extreme left. 6. Always make a rough draft, edit and time yourself (20 minutes) Use powerful expressions like : I’d like to argue In my opinion May I ask ? etc. Refer to your opponent’s view/views 7. Stick to your view point either in favour or against. HORNBILL - PROSE CHAPTER-1 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY —Khushwant Singh Introduction The Portrait of a Lady is an autobiography by Khushwant Singh. It is a perception of Khushwant Singh’s grandmother. Khushwant Singh recalls his grandmother as an eternally old lady. She was an extremely religious person. It was difficult for him to believe that once she too was young and pretty like other women. The stories about her childhood games were like fairy tales to him. Summary Appearance of Grandmother She was short, fat and slightly stooped in stature. Her silvery white hair used to scatter on her wrinkled face. Khushwant Singh remembers her hobbling around the house in spotless white clothes with one hand resting on her waist to balance her stoop and the other busy in telling the beads of her rosary. Religious and Kind Hearted Her lips constantly moved in inaudible prayers. Possibly she was not beautiful in worldly sense but she looked extremely beautiful with the peacefulness, serenity and the contentment her countenance displayed. Life in Village Khushwant’s relationship with his grandmother went through several changes when he was a small boy. In the first stage Khushwant lived in a village with her as his parents were looking for the opportunity to settle down in the city. In village grandmother took care of all the needs of the child. She was quite active and agile. She woke him up in the morning, got him ready for the school, plastered his wooden slate, prepared his breakfast, and escorted him to the school. They fed street dogs with stale chapattis on their way to school which was a great fun for them. She helped him in his lessons also. It was her domain and she was the queen of her Kingdom. In this period she was the sole unchallenged guardian, mentor, and creator of the child Khushwant.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 23 Turning Point in the Relationship The turning point came in their relationship when they came to city to stay with Khushwant’s parents. In city Khushwant joined an English School and started to go to school in a motor bus. Here the role of his grandmother in his bringing up was curtailed a little bit. Now, she could not accompany him to the school. Despite taking lot of interest in his studies she could not help him in his lessons because he was learning English, law of gravity, Archimedes’ principle and many more such things which she could not understand and this made her unhappy. She found herself at loss. One more thing which disturbed her a lot was that the kids were not learning about God and scriptures in the school. Instead they were given music lessons which was not an honourable thing in her opinion. To her music was not meant for gentle folk. It was meant for beggars and prostitutes only. She highly disapproved this and as she could not change it, she was dismayed and withdrew herself to some extent. Perhaps she had realized that in the makeover of the child her role was finished and this very thought saddened her most. After finishing the school, Khushwant went to a university. He was given a separate room. The common link of their friendship was snapped. His grandmother confined herself to a self-imposed seclusion. She spent most of her time in reciting prayers and by sitting beside her spinning wheel. She rarely talked to anyone. The only recreation for her was in the afternoon when she relaxed for a while to feed the sparrows. As a kind-hearted person, in village she used to feed street dogs, here in city, she focused on birds and they too became very friendly with her. This was the phase when she found herself totally isolated and aloof but she braved this isolation with grace and dignity. Khushwant’s grandmother was a strong character. She had always restrained herself from demonstrating her emotions. He recalls that when he went abroad for further studies his grandmother was there to see him off on railway station quite calm busy telling the beads of her rosary and reciting prayers as always. When he came back after five years he found her more and more religious and more and more self-contained. She spent still more time in prayers and spinning the wheel. Pastime in City Feeding the birds, spinning the wheel and saying her prayers in city was her only happy pastime. But, just the day before her death for the first time she broke this routine and gave up her prayers. That day, she sang the songs of the home coming of the warriors on a withered drum, along with the ladies of neighbourhood, in order to celebrate her grandson’s return from abroad. Next morning she got ill. Although the doctor said it was a mild fever and would go away, she could foresee that her end was near. She was upset that she omitted her prayers just before the final departure from the world. She did not want to waste any more time talking to anybody. She lay peacefully in her bed praying and telling the beads, till her lips stopped moving and rosary fell from her lifeless fingers. Result of Love and Affection - Sparrows Mourning her Death To mourn her death, hundreds of sparrows flew in and sat scattered around her body in utter silence. They even ignored the bread crumbs thrown for them. They only flew away after the corpse was carried away for last rites. CHAPTER-2 “WE’RE NOT AFRAID TO DIE... IF WE CAN ALL BE TOGETHER” —Gordon Cook & Alan East Introduction This chapter signifies the meaning of its title. It is a fact if people gather together, they can face any kind of danger. It is interesting to read how the family of the narrator duplicates, around the world voyage successfully. Summary Dream Came True A 37 year old businessman and his family had dreamt of sailing in the wake of the famous explorer Captain James Cook and for the past sixteen years, the members of the family had spent all their leisure time honing their sea- faring skills in British waters. The narrator, his wife Mary, son Jonathan 6, daughter Suzanne (Sue) 7, set sail from Plymouth, England to duplicate a round the-world voyage, earlier made by Captain James Cook. First Leg Covered The first leg of 1 ,05,000 kms spanning over three years, passed pleasantly from the west coast of Africa to Cape Town. They took two crewmen, American Larry Vigil and Swiss Herb Seigler to tackle the roughest sea, the Southern Indian Ocean. 24 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI Change in Weather On the second day out of Cape Town, they faced strong gales and the waves began to rise high. Their size which was upto 15 metres, alarmed them. They were at East of Cape Town on Dec. 25, 3500 kms away. Despite bad weather, they celebrated Christmas. New Year’s Day saw no improvement in weather and it changed from bad to worse. Got Prepared for the Disaster At the dawn on January 2, the waves were quite huge. As their ship rose to the top of each wave, they could see endless enormous seas rolling towards them. They dropped the storm jib to slow the boat down. Then, they double-lashed everything and went through their life raft drill, put on oil-skins and life jackets and waited for the worst. The Worst Came The first indication of the coming disaster came at about 6:00 pm. The wind dropped and the sky got dark. A huge wave like a cloud came over the ship. The roar became a thunder as it struck the ship. The deck shook. A torrent of sea water broke over the ship. The narrator’s head got smashed onto the wheel. He accepted the approaching death and started losing consciousness. Sailors’ Struggle The narrator’s head rose out of the water. He saw Wavewalker capsizing. Then, a huge wave turned her upright. The narrator caught the guard rails. Waves tossed him. His ribs cracked and his mouth was full with blood and broken teeth. The water was everywhere. But, he did not leave the wheel to investigate. Fear of Sinking Suddenly, the front hatch was thrown open and Mary appeared. She cried as they were drowning. Larry and Herb were pumping like mad men. The broken things lay scattered here and there. The narrator swam to the children’s cabin and asked if they were all right. They replied positively, though Sue had a bump above her eyes. The narrator took a hammer, screws and canvas. They put canvas over the gaping holes due to which some water was deflected. The debris had started to block the hand pumps. The electric pump had stopped working. The narrator worked with the help of another hand pump. They were not getting any replies to their May Day calls. Search for an Island On January 3, the water level had come under control. The boat’s main rib frames had nearly broken down. They had survived for 15 hours since the waves hit. The narrator checked the charts and found that there were two small islands, a few hundred kms. to the east. The boat wouldn’t take them to Australia in that broken condition. One island was Ile Amsterdam. On January 4, after 36 hours of continuous pumping they had drained out the water. Now, they were heading for Ile Amsterdam island. They ate their first meal in almost two days with corned beef and cracker biscuits. But their respite was short lived. At 4:00 pm, black clouds began building up behind them. Within the hour the wind was back to 40 knots and the seas were getting higher. The weather continued to deteriorate throughout the night and by dawn on January 5, their situation was again desperate. Hoping for Relief The narrator went in to comfort the children. John asked if they were dying. He assured them that they would make out. But John added that they were not afraid of dying if they could be all together. The narrator took every care to protect the undamaged part of the hull with heavy nylon rope and plastic barrels of paraffin. Wavewalker riding out the storm Wavewalker rode out of the storm by morning of January 6. The narrator tried to get a reading on the sextant. He found that they were looking for a 65 km wide island. When he was thinking, Sue came to him with a card she had made which had caricatures of the narrator and made him laugh. She had written message inside. It was : ‘How I love you both’. A Ray of Hope The narrator checked and rechecked the calculations. They had lost their main compass. He had been using the spare one. At about 2:00 pm, he went on the deck and asked Larry to steer a course of 185 degrees. He expected to see the island at about 5:00 pm. Then he went below with a heavy heart and dozed off till 6:00 pm. Narrator Cheered up by Children The narrator woke up. Jonathan came and asked if he could have a hug. He asked the reason and Jonathan added that he was the best daddy and the best captain in the whole world. Sue added that he was as he had found the island. It was in front of them. Achieved the Goal ‘Ile Amsterdam’ He rushed on the deck and looked at the outline of ‘Ile Amsterdam’. It was only a bleak piece of volcanic rock with little vegetation. It was the most beautiful island in the world. All the 28 inhabitants of the island welcomed and cheered them as they landed on the shore. Narrator Thinking About Crewmen With the land under his feet again, the narrator thought of his crewmen Harry and Herbic who were optimistic under the stress and fought with the odds successfully. He also thought of Mary who fought with courage and did not lose hope. He also thought of Sue with a head injury and Jonathan who was not afraid to die.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 25 CHAPTER-3 DISCOVERING TUT : THE SAGA CONTINUES —A. R. Williams Introduction Tut died more than 3300 years ago. He was the last teen-aged ruler of a powerful family who had ruled Egyptian empire for centuries. He ruled for about nine years and then died unexpectedly. His tomb was discovered and investigated in 1922 by a British archaeologist, Howard Carter. Later it was taken out again for CT scan to solve the mystery of his death. The mummy was scanned after a thousand years to find a cause of his untimely death but technology hasn’t been able to give us a definite answer to Tut’s death. However, it has given us a direction to think and proceed. Summary Tutankhamun, the 11th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Ancient Egypt is famous due to the discovery of his completely intact tomb by the British archaeologist, Howard Carter in 1922. Family History Tut was a teenaged heir to the royal throne of Egypt. The family had ruled Egypt for centuries. But Tut died young. He was the last of the family line. His father or grandfather Amenhotep-III was a powerful Pharaoh who ruled for almost 40 years. His son, Amenhotop-IV succeeded him but he shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major God, smashing his images and closing all his temples. His family had ruled for centuries before the boy King, Tut took over. However, Tut ruled for nine years and then died unexpectedly. Howard Carter’s Investigations Centuries passed. In the year 1920, an archaeologist, Howard Carter, discovered his tomb after 3300 hundred years of Tut’s burial. Carter was a British citizen and therefore he didn’t have the beliefs of the Egyptians. The Egyptians never tried to go near Tut’s tomb because they had feared that going near Tut’s tomb was disastrous. It could invite the Pharaoh’s curse! Like other British Citizens, Carter also believed that this was just a superstition to keep thieves away from the tomb and from the enormous wealth buried with the little Pharaoh. Anyway Carter was not scared. He decided to take Tut’s body out. Carter took out the body after severing it But taking Tut’s body wasn’t that easy. Carter and his team broke the three gold coffins one after the other. Finally, they broke the innermost coffin and saw the dried, hard body of Tut. It was really wonderful to see the dead body of a 3300 year old mummy and to know for sure that his name was Tutankhamun. He then decided to take the body out of the coffin but soon realized that it was not so easy because the body had got hardened with the resins and separating the body from the coffin was impossible. But Carter could not think of leaving the body there. He feared the thieves could destroy the mummy for stealing the valuable wealth inside, so Carter decided to cut Tut’s body into pieces. Missing Bone After some years, probably after Carter’s death, a doctor performed an X-ray and found out that one of Tut’s bones was missing from his reassembled body. How did it happen? No one knew! Years passed and archaeologists and scientists performed a number of studies and experiments. Tut’s Mummy Scanned Today, CT scan takes hundreds of X-rays and creates a three dimensional image of the body. Tut’s mummy was put into a CT scanner on 5th January, 2005 to answer two questions – How did he die? and how old was he at the time of death? King Tut was one of the first mummies to be scanned in death as in life. The process took less than three hours. The Pharaoh was taken back in the tomb again. The CT scan dispelled all doubts. Nothing had gone seriously wrong. Tut is resting in peace in his tomb in the valley of the departed Kings of Egypt. The modern world has turned impossibilities to possibilities. William’s report gives an insight into this. The mummy scanned after a thousand years has opened new avenues regarding the cause of its death but technology hasn’t been able to give us a definite answer to Tut’s death. However, it has given us a direction to think and proceed. Maybe in future, technology would solve it for us. 26 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI CHAPTER-4 THE ADVENTURE —Jayant Narlikar Introduction The story ‘The Adventure’ belongs to a science fiction. Professor Gangadhar Pant Gaitonde finds himself in a strange world. No doubt he is in Pune, but the facts do not agree with history. He decides to go to Bombay and consult history books. Bombay is not what he expected to find it. East India Company is still ruling there. According to the history known to him, the East India Company was wound up just after the events of 1857. He goes to the library and finds the answer. The events took a different course after the battle of Panipat. The Marathas had won the battle, not lost it. Summary Professor Pant goes to Deshpande Professor Gangadhar Pant goes to his physicist friend Rajendra Deshpande and asks him to explain what he has been feeling and experiencing. He gave the following narrative. A Surprising Landmark Professor Pant or Gaitonde, as he was called, travelled from Pune to Bombay by Jijamata Express. On the train, he met Mr. Khan who was bound for Peshawar. Gaitonde had come to Bombay for the first time. As he emerged from the station, he saw a big building. He was surprised to see the writing on the building. It indicated that it was the headquarters of the East India Company. He had read that East India Company had been wound up after the events of 1857. Battle of Panipat He walked along Hornby Road. Then he turned right along Home Street and entered Forbe’s building. There, he told the receptionist that he wished to meet Mr. Vinay Gaitonde. The receptionist, however, told him that there was no one of that name in the office. From there, he went to Town Hall which housed the library. In the library, he asked for the history books. In the books he read about the Battle of Panipat. He read that the Marathas won and Abdali was routed. It was a book written by himself, yet he was reading this account for the first time. A New Account This was a totally new account and Gangadhar Pant began to appreciate it. The account showed that India was never subjected to slavery. But only for commercial reasons, it had allowed the British to retain Bombay. The lease was to expire in the year 2001. Bhausahebanchi Bakhar Yet, he wanted to know how Marathas won the battle. He found this in a book called Bhausahebanchi Bakhar. He kept on reading until it was time for the library to close. The Public-meeting He went to a guest house from the library where he hired a room. After taking his meals, he set out for a stroll towards the Azad Maidan. A public meeting was being held at the Maidan. However, he found that the presidential chair was unoccupied. As if mesmerised, he moved towards the chair. Everyone including the speaker shouted against this attempt. But Prof. Gaitonde caught the mike and began to speak about the necessity of the chair being occupied. The Violence The people began to attack him trying to eject him out bodily. Soon, he was no where to be seen. Regains Consciousness Gangadhar Pant stopped now. He said that it was all what he remembered when he regained consciousness. He wanted Rajendra to explain his experience. To prove that his narrative was not false, he showed a page from Bakhar which he had brought from the library unknowingly.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 27 Catastrophic Theory Rajendra rationalized his experience on the basis of the catastrophic theory of science. He applied this theory first to the battle of Panipat. The point at which Vishwasrao was killed was the turning point. For the army, his loss was crucial. There followed an utter rout. The New History Now, the description in Bakhar shows that Vishwasrao had won and consequently the whole history changes. The Explanation Reality is not really limited to what we see. Physics has discovered that when an electron is fired from a source, its direction cannot be determined. It may be, here, there anywhere. An observer can see it only at one place and he knows it there only. To another observer, its location is different. All the different worlds can exist together. What is more, an electron can jump from one energy orbit to another. Rajendra said that Gangadhar Pant’s mind had suffered such a transition—from one world to another and back again. Two Worlds By making a transition, he was able to experience two worlds. One has the history we know, the other is a different history. At the time he was hit by the truck, he was thinking about the course of history, if the result of the battle of Panipat had gone the other way. In his conscious state he reached that world and on regaining consciousness he came back to this world again. CHAPTER-5 SILK ROAD —Nick Middleton Introduction The writer describes his pilgrimage to Mount Kailash. He wants to be more adventurous than to be religious. As he starts from Ravu towards Kailash, he describes all the things he sees—landscape, people and animals. He goes to Mount Kailash to do the Kora with other pilgrims. Summary The Journey Begins It was early morning when the author left Ravu. He told Lhamo that he was going towards Mount Kailash to complete the Kora. At this Lhamo gave him a gift of a long sleeved sheep skin coat. Took Short Cut Tsetan was the driver of their vehicle. He knew the route to Mount Kailash. He told the author that if there was no snow, there would be no problem, Tsetan took a short cut from Ravu. This took them across the vast open grassy plains to the stony plains. The air was clean. Sometimes they saw a few gazelles and wild asses. The Mastiffs The way through the hills started. On the way they met solitary drokba tending their flocks. Seeing the car they would pause and stare at it. They also came across nomads’ dark tents. Giant Tibetan mastiffs stood guard before these tents. These dogs would chase the author’s car for a hundred metres or so. The First Big Hinderance They could see snow capped mountains far away as they entered a valley where the river was wide. The turns now became sharper and the ride more uncomfortable. After a while the driver Tsetan had to stop. The author’s companion Daniel also came out of the car. There was snow capped route ahead for about fifteen metres, after which the dusty trail could be seen again. The three men took handfuls of dirt and flung it on the icy surface. Then Tsetan got in and drove the car carefully across the dusty snow. It happened at the height of 5210 metres. Next Hurdle There was another blockage after about ten minutes but somehow. Tsetan negotiated it. The author felt a terrible headache. 28 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI The Cairn ‘ Finally, they reached the top of the pass at 5515 metres. It was marked by a large cairn of rocks. They all took a turn round the cairn according to the tradition. Then they careered down the other side of the pass. Now, the author’s headache had cleared and they stopped for lunch. The Town ‘Hor’ By late afternoon, they had reached the small town of Hor. Here Deniel parted company as he returned to Lhasa. Hor seemed a grim place. Although the town was on the shore of Lake Man Sarovar, the most venerated stretch of water, it seemed a dirty place. Anyway, the author was within striking distance of Mount Kailash and was eager to forge ahead. But he had to wait. The car tyres had suffered two punctures one after the other and they had to be fixed. The Town ‘Darchen‘: They started after about half an hour. It was 10.30 pm. when the car drew up outside a guest house in Darchen. The author had to pass a troublesome night at the height of 4,760 metres. In the morning Tsetan took him to the Darchen Medical College. The Tibetan Doctor gave him some medicine and assured him that he would be able to do the Kora. The medicine had its effect and that night, the author slept well. Seeing that the author was now well, Tsetan went back leaving him alone. The Author’s Worry: The town Darehen seemed tolerable but the author was worried because he could not see the pilgrims which he very much expected. In fact, he had timed his arrival to coincide with the season for pilgrimage. Arrival of Norbu: There was a cafe in Darchen. One afternoon, the author sat there thinking what to do. He thought that he could only wait because he dared not go alone on pilgrimage. While he was thus lost in his thoughts, a man called Norbu came there. Seeing an English novel, in the author’s hand he came to him. He sought the author’s permission to sit opposite him. After introducing himself, he told the author that he had come to do the Kora. The author was as glad to find his company as Norbu was to find the author. POETRY CHAPTER-6 A PHOTOGRAPH —Shirley Toulson Introduction The poet describes her feelings about the photographs of her mother taken when she was twelve years or so. She feels that human life is short lived. It is ever changing. A human being grows older and older. The memories of the past make us sad. The poet feels how her mother twenty or thirty years later would comment on it. But in the event of her death, there is silence only. Summary Scene in the Photograph The poet states that the cardboard frame shows a photograph of how it was when they went out to the sea. Their uncle took a photograph of her mother and her two cousins. They stood on the beach and were dressed in beach clothes which they used to wear in those days. They stood still and smiled. Her mother’s face was sweet before she (poetess) was born. Prediction of the Future The poet reminisces that after twenty-thirty years her mother would have laughed at the photo. She would have asked Betty and Dolly how they dressed for the sea beach. The sea holiday became her past and her death became past for the poetess. Present Truthfulness of the Photograph The poet’s mother had been dead for nearly twenty-thirty years. There is nothing to say about the situation given in the photograph. There is silence and stillness only.  Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI 29 CHAPTER-7 THE LABURNUM TOP —Ted Hughes Introduction ‘The Laburnum Top’ is all about the tree named Laburnum and how the gold finch comes to it and settles in it. It comes to life with its chattering and subsides to emptiness when it flies away. Summary Arrival of Goldfinch at the Laburnum The Laburnum top is silent in the afternoon sunlight of the month of September. Its few leaves have become yellow and seeds have fallen. The goldfinch comes with its sharp chirrup at an end of its branch. Suddenly, the goldfinch enters a tree. She is alert like a lizard. The moment, she enters the thickness of the tree, her baby-birds start chirping. It seems as if a machine has started. Goldfinch Chirrups Then, the chirrup of the bird starts like a machine. Wings tremor and the whole tree trembles due to the sharp chirrup of the bird. It becomes the engine of her family. The goldfinch flies to an end of a branch to show her face. Bird’s flying back leaves silence After reaching there, the bird gives out a strange delicate whistle. It amounts to a whispering. Then she flies out in the sky towards the infinite. The Laburnum is left with its emptiness and its silence. CHAPTER-8 THE VOICE OF THE RAIN —Walt Whitman Introduction The poem is in the form of a conversation between the poet and the ‘rain’. The poet asks the rain ‘who are you?’. To this question, the rain replies that it is the poem of the earth; it rises continuously in the form of vapours and returns to earth in the form of rain. It says that it purifies earth and also gives life to it. It returns to earth exactly like a song, which finally return to its singer in the form of appreciation after it is heard everywhere round the globe. Summary ‘The Voice of the Rain’ contains a dialogue between the poet and the rain itself. The rain, in its personified form, describes what it is and what it does. In other words, the poet describes the cycle of the rain and also celebrates the coming of the rain. The poet inquires who the rain is The poet asks the rain who she is. The rain promptly answers the question and the poet translates it. The Reply of the Rain Being personified the rain replies, “I am the poem of Earth. I rise out of the Land and the bottomless sea like something which cannot be touched. I rise upward to the sky where I change my form. Then I fall down on the surface of the earth to wash or bathe the droughts, atoms, dust etc. I also fall on the thing which cannot assume life without me”. Functions of the rain “Day and night I give life to my own origin and make it pure and beautify it. A song issuing from its birth-place after fulfilling and wandering as voice here and there acquires love when it returns. So, I return with love after giving life to anything that I touch.” 30 Oswaal CBSE Revision Notes Chapterwise & Topicwise, ENGLISH CORE, Class-XI CHAPTER-9 CHILDHOOD —Markus Natten Introduction In this poem, the poet, Markus Natten wonders when and where he lost his childhood. In his quest to find the moment when he grew up, Markus highlights the innocence and faith he lost even as he gained rational individuality. Summary The poet Markus Natten wonders when did he lose the innocence of his childhood. He is perhaps sad that; step by step he has lost that innocence and its place has been filled by a foolish craze for individuality; the so called rationalism and the hypocrisy. Childhood is a special period in everyone’s life. Once gone, never comes back. He thinks of a few stages in his life time, when there was a change in his thoughts and perception of the world around him. The poet thinks of the place where his childhood has gone. Here, he has no doubt that he can find it hidden in the innocence of an infant. Feelings of Rationalism The poet is surprised at which point of life he ceased to be a child. He asks himself if it was when he entered the twelfth year of his life or perhaps it was when he became sensible enough to realise that Hell and Heaven are not to be found in geography and so they must be fragments of imagination only. Learning of Hypocrisy Slowly, as the poet grew in age he found that the world of adults was different. The adults are not what they seem to be. They pretend a lot. They are hypocrites who preach love and all good things but behave in a differ