SOLUTION TO WREN & MARTIN: EXERCISE IN COMPOSITION - 69

Fill in the blanks with appropriate Prepositions

He lives in Hyderabad. He lives at 48 Tilak Street.

He started at six in the morning.

He hanged himself with a piece of cloth.

The portrait was painted by a famous artist.

I must start at dawn to reach the station in time.

I hope to reach the station in an hour outside.

The child has been missing since yesterday.

The caravan must reach its destination before/by sunset.

The mail train is due at 3 P.M.

He travelled thirty kilometres in two hours.

He rushed into my room, panting for breath.

He does not leave his house before 9 o’clock.

The Express departs at 3 P.M. from Delhi.

Human sacrifices were practised by the Nagas.

I received the message at eight o’clock in the morning.

Since last month I have seen him but once.

Besides rice, they had curry.

The fever has taken a turn for the better since yesterday.

He has spent his life in Kolkata.

I saw him felling into a big tree with a hatchet.

Come and sit beside/by me.

Nobody but/except you knows the truth.

While I was in Delhi he was in Mumbai.

He was killed by the robber with the hatchet.

We shall stay three months in America.

Besides Rustam and Sohrab, there were three other boys present.

Besides a Ford, he has a Fiat car.

The Rain on the Roof: ncert solution Class 9

Thinking  about  the Poem Page-42

I.1. What do the following phrases mean to you? Discuss in class.

(i) Humid shadows

Ans: ‘Humid shadows’  means,  clouds full of moisture (humidity).

(ii)starry spheres

Ans: ‘Starry spheres’ means, the spheres which are concerned with stars. These spheres indicate here ‘sky’.

(iii) What a bliss

Ans: A bliss indicates a perfect pleasure, which is here created by the rain.

(iv) A thousand dreamy fancies Into busy being start.

Ans: It means a thousand dream-like imaginations are generated in the mind of the poet during rainfall.

(v) A thousand recollections weave their air-thread into woof

Ans: A thousand memories are created in the poet’s mind. They jointly turn into a woof.

2. What does the poet like to do when it rains?

Ans: The poet likes to remember the affectionate presence of his mother when it rains.

3. What is the single major memory that comes to the poet? Who are the ‘darling dreamers’ he refers to?

Ans: The single major memory, that comes to the poet, is his mother. The children who remember their mother as the poet does, are the darling dreamers.

4. Is the poet now a child? Is his mother still alive?

Ans: I don’t think the poet is a child. I am sure that the poet is an adult or grown-up. His mother is not alive and so, he remembers so much.

II.1. When you were a child, did your mother tuck you in; as the poets did?

Ans: Yes, my mother used to tuck me in when I was a child, as the poet’s mother did. She used to be very anxious about my well-being.

2. Do you like rain? What do you do when it rains steadily or heavily as described in the poem?

Ans: Yes, I like rain. I walk in the rain for the time being to enjoy the rain. I like to stay at my home (basically in my room) when it rains steadily or heavily to view the gradual changes of nature.

3. Does everybody have a cozy bed to live in when it rains? Look around you and describe how different kinds of people or animals spend time, seek shelter, etc. during rain.

Ans: No, everybody does not have a cozy bed to live in when it rains. When I look around me, I find so many persons and animals taking shelter under the roof or tree during rain. I have seen people in the villages taking shelter at the temples or the schools. So is the case with animals. They also take shelter under the roof or try to get inside the rooms. Dogs and goats are seen doing the same during rain.

How To Tell Wild Animals: ncert solution Class 10

Thinking about the Poem: Page-45

1. Does ‘dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’? Can you say it in such a way that it does?

Ans: No, the word ‘dyin’ is quite different from the word ‘lion’ in pronunciation. So they do not rhyme. But it is made to rhyme with ‘lion’.

2. How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so, according to him?

Ans: The poet suggests that a lion can be

identified by its body full of brownish-Yello
w colour and frightening roar. In the same way, a tiger can also be identified with its big and noble body full of stripes on the yellow background. It has a special habit of eating its prey as soon as it catches them.

3. Do you think the word ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?

Ans: No, I don’t think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly. The poet spelt them to put an effect of the eating attitude concerned with the tiger.

4. Do you know what a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a friendly and strong hug – such as bears are thought of to give, as they attack you! Agin hyenas are thought to laugh, and crocodiles to weep (‘crocodile tears’) as they swallow their victims. Are there similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in your own language(s)?

Ans:  A bearhug is a hugging made by the bear when it attacks someone or its prey comparatively similar to its body. It is so tight that its prey cannot escape from its grip.

The visage of a hyena is made in a way it seems it laughs. But this is not at all reality. In fact, hyena does not laugh, but it is so cruel that it starts eating before the animal dies.

The tears of the crocodiles is not actually seen due to their grief or any trouble but it is the metabolism of its body that produces water-like substances in its eyes. It is also a very dangerous animal.

In our language, we have some similar expressions, like

Magarmachh ke ansu

Hanthi ke dant khaney ke aur dikhane ke aur, etc.

5. Look at the line “A novice might nonplus”. How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in the poem?

Ans: I would write it “A novice might be nonplussed.” The poet tried to rhyme the word ‘nonplus’’ with the word ‘thus’ in the fifth stanza. The poet’s incorrect line is better than a correct one in the poem because of its suitable and effective rhyming.

6. Can you find other examples of the poet’s taking liberties with language, either in English or in your own language(s)? Can you find examples in humorous poems in your own language(s)?

Ans: We can find so many examples of poets taking liberties with language.

Examples:  ‘Wood’ ‘Stood’ in “The Road Not Taken”.

                     ‘Lay’ and ‘Day’ in “The Road Not Taken”.

In our own language, the following lines are very important.

                     Chanda  Mama Dur ke

                     Puwa Pakaye Gur ke

                     Apne Khaye Thali Mey

                     Hamko Deti Pyali Mey.

7. Much of the humour in the poem arises from the way language is used, although ideas are funny as well. If there are particular lines in the poem that you especially like, share these with the class, speaking briefly about what it is about the ideas or the language that you like or find funny.

Ans: The funny lines which I like in the poem are as follows:

  “A noble wild beast greets you” is about the characteristics of the Bengal Tiger.

  “Who hug you very hard” is about the characteristics of a bear.

“Hyenas came with merry smile” is about the unexpected cruel habit of a hyena

.

The Midnight Visitor: ncert solution Class 10

Think about It: Page- 18

Read and find out.

How is Ausable different from other secret agents?

Ans: Ausable is completely different from other secret agents. It is because he lives like an ordinary man. Fowler expected Ausable to be an extraordinary secret agent, but when he met him in a dark French hotel with an ordinary telephone, he does not believe his eyes. Ausable looks like an ordinary fat man who speaks French and German with a slight American accent. He does not have a cap and costumes which can differ him from the general folks.

Who is Fowler and what is his first authentic thrill of the day?

Ans: Of course, Fowler is a writer. He wanted to get some pieces of information about the smart espionage of Ausable to write for his publication. Fowler during the conversation, witnessed Ausable outwitting a criminal in a very simple way. So he got what he wanted to get for his writing. The very that was his first thrill of the day.

1.“Ausable did not fit any description for a secret agent Fowler had ever read.” What do secret agents in books and films look like, in your opinion? Discuss in groups or in class some stories or film featuring spies, detectives, and secret agents, and compare their appearance with that of Ausable in this story.(You may mention characters from fiction in languages other than English. In English fiction, you may have come across Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Miss Marple. Have you watched any film featuring James Bond?

Ans: In my opinion, secret agents in books and film are costumed differently which differs them from ordinary people. But in real life, the secret agents try to be secret. This is the reason why they want to look like ordinary people. They sometimes change their uniform according to the situation that suits them to detect something. In this way, they don’t let their work be affected.

I know one of the stories concerned with a CID officer. He was informed that a girl was driving to Nepal with 4 kg of gold. She was stopped on the Gandhi Setu near Hazipur. The CID officer searched for the gold but got nothing. Again, he was informed that she had 4 kg of gold with her. On the way to Jogbani, near Nepal, she was stopped by the police. The Police Inspector of that area took the Name Plate of her Ambassador Car and burnt it on fire. Now the gold was detected. It really weighed four kg.

2. How does Ausable manage to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room? Look back at his detailed description of it. What makes it a convincing story?

Ans: As Ausable sees Max with an automatic pistol, he crafts an idea to outwit him. He says that he will complain to the management about the misuse of the balcony attached to his room. He wants to blame Max for entering through the balcony.

In the meantime when the waiter started knocking on the door, Ausable crafted another idea by saying said that he had informed the police to verify the important paper which some important people wanted to get. Max is afraid of the police and wants to take shelter on the balcony (which was not made at all). In this way, Ausable manages to make Max believe that there is a balcony attached to his room.

3. Looking back at the story, when do you think Ausable thought up his plan for getting rid of Max? Do you think he had worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning? Or did he make up a plan taking advantage of events as they happened?

Ans: When Ausable saw Max with an automatic pistol in his hand, he thought up his plan for getting rid of him. I think he had not worked out his plan in detail right from the beginning. It was just his presence of mind. He planned then and there taking advantage of the events as they happened.

Talk about It:

1. In this story, Ausable shows great ‘presence of mind’, or the ability to think quickly and act calmly and wisely, in a situation of danger and surprise. Give examples from your own experience, or narrate a story, which shows someone’s presence of mind.

Ans:  I have experience of using the presence of mind. There was a mad man. He used to stay the whole day with a large bamboo stick in his hand, at the temple situated in my village. He used to say that he was on police duty and forgot that he was a retired teacher of a Primary School. One day, I along with my cousins was playing at the campus of the temple. All of a sudden he came to me and told me that I was under custody. Everybody ran away from the campus, but I was caught by the mad man. I was afraid of his bamboo stick. Forcefully by holding my hand he brought me to my grandfather complaining that I was playing at the campus of the temple which is not made for playing. During his useless conversation, I fled from there and got rid of the man.

2. Discuss what would you do in the situations described below. Remember that presence of mind comes out of a state of mental preparedness. If you have thought about possible problems or dangers, and about how to act in such situations, you have a better chance of dealing with such situations if they do arise.

(i)  A small fire starts in your kitchen.

Ans: If a small fire starts in my kitchen I must try to use the extinguisher.

(ii)  A child starts to chock on a piece of food.

Ans: If a child starts to chock on a piece of food, his back should slowly be thumped so that the food should be thrown out from his throat.

(iii)  An electrical appliance starts to hiss and gives out sparks.

Ans: If an electrical appliance starts to hiss and gives out sparks, the circuit should be taken out to stop the current. And then appliances should be changed.

(iv)  A bicycle knocks down a pedestrian.

Ans: If a bicycle knocks down a pedestrian, he should be looked after carefully and if the case rises serious, he should soon be taken to the doctor for his proper treatment.

(v)  It rains continuously for more than twenty-four hours.

Ans: If it rains continuously for more than twenty-four hours, we should leave the ground floor. Necessary foods and medicines must be kept in a safe place which may be useful in case of a flood.

(vi)  A member of your family does not return home at the usual or expected time.

Ans: If a member of my family does not return home at the usual or expected time, he should be talked to over the phone. If there is no reply, his friends, or his colleagues must be contacted immediately. At last, police should be informed to look into the matter.

The Thief's Story: ncert solution Class 10

Think about it.   Page-13

1. What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? What makes him return to Anil?

Ans: In the beginning, the reactions of Hari Singh to the prospect of receiving an education were concerned with money. He thought to earn money by showing himself to be a literate man. That is why he wanted to learn a few words to form a whole sentence.

Later his thought changed into an expectation of receiving a real education. He thought that earning money without honor or respect was not at all appreciable. So his thought underwent a change. Now he wants to be a respected man of a respected society. His thought about reality made him return to Anil.

2. Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what way is Anil different from such employers?

Ans: I think, Anil is a generous man. He was able to make out the circumstances and the situation in which Hari Singh lay. Also, he knew that his cook has a spark for improvement. So, he did not hand over the thief to the police. Instead, he paid him sympathy over his deplorable condition. It rarely happens that returns back to his master after stealing him. But Anil’s cook returns to him and proved that he had the potential to be improved and reformed.

Most of the people would have handed the thief over to the police, but Anil did not do so. It is because he wanted Hari Singh to be changed into a clever and respected person in society.

Talk about It. Page – 13

1. Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such people in real life?

Ans: No. I don’t think that people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction. They are found in real life also.

2. Do you think it is a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer? Does this explain his behavior in any way?

Ans: Of course, Anil is a struggling writer. It is because his earnings vary from time to time. He is a generous and sympathetic character in the story. His extraordinary views regarding individual reformation are appreciable. He wants the needy to be facilitated properly so that the needy remain self-contained.

3. Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen-year-old boy into a thief?

Ans: Yes, I have met a boy like Hari Singh. He was deputed to help us in our household work during the absence of my family members. Just after a week, he started crying in the washroom while he was washing clothes. My mother wanted to know about what had happened. He showed two five hundred notes completely wet and torn during his washing of the clothes. He was told not to worry. It is because my mother thought that it was done by mistake. But all of a sudden the boy said it was his money. Then and there my mother called his father and asked him why he had given his son a thousand rupees. But he refused to have done so. Ultimately he told his father that he had stolen that money from the locker in the absence of my mother. His father started beating him severely, but my mother saved the boy from being beaten. We came to know that the boy was a victim of his circumstances created by poverty.

4. Where is the story set? Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English?

Ans: The Lucknow Express and The Jumna Sweet Shop indicate that the story is set in Delhi, the Capital city of India. Delhi, as I know, is a cosmopolitan city. And so, various languages, such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi are spoken here.

I don’t think the characters spoke in English to each other. Nowadays, some words are borrowed from different languages, always used by both literates and illiterates. By using the words people even don’t know to which language a particular word belongs. So, I can say, people use the words of common use, without any detailed knowledge of a language.

A Tiger in the Zoo: ncert solution class 10

Talking about the Poem

1. Read the poem again, and work in pairs or groups to do the following tasks.

(i) Find the words that describe the movements and actions of the tiger in the cage and in the wild. Arrange them in two columns.

Ans: Actions in the cage                        Actions in the wild

        Locked in                                         lurking

         Stalking                                           sliding

          Ignoring                                          baring

          Hears                                             terrorizing

          Stares                   

(ii) Find the words that describe the two places, and arrange them in two columns. Now try to share ideas about how the poet uses words and images to contrast the two situations.

Ans: Place in the zoo                    Place in the wild

        In the cage                              Shadow

        Concrete cell                           Long grass

        Behind bars                             Water holes    

        Visitors                                    Deer pass

                                                         Jungle’s edge

                                                         Village

                                                                                               

2. Notice the use of a word repeated in lines such as these: What do you think is the effect of these repetitions?

(i)On pads of velvet quiet,

   In his quiet rage

Ans: Here the word ‘quiet’ is repeated to show the silence of the tiger’s pad and its anger. This poetic device is used by the poet to express his grievous view about the tiger which is captivated in a cage.

(ii)And stares with his brilliant eyes

    At the brilliant stars.

Ans: Here the word ‘brilliant is repeated by the poet to express his views about the shining eyes of the tiger and the brilliance of the stars which can flash the rays of hope for his freedom.

3. Read the following two poems – one about a tiger and the other about a panther. Then discuss:

Are zoos necessary for the protection or conservation of some species of animals? Are they useful for educating the public? Are there alternatives to zoos?

Ans: As we know some species of wild animals have already extinct. So I think zoos are necessary for the protection and conservation of those wild animals whose species are going to be extinct very soon or brutally hunted for nothing. If they are kept for the time being in the zoos, they can get a good opportunity to breed being safe and healthy. They are useful for educating people because, people can have a very close study about how to protect themselves and how to remove their immune deficiencies which are very important for their survival.

Wildlife reserves, sanctuaries are the best alternatives. It is because they are provided here with natural surroundings and the environment suitable to them.

4. Take a point of view for or against zoos, or even consider both points of view and write a couple of paragraphs or speak about this topic for a couple of minutes in class.

Ans: Do it yourself. Here some clues are provided.

 For:  (i) Safety and security

         (ii) Good health

         (iii) Healthy breeding

         (iv)  Protection from extinction

         (v) Ensures ecological balance

 Against: (i) Zoos cannot be the shelters for all the wild animals.

               (ii) Animals will be dependent on their food

               (iii) Zoos are only important for those animals which are on          

                      the verge of extinction.

                (iv) They are not free to move to their desired

                      places. 

                (v) If all the animals are kept in the zoos, it may cause an

                      unnecessary economic burden of the people or the

                      government.

The Verb Must Agree with its Subject

A Verb of a sentence must be agreed with the subject and its number and person. If the subject is singular verb will normally be singular, and if the subject is plural the verb should be plural. Exceptions are 'I' and 'You'. Here the subject is singular but the verb remains plural.

See the following examples:

I do my work properly.

You do your work properly.

Here we find that in both the sentences subjects 'I' and 'you' are singular but the verbs 'do' is plural.

See the following examples:

John along with the players is playing cricket.

The price of these items is high.

Iron and copper are useful metals.

The news I got is true.

The information I got is true.

The present politics of India is sensitive.

Mathematics is a subject of the brain.

Either you or I am responsible.

Neither you nor I am responsible.

Each of the fruits is spoiled.

Every one of the classes has to take part in the quiz.

English, as well as Urdu, is taught here.

He along with his friends has got an accident.

The solution to An Approach to English Grammar & Composition Book six-page 57 and 58

1. Fill in the blanks with suitable Verbs chosen from the brackets:

(i) Each of the boys has come. (have/has)

(ii) Each boy and girl has come. (has/have)

(iii) Every book is on the table.(is/are)

(iv) Either he, or I am mistaken.(is/am)

(v) Several boys have bicycles. (has/have)

(vi) I along with my friends was going. (was/were)

(vii) Many students are absent.(is/are)

(viii) Either of you is wrong. (is/are)

(ix) The students have slept. (has/have)

(xi) I as well as my father know this. (know/knows)

(xii) Few persons were there. (was/were)

(xiii) She as well as I am going there.(is/am)

(iv) A few books are useful.(is/are)

2. In each of the following sentences, put the Verb in agreement with its Subject:

(i) The ‘lions of the east’ is an interesting book.

(ii) Neither of the explanation is correct.

(iii) No news is good news.

(iv) Three parts of the business are in my hands.

(v) The origin of the Hindu manners and customs is unknown.

(vi) The house, with its contents is/was insured against fire.

(vii) Either Jane or I am to blame.

(viii) A few hours’ studies is enough.

(ix) Neither John nor you are present.

(x) The Chief with all his men was killed.

(xi) The quality of these mangoes is/was not good.

(xii) He is one of the wisest and noblest kings that has ever lived.

(xiii) The council is unanimous in its decision.

(xiv) The committee were divided in their opinions.

(xv) Rice and curry is his favourite food.

(xvi) Not one of you has done his work properly.

(xvii) Good news is always welcome.

(xviii) Every man, woman and child in the village is wounded.

(xix) None of these boys has passed.

(xx) Two and two make four.

3. Correct the following sentences:

(i) The scholar and the philosopher are dead.

(ii) The manager, as well as his staff, was there.

(iii) A thousand kilometres is a great distance.

(iv) David, and not you, won the prize.

(v) Bread and butter is his main food.

(vi) Jane, as well as Ann, is waiting for you.

(vii) Neither Hari nor Shyam was present yesterday.

(viii) Which one of these umbrellas is yours?

(ix) Throwing stones is forbidden.

(x) The behaviour of the boys and girls was highly objectionable.

(xi) Lamb’s Tales is an interesting book.

(xii) The study of Physics requires brains.

(xiii) James with his friends was caught.

(xiv) Neither Afzal nor Akram has come.

(xv) It is one of the best pictures that has ever been painted.

(xvi) Neither of these questions appears difficult.

(xvii) Every one of the men was present.

(xviii) Slow and steady wins the race.

(xix) None but the brave deserves the fair.

(xx) A knowledge of modern languages is essential these days.

(xxi) The accountant and the treasurer have absconded.

(xxii) A hundred yards is a good distance.

(xxiii) The building with the goods was insured.

(xxiv) More than forty boys were present in the class.

(xxv) Game after game was played.