DIVISIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL & INTERMEDIATE COLLEGE, LAHORE

NOTES ENGLISH CLASS VIII

UNIT 01 (POEM): THE NEWCOMER
A UNDERSTANDING THE POEM
1. Answer the following questions. (See questions in the book)
a. None of the animals is happy about the newcomer; they are all suspicious about it and want to warn the other
animals as soon as possible. The main emotions or feelings in the poem are those of fear, suspicion, anticipation,
awe, and surprise.
b. The repetition of the word ‘no’ helps to paint a dark or negative picture. It brings out or reiterates the great
difference between the unwelcome visitor and the other animals living in the wild.
c. Pupils should give their own interpretations. Does it mean that humans have never had wings? Some creatures
have wings but cannot fly while others seem to fly but do not have wings (flying squirrel, bats, etc.) but humans do
not have any feathers or wing-like parts.
d. In the river, the humans ‘ignore the impassable dam: In the warren, they dig deeper than the animals ‘dare’ go.
This suggests that they have abilities beyond those of the other animals.
These questions are more difficult. Discuss them first.
A) Do you think that this poem is fair to human beings?
Answer: We might not agree that all humans behave like this; we might feel that humans also do a lot for the
welfare and protection of animals.
B) Can you imagine a world in which humanity does not “kill and kill and kill”? What would this world be
like? Discuss in the class.
Answer: We think that the world would be over-populated if we do not kill animals (for food); We also think this
would not happen, and that they would die out naturally, not multiply quickly.
B WORKING WITH WORDS
Recall the similes and metaphors.
1. In the poem you will find a metaphor; can you say what it is?
the ghost of a wing
2. Silent Letters
Note the words that contain silent letters, e.g. high. (gh is silent) ghost, whiteness, bright, through
3. Note the silent letters in the following.
ca(l)m hym(n) su(b)tle rei(g)n
4. Put the words into four columns, according to the silent letter.

l N b g
alms autumn subtle feign
yolk damned dumb resign
should hymn debt foreign
palm column plumber
almond condemn numb
salmon doubt
Read the words aloud, making sure that the silent letters remain silent!
5. Find words which have a similar meaning to the following:
a. obliterate/kill b. impenetrable/impassable c. airing/spreading d. trace/shadow e. make bold/dare
f. swollen/bloated g. disregards/ignores
C LEARNING ABOUT LANGUAGE
Clauses
Discuss the information and the examples given.
1. Can you divide the sentences above into subject and predicate?
Subject Predicate
That boy is my brother
the ship silently left the harbour
She can read a book

2. Underline the main clauses in the following.

Main clauses:
a. The children went to the park after they had their lunch.
b. Maham went to the library though she didn’t want to.
c. We stopped at the town where my father was born.
d. When the sun came out , the boys went out to play football.
e. After the play was over, the actors met the children.
f. He came when I called
g. The man went where I asked him to go.
h. The trees died because there was no rain.
i. If Amir comes, we shall all go to the park.
j. The policeman arrested the men who broke into the shop.

Workbook: pages 11–14

A REVISING PHRASES AND CLAUSES

Read the sentences and revise what the pupils already know. Understanding the words
independent and dependent is the key. Only a clause with a finite verb makes complete sense; it
can stand independently. Dependent clauses, as their name suggests, depend on the other clauses
in a sentence, in order to make complete sense.
When the sentences are read, pupils should concentrate on the italicised text. Do the words
contain a finite verb? Do the words make complete sense? How do the words help us to
understand the whole sentence better? Which words in the other part do these italicised words
describe, refer to, or amplify?
1 and 2. Read the sentences; pay attention to the italicized phrases and clauses.
1. In the green vase—phrase (adverbial)
2. from eight o’clock to twelve o’clock—phrase (adverbial)
3. we will surely come—main clause
4. We don’t know—main clause
5. on the table—phrase (adverbial)
6. Whatever you do—subordinate clause (adverbial)
7. sometime last month—phrase (adverbial)
8. We are always happy—main clause (independent and makes sense on its own)

B MAIN OR SUBORDINATE?
Rewrite the following in the box below.

Main Subordinate
a. The judges declared that he was the winner.
 b. they sat down As soon as they entered the room
c. Rida’s brother is (a captain in the Navy) who was here yesterday
d. She sold the book that you gave her.
e. We will go on a picnic if they come tomorrow
f. It began to rain just as the match started.

C HARDLY DIFFICULT
1. Make adverbs from the following adjectives.
(adjective describing a noun); temporarily (adverb). He worked temporarily; the appointment was
not for a permanent post.
Adverbs (and possible verbs to be connected with):
a. temporarily (employed, used, taken)
b. sufficiently (suffered, fed, beaten!)
c. despicably (treated, behave)
d. astronomically (risen, multiplied, gone up)
e. evasively (spoken, acted, answered)
f. literally (taken, understood, compared)
g. literarily (Note the difference betweenh. voluntarily (acted, taken up, answered)
2. Make your own sentences.
These are examples. Ensure that the adjectives qualify the nouns, and the adverbs qualify the
verbs. The verb or noun qualified has been italicised below.
a. i. He woke up early. (adv.)
ii. He took the early train. (adj.)
b. i. It was hard to leave the mountains. (adv.)
ii. The bicycle had two hard tyres. (adj.)
c. i. The bird flew high up into the tree. (adv.)
ii. She sang some high notes. (adj.)
d. i. Azim arrived late for school. (adv.)
ii. He arrived on the late bus. (adj.)
e. i. The children thought long and hard. (adv.)
ii. The giant took long strides across the country. (adj.)
f. i. The rice ran short because of the number of guests. (adv.)
ii. The short, thin boy ran down the steps. (adj.)

D CITY WORDS
1. What other words can you think of which end in -city?
a. simplicity b. publicity c. ferocity d. paucity e. tenacity f. velocity g. elasticity h. scarcity i.
eccentricity j. opacity k. electricity l. city
2. Now use the words in sentences of your own.
A. Something which is simple has this quality. (simplicity)
B. The business of advertising is known as (publicity)
C. A furious character or act is (ferocity)
D. Smallness of number or quantity is known as (paucity)
E. Something that is tenacious(holding firm) has this (tenacity)
F. Quickness or rate of motion is called this. (velocity)
G. Elastic has this quality. (elasticity)
H. When there is a lack of something and things are scarce. (scarcity)
I. Someone who is eccentric has this quality. (eccentricity)
J. Something opaque has this quality. (opacity)
K. Something that is electric has this. (electricity)
L. This is just a large or important town! (city)