BA101 English

English (Compulsory) BA-101
Bachelor of Arts
(B.A.)
BA-101
English-Compulsory
RSITY OF S
I VE C
UN IE
R
N
CE
M BE SHWA
& TE CH NO
JA
U
LO
R
GY
GU
Directorate of Distance Education

Guru Jambheshwar University of
Science & Technology
HISAR-125001
DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 1|
CONTENTS
No. Title Author Editor Page /s
Literature and Language-I

1 Spe e ch Sound Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 6
2 a)Choosing Our Universe Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 28
b)Are Dams the te mple s of 46

Mode rn India?
Author-Arundhati Roy
3 The Ge neration Gap Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 69
4 Language and National Ide ntity Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 85
5 a)Wounde d Plants Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 106
Author- Jagadish Chandra Bose
b) Playing the English 125

Ge ntle man
6 Gre at Books Born out of Gre at Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 146

Minds
7 a)The Re sponsibility of Young Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 161

Me n
b)Author-Lal Bahadur Shastri

173
Bharat Mata
Author- Jawaharlal Nehru

Literature and Language-II

1 Pige ons at Daybre ak Dr. Pallavi Dr. Pallavi 189
By Anita De sai
2 With the Photographe r Dr. Pallavi Dr. Pallavi 210
By – Ste phe n Le acock
3 The Journey Dr. Pallavi Dr. Pallavi 224
By Te msula Ao
4 The Re fugee Dr. Pallavi Dr. Pallavi 241
By Khwaja Ahme d Abbas
5 Panchlight Dr. Narsingh Dr. Narsingh 256

Jangra Jangra
6 The Child Dr. Narsingh Dr. Narsingh 282

Jangra Jangra
7 The Blind Dog Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 313
R.K.Narayan
Comment [g1]: Grammar

Grammer Section
No. Title Author Editor Page
1 Grammar: Noun and Pronoun Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 339

Gupta De vi
2 Ve rbs and Adve rbs Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 352

Gupta De vi
3 Adje ctives and Pre positions Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 372

Gupta De vi
4 Modals and Conjunctions. Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 401

Gupta De vi
5 Grammar: Te nses and Voice Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 424

Gupta De vi
6 Narration (Dire ct and Indire ct Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 460

Spe e ch) and Phrasal Ve rbs. Gupta De vi
7 Compre hension: Candidate s Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 493

will be re quired to answe r the Gupta De vi
que stions that follow the
passages taken from the
pre scribed te xtbooks. Candidate
will be re quired to atte mpt both
the passages.
8 Paragraph: Candidate s will be Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 518

re quired to write a paragraph 1 Gupta De vi
in about 200 words on any one
out of the four.

LITERATURE AND
LANGUAGE-I

Subject: English ( Compulsory)
Course Code: BA101 Author: Dr.NutanYadav

Comment [g2]: done
Lesson No:01 Editor: Dr.NutanYadav
Speech Sound
Lesson Structure
1.1 Learning Objectives
1.2 Introduction
1.3 M ain Body of the Text
1.3.1 W hat is a speech sound?
1.3.2 W hat is a vowel?
1.3.3 W hat is a consonant?
1.4 Further Body of the text
1.4.1 Phonemes
1.4.2 Pure vowels
1.4.3 Vowel sound symbols
1.4.4 Consonant sound symbols
1.4.5 Pronunciations of the letters of the English alphabets
1.5 Check your Progress
1.6 Summary
1.7 Keywords
1.8 Self -Assessment Questions (SAQs)

1.9 Answers to Your Progress
1.10 References/ Suggested Readings
1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Afte r going through this le sson you will be able to-
 To de ve lop re ading, writing, spe aking, and listening skills of the English
language.
 To e nrich the taste of lite rature.
 To de ve lop a re ading habit
 Know the diffe re nce be tween poe try and prose .
 Trained in critically analyzing phone tic transcription of sound system
1.2 INTRODUCTION
Sounds play a ve ry important role in a language. It is the way how we e xpre ss

ourse lves. Stude nts ne ed to know the sound structure of a language.
1.3 M AIN BODY OF THE TEXT
1.3.1 W hat is a speech sound?
The English alphabe t contains 26 le tte rs which are divide d into vowe ls and
consonants. There is no one to one corre spondence be tween spe llings and sounds. It
is that the se 26 le tte rs of the English alphabe t along with some othe r symbols,
re pre se nt 44 English spe e ch sounds. Due to the se 44 sounds, the le tte rs of the
alphabe ts in English don’t always corre spond to the same spe e ch sound. For
e xample, ‘gh’ is pronounce d diffe re ntly in Laugh, ghost, through. The Inte rnational
Phone tic Association (IPA) has e volve d to ove rcome this proble m.
Phone tic transcription following the IPA make s it possible for us to unde rstand the
corre ct pronunciation of words through dictionarie s.
1.3.2 Phonetic Transcription

It is the visual representation of spe e ch sounds following the inte rnational Phone tic
Alphabe t (IPA), which is use d e xte nsive ly by phone ticians all ove r the world.
According to IPA
The 44 spe e ch sounds of English are divide d into 20 vowe ls and 24 consonants.
44 English speech
sounds devided in-
20 vowels sounds(12
vowels +8 diphthongs)
24 consonants
1.3.3- W hat is a vowel?
A vowe l is a spe e ch of sound in the production of which the air come s out of the
mouth without any obstruction at all.
1.3.4 W hat is a consonant?
A consonant is a spe e ch sound in the production of which the re is some hindrance

to the airstre am at some point in the mouth.
All the se 44 sounds are phone me s.
1.4 FURTHER BODY OF THE TEXT
1.4.1 Phonemes

A phone me is the smalle st possible sound unit which is combine d with othe r
phone me s to form me aningful units such as words.
Two words can diffe r in me aning through the contrast of a single phone me . For
e xample -
Tail- Fail
Kiss- Kill
Rat- Cat
Hit- He at
Speech sounds can be understood easily through this diagram
Speech
Sounds (44)
Vowel Consonants
Sounds(20) Sounds(24)
Pure
Diphthong(8)
Vowel(12)
1.4.2 Pure Vowel
A pure vowe l is that vowe l in which only one sound is made for e xample - a, e , I, o, u,
e tc.
Diphthongs- A diphthong is a vowe l in which two vowe l sounds are he ard. (ai),
It is the mixture of two vowe l sounds e .g.- night

He nce, a diphthong me ans double so
1.4.3 Vowel sound symbols
Examples
IPA
ʌ CUP, LUCK
ɑ: ARM, FAT HER
a CAT , BLACK
e MET , BED
ə AWAY, CINEMA
ɜ:ʳ T URN, LEARN
ɪ HIT , SIT T ING
i: SEE, HEAT
ɒ HOT , ROCK
ɔ: CALL, FOUR
ʊ PUT , COULD
u: BLUE, FOOD
Diphthongs
Ai FIVE, EYE
aʊ NOW, OUT
eɪ SAY, EIGHT
DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 10 |

Examples
IPA
oʊ GO, HOME
ɔɪ BOY, JOIN
e əʳ WHERE, AIR
ɪəʳ NEAR, HERE
ʊəʳ PURE, T OURIST
1.4.4 Consonants Sound symbols
Consonants
IPA Examples listen
b BAD, LAB
d DID, LADY
f FIND, I F
g GIVE, FLAG
h HOW, HELLO
j YES, YELLOW
k CAT , BACK
l LEG, LIT T LE
m MAN, LEMON

Consonants
IPA Examples listen
n NO, T EN
ŋ SING, FI NGER
p PET , MAP
r RED, T RY
s SUN, MI SS
ʃ SHE, CRASH
t T EA, GET T ING
tʃ CHECK, CHURCH
θ T HINK, BOT H
ð T HIS, MOT HER
v VOICE, FI VE
w WET , WINDOW
z ZOO, LAZY
ʒ PLEASURE, VI SION
dʒ JUST , LARGE
 Vowe ls- in phone tics, a vowe l is a sound in spoke n language that is

pronounce d with an ope n vocal tract.

 Diphthongs –A diphthong is a gliding vowe l in the articulation of which the re is

a transition of sound from one vowe l position to anothe r.
 Consonant- a consonant is a sound in spoke n language that is articulated with
the comple te or partial closure of the vocal tract. For e xample, to
pronounce /m/ one has to pre ss one ’s lips toge ther; /t/ is pronounce d using
the front of the tongue ;/k/ is pronounce d using the back of the tongue .
1.4.5 Pronunciation of the letters of the English Alphabet
The first le tter of the English alphabe t ‘A’ the ‘I’, is pronounce d as/e/. The IPA
transcriptions of the pronunciations of all the le tte rs of the English alphabe t are
listed be low.
Syllable -syllables are the units into which a word is divide d. Each unit consists of a
vowe l sound and usually one or more consonants. The syllabus may be ‘stre ssed’
strong form (whe n spoke n with e mphasis) and ‘unstressed’/weak form (whe n spoke n
without e mphasis)
The numbe r of a syllable in a word maybe one or more i.e , monosyllabic or

polysyllabic.
Example of words containing one syllable:
 Late
 Bat
 Che ese
 Cake
 Door
 Eat
Example of words containing two syllable s:
 Walking
 Chicken

 Fathe r
 Waite d
 Te acher
 Ente r
Example s of words containing three syllables:
 Editor
 Re minde r
 Camera
 Inte rrupt
 Syllable
The le tter ‘y’ can be counte d as a vowe l or a diphthong if it cre ates the sound of a
vowe l or a diphthong: e .g. re ady, try, dry, e tc.
1.5 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Transcribe these words-
Vowel sound phonetic diagram

Phonetic Symbols
Vowel Sounds
cat, fat, rat
be d, te n, pe n
te acher, fe ather, about
the ship, sit, fit
got, cot, on
cup, bus, much
good, full, foot
far, car, fathe r
bird, curd, dirty
she ep, re ap, de e p
saw, flaw, call

shoot, pool, cool
Diphthong Sounds
Phonetic Symbols of Diphthongs
Diphthongs-
my, fly, die
cow, bow, now
wait, straight, late
the show, slow, go
he re, fe ar, ne ar
boy, joy, joy
pure , sure , cure
hair, bare , care

Phonetic symbols of Vowels, Diphthongs, and consonants in the English

Language
Consonants Sounds-

Transcribe W ords
pe a, pe t, pole
boat, be ll, bat

te n, te ll, te a
dog, doctor, door
chain, cheese
June , joke r, je t
car, ke ttle, character
go, gold, ge t
fly, fe ather, fun
vide o, van, vine
think, thunde r, throw
this, that, the m
se e, se ll, soap
zoo, ze bra, zone
shall, shoe , shame
vision, measure, te levision
man, more , make
now, ne ver, ne w
sing, song, thing
hat, he llo, hair
love , labor, lost
re d, rose , rope
we t, we ll, watch
1.6 SUM MARY

re pre sent 44 sounds or English spe e ch sounds. Due to the se 44 sounds, the le tte rs
of the alphabe ts in English don’t always corre spond to the same spe e ch sound. For
e xample , gh is pronounce d diffe re ntly in Laugh, ghost, through. The Inte rnational
Phone tic Association (IPA) has e volve d to ove rcome this proble m.
 Phone tic transcription following the IPA makes it possible for us to unde rstand
the corre ct pronunciation of words through dictionaries. Vowe ls- in phone tics,
a vowe l is a sound in spoke n language that is pronounce d with an ope n vocal
tract.
 Diphthongs –A diphthong is a gliding vowe l in the articulation of which the re is
a transition of sound from one vowe l position to anothe r.
 Consonant- a consonant is a sound in spoke n language that is articulated with
a comple te or partial closure of the vocal tract. For e xample, to pronounce /m/
one has to pre ss one ’s lips toge the r;/t/ is pronounce d using the front of the
tongue ;/k/ is pronounce d using the back of the tongue .
1.7 KEYW ORDS
 Phone mic
 Syllabus
 Transcription
 Consonant
 Vowe l
 Diphthong
 IPA(International Phonetic Alphabe t)
1.8 SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS(SAQ’S)
Answer the following questions

 What is spe e ch sound?

 How many vowe l sound we have in English?
 What is a diphthong? How many diphthongs we have in English?
 What is the phone tic Transcription?
 What is a phone me?
 What is a syllable ?
1.9 ANSW ER TO YOUR PROGRESS
Answer 1-
re pre sent 44 sounds or English spe e ch sounds. Due to the se 44 sounds, the le tte rs
of the alphabe ts in English don’t always corre spond to the same spe e ch sound. For
e xample , gh is pronounce d diffe re ntly in Laugh, ghost, through.
Answer 2
The re are 12 vowe l sounds we have in the English language .
Answer 3
A diphthong is a gliding vowe l in the articulation of which this is a transition of

sound from one vowe l position to anothe r. There are 8 diphthong sounds in English.
Answer-4
It is the visual re presentation of spe e ch sounds following the Inte rnational Phone tic
Alphabe t (IPA), which is use d e xte nsive ly by phone ticians all ove r the world.
According to IPA, the 44 spe e ch sounds of English are divide d into 20 vowe ls and 24
consonants.
Answer-5

A phone me is the smalle st possible sound unit which is combine d with othe r
phone me s to form me aningful units such as words
Answer-6
Syllable s are the units into which a word is divide d. Each unit consists of a vowe l
sound and usually one or more consonants. The syllabus may be ‘stre sse d’ strong
form (whe n spoke n with e mphasis) and ‘unstre sse d’/we ak form (whe n spoke n
without e mphasis)
List of common words for phonetic transcription
a, about, above , across, act, active, activity, add, afraid, afte r, again, age , ago, agre e,
air, all,
along, alre ady, always, am, amount, an, and, angry, anothe r, answer, any, anyone , a
nything,
anytime, appe ar, apple , are , are a, arm, army, around, arrive, art, as, ask, at, attack,
aunt, autumn,
baby, base , back, bad, bag, ball, bank, baske t, bath, be , be an, be ar, be autiful, be e r,
be d, be droom, be have, be fore , be gin, be hind, be ll, be low, be side s, be st, be tte r, be twe
e n, big, bird, birth, birthday, bit, bite , black, ble e d, block, blood, blow, blue , board, b
oat, body, boil, bone , book, borde r,
, borrow, both, bottle , bottom, bowl, box, boy, branch, brave , bre ad, bre ad, bre akfast
, bre athe , bridge , bright, bring, brothe r, brown, brush, build, burn, busine ss, busy, b
usy, but, buy, by.
cake, call, can, candle , cap, car, card, care , careful, careless, carry, case, cat, catch,
ce ntral, ce ntury, certain, chair, chance, change, chase, che ap, che ese, chicken, child

, childre n, chocolate, choice, choose, circle, city, class, cle ver, cle an, cle ar, climb, clo
ck, cloth, clothe s, cloud, cloudy, close , coffee, coat, coin, cold, colle ct, color, comb, co
me , comfortable, common, compare, complete, compute r, condition, continue, contro
l, cook, cool, coppe r, corn, corne r, corre ct, cost, contain, count, country, course , cove
r, crash, cross, cry, cup, cupboard, cut.
dance , dange rous, dark, daughte r, day, de ad, de cide , de crease, de e p, de e r, de pe nd, d
e sk, de stroy, de velop, die , diffe re nt, difficult, dinner, dire ction, dirty, discover, dish, d
o, dog, door, double , down, draw, dre am, dre ss, drink, drive , drop, dry, duck, dust, d
uty.
e ach, e ar, e arly, e arn, e arth, e ast, e asy, e at, e ducation, e ffect, e gg, e ight, e ither, e le ct
ric, e le phant, e lse, e mpty, e nd, e nemy, e njoy, e nough, e nter, e qual, e ntrance, e scape,
e ven, e vening, e vent, e ver, e very, e veryone, e xact, e verybody, e xamination, e xample,
e xce pt, e xcite d, e xe rcise , e xpe ct.
face , fact, fail, fall, false , family, famous, far, farm, fathe r, fast, fast, fault, fe ar, fe e d, f
e e l, fe male, fe ver, fe w, fight, fill, film, fine, fine, finger, finish, fire, first, fit, five , fix, fla
t, flat, float, floor, flour, flowe r, fly, fold, fold, fool, foot, football, for, force , fore ign, for
e st, forge t, forgive , fork, form, fox, four, fre e , fre edom, fre eze, fre sh, friend, frie ndly, fr
om, front, fruit, full, fun, funny, furniture , furthe r, future .
the
game, garde n, gate , ge neral, ge ntleman, ge t, gift, give , glad, glass, go, goat, god, gold,
good, goodbye , grandfathe r, grandmother, grass, grave, gre at, gre en, gre y, ground, g
roup, grow, gun.

hair, half, hall, hammer, hand, happe n, happy, hard, hate , hate , have, he , he ad, he al
thy, he ar, he avy, he llo, he lp, he art, he aven, he ight, he lp, he n, he r, he re, he rs, hide , h
igh, hill, him, his, hit, hobby, hold, hole , holiday, home , hope , horse , hospital, hot, h
ote l, house , how, hundre d, hungry, hour, hurry, husband, hurt
I, ice , ide a, if, important, in, incre ase , inside , into, introduce , inve nt, the
iron, invite , is, island, it, its.
je lly, job, join juice , jump, just.
ke e p, ke y, kill, kind, king, kitche n, kne e , knife , knock, know.
ladde r, lady, lamp, land, large , last, late , late , laugh, lazy, le ad, le af, le arn, le ave, le g,
le ft, le nd, le ngth, le ss, le sson, le t, le tter, library, lie , life , light, like, lion, lip, list, liste
n, little , live , lock, lone ly, long, look, lose , lot, love , low, lowe r, luck.
machine, main, make, male, man, many, map, mark, markets, marry, matte r, may,
me , me al, me an, measure, me at, me dicine, meet, me mber, me ntion, me thod, middle ,
milk, million, mind, minute, miss, mistake, mix, mode l, mode rn, moment, money, m
onke y, month, moon, more , morning, most, mothe r, mountain, mouth, move, much,
music, must, my.
name, narrow, nation, nature , ne ar, ne arly, ne ck, need, ne edle, ne ighbor, ne ither, ne

t, ne ver, ne w, ne ws, ne wspape r, ne xt, nice, night, nine, no, noble , noise, none, nor, n
orth, nose , not, nothing, notice , now, numbe r.
obe y, obje ct, oce an, of, off, offe r, office , ofte n, oil, old, on, one , only, ope n, opposite , o
r, orange , orde r, othe r, our, out, outside , ove r, own.
page , pain, paint, pair, pan, pape r, pare nt, park, part, partne r, party, pass, past, pat
h, pay, pe ace, pe n, pe ncil, pe ople , pe ppe r, pe r, pe rfe ct, pe riod, pe rson, pe trol, photog
raph, piano, pick, picture , pie ce, pig, pin, pink, place , plane , plant, plastic, plate , pla
y, ple ase, ple ased, ple nty, pocke t, point, poison, police , polite , pool, poor, popular, po
sition, possible, potato, pour, powe r, pre se nt, pre ss, pre tty, pre ve nt, price , prince, pri
son, private , prize , probably, proble m, produce , promise , prope r, prote ct, provide , pu
blic, pull, punish, pupil, push, put.
que e n, que stion, quick, quie t, quie t.
radio, rain, rainy, raise, re ach, re ad, re ady, re al, re ceive, re cord, re d, re membe r, re mi
nd, re move, re nt, re pair, re pe at, re ply, re port, re st, re staurant, re sult, re turn, rice , ri
ch, ride , right, ring, rise , road, rob, rock, room, round, rubbe r, rude , rule , rule r, run,
rush.
sad, safe , sail, salt, same, sand, save, say, school, science, scissors, se arch, se at, se c
ond, se e, seem, se ll, se nd, se ntence, se rve, se ven, several, se x, shade , shadow, shake
, shape , share, sharp, she , sheep, she et, shelf, shine, ship, shirt, shoe , shoot, shop, s
hort, should, shoulde r, shout, show, sick, side, signal, silence, silly, silver, similar, si

mple , single, since, sing, sink, sister, sit, six, size , skill, skin, skirt, sky, sleep, slip, sl
ow, smoke, small, smell, smile, smoke, snow, so, soap, sock, soft, some , someone, so
me thing, sometimes, son, soon, sorry, sound, soup, south, space , spe ak, spe cial, spe
e d, spe ll, spe nd, spoon, sport, spre ad, spring, square , stamp, stand, star, start, stati
on, stay, ste al, ste am, ste p, still, stomach, stone , stop, store , storm, story, strange , st
re e t, strong, structure , stude nt, study, stupid, subje ct, substance, successful, such,
sudde n, sugar, suitable, summer, sun, sunny, support, sure , surprise, swe et, swim,
sword.
table , take, talk, tall, taste , taxi, te a, te ach, te am, te ar, te lephone, te levision, te ll, te n,
te nnis, te rrible, te st, the n, that, the , the ir, the n, the re, the refore, the se, thick, thin, t
hing, think, third, this, though, thre at, thre e, tidy, tie , title, too, today, toe , toge the r,
tomorrow, tonight, too, tool, tooth, top, total, touch, town, train, tram, trave l, tre e , tr
ouble , true , trust, twice , try, turn, type .
uncle , unde r, unde rstand, unit, until, up, use , use ful, usual, usually.
ve ge table , ve ry, village , voice , visit.
wait, wake , walk, want, warm, wash, waste , watch, wate r, way, we , we ak, we ar, we at
he r, we dding, we e k, we ight, we lcome, we ll, we st, we t, what, whe e l, whe n, whe re , whi
ch, while , white , who, why, wide , wide , wild, will, win, win, window, wine , winte r, wir
e , wise, wish, wish, without, woman, wonde r, word, work, world, worry, worst, write ,
wrong

ye ar, ye s, ye ste rday, ye t, you, young, your.
ze ro, zoo
1.10 REFERENCES /SUGGESTED READINGS
 Michael Rosen (2015). Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story.

Counterpoint. ISBN 978-1619027022.
 Upward, Christophe r; Davidson, George (2011), The History of English Spelling,
Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN 978-1-4051-9024-4, LCCN 2011008794.

Lesson No:02
Chapter-2(a) Choosing Our Universe
Author-Stephen Hawking and Leonard M lodinow
Chapter -2(b) Are Dams the Temple of M odern India?
Author –Arundhati Roy
Lesson Structure
2.2 Introduction
2.3.1 About the Author
2.3.2 About the Essay
2.6 Summary
2.7 Keywords
2.8.1 Language Activity

2.9.1 Extented Composition

 To de ve lop re ading, writing, spe aking, and liste ning skills of the English
language .
 To e nrich the taste of lite rature .
 Know the diffe re nce be twe e n poe try and prose .
 Traine d in critically analyzing phone tic transcription of sound syste m
2.2 INTRODUCTION
The e ssay ‘Choosing Our Unive rse’ is an e xcerpt from The Grand De sign, a colle ctive
book by Ste phen Hawking and Le onard Mlodinow. It offe rs a thought-provoking and
innovative approach towards unde rstanding the universe . The laws of Physics have
he lpe d us ge t answe rs to a lot many puzzle s re late d to the cosmos. The The ory of
Re lativity and Quantum Physics toge ther have he lped unrave l many de e p myste rie s
about the universe. Howe ver, the que st to arrive at a single unifie d the ory that will
e xplain e ve rything still e vade s us

ACCORDING TO THE BOSHONGO PEOPLE of ce ntral Africa, in the be ginning, the re

was only darkne ss, wate r, and the gre at god Bumba. One day Bumba, in pain from a
stomachache , vomite d up the sun. In time the sun drie d up some of the wate r,
le aving land. But Bumba was still in pain and vomite d some more . Up came the
moon, the stars, and the n some animals: the le opard, the crocodile , the turtle , and
finally man. The Mayans of Me xico and Ce ntral Ame rica te ll of a similar time be fore
cre ation when all that e xiste d we re the se a, the sky, and the Make r. In the Mayan
le ge nd the Make r, unhappy be cause the re was no one to praise him, cre ate d the
e arth, mountains, tre es, and most animals. But the animals could not spe ak, and so
he de cide d to cre ate humans. First, he made the m of mud and e arth, but the y only
spoke nonse nse . He le t the m dissolve away and trie d again, this time fashioning
pe ople from wood. Those pe ople we re dull. He de cide d to de stroy the m, but the y
e scape d into the fore st, sustaining damage along the way that alte re d the m slightly,
cre ating what we today know as monkeys. Afte r that fiasco, the Make r finally came
upon a formula that worke d and constructed the first humans from white and ye llow
corn. Today we make e thanol from corn, but so far haven’t matched the Make r’s fe at
of constructing the pe ople who drink it.
Cre ation myths like the se all attempt to answe r the que stions we addre ss in this
book: Why is the re a universe , and why is the unive rse the way it is? Our ability to
addre ss such que stions has grown ste adily in the ce nturies since the ancient Greeks,
most profoundly ove r the past ce ntury. Arme d with the background of the pre vious
chapte rs, we are now re ady to offe r a possible answe r to the se que stions.
One thing that may have be e n appare nt e ve n in e arly time s was that e ithe r the
unive rse was a ve ry re ce nt cre ation or e lse human be ings have e xiste d for only a
small fraction of cosmic history. That’s be cause the human race has be e n improving
so rapidly in knowle dge and te chnology that if pe ople had be e n around for millions of
ye ars, the human race would be much furthe r along in its maste ry.

According to the Old Te stame nt, God cre ate d Adam and Eve only six days into
cre ation. Bishop Usshe r, primate of all Ire land from 1625 to 1656, place d the origin
of the world e ven more pre cisely, at nine in the morning on Octobe r 27, 4004 BC. We
take a diffe re nt view: that humans are a re cent cre ation but that the unive rse itse lf
be gan much e arlie r, about 13.7 billion ye ars ago.
The first actual scientific e vide nce that the unive rse had a be ginning came in the
1920s. As we said in Chapte r 3, that was a time whe n most scie ntists be lie ve d in a
static universe that had always e xiste d. The e vide nce to the contrary was indire ct,
base d upon the obse rvations Edwin Hubble made with the 100-inch te le scope on
Mount Wilson, in the hills above Pasadena, California. By analyzing the spe ctrum of
light the y e mit, Hubble de te rmined that ne arly all galaxies are moving away from us,
and the farthe r away the y are , the faste r the y are moving. In 1929 he publishe d a
law re lating the ir rate of re cession to the ir distance from us and conclude d that the
universe is e xpanding. If that is true , the n the unive rse must have be e n smalle r in
the past. If we e xtrapolate to the distant past, all the matte r and e ne rgy in the
universe would have been concentrated in a ve ry tiny re gion of unimaginable de nsity
and te mpe rature , and if we go back far e nough, the re would be a time whe n it all
be gan—the e ve nt we now call the big bang.
Stephen W illiam Hawking Leonard M lodinow

Ste phe n William Hawking is an English the oretical physicist cosmologist author and
Dire ct of the Re search center at the Unive rsity of Cambridge . He was the first to se t
forth a cosmology e xplaine d by a union of the ge ne ral the ory of re lativity and
quantum me chanics. He has achieved success with popular science. He is the author
of ‘A Brie f History of Time ’ a phe nome nal succe ssful scie nce book that e xplains a
range of subje cts re lated to cosmology. He has worke d e xtensively on Black Hole s. He
suffe re d from a motor dise ase that has paralyze d him.
Le onard Mlodinow is a famous Ame rican physicist and screenwriter and scientist. As
a child, he was inte re ste d in both mathe matic s and che mistry. He got a doctoral
de gre e from the Unive rsity of California. He did pione e ring work on the quantum
the ory of Die le ctric Me dia.
Be twe en 2008 and 2010 Mlodinow worke d on a book with Ste phe n Hawking e ntitle d
‘The Grand De sign’ from which this e ssay has be e n take n.
This e ssay offe rs a ne w approach to unde rstanding the universe. The laws of physics
have he lpe d us to ge t answe rs for a lot of many de e p myste rie s about the unive rse .
Howe ve r, the que st to arrive at a single uni fie d the ory that will e xplain e ve rything
still e vade s us; we still don’t know e xactly how this unive rse was forme d. We don’t
know for ce rtain how life originate d on this e arth.
(Ste phe n Hawking and Le onard Mlodinow)
1. According to the Boshongo pe ople , in the be ginning, the re was only darkne ss,
wate r, and the gre at God Bumba. Bumba was the god in the mythology of
Ce ntral Africa. Those pe ople be lie ve that Bumba is the god of unive rse
cre ation. One day due to pain in the stomach vomi te d up the sun. The
Sundrie d up some of the wate r, le aving land. But God was still in pain, and

vomite d some more and re sulte d in the moon, the stars, and the n some
animals: the le opard, crocodile , the turtle , and finally man.
2. The Mayan tube of Me xico and Ce ntral Ame rica te lls of a similar time be fore
cre ation whe re all that e xiste d we re the se a, the sky, and the make r. The
make r was unhappy be cause the re was no one to praise him, cre ate d the
e arth, mountains, tre es, and most animals. But the animals could not spe ak,
so he de cide s to cre ate humans.
He first made human be ings with mud and e arth, but the y only spoke
nonse nse. He le t the m dissolve and trie d again. Then he made the pe ople from
the wood but those pe ople we re dull. He de cide d to de stroy the m but the y
e scape d into the fore st, cre ating what we today known as monke ys. Thus, in
the be ginning, God failed to make human be ings. This is the fiasco (mistake) of
the Make r.
According to the pe ople of Me xico, God made the first humans from white and
ye llow corn. Sarcastically authors say that scie ntists make e thanol from corn
but the y have not be e n able to make me n from it.
Now, the se type s of myths from various pe ople and re ligion are he lpful to
answe r the que stions we addre ss-
 Why is the re a unive rse
 Why is the unive rse the way it is?
Our ability to addre ss such que stions has grown ste adily in the ce nturie s
since the ancient Gre e ks most profoundly ove r the past ce ntury. We are now re ady to
offe r a possible answe r to the se que stions. It has be e n appare nt e ve n from the e arly
time that e ither the universe was a ve ry re ce nt cre ation of the human be ings have
e xiste d for only a small fraction of comic history. It is not ve ry old.
According to the Old Te stame nt God cre ate d Adam and Eve only six days into
cre ation.

Bishop Ushe r be lie ve d that the y originate d at nine in the morning on Octobe r 27,
4004 BC. But the scientists have found out that that the universe itse lf be gan much
e arlie r about 13.7 billion ye ars ago. But as compare to it, humans are a re ce nt
cre ation.
The first actual scientific e vidence about the be ginning of the unive rse came in the
1920s. In the be ginning, most scientists be lieved in a static universe that had always
e xisted. But Edwin Hubby in 1929 publishe d a law re lating the ir rate of re c e ssion to
the ir distance from us. It was base d upon the obse rvation with the 100-inch
te le scope which he mounte d on Mount Wilson, in the hills above Pasade na,
California. He conclude d that the unive rse is e xpanding. The unive rse must have
be e n smaller in the past. If we e xtrapolate to the distant past, all the matte r and the
e ne rgy in the unive rse would have be e n conce ntrate d in a ve ry small re gion of
unimaginable de stiny and te mperative and if we go back far e nough the re would be a
time whe n it all be gan. The name given to the origin of the unive rse is the Big Bang.
The Big Bang The ory is an e ffort to e xplain what happe ne d at the ve ry be ginning of
our universe. In the be ginning, the re was nothing. The big bang the ory is an e ffort to
e xplain what happe ne d during and afte r that mome nt.
Answer the questions in 25-30 words
1. Who was Bumba?

2. What is the joke that the authors make re garding e thanol?
3. What do you unde rstand by the te rm ‘Big Bang The ory’?
Answers
1. Bumba was the god in the mythology of Ce ntral Africa. Those pe ople be lie ve d
that Bumba was the god of cre ation. In the be ginning, the re was only
darkne ss, wate r, and the gre at god Bumba. The Bumba cre ate d the unive rse .

2. According to the pe ople of Me xico, God made the first humans with whi te and
ye llow corn. The authors say that scientists make e thanol from corn, but the y
have not be e n able to make me n from it.
3. The Big Bang The ory is an e ffort to e xplain what happe ne d at the ve ry
be ginning of our universe. In the be ginning, the re was nothing. The big bang
the ory is an e ffort to e xplain what happe ne d during and afte r that mome nt.
1. Discuss the re le vance of this title .

2. What is the ‘fiasco’ which has be e n discusse d in the chapte r?
3. What do scripture s say about the origin of the unive rse ?
Answers
1. This e ssay offe rs a ne w approach to unde rstanding the unive rse . The laws of
physics have he lpe d us to ge t answe rs to a lot of many puzzle s re late d to the
cosmos. The Theory of Re lativity and Quantum Physics toge the r have he lpe d
unravel many de e p mysteries about the universe. Howe ver, the que st to arrive
at a single unified the ory that will e xplain e verything still e vades us. We still do
not know e xactly how this unive rse was forme d. We do not know for ce rtain
how life originated on this e arth. That is why the title of this e ssay is re le vant.
2. According to the Mayan tribe of Me xico, the Make r first made humans of mud
and e arth, but the y only spoke nonse nse. He le t the m dissolve away and trie d
again. This time , the Make r made pe ople from wood. But he found that the y
we re dull. He de cide d to de stroy the m. But the y e scape d in the fore st,
sustaining damage along the way that alte red the m slightly. They changed into
monkeys. Thus, in the be ginning, God faile d to make human be ings. This was
the fiasco of the make r.
3. It has be e n appare nt e ven from the e arly times that e ithe r the unive rse was a
ve ry re cent cre ation of human be ings have e xiste d for only a small fraction of
cosmic history. According to the Old Te stam e nt, God has cre ate d Adam and

Eve only 6 days into cre ation. Bishop Ushe r be lie ve s that the world originate d
at nine in the morning on Octobe r 27, 4004 BC. But the scie ntists have found
out that the universe itse lf be gan much e arlie r, about 13.7 billion ye ars ago.
But as compare d to it, humans are a re ce nt cre ation.
Comprehensive passages
Passage 1
In 1929 he publishe d a law re lating the ir rate of re ce ssion to the ir distance from us
and conclude d that the universe is e xpanding. If that is true , the n the uni verse must
have be e n smalle r in the past. If we e xtrapolate to the distant past, all the matte r
and e ne rgy in the unive rse would have be e n conce ntrate d in a ve ry tiny re gion of
unimaginable de nsity and te mperature, and if we go back far e nough, the re would be
a time whe n it all be gan—the e ve nt we now call the big bang.
Que stions-
1. Who publishe d the law re lating to the re ce ssion of the galaxie s?

2. What did Hubble conclude ?
3. What doe s the passage say about the unive rse ?
4. What is the name give n to the origi n of the unive rse ?
Answe rs-
1. In 1929, Hubble publishe d a law re lating the ir rate of re ce ssion to the ir

distance from us.
2. He conclude d that the unive rse is e xpanding.
3. The unive rse must have be e n smalle r in the past.
4. The name give n to the origin of the unive rse is the Big Bang.
Passage 2
The first actual scientific e vidence that the unive rse had a be ginning came in
the 1920s. As we said in Chapte r 3, that was a time whe n most scie ntists
be lie ve d in a static unive rse that had always e xiste d. The e vide nce to the

contrary was indire ct, base d upon the obse rvations Edwin Hubble made with
the 100-inch te le scope on Mount Wilson, in the hills above Pasade na,
California. By analyzing the spe ctrum of light the y e mit, Hubble de te rmine d
that ne arly all galaxie s are moving away from us, and the farthe r away the y
are , the faste r the y are moving.
Que stions-
1. Whe n did the first actual scientific e vidence come about at the be ginning
of the unive rse ?
2. What did most scie ntists be lie ve in the be ginning?
3. What was the e vide nce to the contrary base d on?
4. Whe re was Hubble ’s te le scope mounte d?
Answe rs
1. The first actual scientific e vidence about the be ginning of the universe
came in the 1920s
2. In the be ginning, most scie ntists be lie ve d in a static unive rse that
had always e xiste d.
3. The e vide nce to the contrary was indire ct, base d upon the
obse rvations made by Edwin Hubble with the 100- inch te le scope .
4. It was mounte d by Mount Wilson, in the hills above Pasade na,
California.
Passage 3
According to the Old Te stame nt, God cre ate d Adam and Eve only six days into
cre ation. Bishop Usshe r, primate of all Ire land from 1625 to 1656, place d the origin
of the world e ven more pre cisely, at nine in the morning on Octobe r 27, 4004 BC. We
take a diffe re nt view: that humans are a re cent cre ation but that the unive rse itse lf
be gan much e arlie r, about 13.7 billion ye ars ago.

Que stions-
1. What doe s the Old Te stame nt say about Adam and Eve ?
2. Who we re Adam and Eve ?
3. Whe n did the world originate according to Bishop Ushe r?
4. Whe n did the unive rse be gin, according to the scie ntists?
Answe rs-
1. According to the Old Te stame nt, God cre ate d Adam and Eve only six
days into cre ation.
2. Adam and Eve we re the first ance stors of mankind.
3. According to him, the world originate d at nine in the morning on
Octobe r 27, 4004 BC.
4. According to scie ntists, the unive rse be gan about 13.7 billion ye ars
ago.
2.6 SUM M ARY
W ord formation
Prefix and suffix

A pre fix is a le tte r or a group of le tte rs adde d to the be ginning of a word to
form a ne w word
For e g. Im-improve
Prove is a root word and Im is adde d as a pre fix.
He re are some more words whe re the use of pre fix changes the me aning of the
root word-
Pre fix Root word Ne w word
Spe ll Misspe ll
Mis
Dis Satisfie d Dissatisfie d

2.7 KEYW ORDS

 Form words with the he lp of the following pre fixe s
Anti-,dis-,un-,re - pre -
 Form words with the he lp of the following suffix.
-e d,--iy,-le ss,-ing,-e r
 Write down te n e xamples whe re the use of a pre fix changes the me aning
of the root word to produce the opposite me aning.
2.8 SELF ASSESSM ENT QUESTIONS (SAQ’S)
Language Activity
The noun- A noun is a word use d to name a pe rson, place , thing, quality, or
action.
CommonNoun Proper Noun
Noun
Collective Noun Abstract Noun
Common A noun that donates any or all members of a class.

Noun (common
here means general, unspecified categories)
A noun that donates a particular thing. It is the name of a
Prope r

Noun particular place or person. It is always written with a capital

letter at the beginning to distinguish them from common
nouns.
It is a noun that is singular in form but is used for a group of
colle ctive
Noun people or things. E.g. Team, Staff, Nation
It is a name used for things you cannot see or touch, such as

Abstract
a quality, an action, or a state. E.g. Goodness, Honesty,
Noun
Cowardice etc.
2.8.1 Language Activities

Form abstract noun from the following adjectives-
1. Broad……
2. Brave ……
3. Wide ………
4. Happy………
5. Nove l…….
6. Ignorant………
Form abstract noun from the following verbs-

1. Know…..
2. Ple ase …….
3. Advise …….
4. Fre e ……
5. Be lie ve …….
6. laugh………….
7. Succe ss………..
Categories the noun is given below-

 He ath
 Te am
 Soldie r
 Ve rdict
 Bunch
 Rome
 Truth
 Che mistry
 Slave
2.9 ANSW ERS TO YOUR PROGRESS
Form abstract noun from the following adjectives-
1. Broad……broadly
2. Brave ……brave ry
3. Wide ………wide ly
4. Happy………happine ss
5. Nove l…….nove lty
6. Ignorant………ignorance
Form abstract noun from the following verbs-
7. Know…..knowle dge
8. Ple ase …….ple asure
9. Advise …….advice
10. Fre e ……fre e dom
11. Be lie ve …….be lie f
12. laugh…………laughte r.
13. Succe ss………..succe ssful
Categorize the noun given below-
a. He ath common noun

b. Te am colle ctive noun

c. Soldie r common noun
d. Ve rdict colle ctive noun
e. Bunch colle ctive noun
f. Rome prope r noun
g. Truth abstract noun
h. Che mistry abstract noun
Subject-verb agreement
In a se nte nce , the subje ct and the ve rb must agre e in numbe r and pe rson.
Singular subje cts take singular ve rbs and plural subje cts take plural ve rbs.
Pe rson He lping Pre sent past Pre se nt Past Pre se nt Past
ve rb pe rfe ct pe rfe ct ne gative ne gative
1st person
Singular I am was Have had don’t didn’t
Plural We are were Have had don’t didn’t
2nd person
You are were Have had Don’t Didn’t
Singular/plural
3rd person
He is was Has had doe sn’t didn’t
Singular
She is was Has had doe sn’t Didn’t
It is was Has had doe sn’t Didn’t
The y are were Have had don’t Didn’t
The following table give s the various forms of simple pre se nt te nse -
Simple Present Negative Interrogative

I sing. I do not sing. Do I sing?
We sing. We do not sing. Do we sing?
You do not sing. Do you sing?

You sing.
He /she sings. He /she doe s not sing. Doe s he /she sing?
The y sing. The y do not sing. Do the y sing?
Fill the blanks with the suitable forms of the verb ‘be’ (is, am, are)
1. My mothe r is a te ache r.
2. What is the late st score ?
3. Shyam is ve ry tall.
4. I am now 20 ye ars tall. How old are you?
5. I am sure that you will pass.
6. Today is a holiday.
7. The re are 7 days in a we e k.
8. Flour is made from whe at.
9. We are sorry to he ar that you have not be e n we ll.
Rewrite the following sentences into their negative and interrogative form-
S.No. Simple Sentence Negative Form Interrogative Form
1. Ravi plays football. Ravi doe s not play Doe s Ravi play
football. football?
2. Kiran is a doctor. Kiran is not a Is Kiran a doctor?

doctor.
3. Mohit studie s e very day. Mohit doe s not Doe s Mohit study
study e ve ry day. e ve ry day?
4. Childre n e njoy the ir Childre n do not Do childre n e njoy

holidays. e njoy the holidays. the holidays?

5. My siste r live s in My siste r doe s not Doe s my siste r live

Mumbai. live in Mumbai. in Mumbai?
2.9.1 Extended Composition
W rite an essay on preparing to go to the playground in about 150 words-
Playgrounds are re laxing place s to visit for pe ople of all age s. The y are important for
childre n be cause the ir facilities allow childre n to de ve lop the ir physical and me ntal
abilitie s. Both ne wly constructe d and re novate d playgrounds today should
incorporate the me-based options, such as a we t sand are a, to e ncourage childre n to
use the ir cre ativitiy. Playgrounds should also provide safe ty me asure such as soft
ground surface s to re duce the risk of injury from accide nts.
Through many ye ars, playground has be e n a comfort place for pe ople to visit. The
playground in our communitie s are ge tting old, the re fore we should re ne w our
playground. I'm part of the playground planning community, and I have fe w ide as to
improve our playground. The re we re many diffe rence type s of playground; the y we re
adve nture playgrounds, cre ative playground, tot lots, mini parks, and the me park.
The ide as of the playground will be build base on the satisfaction of the pote ntial
use rs. The de sign of the playground must be e xciting and provide the de ve lopme ntal
ne eds to the childre n. Safe ty is anothe r important issue to construct a playground.
The playground is available to many diffe re nce pe ople in diffe re nce age s. The
condition of the playground should be provide d to the whole community.
2.10 REFERENCES/ SUGGESTED READINGS
 Michael Moorcock (2010-09-05). "Book re view: 'The Grand De sign' by Ste phe n
Hawking and Le onard Mlodinow". Los Ange le s Time s. Re trie ve d 2010-09-03.
 Richard Alle n Gre e ne (2010-09-02). "Ste phe n Hawking: God didn't cre ate the
unive rse ". CNN. Re trie ve d 2010-09-04.
 Nick Watt (2010). "Ste phen Hawking: 'Science Makes God Unne cessary'". ABC
Ne ws. Re trie ve d 2015-05-01.

 Laura Robe rts (2010-09-02). "Ste phe n Hawking: God was not ne eded to cre ate
the Unive rse ". The Te le graph. Re trie ve d 2015-05-01.
********************

Lesson No:02
b) Are Dams the temples of M odern India?
Author-Arundhati Roy
2.2 INTRODUCTION
Are Dams the temples of modern India?
Human-made dams are important in our mode rn life . The conce pt be hind dam-
building include s water supply, e lectricity ge ne ration, flood control, re cre ation, and
irrigation. But anothe r que stion that arises in mind is-Are Dams favorable? Are Dam
Fail or pass? This e ssay trie s to answe r the se que stions.
2.3 M ain Body of the text
Original Te xt
In th e fifty year s since Independence, after Neh r u’s famous “ Dams ar e

th e Temples of Modern India” speech ( one th at h e gr ew to r egr et in h is
lifetime) , h is footsoldiers th rew th emselves into th e business of building
dams with unnatur al fer vor . Dam-building gr ew to be equated with
Nation-building. Th eir enth usiasm alone sh ould h ave been r eason
enough to make one suspicious. Not only did th ey build new dams and
new ir r igation systems, but th ey also took contr ol of small, tr aditio nal
systems th at h ad been managed by village communities for th ousands of
year s, and allowed th em to atr oph y. To compensate for th e loss, th e
Gover nment built mor e and mor e dams. Big ones, little ones, tall ones,
sh ort ones. Th e r esult of its exer tions is th at India now boasts of being
th e wor ld’s th ir d-lar gest dam builder . Accor ding to th e Centr al Water
Commission, we h ave th ree th ousand six h undr ed dams th at qualify as

Big Dams, th r ee th ousand th r ee h undr ed of th em built after

Independence. One th ousand mor e ar e under constr uction. Yet one -fifth
of our population – 200 million people – does not h ave safe dr inking
water and two -th ir ds – 600 million – lack basic sanitation.
Big dams starte d we ll, but have ende d badly. There was a time whe n e verybody love d
the m; e ve rybody had the m- the Communists, Capitalists, Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, and Buddhists. The re was a time whe n Big Dams moved me n to pove rty. Not
any longe r. All ove r the world, the re is a move ment growing against big dams. In the
First World, the y’re be ing de -commissione d, blown up. The fact that the y do more
harm than good is no longe r just conje cture. Big Dams are obsole te. They are uncool.
The y are unde mocratic. The y’re a gove rnme nt’s way of accumulating authority
(de ciding who will ge t how much wate r and who will grow what whe re ). The y are
braze n me ans of taking wate r, land, and irrigation away from the poor and gifting it
to the rich.
The ir re se rvoirs displace huge populations of pe ople le aving the m home le ss and
de stitute . Ecologically, the y’re in the doghouse . The y lay the e arth to waste . The y
cause floods, wate r-logging, salinity, the y spre ad dise ase. There is mounting evidence
that links Big Dams to e arthquake s.
Big Dams have n’t live d up to the ir role as the monume nts of Mode rn Civilization ,
e mblems of Man’s ascendancy ove r Nature . Monuments are suppose d to be time less,
but dams have an all too finite lifetime . The y last only as long as it take s Nature to
fill the m with silt. It is common knowle dge now that Big Dams do the opposite of
what the ir Publicity Pe ople say the y do- the Local Pain for National Gain myth has
be e n a wide pe n.
For all the se re asons, the dam-building industry in the First World was trouble d and
out of work. So it is e xporte d to the Third World in the name of De ve lopme nt Aid,
along with the ir othe r waste like old we apons, supe rannuate d aircraft carrie rs, and
band pe sticide s.

2.3.1 About the Author-
Arundhati Roy
Suzanna Arundhati Roy is an Indian author be st known for he r nove l ’The God of
Small Things’ which won the Man Booke r prize for fiction in 1997 and be came the
be stse lling book by a non-e xpatriate Indian author. She is also a political activist
involved in human rights and e nvironmental causes. She is also a re lentless critic of
gove rnme nt policie s and actions that affe ct the e nvironme nt, the poor, and the
disposse sse d. He r vie ws on such issue s have found e xpre ssion in the Alge bra of
infinite Justice , for which she was awarde d the Sahitya Akade mi Award in 2006.
Howe ve r, Roy de cline d the award prote sting against the gove rnme ntal policie s.
2.3.2 About the Essay-
This e ssay is an e xcerpt from Arundhati Roy’s (1961) ‘The Algebra of Infinite Justice’.
The book discusses various pe rspe ctives of global and local conce rns. In this e ssay,
she says that big dams are harmful to the e nvironment. They have be come obsole te .
The advanced countries have stoppe d constructing big dams. The se dams displace
huge populations and make pe ople home le ss. The y cause floods and spre ad
dise ase s.

Re fe rring to Ne hru’s famous spe ech in which he said that the dams are the te mple s
of mode rn India, Arundhati Roy advocates against the construction of big dams. She
says that it is due to the love for construction of the dam at all time s, big dams we re
constructed in India. Dam building was e quate d with nation-building. The followe rs
of Ne hru showe d the same e nthusiasm and some time s it be came suspicious. Not
only the y build ne w dams and ne w irrigation syste ms the y took control of a small
traditional system that village communities had managed for thousands of ye ars and
allowe d the m to we ake n.
This re sulte d in a big loss, to compe nsate for the loss, the gove rnme nt built more
and more dams and we had a large variety of dams- big, little , tall, short. The re sult
of this love for dam building is that India now boasts of be ing the world’s third-
large st dam builde r. According to the re port of the Ce ntral Wate r Commission, we
have 3600 dams that qualify as the big dams, 3300 of the m built afte r inde pe ndence.
More than 1000 are unde r construction. De spite that 1/4 th of our population (ne ar
about 200 million pe ople ) don’t ge t safe drinking wate r and 2/3 rd (600 million) lack
sanitation.
The starting of dam building as we ll but it have e nde d badly the re was a time whe n
e verybody love d the m. They were for e veryone- the communists, capitalists, Muslims,
Christians, and Buddhists. Big dams move d me n to poe try. But this e nde d ve ry
soon.
1. Which spe e ch of Jawaharlal Ne hru is re fe rre d to in this e ssay?

2. Why did Ne hru re gre t his state me nt about dams late r in his life ?
3. How did the gove rnme nt compe nsate for the loss cause d by dam building?
4. Why have big dams be come obsole te ?
5. Why are big dams unde mocratic?
6. How did big dams affe ct e cology?

7. How doe s the author pre se nt a contrast be twe e n monume nts and big dams?
Answers-
1. At the be ginning of the e ssay, the write r re fe rs to a spe e ch give n by Ne hru. In

this spe e ch, he said, “Dams are the te mple s of mode rn India”.
2. In his spe e ch, Ne hru said, “Dams are the te mple s of mode rn India”. But late r
it was found that dams we re not as be ne ficial as the y we re thought to be .
The re we re many bad e ffe cts of dams. So Ne hru re gre tte d his state me nt.
3. The dam-building had some side e ffects. They took control of small traditional
irrigation syste ms of Indian village s. To compe nsate for that loss, the
gove rnme nt built more dams.
4. The re was a time whe n big dams we re like d by pe ople . But now it has be e n
found that the big dams do more harm than good. So advanced countries hav e
stoppe d building big dams. Thus big dams have be come obsole te .
5. Big dams are unde mocratic be cause the y favor the rich more than the poor.
The y are the gove rnmental way of accumulating authority. They are the me ans
of taking wate r, land, and irrigation from the poor and giving it to the rich.
6. The big dams lay the e arth to waste . The y cause floods, wate rlogging, and
salinity. The re is e vide nce that big dams are linke d to e arthquake s. In this
way, the big dams affe ct the e cology.
7. Some pe ople call big dams the monume nts of mode rn civilization. But the
author says that monume nts are pe rmane nt. Howe ve r, the big dams have a
limited life time. In this way, the author compare s monume nts and big dams.
1. ‘The re was a time whe n big dams move d me n to poe try’. Explain this
state me nt.
2. What are the dange rs associate d with the construction of big dams?
Answers-

1. Whe n big dams we re constructe d for the first time , the y looke d ve ry
impre ssive. The wate r of a rive r was blocke d and colle cted in a big re servoir.
The se reservoirs looked like big lake s. Pe ople we re attracte d towards the m
and re sponde d to the m as the y re acte d to the se a or the big lake s. The
romantic pe ople e ven wrote poe ms about the m. That is why the author says
that we re was a time whe n the big dams moved me n to poe try. But now the
big dams have lost the ir charm.
2. The big dams have to cre ate big re servoirs. These re servoirs displace pe ople
and make the m home le ss and de stitute . The big dams affe ct the e cology.
The y lay the e arth to waste . The y cause floods, wate rlogging, and salinity.
The re is e vide nce that big dams are linke d to e arthquake s. It has be e n
found out that the big dams do more harm than good. So advance d
countrie s have stoppe d building big dams. Big dams are unde mocratic
be cause they favor the rich more than the poor. The y are the gove rnme nt's
way of accumulating authority. The y are the me ans of taking wate r, land,
and irrigation from the poor and giving it to the rich.
The comprehensive passage from the text
Passage 1
“In th e fifty year s since Independence, after Neh ru’s famous “ Dams ar e
th e Temples of Modern India” speech ( one th at h e gr ew to r egr et in h is
lifetime) , h is footsoldiers th rew th emselves into th e business of building
dams with unnatur al fer vor . Dam-building gr ew to be equated with
Nation-building. Th eir enth usiasm alone sh ould h ave been r eason
enough to make one suspicious. Not only did th ey build new dams and
new ir r igation systems, but th ey also took contr ol of small, tr aditional
systems th at h ad been managed by village communities for th ousands of
year s, and allowed th em to atr oph y
Questions-

1. What did Ne hru say about dams in his spe e ch?

2. With what was dam-building e quate d?
3. What was the re ason to make one suspicious?
4. What did the big dams do?
Answers-
1. Ne hru said that dams we re the te mple s of mode rn India.

2. Dam building was e quate d with nation-building.
3. The e nthusiasm of Ne hru’s followe rs was the re ason to make one
suspicious.
4. The big dams took control of small, traditional syste ms that village
communitie s had manage d for thousands of ye ars.
Passage 2
To compensate for th e loss, th e Gover nment built mor e and mor e dams.
Big ones, little ones, tall ones, sh or t ones. Th e r esult of its exer tions is
th at India now boasts of being th e wor ld’s th ir d -lar gest dam b uilder .
Accor ding to th e Centr al Water Commission, we h ave th r ee th ousand six
h undred dams th at qualify as Big Dams, th r ee th ousand th r ee h undr ed
of th em built after Independence. One th ousand mor e ar e under
construction. Yet one-fifth of our population – 200 million people – does
not h ave safe dr inking water and two -th ir ds – 600 million – lack basic
sanitation.”
Questions-
1. What did the gove rnme nt do to compe nsate for the loss?
2. What is India’s position in the world with re gards to dams?
3. How many big dams are in India?
4. How many pe ople of India do not have safe drinking wate r?
Answers-

1. To compe nsate for the loss, the gove rnme nt built more and more dams.
2. India is the world’s third-large st dam- builde r.
3. We have 3600 dams that qualify as Big Dams, 3300 of the m built afte r
Inde pe nde nce .
4. One - fifth of our population- 200 million pe ople - doe s not have safe
drinking wate r.
Passage 3
Big dams starte d we ll, but have ende d badly. There was a time whe n e verybody love d
the m; e ve rybody had the m- the Communists, Capitalists, Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, and Buddhists. The re was a time whe n Big Dams moved me n to pove rty. Not
any longe r. All ove r the world, the re is a move ment growing against big dams. In the
First World, the y’re be ing de -commissione d, blown up. The fact that the y do more
harm than good is no longe r just conje cture. Big Dams are obsole te. They are uncool.
The y are unde mocratic. The y’re a gove rnme nt’s way of accumulating authority
(de ciding who will ge t how much wate r and who will grow what whe re ). The y are
braze n me ans of taking wate r, land, and irrigation away from the poor and gifting it
to the rich.
Questions-
1. How did the dam start and e nd?

2. What move d me n to pove rty?
3. What move me nt is growing in the world?
4. Dams are the braze n me ans of what?
Answers-
1. Big Dams starte d we ll, but have e nde d badly.

2. Big Dams move d me n to pove rty.
3. A move me nt is growing against Big Dams.

4. Dams are braze n me ans of taking water, land, and irrigation away from the
poor and gifting it to the rich.
2.6 SUM M ARY
This e ssay is an e xcerpt from Arundhati Roy’s (1961) ‘The Algebra of Infinite
Justice ’. The book discusse s various pe rspe ctive s of global and local
conce rns. In this e ssay, she says that big dams are harmful to the
e nvironme nt. The y have be come obsole te . The advance d countrie s have
stoppe d constructing big dams. These dams displace huge populations and
make pe ople home le ss. The y cause floods and spre ad dise ase s. Whe n big
dams we re constructed for the first time, the y looke d ve ry impre ssive . The
wate r of a rive r was blocke d and colle cte d in a big re se rvoir. The se
re se rvoirs looke d like big lake s. Pe ople we re attracte d towards the m and
re sponde d to the m as the y re acted to the se a or the big lakes. The romantic
pe ople e ve n wrote poe ms about the m. That is why the author says that
we re was a time whe n the big dams move d me n to poe try. But now the big
dams have lost the ir charm.
The big dams have to cre ate big re servoirs. These re servoirs displace pe ople
and make the m home le ss and de stitute . The big dams affe ct the e cology.
The y lay the e arth to waste . The y cause floods, wate rlogging, and salinity.
The re is e vide nce that big dams are linke d to e arthquake s. It has be e n
found out that the big dams do more harm than good. So advance d
countrie s have stoppe d building big dams. Big dams are unde mocratic
be cause they favor the rich more than the poor. The y are the gove rnme nt's
way of accumulating authority. The y are the me ans of taking wate r, land,
and irrigation from the poor and giving it to the rich.
2.7KEYW ORDS
Give the phonetic transcriptions of the following words taken from the
chapter-

1. Famous
2. Nation
3. Control
4. Flood
5. Ban
6. Work
7. Pe ople
8. Myth
9. Wide
10. Ope n
11. Badly
12. Home
13. Make
14. One
15. Ne w
16. Ye ar
17. And
18. More
19. Our
Vocabulary Exercise
W rite synonymous of the words-
1. Be gin ……start
2. Excite d……curious
3. Ve rse …..poe try
W rite the antonyms of these words-
1. De struction …..Construction
2. Rare ……………common
3. Truth …………..conje cture

4. De nial ……….acce ptance

5. Accuse ……….acquit
6. Staid ………….fre sh
7. Enlarge …….re se rve d
8. Virtue …….vice
Explain the following words-
1. Ge ology- the scie nce of the study of the e arth.

2. Amne sty –ge ne ral pardon to the wrongdoe r.
3. Cardiologist- a doctor who spe cialize s in he art dise ase .
4. e -mail- e le ctronic mail
2.8 SELF ASSESSM ENT QUESTIONS-(SAQ’S)
 What is a pronoun? Classify various forms of pronoun.

 De scribe the pre se nt continuous te nse .
 De scribe phrasal ve rbs.
A pronoun is the word that is use d in place of the noun is calle d a pronoun. It is
use d to avoid the re pe tition of the same noun in spe e ch or writing.
The pronoun can be classifie d as such-
Pronoun
Personal Possessive Re flexive Demonstrative Interrogative Indefinite Re lative

Pronoun pronoun pronoun pronoun
Pronoun Pronoun Pronoun

1. Personal pronoun-
The pronouns stand for a pe rson or a thing. Pe rsonal pronouns re place a noun that
names pe ople /things in the subje ct and obje ct position. I, we , you, he , she , and the y
are the pe rsonal pronoun which can be use d in subje ct positions, whe re as me , you,
him, he r, it, and us are use d in obje ct position. for e xample -
 I came he re with my frie nd.
(I he re is a pe rsonal pronoun in the subje ct position.)
 Ple ase give me a glass of wate r.
(Me he re is a pe rsonal pronoun in obje ct position)
2. Possessive Pronoun-
The se pronouns are used to talk about things be longing to pe ople . Mine , ours, he rs,
his, the irs, and its, are posse ssive pronoun.
 You can use your pe n, I will use mine .

 We have bought a ne w car. It is ours now.
3. Reflexive pronoun-
The se pronouns are used whe n the subje ct and obje ct of a ve rb are same . The se are
use d for the sake of e mphasis. These are myse lf, himse lf, he rse lf, itse lf, ourse lve s,
yourse lve s, and the mse lve s.
 The y the mse lve s committe d the crime .

 She he rse lf says so.
4. Demonstrative pronoun-
The pronoun which points out the pe rson or obje cts it re fe rs to is a de monstrative
pronoun. it include s this, that, the se , those ,

 This is my pe n.
 The se are books.
5. Interrogative pronoun-
Words like what, which, who, whom, whose are inte rrogative pronouns, for the y
are use d for asking que stions.
 What are you looking for?

 Who are you?
 Whose pe n is it?
6. Indefinite pronoun
The pronouns which re fe r to a pe rson or things in a ge ne ral way, but not in a

particular way, are calle d inde finite pronoun.The y are some one , some body,
e ve ryone , e ve rybody, fe w, none , e ach, e ve ry.
 Eve rybody was pre se nt at the me e ting.

 Have you se e n anybody e nte ring the house ?
7. Relative pronouns
The words like who, whom, whose , which, e tc. are re lative pronouns be cause the y
re fe r or re late to an e arlie r noun which is calle d it's ante ce de nt.
 The girl who is dancing is my siste r.

 I found the book which I had lost.
Exercises
Identify the kind of pronoun used in each of the following sentences.
 I hate the man who is patronizing.

 I know the pe rson whose daughte r was part of the winning te am.
 A chair is a pie ce of furniture which can be use d to sit.
 Ask Robin to come with us for a drive .
 You should use your common se nse .

 The childre n are cooking some thing for the party.

 You look sad. Is e ve rything all right?
 Have you che cke d this?
 What is your name ?
 I cannot se e anyone in the house ?
Join each of the following pair of sentences using pronoun-
 The boy stole my came ra. The boy was punishe d.
The boy was punishe d who stole my came ra.
 I know a pe rson. The pe rson has be e n to Australia to study.
I know a pe rson who has be e n to Australia to study.
 I saw a girl. She was dancing.
I saw a girl who was dancing.
 This is the pe rson. His son he lpe d you book the ticke t.
This is the pe rson whose son he lpe d you book the ticke t.
 The te ache r sat on a chair. It was printe d black.
The te ache r sat on a chair which was printe d black.
 He is a we ll-known pe rson. His hone sty is the talk of the time .
He is a we ll known pe rson whose hone sty is the talk of the time .
 This is the bridge . It was built in a month.
This is the bridge which was built in a month.
2.9.1Grammar exercise
Present continuous tense
This te nse is use d to donate an action which is going on at the time of spe aking.

I am waiting for the train.
She is talking to he r daughte r.
Affirmative Ne gative Inte rrogative
I am watching T.V. I am not watching T.V. Am I watching T.V.
She is coming by car. She is not coming Is she coming by car?
My son is le arning the My son is not le arning Is my son le arning the

piano. the piano piano?
We are working on a We are not working on a Ang on a re search pre we

re se arch proje ct. re se arch proje ct. wroje ct?orki
This tense is also used when we are in the middle of an action, but not
necessarily actually at the moment of speaking.
I am re ading a nove l the se days.
We are attending the party tomorrow.
Change the following sentence into the present continuous tense.
1. My fathe r take s his bath.

My fathe r is taking his bath.
2. I re ad the Time of India
I am re ading the Time of India.
3. The childre n play in the garde n.
The childre n are playing in the garde n.
4. The ve ndor se lls fruit in our stre e t.
The ve ndor is se lling fruit in our stre e t.
5. The boys re he arse a play for colle ge days.
The boys are re he arsing a play for colle ge days.
Fill the blanks in the following sentence using the present continuous tense

 Hurry up, we are ge tting late . (ge t)

 The me n are sitting at the table on our le ft (sit)
 The train is le aving the platform. (Le ave )
 The clouds are moving across the sky (moving)
 Are you drinking coffe e now?
2.9.2 Phrasal verb
Phrasal ve rbs are that consist of two or some things, thre e words. The first
word is a ve rb and it is followe d by
An adve rb(He turne d down my re que st.)
A pre position(Inflation is e ating into my savings)
An adve rb and a pre position both(I cannot put up with your de mand.)
Exercise-
 Bring about- Cause to happe n

 Bring out- Bring to light
 Bring up-To re ar
Use the following phrasal verbs in sentences
Throw in to He has thrown himse lf into the work of writing a book.
Equate d with He lping the poor is e quate d with worshipping God
Boast of He always boasts of his ne w car.
Move to He r story move d me to te ars.
Blow up The gove rnme nt ble w up a mountain to make a road.
Live up to Ove r gove rnme nt has not live d up to pe ople ’s hope s.
Blow wide ope n The inve stigators ble w the criminal’s story wide ope n.

List of important
Phrasal verbs
ask around ask many I asked around but nobody has

pe ople the se en my walle t.
same que stion
add up to something e qual Your purchase s add up

to $205.32.
back something up re verse You'll have to back up your car so

that I can ge t out.
back somebody up support My wife backed me up ove r my

de cision to quit my job.
blow up e xplode The racing car blew up afte r it

crashed into the fe nce.
blow something up add air We have to blow 50 balloons up for

the party.
break down stop Our car broke down at the side of

functioning the highway in the snowstorm.
(ve hicle,
machine)
break down ge t upse t The woman broke down whe n the

police told he r that he r son had
die d.

break something down divide into Our te acher broke the final
smaller parts proje ct down into thre e separate
parts.
break in force e ntry to a Some body broke in last night and

building stole our ste reo.
break into something e nter forcibly The firemen had to break into the
room to re scue the childre n.
break something in we ar I ne ed to break the se

some thing a shoe s in be fore we run ne xt we e k.
fe w times so
that it doe sn't
look/feel ne w
break-in inte rrupt The TV station broke in to re port

the ne ws of the pre side nt's de ath.
break up e nd a My boyfrie nd and I broke up be fore

re lationship I moved to Ame rica.
break up start laughing The kids just broke up as soon as

(informal) the clown starte d talking.
break out e scape The prisoners broke out of jail

whe n the guards we re n't looking.
break out de ve lop a skin I broke out in a rash afte r our

in something condition camping trip.

bring somebody down make unhappy This sad music

is bringing me down.
bring somebody up raise a child My

grandpare nts brought me up afte r
my pare nts die d.
bring something up start talking My mothe r walks out of the room

about a whe n my fathe r brings up sports.
subje ct
bring something up vomit He drank so much that

he brought his dinne r up in the
toile t.
call around phone many We called around but we we re n't

diffe re nt able to find the car part we ne e ded.
place s/people
call somebody back re turn a phone I called the company back but the
call office s we re closed for the
we e kend.
call something off cancel Jason called the

we dding off be cause he wasn't in
love with his fiancé.
call on somebody ask for an The profe ssor called on me for

answe r or que stion 1.
opinion

call on somebody visit somebody We called on you last night but

you we re n't home.
call somebody up phone Give me your phone numbe r and I

will call you up whe n we are in
town.
calm down re lax afte r You are still mad. You ne ed

be ing angry to calm down be fore you drive the
car.
not care not like I don't care about his be havior.

for somebody/ (formal)
something
catch up ge t to the You'll have to run faste r than that

same point as if you want to catch up with
some body e lse Marty.
check-in arrive and We will ge t the hote l ke ys whe n

re gister at a we check-in.
hote l or airport
check out le ave a hote l You have to check out of the hote l
be fore 11:00 AM.
check somebody/ look at it The company checks out all ne w

something out care fully, e mployees.
investigate

check out somebody/ look at Check out the crazy hair on that
something (informal) guy!
cheer up be come She cheered up whe n she he ard

happie r the good ne ws.
cheer somebody up make happie r I brought you some flowe rs

to cheer you up.
chip in he lp If e veryone chips in we can ge t the

kitchen painted by noon.
clean something up tidy, cle an Ple ase clean up your be droom

be fore you go outside .
come find I came across the se old photos

across something une xpe ctedly whe n I was tidying the closet.
come apart se parate The top and bottom come apart if

you pull hard e nough.
come down be come sick My ne phe w came down

with something with chickenpox this we e kend.
come forward volunteer for a The woman came forward with her
task or to give husband's finge rprints.
e vide nce
come from some place originate in The art of origami comes

from Asia.

count on somebody/ re ly on I am counting on you to make

something dinne r while I am out.
cross something out draw a line Ple ase cross out your old addre ss
through and write your ne w one .
cut back consume less My doctor wants me to cut back

on something on swe ets and fatty foods.
cut something down make We had to cut the old tre e

some thing fall
to the ground
W rite a paragraph on ‘The prize Distribution Function’
The prize distribution function of our colle ge was he ld on 6th April this ye ar. It
starte d at 8 a.m. The whole school was de corated. The Education Minister arrived to
pre side over the function. He arrived at 8 a.m. The Principal re ceived him. Teachers
and stude nts offe red him bouque ts. The function started with a praye r song by two
girls. The n the girls staged a dance ite m. Then a drama was stage d. All the se ite ms
we re liked ve ry much. The singers and dance rs were cheered. The n the Principal
re ad out the Annual Re port. It showe d that the school had made good progre ss. The
chief gue st the n distributed the prize s. The prize -winners re ceived prize s and cheers.
In the e nd, the chief gue st made a short spe e ch and congratulated the prize -winners.
He advised all to work hard. The Principal thanked the chief gue st. The chief gue st
de parte d. The function came to an e nd.
2.10 REFERENCES/SUGGESTED READINGS
Recommended works of Arundhati Roy

 The Hanging of Afzal Guru and the Strange Case of the Attack on the Indian
Parliame nt. Ne w De lhi: Pe nguin. 2013. ISBN 978-0143420750.
 Capitalism: A Ghost Story. Chicago: Haymarke t Books, 2014. ISBN 978-1-
60846-385-5[106]
 Things that Can and Cannot Be Said: Essays and Conve rsations (with John
Cusack). Chicago: Haymarke t Books, 2016. ISBN 978-1-608-46717-4
 The Doctor and the Saint: Caste , Race , and Annihilation of Caste , the De bate
Be twe e n B.R. Ambe dkar and M.K. Gandhi. Chicago: Haymarke t Books,
2017. ISBN 978-1-608-46797-6
 My Se ditious He art: Colle cte d Non-Fiction. Chicago: Haymarke t Books,
2019. ISBN 978-1-608-46676-4
 Azadi: Fre e dom, Fascism, Fiction. Haymarke t Books, 2020. ISBN 1642592609
********************

Lesson No:03 The Generation Gap
The Generation Gap
Lesson Structure
3.2 Introduction
3.6 Summary
3.7 Keywords
3.8Self -Assessment Questions (SAQs)
3.9Answers to Your Progress
3.9.1Language Activity
3.9.2Extended Composition
3.10 References and Suggested Readings

language.
 Trained in critically analyzing phone tic transcription of the sound system.
3.2 INTRODUCTION
Two Generations
W hat Is a Generation Gap?
A ge ne ration gap re fe rs to the chasm that se parate s the thoughts e xpre sse d by
me mbe rs of two diffe re nt ge ne rations. More spe ci fically, a ge ne ration gap can be
use d to de scribe the diffe rences in actions, be liefs, and taste s e xhibite d by me mbe rs
of younge r ge ne rations, ve rsus olde r one s.
The subje cts at hand may be vast and varie d but can include politics, value s, and
pop culture . While ge ne ration gaps have be e n pre vale nt throughout all pe riods of
history, the bre adth of diffe re nce s of the se gaps has wide ne d in the 20th and 21st
ce nturies. Ge neration gaps are caused by increased life e xpectancy, rapid changes in
socie ty, and the mobility of socie ty. Effe cts of the ge ne ration gap include conflict
among family me mbers of diffe rent ge nerations and misunde rstandings. In short, a

ge neration gap is commonly pe rce ive d to re fe r to diffe re nce s be twe e n ge ne rations

that cause conflict and complicate communication cre ating a "gap."
This chapte r discusse s the proble ms of se lf-ide ntity and inde pe nde nce face d by
adole sce nt boys and girls. A young pe rson goe s through various stage s of
ide ntification rejects the e arlie r role mode ls and forms a ne w ide ntity following the
ne eds of the times. This de sire to e stablish a ne w ide ntity may be misunde rstood by
the e lde rs as insolence or re be llion. Howe ve r, all re be lli on is not ne gative . It can be
channeled positively and be use d in the transformation of a young individual into a
re sponsible adult.
Be njamin McLane Spock was a famous Ame rican pe diatrician whose book ‘Body and
Child Care ’ (1946) are one of the be st se lling volumes in history. The book’s pre mise
to mothe rs in that ‘you know more than you think you do’
Spock was the first pe diatrician to study psychoanalysis to try to unde rstand
childre n’s ne eds and family dynamics. His ide as about chi ldcare influe nce d se ve ral
ge nerations of pare nts to be more fle xible and affe ctionate with the ir childre n and to
tre at the m as an individual. Howe ve r, his the orie s we re also wide ly criticize d by
colle agues for re lying too he avily on ane cdotal e vidence rathe r than se rious academic
re se arch.
This chapte r discusse s the proble ms of se lf-ide ntity and inde pe nde nce face d by
adole sce nt boys and girls. A young pe rson goe s through various stage s of
ide ntification rejects the e arlie r role mode ls and forms a ne w ide ntity following the
ne eds of the times. This de sire to e stablish a ne w ide ntity may be misunde rstood by
the e lde rs as insolence or re be llion. Howe ve r, all re be llion is not ne gative . It can be

channeled positively and be use d in the transformation of a young individual into a

re sponsible adult.
Re be lliousne ss against pare nts is a natural, ine vitable aspe ct of adole sce nce . It
assists the m in giving up the comforts and se curity of home , achie ving re al
inde pe nde nce , working for progre ss.
The most basic proble m for a young pe rson, though he doe sn’t usually think of it in
the se te rms, is to find his own ide ntity, to find out what sort of pe rson he de sire s to
be , and to ge t starte d be ing a pe rson. This just doe sn’t m e an just the spe cific job he
will take or the hobbie s he will e njoy. It me ans the kind of pe rsonality he ’ll e nd up
with, how he ’ll be thought of by his frie nds, family, and himse lf. It is not so much a
matte r of coming to conscious de cisions- it’s gaining a se nse of be ing an inde pendent
pe rson, with a job to do.
Three principal e lements go to make up the ide ntity an individual finally achie ve s.
First and fore most is the characte r he was de ve loping all through childhood. A boy,
be ginning at about the age of thre e , has be e n striving to be a man just like his fathe r
and the little girl to be like he r mothe r. So the y have had to cast the mse lve s in the
molds of the ir pare nts- the y are made of the ir pare nts.
But to be come an e ffe ctive adult an individual must bre ak off his de pe nde nce on his
pare nts, not just fre e e nough to le ave home but to de ve lop ide as and aims of his own
so that he can he lp to solve the e xisting proble ms of the society in which he lives. His
fe e ling of impatie nce and criticism towards his pare nts is what put him on the
lookout for ne w ide as, ne w me thods that may be tte r solve proble ms of the day- and
incide ntally, also show up his pare nts’ ge ne ration as pre tty we ll stuck -in-the -mud.
How strong the re be lliousne ss in e ach individual is and what form it take s is a
se cond e le me nt in de te rmining his e ve ntual ide ntity.

The third e le ment is the nature of the times and the ne ed of the time s. The se call on
the youth for diffe re nt qualitie s in diffe re nt historical pe riods. As Erik Erikson
e xplains in Young Man Luthe r, the corruption of the church in Martin Luthe r’s time ,
the re al ne ed for major re form, inspire d in Luthe r fe arle ssne ss, clarity, e loque nce ,
and pe rse verance of he roic proportions. In a le ss critical age , Luther might remain an
undistinguishe d cle ric.
Many of the advances of civilization- te chnical inventions, scientific discoveries- have

be e n conce ive d by young pe ople just on the thre shold of adulthood. Be cause the y
we re impatient with the achieve me nts of the past and be cause the y did not ne e d to
de fe nd the pre se nt, the y we re able to e nvision and bring on the future .
1. Why is re be lliousne ss common in young pe ople ?

2. What is the first formative influe nce on the individual?
3. To be come an e ffe ctive adult what should a growing child do?
4. What is the se cond e le ment that makes up the ide ntity of an individual?
5. What brought about many of the de ve lopments in human civilizations?
Answers
1. It is common be cause re be lliousness is a natural aspe ct of adole scence .

It assists the m in giving the m the comforts and se curity of home ,
achie ving re al inde pe nde nce , working for progre ss.
2. The first formative influe nce s are pare nts. In e arly childhood, a boy
strive s to be like his fathe r and the little girl to be like he r mothe r.
3. He must bre ak off his de pe nde nce on his pare nts. But to be come an
e ffe ctive adult an individual must de ve lop ide as and aims of his own.

4. The se cond e le ment in de te rmining his ide ntity de pe nds on how strong
his re be llion is and what form it take s. To be e ffe ctive , it must be
dire cte d into the right channe ls.
5. Many of the de ve lopments in human civilization we re brought about by
young pe ople . The y we re able to have a vision of the future be cause they
we re impatie nt with the achie ve me nts of the past.
1. What doe s the word ‘ide ntity’ me an?

2. Trace the stage s through which a young pe rson passe s as he / she
mature s into an individual.
3. Write about the positive side of re be lliousne ss.
Answers
1. Ide ntity is a pe rson’s conce ption and e xpre ssion of his individuality in
family or society. Three e lements shape a pe rson’s ide ntity. The first is
the influe nce of pare nts in childhood. A boy strives to be like his fathe r
and the little girl to be like he r mother. The se cond is the re be lliousness
against the old se t up and conce pts. The third e le me nt is the role of
socie ty in which he live s. The ide ntity of a young pe rson is forme d by
the fact of how he face s the challe nge s of life and socie ty.
2. A young pe rson goe s through various stage s of ide ntity. In the
be ginning, childre n strive to be like the ir pare nts. A boy strive s to be
like his fathe r and the little girl to be like he r mothe r. In the se cond
stage , the y have to shake off the de pe nde nce of the ir de pe nde nce on
the ir pare nts. The y have to look out for ne w ide as to solve the proble ms
of the day to day life . In the third stage , the y are fully inde pe ndent. They
can take de cisions for the mse lve s. But at this stage , the y de ve lop
according to nature and the ne e ds of the time s.

3. In this e ssay, the write r says that re be lliousness against the pare nts is
not always ne gative . It is a natural aspe ct of adole sce nce . It assists
the m in achie ving re al inde pe nde nce for progre ss. His fe e ling of
criticism and impatience towards his pare nts is not always bad. It puts
him on the lookout for ne w ide as to solve the proble ms of life . It also
he lps him to show how the old are not progre ssing with time . It me ans
that the kind of pe rsonality that he will finally achie ve . It also me ans
what final impression he will form upon his frie nds, family, and himself.
Comprehension Passage
Passage 1
Re be lliousne ss against pare nts is a natural, ine vitable aspe ct of adole sce nce . It
assists the m in giving up the comforts and se curity of home , achie ving re al
inde pe nde nce , working for progre ss.
The most basic proble m for a young pe rson, though he doe sn’t usually think of it in
the se te rms, is to find his own ide ntity, to find out what sort of pe rson he de sire s to
be , and to ge t starte d be ing a pe rson. This just doe sn’t me an just the spe cific job he
will take or the hobbie s he will e njoy. It me ans the kind of pe rsonality he ’ll e nd up
with, how he ’ll be thought of by his frie nds, family, and himse lf. It is not so much a
matte r of coming to conscious de cisions- it’s gaining a se nse of be ing an inde pendent
pe rson, with a job to do.
Questions-
1. What is an ine vitable aspe ct of adole sce nce ?

2. What is the most basic proble m for the young pe rson?
3. What doe s the se arch for ide ntity for the young man me an?
4. What doe s the gaining of ide ntity me an?
Answers-
1. Re be lliousness against pare nts is a natural, ine vitable aspe ct of adole sce nce .

2. The most basic proble m for a young pe rson is to find his own ide ntity.
3. It me ans the kind of pe rsonality that he will acquire finally.
4. It me ans gaining a se nse of be ing an inde pe nde nt pe rson.
Passage 2
Three principal e lements go to make up the ide ntity an individual finally achie ve s.
First and fore most is the characte r he was de ve loping all through childhood. A boy,
be ginning at about the age of thre e , has be e n striving to be a man just like his fathe r
and the little girl to be like he r mothe r. So the y have had to cast the mse lve s in the
molds of the ir pare nts- the y are made of the ir pare nts.
Questions-
1. Name the le sson from which this passage has be e n take n.

2. What is the first and fore most e le me nt?
3. How many e le me nts go to make up the ide ntity of an individual?
4. How do the ve ry young childre n cast the mse lve s?
Answers-
1. The Ge ne ration Gap.

2. The first and fore most e lement is the character, he was de ve loping all through
childhood.
3. Thre e principal e le me nts go to make up the ide ntity of an individual.
4. It me ans gaining a se nse of be ing an inde pe nde nt pe rson.
Passage 3
The third e le ment is the nature of the times and the ne ed of the time s. The se call on
the youth for diffe re nt qualitie s in diffe re nt historical pe riods. As Erik Erikson
e xplains in Young Man Luthe r, the corruption of the church in Martin Luthe r’s time ,
the re al ne ed for major re form, inspire d in Luthe r fe arle ssne ss, clarity, e loque nce ,
and pe rse verance of he roic proportions. In a le ss critical age , Luther might remain an
undistinguishe d cle ric.

Many of the advances of civilization- te chnical inventions, scientific discoveries- have

be e n conce ive d by young pe ople just on the thre shold of adulthood. Be cause the y
we re impatient with the achieve me nts of the past and be cause the y did not ne e d to
de fe nd the pre se nt, the y we re able to e nvision and bring on the future .
Questions-
1. What is the third e le me nt in de te rmining the pe rsonality of a young man?

2. What inspired fe arlessne ss, clarity, e loque nce , and pe rse ve rance in Luthe r?
3. What has be e n conce ive d by young pe ople ?
4. Why we re the young me n able to e nvision and bring on the future ?
Answers-
1. The third e le me nt is the nature of the time s and the ne e ds of the time s.
2. The corruption of the church inspire d fe arle ssne ss, clarity, e loque nce , and
pe rse ve rance in Luthe r.
3. Many of the advance s in civilization have be e n conce ive d by young pe ople .
4. The y were able to e nvision and bring on the future be cause the y we re with the
achie ve me nts of the past.
3.6 SUM M ARY
In this e ssay, the author says that re be lliousness against pare nts in adole scence is a
natural and unavoidable characteristic in children. It happe ns due to the ir de sire in
giving up the comforts and se curity of home , to ge t re al inde pe nde nce and working
for progre ss. The most basic de sire of the young pe rson in the age of adole sce nce is
to find his own ide ntity to know what type of pe rson he wishe s to be in life .
 And his de sire to be conside re d as a young pe rson.

 But the se de sires are concerns not only just spe cific jobs or hobbie s. It me ans
the kind of pe rsonality he will e nd up with.
 How he will be thought of by his frie nds, family, and himse lf.
 Gaining a se nse of be ing an inde pe nde nt pe rson

Thre e principal e le me nts affe ct the pe rsonality of a child.
 First and fore most is the character he was de ve loping all through childhood
up to the age of thre e, a boy strives to be a man like his fathe r and the little
girl to be like he r mother. So the y try to cast the mselves in the mold of their
pare nts. But to be come an e ffe ctive adult, an individual must bre ak off
most of his de pe nde nce on his pare nts not only to fre e e nough to le ave
home but to de ve lop ide as and aims of his own so that he can he lp solve
the e xisting proble ms of the socie ty in which he will live . This fe e ling of
impatie nce and criticism towards his pare nts put him on the lookout for
ne w ide as; ne w me thods that may be tte r solve the proble ms of the day.
 The se cond e le me nt that affe cts the pe rsonality of an individual is the
powe r of re be lliousne ss in e ach individual. This powe r de te rmine s his
e ve ntual ide ntity.
 The third e le me nt is the nature of the time s and the ne e ds of the time s.
The se ne e ds bring in youth diffe re nt qualitie s in diffe re nt qualitie s in
diffe re nt historical pe riods
Erik Erikson e xplains in Young Man Luthe r, the corruption of the church in
Martin Luthe r’s time the re al ne e d for major re forms, inspire d by Luthe r's
fe arle ssne ss, Darity, e loque nce , and pe rse ve rance of he roic proportions.
Many of the advance s of civilizations, te chnical inve ntions, scie ntific

discoveries- all are the re sults of the inve ntive minds of young pe ople just on
the thre shold of adulthood. They could do so be cause the y we re impatient with
the achie ve me nts of the past and be cause the y had no ne e d to de fe nd the
pre se nt, the y we re able to e nvision and bring on the future .
3.7 KEYW ORDS
Transcribe the following words-
1. Pe rson

2. Home
3. Se nse
4. Age
5. Ne ed
6. De fe nd
7. Pe ople
8. Able
9. Luthe r
10. Future
11. Enough
12. Ghost
3.8 SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (SAQ’S)
Find the words in the chapter that are synonymous with the italicized words in
the following sentences.
 Re volt against e lde rs is common amongst young pe ople : Re be lliousness……….

 She has oratorical skills: Eloque nce
 Patience is a gre at quality: Pe rseverance
Find the words in the chapter that are antonyms with the italicized words in
the following sentences.
 The incide nt was avoidable: Ine vitable

 Eve ryone likes to be praised: Ce nsured
 He is such a coward: Fe arless
Find one-word substitutes for the following
 Te enage- Adole scent

 Activities to nurture e xtracurricular skills-Hobbie s
 One who opts for a job in the church-Cleric
 A starting point-Threshold

Find antonyms of the following words-
Word Antonyms
Assist Obstruct
Comfort Inconvenience
Gain Loss
Strive Slacken
Eloque nt Tongue-tied
Give the noun forms of the following words-
Words Noun
Ine vitable Ine vitability
Progre ss Progre ssion
De sirable De sirability
De cide De cision
De ve lop De ve lopment
Adjective
An adje ctive is a word use d to qualify a noun or a pronoun.
For e xample-
 Anil is an intelligent boy. (quality)

 Arun ate two apple s. (nume ral)
 I want some milk. (quantity)

Kind of Adjectives
Proper Distributive Interrogative

Adjective Adjective Adjective
Descriptive Demonstrative Exclamatory

Quantitative Numeral Possessive

Prope r Adje ctive- I love Shakespearean plays. (prope r noun)
I love Italian food. (prope r noun)
De scriptive Adje ctive- She is we aring a pink dre ss. (de scription)
He is a brave soldie r. (de scription)
Quantitative Adje ctive- I have no mone y. (quantity)
She has enough time. (quantity)
Nume ral adje ctive- I have ten rupe e s. (numbe r)
Two boys we re laughing at me . (numbe r)
De monstrative Adje ctive- This is my bag. (de monstrate)
Those flowe rs are be autiful. (de monstrate)
Distributive Adje ctive- Each boy has to pre se nt. (distribution)
Either she or he r mothe r will come . (distribution)

Inte rrogative Adje ctive- Whose books are the se? (que stion)
Which road should be taken? (question)
Exclamatory Adje ctive- What a be autiful dre ss! (e xclamation)
What a pie ce of art! (e xclamation)
Posse ssive Adje ctive- The dog is waging its tail. (posse ssive)
This is my bag. (posse ssive)
Comparison of adjective
Degree
Comparitive
Degree
Superlative
Degree
Madhu is a clever girl. (adje ctive)
Madhu is cle verer than he r frie nd. (comparison be twe en two pe ople )
Madhu is the cle verest girl in our class. (comparison be twe en more than two
pe ople )
Fill the blanks with a proper degree of adjectives given in the bracket
 Sure sh is my old frie nd. (Old)

 Of the se two books, this is be tte r. (good) (Comparison be tween the two)
 Pre e ti is the brightest of all the stude nts. (bright) (Comparison be twe en more
than two)
 Iron is more use ful than any othe r me tal. (use ful) (Comparison)
 Ge e ta is the be st frie nd I have. (good) (Comparison be twe en more than two)
Tenses
Present Perfect Tense
It shows an action done in the past and has its e ffe ct at pre se nt.
For e xample-
 I have done my work.

 The y have e aten the ir food.
Present Perfect Progressive Tense
It shows an action that be gan at some point in the past and is continuing at pre sent
For e xample-
 Ritu has be e n working here since 2012.

 Muke sh has be e n playing cricket for the last two hours.
 I have be e n living in Hisar since I starte d schooling.
Fill the blanks with the present perfect continuous tense of the verbs -
 My brothe r is a write r. He write s a nove l. He has be e n writing since 1920.

(write )
 I love le arning languages. I have le arned diffe rent languages. I have be e n
le arning languages since childhood. (le arn)

Prepare a report on the adventure trip you went on during the summer
vacation.
I was ve ry e ager to go on a picnic. Some of my frie nds conse nte d and we made a
program to go ne ar a lake. My brothe r also accompanied us. The re we saw a ve ry
be autiful palace surrounde d by wate r. Two strangers we re talking the re . The two
me n we re talking about a hidde n tre asure . Whe n the y we nt for lunch,
unfortunate ly, the map for the passage whe re the tre asure was hidde n droppe d
from the ir be longings. To re ach the palace we had to pass through much narrow
passage and ultimate ly we succe e de d in re aching the spot. Thus we found the
tre asure. Then we informe d our pare nts and the police . That summe r vacations
are me morable for me .
 Hidalgo, Louise (August 23, 2011). "Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care at
65". BBC Ne ws. Re trieved Octobe r 24, 2019.
 Bart Barne s, Pe diatrician Be njamin Spock Die s, The Washington Post, March
17, 1998; Page A01.
 "Be njamin Spock -Ne w Ne therland Institute". New Netherland Institute.
Re trieved Octobe r 24, 2019.
 Biography of Spock at drspock.com
 Kochakian, Mary Jo (June 14, 1998). "Public vs. Private: Dr. Spock, Mr.
Hyde ". The Washington Post.
 Pace, Eric (March 17, 1998). "Be njamin Spock, World's Pe diatrician, Die s at
94". The Ne w York Times.
**************************

Lesson No:04
Language and National Identity
Author Nirmal Verma
Lesson Structure
4.2 Introduction
4.4 Further Body of the Text
4.5 Check Your Progress
4.6 Summary
4.7 Keywords

language .
 To give grammar practice to stude nts
4.2 INTRODUCTION
Language can be use d in many ways; one of the m is in spe cific purpose are a such
as social or cultural communication, gove rnme nt de cisions, political de bate , me dia
which is linke d to the ability to e xpre ss the re le vant conte nt. Le arne r or use r of
language is connected in time and space to cultural tradition which is conside re d as
a significant proce ss conne cte d with the unique form of acce ss to othe r traditions.
This te xt is an e xcerpt from his e ssay Language and National Ide ntity, which re flects
Ve rma’s concern with the language and the ide ntity that is ve sted in it for the pe ople
of the nation. Discussing the ne ce ssity of language for constructing and asse rting
ide ntity at all le ve ls, the author, be gins wi th the smalle st unit of the individual
language is the basis of se lf-discove ry and analysis. In short, we ne e d words to
obje ctify ourse lves and to share our fe e ling with othe rs, as much as we ne e d the m to

think. We ne e d language for our dre ams and the shaping of our culture . As such it
looms large ove r us, e nve loping us in multiple ways.
4.3.1 About the author
Nirmal Ve rma (1929-2005)
He was a Hindi write r, nove list, activist, and translator. He is cre dited as be ing one of
the pione ers of the Nai Kahani lite rary move me nt of Hindi lite rature . In his care e r
spanning five de cade s and various forms of lite rature like a story, trave logue , and
e ssays he pe nned fine novels, 8 short story colle ctions, and nine books of nonfiction
including e ssays and trave logue s. He worke d fre e ly across ge nre s and various
ide ological positions. He live d in Prague for te n ye ars during which he translate d
nine world classics into Hindi. As a young man, he use d to atte nd Gandhi’s praye r
me e tings in Be rla House though he was also a card-holding me mbe r of the
communist party. On his re turn to India, he she d his communist be lie fs and his
mind turne d towards more philosophical and re fle ctive conce rns.
4.3.2 About the essay
This te xt is an e xcerpt from his e ssay Language and National Ide ntity, which re fle cts
Ve rma’s concern with the language and the ide ntity that is ve sted in it for the pe ople
of the nation. Discussing the ne ce ssity of language for constructing and asse rting
ide ntity at all le vels, he be gins with the smalle st unit of the individual language is
the basis of se lf-discove ry and analysis. In short, we ne e d words to obje ctify
ourse lves and to share our fe e ling with othe rs, as much as we ne e d the m to think.

We ne ed language for our dre ams and the shaping of our culture . As such it looms
large ove r us, e nve loping us in multiple ways.
The important que stion is not how e sse ntial is language , but what colonialism has
done to it dive rting it from its natural path. We ste rn thinke rs and physiologists
pushe d the language of culture into the past but strange ly e nough also proje cte d a
picture of its continuity in othe r language s. The history/ historie s of language are
significant for unde rstanding our own culture s.
To say anything about language is like chasi ng your own shadow. It may be more
appropriate to assert that we are its shadow; we cre ate our re ality with it and de fine
ourse lves through it, and with it. Man can ne ve r be de fine d fully, not only be cause
the re is some thing in him that is still unknown, but also be cause he has not ye t
comple ted the proce ss of re cre ating and re inventing himself. We are unable to acce pt
the man as a finished product. The re has be e n much spe culation about the manne r,
in which he may fulfill himself, the dire ction this fulfillme nt the y may take , and the
form it will acquire , and how he will proje ct his innate pote ntialitie s in the future .
Various scholars- from Nie tzsche to Sri Aurobindo- have made pre dictions about his
innate capacity. The question is not how to corre ct or re levant the se prophe cie s are ;
the point to consider is that man be ing what he is, all the se pre dictions are born of a
painful disillusionme nt with what he is.
Man is the only cre ature - be twe e n a god and an animal- who finds himse lf in a
strange situation of be ing incomple te ; he lacks the se lf, the involve me nt, of the
animal and doe s not posse ss the fullne ss of God. Eve n in the historical frame work,
the man appe ars as a figure half-drawn and incomplete, as if thwarte d in the process
of acquiring a prope r shape , its colors lackluster and fade d. The ‘full figure ’ of man- if
the re is such a thing- is not without, but burie d de e p within him. To re alize himse lf,
a man digs ‘within’ and raise s himse lf from his own grave .

Language is the most e fficie nt we apon of se lf-discove ry or se lf-analysis. It is that

invisible part of the human body, which gives man an inner sight. The link be twe e n
language and se lf-aware ne ss puts man in a se parate and unique cate gory from all
othe r living be ings. This consciousness of his incomple te ne ss make s him ye arn for
fulfillment…. Thus, the de te rmination to attain it is also intrinsic to its re alization.
No culture is limited only to its re ality, but also re veals itself through its dre ams, and
that is why language plays a ve ry significant role in the shaping of culture .
The vision of a culture is large ly formed by the me mories that it carries. If the word is
symbolic of a dre am, it also has the hint of the me mory. No language, as long as it is,
can, the re fore, be a de ad language. If all e lse our past we re to pe rish, e ve n the n the
languages would re main through which the me mbe rs of socie ty communicate with
e ach othe r, and though living in the pre se nt, are unconsciously linke d with the ir
past, and the past flows impe rce ptibly through the pre se nt. Language , in this
manner, plays a double role ; be side s be ing the ve hicle of communication, it is also
the carrier of culture . Historical uphe avals may impair the culture of a country, but
its truth and cohe sion pe rsist in its language .
Each language , as it de ve lops, e stablishe s a spe cial constitution and structure ,

which, once having come into e xistence, influences the inner re sponses of man. Both
proce sses go on simultane ously; language de te rmine s the ide ntity and the spe cial
characteristics of a race , and the colle ctive e xpe riences, me morie s, and traditions of
a group mold the unique characte r of its language . This is, in a way, a circular
proce ss, in which the que stion of what come s first re mains unanswe re d, like in the
case of the chicken and e gg. What is cle ar is that the re is nothing like one language ;
the re are numerous languages. And the various races, groups, and nationalitie s are
nurture d by the ir languages; languages are the ir re siding places. In this se nse , e ach
language in its ultimate form is a mothe r tongue .
Man is drawn to the world for the first time through language , ope ns up, and is
linked to it. It is not only a part of the e xte rnal day-to-day activity of a group, a part

of its supra structure (although it has a spe cific role in achie ve me nts of its worldly
goals), it also de cides its inner nature , impulse s, and se nsibility, and de monstrate s
its unique spiritual characte r. One language diffe rs from anothe r, not only in its
sounds, intonations, and the me aning its words conve y, but also in i ts ‘world vie w’.
Each language looks at the universe in a particular manne r, te sts it, and translate s
it into its me anings in a spe cial way. The connotations that the Rig Ve da conve ys
through the symbols Surya, Agni, Dhe nu, and Space to the Indian mind, an d the
images of ce rtain divine force s that it conjure s up, are distinct in the ir import from
the Gre e k and Latin symbols, diffe rent be cause mythical sources and re fe re nce s are
distinct and se parate . Human language s are born in the same world, but e ach has
its incomparable quality; manife st and we ll- de fine d. Whe n we translate from one
language to anothe r, it is not just a translation of the words alone , but the
transformation of a whole unive rse , with all its baggage , into anothe r language .
Each language has its history, and also a ge ography of its own. We cannot se parate
its symbolic characte r from its natural e nvironme nt. If symbols like Ganga,
Saraswati, Himalaya, oce an, and space are de e ply e ntre nche d in the Indian
languages and profoundly influence our se nsibilitie s, it is not be cause the y are the
physical attribute s of our natural habit, but be cause the y are the carrie rs of our
le ge ndary me morie s which at one time linke d Indians to the ir de itie s and le nt a
divine grace to the ir mate rial e xiste nce . The m e aning of the word, ‘Bharat’ was its
e ssence - a re gion surrounde d by divinity. The re ason why ‘Bharat’ was calle d ‘De v
Bhumi’- the land of gods- and Sanskrit was ‘De v Bhasha’- the language of gods- was
to unde rline the e te rnal and sacre d re lationship be twe e n the land and language .
Language, with all its me taphors and image ry, playe d a significant role in kindling
the national awakening in the 19 th ce ntury in India. The nove ls of Bankim Babu, Sri
Aurobindo’s philosophy, Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj, and Coomaraswamy's thoughts on
art are ample e vide nce of this. Whe n a handful of historians call the conce pt of
Indian nationalism a me re ‘construct’, using the vocabulary of Fre nch philosophe rs,

whe re the ve ry conce pt of ‘Bharat’ is labe le d an imaginary product or ‘inve nte d

construct’ of some nationalist historians, the n the linguistic and cultural
foundations of Indian nationalism are ove rlooke d, which is a living e xample of
colonial forge tfulness. In India, the de sire to se e k fre e dom was inspire d not only by
political factors, but the re was also the de sire to re trie ve our cultural ide ntity from
the darkne ss of oblivion.
From this point of view, it was diffe re nt from the aggre ssive, e goistic sentime nts that
lay be hind the mode rn nation-state s, which came into e xiste nce only afte r the
various races, nationalitie s, and folk language s we re annihilate d. That the Indian
national aware ne ss was fre e of se lf-involve d rigidity right from its ince ption was
be cause it had be e n forcibly impose d from above , but its roots lay de e p in the Indian
cultural traditions. The various diale cts and language s of India, de spite the ir
distinctiveness, shared an inhe re nt unity, and this could ne ve r obstruct the growth
of national unification. Their diversity gave the m ope nne ss- the y live d in the same
house ; though the windows we re diffe re nt, the ir case me nts ope ne d on a full
panorama of the inte rre lationship of Indian culture . It is ofte n said that we se e k
ourse lves in our languages; pe rhaps, it happe ns in some cultures that the y te ll the ir
storie s in the language of dre ams. The re ality of the national ide ntity of Bharat is
pe rhaps re fle cte d in such dre am language s.
Answer the following questions in 25-30 words
1. Why doe s the author say that it may be more appropriate to assert that we are
the shadow of language ?
2. Why can a man be not acce pte d as a finishe d product?
3. Why doe s the author say that a language cannot be a de ad language while it
e xists?
4. How doe s one language diffe r from anothe r?
5. How do symbols like ‘Ganga’ influe nce pe ople ?

Answers
1. The write r says that man is the shadow of language . We de fine ourse lve s
through it. Man cre ates his re ality with it. So, man can ne ve r be de fine d fully
be cause the re is some thing in him that is still unknown.
2. Man can ne ver be de fined fully be cause the re is something in him that is still
unknown. Se condly, he has not ye t comple te d the proce ss of re cre ating and
re inve nting himse lf. So we are unable to acce pt the man as a finishe d
product.
3. The vision of a culture is large ly formed by the me mories that it carrie s. If the
world is symbolic of a dre am, it also has the hint of the me mory. No language,
as long as it is, can, the re fore , be a de ad language .
4. One language diffe rs from anothe r, not only in its sounds, intonations, and
the me anings its words conve y, but also in its ‘world vie w’. Each language
looks at the universe in a particular manner, te sts it, and translates it into its
me anings in a spe cial way. Human languages are born in the same world, but
e ach has its incomparable quality, manife st and we ll- de fine d.
5. Each language has its history, and also a ge ography of its own. Symbols like
Ganga, Saraswati, Himalaya, oce an, and space are de e ply e ntre nche d in the
Indian language s and profoundly influe nce our se nsibilitie s.
1. What role doe s language play in the national awake ning of India?
2. What re lation doe s the author e stablish be twe e n man and language ?
3. Re count the author’s argume nts about the dive rsity of culture s in India.
Answers
1. According to the author, language plays an important role in a nation’s

major social and political e vents. Language playe d a significant role in the
national awake ning in the 19 th ce ntury in India. The nove ls of Bankim
Babu, Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj, and

Coomaraswamy's thoughts on art are e vide nce of this. Ofte n the linguistic
and cultural foundations of Indian nationalism are ove rlooked. In India, the
de sire to se ek fre e dom was inspire d not only by political factors. But the re
was also the de sire to bring out our cultural ide ntity from the darkne ss of
ignorance .
2. The write r says that man is the shadow of language . We de fine ourse lve s
through our languages. There is a de e p re lation be twe en man and language.
Each language influences the inner re sponses of man. Both proce sses go on
simultane ously. Language de te rmine s the ide ntity and the spe cial
characte ristics of a race The colle ctive e xpe rie nce s, me morie s, and
traditions of a group mold the unique characte r of its language . What is
cle ar is that the re is nothing like one language ; the re are nume rous
languages. And the various races, groups, and nationalities are nurture d by
the ir language s.
3. India has a dive rsity of culture s. This cultural dive rsity make s India a
unique country. dive rs culture in India use s dive rse language s. Diffe re nt
languages and diale cts are spoken in the diffe re nt parts of our country. But
the various dialects and language s of India share d an inhe re nt unity, and
this could ne ver obstruct the grown of national unification. The ir dive rsity
gave the m ope nne ss. Our language s provide a full panorama of the inte r-
re lationship of Indian culture s. We se e k ourse lve s in our language s.
Pe rhaps, it happe ns in some culture s that the y te ll the ir storie s in the
language of dre ams.
Comprehensive Passage
Passage 1
To say anything about language is like chasing your own shadow. It may be more
appropriate to assert that we are its shadow; we cre ate our re ality with it and de fine
ourse lves through it, and with it. Man can ne ve r be de fine d fully, not only be cause

the re is some thing in him that is still unknown, but also be cause he has not ye t
comple ted the proce ss of re cre ating and re inventing himself. We are unable to acce pt
the man as a finished product. The re has be e n much spe culation about the manne r,
in which he may fulfill himself, the dire ction this fulfillme nt the y may take , and the
form it will acquire , and how he will proje ct his innate pote ntialitie s in the future .
Various scholars- from Nie tzsche to Sri Aurobindo- have made pre dictions about his
innate capacity. The question is not how to corre ct or re levant the se prophe cie s are ;
the point to consider is that man be ing what he is, all the se pre dictions are born of a
painful disillusionme nt with what he is.
Que stions-
1. What doe s the write r say about language ?

2. Why can a man ne ve r be de fine d fully?
3. Who have made spe culations about man’s innate capacity?
4. What are the pre dictions about man made of?
Answe rs-
1. The write r says that man is the shadow of language .

2. Man can ne ver be de fined fully be cause the re is some thing in him that is still
unknown.
3. Various scholars have made pre dictions about man’s innate capacity.
4. The se pre dictions are born of a painful disillusionme nt with what man is.
Passage 2-
Man is the only cre ature - be twe e n a god and an animal- who finds himse lf in a
strange situation of be ing incomple te ; he lacks the se lf, the involve me nt, of the
animal and doe s not posse ss the fullne ss of God. Eve n in the historical frame work,
the man appe ars as a figure half-drawn and incomplete, as if thwarte d in the process
of acquiring a prope r shape , its colors lackluster and fade d. The ‘full figure ’ of man- if

the re is such a thing- is not without, but burie d de e p within him. To re alize himse lf,
a man digs ‘within’ and raise s himse lf from his own grave .
Questions
1. Why is the man in a strange position?

2. How is the man be twe e n an animal and a god?
3. How doe s man appe ar in the historical frame work?
4. Whe re is the full figure of a man?
Answers-
1. Man is in a strange position of be ing incomple te .

2. He lacks the involve me nt of the animal and doe s not posse ss the fullne ss of
God.
3. In the historical frame work, a man appe ars as a figure half-drawn and
incomple te .
4. The ‘full figure ’ of man is not without but burie d de e p within him.
Passage 3-
Man is drawn to the world for the first time through language , ope ns up, and is
linked to it. It is not only a part of the e xte rnal day-to-day activity of a group, a part
of its supe rstructure (although it has a spe cific role in achie ve me nts of its worldly
goals), it also de cides its inner nature , i mpulse s, and se nsibility, and de monstrate s
its unique spiritual characte r. One language diffe rs from anothe r, not only in its
sounds, intonations, and the me aning its words conve y, but also in its ‘world vie w’.
Questions-
1. How is a man drawn to the world for the first time ?

2. What de cide s man’s inne r nature , impulse s, and se nsibility?
3. What has a spe cific role in the achie ve me nts of man’s worldly goals?
4. How doe s one language diffe r from anothe r?
Answers-

1. Man is drawn to the world for the first time through language .
2. Language de cide s man’s inne r nature , impulse s, and se nsibility.
3. Language has a spe cific role in the achie ve me nts of man’s worldly goals.
4. One language diffe rs from anothe r, not only in its sounds, intonations but also
in its world vie w.
Passage 4
The vision of a culture is large ly formed by the me mories that it carries. If the word is
symbolic of a dre am, it also has the hint of the me mory. No language, as long as it is,
can, the re fore, be a de ad language. If all e lse our past we re to pe rish, e ve n the n the
languages would re main through which the me mbe rs of socie ty communicate with
e ach othe r, and though living in the pre se nt, are unconsciously linke d with the ir
past, and the past flows impe rce ptibly through the pre se nt. Language , in this
manner, plays a double role ; be side s be ing the ve hicle of communication, it is also
the carrier of culture . Historical uphe avals may impair the culture of a country, but
its truth and cohe sion pe rsist in its language .
Questions-
1. How is the vision of a culture forme d?

2. What would happe n if e ve rything e lse pe rishe d?
3. How doe s language play a double role ?
4. What pe rsists in the language of a country?
Answers-
1. The vision of a culture is large ly forme d by the me morie s that it carrie s.

2. If e ve rything e lse pe rishe d, e ve n the n language would survive .
3. Be side s be ing the ve hicle of communication, it is also the carrie r of culture .
4. A country’s truth and cohe sion pe rsist in its language .
4.6 SUM M ARY

The author says that se lf-ide ntity and language are like the shadow of e ach othe r.
We de fined our se lf through it. It cre ates a re ality with it. Man can ne ve r be de fine d
fully be cause the re is some thing in him that is still unknown. He has not ye t
comple ted the proce ss of re cre ating and re inventing himself. Man is unacce pte d as a
finished product. Various scholars have made pre dictions about his innate capacity.
Man is the only cre ature who finds himse lf in a strange situation of be ing
incomple te . Eve n in the historical frame work, the man appe ars as a figure half
drawn and incomple te .
Language is the most e fficient we apon of se lf-discovery or se lf-analysis. It give s man

an inne r sight. The link be twe e n language and se lf-aware ne ss puts man in a
se parate and unique cate gory from all othe r living be ings. No culture is limite d only
to its re ality but also re veals itself through its dre ams. That is why language plays a
ve ry significant role in the shaping of culture .
The vision of culture is large ly forme d by the me morie s that it carrie s. No language
as long as it is, can the re fore be a de ad language . Through language , we are
unconsciously linke d with the past. Thus language plays a double role . It is the
ve hicle of communication as we ll as the carrie r of culture .
The re is a de e p re lationship be twe e n man and language . Each language influe nce s
the inne r re sponse of man. Both proce sse s go on simultane ously. Language
de te rmine s the ide ntity and the spe cial characte ristics of a race .
The colle ctive e xpe rie nce s, me morie s, and traditions of a group mold the unique
character of its language . What is cle ar is that the re is nothing like one language ,
the re are numerous languages. And the various races, groups, and nationalitie s are
nurture d by the ir language .
One language diffe rs from othe rs not only in its sounds, intonations, and me aning
but also in its ‘world vie w’. Each language looks at the unive rse in a particular
manner, te sts it, and translates it into its me aning e spe cially. Human language s are

born in the same world but e ach has its incomparable quality, manife st, and we ll-
de fine d.
Each language has its history and ge ography. Symbols like Ganga, Saraswati,
Himalaya, oce an, and space are de e ply e ntre nche d in the Indian language s and
profoundly influe nce our se nsibility. Indian language s are the carrie rs of our
le gendary memories which at one time Indian to the ir dutie s and le nt a divine grace
to the ir mate rial e xiste nce . The me aning of the word ‘Bharat’ was its e sse nce - a
re gion surrounde d by divinity.
The re ason Bharat was calle d ‘De v Bhumi’- the land of gods- and Sanskrit was ‘De v
Bhasha’- the language of gods- was the unde rline the e ternal and sacre d re lationship
be twe e n the land and the language .
Language playe d an important role in the national awake ning in the nine te e nth
ce ntury in India. The nove ls of Bankim Babu, Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, Gandhi’s
Hind Swaras, and Coomaraswamy's thoughts on art are amply e vide nce of this.
Ofte n the linguistic and cultural foundations of Indian nationalism are ove rlooked. In
India, the de sire to se ek fre edom was inspired not only by political factors, but the re
was also the de sire to bring out our cultural ide ntity from the darkness of ignorance .
India has a dive rsity of culture s. But the various diale cts and language s of India
share d an inhe re nt unity and this could ne ve r obstruct the growth of national
unification.
India has a dive rsity of culture s. But the various diale cts and language s of India
share d an inherent unity. This diversity gave the m ope nness. Our language provide s
a full panorama of the inte rrelationship of Indian culture . We se e k ourse lve s in our
language s pe rhaps it happe ns in some culture s that the y te ll the ir storie s in the
language of dre ams.
4.7 KEYW ORDS
Phonetic Transcription of following words-

 Shadow
 Cre ate
 Manne r
 De fine
 Fulfill
 Point
 Capacity
 Form
 Proje ct
 Grave
 Cre ature
 What
 God
 Re ality
 Historical
 Drawn
 Figure
 The se
 Re cre ating
 Dire ction
 Disillusion
 conside r
4.8 SELF ASSESSM ENT QUESTIONS-(SAQ’S)
Find words from the essay that is synonymous with the italicized words in the
following sentences.
Words Synonymous
Run afte r Chase

Obtain Acquire
Inborn Intrinsic
We ll and succe ssfully Pe rfe ctly
Disclose Re ve al
Damage d Impaire d
Find words from the essay that are antonyms with the italicized words in the
Words Antonyms
Inappropriate Appropriate
De stroy Cre ate d
Incorre ct Corre ct
Pe rce ptible Impe rce ptibly
Mix Se parate
Droppe d Rise n
following sentences
Words Antonyms
More Le ss
Acce pt Re je ct
Strange Common
Unique Ordinary
Flow Stagnant

Expand Contract
Explain the following words/terms-
 Me taphor- a figure of spe e ch in which an e xpre ssion is use d to re fe r to

some thing that it doe sn’t de note to sugge st a similarity
 Imagery-the formation of me ntal images, figures, or like ne sse s of things, or of
such image s colle ctive ly.
 Ete rnal-without be ginning or e nd; lasting fore ve r
 Divinity-the quality of be ing divine
 Culture –the be haviors and be lief characte ristic of a particular social, e thnic,
or age group
 Egoistic-be ing ce nte re d in or pre occupie d with one se lf
 Intrinsic-be longing to or part of the re al nature of some thing or some body
 Innate –inborn
 Symbol- a thing which stands for some thing e lse
 Habitat-the place whe re a particular type of animal and plant is normally
found
4.9.1 Language activity
Verb-

s entence
(Cl a use)
Verb Group
NounGroup
(It tel ls what sort of
(It refers to the person or
a cti on,process or state we
thi ng we are ta lkingabout)
a re talking about)
For Example -
 I play.
 She plays.
 The y are playing.
 She has playe d.
 The y have playe d.
 The y have be e n playing.
 She was playing.
 She had playe d.
 She had be e n playing.
 She will play.
 She will be coming.
 She will have come.
 She will have be e n playing.
 She may play.

 She would play.
Verb
Main Verb
Auxillary Verb
For example
For Example
see, sees, seeing, saw,
Do, Be, Have
seen
Forms of Verb
Transitive/
Intransitive
Verb
Phrasal Verb Reflexive Verb
Finite/ Non Compound

finite Verb Verb

Transitive Ve rb- The e le ction raise d se ve ral issue s.
- I put my hand on the door.
Intransitive Ve rbs- My whole body ache d.
- Eve rything you se e he re be longs to me .
Re fle xive Ve rb- He pride d himse lf on his tidine ss.
- Afte r the me e ting, he introduce d himse lf to the me mbe rs.
Finite Ve rb- She is a good painte r.
- She se lls he r painting in Europe .
Non-Finite Ve rb- The y want to hire a traine r.
- The invitations we re se nt printe d in gold.
Phrasal Ve rb- The y agre e d to le t him into the ir se cre t.
- Come on. I’ll show you around.
Compound Ve rbs-I babysits whe n my wife goe s out.
- It is not advisable to hitchhike on your own.
Main and Auxiliary Ve rb- Do you re ad a ne wspape r?
- Doe s he drive care fully?

- Did she come ye ste rday?
W rite a paragraph on the importance of one’s mother tongue
“Mothe r Tongue ” is the language that a pe rson le arns from his infancy. It is the
first language that a pe rson le arns so that he could socially e ngage with his
pare nts and othe r re latives. Language is not only use d to communicate but also
to a huge e xtent; it is use d to pre se rve the culture and re fine me nt of the ir race .

Nowadays, the mothe r tongue is losing its importance against othe r language s.
Although English is incomparable with any othe r language s, it is causing the
de ath of some of the language s. The inse parable part of one ’s pe rsonality that
should ne ver be lost is one mothe r language. To pre se rve the rich cultural aspe ct
of a pe rson’s e xiste nce the mothe r tongue should be pre se rve d at any cost.
Mothe r's tongue is ve ry crucial for framing one ’s thinking and e motion. Le arning
one ’s mother tongue gives the m a se nse of se lf-worth and cultivates confidence in
the m. For a child to be able to participate in the ir classe s and grow
communication skills, the child must le arn his mothe r tongue from his pare nts.

 Nirmal Ve rma, 1929–2005 Archived 24 June 2008 at the Wayback
MachineFrontline, Volume 22 – Issue 24, Nov. 19 – De c. 02, 2005.
 Dwive di, Ram Prakash (16 Octobe r 2020). "CCGS Inte rnational
Journal". Journal.globalculturz.org. Re trieved 17 Octobe r 2020.
 Ode to Nirmal Ve rma The Hindu, 6 Nove mber 2005.
 Nirmal Ve rma, India. Le ttre-ulysses-award.org. Re trieved on 22 May 2016.
 AUTHOR SPEAKS: "I cate r to se veral laye rs of se nsibilities" The Tribune, 10
March 2002.
*********************

Lesson No:05 W ounded Plants
W ounded Plants
Author Jagadish Chandra Bose
(B) Playing the English Gentleman
Lesson Structure
5.2 Introduction
5.6 Summary
5.7 Keywords

language .
 Traine d in critically analyzing phone tic transcription of a sound syste m.
5.2 INTRODUCTION
It’s a hard life be ing a plant! From pathoge ns and he rbivore s to unfavorable
we ather, the y are constantly injured or wounde d and the ir se ssile life style only adds
to the trouble . De spite all this, the y he al and survive . How did the y e volve such a
gre at re pair mechanism? What are the mole cules and prote ins aiding it? The se we re
some of the que stions an inte rnational te am of re se arche rs se t out to answe r and
have now found some inte re sting me chanisms. Though it was known that plants
communicate within the ir diffe re nt parts and with othe r plants during injury, not
much was known about how the y handle the injury.
Wounde d Plants

Introduction
Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a pione e r of mode rn scie nce and scie ntific
e xpe riments in India. Dr. Bose re alized the pain of wounde d plants, the e ffe ct of one
part of the wound on the othe r part of wounds, and how the y he al the mse lve s. He
studie d throughout his life and docume nte d it in his various re se arch pape rs and
books. This chapte r give s a brie f de scription of his findings in this fie ld.
Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a pione e r of mode rn scie nce and scie ntific
e xpe riments in India. He was a biologist, physicist, botanist, and an e arly write r of
science fiction. He pione e re d the inve stigation of radio and microwave optics made
significant contributions to plant scie nce and laid the foundations of e xpe rime ntal
scie nce in the Indian subcontine nt. IEEE name d him one of the fathe rs of radio
science. He is also considered the fathe r of Be ngali scie nce fiction and inve nte d the
cre scograph, a de vice use d to me asure the growth of plants. He founde d Bose
Institute, a pre mier re search institute of India and also one of its olde st. Establishe d
in 1917, the institute was the first inte rdisciplinary re se arch ce nte r in Asia. He
se rve d as the Dire ctor of Bose institute from its ince ption until his de ath. His
contributions to plant scie nce s re main significant today. His books include
‘Re sponse in the Living and Non Living’(1902), ‘The Ne rvous Me chanism of
Plants’(1926). In a 2004 BBC Poll, Bose was vote d se ve nth Gre ate st Be ngali of all
time .
He compare d the re sponse of me tals, plants, and animals to e lectrical, che mical, and
me chanical stimulations and docume nted the m in his book ‘Re sponse in the Living
and Non Living’ (1902). He prove d that the plants fe el pain and unde rstand affe ction
and othe r fe e lings.

The author starts his e ssay with a de scription of the trage dy during the First World
War. This trage dy stalke d ove r We ste rn Europe . In this trage dy, a gre at numbe r of
human lives we re lost. The fair fie lds of France and the bright sky was unde r a pall
of battle smoke .
Afte r giving the e xample of this trage dy, the write r says that we fe e l sympathy for
those who die d. Sympathy is that bond by which we re alize the unity of all life .
Multitudinous plants are surrounding us. Like the loss of human live s, the re is the
loss of many tre es and plants also. Plants also suffe r many shocks in life . But plants
don’t make an outcry be cause the y are mute .
Whe n a man re ceive s a shock or a shock of any kind, his answe ring cry make s us
re alize that he is hurt, but a mute make no outcry. His pain can be re alize d by the
convulsive moveme nt of his limbs or his agonize d looks. We can also fe e l this pain
through fe llow fe e ling (sympathy). The author give s the e xample of a frog. But it is a
pity that we don’t re alize the pain of some living be ing be cause we have no sympathy
for those cre ature s that are lowe r than us. Human be ings doubt whe the r the lowly
and the de pre ssed also posse ss the fine sense of the e xalted to fe e l the same joy and
sorrow. Anothe r fe ature that diffe re ntiate s be twe e n the m is the le ve l of sympathy.
Our sympathy is e xte nde d to those who are highe r or e qual to us. But it is hardly
e ve r e xte nde d to the infe rior. In this way, human attitude is discriminative to
diffe re nt grade s of his spe cie s.
Test of livingness
The author give s a te st to me asure the livingne ss of cre ature s. He says that it
de pe nds on the te st of Re sponsive movements. This re sponsive movement shows the
diffe re nce be twe e n the living and the de ad. The living answe rs to the shock from
within, the liveliest gives the most e nergy. The answer of the strong is viole nt but the
we akling will bare ly prote st. But we are subje ct to change. Some day we are in a state
of high e xube rance and othe r times in a state of lowe st de pre ssion. The total of the se
e ntire characte ristic diffe re ntiate s one individual from anothe r.

Three separate investigations were carried out on the effect of a wound on

plants-
1. First is the shock e ffe ct of the wound on growth. It re tards or stops growth.
2. The se cond se ries of investigations show that de ath be gins to spre ad from the
cut e nd to the le afle t, and re ache s the throbbing tissue which be come s
pe rmane ntly stille d on de ath.
3. The third inve stigation shows the e xpe rime nts made to show the march of
de ath. The cut le afle t which die d in 24 hrs has now be e n ke pt alive for more
than one we e k.
Paralysis of sensibility
Anothe r se rie s of inve stigations we re carrie d out on the paralyzing e ffe ct of a

se vere wound. The paralysis of se nsibility means that a plant re mains de pre sse d
and irre sponsive for se ve ral hours. The author de scribe s an e xpe rime nt on the
Mimosa plant. A le af of Mimosa was cut off from the plant re mains de pre sse d and
irre sponsive for se veral hours. The cutting of one le af has caused a gre at shock to
the pare nt plant, and an inte nse e xcitation spre ads ove r to the distant organs. All
the le ave s re maine d de pre sse d and irre sponsive for se ve ral hours. But the
de tached le af whe n place d in a nourishing solution soon re covers and he ld up his
he ad with an attitude indicative of de fiance , and the re sponse s it gave we re
e nergetic. This lasted for 24 hours and afte r which a curious change cre pt in and
the vigor of its re sponses be gan rapidly to wane . The le af hithe r to e re ct fe ll ove r
and at last, it die d.
It is a little ove r four ye ars now that the Embodime nt of World Trage dy stalke d ove r
We ste rn Europe . The fair fie ld of France and the bright sky was unde r a pall of
battle - smoke . Our sight could not pe ne trate through the de nse gloom, and the
mortal cry of the wounde d and dying, drowne d by the hoarse roar of a thousand did
not re ach our e ar. But from the time the Sikh and the Pathan, the Gurkha and the

Be ngali, the Mahratta and the Rajput flung the mse lve s in front of battle from that
day our pe rce ption has be come intensifie d. The distant cry of those whose life blood
has crimsoned the white field of snow has found a re verbe rating e cho in our he arts.
What is that subtle bond by which all distance s are bridge d ove r, and by which an
individual life be come s me rge d in large r life ? Sympathy is that bond by which we
come to re alize the unity of all life . We se e the spre ad of multitudinous plants, sile nt
and se emingly impassive. They too like us are actors in the Cosmic drama of life , the
plaything of de stiny. In the ir che cke re d life , light, and darkne ss, the warmth of
summe r and frost of winte r, drought and rain, the ge ntle bre e ze and whirling
tornadoe s, life and de ath alte rnate . Various shocks impinge in the m, but no cry is
raised in the answe r. I shall ne verthele ss try to de ciphe r some chapte rs of the ir life
history.
Whe n a man re ce ive s a blow or shock of any kind, his answe ring cry make s us
re alize that he is hurt, but a mute make no outcry. How do we re alize his sufferings?
We know it by agonized look by the convulsive move me nt of his limbs, and through
fe llow- fe e ling re alize his pain. Whe n a frog is struck it doe s not cry, but its limbs
show convulsive movement. But from this, it doe s not follow that the frog is not hurt,
for some would urge that the re is a gre at gap be twe en us and the lowe r animals. One
who fe e ls for the humble st of His cre ature s alone knows whe the r the frog is hurt or
not. Human sympathy always aspire s: it is some time s e xte nde d to e quals, hardly
e ve r to infe riors. And so it happe ns that many would doubt, whe the r the lowly and
the de pre ssed posse ss the fine se nse of the e xalte d to fe e l the same joy and sorrow
and to re se nt social tyranny.
Whe n the human attitude is so fine ly discriminative as re gards diffe rent grade s of his
spe cies, it might be e xtravagant to be lie ve that the frog could have any conscious of
pain. A concession might howe ver be made that the frog pe rce ive s a shock to which
it re sponds by convulsive move me nts. It is as we ll that we should be care ful about
the use of te rms for an e minent biologist insisted that animals ne ve r fe lt pain: whe n

an oyste r is swallowe d alive , it did not, according to him, fe e l any pain but rathe r a
se nsation of grate ful warmth at contact with the alime ntary tract. The que stion will
re main unde cided for no one has as ye t re turne d from the gastric cavity of the tige r
to e xpatiate on the e xquisite se nsation.
Re sponsive move me nts be ing a te st of life , we shall try to construct a scale with
which the he ight of livingness may be me asured. What is the diffe re nce be twe e n the
living and the de ad? The living answers to the shock from within; the live lie st give s
the most e ne rge tic, the torpid or dying the fe e ble st, and the de ad no answe r at all.
Thus life may be te ste d by shocks from within, the size of the answe r is the gauge of
vitality. The answer of the stronge st will be violent and almost e xplosive i n inte nsity,
while the we akling will bare ly prote st. The re sponsive move me nts may be re corde d
by a suitable apparatus. The succe ssive re sponse s to similar shocks will re main
uniform if the living tissue always re maine d the same .
But the living organism is always in a state of change for the e nvironme nt is always
building us ane w, and we are changing e ve ry day of our life . We are thus subje ct to
change, someday we are in a state of high e xube rance , and ‘othe r time in a state of
lowe st de pre ssion: we pass through nume rous phase s be twe e n two e xtre me s. Not
me rely doe s the pre se nt modify, but the re is also the subtle impre ssion of me mory of
the past. The total of all the se characterizes one individual from anothe r. How is the
hidde n to be made manifest? To te st the ge nuinene ss of a coin, we strike it and the
sound re sponse be trays the true from the false . The ge nuine rings true and the othe r
give s a false note . In this way pe rhaps the inne r history of diffe re nt live s may be
re ve ale d by shocks and the re sulting re sponse .
Three se parate inve stigations have be e n carrie d out on the e ffe ct of the wound on
plants: The first is the shock e ffect of the wound on growth: this ge ne rally spe aking
re tards or arre sts growth. In the se cond se rie s of inve stigations, the change of
spontane ous pulsation of the le afle t of the Te le graph plant was re corde d. De ath
be gins to spre ad from the cut e nd of the le aflet, re ache s the throbbing tissue which

be come s pe rmane ntly stille d on ce ssation of life . Expe rime nts are in progre ss of
arre st the ir march of de ath, and the cut, le aflet which die d in 24 hours has now been
ke pt alive for more than a we e k.
Anothe r se ries of investigations we re carried out on the paralyzing e ffe ct of a se ve re

wound. A le af of Mimosa was cut off from the plant, and the subse que nt historie s of
the wounde d plant and the de tached le af are curiously diffe re nt. The cutting of one
of its le ave s had cause d a gre at shock to the pare nt, and an inte nse e xcitation
spre ads ove r to the distant organs. All the le ave s re maine d de pre sse d and
irre sponsive for se veral hours. From this state of the paralyze d se nsibility, the plant
gradually re cove rs and the le ave s be gin to show re turning se nsitive ne ss. The
de tached le af, whe n place d in a nourishing solution soon re cove rs, and holds up its
he ad with an attitude indicative of de fiance, and the re sponses it gives are e nerge tic.
This lasts for twe nty-four hours, afte r which a curious change cre e ps in the vigor of
its re sponses be gins rapidly to wane . The le af hitherto e re ct falls ove r; de ath had, at
last, asse rte d its maste ry.
1. How can we re alize the pain of the suffe rings of the mute ?
2. Why do we not re alize the pain of some living be ings?
3. What characte rize s individuals from one anothe r?
Answers-
1. Whe n a man re ceives a shock or blow of any kind, his answering cry makes us
re alize that he is hurt. But a mute make no outcry. We can know by his
agonized look or by the convulsive movement of his limbs. We can also re alize
this pain by fe llow-fe e ling.
2. We do not re alize the pain of some living be ings be cause we have no sympathy
for those cre ature s that are lowe r than us. So the human be ings doubt

whe ther the lowly or the de pre ssed posse ss the fine se nse of the e xalte d to fe e l
the same joy and sorrow, and to re se nt social tyranny.
3. The de gre e of shock and re action to pain characte rize s individuals from one
anothe r. Anothe r fe ature that diffe re ntiate s be twe e n the m is the le ve l of
sympathy. Our sympathy is e xte nde d to those who are highe r or e qual to us.
But it is hardly e xte nde d to the infe riors.
1. What is the ‘se cond se rie s of inve stigation’ re fe rre d to in the e ssay?
2. What is ‘paralysis of se nsibility’? How is it me asure d?
3. What is the significance of the se thre e se rie s of inve stigations?
Answers-
1. The scientists carrie d out thre e se parate se rie s of inve stigations to study
the e ffe ct of the wound on plants. In the se cond se ries of investigations, the
change of spontane ous pulsation of the le afle t of the Te le graph plant was
re corde d. De ath be gins to spre ad from the cut e nd of the le aflet and re aches
the throbbing tissue which be come s pe rmane ntly stille d on de ath.
Expe rime nts are be ing made to slow the march of de ath. The cut le afle t
which die d in 24 hours had be e n ke pt alive for more than one we e k.
2. The paralysis of se nsibility me ans that a plant re mains de pre sse d and
irre sponsive for se veral hours. Se veral investigations were carried out to se e
the paralyzing e ffe ct of a se vere wound on a plant. A le af of Mimosa was cut
off from a plant, and the subse quent histories of the wounde d plant and the
de tached le af curiously. The cutting of one of its le ave s had cause d a gre at
shock to the pare nt plant, and an inte nse e xcitation spre ads ove r to the
distant organs. All the le ave s re maine d de pre sse d and irre sponsive for
se ve ral hours.
3. Three se parate inve stigations we re carrie d out on the e ffe ct of wounds on
plants. The se e xperiments we re conducted to se e the e ffect of the wound on

plants. The first investigation was the shock e ffe ct of the wound on growth.
In the se cond inve stigation, a change of spontane ous pulsation on a le af
was re corde d. The third investigation was carried out to se e the e ffect of the
paralyzing e ffe ct of the wound on plants. This se rie s of inve stigati ons
showe d that plants also have life and the re sponse to wounds or shocks.
The e xperiments showed that the various parts of a plant e xpe rie nce de ath
just as living be ings e xpe rie nce .
Comprehension passage
Passage 1
Three se parate inve stigations have be e n carrie d out on the e ffe ct of the wound on
plants: The first is the shock e ffect of the wound on growth: this ge ne rally spe aking
re tards or arre sts growth. In the se cond se rie s of inve stigations, the change of
spontane ous pulsation of the le afle t of the Te le graph plant was re corde d. De ath
be gins to spre ad from the cut e nd of the le aflet, re ache s the throbbing tissue which
be come s pe rmane ntly stille d on ce ssation of life . Expe rime nts are in progre ss of
arre st the ir march of de ath, and the cut, le aflet which die d in 24 hours has now been
ke pt alive for more than a we e k.
Questions-
1. How many se parate investigations have be e n carrie d out on the e ffe ct of the
wound on plants?
2. What was the first inve stigation about?
3. On which plant was the inve stigation carrie d on?
4. Whe n did the de ath be come pe rmane ntly stille d?
Answers-
1. Thre e se parate inve stigations have be e n carrie d out on the e ffe ct of wound
plants
2. The first inve stigation was about the shock e ffe ct of the wound on growth.

3. It was carrie d out on the Te le graph plant.

4. The de ath be come s stille d pe rmane ntly on ce ssation of life .
Passage 2
What is that subtle bond by which all distance s are bridge d ove r, and by which an
individual life be come s me rge d in large r life ? Sympathy is that bond by which we
come to re alize the unity of all life . Be fore we are spre ad multitudinous plants, sile nt
and se emingly impassive. They too like us are actors in the Cosmic drama of life , the
plaything of de stiny. In the ir che cke re d life , light, and darkne ss, the warmth of
summe r and frost of winte r, drought and rain, the ge ntle bre e ze and whirling
tornadoe s, life and de ath alte rnate . Various shocks impinge in the m, but no cry is
raised in the answe r. I shall ne verthele ss try to de ciphe r some chapte rs of the ir life
history.
Questions-
1. What is the bond with which all distance s are bridge d ove r?
2. How do we re alize the unity of life ?
3. How did the plants look like ?
4. Who doe s not raise a cry in answe r to shocks?
Answe rs-
1. Sympathy is the bond with which all distance s are bridge d ove r.
2. We re alize the unity of life through sympathy.
3. The y looke d like the actors in the Cosmic drama of life .
4. Plants do not raise a cry in answe r to shocks.
Passage 3
Whe n the human attitude is so fine ly discriminative as re gards diffe rent grade s of his
spe cies, it might be e xtravagant to be lie ve that the frog could have any conscious of
pain. A concession might howe ver be made that the frog pe rce ive s a shock to which
it re sponds by convulsive move me nts. It is as we ll that we should be care ful about

the use of te rms for an e minent biologist insisted that animals ne ve r fe lt pain: whe n
an oyste r is swallowe d alive , it did not, according to him, fe e l any pain but rathe r a
se nsation of grate ful warmth at contact with the alime ntary tract. The que stion will
re main unde cided for no one has as ye t re turne d from the gastric cavity of the tige r
to e xpatiate on the e xquisite se nsation.
Questions-
1. What make s us re alize that a man is hurt?

2. How do we know the suffe ring of a mute ?
3. Doe s a frog cry whe n it is struck?
4. What doe s the author say of human sympathy?
Answe rs-
1. His outcry make s us re alize that a man is hurt.

2. We know the suffe ring of a mute by his convulsive move me nts.
3. No, it doe s not cry.
4 He says that human sympathy always aspire s
5.6 SUM M ARY
The write r says that we fe e l sympathy for those who die d. Sympathy is that bond by
which we re alize the unity of all life . Multitudinous plants are surrounding us. Like
the loss of human lives, the re is the loss of many tre e s and plants also. Plants also
suffe r many shocks in life . But plants don’t make an outcry be cause the y are mute .
Whe n a man re ceives a shock or a shock of any kind, his answe ring cry makes us
re alize that he is hurt, but a mute make no outcry. His pain can be re alize d by
the convulsive movement of his limbs or his agonized looks. We can also fe e l this
pain through fe llow fe e ling (sympathy). The author give s the e xample of a frog.
But it is a pity that we don’t re alize the pain of some living be ing be cause we have
no sympathy for those cre ature s that are lowe r than us. Human be ings doubt
whe ther the lowly and the de pre ssed also posse ss the fine se nse of the e xalte d to

fe e l the same joy and sorrow. Anothe r fe ature that diffe re ntiates be twe e n the m is
the le vel of sympathy. Our sympathy is e xtended to those who are higher or e qua l
to us. But it is hardly e ver e xtende d to the infe rior. In this way, human attitude
is discriminative to diffe re nt grade s of his spe cie s. The author give s a te st to
me asure the livingne ss of cre ature s. He says that it de pe nds on the te st of
Re sponsive movements. This responsive movement shows the diffe re nce be twe e n
the living and the de ad. The living answers to the shock from within, the live lie st
gives the most e ne rgy. The answe r of the strong is viole nt but the we akling will
bare ly prote st. But we are subje ct to change . Some day we are in a state of high
e xube rance and othe r time s in a state of lowe st de pre ssion. The total of the se
e ntire characteristic diffe rentiate s one individual from anothe r. The paralysis of
se nsibility me ans that a plant re mains de pre sse d and irre sponsive for se ve ral
hours. The author de scribes an e xpe riment on the Mimosa plant. A le af of Mimosa
was cut off from the plant re mains de pre ssed and irre sponsive for se ve ral hours.
The cutting of one le af has cause d a gre at shock to the pare nt plant, and an
inte nse e xcitation spre ads ove r to the distant organs. All the le ave s re maine d
de pre ssed and irre sponsive for se veral hours. But the de tache d le af whe n place d
in a nourishing solution soon re cove rs and he ld up his he ad with an attitude
indicative of de fiance, and the re sponses it gave we re e nergetic. This laste d for 24
hours and afte r which a curious change cre pt in and the vigor of its re sponse s
be gan rapidly to wane . The le af hithe r to e re ct fe ll ove r and at last, it die d.
5.7 KEYW ORDS
 Alte rnate
 Distance
 Battle
 Drought
 De nse

 Fair
 Hoarse
 Pe rce ption
 Sky
 Sympathy
 Warmth
 Fie ld
 Inte nsity
 Re alize
 Smoke
 Thousand
 White
 Bright
 Eco
 Ge ntle
 Echo
 Me rge
 Sile nt
 Subtle
 Too
5.8 SELF ASSESSM ENT QUESTIONS(SAQ’S)
Find out the synonymous of the following words-
 De adly-fatal
 Rough –hoarse
 Crie d- Roare d
 Go through-pe ne trate
 Far off-distance

Find out the antonyms of the following words-
 De ad –living
 Unconscious-conscious
 Supe rior-infe rior
 Inhuman-human
Find out the antonyms of the following words-
 Highe st quality-supre me
 Providing nourishme nt-nourishing
 Do not comply with-follow
 Made e vide nt-manife st
 Shocking and se rious-agonizing
 Natural and instinctive -spontane ous
Elaborate on the following terms
 Cosmic-re late d to the whole unive rse

 Tornados-viole ntly de structive wind storme d occurring ove r land
 Impinge -to make an impre ssion
 De ciphe r –to re ad with difficulty
 Convulsive -affe ctive by involuntary je rky muscular contraction
W hat is an adverb?
The adve rb is a word that modifie s the me aning of a ve rb, an adje ctive , or anothe r
adve rb. An adve rb can also modify a se nte nce .

Types of Adverbs
Adverb of time,
Sentence Broad negative
frequency and
adverbs adverbs
duration
Focusing
Adverb of place Linking adverbs
adverbs
Adverb of Adverb of
manner degree
Formation of adverbs-
 The final y change s to i: happy, happily

 The final ‘e ’ is re taine d: e xtre me , e xtre me ly
 Adje ctive s e nding in able / ‘ible ’ drop the final e and add y: capable , capably;
se nsible , se nsibly.
 Adje ctive s e nding in a vowe l +l follow the usual rule : be autiful, be autifully;
final, finally.
Position of Adverbs
 M id position (be fore the ve rb, or part of the ve rb)

1. Mahe sh suddenly drove off.
2. We have never be e n stoppe d by the police .
 End position (at the e nd of a clause )
1. Mahe sh drove off suddenly.
2. Mahe sh re ache d late.

 Initial position (at the be ginning of a clause )

1. Suddenly Mahe sh drove off.
2. Tomorrow we shall have a party.
Exercise
Pick out the adverbs in the following sentences
 This is a very swe e t mango.

 The milkman came again.
 The puppy followe d Mahe sh everywhere.
 You may be partly right but doe s it solve our proble m.
 W here is Raju?
W rite a short story of about 150 words narrating the life of a plant, from its
birth to its death, incorporating its joyful and painful experiences.
Plants are the natural re source of our life . Without plants, we cannot survive . Apart
from giving food, plants are important in many othe r ways. If the re are no plants, we
will face a shortage of oxyge n in the future . Lack of oxyge n in the atmosphe re may
le ad to global warming. In addition to this, plants add be auty to the landscape . The
life of a plant passe s through many stages. The first is the se ed growth. For a se e d to
grow into a he althy plant it ne e ds ple nty of wate r and light. The plant life cycle
be gins with a se ed. The seed will sprout and produce a tiny, immature plant calle d a
se edling. The se e dling will grow to adulthood and form a mature plant. The mature
plant will re produce by forming ne w se e ds which will be gin the ne xt cycle . This life
cycle is ge nerally use d by flowe ring plants. The flowe ring plant include grasses, trees,
shrubs, and, of course, flowe rs. The re are also lowe r type s of plants including fe rns
and mosse s. The se also have a life cycle but the y do not produce se e ds. The se
produce othe r re productive ce lls calle d spore s.

Compare J.C. Bose’s views with those of Vandana Shiva’s and write a paragraph
of about 150 words on the need to have a greater sensitivity towards plants and
the environment.
All living things that live on this e arth come under the e nvironment. Whether they live
on land or wate r the y are part of the e nvironment. The e nvironment also includes air,
wate r, sunlight, plants, animals, e tc. Moreover, the e arth is considered the only planet
in the universe that supports life. The e nvironment can be unde rstood as a blanket
that keeps life on the planet sage and sound. We truly cannot understand the re al
worth of the e nvironment. But we can e stimate some of its importance that can help us
unde rstand its importance. It plays a vital role in keeping living things he althy in the
e nvironment. Likewise, it maintains the e cological balance that will keep check of life
on e arth. It provide s food, she lter, air, and fulfills all the human needs whether big or
small. Moreover, the e ntire life support of humans de pe nds wholly on the
e nvironmental factors. Also, it he lps in maintaining various life cycles on e arth. Most
importantly, our e nvironment is the source of natural be auty and is ne cessary for
maintaining physical and me ntal he alth.
o "Bose ". Random House We bste r's Unabridge d Dictionary.

o Editorial Board (2013). Sir Jagdish Chandra
Bose . Edinburgh, Scotland: Encyclopædia Britannica,
Inc. ISBN 9781593392925.
o "A ve rsatile ge nius". Frontline. Vol. 21 no. 24. The Hindu. 20 Nove mbe r
2004.
o Chatte rje e , Santimay and Chatte rje e , Enakshi, Satye ndranath Bose ,
2002 re print, p. 5, National Book Trust, ISBN 81-237-0492-5
o Se n, A. K. (1997). "Sir J.C. Bose and radio scie nce ". Microwave
Symposium Dige st. IEEE MTT-S Inte rnational Microwave Symposium.

De nve r, CO: IEEE. pp. 557–

560. doi:10.1109/MWSYM.1997.602854. ISBN 0-7803-3814-6.
******************************

Lesson No:05 Playing about the English

gentleman
Playing about the English Gentleman
Author –M . K. Gandhi
Lesson Structure
5.2 Introduction
5.6 Summary
5.7 Keywords
5.9.2Extended Composition

language.
5.2 INTRODUCTION
In Playing the English Ge ntleman by Mahatma Gandhi we have the the me of ide ntity,
acceptance , change , pe rce ption, and tradition. Take n from his autobiography ‘The
Story of My Expe rime nts with Truth’ the re ade r re alizes afte r re ading the e ssay that
Gandhi may be e xploring the the me of ide ntity. There is a se nse that Gandhi while a
stude nt in England wishe s to fit in with his pe e rs e ven though he may live a life style
that would be de e me d unfamiliar to an English ge ntle man (be ing a ve ge tarian for
e xample). Re gardle ss of this Gandhi doe s go some way to give off the appe arance of
an English ge ntleman. Going as far as ge tting dancing le ssons, changing his attire ,
le arning the violin, and ge tting e locution le ssons. All of which Gandhi hope s will
he lp him to fit in with his surroundings and be acce pte d by othe rs. Howe ve r, the re
doe s come a point whe n Gandhi re alizes that he is living a lie and that he is not only
fooling himself but also de nying his tradition or the fact that he is an Indian and not
an Englishman.
At the be ginning of the e ssay, Gandhi says that he was ve getarian from his birth. His
faith in ve getarian food be comes de epe r afte r re ading many books on it. Afte r re ading
books like Howard William’s The Ethics of Diet. Dr. Anna Kingsford’s, The Perfect
way in Diet’, Dr. Allison’s W riting On Health and Hygiene, he found that all
philosophe rs and prophe ts from the past to the pre se nt age we re ve ge tarians. As a
re sult of re ading all this lite rature, die te tic e xpe rime nts came to take an important

place in his life . But in his late r life, re ligion be came the supre me motive . Gandhi’s
frie nd in England had a gre at love for him. He was worrie d for him for various
re asons.
He thought-
1. Gandhi’s he alth would re main we ak if he did not e at me at in England.

2. He might be considered a duffe r in English society.
3. He was afraid le st Gandhi should re main busy in e xpe riments and forge t his
works a he was busy re ading books on ve getarians.
So he starte d his e fforts to re form him. He trie d to make Gandhi Ji give up

ve getarian food. But he did not succeed. Howe ve r, this did not affe ct the ir
re lationship and the y continued to be good frie nds.
Gandhi narrate s some incide nts in his autobiography ‘The Story of My

Expe rime nts with Truth’ chapte r 16. He says that one day; his frie nd invite d him
to a big re staurant. The frie nd had planne d to take him to this re staurant. The
frie nd had planne d to take him to this re staurant so that he would not ask
que stions be cause of his mode sty. The first course was soup. He dare d not ask
his frie nd so he calle d the waite r to inquire if the soup was a ve ge table soup. His
frie nd be came angry and told him to go to some othe r re staurant if he wante d
ve getable soup. Gandhi Ji came out and we nt to some vegetarian re staurant close
by but it was close d. So he had to re main hungry that night.
That was the last tussle he had with his frie nd. But it did not affe ct the ir
frie ndship. Gandhi Ji could se e and appre ciated the love by which all his frie nd’s
e fforts we re actuated and Gandhi’s re spect for him was all the gre ate r on account
of the ir diffe re nce s in thoughts and action.
Gandhi did not want to give up ve getarianism. But he de cide d to make up for his
ve ge tarianism by cultivating othe r accomplishme nts that fitte d the English
socie ty. He trie d to be come an English ge ntle man. He got English clothe s. He

purchase d a hat. He waste d 10 pounds on a fashionable suit. He aske d his

brothe r to se nd him a double watch chain of gold. He le arned the art of using a tie
and corre ctly parting his hair. He starte d taking le ssons on dancing, le arning
Fre nch, playing the violin, and le arning e locution. But his e fforts did not prove
succe ssful and he gave up his atte mpts.
Gandhi Ji re membe red the fable of the re cluse. In the fable , the re cluse ke pt a cat
to ke e p off the rats and the n a cow to fe e d the cat with milk and a man to ke e p
the cow and so on. He fe lt that his ambitions also gre w like that re cluse . He
thought to le arn violin and for this, he spe nt mone y on violin. He e ngaged another
te ache r to te ach him e locution. He made him buy a book on e locution. And at
last, he re alized the futility of the se things and gave up his e fforts to be come an
English ge ntle man.
Gandhi Ji thought that he had not to spe nd a life time in England. So the re was
no use of le arning e locution. And dancing could not make a ge ntleman of him. He
was a stude nt and ought to go on with his studie s. He should qualify himse lf to
join the Inns of Court. He thought that if his character made a ge ntle man of him,
so much the be tte r.
Afte r that, he gave up the se use less attempts and concentrated on his studie s and
thus be came a stude nt. He e xpre sse d his thoughts in a le tte r to his e locution
te acher. He re que sted his te acher to e xcuse him from furthe r le ssons. He wrote a
similar le tte r to the dancing te ache r. He made the same re que st to his violin
te ache r. In this way, he fre e d himse lf from the le ssons.

Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian
lawye r, anti-colonial nationalist, and political e thicist, who e mploye d non-viole nt
re sistance to le ad the successful campaign for India’s inde pendence from British rule
and also inspire d move me nts for civil rights and fre e dom across the world.
The honorific Mahatma (gre at soul) first applie d to him in 1914 in South Africa is
now use d throughout the world.
Gandhi Ji le d nationwide campaigns for e asing pove rty, e xpanding wome n’s rights,
building re ligious and e thnic amity, e nding untouchability, and above all, for
achie ving ‘Swaras’ or se lf-rule . He was a good write r also. His autobiography is
e ntitle d ‘The Story of my Expe rime nts with Truth’.
Some Indians thought Gandhi was too accommodating. Among the m was Nathuram
Godse a Hindu nationalist, who assassinated Gandhi on 30 Jan 1948 by firing thre e
bulle ts in his che st.
Gandhi’s birthday on 2nd Octobe r is comme morate d in India as Gandhi Jayanti a

national holiday and worldwide as the inte rnational day of Non-Viole nce . Gandhi is
commonly though not formally, considered the fathe r of the Nation in India and was
commonly calle d Bapu. Gandhi did not re ce ive the Nobe l Pe ace prize although he
was nominate d five time s be twe e n 1937 and 1948.
5.3.2 About the essay

This e ssay has be e n take n from Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography ‘The Story of My
Expe rime nts with Truth’. It was publishe d in 1927. This e xce rpt appe ars in the
fifte e nth chapte r of the first part of his autobiography. He re Gandhi narrate s his
e xpe rie nce s during the time he was in England.
My faith in ve ge tarianism gre w on me from day today. Salt’s book whe tte d my
appe tite for die te tic studies. I we nt for all the books available on ve ge tarianism and
re ad the m. One of the se , Howard Williams’ The Ethics of Die t, was a ‘biographical
history of lite rature and humane die te tics from the e arlie st pe riod to the pre se nt
day’. It trie d to make out, that all philosophe rs and prophe ts from Pythagoras and
Je sus down to those of the pre se nt age we re ve ge tarians.
Dr. Anna Kingsford’s The Pe rfe ct Way in Die t was also an attractive book. Dr.
Allison’s writings on he alth and hygie ne we re like wise he lpful. He advocate d a
curative syste m base d on the re gulation of the die tary of patie nts. Himse lf a
ve ge tarian, he pre scribe d for his patie nt a strictly ve ge tarian die t. The re sult of
re ading books on ve getarianism was that e xpe riments with my die t came to take an
important place in my life . He alth was the principal conside ration of those
e xpe rime nts, to be gin with. But late r on, re ligion be came the supre me motive .
Me anwhile, my frie nd had not ce ase d to worry about me . His love for me le d him to
think that, if I pe rsisted on my obje ctions to me at-eating, I should not only de ve lop a
we ak constitution but should re main a duffe r, be cause I should ne ver fe el at home in
English society. Whe n he came to know that I had be gun to intere st myse lf in books
of ve ge tarianism, he was afraid le st the se studie s should muddle my he ad; that I
should fritte r my life away in e xpe riments, forge tting my work, and be come a crank.
He , the re fore , made one last e ffort to re form me .
He one day invited me to go to the the ater. Be fore the play, we we re to dine toge the r
at the Holborn Re staurant, to be a palatial place and the first big re staurant I had
be e n to since the Victoria Hote l. The stay at that hote l has scarce ly be e n a he lpful

e xpe rience, for I had not lived the re with my wits about me . The frie nd had planne d
to take me to this re staurant imagining that mode sty would forbid any que stions.
And it was a ve ry big company of dine rs in the midst of which my frie nd and I sat
sharing a table be twe e n us.
The first course was soup. I wonde re d it may be made up of, but dare d not ask the
frie nd about it., the re fore summone d the waite r. My frie nd saw the move me nt and
ste rnly asked across the table what the matte r was. With conside rable he sitation, I
told him that I wante d to inquire if the soup was ve getable soup. ‘You are too clumsy
for a de ce nt society,’ he passionately e xclaime d. ‘If you cannot be have yourse lf, you
had be tte r go. Fe e d-in some othe r re staurant and await me outside .’ This de lighte d
me . Out I we nt. The re was a ve ge tarian re staurant close by, but it was close d. So I
we nt without food that night. I accompanie d my frie nd to the the atre , but he ne ve r
said a word about the sce ne I had cre ate d. On my part of course the re was nothing
to say.
That was the last frie ndly tussle we had. It did not affe ct our re lations in the le ast. I
could se e and appre ciate the love by which all my frie nd’s e fforts we re actuate d, and
my re spe ct for him was all the gre ate r on account of our diffe re nce s in thought and
action.
But I de cide d that I should put him to e ase, that I should assure him that I would be
clumsy no more , but try to be come polishe d and make up for my ve ge tarianism by
cultivating othe r accomplishme nts which fitte d one for polite socie ty. And for this
purpose , I unde rtook the all too impossible task of be coming an English ge ntle man.
The clothes afte r the Bombay cut that I was we aring we re , I thought, unsuitable for
English socie ty, and got ne w one s at the Army and Navy Store s. I also we nt for a
chimne y-pot hat costing nine te e n shillings- an e xce ssive price in those days. Not
conte nt with this, I waste d te n pounds on an e ve ning suit made in Bond Stre e t, the
ce nter of fashionable life in London; and got my noble -he arte d brothe r to se nd me a
double watch- chain of gold. It was not corre ct to we ar a re ady-made tie and I

le arned the art of tying one for myse lf. While in India, the mirror had be e n a luxury
pe rmitted on the days whe n the family barbe r shaved me . He re I waste d te n minute s
e ve ry day be fore a huge mirror, watching myse lf arranging my tie and corre ctly
parting my hair. My hair was by no me ans soft, and e ve ry day it me ant a re gular
struggle with the brush to ke ep it in position. Each time the hat was put on and off,
the hand would automatically move towards the he ad to adjust the hair, not to
me ntion the othe r civilize d habits of the hand now and the n ope rating for the same
purpose whe n sitting in polishe d socie ty.
As if all this we re not e nough to make me look the thing, I dire cte d my atte ntion to
othe r de tails that we re suppose d to go towards the making of an English ge ntle man.
I was told I ne ede d to take le ssons in dancing, Fre nch and e locution. Fre nch was not
only the language of ne ighboring France , but it was the lingua franca of the
Continent ove r which I had de sire d to trave l. I de cide d to take dancing le ssons at a
class and paid down 3 Euros as fe e s for the te rm. I must have taken about 6 le ssons
in thre e we e ks. But it was be yond me to achie ve anything like rhythmic motion. I
could not follow the piano and he nce found it impossible to ke e p time . What the n
was I to do?
The re cluse in the fable ke pt a cat to ke e p off rats, and the n a cow to fe e d the cat
with milk, and a man to ke e p the cow, and so on. My ambition also gre w like the
family of a re cluse. I thought I should le arn to play the violin to cultivate an e ar for
we ste rn music. So I invested 3 Euros in a violin and some thing more in fe es. I sought
a third te ache r to give me e locution le ssons and paid him a pre liminary fe e of a
guine a. He re comme nde d Be ll’s Standard Elocutionist as the te xtbook, which I
purchase d. And I be gan with a spe e ch of Pitt’s.
But Mr. Be ll rang the be ll of alarm in my e ar and I awoke .
I had not to spe nd a life time in England, I said to myse lf. Whe n the n was the use of
le arning e locution? And how could dancing make a ge ntleman out of me ? The violin I
could le arn in India. I was a stude nt and ought to go on with my studie s. I should

qualify myself to join the Inns of Court. If my character made a ge ntle man of me , so
much the be tte r. Othe rwise , I should fore go the ambition.
The se and similar thoughts posse ssed me , and I e xpre sse d the m in a le tte r which I
addre sse d to the e locution te ache r, re que sting him to e xcuse me from furthe r
le ssons. I had take n only two or thre e. I wrote a similar le tter to the dancing te ache r
and we nt pe rsonally to the violin te ache r with a re que st to dispose of the violin for
any price it might fe tch. She was rathe r frie ndly to me , so I told he r how I had
discovered that I was pursuing a false ide a. She e ncouraged me in the de te rmination
to make a comple te change .
This infatuation must have lasted about thre e months. The punctiliousness in dre ss
pe rsiste d for ye ars. But he nce forward I be came a stude nt.
1. How did Gandhi Ji's faith in ve ge tarianism grow?

2. How did Gandhiji e xtricate himse lf from all the le ssons?
Answers-
1. At the be ginning of the e ssay, Gandhi says that he was a ve ge tarian. But
his faith in ve getarianism gre w be cause of some books. Afte r re ading Salt’s
book he acquire d more books on ve ge tarianism and re ad the m. He found
that all philosophe rs and prophe ts from the past to the pre se nt age we re
ve ge tarians.
2. Gandhiji e xpre sse d his thoughts in a le tte r that he wrote to his e locution
te acher. He re que sted his te ache r to e xcuse him from furthe r le ssons. He
wrote a similar le tter to his dance te acher. He made the same re quest to the
violin te ache r. In this way, he e xtricate d himse lf from the le ssons.
1. De scribe the re lationship that Gandhiji share d with his frie nd.

2. De scribe some of the habits that Gandhiji had cultivate d which we re at

variance with what he e ncounte re d in Britain.
3. De scribe Gandhiji’s atte mpts to inculcate the qualitie s of an English
ge ntle man. How did the se atte mpts turn out?
4. ‘But he nce forth I be came a stude nt’. Trace the course of e ve nts and
thoughts that le d Gandhiji to arrive at this.
Answers-
1. Gandhiji’s frie nd love d him de e ply. He was worrie d that if Gandhiji did
not e at me at, his he alth would re main we ak. More ove r, he would be
conside re d a duffe r in English socie ty. Whe n he kne w Gandhiji was
re ading books on ve ge tarianism, he was afraid le st Gandhiji should
re main busy in the se e xpe riments and forge t his work. So he trie d to one
last e ffort to re form him. He had a gre at love for Gandhiji. He trie d to
make Gandhiji give up ve ge tarianism. But did not succe e d. Howe ve r,
this did not affe ct the ir friendship and the y continued to be good frie nds.
2. Gandhiji did not like e ating me at. He was a strict ve ge tarian. He would
re main hungry but would not e at a non-ve getarian die t. He followe d his
habit e ve n whe n he was in England. Gandhiji was particularly
influe nce d by Dr. Anna Kingsford’s The Pe rfe ct Way in Die t and Dr.
Allison’s writings on he alth and hygie ne . As a re sult of re ading all this
lite rature, die tetic e xperime nts came to take an important place in his
life . But late r on, re ligion be came the supre me motive. Gandhiji acquired
the se habits and the se we re at variance with what he e ncounte re d in
England.
3. He trie d to be come an English ge ntle man. His clothe s we re unsuitable
for English society. He got English clothe s. He also purchase d a hat. He
waste d 10 pounds on a fashionable suit. He aske d his brothe r to se nd
him a double watch chain of gold. He le arne d the art of using a tie . He
waste d te n minute s e ve ry day in various fie lds. The se fie lds we re

dancing, le arning Fre nch, le arning to play the violin, and le arning
e locution. But his e fforts did not prove succe ssful and he gave up his
atte mpts.
Passage-1
Gandhiji re alize d that he had not to spe nd a life time in England. So, the re was no
use of le arning e locution. And dancing could not make a ge ntleman of him. He could
le arn the violin eve n in India. He thought that he was a stude nt and ought to go on
with his studie s he should qualify himse lf to join the Inns of Court. If his characte r
made a ge ntle man of him, so much the be tte r. Othe rwise , he should fore go the
ambition. He gave up the se atte mpts and conce ntrate d on his studi e s. Thus he
be came a stude nt. He one day invite d me to go to the the ate r. Be fore the play, we
we re to dine toge the r at the Holborn Re staurant, to be a palatial place and the first
big re staurant I had be e n to since the Victoria Hote l. The stay at that hote l has
scarcely be e n a he lpful e xpe rience , for I had not live d the re with my wits about me .
The friend had planne d to take me to this re staurant imagining that mode sty would
forbid any que stions. And it was a ve ry big company of dine rs in the midst of which
my frie nd and I sat sharing a table be twe e n us.
Questions-
1. To which re staurant did Gandhiji’s friend take him?

2. How was the re staurant?
3. What had his frie nd thought?
4. Whe re did Gandhiji and his frie nd sit?
Answe rs-
1. He took Gandhiji to the Holborn Re staurant.

2. It was a palatial re staurant.
3. He had thought that mode sty would forbid any que stions.

4. His frie nd and Gandhiji sat sharing a table be twe en the m.
Passage 2-
The clothes afte r the Bombay cut that I was we aring we re , I thought, unsuitable for
English socie ty, and got ne w one s at the Army and Navy Store s. I also we nt for a
chimne y-pot hat costing nine te e n shillings- an e xce ssive price in those days. Not
conte nt with this, I waste d te n pounds on an e ve ning suit made in Bond Stre e t, the
ce nter of fashionable life in London; and got my noble -he arte d brothe r to se nd me a
double watch- chain of gold. It was not corre ct to we ar a re ady-made tie and I
le arned the art of tying one for myse lf. While in India, the mirror had be e n a luxury
pe rmitted on the days whe n the family barbe r shaved me . He re I waste d te n minute s
e ve ry day be fore a huge mirror, watching myse lf arranging my tie and corre ctly
parting my hair. My hair was by no me ans soft, and e ve ry day it me ant a re gular
struggle with the brush to ke ep it in position. Each time the hat was put on and off,
the hand would automatically move towards the he ad to adjust the hair, not to
me ntion the othe r civilize d habits of the hand now and the n ope rating for the same
purpose whe n sitting in polishe d socie ty.
Questions-
1. From whe re did Gandhiji buy ne w clothe s?

2. What kind of hat did he purchase?
3. Who se nt him a double watch- chain of gold?
4. Whe re did he waste te n minutes daily?
Answers-
1. He bought ne w clothe s at the Army and Navy Store s.

2. He purchase d a chimney-pot hat.
3. His brothe r se nt him a double watch- chain of gold.
4. He waste d te n minutes daily be fore the mirror.
Passage 3-

The re cluse in the fable ke pt a cat to ke e p off rats, and the n a cow to fe e d the cat
with milk, and a man to ke e p the cow, and so on. My ambition also gre w like the
family of a re cluse. I thought I should le arn to play the violin to cultivate an e ar for
we ste rn music. So I invested 3 Euros in a violin and some thing more in fe es. I sought
a third te ache r to give me e locution le ssons and paid him a pre liminary fe e of a
guine a. He re comme nde d Be ll’s Standard Elocutionist as the te xtbook, which I
purchase d. And I be gan with a spe e ch of Pitt’s.
Questions-
1. Why did the re cluse keep a cat?

2. How did Gandhiji’s ambitions grow?
3. How much did he invest in the violin?
4. Why did he se ek a third te acher?
Answers-
1. The re cluse in the fable ke pt a cat to ke ep off the rats.

2. His ambitions gre w to like the family of the re cluse.
3. He invested 3 Euros in violin.
4. He sought a third te acher to give him e locution lessons.
Passage 4-
The se and similar thoughts posse ssed me , and I e xpre sse d the m in a le tte r which I
addre sse d to the e locution te ache r, re que sting him to e xcuse me from furthe r
le ssons. I had take n only two or thre e. I wrote a similar le tter to the dancing te ache r
and we nt pe rsonally to the violin te ache r with a re que st to dispose of the violin for
any price it might fe tch. She was rathe r frie ndly to me , so I told he r how I had
discovered that I was pursuing a false ide a. She e ncouraged me in the de te rmination
to make a comple te change .
This infatuation must have lasted about thre e months. The punctiliousness in dre ss
pe rsiste d for ye ars. But he nce forward I be came a stude nt.

Questions-
1. What did he write to his e locution te acher?

2. What re que st did he make to his violin te acher?
3. What was the re sponse of the violin te acher?
4. How long did the infatuation last?
Answers-
1. He re que sted him to e xcuse him for furthe r le ssons.

2. He re que sted he r to dispose of the violin for any price it might fe tch.
3. She e ncouraged him in the de te rmination to make a comple te change.
4. This infatuation must have lasted about thre e months.
5.6 SUM MARY
This e ssay has be e n taken from Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography ‘The Story of My
Expe rime nts with Truth’. It was publishe d in 1927. This e xce rpt appe ars in the
fifte e nth chapte r of the first part of his autobiography. He re Gandhi narrate s his
e xpe rie nce s during the time he was in England.
5.7 KEYW ORDS
Give the phonetic transcription of the following words-
 Faith
 Ve ge tarianism
 Ethics
 Biographical
 Lite rature
 Human
 Pe riod
 Philosopher
 Prophe t

 Attractive
 Hygie ne
 Advocate
 Syste m
 re gulation
5.8 SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTION(SAQ,S)
 What is a Noun?
 What is a Ve rb?
 How a noun can be converted into a ve rb or a ve rb can be conve rted into a
noun.
Some words can be use d both as a noun and ve rbs. He re are some such words are
take n from an e ssay. Use the m in se ntences of your own, in both the ir noun and
ve rb forms
Stay
Stay (Noun) I me t Ravi during my stay in De lhi.
Stay (Ve rb) He staye d in my house whe n he came here.
Advocate
Advocate (Noun) He is an advocate.
Advocate (ve rb) He advocated his case.
Result
Re sult (Noun) My re sult is late .
Re sult (Ve rb) His nonse nse re sulted in a hot dispute .
Interest
Inte rest (Noun) He is showing interest in studie s.

Inte rest (Ve rb) I am not inte rested in gossips.
M uddle
Muddle (Noun) His the ory has cre ated a muddle in my mind.
Muddle (Ve rb) His nonse nse has muddle d my mind.
Change the following words into adverbs.
 Pe rsistent------pe rsistently
 De ciding-------De cide dly
 Evide nt-------Evide ntly
 Mode st---------Mode stly
 He sitant-----He sitantly
 Passionate-----Passionately
 Easy ------Easily
 Exce ssive-------Exce ssively
 Soft -------Softly
 Dire ct------Dire ctly
 Suppose d-----Suppose dly
 Pe rsonal-----Pe rsonally
Give synonyms and antonyms of the following words-
Words Synonyms Antonyms
Duffe r Fool Wise
Inte rest Conce rn Indiffe rent
Appre ciate Praise Criticize
Polite Courte ous Rude
Tie Join Untie

Explain the following terms/words/phrases.
1. Ve ge tarianism- A pe rson who doe s not e at me at.

2. All-too-impossible -Which is completely impossible .
3. Cre ating a sce ne- Cre ating a confusing situation.
4. Ge ntle man- we ll-cultured pe rson
5. Now and the n- fre que ntly
M ake nouns from the following verbs-
Ve rb Noun
Grow Growth
Pe rsist pe rsistence
Sit Se at
Be have Be havior
Appre ciate appre ciation
De cide De cision
Le arn Le arning
Te ach Te acher
Write Write r
Dire ct Dire ction
Conside r Conside ration
Dine Dinne r
Discover Discovery
Dire ct Dire ctly

Te nse –when we make a state ment, we usually ne ed to indicate whe ther we are
re fe rring to a situation that e xists now, e xisted in the past, or is likely to e xist in the
future . This point of time is usually indicated by the ve rb group in the se ntence and
it is usually calle d Te nse.
Past tense-
Past simple Past Continuous Past Pe rfect te nse Past Pe rfect

Te nse Continuous Tense
The simple past The most common We use the past The past pe rfe ct
te nse is use d to pe rfe ct te nse to go continuous te nse
Use of the past
say that e vent continuous is to back to an e arlier is not use d with
occurre d at a past time, to talk ve rbs that are not
talk about what
particular time in about things that in continuous
was alre ady
the past had happe ne d at forms, e xcept with
happe ning at a
the time we are want and
particular past
moment talking about. some times.
For e xample- For e xample- 1. I e xplained For e xample-

that I had
1. My frie nd 1. Ram was The boy was
forgotte n
visited our house dancing, but de lighted with his
my ke ys.
last ye ar. whe n she ne w air gun. He
saw me he had wante d one
stoppe d. for a long time.
2. The prime 2. The phone rang 2. Whe n he had 2. He had trie d

minister of while I was having shut the windows, five times to ge t
Bhutan fle w into my bath, as usual. we ope ne d the he r on the phone .
De lhi ye sterday to door of the cage .

start his visit to

India.
3. Throughout 3.whe n Ramnish 3. Whe n I had He had be e n

1999, he studie d arrived I writte n all my trying to ge t he r
with us in a te le phoned le tte rs, I did some on the phone .
ce ntral library. Harish(comparison) garde ning.
About fifty miles 4. It happe ne d 4. Whe n the By 5 pm he had

from the while I was living office r had writte n the story.
university the re in the capital last le arned the work
was one of India’s ye ar. of the de partment,
most famous and he was move d.
ancient Hindu
te mple s.
5. We walke d a 5. It was ge tting Whe n Shyama He had be e n

gre at de al in my dark. The wind was had known Gita writing the story.
boyhood. rising for a ye ar, she
invited he r to te a.
6. Actors use d to 6. I was talking to

be conside red Shiv the othe r day.
Gods.
Complete the sentences, using the simple present or simple past forms of the
verbs given in blanks
1. I unde rstood e xactly what he me ant (mean).

2. I don’t be lieve e verything he te lls me. (not be lieve)
3. Listen I think the re’s someone at the door. (think)
4. Four plus four make e ight. (make)
5. This sweeter doe s not match he r suit(match)

6. Rame sh re sembled his fathe r whe n he was young. (re sembles)

7. What e xactly consists of.
8. This te a tastes nice. (taste)
Answer the following questions, using the simple past tense forms of the verbs
in italics, together with adverbs wherever they are suggested in the bracket.
 Whe re did you spe nd your holiday last ye ar?
I spe nt my holiday with my mothe r.
 Why did you choose this place for a holiday?
I love this place since my childhood.
 How did you trave l?
I trave led by train.
 How did you spe nd your time?
I spe nt my time with my frie nd.
 What sort of luggage did you carry?
I carried woole n clothe s.
 At what time did you ge t up?
I got up at 5 am.
 What sort of food did you e at?
I had rice and dal.
 How did you fe e l whe n you got back home?
I fe lt re fre shed whe n I came back home .
W rite a paragraph on Self Discipline in about 150-200 words

Se lf-discipline is one of the most important and use ful skills e ve ryone s hould
posse ss. This skill is e sse ntial in e ve ry are a of life , and though most pe ople
acknowledge its importance, ve ry fe w do some thing to stre ngthe n it. Contrary to
common be lief, se lf-discipline doe s not me an be ing harsh toward you or living a
limited, re strictive lifestyle. Se lf-discipline me ans se lf-control, which is a sign of
inne r stre ngth and control of yourse lf, your actions, and your re actions. Se lf-
discipline gives you the powe r to stick to your de cisions and follow the m through,
without changing your mind, and is, the refore, one of the important re quirements
for achieving goals. The posse ssion of this skill e nables you to pe rse vere with your
de cisions and plans until you accomplish the m. It also manife sts as inne r
stre ngth, he lping you to ove rcome addictions, procrastination, and lazine ss, and
to follow through with whate ve r you do.
 Gandhi, Mohandas K. (2009). An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments

With Truth. p. 21. ISBN 978-1775414056.
 Malhotra, S.L (2001). Lawyer to Mahatma: Life, Work, and Transformation of M.
K. Gandhi. p. 5. ISBN 978-81-7629-293-1.
*********************

Lesson No:06
Great Books Born out of Great M inds
Author-A. P. J. Abdul Kalan
Lesson Structure
6.2 Introduction
6.6 Summary
6.7 Keywords


language.
6.2 INTRODUCTION
This e ssay is a part of a spe ech de livered by Dr. Kalam. He de livered this speech on 7 th
De cember 2013 at the Lucknow Carnival. In this spe e ch, he give s use ful advice to
young pe rsons on how to forge ahe ad in life . This addre ss is highly motivating and
inspirational for young authors and building write rs. Forme r Indian Pre side nt Dr. A.
P. J. Abdul Kalam spoke at thre e se ssions at the 32nd Sharjah Inte rnational Book
Fair (SIBF) on Thursday, inspiring thousands of UAE schoolchildre n, pare nts,
e ducators, and re ade rs.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a famous name in the whole world. He is counte d among the
gre atest scientists of the 21st ce ntury. Eve n more , he be comes the 11th pre side nt of
India and se rved his country. He was the most value d pe rson in the country as his
contribution as a scie ntist and as a pre side nt is be yond compare . Apart from that,
his contribution to the ISRO (Indian Space Re search Organization) is re markable . He
he aded many proje cts that contribute d to society also he was the one who he lpe d in
the de ve lopme nt of Agni and Prithvi missile s. For his involve me nt in the Nucle ar
powe r in India, he was known as the “Missile Man of India”. And due to his
contribution to the country, the gove rnme nt awarde d him with the highe st civilian
award. The gre at missile man be come s the Pre side nt of India in 2002. During his
pre sidency pe riod, the army and country achieved many milestones that contribute d a
lot to the nation. He se rve d the nation with an ope n he art that’s why he was calle d
‘pe ople’s pre side nt’. But at the e nd of his te rm pe riod, he was not satisfie d with his
work that’s why he wanted to be the Pre sident a se cond time but late r on forfe ite d his
name. Afte r leaving the pre sidential office at the e nd of his te rm Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
again turn to his old passion which is te aching stude nts. He worke d for many
re nowne d and pre stigious insti tute s of India locate d across the country. Above all,
according to his the youth of the country is ve ry tale nte d but ne e d the opportunity to
prove the ir worth that’s why he supporte d the m in the ir e ve ry good de e d.
Dr. Kalam be gan his talk title d “Gre at Books Born out of Gre at Minds” by
applauding the audie nce for be ing se lf-proclaime d book love rs. The main thre ad of
his spe e ch was that human be ings are wire d for storie s and the brain use s literature
to make se nse of life ’s e xpe rie nce s. He firmly be lie ve s that storyte lling is a ce ntral
compone nt of le ade rship and cite d India’s own Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa’s
Ne lson Mande la for using the powe r of the writte n word to re ach out to the pe ople
with the ir re spe ctive autobiographie s.

Dr kalam be gins his e ssay by talking about the culture of e xcellence. He be lie ves that
e xcelle nce is not by accide nt. It is a continuous struggle for pe ople , organizations,
and nations to make the mse lve s be tte r. The y should se t the pe rformance goals
the mselves. Then the y should work on the se goals. If the y me e t with failure s, the y
should not lose he art. Achieving high standards should be the aim of life . This is the
culture of e xce lle nce .
Dr. Kalam talks about his inte raction with young pe ople . He says that he has me t 16
million young pe ople . The y have aspirations in the ir live s. The y want to be come
soldie rs, doctors, and so on. The y live in a world of imagination. Whe n the y grow up
the y take interest in nove ls, films, e tc. The author fe e ls that the re is an author in the
mind of e ve ry pe rson.
According to Dr. Kalam, storie s have a gre at influence on the mind of pe ople . Storie s
he lp us grow through life ’s comple x social proble ms. Imagination allows pe ople to
transport me ntally into ide al worlds. Imaginations give us the magical ability to
e xpe rie nce what we do not have but wish to posse ss. In this matte r, a story has a
gre at utility.
According to the author, storyte lling has a darke r side too. It make s us a victim of
conspiracy the orie s, adve rtise me nts, and narrative s about ourse lve s that are not
wholly true . Ide as like right, wrong, sin, good, duty, re sponsibility, love , hate , all
de pe nd on who is re ading the story and how he is inte rpre ting it. We must conside r
the impact of storyte lling in a se rious manner. We should e nsure that stories re main
authe ntic human e xpe rie nce s.
Dr. Kalam praise s Goe the, Shakespeare, and Valmiki. Goe the wrote the Ge rman e pic
‘Faust’. Shakespeare wrote gre at plays. He could se e the past, the pre se nt, and the
future through his magical plays. Valmiki e volve d the story of Ramayana, which
stands for the past, the pre se nt, and the future . The biographie s of Goe the and
Shakespeare claimed that the ir minds we re inspired by the Life Force . Valmiki says
that a divine force he lpe d him e volve Ramayana.

Dr. Kalam gives a me ssage to the young authors. He te lls the m that the y also have a
mighty force of inspiration in the ir he arts. The y should find out this force . The y
should concentrate on it and the n the y should use it for the ir lite rary imagination.
This will he lp the m in cre ating gre at works.
Original Text
Frie nds, re ading habits from a young age and continuous acquisition of knowle dge
through books inde ed make human be ings appre ciate multiple aspe cts of social life
and be come autonomous le arners. First, le t me talk about the culture of e xce lle nce .
Frie nds, e xce lle nce is not by accide nt. It is a proce ss, whe re individuals (or an
organization or a nation) continuously strive to be tte r the mse lve s. The y se t the
pe rformance standard the mse lve s, the y work on the ir dre ams with focus and are
pre pare d to take calculate d risks and do not ge t de te cte d by failure s as the y move
towards the ir dre ams. The n the y ste p up the ir dre ams as the y te nd to re ach the
original targe ts. The y strive to work to the ir pote ntial, and in the proce ss, the y
increase the ir pe rformance , the re by multiplying furthe r the ir pote ntial. This is an
une nding life cycle phe nomenon. They are not in compe tition with anyone e lse , but
the mse lve s. That is the culture of e xce lle nce .
Frie nds, I have so far me t 16 million young me n. Inte racting with the young is like
living in a world of storie s. For childre n, e ve rything is a story. The y want to be come
astronauts, soldie rs, doctors, sailors, and so on. The y live in landscape s of make -
be lieve. The y spin fantasie s. Afte r growing up the y absorb nove ls, films, and plays.
Eve n sporting e vents and criminal trials unfold as narrative s. It sudde nly strike s to
me now, afte r living for 82 ye ars, that I am also living a story. Am I not, e ve ry day,
conve ying e vents and thoughts in words? Are we not ‘making’ and ‘be autifying’ the
Re ality around us? Can we say that humans are ‘wire d’ for storie s? Is the re an
author alive in our minds cre ating narrative s about the past and the future ?

Pe rhaps, storie s he lp us navigate life ’s comple x social proble ms- just as flight
simulators pre pare pilots for difficult situations. Storyte lling has e volve d, like othe r
be haviours, to e nsure our survival. Imagination is an awe some e volutionary adaption
that allows pe ople to te le port me ntally into alte rnative worlds. Imagination give s us,
in othe r words, the ne ar-magical ability to e xpe rience what we did not e xpe rie nce . A
story is a thing that doe s’ rathe r than a thing that is’. It is a tool with me asura ble
utility rathe r than an obje ct for ae sthe tic admiration. Atte ntion is the re ward that
listeners be stow on the storyte lle r. This make s Storyte lling a ce ntral compone nt of
le ade rship. Whe n we wrote India 2020 in 1998, it was a story that stirre d the Indian
e conomy.
Of course , storyte lling has a darke r side too. It make s us a victim of conspiracy
the ories, adve rtisements, and narratives about ourse lves that are more ‘truthy’ than
true . Eve rything is in the e ye of the be holde r. Right, wrong, sin, good, duty,
re sponsibility, love , hate, all of the se de pe nd on who is looking. Ne w forms of storie s
ge nerate their own ne w se t of proble ms, which re quire yet more solutions. Alte rnate
Re ality Games (ARG) are inte ractive ne tworked narrative s that use the re al world as
a platform and use s trans-media Storyte lling to de liver a story that may be alte red by
participants’ ide as or actions.
The human brain has be e n on a slowe r e volutionary traje ctory than te chnology and
our brains still re spond to conte nt by looking for the story to make se nse out of the
e xpe rience. It is ve ry important that was incredibly visit storyte lling and e nsure that
storie s re main authentic human e xpe rie nce s. Le t the story le apfrog the te chnology
and bring us to the core of human e xpe rie nce about collaboration and conne ction.
In this conne ction, le t me share an obse rvation. I was re ading a book on the gre at
author Johann Wolfgang Goe the , whose mind e volved Faust, the gre at Ge rman e pic.
Shake spe are could se e the past, the pre se nt, and the future through his gre at
musical plays. Whe re as, the gre at Indian e pic maste r Valmiki e volve d the story of
Ramayana, which stands for the past, the pre se nt, and the future . I was asking

myse lf what could have actuate d the ir minds to e volve such gre at ide as. In the
biographies of Goe the and Shakespeare, the y claimed that the ir minds we re actuated
by the Life Force . They claim that e ve ry human be ing has inte lle ctual e ne rgy, this
Life Force . Valmiki says that a divine force he lpe d him e volve Ramayana. The
message friends, particularly the young authors, is this: You have a mighty force
within you- assemble it, concentrate, and use it for imagination and create great
works.
Questions
1. What makes human be ings autonomous le arners?

2. How can one achieve e xcellence in life?
3. What are the care er prospe cts for childre n according to Dr. Kalam?
Answers-
1. Acquisition of knowle dge make s human be ings autonomous le arne rs. If we

de velop re ading habits from a young age and acquire knowledge from books, we
be come learners. We should be able to appre ciate the multiple aspe cts of social
life .
2. Exce llence is not an accident. It is a proce ss. One can achieve e xce lle nce in life
by striving to be tter oneself. A man should se t the pe rformance standard himself.
The n he should strive to re ach that standard.
3. According to the author, there are many career prospe cts for childre n. The y can
choose any fie ld in which the y are inte re ste d. The y can be come astronauts,
soldie rs, doctors, sailors, and so on.
1. What is the culture of e xcellence, according to Dr. Kalam?

2. What me ssage doe s Dr. Kalam give at the e nd of his speech?

Answers-
1. Dr. Kalam be gins his e ssay by talking about the culture of e xce lle nce . He
be lieves that e xcellence is not an accident. It is a proce ss. This is an une nding
life-cycle phe nomenon. It is a continuous struggle for individuals, organizations,
and nations to make the mselves be tte r. They should se t pe rformance goals for
the mselves. Then the y should work hard to achie ve the se goals. If the y me e t
with failures, the y should not lose he art. Achieving higher standards should be
the aim of life . This is the culture of e xce lle nce .
2. Dr kalam gave the e xample of thre e gre at write rs: Goe the , Shake spe are , and
Valmiki. The ir minds we re inspire d to write gre at e pics. Goe the wrote the
Ge rman e pic ‘Faust’. Shakespeare wrote gre at plays. Valmiki e volve d the story
of ‘The Ramayana’. By giving the ir e xample s, Dr. Kalam give s a me ssage to
young authors. He te lls the m the y have a mighty force of inspiration in the ir
he arts. They should find out this force . They should concentrate on it and then
the y should use it for the ir literary imagination. This will he lp the m in cre ating
gre at works.
Passage 1
Frie nds, re ading habits from a young age and continuous acquisition of knowle dge
through books inde ed make human be ings appre ciate multiple aspe cts of social life
and be come autonomous le arners. First, le t me talk about the culture of e xce lle nce .
Frie nds, e xce lle nce is not by accide nt. It is a proce ss, whe re individuals (or an
organization or a nation) continuously strive to be tte r the mse lve s. The y se t the
pe rformance standard the mse lve s, the y work on the ir dre ams with focus and are
pre pare d to take calculate d risks, and do not ge t de te rre d by failure s as the y move
towards the ir dre ams. The n the y ste p up the ir dre ams as the y te nd to re ach the
original targe ts. The y strive to work to the ir pote ntial, and in the proce ss, the y
increase the ir pe rformance , the re by multiplying furthe r the ir pote ntial. This is an

une nding life cycle phe nomenon. They are not in compe tition with anyone e lse , but
the mse lve s. That is the culture of e xce lle nce .
Questions-
1. What makes human be ings appre ciate multiple aspe cts of societal life?
2. What is e xcellence, according to the author?
3. Who is not de te rred by failures?
4. What is an une nding life-cycle phe nomenon?
Answers-
1. Re ading habits make human be ings appre ciate multiple aspe cts of societal life.
2. Exce lle nce is a proce ss, whe re individuals continuously strive to be tte r
the mselves.
3. Those who strive for e xcellence are not de te rred by failures.
4. The struggle for achieving e xcellence is an une nding life-cycle phenomenon.
Passage 2
Frie nds, I have so far me t 16 million young me n. Interacting with the young is like
living in a world of storie s. For childre n, e verything is a story. The y want to be come
astronauts, soldiers, doctors, sailors, and so on. They live in landscapes of make-
be lieve. They spin fantasies. Afte r growing up the y absorb nove ls, films, and plays.
Eve n sporting e vents and criminal trials unfold as narratives. It sudde nly strikes to
me now, afte r living for 82 ye ars, that I am also living a story. Am I not, e very day,
conve ying e vents and thoughts in words? Are we not ‘making’ and ‘be autifying’ the
Re ality around us? Can we say that humans are ‘wired’ for storie s? Is the re an
author alive in our minds cre ating narratives about the past and the future ?
Questions-
1. How many young me n have the author me t?

2. What doe s the author say about inte racting with young me n?
3. What are the care er prospe cts for childre n according to the author?

4. What sudde nly strikes the author, afte r living 82 ye ars?
Answers-
1. The author has me t 16 million young me n.

2. He says that inte racting with young me n is like living in a world of storie s.
3. The y can be come astronauts, soldiers, doctors, sailors, and so on.
4. It sudde nly strikes the author that he is also living a story.
Passage 3
Of course , storyte lling has a darke r side too. It makes us a victim of conspiracy
the ories, adve rtisements, and narratives about ourse lves that are more ‘truthy’ than
true . Eve rything is in the e ye of the be holde r. Right, wrong, sin, good, duty,
re sponsibility, love , hate, all of the se de pe nd on who is looking. Ne w forms of storie s
ge nerate their own ne w se t of proble ms, which re quire yet more solutions. Alte rnate
Re ality Games (ARG) are inte ractive ne tworked narratives that use the re al world as
a platform and use s trans-media Storyte lling to de liver a story that may be alte red by
participants’ ide as or actions.
Questions-
1. What is the dark side of storyte lling?

2. What doe s the author say about the ne w form of stories?
3. On who do right, wrong, sin, good, e tc. de pe nd?
4. What doe s ARG me an?
Answers-
1. It makes us a victim of conspiracy the ories, adve rtisements, and narratives

about ourse lves that are le ss true than the y seem.
2. Ne w forms of stories generate the ir own ne w se ts of proble ms.
3. The se things de pe nd on who is looking.
4. It me ans Alte rnate Re ality Game s.
6.6 SUM MARY

Dr. kalam be gins his e ssay by talking about the culture of e xce lle nce . He be lie ve s
that e xce lle nce is not by accide nt. It is a continuous struggle for pe ople ,
organizations, and nations to make the mse lve s be tte r. The y should se t the
pe rformance goals the mselve s. The n the y should work on the se goals. If the y me e t
with failures, the y should not lose he art. Achieving high standards should be the aim
of life . This is the culture of e xce lle nce .
Dr. Kalam talks about his inte raction with young pe ople . He says that he has me t 16
million young pe ople . The y have aspirations in the ir live s. The y want to be come
soldie rs, doctors, and so on. The y live in a world of imagination. Whe n the y grow up
the y take interest in nove ls, films, e tc. The author fe e ls that the re is an author i n the
mind of e ve ry pe rson.
According to Dr. Kalam, storie s have a gre at influence on the mind of pe ople . Storie s
he lp us grow through life ’s comple x social proble ms. Imagination allows pe ople to
transport me ntally into ide al worlds. Imaginations give us the magical ability to
e xpe rie nce what we do not have but wish to posse ss. In this matte r, a story has a
gre at utility.
According to the author, storyte lling has a darke r side too. It make s us a victim of
conspiracy the orie s, adve rtise me nts, and narrative s about ourse lve s that are not
wholly true . Ide as like right, wrong, sin, good, duty, re sponsibility, love , hate , all
de pe nd on who is re ading the story and how he is inte rpre ting it. We must conside r
the impact of storyte lling in a se rious manner. We should e nsure that stories re main
authe ntic human e xpe rie nce s.
Dr. Kalam praise s Goe the, Shakespeare, and Valmiki. Goe the wrote the Ge rman e pic
‘Faust’. Shakespeare wrote gre at plays. He could se e the past, the pre se nt, and the
future through his magical plays. Valmiki e volve d the story of Ramayana, which
stands for the past, the pre se nt, and the future . The biographie s of Goe the and
Shakespeare claimed that the ir minds we re inspired by the Life Force . Valmiki says
that a divine force he lpe d him e volve Ramayana.

Dr. Kalam gives a me ssage to the young authors. He te lls the m that the y also have a
mighty force of inspiration in the ir he arts. The y should find out this force . The y
should concentrate on it and the n the y should use it for the ir lite rary imagination.
This will he lp the m in cre ating gre at works.
6.7KEYW ORDS
W ord-meaning
Appre ciate- value
Strive- to make every e ffort
Autonomous- inde pe ndent
Ensure - to make sure
Ae sthetic- artistic
Alte r- change
6.8 SELF ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS (SAQ’S)
W ord Synonym
Continuous Re gular
Right Prope r
Awe some Fe arsome
Admiration Praise
Sudde nly At once

Word Antonym
Difficult Easy
Love Hatre d
Sin Piousness
Re al Unre al
Work Laziness
A pre position is a word place d be fore a noun or a pronoun to de monstrate to

show in what re lation the pe rson or thing de note d by its stands re garding
some thing e lse . Example : at, in, of, on, e tc.
Compound
Simple Prepositions
Prepositions
Prepositions
Group Prepositions Participal Prepositions
Exercise
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition

 Whe n will you go to Unive rsity?

 The child thre w the toy on the floor.
 The boys live in the hoste l.
 Parul is je alous of me .
 Drinking is injurious to he alth.
You are to play an interschool cricket match. Describe how will you select the
team and prepare for the match.
Cricket is ce lebrated and practiced as a sport in many countries. It is playe d within a

22-yard oval fie ld with two te ams competing against e ach othe r. Each te am include s
11 playe rs who can be batte rs, all-rounde r as we ll as bowle rs. The game starts with a
toss and is playe d base d on ove r whe re e ach over has 6 balls to be bowle d. Runs can
be score d by hitting the ball out of the boundary in the form of fours and sixe s or by
running be twe en the wicke ts to take single s. The total numbe r of ove r de pe nds on
the format of the game . India plays cricke t both as a sport and a re cre ation.
Youngste rs can be se e n with the ir bats and balls in e ve ry nook and corne r of the
country. The Indian Cricket te ams of both me n and wome n re pre se nt the nation in
diffe re nt tourname nts. The de dication and popularity of this game make it large r
than life e ve rywhe re !

o Pruthi, R. K. (2005). "Ch. 4. Missile Man of India". Pre side nt A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam. Anmol Publications. pp. 61–76. ISBN 978-81-261-1344-6.
o "India's 'Mr. Missile': A man of the pe ople ". 30 July 2015. Archive d from
the original on 25 September 2015. Re trie ve d 30 July 2015.
o "Kalam's unre alized 'Nag' missile dre am to be come re ality ne xt ye ar". 30
July 2015. Archive d from the original on 3 January 2017. Re trie ve d 30
July 2015.

o Sen, Amartya (2003). "India and the Bomb". In M. V. Ramana; C.

Rammanohar Reddy (eds.). Prisoners of the Nuclear Dream. Sangam
Books. pp. 167–188. ISBN 978-81-250-2477-4.
*************************

Lesson No:07
The Responsibility of Young M en
Author-Lal Bahadur Shastri
Bharat M ata
Author Jawaharlal Nehru
Lesson Structure
7.2 Introduction
7.6 Summary
7.7 Keywords


language .
7.2 INTRODUCTION
The e ssay ‘Re sponsibility of Young Me n ’is an abridge d ve rsion of the spe e ch that
Shastriji de live re d at the convocation of the Aligarh Muslim Unive rsity. In this
spe e ch, he e mphasizes the role that the Indian youth has to play in the de ve lopme nt
and progre ss of the nation. Shastriji says that our citize nship give s ce rtain rights.
The y are guaranteed by the constitution. But this give s us ce rtain re sponsibilitie s,
which also have to be cle arly unde rstood. Our de mocracy give s fre e dom to us. But
this fre e dom has to be subje cte d to se ve ral voluntary re straints in the inte re sts of
organized society. A good citize n is one who obe ys the law. He must take de light in
pe rforming his civic dutie s. He must have a se nse of se lf-re straint and discipline .
This e ssay is the abridge d ve rsion of the spe e ch that Shastriji de live re d at the
convocation of the Aligarh Muslim University. In this spe e ch, he e mphasize s the role
that the Indian youth has to play in the de ve lopme nt and progre ss of the nation.

Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri (2 Octobe r 1904 – 11 January 1966) was an Indian politician
who se rve d as the se cond Prime Ministe r of India. He promote d the White
Re volution – a national campaign to increase the production and supply of milk – by
supporting the Amul milk co-ope rative of Anand, Gujarat, and cre ating the National
Dairy De ve lopme nt Board. Unde rlining the ne e d to boost India's food production,
Shastri also promote d the Gre e n Re volution in India in 1965. This le d to an incre ase
in food grain production, e spe cially in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Prade sh.
Shastriji says that our citizenship give s ce rtai n rights. The y are guarante e d by the
constitution. But this gives us ce rtain re sponsibilities, which also have to be cle arly
unde rstood. Our de mocracy give s fre e dom to us. But this fre e dom has to be
subje cted to se veral voluntary re straints in the inte rests of organize d socie ty. A good
citizen is one who obe ys the law. He must take de light in pe rforming his civic dutie s.
He must have a se nse of se lf-re straint and discipline .
In the past, the re used to be a pe rsonal touch be twe e n the te ache r and the stude nt.
But at pre se nt, in our country, the numbe r of stude nts and the e ducational
institutions have grown ve ry large . So the re cannot be any pe rsonal touch contact

be twe e n the te ache r and the taught. The e conomic stre sse s of pre se nt-day life ,
unfortunate ly, do not le ave e nough time for the pare nts to look afte r the childre n.
Ofte n this cre ate s proble ms for young pe rsons. The y are ofte n le ft much to the ir
re source s.
According to the write r, work culture is ve ry important. In his vie w, e ve ry station in

life is important in itse lf. Work has its dignity. The re is gre at satisfaction in doing
one ’s job to the be st of one ’s ability. Whate ver the dutie s, we should apply ourse lve s
with since rity and de votion. This approach is good in itse lf. But it has be e n adde d
advantage of ope ning avenues for furthe r advanceme nt. We have to se e whe the r we
have done our job we ll be fore thinking of criticizing anybody e lse .
Shastriji says that we should ne ve r forge t that loyalty to the country is more
important than all othe r loyalties. And this is absolute loyalty. We should ne ver think
about what we ge t in re turn for this loyalty. It is e sse ntial to re me mbe r that the
e ntire country is one and that anyone who foste rs or promote s se paratism is not our
true frie nd. Se paratism is ve ry dange rous for the country. The country cannot
progre ss if the re are se paratist te nde ncie s among the citize ns.
According to the author, loyalty to the country come s ahe ad of all othe r loyaltie s. A
de mocratic country is sustained not only by the gre atness of a fe w. It is sustaine d by
the co-ope rative e ffort of the many. The future of the country is in the hands of
young pe ople . Whe n the olde r ge nerations comple te the ir task the ne w ge ne rations
come to take the ir place . If the y are we ll loyal to the country as indivi duals and as
citize ns, the country’s future will be bright inde e d.
Se cularism me ans that the re is e qual re spe ct for all re ligions. The re are e qual
opportunitie s for all citize ns whe the r the y follow any caste , cre e d, or faith. Our
position about se cularism is known ve ry we ll. It is e mbodie d in our Constitution.
According to the write r, the se ed of se cularism has to be sown at the e arlie st stage s.
It should be sown in the fie ld of e ducation. Only the n the plant of se cularism can be
care fully nurture d as it grows.

7.4 Further Body of the Text
Original Text
Whate ve r your station in the future life , e ach one of you should first of all think of
yourse lves as citizens of the country. This confe rs on you ce rtain rights, which are
guaranteed by the Constitution, but it also subje cts you to ce rtain re sponsibilitie s,
which also have to be cle arly unde rstood. Ours is a de mocracy, which e njoins
fre e dom to the individual, but this fre e dom has to be subje cte d to se ve ral voluntary
re straints in the interests of organized society. And the se voluntary re straints have to
be e xe rcise d and de monstrate d in e ve ry-day life .
A good citizen is one who obe ys the law, whe ther the re is a police man around or not,
and who take s de light in pe rforming his civic dutie s. In the olde n days' se nse of se lf-
re straint and discipline was inculcate d by the combine d e ffort of the family and the
te ache r. The e conomic stre sse s of pre se nt-day life , unfortunate ly, do not le ave
e nough time for the pare nts to look afte r the childre n.
In e ducational institutions, the numbe rs have grown so large as to take away the
be ne fits, which use d to accrue formerly by pe rsonal contact be twe en the te ache r and
the taught. Ine vitably, our young stude nts are ofte n le ft much to the ir re source s.
Ofte n this cre ates proble ms, which we all know about. This is an important aspe ct,
which ne eds thorough e xamination. The re sponsibility of our young citizens is gre at.
In my view, e very station in life is important in itse lf. Work has its dignity and the re
is gre at satisfaction in doing one 's job to the be st of one 's ability.
Whate ver the dutie s, we should apply ourse lve s with since rity and de votion. Such
an approach, apart from be ing good in itse lf, also has the adde d advantage of
ope ning avenues for furthe r advancement. We have to se e whe ther we have done our
job we ll be fore thinking of criticizing anybody e lse . All too ofte n, we succumb to the
te mptation of de crying othe rs without bothe ring to look to ourse lve s.

Ne ver forge t that loyalty to the country comes ahead of all othe r loyalties. And this is
an absolute loyalty since one cannot we igh it in te rms of what one re ce ive s. It is
e ssential to re member that the e ntire country is one and that anyone who foste rs or
promote s se paratism or fissiparous te nde ncies are not our true frie nds. What I have
said ste ms from a de sire to se e that the youth of our country pre pare s itse lf in a
discipline d and de te rmine d manne r for the re sponsibilitie s of tomorrow. A
de mocratic country is sustained not by the gre atness of a fe w but by the co-ope rative
e ffort of the many. The future of the country is in your hands and as the olde r
ge nerations complete the ir task the ne w one s come along to take the ir place . If the y
are we ll e quippe d as individuals and as citize ns, the country's future will be bright
inde ed. At a time whe n you are at the thre shold of a ne w pe riod in your life , I would
urge you to play your role with confide nce and dignity.
Our position about se cularism is known so we ll that it hardly ne e ds any re ite ration.
It is e mbodied in our Constitution, which e nsures e qual re spe ct for all re ligions and
e qual opportunitie s for all citizens, irrespe ctive of the ir caste and cre e d and the faith
which the y profe ss. De spite a se e ming dive rsity, the re is a fundame ntal unity in
India, which we all che rish and it has to be our constant e nde avor to maintain and
stre ngthe n this unity.
The country can progre ss only if it doe s away comple tely with fissiparous tende ncie s
and e merges as an inte grated whole . And it is in the fie ld of e ducation that the se e d
of se cularism has to be sown at the e arliest stages so that the plant can be care fully
nurture d as it grows.
1. What doe s the Constitution of India guarante e e ve ry citize n?

2. According to the write r, who is a good citize n?
Answers-

1. The Constitution of India guarante e s ce rtain rights to e ve ry citize n. But this

gives us ce rtain re sponsibilities also, which also have to be cle arly unde rstood.
2. According to the write r, a good citizen is one who obe ys the law. He must take
de light in pe rforming his civic dutie s. He must have a se nse of se lf-re straint
and discipline .
Questions-
1. Why are voluntary re straints important for an organize d socie ty?

2. Explain the te rm ‘se cularism’. Why is it ne cessary?
Answers-
1. Shastriji says that our citizenship gives ce rtain rights. They are guarante e d by
the constitution. But this gives us ce rtain re sponsibilitie s, which also have to
be cle arly unde rstood. Our de mocracy give s fre e dom to us. But this fre e dom
has to be subje cted to se veral voluntary re straints in the inte rests of organize d
socie ty. A good citize n is one who obe ys the law. He must take de light in
pe rforming his civic dutie s. He must have a se nse of se lf-re straint and
discipline. Thus the voluntary re straints are be tte r than those re straints which
are put on us by the socie ty or gove rnme nt.
2. In this e ssay, Shastriji te lls us about the ne ce ssity of se cularism in our life .
Se cularism is the need of time . Se cularism me ans that the re is e qual re spe ct
for all re ligions. The re are e qual opportunitie s for all citize ns whe the r the y
follow any caste, creed, or faith. Our position about se cularism is known ve ry
we ll. It is e mbodie d in our Constitution. According to the write r, the se e d of
se cularism has to be sown at the e arliest stages. It should be sown in the fie ld
of e ducation. Only the n the plant of se cularism can be care fully nurture d as it
grows.

Passage 1
Whate ve r your station in the future life , e ach one of you should first of all think of
yourse lves as citizens of the country. This confe rs on you ce rtain rights, which are
guaranteed by the Constitution, but it also subje cts you to ce rtain re sponsibilitie s,
which also have to be cle arly unde rstood.
Ours is a de mocracy, which e njoins fre e dom to the individual, but this fre e dom has
to be subje cted to se veral voluntary re straints in the inte re sts of organize d socie ty.
And the se voluntary re straints have to be e xe rcise d and de monstrate d in e ve ry-day
life .
Questions-
1. What should we first think of?

2. What is guarante e d by our Constitution?
3. What doe s our de mocracy give us?
4. W hat is this fre e dom subje cte d to?
Answers-
1. We should first all think of ourse lve s as citize ns of this country.

2. Our rights are guarante e d by our Constitution.
3. Our de mocracy give s us fre e dom.
4. This fre e dom was subje cte d to se ve ral voluntary re straints.
Passage 2
Ne ver forge t that loyalty to the country comes ahead of all othe r loyalties. And this is
an absolute loyalty since one cannot we igh it in te rms of what one re ce ive s. It is
e ssential to re member that the e ntire country is one and that anyone who foste rs or
promote s se paratism or fissiparous te nde ncies are not our true frie nds. What I have
said ste ms from a de sire to se e that the youth of our country pre pare s itse lf in a
discipline d and de te rmine d manne r for the re sponsibilitie s of tomorrow. A

de mocratic country is sustained not by the gre atness of a fe w but by the co-ope rative
e ffort of the many. The future of the country is in your hands and as the olde r
ge nerations complete the ir task the ne w one s come along to take the ir place . If the y
are we ll e quippe d as individuals and as citize ns, the country's future will be bright
inde ed. At a time whe n you are at the thre shold of a ne w pe riod in your life , I would
urge you to play your role with confide nce and dignity.
Questions-
1. What doe s the write r say about loyalty?

2. What is absolute loyalty?
3. Who is not our true frie nd?
4. Whe re is the future of the country?
Answers-
1. He says that loyalty to the country come s ahe ad of all othe r loyaltie s.
2. Loyalty to the country is absolute loyalty.
3. Anyone who promote s se paratism is not our true frie nd.
4. The future of the country is in the hands of young pe ople .
7.6 SUM M ARY
Shastriji says that our citizenship gives ce rtain rights. They are guaranteed by
the constitution. But this gives us ce rtain re sponsibilities, which also have to
be cle arly unde rstood. Our de mocracy give s fre e dom to us. But this fre e dom
has to be subje cte d to se ve ral voluntary re straints in the inte re sts of
organize d socie ty. A good citize n is one who obe ys the law. He must take
de light in pe rforming his civic dutie s. He must have a se nse of se lf-re straint
and discipline .
7.7 KEYW ORDS
 Enjoin- to dire ct
 Re straint- control
 Accrue - to incre ase ove r some time

 Dignity- pride
 Advance me nt- de ve lopme nt
 Criticize - conde mn
Synonym
W ord
Just claims
Rights
Be lie f
Faith
Capability
Ability
Joy
De light
Satisfaction Conte ntme nt
W ord Antonym
Proble m Solution
Obe y Disobe y
Combine d Se parate d
Be st Worst
Forme r Latte r
Conjunction-

Conjunctions are words that join toge the r words or se nte nce s. Example : and, but,
e tc.
Exercise
Fill in the correct conjunctions in the following sentences
 Gravit and Torre s play football.

 Sachit is rich but hone st.
 Jayant plays cricke t we ll, ye t his favorite sport is football.
 Snake s crawl and e le phants walk.
 I came back afte r he had gone home .
 Akshit will play if Amit plays.
Tense
Future Continuous Tense
This te nse is use d to e xpre ss an action that is going on at a given point in time in the
future .
I shall be singing. I will not be singing Will I be singing?
We shall be singing. We shall not be singing. Shall we be singing?
The y shall be singing. The y will not be singing Shall the y be singing?
W rite a paragraph on how you will spend your summer vacations
Summer Vacation is quite a re fre shing time for me . This summe r ge t-away will be
unique for me , as my pare nts have arrange d an outing to Manali. It will be se ve n
days trip. I am truly e age r to watch the sce nic be auty of the mountains. We have
booke d our tickets to Manali. The arrangement is se parated into thre e little journe ys
of Chandigarh and De lhi. We will go through one day in Chandigarh and De lhi, the re

we will go for touring, and afte r the side tour of Chandigarh, we will take a ve hicle for
Manali. For the following six days, we will be in Manali, and we have wante d to visit
Rohtang Pass, Manikaran, Hidimba De vi Te mple , and Manali marke ts. A ye ar ago,
we we nt to visit Mumbai and Lonavala. So for a change , my dad arrange d an outing
to the mountains. I have planne d to capture lots of picture s. I love photography;
catching the snowcappe d mountains is my ultimate wish. For the re maining summer
vacation, I will join the skate boarding classe s. My mom has re cruite d a Maths
te acher for me , as I have a little fe ar of arithmetic. I will spe nd a lazy afte rnoon in the
summer with my comics. Be fore my ne xt acade mic se ssion, I ne e d to gathe r all the
gre at me morie s with my love d one s.
Bakshi, Shiri Ram (1991), Struggle for Inde pe nde nce: Lal Bahadur Shastri , Anmol
Publications, ISBN 9788170411420
 Dhawan, S. K. (1991), Bharat Ratnas, 1954-1991, Wave Publications
 Grover, Verinder (1993), Political Thinkers of Mode rn India: Lala Lajpat Rai , Deep
& Deep Publications, ISBN 978-81-7100-426-3
 Guha, Ramachandra (2008), India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest
Democracy, Pan Macmillan, ISBN 978-0-330-39611-0
 Gupta, U.N. (2003), Indian Parliamentary Democracy, Atlantic Publishers &

Distributors, ISBN 978-8126901937
 Prasad, Rajeshwar (1991), Days with Lal Bahadur Shastri: Glimpse s from The
Last Se ven Ye ars, Allied Publishers, ISBN 978-81-7023-331-2
 Srivastava, C.P. (1995), Lal Bahadur Shastri, Prime Minister of India; a life of truth
in politics (1st ed.), Delhi: Oxford Unive rsity Pre ss, ISBN 978-0-19-563499-0
 Verma, Krant M. L. (1978), Lalita Ke Ansoo on WorldCat, OCLC 60419441
*************************

Lesson No:07
Bharat M ata
Author-Jawaharlal Nehru
Lesson Structure
7.2 Introduction
7.6 Summary
7.7 Keywords

language .
7.2 INTRODUCTION
Ne hru wrote his book ‘The Discovery of India’ in 1944, while he was in Ahmadnagar
Fort Prison. This e ssay is taken from Chapte r 3 of this book. In the book, the chapter
is title d ‘The Que st’. It was writte n simply. He re Ne hru pre sents a vivid portrait of the
innoce nce of Indian pe asants. He e nriche s the re ade r’s ge ne ral aware ne ss by
introducing the m to landmarks e ve nts from around the world
In this e ssay, Ne hru de scribes his meeting with the pe asants and othe r pe ople in his
public meetings during the fre e dom struggle of India. He says that the name ‘Bharat’
is de rive d from the mythical founde r of India. Ne hru pre fe rre d to spe ak to the
village rs about ‘Bharat Mata’. In the citie s, pe ople do not want to he ar about such
simple things. But he spoke to the pe asants with the ir limite d outlook. He spoke of
his gre at country for whose fre e dom the y we re struggling.

Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru, also known as Pandit Ne hru, was a political le ade r of India and a
fre e dom fighter. His contribution to the Indian History of inde pe nde nce is imme nse .
He was also ve ry fond of childre n and was commonly re ferred to as Chacha Nehru by
the m. Ne hru was also a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and thrive d with Gandhi
as his me ntor. Ne hru had also planne d many move me nts de manding dominion
status and total inde pe nde nce for India from the British. Jawaharlal Ne hru
organized the first Kisan March (the march organized for the Farme rs) in Pratapgarh,
the n in Uttar Prade sh, the n known as the Unite d Province s.
He was imprisone d twice from 1920 to 1922 for his active role in the Non-
coope ration Move me nt. He was the baton-charge d at Lucknow and also playe d an
e sse ntial role in opposing the Simon commission. In the ye ar, 1928, Jawaharlal
Ne hru forme d the “Inde pe nde nce of India Le ague ” and was appointe d as its Ge ne ral
Se cre tary.
Ne hru be came the Pre sident of the Lahore se ssion of the Indian National Congre ss in
1929 and passe d the re solution of Purna Swaraj. Again from the pe riod of 1930 to
1935, Jawaharlal was imprisoned numerous times for his role in Salt Satyagraha, or
the Dandi March, and othe r similar move me nts. With the untiring e fforts into the

Indian fre e dom struggle, India finally attaine d inde pe nde nce on 15th August 1947,
and he be came the first Prime Ministe r of inde pe nde nt and fre e India.
2.3.2 About the Essay.
Ne hru wrote his book ‘The Discovery of India’ in 1944, while he was in Ahmadnagar
Fort Prison. This e ssay is taken from Chapte r 3 of this book. In the book, the chapter
is title d ‘The Que st’. It was writte n simply. He re Ne hru pre sents a vivid portrait of the
innoce nce of Indian pe asants. He e nriche s the re ade r’s ge ne ral aware ne ss by
introducing the m to landmarks e ve nts from around the world.
In this e ssay, Ne hru de scribes his meeting with the pe asants and othe r pe ople in his
public meetings during the fre e dom struggle of India. He says that the name ‘Bha rat’
is de rive d from the mythical founde r of India. Ne hru pre fe rre d to spe ak to the
village rs about ‘Bharat Mata’. In the citie s, pe ople do not want to he ar about such
simple things. But he spoke to the pe asants with the ir limite d outlook. He spoke of
his gre at country for whose fre e dom the y we re struggling.
Ne hru spoke to the pe asants about many things. He told the m how e ach part of
India diffe re d from the othe r. Ye t the re is unity in India. The re are common proble ms
of India from north to south and from e ast to we st. He told the m about the ‘Swaraj’
which could not be for one pe rson only but for all the Indians. He told the m about
journe ying from one corne r of India to the othe r. He told the m wonde rful things in
othe r countrie s.
Ne hru said that the pe asants all ove r India we re facing similar proble ms. Eve ry
pe asant asked him ide ntical que stions. It was be cause their trouble s we re the same .
The y we re suffe ring from pove rty, de bt, ve ste d inte re sts, landlords, and
mone yle nde rs. The y we re also suffe ring from he avy re nts and taxe s and police
harassment. All the se suffe rings of the farme rs we re be cause of the structure that
the fore ign gove rnme nt had impose d upon the pe ople .

Some time s, whe n Ne hru re ache d a gathe ring, a gre at roar of we lcome would gre e t
him, pe ople would shout, ”Bharat Mata ki Jai” (Victory to Mothe r India). Ne hru asked
the m what the me aning of ‘Bharat Mata’ was. But the y could not answe r that
que stion ade quately. Then he e xplained to the m the me aning of ‘Bharat Mata’. India
inde e d me ant gre at fie lds, mountains, rive rs, fore sts, e tc. but ultimate ly Bharat
me ant the dharti or land as we ll as the pe ople of India.
According to the write r, the pe ople of India are the ‘Bharat Mata’. The se are the
pe ople who live d in the village s and citie s and the pe ople like Ne hru and the
pe asants. The y we re spre ad ove r this vast land which is calle d ‘Bharat Mata’ or
‘Mothe r India’. The re are millions of pe ople . India is e sse ntially the se pe ople . And
whe n the y say ‘Victory to Mothe r India’, it me ans victory to the m, the pe ople of India.
Ne hru told pe ople at his gatherings that only lands, fore sts, mountains, and rive rs do
not make a country. a country is made by its pe ople . Whe n pe ople aske d him the
me aning of ‘Bharat Mata’, he told the m that the y we re the Bharat Mata. He told them
that “You are parts of this Bharat Mata.” At first, the pe ople could not unde rstand
him, but the n slowly the y graspe d the me aning of Ne hru’s words. The n the ir e ye s
would light up as if the y had made a gre at discove ry.
Original Text
Ofte n, as I wande re d from meeting to meeting, I spoke to my audie nce of this India of
ours, of Hindustan, and of Bharata, the old Sanskrit name de rived from the mythical
founde r of the race . I se ldom did so in the cities, for the re the audie nce s we re more
sophisticated and wante d stronger fare . But to the pe asant, with his limite d outlook,
I spoke of this gre at country for whose fre edom we we re struggling, of how e ach part
diffe re d from the othe r and ye t was India, of common proble ms of the pe asants from
north to south and e ast to we st, of the Swaraj that could only be for all and e ve ry
part and not for some .

I told the m of my journe ying from the Khybe r Pass in the far north-we st to
Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin in the distant south, and how e ve rywhe re the
pe asants put me ide ntical que stions, for the ir trouble s we re the same—poverty, de bt,
ve sted inte rests, landlords, mone ylenders, he avy re nts and taxe s, police harassment,
and all the se wrappe d up in the structure that the fore ign gove rnme nt had impose d
upon us—and re lief must also come for all. I trie d to make the m think of India as a
whole , and e ve n to some little e xte nt of this wide world of which we we re a part. I
brought in the struggle in China, in Spain, in Abyssinia, in Ce ntral Europe , in Egypt
and the countries of We stern Asia. I told the m of the wonde rful changes in the Soviet
Union and of the gre at progre ss made in Ame rica.
The task was not e asy; ye t it was not so difficult as I had imagine d, for our ancie nt
e pics and myths and le gends, which the y knew so we ll, had made the m familiar with
the conce ption of the ir country, and some the re we re always who had trave le d far
and wide to the gre at place s of pilgrimage situate d at the four corne rs of India. Or
some old soldie rs had se rve d in fore ign parts in World War I or othe r e xpe ditions.
Eve n my re fe re nce s to fore ign countrie s we re brought home to the m by the
conse que nce s of the gre at de pre ssion of the ’30s.
Some times as I re ached a gathe ring, a gre at roar of we lcome would gre et me: Bh arat
Mata ki Jai—Victory to Mothe r India. I would ask the m une xpe cte dly what the y
me ant by that cry, who was this Bh ar at Mata, Mothe r India, whose victory the y
wante d? My que stion would amuse the m and surprise the m, and the n, not knowing
e xactly what to answe r, the y would look at e ach othe r and me . I pe rsiste d in my
que stioning. At last, a vigorous Jat we dde d to the soil from immemorial ge ne rations,
would say that it was the dharti, the good e arth of India, that the y me ant. What
e arth? Their particular village patch, or all the patche s in the district or province , or
the whole of India?
And so que stion and answe r we nt on, till the y would ask me impatiently to te ll the m
all about it. I would e nde avor to do so and e xplain that India was all this that the y

had thought, but it was much more . The mountains and the rive rs of India, and the
fore sts and the broad fie lds, which gave us food, we re all de ar to us, but what
counte d ultimate ly we re the pe ople of India, pe ople like the m and me , who we re
spre ad out all ove r this vast land. Bharat Mata, Mothe r India, was e sse ntially the se
millions of pe ople , and victory to he r me ant victory to the se pe ople . You are parts of
this Bharat Mata, I told the m, you are in a manne r yourse lve s Bharat Mata, and as
this ide a slowly soake d into the ir brains, the ir e ye s would light up as if the y had
made a gre at discove ry.
1. According to Ne hru, from whe re did India ge t its name , Bharat?

2. Whe re is Khybe r Pass locate d?
3. Whe re is Cape Comorin locate d?
Answers-
1. In this e ssay, Ne hru talks of India and its culture . He te lls us that India got its
name ‘Bharat’ from the Sanskrit name de rive d from the mythical founde r of
our country. His name was Bharat.
2. Be fore the partition, Khybe r Pass was a part of India. Afte r the partition, it
we nt to Pakistan. Now it is on the borde r of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
3. Cape Comorin is known as ‘Kanyakumari’ the se days. It is the southe rn e nd of
our country. it is situated on the southe rn e xtremity of India. It is in the state
of Tamil Nadu.
1. Enume rate the various things that Ne hru spoke to pe asants about.
2. What we re the proble ms face d by the pe asants all ove r India?

Answers-
1. Ne hru spoke to the pe asants about many things. . He told the m how e ach part
of India diffe re d from the othe r. Ye t the re is unity in India. The re are common
proble ms of India from north to south and from e ast to we st. He told the m
about the ‘Swaraj’ which could not be for one pe rson only but all the Indians.
He told the m about journe ying from one corne r of India to the othe r. He told
the m wonde rful things about othe r countrie s. He aske d the pe ople of India to
se rve the ir mothe rland and to fre e it from the fore ign rule .
2. Ne hru said that the pe asants all ove r India we re facing si milar proble ms. Eve ry
pe asant asked him ide ntical que stions. It was be cause the ir trouble s we re the
same. They we re suffe ring from pove rty, de bt, ve ste d inte re sts, landlords, and
mone ylenders. They we re also suffe ring from he avy re nts and taxe s and police
harassment. All the se suffe rings of the farme rs we re be cause of the structure
that the fore ign gove rnme nt had impose d upon the pe ople . He told the m that
the y must struggle to ge t rid of the se proble ms. Ne hru trie d to make the m
think of India as a whole .
Passage 1
Ofte n, as I wande re d from meeting to meeting, I spoke to my audie nce of this India of
ours, of Hindustan, and of Bharata, the old Sanskrit name de rived from the mythical
founde r of the race . I se ldom did so in the cities, for the re the audie nce s we re more
sophisticated and wante d stronger fare . But to the pe asant, with his limite d outlook,
I spoke of this gre at country for whose fre edom we we re struggling, of how e ach part
diffe re d from the othe r and ye t was India, of common proble ms of the pe asants from
north to south and e ast to we st, of the Swaraj that could only be for all and e ve ry
part and not for some .
Questions-

1. About what thing did the author spe ak to the audie nce ?
2. From whe re has the word ‘Bharat’ be e n de rive d?
3. What doe s the author say about the city audie nce ?
4. What doe s the author say about the pe asants?
Answers-
1. He spoke to the m about ‘Bharat Mata’

2. It has be e n de rive d from the mythical founde r of his country.
3. He says that the city audie nce was more sophisticate d.
4. He says that the pe asants have a limite d outlook.
Passage 2
Some times as I re ached a gathe ring, a gre at roar of we lcome would gre et me: Bh arat
Mata ki Jai—Victory to Mothe r India. I would ask the m une xpe cte dly what the y
me ant by that cry, who was this Bh ar at Mata, Mothe r India, whose victory the y
wante d? My que stion would amuse the m and surprise the m, and the n, not knowing
e xactly what to answe r, the y would look at e ach othe r and me . I pe rsiste d in my
que stioning. At last, a vigorous Jat we dde d to the soi l from immemorial ge ne rations,
would say that it was the dharti, the good e arth of India, that the y me ant. What
e arth? Their particular village patch, or all the patche s in the district or province , or
the whole of India?
Questions-
1. How did the audie nce greet the author?

2. What did the author ask the m?
3. What did a Jat say?
4. Who is the write r of this passage?
Answers-
1. The audience gre eted the author with the shout ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’
2. He asked the m who Bharat Mata was.

3. He said that this dharti (land) was Bharat Mata.

4. The write r of the passage is Jawaharlal Ne hru.
Passage 3
And so que stion and answe r we nt on, till the y would ask me impatiently to te ll the m
all about it. I would e nde avor to do so and e xplain that India was all this that the y
had thought, but it was much more . The mountains and the rive rs of India, and the
fore sts and the broad fie lds, which gave us food, we re all de ar to us, but what
counte d ultimate ly we re the pe ople of India, pe ople like the m and me , who we re
spre ad out all ove r this vast land. Bharat Mata, Mothe r India, was e sse ntially the se
millions of pe ople , and victory to he r me ant victory to the se pe ople . You are parts of
this Bharat Mata, I told the m, you are in a manne r yourse lve s Bharat Mata, and as
this ide a slowly soake d into the ir brains, the ir e ye s would light up as if the y had
made a gre at discove ry.
Questions-
1. What did the author e nde avor to do?

2. What e ssentially was Bharat Mata?
3. Who are the parts of Bharat Mata?
4. What would happe n whe n the villagers unde rstood the ide a?
Answers-
1. He e nde avored to e xplain what India was.

2. Bharat Mata was e ssentially the millions of pe ople .
3. The pe ople of India are parts of Bharat Mata.
4. The ir e yes would light up as if the y had made a gre at discovery.
7.6 SUM M ARY
Ne hru de scribe s his me e ting with the pe asants and othe r pe ople in his public
me e tings during the fre e dom struggle of India. He says that the name ‘Bharat’ is
de rived from the mythical founde r of India. Ne hru pre fe rred to spe ak to the village rs

about ‘Bharat Mata’. In the citie s, pe ople do not want to he ar about such simple
things. But he spoke to the pe asants with the ir limited outlook. He spoke of his gre at
country for whose fre e dom the y we re struggling.
Ne hru spoke to the pe asants about many things. He told the m how e ach part of
India diffe re d from the othe r. Ye t the re is unity in India. The re are common proble ms
of India from north to south and from e ast to we st. He told the m about the ‘Swaraj’
which could not be for one pe rson only but all the Indians. He told the m about
journe ying from one corne r of India to the othe r. He told the m wonde rful things
about othe r countrie s.
Ne hru said that the pe asants all ove r India we re facing similar proble ms. Eve ry
pe asant asked him ide ntical que stions. It was be cause their trouble s we re the same .
The y we re suffe ring from pove rty, de bt, ve ste d inte re sts, landlords, and
mone yle nde rs. The y we re also suffe ring from he avy re nts and taxe s and police
harassment. All the se suffe rings of the farme rs we re be cause of the structure that
the fore ign gove rnme nt had impose d upon the pe ople .
Some time s, whe n Ne hru re ache d a gathe ring, a gre at roar of we lcome would gre e t
him, pe ople would shout, ”Bharat Mata ki Jai” (Victory to Mothe r India). Ne hru asked
the m what the me aning of ‘Bharat Mata’ was. But the y could not an swe r that
que stion ade quately. Then he e xplained to the m the me aning of ‘Bharat Mata’. India
inde e d me ant gre at fie lds, mountains, rive rs, fore sts, e tc. but ultimate ly Bharat
me ant the dharti or land as we ll as the pe ople of India.
According to the write r, the pe ople of India are the ‘Bharat Mata’. The se are the
pe ople who live d in the village s and citie s and the pe ople like Ne hru and the
pe asants. The y we re spre ad ove r this vast land which is calle d ‘Bharat Mata’ or
‘Mothe r India’. The re are millions of pe ople . India is e sse ntially the se pe ople . And
whe n the y say ‘Victory to Mothe r India’, it me ans victory to the m, the pe ople of India.
Ne hru told pe ople at his gatherings that only lands, fore sts, mountains, and rive rs do
not make a country. a country is made by its pe ople . Whe n pe ople aske d him the

me aning of ‘Bharat Mata’, he told the m that the y we re the Bharat Mata. He told them
that “You are parts of this Bharat Mata.” At first, the pe ople could not unde rstand
him, but the n slowly the y graspe d the me aning of Ne hru’s words. The n the ir e ye s
would light up as if the y had made a gre at discove ry-
7.7 KEYW ORDS
 Se ldom- rare ly
 Impose d- force d
 Amuse- inte rest
 Conce ption- ide a
 Myth- a traditional story accepted as history.
 Sophisticated- re fined
Convert the following nouns into adjectives
Noun Adje ctive
Abdome n Abdominal
Inte llect Inte llectual
Nonse nse Nonse nsical
Shade Shady
Additional Additional
M ake words using the following prefixes
Pre fix Word
Eco- Ecology
Ant- Antique
Styl- Stylistics

De - De flate
Chrono- Chronology
Future Perfect Tense
This te nse form is use d to talk about a future action that can be comple ted at a
particular time. This te nse also consolidates the de te rmination of the spe aker.
Affirmative Inte rrogative Ne gative
I shall have playe d. Will I have playe d? I shall not have playe d.
We shall have playe d. Shall we have playe d? We shall not have

playe d.
The y will have playe d Shall the y have playe d? The y will not have
playe d.
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
This te nse form is use d to e xpre ss actions that be gan in the past and will be in
progre ss ove r some time that will e nd in the future .
I shall have be e n playing I shall not have be en Will I have be e n playing?

playing
We shall have be e n We shall not have be e n Shall we have be en

playing playing playing?
The y will have be e n The y will not have be e n Shall the y have be e n
playing playing playing?

W rite a paragraph on ‘The Need to Ban Plastic.’
Five hundre d billion use d globally and one hundre d billion of the m e nd up in U.S.
landfills, taking about one thousand ye ars to de compose , but only 5.2 pe rce nt we re
re cycled (Borrud, 2007, p.75).-The se are the figures plastic bags have produce d e very
ye ar. Human be ings inve nte d plastic bags for the conve nie nce of carrie rs and
packe rs. Howe ve r, just as othe r gre at inve ntions, say, nucle ar e ne rgy and
biote chnology, plastic bags are causing se rious issue s like global warming,
e nvironme ntal pollution, and e ne rgy consumption. The y are gradually be coming a
sword towards us. In re sponding to this proble m, the city of San Francisco has
be come the trailblazer to prohibit non-biode gradable plastic bags in its supe rmarkets
and pharmacie s.
In othe r words, in this e ra of high oil price s and e ne rgy scarcity, pe trole um -base d
bags are costing conside rable natural re source s and ultimate ly turn the m into a
huge pile of use less garbage. Significant e nergies like fue l, from which e thylene gas is
obtaine d and plastic bags are made , are nonre newable, while human be ings are still
consuming the se pre cious tre asures re cklessly. What's more , the plastic bags e asily
catch the wind and blow, causing the difficulty of confining the m to we re dispose d of
(Borrud, 2007, p.75). This le ads to difficulty in re cycling, which hinde rs the
circulation and re use of the mate rial to a large e xtent. More over, Ross Mirkarimi, the
author of the ban, also note s that only 1% of the plastic bags in San Francisco are
re cycle d, de spite the city's pe rfe ct local re cycling syste m ("100 Billion Re asons,"
2007, p.77). Pe ople 's poor aware ness of e ne rgy-saving has brought the oil-shortage
crisis one ste p furthe r. A prohibitory e dict on pe trole um -base d bags might be the
right way out be fore we ultimate ly re alize that the last calorie on the e arth come s
from our body te mpe rature .

Anothe r re ason for supporting the prohibition on pe trole um -base d bags is that the y
are e conomically ine fficie nt. Ange la Spive y re ports the city of Ne w York once
suspe nde d the ir se rvice s in plastic re cycling.
 Nehru: The Invention of India by Shashi Tharoor (Novembe r 2003) Arcade

Books ISBN 1-55970-697-X
 Jawaharlal Nehru (Edite d by S. Gopal and Uma Iye ngar) (July 2003) The Essential
Writings of Jawaharlal Nehru Oxford University Pre ss ISBN 0-19-565324-6
 Autobiography: Toward freedom, Oxford University Pre ss
 Jawaharlal Nehru: Life and work by M. Chalapathi Rau, National Book Club (1
January 1966)
 Jawaharlal Nehru by M. Chalapathi Rau. [Ne w De lhi] Publications Division,

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India [197
******************************

LITERATURE AND
LANGUAGE-II

Vetter:
Subject : English
Lesson No.-01 Author: Dr. Pallavi
Pigeons at Daybreak
By Anita Desai
1.1 Introduction
1.2.1 Very Short Question Answers
1.2.2 Short Question Answers
1.3 Further M ain Body of the Text
1.3.1 Long Question Answers
1.3.2 Punctuation M arks
1.5 Answers to check your Progress
1.6 Keywords
1.7 Summary
1.8 Self Assessment Test
1. The stude nts will unde rstand the the me that love doe sn't withe r away at
illne ss.

2. It e mphasize s the re ading of lite rature as an active e nte rprise s involving

thought and involving thought and invoking fe e ling.
3. The stude nt will le arn how we ll-told storie s involve us e motionally in the live s
of the characte r.
4. The stude nt will le arn the ne w style of writing of Anita De sai writing skills.
This is a touching story of an old couple , Mr. Basu and his wife Otima. The husband
is a patie nt of Asthma and ofte n has attacks of this dise ase . Whe n the story starts,
Mr. Basu is sitting in his chair in the balcony. He cannot re ad the ne wspape r
himself. His wife re ads the pape r to him. He calls his wife to come and re ad out the
ne ws to him. She is in the kitchen and is busy with some work. She take s he r time .
In the me antime , Mr. Basu ge ts impatie nt and irritable .
Whe n Otima is fre e from he r work, she is re ady to re ad out the ne wspape r. She
come s to him and re ads out the ne ws ite ms one by one . The re is nothing spe cial in
the ne ws. Mr. Basu ge ts irritated. Finally, Otima re ads out the ne ws that the re would
be e le ctricity cut in the ir are a during the night. This ne ws alarms Basu. He
complains that he would not be able to sle e p prope rly.
The thought of having to sleep in the he at without the e le ctricity fan make s Basu so
worrie d that he has an attack of asthma. He calls out to his wife that he is short of
bre ath. She come s running. She gives him the inhale r. He inhale s from it and fe e ls
some re lief. The postman brings a le tter from the ir son who is at Bhilai. Otima re ads
out the le tte r that he is fine and doing work we ll. This also give s him some re lie f.
At night Basu's wife sugge st that the y would move the ir be ds on the roof top and
sle ep in the ope n air. As the y are old, the y cannot move up the be ds, the mselves, She
calls the ir ne ighbour, Bulu who he lps in taking the be ds upstairs.
Otima make s be ds, brings pillows, adjusts the m on Basu's be d and trie s to make
him comfortable . But Basu is too distracte d by the sound of traffic to sle e p. All

through the night he moane d and gaspe d for air. Towards dawn it is so bad that his
wife has to ge t up and massage his che st and it se ems to re lieve him. She goe s down
to bring wate r for he r husband. To he r surprise , the re is light on in the ir flat. She
goe s up the stairs and asks Basu to come down.
But he te lls he r to le ave him alone and says that it is coole r now. The m orning has
brought cool bre e ze from Jamuna rive r. Basu is lying flat and still, gazing up. It's
mouth is ope n as if to le t it pour into him, as cool and fre sh as wate r. The n a flock of
pige ons sudde nly flies in the sky and soon disappe are d. The write r hints that Basu
had die d.
1.2.1 Very Short Answer Question
Q.1W hat is Otima's attitude towards Basu?
Ans. Otima's attitude towards Basu is tole rant and caring.
Q.2 W hy was Basu impatient with the news?
Ans. He did not find the ne ws inte re sting.
Q.3W hat brings on Amul Basu's asthma attack?
Ans. The imagine d fe ar of spe nding a night in scorching he at without e le ctricity

brings on Amul Basu's asthma attack.
Q.4 How old was Otima?
Ans.Otima was fifty six ye ars old.
Q.5W ho is Bulu?
Ans:- Bulu is one of Basu's and Otima's ne ighbours.
Q.6W ho helped them take their beds to the terrace?
Ans:-The frie ndly ne ighbours he lpe d the m.
Q.7 Are all of Basu's fears real? Are some of them concocted?
Ans:- The fe ars we re not re al. Some of the m are imaginary.

Q.8W hat is 'one of Basu's worst afflictions'? W hy?
Ans:- Mr Basu's inability to re ad the ne wspape r at his own is one of his worst pains.
It is be cause of his illne ss.
Q.9W hat was the subject of consuming interest to Otima?
Ans:- Films, was the subje ct.
Q.10W hy does the old man insist on staying on the terrace?
Ans:- He fe e ls that te rrace is coole r.
1.2.2 Short Answer Questions
Q.1 Comment on Anita Desai's prose style, with reference to the story, 'Pigeons
at Daybreak'.
Ans:- Anita De sai use s the me thod of third pe rson narrative . She make s use of
de scriptions of the characters internal thoughts. She use s symbolism to e xpre ss
he r the me s. She also make s use of brie f but cle ar de scriptions to imply the
condition of Mr. Basu. For e xample, whe n the e le ctricity stoppe d, ' Basu saw the
sky shroude d with summer dust, and it se emed as airle ss as the room be low.' The
image ry of the flying pige ons conve ys the re le ase of soul from the body.
Q.2 Describe the bond between the old couple.
Ans:- The re is strong bond be twe e n Basu and his wife . Otima is fifty six ye ars old
and he r husband is sixty one . Otima love s & care s he r husband. Basu is a patie nt of
asthma and cannot survive without his wife 's constant atte ntion.
Q.3 W hat happens to Basu when he hears the news of the proposed electricity
cut?
Ans:- Basu's wife re ads to he r the ne ws that the re would be a powe r cut that night.
Basu is a patie nt of asthma. Sudde nly he has an attack of asthma. He fe e ls choke d.
His wife brings his inhaler. He inhales from it. But he fe e ls that he is not fe e ling we ll.

Q.4 Discuss the relevance of the title.
Ans:- The title of the story is ve ry re levant. Both the pige ons and day bre ak occur at
the e nd of the story. The flight of pige ons stands for the flying away of man's soul
afte r de ath. The daybre ak re fe rs to the comfort or fre e dom which man's soul find
afte r de ath. A fe e ling of comfort and re lie f are conve ye d though.
Q.5 W rite a note on the ending of the story.
Ans:- The e nd of the story is not ve ry cle ar. The write r doe s not make a cle ar e nding.
Basu has an attack of asthma and doe s not fe e l we ll. In the morning, Otima asks
him to come down. But Basu doe s not want to come . His gaze is fixe d. The write r
hints that Basu has die d.
Q.6 How did M rs. Basu arrange for her husband M r. Basu to spend the night
when there was no light?
Ans. Otima calle d for he lp a boy named Bulu who lived ne xt door. The y both took
Mr. Basu up the stairs. They hauled him up as though he we re a bag containing
some thing fragile and valuable . Upon the te rrace, he was lowe re d onto the be d that
had be e n carried up e arlier and spre ad with many pillows.
1.3 FURTHER M AIN BODY OF THE TEXT
1.3.1 Long Answer Type Question
Q.1 W hat is the theme of the story ' Pigeons at Daybreak'?
Ans. The story unde rlines the de ep de votion of an Indian wife towards he r husband.
She gives he rself he art and soul in the se rvice of he r husband. She ne ve r care s for
he r own comfort or joy. All he r thoughts re main focuse d in he r husband. And if the
husband be comes afflicted with some pain or dise ase, she doe sn't want to le ave him
for a mome nt.
This is what we find in the story. Mr. Basu is a sixty one ye ar old but hasn't a
wrinkle on he r face . She is quite de vote d to he r husband and take s all care of him.

Howe ve r, Mr. Basu re mains grumbling all the time about his illne ss and doe sn't le t
his wife e ven a moment's re st. One night, the re is no e le ctricity, and it is too hot to
sle e p in the room. With the he lp of a boy, name d Bulu in the ne ighbourhood, she
arranges to take Mr Basu and his be d up to the te rrace. Eve n the re in the ope n, Mr.
Basu re mains re stless. Poor Otima has to ke ep adjusting the pillows for the old man.
She has to ke ep fanning him with a palm le af. She has to ge t downstairs again and
again to bring him his me dicine . Finally, de ad tire d, she collapse s onto he r own
string be d. In the morning, whe n she ge ts up, she finds that the old man's soul has
alre ady taken wings. Now the only thing the old woman's soul can long for is to join
he r husband in the he ave ns.
Grammar for Knowledge
1.3.2 Punctuation M arks & Capital Letters
Punctuation is the art of dividing lite rary composition by me ans of the points or
marks into clauses, members of se ntences, and se ntences so as to re adily convey the
se nse. The punctuation re pre se nt to some e xte nt the pause s the e mphasis which
assist in making cle ar the meaning and re lative de pe nde nce of the se nte nce s in the
spoke n language .
1. Full stop or Period (.)
2. Colon (:)
3. Semi- Colon (;)
4. Comma(,)
5. Note of Exclamation (!)
6. Note of Interrogation / Question M ark (?)
7. Dash(-)
8. Inverted Commas (" ")
9. Parenthesis ( )

10. Hypen (-)
11. Apostrophe (')
12. Captial letters.
Detailed study
 The Full Stop:- The Full Stop is use d at the e nd of a se nte nce that is not
e xclamatory or inte rrogative , to se parate it comple te ly from the se nte nce that
follow it e x:- It is be tte r to have love d and lost than ne ve r to have love d at all .
2. Afte r Abbre viations:- M.A., L.L.B., P.W.D
 The Colon:- The colon is use d to introduce a dire ct state me nt or a dire ct

que stion:-
Bacon says:" Re ading make th a full man; writing an e xact man; and confe re nce a
re ady man."
2. To introduce a list, or an e nume ration of de tail:-
e x- Shakespeare's four gre at trage dies are : Hamlet, Macbe th, Othe llo, and King Le ar.
3. Be twe e n two comple te se nte nce s not joine d by conjunctions, ye t so close ly

conne cte d in thought that the se cond is fe lt to be an illustration.
e x- This man is an habitual criminal: he has be e n four times convicted of fe lony, and
is still le ading a dishone st life .
 The Semi-colon (;) 1. To distinguish co-ordinate clause s joine d by such

coordinating conjunctions as e xpre ss position, or introduce an infe re nce ; as ,
the re fore , othe rwise , so , the n, for , still, ye t
e x- Eat more fruit; othe rwise you will re gre t it.
2. To se parate parallel clauses which the writer de sire s to e mphasize by providing a

longe r pause be twe e n the m.

e x- The coconut tre e give s us food, it give s us drink; it give s us rafte rs; it give s us
mate rial for roofing; it gives us oil; it gives us rope s; it supplie s us, with ne arly all the
ne ce ssarie s of life .
3. Be fore such words and phrase s as name ly, that is, as, viz., introducing an
e xample , e xplanation e tc, as-
e x:- The re are thre e cardinal virtue s; name ly, faith, hope , and charity.
 The Comma (,) The Comma is use d to mark off the Vocative ( Nominative of
Addre ss): Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour- Wordsworth
Whe n I am de ad, my de ar
Sing so sad songs for me - Rosse tti
Fraility, the y name is woman! - Shake spe are .
2. To se parate a se rie s of words in the same construction:-
e x- We live by admiration, faith and hope .
Frie nds, Romans, Countryme n, le nd me your e ars.
It was a long, dull and we arisome journe y
Earth, air, wate r, te e m with life .
3. To se parate such succe ssive pair of words conne cte d by and or or
e x - Live or die , sink or swim, survive or pe rish,
I shall support him.
4. To mark off a Noun or a Phrase
e x- Napole an, the man of De stiny, as some have calle d him, was a most wonde rful
ge ne ral.
5. Afte r Nominative Absolute
e x- I am not, to te ll the truth, ve ry much impre sse d by your proposal.

6. To mark off two or more Adve rbs or Adve rbial phrase coming toge the r:-
e x - The n, at le ngth, tardy justice was done to the me mory of Olive r.
7. To mark off a se rie s of Noun clause , or Adje ctive clause .
e x- I did not know whe n he did it, or why he did it.
8. Be fore and afte r words, phrase s or clause s
e x- He r be haviour, to say the le ast, was ve ry rude .
9. To indicate the omission of a word, e spe cially a ve rb:
e x- To have knowle dge is good, but to posse ss wisdom, be tte r.
10. Afte r a Ve rb of saying, which introduce s some thing in Dire ct Spe e ch.
e x- He said to his disciple s, "Watch and pray".
11. Afte r e ach pre position, whe n the re are two pre positions to one obje ct.
e x- Your car is supe rior to , and che ape r than, the one I say ye ste rday.
12. Words and phrase s indicating comparison.
e x- The wate r is de e p, ye t it is cle ar.
13. Whe n the natural orde r of a se nte nce is inve rte d
e x- By atte ntion to de tails, good printing is produce d.
14. Inde pe nde nt e le me nts in a se nte nce
e x- I am, De ar Sir, Your since re ly, I re fe r, Mr. Pre side nt, to ye ste rday's me e ting.
15.Whe n a word is unde rstood, but not e xpre ssed, a comma is inse rte d in its place .
e x- The characteristic of Chauce r is inte nsity; of spe nce r; re mote ne ss; of Milton, of
Shake spe ar, e ve rything.
 The Question M ark:- The que stion mark is use d at the e nd of a dire ct que stion:-
e x- Have you writte n your e ssay?

"If you prick us, do we not ble e d? - Shake spe ar
 The Exclamation M ark:- The Exclamation mark is use d afte r a vocative case a
usage now almost e xclusive ly confine d to ve rse .
e x- Oh world! Oh life ! Oh Time !
Afte r inte rje ctions and e xclamatory se nte nce s:-
e x- Alas! the y had be e n frie nds in youth Cole ridge .
 The Dash:- The Dash is use d to indicate an une xpe cte d turn or sudde n
bre ak in a se nte nce .
e x- He counte d the m at daybre ak of day:-
To summarize a multiple subje ct:-
e x- And ships by thousands , lay be low
And me n in thousands --------------- all we re his----------------
To de note agitate d Spe e ch:-
e x- I - e r - think - I me an - e r - I fe e l.
4. To show the inte ntional omission of a name .

 Inverted commas:- The inverted commas are use d to indicate the e xact
words of a spe ake r or a quotation.
e x - He said to John, " May God Ble ss You."
Pare ntheses or Double Dashe s- are use d to se parate from the main part of the
se nte nce , a phrase or clause which doe s not grammatically be long to it.
e x- She gaine d from he ave n ------------------------ a son
 The Hyphen:- The Hyphe n - a shorte r line than the Dash - is use d to
form compound words-
e x- Brothe r - in - law, booking - cle rk;

 The Apostrophe :- The Apostrophe is use d to de note the omission of

some le tte r or le tte rs from a word.
e x - I've , don't.
To show the Ge nivine Case :-
e x- Lie s show upon the de se rt's dusty face .
In the plurals
e x - Do's and Don't's
 Capital Letters-Capital le tte rs are use d to indicate the first word of a

se nte nce .
e x - The door to succe ss is hardwork.

The pronoun I, and the inte rje ction O
Nouns and pronouns re lating to the De ity;
e x - Le t us thank God.
 The Sentence.
We e xpre ss our thoughts and fe e lings through words. Single words do not
make the meaning cle ar without the ir conte xt. So, whe n we write or spe ak, we use
words in groups to e xpre ss our thoughts. The group of words is 'se nte nce s'. Each of
the group of words has a subje ct and a ve rb.
A se nte nce is a group of words which make s comple te se nse .
e x - I have two siste rs.
Cats like mice .
Compone nts of a se nte nce

Eve ry se nte nce has two e sse ntial parts.
1. A Subje ct 2. A pre dicate .
The subje ct of a se nte nce is the part about which some thing is said.
Pre dicate :- A pe rdicate proclaims or says some thing about the subje ct.
Subje ct is a noun or pronoun with or without de te rmine rs and othe r words. The
pre dicate has a finite ve rb with or without obje ct, comple me nt, adve rb e tc.

Kinds of se nte nce s
The main Kinds are :-
1. Affirmative :- A state me nt;(Mohan has a big house )
2. Impe rative - A command; re que st,(Close the door)
3. Exclamatory- Sudde n re sponse ( What a tall building!)
4. Inte rrogative - A que stion ( Is it raining?)
5. Ne gative - Ne gation ( Do not close the door)


Exe rcise for Practice
Se parate the Subje ct and pre dicate
1. It is raining outside .
2. The y are ne ve r late .
3. Mohan is flying a kite .
4. The clown made us laugh.
5. God he lps good childre n.
6. The prie st sang the praye r.
7. He cannot solve this proble m.
8. The old man gre e te d me with a smile .
Simple Sentence:-
A simple se ntence consists of a subje ct and a pre dicate. A simple se nte nce consists
of a single clause .
e x - Radha live s in Panipat.
Compound Sentence :- A compound se ntence has two or more main clauses, joine d
toge ther by co-ordinating conjuctions such as and, but , or , ye t, still, the re fore , so ,
for, e tc.
e x- She must e at or she will be come we ak.
- She worke d hard and got succe ss in he r work.
Complex Sentence:- A comple x se nte nce has one main clause and two or more
subordinate clause .
e x- I me t him be fore going to De lhi.
He is the girl who stood first.

Sample paragraph
Life in a small village
Life in a small village has a charm of its own. The re is pe ace , calm and quie t all
around. The air is fre sh, pure and fre e from pollution. The re is ne ithe r smoke nor
noise. Pe ople live and work toge ther and share the ir joys and sorrows. Village life is
now changing fast. Eve n small village are , provide d with e le ctricity and drinking
wate r. The y have be en connected to cities by roads. Pe ople use cooking gas in the ir
kitche ns. But village life has its own proble ms. Pove rty and ignorance have made
pe ople supe rstitious, je alous and narrow minde d. The y try to harm othe rs as the y
cannot be ar the progre ss of the ir ne ighbours. The re are constant quarre ls and family
fe uds ove r trifle s. Litigation, e lections and party politics have spoile d the pe ace, unity
and charm of village life .
Need for Education
Education is the primary right of e very child in a de mocratic society. We have made a
law to provide fre e , compulsory e ducation up to the age of fourte e n, up to middle

standard le ve l. An une ducate d pe rson can ne ithe r be a good citize n nor a good
pare nt. He is ignorant and supe rstitious. De prive d of knowle dge , he falls in the
darkne ss of ignorance and be comes a victim of e vil social practice s. The proble m of
drop outs at primary le vel is quite se rious. Poor pare nts force the ir children to stay at
home and look afte r the younge r kids. Some are compe lled to work as child labourers
in home s, shops, re staurants and factorie s. More community ce ntre s and Adult
e ducation ce ntres have to be ope ne d to e ducate me n and wome n who we re de prieve d
of the fruits of e ducation during the ir formative ye ars. Our aim should be to provide
e ducation to all.
a. Fill in the blanks with corre ct form of ve rb
1. My luggage ......................(have ) arrive d.
2. My frie nds................................. (arrive ) he re tomorrow.
3. Re spe ct your te ache rs(Command/re que st/advice )
4. My siste r write s poe try(Inte rrogative /Simple )
5. Hurrah! We have won the match. ( Ne gative / Impe rative / Inte rrogative
Exclamatory.)
1.5 ANSW ERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. has, will arrive , advice , Simple se nte nce , Exclamatory se nte nce .
b. Arrange the following statement
1. Nikhil, grandson a had the y name d.
2. Re liance for re ading, Mr Basu's irritate d the ne wspape r him .
Answer to check you progress
1. The y had a grandson name d Nikhil.
2. Mr Basu's re liance on Otima for re ading the ne wspape r irritate d him.

1.6 KEYW ORDS
1. Fe ar-Worrie d
2. Curiosity- to know about some thing
3. Anxie ty- Worrie d about some thing
4. Harmony- a state of agre e me nt
5. Arguing - to say things angrily
6. Conside rate - always thinking of othe r pe ople wish
7. Whims- a sudde n ide a
8. Re liance - be ing able to trust some body
9. spirits - the part of pe rson , not physical
10. Trouble d- to ge t into a awkard situation
1.7 SUM MARY

Anita De sai de picts the de e p since re e fforts of an Indian wife towards he r
husband. She give s he rse lf he art and soul in the se rvice of he r husband.
She ne ver care s for he r own comfort or joy. All he r thoughts re main se t in
he r husband. And if the husband be come s impatie nt with some pain or
dise ase, she doe sn't want to le ave him for a moment.. Anita De sai use s the
me thod of third pe rson narrative . She make s use of de scriptions of the
characters internal thoughts. She use s symbolism to e xpre ss he r the me s.
She also makes use of brie f but cle ar de scriptions to imply the condition of
Mr. Basu. For e xample , whe n the e le ctricity stoppe d, ' Basu saw the sky
shroude d with summer dust, and it se e me d as airle ss as the room be low.'
The imagery of the flying pige ons conveys the re lease of soul from the body.
1.8 SELF- ASSESSM ENT TEST
Q.1 What is Otima's attitude towards Basu.

Q.2 On what note doe s the story 'Pige ons at Day bre ak' e nd?
Q.3 Give phone tic transcription
1. damage
2. Waist
3. fashion
4.goat
5. maste r
6. pape r
Q.4 Make the following se nte nce s
1. Honour
2. Daybre ak
3. fe ve rish
4. Attitude
Q.5 Punctuate the following se nte nce s
1. She is inte llige nt bold and be autiful
2. My brothe r in law is an advocate
1.9 REFERENCES & SUGGESTED READINGS
 Pige on at daybre ak. (n.d). 2012
 Sie ge l, K(n.d). Psychonanalytic Criticism.

Vetter:
Subject : English
Course Code: BA 101 Author: Dr. Pallavi
Lesson 02
W ith the Photographer
By – Stephen Leacock
2.1 Introduction
2.2.1 Very short Questions Answers
2.2.2 Short Questions Answers
2.3.1 Long Questions Answers
2.3.2 Question Tags
2.6 Keywords
2.7 Summary

1. The le arners will re ad and analyze the literary te xt.

2. Ide ntification of the the me.
3. The stude nt will ge t sanitized to the issues pose d.
4. De ve lopment of re fe rence skills.
5. De ve lopment of cre ativity through writing conversations.
6. Will ge t acquainted with the ne w vocabulary given.
2.1 INTRODUCTION
W ith the photographer
Ste phe n Le acock de scribes the kind of occure nce which could happe n to a pe rson in
those days whe n pe ople still we nt to studios to ge t the mse lve s photographe d. The
humour and irony with which he de scribes this common place e xperience transform
this ordinary e vent into a funny one . Ste phe n's style was simple and inte re sting. He
is be st known for his humorous book ' Laugh with Le acock' which provide s
de le ctable re ading. Born in 1896, Ste phe n Le acock die d in 1944.
The story re cords the amusing account of narrator's e ncounte r with a photographe r.
The pre sent story is in dialogic form as it is constituted by the conversation. The idea
of going to studio in our conte mporary time s may appe ar be e cce ntric as our youth
be longs to the age that is dominate d by 'Se lfie '. On be ing re que ste d, the
photographe r looks at the narrator without any e nthusiasm. The narrator starts to
de scribe the physical appe arance of the photographe r. The photographe r is de scribed
as man in gre y suit, with dim e ye s. He looks like a " natural scie ntist." Le acock
introduce s the photographe r to his re ade rs as a man who has no e nthusiasm.
The narrator waits for an hour be fore the proce ss of taking a photograph is starte d.
While waiting for the photographe r the narrator re ads some magazines. The narrator
conside rs his act of re ading the se magazine s as an "impe rtine nt thing". The

photographe r re ads, and his choice for woman ce ntric magazine s spe aks volume s
about the industry of photography. He re one may say that fashion among wome n is
the axis on which the e ntire photography industry re volve s. Afte r an hour's waiting
the photographe r comes and ope ns the inner gate . In a tone of command he asks the
narrator to come in. The narrator sits down in a be am of sunlight. The n the
photographe r rolls the machine in the middle of the room and goe s be hind it. He
looks at the narrator and he re move s the cotton she e t ove r the froste d window
allowing the light and air to e nter the studio. Again he goe s back into the machine .
Finally, the photographe r come s in a grave look and de clare s, "The face is quite
wrong." The refore, he atte mpts to corre ct the face through two diffe re nt me thods. 1.
By asking the narrator to change his facial e xpre ssion and 2. by e diting his
photograph. He aske d the photographe r to stop that drama and le t him go without
having photographe d. He starte d to rise from the se at. But the photographe r took the
photograph and aske d him to come on Saturday to have a look at the proof of the
photograph. On Saturday the narrator fe e ls dishe arte ne d not to find his photograph
be aring his real face. Therefore, he calls the profe ssion of photography base d on the
e diting as a " brutal work". it is pe rtine nt to quote the following he re :
Take your ne gative, or whate ver you call it is you call it, dip it in anything you like ;
re move the e yes, corre ct the mouth, adjust the face , re store the lips, re animate the
ne cktie and re construct the waistcoat........ The n.....................
He did not like use of re touch or any othe r proce ss on his face . He wante d to give gift
to his frie nds. Thus the story e nds at a satirical dime nsion. While le aving the studio,
the narrator bursts into te ars.
Very short question- answers
Q.1W hat made the writer happy?
Ans: The write r was happy to know that the photographe r had a human side .

Q.2W hat experience does the writer narrator in the story?
Ans: The write r narrate s his e xpe rie nce with photographe r.
Q.3W hat did the photographer look like?
Ans. He looke d like a scie ntist.
Q.4W hat had the photographer done to the eyebrows?
Ans. The photographe r had re move d the e ye brows.
Q.5W hat did the narrator do while waiting for the photographer?
Ans. He re ad the ' Ladie s Companion, the Girl's Magazine , and the Infants' Journal.
Q.6W hat did the photographer do with the writer's head?
Ans. He took the write r's he ad in his hands and twiste d it side ways.
Q.7From where was the sunlight coming in the studio?
Ans. The sunlight was coming through the cotton she e t and the window pane s.
Q.8 How long did it take the photographer to open the inner door?
Ans. It took him an hour to ope n the inne r door.
Short Answer Type Question
Q.1W hy did the photographer look 'very grave'?
Ans. He looke d ve ry grave be cause he found the narrator face as ' quite wrong' face
to be photographe d. The refore, he said to the narrator that the face would be be tte r if
it we re " thre e quarte rs full." The gravity of his be ing grave can at be st be unde rstood
in the fact that he ce ase d in his hands and twiste d it side ways. Eve n afte r twisting
the face he re mained frustrate d with the narrator's face and de clared:"I don't like the
he ad".
Q.2 ' Is it me?' W as the narrator right in asking this question? W hy?

Ans. Ye s, the narrator was right in asking this que stion. He was right in as king this
que stion be cause at the time of taking his photograph the narrator re plie d to the
de rogatory re marks of the photographe r about his face with dignity. This implies that
the narrator is not the victim of the fancy of having an artificial be autiful face in a
photo. The photographe r also ne eded the same to unde rstand. Rathe r he e dite d his
photo and change d it fundame ntally.
Q.3 How much was the process lengthy for the writer?
Ans.The write r we nt to the photographe r to have his photograph take n. The

photographe r made him wait for an hour. The n he took a lot of time adjusting his
studio and camera. He we nt on giving instruction to the write r. He made a numbe r of
harsh comme nts about the write r's face . At last the photograph was take n. The
write r we nt on Saturday to se e the proof. He was shocke d to find that his face had
be e n totally change d. The photographe r had touche d it at many place s. The write r
could not re cognize e ve n his own face . Thus, the e ntire purpose of the photograph
was waiste d.
Q.4Had you been in the narrator's place, what would have been your reaction!
Ans. My re action would not have be e n much diffe re nt from that of the narrator. No
pe rson, howe ve r ugly like s to be told that he or she is ugly. And this is what the
foolish photographe r in the story doe s. If I we re in the narrator's place , I would have
asked the photographe r to shut up and mind his own busine ss. I would at once have
se e n that the man was a foolish pe rson and could not be de pe nde d upon for a good
photograph. So I would have gone to anothe r photographe r inste ad of waisting my
time and my mone y.
Q.5W here does your sympathy lie - with the photographer or the narrator?
Ans. Our sympathy ce rtainly lies with the narrator. The photograhe r has no se nse .
He has no quality. He doe sn't know how to talk. he change s all the fe ature s of the
narrator by his 're touchng'. The poor fe llow had inte nde d to give his photograph to

his frie nds. He thought that thus the y would re member him afte r his de ath. We fe e l
true sympathy for him whe n he bursts into te ars and le ave s the he llish
photographe s.
2.3.1 Long Answer Type Question
Q.1 Discuss the elements of humour in the story.
Ans. The story, 'With the Photographe r' is full of humour from the be ginning to the
e nd. In face , the ve ry purpose of the write r in this story is to cre ate humour. The re is
humour e ven in situations that are distre ssing and painful for the protagonist. The
narrator's ve ry first se ntence - ' I want my photograph take n'- gives the re ader a light
smile. Then as the story progre sse s, the re ade r's smile continually re mains the re .
Some time s, it change s into giggle s, chuckle s and e ve n pe als of laughte r.
First of all, the re ade r fe e ls amuse d to se e how the photographe r pre pare s the
narrator for the photograph. He make s him sit in a be am of light coming through
the froste d window pane s. The n he rolls his machine into the middle of the room and
crawls into it from be hind. He draws a little black cloth ove r himse lf and re mains in
the re for quite some time . And whe n at last he come s out, he shake s his he ad and
says to the narrator, "The face is quite wrong". Some othe r obse rvations that he
makes are " " The e ars are bad." " I don't like the he ad". While the narrator fume s at
such humiliating comme nts, "The re ade r ke e ps chucking to himse lf.
Sample Paragraphs
The Pen is mightier than the sword
He re the pe n is mightier than the sword is a famous saying. The pe n stands for the
authors, ne wspape rs (print me dia). Thus the y go a long way in forming the opinions
and thoughts of the pe ople at large , by conne cting their minds with othe rs. Thus, we
can say that the pe n stands for pe aceful means to advice and pe rsuade the pe ople to
acce pt the write r’s ide a or opinions. The powe r of pe n has brought about big
re volutions in the history of the world. But those who be lie ve d in the force of the

sword brought about nothing but viole nce and de struction. Thus the se who use d
sword utte rly failed to bring about de sirable changes in the opinions and ide as of the
pe ople all around the world. The use of sword can be use d only whe n it be come s
ine vitable . It can do work whe n the pe n or pe rsuation fails to bring about the
de sirable change s in the pe ople 's mind.
A friendly Neighbour
Ble ssesd are those who have good ne ighbours. Good ne ighbours swe e te n e ve ryday
and re nde r gre at he lp in e mergency. The y rush to our he lp e ve n be fore any re lative
can. A frie ndly ne ighbour supports in e very manner. They are the only one whom we
can re ly on. On e very occasion the y can be se en working and he lping. Such are re ally
ge ms. A frie ndly ne ighbour can come at one call whe n some one ne e ds the m in a
worse situation. One can trust the m blindly.
2.3.2 Grammar for Knowledge
Question Tags.
Whe n in normal conve rsation a pe rson makes a state ment and the n ask for its
confirmation which is called a Que stion Tag.
e x - You won't forge t, will you?
You will be care ful, won't you?
Rule :- Whe n a positive statement is the re, ne gative tag is use d.
whe n a ne gative statement is the re, Positive Tag is used.
State ment


1. You won't forge t

2. She will pass
3. The y have won the match.
4. You live at Agra
5. I am a small girl.
Answers
 You won't forge t, will you?
 She will pass, won't she ?
 The y have won the match, haven't the y?
 I am a small girl, am'nt I?
Exercise for Practice
 You are a fool.

 He should work hard.
 She will scold you.
 The y were making a noise.
 I shall sing songs.
 You are about to live .
 The stude nts are having fun.
 She e ats meat.
 The e arth is round.
 She has no we alth.
 Nobody shoute d.
 Are you not we ll.
 We have no holiday today.
Change the statements into question
 He goe s to school in time .

 She had done he r home work.

 Ram is knocking at the door.

 He knows English.
 The doctor has come.
 You can solve this sum.
 You will he lp me .
 He is improving now.
 I will go the re this e vening.
 I re ad a book.
Auxiliary verb
Singular Plural
Be:- I/She/He We / They
you
(am/are/is) (are )
In present
In past
I/she /He /You We /They

was/we re (We re )
In present
Have:- I/She/He/YOu We /They
(Have ) (Have )
In past
I / She / He / You We /They
Had (had)
In present
Do:- I/She /He/You We /They
(do/doe s) (do)
In past
I/She /He/You We /They
Did (did)

2.4 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS.
1. I am ........( write ) a le tte r.(Pre se nt)
2. He was ...............(te ach) English in our school.(Past)
3. I ................ not watch he r go to colle ge .
4. ..................... you e njoy partie s?
5. I am ...........(wate r) the plants.(continous)
6. He .............(finish) the work.(Past Pe rfe ct)
7. ...................the y play a football.
2.5 ANSW ERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS.
1. writing
2. taught
3. do
4. Do
5. wate ring
6. had finishe d
7. Do
1. Afte r ......................... the photographe r ope ne d the inne r door.
2. I have live d with it for forty ye ars and I know .......................
3. The photographe r looke d at me without.....................................
Answers
1. an hour
2. its faults

3. e nthusiasm
2.7 KEYW ORDS
1. Conscious - Aware
2. Froste d - Ice - cove re d
3. Expand - Enlarge
4. Humble - Polite
5. Burst into - Eruption
6. Satire - Mocke ry
7. Encounte r - Me e ting
8. Ordinary - Usual
9. Re colle ct - Re me mbe r
10. Se lf Este e m - Se lf re spe ct
2.8 SUM M ARY
"With the photographe r" is an amusing account of the narrator's e ncounte r with a
photographe r. He de scribes the kind of occure ncy which could happe n to a pe rson in
those days whe n pe ople still we nt to studios to ge t the mse lve s photographe d.
Howe ve r, the harmony and irony with which he de scribe s the e xpe rie nce transform
this ordinary e vent into a funny one . This re cord of his re actions to having his face
re shaped by the skille d photographe r is humorous. But whe n the narrator ge ts his
photo back, he is disappointe d as the photo doe s not re se mble him.
2.9 SELF-ASSESSM ENT TEST
1. Use the following auxiliaries/helping verbs in sentences of your own.
a. do (ne gative )
b. Did (Que stion)

c. Am(Continuous)
d. Are ( Passive )
e. We re (Continuous)
f. Had (Past Pe rfe ct)
2. Choose the correct option.
1. ........................ (Do/Doe s) you pre fe r te a to coffe e ?
2. The y ..........( Was/We re ) de fe ate d by the South Africans.
3. He ..............(Doe s/Did) not drink milk.
4. The y ............( Was/We re ) writing a le sson.
5. She ............( Was/ We re ) e le cte d chairman.
Q.1Why did the narrator 'fe e l bitte r'?
Q.2What had the photographe r done to the e ye brows?
Q.3Why did the narrator think that the e ye s in the photograph we re not his?
Q4.Why did the write r close his e yes?
2.10 REFERENCES /SUGGESTED READINGS
 “National Library of Canada: Ste phe n Le acock”
 Le acock, Ste phen (1970) . Last le aves

Vetter:
Subject : English
Course Code: BA 101 Author: Dr. Pallavi
Lesson no : 03
The Journey
By Temsula Ao

3.1 Introduction
3.2.1 Very Short Question Answer
3.2.2 Short Question Answer
3.3.1 Long Question Answer
3.3.2 M odal Auxiliaries
3.6 Keywords
3.7 Summary

3.1 INTRODUCTION
Te nsula is a poe te ss and a short story write r. She is the re cipie nt of the Gove rnor's
Gold Me dal in 2009 from the Gove rnme nt of Me ghalaya. This story "The Journe y"
has be e n taken from the write r's collection of short storie s e ntitled. The se hills calle d
home of an adole sce nt girl whose journe y is both physical and psychological. She
has poe ms, e thnographic pie ce s and short storie s to he r lite rary cre dit.
The story take s in a tribal village in the jungle s of Nagaland. Whe n the story starts it
is ve ry e arly morning. Tinula wake s up by the sque aling of a pigle t. The school is a
fe w miles away and the most part of the journe y has to be trave lled on foot through a
difficult jungle and mountainous area. Afte r the journe y to the town of Mariani, she
spe nt the night in the loft of a shopke eper. She saw the wome n in the morning of he r
group. The y we re cooking curry and rice . It was the custom to carry sufficie nt food
for the journe y. Afte r a cold and chilly night, the girl and he r brothe r was hungry.
Afte r the morning me al, the party se t off briskly Wome n of the group drop some
pie ce s of me at and rice on the le af plate of the young girl. The re fore , she has
abundant amount of rice and many pie ces of me at. Afte r e ating the food, the y e nte r
the rive r, for the adults the wate r is kne e de e p but the wate r re ache s up to the
e ye brows of Tinula. She is take n to the othe r bank of the rive r by he r brothe r and
anothe r man. Be ing totally tire d she sits on a stone ste ps and starts crying. The
brothe r be comes worrie d to think of the dange rs of the jungle s. In the morning she
finds that one of he r fe e t is swolle n badly.
Whe n Tinula and he r brothe r re ache d the station, the winte r sun was alre ady
se tting. The y boarde d the train which was crowde d. At one of the wayside stations,
he r brothe r brought te a and a local food calle d singaras. Finally, the train re ache d
farkating. It was as ne arly midnight. At the time the station was de se rte d. Luckily,
the y me t who was going that way in his car. He offe re d to take the m & drop to the
school.

On re aching the school, Tinula is allowe d to share the be d with he r frie nd Winnie .
TInula fe e ls happy as she finds the warmth of the be d afte r he r cold and long
journe y. The softne ss of the she e ts re minds he r of he r last night whe re s he has to
fling for he r share of the torn blanke t. The transition thrills he r and she be gins to
giggle. Whe n Tinula was about to fall asle e p, Winnie said to he r that he r boyfrie nd
Hube rt had a ne w frie nd now. Tinula was totally surprise d by he r state me nt. She
kne w that Hube rt was a frie nd and had told he r frie nds that Hube rt was a good
frie nd. Howe ve r, the se words hurt he r. To conce al he r re al e motions, she starte d
laughing softly.
As the time has passe d Tinula could not say whe the r she laughe d or crie d on that
night. But it was a night of transition in he r life . But Winnie 's re marks made he r
re alize that the barrie r's she face d are not me re ly physical. Tinula re calls Winnie 's
de libe rate atte mpt to hurt he r. Now she ofte n wonde rs what happe ne d to a boy
named Hube rt whom she had ne ver me t. Winnie's re marks had force d he r, who was
only thirte e n ye ar old, to e mbark on a diffe re nt kind of journe y. It was an
adve nturous journe y with ne w e motions awake ne d in he r he art and soul.
3.2.1 Very short Question Answers.
Q.1W hat does the story focus on?
Ans. The story focuse s on the physical as we ll as journe y of e motions.
Q.2W hat is the time when the story starts?
Ans. The story starts in the ve ry e arly morning.
Q.3How is Tinula waken up early in the monring?
Ans. She is wake n up by the sound of sque aling of a pigle t.
Q.4W hy did Tinula's brother ask her to walk faster?
Ans. He said that the wild animals could attack the m in the e ve ning.
Q.5W ho had given her the shoes?

Ans. A se nior stude nt had give n he r the shoe s.
Q.6W here did the supritendent gave shelter to Tinula?
Ans. She gave he r she lte r in the infirmary.
Q.7 W hy was the journey so difficult?
Ans. The journe y was difficult be cause of the de e p rive rs and pre se nce of wild
animals.
Q.8 How do the travellers get provisions for their journey?
Ans. The y get the provisions of the ir journe y by me ans of se lling oranges, ginger, jam
and at time s spe cial sticky rice .
3.2.2 Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1 How does the story bring out the importance of the effort of the
community in helping an individual?
Ans. The story brings out the importance of the e fforts of the community in he lping
an individual. In this story Tinula and he r brothe r have to unde rtake two difficult
journe ys. Each me mber has brought me als with the m. The pe ople of the group he lp
Tinula one woman give s he r a lot to e at. In the train man give s Tinula a se at.
Anothe r pe rson gives Tinula and he r brothe r lift in his car. Thus the me mbe rs of the
community he lp one othe r.
Q.2W hat is special about the landscape portrayed in the story?
Ans. The story is se t in a village in the Naga Hills. The landscape is be autiful as we ll
as difficult. This is a hilly are a. The re are de nse fore sts also which abound in wild
animals. In the rainy se ason it be come s difficult to cross. Life in this re gion is ve ry
tough & harsh. But the re is a strong bond be twe e n the landscape and the pe ople .
Q.3 How do the people of the hill community prepare for the journey?

Ans. In the morning Tinula saw the wome n of the ir group. The y we re cooking rice
and curry e nough for the whole day of the journe y. It was the custom to carry
sufficient provision for the journe y. Afte r an icy night, the girl along with he r brothe r
was ve ry hungry.
Q.4 Describe the experience of Tinula and her brother from the station to the
school.
Ans. Finally, the train re ache d farkating, the station which was ne are st to he r
school. It was ne arly midnight and the station was de se rted. The school was thre e or
four miles from the re. Luckily they me t a man who was going that way in his car. He
offe re d the m a lift. The brothe r and the siste r sque e ze d the mse lve s in the car as
the re we re othe r pe ople also in it.
3.3.1 Long Answer Type Questions.
Q.1 W ith reference to the story, ' The Journey', writes about the natural beauty
of the North East.
Ans. Assam is known as the Shangri-la of the North East India. That are a is rich in
natural be auty. The lakes and rive rs of that are a re fle ct the colours of the changing
sky. The fields soothe and re fre sh the minds of the pe ople . As the se ason change s,
the be auty of the North East also unde rgoe s ce rtain changes. Drops of rain bathe the
landscape and ke e p it fre sh. Assam is famous for te a garde ns and one horne d
rhinos.
The re is a fine mixture of many culture s. Bihu is ce le brate d by all pe ople . But the
te rrain is tough and difficult. Tinula and he r brothe r unde rgo two difficult journe ys.
But afte r the night whe n the day bre aks, the whole are a is bathe d as be auty.
Q.2 Describe Tinula's journey from her boarding school to her villag e.
Ans. Tinula's brothe r e scorte d he r. The y starte d the ir journe y e arly, so the y could
re ach home by night. He r brothe r ke pt te lling he r to walk faste r. But the girl could

not keep pace with the othe r and re mained be hind the m. They re ache d the banks of
Disoi river. They ope ne d the ir le af packe ts and took the ir midday me al. Whe n the y
e ntered the river, the wate r was knee de e p for othe rs but it re ache d upto the e ye s of
Tinula. So he r brothe r and anothe r man lifte d he r up. Afte r crossing the rive r, the
mountain are a was difficult to he ad. Tinula could not walk and starte d crying. Tinula
re me mbe re d how she struggle d ove r e ve ry ste p and by the time she re ache d the
village , the sun had se t
Grammar for knowledge .
3.3.2 M odals
M odal Auxiliaries are:- shall/should/will/would/can,could,may, might, must,

dare, need, ought to, used to.
The se are use d along with main ve rbs. The modal auxiliarie s e xpre ss the 'mode ' or
'manne r' of actions de note d by the probability, pe rmission, obligation or duty,e tc.
Main Points
1. The modal auxiliary doe s not change form according to the numbe r or pe rson
of the subje ct.
e x - I can drive , You can drive , We can drive .
2. The modal auxiliary doe s not stand alone but always goe s with a full ve rb.
e x - You must work hard.

3. Only the first form of the ve rb can be use d afte r a modal auxiliary.
e x - He can write .
Modals
 Shall:- With the first pe rson, is use d to e xpre ss simple future
e x - we shall le ave for De lhi tomorrow.
Shall, with the se cond & third pe rson is use d, to e xpre ss a command, a thre at,
a promise .
e x - You shall do it.
You shall die for it.
You shall ge t le ave today.
 W ill - the se cond and third pe rsons, will be use d to e xpre ss Simple Future , as
e x - He will le ave for Bombay tomorrow.
Will,with the first pe rson is use d,
to e xpre ss willingne ss, promise , thre at, de te rmination
e x - I will he lp you as far as possible .
I will come in time .
I will be at you.
I will do or die .
 Should - should is the Past te nse of shall. It is use d to de note in indire ct
spe e ch.
e x - I said that I should go.
to e xpre ss duty,purpose , probability,infe re nce
e x - We should re spe ct our e lde rs.
She works hard le st she should fail.
Should the y play we ll, the y will win.
 W ould - Would is the past te nse of 'Will'. It is use d to

to de note the past te nse of will or shall
e x - She said that she would go.

to e xpre ss a habitual activity in the past

e x - He would go for a swim in the se a.
to make a polite re que st a wish or a pre fe re nce .
e x - would you take a cup of te a.
Would that I we re a king.
I would rathe r die than be g.
 Can - is use d for all pe rsons in the pre se nt te nse .
 Could is use d for all pe rsons in the past te nse .

Can is use d

to e xpre ss pe rmission, ability, possibility

e x - you can go now.
I can swim
Anyone can make mistake s.
Could is use d to e xpre ss polite re que st.
e x - Could you se nd me some mone y?
 M ay, M ight - May is use d to e xpre ss possibility,wish,pe rmission.
e x - It may rain.
May he live long!
You may go.
 M ight - must be use d whe n the main verb of the se ntence is in the past te nse ,
To e xpre ss pe rmission, possibility,
e x - He said that I might borrow his cycle .
He thought that I might like it
 M ust - Must re fe rs to the pre se nt or the future Te nse .
To de note complusion, ce rtainity, de te rmination, duty , possibility.
e x - A se rvant must obe y his maste r.
All must die soone r or late r.
I must se e you again be fore I le ave for De lhi.
We must practice Yoga.
He must be at le ast thirty ye ars old.
 Ought to- Ought re fe rs to Pre se nt, Past or Future .
It is use d to de note the se nse of duty, strong probability.
e x - We Ought to love our frie nds.
She ought to pass this time .

 Dare , Need - Dare , Ne e d are pe culiar ve rbs and can be use d as main ve rbs.
The y are followe d by to + first form of the ve rb.
e x - He dare s to disobe y his maste r.
it is use d to de note to ve nture , challe nge
e x - I dare not touch the wire .
I dare you to face me .
 Need- It is use d to e xpre ss ne ce ssity or obligation.
e x - He ne e d not buy a bike .
Ne e d I go the re ?

Exercise
1. ............. you te ach me how to write ? (Ans=will
2. The y ............... be glad to he ar of you win. (Ans=will
3. I ........ be glad if you sugge st me in this matte r.(Ans = shall
4. You.........go instantly.
5. he ................. be sorry to miss the train.
6. ........... you me e t he r, bring he r he re .
7. ..................... you ple ase write a le tte r for me ?
8. I ................ te ach you a le sson.
9. ..................... I come in, Mam?
10. You.................. now go.
11. You .......... to do this.
12. A te ache r.................... be up right.

13. She ..................... work or starve .

14. He ........... not disobe y.
Answers :-
1. Will
2. Will
3. Shall
4. Should
5. Would
6. Should
7. Can
8. Could
9. May
10. may
11. Ought
12. must
13. Must
14. Dare
M odals at a glance
Expression M odal to be used
1. Pre sent ability / capacity................................can

2. Pe rmission..................................................can
3. Asking Pe rmission............................................may
4. Wish/Ble ssing...............................................may
5. Possibility.........................................................May
6. Slight possibility..............................................Might
7. Purpose (afte r so that) ........................................May
8. Purpose (of that(past)..................................might
9. Past ability.................................................could

10. Polite re quest.........................................will/would/could

11. Duty/Compulsion.............................must
12. Willingness/Determination............................will
13. Simple future(ii and 3rd pe rson).....................will
14. Simple future (I/We ) ........................shall
15. Habit...................................will
16. Pre fe rence...........................................would
17. Promise/Threat..........................shall
18. Abse nce lack of ne cessity...............................ne e d not
19. Abse nce of courage.....................................dare not.
20. Accustomed..........................use d to
21. Social/moral obligation..............................ought to
22. Command.............................................Shall
23. Invitation/Offer....................................would
24. Existe nce in the past..............................use d to
25. Ce rtainity......................................must
Exercise for Practice
Fill in the blanks with ought to, should , must , ne e d use d to(positive or ne gative) as
the case may be .
1. We ................. not be rude to our e lde rs.

2. I..................... surre nde r to his whims.
3. He .......................... Ke e p his promise, othe rwise pe ople will not re spe ct him.
4. You......................... do as you are told.
5. We ................. not spit on the floor.
6. Whom am I that I ..................... give advice?
7. Little childre n............. be care ful while crossing the road.
8. It is five minutes to se ven. The brain................... have arrived at the station.
9. In the month of se pte mber, it ....... be raining in de lhi.

10. He .................. control te mpe r, othe rwise he will be sick.
3.4 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS.
Give Synonyms
1. Holiday
2. Flow
3. Hospital
4. Firm
5. Brushed
Answer the questions
1. Who is Winnie?
2. Which place or region has been described here?
3. Why was the journey so difficult?
3.5 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
1. Vacation
2. Current
3. Infirmary
4. determined
5. Jostled.
Answers
1. Winnie is a girl whom Tinula considers as her good friend but her hurts Tinula
very pathetically.
2. The region of Naga Hills has been described in the story.
3. The journey was difficult because of the deep rivers and presence of wild
animals in the jungles.
3.6 KEYW ORDS

 Pigle t - Offspring of a pig.

 Prospe ct - Possibility
 Swift - fast
 Garland - Wre ath
 Dangling - Hanging
 Plight - Mise ry
 Hurricane - storm
 Boon - Ble ssing
 Giggle - laugh lightly
 Pre te nd - to show
 Drastic - Severe
 Sticky - Gummy
 Swift - Rapid
 Ensure - To Safeguard
 Urge - longing
 Hoist - Raise
 Enormously - Hugely
 Huddle - Cluster
 Determined - Committed
 Foliage - Greenery
 Jargon - words that are used by particular profession
 Annoy - Bother
 Tatter - Piece
 Muffle - Silence
 Antipathy - Hatred
 Pigle t - Offspring of a pig.
 Prospe ct - Possibility
 Swift - fast

 Garland - Wre ath

 Dangling - Hanging
 Plight - Mise ry
 Hurricane - storm
 Boon - Ble ssing
 Giggle - laugh lightly
 Pre te nd - to show
3.7 SUM M ARY
The title of the story is loade d with de e p se mantic connotations. The narrator give s
de taile d de scription of two journe ys. She pre se nts a comparative vie w point of the
plains of Assam and the natural sce ne s of Naga hills. He re pe ople have to manage
the ir me als in collaboration and have to face a numbe r of proble ms. In the
be ginning, a vivid de scription of journe y from school to the foothill town of Mariani is
give n. In the middle , the narrator me morize s the proble ms face d by the brothe r
siste r. In the e nd, the traumatic comme nt of Winnie make s Tinula re alize s, " the
barrie rs of life are not only the physical one s." But the value of life is only e stimate d
whe n we jump into it.
3.8 SELF ASSESSMENT TEST
1. What is the time when the story starts?

2. What does the story focus on?
3. Where did Tinula spend her night in the town of Mariani?
4. Who had given her the shoes?
5. What kind of journey is referred to at the end.
6. How did Tinula and her brother reach school from the station.
Self Assessment test
A. India ............................. make progre ss only by following the principle s of pe ace
and co-ope ration. Eve ry citize n .............. re alize that he .................... co-ope rate
with his fe llow citize n if he ........................ achie ve succe ss. Co-ope ration

............. to be the basis of our life . No individual...... ................ be ne fit anything.

If he .............. worry about his safe ty. On the othe r hand, we ................. fe ar if
we are unite d.
B. The old woman................ you kindly do me a favour?
The Young woman - what........................ I do for you mam?
The old woman - I ............................. not go across the road................ You give
me a he lping hand?
The young woman - You are like my granny. Such a situation.................. happe n
with anyone in old age . I ...................most gladly he lp you.
 Te msula Ao, The se Hills Calle d Home : Stories from a War Zone , Zubaan (2013
e dition)

Vetter:
Subject : English
Course Code:BA 101 Author: Dr. Pallavi
Lesson no 4
The Refugee
By Khwaja Ahmed Abbas
4.1 Introduction
4.2.1 Very Short Question Answers
4.2.2 Short Question Answers
4.3.1 Long Question Answers
4.3.2 Paragraph W riting
4.6 Keywords
4.7 Summary

1. The stude nt will le arn the the me of conflict, inde pe nde nce , loyality and
acce ptance .
2. Stude nts should be able to inte rpre t and e xplain the conte nt in English.
3. Unde rstanding the re fe re nce to conte xt and e xplanation of passage s.
4. Stude nts will be able to ge t the knowle dge of paragraph writing.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Born in 1914 in Panipat, Haryana,"Khwaja Ahmad Abbas" was a famous Indian

nove list, journalist, film dire ctor and script write r. He be gan his care e r as a
journalist first by joining the National call, and the n late r the Bombay Chronicle .
"The Re fugee' te lls the story of an old woman from Rawalpindi. The old woman, also
calle d Maanji, is e vacuated from Rawalpindi. Finally she come s to Mumbai with the
write r's Mother. She le arns a le sson full of hatre d and bitte rne ss. She has se e n how
the ne ighbours, both Hindu and Muslim, turn against e ach othe r afte r the partition.
He r story is tragic. As a film make r, he founde d his production company, Naya
Sansar, in 1951. The Gove rnme nt of India honoure d him with the Padma Shri in
1969. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas re pre sented a ge ne ration of the playwrights associate d
with IPTA( Indian Pe ople Theatre Association). The Associate s of IPTA would use folk
art forms and idioms to promote the ir radical ide as for social change. The progressive
thinking of IPTA goe s de e p in making of Abbas as a lite rary figure .
In the ye ar 1947, India was partitione d. The re we re wide spre ad riots be twe e n the
Hindu and Muslims. The partition has be e n calle d a " tragic storm" by the narrator
as it uproote d pe ople from the ir ance stral home . In octobe r of that ye ar, two old
wome n had to trave l hundreds of miles away from the ir homes. One of the m was the
write r's mothe r. She came to Mumbai from Panipat. The othe r was an old Sikh
woman. But afte r the partition first she was se nt to De lhi and from the re to Mumbai
Maanji has live d in Rawalpindi be fore partition of India. The Muslim wome n of the

ne ighbourhood call he r be hanji. It has be e n the patte rn of living not only in the ir
ne ighbourhood, but all ove r the Punjab. In Rawalpindi, Maanji live d in he r own
house . The old couple had an only son. He first worke d in Lahore , the n Calcutta and
finally in Mumbai. At home , the couple had a buffalo. She daily churne d the milk
and made curd and butte r. The she distribute d butte r milk to the whole
ne ighbourhood. The y had income from the re nt of shops also. They we re a conte nte d
couple .
In June , the re was the ne ws of the impe nding partition of India. But it did not alarm
the old woman. The old couple has conce rn with the ir ne ighbours with the m the ir
re lations has always be e n cordial. But now the re was viole nce and hatre d
e verywhere. The n some Muslim came from East Punjab and spre ad false rumours.
The re we re fierce communal riots. Some Muslim ne ighbours came to he r. But e ve n
the n ' Maanji' be lie ve d that e ve rything will be alright. Rathe r she se nds the m
donations of foodstuffs, clothe s, blankets e tc. The n one day, Maanji's faith in fe llow
be ings was shatte re d. She witne sse d the murde r of a Tonga-Wallah in front of he r
house . She saw that was a Hindu. But the brutal killing of his horse pains he r too
de e ply as a horse has no re ligion. Then she kne w that the communal madne ss had
gone too far. She fe lt that the y we re no longe r safe in Rawalpindi.
The n she and he r husband locke d up the house and le ft e verything be hind. She still
hope d to come back one day. By the time, she re ached De lhi. She witnesse d horrible
sce nes of communal madness. In Rawalpindi she has two male se rvants and a maid
se rvant whe reas in Mumbai she had to live in a single room house . In Rawalpindi,
he r house was spacious. But in Mumbai, the re was a small kitche n, se rve d as a
bathroom and store room. Afte r partition, he r he alth can also be not calle d good. She
cooke d e verything with he r own hands. Howe ve r she ne ve r sits idle and sle e ps only
for six hours at night. She ne ve r spe aks about he r trage dy. Maanji had a fair
comple xion. She had short stature and frail body. She got attacks of asthma. She got
up first in the morning and was the last to go to be d. She still re me mbe re d he r

Muslim ne ighbour of Rawalpindi. He r face ge ts brighte ne d whe ne ve r he r husband

re ads out a le tte r re ce ive d from Rawalpindi.
At the e nd of the story she is de picted as a sile nt woman with " te ars bubbling up in
he r tire d old e yes. He r he art has “ne ithe r ange r nor se lf- pity but me morie s." Thus
the story de picts the traumatic psyche of a re fuge e that is re pre se ntative of all the
suffe re rs of partition.
4.2.1 Very Short Question Answer Type
Q.1W hat does the ' storm stand fore here?
Ans :- The word storm' stands for the partition of India in 1947.
Q.2W here were the ' two weak old women' blown to?
Ans :- The two we ak old wome n we re blown to Bombay.
Q.3W ho reached Bombay the same day?
Ans. The narrator's mothe r and the mothe r of his sikh frie nd re ache d Bombay the
same day.
Q.4 Before Partition, which place was the "whole world" for M aanji?
Ans. Be fore Partition, Rawalpindi was the 'whole world' for Maanji.
Q.5 W ho is the writer of the story, ' The Refugee'?
Ans. K.A.Abbas is the write r of the story.
Q.6W hat was the steady source of Income for her?
Ans. Re nt from the shops was the ste ady source of income for Maanji.
Q.7W hat frightful scene did 'M aanji' witness in front of her house?
Ans. Some Muslims killed a Hindu tonga-wallah. This scene made Maanji frightened.
Q.8 W hom did " M aanji" help with food, bedding and blankets?
Ans. She he lpe d the Muslims with the facilitie s of food, be dding and blanke ts.

4.2.2 Short Answer Type Questions
Q.1. How did the 'two women' arrive in Bombay?
Ans. Write r's mother and Sikh frie nd's mothe r arrive d in Bombay from Panipat and
Rawalpindi re spectively. By a strange chance the y re ached Bombay on the same day.
Write r's mother, along with othe r wome n and childre n of he r family, was e vacuate d
from Panipat in a military truck and brought to De lhi. She staye d the re for thre e
we e ks crowde d in a small room with two othe r families, and the n came to Bombay by
place be cause it was still unsafe to trave l by train. Write r's Sikh frie nd's mothe r,
along with he r old husband, came in a re fugee caravan from' Pindi' to Amritsar, from
the re to a re fuge e camp in De lhi, and finally from the re to Bombay.
Q.2 Prior to partition what did M aanji think of M uslims?
Ans. Be fore Partition, she thought that Muslim and Hindus we re like brothe rs. She
thought that a brothe r cannot kill his brothe r. She e ven he lped the Muslim re fuge e s
from East Punjab. She distribute d fre e food, be ddings and blanke ts to the m. Whe n
the re was the ne ws of the impe nding partition of India. She did not bothe r. But one
incide nt change d he r outlook. A Hindu Tonga wallah was kille d by some Muslims.
Eve n his horse was not spare d.
Q.3 Describe the daily life of the old Sikh couple in Rawalpindi?
Ans. At home the couple had a buffalo. She daily churne d the milk and made curt
and butte r. The n she distribute d butte r milk to the whole ne ighbourhood. The y had
the ir own land. It was le ased out to some farme rs. So the y had whe at, maize , bajra,
milk, butte r and ghe e in abundance . The y had income from the re nt of shops also.
Thus the y we re a conte nte d couple .
Q.4 How does the old ' Sardar' couple react to the news of the impending
partition?
Ans. The first re sponse of the old couple to the ne ws of impe nding partition doe s not
worry the m. The old couple has conce rns with the ir ne ighbours with the m the ir

re lations has always be e n cordial. The y don't mind whe the r the country is calle d
Hindustan or Pakistan. Maanji's son who works in Bombay asks his pare nts to come
Bombay. But she re fuses to le ave he r be love d Rawalpindi. Whe ne ve r anyone shows
one 's conce rns for the safe ty of the old couple she says" who will harass us he re ?
Afte r all the Muslims who live around us are all like my own childre n - are n't the y?
Q.5W hat was it that worried M aanji About her son?
Ans. Maanji had an only son. He didn't live with he r in Rawalpindi. He worke d first
in Lahore , the n in Calcutta and finally in Bombay. The mothe r re maine d worrie d to
think about the food he r son had to e at. While there was ple nty of pure ghe e , butte r,
curt and lassi at home , he r son had to e at hote l food. And that would make he r sad.
She would ofte n say to him: 'What is the use of e arning mone y, my son, whe n in
those cities you ge t ne ither pure milk nor ghe e, ne ither apricots nor pe aches, ne ithe r
graphe nor apple s. And baggogoshas? Why, in the city, the y don't e ve n know what
this is!
Q.6 How did the old ' Sardar ' Couple react to the news of the impending
Partition?
Ans. The old couple didn't make much of this ne ws. The y thought that politics was
no concern of common pe aceful pe ople like the m. It did not matte r to the m whe the r
the country was called Hindusan or Pakistan. The y thought the ir conce rn was with
the ir ne ighbours only. And with the ir ne ighbours, the ir re lations had always be e n
frie ndly and cordial. As for communal riots, the y had be e n the re e arlier also. The old
couple calle d such riots a fe ve r of the mind that always coole d off.
4.3.1 Long Answer Type Questions
Q.1 "The Refugee" proves that men and women are capable of behaving both as
uncouth animals and noble human beings. Discuss.

Ans. Simply having two hands and two legs does not make one a human being. It is
only by having a kind and humane heart that one becomes a true human being. Bereft
of this basic trait, one is no better than an uncouth animal. The old woman, called
Maanji in the story, is a perfect specimen of a noble human being. She was a sikh and
lived in Rawalpindi where most of her neighbours were Muslims. She never had any
problem with them. The older Muslim women called her Behanji while the younger
ones respectfully addressed her as Maanji or Chachi. The old woman reciprocated
their love and regard in equal measure. She had a buffalo that gave no less than her
seers of milk everyday. She churned the curd to take out butter and distributed the
buttermilk to the whole neighbourhood. When some Muslim refugees from East punjab
settled in her neighbourhood. She felt moved by their light. She sent for them donations
of foodstuffs, clothes, blankets and bedding. She never thought of them as Muslims,
supposed to be the enemies of her people.
Among Muslims also, the re was no de arth of such noble souls. Whe n the communal
madne ss was at its worst, he r Muslim ne ighbours came to he r and ple ade d with he r
to go away to place of safe ty. But still the re we re some who re assure d he r and
promised that the y would prote ct he r life , honour and prope rty with the ir own live s.
A Muslim tailor, who was a te nant of he rs, ke pt watch on he r house day and night.
He saw to it that no harm came to his landlady. The re could be no gre ater e xample of
a noble human be ing.
But the re we re some two le gged uncouth animals also. The y stabbe d a tongs-wallah
to de ath be cause he was a Hindu. And the y did not stop at that. The y did not spare
e ven the horse who had no caste or re ligion. The y we nt on stabbing the poor, dumb
animal with the ir dagge rs tall it ble m to de ath.
Q.2 Describe the life of 'M aanji' in Bombay.
Ans. In Rawalpindi, the house of Maanji had six spacious rooms. But in Mumbai she
had to live in a single room house . There was a small kitchen which also se rve d as a
bathroom and store room. She ke pt e verything cle an. She cooked e verything. But she

ne ve r forgot he r North Indian hospitality. Maanji had a fair comple xion. She had
short stature and frail body. Afte r partition, he r hair almost turne d white . She ne ve r
sat idle , e xce pt for sle e ping for six hours. She ne ve r fe lt sad that she had lost so
much. Eve n afte r partition she still re calls he r Muslim neighbours with affe ction. She
re me mbe re d he r frie ndly re lationships with he r ne ighbours in Rawalpindi.
Some times there we re e ye s of maanji full of te ars. But she ne ve r had any ange r or
se lf pity in he r he art.
Q.3 How would you consider, ' The Refugee' as a story about displacements,
geographical, social, political, moral and spiritual?
Ans:- The write r de scribes firstly the ge ographical displacement. He e xplains that the
partition blows away pe ople from one e nd of the country to the othe r from De lhi to
Karachi , from Karachi to Bombay, from Lahore to De lhi, from Lyallpur to Panipat,
from Rawalpindi to Agara and so on. Te n million pe ople have be e n suffe rs of this "
tragic storm" who have be e n compare d with " autunm Le ave s" ve ry appropriate ly.
The write r shows the de e p conce rn of old lady with he r social milie rs of Rawalpindi.
It has be e n the patte rn of living not only in the ne ighbourhood, not only in
Rawalpindi, but all ove r the punjab. The old couple has small but ste ady income
from the re nt of the shops. The town of Rawalpindi has be e n the whole world for
Maanji as she has ne ve r be e n e lse whe re be fore partition.
In the e nd, the write r de picts the displace ment. The old woman had a no. of se rvants
in Rawalpindi. But in Bombay she doe s all he r work by he rse lf. He r hair had turne d
white . He r he alth was not also ve ry good. She ge ts attack of asthma and ne w
re ligion.
The tragic e vent of the killing of a Hindu Tonga wallah and his horse in front of he r
house shatters the last thre ad of faith. She says that the y killed him simply be cause
he was a hindu. But the brutal killing of his horse pains he r too de e ply as a horse
has no re ligion. Now she re alize s the madne ss.

Grammar for Knowledge
4.3.2 Paragraph W riting
A paragraph is a unit of composition in which one ide a or thought is de ve lope d by

me ans of e xample s or supporting de tails. Eve ry good paragraph has a controlling
ide a, to which its se ntences are re lated. As a paragraph is build around a single idea,
it is possible to make a brie f state ment of this ide a in one se nte nce . This is the ke y
se nte nce , topical se nte nce or the pilot se nte nce . The most common patte rn of
paragraph writing is to state the main ide a by the ve ry first se nte nce which be gins
the paragraph.
M ain features of a Paragraph
1. Unity:- The most important thing of a paragraph is unity. It me ans that all the
se ntence s in a paragraph should bring out only one thought, ide a or subje ct.
The unity of a paragraph is thus uphold by the facts logically arrange d, the

se ntences following in a natural se quence and all the points converging on the
main ide a.
2. Order:- All the se ntences in a paragraph should be arrange d in a logical and
natural orde r. All the se ntences are inte r re late d ke e ping in vie w the orde r of
time , place , cause and e ffe ct or the re lative importance of the ide as.
How to write a Paragraph
1. Cle ar thinking is ne ce ssary to unde rstand the main ide a or title about which
you are e xpe cte d to write .
2. Think out the points. Jolt the m down. In orde r to build your points, raise
que stions about the give n topic.

3. Arrange the points in a logical and prope r orde r.

4. Start with the most striking se nte nce which may e xpre ss the main ide a and
awake n the re ade r's inte re st.
5. Vary the le ngth & structure of your se nte nce .
6. Avoid re pe tition & monotony.
7. Use linking de vice s.
8. Eve ry se nte nce should state a cle ar fact or ide a.
9. End up with a se nte nce that summarize s what you have said. It should be
inte re sting, attractive and impre ssive .
10. Do not fail to re vise care fully what you have writte n. Corre ct all e rrors,
spe lling & unctuation.
Different ways

1. The Chronological order:- The facts or state me nts may be arrange d in orde r
of time or the chronological orde r.
2. The spatial Arrangement:- This arrange me nt can be use d in de scribing
obje cts, sce ne s, buildings e tc.
3. The logical order:- He re , a state ment is made at the outse t. Re asons are given
le ading to a conclusion or a cause and e ffe ct re lation is pre se nte d. This
arrange me nt can be use d in e xplaining a prove rb, a scie ntific fact or
obse rvation.
4. The use of Connectives:- He re it is use d to show re lation be twe e n se nte nce s
by using conne cting words. The y are known linking de vice s.
5. Variety:- Variety is the third important quality of a paragraph. In a Paragraph,
the se ntences should be of diffe rent le ngths. The y should not always be of the
same kind.
For e xample :- Diwali : The Festival of Lamps
Diwali is an important fe stival for Hindus. Pre parations for ce le brating Diwali are
made quite in advance. Shops and house s are white washed. The walls are de corated
with picture s. Ne w clothe s and furnishings are purchased. Childre n ge t ne w clothe s
and gifts. On the Diwali day, the re is a fe stive mood. We go to market and buy swe e t,
toys, candle s, crackers and cale ndars. In the e ve ning, we light lamps and candle s.
Some pe ople illuminate the ir home s with rows of e le ctric lamps. Afte r worshipping
the godde ss of we alth, Lakshmi. We fire cracke rs and the n pre se nt gifts and swe e ts
to our frie nds, re lative s and ne ighbours. Diwali fills use with joy and light.
Fill in The Blanks
1. The playe rs of the te am..............( be ) having the ir lunch.

2. A pair of socks ................(be ) lying on the be d.
3. Two note books or a te xtbook .............(be ) ne ce ssary.
4. Bre ad and Butte r ................(be ) his usual bre akfast.

5. Eighty kilograms...........(be ) quite a load.

6. The mate rial in the school ............(be ) outdate d.
7. The owne rs of the factory ...............be (rich)
8. All the luggage ..........................(have ) now be e n spe nt.
Complete the sentences.
1. You know a horse has ne ithe r............................

2. The town of Rawalpindi was the .................................
3. and sudde nly she is sile nt, te ars bubbling...............................
4. I calle d my mothe r ' Amman' and my frie nd calle d...................
4.5 ANSW ERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS.
1. are
2. is
3. is
4. is
5. is
6. is
7. are
8. have
Complete the sentences
1. re ligion nor caste

2. whole world
3. up in he r e ye s
4. his mothe r Maanji.
4.6 KEYW ORDS
1. Ruthle ssly - Crue lly

2. Ance stral - be longings of ance stor
3. Caravan - a convoy of trave lle rs

4. Te nants - those who live on re nt.

5. Ste ady - Continuous
6. Communal - base d on caste and re ligion
7. Harass - to trouble
8. Frightful-fe arful
9. Pre vale nt - Spre ad
10. Flavour - form
11. Dorning - Me nding
12. Inte nse ly - De e ply
4.7 SUM M ARY
The Re fuge e " te lls the story of an old woman from Rawalpindi. She be come s a
re fugee as a consequence of the partition of India in 1947. The old woman known as
" Maanji" is e vacuated from Rawalpindi. The n she is se nt to a re fugee camp in De lhi.
Finally she come s to Mumbai with the write r's mothe r. She le arns a bitte r le sson
about he r fe llow Indians in Rawalpindi. She has se e n that ne ighbours and frie nds,
both Hindu and Muslim, living in pe rfe ct harmony, turn against e ach othe r afte r the
partition. He r story is tragic. Like many othe rs she was also compe lle d to le ave he r
home and trave l into alie n lands.
4.8 SELF-ASSESSM ENT TEST
Q.1What ne ws was publishe d in Ne wspape rs in June 1947?
Q.2How was he r Comple xion and stature ?
Q.3 Point out the simile use d in the ope ning?
Q.4 In what kind of house did ' Maanji' live in Bombay?
Q.5What was the ste ady source of income for he r?
B.) Answer the questions of the passage
In the Octobe r of the ye ar of sorrowful me morie s, this ve ry storm ble w two we ak old
wome n into Bombay. One of the m was my own mothe r and the othe r was as the

mothe r of a sikh friend and ne ighbour of mine. One had come from the East Punjab
and the othe r from the we st Punjab, one from Panipat and the othe r from
Rawalpindi. My mothe r, along with othe r wome n and childre n of my family was
e vacuated from Panipat. My frie nd's mothe r along with he r old husband, came in a
re fuge e caravan from, Pindi to Amritsar
a.) Who we re the se two wome n?

b.) How did the narrator's mothe r trave l to Bombay?
c.) How the old wome n came to Amritsar?
d.) From whe re did the two wome n came to Bombay?
4.9 REFERENCES / SUGGESSTED READINGS
 https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511760990.004

Subject: English
Course code: BA-101 Author: Dr. Narsingh Jangra
Lesson: 5 Vetter:
PANCHLIGHT
Structure
5.2 Introduction
5.3 M ain Body I
1.2.1 Text of the story
1.2.2 Vocabulary of the text
5.4 M ain Body II
1.3.1 Introduction to the author
1.3.2 Summary
5.5 Check your progress
5.6 Transcription
5.7 Comprehension
5.8 Examination style questions
1.8.1 Short questions
1.8.2 Long questions
5.9 Answers to check your progress
5.10 References/Suggested Reading

 Re ad, unde rstand and e njoy the story.

 Enrich your taste for lite rature .
 Le arn and unde rstand the fundame ntals of prose .
 Le arn about the biography of the write r.
 De ve lop re ading, writing, and spe aking skills of the English language .
 Enrich your vocabulary.
 Le arn the phone tic transcription of some English words.
 Le arn to answe r the e xamination style que stions.
5.2 INTRODUCTION
The story, Panchlight, is se t in an unnamed village of Bihar. It re volves around

the arrival of a pe tromax in the village. The pe tromax, called 'Panchlight' in the
story, is a type of ke rosene lamp which has paraffin in it and has a hand pump
to pre ssurise the oil into a mantle and to light it up. The re are e ight
Panchayats in the village , e ach base d on a diffe re nt caste , calle d a Toli. All
othe r Panchayats have the ir own panchlight (Pe tromax), e xcept the Mahto Toli.
Mahto Toli buys its own Panchlight. The write r make s this Panchlight the
ce ntral characte r and we ave s the whole story around it. The y plan to offe r
pooja to the ir Panchlight be fore the y light it. But, in this Toli no one knows
how to light it. In the e nd, to save the honour of the ir Toli, the y had to re que st
Godhan whom the panchayat had banishe d, to light the lamp.
The e lders of Me hto Toli bought a pe tromax at this ye ar’s Ramnavami fair from
the fine s and pe nalties collected ove r the past fifte e n months. The re are e ight
Panchayats in the village , one for e ach community. All the panchayats have

the ir own durrie s, jajim, mats and a pe tromax lamp, which the village rs call
the panchlight.
Afte r buying the Panchlight, the panchayat me mbe rs de cide d to buy offe rings
for puja with the te n rupe e s that we re le ft ove r, for it would be most
inappropriate a te chnical obje ct with nuts and bolts without first having it
suitably ble ssed. Afte r all, e ven in the time of the British Bahadur, a sacrifice
would be offe re d to appe ase the gods be fore work could be gin on building a
bridge .
All the panchayat members re turne d home from the fair we ll be fore sunse t—
the orde rly in front carrying the box with the Panchlight on his he ad, followe d
by the chie f, the se cre tary and the othe r me mbe rs. Phutangi Jha of the
Brahmin Toli Stoppe d the m at the outskirts of the village and aske d, ‘How
much did you buy this lante rn for?’
‘Can’t you se e? This is Panchlight! You pe ople from the Brahmin Toli think no
e nd of yourse lves. You will call the flickering oil lamp in your home an e le ctric
bulb and whe n someone e lse buys a Panchlight, it looks like a lante rn to you!’
By the time the y re ache d the ir own toil, word had spre ad. Eve ryone droppe d
whate ver the y we re doing and rushe d to se e the panchlight. ‘Come on, come
on. Hurry! Our Panchlight has come !’
The orde rly, Agnu Mahto, ke pt issuing stern warnings; ‘Watch out! Don’t come
too close ! Don’t touch it! Se e you don’t damage it!’
The chie f of the Panchyat told his wife : ‘The re will be a puja in the e ve ning.
Hurry up and cook my dinne r, and you too take a bath and ge t re ady.’
The he ad of the ne ighbourhood troupe of singe rs told his musicians: ‘Look

he re, tonight we shall be pe rforming in the light of Panchlight. So all you out-
of-tune type s be tte r watch out! One false note and you are out!’

Gulri Kaki, one of the le ading lights of wome n’s choir, be gan to hum. Little
girls and boys starte d a ruckus, shouting and crying for no re ason save
uncontrollable e xcite me nt.
The re was still an hour to go be fore sunset, but pe ople had alre ady gathered at
the chie f’s door. The chat we nt up: ‘Panchlight! Panchlight!’
The re was no othe r topic for e ithe r conve rsation or gossip, e xce pt the
Panchlight. The chie f gurgle d his hukkah amd said, “ The shopke e pe r aske d
for five cowries and five rupe es. I said, “ Don’t take me for an ignorant rustic; I
have seen lots of Panchlights.” At first, the shopke e pe r could only gape at me .
The n he said, “Looks like you are a chie f by caste ! All right, since the chie f
himse lf has come to my shop to buy a Panchlight, I will charge only five
cowrie s only for it,”
The se cretary of the Panchyat adde d: That shopke e pe r could re ad face s. The
shop’s se rvant didn’t want to give us a box for the Panchlight, but I said, “ Mr.
Shopke eper, how can we carry the Panchlight without its box?” the shopkeeper
scolde d his se rvant and said, “ What is this? Are you trying to fool the
se cre tary? Give him the box.”
The pe ople from the toil looke d at the chief and the se cretary with ne w re spe ct.
The orde rly was te lling the crowd of wome n, ‘It was making funny noise s all
the way- sannn- sannn...’
But ...at the pre cise mome nt a ‘but’ re are d its ugly he ad. Thre e bottle s of
ke rosene had be e n fe tched from Rudal Shah’s shop, but now the que stion was:
‘Who would light the Panchlight?’
No one had thought of it so far. No one had thought of it be fore buying the
Panchlight, and no one did afte r it was bought. The offerings for the puja we re
re ady, the singers we re waiting with the ir drums, cymbals and be lls, while the
Panchlight stood in the middle of it all. The village rs had ne ve r bought

anything like this be fore . There is a saying in the village: ‘Shall we buy a cow?’
Ye s, but who will milk it?’...And so it was with this contraption of nuts and
bolts... ‘Who will light it?’
It was not that no one in the e ntire village knew how to light a Panchlight. The
issue he re was: ‘Afte r all the pre parations, the ritual offe rings and puja, will
some one from anothe r toil have to be brought in to he lp light our panchlight?
Wouldn’t it be be tte r to le t it lie around? Who can be ar the insults and
mocke ry for the re st of one ’s life ? Pe ople from the othe r tolis will taunt us at
the slighte st pre te xt, “So, you got some one from anothe r toil to light your...”
No, no, it is a matte r of our panchyat’s pride . Don’t e ve n think of asking for
he lp from othe r panchyats.’
Sadne ss de scended on the crowd. The e ve ning darke ne d. No one had lit e ve n
an oil lamp in his home ...Who would want a flicke ring oil lamp now that the
Panchlight had be e n bought?
But it had all come to nought! And, not a word from the chief, the se cre tary or
the orde rly1 the panchyat was in se rious dange r of losing face . Some one said
in a fe e ble voice : ‘The se te chni cal things throw the ir own tantrum.’
A young man arrive d with the ne ws: ‘Pe ople from the Rajput Toli are going
crazy laughing at us. The y are saying, “Hold your ye ars and do five sit-ups in
front of the Panchlight and it will light up on its own,”
The panchyat members he ared this re port and said the mselves: ‘God has given
the m the opportunity to laugh at us, so why wouldn’t the y laugh? An old man
came with the grim ne ws that Rudal Shah, the groce r, was saying that
pumping the Panchlight can be a tricky busi ne ss and ne e ds the utmost care .
Gulri Kaki’s daughte r, Munri, wante d to say some thing. The words we re
itching to off he r tongue . But how could she ? She kne w that Godhan kne w
how to light a Panchlight, but she also kne w that he had be e n ostracise d by

the panchayat. Munri’s mothe r had complaine d to the panchyat that Godhan
would look at he r daughte r and sing romantic songs from the movie s. The
panchayat members had be e n itching to te ach Godhan a le sson: he had come
from anothe r village and starte d living he re without e ver having given so much
as a paisa to the panchayat. He couldn’t care le ss about the panchayat
me mbe rs. So now whe n the opportunity pre se nte d itse lf, the y fine d him te n
rupe e s, and as he did not pay up, force d the villagers to ostracise him. The ban
was still in place —Godhan was not allowe d to talk to anyone from the toil or
mingle socially with the m. He could not e ve n smoke from the ir hukkahs, so
how could he be calle d now? How could Munri take his name ? On the othe r
hand, the re was the que stion of the e ntire community losing face .
Munri droppe d the sugge stion cle verly in he r frie nd Kane li’s e ar. Kane li smiled,
‘but Godhan is de barre d!’ Munri said, ‘Why don’t you te ll the chie f to se nd for
him.’
‘Godhan knows how to light a Panchlight!’ Kane li announce d.
‘Who? Godhan? Doe s he ? But...’
The chie f looke d at the se cre tary and the se cre tary looke d at the othe r
panchayat me mbe rs. The y had all take n a anonymous de cision to ostracise
Godhan. The e ntire village was fe d up with Godhan singing le wd songs and
making she e p’s e ye s at the girls. But the chie f said, ‘Why quibble ove r
banishment from the community whe n the community’s honour is at stake ?’
The se cre tary said, ‘True , True .’
The othe r membe rs of the panchayat spoke in one voice, ‘All right. Le t the ban
be lifte d from Godhan.’
The chie f dispatche d the orde rly. The orde rly re turne d and said, ‘Godhan
re fuse s to come . He says the re is no te lling with the panchayat me mbe rs;

tomorrow if something goe s wrong with the nuts and bolts of the contraption,
the y will make me pay a fine .’
The orde rly ple ade d. ‘Ple ase ge t him to agre e some how, or e lse it would be
impossible show our face in the village .’
Gulari kaki spoke up, ‘Shall I go and try?’
She we nt towards Godhan’s hut and manage d to mollify him. A ne w li ght of

hope lit up e ve ryone ’s face s. Godhan be gan to quie tly fill up the Panchlight
with oil. The chief’s wife shooed off the cat circling around the offe rings for the
puja. The le ad singer of the troupe be gan to smoothe n the hairs of his flick in
anticipation of whisking it vigorously. Godhan asked, ‘Whe re is the spirit? How
can I light it without the spirit?’
Anothe r spanne r in the works! Eve ryone be gan to harbour se rious doubts
about the inte lligence of the chief, the se cretary and the orde rly—the y had se t
out to do things without any ide a of how the y we re to done ! De spair grippe d
the crowd once again. But Godhan was a cle ver young man. He would light the
Panchlight without spirit... ‘Will someone ple ase ge t a little coconut oil?’ Munri
ran to do his bidding. Godhan be gan to pump the Panchlight.
The silke n me sh of the Panchlight’s torch slowly be gan to glow with light.
Godhan be gan to alte rnately blow at the torch and turn its ke y. A sibilant hiss
e me rge d from the Panchlight and its light be gan to brighte n and flare . All
trace s of ill will se e pe d out from e ve ryone ’s he arts. Godhan was a ve ry bright
young man.
Soon e nough, e ntire toil was lit up in the Panchlight’s luminous glow. The
singers sang in high, cle ar voice . The bright flare of the Panchlight shone on
the smiling faces all around. Godhan had won e veryone’s he arts. Munri looke d
longingly at him. The ir e ye s me t and a me ssage flashe d be twe e n the m: ‘Le t
bygone be bygone s. Forgive me !’

The chie f fondly calle d out to Godhan. Making him sit close ly by his side , he
said, ‘You have save d our community’s honour. You will be forgive n all your
tre spasse s. You may sing as many songs from the movie s as you wish!’
Gulri Kaki said, ‘You must e at dinne r at my house tonight.’
Godhan looke d at Munri once again. Munri coyly lowe re d he r e ye lashe s.
The troupe of singe rs finishe d one song and launche d into loud crie s of
jubilation. ‘Victory to... Long Live ...’ Eve ry le af and twig on e ve ry plant and
bush was tre mbling with happine ss.
(translate d from Hindi by Rakhshanda Jalil)
 Toli: An Indian ve rsion of a group of pe ople

 Pe tromax: Brand name for a type of pre ssurised paraffin/kerosene lamp
that use s a mantle
 Pe nalty: A punishment for violating rule s.
 Sacrifice: The act of killing an animal in orde r to make an offe ring to a
de ity
 Appe ase : To make somebody calmer or le ss angry by giving the m what
the y want
 Orde rly: A pe rson who works in an office, usually doing jobs that do not
ne ed any spe cial training
 Outskirts: The parts of a town or city that are furthe st from the ce ntre
 Flicker: To burn or shine unsteadily, or with a wave ring light.
 Ste rn: Strict
 Troupe : A group of actors, singers, e tc., who work toge ther
 Note : A musical sound
 Choir: A group of pe ople who sing toge ther

 Ruckus: A situation in which the re is a lot of noisy activity, confusion or

argument
 Chant: Words or phrase s that a group of pe ople shout or sing again and
again
 Gossip: An idle talk in ge neral
 Gurgle : To make a sound like wate r flowing quickly through a narrow
space
 Ignorant: Not knowing, unaware
 Rustic: A Pe rson from a rural are a.
 Cowrie : An old Indian curre ncy made of she ll
 Gape : To stare at some body or something with your mouth ope n be cause
you are shocked or surprise d
 Scold: To spe ak angrily to somebody be cause he /she has done
some thing wrong; re buke
 Re are d its ugly he ad: If some thing unple asant re ars its he ad or re ars its
ugly he ad, it appe ars or happe ns
 Contraption: A machine or pie ce of e quipment that looks strange
 Mockery: Comments or actions that are inte nde d to make
some body/something seem ridiculous
 Taunt: To try to make somebody angry or upse t by saying unkind things
about the m, laughing at the ir failures, e tc.
 Pre te xt: A false re ason that you give for doing something, usually
some thing bad, in orde r to hide the re al re ason; an e xcuse which has not
be e n successful
 Come to nought: Come to nothing, not bringing any fruit
 lose face : Look stupid be cause of what you have done ; be humiliated
 Fe e ble: Ve ry we ak

 Throw tantrum: To display a sudde n short pe riod of angry, unre asonable

be haviour
 Grim: looking or sounding ve ry se rious
 Utmost: Gre ate st; most e xtre me
 Itching: to want to do something badly
 To roll off tongue : Wanting to spe ak ve ry e agerly
 Fe d up with: Bore d or unhappy e spe cially with the situation that has
continued for too long
 Le wd: Sugge sting moral loose ness; obsce ne
 To make sheep’s e yes: To look at some one in a way that shows that you
love him/her or are attracted to him/her
 Banishment: The punishment of be ing se nt away from a place , e spe cially
from a country
 No te lling: This e xpre ssion is used to say that it is impossible to know
what has happe ne d or what will happe n
 Mollify: To make somebody fe e l le ss angry or upse t; placate
 Shoo off: To make somebody/something go away, e spe cially by saying
‘shoo’ and waving your arms and hands
 Flick: Hit some thing with a sudde n quick movement, e specially using
your finger and thumb toge ther, or your hand
 Anticipation: A fe e ling about some thing (usually something good) that is
going to happe n
 Whisk: Brush or wipe off lightly
 Vigorously: Ve ry actively; with de te rmination; e nergetically
 Spanne r in the works: To cause a de lay or proble m with some thing that
some body is planning or doing
 Se t out: To be gin a job
 Sibilant : A long hissing sound such as ‘s’ or ‘sh’

 Eme rge : To come out

 Flare : A bright but unste ady light or flame that doe s not last long
 Se ep out: To flow slowly and in small quantities; trickle
 Luminous: Ve ry bright
 Glow: A dull ste ady light
 Longingly: A fe e ling or showing that you want some thing badly
 Tre spass: (he re) Wrongdoings
 Coyly: In a manner that is shy or pre te nding to be shy and innocent
(e spe cially in a playful or provocative way)
 Twig: A small thin branch that grows out of a large r branch on a bush or
tre e
5.4 M AIN BODY OF THE TEXT II
Phanishwar Nath ‘Re nu’ (1921—77) was one of the most significant
write rs of Hindi lite rature in its post-Pre mchand e ra. His nove l Maila
Anchal is considered to be one of the most significant Hindi nove ls of all
time s. Born in Araria district (the n Purne a district), Bihar, in 1921,
Re nu spe nt a part of his growing up ye ars in Ne pal. He graduate d from
Kashi Hindu Vishvavidyalay (Unive rsity) in 1942 and took part in the
Indian fre e dom struggle. Re nu introduce d the ‘Anchalik. Katha’ (re gional
story) into Hindi writing, and brought local flavours into Hindi lite rature.
He die d in 1977.
5.3.2 SUM M ARY
The story re volves around the arrival of Panchlight (Pe tromax) in Mahto
Toli which is a caste-based group in a village in Bihar. The Panchayat of
Mahto Toli de cides to purchase a Panchlight from the fine s collected over
a pe riod of se ven months on the occasion of Ramnavami. Panchlight has

be come some sort of pre stige issue for Mahto Toli si nce it has alre ady
be e n purchased by the rival Tolis. So, the re is a mood of ce le bration in
Mahto Toli. The y wante d to light the panchlight only afte r pe rforming
Puja. Since no one in the Mahto Toli knows how to light it, a ve ry
e mbarrassing situation arises. It would be humiliating if someone from a
rival Toli is called to light the lamp. The ne ws has spre ad to othe r Tolis
about it. The Rajput Toli is alre ady mocking at Mahto Toli. The Toli
would the n lose all honour and be come a butt of ridicule among the
othe r Tolis of the village. A young man name d Godhan is the only one in
the Mahto Toli who knows how to light a panchlight, but he has be e n
e xpe lled from the Toli for singing le wd film songs and te asing the girls of
the village . Gulri Kaki, the mothe r of a girl name d Munari, had
complaine d to the Panchayat that Godhan sang le wd songs to he r
daughte r. Munri drops the information in he r frie nd Kane li's e ar that
Godhan knows how to light a Panchlight. Kane li announce s it in the
Panchayat. The chie f se nds his orde rly to Godhan with the re que st to
come and light the panchlight. But Godhan re fuse s to come . The chie f
doe s not know what to do. Se e ing the honour of the Toli at stake , Gulri
Kaki he rse lf come s forward and sugge sts that Godhan should be calle d
to light the Panchlight. At once , Godhan is invite d to light the lamp and
in a fe w minutes the Panchlight starts glowing. The e ntire Toli is lit up in
the panchlight's luminous glow. The singe rs start singing. Godhan had
won e ve ryone 's he art. Munri looks at him with loving e ye s. The chie f
calls Godhan and asks him to sit by his side . He thanks him for saving
the honour of the community. He de clare s that all his faults has be e n
forgiven. Gulri Kaki invites him to take dinne r at he r house that night.
1). Answer the following questions using a word, a phrase or one or two
sentences each.

a)What is a Panchlight?
b)How much did the Panchlight cost?
c)Who bought the Panchlight?
d)What is the te chnical name of Panchlight?
e )How was the mone y arrange d to buy a Panchlight?
f)On which occasion was the Panchlight bought?
g)Who gave the ste rn warnings not to touch the Panchlight?
h)How many bottle s of ke rose ne had be e n fe tche d from Rudal Shah’s shop to
light the Panchlight?
i)Which toil said, “Hold your e ars and do five sit-ups in front of the Panchlight
and it will light up on its own?”
j)Who had be e n ostracise d by the panchayat?
k)How much fine was impose d upon Godhan?
l)Who announce d that Godhan could light a Panchlight?
m)Who is Munri?
n)Who was Gulri Kaki?
o)Who was Kane li?
p)Who succe de d in mollifying Godhan?
q)What was use d in place of spirit to light the Panchlight?
r)Who lighte d the Panchlight?
s)Who invite d Godhan for dinne r in the e nd?
2). Give words that are similar in meaning to the following words:
a) Appe ase

b) Incorre ct
c) Hurry
d) Chorus
e ) Strict
3) Give words that are opposite in meaning to the following words:
a) Be autiful
b) Dishonour
c) Allow
d) Praise
e ) We ak
5.6 Transcription
Transcription of important words taken from the story.
a. Pe nalty ˈpɛnlti
kəˈlɛkt
b. Colle ct ɔːl
c. All əʊn
d. Own ˈəʊvə
məʊst
e. Ove r
juːz
f. Most
ˈɒbʤɪkt
g. Use ˈsjuːtəbl
h. Obje ct bɪˈfɔː
ˈbɪldɪŋ
i. Suitable

j. Be fore brɪʤ
fe ə
k. Building
wɛl
l. Bridge ɪˈlɛktrɪk
m. Fair ˈwɔːnɪŋ
wɒʧ
n. We ll
kləʊs
o. Ele ctric tʌʧ
p. Warning ˈdæmɪʤ
q. Watch
r. Close
s. Touch
t. Damage
5.7 Comprehension
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.
a) The e lde rs of Me hto Toli bought a pe tromax at this ye ar’s Ramnavami

fair from the fine s and pe nalties colle cted ove r the past fifte e n months. The re
are e ight Panchayats in the village , one for e ach community. All the
panchayats have the ir own durrie s, jajim, mats and a pe tromax lamp, which
the village rs call the panchlight.
Afte r buying the Panchlight, the panchayat me mbe rs de cide d to buy

offe rings for puja with the te n rupe e s that we re le ft ove r, for it would be most
inappropriate a te chnical obje ct with nuts and bolts without first having it
suitably ble ssed. Afte r all, e ven in the time of the British Bahadur, a sacrifice
would be offe re d to appe ase the gods be fore work could be gin on building a
bridge .

All the panchayat me mbe rs re turne d home from the fair we ll be fore
sunset—the orde rly in front carrying the box with the Panchlight on his he ad,
followe d by the chie f, the se cre tary and the othe r me mbe rs. Phutangi Jha of
the Brahmin Toli Stoppe d the m at the outskirts of the village and aske d, ‘How
much did you buy this lante rn for?’
1. W ho bought a Petromax?
Ans. The e lde rs of Mahto Toli bought a pe tromax.
2. At which fair the Petromax was bought?
Ans. The Pe tromax was bought at Ramnavami fair.
3. How many Panchayats were there in the village?
Ans. The re we re e ight Panchayats in the village .
4. W hat did the members of the Panchayat decide?
Ans. The me mbe rs of the Panchayat de cide d to buy offe rings for puja
with the Te n rupe e s that we re le ft ove r.
5. W ho was carrying the Panchlight.
Ans. The orde rly in the front was carrying the box with the panchlight on
his he ad.
b) Gulri Kaki's daughte r, Munri, wante d to say some thing. The words
we re itching to roll off he r tongue . But, how could she ? She kne w that Godhan
kne w how to light a Panchlight, but she also kne w that he had be e n ostracise d
by the panchayat. Munri's mothe r had complaine d to the panchayat that
Godhan would look at he r daughte r and sing romantic songs from the movie s.
The panchayat me mbe rs had be e n itching to te ach Godhan a le sson: he had
come from anothe r village and starte d living he re without e ver having give n so
much as a paisa to the panchayat. He couldn't care le ss about the panchayat
me mbe rs. So now whe n the opportunity pre se nte d itse lf, the y fine d him te n

rupe e s, and as he did not pay up, force d the villagers to ostracise him. The ban
was still in place —Godhan was not allowe d to talk to anyone from the toli or
mingle socially with the m.
He could not e ven smoke from the ir hukkahs, so how could he be calle d
now? How could Munri take his name ? On the othe r hand, the re was the
que stion of the e ntire community losing face .
Munri droppe d the sugge stion cle verly in he r frie nd Kane li's e ar. Kane li smiled,
'But Godhan is de barre d!'
Munri said, 'Why don't you te ll the chie f to se nd for him.'
'Godhan knows how to light a Panchlight!' Kane li announce d.
'Who? Godhan? Doe s he ? But. . . '
The chief looke d at the se cre tary and the se cre tary looke d at the othe r
panchayat me mbe rs. The y had all take n a unanimous de cisi on to ostracise
Godhan. The e ntire village was fe d up with Godhan singing le wd songs and
making she e p's e ye s at the girls. But the chie f said, 'Why quibble ove r
banishment from the community whe n the community's honour is at stake ?'
1. W ho is M unri?
Ans. Munri is the daughte r of Gulri Kaki.
2. W hy was Godhan ostracised?
Ans. He was ostracise d for singing le wd songs.
3. How did Kaneli ‘help M unri?
Ans. Kane li announce d that Godhan kne w how to light a panchlight.
4. W hat was the Panchayat chief's reaction to Kaneli's announcement?
Ans. He was re lie ve d to he ar this ne ws.

5. From the passage, what do you gather about M unri's attitude towards
Godhan?
Ans. It appe ars that Munri love s Godhan.
Q1.W hat was the mood in the M ahto Toli?
Ans. Elde rs of the Mahto Toli had bought a Panchlight at that ye ar's
Ramnavmi fair. Whe n the me mbe rs of the Toli came to know of it, the y came
running to se e it and it was de cide d to have a puja in the e ve ning. Eve ryone
was full of e xcite me nt and the re was a mood of ce le bration in the toli.
Q2. How did the people react when the Panchlight could not be lighted?
Ans. Eve ry me meber of the Mahto Toli was sad whe n the Panchlight could not
be ilighte d. Some comme nte d that in the anticipati on of having the
Panchlight's luminous glow, the y had not lit e ven an oil lamp in the ir home . It
was e vening and the re was darkne ss e verywhere in the toli. The Panchayat was
in the se rious dange r of losing face . Pe ople from the othe r tolis we re full of
taunts. Those from the Rajput Toli we re saying: "Hold your e ars and do five sit-
ups in front of the Panchlight and it will light up from its own.”
Q3. W hy was Godhan ostracised?
Ans. Godhan had come from anothe r village and starte d living in the village
whe re Munri lived with he r mothe r Gulri Kaki. Godhan ne ver paid e ven a paisa
to the panchayat. He had no re spe ct for the e lde rs of the panchayat. Gulri Kaki
complaine d to the Panchayat that Godhan ofte n looke d at he r daughte r and
sang romantic songs from the movie s. Godhan was fine d te n rupe e s for this.
He did not pay up the fine , so he was ostracise d from the community.

Q4. How did the panchayat solve the issue of Godhan, who had been
ostracised from the community, lighting the panchlight?
Ans. The panchayat was in a dile mma. None in the Mahto Toli kne w how to
light the Panchlight. Only Godhan kne w it, and he had be e n ostracised. Calling
some one from a rival toli would be humiliating. Afte r much talks, the chie f
de cide d to call Godhan to save the honour of the community. Gulri Kaki, at
whose complaint Godhan had be e n ostracise d, he rse lf offe re d to go and ge t
Godhan to light the Panchlight. Thus, the issue was solve d.
Q5. How did the musicians behave that evening when the Panchlight was
to be lighted?
Ans. That e ve ning, the musicians we re ve ry e xcite d. The he ad of the troupe of

singe rs was Ve ry happy. He said that the y would pe rform in the light of the
panchlight. He asked his me mbers to give the ir be st. Gulri Kaki was one of the
le ad fe male singers. She started humming with joy. The n all the musicians sat
be fore Panchlight with the ir musical instrume nts.
Q6. How did Godhan light the Panchlight?
Ans. Godhan first fille d up the Panchlight with oil. He the n aske d for the
spirit, but none had thought of it. Howe ve r, Godhan was a cle ve r young man.
He asked for a little coconut oil. Munri at once ran to ge t it. Godhan be gan to
pump the Panchlight. The silke n me sh slowly be gan to glow with light. Soon
the e ntire toli was lit up in the Panchlight's luminous glow.
Q7. How did Godhan win back his place in the community?
Ans. By lighting the Panchlight, Godhan had save d the community from
humiliation. He was now the favourite of the community. He had won
e ve ryone 's he art. The Chie f forgave all his wrongdoings and made him sit
close ly by his side . He was also allowe d to sing as many songs from the movie s
as he like s.

Q8. Comment on the ending of the story, 'Panchlight'.
Ans. The story e nds on a happy note . Godhan, who was ostracise d for
'te asing' Munri was forgive n. The Chie f and othe r me mbe rs of the Panchayat
are happy with him. Munri looks lovingly at him. Gulri Kaki too re alize s that
the re was nothing wrong in adole sce nts of opposite se xe s fe e ling attracte d
towards e ach othe r. She invite s Godhan to e at dinne r at he r house at ni ght.
Q9. W ho was Kaneli? How did she help M unri?
Ans. Kane li was Munri's friend. An e mbarrassing situation had arise n for the
toli whe n the re was none to light the Panchlight. Munri kne w that Godhan
could do it but she couldn't take his name be cause it was at the complaint of
he r mothe r that Godhan had be e n ostracise d. Munri cle ve rly droppe d the
sugge stion in Kane li's e ar. And Kane li announce d at once that Godhan kne w
how to light a Panchlight. It was oly the n that the Panchlight could be lighte d.
Q. 1 W hat image of the rural society do we get from the story,

'Panchlight’?
Ans. In this story, the write r pre se nts a re alistic picture of a village of Bihar.
We se e he re a society that is simple -he arte d, pove rty-stricke n, supe rstitious,
illite rate , narrow-minde d but forgiving and God-fe aring. The socie ty in the
village is sharply divide d on the basis of caste. There are eight Panchayats, one
for e ach of the e ight caste s, calle d the Toli. Eve ry caste has its own
congre gation, sheets, carpe ts, rugs and a Pe tromax, which is called Panchlight
by the villagers. With the caste is associated the que stion of honour. No one in
the Mahto Toli knows how to light the panchlight. But the y did not want to
invite a me mbe r of some othe r Toli to light it. It was a matte r of pride and
honour. The me mbe rs of the Rajput Toli we re alre ady taunting the m for not
be ing able to light the Panchlight. For the sake the bigge r honour, the

Panchayat me mbe rs we re re ady to forge t the smalle r honour. The y had

banished Godhan from the ir Toli for singing le wd songs. But whe n the y came
to kne w that he knows how to light the Panchlight, the imme diate ly forgave
him and took him back into the ir Toli. Thus, the write r has pre se nte d a true
picture of a rural socie ty in India.
Q. 2 How did the Panchlight prove a boon for Godhan?
Ans. The Panchlight plays the ce ntral role in the story. It is the Panchlight that
unite s the two loving he arts in the story. Godhan had be e n ostracised from the
community. It had be e n alle ge d by Munri's mothe r that he would look at he r
daughte r and sing le wd songs from the movie s. The panchayat fine d him te n
rupe e s for this, and he was ostracise d from the community. Whe n he did not
pay up the fine , he was not allowe d to talk to anyone in the Toli or mingle
socially with the m.
But the n the fate took a turn and the Panchlight e ntered the sce ne. The re was
no one in the community who kne w how to light it. Munri kne w that Godhan
could do it, but he had be e n ostracise d. She couldn't dare to take his name
since it was at he r own mothe r's complaint that Godhan had be e n ostracise d.
Ve ry cle ve rly, she whispe re d the sugge stion in the e ar of he r frie nd Kane li.
Whe n Kane li announce d this to the e lde rs, Godhan was at once se nt for. At
first, he re fused, but the n agreed whe n Munri's mother Gulri Kaki he rself we nt
to him.
In no time the Panchlight was lit up. The bright flare of the Panchlight shone
on the smiling faces all around. The chief forgave him and made him sit closely
by his side for saving the honour of the community. He was allowe d to sing as
many songs from the movie s as he wishe s. Munri looke d lovingly at Godhan
and the ir e ye s me t. Eve n Gulri Kaki also invite d him to e at dinne r at he r
house at night. Thus, the Panchlight has prove d a he ave nly boon for Godhan.

Q. 3 In 'Panchlight’, Renu creates a narrative of rural society that

remains valid even today, though the symbols have changed. Discuss.
Ans. 'Panchlight' is a re alistic and compre hensive narrative of the Indian rural
society. We see here a rural society with all its typical qualities, good as we ll as
bad. We se e he re a society that is simple-hearted, innocent, illite rate , pove rty-
stricke n, supe rstitious, caste -ridde n, narrow minde d, but forgiving and God-
fe aring. This portrayal of the rural society is as valid today as it was whe n the
story was writte n about six de cade s ago.
Caste has always be e n the basic fibre of the Indian rural society. We are told in
the story that the re are e ight diffe re nt panchayats in the village . Each
community has its own panchayat, and the communities e nte rtain fe e lings of
animosity towards e ach othe r. This divide and animosity continue e ve n today,
but the symbols of the divide have changed. Now the divide is more e conomic,
social and political than caste -base d. But it is to be note d that the
communitie s re main as divide d as e ve r the y we re .
The rural community is still simple -he arte d, innoce nt, une ducate d,
e conomically backward, supe rstitious and narrow-minde d, but not to the same
e xte nt as it was sixty ye ars ago. The Panchlight which was the n a symbol of
change and de ve lopme nt, has be e n re place d by mobile s and LCD's today.
To sum up, we may say that Re nu's narrative of rural community as de picte d
in ‘Panchlight' is valid e ve n today, though the symbols have change d.
Q. 4 Justify the title of the story, 'Panchlight'.
Ans. Panchlight is not just a pe tromax lamp, it is the ce ntral characte r in the
story. The whole story re volve s around the Panchlight. It is through the
Panchlight that the the me of the story is de ve lope d. It is through the
Panchlight that the various shade s and traits of rural socie ty are highlighte d
and the story re ache s its climax and the n finds the re solution also.

The story be gins with the Mahto Toli of the village buying a pe tromax while all
othe r Tolis have already the ir own pe tromaxes. It is an occasion of ce le bration
for the Mahto Toli, as othe r Tolis are fe e ling je alous. The y try to make a
mocke ry of the m. The Mahto Toli make s all arrange me nts are to light the
Panchlight in the e vening and offe r puja be fore the lamp is lit. Thre e bottle s of
ke rose ne are fe tche d from the village shop, but no one from the Toli knows
how to light the Panchlight.
The only one from the toli who knows how to light the Panchlight is Godhan
but he is ostracise d from the socie ty. He ofte n look e d at a girl name d Munri
and sang songs from the movie s. The girl's mothe r complaine d to the
panchayat and Godhan was ostracise d.
Thus, a ve ry e mbarrassing situation arises for the Toli. Calling someone from a
rival toli to light the Panchlight will be hum iliating.
Afte r much de libe ration, it is de cided that Godhan should be called to light the
Panchlight. At first, Godhan re fuse s but agre e s whe n Munri's mothe r he rse lf
goe s to call him. The Panchlight is lighte d and its bright flare shine s on the
smiling faces gathered all around. Godhan be come s the star of e ve ry e ye and
Munri’s mother Gulri kaki also invited him to e at dinne r at he r house at night.
Thus, all proble ms are solve d with the lighting of the Panchlight, and we can
conclude that no othe r title could be more suitable .
Q. 5 W hy was Godhan ostracised and how was he taken back into the
community?
Ans. Godhan had come from anothe r village and had starte d living in the
village whe re Munri lived with he r mothe r, Gulri Kaki. He ne ver paid a paisa to
the panchayat and showe d no re gard for the panchayat me mbe rs. The
me mbe rs we re waiting for some opportunity to punish him and this
opportunity came whe n Gulri Kaki complaine d to the Panchayat that Godhan

would look at he r daughte r and sing romantic songs from the movies. To te ach
Godhan a le sson, the panchayat fined him te n rupe e s. But Godhan did not pay
up the fine and was thus ostracise d from the community.
Godhan was not allowe d to talk to anyone from the Toli or mingle socially with
the m. But the n the things took a turn whe n the Mahto Toli bought a
Panchlight for the community. All arrangements for the puja and the inaugural
lighting of the lamp had be e n made but the n it was found that the re was no
one who kne w how to light the Panchlight. Munri kne w Godhan could do it,
but she couldn't dare to take his name . Ve ry cle ve rly, she droppe d the
sugge stion in the e ar of he r frie nd Kane li. Kane li announce d this to the e lde rs
and Godhan's banishme nt was at once cance lle d. He was calle d and the
Panchlight was lighte d.
Godhan at once be came e ve ryone ’s favourite . Munri looke d lovingly at him.

The chief pardone d all his mistake s and made Godhan sit close ly by his side
for saving the ir community's honour. He was allowe d to sing as many songs
from the movie s as he wishe s."
Q. 6 Reproduce briefly and in your own words the story of 'Panchlight'.
Ans. The e lde rs of the Mahto Toli in the village buy a Panchlight for the ir
community at Ramnavami fair. Othe r Tolis of the village alre ady have the ir
own se parate Panchlights. While the re is a mood of ce le bration in Mahto Toli,
those from othe r tolis fe e l jealous and try to make fun of the m. Eve ryone in the
Mahto Toli pre pare s for the puja and the inaugural lighting of the lamp.
Musicians are also re ady with the ir drums, cymbals and be lls for ce le brations.
But the n sudde nly it is discovered that the re is no one in the Toli who knows
how to light it. The only one who knows this is Godhan but he has be e n
ostracise d from the community on a complaint from Gulri Kaki. She had
complaine d that Godhan would look at his daughte r, Munri and sing songs

from the movie s. To te ach Godhan a le sson, he was ostracise d from the
community.
But now whe n the community's honour is at stake, Godhan's offe nce see ms to
be of no gre at se riousness. It will be a matte r of gre at humiliation if some one
from a rival toli is calle d to light the Panchlight. The re fore , all offe nce s of
Godhan are forgotte n. Gulri Kaki he rself goe s and fe tche s Godhan to light the
Panchlight. The lamp is lighted and the re is joy on e veryone's face. The singe rs
sing in high and cle ar voice s. Godhan be come s the apple of e ve ryone ’s e ye s.
Munri looks lovingly at him. The ir e ye s me e t in a sile nt me ssage and the y
forgive e ach othe r. The chie f forgive s all his wrongdoings and make s Godhan
sit close ly by his side and says for saving the ir community's honour. Eve n
Gulri Kaki invite s him to e at dinne r at he r house at night. Godhan looks at
Munri once again and she coyly lowe rs he r e ye s.
a) A Pe tromax lamp is calle d the Panchlight.
b) The Panchlight cost five cowries.
c) The e lde rs of Mahto Toli bought the Panchlight.
d) Pe tromax lamp
e) The mone y was arrange d from the fine s and pe naltie s by the Panchyat of
Me hto Toli.
f) The Panchlight was bought on the occasion of Ramnavmi fair.
g) The orde rly Angu Mahto.
h) Thre e bottle s.
i) Rajput Toli.
j) Godhan.

k) Te n rupe e s.
l) Kane li.
m) Daughte r of Gulri Kaki.
n) An e lde rly woman and mothe r of Munri.
o) Kane li was a frie nd of Munri.
p) Gulri Kaki.
q) Coconut oil.
r) Godhan.
s) Gulri Kaki
2). a) Calm
b) Inappropriate
c) Rush
d) Choir
e ) Strict
3) a) Ugly
b) Honour
c) Ban
d) Insult
e ) Fe e ble
Hooda, Rana and Mohan (Eds). Lite rature and Language II. Hyde rabad: Orie nt
Blackswan, 2018.

Subject: English
Course code: BA-101 Author: Dr. Narsingh Jangra
Lesson: 06 Vetter:
THE CHILD
Structure
6.2 Introduction
6.3 M ain Body I
6.4 M ain Body II
1.3.2 Summary
6.6 Transcription
6.7 Comprehension
6.10 References/Suggested Reading

After going through this lesson you will be able to-
 Re ad, unde rstand and e njoy the story.

 Enrich your taste for lite rature .
 Le arn and unde rstand the fundame ntals of prose .
 Le arn about the biography of the write r.
 De ve lop re ading, writing, and spe aking skills of the English language .
 Enrich your vocabulary.
 Le arn the phone tic transcription of some English words.
 Le arn to answe r the e xamination style que stions.
6.2 INTRODUCTION
Pre mchand's story 'The Child' shows his unorthodox and progre ssive
state of mind. It re ve als how Pre mchand's thought was much ahe ad of his
time . ‘The Child’ is a story narrate d by the e mploye r of a Brahmin se rvant
named Gangu, who wants to marry Gomti. The author doe s not approve of this
match be cause Gomti is a woman of loose morals. She has alre ady run away
from thre e of he r husbands. De spite be ing warne d by his e mployer and othe rs,
he marrie s a widow, Gomti and e ve n adopts he r child who is born of he r
pre vious husband. The narrator has a gre at inte re st in Gangu’s life and the
story is told from his point of vie w. The story place s Gangu’s compassion,
simple he arte dne ss and acce ptance of human nature as the e mbodime nt of
goodne ss and shows the re ade r a way of putting aside all kinds of pre ssure s
that socie ty e xe rts on us.
6.3 M AIN BODY THE TEXT I
Pe ople call Gangu a Brahman and he conside rs himse lf a Brahman. My

groom and othe r se rvants salute me, e ven from a distance , Gangu ne ve r doe s.

Pe rhaps he e xpe cts me to gre e t him by sayi ng, ‘I touch your fe e t.’ He ne ve r
touche s a glass front which I have drunk, I have ne ve r dare d ask him to fan
me . Whe n I am dre nche d in swe at and none of the othe r se rvants is around.
Gangu doe s pick up the fan, but the look on his face indicates that he i s doing
me a favour. For some re ason, I always take the fan from his hand
imme diate ly. He ’s a man of e xtre me s. He can’t tole rate pe ople ’s chatte r. He
must have ve ry few frie nds. Pe rhaps he thinks it be ne ath his dignity to sit with
the groom and the se rvants. I’ve ne ve r se e n him socialize with anyone .
Surprisingly he is not given to opium or he mp; this is an e xtraordinary virtue
in me n of his class. I have ne ver seen him pe rform re ligious rituals or go for a
sacre d bath in the rive r. De spite be ing absolute ly illite rate he is still a
Brahman, and wants the world to re spe ct and se rve him in re cognition of this.
And why shouldn’t he ? If pe ople can not only re tain control of prope rty
accumulated by the ir fore fathe rs but also de rive status from it as if the y had
ge ne rate d it the mse lve s, why should he give up the re spe ct and honour
gathe re d by his fore fathe rs? Afte r all, this is his only inhe ritance .
I am not one to talk too much with se rvants. I don’t want any of the m to come
and talk to me unle ss I call the m. I don’t approve of having my se rvants at my
be ck and call to pe rform small chore s. I find it much e asie r to pour my own
drinking wate r, light my own lamp, we ar my own shoe s and take out books
from the cupboard myse lf than to call for Ilingan and Maiku. Thus he lps me
fe e l autonomous and se lf- re liant. The se rvants are familiar with my
te mpe rame nt, rare ly approach me unne ce ssarily. So one day, whe n Gangu
appe are d be fore me e arly in the morning, I was not at all ple ase d. Whe ne ve r
the se pe ople come to me , the y e ithe r want an advance on the ir wage s or the y
want to complain about anothe r se rvant. I dislike both the se things. I pay
e ve ryone on the first of the month, and i ge t angry whe n anyone asks for an
advance. Who has the time to ke e p de taile d accounts of the advance s give n?
Whe n some one is paid for the whole month, what right doe s he or she have to

spe nd all the mone y in fifteen days, and the n se ek an advance or a loan? And I
hate complaints. I conside r complaints a sign of we akness or abase atte mpt at
flatte ring the e mploye r.
I said with a frown, ‘What is it? I didn’t call you.’
I was ve ry surprise d to se e Gangu’s sharp, proud face looking mild, ple ading
and bashful. I re ckone d he wante d to say some thing, but was unable to find
the right words.
Some what more mildly, I asked, ‘What’s the matter? Why don’t you spe ak? You
know that this is my time to go for a walk. I’m ge tting late .’
Gangu said, in a de je cte d tone , ‘We ll, the n you go...I’ll come late r.’
This was more worrisome . Right now, since I was in hurry, he would have to
rush through his story be cause he kne w I didn’t have much time . If he came
late r, the wre tch would spe nd hours complaining. Pe rhaps he re alize s that I’m
working whe n he se es me re ading or writing; but he thinks I’m re sting whe n
I’m thinking, which is actually the harde st of all my tasks. That’s he ’ll come
and bothe r me .
I said, unkindly, ‘Have you come to ask for an advance? I don’t give advance s.’
‘No inde e d, sir, i have ne ve r aske d for an advance d.’
‘The n do you want to complain about anyone ? I hate complains.’
‘No, sir, I’ve ne ve r complaine d about anyone !’
Gangu pulle d himse lf toge the r. It was from his e xpre ssion that he was
summoning up his courage , whe n he said he sitantly, ‘Ple ase give me
pe rmission to le ave . I won’t be able to work for you anymore .’
This was the first proposal I had e ver re ceived. My- se lf re spe ct was wounde d. I
consider myself an e mbodiment of humane ne ss; I ne ve r spe ak sharply to the

se rvants; I try my be st to ke e p my dominance she athe d. Why wouldn’t I be

surprise d at this announce me nt!
I said sile ntly, ‘Why, what do you have to complain of?
‘Sir, no one could be as good nature d as you, but things have so de ve lope d
that I cannot re main he re any longe r. I don’t want anything to happe n to give
you a bad name . I don’t want your re putation to be sullie d be cause of me .’
This created a dile mma for me . The fire of curiosity gre w fie rce . Sitting down
on a chair in the ve randa, as if making me concession, I said, ‘You are talking
in riddle s. Why don’t you te ll me cle arly what the matte r is.’
Gangu said ve ry humbly, ‘That woman Gomti De vi, who has just be e n thrown
out of the Widows home ...’
He fe ll sile nt. I said impatie ntly, ‘ye s, she ’s be e n thrown out; so what? What
has she to do with your job?’
Gangu se e me d to throw a he avy burde n off his he ad onto the ground: ‘I want
to marry he r, sir.’
I gape d at him in amaze me nt. This stupid Brahman with his old-fashione d
ide as, who has re maine d e ntire ly untouche d by the bre e ze s of mode rnity,
wants to marry that loose woman, whom no de ce nt man would allow inside his
house . Gomti had cre ate d much turbule nce in our pe ace ful ne ighbourhood.
She had come to the Widows’ Home many ye ars ago. The Home ’s
administrators had gotte n he r marrie d thre e time s, but e ach time she ran
away in a fortnight or a month’s time, and re turned to the home . This time the
he ad of the Home had thrown he r out. She had re nte d a room in the
ne ighbourhood, and had be come a source of e nte rtainme nt for the dissolute
me n of the locality.
I was agreed by Gangu’s simplicity but also pitie d him. Is this the only woman
in the world this donke y can find to marry? If he we re a ve ry rich man it might

be diffe re nt. Pe rhaps she would have staye d for six months or a ye ar. This
fe llow is as good as a blind man. The y won’t ge t along for e ve n a we e k.
I said in a warning tone , ‘Do you know this woman’s life history?’
Gangu said, as if spe aking of e vents he had witne sse d with his own e ye s, ‘It’s
all lie s, sir; pe ople have de fame d he r for nothing.’
‘What do you me an? Didn’t she run away from thre e husbands?’
‘The y thre w he r out so what could she do?’
‘What a fool you are ! Would anyone trave l such long distance s and spe nd
thousands of rupe e s to marry a woman, just in orde r to throw he r out?’
Gangu said with de e p e motion, sir, a woman cannot live whe re the re is no love.
A woman wants more than food and clothe s, she wants some love too. Those
pe ople think the y have done a widow a gre at favour by marrying he r. The y
want he r to be come the irs, body and soul; but to make anothe r pe rson one ’s
own, one has to first be come the othe r pe rson’s, sir. That’s the thing .And the n
she also suffe rs from an ailment. She is posse ssed by a spirit. Sometime s, she
ge ts hyste rical and falls down in a faint.’
‘And you will marry such a woman?’ I said, shaking my he ad in dism ay. ‘Your
life will be ruine d.’
Gangu said, sounding like a martyr, ‘I think my life will be fulfille d, sir. The
re st is God’s will!’
I said firmly, ‘Have you made up your mind?’
‘Ye s sir.’
‘The n I acce pt your re signation.’
I am not a slave to me aningle ss conve ntions and use le ss principle s, but it

would ce rtainly be proble matic to e mploy a man who marries a wicked woman.
Fre sh complications arise e ve ry day, ne w dile mmas will crop up, the police

might come calling, lawsuits might e nsue . Quite possibly, the fts might occur.
It’s be st to avoid this swamp. Liking a starving cre ature , Gangu had se e n a
pie ce of bre ad and was rushing towards it. He didn’t care that the bre ad was
half- e aten, dry and unfit to e at. He was unable to use his me ntal facultie s. I
thought it in my be st inte re st to se rve conne ctions with him.
Five months passe d. Gangu had marrie d Gomti and was living in a thatche d
house in the same ne ighbourhood. He e ked out a living by se lling snacks from
a cart. Whe ne ver I me t him in the market, I would stop to e nquire how he was
doing. I had be come very interested in his life . It was like an e xpe riment on not
just a social but also a psychological que stion. I wante d to se e how things
would turn out. I always saw Gangu looking cheerful. I could cle arly see in him
the e nergy and se lf-respe ct born of prospe rity and fre e dom from worry. He sold
goods worth a rupe e or twe nty annas. Afte r de ducting the investment, he got a
profit of e ight or te n annas. This was his income , but he was ble sse d by some
God, be cause he showe d no sign of the shame le ssne ss and de privation found
in othe rs of his class. The dignity and joy on his face could arise only from
inne r pe ace .
One day he ard that Gomti had run away from Gangu’s house . I don’t know
why I e xpe rienced a strange ple asure at the ne ws. I had fe lt a ce rtain e nvy of
Gangu’s conte nte d and happy life . I was waiting for some thing une xpe cte d,
some disaster, some shame ful incide nt to occur. This ne ws douse d my e nvy.
Finally, what I had be lie ved would happe n had happe ne d. Finally, the idiot had
suffe red the punishment for his short- sightedness. Le t’s see what face he puts
on it! Now his e yes will be ope ne d and he ’ll re alize that those who advise d him
against this marriage were his we ll-wishers. At that time , he be have d as if he
had come across some rare tre asure or as if the gate s of libe ration had ope ne d
to him. So many pe ople told him that this woman was not worthy of trust, had

be traye d se ve ral othe rs and would be tray him too, but that advice was like
wate r off a duck’s back. Now I’ll se e how he ’s doing. I’ll say, ‘we ll sir, are you
happy with this boon from your godde ss or not? You ne ve r tire d of praising
he r, and said that pe ople spoke against he r me re ly from ill will. Now te ll me ,
who ws mistake n?’
The same day, I ran into Gangu in the marke t. He was upse t, agitate d,
comple tely lost. As soon as he saw me , his e yes we re filled with te ars. He come
to me and said, not with e mbarrassme nt but with pain, ‘Sir, Gomti has
be traye d me too.’
I said with crue l ple asure but pre te nde d sympathy, ‘I told you so but you
wouldn’t liste n. Now you must e ndure the conse que nce s. What e lse can you
do? Did she take all your mone y or did she le ave any for you?’
Gangu put his hand on his bre ast, as if his he art was wounde d by my words,
and said, ‘Oh no, sir, don’t say so. She hasn’t touch a single thing. She ’s e ve n
le ft be hind he r own things. I don’t know what de fe ct she saw in me . I was not
worthy for he r, what e lse can I say? She was e ducate d, and I am comple te ly
illiterate. It was surprising that she stayed with me so long. If I had staye d with
he r a while longe r, I would have be come a man. What can I te ll you about he r,
sir? Whate ver she may have be e n to othe rs, to me she was a gift se nt by some
God. I don’t know what mistake I made . But I swe ar she ne ve r so much as
looke d angry. What am I, sir? I am a laboure r, worth te n or twe lve annas; but
she was so ble sse d that she made this little go a long way and we ne ve r fe lt
that we lacke d anything.’
I was de e ply disappointe d. I had e xpe cte d him to re count a tale of he r

infide lity, and I would have sympathized with his blind de votion. But this fool’s
e yes we re not ye t ope ne d. He was still singing he r praises. He de finitely seemed
me ntally disturbe d.
I starte d a crue l joke , ‘So she didn’t take anything from your house ?’

‘No sir, not a single thing.’
‘And she love d you a lot too?’
‘What can I say, sir? I will re me mbe r that love till my dying day.’
‘And ye t she le ft you and we nt away?’
‘That is what’s surprising, sir!’
‘Have you e ve r he ard of a woman’s frailty?’
Oh, sir, don’t say so. Eve n if some one puts a knife to my throat, I won’t stop
singing he r praise s.’
‘The n go find he r.’
‘Ye s, sir: I won’t re st until I find he r. If only I can find out whe re she is, I’ll go
immediately and fe tch he r. And, sir, my he art says that she ’ll de finite ly re turn
with me . You’ll se e . She didn’t le ave on account of be ing angry with me . My
he art cannot accept this. I’ll go and roam around jungle s and mountains for a
couple of months. If I survive , I’ll se e you again.’
So saying, he we nt off, looking like a madman.
Afte r this, I had to go to Nainital for work, not ple asure . I re turne d afte r a
month and had not e ve n change d my clothe s whe n I saw Gangu standing
be fore me , carrying a ne wborn baby. Pe rhaps not e ve n Nand was so
e nrapture d whe n he adopte d the baby Krishna. Gangu appe are d to me
bursting at the se ams with joy. A hymn of gratitude and de votion se e me d to
rise from his face and e ye s. His e xpre ssion was like that of a starving be ggar
who has just had a he arty me al.
I asked, ‘We ll, sir, have you found out anything about Madam Gomti? You had
gone in se arch of he r?’

Gangu, bare ly able to contain his joy, ‘Ye s, sir, thanks to your ble ssings, I did
manage to find he r. She was in the wome n’s hospital in Lucknow, She had told
a frie nd he re to inform me if I be came too upse t. I imme diate ly rushe d to
Lucknow and brought he r back. I got this child too in the bargain.’
He he ld the child out towards me , like a sportsman showing off the trophy he
has won.
I aske d, jokingly, “Oh, so you got this now too. Pe rhaps that is why she ran
away. You’re sure he ’s your son?’
‘Why my son, sir—he ’s yours, he ’s God’s.’
‘So he was born in Lucknow?’
‘Ye s, sir, he ’s just one month old.’
‘How long ago did you ge t marrie d?’
‘This is the se ve nth month.’
‘So he was born in the sixth month of your marriage ?’
‘Ye s sir.’
‘Ye t he ’s your son.’
‘Ye s sir.’
‘What nonse nse you are talking!’
I wasn’t sure if he unde rstood me , or was pre te nding not to. He said, as
guile le ssly as be fore , ‘She narrowly e scape d de ath, sir. It’s as if she was
re born. She suffe re d for thre e days and thre e nights.’
I said, some what sarcastically, ‘This is the first time I’ve he ard of a child be ing
born in six months.’
This barb struck home .

He smile d and said, ‘Oh, that’s what you me an! I didn’t re alize you we re
talking of that. Gomti ran away be cause of this fe ar. I said, “Gomti, if you are
not happy with me , le ave me. I’ll go away and ne ve r come to you again. Whe n
you ne e d me to do anything for you, write , and I’ll he lp as much as I can. I
have no complaint against you. In my e ye s, you are just as good as be fore . I
still love you as much. No, I actually love you more . But if your he art has not
turne d away from me , the n come with me . Gangu will not be unfaithful to you
as long as he lives. I didn’t marry you be cause you are a godde ss but be cause i
love d you and thought you love d me too. This child is my child, my own child. I
bought a fie ld and will i re fuse the crop be cause some one e lse sowe d it?”
So saying, he burst out laughing.
I forgot that I had to go and change my clothe s. I don’t know why my e yes filled
with te ars. Some unknown powe r subdue d my me ntal disgust and made me
e xte nd my hands. I took that unble mishe d child in my lap and kisse d it,
pe rhaps more lovingly than I have e ve r kisse d my own childre n.
Gangu said, ‘Sir, you are a ve ry good pe rson. I always praise you to Gomati,
and te ll he r to come and me e t you, but she is too shy.’
I, a good pe rson! The veil of my goodne ss had be e n drawn away from my e yes. I
said, in a voice ste e pe d in de votion, ‘No, why should she come to se e an
impure man like me ? You think I’m a good pe rson? I appe ar to be good, but my
he art is me an. True goodne ss is in you, and this child is a flowe r pe rfume d
with your goddne ss.’
Holding the child to my bre ast, I we nt with Gangu.
(Translate d by Ruth Vanita)
 Groom: Some one e mployed in a stable to take care of the horse s

 Gre e t: To we lcome in a frie ndly manner

 Dre nched: Comple tely we t

 Indicate: To show
 Favour: A kind or he lpful de e d
 Extre me s: In the gre atest or highest de gree, e xcessive
 Dignity: The state of be ing worthy of praise
 Socialise: to take part in social activities; interact with othe rs
 Opium: A ye llow brown addictive drug
 He mp: a plant of the cannabis family which yields a narcotic drug
 Virtue : An admirable quality
 Ritual: A re pe ated se t of actions
 Sacre d: Re ligious, spiritual, divine
 Accumulate: Gathe r, colle ct
 Inhe ritance: a title , prope rty or e state that passe s by law to the he ir on the
de ath of the owne r
 At some one’s back and call: Always re ady to obe y someone’s orde rs
immediately
 Chore : a spe cific pie ce of work re quired to be done as a duty or for a spe cific
fe e fre e
 Autonomous: Fre e from e xte rnal control and constraint
 Te mpe rament: A pe rson’s usual manner of thinking, be having, or re acting
 Frown: a facial e xpression of dislike or disple asure
 Bashful: shy
 Re ckon: Calculate, conclude, judge
 Mildly: Slightly
 De je cted: Sad, dishe artened
 Wre tch: Some one you fe e l sorry for
 Summon: (he re) To rouse one self to e xert a skill
 She athed: Hidde n

 Sully: Attack the good name and re putation of some one

 Gape : To look with amaze ment
 Dissolute: Immoral
 Swamp: A situation full of difficulties
 e ke out: Live from day to day, as with some hardship he re, moral we akness
 Frailty: (he re) moral we akness
 Dile mma: A confusing situation
 Fie rce: Violent
 Conce ssion: A privilege, grant
 Turbulance: Disturbance
 De famed: Disgraced, accused
 Ailment: Dise ase
 Hyste rical: (he re) Uncontrollable
 Faint: We ak
 Martyr: One who sacrifices his or he r life for the sake of a principle or cause
 Thatched: Cove red with straw or le aves
 De privation: Dispossession
 Envy: Je alousy
 Conte nted: Satisfied
 Douse : To put out
 Be tray: De ce ive
 Boon: Ble ssing
 Embarrassment: Humiliation, discomfort
 Conse quences: Re sults
 Infide lity: Unfaithfulness in a re lationship
 Enrapture d: Fille d with de light
 Se ams: Joints
 Hymn: A song of worship

 Be ggar: Paupe r, someone who be gs

 Bargain: A gainful purchase
 Barb: The point of an arrow
 Subdue d: Quie te r
 Disgust: A strong fe e ling of dislike
 Unble mished: Not spoile d or damaged
6.4 M AIN BODY OF THE TEXT II
Pre mchand was one of the most distinguishe d write rs of the Indian
subcontinent and is considered to be one of the promine nt Hindi -Urdu write rs
of the e arly twe ntie th ce ntury.
Born Dhanpat Rai Srivastav in 1880, Pre mchand be gan writing unde r the pe n
name ‘Nawab Rai’, but subse que ntly switche d to ‘Pre mchand’ afte r his short
story colle ction Soz-e -Watan was banne d by the British administration. He was
popularly known as ‘Munshi Pre mchand’. He wrote ove r a doze n nove ls,
around 250 short storie s and nume rous e ssays, and translate d a numbe r of
lite rary works into Hindi. Due to his ve rsatility, Pre mchand has be e n re fe rre d
to as the ‘Upanyas Samrat’ by Hindi write rs.
Pre mchand's most important contribution to Hindi lite rature is the

introduction of re alism in it. He fre e d it from romanticism. Pre mchand had a
progre ssive outlook and he brought a ne w se nse of social awareness to fiction.
The nove ls Pre ma, Vardaan, Nirmala, Gaban, Rangabhumi and Godaan are
some of his we ll-known works.
6.3.2 Summary
Gangu is a Brahman se rvant of the write r. Although he is a se rvant, he doe s

not show the same re verence to his maste r as is shown by othe r se rvants. He
ne ver mixes with the othe r se rvants of the house hold. Unlike othe r se rvants,

he is not addicte d to opium. He is comple te ly illite rate but be ing a Brahman,

thinks highly of him due to the re spe ct and honour of his fore fathe rs.
One day, Gangu approache s the write r and te lls him that he wants to re sign
from his job. The write r is mildly shocke d be cause he has always tre ate d his
se rvants we ll. But Gangu te lls him that he has no grudge against him and he
is le aving him be cause he wants to marry Gomti. Now this come s as a re al
shock to the write r. Gomti is a woman of ill re pute . The whole village knows
that she is a woman of loose morals. She came to the Widow's house many
ye ars ago. The y got he r married thre e times. But e ach time she ran away from
he r husband. Be cause of he r ill re putation, she was thrown out of the Widow's
House . Now she has re nte d a room in the ne ighbourhood. She is visite d by
le cherous young me n of the locality. The writer e xclaims how Gangu can e ve n
think of marrying such a woman.
Gangu te lls the write r that he knows e verything about Gomti. Still he wants to
marry he r. He says that she le ft he r pre vious husbands be cause the y did not
re ally love he r. The y love d only he r body not the he art. He says that he will
love Gomti from the core of his he art. Whe n Gangu insists on marrying Gomti,
the write r accepts his re signation. He doe s not want to invite pe ople's criticism
on having a se rvant who marrie s a wicke d woman like Gomti. But he warns
Gangu that Gomti will probably run away from him also in a fe w months.
Gangu goe s and marrie s Gomti. He is living in a thatche d house in the

ne ighbourhood. He e arns his living by se lling snacks from a cart. Whe ne ve r
the write r come s across him, he e xpe cts to se e disappointme nt on Gangu's
face . But he is always che erful. He e arns ve ry little , ye t he is not worrie d. His
face doe s not show any fe e ling of guilt on having marrie d Gomti. The write r
thinks that the dignity and joy on his face can come only from inne r pe ace .
Five months have passed. One day the write r le arns that Gomti has run away
from Gangu's house . He thinks that Gangu has suffe re d the punishme nt for

his foolish de e d. Now he will re alize the worth of his master's advice. The same
day, the write r come s across Gangu in the marke t. He is upse t and on se e ing
the write r his e yes are fille d with te ars. He te lls him that Gomti has be traye d
him. The writer pre te nds to be sympathetic to him. He asks him whe the r she
take n away all his mone y also. Gangu says that she did not touch e ve n a
single thing. She has le ft be hind e ve n he r own things. Gangu says that she
looke d pe rfe ctly happy and satisfie d with he r. The write r is disappointe d. He
has e xpe cted Gangu to te ll a tale of Gomti's infide lity. But he was still singing
he r praise s. He thinks that Gangu has be come mentally disturbe d. Gangu says
that he will try to find Gomti and whe re ver she is, he will bring he r again to his
home .
For one month, the write r is away to Nainital. Afte r his re turn, one day, Gangu
come s to him. He is ve ry happy. He is carrying a child in his arms. The write r
asks him whe the r he has found Gomti and whose child he was carrying.
Gangu re plie s that she was in a woman's hospital in Lucknow. She told a
frie nd he re to inform him about he r. He imme diate ly we nt to Lucknow and
brought he r. Gangu te lls the write r that in the hospital Gomti gave birth to this
child. It is only one month old. The write r asks him how a child can born in
the sixth month of his marriage . Gangu catche s the hint in the write r's
state ment. He agre e s that the child is born of the union of Gomti with one of
he r pre vious husbands. But he says that he conside rs the child his own. He
says that he will always re main faithful to Gomti.
The write r's e ye s are fille d with te ars. Some unknown powe r subdue s his
orthodox thinking and moral disgust. He take s the child in his lap and kisse s
it. Now the write r thinks that the ve il of goodne ss has be e n drawn from his
e yes. He says that he will himself go and meet Gomti. Saying this, he goe s with
Gangu, holding the child to his bre ast.

1) Answe r the following que stions:
a) Who was Gangu?
b) Doe s Gangu e ve r salute the narrator?
c) What type of man is Gangu?
d) Was Gangu illite rate ?
e ) What doe s gangu inhe rit from his fore fathe rs?
f) What doe s the narrator think about the se rvants whe n the y come e arly in the
morning to him?
g) What doe s the narrator conside r complaints?
h)What is the harde st of tasks for the narrator?
i) Who said to the narrator’ “Ple ase give me pe rmission to le ave .”?
j) Who has be e n thrown out of the Widow’s home ?
k)How many time s had the Home ’s administrators gotte n Gomti marrie d?
l) Who had be come a source of e nte rtainme nt for the dissolute me n of the
locality?
m) Whom doe s Gangu marry?
n) How did Gangu e arn his living afte r marriage ?
o) How much profit did Gangu make e ve ryday?
p) Was Gomti e ducate d?
q)Whe re did the narrator go for work?
r) Whe re did Gangu find Gomti?
s) Was Gangu the re al fathe r of the child?
2) Give the words which are similar in me aning to the following words:

a)Se e n
b)Suffe r
c)Take n aback
d)Pe rsonification
e )Fallibility
3) Give the words which are opposite in me aning to the following words:
a)Evil
b)Faithful
c)Kindne ss
d)Fide lity
e )Ne w
6.6 Transcription
Phone tic transcriptions of some important words take n from the story.
Dre nched drɛnʧt
se rvants ˈsɜːvənts
səˈpraɪzɪŋli
surprisingly
rɪˈlɪʤəs
re ligious ˈæbsəluːtli
absolute ly əˈkjuːmjʊleɪtɪd
ˈrɪʧʊəl
accumulated
sɛlf-rɪˈlaɪənt
ritual
ˈwiːknɪs
se lf-reliant ˈmaɪldli
ˈdɒmɪnəns
We akness
ˈsʌmən

mildly ˈsɜːvənts
dɪˈvɛləp
dominance
kənˈsɛʃən
summon ˈfæʃən
se rvants ˈfɛləʊ
ˈwɔːnɪŋ
de ve lop
mɒˈdɜːnɪti
conce ssion rʊɪnd
fashion ˈlɔːsjuːts
fe llow ˌsaɪkəˈlɒʤɪkəl
ˈsʌfəd
warning
ˈwɪdəʊ
mode rnity bɪˈtre
ruine d
lawsuits
psychological
suffe red
widow
be tray
6.7 Comprehension
Read the passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.
1)Pe ople call Gangu a Brahman and he conside rs himse lf a Brahman.

My groom and othe r se rvants salute me , e ve n from a distance , Gangu ne ve r
doe s. Pe rhaps he e xpe cts me to gre e t him by saying, ‘I touch your fe e t.’ He
ne ver touches a glass front which I have drunk, I have ne ve r dare d ask him to

fan me . Whe n I am dre nche d i n swe at and none of the othe r se rvants is
around. Gangu doe s pick up the fan, but the look on his face indicates that he
is doing me a favour. For some re ason, I always take the fan from his hand
imme diate ly. He ’s a man of e xtre me s. He can’t tole rate pe ople ’s chatte r. He
must have ve ry few frie nds. Pe rhaps he thinks it be ne ath his dignity to sit with
the groom and the se rvants. I’ve ne ve r se e n him socialize with anyone .
Surprisingly he is not given to opium or he mp; this is an e xtraordinary virtue
in me n of his class. I have ne ver seen him pe rform re ligious rituals or go for a
sacre d bath in the rive r. De spite be ing absolute ly illite rate he is still a
Brahman, and wants the world to re spe ct and se rve him in re cognition of this.
And why shouldn’t he ? If pe ople can not only re tain control of prope rty
accumulated by the ir fore fathe rs but also de rive status from it as if the y had
ge ne rate d it the mse lve s, why should he give up the re spe ct and honour
gathe re d by his fore fathe rs? Afte r all, this is his only inhe ritance .
a)W hat do the people call Gangu?
Ans. Pe ople call Gangu a Brahman.
b) W hat does Gangu expects from the narrator?
Ans. Gangu e xpe cts the narrator to gre e t him.
c) W hat kind of man is Gangu?
Ans. He ’s a man of e xtre me s. He can’t tole rate pe ople ’s chatte r.
d)W hat is virtuous about Gangu?
Ans. He is not give n to opium or he mp.
e)Is Gangu illiterate?
Ans. Ye s, Gangu is illite rate .
f)W hat is the only inheritance of Gangu?

Ans. Re spe ct and honour gathe re d by his fore fathe rs is the only
inhe ritance of Gangu.
2)I gape d at him in amaze me nt. This stupid Brahman with his old-
fashione d ide as, who has re maine d e ntire ly untouche d by the bre e ze s of
mode rnity, wants to marry that loose woman, whom no de ce nt man would
allow inside his house . Gomti had cre ate d much turbule nce in our pe ace ful
ne ighbourhood. She had come to the Widows' Home many ye ars ago. The
Home 's administrators had gotte n he r married thre e times, but e ach time she
ran away in a fortnight or a month's time , and re turne d to the Home . This
time, the he ad of the Home had thrown he r out. She had re nte d a room in the
ne ighbourhood, and had be come a source of e nte rtainme nt for the dissolute
me n of the locality.
I was ange red by Gangu's simplicity but also pitie d him. Is this the only
woman in the world this donke y can find to marry? She has run away from
thre e husbands; how long will she stay with him? If he we re a ve ry rich man it
might be diffe re nt. Pe rhaps she would have staye d for six months or a ye ar.
This fe llow is as good as a blind man. The y won't ge t along for e ve n a we e k.
I said in a warning tone , 'Do you know this woman's life story?'
Gangu said, as if spe aking of e vents, he had witne ssed with his own e ye s, 'It's
all lie s, sir; pe ople have de fame d he r for nothing. '
'What do you me an? Didn't she run away from thre e husbands?'
'The y thre w he r out so what could she do?'
'What a fool you are ! Would anyone trave l such long distance s and spe nd
thousands of rupe e s to marry a woman, just in orde r to throw he r out?'
Gangu said with de e p e motion, 'Sir, a woman cannot live whe re the re is no
love . A woman wants more than food and clothe s, she wants some love too.
Those pe ople think the y have done a widow a gre at favour by marrying he r.

The y want he r to be come the irs, body and soul; but to make anothe r pe rson
one 's own, one has to first be come the othe r pe rson's, sir. That's the thing. And
the n she also suffe rs from an ailment. She is posse ssed by a spirit. Some times,
she ge ts hysterical and falls clown in a faint.' (a) Who did the narrator gape at
in amaze me nt?Why?
a)W hat is the narrator's opinion about Gomti?
Ans. The narrator thinks that Gomti is a woman of loose morals.
b)W hy did the head of the W idow's Home throw Gomti out?
Ans. He thre w he r out be cause he thought that she was a woman of bad
character.
c)W hat angered the narrator about Gangu?
Ans. The fact that Gangu kne w e verything and ye t wante d to marry Gomti
ange red the narrator.
d)According to Gangu, who had thrown Gomti out?
Ans. According to Gangu, Gomti's pre vious husbands thre w he r out.
e)According to Gangu, what does a woman want?
Ans. A woman wants love .
f)W hat does one need to do to make another person one's own?
Ans. To make another pe rson one 's own, one has to be come the othe r pe rson.
g)W ho is referred to in the passage as possessed by a spirit?
Ans. Gomti is re fe rred to in the passage as posse ssed by a spirit.

1)How does Gangu convince the narrator that it is not wrong to marry
Gomti? Is the narrator convinced?
Ans. Gangu te lls the write r that he knows e ve rything about Gomti and wants
to marry he r. He says that she le ft he r pre vious husbands be cause the y did
not re ally love he r. The y love d only he r body and not the he art. According to
him, a woman wants only love . He says that he will love Gomti from the core of
his he art. But the narrator is not convince d.
2)W hat is the impression the narrator has of Gangu's married life with
Gomti?
Ans. The narrator thinks that Gangu's marrie d life with Gomti will not be a
happy one . He thinks that Gomti will run away from Gangu's house also. Afte r his
marriage with Gomti, Gangu starts living in a thatched house . To e arn his living,
he starte d to se ll snacks from a cart. He e arns e nough to me e t all his ne e ds. Now
he always looke d che e rful. He se e me d to have no worry at all. He looks full of
e nergy. The dignity and joy on his face is a proof of his inne r pe ace . One day he
come s across Gangu in the market. He is surprised to se e that Gangu is che e rful.
3)Is Gangu the hero of the story? If so, how does the story make him one?
Ans. Ye s, Gangu is the he ro of the story. In this story he acts like a re forme r.
He knows that Gomti has run away from the house s of he r thre e pre vious
husbands. Eve n now she is le ading a life of ill-re putation. But Gangu be lie ve s
that one should love one 's he art, not body. So, de spite the prote st of his
master, he marries Gomti. He e ve n adopts Gomti's child which is born to he r
by he r pre vious husband. Gangu doe s not be lie ve in outdate d conve ntions.
4)W hat is the role of the child in the story?
Ans. The story is appropriate ly name d 'The Child.' The child in the title
appe ars at the e nd of the story. But it plays an important role . This is the child
of Gangu's wife , Gomti. But it is Gomti's child from a pre vious husband.

De spite knowing this fact, Gangu adopts the child. This incide nt move s the
narrator to te ars. He re alize s that he has be e n following old and use le ss
conve ntions. He take s the child from Gangu. He holds the child to his bre ast.
5)W hat is the 'middle class' morality that the narrator seems to represent
here? How does this contrast with what Gangu believes?
Ans. The narrator of the story ce rtainly re pre se nts middle -class morality
which be lieves in false concepts of goodne ss, purity and morality. He points an
accusing finge r at a woman who runs away from he r husband. He re fuse s to
se e that it is ne ve r the child but the pare nt that is ille gitimate . On the othe r
hand, Gangu finds nothing wrong in a woman who runs away if he r husband
doe s not love he r. To him, e very child, born in or out of we dlock, is God's child.
Q6. W hat did the narrator think about Gangu as a servant?
Ans. The narrator says that Gangu was diffe re nt from othe r se rvants. The
othe r se rvants bowe d to him, but Gangu ne ve r gre e te d him like that. Be ing a
Brahmin, he probably e xpe cte d the narrator to bow to him. The narrator had
not the courage to ask him to fan him in the hot we athe r. If e ve r Gangu did it,
he be have d as if he we re doing the narrator a gre at favour. Gangu ne ve r
touche d any of the use d ute nsils.
Q7. W hat was the narrator's attitude towards his servants?
Ans. The narrator talked to his se rvants only whe n it was ne ce ssary. He had
instructe d the m to come to him only whe n the y we re se nt for. He ne ve r calle d
the m for such small matters as ge tting a glass of wate r or putting on the shoe s or
lighting the lamp. He pre fe rred to do such things himself. They gave him a fe e ling
of inde pe nde nce and se lf-re liance .

Q8. How did the narrator feel when Gangu said that he wanted to leave his
job? Ans. The narrator was shocke d whe n Gangu said that he wante d to
le ave his job. He was Conside red an ide al e mploye r. Se rvants conside re d it the ir
good fortune to stay on with him. No se rvant had e ver come to him with a re que st
to le ave. Naturally, the narrator fe lt hurt whe n Gangu came with such a re que st.
Q9. Why did Gangu want to le ave his job?
Ans. Gangu had de cide d to marry a widow name d Gomti De vi. She was a
woman of bad re putation. If Gangu married he r, pe ople could raise the ir fingers at
his master also. Gangu didn't want his master to ge t a bad name on his account.
So, he de cide d to le ave his job.
Q10.How had Gomti created a stir in the mohalla?
Ans. Gomti was a widow. She live d in the Widows' Home . The Home
authorities got he r married thrice. But e ach time she came back afte r a we e k or
so. She was e xpe lle d from the Home . Now Gomti took a room in the mohalla on
re nt and starte d living the re. She be came an obje ct of interest to all young me n. It
cre ate d quite a stir in the mohalla.
Q11. How did Gangu defend Gomti's leaving her previous husbands?
Ans. Gangu found fault with the pe ople who had married Gomti. He said that
those pe ople had no love for Gomti. The y thought the y had done he r a gre at
favour by marrying a widow. But Gangu said, "Whe re there is no love , you cannot
e xpe ct a woman to stay on. You cannot win a woman with me re boarding and
lodging.
Q12. Describe Gangu's life after he had married Gomti.
Ans. Gangu had le ft his job with the narrator. Afte r marrying Gomti, he
starte d living in a thatche d hut. He was now always happy. His face had a glow
which showe d that he had no worry at all. He e arne d a living as a hawke r. He

e arne d about a rupe e daily. Afte r buying the stock, he was le ft with about te n
annas. Thus, he live d a life of comple te conte ntme nt.
Q13.W hy did Gomti run away barely six months after her marriage?
Ans. Gomti was e xpe cting a child. This child was not fathe re d by Gangu.
Gomti fe are d that whe n the child was born, Gangu would not love it. The child
could be come a cause of quarre ls be twe e n the m. That was why Gomti ran away
e ve n be fore the child was born.
Q14.How did Gangu feel after Gomti had left him?
Ans. Gangu was ve ry sad afte r Gomti had le ft him. He looke d comple te ly
shatte re d. He fe lt sure that he was not good e nough for he r. While she was
e ducated, he was an absolute illiterate. "I must have been at fault somewhere that
she de cide d to le ave ." said Gangu ve ry sadly.
Q15. W hat did the narrator do when he realized Gangu's true nobility?
Ans. The narrator was de e ply touche d by Gangu's nobility. He took the child
from him and kisse d it. He calle d Gangu the e mbodime nt of goodne ss. He said
that the child was adding charm to his goodne ss. The n he we nt with Gangu to
me e t Gomti at the ir house ,
Q1. Describe Gangu's married life and his reaction on his wife's running away.
Ans. Gangu marries Gomti. He live s in a thatche d house in the ne ighbourhood. He

e arns his living by se lling snacks from a cart. Whe ne ve r the write r come s
across, he e xpe cts to se e disappointme nt on Gangu's face . But he is alwa ys
che erful. He e arns very little, ye t he is not worrie d. His face doe s not show any
fe e lingof guilt on having married Gomti. The writer thinks that the dignity and
joy on he r face can come only from inner pe ace. Five months have passed. One
day the write r le arns that Gomti has run away from Gangu's house . He thinks
that Gangu has suffe re d the punishme nt for his foolish de e d. Now he will

re alize that his master's advice was worth accepting. The same day, the write r
come s across Gangu in the marke t. He is upse t and on se e ing the write r his
e yes are filled with te ars. He te lls him that Gomti has be traye d him. The write r
pre te nds to be sympathe tic to him. He asks him whe the r she take n away all
his mone y also. Gangu says that she did not touch e ve n a single thing. She
has le ft be hind e ve n he r own things. Gangu says that she looke d pe rfe ctly
happy and satisfie d with he r. The write r is disappointe d. He has e xpe cte d
Gangu to te ll a tale of Gomti's infide lity. But he was still singing he r praise s,
He thinks that Gangu has be come me ntally disturbe d. Gangu says that he will
try to find he r and whe re ve r she is, he will bring he r again to his home .
Q2. W ho is Gangu? How does he try to justify his desire to marry Gomti?
Ans. Gangu is a Brahman se rvant of the write r. One day, Gangu approache s the
write r and te lls him he wants to re sign from his job. The write r is slightly
shocked be cause he has always tre ated his se rvants we ll. But Gangu te lls him
that he has no grudge against him. He is le aving him be cause he wants to
marry Gomti. Now this comes as a re al shock to the write r. Gomti is a woman
of ill re pute . The whole village knows that she is a woman of loose morals. She
came to the Widow's House many ye ars ago. The y got he r married thre e time s.
But e ach time she ran away from he r husband. Be cause of he r ill re putation,
she was thrown out of the Widow's House . Now she has re nte d a room in the
ne ighbourhood. She is visite d by le che rous young me n of the locality. The
write r e xclaims how Gangu can e ve n think of marrying such a woman. But
Gangu te lls the write r that he knows e verything about Gomti, still he wants to
marry he r. He says that she le ft he r pre vious husbands be cause the y did not
re ally love he r. The y love d only he r body not the he art. He says that he will
love Gomti from the core of his he art.

Q3. How did Gangu defend his decision to marry Gomti?
Ans. Gangu did not se e any fault in Gomti. He said that pe ople had give n he r
a bad name for nothing. It was true that she had le ft thre e husbands. But he re
also, Gangu found no fault in he r. He said that those pe ople had no love for
Gomti. The y thought the y we re doing he r a gre at favour in marrying a widow.
So, the y e xpe cted he r to do e verything for the m. But Gangu said, "Whe re the re
is no love , you cannot e xpe ct a woman to stay on• You cannot win a woman
with me re board and lodging." Gangu be lie ve d that to win some one ove r, one
has first to forge t about one self. And he was pre pare d to forge t himself in orde r
to win Gomti's love . He love d he r from the core of his he art and could make
any
sacrifice for he r. He says, "I shall make something of myself, if I ye t he r." It shows
the de pth of Gangu's love and re gard for Gomti. No de fe nse could be gre ate r than
that!
Q4. Draw a character sketch of Gangu.
Ans. Gangu is comple te ly illite rate , but he towe rs far above the so-calle d
lite rate s. He may have be e n old-fashione d but in matte rs of humanism, no one
could be more e nlighte ne d. He may not de se rve re spe ct as a Brahmin, but as a
man he is the e mbodiment of goodne ss. Whate ver shortcomings he might have as
a se rvant; as a husband he would do proud to any wife .
Gangu is an old-fashioned, illiterate Brahmin. But he shows be tte r unde rstanding

of human characte r than the narrator. The narrator calls him short-te mpe re d.
But nowhe re in the story do we se e him re acting in that manne r. The narrator
blame s Gomti for le aving he r husbands. He ne ve r trie s to analyse the re asons
be hind it. But Gangu puts it so rightly whe n he says, "Whe re the re is no love , we
cannot e xpe ct a woman to stay on. We cannot win a woman with me re board and
lodging." To conclude , we can say that Gangu is an ange l of love and compassion.

Q5. Is Gangu the hero of the story, 'The Child’? If yes, justify your argument.
Ans. Gangu is de finite ly the he ro of the story. He towe rs ove r e ve ry othe r

character in the story. He is an old-fashioned, illite rate Brahmin, but he shows a
be tte r unde rstanding of the human characte r than the narrator who is quite
lite rate and e xpe rienced. For e xample, the narrator blame s Gomti for le aving he r
husbands one afte r the othe r. He ne ve r trie s to know or analyse the re asons
be hind it. But Gangu, in spite of be ing illiterate and orthodox, puts it ve ry rightly
whe n he says, "Whe re the re is no love , we cannot e xpe ct a woman to stay on. We
cannot win a woman with me re board and lodging.”
Whe n Gangu starts living with Gomti, he gives he r all his love . He knows that the
child born to Gomti is not his child. Ye t he proudly calls the child his own child.
He says, "I would love it as my own. Afte r all, whe n one take s a harve ste d fie ld,
one doe s not re fuse the crop me re ly be cause some one e lse has sown it." If the
purity and goodne ss of he art combined with moral courage we re an indication of
he roic qualities, Gangu de finitely de serves to be calle d the he ro of the story. He is
a he ro who wins all the praise and re spe ct of the re ade r.
Q6. Narrate briefly the story, 'The Child', in your own words.
Ans. Gangu was one of the narrator's se rvants. He was comple te ly illite rate .
One day, he told the narrator that he wante d to le ave his job. He wante d to
marry a woman named Gomti De vi. She was a widow and had alre ady marrie d
thre e times. But Gangu found no fault in he r. He said, "Whe re the re is no love ,
you can't e xpe ct a woman to stay on." Whe n the narrator saw that Gangu was
de te rmine d to marry Gomti De vi, he le t him go. But he was ce rtain that the
marriage won't last more than a fe w days.
And he was prove d right. One day he he ard that Gomti had run away. Gangu
looke d comple te ly shatte re d. He said that he must have be e n at fault
some whe re that Gomti had le ft him. He calle d he r a godde ss. The narrator

calle d Gangu a fool who still had his e yes close d. He aske d him to go and find
he r out if he was so much attache d to he r.
Gangu found Gomti in the Wome n's Hospital in Lucknow. She had gi ve n birth
to a male child. That was why she had run away. Gangu brought he r back.
The narrator knew that Gangu had be e n marrie d for only six months. He was
surprise d at Gangu's Shame le ssne ss. But Gangu said that he would love the
child as his own. The important thing for him was that Gomti should love him.
The narrator was de e ply impre sse d by Gangu's se ntime nts. He took the child
from Gangu and kisse d it. The n he we nt with Gangu to me e t Gomti at the ir
house .
a) Gangu was a Brahmin and a se rvant to the narrator.
b) No, Gangu ne ve r salute s the narrator.
c) Gangu is a man of e xtre me s.
d) Ye s, Gangu was illite rate .
e ) Re spe ct and honour gathe re d by his fore fathe rs.
f) The narrator thinks that the y have come e ithe r to complain about othe r
se rvants or to ge t an advance .
g) The narrator considers complaints a sign of we akne ss or a base atte mpt at

flatte ring the e mploye rs.
h) Thinking is the harde st task for narrator.
i) Gangu said this.
j) Gomti has be e n thrown out of Widow’s home .
k) The Home ’s administrators had gotte n he r marrie d thre e time s.
l) Gomti had be come a source of e ntertainment for the dissolute me n of society.

m)Gangu marrie s Gomti.
n) Gangu e arne d his living by se lling snacks from a cart.
o) Gangu made a profit of e ight or te n annas.
p) Ye s, Gomti was e ducate d.
q) The narrator we nt to Nainital for work.
r) Gangu found Gomti in the wome n’s hospital in Lucknow.
s) No, Gangu was not the re al fathe r of the child.
2) Give the words which are similar in me aning to the following words:
a)Witne ss
b)Be ar
c)Shocke d
d)Embodime nt
e )Unre liability
3) Give the words which are opposite in me aning to the following words:
a)Good
b)Unfaithful
c)Crue lty
d)Infide lity
e )Old
Hooda, Rana and Mohan (Eds). Lite rature and Language II. Hyde rabad: Orie nt
Blackswan, 2018.

Lesson No:07
Chapter-7 The Blind Dog
R.K.Narayan
Lesson Structure
7.2 Introduction
7.3 M ain Body
7.6 Summary
7.7 Keywords


language .
 Re ad, unde rstand and e njoy the story
7.2 INTRODUCTION
‘The Blind dog’ is one of the most famous stories of R.K Narayan. This is the story of
a dog and his loyalty to a blind be ggar. This story te lls us about human gre e d and
crue lty to animals. But the most important me ssage in the story is the loyalty of a
dog to his master. The blind be ggar tre ats the dog crue lly. A shopkeepe r cut the cord
which holds the dog and it be come s fre e . But afte r a fe w days, it re turns to the
be ggar on his own accord.
"Blind Dog" is one of the most popular storie s of R.K. Narayan from his colle ction
'Malgudi Days' that discusse s the story of a dog and his loyalty towards his blind
maste r who is a be ggar.
The story be gins with the e ve ryday struggle s of the blind man and Tige r (the dog).
Tiger he lps him in saving his food from othe rs which the blind man appre ciate s. The
blind man be gins to tyrannize the dog and tre at him me rely as a working dog that is
the re only to se rve him. The man gradually be come s gre e dy and make s Tige r work
more and more to e arn e xtra money. He be gins to le nd mone y to pe ople on inte re st.
With incre asing gre e d, the blind man be come s crue l and he not only fails to
acknowledge the hard work and e fforts of the poor animal but also be ats him ofte n.
The n, the tige r finally is se t fre e by the Pe rfume r as he fe lt what the blind man was
doing to him was de vilish. The blind man re pe nts his actions for mistre ating him.
The re ade rs are give n a shock whe n the tige r re turns at the e nd de spite all this

mistre atme nt and humiliation which might be his affe ction towards him or the
loyalty.
The the me of the story is 'human greed and ungrate fulness' in contrast to the 'loyalty
and fre e -will of animals.'
About the Author
R. K. Narayan (born 1906) is one of the be st-known Indo-English write rs. He cre ated
the imaginary town of Malgudi, whe re re alistic characte rs in a typically Indian
se tting live d amid unpre dictable e ve nts.
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayanswami, who pre fe rre d the shorte ne d name R.K.
Narayan, was born in Madras, India, on Oct. 10, 1906. His fathe r, an e ducator,
trave le d fre que ntly, and his mothe r was frail, so Narayan was raise d in Madras by
his grandmothe r and an uncle . His grandmothe r inspire d in young Narayan a
passion for language and pe ople . He atte nde d the Christian Mission School, whe re ,
he le arned to love the Hindu gods simply be cause the Christian chaplain ridicule d
the m. Narayan graduate d from Maharaja's Colle ge in Mysore in 1930. In 1934 he
was marrie d, but his wife , Rajam, die d of typhoid in 1939. He had one daughte r,
He ma. He ne ve r re marrie d.
R. K. Narayan’s s short storie s are artistical as e mine nt as his nove ls, and in any
ge neral e stimate of his writings, the y cannot be ignore d. One might go so far as to
say that Narayan is e ssentially a short storyte lle r and the one e le me nt that stands
out e ven in his nove ls is the story e le me nt. The se storie s be long to the Indian soil
and are e vocative of its culture . In the main, the y re pre se nt South Indian life and
cle arly e xpre ssing Narayan’s vie w of the world and those who live in it. The simple
but captivating plot, sparkling characte rization, strict e conomy of narration, and
grace ful simplicity of language are fe ature s of the se short storie s. The y se rve as a
good fore word to the fore igne r who wants to know the Indian way of life . Narayan
pe rce ive s the balance of powe r in human re lations in e ve ry aspe ct of man’s life –
social, political, and moral and the pe rce ption le ads to his de tache d obse rvation of

the human sce ne. It is this quality more than any othe r that distinguishe s Narayan
from the othe r write rs
About the story-
In The Blind Dog by R.K. Narayan, we have the the me of struggle , connection, greed,
fre e dom, control, and loyalty. Take n from his Malgudi Days colle ction, the story is
narrate d in the third pe rson by an unnamed narrator and afte r re ading the story the
re ade r re alize s that Narayan may be e xploring the the me of struggle .
Both the blind man and Tiger have difficulties in the ir e ve ryday live s. Each day the
blind man struggle s to ge t e nough money to live on while Tiger struggles with ge tting
food and e nds up ge tting into fights with othe r dogs just to survive . It is as though
both the blind man and Tige r have some thing in common or some thing that
conne cts both of the m. It is also inte re sting that at first, the blind man appre ciate s
Tiger’s company and his dilige nce whe n it come s to pe ople trying to ste al from him.
Howe ve r, as time passes the re ader soon re alizes that the blind man is a tyrant whe n
it come s to how he tre ats Tige r. Tige r for the blind man is not a pe t or frie nd or a
he lping hand rathe r he is simply a working dog that is the re to se rve the blind man.
Any type of life that Tiger had pre viously known is soon forgotte n due to the tyranny
of the blind man. If anything Tiger is the re to se rve the blind man just as a se rvant
would se rve the ir maste r.
It is also notice able that the blind man starts to be come gre e dy. He wishe s to
increase his daily income so he works Tige r more and m ore . He also starts to le nd
othe r pe ople mone y while at the same time charging the m intere st. While some may
pity the blind man be cause of the ve ry fact he is blind othe rs might sugge st that the
blind man is be coming greedy and taking advantage of Tiger’s good-nature . The blind
man knows he will make more money by walking along the streets with Tiger le ading
the way and the re is a se nse that the main priority for the blind man is no longe r
just survival but he is be ginning to be drive n by a de sire for more mone y. Rathe r

than tre ating Tiger with kindne ss and be ing grate ful that Tige r is he lping him. The
blind man ofte n be ats Tige r which may sugge st that the blind man is be ing crue l.
It may also be important that othe rs notice how the blind man is tre ating T ige r by
having othe rs notice what is happe ning. Narayan may be using the ir voice s as a
conse nsus to stop what is happe ning to Tige r. The cutting of the ribbon by the
ribbon ve ndor may also be important as symbolically this action acts as a path to
fre e dom for Tige r. He can live his life as he had pre viously live d it. It is also
noticeable after Tiger has be e n se t fre e how re liant the blind man was on Tiger. He is
no longe r able to walk along the stre e ts and his income drops se ve re ly. It cause s
gre at anguish to the blind man. At no stage in the story doe s the re ade r suspe ct that
the blind man is re pe ntant about his tre atment of Tiger. If anything he wants to be at
Tiger should he e nd up finding him? This again sugge sts a se rvant and the maste r
re lationship be twe en Tiger and the blind man. The re lationship be twe e n Tige r and
the blind man is one -sided. The blind man ne ve r re alize s that he ne e ds Tige r more
than Tige r ne e ds him.
The e nd of the story is also inte re sting as Narayan appe ars to be e xploring the
the me of loyalty. By re turning to the blind man Tige r is showing his loyalty. Eve n
though it is cle ar to the re ade r that nothing will change be twe e n Tige r and the blind
man. Some thing noticeable by the fact that the blind man now has bought a chain to
e nsure that Tiger doe s not run away again. There is a se nse that the blind man is in
comple te control of Tiger again. As to why Tiger has re turned is difficult to say whe n
as re ade rs we are aware of how badly he has be e n tre ate d by the blind man.
Howe ve r, Narayan may be sugge sting that just as the blind man is blind so too is
Tige r’s loyalty. He is willing to forgive the blind man’s actions towards him e ve n
though he has be e n unfairly tre ate d. It is also possible that Tige r has sympathy for
the blind man.
Orig ina l Te xt

IT wa s not a v e ry i m pre s s i v e or hi gh -c la s s dog; i t wa s one of thos e

c om m onpla c e dogs one s e e s e v e rywhe re , the c olor of whi te a nd dus t, ta i l
m utilate d a t a young a ge by God k nows whom, born i n the s tre et, a nd bre d on
the le a v i ngs a nd ga rba ge of the m a rk e t -pla c e . He ha d s potty e ye s a nd
undi s tinguished c a rriage a nd ne e dle ss pugnacity. Be fore he wa s two ye a rs old
he ha d e a rned the s c ars of a hundre d fi ghts on hi s body. Whe n he ne ede d re s t
on hot a fte rnoons he la y c urle d up un de r the c ulvert a t the e aste rn ga te of the
m a rk e t. In the e v e ni ngs he s e t out on hi s da i ly rounds , loa fe d i n the
s urrounding s tre e ts a nd la ne s , e nga ge d hi m s e lf i n s k i rm i s he s , pi c k e d up
e di ble s on the roa ds i de , a nd wa s ba c k a t the m a rk e t ga te by ni ghtfa ll.
T his li fe we nt on for thre e ye a rs . And the n oc c urre d a c ha nge i n hi s li fe . A

be ggar, bli nd of both e ye s, a ppe ared a t the m a rket ga te . An old wom a n le d him
up the re e arly i n the m orning, s e ated hi m a t the ga te , a nd c a m e up a ga i n a t
m i dda y wi th s om e food, ga the re d hi s c oi ns , a nd took hi m hom e a t ni ght.
T he dog wa s s le eping ne arby. He wa s s ti rre d by the s m e ll of food. He got up,

c a me out of hi s s he lter, a nd s tood be fore the bli nd m a n, wa ggi ng hi s ta i l a nd
ga zi ng e xpe ctantly a t the bowl, a s he wa s e a ti ng hi s s pa rs e m e a l. T he bli nd
m a n s we pt hi s a rms a bout a nd a s ked: “Who i s the re ?” At whi c h the dog we nt
up a nd li cked hi s ha nd. T he bli nd m a n s troked i ts c oa t ge ntly ta i l to e a r a nd
s a i d: “Wha t a be a uty you a re . Com e wi th m e “He thre w a ha ndful of food
whi c h the dog a te gra te fully. It wa s pe rha ps a n a us pi c i ous m om e nt for
s ta rting a fri e ndship. T he y m e t e ve ry da y the re , a nd the dog c ut off m uc h of
i ts ra m bli ng to s i t up be s i de the bli nd m a n a nd wa tc h hi m re c e i v e a lm s
m orning to e ve ning. In c ourse of ti me obs e rving hi m, the dog unde rs tood tha t
the pa s sers-by m ust give a c oi n, a nd whoe v e r we nt a wa y wi thout droppi ng a
c oi n wa s c hased by the dog; he tugge d the e dge of the i r c lothe s by hi s te e th

a nd pulle d the m ba c k to the old m a n a t the ga te a nd le t go only a fte r

s om e thi ng wa s droppe d i n hi s bowl.
Am ong thos e who fre que nte d thi s pla c e wa s a v i lla ge urc hi n, who ha d the
m i schi e f of a de v i l i n hi m . He li k e d to te a s e the bli nd m a n by c a lli ng hi m
na m e s a nd by tryi ng to pi c k up the c oi ns i n hi s bowl. T he bli nd m a n
he lple s s ly s houte d a nd c ri e d a nd whi rle d hi s s ta ff. On T hurs da ys thi s boy
a ppe a re d a t the ga te , c a rryi ng on hi s he a d a ba s k e t loa de d wi th c uc um be r
or pla nta in. Ev e ry T hursda y a fte rnoon i t wa s a c ri sis i n the bli nd m a n's li fe . A
s e lle r of bri ght c olore d but doubtful pe rf um e s wi th hi s wa re s m ounte d on a
whe e le d pla tform, a m a n who s pre ad out c he ap s tory -books on a gunny s a c k ,
a nothe r m an who c a rried c olored ri bbons on a n e la bora te fra m e the s e we re
the pe ople who us ua lly ga there d unde r the s a m e a rc h, On a T hurs da y whe n
the young m an a ppe are d a t the Ea s te rn ga te one of the m re m a rk e d, "Bli nd
fe llow! He re c om e s your s c ourge "
"Oh, God i s this T hursda y?" he wa i le d. He s we pt hi s a rm s a bout a nd c a lle d:

"Dog, dog, c om e he re , whe re a re you?" He m a de the pe c uli a r noi s e tha t
brought the dog to hi s s ide . He s troked hi s he ad a nd m utte red: "Don't le t tha t
li ttle ra s c a l"
At thi s v e ry m om e nt, the boy c a m e up wi th a le e r on hi s fa c e .
"Bli nd m a n! Still pre te nding you ha ve no e ye s. If you a re bli nd, you s hould not
k now thi s e i the r "He s toppe d, hi s ha nd m ov i ng towa rds the bowl. T he dog
s pra ng on hi m a nd s nappe d hi s ja ws on hi s wri st. T he boy e xtricated hi s ha nd
a nd ra n for hi s li fe. T he dog bounde d up be hi nd hi m a nd c ha s e d hi m out of
the m a rk e t.
“Se e the m ongrel's a ffe ction for thi s old fe llow!” m arveled the pe rfume -v e ndor.
One e vening a t the us ual ti me the old wom a n fa ile d to turn up, a nd the bli nd
m a n wa ite d a t the ga te , worrying a s the e vening gre w i nto the night. As he s a t

fre tti ng the re , a ne i ghbor c a m e up a nd s a i d: "Sa m i , don't wa i t for the old

wom a n. She wi ll not c om e a ga i n. She di e d thi s a fte rnoon"
T he bli nd m a n los t the only home he ha d, a nd the only pe rs on who c a re d for

hi m i n this world. T he ri bbon -vendor s ugge s te d: "He re , ta k e thi s whi te ta pe
"He he ld a le ngth of the white c ord whi ch he ha d be e n s e lling" I wi ll gi v e thi s
to you fre e of c os t. T ie i t to the dog a nd le t him le ad you a bout i f he i s s o fond
of you"
Li fe for the dog took a ne w turn now. He c a m e to ta k e the pla c e of the old
wom a n. He los t hi s fre edom c omple te ly. Hi s world c a m e to be c i rc um s c ri be d
by the limits of the whi te c ord whi ch the ri bbon -vendor ha d s pa re d. He ha d to
forge t whole sale a ll hi s old li fe a ll hi s old ha unts . He s i m ply ha d to s ta y on
fore ver a t the e nd of tha t s tri ng. Whe n he s a w othe r dogs , fri e nds , or foe s ,
i ns tinctively he s pra ng up, tuggi ng the s tring, a nd thi s i nvariably e a rne d hi m
a k i ck from his m a ste r. "Ra s cal, wa nt to tum ble me down, ha v e se nse" In a fe w
da ys the dog le arned to di s cipline his i nstinct a nd i m pulse. He c e as e d to ta k e
noti ce of othe r dogs , e ven i f the y c ame up a nd growle d a t hi s s ide . He los t hi s
orbi t of m ov e m e nt a nd c onta c t wi th hi s fe llow -c re a ture s .
T o the e xte nt of thi s loss hi s m aste r gaine d. He m oved a bout a s he ha d ne v e r

m ove d i n hi s li fe. All-da y he wa s on hi s le gs, le d by the dog. Wi th the s ta ff i n
one ha nd a nd the dog -le ad i n the othe r, he m oved out of hi s home a c orne r i n
a c ountry v e randa a fe w ya rds off the m arket: he ha d m ove d i n the re a fte r the
old wom a n's de a th. He s ta rte d e arly i n the da y. He found tha t he c ould tre ble
hi s i ncome by m ov ing a bout i nste ad of s ta yi ng i n one pla c e . He m ov e d down
the c ountry s tre et, a nd whe re ver he he ard pe ople 's v oices he s toppe d a nd he ld
out hi s ha nds for a lm s. Shops, s c hools, hospitals, hote ls he le ft nothi ng out.
He ga ve a tug whe n he wa nte d th e dog to s top, a nd s houte d li k e a bulloc k -
dri v e r whe n he wa nte d hi m to m ove on. T he dog prote c ted hi s fe e t from goi ng
i nto pi ts , or s tum ping a gainst s te ps or s tone s, a nd took hi m up i nc h by i nc h

on s a fe ground a nd s te ps . For thi s s ight, pe ople ga v e c oi ns a nd he lpe d hi m .

Chi ldre n ga there d a round hi m a nd ga ve him things to e a t. A dog i s e ssentia lly
a n a c tive c re ature who punc tuate s his he ctic rounds wi th we ll -de fined pe ri ods
of re s t. But now thi s dog (he nceforth to be k nown a s T i ge r) ha d los t a ll re s t.
He ha d re s t only whe n the old m a n s a t down s ome where . At ni ght the old m a n
s le pt wi th the c ord turne d a round hi s fi nge r.
"I c a n't ta ke c hances wi th you," he s a i d. A gre a t de s i re to e a rn m ore m one y

tha n e v e r be fore s e i ze d hi s m a s te r, s o tha t he fe lt a ny re s ti ng a wa s te of
opportuni ty, a nd the dog ha d to be c ontinuously on hi s fe e t. Som e ti m e s hi s
le gs re fused to m ove . But i f he s lowe d down e v e n s li ghtly hi s m a s te r goa de d
hi m on fi e rcely wi th his s ta ff. T he dog whi ne d a nd groa ne d unde r thi s thrus t.
"Don't whi ne , you ra s c a l. Don't I gi v e you your food? You wa nt to loa f, do
you?" s wore the bli nd m a n. T he dog lum be re d up a nd down a nd round a nd
round the m a rk e t-pla c e on s low s te ps , ti e d down to the bli nd tyra nt. Long
a fte r the tra ffic a t the m a rket c e ased, you c ould he ar the night s tabbe d by the
fa r-off wa i l of the ti red dog. It los t i ts ori gi na l a ppe a ra nc e . As m onths rolle d
on, bone s s tuck up a t hi s ha unches, a nd ri bs we re re lieved through hi s fa ding
c oa t.
T he ri bbon-selle r, the nove l-vendor, a nd the pe rfumer obs e rved i t one e vening,
whe n bus iness wa s s lack, a nd he ld a c onfe re nc e a m ong the m : "It re nds m y
he art to s e e that poor dog s la ving. Ca n't we do s ome thing? "T he ri bbon -s e lle r
re marked: "T hat ra s cal ha s s tarte d le nding m oney for i nte re s t I he a rd i t from
tha t frui t-selle r He i s e arning m ore tha n he ne eds . He ha s be come a v e ry de v i l
for m one y"
At thi s poi nt the pe rfum e r's e ye s c a ught the s c i s s ors da ngli ng from the
ri bbon-ra ck. "Gi ve i t he re ," he s aid a nd m ov e d on wi th the s c i s s ors i n ha nd.
T he bli nd m a n wa s pa s sing i n front of the Ea s te rn ga te . T he dog wa s s tra ining

the le ad. T he re wa s a pi e ce of bone lyi ng on the wa y a nd the dog wa s s tra ining

to pi c k i t up. T he le a d be c a m e ta ut a nd hurt the bli nd m a n's ha nd, a nd he

tugge d the s tring a nd k i cked ti ll the dog howle d. It howle d, but c ould not pa s s
the bone li ghtly; i t tri e d to m a k e a nothe r da s h for i t. T he bli nd m a n wa s
he a pi ng c urs e s on i t. T he pe rfum e r s te ppe d up, a ppli e d the s c i s s ors , a nd
s ni ppe d the c ord. T he dog bounc e d off a nd pi c ke d up the bone . T he bli nd m a n
s toppe d de a d whe re he s tood, wi th the othe r ha lf of the s tring da ngli ng i n hi s
ha nd. "T i ge r! T i ge r! Whe re a re you?" he c ri e d. T he pe rfum e r m ov e d a wa y
qui e tly, m utte ring: "You he artle ss de vil! You wi ll ne v e r ge t a t hi m a ga i n! He
ha s hi s fre edom!" T he dog we nt off a t top s pe e d. He nos e d a bout the di tc he s
ha ppi ly, hurle d hi mself on othe r dogs , a nd ra n round a nd round the founta i n
i n the m a rket-square ba rking, his e yes s pa rkling wi th joy. He re turne d to hi s
fa v orite ha unts a nd hung a bout the butc her's s hop, te a-stall, a nd the ba k e ry.
T he ri bbon-vendor a nd hi s two fri e nds s tood a t the m a rk e t ga te a nd e njoye d

the s i ght i m m e ns e ly a s the bli nd m a n s truggle d to fi nd hi s wa y a bout. He
s tood roote d to the s pot wa v ing hi s s tick; he fe lt a s i f he we re ha nging i n m i d-
a i r. He wa s wa iling. "Oh, whe re i s m y dog? Whe re i s m y dog? Won't s om e one
gi ve him ba c k to m e ? I wi ll m urde r i t whe n I ge t a t i t a gain!" He grope d a bout,
tri e d to c ros s the roa d, c a m e ne a r be i ng run ov e r by a doze n v e hi c le s a t
di ffe rent poi nts, tumble d a nd s truggled a n d ga s pe d." He 'd de se rve i t i f he wa s
run ov e r, thi s he artle ss bla c kguard" the y s a i d, obs e rv i ng hi m . Howe v e r, the
old m a n s truggled through a nd wi th the he lp of s om e one found hi s wa y ba c k
to hi s c orner i n the c ountry v e ra nda a nd s a nk on hi s gunnys a c k be d, h a lf
fa i nt wi th the s tra i n of hi s journe y.
He wa s not s e e n for te n da ys , fi fteen da ys, a nd twe nty da ys . Nor wa s the dog

s e e n a nywhe re . T he y c ommente d a m ong the mselves. "T he dog m us t be loa fi ng
ov e r the whole e a rth, fre e a nd ha ppy. T he be gga r i s pe rha ps gone fore v e r"
Ha rdly wa s thi s se ntence utte re d whe n the y he ard the fa m i li a r ta p-ta p of the
bli nd m a n's s ta ff. T he y s a w him a gain c oming up the pa ve ment le d by the dog.

"Look ! Look!" the y c ried. "He ha s a ga i n got a t i t a nd ti e d i t up." T he ri bbon -

s e lle r c ould n ot c ontain him. He ra n up a nd s a i d: "Whe re ha v e you be e n a ll
the s e da ys ?"
"Know wha t ha ppe ne d!" c ri e d the bli nd m a n. "T hi s dog ra n a wa y. I s hould

ha ve di e d i n a da y or two, c onfi ned to m y c orne r, no food, not a n a nna to e a rn
i m prisoned i n m y c orner. I s hould ha v e pe ri s he d i f i t c onti nue d for a nothe r
da y. But thi s thi ng re turne d."
"Whe n? Whe n?"
"La s t night. At m i dnight a s I s le pt i n the be d, he c a m e a nd li c k e d m y fa c e . I

fe lt like m urde ring hi m. I ga ve him a blow whi c h he wi ll ne v e r forge t a ga i n,"
s a id the bli nd m a n." I forga v e hi m , a fte r a ll, a dog! He loa fe d a s long a s he
c ould pi c k up s om e rubbi s h to e a t on the roa d, but re a l hunge r ha s dri v e n
hi m ba c k to m e , but he wi ll not le ave m e a ga i n. Se e ! I ha v e got thi s " a nd he
s hook the le a d: i t wa s a s te e l c ha i n thi s ti m e .
Onc e a gain the re wa s the de a d, de s pairing look i n the dog's e ye s . "Go on, you
fool," c rie d the bli nd m a n, s houti ng li k e a n ox -dri v e r. He tugge d the c ha i n,
pok e d wi th the s ti c k , a nd the dog m ov e d a wa y on s low s te ps . T he y s tood
li s te ni ng to the ta p-ta p goi ng a wa y.
"De a th a lone c a n he lp tha t dog," c rie d the ri bbon -selle r, looking a fte r i t wi th a
s i gh. "Wha t c a n we do wi th a c re a ture who re turns to hi s doom wi th s uc h a
fre e he a rt?"
Answer the following questions in a word, a phrase, and one or two sentences.
1. How did the dog go to the blind man?
2. What did the pe rfume r do with the scissors?

Answers-
1. The dog was attracted by the sme ll of food the blind man was e ating. He we nt
up to the blind man and stood the re , wagging his tail.
2. He snippe d the cord which the blind man had tie d to the dog.
1. What happe ne d to the dog once it be came the blind man’s companion?
2. How did the frie ndship be twe e n the dog and the blind man be gin?
3. How did the dog guard the blind man from the village urchin?
4. Write a characte r-ske tch of the blind man.
5. What is your opinion about the dog’s be havior?
Answers-
1. It was a stre e t dog and would go about the stre e ts and lane s around the
market-place. He fe d himself on the le avings and othe r e dible s on the roadside.
But whe n he be came the blind man’s companion, he cut off much of his
rambling. He would sit be side the blind man all day and watch him re ce ive
alms. An old woman would bring food for the blind man at midday. The bli nd
man would throw a handful of food for the dog, and the dog would e at it
grate fully.
2. The blind man would be g at the city gate all day. At midday, an old lady would
bring food for the be ggar. One day, the dog was re sting close by. He was stirred
by the smell of food. He we nt and stood by the blind man, wagging his tail. The
blind man asked, “Who is the re?” the dog starte d licking the blind man’s hand.
The blind man stroke d its coat ge ntly tail to e ar and thre w a handful of food
which the dog ate grace fully. Thus the frie ndship be twe e n the two be gan.
3. The village urchin came e very Thursday and te ase d the blind man by abusing
him. He would also try to pick up coins from the blind man’s bowl. On

Thursday, some one told the blind man that the boy was coming. The blind
man calle d out to the dog. At once , the dog sprang on the boy and snappe d his
jaws on the boy’s wrist. The boy e xtricate d his hand and ran for his life . The
dog bounde d up be hind him and chase d him out of the marke t.
4. We can say that the blind man is blind not only in his e ye s but in his soul
also. His gre ed for mone y make s him de ad in his soul. He make s the dog his
prisone r and use s him as a slave . The poor animal has to le ad him about all
day. Se ize d with the de sire to e arn more and more mone y, the blind man
allows him no re st. And if the dog slows down, he be ats him me rcile ssly. We
can say that the blind man is a thoroughly de te stable fe llow.
5. In this story, it is the be ggar, not the dog, who is blind; ye t the write r has title d
his story, ‘The Blind Dog’. And he has done this ve ry rightly. We can’t blame
the dog whe n he lose s his fre edom for the first time. But having e xperienced all
the pain and suffe ring of confine me nt, he willingly walks into capacity at the
e nd of the story. What can we do with such a cre ature ? De ath alone can he lp
him.
Comprehensive passage
Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions
One e vening a t the us ual ti me the old wom a n fa ile d to turn up, a nd the bli nd
m a n wa ite d a t the ga te , worrying a s the e vening gre w i nto the night. As he s a t
fre tti ng the re , a ne i ghbor c a m e up a nd s a i d: "Sa m i , don't wa i t for the old
wom a n. She wi ll not c om e a ga i n. She di e d thi s a fte rnoon"
T he bli nd m a n los t the only home he ha d, a nd the only pe rs on who c a re d for

hi m i n this world. T he ri bbon-vendor s ugge s te d: "He re , ta k e thi s whi te ta pe
"He he ld a le ngth of the white c ord whi ch he ha d be e n s e lling" I wi ll gi v e thi s
to you fre e of c os t. T ie i t to the dog a nd le t him le ad you a bout i f he i s s o fond
of you"

Li fe for the dog took a ne w turn now. He c a m e to ta k e the pla c e of the old
wom a n. He los t hi s fre edom c omple te ly. Hi s world c a m e to be c i rc um s c ri be d
by the limits of the whi te c ord whi ch the ri bbon -vendor ha d s pa re d. He ha d to
forge t whole sale a ll hi s old li fe a ll hi s old ha unts . He s i m ply ha d to s ta y on
fore ver a t the e nd of tha t s tri ng. Whe n he s a w othe r dogs , fri e nds , or foe s ,
i ns tinctively he s pra ng up, tuggi ng the s tring, a nd thi s i nvariably e a rne d hi m
a k i ck from his m a ste r. "Ra s cal, wa nt to tum ble me down, ha v e se nse" In a fe w
da ys the dog le arned to di s cipline his i nstinct a nd i m pulse. He c e as e d to ta k e
noti ce of othe r dogs , e ven i f the y c ame up a nd growle d a t hi s s ide . He los t hi s
orbi t of m ov e m e nt a nd c onta c t wi th hi s fe llow -c re a ture s .
Questions-
1. Why did the old man fail to turn up that e ve ning?

2. Whe n and how did the blind man lose the only home he had?
3. How did the ribbon-ve ndor he lp the blind man?
4. Whose place did the dog take in the blind man’s life ? How?
5. How did the dog’s life be come limite d and circumscribe d?
6. What e arne d the dog the blind man’s kick and abuse s?
7. How did the dog lose contact with his fe llow-cre ature s?
8. From the passage , do you think the dog e njoye d his ne w role and life ? Why?
Answers-
1. She had die d in the afte rnoon.

2. Whe n the old woman die d, the blind man lost the only home he had. He had
none e lse in the world to take care of him.
3. He gave the blind man a le ngth of white tape to tie the dog with it. The dog
could the n le ad the blind man about.
4. The dog took the place of the old woman who had be e n taking care of the blind
man and le ading him about.
5. He had to stay on fore ve r at the e nd of the tape tie d around his ne ck.

6. The dog would spring upon se e ing the othe r dogs and the n the blind man
would showe r kicks and abuse s on him.
7. The dog le arned to discipline his instinct and impulse. He ce ased to take notice
of the othe r dog.
8. No, the dog had lost his fre e dom and the re was no que stion of his e njoying his
ne w role and life .
7.6 KEYW ORDS
 High
 Born
 Curl
 Gate
 Change
 Sme ll
 Arms
 Be auty
 Pick
 Blind
 Stop
 Bowl
 Sprang
 Snap
 Life
 Chase
 Old
 Fe llow
 Income
 Active

 Cord
 Re fuse
 Poor
 Hurt
 Round
 Pe rish
7.7 SUM M ARY
In The Blind Dog by R.K. Narayan, we have the the me of struggle, connection, gre ed,
fre e dom, control, and loyalty. Take n from his Malgudi Days colle ction, the story is
narrate d in the third pe rson by an unnamed narrator and afte r re ading the story the
re ade r re alize s that Narayan may be e xploring the the me of struggle .
Both the blind man and Tiger have difficulties in the ir e ve ryday live s. Each day the
blind man struggle s to ge t e nough money to live on while Tiger struggles with ge tting
food and e nds up ge tting into fights with othe r dogs just to survive . It is as though
both the blind man and Tige r have some thing in common or some thing that
conne cts both of the m. It is also inte re sting that at first, the blind man appre ciate s
Tiger’s company and his dilige nce whe n it come s to pe ople trying to ste al from him.
Howe ve r, as time passes the re ader soon re alizes that the blind man is a tyrant whe n
it come s to how he tre ats Tige r. Tige r for the blind man is not a pe t or frie nd or a
he lping hand rathe r he is simply a working dog that is the re to se rve the blind man.
Any type of life that Tiger had pre viously known is soon forgotte n due to the tyranny
of the blind man. If anything Tiger is the re to se rve the blind man just as a se rvant
would se rve the ir maste r.
It is also notice able that the blind man starts to be come gre e dy. He wishe s to
increase his daily income so he works Tige r more and more . He also starts to le nd
othe r pe ople mone y while at the same time charging the m intere st. While some may
pity the blind man be cause of the ve ry fact he is blind othe rs might sugge st that the
blind man is be coming greedy and taking advantage of Tiger’s good-nature . The blind

man knows he will make more money by walking along the streets with Tiger le ading
the way and the re is a se nse that the main priority for the blind man is no longe r
just survival but he is be ginning to be drive n by a de sire for more mone y. Rathe r
than tre ating Tiger with kindne ss and be ing grate ful that Tige r is he lping him. The
blind man ofte n be ats Tige r which may sugge st that the blind man is be ing crue l.
It may also be important that othe rs notice how the blind man is tre ating Tige r by
having othe rs notice what is happe ning. Narayan may be using the ir voice s as a
conse nsus to stop what is happe ning to Tige r. The cutting of the ribbon by the
ribbon ve ndor may also be important as symbolically this action acts as a path to
fre e dom for Tige r. He can live his life as he had pre viously live d it. It is also
noticeable after Tiger has be e n se t fre e how re liant the blind man was on Tiger. He is
no longe r able to walk along the stre e ts and his income drops se ve re ly. It cause s
gre at anguish to the blind man. At no stage in the story doe s the re ade r suspe ct that
the blind man is re pe ntant about his tre atment of Tiger. If anything he wants to be at
Tiger should he e nd up finding him? This again sugge sts a se rvant and the maste r
re lationship be twe en Tiger and the blind man. The re lationship be twe e n Tige r and
the blind man is one -sided. The blind man ne ve r re alize s that he ne e ds Tige r more
than Tige r ne e ds him.
The e nd of the story is also inte re sting as Narayan appe ars to be e xploring the
the me of loyalty. By re turning to the blind man Tige r is showing his loyalty. Eve n
though it is cle ar to the re ade r that nothing will change be twe e n Tige r and the blind
man. Some thing noticeable by the fact that the blind man now has bought a chain to
e nsure that Tiger doe s not run away again. There is a se nse that the blind man is in
comple te control of Tiger again. As to why Tiger has re turned is difficult to say whe n
as re ade rs we are aware of how badly he has be e n tre ate d by the blind man.
Howe ve r, Narayan may be sugge sting that just as the blind man is blind so too is
Tige r’s loyalty. He is willing to forgive the blind man’s actions towards him e ve n
though he has be e n unfairly tre ate d. It is also possible that Tige r has sympathy for
the blind man.

Provide the antonyms of the following words taken from the story
W ord Antonym
High Low
Back Front
Appe ar Disappe ar
Fre e Captive
Se nse Nonse nse
Frie ndship Enmity
Che ap De ar/ Expe nsive
Income Expe nditure
Whole Partial
Provide the synonyms of the following words taken from the story
W ord Synonym
Earn Gain/ Acquire
Grate ful Thankful
Urchin Brat
Te ase Annoy
Le e r Smile
Fre e dom Inde pe nde nce
Active Live ly
Tyrant Dictator/ Oppre ssor

Obse rve Watch
Hurt Injure
Find one-word equivalents of the following
Fle sh-e ating animals Carnivore s
Cud- che wing animals Ruminants
Re ptile s living in the wate r Crocodile s
Original inhabitants of a country Native s
Things of the same nature Homoge nous
Some thing that cannot be re paire d Irre parable
A dumb show Mime
One who le ads the othe rs Le ade r

Punctuation
During verbal communication, from time to time, we drop our tone, sometimes
we raise or lower our tones, sometimes we whisper shout. In writing, this
function is performed by punctuation. Correct punction gives logic and
meaning to words and sentences.
The following are the punctuation marks-
Capital letters
The full stop(.)
The comma (,)
Single Inverted Commas (‘ ’)

Double Inverted Commas (“ ”)
Dashes (--)
The hyphen (-)
Semi colon(;)
Colon (:)
Question mark(?)
Parentheses()
The exclamation mark (!)
Ellipses (……..)
Capital Letters-
 Capital le tte rs are ge ne rally use d in the be ginning of se nte nce s.
Example - Urvi is the be st playe r of the te am.
 The y are use d to start a se nte nce within inve rte d commas.
Example - Shake spe are says,’To be or not to be …….’
 Capital le tte rs are use d in the name s of pe ople , month, we e ks, days, fe stivals
e tc.
Example - We dne sday, Christmas, Karnataka, John, e tc
Full Stop-
 Full stops are use d at the e nd of comple te se nte nce s.
Example - He is a good boy.
 It is use d in abbre viations
Example - Urvi is an I.A.S. office r.
Comma-

 It is use d to se parate ase rie s of words. It sugge st a pause in the writing.
Example - Yuvraj can do that; Dhoni, ne ve r.
 The y are use d be twe e n the words that do not be long toge the r.
Example - the shirts are blue , and brown. (It me ans blue , and brown, se parate ly.)
 It is use d to se parate two or more nouns in apposition.
Example - Hari, my cousin, is going to Ne w Ze aland tomorrow.
 It is use d to addre ss pe ople .
Example - Madam, kindly pass the salt, ple ase .
 It se parate the coordinate clause in a compound se nte nce .
Example - I came , I saw, I conque re d.
Double Inverted Commas
 The y are use d to quote the e xactwords of pe rson or from a te xt.
Example - It is said, “To e rr is human”
Dash-
 It is use d in place of a colon or pare nthe ss in a se nte nce . It is use d to

e mphasise the ide a anticipate d in the se nte nce .
Example - Finally, the stude nts got what the y long de sire d- a compute r.
Single Inverted Commas-
 The y are use d to indicate quote d mate rial within a quotation.
Example - The traine r warne d, “Are you not aware ? ‘Out of sight is out of mind.’”
Hyphen-
 The y are use d to join two or more words in a compound word.
Example - My mothe r-in-law is coming to visit us.

 It is use d with adje ctival compounds of nouns and past participle s.
Example - It le ft him a he art-broke n boy.
Semi Colon
 It is use d to re place commas in a long se nte nce . It is also use d to se parate

clause s.
Example - The manage r admire s his aptitude ; but hate s his be havior.
Colon-
 It is use d to join e xample s and e nume ration.
Example - the various parts of spe e ch are : Noun, Pronoun, Adje ctive , Adve rb,
Pre position, Conjunction, e tc.
Question M ark/ Sign of Interrogation
 It is use d afte r a que stion. It should not be put in bracke ts afte r any word.
Example - Will you sit he re ?
Parentheses-
 It is use d to se t off additional information or ide as re lated to the ide a e xpressed

in a se nte nce .
Example - The corrupt office r (and this is how he is known throughout the locality)
has finally be e n suspe nde d.
Exclamation M ark
 It is use d to e xpre ss a sudde n strong e motion or a de sire .
Example - Hurrah! We have won the match.
Ellipsis-
 It is indicated by using three spaced dots. It is use d to indicate the missing of

a quotation.

Example - The Ge ne ral roare d… We shall not give up.
Exercise
Punctuate the following sentences appropriately
1 House s that are built on the top of the hills ne e d no coole rs compare d to house
which is built on plains
2 Sande e p said why do you call me pe ople from the village s are sure to come
3 Anu angrily re torte d do you think bringing up childre n is only my re sponsibility
4 Maggie is inte llige nt bold and be autiful
5 Omprakash is not only a gre at playe r of che ss but is good at te nnis as we ll
6 Come he re little boy
7 Mr. Ahme d's e fforts we nt in vain
8 My brothe r in law is an advocate
9 Sapna ke pt he r in good humor Vikram had made he r angry and upse t
10 Any boy who carrie s out such a task will be large -he arte d
Answers-
1 House s that are built on the top of the hills ne e d no coole rs, compare d to house
which is built on plains.
2 Sande ep said, “Why do you call me ? Pe ople from the village s are sure to come .”
3 Anu angrily re torte d, “Do you think bringing up childre n is only my
re sponsibility?”
4 Maggie is inte llige nt, bold, and be autiful.
5 Omprakash is not only a gre at playe r of che ss but is good at te nnis as we ll.
6 Come he re , little boy.
7 Mr. Ahme d’s e fforts we nt in vain.
8 My brothe r-in-law is an advocate .
9 Sapna ke pt he r in good humor. Vikram had made he r angry and upse t.
10 Any boy who carrie s out such a task will be large -he arte d.

Punctuate the following paragraph appropriately.
The n he told me that it is not a good habit to take gifts for the y are always
accompanie d by some purpose and are dange rous that way it is like touching a
snake and ge tting the poison, in turn, this one le sson always stands out in my mind
e ven now whe n I am in my se ve ntie s that one good incide nt taught me a valuable
le sson for my e ntire life
Answer-
The n he told me that it is not a good habit to take gifts, for the y are always
accompanie d by some purpose and are dange rous that way. It is like touching a
snake and ge tting the poison in turn. This one le sson always stands out in my mind
e ven now whe n I am in my se ve ntie s. That one good incide nt taught me a valuable
le sson for my e ntire life .
W rite an essay of around 200 words on a visit to a historical monument.
During the last spring holidays, I we nt to Agra. The re I visite d the Taj. It is built
outside the city on the bank of the Yamuna. The Taj was built by Shah Jahan in the
swe et me mory of his be love d wife , Mumtaz Mahal. It was built about thre e hundre d
ye ars ago. But so far, the time has not in any way dimme d its glory or be auty. It is
made of pure white marble . It took twe nty thousand workme n twe nty ye ars to build
it. It cost about thre e crore s of rupe e s. It is a fitting me morial to conjugal love .
The Taj is a large and be autiful building. It stands on a raise d platform. In the
middle of the platform, the re is a sple ndid white dome . At its four corne rs, the re are
fur safe ty towe rs. Unde rne ath the white dome is the marble tombs of Mumtaz Mahal
and Shah Jahan. These tombs are inlaid with pre cious stone s. The Taj looks like a
fairy dre ssed in white . It looks be autiful against the blue sky. But in the moonlight,
the Taj is like a dre am in marble . No words can de scribe its be auty. It is one of the
wonde rs of the world. Visitors from fore ign countrie s who come to India make it a

point to se e the Taj. It is a supe rb pie ce of archi te cture . I staye d the re for about two
hours. All this time, I was lost in admiration and wonde r. The n I le ft the place most
unwillingly. Its me mory is still fre sh in my mind. A thing of be auty is a joy fore ve r.
 Ram, N.; Ram, Susan (1996). R. K. Narayan. Alle n Lane. ISBN 978-0-670-
87525-2. OCLC 36283859.
 Rao, Ranga (2005). R. K. Narayan. Makers of Indian Literature (2nd e d.). Ne w
De lhi: Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 81-260-1971-9.
*****************

GRAMMAR
Comment [g3]: done
SECTION

Subject: English
Course Code- B.A.-101 Author: Dr. Astha Gupta
Lesson- 1 Editor: Dr. Shakuntla Devi
Introduction to Noun and Pronoun (Part of Speech)
Structure of Lesson

1.2 Introduction
1.3.1 Definition of Noun
1.3.2 Types of Noun
a. Proper noun
b. Common Noun
c. Abstract Noun
d. Concrete noun
e. Collective noun
f. Countable and Uncountable noun
1.4 Noun Usage
1.4.1 Number: Singular and Plural Noun
1.4.2 Noun: Gender
1.4.3 General rules of changing gender
1.5.1 Pronoun - Persons
1.5.2 Gender of the Pronoun
1.5.3 Types of Pronoun-
a. Personal Pronoun

b. Reflexive Pronoun
c. Emphatic Pronoun
d. Demonstrative Pronoun
e. Indefinite Pronoun
f. Distributive Pronoun
g. Relative Pronoun
1.7 Summary
1.8 Keywords
1.9 Self-Assessment Test
1.10 Answers to Check Your Progress
1.11 References /Suggested Readings
Afte r studying this unit, you will be able to:
• To ide ntify various parts of the spe e ch; choose the ir corre ct form and use the m
e ffe ctively.
• De fine noun and pronoun.
• Explain all type s of noun.
• Use all type s of pronoun.
1.2- Introduction
Le arning about the parts of spe e ch is the first ste p in grammar study just as le arning
the le tte rs of the Alphabe t is the first ste p to be ing able to re ad and write . From
le arning the Parts of Spe e ch, we be gin to unde rstand the use or function of words
and how words are joine d toge the r to make me aningful communication. To
unde rstand what a part of spe e ch is, you must unde rstand the ide a of putting

similar things toge the r into groups or cate gorie s. Le t’s look at some e xample s of
cate gorie s. From le arning the parts of spe e ch, we be gin to unde rstand the use or
function of words and how words are joine d toge the r to make me aningful
communication. To unde rstand what a part of spe e ch is, you must unde rstand the
ide a of putting similar things toge the r into groups or cate gorie s.
1.3.1- Definition of Noun
A Noun is a word use d as the name of a pe rson, place , or a thing. It include s the
name of an obje ct that we can pe rce ive through our se nse s (sight, sme ll, touch,
he aring, taste ) as we ll as an obje ct about which we can think but cannot pe rce ive
through the se nse s.
1.3.2 Types of Noun
a. Proper noun: The y are the name s of particular pe rsons, place s, animal,
obje cts, e tc. A prope r name is always writte n with a capital le tte r in the
be ginning.
For Example : Himalaya is the talle st mountain in India. He re Himala ya and

India are the name s of one spe cific mountain and one spe cific country
re spe ctively and cannot be applie d to any anothe r mountain and country; and
he nce the y are prope r name s.
b. Common noun: Nouns othe r than prope r nouns are calle d common nouns.
For e xample -In the above give n se nte nce , mountain is a ge ne ral cate gory
indicating the ge ographical structure and he nce it is a common noun. Common
nouns can be Abstract nouns or Concre te nouns.
c. Abstract noun: Abstract nouns de note the ide as, qualitie s, and e motions
about which we can think but which cannot be pe rceived by using our se nse s.
For Example : courage , kindne ss, be auty, hone sty e tc.

d. Concrete noun: Concre te nouns de note the animate or inanimate obje cts that
can be pe rce ive d through our se nse s.
For Example - book, road, cup, te le phone wate r, noise e tc.
e. Collective noun: The y stand for a group of pe rsons, animals, birds e tc and
various othe r obje cts which are take n toge the r as a unit.
For Example : Army, fle e t, police , he rd, swarm, flock and so on.
f. Countable and Uncountable noun: Countable nouns are the name s of the
obje cts that can be counte d. Countable nouns have both singular and plural
form.
For Example - cat, pe rson, note , table e tc.
Uncountable nouns are the names of materials, substances, conce pts, qualitie s and
such things which are not individual obje cts and cannot be divide d into se parate
e lements. For e xample: milk, sugar, cake, kindne ss, love , wate r, smoke , e le ctricity.
Uncountable nouns are always tre ated as singular form and the y use singula r ve rb.
1.4 Noun Usage

1.4.1: Number: Singular and Plural Noun
A noun that de note s single numbe r is calle d singular For Example : boy, crow, bag,
A noun that de note s many numbers is called plural. For Example : boys, crows, bags,
Ge ne ral Rule s to form plural: The plural form of most of the nouns can be obtaine d
by adding‘s’ to the singular form. For Example : Boy, Tre e , Rive r, Cap Boys, Tre e s,
Rive rs, Caps . In nouns e nding in s, sh, Ch., x, and z, the plural form is obtaine d by
adding ‘e s’ to the singular form.
For Example : Class, Bush, Watch, Box, Quiz, Fuzz Classe s, Bushe s, Watche s,
Boxe s, Quizze s, Fuzze s
Note : In case of nouns e nding in ‘z’ , if the noun has double z at the e nd in the
singular form the n ‘e s’ is dire ctly adde d to the singular form to form the plural ; but
if the singular form has single ‘z’ at the e nd the n ’z’ is adde d to the singular form
be fore adding ‘e s’ to form the plural
i) Nouns e nding in ‘y’ and pre ce ded by consonant form the plurals by changing ‘y’ to
‘I’ and adding ’e s ’to the singular form.
For Example : Lady Duty Story Be rrie s, Ladie s Dutie s Storie s Be rrie s
ii) In nouns e nding in ‘o’, plurals are forme d by adding ‘e s’ or ‘s’ to the singular form.
For Example : Mango Buffalo Piano Ratio
Mangoe s, Buffaloe s, pianos, Ratios
iii) Nouns e nding in ‘f’ or ‘fe ’ form the ir plural by changing ‘f or ‘fe ’ to ‘v’ and adding
‘e s’ to the singular form.
For Example : Mango, Buffalo, Piano, Ratio
For Example : Le af Se lf Life , Le ave s Se lve s live s
The re are e xce ptions to this rule . Some instance s are give n be low.
For Example : Roof Chie f Dwarfs

Roofs Chie fs Dwarfs
iv) In fe w noun plurals are forme d by changing inside vowe l of the singular form.
For Example : Man, Tooth Mouse Foot
Me n Te e th Mice Fe e t
Note: The plural forms of compound nouns give n be low Mothe r-in-law Ste p-son
Passer-by Commander-in-chief Mothers-in-law Ste p-sons Passe rs-by Commande rs-
in-chie f.
1.4.2: Noun: Gender: Ge nde r me ans se x distinction. In English The re are two
ge nde rs – Masculine and Fe minine . The abse nce of ge nde r implie s Ne ute r ge nde r.
A Noun that e xpre sses maleness is called masculine ge nde r. A Noun that e xpre sse s
fe maleness is called fe minine ge nder. A Noun that can be use d to e xpre ss male ne ss
as we ll as fe male ne ss is calle d a common noun. A Noun that is use d to de note a
ge nde rle ss thing is calle d a ne ute r noun.
1.4.3: General rules of changing gender
 Some nouns have spe cially assigne d words for fe minine ge nde r.
For Example : Boy Fathe r Son Boar Cock Bull Girl Mothe r Daughte r Sow He n
Cow
 In some nouns the fe minine form is obtaine d by adding ‘e ss’ to the masculine
form.
For Example : Host Lion Prie st Baron, Hoste ss Lione ss Prie ste ss Barone ss
 In some nouns the inner vowe l is droppe d and ’e ss’ is adde d to the masculine
form to ge t fe minine form.
For Example : Actor Maste r Waite Empe ror, Actre ss Mistress Waitress Empre ss
 Though the suffix ‘e ss’ is commonly use d to change the ge nde r the re are some
irre gular suffixe s use d to form the fe minine form. For Example : Czar He ro
Signor, Czarina He roine Signor.

 Some time s a word is place d be fore or afte r the masculine noun to form the
fe minine form.
For Example : Bull- calf He -goat Grand-fathe r Milk –man Cow-calf She -goat
Grand-mothe r Milk-maid Ge ne ral Rule s to form plural Mothe rs-in-law Ste p-
sons Passe rs-by Commande rs.
1.5.1 Pronoun: Persons
Pronoun is a word use d in the place of a noun.
For Example : Ne e ta woke up late . Ne e ta sle pt late at night.
Ne e ta woke up late , be cause she sle pt late at night. He re ‘She ’ is use d inste ad of
Ne e ta, so it is a Pronoun. Since nouns follow numbe r and ge nde r, pronouns too
follow the m. ‘He ’ is masculine pronoun, ‘she’ is fe minine and ‘it’ is ne ute r one ‘.’ He ,
She , It, I, singular pronouns while ‘we ’, ‘our’, ‘us’, ‘the y’ are plural pronouns. Whe n
we talk to othe rs, we re fe r to ourse lve s as ‘I’ or ‘we ’; the pe rson to whom we are
talking as you and the pe rson or thing about we are talking as ‘he ’, ’she ’or ‘it’. This
is calle d, pe rsons. Thus, the re lationship be twe e n the addre sse r, the addre sse e and
the subje ct of the addre ss is calle d pe rsons. The re are thre e pe rsons in English
language . Se e the table be low.
Pe rsons Singular Plural
1st I we
2nd you
3rd he the y, She , The y, It, the y
1.5.2 - Gender of the pronoun
 First Pe rson Pronouns: Masculine or Fe minine

 Se cond Pe rson Pronouns: Masculine or Fe minine
 Third Pe rson Pronouns: He –Masculine

 She -Fe minine
It-Ne ute r
The y- Any ge nde r can be applie d as pe r the spe cification.
1.5.3- Types of Pronoun
a. Personal Pronoun
The pronouns that de note various pe rsons are calle d pe rsonal pronoun. Ge ne rally,
‘it’ substitute s a noun re pre se nting inanimate obje ct, so it is calle d impe rsonal
pronoun.
Re ad the following se nte nce s care fully to unde rstanding the use of impe rsonal
pronouns
It was at school that the two frie nds me t.
It was raining he avily.
Note that ‘it’ doe s not work as a substitute for any noun.
b. Reflexive Pronoun: Whe n ‘se lf’ is adde d to pe rsonal pronouns, compound

pe rsonal pronouns are forme d.
For Example - Myse lf, himse lf de pe nding upon the use of the compound pe rsonal
pronouns, the re are two type s.
Re ad the following se nte nce s care fully.
i) ram kille d himse lf in de spair.
ii) At last the y found the mse lve s sitting in the stadium.
He re you will notice that, the compound pe rsonal pronouns are the obje cts of the
re spe ctive ve rbs and the y re fer to the re spe ctive subje cts. He re, ‘himself’ re fers to ‘he ’
and ‘ourse lves’ re fer to ‘we ’. Thus, the y he lp to re fle ct the action back to the subje ct.
He nce , the y are calle d Re fle xive Pronouns.

c. Emphatic Pronoun: He re you will notice that compound pe rsonal pronouns

(words in bold) are use d to e mphasize the action; and he nce the y are calle d
Emphatic pronouns.
I myse lf saw the girl ye ste rday.
You yourse lf have to do it.
d. Demonstrative Pronoun: The pronouns that are use d to re fe r to and point out
the obje cts are calle d De monstrative Pronouns.
For Example :
i) That is his house .
ii) The se are my options for the e xtracurricular activitie s.
iii) Both the dre sses are of re asonable price but this one is che ape r than
that.
He re ‘that’, ‘the se ’ and’ both’ point out the obje cts that are the subje cts of the
re spe ctive se nte nce s.
e. Indefinite Pronoun: In all the above give n se nte nce s,’ one ’, ’none ’, ’the y’,
’some one ’ re fe r to pe rson or pe rsons in ge ne ral but the y do not stand for a
particular pe rson or pe rsons. He nce , the y are calle d Inde finite pronouns. Thus,
the pronouns that re fe r to a pe rson, pe rsons or things in ge ne ral are calle d
Inde finite pronouns
a) One should e xe rcise re gularly to stay he althy.
b) None of he r argume nts we re true .
c) The y be lie ve d him to be a ge ne rous man.
d) Some one should come forward.

Note: In the se nte nce numbe r (d) above , you will notice that ‘some one ’ is a
compound word and it is calle d compound inde finite pronoun. Othe r such pronouns
are ‘anyone , ’anybody’, ’anything’, ’e ve ryone ’, ‘e ve rybody’, ’e ve rything’ ’none ’,’
‘nobody’, ’nothing’, ’some body’, ’some thing’ ’anothe r’.
f. Distributive Pronoun: He re you will notice that ‘e ach’, ’e ithe r’, ’ne ithe r’ re fe r to
the pe rsons or things, one at a time ; and he nce the y are calle d Distributive
Pronouns. Thus, the pronouns that are use d to de note singular pe rson or thing
one at a time are calle d Distributive Pronouns. The y always use singular ve rb.
 Each of the boys took his turn on the guard duty.

 Eithe r of us should go at the railway station.
 Ne ithe r of the ke y was fitting the lock.
g. Relative Pronoun: Thus, the pronoun that re fe rs to or re lates to the ante cede nt is
calle d Re lative Pronoun ‘who’, ’whom’, ’what’, ’which’, ’whose ’ and ‘that’ are the
Re lative Pronouns. Adding ‘e ve r’ and ‘so e ve r’ to the Re lative Pronouns, (e xce pt
‘that’) you ge t Compound Re lative Pronouns, ’whosoever’, ’whoe ver’, ’whomsoe ve r’,
’whiche ve r,’, ‘whatsoe ve r’, ’whate ve r’.
Se e ma is the girl. We me t Se e ma at the mall ye ste rday.
Se e ma is the girl whom we me t at the mall ye ste rday
. He re you will obse rve that ‘whom, the pronoun stands for ‘Se e ma’ the ante ce de nt.
For Example : Whoe ve r come s first will ge t the se at.
Pick out Nouns and Pronouns in the following sentences .
1. Recognize the kinds of Noun-
a) An apple was lying on the table .

b) Love be ge ts love .
c) We cannot live without Air.

d) The jury has give n its ve rdict.

e) The Hindus re gards Krishna as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
2. Use appropriate Pronoun-
a) Whe n I have gue sts, I myse lf cook dinne r for ……………………

b) Whe n she re alize d he r mistake , she laughe d at ……………………
c) Susie pre ve nte d me from e nte ring ……………. room.
d) She ye lle d at ………………………… without any provocation.
e) That is …………………………
3. Recognize Noun in the sentences-
a) The y arrive d e arly but at the wrong station.

b) We counte d only six diffe re nt colours in the rainbow.
c) The man was trying to ste al a horse with a cart full of apple .
1.7 Summary
• A noun is a word use d to name a pe rson, animal, place , thing, and abstract ide a.
• A common noun is a noun re fe rring to a pe rson, place , or thing in a ge neral se nse -

usually, you should write it with a capital le tte r only whe n it be gins a se nte nce .
• A concre te noun is a noun which name s anything (or anyone ) that you can pe rceive
through your physical se nse s: touch, sight, taste , he aring, or sme ll.
• A countable noun (or count noun) is a noun with both a singular and a plural form,
and
it name s anything (or anyone ) that you can count.
• A colle ctive Noun is a noun naming a group of things, animals, or pe rsons.
• A pe rsonal Pronoun re fe rs to a spe cific pe rson or thing and change s its form to
indicate pe rson, numbe r, ge nde r, and case .
• A de monstrative pronoun points to and ide ntifie s a noun or a pronoun.

• An inde finite pronoun is a pronoun re fe rring to an ide ntifiable but not spe cifie d
pe rson or thing. An inde finite pronoun conve ys the ide a of all, any, none , or some .
1.8 Keywords
 Noun: It is name of pe rson, place or things.

 Interrogative Pronoun: Use d to ask que stions.
 Intensive Pronoun: Use d to e mphasise its ante ce de nt.
1.9 Self- Assessment Questions (SAQ)
State whether the following statements are true or false:
a) ‘He ’ is an obje ctive pronoun.

b) Inte rrogative pronoun use d to ask que stions.
c) Whome ve r is an Inte rrogative pronoun.
d) Myse lf is a Re fle xive pronoun.
1.10 Answers to Check your progress:
Ans.1
a) (Pe n – Common Noun; table – Common Noun)

b) (Love – Abstract Noun)
c) (Wate r – Mate rial Noun)
d) (Jury – colle ctive noun; ve rdict – Abstract Noun)
e) (Hindus – Prope r Noun; Krishna – Prope r Noun; Incarnation – Common Noun;
Vishnu – Prope r Noun)
Ans.2
a) Whe n I have gue sts, I myse lf cook dinne r for the m.

b) Whe n she re alize d he r mistake , she laughe d at he rse lf.
c) Sam pre ve nte d me from e nte ring his room.
d) She ye lle d at me without any provocation.
e) That is mine .

Ans.3
a) The y arrive d e arly but at the wrong station.

b) We counte d only six diffe re nt colours in the rainbow
c) The man was trying to ste al a horse with a cart full of apple
1.11 References /Suggested Readings:
 Books English for Compe titive Exams, By DR. R.P. BHATNAGAR

 Unique Quinte ssence of Ge ne ral English, Edite d by DR. S. Se n & Othe rs and
re vise d by DR.G.S. MANSUKHANI.
 A background to the Study of English Lite rature, D.K. Patnaik, Swastik
Publications Online links
http://www.writingce ntre.uottawa.ca/hype rgrammar/nounchar.html
 http://grammar.ccc.commne t.e du/grammar/plurals.htm

Subject: English
Introduction to Verbs and Adverbs (Part of Speech)
Structure of Lesson
2.2 Introduction
2.3.0 Verbs and Its Classification
2.3.1 Helping Verbs
2.3.2 M ain verbs
2.3.3 Transitive and Intransitive verbs
a. Transitive Verbs
b. Intransitive Verbs
2.3.4 Linking Verbs
2.3.5 Dynamic and Stative verbs
2.3.6 Regular and Irregular Verbs
2.4 Application-Verbs and Tenses
2.4.1 Verbs and Tenses Usage
a. Present Indefinite Tense/ Simple Present

b. Present Continuous Tense
c. Present Perfect Tense

d. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

e. Past Indefinite Tense/ Simple Past
f. Past Continuous Tense
g. Past Perfect Tense
h. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
i. Future Indefinite Tense/ Simple Future
j. Future Continuous Tense
k. Future Perfect Tense
l. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
2.5.0 Adverbs and Its Classification
2.5.1 Adverbs
2.5.2 Adverbs of M anner
2.5.3 Adverbs of Place or Location
2.5.4 Adverbs of Time
2.5.5 Adverbs of Degree
2.6 Usage of Adverbs
2.6.1 Adverbs M odifying Adjectives
2.6.2 Adverbs M odifying Adverbs
2.6.3 Adverbs M odifying Nouns
2.6.4 Adverbs M odifying Noun Phrases
2.6.5 Adverbs M odifying Determiners, Pronouns
2.8 Summary
2.9 Keywords
2.10 Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs)

 Know about ve rbs and adve rbs

 Explain he lping verbs and main verbs
 Explain pre se nt, past and future te nses.
2.2 Introduction
The ve rb is king in English. The shortest sentence contains a ve rb. You can make a
one -word se nte nce with a ve rb, for e xample : “Stop!” You cannot make a one -word
se nte nce with any othe r type of word. Ve rbs are some time s de scribe d as “action
words”. This is partly true . Many ve rbs give the ide a of action, of “doing” some thing.
For e xample , words like run, fight, do and works all conve y action. But some ve rbs
do not give the ide a of action; the y give the ide a of e xiste nce , of state , of be ing”. For
e xample , ve rbs like be , e xist, se e m and be long all conve y state .
A ve rb always has a subje ct. (In the se nte nce “John spe aks English”, John is the
subje ct and spe aks is the ve rb.) In simple te rms, the refore, we can say that ve rbs are
words that te ll us what a subje ct doe s or is; the y de scribe :
• action (Ram plays football.)
• state (Anthony se e ms kind.)
The re is something ve ry spe cial about ve rbs in English. Most othe r words (adje ctives,
adve rbs, pre positions etc. do not change in form (although nouns can have singular
and plural forms). But almost all ve rbs change in form. For e xample , the ve rb to
work has five forms:
• to work, work, works, worke d, working

Of course , this is still ve ry fe w forms compare d to some language s which may have
thirty or more forms for a single ve rb.
2.3.0 Verbs and Its Classification
A word or phrase that de scribes an action, condition, or e xpe rience:
The words "run", "keep", and "fe el" are all ve rbs.
Verbs Classification. We divide ve rbs into two broad classifications:
2.3.1 Helping Verbs –
He lping ve rbs have no me aning on the ir own. They are ne cessary for the grammatical
structure of a se nte nce , but the y do not te ll us ve ry much alone . We usually use
he lping ve rbs with main ve rbs. The y “he lp” the main ve rb (which has the re al
me aning). There are only about 15 he lping ve rbs in English, and we divide the m into
two basic groups:
Note s - He lping ve rbs are also calle d “auxiliary ve rbs. Primary he lping ve rbs (3
ve rbs).The se are the ve rbs be , do, and have .
Note that we can use the se thre e ve rbs as he lping ve rbs or as main ve rbs. On this
page we talk about the m as he lping ve rbs. We use the m in the following case s:
• be
to make continuous te nses (He is watching TV.)
to make the passive (Small fish are e aten by big fish.)
• have
to make pe rfe ct te nses (I have finished my home work.)
• do
to make ne gatives (I do not like you.)

to ask que stions (Do you want some coffee?)
to show e mphasis (I do want you to pass your e xam.)
to stand for a main ve rb in some constructions (He spe aks faster than she doe s.)
Modal he lping verbs (10 ve rbs)
We use modal he lping ve rbs to “modify” the me aning of the main verb in some way. A
modal he lping ve rb e xpre sses ne cessity or possibility, and change s the main ve rb in
that se nse . The se are the modal ve rbs:
• can, could
• may, might
• will, would,
• shall, should
• must
• ought to
He re are e xamples using modal ve rbs:
• I can’t spe ak Chinese.
• John may arrive late .
• Would you like a cup of coffe e?
• You should se e a doctor.
• I re ally must go now.
Se mi-modal ve rbs (3 ve rbs)
• need
• dare
• used to

Task Write down 10 se ntences containing he lping ve rb and main ve rb and me ntion
the type s of ve rb.
Imagine that A strange r walks into your room and says:
• I can.
• Pe ople must.
• The Earth will.
Do you unde rstand anything? Has this pe rson communicate d anything to you?
Probably not! That’s be cause these ve rbs are he lping verbs and have no me aning on
the ir own. The y are ne ce ssary for the grammatical structure of the se nte nce , but
the y do not te ll us ve ry much alone. We usually use he lping ve rbs with main ve rbs.
The y “he lp” the main ve rb. (The se nte nce s in the above e xample s are the re fore
incomplete. They need at le ast a main ve rb to comple te the , the re are only about 15
he lping ve rbs.
2.3.2 M ain Verbs
Main ve rbs have me aning on the ir own (unlike he lping ve rbs). The re are thousands
of main ve rbs, and we can classify the m in se ve ral ways:
Note s - Main ve rbs are also calle d “le xical ve rbs”.
Now imagine that the same stranger walks into your room and says:
• I te ach.
• Pe ople e at.
• The Earth rotate s.
Do you unde rstand some thing? Has this pe rson communicate d some thing to you?
Probably ye s! Not a lot, but some thing. That’s be cause the se ve rbs are main ve rbs
and have me aning on the ir own. The y te ll us some thing. Of course , the re are

thousands of main ve rbs. In the following table we se e e xample se nte nce s with
he lping ve rbs and main ve rbs.
Notice that all of the se se nte nce s have a main ve rb. Only some of the m have a
he lping ve rb.
John likes coffee.
You lie d to me .
The y are happy.
The childre n are playing.
We must go now.
I do not want any.
2.3.3 Transitive and intransitive verbs
A transitive verb take s a dire ct obje ct: Some body ki lled the Pre sident. An intransitive
ve rb doe s not have a dire ct obje ct: He die d. Many ve rbs, like spe ak, can be transitive
or intransitive .
Look at the se e xamples:
a. Transitive:
• I saw an e le phant.
• We are watching TV.
• He spe aks English.
b. Intransitive:
• He has arrived.
• John goe s to school.
2.3.4 Linking verbs

A linking ve rb doe s not have much meaning in itself. It “links” the subje ct to what is
said about the subje ct. Usually, a linking ve rb shows e quality (=) or a change to a
diffe re nt state or place (>). Linking ve rbs are always intransitive (but not all
intransitive ve rbs are linking ve rbs).
• Mary is a te acher. (Mary = te acher)
• Tara is be autiful. (Tara = be autiful)
• That sounds interesting. (that = inte resting)
• The sky be came dark. (the sky > dark)
• The bre ad has gone bad. (bre ad > bad)
2.3.5 Dynamic and stative verbs
Some ve rbs de scribe action. The y are calle d “dynamic”, and can be use d with
continuous te nse s. Othe r ve rbs de scribe state (non-action, a situation). The y are
calle d “stative”, and cannot normally be use d with continuous te nse s (though some
of the m can be use d with continuous te nse s with change in me aning).
Dynamic verbs (e xamples):
• hit, e xplode , fight, run, go
Stative verbs (e xamples):
• be
• like, love , pre fe r, wish
• impre ss, ple ase, surprise
• he ar, se e, sound
• be long to, consist of, contain, include, ne ed
• appe ar, re semble, seem
2.3.6 Regular and Irregular Verbs

This is more a que stion of vocabulary than of grammar. The only re al diffe re nce
be twe en re gular and irre gular ve rbs is that the y have diffe rent e ndings for the ir past
te nse and past participle forms. For re gular ve rbs, the past te nse e nding and past
participle e nding is always the same: . For irre gular ve rbs, the past te nse e nding and
the past participle e nding is variable , so it is ne ce ssary to le arn the m by he art.
re gular ve rbs: base , past te nse, past participle
• look, looke d, looke d
• work, worke d, worke d
irre gular ve rbs: base , past te nse, past participle
• buy, bought, bought
• cut, cut, cut
• do, did, done
 Regular verbs-
English re gular ve rbs change the ir form ve ry little (unlike irre gular ve rbs). The past
te nse and past participle of re gular ve rbs e nd in – e d, for e xample : work, worke d,
worke d But you should note the following points:
1 Some ve rbs can be both re gular and irre gular, for e xample : le arn, le arne d, le arne d
le arn, le arnt, le arnt.
2. Some ve rbs change the ir me aning de pe nding on whe the r the y are re gular or
irre gular, for e xample “to hang”: re gular hang, hange d, hange d to kill or die , by
dropping with a rope around the ne ck irre gular hang, hung, hung to fix some thing
(for e xample , a picture ) at the top so that the lowe r part is fre e
3. The pre se nt te nse of some re gular ve rbs is the same as the past te nse of some
irre gular ve rbs:
re gular found, founde d, founde d

irre gular find, found, found
 Irregular verbs –
Irre gular ve rbs are an important fe ature of English. We use irre gular ve rbs a lot
whe n spe aking, le ss whe n writing. Of course , the most famous English ve rb of all,
the ve rb “to be ”, is irre gular. What is the diffe re nce be twe e n re gular ve rbs and
irre gular ve rbs? Base Form Past Simple, Past Participle With re gular ve rbs, the rule
is simple ...
The past simple and past participle finish finishe d always e nd in-e d:
stop stoppe d, stoppe d
work, worke d, worke d
But with irre gular ve rbs, the re is no rule ...
Some time s the ve rb change s comple te ly: sing, sang, sung
Some time s the re is “half” a change : buy, bought, bought
Some time s the re is no change : cut, cut, cut.

2.4 Application- Verbs and Tenses
2.4.1 Verbs and Tenses Usage
a. Present Indefinite Tense/ Simple Present -Subje ct + main ve rb (V1)
Ram plays cricke t. Rita swims.
Negative - Subje ct + don’t/ doe sn’t main ve rb (V1)
Ram doe s not play cricke t.
The y do not swim.
b. Present Continuous Tense - Subje ct + (Is/Are ) + main ve rb + ing.
She is staying in London.
Rita is playing.
Negative - Subje ct + (Is/Are ) + not + main ve rb + ing.
Sita is not staying in London.
The y are not playing football.
c. Present Perfect Tense -Subje ct + auxiliary ve rb (Has/Have ) + past participle (V3)
I have done .
She has playe d te nnis.
Negative - Subje ct + auxiliary ve rb (Has/Have ) + not + past participle (V3)
I have not done .
She has not playe d te nnis.
d. Present Perfect Continuous Tense - subje ct + Has/have + auxiliary verb (be e n) +

main ve rb + ing
I have be e n doing.
You have be e n talking too much.

Negative - Subje ct + Has/have + not + auxiliary ve rb (be e n) + main ve rb + ing
You had not be e n playing te nnis.
It had not be e n working we ll.
e. Past Indefinite Tense/ Simple Past - Subje ct + V2
I sang.
He we nt to school.
Negative - Subje ct + did not + V1
He did not come .
The y did not spe ak English.
f. Past Continuous Tense - Subje ct + auxiliary ve rb BE (Was/We re ) + main ve rb +

ing
I was doing. You we re working
Subje ct + auxiliary ve rb BE (Was/We re ) + not + main ve rb + ing
I was not doing.
The y we re not playing football.
g. Past Perfect Tense - Subje ct + (Had) + past participle (V3)
I had sung.
Ram had finishe d his work.
Negative- Subje ct + (Had) + not + past participle (V3)
I had not sung.
Ram had not finishe d his work.
h. Past Perfect Continuous Tense - Subje ct + Had + Be e n + Main ve rb + ing
I had be e n doing.

You had be e n playing te nnis.
Negative - Subje ct +Had + not + Be e n + Main ve rb + ing
You had not be e n playing te nnis.
Re e ma has not be e n running.
i. Future IndefiniteTense/ Simple Future - subje ct + auxiliary ve rb (will) + main

ve rb (V1)
I will do.
Mohan will play cricke t.
Negative - Subje ct + auxiliary ve rb (will) not + main ve rb (V1)
She will not play. The y will not play
j. Future Continuous Tense - subje ct + auxiliary ve rb (will) + auxiliary ve rb BE +

main ve rb +Ing
I will be doing.
You will be lying on a be ach tomorrow.
Negative - subje ct + auxiliary ve rb (will) + not + auxiliary ve rb BE + main ve rb) + Ing
I will not be doing.
You will not be lying on a be ach tomorrow.
k. Future Perfect Tense - Subje ct +auxiliary ve rb (will) + auxiliary verb have / + past
participle (V3)
I will have done .
You will have forgotte n me by the n.
Negative - Subje ct + (will) + not have + past participle (V3)
I will not have done .

She will not have gone to school.
l. Future Perfect Continuous Tense - Subje ct + will + have + auxiliary ve rb be e n +

main ve rb + Ing
I will have be e n doing.
You will have be e n trave lling for two days.
Negative - Subje ct + will + not + have + auxiliary ve rb be e n + main ve rb + Ing
I will not have be e n doing.
You will not have be e n trave lling for two days.
2.5.0 Adverbs and Its Classification
2.5.1 Adverbs:
An adve rb is a word that modifie s the me aning of a Ve rb; an Adje ctive ; anothe r
adve rb; a Noun or Noun Phrase ; De te rmine r; a Nume ral; a Pronoun; or a
Pre positional Phrase and can sometimes be use d as a Comple me nt of a Pre position.
Adverbs Spelling Notes-
• Adje ctive s e nding-l still take -ly; care ful-care fully.
• Adje ctive s e nding-y change to-ily; lucky-luckily.
• Adje ctive s e nding “ble ”, change to-bly re sponsible -re sponsibly.
2.5.2 Adverbs of M anner-
Adve rbs of manne r modify a ve rb to de scribe the way the action is done .
Example : She did the work care fully.
(‘Care fully’ modifie s the ve rb to de scribe the way the work was done , as oppose d to
quickly,
care le ssly, e tc.)

2.5.3 Adverbs of Place or Location-
Adve rbs of place show whe re the action is done .
Example : The y live locally.
2.5.4 Adverbs of Time-
Adve rbs of time show whe n an action is done , or the duration or fre que ncy. Example:
He did it ye ste rday. (Whe n)
The y are pe rmane ntly busy. (Duration)
She ne ve r doe s it. (Fre que ncy)
2.5.5 Adverbs of Degree-
Adve rbs of de gre e incre ase or de cre ase the e ffe ct of the ve rb.
Example : I comple tely agree with you. (This increases the e ffect of the ve rb, whe re as
‘partially would de cre ase it.
2.6 Usage of Adverbs
2.6.1 Adverbs M odifying Adjectives-
An adje ctive can be modifie d by an adve rb, which pre ce de s the adje ctive , e xce pt
‘e nough’ which come s afte r.

Example : That’s re ally good.
It was a te rribly difficult time for all of us. It wasn’t good e nough. (‘Enough’ c ome s
afte r the adje ctive .)
2.6.2 Adverbs M odifying Adverbs- An adve rb can modify anothe r. As with

adje ctive s, the adve rb pre ce de s the one it is modifying with ‘e nough’ be ing the
e xce ption again.
Example : She did it re ally we ll.
He didn’t come last night, funnily e nough.
Task How adve rb is diffe re nt with adje ctive , e xplain with e xample .
2.6.3 Adverbs M odifying Nouns-
Adve rbs can modify nouns to indicate time or place . Example : The conce rt tomorrow
Example : The room upstairs
2.6.4 Adverbs M odifying Noun Phrases-
Some adve rbs of de gre e can modify noun phrase s.
Example : We had quite a good time .
The y’re such good frie nds. Quite ; rathe r; such; what (What a day!) can be use d in
this way.
2.6.5 Adverbs M odifying Determiners, Pronouns-
Adve rbs such as almost; ne arly; hardly; about, e tc., can be use d:
Example : Almost e ve rybody came in the e nd.
2.7 Check your progress-
a. Do exercises related to verb and adverb-
1. She saw a ghost. (Transitive /Intransitive )
2. My vase droppe d and broke into pie ce s. (Transitive /Intransitive )

3. The de e r _____ fighting.
4. The native s of this island _____ a frie ndly pe ople .
5.A pair of glove s _____ what the y have be e n looking for the whole hour.
6. He was take n _____ in the middle of the night. (bad, badly)
7. My mothe r works _____ to support the family. (hard, hardly)
8. I carrie d the statue _____ in both hands. (care ful, care fully)
b. Choose the most suitable adverb from the following to fill in each blank:
across, anywhere, around, backwards, over
1. In the park, you can go _____ and find a place to sit.
2. We thought it was fun to swim _____ the rive r.
3. The y are the re but we are not going _____ to talk to the m.
4. The re we re many pe ople walking _____ in the park.
c. Choose the most suitable adverb from the following to fill in each blank:
always, ever, just, nearly, never, only, slightly, still, unusually, quietly.
1. We hardly_____ se e him go to church.
2. My fathe r is _____late for work.
d. Place the adverbs in bracket in the correct position in the sentence.
1. We walke d to ge t the re on time . (quickly)
2. The rain had stoppe d whe n I arrive d. (alre ady)
3.I have finishe d my e xe rcise book. (ne arly).
2.8 Summary
• The ve rb is king in English. The shorte st se nte nce contains a ve rb.

• Most adve rbs in English are forme d by adding -ly to an Adje ctive . An adve rb is a
word that modifies the me aning of a Ve rb; an Adje ctive ; anothe r adve rb; a Noun or
Noun Phrase ; De te rminer; a Nume ral; a Pronoun; or a Pre positional Phrase and can
some time s be use d as a Comple me nt of a Pre position.
2.9 Keywords
Auxiliary verbs: He lping ve rbs also calle d ‘Auxiliary ve rbs.
Lexical verbs: Main ve rbs also calle d ‘Le xical ve rbs.
Ought to: It is a modal he lping ve rb.
Used to: It is se mi-modal he lping ve rb and partly like main ve rb.
Adverb: The word that modifie s the me aning of a ve rb.
2.10 Self- Assessment Questions (SAQs)
– State whe the r the following state me nts are true or false :
1. He lping ve rb is also calle d ‘le xical ve rb, why?
2 Diffe re nce be twe e n Main Ve rb and He lping Ve rb?
3. What is adve rb? Explain with e xample s.
4. What is othe rs name of he lping ve rb and main ve rb?
5. Explain diffe re nt type s of ve rbs.
2.11 Answers to Check Your Progress-
a. 1. (Transitive ve rbs – obje ct: ghost)
2. (Intransitive ve rbs – no obje ct)
3. The de e r are fighting.
4. The native s of this island are a frie ndly pe ople .
5. A pair of glove s is what the y have be e n looking for the whole hour.

6. He was take n bad in the middle of the night
7. My mothe r works hard to support the family.
8. I carrie d the statue care fully in both hands.5
b. - Ans. Choose the most suitable adverbs from the following to fill in each
blank:
across, anywhere, around, backwards, over .
1. In the park, you can go anywhe re and find a place to sit.
2. We thought it was fun to swim across the rive r.
3. The y are the re but we are not going ove r to talk to the m.
4. The re we re many pe ople walking around in the park
c. Ans. Choose the most suitable adverbs from the following to fill in each
blank:
always, ever, just, nearly, never, only, quiet, slightly, still, unusually
1. We hardly e ve r se e him go to church.
2. My fathe r is ne ve r late for work.
d. Place the adverbs in bracket in the correct position in the sentence

answers. 1.We walke d quickly to ge t the re on time .
2. The rain had alre ady stoppe d whe n I arrive d.
3. I have ne arly finishe d my e xe rcise book.
2.12 References / Suggested Readings-
 Books English for Compe titive Exams, By DR. R.P. Bhatnagar

 Unique Quinte sse nce of Ge ne ral English, Edite d by DR. S. Se n & Othe rs and
re vise d by DR. G.S. Man Sukhmani.

 A Background to the Study of English Lite rature , D.K. Patnaik, Swastik

Publications .
 Online links
o http://grammar.ccc.commne t.e du/grammar/adve rbs.htm
o http://www.e nglish-language-grammar-guide .com/type s-of-ve rbs.html

Subject: English
Lesson – 3 Editor: Dr. Shakuntla Devi
Introduction to Adjectives and Prepositions (Part of Speech)
Structure of Lesson

3.2 Introduction
3.3.0 Adjectives and Its Classification
3.3.1 Adjectives
3.3.2 Kinds of Adjectives
a. Proper Adjective
b. Descriptive Adjective
c. Quantitative Adjective
d. Numeral Adjective
e. Demonstrative Adjective
f. Distributive Adjectives
g. Interrogative Adjectives
h. Exclamatory Adjectives
i. Possessive Adjective
j. Emphasising Adjective
3.3.3 Comparison of Adjectives
3.3.4 Position of Adjectives
3.3.5 Degrees of Adjectives
3.4 Usage of Adjectives

3.4.1 Adjectives subject to subjective measure

3.4.2 Capitalizing Proper Adjectives
3.4.3 Collective Adjectives
3.4.4 Adjectival Opposites
3.5.0 Prepositions and Its Types
3.5.1 Prepositions
3.5.2 Prepositions of Time: at, on, and in
3.5.3 Prepositions of Place: at, on, and in
3.5.4 Prepositions of Location: in, at, and on and No Preposition
3.5.5 Prepositions of Time: for and since
3.6 Preposition and Its Usage
3.6.1 Prepositions with Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs
3.6.2 Unnecessary Prepositions-
3.6.3 Important W ords with Preposition
3.8 Summary
3.9 Keywords

• Explain about parts of spe e ch
• Unde rstand the adje ctive s
• Use pre position in the se nte nce s.
3.2 Introduction-
Base d on the ir use and functions, words are cate gorize d into se ve ral type s or parts
of spe e ch. The parts of spe e ch e xplain how a word is use d in a se ntence . The re are
e ight parts of spe e ch such as Nouns, pronouns, adje ctive s, ve rbs, adve rbs,
pre position, conjunction and inte rje ction. Adje ctive and Pre position are the
important parts of grammar to qualify noun and pronoun. Adje ctive is a word, whe n
use d with a noun or pronoun add some thing to the me aning of noun or pronoun.
3.3.0 Adjectives and Its Classification
3.3.1 Adjectives-
Adje ctives are words that de scribe or modify anothe r pe rson or thing in the se ntence.
The Articles—a, an, and the —are adje ctive s. It is a word, whe n use d with a noun or
pronoun add some thing to the me aning of noun or pronoun.
1. She is a good singe r.
2. I want some milk.
3. Radha gave me five rupe e s.
4. This is my book.
3.3.2 Kinds of Adjectives
1. Proper Adjective

2. Descriptive Adjective/Adjective of Quality
3. Quantitative Adjective/Adjective of Quality
4. Numeral Adjective/ Adjective of Number
5. Demonstrative Adjective
6. Distributive Adjective
7. Interrogative Adjective
8. Exclamatory Adjective
9. Possessive Adjective
10. Emphasizing Adjective
a. Proper Adjective:
The se Adje ctive s are forme d from prope r Nouns. The y always be gin with a capital
le tte r. For e .g. Indian Army, I e njoy Italian food.
b. Descriptive Adjective:
The se adje ctive s show the quality or condition of a pe rson or a thing.
De lhi is a big city.
I have a black dog.
She is a be autiful lady.
c. Quantitative Adjective:
The se adjectives te ll us about the quantity or de gre e of a thing for e g. Any, all, whole ,
no, none , some , little , e nough, sufficie nt, full, e ntire e tc.
d. Numeral Adjective:
Adje ctive of numbe r show how many pe rsons or things are meant, or in wha t orde r a
pe rson or thing stands. For e .g. one , two, first, se cond, all, none , some, any, se ve ral,
sundry, ce rtain, e ve ry, e ithe r, ne ithe r, e ach e tc.

e. Demonstrative Adjective: The se adje ctive s point out which pe rson or thing is
me ant e .g. this, that, the se , those , such some , e tc.
f. Distributive Adjectives: The se adje ctives show that the pe rsons or things are
to be taken indepe nde ntly or in se parate lots. E.g. e ach, e ve ry, e ithe r, ne ithe r e tc.
g. Interrogative Adjectives: What, which and whose , whe n, the y are use d with
nouns to ask que stions, are calle d Inte rrogative adje ctive s; as,
Whose pe n is this?
Which road should we take ?
h. Exclamatory Adjectives: The se adje ctive s are use d in an e xclamatory se nse .
What a be autiful garde n!
What a pie ce of art!
i. Possessive Adjective:
My, his, he r, your, the ir, our, are posse ssive adjective s which indicate posse ssion,
whe n use d be fore a noun to qualify it.
j. Emphasising Adjectives:
The se adjectives are use d be fore the noun to e mphasize the noun. For e .g. He took
his own car. Formation of Adje ctive s. Many Adje ctive s are forme d from Nouns:
Noun Adjective Noun Adjective
Boy Boyish Dirt Dirty
Care Care ful Courage Courage ous
Se nse Se nseless Envy Envious
Silk Silken King Kingly
Gold Golde n Gift Gifte d
Play Playful Storm Stormy
Hope Hope ful Pardon Pardonable

Some Adje ctives are forme d from ve rbs:
Verb Adjective Verb Adjective
Tire Tireless Move Move able
Talk Talkative Ce ase Ce aseless
Some Adje ctives are forme d from othe r Adje ctives:
Adjective Adjective Adjective Adjective
Tragic Tragical White Whitish
Three Threefold Black Blackish
Sick Sick Brave Brave ly
3.3.3 Comparison of Adjectives
Comparison of adje ctive can be shown by changing the forms of adje ctives. Look at
the following se ntences:
1. Radha’s mango is swe et.
2. Ram’s mango is swe eter than Radha’s.
3. Gopal’s mango is the swe etest of all.
The Adje ctive sweet is said to be in positive de gree.
The Adje ctive sweeter is said to be in comparative de gree.
The Adje ctive sweetest is said to be in supe rlative de gree.
Comparative de gree is use d whe n comparison is made be tween two things.

Supe rlative de gree is use d whe n more than two things are compared.
Formation of Comparative and superlative:
Positive Comparative Superlative
Cle ver Cle verer Cle verest

Kind Kinde r Kinde st
Young Younge r Younge st
Gre at Gre ate r Gre ate st
Fast Faste r Faste st
Large Large r Large st
Busy Busie r Busie st
Easy Easie r Easie st
We althy We althier We althiest
Be autiful More be autiful Most be autiful
Le arned More le arned Most le arned
Difficult More difficult Most difficult
Good Be tter Be st
Bad Worse Worst
Much (quantity) More Most
Many (Numbe r) More Most
Little Le ss Le ast
Exercises:
Pick out the adje ctives in the following se ntences, also ide ntify the type of adje ctive.
1. He is a man of fe w words.
2. Eve ry stude nt has a book.
3. Alwar is a small city.
4. He gave me te n books.
5. Raman is a good boy.

6. Ankita won se cond prize .
7. My brothe r lives in ne xt house .
8. He was abse nt last we e k.
9. This boy is stronge r than Ravi.
10. I have taught you many things
3.3.4 Position of Adjectives
Adve rbs which ofte n se e m capable of popping up almost anywhe re in a se nte nce ,
adje ctive s ne arly always appe ar imme diate ly be fore the noun or noun phrase that
the y modify. Some times the y appe ar in a string of adje ctives, and whe n the y do, the y
appe ar in a se t orde r according to cate gory. Whe n inde finite pronouns—such as
some thing, some one , and anybody— are modifie d by an adje ctive , the adje ctive
come s afte r the pronoun: Anyone capable of doing some thing horrible to some one
nice should be punishe d.
3.3.5 Degrees of Adjectives:
Adje ctives can e xpre ss de grees of modification:
• Gladys is a rich woman, but Josie is richer than Gladys, and Sadie is the richest
woman
in town.
Notes- The de grees of comparison are known as the positive , the comparative , and
the supe rlative .
(Actually, only the comparative and supe rlative show de gre e s.) We use the
comparative for comparing two things and the supe rlative for comparing thre e or
more things. Notice that the word than fre que ntly accompanies the comparative and
the word the pre ce de s the supe rlative . The infle cte d suffixe s-Er and- Est suffice to
form most comparative s and supe rlative s, whe n a two-syllable adje ctive e nds in

(happie r and happie st); othe rwise we use more and most whe n an adje ctive has more
than one syllable .
Positive, Comparative, Supe rlative
Rich Richer Riche st
Love ly love lier love liest
Be autiful, more be autiful, most be autiful
Ce rtain adje ctives have irre gular forms in the comparative and supe rlative de grees:
Irre gular Comparative and Supe rlative Forms
good, be tte r, be st
bad, worse , worst
Note- Pre modifiers with De gre es of Adje ctives Both adve rbs and adje ctives in the ir
comparative and supe rlative forms can be accompanied by pre modifiers, single
words and phrase s, that inte nsify the de gree.
• We we re a lot more careful this time.
• He works a lot le ss carefully than the othe r je we ller in town.
• We like his work so much be tte r.
• You’ll ge t your watch back all the faste r.
The categories in the following table can be de scribed as follows:
(i) De te rminers—articles and othe r limiters.
(ii) Obse rvation—post de te rminers and limiter adje ctives (e .g., a re al he ro, a pe rfe ct
idiot)
3.4 Usage of Adjectives
3.4.1 Adjectives subject to subjective measure
(e .g., be autiful, interesting)

(iii) Size and Shape —adje ctives subje ct to obje ctive measure (e .g., we althy, large,
round)
(iv) Age —adjectives de noting age (e .g., young, old, ne w, ancient)
(v) Colour—adje ctives de noting colour (e .g., re d, black, pale )
(vi) Origin—de nominal adje ctives de noting source of noun (e .g., Fre nch, Ame rican,
Canadian)
(vii) Material—denominal adje ctives de noting what something is made of (e .g.,

woole n, me tallic,
woode n)
(viii) Qualifier—final limite r, ofte n re garde d as part of the noun (e .g., rocking chair,
hunting cabin, passe nge r car, book cove r) De te rmine r Obse rvation Physical
De scription Origin Mate rial Qualifie r Noun .Size Sha pe Age Colour ,a be autiful old
Italian touring car , an e xpe nsive antique silve r mirror, four gorge ous long- re d silk
rose s, ste mmed, he r short black hair , our big old English she e p, dog, those square
woode n hat boxe s that dilapidate d little hunting cabin se ve ral e normous young
Ame rican baske tball playe rs ,some de licious Thai food.
.3.4.2 Capitalizing Proper Adjectives:
Whe n an adje ctive owe s its origins to a prope r noun, it should probably be
capitalize d. Thus we write about Christian music, Fre nch frie s, the English
Parliament, the Ming Dynasty, a Faulknerian style, de mocracy. Some pe riods of time
have take n on the status of prope r adje ctive s: the Nixon e ra, a
Re naissance /Romantic/Victorian poe t (but a conte mporary nove list and me die val
write r). Dire ctional and se asonal adjectives are not capitalize d unle ss the y’re part of
a title : We took the northwe st route during the spring thaw. We staye d the re until
the town’s annual Fall Fe stival of Small Appliance s.
3.4.3 Collective Adjectives

Whe n the de finite article is combined with an adje ctive de scribing a class or group of
pe ople , the re sulting phrase can act as a noun: the poor, the rich, the oppre sse d, the
home less, the lone ly, the unle ttered, the unwashe d, the gathe red, the de ar de parte d.
The diffe rence be tween a Colle ctive Noun (which is usually re garde d as singular but
which can be plural in ce rtain conte xts) and a colle ctive adje ctive is that the latte r is
always plural and re quire s a plural ve rb:
• The rural poor have be e n ignored by the me dia.
• The rich of Conne cticut are re sponsible.
• The young at he art are always a joy to be around.
3.4.4 Adjectival Opposites –
The opposite or the ne gative aspe ct of an adje ctive can be forme d in a numbe r of
ways. One way, of course , is to find an adje ctive to me an the opposite —an antonym.
The opposite of be autiful is ugly, the opposite of tall is short. A the saurus can he lp
you find an appropriate opposite . Anothe r way to form the opposite of an adje ctive is
with a numbe r of pre fixe s. The opposite of fortunate is unfortunate , the opposite of
prude nt is imprude nt, the opposite of conside rate is inconside rate , the opposite of
honorable is dishonorable, the opposite of alcoholic is non- alcoholic, the opposite of
be ing prope rly file d is misfile d. If you are not sure of the spe lling of adje ctive s
modified in this way by pre fixes (or which is the appropriate pre fix), you will have to
consult a dictionary, as the rule s for the se le ction of a pre fix are comple x and too
shifty to be truste d. The me aning itse lf can be tricky; for instance , flammable and
inflammable me an the same thing.
A third me ans for cre ating the opposite of an adje ctive is to combine it with le ss or
le ast to cre ate a comparison which points in the opposite dire ction. He swims we ll.
He knows only too we ll who the murde rer is. Howe ve r, whe n using a linking ve rb or a
ve rb that has to do with the five human senses, you want to use the adje ctive
instead.

• We we re annoyed by the e lephants.
• We we re bore d by the ringmaster.
 Adjectives: The most common of the so-called a- adje ctives are ablaze , afloat,
afraid, aghast, ale rt, alike,
alive, alone, aloof, ashamed, asleep, averse, awake, aware. These adje ctives will
primarily
show up as pre dicate adje ctives (i.e., the y come afte r a linking ve rb).
• The children we re ashamed.
• The profe ssor re mained aloof.
• The tre es we re ablaze .
Occasionally, howe ve r, you will find a- adje ctive s be fore the word the y modify: the
ale rt patie nt, the aloof physician. Most of the m, whe n found be fore the word the y
modify, are the mse lve s modifie d: the ne arly awake stude nt, the te rribly alone
scholar. And a- adje ctives are sometimes modified by “ve ry much”: ve ry much afraid,
ve ry much alone , ve ry much ashame d, e tc.
3.5.0 Prepositions and Its Types
3.5.1 Prepositions-
a) The dog sat unde r the table .
b) The book is on the table .
In se ntence (a) ‘unde r’ join the words ‘sat’ and ‘the table ’ and shows the re lationship
be twe e n the m. Also ‘on’ join the words ‘is’ and’ the table . Thus, a Pre position is
de fine d as a word that is writte n be fore a noun or pronoun, and which shows the
re lation of the pe rson or thing or quality de note d by that noun or pronoun to
some thing e lse .

Pre positions: In, out, off, of, up, down, for, at, to, from, by, till, with, within, without,
through , above , be low, be ne ath, be side , be yond, be twe e n, unde rne ath, across,
outside .
a) Come in
b) The biscuits are in the jar.
He re in the first se ntence, ’in’ gives the information about the ve rb ‘come ’, so it is an
adve rb. But in the se cond se ntence ‘in’ join the words ‘are ’ and ‘the jar’ and it shows
the re lationship be twe e n the m and the re fore is –
A pre position de scribes a re lationship be twe e n othe r words in a se ntence . In itse lf, a
word like “in” or “afte r” is rathe r me aningle ss and hard to de fine in me re words.
Notes- Whe n you do try to de fine a pre position like “in” or “be twe e n” or “on,” you
invariably use your hands to show how some thing is situate d in re lationship to
some thing e lse .
Pre positions are ne arly always combine d with othe r words in structure s calle d
pre position phrase s. Pre positional phrase s can be made up of a million diffe re nt
words, but the y te nd to be built the same: a pre position followe d by a de te rminer and
an adje ctive or two, followe d by a pronoun or noun (calle d the obje ct of the
pre position). This whole phrase , in turn, take s on a modifying role , acting as an
adje ctive or an adve rb, locating some thing in time and space , modifying a noun, or
te lling whe n or whe re or unde r what conditions some thing happe ne d. Is it any
wonde r that pre positions cre ate such trouble s for stude nts for whom English is a
se cond language ? We say we are at the hospital to visit a frie nd who is in the
hospital. We lie in be d but on the couch. We watch a film at the the atre but on
te le vision. For native spe ake rs, the se little words pre se nt little difficulty, but try to
le arn anothe r language , any othe r language , and you will quickly discove r that
pre positions are trouble some whe re ve r you live and le arn.

3.5.2 Prepositions of Time: at, on, and in
We use at to de signate specific times.
The train is due at 12:15 p.m.
We use on to de signate days and date s.
My brothe r is coming on Monday.
We ’re having a party on the Fourth of July.
We use in for nonspe cific times during a day, a month, a se ason, or a ye ar.
She likes to jog in the morning.
It’s too cold in winte r to run outside .
He starte d the job in 1971.
He ’s going to quit in August.
3.5.3 Prepositions of Place: at, on, and in
We use at for spe cific addre sses.
We use on to de signate names of stre ets, avenues, e tc.
He r house is on Tughlaq Road.
And we use in for the names of land-are as (towns, counties, states, countries, and
continents).
She lives in Durham.
Durham is in Windham County.
Windham County is in Conne cticut.
3.5.4 Prepositions of Location: in, at, and on and No Preposition
The be droom home , the ce iling downstairs, the car, the library, the floor downtown,
the class, the office , the horse inside .

*The library*, school*, the plane , outside , school, work, the train upstairs, uptown
* You may some times use diffe re nt pre positions for the se locations. Pre positions of
Move ment: to and No Pre position like use to, in orde r to, e xpre ss movement toward a
place . The y we re driving to work toge the r. She ’s going to the de ntist’s office this
morning. toward and towards are also he lpful pre positions to e xpre ss move me nt.
The se are simply variant spe llings of the same word; use whiche ve r sounds be tte r to
you. We ’re moving toward the light. This is a big ste p towards the proje ct’s
comple tion. With the words home , downtown, uptown, inside , outside , downstairs,
upstairs, we use no pre position.
Grandma we nt upstairs
Grandpa we nt home.
The y both we nt outside .
3.5.5 Prepositions of Time: for and since
We use for whe n we me asure time (se conds, minutes, hours, days, months, ye ars).
He he ld his bre ath for se ven minutes.
She ’s lived the re for se ven ye ars.
The British and Irish have be e n quarrelling for se ven ce nturies.

3.6 Prepositions and Its Usage
3.6.1 Prepositions with Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs-
Pre positions are some time s so firmly we dde d to othe r words that the y have
practically be come one word. This occurs in thre e categories: nouns, adje ctive s, and
ve rbs.
Summary - Nouns and Pre positions, approval of fondne ss for ne e d for ,aware ne ss of
grasp of participation in, be lie f in hatre d of re ason for, conce rn for hope for re spe ct
for confusion about inte re st in succe ss, in de sire for love of unde rstanding of
Adje ctive s and Pre positions, afraid of fond of proud of angry at happy about similar
to aware of inte rested in sorry for capable of je alous of sure of careless about made of
tire d of familiar with marrie d to worrie d about Ve rbs and Pre positions apologize for
give up pre pare for ask about grow up study for ask for look for talk about be long to
look forward to think about bring up look up trust in care for make up work for C
GT.;/A combination of ve rb and pre position is called a phrasal ve rb. The word that is
joined to the ve rb is the n called a particle . Ple ase re fe r to the brie f se ction we have

pre pare d on phrasal ve rbs for an e xplanation. Idiomatic Expre ssions with
Pre positions.
• agre e to a proposal, with a pe rson, on a price , in principle
• argue about a matte r, with a pe rson, for or against a proposition
• compare to to show likenesses, with to show diffe re nce s (some time s similaritie s)
• corre spond to a thing, with a pe rson
• diffe r from an unlike thing, with a pe rson
• live at an addre ss, in a house or city, on a stre e t, with othe r pe ople
3.6.2 Unnecessary Prepositions
In e veryday spe ech, we fall into some bad habits, using pre positions whe re the y are
not ne ce ssary. It would be a good ide a to e liminate the se words altoge the r, but we
must be e spe cially care ful not to use the m in formal, acade mic prose .
• The book fe ll off of the de sk.
• He thre w the book out of the window.
• She wouldn’t le t the cat inside of the house . [or use “in”]
• Whe re did the y go to?
• Put the lamp in back of the couch. [use “be hind” inste ad]
• Whe re is your colle ge at?
Pre positions in Paralle l Form Whe n two words or phrase s are use d in paralle l and
re quire the same pre position to be idiomatically corre ct, the pre position doe s not
have to be use d twice . The fe male was both attracted by and distracted by the male ’s
dance . Did u know? Howe ve r, whe n the idiomatic use of phrase s calls for diffe re nt
pre positions, we must be care ful not to omit one of the m. The childre n we re
inte re ste d in and disguste d by the movie . It was cle ar that this playe r could both

contribute to and le arn from e ve ry game he playe d. He was fascinate d by and

e namore d of this be guiling woman.
3.6.3 Important W ords with Preposition
abhorre nce of
abound with
abounding in
absolve from
abundant with /on
accord with
acquiesce in
acquit of
adapte d for (by nature )
adapte d to (purpose )
admit of
affinity be tween
afflict with
agre e on (a matter or point)
agre e to (a proposal)
agre e with (a pe rson, state ment, opinion)
aggravate by
alien to
ame nable to
angry at / about a thing

angry with a pe rson (or at to stre ss the anger itself)
associated with
ave rse to/ from
be gin by doing some thing
be gin from a point
be gin with an act
be ne fits of the be ne factor
be ne fits to the be ne ficiary
be stow upon
bore d with or by (not of)
capable of
capacity for
Ce ntre on
change for (a thing)
change with (a pe rson)
chary of
cognizant of
compare to (to show similarities)
compare with (to note points of diffe re nce)
compatible with
comply with
unde r the conditions
confe r on (to be stow upon)

confe r with
confide in (trust in)
confide to (e ntrust to)
conform to
in conformity with
congratulate on
connive at
conse quent upon
conte nt one self with
conte nt othe rs by
contrast (v.) with
contrast (n.) to or with
conve nient for (purpose )
conve nient to (pe rson)
conve rsant with
corre spond to (a thing; re semble)
corre spond with (a pe rson)
de ficient in
de rogatory to
die for (a cause)
die of (an illness)
diffe r from (be diffe re nt)
diffe r with (disagree)

diffe re nt from
disappointe d of (what we cannot have )
disappointe d in (what we have)
disse nt from (not to)
distaste for
e mbark money in
e mbark on a ship, career
e ssential to
e xception to (a rule , state ment)
e xe mpt from
forbid to do
fre e from or of
glad at (a pie ce of ne ws)
glad of (a posse ssion)
guiltless of
ide ntical with
impatient of (things)
impatient with (pe rsons)
impe rvious to
immune from an obligation
immune to a dise ase
incide ntal to
inculcate upon some one (not with)

inde pe nde nt of
indicative of
ine ligible for
infe cted with
infe sted with
inflict upon
influence over/ with (a pe rson)
influence on /upon/ in (pe rsons or things)
infuse into someone
(take the) initiative in
(on one ’s own) initiative
insensible to
insight into
inspired by
instill into
invest in a busine ss
invest with an office
involve in
irre spective of
join in a game
join with a pe rson or thing
labor at a task
labour for a pe rson, an e nd

labour in a cause
labour unde r disadvantages
live by labour
live for riches
martyr for (a cause)
martyr to (a dise ase, e tc.)
at a moment’s notice
on the spur of the mome nt
ne gligent of (noun)
oblivious of (not to)
paralle l with or to
part from (pe rsons)
part with (things)
pe rpe ndicular to
point at a thing
point to a fact
posse ssed of we alth
posse ssed with an ide a
pre fe r one to the othe r
pre fe rable to
pre fe rence for
pre vail against (things)
pre vail upon (pe rsons)

provide (some one) with (something)
profuse in
profusion of
provide against ill luck
provide for an e mergency
pursuant to
in pursuance of
re commend that she do (not “re commend he r to do”)
re concile to (thing)
re concile with (pe rson)
re gard as
with re fe rence to
re gard for a pe rson
with re gard to a subje ct
re levant to
bring re lief to suffe ring
re place with (but “is re placed by “)
re port on or to (not into)
re sentful of
re sponsible for (something)
re sponsible to (someone)
re sult from an e vent
re sult in a failure

the re sult of an investigation
find satisfaction in an improvement
the satisfaction of knowing
give satisfaction to a pe rson
satisfied of (fact)
satisfied with (things)
se cure against attack
se cure from harm
se cure in a position
se nsitive to
substitute for
sugge st that he do (not “sugge st him to do”)
susceptible to
taste for (art, e tc.)
taste of (food)
thirst for/afte r (knowle dge)
unconscious of (not to)
at variance on topics
at variance with a pe rson
Fill in the blanks using correct Adjective:
1. Of the two sisters, Susie is the ……………………

Olde r olde st
2. Mumbai is …………………………. from Kochi than Bangalore.
Furthe r farthe r
3. She could be come an actor or a mode l – she chose the …………………….. option.
Late r latte r
4. She is still on good te rms with he r ……………………………. boyfrie nd.
Forme r the n
5. I cannot walk any ………………………farthe r/further
2. Fill in the blanks with an appropriate pre position.
(1). The child ran ……………………….. the road.
Ove r across above
2. The ne ws from …………………………. the borde rs is quite disquieting.
Along across ove r
3. I got up e arly …………………………the morning.
on in at
4. He accused me ……………………. ste aling his money.
About for of
5. I am afraid ………………………… spide rs.
About of at
6. Do you agree …………………………… his de cision to quit?
About with to
3.8 Summary

• Adje ctives are words that de scribe or modify anothe r pe rson or thing in the
se ntence.
• If a group of words containing a subje ct and ve rb acts as an adje ctive, it is calle d
an Adje ctive Clause.
• The most common of the so-calle d a- adje ctives are ablaze , afloat, afraid, aghast,
ale rt,
alike, alive, alone, aloof, ashamed, asleep, ave rse, awake, aware .
• A combination of ve rb and pre position is called a phrasal ve rb.
3.9 Keywords
Articles: A, An, and The are the articles.
De grees: Use d to compare the adje ctives.
Comparative: Use d for comparing two things.
Supe rlative: Use d for comparing three or more things.
De te rminers: Articles and othe r limiters.
Qualifie rs: Find limiter, ofte n re garded as part of the noun.
A-Adjectives: The words ablaze , afloat, afraid, aghast, ale rt, alike, alive, alone,
asleep e tc.
3.10 Self- Assessment Test
Fill in the blanks:
1. Adje ctives have ......... type s of de grees.
2. Bigge st is the ......... de gre e.
3. The word ......... comes afte r comparative de gree.
4. Pre positions de scribes a ......... be twe e n other words in a se ntence.

1. Write down all parts of spe e ch and e xplain.
2. De fine adje ctives and e xplain with examples
3. What is pre position and how it is use d?
3.11 Answers: Self -Assessment
1. thre e 2. supe rlative
3. than 4. re lationship
Adjectives-
1. Of the two sisters, Susie is the olde r.
2. Mumbai is farthe r from Kochi than Bangalore .
3. She was happy whe n she got the job but two we e ks later she was fire d.
4. She is still on good te rms with he r forme r boyfrie nd.
5. I cannot walk any farthe r / furthe r.
Prepositions-
1. The child ran across the road.
2. The ne ws from across the borde rs is quite disquieting.
3. I got up e arly in the morning.
4. He accused me of ste aling his money.
5. I am afraid of spide rs.
6. Do you agree with his de cision to quit?
3.13 References/ Readings

re vise d by DR. G.S. Mansukh ani.
Publications
 Online links :
o www.writingce ntre .uottawa.ca/hype rgrammar/pre posit.html
o http://www.dl.ke t.org/latin2/grammar/ch34-de gofadj.htm

Subject: English
Introduction to M odals and Conjunctions
Structure of Lesson
4.2 Introduction
4.3.0 M odals
4.3.1 M odals and M odal Phrases (Semi-M odals)
4.3.2 Ability/Lack of Ability
a. Present and Future: - can/can’t + base form of the verb
b. Past: could / couldn’t + base form of the verb
4.3.3 Possibility / Impossibility-can / q of the verb
4.3.4 Ask Permission / Give Permission
a. Can + Subject + base form of the verb (informal)
b. Could + subject + base form of the verb (polite)
4.3.5 M ake a suggestion – To make a suggestion use:
Could + base form of the verb (informal)
4.3.6 M ay, M ight
Formal Permission / Formal Prohibition

may / may not + base form of the verb
4.3.7 Polite Request
M ay + subject + base form of the verb
4.3.8 Polite Suggestion
might + base form of the verb
4.4 M odal Usage
4.4.1 Shall, Should, Ought to,
To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion
a. (W hen you are quite sure of a positive answer)
Shall + subject + base form of the verb
b. (W hen you are not sure of a positive answer)
Should + subject + base form of the verbS
4.4.2 To Give Advice
should / ought to + base form of the verb
4.4.3 Necessity or Requirement
Present and Future: -must / have to / need to + base form of the

verb
4.4.4 must + base form of the verb /To Persuade
4.4.5 Lack of Necessity
don’t /doesn’t /didn’t + have to + base form of the verb
4.4.6 M odals: W ill / W ould Polite Request or Statement
W ill / W ould + base form of the verb
4.4.7 List of modal verbs

4.4.8 Use of modal verbs
4.5.0 Conjunctions and Its Types
4.5.1 Conjunctions
4.5.2. Conjunctions: Its Types
a) Coordinating Conjunctions
b) Subordinating Conjunctions
4.5.3 Coordinating Conjunctions
• and, but, or, yet, for, nor, so
4.5.4 Subordinating clause
after, before, since—
4.5.5 Common Subordinating Conjunctions
4.6 Usage of Conjunctions
4.6.1 Correlative Conjunctions
4.6.2 Conjunctive Adverbs
4.6.3 Other Conjunctions
4.6.4 Omitting That
4.8 Summary
4.9 Keywords
4.11 Answers to Check your Progress

• Use of Modals
• Use of conjunctions
• Write se nte nce s using conjunctions.
4.2 Introduction. A modal is a type of auxiliary (he lping) ve rb that is use d to

e xpre ss: ability, possibility, pe rmission or obligation. Modal phrase s (or se mi-modals)
are use d to e xpre ss the same things as modals, but are a combination of auxiliary
ve rbs and the pre position to. Coordinating
Conjunctions The simple , little conjunctions are calle d coordinating conjunctions

(you can click on the words to se e spe cific de scriptions of e ach one Coordinating
Conjunctions• and, but, or, ye t, for, nor, so
(It may he lp you re member the se conjunctions by re calling that the y all have fe we r
than four le tte rs. Also, re me mbe r the acronym FANBOYS: For-And-Nor-But-Or-Ye t-
So. Be care ful of the words the n and now; ne ithe r is a coordinating conjunction, so
what we say about coordinating conjunctions’ role s in a se nte nce and punctuation
doe s not apply to those two words). Whe n a coordinating conjunction conne cts two
inde pe nde nt clause s, it is ofte n (but not always) accompanie d by a comma:
4.3.0 M odals
4.3.1 M odals and M odal Phrases (Semi-M odals)
A modal is a type of auxiliary (he lping) ve rb that is use d to e xpre ss: ability,
possibility, pe rmission or obligation. Modal phrase s (or se mi -modals) are use d to
e xpre ss the same things as modals, but are a combination of auxiliary ve rbs and the
pre position to. The modals and se mi -modals in English are :
Can/could/be able to

M ay/might
Shall/should
M ust/have to
W ill/would
Can, Could, Be Able To
Can, could and be able to are use d to e xpre ss a varie ty of ide as in English:
Modal ve rbs are use d to e xpre ss functions such as, Pe rmission, Ability, Obligation,
Prohibition, Lack of ne ce ssity, Advice , Possibility, Probability.
4.3.2 Ability/ Lack of Ability
a. Present and Future: - can/can’t + base form of the verb
Tom can write poe try ve ry we ll.
I can he lp you with that ne xt we e k.
Lisa can’t spe ak Fre nch.
am / is / are / will be + able to + base form of the verb
am not/ isn’t / aren’t/ won’t be + able to + base form of the verb
b. Past: could / couldn’t + base form of the verb
Whe n I was a child, I could climb tre e s.
was / we re + able to + base form of the ve rb
wasn’t / we re n’t + able to + base form of the ve rb
hasn’t / have n’t + be e n able to + base form of the ve rb
I wasn’t able to visit he r in the hospital.
He hasn’t be e n able to ge t in touch with the clie nt ye t.

Note: Can and could do not take an infinitive (to verb) and do not take the
future auxiliary will.
Corre ct: I can he lp you this afte rnoon.
Corre ct: I will (I’ll) be able to he lp you this afte rnoon.
4.3.3 Possibility / Impossibility-can / can’t + base form of the verb
You can catch that train at 10:43.
He can’t se e you right now. He ’s in surge ry.
could + base form of the verb
I could fly via Amste rdam if I le ave the day be fore .
4.3.4 Ask Permission / Give Permission
a. Can + Subject + base form of the verb (informal)
Can you le nd me te n dollars?
Can + base form of the ve rb (informal)
You can borrow my car.
b. Could + subject + base form of the verb (polite)
Could I have your numbe r?
Could I talk to your supe rvisor ple ase ?
4.3.5 M ake a suggestion – To make a suggestion use:
Could + base form of the verb (informal)
You could take the tour of the castle tomorrow.
Exercises: Can, Could, Be able to
Fill in the correct form of can, could or be able to as in the examples.
Be rlin could not he lp his little brothe r with his home work ye ste rday.

Can I call you late r tonight?
_______ Tony run long distance s whe n he was a boy?
______ you ple ase call a tow truck for me ? My car broke down. (polite )
The stude nts _______ to buy the ir te xtbooks today. The bookstore is all out of the m.
Answers:
Could, are n’t able , Can,
4.3.6. M ay, M ight
Formal Permission / Formal Prohibition
may / may not + base form of the verb
You may start your e xam now.
You may not we ar sandals to work.
4.3.7 Polite Request
M ay I help you?
Possibility / Negative Possibility
may/ might + base form of the verb
We may go out for dinne r tonight. Do you want to join us?
Our company might ge t the orde r if the clie nt agre e s to the price .
may not / might not + base form of the ve rb
Adam and Sue may not buy that house . It’s ve ry e xpe nsive .
The y might not buy a house at all.
To Make a Sugge stion (whe n the re is no be tte r alte rnative )
may as we ll / might as we ll + base form of the ve rb
You may as we ll come inside . John will be home soon.

We might as we ll take Friday off. The re ’s no work to be done anyway.
4.3.8 Polite Suggestion
might + base form of the verb
Fill in the corre ct form of may or might as in the e xample .
May I sit he re ?
The y ______ finish the proje ct on time . The main e ngine e r is ill.
You _____ want to stop by the muse um gift shop on your way out.
Answers: might not, might.
4.4 M odal Usage
4.4.1 Shall, Should, Ought to
To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion
a. (W hen you are quite sure of a positive answer)
Shall + subject + base form of the verb
Shall we go for a walk?
Note : Shall is only use d with I or we . It is use d instead of will only in formal English.
b. (W hen you are not sure of a positive answer)
Should + subject + base form of the verb
Should I call a doctor?
A Pre diction or Expe ctation that Some thing Will Happe n
should/shouldn’t + base form of the ve rb
The proposal should be finished on time . I shouldn’t be late . The train usually arrives
on time .
4.4.2. To Give Advice

should / ought to + base form of the verb
You should che ck that docume nt be fore you se nd it out.
You ought to have your car se rvice d be fore the winte r.
To Give Advice (about some thing you think wrong or unacce ptable )
shouldn’t + base form of the ve rb
Jame s shouldn’t te ach him words like those .
Exe rcise s: Should, Shouldn’t, Ought To
Fill in should, shouldn’t or ought in the following sentences as in the example.
He shouldn’t e ncourage such bad be haviour.
You _____ ge t your te e th cle ane d at le ast once a ye ar.
The house ______ be re ady to move into by ne xt month. It’s almost finishe d.
Answers: Should, ought to
4.4.3 Necessity or Requirement
Present and Future: -must / have to / need to + base form of the verb
You must have a passport to cross the borde r.
Elisabe th has to apply for he r visa by March 10th.
I ne e d to drop by his room to pick up a book.
Past: -had to / needed to + base form of the verb
I had to work late last night.
I ne e de d to drink a fe w cups of coffe e in orde r to stay awake .
Note : have to and ne ed to are ofte n use d in the same conte xt, but many time s, ne e d
to is use d to e xpre ss something that is le ss urge nt, some thing in which you have a
choice . Almost 100% Ce rtain

4.4.4 must + base form of the verb -Thomas has lived in Paris for years. His
French must be very good.
To Persuade
must / have to + base form of the ve rb
You must try this wine . It’s e xce lle nt.
You have to visit us while you’re in town.
Prohibite d or Forbidde n
must not / mustn’t + base form of the ve rb
You must not drive ove r the spe e d limit.
You mustn’t le ave me dicine s whe re childre n can ge t to the m.
4.4.5 Lack of Necessity
don’t /doesn’t /didn’t + have to + base form of the verb
You don’t have to park the car. The hote l vale t will do it for you.
Tim doe sn’t have to go to school today. It’s a holiday.
You didn’t have to shout. Eve ryone could he ar you.
ne e dn’t + base form of the ve rb
You ne e dn’t worry about me . I’ll be fine .
Exercises: M ust, have to, need to, Don’t Have to, Needn’t
Fill in the blanks with one of these M odals:
must, must not, have to, has to, don’t have to, doe sn’t have to, ne e dn’t as in the
e xample s.
The re may be more than one corre ct answe r.
Shira doe sn’t have to drive to the airport. She ’s going by taxi.

You must spe ak polite ly to the custome rs.
will / won’t + base form of the verb
John will pick you up at 7:00am.
Be th won’t be happy with the re sults of the e xam.
4.4.6 M odals: W ill / W ould Polite Request or Statement
W ill / W ould + base form of the verb
Will you ple ase take the trash out?
Would you mind if I sat he re ?
I’d (I would) like to sign up for your workshop.
Habitual Past Action
W ould/Wouldn’t + base form of the verb -Whe n I was a child, I would spe nd hours
playing with my train se t. Pe ter wouldn’t e at broccoli whe n he was a kid. He love s it
now.
Exercises: will, would
Fill in the blanks with one of the following words: will, won’t, would, wouldn’t.
Will you ple ase he lp me lift this box?
I ______ like to orde r the onion soup ple ase .
The manage r _______ be ple ase d to he ar that a custome r slippe d on the we t floor.
Answe rs: Would, won’t
Here are some characteristics of modal verbs: The y ne ve r change the ir form. You
can't add "s", "e d", "Ing"...They are always followe d by an infinitive without "to" (. the
bare infinitive .) The y are use d to indicate modality allow spe ake rs to e xpre ss
ce rtainty, possibility, willingne ss, obligation, ne ce ssity, ability

4.4.7 List of modal verbs - He re is a list of modal ve rbs: can, could, may, might,
will, would, shall, should, must ,The verbs or e xpre ssions dare , ought to, had be tte r,
and ne e d not, be have like modal auxiliarie s to a large e xte nt and may be adde d to
the above list.
4.4.8 Use of modal verbs
Here is a list of modals with examples:
M odal Verb Expressing Example
Must Strong obligation You must stop whe n the traffic lights
turn re d.
Logical conclusion / He must be ve ry tire d. He 's be e n working

Ce rtainty all day long.
Must not Prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.
Can Ability I can swim.
Pe rmission Can I use your phone ple ase ?
Possibility Smoking can cause cance r.
Could Ability in the past Whe n I was younge r, I could run fast.
Polite Pe rmission Excuse me , could I just say

some thing?
Possibility It could rain tomorrow!
May Pe rmission May I use your phone ple ase ?
Possibility/ Probability It may rain tomorrow!
Might Polite Pe rmission Might I sugge st an ide a?
Possibility/ Probability I might go on holiday to Australia next

ye ar.

Ne e d Not Lack of I ne ed not buy tomatoe s. There are

Ne ce ssity/Abse nce of ple nty of tomatoes in the fridge .
Obligation
Should/Ought 50 % Obligation I should / ought to se e a doctor. I

to have a te rrible he adache .
Advice You should / ought to re vise your

le ssons
Logical Conclusion He should / ought to be ve ry tire d.

He 's be e n working all day long.
Had Be tte r Advice You 'd be tte r re vise your le ssons
Note- M odal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to", also called the bare
infinitive.
Examples:
You must stop whe n the traffic lights turn re d.
You should se e to the doctor.

4.5.0 Conjunctions and Its Types
4.5.1 Conjunctions
Some words are satisfied spe nding an e vening at home, alone, e ating ice-cream right
out of the box, watching Se infe ld re -runs on TV, or re ading a good book. Othe rs
are n’t happy unle ss the y’re out on the town, mixing it up with othe r words; the y’re
joine rs and the y just can’t he lp the mse lve s. A conjunction is a joine r, a word that
conne cts (conjoins) parts of a se nte nce . In se nte nce a), ‘and’ join the two words. In
se ntence b), ‘but’ join the two se ntences. Thus, Conjunction is a word which me re ly
joins toge the r two se nte nce s or two words. Conjunctions: and, or, if, that, but,
whe re , or, also, still, since , only, afte r, be fore , be cause , as, ne ithe r, nor, e ithe r, or,
not only, but also

4.5.2. Conjunction: Its Type
a) Coordinating Conjunctions
b) Subordinating Conjunctions
Read the following sentences carefully.
i) I waite d on the station but the train did not arrive .
ii) Since you aske d, I am going to te ll you the story.
He re in the first se ntence , ‘I waite d on the station’ and ‘the train did not arrive ’ are
two inde pe nde nt clause s; joine d by the conjunction ‘but’. The y can stand as the
se ntences of comple te me aning if se parate d, by re moving the joining conjunction.
The y are called main/ principal clauses. Thus, conjunctions which join toge the r the
two or more inde pe nde nt clause s are calle d
4.5.3 Coordinating Conjunctions. The simple , little conjunctions are calle d

coordinating conjunctions (you can click on the words to se e spe cific de scriptions of
e ach one): In the se cond se ntence, ‘since’ is conjunction and ‘since you aske d ‘and ‘I
am going to te ll you the story.’ are the two clause s. Se cond clause can stand on its
own as an inde pe nde nt se ntence and it is the main clause. Howe ve r, the first clause
de pe nds on the se cond clause for its comple te me aning.
Coordinating Conjunctions
• and, but, or, yet, for, nor, so
(It may he lp you re member the se conjunctions by re calling that the y all have fe we r
than four
le tte rs. Also, re me mbe r the acronym FANBOYS: For-And-Nor-But-Or-Ye t-So. Be

care ful of

the words the n and now; ne ither is a coordinating conjunction, so what we say about
coordinating conjunctions’ role s in a se nte nce and punctuation doe s not apply to
those two words).
Whe n a coordinating conjunction connects two inde pe nde nt clause s, it is ofte n (but
not always)
accompanie d by a comma:
• Ulysse s wants to play for UConn, but he has had trouble me e ting the acade mic
re quire me nts.
Whe n the two inde pe nde nt clause s conne cte d by a coordinating conjunction are
nice ly balance d or brie f, many write rs will omit the comma:
• Ulysse s has a gre at jump shot but he isn’t quick on his fe e t.
The comma is always corre ct whe n use d to se parate two inde pe nde nt clause s
conne cte d by a
coordinating conjunction.
A comma is also corre ct whe n and is use d to attach the last ite m of a se rial list,
although many
write rs (e spe cially in ne wspape rs) will omit that final comma:
• Ulysse s spe nt his summe r studying basic math, writing, and re ading
compre he nsion.
Whe n a coordinating conjunction is use d to conne ct all the e le me nts in a se rie s, a

comma is
not use d:
• Pre sbyte rians and Me thodists and Baptists are the pre vale nt Prote stant
congre gations in
Oklahoma.

A comma is also use d with but whe n e xpre ssing a contrast:
AND
(a) To sugge st that one ide a is chronologically se que ntial to anothe r: Tashonda se nt
in he r applications and waite d by the phone for a re sponse .”
(b) To suggest that one ide a is the re sult of another: “Willie he ard the we athe r re port
and promptly boarde d up his house .”
(c) To sugge st that one ide a is in contrast to anothe r (fre que ntly re place d by but in
this usage ): “Juanita is brilliant and Shalimar has a ple asant pe rsonality.
(d) To sugge st an e le me nt of surprise (some time s re place d by ye t in this usage ):

“Hartford is a rich city and suffe rs from many symptoms of urban blight.”
(e ) To sugge st that one clause is de pe ndent upon anothe r, conditionally (usually the
first clause is an impe rative ): “Use your cre dit cards fre que ntly and you’ll soon find
yourse lf de e p in de bt.” (f) To sugge st a kind of “comment” on the first clause: “Charlie
be came addicte d to gambling — and that surprise d no one who kne w him.”
BUT
(a) To sugge st a contrast that is une xpe cte d in light of the first clause : “Joe y lost a
fortune in the stock marke t, but he still se e ms able to live quite comfortably.”
(b) To suggest in an affirmative sense what the first part of the se ntence implie d in a
ne gative way (some time s re place d by on the contrary): “The club ne ve r inve ste d
foolishly, but use d the se rvice s of a sage inve stme nt counse llor.”
(c) To conne ct two ide as with the me aning of “with the e xce ption of” (and the n the
se cond word take s ove r as subje ct): “Eve rybody but Golde n bre ath is trying out for
the te am.”
OR
(a) To sugge st that only one possibility can be re alize d, e xcluding one or the othe r:
“You can study hard for this e xam or you can fail.”

(b) To suggest the inclusive combination of alte rnatives: “We can broil chicken on the
grill tonight, or we can just e at le ftove rs.
(c) To sugge st a re fine me nt of the first clause : “Smith Colle ge is the pre mie r all -
wome n’s colle ge in the country, or so it se e ms to most Smith Colle ge alumnae .”
(d) To suggest a re statement or “corre ction” of the first part of the se nte nce : “The re
are no rattle snake s in this canyon, or so our guide te lls us.”
(e ) To sugge st a ne gative condition: “The Ne w Hampshire state motto is the rathe r

grim “Live fre e or die .”
(f) To sugge st a ne gative alte rnative without the use of an impe rative
(g) “The y must approve his political style or the y wouldn’t ke ep e le cting him mayor.”
4.5.4 Subordinating clause.
subordinating conjunction and the clause ‘since you aske d’ is, Thus, conjunctions
which join one or more de pe nde nt or subordinate clauses to the inde pe nde nt or main
clause are calle d subordinating conjunctions.
1.The se ntence in which two or more principal or main clauses are joined toge ther by
the coordinating conjunctions is calle d Compound se nte nce .
ii) The se ntence in which one or more subordinate clauses are joined to the principal
or main clause , by the subordinating conjunctions, is calle d Comple x se nte nce .
iii) The se nte nce made of only one clause , one subje ct and one pre dicate with one
ve rb,) is called simple sentence. Notice that some of the subordinating conjunctions
in the table be low—4 are also pre positions, but as subordinators the y are be ing use d
to introduce a clause and to
subordinate the following clause to the inde pe nde nt e le me nt in the se nte nce .
as though rathe r than whe ne ve r
be cause since whe re

be fore so that whe re as
e ve n if than whe re ve r
e ve n though that while
4.5.5 Common Subordinating Conjunctions
Strictly spe aking, the word like is a pre position, not a conjunction. It can, the re fore ,
be
use d to introduce a pre positional phrase (“My brothe r is tall like my fathe r”), but it
should not be use d to introduce a clause (“My brothe r can’t play the piano as he did
be fore the accident” or “It looks like as if baske tball is quickly ove rtaking base ball as
Ame rica’s national sport.”).
4.6 Usage of Conjunctions
4.6.1 Correlative Conjunctions:
Some conjunctions combine with othe r words to form what are calle d corre lative
conjunctions. The y always trave l in pairs, joining various se nte nce e le me nts that
should be tre ate d as grammatically e qual.

• She le d the te am not only in statistics but also by virtue of he r e nthusiasm.
• Polonius said, “Ne ithe r a borrowe r nor a le nde r be .”
• Whe the r you win this race or lose it doe sn’t matte r as long as you do your be st.
Correlative conjunctions sometimes create problems in parallel form.
both . . . and ne ithe r . . . nor
not only . . . but also whe the r . . . or
not . . . but as . . . as
e ithe r . . . or
4.6.2 Conjunctive Adverbs
The conjunctive adve rbs such as howe ver, more over, ne verthele ss, conse que ntly, as
a re sult are use d to cre ate comple x re lationships be twe e n ide as.
4.6.3 Other Conjunctions
The conjunction NOR is not e xtinct, but it is not use d ne arly as ofte n as the othe r
conjunctions, so it might fe e l a bit odd whe n nor doe s come up in conve rsation or
writing. Its most common use is as the little brothe r in the corre lative pair, ne ithe r-
nor.
• He is ne ithe r sane nor brilliant.
• That is ne ithe r what I said nor what I me ant. It can be use d with othe r ne ga tive
e xpre ssions:
• That is not what I me ant to say, nor should you inte rpre t my state me nt as an
admission of guilt. It is possible to use nor without a pre ce ding ne gative element, but
it is unusual and, to an e xte nt, rathe r stuffy: Be care ful of the conjunction SO.
Some time s it can conne ct two inde pe nde nt clause s along with a comma, but
some time s it can’t. For instance , in this se nte nce ,

• Soto is not the only Olympic athle te in his family, so are his brothe r, sister, and his
Uncle Che t. whe re the word so me ans “as we ll” or “in addition,” most care ful write rs
would use a se micolon be twe e n the two inde pe nde nt clause s. In the following
se ntence, whe re so is acting like a minor-league “the refore,” the conjunction and the
comma are ade quate to the task:
• Soto has always be e n ne rvous in large gathe rings, so it is no surprise that he

avoids crowds of his adoring fans.
4.6.4 Omitting That
The word that is use d as a conjunction to conne ct a subordinate clause to a

pre ce ding
ve rb. In this construction that is some ti me s calle d the “e xple tive that.” Inde e d, the
word is
ofte n omitted to good e ffe ct, but the ve ry fact of e asy omission causes some editors to
take
out the re d pe n and strike out the conjunction that whe re ve r it appe ars. In the
following
se ntences, we can happily omit the that (or ke e p it, de pe nding on how the se nte nce
sounds to us):
• Isabe l kne w [that] she was about to be fire d.
• She de finite ly fe lt [that] he r fe llow e mploye e s hadn’t supporte d he r.
• I hope [that] she doe sn’t blame me .
Fill in the blanks using appropriate modal and conjunction
3. I ______ like to orde r the onion soup ple ase .
4.The manager _______ be ple ase d to he ar that a custome r slippe d on the we t floor.

5._______ it be okay if I sle pt he re tonight?
6.If you are sick, you ________ go to work. You’ll infe ct e ve ryone the re .
7.Drive rs _______ stop at re d lights.
8.You _______ finish the proposal today. You can finish it tomorrow.
9.She ______ he ar much be tte r with he r ne w he aring aids.
10.______ I orde r us a bottle of wine ?
11.This is the place _________ we staye d last time we visite d. (whe re , whe n, how)
12._________ you win first place , you will re ce ive a prize . (whe re ve r, if, unle ss)
13.You won’t pass the te st _________ you study. (whe n, if, unle ss)
14.Calculus is _________ e asy _________ difficult _________ (not / but, both / and,
e ithe r / or)
15.It’s _________ going to rain _________ snow tonight. (as / if, e ithe r / or, as / as)
4.8 Summary
• Some words are satisfie d spe nding an e ve ning at home , alone , e ating ice -cre am
right out of the box, watching Seinfeld re -runs on TV, or re ading a good book. Othe rs
are n’t happy unle ss the y’re out on the town, mixing it up with othe r words; the y’re
joine rs and the y just can’t he lp the mse lve s. A conjunction is a joine r, a word that
conne cts (conjoins) parts of a se nte nce .
• Some conjunctions combine with othe r words to form what are calle d corre lative
conjunctions.
• The conjunctive adverbs such as howe ver, moreover, ne vertheless, consequently, as

a re sult are use d to cre ate comple x re lationships be twe e n ide as.
Modal ve rbs are use d to e xpre ss functions such as: Pe rmission, Ability, Obligation,
Prohibition, Lack of ne ce ssity, Advice , possibility, probability.
4.9 Keywords

Conjunction: A word that conne cts parts of a se nte nce .
Yet: It is coordinating conjunction.
M odal verbs: are followe d by an infinitive without "to", also calle d the bare infinitive
State whether the following statements are true or false:
1.Whe n we use modals in se nte nce s.
2.. Write down 10 modals.
3. Write down 10 conjunctions and use it in se nte nce
4.11 Answers to Check your Progress-
3. Would 4. won’t 5. would 6. shouldn’t 7. must 8. don’t have to 9. can 10 – whe re ,

11 – if, 12 unle ss 13.not / but, 14– e ithe r / or, 15 – ne ithe r / nor

Publications
 Online links:

Subject: English
Introduction to Tenses and Active and Passive voice
Structure of Lesson
5.2 Introduction
5.3.0Tense and Its Types
5.3.1 Tense
5.3.2 Types of Tenses
a. Present Tense
b. Past Tense
c. Future Tense
5.3.3 Present Tense
a. Simple present Tense.
b. Present Continuous Tense.
c. Present Perfect Tense.
5.3.4 Past Tense
a. Past Indefinite Tense/ Simple Past
b. Past Continuous Tense:

c. Past Perfect Tense
d. Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
5.3.5 Future Tense
a. Simple future / Future Indefinite Tense
b. Future Continuous Tense
c. Future Perfect Tense
d. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
5.4.0 Voice- Active and Passive
5.4.1 Active Voice and Passive Voice
5.4.2 Difference between Active Voice and Passive Voice:
5.4.3 General Rules to change the Voice:
5.4.4 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs:
5.6 Summary
5.7 Keywords
5.1 Learning Objectives:
The obje ctives of this chapte r are : Stude nts will be able to re cognize the past, pre sent
and future te nses of re gular and irre gular verbs. In this le sson we shall study about

Active Voice and Passive Voice . We will also study ge ne ral rule s of changing the
ve rbs from Active voice to Passive voice and vice ve rsa. Stude nts will unde rstand that
ve rbs change form de pe nding on the ir re lationship to time the obje ctive s of this
le sson are :
1. To give an introduction to Voice in Language.
2. To le arn about Transitive Ve rbs and Intransitive Verbs.
3. To make stude nts aware of ge neral rule s of changing the Ve rbs in Active and
Passive Voice.
5.2 Introduction:
In English grammar, ve rbs are ofte n use d in a way that it indicate s or de note s the
time whe n an e vent occurre d. The se ve rbs that take up diffe re nt forms to indicate
the time of an action, e vent or condition by changing its form are calle d as Te nse s.
The word “te nse” me ans “time”. It is use d in re lation to a ve rb. It te lls us about an
action which occurs or about the state of a thi ng which e xists. “Te nse is the form of
a ve rb which shows the time of an action and its de gree of comple teness.” Along with
the knowle dge of corre ct grammar, it is important to know its corre ct practical use .
In this part, you will study se ntences in large r context for social as we ll as acade mic
purpose s. You will le arn to construct and synthe size the se ntences. You have le arned
e arlie r that the ve rb de note s action. The action may be happe ning in the pre se nt
time or it may have happe ned in the past time or it may happe n in the future . Thus,
de pe nding upon the time of the action or state the re are thre e te nse s of the ve rbs.
a) Present Tense: In this te nse the verb shows that the action is in the pre se nt
time
b) Past tense: In this te nse the ve rb indicates that the action has happe ned in the
past.

c) Future tense: In this te nse the verb in dictate s that the action will happe n in
the future . De pe nding upon the comple teness or incompleteness of the action
e ach te nse is furthe r divide d into four type s.
i) Simple: In this the action is simply me ntioned.
ii) Continuous: In this the action is incomplete and ongoing.
iii) Pe rfect: In this the action completes.
iv) Pe rfe ct Continuous: In this the action is ongoing at the time
of re porting the spe e ch. Voice is that prope rty of the Ve rb which shows whe ther the
subje ct is pe rforming or e xpe riencing the action. We have two type s of Voice:
(a)Active Voice (b) Passive Voice.
Active Voice de scribe s a se ntence whe re the subje ct pe rforms the action stated by the
ve rb. Whe re as in Passive Voice se ntences, the subje ct is acte d upon by the ve rb.
An action of a subje ct, in re lation to an obje ct, is e xpre ssed in two ways. These two
ways e xpre ssing action of a subje ct are known as voice i.e. Active Voice and Passive
Voice . Le t us try to unde rstand it with the he lp of some e xamples:
Ram kills a snake. (Active Voice)
A snake is killed by Rama. (Passive Voice)
5.3.0 Tense and Its Types
5.3.1 Tense:
Tense means time. The content of this le sson shall be pre sented as be low
- Te nses
- Type s of Te nses
- Pre sent Tense

- Use of Pre sent te nses
- Exe rcises for practice
5.3.2 Types of Tenses:
The re are thre e type s of Te nse s i.e .
a. The Pre se nt Te nse ,
b. The Past Te nse and
c. The Future Te nse
De pe nding upon the pre se nt, past or future e vent. With e ach of the se te nse s, the re
are four aspe cts associate d with it. An aspe ct he re re fe rs to the nature of action
pe rforme d by the ve rb. Each of the se thre e te nse s has furthe r four forms:
1. Inde finite or Simple
2. Continuous or Progre ssive
3. Pe rfe ct
4. Pe rfe ct Continuous
The stude nts must also know about the forms of the ve rbs be fore the y are told about
te nses in de tail. There are thre e form of the ve rb.
1. Pre sent or the first form
2. Past or the se cond form
3. Past Participle or the third form for e .g.
Go We nt Gone
Calle d Calle d Calle d
The re is another form also known as pre se nt participle form which is forme d by
adding “Ing” to the first form of the ve rb. e .g.:
Smile + Ing = Smiling

Go + Ing = Going
Play +Ing = Playing
Now, le t us study the use of Te nses in de tail.
5.3.3 Present Tense
This te nse is use d to re fe r or indicate to some thing that occurs in the pre se nt. It is
of four type s:
a. Simple present Tense.

b. Present Continuous Tense.
c. Present Perfect Tense.
d. Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
a. Simple Present Tense:
The simple pre sent or inde finite pre sent te nse is use d to de scribe an action, e vent or
condition that is occurring in the pre se nt while be ing spoken about or writte n for e .g.
The boys play.
Cows e at grass.
The pre sent inde finite te nse is forme d with the first form of the ve rb i.e .
Sub + First form of the ve rb
Se ntence Subje ct: I, We , You, The y He , She , It, Noun (Singular)
Noun (Plural)
Se ntence Ist form of Ve rb Ist form + s/e s
Ne gative do not + 1st form doe s not + 1st form
Inte rrogative do+Subje ct+1st form+.? Doe s + Subje ct + 1st form…?

Use of Simple Present Tense:
The simple pre sent te nse is use d to e xpre ss:
(a) Habitual action e.g.
i) The School starts at 8 a.m.
ii) Mohan goe s to office every day at 9 a.m.
(b) The Simple present tense is used to describe universal truth, scientific
facts and what is always stated as true e.g.
i) The e arth moves round the sun.
ii) Wate r boils at 100de gree C.
(c) Planned future action which must happen in the near future, e .g.
1) Our e xamination be gins tomorrow.
2) We le ave De lhi at 9 a.m. on Monday.
(d) It is also used in newspaper headlines. e.g.
1. PM congratulates victorious Indian Team.
(e) The simple present is also used to describe processes, to give instructions
or to give running commentary. e.g.
1. Sachin hits the six.
(f) Conditional sentences when they refer to some future action, e.g.
1) If you work hard, you will pass.
2) Unle ss you run fast, you will miss the train.
(g) Adverbs and adverbial phrases like usually, frequently, occasionally,

often, seldom, sometimes, generally, rarely, daily, everyday etc. e.g.
1) I go to my frie nd’s house e very we ek.

2) Mohan se ldom goe s to play cricket.
EXERCISE – I
Re write the following se ntences into the ir ne gative and inte rrogative forms:
a) I come to school by bus.
b) Mohit studie s e very day.
c) My sister lives in Mumbai.
d) Radha is a singer.
Use Simple Present tense in the following sentences:
1) My sister…………… (re ceive) the le tter daily.
2) Mohan always………… (spe ak) the truth.
3) Most trains ……………. (not run) on time .
4) If it ……………… (rain), we will not play the match.
5) If you………… (go) to De lhi, te ll him to ring me .
b. Present Continuous Tense
) Pre sent continuous te nse is use d to de note an action which is going on at the time
of spe aking. Look at the following e xample s:
He is playing the piano.
She is dancing on the stage .
The se sentence s show that the actions are in progre ss at the pre se nt mome nt. In
othe r words, we can say that Pre sent Continuous tense is use d for the action which
is happe ning simultane ously at the time of action. This te nse is also use d with
words like now, still, today, while , at the pre se nt mome nt, whe n the y re fe r to the
action in progre ss. Look at the following table :
Affirmative se ntences is/am/are + 1st form + Ing

Ne gative sentences is not / am not / are not +1st form + Ing
Inte rrogative se ntences is/am/are + subje ct… And que stion mark in the e nd.
For e .g. I am singing a song now.
I am not singing a song now.
Am I singing a song now?
Am I not singing a song now?
Use of Present Continuous tense:
It is use d to de scribe de finite and immediate future action. For e xample
- I am going to De lhi tonight.
- We are atte nding the party tonight.
It is use d to say that we are in the middle of an action. For e xample
- I am waiting for the bus.
- The wind is blowing.
It is also use d whe n we are in the middle of some thing, but not
ne cessarily/actually at the moment of spe aking. For e xample.
- He is re ading a nove l the se days.
- We are working on a ne w proje ct.
Note: There are number of verbs which are not normally used in the present
continuous tense. These are: Verbs of perception: See, taste, smell, notice, etc.
Verbs used to express feelings or states of mind: love, want, desire, wish,
refuse, forgive, care, hate, adore, like, dislike admire etc.
Incorrect Correct
The se grapes are tasting sour. The se grapes taste sour.
I am thinking you are wrong. I think you are wrong.

EXERCISE 1
Change the following into the Pre sent Continuous te nse: -
a) The airplanes fly in the sky.
b) The doctor e xamines the patie nt.
c) The garde ner wate rs the plants.
d) Mohan swims in the tank at this time .
EXERCISE 2
Fill in the blanks with Pre sent Continuous te nse:
a) Rita …………. (comb) he r hair.
b) You can’t se e him, he ………… (sleep) at the moment.
c) The train……………… the platform. (le ave)
d) The washing ……. on the line. (hang
C. Present Perfect Tense
Pre sent Pe rfect Tense is used in the se ntences which be gan its action in the past but
it will be comple ted in the pre se nt. Pre sent pe rfe ct Tense is use d to e xpre ss a
re cently comple ted action which can be de note d by words like first now, alre ady, ye t,
re cently, late ly e .g.
Study the following table :
Affirmative se ntences Has/Have + 3rd form
Ne gative sentences Has not + Have not + 3rd
Inte rrogative se ntences Has/Have be fore subje ct and Que stion mark in the e nd.
For e .g. I have done my work.
I have not done my work.

Have I done my work?
Have I not done my work?
Note: Special care is to be taken in case of sentences where past time like
yesterday, last week, last month, last year, ago, etc. are mentioned. You are
required to use here Past Indefinite Tense and not Present Perfect Tense.
USES OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
The pre sent pe rfe ct Tense is use d to show that an action done in the past has an
e ffe ct or re levance at the pre sent time.
For e xample –
1) Se ema, are you still re ading the book?
2) He has re ad The Discovery of India. (So, he knows the story)
 To talk about activities completed in the immediate past:
1) I have just he ard the ne ws.
2) She has just gone out.
 To indicate actions whe re the time of the action is not give n (but is not
inde finite)
1) Suman has gone to Amritsar.
2) Have you se en him walking by?
Exercise – I
Use the Present Perfect tense:
a) The cat ………… (ste al) the fish.
b) You……. (se e) him lately.
c) His flight ………. (take off) alre ady.
d) I …………… (know) him to be a se rious man.

Exercise – 2
Use the Present Perfect Tense:
a) I just…………. (wash) that floor.
b) The movie…………. (be ) re leased re cently.
c) The film …………. just (be gin)
d) My brothe r …… (not pay) the te le phone bill ye t.
The Pre sent pe rfe ct Progre ssive (continuous) te nse is a combination of the Pre sent
Pe rfe ct and the Pre sent Progre ssive te nses, in form / has / have + be e n + V1 + Ing)
as we ll as in me aning.
In Pre sent Pe rfect Continuous te nse, the action be gan sometime in the past but it is
still continuing in the pre se nt.
Affirmative se ntences Has be e n / Have be e n + 1st form + Ing
Ne gative sentences Has not be e n /Have not be e n + 1st form + Ing.
Inte rrogative se ntences Has/Have + Subje ct + be e n.?
Look at the following se ntences –
You have be en playing.
You have not be e n playing.
Have you be e n playing?
It should be note d that you are suppose d to use for and since be fore the given time.
For is to be use d to e xpre ss the pe riod of time i.e. for five ye ars, for thre e days, for
four hours, e tc. Since is to be use d to e xpre ss the point of time i.e. since 2014, since
March, since 5’O clock, since We dne sday e tc.

Spe cial care is to be take n in se ntences whe re time factor is not given and you
should use Pre sent Continuous Tense. If the numbe r of times is me ntioned, you are
re quired to use Pre sent Pe rfect Te nse.
Exercises
Fill in the blanks with the Pre sent Pe rfect Continuous te nse:
1) My brothe r is a write r. He ……… (write ) novels for 5 ye ars.
2) He ………… (fly) kites since morning.
3) Harshit………. (not keep) good he alth for thre e days.
4) We ………….(live) he re since 2001.
5) ………….. she …………….(knit) he r swe ater for two hours.
5.3.4 Past Tense:
The Past te nse is a grammatical te nse whose principal function is to place an action
or situation in past time . Past te nse in English has two se mantic fe atures: -
• The spe aker conceptualize s the e vent as having occurred at some spe cific time in
the past.
• The e vent is pre se nted as wholly locate d in the past, in a time frame that is
se parated from the pre se nt. James Joyce was born in Dublin 1882. He lived in
Ire land until 1904 and spe nt re st of his life abroad. He re “was born” is inte rpreted
re fe rring to a point of time , while “lived” and “spe nt” are inte rpreted as be ing of
longe r duration.
a. Past Indefinite Tense/ Simple Past:
The Simple past is use d to say that an e vent occurred or that something was the
case at a particular time in the past.
Mohan ran a thorn into his foot ye sterday.
You lived in my ne ighbourhood last ye ar.

Uses Of Simple Past
1. If we want to say that a situation e xisted ove r a pe riod of time in the past, we use
the simple past-M.F. Hussain lived abroad in his last ye ar.
2. Whe n we talk about an activity that took place re gularly or re pe atedly in the past,
but which no longe r occurs, we use simple past.
-Whe n my grandmothe r was alive, she fe d sparrows e arly in the morning e very day.
use d to is also use d to e xpre ss such situations. Howe ve r, unlike ‘would’, ‘use d to’
can also de scribe past state s and situations. ‘Use d to’ is not common in ne gative
situations.
I’m not quite as he althy as I use d to be .
1.Whe n we talk of some thing that happe ne d in the past, and we me ntion a situation
e xisted at that time , we use the simple past. All the stre ets in this part of old De lhi
look alike. Study the table : -
Affirmative 2nd form of the ve rb.
Ne gative did not + 1st form of the ve rb.
Inte rrogative Did – Subje ct + 1st form….?
For e.g.
He playe d cricket. Did he play cricket?
He did not play cricket. Did he not play cricket?
Exercise - 1
Complete the sentences using simple past tense: ---
1) She …………. (call) me last night.
2) Columbus …………. (discover) America.
3) Last ye ar it ……………… (not rain) he avily.

4) Gopal … (not atte nd) the office yesterday.
5) My he alth has improved since I……………… (go) to Nainital.
Exercise – 2
Change the following sentences into negative and Interrogative sentences: -
1) Your fathe r hate s the poor.
2) I know his name.
3) He came to see me.
4) The thieves broke into his house .
5) He playe d te nnis.
b. Past Continuous Tense:
The Past Continuous Tense is ofte n use d to de note an action which continued for
some time in the past. The most common use of the past continuous/progressive is
to talk about what was alre ady happe ning at a particular past moment.
Whe n I got up this morning, it was raining.
Affirmative was /we re + 1st form + Ing
Ne gative was not / we re not + 1st form + Ing
Inte rrogative was / we re + subje ct...?
Uses of Past Continuous Tense
1. Past Continuous te nse is use d in the se nte nce s whe re we have adve rbs like
continually, constantly, fore ve r e tc.
The patie nt was continually asking for he lp.
2. Past continuous te nse is use d for te mporary actions and situations. Whe n we talk
about longe r, more pe rmane nt situations, we usually use the simple past:
I was running downstairs whe n I slippe d and fe ll.

3. Use d without a time e xpre ssion, the past continuous can indicate gradual
de ve lopment. Whe n used with a point in time, it e xpre sses an action which be gan
be fore that time and probably continue d afte r it.
-At nine , she was having dinne r.
4. Whe n the conjunction ‘while’ is use d to conne ct two or more clauses, we make use
of Past Continuous te nse in both the clause s. e .g.
-While I was re ading, my brothe r was playing piano.
Exercise
Use the Past Continuous tense:
1) She cut he r finge r while she……… (cut) potatoe s.
2) The childre n……… (play) whe n I saw the m.
3) While Radha was singing, Suman ……. (dance )
4) He … (not re ad) his books afte r the e xamination.
c. Past Perfect Tense
Past pe rfe ct te nse is use d to e xpre ss an action which has be e n completed in the past
be fore a particular mome nt. We use the past pe rfe ct to go back to an e arlie r past
time , to talk about things that had alre ady happe ne d at the time we are talking
about. For e .g. I e xplaine d that I had forgotte n my ke ys.
Affirmative ` had + 3rd form
Ne gative had not + 3rd form
Inte rrogative had – subje ct .. ?
He had finishe d his work be fore I we nt out.
He had not finishe d his work be fore I we nt out.
Had he finishe d his work be fore I we nt out?

Had he not finishe d his work be fore I we nt out?
Usually this te nse is use d in simple sentences whe re words like till, be fore , alre ady,
since e tc. come .
Uses of Past Perfect Tense
1.It is commonly use d in ‘re porte d spe e ch’ afte r past ve rbs like said, told aske d,
e xplaine d, thought, wonde re d, e tc.
I thought I had se nt the che que a we e k be fore .
2. We make use of past pe rfe ct te nse and past inde finite te nse in two clause s of a
se ntence whe n the re are two actions taking place , one of which happe ns be fore the
othe r. E.g. The be ll had alre ady rung be fore I re ache d the colle ge .
3. Past pe rfe ct is also use d in conditional se nte nce s for e .g. If you had worke d hard,
you would have passe d.
4. It is also use d to e xpre ss unfulfille d de sire of the past. e .g. I wish I had gone
the re .
The Past Pe rfe ct can be use d with ‘till’ / ‘until’ and ‘be fore ’ to e mphasize the
comple tion or e xpe cted comple tion of an action. He re fused to go till he had se e n all
the de tails of the case .
Exe rcise
1.He …. (not re vise) his courses till the n.
2.He ……. (take ) his bre akfast be fore he le ft for the colle ge.
3.I thought that my sister……(come)
d. Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
Past Pe rfe ct Continuous Te nse is use d whe n the action be gan in the past and it
continue d and it was still continuing at the appointe d time in the past. The Past

Pe rfe ct Continuous te nse is not use d with ve rbs that are not use d in continuous
form, e xce pt with want and some time s, wish:
The child was de lighted with his ne w toy. He had be e n wanting one for a long time .
Affirmative Had be e n + 1st form +Ing
Ne gative Had not be e n + 1st form + Ing
Inte rrogative Had + Subje ct – be e n -?
Exercise
1. Sude sh………. (work) in the company for six ye ars be fore she ………… (le ave) it.
2. He …………. (sleep) for two hours whe n the thie ves we nt into his house .
3. She ……………. (pre pare ) te a for five minutes whe n the gue sts came.
4. His finge r… (not ble e d) for half an hour whe n the doctor che cked it.
5.3.5 Future Tense
In English, the re are four ways of discussing future time:
a. Simple future / Future Indefinite Tense

c. Future Perfect Tense
d. Future Perfect Continuous Tense
a. Simple Future Tense
Future Inde finite Tense is use d to e xpre ss an action which is be lieved to take place
some time in future . This te nse is used to e xpre ss intention, de te rmination, duty,
offe r, assurance e tc.
Take a look at the following se ntences:
You shall go home today.
I will sing today.

You shall play tomorrow.
The function will be gin at 9 00 am.
Affirmative Will / shall + 1st form
Ne gative Will not / shall not + 1st form
Inte rrogative Will / shall – subje ct -?
For e .g.
I shall go to De lhi. Shall I go to De lhi?
I shall not go to De lhi. Shall I not go to De lhi?
Use of ‘will’ and ‘shall’
W ill is used for:
• Inte ntion, De te rmination, Invitation, Assurance.
• Re que st or offe ring he lp.
• Planned future incide nt / e vent.
• Spontane ous de cisions.
Shall is used for:
• Duty: You shall de fe nd your mothe rland.
• Sugge stion: Shall we go for a coffe e .
• Offe r: Shall I bring a glass of wate r for you?
• Rule s: You shall obe y the traffic rule s.
Exercise-
Use Simple Future tense and convert each of the sentences into negative and
interrogative sentences:
1. She ……my frie nd to the park. (take)

2. The y………………. a house soon. (buy)
3. I ………. the party. (atte nd)
4. Will you……… the salt? (pass)
5. He …………… drinking soon? (stop)
Future Continuous te nse is use d to e xpre ss an action that is going on at a give n

point of time in the future . It is use d to e xpre ss future action that will be gin in future
and continue after a given pe riod of time. The following table gives the various forms
of the simple future continuous te nse :
Affirmative Will be / shall be +1st form + Ing
Ne gative Will not be / shall not be + 1st form + Ing
Inte rrogative Will / shall - subje ct – be ?
This te nse is use d to e xpre ss future e vents that are planne d for e .g.
-I will be staying he re till the e xams are over.
This te nse is not use d in conditional clauses. In its place , we use the Pre sent Pe rfect
te nse. e .g.
-Whe n we have finished our home work, we shall play.
In Inte rrogative se ntences this te nse is use d to ge t information in a polite manner for
e .g.
Will you be coming with us to watch the movie
We shall be singing.
We shall not be singing.
Shall we be singing?
Shall we not be singing?


Exercise-
Fill in the blanks with future continuous tense:
1. Don’t ring up now, Sohna ……. (re st) at this time.
2. Rohan’s sister…… (marry) today.
3. Rahul …. (buy) a car soon.
4. Soham …. all day today for he r birthday (shop)
5. Afte r some ye ars, pe ople ……. (go) to Moon for holiday.
c. Future Perfect Tense”
Future pe rfe ct Tense is use d to e xpre ss the completion of an action or e vent in the
future . This te nse form is use d to talk about a future action that can be comple ted in
a particular time.
Look at the se ntence be low: The garde ner will have wate red the plants be fore the
sun rises.
Affirmative Will/shall+have+3rd form ve rb
Ne gative Will/shall not+have+3rd form
Inte rrogative Will /shall +subje ct+have+3rd form of ve rb
Exercise-
Fill in the blanks with Future Perfect tense forms of the words given in
brackets and also convert the sentences into negative and interrogative forms:
1. Raje sh…. by the time you call him. (sleep)
2. The Police……the thief by now. (catch)
3. I…………. my work by the time you come back home. (finish)
4. I ……………… te n thousand rupe e s by the ye ar e nd. (save)

d. Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
Future Pe rfect Continuous te nse expresses the continuity of an action up to a

spe cific time in future . This te nse form is use d to e xpre ss actions that be gan in the
past and which will be in progre ss ove r a pe riod of time that will e nd in the future .
Look at the se ntence be low: By the e nd of the ye ar, I shall have be e n working in the
colle ge for 11 ye ars.
The following table gives the various form of the Future Pe rfe ct Continuous tense:
Affirmative Will have been / shall have be e n + 1st form + ing
Ne gative Will not have be e n /shall not have be e n + 1st form + ing
Inte rrogative Will / shall – subje ct – have be e n?
I shall have be e n doing washing tomorrow.
I shall not have be en doing washing tomorrow.
Shall I have be e n doing washing tomorrow?
Shall I not have be e n doing washing tomorrow?
Use Future Perfect Continuous tense in the following sentences: -
1. In anothe r two ye ars, the y …… (work) he re for five ye ars.
2. By the time father re tires, I …………… for five ye ars. (re tire)
3. We ……. the live match. (watch)
4. Whe n I come back to you at 6 O’ clock, you……………… (re st) for 3 hours.
5.4.0 Voice- Active and Passive
5.4.1 Active Voice and Passive Voice

Whe n the se ntence is pre sented though the point of vie w of the subje ct; the subje ct
is the age nt of the action and the action ve rb is use d to de note the action, it calle d
active voice . The y have a subje ct a ve rb and a dire ct obje ct.
For Example : Mr. Sharma clicked the photograph. He re ‘Mr. Sharma’, the subje ct is
the doe r of the action. The action is indicated by the action ve rb ‘clicke d ‘The obje ct
of the action is ‘photograph’. Whe n the se ntence is pre se nte d from the point of vie w
of the ‘obje ct’; the subje ct is not the age nt of the action and the action is shown
through the passive ve rb, it is calle d the Passive voice . The se nte nce has only an
obje ct, and a ve rb. The subje ct place d at the e nd can be omitte d.
For Example : The photograph was clicke d by Mr. Sharma.
He re obje ct ‘photograph’ is given the main position, and the action is de note d by the
passive ve rb, ’was clicke d’. The subje ct Mr. Sharma can be omitte d.
Re ad the following se nte nce care fully.
The grandmother gave the swe e ts to me . (Active Voice ) He re ,’ swe e ts’ is the dire ct
obje ct and ‘me ’ is indirect obje ct. We can change this se nte nce into passive form by
two ways.
i) The swe e ts we re give n to me by the grandmothe r.
5.4.2 Difference between Active Voice and Passive Voice:
To unde rstand the diffe re nce in both voices, we should focus on the subje ct and the
obje ct of a se nte nce . We know that e ve ry se nte nce has a subje ct, a ve rb and an
obje ct. The sequence of subje ct and obje ct as in Active Voice , is re ve rse d whe n it is
e xpre ssed in Passive Voice. Re ad the following e xample for be tte r unde rstanding this
diffe re nce –
Active Voice Radha loves Geeta. (Subject) (Verb) Active form
Passive Voice Ge e ta is love d by Radha.

(Subje ct) (Ve rb) (Obje ct) (Passive form)
Active Voice: Subject +Verb +object
Passive Voice: Object+ Verb+ Subject
Apart from re ve rsing the se que nce of subje ct and obje ct, the form of the ve rb of
se ntence also changes in both Voices. The only form of ve rb use d in Passive Voice is
the 3rd form of the ve rb which is also calle d Past Participle .
It will be notice d that whe n the Ve rb is change d from the Active Voice to Passive
voice, the obje ct of the transitive verb in the Active Voice be come s the subje ct of the
Ve rb in the Passive Voice. Since the obje ct of a ve rb in the active voice be come s the
subje ct of the passive form, it follows that only Transitive Ve rbs can be use d in the
passive voice , be cause an Intransitive Ve rb has no obje ct.
5.4.3 General Rules to change the Voice:
Rule s for changing Active Voices into Passive Voices are as follows:
1.As me ntioned e arlier, the structure of se nte nce will be re ve rse d in Passive Voice .
The place s of the subje ct and the obje ct will interchange. While changing from Active
Voice to Passive Voice subje ct will shift to the place of Obje ct and the obje ct will take
the place of subje ct in Passive Voice .
Example : Radha lights the candle. (Active Voice)
The candle is lighted by Radha. (Passive Voice)
2.If obje ct have the pronoun of obje ctive case change it with the he lp of this rule :
Me = I Us = We
You= you him= He
He r = She it = It
The n = They Whom = who

If subje ct have the pronoun of nomination case change it with the he lp of this rule ,
like: -
I = by me we = by us
You = by you He = by him
She = by he r it = by it
The y= by the m who = by whom
The passive voice is forme d with the suitable te nse of the ve rb be followe d by the past
participle. Study this table :
Te nse (or Modal+ base ) Active Voice Passive Voice
Simple pre sent take am take n
takes is take n/are taken
Pre sent Continuous am taking am be ing taken
is taking is be ing taken
are taking are be ing taken
Pre sent Pe rfect has take n has be e n taken
have taken have be en taken
Simple Past took was take n/were taken
Past Continuous was taking was be ing taken
we ’re taking we re be ing taken
Past pe rfe ct had take n had be e n taken
Simple Future will take will be take n
shall take shall be take n
Can/may/must e tc + base can take can be taken

must take must be take n
3. Only Past Participle form or 3rd form of ve rb (e .g. take n e tc.) will always be use d
as main verb in passive voice s for all te nse s. No othe r form of ve rb will be use d as
main ve rb. It can be se e n in all the e xample s give n on this page .
4. The word “by” will be use d be fore subje ct in the passive voice. Example :
The pe on ope ne d the gate . (Active Voi ce)
The gate was ope ne d by the pe on. (Passive Voice)
5. The Active Voice is use d whe n the age nt (i.e . doe r of the action) is to be made
promine nt; the Passive , whe n the pe rson or thing acte d upon is to be made
promine nt. The passive is ge ne rally pre fe rre d whe n the active form would use an
inde finite or vague pronoun or noun (some body, pe ople , we , the y e tc.) as subje ct;
that is, whe n we do not have the cle ar ide a about age nt or do not know who the
age nt is. For e xample :
Active = I have be e n invited to the party.
Passive = Some one has invited me to the party.
Active = My pe n has be e n stole n.
Passive = Some body has stole n my pe n.
5.4.4 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs:
We have alre ady le arnt that a ve rb is a word that e xpre sse s action, fe e ling or
e xistence. Many ve rbs can be both transitive and intransitive. An action ve rb with a
dire ct obje ct is transitive while an action ve rb with no dire ct obje ct is intransitive .
Now study the following se nte nce s:
(a) Ram laughs. (b) Rajat plays.
(b) Sita dances. (d) Suraj sle eps.

In the se se ntences no obje ct is use d with ve rb (laughs, dance s, plays, sleeps) and the
me aning of the se ntence is also cle ar so the se words are intransitive ve rbs. Whe n an
obje ct is use d with the ve rb it is calle d Transitive ve rb. Le t us se e the se e xample s:
1. Ram write s a le tter.
2. Gita plays te nnis.
3. Ne ha love s he r mother.
4. Sachin sings a song.
In the se se ntences obje ct le tter, te nnis, mother, and song are re spe ctively use d for
the ve rbs write s, plays, love s, and sings. These words are intransitive verbs.
Re ad the e xamples:
Transitive Verb Intransitive Verb
1. Ope n all the windows the car stoppe d
2. The boys fly the ir kites. Birds fly
3. The driver stoppe d the car. The glass broke.
4. He broke the glass. Sit the re
We can notice in the following e xample s that a Transitive ve rb is one that is use d
with an obje ct. In the following se ntences ope n, fly, stoppe d and broke are transitive
ve rbs. Similarly stoppe d, fly, broke and sit are intransitive ve rbs. So, we can
conclude that a transitive ve rb is that which is use d with an obje ct and an
intransitive ve rb doe s not have an obje ct.
Change from Active Voice to Passive Voice:
Note the changes from Active Voice to Passive Voice in the se se ntences.
Active Voice Passive Voice
1. The hunter killed the lion. The lion was killed by the hunte r.

2. I write a le tter. A le tte r is writte n by me .
3. I e at an apple . An apple is e aten by me .
4. He bought a car. A car was bought by him.
As studie d e arlier it can be noticed that the se que nce of the subje ct and the obje ct of
the se ntence is re versed while converting the se nte nce from Active voice to passive
voice .
Active Voice = Subject + Verb + Object
Passive Voice = Object + Verb + Subject
Le t us se e some more e xample s: - Whe n Ve rb that take both a dire ct and an indire ct
obje ct in the Active voice are changed to the Passive , e ithe r obje ct may be come the
subje ct of the Passive Ve rb, while the othe r is re taine d.
Transitive verb with two objects
Some times Verb has two obje cts in which one obje ct is pe rson and the othe r is thing.
Pe rson is the indirect obje ct and thing is the dire ct obje ct. Re member, many a time s
Indire ct obje ct come s first and dire ct obje ct comes at the se cond position. For
e xample:
1. Mr. Sharma te aches us Hindi.
2. Ram gave a gift to me .
3. Mothe r told me a story.
Exercises
Change the following se ntences so that the ve rbs will be in the Passive Voice.
1. He love s me .
2. She lights the candle.
3. He is driving a car.

4. She is wate ring the plants.
5. Who is singing a song?
6. I am not running a race.
7. She has not stole n my book.
Change the following sentences so that the verbs will be in the Active Voice :
1. All the milk was drunk by the cat.
2. I was not e xpe cted by the m.
3. The windows have be e n cle aned.
4. A le tte r is writte n by me .
5. A camera is bought by him.
6. The dish had not be e n te sted by me .
Study the Table:
Tense Active Voice Passive Voice
Pre sent Inde finite 1st form+/s/es is/am/are/+ 3rd form
(Ne gative) do not/doe s not+1st form is/am/are+not+3rd form
Pre sent continuous is/am/are+V1+ing is/am/are+being+V3
(Ne gative) is/am/are+not+1stform+ing is/am/are+not+being+3rd form
Pre sent pe rfect has/have+3rd form has/have+been+3rd form
(Ne gative) has/have+not+3rd form has/ have +not be e n+3rd form
Past Inde finite 2nd form was/we re+3rd form
(Ne gative) did not+1st form was/we re+not+3rd form
Past continuous was/we re+1st form +ing was/we re+being+3rd form
(Ne gative) was/we re+not+1st form + ing was/we re+not+being+3rd form

Past pe rfe ct had+ 3rd form had be e n + 3rd form
(Ne gative) had not + 3rd form had not+ be e n+ 3rd form
Future Inde finite will/shall+1st form will/shall+ be + 3rd form
(Ne gative) will/shall not + 1st form will/shall+ not be +3rd form
Future Pe rfect will/shall+ have + 3rd form will/shall+have+been+3rd form
5.5 Check your Progress -
A. Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.
1. I (le arn) …… English for se ven ye ars now.
2. But last ye ar I (not / work) …… hard e nough for English, that's why my
marks (not / be ) … re ally that good the n.
3. As I (pass / want) ……. my English e xam successfully ne xt ye ar, I (study)

harde r… this te rm.
4. During my last summer holidays, my pare nts (se nd) …… me on a language

course to London.
5. It (be ) …. gre at and I think I (le arn) …. a lot.
6. Be fore I (go) …. to London, I (not / e njoy) …. le arning English.
B. Change into passive voice
1.We had lost the ke y. -
2.The y had starte d a fight. –
3.The sun rises from the e ast
4.Re e ma can do skydiving.
5. I ate the strawbe rry pie

5.6 SUM MARY
The conce pt of English ve rb te nse s is ve ry important in e stablishing e ffe ctive

communication. He nce, if you want to maintain both ways of communication be tte r,
that is, spe aking and writing you ne e d to gain mastery ove r English te nse s, be cause
a command of twe lve basic te nse s of English language will aid you imme nse ly in
gaining e ffective communication skills. The te rm, te nse , has be e n de rive d from the
Latin word “te mpus” me aning time. Since the re are many ways in which we e xpre ss
the time of action, we use te nse s.
 TYPES OF TENSES
Present- Simple Present -Base ve rb (+ e s/es for third pe rson):
I watch the ne ws e very day.
Present Continuous-am/is/are + pre se nt participle:
I am watching the ne ws.
Present Perfect-Has/have + past participle :
I have watched the ne ws alre ady.
Present Perfect Continuous-Has/have + be e n + pre se nt participle:
I have be e n watching the ne ws since I was a te e nager.
Past -Simple Past- Ve rb+ e d or irre gular ve rb:
I watche d the ne ws.
Past Continuous - Was/we re + pre sent participle:
I was watching the ne ws.
Past Perfect- Had + past participle :
I had watche d the ne ws be fore I we nt to be d.

Past Perfect Continuous- I had be e n watching the ne ws for 20 minutes be fore you
came home.
Future- Simple Future- Will+ ve rb
Am/is/are + going to + ve rb
I will watch the ne ws / I am going to watch the ne ws.
Future Continuous- Will be + pre se nt participle
Am/is/are + going to be + pre se nt participle:
I will be watching the ne ws at 9pm. / I am going to be watching the ne ws at 9pm.
Future Perfect- Will have + past participle
Am/is/are + going to have + past participle
I will have watched the ne ws be fore 10pm. / I am going to have watched the ne ws.
Future Perfect Continuous- Will have be e n + pre se nt participle
Am/is/are + going to have be e n + pre sent participle
 Active and Passive voice: Words come toge the r to form a se nte nce and the se
se nte nce s can be forme d in more than one way. The way the se se nte nce s are
made make a lot of diffe re nce in writing Active voice: Whe n a subje ct is dire ctly
acting on the obje ct, the se ntence is writte n in Active voice Passive voice: Whe n
the obje ct is acte d upon by the subje ct, the se ntence is writte n in Passive voice .
In both the above se nte nce s, the me aning re mains the same and only the
structure is what that changes. Usually, the structure or se quence of the subje ct,
ve rb, and obje ct e xpre sse d in the active voice se nte nce ge ts re ve rse d in the
passive voice of the same se nte nce . To unde rstand the diffe re nce , just focus on
how the subje ct and obje ct change the structure of the se nte nce s in the table
be low:
Active Voice Passive Voice

I ate the strawbe rry pie The strawbe rry pie was e aten by me
I bought a Honda car A Honda car was bought by me et obje ct as the

subje ct)
I bought a Honda car A Honda car was bought by me
The sun rises from the e ast East is whe re the sun rises from
Re e ma can do skydiving. Sky diving can be done by Re e ma
Note- how the me aning has stayed the same throughout.
5.7 KEYW ORDS
Simple Present Tense: it is use d to de scribe an action, e vent or condition in simple

way.
Present Continuous Tense: It is use d to de note an action which is going on at the

time of spe aking.
Present Perfect Tense: It is use d in the se ntences which be gan its action in the past
but it will be comple ted in the pre se nt.
The Past tense is a grammatical te nse whose principal function is to place an action
or situation in past time .
Simple Future Tense: it is use d to e xpre ss an action which is be lieved to take place
in future
Subject it re fe rs to the pe rson or thing that is doing the action e xpre ssed by the ve rb.
Object: Obje ct in a se ntence as the e ntity that is acte d upon by the subje ct.
Q1. Explain Pre sent Te nse and its type s?
Q2. De scribe Pre sent Inde finite and Pre sent Continuous te nse with suitable
e xamples?

Q3. Explain Past Te nse and its type s?
Q4. How will you diffe re ntiate be tween Past Pe rfect and Past Pe rfect Continuous
te nse?
Q5. Explain Future Te nse with its type s?
Q6. Write a short note on Active Voice with suitable e xamples.?
Q7. Write a short note on Passive Voice with suitable e xamples.?
Q8. Discuss in de tail Transitive Ve rbs?
5.9 Answers to Check Your Progress-
A-Tenses
1. I have be e n learning English for se ven ye ars now.
2.But last ye ar I was not working hard e nough for English, that's why my marks
we re not re ally that good the n.
3.As I want to pass my English e xam successfully ne xt ye ar, I am going to study

harde r this te rm.
4.During my last summer holidays, my pare nts se nt me on a language course to

London.
5. It was gre at and I think I le arned a lot.
6.Be fore I we nt to London, I had not e njoyed le arning English.
B. voice -
1.The table s had be e n cleaned by Joe .
2.We had lost the ke y. - The key had be e n lost by us.
3, East is whe re the sun rises from he y had starte d a fight. –
4. A fight had be e n starte d by the m.
5. Skydiving can be done by Re e ma.

6. The strawbe rry pie was e aten by me .
• Ne w Oxford Advanced Le arners Dictionary.

• English Grammar, Composition & Usage : J.C. Ne wfie ld, Re vise d by N.K.
Agarwal.
• English Grammar – An outline of Ge ne ral Phonetics; R.K. Bansal; OUP: 1971
• Spoke n English for India; R.K. Bansal and J.B. Harrison; Longm an.
Inte rmediate English Grammar; Raymond Murphy e tc.

Subject: English
Introduction to Narration and Phrasal Verbs
Structure of Lesson
6.2 Introduction
6.3.0 Reported Speech
6.3.1 Narration (Direct and Indirect speech)
6.3.2 Direct Speech
6.3.3 Indirect Speech
6.3.4 Change the adverbs of the Direct Speech.
6.3.5 Rules of change of Pronouns
6.4 Rules for Speech
6.4.1 Rules of change of verb or Tense
6.4.2 Rules for Change in Narration of different type of sentences
a. Assertive Sentences
b. Interrogative Sentences
6.4.3 Reporting exclamatory sentences

6.5.0 Phrasal-Transitive Verbs
6.5.1 Phrasal verbs
6.5.2 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)
6.5.3 Three-W ord Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)
6.6 Phrasal-Intransitive Verbs
6.6.1 Intransitive Phrasal Verbs
6.8 Summary
6.9 Keywords
6.1 Learning Objectives:
• To make the stude nts to choose words with gre ater pre cision
• To acquaint the stude nts with the spe cialist vocabulary associated with
communication and lite rary area.
• To make the stude nts le arn to communicate knowledge and ide as in appropriate
way.
• To inculcate among the stude nt’s skill to ide ntify words and/or phrase s re lated to
the topic.
• This part will he lp you to analyze se ntences structurally and functionally for the
practical usage. -To give valuable knowledge of narration and phrasal ve rbs to
stude nts.

6.2 Introduction:
Vocabulary, or word me aning, is one of the ke ys to compre he nsion. Stude nt's

de ve lop vocabulary indire ctly through re ading, liste ning, and spe aking. Stude nts’
background knowle dge and prior e xpe rie nce s play a large role in vocabulary
de ve lopme nt. The y build conne ctions be twe e n known words and unknown words
and de ve lop a de e pe r unde rstanding of the ir re ading. Along with the knowle dge of
corre ct grammar, it is important to know its corre ct practical use . In this part, you
will study se ntence s in large r conte xt for social as we ll as acade mic purpose s. You
will le arn to construct and synthesize the sentences. You will also le arn to transform
the se nte nce s without changing the ir me aning.
In this unit, vocabulary e xercises are provide d. The se e xercise s e ncourage stude nts
to figure out the me aning of unfamiliar words and e xpre ssions from conte xt. The
purpose of re ading the prose , “On Saying Ple ase” is to pose one or more que stions for
stude nts to consider as the y re ad the pie ce, giving the m some aspe ct, fe ature, or idea
on which to focus the ir atte ntion. Stude nts will be re fe rre d back to the se que stions
afte r the y re ad and discuss the pie ce to confirm the ir unde rstanding. Expansion
que stions are inte rpre tive and re quire a critical thinking. The se que stions le nd
the mselves to various interpre tations, and allow stude nts to conne ct the ir pe rsonal
e xpe riences to the lite rature. The que stions in this se ction de al with issue s of value s
clarification, re quiring stude nts to re flect on the ir pe rsonal value s as the se re late to
the unit the me s.
6.3.0 Reported Speech
6.3.1 Narration (Direct and Indirect speech)
Whe n we want to re port a conve rsation to some one who was abse nt at the time of
actual conve rsation, we can do it by two ways.
i) Quoting of the actual spe e ch of the spe ake r is calle d Dire ct Spe e ch.

ii) Re porting the spe e ch of the spe ake r into one ’s own words is calle d Indire ct or
Re porte d Spe e ch. For Example : Le e na said, I am he lping my mothe r now.”
(Dire ct Spe e ch) Le e na said that she was he lping he r the n. (Indire ct Spe e ch) The
dire ct spe e ch is marked with double inverted commas. He re ‘said’ is calle d principle
or re porting ve rb. The re are some change s made while changing the dire ct spe e ch
into indire ct spe e ch. Rule s of changing the Dire ct Spe e ch to Indire ct /Re porte d
Spe e ch.
i) Re move the double inverted commas and use the conjunction ‘that’ afte r the
re porting ve rb.
ii) If the re porting ve rb is in the past te nse the n change the whole spe e ch into the
past te nse. But if the re porting ve rb is in the pre se nt te nse the n do not change the
te nse.
For Example :
a) She said, “I like shopping.” (Re porting ve rb ‘said’ is in past te nse. Dire ct spe ech –
simple pre sent te nse) She said that she liked shopping. (Dire ct spe ech changes to
simple past te nse)
b) she says, “I like shopping.” (Re porting ve rb ‘says’ is in pre sent te nse. Dire ct spe ech
- simple pre sent te nse) She says that she likes shopping.
Note- The changes in the tense of the direct speech in other cases.
c. I am going to the mall” said Vishal. (Pre sent continuous te nse)
Vishal said that he was going to the mall. (Past continuous te nse)
d) The te acher said, ‘Radha’ has passe d with good grade s.”(Pre sent pe rfe ct te nse)
The te acher told that Radha had passe d with good grade s. (Past pe rfe ct te nse)
Art of reporting the words of a speaker is called Narration. There are two main
ways of reporting the words of a speaker.

a. Direct Speech
b. Indirect Speech
6.3.2 Direct Speech- In this form, the actual words of the spe aker are put in quote s
“”.
Ex: -
Rama said,” I am ve ry busy now.”
In the above e xample the Spe aker i.e
Rama is known as Re porte r,
said is known as Re porting ve rb and
“I am ve ry busy now.” is known as Re porte d Spe e ch.
6.3.3 Indirect Speech
In this form, the actual words of the spe aker are transformed and said/written in a
simple manner.
Ex: Rama said that he was ve ry busy the n. Basic rule s to conve rt a Dire ct Spe e ch to
Indire ct Spe e ch. There are five basic things that have to be changed while converting
a Dire ct spe e ch to an Indire ct spe ech. To change the re porting ve rb according to the
re porte d spe e ch. To re move the inverted comma ’s from the dire ct spe ech and re place
the m with an appropriate conjunction. To change the pronoun of re porte d spe e ch
accordingly.
6.3.4 Change the adverbs of the Direct Speech.
Active - Rajiv said to me ,” I shall go to the picture today”
Passive - Rajiv told me that he would go to the picture that day.
In the above e xample-
Re porting ve rb said to is change d into told. Inve rte d Commas are re place d by the
conjunction that Re porte d spe e ch’s pronoun I is change d into He .

Re porte d spe e ch’s ve rb shall go is changed into would go. As anothe r change today is
change d with the word that day.
6.3.5 Rules of change of Pronouns:
NominativePossessive Objective Reflexive
I My Me M yself
We Our Us Ourselves
You Yours You Yourself
He His Him Himself
She Her Her Herself
They Their Them Themselves
Pronouns are changed according to a rule de signated as SON whe re
S stands for Subject
O stands for Object
N stands for No change.
First pe rson changes to subje ct of Re porting Ve rb
Se cond pe rson changes to Obje ct of Re porting Ve rb
The re is no change if it is a Third pe rson.
Rule No 1.
1st Pe rson pronoun of Re porte d spe e ch is changed according to the Subje ct of

Re porting ve rb.
Dire ct: She says, “I am in te nth class.
Indire ct: She says that she is in te nth class.
Dire ct: I say, “I am an hone st man.”

Indire ct: I say that I am an hone st man.
Rule No 2.- 2nd Pe rson pronoun of Re porte d spe e ch is changed according to Obje ct
of Re porting ve rb.
Dire ct: She says to me , “you have done your work”
Indire ct: She te lls me that I have done my work.
Dire ct: She says to he r, “You have done your work”
Indire ct: She te lls he r that she has done he r work.
Dire ct: I say to the m, “you have done your work.”
Indire ct: I te ll the m that the y have done the ir work.
Rule No 3- 3rd Pe rson Pronoun of Re porte d spe e ch is not changed.
Dire ct: He says, “He doe s not work hard”
Indire ct: He says that he doe s not work hard.
Dire ct: Eve rybody says, “The y have spoke n the truth”
Indire ct: Eve rybody says that the y have spoke n the truth
6.4 Rules for Speech
6.4.1 Rules of change of verb or Tense
Rule No.1
If reporting verb is given in Present or Future tense then there will be no

change in the verb or tense of Reported speech.
Dire ct: The teacher says, “Gayatri pe rforms on the stage”
Indire ct: The te acher says that Gayatri pe rforms on the stage .
Dire ct: The teacher is saying, “Gayatri pe rforms on the stage ”
Indire ct: The te acher is saying that Gayatri pe rforms on the stage .

Dire ct: The teacher will say, “Gayatri is pe rforming on the stage ”
Indire ct: The te acher will say that Gayatri is pe rforming on the stage .
Rule No.2
If re porting ve rb is given in Past te nse the n the te nse of the ve rb of Re porte d Spe e ch
will change into corre sponding Past te nse.
Dire ct: The teacher said, “I am suffe ring from fe ver.”
Indire ct: The te acher said that she was suffe ring from fe ver.
Dire ct: She said to me , “I took the bre akfast in the morning”.
Indire ct: She told me that she had take n the bre akfast in the morning.
-- Corre sponding Changes to past form in an indire ct spe ech from the ve rb in
Re porte d spe e ch.
Simple pre sent changes to Simple Past
Pre sent Continuous changes to Past Continuous
Pre sent Pe rfect changes to Past Pe rfe ct
Pre sent Pe rfect Continuous changes to Past Pe rfe ct Continuous
Simple Past changes to Past Pe rfe ct
Past Continuous changes to Past Pe rfe ct Continuous
In Future Te nse will/Shall changes to would
Can changes to Could
May changes to Might
Some of the exceptional cases of Rule 2
Exception 1:

If Re porting spe e ch has Universal Truth or Habitual fact the n the re is no change in
the Te nse.
Dire ct: Our te acher said, “The e arth is round”
Indire ct: Our te acher said that the e arth is round. (Universal Truth)
Dire ct: Rajiv said to me , “He plays with right hand”
Indire ct: Rajiv told me that he plays with the right hand. (Habitual fact)
Exception 2:
If re porting spe ech has Past Historical Fact the n the re is no change in the Te nse.
Dire ct: Our te acher said, “Asoka le ft war afte r the conque st of Kalinga”.
Indire ct: Our te acher said that Asoka le ft war afte r the conque st of Kalinga.
Exception 3:
If Re porting spe e ch has two actions to be happe ning at a time when there is no
change in the Te nse.
Dire ct: She said “My wife was making lunch whe n I was studying”
Indire ct: She said that he r wife was making lunch whe n she was studying.
Exception 4:
If Re porting spe e ch has some Imagined Condition the n the re is no change in the
Te nse.
Dire ct: She said, “If I we re rich, I would he lp hi m.”
Indire ct: She said that if she we re rich, she would he lp he r.
Exception 5:
If Re porting spe e ch contains had 3rd form, to-infinitive and would, could, should,
must, might, ought to e tc. the n the re is no change in the Te nse.
Dire ct: She said to me , “You should obe y your e lde rs.”

Indire ct: She told me that I should obe y my e lde rs.
Some othe r small changes that use d to take place while changing Dire ct Spe ech to
Indire ct Spe e ch.
Here Changes to There
Now Changes to Then
This Changes to That
These Changes to Those
Today Changes to That day
To-night Changes to That night
Yesterday Changes to the previous day
Last night Changes to the previous night
Last week Changes to the previous week
Tomorrow Changes to the next day
Next W eek Changes to the following week
Ago Changes to Before
Thus, Changes to so
Hence Changes to Thence
Hither Changes to Thither
Come Changes to Go
Note- in indire ct spe e ch we talk about such incide nts that are afte r the time of
re porting and had happe ne d away from the place of re porting the re fore the words
that show ne arne ss has to be re place d by the words that show distance .
Some e xce ption in the se change s-

1.Come is changed to go if the re is some word given afte r come that shows ne arness.
2. If this, he re and now points to such a thing, place or time that is in front of the
spe ake r the n no change take s place in Indire ct Narration.
6.4.2 Rules for Change in Narration of different type of sentences
a. Assertive Sentences
Rule 1-
If the re is no obje ct afte r Re porting ve rb the re it should not be change d.
If the re is some obje ct afte r Re porting ve rb the n say is change d to te ll, says to te lls
and said to told.
According to the conte xt said to can be re place d by re plie d, informe d, state d, adde d,
re marke d, asse rte d, assure d, ple ade d, re minde d, re porte d or complaine d e tc.
Rule 2
Put conjunction that in place of “ ”.Change the pronouns of the Re porte d spe e ch a s
e nliste d e arlie r.
Examples showing some Assertive Sentences Changed into Indirect form.
Dire ct: She said to me , “I shall sle e p now”
Indire ct: She told me that she would play the n.
Dire ct: He said, “My brothe r’s marriage come s off ne xt month.”
Indire ct: He said that his brothe r’s marriage would come off the following month.
b. - Interrogative Sentences
Rule 1
An inte rrogative se nte nce is me ant to ask que stions, the re fore , Re porting ve rb
said/said to is change d to aske d.
Said to can also be change d into e nquire d or de mande d

Rule 2
If que stion is forme d with the he lp of any of the he lping ve rbs like is/are /am,
was/we re , has/have , do/doe s, will/would e tc the n “ __” are to be re place d by if or
whe the r
If the que stion is forme d with the he lp of words starting with “Wh ‘ like who, whose ,
what, whom, whe n e tc (also known as W family) or How the n to re place “___” no
conjunction is use d.
Rule 3
In the se se ntences que stion form of the se nte nce is re move d and full-stop is put at
the e nd of the se nte nce .
He lping ve rb is /are /am, was/we re e tc should be put afte r the subje ct.
If the inte rrogative se ntence is e xpre ssing positive fe eling the n do/doe s of the Dire ct
spe e ch is re move d while conve rting it into Indire ct spe e ch.
If the inte rrogative se ntence is e xpre ssing ne gative fe eling the n do/doe s of the Dire ct
spe e ch is change d into did while conve rting it into Indire ct spe e ch.
Did or has/have the inte rrogative se nte nce is change d to had.
Rule 4
Pronouns and ve rbs are change d according to the se t rule of Narration. 4. Modals:
c. Modal ve rbs like shall, will, can, may change in re porte d spe e ch. Le t’s follow some
e xample s:
Dire ct: John said, “I will be the re .”
Indire ct: John promise d that he would be the re .
Dire ct: The boy said, “May I come in?”
Indire ct: The boy asked if he could come in. (note : may be come could whe n it implies
pe rmission)

Dire ct: “I may not call you.” Said Bobby.
Indire ct: Bobby said that she might not call me .
Dire ct: “I shall practice more .” said Barbara.
Indire ct: Barbara said that she would practice more .
Dire ct: Jose ph said, “Shall I buy the car?”
Indire ct: Jose ph aske d if he should buy the car.
Note : shall be come should if it implie s a que stion.
6.4.3 Reporting exclamatory sentences:
To change dire ct e xclamatory spe e che s to the indire ct one we ne e d to re place

inte rje ction (hurrah, wow, alas, oh, e tc.) with joining clause ‘that’ and the
e xclamatory wh-words (what, how) will be re place d by ‘ve ry’ be fore the adje ctive in
the re porte d clause .
Examples:
Dire ct: Clare said, “Hurrah! Barce lona won the match!”
Indire ct: Clare e xclaime d with joy that Barce lona had won the match.
Dire ct: I said, “Alas! My pe t die d.”
Indire ct: I e xclaimed with grie f that my pe t had die d. We will use ‘to’ as joining clause
be fore the re porte d command or re que st, and the re porte d ve rb will be change d
according to the moods of the se nte nce (e .g., orde re d, re que ste d, urge d, advise d,
forbade or be gge d)
Example:
Dire ct: The man said, “Ple ase , bring me a chair.”
Indire ct: The man re que ste d to bring him a chair.
Dire ct: The office r said, “Fall back!”

Indire ct: The officer orde re d to fall back.
Dire ct: Mothe r said, “Liste n to your e lde rs.”
Indire ct: Mothe r advised me to liste n to my e lde rs.
Dire ct: Mr. Murphy said, “Do not go ne ar the house.”
Indire ct: Mr. Murphy forbade going ne ar the house .
6.5.0 Phrasal-Transitive Verbs:
6.5.1 Phrasal verbs-
Phrasal ve rbs are forme d by adding particles with ve rbs. This particle which is adde d
is e ithe r a pre position or an adve rb. But the whole phrasal ve rb has one de fi nite
me aning. Change of particle adde d le ads to change in the me aning of the phrasal
ve rb. It is ve ry important to note that phrasal ve rbs have comple te ly diffe re nt
me anings from the parts of which the y are made of. Now some of the important
phrasal ve rbs are give n for you to le arn. You should pay spe cial atte ntion to the ir
me anings and you are not to be misguide d
by the me aning of particle adde d to the ve rb. You should try to use the m English can
be use d in both formal or polite way and informal, familiar or colloquial manne r.
Those who le arn English in the classroom and not e xpose d amply to outside the
classroom, may not have acce ss to its colloquial varie ty. A phrasal ve rb is
combination of a standard ve rb (e spe cially native) like ‘go’ or ‘look’ and a pre position
or an adve rb which are calle d particle s. This combination forms a ne w ve rb with
totally diffe re nt me aning. For e xample ,
a. She put a box on the table .
b. She put out a candle .
In the se ntence (b) put out me ans ‘stop something from burning’. In the se nte nce (a)
put has its common me aning ‘ke e p’.

Phrasal ve rbs are important be cause the y are e xtre me ly common in colloquial
English. If you are not familiar with the m, you will find informal English difficult to
unde rstand. A good dictionary has the e ntrie s of the phrasal ve rbs. If you want to
master phrasal ve rbs and conse que ntly English, de ve lop a habit to look for phrasal
ve rbs. The re are thre e type s of phrasal ve rbs:
1. Phrasal ve rbs (intransitive) that do not take an obje ct:
blow in: My brothe r ble w in une xpe ctedly with his family. (visit une xpectedly)
come along: If you want, you can come along. (accompany)
2. Phrasal ve rbs (transitive) with an Obje ct:
hand back: Will she hand back my book? (re turn)
pick out: Sunita picked out a live ly suit. (choose)
3. Phrasal ve rbs with two particle s: stand up for: Eve rybody must stand up for
the truth. (de fe nd) put up with: Nobody should put up with injustice. (tole rate )
English can be use d in both formal or polite way and informal, familiar or
colloquial manner. Those who le arn English in the classroom and not e xpose d
amply to outside the classroom, may not have access to its colloquial variety. A
phrasal ve rb is combination of a standard ve rb (e spe cially native ) like ‘go’ or
‘look’ and a pre position or an adve rb which are calle d particle s. This
combination forms a ne w ve rb with totally diffe re nt me aning. For e xample ,
You have to do this paint job ove r.
You have to do ove r this paint job.
Whe n the obje ct of the following phrasal ve rbs is a pronoun, the two parts of the
phrasal ve rb must be se parated:
You have to do it ove r.

Verb Meaning Example
Blow Up Explode The terrorists tried to blow up the railroad station.
Bring up Mention a topic My mother brought up that little matter of my prison record Again.
Bring up Raise children It isn't easy to bring up children nowadays.
Call Off Cancel They called off this afternoon's meeting
Do Over Repeat a job Do this homework over.
Fill Out Complete a form Fill out this application form and mail it in.
Fill up Fill to Capacity She filled up the grocery cart with free food.
Find out Discover My sister found out that her husband had been
planning something.
Give Away Give something to The filling station was giving away free gas.
someone else for free
Give back Return an object My brother borrowed my car. I think he's not about to give it Back.
Hand in Submit something The students handed in their papers and left the room.
(Assignment)
Hang up Put something on She hung up the phone before she hung up her clothes.
hook or receiver
Hold up Delay I hate to hold up the meeting, but I have to go to the
bathroom.
Hold up (2) Rob Three masked gunmen held up the Security Bank this afternoon.
Leave out Omit You left out the part about the police chase down Asylum Avenue.
Look over Examine, Check, the lawyers looked over the papers carefully before
questioning the witness. (They looked them over carefully.)

Look up Search in a list You've misspelled this word again. You'd better look it up.
Make up Invent a story or lie She knew she was in trouble, so she made up a story about going to the
movies with her friends.
Make out Hear, Understand He was so far away, we really couldn't make out what he was saying.
Pick out Choose There were three men in the line-up. She picked out the guy she
thought had stolen her purse.
Pick up Lift something off The crane picked up the entire house. (Watch them pick it up.)
something else
Point out Call attention to As we drove through Paris, Francoise pointed out the major
historical sites.
Put away Save or Store We put away money for our retirement. She put away the cereal
boxes.
Put off Postpone We asked the boss to put off the meeting until tomorrow. (Please
put it off for another day.)
Put on Put clothing on the I put on a sweater and a jacket. (I put them on quickly.)
body
Put out Extinguish The firefighters put out the house fire before it could spread. (They
put it out quickly.)
Read over Peruse I read over the homework, but couldn't make any sense of it.
Set up To arrange, begin My wife set up the living room exactly the way she wanted it. She
set it up.
Take down Make a written note These are your instructions. Write them down before you forget.
Take off Remove clothing It was so hot that I had to take off my shirt.
Talk over Discuss We have serious problems here. Let's talk them over like adults.

Throw away Discard That's a lot of money! Don't just throw it away.
Try on Put clothing on to see She tried on fifteen dresses before she found one, she liked.
if it fits,
Try out Test I tried out four cars before I could find one that pleased me.
Turn down Lower volume Your radio is driving me crazy! Please turn it down.
Turn down (2) Reject He applied for a promotion twice this year, but he was turned
down both times.
Turn up Raise the volume Grandpa couldn't hear, so he turned up his hearing aid.
Turn off Switch off electricity We turned off the lights before anyone could see us.
Turn off (2) Repulse It was a disgusting movie. It really turned me off.
Turn on Switch on the Turn on the CD player so we can dance.
electricity
Use up Exhaust, use The gang members used up all the money and went out to rob some
completely more banks.
6.5.2 Inseparable Phrasal Verbs (Transitive) - With the following phrasal ve rbs, the
le xical part of the ve rb (the part of the phrasal ve rb that carries the "ve rb-meaning")
cannot be se parated from the pre positions (or othe r parts) that accompany it: "Who
will look afte r my e state whe n I'm gone ?"
Verb M eaning Example
Call on Ask to re cite in class The te acher called on stude nts in the
back row.
Call on (2) Visit The old minister continued to call on his
sick parishioners.

Ge t ove r Re cover from sickness I got ove r the flu, but I don't know if I'll
or disappointment e ver ge t ove r my broke n he art
Go ove r Re view The stude nts we nt ove r the material be fore
the e xam. They should have gone ove r it twice .
Go through Use up; consume The y country we nt through most of its coal
re serves in one ye ar. Did he go through all his
mone y already?
Look afte r Take care of My mothe r promised to look afte r my dog while
I was gone .
Look into Inve stigate The police will look into the possibilities of
e mbe zzlement.
Run across Find by chance I ran across my old roommate at the colle ge
re union.
Run into Me et Carlos ran into his English profe ssor in the
hallway.
Take after Re se mble My se cond son se ems to take afte r his mother.
Wait on Se rve It se emed strange to se e my old boss wait on
table s.
6.5.3 Three-W ord Phrasal Verbs (Transitive)- With the following phrasal ve rbs, you
will find thre e parts: "My brothe r droppe d out of school be fore he could graduate ."
Verb Meaning Example
Break in on Interrupt (a conversation) I was talking to Mom on the phone when
the operator broke in on our call.

Catch up with Keep abreast After our month-long trip, it was time to
catch up with the neighbours and the news
around town.
Check up on Examine, Investigate Boys promised to check up on the condition of
the summer house from time to time.
Come up with To contribute After years of giving nothing, the old parishioner
(suggestion, money) was able to come up with a thousand-dollar
donation.
Cut down on Curtail (expenses) We tried to cut down on the money we were
spending on entertainment.
Drop out of Leave school I hope none of my students drop out of school
this semester.
Get along with Have a good relationship I found it very hard to get along with my brother
with when we were young.
Get away with Escape blame Man cheated on the exam and then tried to get
away with it.
Get rid of Eliminate The citizens tried to get rid of their corrupt
mayor in the recent election.
Get through with Finish When will you ever get through with that program?
Keep up with Maintain pace with It's hard to keep up with the Joneses when you lose
your job!
Look forward to Anticipate with pleasure I always look forward to the beginning of new.
Look down on Despise It's typical of a jingoistic country that the

citizens look down on their geographical

neighbours.
Look in on Visit (somebody) We were going to look in on my brother-in-law, but
he wasn't home.
Look out for Be careful, anticipate Good instructors will look out for early signs of
failure in their students
Look up to Respect First-graders really look up to their teachers.
Make sure of Verify Make sure of the student's identity before you
let him into the classroom.
Put up with Tolerate The teacher had to put up with a great deal of
nonsense from the new students.
Run out of Exhaust supply The runners ran out of energy before the end of the
race.
Take care of Be responsible for My oldest sister took care of us younger

children after Mom died.
Talk back to Answer impolitely The star player talked back to the coach and
was thrown off the team.
Think back on Recall I often think back on my childhood with great
pleasure.
Walk out on Abandon Her husband walked out on her and their three
children.
6.6 Phrasal-Intransitive Verbs:
6.6.1 Intransitive Phrasal Verbs - The following phrasal ve rbs are not followe d by
an obje ct: "Once you le ave home, you can ne ver re ally go back again."

Verb M eaning Example
Bre ak down Stop That old je ep had a te nde ncy to bre ak down
functioning just whe n i ne ede d it the most.
Catch on Be come Songs se em to catch on in California first and

popular the n spre ad e astward.
Come back Re turn to a Fathe r promised that we would ne ver come

place back to this horrible place .
Come in Ente r The y tried to come in through the back door,

but it was locke d.
Come to Re gain He was hit on the he ad ve ry hard, but afte r

consciousness se veral minutes, he started to come to again.
Come ove r To visit The childre n promised to come over, but the y
ne ver do.
Drop by Visit without We use d to just drop by, but the y we re never
appointme nt home , so we stoppe d doing that.
Eat out Dine in a Whe n we visited Paris, we love d e ating out in

re staurant the side walk cafes.
Ge t by Survive Uncle He ine didn't have much money, but he

always se emed to ge t by without borrowing
mone y from re latives.
Ge t up Arise Grandmothe r trie d to ge t up, but the couch was

too low, and she couldn't make it on he r own.
Go back Re turn to a It's hard to imagine that we will e ver go back to

place Lithuania.
Go on Continue He would finish one dickens novel and the n

just go on to the ne xt.
Go on (2) Happe n The cops he ard all the noise and stoppe d to se e
what was going on.
Grow up Ge t olde r Charle s gre w up to be a lot like his father.
Ke e p away Re main at a The judge warne d the stalker to keep away from
distance his victim's home.
Ke e p on Continue with He trie d to keep on singing long afte r his voice

(with ge rund) the same was ruine d
Pass out Lose He had drunk too much; he passe d out on the
consciousness, side walk outside the bar.
faint
Show off De monstrate Whe never he sat down at the piano, we kne w
haughtily he was going to show off.
Show up arrive Day afte r day, Efrain showe d up for class

twe nty minutes late .
Wake up Arouse from I woke up whe n the rooste r crowe d

sle ep
Some Othe r Ve rbs are as Follows:
Blow up: e xplode bring in: Yie ld as the re sult of

sale .
blow out: e xtinguish
bre ak down: De molish; collapse; fall. bring up: Educate or re ar.
bre ak out: Appe ar sudde nly. call for: de mand
bre ak into: Ente r by force . call forth: e voke
bre ak up: Dissolve . call off: dive rt; distract
call on: visit

bring about: Cause .

call up: re colle ct fall out: quarre l
carry on: manage fall upon: attack
carry out: e xe cute fall through: fail
cast off: discard ge t at: obtain
cast out: e xpe l ge t back: re cove r
come about: occur ge t down: de sce nd
come across: meet with accide ntally ge t on: advance ; make
come by: acquire progre ss
ge t on with: live agre e ably

come of: issue from
with
come upon: e ncounte r
ge t ove r: surmount
cry out against: complain loudly
ge t through: pass
against
ge t up: rise
cry up: e xtol praise
give away: distribute
cut down: re duce
cut off: kill, de stroy give in: submit; yie ld
give up: abandon; surre nder

cut out for: fitte d for
do away with: abolish go afte r: pursue
go forward: proce e d
drawback: re ce de
draw up: compile; arrange go on: continue
fall back: re tre at go through: e xamine
fall back upon: have re course to hold back: ke e p back; conce al
some he lp hold on: continue
fall in with: concur with holding

hold out: e ndure lay out: inve st
hold up: support, sustain look afte r: de posit
ke e p back: conce al look afte r: take care of
ke e p from: re frain from look known upon: de spise
ke e p unde r: control look for: se ar for
ke e p up: maintain turn on: switch on
lay by: save for future use turn out: e xpe l
lay down: surre nde r turn up: arrive
6.7 Check Your Progress-
1.Fill in the blanks with appropriate phrasal verbs.
Complete with one of these phrasal verbs: be through, go on, fill in, take off,
stay
out, speak up.
1. Could you ………. this application form, ple ase?
2. I´ll ne ver talk to you again. We …!
3. If you don´t ………., we can´t he ar you.
4. I´m tire d be cause I ………. too late last night.
5. The plane ………. late be cause of the bad we ather.
2. Complete with one of these phrasal verbs: go off, put off, see off, take off,
turn off.
1. Le t´s go to the airport to ………. the m ……….
2. The plane doe sn´t ………. till 5 o´clock.
3. He was sleeping soundly whe n the alarm clock ……….

4. The meeting has be e n ………. till ne xt month.
5. Don´t forge t to ………. all the lights whe n you le ave.
3. Complete with: carry on, get on, hold on, put on, try on.
1. Hi! Is Mr. Knight in?
………., I´ll call him.
2. Excuse me , could I ………. this dre ss, ple ase?
3. How are you ………. at colle ge?
4. Are you still ………. with your te nnis le ssons?
5. It was a bit chilly, so she ………. he r jacket.
4. Complete with: give up, hang up, look up, wake up, wash up.
1. The kind of house work I hate most is ……….
2. If he rings back, just ……….
3. I didn´t know that word, so I ………. it ………. in a dictionary.
4. Don´t ……… You can do it if you try hard.
5. Whe n I ………. in the middle of the night, I had some te mpe rature.
5. M atch the phrasal verbs with their corresponding synonyms.
1. put off a. cancel
2. call off b. switch off
3. look up c. postpone
4. go off d. continue
5. carry on e . e xplode
6. turn off f. che ck1. I said to him, “Will you go to De lhi?”
2.change appropriate direct speech into indirect speech.

1. I said to him, “W ill you go to Delhi?
(1) I asked him will he go to De lhi.
(2) I said to him would he go to De lhi.
(3) I asked him if he would go to De lhi.
(4) I said to him would you go to De lhi.
2. He said, ‘I have read this novel.’
(1) He said that he has re ad this nove l.
(2) He said that he had re ad that nove l.
(3) He said that he re ad that nove l.
(4) He said that he had re ad this nove l.
3. Tania said to her friend, ’Can you lend me an umbrella?’
(1) Ple ase give me an umbre lla Tania re quested he r frie nd.
(2) Will you le nd me your umbre lla; Tania asked he r frie nd.
(3) Tania re quested he r frie nd to le nd he r an umbre lla
(4) Tania asked he r frie nd to give he r an umbre lla.
4. Sita said, ‘I may go there.’
(1) Sita says that she may go the re .
(2) Sita says that she Is going the re.
(3) Sita said that she will go the re.
(4) Sita said that she might go the re .
5. M y friend requested me to bring him a sandwich.
(1) He said, ‘My frie nd, ple ase bring me a sandwich.’
(2) My frie nd said, ‘Will you bring me a sandwich.’

(3) ‘Ple ase bring me a sandwich’, said my frie nd.
(4) ‘Ple ase bring my frie nd a sandwich’, said he .
6. He said, ‘If I had the tools, I could mend the car.’
(1) He said that if he had the tools, he could me nd the car.
(2) He te lls that he had the tools he could me nd the car.
(3) He said I could me nd the car if I have the tools.
(4) He told he could me nd the car.
7. She said to the children, ‘You mustn’t play with fire.
(1) She told the childre n the y we re not to play with fire .
(2) She told the childre n that the y mustn’t play with fire .
(3) She told the childre n not to play with fire .
(4) She told the childre n the y are not to play with fire .
8. Everybody says, ‘How well she sings!’
(1) Eve rybody comments that she sings we ll.
(2) Eve rybody says how we ll she sings.
(3) Eve rybody te lls that she sang ve ry we ll.
(4) Eve rybody says that she sang we ll.
9. He says that he is very sorry.
(1) He said, ‘He was ve ry sorry’.
(2) He says, ‘I am ve ry sorry’.
(3) He said, ‘He is ve ry sorry’.
(4) He told me . ‘I fe lt sorry’.

10. Daman says, ‘Priya is working in Ahmedabad.’
(1 Daman say that Priya was working in Ahmedabad.
(2 Daman said that Priya was working in Ahmedabad.
(3) Daman said that Priya works in Ahmedabad.
(4) Daman says that Priya is working in Ahme dabad.
11. Anne said. ‘It is time to leave for the meeting.’
(1) Anne said that it was time to le ave for the me eting.
(2) Anne told that it is time to le ave for the me eting.
(3) Anne said its time to le ave for the me eting.
(4) Anne said that it was time for the meeting.
12. The old man said that he would soon be leaving the world.
(1) The old man said, “I shall soon be le aving the world.”
(2) The old man said. “I am soon le aving the world.”
(3) The old man said, “I would soon le ave the world.”
(4) The old man said, “I am going to le ave the world soon.”
6.8 Summary –
The re are three de grees of comparison-positive, comparative and supe rlative .Paire d
conjunctions can be use d to join two se nte nce s without changing the me aning
De pe nding on the point of vie w of pre se ntation of the se ntence, There are two voice s:
Active, and Passive There are thre e te nse s in English grammar: Pre se nt, Past, and
Future . The y are furthe r divide d into simple , continuous, pe rfe ct and pe rfe ct
continuous. Spe e ch can be re porte d in two ways: Dire ct, and Indire ct.
Phrasal ve rbs are important be cause the y are e xtre me ly common in colloquial
English. If you are not familiar with the m, you will find informal English difficult to

unde rstand. A good dictionary has the e ntrie s of the phrasal ve rbs. If you want to
maste r phrasal ve rbs and conse que ntly English de ve lop a habit to look for phrasal
ve rbs. The re are numbe r of phrasal ve rbs which is ve ry use ful to make appropriate
se nte nce s.
Reported Speech-
i) Re move the double inve rte d commas and use the conjunction ‘that’ afte r the
re porting ve rb.
ii) If the re porting ve rb is in the past te nse the n change the whole spe e ch into the
past te nse. But if the re porting ve rb is in the pre se nt te nse the n do not change the
te nse .
For Example :
a) She said, “I like shopping.” (Re porting ve rb ‘said’ is in past te nse . Dire ct spe e ch –
simple pre sent te nse ) She said that she like d shopping. (Dire ct spe e ch change s to
simple past te nse )
b) she says, “I like shopping.” (Re porting ve rb ‘says’ is in pre sent te nse. Dire ct spe ech
- simple pre se nt te nse ) She says that she like s shopping.
Note- The changes in the tense of the direct speech in other cases.
sentence)
She e nquire d whe the r she can come to my house .
b) The judge said to the accuse d, answe r the que stion.”(Impe rative se nte nce )
The judge commande d the accuse d to answe r the que stion.
c) She said, ‘How ge ne rous of me to he lp me !” (Exclamatory se nte nce )
She e xclaime d that it was ve ry ge ne rous of him to he lp he r.
d)”do not do it again ple ase . ”She told him. (Re que st)
She be gge d him not to do that again.

10) He is a be tte r baske tball playe r than e ve ryone e lse in the
te am. (Change the de gre e to supe rlative )
11) Te ache r announce d, "I have corre cte d all the answe r
she e ts." (Change to indire ct spe e ch)
6.9 Keywords-
 Quoting of the actual spe e ch of the spe ake r is calle d Dire ct Spe e ch.
 Re porting the spe e ch of the spe ake r into one ’s own words is calle d Indire ct or
Re porte d Spe e ch. For Example : Le e na said, I am he lping my mothe r now.”
 Re move the double inve rte d commas and use the conjunction ‘that’ afte r the
re porting ve rb.
 If the re porting ve rb is in the past te nse the n change the whole spe ech into the
past te nse .
 . A good dictionary has the e ntrie s of the phrasal ve rbs.
 If you want to master phrasal ve rbs and consequently English, de velop a habit
to look for phrasal ve rbs. –
 Phrasal ve rbs are forme d by adding particles with ve rbs. This particle which is
adde d is e ithe r a pre position or an adve rb.
6.10 Self- Assessment Questions (SAQs):
1. Explain dire ct and indire ct spe e ch?
2. Write down 15 phrasal ve rbs and e xplain it with e xample ?
3. Use dire ct se ntences into indirect spe ech with e xplanation?
Exercise 1- 3. spe ak up
1. fill in 4. staye d out
2. are through 5. take s off / took off

Exercise 2- 4. go off – e xplode
1. se e the m off 5. carry on – continue
2. take off 6. turn off – switch off
3. we nt off
4. put off 2. Answers of direct speech into
5. turn off indirect speech
1. (3) ,2. (2) ,3. (3) ,4. (4), 5. (3), 6.

Exercise 3-
(1),
1. hold on
7. (2) , 8. (1) , 9. (2 ,10. (4),
2. try on
11. (1), 12. (1)
3. ge tting on
4. carrying on
5. put on
.
Exercise 4-
1. washing up
2. hang up
3. looke d it up
4. give up
5. woke up
Exercise 5-
1. put off – postpone
2. call off – cancel
3. look up – che ck

 Ne w Oxford Advanced Le arners Dictionary.

 English Grammar, Composition & Usage : J.C. Ne sfield, Re vised by N.K.
Agarwal
 English Grammar – An outline of Ge ne ral Phonetics; R.K. Bansal; OUP: 1971
 Spoke n English for India; R.K. Bansal and J.B. Harrison; Longman.
 Inte rmediate English Grammar; Raymond Murphy e tc.

Subject: English
Introduction to Comprehension -seen and unseen passages
Structure of Lesson
7.1 Learning Objective
7.2 Introduction
7.4 Unseen Passages
7.5 Seen Passages
7.7 Summary
7.8 Keywords
7.10 Answers to Check Your Progress
• This unit he lps you to unde rstand the conce pt of
compre he nsion.

• It pre se nts the conce pts of ide as, facts, agre e me nt, purpose ,
tone and attitude
• Explain se e n and unse e n passage s
• Give answe rs base d on unse e n passage s
• Give answe rs base d on se e n passage s.
7.2 Introduction
Compre he nsion of an unse e n passage me ans a comple te and thorough

unde rstanding of the passage . The main obje ct of compre he nsion is to te st one ’s
ability to grasp the me aning of a give n passage prope rly and also one ’s ability to
answe r, in one ’s own words, the que stions base d on the passage . A varie ty of
que stions like short answe r type que stions, comple tion of incomple te se nte nce s,
filling the blanks with appropriate words and e xe rcise s base d on vocabulary are se t
forth for the purpose . Be fore atte mpting to answe r the que stions on a passage , it is
ne cessary to re ad the passage again and again so that a ge neral ide a of the subje ct of
the passage be come s cle ar. Once the passage is cle ar, it is e asy to answe r the
answe rs of the que stions.
One should also keep the following points in mind be fore answering the que stions set
on a give n passage :
1. Re ad the passage quickly to have some ge ne ral ide a of the subje ct matte r.
2. Re ad the passage again and unde rline the important points.
3. Re ad the que stions and try to know what has be e n aske d.
4. Re ad the passage again and unde rline the portions whe re the probable answe rs
may be available .
5. Use , as far as possible , your own words to answe r the que stions in a pre cise and
brie f way.

6. Always use comple te se nte nce s while answe ring a que stion.
7. If you are asked to give the meaning of some words or phrase s, try to e xpre ss your
ide a, in your own words, as cle arly as possible .
8. Don’t give your own opinions or comme nts about anything unle ss you are aske d
to do so.
7.4 Unseen Passages
Passage 1
Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions set below:
The re is a story of a woman who thought She had a right to do what she like d. One
day, this ge ntle lady was walking along a busy road, spinning he r walking-stick
round and round in he r hand, and was trying to look important. A man walking
be hind he r’ obje cte d You ought not to spin your walking-stick round and round like
that!” She said. ”I am fre e to do what I like with my walking-stick,” argue d the
ge ntle woman.
‘Of course, you are ,” said the othe r man, “but you ought to k now that your fre e dom
e nds whe re my nose be gins.” The story te lls us that we can e njoy our rights and our
fre e dom only if the y do not inte rfe re with othe r pe ople ’s rights and fre e dom.
Questions-
1. Why was the ge ntle woman on the road moving his walking stick round and
round?
2. Who obje cte d he r?
3. What argume nt did the lady give ?
4. Was the othe r satisfie d with argume nt?
5. What did she say in re ply?

6. Comple te the following state me nts with the corre ct options:
A. The ge ntle woman was walking along a……………………….
(i) lone ly road.
(ii) busy road.
(iii) narrow road.
B. The ge ntle woman was ……………………….
(i) running along the road.
(ii) disturbing othe rs on the road.
(iii) spinning his walking-stick round and round.
C. The man who prote ste d was a……………………….
(i) te ache r.
(ii) passe r-by.
(iii) police man.
7. Write True or False against e ach of the following state me nts:
(a) The ge ntlewoman was spinning the walking-stick round and round in his
hand to drive away the dogs.
(b) The gentlewoman was walking along a busy road.
(c) The man walking be hind praise d he r action.
(d) The gentle woman thought that she had a right to do whate ver she liked.
(e ) We can e njoy our rights and fre e dom e ven if it interferes with othe r pe ople ’s
rights and fre e dom.
8. Give synonyms of the following words:
(a) Spinning

(b) Inte rfere
Answers
1. The ge ntlewoman on the road was moving he r walking stick round and round
be cause she
wante d to look important.
2. A woman walking be hind him obje cte d he r.
3. The ge ntle woman argue d that he was fre e to do what liked with he r walking-stick.
4. No, the othe r woman was not satisfied with his argument.
5. The othe r man said that he ought to know that he r (the ge ntlewoman’s) fre edom
e nds whe re he r (the passer-by’s) nose be gins.
6. A (ii), B. (iii), C. (ii)
7. (a) false , (b) true , (c) false, (d) true , (e ) false .
8. (a) Spinning—Moving (b) Inte rfere—Meddle
Passage 2
On August 15,1947, India was grante d inde pe nde nce from British colonial
dominance. This was an e vent of inte rnational significance . From this day onwards,
the Indian Union assume d a role in world politics that was appropriate e nough to
modify the
thinking of nations. Conce pts like non-alignme nt, tole rance , non-viole nce and
pe ace ful co-e xiste nce we re introduce d by India into the inte rnational vocabula ry.
‘Our dre ams conce rn India'', said the first Prime Ministe r of the country, Pt
Jawaharlal Nehru, on the e ve of achieving fre edom, ''but the y also concern the whole
world, for the world has be come one .'' Mahatma Gandhi chose Ne hru to be come the
first PM of inde pe ndent India. With his vision of unity of the nation, he be came the

archite ct of mode rn India. It was to be a fe de ral state base d on se cularism - the

commitme nt to an Indian ide ntity, which was above all race s, caste s, and
re ligions. It was a vision of e xtraordinary dimensions. Ne hru as we ll as his daughte r

and succe ssor, Indira Gandhi, we re we ll aware that only a firm anchorage in the
Indian ide ntity could unite the nation
and e nable it to make an impact on the world. In the se days of mutual

inte rde pe nde nce , the we ste rn powe rs and Ame rica cannot afford to ignore what is
happe ning in this re gion. It is possible that the fate of the Asian de mocracie s would
one day be de cide d on the banks of the Gange s. If India fails to re main a de mocracy,
this
would trigge r the fall of the whole of South and Southe ast Asia. That is why the
Indian Prime Ministe r has to play a role that goe s we ll be yond dutie s re late d to
inte rnal affairs only. It is of inte rnational political significance .
1) What made Pt. Ne hru the archite ct of mode rn India?
Ans. due to his vision of the unity of the nation.
2) Which concepts have be e n introduced by India into the inte rnational vocabulary?
Ans. non-alignme nt, tole rance , non-viole nce and pe ace ful coe xiste nce
3) Which word in the passage de scribe s the phrase to live toge the r with mutual
tole rance ?
Ans. co-e xiste nce
4) Which word de scribe s the word 'trigge r' use d in the passage ?
Ans. aggravate (Give choice s)
5) Se le ct the word synonymous to Dime nsions
(a) support (b) size (c) importance (d) he ight
Ans.(b)

6) Why doe s the role of the Indian Prime Minister go be yond the dutie s re late d to the
inte rnal affairs of the country?
Ans. be cause the se are the days of mutual inte rde pe nde nce and the fate of Asian
de mocracie s de pe nds upon India.
7) Se le ct the word that is opposite in me aning to dominance use d in the passage
(a) gove rnme nt (b) rule (c) subordination (d) importance
Ans. (c)
8) Give a suitable title to the passage .
Ans. Role of the Indian PM (any othe r title will do)
9) How can India make an impact on the world?
Ans.- a firm anchorage in the Indian ide ntity.
10) How doe s the passage de fine se cularism?
Ans. the commitme nt to an Indian ide ntity which was above all race s, caste s and
re ligions.
Passage 3
W ild Life and Forest Conservation
India plays an important role in wildlife conservation. The love for wildlife is a part of
Indian culture . It is a de nsely populate d country and pe ople have diffe re nt re ligions
with the ir own faith in God. The pe ople think that diffe re nt animals are re late d to
diffe re nt gods, which e nsure the ir conse rvation. The wildlife me ans all organisms
living in the ir natural habitat. The conce rn for wildlife is conce rn for man himse lf.
Be cause all the spe cies are interrelated, for e xample , in an e cosyste m if the numbe r
of a particular spe cie s incre ase s or de cre ase s, whole e cosyste m is disturbe d or
imbalance d. So, in addition to the e conomic importance , the wildlife balance s

population and maintains food chain and natural cycle . The re fore , it he lps to
pre se rve e nvironme nt as a se lf- sustaining syste m.
The wildlife is conse rve d by conse rvation of fore sts and at pre se nt by late st ge ne
te chnologie s. Many programs are he ld today in the fie ld of agriculture , animal
husbandry and fishe ry. Plant bre e de rs are also able to produce high yi e lding and
dise ase re sistant varieties. The ge nes of animal are also store d in the ge ne librarie s.
The cloning is also the re and the re are more chances of cloning in future . Thus, man
has a re sponsibility for conse rvation of wildlife with he lp of In-situ and Ex-situ
conse rvation. In-situ conse rvation is primarily re late d to the natural biodive rsity
within the e volutionary dynamic e cosyste ms of the original habitat or natural
e nvironme nt. It is be st, e asie st, most advantage ous, be side s be ing most fe asible
me thod to conse rve biological dive rsity. In-situ conse rvation include s a
compre hensive system of prote ctive are as. These include National Parks Sanctuaries,
Nature Re se rve s, Cultural Landscape s, Biosphe re re se rve s and se ve ral othe rs.
Ex-situ conse rvation is conservation outside the ir habitats by pe rpe tuating sample
populations in ge netic re source ce nte rs, zoo, botanical garde ns, culture colle ctions
e tc, or in the form of ge ne pools and storage for fish, ge rmplasm banks for se e ds,
polle n, se me n, ova, ce lls e tc.
On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following
questions.
(a) How do the Indian re ligions and culture he lp in the prote ction of wild life ?
(b) How are the diffe re nt spe cies re lated to one anothe r?
(c) What is me ant by in-situ conservation?
(d) What is e x-situ conservation?
(e ) Frame two que stions on the basis of the unde rlined part of the passage.
(f) Find the corre ct options to comple te the given sentences:

(A) Fore sts can he lp in ...
(i) the production of high yie lding and di se ase re straint variety.
(ii) e x-situ conservation.
(iii) in-situ conservation.
(iv) cloning of animals.
(B) Ex-situ conservation me ans ...
(i) conservation of wildlife in natural e nvironment.
(ii) conservation of wildlife outside its natural e nvironment.
(iii) pe rpe tuation of a large numbe r of animals.
(iv) Biosphe re Re serves.
(g) Use the words ‘concern’ and ‘chain’ as ve rbs.
(h) Find words in the passage which me an the opposite of the following: -
(i) de struction (para 1) (ii) prone (para
Answers
(a) The love of wildlife is a part of Indian culture . More over, the pe ople think that
diffe re nt animals are re lated to diffe re nt gods. Thus, Indian re ligions and culture
he lp in the prote ction of wildlife .
(b) Diffe rent spe cies are re lated to one anothe r in an e cosystem. If the numbe r of a
spe cies increases or de cre ases, the whole syste m is disturbe d.
(c) In-situ conservation me ans the conservation of the spe cies within the e cosystems
of the original habitat. It is the be st, e asiest and most advantageous. It is also the
most fe asible method to conserve biological diversity.

(d) Ex-situ conservation is the conservation outside the habitats of the animals. It is
done by pe rpe tuating sample population in ge netic re source centers. Many spe cies
have be en kept alive solely through the se facilities.
(e ) (i) Why is it ne cessary to worry about wildlife ?
(ii) Why is e very spe cies ve ry important?
(f) (A) (i) in-situ conservation.
(B) (ii) conservation of wildlife outside its natural e nvironment.
(g) Conce rn: Drug abuse concerns us all.
Chain: The convict was chained.
(h) (I) conse rvation (ii) re sistant.
Passage 4
An important aspe ct of the growth of mode rn towns and citie s is the incre asing
population de nsity. Mr. J. P. Orr, the Honourable Chairman of the Mumbai
Improve ment Trust, pointe d out in a re cent le cture on the subje ct, how it affe cted the
he alth and prospe rity of the inhabitants. Life in most thriving towns is intimate ly
conne cted with the local trade s and industries. Unhe althy conditions in factories and
workshops, and offe nsive trade s have be e n pre ve nte d in big towns, and this had le d
to be tte r he alth. The que stion of de nsity is more difficult to de al with in India,
be cause, olde r towns have be e n built on diffe rent principle s. Pe ople not only want to
live he althy but also live in communities that give the m gre ate r social conve nie nce ,
comfort and safe ty. The y care for the he alth, comfort and be auty of the town, and
the se conditions of a we ll-built and we ll-arrange d town are still insiste d on by the
pe ople . So as long as individuals obe y
the laws of he alth, and the ir habits and customs are fre e from insanitary e ffe cts,
me re de nsity of population doe s not pe rhaps te nd to incre ase the de ath rate and
harbour dise ase s. But in the pre se nt day, it is appa re nt that the habits of pe ople

have changed gre atly and the y do not obe y the laws of he alth and cle anliness as we ll
as the ir fore fathers use d to do in days whe n cities e xpande d and pe ople flourished. It
is, the re fore , ne ce ssary to modify the old plans of city buildings in the light of
mode rn sanitary laws and
re quire me nts. In this le cture , Mr. Orr spoke mainly of the de nsity of the city of
Mumbai. But his obse rvations are of conside rable inte re st to all
those whose population is huddle d in narrow quarte rs, without ade quate air and
light.
1) The de nsity of population doe s not incre ase the de ath rate and harbour dise ase s
as long as… (Comple te the se nte nce )
Ans. Pe ople obe y the laws of he alth and the ir habits are fre e from
insanitary e ffe cts.
2) Why is it ne ce ssary to modify the old plans of city buildings?
Ans. Be cause the habits of pe ople have gre atly change d and the y do not obe y the
he alth laws.
3) Life in most thriving towns is conne cte d with … (Comple te
the se nte nce )
Ans. local trade and industry.
4) In addition to he alth what do the pe ople want in towns?
Ans. social conve nie nce , comforts and safe ty.
5) What has le d to be tte r he alth in big towns?
Ans. pre ve ntion of unhe althy conditions in factorie s and workshops.
6) What should be ke pt in mind while modifying the old plans of city buildings?
Ans. Mode rn sanitary laws and re quire me nts.

7) The word 'thriving' in the above passage means a) populate d b) mode rn c) growing
d) we ll planne d
Ans. c)
8) Se lect a synonym for 'to huddle ' a) grow b) he ape d toge the r c) scatte r d) sporadic
Ans. b)
9) Se le ct the right antonym for 'to harbour' a) she lte r b) che rish c) banish d)
infe ctious
Ans. b)
10) Which city did Mr. Orr spoke of?
Ans. Mumbai
7.5 Seen Passages
Passage 1.
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions given below:
Among the chie f source s of e ducation available to Tagore , was, a quie t garde n
adjoining his family house . He re he use d to spe nd much of his time , absorbing the
pe ace and be auty of nature . It was through this e arly contact with n ature that he
acquired the se renity of mood that distinguished him all his life . It was in this garden
that he came to unde rstand the principle of harmony that was at work throughout
the Unive rse. At the same time , he forme d the habit of obse rving and re fle cting on
things.
1) How did Tagore spe nd much of his time in the garde n?
Ans. absorbing the pe ace and be auty of nature
2) How did the garde n ne ar Tagore's house serve him?
Ans. as a chief source of e ducation
3) What did Tagore come to unde rstand about uni verse?

Ans. The principle of harmony.
4) Give the antonym of ..
a) ugliness
b) chaos from the passage
Ans. a) be auty b) harmony
5) Give a suitable title
Ans. Tagore A Nature [Answe r can vary
Passage 2
Human inte llige nce is too vast and subtle a phe nome non to be re duce d to a trio of
digits. It’s e ve n hard to say what we me an by smart. The world is full of brilliant
poe ts who can’t balance a che que book, and ge nius physician incapable of driving a
manual-shift car. Unde rstanding social cue s, cre ating works of art and spawning
inve ntions are all crucial me ntal tasks that be ar little re lationship to how we ll a
pe rson can fill a printe d te st form. It’s worth re membe ring too that IQ isn’t quite the
same thing as intelligence. As Ste phen Jay Gould pointe d out in his 1983 book, The
Mis me asure of Man, the me re fact that we can consistently me asure some thing, in
this case , IQ doe sn’t me an that it has any significance or corre sponde nce to any
intuitive, man-on-the street concept. By way of analogy, if we me asure d e ve rybody’s
he ight and divide d it by his or he r we ight, we could come up with a he avine ss
quotie nt–‘HQ’. Afte r ye ars of re se arch, we might find that Europe ans are slimme r
than Chinese, ge t more e xercise or are more robust in some vague , unde fine d way.
Without additional information we couldn’t te ll. Like wise , a pe rson’s me asure d IQ
may re late only indire ctly to a layman’s notion of be ing smart.
Based on your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions as
briefly as
Possible.

(a) Why is it difficult to de fine Smartness?
(b) Give two e xamples from the passage of work which the author calls ‘Crucial
me ntal tasks.
(c) Give in your words Ste phe n Jay’s view about IQ.
(d) How far is a common man’s notion of inte lligence re lated to IQ?
(e ) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) rare fied (ii) de cisive.
Answers-
(a) Smartness is a vague te rm. Some pe ople may be capable of doing gre at things but
incapable of doing things that many common men can e asily do. So, it is ve ry difficult
to de fine smartness.
(b) The two e xamples are :
(i) cre ating works of art (ii) making inventions.
(c) Ste phe n Jay be lieves that IQ is not the same thing as the common man’s concept
of inte lligence.
(d) The common man’s notion of inte lligence is only vaguely related to IQ. The truth
is that the se two things are quite diffe rent from e ach othe r. (e ) (i) subtle (ii) crucial.
Passage 3
The re is only one natural sate llite —the Moon. But the re are many man-made or
artificial sate llite s re volving around the Earth. Aryabhatt, IRS-IB and INSAT-2A are
some Indian artificial satellites. They are more than 300 km away from the Earth. At
this he ight, the Earth’s gravity and atmosphere do not affe ct the m. Artificial satellites
are of many kinds. Of the m, we athe r sate llite s se nd information and picture s of
clouds, storms and oce an curre nts. The y are use d to pre dict the we athe r. This
information is also use d to warn pe ople about storms, floods, fore st fire s, e tc.

Communication sate llite s are use d to transmit te le phone conve rsation and TV
programme s across the Earth. The y are he lpful in se nding me ssage s through fax
machines, using mobile phone s and the internet. Science satellites se nd information
about oute r space . Astronome rs study this data and ge t to know more about things
in space . The se sate llite s are launche d into space by rocke ts. Once be yond the
Earth’s gravity and atmosphe re, the y are se nt circling around the Earth by the force
of anothe r rocke t. The re is nothing in space to obstruct the path or spe e d of the s e
sate llite s. So the y continue to ke e p going around the Earth, just like the Moon.
1. Answe r the following que stions brie fly
(a) How are artificial satellites launched into space ?
(b) Why are artificial satellites kept at a distance of more than 300 km away from the
Earth?
(c) Me ntion any two kinds of artificial satellites.
(d) How is the information sent by communication satellites used?
(e ) Find words from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(i) unnatural (ii) fore cast.
2. Find words/phrase s from the passage which mean the same as the following:
(a) facts/things certainly known (and from which conclusions may be drawn)
(b) se t in motion/space
(c) block up/put something in the way of
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
Passage 1.
Among the chie f source s of e ducation available to Tagore , was, a quie t garde n
adjoining his family house . He re he use d to spe nd much of his time , absorbing the

pe ace and be auty of nature . It was through this e arly contact with nature that he
acquired the se renity of mood that distinguished him all his life . It was in this garden
that he came to unde rstand the principle of harmony that was at work throughout
the Unive rse. At the same time , he forme d the habit of obse rving and re fle cting on
things.
1) How did Tagore spe nd much of his time in the garde n?
2) How did the garde n ne ar Tagore's house serve him?
3) What did Tagore come to unde rstand about universe?
4) Give the antonym of
a) ugliness b) chaos from the passage?
5) Give a suitable title?
Passage -2
On August 15,1947, India was grante d inde pe nde nce from British colonial
dominance. This was an e vent of inte rnational significance . From this day onwards,
the Indian Union assume d a role in world politics that was appropriate e nough to
modify the thinking of nations. Concepts like non-alignment, tole rance, non-violence
and pe aceful co-e xistence we re introduced by India into the international vocabulary.
''Our dre ams conce rn India'', said the first Prime Ministe r of the country, Pt
Jawaharlal Nehru, on the e ve of achieving fre edom, ''but the y also concern the whole
world, for the world has be come one .'' Mahatma Gandhi chose Ne hru to be come the
first PM of inde pe ndent India. With his vision of unity of the nation, he be came the
archite ct of mode rn India. It was to be a fe de ral state base d on se cularism - the
commitment to an Indian ide ntity, which was above all race s, caste s, and re ligions.
It was a vision of e xtraordinary dime nsions. Ne hru as we ll as his daughte r and

successor, Indira Gandhi, we re we ll aware that only a firm anchorage in the Indian
ide ntity could unite the nation and e nable it to make an impact on the world. In

the se days of mutual inte rde pe nde nce , the we ste rn powe rs and Ame rica cannot
afford to ignore what is happe ning in this re gion. It is possible that the fate of the
Asian de mocracie s would one day be de cide d on the banks of the Gange s. If India
fails to re main a de mocracy, this would trigge r the fall of the whole of South and
Southe ast Asia. That is why the Indian Prime Ministe r has to play a role that goe s
we ll be yond dutie s re late d to inte rnal affairs only. It is of inte rnational political
significance .
1) What made Pt. Ne hru the architect of mode rn India?
2) Which concepts have be e n introduced by India into the inte rnational vocabulary?
3) Which word in the passage de scribes the phrase to live together with mutual
tole rance?
4) Which word de scribes the word 'trigger' used in the passage?
5) Se le ct the word synonymous to Dime nsions?
(a) support (b) size (c) importance (d) he ight
6) Why doe s the role of the Indian Prime Minister go be yond the dutie s re late d to the
inte rnal affairs of the country?
7) Se le ct the word that is opposite in me aning to dominance use d in the passage ?
(a) gove rnme nt (b) rule (c) subordination (d) importance
8) Give a suitable title to the passage ?
9) How can India make an impact on the world?
10) How doe s the passage de fine se cularism?
Passage- 3
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below.
An important aspe ct of the growth of mode rn towns and citie s is the incre asing
population de nsity. Mr. J. P. Orr, the Honourable Chairman of the Mumbai

Improve ment Trust, pointe d out in a re cent le cture on the subje ct, how it affe cted the
he alth and prospe rity of the inhabitants. Life in most thriving towns is intimate ly
conne cted with the local trade s and industries. Unhe althy conditions in factories and
workshops, and offe nsive trade s have be e n pre ve nte d in big towns, and this had le d
to be tte r he alth. The que stion of de nsity is more difficult to de al with in India,
be cause, olde r towns have be e n built on diffe rent principle s. Pe ople not only want to
live he althy but also live in communities that give the m gre ate r social conve nie nce ,
comfort and safe ty. The y care for the he alth, comfort and be auty of the town, and
the se conditions of a we ll-built and we ll-arrange d town are still insiste d on by the
pe ople . So as long as individuals obe y the laws of he alth, and the ir habits and
customs are fre e from insanitary e ffe cts, me re de nsity of population doe s not
pe rhaps te nd to incre ase the de ath rate and harbour dise ase s. But in the pre se nt
day, it is appare nt that the habits of pe ople have change d gre atly and the y do not
obe y the laws of he alth and cle anliness as we ll as the ir fore fathers used to do in days
whe n cities e xpanded and pe ople flourished. It is, the re fore, ne ce ssary to modify the
old plans of city buildings in the light of mode rn sanitary laws and re quire me nts.
In this le cture , Mr. Orr spoke mainly of the de nsity of the city of Mumbai. But his
obse rvations are of considerable interest to all those whose population is huddle d in
narrow quarte rs, without ade quate air and light.
1) The de nsity of population doe s not incre ase the de ath rate and harbour dise ases
as long as… (Comple te the se ntence).?
2) Why is it ne cessary to modify the old plans of city buildings?
3) Life in most thriving towns is connected with … (Comple te the sentence)?
4) In addition to he alth what do the pe ople want in towns?
5) What has le d to be tte r he alth in big towns?
6) What should be ke pt in mind while modifying the old plans of city buildings?
7) The word 'thriving' in the above passage means?

a) populate d b) mode rn c) growing d) we ll planne d
8) Se lect a synonym for 'to huddle '?
a) grow b) he ape d toge ther c) scatter d) sporadic
9) Se lect the right antonym for 'to harbour'?
a) she lter b) che rish c) banish d) infe ctious
10) Which city did Mr. Orr spoke of?
Passage 4
Read the following passage and answer questions given below it.
At one time in the history of India, most wome n knew ve ry we ll how to bring up the ir
infants and the y live d a pe rfe ctly he althy life , fre e from dise ase s. The ove rall
standard of wome n and childre n in the country was much be tte r than those of othe r
civilizations of that pe riod. But e ver since India was e xpose d to fre que nt invasions by
fore ign nations, life be came unsafe and prope rty was unprote cte d, and pe ople we re
force d to congre gate in towns in such a compact way, that it le d to awful insanitation
and dise ase s. The traditional knowle dge of dome stic and pe rsonal he alth and
hygiene was ignore d. Wome n we re confine d indoors for fe ar of insults and a train of
social and unhe althy dange rs followe d. It is a proble m now, how we can re store the
original conditions of he althy and happy life in India. This is a socio-e conomic
proble m which ne e ds to be give n priority to bring back the original culture and
re store we lfare of wome n and childre n in India.
1) What was the main cause of the poor he alth conditions of wome n in India?
2) What que stion has the write r pose d be fore the re ade rs?
3) How did life be come unsafe and prope rty unprote cted?
4) Why we re the wome n confined indoors?
5) Whe n we re wome n leading a pe rfe ctly he althy life?

6) What doe s the word ' congre gate ' me an in the passage?
7) How are fore ign invasions re sponsible for poor he alth conditions?
8) Write the antonym of ' confine ' from the following
a) force d b) dire cted c) to keep out d) re ject
9) Give a suitable title to the passage.
Passage 5
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below:
Swami Dayanand was the first to use the word 'Swayraja' e ve n be fore Dada bhai
Naoroji and Tilak use d it. The British re garde d Arya Samaj as a se diti ous
organization and during the martial law days (1919) stude nts of DAV Colle ge ,
Lahore , we re orde re d to go for roll call by the police thrice a day. It is now be ing
incre asingly acce pte d that during the Se poy Re volt of 1857 Dayanand playe d a
historic role , not as a soldie r but by inspiring the fre e dom fighte rs. It was (and is
e ve n now) taught in school te xtbooks that the Aryans migrate d he re from Ce ntral
Asia. Dayanand was the first to de bunk that vie w and asse rt that the Aryans we re
the original re side nts of Arya Vrat (India); now many historians agre e with him.
Indians told the British rule rs: ''You quit be cause you are fore igners.'' Their re ply was
“You too we re migrants from othe r lands. Only you came much be fore us. So first
you quit and the n we will se e ." The y inve nte d this the ory of Aryan migration as a
part of the ir impe rial policy of 'divide and rule '. The aim was to put the Dravidians -
according to the m original re side nts of this country against the Aryan invade rs.
Swami Dayanand said: " Ours is not any inde pe ndent re ligion. I am unde r the Ve das
and my duty is to pre ach the Truth.'' Dayanand in his own humble way said: " I am
not a know all. If you discove r any e rror in me , you may corre ct it afte r re ason and
argument." "" Anything that cannot be justified by re ason and Common se nse must
be re je cte d as irre ligious - an ide a too re volutionary for his age .
(1) During the Se poy Re volt of 1857, what was the role of Swami Dayanand?

(2) What did the Britishers think of Arya Samaj?
(3) What did Swami Dayanand consider it his duty?
(4) Which othe r le aders used the word Swaraj?
(5) What vie wpoint of history books was de bunke d by Swami Dayanand?
(6) Which ide a of Swami Dayanand was considered re volutionary?
(7) What role did Swami Dayanand play during the Se poy Re volt?
(8) Who we re considered as original re sidents of India?
(9) Give the Ve dic name of India.
Passage 6
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it.
It was in Ge rmany and France that the first succe ssful atte mpts we re made to
produce an inte rnal-combustion e ngine drive n by pe trol. In England pe ople we re
strangely timid about horse less ve hicle s. English inve ntors we re handicappe d by a
quaint old law that forbade any such ve hicle to attain a gre ater spe ed than four miles
an hour, and compe lled e ach one to be pre ce de d by a man carrying a re d flag. This
law was not re pe aled until 1896. The e arlie st motor cars we re looke d upon as me re
joke s, or as rathe r dange rous playthings, by e veryone e xcept the ir inventors. Some of
the m we re single-seate rs, othe rs would carry two or e ve n thre e pe ople ; but all we re
noisy, clumsy, que er-looking things. Whe n in 1888, Carl Be nz, a Ge rman, produce d
a thre e whe e le d inte rnal-combustion car, a gre at forward stride had be e n made .
Anothe r Ge rman, whose name, Daimler, is ofte n se en on motor cars to this day, was
e xpe rimenting about the same time, and te sting a pe trol-drive n e ngine . It is e asy to
unde rstand how the introduction of the pe trol drive n e ngine re volutionize d road
transport throughout the world. Unti l the n the ne ce ssary powe r to push a ve hicle
along could not be obtained without the cumbe rsome tanks, boile rs and the furnaces
of the ste m e ngine. The internal- combustion e ngine is light in we ight and small in

size by comparison, the fue l is burne d in it, so that the re is no waste , like the dusty
cinde rs of a coal fire .
1) How did most pe ople re gard e arly motor cars?
2) What made the English inventors handicappe d?
3) What doe s 're pe al' mean?
4) Give the antonym of 'clumsy'.
5) How we re the e arliest motor cars de signed?
6) What did Carl Be nz de sign?
7) What re volutionized road transport?
8) How did the inte rnal-combustion e ngines score over the ir counte rparts?
9) Give a word for ' outdate d' from the first paragraph?
10) Write a suitable title for the passage.
7.7 Summary
Compre hension of an unseen passage means a complete and thorough

unde rstanding of the passage. The main obje ct of compre hension is to te st one ’s
ability to grasp the me aning of a given passage prope rly and also one ’s ability to
answe r, in one ’s own words, the que stions base d on the passage.
The word compre hension me ans unde rstanding. Unde rstanding the passage me ans
the following. In e very passage, the re are three diffe rent flows. On the printe d page ,
what the re ade r physically sees is a flow of words, phrase s and se ntences.
Unde rlying the se words, phrase s and se ntences the re are rational thought proce sses
which consist of facts, ide as and arguments.
7.8 Keywords
Passage: A paragraph base d on the story.
Se en passage: A passage seen by you.

Unse en passage: A passage not se en by you
State whe ther the following statements are true or false .
1. Compre hension of an unseen passage means a comple te and thorough

unde rstanding of the passage.
2. The re is a story of a man who thought he had a right to do what he liked.
3. The story te lls us that we can e njoy our rights and fre e dom anywhere and any
type .
4. Diffe re ntiate seen and unseen passages.
5. Write a se en passage.
7.10 Answers to Check your progress
1. True 2. True 3. False
Passage-1 Answers
1- Absorbing the pe ace and be auty of nature
2- As a chief source of e ducation
3- The principle of harmony.
4). a) be auty b) harmony ,5) - Tagore A Nature [Answe r can vary
Passage- 2 Answers
1 - Due to his vision of the unity of the nation.
2- non-alignment, tole rance, non-violence and pe aceful coe xistence
3- co-e xistence
4- aggravate (Give choices)
5) - (b)

6) - be cause the se are the days of mutual inte rdependence and the fate of Asian
de mocracies de pe nds upon India.
7) - (c)
8) - Role of the Indian PM (any othe r title will do)
9) - A firm anchorage in the Indian ide ntity.
10- The commitment to an Indian ide ntity which was above all race s, castes and
re ligions1)
Passage-3 Answers
1. Pe ople obe y the laws of he alth and the ir habits are fre e from insanitary e ffects.
2) - Be cause the habits of pe ople have gre atly changed and the y do not obe y the
he alth laws.
3) - local trade and industry.
4) - social convenience, comforts and safe ty.
5) - pre ve ntion of unhe althy conditions in factories and workshops.
6 - Mode rn sanitary laws and re quirements.
7)- c)
8)- b)
9)- b)
10) - Mumbai



Publications
 Online links:

Subject: English
LESSON- 8 Editor: Dr. Shakuntla Devi
Introduction to Paragraph W riting
Structure of Lesson
8.2 Introduction
8.3.0 Paragraph and Its Types
8.3.1 Narrative Paragraphs
8.3.2 Descriptive Paragraphs
8.3.3 Explanatory Paragraphs
8.3.4 Compare and Contrast Paragraphs
8.3.5 Defining Paragraphs
8.3.6 Classifying Paragraphs
8.3.7 Persuasive or Argumentative Paragraphs
8.4. Further M ain Body of the Text
8.4.0 Structure of Paragraph
8.4.1 Title of Paragraph
8.4.2 Third Point and Support
8.4.3 Thesis statement and A Good Thesis

a. A Thesis Statement
b. A Good Thesis
8.4.4 Elements of Paragraph
8.4.5 W riting Topics of Paragraphs
8.6 Summary
8.7 Keywords
8.9 Answer to Check Your Progress
• Write a paragraph
• Explain all type s of paragraph.
8.2 Introduction
It is a group of se ntences that introduce s, pre sents and de ve lops one main ide a
about the topic. And it can be divide d into thre e major parts.
1. The Topic Sentence
 It is normally the first se ntence of the paragraph.

 It conveys the ove rall point of the paragraph.
 It he lps the write r focus on the ide a writte n about.
 It he lps the re ade r know about what the paragraph is all about.

2. The Supporting Details
 The y are se ntences used to support the main ide a stated in the topic se ntence.
 The y give more information about the main ide a through e xamples.
 The y say in de tails what the topic se ntence says in ge neral.
 The y should be cle ar e vidence that what the topic se ntence says is trustworthy.
 The y should be strong convincing points on which the topic se ntence can re ly
upon.
3. The Concluding Sentence
 It is a re fle ction of the main ide a pronounce d in the topic se ntence.

 It sums up what the topic se ntence and the supporting de tails talk about.
 It is the closing sentence that re minds the re ade rs of what the y have to value.
 It is compulsory for the comple tion of the paragraph unity.
 It e ventually indicates the e nd of a paragraph.
 It pre pare s the re ader for a smooth transition to the ne xt paragraph if the re is
one .
8.3.0 Paragraph and Its Types:
A paragraph is a colle ction of se nte nce s that de al with one subje ct. This is a
paragraph—all of the se se nte nce s talk about what a paragraph is. An e ffe ctive
paragraph consists of a topic se ntence, se ntences that support this topic (the body of
the paragraph), and a conclusion. The topic se nte nce in this paragraph is the first
one , whe re the word is de fine d. Eve rything afte r that se nte nce is the body of this
paragraph. The conclusion of this paragraph is the last se nte nce . Whe n you change
the topic, you start a ne w paragraph—I will change to a ne w paragraph ne xt, to
discuss diffe re nt type s of paragraphs and how to write an e ffe ctive paragraph. A
paragraph can contain as many se ntences and words as you ne ed—just be sure that
you have said e ve rything you ne e d to say be fore you conclude the paragraph.

Did u know? Each paragraph should te ll your re ade r about one subje ct, and should
le ave the m with a good ide a of whate ve r you are talking about.
Types of Paragraph:
The re are se ve n or e ight diffe re nt type s of paragraph.
8.3.1 Narrative Paragraphs—
Narrative paragraphs are ofte n use d to de scribe what a pe rson doe s ove r a pe riod of
time. A narrative paragraph te lls a story. The events in a narrative paragraph are
usually arranged in chronological orde r. The se are the paragraphs that te ll you what
is going on in a story, and move things along.
The se sentences all le ad the re ade r toward the ide a that a paragraph is just a way of
communicating.
Read this example narrative paragraph, notice how words like ‘later’ are used
to connect what happens.
Ye ste rday e ve ning I got home from work at 6 o’clock. My wife had pre pare d dinne r
which we ate imme diate ly. Afte r I had cle ane d up the kitche n, we watche d TV for
about an hour. The n we got re ady to go out with some frie nds. Our frie nds arrive d at
about 9 o’clock and we chatte d for a while . Late r we de cide d to visit a jazz club and
listen to some music. We re ally e njoye d ourse lve s and staye d late . We finally le ft at
one o’clock in the morning. For e xample -
1. You can own Clyde “Swe e t Fe e t” Livingston’s shoe s. Just make a bid. The be st
part is the mone y you give for the famous sne ake rs will be tax de ductible since it is
going to charity.
2. Latvia is a country in north-e astern Europe . It is borde re d by Estonia to the north

and Lithuania to the south. Russian and Be larus are to the e ast. In the we st Latvia
is borde re d by the Baltic Se a. The capital of Latvia is Riga which is locate d on the
northe rn shore . Forty-one pe rcent of the country is cove red with fore sts. Latvia holds
ove r 12,000 small rive rs and ove r 3,000 lake s.

3. For Sale Eat Ple nty of Onions. Good for dige stion, the liver, the stomach, the
lungs, the he art, and the brain.
4. To make a diorama of the Te xas de se rt, you will ne e d the following mate rials: a
shoe box, construction pape r, sand, clay, plastic animals, and cactus. First cove r the
inside of the shoe box with construction pape r to make the sky. Ne xt place a laye r of
sand to make the de sert floor. Plant cactus in the sand. Finally add plastic animals
or animals made from clay to your de se rt sce ne .
5. July 20 I must le ave today for Camp Gre e n Lake . I’ve ne ve r be e n to camp be fore .
This could re ally be an adve nture . I’m kind of looking forward to the e xpe rie nce .
6. O Sinners, Le t’s go down
Le t’s go down, le t’s go down
O Sinners, Le t’s go down
Down in the valley to pray
Show me the way
Good Lord, show me the way
Show me the way
Good Lord just show the way
7. Fore cast for Camp Gre e n Lake Cle ar skies. Low 75°. High 105°. Winds 10 to 15
mph.
8. Re ward for the pe rson who gives information to he lp in the re covery of Clyde
“Swe e t Fe et” Livingston’s shoe s.
9. A man was sitting with his fe et up on a de sk. He turne d his he ad whe n Stanley
and the guard e ntered, but othe rwise didn’t move. Eve n though he was inside, he
wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. he also he ld a can of soda, and the sight of it
made Stanley e ven more aware of his own thirst.

10. Numbe r One Bully Se rvice De rrick Dunne Bully I will he lp you ge t the job done .
Toilets are my spe cialty.
8.3.2 Descriptive Paragraphs—
The se paragraphs give de scriptions of some thing so that you can form a me ntal
image of what is going on. It le t the re ade r touch, taste , see, he ar and smell what you
are de scribing. The re ade r should fe e l as if the y can se e what you are de scribing
cle arly. You want to paint a picture as you write the de scriptive paragraph.
He re are a fe w guide line s to he lp you write a gre at de scriptive paragraph.
 De scribe particular smells and taste s in the paragraph. Use the most de scriptive
words possible to allow the re ade r to sme ll or taste what you are de scribing. For
e xample: “The homemade cookies fille d the air with the sce nt of warm chocolate ,
and the chocolate morse ls fille d your mouth with the taste of cocoa.”
 Add the se nse s of touch and he aring to your paragraph whe re ve r possible .
De scribe ce rtain textures and sounds. For e xample: “The silk garme nt fe lt smooth
and fluid ove r my skin, and it had the sound of a ge ntle bre e ze .”
 Use simile s and me taphors whe n you write your de scriptive paragraph. The se
lite rary de vice s stre ngthe n your paragraph if use d prope rly.
 Inse rt de scriptive adje ctive s to modify your nouns. Don’t just say “blue oce an.”
De scribe the actual colours you se e in the oce an. Use more de scriptive words such
as aquamarine or indigo to de scribe the shade .
 Try pe rsonification to give human characte ristics to inanimate obje cts. For
e xample : “The tre e stood proudly with he r arms stre tching toward the sky.”
 Be sure to make your paragraph long e nough to give an ade quate de scription.
De scribe the sce ne or obje ct in as many ways as you can, but che ck that your
paragraph is cohe re nt.
He re is an e xample of a de scriptive paragraph:

I am sixty ye ars old, rathe r tall and I have blue e ye s and short black hair. I we ar
casual clothes as I te ach students in a re laxed atmosphere. I e njoy my job be cause I
ge t to me e t and he lp so many diffe re nt pe ople from all ove r the world. During my
spare time, I like playing te nnis which I play at le ast thre e time s a we e k. I also love
listening to classical music and I must admit that I spe nd a lot of mone y on buying
ne w CDs! I live in a pre tty se aside town on the Italian coast. I e njoy e ating gre at
Italian food and laughing with the likable pe ople who live he re .
Answer these questions about yourself.
• How old are you?
• What do you look like?
• What kind of clothe s do you we ar? Why?
• What kind of job do you do? Do you like it?
• What are your favourite hobbie s? Why do you like the m?
• Whe re do you live?
• Do you like living the re? Why or why not?
Answer (Exercise 1)
• I am forty ye ars old.
• I te ach stude nts. It me ans that I am te acher.
• I we ar casual clothes as I te ach stude nts in a re laxed atmosphe re.
• I do te ach. I e njoy my job be cause I ge t to me et and he lp so many diffe rent pe ople
from all ove r the world.
• My hobbie s are playing te nnis, listening classical music and buying ne w CDs.
• I live in a pre tty se aside town on the Italian coast.

• I like to live there be cause I e njoy eating gre at Italian food and laughing with the
likable
pe ople who live he re.
8.3.3 Explanatory Paragraphs—
This is some time s divide d into “Explaining With Example s “and “Explaining a
Proce ss”. Eithe r way, the se paragraphs provide an e xplanation for some thing, so that
you can unde rstand it be tte r. This whole paragraph is an e xplanatory one !
In orde r to write a paragraph, first you think about what you want to say. Pre te nd
that you are e xplaining things to your frie nds, or to a younge r pe rson. Try to e xplain
in simple te rms that are e asy to follow. Once you have thought about it, start writing
down what you would say out loud. That’s all you ne e d to do to write a paragraph.
8.3.4 Compare and Contrast Paragraphs—
The se are the paragraphs that give similaritie s and diffe re nce s be twe e n things.
Paragraphs are like conve rsations. Each conve rsation is a se rie s of state me nts,
que stions, or e xplanations that pass along information. Each paragraph is also a
se rie s of se nte nce s that pass along information. A paragraph is diffe re nt from a
conve rsation be cause a paragraph can be e dite d and change d afte r you write it
down, and a conve rsation can’t be take n back once you have spoke n the words.
8.3.5 Defining Paragraphs—
The se paragraphs give you a de finition for some te rm. A de finition te lls you what a
word or te rm me ans. This paragraph te lls you what a de fining paragraph is, so this
paragraph is a de fining paragraph about de fining paragraphs! Whe n you de fine
some thing, you want to use simple words so that your re ade r will unde rstand what
you are saying.
8.3.6 Classifying Paragraphs-

The se are paragraphs which divide something into groups or cate gories. This e ntire
se ction is a classifying paragraph which te lls you the diffe re nt kinds of paragraph
that you can use !
8.3.7 Persuasive or Argumentative Paragraphs-
The se are paragraphs that try to convince the re ade r to agre e with some thing.
Writing a good paragraph just take s practice . You will be able to write we ll if you
ke ep at it! Anyone at all can le arn how to write a good paragraph, e ve n if the y don’t
make pe rfe ct grade s or spe ak wonde rful English. All you have to do is be willing to
practice writing, and you can do it! A hortatory
e xposition is a spe cial type of argument that is writte n in spe cific language . To write
hortatory e xposition, you use words that focus on the write r instead of on the re ade r
(I, me , mine ). You also use more abstract language such as passive voice (“it was
done ” inste ad of “the y did it”) and pre se nt te nse inste ad of the usual past te nse (“I
am in town” inste ad of “I was in town”). Hortatory e xposition is just an argume nt
which is phrase d in a le ss e motional, more passive voice . The way that you write
paragraphs is simply to pre te nd that you are talking to some one . Inste ad of te lling
the m whate ver you want to say, you write it down inste ad. He re are some good tips
for writing e ffe ctive paragraphs:
• “Te ll The m What You Are Going To Te ll The m”—writing is the same as making a
spe e ch —first, you want to give the audience an ide a of what is coming up. This will
be your topic se ntence , and should give a pre tty good ide a of what the paragraph is
going to be about. A good topic se nte nce should be spe cific inste ad of ge ne ral, and
should conve y some sort of e motion—e ithe r an attitude , a be lie f, or a conviction.
• “Te ll The m”—ne xt, you write your supporting se nte nce s—be sure that e ach one
supports the topic se ntence—if you think of a se ntence that goe s off on a tange nt or
starts a ne w topic, put it into anothe r paragraph.

• “Te ll The m What You Just Told The m”—your conclusion sentence should re pe at
the basic ide a of the topic se ntence using diffe rent words.
You might also ke ep in mind the se additional tips:
• Unity and Coherence—Your paragraph should all be about the same topic,
without wande ring around discussing many diffe re nt things. You should also be as
cohe rent as possible , use simple language inste ad of big words whe ne ve r possible ,
link your se ntences with bridge s (se e ne xt tip), and use logical argume nts and facts .
• Bridges—You can link the se nte nce s and paragraphs by using ke y words which
you re pe at throughout your writing, by using synonyms and similar words, or by
following a logical argume nt and proce e ding ste p-by-ste p throughout. Using some
sort of orde r, such as chronological (time ) or structural orde r can he lp link
paragraphs. The reader can gue ss what is coming ne xt by knowing how time works,
or by following along as you de scribe ite ms in a se rie s.
• Development—Make sure your topic se nte nce is ade quate ly discusse d in the
paragraph. While it is possible to have a one -se nte nce paragraph, you will usually
ne ed se veral se nte nce s to discuss the topic. Use facts, statistics, and de tails. Cite
what othe r pe ople have said about the topic (re membe r to use quote s and give cre dit
whe re due ). Give a timeline if possible . Give e xample s in a story or ane cdote . De fine
te rms and e xplain similarities and diffe re nces. De scribe cause s and conse que nce s.
• Transitions and Signposts—you can use words and phrase s to ale rt your re ade rs
and le t the m know what’s going on in your paragraph. Transition words and
se ntences he lp your ide as flow from one paragraph to anothe r, and contain phrase s
like “in addition,” “anothe r point,” or “afte rwards.” Signpost words and se nte nce s
“point the way” to le t your re ade rs know whe re your arguments and de scriptions are
he ade d—a signpost could be a bold word or phrase , a dot or arrow, or e ve n an
inde ntation. Signposts are another way to “te ll the m what you are going to te ll the m”
and “te ll the m what you just told the m.”

Note s Use a “hook” or inte resting fact to make pe ople want to re ad your paragraphs.
8.4.0 Structure of a Paragraph
Topic Se nte nce To ge ne rate inte re st Ye llow-spotte d lizards are a de adly State s the
main ide a thre at to all humans at Camp Gre e n Lake .
De tails Introduces Main Point #1 The y invaded the are a afte r the life - First Point and
gives information or giving lake drie d up. Their bite is Support e xamples always fatal.
De tails Introduce s Main Point #2 It was a ye llow-spotte d lizard that Se cond Point
and give s information or kille d Kate Barlow. and Support e xample s.
De tails Introduces Main Point #3 The ye llow-spotte d lizards thre ate ne d Third Point
and give s information or Stanle y and Ze ro while the y we re digging and Support
e xample s for Stanle y’s gre at-grandfathe r’s suitcase . The re ason Stanle y and Ze ro
survived is be cause the y had e aten so many onions that the lizards, who do not like
onion blood, did not wish to bite the m.
Conclusion Re states the topic se nt- With this one e xce ption, me e ting a ye llowne ss,
ofte n le aves the spotte d lizard at Camp Gre e n Lake me ant re ade r with some thing to
ce rtain de ath. think about.
Questions
1. W hat is the main idea of this paragraph?
2. W hat is the concluding sentence?
3. W hat do you notice about the first line of the paragraph?
4. Do all the sentences in the paragraph support the main idea?
5. W hat is the first main point? second main point? third main point?

Activity
Decide which group of sentences would make good paragraphs. W rite yes or no
before each
Paragraph to show your answer.
1. _______________
Stanle y Ye lnats and his family have a history of bad luck. The first Stanley’s great
grandfathe r made a fortune on the stock market. The family’s bad luck struck him
whe n he move d from Ne w York to California and was robbe d by Kissin’ Kate Barlow.
Stanle y’s fathe r is an inventor. He works ve ry hard and is smart, howe ver, none of
his inventions e ver work. Stanle y is accused of a crime he didn’t commit and is se nt
to Camp Gre e n Lake as punishment. It se ems none of the Ye lnats can e scape the
family curse.
2. _______________Camp Gre e n Lake drie d up and the pe ople who live d ne ar it move d
away ove r a hundre d ye ars ago. Now the lake is de sert-like with te mpe ratures
around ninety-five de grees. De serts cover one -fifth of the Earth’s surface . The only
place to find shade is be twe e n two tre e s in the Warde n’s yard. Rattle snakes and
scorpions hide unde r rocks and in the hole s the campers dig. De se rts do not have
many large animals be cause the re is not e nough wate r for the m to survive.
3. _______________ Stanley’s father was an inventor. He was trying to discover
a way to re cycle old sne akers. Clatonia Joaquin Dorticus invented an apparatus for
applying dye s to the side s of the sole s and he els of shoe s. Ge orge de Me stral invented
Ve lcro. While hiking, he had noticed that burrs stuck to his clothing. He use d this
ide a to de ve lop one strip of nylon with loops, and another with hooks. Making an
Outline Afte r taking note s for a re port the ne xt ste p is to make an outline from the
note s. Compare the outline be low to the graphic organizer from Le sson 1.
8.4.1 Title of Paragraph
Outline Part of a Paragraph

I. De adly ye llow-spotte d lizards. The main topic is use d to build the topic se ntence.
Ye llow-spotte d lizards are a de adly thre at to all humans at Camp Gre e n Lake.
 Move d to Gre e n Lake afte r lake drie d up

 Bite always fatal De tails First Point and Support. The y invaded the are a afte r the
life -giving lake drie d up. The ir bite is always fatal.
 Kille d Kate Barlow De tails Se cond Point and Support It was a ye llow-spotte d lizard
that killed.
How to M ake an Outline
1. Write a title that le ts the re ader know the subje ct of the re port.
2. Main topics are listed using Roman nume rals and pe riods.
3. Points or facts are listed unde r e ach topic using capital le tters and pe riods.
4. Subtopics are e xtra information that is ne e ded to clarify a point or fact. The y are
listed unde r e ach fact as ne eded. Subtopics are listed using lowe r case le tters and
pe riods.
Questions
Use the outline above to answe r the se que stions.
1. What is the main topic in the paragraph above ?
2. How many points are made in this paragraph?
3. Did e ach point ne ed additional clarification?
4. What do the Roman nume rals represent?
5. What are the capital le tters use d for?
6. How many points we re made in the paragraph?
Activity - M ultiple Choice
1. Which pie ce of information is missing from the outline?

I. Juve nile Probation Camps Se rvices
A. Provide e ducational se rvices
B. Counse lling
D. Work e xpe rience
E. Re creational programs
8.4.2 Third Point and Support
The ye llow-spotte d lizards thre atened Stanley and Ze ro while the y were digging for
Stanle y’s gre at-grandfather’s suitcase. The re ason Stanley and Ze ro survived is
be cause they had e aten so many onions that the lizards, who do not like onion blood,
did not wish to bite the m.
Conclusion With this one e xception, meeting a ye llow spotte d lizard at Camp Gre e n
Lake me ant ce rtain de ath.
II. Ne gative Impacts of Youth Be ing Tried in Adult Courts
A. Give n harsher pe nalties in adult court
B. Little or no re habilitative programs
C. Criminal re cords hard to e xpunge, e rase or strike out
D. Could be de nied military service
E. Youth he ld in adult facilities are more likely to re turn to a pre vious patte rn of
be haviour
a. Youth at a gre ater risk of be ing a victim in an adult jail or prison
b. In 2002, 2225 youth se rving life without parole
c. Since 1999 the numbe r of youth in adult prisons dropping
d. In Conne cticut, North Carolina, and Ne w York 16-ye ar old considered adults

2. Whe n re searching youth be ing tried in the adult court system which is the le ast
re liable source of information?
a. a national ne wspape r
b. a book publishe d by the National Council on Crime and De linquency
c. a gove rnment we bsite
d. a stude nt’s journal about life in prison
III. What are juve nile boot camps?
A. Corre ctional programs for de linquent youth in a military-style e nvironment
B. Emphasize discipline
C. Stre ss physical conditioning
D. Re stricted to non-violent or first-time offe nders
a. Some researchers have found that boot camp graduate s are more likely to be re -
arre sted
b. Staff has e xpre ssed conce rn that too many youths lack the maturity and se lf-
control to succeed in a military-style program
c. Re search prove s that small, community-based programs are more successful

and le ss e xpensive than corre ctional institutions
d. Rigorous alte rnative to longe r te rms of confinement in juve nile corre ctional
facilities
I. De scription of the Ye llow Spotte d Lizard
A. Exactly 11 ye llow spots
B. Ye llow-green body

. C Re d e yes
D. Black te e th
E. Milky white tongue
a. Should have be e n named a “re d-e yed” lizard
b. If you’ve e ver be en close e nough to se e the ye llow spots, you are probably
de ad
c. Six to te n inches long
d. Likes to live in hole s
Answer Key:
M ultiple Choice
1. a. Youth at a gre ater risk of be ing a victim in an adult jail or prison
2. d. a stude nt’s journal about life in prison
3. d. Rigorous alte rnative to longe r te rms of confinement in juve nile correctional

facilities
4. c. Six to te n inches long
8.4.3 Thesis statement and A Good Thesis:
a. A Thesis Statement: It is the main ide a of an e ssay. It is ofte n a point you want
to argue or support in an e ssay. The the sis statement e xplains to a re ade r the main
ide a of the e ssay, and the write r’s opinion on that ide a. A the sis statement is usually
one se ntence. It is ofte n place d in the introductory paragraph of an e ssay. A the sis
state me nt is a claim that could be argue d. The e ssay will contain e vide nce and
opinions that support the argument. A the sis statement should contain a topic (main
ide a of what you are writi ng about) contain an opinion about the topic (what your
attitude is toward the topic)
Subje ct + Attitude = The sis

Thesis Don’ts
 Avoid starting your the sis se nte nce with In my opinion, I be lie ve , I think, e tc.
The sis state me nts are always your take on the topic.
 Just stating a fact. A the sis is some thing you plan to make an argume nt about.
 Atte mpting two topics at once (e ven if the y se em re lated). Pick one and stick with
it.
b. A Good Thesis:
It is Limited
Example s:
Good te achers make Mountain City Ele mentary a fantastic school. One re ason to live
in Mountain City is acce ss to many wonde rful place s to fish. Ne e ds To Be Limite d
The world is a magnifice nt place to live . Mountain City is a gre at place to live .
A Good The sis is Concise
Example s:
Good Mountain City Ele me ntary ne e ds se ve ral change s to its facility to make it a
be tte r school. ne e ds to be Concise Some proble ms with Mountain City Ele me ntary
School is that it ne eds a large r playground, an air-conditione d gym, an auditorium,
re strooms conne cte d to e ach classroom, running wate r in the classrooms, and a
numbe r of othe r physical change s to the building.
 A Good The sis is Spe cific

 A Good The sis is Not a Subje ct
 A Good The sis is Not a Title
 A Good The sis is Not a State ment of Absolute Fact
Practice 1
Be low you will se e pairs of se nte nce s. Each pair contains one se nte nce that would
make a be tte r the sis statement. Write T be fore the se nte nce in e ach pair that would

make a good the sis state me nt. Write N be fore e ach se nte nce that ne e ds
improve me nt.
1. __________ Sachar illustrates that forming trustworthy frie ndships is be ne ficial to

the characte rs in Hole s.
2. __________ Re x and Alan’s nickname s are X-Ray and Squid.
3. __________ Whe n Stanley asks Theodore whe re he can find wate r, The odore grabs
Stanle y, throws him down, and says his name is Armpit.
Good
Daily writing practice has le d to improved writing skills for the stude nts at Mountain
City Ele me ntary. Ne e ds To Be Spe cific Mountain City Ele me ntary is a good school.
Good The cost of living in Mountain City is lowe r than in most othe r citie s in the
Unite d State s. Should Not be a Subje ct Cost of Living
Good
Good te aching has le d to an increase in TCAP score s at Mountain City Ele me ntary.
Should Not be a Title Rising TCAP Score s at Mountain City Ele me ntary Good The
climate in Mountain City is ide al for outdoor sports, Should Not be an Absolute Fact
The ave rage te mpe rature for Mountain City in winte r is 34 and in summe r is 75
de gre e s.
4. __________ Brutality is all around Camp Gre e n Lake , and its harmful re sults are
ofte n shown.
5. __________ In Hole s Camp Gre e n Lake is dry, hard, and hot which symbolize
Stanle y’s fe e lings of be ing trappe d and sad while God’s Thumb is gre e n and fe rtile
which symbolize Stanle y’s fe e lings of be ing fre e and happy.
6. __________ In Hole s, the physical e nvironme nt is a symbol of Stanle y’s fe e lings.
7. __________ Onions signify a he aling powe r in the nove l.
8. __________ Onions - A Food Rich in Sugar and Oil

9. __________ Ove r 3,000 spe cies of lizards live throughout the world with the large st
numbe r living in warm climate s.
10. __________ The Ye llow Spotte d Lizard in Hole s re pre se nts de ath.
Practice 2
Read the following report about bullying, then answer the multiple -choice
questions that follow.
A bully is a pe rson who is me an or hurtful to othe rs. Bullie s ofte n use a combination
of thre ats and shame to annoy othe rs. Bullie s may hurt othe rs physically by hitting,
kicking or pushing. The y may also be me an by calling names, te asing, le aving a kid
out of the group on purpose , or scaring othe rs. Some bullie s many e ve n thre ate n
pe ople or try to make pe ople do things the y don’t want to do.
1. Which se nte nce is the the sis state me nt for this paragraph?
a. Characte ristics of Bullie s
b. A bully is a pe rson who harasses a we aker pe er physically, mentally, or socially.
c. Re se arche rs agre e that bullying contains thre e e le me nts: aggre ssive and
ne gative be haviour, be haviour is carrie d out re pe ate dly, one pe rson has powe r
ove r anothe r.
d. One form of bullying is spre ading gossip.
Bullying is a proble m that affe cts many kids. Bullie s may cause a pe rson to fe e l
scared, worrie d, or e mbarrassed. The stre ss of be ing bullie d may e ven make a pe rson
fe e l physically ill. Having a bully around may make a pe rson afraid to go to the
re stroom, lunchroom, or playground. Worrying about a bully may affe ct a pe rson’s
ability to conce ntrate on schoolwork.
2. Which se nte nce is the the sis state me nt for this paragraph?
a. Pe rsiste nt bullying may have a numbe r of ne gative s e ffe cts on an individual.

b. On March 21, 1993 Curtis Taylor committe d suicide afte r be ing bullie d for thre e
ye ars.
c. In the 1990s, the Unite d State s witne sse d many school shootings which we re
conne cte d to bullying.
d. Effe cts of bullying Pe ople be come bullie s for a numbe r of re asons. Some are
looking for atte ntion. They think that bullying is a way to be more popular. By be ing
a bully a pe rson is trying to make himse lf fe e l more powe rful. Some bullie s come
from families in which name calling and pushing othe rs around is a normal way to
act. The se bullie s are just copying what the y have le arne d from home .
3. Which se ntence is the the sis statement for this paragraph?
a. Re asons for Bullying
b. Pe ople be come bullies for all the all the wrong re asons.
c. Eighty-five pe rcent of the time another kid witne sses a bully acting out.
d. Pe ople be come bullie s to gain atte ntion, to be come more popular, to fe e l powe r
ove r othe rs, and be cause the y are copying be haviour of othe rs. De aling with a bully
may be difficult, but the re are some things you can do. Some time s you may turn a
bully off just by acting brave . If you walk away, a bully will be le ss like ly to give you
trouble . You may also te ll a bully to stop te asing or scaring someone e lse . Te lling an
adult is important. Te ache rs and pare nts can he lp. Go to re ce ss, lunch, e tc. with a
buddy. Ofte n bullie s try to ge t a pe rson alone be fore bullying. Finally don’t bully
back. Fighting back give s the bully what he is looking for. In incide nts bullie s ge t
into trouble . If the y continue to bully othe rs, e ve ntually the y have fe w frie nds. The
powe r the y wish slips away. Bullie s who wish popularity soon re alize that the y are
labe lle d as trouble make rs.
4. Which se ntence is the the sis statement for this paragraph?
a. Se veral victims have be en suing bullie s dire ctly.

b. Many schools have programs de signed to te ach stude nts coope ration.
c. Kids who are be ing bullie d can turn the situation around by trying se veral actions.
d. De aling with Bullies
5. To gathe r more information about bullying, the most re liable source would be
a. an e ncyclope dia
b. a fictional story
c. a tabloid ne wspape r
d. an e ntertaining TV show
8.4.4 Elements of Paragraph
A paragraph should include the following e le me nts:
Topic sentence — The topic se nte nce should ide ally be the first se nte nce of the
paragraph and should introduce the topic that will be discusse d in the paragraph.
Support sentences — The supporting se nte nce s should provide additional

information that is re levant to the topic and he lps support the argume nt of the topic.
Ge ne rally, the re are be twe e n 2 and 4 support se nte nce s pe r paragraph.
Conclusion — The conclusion needs to be a short, cohe sive sentence that conclude s
the topic of the paragraph.
8.4.5 W riting Topics of Paragraphs
One way that you can practice paragraph writing skills is to introduce paragra ph
writing topics. The se paragraph writing topics can be use d for ne arly any type of
classroom, re gardle ss of grade le ve l or subje ct matte r:
 Write a paragraph about an important pe rson in history. Be sure to addre ss the

topic of the paragraph, such as that pe rson’s care e r, birthplace or promine nt
contribution. Use supporting se nte nce s to e xpand on the topic chose n.

 Write a paragraph about your be droom at home . Be de scriptive , and use

adje ctives to de scribe how the space looks and how you fe e l whe n you are i n your
be droom.
 Write a paragraph about a holiday that you do not ce lebrate. Use facts within the
supporting se nte nce s to e xplain the holiday and the traditions that are
associate d with it.
 Write a paragraph about an inse ct. Make sure to use scie ntific data and
obse rvations to cre ate strong support within the paragraph.
 Write a paragraph arguing your opinion on a controve rsial topic. Make sure to
use factual information to support your opinion, and conclude with why you fe e l
the way that you do.
 Write a de scriptive paragraph about your garde n. Ide ntify the plants that are in
the garde n, and use de scriptive phrase s to make the re ade r fe e l as if the y are
walking through your garde n.
 Write a paragraph providing instructions on how to code your favourite game . Be
sure to offe r cle ar dire ction, and don’t forge t to use transitional phrase s to guide
the re ade r from one ste p to the ne xt.
 Write a paragraph about a ne w invention that you would cre ate . Use de scriptive
phrase s to de scribe your inve ntion and to support the topic.
 Write a pe rsuasive paragraph asking your classmate s to he lp take care of the
school be tte r. Offe r se veral re asons within your supporting se nte nce s as to why
the y should care about the we ll-be ing of the ir school building.
 Write a paragraph de scribing a re cent vacation that you took with your family. Be
sure to de scribe the paragraph in de tail, and conclude with what you love d most
about your trip.
 One way that you can he lp stude nts practice the ir paragraph writing skills is to
introduce paragraph writing topics. The se paragraph writing topics can be use d
for ne arly any type of classroom, re gardle ss of grade le ve l or subje ct matte r.

 Write a paragraph de scribing one obje ct, but use all of the se nse s in your
de scription. Include a varie ty of adje ctive s to bring the paragraph to life for the
re ade r.
 Write a paragraph providing dire ctions for how to care for your pe t. De scribe the
pe t and include the mate rials ne e de d to prope rly care for the animal.
 Write a pe rsuasive paragraph about why you should e arn m ore mone y for the
chore s you comple te for your pare nts. Give solid re asons to support your
argume ntative topic.
 Write a paragraph about a diffe re nt culture . Introduce the re ade r to this culture
through your supporting se nte nce s.
 Write a paragraph de scribing your favourite view, whe ther it is the vie w out your
window from home or a fle e ting glimpse of a sunse t on vacation. De scribe the
sce ne in de tail.
 Write a paragraph in re sponse to a re ce nt ne ws article that you have re ad. Use
the topic se ntence to addre ss your fe e lings on the ne ws pie ce, and the supporting
se nte nce s to back up your opinion.
 Write a paragraph about an ite m that you fe e l your school ne e ds. Form an
argume nt and support your cause with facts and data.
 Write a paragraph about a spe cial childhood toy or me me nto. De scribe why it is
important to you and how it make s you fe e l.
 Write a paragraph about a re ce nt scie nce e xpe rime nt that you conducte d in
school. Ide ntify what you obse rve d, what you le arne d and what improve me nts
you might make to the e xpe rime nt.
 Write a paragraph about the care e r you are conside ring. Explain why you are
choosing that care e r path, and how you plan to accomplish your goals.
Paragraph writing is a valuable skill that your stude nts will use throughout the ir
life times. Re gardless of the career that the y choose , the y will ne e d strong writing
skills to ge t the m whe re the y ne e d to go. Both you and your stude nts

8.5 Check Your Progress-
Question1.Value of Discipline-
The re’s a lot of indiscipline in your school. It is not like d by the school authoritie s.
The y ask you, the vice He ad Boy, to talk to the junior childre n about the ‘Value of
Discipline’ so as to make the m unde rstand the importance of discipline in one ’s life .
Write a paragraph on the above , me ntione d topic.
Question 2:
Need for M oral Education in Schools
The re is a fall in values in today’s life . Ke eping this cue in mind, write a paragraph
on ‘The Ne ed for Moral Education in Schools’, so as to make the youth of today,
aware of high moral standards.
Question 3:
Write a paragraph on ‘The Importance of Good He alth’.
Question 4:
The le ve l of pollution in big citie s is incre asing ste adily. It is be coming more and
more important to bring pollution unde r control. Write a paragraph on
‘Environme ntal Pollution’ so as to make the pe ople aware of the factors causing
pollution.
Question 5:
Re ading skills are e sse ntial to succe e d in socie ty. It is a source of knowle dge and
ple asure . Write a paragraph on ‘The significance of Re ading’.
Question 6:
Obse rve the following visual and write a paragraph on the famous pe rsonality.
8.6 Summary-

• It is a group of se nte nce s that introduce s, pre se nts and de ve lops one main ide a
about the topic.
• A paragraph is a colle ction of se nte nce s that de al with one subje ct.
• De scriptive paragraphs le t the re ade r touch, taste , se e , he ar and sme ll what you
are de scribing.
• Narrative paragraphs are ofte n use d to de scribe what a pe rson doe s ove r a pe riod of
time . A narrative paragraph te lls a story. The e ve nts in a narrative paragraph are
usually arrange d in chronological orde r.
8.7 Keywords-
Paragraphs: A group of se nte nce s that de als with a subje ct
W iki Answers: It is a site
Descriptive paragraph: Le t the re ade r, touch, taste , se e , he ar and sme ll what you
are de scribing.
-Cause: Some thing that produce s cause and e ffe ct, a pe rson, thing or e ve nt that
make s some thing happe n as a re sult
Chronological: Arrange me nt of e ve nts according to the se que nce orde r of time
Coherence: Logical conne ction of ide as
Cohesion: Re lating to move me nt from one se nte nce to anothe r
Comparison: Examining one thing against another to show the points of like ne ss or
diffe re nce
Contrast: Comparing two things or pe ople to make the diffe re nce cle ar
Definition: Giving the me aning
Developers: Se nte nce s which support and de ve lop the main ide a
Illustration: Example to support a point

M odulators: Se nte nce s that he lp pre se nting diffe re nt vie wpoints.
Fill in the blanks:
1. Paragraph is a group of ......... .
2. The re is a ......... diffe re nt type s of paragraphs.
3. Passages and paragraphs are ......... thing
4. “Paragraph is a colle ction of se ntences” e xplain it.
5. What is de scriptive paragraphs?
6. Explain the narrative paragraph.
Answe rs: Se lf- Assessment
1. se ntences 2. Two 3. Same.
8.9 Answer to Check Your Progress-
Answer 1:Importance of discipline -
Discipline is the law of nature . It is in man’s be st inte rest to obse rve discipline in all
walks of life . Discipline is the backbone of characte r. Without discipline , nothing
gre at can be achie ve d in life . A man who doe s not obse rve discipline in life has to
suffe r. He be comes le thargic and arrogant. He is dislike d by all. A stude nt who doe s
not obe y his te ache rs and doe s not do his home work doe s not ge t succe ss. An
e mployee who doe s not work sincerely in office may be sacked any time . If sportsmen
do not obse rve discipline cannot hope to win any match.
In the army, discipline is of utmost importance. Discipline le ads to harmony whe reas
indiscipline le ads to confusion. No life is worth living without discipline .
Conclusion -A disciplined pe rson is an asset to himself, to his family, to his society,

to the nation and to mankind. Discipline works e verywhere. It controls the physical

move ments and our morals. The re is no sphe re in he aven and the Earth whe re
discipline doe s not dominate.
Answer:2 Need for M oral Education in Schools
Philosophers have e xplained that the main purpose of e ducation is to have a sound
characte r. For this re ason, moral e ducation is gaini ng importance in the fie ld of
e ducation. Man is a social animal. He le arns social habits like he lping pe ople ,
re spe cting e lde rs and be ing polite , during school ye ars. Whe n he le arns good social
habits, he be comes a re sponsible citizen. Moral e ducation e nables a pe rson to choose
the right path. It’s not that only te ache rs in schools can impart moral e ducation to
the childre n, but pare nts also play a gre at role by be coming role mode ls for the
childre n. What is moral e ducation? It can be anything which te aches a pe rson moral
value s and virtue . Value s are the se t of guide line s that a human be ing le arns to
follow.
Nobody is born with moral values in him or he r. It is inculcate d in him or he r by his

or he r e ducation and e xpe rie nce of life .
Conclusion -The refore, it be comes e ssential to inculcate moral value s during school
ye ars as the se are the most formative ye ars in a child’s life . Education moulds the
moral value s in our characte rs. By e ducating childre n about morals and the young
le arne r value s in life we can make the m fit for the socie ty as we ll as the nation.
Answer 3. He alth is we alth. Good he alth is the gre atest ble ssing that a pe rson can
have . It is the ke y to happine ss. It is the se cret of e very happy man. Only a he althy
pe rson can e njoy life to its fulle st and discharge his dutie s we ll. On the othe r hand,
an ailing pe rson is a burde n on all. The refore, we must try our be st to maintain
sound he alth. Fre sh air, balanced die t, re gular e xercise, prope r re st and stre ss-free
life are pre -re quisites for good he alth. We should drink ple nty of wate r, avoid ove r
e ating and should re frain from alcohol.

Most of all, we should have re gular he alth che ck -ups. We must laugh more as
laughing is a the rapy and the se cre t of good he alth. The care of the body re garding
food, e xe rcise, re st and prote ction against disease, are e ssential for the pre se rvation
of sound he alth.
Conclusion- Life is for living. Without he alth, life is de prive d of not only much of its
use fulness, but also its joys and ple asures. Le t us re membe r that li fe is worth living
only by a he althy body, mind and soul.
Answer:4 Environmental Pollution
The proble m of e nvironmental pollution is be coming more and more se rious day by
day. The e cological cycle is be ing disturbed by the pe ople . Man is e xploiting nature to
the e xte nt that natural re sources are de ple ting. The main re ason for e nvironme ntal
pollution is ove r population and pove rty. The incre ase d de mand for food and othe r
re sources force s man to cut down fore sts which le ads to an incre ase in the carbon
dioxide ratio in the atmosphere. This results in he ating up of the atmosphere. This is
calle d global warming. Due to this, se asons are also unde rgoing a change .
All this fore casts disaster for human be ings and othe r living be ings. In orde r to bring
pollution unde r control we ne e d to conse rve our fore sts, re duce the use of pape r,
pe trol e tc. Earth must be save d at any cost for the sake of survival.
Conclusion- The need of the hour de mands a che ck in e nvironmental pollution. The
gove rnme nt should take ne ce ssary ste ps in this dire ction.
Answer:5 Significance of Reading
Re ading broade ns the vision of an individual. Bacon wrote in his e ssay. ‘Of Studie s’.
“Re ading making a full man: confe rence a re ady man: and writing an e xact man”. In
shaping the pe rsonality of an individual, the importance of re ading cannot be de nied.
A pe rson re ads not only for the sole purpose of gaining knowle dge , but also to ge t
ple asure, provoke critical and original thinking and to broade n his vision. Re ading

makes man a be tte r conve rsationalist and he lps to re lieve stress. Ne wspape r re ading
has be come an important aspe ct in the life of a mode rn man.
Conclusion -A typical mode rn man may ge t his bre akfast or not, but he must ge t his
ne wspape r. A good re ade r le ads a discipline d life . Re ading he lps him to be come a
we ll-disciplined. It boosts imagination and cre ativity in an individual. He is able to
mix we ll with othe rs and is ne ve r alone as books are his be st frie nds.
Answer 6-The famous personality.
Arvind Ke jriwal was born on 16th August, 1968. He is an Indian politician and social
activist. He se rve d the Indian Re ve nue Se rvice as an office r. He was the se ve nth
Chie f Minister of De lhi. He is also the curre nt Chie f Ministe r, having won the 2015
De lhi Assembly Ele ctions. He is the le ade r of the Aam Admi Party (AAP). Ke jriwal is a
Me chanical Engine e ring graduate . In 2006, Ke jriwal was awarde d the Ramon
Magsaysay Award for ‘Eme rge nt Le ade rship’ re cognizing his involve me nt in a
move me nt Parivartan, using the RTI le gislation. It was a campaign against
corruption. He donate d his Magsaysay award mone y to the Public Cause Re se arch
Foundation, a Non-Gove rnmental Organization (NGO). In 2012, he launched the Aam
Admi Party and de fe ate d Chie f Ministe r She e la Dixit. Following the e le ction, he
be came the Chie f Mini ste r of De lhi on 28th De ce mbe r, 2013. He re signe d 49 days
late r, an action he late r re gre tte d.
Conclusion- He apologize d for quitting midway. He achieved a swe eping majority in

the De lhi Le gislative.
8.10 References /Suggested Readings-

re vise d by DR. G.S. Mansukhani.
Publications

 Online links:
o www.paragraphwriting.com
o http://daria-przybyla.suite101.com/seven-types-of-paragraphs-a99946
o http://www.white smoke.com/how-to-write-a-paragraph

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English (Compulsory) BA-101

Directorate of Distance Education

Literature and Language-I

2 a)Choosing Our Universe Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 28

b)Are Dams the te mple s of 46

3 The Ge neration Gap Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 69

4 Language and National Ide ntity Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 85

5 a)Wounde d Plants Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 106

Author- Jagadish Chandra Bose

b) Playing the English 125

6 Gre at Books Born out of Gre at Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 146

7 a)The Re sponsibility of Young Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 161

b)Author-Lal Bahadur Shastri

Author- Jawaharlal Nehru

DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 2|

Literature and Language-II

2 With the Photographe r Dr. Pallavi Dr. Pallavi 210

By – Ste phe n Le acock

3 The Journey Dr. Pallavi Dr. Pallavi 224

4 The Re fugee Dr. Pallavi Dr. Pallavi 241

By Khwaja Ahme d Abbas

5 Panchlight Dr. Narsingh Dr. Narsingh 256

6 The Child Dr. Narsingh Dr. Narsingh 282

7 The Blind Dog Dr.NutanYadav Dr.NutanYadav 313

Comment [g1]: Grammar

1 Grammar: Noun and Pronoun Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 339

2 Ve rbs and Adve rbs Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 352

3 Adje ctives and Pre positions Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 372

DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 3|

4 Modals and Conjunctions. Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 401

5 Grammar: Te nses and Voice Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 424

6 Narration (Dire ct and Indire ct Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 460

7 Compre hension: Candidate s Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 493

8 Paragraph: Candidate s will be Dr Astha Dr. Shakuntla 518

DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 4|

DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 5|

Subject: English ( Compulsory)

Course Code: BA101 Author: Dr.NutanYadav

1.1 Learning Objectives

1.3 M ain Body of the Text

1.3.1 W hat is a speech sound?

1.3.2 W hat is a vowel?

1.3.3 W hat is a consonant?

1.4 Further Body of the text

1.4.2 Pure vowels

1.4.3 Vowel sound symbols

1.4.4 Consonant sound symbols

1.4.5 Pronunciations of the letters of the English alphabets

1.5 Check your Progress

1.8 Self -Assessment Questions (SAQs)

DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 6|

1.9 Answers to Your Progress

1.10 References/ Suggested Readings

1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Afte r going through this le sson you will be able to-

Sounds play a ve ry important role in a language. It is the way how we e xpre ss

1.3 M AIN BODY OF THE TEXT

1.3.1 W hat is a speech sound?

1.3.2 Phonetic Transcription

DDE, GJUS&T, Hisar 7|

1.3.3- W hat is a vowel?

1.3.4 W hat is a consonant?

A consonant is a spe e ch sound in the production of which the re is some hindrance