Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow each of them :

Passage 1

I had a Dove
I had a dove and the sweet dove died
And I thought it died of grieving :
O, what could it grieve for ? Its feet were tied
With a silken thread of my own hand’s weaving ;
Sweet little red feet! why should you die—
Why should you leave me, sweet bird ! why ?
You liv’d glone on the forest-tree,
Why, pretty thing ! would you not live with me ?
I kissed you oft and gave you white peas ;
Why not live sweetly, as in the green trees ?

Questions
1. How did the dove die ?
2. Why did the dove live with the poet ?
3. How did the poet show his love for the dove ?
4. Was the dove happy with the poet ? Why ?
Answers:
1. The dove died because it was grief-stricken.
2. The dove lived with the poet because its feet were tied with a silken thread.
3. The poet kissed the dove very often. He also gave it white peas to eat.
4. The dove was not happy with the poet. The dove loved flying high but the poet had tied its feet
with a silken thread. The loss of freedom had made it unhappy.

Passage 3

Piping Down the Valleys Wild

Piping down the valleys wild,
Piping songs of pleasant glee !
On a cloud I saw a child,
And he laughing said to me :
‘Pipe a song about a Lamb !’
So I piped with merry cheer. ,
‘Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe ;
Sing the songs of happy cheer ;
So I sang the same again,
While he wept with joy to hear.
‘Piper, sit thee down, and write
In a book that all may read,’
So he vanish’d from my sight,
And I pluck’d a hollow- reed,
And I made a rural pen,
And I stain’d the water clear,
And I wrote my happy songs
Every child may joy to hear.
—William Blake

Questions
1. Where was the poet ? What was he doing ?
2. Why did the child weep ?
3. What did the child ask the poet to do ?
4. What does the poet expect his songs to do ?
Answers:
1. The poet was roaming about in the wild valleys. He was piping songs of happiness.
2. The child did not weep out of grief. He shed the tears of joy.

3. The child asked the poet to write his songs in a book. This would help all the children to read
them.
4. The poet expects that his songs would cheer every child who would read them.

Passage 4

The Nightingale and the Glow-worm

A nightingale, that all day long
Had cheered the village with his song,
Began to feel as well he might,
The keen demands of appetite ;
When, looking eagerly around,
He spied far off, upon the ground,
A something shining in the dark,
And knew the glow-worm by his spark ;
So, stooping down from hawthorn top,
He thought to put him in his crop.
The worm, aware of his intent,
Harangued him thus, right eloquent—
“Did you admire my lamp”, quoth he,
“As much as I your minstrelsy
You would abhor to do me wrong,
As much as I to spoil your song ;
For ’twas the self-same power divine,
Taught you to sing, and me to shine ;
That you with music, I with light,
Might beautify and cheer the night.”
The songster heard his short oration,
And warbling out his approbation
Released him, as my story tells,
And found a supper somewhere else.

—William Cowper
Read the statements given below and attempt the task as directed :
Question 1.
The intent of the nightingale was
(i) to sleep
(ii) to feed the glow worm
(iii) to eat the glow worm
(iv) to enjoy the night

Question 2.
The night became beautiful
(i) due to the clouds
(ii) due to the song of the nightingale
(iii) due to the light of the glow-worm
(iv) both (ii) and (iii)

Question 3.
Both the nightingale and the glow-worm .
(i) had an important role to play in the world
(ii) had no role to play in the world
(iii) were jealous of each other
(iv) had plans to kill

Question 4.
The act ‘released him’ means that the nightingale
(i) approved of his own point of view
(ii) approved of the glow-worm’s point of view
(iii) did not like the insect’s taste
(iv) felt proud for releasing the glow-worm

Question 5.
The phrase ‘warbled out his approbation’ means
(i) singing more vigorously
(ii) spilled out words
(iii) gave judgement
(iv) expressed his appreciation
Answers:
1. (iii)
2. (iv)
3. (i)
4. (ii)
5. (iv)

Passage 5

Death to the Dentist!

Death to his chair !
Death to his ‘This might hurt’ !
“There ! There ! There !”
Death to his injections !
Death to his Nurse !
Death to his amalgam !
Curse! Curse ! Curse !
Death to his needle !
Death to his drill!
Death to his “Open wides” !
Kill! KU1! Kill !

—A poem from Tasmania

Read the statements given below and attempt the task as directed :
Question 1.
The patient ……… to go to the dentist
(i) loves
(ii) is encouraged
(iii) dislikes
(iv) had

Question 2.
The doctor quotes …….
(i) This is going to hurt’
(ii) “This might hurt’
(iii) The extraction is painful’
(iv) The extraction will hurt a little bit’

Question 3.
The instructions given by the dentist ……….
(i) will help the dentist do the needful
(ii) will not help the dentist do the needful
(iii) will help the patient get rid of the pain
(iv) will not help the patient get rid of the pain

Question 4.
The word ‘Amalgam’ is
(i) a verb
(ii) an adjective
(iii) a noun
(iv) an adverb

Question 5.
The patient’s sense of thinking
(i) is positive about the dentist
(ii) is negative about the doctor and his techniques
(iii) is of killing everything
(iv) is to ignore the dentist’s instructions
Answers:
1. (iii)
2. (ii)
3. (i)
4. (iii)
5. (ii)

Passage 6

Weavers, weaving at break of day,

Why do you weave a garment so gay ?
Blue as the wing of a halcyon wild,
We weave the robes of a newborn child.
Weavers, weaving at fall of night,
Why do you weave a garment so bright ?
Like the plumes of a peacock purple and green,
We weave the marriage-veils of a queen.
Weavers, weaving solemn and still,
What do you weave in the moonlight chill ?
White as a feather and white as a cloud,
We weave a dead man’s funeral shroud.

Read the statements given below and attempt the task as directed :
Question 1.
The ‘break of day’ has parallel thoughts to :
(i) the day is over
(ii) the new-born babies
(iii) cheerful looking colours
(iv) both (ii) and (iii)

Question 2.
‘Blue’ is common to :
(i) sky, halcyon
(ii) halcyon, new born baby
(iii) baby, its dress
(iv) both (i) and (ii)

Question 3.
The colour of the baby’s dress is:
(i) silver
(ii) gray
(iii) white
(iv) blue

Question 4.
The phrase ‘white as a cloud’ is a :
(i) metaphor
(ii) simile
(iii) consonance
(iv) assonance

Question 5.
Weavers weave different colours :
(i) to match the occasion
(ii) to match the person
(iii) to bring out beauty
(iv) both (i) and (ii)
Answers:
1. (iv)
2. (i)
3. (iv)
4. (ii)
5. (iv)

Passage 7

The Lion and the Echo

1 The king of the Beasts deep in the wood,

Roared as loudly as it could.
Right away the echo came back
And the lion thought itself under attack.

2 “What voice is that roars like mine ?”

The echo replied “Mine, mine…”

3 “Who might you be ?” asked the furious lion

“I’m King of this jungle, this jungle is mine.”
And the echo came back a second time,
‘This jungle is mine, is mine, is mine.”

4 The lion swore revenge if only it could

Discover the intruder in the wood.
It roared, “Coward! Come out and show yourself!’
But the fearless echo replied simply “…elf, elf”

5 “Come out,” said the lion, “enough deceit,

Do you fear, for your own defeat ?
But all the echo did was repeat
“Defeat., .defeat.. .defeat…”

6 Frightened by every conceivable sound,

The exhausted lion sank to the ground.
A bird in a tree looked down and it said
“Dear lion, I’m afraid that what you hear
Is simply the voice of your lion-sized fear !”

Read the statements given below and attempt the task as directed :
Question 1.
‘The king of beasts got rid of his fear’ means
(i) he partially got rid of it
(ii) he got rid of it
(iii) he did not get rid of it
(iv) Both (0 and (ii)

Question 2.
It was difficult for the lion
(i) to kill any other beast
(ii) to kill the beast in the waters
(iii) to win over his fear
(iv) to conquer himself

Question 3.
The mind should always be free
(i) of tensions
(ii) of all sort of fears
(iii) of positive thoughts
(iv) of making clever plans
Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow :

Read the passages given below and answer the questions that follow :

Passage 1

I had given those boots up when one evening they came. One by one I tried them
on. In shape and fit, in finish and quality of leather they were the best he had ever
made. I flew downstairs, wrote a cheque and posted it at once with my own hand.

A week later, passing the little street, I thought I would go in and tell him how splendidly the
new boots fitted. But when I came to where his shop had been, his name was gone.
I went in very much disturbed. In the shop, there was a young man with an English face.
“Mr. Gessler in ?” I said.
“No, sir,” he said. “No, but we can attend to anything with pleasure. We’ve taken the shop
over.”
“Yes. yes,” I said, “but Mr. Gessler ?”
“Oh !” he answered, “dead.”
“Dead ! But I only received these boots from him last Wednesday week.”

Questions
1. What did the author do on receiving the boots ?
2. Why did the author go to the shop ?
3. Why was the author disturbed ?
4. Find a word in the passage which means the same as ‘upset’.
Answers:
1. The author tried the boots on his feet. Then, he wrote a cheque and posted it.
2. The author went to the shop to see Mr. Gessler. He wanted to tell him how good
the boots were.
3. The author was disturbed when he did not find Mr. Gessler’s name on the shop.
4. ‘Disturbed’.

Passage 3

Then they dragged him out of doors, taking a spade and hoe with them. No sooner
had the dog got near a pine tree growing in the garden than he began to paw and
scratch the ground, as if a mighty treasure lay beneath.
“Quick, wife, hand me the spade and hoe !” cried the greedy old fool, as he danced
with joy.

Then the covetous old fellow, with a spade, and the old crone, with a hoe, began to
dig; but there was nothing but a dead kitten, the smell ofwhich made them drop their
tools and shut their noses. Furious at the dog, the old man kicked and beat him to
death, and the old woman finished the work by nearly chopping off his head with the
sharp hoe. They then flung him into the hole and heaped the earth over his carcass.

The owner of the dog heard of the death of his pet and, mourning for him as if he
had been his own child, went at night under the pine tree.
Questions
1. Who dragged whom out of the door ?
2. Why did the man dance with joy ?
3. Why was the dog killed ?
4. Find a word in the passage which means ‘cutting’.
Answers:
1. The greedy old man and his wife dragged the dog out of the door.
2. The man danced with joy thinking that he was going to get a hidden treasure.
3. The dog was killed by the old man and his wife. They killed the dog because they
felt that the dog had cheated them.
4. ‘Chopping’.

Passage 4

For example, we can take away the fuel. If the fire has no fuel to feed on, no burning
can take place. We often let a fire die out simply by not adding more fuel to it.

The second way of putting out a fire is to prevent oxygen from reaching it. No supply
of oxygen means no fire. Small fires can be put out or ‘smothered with a damp
blanket or a sack. This stops oxygen reaching the burning material. Sometimes,
carbon dioxide is used to extinguish fire. It does not allow oxygen to reach the
burning material.

The third way of putting out a fire is to remove the heat. If the temperature can be
brought down below the flash point, the fuel stops burning. You blow on a burning
matchstick or a candle to put it out. In doing so, you remove the hot air around the
flame bringing down its temperature below the flash point, and the candle goes out.
Sometimes, water is sprayed on a fire. It absorbs heat from the burning fuel and
lowers the temperature. The blanket of water also cuts off the supply of oxygen, and
the fire is extinguished.

Questions
1. How do people commonly extinguish a fire ?
2. How does a damp blanket help in putting out a fire ? –
3. What is a flash point ?
4. Find a word in the passage which means ‘suffocated’.
Answers
1. People generally extinguish a fire by stopping to add more fuel to it.
2. A damp blanket stops the flow of oxygen to the fire. The fire cannot bum without
oxygen and so the damp blanket helps in putting it out.
3. A flash point for an object is the temperature on which it bums.
4. ‘Smothered’.

1 “A scrubbing pail,’’ She said vexed. “A Mother’s Day gift of a scrubbing pail.” Her voice
almost broke.
2 Tears sprang to Nick’s eyes. Without a word he picked up the scrubbing pail and mop and
blindly trudged down the stairs. I put the comb in my pocket and ran after him. He was crying
and I felt so bad I began to cry, too. On the way down we met Father. Nick could not talk, so
I explained.
3 “I will take it back,” sobbed Nick.
4 “No,” said Father firmly, taking the pail. “It is a fine gift. A wonderful gift. I should have
thought of it myself. Women sometimes don’t see how to escape their burdens. They escape
in pretty baubles rather than lighter work.”
5 We all went upstairs again, Nick climbing very reluctantly. Inside the kitchen, Mother was
still scrubbing, but not vigorously. Slowly, sadly.
6 Without a word Father soaked the puddle of dirty water up with the mop and using the foot
wringer on the bucket, neatly squeezed it dry.
7 “You did not let Nick finish,” he said sternly.
8 “Part of his gift was that he was going to wash the floor from now on.” He looked at Nick.
“Isn’t that so, Nick ?”
9 With a flush of shame Nick understood the lesson. “Yes, oh, yes,” he said in a low, eager
tone.
10 Quickly, repentantly, Mother said, “It is too heavy work for a fourteen-year- old boy.”
11 It was then I realised how smart Father was. “Ah,” he said cunningly. “Not with this
wonderful wringer and scrub pail. It’s much easier. Your hands stay clean, and your knees
don’t hurt.” Again Father demonstrated quickly.
12 Mother said, looking sadly at Nick, “Ah, a woman can become so stupid.” She kissed Nick
and he felt better. Then they turned to me.
13 “Where is your gift?” asked Father. Nick looked at me and paled. I felt the comb in my
pocket. It would make the scrubbing pail again a scrubbing pail compared with a comb with
shining stones just like diamonds.
14 “Half the scrubbing pail,” I said mournfully, and Nick looked at me with love
in his eyes.

Read the statements given below and attempt the task as directed :
Question 1.
Mother did not like the gift
(i) of a diamond comb
(ii) presented by her husband
(iii) of a scrubbing pail
(iv) both (i) and (iii)

Question 2.
Nick could not talk as
(i) he had hurt his tongue
(ii) he was crying
(iii) he was badly hurt by mother’s refusal
(iv) both (i) and (ii)
Question 3.
Father was wise to tell the mother
(i) that Nick was going to help her in washing
(ii) that Nick was an obedient son
(iii) that Nick was 14 year old now
(iv) both (u) and (iii)

Question 4.
The narrator told a lie that
(i) he had bought a comb with diamonds
(ii) half of the cost of the pail was paid by him
(iii) Nick had paid the entire amount
(iv) both (i) and (ii)

Question 5.
Father said ‘sternly’. The word means
(i) in a harsh tone
(ii) roughly
(iii) cunningly
(iv) both (i) and (iii)

Passage 7

1 The grand fare was set before the friend and Moti Lai waited in agonising silence.
Today surely, his friend would not say that it did not compare with the feasts of his
village. With the great variety of food served, dinner took a long time.

2 At last the friend spoke, ‘Today, your food, dear Moti, was fit for the table of a king.
But still, it cannot compare with the feasts I have at home.”

3 Moti Lai nearly dropped down in disappointment. What were the feasts of his
friend’s village like? How lavish were they that the rich fare of his valley could not
even compare with them ?

4 At lunch the next day, the food was so delicious that passers-by stopped and
licked their lips at just the smell of it. Moti Lai bit his lips nervously. Yet once again
Kisan Lai’s response was, “I would really have said that the food today was
incomparable had I not tasted the feasts at home.”

5 Moti Lai silently acknowledged defeat and for the rest of Kisan Lai’s Stay, though
he always had the best of food served, he no longer tried to compete with the food
Kisan ate in his village. Eventually, Kisan Lai went away.

6 The years rolled by. One winter, Moti Lai decided to leave his snow-bound land for
a while to enjoy the warmer climate of the plains. He decided to visit his friend. It
would be a good opportunity, he felt, to taste the famous feasts of Kisan’s village and
their feasts had never really left Moti Lai’s thoughts.

7 Kisan Lai was delighted to see his friend after so many years. “Do stay and rest
here awhile”, he said and Moti Lai willingly accepted.

8 That evening Moti Lai spent the hours in great expectation. Dinner was served. A
servant brought in two plates. Rotis, a bowl of curd, salad, dal and a plate of
vegetables was all that had been served. Then the servant departed. Moti Lai waited
expectantly. The servant did not reappear. His friend turned to him and said, “Please
start your meal.” Moti Lai gulped down the food without a word. He told himself to be
patient. Surely, tomorrow the delicacies of the village would be served to him, he
thought.

(377 words)

Read the statements given below and attempt the task as directed :
Question 1.
Moti Lai had invited his friend to
(i) enjoy a ball
(ii) attend the party
(iii) a grand feast
(iv) share his joy

Question 2.
Moti Lai wondered
(i) why his friend spoke rudely
(ii) how the village feast was better than the valley feast
(iii) why he was so silent
(iv) why he never relished the good food

Question 3.
Kisan Lai never approved of valley food as
(i) nature was its best in the plains
(ii) he believed in simple living
(iii) it was very rich and oily
(iv) both (i) and (iii)

Question 3.
Kisan Lai never approved of valley food as
(i) nature was its best in the plains
(ii) he believed in simple living
(iii) it was very rich and oily
(iv) both (i) and (iii)

Question 4.
The noun form of ‘agonising’ is
(i) agonised
(ii) agony
(iii) agonises
(iv) will agonise

Question 5.
Kisan Lai was very happy
(i) to see his friend the next day
(ii) to see his friend after so many years
(iii) to serve his friend rich food
(iv) to serve his friend fruits and delicacies
Answers:
1. (iii)
2. (ii)
3. (ii)
4. (ii)
5. (ii)

Letter writing is one of the very effective modes of communication. Letters can
be :
1. Personal — to friends or relatives.
2. Business — placing and receiving orders, complaints etc.
3. Official — to different government or public offices.
4. Invitations — formal and informal.
The form or Structure
Each type of letter has its own particular form, but there are certain features common
to all types. These are :
1. The Heading
This consists of the writer’s address and the date which should be written at the top
left-hand comer of the letter. For example :
58, Roypeta
Chennai
28 March, 2016
Notes : The heading may not be written in formal invitation.

2. The Date
Always write the date below the sender’s address. The students can choose any of
the following ways of writing the date.

1. 10 March 2016
2. 10 March, 2016
3. 10th March, 2016
4. March 10, 2016

Unless mentioned in the question, students should write the same date on which
they are taking the examination.

3. Greeting or Salutation
The salutation should be written below the address and date after leaving the space
of a line or so. The form of salutation will vary according to the type of letter you
write.
A. Personal Letter
(a) To members of the family, the salutation will be :
My dear Father, My dear Mother, My dear Sister, My dear Brother, etc.
To uncles, aunts, cousins, etc, you may use either ‘My dear’ or ‘Dear’ depending
upon your intimacy with them.

(b) To friends, the salutation will be :

Dear Mr. Sharma (not very intimate)
Dear Mohan (intimate)
My dear Mohani (very intimate and affectionate)

(c) To strangers the salutation will be just formal. If they are men, it will be ‘Dear Sir’,
if women, it will be
‘Dear Madam’.

4. The Address on the Envelope or Superscription

The address should be written very clearly in this manner :
Mrs Anamika Raj
58, Mount Road
Chennai
Notes :
 1. When you write a letter in an examination paper, don’t write your real name or
address. You may use a fictitious name.
2. Remember that the style of a personal letter is quite different from business,
official or any other type of letters. These are intimate and long whereas the
others are brief and to the point.

To Friends and Relatives

Question 1.
Inviting a Friend on Marriage
Write a letter to your friend for inviting him on the marriage ceremony of your brother.
Answer:
27, Sector – 15,
Delhi
20 June, 2016
15, ABC Colony,
Delhi
Sub : Marriage invitation
Dear Friend
How are you ? You will be glad to know that my younger brother Mohan’s marriage
is taking place on 30th of this month. My would be sister-in-law is a government
teacher. The name of her school is Govt. Sr. Sec. School, Panipat. As you know we
have invited very few persons and you are one of them. Try to reach two days before
the marriage. I assure you that we will have a very nice time throughout the wedding
celebrations.
Please give your family members my regards and invitation.
Yours affectionately
Mohan

Question 2.
Describing how you celebrated your last birthday
You are Suresh of 25, Nehru Nagar, Hyderabad. Write a letter to your friend Vinaya
describing your birthday party.
Answer:
25, Nehru Nagar
Hyderabad
10 June, 2016
My dear Vinaya
Thank you for the good-wishes card sent by you on my birthday. The card was really
beautiful. However, I missed you.
Any way, my parents held a party on the occasion. All my relatives and friends came
to wish me a happy birthday.
Everybody liked the birthday cake. There was a special programme of dance and
music. We enjoyed ourselves till late in the evening.
My uncle from England gave us a surprise visit. My parents were very glad at it. My
uncle brought with him a special gift from London. I will show you the same when
you come here.
With love.
Yours affectionately
M. Suresh

Question 3.
To father for replacement of watch
Your father has sent you a watch as a present on your birthday, but it is not keeping
correct time. Write a letter informing him of this fact and requesting him to get it
replaced. You are Sudha/Sudhir.
Answer:
Miranda Hostel
ABC School
New Delhi
March 1, 2017
Dear Father
Thank you very much for sending the beautiful wrist watch on my birthday. However,
the watch has some defect. It loses about five minutes in every twenty- four hours. It
has one year’s guarantee. So kindly get it replaced. Kindly tell me whom to send it
to.
I shall wait for your letter. I am quite well here. I hope that everything is fine there at
home.
With regards
Yours lovingly
Sudhir

Question 4.
To uncle thanking him for a nice birthday gift
Your Uncle has presented a book to you on your birthday. It is related with the art of
living. Pointing out the usefulness of the book in life, write a letter in about 100 words
thanking your uncle for sending this valuable gift. You are Navin/ Nalini living at 250,
Rqjdhani Enclave Baroda.
Answer:
250 Rajdhani Enclave
Baroda
July 10, 2016
My dear Uncle
It is always a pleasure to hear from you. Last Friday was my 11th birthday. The
same day I received your gift of a book along with your blessings.

Thank you very much for this valuable gift. I have not read the entire book. But the
little that I have read is highly useful and entertaining. I feel that these are the things
that matter most. I am sure the book will remain with me all my life.
I thank you once again for the kind and useful gift.
Yours affectionately
Navin

Question 5.
To a friend inviting him to the Book Fair
Your friend, Kunal is fond of reading good books. Write a letter to him inviting him to
visit the Book Fair which is going to be held in your city in December. You are Rajiv
Mittal, living at H-15, Ballabh Colony, New Delhi
Answer:
H-15, Ballabh Colony
New Delhi
2 December, 2016
My dear Kunal
Thank you very much for your letter. I am glad that everybody is fine.
Our city is holding a Book Fair in the third week of December. All the major
publishers of the country and from abroad are taking part. It is an opportunity for
book-lovers. You are very fond of reading good books. So I invite you to visit this
Book Fair in our city. When are you coming to us for this purpose ?
Yours sincerely .
Rajiv

Business Letters

1. Business letters should be short and to the point. Businessmen are always busy.
They have no time to read long and confusing letters.
2. The style is always very formal. Certain terms of polite expressions are used, such
as—
“I shall be much obliged if you send me,”
“Please despatch at your earliest convenience,” etc.
3. Business jargon should be avoided.
4. Avoid abbreviations as far as possible.
5. While ordering goods, care should be taken to give clear and exact descriptions of
the articles wanted. If you are making a complaint, it should also be very clear
though polite.

See the following examples of business letters :

Question 1.
From head boy to the publishers ordering books for school library
You are David, Head Boy of Christian Model School, Emakulam Write a letter to
United Publishers, Emakulam, asking them to send some popular science books for
your school library.
Answer:
Head Boy
Christian Model School
Emakulam
10 September, 2016
The United Publishers
Emakulam
Dear Sir
You have been supplying books to our school library on different subjects. However,
it is found that our library does not have many popular science books.
You are, therefore, requested to send the following books at your earliest.

uestion 1.
You are Ram. This morning you received a call from Mr. Mohan, your father’s friend. Your
father was out. Mr. Mohan asked you to convey to your father that he was in fever and not in
a position to go to the office today. He has asked your father to inform the Managing Director
about it. Write the message for your father.
Answer:

Message

10th June, 2016

10 a.m.

Dear Father
This morning one Mr. Mohan called upon you when you were out. He has left a
message for you that he won’t go to office today. He is in fever. He has requested
you to inform the Managing Director on his behalf and get the leave granted. He will
submit the leave application when he goes to the office.
Ram

Question 2.
Read the following conversation carefully.
Ram: I am Ram, a friend of Mohan. Where is he ?
Sohan: He has gone to the market. Can I help you please ?
Ram: Oh, Sure. Please convey to him that today’s music classes shall remain
suspended because the teacher is not well. The same will be held on Sunday. Could
you please pass this message to him ?
Sohan: Oh ! Sure.
Ram: Thank you.
As Sohan is going to his tuition classes he needs to write the message for Mohan.
Write the message on his behalf.
Answer:

Message

1st June, 2016

10 a.m.

Message

1st June, 2016

10 a.m.

Dear Mohan
Today your friend Ram called upon you when you had been to the market. He said
that your music classes shall remain suspended because your teacher is not well.
The same will be held on Sunday.
Sohan

Question 3.
Sashi had the following conversation with Ajith, a friend of his elder brother :
Ajith : May I speak to Rohan, please ? I am Ajith, his friend.
Sashi : Rohan is not at home. I am Sashi his brother. Can I do anything for you ?
Ajith : I have to inform something to him.
Sashi : Please tell me. I will inform him.
Ajith : Yesterday, we had decided to meet at 5 p.m. in Colony’s park. So please
remind him.
Sashi : Sure, I will inform him when he comes back.
As Sashi had to leave for his tuition classes, write the message on his behalf.
Answer:

Message

10 June, 2016

10 a.m.

Brother
Ajith had called upon you when you had been to market. He has left a message to
remind you about your meeting with him at 5 p.m. in Colony’s Park. Don’t forget it,
please.
Sashi
Question 1.
You are Natrqj, School Captain of Holy Child School, Indore. Write a notice to inform the
students about a debate competition to be held on 25th of July.
Answer:
Holy Child School, Indore
Notice

Holy Child School, Indore

Notice

2nd June 2016

A debate competition will be held on 25th of July 2016 in G.V.M. College, Indore.
Interested students are requested to submit their names to the undersigned by 20th
June 2016.
Natrqj
School Captain

Question 2.
You are Mohan/Radha, the head boy/girl of GVM School, Pune. Your school is
organising a tour to Goa. Write out a notice inviting students who want to join the
torn:. Put the notice in the box.
Answer:

G.V.M. School, Pune

Notice

1st June 2016

The school is organising a five-day tour to Goa as per details given below :
Classes – VI to X
Date of Departure : 20th June ;
Date of Arrival : 24th June
Interested students have to deposit ? 4000 each. 7th June is the last date for
enrolment. The money and the consent of the parents must be given to the
undersigned before that.
Mohan
Head Boy

Question 5.
You are Anupam, the editor of the school magazine, and want to hold an interclass
competition to collect poems and cartoons for the magazine before 20 August, 2016. Draft a
notice for the students’ notice board inviting entries. Mention all details required like entry
dates, prizes etc. Give your notice an appealing heading.
Answer:
 Rosemary Model School
Win A Fabulous Prize

There will be an inter-class competition for collecting poems, cartoons etc for the
school magazine, on 25 August, 2016 at 1 pm in the school hall. Students willing to
participate should give their names to the undersigned by 20 August, 2016. The
winning articles cany prizes of? 500, 300, 100 respectively. The decision of the
judges shall be final and binding.
10 August, 2016
Anupam
Editor

Write a notice for the school notice board informing students about school inspection
to be held on 10 November, 2016 by the District Education Officer. The notice should
be of 50 words asking for punctuality, cleanliness and discipline.
Answer:

ABC Public School School Inspection

November 3, 20xx
The District Education Officer will visit the school for inspection on 10th November
20xx. All the students of the school are requested to be particularly careful on the
occasion. They should be extremely punctual, ! clean and disciplined. They should
be attentive to what their teachers tell j or teach them on the occasion.
—Head Boy

You are the Cultural Secretary of your school. You have been asked to inform
students of Classes VI to VIII about an Inter School Dramatics Competition. Draft a
notice in about 50 words to be put up on the school notice board, with all necessary
details.
Answer:

ABC School

3rd November, 2Oxx

An Inter School Dramatics Competition will be held in Tagore Stadium on 20
November, 20xx. Students of Classes VI to VIII who wish to participate in the
competition should assemble for a trial on November 10, in the school hall. The
teacher incharge of Dramatics will make the selection.
Veenapani
(VEENAPANI)
Cultural Secretary
Question 1.
Puran Singh is to board the Shatabdi Express on way to Calcutta. At New Delhi railway
station just before the train is going to leave the station he remembers that he has put the
keys of the almirah among his books. He decides to write a postcard to his sister Sonu
asking her to put the keys either at the mantelpiece or give them to mother. Write the
postcard to Sonu, using not more than 50 words.
Answer:
15 March, 2017
Dear Sonu
Now it is just 5 minutes for the train to leave. I suddenly remember that I left the almirah keys
among my books. Please put them on the mantelpiece or give them to mother to avoid

Question 2.
Anupam Verma was on his way to a round tour of south India with his school party. At
Sonepat, just before the Jhelum Express was due to arrive, he remembered something
important. It was that he issued a cheque for his friend but he left it in his coat’s pocket. His
friend was to collect it after 3 days and he was to ask his mother to give that to his friend. He
decided to write a postcard to his brother, Arun, asking him to give the cheque to his friend
when he called. He had only a few minutes before his train left. Write the postcard to Arun,
using not more than 50 words.
Answer:
20 June, 2016
Dear Arun
I forgot to ask Mom to give a cheque to Asheem when he comes. It is in my coat’s inside
pocket. Give it to him when

Question 3.
Suppose you are Rakesh. Your uncle has sent you an alarm clock on your birthday.
Write a postcard thanking him.
Answer:
Ashok Nagar
Sonepat, Haryana
20 July, 2016
My dear Uncle
Thank you for the gift of an alarm clock. I liked it very much. In fact, it is the best among all
the gifts I got at (on) my birthday. It is beautiful and useful for me. I missed you much on
 To Friends

Question 1.
Write an e-mail to your cousin advising him how to use the internet. You can use the
hints given below :

Permission from parents before using the internet—Never meet people in real ; life—May not be as

claim—Ask parents before filling any forms—Never give ; out credit card-details—Don’t open a mail

an unknown source—Never post photo online—Keep your password a secret.

Answer:

Date : 3 March 20xx

From : shankar

Subject: Using internet

To : [email protected]

Dear Kishu

I have heard about your love for internet. I agree that it is a very important and useful source of incre

our knowledge. However, I am afraid. We, the students treat it mostly for fun and entertainment. No

this, we ; use it for giving all information about ourselves. When we do so, we are inviting trouble. I w

suggest you that it should be used very carefully.Make it a point never to use the internet without

informing your parents 1 about what you intend to do. Second, it is very likely that you develop ; som

sort of intimacy with some people while talking to them on the internet, i Do not accept their invitatio

meet you face to face. Personal information ! like your password or your bank account number are n
things of j public use. Never disclose them. With regards.

Yours sincerely

Shankar

To School Authorities

Question 5.
Write an e-mail to the Principal of your school requesting him to give you one week’s
leave as your grandmother expired last night
Answer:

Date : 3 March 20xx

From : [email protected]

To : [email protected]

Subject: Application for leave

Sir

Kindly grant me leave for a week as I shall not be able to attend my : classes during that period. Tod

have got a telephonic message from my j home in Bihar. The message is that my grandmother has

last night. I have been asked to reach my home in Patna as soon as possible. So I am leaving

immediately.I’ll be able to come back when the last rites have been performed. This j will be five day

from now. If I start on the same evening. I shall reach here ! before the expiry of the week. So I requ

you to grant me leave.I assure you that on my return, I’ll make up the lost time with my hard ; work a
help from my friends. I shall be grateful for your kind permission,

Yours obediently

Abhay

Business/Commercial

Question 6.
You purchased a colour television from M/s Diamond Electronics, Bhagirath Palace,
New Delhi. Since the television is now not working properly, write an e-mail to the
company asking for its replacement immediately.
Answer:

Date: 3 March 20xx

From: [email protected]

Subject: Replacing of the colour television

To: [email protected]

M/s Diamond Electronics

Via receipt no. 161 dated January 3, 20xx, we bought a colour T.V. from your shop. In fact, it started

troubling us from the day 1. When we reported i the matter, you sent a mechanic. He replaced a cer

part of the TV set I and it started working. Some more trouble cropped up and each time you sent th

mechanic who made some correction.However, we are now completely fed up with this set as it is n

working again. We, therefore, request you to replace this set with a new one. This set, certainly, has
some manufacturing defect which cannot be corrected.

An early action will oblige us.

With thanks.

Yours faithfully

Ankit

To Officials

Question 7.
The sanitary conditions of your locality are in a bad shape. Write an e-mail to the
sanitary inspector based on the hints given below :

Hints : No sweepers—heaps of garbage—blocked drainage—careless people—no use of dustbins—

regular visit of officials—a dire need—fear of diseases

Answer:

Date : 3 March 20xx

From: [email protected]

To : [email protected]

Subject: Bad conditions of the locality

Dear Sir

I wish to invite your attention to the insanitary conditions of Lajpat ; Nagar. It is so bad that I fear the
spread of several diseases.

There are heaps of garbage. Drains are blocked. While passing through : the streets, people can be

putting their handkerchief on their noses.Mounds of rubbish emit foul smell. I am afraid that if nothin

done quickly, a disease might spread.

I’ll request you to send your people to clean the colony and visit it regularly. Only this can check it fr

becoming a vast garbage field.

Yours sincerely

Roshanlal

CBSE Class 7 English Grammar Pronouns

and Possessive Adjectives
The Pronouns
(a) We may say—
Sheela is absent because Sheela is ill.
But it is better to avoid the repetition of the noun Sheela, and say Sheela is absent because
she is ill.
Definition. A word that is used to replace a noun is called pronoun.
(The word ‘Pronoun’ means ‘for a noun’.)
(b) If the number of noun is singular, persons of the male sex are referred to by
‘he, him, his, himself. Persons of the female sex take, ‘she, her, hers, herself. Non-living
things are referred to by ‘it, its and itself.’

(c) If the number of noun is pluial, persons of either sex as also the non-living | things, are
referred to by ‘they, them their, theirs, themselves’.

(d) An animal is generally referred to by the neuter ‘it’, even if the noun denotes one sex
only.
‘ I watched the cow as it grazed peacefully.
However, if there is something in the situation that draws attention to the sex I of the animal,
then ‘he’ or ‘she’ may be used.
There is a cow with her calf.
For animals which occur in a story as characters or the animals which are thought of as
members of the family, he, she etc may be used.
We have a monkey in the house.
Have you seen him ?

Possessive Adjectives

The words ‘his’, ‘her’ and those derived from them are called possessive adjectives. They
must agree in gender with the words which they refer back. The gender of these possessive
adjectives has nothing to do with the nouns they follow:
Ram gave a present to his mother. (not her mother)
Sita gave a present to her brother as well as to her sister. (not his brother or his sister)
The cycle was restored to its owner. (not his or her owner)

Look at the following table. It will help you to use correct pronoun or possessive adjective.
a person, man, boy, everybody girl, every girl, woman, every he, him, his, himself she, her, hers, herself it

woman a thing, an animal one all plurals (men, women, animals, itself one, one’s, oneself they, them, their, th

people, things) themselves

The table above gives only the third person.

The one below is more exhaustive.

Personal Pronoun Reflexive

Possessive Adjective Possessive Pronoun
Pronoun
Subject Object

I
 Personal Pronoun Possessive Possessive Reflexive
Adjective Pronoun Pronoun
Subject Object

I me my mine myself

you you your yours yourself, yourselves

he him his his himself

she her her hers herself

it it its its itself

one one one’s one’s oneself

we us our ours ourselves

you you your yours yourselves

they them their theirs themselves

Exercise 1
(Solved)

Fill in the blanks with suitable pronouns.

1. Ram and …………… were present.
2. Can you sing as well as …………… ?
3. Wait for Mohan and …………… .
4. It was …………… that gave you the alarm.
5. We are not so poor as …………… .
Answers
1. I/you/he/she
2. he/they/I/she
3. me/them/us/her
4. I/he/she
5. he/they/she/you

Exercise 2
(Solved)

Insert his, her, its or their in the blank spaces.

1. The poor boy has lost …………… mother.
2. I am two years older than …………… brother.
3. Ram has taken …………… wife to the doctor.
4. The manager asked the visitors to wait outside …………… office.
5. Have you seen …………… pen anywhere ?
Answers:
1. his
2. his/her/my
3. his
4. his/her/my
5. his/her

Exercise 3
(Solved)

Fill in the blanks with pronouns or possessives.

1. The small child was crying for mother.
2. We watched the cow as placidly chewed the grass.
3. There is a cow with calf.
4. Every student passed examination.
5. The purse was restored to owner.
6. You must write essay more carefully.
7. We offered to help In their difficulty.
8. Could you please lend your book ?
Answers:
1. its/his
2. it
3. her
4. his
5. its
6. your
7. them
8. me

Exercise 4
(Solved)

Rearrange the following into meaningful sentences :

1. his / the manager / into / visitors / the / office / called.

2. Ram / his / her /seaside / in the hope / will improve / health / has taken / wife / to the / that /
it
3. examination / he / is very proud / her / his / daughter’s success / in / of
4. he spent / on a birthday present for / his / sister / all / pocket money / his
5. no one likes / to be doubted / word / his
6. Mary / brother / and / have / gone / her / to visit / aunt / their
Answers
1. The manager called the visitors into his office.
2. Ram has taken his wife to the seaside in the hope that it will improve her health.
3. He is very proud of his daughter’s success in her examination.
4. He spent all his pocket money on a birthday present for his sister.
5. No one likes his word to be doubted.
6. Mary and her brother have gone to visit their aunt.
Exercise 5
(For Practice)

The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Find the
incorrect word and write it along with the correction in your answer sheet. Do not
forget to underline the correction.
You am sorry to bring to (a) _______
my notice the very bad condition (b) _______
of their locality. I contacted the (c) _______
municipal authorities and we assured (d) _______
me that she would look into the (e) _______
matter. However he regret to say that nothing has been done. (f) _______

Exercise 6
(For Practice)

The following passage has not been edited. There is an error in each line. Find the
incorrect word and write it along with the correction in your answer sheet. Do not
forget to underline the correction.
There was an old couple their only (a) _______
pet was a dog. The woman made them a cushion. On it sat Muko — for that (b)
_______
was her name — as snug as a cat. (c) _______
The kind people fed it with his own. (d) _______
chopsticks. The dog loved your protector like a being with a soul. (e) _______

Multiple Choice Questions

Choose the correct option of Pronouns :

Question 1.
Ronny and his friends went home. The pronoun which can replace ‘Ronny and his
friends’ is
(i) Their
(ii) Altogether
(iii) Them
(iv) They

Question 2.
Choose the correct option :
(i) You are sorry to bring to my notice
(ii) You are sorry to bring to your notice
(iii) I am sorry to bring to your notice
(iv) Both (0 and (ii)
Question 3.
(i) Robby and me were present
(ii) Robby and I were present
(iii) Robby and myself were present
(iv) Both (0 and (ii)

Question 4.
(i) The cycle was restored to its owner
(ii) The cycle was restored to his owner
(iii) The cycle was restored to her owner
(iv) Both (i) and (ii)

Question 5.
(i) Pronominal Adjectives are also termed as Possessive Adjectives
(ii) Pronominal Adjectives are not termed as Possessive Adjectives
(iii) Pronominal Adjectives are opposite to Possessive Adjectives
(iv) Both (ii) and (iii)
Answers:
1. (iv)
2. (iii)
3. (ii)
4. (i)
5. (i)

1. Read the following sentences carefully :

1. Birds fly in the air.

2. My brother flew to England last week.
3. I shall fly a kite on Sunday.

In the first sentence the Verb ‘fly* refers to the action in Present time, in the second
sentence the Verb ‘flew’ refers to the action in the Past, while the Verb in the third
sentence ‘shall fly’ refers to the action in Future.
2. The Tense of a Verb shows the time when an action takes place.
There are three Tenses :
I. Present Tense
II. Past Tense
III. Future Tense

3. In order to show at what stage an action is, each of the three tenses has been
sub-divided into four heads. These sub-divisions are—

Tense Indefinite Continuous or Progressive Perfect Perfect Continu

Present I play I am playing I have played I have been playing

Past I played I was playing I had played I had been playing

Future I shall play I shall be playing I shall have played I shall have been pl

Thus, the tense of a verb does not show the time of an action or event alone. It
shows the state of that action also.

I. The Present Tense

A. Simple Present Tense

The Simple Present is used to express :
(i) A habitual action
(ii) A general truth
(iii) What is happening (in exclamatory sentences only)
(iv) An order or request.

(i) A habitual action :

I go for a walk daily.
He comes to school at 8 O’clock.
(ii) General truth :
The sun rises in the east.
Two and two make four.
(iii) What is happening :
Here comes the chief guest!
(iv) An order or request:
Obey your teachers.
 Exercise 1
(Solved)

Fill in the blanks in the following with the correct form of the verb given in
brackets : (Present Tense)
1. I ………… in Model Town. (live)
2. The mother ………… food for us. (cook)
3. She ………… to temple every morning. (go)
4. He ………… on me whenever he wants. (call)
5. I ………… what my sister ………… . (eat)
6. My father ………… from his office in the evening. (return)
Answers:
1. live
2. cooks
3. goes
4. calls
5. eat, eats
6. returns.

B. Present Continuous Tense

(Is/am/ are + Verb + ing)
(i) In order to form the Present Continuous Tense, we add Present Participle
to is, am or are. The Present Participle is formed by adding ‘ing’ to the first form of
the verb.
‘Is’ is used with he, she, it or Third Person Singular Noun, ‘am’ is used with T and
‘are’ is used with we, you, they and plural Nouns. .
Examples : She is singing a song.

(ii) In Interrogative form, the helping verb is used before the subject.
IIs/am/are + Subject + (Verb + ing) …. ?)
Examples : Are you going home ?

(iii) In Negative form, we add ‘not between the Principal Verb and the operative
helping verb.
[Subject + is/am/are + not + {Verb + ing) …]
Examples y She is not weeping.

Uses of the Present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous Tense is used with the words—at this time, at present, at
the moment, now, nowadays, still etc. and in the following cases :
(a) To describe an action in progress and/or the continuity of the action.
The girls are singing a chorus.
(b) To describe an action in progress, but not necessarily at the time of speaking.
India is exporting onions to the Middle East.
What are you writing these days ?

Exercise 2
(Solved)
Fill in the following blanks with correct the Present Continuous Tense of the
verbs given in brackets :
1. Look ! the sun ………… . (rise)
2. Why ………… you so fast ? (run)
3. The children ………… in the park. (play)
4. Mohini ………… a novel now. (read)
5. Water ………… from the running tap. (flow)
6. ………… it ………… outside now ? (rain)
7. What ………… your sister these days ? (do)
Answers:
1. is rising
2. are, running
3. are playing
4. is reading
5. is flowing
6. Is, raining
7. is, doing.

C. Present Perfect Tense

(Subject + Has /have + III form of the verb)
(i) In the Present Perfect Tense the past participle (III)) form of the verb is used with
has or have. ‘Has’ is added with third person singular subjects, as—‘he’, ‘she’, ‘if and
‘Have’ is added with T, ‘we’, ‘you’, ‘they and plural nouns.
He has won a prize.
You have insulted me.
I have taken the dose of medicine.

(ii) In Interrogative form [Has, have are placed before the subject.]
(Has/have + Subject + III form of the Verb…?)
Have they crossed the river ?
Where have you seen my brother ?

(iii) In Negative form [‘not’ is used between the main verb and the helping verb.]
(Subject : has /have + not + III form of the Verb…)
She has not come yet.
I have not received any information.

Uses of the Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect Tense is used with the words : yet, as yet, already, just, just
now, so far, since, ever since, presently, once, twice, thrice etc. and in the following
cases :
(a) To express an action that has been recently completed.
I have just received the letter.
(b) To describe an action the time of which is not given.
The train has steamed in.
(c) To describe a past experience.
I have seen this picture several times.
(d)To express an action that began in the Past and still continues.
He has worked in this school for five years, (is still working)

Exercise 3
(Solved)

Fill in the following blanks with the Present Perfect Tense of the verbs given in
brackets :
1. Where ………… you ………… your purse ? (lose)
2. ………… she not yet ………… her work ? (finish)
3. How many sums ………… she ? (solve)
4. My sister ………… from Meerut presently. (return)
5. Raju ………… Saroj since 1980. (know)
6. Asha ………… never ………… the Red Fort. (see)
Answers:
1. have, lost
2. Has, finished
3. has, solved
4. has returned
5. has known
6. has, seen.

D. Present Perfect Continuous Tense

(Subject + has /have + been + I form of the Verb + trig…)

In order to form the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, we put has been or have
been before the Present Participle Form of the Verb ; as—
It has been raining for two hours.
I have beenjlying a kite since 2 O’clock.
(a) The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe an action that began
in the Past, is still continuing and may extend into the Future ; as—
She has been waiting for you for three hours.
They have been playing cards since 10 A. M.
(b) This tense is also used to express an action in a sentence which begins with ‘For
how long’ or ‘Since when’, as in—
For how long have you been sitting here ?
Since when has he been living in this house ?
(c) This tense is also used to express an action which began in the past and has
been just completed. However, its result is visible in the present, as in—
I have been studying since morning and I am much tired now.
She has been washing the dishes for an hour and her clothes are dirty now.
Note : Since is used for a point of time.
For is used for a period of time.

Exercise 4
(Solved)
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense (Present Perfect Continuous) of
the verbs given in brackets :
1. It ………… outside for half an hour. (hail)
2. The storm ………… since 4 O’clock. (howl)
3. I ………… for the bus since morning. (wait)
4. Since when ………… you ………… in this school ? (read)
5. It ………… not ………… since midnight. (rain)
6. She ………… midnight oil for five years. (bum)
7. I ………… for the examination for one year. (prepare)
Answers:
1. has been hailing
2. has been howling
3. have been waiting
4. have, been reading
5. has, been raining/has, rained
6. has bumt/has been burning
7. have been preparing.

Exercise 5
(Solved)

I. Fill in the blanks with correct present tense form of the verbs given in
brackets :
1. Water ………… at 100°C. (boll)
2. We ………… a hockey match tomorrow. (play)
3. ………… your brother ………… his account ? (clear)
4. The cattle ………… In the field. (graze)
5. She ………… meat several times. (taste)

II. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs (present tense) given in
brackets :
1. There ………… (go) the bell!
2. If you ………… not ………… (obey), you will be punished.
3. ………… you ………… (go) for a walk daily ?
4. The players ………… (warm) themselves up at the moment.
5. The train ………… just ………… (arrive).

III. Supply the correct form of the verbs (present tense) given in brackets :
1. Ask him what he (want).
2. The girls (rehearse) a play for the School Day.
3. She (absent) herself since Monday last.
4. What (make) you laugh ?
5. I (fly) to New York next week.
Answers:
I.
1. boils
2. are playing
3. Has, cleared
4. graze
5. has tasted

II.
1. goes
2. do, obey
3. Do, go
4. are warming
5. has, arrived

III.
1. wants
2. are rehearsing
3. has been absenting
4. makes
5. am flying.

II. The Past Tense

A. The Past Indefinite Tense Or The Simple Past Tense

(Subject + II form of the Verb…)
In the Simple Past (Past Indefinite) Tense the second form of the Verb is
used; as—
He came here yesterday.
Did’ is used in the Interrogative and Negative sentences. ‘Did’ is also used
to lay emphasis. Only the first form of the Verb is used with ‘did’.
(i) In Interrogative Sentences [‘did’ is placed before the subject and verb in first form
after it ; as—]
(Did + Subject + I form of the Verb…?)
Did you show me your homework ?

(ii) In Negative Sentences [‘did not is put after the subject and first form of the verb is
used thereafter : as—]
(Subject + did + not + I form of the Verb…)
1 did not apply for leave.
Exception—I never told a lie.
(This sentence means—I did not ever tell a lie)

(iii) To lay emphasis

I did try to solve the question but was not able to solve it.

Uses of the Past Indefinite Tense

The Past Indefinite (Simple Past) Tense is used :
(a) To express an action completed in the past with reference to the time of
speaking.
I saw many birds in the zoo.
(b) To express habitual or regular action in the Past.
Gandhiji always spoke the truth.
(c) To express an event which occurred at a particular point in the Past.
My father came back home yesterday.
(d) To express an action which occupied a period of time in the Past, but is now
ended.
We lived in this house for ten years. (do not live now)
I stayed at the Green Hotel for two months. (not staying now)
(e) To express an action where some word, showing past action [yesterday, ago,
last, etc.) is given in the sentence, as,
He received your message yesterday.
I passed the S.S.C. Examination last year.
Mark the correct use of the Past Indefinite Tense in the following sentences.

Articles are a type of determiners. The term determiner covers several classes of

words which includes Definite and Indefinite Articles, the Demonstratives and
Adjectives of indefinite number and quantity, numerals and possessives.
Determiners identify or specify a noun in various ways, for example, by making it
definite (the child), indefinite (a child) or by indicating quantity or amount
(many/three/some children) etc. Here we will discuss only the Definite and Indefinite
Articles.

A,An and The are called articles. ‘A’ and ‘An’ are Indefinite articles as they are
used indefinitely before countable common nouns singular numbers. ‘A’ is used with
nouns beginning with consonants or consonant sound whereas ‘ An’ is used with
vowels or vowel sound.

Examples:

 a man an egg
 an hour (vowel sound) a union (consonant sound)
 The’ is Definite article as it points out some particular person or thing.

Examples:

 That is the umbrella I want.

 This is the hotel where we stay.
 The cow gives us milk.
 The man whom I met was very helpful.
  Use of ‘A’

1. It is used before a word beginning with a consonant; as

a boy, a girl, a table, a year.
2. It is used before a word beginning with a consonant; as
a boy, a girl, a table, a year.
3. It is used before the word ‘one’ that begins with the consonant sound of
‘was’;as
a one-eyed man, a one-rupee note
4. It is used before such ‘u’ when it sounds on yu;as
a useful animal, a European, a university.

Use of ‘An’

1. It is used before words beginning with a vowel; as

an aeroplane, an elephant, an inkpot, an orange, an umbrella.
2.  It is used before words beginning with a ‘h’ when it is silent; as
an honest man, an hour.
3.  It is used before words beginning with consonants having vowel sound;
as
an M.P., an M.L.A., an F.I.R., an M. Sc., an x-ray.

Use Of ‘The’

(i)  It is used before a particular person or thing; as

 The students of this class are very punctual.

 Did Reeta get the job she applied for?
 This is the boy I met yesterday.
 Let us go to the park.

(ii)  It is used to denote a whole class or kind; as

 The dog is a faithful animal.

 The horse runs fast.T
 The tiger is young.

(iii) It is used before common nouns which are names of things unique of then-
kind; as

 The sun shines in the sky.

 The earth moves round the sun.
 The moon is round today.
 The world is beautiful.

(iv) It is used before the names of directions, the dates of months; as

  The sun rises in the east.
 The sun sets in the west.
 I joined my job on the 10th of November.

(v) It is used before the superlative degrees of an adjective; as

 Raman is the best boy in the class.

 Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state of India.

(vi) It is used before the names of oceans, rivers, gulfs, seas, mountain ranges
and groups of islands; as

 Patna is situated on the bank of the Ganga.

 The Indian ocean is lying to the south of India.
 The Andamans lie in the east of India.
 The Persion Gulf countries have become wealthy.
 The Bay of Bengal lies in the west of India.

(vii) It is used before the names of races or nations; as

 The Indians are found in almost all the countries.

 The English exploited the Indians.
 The Muslims keep fast during the Ramzan.
 Holi is a festival of the Hindus.

(viii) It is used before the names of newspapers, religious books, famous

buildings, ships, historical events; as

 I read the Times of India daily.

 The Ramayana is the holy book of the Hindus.
 The Taj is famous for’ its beauty. .
 The Titanic got its tragic end.

(ix)  It is used before Proper nouns, Material nouns and Abstract nouns to
make them Common nouns: as

 Kalidas is the Shakespeare of India.

 He is the Tagore of Hindi poetry.
 The water of this well is fresh.
 The gold of this ring is pure.

(x) It is used before the musical instruments; as

 Rehman plays the harmonium.

 Richa plays the violin.
(xi) It is used before the inventions; as

 The telephone is very useful.

 Who invented the radio?

(xii) It is used before the parts of the body; as

 He got injury in the head.

 The rod hit him in the back.

(xiii) It is used before the political parties; as

 The Congress Party, The Communist Party

Omission of the Article The

Article is omitted before-Article is omitted before-

(i) Proper Nouns; as

 Kolkata, India, Ruchika, Mt. Everest, Sunday, January.Note: But we say the
Punjab, the USA, the Deccan

(ii) Arts and Sciences; as

 My favourite subject is Science.

 I like painting.

(iii)  Names of materials; as

 Her saree is made of cotton.

 Gold is costly.
 Note: But we say:
 The tea of Assam is very popular.

(iv) Abstract nouns used in general sense; as

 Honesty is the best policy.

 Health is better than wealth.

Exercise 1

Some of these sentences are right, but some of them need a/an. Put in a/an
where necessary. Write ok if the sentence is already correct.
 1. I have not got watch.
2.  Do you like cheese?
3.  Reena never wears hat.
4.  Are you looking for job? & m’miQWtS.
5.  Madhu does not eat meat.
6. She eats apple every day,
7. I am going to party tonight.
8. Music is wonderful thing.
9. Jamaica is island.
10. I don’t need key.
11. Everybody needs food.
12. I have good idea.
13. Can you drive car?
14. Do you want cup of coffee?
15. I don’t like coffee without milk.
16.  Don’t go out without umbrella.

Answer

1. …. a watch.
2.  OK
3.  … a hat.
4.  … a job?
5.  OK
6. . … an apple
7.  … a party.
8.  …a wonderful thing.
9. … an island.
10.  … a key.
11.  OK.
12. … a good idea
13. … a car.
14.  … a cup of coffee?
15. OK
16. .. an umbrella.

Exercise 2

Fill in the blanks with a/an or the:

1. We enjoyed our holiday………………….. hotel was very nice,

2.  Can I ask…………… question?
3.  You look very tired. You need……………… holiday.
4. ’Where is Om? ‘He is in ……………bathroom.’
5. Rita ………………is interesting person. You must meet her
6. A: Excuse me, can you tell me how to…………. get to city centre?
B: Yes, go straight on and then take…………….. next turning left.
7. A: Shall we go out for …………….meal this evening?
B: Yes, that is…………………. good idea.
 8. It is ……………….nice morning. Let us go for…………….. walk.
9. Sushma is……………..student. When she finishes her studies, she wants to
be ……………………….journalist.
10. Sushma lives with two friends in………………. flat near……….. college where
she is studying ………….flat is small but she likes it.
11. Rakesh and Reena have got two children,…………… boy and ……………girl
……………..boy is ten years old and ……….girl is three.
12. Mohan works in ……………..factory. Meeta has not got ………………job at
the moment.
13. ……………. man and ……………….woman were sitting opposite me
………….man was American but I think ……….woman was British.

Answer.

1. The
2.  a
3.  a
4.  the
5. an
6. The, the
7. a, a
8. a, a
9. a, a
10. a, the, The
11. a, a. The, the
12.  a, a.
13. a, a, The, the

Exercise 3

Put in a/an or the wherever necessary.

1. Don’t forget to turn off light when you go Out

2. Enjoy your holiday and don’t forget to send me post card.
3. What is name of this village?
4.  Canada is very big country.
5. Which is largest city in Canada?
6.  I like this room but I don’t like colour of carpet.
7. ‘Are you OK?’ ‘No, I have got headache’.
8.  We live in old house near station.
9. What is name of director of film we saw last night?

Answer

1.  Don’t forget to turn off the light when you go out.

2. Enjoy your holiday and don’t forget to send me a postcard.
 3. What is the name of this village?
4. Canada is a very big country.
5. Which is the largest city in Canada?
6. I like this room but I don’t like the colour of the carpet.
7. Are you OK? ‘No, I have got a headache’.
8.  We live in an old house near the station.
9. What is the name of the director of the film we saw last night?

Exercise 4

Put in a, an or the wherever necessary. Don’t use any article where it is not
necessary.

1.  My father is………………. M.A. in ………….mathematics.

2. Mumbai is…………. London of India.
3. We are going to………….. cinema.
4.  Yesterday I met…………. European playing with………………. boy.
5.  I have got ………headache.
6. ……..Ganga is……………….holy river.
7. ……….Quran is read by ………..Muslims.
8.  Rohit is ………..unique boy.
9. He is ……….most intelligent boy in the class.
10. I know how to play …………..sitar.
11. I live in …………Delhi.

Answer

1. an, X
2.  X, the
3.  the
4. a, a
5. a
6.  The, a
7. The, the
8. a

1. Consider the following sentences :

Lata sings a song.
A song is sung by Lata.
There is practically no difference in the meanings of these two sentences. These are
two different ways of presenting the same thing. But in the first sentence the Subject
performs the action while in the second sentence, the Subject of the Verb is acted
upon.
Thus, the voice shows whether the Subject of a Verb acts or is acted upon.
 Active Voice : When the Subject of a Verb acts, the Verb is said to be in the Active
Voice ; as—
I made a mistake.
Passive Voice : When the object of the Active Voice becomes the Subject, the Verb
is said to be in the Passive Voice ; as—
A mistake was made by me.
The Subject dominates in Active Voice but the Object dominates in Passive Voice.
2. Note. It is only the form of the verb in a sentence which shows whether the subject is
the doer or the receiver of the action. A sentence in passive voice may or may not
have the ‘by’ phrase attached. Thus in the above sentences, ‘A mistake was made’ is
a complete sentence.
3.  Rules for changing a Verb from the Active Voice into the Passive Voice :
4. . The object of the Active Verb is made the Subject of the Passive Verb.
2. The Subject of the Active Verb is made the object of some Preposition (generally
‘by’).
3. The Verb of the Active Voice gets the Past Participle form of the Finite Verb and
some form of the verb ‘to be’ (be, is, am, are, has been, have been, was, were, had
been, will be, is being, will have been, etc.) will be used before it in the passive voice.
4. Some vague and indefinite subjects like ‘everyone’, ‘they’, ‘people’, ‘someone’,
‘somebody’, ‘everybody’, ‘anybody’, etc. are dropped if they are the subjects of the
active voice. If so, the preposition ‘by’ is also not used.
5. The Tense of the Verb does not change.
5. 1. Consider the following sentences :
Lata sings a song.
A song is sung by Lata.
There is practically no difference in the meanings of these two sentences.
These are two different ways of presenting the same thing. But in the first
sentence the Subject performs the action while in the second sentence, the
Subject of the Verb is acted upon.
Thus, the voice shows whether the Subject of a Verb acts or is acted upon.
Active Voice : When the Subject of a Verb acts, the Verb is said to be in the
Active Voice ; as—
I made a mistake.
Passive Voice : When the object of the Active Voice becomes the Subject, the
Verb is said to be in the Passive Voice ; as—
A mistake was made by me.
The Subject dominates in Active Voice but the Object dominates in Passive
Voice.

Note. It is only the form of the verb in a sentence which shows whether the subject is the doer or the

receiver of the action. A sentence in passive voice may or may not have the ‘by’ phrase attached. T

the above sentences, ‘A mistake was made’ is a complete sentence.

6. 2. Rules for changing a Verb from the Active Voice into the Passive Voice :
1. The object of the Active Verb is made the Subject of the Passive Verb.

2. The Subject of the Active Verb is made the object of some Preposition (generally ‘by’).

3. The Verb of the Active Voice gets the Past Participle form of the Finite Verb and some form of the

‘to be’ (be, is, am, are, has been, have been, was, were, had been, will be, is being, will have been,

will be used before it in the passive voice.

4. Some vague and indefinite subjects like ‘everyone’, ‘they’, ‘people’, ‘someone’, ‘somebody’,

‘everybody’, ‘anybody’, etc. are dropped if they are the subjects of the active voice. If so, the prepos

‘by’ is also not used.

5. The Tense of the Verb does not change.

7. Example: He has done his work. (Active)

His work has been done by him. (Passive)
8. The Pronouns (when these act as subject) are changed as given below:

Subject Object

I becomes me

We becomes us

You becomes you

She becomes her

He becomes him

They becomes them

It becomes it

Who becomes whom

Tense Chart (Passive Voice’)

Tense Perfect
Indefinite Continuous

is/am/are + being + verb in

is/am/are + verb in third form has/have + been + verb in t
third form
is seen form
Present is being seen
am seen has been seen
am being seen
are seen have been seen
are being seen

was/were + being + verb in

was/were + verb in third form
third form had + been + verb in third fo
Past was seen
was being seen had been seen
were seen
were being seen

will/shall + be + verb in third will/shall + have been + ver

form third form

Future — No change
will be seen will have been seen

shall be seen shall have been seen

 

Tense Chart (Passive Voice’)

 Tense Perfect
Indefinite Continuous

is/am/are + being + verb in

is/am/are + verb in third form has/have + been + verb in t
third form
is seen form
Present is being seen
am seen has been seen
am being seen
are seen have been seen
are being seen

was/were + being + verb in

was/were + verb in third form
third form had + been + verb in third fo
Past was seen
was being seen had been seen
were seen
were being seen

will/shall + be + verb in third will/shall + have been + ver

form third form

Future — No change
will be seen will have been seen

shall be seen shall have been seen

 

The following four types of sentences cannot be changed into passive voice:

1. Present Perfect Continuous.

2. Past Perfect Continuous.

3. Future Continuous.

4. Future Perfect Continuous.

Exercise 1
(Solved)

I. Rewrite the following sentences putting the Verbs given against them in the
appropriate Passive Voice form :
1. She ……………… up by her aunt. (bring)
2. Invitation cards ……………… to all her friends. (send)
3. You will ……………… to the feast. (incite)
4. The result ……………… on Monday. (declare)
5. They ……………… at the report of the gun. (alarm)
8. We ……………… at his failure. (shock)
Answers:
1. was brought
2. have been sent
3. be invited
4. was declared/will be declared
5 were alarmed
6. were shocked

II Change the voice of the following sentences :

1. She sings a sweet song.
2. Do you not play hockey ?
3 Does he sell lottery tickets ?
4.1 am bending the branch.
5. Is she boiling potatoes ?
6. Are the servants bringing tea ?
Answers:
1. A sweet song is sung by her.
2. Is hockey not played by you ?
3. Are lottery tickets sold by him ?
4. The branch is being bent by me.
5. Are the potatoes being boiled by her ?
6. Is tea being brought by the servants ?

Exercise 2
(Solved)

Rearrange the following into meaningful sentences :

1 this novel / Premchand / was / by / written
2 the brave / admired / everywhere / are
3, a doll / the baby / given / was
4, them / I / known / am / to
5, by / the door / whom / opened / was ?
8, him / a reward / to / given / was
7. one / one’s / keep / should / promise
8. kept / be / should / promise
Answers:
1. This novel was written by Premchand.
2 The brave are admired everywhere.
3. The baby was given a doll.
4. I am knovT1 them.
5 By whom was the door opened ?
6. A reward was given to him.
7. One should keep one’s promise.
8. Promise should be kept.
 Exercise 3
(Solved)

Fill in the blanks in the following choosing one word each for every blank.

was, endured, be, opened, was opened, offered, considered, has, being

1. I ……………… the door.

2 The gate ……………… by the gatekeeper.
3. My pocket ……………… been picked.
4. The work is ……………… done.
5. I ……………… taught to read English.
6. He is ……………… a wise man.
7. What cannot ……………… cured must be
8. He was ……………… a chair.
Answers:
1. opened
2. was opened
3. has
4. being
5. was
6. considered
7. be, endured
8. offered.

Exercise 4
(Solved)

The following passage has not been edited. There is a word missing in each line.
Find the missing word and write it along with one word that comes before it and the
one that comes after it. Ensure that the word that forms your answer is underlined.
He asked to go down to the end of (a) _______
the garden. He was also to wash himself in water of the river there. The same (b)
_______
water was and sprinkled over everything (c) _______
which had changed into gold by Midas’ (d) _______
touch. The king felt a weight had lifted (e) _______
front his heart. He freed of the golden touch. (f) _______
Answers:
(a) He was asked
(b) also told to
(c) was brought and
(d) had been changed
(e) had been lifted
(f) He was freed
 Exercise 5
(Solved)

The following passage has not been edited. There is a word missing in each line.
Find the missing word and write it along with one word that comes before it and the
one that comes after it. Ensure that the word that forms your answer is underlined.
I elected to the Committee of the society. (a) _______
I was in advance that I was supposed to attend (b) _______
every meeting. But I was not much to speaking. My friends called me a drone. (c)
_______
The banter appreciated. A drone is (d) _______
generally to be a thorough idler. Not that (e) _______
I was not to speak but the words failed me. (f) _______
Answers:
(a) I was elected
(b) was told in
(c) much used to
(d) banter wa$ appreciated
(e) generally thought to
(f) not willing to

Exercise 6
(For Practice)

Say whether the following are Active or Passive Voice sentences.

1. They have not come yet.
2. Papers are thrown all over.
3. The earthquake destroyed the entire city.
4. The dogs are not allowed here.
5. You could do it easily.
6. The book is written in Hindi.
7. They guard that house.
8. The minority rights are protected.

Exercise 7
(For Practice)

Change the Voice of the following sentences :

1. This ticket will be given to you by the manager.
2. Why have you done this ?
3. A car ran over the dog.
4. We must obey the laws of the land.
5. By whom was the fair inaugurated ?
6. Gopal stole her butter.
 Uses of ‘SHALL’

1. Shall is used to denote Simple Future Time in the first person (I, We); as

 I shall play.
 I shall know my result tomorrow.
 We shall go to the market.
 We shall leave for Chennai in the morning.

2. Shall is used in the Second and Third persons to express :

(i) Command; as

 You shall do as I say.

 You shall not disobey your elders.
 He shall not tell a lie.

(ii) Promise; as

 You shall get a prize.

 They shall be rewarded for their work.
 He shall be promoted very soon.

(iii) Compulsion or necessity; as

 You shall be fined for making noise.

 You shall not enter the kitchen with dirty feet.
 He shall be punished for taking bribe.

(iv) Determination or certainty; as

 You shall go to the market at once.

 They shall follow me.

 He shall get good marks, I am sure.

II. Uses of ‘WILL’

 Will is used in the second and third persons (You, He, She, They, It) to
express Simple Future Time; as

 He will arrive here tomorrow.

 You will get promotion very soon.
  They will learn painting from their teachers.
 Will is used in the first person (I, We) to express-

(i) polite request or invitation; as

 Will you open the window, please?

 Will you have some more coffee?
 Will you drop this letter today?

(ii) Willingness; as

 At night, I will help you.

 I will come with you if you want.
 We will go there for your happiness.

(iii) Promise; as

 I will definitely go with you.

 I will assist you in this matter.
 We will fight for this cause.

(iv) intention; as

 From Delhi, we will go to Shimla.

 We will visit the theatre next week.
 I will highlight his point in the office.

(v) threat; as I will teach you a lesson.

 We will punish you severely.

III. Uses of ‘SHOULD’

1. Should is the past form of shall. It is used to express duty or moral

obligation in all the three persons; as

 We should obey our parents.

 People should be gentle and fair.
 He should not tell lies.
 You should come here on time.

2. Should is used when giving or seeking advice; as

 You should work hard.

 You should do regular exercise.
  How much should I pay to you?

3. Should is used to express disapproval; as

 You should not waste your time.

 You should not detain him for such a long time.

4. Should is used after lest to express purpose (usually negative); as

 Work hard lest you should fail.

 Walk slowly lest you should fall.

5. Should is used to express possibility, supposition and condition; as

 I think you should win the championship.

 He should be here by now-he left home at ten.
 This is a costlv saree; it should look beautiful.

IV. Uses of ‘WOULD’

Would is the past form of wilt Would is used to express

1. wish; as

 I would like to accompany you.

 They would like to settle the issue.

2. determination; as

 He would have his own way.

 I would buy this flat at any cost.

3. polite request; as

 Would you shut the window, please?

 Would you lend me your bicycle for an hour?

4. Willingness; as

 The boy would do as his father had told him to do.

 I would try my best to help him.

5. improbable condition; as

If I got a lottery, I would be very happy.

If a thief came here, he would find only books.
6. Past habit; as

 Every morning, he would go for a long walk.

 After eating food, he would take rest for an hour.

V. Uses of ‘CAN’
Can is a modal auxiliary which we use to say something is possible, that
someone has ability or capacity.

1. Can is used to express ability; as

 I can solve this sum.

 He can learn Japanese.

2. Can is used for giving permission; as

 You can go to the cinema, if you wish.

 You can go home if you have done your work.

3. Can is used for seeking permission; as

 Can I go home now?

 Can I use you pencil?

4. Can is used to express possibility; as

 Any team can win this match.

 He can reach here any moment.

VI. Uses of ‘COULD’

Could is the past form of can. It is used to express

1. Polite request; as

 Could I change my seat, please?

 Could I meet the Principal; please?

2. Possiblity in the past; as

 If I had money, I could buy a car.

 I wondered whether the news could be true.
 Capability or ability in the past; as I could swim when I was young.
 He could solve all the sums when he was only ten years old.
VII. Uses of ‘MAY
1. May is used to give or take permission; as

 May I come in, Sir? Yes, you may come in.

 May I go home now? Yes, you may go home now.

2. May is used to express wish, prayer and blessing; as

 May you live long!

 May God bless you!
 May you have the best of luck!

3. May is used to express possibility and uncertainty; as

 The principal may arrive here any moment.

 It may rain heavily.
 The test may be postponed.

4. May is used to express purpose; as

 We eat so that we may live.

 I work hard so that I may get good marks.

5. May is used to express past possiblity; as

 He may have gone.

 You may have known about his fault.

VIII. Uses of ‘MIGHT’

1. Might is the past form of May. It is used to express something possible in
future; as

 The train might be late.

 He might have done the mistake.

2. Might is used to express remote possiblity in the future; as

 He might come, if he gets time.

 The prices might fall down a little.

3. Might is used to give suggestion; as

 You might consult a physician.

 You might go to a lawyer.
4. Might is used to express doubtful possibility as

 It might rain.
 He might come.

5. Might is used to express purpose; as

 He worked hard so that he might get good marks.

 He died so that his country might survive.

Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks with ‘Shall’ or ‘Will’:

1. He……………….. go to Chennai next month.

2.  You………… not enter the kitchen with muddy shoes.
3. Rupam…………. see you again.
4. You…………. go at once.
5. I……….. write a letter to him tomorrow.
6. ……….you do me a favour?
7. ……………….I ring him up?
8. If you desire, I……….. come with you.
9.  Do it or you…………. be punished.
10. you …………….have a cup of tea?
11. I………… lend you a book.
12.  People …………….fight for their cause.
13. We…………… be late.
14. You ……………be punished for telling lies.
15. You ………..be promoted very soon.

Answer

1. will
2. shall
3. will
4. shall
5. will
6. Will
7. shall
8. will
9. shall
10. will
11. will
12. Will
13. shall
 14.  shall
15. shall

Exercise 2

Fill in the blanks with ‘Would’ or ‘Should’:

1. Work hard lest you……… fail.

2. You …………send the reply tomorrow.
3. you …………please lend me your bicycle?
4.  You …………….do as he says.
5. you ……..like another cup of tea?
6. She ……….said she carry my books.
7.  He ………meet me at 9 O’ clock in the morning.
8. You ……….wash your clothes.
9. They………. arrive here any time.
10. We ………respect our elders.
11. you………. mind helping me?
12.  I…….. like to return early.
13. Make haste, lest you ……………….miss the train.
14. If you ………change your decision, Please let us know.
15. I wish you …………………..not ask so many questions.

Answer

1. should
2. should
3. Would
4. should
5. Would
6. Would
7. would
8. should
9. should
10. should
11. Would
12. Would
13. should
14. should
15. Would