UNIQUE SENTENCES WITH ANSWERS

                                         

Shylock will cut one pound of Antonio’s flesh to take revenge. B: If

If shylock will cut one pound of Antonio’s flesh, it is to take revenge.

At the end of the journey they spoke to the traveller about the new place.B: It

It was at the end of the journey that they talked to the traveller about the new place.

3. You will do better to take precaution against the disease that has broken out. Use ‘had’ in the sentence.

You had better take precaution against the disease that has broken out.

4. As soon as Rani reached the place on behalf of a social organization, some people surrounded her. B: No sooner

No sooner did Rani reach the place on behalf of a social organization than some people surrounded her.

5. The exodus of the farmers deepened the nature of the calamity. B: It

It was the exodus of the farmers that deepened the nature of the calamity.

6. You are Dr Jalan’s nephew,………? Rewrite the sentence using a question tag.

You are Dr Jalan’s nephew, aren’t you?

7. We completed the task in six months. B: It did not

It did not take us more than six months to complete the task.

7. The prince signed the papers and disappeared inside the palace. B:  Having

 Having signed the papers the prince disappeared inside the palace.

8. The saint spoke about many thorny issues in a simple way and endeared himself to the local people. B: All

All that the saint did was to speak about many thorny issues in a simple way to endear himself to the local people.

9. The boy stiffened in the presence of the outsiders. B: The presence

The presence of the outsiders stiffened the boy.

10. “What are you doing here, my son?”,said the old man to me. B: The old man

The old man addressed me as his son and asked me what I was doing there.

11. Hard work does not leave them tired. Use the verb form of ‘tired’.

They do not tire of working hard.

12. We helped them in everything but we did not give them indulgence. B: Despite

Despite helping them in everything we did not give them indulgence.

13. A tremor was felt across the hill town and people came out of houses. B: With

With a tremor being felt across the hill town, people came out of their houses.

14. The internal report indicated their growing strength .B: The internal report was

The internal report was an indication of their growing strength.

15. Many innocent people were injured in the clashes. B: The clashes

 The clashes left many people injured.

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words given in the brackets:

Ravi -----------(hear)  his friends -----------(shout) for him as the match------------(be) about to start. They---------(prepare) for the match for the last three days,---------(sharpen) their skills. The coach-------(tell) them repeatedly that besides their skills, their dedication to the match-----------(help) them win.

A group of scientists----------(work) on the project for a couple of months now. According to an advertisement---------------(issue) by the district administration, the project------------(be)------------(relate) to farming and ---------------(seek) the participation of the local people. Some employees of the local administration-----------------(go) door to door-------------(tell) people about the project and (urge) them to participate in it.

The traveller-------(look) back---------(wait) for his companions to join him. They--------------(tell) by some local people that they----------------(reach) the old shrine------------(trudge) up the hill for a couple of hours. Though he---------(feel) exhausted, he------------(remind) of the resolve of the team to-------------(visit) the old shrine and-------(return) on the same day.

Had they not-------(get )the support of the local club, they --------------(not save) the old banyan tree in the locality. Under the leadership of the brave young members of the local club, the residents of the neighbourhood----------(get) together on a common  platform and---------(succeed) in saving the tree. On the day the realtor----------(give) a written undertaking to the effect that he----------(go) ahead with his construction,-----------(leave) the tree intact, people-----------(celebrate) their victory,----------(recite) poems---------(dedicate) to one of the pillars of green life. 

Imagine yourself as a midnight train and write about your feelings.

It is close to midnight and I am cruising along the tracks, shattering the stillness of the night. I am bound for Delhi and would have to reach the capital at the crack of dawn. There is no time to waste. The thrill of my onward journey helps me overcome my limitations, reminding me of the task at hand. I would have to reach all of my guests that they refer to as passengers, to their destinations. Most of them are now asleep except for some insomniacs. A few of them go to toilets every now and then to smoke throwing dust in the eyes of the guards as they know that smoking is forbidden on the train. When one or two are caught they end up paying money to the guards who know the technique of extorting money from them by intimidating them.

My body is aching from the journey of the entire day but I cannot complain as I know that there is no respite until I have reached my guests to their destinations. It is a responsibility that I have to shoulder every time I begin the journey. I will still have to traverse a long distance, completing the journey. I remain in a very wakeful state and keep racing along the tracks, never complaining of tedium.

I relieve myself of the strain of the journey by listening to the tale of a mother to her child who refuses to sleep.  The demon in her story is crouching near their berth, ready to pounce on him if he does not enjoy a few winks of sleep. I feel happy that I have a companion when I am awake.

Along the entire stretch of the journey when I reach te
Temurpalli in Bengal I become emotional. My eyes caress the vision of a wizened woman sitting on the porch of her small hut at the end of a vegetable patch a little down the tracks. Some people from that place have often boarded the train and given a free reign to their emotions pertaining to the old woman. I have gathered from their conversations that she sits there throughout the night lighting a lamp, waiting for the return of her husband. Even though her husband was killed while fighting against some terrorists in Kashmir, she believes that he will come back at the dead of night to give her a surprise.  

WRITE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE OF SPENDING A FEW DAYS WITH A FOREIGN STUDENT AS PART OF A STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMME.

Every day is more unique than the day that has already gone by, leaving a taste of goodness to be savoured. The other day when I went to school as usual, I did not have an inkling of the surprise that was in store for me.  We saw a good number of foreigners of the same age as ours greeting all the students when they were entering the school compound. To begin with, we could not understand why they were there. The whole thing became clear to us when at the time of the assembly the vice principal told us that as part of a student exchange programme a good number of students had come to our school from some countries of Europe. He informed us in a cheerful mood that they would spend some days with us and imbibe our ideas of culture and day to day life while they would try to give us ideas of their lifestyle and culture. He added that we were free to invite the students to spend a day or two at our houses with the permission of our parents. The idea appealed to me and I decided to seek the permission of my parents to accommodate a student at my house for a few days.

I went back home and told my mother about the unique idea of accommodating a student from a foreign country at our house. My mother listened to me and asked me if I would feel comfortable in the company of a student from an altogether different culture. She also pointed it out to me that my grandmother who is an old fashioned woman might it difficult to adjust herself to such a foreign soul. I   brushed it aside saying that she was too liberal to give priority to such a thing. She then nodded her approval and told me that she would go to the school the next day with me to have a talk with the principal about inviting a student to our house for a few days. I was elated at this proposal of the mother and could not sleep that night due to a feeling of excitement.

At the end of the school I returned with James who was a native of Hampshire, England. He was very happy to come to our house. The son of a surgeon, he was very smart and made us feel as if he belonged to us. He ate our food and admired our cuisine. I introduced him to some of my friends and relatives and they were all happy to meet him. I drove him round the city and gave him an idea of our culture and lifestyle. He also told us about the way they led their lives. Our hearts became heavy when we had to say goodbye to him. At the time of his departure he gave me a gift and invited me to their house in England.  My mother became so attached to him that tears welled up in her eyes when he left. His association with us left a deep impression on my mind and made me conscious of the wealth of relationship. 

My lost Dollar Questions and Answers

Why did Todd borrow a dollar from the author?

When Todd was leaving for Bermuda he needed a dollar in change to pay his taxi fare and borrowed it from the author.

What did the author receive from Hamilton? What expectation did it arouse in him?

The author received a note that Todd had sent from Hamilton, Bermuda .

When the author opened the note he hoped to find the dollar that his friend had borrowed from him. But the note only informed him that the temperature was nearly 100.

What did the author do when Todd returned from Bermuda? Why did he do it?

When his friend Todd returned from Bermuda, the author went to the station to receive him at the train.

The author says that when his friend returned from Bermuda he went to the station to receive him on the platform not because of the dollar but because he wanted make him feel good seeing someone waiting for him after his absence for three weeks.  But the author proposed to take a taxi up to the club apparently to remind his friend of the dollar he had borrowed from him by way of paying the taxi fare.

What was another occasion when the author expected his friend to remember the fact that he had borrowed a dollar from him?

The author met his friend too often and only two nights before they had had dinner together. Todd was talking about Poland and referred to the debts of Poland saying that the country would never repay them. The author felt that it was a fitting occasion to remind Todd of the fact that he had borrowed a dollar from him.

What is the painful thought occurring to the author at intervals?

The author realizes that if Todd owes him a dollar and has forgotten about it, there might be men to whom he owes a dollar and he has forgotten about it. With the painful thought occurring to him at intervals, he seems to realize that there might be a good number of them. The more he thinks of it, the more he dislikes it as he does not have the intention to repay his debts during his life time.

ICSE GRAMMAR- SENTENCES

Change the following sentences as directed:-

“Did you go through the report yesterday”, said Mathew to his friend. B: Mathew

She placed an advertisement in the newspaper and sold her house. B: She could not

Derek completed the project in sixteen days. B: It did not

Her joy was boundless. Omit ‘was’

“Will you stay here for a day to see everything for yourself?” said the host to the traveller. B The host

We accomplished a difficult task. B: The task

They wanted to make the organization strong. End with: the organization.

Antonio failed to see through Shylock’s sinister motive and signed the bond in an impulsive manner. B: Antonio’s

He begins the day with the blessings of his parents. B: The day

We spent some days with him so that he would not feel lonely.  Use ‘lest’ in the sentence.

I have never seen a scene so beautiful as this. B: This is

A tremor was felt across the city. At once we panicked. B: No sooner/ Hardly

Many innocent cows chomp grass in the field. B: The field

You will come with me to see the fair at the end of the village, ……….? Rewrite with a question tag.

She heard the shocking news but she remained calm. B: Despite

They knew little about the determination of those poor mountain people. B:

Answers to the Above Questions:

Mathew asked his friend if he had gone through the report the day before.

She could not sell the house until she placed an advertisement in the newspaper.

It did not take Derek more than sixteen days to complete the project. 

THE PSALM OF LIFE

What is the message of the poem?

The message of the poem is to live life with dedication and seriousness, responding to the challenges of life with faith in one and in God.  

What according to the poet should the motto of life be?

According to the poet the motto of life is not to be carried away by materialist pursuits in order to enjoy life to the full nor is it to plunge into gloom, giving priority to the dreary things of life.

What does the poet say referring to human hearts? What is the figure of speech used by the poet here? What is the message conveyed by the poet here?

The poet says that human hearts are strong and beat continuously producing faint sounds.  The poet compares these pulsating hearts to soldiers marching in a funeral procession with their drums covered with flannels in order to keep the sound of the drums low in keeping with the gravity of the somber occasion of the funeral procession.

The poet wants to convey the message that the time of life is short and one should not waste in the least. He wants man to realize the fact that with every beat of the heart he is inching towards his grave. He should therefore utilize every moment of his life to make it meaningful.  

The poet uses human hearts with faint beats to covered drums being beaten in a funeral procession. The figure of speech used here is that of a simile.

What is the poet’s advice to approach life?

The poet talks about the relentlessness of the pursuit of action in life. He says that one facing the challenges and tasks of life should consider the very life as a battlefield where he has been assigned the role of a soldier every ready to fight. Just as soldiers on the battlefield spend their time in open tents with their equipments ever ready to be on the move, one on the battlefield of life should respond to the challenges of life with equal readiness. In leading his life in this manner he should not lose his sense of dignity and be led as if they were cattle without the power of speech and self control.