GRAMMAR EXERCISES

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Q1 Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options from the
ones given below. Write the answer in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers. Do not copy the whole passage.

i. Bar codes (a)__________ the necessary information regarding a product to the
customer as well as to the owner. (b) ________ there are many types of bar
codes in use, the internationally famous one is Universal Product Code (UPC).
In UPC, there are small black and white bars (c) _______varying thicknesses with
spacing between them, printed on packages. To read this, a bar code reader (d) ___________ a bar code scanner is used.

(a) (i) have given (ii) give (iii) gave (iv) has given
(b) (i) moreover (ii) hence (iii) nevertheless (iv) although
(c) (i) of (ii) for (iii) in (iv) on
(d) (i) so (ii) but (iii) or (iv) and

ii. The road to success is not a bed of roses Only those (a) _______ wade
through hazards and hurdles (b) ________ achieve success. One must set
clear goals (c) ___________ oneself and define precisely what one wants to
do. Winners do not do different things, (d) _________ do things differently.

(a) (a) who (ii) what (iii) whom (iv) that
(b) (i) should (ii) shall (iii) could (iv) can
(c) (i) by (ii) for (iii) of (iv) on
(d) (i) us (ii) them (iii) they (iv)we

Q2 In the following passages one word has been omitted in each line. Write the missing word in each sentence of the given paragraph, along with the word
that comes before and the word that comes after it in the space provided.
                                   Before Missing After
The World Trade
Fair was grand
affair.                      E.g was    a.       grand
It was inaugurated
the President of India. (a)____  ____  ____
Many countries
displayed latest (b)  ______  _____  ______
items tradefor the
Indian market. (c) ______ _______ ______
A largegathering
of Indian foreign (d)______ _____ ______
business men present
at the event. (e)  _____ _______ _________

                                   Before Missing After
Her duties the
day were over.     E.g duties.    for.     the
She had scrubbed
floor of the kitchen,(a)____ _____ ______
washed the vessels,
dried them placed (b) _____ _____ _____
them the wooden
shelf.She kept (c)  _______ ______ _______
the broom the closet
 near the kitchen (d) ______ _____ ______
and walked of the
kitchen quietly. (e)_______ ______ _______


Q3 Rearrange the following words and phrases to form meaningful
sentences.
(a) 12,000 species/all over/there are/of ants/the world/more than
(b) who/social insects/they are/small colonies/live in
(c) of millions/ant colonies/of ants/can consist
(d)vibrations/in/the/through/by/feeling/their feet/ants ‘hear’/ground
(e) its own/can lift/bodyweight /an/ ant/20 times

Formal letter : Type - COMPLAINT LETTERS

Formal letter : Type - COMPLAINT LETTERS

Formal Letter Writing

Letters written to people other than your friends and relatives for official or business

purposes are classed as formal letters.

Generally, formal letters have one of the following purposes:

o to make a complaint

o to request for something

o to make an enquiry

The writing in formal letters should be…

o simple and clear

o relevant

o free of any grammatical or spelling errors

o polite, even if you’re complaining

o well presented and in the correct format

Format

o Sender’s Address

The person you are writing to will be able to reply to you.

o The Date

This is written beneath the sender’s address and should be written in its format:

Example: 23 October 2017

o The Recipient’s Name, Title and Address

This comes below the sender’s address

o The Subject

This is written to briefly state the purpose of your letter.

The Salutation

Use ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ if you do not know the name of the recipient. If you do know the

name, use the title ‘Mr, Mrs, Miss or Ms, Dr’ followed by the surname. When you write to a woman you may use Ms, which is used for both married and single women.

Example: Dear Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Dr. Jones

o The Content

When writing a complaint letter you should:  describe your problem and the outcome you want  include key dates, such as when you purchased the goods or services and when the

problem occurred

 identify what action you’ve already taken to fix the problem and what you will do if you

and the seller cannot resolve the problem

 ask for a response within a reasonable time

 attach a copy of any supporting relevant documentation such as a receipt or invoice

The first paragraph should be short, stating the purpose of the letter. Begin with a

sentence that immediately draws the reader's attention to the matter.

Example :

I am writing to complain about the faulty installation of my air conditioner.

I wish to express my dissatisfaction with my stay at your hotel.

The middle paragraph of the letter should state the problem and should be presented in a clear and organized manner.

The last paragraph should state what action you would expect the recipient to take, how the company should resolve the matter, including specific actions and deadlines.

Example:

I would appreciate it if you could replace the missing part by next week.

Please let me know as soon as possible what action you propose to take.

I look forward to hearing from you within the next ten days.

The Subscription or Sign off

If you do not know the name of the person, conclude with ‘Yours faithfully’

If you know the name of the person, conclude with ‘Yours sincerely’, Sender’s name and designation (if any)

Sample 1

49, Galaxy Apartments

Laburnum Street

Calcutta-29

30 March 2018

To,

Head – Consumer Complaints

Hyper Electronics Ltd

No: 28. Princess Street,

Calcutta-36

Subject: Replacement of defective wooden cabinet

Dear Sir,

I hereby wish to bring to your notice that the wooden cabinet that I purchased

from your store on Garden Street, Calcutta on 28 March is defective. A packed

piece was delivered from your store to my residence yesterday.

However, on opening I discovered that the doors do not close and shut properly.

Moreover, the polish is also uneven. I have purchased many pieces of furniture

from your store in the past and have never faced such an issue.

I request you to kindly replace the defective cabinet at the earliest.

I am enclosing a copy of the purchase bill for your perusal and records.

Thanking you in anticipation of a quick and positive response.

Yours faithfully,

Tina Singh

Exercises 

1. You are Himanshi Joshi living at 165, Civil Lines, Delhi, 54. You purchased a three-drawer filing cabinet but have received a four-drawer filing cabinet. Write a letter of complaint to the Head – Consumer Complaints of the furniture company asking for a replacement.

2. On 15 February 2019, your company ordered five boxes of letter heads from R.K Printers. You received the shipment within a week but the letter head carried another firm’s address. Write a letter to the manager, Mr Singh, asking for dispatch of the correct letter heads immediately.
You are Mr Rahul Patil of Primrose Estate Agency, Saki Vihar, Bandra, Mumbai,
400050.

3. Write a letter of complaint to the Feel Cool Air Conditioners Pvt. Ltd. for sending you an incorrect bill of repairs. The repairman gave a quote of Rs. 350. The bill says Rs. 1350. Request them for the correct bill.

4. You ordered two pairs of shoes from an online shopping site. However, it has been over a month and you have not received the order. Write a letter to the Director -Dispatch, of the online shopping site complaining about the delay. Give the details of the items ordered, date and the order number. Tell him you wish to cancel the
order and request for a refund.

10th Std Fire and ice by Robert Frost

Fire and ice by Robert Frost

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Question 1.
Some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
(a) What is the poet’s opinion of the world in these lines?   [CBSE 2014]
(b) What is the poet’s opinion about the world?
(c) What is the contradictory opinion of public?
(d) How are ice and fire similar to each other though they have contradictory traits? [CBSE 2011]
Answer:
(a) In the poet’s opinion the world will end in fire.
(b) According to the poet, the world will end in fire.
(c) The contradictory opinion of public is the debate whether the world will end in fire or ice.
(d) Both ice and fire have similar functionality,  in the sense that both of them would destroy everything in the world.

Question 2.
But if it had to perish twice I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.
(a) What does ‘it’ refers to in the first line?
(b) What do you mean by ‘perish’?
(c) What does ice stand for?
(d) What would be the cause of destruction?   
Answer:
(a) ‘It’ refers to the world.
(b) Perish means to die or to be destroyed.
(c) Ice stands for coldness and it symbolizes hatred.
(d) Ice or fire would be the cause of destruction.

(a) some say the world will end in fire
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.

i. What is the prediction of the people about how the world will come to an end?
ii. What is the poet’s opinion about the end of the world?
iii. Which two vices will destroy the world?
iv. Give the antonym of ‘favour’.

Question3.
i) Some people say that the world will come to an end in a fire while others say it
will come to an end in ice.
ii) The poet is in favour of those who believe that the world will end in a fire.
iii) Hatred and Desire are the two vices that will destroy the world.
iv) disapprove of

Short Answer Type Questions [2 Marks each]

Question 1.
For Frost, what do ‘fire’ and ‘ice’ stand for?
Answer:
The word ‘fire’ stands for desire. In the poem, it indicates all types of greed and lust. In today’s world, mankind’s greed is endangering the very existence of the planet Earth. The word ‘ice’ in the poem indicates hatred and indifference which is as cold as ‘ice’.

Question 2.
How has Frost brought out the contrasting ideas in the poem?
Answer:
‘Desire’ propels us in hot pursuit of something, hence, it is compared with fire. ‘Hatred’ makes us cold towards other’s feelings. The coldness of ice can numb our senses. Similarly, the coldness of our hearts can numb our kindness. That is why ‘hatred’ has been compared with ice.

Question3.
Which two ideas about how the world will end have been mentioned in the poem?
Which idea does the poet support more?
The two ideas mentioned are that the world will end in fire or in ice.
Though the poet thinks both are great for destruction, yet he seems to favour
the idea of the destruction of the world in a fire a little more than in ice.

Question4.
 But if it had to perish twice. Why does the poet use the word ’if’?
The poet says that both fire and ice are destructive. Here, fire stands for the heat
of desire and ice stands for hatred. He thinks that our violent desires will end the
world. If it survives, it will be ruined by hatred.

Q5 Answer the following question in 100-120 words.
How does the poem depict the two contrasting ideas ‘Fire’ and ‘Ice’? Explain bringing
out values which can make this world a better place to live in.

Ans: Robert Frost refers to two contrasting ideas ‘Fire and Ice’ as predictions of how
the world will end. According to him, some people say that the world will end
in fire while some others hold that this will end in ice. The poet equates desire
with fire and hatred with ice. Both the desire and hatred are growing with such a rapid speed that the world will come to an end in either of the ways.
Intolerance in behaviour creates hatred that leads to fury and cruelty. One becomes hard-hearted and insensitive to the feelings of others.
Love, brotherhood, tolerance, peace, contentment, sensitivity, benevolence,
generosity among people can make this world a better place to live in.

FORMAL LETTER STRUCTURE & INTRODUCTORY LINES

FORMAL LETTER STRUCTURE– INTRODUCTORY LINES & CLOSURE LINES:

Sender's address (3 lines)

Date:

Receiver's address (4 lines)

Subject :

Salutation

Body (intro, body , conclusion)

Subscription
(Sign)
(Full name)

INTRODUCTORY LINES (letter to the Editor) :

1. An awareness publicity from a well established newspaper like yours would bring a huge revolution in the field of banning  plastics/alcohol/smoking....

2. Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper I would like to express my views on the crucial fact .....

3. Through the medium of your renowned daily, I would like to draw the attention of the public in general and ________ authorities in particular towards a problem which deserves an immediate attention and necessary action.

3. Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper I would like to draw your kind attention towards the commonest problem of .....

4. Through the lines of your daily I would like to introduce the pressing/sagacious/serious/gruesome facts prevailing in our society/locality.....

CLOSURE LINES:
—Owing to the seriousness of this situation, I request you to kindly highlight the issue in your esteemed newspaper so that some actions can be taken to curb the effect of _________and decrease the risk of people being affected by it.

—I will be grateful if you would consider giving my opinions a pertinent column in your esteemed newspaper.

—The people of our nation and the rest of the world are therefore requested to step up and ensure that these animals are fed and protected through the pages of your renowned newspaper in order to help them survive this difficult situation.

—I would like to make a plea to the citizens of our nation through the pages of your prestigious publication. Instead, masks should be disposed off safely and at approved locations only.  Kindly consider giving my opinions a significant spot in your esteemed daily newspaper.

—It would be highly appreciated if you addressed this problem in one of your columns to boost staff and department's productivity. Additionally it would benefit students who plan to attend xyz university in the future. I could share the additional information required about the issue, if required further. I earnestly hope you will note the aforementioned details.

—As a law abiding citizen, I believe that this problem needs to be brought up and that the gang needs to be imprisoned in order for the locals to live quietly without having to worry about the safety and security of their lives, homes and places of work.

A sample letter to the editor

Q1. Persons working in houses for washing, cleaning, cooking, etc. have been found involved in acts of crime in big cities. Write a letter to the Editor, The Times of India, Noida, throwing light on this aspect so as to make citizens aware of this problem. You are Larry/Lorraine of 352/C, Walsh society, Camac Street, Noida.

352/C- Walsh society,
Camac Street
Noida-25

30th July 2024

The Editor
112/A- Times Now Building
The Times of India Office
Noida-30

Subject: Involvement of domestic servants in crime

Dear sir/ma'am,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the public in general and police authorities in particular towards a problem which deserves an immediate attention and necessary action.

It has been observed that the acts of crime such as theft, house-breaking, kidnapping, and murders are increasing day by day. Newspaper reports reveal that persons working in houses for cleaning, cooking, etc. are involved, directly or indirectly in such acts of crime. They either collude with
anti-social elements to make easy money or indulge in the heinous and nefarious act of stealing, kidnapping and murder themselves.

Owing to the seriousness of this situation, I think police should make it mandatory for people engaging domestic servants to get clearance from the local police station after registration and proper verification. The police must show alertness and far-sightedness while dealing with such cases. Kindly highlight the aforementioned issue in your esteemed newspaper so that some action can be taken to curb the effects of such miscreants and decrease the risk of people being affected by it.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours sincerely,
Lorraine

Home Assignment
Q2. You are Asher/ Annalise, a student of Class XII at Bright International School, Chennai. Students are required to cope with a lot of pressure in today’s competitive environment. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily highlighting the increasing stress faced by students and suggest ways to combat the same.

10th Std THE BOOK THAT SAVED THE EARTH

THE BOOK THAT SAVED THE EARTH

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.
(a) What is Think-Tank’s second guess about books?
Think-Tank’s second guess about books is that they are communication
devices. He orders Omega to listen to them (books). He puts a book to his
ears and tries hard to listen. Think-Tank asks Omega if he can listen to
something from them. Omega replies that they may not be on the correct
frequency.
(b) What is the time and place of the story at the beginning?
This is a science fantasy. This imaginary story is set in the twenty-fifth
century. The place is the Museum of Ancient History. Department of the
Twentieth Century. There is a historian sitting at a table. There is a movie
projector on the table.
(c) Why was the twentieth century called the ‘Era of the Book’?
The twentieth century was often called the ‘Era of the Books’ because in those
days there were books for everything from anteaters to Zulus. Books taught
people how to, when to, where to and why to. They illustrated, educated,
punctuated and decorated.
(d) How did one old book of nursery rhymes save the Earth from a Martian invasion?
This book is totally misunderstood by the Martians. The Martians thought
that earthlings were planning to invade Mars. So, they cancelled their
invasion of Earth and went back. Think-Tank totally misunderstands the
book. Phrases like ‘shell’, ‘silver’, ‘garden’ gave him a false idea that
earthlings grew silver and weapons. He starts thinking that earthlings are
very advanced technologically.
Q2 Answer the following questions in in 100 -150 words.
(a) The play, The Book That Saved the Earth’ conveys the message that
misunderstanding of cultural differences between various races can cause confusion and conflict. Based on your reading of the play, write how such
confusion and conflicts can be checked so that peace and harmony is maintained.
The confusion in the mind of Think-Tank occurred due to the literal
interpretation of the nursery rhymes in the book-‘Mother Goose’. To ensure
that conflicts are checked so that peace and harmony are maintained, cultural
differences should be sorted out by initially sending mature and wise people
from one culture to the other to establish contact before deciding to wage
war. Think-Tank had sent an initial probe, but the crew members of the probe
were not sufficiently intelligent or mature to understand Earth’s culture. That
is why they literally interpreted the nursery rhymes and caused
misunderstanding in the mind of Think-Tank.
(b) Compare and contrast the characters of Noodle and Think-Tank.
Noodle and Think-Tank have contrasting characters. Think-Tank likes to be
called the ‘Great and the Mighty’. He orders and commands. He is the ruler of
Mars, but has no intelligence. He thinks books to be sandwiches. He is wrong
about everything. He demands that the crew obey him. He likes to pass on
other’s idea as his own. He is a coward who simply boasts about his power.
Noodle, his apprentice, is very clever and wise. He corrects the mistakes of
the ruler (Think-Tank) very gently. He never takes credit for his ideas. But he
offers them to the ruler very gently. Think-Tank makes them his own.

10th Std THE PROPOSAL

THE PROPOSAL

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.
(a) How does Natalya react when she comes to know that Lomov had come to propose?
When Natalya cames to know that Lomov had come there to propose her she
was shocked. She wails, changes her stance and asks her father to fetch
Lomov.
(b) How does Lomov come to Chubukov’s house? What for does he come? How is he
received?
Lomov came to Chubukov’s house in the evening dress with gloves on. He
cames to propose to his daughter Natalya. He is received with all the respect
by Chubukov.
(c) What is the cause of the second quarrel between Natalya and Lomov?
Lomov starts praising the qualities of the dog Guess. But Natalya says that
her dog which she purchased for 85 roubles is much better than his dog
Guess. Both of them praise the qualities of their dogs. Now they start
quarrelling on this topic. They again start shouting at each other.
(d) Natalya was not Lomov’s real love. But still, he wanted to marry her. Give two
reasons for his decision.
Though Lomov was not in love with Natalya, he wanted to marry her because
he was suffering due to a weak heart and sleep-sickness. He wanted a
companion who could look after him.
Q3 Answer the following questions in in 100 -120 words.
(a) Draw a brief character-sketch of Natalya.
Natalya is the heroine of the play ‘The Proposal’. She is twenty-five years old.
She is still unmarried. It causes great worry to her father. Natalya wishes that
somebody should love her and propose to her. Her father calls her ‘a love-
sick cat.’ She is very quarrelsome. She quarrels with others over trifles. Lomov
comes to propose to her, but she starts quarrelling with him over the
ownership of a piece of land. Lomov leaves her house in a fit of anger. When
she comes to know that he had come to propose to her, she starts weeping.
She asks her father to bring him back. When Lomov comes back, she tries to
please him. But after some time, she starts quarrelling with him on the
question of dogs. Lomov faints and she again begins to wail lest she should
lose the opportunity for marriage. After some time, Lomov regains
consciousness. Her father does not want to lose this opportunity. He at once
puts Natalya’s hand in the hands of Lomov. He announces that they are
engaged with each other. Natalya becomes very happy. But she again starts
quarrelling with him. Thus Natalya is an interesting character.
(b) Neighbours must have a cordial relationship which Lomov and Natalya do not
have. Describe the first fight between them.
Lomov and Natalya meet and rather than proposing her he gets off the point.
He tells her how he inherited his land and how he respects her father. He also
tells Natalya that his Oxen meadows touch Natalya’s Birchwood. On hearing this, Natalya says that Oxen Meadows are theirs. They start arguing about it.
Lomov clarifies that he is talking about the Oxen Meadows that are between
her Birchwoods and Burnt marsh. Natalya again insists that they are theirs.
Lomov refuses it. He tells her that his aunt’s grandmother gave those
meadows to her father’s grandfather. The peasants used the land for forty
years and started regarding it as their own. Natalya’s father comes and also
starts quarreling with Lomov. They get into a heated argument and resort to
name-calling. After some time, Lomov leaves their house.

10th Std THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON

THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON

Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.
(a) What did Custard look like?
Custard looked really dangerous with spikes on his top and scales
underneath. His mouth was like a fireplace and nose like a chimney. His toes
looked like daggers.
(b) Why did Belinda and her pets prove ungrateful to Custard who killed the pirate?
Belinda and her pets showed a temporary appreciation of Custard’s heroic
feat. Belinda embraced him and other pets danced around him. But they
again started indulging in self-patting and self-praise. They showed their
ungratefulness by undermining and not acknowledging Custard heroic fight
with the pirate.
(c) Describe the appearance of the pirate.
The pirate looked quite dreadful and dominating. He carried a pistol in his
left as well as in right hand. He held a shining dagger in his mouth. His beard
was black and one of his legs was of wood. It seemed that his intentions were
terrible.
(d) Why did Belinda tickle Custard mercilessly? Why was he teased as `Percival’?
Belinda had a very poor opinion of Custard. She considered him a coward and
always taunted and tickled him for being so. All other pets, Ink, Blink and
Mustard mocked at Custard’s timidity and lack of courage. Tauntingly, they
called him Percival, who was a brave knight of King Arthur.

Q3 Answer the following questions in in 100 -150 words.
(a) Evaluate Ogden Nash’s ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ as a ballad. What message
does the poet give to the readers in this poem?
Ballads are stories told in verse. Generally, ballads are tales of adventures and
heroism. In the poem, the poet does present the encounter of Custard and
the pirate in the typical spirit of a ballad. The four-line stanzas have the
rhyme scheme: aabb throughout the poem.
Ogden Nash gives a subtle message to the readers through the fate of Custard, the dragon. In this world of deceit, self-confidence, self-dependence
and self-respect are essentials to earn your rightful place among your peers.
The mere presence of physical strength is not enough. The more important
point is that you must be conscious of your strength. You must be fully aware
of the fact that many others who are far inferior in strength and power
should have no right to taunt and ridicule you.
(b) Describe the fight between the dragon and the pirate. In spite of being so powerful
and displaying rare bravery, why is Custard called a coward?
The dragon had big sharp teeth, and spikes on top of him and scales
underneath but everyone boasted about their bravery and called him a
coward. But when the pirate entered, all were scared and ran away except
Custard who faced him boldly, attacked him, hit him hard with his forceful
tail and gobbled every bit of him. All of them later felt obliged to Custard for
saving their lives.
No doubt, Custard has a lot of physical strength. However, Custard had very
low self-esteem which is why he kept demanding for a nice safe cage. It is
because of this demand; he was called a coward by the other pets.