Department of Distance and Continuing Education

University of Delhi
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B.A. (Programme) / B.Com. (Programme)

Semester-I
Course Credits - 4
Generic Elective (Language)

ENGLISH FLUENCY - I
As per the UGCF - 2022 and National Education Policy 2020
English Fluency - I

Editorial Board
Dr. Neeta Gupta, Dr. Seema Suri
P. K. Satapathy, Nalini Prabhakar

Content Writers
P. K. Satapathy, Nalini Prabhakar
Dr. Seema Suri, Dr. Neeta Gupta

Academic Coordinator
Deekshant Awasthi

© Department of Distance and Continuing Education

ISBN: 978-93-95774-71-0
Ist edition: 2022
E-mail: [email protected]
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• The present study material is an edited version of an earlier study material, from the Choice Based
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 English Fluency - I

Table of Contents

Sl. No. Title Prepared by Page

Unit-1 In the Domestic Sphere

1A: The Lost Word (Esther Morgan) P.K. Satapathy 01
1B: Squiggle Gets Stuck: All About Muddled Nalini Prabhakar 10
Sentences (Natasha Sharma)
Unit-2 In the University: Introducing Oneself Dr. Seema Suri 39
Unit-3 In Public Places
3A: Amalkanti (Nirendranath Chakrabarty) Dr. Neeta Gupta 59
3B: Bhimayana: Book II Shelter (Srividya Natarajan Nalini Prabhakar 78
and S. Anand)

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 English Fluency - I

Unit-1A
In the Domestic Sphere
THE LOST WORD
Esther Morgan
P.K. Satapathy

STRUCTURE

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Learning Objectives
1.3 Poetic Language and How to Read a Poem
1.4 The Title of the Poem The Lost Word
1.5 Critical Commentary (Stanza 1)
1.6 Critical Commentary (Stanza 2)
1.7 Critical Commentary (Stanza 3)
1.8 Let Us Sum Up
1.9 Glossary
1.10 Key to Check Your Progress Exercises
1.11 Activity (Writing)

1.1 INTRODUCTION

In this Unit we are going to discuss a short poem The Lost Word by the British poet Esther
Morgan. She was born in 1970. This particular poem is taken from her first collection of
poems called Beyond Calling Distance, published in 2001. Many of the poems in this
collection are full of people who are unable to find their voices and affirm their independent
identities.

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1.2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit you will be able to:

• Understand the nature of poetic language
• Critically analyze the poem in terms of its theme and style
• Engage with the hidden biases within language itself
• Understand the issue of voice and identity
• The marginal position of women in traditional societies

1.3 POETIC LANGUAGE AND HOW TO READ A POEM

You will find some discussion on poetic language in Unit 3A (Amalkanti) in this Module and
you are advised to read the points mentioned there as well. We will make some broad
observations here that will help you read a poem without much difficulty. Poetry, is primarily
suggestive and has layers of meaning. Reading poetry is like peeling an onion which has
several layers but hardly a core. So instead of looking for a core meaning we should try to
understand the various layers of meanings that a poem contains. To begin with we must try
and understand that the words in a poem are like clues in a treasure hunt. One clue leads to
another. But unlike the treasure hunt where the objective of the hunt is to find the treasures in
poetry the objective is not to find the hidden meaning but to find the network of clues that
give the poem its form and substance. Thus, while reading a poem, we should try to figure
out all the possible clues that are hidden in the words.

1.4 THE TITLE OF THE POEM THE LOST WORD

Let us begin our treasure hunt with the title of the poem. This poem, as the title tells us is
about a lost word. Does it sound a little strange? It does sound strange if we take the title
literally. We often lose things but a word is not a thing. How can we lose a word? But we
must admit that the image of a lost word is striking because we never hear of a word being
lost. Obviously we cannot take this literally. There must be a deeper meaning which is not
stated but implied. Let us then probe a little more. When we lose a thing we cannot use it for
our needs. So when we cannot use a word we can regard it as lost to us. How do we lose
words? We lose words if we forget them or do not use it for a very long time. At the same
time if we have not learnt to use a word then it is as good as a lost word. But our learning and

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 English Fluency - I

using of words is largely dependent on the society we live in. We don’t use words that the
society does not allow us to use. Later on in the unit we will discuss the relationship between
language and society. But for now let us conclude that in the title of the poem the word ‘lost’,
refers to a word which the woman has not leant to use or has forgotten how to use.

1.4.1 Check Your Progress

a. What does the title Lost Word tells us about the poem?

1.5 CRITICAL COMMENTARY (STANZA 1)

She’s lost a word

and searches for it everywhere-
behind the sofa, at the back
of dusty cupboards and drawers.
She picks through the rubbish sacks.
In the first stanza of the poem we find a woman searching for a word she has lost.
And she is searching for it in places which are hidden from view or places where we keep our
rubbish. But isn’t it unusual to look for a word in places where we find things? The hidden
places mentioned here are places which do not require our attention on a day to day basis. Or
rather places we tend to ignore in our daily lives, places which are difficult to reach. The poet
then seems to suggest that the woman has lost this word in the world of her domesticity. This
domestic world is not just a physical world it also is a mental world. The woman is so
preoccupied in this world that she fails to remember this word which is certainly an important
word.
Like we have observed in section 1.4, we should try to go beyond the literal meaning
and explore the things that are implied. This is especially so in this case where the thing lost
is not a thing at all but a word. Like these physical spaces which are hidden we all have
mental spaces which are hidden as well. And they remain hidden because we do not choose
to speak about them, or we afraid to speak about them. Often we are afraid to speak about
things that are not acceptable to the people and society we live in and consequently we push
these thoughts to the back of our minds. The back of the mind is a place to hide thoughts like
the back of a sofa to hide things. All of us have some experience of hiding our feelings or not
saying things or even lying about things. This is especially true in case of women in

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traditional societies. From our childhood we are told about what is acceptable and what is
not. And we learn to avoid speaking. Much of this has to do with structures of power that
exist in our families and the society we live in. For instance in our society the father remains
the head of the family and we are supposed to obey him even when he is wrong. This is
especially true for girls. They are supposed to concentrate on cooking and learning how to
keep the house because they are expected to be home makers when they grow up. They are
not allowed to have a voice in the sense of having an independent identity. The woman in this
poem seems to be trapped in the power structure of her world. So much so that she has
forgotten something vital to herself.

1.5.1 Check Your Progress

a. Why is it difficult for women to have a voice?

1.6 CRITICAL COMMENTARY (STANZA 2)

Under the carpet she finds lots of others

She’d forgotten she’d swept under there
But not the one she’s is looking for.
The trouble is it’s small- only two letters
Though no less valuable for that.
In the second stanza the same theme of the lost word is continued. We see her looking
under the carpet and there she finds many other words that she had swept under the carpet but
not the one she was looking for. The phrase ‘swept under the carpet’ is used to indicate that
something was hidden deliberately. What are these words that ‘She’ had swept under the
carpet? We tend to sweep under the carpet things we don’t want others to see or things that
embarrass us. And we tend to hide or suppress things when we are not very confident about
them. The woman here seems to be in the habit of sweeping many words under the carpet. It
shows that she is not a very confident person. She has hidden and suppressed or forgotten to
use many words because she is not confident about using them.
Using language is the beginning of our socialization. Language is not just a vehicle
for communication it is also something that transmits values. For instance we always use
good before bad and in opposition to bad. This is a system of hierarchy. We always use day
before night, man before woman, God before Devil and so on. What it implies is that, day is
superior to night, man is superior to woman, and so on. We learn these things as children and
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carry them for most of our lives. We must examine the search for the ‘lost’ word in this
context. There are some words that give us a sense of independent identity. ‘Yes’ and ‘No’
are such words. We often hear our parents use these words to control us. The power to say
yes/no comes with authority. It seems the ‘She’ of the poem is a woman without much
authority and that is why she needs to sweep words under the carpet. It is also quite possible
that she does not have much authority because she is a woman. What word is she looking for
now? It is a word that is very valuable. The last two lines of this stanzas throw more light on
the nature of the particular word that she is looking for now. It is a very small, two letter.

1.6.1 Check Your Progress

a. Do you think the woman is troubled by the word she has lost?

1.7 CRITICAL COMMENTARY (STANZA 3)

She stands racking her brains

for the last time she used it
but all that comes to mind
are failed attempts
when her mouth was full
of someone else’s tongue
In the third stanza she takes a break from this frantic search to think about the word.
She tries to remember the last time she had used this word. This is a very common way of
remembering about things which are lost or misplaced. But this attempt also ends in failure.
She can hardly remember the last time she used it. The only thing that she remembers now is
not the use of the word but the failure to use it, though she had tried several times. And she
had failed to use it because her mouth was full of someone else’s tongue. When the poet says
that her mouth was full of someone else’s tongue it does not mean that she did not have a
tongue of her own. Tongue here is used in the sense of a voice. When the woman tries to
remember the word she has lost she is unable to do so because she had been using not her
own but someone else’s words. She was saying what others wanted her to say.
The ending of this poem does not give us any definite clues about the word she is
looking for. If we probe further and think about the word she is looking for we will realize
that it is a two letter word and that it is an important word. The woman, it seems, has never
been able to use the word because she has never used her own voice. We know that voice, or
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in other words the freedom to choose and express ideas and opinions, gives us an identity.
And the loss of this results in loss of identity. Thus we can guess that the word she is looking
for would be a word which could give her an identity. Words like “me”, “am”, “no”, assert
one’s individuality. Perhaps it is one of these words that she is looking for. Is she looking for
the word no? We know that the ability to say “no” gives us a sense of freedom. Perhaps she
has never been able to say “no” in her life. If we look at the position of women in traditional
societies we will realize that for a woman to say “no” is, often, a great challenge. And they
often fail to say “no” because they are taught to obey what others ask them to do. Perhaps, the
woman here is looking for the word “no”, so that she can regain her voice. But her attempt
ends in failure once again because when we lose our voice we have nothing more to say.
Thus the poem ends on this abrupt note to suggest that when we adopt the tongue of others
and speak in their voice, it is very difficult to break free and find one’s own tongue. So we
end up having very little to say and the only option that is open is silence.

1.7.1 Check Your Progress

a. Can you guess the two-letter word the woman has lost? Could it be one of
these words: do be, me, am, no, it, us? Does the meaning of the poem change if
it is one word or the other?
b. What does the last line of the poem ‘when her mouth was full of someone
else’s tongue’ suggest?

1.8 LET US SUM UP

After reading the poem we have learnt a few things. Let us summarize all that we have learnt
so far:
• The title of the poem is unusual and sounds strange if we take the title literally.
However, if we go deeper, we realize that the poet is suggesting that, like any other
thing, when we cannot use a word we can regard it as lost to us. How do we lose
words? We lose words if we forget them or do not use them for a very long time.
• The ‘She’ in the poem is searching for a very important word that is lost to her.
• It seems like she is not a very confident woman and that she has been hiding many
words over the years because she is afraid to use them.

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• Language is not value neutral. It instils values in us in our childhood and these are
values that are accepted by the society at large.
• We grow up following these values and it is very difficult to either question or break
these value systems.
• Women have occupied a subservient position in our societies for a long time and it
becomes very difficult for them to break free. Consequently, most women learn to
hide their feelings and try not to challenge the established order.
• Having a voice is an indication of having an independent identity. Consequently, it is
important for the women to have a voice. But they are constantly denied this and are
pushed to the margins. Women are expected to remain within the domestic world and
find their identity within the confines of this world. That is why it is important for the
woman in this poem to remember a word that is vital to her identity but lost to her.
• Words like “me”, “am”, “no”, assert one’s individuality. Perhaps it is one of these
words that she is looking for.
• But her attempt ends in failure once.
• Her mouth was full of someone else’s tongue does not mean that she did not have a
tongue of her own. Tongue here is used in the sense of a voice. When the woman tries
to remember the word, she has lost she is unable to do so because she had been using
not her own but someone else’s language. She was saying what others wanted her to
say.
• The poem ends on an abrupt note to suggest that when we adopt the tongue of others
and speak in their voice, it is very difficult to break free and find one’s own tongue.

1.9 GLOSSARY

Rubbish Waste material, garbage

A thick heavy covering, made of wool or synthetic fibre, for the
Carpet
floor
Valuable A thing of great worth
Racking To think very hard
Confines Enclosure, to keep someone within boundaries
Abrupt Sudden and unexpected
Subservient Inferior, secondary position obedient
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Marginal Minor and not important

Vital Absolutely necessary
Frantic Hurried and anxious and often disorganised

1.10 KEY TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS EXERCISES

Key to Exercise 1.4.1

a. The title of the poem sounds a little strange if we take the title literally. We often lose
things, but a word is not a thing. We must try to find the implied meaning. When we lose
a thing we cannot use it for our needs. Similarly, we lose words if we forget them or do
not use them for a very long time. At the same time if we have not learnt to use a word
then it is as good as a lost word. So this poem is about a word which is lost because it
was either not used for a long time or was forgotten due to circumstances and is now
lost.
Key to Exercise 1.5.1
a. In traditional societies women have always been placed in a subservient position. From
their childhood they are told about what is acceptable and what is not. Much of this has
to do with structures of power that exist in our families and the society we live in.
Women are supposed to concentrate on cooking and learning how to keep the house
because they are expected to be home makers when they grow up. They are not allowed
to have a voice in the sense of having an independent identity. Thus, it is difficult for a
woman to have a voice.
Key to Exercise 1.6.1
a. Yes, the woman is troubled by the word she has lost. The woman here seems to be in the
habit of sweeping many words under the carpet. It shows that she is not a very confident
person. She has hidden and suppressed or forgotten to use many words because she is
not confident about using them. She now wants to use the word that is important to her
but it is lost now and she is unable to find it.
Key to Exercises 1.7.1
a. We can guess that the word she is looking for would be a word which could give her an
identity. Words like “me”, “am”, “no”, assert one’s individuality. Perhaps it is one of
these words that she is looking for. Is she looking for the word no? We know that the
ability to say “no” gives us a sense of freedom. Perhaps she has never been able to say

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“no” in her life. If we look at the position of women in traditional societies, we will
realise that for a woman to say “no” is, often, a great challenge. And they often fail to
say “no” because they are taught to obey what others ask them to do. Perhaps, the
woman here is looking for the word “no”, so that she can regain her voice.
The meaning of the poem will change very much if we replace the word ‘no’ or ‘me’
with a word like ‘us’. ‘Us’ is a collective pronoun and can in no way fit in with the
overall scheme of the poem. Similarly, the other words in the list do not fit into the
scheme and if we use them, they will change the meaning of the poem substantially.
b. When the poet says that her mouth was full of someone else’s tongue it does not mean
that she did not have a tongue of her own. Tongue here is used in the sense of a voice.
When the woman tries to remember the word, she has lost she is unable to do so because
she had been using not her own but someone else’s language. She was saying what
others wanted her to say. When we adopt the tongue of others and speak in their voice, it
is very difficult to break free and find one’s own tongue.

1.11 ACTIVITY (WRITING)

In this Unit we have discussed the gender biases that are built into language. We have pointed
out the system of hierarchy that always treats men as superior to women. Try and write a
paragraph about such biases, be it gender or caste or class that you find in the various units of
this book.

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Unit-1B
IN THE DOMESTIC SPHERE
SQUIGGLE GETS STUCK: ALL ABOUT MUDDLED SENTENCES
NATASHA SHARMA
Nalini Prabhakar

STRUCTURE

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Learning Objectives
1.3 The Plot
1.4 Squiggle teaches Doodle Dude to make a perfect sentence
1.5 Grammar Exercises
1.6 Further Exercises
1.7 Diary Writing and Blog Post

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This is a short story about two doodles – Squiggle and Doodle Dude. Squiggle is a character
in a book titled “Squiggle Takes a Walk”. By accident both the doodles get stuck in the
Oxford Dictionary. How can anyone get stuck in a dictionary? After all a dictionary is a book
and consists of pages! Well, to unravel this mystery, you must first know what a “doodle” is.
Often, when you are bored or absent – minded, let’s say, in a classroom, you tend to make
rough drawings, which may not be of any importance. This activity of absent – minded
drawing is known as “doodling”. The two characters in this book are a result of such
doodling. You must remember that doodles exist only on paper and they can get stuck quite
easily inside a big fat dictionary.
This book is in a story form, and uses dialogues between Squiggle, Doodle Dude and
Oxford Dictionary to help you understand the basics of sentence construction.

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1.1.1 Check your progress

a. What is this story about?
b. Name the two doodles in the story.
c. What is “doodling”?

1.2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This lesson will enable you to:

a. Understand the basic sentence structure in English Language.
b. Know the eight parts of speech, and how to use them to make correct sentences.

1.3 THE PLOT

The book “Squiggle takes a Walk”, in which Squiggle is a character, is standing next to a
huge pile of books and right on top of this pile is the Oxford Dictionary. Books toppling over
is a common occurrence. This huge pile crashes on poor Squiggle, and soon she realizes that
she is no longer free, and is stuck inside something. Another character who is in a similar
position is Doodle Dude and he has been there for quite some time. Doodle Dude has a
problem, he cannot make correct sentences and uses “muddled” sentences. After much
difficulty, Squiggle learns from Doodle Dude that they are stuck inside the Oxford
Dictionary. The only way out is by making a correct sentence, from the bottom – left corner
of the page to the top right corner of the page. Doodle Dude has been there for a long time
because he is unable to make a correct sentence. Oxford Dictionary now steps in and tells
Squiggle that she should help Doodle Dude make a correct sentence and then both can make
their exit.

1.3.1 Check your progress

a. How does Squiggle get stuck inside Oxford Dictionary?
b. Why is Doodle Dude unable to make his exit?
c. What task is given to Squiggle by Oxford?

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1.4 SQUIGGLE TEACHES DOODLE DUDE TO MAKE A PERFECT

SENTENCE

Let us now look at the method by which Squiggle helps Doodle Dude make a correct
sentence.
1.4.1 Sentence
A sentence is a group of words that makes sense on its own.
Simply putting words together does not make a sentence. To make sense words in the
sentence must be arranged in a certain way. This is what is known as the grammar of a
language. Each language has a different grammar, in other words a different set of rules by
which sentences are constructed. The basic sentence structure of English language is S–V–O
(Subject – Verb – Object).
1.4.1.1 A sentence must have a subject A sentence is about someone or something. That
someone or something is the subject of the sentence. The subject in therefore either
a noun or a pronoun.
Noun: a word that refers to a person, animal, place or thing.
The noun picked by Doodle Dude for the perfect sentence is “WORMS”.
A subject must have a verb connected to it.
Verb: A word used to describe an action, state of being or occurrence. eg.
(1) Someone Slapped Doodle Dude. (2) He is hanging upside down. (3) The monkey
is here. (4) What will become of him? The verb chosen by Doodle Dude for the
subject “WORMS” is “WRIGGLING”
Helping Verb:
The “WORMS” “WRIGGLING” however will not hold together, what they need is a
helping verb. A helping verb links the subject and the verb.
Squiggle provides the helping verbs – does, have, am, are, is, was, be, may, should,
would – for Doodle Dude to choose from. Squiggle also gives a tip – when the subject is
plural, the helping verb must also be plural.
After many errors, Doodle Dude finally finds the right helping verb “ARE” and so
the sentence is complete.
“The worms are wriggling”.
Punctuation used at the end of the sentence is a “.” full-stop.

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Although Doodle Dude has made a correct sentence, his troubles are not over yet, the
sentence does not reach the top of the page, so Doodle Dude has to make the sentence longer
to reach the top of the page.
1.4.1.2 Check Your Progress
Make five sentences using Noun, Verb and Helping Verb
1.4.2 Extending a simple sentence
Squiggle Explains to Doodle Dude that by using other Parts of Speech like Adjective,
Preposition, Adverb, Interjection, and Conjunction a sentence can be lengthened.
Adjective – A word used to describe the noun eg. The Squishy worms are wriggling.
Preposition – A word used with noun or pronoun to show place, position, time, or
method.
eg. The Squishy worms within Oxford’s pages are wriggling.
Adverb – A word or phrase that gives more information about the adjective, verb, or
another adverb.
eg.
➢ The Squishy worms within Oxford’s pages are wriggling very fast.
➢ This is very confusing

Adverb of degree
➢ I want to stop now

Adverb of time

➢ Listen carefully

Adverb of manner
➢ I want to get out of here

Adverb of place

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Interjection – A word or phrase that expresses emotions. They are used to Exclaim,
Protest or command.
Eg. Stop!
Fantastic!
Yipee!
Hey!
Look! The Squishy worms within Oxford’s pages are wriggling very fast.
1.4.2.1 Check Your Progress
Extend the 5 sentences you have made by adding Adjective, Preposition, Adverb and
Interjection
1.4.3 Squiggle and Doodle Dude have so far used 6 of the 8 Parts of Speech – Noun/Verb/
Adjective/Preposition/Adverb/and Interjection in that order.
Squiggle suggests that they should now use the other two parts of speech namely
pronoun and conjunction. At this point Doodle Dude softly says, “They will soon be out of
here.” This again is a complete sentence made by Doodle Dude and this time he manages on
his own without any help.
Pronoun – A word that works in the place of a noun. eg. He, She, They, It, Him, Her
Conjunction – A word used to connect/join sentences, clauses, phrases, or words eg.
And, But, Or, For, Also, Else, Since, Which, That, Either and or, Not only and but
also.
So Squiggle and Doodle Dude have two complete sentences:
(1) Look! The squishy worms within the Oxford’s pages are wriggling very fast.
(2) They (pronoun) will soon be out of here.
They connect the two sentences with the conjunction “AND” and now they have a really long
sentence and can now exit the Oxford’s pages. Look! The Squishy worms within the
Oxford’s pages are wriggling very fast and they will soon be out of here. The story
however does not end here. Doodle Dude after being trapped in the Dictionary for 10 years,
does not wish to leave. For him the huge dictionary has become home and so Oxford
Dictionary allows him to stay. Squiggle makes her exit.

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1.4.3.1 Check your progress

1. Using a Pronoun make 5 more sentences related to the sentences you have
made.
2. Connect the sentences using appropriate Conjunctions.

1.5 GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Exercise 1. HELP DOODLE DUDE WITH HIS NOUNS

Doodle Dude can't seem to think of the noun that best fits what he wants to say. Help him fill
in the blanks. Remember, there may be two or more words that mean the same thing. These
are called synonyms and any of them can be the answer. Don't forget the full stop at the end!
Oxford, they're putting you back on the __________________________________________
We don't get any air from the ___________________________________________________
We're being placed next to the __________________________________________________
I can see seven _____________________________________________________ made on it.
Ooh! I can see ____________________________________________________ down there.
The ______________________________________________________ has come in to read.
He is sitting on the __________________________________________________________ .
He’s picking up Squiggle’s book in his ___________________________________________

Exercise 2. A CONFUSION OF COLLECTIONS

Doodle disaster! Oxford’s asked me to match the groups below to the correct collective noun.
All I know is the first one: A litter of puppies. Please help with the rest! (Psst ... a noun that is
the name of a group of similar things or persons is called a collective noun.)
Group Collective noun
A littler of beavers
A bunch of experts
A colony of puppies
A culture of wood
A pack of notes
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A leap of stairs
A panel of bacteria
A stack of leopards
A flight of keys
A wad of thieves
Exercise 3. UNDERLINE THE ADJECTIVES
The heavy monsoon rains bring all the worms out of the Squishy mud.
The green snake slithered down the long corridor while sticking out its forked tongue.
I am the Slimy, dirt covered, Wriggling, worm that made Natasha screech.

Exercise 4. HOW OR WHAT ARE YOU?

Verbs are not just doing words. They tell us about somebody or something; the state of being.
These are verbs like am, is, was, are, were, has and have.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of verb from the choices in brackets.
1. In her first book, Squiggle _____ (had, have) an adventure amidst punctuation.
2. She _____ (is, are) a clever doodle.
3. Doodle Dude and Squiggle __________ (was, were) able to make the sentence slope.
4. They __________ (is, are) a fun pair.
5. Do you __________ (have, has) a friend like Doodle Dude?
6. I __________ (am, is) thinking of Squiggle’s next adventure.
7. Who __________ (has, have) illustrated this story?
8. His name. __________ (is, am) Vikram Nandwani.
9. Do you __________ (has, have) a pencil?
10. ___________ (Is, Are) you ready to draw? Keep a look out for the activity when
Vikram shows you how to draw!
Exercise 5. IT'S AN-ING THING!
Verbs ending with -ing need a helping verb (is, are, am, was and were: hard at work
again!) unless they are being used as an adjective. For example:

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Squiggle was smiling. (‘Was’ is the helping verb for ‘smiling’.)

Squiggle has a smiling face. (Here ‘smiling’ is an adjective for the noun ‘face’.)
In the sentences below, identify the -ing word as an adjective (a) or verb (v). If it’s a
verb, also underline the helping verb.
Oxford was yelling at Squiggle and Doodle Dude. (a) (v)
Doodle Dude has an interesting hairstyle. (a) (v)
The words in the dictionary were peering at the doodles. (a) (v)
The girls are reciting their poems. (a) (v)
The dictionary frowned at the chattering doodles. (a) (v)
The doodles are trying to find their way out. (a) (v)
Doodle Dude was singing a terrible song. (a) (v)
The drawing class begins at 10 a.m. (a) (v)
The children will draw exciting pictures. (a) (v)
A little boy was kicking the stone. (a) (v)
Exercise 6. READ THIS CAREFULLY AND FILL IN THE ADVERBS QUICKLY!
Adverbs can be of four kinds:
• Adverb of manner: Tells you how an action is done.
• Adverb of place: Tells you where the action is done.
• Adverb of time: Tells you when something happened or when somebody did something.
• Adverb of degree: Tells you how the action is being done in comparison.
Fill in the blanks with the suitable adverb. You must do the riddle alongside Doodle Dude if
you want to have some fun!
‘_____________ think of a number from 1 to 9’, said Squiggle to Doodle Dude. (quickly,
boldly)
‘OK. I’ve thought of a number ___________ ’, said Doodle Dude. (now, then)
‘Multiply it _____________ by 9,’ said Squiggle. (carefully, carelessly)
‘Add the two digits of the number you get _________ multiplying.’ ( after, ago)
‘___________ subtract 5 from this number. Calculate ___________’. (now, soon) (faster,
urgently)
‘Yes, but I might run _____________,’ said Doodle Dude. (down, away)

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‘You’re doing ____________! Now whatever number you’ve got to, figure out the
corresponding letter in the alphabet. So 1 is A, 2 is Band so on: (terribly, well)
‘I’m ___________ waiting for the final result,’ said Doodle Dude. (eagerly, poorly)
‘Now think of a country’s name beginning with that letter’, said Squiggle, chuckling
_________________. (loudly, peacefully)
‘Think of an animal beginning with the last letter of the country’s name,’ said Squiggle,
bouncing ___________. (high, low)
‘_____________ think of a fruit beginning with the last letter of the animal’s name,’ said
Squiggle. (now, before)
Exercise 7. STICK TOGETHER! IT'S TIME FOR CONJUNCTIONS!
Circle the conjunction in the sentences:
1. Arjun and Ari are coming to visit today.
2. You can't play with them until you finish your homework.
3. The teacher is strict but fair.
4. My friend will not enter since she is afraid of dogs.
5. I'd tie him up but I can't find the leash.
6. You can either eat ice cream or have a soda.
7. Drink the soda if you are thirsty.
8. Eat some fruit while lunch is cooking.
9. Though it is late, you may stay awake to watch the finals.
10. They hopped and yelped with joy.
Exercise 8. BECOME A PRO AT PRONOUNS!
Natasha’s first book was Icky, Yucky, Mucky.
___________________________________________________________________________
Icky, Yucky, Mucky is the story of a disgusting royal family.
___________________________________________________________________________
Maharaja Icky has terrible table manners.
___________________________________________________________________________
Maharani Yucky nibbles fingernails and spits the nails out.
___________________________________________________________________________
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When matters couldn’t get worse, the Maharaja and Maharani had a baby, Princess Mucky.
___________________________________________________________________________
Princess Mucky has a horrendous habit as well.
___________________________________________________________________________
Icky, Yucky, Mucky is this royal family’s story.
___________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 9. WHAT'S WRONG?
These sentences all have some problem. Fix what is wrong and rewrite them. The first one
has been done for you.
The dog was bark at the cat.
The dog was barking at the cat.
The cat look down from its spot on the wall.
___________________________________________________________________________
She stretched her legs and arch her back.
___________________________________________________________________________
The dog could not believes his eye.
__________________________________________________________________________
The pretend the dog was not there.
___________________________________________________________________________
He bared his tooth, growled and pounce.
___________________________________________________________________________
The cat merely yawn.
___________________________________________________________________________
Her had no fear.
___________________________________________________________________________
A pack of dog came running.
___________________________________________________________________________
The cat hissed, annoyed with them barks.
___________________________________________________________________________
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Finally, she stick a tongue out a the dog and walked away.
___________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 10. JABBER JABBER WITH PREPOSITIONS!

Once Squiggle was back to her book, the punctuation marks had much to say! Fill in
their conversation with appropriate prepositions from the brackets.
Remember, prepositions are usually placed before a noun or pronoun (its object) to
show a relationship between the object and another word in the sentence. The relation could
be about place, position, time, manner or reason, among other things.
1. An adventure ________ words! (through, amidst)
2. What was Doodle Dude doing ________ you got there? (before, later)
3. The world ___________________ this book is a dangerous place. (above, outside)
4. You were not disheartened _________________ Doodle Dude’s lack of grammar,
words and understanding. (of, by)
5. I'd have torn ________ Oxford’s pages. (from, through)
6. Squiggle deserves an award ________ the following reasons: (by, for)
7. Squiggle stayed _______ Doodle Dude as he learnt. (beside, before)
8. She built the sentence slope _______ the page. (beneath, across)
9. She bravely leapt _______ the slope, (inside, off).
10. The brackets on this page are full _______ prepositions! ( with, of)
11. ‘You are ______ the hallowed pages of the English language:’ Hee hee hee. (without,
within)
12. Uh ... Is that dictionary teetering ________ us ... (below, above)
1.4.3.2 Key to the Exercises
Exercise 1
Bookshelf, fan, atlas, continents, Squiggle, boy, chair (or anything else that you would sit
on!), hands.

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Exercise 2
A litter of puppies, a bunch of keys, a colony of beavers, a culture of bacteria, a pack of
thieves, a leap of leopards, a panel of experts, a stack of wood, a flight of stairs, a wad of
notes.
Exercise 3
The heavy monsoon rains bring all the worms out of the squishy mud.
The green snake slithered down the long corridor while sticking out its forked tongue.
I am the slimy, dirt-covered, wet, pink, wriggling worm that made Natasha screech.
Exercise 4
1) had 2) is 3) were 4) are 5) have 6) am 7) has 8) is 9) have 10) Are
Exercise 5
Was yelling (v), interesting (a), were peering (v), are reciting (v), chattering (a), are trying
(v), was singing (v), drawing (a), exciting (a), was kicking (v)
Exercise 6
Quickly, now, carefully, after, now, faster, away, well, eagerly, loudly, high, now.
Exercise 7
1. Arjun and Ari are coming to visit today.
2. You can't play with them until you finish your homework.
3. The teacher is strict but fair.
4. My friend will not enter since she is afraid of dogs.
5. I'd tie him up but I can't find the leash.
6. You can either eat ice cream or have a soda.
7. Drink the soda if you are thirsty.
8. Eat some fruit while lunch is cooking.
9. Though it is late, you may stay awake to watch the finals.
10. They hopped and yelped with joy.
Exercise 8
Her, it, he, she, them, they, she, their

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Exercise 9
The cat looked down from its spot on the wall.
She stretched her legs and arched her back.
The dog could not believe his eyes.
She pretended the dog was not there.
He bared his teeth, growled and pounced.
The cat merely yawned.
She had no fear.
A pack of dogs came running.
The cat hissed, annoyed with their barks.
Finally, she stuck her tongue out at the dogs and walked away.
Amidst, before, outside, by, through, for, beside, across, off, of, within, above.

1.6 FURTHER EXERCISES (FROM- DEVELOPING LANGUAGE

SKILLS 1)

1.6.1 PREPOSITIONS
Explanation: Prepositions occur before nouns, noun phrases or pronouns. They show the
link between these and another word or element in the sentence. Some prepositions may also
occur at the end of a sentence.
Prepositions may also be used as adverbs without a following noun or noun phrase or
pronoun.
There are prepositions which consist of only one word but there are others which may consist
of two or more words or a phrase.
Many verbs get strongly associated with certain prepositions in one of the following two
ways:
1. With verb and prepositions keeping their basic meanings, e.g. ‘He kept looking out
of the window for hours together.’

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2 As a compound having an idiomatic meaning, i.e. when we cannot guess the

meaning from the two parts e.g. ‘Look out Peter, that step is not safe!’
Every good dictionary lists compounds made with prepositions or adverbial particles under
the verb. Oxford Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English (Vol. 1) is particularly useful, as it
is exclusively devoted to this area.
Exercise 1 : Look at the pictures and complete the sentences given below:

(a) The dog jumped ............................ A ................... B.

(b) The dog is jumping ........................ A ...................B.
(c) You can see the arrow pass .......................... the ball.
[Answer Key: a) from, to ; b) from, towards ; c) through]
Exercise 2 : Here is a series of drawings showing a girl participating in an obstacle race.
Study the illustrations and fill in the blanks in the sentences given below using the following
prepositions:

over, across, under, on, onto, off, near, away from

(a) The girl is running ....................... the starting block.
(b) The girl is climbing .................................... the wall.
(c) The girl is jumping .................................... the ground.
(d) The girl is running ........................................ the wall.
(e) The girl is swimming ................................. the pond.

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(f) The girl is crawling .................................. the net.

(g) The girl is ........................................ the finishing line.
(h) The girl is standing ............................ the victory stand.
[Answer Key: (a) from, (b) over, (c), on, (d), away from, (e) across, (f) off, (g) near, (h)
on]

Exercise 3: Look at pictures (a) to (e) and fill in the blanks in the following sentences using
‘between', ‘out of', ‘into', ‘in front of’ and ‘behind'

(a) The letter-box is............................ the post office and Mr. Wagle's house.
(b) Mr. Wagle is going ............................. his house.
(c) Mr. Wagle is coming .......................................... the post office.
(d) Mr. Wagle is ............................. the letter-box.
(e) Mr. Wagle is ..................................... his house.
[Answer Key: (a) between, (b) into, (c) out of, (d) behind, (e) in front of]

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Exercise 4: Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using suitable prepositions:
(a) What did you do ......................... your birthday?
(b) It is cool .................................. night.
(c) It will be ready ........................ Thursday.
(d) How do you go .................................... college?
(e) Keep .................................... the grass.
(f) You are ....................................... time.
(g) The cup fell ..................................... the shelf.
(h) He is .................................... Serious trouble.
(i) I'll meet you ................................ the New Delhi Railway Station.
[Answer Key: a) on, b) at, c) by, d) to, e) off, f) on, g) off, h) in, i) at]
Exercise 5: First underline the verb in List A. Next choose the appropriate preposition from
List B which goes with this verb and then complete the sentence choosing an appropriate
phrase from List C:
Example: I borrowed some money from the bank.
List A List B List C
(a) When did you get rid against authority.
(b) He has just recovered to voting.
(c) The students can hardly wait from your servant?
(d) She has to apologize of a long illness.
(e) No student should abstain for the holidays to begin.
(f) Deepak belongs being so rude.
(g) Young people rebel at a rich family.

Answer Key:
a) When did you get rid of your servant?
b) He has just recovered from a long illness.
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c) The students can hardly wait for the holidays to begin.

d) She has to apologize for being so rude.
e) No student should abstain from voting.
f) Deepak belongs to a rich family.
g) Young people rebel against authority.

Exercise 6: First underline the adjective in List A. Next choose the appropriate preposition
from List B which goes with this adjective and then complete the sentence choosing an
appropriate phrase from List C:
Example: The first few rows of the cinema hall were full.

List A List B List C

a) It is different of school.
(b) My beliefs are contrary for the company's products are good.
(c) Few to what I had expected.
(d) Vedant was late the beliefs of others.
(e) It was a bad decision scented soap.
(f) I am allergic from boycott the elections.
(g) All the students absent on the list was my friend's name.
(h) They were aware all the rules of the game.
(i) And last that day were fined.

Answer Key: (adjectives are underlined and prepositions are italicized in the answers
given below.)
a) It is different from what I had expected.
b) My beliefs are contrary to the beliefs of others.
c) Few of the company’s products are good.
d) Vedant was late for school.
e) It was a bad decision to boycott the elections.

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f) I am allergic to scented soap.

g) All the students absent on that day were fined.
h) They were aware of all the rules of the game.
i) And last on the list was my friend’s name.
Exercise 7: Fill in the blanks in the following sentences using suitable prepositions. (You can
check your answers from the key provided below):
(a) This woman has been charged ......................... the murder of her husband.
(b) The Prime Minister was accompanied .................... his wife.
(c) We expect to come back .............................. a week.
(d) I bought this pen ......................... two rupees.
(e) At the age of 60, my mother still takes a bath .................................. cold water.
(f) I go to my college ......................... foot. (on)
(g) She prefers coffee ......................... tea. (over)
(h) Applicants for this post must have a good command.......................... English.
(i) The Seminar on Rural Development will commence ......................... Monday.
(j) The Minister showed concern ......................... the rising incidents of violence in the
city.
(k) All those present were fascinated ...................... her new hair style.
(1) I shall get ................................... at the next bus-stop.
(m) My friend is very good ......................... writing radio plays.
(n) Please do inform me ............................ the details of the training course.
(o) John's marriage ............................ his first wife did not last long.
[Answer Key: a) with, b) by, c) within, d) for, e) with, f) on, g) over, h) over, i) from,
j) at, k) with, l) off, m) at, n) about, o) with]
Exercise 8: Unnecessary use of prepositions as illustrated below must be noted and avoided.
Rewrite the following sentences after making corrections: (A few solutions have been given.
Try doing the rest on your own).
(a) Just before elections you will find people discussing about politics.
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Just before elections you will find people discussing politics.

.......................................................................................................................................
(b) The candidates should contact on our office between 9 and 11 a.m.
The candidate should contact our office between 9 and 11 a.m.
.......................................................................................................................................
(c) She has already approached to the bank for a loan.
She has already approached the bank for a loan. .
......................................................................................................................................
(d) Priya was awarded with a prize for the best essay.
.......................................................................................................................................
(e) The police decided to investigate into the crime.
.......................................................................................................................................
(f) My house is opposite to the post office.
.......................................................................................................................................
(g) Science has greatly benefited to mankind.
.......................................................................................................................................
(h) She said she would not bow down to their demands.
.......................................................................................................................................
(i) The principal is going to call for a meeting of the staff to discuss about this matter.
.......................................................................................................................................

(j) Students should contact with the class teacher for further instructions.
.......................................................................................................................................
(k) The course comprises of seven study areas.
.......................................................................................................................................

(l) The car hit against the tree.

.......................................................................................................................................
(m) In this poem the poet describes about his experience of nature.
.......................................................................................................................................

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(n) We were really surprised when he entered into the room.

.......................................................................................................................................
(o) Can you find out some job for me?
.......................................................................................................................................
(p) Please follow after me.
.......................................................................................................................................
(q) We have already ordered for four cups of tea.
.......................................................................................................................................
(r) Please list down the main points for discussion.
.......................................................................................................................................
(s) He has come to meet with the principal.
.......................................................................................................................................
(t) The students are making too much of noise.
.......................................................................................................................................
(u) Why do you pick up a quarrel with everyone?
.......................................................................................................................................
(v) We will not reach at the station in time.
.......................................................................................................................................
(w) He resembles with his father.
.......................................................................................................................................
(x) After retirement, he intends to settle down in Shimla.
.......................................................................................................................................
(y) She stitched up that dress.
.......................................................................................................................................
(z) He was wearing a torn out shirt.
.......................................................................................................................................

1.6.2 CONJUNCTIONS
Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, clauses, or sentences together.
Conjunctions enable you to form complex, elegant sentences and avoid multiple short
sentences.
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For example: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, both/and, either/or, neither/nor, not only/but,
whether/or, after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because,
before, by the time, even if, even though, if, in order that, in case, in the event that, lest , now
that, once, only, only if, provided that, since, so, supposing, that, than, though, till, unless,
until, when, whenever, where, whereas, wherever, whether or not, while
In a sentence:
• I tried to hit the nail but hit my thumb instead.
• I have two goldfish and a cat.
• I bought a new bag for my upcoming trip.
• You can have peach ice cream or a brownie sundae.
• Neither the black dress nor the gray one looks right on me.
• My dad always worked hard so we could afford the things we wanted.
• I try very hard in school yet I am not getting good grades.
• He just brought a puppy and a kitten home with him.
• Meera does not like to swim, but she does enjoy cycling.
• I want to go for a hike but I have to go to work today.
• They do not smoke, nor do they play cards.
• I’m getting good grades because I study every day.
• Although he speaks seldom, he says meaningful words.
• She is very funny whereas he is boring.
• She speaks three languages besides Hindi.
• Jack is completely unlike his father.
• She came first, therefore she got a good seat.
• They can listen to music provided they do not disturb others.
• You don’t need to go unless you want to.
• I can pass after the green light is on.
• I went to bed at 10 pm as I had a plane to catch at 7 am.

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• I hate brinjal as much as I hate cauliflower.

• My work must be finished before afternoon.
• People burn forests in order that they have more land.
• You must study hard lest you fail.
Conjunctions in the above sentences have already been marked for you. Keeping these
examples in mind, underline the conjunctions in the sentences given below:
1. Once I start eating, I must continue.
2. I will go to cinema provided the others go.
3. You can borrow the PC provided that you promise to give it back in time.
4. I go to theater weekly rather than monthly.
5. Since I was ill for two months, I lost my job.
6. She was too late so she could not apply for the job.
7. Supposing you had a dog, what would you do with it?
8. She runs faster than me.
9. Though it is raining, they swam in the pool.
10. Please stay at home till afternoon.
11. I waited up for her until eleven o’clock.
12. I was watching tv when she came in.
13. You can come whenever you want.
14. She was eating in the kitchen, where there was table.
15. She is very funny whereas he is boring.
16. We can meet you wherever you want.
17. I worry about whether She’ll be a good person.
18. I found the article which was very important.
19. While I was playing with the children, he came to the park.
20. I visited Ali who was ill.

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21. She asked him why he was playing football.

22. She usually eats at home, because she likes cooking.
23. I’m very hungry, but the fridge is empty.
24. Seats are limited so you should apply as soon as possible.
25. I’m feeling better after taking medicine.
26. He never went to a hotel even though he could afford it.
27. I have not seen him since he went away.
28. He went to college but returned soon.
29. I would rather die than beg.
30. He will not do it until you ask him.
31. She cries as if she were beaten.
32. Stay here or go away.
33. Work hard or you will fail.
34. He knows how to drive.
35. I know how to write fiction.
36. I had hardly gone to bed when my friend arrived.
37. Ali is both brother and friend to me.
38. He asked if I knew it.
39. Although he is poor yet he is honest.
40. Two years have passed since he came.
41. She behaved as his brother did.
42. No sooner did he come than I rushed out to meet him.
43. He works hard so that he may pass the examination.
44. I shall go whether you accompany me or not.
45. He walked fast so that we might catch the train.
46. It is nothing else but a fraud.

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47. So long as you have money, there is no dearth of friends.

48. He yells as if he were mad.
49. I shall not go unless you allow.
50. As he is needy, I shall help him.
51. He will not do it until you ask him.
52. I feared lest I should fail again.
53. When he comes, I shall leave.
54. If he fails to come, what will you do?
55. He is not only wise but also handsome.
56. Although he is rich yet he is miser.
57. He drowned since no one came to save him.
58. I don't like such boys as are lazy.
59. Walk with care lest you should slip.
60. You are neither fool nor rogue.
61. As I am busy, I cannot go there.
62. Do not leave the place until he comes back.
63. There is a cash prize for whoever completes the task.
64. Do not sleep so much lest you should fall ill.
65. Some people like junk food, whereas others hate it.
66. My friend studies Computer Science while I study English literature.
67. I can go wherever she likes.

1.6.3 MODIFIERS
Modifiers, as their name implies, are words that modify. Specifically, they’re words that
modify their sentences’ meanings. Take a look at these two examples:
- A man is standing.
- A tall man is standing on the street.

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The second sentence is more descriptive because of the modifiers it contains. Fundamentally,
modifiers’ purpose is to make sentences more descriptive or detailed.

For example:
• We waited until the last minute to mention our concerns.
• The kid with green sneakers kicked the ball.
• My sister won the contest, as she had hoped.
• The pedestrian, who had been waiting for fifteen minutes, didn’t step aside.
• My calico cat is always by my side.
• The girls ordered a pizza without sauce.
• He bought a bright blue van.
• I told the students to listen carefully to the lecture.
• We built a house for them out of bricks.
• They bought a car that they call Pumpkin for my sister.
• We built a house out of bricks for them.
• After reading the book, I thought the movie was great.
• Before leaving, I watched a squirrel cross the sidewalk.
• The building that was taller than the others was prone to power outages.
• Our generally aloof cat surprised us by accepting the new kitten.
• The woman with blue hair bought four apples.
• All the fish in the lake play a role in the ecosystem.
• We went to the beach on our vacation last year.
• Mohan always asks me how work is going.
• Kamala grew tomatoes that were bigger than everybody else’s.
• Before school starts, the teachers all drink iced tea.
• We produced our movie on a tight budget.

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 English Fluency - I

• John heard her clearly when she whispered.

• His slow driving becomes annoying.

1.7 DIARY WRITING AND BLOG POST

1.7.1 DIARY WRITING

Diary entry is an activity which is very personal. It helps you maintain a record of thoughts
and feelings in relation to your day to day experiences. Maintaining a diary does not require
any formal skills of writing as it does not come with a prescribed format. All that you require,
is an eagerness to write and express yourself.
Some general pointers for diary writing:
1. Every entry that you make in the diary must have date, day, time, and location at the
time of your writing. This will help you contextualize it when you read it at a later
date.
2. You may begin your entry with the salutation “Dear Diary”.
3. It can be on any topic:
• A scene you have witnessed
• Any interesting encounter you’ve had
• A particular occasion – wedding, festival etc.
• Opinion on something you’ve read
• It could also simply be a space where you vent your anger and frustration
4. It is not essential to have a heading.
5. The tone and style are usually casual and informal; but could be serious and formal
depending on the subject under consideration.
6. You are free to use any language you’re comfortable with.
7. It is not necessary to write every day, neither is it necessary to maintain continuity
between entries.

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 B.A. (Prog.)/B.Com. (Prog.)

For example:

Saturday, March 3, 2012

9:45 p.m., Home

Dear Diary,

I’m so upset!! I don’t even know where to begin!

To start off, I think I completely failed my geometry test, which I know I should’ve
studied more for...my dad’s not gonna be happy about that. :(Then, we had a surprise test
in history on the reading homework from last night, and I completely forgot most of what I
read, which made me even more upset because I actually did the reading! But what really
made me mad was the note that Sargam slipped into my bag during lunch period. She said
she was sad that I’ve been hanging out with Jasmine more lately and thinks that I don’t
want to be her friend anymore. I can’t believe she thinks that, especially after talking with
her on the phone for hours and hours last month! Just because I’ve been hanging out with
Jasmine a little more than usual doesn’t mean I’m not her friend anymore. She completely
blew me off at lunch, and when I told Jasmine, she thought that Sargam was being a
“drama queen.”

This is just what I need! My parents are getting on my case about doing more
extracurricular activities, I have a huge project due for my English class soon, and I can’t
understand a thing in Sanskrit! The last thing I need is for my best friend to think I hate her
and barely text me back anymore.

Uggh! I can’t concentrate on anything right now because of it. I hope she gets over it!!!

Goodnight,

Kanna.

From the Web

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 English Fluency - I

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

10:00 p.m., Home

Dear Diary,

Sorry I didn’t get to write last night! It was such a busy day, and I was too tired to write
anything...

I was right about Sargam not being okay. Yesterday, she barely spoke to me, and anything
she did say was a “yes” or “no” answer. I tried so hard to get her to cheer up, but of course
she just kept saying, “I’m fine, I’m fine.” Uggh! I wish she would just be honest with me!
I’m always honest with her! It’s not fair!

Jasmine also seemed mad all day because she could tell that Sargam was being fake nice to
her. I hate being in the middle of all of this. What am I supposed to do? Sargam’s been my
friend since forever, and Jasmine is my new friend, and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s
feelings! But I think that Jasmine is right about Sargam. I think Sargam sometimes gets too
dramatic about things. She’s being kind of a brat about all of this, but I don’t want to tell
her that to her face, she’d never forgive me.

I wish things were simple like they were in play school. :( :( :(

Night,

Kanna

From the Web

1.7.2 BLOG POST

A blog is an informal diary style writing published on the internet. It is basically a webpage
that is created by individuals, companies, etc. to reach out to a large audience, who can take
an interest in the posts and comment on them. In this respect, a blog is very unlike a diary
which is mostly personal and not meant for an audience. Since blog is a webpage, it gives the
blogger a lot of opportunity to experiment with the posts. A blogger can provide hyperlinks to

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other webpages on similar topics; he can also add images, videos, etc. to make the blog more
interesting.
Some important pointers for writing a good blog:
1. Attractive interesting headline.
2. Subsections with clear headings.
3. Interesting topic.
4. Informative and engaging content.
5. Relevant internal and external links.
6. Relevant pictures, images, videos.
There are many types of blogs, and bloggers make a lot of money by regularly writing blogs
on areas of their interest. Some popular types of blogs are:
- Personal blogs
- Fashion blogs
- Travel and Lifestyle blogs
- Food blogs
- News blogs
- Review blogs (especially of brands and products)
Check out the links given below for sample blogs:
▪ https://www.legalnomads.com/
▪ https://uncorneredmarket.com/
▪ http://www.thebeautyofitis.com/

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 English Fluency - I

Unit-2

IN THE UNIVERSITY: INTRODUCING ONESELF

Dr. Seema Suri

STRUCTURE

1.1 Learning Objectives

1.2 Introducing Oneself, Dialogues
1.3 Interviews
1.4 Preparing a CV
1.5 Study Guide: Tales of Historic Delhi: A walk through its many cities

1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This part of the Study Material will help you prepare the following topics in Unit-2 of your
syllabus.
i) Introducing oneself, dialogues
ii) Interviews, both formal and informal
iii) Preparing a CV
In addition to the above, this part of the lesson also includes a brief study-guide to the
recommended reading for this unit:
Tales of Historic Delhi: A walk through its many cities. Written and illustrated by
Premola Ghosh

1.2 INTRODUCING ONESELF, DIALOGUES

You meet new people almost every day; in class, while waiting for the bus, at a friend’s
birthday party or standing in line to pay for your groceries. We chat with people and even
joke with total strangers without asking their names or introducing ourselves. But when you
know that you will be interacting with people on a regular basis in the future, such as

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classmates, neighbours or teachers, you must introduce yourself and get to know them. An
introduction is a way to establish a relationship with a new person.
What do you say when meeting people for the first time in an informal situation? I
will start with a very simple example. You are waiting at the metro station for your train, and
you recognize a girl from your college, standing next to you. You would like to be friends
with her. This is how you could begin:
Ritika : Hi! I’m Ritika, first year BA student. I have seen you in the college canteen.
Chitra : Of course, you have. Hi! I’m Chitra and I’m in the first year of BCom.
This is just one example of how to begin an informal, casual conversation with
someone your own age. However, you sometimes need to introduce yourself to people who
are older than you or your seniors at the workplace. In such situations you will have to
change your tone. You will not introduce yourself to your friend’s grandfather or your
teacher in the same way you will introduce yourself to your sister’s friend.
Let us say your friend, Sarvesh, has come to meet you, Alok. Now imagine you have
to introduce Sarvesh to your mother. How will you do it? There are certain social
conventions, also known as etiquette, to be followed in such situations. The basic protocol of
introductions requires that,
− younger people be introduced to older,
− men to women, and
− junior to senior.
So, in this case, you will first introduce your friend to your mother.
Alok : Mom, I want you to meet Sarvesh. He is in my class in college. Sarvesh, meet
my mom.
Mother : Hello, Sarvesh. How are you? I have heard a lot about you from Alok. He
told me you are from Jaipur.
Sarvesh : Yes, aunty. My family lives there and I am in the college hostel.
Mother : It must be difficult living away from your family. You can come and have
lunch with us sometime.
Sarvesh : I would really like that. I miss my mother’s cooking so much.

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 English Fluency - I

In our country, younger people address almost all those who are older than them as ‘uncle’ or
‘aunty’, even if they are not their relatives. People usually don’t address older people by
name or surname. You would not call your friend’s father, Mr. Pandey. It could be
considered rude! But in formal situations you should always say the full name, irrespective of
the age. If you are introducing a new colleague to the managing director of your company,
you will introduce with the full name and the position held.
You : Sir, I would like you to meet Ms. Archana Pandit, the new architect in
our company. Ms. Pandit, this is Mr. Rajan Nambiar, our Managing
Director.
Mr. Nambiar : Pleased to meet you, Ms. Pandit. I hope you are enjoying working with
us.
Ms. Pandit : Yes, sir. This is my first job, and I am very excited to be working here.
As you must have observed, in such formal situations, the full name with a Mr./Ms. is used
whereas in informal situations just the first name is enough. It would be very amusing if Ms.
Pandit called the Managing Director of her company ‘uncle’.
After the introductions are over you can continue the conversation. Most people get
nervous when they talk to new people. This lack of confidence is mainly due to a lack of
fluency in English. But with a bit of practice, it can be learnt. Just keep a few basic rules in
mind.
− Keep your tone friendly and maintain eye contact. Nobody likes talking to a
person who is looking somewhere else.
− Be mindful of the situation and choose your words carefully. Avoid personal
questions.
− Don’t say too much. At the same time, don’t answer questions with a simple
‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
− Speak slowly so that the other person can follow your words.
− Pay attention to what the other person is saying and take an interest in them.
− Do remember to say, ‘Nice to have met you’ or ‘I enjoyed talking to you,’ after
the conversation is over.
Talk about neutral, general topics that will help others feel comfortable. This is known as
‘small talk’. Here are some common topics that you could talk about in informal
conversations.
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Where do you live?

Living Is it far away?
Do you travel by the Metro?
Where are you from?
Do you like living in Delhi?

What is your favourite subject?

Studies Have you been to the college library?
Are you attending any coaching classes?
Have you completed your Economics assignment?
How are you preparing for the exams?

What does your mother/father do?

Family How many brothers/sisters do you have?
Are they younger than you?
Do you live with your parents?

What do you do for work?

Work How long have you been working here?
What are your future plans?
Are you happy working here?
Is the food in the office canteen good?

Do you watch Tik Tok videos?

Entertainment Have you seen the latest episode of Bigg Boss?
Who is your favourite actor?
Are you fond of travelling?
Are there any good eating joints around here?

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 English Fluency - I

These days there is hardly any conversation between two people where the topic of social
media doesn’t come up. I am sure you discuss these things with your friends.

Are you on Facebook? or Twitter?

Social Media Do you Instagram?
Can I add you to my WhatsApp group?

It is natural for human beings to be curious about each other but remember that there
are some questions that should be avoided in conversations with people you have just met,
don’t know too well or in formal situations.
 How old are you?
 What is your salary?
 Why are you wearing a red shirt?
 Are those shoes expensive? How much did you pay for them?
 Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?
In many cultures it is not considered polite at all to ask a person’s age, income or relationship
status in the first meeting. However, in our country, such unwritten rules are rarely followed.
People sitting next to you on the train or in the waiting room of the dentist’s clinic will ask
you all sorts of questions; not only that, they will also happily volunteer information about
their families, distant relatives, health problems, and political beliefs. Each society has its
own, peculiar culture and it is not necessary to follow rules observed in foreign countries. At
the same time such topics are best avoided until you get to know people well.
Now let us come back to the girls on the platform of the Metro station. After they
have introduced themselves, the conversation would be something like this:
Ritika : Hi! I’m Ritika, first year B.A. student. I think I have seen you in the college
canteen.
Chitra : Of course, you have. Hi! I’m Chitra and I’m in the first year of B.Com.
Ritika : Nice to meet you, Chitra. Where do you live?
Chitra : I live in Noida. What about you?
Ritika : I live in Kirti Nagar. So, will you also change trains at Rajiv Chowk?
Chitra : Yes. I am glad I met you. We can talk on the way. Otherwise, it is boring to
travel alone.

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Ritika : Which school are you from? I was at the Government School in Ramesh
Nagar.
Chitra : I went to Somerville in Noida. Are you having fun in college?
Ritika : Yeah. There are many girls from my school in this college. I like it here.
Chitra : Could I have your mobile number? Is it o.k. if I call you sometime?
Ritika : Sure. It’s 98xxxxxx87. Give me a missed call and I’ll add you to my
contacts.
As you will agree, it is not difficult to write down an imaginary conversation between
two friends or people of the same age group. But sometimes you need to talk to people who
are older than you: teachers, employers, elderly neighbours. Your words should convey
respect. Suppose your neighbor, Mr. Jha has come over to your house:
Mr. Jha : Hi! Shankar, could you do me a favour, please.
Shankar : Of course, sir. Tell me how I can help you.
Mr. Jha : I am expecting a delivery from Amazon today but I have to go the bank. Are
you at home today?
Shankar : Yes, I am. There are no classes in college today. I can collect it on your
behalf.
Mr. Jha : You are so helpful, Shankar. Don’t worry about the payment. It’s taken care
of.
Shankar : I will bring the packet over to your house in the evening. Have a good day,
sir.
It is not only your school or college teachers who should be addressed as sir/madam.
People who are much older than you can also be addressed as sir/madam although, these
days, it is becoming fashionable to avoid these terms.

Activity 1.1
Write a dialogue between two friends, who have studied together in school,
and are meeting each other after many years. Each speaker should have ten
sentences.

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 English Fluency - I

1.3 INTERVIEWS

Activity 1.2
Do read or watch the interviews of some famous people and make a list of the
questions asked. Here are some that you will love to watch:
1. How to be a Better Manager – An interview with N.R. Narayana Murthy
(https://hbrascend.org/topics/how-to-be-a-better-manager-an-inteiew-with-n-r-
narayana-murthy/)
2. Interview with Neha Kakkar (https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/
songstress-neha-kakkar-reveals-that-marshmallow-describe-her-best/story)

There is hardly any one amongst us who wouldn’t be interested in the lives of rich, successful
and famous people: film stars, TV actors, singers, sportspeople and entrepreneurs. We love to
read or watch interviews with them in newspapers, e-newspapers, TV chat shows or
YouTube. In our country, interviews with film stars and cricketers are the most popular ones.

What exactly is an interview?

An interview is a conversation where one person asks questions and the other person
provides answers. In traditional interviews, the journalist prepares the list of questions
beforehand, after doing a thorough research of the celebrity’s background, personal life,
awards, future projects, and achievements.
After reading some interviews you will observe that there are many questions that
keep on reappearing. I have prepared one such list but please note that these questions are
from interviews with people from the entertainment industry or sportspersons.
Tell us about yourself. When did you decide to take up acting/singing
as a career?
Early life Who inspired you to take up boxing?
Did you act in plays when you were in school?
How do you find living in Mumbai after Patna?

Questions about work, upcoming projects, and achievements are always asked.
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Your team won the semifinal against New Zealand? How does it feel?
Work Your movie Stree is releasing this Friday. Are you nervous?
How do you prepare for a role?
Badminton is a tough sport. How do you keep yourself so fit?

How do you like to relax after work?

Leisure What is your favourite holiday destination?
Which is your favourite book/movie/song?
Nowadays there is hardly any interview where celebrities are not asked about how they
handle negative and critical comments on social media. Here are some questions that are
frequently asked:
− How do you respond to negative comments online? Do trolls* bother you?
− We heard that you now have more than five million followers on Instagram. How
does it feel?
− Is it true that you talk to all your fans on Twitter?
(*Troll: A troll is someone who deliberately puts negative comments about people/events on
the Internet.)
All these questions are from real interviews but if you are going to write questions and
answers for an imaginary one, remember a few things:
− Be relevant. You will not ask a cricketer if he liked to sing as a child.
− Be sensitive. Don’t ask questions that could offend or hurt.
− Avoid controversial topics like opinions on current political or religious issues.
− Try to frame questions that bring out the human side of the celebrity; their
innermost thoughts.
− Keep it light.
Almost all interviews have some questions that are fun.
What is your favourite junk food?
Tell us something about yourself that nobody knows about?
What is your favourite outfit at home?
Would you like to tell us about an embarrassing incident?
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 English Fluency - I

Here is a small excerpt from an interview with famous Bollywood actor, Akshay Kumar.
What would we find in your fridge right now?
Crates of Thums Up, of course.
How many pairs of blue jeans do you have?
Maybe, some 25 pairs.
Where did you spend last summer?
Dubai and Goa. I know I am lucky but it was a well- deserved break.
Here is another extract I would like you to read. It is from an interview with Smriti
Mandhana, Captain of the Indian Women’s cricket team.
When did you realize that you wanted to turn your passion for cricket into your
profession?
When I was nine ... that’s when my father decided to take me for selection trials.
You were part of the Indian team that played the 2017 Women’s Cricket Wourd Cup
Final. Have you noticed changes in support of women’s cricket since?
Definitely! Now people are more aware of the Indian Women’s Cricket team and our
achievements.
What do you do on your day off?
Sleep and watch movies.
Your favourite junk food?
Pineapple on pizza.
[https://www.redbull.com/in-en/interview-with-Smriti-Mandhana]

Activity 1.3
You are the reporter for a sports magazine. Interview a budding sports star
for your magazine. Ask ten questions that he/she answers.

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Formal Interviews
The type of questions listed so far would not be suitable if you were going to interview a
successful entrepreneur or political candidate. You would not ask them questions like: What
is your favourite junk food? In such interviews, the questions will be serious and sometimes
technical.
− How did you get the idea to start this business?
− How many employees do you have at present?
− What are your company’s goals?
− What are some of the mistakes you wish you could have avoided?
− What are the qualities of a good leader?
− If you had just one piece of advice for someone just starting out, what would it
be?
The questions are mostly related to their professional lives, their work or business. It’s not
that interviews with government officials or famous entrepreneurs don’t include personal
questions; they do. Read this extract from an interview with Vandana Luthra, founder of
famous Indian beauty brand Vandana Luthra Curls and Curves.
What prompted you to start VLCC and what were the challenges you faced as a
woman entrepreneur?
In my family we were encouraged to take decisions and be independent….From the
start I was clear in my mind that whatever venture I get into should benefit the
society and be accessible to all segments.
What are the important things to keep in mind to become a successful entrepreneur?
I believe in order to be a successful entrepreneur one has to have an indomitable
spirit, tremendous self-belief…People management skills are also very important.
(You can read the full interview at https://m.economictimes.cm/opinion/interviews)
Interviews for Jobs
Everyone has to face an interview for a job at some stage and even when they want to change
jobs. There are many questions asked of candidates by a selection committee. Some of these
could be:
− What is your educational background? Do you have any special skills?
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− Why did you select this company?

− Are you planning to study further in the future?
− Tell us about yourself. What are your strengths/weaknesses?
− What were your responsibilities in your last job? Tell us in detail.
− Tell us why we should hire you?
− What was your salary in the previous organization?
As you may have guessed, the types of questions being asked would depend on the job and
the candidate. Here is an example of a candidate appearing for an interview for the post of an
elementary school teacher. When the candidate enters the room there would be two to three
people there to interview her/him. All of them would have read her CV (see page-11).
Interviewer-1 : Come in, Laxmi. Please be seated.
Laxmi : Good morning everyone.
Interviewer-2 : Laxmi, I see that you have applied for the post of a teacher in the
Hindi department.
Laxmi : Yes, madam that is right.
Interviewer-3 : You have taught in two schools before applying here. Why did you
leave those jobs?
Laxmi : They were both temporary positions. I was kept as a substitute for
teachers who were on leave. I am now looking for a permanent post
in a reputed school.
Interviewer-2 : Have you thought about studying further?
Laxmi : Yes, I have. I want to join the M.A. Hindi course at IGNOU next
year.
Interviewer-1 : How will you manage if you start teaching here?
Laxmi : The classes are held on Sundays so it won’t be a problem. If I teach
here, I won’t allow my studies to disturb my work.
Interviewer-2 : Are you familiar with the Hindi curriculum followed in our school?
Laxmi : Yes, madam. I read all about it on the school website.

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Interviewer-3 : How do you handle children when they get naughty?

Laxmi : I don’t like to scold them. It’s better to talk and explain why they
should not be naughty in the classroom.
Interviewer-1 : Would you agree to put in extra time during school functions?
Laxmi : I would love that. I acted in a lot of plays in college and I could help
the children put up a play.
The people on the interview board will keep on asking such questions before asking
the candidate to leave.

Activity 1.4
Prepare ten questions and answers for the interview of a hotel
management graduate, applying for the job of an assistant manager in a
hotel

1.4 PREPARING A CV

What is a CV? CV is short for the Latin phrase ‘Curriculum Vitae’, meaning ‘course of life’.
A CV is a two or three page long document that summarizes your educational qualifications,
work experience and other achievements. It is attached to applications for jobs, internships or
scholarships and submitted to the administrative head of the organization/institution. In our
country the word Resumé is also used to describe such a document; the only difference
between them is that of length. Whereas a resumé is one or, at the most, two pages long a CV
can be much longer because it includes more detailed information.
What should you include in a CV?
Personal information : Name, age, contact details
Educational : School, college, professional courses
Special Skills : Typing, knowledge of computers, languages known
Achievements : Awards, scholarships, fellowships
Work Experience : Details of past and present positions
Extra-Curricular : Special hobbies, talents, prizes won in competitions
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 English Fluency - I

Let us look at a sample of a CV. Pay attention to the font size and layout.

CURRICULUM VITAE
Laxmi Gowda
43/12, Anna Nagar (East)
Chennai-600106
Phone : + 919xxxxx82
e-mail : [email protected]

Career Objective
To find a position as a primary school teacher in a progressive school that allows teachers to
be creative with the syllabus.
Educational
Course College/University/Board Year Marks
B.Ed. Indira Gandhi National Open University 2018 63%
BA(H) Hindi Kirori Mal College, Delhi University 2016 60%
XII St. Marks School, Delhi 2013 85%

Work Experience
• Taught at St. Mary’s School, Delhi Cantt. from July to December 2019. I taught Hindi
to classes I- V.
• Taught at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Janakpuri, from October 2018 to June 2019.
Achievements
• Got second position in BA(H) Hindi in Delhi University, 2016
• Acted in plays produced by the theatre group of my college ‘Drishti’.

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Personal
Date of birth : 2 July, 1995
Gender : Female
Marital status : Single
Nationality : Indian
Languages known : Tamil, Hindi, English
Extra-Curricular
• Acting is my hobby and I can teach it to the students, if required.
• Fond of travelling and writing.
References
1. Professor Rita Sharma 2. Dr Pradeep Kumar
Department of Hindi Principal
University of Delhi Central School, Janakpuri
Delhi-110007 New Delhi 110058
988xxxxxx7 | [email protected] 88xxxxxx49 | [email protected]

Here are some important guidelines to follow while preparing a CV.

− Always follow the reverse chronological order when writing about your educational
qualifications or work experience. For instance, your most recent degree must come
first, and so on.
− When you write about your achievements, list specific ones. Avoid statements like
‘I love to read’ or ‘I am very hard working’.
− Always mention dates (both beginning and ending) and exact duration of previous
jobs, internships, etc.
− Don’t use abbreviations. For instance, write Delhi University, not DU.
− Mention only those awards that are five years old. You don’t need to mention prizes
you won when you were in junior school.

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There is no fixed format for a CV. What is important is that all the relevant, professional
information about yourself should be presented in a clear way and nothing important should
be left out. You can think of a CV as a kind of comprehensive introduction you are giving to
someone who might employ you.
This is the CV of a student who is applying for an internship as an accountant. You
will notice that, in the next CV, there are no References, nor are the marks scored in the
school/ college exams mentioned. It is because the student is applying for an internship and in
such cases, he/she would not have any work experience.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Vikas Rastogi
+ 91880XXXXX00 | [email protected]
56/ 43, Chanakya Place
Uttam Nagar-110059
New Delhi

Career Goal
To work in a reputed organization and gain experience in book-keeping and managing
financial data.
Academic Qualifications
B. Com, School of Open Learning, Delhi University, 2018.
XII, Central School, Vikas Puri, 2015.
Technical Skills
Familiar with Tally, ERP, Quickbooks.
Experience
Worked as an intern with Luthra & Associates from May to August 2017
Personal
Date of Birth : 5th December, 1997
Gender : Male
Nationality : Indian
Languages known : Hindi, English

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1.5 STUDY GUIDE: TALES OF HISTORIC DELHI: A WALK

THROUGH ITS MANY CITIES

Introduction
You must have read or heard stories about talking animals. Indian mythology and folk tales
are full of such creatures. All of you would remember the stories of the Panchatantra: the
hare and the tortoise and the elephant and the mouse are some of the famous ones, which
every Indian child would have heard from his/her mother or grandmother.
This book is an entertaining introduction to the history of Delhi. In it, a group of
animals from Ranthambore in Rajasthan travel to Delhi and visit its many monuments, forts
and parks. At each place they exchange information about the history of the place.
Dr. Kamala is the only human in this group and the founder of Janwar Dosti, the club
the animals are a part of. All the animals have been given names that are funny and easy to
remember; Tunnu the tiger, Bula the bear, Bandar the monkey and Tota the parrot. There is
an owl with a rather filmy name; Pandit Ooo Lala. All the animals talk and behave like
humans. They travel, go shopping, make fun of each other, search for information on the
Internet, send emails to friends and also give lectures on history. They travel all over Delhi
and have fun like typical tourists.
The writer has a very clear objective; to make the history of Delhi as entertaining as
possible. In addition to the funny animals, the most appealing aspect of the book are the
colourful illustrations. If you look at them carefully you will find many funny drawings;
Tunnu the tiger wearing sunglasses and riding a cycle-rickshaw in Chandni Chowk or the
rabbit, Lucky getting scared of the ghosts of the Mongol warriors at Siri Fort.
History is not a subject that many people find interesting but, in this book, the author
has made it so. People who visit Delhi or even those who have been living here for many
years can learn so many new things about their city. It is full of interesting facts and
information.
Summary
Ch. 1-3
Each of the twelve chapters has a brief paragraph in the beginning that provides details about
the dates of construction and the rulers who built the monuments the animals visit.

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In the first chapter Dr. Kamala informs her animal friends that the city of Delhi will
be a hundred years old in 2011; the year they visit the city. When she notices that the animals
seem to be getting interested in Delhi, she offers to take them on a visit there. They travel by
train and get off at the New Delhi railway station. They first visit the Purana Qila where the
animals learn that though it was built by the Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, in the 16th c. it is
believed that it was built over the ancient city of Indraprastha, built by the Pandava brothers
in 2500 BC.
After that the animals visit the Qutb Minar (ch. 2), the tallest minaret in the world. It
was built by India’s first Muslim ruler, Qutbuddin Aibak, in the fourteenth century and is
now a UNESCO World Heritage site. There Mayurdas, the peacock who is a very learned
bird tells the other animals about the different structures in the Qutb complex. There, they
meet an elephant named Ekmukhi who is also very learned and spiritual. He calls himself a
follower of the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki; after whom the Qutb Minar is named.
The elephant joins them in their visits to other monuments in Delhi.
In the next chapter (ch. 3) the group of animals visit Siri Fort. There, it is Tunnu the
tiger who narrates some very interesting facts about the origin of the name Siri (Siri means
head). We learn that this fort was built by Alauddin Khilji as a defense against Mongol
warriors from Central Asia. It is believed that the fort is built on the severed head of 8,000
soldiers killed in the war.
i. What do the animals see when they get off at New Delhi Railway Station?
ii. What do the animals see at Siri Fort that frightens them?
iii. Who is Pandit Ooo Lala?
Ch. 4-6
As you must have observed, in each chapter, it is a different animal who contributes to the
narration. On their visit to the dargah of Nizammudin Auliya, the famous Sufi saint;
Ekmukhi, Pandit Ooo Lala and Mayurdas take turns to tell the others about the saint. The
famous Persian poet Amir Khusrau and Mirza Ghalib are also buried there.
The next place they visit is the impressive Tughlaqabad Fort, built in 1321 by Sultan
Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq but abandoned in 1325. According to popular belief the Sufi saint
Nizamuddin Auliya had cursed the city built by the arrogant Sultan; predicting that it would
only be inhabited by nomads. His prediction came true and the city was abandoned after
Ghiyasuddin’s death in 1325. In the next chapter (ch. 6) the animals go to Hauz Khas village.

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It is the site where Alauddin Khilji built a water tank to supply water to his city, Siri. Later,
the very learned Mughal ruler Feroze Shah Tughlaq built a world- famous madrasa there.
Now Hauz Khas village is an upmarket shopping centre, with many shops and
restaurants. The animals shop for souvenirs and there is a funny incident where Bandar the
monkey uses a trick to catch a thief who tries to run away with Zero, the giraffe’s shopping
bags.
i. Write a few lines about Nizamuddin Auliya, the famous Sufi saint.
ii. Who built Hauz Khas and why?
iii. How does Bandar catch the little thief?
Ch. 7-9
The animals go to the famous Lodi Gardens in the heart of Delhi, where the tombs of
Muhammad Shah and Sikander Lodi are located. The garden is a very popular place for the
rich and important people of Delhi; retired diplomats, fashionable women and foreigners.
They also spot some Buddhist monks practicing meditation.
After Lodi Garden they go to another famous tomb, that of Emperor Humayun. (ch. 8)
Compared to the simple tombs in Lodi Garden, Humayun’s tomb is large and beautiful.
Humayun built some impressive structures in Dinpanah, the city he built at Purana Qila. Next
on their list is the Lal Qila (ch. 9) built by the Emperor Shahjahan. The city built by him was
known as Shahjahanabad. It is one of the largest monuments in Delhi and was the capital of
the Mughals till 1857. The Lal Qila later served as a military camp for the British. Inside the
fort, there are gardens, intricate marble architecture and thrones. There are also barracks built
for the British soldiers that spoil the beauty of the fort.
i. Describe a funny incident from chapter 7.
ii. How did Humayun die? Who built his tomb?
iii. Who was the last Mughal emperor?
Ch. 10-12
By this time the animals are tired of all the history lectures and they decide to visit Chandni
Chowk, one of Delhi’s oldest markets. It used to be beautiful and world-famous but now it is
extremely congested. A local guide tells them that it declined after the Uprising of 1857 when
the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was sent to jail in Rangoon, and the British
built a railway line through the city.

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The animal friends have a lot of fun in Chandni Chowk; eating food at the famous
eateries and enjoying riding in cycle-rickshaws. In the next chapter (ch. 11) they visit yet
another tomb; that of Safdarjung, Nawab of Awadh. It is also set in a garden. For the first
time, Lahorimal the lion shares some interesting information. Safdarjung was an influential
man and has a tomb built in his honour even though he wasn’t a king. Lahorimal also tells
them about the colourful lives of Mughal rulers in the 18th c., such as Jahandhar Shah and
Muhammad Shah Rangeela. Although the Mughal empire was declining around this time;
poetry and music flourished under their patronage.
In the last chapter the animals go to Connaught Place or C.P., as it is popularly known
(ch. 12). After the forts, tombs and gardens they get to see a modern side of the city. They
learn that this D-shaped market was designed by Edward Lutyens, a famous British architect.
In addition to C.P., Lutyens designed Rashtrapati Bhawan and the two secretariat buildings.
That is why this part of the city is also known as Lutyen’s Delhi. The British influence and
contribution to the architecture of the city is visible here. The city built by the Britishers is
around the Civil Lines area.
Delhi is a modern city now, with multi-storey buildings, shopping malls, flyovers and
the Delhi Metro. In the end Dr. Kamala tells the animals about two places in the city that are
very peaceful and quiet: the Lotus temple and Buddha Jayanti Park. The book ends with a
prayer for the welfare of mankind, by the well- known Buddhist monk Santideva.
i. What is the name of the famous 17th c. mosque in Chandni Chowk?
ii. Before 1911, where was the capital of India?
iii. Who gifted the golden statue of Lord Buddha in Buddha Jayanti Park to India?

Conclusion
This little book introduces us to the rich history of Delhi. We learn that many of the most
well-known monuments in the city were built by Mughal rulers; Lal Kot, Tughlaqabad, and
Dinpanah are some of the cities built by them. Places every person in Delhi has heard about
were once centres of trade and learning. Chandni Chowk was a world- famous trading centre
and Hauz Khas village was once the site for a world-famous madrasa built by the learned
Mughal ruler, Feroze Shah Tughlaq.
The legends associated with the Sufi saint, Nizammudin Auliya and his struggle with
Sultan Ghiyasuddin are some of the most fascinating stories in the book. It is interesting to
read about the cursed city, at Fort Tughlaqabad, where no one lives. There are countless little

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facts about the city that are fun to read about. You must have enjoyed reading about the
animals and their funny encounters. Why don’t you do the following activity.

Activity 1.5
The animal club, Janwar Dosti, is full of funny animals and each one has his/ her
personality. Make a list of all the animals and write a couple of lines about them. I
have done one for you.
Pandit Ooo Lala
The animals meet an owl in chapter 3, when they are at Siri Fort. Though he has a
very filmy name he is a very wise and learned bird. Maybe that’s why he is known as
Pandit Ooo Lala. He is a storyteller and, at many places, shares his knowledge with
the other animals.

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Unit-3A
IN PUBLIC PLACES
AMALKANTI
NIRENDRANATH CHAKRABARTY
Dr. Neeta Gupta

STRUCTURE

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Learning Objectives
1.3 A Note on ‘Amalkanti’
1.4 Critical Commentary Stanza 1
1.5 Critical Commentary Stanza 2
1.6 Critical Commentary Stanza 3
1.7 Critical Commentary Stanza 4
1.8 Let Us Sum Up
1.9 Glossary
1.10 Key to Check Your Progress Exercises
1.11 Writing

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Understanding poetry is a very different exercise from understanding narrative because a

poem is a very concentrated piece of writing. A poem is generally short because the poet
does not have the luxury of space that a novelist may have. So, a great deal is said in very
few words. Whatever is left unsaid is implied and we must read between the lines or
understand the implications of the various images, symbols and metaphors used by the poet.
Even the ordering of words or repetition of some words can carry a thought in a poem.
Words are chosen with great care not only for their meaning but also for their sound. A good
deal of thought goes into the structuring of words because in a poem words are used keeping
in mind their connotations and subtle nuances of meaning too. For example, in ‘Amalkanti’
the title of the poem, which means radiance, is itself a guide to an understanding of the poem
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for it gives us an idea of what the poet’s response is towards the subject of the poem. In fact,
it is very important to remember that a poem is written not just to be read but to be read
aloud so the sound of the words used becomes important as it can help create the entire
atmosphere and tone of the poem. At times the tone of the poem is itself an indicator of what
the poet is actually trying to say. For instance, in ‘Amalkanti’ the tone of the poem reveals
that there is a distinction between the viewpoints of the speaker and the poet and the same
creates an irony within the poem.
By now you probably have some idea of the things to be alert to while reading a
poem. Let’s move on then to the poem under consideration and take a detailed look at it.

1.2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After you have finished reading this lesson you will be able to:
• Recognize some key elements of poetry.
• Identify how poetry is different from narrative or prose.
• Read between the lines.
• Identify differences in points of view.
• Recognize and understand irony.
• Understand the given poem ‘Amalkanti’ and appreciate the difference in a translated
and original piece of writing that is at times difficult to overcome.

1.3 A NOTE ON ‘AMALKANTI’

‘Amalkanti’ is a poem written originally in Bengali by Nirendranath Chakrabarti but made

available to all non-Bengali but English knowing speakers in an English translation of the
same by Sujit Mukherjee and Meenakshi Mukherjee. The poem deals with a very common
situation in the lives of school-going children who often discuss what each one of them
wants to be when grown-up. Amalkanti is a friend of the speaker and the two are classmates.
The speaker tells us that Amalkanti was not very bright and in fact was quite dull at studies.
But he had a dream unlike any other student in class. He wanted to become sunlight! While
the rest of the students followed conventional paths and had common expectations in life
which even got fulfilled, Amalkanti’s dream was very different. ‘He wanted to be sunlight’.
This desire is very strong in Amalkanti’s heart but the poem ends by telling us that he could
not become sunlight. In fact, he got a poorly paid job in a printing press and worked in a dark
and dingy room. It is left to the reader to read between the lines and determine as to who are
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the successful people in this poem. Is it the group of those youngsters who become doctors
and lawyers without caring too deeply about it or is it Amalkanti who is content with his lot
even though not at all successful in the conventional sense?

1.4 CRITICAL COMMENTARY STANZA 1

Amalkanti is a friend of mine,

we were together at school.
He often came late to class
and never knew his lessons.
When asked to conjugate a verb,
he looked out of the window
in such puzzlement
that we all felt sorry for him.
The poet begins the poem by introducing us at once to the person who is going to be
the focus of the whole poem. He begins by telling us that Amalkanti is a friend of [his] and
they were together at school. When asked to do even a simple grammar exercise as
‘conjugate a verb’, he would look puzzled and would look out of the window. All his
classmates felt sorry for him.
The poem begins in first person and the speaker addresses the readers directly. At this
time however, we cannot be sure whether it is the poet speaking. The lines are short and the
tone is conversational. The way Amalkanti is introduced defines very clearly that the
relationship between the speaker and this boy is neither too close nor too distant. There is a
mixture of closeness and distance. He is neither his closest friend nor his best friend. But he
is nevertheless a friend. The stanza progresses with a confident and amused tone and the
speaker describes how Amalkanti was a weak student, and he often came late to school and
almost never knew his lessons. In the concluding line we must take into account what is left
unsaid. In any normal classroom situation if a student fails to provide an answer to a simple
question, rest of the students often make fun of him. But here the case is different. The
speaker tells us that ‘we all felt sorry for him. ‘The reason for this is obviously Amalkanti.
He looks lost and so confused that he invokes a response of pity rather than ridicule from his
classmates. The poet coins a special word ‘puzzlement’ to convey the lost and bewildered
look on Amalkanti’s face which evokes a sympathetic response from his classmates.

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1.4.1 Check Your Progress

a. How does the speaker introduce Amalkanti?
b. What are we told about Amalkanti?
c. Why do Amalkanti’s classmates feel sorry for him?
d. Is the poet’s use of the word ‘puzzlement’ effective?

1.5 CRITICAL COMMENTARY STANZA 2

Some of us wanted to be teachers,
some doctors, some lawyers.
Amalkanti didn’t want to be any of these.
He wanted to be sunlight –
the timid sunlight of late afternoon,
when it stops raining
and the crows call again,
the sunlight that clings like a smile
to the leaves of the jam and the jamrul.
The speaker continues in the same confident tone and tells us next about the dreams
and desires of his classmates. Most of these students have conventional expectations from
life – some just want to become teachers, some doctors and some lawyers. It is only
Amalkanti who stands apart with his dream. He does not want to follow any of the
conservative professions. Instead, he wants to become sunlight! He wants to become the kind
of sunlight tthat we see in late afternoons when it has stopped raining and the crows start
calling again. He wants to be the warm sunlight that one sees reflected on the leaves of the
jaam and the jamrul trees.
The speaker’s tone is casual when he tells us the common and conservative goals of
his classmates. They all wanted to take up conventional professions – so some want to be
teachers, some lawyers and some doctors. The speaker does not name any particular student
who would want any particular profession except Amalkanti. For the rest of them it didn’t
matter what they became as long as it was one of the conventional lines of work. Amalkanti
however stands out from the rest in wanting to become sunlight!
When the speaker begins describing the kind of sunlight that Amalkanti wanted to be,
the tone of the poem becomes full of wonder, it becomes soft and lyrical. This should make
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us stop and think whether in these lines it is the speaker who has suddenly changed his
attitude or whether it is the poet who has stepped in to give a different perspective on the
situation. Amalkanti wants to become sunlight says the speaker, but it is the poet who tells us
that he wants to become “the timid sunlight of late afternoon, when it stops raining and the
crows call again, the sunlight that clings like a smile to the leaves of the jaam and the
jaamrul.”
While on the one hand the above quoted lines alert us to the change in tone and
perspective, on the other hand they also underline the fact that Amalkanti’s desire is to spread
the happiness associated with sunlight. That is why it is described as the ‘timid sunlight of
late afternoon ‘that ‘clings like a smile.’ The poet has conveyed his point of view through a
skillful use of the image of sunlight that he has created. Look at the careful choice of words.
The adjective ‘timid’ aptly describes the softness of the sunlight. In late afternoon the sun’s
intensity is on the declining side. Thus all the harshness that can be equally associated with
sunlight is removed from Amalkanti’s dream. In his dream there is only softness and
happiness associated with sunlight and the same is achieved using the image of sunlight
clinging like a smile.
In the above stanza it becomes clear that there is a difference in perspectives of the
poet and the speaker of the poem and the two are not the same. The speaker has a casual
attitude towards Amalkanti, even full of pity at times, but the poet’s attitude is full of
wonder.

1.5.1 Check Your Progress

a. How is Amalkanti’s desire different from the rest of his classmates?
b. Do you think Amalkanti’s desire is foolish?
c. Describe the kind of sunlight that Amalkanti wanted to be. What does this tell
us about the dual perspective in the poem?

1.6 CRITICAL COMMENTARY STANZA 3

Some of us have become teachers,
some doctors, some lawyers.
Amalkanti couldn’t become sunlight.
He works in a poorly lit room
for a printer
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He drops in now and then to see me,

chats about this and that
over a cup of tea, then gets up to go.
I see him off at the door.
In the third stanza, the speaker returns to tell us how everybody else’s dream gets
fulfilled except Amalkanti’s. We are told that from that group of students, some have become
teachers, some lawyers and some doctors. But Amalkanti couldn't become sunlight. In fact,
we are informed that he works in a ‘poorly lit room for a printer’. We are further told that
Amalkanti still tries to stay in touch with his friend, the speaker of the poem, for he drops in
‘now and then’ to see him and chats about ‘this and that’ over a cup of tea and then gets up to
go and the speaker sees him off at the door.
The tense of the poem changes at this point. From past we now move into the present.
The irony is obvious in the lines that tell us that the boy who wanted to become sunlight now
works in a poorly lit room and is obviously engaged in a low-paying job. The speaker’s
attitude towards his friend at this point is almost patronizing. You must notice that it is
always Amalkanti who makes the effort to meet his school-friend. These visits are not very
important for the speaker and his attitude is extremely casual. That is why he mentions that
his friend drops in ‘now and then’ and chats about ‘this and that’, and then leaves.
What does this tell us about Amalkanti? Surely it indicates that he still values his
friendship with the speaker and therefore makes the effort to meet his friend. He must be a
warm, caring and emotional person.
At this point in the poem, we as readers too feel sorry for Amalkanti. For a person
who wanted to be sunlight it must be a big disappointment to be engaged in a low paying job
and be working in room where there is not even enough light.

1.6.1 Check Your Progress

a. Are the students in the poem able to achieve their goals? Is Amalkanti able to
fulfil his dream?
b. How do we know that Amalkanti still values his friendship with the speaker?
c. What effect do phrases like ‘now and then’, ‘this and that’ have on the tone of
the poem?
d. What is the poet trying to tell us when he says that Amalkanti works in a
poorly lit room or a printer?

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1.7 CRITICAL COMMENTARY STANZA 4

The one among us who’s a teacher

could easily have become a doctor.
If the one who’d wanted to be a doctor
had become a lawyer,
it wouldn’t have made much difference to him.
All of us got more or less what we wanted,
all except Amalkanti –
who used to think so much about sunlight
that he wanted to become sunlight.
The speaker tells us where the future years took these students. Some became doctors,
some lawyers and some teachers. For those of them who had become doctors and lawyers, it
wouldn’t have made much difference if their achievements had interchanged, and the doctor
had become a lawyer or vice versa. All of them got ‘more or less’ what they wanted except
Amalkanti ‘who used to think so much about sunlight that he wanted to become sunlight.’
The last stanza changes the whole perspective on the situation. Once again, the
distinction between the speaker and the poet gets blurred. The speaker’s tone is not so
confident in the concluding stanza. There is no amusement in the words now, no patronizing
tone. It is only wonder at a person who can desire something so deeply that he wishes to
become that thing itself. In contrast, none of the rest of the classmates is so deeply desirous of
anything. In fact, to them it hardly matters if they become teachers or doctors or lawyers.
What is implied here is obviously that as long as the aspirant is able to join a conventionally
respectable and well-paying profession it matters little what it is. On the other hand, there is
Amalkanti whose desire to become sunlight is so deep that he is constantly thinking about it.
This is what makes Amalkanti special and very different from the rest. It is almost as though
he stands out from the crowd. He may not be successful in conventional terms; he may not be
rich or materially well off but he is not ready to compromise with his heart’s deepest desire
and in some sense he is even able to achieve it.
There is an irony in the situation being described here. On the literal level, Amalkanti
may be a failure and he may be earning very little and working in dingy surroundings. But the
work he does is that of spreading the light of knowledge through books. It is mentioned that
he works for a printer even though in a ‘poorly-lit’ room. He may be far from sunlight, but he
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is engaged in a task which can be likened to that of spreading light-- the light of knowledge.
While we may think that Amalkanti could not achieve his heart’s desire, we would be far
from the truth because in that group of boys it is probably only Amalkanti who has been able
to get a little close to what he wanted from life. Far from being a failure, he is moderately
successful in his own eyes even though not in conventional terms. The poem is giving us yet
another perspective on success and failure. In ‘Amalkanti’ the poet is giving us a perspective
on success. Success cannot be measured by the amount of money you earn or by seeing how
well-known you are. Success also means being able to get what you most desire even though
in worldly terms you may appear to be a failure.

1.7.1 Check Your Progress

a. What does the speaker mean when he says that ‘All of us got more or less what
we wanted’?
b. What is the poet’s attitude towards Amalkanti?
c. Do you think Amalkanti is a failure? How is the poet defining success here?
d. Does the name ‘Amalkanti’ help in the subtle working of irony in the poem?

1.8 LET US SUM UP

After reading the poem ‘Amalkanti’ we have learnt a few things. Let us try and sum up all
that we have learnt:
• We have seen how a poem is to be read and how it is different from a narrative.
• We have seen what poetic language is and how it uses symbols, images and
associations to make simple words resonate with meanings.
• We have also seen how a poem when translated fails to catch some of the nuances that
would be evident in the original for example Amalkanti’s name itself.
• In the poem we discovered how there can be a difference in the point of view of the
poet and the first person speaker which in turn alerts us to the irony that works in the
poem throughout.
• The poet’s sympathetic attitude towards Amalkanti vis a vis the speaker’s
condescending one becomes apparent only after we have understood the difference in
their points of view. We have therefore learnt the important technique of deciphering
meaning by reading between the lines.
• Thus we have learnt to read between the lines and catch the irony in the poem.
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• Though on the surface the poem seems fairly simple – about two classmates who have
grown up and gone their separate ways, yet it offers a very different dimension to how
success can be defined in this world. Being able to do what he most loves is more
important to Amalkanti than being materially successful.
• We have understood the association attached to the name Amalkanti in the original
and have been able to deduce the underlying theme of the poem – that one meaning of
being successful is to be able to do what your heart desires most.

1.9 GLOSSARY
Conjugate: to state the different forms a verb can have, for example according to the number
of people it refers to and whether it refers to the present, past, or future
Timid: shy and nervous
Clings: sticks
Jaam: a purple coloured fruit also known as jamun
Jamrul: water apple

1.10 KEY TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS EXERCISES

Key to Exercise 1.4.1

a. The speaker introduces Amalkanti as one of his classmates who is a daydreamer and
quite slow in learning.
b. The speaker tells us that Amalkanti often came late to school and was never good at
studies. If asked to do a simple thing as conjugate a verb he would get so confused
that his classmates all felt sorry for him.
c. Amalkanti’s classmates feel sorry for him when he is unable to give correct answers
in class and gets confused. In a normal classroom situation children would have made
fun of him. But Amalkanti must have been a gentle and friendly person because
instead of laughing they feel sorry for him.
d. The word ‘puzzlement’ has been coined by the poet to indicate the confusion in
Amalkanti’s mind. The word is very effective because one can almost visualize the
puzzled look on Amalkanti’s face.
Key to Exercise 1.5.1
a. Amalkanti’s dream is a very unconventional one. Other boys in his class have the
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usual conventional desires of becoming doctors, teachers or lawyers. But Amalkanti

wants to become none of these. He wants to become sunlight. He is different and he
is special. Unlike other boys. Amalkanti’s desire is so deep that he constantly dreams
about it and is not ready to compromise with it.
b. At first it does seem that Amalkanti’s desire is unrealistic as well as foolish because
we know that no one can become sunlight! Our disbelief however, results from a
purely literal interpretation of this unique desire. If however we try to look at it
metaphorically then Amalkanti’s desire is neither unrealistic nor foolish because his
desire is to brighten up the world by doing something that would bring joy into the
people’s lives. He does achieve this desire partly by getting engaged in the business
of printing books. Books too spread light in the metaphorical sense and also brighten
up people’s world. So in a sense Amalkanti is able to achieve his dream of spreading
light.
c. We are told by the speaker that it was Amalkanti’s deepest desire to become
sunlight. But then the next few lines describe for us the kind of sunlight that he
wanted to be. There is a perceptible change in tone - from being condescending it
becomes lyrical when we are told that Amalkanti wanted to be the soft and warm
sunlight of the late afternoons when it has just stopped raining. The feeling
associated with this sunlight is of happiness and warmth. We can say that the poet’s
perspective is coming into play here as against the speaker’s perspective which we
had seen earlier.
Key to Exercise 1.6.1
a. The speaker tells us that except Amalkanti all the students in the class were more or
less able to achieve their goals. Some became doctors, some lawyers and some
teachers but Amalkanti could not become sunlight.
b. We know that Amalkanti still values his friendship with the speaker because he comes
to visit him sometimes and spends some time with him.
c. In comparison to Amalkanti, the speaker’s attitude towards life is very casual. Phrases
like ‘now and then’, ‘this and that’, ‘more or less’ indicate that nothing matters to him
very deeply.
d. The speaker tells us that Amalkanti works in a poorly lit room for a printer. He
obviously has a low paid job. Yet when he visits the speaker he never complains but
seems to be quite content and talks of ‘this and that.’ We have to read between the
lines here to understand the poet’s point of view. Amalkanti wanted to become
sunlight. He wanted to brighten up people’s lives. By working for a printer he is
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involved in the process of spreading the light of knowledge through the printed word
in the form of books. The poet has given us a clue in his name which if translated
means ‘pure radiance.’ He spreads the light of knowledge. And in that sense
Amalkanti has come very close to realizing his dream. He has finally become the
means of spreading ‘light’ therefore we can say that far from being a failure he has
been successful.
Key to Exercise 1.7.1
a. The speaker is pointing out that he and his classmates were quite indifferent to the
kind of professions that each followed as long as they could earn money.
b. The poet’s attitude towards Amalkanti is very different from that of the speaker’s.
First of all the choice of name ‘Amalkanti’ which means ‘pure radiance’ itself
indicates that the poet’s attitude is not very critical. In fact it is sympathetic even full
of wonder. As we read the poem a change in tone has occured in stanza 2 lines 12-17.
From being amused and condescending it has become soft, lyrical and almost wishful
in describing how Amalkanti wants to become the ‘timid sunlight of late afternoon’
and sunlight that clings like a smile. In the last stanza we notice this change in tone
once again when it becomes full of wonder at the depth of Amalkanti’s desire in
comparison with the shallowness of his classmates. Amalkanti is very clear in his
head about what he wants to be. He may be an idealist but at least he does not
compromise with his heart’s desire and tries to spread light in the metaphorical sense
by engaging in a task that spreads knowledge.
c. In conventional terms Amalkanti is a failure because he has not been materially
successful and is not making a future. In fact he is confined to a low paying job. But
in another sense he is a success because he has been able to do what he most wanted
to in life and that is to spread light. If we look at his desire literally then we are
missing the point that the poet is trying to make. Metaphorically Amalkanti has been
able to do what he most wanted to. Thus in this poem we are being given yet another
definition of success. Success does not always mean to be rich. It also means to be
able to join a profession of your choice. To be able to do what you most wanted to.
d. Amalkanti means “pure radiance” in Bangla and Hindi. Knowing the meaning of the
word certainly affects our understanding of the poem for we are able to not only catch
the irony in the poem but also the attitude of the poet towards the subject. Out of the
group of boys in Amalkanti’s class, it is only Amalkanti who has a clear focus and
knows what he wants to become when grown up. It is as clear in his mind as his name
itself suggests. Irony is working at two levels in the poem. For the speaker, it is
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ironical that a person who wanted to become sunlight is ultimately confined to a

poorly-lit room in a low paying job. But because we have realized that there is a
difference in the attitude of the speaker and the poet towards Amalkanti, we can see
that the irony is working in the opposite direction too. From the poet’s point of view it
is ironical that the speaker cannot see that Amalkanti has in fact been able to spread
light metaphorically through books and has lived up to his name.

1.11 WRITING

Writing a CV or a Resume/ Biodata has already been covered in the previous Unit. Please
refer to Unit 2 Section 1.4 for the same. Here we will look at how letters are written. At first,
we will see how a letter of recommendation is written and then we will move on to look at
how we need to write formal letters. We will focus on how to apply for a job.
1.11.1 Letter of Recommendation: a letter of recommendation is required when you may be
applying for a course in higher education or for a job. It is not addressed to anyone in
particular but carries the heading ‘To whomsoever it may concern.’ The letter has to be
written by either your former teacher or your former employer. It should briefly touch on the
positive aspects of your personality and should particularly emphasize your capabilities to
handle the course or job you are applying for. The example given in your textbook has been
worked out for you below:

To Whomsoever It May Concern

I have known Mr. Amalkanti Guha for 30 years. Though never a high performer he
has always been a meticulous worker. What is more, he truly enjoys the work he does and
since he rose up to his position as Printing Press Supervisor with Ujwal Jyoti Prakashan from
the workshop floor, he is familiar with every aspect of printing. He is also creative and hard-
working and therefore I would recommend him unreservedly to every reputed printer or
publisher. Finally, I would add that he would prove to be an asset for any company. I wish
him all the very best in the new assignment.
Sudhir Kumar Das
Advocate
Kolkata High Court.

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Activity
I. Imagine you are the English teacher in a college and one of your students wishes
to apply for higher studies abroad. Write a recommendation letter for your
student highlighting the abilities that he or she possesses to pursue the course of
his or her choice.
II. Try and write a paragraph or a poem on any of your classmates that you find
interesting.

1.11.2 Writing Formal Letters

Letters are most commonly used forms of written communication. We write letters to
communicate with the people who are away from us. Letters are written for different
purposes. Some of these are:

• to inform
• to request
• to inquire
• to invite
• to place orders
• to complain
• to direct
• to apply for job, admission, etc
Letters can be broadly classified in two kinds:
1. Informal letters (Personal letters)
2. Formal letters (Business letters)

Personal letters are written to friends, family members and relatives. They can be
written for anything, to say hello, to enquire about someone’s health, to offer help, to
congratulate, etc. The tone of personal letters is informal.

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Business letters must be written more carefully in a formal manner so that they
achieve the desired result.

After summarizing the steps involved in the Writing Process, Unit 21 narrows down
its focus to the process of writing letters, particularly Business Letters. The format of a
business letter is already provided below:

1.11.3. Formal or Business Letters

In a formal or business letter too it goes without saying that you have to be careful about
spellings, grammar and punctuation as well as write clearly, be precise, keep the paragraphs
short and use good quality paper. In addition to all this there are certain rules to be followed
while writing a formal letter and the same are briefly described below. Formal letters follow
the block format in which all of the writing is kept to the left hand side of the page close to
the left margin. There are other formats available but this is the one most usually followed.
1. Your Address: This is the return address of the person writing the letter so that if the
person receiving it wants to reply he/she can easily find out where to send that reply.
In case you are writing on a company letter-head then this is not needed.
After writing your address you leave a line blank.
2. Date: Write the date on which the letter was written. The most popular format is that
of Month, Day, Year eg: January 15, 2007.
Now once again leave a line blank.
3. Inside Address: This is the address of the person you are writing to along with the
name of the person receiving it along with their title and company name. eg:
Director…………………
or
Manager……………………
Leave a blank line between the inside address and the salutation.
4. Salutation: Address the person as Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms.; Dear
Director…………………… or To Whom It May Concern if the recipient is unknown.
Note that there is a comma after the salutation. eg.
Dear Mr. Raghav;

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Leave a blank line between the salutation and the subject line (if there is one) or the
main text or body of the letter.
5. Subject Line (Optional): The subject line is optional but if included it should clearly
specify the subject of the letter in one or two lines only.
After the subject line you once again leave a blank line between the subject line and
the main text.
6. Main text: This is the main body of the letter which carries the subject matter. Write
it neatly and skip a line between each paragraph. Be careful about spellings, grammar,
punctuation etc. keep it short but clear.
Once you are through with the matter you leave a blank line again before you write
the formal closing.
7. The formal closing: This usually ends with Yours Sincerely/Sincerely yours/Thank
you and so on. If you have begun your letter with Dear Sir/Madam then you will end
it with Yours faithfully/Yours truly/Truly yours. Put a coma after the end of the
closing. Remember that only the first letter of the closing is written with a capital
letter.
8. The Signature Line: Now skip two or three lines and then write clearly the name to
be signed. Women may indicate how they wish to be addressed by placing
Miss/Mrs./Ms. or similar title within parenthesis before their name. eg (Mrs.) Mehta.
The signature line may include a second line for a title if appropriate.
eg: (Mrs) D. Kapoor
Director Marketing.
9. Signature: The signature has to be placed in the space between the formal closing
and the signature line. The signature should start directly above the first letter of the
signature line.
10. Enclosures: If the letter contains any other documents then write Encl. or Enclosures
and then put the number of the documents included apart from the letter.
Sample: The sample format provided here is the one that is usually followed in
business letters and is known as the block format. The advantage with this style is that there
is no indenting to be followed in the whole letter because everything is pushed to the left
hand margin. There are many other styles followed but this is by far the most popular and the
easiest to remember.

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BLOCK FORMAT

Return Address (Line 1)

Return Address (Line 2)
Date : (Month/Day/Year).
Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. (Full name of the recipient)
Title/Position of the Recipient.
Company Name
Address (Line 1).
Address (Line 2).
Dear Ms./Mr./Mrs. (Last Name);
Subject:
Main Text (Paragraph 1)
………………….…………………………………………………...………
…………………………………………………..................................…...…
……………………………………………………………………………......
......................................................................
Main Text (Paragraph
2)……………………......………………………………...................
………………………………...……………………………………………
……..............…...……………………………………………………………
…………………......................
Closing (Yours sincerely),
Signature
Your Name
Your Title
Encl:

Having gone through the rules and the formats provided above you would now have a better
idea about writing formal or informal letters. These days however the written form of
communication can be sent across not just as a simple letter on paper but as telefax or even as
an e-mail. Unit 10 begins by giving you a few examples of different types of letters that can

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be written and then follow a set of exercises to help you understand the art of writing good
letters. Read the sample letters that have been provided and then go through the exercises,
most of which have been solved for you in this study material.
Here is an application for a job. The numbers refer to those given in the format.
25 Park Street
Nehru Nagar (1)
New Delhi 110081
18 January 2006 (2)
The Personnel Manager
Infosys Pvt Ltd (4)
Bangalore-5
Dear Sir (5)
Subject: Application for the job of Assistant Manager (6)
I saw your advertisement in The Hindustan Times dated 10th January 2006 for the post
of Assistant Manager. I would like to be considered for this post.
I am 22 years old and a first class graduate in Computer Science from Delhi University. I
have also done a diploma in web-designing.
I have worked for six months in a company and I have handled various responsibilities
independently. (7)
I look forward to working in your company.
I assure you that given an opportunity, I shall serve the company to the best of my
ability.
Thank you.
Yours truly (8)
S/d. (9)
Neha Verma
Exercise 1: You see an advertisement for the position of Sales Executive for TEXAL company
in the Times of India dated 20th October 2020. Send an application for the post.

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Solution: In this exercise you are required to write out a letter of application as well as a bio-
data that needs to be enclosed with the application. Make a note of the details that have been
provided in the question for the same shall be used for writing out the letter.
Details provided are as follows:
1. It has to be a letter of application.
2. The application is for the post of a Sales Executive.
3. The company’s name is Texal Company.
4. Your letter is in response to an advertisement that appeared in The Times of India
dated 20th January 2006.

Your Letter of Application

23, West Street
Dev Nagar
New Delhi-110042

21-October- 2020

The Personnel Manager

Texal Company
Delhi-110082

Dear Sir,

Subject: Application for the post of a Sales Executive

This is with reference to your advertisement in The Times of India dated 20th January
2022, for the post of a Sales Executive. I would like to be considered for this post. I am
enclosing my CV for ready reference.
I assure you that given an opportunity, I shall serve the Company to the best of my
ability.

Thank you,
Yours Truly
S/d ABC

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Note 1: When we begin a letter with ‘Dear Sir/Dear Madam’, we close it with ‘yours
faithfully/yours truly’. When we write "Mr/Ms + Surname/first name?, we write
yours sincerely.

Note 2: Some other expressions for the opening of job applications are:

o Kindly refer to your advertisement...

o This is with reference to...
o I understand that there is a vacancy... (when the source of information is not
known)
Note 3: Some other expressions for closing the main body of the letter are:
o I would appreciate it very much...
o I would be grateful if...
o I would request you to consider...

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Unit-3B
IN PUBLIC PLACES
BHIMAYANA
BOOK II SHELTER
SRIVIDYA NATARAJAN AND S. ANAND
Nalini Prabhakar

STRUCTURE

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Learning Objectives
1.3 Book II-Shelter: Detailed Summary and Analysis
1.4 Activity
1.5 Grammar: Tenses and Concord

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Bhimayana is a graphic novel which presents certain incidents narrated by B.R. Ambedkar in
his autobiographical “Notes” written in the year 1935. These notes highlight the practice of
untouchability in the Indian Society. Bhimayana begins with a frame narrative wherein a
male character (unnamed) voices a common complaint of the upper castes against
reservations for Dalits “these damn job quotas for backward and scheduled castes!” This is
immediately challenged by another unnamed character (female) and the dialogue that follows
gives us a history of caste discrimination and also the atrocities perpetrated against the Dalits
in India. Newspaper clippings of violence against Dalits in the recent past from across the
nation are used to reinforce the point that “untouchability is alive and kicking” in India. This
message is especially meant for the educated urban Indians who would like to believe, like
the unnamed character that “Caste isn't real any longer, its a non-issue”. The frame narrative
ends here and we move on to a graphic presentation of certain incidents narrated by B.R.
Ambedkar in his autobiographical ‘'Notes'', Books I, II and III. The frame narrative re-
emerges at the end of each book.
Bhimayana is a fluid combination of three genres – novel, autobiography and graphic
novel. The frame narrative at the beginning is fictional in nature and by re-emerging at the
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end of each book, binds the three separate autobiographical incidents into a continuous
whole.
The graphic illustrations are a brilliant example of Gond art. Gond art is a form of
painting which uses dots and lines, and is practised by the Gonds, one of the largest adivasi
tribes in India. They have a large presence in Madhya Pradesh and also inhabit small pockets
in Andhra, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Odisha.
Book II “Shelter” of Bhimayana is prescribed for your study.

1.2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

This lesson will enable you to know about:

a. Ambedkar’s train journey from Bombay to Baroda and his short stay in Baroda in
the year 1917.
b. The reason why Ambedkar could not continue his stay in Baroda.
c. The humiliation experienced by the Dalits for beings treated as less than human.
d. The deep-seated nature of caste discrimination which cuts across all religions in
India.

1.3 BOOK II-SHELTER: DETAILED SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS

1.3.1 The Train Journey

Ambedkar returns from Columbia University in the year 1917 after completion of his
education, sponsored by the Maharaja of Baroda. He boards a train from Bombay to Baroda
with the intention of working for the Maharaja, who had made his education possible. Very
early on in the journey, Ambedkar is made aware of the fact that he is a Dalit and an
untouchable, a fact which he had forgotten as a student in America. His co-passenger, a
brahmin, strikes up a conversation with him on the assumption that Ambedkar belongs to the
upper caste. This assumption rests solely on the premise that being well educated and well
dressed, Ambedkar cannot be a Dalit.
At one point when his co-passenger says “I wish my son could learn from you – he is
a disgrace to our brahmin caste”, Ambedkar starts to correct this assumption, “I am not
brah”, but stops himself and does not complete the sentence. He tells himself that an
“untouchable is a problem to himself and to others” and that he should be more careful and
not reveal his Dalit identity. The “problem” that Ambedkar is referring to is the deep-seated
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belief that the “touch” of a Dalit, either physical or of other things like food, water etc.
pollutes the purity of the upper castes and must be avoided at all times. If a Dalit rebels
against this belief, he might end up being thrashed or worse lynched.
We must remind ourselves here that Ambedkar is narrating incidents that occurred in
the year 1917, and over the years, especially after Independence much has changed.
Untouchability has however, not been completely eradicated till date despite stringent laws
against this practice. Atrocities against the Dalits continue....

1.3.1.1 Check your progress

a. Why did Ambedkar undertake the journey from Bombay to Baroda?
b. Why does Ambedkar’s co-passenger assume that Ambedkar is a brahmin?
c. “An Untouchable is a problem to himself and to others”. What “problem” is
Ambedkar referring to?

1.3.2 Baroda
Ambedkar travels to Baroda to take up the post of a probationer in the Accountant General’s
office. Upon reaching, his first task is to find a place to stay. His options are very limited. He
cannot stay with friends, because he realizes that “a Dalit has no friends among other castes”.
He cannot stay in a Hindu hotel, because then he will have to pretend that he is upper caste
and if his lie is discovered he will be “beaten up, maybe killed”. This situation makes
Ambedkar feel like an outsider in his own homeland, more so because he had experienced
social equality for the first time in Columbia University where his best friends were his
classmates and his professors. He decides to stay at an old Parsi inn, although the rooms were
dirty and not well maintained. He thinks this is a safe option as Parsis being Zoroastrians do
not practice untouchability. He is sadly disillusioned. The care-taker upon learning that
Ambedkar was not wearing a sadra (loose shirt with a small pocket in front made of thin
cotton) and kasti (braided thread tied around the sadra), and is a Hindu, asks him to leave as
the inn is only for Parsis. Ambedkar, however persuades him to let him stay under a Parsi
name. The care-taker makes it very clear that Ambedkar should not expect him to “stop and
chat”. Once again Ambedkar is painfully made aware that he is an outsider and cannot expect
even the basic human interaction between two people which is conversation, only this time
because of his religion. To avoid any trouble, he decides to come back late from work.
The situation at office is no better. The others in the office “hurl” files at him, fearing
his touch. To describe his existence at this point in time, Ambedkar uses the simili of an “ox
in the oil press”. Like the ox, he is “walking in circles, going nowhere” To escape the inn he

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goes to the office, and to escape the office he goes back to the inn. He is trapped in this cycle
and is unhappy, lonely and miserable. All his applications to various officers for permanent
accommodation in one of Baroda’s state bungalows are in vain. Four days after he takes up
residence at the inn, one morning a group of Parsis with sticks march upto his room and
threaten him with terrible consequences, if he does not vacate the room the same evening.
Finding himself homeless, he calls on his friends, one a Hindu and the other a
Christian. His Hindu friend does not refuse outright but does so indirectly. He tells Ambedkar
that his servants will leave him, if Ambedkar stays with him. His Christian friend uses the
excuse of his wife to turn him away. He claims that his wife is orthodox and not liberal in
these matters. What is ironical here is that both these friends first express shock at the manner
in which Ambedkar was turned out of the Parsi inn, but find nothing wrong in doing exactly
the same thing. It is also ironical that in the huge city of Vadodara (Baroda) named after the
Banyan tree, which gives shelter to all, Ambedkar has nowhere to go and cannot find shelter.
Ambedkar decides to wait in the Kamathi Baug public garden before he catches the train
back to Bombay.
In all Ambedkar spent eleven days in Baroda and could not serve the Maharaja who
had sponsored his education. Ambedkar learnt the hard way that a Dalit is an untouchable not
only to a Hindu, but also to a Parsi and a Christian. Ambedkar laments the fact that he had
turned down many well paid jobs to repay the Maharaja’s kindness and it had all come to
naught.

1.3.2.1 Check you progress

a. Why does Ambedkar stay at the Parsi inn and not at a Hindu hotel?
b. When and where did Ambedkar first experience social equality?
c. Why does the caretaker refuse to “stop and chat” with Ambedkar?
d. In the context of Ambedkar’s life at Baroda explain the simile “ox in the oil
press”.
e. What are the excuses offered by the Hindu and the Christian friend to refuse
accommodation?

1.3.3 Frame Narrative

The unnamed characters from the frame narrative re-emerge at this point. The female
character challenges the assertion that “untouchability exists only in villages”, and says that
despite his education and status Ambedkar could not find a shelter in a city like Baroda. She
then talks about three siblings who were thrashed by the landlord as recently as 2008 in
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Delhi’s Mukherji Nagar, for being Dalits. Newspaper clipping of this incident in The Hindu,
ends his section.

1.4 ACTIVITY

1. Facebook is an online social networking site. Facebook post is a comment, picture or

any other media that is posted by a Facebook user on his/her wall. When you post a
message, it will appear on your wall and will be visible to all your Facebook friends
who can then post their comments on it.
a. Take any newspaper item on Dalit atrocity and write a Facebook post.
b. You are organizing a musical event at your college. Write a facebook post with the
relevant information inviting students to attend the event.
2. Messages sent on Twitter are Tweets. Tweets have a limit of 140 characters. You can
post short messages on Twitter for those who follow you.
a. Write a Twitter post sharing information about weekend trip that you have
organized and inviting students of your college to join.
3. People maintain a diary to keep a record not only of their daily activities but more
importantly of their thoughts, feelings, opinions and experiences. Diary entries have a
date as also the name of the place at the time of writing. Whatever is written in a diary
is private and not meant for public view and hence one can write without fear of any
kind of censure or criticism. The entry can be short or long depending on your subject.
Please refer to Unit 1A Section 1.7.1 for detailed guidelines on writing a diary entry.
a. Have you experienced discrimination based on gender, caste, region, religion,
physical looks, or disability? Make a diary entry of the same.

1.5 GRAMMAR: TENSES AND CONCORD

From: Developing Language Skills - 1

1.5.1. Subject-Verb Agreement
Last year, I had an opportunity to visit Mauritius by sea. We travelled in a big ship. There
were other smaller ships going alongside. The whole fleet(1) was in formation. The captain
and pilot(2) of our ship was very efficient. The journey was very comfortable. Bread and
butter(3) was given to us at breakfast. Each one of us(4) was served food in plenty. I formed a

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useful friendship with one of the fellow passengers. We enjoyed the journey very much.
Neither he nor I(5) was in a hurry to reach Mauritius. In the evening we sat on the deck with
other passengers. We had a lot of conversation on politics, mathematics, love and marriage.
Someone said: ‘Politics(6) is a dirty game’. Another said: ‘Mathematics(6) is fascinating’.
Time passed pleasantly and we reached our destination. The captain, with all his
crewmembers,(7) has earned a permanent place in our memory.
Explanation 1: Observe the underlined words in the above passage. These illustrate
the agreement of the verb with the subject. For instance, ‘fleet’ (a group of ships), though
plural, takes a singular verb because it is a collective noun. Similarly, we can write: ‘The
Tenth Lok Sabha has chosen its speaker’. If, however, a collective noun is not thought of as
one unit, but as the items which compose it, then it takes a plural verb. Thus, we write: ‘The
jury were divided in their opinion’.
Exercise 1: In the following sentences, supply the correct form of the verb from
within the brackets so as to make it agree with the subject:
A number of candidates ................................ late for the interview. (was/were)
The committee ...................... agreed on the main point. (was/were)
The public ................................ requested not to walk on the grass. (is/are)
The crew of the pirate ship ..................... taken prisoner. (was/were)
The crowd ...................... dispersed by the police. (was/ were)
A few suggestions ....................... been made for the Staff Association to consider.
(has/have)
(Answer Key: were, was, is, was, was, have)
Explanation 2: The second underlined phrase ‘The captain and pilot’ in the passage
above takes a singular verb because the two nouns ‘The captain’ and ‘pilot’ refer to the same
person. Similarly, we can write: ‘The poet and dramatist of Bengal is dead’. If, however, the
subject in such cases is made up of two nouns, both being used with ‘the', it will take a plural
verb. Thus: ‘The poet and the dramatist are dead’.
Exercise 2: In the following sentences, choose the correct alternative from within the
brackets:
The accountant and the cashier of this firm ................... run away. (has/have)
I am happy that my friend and benefactor .............................. come. (has/have)
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Alas! The great philosopher and statesman of our country ............... no more. (is/are)
The secretary and the treasurer of our society......................... yet to be elected. (is/are)
The storyteller and poet of our state ................. honoured recently. (was/were)
(Answer Key: have, has, is, are, was)
Explanation 3: The third underlined phrase ‘Bread and butter’ takes a singular verb
because the two nouns express a single idea. Similarly, we can say: ‘The horse and carriage is
at the door’.
Exercise 3: In the following sentences, use a verb in agreement with the subject:
Slow and steady .................... the race.
After his recent illness, bread and milk ................... his only food.
Time and tide ..................... for no man.
The rise and fall of the tide ......................... due to the effect of the moon.
The long and short of the matter ................. that you must go to Bombay tomorrow.
(Answer Key: wins, is, waits, is, is)
Explanation 4: The fourth underlined phrase ‘Each one of us’ takes a singular verb
because the subject is made singular by the use ‘each one of ..................’. Similarly, we can
say: ‘Each one of the pupils has paid the fee’. The use of ‘every’ or ‘none’ with a plural noun
also makes the subject singular. Thus: ‘None of the boys was present in my class yesterday’.
Exercise 4: In the following sentences, use a verb in agreement with the subject:
Everyone of the boys and girls....................... ready for the picnic.
None of the girls ................................. more than five feet tall.
Each one of the students ................... given a prize.
When the plane exploded in mid-air, every man, woman, and child ............... lost.
Each one of the suspected persons ......................... arrested by the police.
(Answer Key: is, is, was, was, was)
Explanation 5: The fifth underlined phrase ‘Neither he nor I’ takes a singular verb
because the subject here is singular with the use of ‘neither nor’. Similarly, with ‘either or’ a
singular verb is used. Thus we say: Either Ravi or Naeem is at fault in this matter.

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Exercise 5: Make corrections, if any, in the use of the verb in the following sentences
and rewrite them:
Either an officer or an assistant are needed soon.
.........................................................................................................................................
Neither the judge nor the lawyer have arrived at the court yet.
.........................................................................................................................................
Either Abdul or Hanif has stolen Zoya's watch.
.........................................................................................................................................
Neither food nor water were to be found in the deserted village.
.........................................................................................................................................
Neither the president nor the secretary were present at the meeting.
(Answer Key: is, has, has, was, was)
Explanation 6: The sixth underlined words ‘Politics/Mathematics', take a singular
verb ruse these two nouns, although apparently plural in form, are singular in meaning.
similarly, we can say: ‘Economics is a popular subject’.
Exercise 6: Write five similar sentences of your own:
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................
Explanation 7: The seventh underlined phrase ‘The captain, with all his crew
members’ takes a singular verb because the real subject in this underlined phrase is ‘The
captain’ (which is singular) and ‘with all his crew members’ is only additional information
about the subject. Similarly, when a singular subject is joined by ‘together with’ or ‘as well
as', a singular verb is used.
Examples: (a) The governor, together with his security guards, has arrived for the function.
(b) Shalini, as well as her friends, is interested in going for a picnic.

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Exercise 7: Write correct/incorrect against each of the following sentences. Rewrite the
incorrect sentences after making necessary corrections:
(a) The tribal chief, with all his followers, were present at the function.................
.................................................................................................................................
(b) Smoking, as well as drinking, is bad for health. ...............................................
.................................................................................................................................
(c) The plane, with all the passengers, was lost in a storm. .......................................
.................................................................................................................................
(d) Kindness, as well as justice, are the hallmark of a judge. ...................................
.........................................................................................................................
(e) The cow, as well as the horse, eats grass. ....................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
(f) The Prime Minister, with all his ministers, were present in the Parliament
House.............................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
(g) Sunil Gavaskar, as well as Kapil Dev, deserves praise for playing great
cricket............................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(h) The box, with all its valuable contents, was lost..................................................
.................................................................................................................................
(i) My wife, as well as my children, like hot curry. ..........................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
(j) Wholesome food, with fruits, are necessary for good health. .................................
.......................................................................................................................................
(Answer Key: was, is, was, is, eats, was, deserves, was, likes, is)

1.5.2 Simple Present and Present Continuous

(a) This is Mr. Ashok Srivastav. He works in a college. Mr. Srivastav teaches English. He
is very kind and helpful. He works hard and prepares his lesson well before going to
the college. He pays special attention to weak students and holds extra classes for
them. The students admire and love him.

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(b) In this picture, you are looking at Mr. Srivastav. He is sitting in his study. He is typing
a letter to one of his old students.
Points for discussion
Look at the underlined verbs in the above paragraphs. The verbs in paragraph (a) are
in the simple present form. Those in paragraph (b) are in the present continuous tense.
Can you say when we should use the simple present and when the present continuous
form of the verb? Discuss with others in the group.
Can you think of other situations when these two verb forms are used? Make a list and
compare it with that of others in the group.
Explanation: The simple present tense usually shows that an action is habitual or
happens regularly, e.g. ‘The puppy plays with the ball every morning’. The present
continuous form usually shows that the action is going on at the actual moment of speaking
or writing, e.g. ‘The boy is running to school’.
Note: There are certain verbs of perception/cognition which are not normally used in the
continuous form. Some of these are: abhor, agree, contain, deserve, love, like, know
Some other uses of the two tenses

Simple present Present contentious

It is used in clauses of time and This form of the verb is also used:
condition, e.g. (a) to denote repeated action that occurs
'I will leave the office when he comes over a specified period of time, e,g.
back.’ 'I am learning French this semester.’
'If it rains I'll not go to college. In such sentences the adverbial of time
It must be used with those verbs (verbs specifying the period of occurrence is often
of perception, etc.) which cannot be used in used;
the continuous form, e.g. (b) for a planned action in the near
'I see an aeroplane coming towards us. future, e.g.
It can be used for dramatic narrative, 'I am going to meet him tomorrow
description of people and places, etc., afternoon.
planned future action(s), and TV/radio (c) for a repeated action, often one which
commentary. seems unreasonable to the speaker, e.g.
'Ravi is always eating out at weekends.

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Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the simple present or present continuous form of the verb
given in brackets:
(a) He usually ...................... his letters in English, but today he is ................. in Hindi.
(write)
(b) Shiela often ................ her homework as soon as she is back from school. (do)
(c) The train .................. at 9.00 p.m. but it is late today and ..................... at 9.30 p.m.
(leave)
(d) Bikash .......................... in the mornings but this month he ............. in the afternoons.
(lecture)
(e) He ............................. only one novel this year though he usually ............... three
novels in a year. (write)
(Answer Key: (a) writes, writing, (b) does, (c) leaves, is leaving, (d) lectures, is
giving lectures, (e) is writing, writes)
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the simple present or the present continuous form of the
verb given in brackets:
We .......................... (see) two persons in this picture. They .................................. (be)
Mr. Reddy and Mr. Kaul. Mr. Reddy, ................................. (sit) in the chair and Mr. Kaul
...................................... (stand) in front of him. Probably, Mr. Reddy ..............................
(consult) Mr. Kaul on the arrangements for the school fete next week.
As in the past, the school .. ................................ (hold) its annual fete this year, too,
and Mr. Kaul..................................... (look after) the arrangements. Students usually
................................ (put up) about fifty stalls and ................................ (raise) a tidy sum.
This time they ................................ (put up) about a hundred stalls. At the moment, the
student union .................................. .(hold) its meeting for a decision on this point.
(Answer Key: are seeing, are, is sitting, is standing, is consulting, is holding, is
looking after, put up, raise, are putting up, is holding)
Exercise 3: Supply in the following pairs of sentences either the simple present or the present
continuous form of the verb given in brackets:
(a) The moon ................................in the sky now. (shine)
The moon ............................................ in the sky at night. (shine)
(b) I .......................................................... my scooter on Sundays. (wash)
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I... .................. ................................... my scooter with detergent and water. (wash)

(c) She ............................... .............................. the windows when they are dirty. (dust)
She .......................................................... the windows because they are dirty. (dust)
(d) They .......................................... students from the college for this offence. (expel)
They ................................... five students from the college for this offence. (expel)
(e) My sister ............................................................... how to swim. (learn)
My sister ................................................................. how to swim. (know)
(Answer Key: a) is shining, shines b) wash, am washing c) dusts, is dusting d) expel, are
expelling e) is learning, knows)
e.e.3 Simple Past, Present perfect and Past Perfect
Look at the underlined verbs in the following paragraph:
Mr. Ashish Gupta has finished writing a story. He wrote three stories last year. He
started writing stories when he was still in school. By the time he was 21, he had written
twenty stories. He has written thirty stories by now.
Simple Past – Wrote
Present Perfect – Has written
Past Perfect – Had written
Points for discussion
Both the simple past and the present perfect are used for an activity which happened
in the past. What then is the difference between the two tenses?
Explanation 1: Simple past tense indicates that the action occurred in the past. It can be a
single or a repeated action, e.g.
I bathed at six this morning.
I always bathed at six when I was a boy.
It focuses our attention on the action and may also indicate when it happened. It is
obligatory to use this form of the tense if an adverbial of fixed past time is used, e.g.
I bought this book yesterday. It may also be used with the adverbials of immediate
past time, e.g.
I bought this book just now.

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Explanation 2: The present perfect tense expresses the completion of an action NOW. It
focuses our attention on the present relevance of a past activity and not on the activity or the
time of the activity, e.g.
I have read the book (i.e. I now know what is there in it, etc.).
The present relevance of this past activity will depend on the shared knowledge of the
two interlocutors.
The present perfect is not normally used with the adverbs of definite past time. We
can say
I have seen him.
But it would be wrong to say
I have seen him yesterday.
But it can be used with adverbs of present time, i.e. time which is not yet over at the
moment of speaking or writing, e.g.
I have seen him twice today (the day is not yet over).
It can also be used with the adverbs of indefinite past time, e.g.
I have never seen your principal.
In fact, it is often found with ‘already’, ‘never’, ‘recently’, etc.
Explanation 3: The past perfect tense is a sort of ‘double past’, or ‘past before past’. It
shows that two events happened in the past and stresses the sequence of their happening, e.g.
The train had left when we reached the station.
(i.e. first the train left and then we reached the station)
Notice: that when two actions are completed in the past, the action which happens
first is expressed in the past perfect and the other is written in the simple past.
The past perfect is also used to express an action completed by a certain time in the
past, e.g.
He had completed the job by six o’clock.
The past perfect is also used
(e) in a conditional clause, e.g.
If I had worked hard, I would have passed.
(e) to express an unfulfilled wish, e.g.
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I wish I had worked harder!

(e) (c)to make a grammatical change while rewriting reported speech which is in the
simple past or present perfect in indirect narration, e.g.
The woman told us that she had worked hard all her life.
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct tense forms (simple past or present perfect) of
the verbs given in brackets:
(a) Mr. Anand now owns a house in Delhi. He …....................... it in 1989. (build)
(b) This party …...................... the election a second time. It first …...................... the
election three years ago. (win)
(c) Sheila …................... (buy) the novel a year ago but she ….................. it yet. (not
read)
(d) Mr. Singh …........................ (not see) our principal although the principal …..............
the college last month. (join)
(e) Mr. Gupta …...............................his first novel when he was only 21. (publish)
(Answer Key: a) built b) has won, won c) bought, has not read d) has not seen,
joined e) published)
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with appropriate tense forms (simple past or past perfect) of the
verbs given in brackets:
(a) Mr. Hussain …............................ (post) the letter before Arif….............. (arrive) here.
(b) The woman immediately …................................... (recognize) the thief because she
…...................... (see) him before.
(c) The woman said, ‘I wish I ….................................................. (hit) the thief on the
head when he. …........................... (come) through the window.
(d) If the police ….................................... (arrive) in time, they would have caught the
thieves.
(e) My sister told me that she …............................... (visit) the library in the morning.
(Answer Key; (a) posted, had arrived, (b) recognized, had seen, (c) had hit, came,
(d) had arrived, (e) had visited)

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1.5.4 The Present Perfect Continuous

The present perfect continuous tense usually shows that the action began at a certain time in
the past and that it is still going on at the present moment; or that it has been taking place for
a certain length of time and is still doing so at the moment of speaking or writing, e.g.
I have been reading Julius Caesar for a week.
Note: that we use ‘for’ or ‘since with this tense.
Points for discussion
Discuss with your group the distinction between the continuous and the perfect
continuous tenses. How would you explain the distinction between:
I have been reading Julius Caesar for a week.
and
I am reading Julius Caesar.
Do you know that we use ‘for’ and ‘since’ in the present perfect and the perfect
continuous tenses? Do you also know when we use ‘for’ and when we use ‘since'? Discuss
with the others in the group and check with the teacher.
Exercise 1: Select the correct form of the verb given in brackets in each of the following
sentence:
(a) I (am/have been) waiting for him since morning.
(b) The commission (is/has been) submitting its report for action.
(c) We (are/have been) training teachers for four years.
(d) Malini (has been/is) acting in films since the age of twelve.
(e) Tomorrow morning Roshni (has been/is) painting a special card for the exhibition.
(Answer Key: have been, is, have been, has been, is)
Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb ‘write’ using only:
(a) write Simple present tense
(b) am writing Present continuous tense
(c) have written Present perfect tense
(d) have been writing Present perfect continuous tense
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I ...................................... regularly for a women's magazine. I .................................

every morning for about four hours. I.............................................................. ten short stories
so far. I ......................................... a novel now. Unfortunately, I ...................................... very
slowly
Although I ........................................ since the age of ten, I... ................................. not
more than a few short stories till now because of this shortcoming.
(Answer Key: write, write, have written, am writing, write, have been writing,
have not)
Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb ‘play’ using only:
(a) played Simple past tense
(b) was playing Past continuous tense
(c) had played Past perfect tense
(d) had been playing Past perfect continuous tense
I....................... tennis yesterday afternoon with my neighbour.
We................................. one set only when I became very tired. He .............................. a very
fast game because, as he told me, he ........................ regularly every afternoon for the last six
months. I ............... after a gap of six months so naturally I could not keep up with him.
(Answer Key: played, had played, played, had been playing, was playing)
Exercise 4 Select the correct form of the verb given in brackets in each of the following
sentence:
(a) He (went/has gone) to Bombay yesterday.
(b) I (am/have been) waiting for two hours.
(c) They will serve you lunch if you (attend/will attend).
(d) They had left when he (arrived/had arrived).
(e) The bus (left/has left) an hour ago.
(f) Had I known you were coming I (would have waited/ would wait) for you.
(g) I (did not write/have not written) the essay yet.
(h) She (lived/has lived) in Jaipur since 1947.
(i) I (am not hearing/have not heard) from her for a year.
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(j) A new TV serial (has been started/was started) last Month.

(Answer Key: went, have been, attend, arrived, left, would have waited, have not
written, has lived, have not heard, was started)

1.6 SOME SOLVED EXERCISES

1.6.1 Simple Present and Present Continuous tense

Fill in the blanks using the most appropriate words given in the brackets:
1. He __is doing__(does, is doing) his home work; don’t disturb him.
2. They always _pay__(pay, are paying) their employees by cheque.
3. I can’t attend the party because it _is raining__(rains, is raining)
4. He _is taking_ (takes, is taking) tuition in English, as he wants to improve his
knowledge of the language.
5. His mother _is knitting__ (knits, is knitting) a pullover for him; it will be completed
soon.
6. We’re sorry you can’t see Arun. He _is sleeping__. (sleep, is sleeping)
7. He never ___carries___ (carries, is carrying) a raincoat, but he _is carrying__
(carries, is carrying) one now because it is likely to rain heavily.
8. They usually _spend__ (spend, are spending) their summer vacation in Shimla, but
this year they _are spending__ (spend, are spending) their vacation in Nainital.
9. Mr. Rao usually __buys___ (buy, is buying)only The Times of India but today he
_is buying___(buys, is buying) The Statesman.
10. ‘What are you doing, Reema?’
‘I ___am reading__ (read, am reading) a story book.’
11. My friend ___is giving__ (gives, is giving) a party next week.
12. I believe he _is leaving__ (leaves, is leaving) for Bombay sometime next month.
13. Listen! someone __is knocking__ (knocks, is knocking) at the door.
14. The maid usually _cooks___ (cooks, is cooking) the food. Today I _am
cooking___(cooks, am cooking) the food myself.

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1.6.2 Simple Past Tense

1. Complete the following passage about the famous Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci,
filling in the appropriate forms of the verbs given in the brackets:
When Leonardo da Vinci was about 25 years old, he won (win) the patronage of
Lorenzo the Magnificent, the richest and most powerful man in Florence. During the
following five years he painted (paint) pictures of many subjects, especially religious
subjects.
Sometime during the 1480s, Leonardo _moved_____ (move) to Milan to do painting
and sculpture for Duke Ludovico, ruler of Milan. Leonardo _stayed_____ (stay) in Milan
almost twenty years. There he _painted_____ (paint) the picture that is considered his
greatest work.
2. Complete the following passage about Hitler by filling in the appropriate form of the
verbs given in the brackets:
In jail, Hitler _wrote_____ (write) his book Mein Kampf. He _glorified_____
(glorify) the use of force by a great leader. He __ridiculed____ (ridicule) peace and
democracy. He _preached_____ (preach) extreme hatred against the German Jews who were
blamed for all the ills of Germany. He ____admired__ (admire) war. His ideas __found____
(find) favour with the army, the industrialists, the big land-owners and anti-republican
politicians. They _began_____ (begin) to look upon Hitler as the saviour of Germany.
3. Complete the following passage about Raja Rammohan Roy, the central figure in
India’s freedom struggle, by filling in the appropriate forms of the verbs given in the
brackets:
Raja Rammohan Roy _founded_____ (found) the Brahmo Samaj in 1828. He
_spread_____ (spread) the concept of ‘one God of all religious and humanity.’ He
_advised_____ (advise) people to read the scriptures themselves and not depend on the
Brahmans.
Raja Rammohan Roy _attacked_____ (attack) the caste system as inhuman. He
_stood_____ (stand) for equal rights for women and __advocated____ (advocate) the right of
widows to marry. He supported______ (support) Macaulay on the introduction of English
education in India. He _believed_____ (believe) in the spread of modern knowledge and the
modernization of Indian society.

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4. Complete the following passage about Rudyard Kipling, the most popular English
writer of his time, by filling in the appropriate form of the verbs given in brackets:
Kipling’s father was an artist and in charge of a museum in Bombay. Kipling was
born in Bombay in 1865. He ___went_______ (go) to school in England, then
__lived________ (live) in India for about ten years. He _wrote___ (write) many stories
about life in India. Kipling__married___ (marry) an American girl, and for a few years he
_lived__ (live) in Brattleboro Vermont. While there he __wrote________ (write) some of his
best stories. Millions of children have enjoyed The Jungle Book. Kipling
_received__(receive) the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907. He ___died__ (die) in 1935.
1.6.3 Simple Past and Past Continuous
Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate words given in the brackets:
1. As soon as I saw my old friend, I __recognised___ (was recognizing, recognized)
him.
2. Anil broke his tooth while he _was eating__ (ate, was eating) betel nuts.
3. The child __was trembling_____ (trembled, was trembling) when the grandmother
told him a ‘ghost story.’
4. The thief _ran__(ran, was running) when he saw a policeman.
5. All the time he _was writing_______ (wrote, was writing) his letter, his younger
brother kept shouting.
6. He entered the bus while it __was moving______ (moved, was moving).
7. He __was listening______ (listened, was listening) to the radio when I telephoned
him.
8. The doctor __was seeing____ (saw, was seeing) another patient, while I _waited__
(waited, was waiting) outside in the waiting room.
9. When the Principal entered the class, all the students _got up_______ (got up, were
getting up).
10. When I entered the room the child _was sleeping__ (slept, was sleeping).
Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets:
When Savita __arrived______ (arrive) at the station, her husband was _waiting__ (wait)
for her. She was __wearing__(wear) a blue sari and was _looking__(look) very pretty. As
soon as she __saw__ (see) him she __waved___ (wave) her hand and _shouted___ (shout)

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something, but he couldn’t hear what she __said__ (say) because everybody was
__making__(make) such a noise.

1.6.4 Simple Past and Past Perfect Tense

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate words given in the brackets:
1. After the doctor had given____(gave, had given) an injection, the pain became
much less.
2. The train __had left__ (left, had left) much before he __arrived__ (arrived, had
arrived) at the station.
3. They __had waited__(waited, had waited) for thirty minutes before the bus arrived.
4. The child __went___(went, had gone) to bed after he _had taken__ (took had taken)
the food.
5. She __had finished______ (finished, had finished) her graduation before she
__got___ (got, had got) married.
6. His finger _began__ (began, had begun) to bleed as soon as he _ cut__ (cut, had cut)
it.
7. The patient _had died___ (died, had died) before the doctor _arrived__ (arrived, had
arrived).
8. He _had checked__ (checked, had checked) the number in the telephone directory
before he __dialled_ (dialled, had dialled) it.
9. She _started__ (started, had started) working as an air hostess immediately after she
_had left__(left, had left) college.
10. She had difficulty sleeping because she _had seen__ (saw had seen) a horror film on
television.
Rewrite the following changing the underlined verbs into the past tense. (The
answers have been provided within brackets)
It is (was) the late afternoon June. Armando and Jorge are (were) hiding in the tall
grass next to the runaway in Havana airport.
Suddenly they hear (heard) the roar of a plane. It comes (came) straight down the run
way, turns (turned) round and stops (stopped) only for a minute. This is (was) their chance.

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 B.A. (Prog.)/B.Com. (Prog.)

“Let's run”, shouts (shouted) Jorge to Armando. They both dash (dashed) to the plane
and start (started) climbing up the wheels of the plane.
“Hurry, we can't have much time”, shouts (shouted) Armando. He quickly gets (got)
into the compartment above the right wheel. Jorge gets (got) into the compartment above the
left wheel.
The Plane starts (started) roaring again. The noise is (was) so great that Armando
nearly slips (slipped). He gets (got) hold of a part of the machine in the compartment as the
plane rises (rose) in the sky.
Now the right wheel is folding into the compartment. It begins (began) squeezing
Armando against the roof of the compartment. He can (could) hardly breathe. The door
beneath the compartment closes (closed) and Armando is (was) plunged in darkness.
1.6.5 Simple Past and Present Perfect Tense
We use the past tense for an action completed in the past. The time is indicated by words and
phrases such as yesterday, last week, an hour ago, and by giving exact date, time or month.
In the present perfect tense we do not use these words or phrases e.g.
(a) “Have you seen Radha?”
“Yes, I have seen her. I saw her yesterday.”
(b) “Where did you go for the summer holidays?”
“I went to Shimla. I have just come back.”
Note:
We form present perfect with has/have + the past participle.
For a negative sentence, we use ‘not’ between have/has and the past participle e.g.
I have not seen Radha.
She has not eaten her food.
Fill in the blanks with the verbs in the past or present perfect tense:
1. “Have you seen the Kutub Minar?”
“Yes, I have seen it. I saw it when I was in Class V.
2. “Have you read this book?
No, I have not read it.

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English Fluency - I

3. What has your mother given you for lunch?

She has given me rice and dal.
4. What did your brother get on his birthday?
He has got a bicycle.
5. Where has she kept the new chair?
She has kept it in her bedroom.
6. Has he passed his Higher Secondary examination?
Yes, he has. He passed it two years ago.
7. Have you celebrated your birthday?
Yes, I have celebrated my birthday. I celebrated it on the 10th of December.
8. Have you ever played cricket in your life?
Yes, I have played cricket when I was 12 years old.
10. Have you made plans for the summer?
No, I have not made any plans.

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