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Class 7 English Grammar Worksheet with Answers
Noun
Definition: Noun is the name given to a thing, person, object (animate or inanimate) or feeling:
e.g., Ram, man, dog, book, tree, light, love etc.
Kinds of Noun: Noun can be of two kinds :
A. Countable nouns like book, man etc.
B. Uncountable nouns like light, bread etc.
(a) An uncountable noun is sometimes used as countable noun.
Three teas, please.
Here ‘three teas’ means three cups of tea.
There were dozens of ice-creams.
It means there were dozens of kinds of ice-cream.
Compare:
She has curly hair → There is a hair in my soup.
(b) Some nouns have different meaning when they are used countably and when used uncountable.
Glass is fragile. → Give me a glass of water.
This is a three-room-house
There is no room for dishonesty in this company
(c) Collective nouns such as a group, a crowd, a herd, a team etc are singular. However, if we think of the members individually, a plural very may be used.
Compare:
A flock of sheep was grazing.
A flock of sheep were straying all over the road causing confusion in the traffic.
In the first sentence the speaker is thinking of the sheep as a group.
In the second sentence, he has different sheep-some straying in one direction and some in the other. So we use a plural verb there.
(d) Some nouns have a plural form but are always treated as singular.
What is the latest news?
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks using the proper forms of the nouns i.e., singular or plural. The noun for each sentence is given in a bracket at its end.
1. She could not continue her _________ (study)
2. Your _________ are torn. (trousers)
3. _________ were issued against the clerk. (summon)
4. _________ have wings. (Bird)
5. The _________ were given to the beggar. (aim)
Exercise 2
Choose the correct forms of the nouns given in the brackets.
1. Pay my _________ to your parents. (regard/regards)
2. I can win a four _________ race. (mile/miles)
3. I shall spend my summer _________ in Kashmir. (vacation/vacations)
4. The _________ of the hills is charming. (scenery/sceneries)
5. Red Fort is made of _________(stone/stones)
6. I gave the beggar five _________ (rupee/rupees)
Exercise 3
Read the statements given below and choose the correct options.
1. The usage of a proper noun as a common noun:
(i) A Napoleon
(ii) Napoleon
(iii) The Napoleon
(iv) Both (i) and (iii)
2. The kind of noun used in:
Childhood is a care-free period .
(i) Material Noun
(ii) Collective Noun
(iii) Abstract Noun
(iv) Common Noun
3. Material noun:
(i) Sugar
(ii) Class
(iii) Roshan
(iv) Wisdom
Pronouns And Possessive Adjectives
(a) We may say-
Sheela is absent because Sheela is ill.
But it is better to avoid the repetition of the noun Sheela, and say Sheela is absent because she is ill.
Definition: A word that is used to replace a noun is called pronoun.
(The word’Pronoun’means’for a noun’.)
(b) If the number of noun is singular, persons of the male sex are referred to by ‘he, him, his, himself’. Persons of the female sex take, ‘she, her, hers, herself’. Non-living things are referred to by ‘it, its and itself!
(c) If the number of noun is plural, persons of either sex as also the non-living things, are referred to by ‘they, them, their, theirs, themselves’.
(d) An animal is generally referred to by the neuter ‘it’, even if the noun denotes one sex only.
I watched the cow as it grazed peacefully.
However, if there is something in the situation that draws attention to the sex of the animal, then ‘he1 or ‘she’ may be used.
There is a cow with her calf.
For animals which occur in a story as characters or the animals which are thought of as members of the family, he, she etc. may be used.
We have a monkey in the house.
Have you seen him ?
(e) The words ‘his’, ‘her1 and others derived from them are called possessive adjectives.They must agree in gender with the words which they refer back. The gender of these possessive adjectives has nothing to do with the nouns they follow:
Ram gave a present to his mother.
Sita gave a present to her brother as well as to her sister. (not his brother or his sister)
The cycle was restored to its owner. (not his or her owner)
Look at the following table. It will help you to use correct pronoun or possessive adjective.
| a person, man, boy, everybody | he, him, his, himself |
| girl, every girl, woman, every woman | she, her, hers, herself, |
| a thing, an animal one | it, its, itself |
| all plurals (men, women, animals, | one, one’s, oneself |
| people, things) | they, them, their, theirs, themselves |
The table above gives only the third person.
The one below is more exhaustive.
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with suitable pronouns.
1. Shyam and _________ have done our home-work.
2. Can you dance as well as _________?
3. Wait for Ragini and _________
4. _________ that gave you the gift.
5. We are not so stupid as _________.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with correct pronouns.
1. Mohan helps _________ in English.
2. You should obey _________ teachers.
3. Kamla lost _________ hair-pin and couldn’t find
4. It is Sarla _________ mother died last week.
5. _________ teaches you Mathematics?
Exercise 3
Insert ‘his’, ‘her’, ‘its’ or ‘their’ in the blank spaces.
1. The poor man has lost _________ purse.
2. He is two years younger than _________ nephew.
3. Gulshan has sent his mother to _________ parents.
4. The snake has cat _________ slough.
5. The people have spent all _________ money.
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks with pronouns or possessives.
1. Rajni has beaten _________ son.
2. Those girls have done _________ home-work.
3. You must return _________ books tomorrow.
4. The elephant has not yet taken _________ food.
5. The ladies are feeding _________ babies.
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with pronouns or possessives.
1. The baby wants to go to _________ mother.
2. The cow is suckling _________ calf.
3. There is a sheep with _________ lamb.
4. Every student should bring _________ books.
Verbs
1. A verb is a word that expresses some action, feeling or existence. It tells us something about the subject; as—
Lions roar. (action)
Boys fly kites. (action)
I feel sorry. (feeling)
Ashoka was a great king. (existence)
2. All the verbs (shown above in black) ‘roar’, ‘fly’ ‘feel’, and ‘was’, are limited by the number and person of their subjects. Therefore, ‘roar’, ‘fly’, ‘feel’, and ‘was’, are Main Verbs—main verbs are also called Finite Verbs.
3. Verbs are divided into two parts:
A. Main Verbs (also called lexical verbs)
B. Helping Verbs (Auxiliaries-Primary and Modals)
All verbs in English except the 24 helping verbs are main verbs. Look below:
(i) Primary:
- to be: am, is, are, was, were
- to do: does, do, did
- to have: has, have, had
(ii) Modals: shall, will, should, would, may, might, can, could, must, ought to, need, dare, used to
Main Verbs
Main verbs are also of two kinds:
(a) Finite verbs
(b) Non-finite verbs
Finite verbs change their forms according to the person and number of the subject and the tense also, e.g.
He reads. → I read.
They read. → She goes.
I go. → They go.
Non-finite verbs do not change their forms according to the number, person or tense of the subject. The infinitives, gerunds and participles are called non-finites.
4. Read the following sentences:
Lata sang a song.
I wrote a letter.
Children like sweets.
In each of these sentences the verb takes an object. ‘Song’, ‘letter’ and ‘sweets’ are objects. A verb that takes an object is called a Transitive Verb. The object usually answers the question whatl Or whom?
Now look at the following sentences:
Birds fly.
The sun shines.
These verbs do not require objects. They express the actions by themselves and make the sense complete. They are called Intransitive Verbs. Some Verbs can be used both Transitively and Intransitively.
| Verbs Used Intransitively | Verbs Used Transitively |
| 1. Birds fly. | Boys fly kites. |
| 2. The horse runs fast. | I ran a race. |
Exercise 1
Underline the Transitive and Circle the Intransitive Verbs in the following sentences.
1. I wrote a letter.
2. The boat sank.
3. She drowned into the river.
4. She spoke softly.
5. The sun set in the West.
6. I broke the window-pane.
7. The quarrel lasted an hour.
8. This frock costs fifty rupees.
Exercise 2
Give the Past and Past Participle forms of the following Verbs:
| Past Tense | Past Participle | |
| (a) speak | ||
| (b) do | ||
| (c) hang | ||
| (d) grow | ||
| (e) sit | ||
| (f) meet | ||
| (g) spring | ||
| (h) seek | ||
| (i) smell | ||
| (j) shoot |
Exercise 3
Read the statements given below and choose the correct options.
I. Identify as directed:
1. The transitive verbs:
(i) I read
(ii) The child sleeps
(iii) I read a book
(iv) She weeps
2. The Intransitive verbs:
(i) I read a book
(ii) She sings a song
(iii) She eats
(iv) She eats an apple
3. The object:
He told me a story.
(i) me
(ii) story
(iii) a
(iv) both (i) and (ii)
4. The indirect object:
He told me a story.
(i) he
(ii) a
(iii) story
(iv) me
II. Fill in the blanks: The same verb as Transitive and Intransitive
5. She sang _________ (transitive).
(i) herself
(ii) very well
(iii) a sweet song
(iv) both (i) and (iii)
6. She sang _________ (Intransitive).
(i) very
(ii) a sweet song
(iii) well
(iv) both (ii) and (iii)
III. Choose the correct options:
7. Transitive use:
(i) The farmer grows
(ii) The farmer grows wheat
(iii) He has grown fat
(iv) 1 am feeling unweil
8. Intransitive use:
(i) The storm has blown off the terrace
(ii) She laughed heartily
(iii) He laughed at me
(iv) He gave a book
9. Singular verb:
(i) They sing
(ii) She sings
(iii) They wait
(iv) They waited
10. Non-finite verb:
(i) They fly kites
(ii) He wants to swim
(iii) 1 wish 1 were a king
(iv) Do your duty
Agreement Of Verb And Subject
A verb must agree in number and person with its subject.
(a) When the subject is third person singular, most English verbs end in -s or -es but there is no -s or -es on third person plural.
They go to school.
Sita and Rama go to school. Ram eats a mango.
Exceptions
(i) The verb ‘be’ and its forms are exception to this rule:
He is a friend
I am your friend.
They are friends.
(ii) Can, must, may and ought and the auxiliaries will and shall do not have’s’ on either singular or plural.
What the master will ask, the servant shall do.
What the masters will ask, the servants shall do.
When ‘will’ is a full verb meaning desire, it follows the rule for most other verbs and takes ‘-s’ when the subject is third person singular.
Whatever God wills, man cannot alter.
Verbs that end with ‘y’ and have a consonant before this ‘y’, the y changes into ‘y’ and ‘- es’ is added if the subject is third person singular.
Ram relies on me.
He tries his best.
He flies a kite.
(b) A singular subject is sometimes mistaken as plural e.g. when it starts with (one of, either, neither etc.). Remember that these must be taken as singular.
Either of you is wrong.
Neither of them works here.
One of the teachers teaches English.
(c) When a sentence begins with ‘there’ the verb agrees with the real subject that comes after the verb.
There comes John. There are fifty students in my class.
(d) When the subject is plural but represents a single figure or quantity, it takes a singular verb.
A hundred kilometres is a long distance.
A thousand rupees is not much these days.
Dal and roti is a common North-lndian food.
A Thousand Leagues Under The Sea is a famous novel.
Exercise 1
Insert the correct from of the verbs in the blank spaces in the following sentences:
1. A comfortable car _________ a lot. (cost)
2. This furniture _________ me ten thousand rupees. (cost)
3. Ten rupees _________ a petty sum? (be)
4. A terrorist _________ next to my houses? (live)
5. Rice and curry _________ a light diet. (be)
6. Sharda _________ first in her class every year. (stand)
7. Your kite _________ quite high in the sky. (fly)
8. Why does Sarla _________ gloomy today? (look)
9. All the students of this school _________ computer. (learn)
10. The bride _________ pretty in her bridal costume. (look)
Exercise 2
Insert the correct from of the verbs in brackets in the following sentences:
1. Aeroplanes _________ fast in the sky. (fly)
2. Flowers _________ beautiful in spring. (look)
3. These tomatoes do not _________ fresh. (look)
4 My sister _________ in class XII. (read)
5. Rich people _________ in splendid buildings. (live)
6. Some women persons who _________false promises. (dislike, make)
7. I _________ my lesson daily. (learn)
8. He can _________ eye-catching posters. (make)
Exercise 3
Insert ‘is’ or’are’ in the following sentences:
1. How many boys _________ there in the room ?
2. There _________ many hill stations in India.
3. Almost all the girls _________ missing from school today.
4. There _________ some money in my purse.
5. Who _________ you to advise me ?
6. The earth _________ round.
7. Be at ease. There _________ nothing to worry about.
8. _________ there nobody in the house ?
9. There _________ no conveyance for our colony.
10. There _________ no wisdom in your arguments.
Exercise 4
Insert ‘is’ or ‘are’ in the blank spaces:
1. There _________ no taxis on the roads today.
2. There _________ a woman inside the hall.
3. There _________ many books in the school library.
4. There _________ no sense in your talks.
5. There _________ quite a few girls on our class.
6. There _________ some cattle in the grazing ground.
7. There _________ some milk in the jug.
8. There _________ some pictures in this book.
9. There _________ heavy rain outside.
10. There _________ huts on our way to school.
Articles
Three words—a, an and the are called articles. They are divided into two groups.
A. The Definite Article [The)
1. Use of Definite Article (The)
(a) Put the before the words which mean the inhabitants of a country.
The English live in England and the Indians in India.
But do not put the before the names of the language.
English is spoken in England and Hindi in India.
Exception
Plural nouns of a country’s inhabitants do not take the if they are thought of individually.
Indians are generally vegetarians.
Italians love pizza.
(b) Put the before the names of mountain ranges.
The Alps, the Himalayas
But do not put the before the names of single mountains or hills
Everest, Mont Blanc (not the Everest, the Mont Blanc)
(c) Use the before the names of rivers, canals, seas, oceans, valleys, deserts and forests:
Lucknow is on the Gomati (not on Gomati)
Similarly, we say-
The North Sea, The Indian Ocean, The Ganges, The Sahara
(d) Use the before the names of ships and trains:
The Rajdhani Express runs fast.
The Titanic was a very big ship.
But do not use the before the vehicles when they indicate a means of transport:
I will go to Delhi by bus.
We are going to Mumbai by train.
2. Omission of the Definite Article
(a) Do not put the before the names of substances if they are used in a general sense.
Gold is a precious metal. (not the gold)
Bread is made from flour. (not the bread … the flour)
Lead is very heavy. (not the lead)
But the must be used if the reference is to a particular kind or type.
The thieves stole the gold from that ship.
The bread in this hotel is of poor quality.
(b) Do not put the before the names of meals if they refer to the meals generally.
When do you have dinner ?
Have you had breakfast ?
Lunch is at 2.00 p.m.
But use the when the meal is a particular one.
The dinner will be taken at Ashoka.
We enjoyed the lunch given by the school.
(c) Do not use the before plural nouns when they are used in a general sense.
Books are necessary for students.
Apples grow in Simla.
Cars can run fast.
(d) Do not use the before the names of games.
Sania Mirza plays Tennis.
Chess is a game which requires skill.
(e) Do not put the before the names of the countries unless the name denotes that it is made of parts.
India, Italy, France and China are all republics.
But
The United States is very rich.
The U.S.S.R. has broken into smaller units.
(f) Do not use the before the names of the offices if these follow the names of the officers:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
President Mrs. Droupadi Murmu
D.C. Miss. Rajni Kothari
But if the names are not mentioned the must be used.
The Prime Minister, the President etc.
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the where necessary.
1. _________ coal is not found in Delhi.
2. _________ Taj Mahal is located in Agra.
3. _________ Delhi Public Library is opposite to _________ Delhi Railway Station.
4. _________ children like sweets ?
5. Hardik is _________ Dara Singh of our class ?
6. Do _________ boys like girls ?
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the where necessary.
1. _________ Iron is found in India.
2. _________ Does your brother drink _________ milk or _________ wine?
3. _________ mangoes are grown in Shri Lanka.
4. Will he play _________ hockey?
5. We take sweets after _________ supper.
6. _________ babies like dolls.
B. The Indefinite Article (A and An)
(a) A is used before words beginning with a consonant, and an before words beginning with a vowel or with a silent b. The following are the main words which are spelt with a silent h.
| heir | heiress | heirloom | honest |
| honesty | honorarium | honorary | honour |
| honourable | honoured | hour | hourly |
(b) If a word begins with a vowel but is pronounced in the way as y in yet, write a and not an before it.
a university, a European.
(c) A/an are to be used only before singular countable nouns.
a book, a city, an animal.
A/an should be used before the adjective if these singular countable nouns have an adjective before them.
a big city, a fine book, an ignorant person.
(d) Use a after the word such when it is applied to things which are countable.
I have never known such a cold winter.
Such a thing has never happened before.
(e) If instead of such, there is the word so, then put a after the adjective, just before the noun.
I have never known so cold a winter, (not a so cold winter)
(f) When a is placed before the word few, it changes the meaning. Few means a small number when more might have been expected; a few means a small number when none were expected.
Few boys were present in the class. (i.e., I had expected more)
A few boys were present in the class.
(i.e., I had expected none, still there was a small number of them present)
There is a similar difference between little and a little.
We have little time to spare.
(It means that we do not have as much time as we should like).
We have a little time to spare.
(It means that we are not so short of time that we cannot spare any).
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with the a or an where necessary.
1. _________ boy and _________ girl were going together.
2. Did you stay at _________ hotel in Simla. .
3. I went to _________ restaurant to take tea.
4. I bought _________ inkpot.
5. _________ elephant has tusks.
6. He is _________ Indian but his wife is _________ German.
Exercise 4
Insert a, an, or the
My country is (1) _________ dearest of all things to me. It is above all other things. It gives me (2) _________ identity. I am made from (3) _________ dust of my country. People are mortal but (4) _________ country is immortal. People come and go. But (5) _________ country and its identity is permanent. I love my county (6) _________ most. I would’t hesitate to make any sacrifice for my country. Morals are very important for (7) _________ society. Hence there is (8) _________ great need for moral education in (9) _________ schools.There should be fellow feelings among (10) _________ people to bring back (11) _________ glory of our age-oid culture Moral education is (12) _________ necessity for all (13) _________ Indians with (14) _________ advanced ideology.
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with a, an, the or leave blank (if no article is needed).
Yesterday, I went to _________ market with my mother. On the way, we saw _________ old man sitting under _________ tree. He was reading _________ interesting story in _________ newspaper. When we reached _________ market, my mother bought _________ kilogram of apples and _________ bunch of bananas. I also asked her to
buy me _________ ice cream. After shopping, we saw _________ beggar near the gate. My mother gave him _________ coin and he smiled. It was _________ small act of kindness, but it made _________ big difference in his day.
Prepositions
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation with some other word in the sentence.
1. He works hard in the hope of standing first.
2. We met at night.
3. The book is on the table.
4. We stay at home during the holidays.
5. I will be there by ten o’clock.
6. It has rained for three hours.
7. He pointed for the tree.
In the above sentences, the italicised words in, at, on, by, for and to are prepositions. The nouns that come after them are called their objects.Thus,‘hope’\s the object of ‘in’; home is the object of at; holidays is the object of during’. ‘Ten’ is the object of ‘by’; hours is the object of ‘for’ and tree is the object of to.
The Prepositions generally serve three important purposes:
(a) Indication of Time
(b) Indication of Place
(c) As a part of the Verb
(a) INDICATION OF TIME
Time is indicated mainly by at, on, in, during, by and for.
1. At
(i) At is used for a point in time:
We shall meet at6 o’clock.
He came at midnight.
Similarly, at dawn, at sunset, afthe end, afthe beginning etc.
(ii) At is used before festivals:
We have a holiday at Diwali.
Similarly, atHoli, afChristmas, at New Year etc.
2. On
(i) On is used for a particular day, whether it is a date (e.g. 5th June, Feb. 14th), a day (e.g. Monday, or a special day in a year (e.g. Diwali Day, Holi Day etc).
I will come on your birthday.
They go to church on Sunday.
(ii) On is used for a particular part of such days as described above.
I will come on the night of 10th July.
We will meet on Friday afternoon.
3. In
(i) In is used before a period of time: in the winter, in July, in the year 2005, in the morning, in the evening.
I first met him in 2005.
Cricket is played in India in winter.
(ii) In is also used to show the total length of time taken to complete an activity or operation.
This train will get you from Delhi to Chandigarh in four hours.
4. During
When an action or a situation continues for sometime, during is used before that specified period.
We enjoyed ourselves during the vacation.
People work during the day.
5. By
(i) By is used to denote the ultimate point by which something was or is to be completed.
I have to complete the work by Monday.
The applications should reach by 14 February.
(ii) By is used with day and night where it means during.
Fie travelled by day and slept by night.
6. For
For is used before a time phrase to denote that so much time has passed during which an action or a situation continued.
I have not seen him for two years.
We waited for an hour but he didn’t turn up.
Important Points
(i) The prepositions at, on and in are not used if the noun giving time has an adjective with it.
He met me last Sunday.
We will come again next Diwali.
We go for a walk every morning.
I will be twenty next June.
(ii) Yesterday, today and tomorrow do not take a preposition.
I will come again tomorrow.
You met me yesterday.
He is arriving today.
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:
1. Poorvi was born _________ 12th September, 2007.
2. I shall see you _________ Dussehra holidays.
3. We shall start our journey _________ sunrise.
4. Nehru was born _________ 1889 and died 27th June, 1964.
5. I shall return home _________ an hour.
6. Rachna’s wedding took place _________ 17th February.
7. The old man was born midnight but died _________ noon.
8. Why haven’t you finished your home-work _________ now?
9. My interview will be held _________ Wednesday _________ 10 a.m.
10. Shalu will see you _________ 8.00 a.m _________ Thursday.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with prepositions in the following sentences:
1. I shall return home _________ the sunset.
2. I met the principal _________ recess.
3. I got up _________ 8.00 a.m _________ Sunday.
4. He will report for duty _________ Monday next.
5. You should reply _________ this letter _________ an hour.
6. The lecture will be delivered _________ Tuesday _________ 11.00 am.
7. What is the time _________ your watch?
8. Whole of our family sleeps _________ the roof.
9. What are you looking _________?
10. Why are you staring _________ her?
(b) INDICATION OF PLACE
1. Residence (Countries, towns etc.)
(i) When the reference is general, use in
Many people live in cities/villages/suburbs/deserts/countries/towns But
He lives at the seaside.
He lives on an island.
Note.
1. Village, suburb, desert, country and town are imagined as closed entities and hence the preposition in (i.e., inside).
On the other hand seaside means near the sea and hence the preposition at; Island is imagined as something open and so the preposition on.
2. Residence (Houses etc.)
(i) For the general reference use in:
I live in a small house.
She lives in a bungalow.
Do you live in a flat or in a mansion ?
(ii) For a house with a name or address use at:
Mrs Gandhi lives at 10 Janpath.
(iii) For the names of streets and roads use in:
He lives in Mayur Vihar.
I live in Sector-14.
3. Place of Work
(i) If it is a building, use in :
His father works in a bank.
But
In case the place of work is not a building use on:
Ram works on a farm.
(ii) If the name of the place of work is given, use at:
He works at the Public Library.
(iii) For a particular department, use in:
He is a teacher in the Department of English.
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions:
1. Do you live _________ a hut or _________ a hotel?
2. Have you lived _________ Najafgarh long?
3. Do you want to live _________ a furnished house?
4. The Mathur’s lives Moti Nagar West Delhi.
5. She lives _________ 1464, Pahari Dheeraj, Delhi.
6. My uncle works _________ a factory.
7. I live _________ multi-storeyed building Hodal.
8. She was brought up _________ a village but went to a city _________ the age of twelve _________ 2010.
9. Football is played _________ India with great interest.
10. I hope to reach Chandigarh _________ six hours _________ train.
Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions:
1. Those sort _________ mangoes is not _________ my taste.
2. Old rice is superior _________ new one.
3. Ours is the last house _________ our street.
4. I am leaving _________ the night-train.
5. Is there no remedy _________ this malady?
6. Write _________ her _________ this address.
7. Open your book _________ page fifty.
8. Why is your mother angry _________ you?
9. Let us sit _________ the shade _________ a tree.
10. Never quarrel _________ trifles.
Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with correct prepositions from the box:
| beside, besides, between, among, since, for, by, with |
1. Who is sitting _________ your mother?
2. Can you write _________ a pencil?
3. I have not seen Sarita _________ she left _________ Madurai.
4. It has been blowing hard _________ two hours.
5. Our Hockey Team beat its rivals _________ five goals.
6. Sweets were distributed _________ the players.
7. The two neighbours settled their dispute _________ themselves.
8. _________ being a musician he is also a renowned painter.
Adjectives
(a) Read the following sentences:
1. Apoorva is an intelligent boy. (What kind of boy?)
2. I don’t like that house. (Which house?)
3. I have five books. (How many books?)
4. There is little time left. (How much time?)
In sentence 1, ‘intelligent’ shows what kind of boy Apoorva is.
In sentence 2, ‘that’ points out which house is meant.
In sentence 3,’five’shows how many books I have.
In sentence 4,’little’ shows how much time is left.
Definition: A word used with a noun to describe it (kind, place, number, quantity) is called an adjective.
The word ‘adjective’ means ‘added to’.
(b) Look at the following sentences:
1. The boy is hardworking.
2. The hardworking boy stood first.
In both these sentences, hardworking describes the boy. Hence it is adjective in both the sentences.
In the first sentence ‘hardworking is used along with the verb ‘/s’ and is a part of the predicate. It is therefore said to be used predicatively.
In the second sentence,’hardworking’is used along with the noun’boy’i.e., as an attribute of the boy. It is therefore said to be used attributively.
Kinds of Adjective
(c) Adjectives are of three kinds:
1. Adjective of Quality
2. Adjective of Quantity
3. Adjective of Number (also known as Numeral Adjective).
(1) Adjective of Quality:
It shows the quality of a person or thing.
Kolkata is a big city.
Dr. Singh is an honest man.
The foolish man died of his folly.
This book is of English language.
Adjective of Quality answers the question: of what kind?
(2) Adjective of Quantity:
It shows the quantity of the noun it describes.
He has some sense.
Ram had much patience.
He has little intelligence.
He has enough money.
He has no wisdom.
Adjective of Quantity answers the question: How much?
(3) Adjective of Number:
It gives the number of persons or things.
There are five rooms in this house.
Few people can remain hungry.
There are no books in this room.
All men must die.
Most of these mangoes are ripe.
Adjective of Number answers the question: How many?
Exercise 1
There are ten words given in the box and there are ten sentences. Place these words in those sentences (one each). The words should be used as adjectives.
| heavy, few, several, neither, every, live, that, tall, fine, long |
1. There are _________ members in our club.
2. She needs a _________ costume.
3. Sushma is thin but _________.
4. The coolie carries _________ luggage on his head.
5. It have lost the money _________ you gave me.
6. _________ workers are honest.
7. Don’t touch a _________ wire.
8. There is a _________ distance from Delhi to jaipur.
9. The beggar knocked at _________ door.
10. Neeru is _________ rich nor honest.
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with suitable adjectives.
1. Draupadi was a _________ woman.
2. Bhima was a _________ person.
3. The Ganges is a _________ river.
4. You are speaking a _________ lie.
5. Could you not get _________ conveyance?
6. The girls sitting in the _________ row is very cunning.
Exercise 3
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the adjectives.
(а) Use later or latter in the following.
1. The _________ boy defeated the former.
2. See me _________ when I am vacant.
3. Who came _________, Ramu or Shamu?
4. She came to school an hour _________.
(b) Use ‘older or elder’.
1. Who is your _________ sister?
2. Is Manju, Younger or _________ to you?
3. Her son has grown _________ now.
4. _________ people have their own needs.
(c) Use ‘nearest or ‘next’.
1. I took my mother to the _________ dispensary.
2. Who is sitting _________ to you on the bench?
3. Where will you seek admission in your _________ class?
4. The _________ clinic is about a kilometre from my house.
Exercise 4
Fill in the proper form (Comparative or Superlative) of the adjectives given in the brackets.
1 Who is _________ your father or your mother? (well)
2. The dog is _________ than the goat. (faithful)
3. Hyderabad is _________ than Delhi. (hot)
4. The patient’s condition is going from bad to _________(bad)
5. Damyanti was _________ than other queens. (pretty)
6. Usha is _________ than Rekha. (tall)
Tenses
1. Read the following sentences carefully:
(i) Birds fly in the air.
(ii) My brother flew to England last week.
(iii) I shall fly a kite on Sunday.
In the first sentence the Verb ‘fly’ refers to the Present time, in the second sentence the Verb ‘flew’ refers to the action in the Past, while the Verb in the third sentence ‘shall fly’ refers to the Future.
2. The Tense of a Verb shows the time when an action takes place. There are three Tenses:
I. Present Tense
II. Past Tense
III. Future Tense
3. In order to show at what stage an action is, each of the three tenses has been sub-divided into four heads. These sub-divisions are—
Thus, the tense of a verb does not show the time of an action or event alone. It shows the state of that action also.
I. THE PRESENT TENSE
A. Simple Present Tense
The Simple Present is used to express:
(i) A habitual action
(ii) A general truth
(iii) What is happening (in exclamatory sentences only)
(iv) An order or request.
(i) A habitual action:
I go for a walk daily.
He comes to school at 8 o’clock.
(ii) General truth:
The sun rises in the east.
Two and two make four.
(iii) What is happening:
Here comes the chief guest!
(iv) An order or request:
Obey your teachers.
Exercise 1
Fill in the following blank with the correct form of the verb given in brackets (Simple Present Tense)
1. My uncle _________ in Patel Nagar in Delhi. (live)
2. Who _________ food for your family? (cook)
3. He _________ to school in the afternoon. (go)
4. He _________ on very Sunday. (call)
5. They _________ what their mother _________ (eat, cook)
6. My sister _________ from school in the afternoon. (return)
7. We _________ kabaddi every morning. (play)
8. I _________ everybody goodnight. (wish)
9. The snake _________ rats. (kill)
10. I _________ five hundred rupees. (need)
Exercise 2
Fill in the correct form of the verb given in the brackets: (Simple Present Tense)
1. Madhuri _________ a song. (sing)
2. We _________ in a public school. (read)
3. The sun _________ brightly at noon. (shine)
4 Nobody _________ a luckless fellow. (help)
5. Widows _________ a hard life in old age. (lead)
6. Mr Nikunj _________ us Geography. (teach)
7. She _________ her lessons regularly. (learn)
8. Toffees _________ a crying child laugh. (make)
9. When do you _________to bed? (go)
10. My mother _________ up at 4 a.m. (wake)
B. PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE
(Is/am/are + Verb + ing)
(i) In order to form the Present Continuous Tense, we add Present Participle to is, am or are. The Present Participle is formed by adding ‘ing’ to the first form of the verb.
‘Is’ is used with he, she, it or Third Person Singular Noun, ‘am’ is used with 7′ and’are’is used with we, you, they and plural nouns.
Example: She is singing a song.
(ii) In Interrogative form, the helping verb is used before the subject.
(Islam/are + Subject + (Verb + ing) ?)
Example: Are you going home?
(iii) In Negative form, we add ‘not’ between the Principal Verb and the operative helping verb.
[Subject + is/am/are + not + (Verb + ing)…]
Example: She is not weeping.
Uses of the Present Continuous Tense
The Present Continuous Tense is used with the words—at this time, at present, at the moment, now, nowadays, still etc. and in the following cases:
(a) To describe an action in progress and/or the continuity of the action. The girls are singing a chorus.
(b) To describe an action in progress, but not necessarily at the time of speaking.
India is exporting onions to the Middle East.
What are you writing these days?
Exercise 3
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets: (Present Continuous Tense)
1. The sun _________ now. (rise)
2. You _________ very fast. (run)
3. Some old men _________ at cards. (play)
4. Mridula _________ a novel. (read)
5. Water _________ in the river. (flow)
6. It is _________ heavily today. (rain)
7. What _________ you these days? (do)
8. Sarla _________ tonight. (return)
9. My parents _________ for Mumbai tomorrow. (leave)
10. Why are the girls _________ a noise? (make)
C. PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
(Subject + Has/have + lllrd form of the verb)
(i) In the Present Perfect Tense the past participle (IIIrd) form of the verb is used with has or have. ‘Has’ is added with third person singular subjects, as—’he’,’she’,’if and’Have’is added with I’,’we’, ‘you’, ‘they’ and plural nouns.
He has won a prize.
You have insulted me.
I have taken the dose of medicine.
(ii) In Interrogative form [Has, have are placed before the subject.] {Has/have + Subject + lllrd form of the Verb…?)
Have they crossed the river?
Where have you seen my brother?
(iii) In Negative form [‘not’ is used between the main verb and the helping verb.]
(Subject + has/have + not + lllrd form of the Verb…)
She has not come yet.
I have not received any information.
Uses of the Present Perfect Tense
The Present Perfect Tense is used with the words :yet, asyet, already, just, just now, so far, since, ever since, presently, once, twice, thrice etc. and in the following cases:
(a) To express an action that has been recently completed.
I have just received the letter.
(b) To describe an action the time of which is not given.
The train has steamed in.
(c) To describe a past experience.
I have seen this picture several times.
(d) To express an action that began in the Past and still continues.
He has worked in this school for five years, (is still working)
Exercise 4
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense (present) of the verbs given in brackets:
1. When _________ you your purse? (lose)
2. _________our mother not yet _________ her work? (finish)
3. How many sums _________ Mohini _________? (solve)
4. My uncle _________ from Kolkata today. (return)
5. Rajni _________ Saral since 2005. (know)
6. Sushma _________ never the Qutab Minar. (see)
7. _________ they not _________ their breakfast as yet? (take)
8. We _________ not _________ our lessons? (revise)
9. They _________ not _________ from their daughter from a month. (hear)
10. My uncle _________ in Madurai for five years? (live)
D. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
(Subject + has/have + been + 1st form of the Verb + ing…)
In order to form the Present Perfect Continuous Tense, we put has been or have been before the Present Participle Form of the Verb; as—
It has been raining for two hours.
I have been flying a kite since 2 o’clock.
(a) The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used to describe an action that began in the Past, is still continuing and may extend into the Future; as—
She has been waiting for you for three hours.
They have been playing cards since 10 A.M.
(b) This tense is also used to express an action in a sentence which begins with ‘For how long’ or ‘Since when’, as in—
For how long have you been sitting here?
Since when has he been living in this house?
(c) This tense is also used to express an action which began in the past and has been just completed. However, its result is visible in the present, as in—
I have been studying since morning and I am much tired now.
She has been washing the dishes for an hour and her clothes are dirty now.
Note: Since is used for a point of time.
For is used for a period of time.
Exercise 5
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense (present) of the verbs given in brackets:
1. It _________ outside for an hour. (hail)
2. The jackal _________ since 4 o’clock. (howl)
3. We _________ for the bus since morning. (wait)
4. Since when _________ you _________ in this city? (live)
5. It _________ not _________ since 4 o’clock.
6. She _________ midnight oil for two years.
7. I _________ for the examination for four months.
8. Malaria _________ in this town since June.
9. How long _________ we _________ for you.
10. This washerman _________ our clothes since 2008.
Exercise 6
I. Fill in the blanks with correct present tense form of the verbs given in brackets:
1. Water _________ at 100°C. (boil)
2. They _________ a hockey match next week. (play)
3. _________ your nephew _________ his account? (clear)
4. The cattle _________ in the pasture. (graze)
5. She _________ wine several times. (taste)
II. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs (present tense) given in brackets:
1. There _________ (go) to the principle!
2. If you not _________ (obey) me, you will be punished.
3 you _________ (go) to the library daily?
4. The players _________ (warm) themselves up?
5. The train just _________ (leave) the station.
III. Fill in the correct form of the verbs (present tense) given in brackets:
1. Ask her what she _________ (want).
2. The girls _________ (rehearse) a play for the Independence Day.
3. She _________ (absent) herself since last Thursday.
4. What _________ (make) you stare at me.
5. I _________ (fly) to London next week.
II. THE PAST TENSE
A. THE PAST INDEFINITE TENSE
Or
The Simple Past Tense
(Subject + IInd form of the Verb…)
In the Simple Past (Past Indefinite) Tense the second form of the Verb is used; as— He came here yesterday.
‘Did’ is used in the Interrogative and Negative sentences. ‘Did’is also used to lay emphasis. Only the first form of the Verb is used with ‘did’.
(i) In Interrogative Sentences [‘did’ is placed before the subject and verb in first form after it; as—]
(Did + Subject + 1st form of the Verb…?)
Did you show me your homework?
(ii) In Negative Sentences [‘did not is put after the subject and first form of the verb is used thereafter: as—]
(Subject + did + not + 1st form of the Verb…)
I did not apply for leave.
Exception—I never told a lie.
(This sentence means—I did not ever tell a lie)
(iii) To lay emphasis
I did try to solve the question but was not able to solve it.
Uses of the Past Indefinite Tense
The Past Indefinite (Simple Past) Tense is used:
(a) To express an action completed in the past with reference to the time of speaking.
I saw many birds in the zoo.
(b) To express habitual or regular action in the Past.
Gandhiji always spoke the truth.
(c) To express an event which occurred at a particular point in the Past.
My father came back home yesterday.
(d) To express an action which occupied a period of time in the Past, but is now ended.
We lived in this house for ten years. (do not live now)
I stayed at the Green Hotel for two months. (not staying now)
(e) To express an action where some word, showing past action (yesterday, ago, last, etc.) is given in the sentence, as,
He received your message yesterday.
I passed the S.S.C. Examination last year.
Mark the correct use of the Past Indefinite Tense in the following sentences:
| Incorrect | Correct |
| He has passed the Secondary School Examination in 2018. | He passed the Secondary School Examination in 2018. |
| They have left for Agra yesterday. | They left for Agra yesterday. |
| She has written a letter to her father last evening. | She wrote a letter to her father last evening. |
| Babar has founded the Mughal Empire. | Babar founded the Mughal Empire. |
Note :The difference in the meaning of the following sentences:
(i) He has worked in this office for five years. [He is still working here)
(ii) He worked in this office for five years. [He is no longer working here)
Exercise 7
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets (Simple Past Tense):
1. I _________ your message this morning. (receive)
2. How many birds _________ you in the zoo? (see)
3. My father _________ a new car last year. (buy)
4. Prices _________ by sixty per cent last year. (rise)
5. Columbus _________ America. (discover)
6. Thousands of people _________ their lives in the Tsunami. (lose)
7. Bimla _________ eighty rupees from me. (borrow)
8. When _________ you from Lucknow? (return)
9. I _________ to see the zoo no foot. (go)
10. A thief _________ into our living room last night. (break)
B. THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
(Subject + was/were + 1st form of the Verb + ing)
(i) The Past Continuous Tense denotes an action going on in the past. In order to form Past Continuous Tense we add Present Participle to was or were-, as—
The train was running at full speed.
(ii) In Negative form [‘not’is placed between the helping verb and the principal verb; as—]
{Subject + was/were + not + Verb + ing…)
She was not weeping.
(iii) In Interrogative form [the helping verb is placed before the subject; as—]
(Was/were + Subject + Verb + ing + … ?)
Were the sheep grazing in the field?
Uses of the Past Continuous Tense
(i) The Past Continuous Tense is used to express an action that was happening in the Past at the time of speaking. The time of the action may or may not be mentioned.
Examples: The old lady was crying at the top of her voice.
They were not making a noise.
(ii) The use of this tense with Simple Past Tense denotes that the previous action was going on when the latter action took place; as—
My mother was cooking food when I reached home.
Exercise 8
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets: (Past Tense)
1. The widow _________ in the park. (weep)
2. Children _________ a noise in the library. (make)
3. Why _________ you _________ at me in anger? (look)
4. We saw the aeroplane while it _________(land)
5. The students _________ their morning prayer when I reached their school, (sing)
6. I _________ my beard when Sharda called on me. (shave)
7. My mother _________ when my father returned home. (sleep)
8. The old lady _________ the Gita when her sons arrived. (read)
9. Mother _________ breakfast for us when the school bus horned, (prepare)
10. She found that the baby _________(smile)
C. THE PAST PERFECT TENSE
(Subject + had + lllrd form of the Verb)
We often make mistakes while using the Past Perfect Tense. We use ‘had’ at random wherever we view ‘past action’ in a sentence in our mother-tongue.
I had gone to Delhi yesterday.
This sentence should be formed in Simple past.
I went to Delhi yesterday..
The structure of Past Perfect is—
In order to form the Past Perfect Tense we use ‘had before the Past Participle (lllrd) form of the Verb.
(i) In Interrogative form [‘Had’is used before the subject]
(Had + Subject + lllrd form of the Verb + ?)
Had he left when you came ?
(ii) In Negative form [‘not’is used after ‘had’]
(Subject + had + not + lllrd form of the Verb + ……….)
I had not seen you before.
Uses of the Past Perfect Tense
(a) The Past Perfect Tense is used to express an action completed before another action took place: as—
When he came to me, I had posted the letter.
(b) (i) It is also used to express an unfulfilled action in the past; as
If she had worked hard she would have passed.
(ii) It is also used to express an unfulfilled wish in the past; as
I wish I had won the election.
(c) To denote the action or event which has been completed before some point of time.
By afternoon he had completed much work.
Use of Past Indefinite and Past Perfect Tenses in Time Clauses
We can express time by using some ‘time-denoting’ Adverbs or through Adverbial clauses of Time. The combination of two past actions depends upon their mutual relevance.
Examples:
I had waited for my friend until he arrived.
After he had sailed many days, the mariner reached the coast.
Exercise 9
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets. (Past Perfect Tense)
1. Raju _________ his breakfast when I visited his house. (take)
2. he _________ for the examination, he would have (prepare, pass)
3. I reached school after the bell _________ (go)
4. The old lady _________ before the doctor _________ (die, arrive)
5. She _________ her in-laws’s house two years ago. (leave)
6 the baby _________ before her father returned? (sleep)
7. The storm before we started our journey _________ (stop)
8. If you had him his life could be _________(help, save)
9. The film when I _________ the picture hall. (start, enter)
10. If you _________ a bus you would have _________ the school in time, (catch, reach)
D. THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
(Subject + had + been + Present Participle…)
(a) The Past Perfect Continuous Tense expresses an action that had been going on for some time in the past. In order to use this tense we use had been with Present Participle (ing) form cf the verb.
Example:
Children had been playing since morning.
(b) The Past Perfect ContinuousTense is also used to express an action that had been going on for some time before another action took place in the past; as—
Example:
They had been playing chess for two hours when I joined them.
(i) In Interrogative form, ‘had’ precedes the subject and ‘been’comes after the subject; as—
Had he been quarrelling with you for some time?
(ii) In negative form, ‘not’ is placed after ‘bad’ and before ‘been’; as—
They had not been working on this project for many years.
Exercise 10
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets: (Past Tense).
1. He _________ hard since December. (work)
2. She _________ her lover for many months. (befool)
3. How long _________ the two brothers _________when a third one joined them? (quarrel)
4. I _________ for four hours when you visited my house. (sleep)
5. Tenzing _________ to climb Everest for many years before he succeeded in his mission. (try)
Exercise 11
I. Rewrite the following sentences changing the Verbs into the Past Tense:
1. I have bought a pair of shoes.
_________________________
2. Rajiv plays in the morning everyday.
_________________________
3. Why is she laughing at you?
_________________________
4. Whenever my uncle comes, he brings fruits for us.
_________________________
5. The shopkeeper has sold all the books.
_________________________
II. Rewrite the following sentences changing the Verbs into the Present Tense:
1. Did you not fly kites the whole day.
_________________________
2. The leaf fell from the tree on the ground.
_________________________
3. A murder took place in her street every night.
_________________________
4. The bride will walk gracefully round the fire.
_________________________
5. I was not looking at the bridge.
_________________________
III. THE FUTURE TENSE
A. THE SIMPLE FUTURE/FUTURE INDEFINITE TENSE
(Shall/will + Verb)
The Future Indefinite Tense is used to express the action or event which is likely to happen in Future. In this tense we use shall/will between the subject and the first form of the verb. Normally we use ‘shall’ with pronouns of first person (I, We). In the same way, we use ‘will’ with the pronouns of second person (you) and third person (he, she, it, they).
(i) In Negative sentences ‘not’ is added after ‘shall’/’will’ as the case may be; as—
We shall not see the picture today.
(ii) In Interrogative sentences ‘will’ ‘shall’ is placed before the subject and first form of the verb after it; as—
Will you go to college today ?
B. THE FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
(Will/shall + be + Verb + ing…)
The Future Continuous Tense is used to express an event that is expected to take place in the normal course or at some time in the future; as—
We shall be playing a football match on Sunday.
The new edition of this book will be coming out shortly.
When I reach Kolkata, it will be raining heavily there.
Will you be taking part in the debate? (Interrogative)
The farmers will not be watering the plants at this time. (Negative)
Exercise 12
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in the brackets (Future Tense):
1. We _________ our homework soon. (complete)
2. Anu _________ for Amritsar this time tomorrow. (leave)
3. The peon _________ the bell when the teachers reach the school. (ring)
4. Karan _________ for you at the appointed time. (wait)
5. When Rohit calls on me, I _________ my shoes. (polish)
6. My grandfather _________ the plants next week. (water)
7. Arav _________ a poem at this time tomorrow. (recite)
8. The patient _________ when the doctor arrives. (cry)
9. Mohit _________ breakfast when the school bus horns. (take)
C. THE FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
(Shall/will + have + lllrd form of the Verb…)
(i) The Future Perfect Tense expresses an action which is expected to be completed by a certain time in the Future; as—
My mother will have covered half of her journey by now.
(ii) The Future Perfect Tense sometimes expresses the speaker’s belief that something has taken place. In such sentences it does not express the Future; as—
“You will have discussed the plans how to celebrate the function”, said my mother.
(iii) It is also used for an action which at a given future time will be in the past; as—
In two years’time (i.e., two years from now) I shall have taken my degree.
Exercise 13
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets. (Future Perfect):
1. She _________ her course by the end of the week. (revise)
2. We _________ in the river before the sun rises. (bathe)
3. _________ you _________ your homework by sunset? (finish)
4. The farmers _________ their fields before April. (plough)
5. The teaching _________ by the time we reach the school ? (start)
D. THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
(Shall/will + have been + Verb + ing…)
The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used to express an action that will have been going on at or before some point of time in the Future; as—
We shall have been waiting for you for a long time.
Exercise 14
Fill in the following blanks with correct tense of the verbs given in brackets using future tense:
1. I _________ since midnight before you called on me. (study)
2. Our school cricket team _________ the rival team for the fourth time, (defeat)
3. By next month, we _________ in Pune for two years. (live)
4. My friend _________ for me since 2 o’clock. (wait)
5. The farmers _________ since morning. (harvest)
6. You _________ your time during summer vacation. (use)
7. They _________ in the river for one hour before sunset. (swim)
8. We _________ the sums since morning. (complete)
Exercise 15
I. Rewrite the following sentences changing the Verb into the Future Tense:
1. They reached the station after the train had arrived.
_________________________
2. The branch of the tree broke and they fell into the school playground.
_________________________
3. They bound his hand and foot and took him to police station.
_________________________
4. I broke the lock open and got the cash.
_________________________
5. The gardener was digging the ground.
_________________________
6. You have really committed an offence.
_________________________
7. We found her laughing joyfully.
_________________________
II. Correct the following sentences:
1. He has left for his new college yesterday.
_________________________
2. I had helped mother with the household chores.
_________________________
3. He told me that he has attempted all the questions.
_________________________
4. They told their friends about this earthquake.
_________________________
5. We look up to her for many months now.
_________________________
6. We had seen an elephant around the tunnel.
_________________________
7. He is pass in English and is fail in Sanskrit.
_________________________
8. If you help me, I give you a present.
_________________________
9. It is drizzling since a week.
_________________________
10. The old man died before the doctor arrived.
_________________________
11. She will meet me as soon as she will return.
_________________________
12. The teacher punished the boys because they are shouting.
_________________________
Exercise 16
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the simple or the progressive (continuous) form of the verb:
1. The Germans _________ in Germany. (live)
2. She _________ to school every morning. (go)
3. My neighbour _________ with us for a few weeks. (stay)
4. Jack cannot come out to play at the moment as he _________ from fever, (suffer)
5. They _________ to Kashmir for the summer. (go)
6. A vegetarian never _________ flesh. (eat)
7. Some birds _________ every year. (migrate)
8. The cobbler _________ our shoes. (lose)
Exercise 17
Fill in the blanks by choosing one word for each blank from the box. You may use a word or phrase more than once:
1. Why _________ you _________ when your mother you?
2. He _________ a stone and _________ the window pane.
3. As she _________ by bus, somebody _________ her pocket.
4. The passenger _________ a novel.
5. The patient _________with pain when the doctor
6. I _________ that her hair grey.
7. When she _________ my house, I _________ my beard.
8. Who _________ your feeling when you your book?
Active and Passive Voice
1. Consider the following sentences:
Boys ploy football.
Football is played by boys.
There is practically no difference in the meanings of these two sentences.These are two different ways of presenting the same thing. But in the first sentence the Subject performs the action while in the second sentence, the Subject of the Verb is acted upon. It means that it (the Subject) becomes the object in the second sentence.
Thus, the voice shows whether the Subject of a Verb acts or is acted upon.
Active Voice: When the Subject of a Verb acts, the Verb is said to be in the Active Voice; as—
My mother baked a cake.
Passive Voice: When the object of the Active Voice becomes the Subject, the Verb is said to be in the Passive Voice ; as—
A cake was baked by my mother.
The Subject dominates in Active Voice but the Object dominates in Passive Voice.
Note. It is only the form of the verb in a sentence which shows whether the subject is the doer or the receiver of the action. A sentence in passive voice may or may not have the ‘by’phrase attached.Thus in the above sentences,’cake was baked’ is a complete sentence.
2. Rules for changing a Verb from the Active Voice into the Passive Voice:
1. The object of the Active Verb is made the Subject of the Passive Verb.
2. The Subject of the Active Verb is made the object of some Preposition (generally ‘by’).
3. The Verb of the Active Voice gets the Past Participle form of the Finite Verb and some form of the verb ‘to be'(be, is, am, are, has been, was, were, had been, will be, is being etc.) will be used before it in the passive voice.
4. Some vague and indefinite subjects Uke’everyone’,’the/,’people’,’someone’, ‘somebody,’everybody’,’anybody1, etc. are dropped if they are the subjects of the active voice, if so, the preposition ‘by’ is also not used.
5. The Tense of the Verb does not change.
Example: He has done his work. (Active)
His work has been done by him. (Passive)
3. The Pronouns (When these act as Subject) are changed as given below:
| Subject | Object | |
| I | becomes | me |
| We | becomes | us |
| You | remains | you |
| She | becomes | her |
| He | becomes | him |
| They | becomes | them |
| It | remains | it |
| Who | becomes | whom |
Exercise 1
1. Complete the following sentences by putting the Verbs given against them in the appropriate passive voice form:
1. Anita _________ up by her uncle. (bring)
2. Invitation cards _________ to all her relatives. (send)
3. She will _________ to the feast. (invite)
4. The result _________ next week. (declare)
5. They _________ at the sight of the knife. (alarm)
6. We _________ at his mother’s untimely death. (shock)
II. Change the voice of the following sentences:
1. She plucks flowers.
______________________________
2. Do you not follow the instructions?
______________________________
3. Does she bluff you?
______________________________
4. I am planning a trip.
______________________________
5. Is she using the right pattern?
______________________________
6. Are the servants stealing your money?
______________________________
Exercise 2
Write whether the following are Active or Passive Voice sentences:
1. They have not returned the library books. _________
2. Stones were lying scattered all over. _________
3. The floods ruined the entire locality. _________
4. Beggars are not allowed here. _________
5. You could pluck the fruits easily. _________
6. The novel is written in English. _________
7. The watchmen guard our houses. _________
8. Women’s rights are protected. _________
Exercise 3
Change the Voice of the following sentences:
1. The prizes were distributed among the students by the Principal.
______________________________
______________________________
2. Why have they organised this test?
______________________________
______________________________
3. My brother imagined the whole story.
______________________________
______________________________
4. We must obey the teachers’ orders.
______________________________
______________________________
5. By whom was your bicycle punctured?
______________________________
______________________________
6. Ryan sold his new bike.
______________________________
______________________________
Reported Speech
1. There are two different ways in which we can report the words of a speaker:
(a) Direct Speech or Direct Narration.
(b) Indirect Speech or Indirect Narration.
2. (a) Direct Speech contains the actual words of the speaker; as—
Ravi said, “My sister has an insane business idea.”
You said to him, “lam going to Agra this year.”
In these sentences, actual words of the speaker are given within inverted commas without any change.
(b) Indirect Speech gives the substance of the speaker’s actual words and not the exact words spoken by him or her; as—
Ravi said that his sister had an insane business idea.
You told him that you were going to Agra that year.
3. The actual words of the speaker, given within ‘inverted commas’ are called the Reported Speech. In the same way, the Verb which introduces the Reported Speech is called the Reporting Verb.
In the sentence above “Ravi said” is the Reporting Verb and “My sister has an insane business idea” is the Reported Speech.
Look at the following sentences:
Radha says, “I shall finish my home-work today.”
Sushma said to Pushpa, “Show me your dolls.”
The verbs ‘says and said’ in the above sentences are ‘Reporting Verbs’.
The exact words of the speaker given within the inverted commas are ‘Reported Speech’.
4. Here are some distinctive points regarding the Direct Speech and Indirect Speech:
In the Direct Speech
1. The Reported Speech is put within Reported (Inverted) Commas.
2. The Reported Speech and the Reporting Verb are separated by a Comma.
3. The first word of the Reported Speech begins with a capital letter.
A. TRANSFORMATION OF DIRECT SPEECH INTO INDIRECT SPEECH RULES FOR THE CHANGE OF TENSE
Rule I. If the Reporting Verb is in the Present or Future Tense, the Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech does not change.
Examples
1. Direct : Rajesh says, “She has brought fame to her family.”
Indirect : Rajesh says that she has brought fame to her family.
2. Direct : Rohit has said, “I cannot displease my friend.”
Indirect : Rohit has said that he cannot displease his friend.
3. Direct : I shall say, “I went to Agra on Monday.”
Indirect : I shall say that I went to Agra on Monday”
4. Direct : She will say, “I have sent him a present.”
Indirect : She will say that she has sent him a present.
Rule II. If the Reporting Verb is in the Past Tense, the tense of the verb in the Reported Speech must be changed into the corresponding Past Tense.
Example
1. Direct I said, “I am speaking the truth.”
Indirect I said that I was speaking the truth.
2. Direct The teacher said, “Boys fail because they do not study regularly”.
Indirect The teacher said that boys failed because they did not study regularly.
Exception to Rule II
(i) If there is a Universal Truth or Habitual fact in the Reported Speech, the Tense of the verb is never changed; as—
1. Direct : He said, “Face is the index of mind.” (Proverbial truth)
Indirect : He said that face is the index of mind.
2. Direct : The teacher said, “The earth rotates round its axis.” (Geographical truth)
Indirect : The teacher said that the earth rotates round its axis.
3. Direct : Horatius said. “Death comes sooner or later.” (Universal truth)
Indirect : Horatius said that death comes sooner or later.
(ii) The Tense of the Verb in the Reported Speech does not change if the reported speech states a past historical fact; as—
1. Direct : He said, “India became free on 15th August, 1947.”
Indirect : He said that India became free on 15th August, 1947.
2. Direct : She said, “Her father lived at Lahore for ten years.”
Indirect : She said that her father lived at Lahore for ten years.
(iii) If two such actions are given in the Reported Speech which take place at the same time, the Past Indefinite or Continuous Tense does not change.
Direct : He said,”Mohan was s/7ig/ng a song while Gopal was playing on a flute.”
Indirect : He said that Mohan was singing a song while Gopal was playing on a flute.
B. INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES CONVERSION OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES
[FROM DIRECT INTO INDIRECT]
Rules:
1. The Reporting Verb is changed, into ‘ask, enquire, inquire or demand’ etc.
2. No conjunction is used to introduce the Reported Speech if the question begins with (an interrogative) word ; such as—what, who, whose, which, when, where, why, how, whom etc.
3. If or whether is used to introduce the Reported Speech if the reported speech has no question word.
4. Change the questions into statements. Put full stop in place of mark of interrogation (?).
Examples
(a) Questions beginning with a Helping Verb
1. Direct : He said to her, “Shall I accompany you to Agra ?”
Indirect : He asked her if he would (should) accompany her to Agra.
2. Direct : She said to him, “Had I been absenting myself from school for a month?”
Indirect : She asked him if she had been absenting herself from school for a month.
He said to us,”Has she been spinning since yesterday?”
He asked us if she had been spinning since the previous day. They said to you, “Shall we be going on picnic tomorrow?” They asked you if they wouid be going on picnic the next day. I said to her, “Will you have ironed your clothes ?”
I asked her if she would have ironed her clothes.
(b) Sentences having’Yes’or’No’
1. Direct : “Are there any more files?” He asked. “Yes, sir,” said the peon.
Indirect : He asked the peon if there were any more files. The peon replied respectfully in affirmative.
2. Direct : The teacher said to Neeta, “Did you break the window pane?” “No, sir,” said Neeta, “Idid not.”
Indirect : The teacher asked Neeta if she had broken the window pane.
Neeta replied respectfully and refused it (to have done it).
(c) Questions beginning with Interrogative Words
1. Direct : He said to me, “Whom does she want to contact?”
Indirect : He asked me whom she wanted to contact.
2. Direct : They said to her, “Whose house are you purchasing?”
Indirect : They asked her whose house she was purchasing.
(d) Questions beginning with modal auxiliaries
1. Direct : I said to him,”MaySunita come in to discuss with you something?”
Indirect : I asked him if Sunita might come in to discuss with him something.
2. Direct : The traveller said to me, “Can you tell me the way to the nearest inn?”
Indirect : The traveller asked me if I could tell him the way to the nearest
Exercise
I. Convert the following sentences into Indirect Speech:
1. You said to him, “Do you want some money from me?”
______________________________
2. We said to her, “Why is she revising her syllabus?”
______________________________
3. I said to them, “Which novel are you reading right now?”
______________________________
4. He said to us, “Has he ever wanted to own a mansion?”
______________________________
5. She said to him, “How do you solve this sum?”
______________________________
6. He said to his mother, “What have you done your masters for?”
______________________________
II. Convert the following sentences into Indirect Speech:
1. She said to me, “Had the thief stolen your watch?”
______________________________
2. He said to his mother, “Why did you attend Rajni’s marriage?”
______________________________
3. The mother said to the child, “How did you fare in the interview?”
______________________________
4. Anirudh said to his sister, “Did you have your breakfast?”
______________________________
5. The policeman said to the criminal, “How many murders had you committed?”
______________________________
Gap Fillimg
Fill in the Blanks Using a Suitable Word
1. Passenger airplanes mostly fly (a) _________ speeds less than that (b) _________ sound. Airplanes (c) _________ can fly (cf) _________ greater speeds have been built.This is (e) _________ if they fly (f) _________ speeds greater (g) _________ the speed of sound, (h) _________ fuel consumption increases enormously.
2. (a) _________ interviewing children (b) _________ were candidates for a special programme (c) _________ of the questions asked was what life would be (d) _________ 100 years hence. Ravi, one of the candidates answered, “One thing is for sure, February (e) _________ be the longest month of the year as they add a day to it (f) _________ four years.”
3. Once upon a time there was a man called Smith. He was a green grocer (a) _________ lived in Clapham. He (b) _________ four sons, (c) _________ eldest was called George after the king and (d) _________ was arranged that he was (e) _________ inherit his father’s shop. So (f) _________ school he went to special Botany classes.
4. Dear Sir
We regret to bring to your notice that roads in Moti Colony need urgent (a) _________ . The surface is badly damaged by the (b) _________ we had last month. In the night, it is dangerous to walk. Also, there are the sides of the road. Your department (d) _________ not taken any action so far. We would (e) _________ highly grateful if you take necessary action without any further (f) _________
Yours faithfully
Residents, Moti Colony
5. On May 20, 1818, the British explorer Sir Stamford Raffles, reported the finding of a giant flower (a) _________ Sumatra. It was named Rafflesia (b) _________ him. Measuring almost a metre across and (c) _________ up to eleven kilograms, the Rafflesia is (d) _________ world’s largest flower. It is (e) _________ called ‘Stinking Lily’ (f) _________ of the unpleasant smell it emits, (g) _________ people who have been fortunate to see it, inform that they were overcome (h) _________ its beauty.
6. Our city was acutely short of water. In one of my classes I stressed (a) _________ need to conserve water. We (b) _________ ways of harvesting rain water and making the (c) _________ of every drop that was available, (d) _________ was surprised to hear wise thoughts (e) _________ by an 11-year-old boy. He told us that (f) _________ he washed his face in the morning he didn’t throw the water (g) _________ He caught it in a bowl and placed it (h) _________ for the birds.
Editing
The following passages have not been edited. There is a mistake in each line. Write the incorrect word as well as the correction, as shown in the example in
the first sentence of every passage.
| Incorrect word | Correct word | |
| 1. Even if Indians have a long history | e.g. has | have |
| on them, they have a poor | (a) | |
| knowledge in maintaining homes | (b) | |
| toilets, on fridges. | (c) | |
| Modern detergents and soaps is | (d) | |
| very common in shelves, but | (e) | |
| people does not use them regularly. | (f) | |
| This cause the increase | (g) | |
| in a life of bacteria and viruses | (h) | |
| 2. Haemophilia are one of the several | e.g. are | is |
| sex linked diseases which effects | (a) | |
| only males. This is because the disorders is | (b) | |
| caused with a defective gene of the X-chromosome. | (c) | |
| As the result, blood does not clot and there is a | (d) | |
| risk for heavy bleeding even from minor cuts | (e) | |
| and injuries. The disease is not affect females, | (f) | |
| because, from the two X chromosomes if one has | (g) | |
| the defective gene, then the other do produce enough clotting factor. | (h) | |
| 3. All life on earth can ultimately is | e.g. is | be |
| traced back on the sea. Creatures | (a) | |
| with limbs or fingers rather than | (b) | |
| fins has evolved from fishes | (c) | |
| about 335 million years before, | (d) | |
| which remain a mystery. | (e) | |
| 4. Scientific research, made for determine | e.g. for | to |
| the specific benefits of “Touch Therapy” | ||
| by a University of Miami School of | (a) | |
| Medicine, proves the touch has a direct | (b) | |
| relation on a baby’s system. | (c) | |
| It also helps your little one fight infections. | (d) | |
| Touch the | ||
| baby to show him they care. Touch him | (e) | |
| to show him you loved him. And touch | (h) | |
| him for all the hundreds of reason | (g) | |
| only mother know best. | ||
| 5. There is often things wrong with our school. | e.g is | are |
| Time and again we had | (a) | |
| seen which a good teacher | (b) | |
| with desire as care | (c) | |
| can get over all difficulties is produce | (d) | |
| great students. While many man | (e) | |
| together make the good school | (f) | |
| probably the one special factor less | (g) | |
| important than all the others was the good teacher. | (h) | |
| 6. Even as the directory were released | e.g were | was |
| about thousand numbers in the city were been | (a) | |
| changed. | ||
| Moreover, many old connections were given. | (b) | |
| Sometimes the changes are be confirmed | (c) | |
| by dialling 196 or 197. It is oniy by luck one get | (d) | |
| 197. Almost all the time when one dials 197 a record | (e) | |
| voice says, “You were in queue, please wait”. | (f) |
Omission
The following passages have not been edited. There is a word missing in each line. Write the missing word along with the word which comes before it and the one that comes after it as shown in the example of every passage.
| Word before | Missing word | Word after | |
| 1. The nawab insisted that task | e.g. that | the | task |
| had to done come what may. | (a) | ||
| The minister worrying | (b) | ||
| himself sick, Gopal | (c) | ||
| Bhar by. He saw that the | (d) | ||
| minister very upset and | (e) | ||
| asked him the matter was. | (f) | ||
| 2. The nawab that the minister | e.g. nawab | insisted | that |
| do task and wouldn’t take no | (a) | ||
| for answer. The minister was | (b) | ||
| in fix and worrying | (c) | ||
| himself sick, Gopal Bhar | (d) | ||
| walked. He saw that the | (e) | ||
| minister very upset. | (f) | ||
| 3. The holy man to Rama | e.g man | Spoke | to |
| for a while. He to Rama’s mother | (a) | ||
| that her son prayed sincerely | (b) | ||
| to Kali village goddess | (c) | ||
| he be blessed by her. | (d) | ||
| This would his fortune. | (e) | ||
| 4. After the holy man had spoken Rama, | e.g. Spoken | to | Rama |
| he told Rama’s mother that should | (a) | ||
| be sent to pray the Kali Temple at the | (b) | ||
| village. He promised good lady that if | (c) | ||
| this was done, Kali, the goddess appear, | (d) | ||
| take pity on him and bless. Then all her | (e) | ||
| worries would over. | (f) | ||
| 5. There was a rich old man who in a palace. | e.g. Man’s | Practice | increases |
| There also lived nearby poor man in a hut. | (a) | ||
| He on crumbs of food given by others. | (b) | ||
| But he cheerful and never complained. | (c) | ||
| Once it happened that the poor man | (d) | ||
| had to eat for a long while. So he | (e) | ||
| went to the rich old man help. | (f) | ||
| 6. Man’s increases by hard work. | e.g. Man’s | Practice | increass |
| If he does not it, his practice suffers. | (a) | ||
| The lawyer is judged the cases that he wins. | (b) | ||
| The writer’s is examined | (c) | ||
| by the of the readers and critics; whereas | (d) | ||
| the typist’s is tested by his speed | (e) | ||
| and the accuracy his work. | (f) |
Sentence Reordering
Look at the words and phrases below in each activity. Rearrange them to form meaningful sentences. The first one has been done as an example. Write the corrected sentences in your answer sheet against the correct blank number.
1. Example: The most important task / is to defend / an air attack / of the Air Force / by an enemy / the country / against.
The most important task of the Air Force is to defend the country against an air attack by an enemy.
(a) When the enemy / destroy the enemy planes / sends planes to attack/ our planes must
______________________________
______________________________
(b) We can / the enemy planes / the approach of / if we know about / do this only
______________________________
______________________________
(c) We have / called Radar / of equipment / for this purpose / a special kind
______________________________
______________________________
(d) The Air Force / the enemy planes / by shooting down / can protect / our places
______________________________
______________________________
2. Example: large quantities / of warm water / from the body / drinking / thus removing poisons / results in sweating.
Drinking large quantities of warm water results in sweating, thus removing poisons from the body.
(a) from the body / fasting also / removes / poisons
______________________________
______________________________
(b) every four hours / the fast / take liquids / during
______________________________
______________________________
(c) the fast / grapes / is recommended / and oranges / during / juice of lemons
______________________________
______________________________
(d) may also / vegetable soup / your doctor / recommend
______________________________
______________________________
3. Example: only 26 / of relativity, which / Albert Einstein is / for his / when he was / best known / he first advanced / theory
Albert Einstein is best known for his theory of relativity, which he first advanced when he was only 26.
(a) the theory / influence / of a / according to / bends / light / under the / massive body
______________________________
______________________________
(b) during / this / put / was / to test / of 1919 / the eclipse
______________________________
______________________________
(c) light was / also predicted / the deflection / of surface / by Einstein
______________________________
______________________________
4. (a) people affected / can communicate / with limbs / with a paralytic stroke
______________________________
______________________________
(b) to answer / some can / their eyes / even blink
______________________________
______________________________
(c) due to extensive damage / is impossible / but in a few / even a small gesture
______________________________
______________________________
5. (a) is /great /training /key to /the /performance
______________________________
______________________________
(b) gets / the right / performance / training / the right
______________________________
______________________________
(c) are / some / paid people / best / trainers / why / that is
______________________________
______________________________
Sentence Transformation/ Completion
1. Read the conversation given below and complete the report:
Child: I want a balloon, which I can release into the air.
Balloon man: Which colour balloon do you want?
Child: Which colour balloon will take me up with it?
Balloon man: It is not the colour of the balloon; it is what is inside that makes it go up.
A child told a balloon man that _________ The balloon man _________. The child then _________. The balloon man replied _________
2. Read the following dialogue and complete the paragraph below, using past tense:
On the way from the market a mother and son see beggars on the sidewalk. Son : Why are they asking for money, mummy?
Mother : It is because they are poor, darling.
Son : Can’t we give them the fruits we have bought?
Mother : We will give them money to buy whatever they choose.
On seeing the beggars the son _________ When the mother replied that it was because they were poor, the boy wondered _________. The mother replied that _________
3. Read the following conversation and complete the paragraph by writing suitable words and phrases in each space.
Captain : Do you know how to play cricket?
Nitesh : Never had a chance to learn it.
Captain : In this school every student has to learn it.
Nitesh : Give me a chance.
The captain asked Nitesh _________. Nitesh replied _________. The captain then told Nitesh _________. Nitesh requested the captain _________.
4. Given below is a conversation between Neela and Suresh. Complete the dialogue with suitable words and phrases.
Neela : Hi, Suresh, How are you?
Suresh : Life’s rather tough. I need a job.
Neela : What kind of a job are you interested in?
Suresh : I am interested in administrative accounts.
Neela : Would you mind going abroad?
Neela on meeting Suresh asked him how he was. Suresh replied that he was on the look out for a job. Neela _________ Suresh told her that _________ She enquired _________
5. Read the conversation given below and complete the paragraph that follows.
Mother : I have washed the car for you today also.
Daughter : Thank you, Mom.
Mother : Now, do not drive fast, dear.
Daughter : I have to blow dry the car.
The mother told the daughter that _________ The daughter _________. The mother _________. But the daughter contradicted by saying that _________
Collocations
A collocation is a natural combination of words that are often used together in English. These word pairings sound’right’to native speakers because they occur frequently in spoken and written language.
Example:
Take a risk
heavy rain
strong coffee
fast train
catch a cold
make a decision
I. Match the words in column A with their correct collocating words in column B.
| Column A | Column B |
| 1. Make | A. money |
| 2. Do | B. a mistake |
| 3. Break | C. your temper |
| 4. Catch | D. a break |
| 5. Keep | E. a decision |
| 6. Save | F. your homework |
| 7. Tell | G. a bus |
| 8. Take | H. a promise |
| 9. Make | I. your words |
| 10. Lose | J. a story |
II. Choose the best word to complete the collocation in each sentence,
1. He was _________ annoyed by her attitute.
(a) slightly
(b) moderately
(c) highly
2. I need to _________ some exercise this evening.
(a) take
(b) do
(c) have
3. Please _________ the light before leaving the room.
(a) close off
(b) shutoff
(c) turn off
4. She always _________ her bed after getting up.
(a) does
(b) makes
(c) creates
5. It was a _________ mistake.
(a) serious
(b) big
(c) heavy
III. Identify and correct the incorrect collocations in the following sentences.
1. I did a mistake
______________________________
2. We made a shower.
______________________________
3. She paid attention to me.
______________________________
4. He took a long sleep.
______________________________
5. The sun is shining bright.
______________________________
IV. Make the correct collocations from the words given in the box below.
| heavy, bright, close, take, deep, friends, attention, rain, sun, decision |
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Adverb
An adverb is a word that modifies (describes or gives more information about) a verb, an adjective, or even another adverb. Adverbs often tell us how, when, where, how often, or to what extent something happens.
Common Types of Adverbs:
(a) Adverbs of manner (how?): quickly, carefully, loudly
(b) Adverbs of time (when?): yesterday, now, later
(c) Adverbs of place (where?): here, there, nearby
(d) Adverbs of frequency (how often?): always, never, sometimes
(e) Adverbs of degree (to what extent?): very, quite, almost
Examples:
She sings beautifully, (modifies the verb sings)
It’s extremely cold, (modifies the adjective cold)
He ran very quickly, (modifies the adverb quickly)
Exercise 1
Underline the adverb in each sentence and state what it tells us (manner, time, place, frequency, or degree).
(a) She laughed loudly. ______________________________
(b) I will go there tomorrow. ______________________________
(c) He almost finished the race. ______________________________
(d) They always eat lunch together. ______________________________
(e) The baby slept peacefully. ______________________________
(f) We rarely watch TV. ______________________________
(g) You should walk carefully on the ice ______________________________
(h) He is very tall. ______________________________
(i) We went outside after dinner. ______________________________
(j) I am never late for school. ______________________________
Exercise 2
Choose the most appropriate adverb to complete the sentence.
1. She speaks Spanish
(a) quick
(b) quickly
(c) quicker
2. We will leave _________
(a) yesterday
(b) later
(c) behind
3. He can jump _________
(a) high
(b) height
(c) highly
4. I have _________ seen such a beautiful sunset.
(a) never
(b) seldom
(c) both (a) and (b)
5. They arrived _________
(a) always
(b) early
(c) often
6. The lion moved _________
(a) silent
(b) silently
(c) silence
7. She _________ forgot her homework.
(a) rarely
(b) rare
(c) rarer
8. You are _________ welcome here.
(a) very
(b) too
(c) well
9. The dog waited _________
(a) patience
(b) patiently
(c) impatient
10. I _________ visit my grandparents on Sundays.
(a) sometimes
(b) sometime
(c) somewhen
Punctuation
Two unpunctuated paragraphs are given below, punctuate them. Add correct punctuation marks (like full stops, commas, capital letters, question marks, apostrophes, quotation marks, etc.) to make the paragraph correct and meaningful.
1. a girl named meera lived in a small village she loved reading books one day she found an old dusty book in the attic when she opened it she was surprised to see that the pages were blank suddenly she heard a voice that said write your wish on the first page and it will come true meera was frightened at first but then she wrote i want to help my village soon after she noticed that the village well which was dry for years began to fill with water the people were happy and thanked meera what a miracle they said
Answer:
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
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2. on Sunday morning rita her brother and their parents went to the park they took a picnic basket a mat and some games when they reached the park they saw that many families were already there rita said lets find a nice shady spot her brother replied how about under that big tree they played games ate sandwiches and enjoyed the cool breeze it was a fun and relaxing day for everyone
Answer:
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Figures Of Speech
Figures of speech are special ways of using words to make our language more creative, clear, or interesting. Instead of using words in their usual, direct meaning, we use them in a more imaginative way to express ideas or emotions. They are often used in everyday speech, writing, and especially in poetry to create strong images or feelings.
The most frequently used figures of speech are:
1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Personification
4. Alliteration
5. Hyperbole
6. Onomatopoeia
7. Oxymoron
8. Anaphora
9. Palindrome
10. Rhyme Scheme
11. Binomial
12. Collocation
SIMILE
A simile is a way of comparing two different things by using the words “like” or “as” It makes descriptions more expressive and easier to imagine by highlighting similarities.
For example: He runs like a cheetah.
This compares his running speed to the fast speed of a cheetah.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
1. He is as brave as a _________
(a) lion
(b) mouse
(c) butterfly
(d) flower
2. The baby is as quiet as a _________
(a) lion
(b) mouse
(c) tiger
(d) wolf
3. The water is as clear as _________
(a) mud
(b) stone
(c) glass
(d) wood
4. Her voice is as sweet as _________
(a) honey
(b) salt
(c) vinegar
(d) lemon
5. His voice was as loud as a _________
(a) whisper
(b) mouse
(c) breeze
(d) thunder
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| Mule, cotton, river, stars, swan |
1. His eyes shone like _______ in the dark.
2. She was as graceful as a _______ on the stage.
3. Her tears flowed like a _______ after hearing the sad news.
4. The clouds were as fluffy as _______
5. He vas as stuLbcrn as a _______
Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true, but helps explain an idea or make a comparison without using “like” or “as.”
For example: The classroom was a zoo.
It compares the classroom to a zoo to show how noisy or wild it was.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
1. The sentence “The world is a stage” is an example of:
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification
(d) Hyperbole
2. Which sentence is a metaphor?
{a) The sky was as blue as the sea
(b) She runs like a cheetah
(c) The wind blew cold
(d) Her mind is a fortress
3. “Time is a thief” means:
(a) Time steals things from you
(b) Time is slow
(c) Time is like a thief
(d) Time moves fast
4. “Her voice was music to his ears” is a metaphor because it:
(a) Uses music literally
(b) Compares voice to music,
(c) Uses “like” or “as”
(d) Is a simile
5. Which sentence is NOT a metaphor?
(a) He has a heart of stone
(b) He is a shining star
(c) She runs like the wind
(d) The night is a black curtain
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| curtain, computer, stars, journey, jungle |
1. The city was a _________ full of noise and chaos.
2. Her eyes were _________ shining in the dark.
3. Life is a _________, full of surprises.
4. The night was a _________ , hiding everything in darkness.
5. His mind is a _________ , always thinking.
Personification
Personification gives human characteristics to animals, objects, or abstract ideas.
For example: The Sun smiled down on us.
The Sun is described as smiling, a human action, to show warmth or friendliness.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
1. Which sentence uses personification?
{a) The leaves danced in the wind
(b) The leaves are green
(c) The wind is cold
(d) The tree is tall
2. “If the Moon could speak” means:
(a) The Moon is happy
(b) The Moon is made of rock and dust
(c) The Moon controls the ocean tides
(d) The Moon is imagined as having human thoughts or feelings
3. Which phrase gives human traits to an object?
(a) The clock ticks loudly
(b) The clock shouted the hour.
(c) The clock is round
(d) The clock runs fast
4. Identify the personification:
(a) The dog barked loudly
(b) The flowers danced in the breeze
(c) The car stopped at the light
(d) The rain fell softly
5. Which sentence is NOT personification?
(a) The stars winked in the night sky
(b) The river sang a soothing song
(c) The man walked quickly
(d) The thunder growled angrily
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box;
1. The moon _________ softly in the night sky.
2. The angry storm _________ across the land.
3. The old house _________ when the wind blew.
4. The fire _________ everything in its path.
5. The leaves _________ as autumn arrived.
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely placed words. It is often used for emphasis or to create rhythm.
For example: Cold winds whistled wildly.
The repeated ‘w’ sound adds rhythm and emphasis to the description.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
Question 1.
Which phrase uses alliteration?
(a) Cold wind blew
(b) Big blue balloon
(c) The Sun was bright
(d) Loud music played
Question 2.
Which line shows alliteration?
(a) The boy ran fast
(b) Sally sang softly
(c) She is very kind
(d) It was a sunny day
Question 3.
Alliteration helps a sentence sound more:
(a) Rushed
(b) Quiet
(c) Rhythmic
(d) Informal
Question 4.
Which phrase contains alliteration?
(a) Happy and sad
(b) Bright and bold
(c) Tall and wide
(d) Big and slow
Question 5.
Which sound is repeated in “Whispering winds wandered”?
(a) W
(b) S
(c) P
(d) M
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| sang, sat, trembled, roads, dragged |
1. Sam _________ silently.
2. Tall trees _________ together.
3. Bird _________ sweetly.
4. Dark days _________ deeply.
5. Rain rushed _________ rapidly.
HYPERBOLE
Hyperbole is a form of extreme exaggeration used to make a point or show emphasis.
For Example: I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
It exaggerates hunger to an impossible degree for dramatic effect, not to be taken literally.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
1. What is hyperbole?
(a) A mild understatement
(b) An extreme exaggeration
(c) A rhyme at the end
(d) A serious argument
2. Which sentence is an example of hyperbole?
(a) The car is red
(b) It was raining cats and dogs
(c) He is very tall
(d) The book is old
3. “I’ve told you a thousand times!” is hyperbole because:
(a) It’s a literal count
(b) It exaggerates to make a point
(c) It’s a simile
(d) It’s a rhyme
4. “The bag weighs a ton” means:
(a) The bag is one ton
(b) The bag ¡s heavy
(c) The bag is very light
(d) The bag ¡s empty
5. Which is NOT a hyperbole?
(a) My bag weighs a ton
(b) This room is freezing
(c) I’m slightly cold
(d) He ran faster than lightning
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| lifetime, rocket, miles, stone, hills |
1. He runs faster than a _________.
2. She’s older than the _________
3. It took me a _________ to finish the homework.
4. My phone is so old, it’s from the _________ Age.
5. I’ve walked a million _________ today.
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate the natural sounds of things. For Example:The bees buzzed and the leaves rustled.
Words like “buzzed” and “rustled” mimic real sounds, bringing vividness to the description.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
Question 1.
What is onomatopoeia?
(a) Words with opposite meanings
(b) Words that imitate sounds
(c) Words used for exaggeration
(d) Words that rhyme
Question 2.
Which word is an example of onomatopoeia?
(a) Bright
(b) Jump
(c) Bang
(d) Soft
Question 3.
Which word imitates the sound it describes?
(a) Whisper
(b) Colour
(c) Cold
(d) Sad
Question 4.
Choose the onomatopoeic word:
(a) Dance
(b) Bright
(c) Slow
(d) Crash
Question 5.
“Drip, drip, drip” is used to show the sound of:
(a) Running
(b) Rain or water
(c) Talking
(d) Typing
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| hiss, meow, smash, tick, sizzled |
1. The snake made a soft _________
2. The bacon _________ in the pan.
3. The clock went _________ in the night.
4. I heard the glass _________ on the floor.
5. The cat let out a loud _________
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is when two words with opposite meanings are put together.
For Example: Pretty ugly.
“Pretty” means nice, but “ugly” means not nice—they are opposite words used together.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
Question 1.
What is an oxymoron?
(a) A phrase that uses a simile
(b) A pair of words that rhyme
(c) Two opposite words used together
(d) Two words with the same meaning
Question 2.
Identify the oxymoron:
(a) Totally empty
(b) Very loud
(c) Really quiet
(d) Seriously funny
Question 3.
Which of these contains an oxymoron?
(a) Silent night
(b) True story
(c) Deafening silence
(d) Running water
Question 4.
Choose the oxymoron:
(a) Extremely cold
(b) Slightly late
(c) Very neat
(d) Clearly confused
Question 5.
“Original copy” is an oxymoron because:
(a) It has a repeated idea
(b) Copies cannot be original
(c) It means new
(d) It’s a legal term
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| seriously, deafening, alone, clearly, deliberate |
1. She let out a _________ silence.
2. He is _________ confused.
3. The are _________ together ¡n tFie room.
4. It was a case of _________ ignorance.
5. they are _________ funny.
Anaphora
Anaphora is when the same word or phrase is repeated at the start of several sentences or parts of a sentence. This is done to make an idea stronger or more powerful.
For Example: Every day, every night, in every way, I am getting better. The repetition of “every” gives rhythm and emphasis to the speaker’s improvement.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
Question 1.
What is anaphora?
(a) Repeating words at the end of sentences
(b) Repeating vowel sounds
(c) Repeating the same word or phrase at the beginning
(d) Using opposite words together
Question 2.
Which line shows anaphora?
{a) I went to the shop and then the park
(b) He ran quickly, he ran silently
(c) Every day I wake, every day I try, every day I hope
(d) She smiled brightly and warmly
Question 3.
Anaphora creates:
(a) Confusion
(c) Sarcasm
Question 4.
Anaphora is mostly used in:
(a) Poetry and speeches
(c) News articles
Question 5.
Choose the anaphoric phrase:
(a) She went home and cried.
(c) The girl read a book.
B. Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the most appropriate anaphora.
1. I want to play, I want to learn, I _________ to grow.
2. He will run, he will jump, he _________ win.
3. _________ we rise. Together we fight.
4. I _________ in the morning. I work in the afternoon. I work at night.
5. You talk too much. You think too much. You worry too _________.
Palindrome
A palindrome is a word, sentence, or number that is the same when read from left to right or right to left.
For example: level or radar.
These words remain unchanged when their letters are reversed, often used for wordplay or symmetry.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
1. What is a palindrome?
(a) A phrase that rhymes
(b) A word with opposite meaning
(c) A word or phrase that reads the same forwards and backwards
(d) A sentence with repeated sounds
2. Which of these is a palindrome?
(a) Level
(b) Happy
(c) Tall
(d) Rain
3. Which number is a palindrome?
(a) 456
(b) 212
(c) 145
(d) 391
4. Identify the palindrome:
(a) Cat
(b) Moon
(c) Civic
(d) Car
5. Choose the correct palindrome:
(a) School
(b) Deed
(c) Train
(d) Clock
B. State whether True or False.
1. The word “level” is a palindrome.
2. “Refer” is spelled the same forwards and backwards.
3. “Book” is a palindrome.
4. The sentence “Was it a car or a cat I saw?” is a palindrome.
5. “12321” is a numerical palindrome.
Rhyme Scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhyming words at the end of lines in a poem, shown using letters.
For Example:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star – A
How I wonder what you are – A
Up above the world so high – B
Like a diamond in the sky – B
The rhyme scheme is AABB, where lines 1 and 2 rhyme, and lines 3 and 4 rhyme.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
1. In the rhyme scheme AABB, which lines rhyme with each other?
(a) 1 with 2, 3 with 4
(b) 1 with 3, 2 with 4
(c) All lines
(d) No lines
2. What is the rhyme scheme of the following lines?
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you.
(a) AABB
(b) ABAB
(c)ABCD
(d) ABBA
3. What is the rhyme scheme of this stanza?
The sky is dark and deep,
The stars begin to shine,
The children lie asleep,
All tucked in a line.
(a) AABB
(b) ABAB
(c)ABCD
(d) ABBA
4. If the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth also rhyme, what is the rhyme scheme?
(a) AABB
(b) ABBA
(c) ABAB
(d) AABA
5. Which poem line best matches the rhyme with “day”?
(a) Bright
(b) Stay
(c) Road
(d) Sun
B. Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences using the most appropriate rhyme scheme.
1. “She sings with glee, beneath the tree.” The rhyme scheme is: _________
2. “There was a dog, who sat on a log, he chased a cat, and wore a hat.” The rhyme scheme is: _________
3. “He climbed a hill, to see the sea, and took a pill, before his tea.” The rhyme scheme is: _________
4. “The moon is high, the stars are bright.” These two lines do not rhyme. The rhyme scheme is: _________
5. In a rhyme scheme, the same rhyming sounds are marked with the same _________
Binomial
A binomial is a fixed pair of words joined by “and” or “or” that usually appear in a specific order.
For Example: Salt and pepper.
These words are commonly paired in this order, and switching them (e.g. “pepper and salt”) may sound odd or unnatural.
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
Question 1.
What is a binomial expression?
(a) Two words that sound the same
(b) Two opposite ideas in a phrase
(c) Two words joined by “and” or “or” in a fixed order
(d) Two rhyming words
Question 2.
Which of the following is a correct binomial?
(a) Safe and sound
(b) Sooner or later
(c) Bread and butter
(d) All of these
Question 3.
“Black and ” is a common binomial pair.
(a) white
(b) red
(c) grey
(d) blue
Question 4.
Which one is a binomial with fixed order?
(a) Big and small
(b) Hot and cold
(c) Light and dark
(d) Rock and roll
Question 5.
Which phrase is a binomial With alliteration?
(a) Bread and cheese
(b) Fish and chips
(c) Toss and turn
(d) Tea and coffee
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| white, dreams, error, later, quiet |
1. Sooner or _________ he’ll arrive.
2. We had to use trial and _________ to fix it.
3. I need some peace and _________
4. It’s a question of black and _________
5. He’s full of hopes and _________
Collocation
A collocation is a natural combination of words that are often used together.
For example: “Strong coffee” not “powerful coffee.”
Exercise
A. Choose the correct options.
Question 1.
What is a collocation?
(a) Two rhyming words
(b) A group of words always used together naturally
(c) A pair of opposite words
(d) A name for a poem
Question 2.
Which phrase is a natural collocation?
(a) Do a mistake
(b) Make a mistake
(c) Create a mistake
(d) Build a mistake
Question 3.
Which is the correct collocation?
(a) Strong tea
(b) Powerful tea
(c) Hard tea
(d) Heavy tea
Question 4.
Which is a correct collocation?
(a) Fast rain
(b) Quick rain
(c) Heavy rain
(d) Loud rain
Question 5.
Choose the natural-sounding phrase:
(a) Break a leg
(b) Crack a leg
(c) Smash a leg
(d) Hurt a leg
B. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box.
| deep, heavy, warm, make, quick |
1. He’s taking a _________ shower.
2. She gave me a _________ smile.
3. It’s important to _________ a good impression.
4. There was _________ traffic on the motorway.
5. The baby is in a very _________ sleep.