English Notes

Q.1 Rewrite the following sentences in reported speech. (a) I don't speak Italian," she said. She said that she didn't speak Italian. (b) Does she know Robert?" he wanted to know. He wanted to know if she knew Robert. (c) Don't try this at home," the stuntman told the audience. The stuntman advised the audience not to try that at home. (d) The policeman said to the boy, “Where do you live?” The policeman asked the boy where he lived. (e) Please give me something to eat. I am hungry,” the old man said to them. The old man requested them to give him something to eat and said that he was hungry. Q.2 Rewrite the following sentences in direct speech. (a) My friend asked me if I had ever been to London. My friend said to me, “Have you ever been to London?” (b) The bank officer asked him to fill in an application form now.  The bank officer said to him, “Please fill in an application form then.” (c) He told us that they had been playing f...

Q.1 Fill in the following blanks choosing the most appropriate option from the ones given below. Write the answers in your answer sheet against the correct blank numbers.  1. We came upon a ramshackle building (a) ____housed a fine gallery. We discovered a beautiful beach (b) _____ walking around the area. Most importantly, we got to know the local people (c) _____ warmth and hospitality touched our hearts. It was a visit (d) _____ we will never forget. (a) (i) who                  (ii) that                  (iii) but                          (iv) yet (b) (i) because            (ii) so                    (iii) while                       (iv) which (c) (i) when    ...

Q 1 Fill in the blanks by choosing the most appropriate options from the ones given below. Write the answer in your answer sheet against the correct blanks. 1. The doorbell (a) _______by Param at 9 p.m. He informed Mrs. Saran that her letter (b) _____ hand delivered to Mr. Tarun, by him, as per her wishes. A thoroughly drenched Param (c) ________several times during their short conversation. Mrs. Saran suddenly realised that the man (d) ________ in rain for quite some time and gestured him inside her hall. (a)  i. were rung    ii. was rung             iii. were being rung        iv. had rung (b)  i. was been    ii. will have been     iii. is being                      iv. had been (c)  i. sneezed      ii. sneeze                  iii. was sneezed  ...

Summary Bill Bryson was a frequent air traveller. He finds himself always uneasy during his air travels. In this lesson the author describes some of his experiences during these travels. He says that once he was going to England with his family. He had a carry-on bag with him. The trouble started at the airport when he tried hard to open the zip of the bag to pull out his frequent flyer program card but it would not open. He pulled it harder and it broke. All the things in the bag were ejected like a fluttery cascade over an area about the size of a tennis court. Then he describes another experience. Once while seated in an aeroplane, he leaned over to tie a shoelace. Just at the moment someone in the seat ahead of him threw his seat back into full recline and he found himself pinned helplessly in the crash position. It was only by clawing the leg of the man sitting next to him that he managed to get himself freed. On another occasion he knocked a soft drink onto the la...

Summary This play is the story of an intruder. He breaks into a lonely house. A man named Gerrard lives there. He is a playwright. The intruder is a criminal. He has killed a policeman and is now on the run. This man has some physical resemblance to Gerrard. His plan is to kill Gerrard and live there under his name. But Gerrard is smarter than the criminal. He tells the intruder that he has also killed someone and the police are after him. He offers to take the intruder in his car to safety. He opens a door and tells the intruder that it goes to the garage. As soon as the intruder enters, Gerard pushes him and locks the door. In fact it is not the way to garage but the door of a cupboard. Then he phones the police to come and arrest the intruder. Comprehension Question Reference to Context Thanks a lot. You’ll soon stop being smart. I’ll make you crawl. I want to know a few things, see. 1. Who is the speaker? Why is he thanking the listener? The intruder is the spe...

Summary This short poem deals with the idea that human beings should not be cruel towards snakes. The snakes must be left alone. The poem opens with the image of a snake being chased with a stick and trying to save itself from being struck. The long bodied snake curves and curls its slender, thin body as it makes an attempt to avoid the stick flung at it. The poet finds different shapes of the snake’s curling body to be very elegant and fascinating. The snake moves softly through the water of the pond to hide himself among the reeds, so that he is not hit by the stick. The poet wants the person, who is chasing the snake, to let him go safely to his hide-out among the reeds. The snake is green and small, is non-poisonous and therefore, cannot harm even young children. He was lying comfortably and peacefully on the sandy bank of the pond before being noticed and chased with a stick by someone. But now he has taken shelter in the green, slender reeds in the pond where he cr...