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Discuss the importance of time in the narration of a story. - English Elective - NCERT

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Question

Discuss the importance of time in the narration of a story.

Answer in Brief
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Solution

Forster brings out the importance of time in the narration of a story. He says that time is an integral part of a story. Though its appearance is both unlovely and dull, according to the essayist, yet he exhorts us to consider it first in connection with daily life. Forster says that daily life is also full of the time sense. But in daily life one can think of any situation, even going beyond the time sequence. One can chose to think of any situation in the past or in the future without going by the strict order or sequence. This one does according to the value one attaches to a particular situation. In other words, according to Forster, daily life is practically composed of two lives-- the life in time and the life by values. Our conduct reveals a double allegiance. According to the essayist, the story narrates the life in time. In our daily life one can deny that time exists and act accordingly. But in case of a story, time sense cannot be denied otherwise it becomes unintelligible. The essayist mentions about many experiments made by the story tellers and novelists in which they wanted to narrate events by not following the exact time sequence. But these experiments failed to sway the readers. According to the essayist, the basis of a novel is a story and a story is a narrative of events in time sequence.

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Chapter 3.6: The Story - Understanding the text [Page 187]

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NCERT English (Elective) - Woven Words
Chapter 3.6 The Story
Understanding the text | Q 4 | Page 187

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Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow:

1. Air pollution is an issue which concerns us all alike. One can willingly choose or reject a food, a drink or a life comfort, but unfortunately there is little choice for the air we breathe. All, what is there in the air is inhaled by one and all living in those surroundings.

 2. Air pollutant is defined as a substance which is present while normally it is not there or present in an amount exceeding the normal concentrations. It could either be gaseous or a particulate matter. The important and harmful polluting gases are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone and oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. The common particulate pollutants are the dusts of various inorganic or organic origins. Although we often talk of the outdoor air pollutions caused by industrial and vehicular exhausts, the indoor pollution may prove to be as or a more important cause of health problems.

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(Extracted from the Tribune)

 (a) (i) What is an air pollutant? (1)

(ii) In what forms are the air pollutants present? (2)

(iii) Why do we feel suffocated in a closed environment? (1)

(iv) What is sick building syndrome? How is it increasing? (2)

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(vi) How can one overcome the dangers of indoor air pollution? (2)

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(i) giddiness (para 4)

(ii) constant (para 8)

(iii) humidity (para 8)


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