English Medium Class 10 - CBSE Question Bank Solutions for English - Language and Literature

Here is sentence with some words in italics. Find phrases from the text that have the same meaning. (Look in the paragraphs indicated)

Macaques, Malabar squirrels observe you carefully from the tree canopy. (para 7)

Complete the following phrases from the text. For each phrase, can you find at least one other word that would fit into the blank?

(i) tales of _______________

(ii) coastal _______________

(iii) a piece of ______________

(iv) evergreen ______________

(v) _____________ plantations

(vi) _____________bridge

(vii) wild __________________

You may add your own examples to this list.

This text is written in an old-fashioned style, for it reports an incident more than two millennia old. Look for the following words and phrases in the text, and try to rephrase them in more current language, based on how you understand them.

• give thee medicine for thy child

• Pray tell me

• Kisa repaired to the Buddha

• there was no house but someone had died in it

• kinsmen

• Mark!

1. This play has been translated into English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more Russian than English? For example, would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?

Read through the play carefully, and find expressions that you think are not used in contemporary English, and contrast these with idiomatic modern English expressions that also occur in the play.

3. Look up the following phrases in a dictionary to find out their meaning, and then use each in a sentence of your own.

(i) You may take it that

(ii) He seems to be coming round

(iii) My foot’s gone to sleep

Match, the italicised phrases in Column A with the phrase nearest meaning in Column B.
(Hint: First look for the sentence in the text which the phrase in column A occurs.)

Relative Clause

Join the sentence given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.

I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)

Relative Clause

Join the sentence given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.

 My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)

Relative Clause

Join the sentence given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.

These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)

Relative Clause

Join the sentence given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.

 Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)

Relative Clause

Join the sentence given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.

 This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)

Combine the following to make sentence like those above.

I would like to buy (a) shirt (which shirt?). (The) shirt is in the shop window. (use which or that)

Combine the following to make sentence like those above.

You must break your fast at a particular time (when?). You see the moon in the sky. (use when)

Combine the following to make sentence like those above. 

This is the bus (what kind of bus?) It goes to Agra. (use which or that)

Combine the following to make sentence like those above.

 Find a word (what kind of word?). It begins with the letter Z. (use which or that).

Combine the following to make sentence like those above.

Now find a person (what kind of person). His or her name begins with the letter Z. (use whose)

Combine the following to make sentence like those above. 

Then go to a place (what place?). There are no people whose name begins with Z in that place. (use where)

You know that we can combine sentences using words like and, or, but, yet and then. But sometimes no such word seems appropriate. In such a case was can use a semicolon (;) or a dash (−) to combine two clauses.

She has no interest in music; I doubt she will become a singer like her mother.

The second clause here gives the speaker’s opinion on the first clause.

Here is a sentence from the text that uses semicolons to combine clauses. Break up the sentence into three simple sentences. Can you then say which has a better rhythm when you read it, the single sentence using semicolons, or the three simple sentences?

For there is not any means by which those who have been born can avoid dying; after reaching old age there is death; of such a nature are living beings.

From the table below, make as many correct sentences as you can using would and/or used to, as appropriate. (Hint: First decide whether the words in italics show an action, or a state or situation, in the past.) Then add two or three sentences of your own to it.

______ we afford to neglect children? Think Twice!!

Contracted Forms

Make a list of the contracted forms in the text. Rewrite them as full forms of two words.

For example:

I’ve = I have