H I

SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR

CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION

Ability Enhancement
Compulsory Course (CBCS)
(Compulsory English)
English for Communication
(Academic Year 2019-20 onwards)

For

B. A. Part I

K (Semester I and II)

J
 Module 1
A) Developing Vocabulary

Index:
1A.0 Objectives
1A.1 Introduction
1A.2 Content
1A.2.1 Section I Word Formation Process
Affixation: Prefixes
Check Your Progress
Affixation: Suffixes
Check Your Progress
1A.2.2 Section II Vocabulary and Words in context Synonyms
Check Your Progress
Antonyms
Check Your Progress
Synonymous Words
Check Your Progress
Antonymous Words
Check Your Progress
1A.2.3 III Problem Words
Check Your Progress
1A.2.4 IV Phrasal Verbs
Check Your Progress

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1A.0 Objectives:
• To make the students to choose words with greater precision
• To acquaint the students with the specialist vocabulary associated with
communication and literary area
• To make the students learn to communicate knowledge and ideas in appropriate
way.
• To inculcate among the students skill to identify words and/or phrases related to
the topic.

1A.1 Introduction:
Vocabulary, or word meaning, is one of the keys to comprehension. Student's
develop vocabulary indirectly through reading, listening, and speaking. Students’
background knowledge and prior experiences play a large role in vocabulary
development. They build connections between known words and unknown words
and develop a deeper understanding of their reading. A large vocabulary is more
specifically predictive and reflective of high levels of reading achievement.
Vocabulary is “the sum of words used by, understood by, or at the command of a
particular person or group.” There are some differences in the number of words that
an individual understands and uses. Even the terms “uses” and “understands” need
clarification. For example, the major way in which we “use” vocabulary is when we
speak and write. Vocabulary consists of function words and content words. Function
words are common words, such as are, that, and to. Content words include nouns,
verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, like flower, eat, beautiful, and sadly.
In this unit, vocabulary exercises are provided. These exercises encourage
students to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words and expressions from context.
The purpose of reading the prose, “On Saying Please” is to pose one or more
questions for students to consider as they read the piece, giving them some aspect,
feature, or idea on which to focus their attention. Students will be referred back to
these questions after they read and discuss the piece to confirm their understanding.
Post-reading questions enable students to clarify their ideas through activities
that focus on specific reading skills and literary elements. The activities offer
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students guided avenues for interpretation, while giving them space to make their
own personal connections to the literary pieces. Comprehension questions check
students’ understanding of the main ideas and the more “objective” or literal aspects
of the extract they have read.
Expansion questions are interpretive and require critical thinking. These
questions lend themselves to various interpretations, and allow students to connect
their personal experiences to the literature. The questions in this section deal with
issues of values clarification, requiring students to reflect on their personal values as
these relate to the unit themes.
1A.2.1 Section I Word Formation Process:
Vocabulary touches every aspect of students’ development as academically
literate learners, strongly influencing their reading, writing and conversational
proficiencies. Everything, it seems is harder for students when they lack an adequate
vocabulary. Oral vocabulary includes those words that we recognize and use in
listening and speaking. Print Vocabulary includes those words that we recognize
and use in reading and writing. Receptive vocabulary includes words that we
recognize when we hear or see them –listening and reading. Productive vocabulary
includes words that we use when we speak or write. Receptive vocabulary is
typically larger than productive vocabulary, and may include many words to which
we assign some meaning, even if we don’t know their full definitions and
connotations – or ever use them ourselves as we speak and write.
The present unit aims to focus some ways of developing vocabulary. It attempts
to help the students of English to know the words. The unit tries to give some clues
that would be useful in developing vocabulary.
Word Formation Process:
There are various ways of word formation- Affixation, Compounding,
Conversion, Clipping, Blending, Reduplication, Acronym etc. It is easy to
understand a word both grammatically and semantically, if we know how that word
is formed. In English new words are formed by using the word-formation processes
like Affixation (rewrite, writer), Compounding (teapot, sunrise), Conversion (pen
(V), work (N)), Clipping (fridge, lab), Blending (Brexit, brunch), Reduplication
(tick-tock, nit-wit), Back derivation (edit, laze), and Acronymy (UNO, NASA)

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Affixation: Prefixes and suffixes are sets of letters that are added to the beginning or
end of another word. They are not words in their own right and cannot stand on their
own in a sentence.
1. Prefixation: Prefixes are added to the beginning of an existing word in order to
create a new word with a different meaning. A prefix usually changes or
concretizes the lexical meaning of a word and only rarely parts of speech, e. g.
write – rewrite, smoker – non-smoker. Prefixes are sometimes used to form new
verb: circle – encircle, large – enlarge etc.
2. Suffixation : Suffixes are added to the end of an existing word.
Prefixes: All the prefixes in English are derivational. They are used to derive new
words. On this ground, lexically they can further be divided into: class changing and
class maintaining prefixes.
Class Changing Prefixes :
A few prefixes that change the class of the root to which they are affixed are
called class changing prefixes, as their attachment converts the word from one part of
speech into another.
For example, ‘friend’ is a noun. When the prefix, be- is affixed to it, verb
befriend is derived. A- in asleep, be- in becalm, en- in encage, de- in deforest, dis- in
disbar, non-in non-stick, and un- in unhorse are class changing prefixes. Almost all
the other prefixes are class maintaining.
Class Maintaining Prefixes :
The majority of, or it would not be wrong to say almost all the prefixes, except
the one mentioned above are class maintaining. They are termed so because their
affixation or addition to the root of a word, no doubt creates a new word, but does
not change the class or part of speech of the root word to which they are affixed.
For example, ‘happy’ (Aj) ‘unhappy’ (Aj); ‘cycle’ (N) ‘bicycle’ (N); and
‘generate’ (V) ‘degenerate’ (V).
Prefix de- is both class changing and class maintaining.

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Semantic Classification of Prefixes of English:
English prefixes are semantically classified. The prefixes are grouped under
eight different titles such as negative prefixes (un- (unhappy), non- (nonviolence),
in- (incorrect), a- (amoral)), reversative or privative prefixes (un- (undo), de-
(decode), dis-(disconnect)), pejorative prefixes (mis- (misunderstand), mal-
(malpractice), pseudo- (pseudo-science)), prefixes of degree or size (arch-
(archenemy), super- (superfast), out- (outsmart), sur-(surcharge), sub-
(subcommittee), over- (overconfidence), under- (underuse), hyper- (hypertension),
mini- (minicomputer)), prefixes of attitude (co- (coauthor), counter- (counter-
attack), anti-(antisocial), pro- (pro-democracy)), locative prefixes(super-
(superstructure), sub- (subway), inter-(interschool), trans- (transatlantic)), prefixes of
time and order(fore- (foretell), pre- (pre-lunch), post- (post-lunch), ex- (ex-
minister), re- (remake)), and number prefixes (uni- (uniform), mono-(monorail), bi-
(bicycle), di- (dialogue), tri- (triangle), multi- (multinational), poly- (polysyllable)).
Prefixes of English are rather more independent semantically than the suffixes.
Check Your Progress
i. Fill in the blanks with a prefix that forms the opposite of words given
below:
…..patient …..happy ……pure ……honest
….friendly ….legible ……agree ……connect
…..logical …..regular ……visible ……correct
…..social …..lock …..do …..employed

ii. Put the following prefixes in appropriate gaps in the following sentences:
dis- in- mis- re- un- under-
1. That is ................. correct answer.
2. Let’s look at this study material again. We should ................. view it before
the exam.
3. The subway does not go over the land like a normal train. It moves
................. ground.

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 4. The police saw a thief, but they could not find him. It seemed that he
................. appeared.

5. The students didn’t hear the teacher correctly. They ................. understood
him.
6. I just can’t believe it! The story is ................. believable!
Suffixes:
English suffixes are either Inflectional or Derivational. Inflectional suffixes
come at the end of the word. They follow the derivational suffixes, but they are
followed by nothing. Therefore, when an inflectional suffix is added to a word, no
further derivation is possible through that word.
Inflectional Suffixes of English:
English has a limited number of inflectional suffixes. They are used to present
grammatical meaning. They are affixed to a stem of a word (such as Noun, Verb,
Adjective, Adverb) to create different grammatical forms of the same word. They
express grammatical concepts such as number, person, tense, case, and degree which
means they have grammatical function and are grammatically conditioned. English
has following types of inflectional suffixes:
i. The plural suffix -s is used to form the regular plural by adding the suffix, -s to
the nouns in the singular as in: apples, books, churches, babies.
ii. Genitive or Possessive suffix -’s is used to mark the possessive case as in:
Virat’s, boy’s, girls’ or Socrates’.
iii. Third Person Singular Subject Present Tense Suffix, -s occurs with verbs
while expressing present tense when the subject is third person and singular in
form, as in: walks, moves, catches.
iv. Past Tense Suffix, -ed is used to indicate simple past tense form of regular
verbs as in played, talked, wanted. It is also used with some irregular verbs
likeburn, dream, swell.
v. Present Participle Suffix, -ing is used to form the present participle of verbs
which normally follow a form of ‘be’ to indicate the progressive aspect of tense,
e.g. coming, working.

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vi. Past Participle Suffix, -ed is also called ‘Perfective and Passive Participle’. In
regular verbs it is spelt -ed, as in connected, called, talkedwhich is identical with
the Past Tense suffix. However, in the irregular verbs, it is represented
differently, e.g. grown, seen, taken and others.
vii. Comparative Suffix -er is attached to mono- and disyllabic regular gradable
adjectives and adverbs to form their comparative forms as in tall ~ taller, soon ~
sooner.
viii. Superlative Suffix -est is attached to mono- and disyllabic regular gradable
adjectives and adverbs to form their superlative degree forms as in tall ~ tallest,
soon ~ soonest.
Derivational Suffixes of English:
As mentioned earlier, affixation is the most commonly used word formation
process, and suffixation is the most common of affixations. The derivational suffixes
are used to create new words. The derivational suffixes of English can be classified
variously. They can be broadly classed into class maintaining derivational suffixes
and class changing derivational suffixes.
Classification of Derivational Suffixes:
Suffixes added to a particular class of word to derive a new word belonging to
the same class are called class maintaining derivational suffixes. For example, the
suffix - hood is class maintaining as it can be added to nouns like child, brother,and
others to derive nouns such as childhood, brotherhood.
English has a limited number of class maintaining derivational suffixes such as: -
(e)ry, -ese, -ess, -ette, -hood, -let, -ling, -ster, -eer, -ship and a few others.
Most of the derivational suffixes of English bring about change in the class of
the base to which they are added. Such suffixes are called class changing derivational
suffixes. For example, the suffix -ify changes the noun, class in the verb, classify.
Hence, it is class changing.
Suffixes like -able, -al, -ance/-ence, -ant/-ent, -ard, -arian, -ary, -ate, -ion(-tion, -
ation, - ition and others),-ative, -ed, -ee, -esque, -fold, -ic, -ify/-fy, -ism, -ist, -ite, -ity,

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-ive, -ize, -less, -ly, - ment, -er, -or, -most, -ness, -ous/-eous, -some, -ure,-word(s), -
wise, and others are class changing derivational suffixes of English.
English has a few suffixes that can be both class changing and class maintaining
derivational suffixes. For example, the suffix, -dom becomes a class changing suffix
when it is attached to an adjective, free to derive the word freedom, a noun. It works
like a class maintaining suffix when it is added to a noun such asking to form a noun,
kingdom. The suffixes like -age, -an, -ian, -dom, -ful, -ing, -er, -y,-ish, can be the
member of this group of derivational suffixes. They may or may not bring about a
syntactic category shift in the base to which they are appended.
In English, it can be observed, prefixation is typically class maintaining while
derivational suffixation is typically class changing.
Classification of Suffixes as per the Class of Derivatives:
Suffixes of English can also be classified as per the part of speech of the
derivatives they form: Noun Forming Suffixes of English are added to the variety of
bases to form nouns.
Hence, the suffixes in this category can further be classified into:
The class of Suffixes Forming Nouns from Nouns includes suffixes like -dom
(king~kingdom), -ess (poet~poetess), -er (London~Londoner), -
ette(kitchen~kitchenette), -hood (child~childhood), -ism (Marx~Marxism), -let
(flat~flatlet), -ling (duck~ duckling), -scape (land ~ landscape), -ship (friend ~
friendship), and others.
The class of Suffixes forming Nouns from Verbs consists of suffixes like -ation
(examine ~ examination), -ee (employ ~ employee), -al (propose ~ proposal), -ary
(dispense ~ dispensary), -er (work ~ worker), -ment (enjoy ~ enjoyment), and many
others.
The suffixes like -cy (delicate ~ delicacy), -dom (free ~ freedom), -er (ten ~
tenner), -hood (false ~ falsehood), -ist (social ~ socialist), -ness (happy ~ happiness),
-th (warm ~ warmth), and others are the part of the class of Suffixes Forming Nouns
from Adjectives.
Adjective Forming Suffixes are the Suffixes Forming Adjectives form
Nounswhich include -al (nation ~ national), -ate (passion ~ passionate), -en (gold ~
golden), -ese (Pekin Pekinese), -esque (picture ~ picturesque), -ful (colour ~
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colourful), -ic (artist ~ artistic), -ly (friend ~ friendly), -ous (courage ~ courageous),
-y (luck ~ lucky) and others.

Some English adjectives are formed by adding following suffixes to verbs: The
suffixes like -able(believe ~ believable), -ant/-ent (absorb ~ absorbent), -atory(affirm
~ affirmatory), -ful (scorn ~ scornful), -ive (possess ~ possessive), -less (count ~
countless), and others belong to the class of Suffixes Forming Adjectives from
Verbs.
The class of Suffixes Forming Adjectives from Adjectives is less productive. Its
members are -ish (red ~ reddish), -ly (good ~ goodly), -some (queer ~ queersome).
Verb Forming Suffixes: English has only three suffixes for producing verbs:
a. -ify is added to nouns to form verbs as in class ~ classify, beauty ~ beautify, and
others.
b. -ize is appended on nouns (hybrid ~ hybridize) and affixed to adjectives (nasal ~
nasalize) to form verbal derivatives.
c. -en is attached to adjectives to form verbs, as in short ~ shorten, weak ~ weaken.
Adverb Forming Suffixes:
-ly, -ward(s), and -wise are adverb forming suffixes of English. Out of these, -ly
is very productive with adjective bases. For example, happy ~ happily, home ~
homeward(s), and student ~ studentwise.
The knowledge of the affixes helps the learners to a great extent in forming new
words. It is also helpful in understanding the existing words by decomposing them. If
you know an affix and its meaning, you can understand the usage and the meaning of
the derived /complex word easily.
Check Your Progress
i. Put the words in the brackets in the appropriate form using suffixes:
1. He was acting in a very ................. way. (child)
2. He wants to be an ................., when he grows up. (engine)
3. There is no ................. in his presentation. (weak)

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 4. He completed the work in time. He became ................. (success)
5. There were only a ................. of people in the party. (hand)
6. You need a .................of motivation, organization and hard work to realize
your dreams. (combine)
7. The road was too narrow, so they had to ................. it. (wide)
8. They require the ................. to arrange the function. (approve)
9. She loves ................. in everything. (pure)
10. Amitabh Bachchan is a ................. actor. (fame)
ii. Make Nouns of the following words by adding suffixes and use them in
sentences: prepare, refuse, run, manage, fail, private, good, wide, child, injure,
clear, divide, mix
ii. Make Adjectives of the following words by adding suffixes and use them in
sentences:
function, affection, earth, China, acid, joy, cost, walk, act, cream, attract
iii. Make Verbs of the following words by adding suffixes and use them in
sentences:
pure, actual, dark, simple, final, white
1A.2.2 Section II Vocabulary and Words in context :
Synonyms:
Context plays a very important role in developing vocabulary. When you study
words, you have to pay attention to the context of situation in which they are used.
Actually, you can remember words better when you associate them with other words
and understand the similarity and difference between them as they are used in
sentences. The words having more or less the similar meanings are synonymous. The
following are the pairs of synonyms:
Beautiful : pretty, hurt : injure : wound,
distant : remote, mad : insane,
tidy : neat, glow : shine,
guard : protect

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 However, it should be noted that no two words have exactly the same meaning.
It is so because, even though two words have exactly the same referential meaning,
they may differ from emotive, associative or evocative point of views.
Two words are synonymous, if they can substitute each other in all the contexts:
e.g. rich : wealthy, neat : tidy
But there are words like beautiful : handsome which cannot substitute each other
in certain contexts as in ‘a beautiful flower’ cannot be ‘a handsome flower’.
However, they can substitute each other in certain other contexts like ‘a beautiful
woman’ can be ‘a handsome woman’.
Two words are synonymous if their antonyms are same. However, this is also
context-dependent. That is two words may have same antonyms in one context but
not in the other. For example,
1. He studies English with profound interest.
2. He listened to the song with deep interest.
3. The valley is very deep.
The word 'profound' and the word 'deep' in the sentence (2) have the same
antonym word, 'superficial'. Hence 'profound' and 'deep' in sentence (2) are
synonyms. However, the antonym of the word 'deep' in the sentence (3) is 'shallow'
and therefore 'deep' in sentence (3) is not the synonym of 'profound'.
Words can be synonymous in different patterns:
i. Words belonging to different dialects:
British American
autumn fall
biscuit cookie
chips French fries
flat apartment
kennel doghouse
lift elevator
queue line

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ii. Synonyms differing due to the point of view of their emotional overtones
and evocative effects:
liberty : freedom, politician : statesman, hide : conceal
iii. Words belonging to two different registers:
children : kids, die : pop off, father : daddy
mother : mummy, gentleman : chap, lady : woman
'Daddy' and 'Mummy' mostly belong to children’s language. Likewise, 'woman'
is more likely to occur in the common man’s language and 'lady' in the variety of
language used by upper classes.
This shows that synonymous words have similar general meaning but they have
different shades of meaning and are used in different contexts. Let us see some words
which are synonymous but have different shades of meaning.
A) Synonymous nouns in different shades of meaning:
The following group of nouns has same general meaning but they are used in
different contexts as they have different shades of meanings.
freedom, emancipation, liberty, independence
'Freedom' a native everyday word means the right to do or say what you want
without anyone stopping you. It is generally meant for the country. 'Emancipation',
of Latin origin, means act of setting free from the power of another, from slavery,
subjugation, or dependence. 'Liberty', a word borrowed from French means freedom
to live as you choose without too many restrictions from authority. It is meant for an
individual and it is formal. And 'Independence' is again from French and means
freedom from dependence.
fame, repute, honour, glory, renown, credit, reputation, popularity, name,
recognition, stardom
'Fame' refers to the state of being known by many people. Glory is fame, praise
or honour that somebody gets after achieving something important. When we talk
about honour we refer to great respect or admiration for somebody. 'Repute' is the
opinion that people have of somebody. Repute and reputation differ in usage as in
‘artist of repute’ and ‘artist’s reputation’. If you are a person of renown, you get fame

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and respect because of something you have done. It is used in formal situation.
'Recognition' is the public praise and reward for somebody’s word or deeds.
'Stardom' refers to the state of being famous as an actor or a singer. Similarly,
'Popularity' means the state of being liked, enjoyed or supported by a large number of
people. 'Credit' is the praise or approval you get for something good you have done.
Check Your Progress:
Study the core meaning of the following synonymous nouns and write sentences
to show how they are used differently:
1. pleasure, delight, enjoyment, joy, ecstasy, bliss, happiness
2. courage bravery, boldness, heroism, intrepidity, valour
3. brink, bank, edge, fringe, brim
4. fear, fright, horror, alarm, panic, terror, dread
5. luck, fortune, chance, prosperity, good stroke
6. knowledge, perception, wisdom, intuition, cognition, information, intelligence
7. house, residence, home, abode, hut, shack, shanty, pad, bungalow, mansion,
villa, flat
8. shopkeeper, grocer, green-grocer, merchant, trader, hawker, vendor
9. campaign, drive, expedition
10. war, battle, combat, contest, conflict, broil, row, fighting
B) Synonymous verbs having different shades of meaning:
Like nouns, there are verbs which mean almost the same but they are not perfect
synonyms.
build, construct, erect, assemble, fabricate, make
'Build' and 'construct' are perfect synonyms. The only difference they have is of
the dialect. Build is British, while construct is American. Make is more general than
build and construct. Moreover, a computer can be assembled. 'Fabricate' is used with
steelwork or making of goods and equipment from various different materials. Erect
is used in formal mode.

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chase, follow, hunt, pursue, track
The police chase a thief when they see him or her and track one when they see
the marks left by a thief. We pursue a goal and hunt an animal and when we follow
somebody we go after him/her.
There are many such groups of verbs. They can be better understood by looking
up them in a dictionary and learning their meaning and usage. Some of the groups
are given below:
Verbs related to walk : stroll, wander, march, plod, strut, stride, stagger, stray,
ramble, stalk, stumble
Verbs related to smile: smile, sneer, grin, giggle, laugh, titter, chuckle, guffaw
Verbs related to pull: pull, draw, drag, jerk, lug, tug, wrench, haul, tow
Verbs related to hold: hold, catch, grasp, clutch, seize, snatch, grip, clasp, clench
Check Your Progress:
i. Study the core meaning of the following synonymous verbs and note down
their meanings and write sentences to show how they are used in different
contexts:
1. come, arrive, near, approach, advance, reach
2. stroll, wander, march, plod, strut, stride, stagger, stray, ramble, stalk
3. smile, sneer, grin, giggle, laugh, titter, chuckle, guffaw
4. pull, draw, drag, jerk, lug, tug, wrench, haul, tow
5. hold, catch, grasp, clutch, seize, snatch, grip, clasp, clench
ii. Study the following pairs of verbs. Write down their general meanings and
use them in your sentences so as to show how different they are.
Assure - ensure, bow - stoop, capture - arrest, disclose - reveal, evade - avoid,
finish - finalize, grab - catch, hire - rent, portray - delineate, lessen - lighten,
prevent -forbid.
C) Synonymous adjectives having different shades of meaning:
Like nouns and verbs, many groups adjectives also have almost the same
meaning but at the level of context they are different.
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holy, godly, saintly, sacred, hallowed, divine express generally the meaning of
being holy. Holy, divine and sacred mean ‘connected with God or a god’. Moreover,
sacred means very important and treated with respect as in - ‘Human life is always
sacred’. ‘A godly man’ is one who lives a moral life based on religious principles. ‘A
saintly life’ is holy and good. ‘Hallowed traditions’ are important and respected.
Lonely, solitary, lonesome, forlorn have generally the same meaning. But
lonely, lonesome and forlorn have unfavourable meaning referring to unhappiness
and isolation. On the other hand, solitary has favourable meaning as in – ‘A solitary
child enjoys being alone’.
Similarly, there are pairs of adjectives which appear to be related and to have
nearly the same meaning but they are used differently. Find out their meanings in the
dictionary.

a. childish/childlike b. economic/economical c. historic/historical

d. sensible/sensitive e. true/truthful f. uneatable/inedible
g. unreadable/illegible h. young/youthful

Check Your Progress

1. Use the following pairs of adjectives in your own sentences:
childish/childlike, economic/economical,
historic/historical, sensible/sensitive, true/ truthful,
uneatable/inedible, unreadable/illegible, young/youthful
2. Find out other such pairs of adjectives; study the difference in their meanings
and use them in your sentences.
3. Study the adjectives in the following groups and use them in your
sentences:
i. amicable - cordial – friendly ii. favourable - favourite,
iii. trusting - trusted, iv. lovable -loving,
v. careful - caring, vi. cool - cold

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Antonyms:
Now you know that your vocabulary can be developed through learning
synonymous words. Similarly, antonyms also help in developing our vocabulary.
Antonyms are the words with opposite meanings. Antonyms are used for clear and
forceful communication. We use a number of antonyms in our day-to-day
communication. Consider the following statements:
a. He is my friend. b. He is not my friend.
'friend' and 'enemy' are antonyms but sentence (b) does not exactly mean what
sentence (a) means. It means antonymous words are contextually meaningful.
Adjectives, nouns and verbs have antonyms.
Antonymous adjectives:
absent X present, beautiful X ugly, clever X dull,
difficult X easy, glad X sad, high X low,
thick X thin, narrow X wide, rough X smooth,
junior X senior
Antonymous nouns:
height X depth, arrival X departure,
chaos X order, consumption X preservation,
controversy X agreement, confidence X diffidence, popularity X notoriety,
truth X falsehood, mercy X cruelty, love X hatred,
Antonymous verbs:
buy X sell, forget X remember, give X take,
increase X decrease, hide X seek, hasten X delay,
gather X separate, destroy X create, permit X forbid,
strengthen X weaken

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Check Your Progress
i. Choose the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in
capital letters.
1. VACATE =A. abandon B. charter C. sever D. occupy E. discharge
2. AMASS = A. disperse B. meld C. muster D. compile E. infuse
3. ENAMOR =A. entice B. enlighten C. loathe D. subdue E. fascinate
4. RENOWN =A. acclaim B. obscurity C. villainy D. infamy E. restige
5. AMPLIFY =A. magnify B. intensify C. allay D. withdraw E. lessen
6. FESTIVE = A. serene B. hearty C. gruesome D. jaunty E. dreary
7. WAN =A. pale B. drab C. anemic D. glowing E. kaleidoscopic
8. FORGO = A. despise B. revere C. indulge D. abstain E. waive
9. EXPEND =A. stash B. dispatch C. splurge D. exhaust E. smother
10. POROUS =A. fragile B. waterproof C. consolidated D. dense E. spongy
1A.2.3 Section III Problem Words:
English has homonyms which can be problematic. These words look similar or
have same pronunciation but their meanings are different and unrelated. Such words
are considered problem words as they confuse us. Hence, the knowledge of meaning
and usage of such words makes them a part of your vocabulary and enrich it. Some
problem words are given below:
1. air : (mixture of gases we breathe) The air in the university campus is clean and
fresh.
Heir /eY/ : (one who inherits) Usually a son becomes the heir to the property of
a father.
2. wind /wInd/: (air in motion) The wind is blowing.
wind/waInd/: (to twist or bend something) The river winds its way between two
meadows.
3. except: (apart from) We work everyday except Sunday.

17
 expect: (to think that something will happen, wish) She expects that she will be
the topper.
4. here: (in or at this place) A tiger had come here last night.
hear:(to listen or to pay attention) I hear songs on radio.
5. hoard (to collect and keep large amounts of money and food secretly) He
hoarded wealth greedily.
horde:(a large crowd of people) Cricket fans came in hordes.
6. adopt: (to take somebody’s child into your family and become its legal parent)
She adopted a girl from the orphanage.
adapt: (modify, to change something) We have to adapt quickly as per the new
technology.
adept: (skilful) He is adept at playing harmonium.
Check Your Progress:
Look up the following pairs of words in the dictionary and use them in your
sentences:
accept – except, advice – advise, affection – affectation, birth – berth, cast – caste,
complement – compliment, collision – collusion, confident – confidant, corps –
corpse, council – counsel, dairy – diary, device –devise, draft – draught, eligible –
illegible, eminent– imminent, human – humane, last – latest, licence – license,
prophecy – prophesy, persecute – prosecute, right – rite, story – storey, suit – suite,
tale – tail, tire – tyre – tier.
1A.2.4 Section IV Phrasal Verbs:
English can be used in both formal or polite way and informal, familiar or
colloquial manner. Those who learn English in the classroom and not exposed amply
to outside the classroom, may not have access to its colloquial variety. A phrasal
verb is combination of a standard verb (especially native) like ‘go’ or ‘look’ and a
preposition or an adverb which are called particles. This combination forms a new
verb with totally different meaning. For example,
a. She put the book on the table.
b. She put out a candle.
18
 In the sentence (b) put out means ‘stop something from burning’. In the
sentence (a) put has its common meaning ‘keep’.
Phrasal verbs are important because they are extremely common in colloquial
English. If you are not familiar with them, you will find informal English difficult to
understand. A good dictionary has the entries of the phrasal verbs. If you want to
master phrasal verbs and consequently English, develop a habit to look for phrasal
verbs. There are three types of phrasal verbs:
1. Phrasal verbs (intransitive) that do not take an object:
blow in : My cousin blew in unexpectedly with his family. (visit unexpectedly)
come along : If you want, you can come along. (accompany)
2. Phrasal verbs (transitive) with an Object:
hand back : Will he hand back my money? (return)
pick out : Anita picked out a lively dress. (choose)
3. Phrasal verbs with two particles:
stand up for : Everybody must stand up for the truth. (defend)
put up with : Nobody should put up with injustice. (tolerate)
Check Your Progress:
A) Each sentence given below contains an incomplete phrasal verb. Complete
the expression by supplying a suitable preposition or adverb particle.
Choose your answer from the options given in the brackets.
1. She takes ................. her grandmother. (after / off / in)
2. They assaulted the watchmen and took many precious paintings .................
(down / away / back)
3. These shoes don’t fit. I am going to take them ................. to the store. (back /
away / off)
4. Don’t take him ................. an idiot. (for / in / off)
5. The dress was loose for me so I took it to the tailor and got it taken
................. (in / off / down)

19
 6. Please take your shoes ................. before entering the temple. (down/ off /
away)
7. How are you going to meet the deadlines if you take ................. too many
projects? (on / in / over)
8. If you love Susie why don’t you take her ................. on a date? (out / up / off)
9. He took ................. farming after retirement. (up / in / on)
10. We will take this issue ................. when we meet next week. (up / on /over)
B) Fill the phrasal verbs in the blanks according to their meanings in brackets:
1. ................. your shoes.(Remove)

2. Somebody has to ................. the baby. (Take care of)

3. She wants to ................. the truth? (Discover)
4. The truck ................. in the desert. (stop working properly)
5. The heavy rains ................. the road. (gradually destroy) Exercises:
I. Make nouns from the following words:
admit, connect, laugh, weigh, brave, refer, great, height, equal, wed
II. Make adjectives from the following words:
air, brother, comfort, move, tire, talk, cease, cheer, fruit, gas
III. Make verbs from the following words:
circle, riend, prison, fame, glory, dark, special
IV Choose the word which means almost same as the underlined words in the
following sentences:
1. She is very wealthy.
a) rich b) poor c) wise d) well
2. He made a real solution.
a) good b) nice c) genuine d) wrong
3. Every time you cannot blame the system.
a) accept b) accuse c) admit d) excuse
20
 4. Education may end your misery.
a) mission b) machine c) sorrow d) happiness
5. She portrayed a painting.
a) drew b) spoiled c) photo d) picture
V. Choose the word which is opposite in meaning of the underlined words in
the following sentences:
1. Wild animals are very cruel.
a) aggressive b) beastly c) kind d) angry
2. Demonetization decreased corruption.
a) increased b) destroyed c) delayed d) discourage
3. It was a comic film.
a) lovely b) dirty c) serious d) good
4. He is a man of knowledge
a) importance b) information c) ignorance d) wise
5. The umpire must not be partial.
a) fair b) part c) pleasing d) pure
VI Choose the appropriate word from the pair given below and fill up the
blanks in the following sentences:
1. He is a man of ................. character. (lose/loose)
2. Heart ................. caused her ................. (decease/disease)
3. Do not ................. your time and energy in useless things. (waste/waist)
4. The ................. is pleasant. (whether/weather)
5. The world requires ................. (peace/ piece)
VII Put the phrasal verbs given in the bracket in its correct place in the
following sentences: [carry on, give in, go through, jump in, make up]
1. Feel free to ................. at any moment while we are talking.
2. Never .................! You can do it!
21
 3. Though he is tired, he wants to ................. his study.
4. Good friends must ................. after trivial disputes.
5. Before the examination students ................. the notes.
VIII Tick the correct meaning of the affix underlined in the following sentences:
1. Nothing is impossible.
a) not b) again c) more d) something
2. The assistant helped me in arranging things.
a) help b) action c) a person who… d) helper
3. She loves a creamy cake.
a) not b) full of c) oily d) man
4. He attended the pre-lunch session.
a) early b) after c) late d) before
5. They read the booklet on cashless transactions.
a) late b) big c) small d) good

22
 B) On Saying Please
A. G. Gardiner

Index:
1 B.0 Objectives
1 B.1 Introduction
1 B.2 Content
Check Your Progress
1 B.3 Summary
1 B.4 Terms to Remember
1 B.5 Answers to Check Your Progress
1 B.6 Exercises
1 B.7 Reference for Further Study.

1 B.0 Objectives:
• To inculcate human values among the students through the prose, “On Saying
Please” by A. G. Gardiner
• To increase the actual achievement in reading of students.
• To make the students to use polite words to make other people feel appreciated
and respected.

1 B.1 Introduction:
Alfred George Gardiner (1865–1946): A G Gardiner was born into the Victorian
era in 1865 and writing through the Edwardian and Georgian periods. Alfred George
Gardiner was a newspaper editor, journalist and author. He is known for his essays,
written under the pen-name “Alpha of the Plough” as well as his prose written under
his own initials. Beginning his career as an apprentice- reporter at the age of fourteen

23
Gardiner went on to become the editor of the oldest, most widely read Liberal
newspaper in the early half of the 18th century, Daily News.
As was typical of the Victorian age, his works reflected the pressing social,
intellectual, economic, and religious issues and problems of the era. However, his
skill was best displayed in the four published collections of pen portraits: Prophets,
Priests and Kings (1908), Pillars of Society (1913), The War Lords (1915), and
Certain People of Importance (1926). His essays are uniformly elegant, graceful and
humorous. His uniqueness lay in his ability to teach the basic truths of life in an easy
and amusing manner. Pebbles on the Shore, Many Furrows and Leaves in the
Wind, are some of his other best known writings. His writings reflect two moods:
the combative, disputatious controversialist who signed himself A. G. G., and the
gentle, discursive essayist, Alpha of the Plough, who contributed to The Star.
Essays of Gardiner sparkle with laughter and charm. By the charm of his art
Gardiner succeeded admirably in lifting journalistic writings to the level of pure art.
His style is typical of the best modern journalism. Though written in a playful spirit,
Gardiner's essays often contain thought-provoking idea. His ideas are made palatable
by a coating of fine humour. His style is marked by a perfect clearness of expression,
happy choice of words, lively humour and a wealth of literary and historical
allusions. Gardiner died in 1946.

1 B.2 Content:
“On Saying Please” by A G Gardiner
The young lift-man in a City office who threw a passenger out of his lift the
other morning and was fined for the offence was undoubtedly in the wrong. It was a
question of 'Please'. The complainant entering the lift, said, 'Top'. The lift-man
demanded 'Top-please' and this concession being refused he not only declined to
comply with the instruction, but hurled the passenger out of the lift. This, of course
was carrying a comment on manner too far. Discourtesy is not a legal offence, and it
does not excuse assault and battery. If a burglar breaks into my house and I knock
him down, the law will acquit me, and if I am physically assaulted, it will permit me
to retaliate with reasonable violence. It does this because the burglar and my assailant
have broken quite definite commands of the law, but no legal system could attempt
to legislate against bad manners, or could sanction the use of violence against
something which it does not itself recognize as a legally punishable offence. And
24
whatever our sympathy with the lift-man, we must admit that the law is reasonable. It
would never do if we were at liberty to box people's ears because we did not like
their behaviour, or the tone of their voices, or the scowl on their faces. Our fists
would never be idle, and the gutters of the City would run with blood all day.
I may be as uncivil as I may please and the law will protect me aganist violent
retaliation. I may be haughty or boorish and there is no penalty to pay except the
penalty of being written down an ill-mannered fellow. The law doesnot compel me to
say 'please' or to attune my voice to other people's sensibilities any more than it says
that I shall not wax my moustache or dye my hair or wear ringlets down my back. It
does not recognize the laceration of our feelings as a case for compensation. There is
no allowance for moral and intellectual damages in these matters.
This does not mean that the damages are negligible. It is probable that the lift-
man was much more acutely hurt by what he regarded as a slur upon his social
standing than he would have been if he had a kick on the shins, for which he could
have got a legal redress. The pain of a kick on the shins soon passes away but the
pain of a wound to our self-respect or our vanity may poison a whole day. I can
imagine that lift-man, denied the relief of throwing the author of his wound out of the
lift, brooding over the insult by the hour, and visiting it on his wife in the evening as
the only way of restoring his equilibrium. For there are few things more catching
than bad temper and bad manners. When Sir Anthony Absolute bullied Captain
Absolute, the latter went out and bullied his man, Fag, whereupon Fag went out
downstairs and kicked the page-boy. Probably the man who said ‘Top’ to the lift man
was really only getting back on his employer who had not said ‘Good morning’ to
him because he himself had been henpecked at breakfast by his wife, to whom the
cook had been insolent because the housemaid had ‘answered her back’. We infect
the world with our ill humours. Bad manners probably do more to poison the stream
of the general life than all the crimes in the calendar. For one wife who gets a black
eye from an otherwise good natured husband there are a hundred who live a life of
martyrdom under the shadow of a morose temper. But all the same the law cannot
become the guardian of our private manners. No Decalogue could cover the vast area
of offences and no court could administer a law which governed our social civilities,
our speech, the tilt of our eyebrows and all our moods and manners.
But though we are bound to endorse the verdict against the lift-man most people
will have a certain sympathy with him. While it is true that there is no law that
25
compels us to say ‘Please’, there is a social practice much older and much more
sacred than any law which enjoins us to be civil. And the first requirement of civility
is that we should acknowledge a service. ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’ are the small
change with which we pay our way as social beings. They are the little courtesies by
which we keep the machine of life oiled and running sweetly. They put our
intercourse upon the basis of a friendly co operation an easy give and take, instead of
on the basis of superiors dictating to inferiors. It is a very vulgar mind that would
wish to command where he can have the service for asking, and have it with
willingness and good feeling instead of resentment.
I should like to 'feature' in this connection my friend, the polite conductor. By
this discriminating title, I do not intend to suggest a rebuke to conductors generally.
On the contrary, I am disposed to think that there are few classes of men who come
through the ordeal of a very trying calling better than bus conductors do. Here and
there you will meet an unpleasant specimen who regards the passengers as his natural
enemies - as creatures whose chief purpose on the bus is to cheat him, and who can
only be kept reasonably honest by a loud voice and an aggressive manner. But this
type is rare - rarer than it used to be. I fancy the public owes much to the
Underground Railway Company, which also runs the buses, for insisting on a certain
standard of civility in its servants and taking care that that standard is observed. In
doing this it not ony makes things pleasant for the travelling public, but performs an
important social service.
It is not, therefore, with any feeling of unfriendliness to conductors as a class
that I pay a tribute to a particular member of that class. I first became conscious of
his existence one day when I jumped on to a bus and found that I had left home
without any money in my pocket. Everyone has had the experience and knows the
feeling, the mixed feeling, which the discovery arouses. You are annoyed because
you look like a fool at the best and like a knave at the worst. You would not be at all
surprised if the conductor eyed you coldly as much as to say, ‘Yes I know that stale
old trick. Now then, off you get.’ And even if the conductor is a good fellow and lets
you down easily, you are faced with the necessity of going back and the
invonvenience, perhaps, of missing your train or your engagement.
Having searched my pockets in vain for stray coppers, and having found I was
utterly penniless, I told the conductor with as honest a face as I could assume that I
couldn't pay the fare, and must go back for money. ‘Oh, you needn't get off: that's all
26
right’, said he. ‘All right’, said I, ‘but I haven't a copper on me.’ ‘Oh I'll book you
through, he replied. ‘Where d'ye want to go ?’ and he handled his bundle of tickets
with the air of a man who was prepared to give me a ticket for anywhere from the
Bank to Hong Kong. I said it was very kind of him, and told him where I wanted to
go, and as he gave me the ticket I said, ‘But where shall I send the fare?’ ‘Oh, you'll
see me some day all right’, he said cheerfully, as he turned to go. And then, luckily,
my fingers, still wandering in the corners of my pockets lighted on a shilling and the
account was squared. But that fact did not lessen the glow of pleasure which so
good-natured an action had given me.
A few days after, my most sensitive toe was trampled on rather heavily as I sat
reading on the top of a bus. I looked up with some anger and more agony, and saw
my friend of the cheerful countenance. ‘Sorry, sir’, he said. ‘I know these are heavy
boots. Got'em because my own feet get trod on so much, and now I'm treading on
other people's. Hope I din't hurt you, sir,’ He had hurt me but he was so nice about it
that I assured him he hadn't. After this I began to observe him whenever I boarded
his bus, and found a curious pleasure in the constant good nature of his bearing. He
seemed to have an inexhaustible fund of patience and a gift for making his
passengers comfortable. I noticed that if it was raining he would run up the stairs to
give someone the tip that there was ‘room inside’. With old people he was as
considerate as a son, and with children as solicitous as a father. He had evidently a
peculiarly warm place in his heart for young people, and always indulged in some
merry jest with them. If he had a blind man on board it was'nt enough to set him
down safely on the pavement. He would call to Bill in front to wait while he took
him across the road or round the corner, or otherwise safely on his way. In short, I
found that he irradiated such an atmosphere of good temper and kindliness that a
journey with him was a lesson in natural courtesy and good manners.
What struck me particularly was the ease with which he got through his work. If
bad manners are infectious, so also are good manners. If we encounter incivility most
of us are apt to become uncivil, but it is an unusually uncouth person who can be
disagreeable with sunny people. It is with manners as with the weather. ‘Nothing
clears up my spirits like a fine day’, said Keats, and a cheerful person descends on
even the gloomiest of us with something of the benediction of a fine day. And so it
was always fine weather on the polite conductor's bus, and his own civility, his
conciliatory address and good humoured bearing infected his passengers. In
27
lightening their spirits he lightened his own task. His gaiety was not a wasteful
luxury, but a sound investment.
I have missed him from my bus route of late; but I hope that only means that he
has carried his sunshine on to another road. It cannot be too widely diffused in a
rather drab world. And I make no apologies for writing a panegyric on an unknown
bus conductor. If Wordsworth could gather lessons of wisdom from the poor leech
gatherer ‘on the lonely moor,’ I see no reason why lesser people should not take
lessons in conduct from one who shows how a very modest calling may be dignified
by good temper and kindly feeling.
It is a matter of general agreement that the war has had a chilling effects upon
those little every day civilities of behaviour that sweeten the general air. We must get
those civilities back if we are to make life kindly and tolerable for each other. We
cannot get them back by invoking the law. The policeman is a necessary symbol and
the law is a necessary institution for a society that is still somewhat lower than the
angels.But the law can only protect us against material attack. Nor will the lift man's
way of meeting moral affront by physical violence help us to restore the civilities. I
suggest to him, that he would have had a more subtle and effective revenge if he had
treated the gentleman who would not say 'Please' with elaborate politeness. He would
have had the victory, not only over the boor, but over himself, and that is the victory
that counts. The polite man may lose the material advantage, but he always has the
spiritual victory. I commend to the lift-man a story of Chesterfield. In his time the
London streets were without the pavements of today and the man who 'took the wall'
had the driest footing. ‘I never give the wall to a scoundrel,’ said a man who met
Chesterfield one day in the street. ‘I always do’, said Chesterfield, stepping with a
bow into the road. I hope the lift man will agree that his revenge was much more
sweet than if he had flung the fellow into the mud.
Check Your Progress:
Q.1 A) Complete the following statements by choosing the best alternative:
1. The pain of wound to ................. lasts longer.
a) the image b) self-respect
c) emotions and feelings d) dreams
2. According to A. G. Gardiner, we infect the world with ..................
28
 a) our talk b) money
c) our ill-humours d) our imagination
3. The law cannot become the guardian of our ................. .
a) property b) knowledge
c) house d) private manners
4. Captain Absolute bullied ................. .
a) Fag b) Sir Anthony Absolute
c) page-boy d) the lift-man
5. ................. is not recognized as a legally punishable offence.
a. Cheating b. Theft
c. Discourtesy d. Burglary
B) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/sentence
1. In what sense is courtesy an investment?
2. What are small courtesies, according to A.G. Gardiner? How do they help
us in our day to day life?
3. What better way of taking revenge does the writer suggest to the angry lift
man?
4. Why was the young lift-man in a city office fined?
5. How do good and bad manners affect the people around according to A.G.
Gardiner?

1 B.3 Summary of the essay, "On Saying Please":

Alpha of the Plough is the pen name of Alfred George Gardiner, an English
journalist, biographer and essayist. "On saying please" is an apt commentary on the
mannerism of people in the society. The writer wants people to be civil and
courteous. The world is a place where, we have to live with a lot of different people
who have different attitudes, different manners, traditions and mentalities. They
behave in different ways but we have to put up with them so that the life can

29
smoothly go on. If we do not adopt good manners, we will poison the whole
atmosphere and spoil the stream of life.
Moreover the writer wants to tell us that there is no law that can compel people,
to have good manners. No law can force people to be well mannered. But the
civilization, culture and tradition of all good nations enjoin a man to be civil and
tolerant. So people should have good manners to make their lives easier and more
pleasant.
The writer presents an incident from a city office where a liftman threw out a
person who insulted him by treating him as a social inferior. The person demanded
"top". The liftman asked for “top please”. It led to a fierce quarrel. It was only a
question of "please". The liftman was punished for his violent behaviour. It
happened because the law doesn’t recognize the damage to our feelings but if we
experience a material or physical loss the law can protect us. The liftman was
punished because he broke a definite command of law by hitting the customer. We
may sympathize with the liftman whose feelings were hurt but we will have to admit
that the law is quite reasonable.
Good manners are key to success in life. Bad manners are not a legal offence.
No law allows us to kick back the person who misbehaves with us. Good manners
and bad manners are like infection, create a chain of reactions. If any burglar beaks
into house, one is allowed to hit him but if any one injures the feelings of any one,
law is silent. The attitude of the lift man is not appreciable because he retaliates bad
manners with bad manners.
The bad manners are subjective. Their effects change from person to person.
Sometimes even a light comment or action can hurt a man. It depends on our mental
state at that time. If we are already hurt or disturbed then anything can provoke us.
As was the case with the man who did not say "please" to the liftman. He was rude
because his employer had misbehaved with him. The employer did so because he
had been hen-pecked by his wife and his wife was angry because the cook had been
insolent, as the housemaid had answered back to the cook. This shows how quickly
the bad manners start a chain reaction of penetrating in the social life.
All the religions have preached in favour of good manners but neither any
religion nor any constitution has ever tried to legislate against bad manners.

30
 In writer's view "Please", "thank you” and "sorry" are the little courtesies by
which we keep the machine of life oiled and running sweetly. They produce an
atmosphere of cordiality and good will. The writer pleads us to restore these
manners and behaviours so that the society can become a safe and pleasant place to
live in.
A lift-man in an office threw a passenger out of the lift as the latter was
impolite. He did not use the word ‘please’ while asking him to take him to the top.
The author is of the opinion that discourtesy is not a legal offence. If a person
knocks another person down because he has broken the law, the former will be
acquitted. But the liftman was in wrong because the law does not permit anybody to
use violence, if another person is discourteous. Protect him against attack. An uncivil
person may be called ill-mannered but he cannot be compelled by the law to say
‘please’.
Moral and intellectual damages have nothing to do in this case. The lift-man was
perhaps badly hurt because he considered it a blot on his social position. If he had
been kicked on the shin he could have approached the law for getting it redressed but
the pain of a wound to self-respect would last a longer period. If a person’s self-
respect is wounded, he remains uneasy till he inflicts such a wound on some other
person. Evil manners start a vicious circle. A bad mood and temper cause
widespread infection. They do more harm to the social life than the crimes
recognized by the panel code. All the same the law cannot operate in this area
because it is so vast. It is true that no law requires us to be polite. Politeness in
speech and manners is not only beneficial for the individual who practices it but also
for those around. Bad manners poison the general stream of life.
Bad as well as good manners are infectious. They create a chain of reactions.
Once, the writer had a chance to travel in a bus. Unfortunately he was with zero
money in his pocket. He thought that the conductor might throw him out off the bus.
The conductor gave him the ticket and requested the author to pay the money later
on. All the way long, the conductor amused the passengers with his jolly mood and
words of courtesy. That was the reason the people waited for his bus to board on.
One day sitting on the top of the bus the author was reading a book. Suddenly
his sensitive part of the toe was trampled on rather heavily. The writer looked up; it

31
was his friend conductor who was already humbled with his sense of sorry. Although
the author was hurt badly but good behaviour of man healed his pain.

1 B.4 Terms to Remember:

Glossary
undoubtedly : known for certain to be so
discourtesy : not polite
assault and : an attack which includes not only battery threats but the actual use
of violence
burglar : thief who breaks into houses shops etc with the intention of
stealing
retaliate : to do something bad to someone who has done something bad to
you
assailant : an attacker
legislate : to make a law or laws
to box : to fight with the fists (closed hands)
haughty : a high opinion of oneself and often a low position of others
laceration : hurt feelings
slur : a cause of blame
brooding over : spend time thinking anxiously or sadly about something
equilibrium : balance of the mind, emotions
insolent : very rude
martyrdom : the death or suffering of a martyr
morose : very sad and ill tempered
Decalogue : the Ten Commandments
intercourse : dealings with
resentment : anger
ordeal : difficult or painful experience
cheerfully : happily
squared : having no doubt, settled
inexhaulstible : can never be finished
32
solicitious : giving helpful care
uncouth : not having good manners
benediction : a blessing
conciliatory : trying to win friendly feelings
panegyric : a speech or piece of writing praising someone highly
boor : a rude insensitive person

1 B.5 Answers to Check Your Progress:

A) 1. ---b; 2---c; 3---d; 4---a; 5---c.
B) 1. Courtesy is a good investment because in lightening other people’s spirits
by being courteous, he is Lightening his own task.
2. According to A.G. Gardiner, saying ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘excuse me’,
‘much obliged’ etc. are small courtesies. They lighten our work and
sweeten our life.
3. The writer suggests to the angry lift-man that he should have treated the
gentleman who would not say ‘please’ with elaborate politeness.
4. The young liftman threw the passenger out of his lift because the passenger
had refused to say, “Top please”. That is why the young liftman was fined.
5. Good and bad manners affect our daily life very much. Good manners help
the machine of our life oiled and running sweetly. Bad manners infect the
world by poisoning the stream of life.

1 B.6 Exercises:
1. Vocabulary
A. Consult a dictionary and find out the subtle distinction in the following
words.
rob, steal, burgle, thieve
B. Find out the words with prefix 'un' and 'in' in the lesson.
C. Write some adjectives which can be used for a person not having good manners
and for a person having good manners.

33
D. Complete the following table:
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
Offence ---
---- Retaliate
---- --- concessive
Infection ----
----- Apologize
pleasantly

E. Give synonyms and antonyms of the following words:

Word Synonym Word Antonym
assault -- idle --
liberty -- refuse --
deny -- courtesy --
offence -- civil --
vast -- inferior --

2. Skimming and Scanning Questions :

A) Answer the following questions in one sentence each:
1. What was the offence of the young lift-man?
2. What did the lift-man demand from the person entering the lift?
3. Why was the young lift-man in a city office fined?
4. Why did the lift-man throw the passenger out of the lift?
5. Why did Captain Absolute bully his man?
6. What kind of a conductor is regarded as ‘an unpleasant specimen’?
7. Why couldn’t the writer pay the bus fare?
34
 8. When are we apt to become uncivil?
9. How did the conductor behave with old people?
10. How was the conductor with young people?
11. Whom does the writer refer to as ‘an unusually uncouth person’?
3. Comprehension Questions :
A) Answer the following questions in 3 to 4 sentences each:
1. Distinguish between a legal and moral offence.
2. Give some examples of bad behaviour that are not punishable under law.
3. Discuss the importance and effect of good manners.
4. What is natural courtesy? How does it affect the society?
5. How could the liftman take a polite and effective revenge?
6. What compels us to be civil in our social behaviour?
7. What penalty does one have to pay for being discourteous?
8. How does the writer describe ‘a vulgar mind’?
9. What are small courtesies, according to A.G. Gardiner? How do they help
us in our day to day life?
10. What better way of taking revenge does the writer suggest to the angry lift
man?
11. How do good and bad manners affect the people around, according to A.G.
Gardiner?
12. What are the advantages of using “please” and “thank you”, according to
the writer?
13. What is the writer’s advice to the lift-man?
B. Answer each of the following questions in about 50 words.
1. Suggest some ways to encourage people to adopt good moral behaviour.
2. How does the stream of general life get polluted by one's behaviour ?
3. Discuss the necessity of the police and law in the society.

35
C. Write short notes on the following in 8 to 10 sentences each :
1. The lift-man
2. The bus conductor
3. Importance of civilities in social life
4. Writing Activity
A. Write to your mother about the courteous behaviour of a bus conductor, you
have come across recently. (50 words)
B. Prepare a speech to be delivered in the morning assembly on 'Good
manners are Infectious’’ (150 words)
C. Write a paragraph of about 250 words on ‘Value-based Education’.
5. Things to do
Cultivate the habit of saying ‘please’, ‘thank you’ ‘sorry’ etc. Mark its effect on
the people and make its entry in your diary.

1 B.7 Books for Further Reading.

1. The English Character by E. M. Forster
2. Jane Austen’s Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Blunders by
Josephine Ross
3. Alpha of the Plough, "The Vanity of Old Age", Windfalls, J.M. Dent & Sons
Ltd., London, 1920,

36
 Module 2
A) Narration

INDEX
2.A.0 Objectives :
2.A.1 Introduction
2.A.2 Presentation of Subject matter
2.A.2.1 Section – I
Check your progress
2.A.2.2 Section –II
Check your progress
2.A.2.3 Section –III
Check your progress
2.A.3 Answers to Check your progress
2.A.4 Exercises
2.A.5 Answers to Exercises

2.A.0 Objective:
After studying this Module you are going to learn:
• How to narrate or talk about your own experiences.
• How to talk about past events and experiences.
• How to narrate past incidents, reposts making use of appropriate grammar and
vocabulary.

37
2.A.1 Introduction:
After Studying Module No.1, you have acquired the basic skills like Listening,
Speaking, Reading, and Writing along with developing vocabulary that attempts to
help the students of English to develop Reference skill. In this Module you find that
one has to talk about past events and experiences that happened in the past one has to
make use of the past tense. Writing reports of experiment, newspaper reports, general
reports of events/occurrences and events that happened in one’s life are to be
narrated by using past tenses. The speaker or writer should have the knowledge of
first person, third person narrators and the people to whom one is narrating the gist of
the matter.
In learning the skill of ‘Narration’ you need to learn the use of the past tense.
This skill is useful in your social, professional life and it will be quite useful if you
wish to become a creative writer.

2.A.2 Section – I
I) Narration is used for narrating past experiences. It is used in news reports,
storytelling and day-to-day informal conversation. It is usually in some kind of
chronological order. It requires the skill of explaining or telling something to
someone. We like to listen to stories, incidents, events in the life of others.
Sometimes we love even listening to the scary ghost stories around a campfire. The
narrator of a story may be a character having some name or just an outside observer.
This narrator or a character or author’s persona that tells a story has a control on
everything you need to know about the characters and the events.
The Narrator can be a FIRST PERSON narrator where an “I” (occasionally a
“we”) speaks from his/her/their subject position. This kind of narrator is usually a
character in the story interacting with other characters. We see those interactions
through the narrator’s eyes (point of view), and we can’t know the things that
the narrator doesn’t know or doesn’t wish that we should know.
The other type of narration gives us a THIRD PERSON point of view. It is told
by a narrator who projects himself/ herself as not being the part of the story and
generally uses pronouns such as: he, she, it, they, them, their, him, her and its.

38
See for example:
“Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather
difficult to pick on that leaves me with the fabled “warm and fuzzy feelings.” As the
daughter of an Air Force Major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in
many moving trips. I have visited the monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest,
stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon and have jumped on the beds at Caesar’s
Palace in Lake Tahoe. However, I have discovered that when reflecting on my
childhood, it is not the trips that come to mind, instead there are details from
everyday doings; a deck of cards, a silver bank or an ice cream flavor.”
OR
"There was something elusively whimsical about Einstein. It is illustrated by my
favorite anecdote about him. In his first year in Princeton, on Christmas Eve, so the
story goes, some children sang carols outside his house. Having finished, they
knocked on his door and explained they were collecting money to buy Christmas
presents. Einstein listened, then said, "Wait a moment." He put on his scarf and
overcoat, and took his violin from its case. Then, joining the children as they went
from door to door, he accompanied their singing of 'Silent Night' on his violin.
Let’s start with these interesting stories:
What is the difference between the narrations of these two stories?
• In the first story, the narrator (using the first-person pronoun ‘I’) is a character in
the story. We can hear and see only what the narrator hears and sees.
• In the second story, the narrator is an outside observer and plays no part in the
story but can tell us what all the characters are thinking and feeling. He
indirectly tells us that though Einstein was a great scientist he was quite
whimsical.
• Though the narrator of the second story is not a part of the story but he/ she
knows everything. He/she knows all the details about the character (Einstein)
and reveals him to us. Interesting, isn’t it?
When you read newspapers you must see that many of the news items/news
reports do tell something that has happened in the recent past, especially what has
happened on the previous day. The reporter narrates it from his point of view.

39
 You can also narrate some personal experiences or report some past happenings
(as you find in news reports).
Read the following news report for example:
A 16-year-old set sail from Portsmouth harbour on Saturday in a bid to become the
youngest person to sail solo around the world. Michael Perham, who became the
youngest person to cross the Atlantic alone when he was 14, left Portsmouth at 11:10
am aboard a 50-foot (15-metre) yacht, his spokesman Kizzi Nkwoch told AFP. He
will cover 21,600 nautical miles, crossing every single line of longitude and the
equator, in four and a half months, and his only contact with family members back
home will be limited to brief satellite conversations.

This is narrated by a reporter making use of simple past tense. e.g.

told set sail
who became is expected back
will cover he was 14

In such kind of narrations, we find the use of past tense. You know that a
construction turns into past tense either by using verb forms as was/were or is
regularly formed in by attaching–ed to the main verb or by using the past participle
of the main verb.
For example:
i. The last train reached New Delhi in time.
(to reach (v) – reached (simple past))
ii. Gitanjali received a letter from the college office a week ago.
(to receive (v) – received (simple past))
iii. Prakash withdrew one hundred rupees in his first attempt at the ATM.
(to withdraw (v) – withdrew(simple past))
iv. Manoj and Yogesh spent one month in U.S. last year.

40
 (to spend (v) – spent (simple past))
You need to study different types of verbs and try to make a list of them using a
good dictionary and any grammar book from your library. Remember that a good
narrative skill requires a sequence of past and past perfect tense.
The other distinction is of the use of past participle.
We use the verb had and the past participle for the past perfect:
The past perfect is used in the same way as the present perfect, but it refers to a time
in the past, not the present.
See for example:
• When we reached there, we found that he had managed to call his mother.
• She didn’t want to move. She had lived in that village all her life.
• I was sorry when the factory closed. I had worked there since I left school.
• My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had ever had.
• I couldn’t get into the house. I had lost my keys.

Now, see the following example of narration of a personal experience.

After an hour, the train stopped at the next station where five pretty ladies occupied
the remaining berths in my coupe. They were well-dressed, seemed to be literate (I
can’t call them educated because you’ll come to know why). Within a few minutes
after they entered the coupe, they started claiming the berth I was sleeping on as
theirs. They even pulled out an e-ticket (the one you can print when you book a ticket
online) as a proof of their claim. Without even crosschecking the claims, the TTE
(The Travelling Ticket Examiner) raised his voice and asked me to get off my berth.
I tried to explain that I had already shown him my ticket and reminded him that he
himself cross-checked my credentials just an hour back when I boarded the train. But
he was not in a listening mode and demanded I vacate my berth (the upper one)
The other important thing that you should know while narrating experience is the use
of time-markers. While referring your past experiences or memories what do you do?
You try to relate your reflections using some time markers such as BEFORE,

41
LATER, SOON, STILL, EVER SINCE, etc. These time-markers introduce a time
clause (an adverb clause) marking time.
on Saturday later at first during For 15 minutes
during beginning, on time later This is the first time
afternoon ending
hours
See how these/such types of time-markers are used in the following passage:
NEW DELHI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis found himself in an
embarrassing situation when his scheduled public rally in Pune on Saturday gathered
only a handful of people. Fadnavis was in Pune to address a campaign rally in the run
up to the Pune Municipal Corporation polls. However, noting the thin crowd at the
venue, Fadnavis left the city without addressing the meeting. The chief minister later
clarified that he had cancelled the rally due to a miscommunication of time. “I have
cancelled my public meeting at Pune due to miscommunication of time of rally. I
regret for the same,” he said in a tweet. The fiasco occurred as the meeting was
scheduled in the heart of the city during afternoon hours, traditionally siesta time for
Punekars. Fadnavis, who reportedly reached the venue on time, waited for 15
minutes near the stage for a crowd to materialise, but very few people turned up. This
is the first time that the chief minister was forced to cancel a campaign rally during
the ongoing election campaign.
The use of such kind of adverb clause relates the action of the main clause.
For example:
• Caesar came out when he heard the cry of the crowd.
• While waiting for the guests to arrive, we were happy to enjoy reading the
newspaper.
• Later, as she returned to her bedroom, Kadambari looked at herself in the
mirror.
• Before Komal got out of bed, she spent a little time thinking about what she’ll
be doing the rest of the day.

42
Most of the times, these time expressions are needed to arrange the order of actions
in our narration. These expressions help us to arrange our past experience in a
specific chronological order.
For example:
(a) To begin with, Mamta made all necessary preparations for making a cup of tea.
(b) At first, Sonam helped Mamta with a teapot and they put it on the gas- stove.
(c) Then, Mamta added the required amount of milk and water.
(d) Later on, she added a tablespoon of sugar and allowed it to boil.
(e) After some time, she added a teaspoon of tea powder.
(f) In the end, she allowed this mixture to boil for a few more minutes.
(g) At last, they enjoyed their first recipe, their own cup of tea.
Now, you can narrate the third person (she, they) tea-making experience in the first
person (I) narration in the following manner.

How I prepared my first cup of tea

Last evening some of my friends came to my house. My mother was not at home. So
I myself had to make tea for my friends. I seated them in the drawing room. Then I
went to the kitchen and lighted a stove. I put some water into the kettle and placed it
on the stove. After some time the water began to boil. Now I put some tealeaves and
sugar into the boiling water. Again I let it boil for a few seconds. Then I added milk
to it. The tea was ready to serve. It gave a very good flavour. I poured it into the tea-
pot and covered the tea-pot with a lid. I arranged the tea-pot, cups and saucers in a
tray and served to my friends.
I was happy that they all liked it.
Check your progress
2.A.2 Section – 1 TASK 1
Rewrite the following sentences using appropriate simple past OR past perfect
forms of the verbs given in the brackets:
1. I found the wallet that he had (keep) in the cupboard for me.
43
2. She hit me from my back and (ask) me whether I (recognize) her.
3. He went on a long drive when he (get) the key of his father’s bike.
4. When the two friends Gitanjali and Kadambari (come) home they (see) that their
parents were already there.
5. I could not send you an email because I (lose) your email ID.
6. The rain washed away the home that the poor farmer had recently (build) for
him.
7. They (finish) their homework and went out to play.
8. Lalit (eat) all the food that Gitanjali had (cook) that evening.
9. She (recognize) him even in the Army Uniform.
(b) Complete the following piece of incomplete narration with the help of
appropriate time-markers and linkers.
A Chairperson of the housing society put an advertisement – paying guest
accommodation for deserving girls—undergraduate girl students of B. A. I attended
the interactive session – the Chairperson not happy with their English – nobody
spoke in English - there was Akash – a boy from a village but very active – was
waiting outside the gate of the society – knew that accommodation was only for girls
– Chairperson lady looked out of the window – sent the watchman to call him in –
Akash presented in pleasant manner and in good English- Chairperson made an
exception to her own rule – he was willing to undertake petty jobs like bringing
grocery for the senior citizens- he got the paying guest accommodation.
(c) Narrate your experience:
Narrate your college tour experience (the places you visited like Raanchi,
Bhopal, terrible winter etc)
2.A.2.2 Section – II
Use of linking words and phrases:
When you narrate an event in the past or your experience a few years ago, you
need to use time-linkers to link clauses and sentences in a paragraph. See, for
example, the expressions in the following paragraph:

44
BRAVE Samuel Thorne visited his house in seven months today in what was a
precursor to his fulltime return home late this year.
The Logan schoolboy was struck down by a severe case of a rare neurological
condition, transverse myelitis which extensively damaged his brain stem and spinal
cord, confining him to a wheelchair and requiring constant ventilation.
He does, have movement in his right foot which enables him to steer his wheelchair.
Samuel, 10, toured his Meadowbrook house and joined his family watching the Rio
Olympic Games coverage in the lounge room where Australian Emma McKeon’s
swim of a lifetime (bronze medal, 200m freestyle) put a smile on his face.
He had not been back to his family home since being admitted to Lady Cilento
Hospital last December with the life-threatening, rare neurological illness.
You need linkers or linking expressions which express intention, reasons,
purpose, contrast, consequence, comparison, to make additions, to give illustrations
and to give examples, etc.
While narrating, time markers, linking words and phrases can be helpful in
presenting your views and opinions effectively. These linkers are used for various
purposes such as supporting our opinions, giving emphasis, showing agreement or
disagreement or other such common purposes of communication.
However, these words have different meanings, nuances, and connotations.
Before using a particular linker, be sure of its meaning and usage.
Some of the linking words and phrases are as follows:
Linking words used to show effect, result or consequences:
In consequence, as a result, for, consequently, under those circumstances, thus,
therefore, in that case, because, thereupon, for this reason, henceforth, hence,
accordingly, hence, etc.
Linking words used for your agreement or showing similarity:
Initially, in the first place, again, moreover, not only ... but also, as well as, as a
matter of fact, together with, in addition, likewise, comparatively, in the same
fashion, similarly, furthermore, by the same way, etc.

45
Linking words used in supporting examples, emphasis or point of view:
In other words, to put it differently, in fact, in particular, as an illustration, to be sure,
in detail, in this case, for this reason, to put it another way, that is to say, with
attention to, by all means, surely, certainly, absolutely etc.
Linking words used to suggest time/chronology:
at the present time, after, henceforth, from time to time, later, whenever, sooner or
later, eventually, until, meanwhile, further, to begin with, since, during, in due time,
as soon as, prior to, by the time, all of a sudden, immediately, formerly, suddenly,
presently, finally, occasionally, etc
Linking words used to suggest space, location or place:
in the middle, here, further, to the left/right, beyond that, on this side, in the
distance, here and there, in the background, in the centre of, opposite to, near, above,
below, under, between, across, behind, alongside, etc.
Linking words used in showing opposition / limitation / contradiction:
although, although this may be true, but, in contrast. still instead, different from,
unlike, whereas, of course ... but, despite, on the other hand, on the contrary,
otherwise, at the same time, however, in spite of, besides, rather, above all,
notwithstanding, after all, in reality, etc.
Linking words used in cause/ condition / purpose:
in the event that, in this case, then, provided that, as / so long as, unless, given that,
on (the) condition (that), even if, with this intention, so as to, in the hope that,
while, due to, in view of, because of, etc.
There are many more linking words. It is necessary for you to learn the use of these
link words and linking expressions to make your writing logically acceptable.
For example:

• As soon as she landed in Mumbai, she got a good job.

• Will you please ask her to respond to my email quickly?
• While she was on board of the ship she enjoyed watching other ships.
• The boy troubled his mother all the while when she was shopping.

46
• During the rainy season farmers did lot of water harvesting.
• By the time our breakfast reached our table we had no desire to eat.
• Before we could get an umbrella we were all wet.
• He studied until midnight last night.
• She had looked after the baby until I came back from a three-day holiday.

2.A.2.2 Section – II TASK 2

Use the following linking words or connecting/cohesive devices in your own
sentences suggesting various purpose/s.
linking words/connecting/cohesive devices to
ADDITION TIME PLACE COMPARISION CONTRAST
furthermore immediately opposite to in the same way nevertheless
in addition meantime beyond similarly on the contrary
even more simultaneously nearby in like manner and yet
finally until now adjacent to in similar fashion on the other
hand
besides sometimes below likewise at the same
time

2.A.2 Section – III

Some more examples of Narration :
Narration is not always narration of action or event. It may be narration of
details of life of someone. There may not be a single word or linking expression as
above, but there is a sequence of sentences according to birth, schooling, higher
education, achievements in person’s life. For example, see how the biographical
details of a person are expanded into a small paragraph:

47
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a prominent Indian scientist who served as the 11th
President of India from 2002 to 2007. Renowned for his pivotal role in the nation’s
civilian space programme and military missile development, he was known as the
Missile Man of India. He made significant contributions to India’s Pokhran-II
nuclear tests in 1998 which established him as a national hero. An alumnus of the
prestigious Madras Institute of Technology, Kalam began his career as a scientist at
the Aeronautical of Development Establishment of the Defence Research and
Development Organization (DRDO). He was later transferred to the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) where he served as the project director of India’s first
Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLVIII). He eventually rejoined DRDO and became
closely involved in India’s space programme. he served as the Chief Scientific
Adviser to the Prime Minister in the 1990s before becoming the President of India in
2002. Immensely popular during his term, he earned the moniker of People’s
President. He was honored with several awards including the Bharat Ratna, India’s
highest civilian honour, for his contribution to the nation’s space and nuclear
programme.
See another example of the first-person narration by the great English writer Charles
Dickens where he is telling of his childhood memories and his association with his
late father:
‘I was a posthumous child. My father’s eyes had closed upon the light of this world
six months, when mine opened on it. There is something strange to me, even now, in
the reflection that he never saw me; and something stranger yet in the shadowy
remembrance that I have of my first childish associations with his white gravestone
in the churchyard, and of the indefinable compassion I used to feel for it lying out
alone there in the dark night, when our little parlour was warm and bright with fire
and candle, and the doors of our house were—almost cruelly, it seemed to me
sometimes—bolted and locked against it.’
You can narrate an event or a story as the third person or an observer. For example, a
news item is a narration by a third person or a reporter. The same story or an event
can be narrated by the person involved in the event, but with a third person point of
view. Few changes occur in such a narration. Read the following incident:

48
My father was busy in the kitchen. He sent me to go to the grocer and get some salt.
Our house is located out of the town. I took my bicycle and went to the town. There
was a huge crowd in the grocery shop. I kept the bicycle in the nearby lane.
Unfortunately, I forgot to put a lock. When I returned with the salt, I was shocked to
see the empty place where my bicycle was kept. My bicycle was lost! I enquired in
the surrounding area, asked many persons but nobody knew about it. I did not know
how to face my father. I was quite frightened. I told my mother about the tragic loss
of our bicycle. She shouted at me. I could only hang my head and listen! I could not
believe my eyes when I saw my own friend riding merrily to my home on my
bicycle. I was relieved.
This is a brief account of what happened with the narrator.
You have already seen how past tense and past continuous tense are used in
narratives like this. This gives you a good example of the use of past tense. Note the
following expressions:
My father wanted to..., He sent me to..., I took my bicycle ..., There was a huge
crowd in the grocery shop..., I kept my bicycle..., I forgot to..., When I returned..., I
was shocked, bicycle was lost..., I enquired..., etc.
The narrator has given almost all details of the incident. But this is narrated from
the first-person narrator’s point of view. You can change the narrator also. You can
rewrite this incident from the ‘Father’s Point of View’.
How will the narrator’s father narrate it from his point of view? What changes
will be there in the narration if the same incident is told by ‘the father’? Try to
rewrite it in the father’s point of view.
2.A.2. Section – III TASK 3
Take any news item from the newspapers like ‘Times of India’ or ‘Indian
Express’.Try to rewrite it / narrate it from your point of view (first person narration).

49
2.A.3 Answers to Check your progress
2.A.2.1 Section – 1 TASK 1
A) Rewrite the following sentences using appropriate simple past OR past
perfect forms of the verbs given in the brackets:
1. I found the wallet that he had kept in the cupboard for me.
2. She hit me from my back and asked me whether I recognized her.
3. He went on a long drive when he got the key of his father’s bike.
4. When the two friends Gitanjali and Kadambari came home they saw that
their parents were already there.
5. I could not send you an email because I had lost your email ID.
6. The rain washed away the home that the poor farmer had recently built for
him.
7. They finished their homework and went out to play.
8. Lalit ate all the food that Gitanjali had cooked that evening.
9. She recognized him even in the Army Uniform.
(b) Complete the following piece of incomplete narration with the help of
appropriate time-markers and linkers.
A Chairperson of the housing society put an advertisement for paying guest
accommodation for deserving girls. Then undergraduate girl students of B. A. I
attended the interactive session but the Chairperson not happy with their
English because nobody spoke in English. Besides the girls, there was Akash
who was a boy from a village but very active. That time, he was waiting
outside the gate of the society but he knew that accommodation was only for
girls. When the Chairperson Lady looked out of the window, she sent the
watchman to call him in. When Akash presented in pleasant manner and in
good English the Chairperson made an exception to her own rule because he
was willing to undertake petty jobs like bringing grocery for the senior citizens.
Finally, he got the paying guest accommodation.

50
(c) Narrate your experience:
A Visit to The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a historical building which is famous all over world. It is one
of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is situated at Agra. It was built in 1631 by
the famous Mughal Emperor, Shah Jehan in the sweet memory of his favourite
wife Mumtaj. Our college tour visited the Taj Mahal last Sunday. It was a
moon-lit night. We were simply dazzled by the beauty of the Taj situated on the
banks of the Jamuna River. Before reaching the building, we had to pass through
a passage with symmetrical cypress trees on either side. We were excited to see
the lofty spiral minarets arising out of the main building on a raised platform, a
paragon of architectural beauty and excellence. We visited the marble tombs of
Shah Jehan and his wife in the middle of the main building. We observed with
great deference and reverence the carved verses from the holy Koran on the
walls. We really enjoyed the trip to Agra.
2.A.2.2 Section – II TASK 2
Use the following linking words or connecting/cohesive devices in your own
sentences suggesting various purpose/s.
ADDITION:
furthermore: The house is beautiful. Furthermore, it’s in a good location.
in addition: people get valuable experience in work, and , in addition,
employers can afford to employ them.
ever more: He promised to love her evermore, if she would consent to his wife.
finally: we are making a steady progress and may finally finish the project.
besides:- She wants to learn more languages, besides, English and French.
TIME:
immediately: I will make that call immediately.
meantime: Meantime, he had been attentive to his other interests.
simultaneously: The two gunshots were simultaneous.

51
 until now : Until now, he has travelled a lot.
sometimes: His jokes are funny, but sometimes he goes too far.
PLACE:
opposite to: The two walls are opposite to each other.
beyond: We passed the hotel and drove a bit beyond to see the Ocean.
nearby: I'll be nearby if you need anything.
adjacent to: Their house is adjacent to a wooded park.
below: The sun dipped below the horizon.
COMPARISON:
in the same way: we can clear this semester in the same way the last one.
similarly: The houses are similar in design.
in like manner: Te children finished their dinner in like manner the parents
should do.
in similar fashion: You can complete the given task in similar fashion as your
friends.
likewise: The new rules will affect you likewise.
CONTRAST:
nevertheless: He nevertheless kept his eyes wide open.
on the contrary: I don’t think it is difficult problem; on the contrary, it is
very simple to solve.
on the other hand: He's a good guy. His brother, on the other hand, is a very
selfish man.
at the same time: The project submission is going on. The preparation of the
seminar should be done at the same time.

52
2.A.2 Section – III TASK 3
Rewriting of news from first person point of view:
While I was going to Sangli on my bike, I saw an accident of the school bus on
the Kolhapur –Sangli highway. I was shocked to see that the drivers of a school bus
and a trailer and the trailer's cleaner were killed while 22 students were injured when
the two vehicles collided at Malephata in Chokak village on the Kolhapur-Sangli
road on Tuesday morning. The injured students have been admitted to private
hospitals with minor injuries. The bus was ferrying the students from areas near
Kolhapur to the school in Atigre on Kolhapur-Sangli road. Investigations suggest the
trailer driver lost control, broke the divider and rammed the bus at around 8.30am.
Trailer driver Suresh Khot and cleaner Sachin Khilare died on the spot. Bus driver
Jaysing Chougule died in hospital. Kolhapur superintendent of police Sanjay Mohite
said Chougule tried to avoid the trailer. I still remember that shocking incident
whenever I pass through that road.

2.A.4 Exercises:
1. Describe the most memorable incident in your life.
2. Complete the following narratives by using your imagination.
a) A beggar – in the bus stand – begging for something to eat - two rich
students boarding the bus – their wallet falls down – the beggar runs
after the bus shouting “wallet, wallet” – the bus stops – students are
overwhelmed – offer a hundred rupee note – he denies and takes only
ten rupees to eat vada-paav – students report the incident to their father
– the beggar is rewarded for his honesty – is given the charge of the
farm labourers – honesty gives the beggar a happy living.
b) Dipak – a rich farmer – not happy with limited wealth from farming –
visits relatives and friends and breaks families by creating
misunderstanding among members of the family – accumulates wealth
with the help of corrupt police – tries to play his trick in honest but
very intelligent teacher’s family- the matter reaches higher courts –
misguides society – wise judges give right verdict- Dipak is dragged to
court – is punished for his crimes – the teacher leads a happy life
ahead.

53
 B) In Passion’s Shadow
Mohan Rakesh
Contents
2.B.0 Objectives
2.B.1 Introduction
2.B.2 Presentation of Subject Matter
2.B.2.1 Check your progress
2.B.3 Terms to Remember
2.B.4 Answers to check your progress
2.B.5 Exercises and their Answers
2.B.6 Writing Activity
2.B.7 Books for Further Reading

2.B.0 Objectives :
After studying this Module, you are going to learn:
• About Mohan Rakesh as an Indian writer writing in Hindi.
• Some important features of short story as a form of literature.
• Indian family life and its tradition.
• Parent children relationship.

2.B.1 Introduction:
Mohan Rakesh (1925 - 1972): Mohan Rakesh was a famous Hindi playwright
of India. But he was popularly recognized as an author of fiction. Mohan Rakesh was
born in Amritsar, Punjab in 1925. His family background was somewhat
conservative. He completed postgraduate degrees in Sanskrit and Hindi, and started
writing short stories at an early age. He edited a literary journal ‘Sarika’ for some
time. After a few stints at teaching he took up freelancing as a profession because of
54
his temperament. He was a rebel and wanderer. His small body of plays can be
mentioned as Ashadh ka ek din (One Day in Ashadha) (1958), Lahron ke rajhans
(Swans of the Waves), Adhe-adhure (One Half Unfinished) and the unfinished Pair
tale ki zamin (Ground Beneath the Feet).
He brought a completely new sensibility to the realistic genre of Indian Drama.
Thematically, his primary interest lay in human relations. He focused on man woman
relationship in the contexts of conflict within a creative artist in Ashadh Ka Ek Din,
conflict between material and spiritual in Lahron Ka Rajhans, and fast-changing
values of middleclass urban life in Adhe-adhure. However, in all these plays he
emphasized a restless search, clearly a manifestation of his own life experience. He
always stressed the meaningful relationships beyond existing social norms, creative
expression without compromises, and stability without losing one’s self.

2.B.2 Content :
I had seen Pushpa for the first time drawing water at the hand pump. She had
eyes like thin sea shells. When she looked at me twice or thrice, I had felt that either
my hair had grown greyer than usual or I was looking four or five years younger.
Otherwise there could have been no reason for her to look at me with complete trust
as if saying “Would you like to play hide & seek.”
Pushpa must have been thirteen years old or at the most fourteen. She was fair
of complexion. It would take her two or three years to attain maidenhood. Yet her
eyes showed awareness of the meaning of youth which comes generally at this age;
as if she was surprised that she alone knew why the rose is red.
“You can fill your bucket first,” Pushpa had said to me removing her own
bucket. Thinking that she had offered this to respect my greying hair, I had replied,”
No, you fill up first.”
“You have to go to office so you had better fill up yours first,” she had said. I
had felt happy that she knew about my existence, what I did and the consideration
was not only on account of my greying hair.
“What is your name?” I had asked her filling up my bucket. “Pushpa” she had
replied with a little hesitation.
“Which class do you study in?”

55
 She had replied with some the same hesitation,”I don’t go to school.”
“Why?” I had asked. I was surprised that a girl with such beautiful eyes does not
go to school. Normally I don’t enter into conversation with girls because they are in
the habit of attaching importance even to casual conversation. But Pushpa had not
yet reached the age when a girl is to be treated as a girl.
“I don’t live here,” she had said in a manner as if my question was irrelevant. “I
have come with my father from the village. Bapu has some work here. As soon as it
finishes we shall return home.”
I had noticed that her eyes had not yet learnt to blush like a young girl. She had
come from the village and will go back to the village. The yellow ‘sarson’ flowers
will be her playmates and she will grow up on the delicious and delicate stems of
‘sarson’ saag. Someone will sing Heer at night and she will listen to it with rapt
attention. If not that, the music of the breeze at night will lull her to sleep. She will
get up in the morning and tend the cattle. Some will loll around in the stream as long
as she wants. Her wet hair will dry of their own and she will be oblivious of the fact.
She will not be bothered with arithmetic. Geography will not have to go through
dictionaries to find meanings of words in poems. In fact wherever she goes she will
give birth to poetry.
Suddenly I had found that I was still working the hand pump although my
bucket was already full and the water was over-flowing. To cover my absent-
mindedness and to thank Pushpa for her courtesy in letting me fill up my bucket first,
I had picked it up and filled up Pushpa’s bucket.
“Oh,” she had said, getting back a little, “My bucket has been touched.”
“Touched?” I had asked insulted.
Pushpa had caught the hint of my remark and said by way of apology, “I had
brought my bucket after cleaning it. Yours has not been cleaned.”
I had reminded myself that unless the bucket is cleaned with some ash and earth,
it is not considered having been properly cleaned. After that it matters little whether
the place where it is put is filthy and littered with twigs used as tooth brushes. “I had
also cleaned mine in the morning,” I had lied to her. To lie comes easy to me. I lie
without reason, several times during the day. I like it, honestly. Anyone does not tell
a lie openly tells it all the time inwardly. And anyone who tells a lie in his mind is
56
more dangerous than me because he claims to speak the truth and is therefore a
bigger lier.
Pushpa had smiled, emptied her bucket, picked up some earth from the ground
and had started cleaning her bucket. I had started filling my bucket again.
Someone had shouted for her, “Pushpi.”
“Coming Bapu,” she had replied.
“Haven’t you filled up your bucket yet?”
“Not yet Bapu.”
“Hurry up,” he had said adding a curse.
I had looked up and found a tall, old Jat tying his turban standing in the
verandah upstairs in house nearby. Not only was his voice rough, he had sharp,
pointed beard as if it was used for slaughtering chickens. His eyes appeared
bloodshot as if he had spent the night in drinking. He had wiped his hands on the
beard after tying his turban and had shouted again, “Hurry up you wretch unless you
want a good beating.”
Seeing that my bucket was only half filled, I had started working on the hand
pump faster. The Jat had turned his backs towards us. Pushpa had looked at me and
smiled as if saying “A father’s curses do not affect a daughter.”
I had seen Pushpa twice or thrice after that. I do not know why but I had started
associating her with red velvety flowers. In my younger days I used to wear such
flower in my button hole.
I had also seen Pushpa’s father twice or thrice- brushing his teeth with a twig or
tying his turban or cursing her. I associated him with birds’ droppings which start
melting after a heavy rain and start trickling down tin roofs.
That day while returning from office, I had gone barely a furlong from the
Nakodar bus stand when I noticed that the old man was walking almost by my side. I
started walking faster. He also increased his pace. I slowed down. He did likewise.
I cannot bear to keep pace with anyone while walking because I feel that the
person not only expects me to keep pace with him but also expects me to think like

57
him. But if someone walks by my side I somehow like it because he keeps pace with
me but keeps busy in his own thoughts.
To draw my attention he asked, “Where are you going Babuji?”
“To Model Town,” I replied in a tone which conveyed that I belonged to a
higher strata and was walking merely because I liked evening walks.
“I am also going there,” he said, “Do you know Dr Gurbux Singh Madan? He is
from our village. We stay with him when we come to town. Then coming nearer he
added, “While walking two are better than a loner.”
Trying to be more familiar he asked, “Do you belong to these parts?”
“No,” I replied.
“Since when are you in Jullundur then?” he asked
To satisfy his curiosity about me once and for all I considered it appropriate to
answer all his questions at one go. I told him that I was there since the last two
months; I worked as Assistant Supervisor in the Secretariat; the salary was Rs. 120/-
p.m. and there were possibilities of extra income. I was still a bachelor but was on
the lookout for a suitable girl and that I was a graduate. I added that among
vegetables, I like cauliflower, among fruits I was partial to mangoes, every Sunday I
massaged myself with mustard oil, my food was cooked for me by a man from
Gadhwal aged around forty years and the cleaning was done by his daughter aged
around twenty.
After telling him all this I said to myself – let us see if he has anything else to
ask. The Jat had still more to ask, “Why has the servant not married off his daughter
yet?”
This was almost the limit. But I did not lose patience. I pride myself on the fact
that I do not lose patience easily, “She is a widow,” I gave a factual reply considering
that perhaps the question was natural.
“If she is a widow,” said the Jat, “then he must be looking for someone to settle
her with.”
If I had been a student of current history and customs, I would have ascertained
from the Gadhwali what he intended to do for her. But my connection with history
had ended with Temur’s wars. Regardless, I considered it necessary to reply to the
58
Jat. To while away the time I said, “I think he is looking around but it will all depend
on the girl’s luck.”
“Is she good looking?” asked the Jat. I noticed signs of virility appearing in the
old bones.
“She is not only good looking but also has a sweet temperament,” I replied
wanting to add a touch of romance to the conversation.
“Really,”said the Jat. “Is she hardworking also?” “No,” I said, “She is lazy but
talks a lot.” “It is difficult to work hard with the heat of youth in the veins,” observed
the Jat. Enjoying his remark, I looked at him. I found his eyes covetous like those of
a hungry tomcat. His lips were wet. To break his train of thought, I looked off me
one of my shoes, started cleaning it and said, “Walking on these dirty, Kuchcha roads
ruins the shoes, Sardaji.” He paid no heed to my attempt at changing the subject.
Continuing with his train of thought he said, “Babuji, is it possible to meet your
Gadhwali?” “Why?” I asked looking towards him, and felt as if the shadow of
passion I had perceived earlier on his face had become keener and deeper.
“I need a wife, Babuji,” he said, “I am a Zamindar. I have four acres of land in a
nearby village; five acres I have in Karnal district. I am the Nambardar of the village
there. My wife is dead. There is a young daughter in the house. If I marry her off,
there would be no-one to look after me. I also have a cow and two buffalos. If there
is a woman in the house, she can look after the Cattle and I can also be taken care
of.” He caught me by the arm and said entertaining, “Kindly help me in this and I
would be ever so grateful.”
As he spoke, his voice gave me different meaning of his words. He seemed to be
saying “Even though I am old, I have nine acres of land. There are Cattle in the
house and everything else. It lacks only a woman. Please help me to get green
fodder for these hungry bones.”
To somehow get out of the situation I said, “Gadhwalis do not marry Panjabis,
Sardarji. He will only gi….. to a Gadhwali.” This was a damper for him. I felt that
his moustaches had limped. He sighed and said, “I am not destined to succeed it
seems. I had heard that one and a half year’s efforts have all been a waste of time.
Doctor Sahib had fixed a woman for four hundred rupees but seeing my grey beard
she also backed out.”

59
 “You need someone to look after the house,” I said, “Why don’t you employ a
servant?”
“A servant is not sufficient.” he replied, “It is after all a Zamindar’s household.
There are guests to be looked after. Also the Cattle. Only a wife can do all this.”
“So you want a young woman to look after you as well as milk the Cattle.”
“Why would she milk the Cattle, Sir,” he replied, “she would sit in comfort in
the house. I am here to milk the Cattle.”
To see how far he was prepared to bargain, I said, “At this age, Sardarji, if you
get someone, she would have passed through many hands. Would you be prepared to
take such a woman?”
There was glow again on his face. He caught me by the arm and said, “I am
certain you have someone Babuji, I am dead certain.”
I had not imagined that my remarks could convey such an impression. To clear
the air I said, “ I did not mean that. I said that only to express an opinion.” “ You
definitely have someone, Babuji,” he insisted with entreaties, “Please help me.
Assure me that you have someone.”
I looked at him from head to foot. Even his eyebrow had greyed. The eyes had
shrunk to mere points. The skin of the cheeks was hanging loose. Half the teeth were
missing; the rest had decayed badly. Every time he spoke, spit smeared his white
beard. And he was asking me for an assurance that I had a woman who can be his
fodder, who can offer her youth to him because he is a Zamindar, because he has a
cow and two buffalos. His purse has power though his bones may be weak. “Do
please tell me honestly, Babuji,” said the Jat again agitated and impatient. “I do not
know anyone,” I replied in a slow tone.
Model Town was in front of us. As soon as we reached the Pucca Road, I saw
Pushpa, who was waiting for her father in the verandah. I was again reminded of the
red velvety flower. I asked the Jat, “You would be our neighbor for a few more days,
Sardarji, won’t you?”
“No,” he replied, “we are going back to our village tomorrow. There is no hope
here. Let me go and try again in the village. If nothing else, let me see if an exchange
can be arranged.”

60
 “An exchange?” I asked surprised.
“We have this custom, Babuji,” he said. “An exchange can be arranged between
two equal status housed if they can offer equal for exchange. Let us see if this can be
organized.”
I saw Pushpa waiting. “A father’s curse is going to fall on her soon”, I said to
myself.
2.B.2.1 Check your progress :
A. Write answers of the following questions in one word / one phrase/one
sentence.
1 When and where did the narrator see Pushpa for the first time?
2 What age did the narrator guess Pushpa to be?
3 Why did Pushpa offer her turn to fill the bucket to the narrator?
4 What made the narrator happy when Pushpa first spoke to him?
5 In which class did Pushpa study?
6 Why does the narrator not enter into conversation with girls?
7 Whose bucket was already full and the water was overflowing?
8 Who lies several times during the day?
B. Complete the following statements by choosing the best alternatives:
1. Pushpa ................. her bucket and started to clean her bucket.
a) Filled b) emptied c) patted d) touched
2. The narrator saw the old Jat tying his turban in the standing in ................. of
the house nearby.
a) balcony b) verandah c) corridor d) door
3. The Jat had such a sharp, pointed beard that the narrator thought it could be
used for slaughtering .................
a) pigeons b) goats c) chickens d) lions
4. The narrator had started associating Pushpa with ................. flowers.
a) red b) yellow c) orange d) velvety
5. The narrator associated the Jat, Pushpa’s father with birds’ ................. that
start trickling down tin roofs.

61
 a) feathers b) nests c) droppings d) clipped tails
6. When the narrator went from the Nakobar bus stand he saw the .................
was walking by his side.
a) young girl b) old lady c) village priest d) old man
7. The narrator replied that he was going to .................
a) Model Town b) Jullundur c) Gadhwal d) Chandigarh
8. The narrator told him that he was in the town since last ................. months.
a) ten b) five c) two d) three
2.B.3 Terms to Remember:
blush : to show shyness on the face, the natural quality of a young girl.
Playmates : companions to play with
Heer : the traditional Panjabi folk song expressing separation of the
lover and the beloved
yield : give way to arguments, demands, or pressure
rapt attention : bound for a certain destination
breeze : a gush of fresh cool air
littered : spread
wretch : an abuse
trickling : slowly coming down
higher strata : rich class in society
loner : alone
ascertain : to confirm the truth
virility : having a strong capability of manliness
entreating : requesting in very polite manner
damper : disheartening
destined : having a possibility of happening something
shrunk : had become small
smeared : covered
agitated : angry

62
2.B.4 Answers to check your progress :
A. Skimming and Scanning Questions:
1. The narrator saw Pushpa for the first time drawing water at the hand pump.
2. Thirteen or at the most fourteen.
3. Because she thought that he wanted to go to office.
4. When Pushpa first spoke to the narrator, he felt happy that she knew about
his existence.
5. Pushpa did not go to school.
6. Because they are in the habit of attaching importance even to casual
conversation.
7. The narrator’s bucket was full and the water was overflowing.
8. The narrator lies several times during the day.
B. Complete the following statements by choosing the best alternatives:
1. b) emptied
2. b) verandah
3. c) chickens
4. d) velvety
5. c) droppings
6. d) old man
7. a) Model Town
8. c) two
2.B.5 Exercises and their Answers
I. Comprehension Questions :
A) Answer the following questions in 3 to 4 sentences each:
1. How was the first meeting of the narrator and Pushpa?
Ans: The first meeting of the narrator and Pushpa was very much interesting.
While the narrator was going to draw water at the hand pump, Pushpa looked at the
narrator twice or thrice and the narrator felt that either his hair had grown greyer than
usual or he was looking four or five years younger. As if she was calling the narrator
for playing the game of hide and seek.
63
2. Why did the narrator’s bucket start to overflow?
Ans: The narrator’s bucket started to overflow because he was involved into
conversation with Pushpa regarding her education and place. When she told him that
she did not go to school, the narrator imagined about her enjoying life with the
yellow ‘Sarson’ flowers and her listening of the song Heer and her involvement with
Arithmetic and Geography. In fact, the narrator thought that wherever she would go
she would give birth to poetry. As a result, the narrator’s bucket started to overflow.
3. Why was the narrator surprised when Pushpa told him that she didn’t go to
school?
Ans: When Pushpa told him that she didn’t go to school, the narrator was
surprised because a girl with such beautiful eyes did not go to school. It was the idea
of the narrator that such a beautiful girl might be going school.
4. Why had Pushpa come to Jullundur?
Ans: Pushpa had come to Jullundur form her village because her father, a
widower, was in search of a wife for himself. While her father’s search was going on
for a suitable wife, Pushpa was looking after him during his stay at Jullundur.
5. What did the narrator imagine about Pushpa’s life in the village?
Ans: The narrator imagined about Pushpa’s life in the village that she might be
enjoying her life with the yellow ‘Sarson’ flowers and her listening of the song Heer
and her involvement with Arithmetic and Geography. In fact, the narrator thought
that wherever she would go she would give birth to poetry.
6. How did Pushpa clean her bucket?
Ans: When the narrator filled Pushpa’s bucket, she shocked a little and emptied
her bucket and started cleaning it by picking up some earth from the ground. It is not
considered having been the bucket is properly cleaned without cleaning it with some
ash and earth.
7. Who is more dangerous than who according to the narrator as far as telling lies
is concerned?
Ans: According to the narrator the person who does not tell a lie openly tells it
all the time inwardly. And anyone who tells a lie in his mind and he claims to speak

64
the truth all the time and is therefore a bigger lier and more dangerous as far as
telling lies is concerned.
8. How did the Jat treat Pushpa when she took some to return home?
Ans: When Pushpa took some to return home from the water hand pump, her
father, the Jat, treated her very badly by scolding her and giving bad words and also
threatening to beat her before the narrator.
B. Write short notes on following in 8 to 10 sentences each:
1. Pushpa’s father
2. The meeting of Pushpa’s father with the narrator
3. The Jat’s ideas about marrying off the daughter
4. The narrator’s description about himself to the Jat
5. The custom of ‘Exchange’ as described by the Jat
II Vocabulary Exercises:
A. Complete the following table filling in the appropriate form of the given
words.
VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE ADVERB
draw drawing - -
consider consideration considerate considerately
clean cleanness clean cleanly
entreat entreaty entreating entreatingly
destine destiny destined -

B. Give Synonyms of the following words:

1. draw : pull, draw
2. trust : belief, faith
3. hesitation : unwilling, misgiving
4. beautiful : fair, attractive
65
 5. delicious : edible, delightful
6. hint: clue, suggest

2.B.6 Writing activity:

1. Comment on the effective portrayal of gender politics and inhuman treatment
given to the girl child in India.
2. Express your honest opinion on the Jat as an old father having no affection for
his young daughter.
3. Describe the picture of the society in Punjab as you know from the story.

2.B.7 Books for Further Reading:

Watch the cine play Aadhe Adhure by Mohan Rakesh
online : http://www.cineplay.com/pages/adhe-ad...
Kanya-Daan by Vijay Tendulkar

66
 Module 3
A) English for General Purposes

Index :
3.A.0 Objectives
3.A.1 Introduction
3.A.2 Presentation of subject matter
3.A.2.1 Task – 1 Check your progress.
3.A.2.2 Task – 2 Check your progress.
3.A.2.3 Task – 3 Check your progress.
3.A.4. Answers to Check your progress
3.A.5.Additional Exercises:

3.0 Objectives :
After studying this unit you will be able to-

Understand common forms of communication.

Learn the language skills especially speaking and writing.

Understand use of English in formal and informal communications.

Learn how English is used for sending SMS and writing e-mails.

3.1 Introduction :
Now-a-days, language is one of the most esteemed properties of man. It is a
repository of wisdom. Eventually English language became a link of the World.
Though English is not our first language, it has become an integral part of India.
Consequently the demand of English for General Purposes (EGP) has increased in
India. English for General Purposes is not a grammar teaching. It is designed to meet
learner’s day-to-day common needs. It should be learner-centered. A learner should
be well acquainted with practical use of English language. As EGP is an exhaustive
topic, it is not possible to deal with all its aspects. Hence, a precise area is considered

67
in the present unit.
The present unit focuses on the day-to-day common communicative needs and
practices of the students. In the present unit you are going to study a certain language
skills especially speaking and writing. A learner can acquire these skills through
consistent practice. Here, you are introduced greetings, friendly communications and
self-introductions, formal conversation, making small talk with a stranger, interacting
at market place, writing SMS, writing e-mails, etc.

3.2 Presentation of subject matter :

3.2.1 Section 1
I) Friendly communications:
Conversation is the most common form of communication. It links people
together. In conversation, there is an oral, informal or friendly exchange of feelings,
views, ideas, etc. Many times we converse with our friends, relatives and colleagues.
A friendly communication begins with a topic between the speaker and the listener in
which both of them have some interest. During the course of conversation, call
listener by his or her name and look at him or her while speaking.
a) Friendly greetings on Special Occasion:
Special greetings are expressed during the festivals and anniversaries. Such
greetings are pleasant compliments that create a healthy relationship among the
friends and relatives. Study the following examples of greetings exchanged during
the festivals and anniversaries:
: Happy Diwali! : Happy New Year!
: Merry Christmas! : Id Mubarak!
: Happy Birthday! : Happy Anniversary!
: Many Many Happy Returns of the day.
Many times greetings are also a message of good wish to somebody’s health,
happiness, etc. Such greetings help to develop friendly and healthy relations. Study
the following examples of greetings that we use commonly:
: Have a good day!
: Wish you a successful day!
68
 : God bless you!
: All the best !
: Good luck!
: Nice day to you!
: A happy journey to you!
: Safe journey to you!
: Best of luck!
: Come out with flying colours!
You may express the special greetings in both formal and informal situations.
Moreover, you may express cheerful greetings in your friendly conversation.While
expressing greetings be always polite and cheerful and feel interested in what is
being said. Don’t be argumentative because it may spoil your conversation. For
example:
: Good morning Rahul.
: Hello.
In the above short dialogue, a speaker is very polite in his greetings and the
listener has replied in a very familiar way. ‘Hello’ or ‘Hi’ are the informal and
familiar expressions used in friendly talk. See another example:
Hemant : Hello Anil, how are you? (greetings)
Anil : Fine, Thank you. How are you?
Hemant : I am fine too. (responding to greetings)
In the above another short dialogue, some more expressions are given to develop
informal friendly dialogue. Note how the greetings and responses to the greetings are
expressed. Remember that while speaking with familiar person, we ask ‘how are
you’, but with unfamiliar person we say ‘how do you do’. Now see how both of them
continue their conversation in the following manner:
Hemant : Anil, yesterday I saw your brother going to Jeevanjyoti hospital. What’s
the matter?
Anil : My father has been admitted there. He had a mild heart attack.
69
Hemant : How sad! It’s very unfortunate. (expressing sympathy) Oh!
How is he now?
Anil : He’s still in the ICU. But the doctor says that there is nothing to worry.
Hemant : Thank God! (expressing relief) I wish him a speedy recovery.
Hope he’ll get well soon
Anil : I hope so too. See you later.
Hemant : See you. Bye! (taking leave)
Note in the above example, how the dialogue continues with friendly talk and
certain expressions of sympathy, relief and leave taking, etc. Look at the following
expressions used to greet people. Note the use of contracted forms such as ‘I’m’ for
“I am” and ‘you’ll’ for ‘you will’.
1. : Good morning, how are you?
2. : I’m fine, thanks.
3. : Hello! What a lovely surprise!
4. : Just fine, thanks.
Read another dialogue below. Pay attention to the expressions used in informal
situation where people greet and take leave of one another.
Alisha : Good morning Mr. Anand. How are you?
Mr. Anand : Good morning, Alisha. I’m very well, thank you. What about you?
Alisha : I’m fine, thanks. We haven’t met for quite sometime, have we?
Mr. Anand : Yes, you’re right. I have been away in Nagpur. Have you found
something interesting to buy?
Alisha : No, not really. I just came in a few minutes ago.
Mr. Anand : Well, it was nice meeting you, Alisha. I could have given you a lift
home but I’m afraid I have to rush to keep an appointment. I do hope
you’ll excuse me.
Alisha : Yes, please do come over sometime. Bye!
Alisha : Bye, bye, Mr. Anand!
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Introducing Yourself:
Many times you have to introduce yourself to others. So pay attention to the
expressions used in informal situation where people introduce themselves to each
other. Note that the same expressions can be used in the formal situation as well.
Study the following example:
Informal Dialogue:
Priya : Akshay, this is my sister, Rajani. She’s a cashier in the Bank of
Maharashtra. Rajani meet Akshay. He’s my classmate.
Akshay : Hi, Rajani. It’s nice meeting you too. I used to know your cousin
Smita at S. P. College of Science
Formal Dialogue: Mr. Patil: Good morning! I’m Sachin Patil. I’ve joined the bank
today as an assistant accounts officer. I was with a private finance
company in Pune earlier.
Mr. Dixit : Good morning! I’m happy to meet. I’m Suhas Dixit, and I’m a
manager in the housing loan division. Welcome to our bank!
Mr. Patil : Thank you, Mr. Dixit. Very nice meeting you too.
Look at the following expressions used in both formal and informal situations to
introduce yourself to somebody. Study each of them and repeat by filling in the name
of your choice:
1. : Good morning! My name is …………………
2. : Hi! I’m ……………..
3. : I’m from ………………
Introducing People to One Another:
In different situations, you have to introduce people to one another. Read the
expressions used in situations where a person introduces people to one another.
Study the following dialogues in both the formal and informal situations.
Mrs. Joshi : Dr. Jadhav, I’d like to introduce you to Mr. Harun Shaikh.
He is our company secretary. Mr. Shaikh, please meet Dr. Shrikant
Jadhav, an educational advisor with the KIIT.

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Dr. Jadhav : (shaking hands) How do you do, Mr. Shaikh? I’m happy to see you.
Mr. Shaikh : Thank you, Dr. Jadhav. This is indeed a pleasure. Mrs. Joshi has
spoken to me about the fine work that you are doing among children
in government schools.
Look at the following expressions used in both formal and informal situations to
introduce two persons to each other. Study them and repeat by filling in a name of
your choice:
1. : I’d like to introduce you to …………………
2. : Please meet …………………….
3. : I’m happy to meet you.
4. : Nice meeting you.
b) Formal Conversation:
Here is an example of a formal conversation at a college library.
Siddharth : Good afternoon, Sir. (greeting)
Librarian : Good afternoon, Siddharth. What can I do for you? (offering to help)
Siddharth : I need a book on English grammar.
Librarian : What is it for, Siddharth?
Siddharth : I’ll refer it to prepare my notes.
Librarian : That’s fine. (appreciating a proposal)
Siddharth : Could you tell me where I can get it, Sir? (making a polite request)
Librarian : Look at that last cupboard.
Siddharth : Do you mean the fifth one?
Librarian : Exactly! That’s one.
Siddharth : Oh, I see. May I borrow it for a day? (asking for permission)
Librarian : Sorry, the reference books are not for lending.
Siddharth : There is no place around. May I sit here and take notes?
Librarian : Yes, you may. (granting permission)

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Siddharth : Thank you, Sir. (thanking)
Librarian : Welcome. (responding to thanks)
3.2.1 Task -1 Check your progress.
A) Imagine that your friend with his younger brother meets you at bus station.
Write a piece of friendly conversation with him and his brother. (Imagine
necessary details.)
B) Imagine that you are visiting Mumbai for the first time. Write a piece of
conversation in English with a policeman asking about Assembly House.
(Imagine necessary details.)

3.2.2 Section : 2
Conversation with an unfamiliar people:
a) Conversation with a stranger :
While speaking with the strange person we should make certain changes in our
expressions. A strange person does not use familiar expressions. Many times, a
stranger asks for help and it is expected that we should talk with him or her in
respectful manner and help him or her if possible. Now see the following dialogue
which may help you to know a conversation with a stranger.
Stranger : I wondered if you could tell me where the boys’ hostel is.
Raju : That’s not too far from here.
Stranger : Which way should I go?
Raju : Take the road right in front of you. (giving directions) Walk for about
half a kilometre.
Stranger : Yes!
Raju : You’ll see on your right, a Plane Building.
Stranger : Oh, I see, Plane Building.
Raju : The very next building is the boys’ hostel.
Stranger : OK, thank you Sir.
Raju : Welcome.

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 Note the beginning of a stranger’s conversation, how a stranger directly asks a
question regarding the destination. It is expected that if possible we should help a
stranger with a few formal words. Note how the second speaker gives directions and
a stranger shows his polite responses.
Here is another example of a conversation with a foreigner. Study the
interactions between a speaker and a foreigner. Learn the expressions which may
help you to talk with any foreign person. See the example:
Deepika : May I introduce myself?
My name is Miss Deepika. (introducing oneself)
Katherine : I am Miss Katherine.
Deepika : How do you do? (responding to introduction)
Katherine : How do you do?
Deepika : Where are you from, Miss Katherine? (asking for information)
Katherine : I’m from the UK. How about you?
Deepika : I belong to Kolhapur. How long have you been here?
Katherine : I’ve been here for two weeks.
Deepika : Are you going to stay for long?
Katherine : No, I’m just on a short holiday.
Deepika : Do you like Kolhapur? (asking for likes/dislikes)
Katherine : Yes, I am enjoying it here. (expressing likes/dislikes)
Deepika : Is it too hot for you?
Katherine : No, not too hot.
Deepika : And how do you like the food here? (asking for likes/dislikes)
Katherine : It’s delicious and tasty, but a little hot and spicy.
(expressing likes/dislikes)
Deepika : Do you like Kolhapuri Bhel?
Katherine : I love the soft Bhel. It’s fantastic.

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 Note the different expressions in the above example such as introducing oneself,
responding to introduction, asking information, and likes and dislikes, expressing
likes and dislikes, etc. You may practice to speak in English with a foreigner by
taking the above expression into consideration.
b) Conversation at Market:
In the market when you want to buy something else, you make inquiries about it
and how a salesman gives responses to your inquiries. See the example:
Customer : Excuse me.
Salesman : Yes, please. What do you want?
Customer : I want to buy some sweets and snacks.
Salesman : What kind of sweets and snacks would you prefer sir?
Customer : Let me see what is available at your shop?
Salesman : These two varieties of sweets have just arrived, and are very fresh.
Customer : Please give me one kilo of each and two dozen of Samosas.
Salesman : Here you are, sir. Please pay the bill at the cash counter.
Customer : Thank you.
Salesman : You are welcome sir.
Note the simple expressions of the customer and the responses given by the
salesman. Normally, a conversation at a market place takes place in the above
manner. However, you need to put into practice such a conversation in your day
toady life which may develop you confidence to speak and bring fluency.
3.2.2 Task-2 Check your progress.
A) Fill in the blanks choosing the appropriate word given in brackets and
practise the conversations:
1. A : Do you ................. (enjoy/want) reading Hindi novels?
B: Yes, I ................. (like/want) to read Hindi novels. But I prefer Marathi
fiction.
A: Who do you ................. (love/like) talking to?

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 B: I like talking to children.
2. A: Have you been to Mumbai?
B: Yes, I went there last year
A : How did you like it?
B : I had a ................. (great/best) time there.
B) Imagine that you are at Mahabaleshwar and meet a foreigner. Write a piece of
conversation with him introducing you and asking him about his likes/dislikes,
etc. (Imagine necessary details)
C) Imagine that you are in the fruits-market to buy some fruits. Write a short piece
of formal conversation with the sales person. (Imagine necessary details.)

3.2.3 Section: 3
English for Writing SMS:
SMS is an abbreviation of Short Message Service. It is a service that enables the
transmission of typed text messages from one mobile phone to another. In the present
situation the facilities such as cell phone handsets, network subscriptions and
recharging cards are easily available in an affordable cost. In the present
circumstances, SMS is cheaper than a voice call. It is the fastest way of
communication. It is less intrusive, and it can be saved for future reference.
However, the language of SMS is an independent register that does not follow the
conventions of the written language. The language of SMS is used in a very free way
just like speech between very close friends. Therefore the SMS language is a threat
to standard writing which may evoke fears among the language teachers and
academicians. They compare the language and syntax of SMS with formal and
written English.
Nevertheless, SMS has become an effective means of communication. Now-a-
days, the greeting cards have been replaced by the SMS. The SMS style of
communication was initially used for different communication purposes such as
exchanging information on events; invitation to religious, social, political, academic
meetings, making business contacts and sending goodwill messages. Today students

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use SMS texting to chat, to pass information concerning meetings, lectures,
assignments, and social networking. Study the following examples:
Hai, how R U?
Wel n gud
Thank U
Rn’t U wel ?
Note that the SMS is a system of providing the quickest means of communication
in a brief a manner. Therefore, it employs brevity of words through representation or
sounds. It is for this reason that SMS words are numbers and letters or alphabets
accordingly. For example:
How are you? how are u?
You are too good to be true. U’r 2 gud 2 b true.
The SMS text messages commonly use words that are shortened through the use
of symbols to represent the word. For example:
“2morrow” is used for “tomorrow”
“4U” is used for “for you”
“2U” is used for “to you”
“b4” is used for “before”
In the text of SMS the homophones are regularly used which save the space and
provide expected message. Study the following examples:
“C” is used for “see”
“U” is used for “you”
“d” is used for “the”
The deletion of middle letters is another method has been popularized by the
text of SMS. Study the following examples:
“aft” is used for “after”
“mgmt” is used for “management”
“nxt” is used for “next”
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 “tx” is used for “thanks”
The acronyms and initials are also commonly used to convey the message in a
brief manner. For example;
“LOL” is used for “Laugh out loud”
“BTW” is used for “by the way”
“OMG” is used for “oh my God”
In writing SMS non conventional spellings are common forms that minimize the
space and convey expected message. For example:
“nite” is used for “night”
“guday” is used for “good day”
“pliz” is used for “please”
There are also other forms of non conventional spellings which are pronounced
in different way. For example:
“klass” is used for “class”
“klub” is used for “club”
“kam” is used for “come”
In showing emotions in the SMS, people use exclamation marks and full stops.
For example:
“Ah!!!!!!!.” is used for “Hahaha....”
Thus, with the help of the above examples, you can prepare a number of
examples of SMS. Remember that SMS is specially a means of informal
communication. Therefore, in formal communication you should follow the
conventions of the written language.
3.2.3 Task- 3 Check your progress.
A. A few contexts are given below read them and prepare SMS.
1. Birthday invitation
: ......................................................................
2. Desirous to know where is your friend?
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 : ................................................
3. Instructing your friend
: .............................................................
4. Requesting to come
: .............................................................
B. Match the boxes:
SMS Message Moods reflected
1. Pls forgiv me a) Expressing concern
2. y dint u call ? b) Feeling sorry
3. 1 hr more. R u redi ? c) Gratitude
4. Got it. Thank U d) Angry for not calling
C. Write SMS texts to your friend on the following situations.
1. Timely help and express your concern.
2. Invitation for your sister’s wedding ceremony.
3.A.4. Answers to check your progress :
Section 1 Task -1
A : Conversation with the friend.
I: Hi ! Sachin. what brings you here ?
Sachin : Hi ! Vijay .I have come here to receive my mother.
I: oh, nice .How are you, Ram ?
Ram : I an fine, thank you. How are you Vijay dada?
I: I am fine too. At what time is the bus going to arrive?
Ram : Generally it arrives at 6.30 p.m.
I: where had your mother been ?
Sachin : well, she had gone to see…….
Ram : Vijay dada, Are you going somewhere ?

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 I: yes, I am going to visit my maternal uncle’s house. It is just 5 km from
here.
Ram : Are you going to stay there, tonight ?
I: well, I don’t have any important work to do there. It Is a casual visit.
Therefore,I will be back by 9.p.m.
Ram : Oh ! Here comes the bus.!
Sachin : Yes, It has come in time. Let’s go there ram. Bye Vijay. See
you again.
I: Bye. It is nice to you.
B : Conversation with the policeman.
I: Excuse me, sir ?
Policeman: Yes , what can I do for you?
I: Sir, I am Prateek Mane from Kolhapur.
Policeman: Oh! From Kolhapur , that’s great. I also belong to the same
region.
I: Well , really nice to meet you. But I am new in the city.
Policeman: Oh, I see. Why did you come to Mumbai?
I: I have an important work in the Assembly House. But I don’t know
how to go there?
Policeman: Well, you can go to the Assembly House either by auto
rickshaw or BMC bus no.121 .
I: Thank you sir . Bye.
SECTION 2 Task -2
A.
1) Fill in the blanks :
A: Do you enjoy reading Hindi novels?
B: Yes, I like to read Hindi novels. But I prefer Marathi fiction .

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 A: Who do you like talking to?
B: I like talking to children.
2) Choose the appropriate word.
A: Have you been to Mumbai?
B: Yes, I went there last year.
A: How did you like it?
B: I had a great time there.
B.
1) Conversation with Foreigner
I: Hello sir , I am Vinayak Patil from Sangli .
Foreigner: Hello Vinayak , what can I do for you?
I : Sir , you seem to be a foreigner by your appearance . Am I right?
Foreigner: Of course, I am an American.
I : What is your name sir?
Foreigner: My name is John Smith.
I: Why do you come to Mahabaleshwar?
Foreigner: I am here at Mahabaleshwar to enjoy the winter season and the
beauty of the nature .
I : How long have you been here?
Foreigner: I have been here for last two days. Tell me something about you
Vinayak.
I : Sir, I am the student of Willingdon College, Sangali. We are on a study
tour. We like to observe the climate change in Mahabaleswar. It is our part
of syllabus.
Foreigner : Oh , that’s really nice. Do you like strawberry ?
I : Of course I like it very much.
Foreigner : That’s fine . Here are some . Enjoy it.

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 I : Thank you sir . It is really nice to see you at Mahabaleshwar. Ok bye. See
you again.
Foreigner : Bye . Have a great day.
2) Conversation with fruit seller.
I: Excuse me . I want to buy some fruits .
Fruit seller: Welcome sir. Which fruits would like to buy ?
I: Do you have Alphonsa mangoes ?
Fruit seller : Yes sir. It is one of the best of all types of mangoes sold here.
I: Oh that’s fine. But are they tasty?
Fruit seller : Definitely sir. Our shop is famous both for quality and
reasonable price of fruits. But if you don’t mind you can taste some part of
the Alphonsa mango.
I: Oh that’s nice . Thank you. How much does it cost per kg?
Fruit seller: It will cost you Rs. 400 per kg.
I : Oh! It’s too high . A few days ago I bought a kg at the cost of 250 only .
Fruit seller : But here only quality product sir. Don’t think about the price .
Just enjoy the item .
I : Ok . Give me one kg Alphonsa mangoes .
Fruit seller : Take it and come again .
I : Thank you .
Fruit seller : You are welcome sir.
Section C. Task -3
A) 1) Birthday Invitation
Hi guys, this Friday I am turning 20 and I hope you will be there to
celebrate the party .
2) Desirous to know where is your friend.
Hiii Rahul ! How r u ? Rn’t u well ? call me. Where r u ?

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 3) Instructing your friend .
Hii Geeta. How are you ? Exams approaching fast. So study hard and take
care of your health. Gn.
4) Requesting to come :
Hello friends ! 2morrow is holiday . Plzz kam . We will go for the movie .
B) Match the boxes
SMS message Moods reflected
1. Pls forgive me feeling sorry
2. y didn’t u call angry for not calling
3. 1 hr more . R u ready ? expressing concern
4. Got it . Thank u gratitude
C) Write SMS texts
1) Timely help and express your concern .
Thx 2 u 4 ur kind help . yesterday my frnd met with accident . u took him 2 d
hospital . thx a lot .
2) Invitation for Your sister’s wedding ceremony .
Dear frndzz, we are cordially inviting u all on occasion of marriage ceremony of
my sis. Add our happiness . Plz do kam. Here is d address : Vinayak Plaza, near
Church road, Sangali.

3.A.5.Additional Exercises:
1. Imagine that you are at Airport for the first time. Write a piece of conversation
in English with a receptionist asking about ticket booking and essential
documents. Imagine necessary details.
2) Imagine that your friend with his parents meets you at your college. Write a
formal conversation with him and his parents. Imagine necessary details.

83
3) Imagine that you are at Fort Raigad. Write a piece of conversation with
Foreigner introducing yourself to him and asking him about his likes/dislikes
etc. Imagine necessary details.
4) Imagine that you are in the fruit market to buy the mangoes. Write a piece of
conversation with the salesperson. Imagine necessary details.
5) Prepare the SMS for the following.
a) Invitation for house warming ceremony of your house.
b) Timely support from the friends.
c) Invitation for get together of school friends.



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 B) The Solitary Reaper
William Wordsworth
Index :
3.B.0 Objectives
3.B.1 Introduction
3.B.2 Presentation of subject matter
3.B.2.1. Task 1. Check your progress
3.B.3 Summary
3.B.4 Terms to remember
3.B.5 Answers to check your progress
3.B.6 Exercise

3.B.0 Objectives :
After studying this poem you will be able to :

Study Wordsworth as a nature poet.

Acquaint with romantic poetry.

Know the theme of the poem along with the language of the poem.

3.B.1 Introduction:
William Wordsworth (1770-1850) was a major English Romantic poet. He was
a founder of the Romantic Movement of English literature. He was often called a
nature poet because of his emphasis on the connection between humans and the
natural world. He finds friend, philosopher and guide in nature. He became widely
successful and was named Poet Laureate of England in 1843.
Wordsworth presented the common subjects uncommonly in the common man’s
language through his poetry. The present poem is a lyrical ballad. It is about a girl
who works alone in the field. She cuts and binds the sheaves of corn. She sings a
very sad song. The poet does not understand the meaning of her song as she sings in
a language unfamiliar to him. She sings a melancholy song but the poet enjoys its

85
melody and thinks it eternal. The song echoes in his imagination even after it was
heard no more.

3.B.2 Presentation of subject matter :

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
Will no one tell me what she sings?—
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,

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 That has been, and may be again?
Whate’er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o’er the sickle bending;—
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill,

The music in my heart I bore,

Long after it was heard no more.

3.B.2.1 Check your progress :

A. Answer the following question in one word / phrase/ sentence:
1. Where did Wordsworth behold the solitary reaper?
2. Who is the solitary reaper?
3. What kind of song was the girl singing?
4. To what does the poet compare the reaper’s song?
5. Why was the poet puzzled with the song?
6. What is meant by ‘melancholy strain’?
7. What does the ‘vale profound’ refer to?
8. What is meant by ‘plaintive numbers’?
B. Complete the following the statements by choosing the best alternative:
1. The central idea of the poem ‘The Solitary Reaper’ is ..................
(i) well sung songs give us happiness
(ii) melodious sounds appeal to all
(iii) beautiful experiences give us life-long pleasure

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 (iv) reapers can sing like birds
2. To whom does the poet say ‘ Stop here or gently pass’?
(i) to the people cutting corn (ii) to himself
(iii) to the people who make noise (iv) to all the passers by
3. The girl in ‘The Solitary Reaper’ is singing while ................. .
(i) walking (ii) reaping
(iii) dancing (iv) watching natural beauty
4. The poet laments that ................. .
(i) he cannot understand the song (ii) he did not know the lass
(iii) she stopped singing at once(iv) he had to move away
5. The poet tries to imagine that the girl’s song is about ................. .
(i) the nightingale and cuckoo (ii) her work and life full hardships
(iii) some past or some present sorrow, pain or loss (iv) her loneliness
6. The pronoun ‘she’ in the poem refers to the ................. .
(i) solitary reaper (ii) nightingale
(iii) cuckoo-bird (iv) Vale
7. The setting of the poem is ................. .
(i) Arabia (ii) Hebrides (iii) Scotland (iv) England
3.B.3 Summary :
William Wordsworth was on the tour of Highlands in Scotland . He saw the
lonely girl was singing while doing her work in the field. She was reaping and
binding the grain lonely. She was singing in Scottish language which the poet could
not understand. But he was deeply impressed by her sweet and thrilling voice.
The song of the Solitary Reaper was more melodious than the notes of the
nightingale in the deserts of Arabia and more thrilling than the song of the cuckoo.
Though her song was unfamiliar to the poet, he was greatly moved by the feelings of
melancholy as she might be singing about some sorrowful incidents of her country’s
past or some familiar sorrow of everyday life. Whatever be its theme the song of the
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girl greatly appealed to the poet and he carried away the memory of its sweet music
for a long time to come.

3.B.4 Terms to remember :

single in the field : loneliness of the girl is emphasized. It intensifies the
pathos
Yon : that
Highland : from high mountainous country
lass : girl
reaping : cutting and collecting a crop from a field: harvesting
melancholy : very sad
strain : music, song or verse
Vale : a valley
profound : very great or felt very strongly
overflow : to be so full that the contents go over the sides
Nightingale : a small brown bird, the male of which has beautiful
song
weary : very tired
bands : groups of travellers (of Arabia)
haunt : a place that somebody visits often
Cuckoo-bird : a bird with a call that sounds like its name
Hebrides : a group islands off the west coast of Scotland
Will no one tells…….sings : The girl is singing in Gaelic, a native dialect of
Scotland. Consequently, the poet doesn’t understand
the meaning of the song.
plaintive : very sad
humblelay : a song about an day-to-day matter
mountedup past tense : to go up something form of ‘to mount’
bore past tense form : (formal/ old fashioned) carry of ‘bear’

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3.B.5 Answers to Check your progress
3.B.2.1 Skimming and scanning
A) Answer in one word/ phrase :-
1) In the field in Scotland
2) The Highland lass or Scottish girl
3) A sorrowful or melancholy song
4) To a nightingale’s and cuckoo bird’s song
5) Because the poet couldn’t understand the language of a song
6) A sad/ sorrowful song
7) The quiet nature
8) The sad tunes of the song
B) Complete the following statements by choosing the best alternative :
1) Beautiful experience gives us life-long pleasure
2) To all the passers by
3) Reaping
4) He cannot understand the song
5) Some present sorrow, pain or loss
6) Solitary reaper
7) Scotland
3.B.2.2 Comprehension questions
A) Answer the following questions in 3 to 4 sentences each :
1) When the poet saw the solitary reaper, he thought that she was reaping the
harvest lonely. The poet heard the song sung by the girl which was very
melodious. She was singing some sad or sorrowful song. The poet enjoyed the
song very much and was impressed by it.
2) The poet sees the Highland girl who was reaping the grain in the field. The poet
informed as that girl was single in the field. The poet has used words such as
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 solitary, by herself alone to represent her loneliness. She was totally busy in her
work and was unaware of the passers by and she was singing loudly and sweetly
to complete her work easily.
3) The girl was singing a sorrowful or melancholy song. But the poet couldn’t
understand the song sung by the girl. She was singing in a language which was
unfamiliar to the poet. So the poet thought that she might be singing a song of
old, unhappy and far off things, or old battles or present day incident. It was in
elegiac tone.
4) The lonely girl was singing a melancholy song very loudly and in melodious
tune. All around the atmosphere was peaceful so naturally the valley was filled
with music. The valley was profound so the sound of the song was overflowing.
5) The nightingale used to sing a song of welcome to the travelers in the Arabian
deserts. They were tired and were resting in a shady shelter. To cheer up their
spirits the nightingale used to sing a song for them.
6) The reaper girl was Scottish. She was singing in Scottish language. The poet
was totally unfamiliar to the girl’s language so he couldn’t understand the theme
of her song. But he thought that it must be a song relates with some old unhappy
or sorrowful events or battles or present day sad incident.
7) When the poet heard the reaper’s song he was vey much impressed by it. He
was thrilled by its sweet and melodious tunes. He felt that the song was more
fascinating and thrilling than the songs of the nightingale or cuckoo.
8) The poet heard the reaper’s song which was so sweet, melodious and thrilling
song. He was greatly impressed and moved by it’s melancholy but melodious
notes. The language of the song was unfamiliar to the poet so he couldn’t
understand its theme. He wanted to know the theme so that he could enjoy and
appreciate it fully.
B) Write short notes on:
1) The theme of the poem
2) The significance of the title of the poem
3) The impact of the girl’s song on the poet
4) Atmosphere of silence in the poem
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 5) The girl in “The Solitary Reaper”
Comprehension Questions :
A. Answer the following questions in 3 to 4 sentences each:
1. What were the poet’s first thoughts when he saw the solitary reaper?
2. How does the poet highlight the loneliness of the reaper girl?
3. What kind of song was the girl singing?
4. Why was the valley filled with music?
5. For whom did the nightingale sing? Why?
6. Why could not the poet understand the theme of the reaper girl’s song??
7. How did the reaper’s song affect the poet?
8. Why does the poet ask ‘Will no one tell me what she sings?’
B. Write short notes on the following in 8 to 10 sentences each :
1. The theme of the poem, “The Solitary Reaper”
2. The significance of the title of the poem
3. The impact of the girl’s song on the poet
4. Atmosphere of silence in the poem
5. The girl in “The Solitary Reaper”
Vocabulary exercises:
A. Match the words given under A with their meanings under B:
A B
chant still
single plaintive
melancholy lass
maiden sing
motionless alone
B. Find out the synonyms of the following words from the poem: reap, solitary,
unhappy, farthest

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3.B.2.3 Vocabulary exercises :
A) Chant – sing
Single – alone
Melancholy – plaintive
Maiden - -lass
Motionless – still
B) Synonyms
Reap – cut and bind the grain
Solitary - single, alone, by herself
Unhappy – melancholy, plaintive
Farthest – far- off

3.B.6 Exercises :
1. Describe in detail Wordsworth as a nature poet.
2. Appreciate the poem ‘the Solitary Reaper’


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 Module 4
A) My School
Rabindranath Tagore

Index:
4 A.0 Objectives
4 A.1 Introduction
4 A.2 Content
4 A.2.1 Check Your Progress
4 A.2.2 Check Your Progress
4 A.2.3 Check Your Progress
4 A.3 Summary
4 A.4 Terms to Remember
4 A.5 Answers to Check Your Progress
4 A.6 Exercises

4 A.0 Objectives:
After studying this Unit you will be able to:
• Understand the concept of education dreamt by Tagore.
• Explain the education system carried out at Shanti-Niketan.
• Find relationship between the forest schools and autocratic schools.

4 A.1 Introduction:
Rabindra Nath Tagore(1861-1941), a man of versatile genius, was an authority
of art and literature. He always kept on burning the lamp of light and knowledge
throughout his life. He won the Noble Prize for literature in 1913 for his poetical
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work Gitanjali. Besides his achievement in the field of verse, drama, essay, novel,
dance, painting and music, his extraordinary genius can also be traced out in the
aesthetic and poetic presentation of his short stories.
In 1900 he started a small school at Shanti-Niketan on the pattern of the ancient
Indian forest schools where the pupils led simple lives and learnt the truths of life
from Nature and their gurus. This school developed into a university called Visva-
Bharti in 1921. In this extract from a lecture which Tagore delivered in America in
1915, he explains the circumstances in which he started his school. He has mingled
his art and music in the present short story. He has also weaved his theme of social
consciousness, social reality and spiritual issues through the medium of art and
beauty. Like all his short-stories, the present story also bears the impress of his
literary craftsmanship.

4 A.2 Content:
4 A.2.1 Section – I:
I started a school in Bengal when I was nearing forty. Certainly this was never
expected of me, who had spent a greater portion of my life in writing, chiefly verses.
Therefore people naturally thought that as a school it might not be one of the best of
its kind, but it was sure to be something outrageously new, being the product of
daring inexperience.
This is one of the reasons why I am often asked what is the idea upon which my
school is based. The question is a very embarrassing one for me, because to satisfy
the expectation of my questioners I cannot afford to be commonplace in my answer.
However, I shall resist the temptation to be original and shall be content with being
merely truthful.
In the first place, I must confess it is difficult for me to say what is the idea
which underlies my institution. For the idea is not like a fixed foundation upon which
a building is erected. It is more like a seed which cannot be separated and pointed out
directly it begins to grow into a plant….
In India we still cherish in our memory the tradition of the forest colonies of
great teachers. The places were neither school nor monasteries in the modern sense
of word. They consisted of homes where with their families lived men whose object
was to see the world in God and to realize their own life in Him. Though they lived
95
outside society, yet they were to society what the sun is to planets, the centre from
which it received its life and light. And here boys grew up in an intimate vision of
eternal life before they were thought fit to enter the state of the householder.
Thus in ancient India the school was there where was the life itself. There the
students were bought up, not in the academic atmosphere of scholarship and
learning, or in the maimed light of monastic seclusion, but in the atmosphere of
living aspiration. They took the cattle to pasture, collected firewood, gathered fruit,
cultivated kindness to all creatures, and grew in their spirit with their own teacher’s
spiritual growth. This was possible because the primary object of these places was
not teaching but giving shelter to those who lived their life in God.
That this traditional relationship of the masters and disciples is not mere
romantic fiction is proved by the relic we still possess of the indigenous system of
education. These Chatuspathis, which is the Sanskrit name for university, have not
the savour of the school about them. The students live in their master’s home like the
children of the house, without having to pay for their board and lodging or tuition.
The teacher prosecutes his own study, living a life of simplicity, and helping the
students in their lessons as a part of his life and not of his profession. This ideal of
education, through sharing a life of high aspiration with one’s master took possession
of my mind. Those who in other countries are favoured with unlimited expectations
of worldly prospects can fix their purposes of education on those objects. But for us
to maintain the self-respect which we owe to ourselves and to our creator, we must
make the purpose of our education nothing short of the highest purpose of man, the
fullest growth and freedom of soul. It is pitiful to have scramble for small pittances
of fortune. Only let us have access to the life that goes beyond death and rises above
all circumstances let us find our God let us live for that ultimate truth which
emancipates us from the bondage of the dust and gives us the wealth, not of things
but of inner light, not of power but of love. Such emancipation of soul we have
witnessed in our country among men devoid of book-learning and living in absolute
poverty. In India we have the inheritance of this treasure of spiritual wisdom. Let the
object of our education be to open it out before us and give us the power to make the
true use of it in our life, and offer it to the rest of the world when the time comes, as
our contribution to its eternal welfare.

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4 A.2.1 Check Your Progress
A. Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.
1. Where did Tagore start his school?
2. What was not expected of Tagore?
3. What was the question often asked to Tagore?
4. What, according to Tagore, is the ‘idea’ like?
5. What, according to Tagore, is still cherished in memory in India?
6. What was the primary object of the ancient Indian schools?
7. Where did the students live during the ancient Indian schools?
8. What, according to Tagore, should the purpose of our education?
9. What, according to Tagore, will emancipate us from the bondage of the
dust and give us the wealth?
10. Which treasure does Indians inherit?
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. Tagore started a school in ................. .
a) Bengal b) Gurukul
c) Shanti- Niketan d) forest colony
2. Tagore started school when he was nearing ................. .
a) fifty b) forty
c) sixty d) seventy
3. Tagore had spent the greater portion of his life in ................. .
a) running school b) writing verses
c) music d) Shanti- Niketan
4. In the ancient India, the students were brought up in the atmosphere of
................. .

a) scholarship b) learning
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 c) living aspiration d) forest
5. emancipates us from the bondage of the dust and gives us the
.................
wealth of inner light and love.
a) The ultimate truth b) Education
c) Learning d) God
6. Indians inherit the treasure of ................. .
a) wealth b) knowledge
c) spiritual wisdom d) beauty
4 A.2.2 Section – II:
I had been immersed in literary activities when this thought struck my mind with
painful intensity. I suddenly felt like groaning under the suffocation of nightmare. It
was not only my own soul, but the soul of my country that seemed to be struggling
for its breath through me. I felt clearly that what was needed was not any particular
material object, not wealth or comfort or power, but our awakening to full
consciousness in soul-freedom, the freedom of the life in God.
Fortunately for me I had a place ready to my hand where I could begin my work.
My father, in one of his numerous travels, had selected this lonely spot as the one
suitable for his life of communion with God. This place, with a permanent
endowment, he dedicated to the use of those who seek peace and seclusion for their
meditation and prayer. I had about ten boys with me when I came here and started
my new life with no previous experience whatever.
All around our ashram is a vast open country, bare up to the line of horizon
except for sparsely-growing stunted date-palms and prickly shrubs struggling with
ant-hills. Below the level of the field there extend numberless mounds and tiny
hillocks of red gravel and pebbles of all shapes and colours, intersected by narrow
channels, of rain-water. Not far away towards the south, near the village, can be seen
through the intervals of a row of palm trees, the gleaming surface of steel-blue water,
collected in a hollow of the ground. A road used by the village people for their
marketing in the town goes meandering through the lonely fields, with its red dust
staring in the sun. Travellers coming up this road can see from a distance on the
summit of the undulating ground the spire of a temple and the top of a building,

98
indicating the Shanti-Niketan ashram among its amalaki groves and its avenue of
stately sal trees.
And here the school has been growing up for over fifteen years, passing through
many changes and often grave crisis. Having the evil reputation of a poet, I could
with great difficulty win the trust of my countrymen and avoid the suspicion of the
bureaucracy. My resources were extremely small, with the burden of a heavy debt
upon them. But this poverty itself gave me the full strength of freedom, making
merely upon truth rather than upon materials.
But the question will be asked whether I have attained my ideal in this
institution. My answer is that the attainment of all our deepest ideals is difficult to
measure by outward standards. Its working is not immediately perceptible by results.
We have fully admitted the inequalities and varieties of human life in our ashram.
We never try to gain some kind of outward uniformity by weeding out the
differences of nature and training of our members. Some of us belong to Brahma
Samaj sect and some to other sects of Hinduism; and some of us are Christians.
Because we do not deal with creeds and dogmas of sectarianism, therefore this
heterogeneity of our religious beliefs does not present us with any difficulty
whatever…..
In the teaching system of my school I have been trying all these years to carry
out my theory of education, based upon my experience of children’s minds.
I believe that children have their subconscious mind more active than their conscious
intelligence. A vast quantity of the most important of our lessons has been taught to
us through this. Experiences of countless generations have been instilled into our
nature by its agency, not only without causing us any fatigue, but giving us joy. This
subconscious faculty of knowledge is completely one with our life. It is not like a
lantern that can be lighted and trimmed from outside, but it is like the light that the
glow-warm possesses by the exercise of its life-process.
Fortunately for me I was brought up in a family where literature, music and art
had become instinctive. My brothers and cousins lived in the freedom of ideas, and
most of them had natural artistic powers. Nourished in these surroundings, I began to
think early and to dream and to put my thoughts into expression. In religion and
social ideals our family was free from all convention, being ostracized by society
owing to secession from orthodox beliefs and customs. This made us fearless in our
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freedom of mind, and we tried experiments in all departments of life. This was the
education I had in my early days, freedom and joy in the exercise of my mental and
artistic faculties. And because this made my mind fully alive to grow in its natural
environment of nutrition, therefore the grinding of the school system became so
extremely intolerable to me.
I had only this experience of my early life to help me when I started my school.
I felt sure that what was most necessary was the breath of culture and no formal
method of teaching.
4 A.2.2 Check Your Progress
A. Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.
1. With how many boys did Tagore start his new life?
2. What is difficult to measure by outward standards?
3. Why Tagore faced difficulty in winning the trust of countrymen and
bureaucracy?
4. How do the children learn the most important of their lessons?
5. What helped Tagore to put his thoughts into expression?
6. What was most necessary to Tagore when he started his school?
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. Tagore’s father had selected the lonely spot as the one suitable for ............. .
a) running school b) his life of communion with god
c) Pasture d) eternal welfare
2. ................. gave Tagore the full strength of freedom.
a) Poverty itself b) His countrymen
c) Bureaucracy d) His resources
3. In his school, Tagore carries out his theory of education, based upon ............
a) his experience of children’s mind b) his spiritual wisdom
c) music d) music and art

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 4. ................. faculty of knowledge is completely one with our life and is like
light.
a) Conscious b) Subconscious
c) Artistic d) Mental
5. Tagore’s family was free from ..................
a) orthodox beliefs and customs b) a heavy debt
c) religious beliefs d) fear
6. ................. helped Tagore when he started his school.
a) His father b) The experience of his early life
c) His family d) His brothers and cousins

4 A.2.3 Section – III:

Have not our books, like most of our necessities, come between us and our
world? We have got into the habit of covering the windows of our minds with their
pages, and plasters of book phrases have stuck into our mental skin, making it
impervious to all direct touches of truth. A whole world of bookish truths have
formed themselves into a strong citadel with rings of walls in which we have taken
shelter, secured from the communication of God’s creation. Of course, it would be
foolish to underrate the advantages of book. But at the same time we must admit that
the book has its limitations and dangers. At any rate during the early period of
education children should come to their lesson of truths through natural processes –
directly through persons and things.
Being convinced of this, I have set all my resources to create an atmosphere of
ideas in the ashram. Songs are composed – not specially made to order for juvenile
minds. They are songs that a poet writes for his own pleasure. In fact, most of my
Gitanjali songs were written here. These, when fresh in their first bloom, are sung to
the boys, and they come in crowds to learn them. They sing them in their leisure
hours, sitting in groups, under the open sky on moonlight nights, in the shadows of
the impending rain in July. All my latter-day plays have been written here, and the
boys have taken part in their performance. Lyrical dramas have been written for their

101
season-festivals. They have ready access to the room where I read to the teachers my
new things that I write in prose or in verse, whatever the subject may be. And this
they utilize without the least pressure put upon them; feeling aggrieved when not
invited. Very often they themselves write plays or improvise them, and we are
invited to their performance. They hold meetings of their literary clubs, and they
have at least three illustrated magazines conducted by three sections of the school,
the most interesting of them being that of the infant section. A number of our boys
have shown remarkable powers in drawing and painting, developed not through the
orthodox method of copying models, but by following their own bent and by the help
of occasional visit from some artists to inspire the boys with their own work.
When I first started my school my boys had no evident love for music. The
consequence was that at the beginning I did not employ a music teacher and did not
force the boys to take music lessons. I merely created opportunities when those of us
who had the gift could exercise their musical culture. It had the effect of
unconsciously training the ears of the boys. And when gradually most of them
showed a strong inclination and love for music I saw that they would be willing to
subject themselves to formal teaching, and it was then that I secured a music teacher.
In our school the boys rise very early in the morning, sometimes before it is
light. They attend to the drawing of water for their bath. They make up their beds.
They do all those things that tend to cultivate the spirit of self-help.
I believe in the hour of meditation, and I set aside fifteen minutes in the morning
and fifteen minutes in the evening for that purpose. I insist on this period of
meditation, not, however, expecting the boys to be hypocrites and to make believe
they are not meditating. But I do insist that they remain quiet, that they exert the
power of self-control, even though, instead of contemplating on God, they may be
watching the squirrels running up the trees.
Any description of such a school is necessarily inadequate. For the most
important element of it is the atmosphere, and the fact that it is not a school which is
imposed upon the boys by autocratic authorities. I always try to impress upon their
minds that it is their own world, upon which their life ought fully and freely to
react. In the school administration they have their place, and in the matter of
punishment we mostly rely upon their own court of justice.

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4 A.2.3 Check Your Progress
A. Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.
1. What, according to Tagore, has come between us and the world?
2. How, according to Tagore, children should come to their lessons of truth?
3. What did help the boys to develop powers in drawing and painting?
4. Why Tagore did not employ a music teacher at the beginning?
5. How much time did Tagore set aside for meditation?
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. Tagore sets all his resources to create an atmosphere of ................. in the
ashram.
a) ideas b) truth
c) living aspiration d) knowledge
2. It would be foolish to underrate ................. of books.
a) limitations b) dangers
c) the advantages d) the lessons
3. A poet writes songs for ..................
a) his own pleasure b) for juvenile minds
c) the boys in the school d) singing
4. Tagore wrote most of his ................. songs in the school.
a) Gitanjali b) original
c) early d) musical
5. ................. section of the illustrated magazine was the most interesting.
a) The infant section b) Poetry
c) Juvenile d) Prose

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4 A.3 Summary:
The present story is an extract of a lecture that Tagore delivered in America in
1915. In it he explains the circumstances in which he started his school. In 1900, he
started a school at Shanti-Niketan. He was chiefly a writer and hence people doubted
about its future. He was inexperienced in the matters like this. His idea of the school
was based on the pattern of the ancient Indian forest schools. He wanted to bring up
his students in the atmosphere of living aspiration. He wanted his students to lead
simple lives and learn the lessons of life from Nature and their teachers. Then
students used to live in their master’s home. They were treated as the children of the
house by their masters. The students were not expected to pay anything. That was the
ideal education system.
Tagore started his school to provide his students an intimate vision of eternal
life. According to him the purpose of education must be the fullest growth and
freedom of soul. Education should free man’s soul from the bondage of any kind. It
should give us the wealth of inner light and love. It should give us spiritual wisdom.
The object of education should be the eternal welfare. He pondered over it and found
that the whole country was in need of such education. Tagore chose a place for his
school in Bengal, which was dedicated by his father to the seekers of peace. Thus he
started his school in the lap of nature with ten boys. Initially he often went through
grave crisis. His resources were very small and he was greatly indebted. Contrary
enough, his poverty itself gave him the full strength. In his ashram there were
disciples from all religions. It was free from any religious creed or dogma. In Shanti-
Niketan, Tagore carried out his theory of education. It was based upon his experience
of children’s minds. He believed in the power of subconscious mind of children. As
Tagore was nourished in the free atmosphere, he tried various experiments at his
school. He was of the opinion that during the early period of education children
should learn their lessons through natural processes. His students learnt singing,
dramatic performances, drawing, painting and music directly through persons and
things. To cultivate the spirit of ‘self-help’ and self-control was the motto of his
school. It was totally a different school than any formal school.

104
4 A.4 Terms to Remember:
outrageously (Av) : greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation;
shockingly
embarrassing (Adj): hard to deal with; causing a feeling of confusion
monastery (N) : the residence of a religious community
maimed (Adj) : having a part of the body crippled or disabled
seclusion (N) : privacy
indigenous (Adj) : local, native
savour(N) : taste, flavor but here, signs of
prosecutes (V) : carries on
scramble (V) : to move hurriedly
pittance (N) : an inadequate payment
emancipates (V) : frees, liberates
communion (N) : rapport; fraternize; sharing thoughts and feelings
sparsely (Av) : in a sparse manner; scattered
meandering (Adj) : winding
undulate (V) : move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
creed (N) : any system of principles or beliefs
dogma (N) : a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative; article
of faith
sectarianism (N) : a narrow-minded adherence to a particular sect or party or
denomination
instill (V) : impart gradually or enter drop by drop; fill, as with a certain
quality
ostracize (V) : expel from a community or group; cast out
secession (N) : separation or withdrawal from
impervious (Adj) : cranky; insensitive
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citadel (N) : fortress
juvenile (Adj) : of or relating to children or young people
autocratic (Adj) : bossy; dominating

4 A.5 Answers to Check Your Progress:

4 A.2.1
A. Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.
1. In Bengal
2. To start a school
3. What was the idea upon which his school was based?
4. The idea is more like a seed which cannot be separated and pointed out
directly it begins to grow into a plant.
5. The tradition of the forest colonies of great teachers.
6. Not teaching but giving shelter to those who lived their life in God.
7. In their master’s home like the children of the house.
8. the fullest growth and freedom of soul
9. the ultimate truth
10. the treasure of spiritual wisdom
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. a) Bengal
2. b) forty
3. b) writing verses
4. c) living aspiration
5. a) The ultimate truth
6. c) spiritual wisdom

106
4 A.2.2
A. Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.
1. Ten boys
2. The attainment of all our deepest ideals
3. Having the evil reputation of a poet
4. through their subconscious mind
5. His nourishment in artistic and free surroundings
6. The breath of culture and no formal method of teaching
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. b) his life of communion with god
2. a) Poverty itself
3. a) his experience of children’s mind
4. b) Subconscious
5. a) orthodox beliefs and customs
6. b) The experience of his early life
4 A.2.3
A. Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence.
1. Our books and our necessities
2. through natural processes – directly through persons and things.
3. Their own bent and the occasional visit from some artists
4. Because initially boys had no evident love for music
5. fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the evening

107
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. a) ideas
2. c) the advantages
3. a) his own pleasure
4. a) Gitanjali
5. a) The infant section

4 A.6 Exercises:
A) Answer the following questions in three to four sentences each.
1. Describe the tradition of the forest colonies of great teachers.
2. How are the Chatuspathis different from the modern universities?
3. How did Tagore get over the barriers between religions in his school?
4. How did Tagore’s family background help him to run his school?
5. How did Tagore develop a love for music in the pupils?
6. What is Tagore’s view regarding the working of the subconscious mind in
the children?
B) Write short notes on the following in 8 to 10 sentences each.
1. Tagore’s family background
2. Tagore’s view of book learning
3. An atmosphere of ‘ideas’ in Tagore’s ashram-school
4. Tagore’s view of meditation in the life of a pupil

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C) Complete the following table filling in the appropriate form of the words
given:

Verb Noun Adjective Adverb

Expect
Outrage
Embarrassing
Inheritance
Perceptible

D) Write synonyms of the following words:

1. Savour 2. Indigenous 3. Emancipate
4. Endowment 5. Citadel 6. Ostracize
D) Writing activity
Use the following words and phrases in sentences of your own:
Outrageous; embarrassment; maimed; indigenous; savour; prosecute; weed out;
bureaucracy; dogmas; instinct; meditation.

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 B) All the World’s a Stage
William Shakespeare

Index:
4 B.0 Objectives
4 B.1 Introduction
4 B.2 Content
4 B.2.1 Check Your Progress
4 B.3 Summary
4 B.4 Terms to Remember
4 B.5 Answers to Check Your Progress
4 B.6 Exercises

4 B.0 Objectives
After studying this Unit you will be able to:
• Understand Shakespeare’s conception of human life.
• Explain the theme of the poem.
• Find relationship between the man’s life and the different parts played by him.

4 B.1 Introduction:
The greatest genius, myriad-minded Shakespeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon
in 1564. His father, John, was a small shop-keeper and there were two sisters and
three brothers to the poet. His education was cut short when he was 13 years of age,
and that he had to work to help the family. He soon took up the profession of an
actor, and published his first work Venus and Adonis in 1593. He wrote 37 plays and
2 long poems. He had perfect knowledge of passions, the humours and sentiments of
mankind. He painted all characters, from kings down to peasants, with equal truth
and equal force. Shakespeare’s characters are not individuals, they are a species

110
eternal. He was not of an age but for all times, because his men and women are true
to the eternal facts of human life. He breathed his last on his birthday, April 23rd,
1616.
The present poem is one of Shakespeare’s most frequently-quoted passages. It is
taken from his play As You Like It. The poem begins with a phrase, ‘All the World’s
a Stage’, which is very famous all over the World. Here, Shakespeare compares life
to a stage and has divided life into seven stages each having its own varied qualities
and features.

4 B.2 Content:
All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

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 Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

4 B.2.1 Check Your Progress

A) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence each.
1) What is compared to the stage in the poem?
2) What are the seven stages of man?
3) What is the second stage of man?
4) Who sighs like furnace?
5) Who is compared to the snail’s pace?
6) Who is jealous in honor and quick in quarrel?
7) Who are compared to the actors in the play?
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. According to Shakespeare all the world is ..................
a) a burden b) beautiful
c) a stage d) dangerous

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 2. By ‘exits and entrances’ the poet means ..................
a) deaths and births b) dramatic acts
c) departures and entries d) stage directions
3. ................. writes woeful ballads.
a) A schoolboy b) A lover
c) A soldier d) The poet
4. One man in his lifetime plays many parts, his acts being ..................
a) varied b) myriad
c) many d) seven ages
5. ................. is jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel.
a) A schoolboy b) A lover
c) A soldier d) An old man
6. The justice is full of wise saws and ................. .
a) jealous in honour b) strange oaths
c) modern instances d) with spectacles
7. ................. is second childhood.
a) Sixth age b) Seventh age
c) Infancy d) Fifth age

4 B.3 Summary:
In the poem Shakespeare seems to have an impression that human life is not
real. What we see and hear is not reality. Human life itself is a make-believe play.
Here Shakespeare traces human life through the famous seven ages – the infant in
arms, the schoolboy, the lover, the soldier, the justice, the retired man, and the worn-
out senior, sinking back into dissolution. All the world is a stage. We are but actors.
We enter the stage and we go off it again. One man in one’s lifetime plays many
roles. At first he plays the part of the infant, crying and throwing out milk in the
nurse’s arms. Then he plays the part of the schoolboy who is unwilling to go to
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school. With his shining morning face he trudges on at a snail’s pace. Then comes
the lover. He sighs like a furnace and writes pathetic verses, addressing his mistress.
Then he plays the role of the soldier. He is stocked with all violent oaths. He wears a
formidable beard. He is too sensitive and quick and hasty in quarrel. He is ready to
sacrifice his life for the sake of unsubstantial glory. Then he plays the role of the
judge. He is a man of bulging belly, with severe eyes. He is wise man. Then
Shakespeare describes old age. It is rather comical. The old man goes about in
slippers, wearing glasses. His mannish voice turns again into the shrill tone of a
child. The last role is second childhood. It is full of forgetfulness. It is without teeth,
without eyes, without taste – without everything.

4 B.4 Terms to Remember:

Merely players : life is but all a play and that there is no reality in it.
Exits : departures
Seven ages : seven stages of life- infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier,
judge, pantaloon and old age, second childishness.
Mewling : crying
Puking : throwing out milk
Mewling and Puking : the idea here is of an infant crying and then throwing
up part of the milk.
Whining : complainng
Satchel : bag
Creeping like snail : moving at a snail’s pace as unwilling to go to school. A
boy is compared with a snail …… use of ‘simile’.
Sighing like a furnace : like the outrush of smoke from the chimney.
Like the pard : probably rough and shabby.
Jealous : here ‘sensitive’.
Bubble reputation : reputation which is as unsustainable as a bubble.
In the cannon’s mouth : at the risk of his life.
Justice : judge
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Capon : castrated cock
Saws : sayings
Instances : illustrations.
Pantaloon : here ‘old man’. The reference her is to “Don Pataleone”
the old man deceived by his young wife.
Shrunk : shriveled, lean and wrinkled.
Shank : the part of the human leg between the knee and the
ankle. Here ‘leg’.
Treble : threefold. Here, ‘shrill accents of a child’.
Oblivion : forgetfulness
Sans : without

4 B.5 Answers to Check Your Progress

A) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence each.
1. All the world
2. The acts of man?
3. The whining schoolboy
4. The lover
5. The whining schoolboy
6. A soldier
7. All the men and women
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. c) a stage
2. a) deaths and births
3. b) A lover
4. c) many
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 5. c) A soldier
6. c) modern instances
7. b) Seventh age

4 B.6 Exercises
A) Answer the following questions in three to four sentences each:
1) What is Shakespeare’s impression of human life?
2) How does Shakespeare describe the judge?
3) In what way does Shakespeare speak about the customs and manners of his
age through ‘soldier’?
B) Write short notes on the following in 8-10 sentences each:
1) The second childhood
2) Seven ages of Man’s Life.
C) Vocabulary exercises:
Complete the following table filling in the appropriate form of the word
given:

Noun Adjective Adverb

Woeful
Strange
Fairness
Eventually
D) Give synonyms of the following words:
1. Exit 2. Entrance 3. Satchel 4.Woeful
5. Wise 6. Shrunken 7. Childish

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 C) The Secret
V.V. Shirwadkar (Kusumagraj)
Index:
4 C.0 Objectives
4 C.1 Introduction
4 C.2 Content
4 C.2.1 Check Your Progress
4 C.2.2 Check Your Progress
4 C.2.3 Check Your Progress
4 C.3 Summary
4 C.4 Terms to Remember
4 C.5 Answers to Check Your Progress
4 C.6 Exercises

4 C.0 Objectives:
After studying this Unit you will be able to:
• Understand in brief the life and work of the poet.
• Explain the theme of the poem.
• Find relationship between the man’s life and nature.

4 C.1 Introduction:
Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar (27 Feb, 1912 – 10 March 1999), popularly known
as Kusumagraj, is a prominent Marathi poet, playwright, novelist and short story
writer. He was a great humanist. He was B.A. in Marathi and English. He wrote
three novels, sixteen volumes of poems, seven volumes of essays, eight volumes of
short stories, 18 plays and six one-act plays. His love poem ‘Pruthviche Premgeet’ is
extremely famous in which the Earth is personified as a passionate lover who aches
to meet the Sun. He worked as a screenplay writer and also as a journalist. He was
recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award for Natsamrat in 1974, Padma Bhushan in

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1991 and the Jnanapith Award in 1987. His writing mainly focuses on freedom,
justice and emancipation of the deprived.
The poem ‘The Secret’ is an expression of ‘unheard melody’ or rather ‘unplayed
melody’. It is translated into English by Prabhakar Machwe. The poet has a secret
which he is determined never to share with anyone. The poem is deceptively simple
as it is having a great meaning.

4C.2 Text:
I have to say something
but I shall not
At the door of the temple
I shall not weigh faith

Within me the fragrance

of the heavenly tree
But its petals
Would never blossom
I have found the secret
In the names of stars
But it would not get
the touch of letters
cloud purple only
at the border of the sky
Its secret will not
Be known to anyone.

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 In the distant harbor
a silver ship awaits
Its treasures would never
Touch the shore
With your kind grace
I own the forest-fire
I would never burn thee
in its embers.
(Tr. by Prabhakar Machwe)

4C.2.1 Check Your Progress:

A) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence each.
1. Does the narrator want to tell his secret?
2. Where does the narrator say that he shall not weigh his faith?
3. What type of fragrance is there within the narrator?
4. Where is the lonely purple cloud?
5. Where does the silver ship await?
6. Will the treasure of the ship reach the shore?
7. What does the narrator own by the grace of someone?
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. The poet shall not weigh his faith at the door of .................
a) the heaven b) his house c) the temple d) the church
2. The petals of ................. would never blossom.
a) heavenly tree b) the flower c) the rose d) lily

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 3. The poet is having within him ................. of the heavenly tree.
a) the fragrance b) the petals c) the flowers d) the beauty
4. The poet has found the secret in the names of ..................
a) stars b) the cloud c) the God d) the nature

4C.3 Summary:
The poem ‘The Secret’ is an expression of ‘unheard melody’ or rather ‘unplayed
melody’. It is translated into English by Prabhakar Machwe. The poet has a secret
which he is determined never to share with anyone. The poet wants to say something
but he shall not. He shall not weigh faith at the door of the temple. He experiences
the fragrance of the heavenly tree within him. However, its petals would never
blossom. He has found the secret in the names of the stars but it would not get the
touch of letters. He sees the lonely purple cloud at the border of the sky. However, its
secret will not be known to anyone. In the distant harbour he sees a silver ship
awaiting there. The ship is full of treasures, but its treasures would never touch the
shore. The poet is having the forest-fire with the kind grace of the listener and he
would not burn him or her in its embers.
The poem is deceptively simple as it carries in it a great meaning. It may be read
as a song sung by a lovelorn. The opening lines aptly describe the poets suffocating
condition. In spite of the frustration in love, the poet is not willing to speak about it.
The poet wants to be faithful forever. Love is a temple of which the beloved is deity
for the poet. The poet worships the beloved as Goddess. The speaker believes in her
and hence ‘shall not weigh faith’. Faith is something of which the nature or
importance cannot be assessed. It cannot be weighed. The ‘fragrance of the heavenly
tree’ might be the ‘existence of God within man’ which man always feels but never
finds its ‘blossom’. It could also be the fragrance of love. The speakers love has not
blossomed. The secret of the stars is never known to man; likewise the secret of the
cloud is also not known to man. In the same way the secrets of certain things of
nature like ‘the silver ship full of treasures’ or the ‘forest-fire and its embers’ are
uncomprehending to the poet. The speaker promises his beloved that he would never
burn her in the embers of the forest-fire. He would suffer alone but will never be
unfaithful to her.

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4C.4 Terms to remember:
weigh (V) : have a certain weight; measure
fragrance (N) : a pleasant, sweet smell
blossom (N) : the state or period of flowering
harbour (N) : a place on the coast where ships can discharge cargo
thee (Pron.) : archaic or dialect form of You
ember (N) : a small piece of burning or glowing material in a dying fire

4C.5 Answers to check your progress:

A) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/ sentence each.
1. No.
2. At the door of the temple
3. The fragrance of the heavenly tree
4. At the border of the sky
5. In the distant harbor
6. No. It would never touch the shore
7. The forest-fire
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the
ones given below them:
1. c) the temple
2. a) heavenly tree
3. a) the fragrance
4. a) stars

4C.6 Exercises:
A) Answer the following questions in three to four sentences each:
1. What does the poet compare the secret in his mind with?
2. Which things the poet describes to support his decision to keep the secret?
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 3. Describe the suffering of the lover as described in the poem?
B) Write short notes on the following in 8-10 sentences each:
1. The secrets of nature
2. The theme of the poem
3. The Melancholy lover
C) Vocabulary exercises:
I. Complete the following table filling in the appropriate form of the word
given:

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb

Blossom
Touch
kind
Treasure

II. Give synonyms for the following words.

1. say 2. Harbor
3. touch 4.kind
III. Give antonyms for the following words.
1. Border 2.grace
3. await 4. distant

4C.7 Suggestions for further reading:

1. Read Marathi poems of Kusumagraj

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