English Notes

Hello Students Let me share with you  10 useful tips  to help you present your answers better. 1.         Good handwriting creates the best impression; pay attention every time you write. 2.         Legibility ultimately earns you the marks: answers should be within the margins. 3.         One mark questions should always be answered in short. (in a word, phrase or a sentence max. strictly). Highlight the right point. 4.         A paragraph answer questions should be answered in a paragraph each only. 5.          Focus on correct grammar and right construction. 6.           Underline points  wherever needed and “quote” lines if necessary from the text book. 7.         For 4 marks, a short  intro & conclusion...

Let’s move with the Time! We never realised a couple of months ago that we would be put to such an austere test. We never imagined that a virtual reality would turn out to be a reality indeed! Education is what teaches us to adapt to the demanding situations and continue to excel. We have started learning online amid scare and caution, yet we are learning to live normal.  Our mind is the determining factor in making our life miserable or promising. We should always bank upon constructive ideas that guide us to light from encompassing darkness. The best practices that we inculcate as early as possible will safeguard us from the unanticipated moments of despondency. So, it becomes all the more important to learn to live the moment. I don’t think anyone can achieve the desired results only after creating conducive atmosphere. We should hammer the hurdles in our mind to pave our way to success. There are more difficulties and personal setbacks that try to hamper our journey. Bu...

Introduction Faiz Ahamad Faiz was an intellectual, revolutionary and one of the most famous poets of Urdu language from Pakistan. His varied career won him a wide audience. He was the recipient of Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union in 1962. Faiz was inspired by South Asia’s Sufi traditions. Synopsis This poem is more about love which is not merely self-centred but universal. Humanity has been moved by this powerful inner feeling ever since time immemorial. Here, in the poem the poet tries to convey to his beloved his inability at the moment to return the same love he had in their youthful days. Then, her love was everything else. Her sorrows were more painful. As he has matured overtime, he now understands the world better. He feels that he has to respond to much bigger issues. There is more for him to love and there are more sorrows to understand. So, the poem concludes that a more mature attitude towards love gives one a better understanding of love and sorrows. ...

Click for Video Explanation Click for summary Comprehension I 1.         Do you think Laura was a regular visitor to the park? What makes you think so? Ans: Yes. Her words, “I feared my seat would be occupied”, show that she was a regular visitor. 2.         Why are Don Gonzalo and Laura annoyed with each other? Ans: Because both want bench to themselves. 3.         Dona Laura reads without her glasses as Ans: (c) she knows every word by heart. 4.         Gonzalo and Laura keep up humorous conversation because they: Ans: (b) enjoy being with each other. 5.         Laura and Gonzalo’s friendly conversation begins with Ans: (c) a pinch of snuff. 6.         Do you think Laura is an effective narrator? Ans: Yes, she is. ...

Click for the summary Questions and Answers  COMMON INTRODUCTION P. Sainath is an Indian journalist who focuses on issues such as social and economic inequality, rural affairs and poverty. He was the Rural Affairs Editor at The Hindu . He has been writing for the various dailies and fortnightlies. Comprehension II 1.   What is the role of Arivoli  Iyakkam   in liberating women? Ans:  Arivoli Iyakkam  – Light of Knowledge Movement organizes various activities benefitting rural women and the disadvantaged people in society. It helps people become literate. One of the remarkable initiatives taken up by Arivaoli for the liberation of women in 1992 in Pudukkottai district of Tamilnadu was cycling movement. It helped women gain confidence. They became independent: they were able to fetch water; they could cart provisions from other places. Arivoli gave these women a new lease of life. Cycling offered a way out of enforc...

Click for the summary Comprehension I 1.   What qualities of the old man impressed the narrator? Ans: He was a labourer, overseer and philosopher. 2.    Is it a significant factor that the old man came to the garden after walking hundreds of miles? Ans: Yes, it is. 3.     The owner of the gardener became lethargic because Ans: (b) he had become dependent upon the gardener. 4.     Why did the owner’s wife start worrying about the strange ways of her husband? Ans: He became lethargic and shied away from hard work. 5.    When did the old man decide to narrate his story? Ans: When she was in a fix. 6.     Tammanna considers his rival, Sngoji/Basavaiah, an important possession because, Ans: (c) rivalry offers new possibilities of life for him. 7.    “No, his name was not Sngoji, but Basavaiah” told the old man because Ans: (C)...