NCERT Solutions Class 10 English (First Flight)
The NCERT Solutions in English Language for Class 10 English (First Flight) Chapter – 11 The Proposal has been provided here to help the students in solving the questions from this exercise.
Chapter – 11 (The Proposal)
Thinking About the Play
1. What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says ‘And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
Answer – At first Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to borrow money as he was in his evening dress. He was not sincere when he told Lomov that he had always loved him and that he was like his own son, because he had decided to not give any money to Lomov. It was only when Lomov asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage that his attitude changed and he rushed out to call his daughter, Natalya.
2. Chubukov says of Natalya: “……. as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat……” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
Answer – Yes, Natalya is in love. This is clear by the way she behaves when she gets to know that Lomov came to propose to her. She starts weeping and asks her father to bring Lomov at once.
3.
(i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other. (For example, Lomov in the end calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier, Chubukov has himself called Lomov a “malicious, double faced intriguer.” Again, Lomov begins by describing Nayalya as “ an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well-educated.”)
(ii) Then think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each character in the play.
(iii) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next?
Answer – The words and expressions that have been used to describe each other by various characters of the play are Chubukov: intriguer, grabber, old rat Natalya: a lovesick cat, an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking’ well-educated. Lomov: a good neighbour, impudent, pettifogger, malicious, double faced intriguer, rascal, blind hen, turnip ghost, a villian, scare crow, stuffed sausage, etc.
Thinking About the Language
I.
1. This play has been translated in English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more – Russian than English? For example would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?
Answer – Expressions not used in contemporary English
1. “my darling”, “my beauty”, “my precious”, “my angel”, “my beloved” (here, an older man is addressing an adult man)
2. “…and so on…” (here, it is used after a sentence in order to complete it)
3. “…and all that sort of thing.” (not explaining what it is, just leaving it as it is)
4. “…and all that.” (again leaving the sentence as it is)
5. “the scarecrow”, “the stuffed sausage”, “the wizen-faced frump” (In this way, they hurled insults at each other)
6. “And how may you be getting on?” (Here, Lomov is asking Chubukov about his well-being)
Modern English expressions
1. “Madam”, “my heart”, “honoured Natalya Stepanovna” (used by Lomov for Natalya)
2. “Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch” (used by Lomov for Chubukov)
3. “I beg your pardon…”
4. “My dear fellow” (Chubukov addressing Lomov)
5. “malicious, double-faced intriguer”, “fool” (Chubukov insulting Lomov)
2. Look up the following words in a dictionary and find out how to pronounce them. Pay attention to how many syllables there are in each word, and find out which syllable is stressed, or said more forcefully.
| palpitations, interface, implore, thoroughbred, pedigree, principle, evidence, misfortune, malicious, embezzlement, architect, neighbours, accustomed, temporary, behaviour, documents |
Answer –
- Palpitations – a noticeably rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeat due to agitation
- interfere – to prevent activity from taking place or continuing.
- implore – beg someone earnestly to do something.
- thoroughbred – a horse of a pure breed
- pedigree – the record of descent of an animal
- principle – a fundamental truth that serves as a foundation.
- evidence – the available information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true.
- misfortune – an unfortunate event.
- malicious – intending or intended to do harm.
- embezzlement – misappropriation of funds placed in one’s trust
- architect – a person who designs buildings
- neighbors – a person living next door
- accustomed – customary
- temporary – not permanent
- behavior – the way in which one acts
- documents – a piece of written, printed, or electronic matter that provides information
3. Look up the following phrases in a dictionary to find out their meaning, and then use each in a sentence of your own.
(i) You may take it that
(ii) He seems to be coming round
(iii) My foot’s gone to sleep
Answer –
(i) You may take it that I am lying, but in fact it will help you in the long run.
(ii) He seems to be coming round after the trauma of his father’s death.
(iii) After the three hour long yoga session, my foot’s gone to sleep.
II. Reported Speech
You must have noticed that when we report someone’s exact words, we have to make some changes in the sentence structure. In the following sentences fill in the blanks to list the changes that have occurred in the above pairs of sentences. One has been done for you.
- To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked (as in sentence set 1).
- To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb ____________.
- The adverb of place here changes to ____________.
- When the verb in the direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the ____________ tense (as in sentence set 3).
- If the Verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to ____________ tense. For example, ____________ changes to was getting.
- When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb ____________ in the reporting clause (as in sentence set 1)
- The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change to third person pronouns to such as ____________ or ____________ in reported speech.
Answer –
- To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked.
- To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb declared.
- The adverb of place here changes to there.
- When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the past tense.
- If the verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to past continuous tense. For example, am getting changes to was getting.
- When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb respectfully in the reporting clause.
- The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change to second person pronouns such as he/she, him/her, their or his/hers in reported speech.
