CBSE Class 10 English Reading, Writing and Grammar Worksheet Set 03

Answer: Old people accumulate belongings for two reasons: they lack the physical and mental energy to sort and throw things away, and the things they have owned for long carry memories of the past, so they gain sentimental value.

Teacher's Note:
1. Look at the sentence that begins with 'Old people also accumulate belongings'.
2. Both reasons, lack of energy and sentiment, should be mentioned.

Answer: Collecting small items becomes a mania when it turns into an obsessive habit. For example, a lady cuts out sketches of expensive clothes from newspapers that she can never afford to buy, and they only litter her desk.

Teacher's Note:
1. Support your answer with the example given in the passage.
2. A mania is an excessive and usually useless enthusiasm.

Answer: As a serious hobby, collecting gives relaxation in leisure hours, cheap entertainment at home and knowledge of the subject and related matters. It also helps one meet like-minded people, leads to travel and may make one an authority who is invited to give talks.

Teacher's Note:
1. The last two paragraphs list the benefits; pick the main ones.
2. Group the points into relaxation, learning and social benefits.

Answer: (a) accumulate = amass (first sentence of paragraph 1). (b) economical in the use of money = thrifty (paragraph 2).

Teacher's Note:
1. Look in the first sentence of the passage for the first word.
2. The second word describes the people who keep string and brown paper.

Answer: A suitable title is The Joys and Pitfalls of Collecting. Other titles such as 'Collecting: From Clutter to Hobby' are also acceptable.

Teacher's Note:
1. A good title reflects the whole passage, not just one paragraph.
2. Keep it short and meaningful.

Answer:

It was getting dark. Raghav was coming home from his tuition. He suddenly realised that he had lost his way. He had taken a shortcut through an unfamiliar lane to save time, and now every turn looked the same. The street lights were off and the lane was silent.

Raghav's heart began to pound. He tried to recall the landmarks he had passed, but fear had clouded his memory. He thought of calling his father, but his phone had run out of battery. For a moment he wanted to cry, but he took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm.

He remembered what his teacher had once said: 'Panic is the first step to defeat.' He walked slowly towards a faint light at the end of the lane. It came from a small tea stall where an old man was closing for the night. Raghav politely explained his problem and asked for directions.

The old man smiled kindly. He not only told him the way to the main road but also let Raghav use his phone. Within ten minutes, Raghav's father arrived on his scooter, looking worried but relieved.

On the way home, Raghav thanked the old man again and promised himself that he would never take an unknown path in the dark. The experience taught him that calmness and courtesy can solve even the most frightening situations.

Teacher's Note:
1. A good story has a clear beginning, a problem, a turning point and a meaningful ending.
2. Keep the tenses consistent and stay within the word limit.

Answer:

234/C, South Extension
Greater Noida
The Editor
The Daily Courier
Greater Noida
Subject: Need to conserve water
Sir,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of readers to the importance of saving water. During a recent visit to Rajasthan, I saw women and children walking several kilometres every day to fetch a few pots of water. The sight made me realise how precious this resource is, while we waste it so carelessly in our cities.

We can conserve water by repairing leaking taps, switching off the tap while brushing, using buckets instead of hosepipes, harvesting rainwater and reusing water for gardening. Schools and housing societies should run awareness drives.

I request you to publish an article on this subject so that more people are encouraged to act.
Yours faithfully
Amit

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the correct format: sender's address, receiver, subject, salutation, body and complimentary close.
2. Mention both the problem and practical solutions.

Answer:

V.K. Cloth House
Main Market
Jammu
M/s Satya and Sons
Textile Market
Ludhiana
Subject: Complaint about poor quality of clothes supplied
Dear Sir,
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the consignment of clothes delivered to my shop against Order No. 245. On opening the packages, I found that the fabric was of far lower quality than the samples shown to me. Many pieces had loose stitching, uneven dyes and tears, and the colours faded after the first wash.

This has caused me a great loss of reputation and money, as customers have started returning the goods. I request you to replace the defective items with pieces of the approved quality within a week, or refund the amount. Otherwise I shall be forced to cancel future orders and take legal action.
I hope you will treat the matter urgently.
Yours faithfully
V.K. Cloth House

Teacher's Note:
1. A letter of complaint should state the problem clearly and politely, and mention the action expected.
2. Include order details and a deadline for the reply.

Answer: a. forgotten your own
b. You were never
c. freedom to voice
d. You were always

Teacher's Note:
1. Read each line together with the next one to find where a word is missing.
2. Note down the word before, the missing word and the word after it.

Answer: e. everything that your
f. said to you
g. have to follow
h. priests were doing

Teacher's Note:
1. Missing words are usually articles, prepositions, auxiliaries or conjunctions.
2. Check that the completed sentence is grammatically correct.

Answer: The teacher asked Ankit why he had not completed his homework.

Teacher's Note:
1. In reported speech a past tense question is changed to the past perfect.
2. The question word 'why' stays, but the word order becomes that of a statement.

Answer: Ankit told the teacher respectfully that the previous day he had caught a fever.

Teacher's Note:
1. 'Yesterday' changes to 'the previous day' and the past tense changes to the past perfect.
2. 'Ma'am' is an address and can be reported with 'respectfully' or 'politely'.

Answer: The teacher asked him how she could believe it.

Teacher's Note:
1. The modal 'can' changes to 'could' in indirect speech.
2. The pronoun 'I' changes to 'she' because the speaker is the teacher.

Answer: Ankit told her that she could ask Arun, who was his neighbour.

Teacher's Note:
1. 'You' becomes 'she' and 'my' becomes 'his'.
2. The present tense 'is' changes to 'was'.

Answer: The teacher told him that she would call his mother and confirm it.

Teacher's Note:
1. 'Will' changes to 'would' and 'your' becomes 'his'.
2. The reporting verb 'told' is followed by 'that'.

Answer: Even as a boy, Alexander was fearless and strong.

Teacher's Note:
1. Begin with the phrase 'even as a boy'.
2. The subject Alexander is followed by the verb 'was' and two adjectives.

Answer: He tamed a spirited and beautiful horse.

Teacher's Note:
1. The subject 'he' comes first and is followed by the verb 'tamed'.
2. The adjectives 'spirited and beautiful' describe the horse.

Answer: His father was very proud of his power over the horse.

Teacher's Note:
1. The sentence pattern is 'subject + was + adjective + preposition phrase'.
2. 'Proud of' is the correct collocation.

Answer: His father loved him very much.

Teacher's Note:
1. Subject, verb, object and then the adverbial phrase 'very much'.
2. Check that every given word has been used.