Maharashtra Board Class 10 English Chapter 2.3 The Twins Solutions

Class 10 English Chapter 2.3 Question Answer Maharashtra Board

The Twins Poem 10th Std Question Answer

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Chit-Chat:

Question 1. Two babies born at the same time are called twins. Guess and share who are :
(i) Three babies born at the same time to the same mother are called triplets.
(ii) Four babies born at the same time to the same mother are called quadruplets.
(iii) Five babies born at the same time to the same mother are called quintuplets.
Answer:
1. Three babies born at the same time to the same mother are called triplets.
2. Four babies born at the same time to the same mother are called quadruplets.
3. Five babies born at the same time to the same mother are called quintuplets.
In simple words: This question defines different terms for multiple births, clarifying that twins are two babies, triplets are three, quadruplets are four, and quintuplets are five.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand these terms for multiple births, as they can appear in vocabulary-based questions or general knowledge sections.

 

Question 2. Imagine you had an identical twin (brother or sister). Imagine and share with your classmates what pranks you two would play on your friends, elders in the family and even in school.
Answer:
Points: At home - Blame your twin brother for the wrongs/breakage/damage done by you - eat his sweets/sweetmeats and demand it again as the other one - if one did some thing special good, the other pretends as it is done by him - In school: One makes mischief in the class and points his finger at the other, he is guilty of doing something wrong throws blame on the other.
In simple words: If I had an identical twin, we would enjoy playing pranks like blaming each other for mischief, taking credit for good deeds, or confusing people about who did what at home and school.

🎯 Exam Tip: This is a creative writing question. Focus on descriptive language and vivid scenarios to score well. Use varied sentence structures.

 

Question 1. Study the following pairs or groups of words. Cup and saucer/needle and thread/birds and beasts/take a risk/sip tea or coffee/hide and seek etc. These are sets of words that more than often go together and occur together. We call such sets Collocation. Insert the proper words from the bracket to form collocations.
[(a) afford, (b) time, (c) defeat, (d) clothes, (e) owners, (f) necessary, (g) role, (h) interview, (i) morning, (j) cold.]
(a) absolutely ..........................
(b) cannot ..........................
(c) formal ..........................
(d) job ..........................
(e) pass ..........................
(f) accept ..........................
(g) early ..........................
(h) catch a ..........................
(i) leading ..........................
(j) joint ..........................
Answer:
(a) absolutely necessary.
(b) cannot afford
(c) formal clothes
(d) job interview
(e) pass time
(f) accept defeat
(g) early morning
(h) catch a cold
(i) leading role
(j) joint owners
In simple words: This exercise demonstrates collocations, which are words that commonly appear together, showing how specific adjectives, verbs, or nouns naturally pair up in English.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mastering collocations improves fluency and naturalness in language. Practice identifying common word pairs to enhance your vocabulary and writing skills.

 

Question 2. Exaggeration or overstatement often causes humour. For example, She is thin as a pin.
• He has a pea-sized brain
• My shoes are killing me.

When such exaggerated lines occur in poetry, they are examples of the Figure of Speech: Hyperbole. Complete the following examples of Hyperbole using words from the bracket below.
(horse/lion/death/an ocean/ton/second/help)

Question 1. Complete the following examples of Hyperbole using words from the bracket below.
(a) She wept .......................... of tears.
(b) The hungry man ate a .......................... of food.
(c) He runs faster than a ..........................
(d) Brrrr..! I am freezing to ..........................
(e) I shall come over in just a ..........................
Answer:
(a) She wept an ocean of tears.
(b) The hungry man ate a ton of food.
(c) He runs faster than a horse.
(d) Brrrr..! I am freezing to death.
(e) I shall come over in just a second.
In simple words: Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses extreme exaggeration for emphasis or to create a humorous effect, not to be taken literally.

🎯 Exam Tip: To identify hyperbole, look for statements that are clearly impossible or highly improbable, indicating an intentional overstatement rather than a literal fact.

 

English Workshop:

Question 1. Rewrite putting the mistakes in the speaker's life, in their proper order.
(a) The speaker got beaten-up, often, at school.
(b) The speaker's bride became his brother's wife.
(c) The speaker desperately asked for guidance.
(d) No one in the family could distinguish between the twin – babies.
(e) At the naming ceremony wrong names were given to the two twin brothers.
(f) Even in death, the twins were not spared during burial.
Answer:
(a) No one in the family could distinguish between the twin-babies.
(b) At the naming ceremony wrong names were given to the two twin brothers.
(c) He (the narrator) got beaten-up, often, at school.
(d) The speaker desperately asked for guidance.
(e) The speaker's bride became his brother's wife.
(f) Even in death, the twins were not spared during burial.
In simple words: The ordered list shows the sequence of humorous misfortunes the narrator experienced due to his identical twin, from mistaken identity at birth to a mix-up even after death.

🎯 Exam Tip: For sequencing questions, carefully read the entire narrative or poem to identify chronological markers and causal relationships between events, then list them step-by-step.

 

Question 2. Pick out four situations in the lives of the twins, which are too absurd and senseless to believe.
1. ..........................
2. ..........................
3. ..........................
4. ..........................
Answer:
1. The people began mistaking one for the other.
2. The speaker's brother got the name John, intended for the speaker.
3. The speaker's intended bride became his brother's wife.
4. When the speaker died, the neighbours came and buried his brother John.
In simple words: These four situations highlight the extreme and unbelievable mix-ups caused by the twins' identical appearance, leading to humorous and tragic consequences for the narrator.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to identify absurd or humorous situations, look for exaggerations or ironies in the text that create a comedic effect due to their outlandish nature.

 

Question 3. (A) Complete the web diagram.
ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह आरेख एक वेब डायग्राम है जिसका केंद्रीय विचार "कवि हास्य का प्रयोग क्यों करते हैं" (Poet uses humour to) है। केंद्रीय वृत्त से निकलकर कई सहायक वृत्त हैं, जिनमें से कुछ में "मनोरंजन करने के लिए पाठक" (to entertain readers), "खुशी पैदा करने के लिए" (create laughter), "पाठकों को खुश करने के लिए" (make readers happy), "हास्य की भावना रखने के लिए" (to have a sense of humour), "अच्छा मूड बनाने के लिए" (to create good mood), और "ऊब कम करने के लिए" (reduce boredom) जैसे उद्देश्य दिए गए हैं। यह दर्शाता है कि हास्य का उपयोग कविता में विभिन्न उद्देश्यों की पूर्ति के लिए किया जाता है, जैसे मनोरंजन, खुशी और बोरियत को दूर करना।
Answer:
(Diagram is fully described in the explanation above)
In simple words: The web diagram illustrates the various reasons poets use humor, such as to entertain readers, create laughter, make people happy, develop a sense of humor, foster a good mood, and reduce boredom.

🎯 Exam Tip: For diagram completion questions, carefully analyze the given parts and use context clues from the surrounding text to infer the missing information, ensuring your answers align with the central theme.

 

Question b. Write any two lines from the poem, that you find most humorous.
Answer:
1. For somehow, my intended bride Became my brother's wife.
2. When I died, the neighbours came And buried brother John.
In simple words: These lines are humorous because they depict extreme cases of mistaken identity, where the narrator loses his fiancée to his brother and even gets his brother buried instead of himself.

🎯 Exam Tip: When selecting humorous lines, look for situations of irony, absurdity, or unexpected twists that are intended to evoke laughter, often due to exaggeration or a play on words.

 

Question 4. Pick out lines that contain:
Alliteration
(a) ..........................
(b) ..........................
(c) ..........................
Pun
(a) ..........................
(b) ..........................
Hyperbole
(a) ..........................
(b) ..........................
Answer:
Alliteration:
(a) In form and feature, face and limb.
(b) It puzzled all our kith and kin.
(c) One day, to make the matter worse.
Pun:
(a) I grew so like my brother.
(b) That folks got taking me for him.
Hyperbole:
(a) It reached a fearful pitch.
(b) We got completely mixed.
In simple words: This exercise identifies poetic devices like alliteration (repeated initial consonant sounds), pun (a play on words), and hyperbole (exaggeration) within the poem, showcasing how they contribute to its humorous effect.

🎯 Exam Tip: To effectively identify figures of speech, understand their definitions and look for specific literary techniques used by the poet to create particular effects, such as sound patterns or exaggerated meaning.

 

Question 5. Pick out from the poem sets of words that generally go together. For example, kith and kin.
(a) ..........................
(b) ..........................
(c) ..........................
(d) ..........................
Answer:
1. form and feature
2. face and limb
3. kith and kin
4. fearful pitch
5. fate's decree
6. got christened
7. close resemblance
8. turn the tide
9. domestic life
10. intended bride
11. absurd mistake
12. put (this) question
13. get flogged
In simple words: This task focuses on identifying collocations - words that frequently appear together in the poem, which helps in understanding common phrases and idiomatic expressions.

🎯 Exam Tip: Recognizing collocations strengthens vocabulary and comprehension. When encountering new texts, pay attention to word partnerships as they often carry specific meanings or contribute to the text's tone.

 

Question 6. Write in your notebook, the summary of this poem in about 15 to 20 lines in your own words. You can suggest another humorous title.
Answer:
(Student should write the summary with the help of the paraphrase of the poem given in this book.)
Another humorous title: Twists in the lives of Twins.
In simple words: This question requires you to summarize the poem's main narrative and themes in your own words, demonstrating understanding of its content and ability to synthesize information, along with suggesting an alternative title.

🎯 Exam Tip: When summarizing, focus on the core plot and central message, omitting minor details. Ensure the summary is concise and reflects the original text's tone, and your new title should be catchy and relevant.

 

Question 7. Write an Appreciation of the poem with reference to all the points mentioned on Page 5.
Answer:
Appreciation of the Poem
1. Title: The title of the poem is 'The Twins'.
2. Name of the poet: The name of the poet is Henry S. Leigh.
3. Rhyme scheme: The rhyme scheme of the poem is "abab".
4. Figure of speech (Any one): Alliteration, hyperbole.
5. Theme / Central Idea: The central idea of the poem is the problems faced by one of the identical twins.
6. All the problems are so exaggerated that they create humorous effect. Still, the poet achieves a balance by making the reader believe, at least for a short time, the way of thinking of his argument.
In simple words: This appreciation provides a comprehensive analysis of the poem, covering its title, poet, rhyme scheme, figures of speech, central theme, and the use of exaggeration to create humor while maintaining relatability.

🎯 Exam Tip: A thorough poem appreciation requires addressing structural elements like rhyme scheme, literary devices, and overarching themes, along with critical commentary on the poet's style and message.

My English Coursebook 10th Digest Chapter 2.3 The Twins Additional Important Questions and Answers

Read the extract and do the activities:

Simple Factual Activity:

Question 1. Complete the following with the information given in the extract: (Answers are directly given and underlined.)
Answer:
1. The twins were similar to each other in form and feature and face and limb.
2. The people mistook the twins, one for the another.
3. No one knew who was a twin.
4. Kith and Kin were puzzled by the brother's similarity.
In simple words: This question tests your ability to extract direct information from the poem about the physical resemblance of the twins and the confusion it caused among people.

🎯 Exam Tip: For factual activities, locate keywords from the question in the text and directly lift the relevant information. Avoid interpretation; stick strictly to what is stated.

 

Question 2. Complete the following sentences using the information from the extract: (Answers are directly given and underlined.)
Answer:
1. The narrator should have been christened John.
2. The narrator's brother was named as John.
3. The twins got mixed up when they were being washed by nurse.
4. The twins were mixed up before their names were fixed.
In simple words: This exercise focuses on specific factual details about the twins' naming mix-up, emphasizing how their identities became confused during their early life.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to pronouns and names in the text to correctly attribute actions and intentions. Underlining key phrases helps in quickly identifying the correct answers.

 

Question 3. Complete the following sentences using the information from the extract: (Answers are directly given and underlined.)
Answer:
1. The narrator got flogged when John turned out a fool.
2. The narrator got punishment with a flogging.
3. His likeness with his brother dogged poet's footsteps at school.
4. The narrator asked the question fruitlessly.
In simple words: These sentences illustrate the specific instances of confusion and hardship the narrator faced, particularly at school, due to his indistinguishable resemblance to his brother.

🎯 Exam Tip: When completing sentences, ensure the added information flows grammatically and logically with the rest of the sentence, directly reflecting the extract's content.

 

Question 4. Who became the wife of narrator's brother ?
Answer: The narrator's intended wife became his brother's wife.
In simple words: Due to their identical appearance, the narrator's brother ended up marrying the woman the narrator intended to marry.

🎯 Exam Tip: For specific factual recall, look for direct statements in the poem that reveal key plot points, especially those related to the central conflict or humorous events.

 

Question 5. What turned the tide of the narrator's domestic life?
Answer: The close resemblance between the twins turned the tide of the narrator's domestic life.
In simple words: The uncanny similarity between the twins fundamentally altered the course of the narrator's personal and family life, leading to all his problems.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify cause-and-effect relationships within the narrative. Here, the "close resemblance" is the cause, and the "turning of the tide" is the effect, signifying a major change.

 

Question 6. What continued year after year?
Answer: The same absurd mistakes continued year after year.
In simple words: The endless cycle of mistaken identities and resulting blunders persisted annually, causing ongoing chaos in the narrator's life.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for phrases indicating repetition or duration (e.g., "year after year," "always") to pinpoint actions or conditions that were ongoing throughout the story.

 

Question 7. Who according to the poet died?
Answer: According to the poet (narrator) he himself died.
In simple words: The narrator humorously claims he died, but it was his brother who was mistakenly buried in his place due to their identical appearance.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to the speaker's perspective and any humorous or ironic statements. In this case, the narrator's declaration of his own death is a poetic twist of mistaken identity.

Complex Factual Activities:

Question 1. What was the puzzling thing about the twins?
Answer: Both twins were so much alike in every way that no one could distinguish one from the other.
In simple words: The most puzzling aspect was the twins' extreme and complete resemblance, making it impossible for anyone to tell them apart.

🎯 Exam Tip: For "puzzling" or "main difficulty" type questions, identify the core problem or central mystery that drives the narrative or creates conflict.

 

Question 2. Pick out from the extract words/phrases that tell that the narrator was like his brother John.
Answer: 'In form and feature, face and limb, I grew so like my brother,' 'That folks got taking me for him and each for one another', and 'not a soul knew which'
In simple words: The phrases emphasize the narrator's exact physical likeness to his brother, which caused universal confusion and made distinguishing between them impossible for everyone.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to pick out specific phrases, ensure they are direct quotes from the text and accurately support the statement in the question, demonstrating close reading skills.

 

Question 3. What is the mix-up mentioned in this extract?
Answer: The narrator got christened his brother and the brother got christened John. The name, John, was actually intended for the narrator.
In simple words: The primary mix-up was the accidental swap of names during the christening ceremony, where each twin received the name intended for the other.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the specific core event or central confusion described. Here, the mis-christening is the foundational mix-up that sets off many other problems.

 

Question 4. Write any two lines from the extract that you find humorous.
Answer:
1. As we were being washed by nurse, we got completely mixed.
2. My brother John got christened me, And I get christened him.
In simple words: These lines are humorous as they lightheartedly describe the initial and fundamental identity swap that occurred with the twins, leading to a lifetime of confusion.

🎯 Exam Tip: When selecting humorous lines, look for instances of comedic irony, hyperbole, or playful language that contribute to the poem's light-hearted and amusing tone.

 

Question 5. Pick out from the extract the question that narrator asks everyone. Can you answer the question?
Answer: The narrator asked everyone what he would do if he were he (the narrator) to prove that he was actually himself. The only advice that can be given in such a case is to keep some different outward signs like mode of dress, hairstyle, mannerisms, etc. to identify oneself.
In simple words: The narrator's desperate question highlights the fundamental problem of identity, asking how one could prove who they are when perpetually mistaken for another. The solution suggests using distinct personal identifiers.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing a character's question, consider its underlying implication and the larger theme it addresses. Providing a logical answer demonstrates analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

 

Question 6. How did the narrator suffer at school? OR Who was put to disadvantage at school due to the similarity? How?
Answer: As a result of the similarity between the narrator and his brother, he (the narrator) was always getting beaten for the mistakes committed at school by his brother.
In simple words: The narrator suffered at school because his teachers and peers couldn't tell him apart from his mischievous brother, leading to him being unfairly punished for his brother's misdeeds.

🎯 Exam Tip: Trace the specific consequences of the central conflict (mistaken identity) in different settings. Here, the school environment illustrates a key area of the narrator's suffering.

 

Question 7. Complete the web: (Answers are directly given.)
ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह आरेख एक वेब डायग्राम है जिसमें एक केंद्रीय बॉक्स "अर्क में उल्लिखित दो गलतियाँ" (Two mistakes mentioned in the extract) है। इस केंद्रीय बॉक्स से दो तीर निकलते हैं, जो दो अलग-अलग बक्सों की ओर इशारा करते हैं। पहला बॉक्स कहता है "वक्ता के भाई ने वक्ता के लिए इरादा की गई दुल्हन से शादी कर ली।" (The speaker's brother married the bride intended for the speaker.) और दूसरा बॉक्स कहता है "जब वक्ता की मृत्यु हो गई तो पड़ोसियों ने उसके भाई जॉन को दफना दिया।" (When the speaker died the neighbours buried his brother, John.) यह आरेख संक्षेप में उन दो बड़ी गलतफहमियों को दर्शाता है जो जुड़वाँ बच्चों की समानता के कारण हुईं।
Answer:
(Diagram is fully described in the explanation above)
In simple words: This web diagram illustrates two major mistakes caused by the twins' identical appearance: the narrator's brother marrying his intended bride, and the narrator's brother being mistakenly buried when the narrator died.

🎯 Exam Tip: For web diagram questions, clearly understand the central theme and how the connecting elements logically branch out to provide specific examples or consequences related to that theme.

Activities based on Poetic Device:

Question 1. Write the rhyming pairs from the extract:
Answer:
1. limb - him
2. brother - another
3. kin - twin
4. pitch - which.
In simple words: This question identifies rhyming pairs from the poem, which contribute to its rhythm and musicality, common in poetic structures like "abab" rhyme scheme.

🎯 Exam Tip: To find rhyming pairs, focus on the end sounds of words, especially at the end of lines in a poem, as these create the poem's rhyme scheme.

 

Question 2. Name the figures of speech:

Question a. In form and feature, face and limb.
Answer: Alliteration.
In simple words: This line demonstrates alliteration because several words starting with the 'f' sound are repeated in close succession.

🎯 Exam Tip: Alliteration is easily identified by the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are near each other, adding emphasis and rhythm.

 

Question b. For one of us was born a twin, Yet not a soul knew which.
Answer: Hyperbole.
In simple words: This line is hyperbole because it exaggerates the confusion, implying that literally no one could ever distinguish between the twins, even the speaker, which is an overstatement for humorous effect.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for extreme overstatements that are not meant to be taken literally; these are characteristic of hyperbole, used for emphasis or comedic impact.

 

Question 3. List the rhyming pairs from the extract:
Answer:
1. worse - nurse
2. fixed - mixed
3. decree - me
4. whim - him.
In simple words: This question asks you to identify pairs of words from the poem that have similar ending sounds, indicating they rhyme and contribute to the poem's structure.

🎯 Exam Tip: Practice identifying rhyming words by sounding them out. In poetry, rhymes often occur at the end of lines and follow a discernible pattern (rhyme scheme).

 

Question 4. Name and explain the figure of speech:

Question a. As we were being washed by nurse.
Answer: Alliteration: The letter 'w' is pleasingly repeated.
In simple words: This phrase uses alliteration by repeating the 'w' sound at the beginning of "we were washed," creating a subtle musicality.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining alliteration, explicitly state the repeated consonant sound and mention its effect, such as creating rhythm or drawing attention to certain words.

 

Question b. My brother John got christened me, And I got christened him.
Answer: Hyperbole: The statement is exaggerated for humour.
In simple words: This line uses hyperbole by comically exaggerating the mix-up, implying that their very identities were swapped during christening, which is an overstatement to highlight the extreme confusion.

🎯 Exam Tip: For hyperbole, explain *how* the statement is an exaggeration and *why* it's used (e.g., for humor, emphasis, or dramatic effect), connecting it to the poem's overall tone.

 

Question 5. Write the rhyming words for the following from the extract:
1. dogged
2. school
3. knew
4. fruitlessly
Answer:
1. dogged - flogged
2. school - fool
3. knew - you
4. fruitlessly - me.
In simple words: This question requires you to identify words that rhyme with the given words, as found in the poem, showcasing its rhyming pattern.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying rhyming words, focus on the phonetic sounds rather than just spelling. The words must share similar vowel and ending consonant sounds.

 

Question 6. Write lines from the extract that show the figure of speech: - hyperbole
Answer: And I was always getting flogged, For John turned out a fool. The lines are exaggerated for creating humour.
In simple words: The lines exemplify hyperbole by comically exaggerating the narrator's suffering, implying he was constantly beaten for his brother's foolishness, thereby emphasizing the extreme injustice he faced.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to provide lines for a figure of speech, quote them accurately and then briefly explain how the chosen lines demonstrate that particular device, linking it to its effect.

 

Question 7. Write the rhyming pairs from the extract:
Answer:
1. tide - bride
2. life - wife
3. same - came
4. on - John.
In simple words: This task identifies rhyming pairs from the poem, highlighting how the poet uses similar-sounding words to create a rhythmic and cohesive structure.

🎯 Exam Tip: Carefully scan the poem for words that share identical or very similar ending sounds, especially at the end of lines, to accurately identify all rhyming pairs.

 

Question 8. Write an example of the figure of speech – Hyperbole:
Answer: And when I died, the neighbours came And buried brother John. The statement or fact has been exaggerated to create humour.
In simple words: This line is a hyperbole because it uses extreme exaggeration to humorously describe the ultimate mix-up where even in death, the wrong twin was identified and buried.

🎯 Exam Tip: Choose an example of hyperbole that is clearly an overstatement and explain how its exaggerated nature contributes to the overall humorous or dramatic effect intended by the author.

Vocabulary Focus:

Question 1. Find from the poem the words that generally go together:
Answer:
1. form and features
2. face and limb
3. kith and kin
4. fearful pitch
5. fate's decree
6. got christened
7. close resemblance
8. turn the tide
9. domestic life
10. intended bride
11. absurd mistake
12. put (this) question
13. get flogged
In simple words: This list compiles common collocations found in the poem, which are pairs or groups of words that frequently occur together, enhancing the natural flow and meaning of the text.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding collocations is vital for improving vocabulary and writing naturally. Practice identifying these word partnerships as they often carry specific connotations or are part of idiomatic expressions.

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