Working With Language
1. Fill in the blanks below using ‘had to’/ ‘have to’/ ‘has to’.
(i) I ______ cut my hair every month.
(ii) We _______ go for swimming lessons last year.
(iii) She ______ tell the principal the truth.
(iv) They _______ take the baby to the doctor.
(v) We _______ complain to the police about the noise.
(vi) Romit _______ finish his homework before he could come out to play.
(vii) I _______ repair my cycle yesterday.
Solution:
(i) I have to cut my hair every month.
(ii) We had to go for swimming lessons last year.
(iii) She has to tell the principal the truth.
(iv) They had to take the baby to the doctor.
(v) We have to complain to the police about the noise.
(vi) Romit had to finish his homework before he could come out to play.
(vii) I had to repair my cycle yesterday.
2. Here are a few idioms that you will find in the story. Look for them in the dictionary in the following way.
First, arrange them in the order in which you would find them in a dictionary.
(Clue: An idiom is usually listed under the first noun, verb, adjective or adverb in it. Ignore articles or prepositions in the idiom).
(To help you, we have put in bold the word under which you must look for the idiom in the dictionary.)
(i) at/from close quarters (close: adjective)
(ii) break into a smile (break: verb; look under ‘break into something’)
(iii) carry on (carry: verb)
(iv) have a clean record (you may find related meanings under both these words)
(v) beat about the bush (verb)
Now refer to your dictionary and find out what they mean.
Solution:
Idiom |
Meaning |
(i) at / from close quarters |
from nearby |
(ii) break into a smile |
smile suddenly |
(iii) carry on |
continue the task |
(iv) have a clean record |
clean conduct throughout |
(v) beat about the bush |
to make guess without proper knowledge;
to make a vague idea. |
3. Study the sentences in the columns below.
A |
B |
I saw this movie yesterday. |
I have seen this movie already. |
Bepin Babu worked here for a week last year. |
Bepin Babu has worked here since 2003. |
Chunilal wrote to a publisher last week. |
Chunilal has written to a publisher. |
I visited Ranchi once, long ago. |
I have visited Ranchi once before. |
Compare the sentences in the two columns, especially the verb forms. Answer the following questions about each pair of sentences.
(i) Which column tells us that Bepin Babu is still working at the same place?
Solution: Column B
(ii) Which column suggests that Chunilal is now waiting for a reply from the publisher?
Solution: Column A
(iii) Which column suggests that the person still remembers the movie he saw?
Solution: Column B
(iv) Which column suggests that the experience of visiting Ranchi is still fresh in the speaker's mind?
Solution: Column B
4. Given below are jumbled sentences. Working in groups, rearrange the words in each sentence to form correct sentences.
You will find that each sentence contains an idiomatic expression that you have come across in the lesson. Underline the idiom and write down its meaning. Then use your dictionary to check the meaning. One sentence has been worked out for you as an example.
Jumbled sentence: vanished/ The car/ seemed to/ into thin/ have/ air.
Ans: The car seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Idiom: vanished into thin air: disappeared or vanished in a mysterious way
(i) Stop/and tell me/beating about/what you want/the bush
Ans: ___________________________________
Idiom: __________________________________
Solution:
Ans: Stop beating about the bush and tell me what you want.
Idiom: beating about the bush - avoiding the main topic, not coming straight to the point
(ii) don't pay/if you/attention/you might/the wrong train/to the announcement/board
Ans: ____________________________________
Idiom: ___________________________________
Solution:
Ans: If you don't pay attention to the announcement, you might board the wrong train.
Idiom: pay attention - listen carefully
(iii) The village/tried/the crime/on the young woman/to pin
Ans: ______________________________________
Idiom: _____________________________________
Solution:
Ans:The villagers tried to pin the crime on the young woman.
Idiom: pin the crime - place the responsibility of the crime
(iv) Bepin Babu/orders to/telling people/under/loved/doctor's/eat early/that he was
Ans: _______________________________________
Idiom: ______________________________________
Solution:
Ans: Bepin Babu loved telling people that he was under doctor's orders to eat early.
Idiom: under doctor's orders - in complete necessity
(v) the student/The teacher/his eyebrows/when/said that/all their lessons/raised/they had revised
Ans: _______________________________________
Idiom: ______________________________________
Solution:
Ans: The teacher raised his eyebrows when the students said that they had revised all their lessons.
Idiom: raised his eyebrows - expressed doubt/surprise