Chapter 1: ICSE Class 10 English Language/Grammar solved
Get textual answers, explanations, solutions, notes, extras, MCQs, PDF of Chapter 1: ICSE Class 10 English Language/Grammar (Total English) solved which comprises Active and Passive Voice, COmposition, Notice and Email and Test Paper-1. However, the educational materials should only be used for reference, and students are encouraged to make necessary changes.
Active and Passive Voice
1. She invited me to her birthday party yesterday.
Begin: I was…
Answer: I was invited to her birthday party by her yesterday.
2. They propose to build a school in the village.
Begin: It is…
Answer: It is proposed to build a school in the village.
3. All desire success and some achieve it.
End: …by some.
Answer: Success is desired by all but is achieved by some.
4. Cut the vegetables just now.
Begin: You are…
Answer: You are ordered to cut the vegetables just now.
5. The rules forbid the audience to enter the hall without a pass.
Begin: The audience…
Answer: The audience is forbidden by the rules to enter the hall without a pass.
6. Her friends accused her of being rude.
End: …her friends.
Answer: She was accused of being rude by her friends.
7. Mrs Gupta pretended to be a wealthy woman.
Begin: It…
Answer: It was pretended by Mrs Gupta that she was a wealthy woman.
8. It will greatly surprise Mr Das if they elect him.
End: …elected.
Answer: Mr Das will be greatly surprised if he is elected.
9. Everyone will blame me for my son’s behaviour.
Begin: I…
Answer: I will be blamed by everyone for my son’s behaviour.
10. It is time to switch off the lights.
End: …switched off.
Answer: It is time for the lights to be switched off.
11. You must listen to your mother’s advice.
Begin: Your…
Answer: Your mother’s advice must be listened to by you.
12. Do not look down upon the poor.
End: …down upon.
Answer: The poor should not be looked down upon.
13. We so often feel that these situations need never arise.
End: …felt by us that these situations need never arise.
Answer: It is so often felt by us that these situations need never arise.
14. Alas! We shall hear his voice no more.
Begin: Alas! His voice…
Answer: Alas! His voice will be heard no more.
15. Too much is being taken for granted.
Begin: They are…
Answer: They are taking too much for granted.
Test Paper-1
Maximum Marks: 80
Time allowed : Two hours
Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
Attempt all five questions.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
You are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes in answering Question 1
and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.
Question 1
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)
Write a composition (300 – 350 words) on any one of the following:
(i) Write an original story in which a boy, a rich man, and a poor man are the main characters.
Answer: The True Measure of Wealth
Leo, a curious young boy, was utterly captivated by the life of Mr. Harrison, the wealthy owner of the city’s tallest skyscraper. Every morning, Leo would watch Mr. Harrison step out of a gleaming chauffeur-driven car, his face stern and important. To Leo, this was the pinnacle of happiness—a life without problems, filled only with power and luxury. He imagined Mr. Harrison’s days were full of excitement and joy.
Driven by this fascination, Leo decided to shadow the rich man for a day. He saw Mr. Harrison in a series of tense meetings, his voice sharp and impatient. He watched him eat a solitary, lavish lunch, constantly checking his phone with a deep frown. There was no laughter, no peace, only a deep loneliness that clung to him like his expensive cologne.
Disappointed, Leo ambled into the public park. There, under a large oak tree, sat Samuel, the park’s elderly gardener. He was a poor man, with worn-out clothes and calloused hands. Yet, he was smiling as he shared his simple meal of bread and soup with a stray dog, patting its head gently. He noticed Leo watching. “A beautiful day, isn’t it?” Samuel said, his eyes twinkling. “The sun is free, and so is the kindness we share.”
In that moment, Leo saw a stark contrast. He saw a rich man who owned a skyscraper but looked trapped, and a poor man who owned next to nothing but was rich in spirit and joy. Leo finally understood that happiness was not a treasure to be bought, but a feeling to be nurtured with simple things. He walked home with a lighter heart, feeling wealthier than he ever had before.
(v) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the picture and your composition.
Answer: Bracing for Cyclone Ramel
The picture shows commuters travelling on a motorised three-wheeler along a road as rain clouds loom over the sky, due to the effect of a cyclonic storm. The air is heavy with an unspoken urgency, a feeling mirrored in the dark, bruised clouds that gather menacingly overhead. Strong winds are obvious from the way the tall palm trees in the background of the coastal village are bending, their fronds thrashing as if in protest against the invisible force. The entire scene is a snapshot of life interrupted, of humanity bracing for nature’s fury.
One such cyclonic storm, called ‘Ramel’, recently unleashed its fury as it made its landfall between the coasts of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal. The storm’s arrival was not sudden but announced by the darkening sky and the rising wind that carried the salty spray of the sea far inland. Soon, it was marked by heavy rain and gusty winds that uprooted trees and damaged the fragile houses in the coastal areas. The sound of the wind was a constant, mournful howl, and the rain fell in blinding sheets, turning roads into shallow rivers.
The storm also disrupted air, rail, and road transportation in West Bengal, isolating communities and making escape difficult. The people huddled together on the three-wheeler are a testament to this struggle, their faces etched with concern as they make a desperate journey towards shelter and safety. Their overloaded vehicle seems small and vulnerable against the vast, angry sky. In response to the impending disaster, authorities worked tirelessly. Thousands of people were evacuated from low-lying coastal areas to protect their lives and properties, moved to shelters away from the storm’s direct path. The image captures a single moment in this large-scale event—a personal journey of survival amidst a widespread natural calamity.
Question 2
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question)
Select any one of the following
(i) Your cousin, who has gone abroad for higher studies, has written to you enquiring about your welfare against the bomb scares in many schools, including yours. write a reply to his/her letter.
Answer:
C-25, Bharati Colony
Ghaziabad-201002
Uttar Pradesh
22nd June 20..
Dear Rohan,
It is always a pleasure to receive a letter from you. It feels good to know that even while you are so far away and busy with your studies, you are thinking of us. I was touched by your concern for my welfare. Yes, you must have read in the news or seen on TV channels about the bomb threats. Nearly 100 schools across Delhi-NCR received those emails, and unfortunately, our school was one of them.
It was a regular school day, and we were just getting settled for our first class when we heard a siren. For a moment, nobody knew what was happening, but soon the announcement came. Most of us were petrified; the initial moments were filled with confusion and fear. Others, like me, tried to remain calm, remembering our training. Thankfully, the regular evacuation mock drills we have in school paid off. We could identify the exit route and quickly evacuated the school premises in an orderly manner.
Outside, the news had already become viral on social media. Panicked parents were anxiously rushing to the school to pick up their children. It was a chaotic scene. We were imagining all sorts of things, like a gas leak or a terrorist attack. However, hats off to the Delhi Police for their lightning-fast response.
Fortunately, the bomb threat turned out to be a hoax. The sense of relief that washed over everyone was immense. The incident not only tested our resilience but also our preparedness. It was a frightening experience, but it also showed how the school and the authorities can handle such a crisis.
Thank you once again for your concern. Please don’t worry, I am perfectly safe. I wish you all the best with your studies.
With lots of love and best wishes,
Amit Bansal
Question 4
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
He stepped into the compartment of the train, where I was sitting alone. He was carrying a fifty-dollar suitcase that he put down on the seat. Then he saw me.
“Well! well!” he said, and recognition broke out all over his face like morning sunlight.
“Well! well!” I repeated.
“By Jove!” he said, shaking hands, “who would have thought of seeing you?”
And all the time I was wondering who he was. I did not know him from Adam; I could not recall him a bit. I do not mean that my memory is weak. On the contrary, it is singularly tenacious. But when it does happen that a name or face escapes me I never lose my presence of mind. I know just how to deal with the situation.
“Strange,” he said, “how life goes on and we lose track of people. I sometimes wonder,” he continued, “where all the old gang are gone to.”
“So do I,” I said. I always find in circumstances like these that a man begins sooner or later to talk of the “old gang.” That is where the opportunity comes in to gather who he is.
“I sometimes meet some of the old boys and they begin to talk of you and wonder what you are doing,” he said.
I knew it was time now to make a bold stroke, so I used the method that I always employ. “Say!”
I said, “where is Billy? Do you ever hear anything of Billy now?” This is really a very safe line. Every old gang has a Billy in it.
“Yes,” said my friend, “sure—Billy is ranching out in Montana. I saw him in Chicago last spring.”
“And where is Pete?” I said. This was safe ground. There is always a Pete.
“You mean Billy’s brother,” he said.
“Yes, Billy’s brother I often think of him.”
“Oh,” answered the unknown man, “old Pete is quite changed, settled down altogether.”
My friend suddenly looked out of the window.
“That is the junction he said, I should have got out at the last station. Say, porter,” he called out into the alleyway, “how long do we stop here?”
“Just two minutes, Sir,” called a voice back.
My friend then pulled out a bunch of keys and started fumbling at the lock of the suitcase.
“I will have to wire back,” he gasped. “Confound this lock—my money is in the suitcase.”
My one fear now was that he would fail to get off. “Here,” I said, pulling some money out of my pocket, “do not bother with the lock. Here is money.”
“Thanks,” he said grabbing the roll of money out of my hand, in his excitement he took all that I had.”
He sprang from the train. In a second the train was off. “Idiot,” I thought, “he has missed it,” and there was his fifty-dollar suitcase lying on the seat.
I kept on wondering who the man was, anyway. Then I heard the porter’s voice again. He evidently was guiding someone through the train.
“I left it on the seat in the train there behind my wife,” said the voice of a stranger. “Ah, there it is,” he cried, seizing the suitcase and carrying it off.
I sank back in dismay. The “old gang!” Billy and Pete! And my money! I saw it all; the other man was “making talk,” too, and making it with a purpose. And next time that I fall into talk with a casual stranger in a train, I shall not try to be quite so extraordinarily clever.
(i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options provided:
1. tenacious (line 8)
(a) yielding (b) irresolute (c) determined (d) slack
2. stroke (line 17)
(a) achievement (b) shock (c) swipe (d) move
Answer:
(c) determined
(d) move
(ii) Which word in the passage is the opposite of ‘impediment’?
(a) opportunity (b) contrary (c) ranching (d) settled
Answer: (a) opportunity
(iii) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(a) The narrator affirms that he knows ‘how to deal with the situation’. Which situation he is talking about? How does the narrator usually react when he is confronted with such a ‘situation’?
Answer: The narrator is talking about the situation where he fails to recognise a person or recall their name, even though the other person seems to recognise him. In such a situation, the narrator maintains his presence of mind and speaks to the person confidently, as if he knew them.
(b) The narrator says “…..it was time now to make a bold stroke.” What ‘time’ was he referring to?
Answer: The narrator was referring to the point in the conversation when the stranger mentioned the “old gang.” This gave the narrator an opportunity to take a calculated risk by asking about common names to figure out the stranger’s identity without revealing his own ignorance.
(c) Why does the narrator enquire about Billy and Pete?
Answer: The narrator enquires about Billy and Pete because he is sure that almost every group of old friends has members with such common names, making it a safe way to continue the pretense of knowing the stranger.
(d) What happened to the stranger when he looked out of the window? What did he begin to do?
Answer: When the stranger looked out of the window, he pretended that he had missed his station and needed to get off. He then began to fumble with the lock of his suitcase, claiming his money was inside.
(e) How did the narrator react when he saw the stranger in trouble?
Answer: When the narrator saw the stranger fumbling with the lock and worried about missing his stop, he feared the man would not get off the train. To avoid this and end the awkward pretense, the narrator offered the stranger money from his own pocket.
(iv) What does the narrator mean by saying that “the other man was making talk too”? What lesson did the narrator get at the end of the story. Answer in not more than fifty words.
Answer: The narrator meant that the stranger was also pretending to know him and was making conversation with a purpose, which was to trick him. The lesson the narrator learned was that he had been duped by his own attempt at being clever and that he should not try to outsmart strangers in the future.
Question 5
(i) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space:
Example: (0) have earned
India’s literary masterpieces ‘Ramcharitmanas’, ‘Panchatantra’, and ‘Sahrdayāloka-locana’ …..0…. (earn) a ….1…. (prestige) place in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, a significant acknowledgment of their cultural and ….2…. (history) importance…..3…. (Author) by saint and poet Goswami Tulsidas, Pandit Vishnu Sharma and Kashmiri poet Acharya Anandvardhan respectively, these three iconic Indian literary works have left an ….4…. (endure) impact on readers and artists in India and the world.
In what is a proud moment for India, their inclusion in prestigious UNESCO register has also ….5…. (add) a feather to the cap of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) which ….6…. (play) a crucial role in ….7…. (secure) their inclusion at the 10th meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) in Ulaanbatar in Mongolia. Significantly, this is the IGNCA’s first ….8…. (achieve) at the Regional Register since its inception in 2008.
Answer:
- prestigious
- historical
- Authored
- enduring
- added
- had played
- securing
- achievement
(ii) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
(a) Cooperation between workers stems ……………………………… mutual consideration.
Answer: Cooperation between workers stems from mutual consideration.
(b) She has embarked ……………………………… the expansion of her company.
Answer: She has embarked on/upon the expansion of her company.
(c) The labourers are clamouring ……………………………… revision in their wages.
Answer: The labourers are clamouring for revision in their wages.
(d) His kingdom plunged ……………………………… grief after the battle.
Answer: His kingdom plunged into grief after the battle.
(e) The mother was vexed ……………………………… his son’s behaviour.
Answer: The mother was vexed at his son’s behaviour.
(f) She remained aloof ……………………………… her friends at the party.
Answer: She remained aloof from her friends at the party.
(g) He could not muster ……………………………… courage to ask for a raise in his salary.
Answer: He could not muster up courage to ask for a raise in his salary.
(h) There is a rage ……………………………… fashionable clothes among the youth.
Answer: There is a rage for fashionable clothes among the youth.
(iii) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so. Choose the correct option.
1. She began to plead with me. I did not like it.
(a) I did not like her beginning to plead.
(b) Her pleading with me is what I did not like.
(c) She pleaded with me which I do not like.
(d) I did not like her pleading with me.
Answer: (d) I did not like her pleading with me.
8. Mona said, “Reena is honest but she is lazy.” (Rewrite in Indirect Speech)
(a) Mona said that Reena was honest but she was lazy.
(b) Mona says that Reena is honest but she was lazy.
(c) Mona said that Reena was honest and lazy.
(d) Mona said that Reena was honest but he is lazy.
Answer: (a) Mona said that Reena was honest but she was lazy.
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