English

Read the text in Unit I carefully and find the word ‘dislike’ in it. In this word ‘dis-’ is a  prefix. A prefix is a group of letters added before a word to change its meaning and form a new  word. ‘Dis-’ means not, or the opposite of. ‘Dis-’ in the word ‘dislike’ means to not like something or someone. dis + like = dislike In Column A are given some words with the prefix ‘dis-’. Draw lines to connect them with their meanings in Column B. One example has been done for you. Column A -----Column B 1. dislike -----a. separate 2. disobey ----b. find/ learn of 3. dismount ---c. not like 4. discover -----d. refuse to carry out rules or commands 5. disjoin----- e. prove to be false or wrong 6. disprove ------f. get off from something one is riding -------------------------------------- you came across the phrase ‘winging its way’. It means ‘to move quickly’. Given below are some more ‘wing’ phrases, and their meanings. 1. take wing - to take flight; fly away, depart quickly 2. under ...

 A pet is defined as a domestic or tamed animal or bird kept for companionship or pleasure and treated with care and affection. But is that the reason people keep pets? Aunt Ruby had kept a pet because she wanted to teach it to talk. Talk to three people you know who have pets and ask them the following questions. • Which pet do you have? • How long have you had it? • Why have you kept a pet? • Do you think human beings share a special bond with their pets?  If yes, please describe a related experience and/or your feelings towards your pet?

Jingles and rhymes are so easy to remember. You just have to hear them a few times and  soon you too are humming away! Given below is a short rhyme. Listen to it on a tape/CD or ask a friend to say it aloud at a fast speed.  Listen carefully. Chatter, chatter, talk, talk, Like a parrot, squawk, squawk. In a group, natter, natter, What’s that, what’s the matter? Do say, Oh no! What’s the time? Gotta goes, Must fly. Oh hi! Exercise After listening to the above rhyme: 1. Make a list of words that have been repeated. 2. Make a list of words that you would associate with ‘parrot’. 3. List the pairs of rhyming words in the rhyme. Examples of rhyming words are say-pay, cat-bat, sing-ring. The Parrot Who Wouldn’t Talk

 A. Describing People Suppose you were travelling in a bus and were standing face-to-face with a man. Suddenly  that man snatches the purse of a co-passenger and jumps off the bus. The police ask you  for his description. How would you describe him? The first thing you talk about is physical appearance. You should describe his height,  build, colour of hair, type of hair, length of hair, eyes, face, complexion and facial features,  clothes, age, and any other special feature. If you are asked to describe someone you know, you can also describe his/her  behaviour, personality traits, what she/he is like.  A detailed description can include  the person’s profession. Exercise Go to a market near your house. Look carefully at the vendors selling vegetables. Write a  short description of any one of them in about 60-80 words. Remember, the more observant  you are, the better your description will be. Given below are some words that will help y...

 In the story The Parrot Who Wouldn’t Talk, Aunt Ruby’s nephew took the decision to  set the parrot free. He didn’t ask his grandparents or think about what his aunt would say  or do or feel. How did he make his decision? In life, we are always required to make decisions. You too will have to make decisions to  solve all kinds of problems. The problems could be simple and small, such as what dress  to wear, or they could be important like what career to choose, which job to accept. Like  the young boy in the story, you may have to make decisions knowing full well that some  people who are important to you (family members, friends, etc) will not like that decision. How will you make decisions? Imagine that you are travelling in a crowded bus with a friend. As a passenger gets up from  his seat, his wallet falls down. Before you can call out to the man, your friend puts the  wallet in his/ her bag. What would you do in such a situation? Write d...

 A. Modals Modals are special verbs that are used with the main verb to make the sentence more meaningful. Modals are used to: • indicate the possibility or necessity of an event • make requests, offers or suggestions • to make what you are saying more polite, to seek permission • express ability or certainty • express moral obligation or duty • express willingness, promise or intention Common Modal Verbs -  (Easy to remember- 2 C, 3M, 2 W, 2S, 1O) C an / Ought to / C ould / S hall / M ay / S hould / M ight / Will / M ust/ Would Need and dare can sometimes be used as modal verbs. Examples 1. May I borrow your notebook? (seeking permission) 2. I could ride a horse when I was five years old. (express ability) 3. Could you hold this for a while? (polite request) 4. It may rain today. (express possibility) 5. You must take better care of your health. (express necessity) 6. We ought to respect our parents. (moral obligation) 7. Shall I bring a glass of water for you? (request) 8. I...

Understanding English conjugation of Verbs is essential for anyone learning the English language. It forms the foundation for constructing sentences and expressing actions accurately. Conjugation of English verbs involves changing the verb form to express tense, mood, person, and other factors. Here are some key points: - Verbs are divided into regular and irregular categories. - Conjugation is the process of altering verbs into different forms as per the tense. - Factors like subject, tense, and mood dictate how verbs are conjugated. - Infinitive verbs (e.g., "to think," "to cry") must be changed to fit different sentences. - Verb forms include person, tense, number, voice, and mood. English Conjugation of verbs refers to the systematic arrangement of the forms of a verb to indicate the various grammatical features of tense, mood, aspect, person, number, and voice in English. - Simple Present, /Simple Past / Simple Future -  Simple Present Continuous, /Simple Past ...

 First, let's read the lesson (Meanings of Vocabulary are given in brackets) The Parrot who wouldn't talk ‘You are no beauty! Can’t talk, can’t sing, can’t dance!’ With these words Aunt Ruby would taunt the unfortunate (unfortunate: unlucky or  unhappy ) parakeet, who glared morosely ( morosely: gloomily)   at everyone from his ornamental ( ornamental: decorative)  cage at one end of the long veranda of Granny’s bungalow  in north India. In those distant days, almost everyone – Indian or European – kept a pet parrot or parakeet,  or ‘lovebird’ as some of the smaller ones were called.  Sometimes these birds became  great talkers, or rather mimics,  ( mimic: one who imitates )  and would learn to recite entire mantras (religious chants)  or admonitions ( admonition: advice,  warning)  to the children of the house, such as ‘Padho, beta, padho!’ (‘Study child  study!’) or for the benefit of boys like me,  ‘Don’t...

The return of the Lion Characters Shivaji: The ruler of the Marathas Jijabai: Shivaji’s mother Mantri: Shivaji’s chronicler (chronicler = record keeper) Sachiv: The secretary Ram Das: A poet, Shivaji’s teacher and companion Soyabai : Shivaji’s wife and Sambhaji’s mother Pandit Rao: Sambhaji’s foster mother (foster mother = one who looks after a child like a mother) The setting Officers of Shivaji’s court An attendant in Maratha uniform (A room in the fort of Rajgarh near Poona. Jijabai, Shivaji’s mother, is sitting on a small throne.  She is surrounded by officers of the court.  Among them are the Mantri, the Sachiv, Pandit Rao, and the poet, Ram Das, who has an open letter on his knee.  In a corner, Soyabai, Shivaji’s wife and Sambhaji’s mother, is sitting quietly; and by her side is Sambhaji’s foster-mother who is an older woman.  The two of them are talking softly.) Jijabai: I can’t believe that my son is dead. The letter is a hoax. Ram Das: But the letter ...