KEY TO EDITING X CLASS ENGLISH ~ English For Excellence

KEY TO EDITING X CLASS ENGLISH
X CLASS ENGLISH PAPER I

(Though these kinds of exercises are designed for the students appearing for SSC Examination in Telangana, India,they are also very useful for those appearing for competitive examinations. On the whole, they are useful for the aspirants of learning English )

Explanation: (14) be form(is,am,are.was,were,be,been,being)+Adj/V3
Passage 11

This is the key to:
https://englishforempowerment.blogspot.com/2019/08/editing-x-class-english.html

UNIT I: PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
A READING: ATTIDTUDE IS ALTITUDE

IAE 1

(13)Imagine having no arms to stretch in the morning, to help you scratch that itch, to allow you to wrap your arms around your loved ones. (14)Imagine having no legs to kick pebbles down the street, to walk or run, to bicycle or skateboard, or get you from point A to point B. (15)Then imagine both at once, (16)which is what Nick Vujicic has faced his whole life. (17)Have you heard something like this before?

IAE 2

(13)Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs - but he doesn’t let the details stop him. (14)The brave 26-year-old — who is mainly torso — plays football and golf, swims and surfs, despite having no limbs.

(15)Nick has a small foot on his left hip which helps him balance and enables him to kick. (16)He uses his one foot to type, write with a pen and pick things up between his toes.

‘(17)I call it my chicken drumstick,’ joked Nick, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, but now lives in Los Angeles. ‘I’d be lost without it.’

IAE 3

(13)Due to his faith as an Evangelical Christian, (14)Nick has chosen to remain a virgin until marriage although he has had long-term girlfriends in the past.

(15)'He's very modest but he gets marriage proposals from women all the time,' said Nick's friend and publicist Steve Appel, from Los Angeles.

'He would love to get married and start a family but he's waiting for the right girl to come along.' Water sports aren't Nick's only thing - he also plays golf with a club tucked under his chin, and is a huge fan of the English Premier League.

Explanation: He gets ( Sub+ Verb agreement )

IAE 4

(13)His parents decided not to send him to a special school – (14)a decision he said was very hard for him, but which may have been the best decision they could have made for him.

(15)When Nick was born his father was so shocked that he left the hospital room to vomit. (16)His distraught mother couldn't bring herself to hold him until he was four months old.

(17)His disability came without any medical explanation - a rare occurrence called Phocomelia - and Nick and his parents spent many years asking why this cruel trick would happen to them. 'My mother was a nurse and she did everything right during pregnancy but she still blamed herself,' he said.

Explanation: (14) Rule: Adj+Noun (e.g: Special school, special class etc,.)

(13 & 16) May/could/should+V1(may have, could bring)

IAE 5

(13)'It was so hard for them but right from the start they did their best to make me independent.’ 'My dad put me in the water at 18 months and gave the courage to learn how to swim.’ 'I also got really into football and skateboarding. I totally love the English Premier League.'

Nick's father was a computer programmer and accountant and he taught his little son how to type with his toe at just 6 years old. His mum invented a special plastic device that meant he could hold a pen and pencil.

Explanation: make+Object+V1/Object

e.g: Make him sit

Make it meaningful

IAE 6

(13)Despite the risk of being bullied, his parents insisted Nick on attending mainstream school. (14)'It was the best decision they could have made for me,' adds Nick, who later achieved a degree in Financial Planning and Real Estate. (15)'It was very hard but it gave me independence.'

(16)Nick, who was teased and bullied, had an electric wheelchair for mobility, and a team of carers to help him.

(17)'I was deeply depressed when I was eight years old,' he said. 'I went to my mum crying and told her I wanted to kill myself.’

Explanation: (13, 16)on/for+Object/Noun/Gerund

(14) the+Superlative Degree+Noun/Object

e.g: the best decision/the strongest man

(17)Adverb+Adjective/Verb or Adjective/Verb+Adverb

e.g: ...deeply depressed/..worked hard

IAE 7

(13)'I felt cold and bitter. (14)I hated God for doing this to me and was terrified of what would happen when my parents weren't there to look after me.’ (15)'I could brush my own teeth with a wall mounted brush and wash my own hair with pump action soap, but there was so much that was impossible for me.(16)'At age ten Nick tried to drown himself in the bath but luckily the attempt was unsuccessful. (17)'I felt there was no purpose when you lack purpose and strength. It is hard to hold on,' he said. But with the help of his religion, friends and family, Nick managed to pull through to become an international symbol of triumph over adversity.

Explanation: e.g: She is beautiful/He is handsome/I am worried.

IAE 8

(13)'When I was 13, I read a newspaper article about a disabled man who had managed to achieve great things and helped others,' said Nick.

(14)'I realised why God had made us like this - to give hope to others. (15)It was so inspirational to me that I decided to use my life to encourage other people and give them the courage that the article had given me.’ (16)'I decided to be thankful for what I do have, not get angry about what I don't.’ (17)'I looked at myself in the mirror and said: 'You know what the world is right that I have no arms or legs, but they'll never take away the beauty of my eyes.' I wanted to concentrate on something good that I had.'

Explanation: (14) Article are not used before Abstract Nouns in general sense.[to give hope (hope is an abstract noun)] e.g: Knowledge is power.

(16) be form(is,am,are.was,were,be,been,being)+Adj/V3

e.g: She is beautiful/He is handsome/I am worried/ They are thankful.

IAE 9

(13)"The challenges in our lives are there to strengthen our convictions. (14)They are not there to run us over", said Nick. (15)In 1990 Nick won the Australian Young Citizen of the Year award for his bravery and perseverance.

(16)'And once I was in a car and a girl at traffic lights was looking at me interestingly. She could only see my head so I decided to do a 360 degree spin in the car seat to freak her out. Her face was like woooooooah what is going on? (17)She sped off really quickly.'

IAE 10

(13)Nick began travelling the world and in 2008 he went to Hawaii and met surfing master Bethany Hamilton, who had her arm bitten off by a shark when she was 12.

(14)'She was amazing,’ said Nick. (15)'She taught me how to surf and I was terrified at first, but once I got up there it felt absolutely fantastic and (16)I caught some waves pretty well.' Nick quickly learned how to do the 360 degree spins on his board - (17)a feat that got him on the cover of Surfer magazine within 48 hours. 'No one has ever done that in the history of surfing,' he said. ‘But I have a very low centre of gravity so I've got pretty good balance.’

IAE 11

(13)He has visited different countries all over the world. (14)The football fan is now a motivational speaker and has travelled over 24 countries speaking to groups of up to 110,000 people.

(15)He moved to Los Angeles two years ago in 2007 and plans to continue to travel the world. (16)"If I fail, I try again, and again, and again. If you fail, are you going to try again? (17)The human spirit can handle much worse than we realize. It matters how you are going to finish. Are you going to finish strong?" said Nick

'I tell people to keep on getting up when they fall and to always love themselves,' he said. 'If I can encourage just one person then my job in this life is done.'

Explanation: (14) be form (is,am,are.was,were,be,been,being)+Adj/V3

UNIT I: PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

C READING: I WILL DO IT

ICE 1

Q No. (13-17) Read the passage given below. The sentences in the passage are numbered from 13 to 17 at the beginning. Each of these sentences has an error. Correct them and rewrite the sentences in the answer book.

He was short. He was sharp. (13)He was the brightest boy in his class. (14)His seniors used to ask him to solve their difficulties in science. (15)He could have gone unnoticed in a crowd, but once you asked him a question related to Physics or Maths, there was a spark in his eyes. (16)He could grasp theories of science faster than the speed of light.

He came from a poor but educated family. His father was a high-school teacher and an avid reader of English literature. (17)He, like all the boys in his class, was trying to get admission into some engineering college. The brighter ones wanted to study in the Indian Institutes of Technology, or the IITs.

Explanation: (13) the+Superlative Degree

(14) have+V3

(15) Comparative Degree+than

ICE 2

(13)There was an entrance test for IIT. This boy, along with his friends, applied to appear for the test. (14)They did not have any special books or coaching. (15)All these IIT aspirants would sit below the shade of a stone mandap close to Chamundi Hills in the sleepy town of Mysore. He was the guide for the others. (16)While the others struggled to solve the problems in the question paper, he would smile shyly and solve them in no time. (17)He sat alone below a tree and dreamt of studying at IIT. It was the ultimate aim for any bright boy at that age, as it still is today. He was then only sixteen years old.

Explanation: (14) adjective+ Noun (special books, specially is an adverb)

(15) this+singular Noun; these+plural Noun (this aspirant; these aspirants)

(17) Preposition+Noun/Gerund (of the school; of schooling)

ICE 3

The D-Day came. (13)He came to Bangalore, stayed with some relatives and appeared for the entrance test. (14)He did very well but would only say 'OK' when asked. It was the opposite when it came to food. (15)When he said 'OK' it implied 'bad', when he said 'good' it implied 'OK', when he said 'excellent' it implied 'good'. (16)His principle was never to hurt anyone.

The IIT entrance results came. He had passed with a high rank. What a delight for any student! (17)He was thrilled. He went to his father who was reading a newspaper.

Explanation: (14) Verb+ Adverb (e.g.: did well; not did good (good is an adjective))

(16) to+V1 (e.g.: to hurt; to go)

ICE 4

(13)‘Anna, I have passed the exam.’

‘Well done, my boy.’

(14)‘I want to join IIT.’

His father stopped reading the paper. (15)He lifted his head, looked at the boy and said with a heavy voice, 'My son, you are a bright boy. (16)You know our financial position. (13)I have five daughters to be married of and three sons to educate. (17)I am a salaried person. I cannot afford your expenses at IIT. You can stay in Mysore and study as much as you want.'

Explanation: (13) Present Perfect (have+V3(passed))

(15) vt+Object (e.g.: join IIT, Not join in IIT)

(16&17) Adj+Noun/Gerund

ICE 5

(13)Indeed it was a difficult situation for any father to say 'no' to his bright son. (14)But circumstances were like that. (15)It was common then for the man to be the single earning member with a large family dependent on him.

His father was sad that he had to tell the bitter truth to his son. But it could not be helped. (16)The boy had to understand reality.

The teenager was disappointed. (17)It seemed his dreams had burnt to ashes. He was so near to fulfilling his fondest hope, yet so far. His heart sank in sorrow.

Explanation: (13) Adj+Noun/Gerund

(16) The+particular person

ICE 6

(13)He did not reply. (14)He never shared his unhappiness or helplessness with anybody. (15)He was an introvert by nature. (16)His heart was bleeding but he did not get angry with anybody.

The day came. His classmates were leaving for Madras (now Chennai). They were taking a train from Mysore to Madras. (17)They have shared good years in school and college together. He went to the station to say goodbye and good luck to them for their future life.

Explanation: (17) Adj+Noun/Gerund (good years; not well years)

ICE 7

(13)At the station, his friends were already there. (14)They were excited and talking loudly. (15)The noise was like a chirping of birds. (16)They were all excited and discussing their new hostels, new courses etc. He was not part of it. (17)So he stood there silently. One of them noticed and said, 'You should have made it.'

Explanation: (14) Be Form+Adj (e.g.: was thrilled; were excited)

(16) vt+Object (e.g.: discuss the matter, Not discuss on/about the matter)

(17) Verb+ Adverb (e.g.: stood silently; not stood silent (silent is an adjective))

ICE 8

(13)He did not reply. He only wished all of them. (14)They waved at him as the train slowly left the platform.

(15)He stood there even after he could no longer see the train or the waving hands. (16)It was the June of 1962 in Mysore city. Monsoon had set in and it was getting dark. It had started to drizzle. (17)Yet he stood there motionless.

Explanation: (15 & 16) Past Tense forms must be used

ICE 9

(13)He said to himself, without anger or jealousy, (14)'All students from the IITs study well and do big things in life. (15)But it is not the institution; ultimately it is you and you alone who can change your life by hard work.'

(16)Probably he was not aware that he was following the philosophy of the Bhagavath Gita: '(17)Your best friend is yourself and your worst enemy is yourself.'

Explanation: (14) All+plural Noun (e.g.: all students; not all student)

(16) Be Form+Adj (e.g.: was aware)

ICE 10

(13)Later he worked very hard, and focused on one thing, never bothering about his personal life or comforts. (14)He shared his wealthy with others. (15)He never used the help of any caste, community or political connections to go up in life.

(16)A son of a school teacher showed other Indians it was possible to earn wealth legally and ethically. (17)He built a team of people who were equally good.

Explanation: (14) Possessive pronoun+Noun (e.g.: his book, his wealth; not ‘his wealthy’ (wealthy is an adjective))

ICE 11

(13)He became a pioneer of India’s software industry and started the Information Technology wave. (14)Today he has become an icon of simplicity, uncompromising quality andfairness, apart from being a philanthropist. (15)He really believes in the motto, 'Powered by intellect and driven by values'.

(16)He is none other than Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy, (17)the founder of Infosys, a leading IT company in the world.

Explanation: (14) have/has+V3 (e.g.: has become; not ‘has became’)

UNIT II: WIT AND HUMOUR

C READING: THE BRAVE POTTER

Exercise IICE 1

(13)Marguerite Siek has chosen a very well-known Indian folktale for retelling in English. (14)Children and adults alike are fond of folktales, which are often amusing and sometimes instructive.

It was dark. (15)Thick black clouds covered the evening sky. (16)The thunder roared and the strong wind shook the branches and leaves of the trees in the forest. Pit. . . pat . . . pit, drops of rain fell. Then the lightning flashed and split the black sky with its blinding light. (17)Soon it was raining heavily.

Explanation: (14) fond+of (e.g.: fond of mangoes)

(17) Verb+Adverb (e.g.: walking slowly)

Exercise IICE 2

(13)An old tiger ran through the rain looking for shelter. (14)He was wet and cold and his cave was far away. (15)While hurrying to his shelter he saw an old hut. (16)With a sigh of relief the tiger crawled under the thatched roof and lay down by the door. Except for the sound of the rain all was quiet. . (17) Before he could nod off, however, he heard something heavy being dragged inside the hut. This was followed by the voice of a woman.

Explanation: (16) Adj+N (e.g.: repaired chair)

Exercise IICE 3

(13)'Oh, how terrible this leak is!' she complained. 'How terrible! (14)I would rather meet a tiger in the forest than have this leak in my house!'

'A leak?' the tiger thought. 'What is a leak? (15)It must be very dangerous and strong or the woman would not be more frightened of the leak than of me. (16)Am I not rightly called the king of the forest? (17)Aren't they all afraid of me? I wonder what a leak looks like . . . ?

Explanation: (16) This+N(singular) (e.g.: this book; not ‘these book’)

(14) would+V1

(16) Adv+Verb/Adj

Exercise IICE 4

(13)Soon afterwards the tired tiger fell asleep. (14)He was suddenly awakened by an angry voice shouting in his ear. (15)He felt heavy blows fall upon his head and shoulders.

'You horrible beast!' a voice screamed angrily. 'How dare you run away? (16)How dare you make me walk about in the middle of the night trying to find you! Be careful, one of these days I'll kill you! (17)Now, go home!'

Explanation: (15) Adj+N (e.g.: heavy box; not ‘heavily box’)

Exercise IICE 5

The old tiger shivered. (13)'This must be the leak who has come out of the hut. I'd better do as he says or he will kill me.'

(14)So the tiger allowed himself to be bound around the neck with a thick rope. (15)The mysterious creature then climbed onto the tiger's back and pulled at the rope. (16)'Come on, head for home!' shouted the voice. The tiger felt a sharp kick on his side. (17)The tiger was terrified and he ran through the dark forest.

Explanation: (15) Adj+N (e.g.: mysterious creature; not ‘mystery creature’)

Exercise IICE 6

(13)The creature pulled hard on the rope to tell him which way to go. (14)At the same time it scolded, cursed and kicked the poor tiger. (15)Soon they stopped in front of a small hut on the edge of the thick forest. (16)The creature climbed down from the tiger's back and bound him with an iron chain to a nearby tree. Then he went inside the hut. (17)The tiger could not free himself from the chain; so he had to spend a miserable night under the tree. Who was this creature who was able to capture such a large and dangerous tiger? Let's find out.

Exercise IICE 7

(13)On the afternoon of that day, a potter had arrived home after a hard day's work. He was tired and thirsty. (14)He had asked his wife for some palm-wine. (15)The more he drank, the better he felt. When he had drunk all the wine he no longer felt tired. (16)When the storm began the potter suddenly remembered that he had left his donkey tied under a tree. He rushed out of his hut to take the animal into the stable. (17)You can imagine his anger when he discovered that the donkey was not there anymore -- the only thing left was its chain!

Exercise IICE 8

(13)'My stupid donkey must have run off into the forest,' he grumbled. (14)'When I catch him I'll give him a good beating!'

(15)The potter walked through the wet forest. (16)When it became dark he often stumbled over roots and fallen branches. (17)With each step the potter felt angrier and angrier with his donkey.

Exercise IICE 9

(13)'When I catch him, I'll tie him up under the tree all night,' he muttered to himself.

(14)Hours later, the potter reached the old woman's hut. (15)There he saw an animal sleeping in front of the door.

(16)'There he is!' he shouted. (17)'There he is, the stupid animal!'

Exercise IICE 10

(13)The drunken potter did not notice the difference between the donkey and a tiger. (14)He kicked and beat the sleeping tiger. (15)He then jumped onto the frightened animal's back, rode it home, and then tied it up with the iron chain.

(16)Next morning the villagers who passed the potter's house looked in amazement at the tiger tied to the tree. (17)Soon the news spread throughout the village that the potter had caught a tiger and tied it to a tree in his yard.

Explanation: (13) Adj+N (e.g.: drunken potter; not ‘drink potter’)

(17) https://englishforempowerment.blogspot.com/p/helping-verbs-2.html

UNIT III: HUMAN RELATIONS

A READING: THE JOURNEY

Exercise IIIAE 1

(13)After spending a leisurely Sunday at home, the very thought of returning to work on Monday is tiring. (14)Lethargy creeps in if the holiday continues over an extended period. (15)That is how I felt when I was preparing to return to my place of work after spending six months at home. (16)The fact that I was to leave behind my newly-wed wife and go to a far-off place did not help either. (17)Obviously I did not want to go.

Exercise IIIAE 2

(13)However, I finally did decide to go. I did not have much to carry by way of luggage – just a trunk. (14)Ours is a hilly terrain, without any motorable roads – and there is no certainty that we are ever going to have any roads. (15)In any case, while coming home we do not carry bedding. (16)Besides, I had come home this time round for a special purpose: to get married. My parents had arranged my marriage, according to the customs of our tribal society. Time flew, and five months into my marriage I realized it. Initially I thought of extending my leave – even taking unpaid leave. (17)But after some dilly-dallying, I finally decided against it because marriage had increased my responsibilities and I had got into debt.

Exercise IIIAE 3

(13)On my way home from the bus stop, my trunk had been carried by a porter. (14)The problem now was we couldn’t find anyone who could help me carry the trunk to the bus stop. (15)At another time of the year, we would have easily found someone to help me, but now most of the villagers were busy in the fields. Nobody had time to spare for me. (16)In fact, carrying the trunk should not have been such a worry for me except that my education had made me shun physical labour. (17)After all, I was a government officer and the idea of people seeing me carry my own luggage was not at all amusing. Otherwise, for a young man like me it should not have been an issue to carry a 20- kilo chest on my back.

Exercise IIIAE 4

(13)Finally, my father came up with a solution. ‘(14)Don’t worry. I myself will see you off at Dirang.’

I protested. (15)How could I allow my old father to carry my trunk? (16)What would people think?

What would they say? But I failed to dissuade him. (17)It was decided that father would carry the chest.

Exercise IIIAE 5

(13)A large crowd gathered at our place the day I was to leave. (14)People had come to wish me luck. (15)It was 10.20 when I left for Dirang. (16)My father had already left. As I had to do a bit of catching up, I walked fast. Three kilometres down the road, I caught up with my father. Father said, ‘You are late. (17)Would you like to rest for some time?’

Explanation: (15) leave for or go to