Now fill in the blanks with suitable words from the ones that you have formed.
(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the ___________ of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks ___________.
(iii) I could not resist the ___________ to open the letter.
(iv) Hardwork and ___________ are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with ____________after being made to stand in the sun.
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(i) Mass literacy was possible only after the invention of the printing machine.
(ii) Ramesh is unable to tackle the situation as he lacks imagination.
(iii) I could not resist the temptation to open the letter.
(iv) Hardwork and dedication are the main keys to success.
(v) The children were almost fainting with exhaustion after being made to stand in the sun.
III. Punctuation
Use capital letters, full stops, question marks, commas and inverted commas wherever necessary in the following paragraph.
an arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day he asked the tiger who is stronger than you you O lion replied the tiger who is more fierce than a leopard asked the lion you sir replied the leopard he marched upto an elephant and asked the same question the elephant picked him up in his trunk swung him in the air and threw him down look said the lion there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer
An arrogant lion was wandering through the jungle one day. He asked the tiger, “Who is stronger than you?” “You, O! Lion,” replied the tiger. “Who is fiercer than a leopard?” asked the lion. “You, sir,” replied the leopard. He marched up to an elephant and asked the same question. The elephant picked him up in his trunk, swung him in the air and threw him down. “Look”, said the lion, “there is no need to get mad just because you don’t know the answer.”
IV: Simple Present Tense
Study these sentences from the lesson.
• A fight breaks out between two monkeys.
• Film songs blare out from the radios.
• I wash it down with Coca-Cola.
The italicised verbs are in the simple present tense. The writer is here describing what he saw and heard but he uses the present tense instead of the past tense.
A narration or a story can be made more dramatic or immediate by using the present tense in this way.
Now look at the following sentences.
• A small shrine half protrudes from the stone platform on the riverbank.
• Small shops stand on the outer edge of the Stupa.
We use the simple present tense to speak about what is usually or generally true. The sentences above describe facts. We also use the simple present tense in sentences depicting ‘universal truths’. For example:
• The sun rises in the east.
• The earth revolves round the sun.
We can also refer to habitual actions using the simple present tense.
• He usually takes a train instead of a bus to work.
• We often get fine drizzles in winter.
In these sentences words like every day, often, seldom, never, every month, generally, usually, etc. may be used.
1. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
(i) The heart is a pump that __________ (send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action __________ (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart __________ (contract). This __________ (force) the blood out into the arteries, which __________ (expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it __________ (dig) a pit and __________ (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule __________ (dry) and __________ (harden), but when rain __________ (come), the mud __________ (dissolve) and the lungfish __________ (swim) away.
(iii) MAHESH : We have to organise a class party for our teacher.
__________ (Do) anyone play an instrument?
VIPUL : Rohit __________ (play) the flute.
MAHESH : __________ (Do) he also act?
VIPUL : No, he __________ (compose) music.
MAHESH : That’s wonderful!
Answer: (i) The heart is a pump that sends (send) the blood circulating through our body. The pumping action takes place (take place) when the left ventricle of the heart contracts (contract). This forces (force) the blood out into the arteries, which expand (expand) to receive the oncoming blood.
(ii) The African lungfish can live without water for up to four years. During a drought it digs (dig) a pit and encloses (enclose) itself in a capsule of slime and earth, leaving a tiny opening for air. The capsule dries (dry) and hardens (harden), but when rain comes (come), the mud dissolves (dissolve) and the lungfish swims (swim) away.
(iii) MAHESH : We have to organise a class party for our teacher.
Does (Do) anyone play an instrument?
VIPUL : Rohit plays (play) the flute.
MAHESH : Does (Do) he also act?
VIPUL : No, he composes (compose) music.
MAHESH : That’s wonderful!