In Father's Presence - Living English - Class 6 - English

‘He expected to be contradicted any moment’ because  
  a. his father always found he was wrong.  
  b. he was not sure if the answer was correct.  
  c. he knew the answer was wrong.  
  d. he did not like Mathematics.  

Frame questions for these answers.  
  1. The dust on the table and books showed Father Swami hadn’t touched his books.  
  2. Swami took half an hour to clean his table and dust his books.  
  3. Father gave Swami a sum to do from his textbook.  

Write T for True or F for false. Explain your answers. 
    1. Swami was not sure whether he had to add, substract, multiply or divide. 
   2. Father thrashed Swami when he could not answer him. 
   3. Fractions were easy for Swami to do. 
   4. Swami disappeared and did not go to the club. 

Half an hour later, Swaminathan sat in his father’s room in a chair. 

Why was Swaminathan in his father’s room? What happened after this? 

Every time he read it, it seemed to acquire a new meaning. 

What was Swaminathan reading? What new meanings did he find? 

Swaminathan waited with interest for the miracle to happen. 

     What was the miracle? Did Swaminatha think the miracle would happen? 

“Would you like to come with me to the club, boy?” he asked. 

Who asked this? Whom did he ask? Why? 

Swaminathan compares his friends with the people in the sum. What does that tell you about his two friends? Use the boxes to write down your ideas. 
    Name of friend                  Compared with                 What it tell you about the friend 

How did Father know Swaminathan had not been studying at all? What did Father do about it? 

What does Swaminathan think of when he reads the sum? Why do you think he thinks of those things? 

What does Swaminathan think about fractions? Why? 

Swaminathan viewed this question as a gross breach of promise. 

Gross means total or complete. Breach means to break. What was the question? What was the promise his father was breaking? 

It was plain sailing after that. 

Plain means simple or ordinary; sailing is to go on a journey in a sailboat. 
What does plain sailing mean here? Did he go through the sum easily after that? 

The whole brood of Ramas and Krishnas, with their endless transactions.... were getting disgusting. 
Brood means family or group; transactions means business deals; disgusting means sickening. What does the line above mean? Why were Rama and Krishna and their deals with mangoes making Swami sick? 

Punctuate these sentences. Use capital letters where necessary. 
 1.            Swami found fractions completely puzzling 
 2.            Why can’t you understand this simple thing 
 3.            Read it properly and tell me the answer 
 4.            Oh dear you haven’t finished yet 

Rearrange these words to make different kinds of sentences. Note the punctuation marks. 
 1.    Swami the correct answer got (.) 
 2.    Swami the correct answer did get (?) 
 3.    This sum how is difficult. (!) 
 4.    I a letter to write you can (.) 
 5.    I a letter to write you can (?) 
 6.    A surprise pleasant what (!) 

Swami got this letter from his grandfather. 
 Harur 
 25 April 1934 
 
 Dear Swami, 
 Appa told me that school is closed and you have holidays. I hope you are enjoying yourself playing cricket with your friends. Holidays are for fun and enjoyment. At the same time keep in touch with your books. Don’t forget them completely. 
 Your grandmother and I are well. We thought we could come and spend a few days with all of you while you have holidays. I would like to go on walks by the river and meet all your friends. I hope you would like that. The mangoes are in season so I shall bring some from the garden. What else will you like from here? Let me know before we leave next week. 
 
 With love, 
 Thatha 

B.      Swami started this letter to his grandfather. Complete the letter. 
 Malgudi 
 28 April 1934 
 Dear Thatha, 
 it will be great to have you here! We are well and so are all my friends. They were also happy to hear that you are coming here. 
 Work with a friend. 
 -      Think about what else Swami could write in the letter: 
         - Answer grandfather’s questions 
         - comment on what grandfather says about holidays 
 -      Write two or three sentences for each point. 
 -      Write the letter. 

And then there was the obscure point whether the mangoes wee ripe or not. 

a. What was Swaminathan’s concern? 
b. Why do you think Swaminathan was concerned about it? 
c. What do you understand by the term obscure point? Frame sentence using obscure point.