"Fourteen – I" is a hilarious play about the events that unfold when fashionable New York hostess, Mrs. Horace Pringle, is tasked with hosting a dinner party for fourteen guests. Mrs. Pringle and her daughter Elaine, along with their butler, Dunham, find .......
Fourteen - I - Enhanced English Alive Coursebook - Class 7 - English
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Back Exercises - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Literature | English | Class 7
Here are some exaggerated expressions from the play. Match them with their meaning.
Expression | Meaning |
---|---|
1. Called away | a. shocked severely or startled |
2. Frightened to death | b. to come to a nearby place in large numbers |
3. Lose my tongue | c. fall in love with |
4. Lost its heart to | d. unable to speak |
5. Flock around the corner | e. asked someone to leave a place |
Expression | Meaning |
---|---|
1. Called away | e. asked someone to leave a place |
2. Frightened to death | a. shocked severely or startled |
d. unable to speak | |
3. Lose my tongue
4. Lost its heart to
5. Flock around the corner b. to come to a nearby place in large numbers
Fill in the blanks with the suitable homophones from the brackets.
1. Please …………………………………. (right/write) in the …………………………………. (right/write) column.
2. …………………………………. (There/Their) grandma lives in the nearby cottage.
3. It’s been a …………………………………. (weak/week) since I had a sound sleep. I feel extremely …………………………………. (weak/week).
4. My uncle sounded a bit …………………………………. (hoarse/horse).
5. Take the phone and call the police. The burglars won’t …………………………………. (hear/here) us from …………………………………. (hear/here).
6. …………………………………. (No/Know), I don’t …………………………………. (no/know) the Prince personally.
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Sign up nowFind the origin and meaning of these words using an online etymology dictionary.
Word | Origin | Meaning |
---|---|---|
tsunami | ||
intelligentsia | ||
bungalow | ||
kowtow | ||
shampoo |
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Sign up nowRead the sentences. Underline the finite verbs and circle the non-finite verbs. One has been done for you.
1. She worked hard to pass the exam.
2. He crossed the river without getting noticed.
3. The dog wagged his tail to show his happiness.
4. Finding the door open, I went inside.
5. They got the roof repaired.
6. I want to buy some clothes.
7. Barking dogs don’t bite.
8. He got his shoes cleaned.
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Sign up nowRewrite these sentences using the subject it and an infinitive.
1. Doing the homework alone was very difficult.
2. Reading storybooks is my favourite hobby.
3. Running is a good exercise.
4. Flying a plane in bad weather is dangerous.
5. Getting enough sleep is important.
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Sign up nowFill in the blanks with the gerund or infinitive form of the verbs in the brackets.
1. People enjoy …………………………………. (watch) films in the cinema.
2. Siya and Reena agreed …………………………………. (meet) at the restaurant.
3. Daksh hopes …………………………………. (finish) his homework soon.
4. Seema likes …………………………………. (listen) to music.
5. They enjoy …………………………………. (play) tennis at his house.
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Sign up nowA short story is a fictional prose that is much shorter in length than a novel, and can be read in one sitting. Study these features of story writing.
- Begin with a background to your story. A good background establishes the setting,
introduces the protagonist of the main character, and provides context combined with
some key details.
- Introduce the conflict. In storytelling, this is known as rising action. A conflict is often an
obstacle which the character fights throughout the story. This can be either external or
internal.
- Write about the events that rise from the conflict.
- Produce a climax. This is the turning point of the story, in which the protagonist takes on
the conflict and starts to solve it.
- Formulate the closure. This is also known as the falling action. Here, the characters are
tying up loose ends, and the conflict has been resolved.
- Form a conclusion. This is the wrap-up of your story, where the lives of the characters
have returned to normal.
Keeping in mind the features you just read, prepare a brief story outline on anyone of these topics.
- Stranded on a desert island
- Aliens invade the Earth
Setting: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Protagonist: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Context: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Conflict: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Climax: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Closure: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Conclusion: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
With the help of the outline, develop and write an interesting short story. Read it in the class.
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Sign up nowBack Questions - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Literature | English | Class 7
Mrs Pringle had organised dinner for
a. thirteen guests.
b. fourteen guests.
c. ten guests.
b. fourteen guests.
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Mr Harper refused the dinner invite because
a. of the terrible blizzard.
b. his friend fell ill.
c. his wife had the chicken-pox.
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Sign up nowMrs Pringle wanted her husband to sit at the head of the table because
a. She thought it looked undignified when the man of the house is pushed to the side.
b. She wanted her husband to have a conversation with everyone.
c. She wanted him to deliver a speech.
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Sign up nowMrs Pringle wanted Elaine to sit next to
a. Dunham.
b. Mr Conley.
c. Oliver Fransworth.
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Sign up nowMrs Pringle was glad that Jessica backed out as that would leave them with
a. eight guests.
b. fourteen guests.
c. sixteen guests.
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Sign up nowWhy was Mrs Pringle happy to know that the Cook was in a bad temper?
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Sign up nowWhat trouble had Mr Harper put Mrs Pringle in?
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Sign up nowWhat was wrong with just having twelve guests?
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Sign up nowWhy did Mrs Pringle agree to invite Mr Morgan?
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Sign up nowDid Mrs Pringle like Oliver Farnsworth? Why?
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Sign up nowWhy was Elaine distressed after calling the Tuppers?
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Sign up nowWhat solutions were given by Elaine and Mrs Pringle when sixteen people were on the guest list?
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Sign up nowWhy was it important to make fresh place-cards and a new diagram?
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Sign up nowWhat do you think was Mrs Pringle’s main motive for hosting the dinner?
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Sign up nowDo you think Elaine was scared of her mother? Give reasons by giving examples from the play.
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Sign up nowDo you think Mrs Pringle was unnecessarily worried about the guest list? Why/Why not?
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Sign up nowNow work in pairs. Draw two mind maps, as the one shown below, and fill them in with the character traits of Mrs Pringle and her daughter Elaine. Write the supporting details from the play. You may use the words given in the box.
Well organised | meek | house proud | simple | attentive to details | timid |
pretentious | honest | calculative | ambitious | multitasker |
Character Map |
---|
Trait | Trait | Trait | Trait |
Supporting detail | Supporting detail | Supporting detail | Supporting detail |
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Sign up nowMrs Pringle comes across as someone who is polite and courteous to others. Was ither true nature? How can you tell? Support with evidence from the story.
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Sign up nowHow can one deal with snobbishness or pretentiousness? How can we be true to ourselves?
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Sign up nowExtra Questions - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Literature | English | Class 7
How did Elaine respond to her mother's attempts to find her a suitable match?
Elaine was disinterested and reluctant towards her mother's attempts to find her a suitable match. She felt uncomfortable and intimidated at the prospects of being matched with Mr. Farnsworth, who was described as being enormously wealthy, often losing her tongue in his presence. She also expressed her displeasure towards her mother's endeavors of marrying her off to such an important figure, indicating her preference for a less daunting match.
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What was Dunham's role in the overwhelming situation?
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Sign up nowHow did the quick changes in the guest list add tension and comedy to the play?
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Sign up nowFourteen I - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 7 Literature | English
About the Author - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 7 Literature | English
Alice Erya Gerstenberg was a renowned American playwright, actress and a central figure in the Little Theatre Movement during the early 20th century. Born in Chicago in 1885, she was a descendant of a prominent family and was educated at elite institutions.
Gerstenberg is best remembered for her plays, which are characterized by their wit, humor, and delicately designed dramatic structure. Many of her works, including "Fourteen" and "Overtones", were controversial for their time due to their exploration of female independence and their deviation from traditional theatrical conventions. Not only did she pen many acclaimed plays, but she also acted in them, making a significant contribution to the theatre both as a writer and performer.
She is also notable for establishing the Little Theatre of Chicago, which played a vital role in the early development of progressive drama in America, fostering creativity and innovation in playwriting and production. Alice Gerstenberg passed away in 1972, leaving behind a legacy of significant contributions to American theatre.
Summary - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 7 Literature | English
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Themes - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 7 Literature | English
1. Superstition:
One of the dominant themes of the play is superstition. Mrs. Pringle, the hostess, is obsessed with maintaining a guest count of fourteen and avoids the number thirteen due to its associated ill-omen. This theme is used to ignite the .......
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Unlock now 🔓Plot - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 7 Literature | English
1. Introduction:
Mrs. Pringle is planning a dinner party for her fourteen guests in the 1920s New York. The problem starts when one guest cancels at the last moment, reducing the dinner count to thirteen – considered an unlucky number. Mrs. Pringle .....
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Unlock now 🔓Important Lines - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 7 Literature | English
1. "Dunham, I’ve just had word from Mr Harper that he was called away to the bedside of a friend who is very ill."
This line is significant as it sets the plot in motion. Mrs. Pringle's dinner guest cancelling is what sparks the chain of events....
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Unlock now 🔓Vocabulary - Fourteen - I | Enhanced English Alive Coursebook | Class 7 Literature | English
1. Hostess - a woman who receives or entertains guests.
- The hostess warmly greeted everyone at the door.
2. Inauspicious - not conducive to success; unpromising.
- The broken mirror was considered an inauspicious start to the day.
3. Omen - an event regarded as a portent of good or evil.
- Many people ......................
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