Father teaches me to be prompt - Expressions English - Class 8 - English

George had his own reason for being prompt. Identify it.

Mother tried to convince that the narrator would improve if he was rewarded. Did father agree? Pick lines from the story to support your answer.

Did Mother’s gift pleas the narrator? What did she tell him about it?

How was George rewarded for being prompt?

On whom did the narrator rely for the maintenance of his watch? When did he stop doing that?

What happened when the narrator told mother that he didn’t want to wear the watch anymore?

The narrator had finally earned the watch his father had kept for him. Justify.

What did Mother feel about the nickel watch?

‘I had no money for marbles. In some way that I didn't fully understand, I was yoked to a watch I now hated - a delicate thing that would always make trouble, unless I learnt to live gingerly.’ 

• a. Who had given ‘him’ the watch? 
• b. What ‘trouble’ did it make? 
• c. How had it changed ‘his’ life? 
• d. Why couldn’t he return it to the owner? 
• e. Find a word from the passage that means ‘tied down’.

‘Her parting shot at Father was that anyhow she had been right; she had said all along that a watch was what I needed to teach me how to be prompt’. 

• a. Who made the parting shot? 
• b. Had the watch actually made the narrator prompt? 
• c. What did ‘she’ try to prove with her parting shot?

Father was angry with the narrator because he didn't play the piano well.

• a. he didn't play the piano well
• b. he didn't eat his breakfast
• c. he was never prompt

Who else was often late?

• a. Mother
• b. All the other brothers, except George
• c. George

The watch that Mother gave the narrator belonged to

• a. his cousin
• b. her cousin
• c. Father

For months, the narrator had no money for marbles because

• a. he spent all his money on getting the watch repaired
• b. he had saved money to buy a nickel watch
• c. his Father never gave him any pocket money

What kept reminding the narrator about his resolution?

• a. The crystal of the gold watch breaking every now and then
• b. His Mother's love and concern
• c. Father's anger

In a very humorous manner Clarence Day tells us that George could not play the piano well.

Pick out similar descriptions or statements from the text and write.

Give reasons for the following statements.

• a. Father was always pleased with George, even if he didn't play the piano well.
• b. Being the eldest son, the narrator deserved to get the watch first. Father thought otherwise.
• c. Mother gave the narrator a watch. The watch and the narrator were not made for each other.
• d. The narrator was reduced to the necessity of paying for damaging the watch himself.
• e. The narrator began to hate the watch his Mother gave him.
• f. The narrator envied George.
• g. When Father presented the much-awaited and desired watch to the narrator, his happiness knew no bounds.

Imagine you are the narrator of the story you just read. Describe your feelings through a diary entry when your brother got the watch you had always been waiting for. You may write in 120 words about all the different things that came to your mind - about George, Father, and about yourself.

Keep the following in mind while writing.

• Focus on your feelings and slowly put into words what you wish to convey.
• Write and include as many details in describing your feelings. Make good use of colorful and vivid adjectives and adverbs.
• Imagine you are painting a picture on a canvas.

Complete the paragraph by filling in appropriate prepositions. 
 The narrator’s father was annoyed with him and it was (a) _________________ a good reason. The narrator was never prompt. George was always before time and won his father’s appreciation. George was given a beautiful watch with his name engraved on it. The narrator burned with envy but knew that he was (b) _________________ fault and no one else was to be blamed for him not receiving a watch like George did. He had to earn it. The narrator’s mother was (c) _________________ good terms with him and out of sympathy gave him an old gold watch. It was painfully delicate (d) _________________ design and it wasn’t the kind of watch the narrator had been waiting (e) _________________ anticipation of. Nevertheless, he wore and every time he walked out of the house, he returned with the watch damaged. (f) _________________ times, he felt frustrated and helpless. He couldn’t even discard it and felt he was (g) _________________ a mess. Finally, he decided that the only way he could get rid of it and earn a good watch from his father was to be prompt. Sometimes, he thought it wasn’t worth working on being punctual, but (h) _________________ second thoughts, a little pain would bring much gain. The situation was no longer (i) _________________ of his control. He had made up his mind to earn the watch with his name engraved on it (j) _________________ virtue of his hardwork and determination 

Match the following columns: 

1. The father, _______________ often lost his temper when             a. the laziest of all brothers 
   his sons weren’t prompt enough. 
2. The narrator, _______________ never reached the                          b. an heirloom
   breakfast table on time. 
3. George, _______________ received the watch with                         c. a punctual person 
   his name engraved on it. 
4. The mother gave the narrator a gold watch, _____________.      d. a curse of great possessions
5. The gold watch, _______________ became a living thought          e. the lucky one 
   to the narrator. 

Now look at the images, write a noun phrase followed by an appositive phrase to frame a meaningful sentence. One’s been done as an example. 
 1.    Noun phrase: a music academy 
         appositive phrase: the best in the neighbourhood 
         sentence: Sheila had joined a music academy, the best in the neighbourhood. 
 2.    Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
         appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
         sentence: _______________________________________________________________
 3.    Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
         appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
         sentence: _______________________________________________________________
 4.    Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
         appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
         sentence: _______________________________________________________________
 5.    Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
         appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
         sentence: _______________________________________________________________ 

Describe the watch that mother had given.

How did Mother react when the narrator didn't want to wear the gold watch anymore?

Complete the paragraph by filling in bold appropriate prepositions. 
The narrator’s father was annoyed with him and it was (a) _________________ a good reason. The narrator was never prompt. George was always before time and won his father’s appreciation. George was given a beautiful watch with his name engraved on it. The narrator burned with envy but knew that he was (b) _________________ fault and no one else was to be blamed for him not receiving a watch like George did. He had to earn it. The narrator’s mother was (c) _________________ good terms with him and out of sympathy gave him an old gold watch. It was painfully delicate (d) _________________ design and it wasn’t the kind of watch the narrator had been waiting (e) _________________ anticipation of. Nevertheless, he wore and every time he walked out of the house, he returned with the watch damaged. (f) _________________ times, he felt frustrated and helpless. He couldn’t even discard it and felt he was (g) _________________ a mess. Finally, he decided that the only way he could get rid of it and earn a good watch from his father was to be prompt. Sometimes, he thought it wasn’t worth working on being punctual, but (h) _________________ second thoughts, a little pain would bring much gain. The situation was no longer (i) _________________ of his control. He had made up his mind to earn the watch with his name engraved on it (j) _________________ virtue of his hardwork and determination

Match the following columns: 

1. The father, _______________ often lost his temper when                      a. the laziest of all brothers 
   his sons weren’t prompt enough. 
2. The narrator, _______________ never reached the                                  b. an heirloom
   breakfast table on time. 
3. George, _______________ received the watch with                                c. a punctual person 
   his name engraved on it. 
4. The mother gave the narrator a gold watch, _____________.                  d. a curse of great possessions  
5. The gold watch, _______________ became a living thought                    e. the lucky one 
   to the narrator. 

Now look at the images, write a noun phrase followed by an appositive phrase to frame a meaningful sentence. One’s been done as an example. 
1. Noun phrase: a music academy 
  appositive phrase: the best in the neighbourhood 
  sentence: Sheila had joined a music academy, the best in the neighbourhood. 
2. Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
  appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
  sentence: _______________________________________________________________
3. Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
  appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
  sentence: _______________________________________________________________
4. Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
  appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
  sentence: _______________________________________________________________
5. Noun phrase: ____________________________________________________________
  appositive phrase: ________________________________________________________
  sentence: _______________________________________________________________