Chapter 2 The Adventures of Toto.

Textbook Questions
Think about it
(Page 11)
Question 1.
How does Toto come to grand-father’s private zoo?
Answer:
Grandfather loved animals. One day he saw this attractive monkey with a tonga- driver.
The monkey was tied to a feeding- trough and seemed out of place there. Grandfather
had a great liking for animals. So he decided to buy Toto from the tonga- driver and
bought it for five rupees.

Question 2.
“Toto was a pretty monkey.” In what sense is Toto pretty?
Answer:
Toto had bright eyes sparkling with mischief, pearly white teeth, quick and wicked
fingers and a gracious tail which served as a third hand. The smile of Toto was cute and
frightened elderly Anglo- Indian ladies. Altogether all these qualities made him pretty.

Question 3.
Why does grandfather take Toto to Saharanpur and how? Why does the ticket collector
insist on calling Toto a dog?
Answer:
Toto was a mischievous monkey. He kept disturbing all other animals in grandfather’s
private zoo. It seemed that only grandfather could manage him properly. So, he took
Toto to Saharanpur in a bag. The ticket collector called Toto a dog as the monkey did
not qualify the category of human beings.

Question 4.
How does Toto take a bath? Where has he learnt to do this? How does Toto almost boil
himself alive?
Answer:
Toto cunningly tested the temperature with his hand then gradually stepped into the
bath. He stepped first one foot, then the other, until he was into the water up to his neck.
He rubbed himself all over with the soap. He learned it all from the author. Someday
Toto got in a large kitchen kettle which was on fire to boil. He enjoyed the warm water
but when the water turned out to be hot he jumped up and down. Suddenly the
grandmother arrived and pulled him out in half-boiled condition.

Question 5.
Why does the author say, “Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long”?
Answer:
Author’s statement about Toto proves itself if we take Toto’s misdeeds into
consideration. Nobody could afford the frequent losses. He disturbed all other animals
too. Obviously Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.

Talk about it
(Page 11)
Question 1.
Do you have a pet? Is your pet mis-chievous? Tell the class about it.
Answer:
Yes, I have a pet dog named Moti. My father had brought him from my maternal uncle’s
house when he was very small. Moti is like a member of my family. I have a special
attachment to him. He is very active and vigilant. He is an epitome of loyalty. He keeps
sitting beside the main gate at night. Whenever there is any unknown sound inside my
house, he starts barking. All the members of my family love Moti very much. Moti
proves to be really a gem many a time. He keeps us safe all the time. Our Moti is not
mischievous. He is very sensible and sensitive as well. We feel secure in his presence. I
pray to God to keep him healthy.

Short Answer Questions (3 marks each)

(About 40 - 50 words each)

Question 1:
Why did the author’s grandfather decide to buy Toto ?
Answer:
Grandfather was an animal lover and took pity on Toto as it was kept tied to a feeding
trough. Toto looked out of place and grandfather decided to bring it to his private zoo.
He was very impressed by Toto.

Question 2:
Why couldn't Toto and Nana become friends?
Answer:
Toto was very naughty and wicked and could not stay still for a long time. Nana was a
well behaved and docile animal. When they were together Toto bit on the long ears of
Nana and Nana got annoyed with Toto. Thus, Nana and Toto could not become friends.

Question 3:
How does Toto become a problem to grandfather while going to Saharanpur?
Answer:
While going to Saharanpur, Toto behaved well. When grandfather was producing his
ticket, Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag. He gave the ticket collector a wide
grin. The ticket collector insisted that grandfather must buy the ticket for the pet. And
proved to be a big problem for grandfather.

Question 4:
Where was Toto kept immediately after grandfather got him ? Why ?
Answer:
Toto was kept in a closet. He was tied securely to a peg because his presence was to be
kept a secret from the writer’s grandmother as she abhorred animals.

Question 5:
Who was Nana ? How did Toto tease Nana ?
Answer:
Nana was the family donkey. Toto was kept in the stable with Nana, where Toto U9ed to
tease Nana by fastbiting on to her long ears with his sharp little teeth. Even Nana got
fed up with Toto.

Question 6:
In what sense was Toto “a pretty monkey”.
Answer:
Toto’s bright eyes sparkled with mischief beneath deep-set eye brows. His pearly white
teeth often displayed a smile that had the innocence of a child yet there was an
underlined tinge of naughtiness and mischievousness.

Question 7:
How did Toto's Love for taking bath almost led to his being half – boiled ?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-030)
Answer:
Toto used to love taking baths in hot water. Once when a kettle was kept on fire with
water to boil for tea, Toto sat in it. When the water began to boil, Toto tried getting up
but found it was cold outside. So he sat down again. He kept on hopping outside and
then again inside and after sometime he started enjoying this game.
Question 8:
Why did the grandfather give away Toto, the monkey ?
Answer:
Toto was very naughty and he troubled everyone. The other pets were not happy with
him and he broke a lot of dishes, tore clothes, curtains and wallpapers. He had become
very difficult to handle and so grandfather gave Toto away.

Question 9:
Why did the grandfather hide Toto for some time when he brought him home?
Answer:
Grandmother was not very fond of animals. When he used to bring a new animal or bird,
she used to make a lot of fuss. To avoid this, grandfather hid Toto for some time and
announced his arrival to her when she was in a good mood.

Question 10:
Why did grandfather decide to take Toto along with him to DehraDun ?

Answer:
Grandfather decided to take Toto along with him to Dehra Dim as there were many other
pets also / that lived there. But Toto would not allow any of his companions to sleep at
night. So, he made this decision.

Question 11:
Give-the names of Grandfather’s pets. Where did they live ?
Answer:
The names of the Grandfather’s pets were Nana the donkey and Toto the monkey, a
tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel and a goat. They lived in a big cage in the
servant’s quarters.
Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)
(About 80-100 words)
Question 1:
Write your views in the form of a short paragraph on the topic “Should animals be kept
as a pet”. (SA-1,2014-15)
OR
While keeping pets at home, what things should be kept in mind ?
(Board Tenn, Sept 1,2013 K2G41GH)
Answer:
Before bringing a pet in the house, we should remember that these animals can neither
speak nor express as humans. As a pet owner we should know that there are a number
of dangers that lurk in our households for these little creatures. We should always keep
pesticides and medicines at a bay from the animals and children as they are a potential
threat to them. The areas where pets might start fires inadvertently such as kitchen or
fireplaces or plugs should be covered, we should never have pets unattended around the
open flames. Small electrical cords are also harmful for them hence they would be
wounded and kept at distance. All the pots and oil bottles should be properly closed.

Question 2:
How can you say that Toto was a mischievous pet ?
Answer:
Toto was indeed a very mischievous pet. He tore the wall papers of the rooms, and also
tore the school blazer. He troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to get
himself into trouble by nearly half boiling himself in a kettle. He made holes in dresses
and curtains. Once he even scared the ticket checker. He even broke dishes in the
houses. He proved to be a big troublemaker for everyone. Thus, we can say that Toto
was a mischievous pet.

Question 3:
Describe the incident at Dehradun railway station after reading the story, The
Adventures of Toto’.
Answer:
Grandfather had to go to Saharanpur. So, he decided to put Toto in a big black canvas
bag for the train journey. When they reached the station Toto started jumping on the
platform and everyone was surprised to see a bag jumping and moving about. When the
ticket collector came, Toto poked his head out of the bag. The ticket collector wanted
grandfather to buy a ticket for him and grandfather did not want to. Finally the ticket
collector had his way.

Question 4:
“Toto was not good enough to be kept at home.” Do you agree with this state-ment.
Why/why not?
Answer:
Yes, Toto was not good enough to be kept at home. He was up to some kind of mischief
all the time. He tore the wall papers of the rooms, and also tore the school blazer. He
troubled other fellow animals. He even managed to get himself into trouble by nearly
boiling himself in a kettle. He made holes in dresses and curtains. Once he even scared
the ticket checker also. He even broke dishes in the houses. Thus, it was not easy to
keep him at home. ‘
Question 5:
“Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.” Explain giving examples from the
text.
Answer:
“Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long.” because he was very mischievous.
He scratched the plaster of the walls, tore the school blazer and qpnt’s dresses. He
threw plates at grandmother and glasses of water at one of the aunt’s face. He used to
break the dishes of pulav into pieces. And they could not afford the frequent loss of
dishes, clothes, curtains and wallpaper.

Question 6:
Grandfather was a great lover of animals. Describe.
Answer:
The Narrator’s grandfather had a great liking for animals. He had a tortoise, a pair of
rabbits, a tame squirrel, a goat but no monkey. With the coming of Toto his mini ZOO
was transformed into a real zoo. He had a variety of pet animals in that zoo. He
frequently bought many varieties of animals to keep them in his zoo. Due to this, he
even faced the anger of his wife at times and when he brought Toto he was very happy
with his cleverness.

Question 7:
How does Toto take a bath ? Where has he learnt to do this ?
Answer:
Toto takes a bath in a tub of warm water. It puts its legs in the water one by one and
applies soap as well. As monkeys are good at aping others, so Toto has learnt proper
steps of bathing while watching the narrator doing the same. He wanted to take a bath
and in order to do it, he also sat in the boiling water of a kettle also.
Class 9
English Poem
Wind
By Subramania Bharathi
Question and Answers
1. What are the things the wind does in the first stanza?
A. When the wind blows violently, it destroys everything. It breaks the shutters of
windows, scatters the papers, throws the books down from the shelves, tears their
pages and brings along a lot of rain.

2. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?

A. The wind God winnows means that nature sifts the weak things from the strong ones.
Everything that is weak is tossed by the powerful wind and gets destroyed. Just like the
winnower separates the grains of wheat from the chaff, similarly, the wind god separates
the weak from the strong.

3. What should we do to make friends with the wind?

A. We must make ourselves strong to face the violent wind. When we will be strong, the
wind will not harm us, instead it will become a friend and help us to grow and flourish.

4. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?

A. The last four lines of the poem carry an important message that the strong people
emerge stronger and victorious in the face of adversities. We must make ourselves
strong like a burning fire which grows and flourishes in the violent wind, we also prosper
in the face of challenges.

5. How does the poet speak to the wind — in anger or with humour? You must
also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to
this? Is it like the poet’s?
A. The poet speaks to the wind with anger. Yes, strong winds are known to cause plenty
of damage and destruction to both life and property. Storms, cyclones gales and strong
winds cause havoc on land. They uproot trees, bring down houses, tear down electric
posts and claim lives. They also cause damage to boats and frighten the poor sailors
and fishermen out at sea. Yet I do not agree with the poet that the wind only crumbles
lives. The wind is responsible for bringing rain; it cools the land and makes the climate
pleasant. Today wind energy is harnessed for several useful purposes including turning
windmills, wind turbines and generating electricity.

1
Answer the following questions briefly.
1. How does the poet want the wind to come?
Answer: The poet wants the wind to come softly.
2. What should the wind not break?
Answer: The wind should not break the shutters of the windows.
3. What should the wind not scatter?
Answer: The wind should not scatter the papers.
4. What should the wind not throw down?
Answer: The wind should not throw down the books on the shelf.
5. What did the wind do to the books?
Answer: The wind threw the books down and tore their pages.
6. Who does the wind make fun of – weak people or strong people?
Answer: The wind makes fun of weak people.
7. What does the wind god do?
Answer: The wind god separates the food grain from the chaff.
8. What does the poet propose to do about homes?
Answer: The poet proposes that they should make strong homes.
9. What should we do about our body and heart?
Answer: We should make our body firm and heart steadfast.
10. What does the wind do to weak fires?
Answer: The wind blows out weak fires.
11. What does the wind do to strong fires?
Answer: The wind makes strong fires roar and flourish.
12. Who is the poet of the poem ‘Wind’?
Answer: Subramania Bharati.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Give in brief the central idea of the poem ‘Wind’.
Answer: The central idea of the poem is that nobody cares for the weak. Even gods
help the strong. Therefore, we should not pray for mercy or help. We should make
ourselves strong. If we are strong, everybody will like to be friends with us.
2. What lesson can we learn from the action of the wind on the tire?
Answer: If the fire is weak, the wind blows it out. If the fire is strong, the wind adds
more power to it. It makes it roar and flourish. Therefore, we should make ourselves
strong. If we are weak, everybody will harm us. If we are strong, everybody will like to
be friends with us. Even the gods help those who are strong. They pay no attention to
the prayers of the weak

2
3. How does the wind poke fun at weaklings?
Answer: Weaklings pray to the wind to come softly. They pray to the wind god not to
break the shutters of their windows. But the wind god does not listen to their prayers.
Rather he pokes fun at them. He blows down their houses. He breaks their doors. He
breaks their bodies, their lives and even their hearts. He crushes them badly.
4. Why does the poet plead with the wind to blow softly?
Answer: When the wind blows softly, it is harmless and enjoyable but when it blows
fiercely, it wreaks havoc. Therefore, the poet wants the wind to be gentle and soft.
5. What kind of destruction is caused by the violent wind?
Or
What are the things that the wind does in the first stanza?
Answer: When the wind blows violently, it destroys everything. It breaks the window
shutters, scatters papers around, makes the books fall down, tears their pages and
brings about the heavy downpour.
6. Explain the line: You brought rain again”
Or
How does the wind bring rain?
Answer: The line highlights the fact that the wind brings rain. He blows the
vapour-laden clouds around and causes them to rain. Sometimes the rain brought about
by the wind also causes damage.
7. How does the wind make fun of the weaklings?
Answer: The strong wind uses his destructive power to harm weak persons and
delicate things. Without showing any mercy or sympathy, he crushes weak houses,
crumbling doors, and even human lives and hearts. By moving violently and destroying
the weak, he seems to make fun of their helplessness.
8. What does the poet say the wind god winnows?
Answer: The poet states that the wind god winnows because it is nature’s way of
rejecting the frail and unhealthy objects. In a way, the wind god separates the weak
from the strong like the chaff is separated from the grain. The wind god is the winnower,
the wind as the winnowing fan and the weak men are the grain.
9. What does the poet think of the wind god’s attitude to the requests of people?
Answer: The poet believes that the wind god is indifferent to the requests of people.
Even though people request him to blow gently, he does not pay any heed to their
pleas. He is defiant and does not care about the wishes of people. It means that the
intensity of the wind is beyond human control.
10. What should people do to avoid the destruction caused by the strong winds?
Or
Why should people build strong houses and strong doors?
Answer: To avoid the destruction caused by the strong wind, it is essential that people
construct solid, sturdy houses with firm strong doors. The buildings should be able to

3
resist the attack of the violent wind.
11. What does the wind symbolize in this poem?
Answer: The poet converts the natural force, wind, into a symbol in the context of
human life. The destructive wind symbolizes the hardships, problems and obstructions
in the life of people. Just as buildings have to face strong winds, people have to
encounter difficulties and obstacles in life.
12. Why does the poet want people to have firm bodies and strong hearts?
Answer: In life, people have to encounter the winds of hardships, unfavourable
circumstances, and big obstacles. If people are infirm, unhealthy, and weak-willed, they
will be defeated by these difficulties. But, if they are physically strong and mentally
confident, they can resist all the hardships boldly and successfully.
13. What is the impact of the wind on weak fires and strong fires?
Answer: Weak fires are powerless and helpless against the force of winds and are
easily extinguished. But the strong fires when fanned by the wind, rage more furiously
and burn with a thundering roar.
14. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Answer: As friendship exists and thrives among equals, we can befriend the wind only
by becoming as strong and forceful as he is. If we are physically and mentally strong,
we can embrace it as a friend without being afraid of its fury.
15. Why does the poet remark that the friendship of wind is good?
Answer: The poet remarks that the friendship of wind is good because the wind has
both kind and wicked aspects. If we are weak, its destructive force causes havoc. But if
we are strong, we may harness its power and use it for constructive purposes. As a
friend, the wind works for the benefit of mankind.
16. What do the last four lines of the poem mean to you?
Answer: The last four lines of the poem carry an important message about it- e benefits
of strength. Strong people come out stronger in the face of difficulties and challenges,
just like the strong fires burn brighter when harsh winds blow. Thus even the trying
situations become friendly for strong people.
17. Briefly describe the central idea of the poem.
Answer: The poem “Wind” motivates us to face challenges of life with grit and
determination. It inspires us to face all the hardships of life with courage. Representing
the turmoil and troubles of life, the strong wind teaches us the value of unshakeable
determination.
18. What can wind do if it becomes our friend?
Answer: Wind can teach us positive qualities just like our good friends do. Its strength
can teach us to be tough and determined in difficult times and its force can teach us to
face obstacles bravely.

4
19. What does the wind God winnows?
Answer: The wind God winnows all the things available at home. The windbreaks and
crushes weak houses, doors, rafters, wood, human beings and lives. The wind God
windows and crushes all the weak things.
20. What should we do to make friends with the wind?
Answer: The poet suggests that we should build strong houses and fix the doors firmly
to make friends with the wind. Moreover, we should make ourselves mentally and
physically strong enough to face the difficulties in life.
21. How does the poet describe the wind in the poem ‘Wind’?
Answer: In the poem, the poet describes the destructive and constructive forms of the
wind. The wind destroys and crushes the weak and makes the strong more stronger.
22. How does the wind behave with stronger fires?
Answer: It behaves like a friend with strong ones. It cannot destroy them. So it accepts
their might and stops troubling them. Rather, it increases their strength by contributing
its own.
23. How does the wind behave with weak things and persons?
Answer: The wind does not like weak things and persons. It does not behave in a
friendly way with them. It destroys the weak things as it does with the crumbling houses,
doors etc.
24. How does the wind become the cause of rain?
Answer: The wind sometimes becomes violent and appears to be a storm. It brings
clouds with it from distant lands. There is no need to say that clouds bring rain. It is a
universal truth and scientific fact that clouds bring rain from the blue sky.
25. What does the poet ask us to do?
Answer: The poet wants us to realise the true nature and power of the wind. He
advises us to build strong houses. The doors must be closed firmly. Weak hearts will
never succeed. Let us make our heart and body strong and steadfast. The wind god
does not harm strength and steadfastness but even supports them.
26. Why should the earthly people build strong houses?
Answer: They should build strong houses so that they may not be damaged by the
wind. They should be strong enough to endure violent winds and become a challenge to
the potent wind.
27. Whom does the poet praise and why?
Answer: The poet praises the wind. He has accepted the power of wind, which stands
for hardships in our life. If we want to be successful in life, we must have a strong body
and heart. Only strong people can face challenges in life.

5
28. How does the poet speak to the wind—in anger or with humour? You must
also have seen or heard of the wind “crumbling lives”. What is your response to
this? Is it like the poet’s response?
Answer: The poet speaks to the wind with humour. I opine that the poet’s behaviour is
pertinent and I have also seen the wind devastating the property mercilessly. The poet
invites the wind to attack him and intends to prepare himself for the attack.
29. What does the wind do with the books?
Answer: The wind tears the pages off and throws them down from the bookshelf. The
potent (powerful) wind scatters the books and sheets of paper on the floor. It disturbs
everything.
30. What is the central idea of the poem, ‘Wind’?
Answer: The poet advises us to be strong in mind and body. The wind will be our friend
when we are strong. Here the wind represents the difficulties and challenges we face in
our life. Therefore, we should face them boldly.
31. Why and how does the wind blow out weak fires? Who roars and flourish?
Answer: The god of wind is against any and every shaky and weak thing. Our heart
should be fired with determination and strength. Weak fires and weaklings are flown out.
Only the strong roar and flourish. His friendship is well rewarding. Let us praise the
wind, the symbol of power and strength.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. What kind of destruction can be caused by violent wind?
Answer: The wind, through its violent force, can play havoc in the world. It causes huge
damage to life and property. Buildings collapse, window shutters are broken, papers are
scattered and books are thrown down. The wind causes clouds to make heavy showers
which creates many problems for the poor and weak people. When the violent wind
blows, the fragile, unsteady houses crumble down, doors come off their hinges, rafters
fall down, and the wooden panels collapse. The small flames of fires are extinguished
by the wind. The god of wind suppresses and destroys weak people and structures.
Proud of his power, he causes large-scale destruction.
2. How does the poet use wind as a symbol in relation to human beings?
Or
Human life is full of hardships. How does the poet reveal it?
Answer: In relation to human beings, the wind has been used by the poet as a symbol
of the hardships that life is dotted with. Men have to encounter terrible suffering,
sorrows, difficulties, and failures. So powerful are these troubles that only very strong
people are able to overcome them and move ahead. Weak, infirm and indecisive people
surrender in front of hardships and accept defeat. But, strong people with patience,
unwavering minds and firm will fight against the hardships and emerge even stronger.

6
Human lives can never be devoid of struggle. One only needs physical and mental
strength to overcome unfavourable circumstances. The winds of trouble cannot harm
those who have the power to stand firm. Strong people can turn their difficulties into
opportunities and learn lessons from them. They know how to turn the tides in their
favour.
3. Which values of life do the poet emphasize in the poem?
Or
Do you think the poem “Wind” is a didactic poem? What moral values does it
preach?
Answer: The poem “Wind”, by Subramania Bharati, teaches a very deep moral lesson
for human beings. The poet uses the wind as a symbol of problems in life while the
sturdy structures symbolize unfaltering, strong human beings. The poet uses both the
symbols and direct statement to bring home the values of strong physical health and
mental powers, confidence and a firm will.
Life is not a cakewalk; it is strewn with obstacles and challenges. However, only the
weak-willed and infirm people are unable to beat these obstacles and challenges, and
meekly accept their failures and defeats.
The forces of unfavourable, unhappy circumstances fail to conquer those who have the
courage. Such people beat all odds against them and come out victorious and move on.
Just as the wind extinguishes only small flames and the high flames rise higher with the
wind, similarly troubles terrify only those who have not equipped themselves with an act
of unfaltering courage and determination. Difficulties are a part of life; they cannot be
avoided, but they can be resisted through courage and confidence. Thus, the poem is
didactic in nature and emphasizes the values of courage, confidence and strong will.
4. Why does the poet suggest to the people that they have to be strong? Write
your answer in the context of the poem, ‘Wind’.
Answer: According to the poet, the wind is very powerful. It has the power to break the
shutters of the windows, scatter the papers and throw the books down the shelf. When it
blows violently, it brings the clouds. It mocks at the weak and destroys their homes. The
weak are really helpless before the wind. But the poet is quite hopeful. He thinks that
when people build strong houses, they can challenge the wind. Actually, the poet
suggests that people should be strong at heart because the weak cannot face the
challenges of life. Only the people with a strong heart and body have the courage to
face the challenges of life.
5. How can you say that friendship with the strong wind is good? Explain with
reference to the poem ‘Wind’.
Answer: When we have a friendship with the strong, we learn several new things. We
learn that we may become strong when we fight with difficulties. The people say that if
we are strong, the wind may be our friend. Because the wind likes strong friends. So, if
we desire to have the strength to be our friends, we have to show courage. This is the

7
main reason that the poet talks about the steadfast heart in the poem.
6. How can you say that the poet of the poem ‘Wind’ is a great lover of mankind?
Answer: The poet wants to make people strong at heart. His desire is that they should
be bold enough to face the challenges of life. When we have strong houses, we can
protect ourselves from the angry wind. In the same manner, when we are strong at
heart we can face the challenges of life. Only the weak peoples are defeated by the
problems of life. Similarly, the poet wants people to face the challenges of life and make
their life happy. His thought shows that he is really a great humanist. His heart is filled
with compassion for mankind.
7. The wind is a symbol of power and strength. How can we befriend it and
survive in our struggle for existence?
Answer: The wind symbolises the uncontrollable and raw power of nature. The wind
god symbolises strength and steadfastness. Weaklings who are weak in the mind and
body are swept away by the mighty power of the wind. Only those who are blessed with
steadfast minds and hearts survive in the bitter struggle of life. The poet gives a broader
message. Whatever we do or think must stand on the foundations of strength and
power. Only strong minds and bodies can face the anger of the wind and challenges of
life. We can befriend the god of wind by building strong homes and doors. We can also
win his favour by firming the body and making the heart steadfast.
8. What moral lesson do you get from the poem ‘Wind’?
Answer: The poem Wind’ is full of moral lessons. The poet has poured out his heart in
the present poem. He says that people must be strong at heart because only the weak
at heart are troubled by difficulties. Here, wind symbolises difficulties which have the
power to devastate life on earth. But if the people are strong at heart, they face the
challenges thrown out by difficulties. They struggle and at last, come out with flying
colours.

8
Class 9 - English Moments Chapter 1
The Lost Child.
Textbook Questions. Take a print or write the textbook answers in your rough book /
sticky note / textbook.
Think about it
(Page 6)

Question 1.
What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?
Answer:
On his way to the fair the child sees toys, balloons of different colours, garland of
gulmohur, a swing and a snake-charmer playing a flute. He gets attracted towards all
these things. So, he lags behind.

Question 2.
In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting
for an answer?
Answer:
The child wants many things in the fair. He wants to have toys, different sweets, garland,
balloons of different colours and has a keen desire to enjoy the roundabout. He moves
on without waiting for an answer because whenever he stops to see things, his parents
give him a cautionary call, “come, child, come!”

Question 3.
When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity
been described?
Answer:
The child sees a roundabout in the fair and gets attracted to it. He wants to have a ride
on it. He asks his parents for permission to enjoy it. Having no response on the part of
his parents he realises that he has lost his way. He starts crying bitterly at once and
runs here and there in search of them.

Question 4.
Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
Answer:
The lost child loses interest in the things he had wanted earlier because he got lost in

1
the fair. He is panic-stricken for being lost. Now he first wants his parents. He is afraid
and feels unsafe.

Question 5.
What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
Answer:
Yes I feel that the child finds his parents at last. The kind-hearted person must have
tried his best to find his parents. On the other hand the parents of the child must have
left no stone unturned to find their child.
Talk about it
(Page 6)

Question 1.
How to ensure not to get lost.
Answer:
It is very common that children get lost in fairs and crowds. Hardly a day passes when
no child gets lost. It is the duty of both the parents and the children to ensure not to get
lost. The parents need to be vigilant and more careful at crowded places. Before
entering a crowded place the parents should fix a point where the child should wait in
case of getting lost. They should make the child memorise home address and
telephone numbers. They should put or pin up a note on the pocket of the child with full
details. They should attend to the needs of the child and never leave him behind, in case
he happens to stand at some shop.
On the other hand the child should hold the hands of his parents at a crowded place. He
should keep an eye on his parents so as not to lose sight of them. In case of any
emergency the help of police, help centers and media can be taken.

NOTEBOOK EXERCISE.
L.O.
- Imbibe reading for pleasure.
- Describe the sequence of the events.

A. Take a print of the information given below and stick it in your notebook. Complete
activity 1 and 2.

2
3
Question Bank:
Below are a set of questions for your reference and study material. Answer only Q.2.
from the long answer questions in the notebook. ‘The child is fascinated —-----.’
Take a print of the question bank and file it along with all the worksheets.

4
5
6
Grammar
Gap Filling:

● A gap fill is an example of a practice exercise in which students have to fill

words missing from a given passage/text.
● These words are chosen and removed to practice a specific language
grammar..
● Gap-fill exercises are different from close texts, where words are removed
at regular intervals.
● In these exercises, a word about a Grammar concept is removed
intentionally and not just any random phrases which will require an addition
of the missing words.
● For example, gap filling could be of items of Grammar and vocabulary, or
adding particular features like Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Conjunctions and
other parts of speech as required.

Let’s take a look at some examples of Gap Filling Exercises.

Passage- 1- Question
Fill the gaps with the help of the given options.
It was a sunny day. Traffic (1)___ tough on the highway. A (2)___ hit a truck
badly in the middle of the road. Four passengers were injured while one person
(3)___ on the spot. The injured people were moved to the nearest Emergency
Room. The locals were very helpful.

1. (i) will be
(ii) was
(iii) is

(iv) has been

2. (i) speeding bus

(ii) speeded bus
(iii) sped up bus

1
 (iv) speed bus

3. (i) was died

(ii) had died
(iii) died

(iv) is died

CBSE Class 9 English Grammar – Tenses

1. Time and Tense
Time is universally divided into past, present, and future. Tense is a form of the verb that
expresses time. For example, “she goes’ is the present tense and ‘she went’ is the past
tense of the verb ‘to go’. Thus the verb changes its form to show whether an action
takes place in the present or it took place in the past.

2. Tenses
There are two tenses in English—the simple present and the simple past.
Note. Remember that there is no future tense in English to express future time. We use
the modal / auxiliaries shall and will in the present simple tense, etc, to express future
time.
3. Aspect
There are two aspects in English—the progressive (continuous) and the perfect. The
progressive aspect shows that an action is still in progress, while the perfect aspect
shows that the work is complete.
4. The following table shows the different forms of the verb:

5. Forms of the Present Simple Tense:

2
 ● Thus we have seen that the simple present tense is formed by using the
plain infinitive. But -s or -es are added to the bare infinitive (i.e. infinitive
without ‘to’) for the third person singular (He, She) and singular noun (Nitu).
● We form the negative sentences by using doesn’t or don’t before the main
verb.
● The interrogative sentences are formed by using do or does before the
subject.
● The negative interrogative sentences are formed by using do or does before
the subject and not after the subject.
But the short forms don’t and doesn’t come before the subject.

6. Uses of the Present Simple Tense:

The simple present tense is used
(i) to express universal truths, facts, customs:
● The sun sets in the west.
● The earth revolves around the sun.
● Water freezes at 0°
● The Hindus cremate their dead.
(ii) to express habitual action:
● I go to temple daily.
● My father goes for a walk in the evening.
● He gets up at 4 a.m daily.
● She walks to the office every day.
(iii) to express a permanent state:
● My house faces west.
● Delhi stands on the bank of the Yamuna,
● NH-1 (National Highway) leads to Amritsar.
● The house has four rooms.
(iv) in exclamatory sentences:
● Look out!

3
 ● Here comes the bus!
● There goes the train!
(v) in subordinate clauses beginning with ‘if’ and when’:
● If you request him, he will help you.
● If he works hard, he will pass.
● When you go there, try to meet him.
(vi) in imperative sentences:
● Let us go out for a walk.
● Obey your elders.
● Shut the door.
● Please, give me a glass of water.
(vii) to indicate a planned future action or series of action when they refer to a journey.
● He comes here tomorrow.
● This aeroplane flies to London next week.
● Our examination commences from next Monday.
● We leave Delhi at 9 a.m. and reach after 2 hours.
(viii) for narrative events in a dramatic way:
● The sound of firing is heard.
● Lights are switched on.
● The hero is seen lying dead on the stage.
(ix) in running commentaries on sports events:
● Mohit passes the ball to Rohit.
● Rohit hits the ball straight into the goal.
(x) to introduce quotations:
● Our teacher says, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
● My father says, ” Hard work is the key to success.”
Note: We generally use the following adverbs or adverbial phrases in the present tense:
always, often, daily, generally, usually, everyday, every week, frequently, etc.
7. Present Progressive Tense
Form:
(i) The present progressive tense is formed by adding present participle (verb + ing) to
the present forms of the auxiliary, be: am/is/are + present participle:

4
 ● She is singing.
● I am working.
● They are sleeping.
(ii) The negative is formed by putting not after the auxiliary:
● She is not singing, (isn’t)
● I am not working, (ain’t)
● They are not sleeping, (aren’t)
(iii) The interrogative is formed by placing the auxiliaries before the subject:
● Is she singing?
● Am I working?
● Are they sleeping?
(iv) The negative interrogative is formed by placing the auxiliary verbs before the subject
and by placing not after the subject:
● Is she not singing? (Isn’t she … ?)
● Am I not working? (Ain’t I… ?)
● Are they not sleeping? (Aren’t they … ?)
Note: The negative interrogative form of ‘/ am’ is Am I not? But the contracted form is:
Ain’t I?
Uses of the Present Progressive Tense:
(i) The present progressive tense is used for an action that is in progress at the time of
speaking:
● He is reading a newspaper.
● The children are playing football.
● The girl is singing a song. I am doing my work.
(ii) The present progressive tense is used for an action that is in progress and will
continue in future. It may not be going on at the time of speaking:
● He is learning English.
● My neighbour is writing a novel.
(iii) It is used to describe an action that is planned to take place in the near future:
● I am meeting him tomorrow.
● He is going to England next week.
● They are not coming here on Monday.

5
(iv) The present progressive tense is used to express disapproval of a persistent habit
or something done again and again. We generally use adverbs such as always,
constantly, repeatedly, etc:
● She is continually watching movies on T.V.
● He is always doing one mischief or the other.
● He is repeatedly making the same mistakes.
● They are constantly changing their statements.
Note: Verbs of perception and some other verbs are not generally used in the
present progressive tense, for example see, smell, hear, taste, know, understand,
hate, like, want, wish, etc.
8. Present Perfect Tense
Form:
(i) The present perfect tense has the form ‘have/has +past participle’, be verb +
ed/en. Has is used with the third person singular and singular nouns and have is
used with plural forms and I, we, you, they.
● She has written this essay.
● I have completed my work.
● They have helped me.
(ii) The negative sentences have the form ‘‘have/has + not’ or haven’t, hasn’t in
contracted form.
● We haven’t made any mistakes.
● He hasn’t played with us.
(iii) The interrogative sentences have the form ‘have/has + subject’.
● Have you packed your all books?
(iv) negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting have/has before the subject
and not after it or haven’t, hasn’t before the subject.
● Have you not finished your homework so far?
Uses of Present Perfect
The present perfect tense is used
(i) to express an action that has been recently completed:
● He has just left the place.
● Our team has won the match.

6
 ● She has finished her work.
(ii) for past actions whose time is not given:
● He has been to Agra.
● Has she cooked lunch?
● I have met him before.
(iii) with adverbs like already, often, recently, yet,
● I have already read this novel.
● He has recently met the Prime Minister.
● She has not replied to my letter yet.
(iv) for an action which began in the past and is still continuing:
● They have lived in this city for a long time. He has been ill since Tuesday.
● I have always helped him.
9. Present Perfect Progressive Tense
Form:
(i) The present perfect progressive tense has the form ‘have/has+present participle’
(verb+ing):
● The farmers have been ploughing their fields since morning.
● The children have been playing for the last two hours.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing ‘not ’ after ‘have/has ’ and before
‘been’:
● He has not been doing his work.
● I have not been going there.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by putting have/has before the subject.
● Has he been doing his work?
● Have you been going there?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences have the form : ‘have/has + subject + not’ or
‘haven ’t/hasn ’t+subject’:
● Hasn’t he been doing his work?
● Have you not been there?
Uses of the Present Perfect Progressive Tense:
The present perfect progressive tense is used
(i) to express an action which began at some time in the past and is still continuing:

7
 ● It has been raining since morning.
● The farmers have been ploughing their fields since 8 o’clock.
● He has been working for the last two hours.
● She has been teaching for ten years.
(ii) to express an action which has already been finished:
● He has been watering the plants (but is not doing so now).
● She has been working all day.
● I have been working in the field.
10. Simple Past Tense
Form:
(i) The simple past tense is formed by using the past tense form of the verb:
● She sang.
● The children played.
● I wrote a letter.
(ii) The negative sentences have the form ‘did not/didn’t + the main verb ’:
● She did not sing.
● The children didn’t play.
● I did not write a letter.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‘did’ before the subject and the
base form of the verb after the subject:
● Did she sing?
● Did the children play?
● Did I write a letter?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‘did’ before the subject
and not’ before the verb:
● Did she not sing? or Didn’t she sing?
● Didn’t the children play?
Uses of the Simple Past:
The simple past tense is used
(i) to indicate an action that was completed in the past. Generally the adverbials of the
past time are used:
● I went to Delhi yesterday.

8
 ● He wrote a letter to her last week.
● She met us two days ago.
(ii) sometimes without adverbials of time:
● My father congratulated me on my brilliant success.
● Our team won the match.
(iii) for an activity done in the past:
● Satish studied for three hours.
● I swam for half an hour.
● We talked for five minutes.
(iv) to express a habitual or regular action in the past:
● My father always got up at 4 a.m.
● She visited the temple every day.
● He worked in his garden every Sunday.
(v) in conditional clauses:
● If you went there, you should meet him.
● If she worked hard, she would pass.
● If he accepted my advice, he would overcome his difficulty.
(vi) in the indirect form of speech:
● He said, “I work for eight hours every day.”
● He said that he worked for eight hours every day.
● My teacher said, “I pray to God for your success.”
● My teacher said that he prayed to God for our success.
11. The Past Progressive Tense
Form:
(i) The past progressive tense has the form ‘was/were + present participle” (verb + ing):
● He was writing a letter.
● The children were playing.
● The girls were singing.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing not between was/were and the
present participle:
● He was not writing a letter.
● The children were not playing.

9
 ● The girls were not singing.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing was/were before the subject:
● Was he writing a letter?
● Were the children playing?
● Were the girls singing?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting was/were before the
subject and not before the present participle. In contracted forms, we write
wasn’t/weren’t.
● Was he not writing a letter?
Or
Wasn’t he writing a letter?
Were the children not playing?
Or
Weren’t the children playing?
Were the girls not singing?
Or
Weren’t the girls singing?
Uses of the Past Progressive Tense:
The past progressive tense is used
(i) to express a state or an action that was continuing at a certain point of time in the
past. It had begun before that point and was probably continuing after it. We use
adverbials of time.
● She was cooking at 8 a.m.
● I was going to college in the morning.
● Was the farmer returning from his fields in the evening?
(ii) to express an action that was in progress in the past:
● He was sleeping.
● She was singing.
● I was reading a newspaper.
(iii) to express an action in progress at some point of time in the past when another
event took place:
● She was watching T.V. when he came.

10
 ● He was reading a novel when the doorbell rang.
● I was sleeping when my father came from his office.

(iv) to describe two or more actions continuing at the same time:

● While I was bathing, my sister was washing clothes.
● While he was doing homework, his brother was listening to songs.
(v) to indicate a frequently repeated action or persistent habit in the past:
● He was constantly complaining about something or the other.
● She was always finding fault with my work.
● Sohan was always smoking whether at home or in the office.
12. Past Perfect Tense
Form:
(i) The past perfect tense has the form ‘ had+past participle ’.
● He had taken his lunch.
● I had read this book before.
● She had never been to Agra.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing ‘not’ after ‘had’. The contracted form
is ‘hadn’t:
● He had not taken his lunch.
● I hadn’t read this book before.
● She had not been to Agra.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by using had before the subject:
● Had he taken his lunch?
● Had I read this book before?
● Had you ever been to Agra?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‘hacT before the subject
and ‘not’ before the past participle:
● Had he not taken his lunch?
● Had you not read this book before?
● Had you ever been to Agra?

11
Uses of Past Perfect Tense:
The past perfect tense is used:
(i) for an action that had been completed before another action began in the past:
● I had done my work before he came.
● The guests had already left when she reached there.
(ii) to describe an action taking place before a particular time in the past:
● By 2 pm all the students had left the school.
● By 6 am he had left for Delhi.
(iii) to describe an action in the past which became the cause of another action:
● The child was crying because the father had beaten him.
● Sonu was weeping because he had lost his bag.
(iv) to describe an action in the past using the time adverbials such as already, since,
before, etc:
● He had already left for Ludhiana.
● She had not come here since 1960.
● They had not met each other before.
(v) to express an unfulfilled wish:
● If you had worked hard, you would have passed.
● If they had left early, they would have caught the train.
13. Past Perfect Progressive Tense
Form:
(i) The past perfect progressive tense has the form “had + been + present participle ’:
● They had been waiting here since morning.
● She had been dancing for half an hour.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by using ‘not’ between ‘had’ and ‘been’ (had not
been):
● They had not been doing any work.
● She had not been dancing.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by using ‘had’ before the subject:
● Had they been doing any work?
● Had she been dancing for half an hour?

12
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‘had’ before the subject
and ‘not ’before ‘been ’:
● Had they not been waiting for us?
● Had she not been dancing for half an hour?
Uses of Past Perfect Progressive Tense:
The past perfect progressive tense is used
(i) to describe an action in the past that had begun and had been going on for sometime
before another action took place in the past:
● She had been dancing for half an hour when we reached there.
● The match had been going on for several hours.
(ii) to express a repeated action in the past:
● She had always been asking us for help.
● They had been trying to meet the Prime Minister.
(iii) to describe an action which began before the time of speaking in the past. The
action either stopped before that time or continued up to it:
● The farmer had been ploughing since morning.
● The children had been playing for the past one hour.
14. Future Time Reference
Future time in English can be expressed in the following ways:
(i) Simple Present Tense
(ii) Present Progressive Tense
(iii) to be/be to
(iv) be about to
(v) be going to.
(i) The simple present tense can be used to express a series of planned actions in the
future, specially a journey.
● The meeting starts at 10 a.m.
● He goes to Delhi tomorrow.
(ii) The present progressive tense is used when the planned action for the future is
definite.
● They are leaving for Japan next week.
● We are visiting the Taj on Monday.

13
(iii) To be/be to: ‘To be/be to’ is used to express a necessity or duty or something
planned for the future:
● We are to be in school at 8 a.m.
● I am to attend the meeting at 10 a.m.
(iv) Be about to: ‘Be about to’ may be used to express events or actions which are likely
to happen in a very short time.
● The train is about to leave.
● The headmaster is about to come.
● The bell is about to ring.
(v) Be going to: ‘Be going to’ is used to refer to express events or actions that happen in
the future as a result of present intention or situation:
● She is not going to give us money.
● Prices are going to rise.
● Do you think it is going to rain?
Note: We generally use the modals ‘shall’ and ‘will’ to express future time.
Form:
(i) The future time is expressed by using ‘shall’ or ‘will’ with the base form of the verb:
● I shall go there tomorrow.
● They will come here in the evening.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing ‘not’ after ‘shall’ or ‘will’’.
● I shall not go there tomorrow.
● They will not come here in the evening.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by putting ‘shall’ or ‘will’ before the subject:
● Shall I go there?
● Will he come here?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences have the form: ‘shall/will + subject + not ’:
● Shall I not go there?
● Will he not come here?
Uses of the Simple Future:
(i) Shall is used with the second and third persons to express determination, promise,
intention, etc.
● I shall not apologise, whatever may happen.

14
 ● You shall get a reward if you win the race.
● He shall be fined if he does not attend classes.
(ii) Shall is used with the first person to express an offer or suggestion:
● Shall I open the door?
● Which dress shall I wear?
(iii) Will is used with the first person to express willingness, determination, etc:
● I will do it myself.
● I will help you.
● We will never commit such a mistake again.
(iv) The simple future is used to express the speaker’s opinion, for something to be
done in the future. We use such verbs believe, know, suppose, think, We also use such
adverbs as perhaps, possibly, surely, etc:
● We think he will reach there in time.
● They suppose that he will never help them.
(v) The simple future is used to express habitual action:
● They will abuse you again and again.
● He will go to church daily.
(vi) The simple future is used for an action that is yet to take place:
● I shall help him.
● He will come here tomorrow.
15. Future Progressive
Form:
(i) The future progressive has the form shall/will + be + present participle:
● I shall be doing this work tomorrow.
● He will be going to Delhi tomorrow.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by placing not after shall/will:
● I shall not be doing this work tomorrow.
● He will not be going to Delhi tomorrow.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing shall/will before the subject:
● Shall I be doing this work tomorrow?
● Will he not be going to Delhi tomorrow?

15
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting shall/will before the
subject and not before be:
● I shall I not be doing this work tomorrow?
● Will he not be going to Delhi tomorrow?
16. Future Perfect
Form:
(i) The future perfect has the form: ‘Shall/will + have + past participle ’.
● We shall have reached there.
● He will have done this work.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by putting ‘not’ between ‘shall/will’ and ‘have’:
● We shall not have reached there.
● He will not have done this work.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‘shall/will’ before the ‘subject’:
● Shall we have reached there?
● Will he have done this work?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by putting ‘shall/will ’before the
‘subject’ and ‘not’ after it:
● Shall we not have reached there?
● Will he not have done this work?
Uses of Future Perfect:
(i) The future perfect expresses an action that is expected to be completed by a certain
time in the future:
● They will have reached the station in half an hour.
● He will have finished his homework by this time.
(ii) The future perfect is used to express the speaker’s belief that something has taken
place:
● He will have known the Sharmas.
● She will have read “The Tempest.”
17. Future Perfect Progressive
Form:
(i) The future perfect progressive has the form: shall/will + have + been + present
participle:

16
 ● She will have been cooking now.
● I shall have been preparing for my examination.
(ii) The negative sentences are formed by putting ‘not ’ between ‘shall/will’ and ‘have ’:
● She will not have been cooking now.
● I shall not have been preparing for my examination.
(iii) The interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‘shall/will’ before the ‘subject’:
● Shall I have been preparing for my examination?
● Will she have been cooking now?
(iv) The negative interrogative sentences are formed by placing ‘shall/will ’before the
subject and ‘not’ after it.
● Will she not have been cooking now?
● Shall I not have been preparing for my examination?
Uses of Future Perfect Progressive:
The future perfect progressive expresses an action as being in progress over a period of
time that will end at some point in the future.
● By next June, I shall have been completing my studies.

17
18
 PERIODIC TEST 1 REVISION WORKSHEET.

1. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence.
If only he _____ us the truth in the first place, things would not have gone wrong.
(a) has told
(b) would have told
(c) had told
(d) should have told
2. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct option:
As he was crossing the road, a car _____ him down.

(a) was knocking

(b) had knocked
(c) knocked
(d) would have knocked
3. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.

Discipline in life ensure peace and harmony which in turn, offers the impetus for a
nation’s progress.

Use the given format for your response.

ERROR CORRECTION

4. Choose the correct option to complete the given sentence.

A number of students _____ late for class yesterday.

a. are
b. is
c. was
d. were
5. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the
following line:
Goals provides direction to our behaviour and guide our actions and thoughts.

1
 OPTION NO. ERROR CORRECTION

a. provides provide

b. to for

c. behaviour behaviours

d. guide guides

6. Fill in the blank by choosing the correct option to complete the sentence.

I _____ following you this evening.

(a) will
(b) will be
(c) will have been
(d) would have been

7. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the
following line, from a news report:

Dolphins and killer whales has learned an elaborate routine to entertain aquarium
audiences.

OPTION NO ERROR CORRECTION

a. an a

b. to entertain entertaining

c. audiences audience

d. has have

8.Complete the given sentence by filling in the blank with the correct option :
I tried the new dish to see how it _____.
(a) taste
(b) tasting
(c) tasted
(d) will taste
9. Fill in the blank by using the correct form of the verb in the bracket for the
given portion of a magazine:

2
High-fat diets and ‘life in the fast lane’ have long been _____ (know) to contribute to
the high incidence of heart failure.
10. Identify the error in the given sentence from an article and supply the
correction.

What many people do not knew that unlike most of their fellow astronauts, Neil
Armstrong was a civilian.

Use the given format for your response.

ERROR CORRECTION

11. Complete the given narrative by filling in the blank with the correct option:

In 1619, the first African slaves ______in Virginia, USA and by 1790, their
numbers______nearly700,000.

(a) have arrived, reached

(b) had arrived, reached
(c) arrived, had reached
(d) arrived, reached
12. Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:

Either of the two candidates _____eligible.

(a) are
(b) is
(c) has been
(d) had been

13. Identify the error in the given question and supply the correction.

Have you ever learn from a mistake you made?

Use the given format for your response.

ERROR CORRECTION

14. Identify the error on the board near a tree in the Tropical Rain Forest in the
Western Ghats and supply the correction.

3
 KOKUM BUTTER TREE.

It was an evergreen tree with drooping branches. The leaves are egg shaped and
dark green.

Use the given format for your response.

ERROR CORRECTION

15. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb given in the bracket.

When I arrived at the cinema, the film -----------------

(start).

16. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the Verb given in the bracket.

She -------------(live) in China before she went to Thailand.

17. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the Verb given in the bracket.

When we -------------(finish) dinner, we went out.

18. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the Verb given in the bracket.

Steve, together with his friends, -------- playing soccer. (is/are)

19. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct form of
the Verb given in the bracket:
The little dog ------------ (cry) since morning.
20. Complete the given sentence, by filling in the blank with the correct form
of the Verb given in the bracket:
The thief explained how he _____ from the jail.
(a) escapes
(b) had escaped
(c) escaped
(d) has escaped