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I. Expressions from the Text
What is an expression?
An expression is a group of words whose meaning works as one idea.
hold their ground
= stay in position and resist
foil the plan = stop a plan from succeeding
deliver a blow = cause a serious setback
foil the plan = stop a plan from succeeding
deliver a blow = cause a serious setback
NCERT lead-in:
Match the expressions from the text in Column 1 with the most suitable situations given in Column 2.
Question 21
Match the expressions from the text in Column 1 with the most suitable situations in Column 2.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. Fight to the last man | (i) A sports team scores a last-minute goal, giving them the lead and shaking the opponent’s confidence. |
| 2. Foil the plan | (ii) The soldiers fought valiantly until each one laid down his life for the nation. |
| 3. Deliver a blow | (iii) Soldiers stay in their position and fight back, even though the enemy is stronger. |
| 4. Hold their ground | (iv) A spy disrupts the enemy’s efforts to invade a country by intercepting their communications. |
How to answer:
Match by meaning, not by repeated words.
View Answer
| Expression | Correct match | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Fight to the last man | (ii) | Continue fighting until no fighter remains. |
| Foil the plan | (iv) | Stop the enemy’s plan from succeeding. |
| Deliver a blow | (i) | Cause a serious setback to an opponent. |
| Hold their ground | (iii) | Stay in position and resist. |
Question 22
Complete the following sentences using the expressions from Column 1.
- The detective managed to ______________ by finding the hidden evidence before the culprit could get rid of it.
- The company’s new advertising campaign was meant to ______________ to their competitors’ sales.
- The hikers chose to ______________ despite the heavy rain, refusing to turn back on their journey.
- Despite being heavily outnumbered, the soldiers vowed to defend their homeland and ______________, refusing to surrender to the enemy forces.
How to answer:
Choose the expression whose meaning fits the whole sentence.
View Answer
A.
The detective managed to
foil the plan
by finding the hidden evidence before the culprit could get rid of it.
B.
The company’s new advertising campaign was meant to
deliver a blow
to their competitors’ sales.
C.
The hikers chose to
hold their ground
despite the heavy rain, refusing to turn back on their journey.
D.
Despite being heavily outnumbered, the soldiers vowed to defend their homeland and
fight to the last man
, refusing to surrender to the enemy forces.
II. Collective Nouns Used in the Armed Forces
Collective noun
A collective noun names a group as one unit.
a
fleet
of ships · a
squadron
of aircraft · a
battalion
of soldiers
Read the highlighted words in the following sentence from the text.
A contingent of troops posted to Jammu and Kashmir was air-lifted into Srinagar…
There are many such collective nouns used in the context of armed forces.
A contingent of troops posted to Jammu and Kashmir was air-lifted into Srinagar…
There are many such collective nouns used in the context of armed forces.
Question 23
Match the collective nouns in Column 1 to their meanings in Column 2.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| 1. regiment | (i) a large body of troops ready for battle, especially an infantry unit |
| 2. squadron | (ii) a permanent unit of an army typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel/colonel and divided into several companies |
| 3. fleet | (iii) a small unit, typically comprising 12–24 aircraft and their crews used in air force, naval, or army aviation services |
| 4. battalion | (iv) a group of ships sailing together, engaged in the same activity, or under the same ownership |
How to answer:
Use the type of force involved—army unit, aircraft or ships.
View Answer
| Collective noun | Correct meaning |
|---|---|
| regiment | (ii) |
| squadron | (iii) |
| fleet | (iv) |
| battalion | (i) |
Question 24
Fill in the blanks suitably with words from Column 1 in the table.
- The commanding officer addressed the entire ________ of soldiers during the morning assembly.
- The admiral ordered the entire ________ to set sail for battle.
- The ________ of infantry advanced slowly through the dense forest.
- A ________ of fighter jets was sent to intercept the enemy planes.
How to answer:
Use the group word that matches soldiers, ships, infantry or aircraft.
View Answer
A.
The commanding officer addressed the entire
regiment
of soldiers during the morning assembly.
B.
The admiral ordered the entire
fleet
to set sail for battle.
C.
The
battalion
of infantry advanced slowly through the dense forest.
D.
A
squadron
of fighter jets was sent to intercept the enemy planes.
III. Verbs Beginning with “over-”
How “over-” changes a word
The prefix over- can give different meanings such as “too much”, “above”, “across”, or “completely”. Learn the full word in context.
overrun
= occupy in large numbers
overwhelm = overpower completely, often emotionally
overwhelm = overpower completely, often emotionally
Read the following words from the text and fill in the blanks with the correct words by taking clues from the meanings given below in the box.
overwhelm overthrow overrun
overwhelm overthrow overrun
Question 25
Use
overwhelm, overthrow, overrun
to complete the meanings.
- To take and seize control: ____________
- To invade or occupy an area in large numbers: ____________
- To flood or overpower someone or something emotionally: ____________
How to answer:
Match the full meaning of each verb.
View Answer
1.
To take and seize control:
overthrow
2.
To invade or occupy an area in large numbers:
overrun
3.
To flood or overpower someone or something emotionally:
overwhelm
Question 26
Create a list of at least five other verbs that begin with ‘over’ and frame sentences of your own.
How to answer:
Choose common over- verbs and make the meaning clear through your sentence.
View Sample Answer
Sample answers:
- overcome — She overcame her fear of public speaking.
- overtake — The car tried to overtake the bus.
- overwork — Do not overwork yourself before the exam.
- overuse — We should not overuse plastic bags.
- overlook — The teacher did not overlook the spelling mistake.
IV. Noun–Verb Pairs: c and s
Noun or verb?
In these British-English pairs, the form with c is the noun and the form with s is the verb.
advi
c
e = noun · advi
s
e = verb
practi c e = noun · practi s e = verb
devi c e = noun · devi s e = verb
coun c il = noun · coun s el = verb
practi c e = noun · practi s e = verb
devi c e = noun · devi s e = verb
coun c il = noun · coun s el = verb
In the following pairs of words, ‘c’ is used for nouns, while ‘s’ is used for verbs.
• advice (noun) and advise (verb)
• practice (noun) and practise (verb)
• device (noun) and devise (verb)
• council (noun) and counsel (verb)
• advice (noun) and advise (verb)
• practice (noun) and practise (verb)
• device (noun) and devise (verb)
• council (noun) and counsel (verb)
Question 27
Fill in the blanks correctly with the words given in the brackets.
- The teacher’s (i) ______ is always helpful, and she continues to (ii) ______ students on their career choices. (advice/advise)
- The musician believes that daily (i) ______ helps a lot, so she is always ready to (ii) ______ her harmonium lessons. (practice/practise)
- The scientist uses a strange (i) ______ for experiments and plans to (ii) ______ new methods for his analysis. (device/devise)
- The village (i) ______ met to discuss issues and decided to (ii) ______ the villagers on important matters. (council/counsel)
How to answer:
First decide whether each blank needs a noun or an action verb.
View Answer
1.
The teacher’s
advice
is always helpful, and she continues to
advise
students on their career choices.
2.
The musician believes that daily
practice
helps a lot, so she is always ready to
practise
her harmonium lessons.
3.
The scientist uses a strange
device
for experiments and plans to
devise
new methods for his analysis.
4.
The village
council
met to discuss issues and decided to
counsel
the villagers on important matters.
Read the highlighted word in the following sentence from the text.
Most importantly, his story is a reminder of the sacrifices made by countless men and women in defence of the motherland.
In terms of meaning, there is no difference between the two words defence and defense . In American English the word is spelt with an ‘s’, whereas in British English it is spelt with a ‘c’, which is the preferred spelling. The word is mostly used here to mean ‘the act of protecting someone or something against attack or criticism’.
Most importantly, his story is a reminder of the sacrifices made by countless men and women in defence of the motherland.
In terms of meaning, there is no difference between the two words defence and defense . In American English the word is spelt with an ‘s’, whereas in British English it is spelt with a ‘c’, which is the preferred spelling. The word is mostly used here to mean ‘the act of protecting someone or something against attack or criticism’.
V. Subject–Verb Agreement
Subject and verb must agree
The verb must match the real subject of the sentence.
| Pattern | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One main subject | Singular subject → singular verb | The bouquet is beautiful. |
| Each / neither / one | Usually takes a singular verb | Each participant has submitted. |
| Either…or / neither…nor | Verb agrees with the nearer subject | Neither the teacher nor the students were aware. |
| Head word + of phrase | Match the head word | A pair of shoes is missing. |
Read the highlighted words in the following sentences from the text.
• …ended with echoes of courage that serve as an inspiration…
• A contingent of troops posted to Jammu and Kashmir was airlifted into Srinagar…
• D Company with 90 soldiers was the last and they were expected to return by 2:00 p.m.
• The life and sacrifice of Major Somnath Sharma embody the highest ideals of duty, honour, and patriotism.
The highlighted words are either singular verbs or plural verbs. They are in agreement with the subject of the sentence. This is called Subject-Verb Agreement .
• …ended with echoes of courage that serve as an inspiration…
• A contingent of troops posted to Jammu and Kashmir was airlifted into Srinagar…
• D Company with 90 soldiers was the last and they were expected to return by 2:00 p.m.
• The life and sacrifice of Major Somnath Sharma embody the highest ideals of duty, honour, and patriotism.
The highlighted words are either singular verbs or plural verbs. They are in agreement with the subject of the sentence. This is called Subject-Verb Agreement .
Question 28
Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct verb given within brackets.
- The bouquet of flowers __________ (is/are) beautiful.
- Neither the teacher nor the students __________ (was/were) aware of the change in the schedule.
- Each of the participants __________ (has/have) submitted their projects on time.
- The data collected by the researchers __________ (shows/show) significant trends.
- One of the players __________ (was/were) injured during the match.
- Either the children or their guardian __________ (has/have) to attend the meeting.
- A pair of shoes __________ (is/are) missing from the rack.
- Neither of the statements __________ (is/are) true.
- The members of the jury __________ (has deliver/have delivered) their verdict to the court.
- Mathematics __________ (is/are) an interesting subject for many students.
How to answer:
Find the real subject first. Ignore distracting nouns inside “of” phrases.
View Answer
1.
The bouquet of flowers
is
beautiful.
Reason:
The head subject “bouquet” is singular.
2.
Neither the teacher nor the students
were
aware of the change in the schedule.
Reason:
The nearer subject “students” is plural.
3.
Each of the participants
has
submitted their projects on time.
Reason:
“Each” is singular.
4.
The data collected by the researchers
show
significant trends.
Reason:
Here “data” is treated as plural.
5.
One of the players
was
injured during the match.
Reason:
The subject “one” is singular.
6.
Either the children or their guardian
has
to attend the meeting.
Reason:
The nearer subject “guardian” is singular.
7.
A pair of shoes
is
missing from the rack.
Reason:
The head subject “pair” is singular.
8.
Neither of the statements
is
true.
Reason:
“Neither” is singular here.
9.
The members of the jury
have delivered
their verdict to the court.
Reason:
The subject “members” is plural.
10.
Mathematics
is
an interesting subject for many students.
Reason:
The school subject “Mathematics” is singular.
VI. Correct the Incorrect Verbs
Use the same subject–verb agreement rule
Find the subject in each clause, then choose the verb form that matches it.
One example has been done for you.
A battalion of soldiers stand at attention as the National flag are raised.
A battalion of soldiers stands at attention as the National flag is raised.
A battalion of soldiers stand at attention as the National flag are raised.
A battalion of soldiers stands at attention as the National flag is raised.
Question 29
Read the following passage and correct the incorrect usage of verbs. One example has been done for you.
A battalion of soldiers stand at attention as the National flag are raised. Each soldier salute with pride while the commander and his assistants inspects the parade. The sound of marching feet echo through the air as a group of cadets prepare for their drill. Meanwhile, a convoy of military vehicles pass by, drawing cheers from the gathered crowd.
How to answer:
Find the subject in each clause, then correct the verb.
View Answer
Correct passage
A battalion of soldiers
stands
at attention as the National flag
is
raised. Each soldier
salutes
with pride while the commander and his assistants
inspect
the parade. The sound of marching feet
echoes
through the air as a group of cadets
prepares
for their drill. Meanwhile, a convoy of military vehicles
passes
by, drawing cheers from the gathered crowd.
