ABU DHABI INDIAN SCHOOL-BRANCH 1, AL WATHBA

GRAMMAR
COMPOUND NOUNS

WHAT IS A COMPOUND NOUN?

A compound noun contains of two or more words which merge to make a single noun/ word.

THERE ARE THREE FORMS OF COMPOUND NOUNS

1. CLOSED COMPOUND NOUNS - Compound nouns are sometimes one word called
closed compound nouns.
Example: toothpaste, breakfast, fingerprint

2. OPEN COMPOUND NOUNS - Sometimes compound nouns appear as two separate

words called open compound nouns.
Example: Full moon, French fries, cell phone

3. HYPHENATED COMPOUND NOUNS - Sometimes compound nouns are connected with

a hyphen.
Example: dry-cleaning, mother-in-law, mind-blowing

Few examples of how compound nouns can be formed:

1. Noun + Noun toothpaste

2. Adjective + Noun blackboard

3. Noun + Adjective snow white

4. Noun + Verb haircut

5. Noun + Preposition passer-by

6. Adjective + Verb six - pack

7. Verb + Preposition takeout

8. Preposition + Adjective over-ripe

9. Preposition + Noun underarm

10. Verb + Noun swimming pool

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HOMOPHONES AND HOMONYMS

HOMOPHONE
A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another word but is usually spelled
differently and has a different meaning. Homophones may consist of two or more words.

Examples:

1. Soul-Sole
Soul (spirit): Gotham Buddha prayed for the liberation of the soul from the cycle of life and
death.

Sole (single/only): The sole purpose of Vinita’s visit to Canada is to reunite with family.

Sole (the lower part of one’s foot or shoe):Karun hurt his sole while jumping over the wall.

2. Break-Brake
Break (separate into pieces): Mandy instructed the kids not to break the new toys.

Brake (part of a vehicle that checks its movement): Many accidents occur because of brake
failure.

3. Stationery-Stationary
Stationery (writing material, etc.): There is a well-stocked stationery store next to our college.

Stationary (immobile): People believed in the past that the earth was stationary.

4. Principal-Principle
Principal (head): The principal of the institution presided over the function.

Principal (important): The principal objective of the survey is to address the issue of
malnutrition.

Principle (a basic ideal or rule): APJ Abdul Kalam was a man of principles.

HOMONYM
A homonym is a word that is pronounced and spelled the same as another word but has a
different meaning.

Examples:

1. Watch-Watch
Watch(to view or observe): The Mishra’s watched the movie with interest.

Watch (a gadget that shows time): Shiva bought a wristwatch for her brother.

2. Fair – Fair
Fair (right): The hawker accepted the deal as he found it to be fair.

Fair (light colour): The missing girl was tall, slim, and fair.

3. Right – Right
Right (correct): Many students were unable to give the right answers.

Right (direction): The car turned abruptly right without switching on the indicator.

Right (legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom): All citizens must be aware of their
fundamental rights.

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RAGHU’S ADVENTURES

I. Give meanings for the following words.

1. Picturesque – place or building which is visibly attractive.

2. Stumble – stagger or trip over
3. Haggard – fatigue / tired / exhausted
4. Squat – crouch / sit on heels
5. Wail – weep /cry
6. Larder – storeroom / pantry
7. Wolfdown – gobble / swallow food in a large amount quickly
8. Shiver – tremble in cold / shake
9. Lead shank – a chain or lead to control horses.
10. Elated – thrilled / excited
11. Astound – amazed / surprised

II. Answer with reference to context:

1. “Look, what I got for you little one!”

a. Who said this to whom and when?

Ans: The above-said line was told by the poor mother to her son Raghu, when she returned
from the market after selling flour.

b. How did Raghu react on seeing the piece of wood?

Ans: Raghu was not so impressed with the piece of wood that his mother brought for him.
2. “Do not cry my baby.”

a. Who said this towhom and when?

Ans: This line was told by a woman who was selling pots near the bus stand to her crying
baby.

b. How did Raghu help in consoling the baby?

Ans: Raghu interacted with the woman who was selling pots and found that the baby was
crying out of hunger. So, he gave the roti to the woman to satiate the baby’s hunger and stop
the baby from crying.

3. “Oh my God, you are shivering”

a. Who does “you” refer to?

Ans: ‘You’ refers to the old man who was looted by a gang of robbers.

b. Raghu cared for the poor and needy- Justify with relevance to the line mentioned above.
Ans: Raghu was a kind-hearted boy. He wrapped the old man who was shivering in cold with
a coat that he had with him.

III. Answer the following questions in detail.

1. Explain the circumstances in which Raghu lived.

Ans: Raghu was a poor boy who lived in a picturesque village. His parents worked hard to
meet their financial needs. His mother used to grind grains and sell the flour in the market,
while his father worked in a factory in the outskirts of the village. Raghu was a kind and
helpful boy who studied in the village school.

2. Discuss the incident where Raghu met people in a wedding ceremony.

Ans : Raghu who was on his way searching for his friend Paplu, encountered some people
from a wedding ceremony. These people were all dressed in silk clothes and adorned with
exquisite jewelry, but thegloomy state of the people did not match the celebration. So, Raghu
inquired them about their problem. They narrated that the person in charge of bringing the
horse for the groom had not arrived yet because of which the festivities were getting
delayed. They requested Raghu to lend the horse in order to proceed with the wedding
festivities.Raghu being a compassionate boy gave the horse to them and they in turn gave
Raghu a drum as a gesture of gratitude. Raghu with all smiles walked home elated.

3.Give details from the lesson which tell us about the hardships faced by the old grandma.

Ans: The old grandma lived in a hut. She was old and haggard. She could not afford to buy
firewood or go in search of firewood for the stove due to her old age. She had to use
cow-dung patties to light a fire but those patties were useless as they gave off smoke and
the smoke burnt her eyes and made her cough non- stop.

4. Why does the man call the woman butterfingers?

Ans : The man calls the woman butterfingers because she keeps dropping things from her
hands.

5. Why were the man and the woman at the riverside arguing?

Ans. The man and the woman at the riverside were arguing because the woman had
dropped and broken the pot that the man had asked her to hold for a while. He needed that
pot to boil the clothes before washing them.

IV. Think and answer.

1. Raghu solved the problem of 2 people near the riverside – Give details.

Ans: Raghu who stopped by to inquire about the reason for the argument between the man
and the woman at the riverside, realized that that woman had dropped the pot and had
broken the same. The man who needed the pot to boil his clothes before washing it was
worried about not being able to deliver the washed clothes to his customers as promised.
Understanding the need of the man, Raghu willingly offered the pot that was given to him as
a token of gratitude to the man.

2. From this lesson what are the values we must learn to inculcate. Name a few and explain
the same.
Ans: From the lesson we understand that there are certain values that we need to inculcate
in us. Few of them are as follows:

1) Care – Just like how Raghu showed care and concern towards his mother, the
grandmother, wailing child, old man and the other characters in various scenes, we too must
inculcate the value of care and express it through out kind and caring acts.

2) Gratitude – We must be kind enough and never fail to express our gratitude to all the
favors we receive.

3) Punctuality –Raghu showed his punctuality in completing his homework on time and
preparing the hay for the animals, likewise we too must be punctual in our work and not wait
for anyone to remind us about our tasks.

II. Frame Sentences :

1. Stumble -The absent-minded boy carelessly stumbled over the rocks and hurt himself.
2. Elated –The entire family was elated to hear the news that their father who was in the ICU
had regained consciousness after his tragic accident.
3. Haggard –The immigrants who had to travel back to their villages on foot due to the
sudden lockdown were haggard and famished.
4. Shiver – The homeless beggar shivered in the freezing cold of the winter weather.

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 WANDER THIRST

I. Word meanings:

1. Beyond: to the further side of.

2. Wander thirst: the desire to explore
3. Bid: command
4. Voyaging: going on a journey
5. Yonder: there
6. Guide: a person who shows the way to others

II. Give the synonyms for the following:

1. Sunrise: dawn
2. Friend: companion
3. Voyage: journey
4. Yonder: beyond
5. Blame: accuse

III. Give one word for the following:

1. The line where the sky and the land seem to meet: Horizon
2. Seize the day: Carpe Diem

IV. Reference to the context:

1. ‘It works in me like madness, to bid me say goodbye’

a. Who does ‘me’ refer to?

Ans: The word ‘me’ refers to the poet.

b. Whose call is the poet responding to?

Ans: The poet is responding to the call of the seas, the stars and the sky which are calling
out to him to explore the world.

c. What is ‘It’ referred to?

Ans: ‘It’ is referred to the poet’s unquenchable thirst to wander.

d. What does the above line tell us about the speaker?

Ans: The poet’s desire to travel is as compulsive as a thirst that must be quenched
immediately. The poet calls this desire his “wander-thirst” and says that the desire is so
strong that it does not leave him alone. Instead, it makes him to act like a mad man. It makes
him say goodbye to everything that’s dear to him.

2. “And there’s no end of voyaging when once the voice is heard,”

a. What is meant by the poet when he says, ‘no end of voyaging’?

Ans: Here the poet means that travelling and exploring have no limit or boundary. Therefore,
he wants to travel and explore each and every corner of the earth.

b. What is ‘voice’ referred to in the lines mentioned above?

Ans: The voice referred to here is the call of every object of nature i.e., the sky, stars, sun,
birds, seas, etc. that tempts the poet to set out on a journey.

V. Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think the poet mentions two directions, East and West?
Ans: The poet mentions ‘The East’ as it stands for the rising sun and a new day. He
mentions ‘The West’ as it stands for the sea, the unknown and unexplored places.

2. What does the poet mean by the line - ‘The old ships draw to home again; the young
ships sail away’?
Ans: The poet says that he can easily see the horizon and he can see the two-way
movement of ships. He refers to the old ships to experienced people who are coming home
after a long journey, and trade, for retirement and rest. The young ships are young people
who are beginning their journey in life and career. They are ready for new adventures and
experiences.

3. Why do you think the poet say ‘come I may, but go I must’?
Ans: The poet is a wanderer, who loves to explore and doesn’t like to stop. However, he
does come home once in a while, for he has been journeying for years. Nevertheless, he
cannot remain on land for very long, and soon, he must go out into the sea again. He cannot
ignore the call of the stars, the sun, the white road and the sky. All these elements of nature
call him to keep on travelling and exploring till he reaches every corner of this planet.

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