voice1. He was promised all help by us.

We promised him all help.2.     May God bless you with success!

May you be blessed with success by God.3.     The strike has been called off.

They have called of the strike.(Note: You can use workers, labourers, protesters, etc in place of ‘they’)

4.     No one can understand him so soon.He cannot be understood so soon.

5.     They will not agree to this proposal.This proposal will not be agreed to.

6.     The rose smells sweet.When rose smells sweet.

7.     It is time to close the shop[s.The shops should be closed by now.It is the time for the shops to be closed.

8.     The teacher is calling the roll.The roll is being called by the teacher.

9.     What cannot be cured must be endured.We must endure what we cannot cure.One must endure what one cannot cure.

10. God helps those who help themselves.          Those who help themselves are helped by God.

11. I will not answer any question now.No questions will be answered now by me.

12. She has to do cooking and washing for me.The cooking and washing have (has) to be done for me by her.

13. A rolling stone gathers no mass.It is said that a rolling stone gathers no mass.

14. The way to heaven is paved with good deeds.It is believed that the way to heaven is paved with good deeds.

15. Trust in God and do the right.God should be trusted in and the right should be done.

16. Nip the evil in the bud.It is said that evil should be nipped in the bud.

17. A stitch in time saves nine.It is said that a stitch in time saves nine.

18. Those living in glass house must not throw stones at others.Stones must not be thrown at others by those living in glass houses.

19. I was shocked at the sad news.The sad news shocked me.

20. The court proclaimed him an offender.He was proclaimed an offender by the court.

1. George did not realise that he had committed an error. [Begin: Little …]

Little did George realise that he had committed an error.

2. I do not care which portfolio in the cabinet I am offered. [Begin: I care very…]

I care very little which portfolio in the cabinet I am offered/ is offered to me.

3. Rachel must apologise or else she will be punished. [Use: apology]

Rachel’s apology will save her from punishment.

If Rachel makes an apology, she will not be punished.

4. He succeeded in completing the assignments although he was ill. [Use: Despite…]Despite his illness, he succeeded in completing the assignments.

5. If I had not intervened in the matter, it would have had a drastic consequence. [Begin: But…]But for my intervention in the matter, it would have had a drastic consequence.

6. The granny opened the door and her pet dog ran out. [End: dog]The granny opened the door and out ran her pet dog.7. If a fire breaks out, use the emergency exit. [Begin: In case of ….]In case of a fire/fire, use the emergency exit.

8. Always use a standard dictionary. Do not use a three-penny one. [Use: in lieu of]

Always use a standard dictionary in lieu of a three penny one.

9. “Have you heard of the Yeti, Mohan?” , said Meera. [ Change into a statement]

Meera asked Mohan whether he had heard of the Yeti.

10. Rosa was so sure of winning the race that she skipped her daily practice. [Begin: So….]

So sure of winning the race was Rosa that she skipped her daily practice.

11. Caesar’s overbearing pride was the reason for his tragic fall. [Use: proud]

Caesar tragically fell as he was overbearingly proud.

Caesar was so overbearingly proud that he tragically fell.

12. Joan was pretty .She was not intelligent. [combine using as]Joan was not as intelligent as she was pretty.

13. If you need any help, call the Customer Care. [Begin: Should…]

Should you need any help, call the Customer Care.

14. They believe that honey is the ambrosia on earth. [Change the voice]

It is believed that honey is the ambrosia on earth.

15. You have to persevere in order to prove yourself in life. [Use: so that]

You have to persevere so that you will/can/may prove yourself in life.

a. Rewrite the following as directed: 1. As I frowned harder and harder, he smiled more and more broadly. [Begin: The harder….]The harder I frowned, the more broadly he smiled.

2. This place is the best place to observe the elephants. [Use: better]This place is better than any other place to observe the elephants.3. How exhilarating it was to see the rainbow! [Begin: It...]It was (very) exhilarating to see the rainbow.4. From radios came the report that the war was over. [Begin: radios…]Radios reported that the war was over.5. I asked her whether she thought that I was boring. [Change into Direct Speech]I asked her, “Do you think that I am boring?”6. The student said, “I shall work hard.” [Change into reported speech]The student said that he would work hard.7. This is the last time you will ever sit in this cinema. [Begin: Never...]Never again will you sit in this cinema.8. A senseless man repeats his mistakes. [Rewrite using ‘sensible’.]A sensible man does not repeat his mistakes.9. She is so weak that she cannot walk by herself [Rewrite using ‘too...]She is too weak to walk by herself.10. They finished their work. They went home. [Begin: No sooner…]i. No sooner did they finish their work than they went home.ii. No sooner had they finished their work than they went home.

b. Complete each of the following sentences with an apt form of the word given in brackets. 1. If I were you, I would not go near it. [be]2. Sulekha was walking along the road when she slipped. [walked]3. The report said that the rebels took over/ had taken over the city in no time. [ take over]4. The weather remained like this the whole of yesterday. [remain]5. My grandfather goes for a brisk walk every day. [go]6. All the boys assembled/had assembled [assemble] in the school hall before the teacher came/had come. [come].7. He felt [feel] weak because he had not eaten [not eat] a morsel for many hours.8. The fire spread/had spread [spread] to the next house before the fire brigade arrived/had arrived. [arrive].9. I had worked [work] in this office for a number of years before I was forced [force] to resign.10. She laid [lay] the table after she cooked the dinner.

Rewrite the following as directed. [10] a) The old man was too sick to walk. ( Remove: too) The old man was so sick that he could not walk. b) Asher asked his sister “Will you not accompany me to the party tomorrow?” ( Use: if) Asher asked his sister if she would/would not accompany him to the party the next day/the day after. c) Besides making a promise, she kept it. (Begin: She) She kept her promise. She not only made a promise but also kept it. d) He was immensely talented, yet he failed because of his laziness. (use: Despite) Despite his immense talent/ being immensely talented, he failed because of his laziness. e) As soon as the police rounded up his thugs, the leader vanished. (Use: no sooner) No sooner did the police round up/ had rounded up his thugs than the leader vanished. f) Is he known to the manager? (End: him) Does the manager know him? Is the manager known to him? g) The Kid is one of the most popular novels today. ( Change into positive degree) Very few novels today are as popular as The Kid. h) The minister promised to look into the matter. (Use: investigate) The minister promised to investigate the matter i) The Principal asked the children to study regularly. ( Change the narration) The Principal said, “Children, study well.” j) Read the answers carefully and correct the mistakes if any. ( Use: ‘go’ instead of ‘read’) Go through the answers carefully and correct the mistakes if any. Question 3 Fill in the blanks with appropriate preposition: [5] 1. You have to put across your ideas clearly. 2. It goes against my principles to flatter somebody. 3. The minister is busy, can you call back later? 4. We could tell he was itching for a fight. 5. The T.V. signals interfered with the mobile reception.

Question 4a)     In the following passage, fill in each of the numbered blanks with correct form of the words given in brackets. Do not copy the passage,

but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate in the blank space.Those people who complain about the difficulties of learning German, don't know how lucky they really are - they only have one language to master. Admittedly, there are regional differences of dialect in German-speaking countries, but the non-native speaker who has learnt standard German) willhave no problems in making himself understood by citizens of Germany, Austria or Switzerland. The difficulty for the non-native learner of English on the other hand is that there is no Standard English form. He is confrontedwith two English dialects to learn: British English and American English .And despite the many cross-cultural influences, it seems that the vocabularies, spellings and pronunciations of these two dialects are diverging year by year.b)     Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:1.     Shakespeare often equates love to frenzy. 2.     The Manager is an expert in dealing with the labourers.3.     The cow feeds on grass.4.     Let us hope for the best.5.     We should not take revenge against our detractors.c)     Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each of them, Make other changes necessary, but do not change the meaning of the sentence.                                 1.     Neither the film is entertaining nor has a message.2.     None but the brave get rewarded.3. No sooner does the child start talking than the parents try to teach them rhymes.4.     His qualification was too deficient for the committee to accept his application.5.     He is so arrogant that he cannot be an efficient leader.6.     Unless the robber confesses, he will be condemned.7.     The orchid is not as costly as some of the flowers in the market.

8.     The President of the company said that he would ensure that the employees were exempted from overtime work and asked whether they had any objection to his proposal.9.     The Prime Minister says that our country has progressed immensely.10.   Practise what you preach.

Question 3a)     Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each of

them, Make other changes necessary, but do not change the meaning of the sentence.

1.     While Emily was waiting for the train, she was reading Tolstoy’s War and Peace.2.     Not only did Saroja sing well but also received the first prize.3.     The porter told me that he would take my luggage to the retiring room provided i

gave him a good tip.4.     Unless Ajay gets a scholarship, his parents will not be elated.5.     The exceptional sight of an elephant bathing spellbound the children.6.     No sooner did the protesters turned violent than the police blocked the roads.7.     The film was too dreary to me to recommend it to anyone.8.     Very few teams in the tournament are as favourite as our foot ball team.9.     The hapless ought to have our sympathy.10.  No one knows why he suddenly departed.b)     Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions.            

I. Let us begin with the first poem.II. They do not approve of your action in the matter.

III. He is rarely attentive to his lessons.IV. Marsha deals in handloom saris.V. Martin’s friends stood by him during his lean days.

VI. The teacher sent her a letter of appreciation by mistake.VII. The old noisy old car often goes out of order.

VIII. Hardy’s outlook on life is quite optimistic.

IX. He agreed with his partners on the idea of launching a new project.X. She has been suffering from Pneumonia since last week.

XI. The doctor cured her of  the illness.XII. The old lady prepared herself for a life of loneliness.

XIII. The police are looking into the matter.XIV. He is not entitled to rent and profit.XV. Please, write in ink; do not write in pencil.

(d)    Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each.  Make other changes that may be necessary; but do not change the meaning of each sentence.(i)       Jasdeep has probably forgotten his mother's birthday.(Begin: In ----------   )In all probability, Jasdeep has forgotten his mother’s birthday.(ii)      Mr. Sharma advised the children not to go out in the cold.(End with:"  ----------  ", said Mr. Sharma )Mr. Sharma advised the children not to go out in the cold.(iii)      For more information please contact the secretary of the club.(Begin: Should ------- )Should you need more information please contact the secretary of the club.(iv)He could not take part in the singing competition as he had a sore throat.(Use: prevented)His sore throat prevented him from taking part in the singing competition(v)       Ritika returned to school a week ago.(Begin: It has been----------    )It has been a week since Ritika returned to school.(vi)      She was beautiful and humble.(Begin: Not only----------    )Not only was she beautiful but also humble.(vii)    Both the players are not adequately prepared for the tournament.(Begin: Neither----   )Neither of the two players is adequately prepared for the tournament

(viii)  A fragrant flower is the loveliest creation of nature.(Begin: No other ------)                 No other creation of nature is as lovely as a  fragrant flower.

(b)    Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:-(1)    He refused to put   up  with their interference in his affairs.(ii)      She has been going  through   the script for days.

(iii)    It is our duty to protest against   injustice.(iv)    He soon became accustomed  to   the harsh weather.(v)    Dilip went out of   his way to help the poor.(vi)    He was able to put  across    his ideas so cleverly that he impressed everyone.(vii)    He persists  in   teasing the other children in the class.(viii)  I have been waiting for you since four o’ clock.                                                               (c)    Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so.(i)       Sahil composed a wonderful song. It became a hit.Sahil composed a wonderful song which became a hit.(ii)      Rani reached the spot. We were to meet there.Rani reached the spot where were to meet.(iii)     Dick met me. I gave him the document.When Dick met me, I gave him the document.(iv)Shenaz was very upset. I wanted to help her out.  

As Shenaz was very upset, I wanted to help her.

(d)    Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each.   Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence.(i)        As soon as the Chief Guest arrived, the band started playing.{Begin: No sooner    )No sooner did the chief guest arrive than the band started playing.No sooner had the chief guest arrived than the band started playing.(ii)       He went to the library and to the bank.(Begin: Not only    )Not only did he go to the library but also to the bank.(iii)     Though he is very poor, he helps others in need.(Begin: In spite    )In spite of being very poor, he helps others in need.(iv)     He does not intend to leave the Company.(Use: intention)He has no intention to leave the company.(v)      "Do you want some more ice-cream or a slice of cake?" asked my aunt.(Begin: My aunt asked    )My aunt asked me whether I wanted some more ice-cream or a slice of cake.(vi)     They are painting a mural on the front wall.(Begin: A mural    )A mural is being painted on the front wall by them.(vii)     Tansen was the best singer in Akbar's court.(Use: better    )

Tansen was better than any other singer in Akbar’s court.(viii)   You remembered to buy a loaf of bread, didn't you?(Begin: You didn't    )      You didn’t forget to buy a loaf of bread, did you?   

(c)  Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and^ but or so: (i)       John gave me the novel. John wanted me to review it.John gave me the novel to review it. (ii)      Debjani received my note. She sent her reply within a week.Debjani replied to my note within a week. (iii)     Raja is a great footballer. He is also popular.Raju who is a great footballer, is also popular. (iv)      Jennifer saw that I was confused. She came to my rescue.Seeing that I was confused, Jennifer came to my rescue. (d)    Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence:(i)       Anne paid a heavy price for her recklessness.  (Begin: It    )It was a heavy price that Anne paid for her recklessness. (ii)      No sooner had Ram narrated the story than he was praised.  (Begin: Hardly    )Hardly had Ram narrated the story when he was praised. (iii)     Tanuja is a very friendly girl and is always cheerful.  (Begin: Besides    )Not only is Tanuja a friendly girl but also she is always cheerful. (iv)     They had to put off the garden partly because of the heavy rain. (Begin: The heavy    )The heavy rain forced them to put off the garden party. (v)      Margaret said to me, "Please do not forget to meet me tomorrow". (Begin: I was    )I was requested by Margaret not to forget to meet her the next day. (vi)     Inspite of my warning Dev, he ignored me. (Begin: Though    )Though I warned Dev, he ignored me. (vii)    The business talks failed because neither side was willing to compromise. (Begin: Since    )Since neither side was willing to compromise, the business talk failed. (vvii)   They were very afraid and so they could not speak. (Begin: Being       )Being very afraid, they could not speak.    

(b)    Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:- (i)        The   elderly   man  prepared   himself  for a   life of retirement. (ii)       Do you take his word  against mine? (iii)     Rohini is very concerned   of/about her father's health. (iv)      Altaf had many books and papers scattered all over the room. (v)       The Phoenix is a legendary bird that rises from its ashes. (vi)      The police pulled the briefcase from   under the table. (vii)     The mob rushed onto the pavement, everyone seemed angry with everyone else. (viii)    The old woman looked inside the cupboard, searching for the photograph.                                            [4] [c] Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so. (i)    The heart attack was mild. Mr. Bose stayed in bed for three weeks.Although the heart attack was mild, Mr.Bose stayed in bed for three days.(ii)   The men went out to see if anyone was missing. The women stayed behind to care for the injured.While the men went out to see any one was missing , the women stayed behind to take care of the injured.(iii)  Her mother warned her not to talk to strangers. She told her not to accept gifts from people she did not know.Not only did her mother warn her not ot talk to strangers but also not to accept gifts from them(iv)      Everyone was drenched wet by now. The rain had come down harder.                                                    [4] As the rain had come down harder, everyone was drenched wet by now. [d] Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence,(i)        "Have you walked alone, this long distance today?" he asked Sumita. (Begin: He asked Sumita if.    )He asked Sumita if she had walked alone that long distance on that day. (ii)       The detective interrogated the suspect closely for over three hours. (Begin: The suspect   ………..)The suspect was  closely interrogated by the detective for over three hours.(iii)       I suddenly realized that the room was too small for the three of us to share. (Begin: I suddenly realized that the room was so    )I suddenly realised that the room was so small that the three of us could not share it.(iv)      Inspite of all her efforts, Susan did not succeed. (Begin: Despite    )Despite all her efforts, Susan did not succeed (v)       As soon as the bell rang, the children rushed out of class. (Begin: No sooner    )No sooner did the bell ring than the children rushed out of the class. (vi)      Sachin stood first in class and he also excelled at debate. (Begin: Not only    )

Not only did Sachin stand first in the class but also excelled at the debate. (vii)     She was the only person capable of being House Captain. (Use: capability)She was the only person who had the capability to be the House Captain.(viii)    Rohan was the tallest boy in the basketball team. (Rewrite using: taller)    [8]Rohan was taller than any other boy in the basket ball team.

ICSE Examinations Grammar Questions from 2009 Question 4 (a)    In the following passage, fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets.  Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space. Example: (0)    spoke. As she (0)    (speak) 1(1)     (rise) and (2)     (go) to the centre blackboard, 1(3)    (find) the chalk (4)    (write) in block letters the title of the book. Then 1 (5)     (put) the chalk down and went to (6)     (sit), beside her, to (7)    (hold) her hand.The day had barely (8)     (begin).                                                                                                       [4] 1. rose 2. went 3. found 4, wrote 5. put 6. sit 7. hold 8. begun 

(b)    Fill in the blanks with appropriate words:- (1)    I prevailed upon    him to join the gymnasium. (ii)      The curious child eagerly begged for   an answer to the riddle. (iii)     He was bent  on  coming first in the examinations. (iv)     The theory exam was followed by    a group discussion. (v)      1 ran into my teacher at the show last night. (vi)     She is extremely anxious about  an interview next week. (vii)     What a contrast   between  the two siblings! (viii)  The brothers fought over their  father’s property.                                                                                                   (c)  Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so: (i)    Swarna asked me a question. I was unable to answer it.I was unable to answer the question Swarna asked me. (ii)    You helped Tania. She will always be grateful.Tanya  will always be grateful for your help.(iii)    I heard you won a prize. I am extremely delighted.I am extremely delighted to hear that you won a prize. (iv)    There was heavy traffic. We reached the stadium on time.                       Inspite of the heavy traffic, we reached the stadium on time.                                                        [4] (d)    Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of

each sentence. (i)       Study hard now or you will regret it.  (Begin: Unless    )Unless you study hard , you will regret. (ii)       The boy asked, 'Why are you lying on the road in this manner?' (Begin: The boy asked why he    )The boy asked why I was/ we were lying on the road in that manner. (iii)      Megha is too tall to crawl under the table. (Begin: Megha is so    )Meghana is so tall that she cannot crawl under the table. (iv)      He arrived in school on time even though he stopped for a bite on the way. (Use 'in spite of instead of even though)In spite of stopping for a bite on the way, he arrived in School on time.(v)       She opened the kitchen door and a cockroach ran out. (End with 'cockroach'.)When she opened her kitchen roar, out ran a cockroach.vi)     Arjun was a better speaker than his brother. (Begin: His brother    )His brother is not as good a speaker as as Arjun. (vii)     Asha missed her examination because of her illness. (Begin: Her illness    )Her illness caused Asha to miss her examination. (viii)    As soon as the curtain came down the applause rang out. (Begin: No sooner    )  No sooner did the curtain come down than the applause started. 

accuse of : He was accused of robbing the bank. (not for)afraid of :My mother is afraid of cats.angry at, angry with: We are angry with a person; angry at something the person does or says.My father was angry with my prodigal brother.My father was angry at my refusal.approve of :The Principal approved of the student’s plan to conduct a survey.arrive at :I usually arrive at the school at 8.45.a.mAfter a protracted discussion, they arrived at an amicable solution.cure of , cure for:The doctor cured my aunt of her bronchitis.The imported drug he gave cured her of the illness.When cure is a remedy , it cure for.There is no known cure for common cold.

Ginger is a cure for flatulence.live: the cow lives on grass.His wages are sufficient for his family  to live on.When ‘live’ means ‘to earn a living’ , use ‘by’.Raj lives by farming.make and made:Flour is made of wheat. (the substance is not actually changed but only changed into another object)His jackets are made from the finest leather.( a substance changed into another and a new substance is formed)

Pleased: The teacher was pleased with the student's progress.We are pleased to know of your success. ( use of an infinitive entails the use of ‘of’ here)sit: sit at a desk, on a chair, , in a bus, in a room.sorry for, sorry about:We all feel sorry for the injured soldiers. ( sorry for someone)We all feel sorry about the unfortunate accident. ( sorry about something)useful: useful to a person, useful for something.The essay is useful to me.The essay is useful for the exams.Write in, write with:The article was written in pencil/in ink. ( the appearance on the paper)Write the points in pencil. Draw the margin with a pencil.( as an instrument used )Sign the document with a pen.     Yield to, yield up       The Ministers had to yield to the pressure of the protesters. (surrender)They were compelled to yield up some of their vluables to the treasury. (give up)