NCERT SOLUTIONS FOR CLASS 10 - ENGLISH NOTES - THE PROPOSAL - ANTON CHEKOV - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - CBSE

 

THE PROPOSAL

ANTON CHEKOV

 

THINKING ABOUT THE PLAY

1) What does Chubukov at first suspect that Lomov has come for? Is he sincere when he later says ‘And I’ve always loved you, my angel, as if you were my own son”? Find reasons for your answer from the play.
Ans: At first Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to borrow money when he was in his evening dress. He was not sincere when he disclosed to Lomov that he had consistently loved him and that he resembled his own child, since he had decided to not give any money to Lomov. It was just when Lomov requested his daughter's hand in marriage that his attitude changed and he hurried out to call his daughter.

 

2) Chubukov says of Natalya: “……. as if she won’t consent! She’s in love; egad, she’s like a lovesick cat……” Would you agree? Find reasons for your answer.
Ans: Yes, Natalya is in love. This is clear by the manner in which she acts when she becomes more acquainted with that Lomov came to propose to her. She begins weeping and requests that her dad bring Lomov without a moment's delay.

 

3) (i) Find all the words and expressions in the play that the characters use to speak about each other, and the accusations and insults they hurl at each other. (For example, Lomov in the end calls Chubukov an intriguer; but earlier, Chubukov has himself called Lomov a “malicious, double faced intriguer.” Again, Lomov begins by describing Natalya as “an excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, well-educated.”)
(ii) Then think of five adjectives or adjectival expressions of your own to describe each character in the play.
(iii) Can you now imagine what these characters will quarrel about next?
Ans: The words and expressions that have been used to describe each other by various characters of the play are

Chubukov: grabber; intriguer; old rat; Jesuit
Natalya: a lovesick cat; an excellent housekeeper; not bad-looking, well-educated
Lomov: a good neighbour; a friend; impudent; pettifogger; a malicious, double-faced intriguer; rascal; blind hen; turnip-ghost; a villain; a scarecrow; monster; the stuffed sausage; the wizen-faced frump; boy; pup; milksop; fool

 

THINKING ABOUT THE LANGUAGE

I. This play has been translated in English from the Russian original. Are there any expressions or ways of speaking that strike you as more – Russian than English?
For example would an adult man be addressed by an older man as my darling or my treasure in an English play?

Ans: Expressions not used in contemporary English are- my angel, my beloved, my beauty (Here these expressions, are used for an adult man) and ‘all that sort of thing’ (not explaining what it is just leaving it as it is) and ‘how may you be getting on’? reported speech

 

II. REPORTED SPEECH

A sentence in reported speech consists of two parts: a reporting clause, which contains the reporting verb, and the reported clause. Look at the

following sentences.

 

(a) “I went to visit my grandma last week,” said Mamta.

(b) Mamta said that she had gone to visit her grandma the previous week.

 

In sentence (a), we have Mamta’s exact words. This is an example of direct speech. In sentence (b), someone is reporting what Mamta said. This is called indirect speech or reported speech. A sentence in reported speech is made up of two parts — a reporting clause and a reported clause.

 

In sentence (b), Mamta said is the reporting clause containing the reporting verb said. The other clause — that she had gone to visit her grandma last week — is the reported clause.

 

Notice that in sentence (b) we put the reporting clause first. This is done to show that we are not speaking directly, but reporting someone else’s words. The tense of the verb also changes; past tense (went) becomes past perfect (had gone).

 

Here are some pairs of sentences in direct and reported speech. Read them carefully, and do the task that follows:

1) (i) LOMOV : Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch, do you think I may count on her consent? (Direct Speech)

 

(ii) Lomov asked Stepan Stepanovitch respectfully if he thought he might count on her consent. (Reported Speech)

 

2) (i) LOMOV : I’m getting a noise in my ears from excitement. (Direct Speech)

(ii) Lomov said that he was getting a noise in his ears from excitement.

 

(Reported Speech)

3) (i) NATALYA : Why haven’t you been here for such a long time? (Direct Speech)

 

(ii) Natalya Stepanovna asked why he hadn’t been there for such a long time. (Reported Speech)

 

4) (i) CHUBUKOV : What’s the matter? (Direct Speech)

(ii) Chubukov asked him what the matter was. (Reported Speech)

 

5) (i) NATALYA : My mowers will be there this very day! (Direct Speech)

(ii) Natalya Stepanovna declared that her mowers would be there that very day. (Reported Speech)

 

You must have noticed that when we report someone’s exact words, we have to make some changes in the sentence structure. In the following sentences fill in the blanks to list the changes that have occurred in the above pairs of sentences. One has been done for you.

 

1) To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked (as in sentence set 1).

 

2) To report a declaration, we use the reporting verb declared.

 

3) The adverb of place here changes to there.

 

4) When the verb in the direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the past tense (as in sentence set 3).

 

5) If the Verb in direct speech is in the present continuous tense, the verb in reported speech changes to past continuous tense. For example, is getting changes to was getting.

 

6) When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb respectfully in the reporting clause (as in sentence set 1)

 

7) The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech, change to third person pronouns to such as he, him, their, or his in reported speech.