The Proposal Questions and Answers Class 10

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 9 bring to life the humorous play “The Proposal.” These solutions offer comprehensive answers to the chapter’s questions, allowing students to understand the comical misunderstandings and the tangled romantic encounter between the characters. Through these answers, students can appreciate the satirical portrayal of human nature and social conventions. The chapter encourages students to embrace a lighthearted approach to life’s complexities and find joy in the absurdities of relationships.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 9 The Proposal Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Play

(Page 157)

Q1. 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. 1 : Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to him to borrow money. He had resolved not to lend him any money; therefore, his calling Lomov an angel is totally fake. He had a change of heart when he learned about Lomov’s intention to propose to his daughter Natalya. Chubukov was delighted at the prospect of Lomov marrying his daughter and that’s why he said that he loved him like a son.

Q2. 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. 2 : Lomov had come to Chubukov’s house with the intention of proposing to Natalya. However, he was worried whether Natalya would be interested in the proposal. Hence, Chubukov said these lines to assure Lomov that Natalya was in love with him. I don’t agree with the statement because there was no love or romance between the two. It was more like a marriage of convenience and both consented because of economic and practical considerations.

Q3. 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. 3 (i) : The characters seem to have no respect for each other and don’t hesitate to hurl insulting abuses at each other. Chubukov calls Lomov impudent, pettifogger, a malicious double-faced intriguer, a scarecrow and stuffed sausage etc. Lomov, in turn, calls Chubukov a grabber, intriguer and an old rat.

Ans. 3 (ii) : Chubukov – low-minded, insensible, cunning, quarrelsome, mean.

Lomov – well-dressed, weak, assertive, stupid, idiotic.

Natalya – quarrelsome, lovable, immature, foolish, mean.

Ans. 3 (iii) : Yes, I think All the characters seem to have a short temper and thus are expected to get into a quarrel even on the pettiest issues. It can be said that they’ll quarrel soon enough.

Thinking about Language

Q I.

1. 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. 1 : The expressions that are not used in contemporary English include :

(a) “my darling”, “my angel”, “my beloved”, “my beauty”: “my treasure”-All these expressions were used for an adult man by an older man.

(b) and all that sort of thing” – This expression does not explain what it is, just leaves it as it is.

(c)” and all that”-This expression leaves the sentence as it is.

(d) “how may you be getting on?” – In this expression, Lomov is asking Chubukov about his well-being.

(e) “the scarecrow”, “the stuffed sausage”, “the wizen-faced frump” – These expressions were used by Chubukov to hurl abuses to Lomov.

Some of the modern English expressions used in the play were:

(a) Lomov addressing Natalya: “Madam”, “my heart”, “honoured Natalya Stepanovna”.

(b) Lomov addressing Chubukov: “Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch”, “I beg pardon Stepan Honouritch

(c) Chubukov addressing Lomov: “My dear fellow”

(d) Chubukov insulting Lomov: “malicious, double-faced intriguer”, “fool”, “guzzling gambler”

(e) Natalya to Lomov: “shout yourself hoarse”

Q2. Look up the following words in a dictionary and find out how to pronounce them. Pay attention to how many syllables there are in each word, and find out which syllable is stressed, or said more forcefully.

Ans. 2 : Students do it by themselves

Q3. 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 

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

3. The adverb of place here changes to _____

4. When the verb in the direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in reported speech is in the 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 ____ tense. For example, ____ changes to was getting.

6. When the sentence in direct speech contains a word denoting respect, we add the adverb ____ 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 _____ or ____ in reported speech.

Ans. (i) asked

(ii) said / declared

(iii) there

(iv) past

(v) continuous, am getting

(vi) respectfully

(vii) he / she, him / her, their or his / her’s 

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