5

Thinking about Language

Question I: Look at these sentences

(a)    She sat in the corner of the room where the rough boys who did not make good marks sat, the corner of the room where there was most scuffling of feet,

(b)   The time when they thought about Wanda was outside of school hours...

These italicized clauses help us to identify a set of boys, a place, and a time. They are Answers to the Questions 'What kind of rough boys?' 'Which corner did she sit in?' and 'What particular time outside of school hours?' They are 'defining' or 'restrictive' relative clauses. (Compare them with the 'no defining' relative clauses discussed in Unit 1.)

Combine the following to make sentences like those above.

1.     This is the bus (what kind of bus?). It goes to Agra. (Use which or that)

2.     I would like to buy (a) shirt (which shirt?). (The) shirt is in the shop window. (Use which or that)

3.     You must break your fast at a particular time (when?). You see the moon in the sky. (Use when)

4.     Find a word (what kind of word?). I t begins with the letter Z. (use which or that)

5.     Now find a person (what kind of person). His or her name begins with the letter Z. (use whose)

6.     Then go to a place (what place?). There are no people whose name begins with Z in that place. (Use Where)

Answer I:

1.     This is the bus which goes to Agra.

2.     I would like to buy the shirt that is in the shop window.

3.     You must break your fast when you see the moon in the sky.

4.     Fin d a word which begins with the letter Z.

5.     Now find a person whose name begins with the letter Z.

6.     Then go to a place where there are no people whose name begins with Z.

Question II: The Narrative Voice

This story is in the 'third person' that is, the narrator is not a participant in the story. But the narrator often seems to tell the story from the point of view of one of the characters in the story. For example, look at the italicized words in this sentence

Thank goodness, she did not live up on Boggins Heights or have a funny name.

Whose thoughts do the words 'Thank goodness' express? Maddie's, who is grateful that although she is poor, she is yet not as poor as Wanda, or as 'different'. (So she does not get teased; she is thankful about that.)

1.     Here are two other sentences from the story. Can you say whose point of view the italicized words express?

(I)    But on Wednesday, Peggy and Maddie, who sat down front with other children who got good marks and who didn't track in a whole lot of mud, did notice that Wanda wasn't there.

(ii)   Wanda Petronski. Most of the children in Room Thirteen didn't have names like that. They

Had names easy to say, like Thomas, Smith or Allen.

2.     Can you find other such sentences in the story? You can do this after you read the second part of the story as well.

Answer II:

1.

(I)    in the given sentence, the italicized words express the point of view of Peggy and Maddie.

(ii)   In the given sentence, the italicized words express the point of view of the narrator.

2. Some of such sentences are as follows:

>      Peggy was not really cruel. She protected small children from bullies.

>      Peggy was most popular girl in school. She was pretty, had pretty clothes and her hair was curly.

>      Wanda did not sit there because she was rough and noisy.

Question III: Look at this sentence. The italicized adverb expresses an opinion or point of view.

Obviously, the only dress Wanda had was the blue one she wore every day. (This was obvious to the speaker.)

Other such adverbs are apparently, evidently, surprisingly, possibly, hopefully, incredibly, luckily. Use these words appropriately in the blanks in the sentences below. (You may use a word more than once, and more than one word may be appropriate for a given blank.)

1.     ………………he finished his work on time.

2.     ………………it will not rain on the day of the match.

3.     …………….he had been stealing money from his employer.

4.     Television is ………………..to blame for the increase in violence in society.

5.     The children will…………..learn from their mistakes.

6.     I can't……………..lend you that much money.

7.     The thief had………….been watching the house for many days.

8.     The thief ……………escaped by bribing the jail or.

9.     …………………no one had suggested this before. 10. The water was hot.

Answer III:

1.     Surprisingly, he finished his work on time.

2.     Hopefully, it will not rain on the day of the match.

3.     Evidently, he had been stealing money from his employer.

4.     Television is evidently to blame for the increase in violence in society.

5.     The children will hopefully learn from their mistakes.

6.     I can't possibly lend you that much money.

7.     The thief had apparently been watching the house for many days.

8.     The thief possibly escaped by bribing the jailor.

9.     Surprisingly, no one had suggested this before. 10. The water was incredibly hot.