Written as per the syllabus prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education.
 

CBSE
CLASS X
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
TERM I & II
 

  First Edition: February 2016

  
Salient Features
 
• Exhaustive coverage of the Grammar syllabus for Term I and Term II.
 
• Detailed theory with sufficient examples for all the topics prescribed in the syllabus.
  • Solved Exercises for each topic to provide better understanding of concepts.
  • Ample Practice Exercises to enable thorough preparation.
• Board Exam Questions offer exposure to examination-level questions.
 
• Solutions for all the questions in the Workbook.
 
• Simple and Lucid language.
 

   

 
Printed at: Repro Knowledgecast Ltd., Mumbai
 
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, C.D. ROM/Audio Video Cassettes or electronic, mechanical
including photocopying; recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the Publisher.
 
P.O. No. 10705

10231_10321_JUP
 
 

PREFACE
In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them
you can get through, but rather how many can get through to
you.
“Std. X : English Grammar” is a complete and
thorough guide, critically analysed and extensively drafted
to boost the student’s confidence. The book is prepared as
per the syllabus prescribed by the Central Board of
Secondary Education for Term I and Term II.
The book contains detailed theory along with
sufficient examples for each topic. Solved Exercises have
been provided to facilitate better understanding of the
concepts. Ample Practice Exercises have been included to
give an insight on the difficulty levels of various questions.
Additionally, the Board Questions covered for each topic
will enable thorough preparation of the student and provide
exposure to examination level questions. The book also
includes Solutions for all the questions in the Workbook.
The journey to create a complete book is strewn with
triumphs, failures and near misses. If you think we’ve nearly
missed something or want to applaud us for our triumphs,
we’d love to hear from you.
Please write to us at: mail@targetpublications.org
A book affects eternity; one can never tell where its
influence stops.
Best of luck to all the aspirants!
Yours faithfully,
Publisher

Syllabus
WORK BOOK* – Suggested Break-up of Units for the Purpose of Classroom Teaching only – NOT FOR TESTING (see the
note below).
Sr. No Term I Term II
1. Determiners 1. Comparison
2. Tenses 2. Avoidng Repetition
3. Subject-Verb Agreement 3. Nominalization
4. Non-Finites 4. Modals
5. Relatives 5. Active and Passive
6. Connectors 6. Reported Speech
7. Conditionals 7. Prepositions
Note on Workbook:
The suggested split up of the units of the Workbook reflects a distribution for the purpose of classroom teaching only. Since grammar
and usage is not to be tested discreetly, but in an integrated manner, the split up as shown above will not restrict questions in the
grammar section of SA I and SA II question papers to the specific units shown in the split up of Workbook units. Grammar will be
tested by recycling grammar items learnt over a period of time in a comprehensive manner. Teachers may adapt this suggested
distribution for classroom teaching making modifications according to their specific needs. Similarly Formative Assessment of
grammar items may also be carried out in an integrated manner along with the skills of Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening as
well as Literature.

Contents
No. Topic Name Page No. No. Topic Name Page No.
Part I : Basic Grammar Integrated Grammar Practice-2 104
05 Relatives 107
01 Prepositions 1
06 Connectors 110
02 Determiners 10 Integrated Grammar Practice-3 116
03 Modals 20 07 Conditionals 118
04 Clauses 29 08 Comparison 122
05 Tenses 37 Integrated Grammar Practice-4 129
06 Subject-Verb Agreement 47 09 Avoiding Repetition 131
10 Nominalisation 137
07 Active and Passive Voice 57
Integrated Grammar Practice-5 142
08 Reported Speech 66 11 Modals-Expressing Attitudes 145
Part II : Workbook Integrated Grammar Practice-6 150
01 Determiners 76 12 Active and Passive Voice 152
Integrated Grammar Practice-7 159
02 Tenses 81
13 Reported Speech 161
Integrated Grammar Practice-1 89 Integrated Grammar Practice-8 168
03 Subject-Verb Agreement 91 14 Prepositions 170
04 Non-Finites 96 Integrated Grammar Practice-9 173
01.  Prepositions  Basic Grammar 01: Prepositions

e.g. About, across, among, between, beside,

Introduction
Prepositions are words which show the
relationship between two words in a sentence. They
are very important in English grammar. The rules of
preposition and its uses play a prime role in written
English.
Prepositions are used to connect nouns,
pronouns and phrasess in any sentence. The
relationship can include direction, place (or a
particular point or location), time, manner, cause and
amount (or degree).
The preposition is almost always before the noun or
pronoun and hence it is called a preposition.
Some examples of prepositions are illustrated
below:
i. The ball is below your bed.
below is a preposition which shows place.
ii. He came by bus.
by is a preposition which shows manner.
Forms of Prepositions
There are five forms of prepositions:
i. Simple Prepositions: Simple prepositions are
used in simple sentences.
e.g. In, on, at, to, from, with, by etc.
 I am not coming with you.
ii. Compound Prepositions: When we join two
connecting nouns, pronouns and phrases then
we use compound prepositions.
before etc.
 I will reach there before she leaves.
iii. Double Prepositions: A double preposition
is two (prepositional) words used in a
sentence to connect nouns, pronouns and
phrases with other words in a sentence.
e.g. Outside of, out of, from behind, because of
etc.
 It was just because of you that they went to
school.
iv. Participle Prepositions: When a participle
(an -ed or –ing verb) is used as a preposition
it is known as a participle preposition.
e.g. Concerning, pending, considering assuming,
barring, during, given, notwithstanding,
provided, regarding.
 I think I can do it easily considering my
knowledge.
v. Phrase Prepositions: A prepositional
phrase is a group of words containing a
preposition, a noun or pronoun (object of the
preposition), and any modifiers of the
object.
e.g. According to, in spite of, on account of, in
front of, in order to, for the sake of, by
means of, with reference to, in addition to,
due to etc.
 According to me, there are three members of
this company.

Types of Prepositions

Prepositions are mainly of five types: Place, Time, Direction, Movement and Position.
i. Preposition of Place: There are three prepositions of Places.

 At the end of the page  At the exit/entrance

 At the corner
AT - used for a point of place
 At home
 At the side
 In Maharashtra
 In the mall
IN - used for spaces
 In the building
 In the sky
 On the table
 On the computer
ON - used for surface tops
 On the bus
 On the right/left
Note: There are some exceptions which do not follow these rules.
 At work
 At school
 In the hall
 In my pocket
 In the newspaper
 On the motorcar
 On the page
 On the radio
 On the way

1
Class X: English Grammar
ii. Preposition of Time: There are two prepositions of Time.
AT - used to indicate a precise time
Note: At night is an exception to this
rule.
IN - used for indicating a time period
Note: In the morning/afternoon/
evening are the exceptions to this rule.
iii. Preposition of Position: There are two prepositions of Position.
Under/Underneath and Over - used
to indicate position that is vertically
down or vertically up
Below/Beneath and Above - used to
indicate position that is lower or higher
iv. Preposition of Direction: There are seven prepositions of Direction.
To - used to indicate a specific
destination
Towards - used to show the direction of
the destination.
From - used to show the point of origin
(i.e. starting or departure point)
Off - used to indicate either ‘being taken
away from’ or ‘down from’
For - used to indicate direction only
when the verb indicates the beginning of
a movement
Against - used to indicate contact or
pressure
Out of - used to indicate departure from
v. Preposition of Movement: There are six prepositions of Movement.
Through/Across - used to show the
movement from one point to the other
Into - used to show the movement of
going inside
Onto - used to show the movement on
an object.
Along - used to show the movement that
is adjacent in line.
In/On/By - used to indicate a means of
Up/Down - used to show the movement
across an upper or lower level
2 2
 At ten o’clock  At 4:30 a.m.
 At the moment/this time  At sunrise/noon
 In January  In 2015
 In the 90’s  In this century
 The ball went under the floor.
 The file is underneath the packages.
 The airplane went over the clouds.
 I saw him standing below the building.
 We sat beneath the apple tree.
 They stay above the shop.
 A place - I am going to the shop.
 An event - Are you going to the dance party?
 A person - I am going to your principal to complain
about you.
 A position - The kitchen is to your left.
 Abdul was running towards the bus stop.
 Please turn towards your left to exit.
 She has started from home.
 They have left from Mumbai already.
 We are from Chennai.
 The salesman took the bottle off the shelf.
 The cat fell off the tin roof.
 They will leave for home tomorrow.
 My son has already left for Singapore.
 Sona leaned against the wall.
 Father, put the box against the wall.
 Alok went out of the classroom.
 We need to get out of this place.
 The hunters went through the forest.
 We went across the road.
 We got into the cinema hall.
 The coin rolled onto the pavement.
 We were walking along the river.
 They travelled in a ship for the first time.
 He was the only one who was travelling on foot.
 We came by bus.
 Romy and Suzy climbed up the mountain as a challenge.
 They came down from Vaishno devi temple as fast as
they could.
 Basic Grammar 01: Prepositions
above despite of underneath
Preposition Rules
among due to owing to until
There are two main rules to follow to use across ‘e’ off up
prepositions. after excepting on behalf upon
i. Preposition’s Choice: Certain prepositions of
must follow certain words and make the around except on up to
relationships between words in the sentences ‘b' ‘f’ over ‘w’
clear. below for onto with
e.g. a. Able to but from out within
b. Capable of beneath ‘i’ outside without
c. Preoccupied with by in ‘p’ with
d. Prohibited from regards to
These prepositions must follow these words. It beside(s) past
would be grammatically incorrect to say “able because in front of ‘r’
with” or “capable to” of
ii. Preposition’s Position: Prepositions are between into regarding
followed by a noun and have an object, and before inside ‘s’
hence they are not used at the end of a beyond in favour of since
sentence. behind in spite of ‘t’
However, in certain cases the meaning of a by instead of through
sentence can change without the preposition at courtesy
the end of the sentence. of
e.g. “I turned the TV on.”
If you removed the “on” from the end of this Solved Exercises
sentence, it would change the meaning.
Instead of switching on the set, one would be 1. Fill in the blanks with the correct
saying that one turned the TV itself. preposition.
i. They went _____ the zoo last week with their
Key To Learning teacher.
ii. Isaac arrived _____ work early this morning.
i. A preposition is followed by a noun, which iii. Everybody was talking _____ him after the
includes: rumours spread.
a. dog, money, love iv. They need to drive _____ the tunnel before
b. Bangkok, Mary they reach the destination.
c. you, him, us v. You better put a jacket _____ your shirt
d. my first job because it is really cold today.
e. swimming Ans: i. to ii. for
ii. A preposition is never followed by a verb. iii. about iv. through
iii. It is permissible to end a sentence with a v. over
preposition.
2. Read the paragraph given below and fill in
iv. It is permissible to begin a sentence with a
the blanks by choosing the correct options
preposition or a prepositional phrase, but in
from those that follow: [CBSE 2014]
rare cases only.
A recent research gives smokers one more
v. If the preposition is required to be followed by
reason to quit smoking. (i) _______ addition
a verb, then the “-ing” form is used, which is a
to affecting the lungs, (ii) _______ also
gerund or verb in noun form.
damages the eyes. The more cigarettes people
vi. A prepositional phrase always begins with a
smoke and the (iii) _______ they do so, the
preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun
greater the risk of damaging their eyes.
called the object of the preposition.
i. a. In b. Along
The most commonly used prepositions are given c. With d. Beside
below: ii. a. its b. which
‘a' ‘c’ ‘l’ throughout c. it d. that
at concerning like to iii. a. frequent b. faster
against ‘d’ ‘n’ Toward(s) c. oftener d. quick
about down near ‘u’ Ans: i. a. In ii. c. it
along during ‘o’ under iii. b. faster
3
Class X: English Grammar
3. Insert the appropriate preposition in the 6. The following passage has one omission in
following sentences: each line. Identify the word and write it
i. Slaves sleep ______ the stables. along with the words that come before and
ii. Jacob was feeling lonely ______ Bella by his after the ommission in the answer sheet.
side. Ensure that the word that forms your
iii. Suddenly, as we were near the bus stop, the answer is underlined.
suspicious car started moving ______ us. i. Self-help is very important. You need to be self-
iv. Use the ladder that is leaning ______ the reliant and not depend others or wait for others to
wall. ii. come to your rescue. danger, if we use our
v. We have got a house ______ a big garden. presence of mind we can surely reach safety.
iii. Sometimes we have to face some difficult
Ans: i. in ii. without
situations accidents, fires, etc. but, we only
iii. towards iv. against need to take
v. with iv. initiative to find ways to our safety. In short,
4. Fill in the blanks with the correct though help is, our safety is our
preposition. v. responsibility and we should watch out for
i. The treasure is buried _______ (on, under, ourselves waiting for others.
in) the two coconut trees. Before Omission After
ii. The secret documents were hidden _______ i.
(inside, at, in) a filing cabinet. ii.
iii. I like to listen _______ (on, at, to) the radio Ans:
when I wake up.
Before Omission After
iv. She left without paying _______ (for, at, in) i. depend upon others
the meal.
ii. rescue. In times of danger
v. A lot of people borrow money _______ (on,
from, in) the bank. iii. situations during accidents
Ans: i. under ii. inside iv. is at hand, our
v. ourselves instead of waiting
iii. to iv. for
v. from
Practice Exercises
5. The following passage has not been edited.
There is one error in each line. Identify the Gap Filling Exercises
error and write it along the correction in 1. Choose the correct preposition in the
the answer sheet. The first one has been following sentences.
done for you as an example. i. The classes will be held _______ (on/at/in)
One morning I finished one business at the Sundays.
bank and was returning in pick my motorbike ii. The speaker will be coming _______
which I had left in the parking lot outside. (by/from/in) car.
Suddenly he realised that I had lost the bike iii. The name of the author is provided _______
keys. Upset I searched about it in the bank. A (at/by/in) the end of the chapter.
bank employee tried to help me find it, and in iv. You will find out who the murderer is
vain. _______ (at/by/in) the end of the chapter.
v. Put it _______ the right. (in/on/at)
Error Correction Ans: i. on ii. by
One some iii. at iv. by
i. _______ _______ v. on
ii. _______ _______
2. Fill the blanks with the correct
[CBSE 2013] prepositions.
Ans: i. He is interested _______ (on/at/in) learning
karate.
Error Correction
ii. I will pick you up _______ (on/at/in) 8 a.m. on
i. one some Monday.
ii. in to iii. I am going to lose at least 5 kgs _______ (on/
iii. he I at/in) one month.
iv. about for iv. I have a doctor’s appointment _______
v. and but (in/on/at) Saturday.
4 4
 Basic Grammar 01: Prepositions
v. Could you get me this shirt _______ (on/at/ i. a. off b. of
in) a smaller size? c. with d. from
Ans: i. in ii. at
iii. in iv. on ii. a. is b. are
v. in c. has d. have

3. Fill the blanks with the correct iii. a. Unless b. If

prepositions. c. But d. Till
i. I am going ________ the market. [CBSE 2013]
ii. Do you want to go _______ a swim? Ans: i. c. with ii. b. are
iii. Chandigarh is _______ seventeen hours from iii. a. Unless
here.
7. Fill in the blank with the correct
iv. The plane will take off _______ fifteen
prepositions.
minutes.
T.V. has brought people closer than ever
v. The trapped mouse escaped _______ the hole
before, (i)_____ modern satellite technology
in the wall.
that connects even the remotest regions (ii)
Ans: i. to ii. for
_____ the world to us in seconds. While we
iii. about/ almost iv. in hear that many (iii) _______ our young people
v. through spend more time (iv)______ their T.V. sets,
4. Fill the blanks with the correct than in their classrooms or with their textbooks,
prepositions. it is, in fact, very true that television has
i. Can I borrow your umbrella _______ a day? become the single most powerful influence, as
ii. I went to sleep _______ 11:00 p.m. last night. an electronic medium, (v)________ the lives of
iii. The Gupta’s haven’t been to their hometown many youngsters today.
_______ last year. Ans: i. due to
iv. I have lived in Mumbai _______ many years. ii. of
v. Don’t worry; she will be there _______ an iii. of
hour. iv. before/in front of
Ans: i. for ii. at v. in
iii. since iv. for
v. in 8. Complete the following sentences with the
correct prepositions.
5. Insert the appropriate preposition in the Radhika has always been a top scorer (i)
following sentences. _______ her college. (at/in)
i. The teacher walked _______ the classroom. But (ii) _______ everyone’s surprise, she (in,
ii. My brother stopped _______ a local dhaba to to) dropped down (iii) _______ the tenth
have his dinner last night. position (to/on) (iv) _______ the overall data
iii. The meeting starts _______ 10:30 in the created (as, in) (v) _______ the college dean.
morning. (for, by) (vi) _______ to what may have
iv. The dog jumped _______ the fence. caused this degradation(As/In) (vii) _______
v. Go and sit _______ . her long held position is still unknown. (of/by)
Ans: i. into ii. at The principal (viii) _______ the college was
iii. at iv. over then told about her grandfather’s demise.
v. down (for/of) Everyone felt sorry (ix) _______ her
loss (by/for) and expressed condolences (x)
6. Complete the paragraph given below by _______ view of this tragedy. (by/in)
filling in each of the blanks with the help She was offered extra classes (xi) _______
of the options that follow. (for/by) her subject teachers to cope (xii)
The Government has announced a unique _______ the syllabus. (for, with)
way of curbing dengue fever. Action will be [CBSE 2012]
taken against owners (i) _______ water Ans: i. in ii. to
coolers which (ii) _______ found to be iii. to iv. in
breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquito. v. by vi. As
“(iii) _______ people take action on this vii. of viii. of
warning,” a government spokesperson said, ix. for x. in
“dengue fever will grow into an epidemic.” xi. by xii. with
5
Class X: English Grammar
9. Complete the passage given below choosing vii. a. is feeling b. feel
the correct preposition. c. will feel d. feels
I heard the noise first, the sound (i) _______
screeching tyres. A car, obviously, out of viii. a. valuable b. value
control was rushing straight (ii) _______ me c. no value d. best
and my four year old son as we stood on the [CBSE 2011]
footpath waiting to cross the street. There was Ans: i. a. any ii. c. of
no time to do anything; it happened in a iii. b. along iv. d. from
millisecond. The vision of that big car hitting v. c. able vi. b. on
the footpath a metre or (iii) _______ from us vii. d. feels viii. a. valuable
will never be erased (iv) _______ my
11. Complete the passage given below choosing
memory. I don’t know how close the car came
the correct options.
to us, because I turned (v) _______ at the last
moment. Last year I employed Sam as my Secretary
and we went (i) _______ a tour around the
i. a. from b. into United States. He kept on working even (ii)
c. for d. of _______ the snowy weather when he (iii)
ii. a. to b. towards _______ to leave his bike at home and walk
c. against d. forward (iv) _______ with the papers. He even (v)
_______ his own bank account (vi) _______
iii. a. so b. to he deposited the special bonuses I (vii)
c away d. for _______ to him. When the tour was over he
iv. a. in b. from could buy and take (viii) _______ with him a
c. towards d. within new car.
v. a. inside b. out i. a. for b. to
c. under d. away c. on d. in
[CBSE 2011]
Ans: i. d. of ii. b. towards ii. a. when b. during
iii. a. so iv. b. from c. at d. that
v. d. away iii. a. has b. will have
10. Complete the passage given below choosing c. had d. have
the correct alternatives.
iv. a. some where b. every place
Every time we touch (i) _______ object we
c. every time d. everywhere
leave a unique trail (ii) _______ hand germs,
(iii) _______ with our fingerprints. A research v. a. is opening b. opened
team (iv) _______ the University of Colorado c. have opened d. for opening
took samples from office keyboards and was
(v) _______ to match them to the bacteria (vi) vi. a. when b. which
_______ the fingertips of individual c. where d. whose
computers. Lead researcher Professor Noah
vii. a. gave b. given
Fierer (vii) _______ that the technique could
c. will give d. will have given
eventually become a (viii) _______ item in the
tool-box of forensic scientists. viii. a. alone b. away
i. a. any b. the c. along d. with
c. an d. every [CBSE 2011]
ii. a. by b. to Ans: i. c. on ii. b. during
c. of d. for iii. c. had iv. d. everywhere
v. b. opened vi. c. where
iii. a. away b. along
c. aside d. alone vii. a. gave viii. b. away

iv. a. in b. by 12. Choose appropriate prepositions from the

c. with d. from options given below and complete the
following dialogue.
v. a. ability b. succeeded Vinod : Look at this beautiful painting of an
c. able d. successful English family (i) _______ a river.
vi. a. with b. on Farah : Yes, I can see a father standing (ii)
c. for d. to _______ his two boys.

6 6
 Basic Grammar 01: Prepositions
Vinod : The father is smiling, but the little iv. Being humble before achieving success keeps
boy seems preoccupied (iii) us
_______ his picnic basket. v. in touch of our roots and further helps us to
Farah : But his older brother has his hand jump ahead in life.
(iv) _______ his small shoulders.
i. a. beside b. besides Error Correction
c. over d. at i.
ii.
ii. a. with b. at
c. towards d. over Ans:

iii. a. in b. on Error Correction

c. with d. for i. on in
ii. from through
iv. a. over b. under iii. Besides But
c. in d. at iv. before after
Ans: i. a. beside ii. a. with
v. of with
iii. c. with iv. a. over
3. There is an error in each of the lines given
Editing and Omitting Exercises
below. Pick out the error and correct the
1. There is an error in each of the lines given word.
below. Pick out the error and correct the i. Animal manure is a good source of organic
word. matter by improving soil fertility.
i. Jagdip was spoilt. Take, with example, his ii. The gobar gas obtained towards processing
fluffy white pillows that he slept with. dung is used as a fuel and to
ii. He always wanted two fat pillows in his side iii. draw water near wells. Although agriculture
of the bed every night. is seasonal,
iii. He would jump on the bed and fall asleep iv. upon dairy farming, there is a possibility of
instantly. employment
iv. But at the morning there was always one v. for many people outside the year.
v. pillow under the floor. It lay as if asking to Error Correction
vi. be put back over the bed. Each morning, i.
vii. Jagdip’s mother would pick it with.
ii.
viii. Thus, the bed had two pillows besides
Jagdip’s side, as usual. Ans:
Error Correction Error Correction
i. i. by for
ii. ii. towards by
iii. near from
Ans:
iv. upon through
Error Correction
v. outside throughout
i. with for
ii. in on 4. In the passage given below, one word has
iii. on in been omitted in each marked line. Write
iv. at in the missing word along with the word that
v. under on comes before and the word that comes
vi. over on after it. Ensure that the word that forms
vii. with up your answer is underlined.
viii. besides on i. We took a morning bus / Corbet park, and
after
2. In the passage given below, one word is ii. checking / a very simple hotel, went to Tiger
incorrect in each line. Pick out the error Safaris,
and correct the word. iii. as they have a safari going / every Sunday.
i. In my opinion, success is an elevated stage on It sounds like a
one’s life which can be iv. good deal / ` 600 a day. While walking
ii. acquired from dedication and hard work. around we met Sanjay from Delhi.
iii. Besides one should not get carried away by v. He introduced us / Santosh who will be
success. joining us tomorrow.
7
Class X: English Grammar
vi. Later, we had dinner / a boring restaurant 7. The following passage has not been edited.
and then we went to his There is one error in each line. Write the
vii. house to pick / some clothes. He then incorrect word and the correction in your
actually suggested taking pictures answer sheet. Underline the correct word
viii. with the wild animals after going / the park. supplied by you.
We all said, “Forget it!” The first one has been done for you as an
example.
Before Omission After i. I sat in the sofa in his office. The young man
i. looked vaguely familiar for me. I knew I had
ii. met him somewhere
Ans: ii. but could not place it. I wondered whether I
Before Omission After had taught
i. bus to Corbet iii. this boy. When I meet my student after many
ii. checking into a years I often
iii. going on every iv. fail to recognise them. They looked very
iv. deal at ` 600 different and mature.
v. us to Santosh v. The man smiled on me. There was a dimple on
vi. dinner at a his cheek
vii. pick up some vi. and then I knew who he was. He was some of
viii. going into the the two kids
vii. which used to work in a garage a decade back.
5. In the following paragraph, a preposition is He sat down
omitted in each line. Complete the sentences viii. opposite me, closed his eyes or started telling
with appropriate prepositions. his story.
Rome is the capital city i. _______ [CBSE 2011]
/Italy and is a very famous
historic Error Correction
city / the world. The ii. _______ in on
Roman kings and rulers
have been Ans:
one / the most discussed iii. _______ Error Correction
and can be found being in on
appreciated / their iv. _______ i. for to
immense courage and ii. it him
vivacity. iii. my any
Ans: i. of ii. in iv. looked look
iii. of iv. for v. on at
vi. some one
6. In the following paragraph, a preposition is
vii. which who
omitted in each line. Complete the sentences
viii. or and
with appropriate prepositions.
The cloth she bought was i. _______ 8. In the passage given below, one word has
/ yard. She gave it further been omitted in each marked line. Write the
/ the other shop which ii. _______ missing word along with the word that
dyed it into a beautiful comes before and the word that comes after
red. it. Ensure that the word that forms your
But she yelled angrily / iii. _______ answer is underlined. The first one is done
the shopkeeper since she as an example.
wanted Kite flying was a popular sport that time
the cloth to be colured / iv. _______ i. and while the girls knitted and sewed
blue and not red. Inspite ii. we boys climbed over the roofs enter the
of being competition with limited pocket money
convinced / the shopkeeper v. _______ iii. and was not enough to buy all the material
she continued to yell needed to make our kites. [CBSE 2014]
/ him loudly (vi) _______
e.g. sport at that
Ans: i. in ii. to
i.
iii. at iv. in
v. by vi. at ii.

8 8
 Basic Grammar 01: Prepositions
Ans:
e.g. sport at that
i. while all the
ii. roofs to enter
iii. and it was
Sentence Reordering Exercises
1. Rearrange the following to form
meaningful sentences. The first one has
been done for you.
i. the pain / we go / only when / to the /
unbearable / dentist / becomes /
ii. dental hygiene / in kids / be inculcated /
should /
iii. solve / dental / brushing / can / the teeth / woes
/ most /
iv. are due / most / dental / to sheer neglect /
diseases / [CBSE 2011]
Ans: i. We go to the dentist only when the pain
becomes unbearable.
ii. Dental hygiene should be inculcated in
kids.
iii. Brushing the teeth can solve most dental
woes.
iv. Most dental diseases are due to sheer
neglect.
2. Rearrange the following words / phrases to
form meaningful sentences.
i. standing / a woman / the doorway / was / in /
ii. young / dressed / in red / and was / was / she /
iii. was / hands / my dog / her / licking /
[CBSE 2014]
Ans: i. A woman was standing in the doorway.
ii. She was young and was dressed in red.
iii. My dog was licking her hands.
3. Rearrange the following words and phrases
to form meaningful sentences.
i. a bed / warm box / I made / in a / for him
ii. I kept / on him / for / an eye / two days
iii. and plenty / I gave / of water / him / food
[CBSE 2014]
Ans: i. I made a bed in a warm box for him.
ii. I kept an eye on him for two days.
iii. I gave him food and plenty of water.
4. Rearrange the following words and phrases
to form meaningful sentences.
i. all workers / child workers / in India / five
percent of / are / about /
ii. them / engaged / in agriculture / most of / are /
iii. work / in urban areas / many / of industries / in
a variety / [CBSE 2014]
Ans: i. In India child workers are about five
percent of all workers.
ii. Most of them are engaged in
agriculture.
iii. Many work in a variety of industries in
urban areas.
9
14.  Prepositions 
Class X: English Grammar

1. You are already very familiar with common

prepositions such as at, on and in. So, this 1. concurrently with – during
short unit will focus on some of the less 2. within the limit of – in
common but very useful ones. They are
listed in the diagram below.
See the Workbook on page 275 for Images 4. Complete the sentences below with
appropriate prepositions.
2. Look at the following: 1. My grandfather is always complaining
See the Workbook on page 276 for Images _______ the pain in his back.
Which one of the following explanations 2. The pilot blamed his colleague _______ losing
matches the above sentences? Write the their way.
letter in the box. 3. An infant depends _______ its mother for
Ans: food.
at one particular time/particular times 4. He is worried _______ his bad results.
b.
in that period
5. They’re very fond _______ tennis.
a. 6. You were absent _______ the Science Club
for the entire period
yesterday.
3. Read this paragraph. Underline the two 7. I was angry _______ my brother for breaking
prepositions from A.1 above. Then circle my tape recorder.
the time period they are referring to. Ans: 1. of 2. for
When the Nalaban Bird Sanctuary was 3. upon/on 4. over/about
flooded during the monsoons, the flamingos 5. of 6. in
disappeared temporarily. Some of them were
7. with/at
spotted on other islands in the lake. However,
the long-legged birds flew back to the lake Now refer to a dictionary and find out the
throughout the winter months. A record prepositions that are normally used with
amount of migration was noticed in the first the following words:
week of January. complain, blame, depend, fond, absent and
Ans: When the Nalaban Bird Sanctuary was flooded angry.
during the monsoons, the flamingos disappeared Ans:  complain about, complain of, complain
to
temporarily. Some of them were spotted on other
 blame for, blame on
islands in the lake. However, the long-legged  depend upon, depend on
birds flew back to the lake throughout  fond of
 absent from, absent in
the winter months. A record amount of migration
 angry with, angry at
was noticed in the first week of January.
5. Take five different prepositions from the
Match each of the two prepositions above chart in A.1. Then write five sentences
with its dictionary definitions below: containing one each of those prepositions on
a piece of paper. But leave out the
1. right through; prepositions in each. Then hand your piece
through the whole of (a place of paper to a partner. She/he must complete
or period of time) you sentences, using the correct
prepositions.
1. There is a garden _______ my house.
1. concurrently with (some other 2. Distribute the sweets _______ forty children.
activity) 3. The son was sitting _______ his father’s knee.
2. within the limit of (a period of 4. My house is just _______ the street.
time) 5. Rishi was a quick walker. He soon got
_______ the others.
Ans: Ans: 1. in front of 2. among
1. right through – throughout 3. on 4. across
5. ahead of
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170 
 Workbook 14:  Prepositions
6. Fill appropriate prepositions in the blanks g. Connectors are also called discourse
in the following sentences: markers.
a. Since Raju is clever _______ painting, he
In sentences (a), (b), (e), (f) and (g),
should join an art academy.
prepositions are not required. The
b. They accused their neighbours _______
verbs used in them do not need
dumping garbage in front of their house.
prepositions.
c. The students agreed _______ their teacher’s
suggestions regarding the choice of place for 8. Read the following sentences in which
an excursion. prepositions occur before particular words
d. He had to leave the firm because his superiors and expressions.
did not agree _______ him on many issues. a. Let’s go in the car instead of by bus.
e. We should abide _______ the constitution of b. Seen from his point of view, the proposal
our country. seems quite reasonable.
f. All the furniture in my office is made _______
wood. Now fill appropriate prepositions in the blanks to
g. Sugar is made _______ sugar beet and sugarcane. complete the following sentences.
h. The two countries entered _______ an a. _______ my opinion, he should have accepted
agreement to increase bilateral trade. the offer.
i. Though Rahul does not like his rather imperious b. Who is the woman _______ a dark red saree?
uncle, he tries to be polite _______ him. c. Is there any good show _______ the TV
j. The principal congratulated the school tonight?
basketball team _______ their success in the d. The old man would have died if he had not
inter-school tournament. been taken to the hospital _______ time.
Ans: a. at b. of e. The Chairman of the Board wanted the
c. to d. with meeting to start exactly _______time.
e. by f. of Ans: a. In b. on
g. from h. into c. on d. in
i. to/with j. on e. on
7. Correct the following sentences. 9. Pilloo has always had problems with
a. It is essential that we discuss about your prepositions. Edit this letter for him. Delete
proposal before reaching any decision. the incorrect prepositions and/ or insert the
b. The class fell silent as the teacher entered into correct one wherever you think it is
the classroom. necessary. (There are eight mistakes
c. I have been living here since four years. altogether.)
d. The tournament will be held between Monday
Anand Bhawan
to Friday.
Udaipur
e. Rani closely resembles to her maternal aunt.
27 January 20--
f. As the train was approaching to the station,
Dear Binod
someone pulled the chain and brought it to a
halt. I must say time really flies! Because of lack of
g. Connectors are also called as discourse time, I couldn’t write to you earlier. The great
markers. news is Anil is marrying with a Sikkimese
girl. I must say he’s a lucky guy! Reena
Study sentences (a), (b), (e), (f) and (g). What wasn’t too happy for it and Anil was very rude
conclusion can you draw from these examples with her. He said he didn’t care for her
about the correct use of prepositions? opinion. She wasn’t nice with me either.
Ans: a. It is essential that we discuss your
proposal before reaching any decision. I’ve had no time for practice so I’m not taking
b. The class fell silent as the teacher part at the Athletics meet. I’m no good at
entered the classroom. either the high jump or the long jump and
c. I have been living here for four years. going there without practice would make it
d. The tournament will be held from worse.
Monday to Friday. Yes, do write to Yak and Yeti Travels asking
e. Rani closely resembles her maternal for details from their special offer. If it’s
aunt. within our budget, it’ll be a great holiday.
f. As the train was approaching the Write when you can.
station, someone pulled the chain and Love,
brought it to a halt. Pilloo
171
Class X: English Grammar
Ans: Anand Bhawan,
Udaipur.
27 January 20--.
Dear Binod,
I must say time really flies! Because of
lack of time, I couldn’t write to you earlier.
The great news is, Anil is marrying a
Sikkimese girl. I must say he’s a lucky guy!
Reena wasn’t too happy with it and Anil was
very rude to her. He said he didn’t care about
her opinion. She wasn’t nice to me either.
I’ve had no time for practice so I’m not
taking part in the Athletics meet. I’m no good
at either the high jump or the long jump and
going there without practice would make it
worse.
Yes, do write to Yak and Yeti Travels
asking for details about their special offer. If
it’s in our budget, it’ll be a great holiday.
Write when you can.
Love,
Pilloo.

172
172 

Integrated Grammar Practice 9 
1. This is a conversation between a father and
his son. After reading the conversation
report the conversation in your own words.
Father : Why did you return home late today?
Son : My motorbike brakes failed on the
way.
Father : Why didn’t you check your brakes
before starting?
Son : I was in a hurry. I didn’t have the time.
Father : It shows how careless you are. If
you keep your bike in a good
condition, you will save yourself a
lot of trouble and time.
The father asked (a) _______. The boy replied
(b) _______. On hearing this, the father (c)
_______. The boy said that as (d) _______.
Disappointed on hearing this, the father
observed that it showed how careless he was.
He added that if (e) _______.
Ans: a. his son why he had returned home late
that day
b. that his motorbike brakes had failed on
the way
c. asked him why he hadn’t checked his
brakes before starting
d. he was in a hurry, he had no time
e. he had kept his bike in a good condition,
he would have saved himself a lot of
trouble and time
2. Look at the newspaper headlines given and
then use the information in them to
complete the news items below by filling in
each blank.
i. No Hike in School Fee
Delhi Education Minister has nullified the
apprehension that the fee of government
schools _______.
ii. Medical College Admissions to Reduce
Admissions of students in medical and dental
colleges _______ by 2000 and 3000 seats
respectively for want of renewal of permission
from the centre.
iii. Issue of Computerised House Tax Bills
The government of Delhi has decided that
_______ within two months.
iv. New Postal Stamp Released
A commemorative stamp in honour of Babu
Gulab Rai, _______ on 22 June by the Prime
Minister.
v. Telephone Cables Cut
Two underground cables of 1200 pairs and 800
pairs capacity each _______ and stolen in Sarita
Vihar exchange area on the night of 19 June.
Integrated Grammar Practice 9
Ans: i. will be hiked
ii. will be reduced
iii. computerised house tax bills will be
issued
iv. was released
v. were cut
3. Rearrange the words and phrases given
below to form meaningful sentences. The
first one has been done for you.
friends / I / my / were / grandmother / and /
good
My grandmother and I were good friends.
i. left me / my parents / with her / they / in the
city / when / went to live
ii. morning / wake me up / she used to / in / the
iii. she said / prayers / sing song / in a
monotonous / morning / her / voice
iv. listened / I / loved / I / her voice / because
v. she always / with me / school / to /went
Ans: i. When my parents went to live in the
city, they left me with her.
ii. She used to wake me up in the morning.
iii. She said her morning prayers in a
monotonous sing song voice.
iv. I listened because I loved her voice.
v. She always went to school with me.
4. Read the instructions for a cookware given
below and then fill in the blanks in the
paragraph that follows with one suitable
word in each blank.
INSTRUCTIONS
a. Remove the label before cooking and
rinse in warm soapy water.
b. Medium to low heat recommended for
all cooking procedures.
c. Never use on high heat.
d. Very high temperature could cause
sticking, loosening of handles.
e. Easy maintenance. Use liquid soap only,
not detergents.
The label (a) _______ to be removed before
cooking. Then the cookware (b) _______ be
rinsed in warm soapy water. It is advisable to
keep (c) _______ medium to low heat for all
cooking procedures. The cookware (d)
_______ never be used on high heat. Very
high temperatures (e) _______ cause sticking.
The handles (f) _______ also loosen.
However, you (g) _______ not worry about
173
Class X: English Grammar
(h) _______ as it is quite easy. The cookware g. she let be married to a little clerk
(i) _______ be cleaned with liquid soap and h. of the Ministry Public Instruction.
warm water. One (j) _______ not use Ans:
detergents for cleaning these pans. Before Omission After
Ans: a. is b. should a. of the pretty
c. in d. should b. girls who sometimes
e. could f. could c. fate in a
g. need h. maintenance d. She had no
i. should j. should e. of being known
f. by a rich
5. Read the following newspaper headlines g. let herself be
and complete the news items given below. h. Ministry of Public
a. Hostages Released
Bihar police report that all the hostages
_______ by the gangsters today.
b. Women’s Reservation Bill Blocked
The bill to grant 30 % reservation to women
_______ at the introductory stage itself by
vociferous protests from the opposition.
c. 20 Killed in Torrential Rains
Mumbai: At least 20 persons _______ and
dozens injured in floods caused by torrential
rains in Mumbai.
d. Aussies Crush South Africa
The South African team _______ 3-0 by the
Australians in the three test series which
concluded recently.
e. Cold Resistant Plant Discovered
A cold resistant plant with rich nutrition and
medicinal properties _______ by the DRDO
scientists.
Ans: a. were released
b. has been blocked
c. were killed
d. was defeated
e. has been discovered
6. In the passage given below, one word has
been omitted in each line. Write the missing
word along with the word that comes before
and the word that comes after it in your
answer sheet against the correct blank
number. Ensure that the word that forms
your answer is underlined.
a. She was one of pretty and charming
b. young girls sometimes are born, as if
c. by a slip of fate, a family of clerks.
d. She no dowry, no expectations, no way
e. of known, understood, loved and wedded
f. by rich and distinguished man; so

174
174