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Class 10 NCERT Solutions English Chapter 11 - The Proposal

The Proposal Exercise 157

Solution I-2

(i)You may take it that I am lying, but in fact it will help you in the long run.
(ii) He seems to be coming round after the trauma of losing his job.
(iii) After  sitting for the presentation ceremony for 4 hours , my foot's gone to sleep.

Solution I-1

Expressions not used in contemporary English
1. "my darling", "my beauty", "my precious", "my angel", "my beloved" (used by  an older man to address an adult man)
2. "and so on" (here, it is used after a sentence in order to complete it)
3. "and all that sort of thing." (not explaining what it is, just leaving it as it is)
4. "and all that." (again leaving the sentence as it is)
5. "the scarecrow", "the stuffed sausage", "the wizen-faced frump" “ you petti fogger”(In this way, they hurled insults at each other)
6. "And how may you be getting on?" (Here, Lomov is asking Chubukov about his well-being)

7. “ in your get up!’ , (in your manner of dressing.)

8. “I’m off my balance” (I cannot control my emotions)

9. “got up” (dressed up)

10. “I’ll give it to them in the neck!”(I’ll deal with them harshly/strictly)

11. “my whole inside is upset” (I am very angry)

12. “blind hen” “turnip-ghost’ ( insults used to describe Lomov by Chubukov)

13. “I’ll cut my throat’ (I’ll kill myself )

14.” are you going to start shooting soon?” (will you get to the point soon?)

15. “my heart is going to pieces” “my heart is palpitating” “my heart’s bursting” (I am very very upset)

16.you ought to go and lie on the kitchen oven and catch black beetles- (you are timid-not brave enough to go after foxes –you should just catch beetles)

17. you’re under the slipper of your house-keeper (you are scared of your house keeper-even she controls you)


Modern English expressions
1.  "Madam",  "my  heart",   “honoured  Natalya  Stepanovna"  (used  by  Lomov  to address
Natalya)
2. "Honoured Stepan Stepanovitch" (used by Lomov to address Chubukov)
3. "I beg your pardon"
4. "My dear fellow" (Chubukov addressing Lomov)
5. "malicious, double-faced intriguer", "fool" “milksop” “old rat” “Jesuit”(Chubukov insulting Lomov)

6. “ shout yourself hoarse” (shout as loud as you want) (spoken  by Natalya to Lomov)

7. “guzzling gambler” (Chubukov to Lomov)

8. “ My left foot has gone to sleep” (I have got cramps in my left foot)

9. “the devil take him!’ (let him go to hell)

10. As ugly as a worn out cab-horse- (very old and ugly)

11. You may find them under every bush almost. (they are very common)

12. a handsome price (a good price) (here it is said sarcastically).

13. talk rot- talk rubbish / nonsense.

14. be hanged- don’t bother about .

Solution 1

At first, Chubukov suspected that Lomov had come to borrow money. He was  not sincere when he told Lomov that he had always loved him and that he was like his own son. He had decided that he would not give Lomov any money  if he tried borrowing from him.

If he truly meant what he had said, then he  would not have thought of not giving him money. He said so only because Lomov had come with the proposal to marry his daughter.

He is not sincere because later in the play when there is an argument about who owns the ‘Meadows’ he says that he would rather give it to the peasants than to Lomov.

He also uses all kinds of insults to ridicule Lomov and his family by calling him ‘pettifogger’, ‘old rat’, ‘Jesuit’, even called his father a guzzling gambler and his grandfather a drunkard.

Solution 2

Chubukov thought that Lomov was a good marriage prospect for his daughter. He had been waiting for this proposal. When Lomov expressed his doubt  regarding Natalya's consent to the proposal, Chubukov immediately told him that she was in love with him.

Although, throughout the play Natalya only argues and argues and disagrees with Lomov I still think she is in love with him.

The moment Lomov went away after the argument and her father told Natalya that he had actually come with a proposal of marriage her reaction shows that she was in love with him. Ah! she said Bring him back! Back Ah! Bring him here. Quick, quick! Fetch him! All these statements show that she was actually in love with him.

Solution 3

(i) Several words and expressions have been used by the characters to describe each other. Some of them are as follows:
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

The Proposal Exercise 159

Solution 2

1. To report a question, we use the reporting verb asked.
2. To report a statement, we use the reporting verb declared/said.
3. The adverb of place here changes to there.
4. When the verb in direct speech is in the present tense, the verb in  reported speech is in the past tense.
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, am 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.
7. The pronouns I, me, our and mine, which are used in the first person in direct speech,  change according to the subject or object of the reporting  he/she,  him/her,  their  or his/hers in reported speech.

Solution 3

90-year-old  A.K.  Hangal,  one  of  Hindi  cinema's  most  famous  character  actors, laughingly asked why we wanted to know his age. If people knew he was that old, he would not get work. For his age, he is rather energetic. We  asked him what the secret was. He replied that his intake of everything was in small quantities and he walked a lot. He said that he had joined the industry when people retired. He had been in his 40s. So he did not miss being called a star. He was still respected and given work, when actors of his age were living in poverty and without work. He said he  did  not  have  any  complaints,  adding  that  he  had  always  been  underpaid. Recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Hangal never hankered after money or materialistic gains. He said that no doubt he was content at present, but money was important. He said regretfully that he was a fool not to understand the value of money before.

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