Puntuation Notes -English Part I- Book I by Masood Sadiq

Punctuation Marks:

Note. 1

Blue Mark for Capital letters.

Black Pointer for Punctuation Marks.

Blue Pointer or Ballpoint for normal writing.

Note. 2

Reported Speech: "I'm not selling anything."

Reporting Speech: Mr. Steward said.

Writer's line:       It was getting dark.

Note. 3

First Person; I, my, me, we, our, us

Second Person: You, your, you

Third Person: he, she, it, they, Name

Combination of Present and Past Tense in Punctuation

Punctuation Marks:

1. Capital Letter: Norma Mr. Steward The package P.M Lenox Hill Hospital

He removed his hat and Norma opened the door.

2. Full Stop [.] It was just getting dark.

3. Comma[,]
   Norma picked it up, unlocked the door, and went into the apartment.

She sat in the living room, looking out the window.

“I think you’d better leave," Arthur said, standing.

a nicer apartment, nicer furniture, nicer clothes, a car.

“Norma, no.” His face was white.

4. Double Inverted comma[“  ”]

“It won’t take long to explain,” replied Mr. Steward. “May I come in?”

5. Single Inverted comma[‘]

Mr. Steward shook his head. “I’m not.”

6. Hyphen[-]

_  a cube-shaped carton, a push-button,  paper scotch-taped

7. Dash[__] __ a cube-shaped carton

“Oh, the __ Arthur pointed toward the living room and smiled.

8. Sign of Interrogation[?] Mr. Steward asked, “May I come in?”

9. Apostrophe[‘s] Mr. Steward’s tone had been offensive.

10. Colon[:] She pulled it off: “Mr. Steward will call on you at 8:00 P.M”

11. Semi-colon[;] It wasn’t her voice shrieking so; it couldn’t be.

12. Single of Exclamation[!] 

“What average people would do under such circumstances!”

"See that, Jess!" he shouted.

“You said I wouldn’t know the one that died!”

"What a nice suit!"      

Click here for online lecture: Punctuation Lesson No 1

Punctuation lesson No 2

Play No 3 - The Oyster and the Pearl- Questions Answer Part I Book III (Masood Sadiq)

 

The Oyster and the Pearl

by William Saroyan

1. Where does the play take place?

Ans. The play takes place in the shop of Harry Van Dusen, who is the only barber of the town, “Ok-By-the-Sea” in California.

2. Why is Harry sitting in the barber’s chair in the beginning?

Ans. Harry is sitting in the barber’s chair because he is having a haircut from his apprentice (                   ), Clay Larrabee.

3. According to Harry, how does one bring merriment to the tired old human heart?

Ans. According to him, one can bring merriment to the tired old human heart by composing a symphony ( music   ), painting a picture, writing a book and inventing a philosophy.

4. What is Harry’s philosophy?

Ans. Harry’s philosophy is to lead a life in a “take it the easy way”. He always works for the good of his fellow beings.

5. How much did Harry pay for his barbershop? How long has he been in the town “Ok-By-the-Sea”?

Ans. Harry paid 75 dollars for the barber’s shop and he has been living in the town, “Ok-By-the-Sea” for twenty years.

6. How many barbers are there in “Ok-By-the-Sea”?

Ans. There is no barber in “Ok-By-the-Sea” except Harry van Dusen.

7. How much does Harry charge for hair-cut?

Ans. Harry charges only one dollar or half or a quarter for a single haircut.

8. Where is Clay going?

Ans. Clay is going down to the beach to look for new stuff, things lying on the beach, for him to sell it and get money.

9. Why does Clay need money?

Ans. Clay needs money to buy a present for his mother. He also wants to publish an ad in the newspaper to bring back his father home. His father has left home because of family quarrels.

10. What has happened to Clay’s father?

Ans. Clay’s father has four children and he could not provide them a good house, good clothes and others things because of his poverty. At last he could not bear the situation and has left the house.

11. What does Clay want to put in local newspaper?

Ans. Clay wants to put in the local newspaper an ad requesting his father to forget the past and come back home. It is good fishing season. Moreover all the children miss him much.

12. Who is Miss McCutcheon? How does she feel about her job?

Ans. She is a new teacher in the school. She is dissatisfied with her job. The children are unruly, and are not interested in learning. She wants to quit and go back to San Francisco to her house.

13. What is Miss McCutcheon looking for? How does she feel about the children of the town?

Ans. She is looking for an opportunity to teach. She feels that the children of the town are very careless about their studies and almost all the things. They are interested only in games.

14. What does Harry advise her to do?

Ans. Harry advises her to teach English, singing, dancing and cooking to the children of the town.

15. What kind of hair-cut does she want?

Ans. Miss McCutcheon wants poodle hair-cut. She thinks that she does not fit in the scenery around in Ok-by-the-sea.

16. Can Harry give a poodle hair-cut?

Ans. Harry cannot give a poodle hair-cut to Miss McCutcheon. There are two reasons: he does not know how to give a poodle hair-cut; he has never given a hair-cut to a woman.

17. What does Miss McCutcheon think that a poodle hair-cut will do for her appearance?

Ans. She thinks that a poodle hair-cut will change her appearance as she does not fit into the surroundings of the town.

18. Where has Clark Larrabee been? How did he get to the town “Ok-By-the-Sea”?

Ans. Clark Larrabee has been working in Salinas. He reaches there in “Ok-By-the-Sea” by a truck.

19. What does Clark give Harry? For what purpose?

Ans. Clark gives Harry thirty dollars. He requests him to hand them to Clay, so that he may give them to his mother.

20. How far is it to Hollywood from “Ok-By-the-Sea”?

Ans. Hollywood is two hundred miles away from “Ok-By-the-Sea”.

21. What wok does the man do?

Ans. The man is a writer and writes a little bit of everything.

22. What does Clay find near Black Rock?

Ans. Clay finds an oyster near Black Rock. People go around there when the tide is low.

23. What does Clay believe is there in the Oyster? How much is it worth?

Ans. Clay believes that there is a pearl in the oyster. The pearl inside the oyster is at least worth of three hundred dollars.

24. Does Miss McCutcheon believe that there is a pearl in the oyster?

Ans. Miss McCutcheon does not believe that there is a pearl in the oyster. She thinks only one oyster in a million has a pearl in it.

25. Why does Miss McCutcheon have a chair with three legs?

Ans. She has a chair with three legs because she has found it on the beach in that condition. She says that she has collected old things from the sea like other people of the town.

26. What kind of judge is Judge Applegarth?

Ans. Judge Applegarth is not a real judge of the Court of Law. He is a person who judged animals, especially dogs, only once at a country fair. Since then people started called him Judge.

27. What year is it?

Ans. It is 1953 in which Harry is living.

28. What do Greeley and Roxanna have?

Ans. Greeley has sea-water in the bottle and Roxanna has an assortment of shells.

29. Who suggests that they open the oyster?

Ans. She suggests that they should open the oyster so that Clay can see clearly for himself that there is no pearl in it.

30. Why do they want to Wozzeck to come?

Ans. Wozzeck is the only watches & radios repairer in the town. So they want him to come to Harry’s shop to open the oyster.

31.How does Harry describe the inhabitants of “Ok-By-the-Sea”?

Ans. Harry says that the inhabitants of the town are all poor. There is not a single rich man. People even don’t have money to pay for hair-cut. Most of them earn their livelihood by selling chickens, eggs, vegetables and other stuff.

32. How does Miss McCutcheon view Harry’s thinking about the pearl in the oyster?

Ans. Harry says that sometimes people should believe in things like that to keep life going on. Miss McCutcheon thinks that Harry is telling a lie and playing a trick on children.

33. Why does the Judge think that Miss McCutcheon will not last a month as a teacher? What kind of teacher does he think is needed?

Ans. Judge thinks that Miss McCutcheon will not last long as a school teacher because she is very beautiful, young girl. He thinks that their school needs an old & strict teacher, an experienced teacher like the teachers of their age.

34. What is Applegarth’s complaint about the sea?

Ans. He complains that the quality of stuff is not the same as it used to be. Moreover children leave nothing on the beach for the old.

35. What kind of gadget does the writer describe?

Ans. The writer says that a gadget is used in New York. It is like a safety razor. People can give a hair-cut to each other. It is of two-ninety five dollars. ($295)

36. Who buys the oyster? How much does the man pay?

Ans. The writer buys the oyster and he pays three hundred dollars for it.

37. Does the writer open the oyster? Why not?

Ans. The writer does not open the oyster. He says that he wants the whole thing. He does not want the pearl to stop growing in it.

38. Why does Clark Larrabee return?

Ans. He returns home because he has read the advertisement in the newspaper. He thinks that his children love him and need him.

39. What does the writer do with the oyster?

Ans. He holds the oyster in front of him as if it were an egg and looks at it carefully, turning it in his fingers. He puts the oyster in the pocket of his coat. He pays $300 to Clay for this oyster.

40. Who is Fenton Lockhart?

Ans. Fenton Lockhart is also a writer. He publishes a weekly paper, “The Ok-by–the Sea-Gull” in the town

Click here for the notes of

Play No. 1 (Heat Lightning)

Play No 2 (Visit to a Small Planet)

Play No 1 -Heat Lightning- Questions Answers Part I Book III- (Masood Sadiq)

Heat Lightning   by      Robert F. Carroll

Characters: The Girl of 23. The First Man of 35.The Second Man of 30

Q.1 Why could the girl not describe the killer?

Ans. The girl could not describe the killer because there was no light. She was also scared to see the dead body that he was dragging out of the car. She could see only the dead body where there was lightning.

Q.2 Why did the girl change her programme to go back to her home?

Ans. The girl changed her programme to go back to her house. She was sure that there was enough gas in her car. She thought that she could easily reach her house. She was coming from a party.

Q.3 what were the circumstances that forced her to leave her car?

Ans. She did not want to leave the car but the fuel ended up. So, she was forced to leave the car on the road. She decided to reach her home by bus and later she would get her car.

Q.4 what did the girl see on the road while walking on the road?

Ans. While walking on the road, the girl saw a car pulled off into a lane. She saw the rear light burning. She saw that the front door of the car was open and someone was standing by it. She saw that a man was dragging out a dead body of a woman out. She could see only the long hair and hand of the dead body.

Q.5 Why did she ask for help from the first man?

 Ans.  She asked for help from the first man because she thought some killer was chasing her. She also needed help, as there was no one in the waiting room. The killer had reached there before she reached.

Q.6 what was the condition of the weather?

Ans. The weather was stormy and unpleasant. It was raining heavily. There was a flash of lightning followed by the burst of thunder. Thunder and flashes of light enhance the suspense and horror in the play.

Q.7 How did the girl succeed in escaping from the man running after her?

Ans.  She ran off the road into the woods. She circled round and round to escape from the man. She kept running until she fell. Then she felt that she had lost the man who was chasing her.

Q.8 what was the condition of the girl when she entered the waiting room?

Ans.  The girl’s clothes were wet and muddy. Her hair was scattered and she was sobbing. She was scared to see the dead body and the killer. He was chasing her in the woods.

Q.9 Why the girl was reluctant to inform the police?

Ans.  The Girl was too much horrified. She could not tell the exact features of the killer because she had not seen him exactly in the darkness. She could not face the investigation of the police, so she was reluctant to inform the police.

Q.10 What did the first man say to the girl?

Ans. The man consoled her and asked her about the reason for her miserable condition. He assured her of his full help. He tried to hide his real identity.

Q.11 Why was the first man asked her many questions?

Ans. The First man asked the Girl many questions because he was the killer himself. He wanted to make it clear whether the Girl had recognized him or not. He tried to hide his real identity.

Q.12 Why did the first man asked her to go the Woman’s Room?

Ans. The man asked the Girl to go to the Woman’s Room because of her bad appearance. Her hair was unkempt and untidy. He wanted her to get fresh and presentable.

Q.13 Why did the second man accuse the first man of lying?

Ans. The Second Man accused the First Man of lying because he had tried to hide the presence of the Girl from him. Moreover, the Second Man had seen the Girl in the waiting room from the window pan when the door was locked.

Q.14 Does the girl get suspicious of the first man as the play progress?

Ans. As the play progresses, the Girl does not get suspicious of the First Man. However, the end of the play hints at the fear of the Girl when she sees her flashlight in his hands.

Q.15 What is her impression about the second man?

Ans. The Girl was very horrified and afraid of the Second Man as she thought of him the killer who was after her in the woods. When he was gone, she was not sure about him.

Q.16 Why didn’t she accompany the Second Man?                               

Ans. She did not accompany the Second Man as she thought that he might be the killer and would also kill her on the way. However, when he was gone, she was not sure about him.

Q.17 What are the external elements that add to the suspense of the play?

Ans. The deserted road, the drab condition of the waiting room, the dim light, the flashes of lightning, the bursts of thunder, a man dragging a dead body, the late arrival of an empty bus all add to the suspense of the play.

Q.18 How did the second man persuade the girl to see the lightning?

Ans. The Second Man realized that the Girl was very disturbed. So he tried to pacify her. He said that lightning would be one of the beautiful sights. It would be brilliant like the big 4^th of July. It would seem to cut the world into two parts.

Q.19 How did the girl recognize the killer?

Ans. As the light completely went out and the man took out the flashlight from his pocket and lighted it. The Girl recognized the killer who was chasing her in the woods after seeing her flashlight in his hands.

Q.20 How was the Girl saved in the end?

Ans. The departure of the Second Man, the Girl’s flashlight and the dog are the factors that saved the Girl. At the end, the Girl opened the door and a dog rushed in. It tried to seize the Man. However, the killer ran away.

Q.21 How does the playwright create suspense in the play?

Ans. The playwright creates suspense from the very beginning. He maintains it throughout the play. Even the reader likes that Girl comes to know the truth in the end. Thunder and flashes of light enhance the suspense and horror in the play.

Q.22 “Heath Lightning” is a melodrama. Why?

Ans. This play contains all the elements of a melodrama. As is the case with good melodrama, context and characterization are secondary. It has terror, violence, suspense and emotions.

Q.23 What is the significance of light & storm in the play?

Ans. The lightning flashes to dim the room light. It flashes to enhance the horror and suspense of the play. The bursts of thunder, the lightning, the flashlight and the dim room light are significant.

Click here to mark bubbles worksheets of Play No 1

Play No 2 "Visit to the small Planet"

PLay No 3 "The Oyster and the Pearl"

Play 2 -Visit to a Small Planet- Questions Answers - Part I Book III (Masood Sadiq)

A Visit to a Small Planet by Gore Vidal

Q.1 How does Kreton prove his extra-ordinary powers?

Ans.  Kreton comes from some far-off planet in another solar system. He has extraordinary powers. He has full knowledge about the Earth. He can read the minds of the people. While sitting in the room, he can create a shield around his spaceship. He can make the people motionless just by looking at them. He claims he can rule the whole earth.

Q.2 What is the purpose of Kreton’s visit?

Ans. Kreton’s visit to the Earth was merely based on the study. The study of the development and civilization of the people on earth was his hobby. When he reaches the Earth, he decides to take charge of the whole Earth.

Q.3 How much advanced is the civilization of Kreton?

Ans.  The civilization of that planet is 2000 years more advanced than the civilization of the Earth. The people of Earth cannot compete with it at all.

Q.4 Can the people of the earth compete with the people of Kreton’s?

Ans. By reading about the views and powers of Mr. Kreton, the people of the Earth cannot compete with the people of Kreton. They are weak and backward. They cannot even touch Kreton’s advanced people. They are inferior to Kreton’s advanced people. They are inferior to Kreton’s both in science and civilization.

Q.5 How much damaging is violence in life, write five sentences?

Ans. Violence damages everything in life as it creates a sense of retaliation in human beings. It creates hostility among the people. It makes them cruel and brutal. It promotes hate in society, which leads to destruction, and bloodshed in a society.

Q.7 How much impressive were the morals of Kreton?

Ans. Kreton’s morals were really impressive and praise-worthy. He avoided violence. He was decent and well mannered. He was polite, loving and tolerant.

Q.8 What is the role of General Powers in the play?

Ans. The role of General Powers looks very strange because he has been portrayed as proud and over-confident. He wants to protect his country. He also shows the weakness of human beings. He is also a screen to Kreton’s character in the play

Q.9 What is the theme of Kreton’s study?

Ans. The theme of Kreton’s studies is the earth and its inhabitants. It is his hobby. He loves human beings and has the ability to hear the human mind. He loves to gad about. He visits the earth as a tourist.

Q.10 How does Kreton impress General Powers?

Ans. Kreton can hear General Powers’s thoughts. He builds an invisible wall around his ship. His ship is without any instruments. General Powers is unable to touch him. These things of Kreton impress General Powers. 

Q.11 What was the view of Mr. Spelding about the flying object?

Ans. Mr. Spelding was of the view that the flying object is a misconception. It was only a meteor and nothing else. It may be a weather balloon.

Q.12 What did Mr. Spelding say in his concluding remarks of the broadcast?

Ans. Mr. Spelding said that they would be the first to travel into space if there was any travelling possible. He calls them lunatics who call it a spaceship.

Q.13 Compare and Contrast the people of the two Planets.

Ans. Apparently, Kreton’s people are more advanced than the Earth people in the fields of science and technology. They can hear the human mind. They are immortal. They travel in a spaceship that operates without any instrument. While on the other hand, the Earth people are full of raw emotions. They trade on a social level. Some are still proud. The Earth people are well behind in science and technology as compared with Kreton’s.

Click to mark bubbles worksheets of the Play No 2

Write a Note on

a) Write a note on the Character of Mr. Roger Spelding.

Ans. He is a T.V broadcaster. He is middle-aged, unctuous and resonant. He broadcasts his programme from the living room of his house. He uses incorrect quotations and expressions. He has a great love for his homeland, America. He wants her daughter Ellen to marry someone ambitious and hardworking. He wants to be the first journalist to interview Kreton with good manners.

b)  Write a note on the Character of Mrs. Spelding.

Ans. She is bored and vague. She sits and knits quite passively. She likes John. According to her, John works very hard and he is a good match for her daughter. She is very much worried about her rose garden where Kreton has landed her spaceship. She consoles her husband that she likes his broadcast. She also likes Kreton. She likes his dress, manners and side-whiskers.

c) Write a note on the Character of Ellen.

Ans. Ellen is the lively daughter of twenty of Roger Spelding. She is well mannered and proves her point of view with a solid argument. She loves John and wants to marry him. She does not want to marry a wealthy man. She defends John whenever her father speaks against him. She wants to stay with him on his farm after the marriage. She is adventurous by nature and wants to take a ride in the spaceship.

d) Write a note on the Character of John Randolph.

Ans. John is a young man. He is a minor character as his role is very limited. He is a curious, adventurous, daring and boy. It is he who sees the landing of a spaceship in the rose garden. He runs towards it without any hesitation. He also informs Spelding’s family about the spaceship landing in the rose garden. He is a passionate love of Ellen and wants to marry her. He does farming and grows English walnuts on his farm.

e) Write a note on the Character of General Powers.

Ans. General Powers is an Army General and the in charge of the security of his homeland, America. As he is a general, he loves to exercise his authority. He thinks Kreton to be either a lunatic or a spy from another world. When he is informed about the landing of a spaceship, he immediately comes there along with his AIDE. He meets Kreton and enquires about his identity. He does not believe what Kreton tells him at the end of the play, he remains humiliated.

f) Write a note on the Character of Kreton.

Ans. Kreton is an alien who has come from some unknown planet. He is in his forties, dressed in the fashion of 1860 and travels in a spaceship without instruments. First, he comes to our planet as a tourist but later on, he decides to take the charge of the Earth. He loves human beings. He has the ability to hear the human mind. Nobody can touch him. He raises an invisible wall around his spaceship to protect it. He is immortal. His civilization is much more advanced than that of humans. He is a wonderful imaginary character.

Click here for online lectures:

Punctuation Lesson No 1

Punctuation lesson No 2

For notes:               

               Play No 1 "Heat Lightning"

               Play No 3 "The Oyster and the Pearl"

*******

How to write a Letter -Thanking to your uncle for the gift you your receive on the success of exam- BISE Gujranww

Q. Write a letter to your uncle thanking him for 

the gift you receive on your birthday. (10

Examination Hall,

(City) A.B.C.

12th April, 2021

Dear Uncle,

I am quite well here and I hope you will be fine and healthy. The purpose of writing this letter is to express my heartiest thanks for the excellent gift you gave me on my birthday. All the gifts I got are valuable and precious, but your gift of a wristwatch is really wonderful. It demonstrates that you are well acquainted with my taste. It is the only gift that got my rapt attention. It makes a significant addition to my valuable collections of mine.

During the exams, I badly needed a wristwatch, but my pocket money did not allow me to purchase a watch. Now I can make the best use of my time in all my schedule of studies. All of my friends are surprised and pleased to see my watch.  I shall try to keep it with all good care.

Dear Uncle, I missed you very much at the party arranged by my parents. However, once again I thank you for such a marvellous gift. Hope to see you soon. Please pay my humble regards to all at home.

Yours affectionately,

X.Y.Z.

Click here for the Moral Story No. 1