List of top English Questions

How does the imagery of (i) the fish (ii) the tree, used almost poetically by the author, emphasise the idea of stillness of living, breathing thought?

How does the author pin her reflections on a variety of subjects on the ‘mark on the wall’? What does this tell us about the way the human mind functions?

Not seeing the obvious could lead a perceptive mind to reflect upon more philosophical issues. Discuss this with reference to the ‘snail on the wall’.

What childhood memories does the author recollect that had a bearing on his later involvement with filmmaking?

What connection does the author draw between filmmaking and conjuring?

How does the process of inquiry lead to true freedom?

According to the author, the masses are prevented from realising their slavery; the masses are also continually reminded that they have the right to vote. Do you think this idea holds good for our country too?

‘Nature may have tricks up her sleeve to check us if the chemists exploit her too greedily.’ Discuss.

Respect for elders is not to be confused with blind obedience. Discuss.

Both the texts are on ‘freedom’. Comment on the difference in the style of treatment of the topic in them.

When Shaw makes a statement he supports it with a number of examples. Identify two sections in the text which explain a statement with examples. Write down the main statement and the examples.
Notice how this contributes to the effectiveness of the writing.

Notice the use of personal pronouns in the two texts. Did this make you identify yourself more with the topic than if it had been written in an impersonal style? As you read the texts, were you able to relate the writer’s thoughts with the way you lead your own life?

What is the string of varied thoughts that the mark on the wall stimulates in the author’s mind?

What change in the depiction of reality does the author foresee for future novelists?

What is the author’s perception of the limitations of knowledge and learning?

While the poet respected her grandmother’s sentiments of royal grandeur, we can also see that she revolts against it. Identify the lines which bring this out.

Which lines reveal the poet’s criticism of class distinctions?

Is it ‘selfishness’ and ‘callousness’ that makes the poet break her childhood promise to her grandmother of renovating the house? Why does she do nothing about rebuilding the house?

What do you understand of the conflict in the poet’s conscience?

What are the ways in which people are subjected to greater control in the personal spheres than in the wider political sphere?

List the common misconceptions about ‘freedom’ that Shaw tries to debunk.

Why, according to Krishnamurti, are the concepts of freedom and discipline contradictory to one another?

What did you think the poem was about when you read the first few lines?

From which line does the import of the title strike the reader?

What makes for the differences between the timekeeping of the various clocks? What is the implicit comparison?