Students can find the best My English Book 8th Standard Question Answer and 8th Class English Chapter 2.2 The House Builder Question Answer Warming Up English Workshop Answers Pdf for exam preparation.
Std 8 English Chapter 2.2 The House Builder Question Answer Pdf
8th Class English Chapter 2.2 The House Builder Questions and Answers
Chit – Chat
Make groups and discuss the following.
Question 1.
What is retirement from occupation?
Answer:
Retirement from occupation means withdrawing from one’s active working life.
Question 2.
When do people retire?
Answer:
People in India retire at the age of 60 years.
Question 3.
For what reasons do people have to retire from their occupation?
Answer:
People are bound by law to retire when they reach 60 years of age. Sometimes, people may also retire by choice at an earlier age due to various reasons such as inability to work, illness, accidents, for living a peaceful life with their family etc.
Question 4.
How do people spend their time after retirement?
Answer:
Since retired people have a lot of time on their hands, they may spend it in the following manner:
a. being with their family
b. pursuing a hobby
c. taking up another occupation
d. trying to better one’s health
e. teaching children for free
8th English 2.2 The House Builder Warming Up Answers
Question 1.
Discuss and match the professionals involved in construction with the work they do.
| A | B |
| (1) Architect | (a) makes wooden framework of doors, windows etc. |
| (2) Engineer | (b) beautifies the inside of a home |
| (3) Building contractor | (c) does the flooring |
| (4) Carpenter | (d) plans and designs structure |
| (5) Mason | (e) ensures structure will be strong and stable |
| (6) Tiler | (f) builds walls, roof etc. and plasters |
| (7) Interior decorator | (g) supervises construction, employs workers, professionals etc. |
Answer:
(i – d),
(ii – e),
(iii – g),
(iv – a),
(v – f),
(vi – c),
(vii-b)
Question 2.
A word can be broken up into units of pronunciation each having one vowel sound (with or without consonant sounds around it). Each such unit is called a syllable.
For example,
- to, got, will, see, etc. have just one syllable.
- fa-ther, ma-son, buil-der have two syllables.
- en-gin-eer, car-pen-ter, cons-truc-tion, etc. have three syllables.
Write down names of any five of your classmates and break them up into syllables. Write down the number of syllables in each of their names.
Answer:
- Rose (1 syllable)
- Ro-han (2 syllables)
- Hi-man-shi (3 syllables)
- Meet (1 syllable)
- A-li (2 syllables)
A syllable is a singles unbroke sound of a spoken (or Written) word. Syllables usually contain a vowel and accompanying consonants. Sometimes syllables are referred to as the ‘beats’ of spoken language.
• Why was the mason a very good workman?
Answer:
The mason was a very good workman because:
a. He started his work without wasting any time with full interest and dedication.
b. He used the best construction material which was of a high quality.
c. He took perfect measurements of the walls, doorways, arches, etc.
d. He gave an excellent and appealing finish to whatever he built.
e. He displayed zeal, diligence, loyalty and persistence in his work.
• What sudden decision did the mason take?
Answer:
Being a firm-minded person, he informed his contractor of his decision to retire from house-building. The contractor was very disheartened to lose such an excellent workman and urged the mason to continue his job, but to no avail. The mason had made up his mind and refused to carry on.
• What was the contrast in the workmanship of the last house?
Answer:
The mason didn’t put his careful attention in his work. His work was rough and was done without interest or dedication. His building material was of low quality.
• What shock awaited the mason?
Answer:
The mason had built his last building in a hurry without putting in much effort. To his shock, the contractor gifted him the same house. He then realised that he had received a gift which matched the efforts he had put in. Had he done his last construction with devotion, he would have received a beautiful reward for it.
2.2 The House Builder English Workshop Answers Pdf
Question 1.
From the extract find Noun forms of the following:
(1) dedicate : ……………….
(2) measure : ……………….
(3) decide : ……………….
(4) perfect : ……………….
(5) own : ……………….
(6) give : ……………..
(7) responsible : ……………….
(8) persist : ……………….
Answer:
(1) dedicate : dedication
(2) measure : measurement
(3) decide : decision
(4) perfect : perfection
(5) own : owner
(6) give : gift
(7) responsible : responsibility
(8) persist : persistence
Question 2.
Choose the proper phrase / expression to complete the sentences meaningfully.
(to send for, with full dedication, in great demand, to meet the needs of, make up one’s mind, to no avail, to hand over)
(1) She does her job ……..
Answer:
She does her job with full dedication.
(2) One should ……. to help others, when needed.
Answer:
One should make up one’s mind to help others, when needed.
(3) As Mr. Jadhav was transferred to Chennai, he had ……. his responsibilities to his assistant.
Answer:
As Mr. Jadhav was transferred to Chennai, he had to hand over his responsibilities to his assistant.
(4) The labourer’s income was not sufficient …….. his family.
Answer:
The labourer’s income was not sufficient to meet the needs of his family.
(5) Because of a fault in the wiring, they will have ………. an electrician.
Answer:
Because of a fault in the wiring, they will have to send for an electrician.
(6) Mother had tried hard to change her son’s habits, but ……..
Answer:
Mother had tried hard to change her son’s habits, but to no avail.
(7) Mangoes from Ratnagiri are always ………
Answer:
Mangoes from Ratnagiri are always in great demand.
Question 3.
Read the story and answer in your words.
(a) The owners of the new houses built by the mason would be extremely pleased. Why?
Answer:
The mason would waste no time and did his work with full interest and dedication. He used the best construction material which was of a high quality. He took perfect measurements of the walls, doorways, arches, etc. He gave an excellent and appealing finish to whatever he built. All these efforts resulted into a house that extremely pleased the owners of the house.
(b) The contractor compensated for the mason’s good work. How?
Answer:
The contractor compensated for the mason’s good work handsomely by paying him with a very good salary, which enabled the mason to sufficiently meet the needs of his family.
(c) The mason made a firm decision to retire. When?
Answer:
The mason made a firm decision to retire when he became a grandfather. He decided to spend time playing with his grandchildren.
Question 4.
Read the following words from the story aloud and till them in the proper columns.
(story, work, perfection, architect, leave, building, full, door, way, quality, responsibility, measurement, great, many, avail, excellent, material, complete, sufficiently, ready, documents, broad, happy, ownership, subsequently.)
Answer:
| One syllabic | Two syllabics | Three syllabics | More than three syllabics |
| Door | avail | architect | material |
| full | building | excellent | responsibility |
| Leave | many | quality | subsequently |
| Work | story | measurement | sufficiently |
| perfection |
Question 5.
(A) Words that have the same sound / pronunciation but differ in spellings and meanings are called Homophones. For example: hair — hare
Pick out from the extract, Homophones of the following words.
(1) waist ……..
(2) knew ………
(3) lose ……….
(4) maid ……….
(5) grate ………..
(6) won ………..
(7) sight ………..
(8) week ………
(9) would ……..
(10) sea ………
Answer:
(1) waist waste
(2) knew new
(3) lose loose
(4) maid made
(5) grate great
(6) won one
(7) sight site
(8) week weak
(9) would wood
(10) sea see
(B) Select any three pairs of homophones from above and make simple sentences of your own to show the difference in their meaning.
(1) (i) ………………………..
(ii) ………………………..
(2) (i) ………………………..
(ii) ………………………..
(3) (i) ………………………..
(ii) ………………………..
Answer:
(1) waist – waste
(i) I wanted to gift Sameer a pair of jeans, but was unaware of his waist size.
(ii) Jeet was determined not to waste any time before his examinations.
(2) maid — made
(i) When Reena returned from work, she realised that the maid was not at home.
(ii) Seema made pasta for dinner.
(3) knew — new
(i) Jim knew exactly what he wanted to do for the project.
(ii) Since the T-shirt was new, Chetan wore it for Neena’s birthday party.
Question 6.
‘Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.’
Write a paragraph on the above topic with an interesting example of the same.
Answer:
Wise people who have been successful in life believe that whatever one does, one must do it well. That is the secret to success and contentment. The rewards for a task done well will come eventually. Hence, while working, we must give our 100%, irrespective of the importance and volume of work. For example, there was once an old lady who lived near my house. In spite of her failing health, she always had a smile on her face and something good to say to everyone.
Her children lived abroad and she lived here all by herself. Once, she tripped and fell off the stairs in the building. The children who knew her, rushed to get help Mid soon the society members admitted her to the hospital to get her treated. She received timely help and recovered quickly, all because of the warm and genuine relations that she had established with the people around hen The seeds of affection that she had sown in peoples’ hearts came to her help when she-was in need. Thus, always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.
Chapter 2.2 The House Builder Question Answer Extra Questions
Simple Factual
Question 1.
Complete the following sentences based on the extract.
i. The mason worked for a ………… .
Answer:
building contractor
ii. The house was designed by the ……. .
Answer:
architect
iii. The details of the house were finalised by the ……. .
Answer:
engineer
iv. The mason wanted to spend time playing with ……. .
Answer:
his grandchildren
v. The mason took a sudden decision to …… .
Answer:
retire from house-building
vi. When the contractor heard about the mason’s decision he was ……. .
Answer:
disheartened
[“This is a story ……..
…….. refused to carry on.”]
Complex Factual
Question 2.
Give reasons for the following:
i. The contractor compensated the mason’s good work.
Answer:
The contractor compensated the mason’s good work because:
a. He worked with zeal, diligence, loyalty and persistence.
b. His work was in great demand.
ii. The mason could meet the needs of his family efficiently.
Answer:
The mason could meet the needs of his family efficiently because:
a. His work was so perfect that it was in great demand.
b. He was able to fetch good business to his contractor.
c. The contractor paid him a handsome salary for his work.
Vocabulary
Question 3.
Pick out four compound words from the extract.
Answer:
- firm-minded
- house-building
- workman
- grandchildren
Question 2.
Pick out four compound words from the extract.
Answer:
- firm-minded
- house-building
- workman
- grandchildren
Question 3.
Words that have the same sound / pronunciation but differ in spellings and meanings are called Homophones. For example: hair – hare
Pick out from the extract, Homophones of the following words.
i. waist
ii. knew
iii. lose
iv. maid
v. would
Answer:
i. waste
ii. new
iii. loose
iv. made
v. wood
Grammar
Question 4.
Do as Directed:
i. The contractor would send for the mason and leave the responsibility of building the house to him. (Pick out the Modal Auxiliary from the given sentence)
Answer:
would – Modal auxiliary
ii. The mason had fetched good business to his contractor.
(Identify the tense of the given sentence)
Answer:
had fetched – Past Perfect Tense
iii. The mason was in great demand. He fetched good business to his contractor.
(Combine the sentences using a suitable Conjunction)
Answer:
The mason was in great demand and he fetched good business to his contractor.
Open-ended / Personal Response
Question 5.
Suppose, like the mason, you too do your work (study) diligently, with interest and dedication. Explain the impact it would have on your results.
Answer:
Diligence, interest and dedication are the perfect ingredients for success. If I study with diligence, interest and dedication, my scores in the exams would increase. I would feel satisfied about having studied well.
Simple Factual
Question 6.
Arrange the following events in the chronological order.
i. The mason agreed to build the house reluctantly.
ii. The contractor convinced the mason to build one last house.
iii. The house keys were handed to the mason.
iv. The house was ready before time.
v. The mason could not put his mind and heart in his work.
Answer:
ii. The contractor convinced the mason to build one last house.,
i. The mason agreed to build the house reluctantly.,
v. The mason could not put his mind and heart in his work.,
iv. The house was ready before time.,
iii. The house keys were handed to the mason.
Finally the contractor ………
……… as a gift for you.”]
Complex Factual
Question 7.
Complete the following sentences based on the extract.
i. The mason was convinced by the contractor to build one last house on a ….. .
ii. The building material used by the mason was ……..
iii. When the contractor arrived at the site, he had …….
iv. The contractor had planned the new house as a ………
Answer:
i. beautiful and convenient site
ii. of low quality
iii. a file of legal documents in his hand
iv. gift for the mason
Question 8.
Complete the given web-diagram by writing how the new house looked after completion.
Answer:
- It had a very roughly made structure.
- It had weak walls.
- It had a poor finish.
- It did not look as good at all as designed.
Question 9.
The contractor handed the ownership documents of the new house to the mason. Give reasons.
Answer:
The contractor handed the ownership documents of the new house to the mason because:
- The contractor felt that the mason deserved the house after all the hard work he had put in over the years.
- He was sure that the mason would make a beautiful house on that beautiful site, which would be a perfect retirement gift.
Vocabulary
Question 10.
Separate the given words on the basis of the number of syllables and fill the table given below.
(documents, ownership, way, happy, complete, great, ready, broad)
Answer:
| One syllabic | Two syllabics | Three syllabics | More than three syllabics |
| broad | complete | documents | – |
| great | happy | ownership | |
| way | ready |
Question 11.
Select any three pairs of homophones from above and make simple sentences of your own to show the difference in their meanings.
Answer:
i. grate – great
a. We have to grate the cheese over the toppings of the pizza.
b. When my mother was ill, our neighbours proved to be of great help to us.
ii. won – one
a. India won the Cricket World Cup in 2011.
b. Just one run was needed so that our team could win the inter-school cricket match.
iii. week — weak
a. It’s been one week since our summer vacation began.
b. Saurav felt weak after his illness, and was unable to attend the school for a month.
Question 12.
Pick out three compound words from the extract.
Answer:
- sought-after
- house-keys
- ownership
Grammar
Question 13.
From the extract find Noun forms of following.
i. beautifully
Answer:
beautiful
Question 14.
Do as Directed:
i. The mason agreed to do so. (Identify the type of sentence)
Answer:
Assertive sentence
ii. He did his work very roughly and carelessly.
(Identify the Subject and the Predicate in the given sentence)
Answer:
He – Subject
did his work very roughly and carelessly – Predicate
iii. The house was ready earlier than expected. (Add a Question Tag)
Answer:
The house was ready earlier than expected, wasn’t it?
iv. The contractor arrived at the site. He handed over the new house’s keys to the mason.
(Combine the sentences by using a suitable Conjunction)
Answer:
The contractor arrived at the site and handed over the new house’s keys to the mason.
v. “The house is yours. I had planned it as a gift for you,” said the contractor to the mason. (Rewrite using Indirect Speech)
Answer:
The contractor told the mason that the house was his and that he had planned it as a gift for him.
Open-ended / Personal Response
Question 15.
The mason built his last building carelessly. Have you ever been careless while performing a task? Discuss its consequences.
Answer:
Very often, I have carelessly left the- house keys at various places – such as on the table, on my shelf so on. Once it so happened, that we were to board a flight to Kerala for the holidays. We were just about to leave the house, when we couldn’t find the house keys. We searched everywhere, but could not find it. Finally, when we found it, it was too late and we had missed our flight. The carelessness lead to a lot of negative consequences.
Question 16.
Explain in a web-diagram the contrast in the workmanship of the mason by comparing the last house he made, to his earlier work.
Answer:
Activity
Speaking
Question 17.
Do you give your best to everything that you do regardless of the importance it holds? Discuss the advantages of doing the best you can with your class.
Language Study: Practice Questions
Question 18.
Do as Directed.
i. Complete the words by using correct letters:
a. str_ve
b. dil_gence
c. relu_tance
d. cont_actor
e. persist_nce
f. e_cellent
g. ded_cation
h. ro_ghly
Answer:
a. strove
b. diligence
c. reluctance
d. contractor
e. persistence
f. excellent
g. dedication
h. roughly
ii. Give the meanings of the following phrases ‘ and use them in sentences of your own:
a. in great demand – popular
The new smart phone was in great demand because of its features.
b. to fetch good business – to be profitable
Amar fetched good business to the company by his innovative marketing ideas.
c. to make up one’s mind – to take a decision Siddhart made up his mind to always drive with caution after the accident.
d. to no avail – of not use
The cops searched the whole house but to no avail.
e. to carry on – to continue
It takes a lot of courage to carry on after a failure.
f. to hand over – to give
The group leader refused to hand over his position to anyone else.
g. to make sure – verify
Rajeev wanted to make sure if the function was going as planned.
iii. Put the words in the alphabetical order:
a. mason, disheartened, dedication, diligence
b. interest, beaming, broad, beautifully Ans:
Answer:
a. dedication, diligence, disheartened, mason.
b. beaming, beautifully, broad, interest.
iv. Punctuate the following:
a. because of the zeal diligence loyalty and persistence that he displayed in his work
b. the contractor said in a beaming happy tone these are the ownership documents of this new house in your name the house is yours
Answer:
a. Because of the zeal, diligence, loyalty and persistence that he displayed in his work.
b. The contractor said in a beaming happy tone, “These are the ownership documents of this new house in your name. The house is yours.”
v. Make four words (minimum 3 letters) using the letters in the given words:
a. reluctance
b. persistence
Ans:
a. accent, nuclear, care, clear
b. enter, teen, rest, rent
vi. Write related (adjectives) for the following noun:
Answer:
homely, lovely, comfortable
vii. Complete the word chains. Add four words, each beginning with the last letter of the previous word:
a. Verbs
strove, ……., …….., ….., …….
Answer:
Verbs
strove, elect, tune, end, dance
b. Nouns
dedication, ………, ……., ……..,
Answer:
Nouns
dedication, narration, nation, native, earth
c. Adjectives
miraculous, …….., …….., ……..
Answer:
Adjectives
disheartened, dynamic, calm, mad, dark
viii. Add a prefix or suffix to make new words and use the root words in your own sentences:
a. legal
b. interest
Answer:
| Word with Prefix | Word with Suffix |
| a. illegal | legally |
| b. disinterest | interested |
Sentences
a. It is not legal to drink in public areas.
b. While camping in Kashmir, I developed an interest for cooking.
ix. Add a subordinate clause to expand the sentences meaningfully:
a. The story is of a mason.
b. The contractor recompensed the mason.
Answer:
a. The story is of a mason who worked for a contractor.
b. The contractor recompensed the mason with a very good salary.
x. Spot the error and rewrite the correct sentence:
a. The mason always strive to do his work to perfection.
Answer:
The mason always strove to do his work to perfection.
The House Builder Glossary
| Word | Meaning |
| appealing (adj) | beautiful (सुंदर, मनमोहक, आकर्षक) |
| beaming (adj) | smiling with great joy (आनंदाने, उत्साहाने खुलणे) |
| carelessly (adv) | without a care (निष्काळजीपणे) |
| dedication (n) | committed to the task or purpose (समर्पित वृत्ती) |
| devotion (n) | commitment; dedication (निष्ठा, समर्पित वृत्ती) |
| diligence (n) | constant careful efforts (सातत्यपूर्ण मेहनत, अखंड परिश्रम) |
| disheartened (v) | disappointed (निराश होणे) |
| favour (n) | an act of kindness (उपकार) |
| fetched (v) | brought in (आणणे) |
| legal (adj) | connected to law (कायदेशीर) |
| mason (n) | one who builds a structure with stone, bricks, cement, etc. (गवंडी, विविध प्रकारचे बांधकाम करणारा कारागीर) |
| persistence (n) | continuous efforts (सातत्यपूर्ण प्रयत्न) |
| recompensed (v) | money given for work done (कामाचा मोबदला देणे) |
| reluctance (n) | unwillingness (नाखूश, नाराज) |
| retire (v) | here, leave one’s job (येथे अर्थ-सेवानिवृत्त) |
| sought-after (adj) | desired by many (अनेक लोकांना हवेहवेसे असणारे) |
| strove (v) | made great efforts (खडतर परिश्रम घेतले) |
| zeal (n) | great enthusiasm and energy in one’s efforts (उत्साह) |
| Phrase | Meaning |
| in great demand | popular (प्रसिद्ध, कामासाठी खूप मागणी असलेला) |
| to carry on | to continue (सुरू ठेवणे) |
| to fetch good business | to be profitable (फायदेशीर व्यवसाय करणे) |
| to hand over | to give (हस्तांतरित करणे) |
| to make sure | verify (पडताळून पाहणे) |
| to make up one’s mind | to take a decision (मनाची तयारी करणे, निर्धार घेणे) |
| to no avail | of no use (काहीही उपयोग न होणे) |
The House Builder पाठाचा परिचय
‘The House-builder’ हा पाठ ‘प्रत्येकाने आपले काम नेहमीच सर्वोत्तमप्रकारे केले पाहिजे’, या कल्पनेवर आधारित आहे. एक गवंडी (घर / वस्तू बांधणीचे काम करणारा कारागीर) या कथेतील मध्यवर्ती पात्र असून तो त्याच्या कामांतील निपुणतेसाठी ओळखला जात असे. तो त्याचे काम जराही वेळ न दवडता आणि उत्साहाने करत असे. तसेच, बांधकामासाठी उत्तम दर्जाचे साहित्य वापरत असे. त्याच्या अशा समर्पित वृत्तीमुळे कंत्राटदाराला व्यवसायात प्रचंड नफा होत होता, गवंड्याच्या कामावर ग्राहक संतुष्ट होत होते आणि या कामाचा गवंड्याला चांगला मोबदलादेखील मिळत होता.
अनेक वर्षे हा गवंडी कंत्राटदाराकडे कामाला होता. अखेरीस आजोबा झाल्यानंतर त्याने आपल्या कामातून निवृत्त होण्याचे ठरवले. ही गोष्ट कंत्राटदाराला सांगितली असता कंत्राटदाराने त्याला केवळ एक अखेरचे घर बांधून देण्याची विनंती केली. थोड्याशा नाखुशीनेच गवंडी हे घर बांधून देण्यास तयार होतो; मात्र या कामात तो नेहमीप्रमाणे आपले मन व आत्मा समर्पित न करता कसेतरी ते घर उभे करतो. त्याच्या या निष्काळजीपणाने आणि बेजबाबदार वृत्तीने अखेरीस कमजोर भिंती असलेले, हलक्या प्रतीचे, सफाईदारपणा नसलेले सौंदर्यहीन घर तयार करतो आणि घर पूर्ण झाल्याचे कंत्राटदाराला कळवतो; मात्र आजवर निष्ठेने केलेल्या कामांचा मोबदला म्हणून कंत्राटदार ते घर गवंड्याला भेट म्हणून देतो.
या पाठाचा शेवट अनपेक्षित असला तरी ‘आपण जे काम करतो ते नेहमी आपल्यातील क्षमतेचा पूर्ण वापर करून सर्वोत्कृष्ट पद्धतीने करावे’ हा साधा-सोपा संदेश आपल्याला मिळतो. जर कथेतील गवंड्याने हे कामदेखील संपूर्ण निष्ठेने, उत्साहाने केले असते; तर त्याला सुंदर भेट मिळाली असती; परंतु गवंड्याच्या निष्काळजीपणाने व कसेतरी काम उरकण्याच्या वृत्तीमुळे त्याला सौंदर्यहीन घर मिळाले. आयुष्यभर निष्ठेने आणि निपुणतेने काम करूनही शेवटचे काम करताना निष्काळजीपणा दाखवल्याने त्याला फळही तसेच मिळाले. यावरून ‘आपण जे पेरतो, तेच उगवते’ हा दुसरा संदेशही या पाठातून आपल्याला मिळतो.