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Maharashtra Board Std 8 English Writing Expansion of an Idea
Introduction
To expand an idea means to justify the given proverb or saying, based on the following pointers:
- Elaborating on the meaning conveyed by the proverb or saying.
- Providing examples in support of the proverb or saying.
- Writing a suitable conclusion for the above.
कल्पनाविस्तार म्हणजे दिलेल्या म्हणीचा किंवा वचनाचा अर्थ किंवा त्यामागील कल्पना उलगडून ती सविस्तर स्पष्ट करणे होय. याकरता पुढील मुद्दे विचारात घेतले जातात:
- म्हणीतून अथवा वचनातून प्रतीत होणारा अर्थ विस्तृतपणे मांडणे.
- विविध उदाहरणांद्वारे म्हणीमागील किंवा वचनामागील विचारांबाबत स्पष्टता आणणे.
- स्पष्टीकरणातून निघणाऱ्या निष्कर्ष किंवा बोधाची नोंद करणे.
Solved Examples
Question 1.
Expand the given ideas in your own words.
i. All that glitters is not gold
Answer:
We are often attracted to the external beauty of things and fail to realise that such beauty is often only skin deep. The proverb, ‘All that glitters is not gold’ teaches us the same.
A charming and flashy outward appearance may be misleading and this is also hue about human beings. We often judge people by their looks and appearances; while the real beauty lies in the heart and mind of a person. At times, we experience evil aspirations in the disguise of excessively bright and showy appearance. There is a famous incident of a Sanskrit scholar who decided to meet the famous social reformer, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
When Vidyasagar went to receive him at the station, the Sanskrit scholar mistook him for a coolie because he was dressed modestly. But when the scholar realised that the person whom he had considered a coolie, was none other than the great and generous Vidyasagar himself, he felt very ashamed. Thus, we should not go by what looks best, but instead focus on the actual qualities of a person or object.
ii. Fortune favours the bold
Answer:
One can never achieve success without accepting challenges. Destiny favours only those, who have the courage to conquer their fears. This proverb contradicts the belief that ‘we all are prisoners of fate or fortune’, following which, some individuals give up and do not dare to face the challenges in their lives.
If you read about the lives of the most successful people in the world, you will find that they all had been through a tough period of straggle, before they achieved their goals. For instance, Abraham Lincoln did not give up even after losing eight political elections and failing twice at business enterprises. His persistence made him one of the most famous Presidents that America ever had. Another example is that of the famous scientist Stephen Hawking, who despite being confined to a wheelchair continued his research in the field of science and cosmology.
Had such people not challenged their fates boldly, the world would have been deprived of many great personalities. Thus, fortune favours only those people, who are ready to beat the odds and make success possible.
iii. Time and tide wait for no man
Answer:
One must not waste time, since time once lost never returns. The same goes for tide, which symbolises natural processes that will go on, without any interruption. None can stop the passage of time.
Once, a boy used to put things off for another day. Though he was tall, athletic and good at sports, he was ‘ lazy. The teacher once announced that an inter-school football championship was to be held, for which he was selected. Instead of practising every day, like his other team players, he put off practising for the next day, which never came. On the day of the championship, although the other players played well, the school lost the match due to this lazy boy and his habit of delaying things.
Great sportspersons, musicians, singers, scientists, etc., all have to do their work daily and consistently, in order to achieve success. This applies to all people irrespective of their age, religion, social status, etc. The present is what we have in our hands and we should make the most of it, to better our lives.
iv. A friend in need is a friend indeed
Answer:
This proverb highlights value of true friendship. All of us have friends, but what we all want is a ‘true friend’, who will stand by us, in the toughest times of our lives.
False friends are always there when the times are good. But when a person faces difficult times, true friends are the ones who stand firmly by one’s side. History recounts the tales of several true friends, who have even sacrificed their lives for the sake of friendship.
Being blessed with a true friend is a privilege that only a few people get. A true friend is like a refreshing oasis in the long, dreary and trouble-ridden desert of life.
One should also aspire to be a true friend to someone, by practising virtues like reliance, support, kindness, generosity, etc. Only if one is a true friend, can one expect others to be true to them. It is a mutually selfless relationship between two people. Hence, it is said that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
v. Cleanliness is next to Godliness
Answer:
The proverb, ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’, conveys the message that maintaining cleanliness is a good habit and it brings positivity in our life. Cleanliness is not just a skin-deep concept; it must be practised in thoughts, words and deeds.
The term ‘cleanliness’ doesn’t limit itself to just the act of cleaning one’s body, but also keeping the mind and the soul calm and peaceful. This would definitely help a person to achieve success in life. Moreover, maintaining cleanliness internally and externally helps us to develop our personality.
Cleanliness also means keeping our environment clean, as it would lead to a healthy surrounding and a hygienic living place for all beings.
The father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi advocated that a clean mind cannot be housed in an unclean body, nor can a clean body reside in unclean surroundings. For a person to be truly godly, he must keep his surroundings, himself, his mind and thoughts clean.