How to Use This Page
This page provides complete exercise solutions for Tamil Nadu State Board Class 10 English Unit 4. Use it effectively by following these steps:
1. Read the textbook first — Attempt every question on your own before reading the solutions here. This builds your thinking and writing skills. 2. Compare your answers — After writing your own answer, check it against the solution provided. Note differences in depth, structure, and vocabulary. 3. Learn the format — Board exam answers need an introduction, body, and conclusion for paragraph answers. Observe how each answer is structured here. 4. Memorise key quotes — Important lines from the prose, poem, and supplementary are highlighted. Quoting these in your exam answers earns extra marks. 5. Practise grammar items — Do the grammar exercises, then verify with the answers. Re-do any you get wrong until you understand the rule. 6. Use the checklist — Before your exam, go through the Exam Checklist at the bottom to make sure you have covered every important topic.
Key Concepts (Quick Recap)
Unit 4 covers three literary works, each exploring different but interconnected themes:
| Section | Title | Author | Core Themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prose | The Attic | — | Nostalgia, memory, the past's hold on the present, hidden emotions |
| Poem | The Ant and the Cricket | Adapted from Aesop | Hard work vs laziness, foresight, responsibility |
| Supplementary | The Last Leaf | O. Henry | Sacrifice, hope, friendship, the healing power of art |
Connecting thread: All three works explore how our choices and attitudes shape our lives. The attic shows how memories shape identity; the cricket shows how lack of foresight leads to suffering; Behrman shows how selfless action saves a life.
Key literary devices across the unit:
- Symbolism — the attic (hidden past), the ivy leaf (hope and life), the ant/cricket (industry vs idleness)
- Irony — Behrman's masterpiece is painted on a wall, not on canvas; it costs him his life but saves another
- Contrast — ant vs cricket, Johnsy's despair vs Sue's determination, Behrman's gruff exterior vs his noble heart
- Pathos — the emotional power of rediscovered memories in The Attic; Behrman's death in The Last Leaf
Prose: The Attic
Short Answers
Paragraph Answers
Theme Analysis: Symbolism of the Attic, Memory, and Nostalgia
| Theme | Explanation | Evidence from the Text |
|---|---|---|
| The attic as memory | The attic stores forgotten objects just as the mind stores forgotten experiences. Both need effort to access. | The narrator finds items that bring back vivid, specific memories. |
| Nostalgia | The bittersweet longing for the past is the dominant emotion. | The narrator feels both happiness and sadness when handling old belongings. |
| Time and change | Objects remain the same but the person who views them has changed. | The contrast between the untouched attic and the grown narrator. |
| Identity and the past | Understanding where we come from helps us understand who we are. | The narrator gains self-knowledge through rediscovering memories. |
Character Sketch: The Narrator
The narrator is a reflective and sensitive individual who is drawn to the attic by an inner need to reconnect with the past. Unlike people who avoid revisiting old memories, the narrator shows courage and emotional honesty in facing what the attic holds. The narrator's reactions to objects — wonder, sadness, warmth, regret — reveal a person deeply connected to personal history and aware of how the past has shaped the present. The narrator is observant, noticing details like dust, cobwebs, and the condition of objects, which shows an appreciation for how time affects everything. The narrator's willingness to feel difficult emotions rather than push them away demonstrates emotional maturity. Ultimately, the narrator emerges from the attic with greater self-awareness, suggesting a character who values growth and understanding over avoidance.
Poem: The Ant and the Cricket
Central Idea (Detailed)
The poem "The Ant and the Cricket" is an adaptation of Aesop's fable that contrasts two insects with diametrically opposite approaches to life. The ant represents industry, discipline, and foresight — she works tirelessly during the warm months to store food for the winter. The cricket represents idleness, short-sightedness, and self-indulgence — he spends the summer singing and making merry without a thought for the future. When winter arrives, the cricket is starving and homeless, while the ant is warm and well-fed. The poem's central idea is that success and survival depend on preparation and hard work. Those who live only for the present moment without planning for the future will face hardship. The poem also subtly warns against entitlement: the cricket expects the ant to share her hard-earned food, but the ant rightly refuses, pointing out that the cricket chose to sing instead of work. The poem teaches that every individual is responsible for their own well-being and must take proactive steps to secure their future.
Stanza-by-Stanza Explanation
Stanza 1: The cricket is introduced as a carefree insect who spends the entire summer singing and enjoying himself. He does not think about storing food or building shelter. The warm weather gives him a false sense of security, and he assumes that good times will last forever. This stanza establishes the cricket's character as irresponsible and short-sighted.
Stanza 2: Winter arrives suddenly and harshly. The cricket finds himself without food and without shelter. The trees are bare, and there is nothing to eat. The cold bites through his thin body, and he realises too late that his summer of leisure has left him unprepared for the demands of survival. This stanza marks the turning point where the cricket faces the consequences of his laziness.
Stanza 3: Desperate and starving, the cricket goes to the ant to borrow some food. He promises to repay her, but his request is driven by need rather than genuine intention. This stanza shows the cricket's lack of self-reliance and his expectation that others should compensate for his failure to prepare.
Stanza 4: The ant questions the cricket about what he did during the summer. The cricket admits that he sang all day. The ant's response is sharp and unsympathetic: since he sang during the summer, he should dance during the winter. This witty retort captures the poem's moral — those who waste their opportunities must face the consequences without complaint.
Literary Devices Table
| Literary Device | Example from the Poem | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Personification | The ant and the cricket speak and behave like humans | Makes the moral lesson accessible and engaging for young readers |
| Contrast | The ant works in summer; the cricket sings in summer | Highlights the difference between responsibility and irresponsibility |
| Metaphor | "Dance the winter away" | The ant uses the cricket's own language (singing) against him; singing becomes dancing, both forms of idle entertainment |
| Rhyme Scheme | Alternating rhymes (AABB or similar pattern) | Creates a musical quality that mirrors the cricket's singing while reinforcing the fable's structure |
| Fable Form | Animal characters conveying a human moral | A traditional form that distils a universal truth into a simple, memorable story |
| Irony | The cricket asks for help from the very ant whose lifestyle he mocked by choosing leisure | Shows that laziness leads to dependence on the very people one disregards |
| Alliteration | "cricket cried" / "silly soul" | Adds rhythmic quality and emphasises key descriptions |
Moral Lesson Analysis
The moral of the poem operates on both a literal and a broader level:
1. Literal moral: Prepare for difficult times during good times. Store resources and build security when conditions are favourable. 2. Broader moral: Discipline, hard work, and foresight are essential virtues in every area of life. Students who study consistently perform better than those who cram at the last minute. People who save money face fewer crises than those who spend everything immediately. 3. Warning against entitlement: The cricket assumes the ant should help him, but the ant's refusal is justified. Help should be given out of compassion, not demanded as a right by those who chose not to help themselves. 4. Responsibility for choices: Every choice has consequences. The cricket chose leisure; the consequence was suffering. The ant chose labour; the reward was security. The poem teaches that we must own our choices and their outcomes.
Important Quotes with Explanations
| Quote | Explanation |
|---|---|
| "What! Did you sing the whole summer away?" | The ant's incredulous question exposes the absurdity of the cricket's behaviour. Working is a basic responsibility, and the ant cannot believe the cricket spent his time on entertainment alone. |
| "Then dance the winter away." | This is the poem's most famous line. The ant uses the cricket's own activity (singing, which is akin to dancing) against him. If he had time for leisure in summer, he can endure the consequences in winter. It is witty, sharp, and perfectly captures the moral. |
| "The cricket, cold and hungry, went to the ant to borrow." | This line shows the cricket's desperation and dependency. Having wasted his opportunity, he now has to beg — a humiliating position that could have been avoided with planning. |
Supplementary: The Last Leaf
Detailed Story Summary
"The Last Leaf" by O. Henry is set in Greenwich Village, a neighbourhood in New York City known for its artistic community. Two young women, Sue and Johnsy, share a small apartment at the top of an old building and pursue their dreams of becoming artists. As winter approaches, a pneumonia epidemic sweeps through the district. Johnsy falls gravely ill with pneumonia and loses all hope of recovery. She becomes obsessed with an old ivy vine growing on the wall outside her window, declaring that she will die when the last leaf falls from the vine. Sue is deeply worried and tries everything to lift Johnsy's spirits, but Johnsy's fatalism only grows stronger as she counts the remaining leaves — first twelve, then eight, then five, then fewer. Sue consults their doctor, who tells her that Johnsy's only chance of survival depends on her own will to live; if she gives up, no medicine can save her. On the ground floor of the same building lives Behrman, an old artist who has spent decades claiming he will paint a masterpiece someday but has never produced one. He is gruff, drinks heavily, and earns a meagre income as a model for other artists. Sue shares her fears with Behrman, and the old man is deeply moved by Johnsy's condition, though he expresses his concern through characteristic bluster. That night, a terrible storm arrives with heavy rain and fierce winds. Despite the brutal weather, one leaf remains on the ivy vine the next morning. Johnsy is astonished that the leaf has survived the storm, and its stubborn resilience begins to change her outlook. Over the following day, the leaf does not fall, and Johnsy gradually regains her will to live. She begins to eat, take her medicine, and look forward to recovery. Meanwhile, Sue discovers that Behrman has been hospitalised with pneumonia. He had gone out in the freezing storm to paint a leaf on the wall next to the vine — a leaf so realistic that Johnsy could not tell it was painted. Behrman contracted pneumonia from the exposure and dies two days later. The painted leaf, which gave Johnsy hope and ultimately saved her life, is revealed to be Behrman's long-promised masterpiece. The story ends with the tragic yet deeply moving realisation that Behrman gave his life to create the one great work of art he had always dreamed of painting, and in doing so, he saved a young woman's life.
Character Analysis: Behrman
Behrman is one of the most memorable characters in short fiction — a man whose rough exterior conceals a deeply compassionate and selfless nature. He is an old artist, probably in his sixties, who has lived in the ground-floor studio of the same building as Sue and Johnsy for many years. For decades, Behrman has talked about painting a masterpiece, but he has never actually completed one. He earns a meagre living by posing as a model for other artists and spends much of his earnings on alcohol. Outwardly, Behrman appears to be a failed, dissolute figure — he is often drunk, he speaks roughly, and he dismisses sentiment with mockery. However, this gruff facade hides a tender heart. When Sue tells him about Johnsy's strange belief that she will die when the last leaf falls, Behrman's eyes fill with tears, though he quickly covers his emotion with angry words about foolish young women. His genuine concern for Johnsy drives him to take the most extraordinary action of his life. On a night of terrible storm, Behrman goes outside with his paints and brushes and creates a leaf on the wall — a leaf so perfectly rendered that it fools Johnsy into believing the real leaf has survived. This act of creation costs Behrman his life, as he contracts pneumonia from the freezing rain and dies. The irony is profound: the man who never painted a masterpiece has finally done so, but it is painted on a wall, not on canvas, and it is discovered only after his death. Behrman's character demonstrates that greatness does not always look great on the surface; sometimes the most heroic acts come from the most unlikely people. His sacrifice transforms him from a seemingly failed artist into the noblest figure in the story.
Character Analysis: Johnsy
Johnsy is a young artist from California who comes to New York to pursue her artistic ambitions. She shares a studio apartment with her friend Sue in Greenwich Village. When the story opens, Johnsy is full of life and creative energy, but her illness changes her dramatically. Struck down by pneumonia, she loses all hope and becomes fixated on the idea that her life is tied to the ivy vine outside her window. She counts the remaining leaves and tells Sue that when the last one falls, she will die. This belief is not mere superstition; it reflects a deep psychological surrender. Johnsy has given up on life itself, and her obsession with the leaf is an external manifestation of her internal despair. Sue's love and care slowly begin to penetrate Johnsy's depression, but it is the sight of the last leaf surviving the storm that truly changes her. When she sees the leaf still clinging to the vine after a night of terrible weather, something shifts inside her. She begins to feel ashamed of her wish to die and realises that life is worth fighting for. From that moment, Johnsy's recovery is steady. She starts eating, taking medicine, and planning for the future. Her transformation from a passive, death-waiting patient to an active, hopeful survivor illustrates the story's central theme: hope is a powerful force, and sometimes the smallest symbol — a single leaf — can reignite the will to live. Johnsy's character shows how fragile the human spirit can be under suffering and how resilient it can become when given a reason to hope.
Short Answers
Paragraph Answers
Theme Analysis: Sacrifice, Hope, and Art as Healing
| Theme | Explanation | Key Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Sacrifice | Behrman gives his life to save Johnsy's. His sacrifice is hidden and unrecognised but profoundly noble. | Behrman paints the leaf during a deadly storm, contracts pneumonia, and dies. |
| Hope | Johnsy's recovery begins only when she sees the leaf survive the storm. Hope is the medicine that cures her despair. | The doctor says Johnsy needs a reason to live; the leaf gives her that reason. |
| Art as healing | Behrman's painted leaf, a work of art, achieves what medicine cannot — it restores the will to live. | The leaf is so realistic that Johnsy believes it is real; its beauty and endurance inspire her to fight. |
| Friendship | Sue's tireless care for Johnsy shows the power of loyal friendship during crisis. | Sue stays up all night, consults the doctor, cooks for Johnsy, and never gives up. |
Grammar and Vocabulary
Articles and Prepositions — Fill in the Blanks (with Answers)
1. The old artist lived in _____ ground-floor studio of _____ building. → the / the 2. Johnsy looked out of _____ window at _____ ivy vine. → the / the 3. Behrman painted _____ leaf on _____ wall during _____ storm. → a / the / the 4. The cricket went to _____ ant to ask _____ food. → the / for 5. The narrator found _____ old photograph _____ the corner of the attic. → an / in 6. Sue took care _____ Johnsy _____ great devotion. → of / with 7. The leaf remained _____ the vine _____ the storm. → on / through 8. The attic was filled _____ dust and cobwebs _____ years of neglect. → with / from 9. The ant stored food _____ the summer _____ winter. → in / for 10. Behrman had been talking _____ his masterpiece _____ twenty-five years. → about / for
Sentence Synthesis (with Answers)
Combine each pair of sentences into one using the connector given.
1. The cricket sang all summer. The cricket suffered in winter. (Use: but) → The cricket sang all summer but suffered in winter.
2. Johnsy was very ill. She lost all hope of recovery. (Use: and) → Johnsy was very ill and lost all hope of recovery.
3. Behrman was old. He went out in the storm to paint the leaf. (Use: although) → Although Behrman was old, he went out in the storm to paint the leaf.
4. The attic was dusty. The narrator wanted to explore it. (Use: even though) → Even though the attic was dusty, the narrator wanted to explore it.
5. The ant worked hard. The ant had food for winter. (Use: because) → The ant had food for winter because she worked hard.
6. Johnsy saw the last leaf. She began to hope again. (Use: when) → When Johnsy saw the last leaf, she began to hope again.
7. The storm was terrible. The painted leaf did not fall. (Use: yet) → The storm was terrible, yet the painted leaf did not fall.
8. Sue loved Johnsy. Sue cared for her day and night. (Use: so) → Sue loved Johnsy, so she cared for her day and night.
Synonyms and Antonyms from the Prose
| Word | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|
| Nostalgia | Longing, wistfulness | Indifference, apathy |
| Rediscover | Reclaim, recover | Lose, forget |
| Forgotten | Overlooked, neglected | Remembered, recalled |
| Abandoned | Deserted, forsaken | Occupied, inhabited |
| Fragile | Delicate, vulnerable | Sturdy, robust |
| Vivid | Clear, striking | Vague, faint |
| Preserve | Conserve, protect | Destroy, discard |
| Confront | Face, encounter | Avoid, evade |
| Resilience | Endurance, toughness | Fragility, weakness |
| Dilapidated | Decayed, crumbling | Restored, renovated |
Comprehension Passage with Questions and Answers
Read the following passage and answer the questions below. In the heart of Greenwich Village, two young artists shared a small studio at the top of an old building. Sue came from Maine, and Johnsy from California. They had met at a restaurant on Eighth Street and found that their tastes in art and living were so similar that they decided to share a studio. When pneumonia struck the district, Johnsy fell ill. She lay in bed, barely moving, and stared out the window at the ivy vine on the opposite wall. She counted the leaves one by one and told Sue that when the last leaf fell, she too would go. Sue was frightened and did everything she could to keep Johnsy from watching the vine, but nothing worked. The doctor told Sue that medicine would not help unless Johnsy herself wanted to live.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Confusing the supplementary reader — Many students write about "The Aged Mother" instead of "The Last Leaf" for Unit 4. Remember: the supplementary for this unit is The Last Leaf by O. Henry. Check the title before writing any answer.
2. Writing vague theme answers — Avoid writing "the story teaches a good lesson." Instead, state the specific theme (sacrifice, hope, art as healing) and explain how it is developed in the story with evidence.
3. Missing the irony in The Last Leaf — The painted leaf being Behrman's masterpiece is the story's central irony. Students who miss this point lose marks because it is the key to understanding the story's meaning.
4. Confusing moral and central idea in the poem — The moral is a specific lesson ("work hard and prepare for the future"); the central idea is broader (the contrast between two lifestyles and their consequences). Know the difference and write accordingly.
5. Writing one-sentence short answers — Even short answers need 2-3 sentences with a clear point and brief explanation. A single sentence like "The attic represents memory" will not earn full marks. Add a brief explanation to every answer.
6. Forgetting to quote from the text — Examiners reward answers that include specific references or brief quotations from the text. When discussing the poem, quoting "dance the winter away" shows close reading; omitting any quotation suggests shallow preparation.
Exam Checklist
- [ ] I can summarise The Last Leaf with all key plot points (Johnsy's illness, the leaf belief, Behrman's sacrifice, the painted leaf, Behrman's death, Johnsy's recovery).
- [ ] I can write a character sketch of Behrman (at least 10 sentences covering his appearance, personality, secret compassion, and his final act).
- [ ] I can write a character sketch of Johnsy covering her illness, despair, the leaf belief, and her transformation.
- [ ] I can explain the symbolism of the attic in The Attic with specific references.
- [ ] I can state the central idea and moral of The Ant and the Cricket and distinguish between the two.
- [ ] I can explain at least three literary devices used in the poem with examples and effects.
- [ ] I can quote important lines from the poem and explain their significance.
- [ ] I can complete articles and prepositions fill-in-the-blank exercises with at least 80% accuracy.
- [ ] I can combine sentences using connectors (although, because, when, yet, so) correctly.
- [ ] I can discuss the themes of sacrifice, hope, and art as healing in The Last Leaf with evidence from the story.