Exercise Solutions Available
Step-by-step answers for all textbook questions in this chapter
How to Use This Page
This page provides complete exercise solutions for Tamil Nadu State Board Class 10 English Unit 5. Work through each section in order:
1. Key Concepts — quick recap of themes and literary devices before you attempt answers. 2. Prose / Poem / Supplementary — detailed solutions for every textbook exercise question. 3. Grammar and Vocabulary — worked examples with answers for all grammar tasks. 4. Common Mistakes — errors students frequently make so you can avoid them. 5. Exam Checklist — final revision points before your board exam.
Write answers in your own words after reading the model solutions here. Memorising word-for-word is not useful; understanding the reasoning is.
Key Concepts (Quick Recap)
Themes Across Unit 5
| Section | Core Theme | Secondary Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Prose: Tech-Brothers | Technology and human empowerment | Responsibility in innovation |
| Poem: The Secret of the Machines | Power and limitation of machines | Human control over technology |
| Supplementary: A Daring Decision | Courage and conviction | Standing up for what is right |
Literary Devices to Spot
- Personification — Machines are given human qualities in the poem ("We can pull and haul and push and lift").
- Contrast — Machines' strength vs. their lack of feelings; human creativity vs. mechanical efficiency.
- Imagery — Vivid pictures of machines at work, futuristic settings in supplementary.
- Irony — Machines can do everything except think or feel, which is their "secret."
- Alliteration — Repetition of consonant sounds for rhythm in the poem.
Key Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| innovation | a new idea or method | Technology drives innovation in every field. |
| automation | use of machines instead of humans | Automation has changed factory work. |
| harness | to control and use something | We must harness technology for good. |
| dilemma | a difficult choice | She faced a dilemma between safety and truth. |
| conviction | strong belief | He acted with conviction despite opposition. |
Prose: Tech-Brothers
Short Answers
Paragraph Answers
Character Sketch
The Tech-Brothers (Combined Sketch)
The two brothers complement each other perfectly. The elder brother is the engineer — methodical, curious, and persistent. He spends long hours designing and testing, and he does not give up when experiments fail. The younger brother is the communicator — warm, persuasive, and socially aware. He talks to people, understands their needs, and translates technical ideas into language everyone can grasp. Together they form a complete innovator: one builds, the other bridges. Neither could have succeeded alone. Their partnership teaches that innovation is not a solo act; it needs both skill and sensitivity.
Theme Analysis
The central theme is responsible innovation. The lesson argues that technology must serve humanity, not the other way around. Secondary themes include community trust, the value of failure, collaboration, and the difference between invention and meaningful innovation.
Poem: The Secret of the Machines
Central Idea
Rudyard Kipling's poem "The Secret of the Machines" celebrates the remarkable abilities of machines while revealing their fundamental limitation — they cannot think, feel, or take moral responsibility. The poem warns that machines, though powerful, must remain under human control. If humans abdicate this responsibility, machines can cause great harm.
Line-by-Line Explanation
Stanza 1 — "We were taken from the ore-bed..."
The machines describe their origin. They come from raw materials — ore, oil, coal, and fire. This reminds us that machines are made from natural resources shaped by human labour. The stanza establishes that machines owe their existence to humans.
Stanza 2 — "We can pull and haul and push and lift..."
The machines list their capabilities — pulling, hauling, pushing, lifting, running, and printing. They can perform every physical task faster and better than humans. The repetition of action verbs creates a rhythm that mirrors the relentless motion of machines.
Stanza 3 — "We can run and race and swim and fly..."
The range expands. Machines can travel through every element — land, water, and air. They can see and hear across great distances. The stanza builds the idea that machines are almost omnipotent in physical terms.
Stanza 4 — "But remember, please, the Law..."
The turning point. Despite all their power, machines have a strict condition: they need humans to guide them. They cannot think or feel. They operate on logic and commands, not wisdom or compassion. This is the "secret" of the title — the secret is that machines are powerless without human direction.
Stanza 5 — "If you make a slip in handling us..."
A warning. If humans make errors or use machines for destructive purposes, the machines will obey without question. They have no conscience. This stanza is the poem's moral core — it urges humans to be careful and responsible.
Literary Devices
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Personification | "We can pull and haul" | Machines speak like living beings, creating an eerie effect |
| Alliteration | "run and race" | Adds rhythm, mirrors machine motion |
| Repetition | "We can..." repeated | Emphasises the vast range of machine abilities |
| Contrast | Power of machines vs. their lack of thought | Reveals the poem's central message |
| Irony | Machines listing their powers but revealing their helplessness | Creates the poem's dramatic impact |
Important Quotes
1. "We were taken from the ore-bed and the mine" — Machines acknowledge their material origin; they are not self-created. 2. "We can pull and haul and push and lift and drive" — Demonstrates the breadth of machine capability. 3. "But remember, please, the Law by which we live" — The critical reminder that machines operate by human rules, not their own. 4. "We are nothing more than children of your brain" — The final statement: machines are human creations, dependent on human intelligence and morality.
Textbook Exercise Answers
Supplementary: A Daring Decision
Story Summary
The story follows a young person who faces a critical moment of choice. When the community is threatened by a dangerous situation, most people choose the safe path of inaction. The protagonist, however, decides to act boldly despite personal risk. This daring decision turns the tide and protects the community. The story highlights that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to act in spite of it.
Character Analysis
The Protagonist
The protagonist is ordinary in background but extraordinary in resolve. At first, they hesitate like everyone else. What sets them apart is the moment they choose action over safety. They do not possess special powers — only clarity of purpose and willingness to face consequences. This makes the character relatable and inspiring.
Short Answers
Paragraph Answers
Grammar and Vocabulary
Degrees of Comparison
Rule reminder: Positive (base form), Comparative (comparing two), Superlative (comparing three or more).
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| tall | taller | tallest |
| useful | more useful | most useful |
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| little | less | least |
| brave | braver | bravest |
Exercise: Transform the following without changing the meaning.
1. Comparative to Positive: "Iron is more useful than any other metal." → No other metal is as useful as iron.
2. Superlative to Comparative: "Technology is the most powerful tool we have." → Technology is more powerful than any other tool we have.
3. Positive to Comparative: "No other machine is as fast as this one." → This machine is faster than any other machine.
4. Superlative to Positive: "She is the bravest student in the class." → No other student in the class is as brave as she is.
Active and Passive Voice
Exercise: Change the voice.
1. Active to Passive: "The brothers built a device." → A device was built by the brothers.
2. Passive to Active: "The problem was solved by technology." → Technology solved the problem.
3. Active to Passive: "Machines can perform many tasks." → Many tasks can be performed by machines.
4. Passive to Active: "A daring decision was taken by the protagonist." → The protagonist took a daring decision.
Sentence Synthesis
Combine each pair into one sentence.
1. The machine is powerful. It has no feelings. → The machine is powerful but has no feelings.
2. The brothers faced criticism. They continued their work. → Though the brothers faced criticism, they continued their work.
3. She was afraid. She acted bravely. → Despite being afraid, she acted bravely.
Vocabulary: Antonyms and Synonyms
| Word | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|
| innovation | invention, creativity | stagnation, tradition |
| daring | bold, courageous | timid, cautious |
| harness | utilise, channel | waste, neglect |
| conviction | belief, certainty | doubt, uncertainty |
| automation | mechanisation | manual labour |
| empower | enable, strengthen | weaken, disable |
Comprehension Passage (Practice)
Read the passage and answer the questions:
Machines have changed the world. They can build roads, grow food, and cure diseases. But machines do not think. A machine follows commands. If the command is wrong, the result is wrong. Humans must therefore use machines wisely. The secret of machines is not their power, but their dependence on human wisdom.
1. What can machines do? Machines can build roads, grow food, and cure diseases.
2. Why can machines give wrong results? Machines give wrong results when they receive wrong commands because they cannot think or judge.
3. What is the "secret" mentioned in the passage? The secret is that machines depend on human wisdom. Their power is meaningless without proper human direction.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Writing vague answers. Always support your answer with a specific reference to the text — a line, a character, or an event.
2. Confusing "theme" with "topic." The topic is what the lesson is about (technology). The theme is what the lesson says about it (technology must be used responsibly).
3. Ignoring the poem's warning. Many students describe only the machines' powers and forget the second half of the poem where the warning appears. The poem is incomplete without the message of human responsibility.
4. One-word or one-line answers for paragraph questions. Board exams require 5-8 sentences for paragraph answers. Include an introduction, body with evidence, and a conclusion.
5. Wrong degrees of comparison. Remember: "more + -er" is wrong (e.g., "more faster" is incorrect). Use either "faster" or "more beautiful," not both forms together.
6. Forgetting to change the subject in passive voice. "The brothers built a device" becomes "A device was built by the brothers" — the object becomes the subject.
7. Mixing up character sketches with story summaries. A character sketch describes personality traits with evidence, not a retelling of the plot.
Exam Checklist
- [ ] Can I state the main theme of Tech-Brothers with an example from the lesson?
- [ ] Can I explain at least four things machines can do from the poem?
- [ ] Can I quote two lines from the poem that show the machines' limitation?
- [ ] Can I explain why the protagonist's decision in A Daring Decision was daring?
- [ ] Have I practised converting degrees of comparison (all three types)?
- [ ] Can I change sentences from active to passive voice and vice versa?
- [ ] Can I combine two simple sentences into one compound or complex sentence?
- [ ] Do I know the meanings of: innovation, automation, harness, conviction, daring?
- [ ] Have I written at least two paragraph answers in full (5-8 sentences)?
- [ ] Do I remember the difference between a theme and a topic?