Class 10 English – Words and Expressions 2 Unit 9

📝 Section 1 — Language Notes

Play Background — The Proposal by Anton Chekhov

This is a one-act farce — a comedy built on silly misunderstandings.
Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov arrives to propose marriage to Natalya.
Her father Chubukov is delighted when he hears Lomov's purpose.
But before Lomov can propose, he mentions the Oxen Meadows land.
Natalya and Lomov argue fiercely about who owns the meadows.
Chubukov joins the quarrel and makes it louder and more ridiculous.
They eventually get engaged — but start arguing again immediately.

The Three Characters

Lomov: nervous, worries about his health, gets irritated quickly, genuinely wants to marry Natalya
Natalya: stubborn, proud, very competitive, cannot stop once an argument begins
Chubukov: Natalya's father, excitable and inconsistent — changes sides to suit the moment

What Makes This Play a Farce?

The characters cannot stop arguing even when they truly want to.
Every attempt at politeness ends in another explosion of anger.
The marriage proposal gets buried under a land dispute and a dog quarrel.
Comedy comes from the characters' complete inability to control anger.
Their behaviour is exaggerated and ridiculous — we laugh and reflect at the same time.

Reading Text 1 — How Can We Control Anger?

Anger has physical causes: hunger, tiredness, illness, hormonal changes
Anger has psychological causes: frustration, feeling disrespected, injustice
Anger has social causes: conflict, competition, jealousy, comparison
Ways to manage anger: deep breathing, counting to ten, walking away
Talking calmly after cooling down resolves conflict far more effectively.
Unchecked anger harms the angry person more than anyone else.

Reading Text 2 — On Violence (J. Krishnamurti)

Krishnamurti was an Indian philosopher known for independent thinking.
He says violence is not only physical — words and thoughts can also be violent.
Comparing yourself with others creates psychological violence within.
Competition, ambition, and imitation all produce inner conflict and aggression.
To end outer violence, one must first recognise violence inside oneself.
Key insight: peace in the world starts with peace within each person.

Grammar — Conditionals (If Sentences)

A conditional shows what happens if a certain condition is met.
Type 0 (General truth): If you heat water enough, it turns to steam.
Type 1 (Likely future): If Lomov stays calm, Natalya will listen.
Type 2 (Hypothetical/unlikely): If Lomov were less nervous, he would not forget his purpose.
Type 3 (Unreal past): If they had spoken politely, they would have agreed easily.

Conditional Structure — Quick Summary

Type 1: If + Simple Present, will + base verb
Type 2: If + Simple Past, would + base verb
Type 3: If + Past Perfect, would have + past participle
The if-clause can come first or second; use a comma when it comes first.

Assertive vs Aggressive Communication

Aggressive: forceful, threatening, dismissive of the other person's view
Assertive: confident but respectful, states views clearly without hostility
Lomov and Natalya communicate aggressively — this is why they keep failing.
Assertive communication would have resolved both disputes quickly.

✏️ Section 3 — Solved Exercises

Exercise 1 — Comprehension: How Can We Control Anger?

1 Two physical causes of anger are: hunger (low blood sugar) and tiredness — both reduce the brain's ability to regulate emotions and make a person more irritable than usual.

2 Two social causes of anger are: conflict with others and competitive pressure or jealousy — when someone feels others are gaining an unfair advantage, anger follows naturally.

3 The most helpful strategy to manage anger in a school setting is: to walk away from the triggering situation, cool down completely, and then return to discuss the issue calmly and respectfully.

4 Lomov and Natalya could have avoided all their arguments if: they had listened before reacting, taken a breath before speaking, and kept their original purpose — the proposal — firmly in mind throughout the conversation.

Exercise 2 — Conditionals: Complete and Identify

1 If Lomov stays calm, _________ (Type 1) → Natalya will listen to his proposal.

2 If Lomov were less nervous, _________ (Type 2) → he would not forget why he came to the house.

3 If they had spoken politely, _________ (Type 3) → they would have agreed without any argument at all.

4 If people control their anger, _________ (Type 1) → they will resolve conflicts far more quickly.

5 If Krishnamurti had met Lomov, _________ (Type 3) → he would have explained the root of inner violence to him.

Exercise 3 — Play Questions and Answers

1 Why did Lomov visit Chubukov's home? He came dressed formally to propose marriage to Natalya. His mistake was mentioning the Oxen Meadows before making his proposal.

2 What is amusing about the ending of the play? Lomov and Natalya finally become engaged — but within moments they are arguing again, this time about whose dog is better. The conflict never truly ends.

3 What is Chekhov trying to show us through this farce? That people often let small arguments and wounded pride prevent them from getting what they actually want. Stubbornness and anger only hurt ourselves.

4 How does this play connect to Krishnamurti's ideas? Lomov and Natalya show verbal and psychological violence — their pride, comparison, and need to win create the exact inner conflict Krishnamurti describes in his essay on violence.

📋 Section 4 — Word Power

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example Sentence
aggressive	adjective	forceful, ready to attack or confront	Lomov became aggressive as soon as the land was mentioned.
assertive	adjective	confident in stating one's view, but not hostile	Being assertive means saying your view clearly and calmly.
consequences	noun	the results or effects of an action	The consequences of losing your temper can last for years.
distress	noun	great pain, worry, or emotional suffering	Natalya was in visible distress after the first argument ended.
grudge	noun	a persistent feeling of anger held against someone	Holding a grudge prevents you from moving forward in life.
antagonism	noun	active opposition or open hostility toward someone	There was clear antagonism between Lomov and Natalya from the start.
consciously	adverb	with full awareness and intention	She consciously chose to walk away before saying something hurtful.
deliberately	adverb	done intentionally and on purpose	Natalya did not deliberately set out to ruin the proposal.
inherent	adjective	existing naturally as a fixed part of something	Krishnamurti argued that violence is inherent in all competition.
maim	verb	to injure a person so that a body part is permanently damaged	War can maim people for life — both physically and mentally.
farce	noun	a comedy based on exaggerated, unlikely situations	The Proposal is a classic farce about quarrelling characters.
provoke	verb	to deliberately stir up anger or a reaction in someone	Any mention of the meadows was enough to provoke Natalya.

📄 Section 5 — Practice

Practice 1 — Complete the Conditional Sentence

1. If Lomov ________ (not argue), Natalya would listen to him. (Type 2)
2. If people breathe deeply, they ________ (calm down) faster. (Type 1)
3. If she ________ (not shout), he would have stayed to talk. (Type 3)
4. If Chubukov ________ (be) wiser, he would not join the quarrel. (Type 2)
5. If you ________ (practise) daily, you will speak English fluently. (Type 1)

Practice 2 — True or False

1. The Proposal is a tragedy written by Chekhov. ___
2. Lomov came to Chubukov's house to propose marriage to Natalya. ___
3. Krishnamurti says physical violence is the only kind of violence. ___
4. A Type 2 conditional uses the Simple Past in the if-clause. ___
5. A grudge is a warm, friendly feeling toward another person. ___

Practice 3 — Match the Word and Meaning

1. aggressive A. done intentionally on purpose
2. antagonism B. long-held anger toward someone
3. grudge C. forceful and ready to attack
4. deliberately D. naturally built into something
5. inherent E. active opposition and hostility

Practice 4 — Identify the Conditional Type

1. If you shout, you will make things worse. Type: ___
2. If she were calmer, she would be easier to talk to. Type: ___
3. If they had paused, they would have understood each other. Type: ___
4. If you freeze water, it becomes ice. Type: ___
5. If Chubukov had intervened earlier, the argument would have ended. Type: ___

Practice 5 — Writing Prompt

Write Natalya's diary entry for the evening of the proposal day. Describe what happened, how she felt about it, and what she wishes she had done differently. Use 5–6 sentences. Include at least one conditional sentence in your writing.

Answers to Practice Exercises

Practice 1 Answers: 1. did not argue 2. will calm down 3. had not shouted 4. were 5. practise

Practice 2 Answers: 1. False (it is a farce / comedy) 2. True 3. False (he also includes verbal and psychological violence) 4. True 5. False (a grudge is long-held anger)

Practice 3 Answers: 1 – C 2 – E 3 – B 4 – A 5 – D

Practice 4 Answers: 1. Type 1 2. Type 2 3. Type 3 4. Type 0 5. Type 3

🃏 Section 6 — Word Flashcards

farce

A comedy built on exaggerated, unlikely situations. The Proposal is a classic farce by Chekhov.

aggressive

Ready to attack or confront. Lomov became aggressive when the land dispute started.

assertive

Confident but respectful. Being assertive means stating your view firmly but calmly.

grudge

Long-held anger toward someone. Holding a grudge harms the one who holds it most.

inherent

Built-in and natural. Krishnamurti said violence is inherent in all forms of competition.

antagonism

Active hostility between people. Open antagonism between the characters drives the comedy.

Type 2 conditional

If + Past → would + base verb. Used for hypothetical or unlikely present situations.

Type 3 conditional

If + Past Perfect → would have + past participle. Used for unreal past situations.

Unit 9 — The Proposal Words and Expressions 2 • Class 10 • Different Learner Friendly Notes