English Question Answers Chapter 2.4 – Excuses ! (A Skit) Class 8 Maharashtra Board

1. Complete the following by inserting the correct words from the skit.

1. The heavy load would not budge.
2. The police arrived to investigate the crime.
3. My friend lured me to eat chocolates in the classroom.
4. I was relieved to find my lost notebooks.
5. The injured child kept groaning with pain.
6. He stole the cash and vanished in the dark night.

2. Rearrange the order of the following events as per the narrator.

The correct sequence is:

1. Ritesh heard a scream from the main road.
2. A man, groaning with pain, was lying near the pavement.
3. A thief came running out of a shop.
4. The groaning man joined the thief and ran away.
5. A huge dog was sitting on Ritesh’s school bag.
6. The dog refused to move.
7. The dog began to follow Ritesh to school.
8. The dog itself found its owner.

3. Discuss and write the answers in your own words.

1. Were the excuses given by Ritesh for his late arrival true? Give reasons for your response.

Answer: Ritesh’s excuses were quite dramatic and unusual, making them hard to believe. Though he told a well-detailed story about a thief, a groaning man, and a dog, it seemed exaggerated and unlikely to have happened all at once.

2. Did the teacher believe Ritesh’s stories? How do you know that?

Answer: The teacher did not completely believe Ritesh’s stories. She found his explanations amusing and sarcastically remarked that his excuses were as surprising as an earthquake. Her reaction shows that she doubted his version of events.

3. Why did the teacher suggest that Ritesh should enter the story-writing contest?

The teacher suggested Ritesh enter the story-writing contest because his imaginative excuses showed that he was good at storytelling. She believed his ability to make up such detailed and engaging stories could help him in writing creative fiction.

4. What, according to you, is the best way to correct children who are regularly late to school?

Answer: The best way to correct children who are regularly late is to teach them the importance of punctuality. Schools can have rules like maintaining a punctuality chart, giving rewards for on-time attendance, or involving parents in discussions about their child’s late-coming habit.

4. Report the following in Indirect Speech.

1. Ritesh: “May I come in, Madam?”

→ Ritesh asked Madam if he might come in.

2. Mrs Sen: “Ritesh, you are too early for the second period.”

→ Mrs Sen told Ritesh that he was too early for the second period.

3. Ritesh: “I had left my bag at the shop.”

→ Ritesh said that he had left his bag at the shop.

4. Ritesh: “I am sorry, Ma’am!”

→ Ritesh apologized to Ma’am.

5. Mrs Sen: “There’s a story-writing competition.”

→ Mrs Sen informed that there was a story-writing competition.