Notice how the word ‘hope’ is used in these sentences from the story.

(a) I hope it (the hailstorm) passes quickly.

(b) There was a single hope: help from God. In the first example, ‘hope’ is a verb which means you wish for something to happen. In the second example, it is a noun meaning a chance for something to happen.

Match the sentence in Column A with the meaning of ‘hope’ in column B.

A	B
1. Will you get the subjects you want to study in college? I hope so.	(i) A feeling that something good will probably happen.
2. I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but I don’t like the way you are arguing.	(ii) Thinking that this would happen (it may or may not have happened).
3. This discovery will give new hope to HIV/AIDS sufferers.	(iii) Stopped believing that this good thing would happen.
4. We were hoping against hope that the judges would not notice our mistakes.	(iv) Wanting something to happen (and thinking it quite possible).
5. I called early in the hope of speaking to her before she went to school.	(v) Showing concern that what you say should not offend or disturb the other person: a way of being polite.
6. Just when everybody gives up hope, the fisherman came back, seven days after the cyclone.	(vi) Wishing for something to happen, although this is very unlikely.

There are two kinds of conflicts in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?

Look at the following sentence from the story:

Suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall.

‘Hailstones’ are small balls of ice that fall like rain. A storm in which hailstones fall is a ‘hailstorm’. You know that a storm is bad weather with strong winds, rains, thunder and lightning.

There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their description below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary for help.

gale, whirlwind, cyclone, hurricane, tornado, typhoon

1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle: _ _c_ _ _.

2. An extremely strong wind: _a_ _.

3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds: _ _p_ _ _ _.

4. A violent storm whose center is a cloud in the shape of a funnel: _ _ _n_ _ _.

5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean: _ _ _r_ _ _ _ _.

6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage: _ _ _ _l_ _ _ _.

Relative clauses:

Definition:

The clause that gives us more information about the first/principal clause is called relative clause. It is used to add two or more simple clauses into one.

Look at the sentences:

(a) Throughout the morning Lencho – who knew his fields intimately – looked at the sky.

Here, italicized parts of the sentences give us more information about Lencho. So, we call them relative clause.

(b) The woman, who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing”.

Here, italicized parts of the sentence give us more information about the woman. So, we call them relative clauses.

Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which as suggested.

1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)

2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)

3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance has been excellent. (whose)

4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)

5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)

Using negatives for Emphasis:

We know that sentences with words such as no, not or nothing show that absence of something or contradict something.

For example.

(a) This year we will have no Corn. (Corn will be absent.)

(b) The hail has left nothing (Absence of a crop).

(c) These aren’t raindrops falling from the sky, they are new coins. (Contradicts the common idea of what the drops of water falling from the sky are).

But sometimes negative words are used just to emphasize an idea.

Look at these sentences from the story:

(d) Lencho had done nothing else but see the sky towards the north-east (He had done only this).

(e) The man went but for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body. (He had only this reason.)
(f) Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money. (He showed no surprise at all.)

Now look back at example (c). Notice that the contradiction in fact serves to emphasize the value or usefulness of the rain to the farmer.

Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.

1. The trees lost all there leaves.

………………………………………………..

2. The letter was addressed to God himself.

……………………………………………………

3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.

………………………………………………………