COMPREHENSION
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - THE ADVENTURE OF THE DYING DETECTIVE
1. Answer the following questions
a. Who told Dr Watson that Holmes was ill?
Answer: Mrs Hudson told Dr Watson that Holmes was ill.
b. Explain how Holmes pretended to be ill. Comment on:
i. his appearance:
Answer: Holmes looked gaunt and ghastly. He used Vaseline on his forehead, rouge over his cheek-bones, and crusts of beeswax round his lips. He also starved for three days.
ii. his actions:
Answer: He spoke in a rasping, laboured voice, acted weak, refused treatment, locked the door, and warned Watson the disease was horribly contagious.
c. Where does Culverton Smith usually live?
Answer: Culverton Smith usually lives in Sumatra. In London he lives at 13 Lower Burke Street.
d. Who had sent Holmes the ivory box and what was in it?
Answer: Culverton Smith sent Holmes the ivory box. It contained a sharp spring that drew blood and infected Holmes with the disease.
e. Why did Mr Culverton Smith want to kill Holmes?
Answer: Because Holmes was investigating him and Smith had a grudge against him. Smith also killed his nephew Victor and Holmes knew it.
f. Who was waiting outside Holmes' house and what signal was he waiting for?
Answer: Inspector Morton of Scotland Yard was waiting outside. He was waiting for Holmes to light a candle as a signal.
g. Where did Watson hide and why did Holmes need him there?
Answer: Watson hid behind the head of Holmes' bed. Holmes needed him there to witness and hear Culverton Smith's confession.
More challenging questions
h. Which details create the impression that Culverton Smith is unpleasant?
Answer: His malicious smile, sniggering at Holmes being sick, speaking cruelly to Holmes, angry reaction to Watson's intrusion, and casually admitting murder.
i. What clues are there that Holmes was not really ill?
Answer: His sudden strength to lock the door, refusing to let Watson examine him, knowing the exact disease and Smith's address, and shouting at Watson not to touch the ivory box.
j. Which short paragraph is the moment Watson realises Holmes has been pretending?
Answer: The paragraph where Watson says Holmes was speaking in his natural voice. He felt Culverton Smith standing in silent amazement looking at Holmes.
k. How does Holmes make sure Watson does not guess? Why does he need Watson to believe he is very ill?
Answer: Holmes uses makeup, starves himself, speaks weakly, and says the disease is contagious to keep Watson away. He needs Watson to believe he is dying so Watson can genuinely persuade Smith to come and confess.
2. Comment on italicized words
a. I could stand no more of it. = I could not tolerate it any longer.
b. The sight of me brought a gleam of recognition to his eyes. = He showed in his eyes that he remembered who I was.
c. You are not yourself. A sick man is but a child. = You are not acting normally. Sick people are helpless like children.
d. You will soften him, Watson. = You will make him less suspicious or cruel.
e. It was with a sinking heart that I... = I felt sad and worried.
f. And do not budge, whatever happens. = Do not move at all, no matter what.
REFERENCE TO CONTEXT
Q: 3a. i. Who is speaking? To whom?
A: Culverton Smith is speaking to Sherlock Holmes.
Q: 3a. ii. Who is being referred to? What had happened to him?
A: Victor Savage, Smith's nephew, is being referred to. He died from the Asiatic disease on the fourth day. Smith murdered him using the infected ivory box.
Q: 3a. iii. From where did the disease breakout?
A: From Sumatra in Asia.
Q: 3b. The best way of successfully acting a part is to be it, i. Who is speaking?
A: Sherlock Holmes is speaking.
Q: 3b. ii. What part has he been acting?
A: He has been acting the part of a dying man suffering from Tapanuli fever or black Formosa corruption.
Q: 3b. iii. In what way was he 'being it'?
A: He starved for three days, used Vaseline on his forehead, rouge over his cheek-bones, and crusts of beeswax round his lips. He also spoke in a whisper and acted weak.
Q: 3b. iv. What did the person want to do soon after this?
A: Holmes wanted to go to Simpson's restaurant for something nutritious after Smith was arrested.
WORKING WITH WORDS
Q: a. hectic
A: Meaning: Very busy and rushed. Sentence: My week was hectic with exams and sports practice.
Q: b. nutritious
A: Meaning: Healthy food that helps you grow. Sentence: Milk is a nutritious drink for children.
Q: c. profusely
A: Meaning: In large amounts. Sentence: He was sweating profusely after the race.
Q: d. rasping
A: Meaning: Harsh, rough sounding. Sentence: His voice was rasping because he had a cold.
Q: e. semi-delirious
A: Meaning: Half-confused, not thinking clearly due to illness. Sentence: The patient was semi-delirious with fever.
Q: f. promptness
A: Meaning: Acting quickly, without delay. Sentence: I admire her promptness in answering emails.
Q: g. sniggered
A: Meaning: Laughed in a mean, disrespectful way. Sentence: The bullies sniggered when he fell down.
Q: h. fast
A: Meaning: Not eating. Sentence: Muslims fast during Ramadan.
Q: i. snarling
A: Meaning: Speaking angrily like a dog growling. Sentence: Get out, he said in a snarling voice.
Q: j. laboured
A: Meaning: With difficulty, needing effort. Sentence: He climbed the hill with laboured steps.
Q: k. intrusion
A: Meaning: Unwanted entrance. Sentence: I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I need help.
THE APOSTROPHE - QUICK NOTES
1. Missing letters: isn't = is not, 'twas = it was
2. Missing numbers in dates: '95 = 1995, the '30s = the 1930s
3. Rule: No apostrophe for plurals. 1930s not 1930's
That is all the content from your pages in plain format. Copy this directly and no stars will show up.
2. Insert apostrophes where necessary.
a. We spoke to his father who is in his nineties.
Answer: No apostrophe needed. Nineties is a plural, not possessive. Correct as written.
b. In the forties Pakistan gained independence.
Answer: No apostrophe needed. Forties is a plural decade, not possessive. Correct as written.
c. In 92 he scored five 50s.
Answer: In '92 he scored five 50s.
Explanation: Apostrophe for omitted numbers in '92 for 1992. No apostrophe for plural 50s.
d. The MPAs who attended the meeting in 86 stayed in the five DIGs houses.
Answer: The MPAs who attended the meeting in '86 stayed in the five DIGs' houses.
Explanation: '86 for 1986. DIGs' because houses belong to multiple DIGs.
e. All the PMs speeches at the conference were recorded and filmed.
Answer: All the PMs' speeches at the conference were recorded and filmed.
Explanation: Speeches belong to multiple PMs, so plural possessive PMs'.
4. Where does the stress go in the following?
explanation - ex-pla-NA-tion
imagination - i-ma-gi-NA-tion
destination - des-ti-NA-tion
nomination - no-mi-NA-tion
discrimination - dis-cri-mi-NA-tion
fascination - fas-ci-NA-tion
intonation - in-to-NA-tion
determination - de-ter-mi-NA-tion
desalination - de-sa-li-NA-tion
Rule: For words ending in -tion, stress is usually on the syllable before -tion.
CHANGE THE FOLLOWING INTO REPORTED SPEECH
a. 'I hope you don't mind,' she said.
(There is no need to write She said she hoped. She hoped will do)
Answer: She hoped I did not mind.
b. 'Where have you been?' the man asked her.
Answer: The man asked her where she had been.
c. Shad asked the boy: 'If you never try a new thing, how can you know what it's like?'
Answer: Shad asked the boy how he could know what a new thing was like if he never tried it.
d. 'I didn't find out whether they had seen the film,' said Javed to his wife, when they returned home.
Answer: Javed told his wife, when they returned home, that he had not found out whether they had seen the film.
e. 'Father, have you any idea at all of what's going on?' John asked in a hushed voice.
Answer: John asked his father in a hushed voice if he had any idea at all of what was going on.
f. 'I don't know what's happening, John, but we are finding out,' replied the father.
Answer: The father replied that he did not know what was happening, John, but they were finding out.
g. 'And you paid for the house with all this gold and all these diamonds!' exclaimed the boy. (to the old woman)
Answer: The boy exclaimed to the old woman that she had paid for the house with all that gold and all those diamonds.
h. 'It will disappear in a flash!' protested Saima.
Answer: Saima protested that it would disappear in a flash.
3. Change the following sentences into direct speech.
Example: The scientist once commented that an aeroplane with a speed of 10,000 miles an hour had been built.
'An aeroplane with a speed of 10,000 miles an hour has been built!' commented the scientist.
a. The people asked what the President says about this.
Answer: 'What does the President say about this?' the people asked.
b. The foreigner asked in his own language why he should join the travellers.
Answer: 'Why should I join the travellers?' the foreigner asked in his own language.
c. The householder asked why he should let the stranger in.
Answer: 'Why should I let the stranger in?' the householder asked.
d. The loudspeakers blared forth that people must leave the area immediately.
Answer: 'People must leave the area immediately!' the loudspeakers blared forth.
e. The scientists gave their unanimous verdict that the machine was not made of plastic.
Answer: 'The machine is not made of plastic,' the scientists gave their unanimous verdict.
SAY IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY!
4. Change the italicized phrases by completing the sentence with the cue word. Do not change the meaning of the sentences.
a. The people wanted to know the visitor's response.
The people wanted to know what
Answer: The people wanted to know what the visitor's response was.
b. This is his destiny.
This is where
Answer: This is where he is destined to be.
c. The guide said something about the future being bright.
The guide said that
Answer: The guide said that the future was bright.
The Adventure of the Dying Detective
Summary:
Mrs Hudson tells Watson that Holmes is dying of a deadly Sumatra disease. Holmes looks gaunt, warns Watson it is contagious, and refuses doctors. He locks the door and asks Watson to fetch Culverton Smith, the only man who can cure him. Watson convinces Smith to visit. Holmes makes Watson hide behind the bed. Smith cruelly mocks Holmes and confesses he sent an infected ivory box and killed his nephew Victor the same way. Holmes then reveals he faked the illness with makeup and starvation. He lights a candle, signaling Inspector Morton to arrest Smith. The box and witness confirm Smith’s guilt.
Workbook Active:
Change the following from direct speech to indirect speech.
Q: a. 'Why does the bell ring at 10 o'clock?'
A: He asked why the bell rang at 10 o'clock.
Q: b. 'Where did you hide the book?'
A: She asked where I had hidden the book.
Q: c. 'What is this for?'
A: He asked what that was for.
Q: d. 'When did she fall ill?'
A: They asked when she had fallen ill.
Q: e. 'What has she given you?'
A: He asked what she had given me.
Q: f. 'Did he tell you the truth?'
A: She asked if he had told me the truth.
Note: The textbook uses "Why" not "How" in question a. If your teacher said "How", then the answer would be: He asked how the bell rang at 10 o'clock. But the printed question in the book is "Why".
B. THE APOSTROPHE
1. For each of the following sentences:
a) state the function of the apostrophe, and
b) rewrite the sentence without using an apostrophe.
Q: a. I don't know whether you were there last week.
A: i. Function: The apostrophe stands in place of the letter o in do not.
ii. Without apostrophe: I do not know whether you were there last week.
Q: b. 'No, I can't say I was.' he replied.
A: i. Function: The apostrophe stands in place of the letters n and o in cannot.
ii. Without apostrophe: 'No, I cannot say I was.' he replied.
Q: c. He was at his wit's end.
A: i. Function: The apostrophe shows possession.
ii. Without apostrophe: He was at the end of his wit.
Q: d. Today, at about three o'clock, the puppies arrived.
A: i. Function: The apostrophe stands in place of the letters c and l in of the clock.
ii. Without apostrophe: Today, at about three of the clock, the puppies arrived.
Q: e. They entered his friend's room.
A: i. Function: The apostrophe shows possession.
ii. Without apostrophe: They entered the room of his friend.
Q: f. It was in the year '95 that this event took place.
A: i. Function: The apostrophe stands in place of the numbers 19 in 1995.
ii. Without apostrophe: It was in the year 1995 that this event took place.
Q: g. 'No, sir, I'll not believe it.'
A: i. Function: The apostrophe stands in place of the letters w and i in will.
ii. Without apostrophe: 'No, sir, I will not believe it.'
Q: h. That is Mr Peter's pencil.
A: i. Function: The apostrophe shows possession.
ii. Without apostrophe: That is the pencil of Mr Peter.
C. WHAT DID YOU SAY?
Note: This section explains how meaning changes with stress and punctuation.
'More COFFEE!' or 'MORE coffee?' What you mean depends on how you say it. The punctuation mark tells us what kind of sentence it is. The context in which the sentence is spoken also helps us to determine what is meant.
Explanation:
1. More COFFEE! - This is a demand or exclamation. The person is ordering more coffee loudly, showing surprise or insistence.
2. MORE coffee? - This is a question. The person is politely asking if someone wants more coffee.
PAGE 28 - WHAT DID YOU SAY & CONFUSING WORDS
C. WHAT DID YOU SAY? (Continued)
1. By adding another sentence, explain the meaning of the following. The words italicized are stressed in speech.
Q: a. And _they_ are all in for this expedition?
A: Are you sure that group, and not someone else, is going on this expedition?
Q: b. And they are _all_ in for this expedition?
A: Is everyone in the group going, with no one staying back?
Q: c. And they are all in for _this_ expedition?
A: Are they going on this specific expedition, not some other one?
Q: d. I understand you to say that there were _three_ men who came to see you?
A: Are you sure the number was three, not two or four?
Q: e. I understand you to say that there were three _men_ who came to see you?
A: Were the visitors men, or were they women or children?
Q: f. _You_ stayed here when your teacher left?
A: Was it you who stayed, or did someone else stay behind?
D. CONFUSING WORDS
1. Write sentences to show that you understand the difference between the words in each pair.
Q: a. childish/childlike
A: i. childish: His childish behaviour annoyed everyone during the meeting.
ii. childlike: Her childlike wonder made the trip to the zoo very special.
Q: b. effect/affect
A: i. effect: The new medicine had a strong effect on his health.
ii. affect: The bad news did not affect her mood.
Q: c. except/accept
A: i. except: Everyone came to the party except Ali.
ii. accept: I will accept your gift with thanks.
Q: d. imminent/eminent
A: i. imminent: The storm looks imminent, so we should go home.
ii. eminent: The eminent scientist gave a lecture at our school.
2. Use the correct word and fill in the blanks.
Q: a. The children found it hard to rehearse the play because of the ..................interruptions. (continuous, continual)
A: continual
Q: b. It rained................... for two hours and we had no alternative but to stay indoors. (continually, continuously)
A: continuously
Q: c. The town.................decided to postpone the meeting. (council, counsel)
A: council
Q: d. The .................he received was quite sound. (council, counsel)
A: counsel
Q: e. The young child was sitting .............. her mother. (beside, besides)
A: beside
Q: f. Three players were injured; so there were only nineteen people on the pitch ................the referee. (beside, besides)
A: besides
Q: g. The news reader on the radio stated that floods were .................... (imminent, eminent)
A: imminent
Q: h. The patient had ............. in bed for two days. (laid, lain)
A: lain
Q: i. The thief had ........... all the stolen property on the table. (laid, lain)
A: laid
Note: In a formal letter you should use Mr or Mrs or other title (Dr, General, Commander, Professor, etc.). If you don't know the person's name, then use Sir or Madam.
1. What salutation (or greeting) would you use when writing to the following people?
Q: a. Your brother, Arif
A: Dear Arif
Q: b. An uncle, Daniyal Shah, who is a captain in the army
A: Dear Captain Daniyal Shah
Q: c. Your father's sister, Dr Shaista Naeem
A: Dear Dr Shaista Naeem
Q: d. The manager of your local cinema
A: Dear Sir
Q: e. Your family doctor, Dr. Rahman
A: Dear Dr Rahman
Q: f. Your principal
A: Dear Sir or Dear Principal
Q: g. Your class teacher
A: Dear Sir or Dear Madam
Q: h. Your neighbour, Mr Riaz Majeed
A: Dear Mr Riaz Majeed
Q: i. The mother of your friend whose surname is Ahsan
A: Dear Mrs Ahsan
Note: How you end a letter depends really upon how you start it. For example, if you begin a letter to an old friend ... Dear Laila, you cannot possibly end the letter with, 'Yours faithfully'. Similarly, if you are writing a formal letter and begin, 'Dear Professor Husain', you wouldn't end the letter with, 'Bye for now.'
2. How would you close your letter to the people mentioned in the exercise on this page?
Q: a. Your brother, Arif
A: Yours affectionately,
Q: b. An uncle, Daniyal Shah, who is a captain in the army
A: Yours sincerely,
Q: c. Your father's sister, Dr Shaista Naeem
A: Yours affectionately,
Q: d. The manager of your local cinema
A: Yours faithfully,
Q: e. Your family doctor, Dr. Rahman
A: Yours sincerely,
Q: f. Your principal
A: Yours faithfully,
Q: g. Your class teacher
A: Yours faithfully,
Q: h. Your neighbour, Mr Riaz Majeed
A: Yours sincerely,
Q: i. The mother of your friend whose surname is Ahsan
A: Yours sincerely,
..........
3. Can you spot all the mistakes in the following letter, which a mother has written to the principal of a school? List them and then write out the letter correctly.
Mistakes found:
1. dear sir, - D and S should be capital: Dear Sir,
2. please ixuse - spelling: excuse
3. skool - spelling: school
4. He cant - should be can't
5. bicos - spelling: because
6. timekeeper - correct word but odd context
7. its awl yore falt - spelling: it's all your fault
8. sed if - spelling: said if
9. 10 miles around, how long it will take - grammar: would take
10. 3 miles a hour - should be an hour
11. to walking - should be to walk
12. my son are not an old man - grammar: is not
13. dont giving - grammar: don't give
14. Homework - capital H not needed: homework
15. like that no more bicos - spelling: because
16. has to going - grammar: has to go
17. From yours', his mother - wrong closing: Yours faithfully,
18. Punctuation and sentence structure errors throughout
Corrected version:
Dear Sir,
Please excuse my son from school today. He can't come because he is acting as timekeeper for his dad and it's all your fault. His homework said if a field is 10 miles around, how long would it take a man walking 3 miles an hour to walk round it 10 times? My son is not an old man, so we sent his father. His father is walking round while my son times him. So please don't give him homework like that any more because his dad has to go to work.
Yours faithfully,
His mother
4. Write a formal letter to the Police Station of your area. Inform them about an attempted theft that took place in the street of your house, asking for their help.
45-A Street 7,
G-10/2,
Islamabad 44000
9 May 2026
The Station House Officer,
Police Station G-10,
Islamabad
Subject: Complaint regarding attempted theft in Street 7, G-10/2
Dear Sir,
I wish to inform you that an attempted theft took place in our street last night, 8 May 2026, at around 2:30 a.m. Two unknown men tried to break the lock of my neighbour's car parked outside House No. 45-A. When my father shouted from the balcony, they ran away towards the main road on a motorcycle without a number plate.
The incident has caused fear among the residents. I request you to increase night patrolling in our street and take necessary action to ensure our safety.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Yours faithfully,
X.Y.Z.
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