The Letter Question Answers| Class 10 Communicative English Chapter 3

by Meenu Saini | Jul 27, 2023 | General | 0 comments

CBSE Class 10 English Communicative- Interact in English Chapter 3 The Letter Important Question Answers

Looking for The Letter question answers for Class 10 English Communicative- Interact in English Chapter 3? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English Communicative question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Chapter 3: The Letter now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.

Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.

The Letter Question Answers – Book Questions, Extra Questions

Book Questions

Q1 Answer the following questions by selecting the correct options:

1. Ali’s walking to the Post Office daily even in biting cold weather shows his __________.
A courage
B optimism
C foolishness
D strength of will

Ans. D strength of will

2. Why is the post office referred to as Ali’s ‘place of pilgrimage’?
A He visited it daily.
B He came there to pray for a letter from his daughter.
C He went there with faith and hope.
D He believed God would bless him if he went there.

Ans. C He went there with faith and hope.

3. What does the postmaster’s rudeness to Ali reveal about him?
A lack of empathy
B preoccupation with his work
C preconceived notions
D sensitivity

Ans. A lack of empathy

Q2 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

“The post office, one of the most uninteresting buildings in the world, became his place of pilgrimage. He always occupied a particular seat in a particular corner of the building, and when the people got to know his habit, they laughed at him. The postmen began to make a game of him. Even though there was no letter for him they would call out his name for the fun of seeing him jump up and come to the door. Still with boundless faith and infinite patience, he came every day, and went away empty-handed.”

1. Select the option which displays an example of ‘make a game of’.

A. Situation 1
B. Situation 2
C. Situation 3
D. Situation 4

Ans. C. Situation 3

2. Identify any two characteristics of the postmen that are revealed via their behaviour towards Ali.

Ans. Insensitive and disrespectful

3. Give one reason why the writer refers to the post office as “One of the most uninteresting buildings in the world.”

Ans. The same tedious task of gathering letters, locating addresses, and delivering them is carried out by all staff, including the postmaster and postmen. People get bored after a while because there is nothing new to discover or learn, making the post office one of the least interesting buildings in the entire world.

4. Choose the option that displays the thoughts of Ali as he walks out of the post office.

A Option 1
B Option 2
C Option 3
D Option 4

Ans. B Option 2

5. Identify two words from the extract that imply ‘without limits’.

Ans. Boundless and infinite

Q3 Answer the following questions briefly.

1. “Ali displays qualities of love and patience”. Give evidence from the story to support the statement.

Ans. Without a doubt, Ali exemplifies traits like love and patience. The story’s title tells volumes about the author’s unending love for his daughter Miriam and the extreme patience he displays in pursuing her letter. He arrives at the post office as the day breaks, sits on a bench in the corner, and waits for hours for the postmaster to call his name so he can pick up his daughter’s letter. He has never experienced the fateful day when he receives a letter from Miriam. But despite this unfortunate reality, it hasn’t reduced his patience in waiting for the letter or his love for his daughter.

2. How do you know Ali was a familiar figure at the post office?

Ans. Due to his regular attendance at the post office, Ali was a known figure to all of the employees. From the postmaster to the peon, everyone knew Ali and could put a face to the name. Typically, they made fun of him while discussing his strange behaviour. They even referred to him as a madman for coming to the post office every day even though he never received a letter.

3. Why did Ali give up hunting?

Ans. Ali stopped hunting because he grew physically frail and old in his final years, not for any other reason. Even though he no longer had the strength and vitality of youth, he still had his natural hunting instincts. Truthfully, his separation from his daughter following her marriage was the most significant factor in his decision to stop hunting. He came to understand that true happiness comes from loving and residing with loved ones as a result of his loneliness. He stopped shooting birds and other animals as a result since it causes separation.

4. What impression do you form of the postmaster after reading the story ‘The Letter’?

Ans. The postmaster seems to have two sides to him, just like a coin has two sides. He comes across as being incredibly cold-hearted and uncaring in the first part of the story. Even the author’s comparison of his face to a dull pumpkin shows how callous his nature is, yet as the story goes on and he finds himself in the same precarious situation as poor old Ali, something unexpected happens to him. When his sick daughter doesn’t respond, he gets maddened with grief and realises how difficult and crazy it must have been for old Ali to visit the post office every day in order to receive his daughter’s letter. His fatherly feelings are now rising to understand Ali’s soul. His behaviour becomes extremely sympathetic towards Ali.

5. The postmaster says to Ali, “What a pest you are, brother!” Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. Ali seems to be a nuisance to the postmaster. Perhaps it is because he visits the post office every day in the hopes of receiving a letter from his daughter. The everyday presence of Ali is a constant disturbance to the postmaster and his subordinates, just like a pest is a persistent source of annoyance and agony to humans. Otherwise, old Ali doesn’t act or behave in a way that would qualify him as a pest—neither is he particularly violent or malicious.

6. “Ali came out very slowly, turning after every few steps to gaze at the post office. His eyes were filled with tears of helplessness, for his patience was exhausted, even though he still had faith.” Why were Ali’s eyes filled with tears of helplessness? What had exhausted his patience but not his faith?

Ans. Ali was ill for a number of days. His ongoing illness robbed him of all bodily fortitude and vigour. Due to his physical condition and frailty, he was also losing his patience. He understood that it was now difficult for him to go to the post office every day to pick up his daughter’s letter. He also understood that he was running out of time, which caused him to cry. Even while his physical ailments and the impending death tested his patience, they were unable to break his spirits and unwavering conviction that, one day, he would undoubtedly receive his daughter’s letter. Because a letter eventually arrived for him, his faith prevailed.

7. “Tortured by doubt and remorse, he sat down in the glow of the charcoal sigri to wait.” Who is tortured by doubt and remorse? Why? What is he waiting for?

Ans. The postmaster is tortured by doubt and remorse. He is in doubt about the news regarding his daughter’s health. He is remorseful for his ill-behaviour with Ali because now when he is in a similar situation, he can understand the father’s pain.
The postmaster’s heart was completely filled with intense sorrow and suffering. He began to question whether he actually saw old Ali or his ghost in the early hours of the morning. He remained mentally confused and unsteady. Despite this, the illness of his daughter was causing him immense emotional pain. He is waiting for both- information from his daughter to ease his sorrow and the return of old Ali to dispel the doubt that has clouded his judgement.

Q4 Complete the table by explaining the following phrases/ sentences in your own words:

Ans.

Q5 Tortured by doubt and remorse, the postmaster sits in the glow of a charcoal sigri that night, waiting for news of his daughter. As he sits, he writes his diary.
As the postmaster, write a diary entry in about 150 words outlining your feelings about the day’s events.

Ans
Wednesday, 12th December 20XX
10:45 p.m.

I am feeling ashamed and guilty right now, since I treated Ali, a struggling father, in a nasty manner. Ali used to visit the post office every day to inquire about a letter his daughter had sent. Everyone made fun of him and laughed at him. I was no different. I also called him a nuisance and insulted him. I am now aware of Ali’s sorrow, anguish, and suffering since my own daughter is ill and I am awaiting word from her. I can appreciate his devoted concern for his daughter. I am overcome with regret and repentance for how I treated Ali inhumanely.

I found Miriam’s letter in the mail while looking for my daughter’s. Poor Ali had waited so long for this letter. As soon as Ali arrives at the post office, I want to personally deliver the letter I’ve taken to him. I would seek Ali for forgiveness in order to atone for my bad behaviour.

Extract Based Questions

Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

A Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

“Beholding the wooden arch of this building, the old man was filled with the joy that the pilgrim feets when he first sees the goal of his journey”. On the arch hung an old board with the newly painted letters “Post Office.” The old man went in quietly and squatted on the verandah. The voices of two or three people busy and their routine work could be faintly heard through the wall.

1. What building is being referred to here?
Ans. The post office is being referred to here

2. Why is the old man called a pilgrim?
Ans. The old man comes to the post office with feelings of faith and love

3. Why is building the goal of his journey?
Ans. The old man comes to the post office to check if there is a letter for him from his daughter Miriam.

4. The voices heard were of __________
Ans. Post office employees

B Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

Police Superintendent,” a voice called sharply. The old man started at the sound, but composed himself again to wait. “But for the faith and love that warmed him, he could not have borne the bitter cold”.
Name after name rang out from within as the clerk read out the English addresses on the letters and flung them to the waiting postmen. From long practise he had acquired great speed at reading out the titles – Commissioner, Superintendent, Diwan Sahib , Librarian – and in flinging the letters out.

1. Who is ‘he’ in this line?
Ans. The he mentioned in this line is Coachman Ali.

2. Why was he at the post office in the bitter cold?
Ans. Ali came to the post office daily to wait for a letter from his daughter Miriam, despite the bitter cold and waited there till the letters had been sorted out for delivery

3. What gave Ali the strength to brave the bitter cold?
Ans. The old man loved his daughter Miriam who had gone off to the Punjab with her husband five years ago, He had faith that she would write to him. This love and faith gave him the strength to bear the bitter winter cold.

4. Find a synonym of ‘throwing’ from the extract.
Ans. Flinging

5. ‘The old man started at the sound’ means that _______________
Ans. He stood up and started to walk towards the voice.

C Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

In the midst of this procedure a jesting voice from inside called, “Coachman Ali!” “The old man got up, raised his eyes to heaven in gratitude and stepping forward put his hands to the door”.
“Gokul Bhai!”
“Yes who is there?”
“You called out coachman Ali’s name didn’t you. Here I am. I have come for my letter.”
“It’s a mad man, sir, who worries us by calling everyday for letters that never come,” said the clerk to the postmaster.

1. Who is the old man?
Ans. The old man is Coachman Ali.

2. Why did he raise his eyes to heaven in gratitude?
Ans. The clerk sorting out the letters had called out his name. Thinking he had got a letter from his daughter, Miriam (for which he had been waiting for the past five years), he thanked god and stepped forward to receive the letter.

3. Why had the clerk called out his name?
Ans. Every day, regardless of the weather, Ali came and sat on a bench at the post office waiting for his daughter’s letter. The clerk called out his name in jest even though there was no letter for him for the fun of seeing him jump up and come to the door.

4. Why did they call him a mad man?
Ans. They said this because he visited the place everyday, in the wait for a letter from his daughter.

5. Find a synonym of ‘in the middle of’ from the extract.
Ans. midst

D Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

“Now he understood the meaning of love and separation. He could no longer enjoy the sportsman’s pleasure and laughter at the bewildered terror of the young partridges bereft of their parents.”

1. Who is he?
Ans. He is Coachman Ali.

2. Why had he understood the meaning of love and separation now?
Ans. Ali’s daughter Miriam had gotten married and gone away to the Punjab with her husband and he had not heard from her for the past five years.

3. How had he reacted to hunting partridges earlier?
Ans. Earlier, Ali had laughed at the young partridges who had been separated from their parents.

4. Find a synonym of confused from the extract.
Ans. bewildered

E Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

For several days Ali had not come to the post-office. There was no one with enough sympathy or understanding to guess the reason, but all were curious to know what had stopped the old man. At last he came again; but it was a struggle for him to breathe and on his face were clear signs of approaching end. “That day he could not contain his impatience”

1. ‘Approaching end’ means ___________
A End of road
B End of opportunities
C end of life
D All of these
Ans C end of life

2. Why was he impatient?
Ans. Ali had been waiting in vain for his daughter’s letter for the past five years. He knew that he was sick and approaching his end. He was impatient to have news of his daughter before he died.

3. How did he show his impatience?
Ans. Ali walked up to the Postmaster and asked if he had a letter for him from Miriam rather than waiting quietly.

4. Who was curious?
A Ali
B Postmaster
C Postman
D All of them

Ans. C Postman

Short Answer Questions

In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from Chapter 3 The Letter for CBSE Class 10 exam in the coming session

Q1 Ali in the story ‘The Letter’ is a lonely man. How does the writer bring out Ali’s loneliness?
Ans. Ali was completely alone and spent everyday waiting for a letter from his only kid, Miriam. The author claims that Ali walks his own lonely way to the post office, save for the sporadic bark of a dog. The town was dead still, broken only by the distant footfall of a worker arriving early for work or the shriek of a bird startled before its time.

Q2 In the story ‘The Letter’ what are the changes that come over Ali after the marriage of his daughter Miriam?
Ans. Once his daughter leaves, Ali misses her. He becomes aware of his affection for her. Additionally, it makes him realise that love is the foundation of the universe. He stops hunting as he can no longer stand to witness the suffering of the partridges that have been separated from their dead parents. He visits the post office everyday while waiting patiently for his daughter’s letter, giving neither the heat nor the cold a second thought. He puts up with the jokes and crude comments made by post office employees.

Q3 What made Ali a good shikari?
Ans. Ali was born with the instinct of the hunter. A crafty shikari, his talent and passion for the hunt made it impossible for him to go a day without hunting. Thanks to his keen eyesight, everyone could see the practically invisible to others soil brown partridge and the cunningly hidden hare hiding in the yellow brown scrub.

Q4 “The post office, one of the uninteresting buildings in the world, became his place of pilgrimage? Who is being referred to here? Why did he come to the post office? Why has the journey been described as a pilgrimage?
Ans. Coachman Ali is the person being discussed here. He visited the post office every day in anticipation of his daughter’s letter. A pilgrimage is a journey that is made for religious purposes, often one that is challenging and long. Ali made regular trips to the post office, enduring the sweltering heat and freezing temperatures in the hope of receiving his daughter’s letter. These trips have been compared to pilgrimages.

Q5 Describe the Postmaster.
Ans. The Postmaster had a dejected, expressionless face like a pumpkin. He didn’t show any signals of eagerness or vitality. He performed his duties without mercy or emotion. When his own daughter was sick, he finally realised what Ali was going through.

Q6 Why did Ali not come to the post office for several days? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. Ali missed visiting the post office for a few days, most likely due to his severe illness. This conclusion can be drawn from the fact that, up until this point, he had not missed going to the post office in the previous five years. In addition, he was struggling to breathe when he arrived, and it was obvious from the expression on his face that the end was near.

Q7 Whom did Ali meet on his way back from the post office? What request did he make to him?
Ans. Ali encountered Lakshmi Das, one of the post office staffers, on his way home. Ali stopped him and offered him five golden guineas. He told the cashier that day would be his last day because he was dying. However, he had never met Miriam and had never had a letter from her. He instructed the clerk to preserve the cash and to place Miriam’s note on his grave when it arrived.

Q8 What brought about a change in the Postmaster’s attitude?
Ans. When the Postmaster learned that his daughter was ill and was being cared for in another town, his attitude altered. The Postmaster was altered by his stress and anxiety over her. The desire Ali had for his daughter was understood by his father. The official’s pompous demeanour deserted him in his sadness and anxiety, and his human heart was exposed.

Q9 What difference did the Postmaster notice in Ali?
Ans. Ali maintained his modest, stooped-over appearance. As they had been when the clerk had left him, the tears were still wet on his face. But whereas his features were harsh back then, they were now softened by lines of kindness. The Postmaster recoiled in horror and awe as he raised his eyes to reveal a light that was so unearthly.

Q10 Give a short description of Ali.
Ans. Ali was an ageing, double-bowed man. He wore tom clothing and was impoverished. He walked while severely leaning on his stick. He possessed keen eyesight and had been a skilled shikari in his younger years. Even when the dogs were barking, his keen eyes could spot the hare. Since his daughter, Miriam, got married and left the hamlet with her new husband for Punjab, he has been living alone in the community.

Long Answer Questions

Q1 Tortured by doubt and remorse, the Postmaster sits in the glow of a charcoal sigri that night, waiting for news of his daughter. As the Postmaster, write a diary entry outlining your feelings Today, as I was eagerly going through the mail waiting for my daughter’s letter, my eyes fell upon the letter

Ans.
20 June 20XX

Coachman My heart was flooded with remorse and sympathy when I realised that Ali had been anticipating and was horrified to get the letter. I remember how I responded when Ali came to me and humbly asked if I had a letter from his Miriam; I rebuked him and told him to leave, but I didn’t see the pain in his eyes, the helpless tears, or the agony of the father whose patience had run out even though his faith still held. How we had all made fun of him! We had referred to him as a lunatic! How callous we were!

I’ve undergone a significant transformation as a result of my own daughter’s illness. I can sympathise with poor All as I wait with bated breath for updates about my daughter. Now, I approach every envelope with a new perspective, as if a warm, beating heart were within.

Q2 Rebuked by the Postmaster. Ali walks away from the post office with a heavy heart. That night, he writes his diary outlining his feelings about the day’s events and his approaching end. As Ali, write the diary entry.

Ans.
19 June 20XX

I go to the post office every day because I love Miriam. I wait for any updates from her and miss her. For five long years, I have been waiting every day at the post office, but in vain. Employees at the post office make fun of me. The Postmaster reprimanded me today; perhaps my presence has upset them. I won’t return there. I’m aware that my time is almost up. I’ll pay Lakshmi Das so she can bury Miriarn’s letter next to mine. The letter will arrive, I’m confident.

Q3 Lakshmi Das, a clerk in the post office, writes a letter to his friend describing the events that take place after Ali’s death and his role in the story. Write the letter as Lakshmi Das.

Ans.
2 March, 20XX

Dear Ram Prasad

I’d want to tell you about an odd thing that happened today regarding an elderly man who passed away three months ago. My values and outlook on life have altered as a result of this encounter. Old Coachman Ali is involved in the incident. If you recall, I told you about a man whose daughter had recently married and relocated to Punjab. He would visit the post office daily to check for letters from his daughter.

We teased him all the time. When we called his name, he would typically get up and head for the door. Nevertheless, he continued to show up every day, rain or shine. About three months ago, the Postmaster reprimanded him in a nasty manner. He promised to deliver the letter to him when it arrived. Leaving the post office, everyone had tears in their eyes. He welcomed me and provided me with five golden guineas so I could place his daughter’s letter next to his tomb. Soon after this, Ali passed away.

A letter from Miriam arrived today. I overheard the postmaster speaking to someone as I arrived at the post office. All, he claimed, had come to get his letter. He was gazing towards the entryway with wide-open eyes. In the evening, Miriam’s note was left next to the door. On Ali’s tomb, we kept the letter.

Yours sincerely,
Lakshmi Das

Q4 A newspaper reporter hears of the Postmaster’s strange encounter with Ali, He writes a report in the newspaper about Ali’s long wait for the letter and his strange appearance at the post office the day he receives a letter from Miriam. As the newspaper reporter, write the article “Love Knows No Boundaries”.

Ans.

LOVE KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES
By staff reporter

Love’s power inspires bravery in all kinds of circumstances. Ali’s affection for Minam is evident in how eagerly he anticipated receiving her letter. He regularly went to the post office, defying the elements, the jeers of the employees, and even the chastisement of the Postmaster. He waited for the letter in vain and passed away before it came. After speaking with All after he passed away, the postmaster placed the note on All’s grave. This experience serves as a testament to the strength of love.

Q5 It Is essential to respect everyone’s feelings. Bring out this message with reference to the story “The Letter.”

Ans. The moral of the story is that we should always respect people’s feelings and use caution to avoid inflicting harm on them. Coachman Ali finally grasped what love and separation meant when his daughter got married and left him. Since then, he had been visiting the post office frequently in hopes of receiving a letter from his daughter Miriam. However, when he returned home one day empty handed, the postmaster severely reprimanded him.

The postmaster was anxious to hear from his daughter, who was soon diagnosed with an illness. He became aware of his error and how he had wounded everyone as he awaited his daughter’s letter. He understood the agony a father would feel as he awaited his daughter’s letter. His perspective shifted. He realised that the letters weren’t just bits of paper but rather the fundamental manifestations of a human heart. He grasped the value of a letter to a person.

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