Class 9 English Test – Chapter 1 and Poem 1 | Active and Passive Voice | GSEB PAPER | Detailed Solution and Marking Scheme

 

VEDANT SKILL ASSESSMENT SERIES — ACADEMIC YEAR 2026-27

CLASS: IX SUBJECT: ENGLISH MAX. MARKS: 30 TIME: 1 HOUR CHAPTER 1: THE FUN THEY HAD & POEM 1: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN ***

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read all questions carefully before answering. — Misreading the question and then blaming the paper will not increase your marks.

2. Show proper steps wherever required. — “Sir, answer toh yahi aana tha” is not an accepted mathematical method.

3. Write neatly and clearly. — If your handwriting requires a decoder machine, checking may become an adventure.

4. Manage your time wisely. — Spending 45 minutes on one question and calling the rest “optional” is not a strategy.

5. If you do not know the answer, you may cry silently. — Loud crying, emotional speeches, and negotiations for hints are strictly prohibited.

SECTION A: GRAMMAR (ACTIVE & PASSIVE VOICE)

[10 × 1 = 10 Marks]

Q1. Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever because the mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography. Identify the correct active voice transformation of: "The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test." A. The mechanical teacher has given her test after test.

B. She had been given test after test by the mechanical teacher.

C. The mechanical teacher was giving her test after test.

D. The mechanical teacher had given her test after test.

Q2. Tommy found a real book in the attic of his house. Choose the option that correctly converts this sentence into passive voice. A. A real book is found by Tommy in the attic of his house.

B. A real book was found by Tommy in the attic of his house.

C. A real book had been found by Tommy in the attic of his house.

D. A real book was being found by Tommy in the attic of his house.

Q3. "The County Inspector took the teacher apart and slowed it down to an average ten-year level." Transform the underlined clause ("The County Inspector took the teacher apart") into its appropriate passive equivalent. A. The teacher was taken apart by the County Inspector.

B. The teacher had been taken apart by the County Inspector.

C. The teacher took apart the County Inspector.

D. The teacher was being taken apart by the County Inspector.

Q4. Select the option that correctly changes the following sentence from a student's diary entry into passive voice: "We will discuss the impact of human teachers tomorrow." A. The impact of human teachers will be discussed by us tomorrow.

B. The impact of human teachers would be discussed by us tomorrow.

C. The impact of human teachers is discussed by us tomorrow.

D. The impact of human teachers will have been discussed tomorrow.

Q5. In a debate on digital education, a speaker says: "The technological shift changes our perception of traditional schoolrooms." How will this statement be read in the passive voice? A. Our perception of traditional schoolrooms changed by the technological shift.

B. Our perception of traditional schoolrooms is being changed by the technological shift.

C. Our perception of traditional schoolrooms is changed by the technological shift.

D. Our perception of traditional schoolrooms has been changed by the technological shift.

Q6. Read the sentence from a literary analysis of 'The Road Not Taken': "The traveler chose the less frequented road." Identify the passive structure that accurately preserves the tense and meaning. A. The less frequented road is chosen by the traveler.

B. The less frequented road was chosen by the traveler.

C. The less frequented road had chosen the traveler.

D. The less frequented road was being chosen by the traveler.

Q7. Change the following interrogative sentence into passive voice: "Did the automated system evaluate Margie's homework instantly?" A. Was Margie's homework evaluated instantly by the automated system?

B. Had Margie's homework been evaluated instantly by the automated system?

C. Is Margie's homework evaluated instantly by the automated system?

D. Was Margie's homework being evaluated instantly by the automated system?

Q8. Read the conversational line: "They did not have a regular teacher in the old days; they had a man." Which of the following represents the correct passive construction of the underlined phrase? A. A regular teacher was not had by them in the old days.

B. A regular teacher is not possessed by them in the old days.

C. A regular teacher had not been had by them in the old days.

D. A regular teacher was not being had by them in the old days.

Q9. ASSERTION (A) and REASON (R): Assertion (A): The passive structure "The road was traveled by many before" accurately transforms the active sentence "Many had traveled the road before." Reason (R): In past perfect tense, the active voice 'had + V3' changes to 'had been + V3' in the passive voice. A. Both A and R are true, R is correct explanation of A

B. Both A and R are true, R is not correct explanation of A

C. A is true, R is false

D. A is false, R is true

Q10. ASSERTION (A) and REASON (R): Assertion (A): The active sentence "People think that automated learning is efficient" can be written in the passive form as "It is thought that automated learning is efficient." Reason (R): Sentences expressing general opinions or beliefs using verbs like 'think', 'believe', or 'say' can utilize an impersonal passive construction starting with 'It is'. A. Both A and R are true, R is correct explanation of A

B. Both A and R are true, R is not correct explanation of A

C. A is true, R is false

D. A is false, R is true

SECTION B: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

[4 × 2 = 8 Marks]

"Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours."

Q11. In the context of "The Fun They Had", how does the physical isolation of Margie's schoolroom reflect a critique of institutionalized, purely technological education? [2 Marks]

"And both that morning equally lay > In leaves no step had trodden black. > Oh, I kept the first for another day! > Yet knowing how way leads on to way, > I doubted if I should ever come back."

Q12. What psychological dilemma does the poet highlight in "The Road Not Taken" when he notes that "way leads on to way"? Relate your answer to real-life decision-making. [2 Marks]

Q13. Imagine Tommy represents a modern tech-savvy individual and Margie represents an emotionally receptive mind. Contrast their immediate reactions to the discovery of the 'real book' to showcase their varying levels of conditioning. [2 Marks]

Q14. The traveler in Robert Frost's poem sighs "somewhere ages and ages hence". Evaluate why the long-term impact of a choice forces an individual to experience an underlying sense of ambiguity or regret. [2 Marks]

SECTION C: LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

[2 × 4 = 12 Marks]

Q15. Technology can individualize instruction, but it cannot cultivate community. Based on your reading of Isaac Asimov's "The Fun They Had", write an analytical essay (80-100 words) on how the absence of social spaces like traditional schools affects the psycho-social development of children in a futuristic virtual system. [4 Marks]

Q16. Both Robert Frost's traveler and Isaac Asimov's characters deal with structural constraints—one faces an irreversible path, while the others are trapped in a predetermined technological routine. Connect the theme of personal autonomy in "The Road Not Taken" with the choice of learning styles in "The Fun They Had". How do our choices define our liberation? (80-100 words) [4 Marks]

Marking Scheme & Detailed Answer Key

Academic Year 2026-27 | Class IX English

Section A: Grammar (Active & Passive Voice)

[10 Marks]

• Q1. Correct Answer: D

  • Explanation: The original sentence is in the past perfect continuous tense (had been giving). Active voice transitions must maintain tense alignment; option D (had given) is the closest standard past form provided, as continuous passive adjustments follow strict rules.

• Q2. Correct Answer: B

  • Explanation: The active sentence is in the Simple Past tense (found). The passive voice template for simple past is $\text{was/were} + \text{V3}$ (was found).

• Q3. Correct Answer: A

  • Explanation: "The County Inspector took..." is Simple Past. The passive equivalent requires was/were + taken. Since "the teacher" is singular, "was taken apart" is correct.

• Q4. Correct Answer: A

  • Explanation: Simple Future tense (will discuss) converts to $\text{will be} + \text{V3}$ (will be discussed) in the passive voice.

• Q5. Correct Answer: C

  • Explanation: Simple Present tense (changes) converts to $\text{is/am/are} + \text{V3}$ (is changed) based on the singular object "our perception".

• Q6. Correct Answer: B

  • Explanation: Simple Past tense (chose) converts to $\text{was/were} + \text{V3}$ (was chosen).

• Q7. Correct Answer: A

  • Explanation: Interrogative simple past (Did... evaluate) converts to $\text{Was/Were} + \text{Subject} + \text{V3}$ (Was Margie's homework evaluated).

• Q8. Correct Answer: A

  • Explanation: Simple past negative (did not have) becomes $\text{was/were not} + \text{V3}$ (was not had). While stylistically rare, it is grammatically precise.

• Q9. Correct Answer: D

  • Explanation: The Assertion is false because "Many had traveled" (Past Perfect) converts to "had been traveled," not "was traveled" (Simple Past). The Reason is a true grammatical rule.

• Q10. Correct Answer: A

  • Explanation: Both statements are true. Impersonal passives (It is thought that...) are standardly used to convert active statements of belief or opinion.

Section B: Short Answer Questions

[8 Marks | 2 Marks Each]

• Q11. Value Points:

  • The schoolroom being right next to the bedroom represents the total collapse of boundaries between personal life and institutionalized instruction.

  • It critiques technology by showing that isolated, automated learning strips education of its cultural and social context, turning it into a mechanical chore.

• Q12. Value Points:

  • "Way leads on to way" highlights the irreversibility of choices. One decision creates a cascading path where returning to the original crossroad becomes impossible.

  • Real-life connection: Choosing a career stream or a specific habit alters a student's life trajectory permanently, making retrospective changes highly complex.

• Q13. Value Points:

  • Tommy: Desensitized and utilitarian; he views the real book as a wasteful, inefficient artifact ("What a waste").

  • Margie: Curious, emotionally receptive, and wistful; she finds the physical pages "awfully funny" and immediately begins romanticizing the human element of past learning systems.

• Q14. Value Points:

  • The "sigh" symbolizes the burden of speculation. Because human beings cannot live both lives, a choice automatically requires sacrificing an alternative ("the road not taken").

  • The long-term impact is shrouded in ambiguity because we can never truly know if the unchosen path would have yielded greater fulfillment.

Section C: Long Answer Questions

[12 Marks | 4 Marks Each]

• Q15. Evaluation Rubric & Content Guidelines:

  • Content (2 Marks): Must address how isolation impacts psycho-social growth (lack of peer interaction, loss of empathy, absence of collaborative problem-solving, and emotional stagnation).

  • Expression (2 Marks): Logical progression, structural coherence, and correct vocabulary.

  • Suggested Answer Outline: Asimov's futuristic model warns against replacing human ecosystems with customized algorithms. While the mechanical teacher adapts perfectly to individual learning curves, it creates a social vacuum. Traditional schools foster crucial peer interactions, conflict resolution, and collective empathy. Without a playground or a shared physical classroom, children like Margie lose out on shared human experiences, resulting in an underlying sense of alienation and emotional stagnation.

• Q16. Evaluation Rubric & Content Guidelines:

  • Content (2 Marks): Must draw a clear thematic parallel between Frost’s traveler making an autonomous, non-conformist choice and Margie/Tommy yearning for a creative, human-centric educational framework over automated conformity.

  • Expression (2 Marks): Insightful analysis, crisp synthesis of both texts, and textually accurate arguments.

  • Suggested Answer Outline: Both texts explore the tension between systemic structural constraints and individual agency. In The Road Not Taken, the traveler reclaims personal autonomy by intentionally picking the less-traveled path, refusing to follow the crowd blindly. Conversely, Margie and Tommy are trapped in a rigid, predetermined digital framework designed by a mechanical system. True liberation, as linked across both works, lies in the conscious exercise of choice—whether it is an individual deciding their path in life or a student demanding an interactive, humanized learning environment over mechanical imposition.