Students can find accurate Class 8 English Extra Questions and Class 8 English Chapter 2 A Concrete Example Extra Questions and Answers for better understanding.
A Concrete Example Extra Question Answer Class 8 English Chapter 2
A Concrete Example Short Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Who is Mrs. Jones, and how is her garden described?
Answer:
Mrs. Jones is the poet’s next-door neighbour. Her garden is quite unusual, filled with stones, a lily pond, a rockery, and a sundial with a strange device. It does not have the typical vibrant plants or flowers.
Question 2.
What does the poet mean by ‘crazy path’?
Answer:
The ‘crazy path’ refers to an irregular or uneven stone path in Mrs. Jones’s garden. It highlights the quirky and disordered nature of the garden’s layout.
Question 3.
Why does the poet say the plants don’t mean anything at all?
Answer:
The poet finds the plants too small and delicate to be noticeable or impressive. He cannot understand why Mrs. Jones treasures them so much.
Question 4.
What impression do you form about Mrs. Jones from her gardening choices?
Answer:
Mrs. Jones appears to have a unique and individualistic sense of beauty. She values small, often overlooked elements in her garden, suggesting creativity and attention to detail.
Question 5.
What kind of tone does the poem have?
Answer:
The tone of the poem is humorous and light-hearted. The poet uses irony and playful language to describe the quirky aspects of Mrs. Jones’s garden.
Question 6.
Why is the poem titled ‘A Concrete Example’?
Answer:
The title ‘A Concrete Example’ is a pun. Literally, it refers to the stone-filled garden (concrete), and figuratively, it means a clear example of-someone’s unusual gardening style.
Question 7.
What is the poet’s reaction when he looks for the flower?
Answer:
The poet is surprised and confused when he cannot find the flower that Mrs. Jones refers to. He is shocked to learn he had been standing on it all along.
Question 8.
What does the sundial with a strange device suggest?
Answer:
it suggests that Mrs. Jones enjoys collecting unusual and possibly old- fashioned or artistic objects for her garden. She values unique features over common ones.
Question 9.
How does the poet describe the tiny plants in the garden?
Answer:
He describes them as delicate and so small that they might have been planted using a pin. This emphasizes how insignificant they seem to him.
Question 10.
What kind of imagery is used in the poem?
Answer:
The poem uses visual imagery like ‘garden full of stones,’ ‘crazy path,’ and tiny plants’ to help readers imagine the peculiar nature of the garden.
Question 11.
Why is the speaker confused during his visit to Mrs. Jones’s garden?
Answer:
He cannot understand why Mrs. Jones talks so highly of a flower that is barely visible. He expects something showy but is instead disappointed.
Question 12.
What does the poet find amusing about Mrs. Jones’ garden?
Answer:
The poet finds the idea of planting such tiny plants between stones amusing. He jokes that they must have been planted with a pin.
Question 13.
What literary device is used in the line “unless she plants them with a pin”?
Answer:
This is an example of hyperbole (exaggera¬tion) used to humorously highlight how small the plants are.
A Concrete Example Long Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Describe the setting and features of Mrs. Jones’ garden as presented in the poem.
Answer:
Mrs. Jones’ garden is highly unusual and creative. Instead of traditional plants and flowers, it features a stone-filled path, a lily pond, a rockery, and a sundial with a strange device. The poet is amused and confused by her gardening style, which focuses on small, delicate plants placed between stones. Her garden reflects her eccentric personality and love for the unconventional.
Question 2.
How does the poet use humour and irony in describing Mrs. Jones’ garden?
Answer:
The poet uses humour by exaggerating the tiny size of the plants and joking that they were planted with a pin.
Irony comes through when the poet eagerly searches for a flower Mrs. Jones praises, only to find out he is standing on it. This unexpected twist makes the poem amusing and highlights the difference in perception between the poet and Mrs. Jones.
Question 3.
How does the poem reflect the idea that beauty is subjective?
Answer:
The poet finds Mrs. Jones’ garden strange and unimpressive, while she finds it beautiful and meaningful. She values tiny, delicate plants and carefully arranged stones, which the poet overlooks. This contrast shows that people have different definitions of beauty based on their personal tastes and experiences.
Question 4.
What is the significance of the title ‘A Concrete Example’?
Answer:
The title ‘A Concrete Example’ has a double meaning. Literally, it refers to the stone- filled (or ‘concrete’) garden. Figuratively, it provides a clear and concrete example of how people can have unique views on beauty and creativity. It also uses a pun on the word ‘concrete,’ adding to the poem’s wit.
Question 5.
What role does imagination and creativity play in Mrs. Jones’s gardening style?
Answer:
Mrs. Jones uses imagination to create a garden unlike any other. She chooses to plant tiny, nearly invisible plants between stones and adds unique elements like a sundial with a strange device. Her garden becomes a reflection of her artistic vision and unconventional taste, showing that gardening is more than just planting flowers—it’s a form of expression.
A Concrete Example Extract Based Questions and Answers
I. My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,
has got a garden full of stones:
A crazy path, a lily pond,
a rockery and, just beyond
A sundial with a strange device,
which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice.
Question 1.
What does the phrase “which Mrs. Jones thinks rather nice” reveal about her attitude toward her garden?
Answer:
It shows that Mrs. Jones takes pride in her garden and finds beauty in elements that others may find strange.
Question 2.
Identify whether the following statement is true or false:
The poet is impressed by the neat arrangement of flowers in Mrs. Jones’ garden.
Answer:
False – The garden is full of stones, and no neatly arranged flowers are mentioned,
Question 3.
What could be the poet’s possible intention in using the phrase ‘just beyond’ in the stanza?
Answer:
I think he has used the phrase ‘just beyond’ to create a sense of curiosity and transition in the garden’s layout, leading the reader to another unique feature.
Question 4.
What does the inclusion of items like a ‘rockery’ and “lily pond’ suggest about Mrs. Jones’s gardening style?
A. She prefers greenery and grassy lawns.
B. She enjoys structured landscaping with typical flowers.
C. She mixes decorative features with natural elements.
D. She dislikes any garden maintenance
Answer:
C. She mixes decorative features with natural elements.
II. My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,
once asked me round to see her stones.
We stood and talked about a flower
for quite a quarter of an hour.
“Where is this lovely thing?” I cried.
“You’re standing on it,” she replied.
Question 1.
What can be inferred about Mrs. Jones’s perception of beauty from her reaction in the last line?
Answer:
Mrs. Jones finds beauty in subtle and overlooks things, even something as small as a barely visible flower.
Question 2.
Identify whether the following statement is true or false:
The speaker easily spotted the flower Mrs. Jones was referring to.
Answer:
False – The speaker couldn’t find it and was unknowingly standing on it.
Question 3.
What does the phrase ‘for quite a quarter of an hour’ imply about the conversation?
Answer:
The phrase ‘for quite a quarter of an hour’ suggests that they talked at length, showing Mrs. Jones’s deep appreciation for even a single flower.
Question 4.
What does Mrs. Jones’s reply, “You’re standing on it,” reveal about the situation?
A. The flower was large and easy to spot.
B. The speaker had already picked the flower.
C. The flower was extremely small or hidden.
D. The flower had been removed.
Answer:
C. The flower was extremely small or hidden.
A Concrete Example Extra Questions for Practice
Passage For Comprehension
Read the given stanza and answer the questions that follow:
1. My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones,
puts little plants between the stones
They are so delicate and small,
they don’t mean anything at all.
I can’t think how she gets them in,
unless she plants them with a pin.
Question 1.
What does the poet mean by saying “they don’t mean anything at all”?
Question 2.
Identify whether the following statement is true or false:
The speaker admires the tiny plants in Mrs. Jones’s garden.
Question 3.
What does the phrase “unless she plants them with a pin” suggest about the size of the plants?
Question 4.
What does the poet’s description of the plants reveal about his perspective?
A. He is amazed by Mrs. Jones’s gardening skills.
B. He is critical of how unnoticeable the plants are.
C. He wishes to plant similar small plants.
D. He finds the garden too overgrown.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
How is irony used in the poem?
Question 2.
How is Mrs. Jones different from the poet in her views on gardening?
Question 3.
What makes Mrs. Jones’ garden unique?
Question 4.
How does the poem explore the idea of perspective?
Question 5.
What is a ‘refrain’, and what is the refrain in the poem?
Question 6.
What does the poet mean by saying the plants are planted “with a pin”?
Question 7.
What lesson can be drawn from the poem ‘A Concrete Example’?
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Compare the poet’s and Mrs. Jones’s understanding of a garden.
Question 2.
How does the poem convey the theme of observation and attention to detail?
Question 3.
Why does the speaker seem unimpressed by the flower Mrs. Jones treasures?
Question 4.
How does the poem show that different people value different things?
Question 5.
What message does the poem give about judging others’ choices?