Rough notes

English Language

What are pronouns?

A pronoun takes the place of a noun.

Them or they

He or him

She or her

It

We or us if it includes you

Look at the examples to recall them.

1. He is going to the market.

2. George is talking to his mother.
3. The brothers are not talking to each other.

Why do we need pronouns?

Let’s read this:

Lisa left Lisa’s backpack on the bus. Mrs. Johnson told Lisa that Lisa could go and get Lisa’s backpack. Mr.
Harris, the bus driver, had already left the backpack in the office, so Lisa had to get the backpack from
the office before Lisa could go back to Mrs. Johnson’s classroom with the backpack.

What’s the problem in this paragraph?

Doesn’t it sound boring and unreal?

Pronouns allow us to change these sentences, so that they are simpler and easier to understand.

Lisa left her backpack on the bus. Mrs. Johnson told her that she could go and get her backpack. Mr.
Harris, the bus driver, had already left it in the office, so Lisa had to get the backpack from the office
before she could go back to Mrs. Johnson’s classroom with it.

Kinds of pronouns

1. Reflexive pronouns
2. Emphatic pronouns
3. Reciprocal pronouns
 4. Indefinite pronouns

Reflexive pronouns

1. Reflexive pronouns are pronouns used where the subject and object are the same person i.e.
when the action of the verb refers back to the doer.
2. Reflexive pronouns are formed by using ‘self’ in the singular and ‘selves’ in the plural.

A few examples

1. John reminded himself that he had to try harder.

2. You are old enough to dress yourself.
3. Suddenly, I found myself in a dark corner.
4. The dog covered itself with dirt.
5. She contradicted herself unknowingly.
6. They were discussing amongst themselves.

When are reflexive pronouns used?

1. When the subject and object are the same.

Example: The cal licked itself.

2. As the object of a preposition when the subject and the object are the same.

Example: I sometimes talk to myself.

 Emphatic pronouns

1. Emphatic pronouns are the same as reflexive pronouns, but their purpose is different.
2. They are used for highlighting, stressing, or emphasizing the noun or pronoun that comes before
them.
3. An emphatic pronoun can be omitted without changing the sense of a sentence.

Examples

1. Joseph himself went to check the gate.

2. He himself is responsible for those low grades.
3. They themselves admitted to their mistakes.
4. The book itself tells you all about pronouns.
5. The children themselves made the plan.
6. The village itself is very small.
7. We ourselves will be completing the assignment.

How to differentiate between reflexive pronouns and emphatic pronouns

Since they have the same form, it’s difficult to decide which one is a reflexive pronoun and which one is
an emphatic pronoun.

Hint:

Omit the pronoun; if the meaning of the sentence remains the same, it’s an emphatic pronoun, if it
doesn’t, it’s a reflexive pronoun.

Mathematics
Quadrilaterals

1. A polygon with four sides

2. 360 degrees. Sum of the interior angles of any convex quadrilateral.

Properties of a
square

1. All four
sides are
equal in
length.
2. Opposite
sides are
parallel.
3. All
internal angles equal 90 degree.
4. The diagonals are equal in length.
5. The diagonals cross at their midpoints.
6. The diagonals are perpendicular.

Properties of rectangle

1. Every angle is right angle.

2. Opposite sides are congruent.
3. Opposite sides are parallel.
4. Diagonals of rectangle are congruent.
5. Diagonals of rectangle bisect each other.

Is a square a rectangle?

English Literature

Can you guess the setting of some of your favourite movies?

The Lion King

Jurassic Park

Frozen

The Hunger Games

Setting the mood

The most important function of the setting is to set the mood.

Is the mood...?

Cozy Eerie Inviting

horrific happy Quiet
Lively Depressing Happy
Warm Dark Lively
Movies and books work the same way.

While books tell a story through the printed word, movies tell a story through visuals.

Both, however, use a setting for the same reasons and to achieve the same effects.

Now let’s talk about this scene (Jurassic Park)

Did you carefully watch the scene?

What kind of a mood was created in this scene?

What kind of feelings did this scene evoke in you? Do you think your feelings were created because of
certain elements in the scene? The jungle, the darkness, the thunderstorm? Don’t you think the scene
became more horrific because of its setting? Do you think this scene would have been as scary if it had
been set on a beach on a warm summer morning instead?

So now you can see how important a setting actually is in making a story successful.

Have you seen the animated movie Monsters Inc?

Pay attention to how suspense is built up due to setting.

Our next clip is of Narnia. It is of the moment when Lucy discovers Narnia.

When we view the video clip, notice the difference of setting between the room that Lucy walks out of
and the place she walks into.

Now let’s watch two different clips of movies on the great detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Both the clips show the streets of London but set in different time periods.

Notice those differences when you watch the clips.

What did you notice about the streets of London more than a century ago?

What about the London of our current times?

Now the two clips we will watch will be from the same movie made by two different directors 45
years apart.

They both show the main character Macbeth speaking the same dialogues but notice how the
difference of setting makes one video clip truly memorable.

Did you watch both the clips carefully?

Did you enjoy the second clip as much as we did?

Islamiat

Say, [O Muhammad], “It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, ‘Indeed, we
have heard an amazing Quran.’”

Quick facts about the Quran

1. The Quran has 30 parts or chapters.

2. The Quran has 114 Surahs.
3. Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem is repeated 114 times in the Quran.
4. Surah Al-Tawbah is the only surah that does not start with Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem.
5. Al-Baqarah is the longest surah in the Quran.
6. Al-Kawthar is the shortest surah in the Quran.
7. Milk is the best drink mentioned in the Quran.
8. Honey is the best food thing mentioned in the Quran.
9. The best night is the Night of Power in Ramadan (Laylat al Qadr).
10. Quran was revealed over 23 years: 13 in Mecca and 10 in Madina.
11. Whoever reads one letter of the Quran gets 10 rewards!

Superiority or importance of the Quran

The Holy Quran is considered to be a miracle bestowed upon Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

1. It is the greatest gift of Allah upon mankind as its instructions are aimed at the general welfare
of mankind.
2. It has 55 other names, some of which are Al-Kitab, Al-Furqan, Al-Nur, Al-Shifa, Al-Huda, Al-
Hikmat, Al-Rehmat, Al-Khair, Al-Haq and Al-Majid.

The Quran was not sent down as a compiled book.

It was revealed in small portions over a period of 23 years as per the changing situations and
requirements of the new and young Muslim community in Makkah and later in Madina.

Differences between the Quran and the other Divine Books

The superiority of the Quran to the other books is in the DIFFERENCES between the teachings of the
two. The teachings of the Quran are:
 1. Authentic/Reliable
2. Universal
3. Eternal
4. Comprehensive
5. Seal of Prophethood

Authentic/Reliable

1. The Quran is the only authentic or reliable divine book present in the world today.
2. This is so because it is intact in its original form.
3. Today, it is found exactly as it was when it was first revealed upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad
PBUH more than 1400 years ago.
4. Not even a dot has been changed in it.

Allah has promised to protect it till the Last Day as the Quran states:

“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message, and We will surely guard it (from corruption).”

(Surah Al-Hijr Verse 09) (contd)

It is very difficult to determine which parts of the books are original messages sent by Allah and which
are not.

Muslims only believe those parts of these books that are mentioned in the Quran or Sunnah or are
similar to the Quran.

Universal

The Holy Quran is a book which is meant to guide the entire mankind or humanity irrespective of
nationality, caste, colour, or creed.

While all the other books were meant for guiding a specific nation, tribe, or people.

Taurat and Injeel were meant for Bani Israel or People of Israel.

Quranic teachings are applicable to the entire human race all over the world.

Eternal

Quran is meant to guide mankind for all times to come till the Last Day. Its teachings are applicable to all
humans for all times to come.

Solutions for problems of all ages can be found and will be continued to be found in the Holy Quran till
the Last Day (The Day of Judgement).

However, the remaining divine books were meant for a specific age or time period in history.
They addressed problems related to people in a specific age or time according to their requirements.
Therefore, their teachings are not applicable today.

In case any issue or problem comes up for which the answer or solution is not found in the Quran, then
we look for it in the Sunnah of the Prophet PBUH.

If we cannot find the answer there either, then keeping both the Quran and Sunnah in mind, a group of
religious scholars, with mutual consensus, comes up with the solution.

Comprehensive

Quran covers all aspects of a human’s life- social, religious, political, economic.

It is a complete code of life or way of living which is meant for the betterment of mankind while the
other divine books are limited in scope or subject matter.

We will discuss the subject matter of the Quran in detail later.

Seal of Prophethood

With the revelation of the Quran, Prophethood came to an end- the message that Allah wanted to
deliver to mankind was complete.

Prophethood was completed or perfected upon the revelation of the Quran- the chain of prophets came
to an end.

The books that were revealed before the Quran were incomplete; they do not fulfill all the requirements
of mankind in the modern age and neither will they do so in the times to come.

Subject matter or scope of the Quran

The Holy Quran covers the following aspects of a human’s life:

1. Religious
2. Social
3. Economic or legal
4. War

Existence and oneness of Allah

1. The lordship and power of Allah over the universe

2. His divine attributes
3. The dependence of the entire creation upon him
4. What pleases and displeases Allah
5. Warnings for disbelievers and glad tidings for believers
Man’s relationship with Allah and his responsibilities to Him in the form of rights of Allah (guidance on
duties of man to Allah in the form of different ways of worship- Salah, Saum, Zakat, and Hajj).

Components of faith- the 7 beliefs, Belief in Allah, Angels, Prophets, Books, Destiny, Day of Judgement,
and Life after Death (Hereafter).

Social

Rights of fellow human beings or our duties to them in the form of different relationships

1. Parents-children
2. Teachers-students
3. Neighbours
4. Guests-hosts, poor or needy, orphans, widows
5. Travelers, relatives, friends
6. Laws on marriage and divorce
7. Laws on inheritance
8. Laws concerning retaliation and blood money
9. Drinking, gambling, and games of chance are prohibited.
10. The life, property, and self-respect of each individual is to be protected.

Economic or legal

1. To be just in all such matters

2. Not to offer bribes
3. To give true evidence
4. To give full weight and measure
5. To put contracts in writing or documenting contracts
6. Fulfill one’s undertakings or promises
7. To return a trust or deposit to its owner
8. Charging interest is prohibited.

War

1. How to distribute the spoils of war

2. The treatment of prisoners of war
3. Women, children, and the sick not to be attacked during war
4. To initiate war only if attacked
5. Not to destroy homes or harvest of the enemy
6. Injustice even to an enemy is forbidden.

The only way to achieve overall success in this world as well as in the Hereafter is to follow completely
and sincerely the guidance provided by the Quran and to regulate our lives in accordance with its
commands.
The Quran states:

“Verily, this Quran does guide to that which is most right (or stable)…”

(17:9)

Geography

What is fishing?

1. Activity of trying to catch fish

2. Fish are normally caught in the wild.
3. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling, and trapping.
4. Also includes catching aquatic animals other than fish.

What is sustainable fishing?

Sustainable fishing means leaving enough fish in the ocean, respecting habitats, and ensuring people
who depend on fishing can maintain their livelihoods.

Measuring sustainability of fishing

1. Sustainable fish stock

2. Minimizing environmental impact
3. Effective management of fisheries

Types of fishing

Traditional fishing

1. Small scale fishing practices using traditional techniques

2. Such as rod and tackle, arrows and harpoons, throw nets and drag nets etc.

Commercial fishing

1. Activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries.
2. Provides a large quantity of food in many countries around the Earth, but those who practice it
as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions.

What needs to be done now?