L.

7 AACHCHI
by - Lasantha Rodrigo
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 

Lasantha Rodrigo (b.1976) is from

Colombo, Sri Lanka. He completed
his PhD in English
 
Studies from
Illinois State University. He has
written an autobiographical novel
‘The Scent of a Rhododendron’.
 INTRODUCTION

● Share a few things about each of your family

members.

● What are the things that bind a family together?

 

● Share your feelings when you felt that your

sibling/cousin was shown more affection by your
parent/grandparent.

● ‘AACHCHI’ is a story about the relationship

between a boy and his grandmother.
 AACHCHI - The Story

● The narrator, with his cousins used to gather at

Aachchi’s old mansion every holiday where Aachchi
lived alone.

● Aachchi would give   pocket money to all the children

on Avurudhu
(New Year Festival celebrated in Sri Lanka, in mid -
April) when the children would pay her respect by
touching her feet.

● Aachchi gave more money to the narrator’s elder

siblings than what she gave him (the narrator) just
because they were older than him.
 AACHCHI - The Story
● The narrator believed that Aachchi loved Uncle D’s
children more than she loved him because she
always gave away his secret hiding places to Uncle
D’s children when they would play hide-and-seek.

● The narrator used to visit Aachchi’s place with his

two sisters, brother and Amma where Aachchi
would give them sweets, ginger biscuits and hot
ginger tea.
 AACHCHI - The Story
● The narrator thought that Aachchi always spied
on him.

● Also, he had a strong notion that Aachchi didn’t

like him as once he overheard Aachchi telling
 
Amma that the narrator didn’t know how to
behave around visitors because he was too loud,
rough and noisy.

● On the previous New Year the narrator had

realised from the unsteady voice of Aachchi that
she was hurt when he had refused to touch her
feet saying that they were dirty.
 AACHCHI - The Story

● One Sunday, Uncle D, Amma’s youngest brother

came to the narrator’s house and informed about
Aachchi falling seriously ill.

● The narrator was surprised

  to hear about Aachchi’s
illness because last time he had visited her she had
been quite well.

● According to Uncle D, Aachchi had gone for her

usual walk in the garden. On returning, she had
developed a severe chill and a high fever.
 AACHCHI - The Story

● On reaching Aachchi’s house, and then her

bedroom, the narrator saw Aachchi lying in her
bed.

● Aachchi’s face was

  lined with pain.

● The narrator had usually been in the garden and

other rooms of Aachchi’s house. He had rarely
come to her bedroom.

● While sitting quietly at her bedside, the narrator

inspected the room.
 AACHCHI - The Story

● On the wall was a framed photograph of Aachchi

in her youth with a beautiful smile.

● The narrator looked at his mother because he

 
realised that Achchi, in her youth, had resembled
his mother.

● He thought about Aachchi’s dog, Rocky that she

had five years back who had been her constant
companion but was now no more.
 AACHCHI - The Story

● All the narrator’s aunts, his Amma’s sisters, were

around Aachchi’s bed. They all were in deep grief
and feared losing Aachchi.

 
● The narrator felt that there was something about
Aachchi that he didn’t know. That may be Aachchi
was kinder and more loving before.

● At this point of time, the narrator was about ten years

old. He remembered how Aachchi ruffled his hair
affectionately when he had got all A’s at the year-end
examination.
 AACHCHI - The Story

● While leaving Aachchi’s house, the narrator

was sadder than what he expected himself to
be. This was noticed by Aunt Manel.

● That night, while  having the hot ginger tea,

Amma looked worried but she kept telling the
family that Aachchi would be well soon.

● The narrator hoped, she was, as the New Year

was approaching, and this time he intended to
touch her feet.
 SUMMARY
“Aachchi” is a story written by Lasantha Rodrigo. It describes the
relationship between a grandmother and her grandson. The story is narrated
by the boy who describes his Aachchi (Grandmother) to be a stern and
vigilant character who was always unjust with him. In the story, he narrates
about how he felt prejudiced
  by his grandmother, of how she would care for
Uncle D’s children more than him, that she would give away his best hiding
spots and how she would keep spying on him. Towards the end of the story,
the narrator realizes his mistakes and of how undisciplined he had been. He
concludes that he would try his best to make up for his mistakes and that he
would respect and care for his grandmother.
 VOCABULARY
● vigilance - (noun)

meaning - watchfulness
 

usage - Towards the end of the long reign, the vigilance

and energy of the old king diminished.
 VOCABULARY
● catalyze - (verb)

meaning - change state

 

usage - The President would do anything to catalyze a

change amongst the current system.
 VOCABULARY
● to blow one’s own trumpet - (idiom)

meaning - to talk boastfully about one’s achievements

 

usage - I don’t mean to blow my own trumpet but this

pasta sauce I made is quite delicious!
 RECAP
Q.1. When did the children pay respect to Aachchi and what did they get in
return?

Q.2. What made the narrator feel that Aachchi liked Uncle D’s children more
than him?  

Q.3. What information did Uncle D bring to Amma one Sunday? How
did Amma react?

Q.4. Why did the narrator intend to touch Aachchi’s feet once she had
recovered?
 ACTIVE and PASSIVE VOICE
● The VOICE of a verb shows whether the Subject is ACTIVE
or PASSIVE.

● The verb is active

 
if the subject performs an action, passive
if the subject receives an action.

● eg. Someone picked my pocket yesterday. (active voice)

● eg. My pocket was picked yesterday. (passive voice)
 Comparison of Active and Passive Voice
● We use an active verb to say what the subject does.
eg. The crowd blocked the road.

● We use a passive verb to say what is done to the subject.

 
eg. The crowd was driven away from the market.

❖ NOTE - PASSIVE VOICE is preferred when

★ we do not know who has performed the action,
★ the action itself is more important than who performed it or what
caused it.
 Important Points to Remember about Passive Voice

❖ Intransitive Verbs cannot be expressed in the passive voice. 

eg. They laughed heartily. (Laughed doesn’t have an object.)
❖ In passive voice, we use the past participle form of the
verb along with
 
an appropriate form of the auxiliary be.
❖ Future continuous and perfect continuous tense do not
have passive forms.
 Important Points to Remember about Passive Voice

❖ Ditransitive verbs can have two passive forms.

eg. His colleagues gave (him - indirect object) (a present -
direct object).
He was given a present.
A present
  was given to him.

❖ It is not always necessary to include phrases like by + …. In the passive

sentence.
Eg. We informed the police.
The police was informed (by us).
(not necessary to include by us)
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TENSES CHART
SIMPLE PRESENT and SIMPLE PAST
The active object becomes the passive subject.
am/is/are + past participle
  was/were + past participle

Active: Simple Present - The movie fascinates me.

Passive: Simple Present - I am fascinated by the movie.
Active: Simple Past - The movie bored me.
Passive: Simple Past - I was bored by the movie.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TENSES CHART
PRESENT and PAST CONTINUOUS (PROGRESSIVE)
Passive form:
am/is/are + being + past participle
was/were
 
+ being + past participle
Active: Present Continuous - I am helping Sharon.
Passive: Present Continuous - Sharon is being helped by me.
Active: Past Continuous - I was cleaning the kitchen.
Passive: Past Continuous - The kitchen was being cleaned by me.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TENSES CHART
PRESENT PERFECT and PAST PERFECT
Passive form:
have/has been + past participle
 
had been + past participle
Active: Present Perfect - I have mailed the gift.
Passive: Present Perfect - The gift has been mailed by me.
Active: Past Perfect - Steven Spielberg had directed the movie.
Passive: Past Perfect - The movie had been directed by Steven
Spielberg.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TENSES CHART
FUTURE PERFECT
Passive form:
will have + past participle
will
  have been + past participle
Active: Future Perfect - John will have finished the project
next month.
Passive: Future Perfect - The project will have been finished
by next month.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TENSES CHART
FUTURE TENSES
Passive forms:
will + be + past participle
is/are going to be + past participle
 
Active: Future with WILL - I will mail the gift.
Passive: Future with WILL - The gift will be mailed by me.
Active: Future with GOING TO - I am going to make the cake.
Passive: Future with GOING TO - The cake is going to be made by
me.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS
PRESENT / FUTURE MODALS
The passive form follows this pattern:
modal + be + past participle
Active: WILL / WON'T (WILL NOT) - Sharon will invite Tom to the
  party.
Passive: WILL / WON'T (WILL NOT) - Tom will be invited to the party
by Sharon.
Active: CAN / CAN'T (CAN NOT) - Manu can foretell the future.
Passive: CAN / CAN'T (CAN NOT) - The future can be foretold by
Manu.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS
Active: MAY / MAY NOT - Her company may give Kate a new
office.
Passive: MAY / MAY NOT - Kate may be given a new office
  by her company.
Active: MIGHT / MIGHT NOT - Her company might
give Kate a new office.
Passive: MIGHT / MIGHT NOT - Kate might be given a
new office by her company.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS
Active: SHOULD / SHOULDN'T - Students should
memorize English verbs.
Passive: SHOULD / SHOULDN'T - English verbs should be
  memorized by students.
Active: OUGHT TO - Students ought to learn English verbs.
(negative ought to is rarely used)
Passive: OUGHT TO - English verbs ought to be memorized
by students.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS
Active: HAD BETTER / HAD BETTER NOT - Students had
better practice English every day.
Passive: HAD BETTER / HAD BETTER NOT - English had
better  be practiced every day by students.
Active: MUST / MUST NOT - Tourists must apply for a
passport to travel abroad.
Passive: MUST / MUST NOT - A passport to travel abroad
must be applied for.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS
Active: HAS TO / HAVE TO - She has to practice English every
day.
Passive: HAS TO / HAVE TO - English has to be practiced every
 
day.
Active: DOESN'T HAVE TO/ DON'T HAVE TO - Maria doesn't
have to clean her bedroom every day.

Passive: DOESN'T HAVE TO/ DON'T HAVE TO - Her bedroom

doesn't have to be cleaned every day.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS

Active: BE SUPPOSED TO - I am supposed to type the

  composition.

Passive: BE SUPPOSED TO - The composition is supposed

to be typed by me.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS
PAST MODALS
The past passive form follows this pattern:
modal + have been + past participle
Active: SHOULD HAVE / SHOULDN'T HAVE - The students should have
learned the verbs.
 
Passive: SHOULD HAVE / SHOULDN'T HAVE - The verbs should have been
learned by the students.
Active: OUGHT TO - Students ought to have learned the verbs.
(negative ought to is rarely used)
Passive: OUGHT TO - The verbs ought to have been learned by the students.
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - MODALS
Active: BE SUPPOSED TO (past time) - I was supposed to type the
composition.
Passive: BE SUPPOSED TO (past time) - The composition was supposed to
be typed by me.
Active: MAY / MAY
  NOT - That firm may have offered Kate a new job.
Passive: MAY / MAY NOT - Kate may have been offered a new job by that
firm.
Active: MIGHT / MIGHT NOT - That firm might have offered Kate a new job.
Passive: MIGHT / MIGHT NOT - Kate might have been offered a new job by
that firm.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - IMPERATIVES
Active: Do it.
Passive: Let it be done.
 
OR
It should/may/ought to/must be done.
(The choice of the modal depends upon the
speaker and the situation.)
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - IMPERATIVES
Examples:
● Don’t tell him anything. (Active)
● He shouldn’t be told anything. (Passive)

❖ NOTE
 
● Imperatives can be expressed in the passive in another form also:
Please keep quiet. (Active)
You are requested to keep quiet. (Passive)
● Sentences beginning with LET
Let your secretary type this letter. (Active)
Let this letter be typed by your secretary. (Passive)
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE - INFINITIVE
Active: to + V1 (to invite)
Passive: to be + past participle (to be invited)
 
● eg. I want you to leave the room right now.
I want the room to be left right now.
PRACTICE EXERCISES
Change the voice of the following sentences:
1. Grandma doesn’t like sweets.
2. The fisherman caught a fish.
3. Will you deliver the letters?
4. The doctor was 
examining the patients.
5. He has sold a horse.
6. We had played a cricket match.
7. She will have read the book.
8. Is he reciting a poem?
9. He will tell us an interesting story.
10.Let us complete our work.
 
THANK
YOU