NCERT Solutions for Class 8th English Chapter 2 Unit 2
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
The unit gathers three pieces that ask the same question in three different registers — what does a person owe to others? — and answers it through a soldier, a schoolboy and a grandfather. A Tale of Valour is a factual account of 3 November 1947, when Major Somnath Sharma and the 90 men of D Company, 4 KUMAON, held Badgam against roughly 500 infiltrators. His last message — “I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round” — is the sentence the whole piece is built around. Somebody's Mother (Mary Dow Brine) is a narrative poem in rhyming couplets ( AABB ). An old woman waits at a crossing in the snow; a crowd of schoolboys hurries past; one boy stops, and his reason — “She's somebody's mother, boys, you know” — turns a stranger into a person. Verghese Kurien
- A Tale of Valour
- Somebody's Mother
- Verghese Kurien
Quick revision
| Word / Expression | Where it comes | What it means | Used in a sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| valour | A Tale of Valour | Courage, especially in battle | This is a tribute to the valiant Major Somnath Sharma. |
| infiltrators | A Tale of Valour | People who secretly invade | Ninety men foiled the plan of some 500 infiltrators. |
| resolute | A Tale of Valour | Determined; not to be shaken | Vastly outnumbered, Major Somnath Sharma and his men stood resolute. |
| conspicuous | A Tale of Valour | Noticeable; standing out | He was awarded the Param Vir Chakra for this act of conspicuous bravery. |
| posthumously | A Tale of Valour | After death | The PVC was awarded posthumously for gallantry and supreme sacrifice. |
| etched | A Tale of Valour | Permanently fixed in someone's memory | His name is etched on the Honour Wall of the National War Memorial. |
| ragged | Somebody's Mother | (of clothes) old and torn; shabby | The woman was old and ragged and grey. |
| throng | Somebody's Mother | A large, densely packed crowd | She stood alone, uncared for, amid the throng. |
| heeded | Somebody's Mother | Paid attention to | The passers-by nor heeded the glance of her anxious eyes. |
| lest | Somebody's Mother | In case something bad happens (= just in case) | She was afraid to stir lest the carriage wheels should crowd her down. |
| fleeting | Verghese Kurien | Momentary; short-lived | Speaking on the telephone gives us an immediate but fleeting joy. |
| abiding pleasure | Verghese Kurien | Happiness that continues for a long time | A letter can be re-read over the years with great, abiding pleasure. |
| integrity | Verghese Kurien | Honesty and strong moral principles | Personal integrity is being honest to yourself. |
| poise | Verghese Kurien | Calm, dignified self-control under pressure | Her support ensured that I shouldered my responsibilities with poise. |
| musings | Verghese Kurien | Thoughts carefully turned over for a long time | I would like to dedicate these musings to you, Siddharth. |
Exercises
- A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam — Let us do these activities before we read Page 49
- A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam — Let us discuss Page 59
- A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam — Let us think and reflect Page 59 to 61
- A Tale of Valour — Let us learn Page 62 to 66
- A Tale of Valour — Let us listen Page 66
- A Tale of Valour — Let us speak Page 66 & 67
- A Tale of Valour — Let us write Page 67 & 68
- A Tale of Valour — Let us explore Page 68 & 69
- Somebody's Mother — Let us do these activities before we read Page 70
- Somebody's Mother — Let us discuss Page 73 & 74
- Somebody's Mother — Let us think and reflect Page 74 & 75
- Somebody's Mother — Let us learn Page 76 & 77
- Somebody's Mother — Let us listen Page 78
- Somebody's Mother — Let us speak Page 79
- Somebody's Mother — Let us write Page 80
- Somebody's Mother — Let us explore Page 80 & 81
- Verghese Kurien — Let us do these activities before we read Page 82
- Verghese Kurien — Let us discuss Page 86
- Verghese Kurien — Let us think and reflect Page 86 to 88
- Verghese Kurien — Let us learn Page 88 to 92
- Verghese Kurien — Let us listen Page 93
- Verghese Kurien — Let us speak Page 94 & 95
- Verghese Kurien — Let us write Page 95
- Verghese Kurien — Let us explore Page 96 & 97