The Ball Poem — Grammar Exercises
Two grammar exercises based on real NCERT sentences from this chapter. Practise the editing and gap-filling formats tested in CBSE Section B.
Exercise 1Editing / Error Correction
The sentence below has one grammatical error. Find the incorrect word and write the correction.
Show Answer & Explanation
The subject 'The boy' is third person singular. In the present perfect tense, third person singular subjects use 'has' + past participle: 'has lost'. 'Have' is for first person ('I have') and plural ('they have'). 'The boy have' is a subject-verb agreement error — one of the most common in CBSE editing exercises.
Exercise 2Gap Filling
Choose the option that best fills the blank in the sentence below.
Show Answer & Explanation
John Berryman uses the precise phrase 'epistemology of loss' in the poem. The lost ball teaches the boy his first lesson about loss — that some things cannot be bought back, that loss is permanent. 'Pain', 'change', and 'joy' are related emotions but not Berryman's words. This phrase is one of the most frequently quoted in board exam extracts.
Want more grammar practice?
Practise with 30 authentic CBSE board paper questions from the editing exercises page.