The Sermon at Benares — 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
'Become' is the base form / present tense. The past tense of 'become' is 'became' (become → became → become). The sentence uses 'sat' (past tense) just after, confirming the past tense context. Using 'become' alongside 'sat' creates an inconsistent tense — CBSE commonly tests this type of irregular verb error.
Exercise 2Gap Filling
Choose the option that best fills the blank in the sentence below.
Show Answer & Explanation
The NCERT text describes Kisa Gotami asking 'for medicine' for her dead son. Her grief was so overwhelming that she could not accept his death and sought a cure — a detail that makes the Buddha's response (asking her to bring a mustard seed from a house untouched by death) so powerful. She was not asking for food, money, or general help — specifically medicine.
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