"His own English was by no means without blemish." This means

Explore Exams

All Exams Test series for 1 year @ ₹349 only

Question

Read the following passage carefully and answer Questions Up to the age of 12 all the knowledge I gained was through Gujarati, my mother tongue. I knew then something of Arithmetic, History and Geography. Then I entered a High School. For the first three years the mother tongue was still the medium. But the schoolmaster's business was to drive English into the pupil's head. Therefore more than half of our time was given to learning English and mastering its arbitrary spelling and pronunciation. It was a painful discovery to have to learn a language that was not pronounced as it was written. It was a strange experience to have to learn the spelling by heart. For the first three years it was comparatively plain sailing. The pillory began with the fourth year of my school. Geometry, Algebra, Chemistry, Astronomy, History and Geography-all were to be learnt in English. The tyranny of English was so great that even Sanskrit or Persian had to be learnt through English, not through the mother tongue. It did not matter to the teacher if a boy spoke bad English which he could neither pronounce correctly nor understand fully. Why should the teacher worry? His own English was by no means without blemish. The result was chaos. I know now why I took four years to learn of Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra, Chemistry and Astronomy. If I had not to learn them through English but Gujarati, my grasp of the subjects would have been easier and clearer. My Gujarati vocabulary would have been richer. I would have made use of such knowledge in my own home. This English medium created an impassable barrier between me and the members of my family, who had not gone through English schools. I was fast becoming a stranger in my own home.

"His own English was by no means without blemish." This means

the students understood what the teacher was saying

the students made mistakes in English

the teacher’s English was good

the teacher made mistakes in English

The correct answer is

the teacher made mistakes in English

The statement "His own English was by no means without blemish" implies that the teacher's English had imperfections. In the context of the passage, it suggests that even the teacher who was responsible for teaching English was not perfectly fluent and made mistakes in the language.

Given the provided options, the most accurate interpretation of the statement is:

the teacher made mistakes in English

This interpretation aligns with the passage, highlighting the difficulties and challenges faced due to the imperfections in language skills of both students and the teacher.

Was this answer helpful?

Important Questions from Miscellaneous (APSC)

In early 2025, a rare marbled cat was spotted in which National Park of Assam?
General Studies (APSC)
View Answer
In early 2025, concerns arose regarding declining pungency of the Bhut Jolokia chili in Assam. What was identified as the primary cause of it?
General Studies (APSC)
View Answer
The Soliga tribe inhabits the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. Their relationship with the tiger population is very important to conservation efforts. Consider the following statements in connection with Soliga tribe :
(i) The name 'Soliga' means 'children of bamboo'.
(ii) The Soligas worship tigers as sacred beings. They refer to the tiger as Dodda Nayi and maintain a temple dedicated to it.
(iii) The Soligas were the first tribal community to have their forest rights recognized within a tiger reserve.
(iv) The Soliga tribe is confined to the State of Karnataka alone.
Which of the above statements is/ are not correct?
General Studies (APSC)
View Answer
India plans to issue Sovereign Green Bonds to raise money for green infrastructure projects. Consider the following statements about India's Sovereign Green Bonds :
Statement 1: The funds raised will be used to finance public projects that lower the economy's carbon intensity.
Statement 2: India issued its first Sovereign Green Bond in 2023.
Statement 3: Green Bonds are part of India's strategy to achieve net zero emission by 2070.
Statement 4: Only private investors can subscribe to Green Bonds.
Which of the above statements are correct?
General Studies (APSC)
View Answer
The National One Health Mission is a recently launched initiative in India aimed at strengthening the country's response to diseases and promoting a holistic approach to public health. Consider the following statements about India's One Health Mission :
Statement 1: The One Health Mission integrates human, animal and environmental health under a single framework.
Statement 2: The initiative is funded entirely by the Government of India without any international collaboration.
Statement 3: The Mission aims to track zoonotic diseases like Nipah and avian influenza.
Statement 4: India is the first country in Asia to adopt a One Health approach.
Which of the above statements are correct?
General Studies (APSC)
View Answer

Need Expert Advice?

Start Your Preparation with Prepp Mobile App

Download the app from Google Play & App Store