12.6 Writing and Speaking

Writing

1. A paragraph

In about 100 words, describe a time you waited anxiously for something (a result, a visitor, good news). How did the waiting feel, and how did it end?

2. A diary entry

Imagine you are Velu on the night before you met the old woman. Write a diary entry (80–100 words) about your worries over the drought and your failed search for answers.

3. A paragraph

In about 100 words, explain the old woman’s idea that “the land must rest, just like people.” Why is this both wise and important for farming?

4. A speech / appeal

Write a short speech or appeal (100–120 words) urging people to care for the soil and use water wisely, so that farmland stays fertile for the future.

Writing tip When writing about feelings like worry or hope, show them through actions and details — “he glanced again at the empty sky” — rather than simply naming the feeling. This makes your writing vivid and convincing.

Speaking

Role-play

In pairs, act out the conversation between Velu and the old woman under the tree. Show Velu’s worry at the start and his growing calm as he listens to her wisdom.

Discuss

  1. Should farmers depend only on hard work, or also on understanding nature? Why?
  2. What can be done to help farmers when the rains fail?

Speaking tip In a thoughtful conversation, listening is as important as speaking. When you play the old woman, speak slowly and gently; when you play Velu, let your tone shift from anxious to calm as you “take in” her words.