Chapter 9: The Proposal

Important questions — the ones the board asked most (7)

1. Q1Long answer6 marksAsked: 2023

   Answer any one of the following questions in about 100 - 120 words each : 6 (a) Forgiveness is the foundation of a cordial relationship. Do you agree ? How is this message conveyed in the play 'The Proposal' ? OR (b) Why did Kisa Gotami meet the Buddha ? How did Buddha change her life ?

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer · Kisa Gotami and the Buddha

   1. 1.Kisa Gotami went to the Buddha because her only son had died and she could not accept his death. Mad with grief, she carried the dead child from house to house, asking for medicine. At last a man sent her to the Buddha, the Sakyamuni, who alone could help her.3 marks
   2. 2.She hoped he would find a way by which her dead son could become alive again. The Buddha asked her for a handful of mustard seed from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend. Every house had lost someone dear. She understood that death is common to all and that she had been selfish in her grief. She accepted her son's death and found peace.3 marks

   • Say clearly that her only son had died and that she went to the Buddha so that he would "find a way by which her dead son could become alive again".
   • Write the condition the Buddha set: mustard seed from a house where no one had lost a child, husband, parent or friend.
   • End with how her life changed: she understood that "death is common to all" and accepted her son's death.

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

2. Q2Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   What reasons did Lomov put forward to assert his ownership of Oxen Meadows, despite facing strong opposition from Natalya and her father? (The Proposal)

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer · Oxen Meadows quarrel, Lomov

   1. 1.Lomov said Oxen Meadows were his because of the history of the land. His aunt's grandmother had given the free use of the Meadows to the peasants of Natalya's father's grandfather, and in return they were to make bricks for her. The peasants used the land for forty years and got into the habit of regarding it as their own, but that did not make it theirs. Lomov said he had the documents to prove that the Meadows were his. He did not really want the Meadows. He was acting on principle to protect his property and the honour of the Lomovs.3 marks

   • Write that his aunt's grandmother gave only the "free use" of the Meadows to the peasants of Natalya's father's grandfather.
   • Write that the peasants used the land "for forty years" and that Lomov "had the documents" to prove his claim.
   • End with the point that he was "acting on principle" to protect his property.

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

3. Q3Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   Explain the contention of the families of Lomovs and Chubukov's over the ownership of Oxen Meadows. (The Proposal)

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Model answer · dispute over Oxen Meadows

   1. 1.Oxen Meadows is a small piece of land which touches the Chubukovs' birchwoods. Its ownership is claimed by both the Lomov and Chubukov families, and this leads to a bitter dispute between Ivan Vassilevitch Lomov and Natalya Stepanovna, and later her father Stepan Stepanovitch Chubukov, each insisting that the Meadows belong only to them.1 mark
   2. 2.Lomov claims that the Meadows are his because his aunt's grandmother had given the Meadows for the temporary and free use of Chubukov's grandfather's peasants, in return for which the peasants were to make bricks for her. Though the peasants used the land for forty years and got accustomed to it as their own, Lomov argues this was only temporary use, not a permanent gift, so the Meadows belong to him.1 mark
   3. 3.Chubukov argues that Oxen Meadows have been in his family's possession for nearly three hundred years, used by his grandfather and great-grandfather without any dispute. He says the peasants never paid Lomov's aunt's grandmother because the Meadows were in dispute, and that everybody now knows the Meadows are his, so they are legally his and he refuses to give them up.1 mark

   • Write the phrase 'temporary and free use' exactly while explaining Lomov's claim.
   • State that Chubukov's family held the land for 'nearly three hundred years' to show possession.
   • Name both families, Lomov and Chubukov, clearly when stating the dispute over ownership.

   Marks split from a structure derived from past papers (checked twice); not CBSE’s official scheme

4. Q4Short answer3 marksAsked: 2026

   What was Chubukov’s reaction when he heard about Lomov’s proposal for his daughter’s hand ? (The Proposal)

   How the model answer begins

   1. Chubukov was overjoyed when Lomov asked for the hand of his daughter, Natalya Stepanovna, in marriage. He embraced and kissed Lomov and shed a tear of joy, saying he had been hoping for this for a long time and had…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
5. Q5Short answer3 marksAsked: 2024

   Lomov and Natalya trade charges against each other about the ownership of Meadows. Explain.

   How the model answer begins

   1. Lomov and Natalya are both trying to prove ownership of Oxen Meadows, which lie between the Chubukovs' birchwoods and the Burnt Marsh. Lomov argues that he has the documents of the land to show that the Meadows are his.…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
6. Q6Short answer3 marksAsked: 2024

   Justify the title of the play ‘The Proposal’ with reference to the characters and plot.

   How the model answer begins

   1. The title 'The Proposal' suits the play because the main event of the play is Lomov's proposal to Natalya. Ivan Lomov is a wealthy landowner. He comes to his neighbour, Stepan Chubukov, to ask for the hand of Chubukov's…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
7. Q7Short answer3 marksAsked: 2023

   The quarrel over Green Meadows is finally resolved. Explain.

   How the model answer begins

   1. The quarrel over the Meadows, called Oxen Meadows in the play, ends when Natalya realises that Lomov had come to propose to her. Before this, she, her father Chubukov and Lomov shout "Mine!" and "Ours!" at each other.…

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →

Questions parents and students ask

How many marks does "The Proposal" carry in CBSE Class 10 English?

In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 1 marks and about 0 questions a year; by marks it ranks 29 in English.

Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "The Proposal"?

The 7 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 7 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the Ask Medha app.

Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?

Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.