My Diary

Anne Frank

Let's start : 🚀

The following excerpts have been taken from the book titled **Anne Frank: the diary of a Young Girl** by Anne Frank. Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, Germany. In her diary, Anne Frank records her experiences during 1942 when she and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went hiding for the next two years in the "Secret Annexe" of an old office building. The extract deals with the experiences just before she and her family went into hiding.

Let's share : 💡

• Where do you write down your experiences or the private thoughts that you have each day?
• Can you name some famous persons who wrote diaries?
• Have you ever heard of Anne Frank?

Let's read : 📚

Unit I

Sunday, 14 June, 1942

On Friday, June 12th, I woke up at six o'clock and no wonder, it was my birthday. But of course I was not allowed to get up at that hour, so I had to control my curiosity until a quarter to seven. Then I could bear it no longer, and went to the dining room, where I received a warm welcome from Moortje (the cat).

Soon after seven I went to Mummy and Daddy and then to the sitting room to undo my presents. The first to greet me was you, possibly the nicest of all. Then on the table there were a bunch of roses, a plant and some peonies, and more arrived during the day.

I got masses of things from Mommy and Daddy, and was thoroughly spoiled by various friends. Among other things I was given Camera Obscura, a party game, lots of sweets, chocolates, a puzzle, a brooch, Tales and Legends of the Netherlands by Joseph Cohen, Daisy's Mountain Holiday (a terrific book), and some money. Now I can buy The Myths of Greece and Rome – grand!

Then Lies called for me and we went to school. During recess I treated everyone to sweet biscuits, and then we had to go back to our lessons.

Now I must stop. Bye-bye, we're going to be great pals!

Word Nest 📖

curiosity: the wish to know or learn about something; undo: open; peonies: a garden plant with large red, pink or white flowers; camera obscura: a type of pinhole camera; brooch: a piece of jewellery for women which is fastened onto clothes with a pin; recess: a period of free time between classes at school; pals: friends

Let's do: ✅

Activity 1

Choose the correct answer from the given alternatives:

(a) Anne Frank's birthday was on (i) 14th June (ii) 12th June (iii) 20th June

(b) Moortje is Anne's (i) pet dog (ii) pet bird (iii) pet cat

(c) During recess in the school Anne treated everyone with (i) sweet biscuits (ii) chocolates (iii) sweets

Activity 2

Answer the following questions:

(a) What did Anne do when she could no longer control her curiosity? (b) Which present did Anne see first? Why does she refer to it as 'you'? (c) Who is the author of the book “Tales and Legends of Netherlands"? (d) What did Anne want to do with the money that she got as birthday gift?

Activity 3

Arrange the following sentences in the proper sequence:

(a) Anne went to the dining room. (b) Anne went to school with her friends. (c) Anne went to the sitting room. (d) Anne woke up. (e) Anne went to her mummy and daddy.

Let's continue: ➡️

Unit II

Monday, 15 June, 1942

I had my birthday party on Sunday afternoon. We showed a film The Lighthouse Keeper, which my school friends thoroughly enjoyed. We had a lovely time. There were lots of girls and boys. For years Lies Goosens and Sanne Houtman have been my best friends. Since then I've got to know Jopie de Waal at the Jewish Secondary School. We are together a lot and she is now my best friend. Lies is more friendly with another girl, and Sanne goes to a different school, where she has made new friends.

Let's do: ✅

Activity 4

Answer the following questions:

(a) When did Anne have her birthday party? (b) What is "The Light House Keeper"? (c) Who had been Anne's best friend for years? (d) Where did Anne meet her present best friend?

Let's continue: ➡️

Unit III

Saturday, 20th June, 1942

I haven't written for a few days because I wanted first of all to think about my diary. It's an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary; not only because I have never done so before, but because it seems to me that neither I – nor for that matter anyone else – will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-year-old school girl. Still, what does that matter? I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie buried deep in my heart.

There is a saying that “paper is more patient than man"; it came back to me on one of my slightly melancholy days, while I sat chin in hand, feeling too bored and limp even to make up my mind whether to go out or stay at home. Yes, there is no doubt that paper is patient and I don't intend to show this cardboard-covered notebook, bearing the proud name of "diary" to anyone. Unless I find a real friend, boy or girl, probably nobody cares. And now I come to the root of the matter, the reason for my starting a diary. It is that I have no such real friend.

Let me put it clearly, since no one would believe that a girl of thirteen feels herself quite alone in the world, nor is it so. I have darling parents and a sister of sixteen. I know about thirty people whom one might call friends. I have relations-aunts and uncles, who are darlings too, a good home, no – I don't seem to lack anything. But it's the same with all my friends, just fun and joking, nothing more. I can never bring myself to talk of anything outside the common round. We don't seem to be able to get any closer, that is the root of the trouble. Perhaps I lack confidence, but anyway, there it is, a **stubborn** fact and I don't seem to be able to do anything about it.

Hence, this diary. In order to enhance in my mind's eye the picture of the friend for whom I have waited so long, I don't want to set down a series of bald facts in a diary like most people do, but I want this diary itself to be my friend, and I shall call my friend Kitty. No one will grasp what I'm talking about if I begin my letters to Kitty just out of the blue, so, albeit unwillingly, I will sit by sketching in brief the story of my life.

My father was thirty-six when he married my mother, who was then twenty-five. My sister was born in 1926 in Frankfort-on-Main, I followed on June 12, 1929, and we emigrated to Holland in 1933, where my father was appointed Managing Director of Travies N.V.

The rest of our family, however, felt the full impact of Hitler's anti-Jewish laws, so life was filled with anxiety. In 1938 my two uncles (my mother's brothers) escaped to the U.S.A. My old grandmother came to us, she was then seventy-three. Granny died in January 1942, no one will ever know how much she is present in my thoughts and how much I love her still.

In 1934 I went to school at the Montessori Kindergarten and continued there.

It was at the end of the school year, I was in form 6B, when I had to say good-bye to Mrs. K. We both wept, it was very sad. In 1941 I went, with my sister Margot, to the Jewish Secondary School, she in to the fourth form and I into the first.

So far everything is all right with the four of us and here I come to the present day.

Word Nest: 📖

odd: strange or unusual; unbosoming: to reveal one's thoughts or feelings; melancholy: sadness; limp: soft and weak; stubborn: adamant; enhance: improve the quality of something; bald: plain and clear; albeit: although; emigrated: to leave a country permanently and to settle in another country;

Let's do: ✅

Activity 5

Choose the correct answer from the given alternatives:

(a) Anne has a sister who is (i) thirteen years old (ii) sixteen years old (iii) fourteen years old

(b) Kitty is Anne's (i) friend (ii) sister (iii) diary

(c) The above text is a (i) biography (ii) diary (iii) short story

(d) Anne had to say goodbye to (i) Mrs. K (ii) Margot (iii) her parents

Activity 6

Fill in the following chart with information from the text:

Activity 7

Answer the following questions:

(a) What is the saying that came back to Anne on one of her melancholy days? (b) Why does Anne consider her diary to be a dear friend? (c) Where was Anne's father appointed when they emigrated to Holland? (d) Why was Anne's life filled with anxiety?

Activity 8

Identify which of the following statements are True and which are False. Give a supporting statement for each of your answers:

(a) Anne thought that no one will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-year-old school girl. (b) In her diary Anne wanted to bring out all kinds of things that lay buried deep in her heart. (c) Anne seemed to lack everything. (d) Anne was born in Holland. (e) Anne was admitted in the fourth form in the Jewish Secondary School.

Let's talk: 🗣️

• In her diary Anne Frank speaks about herself, her parents, her sister, her friends and even about her pet cat. Now take a minute to think about yourself, your family and friends and share your thoughts with your class.
• This text has been titled 'My Diary'. Can you think of an alternative title for the text? Form groups of four and discuss.

Let's do: ✅

Activity 9(a)

Find the antonyms of the following words from the text. You will find the words in the paragraphs mentioned in the brackets:

(a) familiar: [Para-1] (b) imaginary: [Para-2] (c) inside: [Para-3] (d) hate: [Para-6] (e) happy: [Para-7] (f) past: [Para-8]

Activity 9(b)

Make sentences with the words that you have found in Activity 9(a).

Activity 10

Fill in the gaps with the words given below:

series, stubborn, control, recess, terrific

(a) We should try to control our anger. (b) Maradona was a terrific footballer. (c) Rahul is a stubborn boy. (d) We took our lunch during the recess. (e) He drew a series of pictures.

Let's learn: 🧠

Look at the following sentences from the text:

• Soon after seven I went to Mummy and Daddy and then to the sitting room to undo my presents.
• It's an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary; not only because I have never done so before, but because it seems to me that neither I – nor for that matter anyone else – will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-year-old school girl.

Now look at the red-coloured words in the sentences. In the first sentence, the word undo means to uncover or to open. And in the second sentence, the word unbosoming means to reveal the thoughts or feelings in one's bosom or heart.

In the word "undo” and “unbosoming”, "-un" is a prefix used in English to form verbs expressing a reversal of some action or state, or removal, deprivation, release, etc. (unbend; uncork; unfasten, etc)

Again, "-un" is a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, adding a negative or opposite sense in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns (unfair; unfairly; unfairness; unfelt; unseen; unfitting; unformed; unheard-of etc), and less freely used in certain other nouns (unrest; unemployment).

Let's do: ✅

Activity 11

Make as many words as you can with the prefix “-un”. Make sentences of your own with those words.

Activity 12 (a)

Put an apostrophe ['] in appropriate places to make possessives:

(a) Ravi**'s** father is a doctor. (b) Nila wants Riya**'s** pen. (c) Tendulkar is India**'s** pride. (d) Sunils' and Rahim**'s** bicycles are new. (Assuming Sunil and Rahim have separate bikes or Sunil is plural possessive for multiple people named Sunil). (e) Raju**'s** brother lives in the boys' hostel. (Assuming it's a hostel for multiple boys).

Activity 12 (b)

Put an apostrophe ['] in appropriate places to make contracted verb forms:

(a) I**'m** writing a letter now. (b) You**'re** a good boy. (c) She**'s** drawing a picture. (d) He would've done it. (e) They**'ve** gone to school.

Activity 13 (a)

Fill in the blanks with appropriate possessive pronouns given below:

ours, mine, theirs, yours, hers

(a) This picture is hers. (b) I found Seema's book but I couldn't find mine. (c) All the essays were good but theirs was the best. (d) Your photos are good. Ours are terrible. (e) Rita and Mohan don't like your drawing. Do you like yours?

Activity 13 (b)

Fill in the blanks with appropriate possessive adjectives given below:

their, your, my, our, its

(a) This is my book. (b) I like your new pen. (c) The dog is licking its paw. (d) We have sold our house. (e) The students thanked their teacher.

Activity 14

Underline the participle adjectives in the following sentences. Be careful, all the sentences do not have participle adjectives.

(a) A barking dog seldom bites. (b) The dog was barking loudly. (No participle adjective) (c) Mathematics is an interesting subject. (d) It was an amusing story. (e) The teacher was instructing his students. (No participle adjective)

Activity 15

Punctuate the following passage:

Anil went to Rahul's house yesterday morning. He asked, "Rahul, are you going to school today?" Rahul said, "No, I am going to Darjeeling. It's such a beautiful place!" Anil said, "But Rahul, the tests are starting from next week." Rahul answered, "Don't worry, I have prepared well for them." Anil came back home a little sad, but he was happy for Rahul.

Activity 16

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the verbs given in brackets:

a. I will see (see) you tomorrow. b. The students wrote (write) a summary. c. Ali has been reading (read) this book since morning. d. I finished (finish) my work when Mukta came to see me. e. When I visited her, she was singing (sing). f. He told me that his mother had been (be) ill for six days. g. He will come (come) here tomorrow. h. I have been living (live) in Kolkata for five years. i. The train had left (leave) before they reached the station. j. The cold wind was blowing (blow) hard.

Activity 17

A biography is a detailed account of someone's life written by some other person. Now write a short biography of Raja Rammohan Roy using the following information:

Raja Rammohan Roy: A Pioneer of Modern India

Name: Raja Rammohan Roy Date of birth: 22nd May, 1772 Father and Mother: Ramakanta Roy and Tarini Devi Education: Raja Rammohan Roy was a remarkable scholar, having learned Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit. He was also proficient in English, Latin, Greek, French, and Tibetan. Countries visited: He traveled to Tibet and England. Achievements: Roy was a towering figure in Indian history, known as the champion of the Brahmo Samaj. He is famously credited with the abolition of the cruel custom of Sati and authored numerous books on various subjects. Death: He passed away on 27th September 1833 and was buried in Bristol, England.

Activity 18

Write a summary of the following prose passage:

Summary: Androcles and the Lion

The famous story of Androcles and the Lion tells of Androcles, who, while hiding in a cave, encountered a limping lion in pain. Instead of fleeing, Androcles bravely approached the lion, removed a large splinter from its paw, and thus relieved its suffering. The lion, grateful, befriended him. Later, when Androcles was condemned to be eaten by wild beasts in Rome, the same lion recognized him. Instead of attacking, it affectionately rubbed its head against Androcles' feet, remembering his act of kindness.

Activity 19

Suppose you are celebrating your birthday next week. Now write a letter to your class teacher inviting him/her to your birthday party. You may begin like this:

Dear Mrs. Bose, I am celebrating my birthday on the 7th of October. It will be my 13th birthday......

Let's learn: 📚

A Diary is a personal record of events, experiences, thoughts, and observations. They are great ways to keep track of your past and plan about your future. You can also create pen-portraits of others, express your experiences, hopes, fears, joys, sorrows, etc.

While writing a diary we need to keep the following points in mind :-

• A diary must be written in the first person narrative. Use “I”, “me”, “us”, “we”, etc.
• Put the date or some sequence information at the top of the page.
• If you want, you can also draw on certain pages to mark special days or incidents. This will help to make your diary more attractive.
• The best time to write a diary is at night because then you can write about your entire day.
• Always be truthful as far as possible.
• You may imagine that the diary is a real person and not a non-living object.
• Do not be afraid to write about your feelings and emotions. After all, it is a personal diary and you can share everything with it.
• Start writing!

Let's work together: 🤝

Get a diary. Write about any celebration or disaster that had happened recently. Put your pen to the page and write whatever is on your mind. You can also write down personal facts, important information, advice, tips, ideas, anything you want to keep secret...the list goes on and on.