A Concrete Example — Class 8 MCQs with Answers
Class 8 CBSE English · Chapter 2
48 practice questions · 16 Easy · 16 Medium · 16 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 8 CBSE English questions from Chapter 2, "A Concrete Example". You get 6 timed quizzes made from 48 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that top scorers in CBSE Board exams get right.
To score well in "A Concrete Example", focus on comprehension, grammar and writing skills. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This helps you stay accurate when time is short, just as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on A Concrete Example, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 8 English mastery score. 9 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
A Concrete Example — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 8 English)
9 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation.
- Q1Easy
Who is the poet who wrote the humorous poem 'A Concrete Example'?
A.William WordsworthB.Reginald Arkell✓ CorrectC.Sudha MurtyD.Ruskin BondAnswer: B. Reginald Arkell
Explanation: 'A Concrete Example' is a light, humorous poem written by Reginald Arkell.
- Q2Easy
Who is the narrator's next-door neighbour in the poem?
A.Mrs. Jones✓ CorrectB.Mrs. SmithC.Mrs. BrownD.Mrs. GreenAnswer: A. Mrs. Jones
Explanation: The refrain names her clearly: 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones.'
- Q3Easy
According to the poem, Mrs. Jones has a garden full of what?
A.FlowersB.WeedsC.Stones✓ CorrectD.Tall treesAnswer: C. Stones
Explanation: The poem opens by saying she 'has got a garden full of stones' — the garden is dominated by stone.
- Q4Medium
What does Mrs. Jones's stone-filled garden reveal about her taste?
A.She has an unusual, unconventional taste✓ CorrectB.She dislikes gardening altogetherC.She is careless and untidyD.She cannot afford real plantsAnswer: A. She has an unusual, unconventional taste
Explanation: Filling a garden with stones, a sundial and a rockery rather than plants shows her quirky, individual taste.
- Q5Medium
The long list of stone features suggests that Mrs. Jones's garden is:
A.Full of tall shady treesB.Mostly bare soilC.Decorated mainly with stone rather than plants✓ CorrectD.Used only for growing vegetablesAnswer: C. Decorated mainly with stone rather than plants
Explanation: Crazy path, lily pond, rockery and sundial show a garden built around stone, with only tiny plants squeezed between.
- Q6Medium
Why is the narrator unable to see the flower even after discussing it for so long?
A.The flower was hidden inside the houseB.Mrs. Jones was hiding it from himC.It was too dark to see anythingD.The flower is so tiny that he is standing on it without realising✓ CorrectAnswer: D. The flower is so tiny that he is standing on it without realising
Explanation: The plants are 'so delicate and small' that he had unknowingly stepped on the very one they were discussing.
- Q7Hard
What does the punchline 'You're standing on it' reveal about the narrator himself?
A.That he is a skilled gardenerB.That he secretly dislikes Mrs. JonesC.That he is unobservant about the tiny, delicate flower✓ CorrectD.That he cannot walk properlyAnswer: C. That he is unobservant about the tiny, delicate flower
Explanation: Standing on the flower while asking where it is shows he simply failed to notice the small, delicate plant.
- Q8Hard
The rhyming pairs 'Jones/stones', 'pond/beyond' and 'device/nice' show that the poem is written in:
A.Blank verse with no rhymeB.Rhyming couplets✓ CorrectC.Free verseD.A single rhyme running through every lineAnswer: B. Rhyming couplets
Explanation: Each pair of consecutive lines rhymes (aabbcc), so the poem is built of rhyming couplets, which drive its jaunty rhythm.
- Q9Hard
Beneath its humour, the poem gently reminds us that:
A.We often overlook — even trample — the small, delicate things around us✓ CorrectB.Gardens should contain only stonesC.Neighbours should never be trustedD.Flowers are completely worthlessAnswer: A. We often overlook — even trample — the small, delicate things around us
Explanation: The easily missed flower and the careless narrator hint that small, beautiful things are easily ignored or destroyed.
Key concepts: A Concrete Example (Class 8 English)
'A Concrete Example' is a short, humorous poem by Reginald Arkell from Poorvi Unit 1, 'Wit and Wisdom'. In three neat stanzas the narrator describes his next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones, whose garden is 'full of stones' — a crazy path, a lily pond, a rockery and a sundial with a strange device. Between the stones she tucks flowers so 'delicate and small' that the narrator jokes she must plant them with a pin. Invited round to admire them, he talks about one flower for a quarter of an hour, then cries out to ask where it is — only to be told, 'You're standing on it.' The gentle irony carries a quiet lesson: the smallest, most delicate things are the easiest to overlook and to trample.
- Poet and genre
- Written by Reginald Arkell, it is a light, comic poem — the whole effect rests on gentle humour and a surprise twist, not on a dramatic plot.
- Mrs. Jones
- The narrator's next-door neighbour, an unconventional gardener who fills her garden with stones and treasures tiny plants; she is genuinely proud of it, thinking her odd sundial 'rather nice'.
- The narrator
- A neighbour who teases Mrs. Jones's garden fondly, not cruelly; his own carelessness — standing on the flower he is hunting for — is the joke at the poem's heart.
- The stone garden (setting)
- The garden's features are a crazy path (irregular flat paving), a lily pond, a rockery (rocks for growing small plants) and a sundial (a time-teller using the sun's shadow) marked with a strange device (design).
- The refrain
- Each stanza opens with 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones', a repeated line (refrain) that gives the poem a musical unity and keeps the focus firmly on her.
- Irony and the punchline
- The ending 'You're standing on it' is ironic: the narrator crushes the very flower whose whereabouts he anxiously asks about — the surprise on which all the comedy turns.
- Hyperbole
- Saying Mrs. Jones must plant the flowers 'with a pin' is deliberate exaggeration (hyperbole) to stress how absurdly tiny and delicate they are.
- The pun in the title
- 'Concrete' means both a hard, stony building material (her garden) and something real or tangible — so 'A Concrete Example' is a pun that fits the stone garden and the idea of a clear example.
- Sound and form
- The poem uses rhyming couplets (Jones/stones, pond/beyond, device/nice — an aabbcc pattern) and alliteration ('next-door neighbour'), which give it a jaunty, sing-song rhythm.
- Theme and message
- Beneath the humour lies a gentle point: small, delicate, beautiful things are easily overlooked and destroyed, and we should respect and appreciate what others love, however odd it may seem.
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Start this chapter free →A Concrete Example — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 8 English A Concrete Example?+
'A Concrete Example' is a short, humorous poem by Reginald Arkell from Poorvi Unit 1, 'Wit and Wisdom'. In three neat stanzas the narrator describes his next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones, whose garden is 'full of stones' — a crazy path, a lily pond, a rockery and a sundial with a strange device. Between the stones she tucks flowers so 'delicate and small' that the narrator jokes she must plant them with a pin. Invited round to admire them, he talks about one flower for a quarter of an hour, then cries out to ask where it is — only to be told, 'You're standing on it.' The gentle irony carries a quiet lesson: the smallest, most delicate things are the easiest to overlook and to trample. Key ideas include Poet and genre, Mrs. Jones, The narrator, The stone garden (setting), The refrain, Irony and the punchline.
What does Class 8 English Chapter 2 (A Concrete Example) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 48 NCERT-based MCQs on "A Concrete Example": 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard. Together they make 6 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "A Concrete Example" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "A Concrete Example" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year. One year from the day you pay. You stay in Class 8 till 31 March; on 1 April your account moves up to Class 9 and the rest of your year carries over. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "A Concrete Example" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 6 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "A Concrete Example" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 9 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "A Concrete Example" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from A Concrete Example (Class 8 English)?+
The questions that matter most test Poet and genre, Mrs. Jones, The narrator, The stone garden (setting), The refrain, Irony and the punchline. This page shows 9 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations. Sign in to practise all 48 questions on the chapter as timed quizzes.
Is there an online quiz for A Concrete Example?+
Yes — Class 8 English A Concrete Example has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.