Waiting for the Rain — Class 8 MCQs with Answers
Class 8 CBSE English · Chapter 12
48 practice questions · 16 Easy · 16 Medium · 16 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 8 CBSE English questions from Chapter 12, "Waiting for the Rain". 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 "Waiting for the Rain", 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 Waiting for the Rain, 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.
Waiting for the Rain — 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 Velu, the central character of 'Waiting for the Rain'?
A.A farmer✓ CorrectB.A weather scientistC.An astrologerD.A schoolteacherAnswer: A. A farmer
Explanation: Velu is a hardworking farmer whose life and livelihood depend on the rain that waters his fields.
- Q2Easy
As the title suggests, what is Velu anxiously waiting for throughout the story?
A.A good harvest festivalB.The rain, the arrival of the monsoon✓ CorrectC.A letter from the cityD.His son to return homeAnswer: B. The rain, the arrival of the monsoon
Explanation: The whole story turns on Velu's long wait for the rains that have failed to arrive after summer.
- Q3Easy
After which season did the expected rains fail to come, leaving the land dry?
A.WinterB.Summer✓ CorrectC.SpringD.AutumnAnswer: B. Summer
Explanation: When summer ends the rains normally arrive, but this year they did not come at all.
- Q4Medium
Why did Velu refuse to go to the astrologers when his neighbours advised it?
A.Because astrologers charged too much moneyB.Because the rains had always come in earlier years without any such consultations✓ CorrectC.Because he simply had no time to spareD.Because he could not find an astrologer nearbyAnswer: B. Because the rains had always come in earlier years without any such consultations
Explanation: Velu reasons that rain had arrived every year before without astrologers, so he cannot see how they would bring it now.
- Q5Medium
The cool breeze and the first raindrop on Velu's walk home mainly signal that:
A.The rain was finally coming✓ CorrectB.A dust storm was about to strikeC.Night had suddenly fallenD.Velu was only dreamingAnswer: A. The rain was finally coming
Explanation: The breeze, gathering clouds and single raindrop are nature's first signs that the long-awaited rain has begun.
- Q6Medium
Why was Velu unable to sow or plough his land this season?
A.Because he had sold his ploughB.Because he had fallen illC.Because he had run out of seedsD.Because with no rain the earth was too hard and dry to work✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Because with no rain the earth was too hard and dry to work
Explanation: Ploughing and sowing need moist soil; the rainless earth had turned hard and cracked, so farming was impossible.
- Q7Hard
Velu says, 'This is the first season in five, no, six years that I have not sown, nor ploughed.' The self-correction 'five, no, six' chiefly conveys:
A.That Velu cannot count at allB.That the number of years does not matterC.That the land is brand new to himD.How shaken he feels, stressing an unbroken run he had never missed before✓ CorrectAnswer: D. How shaken he feels, stressing an unbroken run he had never missed before
Explanation: Pausing to correct himself shows his distress and underlines that never once in six years had he failed to farm, until now.
- Q8Hard
What role does the old woman mainly play in the story?
A.A comic figure who lightens the moodB.A villain who blocks VeluC.A weather scientist with instrumentsD.A voice of traditional ecological wisdom✓ CorrectAnswer: D. A voice of traditional ecological wisdom
Explanation: She carries the story's message, offering age-old wisdom about the earth's need to rest that science could not give.
- Q9Hard
Which statement best expresses the central theme of 'Waiting for the Rain'?
A.Humans must respect and work in harmony with nature's rhythms✓ CorrectB.Science can fully control the weather when used wellC.Astrology is the surest way to bring the rainD.Hard work alone always guarantees a good harvestAnswer: A. Humans must respect and work in harmony with nature's rhythms
Explanation: The story teaches that people cannot force nature; they must patiently respect its cycles, including the earth's need to rest.
Key concepts: Waiting for the Rain (Class 8 English)
'Waiting for the Rain', by Kamakshi Balasubramanian, is a prose story in Unit 4 (Environment) of Poorvi. It follows Velu, a hardworking farmer, through a season when the monsoon fails and his land lies dry and cracked. He rejects the astrologers his neighbours suggest, visits a city weather office that has no answer, and finally meets an old woman under a tree who teaches him that the earth, worn out after thousands of years of work, needs rest just as people do. Once Velu accepts this wisdom, a cool breeze and the first raindrops arrive, and he runs home laughing and happy. The chapter is a gentle ecological parable about patience, hope and living in harmony with nature's rhythms.
- Velu, the farmer
- The central character, a devoted farmer who has worked his own land for six years, sowing jowar in one season and dhal in the next, without rest or holidays.
- The failed monsoon
- After summer the expected rains do not come; days, weeks and months pass under a blazing, cloudless sun, and the untended earth turns hard, crusted, cracked and forlorn.
- Astrologers refused
- When neighbours advise consulting astrologers, Velu refuses, reasoning that rain had always come in earlier years without any such consultations.
- The weather office
- Seeking a practical answer, Velu goes to the city weather office, but the officials only say that so many conditions are favourable yet there is still no rain, calling it 'very odd'.
- The old woman's wisdom
- Resting under a large tree, Velu meets an old woman with sparkling eyes who explains that the earth is old, has worked for thousands of years, and needs rest to regain its strength.
- Letting the land rest (fallowing)
- Her advice reflects the ecological idea of leaving soil fallow so it can recover the fertility and strength that constant cultivation drains away.
- Acceptance and the return of rain
- Velu, at first at a loss, comes to accept nature's rhythm; a cool breeze and a raindrop follow, clouds gather, and he runs home laughing and happy.
- Theme and message
- The story celebrates patience, hope, resilience and harmony with nature, showing that neither superstition nor science can force the rain, only trust in nature's own time.
- Key vocabulary
- forlorn = sad and neglected; muttered = spoke in a low voice; at a loss = confused, unsure; sparkled = shone with life and joy; rejuvenate = restore freshness and strength.
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Start this chapter free →Waiting for the Rain — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 8 English Waiting for the Rain?+
'Waiting for the Rain', by Kamakshi Balasubramanian, is a prose story in Unit 4 (Environment) of Poorvi. It follows Velu, a hardworking farmer, through a season when the monsoon fails and his land lies dry and cracked. He rejects the astrologers his neighbours suggest, visits a city weather office that has no answer, and finally meets an old woman under a tree who teaches him that the earth, worn out after thousands of years of work, needs rest just as people do. Once Velu accepts this wisdom, a cool breeze and the first raindrops arrive, and he runs home laughing and happy. The chapter is a gentle ecological parable about patience, hope and living in harmony with nature's rhythms. Key ideas include Velu, the farmer, The failed monsoon, Astrologers refused, The weather office, The old woman's wisdom, Letting the land rest (fallowing).
What does Class 8 English Chapter 12 (Waiting for the Rain) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 48 NCERT-based MCQs on "Waiting for the Rain": 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 "Waiting for the Rain" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Waiting for the Rain" 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 "Waiting for the Rain" 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 "Waiting for the Rain" 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 "Waiting for the Rain" 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 Waiting for the Rain (Class 8 English)?+
The questions that matter most test Velu, the farmer, The failed monsoon, Astrologers refused, The weather office, The old woman's wisdom, Letting the land rest (fallowing). 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 Waiting for the Rain?+
Yes — Class 8 English Waiting for the Rain 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.