Do as Directed (Mixed Grammar): HSC 12th Board English PYQs
Welcome to the ultimate test of your grammar skills for the 12th Board Exams (HSC / ISC)! The "Do as Directed" section is a mixed bag where any grammar topic can appear. Examiners test your ability to switch between Active/Passive Voice, Degrees of Comparison, Clauses, and Modals within seconds. The golden rule here is: Never change the original meaning of the sentence! Master our overall strategy cheat sheet below, practice the top 20 Mixed Previous Year Questions (PYQs), and challenge yourself with the interactive Self-Test!
🔥 Exam Tip & The Master Grammar Strategy Cheat Sheet:
- Rule 1 (The Meaning Rule): Whatever transformation you do, the core meaning of the sentence MUST remain exactly the same.
- Rule 2 (The Tense Rule): Never change the tense. If the question is in the Past Tense, your answer MUST be in the Past Tense.
- Rule 3 (Identify the Hidden Topic):
👉 "Use able to" means remove can/could.
👉 "Use used to" means remove would.
👉 "Remove too...to" means use so...that...cannot/could not.
👉 "Make it negative" often means use antonyms (e.g., He is honest → He is not dishonest).- Rule 4 (Check your Punctuation): Exclamatory sentences must end with ! and Interrogative (Rhetorical) sentences must end with ?. Do not lose a mark over a dot!
Top 20 Board Exam Questions: Do as Directed
Part 1: Transformations (Voice, Degree & Synthesis)
- Question: The government is building a new bridge. (Change the Voice) - HSC March 2019
Answer: A new bridge is being built by the government. (Continuous tense requires 'being'). - Question: Mahabaleshwar is one of the coolest hill stations in Maharashtra. (Change into Positive Degree)
Answer: Very few hill stations in Maharashtra are as cool as Mahabaleshwar. - Question: The box was too heavy for him to lift. (Remove 'too...to' / Use 'so...that') - HSC July 2022
Answer: The box was so heavy that he could not lift it. (Used 'could not' because the tense is 'was'). - Question: Open the door immediately. (Change the Voice)
Answer: Let the door be opened immediately. - Question: I like playing cricket on Sundays. (Rewrite using Infinitive)
Answer: I like to play cricket on Sundays. (playing → to play).
Part 2: Conjunctions & Clauses
- Question: As soon as the sun rose, the birds started chirping. (Use 'No sooner...than') - HSC March 2022
Answer: No sooner did the sun rise than the birds started chirping. - Question: Unless you practice daily, you cannot win the match. (Use 'If...not')
Answer: If you do not practice daily, you cannot win the match. - Question: Though he is poor, he is extremely generous. (Make it a Compound Sentence) - HSC March 2020
Answer: He is poor, but he is extremely generous. - Question: I know the man who is standing near the gate. (Identify and name the clause)
Answer: Main Clause: I know the man.
Subordinate Clause: who is standing near the gate (Adjective Clause). - Question: He is both a doctor and a social worker. (Use 'Not only...but also')
Answer: He is not only a doctor but also a social worker.
Part 3: Sentence Types (Negative, Rhetorical, Exclamatory)
- Question: What a fantastic achievement it is! (Make it Assertive) - HSC March 2023
Answer: It is a very fantastic achievement. - Question: Everyone knows the importance of discipline. (Make it a Rhetorical Question)
Answer: Does everyone not know the importance of discipline? (OR: Who doesn't know the importance of discipline?) - Question: Only graduates can apply for this post. (Make it Negative without changing the meaning)
Answer: None but graduates can apply for this post. - Question: He failed the exam because he was lazy. (Make it a Compound sentence) - HSC March 2024 Pattern
Answer: He was lazy, so he failed the exam. - Question: As the weather was bad, we stayed indoors. (Make it a Simple sentence)
Answer: Due to the bad weather, we stayed indoors.
Part 4: Modals, Word Forms & Helping Verbs
- Question: I could not finish the assignment on time. (Use 'be able to')
Answer: I was not able to finish the assignment on time. (could = was able to). - Question: During my childhood, I would spend hours reading books. (Use 'used to')
Answer: During my childhood, I used to spend hours reading books. - Question: She will pay the electricity bill tomorrow. (Use 'going to')
Answer: She is going to pay the electricity bill tomorrow. - Question: It is certain that he will accept the offer. (Rewrite using the Adverb form of the underlined word)
Answer: He will certainly accept the offer. - Question: They made a decision to start a new business. (Rewrite using the verb form of the underlined word)
Answer: They decided to start a new business.
📝 Test Yourself: Guess the Transformation!
Have you mastered all the mixed grammar rules? Try transforming these 5 tricky 12th board-level questions. Click on "Show Answer" to check your accuracy!
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Question: Remove 'too...to': He is too proud to beg for money.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: He is so proud that he will not (or cannot) beg for money.
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Question: Use 'able to': They can solve this puzzle easily.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: They are able to solve this puzzle easily. (can = is/am/are able to).
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Question: Make it Exclamatory: It was a very horrible accident.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: What a horrible accident it was!
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Question: Use 'Unless': If you do not pay the fine, you will be arrested.
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: Unless you pay the fine, you will be arrested.
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Question: Change the Voice: Who painted this beautiful picture?
👉 Click here to Show Answer
Answer: By whom was this beautiful picture painted?
The secret to acing the "Do as Directed" section is reading the instruction twice and identifying the hidden grammar topic. Never change the tense, and always preserve the original meaning. Bookmark this page, practice all the mixed varieties, and secure full marks in your HSC / ISC English paper!