Class 8 English Literature – The Dying Detective by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Questions and Answers, Reference to Context | ICSE
The Dying Detective
by Sir Aurther Conan Doyle
(Mulberry) (Standard Version)
1. Arthur Conan Doyle will always be remembered for creating the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Can you match the names of the following detectives with the names of the authors who created them?
Fictional Detectives Authors
a. Hercule Poirot → iv. Agatha Christie
b. The Secret Seven → v. Enid Blyton
c. Byomkesh Bakshi → i. Saradindu Bandyopadhyay
d. Cordelia Gray → ii. P. D. James
e. Inspector Morse → iii. Colin Dexter
Answer (Simple Text):
a. Hercule Poirot → iv. Agatha Christie
b. The Secret Seven → v. Enid Blyton
c. Byomkesh Bakshi → i. Saradindu Bandyopadhyay
d. Cordelia Gray → ii. P. D. James
e. Inspector Morse → iii. Colin Dexter
2. Talk about any one of these characters and their investigative skills.
Answer: Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is one of the world's most famous fictional detectives created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He is highly intelligent and has extraordinary powers of observation and logical reasoning. Holmes notices the smallest details that others usually ignore and uses them to solve even the most difficult mysteries. He carefully studies clues, analyses evidence, and draws accurate conclusions. He often disguises himself to gather information secretly and sometimes sets clever traps to catch criminals. Holmes is brave, calm, and confident even in dangerous situations. His remarkable detective skills, sharp memory, and scientific approach make him an exceptional investigator. With the help of his loyal friend Dr. Watson, Holmes solves many mysterious crimes and always succeeds in bringing the guilty to justice.
Making Connections
Quick Answers
1. Answer the following questions in not more than one sentence.
(a) Describe the sad spectacle seen by Dr. Watson.
Answer:
Dr. Watson saw Sherlock Holmes lying weak and exhausted in bed, burning with fever, with bright feverish eyes, a croaking voice, and a terribly sick appearance.
(b) What did Holmes tell Watson he was suffering from?
Answer:
Holmes told Watson that he was suffering from a deadly and highly contagious disease from Sumatra called Tapanuli Fever or the Black Formosa Corruption.
(c) Who did Holmes ask Watson to fetch? What reasons did Holmes give Watson for preferring that person over others?
Answer:
Holmes asked Watson to fetch Mr. Culverton Smith because Smith was an expert on tropical diseases, had lived in Sumatra, had studied the disease closely, and possessed unique knowledge and experience that no doctor in London had.
(d) What did Watson observe about Smith's behaviour when he told Smith about Holmes?
Answer:
Watson noticed that Smith's angry expression suddenly changed into one of concern and eagerness when he heard that Sherlock Holmes was seriously ill.
(e) What had happened to Victor Savage?
Answer:
Victor Savage had died after being infected with the deadly disease that Culverton Smith had secretly sent to him through an ivory box.
Reference to Context
2. "Admirable, Watson, admirable! Now you must disappear from the scene."
(a) Where did Holmes ask Watson to hide himself?
Answer:
Holmes asked Watson to hide behind the head of his bed, where there was just enough space to conceal him.
(b) Who was Holmes waiting for?
Answer:
Holmes was waiting for Mr. Culverton Smith, whom he expected to visit after Watson informed him about Holmes's serious illness.
(c) What did Holmes tell Watson to do while hiding?
Answer:
Holmes told Watson to remain completely silent, not move, not make any sound, and listen carefully to every word spoken between Holmes and Culverton Smith.
3. "It was no joke. It was I who sent it. Who asked you to cross my path? If you had left me alone, I would not have hurt you."
(a) Who said this and to whom?
Answer:
These words were spoken by Culverton Smith to Sherlock Holmes.
(b) What was the joke the speaker is referring to?
Answer:
The speaker was referring to the ivory box containing a hidden spring that pricked Holmes and infected him with the deadly disease. Holmes had earlier said he thought it was a joke, but Smith admitted that it was a deliberate attempt to kill him.
(c) What does the speaker mean by "cross my path"?
Answer:
By "cross my path," the speaker meant interfering in his criminal activities, especially Holmes's investigation into the murder of Victor Savage and his attempts to expose Smith's crimes.
4. "The best way of successfully acting a part is to be it," said Holmes.
(a) What 'part' did Holmes play?
Answer:
Holmes played the part of a helpless, dying man who appeared to be suffering from a fatal tropical disease.
(b) What did Holmes do to play it well?
Answer:
Holmes refused food and drink for three days, remained in bed, acted weak and delirious, spoke in a feeble voice, and behaved exactly like a seriously ill patient so that everyone, including Culverton Smith, would believe he was dying.
(c) Why did Holmes play the part?
Answer:
Holmes played the part to deceive Culverton Smith into believing that he was dying, so that Smith would confess his crimes. Holmes had secretly arranged for Inspector Morton to arrest Smith after hearing his confession.
Read, Reflect and Write
5. In your opinion, why did Holmes keep his plan a secret from Watson?
Answer:
Holmes kept his plan a secret from Watson because he wanted Watson's concern and anxiety to appear completely genuine. Holmes knew that if Watson was aware of the plan, he might accidentally reveal the truth through his words or behaviour. Watson's natural reaction convinced Culverton Smith that Holmes was truly dying. This made Smith careless and overconfident, leading him to confess his crimes. Holmes trusted Watson deeply, but he believed that complete secrecy was necessary for the success of his carefully planned trap.
6. Describe the part that Watson played in Holmes' plot. What does this say about Watson's character and his attitude towards his friend, Holmes?
Answer:
Dr. Watson played a vital role in Holmes's plan. He obeyed Holmes's unusual instructions, visited Culverton Smith, persuaded him to visit Holmes, returned without bringing Smith with him, and then hid quietly behind the bed to witness the conversation. Watson sincerely believed that Holmes was dying, so his emotions and actions appeared completely natural. His loyalty, honesty, courage, and deep concern for Holmes helped make the plan successful. Watson's willingness to follow Holmes's instructions, even when he did not fully understand them, shows the great trust and friendship that existed between the two men.
7. What signal had Holmes given Smith? Who was the signal meant for? Describe what happened after the signal was given.
Answer:
Holmes had arranged that turning up the gas lamp would be the signal. The signal was meant for Inspector Morton, who was waiting outside the room. After Holmes asked Smith to turn up the gas, Smith did so without suspecting anything. Inspector Morton immediately entered the room, arrested Culverton Smith for the murder of Victor Savage and the attempted murder of Sherlock Holmes, and seized the ivory box as important evidence.
8. What do you think is Holmes' attitude to life? What do you learn from it?
Answer:
Holmes has a brave, confident, and determined attitude towards life. He never loses his presence of mind, even when facing great danger. He carefully observes every detail, thinks logically, plans patiently, and remains calm under pressure. He is willing to take personal risks in order to expose criminals and ensure that justice is done. From Holmes, we learn the importance of courage, intelligence, patience, careful planning, honesty, and determination. We also learn that truth and justice ultimately triumph over evil when we face difficulties with confidence and wisdom.
9. Extended Writing: List all the things that could be used as evidence in the trial of the murder of Victor Savage. Write in about 300–350 words, a description of Holmes' plan for catching Smith red-handed.
Answer:
The following pieces of evidence could be used in the trial against Culverton Smith:
i. Culverton Smith's confession before Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, in which he admitted sending the infected ivory box.
ii. The ivory box with the hidden spring that carried the deadly infection.
iii. Inspector Morton's testimony, as he heard the confession after entering the room.
iv. Dr. Watson's testimony, since he secretly witnessed the entire conversation from behind Holmes's bed.
v. The infected spring inside the ivory box, which caused the disease.
vi. Holmes's investigation and deductions, proving Smith's involvement.
vii. Smith's own words admitting that he had sent the ivory box and had killed Victor Savage.
viii. The motive, as Smith wanted revenge because Holmes was investigating Victor Savage's death.
ix. The recovery of the ivory box from Smith's coat pocket when he was arrested.
x. Smith's expert knowledge of the rare tropical disease, which very few people possessed.
◻ Sherlock Holmes prepared one of his cleverest plans to expose Culverton Smith, the murderer of Victor Savage. Holmes knew that Smith was extremely intelligent and would never admit his crime unless he believed that Holmes was on the verge of death. Therefore, Holmes decided to deceive him by pretending to be seriously ill.
To make his acting convincing, Holmes did not eat or drink anything for three days. He lay weakly in bed with untidy hair, a pale face, and a feeble voice. He behaved like a man suffering from a deadly tropical disease. Even Dr. Watson believed that Holmes was dying because Holmes kept the truth hidden from him. Watson's genuine worry made the plan even more believable.
Holmes instructed Watson to visit Culverton Smith and persuade him to come to Baker Street. He also ordered Watson not to return with Smith but to come back earlier and hide behind the head of the bed. Holmes wanted Watson to listen carefully to everything without revealing his presence.
When Smith arrived, he believed Holmes was helpless and close to death. Feeling safe, he proudly confessed that he had sent the infected ivory box which had killed Victor Savage and was now killing Holmes. Holmes encouraged him to continue speaking until he admitted his crime openly.
Beforehand, Holmes had secretly arranged with Inspector Morton that turning up the gas lamp would be the signal to enter the room. As soon as Smith turned up the gas, Inspector Morton rushed in and arrested him for the murder of Victor Savage and the attempted murder of Sherlock Holmes. The ivory box found in Smith's pocket became important evidence against him.
Holmes's brilliant plan succeeded because of his patience, courage, careful planning, and remarkable acting skills. By pretending to be a dying man, he trapped the criminal into confessing his guilt and ensured that justice was finally served.
Integrate
10. A detective is a person who investigates and solves crime for a living. The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, founded in 1850, became famous after preventing an assassination attempt against President Abraham Lincoln. The Agency's logo consisted of a huge black and white eye above the slogan "We Never Sleep". This inspired the term private eye—which means a private detective. Take a class survey on career choices. Draw up a bar graph or a pie chart based on the data you collect.
Sample Survey Data
Career Number of Students
Doctor 8
Engineer 6
Teacher 5
Police Officer 4
Detective 3
Scientist 4
Simple Bar Graph
Doctor → ████████ (8)
Engineer → ██████ (6)
Teacher → █████ (5)
Police Officer → ████ (4)
Scientist → ████ (4)
Detective → ███ (3)
WORD WALL
Gradable and Non-gradable Adjectives
1. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate adverbs from the box below.
Adverbs: very, just, extremely, absolutely, terribly, amazingly, completely
(a) I speak very good Tamil, but my Malayalam is a little weak.
(b) Did you attend Zakir Hussain's tabla recital? It was just amazing.
(c) You should have come for the picnic with us. It was absolutely fantastic.
(d) The dessert you made for the party on Thursday was amazingly good.
(e) I have been going for high tea they organise for the past twenty years. It is an extremely interesting affair.
(f) Dad is going to England for a week on work. It will be terribly cold there. We need to help him pack so that he is completely well-guarded.
Grammar Time
If Conditionals
1. Choose the best option to complete the sentences.
(a) If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius,
i. it boils.
ii. it would boil.
iii. it would have boiled.
Answer: → i. it boils.
(b) If the weather is good tomorrow,
i. we would go on a picnic.
ii. we go on a picnic.
iii. we will go on a picnic.
Answer: → iii. we will go on a picnic.
(c) If I were the captain,
i. I would make good use of the resources we have.
ii. I will make good use of the resources we have.
iii. I would have made good use of the resources we have.
Answer: → i. I would make good use of the resources we have.
(d) If they had helped us,
i. we would finish the work faster.
ii. we finished the work faster.
iii. we would have finished the work faster.
Answer: → iii. we would have finished the work faster.
(e) If there were no wars,
i. we will live in peace.
ii. we would live in peace.
iii. we live in peace.
Answer: → ii. we would live in peace.
(f) You get respect,
i. if you give respect.
ii. if you will give respect.
iii. if you gave respect.
Answer: → i. if you give respect.
(g) We will attend the function,
i. if he performs.
ii. if he performed.
iii. if he had performed.
Answer: → i. if he performs.
(h) She would have made it to the team,
i. if she practises.
ii. if she had practised.
iii. if she practised.
Answer: → ii. if she had practised.
Answer Table
Question Correct Answer
a → i
b → iii
c → i
d → iii
e → ii
f → i
g → i
h → ii
2. Complete these sentences.
(a) If we exercise regularly, ____________________________.
Answer:
If we exercise regularly, we will remain healthy and fit.
(b) If we plant more trees, ____________________________.
Answer:
If we plant more trees, the environment will become greener and cleaner.
(c) If ____________________________, we will go to the library.
Answer:
If we finish our homework early, we will go to the library.
(d) If dreams came true, ____________________________.
Answer:
If dreams came true, everyone would live a happy and successful life.
(e) ____________________________ if I had known it was your birthday.
Answer:
I would have wished you if I had known it was your birthday.
(f) ____________________________ if we speak kindly.
Answer:
People will like and respect us if we speak kindly.
DICTIONARY
Idioms
1. Read the following extract from a dictionary entry on time. Look at the number of idioms this entry throws up. Then answer the questions that follow.
IDIOMS
(and) about time (too)
(and) not before time
used to say that something should have happened before now
against time
if you do something against time, you do it as fast as you can because you do not have much time
They're working against time to try and get people out of the rubble alive.
ahead of/behind time
earlier/later than was expected
We finished 15 minutes ahead of time.
ahead of your time
having advanced or new ideas that other people use or copy later
all the time
| the whole time
1 during the whole of a particular period of time
The letter was in my pocket all the time
(= while I was looking for it.)
2 very often; repeatedly
She leaves the lights on all the time.
at all times
always
Our representatives are ready to help you at all times.
at the best of times
even when the circumstances are very good
He's never very happy at the best of times—he'll be much worse now!
at the same time
1 at one time; together
She was laughing and crying at the same time.
2 used to introduce a contrasting fact, etc. that must be considered
You have to be firm, but at the same time you should try and be sympathetic.
2. Find idioms for each of the following entries and use them in sentences of your own.
(a) Horse
Idiom: Hold your horses
Sentence: Hold your horses! We still have plenty of time before the train arrives.
(b) Gun
Idiom: Stick to your guns
Sentence: Even though others disagreed, Riya stuck to her guns and completed the project in her own way.
(c) House
Idiom: Bring the house down
Sentence: The magician's wonderful performance brought the house down.
(d) Ear
Idiom: All ears
Sentence: Everyone was all ears when the principal announced the competition winners.
WRITE WELL
Story Writing
1. Write an original detective story beginning with the line, 'I was reading a book when someone rang the doorbell frantically. I opened the door to see…' Base your story on the elements mentioned above. Include clues for your readers.
Answer:
The Missing Necklace
I was reading a book when someone rang the doorbell frantically. I opened the door to see my neighbour, Mrs. Sharma, looking frightened. She told me that her valuable diamond necklace had disappeared just before an important family function. She was sure that someone had stolen it.
I immediately went to her house. The front door was locked, so the thief must have been someone already inside the house. I carefully examined the drawing room and noticed muddy footprints near the window. However, the window was locked from the inside. This made me suspicious.
I questioned everyone in the house. The gardener said he had seen the family cat running through the garden carrying something shiny. I looked around the bushes and found a broken clasp from the necklace. Nearby, I noticed small pieces of red wool. One of the guests was wearing a red sweater with a torn sleeve.
When I spoke to him, he became nervous. He admitted that he had hidden the necklace inside a flower pot, planning to collect it later. We searched the flower pot and recovered the necklace safely.
Mrs. Sharma thanked me for solving the mystery. The police arrested the thief, and everyone praised my careful observation and logical thinking. I realised that even the smallest clue can help solve a difficult mystery.
LISTEN AND SPEAK WELL
1. Listen to the sample interview of Inspector Morton about the Victor Savage case. Then, form groups. One student will be the Chief Detective holding a press conference about a robbery that took place in a bank. The other students may pose as journalists and ask questions.
You may use some of the questions given below:
a. What is the latest news about the case?
b. Have you got any suspects?
c. Who raised the alarm?
d. Do you think this was a planned incident?
e. Was anybody hurt?
Sample Press Conference
Journalist 1: What is the latest news about the case?
Chief Detective: Our investigation is progressing well. We have collected important evidence from the bank and nearby CCTV cameras.
Journalist 2: Have you got any suspects?
Chief Detective: Yes. We have identified two suspects and are questioning them. We are also verifying their movements before the robbery.
Journalist 3: Who raised the alarm?
Chief Detective: A bank security guard noticed suspicious activity and immediately pressed the emergency alarm, informing the police.
Journalist 4: Do you think this was a planned incident?
Chief Detective: Yes. The robbers carefully planned the crime. They knew the bank's working hours and tried to escape quickly, but our officers have gathered several important clues.
Journalist 5: Was anybody hurt?
Chief Detective: Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. One security guard suffered minor injuries while trying to stop the robbers and received immediate medical treatment.
Chief Detective: We assure the public that we are working hard to solve the case and arrest all those responsible. We request anyone with useful information to contact the nearest police station.
About the Author
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930) was a renowned Scottish author, physician, and one of the greatest writers of detective fiction. He is best known for creating the famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend, Dr. John Watson. Doyle studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and worked as a doctor before devoting himself to writing.
His first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet (1887), introduced the brilliant detective to the world. This was followed by many successful novels and short stories, including The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes became one of the most popular literary detectives of all time because of his sharp powers of observation, logical reasoning, and scientific methods of solving crimes.
Apart from detective fiction, Doyle also wrote historical novels, science fiction, adventure stories, plays, and non-fiction works. His story "The Dying Detective" is one of the memorable Sherlock Holmes adventures, showcasing Holmes's intelligence, courage, and remarkable ability to outwit dangerous criminals. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's contribution to English literature continues to inspire readers and detective writers around the world.