A Letter to God: Complete Guide for Class 10

Looking for a complete guide to A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes? This post covers everything you need to ace your Class 10 English exams! From word meanings and a summary to the moral/theme of the story, we’ve got it all. Dive deep into the Oral Comprehension Checks, Q&A, and exercises like Thinking about the Language, Metaphors, Relative Clauses, and more. Perfect for students preparing for their Class 10 Board Exams, this guide will help you understand key concepts, improve writing, and boost your speaking and listening skills.

Word Meaning of A Letter to God

Words	Meanings
Downpour	A heavy rain
Drape	To cover or hang with fabric or cloth
Contentment	A feeling of satisfaction
Intimately	In a close or personal way
In the hearts of	Deeply felt or believed by people
Crops	Plants grown for food or profit
Fortunate	Lucky or having good luck
Supper	An evening meal
Exclaimed	Said something suddenly and loudly
Throughout	In every part or during the whole time
Solitary	Alone or without company
Satisfied	Happy with what has been achieved or received
Envelope	A paper container used to hold a letter
Faith	Strong belief or trust in something or someone
God: willing	A phrase used to express hope that God will allow or help
Peso	The currency of some Latin American countries
Amiable	Friendly and pleasant
Wrinkling	Making lines or folds
Evident	Clear or easy to see
Deny	Refuse to admit or accept

Summary of A Letter to God by G.L. Fuentes

The story revolves around a farmer named Lencho, who lives with his family in a small house on a hill. His corn crop, essential for his family’s survival, badly needs rain. One day, the rain finally arrives, and Lencho feels relieved, thinking it will ensure a good harvest. However, his joy turns to despair when the rain turns into a hailstorm and destroys the entire crop.

Worried about his family’s future, Lencho feels helpless but has faith in God. He writes a letter to God, asking for 100 pesos to survive and replant his fields. He goes to the post office, mails the letter, and addresses it simply to “God.”

The postmaster and the other post office employees are deeply moved by Lencho’s faith. They decide to help him by collecting money from their salaries to send to Lencho. They manage to gather 70 pesos and send it to him as a reply from “God.”

When Lencho receives the money, he is not surprised because of his strong faith in God. However, he is disappointed to find only 70 pesos instead of 100. He believes that God must have sent the full amount but the post office employees must have stolen the remaining money. In his second letter to God, Lencho asks Him not to send the money through the post office next time, as he believes the employees are dishonest.

Moral/Theme:

The story highlights themes of faith, hope, and the simplicity of human emotions. It also portrays the irony that Lencho, who has such unwavering trust in God, is quick to doubt the integrity of the kind people who helped him. It teaches us about the power of belief but also demonstrates how misunderstanding can arise when communication is limited.

Oral Comprehension Check-I (A Letter to God)

1. What did Lencho hope for?
   Lencho hoped for rain to water his crops, which would help him get a good harvest.
2. Why did Lencho say the raindrops were like ‘new coins’?
   Lencho compared the raindrops to “new coins” because the rain would bring a good harvest, and a good harvest means money for him.
3. How did the rain change? What happened to Lencho’s fields?
   The rain changed to a hailstorm, and the hail destroyed Lencho’s crops, leaving him with nothing to harvest.
4. What were Lencho’s feelings when the hail stopped?
   Lencho felt very sad and hopeless because the hail ruined his crops, and he worried that his family would go hungry.

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Oral Comprehension Check-II (A Letter to God)

1. Who or what did Lencho have faith in? What did he do?
   Lencho had faith in God. He wrote a letter to God asking for money to help him through the tough time after his crops were destroyed.
2. Who read the letter?
   A post office worker saw the letter and showed it to the postmaster.
3. What did the postmaster do then?
   The postmaster decided to help Lencho by collecting money from his friends and other workers. He put the money in an envelope and wrote “God” on it, then sent it to Lencho.

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Oral Comprehension Check-III (A Letter to God)

1. Was Lencho surprised to find a letter for him with money in it?
   No, Lencho wasn’t surprised because he had complete faith that God would send him the money.
2. What made him angry?
   Lencho became angry when he saw that he didn’t receive the full amount he asked for. He thought that the post office workers had kept some of the money for themselves.

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Thinking about the Text (Q&A of A Letter to God)

1. Who does Lencho have complete faith in? Which sentences in the story tell you this?
   Lencho has complete faith in God. The sentence, “But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God,” shows his strong belief.
2. Why does the postmaster send money to Lencho? Why does he sign the letter ‘God’?
   The postmaster sends money to Lencho to keep his faith in God strong. He signs it “God” to make Lencho believe the help came directly from God.
3. Did Lencho try to find out who had sent the money to him? Why/Why not?
   No, Lencho did not try to find out who sent the money because he believed it was from God and didn’t question it.
4. Who does Lencho think has taken the rest of the money? What is the irony in the situation?
   Lencho thinks the post office employees took the missing money. The irony is that these employees, who helped him out of kindness, are the very people he accuses of stealing.
5. Are there people like Lencho in the real world? What kind of person would you say he is?
   Yes, there are people like Lencho who trust easily and believe strongly. Lencho is simple, naïve, and unquestioning, as he doesn’t doubt that God could answer him directly.
6. There are two kinds of conflict in the story: between humans and nature, and between humans themselves. How are these conflicts illustrated?
   The conflict between humans and nature is shown when Lencho’s crops are destroyed by the hail. The conflict between humans themselves is shown when Lencho accuses the post office employees of stealing, even though they tried to help him.

Extract-Based MCQs

Extract 1:
“It was during the meal that, just as Lencho had predicted, big drops of rain began to fall. In the north-east, huge mountains of clouds could be seen approaching. The air was fresh and sweet. The man went out for no other reason than to have the pleasure of feeling the rain on his body.”

MCQs:

1. What did the rain initially signify for Lencho?
   a) A sign of destruction
   b) A promise of a good harvest
   c) An end to his troubles
   d) A message from God
2. Which direction did the clouds come from?
   a) South-west
   b) North-east
   c) East
   d) West
3. Why did Lencho step out in the rain?
   a) To protect his crops
   b) To pray for more rain
   c) To enjoy the feeling of rain on his body
   d) To bring the children inside

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Extract 2:
“The house — the only one in the entire valley — sat on the crest of a low hill. From this height, one could see the river and the field of ripe corn dotted with the flowers that always promised a good harvest.”

MCQs:

1. What was the house’s location in the valley?
   a) At the foot of a hill
   b) On the crest of a low hill
   c) Near the riverbank
   d) At the edge of a forest
2. What did the flowers on the corn plants symbolize?
   a) A poor yield
   b) A good harvest
   c) Hailstorm warning
   d) Drought conditions
3. Which crop was growing in Lencho’s field?
   a) Wheat
   b) Corn
   c) Rice
   d) Sugarcane

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Extract 3:
“The following Sunday, at daybreak, he began to write a letter which he himself would carry to town and place in the mail. It was nothing less than a letter to God.”

MCQs:

1. Why did Lencho write a letter to God?
   a) To ask for forgiveness
   b) To request money to replant his crops
   c) To express his gratitude
   d) To inform God about the hailstorm
2. When did Lencho write the letter?
   a) At night
   b) At daybreak
   c) At noon
   d) In the evening
3. What did Lencho intend to do with the letter?
   a) Burn it
   b) Deliver it by hand
   c) Mail it in the town
   d) Send it through a friend

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Extract 4:
“But in the hearts of all who lived in that solitary house in the middle of the valley, there was a single hope: help from God.”

MCQs:

1. What was the family’s only hope?
   a) Help from neighbors
   b) Relief from the government
   c) Assistance from God
   d) Selling their belongings
2. Where did the family live?
   a) In a busy city
   b) In the middle of the valley
   c) On the outskirts of town
   d) Near a forest
3. What does the phrase “solitary house” imply?
   a) It was abandoned
   b) It was the only house in the area
   c) It was isolated by a storm
   d) It belonged to a single person

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Extract 5:
“Immediately, Lencho went up to the window to ask for paper and ink. On the public writing-table, he started to write, with much wrinkling of his brow, caused by the effort he had to make to express his ideas.”

MCQs:

1. Why did Lencho wrinkle his brow while writing?
   a) He was angry
   b) He found it hard to express his thoughts
   c) He was in pain
   d) He was upset about the post office workers
2. Where did Lencho write his second letter?
   a) At his home
   b) In the post office
   c) In a church
   d) At a friend’s house
3. What does this extract reflect about Lencho?
   a) He lacked faith
   b) He was determined and persistent
   c) He regretted writing the first letter
   d) He wanted to give up

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Answer Key:

Set 1:

1. b) A promise of a good harvest
2. b) North-east
3. c) To enjoy the feeling of rain on his body

Set 2:

1. b) On the crest of a low hill
2. b) A good harvest
3. b) Corn

Set 3:

1. b) To request money to replant his crops
2. b) At daybreak
3. c) Mail it in the town

Set 4:

1. c) Assistance from God
2. b) In the middle of the valley
3. b) It was the only house in the area

Set 5:

1. b) He found it hard to express his thoughts
2. b) In the post office
3. b) He was determined and persistent

These extract-based MCQs will help students analyze the story and prepare effectively for exams. Let me know if you need further customization!

Thinking about the Language

I. Look at the following sentence from the story.

Suddenly a strong wind began to blow and along with the rain very large hailstones began to fall.
‘Hailstones’ are small balls of ice that fall like rain. A storm in which hailstones fall is a ‘hailstorm’. You know that a storm is bad weather with strong winds, rain, thunder and lightning.
There are different names in different parts of the world for storms, depending on their nature. Can you match the names in the box with their descriptions below, and fill in the blanks? You may use a dictionary to help you.
gale, whirlwind, cyclone,
hurricane, tornado, typhoon

ANSWER:

1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle:
   Cyclone
2. An extremely strong wind:
   Gale
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds:
   Typhoon
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel:
   Tornado
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean:
   Hurricane
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and causes a lot of damage:
   Whirlwind

II. Notice how the word ‘hope’ is used in these sentences from the story:

(a) I hope it (the hailstorm) passes quickly.
(b) There was a single hope: help from God.
In the first example, ‘hope’ is a verb which means you wish for something to happen. In the second example it is a noun meaning a chance for something to happen.

Match the sentences in Column A with the meanings of ‘hope’ in Column B.

ANSWER:

III. Relative Clauses

Look at these sentences

(a) All morning Lencho — who knew his fields intimately — looked at the sky.
(b) The woman, who was preparing supper, replied, “Yes, God willing.”

The italicised parts of the sentences give us more information about Lencho and the woman. We call them relative clauses. Notice that they begin with a relative pronoun who. Other common relative pronouns are whom, whose, and which.

The relative clauses in (a) and (b) above are called non-defining, because we already know the identity of the person they describe. Lencho is a particular person, and there is a particular woman he speaks to. We don’t need the information in the relative clause to pick these people out from a larger set.

A non-defining relative clause usually has a comma in front of it and a comma after it (some writers use a dash (—) instead, as in the story). If the relative clause comes at the end, we just put a full stop.

Join the sentences given below using who, whom, whose, which, as suggested.

1. I often go to Mumbai. Mumbai is the commercial capital of India. (which)
2. My mother is going to host a TV show on cooking. She cooks very well. (who)
3. These sportspersons are going to meet the President. Their performance
   has been excellent. (whose)
4. Lencho prayed to God. His eyes see into our minds. (whose)
5. This man cheated me. I trusted him. (whom)

ANSWER:

1. I often go to Mumbai, which is the commercial capital of India.
2. My mother, who cooks very well, is going to host a TV show on cooking.
3. These sportspersons, whose performance has been excellent, are going to meet the President.
4. Lencho prayed to God, whose eyes see into our minds.
5. This is the man whom I trusted, but he cheated me.

IV. Using Negatives for Emphasis

Find sentences in the story with negative words, which express the following ideas emphatically.

ANSWER:

1. The trees lost all their leaves.
   “Not a leaf remained on the trees.”
2. The letter was addressed to God himself.
   “It was nothing less than a letter to God.”
3. The postman saw this address for the first time in his career.
   “Never in his career as a postman had he seen that address.”

V. Metaphors

The word metaphor comes from a Greek word meaning ‘transfer’. Metaphors compare two things or ideas: a quality or feature of one thing is transferred to another thing. Some common metaphors are

• the leg of the table: The leg supports our body. So the object that supports
  a table is described as a leg.
• the heart of the city: The heart is an important organ in the centre of our
  body. So this word is used to describe the central area of a city.

In pairs, find metaphors from the story to complete the table below. Try to say what qualities are being compared. One has been done for you.

ANSWER:

Object	Metaphor	Quality or Feature Compared
Cloud	Huge mountains of clouds	The mass or ‘hugeness’ of mountains
Raindrops	New coins	The value or preciousness of money
Hailstones	Frozen pearls	The beauty and roundness of pearls
Locusts	A plague	An epidemic (a disease) that spreads very rapidly and leaves many people dead
Man (Lencho)	An ox of a man	Strength and hardworking nature of an ox

Speaking

Have you ever been in great difficulty and felt that only a miracle could help you? How was your problem solved? Speak about this in class with your teacher.

ANSWER:

I remember a time when I was in great difficulty and truly felt that only a miracle could save me. It happened last year during my final exams. I had studied hard all year, but just a day before my most challenging subject’s exam—mathematics—I fell ill with a high fever. I couldn’t focus, let alone study, and all my preparation seemed to slip away. I was really worried because this exam could affect my overall grades significantly.

The next morning, I somehow managed to get myself to school, but I felt weak and anxious. At that moment, I remember silently wishing for a miracle, something that would help me through the exam. Surprisingly, my teacher noticed my condition and, realizing I was struggling, offered to let me take a little extra time if needed.

With that small act of kindness, I gained the confidence to push through. I took my time, carefully worked through each problem, and managed to complete the exam. The results weren’t perfect, but I passed with a grade higher than I’d hoped for, considering the circumstances. It was my teacher’s understanding and support that felt like the miracle I needed at that moment.

Listening

ANSWER:

The writer apologises (says sorry) because	She hasn’t written for a very long time.
The writer has sent this to the reader	To share her new address and update on life.
The writer sent it in the month of	January 2006.
The reason for not writing earlier	They had just moved to a new house.
Sarah goes to	Little Feet School.
Who is writing to whom?	Jaya is writing to Arti.
Where and when were they last together?	In Bangalore, last year.

Writing

Lencho suffered first due to drought and then by floods. Our country is also facing such situations in the recent years. There is flood and there is drought. There is a need to save water through water harvesting. Design a poster for your area on how to save water during summer and when it is available in excess.

ANSWER:

Poster Designing (Short Notes)

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1. Definition

• A poster is a creative visual display used to convey messages or announcements briefly and attractively.
• It serves purposes like awareness campaigns, advertisements, or event promotions.

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2. Essential Features of a Poster

• Eye-catching Title: Short and catchy (e.g., “Save Water, Save Life”).
• Slogan/Tagline: Rhyming or impactful phrase (e.g., “Plant Trees, Breathe Free”).
• Main Content:
  • Clear and concise message (What, When, Where, Why, Who).
  • Limited to 50 words for easy readability.
• Illustrations/Designs: Simple drawings, icons, or patterns to support the theme.
• Contact Information: If necessary (e.g., phone number, email).
• Neat Presentation: Proper use of colors, alignment, and layout.

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3. Structure/Layout of a Poster

1. Top:
   • Title or Heading (Bold & Large font).
2. Middle:
   • Visuals/Images.
   • Main message and slogan (short and direct).
3. Bottom:
   • Date, Venue (if event-related).
   • Contact details (if needed).

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4. Tips for Effective Poster Design

• Keep it simple: Avoid clutter and excessive text.
• Use vibrant colors to grab attention.
• Highlight key words using bold or color variations.
• Maintain balance between text and visuals.

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5. Sample Themes for Practice

• Road Safety: “Better Late than Never.”
• Blood Donation Drive: “Donate Blood, Save a Life.”
• Say No to Plastic: “Be Fantastic, Avoid Plastic.”