Today in this post, ‘If I Were You Question Answer Class 9 English’, we’ll study the NCERT solutions of Class 9th English Beehive chapter ‘If I Were You’. We’ll examine each question under the Thinking about the Text, Thinking about Language, Dictation, Speaking, and Writing sections, respectively. Let’s start class 9 English If I Were You NCERT Solutions with Thinking about the Text.
We’ve already read the Summary of If I Were You; you can read that as well for better understainding about text.
If I Were You Thinking about the Text
Q1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”
(i) Who says this?
→ Gerrard says this line.
(ii) Why does he say it?
→ He says it when the intruder orders him to talk about himself. Gerrard jokingly pretends that the intruder wants to listen to the story of his life like an interested audience.
(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?
→ He is sarcastic. Gerrard uses irony and humor to keep the situation under control and to confuse the intruder.
Q2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?
→ The intruder chooses Gerrard because he finds him similar in height and build to himself. Also, Gerrard lives alone in a quiet cottage, does not meet many people, and has a mysterious lifestyle, he talks on the phone, goes out suddenly, and receives few visitors. The intruder believes that after killing Gerrard and taking his identity, he can easily hide from the police and live safely.
Q3. “I said it with bullets.”
(i) Who says this?
→ Gerrard says this.
(ii) What does it mean?
→ It means that Gerrard claims he has also committed a murder and escaped the police — “saying it with bullets” means he expressed himself through a violent act.
(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?
→ No, it is not true. Gerrard says this to fool the intruder and make him believe that Gerrard is also a criminal. By doing this, Gerrard gains the intruder’s trust and cleverly turns the situation to his advantage.
Q4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.
→ Gerrard is a playwright (a person who writes plays).
Evidence from the play:
- He says, “Sorry, I can’t let you have the props in time for rehearsal.”
- At the end, he tells the intruder, “I think I’ll put it in my next play.”
These lines clearly show that Gerrard writes and directs plays.
Q5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.”
(i) Who says this?
→ The intruder says this line.
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
→ The intruder says this when Gerrard talks cleverly and tries to remain calm instead of being scared.
(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?
→ According to the intruder, his revolver (gun) will stop Gerrard from being smart — meaning Gerrard will lose his cleverness once he’s threatened or hurt.
Q6. “They can’t hang me twice.”
(i) Who says this?
→ The intruder says this.
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
→ The intruder says this because he has already committed one murder, and since he is already wanted for that crime, killing Gerrard would make no difference. He sarcastically means that he can’t be punished with death twice.
Q7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?
→ Gerrard says this line. The “mystery” he talks about refers to his own strange lifestyle; why he lives alone, avoids visitors, and acts mysteriously. He plans to use this “mystery” as part of his trick to fool the intruder by pretending that he himself is a criminal who is hiding from the police.
Q8. “This is your big surprise.”
(i) Where has this been said in the play?
→ Gerrard says this line near the climax of the play, when he is about to reveal his clever plan to the intruder.
(ii) What is the surprise?
→ The surprise is that Gerrard is not an ordinary person, as the intruder thought. Gerrard pretends to be a criminal too, tells the intruder that he is also wanted by the police, and later traps the intruder inside a cupboard. This unexpected twist is the real “big surprise.”
If I Were You Thinking about Language
I. Choose the correct word from the pairs given in brackets
- The (site, cite) of the accident was (ghastly/ghostly).
- Our college (principle/principal) is very strict.
- I studied (continuously/continually) for eight hours.
- The fog had an adverse (affect/effect) on the traffic.
- Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant (artist/artiste).
- The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary (collage/college) of science fiction and mystery.
- Our school will (host/hoist) an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.
- Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and (shake/shape) well before using the contents.
Answer:
- The site of the accident was ghastly.
- Our college principal is very strict.
- I studied continuously for eight hours.
- The fog had an adverse effect on the traffic.
- Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant artist.
- The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary collage of science fiction and mystery.
- Our school will host an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.
- Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and shake well before using the contents.
II. Irony — Gerrard’s ironic expressions
Here are three more examples to add to the two given in your table:
| What the author says | What he means |
|---|---|
| You’re not particularly decorative. | Gerrard means that the intruder is not handsome or pleasant to look at; he mocks the intruder’s appearance. |
| Sorry, I can’t let you have the props in time for rehearsal. | Gerrard is pretending to be calm and normal even after catching the intruder; he mocks the situation as if it were a scene in a play. |
| You are much luckier than most melodramatic villains. | Gerrard ironically calls the intruder a “villain” from a cheap play, meaning he is foolish and not as clever as he thinks. |
Dictionary Section Solutions
| Noun | Adjective | Adverb | Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sympathy | sympathetic | sympathetically | sympathise | Feeling or showing care and understanding for someone’s suffering or misfortune. |
| familiarity | familiar | familiarly | familiarize | The state of being well-known or easily recognized; close knowledge of something or someone. |
| comfort | comfortable | comfortably | comfort | A pleasant state of physical or mental ease; freedom from pain or trouble. |
| care | careful / careless | carefully / carelessly | care | Attention or concern for someone or something; to look after or be concerned about. |
| surprise | surprised / surprising | surprisingly | surprise | A feeling of mild astonishment or wonder caused by something unexpected. |
Speaking Section Solutions
1. Imagine you are Gerrard. Tell your friend what happened when the Intruder broke into your house.
You can present it like a short speech or story:
Gerrard’s narration:
You won’t believe what happened to me yesterday! I was busy packing for a trip when suddenly, a strange man entered my cottage. He was tall, roughly my build, and dressed in flashy clothes with a soft hat. He carried a revolver and looked quite dangerous. His voice was harsh and threatening, and he spoke with great confidence, as if he already owned the place.
He told me that he was a criminal wanted for murder, and that he planned to kill me and take my identity to escape from the police. He thought it was a clever idea because I live alone and rarely meet people.
But I didn’t lose my calm. Instead, I played along with his game. I pretended to be a criminal myself and told him that I was also wanted by the police for shooting someone. I made up a story that I was expecting trouble and that my bag was already packed with disguises to run away.
The fool believed me! When the phone rang, I pretended that it was my partner warning me about the police. I told the intruder to hide in the cupboard for safety; and the moment he stepped closer, I pushed him inside, locked the door, and took his gun. Then I called the police and reported the incident.
I must say, it turned out to be quite an experience! Maybe I’ll even use it as the plot for my next play.
2. Enact the play in class
When you perform the play, remember these acting tips:
- Tone & Expression:
- Gerrard’s tone should be calm, confident, and slightly humorous, even in danger.
- The intruder’s tone should be commanding, impatient, and aggressive, but later turns confused and fearful.
- Body Movements:
- Gerrard should move smoothly and confidently, showing control.
- The intruder should move nervously and sharply, showing tension and restlessness.
- Dialogue Style:
- Pay attention to the words in italics before each dialogue; they indicate the emotion or action (e.g., sarcastically, pleasantly, angrily).
- Maintain eye contact and clear voice projection for both characters.
Writing Section Solutions
I. Paragraphs about Gerrard and the Intruder
Gerrard:
Gerrard is a smart, witty, and confident man with a calm personality. He is a playwright by profession and lives alone in a small cottage. Even in a life-threatening situation, he remains cool and nonchalant. When the intruder breaks into his house with a revolver, Gerrard shows great presence of mind and humor instead of fear. His cleverness and intelligence help him understand the intruder’s plan quickly. By pretending to be a criminal himself, Gerrard smartly traps the intruder in a cupboard. His quick thinking and sense of humor make him one of the most interesting and admirable characters in the story.
The Intruder:
The intruder is a flashy, overconfident, and clever criminal, but his cleverness is limited to planning crimes. He wears fashionable clothes and talks in an arrogant and threatening tone. He believes he is smart enough to kill Gerrard and take his identity to escape from the police. However, his overconfidence and lack of real intelligence lead to his failure. He gets easily fooled by Gerrard’s calm and witty behaviour. Though he considers himself smart, he is ultimately shown to be foolish and easily trapped. The intruder’s pride and impatience become the reasons for his downfall.
II. Convert the Play into a Story (150–200 words)
Title: “The Clever Playwright”
Gerrard, a playwright who lived alone in a small cottage, was once confronted by a strange visitor. One evening, while Gerrard was packing his bag, an intruder entered his house with a revolver in hand. The intruder looked similar to Gerrard in height and build. He told Gerrard that he was a criminal wanted for murder and planned to kill Gerrard and live under his identity.
However, Gerrard was a calm and intelligent man. He quickly understood the situation and decided to turn the tables. He told the intruder that he too was a criminal who had killed someone and that the police were already looking for him. Gerrard’s clever story and confident tone made the intruder believe him. When the telephone rang, Gerrard pretended that it was a warning from his men. As the intruder went to check the garage door, Gerrard pushed him into a cupboard, locked it, and took away his gun.
Then Gerrard called the police and informed them about the criminal. He ended the incident with a smile, saying that he might use this event as the plot for his next play.
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