NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
IF I WERE YOU
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT
I. Answer those questions.
1. "At last a sympathetic audience."
(I) Who says this?
Ans. Gerrard says this.
Ans. He says because the Intruder shows some sympathy towards him.
(iii) Is the sarcastic or serious?
Ans. He is sarcastic.
2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?
Ans: The Intruder chooses Gerrard. It is because he finds him closely similar to him. If he wtatt clothes like Gerrard does, no one will know that they are two persons.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
3. "I said it with bullets."
(i) Who says this?
Ans. Gerrard says this.
(ii) What does it mean?
Ans. It means that he is a very dangerous person.
(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker's reason for saying this?
Ans. It is not the truth. He says so to make the Intruder change his mind.
4. What is Gerrard's profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.
Ans. Gerrard is a playwright by profession. The supporting words are: 'Sorry I can't let you have the' props in time for rehearsal.
5. "You'll soon stop being smart."
(i) Who says this ?
Ans. The Intruder says this.
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
Ans. The speaker says it because Gerrard hasn't felt any fear so far though he has a gun in his hand.
(iii) What according to the speaker will
stop Gerrard from being smart?
Ans. According to the Intruder, Gerrard would stop being smart after being hit by one of his bullets.
6. "They can't hang me twice."
(i) Who says this?
Ans. The Intruder says this.
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
Ans. He says it because he has already committed a murder. The penalty of death can't be given to him twice,
7. "A mystery I propose to explain." What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?
Ans. Gerrard says this. The mystery is about Gerrard's telephoning his orders. Then he would be suddenly disappearing, but again coming back. The Intruder wants to do- very things like Gerrard does.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
8. "This is your big surprise."
(i) Where has this been said in the play?
Ans. This has been said in the play when Gerrard tells the Intruder not to shoot him. If he shoots him he'd hang if not as himself, then as Vincent Charles Gerrard.
(ii) What is surprising?
'Ans. The big the surprise is that the Intruder won't kill him. Gerrard is right in saying this.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q. 1. What has Mie Intruder heard about Gerrard?
Ans. The Intruder only knows Gerrard by His name. He does not know that he is a playwright. Also, he is the owner of the house. He only knows that he lives in the wilds of Essex. Also, he is a kind of a mystery man. Not many people know him.
2. Who is the Intruder and what kind of a man is he? Why does he enter Gerrard's?
Ans. The Intruder is actually a criminal. Also, he has killed a policeman. The police are chasing him. He knows that he resembles Gerrard. He wants to live as Gerrard after killing him. So he enters his house to kill him.
Q.3. Why does the Intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?
Ans. The Intruder chooses Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on. It is because he finds that Gerrard is like him in many ways. The police are after him as he has murdered a person. So as Vincent Gerrard he will be free to go to places and do nothing. He could eat well and sleep. Then he won't need to shun from any cop.
Q. 4. What crime had the Intruder committed?
Ans. The Intruder was a murderer. He had killed a policeman in the town. He was on the run. So, the police were alter him. He had been running from one place to another to escape from the police.
Q. 5. How does the Intruder threaten Gerrard after entering his house? What's Gerrard's reaction to his behavior?
Ans. The Intruder threatens Gerrard that he would soon stop being smart. He would make Gerrard crawl. He wants to know a few things. But Gerrard remains cool. He does what the Intruder asks him to do.
Q. 6. What does Gerrard tell about his life when the Intruder asks him to sit down and have a nice talk?
Ans. Gerrard sits like a good boy. He starts telling the story of his life. He says that as a child he was stolen by the gypsies. That's why he found himself living in his lonely Essex Cottage even at the age of thirty-two.
Q. 7. Why does the Intruder want to kill Gerrard?
Ans. The Intruder says what he has taken a fancy to him. He is already wanted for murder. He would live as Gerrard after killing him because he is similar to him.
Q. 8. "I don't, think you will be pleased for long.” Who said this and to whom in 'If I Were you’? What did the speaker mean?
Ans. The Intruder says to Gerrard when he enters the cottage with a purpose. The Intruder wants to take the place of Gerrard and live as Gerrard. It is because the police are after him. He has killed a person. He has been running from the police. He learns that Gerrard is t him. So he enters his cottage to kill him and live as Gerrard.
Q. 9. Haw does the Intruder hope to be like Gerrard after he kills him?
Ans. The Intruder says that he has only got to wear spectacles. Then he would be like him. He would wear Gerrard's clothes as they would fit him beautifully. If he became him he would live without any fear.
10. "I said it with bullets". What is the speaker's reason for saying so?
Ans. Gerrard says this to the Intruder to deflect him from his aim. Actually, Gerrard says that things went wrong as one of his men found the proof. They found the things that his man should have destroyed. So he was expecting trouble for himself. And in that, the Intruder may also be caught.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
Q. 11. How does Gerrard befool the Intruder with his false story?
Ans. Gerrard tells the Intruder hat one of his men had been caught. The things which should have been burnt have been found. So due to that, he expected trouble that night. That's why he wanted to clear off at the earliest.
Q. 12. How does Gerrard convince the Intruder to follow his plan and he would be safe'?
Ans. Gerrard tells the Intruder to clear his ‘muddled head’ and they both should go out at once. He asks the Intruder to go with him in the car. If he finds that it is a frame he has got his car and his gun also. The Intruder gets into his trap.
Q. 13. Why does Gerrard show his traveling bag to the Intruder?
Ans. Gerrard has laid a trap for the Intruder. He tells him that his companion is standing below on the road. As soon as the police arrive, he will inform him. Then he will escape. The bag is proof of all this.
Q. 14. How does Gerrard outsmart the Intruder?
Ans. Gerrard asks the Intruder not to be a fool and look for himself. Then he opens the door. The Intruder turns his head to lean forward. Then Gerrard pushes him into the cupboard. He knocks the revolver out of his hand. He then slams the door and locks it. Then he calls the Police for his arrest.
Q. 15. Why did Gerrard send for the sergeant?
Ans. Gerrard sent to the sergeantt to hand over the Intruder to him. By a certain trick, Gerrard pushed him when he was going out. Then he slammed the door and looked him inside. He did so after knocking the revolver off his hands. Then he called for the sergeant.
Q. 16. What idea of Gerrard’s personality do you form after reading the play, ‘If I Were You’?
Ans. After reading the play `If I Were You', I find Gerrard mentally alert and quick-minded. He is cool-headed and has the capacity to face any danger. Even in danger, he doesn't lose heart. He also is quick in deciding which action will get him out of difficulties. Also, he is far-sighted and knows how to deal with armed persons.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
LONG ANSWER TYPE
QUESTIONS
. 1. Why did the intruder break into Gerrard's cottage?
Q. 2. Was Gerrard pleased to see the Intruder? What impression do you form from his behavior?
Ans. Gerrard was not pleased to see an Intruder with a gun into his house. Her was a clever man. So he must have understood that the Intruder had evil intentions. Yet he did not lose his calm. Even the Intruder noted it. He said that Gerrard was trying to be calm Gerrard told the Intruder that he was
Pleased to see him. However, it was a lie.
Gerrard's behavior shows that he was a very sensible person. He did not loss his balance easily. He knew how to behave in a crisis. He impresses the readers that he is a very intelligent and tactful person.
Q. 3. How did Gerrard outwit the Intruder and save himself?
Ans. The Intruder wanted to know a few things about Gerrard. In the process, he told him a lot about himself. He told Gerrard that he was a criminal and a murderer. He had killed a policeman. So the police was after him. He told him that he had come to murder.
NCERT Solutions for Class-9 English Beehive Chapter 11 IF I WERE YOU
Summary : This is the story of an Intruder. He entered the house of a playwright. He, however, did not know that the owner of the house was a playwright. He only knew him as Gerrard. He had heard about him a few things. He knew that he was something of a mystery man. He lived in the wilds of Essex. Gerrard gave his orders on phone and never met the tradesmen.
The Intruder was a criminal. He had also killed a policeman. He was, now, being chased by police. He thought that he resembled Gerrard in body. He decided to kill Gerrard and then live himself as Gerrard. So, he broke into the cottage of Gerrard one day.
Gerrard was then preparing to leave his house. He was going to attend a rehearsal of his drama. He had prepared his bag in which there were props for the rehearsal.
The Intruder threatened Gerrard with his revolver. He asked him to answer his questions. Then, he told him that he intended to kill him and then live in his house as Gerrard. Not many people came to see him. He thought he could live as Gerrard the rest of his life. He learned to imitate Gerrard's voice.
The Intruder was about to shoot Gerrard. Then Gerrard warned him to be careful and not to kill him. He told the Intruder that he was also a criminal and a murderer. In case, he killed Gerrard he was sure to be hanged. They would hang him if not as himself then as Gerrard.
Hearing this, the Intruder began to think. This was an opportunity for Gerrard. He asked him to hurry and run with him in his car to a safer place. The police were likely to come there soon. He opened a door which was, in fact, the door of a cupboard. The Intruder looked in to see what it was.
Just then, Gerrard gave him a push. The revolver fell as the Intruder stepped into the cupboard. Gerrard shut the door and picked up the revolver. Then he telephoned to call in the Police to arrest the Intruder.