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Karnataka State Syllabus Class 9 English Prose Chapter 7 On Saying Please
On Saying Please Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes
Comprehension:
C1. Answer the following questions in a word, phrase or a sentence:
Question 1.
Why was the passenger thrown out of the lift?
Answer:
The passenger did not say ‘Top please’ but just said ‘Top’. The lift operator felt insulted and threw him out.
Question 2.
What would happen if we were given liberty to box people’s ears?
Answer:
If we were given the liberty to box people’s ears, our fists would never be idle and the gutters of the city would run with blood all day.
Question 3.
What can the law, not compel us to do?
Answer:
The law cannot compel us to say ‘please’ or use a polite tone while speaking to others.
Question 4.
What according to the author, is the difference between physical pain and pain of the wound of self-respect?
Answer:
The physical pain soon passes away whereas the wound to one’s self-respect may poison our mood for a whole day.
Question 5.
What is the first and the most important requirement of, civility?
Answer:
The first and most important requirement of civility is that we should acknowledge a service done.
Question 6.
What did the ‘polite conductor’ do to the author?
Answer:
Though the author could not pay for his fare as he had forgotten his wallet, the ‘polite conductor’ issued him a ticket cheerfully instead of throwing him out of the bus.
Question 7.
Who trampled on the author’s sensitive toe.
Answer:
The conductor who had issued the ticket free of cost to the author before trampled on the author’s sensitive toe.
Question 8.
The polite conductor’s attitude towards a blind man was
a. left him at the bus exit
b. told Bill to take him across the road
c. told Bill, the driven, to wait and took him, himself, across the road.
d. forced him out of the bus.
Answer:
c. told Bill the driver to wait and took him himself, across the road.
Question 9.
Why was there very fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus always?
Answer:
There was always very fine weather on the polite conductor’s bus because his own civility, polite speech, and good humour infected his passengers.
Question 10.
What according to the people is the cause for the dampening of the everyday civilities?
Answer:
According to people the war has had a chilling effect upon the everyday civilities that sweeten the general air.
Question 11.
Civilities can be got back in our day to day life by
a. evolving the law
b. being more civil
c. paying rudeness with rudeness
d. by punishing an uncivil person.
Answer:
b. being more civil.
C2. Answer the following questions:
Question 1.
Can law enforce civility? Why?
Answer:
The law can be enforced only when there is physical violence. But law cannot enforce or compel one to say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’. The law does not consider the hurting of our feelings as a case of compensation. The law does not have any compensation for moral and intellectual damage. The law cannot become the guardian of our private manners.
Question 2.
How does bad temper affect one’s life?
Answer:
Bad tempers or bad manners get passed from one to another. When a man gets insulted by someone, he passes it on to someone else below his social standing and in the same manner, it keeps passing from one to another and the world gets infected with ill-humour. Bad manners probably do more to poison the stream of the general life than all the crimes in the calendar.
Question 3.
Discuss the importance and effect of good manners.
Answer:
Just as bad manners are infectious, good manners are equally infectious. Just like the sunny weather brightens up people’s spirits, good behavior or manner also brightens up the day. If we are civil, talk to people politely and are good humoured towards others, we will get the same response from others too. Good manners is a sound investment which gives us sound returns. A polite man may lose the material advantage but he always has the spiritual victory.
Question 4.
List out the instances in which the polite conductor showed his civil behavior. Do you approve of his behavior? Why?
Answer:
Once the author had forgotten his wallet and got into the bus, the conductor instead of asking him get down, gave him the ticket asking him to pay the next time he saw him. Another day, the author’s toe was trod on by the conductor, but he apologized very politely for it. The author noticed that the conductor was very helpful to both the old and the young alike.
Once he had asked the bus driver to wait while he helped a blind man from the bus to cross the street and reach the other pavement. His cheerful manner made the travelers also cheerful. His behaviour made everyone cheerful and his gaiety was not a wasteful luxury, but a sound investment. I wholeheartedly approve of his behaviour.
Question 5.
How could the lift man take polite and effective revenge? Suggest a way to do so?
Answer:
Instead of getting upset and sending the man out of the lift, the liftman could have had more subtle and effective revenge if he had treated the gentleman who was not civil, with elaborate politeness. He would have had the victory, not only over the rude man but over himself and that is the victory that counts.
C3. Answer the following:
Question 1.
It is easy to be civil at all times? Do you agree? Why?
Answer:
There is no legal system which says that being uncivil is a punishable offence. If someone is ‘haughty or boorish’, the only penalty one pays is being called ill-mannered fellow. Being uncivil is worse than getting a physical injury. Therefore there is a social practice much older and more sacred than any law which asks us to be civil.
‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ are small courtesies that make our life sweet. Being civil ensures co-operation and easy give and take. If we are civil, work will be done with willingness and ‘ not with resentment. If we are civil, it makes others civil too and the day brightens and everyone feels happy. If one
responds extra civilly to a boorish person, one’s victory will be greater. The polite man may lose material advantage but gains the spiritual victory. Hence it is easy to be civil.
Question 2.
Retrospect your previous day. Do you recall any good or bad incident of that day? What could be the reasons behind the behavior of the respective people?
[This has to be each individual student’s work. Cannot be common.]
Answer:
Important points:
- What incident?
- Who were the people involved?
- Why did it happen?
- What was the reason for the particular person’s behavior?
- How was it resolved?
- What was the lesson learned?
Question 3.
Suggest some ways to encourage people to adopt civil behaviour.
Answer:
- If someone is uncivil, we need not respond in the same manner, we can be civil.
- We can always say ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ while seeking favour.
- We have to have a cheerful face all the time. It will make the world also a cheerful place.
- Being civil does not require any monetary expenditure.
- Being civil makes us humane, human beings.
Vocabulary:
V1. Following are jumbled synonyms of uncivil. Rearrange the letters to get meaningful words:
- u e d r – rude
- p d n i u t m e – impudent
- t s o l n n i e – insolent
- s o o m e r – morose
- o u u t n h c – uncouth
- c d o s i e t u y r s – discourtesy
- g y h u t a h – haughty
- r o b o – boor
V2. Fill in the letters in the blanks that could be used for a person with good manners:
- t o l – – – – t – tolerant
- k – – d – kind
- c o u – – – o u s – courteous
- p a t – – – t – patient
- g e – – – e l – genteel
- s o l – – – o u s – solicitous
- c h l – – – o u s – chivalrous
- g – – – a – t – gallant
V. Grammar – Clauses:
G1. Identify the main and subordinate clauses in the following sentences:
- Because I like you, I shall help you.
I shall help you – Main clause
I because I like you – subordinating clause (adverb clause of reason) - This is the house that Jack built.
This is the house – Main clause
that Jack built – subordinating clause (adjective clause) - No one knows who he is.
No one knows – Main clause
Who he is – subordinating clause (noun clause) - It was unfortunate that you were absent.
It was unfortunate – Main clause
that you were absent – subordinating clause (noun clause) - He has a son who made a name for himself:
He has a son – Main clause
who made a name for himself – subordinating clause (adjective clause)
G2. Mark the main clause and subordinate clause and state the type of subordinate clause:
- The workers, who were weary, lay down to rest.
The workers lay down to rest – Main clause
who were weary – subordinating clause (adjective clause) - The exercise is so easy that I can do it.
The exercise is so easy – Main clause
that I can do – subordinating clause (adverb clause of result) - He admitted that he wrote the letter.
He admitted – Main clause
that he wrote the letter – subordinating clause (noun clause) - The thief crept as a Jackal does.
The thief crept – Main clause
as a jackal does – subordinating clause (adverb clause of comparison – degree) - He has lost the book that his uncle gave him.
He has lost the book – Main clause
that his uncle gave him – subordinating clause (adjective clause) - I remember the house where I was born.
I remember the house – Main clause
where I was born – subordinating clause (adjective clause) - Tell me why you did this.
Tell me – Main clause
why you did this – subordinating clause (noun clause) - When the righteous rule, the people rejoice.
The people rejoice – Main clause
when the righteous rule subordinating clause (adverb clause of time) - He showed how the problem could be solved.
He showed – Main clause
how the problem could be solved – subordinating clause (noun clause) - I hope that I shall be there in time.
I hope – Main clause
that I shall be there in time – subordinating clause (noun clause) - We have come that we may help you.
We have come – Main clause
that we may help you – subordinating clause (adverb clause of purpose) - The dog that bites does not bark.
The dog that bites – Main clause
does not bark – Subordinating clause
Speaking activity:
S1. Put the following words under their sound categories:
maps, bags, books, phones, kites, hedges, fences, posters, ducks, fishes, bats, shirts, chalks, hooks, pens, grains, houses, bottles, benches, taxes, rooms, chains, matches, shoes.
S2. The following conversation expresses a particular feeling. What is expressed in the following dialogue?
- Amit: This is a wonderful present you’ve got me. Thank you.
- Uncle: You’re welcome.
- Amit: You are very thoughtful and have picked up my favorite color.
- Uncle: I’m glad you like it. And it has made you happy.
- Amit: Oh! more than happy. Thank you, thank you very much.
The feeling expressed by Amit is genuine happiness and a very civil and courteous way of thanking his uncle. Amit’s polite and civil manners have made his uncle also feel very happy.
S3. Complete the following conversation:
- Stranger: Can I help you dear?
- Yourself: Thank you very much, these bags are quite heavy.
- Stranger: Don’t worry I can carry them for you.
- Yourself: It is very kind of you.
- Stranger: I’ll keep your bags here, will that be ok?
- Yourself: Yes, please. It is very kind of you help me. Thank you once again.
IX. Reading skill:
Following are a few traffic signals. What do they indicate?
Writing Skills:
Values in Indian culture:
The fabric of Indian culture is woven with varieties of customs and traditions. We Indians, are proud of our rich culture. Indian culture is said to be the mother of all other cultures. We attach much importance to human values and humanitarian outlook. Respecting the elders and women is the crowning feature of Indian culture. In our joint families, the eldest person is the decision-maker.
During any functions, the suggestions and opinions of elderly people are much welcomed. Round the clock, we have one festival or the other. In spite of diversity in religious beliefs, we join together in making our festivals colourful and to make it as an occasion to create oneness and harmony. As we believe in universal brotherhood, we do not permit religions to come between us in our celebrations. We respect people of other faiths, in order to maintain the age-old peaceful co-existence.
We highly esteem values like honesty, integrity, courage, sacrificial mentality, and chivalry. India is a peace-loving country. We have never attacked any of our neighbouring countries. Our culture, which is present in our blood, enables us to love even our enemies. We believe not in the power of the material wealth but in the power of the inner spirit.
Ours is definitely a noble and highly developed culture. Shashi Tharoor has rightly said ‘India is not an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay.”
On Saying Please Additional Questions and Answers
Question 1.
Why did the lift man refuse the passenger? What did he do?
Answer:
The liftman refused to take the passenger because he did not request a ‘please’; when he demanded ‘top’; the passenger refused, therefore he did not take him but hurled the passenger out of the lift.
Question 2.
When will the law acquit us?
Answer:
The law will acquit us if we retaliate against physical assault or violence. For example, if a burglar breaks into our house and we knock him down, the law will acquit us.
Question 3.
Why was the lift man hurt?
Answer:
The liftman was hurt because he regarded the discourtesy of the passenger as a slur upon his social standing.
Question 4.
What example did the author give for the bullying percolating down?
Answer:
The author said that when Sir Anthony Absolute bullied captain Absolute, he went out and bullied his man Fag who went downstairs and kicked his page boy.
Question 5.
What do we do to the world with our had manners?
Answer:
We infect the world will our bad manners which do more to poison the stream of the general life than all the crimes in the calendar.
Question 6.
When does the law not become the guardian of our manners?
Answer:
The law cannot become the guardian of our manners, because no court can administrate a law which governs our social civilities, speech, tilt of our eyebrows and all our moods, and manners.
Question 7.
How do ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ help us?
Answer:
‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ are small change with which we pay our way as social beings. They are the little courtesies by which we keep the machine of life oiled sweetly.
Question 8.
Why did the conductor wear heavy boots?
Answer:
The conductor started wearing heavy boots because his own legs were being trampled upon so frequently.
Question 9.
How did the conductor treat his passengers?
Answer:
The conductor had an inexhaustible fund of patience and a gift for making his passengers comfortable. If it was raining, he would run up the stairs to give someone the tip that there was room inside. With old people, he was considerate as a son and with children as solicitous as a father. He loved the young people and enjoyed in some merry jest with them. He would take special care of disabled people.
Question 10.
What example of Chesterfield did the author quote?
Answer:
During Chesterfield’s time, the London streets were without pavements and the man walking close to the wall had the driest footing. Once a man met Chesterfield on the street and said that he never gave a wall to a scoundrel. Chesterfield retorted that he always did and stepped into the road with a bow.
On Saying Please Summary in English
- The liftman was offended that a passenger was not polite and threw him put of the lift. Suppose someone harms us physically, we can retaliate and the law does not allow us to retaliate physically if someone abuses us verbally.
- Sometimes people are not intentionally rude. They would have faced some rudeness form someone and they pass it on to someone else. It is like a chain reaction.
- Polite words like ‘please’ and ‘Thank you’ make us social beings. There is no law to tell us to use these words but it is a social practice which is more sacred than the law.
- The author met a bus conductor on his travel one day. The author did not have any money with him, having forgotten to take his wallet. The conductor instead of getting angry gave him his ticket. The next time the conductor stamped the author’s foot by mistake, for which he apologized profusely. The author noticed that the conductor was polite to the old and the young, very helpful to the disabled. On the whole, his behavior was a lesson to be learned on civility.
- The author says that it doesn’t cost one any money to smile at the others and the smile actually ‘ brightens one’s day. The author ends the essay saying that politeness costs nothing but it is the
most precious commodity.
Glossary:
- declined: disagreed, refused
- assault, battery: physical, attack
- retaliate: retort, give back
- haughty: arrogant
- boorish: unpleasant, rude
- compel: force
- redress: to put right an injustice
- equilibrium: a sense of balance
- rebuke: to speak severely
- coppers: coins
- countenance: face
- jest: joke
- benediction: blessing
- conciliatory: pacifying
- gaiety: cheerful, full of fun.
- subtle: unnoticeable