SEBA Class 9 English Lesson - 11: If I Were You Question and Answer
If I Were You
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Thinking about the Text
I. Answer these questions.
1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”
(i) Who says this ?
Ans: The speaker of the above quoted line is Gerrard.
(ii) Why does he say it ?
Ans: He says this when the intruder orders him to tell all the details about himself and his life.
(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious ?
Ans: The above line was spoken with sarcasm. The ‘audience’ was the intruder who was in no way sympathetic towards Gerrard, but had come with an intention to kill him, holding a gun in his hand.
2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on ?
Ans: The intruder picks Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on because of two primary reasons. Firstly, both of them were similar in height and build. Secondly and more importantly, he had heard people in the town talking about Gerrard and had concluded that he was a man shrouded in mystery. Few people visited him and the number was even less when it came to people he was in regular touch with. Living alone in a quiet part of the country, Gerrard was neither well known nor too friendly with the other townsfolk. These reasons coupled with the fact that Gerrard was a loner, lead the crook to believe that no one would notice if Gerrard went missing or someone took his place.
3. “I said it with bullets.”
(i) Who says this ?
Ans: The above quoted line was said by Gerrard.
(ii) What does it mean ?
Ans: “To say with bullets” means to murder someone with a gun.
(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this ?
Ans: No, it was not true. It was a lie that Gerrard had concocted on the spur of the moment because the actual crook, thinking him to be a harmless loner, had planned to kill him and take his place. By proving himself to be a convict, Gerrard hoped to nullify the advantage the intruder thought he would gain by killing him, and thus Gerrard hoped to escape being killed.
4. What is Gerrard’s profession ? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.
Ans: Gerrard seemed to be a supplier of props to theatres.Parts of the play supporting this fact are:
(a) “Sorry I can’t let you have the props in time for rehearsal..”
(b) “That’s a disguise outfit: false moustaches and what not. He could also be a playwright. This is supported by his words at the end of the play when he says “I think I’ll put it on my next play.”
5.”You will soon stop being smart.”
(i) Who says this ?
Ans: The above quoted line is said by the intruder.
(ii) Why does the speaker say it ?
Ans: The speaker was irritated on finding that Gerrard appeared calm even after seeing him enter the cottage with a gun. When the intruder stumbled for a word to describe Gerrard’s composure, Gerrard himself helps him by supplying the word. Peeved at this display of smartness he says that Gerrard would soon stop being smart when he knew what was in store for him.
(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart ?
Ans: According to the intruder when Gerrard would come to know that the intruder planned to murder him he would stop being smart.
6. “They can’t hang me twice.”
(i) Who says this ?
Ans: The above quoted line is said by the intruder.
(ii) Why does the speaker say it ?
Ans: On hearing the intruder’s plan of murdering him, Gerrard suggests that he better refrain from adding murder to his list of crimes. But the intruder retorts that since he had already committed one murder, a second would not hurt, because he could not be hanged twice.
7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain ?
Ans: The mystery that the speaker proposes to explain is himself, as to why he was a loner and preferred to remain in isolation, living all by himself in a quiet part of the town.
8. “This is your big surprise.”
(i) Where has this been said in the play ?
Ans: After the intruder details his plan to Gerrard, he prepares to shoot him. Gerrard stalls him by announcing that if he went ahead and shot him, he would still be hanged, if not as himself than as Gerrard (whose identity he intended to take over).
(ii) What is the surprise ?
Ans: The surprise was a story that Gerrard made up about himself in which he was no innocent citizen himself, rather he was a crooked criminal on the run from the Law for having committed murder.
Thinking about Language
I. Consult your dictionary and choose the correct word from the pairs given in brackets.
1. The (site, cite) of the accident was (ghastly/ghostly).
2. Our college (principle/principal) is very strict.
3. I studied (continuously/continually) for eight hours.
4. The fog had an adverse (affect/effect) on the traffic.
5. Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant (artist/ artiste).
6. The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary (collage/college) of science fiction and mystery.
7. Our school will (host/hoist) an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.
8. Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and (shake/shape well before using the contents.
Ans: 1. The site of the accident was ghastly.
2. Our college principal is very strict.
3. I studied continuously for eight hours.
4. The fog had an adverse effect on the traffic.
5. Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant artist.
6. The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary collage of science fiction and mystery.
7. Our school will host an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.
8. Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and shake well before using the contents.
II. Irony is when we say one thing but mean another, usually the opposite of what we say. When someone makes a mistake and you say, “Oh! that was clever!”. That is irony. You’re saying ‘clever’ to mean ‘not clever’.
Expressions we often use in an ironic fashion are:
Oh, wasn’t that clever!Oh that was clever!
You have been a great help, I must say!
You’ve got yourself into a lovely mess, haven’t you ?
Oh, very funny!/How funny!
We use a slightly different tone of voice when we use these words ironically,
Read the play carefully and find the words and expressions Gerrard uses in an ironic way. Then say what these expressions really mean.
Two examples have been given below. Write down three more such expressions along with what they really mean.
| What the author says | What he means |
| Why, this is a surprise, Mr—er— | He pretends that the intruder is a social visitor whom he is welcoming in this way he hides his fear. |
| At last a sympathetic audience! | He pretends that the intruder wants to listen to him, whereas actually the intruder wants to find out information for his own use. |
Ans:
| What the author says | What he means |
|---|---|
| 1. I’m sorry. I thought you were telling me, not asking me. | He pretends to have misunderstood the intruder. In this way he buys himself some time to think. |
| 2. Quite charming, but no one as interesting as yourself. | pretends to be interested in the intruder and flatter him. But in reality tries to hide his fear and not divulge more information about himself. |
| 3. This is extremely interesting. | Gerrard calls the intruder’s plan interesting when he actually is worried at the detailed planning the intruder has done, and is racking his brains to find a way out. |
Dictionary Use
A word can mean different things in different contexts. Look at these three sentences :
The students are taught to respect different cultures,
The school is organising a cultural how
His voice is cultured.
In the first sentence, ‘culture’ (noun) means way of life in the second, cultural’ (adjective) means connected with art literature and music; and in the third, ‘cultured’ (verb) means sophisticated, well mannered. Usually a dictionary helps you identify the right meaning by giving you signposts.
Look at the dictionary entry on culture’ from Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2005.
[Noun, verb, adjective, adverb, synonyms, etc. are signposts which help you locate the right meaning and usage, and give information about the part of speech that the word is.)
Look up the dictionary entries for the words sympathy, familiarity, comfort, care, and surprise. Use the information given in the dictionary and complete the table.
| Noun | Adjective | Adverb | Verb | Meaning |
| sympathy | ||||
| familiarity | ||||
| comfort | ||||
| care | ||||
| surprise |
Ans:
Speaking
1. Imagine you are Gerrard. Tell your friend what happened when the Intruder broke into your house.
[Clues: Describe
(i) the Intruder – his appearance, the way he spoke, his plan, his movements, etc.
(ii) how you outwitted him.]
2. Enact the play in the class. Pay special attention to words given in italics before a dialogue. These words will tell you whether the dialogue has to be said in a happy, sarcastic or ironic tone and how the characters move and what they do as they speak. Read these carefully before you enact the play.
Suggested Answer:
I have a very amusing story to tell you about what happened to me yesterday. I was packing my bags to go to the next town, to deliver some props. Just then I heard a sound behind me and turned to check it. To my utter astonishment a flashily dressed man, wearing an overcoat and a hat, stood there pointing a gun at me. Though my heart was beating rapidly. I remained calm outwardly and asked him why he had come. Very melodramatically he asked me to raise my arms and then answer a few questions. I requested to be seated comfortably and decided to go on with his game, until I knew what he wanted.
The intruder asked me questions like if I lived alone, if I had a car etc. But, he already knew a lot about me, which I was surprised to note. I tried to extract some knowledge about my visitor. He announced with pride that he was a specialist in jewel robbery, and he also told me that he intended to take my car and retire at my home. Quite taken aback, I asked if he planned to stay with me. That was when he very nonchalantly announced that he intended to kill me. Now my heart was literally pounding but playing for time, I kept the conversation going. He said that he was running away from the police as he was wanted for murder, so another murder would not harm him. Moreover he planned to take over my identity and live as me.
The moment he said that he wanted to be me, I knew I had him if only my plan would work. Looking at him, I knew he had a good chance of carrying out his intentions, he was indeed quite similar to me. I had to put my plan to work-it was the only chance I had. I tested his temper by telling him that he had delayed killing me and now he would not do so because there was a good reason not to. I had him ruffled. He firmly said that he had planned my murder and identity-take-over very meticulously and nothing could go wrong. He had seen me at Aylesbury, and had overheard two people talking about how little I was seen you know how busy I am and how much travelling I do and got this brain of an idea. Saying so her pulled his gun at me. My scheme was how clear to me and I was confident. So very boldly I told him not to be a fool as if not as himself, he would hang as me. Now I had his full attention. I went on to tell him that I too had committed murder but had got away. Unfortunately one of my men had been caught with proof of my whereabouts, hence I was expecting the police to come anytime. Remembering my half packed bag, I pointed to it as proof of my getting ready to flee. The theatrical false moustaches and all I told him were for a disguise. I then pressed on him the urgency to leave immediately. He seemed confused, so I told him that he had nothing to lose as I would still be with him. I even added that I had a man positioned on the main road to warn me if the police came. Luckily just then the phone rang, I further pressed him into action and pointing to the cupboard door, told him to go in as it would lead directly into the garage. The smart guy did not enter but just leaned in to inspect. I took my chance, pushed him in and bolted the door securely. His gun too fortunately fell out. As he swore and rattled the door, I received the phone. As I assumed, it was the man from the theatre. I apologised for not being able to supply the props for the rehearsal, and also asked him to send the Sergeant to my house.
Now how to you like that! Wasn’t it interesting? What do you say perfect story for my next play? Ha Ha !
Writing
I. Which of the words below describe Gerrard and which describe the Intruder ?
| smart | humorous | clever |
| Beautiful | Cool | confident |
| flashy | witty | Nonchalant |
Write a paragraph each about Gerrard and the Intruder to show what qualities they have. (You can use some of the words given above.)
Ans: The words which describe Gerrard are: smart, clever, confident, cool, humorous, witty and nonchalant.
The words which describe the intruder are: confident, flashy, clever.
II. Convert the play into a story (150-200 words). Your story should be as exciting and as witty as the play. Provide a suitable title to it.
Suggested Answer:
Gerrard was a loner but he was a smart and clever guy. He was confident all throughout his interaction with the intruder. He even tried humour and wit to dissuade the intruder but when all failed he used his brains. Gerrard maintained his cool even when the intruder threatened him. He possessed great presence of mind even when faced with imminent death and his clever handling of the situation helped him escape.
The intruder was a clever guy too because it was his brain which allowed him to think of such a devious plan as killing a loner such as Gerrard and taking his identity. Though cool and confident in the initial stages, the intruder failed to maintain his calm when he heard that Gerrard was a criminal too and killing him would get him nowhere. Smartness in the face of danger was one thing that he lacked and it eventually led to his downfall.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
Answer the following questions :
1. Who were the few people who came to visit Gerrard ?
Ans: The few people who visited Gerrard now and then included the baker, the greengrocer and the milkman.
2. What did the intruder tell Gerrard about himself ?
Ans: The intruder told Gerrard that he was running from cops after adding murder to his list of crimes which already included jewel robbery. And having seen Gerrard in Aylesbury, and hearing people refer to him as queer and a kind of mystery man, he had decided to kill Gerrard and take his place himself.
3. Why did the intruder want to take on Gerrard’s identity ?
Ans: The intruder wanted to take Gerrard’s identity because he was a crook on the run from the police after having committed a spate of crimes which included jewel heists and murder. Tired of having to be constantly on alert against the police catching up with him, he decided to kill Gerrard and live in peace forever by taking on his identity.
4. “Why add murder to your other crimes ? It’s a grave step you are taking.”
(i) Who said this to whom and why ?
Ans: The above quoted sentence was said by Gerrard to the intruder when the latter mentioned his plan of killing the former and taking his identity.
(ii) What were the other crimes the person had committed ?
Ans: The intruder was a specialist jewel thief.
(iii) What did the person have to say in response to this sentence ?
Ans: In response to the above quoted sentence by Gerrard, the intruder retorted that he had already committed a murder and since he could not be hanged twice, so he had no qualms about killing a man again.
6. Where did the intruder first see Gerrard? How and why did he get interested in him?
Ans: The intruder first laid his eyes on Gerrard at Aylesbury, while her was on the run from the police.
The intruder got interested in Gerrard when he learnt that Gerrard was a loner and the townsfolk did not know much about him. He also realised that both he and Gerrard were nearly of the same built. The intruder thought it would be easy to take on the identity of such a person.
7. What story did Gerrard tell the intruder? Do you think it was the truth?
Ans: Faced with the prospect of being murdered in cold blood by an intruder, Gerrard concocted a story and told the intruder that he was a famed criminal himself. To prove his point, Gerrard cited points that the intruder himself had mentioned, such as Gerrard being a mystery man to the rest of the townsfolk and him not being in touch with many people. Gerrard said that he was a crook and once things had gone wrong for him and he had committed murder. Since then he was on the run from the law. But his cover had been blown and he was expecting trouble that very night and so was all ready to escape from the police a second time. For some reason he had been packing when the intruder came, and pointing to the bag he said that he had his bags packed and was but about to run away. No, it was not true. It was a clever lie that Gerrard had made up on the spur of the moment, to confuse the intruder and escape with his life.
Reference to the context
1. “Careful, boss, I’m watching you.”
(a) Who is the speaker ?
Ans: The speaker of the above quoted sentence is the intruder.
(b) Why does he say this ? Is he being respectful or sarcastic ?
Ans: As Gerrard makes a move to get his t and bag, while asking the intruder not to waste time and flee the place before the police arrive, the intruder gets wary and makes the above given comment.The intruder is being sarcastic when he refers to Gerrard as ‘boss’.
(c) Who is being referred to as ‘boss’ here ?
Ans: Gerrard is being referred to as boss here.
2. “You won’t kill me for a very good reason.”
(a) Who says this ?
Ans: The speaker of the above quoted sentence is Gerrard.
(b) What is the reason ?
Ans: The reason Gerrard gives the intruder as to why he should not kill him is because Gerrard is a crook himself and is wanted by the police for murder. Thus killing him and taking on his identity, would make him still be wanted for murder.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Whose identity did the intruder decide to take?
(a) Louis Gerrard.
(b) Vincent Charles Gerrard.
(c) The police officer.
(d) The Sergeant.
Ans: (b) Vincent Charles Gerrard.
2. Where did Gerrard think the caller could find the Sergeant ?
(a) at the public bar.
(b) in his office.
(c) at the station.
(d) watching a play.
Ans: (a) at the public bar
3. The adjective form of ‘Amuse’ is
(a) Amusingly.
(b) Bemuse.
(c) Amusing.
(d) Amusement.
Ans: (c) Amusing
4. Who were the people who usually visited Gerrard ?
(a) the baker and the tradespeople.
(b) the intruder and the milkman.
(c) actors from the play, the greengrocer and the milkman.
(d) the baker, the green-grocer and the milkman.
Ans: (d) the baker, the green-grocer and the milkman
5. A Sunday school teacher means a
(a) Christian religious teacher who teaches on Sundays in Churches.
(b) a teacher who comes to school on Sundays.
(c) a regular teacher who teaches on all days except Sunday.
(d) a religious teacher who teaches everyone on Saturdays and Sundays.
Ans: (a) Christian religious teacher who teaches on Sundays in Churches.
THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE (Additional Exercises)
1. Consult your dictionary and write the meaning of the words which sound similar but have different meanings.
(i) abjure
adjure
(ii) allusion
illusion
(iii) bail
bale
(iv) counsellor
council
(v) confirm
conform
(v)corrupt
irrupt
(vii) fowl
foul
(viii) inapt
inept
(ix) human
humane
Ans: (i) abjure : to abandon
adjure : to request earnestly
(ii) allusion : an indirect reference
illusion : a deception
(iii) bail : to bring out someone from jail
bale : a bundle of cotton
(iv) counsellor : adviser
councillor : a member of a council
(v) confirm : endorse
conform : adapt, adjust
(vi) erupt : eject forcibly or suddenly
irrupt : break into forcibly or suddenly
(vii) fowl : bird
foul inapt: very unpleasant, very bad inappropriate
(viii) inapt: inappropriate
inept : unskilful
(ix) human : person
humane: kind and generous
2. Irony
You have been introduced to ‘irony’ in this chapter. The type of irony dealt with here is verbal irony- the intended meaning differs from the apparent meaning of words spoken. There is also situational irony when there is incongruity between what happens and what was expected or intended. Some examples of irony are
(1) A person on a diet ordering diet coke and a big plate of fries.
(2) A security guard sleeping on duty.
(3) Soldiers playing a board game called “Risk”.
(4) Theft at the police station.
(5) The Indian tricolour manufactured in China.
