Class 9 English

Chapter 1 Solutions — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

Open Solutions PDF →Also seeTextbook page→

Open Solutions PDFReads in your browser→Also seeTextbook page→

Get the full experience in the app

Free practice, offline PDFs & solutions.

Already installed? Open in the app

Solutions

Overview

Step-by-step NCERT solutions for How I Taught My Grandmother to Read (Chapter 1, NCERT Class 9 English) — every question and answer worked out in full, not just the final result. You can also read the How I Taught My Grandmother to Read textbook chapter.

Solved

What these solutions cover

All 29 questions in How I Taught My Grandmother to Read are solved in the PDF. Here's what's inside, exercise by exercise:

Pre-reading Vocabulary Match — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

1.
Match the highlighted words (i)–(viii) in the passage below with their meanings (1–8). Passage: 'The casting for the
- (i) protagonist of our school's annual play was done after a lot of
- (ii) debate as many good actors had auditioned for the role. We had decided to present an
- (iii) episode from an inspirational story. It was a life story of a group of children who worked with the
- (iv) community to…

Check Your Understanding — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

1.
Complete the cause and effect table given below based on Part I of the story.
- (i) Cause: The morning papers arrived late in the day and weekly magazines would come one day late.
- (ii) Cause: The grandmother, Krishtakka, never went to school.
- (iii) Effect: She was deeply interested in the story and discussed it with her friends.
- (iv) Cause: The narrator went to a wedding for a week.
- (v) Effect…
Do you think the narrator expected to see her grandmother in tears when she returned to the village? If yes, why? If no, why not?
How might the narrator help her grandmother to fulfil her desire to learn to read and write?

Check Your Understanding — True or False

State whether the following sentences are true or false. 1. The grandmother wanted to learn the Kannada alphabet to gain independence. 2. The grandmother asked someone in the village to read Kashi Yatre to her while the narrator was away. 3. The narrator was the grandmother's first teacher and taught her how to read Kannada. 4. The grandmother believed that there was no age limit for learning…

Critical Reflection — Extract-based Questions

1.
Read the extract and answer the questions …
- (i) Complete the sentence: 'The phrase "never seen her cry in the most difficult situations" tells us that the grandmother was ______.' (A. strong-willed B. understanding C. considerate D. bold)
- (ii) Fill in the blank: 'Grandmother did not reply when the narrator asked if she was alright because she might have been too ______ (emotional/tired) to respond.'
- (iii) Identify the clue from the extract that indicates a rural setting with traditional customs.
- (iv) Which lines of the extract establish a tender atmosphere?
- (v) Which of the following aspect is NOT emphasised in the given extract? (A. the emotional turmoil of the grandmother B. the affectionate bond between the narrator and her grandmother C. the grandmother's regret over her lack of education D. the narrator's concern for her grandmother)
2.
Read the extract and answer the questions …
- (i) What does the grandmother's statement 'I want to be independent' reveal about her character? (A. She wanted to be literate. B. She desires self-sufficiency. C. She wants to prove her intelligence to others. D. She feels pressured by society to learn.)
- (ii) Fill in the blank: 'The grandmother's determination shows that learning has no ______ (age limit/gender bias/cultural barriers).'
- (iii) Complete the following with a suitable reason: 'The narrator laughs at her grandmother's decision to learn the alphabet at the age of sixty-two because _____.''
- (iv) List any two qualities displayed by the grandmother.
- (v) How can we say that the narrator is making assumptions about her grandmother?
Answer the following questions. 1. Why do you think the grandmother felt embarrassed to ask someone else to read to her while the narrator was away? 2. Why does the narrator initially laugh at her grandmother's determination to learn at the age of sixty-two? 3. What significance does the story of Kashi Yatre have in both the grandmother's life and the story? 4. What does the grandmother's desire…

Vocabulary and Structures in Context — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

1.
Match the binomials in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. Column 1: 1. sink or swim 2. on and off 3. mix and match 4. all or nothing 5. part and parcel 6. pick and choose 7. sooner or later 8. leaps and bounds Column 2:
- (i) put different things together to get a range of possibilities
- (ii) complete part of or belong to
- (iii) choose only the best (things, people, etc.)
- (iv) at some time in…
Use any five of the binomials (sink or swim, on and off, mix and match, all or nothing, part and parcel, pick and choose, sooner or later, leaps and bounds) in sentences of your own.
Add the suitable prefix (un, im, dis, in, mis, extra) to the following words from the text to give them an opposite or negative meaning. One example is done: popular → unpopular. 2. belief 3. important 4. respect 5. correct 6. continue 7. understand 8. ordinary 9. interesting 10. possible
Identify any five words with prefixes from the story 'How I Taught My Grandmother to Read' and make sentences using each.
5.
Match the idioms related to 'learning' in Column 1 with their meanings in Column 2. Column 1: 1. to hit the books 2. to draw a blank 3. to learn the ropes 4. to rack one's brain 5. to learn by heart 6. burn the midnight oil Column 2:
- (i) to memorise something
- (ii) to think very hard
- (iii) to study seriously
- (iv) to study or work late into the night
- (v) to be unable to remember
- (vi) to understand…
Use the idioms (to hit the books, to draw a blank, to learn the ropes, to rack one's brain, to learn by heart, burn the midnight oil) in sentences of your own.
Fill in the blanks with the simple past and past perfect tense form of the verbs given in brackets. (i) A. When the delegates _______ (arrive) at the conference, the keynote speaker _______ (already begin) the session. B. After the students _______ (learn) how to identify fake news online, they _______ (start) verifying information before sharing it. C. Before Kiran _______ (start) using digital…
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of verbs given in brackets. Last year, my parents and I A. _______ (take) a financial planning course. When we B. _______ (review) our expenses, we realised we C. _______ (spend) too much on unnecessary purchases. After my parents D. _______ (discuss) ways to save, I E. _______ (open) a savings account. By the time we F. _______ (set) our budget, the…

Check Your Understanding — Bharat Our Land (poem by Subramania Bharati)

Fill in the blanks by choosing appropriate words from the box to complete the summary of the poem 'Bharat Our Land'. Words: warriors, peerless, Upanishads, Ganga, Buddha, Himavant, sages, praise, historical greatness, Brahma-knowledge The poem is a tribute to India, celebrating its natural beauty, spiritual heritage, and 1. _______. The poet praises the 2. _______, describing it as mighty and…
Complete the following features about the poem 'Bharat Our Land'. 1. The impact on the readers (mood): 2. The poet's attitude (tone): 3. The rhyme scheme: 4. Examples of personification:
What is the impact of the refrain, 'she's peerless, let's praise her!'?
Complete the following sentence appropriately: 'India is metaphorically described as "this sunny golden land," suggesting that it is _________.'
5.
The poet uses symbolism. Match the symbols in Column 1 to what they suggest in Column 2. Column 1: 1. Himavant 2. Ganga 3. Upanishads 4. Gallant warriors and sages 5. Brahma-knowledge and Buddha's Dhamma 6. Sunny golden land Column 2:
- (i) knowledge and enlightenment
- (ii) spiritual and philosophical legacy
- (iii) purity and generosity
- (iv) richness and glory
- (v) strength and permanence (vi)…
The poet uses imagery (descriptive language to create vivid mental pictures that appeal to the senses). Give any two examples from the poem.
What is the impact of the use of hyphens in the first stanza? Select the options that are true. 1. Creates deliberate pauses to reinforce the sense of admiration and pride 2. Emphasises the contrast between India … 3. Lends to the lyrical quality giving it a measured, chant-like rhythm 4. Suggests hesitation or uncertainty in the poet's claims about India 5. Presents a key element of India's greatness before the hyphen and makes a strong assertion about its uniqueness after the hyphen
The poem is an ode. An ode is a lyrical poem that expresses deep admiration, praise, or reverence for a person, place, object, or idea, often in an elevated and formal style. Identify examples from the poem that correspond to it being an ode.
9.
The poet uses allusion in the poem. Identify the matching allusions from the poem for the following:
- (a) An allusion to the ancient Indian scriptures that form the philosophical core and symbolise deep wisdom and enlightenment.
- (b) An allusion to the concept of spiritual knowledge associated with self-realisation and ultimate truth.
- (c) An allusion to Gautama Buddha's teachings, which include…

Critical Reflection — Bharat Our Land (poem)

Read the extract and answer the questions … 1. Complete the sentence: 'The word "mighty" refers to the __________ of the Himavant.' 2. The question mark at the end of the fourth and sixth line of the extract is used to __________ (i. show doubt and uncertainty ii. emphasise a point iii. highlight confusion and hesitation iv. reveal inquiry and curiosity). 3. The poet uses the word 'generous' to describe the Ganga. Why? 4. Why has the movement of the river been described as graceful? 5. Fill in the blank: 'The poet is implying that the Upanishads are _________ (unmatched/abundant) in their wisdom and spiritual depth.'
Answer the following questions. 1. How does the poem reflect a strong connection to cultural identity and heritage? 2. What can you infer about the poet's attitude towards India from the repeated phrase 'she's peerless, let's praise her!'? 3. What does the line 'many a sage has sanctified this land' suggest about India's spiritual heritage? 4. How does the poet connect warriors and music to…

Vocabulary in Context — Bharat Our Land

Complete the table by choosing words from the poem for the given suffixes. Suffix | Meaning | Examples (from the poem) -ous | full of, having the qualities of kindness | 1. _______ous -ity | the state of being very old or ancient | 2. _______ity -est | superlative form | 3. ______est -less | without something | 4. ______less
Complete the following table by adding a different suffix to form new words and create a sentence using each. One example is done: indicate → indication. 1. (suffix -tion) new word and sentence 2. (suffix -ive) new word and sentence 3. (suffix -ment) new word and sentence 4. (suffix -ed) new word and sentence

Sample

Worked examples

3 questions from How I Taught My Grandmother to Read, solved step by step.

Check Your Understanding — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

Do you think the narrator expected to see her grandmother in tears when she returned to the village? If yes, why? If no, why not?

The text tells us that when the narrator returned, she 'was surprised, for I had never seen her cry even in the most difficult situations.'

This shows clearly that the narrator did NOT expect her grandmother to be in tears.

The grandmother was normally a strong, cheerful person — 'a good-looking lady who was usually always smiling.' Seeing her in tears was completely unexpected.

Answer: No, the narrator did not expect her grandmother to be in tears. She was surprised, as the grandmother was a normally strong and smiling person whom she had never seen cry even in the most difficult situations.

Vocabulary and Structures in Context — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

Add the suitable prefix (un, im, dis, in, mis, extra) to the following words from the text to give them an opposite or negative meaning. One example is done: popular → unpopular. 2. belief 3. important 4. respect 5. correct 6. continue 7. understand 8. ordinary 9. interesting 10. possible

Choose the prefix that correctly negates each word:

2. belief → disbelief (dis- for lack of belief)

3. important → unimportant (un- for not important)

4. respect → disrespect (dis- for lack of respect)

5. correct → incorrect (in- for not correct)

6. continue → discontinue (dis- to stop/reverse)

7. understand → misunderstand (mis- for wrong understanding)

8. ordinary → extraordinary (extra- for beyond ordinary)

9. interesting → uninteresting (un- for not interesting)

10. possible → impossible (im- before 'p' for not possible)

Answer: 2. disbelief 3. unimportant 4. disrespect 5. incorrect 6. discontinue 7. misunderstand 8. extraordinary 9. uninteresting 10. impossible

Check Your Understanding — Bharat Our Land (poem by Subramania Bharati)

What is the impact of the refrain, 'she's peerless, let's praise her!'?

A refrain is a line or phrase repeated at regular intervals in a poem.

The refrain 'she's peerless, let's praise her!' appears at the end of each stanza, creating a chant-like, anthem quality that builds emotional intensity with each repetition.

Its impact is threefold: (a) It reinforces the central claim that India is unmatched and matchless — 'peerless' — hammering this idea into the reader's mind. (b) It is an inclusive call to action ('let's'), drawing the reader into a collective act of patriotic praise. (c) The repetition gives the poem a musical, incantatory rhythm that makes it feel like a hymn or song of praise to the motherland, deepening the feeling of national pride.

Answer: The refrain 'she's peerless, let's praise her!' reinforces India's uniqueness with each repetition, creates a chant-like, anthem quality, and unites the reader in a collective act of patriotic celebration — making the poem feel like a national hymn.

All 29 questions in How I Taught My Grandmother to Read are solved step by step in the Solutions PDF above.

Keep solving

Chapter 1 Solutions — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

Overview

What these solutions cover

Pre-reading Vocabulary Match — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

Check Your Understanding — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

Check Your Understanding — True or False

Critical Reflection — Extract-based Questions

Vocabulary and Structures in Context — How I Taught My Grandmother to Read

Check Your Understanding — Bharat Our Land (poem by Subramania Bharati)

Critical Reflection — Bharat Our Land (poem)

Vocabulary in Context — Bharat Our Land

Worked examples

Do you think the narrator expected to see her grandmother in tears when she returned to the village? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Add the suitable prefix (un, im, dis, in, mis, extra) to the following words from the text to give them an opposite or negative meaning. One example is done: popular → unpopular. 2. belief 3. important 4. respect 5. correct 6. continue 7. understand 8. ordinary 9. interesting 10. possible

What is the impact of the refrain, 'she's peerless, let's praise her!'?

More solutions in Kaveri

More NCERT Solutions for Class 9