If I Were You Class 9 in the Class 9th CBSE English textbook. It is written by Douglas James. Through this article, we will summarize the chapter as well as solve the exercises given at the end of the chapter.
Students of class 9 can read this article and try understanding the chapter in a shorter span of time. The solved exercise at the end will help them in checking their own answers and for a quick revision during exam sessions.
Table of Contents
If I were you Class 9 Summary
If I were you is a very interesting play that includes surprise, suspense, humor, and mystery. It is written by Douglas James, in a setup where Gerrard the main character escapes a killer through his cleverness.
Gerrard is a playwriter, and the play is about his life. There is humor present throughout the play, despite the fact that it is about a criminal and a playwright who is surprised by him. The humor isn’t forced or over the top. It has a good taste and is quiet. Due to Gerrard’s witty and biting comments, the offender is outraged while the audience is entertained by his cool demeanor and presence of mind. When the visitor asks him to explain himself, he doesn’t freak out but instead says, “I’m pleased to have a sympathetic audience.” Instead of being shocked when the invader offers to live in his cottage, Gerrard replies, “You have not been invited.” Gerrard remarks, “You are not particularly decorative,” in reference to the intruder’s appearance.
Gerrard is shown in this play getting ready to leave for practice when he runs into an intruder. Gerrard, therefore, succeeds in persuading the invader not to kill him after finding himself in a tight spot. We hear that the burglar intended to pose as Gerrard while he was being sought by the police. Gerrard is fortunate that his wit and cunning prevent him from being killed. In addition to successfully saving himself, Gerrard also apprehends a criminal and develops a new storyline for his upcoming play. Consequently, it makes for a really interesting read.
If I were you Class 9 Notes
Introduction
In the first scene, If I Were You shows playwright Gerrard getting ready to leave his house for a rehearsal. He finishes his phone call and begins to pack his suitcase when he notices someone entering from his right side.
He is carrying a gun in his hands, and Gerrard observes that he bears a striking likeness to Gerrard. He discovers that he is a criminal as a result, and is told to raise his hands. Gerrard converses amiably with him despite being threatened with a gun. The invaders finally force Gerrard to sit down on a chair.
Gerrard is revealed to be a man who lives alone and owns a car during their talk. He is continuously coming in and going out, thus it is obvious that he is somewhat enigmatic. We observe that Gerrard lives at his house but occasionally disappears.
Additionally, he solely communicates with his tradespeople via the phone. After knowing everything, we also learn about the intruder. He is a criminal who primarily steals valuables. He has just killed a police officer and is running from the authorities. Because of his likeness to Gerrard, he intends to kill him and use his identity to kill the police.
Explanation ( story )
Despite the fact that the play is about a criminal and a playwright who is caught off guard by him, there is humor woven throughout the piece. The humor isn’t over the top or forced. It is tasteful and subdued. Gerrard makes such smart and scathing remarks that the offender feels upset and the audience is entertained due to his calm demeanor and presence of mind. Instead of freaking out when the visitor invites him to talk about himself, he responds that he is glad to have a sympathetic audience. Gerrard responds, “You have not been invited,” rather than being horrified when the invader offers to reside in his cottage. Gerrard comments on the intruder’s appearance, “You are not particularly decorative.”
Author
Sir James Douglas, (born Aug. 15, 1803, Demerara, British Guiana—died Aug. 2, 1877, Victoria, B.C., Can.), Canadian statesman known as “the father of British Columbia.” He became its first governor when it was a newly formed wilderness colony. He was educated at Westminster School and at Trinity College, Cambridge; he graduated BA Hons. in Classics in 1910. Soon after his graduation, he joined the colonial service and was posted as assistant secretary to the Government of Cyprus from 1910–16.
Word Meaning
Dandy: extra attention to personal appearance, fashionable
Disguise: give a different appearance in order to hide one’s identity
Dodge: ways to avoid something
Intruder: a person who enters into space or situation despite being not invited to the place, or having permission for it.
Muddled Head: one with a confused mind
Pantomime: a dramatic entertainment, a way of imitating someone, the art of conveying a story through body movements
Tribute: to show respect, admiration, or gratitude for something or someone.
If I Were You Class 9 Question and Answers
Q1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Why does he say it?
(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?
Ans: –
- This was said by Gerrard.
- The reason behind him saying this was, that the intruder became sympathetic towards him.
- His tone in this comment is sarcastic.
Q2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?
Ans: –
The intruder who broke into Gerrard’s house was a criminal and has killed a person. He had killed a police officer, and the authorities were after him. He broke into Gerrard’s home with the goal to kill him and then assume Gerrard’s identity to escape capture by the police. Given that Gerrard and the burglar have similar faces, the intruder assumes Gerrard’s identity and impersonates him in order to flee the police.
Q3. “I said it with bullets.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) What does it mean?
(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?
Ans: –
- The line was said by Gerrard.
- The line implies that there was a situation where the person had to escape a situation and he had to use a gun to shoot someone to escape that.
- No, that is not accurate. He simply wants the intruder to think that he is a criminal who has likewise committed murder and fled. The speaker makes this statement, as a result, to prevent the invader from shooting him.
Q4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.
Gerrard is a playwright.
There are many dialogues written by Gerrard are as follows:-
“This is all very melodramatic not very original perhaps; out”.
“At last a sympathetic audience”.
Q5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.”
(i) Who says this?
(ii) Why does the speaker say it?
(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?
Ans: –
- It is said by the Intruder.
- The speaker said this because he does not want to reveal his identity.
- According to the speaker, the bullet hitting Gerrard and his death will stop him from being smart.
Q6. “They can’t hang me twice”.
- Who says this?
- Why does the speaker say it?
Ans: – (i) This is said by the intruder.
(ii) The attacker informs Gerrard that he has already killed one man and will not think twice about killing him as well. Because he committed two murders, the police cannot hang him twice, and he will only be hanged once.
Q7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?
Ans: – Gerrard fabricates a story to deceive the intruder into thinking he is likewise a violent man in order to solve the riddle. He informs him that he is a criminal himself. He challenges the invader, asking why he doesn’t interact with any local business owners and prefers to remain somewhat of a mystery. By telling him that the game is over since things went wrong with him when he had to commit murder to get away, he further deepens the mystery. Unfortunately, one of his guys was captured, and things that he ought to have burned were discovered with him.
Q8. “This is your big surprise.”
(i) Where has this been said in the play?
(ii) What is the surprise?
Ans: –
- In the play, this statement has been said twice. The first instance when it was said was when the intruder revealed the fact that his plan is to kill Gerrard. That is the first time Gerrard said this to the intruder. There is another instance when Gerrard is about to reveal his identity to the intruder and that is the second instance where this line is said.
- In the first instance, the surprise is that the intruder is planning to kill Gerrard. The second occasion is by Gerrard where in the surprise is the fictitious identity that he is going to reveal to make the intruder believe that he himself is a crook like an intruder.
Thinking About Language
- Consult your dictionary and choose the correct word from the pairs given in brackets.
- The (site, cite) of the accident was (ghastly/ghostly).
Ans: Site, ghastly
- Our college (principle/principal) is very strict.
Ans: Principal
- I studied (continuously/continually) for eight hours.
Ans: continuously
- The fog had an adverse (affect/effect) on the traffic.
Ans: effect
- Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant (artist/artiste).
Ans: artist
- The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary (collage/college) of science fiction and mystery.
Ans: Collage
- Our school will (host/hoist) an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.
Ans: host
- Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and (shake/shape) well before using the contents.
Ans: shake
If I were you Class 9 Pdf Download
If I were you Class 9 Conclusion
‘If I were You’ is chapter 11 in the Class 9th CBSE English textbook. It is written by Douglas James. Through this article, we will summarize the chapter as well as solve the exercises given at the end of the chapter.
Students of class 9 can read this article and try understanding the chapter in a shorter span of time. The solved exercise at the end will help them in checking their own answers and for a quick revision during exam sessions.
