CBSE Class 9 Main Course English NCERT Solutions: Can You Know People You Haven't Met

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 9 PDF

This section provides comprehensive NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 9 Main Course English, Chapter 1(C), titled 'Can You Know People You Haven't Met'. The solutions focus on developing students' inferential skills by analyzing a poem that describes an abandoned farmhouse. Students will learn to deduce information about the former inhabitants based on subtle clues left behind, such as the size of shoes, the state of the fields, and the condition of the house. The exercises encourage critical thinking and interpretation, helping students understand how to draw conclusions about people and situations without direct interaction. These solutions are designed to aid students in understanding the nuances of literary analysis and improving their comprehension abilities, making them valuable for exam preparation and revision.

Quick info

BoardCBSE
ClassClass 9
SubjectMain Course
Session2026
LanguageEnglish
TypeNCERT Solutions
Chapter1.(C) Can You Know People You Haven’t Met

Chapter summary

Chapter 1(C) of the Class 9 Main Course English textbook focuses on the skill of inferring information about people and situations from indirect evidence. The NCERT Solutions guide students through analyzing a poem about an abandoned farmhouse, identifying clues like large shoes, a leaky barn, and scattered toys to understand the former residents. The exercises prompt students to practice making logical deductions about the family's characteristics, reasons for leaving, and the presence of different family members, thereby enhancing their critical thinking and comprehension skills.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand how to infer information about people from indirect clues.
  • Analyze poetic elements to draw conclusions about characters and setting.
  • Develop critical thinking skills by interpreting evidence from a text.
  • Practice writing descriptive passages based on observations.
  • Apply inferential reasoning to real-life scenarios.

Topics covered

Paper topics

  • Inferential skills
  • Poem analysis
  • Drawing conclusions from evidence
  • Character inference
  • Setting description
  • Abandoned farmhouse
  • Reading comprehension
  • Critical thinking
  • Literary interpretation
  • Descriptive writing

Important topics

  • Inferring character traits from descriptions
  • Analyzing clues in poetry
  • Understanding reasons for abandonment
  • Developing critical reading skills
  • Connecting textual evidence to conclusions

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Questions and Solutions

Can You Know People YouHaven't Met

Unit-1: Solutions of Questions on Page Number: 16

Q1: Complete the following sentences about the poem.

  1. In the first stanza, the poet refers to four pieces of evidence: large shoes, a long bed, the Bible, fields cluttered with boulders and a leaky barn. This leads the poet to conclude that 'the man of the house' was _____
  1. I think that the child was probably about six years old because ______

The poet suggests that a woman lived in the farmhouse because ______

The family probably left the farmhouse because ______

Answer:

This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, a sample solution for discussion has been provided for your reference.

  1. 1.In the first stanza, the poet refers to four pieces of evidence: large shoes, a long bed, the Bible, fields cluttered with boulders and a leaky barn. This leads the poet to conclude that 'the man of the house' was large and tall, a believer of God and that he wasn't a farmer, as the surrounding fields were muddles in a very disorderly manner with boulders and a barn which leaked.
  1. I think that the child was probably about six years old because of the line 'sandbox made from a tractor tire' which suggests a play thing for a child of around the same age.
  2. The poet suggests that a woman lived in the farmhouse it could be prominently interpreted by the lilac wallpapers and the organized way in which oilcloth was spread neatly on all the kitchen shelves.
  1. The family probably left the farmhouse because they won a large fortune and went off to stay in the city and left this house as it was. The other reason can also be that a huge famine or some other natural calamity struck them because of which they had to leave immediately. Another reason can also be that they hadn't repaid someone's debts and were threatened to leave the house on short notice.

Q2: The poet draws conclusions about the family without having met them. He

does this by lines such as:

Something went wrong, says the empty house

in the weed-choked yard...

Make other sentences like this, using ideas from the poem.

Answer:

This question is to be answered on the basis of your own understanding, experience and thoughts. It is strongly recommended that you prepare the solution on your own. However, some pointers for discussion have been provided for your reference.

It seems that today all you see in movies is violence.

  • Pollution is directly related to the question of our life and death. This suggests the importance of cleanliness of our environment.

The people are outraged this time. So, it is likely that the Bill would be passed in the Parliament soon.

  • He didn't fair well in his exams. This suggests that he wouldn't be eligible for entrance tests in DU.

Q3: Imagine that a Social Worker comes to the abandoned farmhouse to find out what may have happened to the family. She makes the following observations in her note-pad

When I reached the farmhouse, I saw that the house was empty, which

__. I wondered where they might have gone. _____ the

owner was not a farmer, because of the boulders in the field and the leaky barn.

the family was poor, because I saw several sealed jars in the cellar.

Also ______ a woman lived there. It was obvious she had left in a

hurry. What was most touching was that the toys were scattered in the yard.

Answer:

  1. Seemed very weird to me.
  2. I was sure by the condition of the neighboring farmland that
  3. I assumed from the condition of the house that
  4. The neat oilcloths on the shelves and the lilac wallpaper suggested that

Q4: Amit from Hyderabad has got admission to a college in Bengaluru. He has to share his room with another boy. When he arrives at the hostel he learns that his room mate has gone home for a few days. Based on his observations of the room, Amit writes a letter to his friend, Sumit, about his new room mate. (You may use some of the expressions suggested in C.3.) As Amit, write the letter.

diam's

Answer:

Hill Top College

Bengaluru

09<sup>™</sup> May'12

Hello Sumit,

I have reached Bengaluru safely. I was just settling things up in my room when I thought of writing to you. I am so dead tired. My room was a mess when I entered. I have been dreading this day for so long and here it is. I am very tensed because of my existing roommate Ritesh. He is presently on vacation at his parents' place in Mumbai. The entire room gave an impression of him as a very untidy person with no fixed time frame to complete his task. His things are thrown all over the place and the floor is sticky because of spilled coke. Ant attacks on leftover pizza have added to my misery. A wet towel is strewn over the only chair in the room. I am clueless about how to survive this chaos. You already know that I have always grown up in a very disciplined, neat and tidy environment. I don't think I will be able to befriend him. Hope the future holds good for us and we become tolerant towards each other.

You take care and do keep in touch. I miss you friends already.

Love,

Amit.

Common mistakes

  • Failing to connect subtle clues in the poem to logical conclusions.
  • Making assumptions without sufficient textual evidence.
  • Confusing direct statements with inferred meanings.
  • Overlooking details that provide crucial insights into the characters' lives.

Revision tips

  • Reread the poem carefully, highlighting all descriptive details.
  • For each clue, brainstorm possible interpretations before settling on a conclusion.
  • Practice creating similar inferential exercises for other texts.
  • Discuss your interpretations with classmates to gain different perspectives.

Practice MCQs

Q1. What does the presence of large shoes and a long bed suggest about 'the man of the house'?

Q2. The condition of the fields (cluttered with boulders, leaky barn) suggests what about the farmer?

Q3. What detail suggests a child lived in the farmhouse?

Q4. The neat oilcloths on shelves and lilac wallpaper suggest the presence of:

Q5. Which of the following is NOT a possible reason for the family leaving the farmhouse, as suggested in the solutions?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main skill taught in CBSE Class 9 Main Course English, Chapter 1(C)?

The main skill taught is inferential reasoning, which involves drawing conclusions about people and situations based on indirect clues and evidence presented in a text, such as a poem.

How do the NCERT Solutions for this chapter help students?

These solutions help students understand how to analyze a poem about an abandoned farmhouse by identifying specific details and using them to make logical deductions about the former inhabitants and their lives.

What kind of evidence is used in the poem to draw conclusions?

The poem uses evidence such as the size of shoes, the condition of the fields and barn, the presence of specific household items like oilcloth and wallpaper, and children's toys to infer details about the family.

Why is it important to be able to know people you haven't met?

Developing the ability to infer and understand people you haven't met helps in building empathy, improving social interactions, and becoming a more perceptive reader and observer of the world around you.

Are the answers in this chapter based on personal opinions?

While the chapter encourages personal understanding, the provided solutions guide students to base their conclusions on specific textual evidence from the poem, ensuring logical and well-supported inferences.

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